Being a Mummy

All Aboard the Pirate Ship: Legoland Windsor Review

2010-03-21T06:42:00.008Z

The email came through offering the chance to attend Legoland's attempt to break the Guinness World Record for the Worlds Largest Gathering of Pirates and this was a chance, that to me seemed far to good to pass up. Think of the story-telling opportunities, it's not an everyday occurrence is it? Typically, this Saturday was one of those wet, dank days that only happen when you have an outdoor trip planned. Nevermind! We are British, we have waterproofs, fleece jumpers and a stoic attitude. I was the most keen member of my family, hell, I was looking forward to a bit of misery when we all got tired and wet. It's what I tend to thrive on.

Legoland is tucked away on a hillside in Windsor, there is tons of parking and a fairly well organised entry system. Like Butlins before it, I was rather skeptical about Legoland. However, with children comes a more open-minded attitude and like Butlins, I have been completely converted. Its fun, the food is reasonably priced, there are plenty of toilets and the staff were all helpful. Be warned though, entry is quite pricey!

What really converted me though, was the look on Toddler Boy's face when he saw the Lego dinosaur. Then him jumping for joy after he had been in the 3D cinema and his little face whilst going on the helicopter ride. I could go on. We will take him again, just when he is over 1. 1 metre and Fifi is 0.9 metres tall. We were a little bit limited as to what we could do, as Toddler Boy is only 95 centimetres. Still, the Mini World proved inspirational for the husband and I can see him being kept quiet for hours as he tries to rebuild Canary Wharf at home.

So what of the World Largest Gathering of Pirates? Well, we joined in and tried. I don't actually know whether they did it. The inclement weather didn't help. It didn't look to me as if there were a lot of pirates really. I am awaiting the results. It certainly added to the day seeing lots of big and small pirates! The pirate attractions are great and the Pirate Show is really impressive. If your child likes pirates, then the Pirates Landing area would definitely be for them.

All in all, if you are on the lookout for a change from the usual zoo, seaside, museum, woodland walk days out then this is a really good option and it's now open for the summer.

How to be good at Story-telling

2010-03-19T07:27:00.004Z

I'm not all that good at story-telling. However, working in the heritage sector you come across many different professional story tellers and there is something that they all have in common. Charisma? Not always. Volume? Not always. A good story? Not always!Enthusiasm? Totally. Their enthusiasm seems to overcome any self consciousness that might hold them back. They all seem to move about a lot, gesture, raise and lower their voices. This is the key to captivating children and adults, without this one thing all the rest are meaningless.

In my former life, I was camping at an archaeological dig and people told stories around the campfire. They could be the most mundane stories about visiting a shop or the most fabulous; someone I know really did find a tomb of gold in Peru! The most captivating public speakers or story tellers use enthusiasm, dramatics, props and volume combined together to engage the audience. This is not a skill that cant be taught, only learnt through practice.

Why am I saying this? Well, I think its incredibly important to try to talk and engage with children and this is something that I have difficulty with. I tend to mumble through stories and talk in a very boring way to them. However, recently I have been using some of these storytelling techniques either at evening story time or simply during the course of our day. I can be washing up and telling the kids about what I am doing and they stand quietly amused. It's quite good fun, but also its clearly helping Toddler Boy with his speech difficulties. Yes, I am slowly descending further into madness, but hey, its fun. Try to be enthusiastic about everything you do with them and talk to them with masses of enthusiasm even if it is only encouraging them to lay down whilst you change a nappy. I'm sure you will be amazed at the overall difference it makes to family life in all sorts of ways.

The Value of Money

2010-03-18T07:50:00.000Z

Let me preface this post with the background information that I am inherently quite mean. I have had to work really hard for stuff over the years (either physically or mentally), I love having nice things and stuff and I live in an incredibly affluent place.

It is nonetheless a mystery to me how people value money. You see, I happened to be looking at minimum wages the other day. Did you know that if you are 16 the minimum wage is £3.57? Let me say that again, you can be employed for £3.57 an hour legally in the UK today. How much is a copy of Red magazine? £3.50. I guess that's why lots of people buy the Daily Star at 20p. It's a salutary thought isn't it.

I stopped buying magazines on a regular basis years ago. I rely entirely on hand me down magazines. I'm mean. I used to have a Saturday job, I earn't £12 for a whole day of shop working. This paid for one hours driving lesson. The most expensive things I have ever bought; car, house, flute and a Mui Mui handbag which I bought in a rash moment of desire and I still use to this day. Maybe that's why I am a bit of a freebie whore, I do really appreciate the stuff.

But what am I getting at? Well, I guess its a sort of difficult thing to explain briefly and probably a whole PHD thesis in itself but I do find it really odd to read in blogs and talk to people about their different perceptions of money. For example, Modern Mother Susanna wrote a really interesting post recently about Making Money from Mummy blogging and how she felt that £2k wasn't worth the effort she put in. The Cybermummy conference at £80 a ticket has sparked a whole load of tweeting and blogging about cost, including this fab post by Claire. I can also recall frugal recipes being blogged and worries about how to clothe the kids.

It's all about perception isn't it? What your current income is, what your background is and how you feel about the value of things in this consumer focused, designer led society. I certainly didn't feel that we could survive financially without my return to work, and even though I earn £6.5 K less than my age, I don't actually bring very much money in a month after tax, childcare, pension. However, my return to work is financially motivated rather than emotional.

This brings me to something that has been worrying me for a while and that is how to teach children the value of money. Having read lots of parenting manuals it seems best to bribe and distract your children away from tantrums and naughty behaviour. As a working mum, I have an element of guilt about not being there and tend to compensate by purchasing stuff for them on a whim (I've blogged about this before). However, this is not good, they have no concept of how long it has taken me to earn that comic/ pair of socks/ toy car and therefore discard it after a short while. Cluttering my house in the meantime. So, my next parenting efforts are going to be directed at helping them appreciate stuff more. I think though, that perhaps we could all benefit from a moment of thought about the real cost of things and how lucky we might be compared to others.

Then I found an old image of myself

2010-03-17T08:22:00.003Z

In my little work world, I get to see all sorts of stuff. Old stuff, new stuff, shiny stuff and rusty stuff. Things people have found in their attic, things people have treasured for years. One of the things I am charged with doing is going through our fantastic (I would say that) stores and photograph, document, research and just check things. On my travels through the store on Monday, when I was actually mainly doing things geological and taxidermatological (lol). I had a little peep at the toy collection. Staring back at me was a fully moveable image of myself following my decline into motherhood. Check out the nose!

Click, click, click- knitting

2010-03-16T08:04:00.000Z

The lack of sewing posts here is partly because I have been incredibly busy recently dealing with poorly children. I am planning a, (don't tell anyone) VLOG on how to make a really simple and basic skirt, but this is also dependent on when Daddacool has a bit of free time and stops watching the football on the television.

In the meantime, I have been rediscovering the joy of knitting. Like a demented old lady I have been clicking the needles whilst in bed, at the Mother-in-laws and at any moment where there is no risk of impaling a small child. I've even been invited to a knitting club. St Albans really is a cosmopolitan place!

Knitting a childs jumper is still marginally cheaper than buying one, unless you shop in a supermarket. But its also very satisfying as they are quite small and quick to complete. I am really quite enjoying the sense of achievement as it grows centimetre by centimetre. Sometimes its the simplest, basic things that can bring you calming joy. I will keep you posted. In the meantime if you want some inspiration and some great tutorials make sure you visit and subscribe to Anjie's Blog, she is my inspirational craft guru and deserves a much higher profile than she currently has.

And then she went on a rampage in...

2010-03-13T18:10:00.005Z

...Waitrose. Which was fortunate as they were very nice about the whole affair. Fifi has been walking since Christmas, this means she is incredibly good and can run really fast in a sort of 'old lady' manner. It looks incredibly sweet. She also loves food. What was I thinking?

It was a bright sunny morning, I had a few minutes without Toddler boy. Frankly I couldn't be bothered with the pushchair. Fifi can walk so I strolled gently and quietly and slowly into the store. That was when she broke ranks and ran. "Me, me, me MOOOOOREEEE". The apples delicately and pleasingly displayed at toddler height were obstruction free. I could almost see them quiver. Before I could even move, well, I was sort of, rooted to the spot at the horror as it unfolded, about 20 finest top quality organically and fair tradedly apples were strewn across the floor of the shop. Old ladies and geriatric men were bowled over. Literally. Who was I kidding when I thought no-one saw the incident and quickly scooped her up, fist clenching an apple and moved to a different aisle.

I put the little one down again and before I knew it she was back rampaging. I will have you know that is hard to hold a bucking, wrenching baby, a basket and my fair trade organic cotton shopping bag all at the same time. Still, nothing really in reach until we reached THE EGGS.

Now, I admit, this was my fault entirely but I was momentarily distracted. Should I buy the essentials free range eggs? Or the East Anglian eggs? or the..... Oh. My. God. I look down, Fifi is surrounded by packets of eggs, the contents of which are sort of swimming on the floor around her. To be fair, she is gamely attempting to scoop them back up and put them back. Creating a sort of additional mess as more and more boxes of eggs enter the fray.

Whenever this s0rt of thing happens the temptation is to run away. However, this is Waitrose, St Albans. Its a small world. Before I know it, I'll get a reputation for running away and leaving a very expensive mess. Usually Waitrose, St Albans has more staff than shoppers. I know, i'm often in there. I see them. Today there was no one in sight. I suspect they were all laughing at me on the CCTV. So I shouted, gamely "help, errr, help". Another more organized mum came over. Baby behaving in the trolley in a way that neither of my children do (unless they are busy rummaging through a packet of Haribo's). " I'll get help" she said it kindly, but looked a bit smug. I stood there reduced to being a lemon. Old people, slowly cruising past the scene commenting.

The assistant came over " don't worry madam, no problem".
" Shall, I pay? I don't mind paying..." surveying about £40 worth of eggs". I did mind paying and was secretly wetting myself as I would have to put back most of the shopping to pay. "Absolutely not, no that's fine" I could see him thinking to himself; step away from the eggs madam, step away, code 9
And so, I made my exit, holding my head high despite the snooty commenting. Valuable lessons learn't; Never let a teeny tiny toddler loose in a supermarket. Always shop in a higher end supermarket, it often works out cheaper.

Free Tickets for The Blind Side

2010-03-12T20:05:00.001Z

The Blind Side is the film that won Sandra Bullock her second Oscar. I'd love to see the film. I personally didn't like her dress that day but that's another matter. Warner Brothers have contacted me with the chance to see the film before it is generally released for FREE! Unfortunately I cant make it, but just in case you can I've posted the details below:

To celebrate the release of the Oscar(r) winning The Blind Side on 26th March, readers have a chance to be the first to see the film at a variety of cinemas on Tuesday 16th March. For your chance to attend a special daytime preview screening (at a number of locations), simply enter the below code at www.seefilmfirst.com to get your complimentary pair of tickets!

*Code: 560634*

The Blind Side Synopsis: Teenager Michael Oher (Quinton Aaron) is surviving on his own, virtually homeless, when he is spotted on the street by Leigh Anne Tuohy (Sandra Bullock). Learning that the young man is one of her daughter's classmates, Leigh Anne insists that Michael-wearing shorts and a t-shirt in the dead of winter-come out of the cold. Without a moment's hesitation, she invites him to stay at the Tuohy home for the night. What starts out as a gesture of kindness turns into something more as Michael becomes part of the Tuohy family despite the differences in their backgrounds. Living in his new environment, the teen faces a completely different set of challenges to overcome. And as the family helps Michael fulfill his potential, both on and off the football field, Michael's presence in the Tuohys' lives leads them to some insightful self-discoveries of their own.

(c) 2010 Warner Bros. Ent. All Rights Reserved

Andrex 'Win Your Mortgage for a Year' Competition

2010-03-12T08:00:00.002Z

This is a sponsored post, but If it wasn't, I would be doing this competition myself as it would save us a fortune! A fortune which could be profitably engaged in hiring a washer women to come round and launder hubby's enormous pants.

You don't really need to change your shopping habits, all that is required is a trip to ASDA to pick up a promotional pack of Andrex toilet roll alongside your other shopping. If you win the draw, Andrex Puppy Points will pay your mortgage payments (or rent) up to the value of £12,000 for a year and it is free to enter. So you have nothing to lose and you get to wipe your bottom on very soft toilet paper.

Heres a step by step guide, just in case you missed the point:

Step 1 - Buy your special promotional pack of Andrex from ASDA stores from the 15th of March (for one week only).

Step 2 - Go to www.andrexpuppypoints.co.uk/asda and sign up

Step 3 - Enter the code on the inside of pack and you will qualify for one free entry into the competition.

Step 4 - Wait.

If you're the lucky winner, step 4 will be followed by step 5, which involves getting excited and jumping up and down. But of course, you need to be in it to win it. In fact, you don't need to get over excited, you probably buy Andrex anyway, after all it is the most popular toilet roll in the country. Can you believe that one in ten homes actually own an Andrex puppy?

Lambing Live Versus One Born Every Minute

2010-03-11T20:14:00.003Z

Currently on British television are two programmes about giving birth. One features sheep, one features humans. Yes, there is some confusion in this household too. It has been interesting to watch the programmes, amazing to see the similarities between humans and sheep. Sometimes lambs need bottle feeding and they can be rejected by their mothers. Both have ultrasounds, both wear woolly jumpers in winter.

Lambs clearly give birth a lot more easily than humans. No, I mean a lot more easily. Two births have stuck in my mind from the One Born Every Minute programme; the girl who was on her fifth baby, which literally just popped out and the girl who was screaming blue murder when she was about 1 mm dilated. Lambs don't do this. It would be disturbing if they did.

I recall that during my university Anatomy course we were told something about the modification of the pelvis as a result of upright walking causing all the pain in birth. Why is it then, that some people make more of a fuss/ its far more painful, than for others? My thought is that mind over matter has a lot to do with it, I could be wrong. Perhaps some of us walk more funny than others and have weirder shaped pelvis'. High heels can disguise anything.

So anyway, what makes a better birthing programme; lambs or humans? In terms of ability to eat dinner whilst watching, it has to be lambs, in terms or voyeurism it has to be humans. Both have been great television. One has a special poignancy for me; Lambs have a nice life, just not a very long one, sob.

What's a Slapper Mummy?

2010-03-10T19:31:00.006Z

"Errr, well, err, a clapper? that's one of those flappy, rattly things we use at music class."
"no mummeeeeee, a SLAPPER" (perfect pronunciation from Toddler boy for this word).
"It's someone who goes around slapping people hard, they are a very naughty person."
"like (insert name) at school?"
"yes, that's right...."

And yet again, I am praying for an inevitable situation not to happen...

Curse the youth of St Albans today and their loud voices, incessant talking (mainly swear words peppered with the odd verb) and lack or understanding of personal space.

Breaking the Rules, Being Neurotic or Just Plain Sensible?

2010-03-04T20:39:00.002Z

It all started off with good intentions. Toddler boy was going to go to pre-school today, honest. But then I started thinking. Should I send him? You know, what with all this sickness and diarrhea and chickenpox going around. The hubby then suggests that I keep him off, because he has an important appointment which he can't really miss at the start of next week and his sister is about to have her MMR (after the 4th month of rescheduling). This leads to a long convoluted discussion which revolves around the principle that if we didn't know people that had these conditions through friendship, we wouldn't know and so would just send him. All I could picture was the pre-school sick bowl I almost walked into on Tuesday morning, coupled with the smiling face of pre-school key worker "... don't worry this particular child is sick almost every morning, he works himself up...". I clearly looked shocked and disbelieving.

But, you see, if I kept the Toddler off, I could hardly take the baby to music class. A place that is notorious for germ catching (in the eyes of my mother) and somewhere which I love going to, but have to admit, was slightly put off by the baby throwing up about 1 inch from my shoe all over the instruments. (I'm sure they get cleaned though). OMG the dilemmas of parentood raise their head again.

Neurotic or not? In the end, I opted for a straw poll, I phoned my mum, the hubby (just to clarify his position) and my friend. 3 out of 3 people went for the self imposed quarantine and so I felt justified in staying at home. I was easily influenced by them, self preservation is becoming my key mode of thought and I didn't really fancy yet another night sitting on the cold, cold bathroom floor throwing my innards up into the loo.

However, the Toddler had other ideas as soon as he realised he wasn't going to school his attitude changed from " me no go school, me cry, me cry mamma, me no go" to " me want go school mamma, purlease, peease, purlease mamma". It's moments like this that require all the patience and steadfastness that one can summon up. Wavering decision making is clearly not the best parental trait. Note to self.

Self imposed quarantine brings with it its own issues. Guilt being the worst! 'I must try to make sure I cover as much of the EYFS framework as is humanly possible in a day' being one part of this guilty complex. Hence; building blocks, painting, printing, chalk, a walk and discussion about the weather, television, making pastry and then cooking a whole pie, reading, singing and finally indoor football.

Recite after me: "please God, don't punish me, keep my children healthy until after 10.00 on Tuesday morning, forgive me for encouraging, aiding and abetting this truancy, thank you very much..."

Aw Gawd; Its a Midlife Crisis

2010-03-02T08:39:00.003Z

Over the past few weeks I have come to the conclusion that I must be having a midlife crisis. Early, granted, but then men can have them early so why can't women? These are the factors;

A desire to have more children, purely because I probably can't for a number of reasons
A desire to completely revamp my wardrobe into slightly more glamorous less practical items, most of which I wore 'last time around'
The desire to do something MORE with my life
An inability to look in the mirror without seeing an old, fat hag
The feeling of slight embarrassment every time I step into my sensible car
A need to be contrary and argumentative about the silliest things
The taking of every opportunity to avoid my in-laws
A feeling of life passing me by
A desire to relive my youth, go out clubbing etc etc

Is this how men feel all the time?

Fantastic Mr Fox

2010-03-01T21:42:00.000Z

"Boggis and Bunce and Bean, one short, one fat one lean..." If these are words that resonate from your childhood, then you'll probably be aware that Fantastic Mr Fox was recently turned into a film.

It has one of the most stellar vocal casts I've ever seen- George Clooney, Meryl Streep, Michael Gambon and a sly cameo from Jarvis Cocker as Petey, are the highlights but nobody really puts a foot wrong. Unlike a lot of the computer animated affairs, the characters aren't homages to the voice talent either (Will Smith in any animation is definitely Will Smith).

In fact, the animation is in a league of its own. It doesn't try to compete with Pixar because lets be frank, everyone that tries to do that fails miserably but the animation is so charming, you can't help but love it.

But I'm getting a bit ahead of myself here, lets rewind a couple of weeks to a very generous invite to a private screening of Fantastic Mr Fox at 20th Century Fox's offices in London prior to today's DVD release (1st March). We also got a pre release copy of the DVD too. Which was nice. So obviously I'd seen the film about 5 times by yesterday morning.

M'laddo hadn't been to the cinema before and I must admit I was a little apprehensive that he would have the ability to concentrate and keep still for the duration of a film at the cinema. It's a bit different at home, he can wander around, grab a cheese sandwich, push his little sister over and so on and so forth. After all, he isn't quite 3 yet.

I shouldn't have worried though because as soon as the 20th Century Fox logo and anthem appeared (something my generation can't really separate from Star Wars), an absolutely smashing grin appeared on his chops that didn't disappear for approximately 83 minutes. He really was transfixed.

The film itself, in case you don't know the plot, follows the titular Mr Fox as he plans one last caper, a raid on the farms of his 3 nemesis's Farmers Boggis, Bunce and Bean. The raids go spectacularly well and incense the farmers. The farmers have their revenge though and try to dig him out of his home. Things escalate and soon it becomes a matter of life of death...

There are so many neat touches, the banter between Mr Fox's son Ash and his cousin Kristophersson are brilliant, really capturing the tension between youngsters. The use of the word "cuss" instead of swearing is inspired and has entered my daily lexicon to boot.

As well as a great vocal cast, the film has a truly cracking soundtrack. The characters wander around with little music players clipped to their belts, a nice touch, to provide us all with some musical accompaniment. We get Beach Boys, Rolling Stones and a new composition from Jarvis Cocker.

All in all its remarkably loyal to the book whilst being its own film and having its own style. I simply love the animation and hope they do another film using the same style. For M'laddo its joined "New BuzzLightyear" and "Flappy Bat" as one of his most favouritist films ever.

High praise indeed!

Cooking Masterclass: Rock Cake Recipe

2010-02-28T20:04:00.010Z

Rock Cakes are an ideal recipe for toddlers, they require lots of 'direct' contact with the ingredients and can be moulded into all manner of fun shapes.
This recipe is based on an old Good Housekeeping cookery book, but I have adapted it a bit to our tastes. It will make about 16 rock cakes, but this all depends on how big or small your toddler chooses to make them!

Heat the oven to 180 degrees
Grease a non stick baking tray
Measure 8 ounces of self raising flour and put it into a bowl
Measure 4 ounces of butter and put that in the bowl with the flour
Get your toddler to rub the flour and butter together using their (washed) hands
The mixture should resemble breadcrumbs
Measure 4 ounces of sugar and add this to the bowl with the above and mix
Measure 3/ 4 ounces of sultanas ( the recipe book suggests mixed fruit, but we prefer sultanas and sometimes add glace cherries)
Add the sultanas to the mixture along with a pinch of salt
Then we add one teaspoon of cinnamon, (however you can add half a teaspoon of mixed spice and half a teaspoon of nutmeg instead if you wish)
Add a beaten egg and some milk to the mixture and get your toddler to use a spoon to mix it all up, so that it becomes doughy and mould-able
Now the really fun part; one toddler handful equals one cake. Get them to mould it however they want and place them onto the greased tray
Place them in the oven at 180 degrees centigrade for between 15- 20 minutes

Enjoy them hot with some clotted cream, custard or just on their own...

Review; Flexibath

2010-02-28T14:41:00.000Z

The Flexibath is one of those ingenious ideas that you wish you had thought of. It's literally a baby bath that folds up, making it suitable for smaller bathrooms and travelling.
Whats more the Flexibath has received 2 prestigious design awards in Denmark and has been declared one of This Morning's best baby gadgets. The 'must have' for 2010! With this in mind we were given the chance to give it a test.

Bath-time in our house has been full of up's and down's. Over the last three years, we have had babies clamoring for a bath and babies positively refusing to have a bath. we have holidayed with our large standard baby bath and we have holidayed without. The one thing that we have done though, is save a lot of water by not using the big bath! This is why I recommend all new mums to invest in a baby bath; you will save money!

Having reviewed the Flexibath, I think that if you are going to buy a baby bath, this is probably the one to get. For these reasons;

Its surprisingly compact, you won't have to make a lot of space. It can fold away and be popped under the cot or by the bathroom cabinet.
The rubber lines which mark out the folds and the non-slip base make it a lot safer than a standard baby bath, your baby won't slip and slide about.
The plastic is good quality and will last for some time.
It comes in a range of funky colours!

I like the Flexibath primarily because it folds up and can be shoved out of the way. The way it folds is so simple it can be done in literally two seconds. Fifi enjoyed her bath in it as it is a fairly small safe place.

I think the size is one of the main draw backs; despite what the marketing says about it being suitable up until the age of four, it was too small for Toddler boy who at three, is not enormous by any stretch. By the time he fitted in, a lot of the water had been displaced! I was also concerned about how sturdy it was for him.

The only other criticism I have (and its a tiny one), is that the catch which helps you to clip it together hangs over the edge of the bath when it is opened to use it. This is a really tempting little bit of plastic for a child to hang onto, its also a little bit scratchy and can catch your baby if you are not careful.

In summary, the Flexibath is a really great product, at £34.95 its a bit more costly than your average bath, but the space saving implications outweigh the cost. If you are looking for suggestions for your 'baby list' you can't go wrong with this one.

Review: Hotter Shoes

2010-02-27T09:05:00.003Z

I've posted here before about how I haven't bought any shoes for years. This is partly my meanness, but also because I simply can't find anything comfortable and practical enough for me. I try to walk everywhere, this involves long distances. Frankly, I am stuck with a choice of Clarks shoes, or Clarks shoes, it just doesn't feel 'directional'. I could not believe my luck when an email popped into the box from the PR company representing Hotter Comfort Concept shoes.

Hotter shoes are a British company based in Skelmersdale, Lancashire that focus on the manufacturing of comfortable shoes. They have developed their own ‘Comfort Concept’ technology in the sole of the shoe that injects millions of tiny air bubbles to make a very light weight shoe. They also have a deep toe bed so that toes can move easily and flex out and concealed padding to offer even more comfort. The leather is soft, this helps them mould nicely to your feet.

Looking at the website, I have to admit, that I didn't think there was a great deal of choice for someone of my age. Many of the styles were clearly aimed at a slightly older market. However, there are a few gems such as the Starshine, and the Shake ones that I received to road test. These are, as my friend Jenni put it "...the sort of shoes that I have been searching for ages for, ideal for pushing the buggy, looking reasonably smart, but being comfortable..". The thing I liked about them was the choice of colours, it's hard to find shoes of a colour that are acceptable to go with a summer dress, but there are a few here.

The shoes arrived really promptly and were well packaged. It looked easy to return them if you weren't happy. This is something that does worry me about buying shoes off the Internet, as sizes and fit can vary a great deal. I was really surprised being a pessimist, but the shoes did fit me, the adjustable Velcro straps tighten them enough for them to be nice and comfortable.

In the name of fashion, I road tested my new footwear around the Galleria Shopping Centre in Hatfield. Not to far to walk in case of injury and a fairly child-friendly environment should I be left limping. I'm pleased to say that the shoes were great; they didn't rub, they were nice and comfy and I felt able to run after Fifi on her rampage around the shops with great ease. In fact, they were more comfortable than the pair of riding boots I've been clomping around in!

Hotter Comfort Concept shoes seem to retail between £50 and £60, as far as I am aware this is about the average price of a pair of shoes nowadays. The shoes are well made, unusual. It's great to be able to support a British company and I'll be keeping my eye on them with a view to acquiring another pair in the near future.

Songs and Memories Meme

2010-02-26T13:34:00.002Z

Sally at Who's the Mummy blog tagged me in this meme a few days ago.

These are the rules: “Name a song that reminds you of something, that has a story for you. Not necessarily your favourite song or a even a song that you love, but a song that instantly takes you back to that time and place.”

I have been finding it hard to think of one song above all others that takes me back to a place in time. I could name about 40 all of which take me back to moments in my life. Music is important to me, it always has been and I really do have a mental (this sounds wrong- but you know what I mean) soundtrack to my life.

Anyhow, as its Friday I have selected Madonna's classic "Into the Groove"

This song reminds me of my childhood. Me and my sister jumping up and down on the bed, desperate to be a cool as Madonna wearing our lace gloves and tying pom-poms in our hair. It reminds me of fun, happy times, of summer and of a sudden awareness of fashion. It's an instantly up-lifting song which brings a smile to my face even now.

I'm not sure who has done this one, so if you haven't- consider yourself tagged! That means you in particular Daddacool...

Wordless Wednesday; You Can Never Have Enough Interactives

2010-02-24T12:13:00.003Z

Happiness is a wooden chair

2010-02-24T08:40:00.001Z

It seems to me that if you are between the age of 1 and 3, the best thing in the world is a wooden chair. You can climb on it, rock on it (mild peril), sit on it, sit your toys on it, draw on it, gnaw it. What more could one possibly want?

At work with big knickers

2010-02-23T21:00:00.002Z

As you all know I work in a museum, we have a vast, varied collection which does include big knickers of the historic variety. In fact, I did spend some time documenting them. Most interesting to see how they have changed over time in size, construction and fabric. But that's not what this blog is about.

You see, today, for the first time since pregnancy I felt compelled to wear some big knickers. Proper Bridget Joners. I've never done this before, but at the moment I have a thing about general fatness. My arms look fat and my tummy looks flabby. I also have a thing about not looking like a frumpy mummy. The two are not a good combination for someone who used to run three miles per day and do 100 sit- ups and 100 press-ups morning and night.

Big knickers are not comfortable, especially when one sits at a desk. Big knickers are not terribly flattering in profile. Big knickers are a sign of apathy about healthy eating. Big knickers do not contribute to overall feelings of attractiveness. Big knickers are a sign of age. Soon I will be closer to forty than 21 (ahem, ok 30). I think I'm having a mid-life crisis early. Big knickers are not for me. They also make you feel incredibly self conscious at work.

Sleepytot Competition

2010-02-23T20:16:00.003Z

Lucy at Sleepytot has been really helpful to us here offering lots of free advice to deal with Fifi's sleeping issues. I love her Sleepytot comforter, well, Fifi loves it I am in awe of it. In fact, I thought it was so good that I have been buying them for all my friends with new babies!

Anyhow, she sent me this press release for a competition she is running. I post it here because, aside from anything else, I think its worth heading over to her site to have a little look.

Looking back on all the baby stuff you bought or had given to you from friends and family, how much of it did you actually use?

Since the day your little bundle arrived, you’ve probably been on the steepest learning curve of your life. There's no other role which forces us to learn so much, so quickly, while working on the job 24 hours a day!

With this comes the stuff you buy to actually solve a problem, to make your life easier, and to make your baby happy. It seems that we all come to the end of the first year with three baby products that we rave about.

It might be a fantastic toy, a baby sleep product, something for bath time, a baby guide book, or a feeding product. Anything that made your life easier.

Whatever it was, Sleepytot want to know about it. Why? Because they’re compiling the first ever Practical Baby Gift Guide. This ultimate guide will be totally free and available to all parents and parents-to- be, their friends and their families.

In return for your feedback, your email address will be entered into a prize draw to win £50 of Sleepytot vouchers.

Head over to Sleepytot (http://www.sleepytot.com/community.phtml) to vote today!

Washing, the easy way

2010-02-23T07:20:00.003Z

I'm quite ashamed about this one, but the other say I was looking at the enormous (no, I mean really enormous) estimated 8 loads of washing, pile of washing and I thought to myself that this must be what they invented Fabreeze (or other branded/ non-branded potent smell eradicators) for.

So anyway, I availed myself of some and before you knew it, there was a few more days wear in some jeans, trousers and wool jumpers. Ahem. But think of the greenhouse gas emissions I am saving! I remember reading somewhere that doing the laundry was one of the major contributors to climate change. There, that's a few more nano-seconds of planet Earth then. That's the hubby's electricity bill reduced. That's a fresh perfume smell whenever someone wearing those items of clothing walks into a room. A win- win all round. Why is it that I feel so incredibly ashamed of myself then?

I'm Not Very Good at Potty Training

2010-02-22T09:30:00.000Z

The title says it all, apathy fear of ruining carpets and sofa's and the EFFORT involved has lead to several half-hearted attempts. Needless to say, I have read the books, looked at the signs and tried all manner of bribery. I think Toddler Boy feels pretty much the same as me, he is dry at night and perfectly capable of pulling pants up and down. In fact, he actually puts his nappy on and off for me. However, he simply WILL NOT use a potty of any description, in fact, on one occasion he actually stood next to the potty wearing his super hero pants, told me he needed to go and wee'ed next to the potty.

Helen who runs BabyKind has attempted to help by sending me a Weeman Mini Urinal. Toddler boy is fascinated by this, unfortunately his dad can't directly demonstrate it, due to the potential splash back! However, it has been the thing that he has shown the most interest in, so I have my fingers crossed. So far, I have also purchased the Fisher Price Royal Potty, a Mothercare toiler trainer seat and a Baby Bjorn potty, I'm quite enjoying the shopping! I'm not enjoying tripping over all the paraphenalia every time I go to the toilet

Questions then, how do you get a Toddler who is capable but is not silly/ does not want to put in the effort to Potty Train? Bribery seems to have little effect...

Book Review; Little Croc's Purse by Lizzie Finlay

2010-02-21T08:41:00.001Z

Little Croc's Purse was given to us for review by Random House. This is the story of a little crocodile who finds a purse full of money, he then finds himself in a dilemma about what to do with it and is given lots of advice by other crocodiles. Thus allowing the author to cover a lot of moral and childhood themes including bullying, friendship and looking after your stuff.

All in all, this is a wonderfully illustrated and presented little book with some great opportunities for discussion. I think that my nearly three year old is still a little bit young to appreciate the themes, but we did enjoy looking at the illustrations and talking about each of the crocodiles and their personalities.

Personally, I enjoyed looking through this book and reading it to him. It's a real visual gem with a thought provoking tale. I feel quite inspired to make a little fabric crocodile for him. so, another book to recommend and one which will stay on our bookshelf for a good few years to come.

Book Review; Dog Loves Books by Louise Yates

2010-02-21T08:23:00.000Z

Random House publishers asked me to try this book out with Toddler Boy and Fifi and I am only too happy to oblige! Dog Loves Books is the story of Dog who loves books so much, that he opens up his own bookshop. At first, the bookshop is unpopular, so he decides to read all the books. When a customer finally comes in, he knows which books are the ones to recommend.

This is a genius story which we read when Toddler Boy's friends the Little Garden Helpers were over to play. It kept all the kids amused and best of all, the story is one that subtly encourages children to read more. We like a bit of good brain washing in this house, so I heartily approve of the story. The illustrations are nicely unusual and felt accessible. Overall, the book is nicely presented. It's great to find a book that my children like which doesn't involve super-hero's or television/film characters!

This book has become a firm favourite in our house and has sparked off a few drawing sessions. Well worth acquiring, if you have a toddler. It scores very highly in our house!