Presents suitable for travelling - babies and toddlers

If you are spending Xmas day away from home this year, it can be tricky trying to work out which gifts to take with you - particularly so if you are flying anywhere! 

Airlines often have strict luggage weight and size allowances, not to mention babies and young children often don't have their own luggage allowance, so you are already sharing a suitcase. Whatever your mode of transport, it can be hard to find gifts that are exciting for little ones, whilst also being lightweight and flexible!

Here are some of the gift ideas I came up with for Arthur - luckily he can't yet read so this wont spoil a thing!

Arthur's 10 month update

Arthur at ten months

 I had intended to do one of these every month - but that didn't quite work out, so I'm starting at double figures! I'm am sure when it comes to having baby number 2, I will wish I had the other updates to look back on, but better late than never!

Car safety - our cargo is too precious to forget these important points!

 

Years ago I was involved in an accident. I wasn't driving a vehicle at the time. I was a pedestrian crossing a zebra crossing, along with a friend,and we both got hit. She stepped out first and I tried to grab her. I suffered from broken ribs, but she had much more serious physical injuries. Thankfully she recovered and is now married with a child, but the experience affected me more than I realised at the time and the effects have been long lasting. 

#WickedWednesday post

This weeks #wickedwednesday link up with +brummymummyof2 ...

When you have a million jobs to do and the dishwasher was 'supposed' to be the quickest one...

Visiting Ilkley Cinema - Europe's smallest Ultra 4k Cinema

This weekend we took a trip to Ilkley Cinema - a boutique cinema based in the building of a former nightclub, it is the smallest ultra 4k cinema in Europe!

This was also the first time we had left Arthur in the care of someone else during the day, so I guess you could call it our first 'date' post baby! We went to see the new Bond film at a 12.45pm showing - here is how we got on...

Danger - please share - choking hazard

Danger-please share:

(Originally posted on Facebook )

Please think about biting or cutting raisins in half as well as grapes before giving to your baby...

In the small hours of this morning Arthur started gasping for breath and choking in his sleep. After getting him upright and trying to help him breathe he vomited up the blockage - 5 raisins which had rehydrated and swelled up with water, increasing to their previous size of a (slightly squashy) grape. He had eaten them 12 hours previously after his tea.

I know we all think about choking hazards when giving our baby food to eat, and I'm sure most of us know the dangers of giving whole grapes to babies and small children - it had never crossed my mind that I would have to consider the choking hazard of food such as this if it comes back up in the other direction!

Our visit to Jackrabbits Pottery - Nadiya GBBO

Photo courtesy of Jackrabbits

A few weeks ago I was invited along to the Jack Rabbits Pottery studio in Roundhay, Leeds, along with some of my other Mummy friends and their little ones! I'd not been before, but a few from my NCT group had visited previously to make some gifts for Father's Day  and absolutely loved the results!...

Quote: Today's thought - smile and the world will smile with you

Baby challenge baskets

This is a really simple but effective activity which will offer an element of challenge to babies and young children, enabling them to work on their 'characteristics of effective learning' as part of the Early Years Foundation Stage: 

Arthurwears navy and white striped jumper

We had a lovely weekend up near the Wirral visiting family - here is a photo of Arthur playing with some stacking cups. He is wearing his new jumper from H&M - navy and white stripes with a gorgeous grey trim on the sleeves and neck with button detail on the left shoulder. He looked so cosy and cuddly! He got a lot of kisses!!!


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For all the Mummies going back to work - End of maternity leave poem

I have a lovely friend who is about to start work again after maternity leave and her child has recently started nursery. She has been feeling a bit sad about the whole thing, and so, although this post is for every single Mummy out there in this position - she is the one who I thought about whilst writing this maternity leave poem....

Outcast on our train journey - mums and babies - is this fair?

I don't normally like to write about negative experiences on this blog but I feel this one needs to be aired...

Today I decided to take Arthur on a train journey into Leeds to meet a friend. Although he is 9 months old, this is only the third time I have actually done this, mainly because my last experience left me in a situation where I had to leave Arthur on the platform and board the train to ask for some help from a fellow passenger ( a school boy!) in getting the pushchair onto the train. We almost didn't make it as the conductor started to shut the doors. The station where I board the train has not only a HUGE gap between the train and the platform, but also a noticeable height difference making it impossible for some to walk onto the train, let alone board the train with a buggy/pushchair without help. 

Truthfully, it surprises me that there is no help offered automatically from staff on the train to mothers with babies/toddlers, which brings me to my experience today...

The diary of a 9 month old escape artist

My name is Arthur, I am 9 months old and I LOVE to break free! My Mummy thought it was great at first, she used to clap and tell me how clever I was...

Today things have taken a drastic turn! I managed to tip my baby bouncer over whilst Mummy was on the toilet and I crawled out of the room with it strapped to my back!! 

(That'll teach her - sitting down to do a wee - why does she think nappies were even invented??! ...You just carry on making my lunch Mamma, whilst simultaneously singing me a song so that I am fully entertained and then just do your wee then!)

Honestly, grown ups!

Having a baby...the things they never told me about pregnancy, labour and motherhood

I almost didn't publish this post - not because of all the new and soon to be mums out there reading this who don't know me, more the fact that the people who do know me will definitely read this and then KNOW...

DIY sensory pouches

We have probably all seen various sensory pouches available for babies and young children - they are a great way to let your little ones explore different textures and materials safely and without any mess. I have made these in the past using ziplock bags, but it can be hard to stop them leaking. This version uses laminating sheets and you don't need a laminator to make them!