DAP Dog Appeasing Pheromone Review

Bonfire night and the nights leading up to it can be a very exciting time for children and adults alike but not so much for our furry members of the family unfortunately, the loud sudden noises can be very frightening specially with their heightened hearing, cats and dogs can get very stressed out.

Both my mum's dogs get extremely frightened, trying to hide everywhere and barking at the fireworks... while my dogs tend to retreat to their bed and seek comfort by being together as mother and daughter or they come and sit next to us.

One of my dogs is a Yorkshire Terrier and just over 10 years old, in the past couple of years she has been a bit paranoid in regards to cats and birds in the garden, she will always check out the garden door, and bark uncontrollably ven if she just sees something like a leave moving on the floor.... I mean, the dog goes straight to the garden door if she hears the word cat or kitty cat!

Lately that has been happening a lot, BooBoo loves cats and seems to be fascinated with them, I don't know if it's because she has dogs at home so cats are something unknown, cute and exciting in her little toddler brain, but they are ever so cool and interesting, so we have soft toys in cat form and books with cats in them and at 16 months one of the words she grasped was cat!! 

So now each time our dog hears the word cat, there she goes off to the garden door and more often than not she barks... not nice for my ears and not nice for her as she gets so nervous she doesn't listen to anyone around her, if we let both the dogs out she will have a go at the other one and they get in a squabble, never actually hurt each other but  obviously not a good thing to happen.

So a couple of weeks ago when D.A.P. asked me to review one of their products I was excited, I had seen an advert before but wasn't sure if it would work with my stressed out Yorkie, so now to be given a chance to test it out was great. I chose the electric diffuser, as it covers 50 - 70 sq m and the dogs are mainly on the ground floor of the house so it seems appropriate.

Full range of D.A.P Products

I put it on the plug near the garden door, that is where the barking happens and the dogs bed is not too far away from there either, and it seemed to do the job, with no smell whatsoever so you don't even know its on. The next day I didn't put it on, I wanted to make sure it wasn't a fluke, that she was just not paranoid the day before so I left it off for a whole day, and my Yorkie returned to her normal psycho self barking at things that  weren't actually there!!

The day after I put it on again and she seemed to be more calm the whole day, with a little bark here and there but not psychotic & paranoid as usual! 

So now when my husband is at work, (which is when most of the barking happens), I put the diffuser on and have had more peace in the house and a much more relaxed dog! So I am all for this D.A.P diffuser as it does seem to be working and I will definitely be buying another vial when this one finishes.

A happy dog = a happy me! No more shouting at the dog and less headaches for me.

I looked at their website www.secrettohappypets.com and they have the same stuff for cats called Feliway and you can get a free 60ml spray of either!! They also explain how it all works and why.

There is also website specifically targeted towards your pets firework fears and I found this http://www.petfireworkfear.co.uk/top-ten-tips-for-dogs.html for dogs and http://www.petfireworkfear.co.uk/top-ten-tips-for-cats.html for cats that might help you deal with the situation better and make your pet feel safer.

It also can help puppies or adult dogs settle in new homes, staying in kennels, staying home alone, visiting the vet, travelling, busy times like Christmas and other holidays, with fear of fireworks or with the anxiety that comes when the family has a new baby.

Verdict:

It works even though there is no smell to it, for me its a bit of dog magic going on! Makes my Yorkie more "chillaxed" and therefore less stress and headaches for me too.

Pros:

• Easy to use
• Various products available so you can choose what is more appropriate for your situation.
• Natural - DAP® is a synthetic copy of the natural canine appeasing pheromone proven to help support dogs in a range of stressful situations.
• Safe - it is canine specific, odourless, non-sedative, non-systemic and can be used alongside all other types of medication.
• Proven - The efficacy of DAP® has been demonstrated in 18 studies published in scientific journals and at veterinary conferences around the world.
• Trusted - it has been used by behaviourists, veterinary experts and welfare charities for the last 10 years.

Cons:

• Electric diffuser could have a more aesthetically appealing design.

Monica x

For more reviews visit our Reviews Page

Be inspired by Clay Dyer

The next time you think you have it hard and can't cope, think again, if you put your mind to something you can achieve it. Clay Dyer is an inspiration!

My Mother's Sixth Sense

As I was having a peek at the BMB Carnival being hosted by Laura at Are we nearly there yet mummy? blog I came across a very interesting post about A Mother's Sixth Sense by 21st Century Mummy about her experience with her daughter at nursery and her sixth sense... I am still curious on how she dealt with the situation as I would have probably verbally assaulted the nursery worker at the least!!! But pop over to her blog if you want to know what happened!

Anyway, that brought on thoughts about my mother's sixth sense, I believe every mother has a sixth sense, it's part of nature and the bond between you and your child, just like they say twins have a sixth sense when stuff happens to each other.

Way back when I was in year 7 like most kids I would sometimes throw a "sickie" to see if my mum bought into it... my mum like most would send me off to school, unless I was really ill my mum would send me off to school, a cough or similar wouldn't keep me home... she was quite strict on that, she worried about my education like we all do in respect of our kids.

Even when I was getting bullied at school my mum wouldn't let me stay home, she always told me I had to be strong and if I didn't go to school it was the bullies that were gonna win.

One day though I woke up as usual and came down to have breakfast and my mum told me "You are not going to school today." I asked her why, as I was actually looking forward to some stuff happening that day, my mum turned around to me and just said "I don't know why, you are simply not going because I said so." I thought it was quite weird, but who was I to argue with her since I could have a day of doing what I want and relaxing at home while all my friends are having to go to class? Haha I thought "Suckers!"

That was that... Until I went back the next day.

The next day as I was approaching the school I saw a huge crowd of people by the gates, vans and reporters included, amongst those people was some of my friends and their parents.

I went into the playground and asked what my friends what had happened and it works out that this massive tragedy had happened and my group of friends were in the playground and saw it happen right in front of them, this would have meant that if my mum hadn't kept me home I would have seen everything.

The result was horrible and one of my friends went slightly crazy (understandably) and started getting violent which meant he attacked me (he was one of my best friends and even had a crush on me) and some other people too, including teachers. Amazingly before this happened he was one of the sweetest, most kind and gentle boys I knew and we were together at school most of the time as we were very good friends. Other kids were very traumatised and reacted in different ways, others had to change school, etc.

Now tell me... if it wasn't for my mother's sixth sense, what could have happened to me?

Monica x
R.I.P. Mr Lawrence, we all loved him dearly, the best and most caring head teacher I ever had.

Madeira Cake - Bolo Ingles Recipe

Being Portuguese can be a bit of a stress if you live out of Portugal, our cuisine and Patisserie is so rich that if you don't have where to satisfy your cravings, you become home sick. Having 4 "Children", can make it even more stressful as you want to bring them up with all their portuguese roots in place. Being the Matriarch?!!! Ouch...what a pain/ pleasure relationship!!

So, when we get to birthdays, we have the ones who prefer the wonderful, delicious birthday cakes, (that includes sis, brother in law, son in law, nephew etc. etc. etc. LOL), from Lisboa Patisserie (Portobello, Golborne Road, London W9) and the ones who prefer Mum's funky birthday cakes.

I baked this one for my eldest boy's birthday 2 weeks ago, just to hear from "the horse's mouth", "This was your best ever, Mum!!!!"  (pain/pleasure relationship).  Since then he baked it for me last week, and hopefuly I will be baking it for my sister this Sunday.

Here you have it, you can impress too.......

Madeira Cake - Home Baked Birthday Cake

(Portuguese recipe - Bolo Ingles from Farinha Branca de Neve)

Serves 10-regular portions (regular eaters)

Serves 5 -large portions (Big eaters)

Double it if you want to serve  20 regular/10 big eaters

Ingredients:

• 250g of Sugar
• 250g of Self Raising flour, (the better the quality, the better the cake)
• 250g of Butter/ Margarine (it tastes way better using better)
• 1 heaped teaspoon of Baking Powder
• 4 Eggs
• 1 teaspoon of Vanilla extract
• Lemon zest/orange zest/almond extract or any other preferred flavour - to taste
• Margarine to grease tin
• Flour to dust greased tin
• Baking Tin, this can be any format or material, silicone is lovely, but please still grease it and dust it, as I can't vouch for the results without doing that.

Preparation:

• Warm up the oven on full blast, now rub some margarine all over the interior of the tin or mould, paying particular attention to curves and corners, all has to be generously covered, then pour some flour into it and shake it , shake it until the inside is all covered by the flour, pour any excess out by shaking or tapping the tin upside down (if using silicone, please still do this).
• Separate the egg yolks from the whites, keep the whites in a clean bowl big enough to beat them in to a firm foam. Do not beat them yet.
• Mix the sugar with the egg yolks, beat it until it turns to a smooth whitish cream.
• Add the vanilla, the citrus zest, or a flavour of your choice to the creamy mixture, beat it a bit more.

Beating in the initial stage

• Melt the butter or margarine to a soft liquidly point.  Beat it into the mixture, now you should give it a good beat all around, the more you beat it the better it will come out.
• Add the baking powder to the flour
• Add the flour progressively to the mixture while you are beating it. Don't give up beating, only stop when the machine needs a rest or the mixture makes loads of bubbles.
  

  

  Beating while adding the flour progressively

• Now wash the whiskers very well and dry them.  Go back to the egg whites that were left in a clean big bowl.  Beat them to a firm foam. You will know they are ready when you can turn the bowl upside down and they don't fall.  Try by tilting the bowl a little at first (they shouldn't move), otherwise you may end up with it all on the floor! lol

Beating egg whites until they are firm

• With a wooden spoon this time, mix them into the cake mixture, folding them in rather than beating, or stirring, once well folded its ready. (Folding the egg whites in keeps the "bubbles" intact and this is what makes the cake soft and airy)
• Pour the cake mixture all into the tin,  you must have about 2 fingers height of room left on the tin to allow dough to raise, it will raise out of the tin anyway, but if not deep enough it will raise uncooked and flow down on to the oven.
  

  

  Cake mixture before going into the oven

• BRING THE OVEN TEMPERATURE TO THE MIDDLE POSITION, place the baking tin in the middle shelf of the oven. 
• Check in half an hour, 45 minutes if you doubled the recipe. (to check you can stick a wooden skewer or pick in the centre of it about 2" deep, to be ready the pick needs to come back moist, but not full of liquid/soft dough. If the pick brings dough, it needs a further 5 or 10 minutes checking regularly, if its completely clean and dry you have just past the perfect point, if moist, then its perfect.
• DO NOT LEAVE IT IN THE OVEN EVEN IF OVEN IS OFF.  Take it out of the oven, let it cool down until safe to handle with pegs. (due to all the turning involved).  Gently shake tin to loose it up. Turn tin upside down onto a plate and cake should pop out of the tin. Turn the cake the right way up.

Serving Suggestions:

• Served warm, plain or with custard
• Can be sliced in half and filled with jam of your choosing
• Covered with any topping of your choice, eg. butter icing, meringue, etc. (To cover it let the cake cool first otherwise topping will melt off, but to fill it do it while hot to absorb a bit into the cake.)
• Simply sprinkle it with Icing sugar.

Whatever way you choose to eat it, it will be delicious! ;)

BOM APETITE!!!

Mum aka Funnybanana
P.S. Next week we go back to chicken.....this time a very special, very personal recipe by Funnybanana Dad!

My Mummy Tummy

Before I had a mummy tummy I would wear low waist trousers and fitting tops.
I wasn't into "show your tummy tops" but more into "when I stretch you can get a peek tops" and I had a pretty flat and fit tummy, pretty darn sexy if I may say so! Lol

After much waiting and planning I got pregnant and had my son just before my 22nd birthday, and then again with my daughter just before my 25th birthday.

After having my son my tummy resembled a very bloated prune, it still looked like I was pregnant after a year and then after 2 the "pregnant" look started to go away a bit, the fact that I had also come more to terms with it and had learnt how to dress in a way to better accommodate my new tummy.

Shortly after my new found little confidence came back I got pregnant again, it was planned but as it took approximately a year of trying with my son, I wasn't expecting to get pregnant straight away the 2nd time around!

So I thought... there goes my figure again! But I was delighted to be pregnant again!

After my daughter was born, my tummy seemed like it knew more what it was doing the 2nd time around... when I was breastfeeding I got much more sharper pains than I did with my son and I could literally feel my tummy contracting!

When I complained to my mum about my stretch marked prune tummy she reminded me how I always use to tell her how proud I was of her tummy because those stretch marks was a mark I left there, whenever she complained about hers!!

And how true that is, but I had in my mind that I could have a tummy tuck and my tummy would be perfect... probably brought on by celebrities and adverts!

Well that was until I watched "The Ugly Face of Beauty" a program on tv (on channel 4 I think) and it opened my eyes to reality... a lot of things can go wrong and you could end up looking worse that you did, you could get an infection and end up looking disfigured or worse dead if it's not dealt with straight away, NHS won't touch you or help you after plastic surgery if something goes wrong unless it's life threatening, and even if everything goes fine and dandy you still end up with a pretty nasty scar going from one end of your tummy to the other!!

WHAT???!!! A gigantic big scar and I will still have most of what I have now??? You must be joking!!

The stretch marks I have there are a sign of the love I have for my children, how I made them and carried them inside my body, to me that is till amazing, the fact that I made them inside my body, I remember telling my husband that it felt amazing and super natural, at times I felt like I was in a surreal episode of Alien the movie, feeling the baby move inside me!!! Lol

It was amazing and I am proud to be a mother to my beautiful children, my kids love my tummy and how soft it is, I sometimes close my eyes and feel how soft my skin is there and remember why it is there... it makes me feel good about it.

Now 16 months down the line, I am back to my normal size but with my prune mummy tummy, with the added bonus of a funny looking belly button because of how I had a belly button piercing before I was a mum!

When I got an email from Melissa telling me about how that Justina Perry from MamaBabyBliss was fed up of the body image anxiety mothers have (a 31% increase in mummy tummy tucks) and she was on a mission to change it, I jumped on board.

They have created a gallery of mummy tummies. We have taken pictures of our bellies and put them on the internet for the world to see. And we want more mums to do the same. We want to get as many mums as possible to say: 'Sod it, look at what my amazing body has achieved. It may not look perfect, but it has done a miraculous job. And it's time it got recognised for that.'

So are brave enough to join in? Head on over to here and take a look at the bellies already there. Send in your pic and help spread the word.

I have sent in my pic and I am owning up to my prune looking belly because I am proud of it. I am a mum :) and there is no more rewarding job than that and my prune belly is my "certificate"!

My belly is the one that looks like a white prune, not the tanned prune that made me feel so good that I had a Prune Mummy Tummy sister :D, but the pale one with a red stripy top and a cloudy background!

So come on and join in.... let someone else know that they are not alone and its perfectly normal!!!

Lots of fellow mummy love,
Monica xx

Born Free Teether Review Feature

Our Born Free BPA Free Teether Review by Blondie was featured on the Born Free Blog!

Read the feature on the Born Free Blog

Monica x

Having a baby - a right pain?

I had a beautiful baby girl 2 weeks ago and like many mums went over my due date, when my waters finally broke, I thought we were in business - but she had other ideas, 48 hours later I was induced and the process finally kicked off but after thinking I was in labour - the pain was certainly there, I wasn’t, that was just the induction working. When my contractions were every minute and lasting 40 seconds I again thought we had lift off but instead I was given an injection to slow them down and put on a drip, although I was 4cm dilated so a flicker of hope was there and I was in actual labour, so not long to go then?

14 hours of labour later and only dilating another centimetre with involuntary pushing and a swollen cervix I was given an epidural – the one thing that I wanted to avoid and the thing I was most scared of, but once I had it and I was given 2 hours of rest whilst my contractions continued it was clear that the baby just didn’t want to come out and I was taken down to surgery for a caesarean.

At the time I was really disappointed with myself that I hadn’t been able to have a natural birth and was now, after all that going to end up with an operation and a longer recovery time the other end, but once they did the operation they found she had turned herself and had the umbilical cord round her neck so there was no way that I would have delivered naturally without putting the baby at risk. This actually made me feel a lot better that it was something that couldn’t be avoided and throughout it all the baby had not once been in any distress so all round it was the best thing to happen.

I think the most incredible thing was about to happen though that once I had seen my gorgeous, perfect baby girl and was stitched up and wheeled through to post op, all the pain, the waiting, the discomfort seemed a million miles away and I’d forgotten what it felt like because every second was worth it. I always thought it was strange how people say you forget about what you’ve gone through when you’ve got your baby in your arms but it is so true. Even though I had lost a lot of blood and was weak and had to deal with the recovery, my milk coming in, the breast feeding, staying in hospital and everything else you face as a new mother I would do it all again if the outcome is this rewarding.

2 weeks on and I am mobile, we’ve been for a walk in the park, shopping and on the beach, something I wouldn’t have thought I’d manage in the first weeks after having a caesarean but I think if you keep an open mind and take everything in your stride and accept help when it’s offered you can do almost anything. I’m even back to writing blogs and doing work on only a few hours sleep – and believe me – if I can do it, anyone can.

So, if you’re thinking of having a baby, are pregnant or run your own business and wonder how you might cope, then take it from me, it can be done. My best piece of advice, coming from someone who wanted a purely natural water birth is to keep open minded and flexible and to do what is best for you and your baby. I am no longer disappointed with myself for not having a natural birth, I now know that that is the way it was always going to go and I’d have done anything to get my baby out safely and have her in my arms.

Emily

Rescue Pals Train & Play Puppy Review

We just recently got one of these cute toy doggies, both my kids love it, I think it's sooo cute with those gigantic puppy eyes!

Since we got it they got really excited about getting it out of the box, once we did it was non stop playing with it, my daughter would even carry it around the house because she adores it so much.
When I tidy up all the toys the doggy gets put away, but amazingly my daughter gets excited about playing with it each time it comes out again. It barks, it walks, it sits, it begs... it's totally cute!

The funniest thing is that you can feed it a treat and after a bit he poops it out! The kids get all excited about feeding the treat again but I find it hilarious that you feed it the treat, it comes out of its bottom and then you feed it to the dog again. I did feel the need to explain to the kids that you don't feed a dog poop, in fact no one eats or should eat poop!!! LOL seriously, I don't know if that was a necessary conversation or not but I thought I better... just in case! ;)

It comes with a clicker, a leash, a certificate and a plastic brown treat.

The clicker has to be clicked a certain amount of times for the dog to different tricks, it comes with instructions to tell you how many clicks does what, however if you are playing with it in a very noisy place (my mum's house in this instance!) the dog can't "hear" the clicker but instead responds to the noise around it which we all found really entertaining and fun, specially the kids!! But on another note if your child was to ever loose the clicker, you could clap loudly or something similar and you could still have fun with it :)

I'll let you know a bit more about it:

The adorable Rescue Pals Train and Play Puppy™ is the sweet little stray that is ready to play.

Just like a real puppy, with realistic features, Train and Play Puppy™ can sit, stand and walk. You can even teach your clever pup new tricks including, sitting up and begging, and then reward your top dog with a treat. After eating his yummy treat your puppy will even poop!

Learning to take care of your puppy has never been more fun with this interactive soft friend. You can also change and start the puppy functions using the remote clicker. Included with your new four-legged pal is an adoption certificate to make him your own, a reward treat, and a heart shaped sticker.

Train and Play Puppy™ is suitable for children aged 3 years plus and is available at all good toy stores nationwide. Priced at around £29.99.

Verdict:
Fun for the whole family, it's definitely not a toy that gets forgotten easily, and we have real dogs!
Makes a great gift, specially for children that want and can't have a dog.

Pros:

• Really cute and appealing 
• Kids play with it for quite a good while and when it gets put away and comes back out they get just as excited to play with it again
•  You can switch it off
• Responds to patting and also loud sounds
• Good price - rrp £29.99

Cons:

• The leash should perhaps have a popper or much stronger velcro, as it does come off when the kids pull it a bit
• Puppy's paws should be grey as the white paws get dirty real quick

Monica xx

Born Free Teether Review

Enjoying some teething relief with the Born Free Teether!

To be honest I didn't think Blondie Boy was going to like the Born Free Silcone Teether, but he absolutely loves it! The teether is designed to stimulate, soothe and even clean baby’s gums, the teethers feature multiple textures that allow your baby to get used to chewing various solid textures and to aid their transition to solid foods and can be chilled or frozen for your baby's comfort.

Normally Blondie Boy prefers teethers he can shove right back into the back of his mouth, but he's sat happily gnawing away on the Born Free Teether with a smile on his face. We don't use teething gels, but there is a tray on the teether you can use to apply gel to your baby's gums if needed.

The teether is medical-grade silicone and BPA free which is very important and has 5 different textures to enhance tactile sensation. The Born Free Silicone Teether was designed by a Pediatric Dentist for babies of 4 months and older.

Available in pink or blue at www.babybornfree.co.uk or at Boots, Mothercare, Amazon.co.uk and other fine retailers.

Blondie

Lingerie Please - A Review

Before you have the chance to think "Oh my God she is so gorgeous!" I will tell you that is not me... I am not pregnant and I don't have beautiful long blonde locks! 

One thing is for certain, the lingerie she is wearing certainly made me feel like a million bucks, when you are breastfeeding you can feel like a milking cow, yes that is right, a cow... 

You feel like your breasts are just for feeding your beautiful baby and those white and black breastfeeding bras are now part of you and you can't live without them, but that is where your wrong!

You don't need to feel drab and unsexy anymore, this Cake Lingerie from Lingerie Please is truly delectable! 

The bra feels soft on my skin and its wide silky straps feel luxurious and are great to hold all the weight!

You can't see very good from the image but the cups are actually covered with lace, while inside they are lined with cotton for comfort and when you clip them off to breastfeed you get left with a cotton support that goes all the way through.

The matching pants are just as stunning and come with removable suspenders too!

This lingerie set makes me feel great, is comfortable and practical to breastfeed and the hubby loved it too ;)

This particular set is called Frosted Almond by Cake Lingerie but I was also tempted by their Strawberry Shortcake set (pink with polka dots!).

The service I got from Lingerie Please was great, it got to me super quick after I ordered it and inside the package they also included a Cake Lingerie polka dot gift box, which is a nice touch especially if I was giving it as a gift. I really do think they should mention that they include a gift box as I think it will entice  you to get it if you are thinking about it for a gift!

So if you are tired of feeling like a feeding cow and not very "romantic" spice up your underwear draw with some Cake Lingerie! It definitely gets the thumps up from me ;) It's yum!

Monica xx

Baby Annabell Doll Review

A little while ago we got a Baby Annabell for the kids to play with, I have wanted to get one of these for a while but as the kids have masses of toys and things have been a bit tight around here I have refrained from adding to their collection of toys!

Now have we been missing out! Since the first time the kids saw the box they couldn't wait for us to open it! Both my daughter and sone have spent ages playing together and on their own with Baby Annabel, my BooBoo is 16 months and Funny Bunny is 4 and a half years old.

Just like a real baby Baby Annabell® babbles, gurgles and really sucks on her dummy or bottle, with mouth movement and sucking sounds. She cries real tears and after drinking water from her bottle will burp, yawn, and fall asleep.

If you rock her she will close her eyes and sleep and if you talk to her she will respond with happy sounds. Squeeze her cuddly sheep to hear a lullaby and Baby Annabell® will respond with a giggle or laugh.

BooBoo really loves it! It has brought out some interesting and cute behaviour out of her, she gives the baby the bottle, the dummy and holds her in her arms sweetly. She also copies stuff I do with her like stroking, patting and kissing her! The latest is changing the baby's nappy, we have some cloth nappies she uses. It's sweet to see her reactions towards the baby's actions, and truly entertaining.

Funny Bunny likes to play pretend with Baby Annabell too.
(I am not one to stereotype and I think it's important that my son doesn't think that babies and taking care of them are something only for girls, especially since this household never operated like that and his daddy is a real hands on proper man with the kids since their birth.)
He loves playing with his sister and the baby and I think since he always wanted to help with his baby sister since she was born (but obviously he couldn't and can't as she is now too big!) he is now really enjoying playing pretend with Baby Annabell, he very often asks me to talk softer because the baby is sleeping!! Yesterday he strapped her in his sister's highchair and asked if the baby could eat with us.

I think this would have been a great toy for him to play with when BooBoo was born, instead of trying to help and getting upset when he couldn't he could have played with Baby Annabel when I was taking care of his sister, it would have made him feel part of something instead of slightly left out.

The doll has some cool features like crying real tears (You feed it water with her special bottle and then she cries out the water), laughs when you tickle her and her mouth moves when you give her the dummy and many other things! Sincerely I didn't think that a doll could do so may of the things it does, it's fab.

Next I need to get a toy stroller, the kids went over to a friends house and there was one there and they had fun playing with it!

Verdict:
I love it and in the couple of weeks we have had it I have learnt a lot more about my children and their caring personalities and more importantly my kids have learnt new things and are really enjoying role playing. Makes a great present for Christmas, birthdays and other special occasions. Excellent toy to give   to a boy or girl when they become a "big brother" or a "big sister" to make them feel special and part of what's happening!

Pros:

• Encourages pretend play which is very important for children
• Nice size, similar to a real baby
• Interacts with your child
• Keeps your child interested for quite a while
• Clothes come off
• All kinds of accessories available but you could also use your child's newborn clothing, cloth nappies, etc
• Really entertaining and educational for the parent to see child's reactions and role play
• Comes with dummy that is attached to the doll so it won't get lost, sheep dolly that plays a lullaby which can be used separately or to interact with the doll, and bottle which you use with real water.

Cons:

• If you buy every single accessory there is it could become an expensive toy. Otherwise not really any bad points I can think of!

Priced around £44.99, Baby Annabell® is suitable for girls aged three plus and is available at all good toy retailers nationwide. Also available is My First Baby Annabell (from around £12) that is suitable from 12 months.

Monica x

Peace of mind when flying with your child

Since my son was born I have flown away on holiday 3 times and in total that has been a massive 12 flights! We are due another 4 flights in the beginning of next year, with our son and daughter in tow that is a massive trip you'll agree!

I have been flying since i was ten years old at least once a year so it's not exactly news for me, I had no worries at all until I had children and had to put them in an airplane, I didn't like it at all, to me if there was a real accident my child was not safe with just a lap belt, his little tiny body would just slide out of that belt.

It's a really worrying thought that your children have all kinds of products available to make them safe and comfortable whilst in a pushchair, a car, a highchair and all of them have harnesses, yet when you travel in an airplane a lap belt is sufficient for children and if you have a baby or a toddler you have to trail your car seat with you. Silly really. Doesn't sound too bad but try carrying a car seat and pushing a pushchair or trying to get your kid to hold on to you and behave!!! Trust me its a nightmare and almost impossible, at least not without pulling your hair out!

So you can imagine just how delighted I was when I was asked to review Cares!

CARES stands for Child Aviation Restraint System, it is a harness-type safety device designed for children who weigh between 22-44 lbs and are sitting in their own airplane seats (generally 1-4/5 years old).
It takes the place of a car seat when traveling by air with your children and provides an equivalent level of safety (ELOS) to a car seat. (Stated in the FAA certification designation)

Weighing 1 pound it is a much lighter and easier option to taking a car seat considering they weigh around 15-20 lbs and are a nightmare to carry, you have to remember that passed the trolley point you are on your own to carry the car seat! Cares comes in a small drawstring bag to keep everything together but you could easily put it in a pocket or handbag. If you need the car seat at the other end of  the flight you can check it in as luggage, and carry your CARES on board.

To find out more about Cares and where to get one you can visit their website www.kidsflysafe.com

When I opened the box I was pleasantly surprised to see that it came in a drawstring bag with an instruction card and a DVD, the instructions card is pretty easy to follow but the dvd makes it all that much easier, clearer and gives you total peace of mind because it's as if someone showed you how to put it together, but just in case you forget or loose them, there is a big label on the CARES itself.

This is super easy to put together, you place the red strap over the seat, put the lapbelt through the bottom  bits of the restraint, close and tighten the lap belt and clip it closed just like you would any other harness!

Tada! Now your child is much safer, and don't worry because the DVD shows you exactly what to do in case of emergency so you can get your child out quickly and easily should there be and emergency.

Cares in action

Verdict:

All in all this is a great product and one that makes me wonder why it hasn't been available in the UK for  longer! I certainly can't wait to use it when we fly on holidays and it already gives me peace of mind.

Pros:

• Perfect for flying as it only weighs 1 pound, and is compact so fits in a pocket or handbag
• Comes in a carrying pouch to keep it all together
• It is certified in many countries & many others are in process
• Comes with a DVD as well as instruction card which makes it much easier to see how easy it is to put together
• Takes only a minute or less to install & uninstall
• All instructions and warnings are clearly displayed on the actual harness itself too.

Cons:

• I can't really think of any, if I really have to say something though, it would probably be the price tag (rrp: £55 - £60) but can you really put a price tag on your kids safety? I think not, plus after you don't need it anymore why not pass it on to someone else!

Monica xx

Baby Signing

I invited Louise to tell us all about baby signing! Over to Louise...

Have you ever thought about baby signing? To some the idea sounds a little strange, why try to get your baby to talk to you before they are ready?

It’s simple...they may not be developmentally ready to talk to you but that does not mean that they don’t want to explore all the wonderful things they see and hear during their day! You are the most important thing in your baby’s life, they are looking to you to show them the world around them.


So what better way than through a fun, interactive method that can create such a special bond between you and your little one? Baby signing encourages you to be down on the level of your baby, talking directly to them and explaining the world. As you say a word add in a simple gesture and before you know it they can be signing back to you.

Yes I make it sound simple, that’s because it really is, you can start signing with your baby from any age really, though the true optimum age would be from 5 months upwards, most little ones will be copying and signing back to you around the age of 8-10 months. Once you start with a few of the ‘official’ signs it is not long before you and your little one are making up signs that only the two (or three) of you understand! This is the magic of baby sign language, although it is based on British Sign Language and Makaton the fundamental idea is to facilitate communication between you and your baby. Does it matter that only you two know what you are talking about? No, but if it is making your baby giggle, and smile are you going to stop?

Learning the basics is done in a fun and interactive way during group classes, but the real way to see the benefits is including the signs into your daily routine. Your baby needs repetition and consistency in their routine so it makes sense that you need to do the same when you introduce the signs. Just doing it once or behind them in the kitchen whilst getting lunch ready, they are not going to be able to learn what sign you are using. The classes provide you a platform to learn the signs in a relaxed and friendly manner with an expert teacher on hand to help you along the way. It helps to build your confidence too. Many a mum starts a class saying they feel embarrassed to sign in public - by the end of the course every parent is telling me tales of signing ‘cow’ in the queue in the supermarket getting odd looks!

The moment your baby looks you in the eyes and beams at you because they realize they have just made you understand that they just saw a cat run passed, or they desperately want you to sing that song again is amazing. You will be hooked.

The list of benefits are well received, many feel it eases frustration for your baby because they can sign to tell you if something is wrong, it eases frustration for you because you can understand what has perhaps upset them. You are welcomed into a world you otherwise would have not had the pleasure or ability to enter, which strengthens this special bond between you. However most importantly I think baby signing encourages interaction between you and your baby, it is too easy to forget to chat to someone who can’t talk back!

So does signing with your baby delay speech? - absolutely not, you are encouraging such a big vocabulary that by the time they get to 3 (my daughter’s age) you might be wishing they would give you 5 minutes peace to drink your tea! I am often asked whether toddlers prefer signing to talking, and the honest answer is I find it still has so many uses! Toddlers can be shy in new environments so may revert back to using signs with you to get you to understand if they want to go home or need an emergency loo break! But most toddlers prefer speech once they have found their voice but I think its a valuable tool for them to fall back on if needed!

Louise's daughter signing Biscuit!

So have I convinced you to give it a try? Or have you still got questions?

Baby Signing Mummy is me, predominantly a mummy, who understands those sleepless nights and inconsolable crying episodes! I am always here to answer any questions you may have. My belief is that signing with your little one is so much fun that every parent should experience it - if you are not sure whether there is a class near you then check out the interactive map. If there is not one near you I am always adding new classes as and when I hear about them! http://www.babysigningmummy.com/where-to-sign/

Louise
Baby Signing Mummy
www.babysigningmummy.com - A place to discover and explore the world of baby signing

Find me on Twitter as @babysigningmum
There are always discussions and offers to join in with on my Facebook page www.facebook.com/babysigningmummy

Finalist in Best New Business Venture in Hampshire Winning Women in Business Awards 2010, Finalist in Best Start Up at Mumpreneur UK 2010

Quinny Disaster!

Today I had the fright of my life... literally!!!

This morning as I was taking my Funny Bunny to pre-school I got stopped by a lady inviting me to go to a mother and toddler group as it was there launch day and it was free. I agreed to come back after I dropped Funny Bunny off.

I was walking back from the pre-school, pushing Boo Boo in the Quinny Zapp Xtra, I was all excited to go to the mother & toddler group (I don't normally have time to go to these things and all of them are quite far for me to walk :( ) as Boo Boo has never been to one.

So here I was in my own little world imagining my little girl playing with all the toys, socialising with toddlers her age... when BUMP & CRASH... I flew sideways and took the pushchair along with me!!!!

I was horrified like any mother would be, my Boo Boo was on the floor too!! Sideways we both fell, luckily the straps kept her firmly in place and I had the reflex as soon as I fell to keep the pushchair as far up as I could... the only thing that got harmed on her was her jacket... phew... now that is going in the wash and I am sure it will come out nice and clean again.

But my heart was beating so hard... what actually happened was, as I was plodding along, not fast but with a bit of momentum, I didn't see a small whole on the road (they are doing building works in the area) and the small Quinny front wheel got stuck on it and as it only has 3 wheels I went flying forward but off to the left if that makes sense.

I checked if Boo Boo was alright and wizzed off again in total embarrassment as the builders were standing right behind us when this happened!

Now that I look back though I think what silly men... saw me fall over with the baby in the pram and not one came to see if we were alright!!! Feminism aside, forget about gender but if I saw anyone, man or woman, falling over with a baby and the pram turning over I would run to help or ask if they were ok!!!

Wouldn't you?

Monica x

Angel Cashmere Blanket Give Away

GIVE AWAY CLOSED

Congratulations to Emily S. from London!

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To enter our give away to win your choice of a fabulous Angel Cashmere baby blanket...

Click to visit this page to enter!  Also a 10% discount for a limited time only :)

Good Luck!

Competition closes on 31/10/2010

Lamere Baby Blankets

Temporary:Secretary Review

I  got this beautiful flower bracelet last week from the Temporary:Secretary, it looked pretty on their website but it is truly stunning in real life!!! I do have teeny tiny wrists though so I need to adjust it but even wearing it loose I got so many compliments on it!

The big flower with the sparkly stone in the middle certainly catches everyone's attention, costing £14.00 its worth every penny! :)

I went on www.temporary-secretary.com yet again and I am coveting soooo many pieces of jewellery, I couldn't fit them all in this post so I chose just these two to show you...

 

Sparkly Apple Earrings £12.95  |  Alice in Wonderland Charm Bracelet £35.00

They have so many awesome bits on there though! I'm also loving these pink rose stud earrings, teddy bears picnic necklace and this light as a feather necklace!

I seriously could go on and on!! Maybe Father Christmas will bring me some of these beauties this year ;) (hint, hint, hope my family and friends read this!)

Monica x

Shloer sparkling juice drink Review

Shloer is non alcoholic so can be enjoyed by the whole family

The people over at Shloer sent us some bottles to try out and review, I must say I was quite looking forward to it as I had seen it in the supermarket but never bought it as I am not a big fan of sparkling drinks as they are far too often really sweet.

Shloer White Grape

We took it over to some friends that we visited as they had a new baby and as they are muslim they can't have alcohol for religious reasons, so I thought it quite appropriate to take a bottle of Shloer!

The white grape tastes very much like white wine, I wasn't very partial to it as I am not a fan of white wine but my friend found it fab! She converted to being muslim a few years back so she used to drink wine before but now that she can't have alcohol she rather missed the taste of the wine... and this Shloer flavour did just the trick!

Shloer Rose

This was nice but again it tasted just like wine minus the alcohol, not as strong as the white grape I think, refreshing but not a variety I would personally buy again. As we are not wine drinkers the "winey" taste wasn't very exciting for us, but this would certainly be great for folks who like wine but want to avoid the alcohol!

Shloer White Grape & Elderflower
Now this for us was WOW!
We had this one with dinner and finished it off while watching a movie straight after! It has a subtle taste and is a little sweet and tingly on your taste buds.
Yum Yum I will certainly be buying this again, its definitely a winner.

Although the recommended retail price of this drink is only £1.97, Shloer have not skimped on the product, the juice and the look of the bottle is lovely and something I would not be ashamed of taking over to a friends house when invited for dinner.

It felt like a nice treat drinking it with my hubby while watching a movie, but as it's not expensive I think I will keep a couple in the cupboard for that alone!

My grandparents enjoy wine but the alcohol gives them heartburn more often than not so I will definitely be buying quite a few of these to keep them happy over Christmas, the best of it all is that the kids can have some too! ;)

Pros:

• Some varieties taste very similar to wine minus the alcohol (for those that enjoy wine)
• Non Alcoholic!!! Yay
• Bottles have beautiful presentation
• Price
• Contains no preservatives, artificial colours, sweeteners or flavours
• Suitable for the whole family including the little ones!
  
  
  
  Cons:

• Some varieties taste very similar to wine minus the alcohol (for those that don't like wine)
• Can't think of anything else!

You can join Shloer over on facebook www.facebook.com/shloer for your chance to win a some Ben Stiller dvds or enjoy from their selection of Shloer recipes!

Enjoy!

Monica x

Secret Within... Recipe

A very long time ago, we have had a coffee shop in Faro, Algarve Portugal, there we served light meals, in particular at lunch times. The Portuguese have two hot meals a day, lunch and dinner.  So, everyday we had to come up with a special. One day, I came up with this, my own recipe from scratch.... Secret Within - Individual Portion  The secret within...(Minced Meat Dish) Portuguese recipe - Segredo de Carne *Serves 4 - regular portions Serves 2 - large portions (Meat can be replaced by vegetarian substitute but please note I can't say it will taste the same.) *Half it if you want to serve just 2 regular eaters Ingredients: 600-800gm of Minced Beef, (Pork, mixed or lamb) Salt, (table or sea salt)-to taste  Ground Black Pepper or Piri-Piri-To taste  Margarine-1 Table spoon-leveled  Olive Oil-4 Table spoons-leveled-(for the meat) Olive Oil + 1 table spoon of Margarine-leveled (to Fry the eggs on) Oil-as needed, (for the option of frying the chips)  Lard-2 Table spoon-leveled  1 Bay Leaf  1 Garlic Head/Paste Parsley-a few stems  1.5kg bag of precooked oven chips-(can be replaced with real chips from peeling and slicing potatoes in to sticks) 4 eggs Grated Cheese -to taste Deep Fryer, (or deep frying pan for the chips, alternatively prepared in the oven according to instructions in the packet, Bla, Bla, Bla.) Shallow frying Pan, (big enough for the amount of meat in question) Small Shallow frying pan to fry the eggs Oven & Tray or alternatively Microwave and individual plates Preparation: Wash the  bay leaf, parsley, and peeled garlic, open the meat packet and leave as is. Chop the Parsley finely and chop the garlic in tiny sticks and tear the Bay leaf. Turn the oven on full blast. In the larger shallow frying pan, (for the meat), place the bay leaf, the olive oil, lard, margarine, garlic, and heat it up. Start adding the meat by pulling a part the little strings of mince, (no mince can be left stuck together), sprinkle it all with pepper and salt, turn it around until cooked to taste, sprinkle the chopped parsley, mix, mix, mix.  Ready!! In the small shallow frying pan, (for the eggs), place the olive oil and margarine, and fry the eggs. (medium heat, pouring the fat on the top of the eggs constantly until cooked to preference) Put the deep fryer on, and once hot enough start frying the chips (if you don't have a deep fryer, do your oven chips in the oven as normal), after cooked put them in an oven tray, or divided on to serving plates, (if using Microwave). On the top of the chips put the prepared meat, spreading it evenly. Cover with Grated cheese. Place it in the oven top shelve in full blast, you only want to melt the cheese. Once ready, divide into portions (if applicable) and serve with fried egg on top BOM APETITE!!! Mum-AKA Funnybanana

Jo Jo Car Toy Review

When I initially had a look at this toy I have to be honest, I didn't think much of it, it looked cute because of the bunny but I sincerely thought "Just another car toy", it was for my little girl to try out so I wasn't very excited about it as the house is full of cars because of her older brother.
But Oh Boy! I really wasn't expecting this...

First of all I'll tell you what they say about the Jojo Car on the Jojo website:

Go on a fun and exciting journey with the ‘Jojo Car’.

As Jojo Car drives around the room his lights flash and his wheels wobble as he plays a variety of catch phrases and sound effects. But look out! If he hits an object you’ll hear a bumping sound and Jojo will be ejected from the car as he playfully tells you he’s going too fast!

Jojo car is an interactive toy that will keep children and parents laughing, as he tries to navigate his way around the room.

www.hellojojo.com

Well, let me tell you, the toy is in fact really entertaining and funny, I really wasn't expecting that!

When you pop him on the ground and press the bunny into his seat, it his eyes light up and the bunny sings a song while wonkily, yes wonkily, riding along! It is so cute! But then when the front of the car bumps into the wall or furniture, the car makes a bump noise and Jojo the bunny gets thrown out and says Ow Ow Ouch! 

That is funny but the funniest and cutest is our daughters reaction to it!! At first she would go "Ohoh!" but shortly afterwards she started copying Jojo with the "Ou Ou Ouch!"...

She kept on playing with it for quite a while which really surprised me, this toy is suitable from 12 months and BooBoo is going on 16 months, however her brother is 4.5 years old and loved it too!

So for £19.99 I think its really worth it, and although we have had it for 2 weeks now the kids are still playing with Jojo Car! :) You can also play hide and seek with Jojo online! http://www.hellojojo.com/content/play-jojo-hide-and-seek-game

Here is a video of the Jojo Car!

There are 6 toys in the Jojo range and I really love Jojo Hide & Seek, I think I might get that for BooBoo as a Christmas present! It plays hide and seek and you can even record your childs name so Jojo can say their name! Looks fun too.

Verdict:

A fun and also educational toy that any kid of any age will find entertaining (I'm a big kid really ;) )!

Pros:

• Will keep your toddler entertained for a good while
• Fun for the whole family
• Educational for all, toddlers learn to press Jojo in the car, about cause & effect, and learn new words, older kids learn the travelling song Jojo sings!
• Nice and bright colours make toy suitable for boys or girls

Cons:

• As surface of the bumper is shiny and sleek, sometimes when the car goes into something it doesn't "Jojo bump" if its not a straight on bump, as the shiny surface makes the car go a different way, I reckon if it was a rubbery bumper this might be less likely to happen! 

Monica x

Our Quinny Zapp Xtra's arrival!

We got our Quinny Zapp Xtra the other week, with all the enthusiasm of making a video my hubby did a HD video and he made it a bit too long for YouTube so I had to find something to stream it in all it's glory!

So here you go, our posh HD video...



Funny Bunny Boy was really excited with all the opening antics, it was like Christmas for him, we did try and keep him quiet as Boo Boo was asleep but didn't manage to keep him still!!

After this video was made Boo Boo woke up and she was inspecting her new ride ;), I am pleased to say she liked it!

The pushchair was really easy to put together, I didn't look at the instructions (which everyone should! lol) and figured it out.

It has about 3 seating positions which is great as we had a Quinny Zapp until a year ago that I just used the frame for the Maxi Cosi car seat for Boo Boo and then I got rid of it because I couldn't stand seeing the kids fall asleep with crooked necks!

Now I am looking forward to seeing what the Quinny Zapp Xtra has to offer! I'll keep you posted ;)

Monica x

Milton Cold Water Sterilizer and Antibacterial Fabric Solution Review

We've been using a steam sterilizer for Blondie Boy's bottles and other odds and ends since he was born 9 months ago.  I'd heard of cold water sterilizers but hadn't ever given them a try before we got the chance to try some of Milton's sterilizing products.

The cold water sterilizer is great if you are travelling or somewhere without electricity as all you need is water and either tablets or sterilizing liquid.  The unit even has a handle that locks the lid in place so it won't spill while you are on the go.  I think it would be perfect for road trips, picnics and other times you are out of the house.

We also got some of Milton Antibacterial Fabric Solution which I was excited to try since we use cloth nappies.  You add 20ml to your normal wash and it kills germs and bacteria that might normally survive even a hot wash.  Blondie Boy's nappies smelled a bit medicinal when they first came out of the wash, but after drying it was not as strong.  It certainly seems to have gotten rid of an ammonia type smell that can sometimes plague cloth nappies.

There are lots of other products in the Milton range which can be purchased in store or online here.

Blondie

Cat got your tongue?

We've all had trouble with our animals, but I don't think anyone can top this one:

Calling in sick to work makes me uncomfortable. No matter how legitimate my excuse, I always get the feeling that my boss thinks I'm lying.

On one recent occasion, I had a valid reason but lied anyway, because the truth was just too darned humiliating. I simply mentioned that I had sustained a head injury, and I hoped I would feel up to coming in the next day. By then, I reasoned, I could think up a doozy to explain the bandage on the top of my head. The accident occurred mainly because I had given in to my wife's wishes to adopt a cute little kitty.
Initially, the new acquisition was no problem.


Then one morning, I was taking my shower after breakfast when I heard my wife, Deb, call out to me from the kitchen.

"Honey! The garbage disposal is dead again. Please come reset it."

"You know where the button is," I protested through the shower pitter-patter and steam. "Reset it yourself!"

"But I'm scared!" she persisted. "What if it starts going and sucks me in?"

There was a meaningful pause and then, "C'mon, it'll only take you a second."

So out I came, dripping wet and butt naked, hoping that my silent outraged nudity would make a statement about how I perceived her behaviour as extremely cowardly.

Sighing loudly, I squatted down and stuck my head under the sink to find the button. It is the last action I remember performing.

It struck without warning, and without any respect to my circumstances. No, it wasn't the hexed disposal, drawing me into its gnashing metal teeth. It was our new kitty, who discovered the fascinating dangling objects she spied hanging between my legs. She had been poised around the corner and stalked me as I reached under the sink. And, at the precise moment when I was most vulnerable, she leapt at the toys I unwittingly offered and snagged them with her needle-like claws. I lost all rational thought to control orderly bodily movements, blindly rising at a violent rate of speed, with the full weight of a kitten hanging from my masculine region.

Wild animals are sometimes faced with a "fight or flight" syndrome. Men, in this predicament, choose only the "flight" option. I know this from experience. I was fleeing straight up into the air when the sink and cabinet bluntly and forcefully impeded my ascent.
The impact knocked me out cold.

When I awoke, my wife and the paramedics stood over me.

Now there are not many things in this life worse than finding oneself lying on the kitchen floor butt naked in front of a group of "been-there, done-that" paramedics.
Even worse, having been fully briefed by my wife, the paramedics were all snorting loudly as they tried to conduct their work, all the while trying to suppress their hysterical laughter......and not succeeding.

Somehow I lived through it all. A few days later I finally made it back in to the office, where colleagues tried to coax an explanation out of me about my head injury. I kept silent, claiming it was too painful to talk about, which it was.

"What's the matter?" They all asked, "Cat got your tongue?"

If they only knew!

Author Unknown