Planning Our First Family Break Away

I know this might sound surprising but Chris and I have been together for a little over eight years and we have never been away anywhere together, whether that be abroad or staying in the UK. When we first met we were both always working then we had children and then it just never happened. It's definitely one of the things we wished we'd done before children.

That said, we don't have regrets. We don't think that the children stopped us from travelling places but I do think it makes it a little harder when you have a family. We have had occasions in the past where we probably could have gone away but then there has been an unexpected bill or more school uniforms to buy and it's just been a little difficult. I am a very anxious person since having my eldest so travelling with young babies or toddlers kind of gives me the fear! Now that C and E are almost 6 and 4, I know (or hope!) that it would be easy plus I feel that because they are a little older, wherever we go would have a lot more things that are suited to them and their ages.

We live up in Northern Ireland so whilst it would be easy to pack up the car, jump in and drive to Dublin, Donegal, or wherever we fancied, I would love a change of scenery. After following so many fellow bloggers that are based on the mainland and seeing their beautiful Instagram photographs of the areas in which they live, I've mentally compiled a list of some places I'd love to see. London for the tourist sites and the Natural History Museum and the Jurassic Coast are my top two but I know the children would adore Legoland Windsor. Of course, having to cross a large body of water to get there is bound to hike the price up as realistically we'd want to take the car so that involves paying to take it on the ferry then driving to our destination.

I've written before about how I never want to pay full price for anything. If I can find a bargain or way to get something cheaper, I'll find it! I think our biggest cost will probably be where to stay but Groupon have some great savings on UK hotels which could shave a bit off our budget. I don't want to be completely obsessive with money, I will obviously spend what we have to on attractions, I definitely won't choose not to take the children somewhere whilst we're in the vicinity just because I'm worried about how much it costs. If we have travelled that far, I want to make the most of it but wherever I can save, you bet I'm gonna do it!

With the joys of the Internet, it's so easy these days to have a quick search for ways to get cheaper attraction tickets or even read some blog posts from people who have been to these places and will happily share their tips on how to save money. Being able to plan and doing this research has calmed my anxiety and made me realise that travelling with children won't be scary and definitely isn't unrealistic. I'm really excited to push myself out of my comfort zone, try not to worry about what could go wrong and make some lovely memories with my family.

Do you have any tips for travelling as a family or saving money when doing so?

(This is a sponsored post.) 

Keeping Your Car Safe When You Have Children

My partner Chris passed his driving test in May 2017 and it was the best thing to happen to us. With two young children, doing shopping could take all day and we rarely had day trips as it could cost a bomb unless it was relatively local.

Having a car has been a huge help and it has been very important to Chris to make sure that it's in top condition. Even nine months after getting the car he religiously checks everything to make sure it's all working, especially as we will be putting our children into the car. The last thing he wants is for something to go wrong when they are strapped in the back. 

The first thing we insist on doing is making sure that both car seats are fitted and secured correctly (it's also important that if it's your first car that your children are in the correct car seat for their age/height), then ensuring that the children are buckled in with no twisted seatbelts. Not wearing winter coats is important as the belts cannot be tightened fully and may not work properly in the case of a crash.

Checking that all the lights work correctly before setting off on a journey is an important one. The last thing you want is to be on a busy road then realise that a light isn't working as you could quite easily cause an accident. Chris is still a restricted driver as he hasn't yet been driving a year so it's still all new to him and does, on occasion, have to refer back to his car manual and test them out by having me stand by the car and tell him if they're working or not. This can be a bit time consuming but definitely worth doing to be on the safe side.

On Christmas Day last year, we had a lot of family to visit and a very short amount of time to get round everyone. We were roughly ten minutes from our house when, bam, flat tyre! This was the first time it had happened and luckily we had a spare in the boot. It took ten minutes for Chris to replace it and get us on our way again but then we had to make sure we purchased a new spare as soon as we possibly could in case it happened again. It's so important to check your tyres regularly for any foreign objects that may be stuck (this is what happened in our case) but also ensuring that the tread and pressure is ideal.

Our car is up for MOT in April and although Chris checks the car as much as he can himself, he is definitely planning on getting it in for a service beforehand. He thinks that this would be beneficial to pay for so that he can be told of any problems and get those sorted, so that his car isn't failing and he isn't wasting money on having to rebook his MOT over and over again. The important thing is finding the perfect servicing station such as Ossett Tyre House which offers all types of car servicing in Wakefield and surrounding areas. Fingers crossed all is good and his "new baby" passes!

(This is a collaborative post.)

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.)

Babywearing with Rockin' Baby

Babywearing was never something that I got into when C was little. When I was pregnant with E, I looked into it a little and bought a wrap. I absolutely loved having her close to me but as she got bigger, she began to feel uncomfortable. I am still a bit of a newbie when it comes to babywearing so I was over the moon when Rockin' Baby sent us one of their slings to try out.

Rockin' Baby sell a range of babywearing slings and pouches. For each item sold, another one will be donated to a mother in Haiti or Kenya. Haiti has the highest infant mortality rate in the Western Hemisphere so the slings make a massive difference to the parents lives as they can keep their babies safe and hands free. In addition to making it easier to nurture and love, as well as bonding and breastfeeding, the donated slings allow mothers to continue to gather food and water for their families.

I received the Rockin' Baby Sling in Orange Hero. When I first opened it out I thought, "Dear goodness, this is like nothing I've tried before!" It did look very complicated and I am rubbish with diagrammed instructions so I chose to view the 'how to' video on YouTube lots of a few times. I knew that I had to follow the TICKS rules too.

Honestly, I tried it lots of times with E and she sat well but I knew that it wasn't tight enough and I didn't have the strength in my left arm to tighten it whilst I had E's weight on the sling. Chris, however, tried it once and got her in it perfectly. Over the next few days, I practiced and practiced and found that the only thing holding me back was the tightening.

If I have Chris here to hand E to me to put her in the sling and to help me tighten it, she sits securely. It was easier to hold E up with my right arm and tighten it with my left. When I felt comfortable, we ventured out to the park pram-free; C walking and E in her brand new sling. I had the sling capped on my shoulder so that it didn't strain my neck and made sure that E's bum was sat deeply in the fabric and that her legs were in the froggy position.

Both of us were extremely happy and comfortable throughout our whole trip out and it was so lovely having her so close to me. She enjoyed having a nosey around too!

I chose to stick to the Hip Carry as it's perfect for E's age and weight but you can view the different carry styles on Rockin' Baby's YouTube Channel.

The sling itself is fantastic quality and I didn't feel anxious about carrying E at all, I knew she was safe and she felt secure. It is made from 100% ultra soft breathable cotton and it even has a pocket for keys etc. which means it is perfect for being out and about and you don't have to worry about carrying a heavy changing bag too.

The Rockin' Baby slings retail at £49.00 and the pouches are £59.00. Once I got over my initial worries and drawbacks, it has been an absolute dream and perfect for taking both children out it the warm weather as I don't own a double buggy! It is suitable from newborn to children up to 40lbs in weight. 

You can find out more at the Rockin' Baby website and you can also follow them on Facebook and Twitter.

(Disclaimer: We received a Rockin' Baby sling for the purpose of this post. All thoughts and opinions are my own.)

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#MPBTurns2 Giveaway #2: Safetots NSAuk 3 in 1 Weather Protector

Today as part of my birthday celebrations, Safetots are very kindly offering my readers the chance to win a fabulous 3 in 1 Weather Protector.

The NSAuk 3 in 1 Weather Protector is multilayered and it protects your baby while you're out and about. It has a splash-proof raincover, UV sunshade and a mesh layer for ventilation and insect protection. It will fit on most infant car seat and travel systems. There is velcro opening at the top so there is no need to remove it when you are lifting your babies car seat. The protector is made from polyester with a wire frame and it pops up easily. It is also easily folded down for storage.

You can find more Travel Essentials at Safetots.

I'd love for you to pop over and 'Like' Cantaloop, Dr Browns, Travel Essentials UK and Theraline on Facebook.

For the chance to win your own 3 in 1 Weather Protector all you have to do is fill in the Rafflecopter widget below. This competition will run from January 3rd until January 17th and it is open to UK residents only. The prize will be supplied directly from the company. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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