This Little Piggy Went to The Baby Show!
rocknrollerbaby- October 23rd, 2011
Another busy week here for us as we’ve been off to events right left and centre! That, coupled with the fact that I am trying to get Florence to stop having breast milk in the day time has made for one very tired girl! The thing is, Florence uses ‘feeding’ as her trigger to go to sleep and now that I am not letting her have milk in the day time she’s just refusing to have a nap… She will fall asleep in the car but because I don’t drive that’s unfortunately not an option open to me. I thought I would start with cutting out day time feeds altogether and then work on the night time ones so that eventually I am just giving one feed in the morning and one before bed. I know it must sound odd that I am having this much trouble with a 22 month old and that she should be alright without it but she’s honestly addicted! The World Health Organisation actually recommend that you feed your child until the age of two so I’m not worried that I’m one of ‘those Mum’s’ yet… But I don’t want to become one either! I definitely want her off completely by the time the new baby is born. I know some women like the idea of tandem feeding but I just need a break from it if anything, not an addition! I’ve tried all sorts of methods in the past and nothing has worked before but now I am putting mustard on my boobs first thing in the morning and that seems to be doing the trick! She tried it on the first day and just said ‘YUCK Mummy’ and then all day didn’t ask for any and kept saying ‘Mummy milk, milk dirty yuck!’ Then by the time it was bed time she was totally up for it again! (And all through the night which will be the hardest challenge I know)! On the second day I gave in because she was just so flippin’ tired and desperately needed some sleep but it was on my terms (or at least that’s what I’m telling myself) I’ll keep you posted on how it goes…
Aside from the breast feeding strike she is being subjected to I think Florence has had a lovely week all in all. We were lucky enough to be invited to a party at The National Geographic Store on Regent Street to come and see some of their exciting kids and family products! They’ve got some great things on offer including a fantastic magazine for little ones, beautiful soothing music for tiny ones and much more! It’s well worth popping in there to see all the educational and fun things they have on offer. The highlight of the party by far was the ‘Animal Man’ who had brought a selection of Owls, Snakes, Spiders and wait for it… real live meerkats for the children to meet and stroke! Florence was totally besotted (as was I) with the meerkat who was just lovely. The ‘Animal Man’ (Nick) called Florence to the front to come and meet the meerkat and she was delighted when he poked his little nose in her ear sending her into fits of giggles. She had the room working out of the palm of her hand when she turned to the audience and said ‘Mummy! Meerkat there, NOOK!’ I think we have bred a little performer! She has been talking about meerkats non stop ever since, even in her sleep so it’s a good job that he’s at the shop on the first Sunday of every month and we can go back and see them again. It’s well worth popping down there if you’re in London and is, like so many great things in our wonderful Capital, totally FREE! If you’d like to meet some meerkats and other interesting animals then check out their website www.nglondonstore.co.uk for the exact times on each first Sunday of the month that Nick will be there!
So with meerkat’s in her vocabulary now and being her new main topic of conversation I wasn’t sure the next activity of the week could live up to that experience but I really shouldn’t have doubted ‘Peppa Pig’s Treasure Hunt’; the new live stage show featuring Peppa and all her pals! We went to see it yesterday afternoon and it was totally and utterly fantastic! You may remember I ran a competition recently to win tickets and I can only hope our winner, Tony Boden and his family, enjoy the show as much as we did! I couldn’t resist taking Florence because she’s such a Peppa Pig fan but I did think she might have been a little young at just under two years old. I couldn’t have been more wrong! From the moment we entered the theatre until curtain down she was enthralled. In the interval she was begging for it to start again and she sat beautifully next to her little friend on her own chair most of the way through, only climbing onto my lap when she wanted a better vantage point! I was very impressed! There’s not much that can get little Miss Florence to sit still and in one place for an hour and 20 minutes but ‘Peppa Pig’s Treasure Hunt’ managed it no problem! The show starts with Daisy, a new human friend of Peppa and all the old gang, taking us on a journey to find some hidden treasure using clues they find along the way. We get to meet all the other favourite characters including Mummy and Daddy Pig, Grandad Dog and we of course get to see Miss Rabbit in many of her different roles as driver for all the vehicles the pals take during the day! The show is very interactive with Daisy asking the audience to join in with the singing and this creates a perfect party atmosphere! The children were dancing in their seats and loving every single minute of it; Florence and her friend couldn’t believe their eyes and were absolutely old enough to join in and enjoy themselves. The songs were great and mostly to tunes we know so they were easy to pick up and the Puppets were very engaging. I barely noticed the puppeteers behind them and got totally absorbed myself! The utter triumph of the whole production has got to be the underwater sequence where in utter darkness all we see are the creatures from the deep blue: Star Fish, Schools of Shiny Fish, Jelly Fish and most notably the Crab! ‘Pinch, pinch, pinch’ goes the song… and Florence ever since! Everything about the production is extremely clever from the simple but effective story, set design and puppets (as I said – the crab was my total favourite) and the brilliant songs! We loved it and challenge anyone not to, it’s superb! The good news is that the tour has only just started so there’s ample opportunity to get yourself tickets and better yet, near where you live! Prices vary slightly from venue to venue but to give an idea, at the Hackney Empire, where we had the pleasure of seeing the show, tickets started at as little as £12.50 each. To find out venue and price details as well as all other information for the rest of the tour please see the website www.peppapiglive.com. We hope you love the show as much as we did!
The Baby Show Tickets Competition in Association with Bebecar
Did you enter my competition to win one of seven pairs of tickets to The Baby Show which is being held at Earls Court next weekend from Friday 28th to Sunday 30th October? Well if you didn’t you have until midnight tonight (EXTENDED) to enter and win this fantastic prize in conjunction with Bebecar! All you have to do is log on Bebecar’s Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/bebeCar#!/pages/Bebecar/253770784656429 ) ‘LIKE’ and ‘SHARE’ it and then send me an email at [email protected] with your contact details! Winners announced tomorrow! For more information on the great pushchairs that Bebecar produce see their website www.bebecar.co.uk!
Don’t forget to check back here tomorrow to see if you’re one of our lucky winners!
COMPETITION CLOSED AND THE WINNERS ARE:
Jane Shaw
Trisha Jeremiah
Lucy Adabajo
Spoonpaws
Denise and Gary Jenkins
Marjorre Aissani
Helen Pope
Speaking of The Baby Show, I can’t wait to go myself! I love seeing all the new baby products and I’m a bit of a buggy geek so inspecting all the new buggies on the market will be the highlight of my day! Of course there are other fantastic things too such as the crèche that each child can go to for 2 hours, the professional photos you can have taken and all the other freebie samples given out, not to mention all the competitions to enter and the fact that you don’t have to worry about taking nappies or baby food as they are all given to you once you’re there! We’re very much looking forward to it and perhaps we’ll see you there?
We were actually lucky enough to be invited to The Baby Show for Trade last weekend and it was very interesting indeed! Lots and lots of great new products to look out for at the Earls Court show! Snoozeshade have a new product for both normal and travel cots, Gumigem have brilliant teething necklaces, keep your eyes peeled for the Slip-a to put on the wheels of your buggy and stop it getting the house dirty and much, much more! One amazing product that I took home from the Trade show with was a Mimi Blu Breastfeeding Cover. Now I appreciate that with a 22 month old it might be a bit late in the day to start covering up but if I’m totally honest I’ve not really felt self conscious about feeding until now. I have in the past happily fed on tubes, buses, walking round the supermarket with Florence in a sling… You name it and I’ve probably breast fed there! Even once or twice on the motorway when my husband has been driving and we’ve been stuck in a traffic jam. Obviously I couldn’t get her out of her seat so I’ve had to lean over and feed her mid journey! Well, if they need to be fed they need to be fed don’t they! The thing is, I know that lots of people are quite shy and not as uninhibited as me when it comes to getting their boobs out! Me, I used to be a life model and have even sun bathed in the nude on nudist beaches, the naked body doesn’t bother me but I can understand it must be excruciating to breast feed if you are shy and embarrassed. This concerns me because it must contribute to the amount of women who stop doing it and breast feeding is just so important. We all know the reasons and I don’t need to blab on about them but aside from all the benefits to both Mum and baby, it’s also one of the loveliest things you can do with your baby. It’s just an experience I can’t even put into words because it’s just more special than that even. I would hate to think of women giving up because of no other reason than that they are too shy to feed in public! The Mimi Blu Breastfeeding Cover may very well be the answer to those women’s prayers! They’re very attractive and come in a range of different prints (Mine is white and has little red hearts all over it) and also extremely simple. The cover is just like an apron which ties around your neck and leaving the fabric to hang down over your body. With a stiff collar to ensure you can see down to your baby at all times it also offers the peace of mind that you can see your baby’s face and she can see you. None of the bonding process needs to be lost but the outside public can’t see what’s going on underneath! It’s light weight and folds up very neatly to fit in your baby bag and washes very nicely too. Like I said, I’ve not been embarrassed before but because Florence is getting bigger and bigger I feel just a little less self conscious whilst feeding my giant child if people can’t actually see how old she is… It’s silly to be worried about being judged, especially when I’m not doing anything wrong but there we are; I’m just human… I’ll also be able to use it when the new baby comes along! My husband always gets a bit embarrassed (he’s not sure why) when we’re on public transport so I know it will make him feel easier too! Mimi Blu Breastfeeding Covers are really delightful and they work very well indeed! To top a great product off they are also produced entirely in the UK by Mums and 5% of all profits go to the NSPCC Charity so they are green and friendly too! Prices start at just £10 but you can pay a little bit extra and have a personalised one made for you – what a great present idea for the new Mummy! For all information and to buy your own cover log on to the beautiful website www.mimiblu.co.uk.
Before I move onto my pregnancy diary I must tell you about something fab I’ve heard about for the kids this Christmas! If you want to give them a treat on Christmas morning with something really new for their games console then read on!
Bring Your Toys to Life This Christmas Season with Syklanders Spyro’s Adventure ™ –
The Ultimate Gift
Prepare for the gift of the year, with Skylanders Spyro’s Adventure providing a gaming experience like no other. This boldly innovative adventure game allows you to ‘Bring Your Toys to Life’, teleporting real-world collectable interaction figures directly into the game using The Portal of Power™, bridging the gap between the real world and the virtual one. Unlocking kids’ imaginations everywhere.
Penned by the writers of Toy Story, Joel Cohen and Alec Sokolow, Skylanders Spyro’s Adventure will allow kids to embark on a fantastical journey into the amazing world of Skylands. Kids can collect and control over 30 different characters, with each possessing unique powers and abilities. As powerful portal masters, players will explore mythical lands, battle menacing creatures, collect gold and solve puzzles on their quest to save their world from the evil Portal Master Kaos and return the guardians to safety.
Get all of the family involved this Christmas time with Skylanders cooperative play, or face off in player versus player battle arenas. Wherever the toy goes, its experiences travel seamlessly – from your house to a friends’ and from one platform to another.
The Skylanders Spyro’s Adventure Starter Pack includes the game, three interaction figures and the Portal of Power™ peripheral, a poster and trading cards—everything you need to experience the lauded mingling of digital and physical play that only Skylanders Spyro’s Adventure can deliver.
So, don’t miss out this Christmas and be part of this amazing experience. Skylanders Spyro’s Adventure is PEGI rated 7. The starter kit is available now for £59.99.
Skylanders’ Cross-platform experience is available on Nintendo Wii™, Nintendo 3DS™, the Xbox 360™ game and entertainment system, the PlayStation®3 Computer entertainment system, PCs and Macs, as well as on the web with Skylanders Spyro’s UniverseTM.
Kids can build their Skylanders collection with additional character and adventure packs –
Individual Character Packs: The perfect Skylanders stocking filler at just £7.49
Triple Character Packs: Forget Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh this Christmas, give your very own portal master the gift of Chop Chop, Bash and Eruptor instead. Priced at £19.99
Adventure Packs: Watch your kids unlock new and exciting quests within the Skylanders world with one of these exciting adventure packs. Priced at £19.99
For more info see the website www.skylanders.com
MY PREGNANCY DIARY WEEK 12
So I am finally 12 weeks pregnant and supposedly can stop worrying now… Although I don’t think I’ll ever stop worrying, that’s just being a Mum right?! It’s what you naturally have as your default setting as soon as you’re pregnant with your first and there’s nothing you can do about it! But, I will concede that statistically I see the risks are lower now that I have reached that mile stone; but even saying that I’m worried somehow I’ll jinx it. On the one hand it’s a very exciting time because it means in two days I will be having my scan and the three of us will see our new baby for the very first time. (Florence knows that on Tuesday we are going to see the baby – well, she knows we’re going to see Charley Bear at Westfield in Stratford City which is on all day at different times and FREE and then we’re going to see the baby! I’m not sure but I suspect she’s more excited about Charley Bear!) But on the other hand it’s all just, well, worrying! What if we get to the scan and there’s nothing there? What if all my symptoms are psychosomatic? What if I’ve just been having morning sickness because I’ve convinced myself to? If the tiredness I’m feeling is just because I’m tired and my tummy swelling is the result of over indulgence and not a baby growing??? I’m the only one who’s confirmed this pregnancy after all! I did the test, which had been sitting around in my bathroom cabinet for months and I told the Doctor I was pregnant. What if I’ve got it wrong? No one’s examined me and my midwife didn’t do another test – everyone’s just gone by what I’ve said! I know it sounds mad but these thoughts honestly keep going through my head? Obviously I haven’t been bleeding and I have had all the signs as well as one very positive pregnancy test but is that enough???!!! See! I’m a complete worrier! I know really that I am pregnant but I can’t help myself when it comes to the worrying!
So, as I said, my tummy is swelling! Wildly! It’s just popped right out already and I know it’s NOT the result of over indulgence! If anything the sickness has been back with a vengeance and I haven’t felt like eating (still haven’t put on any weight which is the silver lining I suppose!) so it MUST be the baby! Most of the time I am fine with my normal clothes because my normal clothes are usually tights and flowy dresses or stretchy leggings but there’s one thing I can’t wear anymore and that’s my skinny jeans! There’s no way those babies are going to do up over this baby! It’s a good job then that I have some wonderful new maternity skinny jeans from ‘Crave Maternity’ and they are brilliant! In fact, they are my maternity product of the week and if you would like some great maternity jeans then read on cause these ones are coming at you highly recommended!
www.cravematernity.co.uk sell the most beautiful and stylish clothes to see you through your whole pregnancy. They are of an excellent quality and are totally fashionable as well as doing what they say they will do! There is absolutely nothing frumpy in their extensive collection and they do everything from tights and underwear and casual basics right through to work clothes and beautiful party dresses for every occasion! I have a few things from them and will review them all in time but today I simply have to tell you about my fantastic Indigo Skinny Jeans £69. They sit just under the bump with elasticated jersey side panels and back button adjustors for any extensions you may need and are super comfortable! I always thought I wouldn’t really like the feel of ‘under the bump’ but with these jeans it just feels right somehow. You’d never in a million years pick them out as a maternity product as when they’re on it just looks like you’re wearing a normal pair of jeans and nothing draws the eye to the engineering that is going on in the waist band! They also have a functional fly with an extended closure tab and a classic five pocket design with contrasting embroidery on the back pockets. I like to wear mine with a jumper and my Ugg Boots but they’d look lovely and glamorous with a glitzy top and some heels and I can see myself doing just that in the Christmas party season which is odd because I’m not usually much of a jean wearer – that’s how comfortable they are. I can see these jeans are going to become an absolute staple of my winter wardrobe! They come in sizes (UK) 8 – 16 and I can honestly say that you just need to buy your usual jean size and they’ll fit a treat! You can also choose either regular or long length which is a really fantastic addition – so many shops just bang out their maternity wear without giving a second thought to how tall someone is! The other thing I like about them is that they are soft to the touch and the denim is a little bit stretchy meaning if you get swollen legs later on in pregnancy then you should still be able to wear them! All in all GREAT jeans! Check out the pic of me in them below! Now do they look like your average pregnancy jean to you?! Thought not! It’s definitely worth noting that ‘Crave Maternity’ offer free delivery with all orders over £50 and at the moment they have a really great sale on too! So, we’ll see you back here next week for the next instalment and fingers crossed – unless it just brings up a picture of cake – I’ll be able to show you my 12 week scan photo!
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