Review: Learning Resources PlayFoam Pals - Snowy Friends.

Hey guys, back with a review today, the Learn Resources Playfoam Pals - Snowy Friends two pack. Casper got sent these and was super excited to open them up and dig into the playfoam to see what was inside!

The Playfoam Pals are an intriguing take on the surprise toys concept. The Playfoam pals come in a clear plastic snow-dome container with playfoam inside, which you dig into to find you snowy friend. The playfoam comes in several different colours, ours were green and white and purple and white and non-toxic formula and is perfect for sensory play. Playfoam is great for creative play, as children are able to sculpt and develop different different props to play with their snowy friends. 

There are 13 snowy friends to collect, including one rare one - which we were super lucky to find! I think I got more excited than Casper when he found Sven the Snowman. Children are able to remove the head of the pals and fit it on other's bodies to really create some unique animals.

Casper really enjoyed opening his snow-domes and finding the animals inside. He is at the age where he loves playing with small collectibles and checking them against the list. The winter theme really fits in nicely with winter coming upon us and Christmas just around the corner and he even likened the playfoam to snow and was building snowmen with it. He enjoyed building different shapes with the playfoam and was intrigued by the texture of it, especially as he pulled it apart.

As a parent, I love the fact it encourages both creativity and imaginative play and I definitely think they are well worth the money with a pack of two coming in at just £6*. I also love that the snow-dome are reusable and quite sturdy, so can be used to play with and store the playfoam nicely away after play! They also look like little snowglobes, so adorable to have in their rooms! 

There are also two other variety of playfoam pals, Pet Party and Wild Friends, which have different animals to collect and different coloured playfoam, including some brighter colours.

They are advised for children aged 5+, and with Casper only 4 I kept a close eye whilst he was playing but he honestly had no issues and I felt confident with him being sensible enough to play with it safely.

I'd definitely recommend picking some up, and already can't wait to get some more for Casper! Surprise toys at the minute are so popular with child aged 4 and up and these just go above that with the added feature of the playfoam. Honestly anything that encourages play and can keep Casper entertained for hours is definitely a winner with me!

You can buy Learning Resources Playfoam Pals  direct from Learning Resources, and they are also available on Amazon and Jarrold.

Has your little ones given playfoam a go? It's such a good sensory tool that if they haven't I'd definitely suggest trying it out.

Thank you for reading!

Natalie x

Top 5 Christmas Films For The Family On Now TV

Watching Christmas films really has to be one of my favourite things to do at Christmas, I love the magic about Christmas and how films can reflect that! My last top 5 was those of Netflix so here is my top 5 available on Now TV!

1) The Santa Clause - my all time favourite christmas film. I find that it really never does get old, such a timeless. If you haven't watched it, it's about a man and his son who find Santa on the floor after falling off a roof and he then disappears. The dad puts on Santa's jacket and it is all about him becoming Santa and the trials he has with seeing his son because of it. Such a great christmas film, and you can find the second on there too and you will not be disappointed!

2) Muppet Christmas Carol - this is a firm family favourite, ever since I was a child and I'm so excited for my children to love it too. We watch it on christmas eve every year without fail, it has been part of our christmas traditions for as long as I can remember. It's based on the classic Dickens christmas tale, where you follow Scrooge who is visited by spirits of three Christmases - past, present and future. It has a strong message of what Christmas should be about, love and spreading cheer, whilst being child friendly. A must watch this year!

3) The Polar Express - Casper adores this film and he is completely enamoured by it every time he watches it. It is based on a children's book by Chris Van Allsburg, and follows a boy who goes on an adventure on a train to the North Pole. It shows he how wonderful and magic Christmas can be if you believe. It definitely one to be enjoyed by the whole family.

4) Home Alone 2 - Unfortunately I couldn't see the 1st one on :O however, I do recommend the second too! If you've never watched it, have you really had a Christmas? Haha. Young Kevin is once again found alone, left to his own devices he's up against the two crooks from the first film. A festive comedy that never gets old.

5) Frozen - so not really Christmas, but definitely Christmas feeling with the snow feel. I'm sure everyone and their dogs have watched it by now, but who doesn't enjoy a sing along over Christmas. If you potentially live under a rock a brief description of the film is that Elsa enchants the kingdom in an everlasting winter and her brave sister Anna goes on a journey to get her to take it back.

Casper definitely enjoys singing let it go and it will be watched several times over Christmas!

What are you festive must watch this season?

Thank you for reading!

Natalie x

Review: Bookabees! Book Club For Children!

Good morning everybody, how are you all today? I'm feeling excited that Christmas is literally just around the corner! I can't wait to have some good quality family time! 

Today I'm bringing you a review Bookabees*! Reading is such a vital part of learning, so this is such a great concept - a child's book club!

Bookables is a child's book subscription service, which is on your terms! You decide how many books you receive each other, you pick the plan which best suits you and then it is tailored and personalised for you child!

Bookabees has two plans, KEEP and FLEX. The difference is with the KEEP you get to keep the books each month at a fixed price whilst FLEX is a more flexible plan where you can keep the books for two months and either choose to return them after this time or keep at an additional fee (50% of the retail price with be debited from your account). In both plans you can decide how many books you'd like to receive each month, which is fab as people will have different budgets for this! The plans are 1 book (£4.99 FLEX and £9.99 KEEP), 3 books (£8.99 FLEX and £19.99 KEEP) or 5 books (£10.99 FLEX and £29.99 KEEP). I feel there is a great range for people and if you're wanting to try the the service you could start at 1 book to see how you get on! You can change your plan at any time, whether it's to end your subscription or take a break, and this is all available on your account online.

Bookabees carries books suitable for ages between 0-11, and each package is personalised for your child. When signing up you decide the plan you'd like to sign up for, with how many books, and you then put your child's name and date of birth. The next step is to pick what your child's interests are, there are 12 themes to pick from and these include a wide variaty from learning, to nature and films to fantasy. You can pick as many or as little as you like, and you can really get your child involved with their book subscription. Once you have picked your interests it is in Bookabees hands! 

I love the fact that you and your child can get involved with picking the themes. Bookabees hand picks the books for the child from a wide range of books, initially they pick based on recommendations for the age and themes indicated but as you start receiving books and rate and review them they become smarter with book choice based on your child. You also have the ability to manage the books you have, you can search books and add them to your book queue or delete books that you don't want or may already have.

The books arrive through the post and they are personalised for your child, with the name on the front - Casper loved getting post that was named for him! In each month's package along with the books, they get a selection of stickers, and activities and other bits like a book mark! I love that it has extras to keep them entertained and interested in the service, and with activity packs comiing in at £3+ in shops it makes it value for money with this service.

With the FLEX service, after reading the books you can then rate the books, on a scale of 1 to 5, and then decide to send them back or keep the books at the additional fee. You can decide whether to keep all or none of the books, it is completely your choice and you have a 2 month window. 

My thoughts? I love the idea of a book subscription service for children, in our family books and reading are so important and it is something we love doing as a family. I really think this will encourage children to get reading, as it is something exciting and personalised just for them. Both the children loved their selection of books and we received ones we had never heard of - which was great as we are always looking for new suggestions. It was great that Tabitha received a range of different board books suitable for her, whilst Casper got story books which he really enjoyed. Based on the themes we picked, I really feel like the picked well for my children's interests.

It is definitely something I could get on board with, however I don't think FLEX would be the plan that would suit us. We go to the library quite often already, and so with borrowing books this aspect would be a bit redundant, however I really think those who can't get to a library this service is fantastic as it delivers it to your house at a reasonable cost. The KEEP plan is definitely something I think we'd like to do in the future, as we can never have too many books and I really did love seeing Casper and Tabitha's excitement when they got their parcels and opened to see what was inside.

They are available to order on Bookabees website, which also has lots more information all about the service! Also, there is 30% off of your first month available!

Thank you for reading :)

Natalie x

*the items were sent to us in exchange for an honest review, all opinions are my own.

Top 5: Christmas Films For The Family on Netflix

Hey everybody, hope you are well! We put our christmas tree up this evening, so I'm feeling festive and thought I'd do a quick post on Christmas Films on Netflix that would be perfect for families this festive season! We love netflix and it's definitely a go to when we need to entertain the children on a cold, rainy day and I love that festive films have been uploaded.

1) The Christmas Chronicles - this is new film produced by Netflix and I can see it being a firm favourite in our family! It is about siblings who are trying to capture Santa Claus on video! It had some hilarious moments, that parents could appreciate, yet children will be enthralled with the whole concept too. It was definitely a new story line and different to other Christmas films and I can see us watching it a good few more times before the season is over. Oh just to add, the Christmas elves have to be the cutest elves ever! 

2) Jack Frost - an oldie but a goodie! It is definitely a heart warming film which is perfect for the whole family. It is about when tradegy strikes a family and the dad passes away, he comes back as a snowman the following year. It's about hopes and dreams and the magic of Christmas. If you haven't watched it yet this season, definitely add it to the watch list!

3) Nativity - it's the time of nativities in school and so this has to be a perfect film for the family to watch. This is all about a failed actor who is given the task of the organising the school's nativity play. It is hilarious and I love that it's British, as our humour has to be the best ;), and it's just so relatable! If, when, you enjoy it you can pop on number 2 as well and be ready to watch Nativity 3 which is currently in the cinema!

4) Arthur Christmas - I do enjoy an animated Christmas film and they are always a big hit with children. In this film a child's present is forgotten and it follows the journey and importance of no one being left out at Christmas. It's all about the magic Santa can bring. It's one we enjoy every year, and have already watched it once this year.... so far!

5) The Princess Switch - another new Netflix original this Christmas! This film is about two women from completely walks of life being identical in appearance and swapping lives and then falling in love with people from the other's life. It is cheesy, and has the Christmas magical aspects. One that can be enjoyed by all the family!

I'm definitely excited for all the Christmas films this season and these are just my tip 5 from Netflix, I could go on all day about Christmas films. What are your favourites? What do you recommend on Netflix?

Thanks for reading!

Natalie :) x

Review: Dreambaby Strollerbuddy EZY-Reach Organiser Bag & EZY-Fit Giant Stroller Hook.

Hey everybody, hope you are well! 

Today I thought I'd bring you a review of two pushchair accessories we have been trying from Dreambaby Safety - EZY-Reach Organiser Bag and the Strollerbudy EZY-Fit giant stroller hook. We have been trying both for a good few weeks!

Dreambaby Strollerbuddy EZY-Reach Organiser Bag 

First up is the Organiser bag, which I have loved using and am wondering why we didn't get one before! It is essentially a mini, open bag, that fits on the handle of your pushchair. It has a sleek design and suits most pushchairs with it's grey and black colour scheme. It was easy to fit with velcro straps - which are adjustable and so you can decide how tight to have them and where to place on the handle. It is very secure on the pushchair and I felt confident with it staying in place, it is also in an ideal place on the pushchair for easy reach when needing things for your children.

There is the main section which is a large open pocket with two spaces on either end that are perfect for cups and bottles and the middle that has a cover that fastens with velcro. There is one large netted pocket at the front of the bag and one smaller netter pocket next to a solid fabric pocket on the other side of the bag, these all secure with velcro. The bag is surprisingly roomy and I fit so much in it! I carry both children's cups, gloves, a couple of nappies and packet of wipes, a pen, dummy, small snacks in, Tabitha's safety harness and I sometimes squeeze their hats in when they are being nuisances with keeping them on. The front pockets are ideal for slipping your phone in when you don't have somewhere to put it. I love the ease of use and how I don't always need to carry a bag when we're nipping out on the school run. The only thing I will point out is that with it being an open bag, your items will not be 100% protected from the rain - so be aware with what you carry during those rainy days (I will still carry their cups and some items under the cover and have found the items under the cover generally stay dry).

It is definitely a pushchair accesory I'd recommend and at only £14.99* it isn't breaking the bank!

Dreambaby Strollerbuddy EZY-Fit Giant Hook

The second item I'm reviewing is a giant stroller hook, which you can hang your shopping on with ease. 

Since having children I find going shopping with a pushchair can be such a struggle and so bag hooks on the pushchair are a life saver! We have tried several rounded hooks before and have found that they slip and our shopping ends up banging the wheels, or they can become a pain having to open the clip and overtime this clip becomes loose and ineffective. The EZY-Fit giant hook from dream baby addresses both of my concerns making it the perfect hook for me. It is firstly well made and the hook is sturdy. It has a velcro strap to fit it on the pushchair, which tightens well and does not budge on the handle at all. That is a winner for me because wherever you place the handle, it is secure. It is also so easy to slip bags on and off the hook without having to open any clip as well. 

It is a simple but effective solution to help with more bag space on the pushchair when shopping, without the worries the bags slipping. 

It is available for £8.99* and would be a great addition to any pushchair.

What pushchair accessories have you used and would recommend? 

Thank you for reading :)

Natalie x


* the items in this review were gift, all opinions are my own.

Top 5: Stocking Fillers for Casper

Hey! Just a quick post from me, thought I'd do a top 5 stocking fillers perfect for Casper (who is 4), to give some ideas!

1) Little Brian Art Paint Sticks - we were kindly gifted some of these and we absolutely love them. They are so easy to use, from those first timers all the way up to old timers. We enjoy them as a family and love how the creative ideas are limitless with them. 

Currently on offer on amazon for £4.95 for a pack of 6 or a pack of 12 minis for £5.94 making them a perfect stocking item.

2) Galt Water Magic Colouring Books -
These are colouring books where you fill a pen with water and use it to make a hidden picture appear. They are reuseable and come in an array of themes and topics, from dinosaurs to the farm. They are a fun product and easy to take out with you with no mess. At just £5.99 on amazon they are a perfect stocking filler with a design to suit everyone.

3) Shrinkles Shink Art (Mini Pack) -
This is another creative item for children, which they draw, trace and colour pre-printed pictures, the designs are then cut out and adults place in the oven to bake. The pictures shrink to 7 times smaller and thicken to 7 times thicker. Once baked they can be used to create badges, magnets, keyrings, and more. The options are endless. They come in a variety of designs, so perfect for everyone. They are available for just £5 and you can find them at many places including Hobbycraft.

4) Orchard Toys Mini Games -
We went crazy with Orchard Toys for Casper's birthday and we love them! They are perfect for learning whilst you play. They do an array of games which aid with maths, literacy, memory and more. Their mini games are only £4.99 and they are perfect to keep them entertained whilst learning, and we enjoy taking them when we go out for dinner - so we can play whilst we wait. Casper currently has Llama's in Pyjamas and Penguin Pairs, and will play for hours, and we definitely recommend them and are excited to add some more in his stocking. You can find many on amazon, and definitely look out for them going on offer (my sister found them in Tesco for £3.75)!

5) Lush Bath Bomb -
Something completely different, every year we get Casper a Lush Bath bomb. They have a couple that are great for children, and so they are sensitive on their skin with kind ingredients. Casper loves dropping it into the bath and seeing it dissolve and I love how it makes his skin feel afterwards. The Ickle Baby Bot is just £2.25 at Lush and definitely something a bit different to include.

Just thought I'd mention that Hobby Craft have a 3 for 2 on a lot of their gift ideas for children and some perfect options for stockings. Additionally, Ocado have a 4 for 3 on their stocking fillers. Some of the items mentioned are available on them :).

Those are my top 5 for Casper this year, though I'll also be including the traditional chocolate coins, Clementine and socks. What things will Santa be putting in your children's stockings this year?

Thank you for reading :).
Natalie x

Review: LiteCup

For the last few weeks both Casper and Tabitha have been trying a new cup - the LiteCup - and so I thought I'd bring you a post of our thoughts and opinions of them.

The LiteCup is the only non-spill baby and toddler cup that lights up in the dark. It has a patented 360° spill resitent rim, which allows the drinker to drink for any edge of the cup without worry of spilling. The light is light sensitive, meaning it will only show in the dark and there is also a switch on the bottom allowing you to switch off the light. It has an attractive design and available is many different colours (from bright colours to a more muted colour). They can be used from 4 months up to adulthood.


There are three different cups available, the LiteCup Baby, Little LiteCup and Regular LiteCup. The difference between the Little and Regular LiteCup are the size and liquid capacity, with Little holding 250ml and Regular holding 330ml. The LiteCup Baby is design for the younger child, and perfect for weaning, as it comes with handles and a handy security ribbon which can be clipped to a pushchair or highchair. The security ribbon means that if the child tried to throw the cup of if it dropped, it will not hit the floor - perfect for those younger, new drinker (it is recommended you remove the ribbon if leaving the cup with the child unattended, especially overnight).

Both Casper and Tabitha took to their cups really quickly. Casper enjoys having a cup with no handles, as he feels more grown up whilst Tabitha got to grips with her handle straight away. They both found the 360° rim really easy to drink from and had no issues at all.

At night time Casper has a drink next to his bed, and so having the light up feature made this the perfect cup for him. He doesn't have to shout for mum or dad, as he can see it himself. We also took it to the cinema with us and he was amazed that it lit up and he loved that it was different from other cups.

It has made it easier for myself at night, because Tabitha wakes up multiple times and it is so much easier to find during the night when I'm still mostly asleep.


Tabitha is a cup thrower and we go through so many cups because she throws them on the floor and they break and so having the safety is a major positive for us. It has a long enough ribbon, and elastic, so that it can be clipped on the hood of her pushchair and she is able to use the cup herself. It is definitely helping her with independence of drinking.

The cups both come apart really easily, to make for quick cleaning (and reassembling) and those who are have dishwashers will be pleased to know they are dishwasher safe (if you remove the safety ribbon, clip and Litebase).

The cups range from £9.95 to £11.99* and are available to buy directly from the LiteCup website. You can also buy spare light units (in blue and red) and a spare silicone valve seal if yours is lost or damaged.

Overall, we are loving the cup. It has a fab, fresh and bright design and is a great cup to take out with us on days out as we don't worry about spills. We would highly recommend and will definitely look at getting Tabitha a bigger one when she's older.
Let me know what you think!
Thank you :)
Natalie x

Top Five: Tabitha's Favourite Toys

Hey guys! I love seeing people's top 5 favourites and disappointments, so I thought with Christmas just around the corner it could be handy doing Tabitha's top five toys. Tabitha is 18 months and so it may be helpful with people buying in this age range.

1) TOMY Play to Learn Hide 'n' Squeak Eggs - RRP £11 available here.

This has to be her favourite toy and it is so cheap! It is a simply designed toys, with many characteristics to help with play and learning. There are 6 eggs, that have shells that can be removed, and chicks inside (which you can push and they squeak). Each chick is a different colour and it matches with the faces on the outside shell. The faces on the shells have different emotions and to top it off the bottom of the eggs have different shapes to fit into the egg carton.
Tabitha will literally play with this toy for hours and loves squeaking the chicks. She can spend ages taking the shells off the eggs, and then fitting them back inside the carton.
It's definitely a winner in our house.

2) TOMY Toomies Shake and Sort Cupcakes - RRP £12.99 available here.

Ok so I know this is extremely similar to the first but Tabitha loves this one too. It differentiates that it there are 6 cupcakes in cupcake cases. The cupcakes have beads inside and they make a rattly noise. Like the eggs they have differing facial expressions on the cupcakes and the bottom of the cases have different shapes to slot into the box. This one comes with a plate, which you can stack the cases on and tower them up. It is bright and colourful.
Tabitha loves sorting the cupcakes and shaking to make the noises. It provides so much entertainment for her and definitely a big thumbs up from us and well worth the money.

3) Rocking Horse

This will just have to go under the title of generic rocking horse because my mum found Tabitha's for a bargain £2 in a charity shop! I definitely forget to explore charity shops but there are definitely so bargains to be had. Tabitha's in a brown rocking horse, which when you press it's ears makes either a neighing sound or a song (which is super catchy and I find myself singing constantly). She has had it for a good few months now (maybe coming past half a year, total mind blank how long to be honest) and she still plays with it as much, if not more, now as she did then. She has always been able to climb ontop the horse herself and loves rocking back and forth. I feel it's going to be a well loved to for quite a while longer, as Casper is still able to fit on it and he also loves riding it.
Obviously we got it for a bargain price but if I would definitely repurchase one at full price if anything ever happened to this one, as it is definitely well loved. I love that there are so many different designs and styles out there, that there will be one to suit everybody.

4) Fisher-Price Dance and Move Beatbo - RRP £39.99 (though on offer a lot for £24.99 and under!) available here.

Tabitha adores dancing and singing, and so any toy which she can dance to she loves. We actually bought Beatbo for Casper 3 years ago when it was first released and it is still in perfect condition! Casper liked Beatbo but he never loved it, I remember wanting him to love it but he got bored of it pretty quickly, which was disappointing. However, when Tabitha got to around 10 months and she was outgrowing the toys we specifically bought her I whipped it back out of storage and she found love. She loves the bright lights and that can press the buttons herself (though she seems to press the record on repeat and gets frustrated there's no constant song coming out, haha). She will sit watching the toy or stand up and dance with it. It's not too heavy for her, meaning she'll carry it around the room with her.
I am so glad that Tabitha has loved playing with it and honestly it's the cutest thing watching her dance along to it. Also, if you're considering buying one look at for sales on them as they come about so often!

5) Cars, cars and more cars...

I should have predicted this one, because Casper is car obsessed, but I do think Tabitha may love them more than Casper did at this age. She loves car all sizes, and she is so adorable pushing them aroud going brmm brmm. She doesn't own any of her own cars yet, as the love for them was after her birthday and Casper owns literally hundreds, however she is getting a wooden car transporter for Christmas from her auntie and I cannot wait to see how she reacts.
I love how they are helping with her imaginative play, and also with words and sounds.

These are just a five of her favourite toys and I have to say I love watching both her and Casper play. I love seeing how they are both changing, developing and learning through play.
What are your children's favourite toys and what would you recommend?
Thank you for reading :)
Natalie x

Dad's Review: World At Your Feet

World at your feet, is a self-funded and self-published project, written by Rob Parker and illustrated by Lawerta. Our family enjoy reading together so when we were approached to give world at your feet a try, we were intrigued and excited to have something new to read with Casper.

The synopsis describes the book as the following:
"The best goals, on the biggest stage, scored by you.
World At Your Feet takes 16 of the world’s most iconic goals and make them yours.
Each goal is brought to life by a commentary written in rhyming verse, plus vivid illustrations befitting the colour and drama of the beautiful game.
In every case it is you, the reader, who gets to celebrate putting the ball in the net."

I am a big fan of football, a massive Portsmouth fan and despite the lack of skills many of which are covered in the book, I used to be partial to a kick about twice a week. It was decided I would read this to Casper and would be the best person to review this.
The book is a very unique concept, written in a first person perspective it describes the movement and skills used to score some of the world’s most iconic goals. It does this very well with great attention to detail, for example one of the verses describes the movement between the shadow and the light, which is a great description of good old fashioned wing play.
The illustrations are bright and colourful, and seeing them alongside the rhyming commentary for a massive football fan was rather nostalgic. These are all goals most football fans are very familiar with, even if you weren’t alive when they scored you will have seen them through the power of the internet by now. Casper enjoyed looking at the pictures more than listening to the actual story.
Whilst the nostalgia was great for myself, the story was somewhat lost on Casper. The recommended age for the book is between 3 and 10, but unfortunately Casper struggled to remain attentive to the story and I believe this is due to his lack of understanding and young age. I would recommend the book for between 6 and 10, by this point your child may well have started playing football and will be more capable of relating to the commentary.
The positive is that Casper will hopefully grow up to be a big fan of football and even bigger fan of Portsmouth if I have my way. We will be able to read this story again in years to come, and through the power of youtube I can show him the goals being described to help with his understanding.
I enjoyed reading it, even if Casper didn’t enjoy listening to me read it all that much, and would definitely recommend for any football fan.
The book costs £8.99* to buy is available to buy on Amazon and directly from World At Your Feet website. You can see more reviews and sneak peaks of the book over on their instagram page.
Thank you for reading,
Jamie!

Family day: Marwell Zoo

As a family we love going out and spending as much time as we can together. We especially love to visit and explore new places. We love going to zoos, farms and aquariums because we all love animals and we actually all have a membership card to Twycross zoo. With our membership card we get to visit other zoos for free, and one of those zoos is Marwell. We visit family in Portsmouth, the zoo is only an half an hour drive away, and have been saying for years about going and on our latest visit we finally decided it was time. Being honest, we've read a bunch of mixed reviews on the zoo and so was interested in our own experience and so this post will highlight our day and the zoo and final thoughts.

We drove to the zoo, and it was sign posted well (even though I may rely on my satnav far too much) from Portsmouth and no worries about parking as there was ample spaces. There were members of staff directing us which way and booth to enter through and it was quick to get into the zoo. The zoo has a wide range of animals, with over 135 species and 1200 animals. There was a great variety, which kept it exciting for Casper. The zoo is based on 140 acres, with large enclosures for the bigger animals.

Casper did amazing walking around the zoo, as it was definitely spaced out but between the excitement of the next animal and next playground he kept going. There was five different "playgrounds" in the zoo, which included traditional slides, sand pit area, climbing frames and swings and also areas with animal statues to climb on and have photo opportunities. The only downside to say with the playgrounds was that the majority were for older children age ranged 6-10, and so Casper at almost 4 struggled to do a lot of them alone - he did manage with daddy's help. The only play areas designed for ages 0-2 and 2 and up was the one with the statues to climb and the one with the sandpit. Unfortunately, the play area with the sand pit was quite busy and so we didn't spend too much time on it.
In addition to the play areas there was a train ride and a tractor which was pulling carriages around the zoo. We didn't go on these, as we was trying for a budget day out, but did take note that they were £2.50 per person and under 3 went free.

Whenever we go out we try to take our own packed lunch - joys of having fussy children (Casper) - and so we were pleased to see that there was plenty of outdoor picnic benches spread across the zoo and two indoor picnic lodges. It was so cold so we enjoyed our dinner inside and out of the weather and was happy to find that even at dinner time we managed to snag a table and highchair for Tabitha. If you are not a picnic fan there was several cafes and food booths situated about the zoo, with a variety of choices.

We went on quite a cold day and I definitely want to point out that the majority of the animals are in outside spaces, with little having indoor viewing. There were a few indoor exhibitions, including tropical house, reptile house and through the treetops, however other than those I'd say to expect to be outside and if you can then go on a warmer day, if not be sure to wrap up warm. We were lucky that the rain kept away, but on the map it did show quite a few areas that you could stand out of the rain. Toilets were ample, with baby changing facilities available in both the male and female toilets.
The gift shop had a good range of items for all ages and I liked that it was placed out of the way, so you didn't have to walk through it to exit the zoo and be pressurised to buy before you go - though I'd love to meet a child who doesn't expect a toy at the end of the visit.

We had a really good day at the zoo and seeing all the animals and was lucky enough to see almost all of them out and about, the only animal we couldn't spot was the cheetahs. We was there for about 5 hours in total and that was a perfect amount of time for us as Casper was getting tired but I definitely think you'd be able to make it last all day if you wanted to spend the full day.

Overall, it was a great experience and something we'd love to do again, though I'd definitely want to aim for a warmer day next time. It's definitely a day out for people of all ages and there was lots additional activities to get involved in. I would like to note though, that if you are going as a family and pay the entrance fee and then do the extras inside the zoo, you will be looking at quite an expensive day out.

Thank you for reading :)
Natalie x

Review: Scootaheadz + Scootaseatz

In our family we are big lovers of being outdoors and walking, but with the children so young sometimes it's hard to encourage them to walk a little further. Thankfully, Casper loves being on his scooter, and it helps getting him to go that bit further, and when I was offered the opportunity to try the Scootaheadz and the Scootaseatz I jumped at it.

The scootaheadz is a scooter accessory (it also fits some bikes and trikes), that you attach to your scooter handle bar to give it a fun and unique appearance. There are several fun designs, including dinosaurs, unicorns, horses and even a shark. It was easy to fit, with a t-shape mechanism, that just needed a bit of force to push onto the scooter. We picked Danny Dino, because Casper is obsessed with dinosaurs and his favourite colour is green! We got lucky that the green and blue colouring matched his scooter perfectly. Casper couldn't wait to get it out of the packaging and pop it onto his scooter and have a ride. It definitely spruced up his scooter, and gave him new excitement. Massive positives to me are that it's waterproof, and so I'm not worried about water damage and it's so easy to clean - just needing a wipe down and so not needing to remove.
It retails at an affordable £14.99* and you can purchase it directly on the Scootaheadz website.

The next product we got to try was the Scootaseatz, which is also a scooter accessory that gives you the ability to sit a cuddly toy in front of a scooter. It is simple to fit, using just velcro wrapped about the handle bars, and easy to remove. Along with the Scootaheadz it is waterproof and easy to clean. It has a unique owl design and comes in the colours aqua and pink.

Casper is big on taking toys out with us, and generally tries to take two, but we are so reluctant to let him take his more loved teddies out and about with us as I would hate to lose them and have a broken hearted Casper. I have to say I was a little nervous taking out his Jellycat bunny today, that he was given as a baby, as it means so much to the both of us but it was definitely fit snug in the seat attachment with it's clip seatbelt. We managed to fit both Scootaheadz and Scootaseatz on the scoot (Casper was wanting both on) but without of the Scootaheadz the bunny sat up right - definitely going to try and persuade him to take a small teddy next time. After I felt confident it was staying put, it definitely eased my mind that we wasn't going to misplace bunny. Casper loved that his bunny was going with him super fast and directing the way.
The Scootaseatz is priced at £14.99* and available directly from the Scootaheadz website.

Both the Scootaheadz and Scootaseatz were unique concepts to us, and I can say I've never seen another product like them. I am looking forward to Casper having a renewed love of his scooter and that I won't have to be mean mummy by saying no to taking out his cuddly toys.

These products were mummy and Casper approved and I will definitely be looking at getting Tabitha them when she has a scooter (mummy so wants a unicorn ;)).

Thank you for reading!
Natalie x

They didn't tell me that!

Hey everybody, hope you are well. I was reading Lauren's blog a few weeks ago and loved reading her post which included things she had learnt the first year of being a mum, I definitely thought I wanted to do something similar and here it is! A post about things that people didn't tell me I'd be doing or saying as a mum...

1) Poo checking - honestly who knew this was a thing? Right from the first poo when it's really just black gloop to poos when they are 3 years old, to make sure there's nothing wrong. I never knew that being a mum meant that I was going to avidly check poo, probably every nappy change, and some how know everything that was wrong with my child because of said poo. If you don't have a baby yet, I assure you that this is a thing, a shitty thing ;).

2) Baby wipes will become your life - this probably isn't a negative thing but honestly baby wipes clean everything. A spillage on the floor, that has gone sticky, will easily be cleaned by baby wipes. To say how kind they can be on your baby's bottom they literally clean everything. I will honestly grab a packet of baby wipes to clean... take your makeup off, wipe down baby items, clean bums, clean floors. Obviously you'll go over with other things, but they are a saviour. Jamie and I have both said that we'll still have baby wipes even when Tabitha has long gone nappies.

3) You will look like a tramp whilst your children look like a million dollars - obviously I am very envious of those mum's who look like a million dollars, with make up and lovely clothes, but this mum is rocking Jamie's big t-shirts, primark's finest leggings and a mum bun. Tabitha and Casper, however, are rocking handmade clothes where one outfit probably costs the same as my entire wardrobe. Who knew this was a thing? Before children I did daily make-up, my hair was beautiful and I generally cared about my appearance - I now give myself a high five if a manage to brush my hair and then generally put back in a mum bun. I am always saying my children represent me, but they far surpass this mum.

4) You will know the ins and outs of specific child's tv programmes/films and find yourself watching them when the children aren't in the room - our programmes at the minute are Waffle the Wonder Dog and Hey Duggee. Jamie and I must have watched each episode maybe 10 times. It baffles me how they don't get bored, I enjoy Criminal Minds and have watched through twice but I definitely couldn't watch on repeat - mind numbing. Yet, I find myself watching these on repeat and not totally hating them because they may keep my children quiet for 10 minutes so my heads stops pounding.

5) You will tidy 20 times a day and it will still be a mess at bed time - I guess we could all predict this, but I envy tidy houses because in my household it is a mess from 6am to 6pm. I will literally tidy every hour and look back 5 minutes later and it's worse than what it was. I ask myself why bother and I should just leave it until bed time but I just can't - for some reason I give into the torture and tidy again and again. I literally cannot wait for my children to be of the age where they actively tidy up after themselves.

6) You will argue with a mini version of yourself - Casper is 3 going on 30; he thinks he knows everything and honestly have an answer to every thing. I never knew I would have daily arguments with my child, and sometimes he wins :O. He actually wins. He is so clever and some of his points I literally cannot argue against and I get smarted by a 3 year old. Being a mum definitely tests my patience, when all you want to do is tell him where to go.

7) Telling them off is so hard - I always thought this would be easy but sometimes they do some things which are hilarious and you have to tell them they are wrong but you are struggling not to laugh. Jamie and I have had moments when we are in hysterics but trying to compose ourselves to tell them that they are wrong. I try to hide my smile behind a pillow and tell them no, totally winning at it really.

8) Washing is never ending - before children I was able to do a clothes wash for Jamie and I every 3 days maybe, but now I'm lucky if it's just one load a day. I don't understand how they create so much washing, when they are such small people. You will cheer when you finish the washing and drying, then look back and mysteriously a new pile has appeared. I am sure they laugh behind your back and just make mess on purpose, just to wash more. I dread when we go on holiday because it takes about a week to get on top and be left with one load, I was excited when we went on a caravan holiday in June and the caravan had a washing machine! I get ecstatic when the sun is out and my washing will dry on the line. Who knew being a mum would mean I get joy from my washing.

Well these are just some of the things I've learnt since being a mum. Hope you enjoyed reading!

Take care,
Natalie x

Top Five: Overrated Products.

Hi everyone! Hope you are well. I thought the next topic to bring up, after our top 5 recommended products, would definitely be overrated products! Just to say our overrated products didn't work for us but may work for you, it's all individual choice ;).

1) Baby bath

This should not be surprising based on our favourite 5, but I just don't get the point of a baby bath. They are just so bulky and have no real purpose. Bathing with your baby is so much easier and, if you don't feel as safe, bath seats are a great purchase. We ended up just putting our baby bath in the loft because it took up too much space and was just unneeded.

2) Ewan the sheep

This is one I really think depends on the baby but we bought it for Tabitha with such high expectations and it just flopped for us. It never really settled her and definitely didn't send her to sleep. I will however say we had the original Ewan the Sheep, they have now released a Deluxe Ewan the Sheep which has developed technology vs the first. This means when your baby is unsettled it will automatically turn on again. I'd be interested to see if this would actually work for Tabitha, as the time it takes us to get upstairs she gets herself it a little tizzy and no soothing sound helps.

3) Baby shoes/slippers

I think this will be a personal choice really. We actually bought baby Converse and other brand shoes for Casper, and although they were adorable kind of a big waste of money. Converse did stay on, but with the slippers and slip on shoes we spent more time putting them back on Casper than time actually spent on him. We actually didn't buy any shoes before Tabitha was born and she wore one pair when she was 2 months old (for a very short period of time) for her Auntie Victoria's wedding but I'm really glad we didn't waste money this time around. It meant more money for dresses and hair bows (which totally are not pointless like shoes.... right... haha).

4) Burp cloths
I definitely can hand on heart say we never used them. Neither of our children were sickly children, and actually both barely brought up wind by burping and so just another thing that went in the loft. It's really a one use product and so instead I'd recommend just getting a couple of big muslin cloths. They're great for quick clean up, the massive ones are a great cover for breastfeeding if you are not comfortable just whipping it out and they're perfect instead of a blanket in warmer weather.

5) Cot bumpers and expensive bedding sets

So this one we actually didn't buy, but I really wanted to mention it as an overrated product. Before toys r us went into administration, I worked for babies r us and the amount of people I saw buy the bedding sets - with cot bumpers was unreal. Did you know that an empty cot is a safe cot? That is what should be repeated in our heads, so just bed sheet, blanket (or ideally sleeping bag) and baby. Cot bumpers are so unsafe and raise the risk of SIDs. It just isn't worth it. I understand people enjoying the look of the nursery all done up with these bedding sets and they can look beautiful but in terms of use for the baby you wouldn't really be getting any use out of it.

That about winds up my top 5 overrated products, do you agree or disagree with any? What do you regret or would advise against new mum's buying?

Thank you for reading! Hope you have a great day and I'll see you again soon ;).

Natalie x

Top Five: Baby Purchases!

Hi there! Hope you are all well. Today it's all about what I thought was our top 5 purchases for Tabitha.
With Tabitha being my second I definitely felt more prepared and knowledgeable of items I would or wouldn't need for her as a baby. So, I thought I'd do a little post for those first time mums - please note that what works for one may not necessarily work for another.

1. Chicco Next To Me Crib (RRP £179 but I found it here for £124.99. However, there a new version out as well available here for £179).
I knew I was going to breastfeed Tabitha but wasn't comfortable with the idea of co-sleeping, as Jamie is quite a deep sleeper, and so I wanted the concept of it but to do it safely. This was a god send. I had a cesarean with Tabitha and it took me a lot longer to receover with her than it did with Casper, so the ease of getting her out of bed was a dream. The constant feeding during the night didn't mean i had to get up and bend, which if you've had a c-section you know the agony, and I could just scooch her out. It also meant I was close to her and my scent soothed her. I absolutely loved it and would recommend to anyone. We got a good 7/8 months out of it, until she learnt how to roll out of it.

2. Tula Ergonomic Baby Carrier. (RRP £119.90 available here, some designs on offer for £79.90 and Infant Insert £29.90 available here).
Tabitha loved being on me to settle and with having a 2 and a half year old it was so difficult to do two things at once. The carrier made this possible and meant I was hands free to do other things. You do have to buy the infant insert to use from newborn but the carrier is up to 20kg - which means I've been able to use it for Casper too, getting my money worth for sure. Obviously you don't specifically have to buy a tula as they are quite expensive (though I say very worth it!) I would definitely recommend investing in a sling or carrier. I'd recommend going to a sling library as you can try different slings and carriers and be shown how to use and fit them properly and safely.

3. Summer Infant Deluxe Baby Bather (RRP £14.99 found here on offer for £9.99).
I'd definitely say a summer infant bath seat, they are set up so they lay on them in the bath. We was given a baby bath with Casper and it was just so bulky and not used at all, as it was such an effort, so he was usually taken in the bath with daddy. We bought a summer infant bath seat for him and it was such great value, was easy to use and folded down so nice compact. We stored it away and brought it back out with Tabitha. It meant Casper and Tabitha could bath safely togetger and when she grew out of it, she went straight to sitting up in the bath - so nothing more was needed. I'd recommend highly above getting a baby bath. It also comes in pink or blue if that's important.

4. Head and ear thermometer.
This is a random one, but with Casper we just had a cheap under the arm one and it was so unreliable and we didn't know heads from tails with it. It was definitely something we knew we would spend a little more on in time for having Tabitha. We actually got it for under £13 at an aldi baby event, so was a bargain price and works as well as the more costly ones. It gave us peace of mind when we worried about temperature and was consistent if we had to go to the doctors as well.

5. Summer Infants, Slummer Buddies - Elephant (RRP £24.99, but we got it for £10 off and found it here for that too!)
This is something we used with Casper, we bought one and was gifted one, so had two from new born. It is a soft elephant, that has a light projector as a stomach - that projects stars and moon on the ceiling in three colours (red, green or blue) or it do it so it changes between the three. It, also, has white noise and lullabys that play for 15 minutes or 45 minutes. It helped calm both children and Casper still uses his now at almost 4. It has become a part of the bedtime routine. I wouldn't say it necessarily sends Tabitha to sleep, however it definitely helps with getting the mood ready for bed. Definitely worth the pennies though, as it isn't as expensive as other types of sleep aids on the market. They do some fab other animals too!

Those are our top 5, what do you recommend for first time mums? I want to think I'm much more knowledgeable the second time around but with that said, I definitely have some items that I regret buying for Tabitha. I'll be doing a top 5 regrest soon, so stay tuned if you're interested!
Thanks for reading :)
Natalie x