Our Christmas 2012

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The build up to Christmas this year has been a difficult time for me. The death of my Nana hit me harder than I realised and I've been struggling a little to come to terms with that. I was full of enthusiasm and excitement for Christmas in November but, following our sad news and the funeral, it rapidly became a chore. The fact that my festive spirit had departed was really hard as Bud was really starting to understand about Christmas and I was determined to make it special for him. I tried. I'm really hoping for a better December next year when I won't have bad news and illness to contend with, I've had tonsilitis on and off for about five weeks and am so run down.

Christmas itself has been lovely. Christmas Eve was a busy day and I was very relieved that we had managed to get all our deliveries done earlier in the week. I'm definitely going to repeat that next year, hopefully it will just be an exciting family day and we won't have any shopping or wrapping to do either. Bud and Little Miss both had special Christmas Eve clothes. Bud had a fab reindeer long sleeved t-shirt and Little Miss was described by her Grandma as Baby Christmas in a very pretty dress. I snuck off to Church for the Carol Service while Bud played with his Daddy and a family friend and Little Miss snoozed and, when I returned we sprinkled reindeer food and left our 'Santa Stop Here' sign in the back garden. Both children got new pyjamas as a leaving present from out elf, Merry. He also left us a brand new book - Aliens love Panta Clause which we read before Bud went off to bed.  I am very ashamed to say that we forgot to leave a treat out for Father Christmas and, if you are reading this, we promise to leave out something really nice next year! Red Rose Daddy and I were up until 1:30 am making sure everything was ready for the next day.

Baby Girl Christmas dress

We had a wonderful day on Christmas Day. We were up at 8, the usual time for Bud. I suspect that might get earlier over the next few years! Bud got to grips with present opening very quickly. He knows what to do now and was very excited to be greeted by a nice pile of gifts when he went downstairs. His main presents have been a balance bike and a Thomas the Tank Engine Trackmaster set. Sadly we've not been able to get the bike out yet as we have had dreadful weather but he has loved 'building Thomas' with his Daddy. The other big hit was a tub of second hand Playmobil people and animals that I bought from a local Facebook Buy and Sell group a few weeks ago. It only cost me £3 but that may be the best £3 I have ever spent. The horses from the set have been a permanent fixture in Bud's hands since he unwrapped them. It just goes to show that children really don't need a lot of money spent on them! I loved that he took time to look at every gift as he unwrapped it. He really reminded me of myself when I used to open presents. I would always be about a third of the way through mine when my brothers had finished because I would inspect each gift carefully before moving on to the next one. Little Miss had help to open her gifts, mainly from me. She has a few toys to grow into, like a Leapfrog walker and a Hape brick truck (both prizes!) but I'm sure she will be making good use of them soon.

At about 11 we headed down to my parents to see them, my brothers and their families. After a yummy cooked breakfast (seriously, my Dad's breakfasts are the best!) we opened more presents and did quite a bit of playing. It was lovely to see Bud and Little Miss' Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles and Cousins and to spend time with them, especially as the older of my two younger Brothers lives in Staffordshire so we don't get to see them that often. 

Christmas dinner this year was at Red Rose Daddy's Brother's house. We headed up there at around 2:30 and saw Bud's other Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles and Cousins! Christmas Dinner was lovely although we all realised the next day that we had forgotten the stuffing! Our job was easy as we had been asked to provide the Cheese Board. This got tucked into in the early evening though, We all got lots more presents and Bud received, amongst a pile of other things, a 'My First Scooter' which he can't wait to try out as soon as the rain clouds depart for about a minute!

Small Boy Toddler iPad Dirty Face

Christmas Day culminated in a family party at Red Rose Daddy's Uncle's house. Thankfully we live on the same street as them so we could have an hour with them before taking two very tired children home to bed. 

As usual I seem to have taken very few photos, I think I was enjoying it all too much. I resolve to do better next year!

We've had a few more family parties and spent time with the Cousins over the last few days and we missed Red Rose Daddy a lot when he went back to work on Thursday and Friday. We have a big family fancy dress party to look forward to on New Year's Eve. If I'm feeling brave I may even post a photo of myself in the Mary Poppins outfit that I am currently cobbling together! Not sure what Little Miss will be going as. If anyone has any bright ideas for an easy costume for a four month old baby please send them in my direction! Bud will be the Grand Old Duke of York and RRD will be V from V for Vendetta. The official theme is Book characters. 


Tuesday 25/12/12 Unwrapping (55/365)

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Christmas presents gifts unwrapping boy

TheBoyandMe's 366 Linky

Monday 24/12/2012 Ready for Father Christmas (54/365)

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Brother Sister New Pyjamas Christmas Eve

Sunday 23/12/2012 Cuddles (53/365)

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Brother Sister Cuddle photo

Saturday 22/12/2012 Christmas 2012 (52/365)

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Christmas 2012 bauble decoration

Friday 21/12/2012 Crafting (51/365)

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Crafting children art craft christmas tree

Thursday 20/12/2012 Photoshoot (50/365)

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Baby girl sepia photo smile

Wednesday 19/12/2012 Jelly (49/365)

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Boy Jelly Christmas Party Play

TheBoyandMe's 366 Linky

Tuesday 18/12/2012 Deep Sleep (48/365)

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Little Miss baby girl sleep nap

Monday 17/12/2012 Catnap (47/2012)

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Boy sleeping Nap

Amazon Family

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Amazon have launched a new initiative aimed at helping families to save time and money in shopping for those essential family purchases. The scheme is aimed at families with children aged up to four years old.

Amazon family logo

Customers can sign up to today at www.amazon.co.uk/family and gain access to discounts on a wide range of family products as well as the following:
  • Three months’ free subscription to Amazon Prime, giving unlimited One-Day Delivery on  millions of eligible items
  • £10 off their next purchase over £50 in the Baby Store, www.amazon.co.uk/baby 
  • Access to a host of exclusive launch deals including 40% off Plum baby food, 20% off their first subscription of Huggies nappies, a free Tommee Tippee nappy bin, 20% off children’s shoes, and many more 
  • Ongoing exclusive discounts and offers tailored to customers’ interests, delivered straight to their inbox, with savings of up to £50 each month
  • Also available for a limited time to celebrate the launch of Amazon Family are selected Kindle books from the Paddington Bear series, for £2.99

Amazon offers a one-stop virtual shop for all your baby and toddler needs. From car seats to toys and books, from prams to baby wipes you can find it all there. In addition customers also have access to the reviews of each product submitted by other people who have purchased each item. Each item is delivered direct to your door which saves awkward shopping trips with small children in tow. You can even stock up on nappies at a great price.

When you sign up to Amazon family you input the details of your family and then your personal offers are generated. You will also received free one-day delivery, perfect for those emergency purchases! Amazon Family is free for the first three months but then costs £49 for a full year's membership. The savings and free one-day delivery are great and, for regular purchases from Amazon it could really save money in the long run.

Disclaimer: We received a gift to review in exchange for this post, which we will review later,

Sunday 16/12/2012 Shy (46/365)

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Boy Shy Meeting Father Christmas Santa Claus

Saturday 15/12/2012 Pizza (45/365)

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Boy eating pizza italian restaurant food

Friday 14/12/2012 Rainy Manchester (44/365)

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Manchester Markets Wooden Tower Nutcracker Music Box Christmas

We went to the Manchester Markets today. It has been a lovely week but we managed to choose the one day it would rain and got thoroughly soaked. We had fun though.

TheBoyandMe's 366 Linky

Thursday 13/12/2012 Sweets (43/365)

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Jar Sweets Count

I had a phone call a few days before telling me that I had won a guess the number of sweets competition at our local Church Christmas fete. I went to collect my prize today. For the record my winning guess was 186. I'm not sure how many are actually in but my guess was the closest.

Wednesday 12/12/2012 Snooze (42/365)

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Dad Daughter Baby Girl Man Sleep

Tuesday 11/12/2012 Elf (41/365)

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Elf Christmas Tree

The Land of Sometimes Charity Single

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There is a new contender for the title of Christmas Number One this year. The team behind The Land of Sometimes have got together with a group of 400 Oxfordshire school children to record a charity single to raise funds for Dyslexia Action. The single is entitled 'Dare Make a Wish'

The Land of Sometimes Dare to Make a Wish CD charity single


Francesca Longrigg, writer and creator of The Land of Sometimes CD from which the single is taken from has said “This single is by children for children. In the music industry particularly with the likes of X Factor and Novelty singles competing for the top spot we wanted to remember what the heart of Christmas is all about – the children and give them a chance to shine and have their special moment.”

Ladbrokes have put the children in front of the likes of Kylie Minogue, Girls Aloud and Olly Murs with only the X Factor winner James Arthur and the Hillsborough charity single in front of them.

The Land of Sometimes CD which was released earlier in the year. We received it to review just before I stopped blogging but the CD has become a firm favourite. It is packaged in a mini book and is, effectively, a musical for children. Bud loves it and it has become a firm favourite of us all on long car journeys. The beautiful packaging means that it would make a delightful gift for any child.

You can download the single from iTunes for 99p and help the children to get to Christmas number one!. For more information visit The Land of Sometime website or Facebook page

Christmas Gift Ideas: Spin Mania from Drumond Park and a GIVEAWAY

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We were recently offered the opportunity to review Spin Mania from Drumond Park and I knew that my Niece and Nephew would love to have a play with a brand new game. We've all been feeling a bit under the weather recently so I knew a game session with this would be the perfect pick me up.

Spin Mania Drumond Park Box Contents

The game is described as a 'a fast-paced game which puts your speed and agility to the test'. It is suitable for two or more players, from age six upwards. Players take it in turns to place the discs on the stand which makes them spin, when the disc is spinning they then use the tool pictured at the bottom of the above image to transfer the spinning disc onto one of the three purple stands. When the first disc starts spinning the players start the timer and the aim of the game is to be the quickest to transfer all three discs onto the three stands, ensuring all are still spinning. When the player has achieved this they stop the timer and place a peg in the hole nearest to the point of the arrow on the timing wheel, to show how much time has elapsed. The next player then takes their turn to try and beat the time. So far, so simple, no? Well, before the game starts the players agree a set playing area and then distribute the three stands around this area to make it more difficult to move them to the plate stand. You aren't allowed to hide them but you can make it tricky by, for example, placing them underneath a table. Two 'C' batteries are required to operate the spin-base (these aren't included).

Playing Spin Mania Drumond Park

We thought this would be an easy, fun game to play and we weren't disappointed. It isn't easy though! Once you get the plates spinning on the spin-base you imagine it will be quite easy to quickly pick it up using the tool and transfer it to a plate stand. It really isn't. We really struggled and frequently ran out of time before we got the hang of it. My Nephew was the first to grasp it and he quickly became very adept at popping the spinning discs onto their stands, my niece then got the hang of it but, I'm sorry to say neither I or my Sister in Law could manage it at all! We did have lots of fun playing though, and lots of laughs while we watched everyone attempt it. We all agreed that it was the kind of game that would be great fun to play on Christmas Day when all the family are round. It really is the kind of game that allows every one to play on an even playing field, as shown by the youngest player being the best at this, which means that everyone has fun.

It is worth pointing out that, despite the discs spinning really quickly, they instantly stop if they are touched so wouldn't hurt anyone if they were caught by it. The game is really good quality and each piece, especially each disc, is very sturdy. It isn't a traditional board game but that adds to the fun. I think it would make a great family Christmas present.

My niece (age 11) gave Spin Mania 8 out of 10 as it was 'very tricky to get the hang of, but fun' while my nephew (age 9) gave it 10 out of 10 and really wants to play the game with his Dad and Uncles at Christmas.   I can anticipate Spin Mania getting a regular airing at the family parties we have coming up over the holidays. We just have to get Grandad involved now too!

Spin Mania retails ar £22:99 but Amazon currently have it half price on special offer at £11:49. For other stockists please visit www.drumondpark.com or call 01506 855577. You can also find Drumond Park on Facebook and on Twitter

Disclaimer: I received Spin Mania free of charge for review purposes but the thoughts and opinions contained within this post are, as usual all my own and those of my family.

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I'm really pleased to be able to offer my readers the opportunity to win their own Spin Mania game. To enter please complete the Rafflecopter details below and make sure you read the Terms and Conditions.The giveaway will end at 11:59 on Tuesday 18/12/12, I'm sorry but we can't guarantee delivery in time for Christmas. 




a Rafflecopter giveaway

Monday 10//12/2012 Cousins (40/365)

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Cousins Family Fun

Bud really loves his big cousins and we enjoy spending time with them so much. This photo didn't turn out well, my camera's batteries were on their last legs which didn't help. I'm not doing terribly well with photo quality this week am I?

Sunday 9/12/2012 Dotty (39/365)

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Baby Girl Polka Dots Red

I took several photos today and every single one of them came out blurry! This is the best of a bad bunch.

Saturday 8/12/2012 Meeting Father Christmas (38/365)

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We went to meet Father Christmas at IKEA today. He was a very friendly Santa and we chatted with him for a while. Bud was a little shy though. 

Pimp a Post Sunday - PAPS

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Super Amazing Mum has launched a new weekend linky aimed at getting us all to share the posts that we have loved this week, whether they are sad, happy or have just struck a chord in some way.

I'm nominating this post at Dear Beautiful Boy, entitled 'It's Always Darkest Before the Dawn', as a new mum to a second child and a daughter after a son it struck a chord. It is beautifully written and brutally honest.

Please go and have a read.

If you'd like to link up a post that you've loved reading this week, for what ever reason, head over to the linky at Super Amazing Mum and follow the instructions. You can also read the excellent posts that other bloggers have chosen.

Friday 7/12/12 Books (37/365)

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Stack of Books Pile Hardback Music Recipe Cookery

Make a Simple Promise to help Save the Children with Dettol

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This week sees the start of a new campaign started by Dettol's Mission for Health to support Save the Children. They are asking people to take a minute to make a simple promise to their family. It could be anything from promising to sit down for a family meal once a week to getting outside for a country walk at the weekend. For every promise made Dettol will donate 20p to Save the Children and the funds that they raise will go to help children in the UK and across the globe.



Simply click through to Dettol's Facebook page to make your promise. Each week Dettol will select a winner to receive a prize which will help them to fulfil their promise.

Thursday 06/12/12 Dusting (36/365)

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Snow Farnworth Weather

We had a snow flurry today but it soon turned to rain and vanished.

Wednesday 05/12/12 Worn Out (35/365)

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Baby girl sleeping

Little Miss found toddlers a little tiring yesterday!

Tuesday 4/12/2012 Countdown (34/365)

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Goodbye Nan

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This is a photo of Bud with my wonderful Nana, my Mum's Mother, who passed away a week and a half ago. It was her funeral yesterday so I've been feeling really sad.


This photo was taken about 2.5 years ago and she was already very frail and starting to suffer from Dementia. She was on a very good day and was delighted to meet Bud and it was the last proper conversation I had with her. She went downhill quite quickly from that point onward and her condition gradually worsened until the end, on Sunday 25th November. 

My Nana was a wonderful woman. She had twelve children and raised eleven of them, sadly outliving three of them. She was married three times and lost her third husband, her beloved Mac, eleven years ago. She never really recovered from that. She was born into extreme poverty, one of five girls and two boys. The boys both died in infancy and her passing has seen the end of her family, all her sisters died before her. She was a true matriarch, the figurehead of a sprawling family, it would take me far too long to work out how many children she called Grandchild, Great-Grandchild or Great-Great Grandchild (with all the connotations of step families and remarriages by her children) but she was devoted to her family and loved nothing more than to be surrounded by them. She was incredibly strong, and tenacious, with a fabulous sense of humour and fun.

I have this photo on my fridge and I stop to look at it almost every time I open it. I often wonder how many babies passed through those arms and I know she thought each one was very special. I think Bud was the last baby she was strong enough to hold and I see a precious moment between Bud and a Great-Grandmother he will never know. I really wish he, and Little Miss, had been able to get to know the amazingly strong and loving woman that I was proud to call Nan. They'll just have to settle for a very special Guardian Angel.

Goodnight Nana, I love you and I miss you.

Sleep well.

ShowOff Showcase

Christmas Gift Ideas: Dolly and Jack

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I'm slowly getting used to being the Mother of a baby girl and all the girly trappings that come with it. I'm not especially girly myself and was something of a tomboy when I was small so this is all new to me. A couple of friends have asked if I was going to get any clips or headbands for her hair and, at first, I wasn't sure (I've seen too many bald babies with big headbands) but Little Miss has so much hair that it seems a shame not to make the most of it! When Dolly and Jack were asking for reviewers to try their range of enchanting hair accessories I put us forward.

I was sent two beautiful clips to try out in Little Miss' hair.

Dolly Jack Hair Clips Jessica Bow Stella Butterfly

First impressions are great. The clips come wrapped in tissue paper and attached to a piece of vintage-style card which gives them an expensive look and feel. Each of the clips retails for £3:50. We were sent the turquoise Stella Butterfly and the Jessica red and white polka dot bow. Dolly and Jack barrettes are all handmade in the UK with a unique non-slip fastening for even the softest and finest hair.

I was slightly worried that the clips would pull at Little Miss' hair or that she would find them uncomfortable. This simply wasn't the case. The metal fastening on the back of the butterfly and bow simply pops open between your finger tips. You then place it on to the hair and apply a little pressure to pop it shut. Another concern was that if the barrette fell out it would pull her hair out with it, This was where the clips really surprised me. When I pulled at the ornament to see how secure it was it simply slid out of Little Miss' hair with no pulling or tearing at all. I'm amazed by this as they stay in place perfectly well but, with a touch they can be removed hassle-free. Just great and much better than having to unclip or unfasten a hair decoration as you do with so many available on the high street. 

Little Miss has been modelling the clips quite a bit and I can't resist sharing a couple of photos with you. 
Dolly Jack Hair Clips Jessica Bow Red White Polka Dots Turquoise Butterfly Stella Baby
Beautiful, huh?

I'm really impressed by the Dolly and Jack clips and will definitely be returning to buy some more for Little Miss although Red Rose Daddy says that she isn't allowed to have a different one for every outfit! 

Dolly and Jack also sell a range of beautiful wall prints and vinyls which would be perfect for decorating a nursery or little girl's bedroom. 
Dolly Jack Print

Dolly and Jack have an Etsy store. You can also find them on Twitter, Facebook and with one of the best sets of Pinterest boards I've ever seen!

Disclaimer: We were sent two hairclips for the purpose of this review, the fact that I've fallen in love with them and will definitely be buying more is all my own opinion! 

Monday 03/12/2012 Rest (33/365)

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Sleep Baby Girl

Little Miss has been uncharacteristically grumpy today. I think it is a growth spurt as she has been very hungry. This was a too-short period of sleep this afternoon.

TheBoyandMe's 366 Linky

Win 1 of 3 LEGO Heroica Board Games

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Last year I was lucky enough to win a set of LEGO Heroica board games. Obviously Bud is a bit small for them and I've passed a few of them on as gifts to young relatives over the past year. I'm now left with three which are just taking up room on top of the wardrobe waiting to find a grateful recipient. The three games are Waldurk Forest, Caverns of Nathuz and Draida Bay. I've decided to offer them as a giveaway to you, my lovely readers. All are brand new and still sealed, I've been in danger of forgetting about them. These will make a fantastic extra Christmas gift for any LEGO fan.

LEGO Heroica Waldurk Forest 

LEGO Heroica Waldurk Forest Game


Hidden in the ruins of Waldurk Forest, the dark druid is restoring his strength. You must use all of your skill and power to find your way past his lurking monsters, but can you escape with the Chalice of Life?

RRP £15:99
Age: 8+
2-3 Players

LEGO Heroica Caverns of Nathuz
LEGO Heroica Caverns Nathuz Game
Defeat the Golem Lord and recover the Sceptre of Summoning! Watch out for the monsters!

RRP: £15:99
Age: 8+
2-3 Players

LEGO Heroica Draida Bay
LEGO Heroica Draida Bay Game
The goblin army has seized control of the bay, cutting off supplies to the people of the region! You must drive them out - but can you overcome the might of the Goblin General and take his Crystal of Deflection?

RRP: £10:99
Age: 7+
2 Players

Three lucky winners will each win a game, drawn at random. To enter, simply fill in your details in the Raflecopter form below. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The End of Movember

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Movember Red Rose Daddy Handlebar Moustache

This is the final result of Red Rose Daddy's Movember effort. Quite an impressive moustache there, don't you agree? I'm quite relieved that it has gone now, especially since he opted for the full on Hell's Angels Handlebar 'tache. Not a bad effort from the clean-shaven face of Welcome to Movember. The men at his company have raised a good sum of money for men's health charities and we're very proud of him for his efforts. 

The Big Boy Bed

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We've been struggling recently trying to get Bud to accept having the side removed from his cot bed. He's now 2 years and 8 months so he really shouldn't be in a bed with sides on it anymore and he's also worked out how to take his sleeping bag off and climb over the cot bars too. This means we get a knock on the door every morning, rather than a little voice shouting 'Mummy, Daddy' over the baby monitor. We've actually removed the side a couple of times but Bud has had a meltdown so it has gone back on again but we decided that yesterday was the day that the side was coming off and it wasn't going back on. The tools came out and the side was removed during the day and we may have used a bit of bribery encouragement by telling Bud that Merry, our Elf, had said that Father Christmas thought that Bud should have the side taken away in order to be a big boy ready for Christmas.

As Bud's bed is a cot bed I don't really have that many concerns about him falling out of bed. He really doesn't have far to fall, but I have been looking for an easy way to keep him in bed, especially as he is quite an active sleeper! Purple Daisies offered to send me a foam bumper to try out and this was the perfect opportunity.

Purple Daisies Single Bed Bumper


The bed bumper is a triangular piece of foam, measuring 100cm in length, perfect for putting on a cot bed. You simply place the bumper on the mattress and fit the sheet over both.

Purple Daisies Bed Bumper Fitting Sheet

We're now on night two using the bumper and Bud has gone to sleep no problem both nights and I'm fairly sure he hasn't managed to fall out in the night. The foam bumper is great, it doesn't take up much room and is less expensive than the barriers which fix to the side of the bed which, for me, are more of a halfway house between a cot and a bed. The bumper allows a bed but with just a 'bump' to help them stay in. It is very reasonably priced at £10:99 for the 100cm, with longer options, extensions and multi-buy options available on the website. If I had one concern about the bumper it is that there is nothing covering the foam. If a child was sick or wet in the night then there would be nothing to protect the bumper apart from the sheet. I'm sure you could fit it under a waterproof sheet if you use one though. I'd like to see covers for the bumper available on the website, I think I'd buy one just to offer that extra protection.There is a slight gape on the side of the mattress where the fitted sheet doesn't quite reach (because of the extra height given by the bumper) but this doesn't bother me and you could always disguise it by putting the shorter side on the wall side of the bed. Purple Daisies also sell extra deep bedding to remove this problem completely. I really like how portable this bumper is. It is so lightweight and would easily pop in on top of boot if you are going away or your child is sleeping over somewhere.

Bud has slept peacefully in his 'big boy bed' for one full night and we are now well into the second. I'm so pleased that we've finally managed to crack this one. Next step, potty training! 

Diclaimer: I was sent the Bed Bumper for the purpose of this review but the thoughts and opinions contained within it are all my own.

Sunday 2/12/2012 Angel (32/365)

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Christmas Angel Craft

Saturday 01/12/2012 A Christmas Arrival (31/365)

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Christmas Elf Advent Calendar Christmas

The Christmas Tag

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It's ages since I've done a meme, I quite enjoy them so I was really pleased to be tagged in this Christmas Tag by Emma who blogs at A Matter of Choice. Christmas is one of my favourite things so I relish any opportunity to talk, and write about it!


1. What's your Favourite Thing about Christmas?
Umm, everything? If I had to choose just one thing I would choose the effect that Christmas has upon my children. Obviously Little Miss is very small so won't be feeling the magic this year but Bud is reGivially getting into it and is very excited about Christmas. Our Elf arrived this morning and Bud adores him. Merry is going to be keeping us busy in the run up to Christmas, he is full of mischief. We've now been to three local Christmas fairs and Bud has seen Santa at each one. He has asked for 'Horses, Duck and Reindeer' at each one. I'm not sure how the big bearded one will fulfil that order but I'm hoping he realises Bud wants toys and not the real thing!

2. What's your Favourite Make Up Look for the Festive Season?
I rarely wear make up at the moment, you don't need much for chasing toddlers and breastfeeding an infant! I do enjoy a bit of sparkly eyeshadow for the festivities though. I can't even paint my nails at the moment as Little Miss will suck my fingers to soothe her sometimes. I love the Sleek i-Divine eye palettes that Superdrug sell and wouldn't mind finding a new one in my stocking on Christmas morning.

3. Real or Fake Tree?
Real. This is non-negotiable in our house. We could never have a real tree when I was growing up as my Mum is allergic to them so now, in my own home, we have to have one. Red Rose Daddy was brought up in a real tree house so he, happily, agrees. We generally go to choose outs in the second weekend in December. We go as a family and it is part of our Christmas tradition. We always go to the same farm and, when you buy a tree there, you also get a little gift which is fun. Last year we bought a holly wreath for the front door too.

4. Giving Presents or Receiving them?
Giving. I love taking time to choose the right gift for everyone and really enjoy it when the recipient is pleased with what I have chosen. Having children has just magnified this and I so enjoy choosing all of their gifts, from their smallest stocking fillers to their 'big' present. Obviously receiving presents is lovely too and I usually do very well.

5. Do you open your presents on Christmas Morning or Evening?
We have stockings in our bed when we first get up then have breakfast and then open the main presents. We then head off to both sets of Grandparents so we end up opening presents all day long really! I have a couple of friends who open presents on Christmas Eve. I'm never sure how Father Christmas fits into that mix! Our Elf will be leaving new pyjamas and a Christmas book for Bud and Little Miss before he departs to the North Pole, this is a Christmas tradition (without the Elf) from my childhood that I was keen to continue with my own children.

6. Handmade Christmas Cards or Bought?
I barely have time to write Christmas cards so I making them is out. I think Bud might make some cards for special people from himself and Little Miss, I'm going to get some card making things so we can do this as an activity in the next few days.

7. What's your Favourite Christmas Film?
I love Christmas films. Really, really love them. I'd watch them all year round if they were on and I'm always so excited when the Christmas 24 movies channel starts up each year (guess what is on the TV right now?) I love 'It's a Wonderful Life' but my favourite Christmas film is Home Alone 2: Lost in New York. I love everything about that film and it really reminds me of my little Brother who was so obsessed by the Home Alone films when he was small that I think we could all recite the script along with the film as it played.

8. What's your Favourite Christmas Food?
Again, I can't possibly just pick one. I love Christmas food, even Brussel Sprouts! My Mum always says that I was the only toddler she came across who would ask for more Sprouts. I love Christmas Cake, Mince Pies, Christmas Pudding...everything! I also love the Christmas buffets that friends and family cater when we go to tthe various parties over the festive season. Is it any surprise that I usually put on weight?

I'm tagging Carolin and Yvonne. If you're not tagged and complete the meme please put the link in the comments.