Sunday 24 May 2015

Oaty banana breakfast bites!

I've been looking for new breakfast ideas and came across a few recipes for oat and banana bites. They're so simple to make (and tasty for mums too!)

2 ripe bananas
A small pack of instant oats (I use Quaker in individual packets) or 8 tablespoons
4 tablespoons of milk (cows milk/almond/coconut/breastmilk would all work)
Sprinkle of cinnamon

1. Peel and mash the bananas with a fork in a bowl.
2. Add the milk and oats and mix, then stir in the cinnamon.
3. Place heaped tablespoons of the mixture in a bun/cake tray.
4. Cook at 180 degrees for around 15 minutes.
5. Allow to cool and enjoy!

These will keep for 2 days in an airtight container.

Isaac was a huge fan of these! Very easy to bite and chew (with minimal teeth) as they're soft and gooey.

Friday 22 May 2015

BT Video Baby Monitor 7500 Lightshow

As part of the Prima Baby Awards, I tested out the BT Video Baby Monitor 7500 Lightshow. Our previous monitor had just broken and I was looking forward to upgrading and had heard lots of positives about video monitors. We'd had a basic BT one for Noah and it was great, fab sound quality and easy to use.

The monitor was quick to set up and it is very efficient. It comes with some great features! It displays the time and temperature, works as a night light, sings lullabies, creates white noise and can be tilted and zooms in. The lightshow is also soothing for babies. 



The picture is clear and the sound quality is excellent. It's a fantastic comfort to know that baby is settled and I'm still able to see them.

Priced at £179.99, it's a little on the pricey side. However, for our peace of mind and the great amount of features, it's a perfect 'do all' monitor. A great investment that will last a long time! 

Medela Breastfeeding starter kit review

Best breastfeeding accessory
Medela's breastfeeding starter kit.

This is a perfect starter kit, including everything you need for breastfeeding/expressing. It contains breastpads, bottles, microwave bags, a calma test, cleaning wipes and breast milk storage bags. 

It's a great kit, with high quality items and would be a fantastic gift for a new mum. These products compliment the Medela range of breast pumps and bottles would be compatible. The bottles are high quality and can be used with the Calma teat. The teat is ideal, as it mimics a baby breastfeeding, so can aid with the transition between breast and bottle easily. The pump and save storage bags are fantastic for storing milk and for freezing to use at a later date. 


The kit is a perfect introduction to the Medela accessory range and a chance to try out the products before investing in more.

I've used various Medela products since having the boys and am always impressed at their quality. Priced at £24.99 and available from Mothercare, it's reasonably priced and a great new mum gift.

Tuesday 19 May 2015

Solarweave Connecta Review

When my lovely blue solarweave Connecta arrived, I couldn't contain my excitement. We already own a Zoology print one and love it. We use it almost every day and were so impressed, we just HAD to have a Solarweave for holidays!

Using it is very simplistic; as simple as doing 3 buckles and adjusting. It takes around a minute to put on. We tend to use a front carry and snuggle baby close, however a back carry can easily be done also.


The Solarweave has built in UV protection and comes in a range of vibrant colours. We love the blue colour!

We packed our Solarweave for our family break in Sensatori Crete and used it in the airport and throughout our holiday. It was perfect in the warmer climate and lightweight, so that baby didn't overheat. On a few occasions, my husband also carried baby and commented how comfortable it was to wear. Usually, he's not keen to wear slings, but the ease of use convinced him. 


Whilst on holiday, it was a blessing to wear the Connecta. With lots of stairs in our resort, we looked on as many families struggled with pushchairs whilst manoeuvring their way around. I was asked several times about the sling and where people could buy one. Being such a fan, I was keen to recommend the Connecta. 


Solarweave Connecta is available to purchase from http://www.connectababycarrier.com/product-category/connecta/solarweave-connecta/ for £60.

Saturday 16 May 2015

Tilda and Tom at North East Baby and Toddler Show

We attended the North East Baby and Toddler Show are were overjoyed to see the lovely Elizabeth at the Tilda and Tom Ltd stand (http://www.tildaandtom.co.uk)

I'd browsed on Tilda and Tom's website and had been recommended by a friend to buy some of their products.

Tilda and Tom are beautiful toys sourced mainly from France with some funky, well made products. I commented that some products would be perfect new baby gifts. 



Noah (and daddy) had a browse around and chose a cool 'Funny Kit' elephant wooden toy by Janod, priced at £8.50. In 4 parts, the different parts click together. With lots of others in the range, I'm sure we'll be buying more!




Hyperemesis Gravidarum Awareness Day

Today is hyperemesis gravidarum (HG) awareness day; a severe nausea and sickness suffered by some women during pregnancy and I suffered from this condition whilst pregnant with Noah. With almost constant sickness up until 32 weeks of pregnancy and being hospitalised on numerous occasions due to dehydration, I lost a lot of weight and felt so weak and struggled to come to terms with what I was enduring.

We so longed for a child and didn't anticipate the trials and stress that we'd be put through. I lost a lot of time at work, struggled to leave the house some days and had a lot of negative comments from people saying, "yeah, morning sickness is awful! Just get on with it!" I wish it was as simple as morning sickness; the constant queasiness and people's well meaning advice; try plain toast, crackers, ginger tea, sea sickness bands etc. You name it, I tried it and it didn't help. Our final option was to take anti emetic tablets to ease sickness, this unfortunately didn't work either. I was left feeling emotional, worrying about the health and welfare of my baby.

Eventually at 32 weeks, the sickness subsided and I felt a little more positive. When the time came to have Noah, I weighed less than my pre pregnancy weight. 



Luckily, I had a small, but healthy baby, but it can have such a negative impact upon your mental health. So please, if someone is diagnosed with this condition, please give them your support, they'll need it. 


Wednesday 13 May 2015

Sensatori Crete Review May 2015

Travelling to Sensatori and our first impressions 

Our Thomson holiday began with an afternoon flight from Newcastle to Heraklion. Arriving in the evening, (after the almost 4 hour flight and 20 minute transfer) it was dark and difficult to see the beauty of the resort when we arrived at Sensatori Crete. After arrival, we were ushered to the main restaurant in order to eat before bed. They'd extended the opening hours due to our late arrival and provided a welcome drink of prosecco. A great start!



After a restful sleep in one of the most comfortable beds we've ever slept in, we awoke to sunshine and began to explore our surroundings. 



The rooms

The resort has varying rooms from suites to swim ups, sea views and family rooms. There is something to fit everyone's tastes and budgets.



We'd booked a standard family room and it was nicely decorated and the furniture was well kept and the room immaculately clean! The main room was partitioned with doors and a bed set up for our toddler and a sofa. A travel cot was also provided. 


Outside was a small terrace which included seats and a table, it overlooked a well maintained garden area. It seemed to be a quieter part of the hotel, but was close by to the Splash pool and the play park.



We've visited Sensatori in Egypt in January 2014 and loved it; so we had high expectations of this resort too. Sensatori is described as a resort which fuels all of your senses, it often is luxurious and a high end type of holiday. 

Entertainment and activities

Whilst in Sensatori, we attended several 'Stay and Play' sessions with our boys. These were sessions where toys and activities are provided and children can play alongside their parents. A huge hit with both boys and the staff were very welcoming and attentive.



On an evening, we attended some Playhouse Live activities with games, singing and dancing. As our eldest was a little reluctant to participate, we only attended twice, however the children who were there appeared to be enjoying themselves. 

As our main aim was relaxation (with a baby and a toddler in tow... This didn't happen so much!) we chose to mainly stay on site and use their facilities; the Splash pool and the play park were a big hit for our boys.




We spent a day using the train which stops outside of the hotel. For €10 per adult and €5 per child, you could visit old Hersonissos and Hersonissos and see the local sights whilst listening to some Greek music. We got off at old Hersonnissos and had a lovely walk through the quaint little streets, before getting back on the train and seeing the sights of Hersonnisos whilst on the train. A lovely way to spend the morning.



We often frequented a nearby bar/restaurant on an evening which had a small children's play area. Perfect if you've got little ones and a fabulous spot to watch the sun go down.




Food and drink 

Food was varied and plentiful at Sensatori. Breakfast had s range of hot Full English breakfast, porridge, fruit and pastries, as well as Greek specialities. Lunch can either be served in the main buffet restaurant or in the Tex Mex. again, both had plentiful food. For lunch in the Tex Mex, it can become particularly busy and as a result service can be a bit slow.

The a la carte restaurants which we visited were the Red Saffron Greek restaurant and the Five Flavour Thai restaurant. Both places served a range of delicious food. We particularly enjoyed the king prawns with chilli and garlic and the duck with hoi sin. Unfortunately, we didn't try the Tex Mex on an evening or any of the paid restaurants on site. 



Drinks included in the full board are served with meals. This includes soft drinks, beer and wine. Bottles of water are also placed on tables. The Rose was delicious and very easy drinking. The beer was light and enjoyable. 


Checking out and Flying home

We checked out at 10.30 and spent the day in the resort in various areas. We booked a complimentary room for an hour slot to freshen up before our departure. We had the opportunity to check in our bags on site and they were then transported to the airport. This saved a lot of time and fast tracked us through the airport. Our departure was on time and a smooth journey home (with a fussy tired toddler and exhausted baby!) 


Pros and Cons of our holiday

Pros:
*Relatively short flight from the UK at around 4 hours.
*Short airport transfer time at around 20 minutes.
*Almost guaranteed sunshine (but rained on our final day!)
*Village feel to the resort.
*Lots of things to do for children and families.
*Welcoming and polite staff from waitresses to cleaners. They all wished you well and recognised you around the resort.
*Clean, well maintained rooms and grounds. The cleaners and gardeners do such a thorough job.
*Staff are always welcoming to children, chatting to them and helping to guide them to their table.
*We met some lovely families and locals who made our holiday special.
*We think pricing was reasonable for this holiday.


Cons
*The resort can be very busy at full occupancy.
*As it is full board plus, drinks are only included along with your meals, you must pay for additional drinks and some can be particularly expensive.
*The A La Carte restaurants become fully booked quickly, so you need to be fast when booking in advance! This is 10am at the machines.
*We were disappointed in the local beach. It is a gritty sand and it needs a good clean up. Lots of rubbish was strewn around when we walked along the promenade.
*The area of Lyttos Beach/Analypsis is fairly quiet with only a few shops and tavernas; some people may find this a little isolating.
*As there are some adult only areas, we found it strange that the nursery and Playhouse were positioned close to these. We had some negativity from people enjoying the adult only areas whilst we passed by with our children. It's a resort for everyone and some people need to be more aware of that!

Our final thoughts...
Overall, personally we preferred the Sensatori in Egypt. We feel that the standard of food and the added advantage of the beach being on site give it the edge over Crete. 

We're hoping to visit more Sensatori resorts in future, with several new ones recently opened (Cyprus, Ibiza and Turkey) it's whet our appetite to sample some more Sensatori delights. 

Sensatori is exclusive to Thomson in the UK; look at www.Thomson.co.uk for more details! Have you had a Sensatori experience you'd like to share?



Friday 8 May 2015

Cleft Lip And Palate Awareness Week 2015

From 9th-17th May, this week has been set aside for Cleft Lip And Palate Awareness Week. During this time, around the country, people are raising awareness of CLAPA and educating people about their experiences of Cleft Lip And Palate.


Just over a year ago, we received the news that our second son, Isaac would have a cleft lip and possibly palate. I made it my mission to raise awareness and money for CLAPA. Over the last year, we have held two fundraising events and I've written a column in Prima Baby magazine for 10 months, we've also featured on the CLAPA website and I've appeared on local radio. My step dad has also competed in a charity boxing event to raise money for CLAPA and at Prima Baby HQ, they had a sale of baby items with money going to CLAPA too.


For me, this isn't just a week to educate and inform; I do this every day. I've made it my mission to support Isaac in every way possible and by educating people about our experiences and thoughts, I aim to raise awareness at every opportunity. 



Isaac is a happy and healthy little boy, who has an infectious laugh and a smile to melt your heart. He's now 6 months post operation, he's healing well and has a small scar on his lip that is gradually fading. Isaac will still require further surgery to repair a gap in his gum. This will be when he is around 8-10 years old and is likely to be a bone graft from his hip. He'll also require extensive dental treatment, as his teeth will need to be straightened. 


CLAPA are a fantastic charity who do so much great work in the cleft community, supporting families from diagnosis and beyond; 

http://www.clapa.com/donate/ 
Please donate to them if you are able to. Do you know anyone with a cleft lip or palate? Please encourage them to share their cleft story this week!