Silent Sunday

Donna... x

Wrapped in love Guest Post

As many of you will know, notyetayummymummy is expecting her second child shortly and with her bundle of joy soon to make an appearance I thought I might fill the blog gap a little.

I am her sister in law and a first time mum to a gorgeous 7 week old little girl. As a fan of the never-ending knowledge of thousands of other mummies out there I found myself joining the Baby Centre Websites September 2011 Birth Board.

This is where I came across a fabulous post from another mummy explaining about a generous deal the people from Morrck where doing. They were offering a free Baby Hoodie to the first 100 people to e-mail them from Baby Centre, which I very quickly did. Amazingly a few days later I received a reply informing me that I had indeed won myself a Baby Hoodie and it would be on its way to me shortly.

Due to nappy brain (that’s my excuse and I am sticking to it) I assumed the item would be what we would expect a miniature version of a Hoodie to be. This is not at all what I received!

Instead, I unwrapped the package to reveal a beautifully soft, light pink fleecy fabric. Once opened out I discovered it to be lined in 100% cotton and shaped like a wrap with a little hood (hence the Hoodie reference). There were strategically placed holes allowing either a three point harness such as my car seat, or a five point harness, such as a prams, to fit through easily. Dearest daughter was simply then placed in the car seat with the fabric opened out and once secured by the harness, the fabric could then be wrapped around her keeping her perfectly warm and cosy

Making sure our daughter is the perfect temperature and as comfortable as possible, especially at this time of year, usually requires awkward layering up of vests, tops, coats and hats. The Baby Hoodie is fantastic as I only have to place her in the car seat dressed for indoors, wrap her up, take her out and about and lift her out of the seat when back in the warm. There is no fussing over her extra layers and therefore you do not wake the happily sleeping baby who has enjoyed a car ride (every nap is treasured!).

The Baby Hoodie I received is size 1 (0-6 months) and will successfully keep her warm through our chilly British weather until next year. The other sizes they provide are Size 2: 5-18 months and Size 3: 18 months – 4 years. Although time fly’s by when it comes to our little ones, I feel an item that can span a stretch of months and years is definitely worth investing in.

Its also machine washable, which every parent will know is a must with anything baby related and feels really well made.
 

Size 1 retails at £35.95 which is one of the more expensive baby related items but due to its longevity I feel it will definitely be worth it. I am also already considering it as a super gift, especially as there are so many colours and patterns to choose from!
Take a look for yourselves at www.morrck.com

Helen

And That Was the End of the Ginger Bread Man

William adores story time.  He baths from 6 til 6:30pm, then excitedly runs to his room ready for a quick change into his Jim Jams before climbing on the sofa with his lion, cup of milk and a pile of books.  We solely dedicate this time to reading with him and have a no TV or answering of phones rule in place to ensure it's uninterrupted.  It's the time of day we all seem to love the most.  William has progressed from lift and touch books to proper stories and it's a delight to see him joining in and remembering the words.  All good, or so I thought.

I'm not sure what you think but quite a few of the stories are not actually that pleasant.  Two of the three little pigs get eaten then the wolf gets boiled alive.  The troll in the billy goats gruff gets head butted into the water never to be seen again, not before scaring the life out of your child with his big teeth and sharp claws and as for the poor gingerbread man, well that's where the trouble began.

Up until now it's been one of his favourites stories. Although he gets eaten at the end William didn't seem too concerned and more often than not was caught up in trying to remember the words and join in.   He often said "poor gingerbread man" as the fox gobbled him up, quickly followed by "the end" before readily moving onto the next book.

Today I took him into town for a babyccino (warm frothy milk in an expresso cup) and as an extra special treat I bought him a little ginger bread man.  He was so excited.  Before I knew it he was reciting the whole story, bopping the little thing around saying " let me out, let me out" and "run run as fast as can, you can't catch me I'm the gingerbread man".  He nibbled at his hands and feet but didn't really seem that hungry.  Me being me asked William to share a bit.  He had no qualms in handing him over, obviously assuming I would't hurt the little fellow.  I gently bit into the top and was as horrified as Will when his whole head broke off! The look of concern on Wills face said it all. He was utterly mortified. The gingerbread man had no head and it was my fault "Poor ginger bread man" he shouted loudly, looking like he might cry and frantically looking at hubby and I for reassurance and support.  Hubby and I were trying not to laugh as Will looked on in horror at his mutilated gingerbread man.

Thankfully there was a man outside playing the violin and having recently learnt the words to the music man, Daddy managed to distract him by singing "Vio vio Violin" whilst lifting him from his seat and discreetly hiding the crumbled remains under a napkin.  By this stage I felt awful, he was clearly concerned and bit bemused by the sudden demise of his gingerbread man.

Needless to say tonight at story time he asked for Peter Rabbit instead.  I can only assume for us, for now, that was the end of the gingerbread man.

Donna.....x

Seriously Gorgeous Tummy Rub Oil

I was delighted when the lovely Bundle O Joy agreed to let me review some of their Mamas Belly Rub Stretch Mark Oil by Shea Mooti. I was lucky enough not to get stretch marks in my previous pregnancy but having read lots of reports from people who still got them second time round, I did not want to take it for granted.

I don't like being covered in greasy sticky creams and lotions so was on the look out for a light oil or cream which would keep me moisturised and hopefully help relieve some of the dreadful itching.

This is a non greasy skin conditioning oil that is loaded with Omega 3, 6, 9 enriched oils especially formulated for use before, during and beyond pregnancy. Shea Mooti claim regular use of the Belly rub oil helps to prevent stretch marks, maintain supple skin, optimum elasticity and promote growth through out the coming months.  It has some amazing ingredients including; oragnic baobab oil, mandarin essential oil, rosehip, shea and wheatgerm oil. For a more detailed description of the ingredients and how they work click here

I've only been using it for a week so can't vouch for all of the above but what I can tell you is my tummy feels soft and supple.  I was impressed that although its oil based its not at all greasy.  The fragrance is also light and subtle.  I don't know about you but I'm not to keen on strong scented products as by the time you've applied deodorant and perfume, it can be all too much, especially when you have the super sensitive sense of smell often associated with pregnancy.

It retails at £14.99 for a 100ml bottle which in my opinion makes it a little bit of a luxury product and as pregnancy is a time for luxuries I personally think it's worth it.  I love it and so does my 2 year old son who thinks his bump needs it too.

Donna..........x

Is It Ever Right to Smack Children?

How we discipline our children remains a contentious issue.  In previous times it was perfectly acceptable and well regarded to physically punish children for inappropriate or naughty behaviour.  However today smacking a child in public is seriously controversial and if considered outside the realms of "reasonable chastisement" could entail up to a five year prison sentence.

William has recently turned two and as predictable as ever he's reached the age where he seems to be putting our authority to the test and tries to challenge us at every given opportunity.  This has led my husband and I to seriously consider how we are going to work our way through the terrible twos and beyond.  We opted to use the naughty cushion as our method of discipline, combined with positive reinforcement for good behaviour and have done so since William was about one. When used consistently with a calm, firm manner it seems to work but there are times it doesn't. This may be due to inappropriate or over use or it could be there are other more effective ways we do not not know about and have therefore not considered.  Everyone seems to have their own way, either based on their own childhood experiences or beliefs they have mustered along the way.

But what's the right way and what happens when you strongly disagree with the methods of fellow parents? One of my closest friends and I have always had very different ideas on how we would bring up our children and accepted we would do things differently, without criticism or judgement.  Of course our major difference is how we choose to discipline our children. It's simple, I don't believe in smacking, she does. To date it's not been an issue as our children are two years and seven months but as they get older our polar opposite views and the practicalities of enforcing are individual methods may become more of a challenge.

I do not want my children to witness her children being smacked as I believe it conveys a message that its acceptable to hit people if you do not think they are behaving appropriately.  I also couldn't watch her smacking her children as I think it would make me angry.  I'm no earth mother and do not believe in a nanny state but in my opinion when a child has behaved in a way you feel you feel warrants smacking, at the time you need to act i.e. immediately at the time of the offence, you are likely to be angry so you may hit them harder than intended.  Aside from that, even the thought of a full grown adult hitting a defenceless child makes me seethe and goes against everything I believe in. I can't help but feel the parent has in some way failed to provide their child with the necessary boundaries and discipline in the first place, so resorts to hitting them in a last vain attempt to rein back some control. Very strong I know, but like I say just my opinion.

So what you think?  Am I being naive as I've yet to reach the really difficult ages where only smacking works or like my current opinion, do you think children should never be smacked by way of punishment?  I would love to hear your opinions and the methods you use. The next few months in the the Le-bon Olive household are going to be very challenging with William at a difficult developmental stage and our new baby imminently on the way, so I look forward to hearing what you have to say.

Wish me luck

Donna.................x

Eau Thermale Trixera+ Creme Emolliente

Childhood eczema affects around 10% of children and babies and the symptoms can range from mild to severe.  William has suffered from sensitive skin since he was born and has flare ups of eczema when he's stressed or unwell.  His delicate skin reacts to almost everything  and becomes very dry and itchy if its' not kept moisturised.

The use of emollients are standard treatment in the prevention and day-day treatment or management of eczema.  They are lotions, creams, ointments and bath/shower additives which oil the skin to keep it supple and moist and help to protect it from irritants.  Although essential and effective the very nature of their purpose often leads them to being thick and somewhat difficult to rub in.

This can not be said for the Eau Thermale Trixera+Creme Emolliente.  When I was asked to review this product I expected it to work but was actually surprised by it's gorgeous light consistency.  It absorbs really quickly and doesn't leave Williams Jim Jams clinging and sticking to him as often happens with other brands. It leaves his skin feeling super soft and silky and we give it a definite thumbs up.

The cream retails at around £11.00 for 200mls so is slightly more expensive than some of the other leading brands but if you want to pay a little extra for something that little bit lighter and extra special then I would definitely recommend it.

The brand it's self is centered around Avène Thermal spring water and its soothing properties. Originating as rain, the water filters through the Cévennes Mountains absorbing precious minerals and trace elements for 40 years until it reaches the mouth of the ancient Sainte-Odile spring. Its unique composition makes Avène Thermal Spring Water ideally suited for the care and management of sensitive skin and in my opinion it works.

Click here to read more for yourself and check out all the other fabulous products in the range

Donna........x