Eliot's First Ice Skate at Frosts Willington

 

We were recently invited to try out ice skating at one of the Frosts garden centres. Back in my teenage days I used to ice skate nearly every weekend with my friends so I was really keen to get back on the ice over the festive period!

We were originally booked in to ice skate on the 12th December. We arrived around our skate time, went to get our skates and I purchased a ticket for a skating aid  (the orange seal) which cost £4 for Eliot to sit on/hold on to out on the rink. I was surprised there were tickets left for the skating aids as the website forewarns you to arrive early to ensure you can get one for your skate session.

Once I had my ice skates on and Eliot had his toddler skates on over his trainers we headed for the ice. I could see as we approached the entrance to the rink that someone was getting on to the ice with the last skating aid. I asked a member of staff if there were any more as we had bought a ticket for one. I was told there wasn't which I knew would be the case and questioned why we were able to buy a ticket. The member of staff called a colleague over and they counted the amount of tickets that had been handed over which identified somebody had managed to sneak on the ice with a skating aid without buying a ticket. The staff were apologetic and called the manager over who was already talking to another family who appeared to have the same issue as us. By this point Eliot was quite restless and kept repeating 'I want to go on the seal'. When the manager got to us he apologised and took us in to the outdoor café, got us some drinks and cake while he went to see if we could be booked on to the next skate session. Unfortunately this wasn't possible as there was a birthday party and the next session we could get booked on to was two hours later. We didn't think hanging around for two hours with Eliot would be a good idea so the manager booked us in for a skating session the following weekend and refunded the £4 I'd paid for the skating aid. Even though I was disappointed that we didn't get to skate that day, I felt the manager did the upmost to keep us as customers satisfied and I was impressed with how the situation was dealt with.

 

Fast forward to the following weekend, I made sure we were there early, to ensure we did get a skating aid. This coincided with the previous skate session finishing, so it was a little busy with people handing their skates back to get their shoes on whilst we were doing the opposite. I'd purchased another ticket (£4) for a skating aid and sent my other half off to get it whilst I sorted out Eliot's toddler skates to go over his trainers. They were really easy to adjust the length and the adjustable straps just had to be tightened once Eliot's feet were in. Eliot wasn't too keen on having them on his feet but was still excited to be 'going on a seal'. We had to wait a few minutes before the session started (sessions last for 45 minutes) but once the rink was open for our session, Eliot and I were keen to get on the ice. We were one of the first people on, the session kicked off with Mariah Carey's 'All I Want For Christmas' playing through the speakers which made me feel really festive and set a lovely 'christmassy' atmosphere.

Even though I skated most weekends as a teen it was mostly for the social side, I was never a 'good skater' and my fear of falling over and hurting myself stopped me from letting go on the ice. Now I'm older and wiser that fear is certainly still there and worse than what it was back then, so I was quite relieved that I did have a skating aid boost my confidence! It took a few minutes for me to find my feet on the ice but I got there. It was wonderful hearing Eliot giggle with enjoyment as I pushed him around.

As we were one of the first people on the ice we got to skate around for a bit before it got quite busy. I'm glad we had some time with the rink being quite quiet as I felt my confidence decreasing the busier it got. It was quite comical watching people drag themselves round holding on to the sides, which is exactly what I would have been doing if I didn't have the skating aid to hold on to!



Eliot was adamant he wanted to push the seal himself at one point, being two he didn't really understand he would slip over easily on the ice, which is exactly what happened. He was fine and still attempted to push the aid himself but quickly decided he'd rather ride the seal, so I helped him clamber back on.

After around 20 minutes Eliot decided he wanted to get off the seal so I was left on the ice by myself, thankfully still with the skating aid. I did attempt to skate solo but was too worried I'd fall and not be able to get back up! So I skated with the aid weaving in and out of the other skaters.

To miss the rush of returning skates and collecting shoes I decided to leave the ice five minutes early which meant the process was very quick and easy.

We then headed to the heated ice café for a hot drink and treat which was a perfect way to end our skating session.

 

I really enjoyed skating at Frosts Willington and definitely recommend trying it out if you're not too far from a Frosts that offers ice skating before the ice rinks disappear at the beginning of January. I loved skating outdoors and think it makes a great family activity. It would ne a fab way to end the holidays before the kids go back to school!

 

Ice skating at frost is £14.99 for an adult & toddler ticket. £8.99 each for adults and £7.99 for Children.

 

* I received an adult & toddler skating ticket in exchange for a blog post. All views and opinions are my own.

 

My Sunday Photo 29/11/15 My name is...

It's not a great photo, taken on my iPhone, blurry but it tickled me! Eliot found it hillarious putting on these clear lens glasses, he reminded me of a character from Harry Enfield & Chums (if you watched that back in the day) 

'My name is Michael Caine and I am a nosy neighbour!'

My Sunday Photo 22/11/15 Not Quite Scooting!

 

Yesterday Eliot and I took his scooter out, it was freezing cold but we still enjoyed getting out and about. He did make me laugh as he wasn't riding the scooter but straddling it walking with his legs either side.

If he did put both his feet on and I pulled him along he kept saying he didn't like it. After he'd had enough of straddling the scooter I had to carry it! It was nice mummy and son time.





My Sunday Photo 30/8/15 GIANT 2 Year Old

If you follow me on Instagram you may have already seen this pic but I love it so I had to share again!

Here's Mr Eliot with my friend Vicky's eldest boy, Mason. Mason is three and a half whereas Mr E is two. Vicky and I were laughing at how they are the same height, Eliot even has bigger feet, measuring in at an eight & a half while Mason is a seven!

We don't see Vicky and her boys very often as they're living abroad so it was lovely to spend time with them while they're back in the UK. Eliot really enjoyed playing with Mason and was even trying to share his food with him when  we were out for dinner.

This was taken just before we went home, I'm sure you can imagine it wasn't the easiest of tasks to snap them together!

 

Character.Com REVIEW

A while ago Eliot was sent some goodies from character.com which like the name suggests, sell products featuring characters. All that appear in TV, film, etc.. From Frozen to Batman to Peppa Pig, there's a whole array of characters and products to choose from. Not only for kids, they also have items for us grown ups aswell!
 

The first thing Eliot received in his Parcel was a George pig trainer bag, this one is no longer on the site but there are a few George Pig options to choose from!

 This came at just the right time as Eliot had just started pre-school and I wanted a suitable bag for all the paraphernalia that has to go with him. It fits his change of clothes, nappies and wipes, suncream and drink bottle no problems. The bag is strong and does the job I want it to. The only niggle I have with it is the Velcro tabs that connect the straps together, they can come undone quite easily but saying that it hasn't been an issue really.
 Eliot loves the fact it's a George Pig bag, when I first opened the package his face was beaming! 

Next we were sent some Thomas The Tank Engine pyjamas, anything with any form of transport is a winner with Eliot!

Unfortunately, as you can see Eliot did not manage to keep still when I was taking the photos! We were sent them in age 2-3 years. They fitted Eliot fine and still just fit him now, he's actually wearing them as I write this! If I was ordering another pair of pyjamas though, I would go for the next size up, so Eliot could get more wear out of them. He is tall and well built for his age but I do find some clothes aged 2-3 fit him with room to grow. 

After being worn plenty of  times, they have also been thorough many washes and some tumble drys. Despite this, they are still in good condition which I'm impressed with.

 

I definitely recommend checking character.com out, especially if you're after some birthday or (dare I say it?!) Christmas gifts. You can find them on Twitter or Facebook as well as the website.

 

*I was sent the products in return for a review. All opinions are my own.

My Sunday Photo 2/8/15

We were away in Warwickshire at the beginning of the week at Walton Hall. I took this as we walked around the lovely grounds, love the look on his face!

You Know You Have Have A Toddler When...

Number 5

1. "No" accompanied by a head shake is a response to most things.
2. "No" also means "Yes".
3. Throwing tantrums anywhere & everywhere (especially in public) becomes a regular occurrence.
4. Crayons are for 'artwork' on the walls, floors and furniture. Not paper, silly mummy!
5. Peppa Pig & In The Night Garden become part of  'essential' daily viewing.
6. Laying in a field, road, on the floor at home or out (especially in public) is the done thing when your tired or mid-strop.
7. Walking/running/jumping in any direction apart from the way you need to go happens daily (especially in public).
8. Number 6 is usually followed by a tantrum.
9. You ignore those disapproving or looks of pity from the public when numbers 3,6 & 7 take place.
10. When things get really tough you use 'Peppa' and/or chocolate as a bribe.
11. EVERYTHING you say is repeated.
12. Particular foods are eaten one day then refused point blank the next.
13. Toys and books are there to be strewn all over the place, not really to be played with or looked at.
14. You dread changing a nappy (particularly number 2's) as all hell breaks loose.
15. Mud, stones, rubbish and anything else pretty gross is obviously fun to put in your mouth/get your hands in to/pick up.

These are just a few of the things that my darling toddler gets up to. I'm sure if you're a parent you can relate to some of these!

 

What would you add to my list?



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An Eliot Update-21 Months

On Tenby Beach

It’s been a long time since I last wrote an update, in fact it was 4 months ago! So much has changed in that time!

General/Milestones

We have moved out of your first ever home which was in London, to Bedfordshire. Unfortunately it didn’t quite go as expected and there were lots of things mummy and daddy needed to get done in the house before we could all move in. So you stayed with me at Nana and Grandad’s. We are in the new house now and you’re very happy, you like climbing up and down the stairs and you have more space in your new bedroom.

You have changed so much, you look so much older, you’re taller and your speech and language is really coming on. Over the past month or so you have been saying so much more, copying words we say and putting two or three words together like ‘all gone’, ‘bye Coco cat’. It’s just utterly amazing watching your development but you’re changing way to quick. You also have your own little language, at the end of last year it became apparent anything that resembled a train was a ‘googaa’. Other words are ‘sauce’ for your basket of bath toys and ‘dyas’ which we still haven’t completely sussed out. You have started to count, we count together when we walk down the stairs and you sometimes call out numbers, not quite in order yet. You have a bit of a lisp when you say words with an 's', it may just be because you're still developing your words but I wonder if using your dummy (which you call doe-doe) has played a part.

You play by yourself more and enjoy pushing vehicles around and parking them next to each other, when we're out you demand to play with your 'car' and use my arm as a road! You also enjoy colouring and it appears as though your gong to be left handed like mummy.

You’re still very active and strong willed. Quite (very) defiant at times and have some whopping tantrums. You’ll throw yourself on the floor and really make quite a scene at times which isn’t always the best thing when we’re out and about!

It really is amazing seeing you grow and learn, we are so very proud of you and all of your achievements so far.

Unfortunately you’ve been quite poorly a couple of times this year. It’s the first time you’ve really been knocked off your feet which was really hard to see as we know you are a boy who doesn’t keep still. We took you to hospital the second time you were ill back in February as we were worried about a rash. Whist we were waiting to see a doctor you suffered a febrile convulsion which was very scary. The doctors said it happens a lot to young children but it was still very worrying and we hope you don’t have anymore.

We were lucky enough to go on a holiday to Wales at the beginning of March which was lovely and nice to getaway as a family. We went swimming and you adored it, so mummy is booking lessons for you to do once a week. Hopefully you’ll start them after Easter.

We all looked around a pre-school for you last week and thinking that it will be good for you to help develop your social skills. It will be for two afternoons a week when I am at work.

Enjoying the sand pit on an afternoon out

 Eating

For the first time the other day you told me what you wanted for dinner. I said I was going to make you something and you kept saying ‘pasta’.

Food wise you are definitely fussier and developed a taste for the foods that aren’t so great for you. Some days you will happily eat something, then the next time it’s served you downright refuse! You’re favourite food at the moment are pasta, cheese, raisins and anything (naughty) that is sweet.

You still enjoy your milk particularly in the mornings and evenings, often asking for it when you wake up.

Weight

I took you to the health visitor to be weighed and you’re now 15.9kg.

Clothes

You are still wearing some 18-24 month clothes but you are also wearing some 2-3 years aged bits. We took you to get your feet measured a couple of weeks ago and your feet are still growing at different rates, one is a 7 and the other a 6 and a half.

Sleeping

Apart from when you’ve been poorly, you’ve been sleeping really well through the night. You usually nap for an or two during the day but sometimes fight it. When you do, you become one cranky little boy! So I think you still need your day time nap for both our sakes!

Not looking happy here but you adore your big cousin Ella

Likes/Dislikes

• You love jumping in puddles no matte what footwear you are wearing
• Playing with vehicles, particularly buses.
• You love playing with your big cousin Ella
• You still love the cats, whenever we leave the house you say 'bye Coco cat' even though Coco spends the entire days hiding from you
• You prefer to be out rather than indoors and request to go to the park
• Hand dryers are still a big dislike, you say 'no dryer' whenever your nappy is changed when we are out
• Loud noises spook you, the fire alarm went off which really upset you
• Large animals seem to worry you, we saw some horses today & you began to cry, I guess because you're not used to seeing them

Toddler Stocking Fillers

 

Last year I bought a few things to fill Eliot's first ever stocking but then I became stuck for ideas. After a few tweets using the good old pbloggers hashtag I got some inspiration. Here's the post from last year if you fancy seeing what Eliot received in his first Christmas stocking.This year I've found it easier now Eliot is a toddler, and I actually ran out of space in this years stocking. I could have bought a few more bits! I filmed a little video (complete with festive tunes!) of what is going in Mr E's stocking this year which you can watch clicking here. Thank you for checking it out (if you do) and don't forget to like/subscribe, it is the festive season after all! ;)



Alternative Gifts For Toddlers

When I think about all the lovely gifts Eliot has received since he was born, they have mainly been toys, clothes and books. So, I thought I'd do a bit of an alternative gift guide for toddlers this festive season!

 

First up is the Organix Goodies Christmas selection box, suitable for toddlers over 12 months. Eliot and I are both fans of the Organix Goodies range and this is a perfect gift/stocking filler if you want to go for a healthier option of sweet treats. With Organix's 'No Junk promise', you can be confident you are gifting something that is far more healthier than the usual chocolate pressies on offer. All Organix products are organic, have no added salt, processed sugars, colours or flavours.

Not only is this selection box full of snacks free from 'nasties', you can also turn the box into a Goodies Winter farm scene!

It contains...

·         Organix Goodies Organic Raspberry & Apple Fruit Moos

·         Organix Goodies Organic Blackcurrant & Apple Fruit Stars

·         Organix Goodies Organic Mini Gingerbread Men

·         Organix Goodies Organic Alphabet Biscuits

·         Organix Goodies Organic Raspberry & Apple Soft Oaty Bar

The Organix Goodies selection box is priced at £2.99 and available from Asda, Boots and Ocado.

Next up is the Toddler feeding set from OXO Tot. I just think this is a great alternative gift for tots who are usually overloaded with toys. I believe a high quality feeding set is required for little ones learning to self feed and the OXO Tot set speaks volumes.

The set contains...

 ·         Fork & Spoon

·         Plate

 

 ·         Bowl with lid

 

 I've reviewed this set, you can read more about it here.

 

Personally I don't think you can go wrong with a personalised wooden gift and I adore this personalised box set of puzzles from Ace catalogue. I recently came across Ace Catalogue and discovered their range of personalised gifts. I think puzzles are great as they can be educational as well as helping develop fine motor skills. The bright colours are appealing but my personal fave is the hand puzzle. When teaching I've come across many children who are still confused about their right and left, I think it's ideal for helping establish that knowledge from an early age. 

 

Last but by all means not least is the Munchkin Bubble Blower. The reason I've added this to my gift guide is simple. Eliot loves bubbles, Eliot loves bath time. It's a win win product for us! This is definitely on my list to buy once we're all moved and settled. It looks like great fun and of course fantastic for a bit of sensory play.

 

What toddler gifts are on your list?

 

* I have not been paid to feature any of this products. I received a Organix Goodies selection box in return for featuring it and I previously received the OXO Tot set in return for a review.

 

 

Eliot's 17 Month Update

 

Dressing up on Halloween

General/milestones

Mummy is a week late on getting this post published due to being busy and unwell!
Well, what can I say about you this month?! Walking is not an option for you, you must run everywhere and that means frequent falling over and bumps. Although you seem to be used to it now and only cry if it's a bad fall/bump.
You have two words which seem to be an obsession 'ire' (fire) and tractor. Grandad pointed out the flame on his gas cooker and you picked fire up from there. You hate fireworks, interestingly it seems to be the way they look and not the loud bangs. You call them fire and you would get really upset if we tried to put you in your highchair (next to the kitchen window) as this is where you first saw those fireworks. Every vehicle seems to be a tractor. When a lorry drives past you yell tractor and you will point actual tractors out on clothing and other items.

You are still happy sitting and flicking through books and you are very keen on the Argos and Asda Gift catalogues, safe to say they're missing a few pages!
One thing that has really improved this month is that you're much more chilled out when it's time to change your nappy. This is a BIG relief as it was an extremely difficult task.
We are getting ready to move home which is exciting but also stressful and busy as there is so much to do!

Feeding

You've been a real pickle with eating this month and have refused lots of foods. Mummy has learnt a bit of a naughty trick though, if I put Peppa Pig on to distract you I can usually get a few mouthfuls in!

Messy Play with cornflour

Weight

We haven't had you weighed but  you have definitely put on weight!
 

Clothes

You are wearing mostly 18-24 month sized clothes. Some shops sizes seem to come up smaller so you require size 2-3 which seems crazy! I took you to get your feet measured again and they have grown although one appears to be a six and the other a six and a half. Mummy was advised to take you back in a couple of weeks as your current shoes still have a bit of room in them.

 

Sleeping

Sometimes you've missed a nap in the day, usually because we've been out and not at home for you to sleep in your cot. You get very cranky when you haven't napped so it's much better when you do! In your cot you can sleep for two hours or longer.

As usual there has been the odd  night when you have woken up unsettled but you usually go back to sleep ok.

Love this picture with your big cousin Ella

 

Your Likes/Dislikes
Your like and dislikes are pretty much the same as last month but here are a few new ones...

• You like flicking through catalogues
• You like saying (shouting) 'ire'
• You HATE fireworks, they upset you, a  lot!

Your next update will be due Boxing day after celebrating Christmas, where has the year gone?!

Sassy Bloom Box Review

 I recently had the opportunity to review a Sassy Bloom Box, if you haven't heard of Sassy Bloom it's a monthly subscription box suitable from the third trimester of pregnancy right through until your tot is two. Each box has a minimum RRP value of £40.  Each box is 'handpicked by age, stage of development and gender'.
I'd never tried any subscription boxes before Sassy Bloom, I'd been tempted by both beauty and baby related boxes but never got round to trying any out.

How Sassy Bloom started has a very touching story behind it. The co-owner Hollie was rushed to hospital at 29 weeks pregnant and diagnosed with a rare heart and lung disease. Whilst in hospital Hollie's friends visited with a box a gifts which became the start of the inspiration. You can read more here.

I was super excited to receive our Sassy Bloom box, if you haven't seen it already you can watch the un-boxing here.

 The first item that came out of the box was a push along shape sorter bus from a brand called Fun Time. I'd been on the look out for a shape sorter toy for Eliot so this was perfect timing! Especially as it's a bus and has wheels, Eliot is obsessed with vehicles so I knew he would be drawn to playing with it.

He's not able to push the shapes through the shape holes yet but there is a flap at the back to get the shapes out which he opens and closes and puts the shapes or various other objects in. So the shape sorter bus gets a big thumbs up from Eliot!

Next out of the box was this musical cow by A-Z. As soon as I pressed the button, I knew this would be a hit with Eliot. The lights flashed and the music played loudly, he likes making things happen himself and it had wheels! Unfortunately the toy was a bit grubby and therefore needed a wipe over before I gave it to Eliot. As I suspected the musical cow went down a treat, Eliot kept pressing the button to get the lights and music on. It wasn't long before it started to sound distorted and eventually it played continually until the battery ran out. Obviously it was a bit disappointing, I emailed Sassy Bloom to let them know. They responded swiftly, apologised and said they would get a replacement sent out. If you read my blog regularly you will know we are moving and things have been a bit stressful, meaning the replacement toy went to the back of my mind. I was emailed by Sassy Bloom at the end of last week and was reminded that we still hadn't received a replacement. The delay in receiving the replacement toy was disappointing. The musical animal toy was no longer available so we were sent a replacement toy this week.

The first bead maze from Melissa and Douglas was the replacement toy. As soon as I took it out of the packaging Eliot was eager to get hold of it and sat down to play with it for a short while. Personally I really like these types of toys, being made from wood makes it a winner and it's ideal for helping develop fine motor skills. Another plus point is that it has four suction cups on the base which make it an ideal highchair toy.

 I was really pleased when I saw this wooden mini xylophone from Janod, musical instruments are another item I've had on my list for Eliot. To begin  with Eliot was interested in holding the beaters and bashing the  xxylophone but it's not a go to toy for him. I think he'll be more interested in this when he's a little older. One thing I will say is that it is excellent quality, very strong and sturdy.

 When I saw a book included in the box I was very happy indeed. I'm keen for Eliot to develop a love for books and right now he's very in to books. He will sit down by himself and flick through pages, at bedtime he usually listens to a short story happily. This is a lovely story, one that Eliot can enjoy for years to come.  Personally I think a hard book would have been a better option to send as paperbacks can be very easily torn by toddlers!

These lunch bag ice packs are great. We haven't used them yet as I haven't packed any lunch boxes but I know they will come in very handy in the future. There are two in the pack which is helpful if you have more than one lunch box to pack or to have a spare. I love the dinosaur design, Eliot has a dinosaur lunch bag so these will fit in nicely.

I am a big Tommee Tippee fan having used a lot of their products since Eliot was born. I've used disposable bibs but hadn't tried out the Tommee Tippee ones. Hands down disposable bibs are amazing. They're perfect for holidays, when your out and about or as a back up at home. We went through many bibs when Eliot was younger thanks to reflux. The pouch for catching food (or reflux sick) is a great and exactly what is needed to save clothes! Eliot did pull these off when we put them on him, so depending on your tot they are probably better suited to younger babies.

 

Overall I was really impressed with our Sassy Bloom box, I loved the fact that we were introduced to brands we haven't come across before and really recommend trying them out. They have some fab offers on at the moment and you can get £10 off with the code Teacher2.

 

Have you tried a Sassy Bloom Box?

 

*We were sent a Sassy Bloom box in exchange for our honest opinion

OXO Tot 4 Piece Feeding Set Review

 Today on the blog I'm sharing the OXO Tot Toddler Feeding Set. I was super excited to receive the set and let Eliot put it through its paces. Having worked with OXO Tot before, I knew I would be receiving the highest quality products and I was not disappointed!

 It's a four piece set consisting of plate, bowl, fork and spoon, each with their own unique features designed to make self feeding an easier task for toddlers.
The fork and spoon have non slip handles and are designed with a flat area to prevent them from rolling off on to the floor.

 The plate boasts a removable ring which is designed to help toddlers guide their food onto the cutlery and minimise any food spills. Once your tot has mastered the art of feeding themselves with the cutlery, the ring can be removed. It also features a non slip base making it a doddle for toddlers to learn to feed themselves independently without their dish sliding all over the place.
Eliot's not quite there with feeding himself completely independently. However, as you can see in the photo he is pretty confident. It's getting the food on to the cutlery which he still needs help with.



The bowl is perfect for cereal, snacks and pasta, it comes with a snap on lid which is ideal for storing leftovers or taking snacks on the go. It is designed with 'straight side walls' to assist toddlers with guiding their food on to their cutlery. Like the plate it has a non slip base, meaning it stays firmly in place when your toddler is putting food on their fork/spoon.

 

We have been really impressed with the OXO Tot feeding set, I love how the look is simple yet sleek and stylish. The design of each piece is really helping Eliot on his journey to self feed with cutlery, which you can see in the photos.
All pieces are dishwasher safe and are free from BPA, PVA and phthalate.
As with the other OXO Tot products I've tried, the quality is outstanding. I 100% recommend trying out the OXO Tot range if you haven't already! You can purchase from sites such as Amazon and other retailers.

Have you tried any of the OXO Tot range?

* I was sent the product for the purpose of the review, all opinions are honest and my own