Getting the world ready ( Dettol )

When I was contacted by dettol asking me about my experience with Bodhi  and hygiene worries when he was 1st born , when Bodhi born five weeks early  ( read Bodhi's birth story )  I had no nesting time so I didn't get a chance to wash new born clothes or even get the cot set up !! Having a premature baby adds extra worry to your mind. Your child is so small and vulnerable to the big wide world around them. Bodhi was also born in January and we had snow, also I had a c-section so we didn't leave the house much those 1st few months. 

I did always make sure we had antibacterial hand soap in both the bathroom and kitchen and asked visitors to keep away if they had coughs and colds. I also found that antibacterial wipes became a very handy household friend second only to the baby wet wipe , I found these perfect for a quick whip over of the change Matt or high chair. Touch wood bodhi is a pretty healthy kid it's only now he has started at nursery school that he is getting snotty nose and colds. 

We was kindly sent very kindly sent a can of dettol all in one disinfect spray , I found think prefect for use on sofas/beds and rugs if needed ( thankfully I haven't needed to use it yet for killing sickness bug germs ) I have also been using it in my bathroom cleaning routine on my toilet and taps. We also sent a bottle dettol antibacterial laundry cleanser I have used this to wash the bedding and towels, makes everything not only smell really clean and fresh but it's also peace of mind that they are clean and germ free also. 

Getting the world ready for little one ( youtube )

Whether you’re a first-time mum or you’ve been through it all before, a little help to get everything ready for your new arrival can go a long way. 

No matter how clean your home is, it’s essential to take extra care when you’re preparing for the arrival of a new-born or have a toddler keen to explore.   Adopting these simple hygiene habits will ensure that your home is hygienically clean and safe for your little one:

Healthier Surfaces

·         Nurseries should be kept free of harmful germs, especially in the first few weeks.  Don’t forget it’s not just the changing mat and cot that can harbour germs but also frequently touched areas like the door handles and light switches.  Dettol Anti-bacterial Surface Cleanser has no taint, no odour and no bleach and is suitable for use in baby contact areas. 

Germ Free on the Go   

·         From that first night in the hospital to the first trip out,  keep car seats, highchairs and all your baby equipment germ free with Dettol Anti-bacterial Cleansing Surface Wipes which kill 99.9% of bacteria and viruses and are great for hard to reach surfaces and on the go. 

Hands

·         Keeping your hands clean, before and after handling your little one, is really important to make sure germs don’t spread. If you’re feeding, changing, or perhaps handling food or pets, try our Dettol No-Touch Hand Wash System. It automatically dispenses anti-bacterial Hand Wash, after you place your hands under the nozzle to help prevent the spread of germs. 

Added Laundry Protection

·         It’s not just re-used baby clothes and bedding that can harbour germs, new ones can too! While washing at low temperatures is kind to baby’s clothes, it doesn’t offer protection against bacteria which can survive below 60˚C. Use our unique Dettol Anti-bacterial Laundry Cleanser alongside your normal detergent and softener to guarantee hygienic cleaning, even at temperatures as low as 15˚C. 

Remember the day you brought your baby home for the first time? That first trip out in the car? All the things you have done to prepare your home for the arrival, such as cleaning every inch of the house?  Share your memories of getting the world ready for your baby #gettheworldready @DettolUKParents

Dettol, helping mum get the world ready for baby with a range of anti-bacterial products that are suitable for use in baby contact areas.

( I was sent these products for personal use all views are my own ) 

Bodhi's birth story ( 28/01/2012 )

So, Bodhi is four years old and I've never written or filmed my birth story so I thought I'd type it all out as no doubt in years to come I will forget details, 

Thursday 26th January 2012 

35 weeks pregnant, full day at work with midwife appointment at 11am so I went from work, midwife has a student with her for my appointment ( nothing new think I had always had a student at my midwife ) but happy for them to learn, but then they also had a head midwife checking the normal one so that makes 3 midwifes, me and lumpy ( that's what we called bodhi as we didn't want to know the sex of bump ) heard the heart beat and bump was measured as it should but lumpy was still breech ( now lumpy had been breach from our 20 week scan ) they had no really worries about this as lumpy still had time to turn on its own and if at my next weeks appointment was still breech I would be sent to the hospital to have baby turned. They all had a good feel of bump, 3 women pushing and poking the bump and then I went back to work in the afternoon I feel really sore and lumpy wasn't happy with me and was moving and kicking me a lot !! 

Friday 27th January 2012 

Day off from work ( thankfully ) had a rubbish nights sleep due to lumpy moving and kicking me all night long. In the morning I had some dull back pain and feel really off. I was texting my friend and she told me to go have a bath and fake some paracetamol, well I spent most of the day in the bath with my back pain getting worse and what felt like period pains. When Chris got home from work at 5 he really wasn't happy with how rubbish I was feeling, I thought I was just in pain after a full week at work on my feet but I called the labour ward and asked them for some advice they told us to come in for a scan as they said it might be that lumpy has turned and is no longer breech. ( Yaye ) we got to the hospital at around 6:30 pm I just took my handbag ( I hadn't even packed my hospital bag by this point with still having a week left at work it was on my todo list once I'd started maternity leave ) once we arrived I was hooked up to the monitor and stayed on it for over 2 hours, by this point ( 8:30 pm ) I was in some real pain and asked for help. A doctor checked me down below but nothing was going on but the pain where coming every 5-8 minutes and lasting around 30 seconds at a time. I was kept in over night and was booked in for a scan 1st thing in the morning. Chris went home and I was taken up to the ward at around 11pm I was given some medicine to help me sleep and also a tooth brush and tooth paste along with a hospital gown.

3am 28th January 2012

I woke up with such a pain I thought the baby was coming right that second! I pushed my buzzer and a nurse helped me to the bathroom , after going I felt no better and the nurse sent for the doctor. Once again I was check but this time I was 3cm dilated!! ( I was very shocked ) but the then went to say that the baby was limbs down breech and was coming feet 1st. They phoned Chris and he rushed to the hospital. We are lucky that our hospital is only 10 minutes from our house, once he arrived we was given our options I could try to push the baby out with a very high chance that he would get stuck leading to me being cut or having to have a c-section. Or we could just choice the c-section. We went with the section and after a phone call to my work ( as I was due in for my shift at 2pm ) I was taken down to theatre , Chris got his scrubs on and we was good to go. At 11:44 am my beautiful baby boy was born via c-section and at 5 weeks early he weighed a good 6.5lb he was taken to be checked over and he was fine , Chris cut the cord and I got to have my 1st cuddle. 

Please just wash your hands!!

With a four year old boy I often find myself saying ( and shouting ) " wash your hands " " have your washed your hands ? " I fear I am losing my mind ! Most day the boy is out in the garden digging / playing in the sand and just getting dirty and don't get my started on bathroom habits !! I have tried a fair few things but nothing really seems to be getting the message across about germs and how important it is that he wash his hands.

We used to go with him to the bathroom each time he needed the toilet but now st over four years old he will often rush up and shut the door and I don't want still be needed in the bathroom with him.

I will often lay in bed in the mornings hear him get out of bed and walk across into the bathroom, then I hear... Nothing... No flush ... No running water from the tap... Nothing !! When asked he will swear blind that he has flushed and washed his hands, I find myself getting frustrated with him over this, cold & flu season is in full swing and I for one do not want to catch anything from him being a lazy little toad.

For a while we had a hand soap in the bathroom with minions on that would talk once you pumped the soap out, so I could hear if he was using the soap. But Bodhi soon learnt that he only had to touch the top for the sound to go off so this soon stopped working for us in the right way. 

I have used carex hand soaps in the past and was pleased to see the cola bottle scent back in stock at my local Sainsbury's, if you haven't sniffed this carex soap I suggest having a look out for it and giving it a whiff ! It 100% smells like the pix & mix sweet cola bottles and once washed with your hands will also smell like sweets. 

I thought it was worth a try so I picked up a bottle and stuck it in the bathroom, the next morning Bodhi had told me he had washed his hands and I asked to smell them, he looked a little surprise but let me. When I couldn't smell anything I took him to the bathroom and we washed our hands together with the cola bottles soap, afterwards I asked him to smell my hands " oh mummy your hands smell like sweets can I have one ? " my four year old son honestly thought I had been eating sweets my hands smelt that good. So I have made a deal with Bodhi. We have agreed that if he flushes and washes he hands after going to the toilet without being prompted by me he can have a real coal bottle sweet. 

So far so good, bodhi has had x3 cola bottles ( we have been out a big part of the day ) I am hopeful that in a few days we can drop the sweet rewards and he will carry on with good hand washing hygiene. 

Sticker albums yay or nay?

When I was younger I loved nothing more then walking to our local newsagents with my older sister to buy packets of stickers with my pocket money, I had a lot of albums growing up as did my sister. The shiny stickers, specials and the worst of all the doubles!!! 

In my last visit to poundland I found a sticker album that came with 20 packets of stickers for you guessed it only £1 !! With sticker packets normally costing between 50p-£1 I thought this was a real bargain and would be a perfect first sticker album for Bodhi. 

The sticker album is animal planet it has a range of activities games and the  normal finding the numbers for the stickers, i'm using the packets of stickers as awards for when bodhi has good behaviour or has done something outstanding he's loving matching the numbers on the back of the stickers to the Page numbers so without him really realising he's also doing maths work at home also the act of sticking the stickers straight in within the lines is great for his motor skills

I went back into the pound shop and picked up another four packs of these albums as I know that Bodhi will want to complete his collection and there is no bigger pet hate when filling out and sticker book then when the stickers are no longer available

What are your views on sticker albums does your child have one is it something you think you'd get for them even at the more expensive price per pack these could be great incentives for reward charts and good behaviour I look forward to filling in the whole album with Bodhi 

whats in Bodhi's Easter basket 2016

Uploaded 'whats in Bodhi's Easter basket 2016' if you wanted a few ideas that are a little less chocolate and a little more crafty/play ideas. My plan is that this will give us a few things to do and make on days over the Easter holiday when we don't have plans as Bodhi will be off from school for nearly three weeks.

living arrows

Living Arrows is about celebrating childhood. The project originally took it’s name from a poem by Kahlil Gibran, “You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth” and every Monday we share a moment from our week and invite others to do the same as part of this linky.  what the redhead said blog

I often find myself wondering what is really going on inside my four year olds head. most of the time i know it won't be more then what he will be eating for his dinner or what he did within the last few moments, i feel envy of his simple life and full of worry for his future. for now tho , he is just a four year old who loves to play on the swings. 

Current favourites

1. funniest thing that happened to you?

At my day job ( working in a supermarket ) myself and a few other female members of staff like to play a game we call " code red " we use this code when we see an a good looking male customer ! ( we have wakie-takies phones ) and a few shifts ago I got caught out while checking out a "code red" he wasn't even that nice !!! 

2. which books did you read?

I wish I had a look I could name, I hasn't read anything for so long !! But I have been enjoying reading blogs, they count tho right?? 

3. favorite movie ? 

Got to be Deadpool with out a shadow of a doubt, it was everything I hoped it would be and so much more, can't wait to see it again. 

4. something that made you proud of yourself?

bodhi took part in the Mother's Day special assembly, and boy did I well up! It really was lovely and we all got given paintings that our children had done of us. Very sweet and a mega proud mumma moment. 

5. which games did you play?

Ha "code red" ??? And lots of games with bodhi I guess? I am playing a games night within the next few weeks as I have a new game to play & review ( keep your eyes pealed for that ) 

6. did you travel anywhere?

Nope stayed pretty local last few weeks, got a few day trips planed for over the Easter holidays tho. And I really want to go to visit my nan in London soon. 

7. what food have you tried and loved?

We have been enjoying lots of winter type dinners, pie/toad in the hole that soupy of thing, but I am also really looking forward summer meals such as pasta salads and BBQs 

8. which songs have you been listening to the most?

I've been listening to the long blondes and placebo a lot over the last few weeks and a Little bit of the radio ( I never have the radio on , as I don't like current music ) 

9. favorite products , accessories , clothes etc.?

I came across these tops from peacocks and I am very disappointed that they are in the children's range...but I think I could fit into the 13-14 year old one! , I think they would fit like a size 8 ( going into town on Monday so will check them out )  these are a bargain at £8 each 

10. what did you learn?

I have learnt that I really enjoy blogging ( & vlogging ) but I need to keep up the work and to buy myself a note book so I can keep up to date with all my ideas and thoughts. 

ZSL Whipsnade Zoo family day out

We are so lucky that we live just around the corner from ZSL Whipsnade Zoo , the Zoo is located in bedfordshire and is very easy to find.

 Family passes are worth there weight in gold in the Hughes household. Our pass costs £286 for the year this is a family pass and can be for up to five children ( you need to prove that the children live with you when buying the pass ) now £286 sounds like a lot of money... and yes it is.. but let me brake it down. A
one off trip to the Zoo for two adults and one child £62.10 ( adults £22.80 / child £16.50 ) so rough maths, we got five times in the space of the year and thats the covered the cost of the pass, now imagine if you did have five children ( shudder ) it would cost you £128 to visit for one day so a pass really isn't such a bad idea, not only will this pass get you into Whipsnade zoo but also London Zoo and you also get 10% off in the gift shop , train and the cafes & restaurants.

The zoo is a fun family day our for the whole family, Whipsnade also has a huge outside playspace and a soft play ( price covered but ticket cost ) They have talks about the animals from the keepers and the sealion show & bird show are a must, Its easy to spend the day enjoying the wide open spaces and watching the animals.

i would advice taking own food and drinks into the zoo are the price of these is a little eye watering, i am looking forward to many more Zoo trips this year ( and many more years to come after )

Whipsnade also holds special meaning to us as a family, Chris and i had our first real date at the zoo and we also got married at whipsnade in 2008 , we went in with the lemurs and got to feed the giraffes is a day i will never forget for so many reasons.




you can check out more details from the zoo website this also is the London zoo site so make sure your looking on the right one

whipsnade & london zoo website

Kettle Bites Review

After getting in contact with Kettle we had a box full of the new Kettle bites sent out to us by post. Both Bodhi and i were really keen to try them but we waited for the rest of the family so we could get a good mix of tasters to test them out.

we was sent a range of the all of the flavour range to try, and on opening the packets you got a real kick of the flavour before you'd even tasted the kettle bites.

The kettle Bites range includes both wholegrain and lentil snacks, with all the Kettle taste and the quality promise. The lentil curls come in Sweet chilli & mozzarella with pesto and the wholegrain waves in maple barbecue & coconut, lime & chilli.


as with all the Kettle products, the seasonings in the bites range are made with real food ingredients. Kettle never add any artificial flavours, colours or MSG to their products, some other crisp manufacturers use to make the flavourings.

 kettle bits come in multi-packs ( x5 22g) and 22g hang packs, these are available now from supermarkets and independent stores nationwide.

i filmed the tasting of the product with my family, this hasn't been edited or cut, this is what they thought first hand to the new range, and i think if id let him Bodhi would have eaten all four bowls ! my mum did suggest an idea of a mixed multi pack and i also think this is a great idea

the over all favourite of ours was the maple barbecue whole grain bites, i will be picking up some more when i go food shopping next. the multi packs are RRP £1.89 but you can sometimes get on offers such as 2 packs for £3

This review is from my own views ( and of my family ) the products used were sent to be reviewed for publication

Thank you Kettle Foods Ltd ( putting the food into snack food ) 

From Mother to Child (living arrows)

This week for my living arrows post i am looking back onto my own childhood and how much of myself i see in my son, His moods (highs and lows) his love of small lumps of plastic and his need for his things and routine to stay the same.

while doing my normal Monday morning job of stripping the beds and putting on clean sheets. i took the frog sheets out of the box, now these frog sheets are MINE i have had them as long as i can remember and I'm nearly 30. i can almost feel myself being my mum putting these funny little frog sheets onto my sons bed.

i love frogs ( still do ) and a lot of my things had frogs on or frog themed one of my childhood favourite toys was my soft toy called Freddie who had his own little bike and you could push down on the bike and it would wiz across the floor. Freddie also now lives in Bodhi's room and yes he is very well loved and looking a little worse for wear, but he still enjoys playing with him like i did all those years ago, and just like when i played with Freddie his eyes often need drawing back on. I have clear memories of asking my dad to " draw Freddie's eyes please daddy "

i kept these items at the time more for myself then for a child i might one day have, as for a very long time i didn't want children. i am so glad i kept them tho and i know Bodhi likes having things passed down from mummy for him now to use.

Did you keep anything from your childhood that your child now has?

easter budget gift ideas ( non chocolate )

with Easter only a few short weeks away i am starting to think about if i should be buying four year old Bodhi an egg this year, he gets so many from friends and family ( i think this is due to eggs now being that much more affordable ) i do worry that he will just get over loaded with chocolate after reading blog post by friend blogger becky ( link ) i started to think about small budget easter theme non chocolate gift ides and this is what i have come up with i have based this on items id be happy to give or receive this Easter photo below is from Easter 2013 when Bodhi would have been 14 months old! look at all those eggs!!!

1 at only £1 a kit these are great value for money and really good quality you get everything you need for the project and they had a range of other kits from £1-£2

2 Hop is a family DVD based around the story of the easter bunny ( i picked this up last year for body as part of his easter basket ) its for sale at only £3 in sainsburys perfect way to spend an afternoon of the easter school holidays

3 easter colouring books £2 each from the works they have a wide range of easter theme sticker/craft and colouring books some are also in the offer for 8 for £10 again a great way to spend some time together with your child without that sugar high

4 now this one (might) be a mum want item but at only £3.50 from john lewis i had to add it to the list, who would love some cute and colourful easter bunny bunting to be hanging up over the easter holidays?

5 we love playmobil in our house and theses plastic eggs come in a range of colours with different themed playlets in side these might seem a little over priced at £6.99 but if you are a playbill fan you will know that this a pretty fair price i found at this price also at john lewis but might have offers and lowers prices if you shop around

6 this beautiful jellycat bashful blossom honey bunny is only £11 from the jellycat.com website i think this could well give the easter bunny a run for his money

7 and lastly lego! now this ( i think ) at £4 is overpriced its just a little lego man figure dressed as a chicken comes in a small box shaped like a hen house but if your child is really into lego ( lets face it they have a 'few' fans ) then this could be a great option rather then a chocolate egg

these could also work for children who have allergies or don't do well with large amounts of sugar and E numbers , when i was a child i was allergic to coco powered used to make chocolate so i would miss out on the big hype of eggs ( plus back then they were really over priced and my parents didn't agree with the mass market push of boxed eggs )

i do hope this has been a little helpful to you guys? i am planing a small easter egg hunt for bodhi so he will get getting some sweet treats from us, but i have also got lots of arts and crafts planed to keep us busy and a easter event at a local farm to us

simple fake flowers craft project

so mothers day has been and gone and i knew i was working 8-5 on the sunday i wanted to spend some one on one time with Bodhi on the saturday , we had a little think on what we could make and i suggested that we make some fake flowers for mummy to have for mothers day, body seemed keen so i grabbed the bits i needed and off we went !


you will need :

cotton buds
straws
cotton pads
water & paint brushes
water colour paints or felt tip pens
hot glue gun or pva glue
jug / vase
playdoh or clay or something to stick the flowers into !

i also filmed how we made our simple fake flowers so if you'd rather just watch then read please click on the link below

https://youtu.be/GlOA5GBR6SU

so step one! push the cotton buds into the straws around half way down ( but so the straws can still bend )

step two fold the cotton pad in half to make a triangle and wrap around your straw and cotton bud.

you will then need to use your glue to stick the pad and straw together, i did this with a hot glue gun so please do not let you child use a hot glue gun if this is what you are using hot glue guns get VERY hot and the glue will burn you. glue the pad down in the shape shown in the below photo

once you have done these steps ( if you have younger children i would advice that you have already done these steps with out the child ) you can get painting your flowers, i used a water colour paint set that i have had for year, if you don't have water colours use felt tip pens. paint the flowers with clean water first this will then let the paints or felts bleed into the cotton pads

have fun making your flowers all bright and colourful, i think used playdoh to stick the straws into my jug so they didn't move around. i am really pleased with the finished out come and so was bodhi and these flowers will last much much longer then any you'd pick up from the shop. we had all of our supplies already at hand so these didn't cost us anything extra to make and bodhi and i had a lovely time making and painting together.

i hope you have enjoyed this and will give our simple fake flowers craft project a go.

happy crafting.

Growing up fast

<a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/14737491/?claim=354v7pv447f">Follow my blog with Bloglovin</a>

When I look at bodhi I find it easy to forget when he was so tiny 4 short years ago , it feels like a life time ago, can I remember a time when I didn't have him in my life ? Honestly.... No , I remember the lazy weekends the fuller bank balance but I don't really remember feeling whole. I love my son more then anything or anyone in my life. But time is flying by and I can't believe he will be starting school in September. He really is a little boy now, no longer a baby definitely not a toddler. He is a full on 4 year old and yes he pushes my buttons but he is my world and he is a kind and loving little boy.

Last week another very special family member had a birthday, my nan and bodhis granny ( great granny ) turned 90 , now to me this is a crazy age to reach. She has had a tough few years , she is being looked after in a small care home as she has needs that are greater then she or us as family can meet, her sight has been much all but gone. But on good days she is still my nanny seaside and I can clearly remember summers spent with her and my late grandad. I love my nan and I'm so pleased that bodhi also gets to love her, he is very kind and sweet to her ( and to the other lady's that also live in the care home ) 

We spent Friday afternoon with granny to celebrate her birthday, bodhi lead the signing and helped her to blow out her candles was heart warming to see the two of them together sharing such a moment,most of my friends arnt lucky like me I still have both of my nans in my life. And I really don't know how I will cope without either of them, I don't see or speak to them everyday but just knowing they are at the end of the phone or near by is a real comfort. 

So yes time is flying and everyone is growing up fast, the world needs to slow down just a little for me to enjoy more of this time with them all. I hope that bodhi will be creating memories of both his great nans.

I have shared this post over on what the redhead said for living arrows , she is a lovely person and write a fabulous blog go check her out at whattheredheadsiad.com 

february family favourites

i was going to write this as a blog post , really glad i didn't as the blog turned out being nearly 1/2 an hour long!! click on the triangle and you'll be taken to my channel to watch my February favourites for last month, i cover health and beauty / food / music / tv & film and home



please like and subscribe to my channel if you'd to keep up to date with my uploads.



thanks and enjoy