How to distress furniture

If your old dining room table is in need of a surge of life, repainting it will instantly update its style whilst offering an extremely affordable décor option. There are a number of ways in which to complete this task and one includes distressing the furniture to make it appear a lot older than it actually is. Another involves sanding it down and painting it a hot hue.

In the past, distressed furniture was frowned upon and peeling paint, scratched surfaces and nicked wood were a sign that the item in question was nearing its end. Shabby chic is now all the rage though, and many will go out of their way to re-create this look.

Thankfully the process is simple and can be completed relatively quickly. The first stage requires a clear concept and in order to carry out the process you’ll need to invest in a few handy tools. You should begin by deciding on a style. This could be an old paint colour, a mixture of two shades or alternatively a brighter shade peeking through a softer topcoat.

If the dining room table is on a larger scale, you may wish to invest in a new set of dining room chairs as opposed to repainting existing ones. Combining a distressed table with random, quirky chairs and colourful cushions will work to create an eclectic style and one that is perfect for a modern-day home.

You should begin by sanding the object you wish to distress. If the table has previously been varnished, you’ll have to spend a little longer on this task. Once this is complete, choose a base colour and paint the entire surface area of the table. When dry, begin sanding the edges and areas that would usually become distressed over time, as this will keep the look natural. Wax and then rub with wire wool to distress the object even further.

Some will choose to add a stain to the finished article, which can both age and mute the colours selected. Clear polyurethane will keep the colour as it is and if investing in this product you should opt for water-based polyurethane which remains clear over time.

This is a guest post provided by Sainsbury’s. If you’re looking for dining room furniture, whether distressed or otherwise, then a dining room set from here is a great option. Take a look online to see what you could find.

Family Time Sundays

Since Tinnie arrived things as you can imagine have gone a little crazy. You how much having another little one in the house can change things. I was told before I fell with Tinnie that the jump from two children to three is a big one and I really believe that. Some thing we have tried to hold onto routine wise for the old two is Saturdays craft time and Sundays special movie time. Of course with other things usually going on at the weekend this does not always happen but I told hubby this week we would need to leave Sunday free for a project I was working on with the Collective Bias™ Social Fabric® Community.

I had planned the children could come with me to our local Sainburys to pick up some Coca Cola and goodies for a movie in the evening. Coca Cola is normally some thing I would not give the children but in the summer I let them have it as a Sunday treat and in the winter we enjoy a hot chocolate with cream and marshmallows. 

On the way to Sainsburys the children discussed what film they wanted to watch usually we would what ever children's movie is the latest release on the Sky Store. It's nice when we get a chance just to spend time as the five of us and wind down together before the busy week ahead. 

They each choose a pot of mixed sweeties each, normally Sunday snack consist of some pop corn and choccy to share but as we had not done in a while I let them pick some thing a little more special. We finished off the Sainbury's treasure hunt while the children excitedly run around the shop for some BBQ bits and then we made our way back. 

When we got home they could not wait to get the film on. We decided after a chat about the film's available that we would watch Ice Age. They started off sitting in front of the TV with their Zero coke and sweeties giggling away watching Ice Age. I love that they laugh at the adult humour without a clue what it means. Half way through the film they were cuddled up on the sofa with us and Tinnie. The film went down really well with the children and P told daddy after wards that she loves it when we do our Sunday treat which was so lovely to hear. 

Little man loves the 'grey squirrel' as he calls him in the film who chases after his nut through out the film. Little man has a very dirty laugh and he always rolls across the floor laughing when his on. So after our BBQ I suggested maybe we could have a quick play of our squirrel board game before bed time. I find board games are a wonderful way of winding down ready for bed and this game is great for practicing hand eye coordination and recognising colour names. 

The day turned out to be beautiful and when I reflect on weekends like this it really make me realise how quick time goes and these times need to be cherished. We had a great time on our little project and we all had such fun having some family time together. 

Our Summer bucket list revisited

Last year I put together a small bucket list inspired by the amazing Glittering Muffins.  I decided to create a bucket list to ensure we do not waste the summer away however although we did a lot of activities through out the summer I did not cross many off. There are so many things which I would like to do with the children and never get round to them. So fingers crossed this bucket list will be completed this year and will have plenty of photo's to share.

1. Blowing bubbles with home made bubble wands of all shapes and sizes.
2. Take the children to the local water park.
3. Camp in the garden.
4. Visit Jimmys farm again.
5. Go strawberry picking.
6. Teach G to ride her bike.
7. Make tin can windchimes.
8. Decorate large pebbles for the herb garden.
9. Make a raised bed from pallets.
10. Take the children to the beach.
11. Have a water fight.
12. Try out new baking recipes with G.
13. Organise storage in the childrens rooms.
14. Sort out a single bed for little man.
15. Let G have a sleep over with a friend.
16. Make a bubble bath in the paddling pool.
17. Make smoothies with the children.
18. Build an outdoor den.
19. Make kites.
20. Make a children outdoor car wash.

I'm sure there will be many more to add to this list as we go through the summer. Cant wait to get started!!!

Top place for families to live in England

Chelmsford is located 30 miles from London. With 1,507 acres of parks, nine of which have been awarded Green Flag status, there are plenty of places to relax and unwind.

The Chelmsford area has plenty of countryside and  beautiful villages such as Pleshey with its castle mound, Stock with its windmill. If nature is your thing, Hanningfield Reservoir Visitor Centre is worth a visit, as is Lingwood Common, and Galleywood Common. Situated on the River Can and the River Chelmer, there are plenty of opportunities to enjoy the beautiful countryside from the water. 

 Last year Chelmsford was topped as the best place for families to live in England. To be honest I'm not surprised, I have lived in Chelmsford ever since P was born 8 years ago and before then always lived near by and visited the area. If your looking for a place to live where you will have lots do to as a family you will never be short for ideas living around Chelmsford. Here are just some of the things you could try:

Angling,
Athletics, 
Boxing, 
Canoeing, 
Martial arts, 
Roller-skating,
Sailing,
Horse-riding, 
Hiking, 
Clay-pigeon shooting 
Cycling  
Theatres 
Chelmsford Museum 
V Festival in Hylands Park.

The Chelmsford housing market is hugely varied. If you are a first time buyer with a family you could still find a reasonably priced home by looking just outside the city in villages such as South Woodham Ferrers. The village still has a lot to offer with a beautiful farm and popular sports centre.  However if your looking for a larger home and to make an investment you could try Beaulieu Park. It's close to Chelmsford city and will soon have it's own train station and range of shops. So if you are thinking of moving to Chelmsford use an online mortgage calculator to work out your budget and do some research I truly believe that the surrounding areas of Chelmsford are worth a look. 

Product Review: The Homemade Play Dough Recipe Book

I would love to share with you a review for a brand new e-book written by Cathy James from Nurture Store, The Homemade Play Dough Recipe Book. Filled with amazing photos the books pulls you in to try some of the fun and exciting ideas that take minutes to put together. 

The Homemade Play Dough Recipe Book is packed full of idea's on how to inspire and stretch children's imagination through the world of play dough. The book offer a range of activities to help support all areas of development for children up to the age of around 10. 

Cathy shares seven basic play dough recipes which are quick and easy to put together. The recipes are then used through out her book to show how versatile play dough can be and there are enough ideas to last a whole year! The book is easy to navigate your way round and the bright a vibrant photo's mean that your children could help pick an idea they would like to try each week. 

We had great fun this weekend trying out Cathy's no-cook play dough recipe which took less then two minutes to put together. The children choose to add drinking straw's when scrolling through the e-book for ideas so they sat cutting the straws into different sizes while I made up the play dough. 

The children and even daddy had great fun thinking up ideas on how to use the play dough and straws. Jumping from one idea to the next the activity lasted roughly 45 minutes.  Here are some of the things that we made:

A porcupine. This originally started off as a sheep but P was keen to use a lot more straws she she changed it into a Porcupine. 

A racing car. We had a competition to see who could make the best racing car and I must admit P won by miles compared to my car. This is P's above she placed straws through the play dough shaped car to attach the wheels and even the spoiler is connected with straws. 

A stick insect, this is daddy's piece of art. 

There are so many idea's in this book that I can not wait to try with the children. Once I am back up and running as a childminder it will also be a get tool to have at hand for planning activities or spontaneous play. 

The Homemade Play Dough Recipe Book is available to purchase from the Nurture Store site for just $8.99. 

Disclaimer: We were kind sent a copy of The Homemade Play Dough Recipe Book to review however all opinions are my own. 

Setting up to become a Childminder

Although I was previously a childminder before having Tinnie I never really felt I had my setting the way I wanted it. Having worked in nurseries previously I always pictured my setting to be similar but the balance of having a home and setting is a hard one to achieve in a small house. 

This time around I have put together a plan of how I would like the garden and home to look and will be as frugal as possible to get it the way I want. I have been looking while on maternity leave at Reggio and Montessori learning environments and hope to involve these when looking at equipment. 

The important thing to remember is that until you know the age you are going to be looking after and the children's interest you will not be able to properly buy your resources or prepare your setting. If you are planning to look after under 2's you will need to resource accordingly and ensure displays are low down. Include mirror and interactive displays where possible. If you are looking after older children thinking about number's, mark making and area's very imaginary play may be more of  a focus. 

I plan to make the following changes to achieve my dream setting ( I will across off how far I have got so far):

• Purchase or make a teepee for the children's book/cosy area which can be moved 
• Resource the outdoor area to include chalk boards, play house and other outdoor toys.
• Larger storage
• decor to brighten up the play area. 

I'm sure this list will grow.

Planning to buy new equipment and storage is not easy. The cost of toys to cover a wide range of  ages and stages of development can be pricey when they are not all home made. I decided that the best way to try and achieve my goals was to declutter the house and sell what I could. Getting rid of old electronics is a great way to make some space and extra cash online very quickly, such as selling an old ipad and other gadgets which have been replaced by newer models. I found some baby equipment that I do not need at the moment so I am going to do a boot sale and many DVD's and computer games which I will sell on musicmagpie.com . So far I have made roughly £300, it has amazed me that I could make so much from the thing's taking up space in our home. This has funded the play house and plants for the garden. We are getting there.. slowly. 

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Holiday Hunt

So far this year things have been a bit crazy having started our own business and with me making the decision to return to full time work I feel like we are constantly on the go. Not only have we been working most night's to get the new business noticed we have also been spending weekend's at Strongman event's promoting the products. 8 months down the line the company is beginning to grow but we are definitely feeling the stress and strain of starting a business. Spending time as a family has become quite hard but with the summer now finally here we have been thinking about having a break and going on a family holiday.

Rushing around every weekend has meant a lot of packing and unpacking of the babies changing bag. I have taken to writing a packing list every time we are out for the day, like this list for Thorpe Park.

 I had totally forgotten what it is like to get out the door with a little one in tow. Having the worst memory of anyone I know I always forget something so when packing for a holiday I will be seeking for lists to give my advice from Pinterest or this one from Netvouchercodes.co.uk. 

At the moment I'm thinking of just booking a nice holiday in the UK. I have never been aboard as hubby will not fly but it's our plan next year to try planning a holiday in the south of France. This year I think it will just be too stressful with Teenie. So a nice UK break it is! Maybe even Wales which is a place I love to visit. I like holiday parks as the children are at the right age for a cheesy bit of entertainment and there is usually always a convenience shop in case I do forget any thing. 

This post was inspired by a holiday packing post on NetVoucherCodes

Baby Play: Sensory Socks

Lurking some where in every ones home there is a moster hiding. He may only be small and he may like to live underneath your bed or in a cupboard but there is one thing for sure this monster loves to eat socks!! Yeap I'm pretty sure every mum will admit that they have a collecting of odd  children's sock no matter how hard they try to keep the socks together!! If you have odd socks then here's an activity for you. 

Whether it's in the home or even an Early Years setting it help's to find activity ideas you can do with the children which does not cost through the roof. Using materials and resources from around the home are a great way to save money and this is why treasure baskets are so popular.

Back in my nursery days I used to love making sensory socks. They would cost very little and would dry out well if dribbled on but could easily be replaced when needed. Great for babies or children with special needs I would recommend you give this one a try.

Resources:
Odd Socks
Rice
Herb's, lavender or grind from lemon/ orange.
Needle and thread

Step 1: 
Fill the sock half way with rice.

Step 2:
Add the herb or scent of your choice.

Step 3: 
Continue to fill the sock with rice until you are 1-2 cm's from the top. If you are using a large sock like in my picture you may choose to only fill it half way and cut off the top.

Step 4:
Turn the sides of the sock inward and sew the sides together. This does not need to be neat as long as it's secure to avoid the rice becoming a choking hazard.

Step 5: 
Move the rice around inside the sock to help spread the scent.

Tinnie had great fun with these socks we filled each with a different herb and most he seemed to enjoy. This time round we tried Lavender, Thyme, Mint, Chives and Sage.

Links to EYFS for 0-11 mths

Personal, Social and Emotional Development- 

Laughs and gurgles

Shows a range of emotions such as pleasure, fear and excitement

Physical Development- 

Makes movements with arms and legs which gradually become more controlled

Reaches out for, touches and begins to hold objects

Understanding of the World

Repeats actions that have an effect, e.g. kicking or hitting a mobile or shaking a rattle

Baby Play: Hand Painting

Explore paints with your baby once they are able to sit up in high chair or Bumbo. Great for encouraging your baby to explore and interact! Painting with little ones can help to stimulate their senses through the use of bright colours. 

This week we decided to be brave and get out the paints. The children were so excited to watch Tinnie play with the paints that they even asked if he could have his turn first before I set it up for them. The idea was to allow Tinnie to explore the texture and colour of the paint. This was the only outcome I had planned and the art would be kept as a keep sake and to make a nice present for the children's nanny. I kept the colours simple by only using two at a time.

I added the finger paints to the paper in large blobs. This acted as a great invitation for Tinnie to grab a hold of the paint and then smear it onto the paper. He was so excited that he kept causing the paper to shot across the tray and onto the floor. P was a great assistant at holding the paper on the tray. 

Links to EYFS for 0-11 mths

Personal, Social and Emotional Development- 

Laughs and gurgles

Shows a range of emotions such as pleasure, fear and excitement

Physical Development- 

Makes movements with arms and legs which gradually become more controlled

Understanding of the World

Repeats actions that have an effect, e.g. kicking or hitting a mobile or shaking a rattle

Summer Maternity Wear

This time last year I was starting to grow a nice little bump. I made the most of wearing some lovely flowing dresses and eating as much ice cream as I wanted. I was lucky that my bump didn't not grow too much over the summer as being heavily pregnant in the summer is not much fun as I discovered with Little Man.

Photo Credit: New Look

This year Tinnie is already 6 months but I can't help but notice how beautiful the maternity clothes are in the shops. The colour trends seem to be the same as last year at the moment with some beautiful items in navy and salmon. Last year I made the most of these shades as they seem to go well with my complexion and hair colour. 

If your looking for a beautiful and stylish outfit for this summers wedding or Christenings check out the New Look range. Their clothes are great value for money and ensure that you will be comfortable as well as stylish. New look also offer a huge range of accessories, shoes and bags to help polish off your outfit nicely without breaking the bank.

Tips:

• If looking for maternity clothing look  for clothes that will be grow with you and will be comfortable in the heat.
• Maternity Leggings are amazing comfortable and can be a great money saving item for your wardrobe.
• Look online, New look have a wider selection on their site.
• Look at ways of up cycling your current wardrobe.
• Layering up- British weather can be very un predictable, wearing layers allows will help in tacking it. 

New Look offer free delivery on all orders over £45 and if your not sure about your purchases you can even return them in store.

Disclosure: This is a featured post but all view are my own. 

Television and your child

Parents are understandably concerned about letting their young children consume too much television and the affects that too much time in front of a screen can have on their development. However, the television has become an integral part of many modern households and it’s often difficult to find the right compromise between giving your children freedom to watch what they want and minimising their screen time to a healthy amount.

Of course, there are ways in which you can ensure young children use the television in a safe and responsible way and here we take a look at a few such measures.

The first step is to ensure there are limitations on just how much television your child can watch and that such boundaries are kept to and respected. Don’t allow your children to binge on television and watch hours after hours of shows that hold no real interest. Combine general entertainment shows with educational programmes that offer something a little meatier to digest to ensure your children get the most from their viewing.

Selecting certain shows that your child can both enjoy and learn from is a much better way of limiting time in front of the screen and gives you a little control over what they are viewing. If you find you lack in interesting or stimulating channels, it may be a good idea to take a look at the VirginMedia selection for inspiration.

Finally, it is important that your child watches television critically and isn’t in a position where they accept everything that is said and done on television without questioning or understanding it. This may require you to talk programmes through with your child, ask them questions and prompt them to give their opinions and thoughts.

You may also want to switch off or mute the television during adverts, as young children are often incredibly impressionable and advertisement agencies know this only too well!

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Kids Grow Wild

I had hoped that this year I would be able to pay a lot of attention to our garden. I had planned on a garden full of fruit and veg and plants bursting out of the flower beds. So far this is not going as planned due to the lack of time I'm able to commit to it. 

I was asked by Britmums.com if I would like to do a blog post on growing with children. They would send us a little growing kit and I could add the post into the Moneysupermarket.com #kidgrowwild competition. I agreed to do the competition with the thought that it would encourage us to do some gardening. 

Little man picked through the seeds and choose to plant the pansies first. As we had managed to do a few seeds this summer just for tomatoes and sunflowers Little Man know what we needed to do so I let him take the lead on the planting. As he began filling the pots with soil I asked him why the plants needed soil and we went on to discuss the other things plants need to help them grow. He placed the pots in the green house labelled up. 

While planting our seeds Little Man discovered a spider in the soil. At first he jumped out of his skin and back away from the soil but once I asked him to come and have a look at what the spider had been doing he crept over to take a peek. The spider had been spinning a case for her eggs and Little man was amazed to find this.

The seeds were only planted a few days ago but we will be following their growth by making a growing journal which I will share with you through out the summer.

This post is an entry for BritMums’ #KidsGrowWild Challenge

Staying a Work at Home Mum

Over the last month or so there has been a lot of disruption in our home. The time has come for me to return to work and I made the 'brave' choice to go back and work as a Nursery Manager. This was going to mean find childcare for out side school hours for P including the holidays, dividing the pick up's between me and hubby and putting the children through long hour's in my nursery. We had decided that long term this would be worth it as we could then afford nice holidays and even get a mortgage. 

I was excited about getting to dress up for work again. I dug out my old work hand bags and browsed for some  Aperlai shoes  to make me feel more lady like. I brought a new diary and calender to help me get organised and even labelled all the children's clothes (very rarely done in this house). 

This was to be short lived. Before starting work I insisted that I wanted the boys to do a few short sessions to help them settle in. During these sessions I found I was completely on the edge and this was not helped out by the staff messing up Tinnie's routine and medication. There was just something that didn't sit right with me and at the back of my mind this was a constant worry. 

The weekend before I was due to start I completely changed my mind. I couldn't do it. I didn't want to miss P's school assemblies or events, I didn't want the boys being looked after by any one else but me. I turned down the role and decided that I would return to working from home as a childminder and even though there's no sassy shoes or designer hand bags I will have my children around me and that's the best job of all. 

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Summer Memories

Before we had the children money was always a little short and when it came to the summer holidays we would usually have just enough money to pay for a few night's camping and some budget food. Even as a child I remember going on 'The Sun' newspaper holidays, these holidays always seemed to be the best. It never mattered about days out here and there it was more and the small things. 

My favourite holiday before the kiddies would have to be a trip to Wales. It took us four hours to get there and ended up putting a tent up in the dark. On the first night you could hear a nearby stream and the area was beautifully peaceful. When we woke up in the morning and climbed out of our tent we discovered that the camp site was surrounded by mountains the stream was also right by side our camp. 

The days were spent exploring the local mountains while in the evening we would listen to music and playing cards games or talk down by the stream. It's funny how the music even now reminds me of going on holiday and we still play the same songs when taking the children away. 

Our holiday summer time favourites are usually ones in the chart but the one that holds the most memories for us is Will Smith and Jazzy Jeff  'summer time', Maybe not every bodies favourite but Cumbrian-Cottages.co.uk have put together this great playlist ahead of the summer holiday which may contain yours. 

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Baby Play: Water Play

Make a water tray for your baby to play with once they are able to sit up in high chair or Bumbo. Great for encouraging your baby to explore and interact!

With the weather improving I have been trying to get the whole family out side to get more fresh air. Tinnie has been loving this and it has been a perfect opportunity to get him involved in some more sensory play activities. I thought that since he has a real love for baths we would start off trying water play. 

I set up the water tray by using a cat litter tray (don't panic this is brand new and I do not own any cats). I filled the tray with warm water and changed the colour with food colouring. As you can see I added balls to the water for Tinnie the move around and try to catch using both hands. 

I expected that Tinnie would be splashing like crazy as soon as I placed him in front of the tray. This was not the case as he was more interested in the grass surrounding him. When starting to try activities like this with babies its quite a good idea to sit at their level and support them in exploring the sensory material. I splashed the water and little and moved the balls from side to side. This encouraged Tinnie to do the same he began to move his hands under the water from side to side. 

Links to EYFS for 0-11 mths

Personal, Social and Emotional Development- 

Laughs and gurgles

Shows a range of emotions such as pleasure, fear and excitement

Physical Development- 

Makes movements with arms and legs which gradually become more controlled

Understanding of the World

Repeats actions that have an effect, e.g. kicking or hitting a mobile or shaking a rattle

Baking Egg Free Cookies for Fathers Day

We were recently sent a selection of products from Dr Oetker's to bake with. With fathers days less then a week away I wanted to share with you a recipe which we will be making as a little treat for our movie evening. We usually enjoy a movie together on a Sunday as a family treat. It's nice that we are all together and get to cuddle up together on the sofa with a bowl of pop corn. For fathers day we thought it would be nice to bake daddy some chocolate cookies to enjoy for a change. 

I adapted a recipe I have used before from Nurture Store swapping 2oz of flour for the same amount of coco powder. The recipe turned out great!! We added for chunks of cooking chocolate in some and chocolate drops in the others to test out the Dr Oetkers products and mixed in a handy sachet of their bicarbonate of soda. The chocolate chips were especially good as I did not realise but these chips do not melt when cooked but are still nice and soft while the cookies are warm. 

These made great treats for fathers day. My eldest two were able to help make the cookies for their dad and this made it extra special. This recipe is especially good for us because it is egg free for Little Man and can be frozen when baked meaning they can be put away for P's packed lunch. If your looking for recipes to try out for a little treat or even a gift for fathers day check out Dr Oetker recipes available on line. 

Disclaimer: We were sent Dr Oetker product to review and write about however all opinions are my own. 

Tomy Bumbo Floor Seat Review

Tinnie is now five month's old and is no longer satisfied to just have cuddles or tummy time. Instead he would like to have a clearer view of what is sister and brother are up to and to make it easier for him he needed a way of sitting up. I had originally tried his bouncer chair but the angle frustrates him. I had thought about getting him a Bumbo Floor Seat which aids baby in sitting up once they are able to support their head. 

We were recently sent a Bumbo floor seat and play Tray to review and I had exciting plan's on how the Bumbo could be used to test it out with Tinnie. 

Bumbo Floor Seat Features:

• The Bumbo helps your little one to sit upright once they are strong enough to support their own head, allowing them to engage with their surroundings and develop their posture. 
• The secure and moveable seat means that you can get on with jobs and still have baby beside you. 
• A detachable Play Tray is a perfect platform for your little one's toys and can be purchased seperately. 
• Easy to wipe clean, the Bumbo is great for using for eating or activities. 
• Suitable for babies 4-12 months,  but use should be determined by baby's physical development.
• New restraints mean that baby will not fall out of the Bumbo.  

My plan was to use the seat to involve Tinnie in his older siblings play, whether it be free play, messy or sensory play activities with me. I was a little bit unsure at first about using the seat to start with as Tinnie can not sit unaided and when looking at the website Bumbo.com I found the information and guidance very reassuring. 

I find Tinnie still leans forward a lot in his seat so I have not been using it too often yet. I have however used it for messy and sensory activities. Now he is getting older I will be trying lots of the activities out with Tinnie and the Bumbo Floor Seat has made this a lot easier.

Tinnie loves to throw toys across his tray and bang on it with his hands. I plan to use the seat a lot more in the future once Tinnie is more used to it. I love the fact that the seat now has a little seat belt for extra safety and it is so easily cleaned after our messy activities. 

For more information on Bumbo Floor Seats check out the website and visit Emma’s Diary for latest offers on the Bumbo

Disclaimer: We were sent a Bumbo and Bumbo tray to review however all opinions are my own. 

How To Make A Tin Boat

This week I got together with some other bloggers in a Google + hangout to discuss how to make a toy boat. Home made boats are a great way idea for making your own resources for the water tray children love test the out once their master piece is finished. I thought that it would be a nice idea to revist an old craft where we made tin boats.

Resources

Tin pie cases,
Play dough or plasticine,
Straws or lollipop sticks,
Card
Cellotape
Crayons or pencils

Step 1. Stick a ball shaped piece of Plasticine in your tin case roughly the size of a marble.

Step 2. Cut your straws to 10cm

Step 3. Cut out your rectangles by scaling them according to the straws.

Step 4. Decorate your sails using the crayons. You can pick any pattern you would like.

Step 5. Cellotape the sails onto the top of the straws then stick them into the play dough and your finished.

Once made we filled our baby bath with coloured water and added a collection of fish and shells. 

The children enjoyed tapping the little boats around the bath and taking them on adventures. Little man put on the voices of pirate and P enjoyed hiding objects underneath the shells. 

Maggy from +Maggy Woodley is always bursting full of fantastic ideas for crafting with children and this week she shared two great ideas for making your own boats, Walnut boats and some amazing Tug boats made from junk modelling. 

This week +Ali Clifford  showed us paper boats which Maggy had originally taught Ali's son. After showing all his friends how to make these paper boats this crafts holds a lot of memories for Ali. 

+anthea barton from Zing Zing Tree shared a fantastic craft for making boats using chip containers she found on holiday. 

+Crystal McClean  from Crystals Tiny Treasures had a great idea to use kitchen rolls as boats. I love any craft which involve toilet or kitchen rolls as our house is always full of these. 

The lovely +Kelly Innes  from Domestic Goddesque had a very frugal idea using every part of a child's juice carton. 

+Rebecca English  from Here Come The Girls made a great boat using egg boxes. I love that the little people even have there own little seats to sit in. 

Keeping Children Safe Online

This year we were able to attend the Cybher conference and this was partly thanks to a wonderful company TwoTen. I first heard about  Two Ten through a friend and began speaking to their virtal duck Peepus on Twitter. I love the idea of finding ways for children to safely use technology with out any risks and that's exactly what what Two Ten seek to do. P is always using the internet through our tablets or the laptop to play educational games but I'm sure it will not take longer for her to start wandering onto different sites. 

This is what Two Ten  say they have to offer..

TwoTen is an online protection and guidance service for younger children - sort of a web filter only cleverer. You don't have to install any software and there's almost nothing to configure. TwoTen technology can protect a child whether they are browsing the Internet with a PC, a netbook, a smartphone or a tablet - if it can browse the web TwoTen can protect it.

TwoTen's approach is fundamentally different to other web and Internet filtering systems you may have seen; we believe the protection and boundaries should be absolute and that younger children (that's who our product is for) need guidance as much as they need protection. We're also pretty sure that many parents and teachers are not technical experts and those that have technical skills are too busy to learn a new complex tool. So TwoTen guides children as well as protects them, while being incredibly simple to use for parents and teachers.

If your interested in finding out more or would like to sign up click here.

We hope to do some more work with Two Ten over the next year and will keep you up dated.  

Cybher 2013- A Day To Remember

Cybher is a conference held for bloggers once a year in the centre of London. Filled with inspirational and friendly women who would not have jumped at the chance of attending?! Well this year I was lucky enough to be able to attend thanks to some advertising on Playful Learners and a fantastic sponsor, TwoTen. 

I was lucky enough this year to spend my time with a couple of lovely bloggers, Laura from Rocket and Bee and Fi from Childcare is Fun. Planning to attend with a friend is probably the best thing I could have done as it gave me a lot more confidence on the day. It was nice to meet some other bloggers that I had spoken to on line or read their blogs such as +Joy Jackson  and @mytwomums whose little boy I quite easily could have taken home as Tinnies play mate! I also bumped into some of the blogger's which I do hangout's with on Goggle + such as +Maggy Woodley and +Anna Ranson. I think seeing people you speak to online was what made Cybher really special for me. 

Before Cybher I had already planned out the sessions I wanted to attend. I was particularly keen on the talks about Google +, Pinterest and Going viral.  This meant that I would get the most out of the conference for blogging and our business (Chaos Protein). I'm not sure really where things went wrong but I managed to miss all 3 of them which was a real shame. 

I spent a little while down stairs with Mollie Makes in the Home Barn hangout attempting to crotchet and it's some thing which I am going to continue learning as I did not get past the first chain thanks to Tinnie. I am quite determined to make a blanket for next winter so fingers crossed. 

The day was amazing I learnt so much and left with a lovely to do list from Sian and Claires session even though I'm not new to blogging. I'm feeling really motivated to carry on with blogging when I return to work and to build my readership as much as possible. I can't wait for next years now!! 

Stokke Lovin- A Stokke Scoot Review

Since having Tinnie we have come to realise that choosing a stroller or pushchair is a huge decision. Not only can a stroller set you back a tidy sum but it is something which we expect to last us a long time. To meet this need it's important to choose a good brand and spend time researching the features each stroller has to make sure it suits your needs. Not every stroller will suit every family, we learnt this the hard way.

So this is what we are looking for in a stroller?

Comfort- The stroller needs to offer a laying back as well as a sitting position. Ideally the sitting position should not be too up right. Tinnie has colic and always seems comfortable slight resting backwards. 

Size- Our house is not particularly big nor is our boot space once daddies gym gear has taken up over half the room so a stroller which collapses into a small package would be ideal. 

Quality- While out and about the strollers job is to give our little one a safe and comfortable ride. Making sure the stroller can do it's job safely and will last until Tinnie is too big for it is an important to me. 

We seem to have had a lot of hassle this year with baby products and when we were offered to review the Stokke Scoot I was very excited to give it a try. I have been eyeing up the Xplory for some time even though daddy never liked the style. Bloggers have always described the brand as the best on the market and after reviewing the Tripp Trapp and new born seat I could not wait to give the stroller a go. 

Stokke Scoot- The Compact Connection Stroller

• The Scoot is described as a lightweight stroller with out comprising comfort and ease in use. 
• Available in 7 beautiful colours- brown, red, dark navy, black, beige, purple and lime green. 
• Suitable from birth up to 15kg.
• RRP £549
• Parent and front facing options for parent and child bonding. 

When our Stokke Scoot arrived I tried to get G to film me while I unwrapped it and put it together but this went horribly wrong as for half the time the camera was facing the radiator as she was too excited about the colour I had picked. Putting together the stroller only took five minutes. The frame was in one piece so only the seat and wheels needed adding. Since I did not get to add a video of the stroller being unpacked, here is one from a few days later. I am aware that I have pronounced Stokke wrong so here's a link on how to say it correctly https://audioboo.fm/boos/664665-how-to-say-stokke. (Slapped wrist for me from the Stokke Lovers) 

I thought I would go into as much detail as possible on the strollers features and if I have missed any thing out please feel free to leave your questions in the comment section below.

Stokke Scoot Hood

• The Scoot hood is attached to the stroller using a zip which allows you to move the hood even further forward depending on the angle of the sun. The hood it's self also allows you to move it backwards and forwards in several positions to suit the weather.  
• The hood also has the extra feature of a zipp on visor which I have left on the hood as it can be easily flipped backwards inside the hood. 
• There is an additional zip across the hood which opens up displaying a small strip giving extra ventilation or a way of keeping an eye on your little one if they are facing front ways . 

Stokke Scoot Basket

• The basket is low down which according to Stokke means that the stroller will be more stable when filled with shopping. 
• The basket is also described as deep. I found that although the basket is large it could do with more netting at the front to stop things falling out. When going shopping I can usually fit two bags of shopping underneath which I think is a good amount. 
• There are hoops at the front underneath the seat which allows you to attach a Stokke changing bag. This is currently on my shopping wish list as my Pink Lining bag currently takes up the whole basket. 
• The basket is accessible for all sides of the stroller making it easy to access. 

Stokke Scoot Seat

• The seat comes with a 5 point harness ensuring baby is safely secure while in the seat.
• The straps which go over babies shoulders also have pads for extra comfort when baby is small. These can be removed when taking the straps off of the seat it's self. We did this to tighten the straps for Tinnie. As he gets older I would not need to remove the straps to do this but as I needed them so tight it was necessary the first time. 
• The seat sits high on the frame making it easier for eye contact with parent or carer. The height also makes it easy to use as a high chair when out and about which we tried out while on a day trip to Thorpe Park. 
• The seat cover is easily removed for spot cleaning or to adjust the straps using a zip at the back of the seat.
• The seat can be both parent facing or front facing. This is easily switched by using the white button on each side. We have not tried forward facing but will probably switch from when Tinnie is a year old. 
• While in the rest position baby is enclosed within the stroller. This keeps baby safe and secure helping baby to sleep while in this position. Tinnie loves to sleep in his Scoot especially on the school runs. I have also lined our's with a sheep skin liner which helps regulate his body temperature but help add to the comfy ride. 
• While in the active position he is in the perfect angle for me. Slightly resting back Tinnie is able to see me clearly but also see what is going on around him. This position is normally what I will use if he has just had his milk due to his Reflux. 
• To switch between the two positions you simply pinch the two circles on the back of the seat making sure you hold the back of the seat to recline or lift slowly if your little one is inside. 

Stokke Scoot Footrest

• The main foot rest sits at the front of the stroller. This foot rest is low down for when a toddler is using the stroller but is also sturdy enough for little man to use as a step to get into the seat. 
• The Scoot also comes with an extra foot rest which can be also be placed in two different positions at the front or back. This means that as Tinnie gets older the extra foot rest will support his feet rather than leaving them to dangle down. 
• The second foot rest is easy to moved using two button's which you pull out to release the foot rest. 

Stokke Scoot Handle

• The handle can be adjusted from 39 inches to 42. The handle is easily adjusted using a switch on the inside of the handle on each side. I use the lower of the two settings and I am 5ft5 where as daddy uses the higher setting and he is 6ft6. 
• A large part of the handle is covered in a firm foam which helps grip the handle when going up kerbs and pushing the stroller. Unfortunately our handle as cracked slightly in a few places. This was down to me placing my Pink Lining bag over the handle when out and about. Needless to say the bag is now band from coming out with us now!! 
• There is a section in the middle of the handle to add a cup holder which is available to order separately. 

Stokke Scoot Wheels 

• The Scoot is a four wheel strollers and each 7 inch wheel is made from foam helping toward a smooth ride. 
• Having  swivel wheels at the front of it can be a little difficult when getting out of the house but once you are used to it you just need to give the stroller a little wiggle and the wheels will move into place. 
• When using in snow or rougher terrain the wheels can be locked to make it easier to use. 

Our Stokke Scoot out and about

Since having the Scoot we have been on many a school run together. I have found my self struggling to get up kerbs as I am used to pushchairs where you could push on the handle to help get up the kerb. I have found with the Scoot I am unable to do this and instead need to retrain my self to use my foot to help get up the kerbs instead.

While out and about there's no denying that the Scoot is an eye catcher. Many people have stopped me to ask my about the stroller and I love to show them all the features. We have also used our Scoot on the bus and found that the stroller is easy to maneuver around the poles and fits in nicer with a second stroller.

The rain cover has been used a lot already thanks to our beautiful English weather. I love that the rain cover goes right back and when not in use can be folded back over the hood. The rain cover is secured by using to poppers which makes it extremely easy to put on in a rush.

The Scoot also fit's nicely in our boot, we have a Audi A4 which has a big boot but we found that even with all daddies work bits we could still fit it in with room to spare. We have also tried it in a Focus but have yet to try it in nannies Ka. It's great that when placing it in the boot we do not need to take the seat off of the frame which is a great time saver.

So does the Scoot tick all our boxes? Completely. The quality of the Scoot is brilliant, I must admit I kind of treat it like a forth child as I love it so much. The Scoot fold's down nice and small to place in our porch or the boot and will fit nicely in the nurseries buggy cupboard. Tinnies seems to love his new pushchair and always falls asleep with ease when needed. I would highly recommend the Scoot to other mums and have done at toddler groups and in the school play ground.

Disclosure: The Stokke Scoot was sent to us for review purposes. However all opinions and views are my own