happy cal - Elementary maths space themed puzzle * PLAY & REVIEW *

As you can see in our video Bodhi is really enjoying the freedom and imagination play that the happy calc space puzzle gives a child, Its aimed at children ages 3+ It really is fun for the whole family and we have spent hours playing with the whole box spreading maths across our floors.

Elementary maths puzzle game teaching numbers 1 - 10 solve equations while playing the game . Visit the website for more information https://www.happycalc.info , The puzzle is a perfect game to play with friends at a play date or to be used for home schooling based life. I can see Bodhi getting a lot of use of this puzzle. The puzzle costs $39.99 plus oversea postage this may seen like a lot for a puzzle but it really is worth it you get 138 pieces and the play plus learning are endless.

once Bodhi is older i have no doubt that will be use the puzzle more for harder maths such as times tables , He loves all of the add on pieces that give the puzzle the space theme. I would like to thank FunComet for sending us this mazing puzzle ! we love it. 

Heavenly Organics Superfoods * Tasting testing & review *

When our parcel from Heavenly Organics Superfoods turned up i think i was more excited then Bodhi ! I have heard such great things about this new small children's food brand. We both couldn't wait to get tasting and testing, The box was fit to burst with products this is what we was very kindly sent.

: Halo Bites ( These are brand new and come in two flavours apple or banana they come in 75g bags and are perfect for children as young as 10 months, The little multi-grain bites melt in the mouth and Bodhi loved them mixed with dried fruit as a after school snack )
: Coconut squishes ( each pouch is 1 of your child's 5 a day for fruit & veg these are a great size for on the go snacks and over the summer months i was putting these in the freezer for an hour or so before giving to Bodhi ) They come in a range of flavours with coconut milk being the base

: Crisp veggie waffles ( these come in a share size box of 30g and I've been popping a few into bodhi's School bag for his afternoon snack either in carrot & cumin or sweetmeat & shallot Bodhi also loves these with a side of dip ) 

: wafer wisps ( again in a chose of flavours pumpkin & banana or spinach , apple & kale these handy size bars contain no hidden ingredients no sugar or salt just goodness , We all love these wafers and i keep a stock of them in my bag for snacks on the go.

: Mini Italian bread sticks ( these are amazing ! we are a big bread stick eating family and i was so impressed when we taste tested these (( see our youtube video )) Bodhi will often ask for these with his lunch or for a snack, These mini Italian bread sticks are the latest edition to the heavenly range. 

Heavenly is the brainchild of Shauna McCarney-Blair , A mum herself to 4 children as well as a lover of all things organic & nutritious. Shana came up with the idea for Heavenly when frustrated by the poor choice of baby food products in Northern Ireland for babies & children. Shana began by creating a guilt free range of organic baby weaning meals for the Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland market and now Heavenly has moved into snacks with availability across mainland UK & Ireland. 

Heavenly products are available from Ocado, Tescos , Morrisons Waitress and on line via Heavenly's website www.heavenlytasty.com

I now always make sure i have stock of Heavenly products they are a huge hit in our house hold, They feel like a much more grown up children snacks with a great range of flavours and products. 

Would like to thank them again for sending us our snacks and getting us hooked! 

How to feel better when your unwell .

Now as a parent it's very hard to have sick days, even if you call in sick for your paid work job you really still have to be a parent ( I'm talking about head cold / cold like poorly ) if you are really unwell then you'll need to sort out childcare. 

I have a on going medical condition and with that I have a lower immune system so I often get run down and days when I don't feel my best. 

I have a few tips and tricks into helping you feel more human when you feel like crap but still need to be a mum 

1- Rest when you can , if you have a baby sleep when they nap if your child is at nursery / school age sleep / rest while they are out

2 - keep drinking lots ( and i mean lots ) this will help flush it all out 

3 - keep dinners simple , feeding your family a take away or a ready meal is better then not feeding them at all.

4 - have a shower over a bath , wash your hair 

5 - listen to music while you rest 

6 - drink flat Coke / fizzy drinks 

7 - go to bed as early as you can to sleep ( not on Facebook / candy crush ) 

8 - if you still feel rotten as for some help ! Other half / your parents / friends anyone you trust don't be too proud to ask for help ! 

Feel better soon !! 

The ultimate bathroom book * REVIEW *

Thinking of Bathroom books i often think of the joke/fun fact type ones that often my dad would end up getting as a Christmas gift, Due to the age of the smart phone the bathroom book has become out dated, When Soakology ( one of the uk leading bathroom specialists ) wanted bloggers to read & review the book i thought why not , I am happy that i did the book is full of interesting facts and imagery of bathrooms across the ages and world. 

Bodhi ( who is 4 1/2 ) Also loves this book and we will sit and look at the picture together while his bath is running. It covers chapters such as time line of the modern bathroom design , the worlds best & worst bathrooms , and our favourite the craziest bathroom ever ( did you know that in Taiwan they have a restaurant that is bathroom themed ! ) 

We have had lots of comments on our new bathroom book and it does now live by our toilet for reading material, You can buy the book online direct from soakology at £14.99 with free shipping. Its as great fun book full of useful bathroom information. A perfect gift or something to just buy for yourself for in your bathroom, I also feel the book will come in handy for Bodhi while he is at school as the book has lots of facts and sats about history and bathrooms across the world. 

Long live the bathroom book ! 

Fab ! fun arty box * REVIEW *

When we got in touch with Fab, fun art box about testing out the monthly subscription box.  both Bodhi & i couldn't wait for it to arrive via the post. The box was personalised to Bodhi with his name, Once opened we found the box was full of arty goodness. We had been sent the Create clay creative box 

Your F.A.B. Creative Clay Creations Include…

• Model your own funky key rings including your own a cup-cake design
• Design your own long legged giraffe or a creative elephant!
• Make your own ‘Easter Island’ inspired stone clay sculptures (– slightly smaller than the real life ones!)
• Make your own fabulous foam clay bowl
• Create your own 3D canvas art
• Make a magical mighty mouse and some crazy clay creatures
• Design your own clay pencil toppers and pencil holder
• Build your own rocky and rolly clay creatures and picture holders.

…plus lots more cool creative clay ideas to enjoy.

The magazine is full of pictures and step by step guides for all of the projects, Bodhi wanted to make clay creatures picture holders. He did struggle with this and needed my help with bending the wires are they are pretty thick. He was very pleased with the outcome and it has now been gifted to nanny for her desk at work. 

The boxes come monthly and in a huge range of themes , from dinosaurs to selfies the boxes work out like this for payment 

Product	Total
Monthly Subscription   × 1	£14.99 / month for 12 months
Subtotal	£ 14.99 now then £ 14.99 per month
Shipping	£ 3.95 per month
Total	£ 18.94 now then £ 18.94 per month

( prices taken from the website ) also check out the site for more details on the other boxes and information ) Bodhi is 4 1/2 and i do feel he was a little young for some of these projects but it was a good craft box for a shared project, I would say its more suited for 8+ or for a younger child who is happy to be helped out. 

Thank you to Fab fun arty box for letting Bodhi & I test out your subscription box. 

Bubble wrap printing #ToddlerApprovedTuesday

After a very busy six weeks off for the summer Bodhi is now back at school ( hooray ) Don't get me wrong it has been lovely having time together but we have both missed our routine to our week days! With this in mind i wanted to start taking part in #ToddlerApprovedTuesday once again, Its a wonderful weekly link up with some great crafty ideas that are perfect for Bodhi's age ( 4 1/2 )

Today i wanted to share a really simple painting idea that we did over the summer when we had a package arrive with lots of bubble wrap !

1) lay your bubble wrap out onto a flat surface this could be a table/floor/patio , just keep in mind this is a messy paint activity
2 ) make sure you have everything you'll need to hand we used
* paints & brushes
* paper
* bubble wrap
* wet wipes for clearing up
3) Paint onto the bubble wrap ( use more paint then if you was painting on paper )

4) once happy with image , lay paper over the bubble wrap and smooth the paper over the paint this will create a print.

5) peel off the paper slowly and you will have a lovely Bubble wrap print ( you can get 2/3 prints from one painting if you press harder each time )

We really enjoyed this activity, Its a great way to re-use bubble wrap ( rather then just popping it )

See you next week for another #ToddlerApprovedTuesday 

Housework Jobs for children ( nearly 5 years old )

When i was a child i used to get £2.50 a week pocket money on the condition that my room was kept tidy and i was doing okay in school , The school side of things was pretty easy but keeping my bedroom tidy that often was the sticking point to no pocket money !When i did get my pocket money  I would spend my money on swimming, comics , sweets ( man makes me feel old ) 

Now that i have a son of my own ( mind he is only 4 1/2 ) He is always asking for things, Magazines, DVDS, toys , games , stickers etc and when you start adding it up it soon turns into a lot more then the £2.50 i used to get ! 

I want Bodhi to have an understanding of money and to sometimes have to save for things he really wants. The other day he wanted wanted a DVD ( of a film that is on netflixs !! ) so i said no and explained to him that if could do jobs to earn the money so he could buy the DVD himself. He didn't like the idea of this much and no longer wanted the DVD. 

A few days later while driving Bodhi asked me what kind of jobs he would have to do for his money, I said i would get back to him on that one ! then he also said he wanted a £1 for each job ( Erm no ! ) so after having a good think and a few hours wasted on pinterest i have come up with a list that i feel are job that Bodhi can do and enjoy to do for 20p per job.

 * Dirty washing in this washing basket ( This isn't 20p each time but if he does it over the week without being told )

* Getting dressed & ready for school in the mornings ( Again over the week )

* Clearing his breakfast things from the table ( All week ) 

* Helping me to change and make his bed ( 20p for each so 40p up for grabs ! )

* Toys tidy and away at the end of the day before bed ( All week ) 

* Pairing up clean socks from the washing ( 20p per basket ) 

* Feeding pets ( Cat/Fish & Tortoise ) 

* Any extras such as helping me with house work ( now to be far i do 90% of my house work while  he is at school or in bed ) Things like putting the washing on, Hanging it out, dusting , hoovering , setting the table for dinner. 

* I have also said bigger jobs like helping to wash the cars or do gardening will be paid at a 50p rate ( So guess what Bodhi has asked to do this weekend!! ) 

I feel i would rather give him Job money for him to save up to buy this own things will do him some good, He has a piggy bank that he is putting all of his money and over the last 3 weeks he has earnt £3.80 so pretty good going i would say. I will of course still be buying him treats and gifts but as a family we all need to cut back and be spending less.

What Jobs do your children do and what ages are they ? 

handmade book bag charm ( Lyndsaymarie-Miniatures )

When i found out that Bodhi would be using a book bag for school rather then a rucksack i was a little worried about it getting lost or him coming home with the wrong bag !! I have a friend who makes and sells miniature food for doll play or key rings, I asked her nicely to make Bodhi a bag charm key ring and i was so pleased i did ! Not only did she make him a beautifully handmade bag charm its a one of a kind and perfect ! 

I gave her the theme of sweets and was very impressed with the outcome ( The flump even glows in the dark ! ) the charm clips on and off to his bag and i know that no other child in his school will have one like this. Bodhi knows that if he picks up a bag that hasn't got this bag charm on that it isn't his. 

Lyndsay has a Facebook page The page is full of photos of doll house food and house hold items, key rings and other bits and bobs , She also makes lovely poppy pins for the poppy appeal, All of her items are made by herself in her bedroom/studio 

Commissions start at £5 and Lyndsay is more then happy to work on ideas that customers have, Postage is not an issue, I would defiantly recommend these for children of a school age, They would also be great on lunch boxes. 

Bodhi loves his bag charm and couldn't wait to show it off to his teachers and school friends on his 1st day back at school. Also her Doll house food is amazing and the detail is just crazy ! It works best with barbie size dolls. 

Do you have a much loved keyring/bag charm ? Its a running joke with me and my husband that i have more keyring then i do keys, But i just can't help it i have a huge soft spot for key rings ! 

* Lyndsay swapped the bag charm for this review *

1st day of school ( 1st time around )

When you are pregnant you can find so much information, from bump to birth and then on to toddler age you can find countless books, guides and helpful information. I have found that once your child gets to nursery age this help and information drys up! As a 1st time mum to a now 4 1/2 year old who will be starting full time school in September i thought i would share my views/tips on all the things you will face 1st time !

My starting school tips

* If you think you'll cry , try your hardest to hold it in until your child is in the class room
* Keep drop offs short and sweet a kiss and a wave is great
* make plans for the 1st day, Go shopping , get your nails done. Just do something !
* Don't ask 100 questions at pick up
* count to 10 lots School is hard work and your child will be worn out

So today is Bodhi's 1st day of real school ( I am typing this while he is at school eek ! ) Now i am really lucky that Bodhi is such an out going child and has loved going to nursery for the last 18 months so i knew he would be more then ready for school ( As am i )

We got up at 7:30 had a little cuddle in my bed then i let him have a little bit of iPad time so i could grab a shower and get dressed, Then while he ate breakfast i remembered to label this school stuff ( Whoops ) He got dressed and asked me to do his hair ! so we did this and i even gave him a tiny spray of daddy's lynxs.

He looks so grown up and ready in his school uniform , I am one proud mum. We waited for our friends up the road to knock and we all walked to school together. Once at school he gave me a kiss and ran off inside with his friends , A few of the children didn't want to go in but Bodhi told me later that they all had a lovely morning ( At his school they do 9-12 for the 1st 2 weeks, then stay till 1 for lunch for a week and THEN are full time ! ) why ?? i'm not really sure? I feel its pussy footing about a little bit. I mean you wouldn't start a new job and only do a few hours for the 1st week? Just get on with it???

Anyways , I was very happy to be joining in with the social media back to school spam this morning seeing all the happy little faces, new uniform, book bags and bright eyes. I was even more pleased when i saw my friends photo post of her teacher husband 1st day of school photo, Makes you think its not just the Children with the new lunch boxes and hopes & ideas!

When Bodhi started nursery i took a photo by the front door and asked him what he wants to be when he grows up, We have gone from Teachers - Zoo keeper and now he wants to be a Pilot ! I just want for my son to be happy and to enjoy what ever job he ends up with.

My little boy is growing up fast and i can't wait to get stuck into school life ( I am even thinking of trying to join the PTA ) 

mavel mashers my perfect toy !

As a blogger mum the summer holidays have really hit me hard !!! trying to find time to sit down and write/edit/upload it really hasn't happened much over the last 6 weeks. I normally do my blogging work while Bodhi is at nursery and to be fair i get a lot done in my 3 hours a day, But i have a toy that will always give me an hours peace !

These toys are marvel mashers !! I bloody love them ( as does Bodhi ) they are made by Hasbro and pretty much are 6 inch action figures that come in the marvel super hero range. you can buy them in all toy shops on line and in supermarkets, I often pick them up when they are on offer and can pick them up for around £7/9 think the RRP is around £11, you can take off the limbs / heads / etc and change them over with other mashers.

You can also get star wars and Jurassic world range these also mash up with the marvel range. They are aimed at ages 3+ and for 4 1/2 year old Bodhi they are perfect, He will take everything apart ( and i mean everything ) then mash them all together and then they have to battle.

He will sit and play with this toy in his room and i won't hear a peep out of him for at least 45 minutes , So thank you Hasbro ! not only can i shower on school days i can send emails and do work in the holidays !!

what is your child's favourite toy ? 

Fuzzikins Craft Dozy Dogs *REVIEW*

Over the summer we have had some very wet rainy days, The Dozydogs Fuzzikins was the perfect way to spend the afternoon. The kit comes with everything you will need to make and create a a family of dogs, They are covered in a fuzzy felt this is the base for the dogs fur , Bodhi really enjoyed  using the felt tip pens and giving the dogs different colours furs. 

The kit states for ages 5+ Bodhi is 4 1/2 and got on just fine with this project and was soon finished with the colouring part, The next step was to make the sleeping bags and sleep masks for the little family.

This stage i showed Bodhi what do to ( its a very simple poking and pushing ) He only needed showing once and was really pleased that he didn't need my help, Its lovely to give him a project and let him have the freedom to do it pretty much solo. 

The project took Bodhi just over an hour, once finished he then spent the of the afternoon playing with the dogs, waking them up and putting them to bed. The kit also comes in a cat  & rabbit version and RRP is £12.99 i feel think would make a great birthday gift or a kit to keep for a rainy day / sick day. 

The kit are coming soon to shops and on line , The craft box range via interplay has a huge range of making and doing kits. 

Huge thank you as always to Interplay for sending us this kit to test out and review. Body has given it two thumbs up and has said " It was a really fun thing to do while it was raining and we couldn't play in the garden " 

pound shop tips

I love a pound shop, I often will go and do a big shop to stock up but i used to fall into the pound shop trap of buying things that i could in face get cheaper in other shops so i thought i would share some pound shop tips with you all

1 - If you can shop alone , taking a child/other half or friend will make you pick up things you didn't want or need.

2 - Don't go into a pound shop hungry ! you will pick up way too many snacks/sweets ( same goes for buying a drink ) I always try to have a bottle of water with me. This being said pound land do bottles of drinks 2 for £1 so if you do need a drink the pound shop is the best place to pick one up.

3 - Check your cupboards the number of time i would buy BBQ sauce or beans without needing them

4 - spread the cost of birthdays/Christmas by picking up 1/2 items each trip into the pound shop

5 - stick to brands you know you like, these will save you money over supermarkets/drugstores

6 - some items are cheaper in other shops/ I used to buy my cotton buds from the pound shop i then found i could buy them from Wilkos for 39p ... no brainier really.

7 - Always take a bag ! nothing worse then saving money to then have to spend out on bags.

Do you love a pound shop ? i know i do !