Blogoversary Competition 3: Buzz Lightyear

by 44 Comments

I've recently been sent a fabulous Buzz Lightyear (Andy's Collection) to review and The Boy, Mr. TheBoyandMe, and me adore it! My nephew was in awe when he saw it, and that was pretty much the attitude of this household too. It is the ultimate Toy Story character, and would make a perfect present for your Little One for Christmas.

Well, thanks to Mattel I am able to offer a Turbo Glo Buzz Lightyear (RRP £44.99) to one of you lucky individuals!

Light up Buzz for lift off with three cool glow zones that can be activated at the touch of a button. With a light up chest plate, a retractable helmet and an anti-gravity belt, Toy Story Turbo Glo Buzz Lightyear really talks with fun phrases and observations as he updates his mission log. (Suitable for ages 4+, although The Boy is 2 and loves his!)

How cool is that?

To be in with a chance of winning this your very own Buzz, then please complete all the requirements of the Rafflecopter form below:


Blogoversary Competition 2: MiaTui

by 33 Comments

Back in April of this year I was lucky enough to receive my first MiaTui bag for review. The Amelie was amazing and I loved using it as a change-bag; it made life so much easier with everything organised into sections and looked amazing!

In the Summer, I was lucky enough to receive the Grace bag to review, consequently I went onto buy another in a different colour because they are just so gorgeous!

The range has expanded and now includes  iPhone carry-cases and purses:

A gorgeous purse which has a detachable hand strap and wrap around zip. 

Includes 8 credit card spaces, a zipped coin compartment and 6 spaces for cash and receipts.

To be in with a chance of winning one of these stunning purses (you choose which one from the five colours) courtesy of MiaTui, then please fill in all elements of the Rafflecopter form below:



Blogoversary Competition 1: ToyJeanius

by 37 Comments

As everyone surely knows by now, I am a massive fan of ToyJeanius, the wooden toy online store with the owner who genuinely cares about her toys and customers! ToyJeanius has been with me all the way through my blogging journey and I'm really proud to be one of her team of Toy Genii who now regularly review and test her products. Several more are on The Boy's Christmas list.

I'm really pleased to be able to announce a fabulous first competition to celebrate my first blogoversary courtesy of my favourite independent toy store.

You can be in with a chance of winning this amazing Chunky Wooden Clock Puzzle by Boikido.

The chunky numbers on this hand-made wooden toy are removable turning the clock into a puzzle, but also enabling you to teach your little ones simple numbers and sequencing. Suitable for ages 3 years+ and carrying the CE mark, this is a great toy for your little ones who are curious about clocks and the time.

To be in with a chance of winning this fabulous clock puzzle courtesy of ToyJeanius, then please fill in all elements of the Rafflecopter form below:




Christmas Crackers (For Pre-Schoolers)

by 5 Comments

I've got some recommendations for you. Hope you don't mind? I will try not to overwhelm you with daily posts, but there are some products that I'd like to share, starting here today with my recommendations for presents under £15 for Pre-Schoolers.

Who Loves Me

These personalised flashcards are an absolutely gorgeous way to communicate with your toddler or baby. They are incredibly easy to make on the Who Loves Me site: simply upload a photo, input a name, choose a symbol (from one of forty+) to go on the back and type a sentence about that person. We've had these made for The Boy with me and hubby, and both sets of grandparents included, as well as my sister's children. I'm intending to supplement these with pictures of his other cousins and aunts and uncles.

Not only do they help your little one to remember who people are, but they can be used to help language development and, for the more curious amongst us, creating a little family tree. Made from thick card, with a very deep finish to the colour; these are long-lasting and excellent quality.

Price at £1.99 a card, £11.99 for 8, £17.99 for 16

Orchard Toys

These fantastic tangrams are very sturdy and made from thick cardboard (75% recycled materials). They are an ideal toy to help develop awareness of shapes and colour, promote problem-solving and logical thinking, with the aim being to use them to create a variety of different picture. Think fuzzy felts but on a bigger scale and less likely to get broken.

A pre-cursor to mathematical development and spatial awareness, these are a cracking addition which I know that The Boy is going to adore playing with!

Priced at £2.25

Personalised Peppa Pig Book

Obviously, I've blanked out The Boy's name with baubles!

For us this is going to be the perfect Christmas book. The Boy is starting at playgroup after Christmas (eek!) and he adores Peppa and George. What better way of explaining to him what will happen and encouraging a positive attitude to it than getting his favourite porcine to tell him all about it in a personalised Peppa Pig book! Creating the book is easy; simply select the gender, hairstyle, hair colour, eye colour, skin colour and input your child's name, and the rest is done for you. For those children who have already started playgroup and are going onto Nursery, Pre-School or 'proper' school, those options can also be selected. There is also the option to have a message printed on the first page.

I love the story, it really promotes the first trip to playgroup as a positive experience, with your child featuring on every page, being the centre of attention and shown to be really clever. Now, do they do one for mums to help cope with the trauma?

Available from Prezzybox for £14.99

Eric Carle's ABC Game

The Boy absolutely adores the ABC song, sings it at least eleventy billion times a day and can recognise the letter in his own name. The next step is to try and encourage letter recognition from different parts of the alphabet. His curiosity has been piqued with the alphabet magnets on the fridge. He asks what the letters are.

The Eric Carle ABC Game involves both upper and lower-case letters of the alphabet. The object of the game is to be the player who collects the most animal cards. The 52 spaces on the board feature all the letters of the alphabet in both upper and lower case. Every time a child lands on a letter space, they have to look at the cards and find the animal who’s name begins with that letter (Big “A” is for Big Ant, little “a” is for little ant). The correct letter is printed on the back of each card to check the answer is correct. By using the spinner and counting up to four spaces, they will also reinforce their counting skills.

Priced at £6.99 RRP

Fingerprinting Art Set

This nifty little art set is fun with a difference. Using the ink pads to print the tips of their fingers onto the paper, little ones can then use one of the twelve different stampers to create animals, people, plants, etc. There are coloured pencils included to add more detail to the images. Endless possibilities for pictures and creative play, this is bound to go down a treat with children aged three years and upwards: being allowed to get mucky? Great fun!

Available for £7.95 from Prezzybox

And because you lot know me only too well, this list of recommends would not be complete without a gem from the lovely ToyJeanius!

Animal Habitat Puzzle

This beautiful duo-puzzle is perfect for teaching your little-ones how to match up an animal to its habitat. With the trademark vibrant Djeco illustrations, each of the ten puzzles is made up of two pieces; one piece has a picture of the animal and the other has a picture of their usual home. It's made even easier for younger children because the background colour of the matching pieces is the same. Depending upon your little one's stage of development, you can use just a few of the duos or all of them, with small children being able to match the puzzles by colour, learning the names of the animals and their habitats as they do so.

I love Djeco products for the quality and sturdiness, the timeless appeal and the ingenuity of their products. You can get 10% of this product (or any others that you fancy from ToyJeanius) by entering the code 'TheBoyandMe' at the checkout!

Available from ToyJeanius for £6.95

A Girl's Best Friend?

by 6 Comments

Earlier in school I was told off by a colleague and friend. She had glanced down at my hand and was worried to see my engagement ring missing. Don't worry, my wedding ring was still there but the sparkly number was absent.I explained to her that I don't wear it every day, and that's been the case since having The Boy. Initially it was because I didn't want to catch him with it, but after a few nappy changes I realised it because I didn't want to spend forever cleaning it of bodily fluids!

The friend reprimanded me and told me I should wear it because it's a beautiful ring and she's right, it is. It's not a rock, it's not a cluster, it is a simple solitaire. A ¼ carat diamond solitaire engagement ring purchased on 21st July 2001 following a (fairly) romantic proposal the night before on Barry Island beach. Now before you have Gavin and Stacey visions, let me set the scene: late evening, waves rolling gently on the sand, moonlight shining down, and best of all, the funfair was closed! For a 23 year old, it was romantic.

The next day, after he'd shocked my parents by asking their permission, we headed into town to pick a sparkler. Little did I know that you tend to have to order engagement rings; I thought the shop would stock all the different sizes. More fool me! After looking through a few trays, then going back and forwards to the window display a few more times, I finally found the 'me' ring: a rubbed-over, emerald-cut, square solitaire diamond ring in a white-gold band. And the best bit? I was the same size as the rings they kept in stock for the examples so I did walk out with a beauty on my left hand!

It's not the only piece of diamond jewellery that I'm lucky enough to own. Over the years we've been together, Mr. TheBoyandMe has been kind enough to bestow a solitaire diamond necklace on me, and a 1920s style pendant with little diamonds inlaid. Both of them are so pretty, but again since The Boy I haven't worn my pretty jewellery. Well I think it's time to crack out the sparkly stuff and the forthcoming Tots100 Christmas Party is a good excuse!

And one day, I will own one of these, the perfect and ultimate diamond necklace:

This is a sponsored post. However, I do want that necklace and maybe if I write enough of these…

The Floristry Commission

by 3 Comments

I was arranging the beautiful bouquet of wedding anniversary flowers from Mr. TheBoyandMe last week when my mind started to wander. This is not unusual with me, I am incapable of staying focused on one thing since having The Boy, and usually I'll contemplate anything from what we're having for dinner, to the fact that the grass needs cutting, via how many children does Jim Branning exactly have?

This time though I had a little thought about my top jobs. The jobs that I'd like to do if I wasn't a teacher, an ever more enticing thought these days! I've blogged about these thoughts before, listing traffic warden (watch out!) and baby-friendly coffee-shop owner as top choices. I'd forgotten about wanting to be a florist.

My paternal grandfather (known as Bampi) was a horticulturalist. I use that term because he was a gardener, but also spent some time working in a florist's making beautiful bouquets for loving wives like me. I like to think I've inherited his green thumb as I'm quite good at making things grow (especially weeds) but am fairly nifty at creating bouquets and arranging them.

In my florist's shop we would have huge buckets of flowers creating a carpet of flowers which would be creeping up the walls. Of course I'd have climbing pot plants all over the place; picture a Victorian style conservatory with wrought-iron display units interwoven with ivy, jasmine and bougainvillea. Rolls and rolls of satin ribbon in every shade under the sun, and a kaleidoscope of coloured cellophane to rival the biggest ebay shop!

Of course, I would be able to implement another top preferred career of professional gift-wrapper with my huge selection of gifts for her and him. Those little extras that require the attentions of the swirliest ribbons, neatest corners and shiniest paper.

What extras could I sell for the perfect birthday gift? What would you sell?

The Gender Issue

by 14 Comments

When I had a son, I thought 'hurrah, no hormonal issues to deal with!'

Fool!

While there won't be a monthly warzone to contend with come teenage years, there is still the surges in testosterone, and it seems from recent events, that the first one has started.

Last night, as if by a stroke of good luck (either that or The Baby Centre have read my blog and seen that he's having a touch of the wolly-coddles, which let's face it is unlikely) there appeared an e-mail in my inbox which highlighted that the differences between boys and girls were becoming more apparent as our infants progress. It seems two and a half is a prime time for these difference to start manifesting themselves and they gave some background information and top tips, some of which I want to try and follow, and therefore share with you!

I'm not one to indoctrinate The Boy into typical male behaviour; he's always had a baby to help him to understand how to be kind and caring, and now with the PlayMobil house we've had to review (more about that in another post) he's acting out our lives in order to comprehend them. Daddy and he play football in the garden together, but that's as macho as it gets.

Apparently, male babies are born with as much testosterone as a 25-yr old man! This then plummets until puberty. Testosterone is responsible for developing some areas of the brain and neural connections and surpressing some others. Male and female brains develop in different ways, with males developing deeper emotions, such as fear. I wonder if this might explain the separation anxiety that he sometimes experiences?

Tips for Raising a Well-Rounded Boy

  • Give him some responsibility: He's always asking if he can help me, so I get him to pass me the pegs or
  • Let him show his emotions: Well, that's not a problem at the moment is it?! He's allowed to cry, be hurt and show his feelings. I don't want an emotionally stunted son, his future wife will not thank me for it.
  • Let him develop his nurturing side: The other day he chose to play with a toy highchair and feed the baby. I don't have a problem with this, he's in tune with the needs of others.
  • Introduce him to music: Well that's why the piano was bought seven years ago when neither of us can play. I want him to have a sense of accomplishment and enjoy making music.

Food for thought!

 

Hormones!

by 13 Comments

Yesterday I went to one of my toddler group's coffee sessions in a house that I've not been to before. The host mum just so happens to have been in the same secondary school as me, but a few years below, and it's been strange meeting up with her again. She has four fabulous children and is a marvellous mum, I've asked her advice many a time since the beginning of the summer holidays.

Chatting to her, we discussed The Boy's growing need to assert his authority and display of emotions (terrible twos? My child? Never! Ha!) and she was explaining that around this age, or just before they hit the age of three, they have their first surge of testosterone. Apparently, it's recommended that they spent as much time as possible with their father to a) have the male influence rubbed off on them, and b) be put back into their place like pack animals trying to assert themselves as the alpha-male.

I found this really interesting and thought about it all day. He has become more 'trying' lately, and I know that it's the stage of development. I know he's finding growing independence and confidence, this is apparent as he will now talk to anyone telling them "I'm (his name) and this is mummy!" or "Hello lady, what's your name?". I also know that he's becoming overwhelmed with a rush of hormones and emotions, so that when he's told 'no' it becomes the most traumatic event in the world and he will often have a mini-paddy resulting in tears. He becomes confused by this, if I ask him why he's crying he will tell me through the tears "I don't know" and try valiantly to stop it. I hold him close, wipe his face and kiss his tears away. With the odd occasional paddy, I've sat him on the sofa as a 'time-out' spot and had to walk away to breathe and remember that he is only a child, and I'm the adult.

Rewinding to the coffee session, The Boy picked up a toy rifle and brought it over to me on the sofa. He asked me what it was and I told him that it was a not-nice toy and he wouldn't be playing with it. Luckily the host wasn't around to be offended, but am I alone in thinking 'I don't want my two year old playing with guns'? I don't want him ever to think that guns are ok, I will never buy or allow a toy-weapon into the house. One of the other mums was sat next to me on the sofa and affirmed my actions by saying she didn't allow them in her house either (and she's a childminder too). It was at this point that The Boy brought over the toy highchair in the room, placed the baby lying on the floor in it and preceeded to feed it a biscuit.

(This is a post in two halves, the above was written last night, below relates to today's antics)

Today, has been a bad day with the hormones. It's not helped by the fact that he's poorly and knackered. If he will wake up at four o'clock and demand to play with the iPod what does he expect? (No, I didn't let him!)

We're both shattered as a result, but it's not helped by these tantrums when he can't get his own way. A friend came over for lunch and took too long leaving. It meant that he was late going to bed and as a result neither of us had any patience. I asked him six times to take his trousers and pants off and sit on the potty. He ignored me so in the end I did it. Which is when it all went pear-shaped. He kicked, screamed, shouted, hit, lashed out and sobbed hysterically. I remained calm telling myself that I am the adult and he is the child. But it's hard when you're little precious bundle is kicking you in the chest as you struggle to get his pull-ups on his moving feet. In the end, I put him in his cot sans clothes and excited the room to sit on the toilet and cry. I didn't, because that would have frightened him even more. When I went back in a minute later, he was astonished and apologetic.

I looked at him and I saw so much: my innocent and placid baby, my clever and inquisitive toddler, and me. I saw me with the teenage rage as I struggled with hormones. Not knowing why I was screaming into my pillow, just knowing that I had to. Only he's two and I don't want that for him. We hugged each other and his sobs subsided.

People talk about girls being hard-work, but no-one warned me about the testosterone! Anything else I need to know?

SWF Seeks A New BFF

by 7 Comments

No not me don't worry! Having just celebrated ten years of marriage, I think Mr. TheBoyandMe might be a little concerned to see me using asingles dating service.

The other day the 'My Pictures' screensaver started up on the laptop. The Boy absolutely adores watching the pictures flash up and was fascinated by one of them that he hasn't seen before; a group shot of our wedding. I opened up the picture for him to study in greater detail and we spent a good ten minutes identifying the people in it. He realised who mummy and daddy were, could find the immediate relatives but some of the extended family were a bit trickier, and some of his cousins were just a twinkle in their daddies' eyes at the time.

Looking around the group was fascinating to see the relationships that have flourished or withered since our wedding day. Two of the couples were married within a few months of us (one of them since divorced sadly, the other still on the up), two more marriages have had their trials and tribulations but still going strong, one couple split with my friend now happily married to her millionaire (I kid you not) and a little Welsh Cake cooking, one has since found her dream husband, and one just seems to have no luck.

For this final friend, my heart breaks. All she wants is to settle down and have a family, but it's just not happening. Having moved from Cardiff to the south coast of England earlier this year to settle down with someone who she thought was Mr. Right, she's found out he was Mr. Alright-Not-Now-Love-I'm-Busy-Talking-To-This-Other-Woman and has had to relocate cities and jobs again.

I'm not sure why she has such difficulty; she's slim, attractive, bubbly, successful (a store manager in a well-known high-street store), caring and funny. Somehow though, she seems to keep finding men who are incapable of maintaining a relationship for longer than a year. I've told her that she needs to look at the relationships in a different light, base them on friendship for longevity rather than his ability to hold a pint of lager, packet of crisps and a cheeky vimto without spilling a drop. She has decided that she will be using an online dating facility from now on, and at least that way she can get all the awkward questions out the way and sort the wheat from the chaff!

I'm hoping that when I've finished celebrating the next ten years of wedded bliss, I will look at that picture and be safe in the knowledge that she found Mr. Right and not another Mr. Alright-You'll-Do!

This is a sponsored post.

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...