All Baby Advice

I am moving on!

noreply@blogger.com (Mirka) — Sat, 13 Aug 2011 20:21:00 +0000

Saying Goodbye to Blogger & Saying Hello to Wordpress!

I have been writing this blog for almost 2.5 years. You could have read about my ups and downs, mostly about raising my daughter Isabelle who is almost 4.5 years old and soon will be starting reception in September.

A few months ago I had a few problems and decided to make a big step to become self- hosted and move to Wordpress. It is still going to be me writing it, and I hope you will come and visit it soon and let me know what you think about the new design. I am planning a few exciting projects, so make sure you subscribe to my new blog address to find out about these!

Thank you for reading my blog and see you at

http://www.allbabyadvice-blog.com/

Mirka @Kahanka

A Zeal of Zebras by Woop Studios!

noreply@blogger.com (Mirka) — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 06:17:00 +0000

I was sent a very interesting book, called A Zeal of Zebras. It is an alphabet book of collective nouns and not only you can learn some very interesting facts about many animals, how they live, work and play in groups, you will also admire beautiful illustrations and expressions Woop studios have used.

I am not sure if Isabelle will understand some of the expressions, or if she would be using them now as she is just 4 years old, but I am sure she that she can learn many new things about animals. For example did you know that....

There are always six ravens

living at the Tower of London,

a tradition that started in the

nineteenth century. Legend has it,

if the ravens leave,

the great White Tower will collapse

and a terrible disaster shall befall England...

"An Unkindness of Ravens"

Dino Bite game for the Dinosaur lovers!

noreply@blogger.com (Mirka) — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 14:45:00 +0000

We came across the Dino Bite game at the Christmas in July event. Isabelle admired the green monster and loved stealing the babies from him, and then we were sent one for a review. I took it with us on holiday as I knew that this could help us with entertaining our little daughter and stop her from being bored. At least I hoped so.

After installing the batteries, the creature started to make noises that were a bit scary and first Isabelle's reaction was that she didn't want to play it. I was a bit surprised as this wasn't the first time she saw it. Anyway, we told her she didn't have to play, and I continued playing with my parents, while Isabelle was walking around and pretending she wasn't interested in our game at all. But once it was her nan's turn and while she was trying to steal a baby from the Dino, the creature moved forward and my mum jumped. She didn't expect it at all. We all had a good laugh. A few days later when Isabelle's friend came for a visit, guess what game they were playing?

Game features:

game for 2-4 players aged 4+
the Dino will roar out loud and lunge forward, revealing his massive blade-like teeth - to scare them away from his prize
Only they can save the Dino Babies - but they must avoid the Dino BITE!
Each player takes it in turn to rescue an egg from the Dino nest with the tweezers
supplied. With each roll of the coloured dice they’ll find out whether they are aiming
for a certain colour, have free rein to pick any Dino baby within their reach, or
whether they have to miss a go. Then it’s a case of gently, quietly does it… as they
carefully lift the edge of the leaf, steadily move their tweezers into the nest, grasp the
baby and lift it out to safety! Or it’s fine for younger players to use their fingers
instead of the tweezers, if they like.
The game continues until there is only one player left who hasn’t been caught out by the ferocious beast…and that player is the winner of the game!

Johnson's Baby nappy cream challenge!

noreply@blogger.com (Mirka) — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 06:31:00 +0000

Instant Comfort For Little Bottoms: The Challenge
Helping Protect Your Baby’s delicate nappy area. The challenge involved using the new Johnson’s Baby nappy cream for two weeks, which one of my friends happily helped me with.

JOHNSON’S® Baby’s top tips for avoiding nappy rash:
1. Prevention is better than cure: Apply a barrier cream after each nappy change, protecting the skin from irritation while allowing it to breathe. This can help prevent nappy rash from occurring in the first place
2. Thorough but gentle clean: Clean your baby's nappy area thoroughly using a gentle cleanser, such as JOHNSON’S® Baby Wipes. Check your baby's skin is clean and dry before putting on a new nappy
3. Getting some air time: Leave the nappy off as much as possible allowing your baby’s skin to breathe
4. Dry bottoms equal no more tears: Change the nappy as regularly as possible to prevent the skin having direct contact with urine and faeces whilst ensuring that you thoroughly dry your baby’s bottom by patting (not rubbing) it with a towel after washing
5. Weaning and teething: Take particular care to use a nappy cream at certain times- such as when your baby is teething or weaning, both of which can cause babies to develop painful nappy rash
6. Ask the expert: Finally, if you are concerned about your baby, don’t be afraid to ask your midwife, pharmacist or doctor for advice or log onto www.babycentre.co.uk/baby/health/nappyrash to get some more great tips on how to protect from the causes of nappy rash

Now our feedback:

After using the nappy cream for two weeks, we can say, we really liked it. It smellt great, the texture was very good, which meant it stayed on for some time, and didn't come off after a few moves of my friend's baby. Her son didn't develop any nappy rash during the testing period and am sure she will be looking out for this cream in her local supermarket. As I am pregnant again, I will definitely give it a go on our baba number two once it arrives.

The Gallery - Water!

noreply@blogger.com (Mirka) — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 06:16:00 +0000

I chose the above picture of the "Heart" island (Australia, Great Barrier Reef) I took a few years ago. This week's gallery theme "water" means a lot to me. I love water. I have always loved it, since I can remember. When I was little, I used to spend ages in the pools or sea when on holiday and swimming has always been my favourite sport. When we lived in Sydney, we went diving very often, and that wouldn't be possible without all the wonderful salty water around. It just felt so wonderful under the surface, so magical. When I was thinking about giving birth to our daughter, I went for the water birth, as that is the most natural environment for me... Sometimes I think I used to be a fish in my previous life...

Don't forget to check out the rest of the gallery posts!

Win The Starting School Survival Guide - everything a parent needs to know!

noreply@blogger.com (Mirka) — Tue, 09 Aug 2011 17:56:00 +0000

Our Isabelle is starting reception in a few weeks time, and I am a bit nervous about it. I am trying not to show it when we talk about it with her, as I don't want her to see that and start worrying as well. I am so happy I got a copy of the new Sarah Ebner's Starting School Survival Guide for a review, as it is packed full of so many interesting fact and advice. I took it on our flight to Prague, and when I was returning to London 2 weeks later, I finished it and felt not as nervous about our daughter starting school as before. You can find there advice from many parents and parenting experts, and I am sure that it can answer all questions parents have when their child starts school.

Sarah Ebner is an experienced journalist and editor of The Times blog – School Gate, which has been named one of the ten best education blogs in the world by the Washington Post.

She has written for nearly every national newspaper and was a staff writer on the Daily Express and Daily Mail. She was also a producer and occasional reporter for BBC Newsnight. Sarah lives in London and is a mother of two.

Some of the issues covered in the book:

- How to find/choose a school in the first place: the kinds of

school available; finding your way around league tables and OFSTED reports; how to apply and

what if you don’t get in!

- Preparing your child before the first day: seven sensible and practical suggestions to make the

transition from nursery to school a little easier

- Seven sensible ways to help the learning process

- Leaving your child on the first day and what to do if your child finds it difficult to leave you

- Food at school – pros and cons of school dinners; the school ‘lunch box police’; allergies; after school snacks

- Time off school: real or pretend illnesses; being sent home from school; holidaying in term-time

- Coping with your child’s shyness; being bullied or if your child is the bully

- Special needs; behavioural issues

- Coping as a parent when your child leaves you alone at home!

- The next step - homework; tutoring; sport; preparing for secondary school

How to enter?

Sarah was so kind and donated one copy of her new book to one lucky All Baby Advice reader.

All you have to do is:

Leave a comment on this post, including a way of contacting you in case you win (e-mail address or twitter ID (compulsory)

and for extra entries (max 3) you can:

click this button to show you like this competition

and let me know you did so
comment on one of my non- competition/ non- gallery posts and let me know which post you left your comment on
mention this competition on Twitter including @Kahanka and the URL of this competition post in the tweet and come back here and let me know you did so, and leave your twitter name too.

Please use a separate comment for each entry!

Maximum 4 entries!

Only entries that have completed all the compulsory entry requirements will be counted!

Thank you!

Terms and Conditions:

The closing date of the competition is 23/08/2011
The winner will be chosen at random from all entrants.
The winner's name will be made available on this page and on Twitter. If the winner does not respond to our request for a postal address within 5 days, a redraw will take place.
Competition is open to residents of the UK and Ireland only.
The prize is non-refundable and cannot be transferred. No cash alternative is available.
The All Baby Advice decision is final - please don't quibble.

And the winner is:

number 18

Congratulations to @robynlclarke

Please e-mail me your name and address at allbabyadvice@yahoo.co.uk

The winner was chosen by Random Number Generator and only entries that completed all the compulsory entry requirements were counted!

Bladez Space POD review!

noreply@blogger.com (Mirka) — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 06:18:00 +0000

The Christmas in July event was great to check out so many new toys and one of them was definitely the Bladez Space POD. Isabelle is just 4 years old, but she had a lot of fun playing with this flying toy. As we were off for our holiday soon, I was thinking that this would be just perfect for my 11 year old nephew.

Just a few days ago, we had a chance to see my brother's family and when we gave my nephew his present, he looked very excited. Isabelle was telling him all about how to use it, as she has used it before. Unfortunatelly it was raining, and we all were in one room at my parents'cottage. Imagine 3 families...like sardines. But that didn't stop us from testing the perfect flying toy for the beginner pilot.

As I was reading the instructions on the box, I knew I also had to pack 8 AA batteries, which were not included. The space pod was charged originally, but that lasted for 5-6 minutes, and then it needed charging. As the ceiling in the room wasn't very high, I was a bit scared it will get damaged, but after a few tries my nephew was controlling it really well. He loves it, and as it was quite dark, we all were admiring the different colours coming out of the toy. Isabelle was a bit dissapointed as she doesn't have one, and has asked me if she could get one for Christmas... We talked about it and agreed that we have to write it on the list for Santa.

Product Details:

The Bladez Space Pod allows anyone of any age to enjoy the thrill of flight.
The Bladez Space Pod is the first of the innovative miniature helicopters from Bladez Toyz.
The Bladez Space Pod’s are extremely robust and can withstand nearly any crash with a durable and lightweight body.
KEY FEATURES • Stable 1 channel flight • Counter rotating blades • Colour LED lights • Spares available • Suitable for ages 8 and above

Lite Sprite Toys finally in the UK!

noreply@blogger.com (Mirka) — Sun, 07 Aug 2011 18:02:00 +0000

Not long ago we were sent the new Lite Sprite toys, the Prisma and her wand and her friend Meadow. Isabelle is really into fairies these days, and these are just amazing. You will not only love their design, but once they are lit up and change the colours, that's when the wow comes into place. When we went to the Christmas in July event a few weeks ago, I shot a video to show you how they work together. We spent quite a while there, and Isabelle didn't really want to leave. I had to tell her that her Prisma was waiting for her at home. She was so excited, and when we got home I had to show her her new friend and she really loved playing with her. Once we received Meadow as well, Isabelle was able to share the colour among her two new friends. I can imagine that the tree of lite and the names of the 3 remaining fairies will be on her Christmas list. She just loves them!

Product features:

The amazing Lite Sprites are beautiful friends full of colour and light, which they can magically cast and share among themselves and their world. They live in the truly unique and enchanting world of Lite-topia, powered by imagination and illuminated by girls’ power to magically capture, transfer and share light and colour.

Lite Wand features:

Magical color and light displays

Lite-Topia SFX and audio guidance

Select color from the built-in library and share it with Prisma and the rest of Lite-Topia

Capture color from your world and share it

Receive color from another Lite Wand

Play built-in color games: Colour Hunt and Color Mix

Send spells to Sprites and playsets

Volume control

Prisma

Comes with special forest pod home

Includes 10 built-in "favorite" colors

Leader of the Sprites

Catches colors and spells from the Lite Wand, shares color with other Sprites

Interacts with playsets

Special Lite Sprites, Astra, Meadow and Brooke (£14.99 RRP), each light up with seven special colours which they can share and transfer between themselves and Lite Topia. Bleak (£14.99 RRP) mischievously steals colour, but the wand holds the secret to unlock the colours of her heart. All the Sprites come with a beautiful forest pod.

The Lite Sprites from WowWee are available from July 2011 and are suitable for ages 4+ and over.

Win Garofalo month's supply of the children's pasta!

noreply@blogger.com (Mirka) — Sat, 06 Aug 2011 06:00:00 +0000

Pasta for your little ones to enjoy. Look out for Garofalo’s La Giostra dei Bambini pasta, available from Ocado. Not content with luring grown ups to its premium pasta, Garofalo is launching its range of children’s pasta so that Bambinis in the UK can enjoy the same quality pasta as their Mama and Papas!

La Giostra dei Bambini children’s pasta comes in four different shapes for little ones to enjoy – Pazzielle – Little Toys, Dischi Volante – Flying Saucers, Motori – Car Engines and Anistelle

which are Moons and Stars. Garofalo’s Signature pasta, which is organic and made with only the finest durum wheat, is a firm favourite with the Italians and is winning the hearts of UK customers who have fallen for its unique flavour and its wonderful texture that helps the sauce ‘cling’ to the pasta for an improved taste.

How to enter?

For the latest competition I have teamed up with Garofalo and they are offering one month's supply of their new children's pasta ( 10 packs) to one lucky All Baby Advice reader. All you have to do is:

Leave a comment on this post, including a way of contacting you in case you win (e-mail address or twitter ID (compulsory)

and for extra entries (max 3) you can:

click this button to show you like this competition

and let me know you did so
comment on one of my non- competition/ non- gallery posts and let me know which post you left your comment on
mention this competition on Twitter including @Kahanka @pastagarofaloUK and the URL of this competition post in the tweet and come back here and let me know you did so, and leave your twitter name too.

Please use a separate comment for each entry!

Maximum 4 entries!

Only entries that have completed all the compulsory entry requirements will be counted!

Thank you!

Terms and Conditions:

The closing date of the competition is 05/09/2011
The winner will be chosen at random from all entrants.
The winner's name will be made available on this page and on Twitter. If the winner does not respond to our request for a postal address within 5 days, a redraw will take place.
Competition is open to residents of the UK and Ireland only.
The prize is non-refundable and cannot be transferred. No cash alternative is available.
The All Baby Advice decision is final - please don't quibble.

And the winner is:

Congratulations to @Dorothee77(Dorothee.Archambault )

Please e-mail me your name and address at allbabyadvice@yahoo.co.uk

Only entries that completed all the compulsory entry requirements were counted!

Our second week of summer holidays in the Czech Republic

noreply@blogger.com (Mirka) — Fri, 05 Aug 2011 06:06:00 +0000

The second week of our holiday went really quickly. We had a few days of rain, and then 3 days of sunshine. I am a bit sad, that the summers I remember from my childhood are gone. We used to have very hot summers, 2 months of heat and no rain. In winter we used to get so much snow, freezing temperatures, which we still get but not so much snow I would say. I feel sorry for the school kids who cannot wait for their 2 months summer holidays, and then they get this weather...

Anyway, when the sun was out we tried to make the most of it. Just check out our visit to the local butterfly farm or our family open fire BBQ. The pool got also used, but I haven't been brave enough, as it is still too cold for my liking!

Crocodile Creek - Isabelle's first lunch box!

noreply@blogger.com (Mirka) — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 06:19:00 +0000

I am always very happy when we are sent products that I would have to buy anyway, as that means saving us a few pounds. As you know Isabelle will be starting proper school this September. As we will be away for most of the summer, I had to get organised and make sure I had all she needed for school before our long summer holidays with my family in the Czech Republic. When I was asked to review an absolutely gorgeous ballerina food jar and a dance studio classic lunchbox from Crocodile Creek, I could happily tick off another two boxes on the "back to school list".

I haven't shown them to Isabelle yet, as I would like to surprise her, but am absolutely sure she will love the ballerina design. What I like is that the lunchbox is BPA and PVC free, phthalate free, lead free and conform to or exceed U.S. and European safety standards. You can see straight away it is of a very high quality, and should last her for a while. The stainless steel insulated food jar can be perfect for hot or cold lunches, and again very easy to clean and to eat from. This way I have both options covered, hot or cold lunches. We will see how she goes, but hopefully she will be enjoying her lunches at school as well as she has always done at home with me.

Lunch box features:

a large child friendly zip opening

a zipped front pocket

a rear mesh storage pocke

carry handle

completely toxin-free

insulated with an extra lining and padding to keep food fresh and protected

simple to keep clean, just wipe with a damp cloth

Wikio’s sneak preview of August Top Parenting Blog Rankings!

noreply@blogger.com (Mirka) — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 08:57:00 +0000

I have been given the privilege to reveal the Wikio's top 20 parenting blogs for this August. So here is the sneak preview. I am thrilled to be number 10 this month, this has made my day!

1	Sticky Fingers
2	Redtedart's Blog
3	Madhouse Family Reviews !
4	Kate Takes 5
5	Thinly Spread
6	Mummy from the Heart.......
7	Baby Budgeting
8	Typecast
9	Cafe Bebe
10	All Baby Advice
11	Sleep is for the Weak
12	Who's the Mummy?
13	journey of the mocha bean(s) and mummy
14	The Five Fs blog
15	Littlemummy.Com
16	All About The Boys
17	TheMadHouse
18	Susan K Mann
19	3 Bedroom Bungalow to Let in Crazytown
20	NurtureStore

Ranking made by Wikio

The Gallery - Birth!

noreply@blogger.com (Mirka) — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 06:14:00 +0000

This week's theme is birth. I am sure that there will be many beautiful pictures of born babies. As we are on holidays, I don't have any of these precious photos of Isabelle here, so I am giving you this gorgeous picture which I took yesterday at a nearby butterfly farm. Can you see what the two absolutely stunning butterflies are doing?

Don't forget to check out the rest of the gallery posts!

Fitness Tuesday - week 54!

noreply@blogger.com (Mirka) — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 07:22:00 +0000

Being on holiday in the Czech Republic usually means I have much more time to run or do any other exercises, as Isabelle is being looked after by my parents 24/7. Unfortunatelly the first few days the weather was great, maybe too hot and I didn't go running, and then it started raining and it hasn't stopped till today. I know some of you don't mind running in the rain, I have to admit that when training for the marathon, I didn't think about the weather that much, but I just don't enjoy it so I haven't been running for ages. Luckily I took Isabelle swimming on Friday, and then managed to swim at least 20 lengths, but really have to start doing more. I feel like having no energy...tired and sleepy all the time. I know, I just have to stop thinking about it and do it. That's the way to go. And how about you? Do you do any exercises when on holiday?

And how did you do last week?

Don't forget to come back every Tuesday and add a link to your post on how it went, leave a comment here and please visit as many of the others' posts as you can & comment on them too. We are here to help each other. Can't wait to see all your comments & posts.

And if you like, you can add our "Fitness Tuesday " badge to your blog. Thank you ;)

First week of our holidays in the Czech Republic!

noreply@blogger.com (Mirka) — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 07:14:00 +0000

A week ago I was packing for our 8 week's holiday, which me and Isabelle are going to spend with my family and friends in the Czech Republic. The first week went so quickly. We had a lot of sunshine, but unfortunatelly last few days it has been raing too.

It is great to be back "home" and I am giving you a few photogratphs of what we have been up to. One thing is for sure, Isabelle is having a great time here, and I am getting so much rest I cannot even tell you. My parents are looking after her all the time, which gives me a lot of time to do "my things", which I never can when we are back home in London.

The only thing we all miss is daddy's company, but thanks to Skype we can see and talk to him quite often. I will be flying back to London for a few days very soon and am looking forward to spend these just with daddy. Let's hope that this time we will manage to do all the things we always plan to do!

Legoland Windsor - A must visit this summer!

noreply@blogger.com (Mirka) — Sun, 31 Jul 2011 11:10:00 +0000

Last weekend before leaving for our long summer holidays in the Czech Republic, we drove to the beautiful town of Windsor, to visit the Legoland. It is just half an hour on the motorway from us, but unfortunatelly, there was so much traffic it took us much longer than expected. Both girls were very excited as they haven't been there before.

When we arrived, we picked up our press tickets and started exploring the wonderful Legoland. Isabelle and her cousin were amazed at all the sculptures made only of Lego. They all looked amazing. I cannot even imagine how long it must have taken to put these together. As we arrived just after lunch, we thought we would have plenty of time to explore the whole of Legoland, but even leaving almost at the closing time didn't give us enough time. So one thing to remember when going, make sure you spend there the whole day, it is definitely worth it.

There are so many attractions, for different age groups, which proved that both girls, one aged 4 and one age 15 were having fun all the time. I think the best is to show you a few short videos from our visit, to give you an idea what to expect. Trust me, they are worth watching!

The above video was shot when we were exloring the MiniLand

The last attraction I must mention is the new Atlantis Submarine Voyage, which was definitely the highlight for me and my niece. Isabelle was a bit scared at first, as there were little sharks swimming around, but I think she loved seeing all the colourful corals and fish. It was definitely worth queuing and can imagine, that the next time we are back, we will check it out again!

Fantastic Fisher-Price Competition!

noreply@blogger.com (Mirka) — Sat, 30 Jul 2011 16:38:00 +0000

Mums and dads everywhere can breathe a sigh of relief this summer as Fisher-Price opens its first ever airport play area and shop. Bringing some welcome moments of calm to stressful travel time and long delays, the Fisher-Price play area will serve some of the 18 million passengers and 1.2 million families who pass through the south terminal every year. Designed for tots from newborn to 5 years, the play area and shop will open on the 28th July, just in time for the busy summer holidays, and will stay open until 28th October.

Fisher-Price Sing & Go Choo Choo
(second prize)

Animals are amazing and so is this musical choo choo! Place any of the animals in the engine car to hear happy animal tunes. This engine is motorised and features lights, music and sounds as it goes, encouraging baby to follow along. Complete with 3 animal friends, each chunky figure is full of rewarding activities like movable clicking joints, textured feet, rattles and teethable ears.

Priced around £35

Suitable from 6 months +

Bounce ‘n’ Spin Zebra
(first prize)

Babies will be bouncing around with excitement with this fabulous zebra! The Bounce & Spin Zebra bounces up and down and spins around when baby sits on it, keeping them active. 5 energetic songs play and when baby bounces there are fun sound effects to encourage him to keep moving! Handlebars feature fun activities and two Go Baby Go characters provide extra fun.

Priced around £57

Suitable from 12 months

How to enter?

Fisher-Price have just opened a new play area at Gatwick airport to try to combat some of the stress of summer air travel. To celebrate the launch of this new play area I have teamed up with Fisher-Price, and they have donated a Fisher-Price Bounce n Spin Zebra and an Amazing Animals Choo Choo Train to All Baby Advice readers. All you have to do to win one of these is:

Leave a comment on this post, including a way of contacting you in case you win (e-mail address or twitter ID (compulsory)

and for extra entries (max 3) you can:

click this button to show you like this competition

and let me know you did so

comment on one of my non- competition/ non- gallery posts and let me know which post you left your comment on

mention this competition on Twitter including @Kahanka and the URL of this competition post in the tweet and come back here and let me know you did so, and leave your twitter name too.

Please use a separate comment for each entry!

Maximum 4 entries!

Only entries that have completed all the compulsory entry requirements will be counted!

Thank you!

Terms and Conditions:

The closing date of the competition is 30/08/2011

The winners will be chosen at random from all entrants.

The winners' names will be made available on this page and on Twitter. If the winner does not respond to our request for a postal address within 5 days, a redraw will take place.

Competition is open to residents of the UK and Ireland only.

The prize is non-refundable and cannot be transferred. No cash alternative is available.

The All Baby Advice decision is final - please don't quibble.

And the winners are:

First prize

Second prize

Congratulations to @ellielucky(lorna.peppiatt) ( first prize) and hana (Mfjuice@gmail.com) (second prize)

Please e-mail me your name and address at allbabyadvice@yahoo.co.uk

Only entries that completed all the compulsory entry requirements were counted!

What does social media mean to me?

noreply@blogger.com (Mirka) — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 06:07:00 +0000

If you asked me a few years ago, I would have probably had no idea what you meant by social media. I wasn't using Facebook, Twitter or blogging back then. But the situation these days is very different. Why has it changed? I think that becoming a mum and being at home has had a huge impact on my social life. Also moving from Sydney to London meant that most of my friends weren't around and I had to find or look for new friends, which was completely different once having a baby.

I was very lucky as my mum came to stay with us in London when Isabelle was just 6 months old and was looking after her during the day, while I was setting up a website. I was learning the HTML code and learnt how to create a website using Joomla software. At that time I knew nothing about blogging, so what I set up was a baby website based on my and my friend's tips, recommendations on products, and I had also incorporated affiliate marketing and was expecting to make some money within a few months. I also spent a few months researching SEO, what keywords to include, etc, and managed to get page rank 3 soon after launching my website. Unfortunately, there wasn't much traffic getting to my website, which meant not much money!

Then daddy told me about Twitter. I checked it out and couldn't understand how that could help to promote my website. But then I didn't give up. I read a lot about Twitter, and Twitter strategies, etc, I did my research and suddenly a new world opened up to me. I came across many parenting blogs, mummy bloggers and I also started writing my All Baby Advice blog, which soon was getting much more traffic than my website which took me 6 months to build! Anyway, we all learn by making mistakes, and I only wish I had started blogging straight away instead of designing the website, but on the other hand, I had also learnt a lot about the HTML code, SEO and other things which are very handy for my blog these days.

The last one to mention is Facebook. I was keeping Facebook for my family and friends for a very long time. I just wanted to keep it private. Also the amount of time I spent on Twitter and blogging meant I kind of had not that much time left for being on Facebook. Recently I explored Facebook a bit more and found out you can promote your blog on so called "page" from your account, which is completely different. This means I still have my private profile for my friends and family, but can also promote my blog to my readers.

I have to admit I love social media and am getting addicted to it more and more. The only time I kind of turn off is when we go on family holidays, as my family is still the most precious and most important thing to me, but I can tell you, it is not always easy to switch off!

http://www.facebook.com/CalpolUK

Zumba Fitness and my girls!

noreply@blogger.com (Mirka) — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 06:13:00 +0000

A while ago I was sent the Zumba Fitness for a review. From following my Fitness Tuesday you know I was very excited about Zumba a while ago, until I went to check out a Zumba class at my local leisure centre. That was a fiasco, and for the first time in my life I left a fitness class in the middle.

Since then I have had a few conversations about zumba on twitter, and many people have suggested the instructor was the reason why the lesson was so bad. Anyway, when I was sent the dvds, I was excited again, and Isabelle and my niece Caroline were too.

And what did we think about it? I think it's brilliant you can learn all the steps separately, at your own speed. All the basic steps are slowly and clearly explained and showed, and even my 4 year old Isabelle followed the instructions without any difficulties, just check out the video.

And what did we get?

Zumba Fitness Basics and 20-minute express
Zumba Fitness Sculpt & Tone
Zumba Fitness Cardio Party
bonus DVD - Zumba Fitness live and Flat abs and total-body transformation guide
bonus toning sticks

I can tell you, that I don't usually do any exercises according to dvds in front of a telly, but this can be a great start for learning Zumba at your own pace. I will definitely be spending more time doing so after our long holidays at my parents' weekend house in the Czech Republic.

Richard Scarry's Best Busy Year Ever!

noreply@blogger.com (Mirka) — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 16:33:00 +0000

I am very pleased that our little collection of Richard Scrarry's books has grown again. This time we were sent the Best Busy Year Ever. As usually it is full of wonderful illustrations, and this time it tells children all about the different times of the year. I believe this is a great way how to show your children the difference between seasons and what activities can be done when. It also gave me a few tips what to do this summer.

I can just say that this is another great book which will keep your little one entertained and will educated at the same time, a great book for pre-schoolers.

Title: Best busy Book Ever

Author: Richard Scarry

ISBN: 9781402772191

Price: £9.99

Publisher: Sterling

Publication date: June 2011

Totseat Tested and Reviewed!

noreply@blogger.com (Mirka) — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 06:03:00 +0000

I normally don't ask a company for a product for a review, but I have seen so many people talking about the Totseat, especially now in summer, that I just wanted to check it out too and find out if I will be another fan.

When the tiny parcel arrived, it ticked the first box, as it is very compact and can be taken absolutely anywhere with you. I really like the idea it can fit on any chair. I tried it on our dining chair, and also on a round chair at my friend's place, and both times it was really easy to put on. The best thing to do is to watch the video on their website or read the instructions.

Unique benefits of the Totseat:

thanks to its pioneering design and simple but effective safety features, the Totseat fits dining chairs of literally any shape and size!
central to the Totseat design is the fact that little ones get to sit in an adult chair at the table, just like everybody else
Totseat is suitable for children of between eight and thirty months old. The child must be able to sit unaided before using the Totseat.
comes with a lifetime guarantee

So, what is the verdict? I think it's the best travel seat I have ever seen. Not only you can choose from so many funky designs, but it is also machine washable, and very compact and light. It has passed all the necessary safety tests and Totseat donates 10p from every Totseat sold in the UK to Child Accident Prevention Trust. This will be definitely added to my "travel essentials" list.

Leaving daddy behind...not that easy!

noreply@blogger.com (Mirka) — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 06:10:00 +0000

As the summer holidays have just started, we are off to spend them away from London, with my family and friends in the Czech Republic. Isabelle is very excited and am sure that she doesn't really understand that she will not be seeing daddy for quite a few weeks...I am excited too, but very sad at the same time, as this will be the first time he will not be spending a few weeks with us there. Well, life is not always easy. I will come back for 10 days, which will be nice for daddy I am sure, at least he will not feel that lonely, and also we will have a chance to go for a dinner or to the cinema together.

I am looking forward to spend a lot of time with my family at our weekend house by a beautiful lake, and just hope the weather will be kind to us. I am also planning to focus on Isabelle's swimming, she has improved so much, and can swim for a bit without any armbands or anything, so now the focus is going to be to extend the time and am sure that by the end of the summer, she will be even more confident.

This doesn't mean I will stop blogging for a few weeks....cannot imagine that really, as blogging is so important to me, and luckily ma parents have an Internet connection there. I will probably have even more time as Isabelle will be looked after all the time. I am looking forward to being spoiled by my parents and enjoy real holiday.

Snugabub Fitted Top Sheet - More Sleep for Parents!

noreply@blogger.com (Mirka) — Sun, 24 Jul 2011 06:19:00 +0000

There was no way I would resist testing a Snugabub, a very new product invented by an Australian mum, which according to their studies helps babies sleep up to 4 hours longer at night and reduces the risk of SIDS. I had a few volunteers for this task, that's how popular this was. That's what happens once you hear about a product that can give you more sleep at night!

Anyway, using the fitted sheet is very easy. If you watch the video, it gives you clear instructions and also shows you how to position you baby. You can chose from 3 different sizes, 0-6 months, 6-12months and 12-24 months. The Snugabub sheets are made with 100% pure percale cotton because the more natural the fabric the greater its breathability. The double pick 250 thread count cotton used has been carefully chosen for its incredible softness – perfect for sensitive new baby skin – and anti pilling properties.

The sheets are designed specifically for babies and have 4 key aims in mind:
1. To ensure that baby stays in the safe sleeping position – on their backs at the foot of the cot
2. To ensure that bedding stays securely in place to minimise the risk of entanglement
3. To ensure bedding is the correct size for babies with no excess material.
4. To allow babies to sleep sounder for longer, feeling ‘snug’ and secure.

Fitting instructions:
• fit the base corners of the sheet around the bottom of the mattress.
• tuck the tailored side furthest away firmly under the mattress.
• place baby in position; on their backs and with their feet at the base of the cot, ensuring the sheet is under arm to shoulder height.
• tuck the side closest to you tightly and securely under the mattress to make baby snug.
• to remove, simply untuck the side closest to you, leaving the sheet ready and in place for next time.

And how did Snugabub did in our test? Well, my friend confirmed that fitting the sheet was a piece of cake. She liked the fabric and agreed there was no extra material left after tugging in her son. She found that her baby slept better, which meant not waking up that often, which resulted on extra 2 hours of sleep on average. That's what I call a result! More sleep means happy parents!

It is available from http://www.bumpsters.co.uk/snugabub

Sizzling summer fun during Willows Summer Spectacular!

noreply@blogger.com (Mirka) — Sat, 23 Jul 2011 06:16:00 +0000

I have been fighting this flu for over a week now, and there are days I am better and then I just feel like I have to use the time and take Isabelle and my niece somewhere nice. We were given some tickets to the Willows Farm Village, originally we were invited for this weekend, as there are many new and exciting things happening. Unfortunately we will be packing for our long summer holidays then, so we went on Wednesday instead.

This wasn't our first visit, as we live just half an hour from there. The last time we went Isabelle was about 2.5 years old, and it was around the Easter, so you can imagine how busy it was. This time, we went in the middle of the week, after lunch and the weather wasn't great either, so I expected almost no people to be there. To my big surprise, there were still quite a few people, but the amount was bearable, we didn't have to fight over toys or queue, so both girls really enjoyed it and I did as well. Just check out my video, to get the feel of what you can do there.

Summer Spectacular Event

Parents can keep their children entertained this sizzling summer holiday at Willows Farm Village, near St Albans, Hertfordshire during its Summer Spectacular event running 23rd July to 4th September 2011.

Willows Summer Spectacular can be enjoyed by families who are looking for an action-packed day out. New activities to try for 2011 include the JCB Young Drivers Zone with mini-JCB diggers and tractors available for children to pedal around a miniature track, and the Rabbit Racers sit on ride.

Returning for another summer is Willows A-maize-ing Maze, grown from maize seeds and open all day for children to explore. The whole family can take part in this adventure and as children find their way through the maze they can search for the names of Willows friendly scarecrows, with a £100 Willows voucher prize draw entry for every completed form.

Children will also be spoilt for choice with all day adventure play activities with unlimited access to inflatable play on the bouncy haystacks, fun fair rides, frisbee golf and the agility play trail to name just a few of the activities. There are also nine different shows daily to enjoy during Summer Spectacular, with something starting every half an hour, from Daft Duck Trials and the Sheep Show, to Sing-a-long-a Woolly.

Willows Summer Spectacular will hold summer sports day races twice daily, where children can test their balancing skills in the egg and spoon race and bouncing talents in the space hopper race. Certificates will be given to all children who take part.

And if the sun decides to have some time off there is plenty of indoor play including Woolly Jumpers indoor play barn, Captain Chicken’s Egg Dodge and Young Chicks Activity Area.

New for this year, Willows Farm Village has teamed up with Kids Play Childcare to offer an Ofsted registered summer holiday camp which runs in conjunction with Willows Summer Spectacular event. Parents can leave their children for a day of fun, where they will be supervised and catered for from 8.00am to 6.00pm. Children can make new friends as they enjoy hours of playroom fun, shows, rides and outdoor activities with all drinks, snacks, lunch and dinner included in the daily package.

Isabelle's last day at her pre-school!

noreply@blogger.com (Mirka) — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 21:13:00 +0000

I cannot believe today was the last day of Isabelle's pre-school. I can still remember when she started last September, when she talked about her new friends and I had no idea who they were. Isabelle was very lucky and had some fantastic teachers and made some very good friends. She loved going there and am sure that she will miss her friends during our long summer holidays. Luckily she got into the same school, so she can be looking forward to re-uniting with her friends in September. I still cannot imagine her being at school for the whole day. I know I have many plans what to do with the time, as the few hours I had while she was at pre-school went always so quickly...but one thing I know for sure is that I will miss her so much. I know I cannot stop the process of her growing up, but there are moments like today when I secretly wish I was able to do so, and she would just stay like this for a bit longer.

Anyway, we are very excited about our summer holidays with my family and friends in the Czech Republic. I will manage to come back for 10 days to spend a little time with daddy, and then daddy should also come for a few days to see us over there. I know how much he will miss us, but this is the only time Isabelle can spend a lot of time with her cousins, grandparents and other family. I am sure we both will miss him so much, but hopefully we will be on the phone quite often or on the skype. It is all very exciting and sad at the same time, just the same like the last day at Isabelle's pre-school.