Dear Riley - 10 Months Old

Dear Riley,

Weight: 15lbs 3oz

Clothes Size: 6 - 9 Months

Nappy Size: Pampers Baby Dry Size 4

Last Friday you turned 10 months old (7 and a half months adjusted). I've loved every second of being your mummy but this is definitely my most favourite stage so far. The interaction between us now is so much fun and you really are quite a character. I look at you and my heart melts into a puddle of love. Your tiny little face, your mop of blonde hair, your two beautiful blue eyes that i continually get lost in, your sweet little nose and your never ending smile. You are pure sunshine, my pride and joy and a total delight to be around. 

Everybody who knows you LOVES you and those who don't WANT too! I feel so blessed and proud to call you mine.

*This month you got your second tooth through, you now have one at the top and one at the bottom. Mummy also has a feeling your third will be putting in an appearance pretty soon. Your million dollar smile is now even cuter and more perfect with two pearly whites to show off, no more toothless grins! You're definitely not a fan of the whole teething process and you make this point known to Daddy and i that's for sure. It disrupts your sleep (and ours). Your constantly munching, chomping, chewing and biting anything and everything that will fit into your mouth and you can dribble for England too!

*You can say 'Mama' which feels pretty amazing and melts my heart everytime, although truth be told 'Dada' is still your preferred word of choice and you are definitely a daddy's boy. When he comes home at the weekend after working away all week, your little face lights up and your eyes follow him wherever he goes. 

*You're still not sitting up, which is incredibly frustrating as mummy has tried everything (and i continue to do so on a daily basis) but you've no interest in it whatsoever and the health visitor isn't concerned by it, so i'm sure you'll do it in your own time. It hasn't hindered your progress. In fact, you're a pretty active baby, ALWAYS kicking your legs, ALWAYS waving your arms and grabbing hold of your toys and you're constantly rolling from your back to your front and wriggling around on the floor everywhere. You've even started to tuck your legs up to your chest, lift your bum in the air and do a few shuffles forward so you'll be crawling in no time.

*You are really getting in to your food these days and i'm amazed at just how much of it you can eat, since you're still a tiny little thing and don't appear to be putting much weight on. You still have milk in the morning and before you go to bed at night but throughout the day you have cooled boiled water or juice and then three solid feeds for breakfast, lunch and dinner. You like snacking on fruits, vegetables and occasionally savoury foods but your absolute most favourite thing is petit filous yoghurts......in ANY flavour. 

*For the very first time, you seem to be in a proper routine, though i'm sure this could change at any moment. You generally wake about half 6, have a nap mid-morning and then a nap mid-afternoon. Your naps are usually at least an hour and a half, which means we both are rested when you get up. You have a bath every evening, milk, cuddles and then bed. More often than not you sleep right through, although you have been poorly this past week with a viral infection and cold, as has mummy so things have been harder than usual as neither of us are sleeping too well.

*You love to get tickles, you love to have cuddles and you love to play with your toys. Peek-a-boo is definitely a favourite and you've learned to pull the blanket on and off your face to elicit our surprise and delight at finding you again and again. You also LOVE Peppa Pig and your head shoots round to face the TV any time you here the theme tune come on.

It's all going by a bit too fast these days. Mummy wants you to slow down and stay a baby for just a little while longer. But there are just too many exciting things out there waiting for you to discover. So many adventures to be had. You're growing every day, learning new things every day, taking in your surroundings every day. The tiny helpless baby i brought in to the world is blossoming into a beautiful, clever and VERY cheeky little boy...... i wouldn't change anything about you or the last 10 months for the world.

To Daddy and i, you are completely perfect in every single way and you've  brought us so much joy and happiness.

As ever Riley, keep happy, keep safe and keep healthy

Love From Mummy xxx

Riley's Wardrobe Wishlist - Next

If there's one thing i love more than dressing myself, it's dressing my boy! 

Here's what we're lusting over for his wardrobe this week:

1//2//3//4

Win Tickets To The Baby & Toddler Show At Bluewater

The Baby & Toddler Show supported by Emma's Diary is running for the first time from 

Friday 5th October 2012 - Sunday 7th October 2012 at Glow, the new exhibition centre at Bluewater Shopping Centre, Kent.

Whether you're a new or expectant parent, this fresh and exciting event will prepare you for every aspect of parenthood and provide you with everything you need to give you and your baby the best possible start. The show will save visitors time and money with huge deals on top brands and baby essentials, plus unique and useful products not available on the high street. 

ALL the big names will be there including Bugaboo, iCandy, Britax, Mamas & Papas, Maxi-Cosi, Quinny, BabyStyle, Bloom, Cosatto and many more.

* Test, try, compare and buy from over 200 brands.

*Meet knowledgeable brand experts for hands on demostrations and advice on products to suit your lifestyle and budget.

*Guaranteed special offers and best prices on car seats, pushchairs, prams, buggies and furniture.

*Specially designed workshops with expert advice on feeding, sleeping, nutrition, finance and more.

Plus...

*FREE parking with extra wide spaces and easy access.

*Access to over 60 restaurants with baby feeding and changing facilities.

*FREE goody bag packed full with gifts and samples of products worth more than the price of your ticket.

Opening Times:

Friday 5th October 2012 - 1pm to 8pm

Saturday 6th October 2012 - 10am to 5pm

Sunday 7th October 2012 - 10am to 5pm

Ticket Prices:

Adult ticket price £10 or £7.50 when booking two or more tickets. If you visit the Baby & Toddler Show website here, you can purchase 2 tickets for £10 using code BT35.

Whats more, the organisers of the Baby & Toddler Show are very kindly offering my readers the chance to win 1 of 5 pairs of tickets. To be in with a chance of winning, simply enter using the rafflecopter form below.

Good Luck & Hopefully See Some Of You There!

Vikki xxx

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Lamaze Turtle Tunes Review

I was recently contacted by the lovely people at Born Gifted to see if i would be interested in reviewing one of their products. Born Gifted are a UK based company created in 2002 by founders Jim and Penny Wilson who decided to leave behind their 9-5 jobs and embark on the exciting new challenge of starting their own business. They chose to focus on e-commerce in the baby gift and toy sector because at the time, there was a real lack of exciting products available to the online consumer. The team at Born Gifted are extremely  passionate about what they do and this is reflected in their high standards and customer service. Their drive and hard work has ensured that the company is now one of the market leaders in online children's gifts and toys. They very kindly sent Riley and I one of their Lamaze Turtle Tunes to review.

Reinventing musical play, the Lamaze Turtle Tunes is an adorable plush turtle with a brightly coloured musical shell that features touch sensors for easy activation. As your little one touches the vibrant coloured spots on the turtle's shell, different musical notes are played. There are three different music modes to choose from including a piano, a horn and a melody segment and these can be easily  changed using the switch underneath. To access the switch, all you have to do is turn the turtle over and separate the velcro on his tummy - simple!

 Included with the turtle is a songbook which has been coded to coincide with the coloured spots on the shell and with a full octave of musical notes available, there are endless possibilities for musical creativity. Riley's favourite melody by far is 'Twinkle Twinkle Little Star'. 

As with all Lamaze toys there is a careful balance between bright, high contrast patterns that help stimulate baby's vision and bold, solid colours that give your baby's eye a place to rest. Sounds like the crinkling of the turtle's feet, along with the musical notes of the shell help to stimulate and awaken auditory awareness. Safe and easy for little hands to manipulate, the turtle, along with all Lamaze products features a soft velour material that invites cuddling and playing whilst different textures and interactive components keep baby engaged in fun playtime.

Features:

*Choose from 3 different music modes

*Shell is colour coded to coincide with book

*Touch sensors allow for easy activation

*Song book included

*2 x AA batteries included

*Suitable from birth to 2 years

So, what did we think?

Well, if your little one is a budding musician or a lover of animals or if as a parent you're looking for a toy that is fun and stimulating, then the Lamaze Turtle Tunes is the one for you. We've had endless hours of fun with this toy already and it's many interactive components keep Riley engaged and thoroughly entertained for longer periods of time. He particularly likes the little tune played when you first turn the turtle on and grins from ear to ear as the turtle says 'bye bye' when turned off. It gets a BIG thumbs up from us!

The Lamaze Turtle Tunes is available to purchase from Born Gifted for £22.99. They offer free standard UK delivery on all orders or you can pay a little extra to guarantee next day delivery.

You can visit Born Gifted at: www.borngifted.co.uk
You can follow Born Gifted on Twitter at: www.twitter.com/borngifted_shop

You can also like Born Gifted on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/borngifted.co.uk

Disclosure: I was sent a Lamaze Turtle Tunes for the purpose of this review but all views and opinions expressed are honest and entirely my own.

Guest Post - Fabulous Baby Shower Ideas

A baby shower is a wonderful opportunity to give the mother-to-be the perfect well-wishing send-off surrounded by her closest family and friends, before she sets off onto the path of motherhood. It’s also a great chance to create an utterly unique and bespoke event for the mother which she’ll remember forever.

Here is a handy guide to ensure you throw the perfect baby shower.

The Theme
Here are some great theme ideas for your baby shower:
Gender reveal party-usually organised by the mother herself or by a friend who also knows the secret. It’s a great opportunity for everyone involved to be made to feel part of the pregnancy as they learn what the new arrival will be. To reveal the news you could use banners, ‘balloon in a box’ or pink confetti to reveal the news. Another great idea is to conceal it in a cake. When the cake is cut the centre will have been dyed either pink or blue, revealing the babies identity.

Garden party-this is a great idea for a summertime shower. Decorate with lots of fresh flowers and plants, use floral invitations, release Chinese lanterns into the sky and choose great summery party food or simply BBQ to make it a memorable baby shower packed with all the fun of the summer.

Food And Drink
This is a very important aspect of the party and a great opportunity to be creative:

Tea party food- why not make it a classy, stylish affair with posh finger food, canapés, cupcakes and pastries. For those who fancy a tipple, make great summer champagne cocktails like Bellini’s or for those who don’t feel like a drink, especially the mother! Try virgin cocktails or traditional drinks like cloudy lemonade or dandelion and burdock.

Rustic al fresco style food-this works especially well for a garden party. Pick foreign breads, pates, cold meats, homemade cakes, classic pizzas, cheeses etc. to give the party that rural, traditional feel.

Games
 A baby shower is a great chance to have some fun and these games will surely give the fun factor:

Pin the baby on the mum-a great alternative to the classic ‘pin the tail on the donkey’ game.

Baby bingo-print cards filled with baby related words and phrases and pull them out of the hat just like classic bingo.

Author Bio: This article was provided  by First Birthday Party, UK based specialists in decorations and gifts to create the perfect baby shower.

Yoomi Giveaway

Earlier today i posted about the fabulous Yoomi 8oz Feeding system. You can read my review here. If you'd like the chance to win one for yourself, then please read on...

Giveaway time!

The lovely people at Yoomi are kindly offering ONE lucky reader the chance to win their own Yoomi 8oz Feeding System.

The set contains:

*1 x 8oz feeding bottle

*1 x slow flow teat

*1 x warmer

*1 x charging pod

To enter and be in with a chance of winning, all you need to do is complete the rafflecopter below.

Good Luck!

Vikki xxx

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Guest Post - Perfect Birthday Presents For Toddlers

Trying to come up with birthday gift ideas for any child can be difficult, but thinking of the perfect birthday present for a toddler can sometimes feel like an impossible task! Do you buy an activity-based item, a digital gift, or an artistic gift?  

Here are some gift ideas for kids ages one through to three.

1. Wooden Puzzles

Wooden puzzles are a great choice, because they’re durable, brightly-coloured, and are specially-designed for small fingers. These puzzles also help in the development of hand-eye coordination. Choose one that isn’t too difficult; generally, 10 pieces or less is your best bet.

2. Dolls

Dolls aren’t just for little girls! Boys love to play with dolls too, and can develop different skill sets as a result. Choose dolls that aren’t locked in certain facial features or characteristics; this helps bring out the child’s imagination since the doll can be a boy or a girl, happy or sad. If available, choose a few outfits as well.

3. Board Books

Every child likes to look at and “read” books. Board books are built to be a bit tougher than regular paper books, and so last a bit longer despite being chewed on, dropped, and thrown around. Some have peek-a-boo flaps for a more interesting read.

4. White Board

Small white boards (also called dry-erase boards) are greatfun for toddlers. They usually come with dry-erase markers, but you can get dry-erase crayons that are chemical-free. Make sure you buy an eraser, too!

5. Tool Sets

Lots of kids like to “build” things, so why not buy them a tool set? The toddler will be able to screw in screws, hammer, measure, and crank together pieces.

6. Puppets

Puppets encourage the child care provider or parent to enjoy interactive play. Kids can play peek-a-boo, role-play, or have stories read to them in funny voices using the puppet.

One or more of these gift suggestions are sure to make a big hit with the toddler on your birthday list. If you’re still stuck, ask one of their parents for more ideas.

For more birthday gift ideas, visit Born Gifted.

Disclosure: This guest post was written for Love From Mummy by Craig Barnes of Custard Media.

Yoomi 8oz Feeding System Review

I have read various testimonials on the internet and seen many a conversation on Twitter about the Yoomi Feeding System, but have always wondered if it is really as good as everyone says it is. As many of my readers will already know, Riley was born 10 weeks prematurely last November and consequently was fed expressed breast milk by NGT (nasal gastric tube) for the first 4 weeks of his life. When the time came to introduce bottle feeding, we encountered numerous problems and had to try every brand out there to find one he would take to. Eventually we discovered MAM anti-colic bottles with an orthodontic shaped teat which were fantastic (if not a tad on the expensive side) and they have served us well, but we are always looking to try new things so when the opportunity came up to test the Yoomi 8oz Feeding System we jumped at the chance!

Yoomi's Story

Yoomi are a London based company created in 2009 by husband and wife team, Farah and John. Their own personal experiences of late night bottle warming and lack of facilities when out and about inspired them  to look for an alternative and better solution. Working as a team, the pair combined Farah's inspiration and Jim's engineering skills, together with expert advice and help from family/friends to turn their dream into a reality - the Yoomi Self Warming Bottle was born!

Yoomi's Design - The Clever Bit

The Yoomi bottle contains a unique warmer that is activated by pressing the orange button. This triggers the internal solution to warm the unit in just 60 seconds. The cold feed is then gently warmed as it flows through the specially designed channels and by the time it reaches the teat, it is at natural breast milk temperature.
N.B. The warmer needs charging before use and this can be done up to 150 times before the unit needs replacing.

The Yoomi Feeding system is perfectly safe and has undergone rigorous testing by industry experts to ensure it meets the highest possible safety standards. All Yoomi parts are 100% BPA free and non-toxic. As an extra precaution, a food colourant has been added to the gel contained within the warmer to ensure that any leaks are visible.

Yoomi's team of highly skilled engineers and designers have developed a high performance baby bottle that gently warms baby's feed to the right temperature, quickly and safely. Parents can feel at ease knowing that the bottle's design and safety features make it impossible for your baby to be exposed to unsafe temperatures from either the bottle or the warmer.

Additionally, the six anti-colic vents allow air to pass out of the teat rather than bubbling through the feed when baby drinks. This can help to prevent colic and offers a relaxed and comforting feed.

Our Thoughts And Verdict

The Yoomi Feeding System came in a neat little storage box, complete with clear and concise instructions. The 8oz feeding set contains:
*1 x 8oz feeding bottle
*1 x Yoomi warmer
*1 x Yoomi pod
*1 x medium flow teat

One of the best things about the Yoomi bottle is that it can be used on its own or with the warmer and all accessories/bottles across the range are interchangeable. The bottle itself is of a very generous size and you can easily fit a whole 8oz feed in it, which is not always possible with other brands. It takes no time at all to assemble and is very easy to use.


 Another positive thing about the bottle is it's shape, which makes the bottle comfortable and easy to hold when feeding. Additionally, the teat has a natural feel and shape to it so perfect for breastfeeding mothers looking to start combination feeds or for assistance with transition from breast to bottle.

 I would highly recommend this product to all mums as it's not only great for those late night feeds but is also handy for when you're out and about too. No more pleading with restaurants etc. for some hot water. It really is a fantastic invention and i only wish i'd known about it back in the early days.
The Yoomi 8oz Feeding System is available to purchase for £24.99

You can visit Yoomi at: www.yoomi.com
You can follow Yoomi on Twitter at: www.twitter.com/yoomibottle 

You can also like Yoomi on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/yoomibottle

Disclosure: I was sent a Yoomi 8oz Feeding System for the purpose of this review but all views and opinions expressed are honest and entirely my own.

See It! Snap It! Love It! - Vintage

This photography linky is hosted by the lovely Lucy over at Dear Beautiful Boy . A weekly challenge to look for pretty things (within a set theme) and capture them for the world to see. The theme this week is 'Vintage'.

I have this gorgeous vintage style accessory in my jewellery box at home, i have no idea where i got it from and it rarely comes out these days to be honest but i love it just the same and it seemed rather fitting for this weeks theme.

If you feeling like having a go and joining in with the challenge yourself, then click the badge below and link up your post over at Dear Beautiful Boy.

Happy Snapping Everyone!!!

Vikki xxx

My Pocket Buddy Review

Since having Riley one item never missing from my changing bag or pocket is hand sanitiser. Keeping hands clean and germ free is paramount for us, especially with a premature baby around the house and as his immune system is less developed than a full term baby, he's more at risk of infections and viruses. So, when the opportunity came up to review My Pocket Buddy on-the-go hand sanitiser from Opure i jumped at the chance.

My Pocket Buddy has been scientifically formulated o kill 99.99% of germs, whilst still being kind to your hands. Not only is it alcohol free, allergen free and made from 100% natural ingredients, but it's effective in seconds, rapidly reducing the numbers of germs, bacteria, viruses and fungi on the skin. There are no nasties or harsh chemicals in any of their products so you can be reassured as a parent that My Pocket Buddy is being kind to even the most delicate of little hands.

Opure's product range includes a 50ml foamer for adults, a 500ml foaming dispenser for the home and this 8ml pen spray for children. These funky pen sprays are small and compact enough for little hands to operate and have been designed especially for children to use whilst at nursery or school. They fit perfectly into a pencil case, lunchbox, school bag, pocket or changing bag.

So what did we think?
Well, Riley's at that inquisitive stage where his little hands are always up to something, often touching or picking up anything within reach and putting it straight in his mouth. With My Pocket Buddy to hand, i felt more relaxed and didn't need to worry about any nasty germs. The product is quick and easy to use and dries super-fast without leaving behind a sticky residue. (Ideal when you have a mischievous wriggling baby to contend with!). Plus with 100% natural ingredients such as Aloe Vera, our hands were left feeling clean, refreshed and moisturised.

Additionally, the pen shaped spray introduces an element of fun to proceedings and encourages children to take responsibility for their own personal hygiene.

It gets a BIG thumbs up from us!

Features:
*Up to 75 sprays.
*Alcohol-free, allergen-free, fragrance-free and paraben-free.
*Made from 100% natural ingredients.
*No synthetic or harsh chemicals.
*Kills 99.99% of germs.
*Packaging is made from recyclable materials.
*Solvent-free, non-toxic and non-flammable.

The My Pocket Buddy Pen Spray is available to purchase from Opure for £0.96 (£1.79 including p&p) - An absolute steal if you ask me.

You can visit My Pocket Buddy at: www.mypocketbuddy.co.uk
You can follow My Pocket Buddy on Twitter at: www.twitter.com/mypocketbuddy 

You can also like My Pocket Buddy on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/mypocketbuddy

Disclosure: I was sent a My Pocket Buddy Pen Spray  for the purpose of this review but all views and opinions expressed are honest and entirely my own.

Guest Post - Pass Smart Child Seat Guide

Choosing the correct car seat is crucial. Not only do you have to have the right seat for your child's age and size, but it also needs to be suitable for your car. The safety of your child is the most important thing, so you want to make sure you know everything you need to know before deciding on a car seat. In this guide we look at the types of child seats available, what you need to look out for, and how to install them.

Weight groups

All child seats are required to pass European standards, and must be safety approved in order to fit into a child seat 'group'. There are four weight groups, ranging from carriers for newborn babies to booster seats for older children.

• Group 0 and 0+ (infant carrier) for newborns weighing up to 10kg or up to 13kg 

• Group 1 (child seats) for babies weighing between 9 and 18kg 

• Group 2 and 3 (booster seats) for children weighing between 15 and 25kg 

• Group 3 (booster cushions) for older children of between 22 and 36kg

Weighing your child in kilograms is the first step in choosing a car seat for your child. After buying your first seat, you should continue to weigh your child on a regular basis, because, as we all know, children grow very fast, and you may need to change their seat sooner than you expect.

Reading your manual

We're all guilty of skimming over instruction manuals, but when it comes to car seats, reading through your manual is important. This is where you'll find out if your car seat is compatible with your car, and any information you may need to know about installing or using the seat. Keep the manual in the glove box in case you ever need it on your travels.

Your manual will soon become your best friend when it comes to the ins and outs of using your child seat, because, although mums can do most things, they don't teach you about your car's confusing fittings and fixtures in your driving lessons.

Isofix seats

Although many car seats are labelled universal, they don't necessarily fit in all cars. The manual will not only tell you whether or not your car and seat are compatible, but it will also let you know the correct category and size class if you're choosing an Isofix child seat.

Isofix was developed in the 90's and was designed to make plugging in child seats easier for parents. Because standard seat belts are designed to keep adult passengers safe, installing a car seat can prove difficult. Isofix seats fix this issue by providing small attachments for the seat to simply plug into. Not only are Isofix seats practical and easy to use, but they also enhance safety as the child is connected directly to the structure of the car.

Where should you put them?

Now that you've done all of the research and made the purchase, you need to know where in the car to put it. The safest place for your child is in the back, middle seat. In this position, there are no hard objects directly in front of them, and they are the furthest point away in case of a side impact.

If, however, you and your child are alone in the car, it may be better for them to sit in the front seat with you. This way, if they start to cry, you won't be distracted by turning around. If they are seated in the front seat, they must be in a front facing seat and as far away from the dashboard as possible. A child in a rear facing seat will be in an extremely vulnerable position should the passenger airbag activate.

Buying a child seat can be confusing, but as long as you know what to look out for, finding your child the perfect seat is easy.

Disclosure: This guest post was written for Love From Mummy by Isabelle Guarella of PassSmart.com.

Riley's Wardrobe Wishlist

1 // 2 // 3 // 4 //

See It! Snap It! Love It! - Tears

This photography linky is hosted by the lovely Lucy over at Dear Beautiful Boy . A weekly challenge to look for pretty things (within a set theme) and capture them for the world to see. The theme this week is 'Tears'.

I'm truly blessed to have a very happy and content little boy who rarely cries (verging on never) so when he does, i know something's wrong.
Thankfully it's nothing major, but at the moment he has some more toothy pegs cutting through so he's been rather clingy and unsettled.

Although i don't like to see him cry, i still think he looks just as beautiful.

Riley and i were thrilled to be chosen as 'Photo Of The Week' for last week and will be displaying our winners badge with pride. We've therefore chosen next weeks theme which is 'Vintage'.

If you feeling like having a go and joining in with the challenge yourself, then click the badge below and link up your post over at Dear Beautiful Boy.

Happy Snapping Everyone!!!

Vikki xxx