E at 21 Months

This is a little late - as usual these days! - but on June 5th my baby girl turned 21 months old. I'm trying not to think about her impending second birthday because then I'll have to admit that I no longer have a baby in the house!

This month I really feel like E has learned so much. She never stops talking. I couldn't even tell you how many words she has picked up in such a short time. She has a few phrases that she always says, "Don't like it" - that one comes when she doesn't want to eat something, "Where's C/Daddy/Mummy/Granda?" and I've found that she can actually pick up any item in my house and tell me what it is. It's so strange considering her big brother didn't speak a lot at this age.

She is a lot more independent too. I think that's a girl thing! I recently purchased a slide for the kids and E will just climb up the steps by herself, pull her legs under to sit down and slide down on her own. When we go to the park she climbs on everything and she is just so fearless. 

E is still my little Velcro baby and always asks me "Up?" She constantly has her arms around my neck and gives me cuddles and kisses. It's super cute but sometimes I can barely get anything done as she's glued to my legs.

We've started taking her out walking more rather than being in her buggy. She holds my hand and her brother's hand tightly and always says, "I'm walking!" like she's really chuffed with herself. I cannot wait to be buggy free but as we don't drive, I don't think it'll be for a wee while yet.

She can be quite girly. For example, she absolutely adores shoes and bows but can be tomboyish too. She loves cars and dinosaurs. Dressing up is one of her new favourite things to do too - especially as princesses. I love watching her interact with her brother and just seeing her little personality. She can be quite bad tempered and will have a psycho if we annoy her or make her do something she doesn't want to do.

Her current favourite TV shows are Team Umizoomi and pretty much anything on CBeebies and Tiny Pop. She has recently gotten into the Toot Toot Drivers sets so they'll definitely be on the birthday list. Film-wise, she still loves Frozen but since discovering Finding Nemo, it's not been on much!

I better get birthday buying now! Any ideas for a two year old girl!?

 

Improving Your Health Through Gardening

As a manufacturer of a raft of products, which are perfect for improving both your home and your garden, The Plastic People has plenty of insight into how gardening can be great for your health and wellbeing.

Welcome the start of summer by reading their helpful guide and become encouraged to spend the warmer weather in your garden this year:

How gardening can improve mental health

When gardening company Bakker Spalding surveyed a group of people in one of their studies, 88 per cent of respondents said that the mental wellbeing that gardening brings them was a key benefit for them to spend time in their home’s outdoor space.

Speaking to The Telegraph in regarding the positive effects that gardening can have on a person’s mental health, leading disability and gardening charity Thrive’s CEO Kathryn Rossiter pointed out:

“As well as the strong therapeutic value of gardening, it can help people connect with others, reducing feelings of isolation. It makes us more active; gaining both physical and mental health benefits.”

How gardening can reduce stress

A study titled Gardening Promotes Neuroendocrine and Affective Restoration from Stress has led to the claim that gardening is much better at easing stress than a selection of other relaxing leisure activities.

In order to reach this conclusion, those who took part in the research were tasked to complete a task that was meant to increase their stress levels. After this assignment was completed, those involved in the study were divided into two groups.

Individuals in one of the groups were kept indoors for half an hour and asked to read, while those in the other group were requested to spend the same amount of time outside doing a spot of gardening.

At the end of the 30 minutes, those who had been assigned gardening tasks outside were reported to have felt in a better mood than those who had stayed inside reading. Individuals in the gardening group also had lower levels of cortisol — the stress hormone.

How gardening can bring down the risk of a heart attack or stroke

A 12-year study headed by Dr Elin Ekblom-Bak at Karolinska University hospital's department of medicine has led to the claim that someone in the 60-plus age bracket can reduce their chance of suffering a heart attack or stroke, and prolong life by up to 30 per cent, if they carried out gardening or a spot of DIY on a regular basis.

The study, which was reported on by The Guardian, saw around 4,000 60-year-olds who were based in Stockholm, initially queried about their diet, lifestyle and inclusion in physical activity. A series of physical examinations and lab tests were also carried out. Following this, it was concluded that those seen as having an active daily life were at a lower risk of experiencing a heart attack than others involved in the research.

As the study progressed over the 12 years, it was also found that individuals who participated in regular activity reduced their chances of suffering from cardiovascular problems.

Do you garden? Did you know that it was good for your health?

 

(This is a sponsored post.)

Look in my Letterbox #59

For the last two weeks I had a relatively small amount of post but this week has really picked up. I'm still waiting on quite a lot but I'm keeping my fingers crossed that they'll come this week - I hate chasing things up! As ever, I'm linking up with Alice-Megan's Look in my Letterbox linky.

Wins:

Bows

I won these in a Facebook giveaway with Kel's Unique Bows. You guys know how much I love my bows for E!

Frozen toy boxes

 I am so chuffed with these! The kids love them as they are Frozen obsessed plus I have more toy storage - hurrah!

Bows

These were from an Instagram giveaway from @pigtailsandpixiesboutique. They are huge! The photo doesn't do them justice.

Fire Power Water Blaster

 I won this on Maps Toys on Facebook. C will love this (when we get sunnier weather!)

Book

This was a little Toppsta win. It's such a cute book with a little recipe at the back.

Playmobil

 C's first ever Playmobil! I had planned on getting him some for his birthday as they are usually for age 4+. He'll love it! 

Bike

 C has constantly been asking for a bike with stabilisers for his birthday so I couldn't believe my luck when I won this on Twitter. I'm going to give it to him early so he can use it during the summer. I've not yet built it up, hence having no photo but it's the Urchin Bike from Halfords.

Matching tops

I love matching my clothes to E's (our Anna and Elsa tees are my fave!) so I was delighted to win these on Facebook. Can't wait to wear them.

Book

C has recently become interested in space and planets due to CBeebies having a Space Week. I was thrilled to win this little book from Booktrust.

Reviews:

Sandals

E has received these to review from Brantano. She absolutely adores them - typical girl! 

Rolling Ant

I love working with Brio and this has gone down a treat!

Print

C has lots of prints in his room but I have hardly any for E. When I was given the opportunity to review for EllieBeanPrints I knew I wanted to choose a nice one for her.

Books 

We have previously reviewed the rest of the Dinosaur That Pooped range so I jumped at the chance to review the new ones. C think they're so funny.

Did you receive anything nice this past week?

Educational Play the Schleich Way

I am a huge fan of Schleich products. They are always C's go-to when we enter Smyths as his favourite type of play is roleplay scenarios with figures. Schleich have recently put together a 16 brochure which is designed to be a guide to the best in imaginative play and development and they have included thoughts from renowned child psychologist, Dr Amanda Gummer.

I honestly thought that the brochure would include mostly information that I already knew but it has been a wonderful eye opener for me. We all know how important a balanced diet is for children but they should also have a balanced play diet too. I sort of knew this already but not to the extent included in the brochure. I tend to let my kids watch a little television, C gets 30 minutes of iPad time a day, we do outdoor play and indoor play too. Schleich have also stated that children need Active Play, Creative Play, Social Play and Free Play so they've gone into a little more detail and I really learned a lot and will definitely ensure that my children do these types of playing every day.

The brochure encourages you to stimulate your child's imagination with some game ideas. I have to admit that before I had my own children, I wasn't a kid person. I introduced some of these games with C and to be honest, he enjoyed them so much and I did too! It was a really lovely bonding session for the two of us. You can incorporate and use Schleich figures in all of these games and play areas because they are just so versatile. With Active Play we can take our animal figures outside into the beautiful forests near where we live or with Free Play, C can make up his own little scenarios in his head with his animals and imagine how they would interact. One of my favourite games included is What's The Animal? I would choose one of the animals to pretend to be and when C had guessed which one, he'd hold it up.

Schleich have an amazing range of products from individual figures to big playsets. We received four animal figures: Elephant, Tiger, Sheep and Donkey. They are such a great weight and size and I do think that aids children's learning. For example the Elephant figure is a lot bigger and heavier than the rest - something which is obviously true in real life too. C loves to ask questions so having these figures has encouraged him to ask me more about these animals and I have loved teaching him. The quality is just fantastic and I know we will definitely be picking up more in the future as I'm sure they will withstand lots of fun playtime in years to come. Even C's 22 month old sister is learning too. She had previously never experienced some of the animals but her big brother has taught her how to say them and make the noises that they would make. I love that Schleich have mentioned the fact that girls can like dinosaurs and boys can like dolls and prams because my son and daughter are exactly like that. Toys are not gender specific.

The Schleich range starts at £2.99 per figure and you can pick them up here: http://www.schleich-s.com/en/GB/ or at Smyths.

You can also download the 16-page brochure to help your child's playtime by clicking the image below.

(We received four Schleich animal figures, the brochure and a small payment for this post.)

Father's Day Gift Ideas with Braun & Gillette

Father's Day is creeping up on us once again and for me, it is an occasion that I struggle with when it comes to buying gifts. I usually tend to go for a grooming product as I don't think you can go wrong there. Gillette and Braun have some great products at different prices so you are sure to find something that will suit your budget.

Gillette's latest razor - the Fusion ProShield - will leave skin feeling soft and protected thanks to added lubrication before and after the blades.

Gillette Fusion ProShield Chill Razor - £12.00 (Boots)

Gillette Fusion ProShield Razor - £12.00 (Boots)

 Both of the above razors work in similar ways. The ProShield lubrication before and after the blades form a protective layer to shield from irritation. The FlexBall technology means that it makes maximum contact over contours and gets virtually every hair. The only difference between the two is that the Chill version has a "Chill feature" during shaving thanks for Cooling Technology. 

You are able to buy additional replacement blades for both of these razors so you don't need to fork out for a brand new razor after every usage.

Braun also have a great new selection of Styling Range products which are designed to help every man achieve his own unique look all over his body. With products for trimming and shaping on smooth skin to stubble and bushy beards, Braun combine world class design with in-depth grooming expertise for precision styling from head to toe.

Braun Series 3 - £99.99 

This razor is suitable for both wet and dry use. It has a triple action cutting system that shaves closer in 3 stages. The floating head adapts to your facial contours and shaves both short and long hairs with every stroke.

 It is fully washable under water and holds a 1 hour charge for 45 minutes cordless time. It also has a 5 minute quick charge option.

Braun Beard Trimmer - £39.99 

The Braun Beard Trimmer makes it easy to achieve an exact trim length and precise contours for a perfectly groomed beard. It comes with a lifetime lasting sharp blades and 25 length settings thanks to the ergonomically designed dial so you have complete control over texture and style.
The Precision Comb cuts hair to between 1mm and 10mm in 0.5mm steps, whilst the Long Beard Comb trims hairs between 10mm and 0mm in 2mm steps. It comes with a slide out Detail Trimmer that works even with the comb on for effective styling of beard lines.
The Trimmer can be used corded or cordless and 1 hour of charging time gives for 50 minutes of cordless usage. Similarly to the Series 3, it is also fully washable in running water.

Braun Body Grooming Kit - £129.99 

The Braun Body Grooming Kit provides the ultimate flexibility to manscape all areas: epilating removes body hair for from the root for four weeks of results. The Efficiency Cap removes hair from larger areas whilst the Sensitive Cap provides precise epilation on smaller, harder-to-reach parts of your body.
40 tweezers with Close-Grip Technology remove hair as short as 0.5mm so there's no awkward regrowth period. The built-in Smartlight reveals even the shortest hairs to ensure that you don't miss any plus it works in the shower so it can fit into your routine easily.
  

Braun Multi Groomer - £69.99

With the Braun Multi Groomer you can shave, style and trim just about any beard style imaginable. The unique 3-in-1 system allows you do it all using just one product. The groomer has three attachments. The extra wide shaver head is equipped with a flexible SmartFoil for a smooth and clean shave in a few strokes. The twistable trimmer has a wide side for efficient trimming and a narrow side for styling beard lines. The Click & Lock comb trims facial hair to four exact lenghs (1.2mm, 2.8mm, 4.4mm, 6mm) and it also can be washed under running water.
  

Braun Hair Clipper - £39.99

This clipper has ultra-sharp secured blades for high performance which are lifetime lasting. With two smart trimming attachments and 17 precise length settings, it can be used to customise a large variety of styles. The Memory SafetyLock remembers the last setting used, even when the attachment has been removed which is great if you stick to the same length all the time. It can be used both corded and cordless and is fully washable under running water.
 

Braun Body Groomer - £39.99

The Body Groomer is one that my boyfriend Chris has the chance to use himself. It can be used to shave, trim and maintain your whole body, even down under as the groomer sensitive comb ensures your delicate areas are under safe trimmers. The 2-in-1 functionality means that it can trim and clean-shave in one movement, for a grooming routine that is fast and hassle-free.

Inside the box you get:

• Groomer with Gillette Fusion cartridge
• Long comb
• Medium comb
• Sensitive comb
• Charging stand
• Shower hanger
• Cleaning brush
• Soft pouch
• Extra Gillette Fusion cartridge 

 The first thing we noticed when opening the Groomer out was the the charger isn't a standard UK one. We have a few adapters at home as Chris has owned quite a few Braun products and we were aware of this but it's something that you may want to remember to pick up if you are buying for your dad who might not have an adapter.

 

Chris really liked the simplicity of this groomer. As it can do anything, it cut his grooming time by almost half. Previously he was grooming then taking a shower, whereas now he can do it all whilst in the shower. The groomer can be used for facial, chest, back, armpit hair as well as in delicate areas as I mentioned previously. A few of these places (like back and armpit) were areas that Chris wouldn't regularly groom so it wasn't used for this. Chris said that he found it easy to use and it would glide over his skin easily. Changing lengths was easy, all you have to do is press a button in and slide to your desired one. The combs work well and he was able to use them to get his precise length. The sensitive one was the one he was most wary of as that isn't somewhere that you want to cut but it did as it said and he was pleased with the results. We found that he had no irritation or itchiness which is a massive plus.
    

Braun Precision Trimmer - £14.99

The Braun Precision Trimmer is another that Chris had the opportunity to try. It has two trimming combs to provide flexible, precise trimming and create precise styles down the very last millimetre. The 5mm comb ensures a consistant, tidy trim and the 8mm comb ensures that facial hair remains perfectly groomed.

Inside the box was:

• Trimmer
• Stand
• AAA battery
• 8mm comb
• 6mm comb
• Protective cap

 Chris tends to keep a full beard so he mostly used the long comb. The size makes it easy to trim his beard line without worrying about overtrimming, cutting the stress and hassle. Using this trimmer took a shorter amount of time than usual which makes Chris give it a huge thumbs up. We always have a stash of batteries at home anyway so the fact that it's battery-powered is handy.

 

 

Each of the items in the Braun Styling Range can be purchased from Tesco, Amazon or Argos.

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