Book Review: Can You Count? by Gyo Fujikawa

Cardboard counting books are ten a penny, we have not had a great deal of success with them so far. However, the children are both capable of counting; Fifi to five and Toddler Boy to thirteen, so maybe the ones we have used are more successful than I thought. More likely my incessant counting out of things; spoonfuls of formula, socks, anything and everything.

However, counting books are generally nice because they offer lots of opportunity for discussion and this lovely little book does just that. Its unusual as it is really retro, the illustrations are reminiscent of my old ones from the 1970's. I like this. Finding out more about the author it appears that Gyo Fujikawa's books are read in 22 countries. She is a classic and groundbreaking children's book illustrator and illustrated her first book in 1957. I think this makes the book even more special.

There were plenty of images to discuss and the fact that they were in such a different style of usual was a bonus. We enjoyed this one. You can buy it here.

Can You Count? by Gyo Fujikawa is published by GMC Publications Ltd and has an ISBN number of 1402768249.

Book Review: Can You Count? by Gyo Fujikawa

Contrasting Fortunes

Dawn rising does funny things to you; hormones suppressed, cravings for Lemon Curd exponentially increased. Whats that all about? Having your hair brushed by an 18 month old with a very hard brush tests the patience. By the time you reach work it's spent. That's difficult.
Have you ever noticed how the weather is always better the first half of the week? Humpf.

I was reading A View From the Bikeshed's blog about public schools and how he feels it is unjust. This is a feeling that my gut shares, however, one must not live by gut alone. Yet when you consider the people that you have met in life, there is something to be said regarding the fortunes of those who have had the benefit of private education. Those that I have met certainly have a great deal more confidence, money and arguably a better quality of life than those that have not. It's one of the injustices of life.

This brings me to another, Chicken Pox; Toddler boy was spotty, but this pales into minor insignificance compared to Fifi who has been literally covered head to foot. The chicken pox has long gone, but the marks left by the spots have not. Poor Fifi has little pitted scars on her face and Toddler boy a flush of red marks on his back. Isn't it ironic that the little girl has marks on her face, I hope that they will go as she grows.

In other news I have been offered a wonderful opportunity which I must take up, however this falls on the same day as something else and therefore that day requires a lot of rushing about. Heaven forbid I succumb to illness. Yet another example of fate, like buses opportunities all come at once. However our lives really pale into insignificance compared to those of the homeless in the UK, those in Pakistan and the ones that the Blogadesh bloggers are telling us all about. The world cannot be fair and just, but sparing a thought for others really puts your life into context.

Contrasting Fortunes

Sunday Lunch at the Beefeater

I'm rubbish at cooking Sunday lunch, I'm just not organised enough, my kitchen is a random muddle of bowls and plates and stuff which avalanche out of the cupboards if I dare open them. So I don't very often and restrict myself to cooking things using items of equipment that are on open shelves. Sunday lunch is few and far between, we did occasionally join up with the little garden helpers and do a lunch rota, but that drifted. Maybe we should resurrect that!

In the meantime, we have been having a treat once in a while and testing out Hertfordshires fines eateries. This has meant trips to Wagamama, Pizza Express, the local pubs and now the Beefeater at Stanborough in Welwyn Garden City. Beefeater pubs bring back fond childhood memories of special birthday meals and endless trips to the salad bar. I was very excited about going there.

Nowadays Beefeater's have gone all upmarket with trendy carpets and lampshades and no salad bar. The menu is exactly what you would imagine, and for Sunday lunch its perfect. Although the lack of a vegetarian option was a bit disappointing. When we walked into the Stanborough Beefeater we were greeted with friendly and helpful staff. Clearly happy in their work, the staff were pleasant to all the customers. The children were provided with colouring books which is a helpful touch when you are trying to entertain them.

The food arrived promptly, the starters were great, we liked the vegetables and dip

that Fifi had and the garlic bread was yummy. One little thing of puzzlement was the fact that we had a kids garlic bread and an adult garlic bread and although exactly the same, we were charged different prices for them.

There were plenty of dinner options you can find the menu here. I really fancied roast chicken, unfortunately that wasn't on offer the day we visited. So between us we had:

Children's Fish and Chips

Children's Pasta

Minted Lamb & Dauphinoise Potatoes

Adults Steak and Chips

As usual, everyone else's dinner was lovely, but my minted lamb with dauphinoise potatoes was not all that great, although it looked lovely. The potatoes were cold for a start and the sauce was a bit too sticky and not very minty. Still, I made up for it by eating bits of the children's dinners which were nice and eating all of Fifi's ice cream desert which was really yummy.

All in all, I think improvements do need to be made to make this an ideal toddler friendly place. The staff and customers were very understanding of my children, the food was suitable, but it just wasn't quite as easy as it could have been. The highchair was a bit grubby and was one of those ones with a tray, Fifi is used to sitting at the table and so it was a bit of an issue. What's more surprisingly, is that there was no baby changing station in the toilets. Also the toddler sized cutlery was a bit worn out which just didn't look great and my kids preferred to use the adults.

I think that Beefeaters are an excellent choice for a family with slightly older children than mine and are probably the absolutely best option of somewhere to have a family lunch with the grandparents/ great grandparents. In fact, there were lots and lots of families there with older generations.

We liked the atmosphere at the Stanborough Beefeater, the staff were great and the food got a general thumbs up. If you want to see if there is one local to you have a look here.

This is a sponsored post.

Sunday Lunch at the Beefeater

Toybox; a really fab Childrens music CD

What would you say if you got offered the chance to review a kids CD which featured the voice of Sophie Barker from Zero Seven and producer KK who has worked with Bjork and Brian Eno? It's a no brainer, for any of you in your mid thirties at least. Zero Seven provided the soundtrack to my trip across Australia, and they still provide the soundtrack to much of my life now. I jumped at the chance and I am really glad I did.

Toybox, the second CD from Rainbow Collections is great. Despite the fact that its a selection of classic nursery rhymes it is so different to any other selection of nursery rhymes you will ever hear. It's a brilliant CD, without a doubt the absolute best kids nursery rhyme CD that I have EVER heard. It really is really really really good. There are a few songs that I would actually chose to listen to it alone without the kids. A bit like Tim Burton meets nursery rhymes. Not only is is a refreshing change to hear a voice that you actually recognise signing nursery rhymes, but also to get a nursery rhyme CD which is just so well produced.

Music is one of the joy's of my life and I have to admit I have found it a challenge to find music which isn't adult for the kids to enjoy with me. We have regular music and singing sessions with shakers, drums and even a ukulele. We have our infamous bedtime disco's and its a pleasure to encourage the children to sing along. Apparently all these things are very important for child development.

This is a properly produced, enjoyable, well thought out CD of children's songs and nursery rhymes. It is a pleasure to listen to it with the children and I am really grateful for it. I am going to buy the first CD 'Lullaby' and I cannot recommend this one highly enough. The CD comes in its own little book with all the words and lovely illustrations. If you would like to buy it you can get hold of it here

Toybox; a really fab Childrens music CD

Going For a Walk With My Vintage Dog

I have written before about how many toys my children play with that formerly belonged to me and the husband. Both natural hoarders, we find it hard to get rid of anything and have always done so. This instinct is proving really useful at the moment as it seems that toys from the late 1970's early 1980's are the most sought after items, much like clothing from that era.

This soft toy dog attached to a slightly dangerous metal frame (which actually belongs to my sister) is so often fought over that for a while I had to hide it. However, I have got it back out and yet again its proving popular and is brilliant for imaginary adventures. We could probably buy a modern one with a soft wood frame and eco friendly padding, but it wouldn't be the same and I bet that they wouldn't show anywhere as much interest in it.

Going For a Walk With My Vintage Dog

Review and Competition; Little Me and Mum to Be Organics

The Little Me & Mum to Be Organics range have just launched a lovely new Mum to Be Pamper Me gift set. The gift set contains a luxury bath soak, body cream and a scrummy vanilla scented candle to make yummy mummies feel that extra bit special. They sent us a couple of sets to try.

Despite my hormones telling me something different I am not a mum to be, so I passed the Pamper Me set onto my lovely friend who is having a baby just before Christmas ( so exciting!) She was delighted. I know the feeling well, as the best gift I got when I was first pregnant was a special organic cream and bubble bath gift set. Being a bit a of an earth mother at heart, I had stopped using all cosmetics which could contain potentially damaging chemicals and so I was craving for a lovely bubble bath. It was such a treat and I am really sure that if you know anyone who is pregnant they would love one of these gift packs.

We also got a Little Me Organics gift pack, which meant I could try out the range on my children. As regular readers know, I'm not the food gestapo, but I am the toiletry police and I try very hard to make sure that the kids only use organic shampoos, creams, soaps and bubble baths. As I suspected it was all lovely stuff. Two heavenly scented toddlers emerged from the bath! The kids also liked the little rubber duck which was a nice addition to their squadron of ducks.

I asked the PR company if they would be kind enough to let my readers have the chance to try the products for themselves and so I have one Little Me Organics Gift set and one Pamper Me Gift set to giveaway. To enter all you have to do is leave me a comment telling me which gift set you would like and how to contact you, the competition is open to UK residents only, winners will be picked at random and the prizes will come directly from the PR company. The competition closes at midday on the 3rd September 2010. Good Luck!

Review and Competition; Little Me and Mum to Be Organics

Review; Tailball Light

The email came through, would we like to review Tailball Light the new toy from the makers of Swingball. Of course, we would, Swingball is a firm family favourite. Me and the Husband enjoy playing it in the evenings in the summer (in between drinking Pimms and lemonade). Although our games do tend to deteriorate a bit into who can hit the other with the ball. The children really enjoy the swingball, despite been pre-school age Toddler Boy can hit the ball with unnerving accuracy and his little sister does her best to run around and not trip over the bat.

Tailball light is a bit like a traditional bat and ball game but it has the benefit of the funky swingball style bats and a special foam ball with a tail. This is great as it means it can be played indoors (although the hubby did flinch is we staggered a bit too near to the flat screen television with the bat!).

In summary, the whole had fun playing this its a great way to get the kids running about and get a bit of exercise yourself. A thumbs up from us, you can buy it at loads of places on line, check it out on Amazon here

Review; Tailball Light

Something I Feel Shocked About

Yesterday I experienced more of the joy of Britain's NHS and ended up going from doctors to hospital (this time not in an ambulance) for a blood test which I have put off for a very long time as I knew I would be in for a long wait. For someone with needle phobia it's not brilliant having to wait nearly two hours, but it was essential this time.

Anyway forty five minutes into the wait and I was feeling nervous. A dad turned up with his little girl. He obviously couldn't be bothered with her. She was about four and itching to go to the loo, he was clearly happy for her to go alone. Not a problem really as you could see the door from where we were sitting and there was no-one in there. However, an elderly lady stepped in and literally took her. They were gone a long long time, far longer than would have been necessary. At least in my experience of toddlers and the loo. When they re-appeared she seemed to be 'over mothering' the toddler. We all turned a blind eye.

However, child protection trained prudish person me did think about it. In fact, to be honest from the minute the old lady stepped into the loo with the child, I was shocked to the core that her dad would allow it. I wondered what her mother would think. I still feel a little bit shocked about it now. Would you have said something? Is this acceptable in this day and age?

Something I Feel Shocked About

Wake Up to nutella Hazelnut Spread

I have to admit, I had not eaten nutella until very recently and this is basically a result of desperately trying to get Toddler Boy to eat breakfast. Nowadays more often that not, it's a breakfast buffet and nutella is offered as an option. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day and so I realise how important it is to try to encourage him to eat something. I must be quite unusual in not having had it, as nutella was launched in the UK in 1964 and is the number 1 sweet spread in the UK! Having eaten a fair amount of it recently, I know why, it's simply really yummy.

Helpfully, I got invited along with a few other mummy bloggers to a breakfast at Legoland Windsor to find out even more about the importance of breakfast, healthy eating for kids, how to tackle eating issues and to meet some of the team behind the brand. It was a fab memorable day. Best of all, we got to hear about lots of lovely healthy ways to use nutella and even experienced a practical cookery demonstration from celebrity chef Alan Coxon. I found it all really helpful and it was great to actually be shown how easy it is to make some healthy fun breakfasts. I was inspired to use wholemeal wraps with Nutella and frozen berries, and this has proved very popular for breakfast and lunch. It had not occured to me to think this but of course, you can also add nutella to smoothies and dips, its all about experimentation and fun. Even your 6 month old could do a bit of 'cooking' with Nutella.

There are lots of preconceptions about nutella, mainly that its essentially a chocolate spread. In actual fact its a hazelnut spread with some added Cocoa. Each 15g portion (two teaspoons) contains two whole hazelnuts, some skimmed milk and cocoa. If you have Nutella instead of butter you will actually be having less fat!

Nutella will be launching their great new website 'Wake up to nutella', on the 31st August.The website has loads of facts about nutella, I was interested to hear how it was invented during WWII as a result of rationing of Cocoa beans.

Not so Single Mum is running a Nutella Carnival where you will be able to find loads more inspiration for cooking with nutella on the 31st August. You can find it here

Just so you know, Legoland was a great idea, in practice with two toddlers in the school holidays it was not so great. I stood watching, praying it didn't rain whilst they went round and round and round on the Fairytale Ride and up and down and up and down on the Helicopters; the two rides that were accessible to toddlers and not requiring nearly an hours wait. We ate chips for lunch and MacDonalds for dinner. The kids loved it. I'm still recovering!

Nutella is quickly establishing itself as a firm family favourite and store cupboard essential. I thought you might like to try one of the recipes we were given, as we all love banana bread, this seemed like an obvious one and I'm itching to cook it myself. If you want me to send you some more recipes just drop me an email.


Nutella Whole Wheat Banana Bread
Serves 16
Ingredients
6 tbsp nutella 125g sunflower margarine 8 tbsp liquid honey 2 large eggs 3 large, very ripe bananas, mashed 1 tsp (5 mm) pure vanilla extract 140g (250 ml) whole-wheat flour 140g (250 ml) all-purpose flour 1 tbsp (15 ml) baking powder 1/2 tsp (2 ml) baking soda 1/2 tsp (2 ml) salt
Topping 4 tsp (20 ml) large porridge oats 1 tsp (5 ml) honey

Method
1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC (350ºF).
2. Place the nutella in a clean plastic sandwich bag and squeeze the spread into one corner. Reserve.
3. Beat the margarine with an electric mixer or wooden spoon in a large bowl until fluffy. Beat in the honey until light. Beat in the eggs, adding one at a time. Stir in the bananas and vanilla until well incorporated.
4. Combine the flours with the baking powder, baking soda and salt in a separate bowl. Blend the dry mixture into the wet mixture until fully combined. Scrape a third of the batter into a lightly greased, 9 x 5-inch (2.5 L) loaf pan; smooth evenly to the edges of the pan.
5. Cut the tip from one corner of the nutella-filled bag and squeeze half of the nutella in a zig-zag line of over the surface of the batter. Top with another third of the batter and pipe the remaining nutella in a zig-zag over the surface of the batter. Top with remaining batter and smooth the top.
6. Topping: Sprinkle the oats evenly over the batter.
7. Bake the loaf on the centre rack of the oven for 55 to 60 minutes or until the top springs back when lightly touched. Drizzle the top with honey. Cool in the pan on a rack for 10 minutes. Turn out the loaf and cool completely before slicing.

Tips Slices of loaf can be individually wrapped and frozen and then thawed overnight to be ready for the next day's breakfast. If the kitchen is cold and the nutella is firm, heat it in the microwave for 10 seconds or until soft enough to squeeze over the batter. Serve with a fruit salad and a glass of milk for a complete breakfast.

Wake Up to nutella Hazelnut Spread

Ariel Stain Remover Spray Giveaway

Stain removers are my friend, I often forget to make the children wear bibs at dinner time and to be honest I'm a bit reckless when it comes to crayons and paint. This often means that by the end of the day t-shirts have been through extreme testing and I have become a bit of an expert on stain removers.

I have to admit I am yet to find a 100% effective stain remover, so I was keen to hear about the new range of stain removers from Ariel. These are supposed to work first time and be effective even at low temperatures. They have been especially designed to target tomato, carrot, blueberry and red wine. Three of these are the mainstay of my toddlers diet, the other the mainstay of mine, so its all very promising! Usefully the Ariel Stain Remover products also work on dry stains and across the range they are offering an introductory money back guarantee if for any reason the user is not 100% satisfied with the product purchased. You cant argue with that, it's definitely worth picking some up next time you are at the supermarket. I have found a money off voucher here.

I have been given 5 Ariel Stain Remover Sprays to give away, this is especially good if you need to directly target stains. To enter simply leave a comment below. The winners will be picked at random and in order for me to notify you, don’t forget to leave me your twitter, email or another contact. The competition is open to UK residents only and closes midday 1st August 2010 Prizes will be sent directly by the PR company.

This is a sponsored post

Ariel Stain Remover Spray Giveaway

Would You Let Your Child Watch?

I'm in another dilemma, Toddler Boy aged three and a half loves superheroes more than anything else. He loves films above food and probably above his sister. I let him watch the Marvel Spiderman and his Amazing Friends television series (you know, the one from when I was a child), Monster Versus Aliens, Bolt, all the Disney films etc etc. This is probably a bit wrong as some of them are a bit old for him, but he gets it, he really does. It's an imaginary world which he can step into, enjoy and then step away from. Aside from trying to shoot Spiderwebs at people he doesn't try to climb walls or fly or anything else. Obviously I don't let him watch things with too much 'real' violence if I can help it, he watches Ben 10 but he doesn't watch Power Rangers for example.

However, there is one film that he wants to see above all else; Spiderman, you know the one starring Kirsten Dunst and Toby Maguire. He has seen his dads DVD he begs me, he sobs, he really, really, really, really want to see this DVD. The husband has said no, I can't even remember what happens in it. Its probably wrong and bad and everything else. I spend time wondering if I could just show him sort of edited highlights. This leads me to wonder about what else he should and shouldn't be watching.

You see, I think that he really loves cinema and the movies. He will happily go and sit through screening after screening, he enjoys the experience of watching a film, he remembers the plots, re-enacts bits of them, talks to me about them. My father is a fairly prominent figure in the British Film Industry. I'm convinced its a genetic predisposition, a burgeoning talent. Am I stifling it through censorship of certain PG films?

The question arises though, when will he be old enough to watch? Do you think watching this stuff really does have a bad influence on kids or does it just increase their imaginary skills?

Would You Let Your Child Watch?

Lloyds TSB Weather Competition

Lets face, it the weather at the moment provides plenty of stunning opportunities, this week alone we have had hailstones, brilliant sunshine, torrential downpours and a little bit of mist in St Albans.



Lloyds TSB are celebrating many years of insuring homes against the British Weather and are asking people to send in their best photographs of depicting the British Weather to stand a chance of winning £10,000 and be crowned British weather photographer of the year.



There are some really fantastic images on the website, well worth a look because not only do they depict the variety of our British weather, but also because it actually forms quite a lovely tour of Britain. I really hope that they produce a book or exhibition of them.



To enter the competition, participants must submit their photos capturing British weather to the Lloyds TSB website. The overall winner will be picked on the basis of flair, technique and originality. The entries will be judged by a leading panel of meteorologists and photographers.



The competition will run from April 13th – September 30th 2010. Take a look at entries submitted so far: http://www.lloydstsbweathercompetition.co.uk You must be a UK resident in order to take part in this competition.



I entered the competition with this photograph titled 'first snow' go and vote for it in the 'Snow and Ice category' please! It's a picture of Toddler Boy running along the causeway in Verulamium Park, St Albans during the really heavy snow that we had last year. It was a fantastic day, the first snowy day for Fifi and the first time Toddler boy could actually run along and enjoy it. After this photo was taken we spent about 4 hours playing in the snow and rolling the biggest snow ball you could ever imagine. It's days like that when living in Britain with its wild and varied weather is not so bad after all.

Sponsored Post

Lloyds TSB Weather Competition

Review and Competition: Maclaren Techno XT Pushchair

When I first had Toddler Boy I was given this sage advice ‘everybody ends up with a Maclaren’, so I bought a Silver Cross, then I abandoned that and got an Out and About, then a Phil & Teds then I ran out of money, so I managed to get the Maclaren Quest. I use the Quest, a lot. It has to be the most all round practical pushchair we own. What I should have done is just buy the Techno XT right at the start as it's suitable from birth, then I wouldn't have a garage full of pushchairs and I would have a lot more money in my pocket!

I was contacted by Maclaren who kindly offered me a double pushchair, I asked if I could have a single basic one instead as Toddler Boy is getting to the stage where he mainly wants to walk. They came up trumps with this one; the Maclaren Techno XT pushchair. Their award winning, flagship pushchair! The one I have lusted after and wanted, no, needed all along. I really couldn't wait to test it out. Was it as good as everybody say's? Can it really be suitable for everyone?

The Techno XT is in my opinion, without doubt the most practical pushchair you could possibly want. Suitable from birth, it fits in the car, umbrella folds so it doesn’t take up the whole hallway, it's comfortable for even the sturdiest three and a half year old.

My six foot four inches tall husband can push it comfortably thanks to the extending handles, this makes it one of only two pushchairs which he has been comfortable pushing. The fluorescent trims on the fabric and wheels means that you can be seen in the dark, which I find handy as I often stroll up to meet my husband after work. A rarity for a stroller, the Techno XT has suspension so your baby will not be bounced about, I checked this feature with Fifi on some cobbles by St Albans Abbey and she survived unscathed. One of the best features is the hood, which can zip off, but is lovely and big and has the benefit of a UV shield which comes down.

Really, you cant go wrong with this pushchair, if you buy it for your newborn you most certainly will not need to buy another. However, there are a couple of minor issues, after all nothing's perfect. For me, it was slightly heavier than our Quest, it’s a bit more hefty lugging it in and out of the car boot. Nothing like a travel system though. The other problem I have is with the harness; I find it very difficult to clip together, that could just be me, but there is certainly a knack to it which I don’t have. That might be a problem if you have a struggling child.

I think the Maclaren umbrella fold pushchairs are a design classic, a real genius moment in engineering.Just look, what do you think is the better piece of engineering, the De Havilland or the Maclaren? (OK, this picture actually shows the florescent strips off well).

If you want to know more about the nitty gritty of the pushchair, have a look at the Maclaren website

The lovely people at Maclaren have actually offered the Readers of Being a Mummy the chance to win their own Maclaren Techno XT pushchair! To stand a chance of winning all you need to do is leave a comment below telling me what yuo think is a ‘must- have’ feature on a pushchair. The winner will be picked at random using the random number generator and in order for me to notify you, don’t forget to leave me your twitter, email or another contact. The competition is open to UK residents only and closes midday on Monday 30th August 2010. Good Luck

Review and Competition: Maclaren Techno XT Pushchair

Graco Nautilus Car seat Video Review

We've had our Graco Nautilus for a while now and are well pleased with it. It makes M'laddo feel like a bigger boy to be in a different category of car seat to his little sister. We've already written some thoughts about the Graco Nautilus here but sometimes a picture paints a 1,000 words, especially when its moving and has me wittering over it.

So without futher ado, I'll show how dead easy it is to fit the Graco Nautilus into your car and how useful the cubby holes are. Brace yourself for about just as much excitement as you can handle...

Graco Nautilus Car seat Video Review

The National Gallery, The National Portrait Gallery and the Go, Go Go Show

Today we spent the day in the West End, I love London I find it energizing and refreshing. I used to live underneath the Telecom Tower, I like the busy, vibrant atmosphere, the pollution, the pigeons and the noise. I hope to at least foster an understanding of this in my children by dragging them into London at every opportunity.

This weekend we were offered the chance to see new kids musical the Go, Go, Go Show, featuring the music of Mike Stock (from Stock, Aitkin and Waterman fame) and written by one of the CBBC/ Cbeebies team it looked promising, so I decided to go along and take Fifi as well. I was glad we did!

However, the show didn't start until 2:30 so we spent the morning dragging Toddler Boy and Fifi around the National Gallery, where Fifi got us in trouble for going behind a rope barrier. I quickly rescued her and was warned after the event. Quite what damage she could actually have done, not being even remotely able to reach any of the paintings and quite what the point was of warning me after the event I was not quite sure. I nearly pulled the 'I'm a senior museum curator' card, but I bit my tongue, just in case I got black listed and I ever want a job there. The telling off put a bit of a dampener on the whole experience, especially since it was 'family Sunday' so we quickly left and went to one of my favourite places, just around the corner. The National Portrait Gallery.

The National Portrait Gallery cafe is one of London's best kept secrets, perfect for a Sunday morning coffee. At the moment they have a fab exhibition of portraits of people at the Glastonbury festival, I've seen it a couple of times and its only small but it sort of sums up the event. The inclusion of children makes it an ideal one to show the kids. We also went to see the BP Portrait Award 2010 which is just fantastic this year. I loved the portrait of an artists four year old son on the day he went to school in his uniform for the first time. Fifi enjoyed looking with me and it really was a joy to go to a gallery which is understanding of children and yet adult at the same time!

Anyhow, the time came for the Go, Go, Go show and I was a bit apprehensive about what to expect. I don't really like crowd participation and this was Fifi's first ever visit to a theatre. I had nothing to worry about, the songs are so catchy you actually want to join in. I did have to pay attention to Fifi as obviously she didn't sit still the whole time, and this meant that I didn't really follow the story properly. However, it was easy enough to dip in and out of, the cast were superb at both singing and dancing. They had future childrens television presenters virtually written on their foreheads. It was bubblegum pop, with colourful costumes, a cheery stage show and great music. A visual and musical feast for my toddlers and even for a hardened soul like me. Me and the husband found ourselves singing the theme song all the way home, to the Toddlers cries that he wanted to go and see it again. We pointed out that there isn't a performance on a Monday and he sat quietly disappointed. Still, it's alright as they have a website.

Back home tonight, we are all tired but have the sort of warm glow that you get from a really lovely day out. Thanks to Lynette from Mummy Marketing for the tickets to the show.

The National Gallery, The National Portrait Gallery and the Go, Go Go Show

Toddler Boy and Fifi's Favourite Books

Friend and blogger Metropolitan Mum recently asked about some of Toddler Boy and Fifi's favourite books. I'm more than happy to oblige, we love reading books and to be honest buy absolutely loads. I tend to look at the Red House and The Book People websites and grab any bargains that I see. Toddler boys bookshelves are creaking under the weight of books, but reading and a love of books is one of those things that I really want to encourage. we tend to read books together that means we range from books suitable for a one year old to books suitable for a nearly four year old (and the rest!)At the moment our favourite books are listed below:

Miffy at the Gallery by Dick Bruna
This is a great little read, and features Bruna's take on some of contemporary arts most famous paintings!

Stone Girl Bone Girl: The Story of Mary Anning of Lyme Regis by Laurance Anholt

This is based on the real life of Mary Anning, famous fossil hunter and one of my childhood heroines. The illustrations by Anholt are superb.





That's Not My Baby by Fiona Watt
Both children love these books and they never fail to amuse and delight, this one has a mirror at the end which Fifi loves.






Brilliant Boats by Tony Mitton and Ant Parker
This one is from the Amazing Machines range which includes tractors, fire engines, space ships. They love them all and I have personally found them educational. Again, the illustrations are lovely.

We are Wearing Out the Naughty Step by Mick Inkpen
This is a fun story with a twist at the end. I use this with them after a challenging day and they enjoy the story and seems to understand the moral to it!

Little Princess - I Want My Potty by Tony Ross

We love the Little Princess and have loads of these books, including one about Ghosts! However this is the one that makes the recently potty trained Toddler Boy laugh and Fifi loves pointing out the page where she has the potty on her head.




Maisy at the Museum by Lucy Cousins
You cant go wrong with a Maisy book and my kids are obviously always in museums. Therefore this book has everything for us and sparks off endless discussions. It's great, I can see it being a firm favourite for years to come!

If you get a chance have a look out for these either in the shops or at the local library. I'd love to hear your suggestions as well.

Toddler Boy and Fifi's Favourite Books

AXA Car Insurance Respect On The Road Campaign

The AXA Respect On The Road from AXA Car Insurance is one of the best campaigns I’ve heard about it a long time. Basically, they are trying to get respect back on the roads. I’m fully behind his one, being the victim of many a road raged aggressive driver. It’s not that I think I’m a poor driver, I respect the road and I do like to show courtesy to other motorists and also have courtesy shown to me. There is nothing more frustrating when people do not give way to you when you are driving up one of the many hills in St Albans, or people who pull out on you whilst you are on a roundabout, gesturing that you should get out of their way. I have also been a victim of the over zealous beeper. I’m not one myself as I find it wakes up the baby, but here in our wealthy commuter belt town you can hear the horn at any given moment in the day. This lack of courtesy and respect on our is a real danger. What happens if one day you are too busy beeping the motorist in front to actually notice the child step out from the side of the road? So, with this in mind, lets all join in with this campaign and get some courtesy and respect on the roads!

For the campaign, AXA has created a Facebook fanpage where people can debate all the issues. Why not visit it ‘Like’ it and join the debate yourself?

There is a YouTube Channel for the campaign which has the brilliant ‘Road Rage kids’ YouTube video, acted entirely by 5 year olds, in which they imitate driving behaviour copied from their parents. I might even get my 3 and a half year old to re-enact my driving so I can see what he actually takes in hopefully it wont be a shock!

In addition, AXA have taken to the streets of London in a black taxi for the opinions of the public in a series of videos called:‘Cab Cam’. As a born and bred Londoner I enjoyed watching this one.

This is a Sponsored Post.

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AXA Car Insurance Respect On The Road Campaign

Big Book Little Book Cardboard Box Review

A week or so ago we were offered a Big Book Little Book Cardboard Box being a clubber in the 1990's I loved the pun. I also had a look at the website and thought that it was one of the best ideas I have seen in ages. The reason being that I spend a large chunk of my evening tidying up books that have been randomly thrown from their wicker basket to the floor in a toddler frenzied rampage of picture led decision making. But, no longer, the Big Book Little Book Cardboard Box has actually solved this problem.

You see, I have to admit that our books look nothing like the ones in the picture above, instead they look like this picture. But hey, they are not on the floor in a massive jumble, so I don't care. The toddlers can actually find what they want with ease and our book area definitely looks a lot less untidy.

The only issue is with the fact that it does still essentially look like a cardboard box, not the best look for a living room. My OCD- ness about mess/ living room style is forcing me to go out and buy some new fabric to cover it, so it blends in a little more. But, frankly that's not an issue when you are paying £8 for something that will improve your overall life and that of the kids. Who would have thought such a simple, obvious idea as a cardboard box could change your quality of life. But it does. They come fully constructed and in my experience very promptly. You can buy one for yourself here.

Big Book Little Book Cardboard Box Review

Review; Disney's The Princess and the Frog

The latest Disney Blu-ray we were lucky enough to be sent (as Blu- ray ambassadors) was The Princess and the Frog. I've been itching to see this film, as I heard it was a return to the older style Disney animations. Since getting it four days ago we have seen it three times, it's that good.

The Princess and the Frog is basically the old fashioned fairy tale slightly reworked. I loved the general story, although I was a bit unsure about how the children would feel about the Voodoo man. I think he sort of went straight over their heads, in the way that these things do for kids. I found him scary though and I think that he is quite a departure for the usual baddies you get in a Disney film.

There are three main reasons why you should watch this film:

• The music is fantastic and its just perfect for the inevitable stage show
• There are some brilliant scenes featuring Baignet's, what other movie can boast that?
• The animation is just beautiful, modern and old fashioned styles
• The story is lovely, so romantic that I had to steel myself in case the kids thought I was soft
  

The blu-ray has all these extra's

• Deleted Scenes
• The Making Of A Princess
• Conjuring The Villain
• The Return To Hand - Drawn Animation
• The Disney Legacy
• Disney’s Newest Princess
• Princess Portraits Game
• Audio Commentary By Filmmaker

You can have a little look at the film here, I love the croc!

Review; Disney's The Princess and the Frog

Being a Good Enough Mummy

Life can be all about comparison with others, it's only natural, that's how we establish how well we are doing, what our boundaries are, what is appropriate behaviour and this all happens pretty much from birth. I work on comparison, I cant help it, I'm a child of the Thatcher years. I measure myself against everyone else. I try not to but I can't help it and living in St Albans doesn't help. It's a town full of wealthy wives of bankers and so on, comparisons are inevitable.

I'm lucky enough to be blogging friends with Lisa aka the Mummy Whisper she has lead me through one workshop and her blog provides an endless source of help, hints and advice. Over the past year, I have tried to change my thinking a bit, although its very hard. Actually, analysing my values has helped a lot. I have also tried to put myself first a bit more, this has been a very positive thing for all.

Being a good enough mum is something that is all in the mind. I'm convinced feelings of not 'being worthy' can lead to all manner of difficult states of mind and I'm sure it almost certainly leads to post-natal depression. The good enough mum probably doesn't spend the entire night awake worrying about whether she has purchased the right washing powder (so as not to irritate the baby's delicate skin). She probably doesn't spend the rest of the night awake trying to get the baby to sleep. I suspect she probably leaves the baby to cry for a bit, and thus encourages night-time sleep. The good enough mum does not subject herself to endless trips to baby groups and coffee mornings, where she has to interact with other mothers she nothing in common with. She takes her maternity leave and uses it to visit her pre-baby friends and indulge her hobbies. The good enough mum saves her money for herself, she does not fill her house with plastic toys and she still has an adult living room. The good enough mum is secure in herself.

At the end of the day, I'm starting to think that everyone is a good enough mummy for their child. So what if I feed them fish finger and pasta with grated cheese. So what if they watch a couple of hours television per day. It doesn't matter in the long run, they are healthy and happy and loved. And, if all else fails you can always find a celebrity mum whose life is a total disaster. Kerry Katona springs to mind.

Now, my next challenge is to be a good enough wife.

Being a Good Enough Mummy

Kelloggs Choc n Roll Breakfast Cereal

We were asked by Kelloggs if we would like to try some of their new breakfast cereal. As we happen to eat lots of Kelloggs cereals, I thought it might be interesting. I have to admit, I was thinking it would be a sugary kids cereal, so I was surprised when the box arrived and it stated that there was less sugar than Coco Shreddies and less salt that Cheerios (another household favourite).

It's actually taken Kelloggs two years to get from idea to supermarket with lots of testing. I think Kelloggs are really trying to get their cereals right, they have made a commitment to reduce the amount of sugar in the whole Coco Pops range by 15% by January 2011, without adding artificial sweeteners.

I have to be honest, I love breakfast cereals but I don't like chocolate ones so the kids have not really been exposed. I don't like the way the milk goes chocolaty, I realise that's probably unusual but it seems my kids have inherited my tastes. Thus, we have used Choc n Roll as a dry snack. It's gone down extremely well at snack time. I'll buy it again for this purpose. At £1.89 quite a competitive price and you can get hold of a box in most major supermarkets.

Kelloggs Choc n Roll Breakfast Cereal

Competition: Delph Sun Care

Delph have been making suncream for thirteen years and produce the lowest priced, independently tested sun creams on the market. None of their products have been tested on animals. So good are their products considered, that they are given to the British troops in Afghanistan, schools and the NHS.

One of the great things about their value suncream is that you don’t have to use it sparingly, you can just whack gallons of it on the kids and go.

Delph sun care has a wide range of products, from SPF 8 through to SPF 50 and all rated UVA 4* which I think is very important. They include:

• SPF 8, 15, 30, and Sun Block 50 in 200ml Lotion
• SPF 15 and 25 200ml in Spray Lotion
• Kids On The Go - SPF 30 Trigger Spray – fun for the kids and
• sprays on green to highlight application. SPF 30 (and 50 Lotion is available in 100ml)
• After Sun- Lotion, Spray and Insect Repellent 200ml all contain
• Aloe Vera to soothe and moisturise the skin and Vitamin E, a powerful anti-oxidant and anti-ageing properties.

They also make one of only 6 sun creams listed on the UK drug tariff, which means they can actually be prescribed by your GP.

We were given a selection to try and frankly, due to this years limited British summer we couldn’t give it a full test in the sunshine. However, Fifi loves a bit of pampering, so we put loads on her at very opportune moments. As we were given some little pocket sized packs which were great for the change bag and I took every opportunity when out and about. The products smelt nice, were not to gloopy or sloppy and rubbed in easily. So, I would suggest that they represent excellent value for money. You can buy them at a number of places on-line, I suggest you do a search to find the cheapest place.

Lucky readers of Being a Mummy have the chance to try the range for themselves, as I have been given 5 Sets to give away, each worth £20. For a chance of winning please leave a comment which tells me the sunniest place you have ever been with your baby. Winners will be picked at random and in order for me to notify you, don’t forget to leave me your twitter, email or another contact. The competition is open to UK residents only and closes at midday on the 21st of August

Competition: Delph Sun Care

Going to Work is Easier, Sometimes

Someone I know has two children and a full time important job. She has a nanny, each morning I see the nanny appear and take over. She can afford this, she doesn't have to worry about packing appropriate bags for the childminder, getting them up, dressing them etc etc. I always think how glamorous she looks. This is the thing, when you see a glam mum at playgroup or mother and baby group you can guarantee they have help and their trip is a special unique moment for them, rather than a way to fill time outside of the house.

Working part-time, I have to admit that being at work is by far the much easier option than staying at home doing essentially crowd control with two under four year olds. Their favourite game at the moment involves taking apart the sofa and building things upon which to bounce, it's aggravating. At work you can have a cup of tea, a lunch break, I can eat my sandwiches without having to get up to see to someone every five minutes. Apart from the general stress of work, it could be a real break. Why is it that I actually feel guilty saying this?

I think the issue for me and I suspect many parents is that unless you have an exceptionally well paid job its impossible to work and pay for childcare full-time. Therefore, you are left in a sort of permanent limbo whereby you are working part-time and thus not seen as fully committed important member of staff, or you stay at home. I think the stay at home mum has the psychological advantage, for one they have not seen the other side of daily life. But also, they can fully commit and plan stuff with their children. There is consistency of care for the child, but also there is time to fit in the housework, build a spaceship, paint a flower and be a good wife. It's mentally easier.

At the moment, I am finding working part-time and being a housewife and mum part-time is hard, I feel permanently exhausted, I feel guilty about not doing my job properly and guilty about not being there for my children. No, I can't justify the cost of a cleaner, that would effectively wipe out the little money I do make, yes, I do try to plan exciting days out and craft activities. But, do you know what? I think I actually try to hard, there is no time to just sit and think. No time for the children to be bored and no time for me.

I'd love to hear your experiences and thoughts.

Going to Work is Easier, Sometimes

Summer at the National Railway Museum

The National Railway Museum contacted me recently and their Director of Fun, a little chap called Sam Pointin asked very nicely if I would tell you all about the fun activities that they are holding this summer. Of course, I myself am a museum curator, and I'm keen on anything to get people interested and visiting museums. It's a really fantastic museum, or so I have heard, not having visited! However, luckily a good friend has and here is her blog post. She considers it a five star attraction!

This summer they are going back to the 1930's with loads of things to do, there will be costumes, a Punch and Judy show and even some flying owls in the Great Hall. If you are in the area, I feel sure that you would have a fab day out. I'm even tempted on a trip up north myself!

Summer at the National Railway Museum

Pre- Baby, Post Baby

However did my bottom get so big!

Pre- Baby, Post Baby

Review; Hippychick Hipseat Babycarrier

Fifi demands to be held, she has come to a stage where she wants to sort of sit on my hip and cling on like a little monkey. Not only is this very bad for my back, but to be honest its a bit aggravating when you are trying to cook the dinner and so forth. That's where the Hippychick Hipseat babycarrier comes in. I have been looking at these for a while wondering whether or not it would work. After meeting the Hippychick PR girls at Christmas in July they sent me one so I could see. Hooray!

The Hippychick Hipseat does work, it is perhaps one of the greatest simple baby inventions I have come across. I wander about St Albans singing its praises, so handy has it proved. In fact, it has removed the need for me to struggle with a pushchair on short trips, in particular the childminder drop-off. The hipseat is comfortable for me to wear and Fifi seems more than happy sitting on it.This worries me, as I can see her demanding it all the time instead of walking as she likes a nice cuddle!

The Hippychick Hipseat is suitable from 6 months, I wish I had got one earlier. It has pockets inside so you can stow away your money and you can remove the seat and use it as a bum bag when the kids get a bit older (I cant personally see myself doing this). The fabric is hard wearing and washable, you can pick from 4 colours. Lets face it, it's not the trendiest thing and it does scrunch your clothes up a bit around the middle, I feel a bit like I'm wearing a sort of modern girdle. BUT it is without doubt a must have for anyone with toddlers. What are you waiting for? Go and buy one now.

Review; Hippychick Hipseat Babycarrier

But I Like My Own Bed!

Sleeping patterns in this house have deteriorated to the extent where it would actually be quite possible for me to not get any sleep in the week and spend the weekend in my bed asleep. Fifi is still waking at the crack of dawn, although sometime she does allow us to put her in our bed and bounce on us for about an hour or so. But that's better than sitting on the sofa and being hit with the remote control or a Lego brick.

The problem has come with Toddler boy, he is hard to get to sleep at the moment. It is like he is driven by some never ending energy source, we have tried cutting out all the food colourings, junk food and so on. For sure, some do have an influence, but still he stays awake. When finally he drops off, often in our bed super-heating it to nuclear levels we both feel exhausted. So much for a bit of time together!

OK, so, you can live with this right? I mean, its just a phase. Then problem occurs at 1 AM when the little fella wakes us up screaming either about monsters under his bed or that 'me just want you'. There are three options: ignore, but that's wicked. Go and see, this involves inevitably getting into bed with him and lying there being half strangled on a centimetre of bed without any duvet. Or, putting him in our bed, which involves lying there on a centimetre of bed without any duvet and being kicked in the back for the pleasure.

It's not that I don't like Toddler Boys bed, in fact its a very nice top of the range Warren Evans number. Comfort is not in question, style is assured. No, it's simply that I like my own bed, the super kingsize one with the winter duvet (I'm always cold) and the husband faintly breathing. I like the space, the air around me, the crispness of my 100% cotton duvet and sheets, as opposed to the poly cotton blend Thomas the Tank Engine lightweight duvet.

I am resigned to it though, as I lie in Toddler Boys bed waiting for the crack of dawn alarm cry from Fifi that I will not get any sleep for some time yet. Just wait until I show you the before and after children pictures I was looking at the other day. I was well and truly horrified, both myself and the hubby have really aged 10 years in the last three, but we could be good candidates for secret service missions. Sleep deprivation and lack of comfort would not be a torture for me anymore!

But I Like My Own Bed!

Film Review: Marmaduke

I sent the husband to see Marmaduke whilst I had a nice wander around the National Portrait Gallery. Now I have read his review below I am a bit jealous!

When I was a nipper growing up, there was only one Great Dane on the telly thanks to Hanna Barbera. Ironically there was another Great Dane that predated him, and he was called Marmaduke. I remember reading the comic strip when I was really little and when I got a bit older, there was a cartoon called Heathcliff and Marmaduke.

And now, with the vocal talents of Owen Wilson, Marmaduke has come to the big screen.

 We were lucky enough to get a couple of tickets to Sundays preview screening at the Vue Cinema Leicester Square. There was face painting, goody bags and popcorn but most of all their was a huge dog.

In a summer thats been full of animal films (we've seen cats, dogs, foxes, the works), Marmaduke has plenty going for him. It balances the adult (for adult, read juvenile) humour that appeals to parents and the slapstick that appeals to kids with the usual moral backbone thats essential in kids films nowadays. Lets face it, any film that sees the esteemed actor William H Macy catapulted into the air twice in as many minutes obviously has something going for it.

The family that Marmaduke owns are pretty pencil thin in terms of characterisation but they are there to do a job and they do it fine. The real stars of the show are the dogs. Marmaduke is the best and Owen Wilson does the job brilliantly but Keifer Sutherland(!) and Fergie also do great jobs too.

The plot is an intertwining story of trying to fit in and being true to yourself that covers both the humans and the dogs. Marmaduke tries to reinvent himself from the hapless clumsy pup into a cool dude when his owners move to the O.C. In the process he makes some friends, betrays his friends, hangs out with the trendy set and realises that he's been a naughty boy.

I enjoyed it but the real litmus test was the Boy, who as a three year old is a lot more discerning than me. I had a few pats on the hand during the film to show his appreciation but his eyes were welded on the screen for the entire duration. Once more I had a monologue of "But I want a doggie!" on the way out, and this filled me with fear as a Great Dane is rather epically huge. If he was as ace as Marmaduke though, I'd be half tempted!

Don't take my word for it though, have a look at the trailer:

Film Review: Marmaduke

Tinkerbell and The Great Fairy Rescue

I have to admit, I was shameless in this and I asked Kerry who is a brilliant Disney PR if she would, ever so kindly, please, please, beg, grovel get us some tickets for a Tinkerbell screening. We absolutely love Tinkerbell in this house, we watch both films at least once a week and I know its something that both my children will enjoy. The Tinkerbell franchise is safe and wholesome and lovely. Much to our absolute joy and surprise we actually ended up with tickets to the premiere! If I said that even I was jumping up and down on the sofa with joy, that would not begin to express the excitement felt in this household. The image might make those of you who know me laugh.

We arrived at the very posh hotel and attended a fairy tea party, complete with the chance to meet Tinkerbell, Garden Girl who came with us nearly burst with excitement. Toddler Boy who is very shy, just stood there observing behind his fantastic Spiderman face paint. There was a sumptuous feast of cakes and sandwiches on offer, I managed a glass of champagne and looked longingly at all the lovely cakes none of which I could actually fit in due to a rather excessive Pizza Express feast at lunch. We made fairy wands and the children bounced about excitedly, I stood there celebrity spotting and even managed a short conversation with Nell McAndrew (I only realised it was her afterwards). It was a very special event.

Tinkerbell and the Great Fairy Rescue is a lot darker than the other Tinkerbell movies, it has moments of real excitement and mild peril when the fairies have to rescue Tinkerbell. Some of it had me holding Toddler Boy's hand. He wasn't worried, as he is a blase cinema goer, I was concerned though, about the fairies! There is a bit were Vidia gets stuck in some mud and there's a car coming, it's real edge of seat stuff. It's a story of friendship and one that many children can identify with; the time pressured parent. This time pressured parent happens to be a museum curator who works at the Natural History Museum. I did think that he seemed a little bit like me, except I don't specialise in butterflies and I no longer work there and I am a mum and not a dad, but that all aside, there were similarities. It made me think though about how much quality time I actually do spend with my kids.

Toddler Boy and Garden Girl loved it, they loved the fairies, the event and they loved the film. Toddler Boy even told me the whole story back a bit later on. They are both three and they sat through it transfixed (as I knew they would). If you love the other Tinkerbell films you'll love this, although you might have to do a weeks worth of fairy based activities (find them here) after you have watched it. Oh, I wish I looked like Tinkerbell, how shallow am I?

Have a sneak peak here

Tinkerbell and The Great Fairy Rescue

Think Tanks and BBC News

If you follow me on Twitter you'll know I tend to watch BBC Breakfast. We don't have Sky, if I did life might be different. Breakfast television is an endless source of annoyance for me, they always seem to find the most stupid people in the UK to interview 'on the street' or occasionally get in them in the studio, just so they can be particularly galling.

In the last two years they seem to have started asking an endless number of people representing obscure 'Think Tanks' onto the television alongside their favourite commentators which seem to include Liz Fraser who talks endlessly about parenting from her privileged position and a jolly, fat female astronomy expert who just makes good television. Most of these 'Think Tank' representatives are nervous, they wear cardigans and either look very trendy (you can tell from the glasses) or very much like Daily Mail readers. They usually spout sense at a ration of 20% sense for every 80 % of words.

It seems easy in this new politically quango'ed age to name oneself as a Think Tank. I have a whole list of parenting questions and issues I would like raised at Government level, maybe I should call myself one. Only joking on the Think Tank, but I am worried about the consideration which is being given to the number of spending cuts this government seem to be rushing through. One thing that really worries me, as I work within the heritage sector, is the amount of money that is being taken away from cultural activities and museums. This will have an impact on all of our children, culturally and educationally. There are a number of areas where spending cuts will impact on our children and I don't think these have really been highlighted enough by the media. Yes, cuts in spending on schools and education sector will have an impact, but cuts or changes in local authority housing could have more of an impact. I'm waiting to see and hear more. I just hope the BBC finds some people who have begun to consider these issues properly to interview and some proper 'Think Tanks'. They could of course draft in my husband who had his first article published in The Guardian the other day.

Think Tanks and BBC News

Review; Wallaboo Change Bag

Wallaboo make the most perfectly soft car seat covers, stroller covers and blankets, but did you know they also do change bags to match? The lovely Hippychick PR team offered me one to review and I was rather excited. I love change bags. The Wallaboo change bags are made from beautiful microfibre suede and come in range of colours. They come with a nicely padded change mat and a bottle holder. There are lots of pockets for all your essentials and the insides are wipe clean. They retail at £44.95, which seems about average for a decent change bag.

As expected, the change bag is soft and luxurious, the sort of thing that just feels nice. Ideal for the colder winter months. The padded change mat, has to be the best one I have seen provided with a bag. You could easily use it on its own. The strap is ingenious, it has proper buckles on each side, so you can adjust it to fit your buggy perfectly. There is a nice separate zip up section where you can put all your things like a mobile phone, purse etc and lots of other zip up pockets for stuffing things.

My only criticism is that it seems a bit smaller than my usual change bags. However, this is probably a good thing, as I only end up carting around 3 additional pairs of spare pants for Toddler boy alongside 20 nappies and a large jar of nappy rash cream if I have space.

This is a stylish, unusual change bag which I reckon would make a lovely gift for a new mummy with a winter baby. I don't think its all that great for the summer, but that's alright, the perfect excuse to have two bags!

You can check out the whole Wallaboo range here, I'm off to treat Fifi to a lovely footmuff for the winter.

Review; Wallaboo Change Bag

When Comics Were Good...

A few weeks ago I found these amongst the mountain of my toys in the garage. Yes, the Get Along Gang from the early 1980's. If I remember correctly, these were gifts stuck to the front of the Get Along Gang comic. Those were the days weren't they? A quality product stuck to the front of your comic a few times a year and George Michael in Jackie magazine. I also uncovered Smash Hits with all the words to Kylie and Jason's classic track 'especially for you'. It was these comics and magazines which really encouraged me to read and learn about popular culture. They even encouraged me to look after my things properly, I still have Look- in magazine with ET on the front and my 3D glasses that were attached. I used to love looking at the fashions and imagining what I might wear when I got to fourteen or even eighteen. In fact, I still love looking at these comics whenever they resurface.

I don't mean to moan again, but toddler boy has taken a real interest in obtaining comics recently. We have obliged on a few occasions, but nanny has positively indulged. Thus we have Beano, Doctor Who, Friends, Thomas, Spiderman, Ben 10 and all manner of toddler aimed but frankly rubbish comics. What has happened to kids comics? Every two weeks you appear to get a toy which falls apart within seconds resulting in tears and quite honestly there is nothing of value inside. You get adverts, inappropriate stories or posters with scary images and then at the end a nod to the intended age group in the form of a page of pictures drawn by readers. I have yet find a child who is more interested in the comic than the piece of plastic tat on the cover. That says it all really. Within a very short time the comic and the toy end up in the bin. Craft supplies would have been a better use of the money.

Now I know why old people always talk about the past being better, because, quite frankly it was.

When Comics Were Good...

Review; Very.co.uk or I become a fashion blogger!

This isn't a fashion blog. I'm not all that fashionable personally, but I do happen to know quite a shocking amount about fashion as I am really interested in historical costume and the history of fashion. I curate the costume collection at work and I harbour a love of fabrics, dress construction and designers which would probably amaze you if you looked at me. I can spot a Vivienne Westwood dress a mile off and probably tell you which collection it was from. I can spend hours in Liberty looking at the clothes and thinking about what inspired the designers, it used to drive the hubby mad. I have tons of books on fashion and I've even spent hours in the V & A Museum Dress and Textile stores looking at costume collection from the Dior to the Elizabethan. I love fashion. If I was rich, I would probably dress very differently and go to St Martins and indulge myself in some obscure art historical study of fashion. I've been thinking about writing a fashion blog for ages, but frankly I hardly have enough time to write this blog.

Anyway, the lovely PR chaps from Very.co.uk offered me the chance to pick £50 worth of clothes from their site to see what I thought. This was very exciting, its not often you get the chance to spend some money on yourself. I have to admit it was also a little bit frustrating as I do have expensive tastes and 90% of the things that I liked on the site were £60. That's not to say that it isn't absolutely chock full of bargains for under £60, I think I have expensive tastes.

I knew that they had a few celebrities on board, so I threw caution to the wind and checked out what they were promoting. Go have a look, amongst others you can see Holly Willoughby and Fearne Cotton's ranges and Denise Van Outen's maternity wear. I loved the dresses that Holly and Fearne were promoting, some of them are on my wish list.

Each range is clearly aimed at a particular age group, so in the end I plumped for Holly's offerings. I mean, a few more highlights and a bit of jogging and I could look like her. Maybe. I chose this cardigan as I thought it might come in handy for this autumn winter, for dressy, casual days. It's not something I would have normally chosen, but I thought that would be a change. It came promptly, fitted well and has washed up a few times. I'm really pleased with it.

This left me with a few quid in hand, so I plumped for this white cotton blouse, I thought I could accessorise it and it was quite versatile for those hot September days. The cotton is lovely and soft, but I have to admit I am a bit disappointed with it. It just doesn't seem brilliant quality. I would probably have exchanged it. However, saying that I have worn it a few times and have had nothing but unsolicited compliments. That just goes to show you doesn't it!

After having a really good look at the site, I was surprised, there are some great basic clothes to be had for very reasonable prices. A lot of the clothes are different to the ones you might find on the high street, although high street brands are present too. I loved the range of dresses and coats and will be treating myself to a couple of things in the next few weeks.

Review; Very.co.uk or I become a fashion blogger!