Thursday 14 November 2013

Hipp Organic pouches review!

Good Morning everyone! We have been very lucky recently and able to test the Hipp Organic range! As parents to our little boy we have been through the struggles of finding foods he will eat, foods that are easy to transport, and foods that are affordable! This, is all 3!



We received a parcel containing lots of different flavours. To begin with,we have the 4+ month pouches. The flavours were
• plum, pear & blackcurrant
• parsnip, sweet squash and chicken
• sweet squash, sweetcorn and peas
• parsnip, sweet potato and broccoli

Then we had 7+ month pouches. These flavours were
• hearty cottage pie
• vegetable and chicken risotto
• sweet potato, cauliflower and sweetcorn bake
• mild tomato and chicken curry

Finally, we had a selection of 4+ month small (dessert size) pouches. These flavours were
• apples and baby rice
• banana and baby rice
• peaches and baby rice
• peach, mango and banana with yoghurt
• banana, apple and apricot with yoghurt

What a lovely variety! You have the traditional meals with cottage pie and curry, yet different combinations such as the plum, pear and blackcurrant, for the little one to explore.

Flavour wise, these were lovely. They smelt like real food rather than the processed blobs some companies provide! We set about testing them all out straight away, and found that most were accepted by the little one, which is rare! The only ones he was slightly reluctant on were the curry and cottage pie, which he does have homemade at times. He still ate some, but didn't finish it all on these. The sweet ones though - wow! He gobbled these like nobody's business! The small pouches were literally gone in a few minutes, especially both peach ones! If you have a sweet toothed baby in particular like us, these are definitely for you!

Preference of these pouches was a cold temperature. For all flavours. They were more easily accepted cold than when we warmed them, and more was eaten. We kept them in a cold area - not as cold as the fridge, but slightly below the average room temperature!

When it came to trips out, these were so handy! They are slim and compact, so easy to slide into a handbag or changing bag. We used to use the glass jar foods, which in a bag took up space, and made us wary of putting the bag down too hard! With these, it doesn't matter how hard you throw the bag, it won't break!

Design wise, it is rather good. The seal is super tight, and we haven't encountered any leaks - even after opening, resealing and squeezing it as a test! Another highly positive about this packet, is the nozzle. It is think yet wide enough to allow the food easily through, it means everything is focused in the direction it needs to go accurately - no food sprays or splatters when squeezing into the bowl. Our little boy also liked sucking it like a straw. Now obviously, that's not the original design, and there are warnings to supervise use, we held the packet and the nozzle if he wanted to suck it, so we know it won't go anywhere. Just one warning regarding this product though - the edges of the packet can be a bit rough! Not on all of them, but on a few we had some sharp edging, which as we picked them up, caused scratches and cuts. So please be wary of how you handle them, and don't leave in reach of children!

Overall, we love these pouches! Tasty, convenient, and best of all - DIFFERENT! You can find these pouches now in your nearest supermarket and all good stockists.

Thankyou Hipp, a great new range!

And now for all of our lovely readers, see for yourself! Working in partnership with Hipp we are giving you the chance to win a £25 Hipp hamper, full of goodies to enjoy! To enter simply complete the rafflecopter form via the facebook page https://www.facebook.com/mummysmakingmemories !

Best of luck, and enjoy! :) xx





Wednesday 28 August 2013

Arts and crafts!

Morning everyone!

You are never too small nor too big for a bit of arts and crafts!

We have a new facebook site especially for this! With many many ideas all supported with photos of actual results, and regular competitions, you won't want to miss out! Head on over now!

Www.facebook.com/kolourfulkiddies !!!

The last few days have been spent planning, and we will be uploading AT LEAST 1 craft post per day!

Plenty to keep the kiddies happy and engaged!

Hope you enjoy it :)

Monday 26 August 2013

Competition winner!

Good morning everyone!

We have a winner announcement today!

Congratulations to Michelle Sykes for winning our MAM bundle!

More competitions to follow very soon, keep your eyes peeled! :)

Have a lovely bank holiday!

X

Wednesday 21 August 2013

MAM Oral Care Bunny review!

This week we received a wonderful parcel from MAM! And boy have we been busy testing! 



This is the oral care rabbit! He's super cute, and super effective! We struggle in our house to get little monkey to open his mouth, so it's all guesswork going with a toothbrush! Never actually knowing what's reached and what isn't! Also, even though I know it is soft bristle, I still worry about hurting little monkeys gums! So receiving this I breathed a huge sigh of relief! We put it into action straight away, and have been using ever since!

The design is fantastic. It is eye catching for the child and very cute! The slot is easy to fit your finger into, with no faffing about. So it's just as quick as using the toothbrush!



In actual use, it speeds up brushing time! Rather than fighting to get his mouth open its straight in! I feel a lot safer using the bunny as I can tell how far into his mouth I am, and clean all of his gums, so we don't miss anything. All the while my little monkey is distracted by having something fun in his face rather than a stick!

It's really simple to clean too, no harder than rinsing your toothbrush, and no bristles to get in between where it all dries hard - yuck!

Since we have been using this, toothy time has been much more relaxed. As a result, monkey is happy, mummy is happy, and we have a better oral care routine! What more could you ask for from it?!



This highly recommended product is available at good retailers such as the MAM online store, amazon, and toys r us! It's available in blue or pink, so if you have a prince or princess you are catered for! 

Thanks to MAM for another wonderful creation!





Saturday 17 August 2013

Competition time!

Good evening everyone!
We have a very special competition lined up for you - and it starts now!

We have teamed up with the lovely people at MAM to bring you a selection of their wonderful products!
This is the must have prize for all of you parents/parents to be/grandparents/aunts/uncles.... Etc!

First up we have the MAM snack pot - ideal for taking those healthy snacks along with you! Dishwasher safe, microwaveable and freezeable, it's practicalities won't fail to amaze!

Next we have the MAM baby's cutlery set - with non slip curved handles these are designed to help baby (6 months plus) coordinate food to mouth! Brilliant start to the weaning process!

And finally, we have not one, not two, but THREE mam night soothers! With their silk teat and very cute glow in the dark design, these are perfect for any nursery! And what's more, they are suitable for 0 months + !

So what are you waiting for - this bundle could be winging its way to you very soon!

Fill in the form via our facebook page www.facebook.com/mummysmakingmemories , or via this link http://bit.ly/13JQ9hH , and cross those fingers and toes!

Good luck everyone!


Thursday 1 August 2013

Starlight Mobile review!


The lovely people at Mattel have sent us a wonderful new mobile for our little monkey!

It is the Fisher Price Starlight Cot Mobile and is available now from Boots, Argos and other good stockists - see http://www.fisher-price.com/en_GB/Products/FindaProduct/index.html?&catCode=cribs_mobiles,

First up, the style. It is a standard cot attachment, with a long arm. Off of this arm are some adorable teddy bears holding onto mirrored stars, with more stars underneath. On the unit there are 2 additional coloured stars, which light up. All fairly straight forward. However, on top of the arm. There is a light. And over this light, cut outs of the moon and stars! This makes for a gorgeous display on the ceiling of the nursery! The shiny stars on the mobile also reflect the light which bounces around the room.



Now, the functions! No more on/off buttons for us! On the arm of this mobile, you have many options to have the mobile how you want it! Control the lights, sounds, spin, volume... It allows the parent to provide an atmosphere the specific child requires. 

The noises are fantastic. There is the music with well known soothing tunes, and also nature sounds. The other half and I almost fell asleep ourselves while those were on!

Our little monkey can be a bit of a terror sometimes when it comes to sleeping - wanting to be rocked or driven around. So to be honest, I was a little skeptical. However, he loved it! He watched the lights and was calmed by the sounds enough for us to have a peaceful bedtime!



In all honesty, this is a fantastic little mobile. It does what it should - provides a calming environment for baby and aids their sleep. What more could we ask for as parents?! 



Monday 29 July 2013

In the summer time when the weather is fine...


Mid summer. The rain is tip tapping away at the skylight and I can see a mix of grey skies or black clouds floating by.

Since when?! When I was a diddy thing yes we used to have rain but nothing as extreme as lately! And this was only 20 years ago!

Got me thinking about our summer holidays. 6 of us used to go away every year, just down to Cornwall from Bristol. Me and my little sister, my parents and my grandparents. We used to rent this lovely little bungalow in Perranporth for a week - few minutes walk from the high street and chippy, and more importantly, dirctly across the road from the beach!

Every morning me and my sister would wake up and go to my grandparents room, purely as a noelty of having them in the same house. We would usually read or play games for about an hour snuggled in with them until it was an acceptable hour (7am ish!) and my parents got up! Then it would be all pile into the kitchen! We would sit around the table playing games while my mum and nan would cook a full english breakfast, followed by rounds of toast, with the windows open - heat starting to flood in, birds cheeping, gentle ocean humming...

After this we would decide what we were doing for the day. Beach day, shopping, activity park... If it was a little cloudy we would go to the opposite side of cornwall as the weather was always different for each side!

Now we were never well off, always struggling by, but my parents always made sure we had the best days we could possibly want on our holidays.

We would normally be done with our daily activities by about 3pm when we would wind things up and return to base. From here we would then decide what was for tea. There was a lovely chip shop just around the corner where we would often go - mum would go and collect it with dad while nan buttered bread in the kitchen, and grandad kept me and little sis entertained! Or we would go to our favourite restaurant Pickwicks (still there to this day) in the high street - the black cherry thick shake was amazing! We had some great moments here. Just a few years back we went in and placed our order with the waitress. But bless my dear nan hadn't been paying attention and after we finished saying what we wanted, asked the waitress if she wanted our mains order too! 6 roasts as a starter would have been excessive I believe!

Evenings would be spent in our bungalow playing silly games like beetle, ludo, snakes and ladders... Or as we got older, yatzy and uno! Then off to bed at a reasonable hour, happy and ready for the next fun filled day.

New years day this year I had my little boy. As a mummy myself I would love to give him the experiences I had as a child, in the same places. Unfortunately, the economy thinks otherwise! The prices have gone crazy in the last few years, and for the first time in 26 years, even my family are not going away. Its devastating really. But then I wonder, if we had booked a holiday, what would it have been like?! It seems we have summer through winter and winter through summer lately! Could we have done beach days? Would we have stood a full day at a kids adventure park in mackintoshes and welly boots?! And when will it all go back to normal?! I hope day after day, but for now that is all I can do.

So I shall sit here, eating a freddo for comfort (yes at 7.30am!) and sipping my tea, and remembering the good times.

There will always be next year...







Competition sponsored by Butlins Holiday Parks, helping your family make memories.