Happy New Year (+my first blog birthday giveaway!)

Happy New Year everyone! You may have noticed that it's been a bit quiet around here for a few weeks. I was super busy in the run up to Christmas then I was struck down with the flu and only now am I starting to feel more human. I hope you all had a great Christmas. Ours was perfect and C and E are just at the best ages so they understood everything and were really excited.

January 2017 marks four years since I started this blog which I think is absolutely crazy. I never stick to anything so this is a massive acheivement for me. There are a few things that I want to do differently this year. Last year, I focused a lot on reviews and by the end of the year, I realised I hadn't done a monthly update on the children for a few months and was skipping my usual "Look in my Letterbox" posts. I definitely want to get back to basics and even start joining in with the Me & Mine and Siblings linkies again - I miss those!

To celebrate the fact that Mum of a Premature Baby is four years old, I have some giveaways with the first of which starting right now.

InfaCare Baby Bath and InfaCare Night Time Baby Bath are ultra-mild, pH balanced and generate masses of long lasting bubbles. A baby's skin is ten times more delicate than adult skin so InfaCare is formulated to be as natural and gentle as possible. Recommended by midwives and healthcare professionals, they have been clinically tested and developed to promote natural levels of acidity and alkalinity in skin and hair. Each are designed to prevent irritation and mums say that it helps with allergies.

The Night Time Baby Bath is becoming a fast favourite with mums across the country; with up to 70% describing it as "ideal" for their bedtime routine. You don't need to use much either as a little goes a long way. The gentle, powdery fragrance helps to relax, easing tots first into bed then off to sleep.

InfaCare Baby Bath retails at £2.15 per 400ml bottle and £3.19 for 750ml. The InfaCare Night Time Baby Bath is £3.49 for 750ml. Both can be purchased from all major supermarkets as well as Lloyd's Pharmacy and Boots.

Want to try some for yourself? I have two sets of 2 x InfaCare Baby Bath and 2 x InfaCare Night Time Baby Bath up for grabs. Just enter via the Rafflecopter widget below. Good luck!

T&C's:

• Two winners will win two bottles of InfaCare Baby Bath and two bottles of InfaCare Night Time Baby Bath
• The giveaway will run from January 1st until January 15th
• Prizes will be sent via the PR company
• Open to entrants aged 18+
• UK residents only
• One entry per person
• No automated entries

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

CuddleCo Comfi-Cush Pushchair Liner - Review

Back when C was little, I knew nothing of pushchair liners. I heard a little about them when E was born but I never felt the urge to buy one. When I saw the opportunity to review a Comfi-Cush liner from CuddleCo, I was eager to give one a try and see what all the fuss was about.

The pushchair liners come in five new prints; Dove Grey, Robots, Fruity Tutti, Spot The Dot and Jungle Boogie and I opted for Fruity Tutti as I thought it was very vibrant and girly - perfect for E's pram. When it arrived, it was even nicer in person and I couldn't wait to try it out.

The Comfi-Cush is made from memory foam so it will support your baby and leave them feeling comfortable whilst on the move. Upon feeling it, I could definitely see why people choose to use buggy liners.

Fitting it was easy. There are holes for the straps to go through so it will be compatible with most pushchairs - those that use a 5-point harness - and there is a bit of elastic to go around the back of the seat to hold it in place.The funky print is only on one side, the back is soft polyester so it can be used either way if you wish.

E seems very comfortable when sat on it and it doesn't make her sweat, which is something that I previously thought happened with memory foam. The liner is suitable from birth and I would definitely recommend them to any mum. Not only do they keep your child comfortable by adapting to their body shape but they are quite lovely to look at! I love a funky print and I've never seen a liner like this before.

The CuddleCo Comfi-Cush retails at £24.99 and you can find them at Smyths.

(Disclaimer: We received a Comfi-Cush for the purpose of this post. All thoughts and opinions are my own.)

Usborne Slide & See Book

C, my eldest, has always been into books and I'm hoping that E follows in his footsteps. Myself and their daddy loves to read as children (and we still do!) so it's important to us to always read with the kids.

E received a wonderful little Usborne Slide & See Under the Sea book to try out. 

I think that this is a really great first book for little ones. It is a board book so you don't have to worry about little hands ripping the pages and destroying it. There are only five pages so little ones aren't likely to get bored and their attention will fully be on the book.

Each page shows animals that live in or around the sea and they have sliding panels so you can make the animals hide or move. I didn't think E would really know what to do but, to my surprise, when I showed her she tried to move them herself! This is great for developing your child's motor skills and hand-eye co-ordination. The bright pages really capture her attention too. Her big brother also loves it. He likes to move the panels but it's also great for teaching him the animals too.

This book retails at £7.99 and you can purchase it directly from the Usborne website.

You can keep up to date with Usborne on Facebook and Twitter too!

(Disclaimer: We received this item for the purpose of this post. All thoughts and opinions are my own).

E at 11 months

I am seriously finding it hard to believe that my tiny baby girl is 11 months old. Where has the past year gone?

I can see her changing from a baby to a toddler more and more every day. She has begun pulling herself up to stand against the sofa (or anything she gets her hands on, really!) and cruising the sofa too. She has been a little more adventurous lately and lets go for a few seconds before realising that she isn't steady and quickly grabs hold of something. 

E is always wanting be on her feet so I really don't think it will be long before she is walking. 

She is quite clever and her little personality is starting to shine through. I just know she's going to be as funny as her brother. She loves the camera - especially when the flash is on!

She loves giving everyone kisses though they are a little slobbery! Speech-wise we only have 'mama', 'dada' and 'ta ta'. She has made some noises that sound like words but I can't be 100% sure that she knows what she's saying. 

She has developed a love for TV shows thanks to her big bro! Twirlywoos, In The Night Garden and Pocoyo are her favourites. She also loves stealing C'a toys. 

E still wears some 9-12 month clothing but the majority are 12-18 months. She is so tall! She is having three meals a day and absolutely loves her food. She will gobble up anything I give her and even tries to take C's too! She is still taking a morning and bedtime bottle but I think I need to drop the morning one soon. 

I can't believe this time next month I will be writing her one year update. I must get panic buying presents!

Bean Bag Planet - Review & Giveaway

I first heard of Bean Bag Planet through a Facebook post back when C was around 9 months old. I didn't think he was the right age for one so I quickly forgot about it. I was recently contacted about reviewing one and was informed that they are great for children aged from newborn to 7 years old. With two children now in that age range, how could I say no? 

Bean Bag Planet have lots of different designs to choose from. I opted for the beige zebra print one as I thought it was a great unisex colour for both C and E. 

When the bag arrived, I was a little surprised that the cover and beans were separate, I imagined it would arrive ready to use. I had to wait until Chris got home from work to help me as I knew me trying to put the beans in myself was a recipe for disaster. I needed him to hold the zip open whilst I poured. We did have a few accidents where beans ended up on the floor but they were easily put back in. You need to put the majority of the beans in the back part then a few in the front bit, where you sit. You can use as much or as little as you want, just as long as it is comfortable for your child to sit on.

The bean bag has a strap on the front to keep smaller children on it but you also get a piece of material without the strap that you can zip on for older children who don't need strapped in. The fact that this product grows with your child makes it amazing value for money. You get 7 years of usage and the quality is fantastic so I don't have any worries about it giving up on us any time soon!

Both my children (aged 10 months and almost 3 years) love the bean bag. It's a new favourite - I think it's the comfort factor! 

The Bean Bags RRP price is £64.99 but you can purchase them directly from Bean Bag Planet for only £29.99! You can also find Bean Bag Planet on Facebook and Twitter. 

We have very kindly been offered the chance to run a giveaway for you lovely people! To be in with a chance of winning your own bean bag just fill in the Rafflecopter widget below.

T&C's:

• The giveaway will run from June 29th until August 28th
• One winner will win a Bean Bag of their choice
• Open to entrants aged 18+
• UK residents only
• Prize will be sent directly from the PR, please allow 28 days for delivery
• No automated entries
• One entry per person

Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

UK competitions at ThePrizeFinder

Spilly Spoon

E has only recently gotten her first two teeth through. In the days before they appeared, she was very unsettled. I had been able to see the little white buds in her gums so I knew they would be coming through soon so, like all mothers, I reached for the Calpol to give her a bit of relief. We had previously been using the syringe but she wasn't a fan of having it 'shot' into her mouth, no matter how slowly I did it, which made her hate the whole experience. We received a Spilly Spoon to try out to see if helped her take it better.

The Spilly Spoon is an award-winning non-spill medicine spoon. First off, I loved the fun shape as your child can recognise, obviously depending on their age, the caterpillar shape. 

It has handy little bubbles to tell you just how much you have put into the spoon (from 2.5ml to 10ml), and it glides down easily into your child's mouth. We have been giving E her medicine in it, but because of the design, when C needs medicine he can give it to himself as he is used to having a spoon with his meals. This is great for giving your child a little bit of independence!

The Spilly Spoon is super easy to clean too as it's quite wide. I did wonder how a spoon like this could claim to be non-spill but it really is! The only way you'll spill the medicine is if you turn it completely upside down and wait for it to run down the inside. It can even lie flat on a work surface thanks to its little 'feet'.

The spoon is BPA free, dishwasher safe, steriliser safe and it is available in Original Green or Sparkly Pink designs.

The Spilly Spoon retails at £4.99 and you can find a list of stockists here.

You can find out more at the Spilly Spoon website and you can also follow them on Facebook and Twitter.

(Disclaimer: We received a Spilly Spoon for the purpose of this post. All thoughts and opinions are my own.)

E at 10 Months

These months are just flying by so quickly. It's seems like it was just yesterday that I was writing E's 9 month update. We're only two months away from her first birthday and I really need to get a move on with present buying!

This month E has mastered crawling. Well, I'm not really sure you can call it crawling. She doesn't use her legs and just drags herself along the floor. It makes me laugh every time and she reminds me of Mr Herbert's dog, Jessie, from Family Guy!

She is very vocal which is complete opposite to how C was. He didn't speak for ages but E is always babbling and 'Yeah' is her new favourite word. She also nods and shakes her head. It so weird seeing her do things like that as C never did.

She absolutely loves her grub. She demolishes anything I put in front of her (except cucumber, I've discovered) and she even loves giving us share of her food. So polite! 

We finally got those first two bottom teeth through! I thought she was going to be gummy forever. She was a bit unsettled for around 3 days then I found them. Guess I have to buy her something now, isn't that the rule? 

E had her first time on the swing in the park. She has usually fallen asleep during park trips but one morning we went early and had the whole park to ourselves. She really enjoyed herself and giggled delightedly. 

A couple of days ago she took 3 steps with the aid of her push along walker. C was very, for want of a better word, lazy and didn't crawl or walk til he was gone one year old. E, I think, is trying to copy everything that her big brother does. I'm hoping she is walking before a year but I may regret saying that!

Her tantrums have begun. I didn't think she'd have them this early but boy, does she let herself be heard. She aggravates C to no end and is always taking toys from him. He gets upset so we have to take them back off her which causes her to shriek and stomp her feet. I hope she grows out of it soon! 

She also had her very first splash in the paddling pool at her grandparents this weekend. She wasn't convinced and only spent a few minutes in it before crying and holding her arms up to me to take her out! 

Munchkin Miracle 360 Trainer Cup

With E getting older, we've been trying to find the best cup for her to drink water out of whilst having meals or dealing with this unbearable heat we've been having lately! As part of our role as Munchkin Bloggers, we received one of their Miracle 360 Trainer Cups to try out.

The cup holds 7oz of water and it really is amazing! I have lost count at the amount of cups we have own over the years but this one is definitely at the top.

The cups' 360 name comes from the fact that your child can drink from it at any point around the rim. Your child is encouraged to work their muscles to suck. This opens the seal so they can get the water then it seals itself when your child is finished so you don't have any spills or leaks. The only thing E struggles with a little is tipping it up so I need to give her a hand but she is better at doing that now than she was a few months ago. I feel like it's really given her confidence and it has become one of our favourites.

It comes with the lid, tumbler and double handle so it's really easy to clean too.

The cup is BPA free and suitable from 6 months+.

As you can see, we received the green and pink version but it is also available in white and blue at a price of only £4.99.

You can find out more at the Munchkin website and you can follow them on Facebook and Twitter.

(Disclaimer: We received this cup as part of our role as Munchkin/Lindam Bloggers. All thoughts and opinions are my own.)

Ella's Kitchen Baby Finger Food Challenge

E has only just turned 9 months old and her favourite thing to do is explore the world around her. She is learning so much every day and growing right before my eyes.

If you're a regular reader, you'll know that both E and I love the Ella's Kitchen pouches. We have been lucky enough to review some and I buy them every weeek! They have recently developed a 'Baby Finger Food' range which is perfect for babies aged 7 months+. The "play and learn" range is a selection of healthy, handy and fun finger foods perfect for little hands.

Ella's Kitchen very kindly sent us some of their range to try out with E alongside some fabulous toys to get her exploring with her hands! We received:

Ella's Kitchen Apple + Ginger Grip Me Baby Biscuits (£1.99 per box of 12)

Babies R Us Textured Ball

Ella's Kitchen Vanilla + Banana Pick Me Melty Hoops (£1.49)

John Crane B Elemenosqueeze Blocks

Ella's Kitchen Strawberry + Banana Grab Me Melty Puffs (69p)

Ella's Kitchen Cheese + Tomato Pick Me Melty Hoops (£1.49)

Ella's Kitchen Tomato + Leek Grab Me Melty Puffs (69p)

When I first opened out our parcel the kids (well, C really!) wanted to play with the blocks. They have quickly become a firm favourite in our house and they are played with every day. C is almost 3 and he likes to build towers. E, at 9 months old, is much more interested in chewing on them!

E loves all of the different textures on the ball too. The bright colours combined with the black and white checkered panel are great for her eyes. The little mirror on the end is a hit too!

When I started weaning E, I did a combination of spoon feeding and baby led weaning. Now that she's getting older, I want to try and get her eating all of her meals on her own.

Firstly I tried the Grip Me Baby Biscuits. These are recommended for 10 months+ but she has had food of a similar shape and texture so I thought she would be alright with them. The large size meant that she was able to lift it directly from her tray on her own. She had a little feel of it to suss out what it was before chomping down on it (like she does with everything!). She loved it and they have come in handy for snacking on whilst out and about as they are all individually wrapped.

Both flavours of the Grab Me Melty Puffs have gone down a treat with E. They are for 7 months+ and are bigger than Wotsits so she has no trouble lifting them. As they are puffs, she loves to clench and unclench her fist whilst holding them. Fun for her, not so fun for me as crumbs are everywhere!

Before we tried the Pick Me Melty Hoops, I did think that they would be a bit small for her plus they are recommended for 10 months+. We gave them a go anyway and I couldn't be more proud. I scattered a few over her tray and after having a little look, she attempted to pick them up. She struggled a bit at the beginning but she soon perfected her pincer grip and was putting them into her mouth like a pro. She has since learned that if she sticks her finger in the hole in the middle she can pick them up that way too. Hilarious!

You can find the full range of Finger Foods at the Ella's Kitchen website and you can also keep up to date on Facebook and Twitter.

(Disclaimer: We received this pack for the purpose of this post. All thoughts and opinions are my own.)

E at 9 Months

I can't believe E is nine months old already - it's crazy! I'm two days late with this post though. Oops.

Her little personality is shining through and although I can see similarities between her and C, I can see differences too.

She is a lot more inquisitive and into everything. Anything that we have in our hands, she wants. She has actually toppled out of her walker because she's too busy leaning over the side to retrieve a toy from the floor.I definitely need eyes in the back of my head.

E has new little cute things that she loves doing like wanting kisses, peekaboo with a towel, waving, shaking and nodding her head. She also loves to copy her big bro when he screams - thanks guys.

When C was E's age, I bought him his first straw cup. The age range is 12 months+ but I thought she'd be okay using it. She loves it!

She still takes three 7oz bottles a day and three meals. She wears 6-9 months but they are very tight around her belly and chunky thighs so I think it's time to move up a size!

9 months in, 9 months out!

Ella's Kitchen's New 6 month+ Range

Since we started weaning E, we've been lucky enough to work with Ella's Kitchen and try all their gorgeous flavour combinations. 

They recently brought out a brand new range of 6 months+ tastes and of course we wanted to try them out! 

We received Cauliflower Cheese, Tomato & Red Lentil Bake, Bubble & Squeak and Macaroni Cheese (chickpea & sweet potato mash is available to buy too).

The 6 month+ range are perfect for little ones who are inbetween weaning stages. They make the transition from Stage 1 to Stage 2 easier. They introduce your baby to proteins and they are a little thicker than the 4 month+ range. They are still a purée but now your baby has tiny lumps to try too.

E seemed to enjoy all of the flavours - I thought they smelled beautiful too - and although she pulled a bit of a face at the first try of most of them, she couldn't get to the spoon quick enough. Since trying these pouches, I have actually bought more in the supermarket because E liked them so much. Ella's Kitchen are definitely my favourite brand because there are no hidden nasties - I know that everything my child is getting is 100% organic. I love that you can also feed them at room temperature or heated meaning that they are perfect if you are out and about.

You can find the Ella's Kitchen 6 month+ range at all major supermarkets retailing at only £1.29 per pouch. You can also find out more about Ella's Kitchen at their website, Facebook and Twitter.

(Disclaimer: I received these pouches for the purpose of this post. All thoughts and opinions are my own.)