7 Things I've Learnt As A Parent

Since the very first moment I held my newborns in my arms it has been an incredible learning journey. You may think as a parent you're the one teaching your child as you raise them but you certainly do develop and change as a person too. You grow as your little one does.

Here are seven things I've learnt as a parent...

Your best is good enough
Parents really give themselves a hard time but you should know that you're doing a wonderful job and you are a good parent. If you're worrying about how well you're doing that alone is a sign that you care enough to be concerned and you're therefore a pretty good mum or dad.  It's okay for your child to have chicken nuggets and chips from time to time and you shouldn't feel guilty, it's okay to raise your voice or get grumpy when you're sleep deprived and it's okay to leave the dishes on the side for a day. People may judge you at times for your choices on breast/bottle feeding or disposable/cloth nappy usage but if your kids are happy and healthy that's all that matters.

Christmas Gift Giveaway #9

Not forgetting the little ones this Christmas, we have two lovely gift solutions from Rainbow Designs up for grabs.

This beautiful, and washable, character Activity Playmat is perfect to encourage baby’s early developmental skills. They are available in the Peppa Pig for Baby, Peter Rabbit and My First Thomas & Friends collections and are suitable from birth - they've been packed with activities to help stimulate baby’s senses as they grow including a detachable mirror, removable shaped teethers, a cute peek-a-boo flap as well as a multitude of textures and sounds.

How Clean is the Air in Your Home? uHoo Product Launch

Ensuring the air we breathe is as clean as possible is important for families, especially those with allergies, and uHoo is here to make this a far easier task. It not only alerts you when there are toxins present but it also provides recommendations on how you can keep your home safer for you and your little ones. After all, we all want is best for our children and this air quality sensor helps to keep you healthier.

• 6 out of 10 homes are hazardous to their owner’s health

• 72% of toxic chemicals we come into contact with are indoors

• 10% of toxic exposure is due to cleaning products

A Digital Playground - KidzInMind App Review

Children today are incredibly tech savvy, with even the smallest of toddlers using mobile phones and tablets to play games regularly, so it's important to know as a mum (or dad) that our little ones are safe and secure online. KidzInMind has been created by a community of parents and they guarantee that the apps within are all carefully selected so that none of them contain hidden fees, external links or ads, inappropriate language or imagery. This allows your child to learn and have fun while providing peace of mind for you - they won't be getting access to adult content or racking up a huge bill!

We downloaded KidzInMind to take a peek at the great security settings in place and to find out what exactly it has to offer for families. 

Upon opening the app you're taken to the homepage, an interactive image of a bedroom, where you can click on various objects to navigate to specific activities. It's bright and attractive in appearance and Jamster was most intrigued by the monster photo frame first which once pressed opened into a second room showing a 'Dino Lab' screen. Here he was able to play games which involved matching skeletons to the correct dinosaur, spotting the differences between two pictures and bone jigsaws which he really enjoyed. 

Apple Tarte Tatin

Apple and cinnamon are a match made in heaven and this relatively simple dessert will soon become a family favourite - it goes perfectly teamed with a scoop of soft vanilla ice cream now that spring has arrived!

Ingredients

(serves 4)

50g butter

50g golden caster sugar

1 tsp ground cinnamon

2 large Bramley apples

250g puff pastry

7 Years

220,924,800 seconds
3,682,080 minutes
61,368 hours
2557 days
7 years

It's true that time flies when you're having fun and it still feels like yesterday I met the Mr for the very first time - him in a shirt and trousers, me in a pink ruffle dress, at a pub in Northampton. A mutual friend introduced us online and after chatting for a while via MSN we arranged a group night out. Just a week later (14th March 2009) we became a couple officially.

He is an incredibly inspiring man who is hard-working and he has always treated the Mini Mes as his own, something that is obviously so important to me as a parent. He makes me laugh and I would say that we are probably best friends too with all of the silly things we get up to. We are always attacking each other with water, a tea towel or jumping out from behind a door!

I wouldn't change a thing about him... well perhaps the snoring.

150 Years of Beatrix Potter

2016 marks 150 years since the birth of Beatrix Potter, one of the world’s best-loved children’s authors, who has captured imaginations around the world with her beautifully illustrated Tales. To help celebrate this significant landmark anniversary Beatrix Potter fans everywhere can now enjoy a special boxed set collection of stories - The Beatrix Potter Collection - released by Abbey Home Media TODAY!

This superb three DVD box set, with a running time of 231 minutes, features the complete collection of the classic Peter Rabbit episodes which lovingly recreate the enchanting Beatrix Potter stories. With timeless animation and wonderful music, children and adults alike will be enthralled by mischievous Peter and his friends including Benjamin Bunny, Mrs Tiggy Winkle, Jemima Puddle Duck, and Pigling Bland. 

Meal Planning Monday

I'm back on my meal replacement plan for a couple of weeks to lose a few more pounds (you can read about how well I've done so far here) but I shall still be cooking family meals for the rest of the household. That's willpower for you!

I've therefore let the Mr and the Mini Mes chose the menu...