Femme Luxe Finery | August Edit

Disclosure: Ad: Paid Partnership with Femme Luxe

With the weather heating up this month and things opening back up again, I decided to include a couple of dresses and shorter tops on my Femme Luxe fashion edit this time! With the prospect of moving house to a 'doer upper' and also a couple of parties in the pipeline, I chose some items which could be suitable for a bit of DIY, lounging around and dressing up!

July 2021 - quick update

It has been a while since I did a little catch up post, so I thought I'd fill you all in on what has been happening over the last couple of months!

 

From birthdays, to classes, product launches to house moves (almost)...its been a busy time!

The first trimester vs the Third trimester - which would you rather?

First trimester or third trimester?....It’s a tricky question isn’t it? And one that you can’t really debate without inevitably spiralling down a path of negativity around all things pregnancy related…BUT…if you’ve been there and you’ve SUFFERED through pregnancy rather than glowed your way through it on a cloud of rainbows, you’ve probably earned the right to have a little moan.*

              *(I have earned this right. I love my children dearly, but I definitely get to have a moan now)

 

There are many wonderful moments throughout pregnancy. Feeling the first kick, hearing the heartbeat, having a positive scan, watching your bump grow and sharing the excitement with family and friends. Most parents-to-be find that the second trimester is the easiest to cope with, as energy levels return and news is generally ‘out in the open’, with a manageable sized baby bump and plenty of time left to plan. Before and after this portion of pregnancy is where some parents can struggle though. Let’s have a look at some of the delights that await, before deciding which you would rather…

Femme Luxe | Active Wear edit | June 2021

How are you fixed for activewear? It's something I have usually shied away from in the past, but since I started doing gyrotonic classes I've found it so much easier to move and observe how I'm doing an exercise when I'm wearing the right clothing. I used to hate how my body curved in and out, but since having children I'm really keen to promote body positivity and ways to keep our bodies healthy.

Disclosure: AD: Paid partnership with Femme Luxe

In this blog post I'm going to be showing you some of my latest activewear and co-ordinate sets from Femme Luxe, and how they can be mixed and matched or worn together...

Is your child obsessed with football?

Is your child obsessed with football, or constantly telling you they want to be a footballer when they grow up? Are you wondering what kind of  gifts to buy someone who is football mad? Perhaps you’d like to understand the benefits of football, and how you can nurture this love of sport in a healthy way, whilst incorporating it into other areas of learning?

 Disclosure: This post includes paid promotion items

In this blog post I will signpost you to some unique football gift ideas, we will take a look at the physical and developmental benefits that football has to offer, as well as some ideas for promoting this interest into other areas of learning and a free print out at the end of the post too.

Femme luxe finery | May 2021 edit

I have previously posted about not being ready to give up the loungewear just yet, and so I was delighted to be able to add a few more pieces to my ‘comfy’ collection!
 

 

Disclosure:AD: Paid Partnership with Femme Luxe

Femme Luxe have a number of affordable outfits,co-ord sets, bodycon midi dresses, milkmaid tops and more -   lots for under £30, with styles to suit most tastes whether you’re staying at home or going out. Although a lot of the clothes are probably aimed at a much younger demographic than me, there are still plenty of items that work for me at (almost) 36yrs.

"My child drank the toilet water"…and other things I've Googled

Being a parent in the 21st century isn’t easy. With modern inventions comes new risks and dangers, but there is one thing we have that our parents before us didn’t: Google.
 

The day you fall pregnant with your first child is the day your Google list starts...and then it grows exponentially from that point onwards. Questions we would never dare to ask our fellow NCT mate (“why are my labia swollen” if you’re wondering) suddenly make their way into our search bar and fill us with a feeling of solidarity as our results page is flooded with answers or similar questions from other anonymous mums asking the exact same questions. Usually.

Not ready to give up the loungewear?

Not ready to give up the lounge-wear just yet? Me neither babes. I've practically eaten my way through lockdown, and a year later I have to tell you - I am here ALL day for the comfort. The softness. The elasticated EVERYTHING. I am not bodycon midi dress ready, and neither is the world just yet either. It used to be jeans and 'a nice top' for a G&T or a grey goose in the local loungebar ...now there's no lounging in bars, just lounging in grey loungewear in the beer garden, hoping the clouds don't match your outfit and dump a million drops of rain on your (probably now grey) hair. Hope you brought a hoodie!

  Disclosure: AD: Paid Partnership with Femme Luxe

Seriously though, working from home means being sofa ready for your tea breaks, and after-work drinks are probably in the same place! If you are lucky enough to pop out for an al fresco lunch, you want something that lets you put the washing on and then walk into town without anyone batting an eyelid. Dressed up loungewear and co ord sets are a THING right now, and I'm going to show you some of my new faves....

Birthday Newspaper Book | Review

If you’re looking for a unique birthday gift, for those ‘hard to buy for’ loved ones ... something personal to the recipient with a bit of history thrown in, then this is for you!
 

Disclosure: Ad: We were sent this book for the purpose of this review

Historic Newspapers have created a  birthday newspaper book, created from original newspapers from days gone by. With the world’s largest archive of over 3 million newspapers, this is the perfect opportunity to have a little look back into past birthdays and discover who or what made the headlines!

UKCA / CE Testing Home-Made Playdough for sale

Thinking of CE testing and selling playdough? Did you know that to LEGALLY sell homemade playdough you HAVE to have it UKCA / CE certified to get the CE mark (EU) or the UKCA mark (UK) and chemically tested under EN71-3 by an independent lab in order for this to be certified as safe for children? Not just one sample either... each colour of dough needs to be tested separately under the toy safety directives, and if you change your ingredients or supplier then you will have to retest? 

 

I have been through the UKCA / CE testing process with my own gluten free, homemade playdough which I sell over in my shop - www.childledplay.co.uk. Finding the right information 

was a long, drawn out process and getting the right answers took up a lot of time. If you have found this post due to your own information searching, I hope that this helps you to understand how to start the process of CE testing playdough and how to work out if this is a viable option for you....

What is child-led learning? | How can loose parts & playdough help?

What is child-led learning and child-led play? What does it mean to 'follow a child's interests'? How can we use specific resources within an environment to help create a child-led environment? Why are loose parts and playdough such a helpful resource to use?

This blog post includes a link to a youtube video where I give an explanation and examples of what child-led means and why certain resources are so helpful...

Guest Post | My son banged his head and now he's deaf | Living with EVA

Sudden hearing loss in a child can come as a huge shock. Not only does it change their perception of the world around them and put them in a potentially frightening and unfamiliar situation – it also changes the lives of those around them, who interact with them, who are used to dealing with and speaking to them in a certain way or a certain tone. It is a steep learning curve, not just for the one who has lost their sense of hearing, but those who now have to learn different ways of communicating. 

 

The year before last, my younger sister, Laura, called me to tell me that my young Nephew, Oliver had suffered sudden hearing loss due to a bang to the head and what we later discovered was EVA – Enlarged Vestibular Aqueducts.

I am going to hand over to Laura now to tell you their story….

CMPA | Milk Allergy | What Can I Eat?

My youngest child, Charlotte, was diagnosed with CMPA – cows milk protein allergy – at 4 months old. In hindsight, I believe that my eldest child also suffered with the same allergy but back then I had NO idea it even existed! Even after countless trips to the GP for severe colic and reflux, and numerous calls to the health visitor – it was never even mentioned as a possible allergy. Only after searching through facebook groups and reading advice online did I come to realise, and eventually diagnose, Charlotte with a milk and soya allergy.

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I was breastfeeding at the time, so this meant I also had to cut out the allergens from my diet as they can be passed on through breastmilk. At first it was a very steep learning curve working out what I could and couldn’t eat! In this blog post I’m going to talk you through the process of testing for allergies, and how to adapt your diet to make sure you are eating safe foods which are allergen free.

A Homeschooling Poem

As we start 2021 in another lockdown, most of us faced with homeschooling our children whilst also trying to work/run a business/ stay healthy, it goes without saying that this is an incredibly tricky time for a lot of us. I think we all know how difficult the current situation is for us all, and although I toyed with the idea of writing a poem in solidarity with the feelings of many of us, I decided to step back at look at things from a totally different angle. I thought about the silver lining of homeschooling...the little things that will make the biggest difference, and the way we might look back on it for the moments we gained, rather than the moments we lost... It has helped me to take a more positive view on our days of homeschool and to remind me that I now have the ability to change our days and find the fun when our children need a breather too. x

As always, please remember that this poem is subject to copyright and must not be copied, pasted or republished anywhere. If you would like to share this you may use the URL of this website to share, or use the social media share buttons here or on my social channels. Thank you. 

The importance of Positive Language in the Early Years | Guest Post

 Why is positive language so important in the early years and how can you adjust your own language to be more positive?  Create a more positive behaviour management system and learn how to rephrase your responses to some common scenarios...

Today, I have Lucy from @home_ed_at_the_weekend writing a guest post for us all about the importance of positive language in the Early Years. You can find more information about Lucy and how to contact her at the end of this post...

Positive language plays an important role in the Early Years – both at home and within a childcare setting. Avoiding the use of negative or authoritarian language is an excellent tool for positive behaviour management. It also allows children to feel equal; part of a two-way, respectful relationship with their care givers - as opposed to being under the control of certain adults. 

Rather than always dealing with negative behaviour and picking up the broken pieces, using positive language allows us to prevent some negative behaviour and thus prevent the pieces becoming broken in the first place – at least some of the time, anyway. This is because it empowers children to believe in themselves & their choices and it fosters independence and self-confidence...

Creating a work space with the BenQ WiT e-Reading Lamp | Review

Having recently turned our spare bedroom into a home office, something we chose to do due to covid working restrictions and also with the launch of my shop ChildLedPlay.co.uk, one of the biggest issues was finding appropriate lighting solutions. I needed something that would allow for computer and screen work during the day and evening, alongside close up painting and craft work with true colour lighting.

 

AD: This post includes gifted items

I was recently asked if I would like to try out the BenQ WiT e-Reading Lamp, giving an honest review, which seemed like the perfect solution...

Play-Based Learning Gifts for 3 year olds

Are you looking for gifts suitable for a 3 year old, which also have an element of 'learning through play'? Within this post, I will be showing you some of my top choices for play-based learning gifts for three year olds, and explaining which areas of development they help to cover...

NB: Some of these items were gifted items for us to review honestly for the purpose of this post. Some items we bought ourselves and others are from my own shop ChildLedPlay.co.uk. This post may contain affiliate links. Any gifted or affiliate items will be highlighted with an asterisk next to them. 

It can sometimes be tricky to see the learning potential with certain toys and resources, or, to know which areas of learning you should be focusing on at this stage. This blog post will guide you through some gift options and explain the learning opportunities available...