My Love of Music & Encouraging My Children's Tastes

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Mohammad Metri  

Music has always been such a big part of my life and I never quite understand when people say that they don't really listen to music.

My music tastes were mostly influenced by my parents when I was a child. I credit them for my love of 80s music such as Adam and the Ants, The Smiths and Prefab Sprout - to name a few! When I hit my teenage years, that's when I really begun my love affair with music. 

I started listening to more "alternative" stuff (mostly emo, if I'm honest. I'm a die hard Panic! at the Disco fan and finally got to see Brendon Urie in the flesh this year after 14 years of waiting!), dyed my hair every colour under the sun, became involved with a group of friends who all listened to the same genres and enjoyed going to gigs. One of the first things that Chris (my partner of almost 10 years) and I did when we first met was buy tickets to go and see Dropkick Murphys together. Seeing bands is something that we love to do.

Brendon Urie of Panic! at the Disco, Pray for the Wicked Tour - SSE Hydro, Glasgow, March 2019

  Back then, I was very set in my ways and would only listen to that type of music but now as I get older and have children, I'm much more open. I like to expose them to music and hope that they develop the same love. Before we've even got into the car for the school runs in the morning, I'm already wondering what radio station we'll put on or whether we'll just link up a Spotify playlist on our phones. If I'm out walking without the children too, you will be sure to find me with my earphones firmly in, listening to a Spotify Daily Mix!

Trusty red earphones, probably listening to twenty one pilots

  My son, C, would listen to Five Nights At Freddys songs on YouTube 'til the cows came home but my four year old daughter E is a little obsessed with George Ezra and will always be singing 'Paradise' or 'Shotgun'!

In order to encourage the children to develop their music tastes, I've switched from having the TV idly on in the background to having a different station on the DAB radio, letting the music drift through the house. Honestly, C isn't bothered so much but E loves a boogie and is very into current pop music like Ava Max or Taylor Swift (and to let you in on a secret, I think I'm becoming a Swiftie too but don't tell 15 year old me that!).

Are your children into music? What do they like to listen to the most?

 

Weekend Box with Snazaroo - Review

If you haven't heard of Weekend Box, it is a fornightly subscription box for children filled with items that are fun, educational, engaging and stimulating. They recently teamed up with face paint company Snazaroo to include their items in the Weekend Box. 

I have heard of Snazaroo before but had never actually tried their face paints so I was really excited to give them a go. When the box arrived through the letterbox, I loved that it was so brightly decorated and addressed to my son. He's five and is delighted when he gets post with his name on it.

Inside we found two mini Snazaroo face painting sets - a tiger set and stamper set. There was also some information on entering their Monthly Competition by submitting photographs of your creations. I really like the additional "Meet the Gang" imagery inside, the children enjoyed this little touch - I think my daughter is definitely Hattie and son is Oswald!

My three year old daughter E was desperate to be painted as a tiger so of course, she had to go first. The tiger set has only three steps so even a beginner like myself can follow it easily. You get three different colours: yellow, black and white; a brush and a sponge. All you need to do to use the paints is dip either the sponge or brush in some water and you're ready to go. 

I covered E's face in the yellow first, brushed a little white paint around her nose then used the black for her tiger nose, whiskers and stripes. I don't think I did too bad a job!

C was a little less eager but for a child who has sensory processing issues, I wasn't surprised. He did, however, let me do the stampers on each of his cheeks - a smiley face on one and music notes on the other. He kept them on for a full five minutes whereas E was happy enough to wear hers all night!

After a wash with soap and water, all traces of the paints were removed easily and it didn't seem to irritate either child's skin. They are fragrance and paraben free and are suitable for sensitive skin.

We have had tons of fun with our Snazaroo paints and, if anything, it's made me want to practice my skills a bit more and buy a few other sets!

The Weekend Box that we received is priced at £2.99 which is very affordable and makes for a fun, bonding afternoon between you and your little ones. 

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

 

Fuzzikins Craft Campervan - Review

When my son C was small, one of our favourite things to do were crafts. His younger sister E is much more into playing and imaginative play and wouldn't really sit long enough to do crafts (plus she gets a bit frustrated when she can't do things by herself!)

Fuzzikins have released another collectable kit - the Fuzzikins Craft Campervan to their existing range which you may have spotted sponsoring Disney Junior on weekday afternoons. As soon as E saw the cute little cats, she was in love and couldn't wait to enter the Fuzzi world of fun and imagination!

The Campervan set comes with four colouring pens, two Fuzzikins cats, some colouring sheets and a sheet of stickers to customise the van. The Fuzzikins cats do have a fuzzy feel to them, hence the name, and E was excited to get colouring and "make them look pretty." You need to be careful when colouring as the pens do need time to dry so it's quite easy to get the colours all over your fingers. I may have used the hairdryer to speed up the waiting time as three year olds can be impatient!

After we had finished colouring for the first time, E spent hours creating little scenarios between the cats inside the campervan; making them drive to the beach or swimming pool. There is a seat at the steering wheel for one of the cats to drive, a table with two chairs so they can eat together and also a bed that pulls down above the table, complete with blanket to snuggle them up together. 

The campervan itself is a carry case so we have even been bringing it in the car to keep the kids occupied. At first glance, the handle may just seem like a regular handle but you can actually remove it - it's a surfboard! As if that wasn't enough, the cats are completely washable and reusable so you can use it as many times as you like.

It's such a beautifully designed toy and I love that whilst encouraging creativity, it is also great for imaginative play. The Fuzzikins Craft Campervan is available to buy from Interplay and Amazon for only £19.99.

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

 

Flair Plasticine Softeez - Review

Earlier this week, I posted C's 3.5 year update and I mentioned that he loves all things creative so I really try to encourage that streak. He loves building and making things so I knew the Plasticine Softeez range would be a hit.

I remember playing with Plasticine when I was younger and it being really hard and tough. The Softeez range is, as you can imagine by the name, a bit softer. It does feel hard in the block but once you've rolled it around in your hands for a bit it softens up. 

We received six 150g slabs of different coloured Plasticine (RRP £1.29 each), a Tub of Fun (RRP £4.99) containing two cutters & five small bars of Plasticine and the Under the Sea Play Box which comes with a plastic background image (great for putting down on the table so residue isn't left),  12 small bars of Plasticine and nine accessories such as rollers and cutters.

C has played with different types of softer dough before but never Plasticine. He had the best time making his under the sea image and loved telling me what all the different cutters were. I did have to help him roll it sometimes as it's a little harder than what he's used to. Drawing eyes and shapes with the tools provided is something completely new to him and he had to give every creature eyes.

C tended to mostly flatten the Plasticine and use the cutters but because of the toughness, it's easy to mould it into 3D shapes too. The Plasticine Softeez really brought back memories for me and I think I had just as much fun playing with it as he did. 

The only things I wasn't a fan of were the fact that once it's rolled it really sticks to whatever you've put it on which is why I was pleased that the Under the Sea set came with a background mat. I did have to use one of the tools to prise the shape up without ruining it. It doesn't leave a residue on your hands which is something that I'm not used to. It's not a big deal, hands are easily washed - I just don't like having my hands dirty!

All in all, I am really impressed with the Plasticine Softeez range and I think they are really well-priced. The cutters and accessories are made of hard, smooth plastic with no sharp bits so I had no problem with letting C use them on their own. The big selling point for me is that they never dry out. C tends to leave dough out of the tub which destorys them so this, I think, makes Plasticine Softeez a cut above the rest. As well as the Under the Sea Play Box you can also buy a Cupcake Creations set. Each of these retail at £9.99 and are recommended for children aged 3-5 years.
You can find out more at the Flair website and you can keep up to date on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. 

(We received these items for the purpose of this post. All thoughts and opinions are my own.) 

 

Win a Dollhouse Bundle with Big Game Hunters Ltd

Today, I'm bringing you probably one of my favourite competitions that I've ever hosted. Big Game Hunters Ltd are giving my readers the opportunity to win every little girls dream - a dollhouse bundle.

The prize consists of:

Butterbee Cottage Dolls House

Sweetbee Living Room, Dining Room & Master Bedroom Set

Budkins Family of 3

I'm sure you can all agree that this is an amazing prize! Entry will be a little different than my usual competitions. This isn't a Rafflecopter giveaway because we want to see your little ones creative sides!

To enter, we'd like you to enlist the help of your children. We would like them to draw their dream jungle-themed dollhouse. Once they have completed their picture please email it (a scan copy or photograph of it will be fine) to both myself and Hannah at Garden Games Ltd. Our email addresses are rebeccaphillips49@gmail.com & hannah@biggamehunters.co.uk
Please include 'Mum of a Premature Baby Competition' as your subject and include your name and your childs name and age in the body. We will then choose the most creative as the winner!

I'm well aware that people may be put off by effort competitions but this is an amazing prize and it's a great way to get your children involved and have fun!

The competition will close on December 8th and the winner will be notified shortly after. I will also announce the winner on Facebook and Twitter. The competition is open to UK residents only. By entering, you are agreeing to the pictures being used on the Big Game Hunters website.

I can't wait to see your designs!

TOMY Jungle Magic Sounds Aquadoodle - Review

We were lucky enough to be picked as Babies R Us Babyologists recently and C was sent the TOMY Jungle Magic Sounds Aquadoodle to try out. 

When I opened it, the first thing I noticed was how bright and colourful it was - perfect for stimulating a child! C couldn't wait to get his hands on it.

Inside the box was the Aquadoodle mat, pen and water compartment. Batteries aren't included but they are easy enough to get your hands on so I wasn't too bothered. The water compartment is easily filled and slots into the main 'pen'. The pen is chunky enough for C to hold in his hand comfortably. 

He picked up on how to use it straight away but as the water compartment only slots in, he was able to pull it out. After a few "no"'s though, he soon stopped! The pen is lightweight and mat is durable so I feel that it is great quality.

There are four animal sounds around the edge of the mat and you push the end of the pen down on the sound that you want then that sound is made whilst you draw. C had a little bit of trouble doing this by himself as you need to press down quite hard.

C found it really easy to draw on the mat and it doesn't take overly long to dry out so he was able to continue drawing. He sits for well over an hour playing with it - it's the only toy that's ever kept him that occupied! It's great that it's teaching him how to draw and I don't have to worry about him making a mess. My 12 year old sister even said she wanted one!

The Aquadoodle is recommended for children aged 18 months+ and you can purchase your own TOMY Jungle Sounds Magic Aquadoodle at Toys R Us for £24.99.

(Disclaimer: We received this item free of charge in exchange for an open and honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.)