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!

Me & Mine - July 2015

I'm so, so late with this post - sorry! I'm really rubbish at keeping up and my photography skills are awful and definitely not on par with some of the wonderful photos of other families. I must try harder and not leave it until the last minute to snap one - it's blooming impossible with two kids who won't sit still for a second. 

I struggle writing these posts. Chris works a lot and only really has evenings at home with us and the kids so we can't do an awful lot unless it's on a day off as we don't have much time to get out and about. It's hard but it must be done. 

This month we've suddenly seemed to have two toddlers! E is approaching we months now and both babies love to creat a mess and generally tire mummy and daddy out but we wouldn't have it any other way. 

I had so much that I wanted to do this summer but Northern Ireland weather has put a downer on it. How can it rain so much in JULY!? 

Next month, my babies turn 1 and 3 so I have been trying to panic buy at the last minute. How have I almost been a mummy for three years?

This month daddy is loving:

Playing his playstation when the kids are in bed

Starting his own blog

Cuddles, kisses and bath and bedtimes with the kids after work

This month mummy is loving:

Spending a little too much money on the children

Listening to music again

Re watching Gossip Girl on Netflix when the kids and Chris have gone to bed!

This month C is loving:

Being woken up by his little sister and giving her cuddles

Visiting grandad 

The Twirlywoos

This month E is loving:

Teaching herself to walk (she can cruise the sofa)

Stealing her big brothers toys

Tasting new foods 

Next month is birthday month and I can't wait to write all about it!

What I've Won: July 2015

July was a really great month for me. I had lots of little wins but all ones that I love and will get used.

1) Miffy book (RRP £3.79) from Miffy UK

This is so cute and I have kept it for E's birthday.

2) milkshake! magazine (RRP £3.49) from Two Little Paines

C loves magazines (especially the free toys!) so I was so chuffed to win this for him.

3) Top (RRP £6.00) from dottyaboutpoppyx

This is a handmade top for E but I haven't received it yet. I'm really excited and I know it will be just beautiful.

4) Bow (RRP £4.00) from little_liv_co

This is another one that I haven't yet received but her bows are gorgeous and I can't wait to see what we get!

5) Knee high socks (RRP £4.50) from iylas_closet

I won these in a game of tag - how cute!

6) Reusable sanitary towel (RRP £6.00) from KTBoo Baby

I'd heard so many people raving about these so entered the giveaway when I spotted it and won!

7) Case of juice (RRP £18.00) from Bensons Totally Fruity

C was so chuffed with these - they are really tasty!

8) Felt rose clips (RRP £6.49) from roaringstitches

These were an Instagram win. I love hair accessories for E and these little roses are adorable.

9) Toothpaste (RRP £6.99) from Pearl Drops

This was a Facebook 'like and comment' win. I've not yet received it but we do like Pearl Drops so it's a handy win!

10) Bow (RRP £2.00) from all_sweet_things

I won this in a game of tag and it was surprise as to which colour I'd get.

11) Bow (RRP £2.00) from vanellopes_bows_boutique

This was another tag win on Instagram. I love E in red so I was so pleased.

12) Twirlywoos headbands from Twirlywoos 

Both C and E absolutely love the Twirlywoos and as soon as they come on TV, they are straight over to the TV watching. They both adore these headbands and have worn them loads!

13) Cubbie blankie (RRP £13.00) from Teds and Threads

How cute is this!? This was a Facebook competition win. E adores it.

14) £5 off at girliegarments

I won £5 off my purchase at girliegarments Instagram boutique. I ordered E's birthday outfit (which has since arrived) but I don't want to spoil it by posting pics just yet!

15) Powerful water from powerfulwaterco

I won some of this "sparkling natural energy water" in an Instagram giveaway. It hasn't arrived yet and I've never tried it before so I'm eager to see what it's like!

16) Blink band (RRP £5.99) from 50 Fifty Gifts

50 Fifty Gifts had a few hundred of these to give away and I won one!

17) Two headwraps (RRP £9.00) from this_mummy_makes

 I won these in a game of tag and can't wait to get them. I love handmade bits for E as no one else really has them!

18) Bow (RRP £2.00) from beccasbowtiquex

Yep - another tag win!

19) First Friends magazine (RRP £2.99) from Life As Mum

Yay! Another magazine for C. He absolutely loves the teaset and is always pouring me cups of tea.

20) Bow (RRP £4.00)  from leahannboutique

I won this bow in a game of tag. It is absolutely massive but I love it and it is such a lovely colour.

21) Handmade plaque (RRP £5.00) from _handmade_gifts 

How cute is this!? This was an Instagram win. I love bits like this for around the house.

22) Polka dress (RRP £29.99) from Carolina dress room

I have been entering the competitions on their Facebook page for ages and I can't believe I actually won one! It is so beautiful too. Can't wait to get it.

23) Jacket (RRP £32.00) from Wallis

This is another competition I have been entering for ages - Wallis Wednesday on Twitter! I finally won and bagged myself a gorgeous black jacket.

24) Adult colouring books and pencils (RRP £14.97) from Orion Publishing

Everyone is doing adult colouring these days so I can't wait to give these a go!

July saw me win 24 prizes worth £182.20!

Did you win anything nice this month?

Look in my Letterbox #17

Yay! My favourite time of the week again - Look in my Letterbox! You can find out more about this fab linky here. 

Wins:

Bow from vanellopes_bows_boutique 

I won this gorgeous red bow in a game of tag from an Instagram boutique. I chose red as E didn't have a red bow. Isn't it lovely? She really suits red :)

First Friends magazine from Life as Mum 

C loves magazines but more importantly, he loves the cheap plastic toys that come with them! 

Bow from beccasbowtiquex 

I won this bow from another game of tag!

Bow from leahannboutique

Yep, you guessed it! Another bow from a game of tag. This bow is absolutely massive though. I love it!

Plaque from _handmade_gifts

This was an Instagram win. I applied to be a brand rep but didn't win. She chose two people to win a free plaque and I was one of them!

Purchases:

Bow from _bobbins

An Instagram boutique called _bobbins do a restock every Friday at 7.30pm so they reduce bows down to £1 or £2 to make room for the new ones. You just need to paste your PayPal email in a comment as fast as you can to win. It all moves so quickly but I managed to get this gorgeous bow for £1 plus £1 postage!

Minnie bag from brionys_bowtique

I bought E the Minnie Mouse skirt and bow set a while ago and when I saw the lady I bought it from started doing matching bags, I had to buy one! She is so lovely and even sent me three free headbands too!

Reviews:

Aquafresh Inside Out pack 

C has been wanting to see this film so I'll have to take him soon. Aquafresh sent us this lovely little pack as children go through a lot of emotions when it comes to teeth brushing. C's is anger - he hates having them brushed!

Paddy's Bathroom

I am so happy excited about trying these! I love finding new kids bath products and these look so funky. 

Braun Waterflex Shaver 

Chris is very into his grooming and was lucky enough to be sent this. He'll be doing a guest post on the blog in the form of a review. 

Did you receive anything nice this week?

British Red Cross: Baby & Child First Aid App #RappedUp

Before I had children, I was quite a worrier. Then when C was born, this increased tenfold and my anxiety shot through the roof. This tiny person would rely on me for every little thing that they needed. What if I couldn't protect him or something happened that was out of my control? When he was around 10 months old, we were in the throes of weaning and he was having finger foods. I remember he got a piece of food lodged in his throat. This made me panic, which scared him, but luckily his daddy had done a First Aid course and he knew what to do. The whole ordeal was probably only a few seconds long but it felt like a lifetime and tears were streaming down my face. I was so lucky that he was at home that day and knew what to do. I couldn't believe that I had failed to learn such an essential life skill that all parents should definitely know.

There are approximately 3,600,000 parents of under 5's in the UK. Parents usually feel the need to learn First Aid in their last trimester of pregnancy up until their child is 8 months old. Around two thirds of parents would like more information of First Aid and it is one of the top skills that parents say they wish they'd learned before having children.

The British Red Cross have made it really easy for all parents to learn the importance of First Aid skills specifically for babies and children through their free app. In addition to this, you can also attend First Aid courses throughout the UK. These are great for parents of children aged between 0-12 years or you can learn online too. It's so simple so there is no reason that parents shouldn't know this lifesaving advice.

The British Red Cross app is completely free (you can download it from the App Store and Google Play Store) and it already has positive reviews and a four star rating on the Apple App Store. It covers absolutely everything; anything that you can think of and I can't believe I have done without the app for so long. 

Upon opening the app, you are advised to tap the middle button labelled 'Emergency' if you find yourself in an emergency situation. This will bring up a list of possible scenarios and you choose which emergency you are in. Once you have found your topic, it gives advice on what to do and in what order, it even has videos for more effective help.

The app also helps you learn what to do in certain scenarios and how to prepare for things like hot weather, travelling and lots of other occasions. It can run a test to check how well you are absorbing the information that you're learning from the app and lastly, you can update your child or children's records so you have a handy note of their medications and allergies. One of my favourite things was in the 'Prepare' section, where there is an improvised First Aid Kit. It tells you about things that you have around the home that will work well in a crisis such as using a credit card or library card to remove a bee sting or using beer, juice or milk to cool burns. There is so much information packed into this totally free app and it is definitely an essential for all parents.

Get your First Aid rapped up!

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