Parker's DIY Cake Smash!

31.7.16

With Parker turning ONE on Thursday, I thought it was time to share his cake smash photos with you. We did it at home, just like with Indiana's and it was so much fun! I couldn't pick just a few, so this is going to be a very picture heavy post.





I found his crown and badge on Instagram and instantly knew I needed them. They're from Teddy Bobbins and were so reasonably priced, as well as being fab quality. The cake topper is from another Instagram seller called Confetti Day and completed the cake perfectly. We did cheat this time and bought the cake from Asda, but it did the job and Parker found it pretty tasty. We also used our Messy Me Splashmat to protect the floor - vital for a cake smash!

It was Parker's very first taste of a proper cake, and despite never trying it before he dived straight it. I love the little facial expressions and cheeky looks we captured - I think he thought he was being naughty eating the cake, and kept looking for reassurance that it was okay.












I love so many of these pictures, and I'm so glad we decided to do a cake smash again. I know they're not for everyone, but we think they're so much fun! You don't have to go to a studio, and it doesn't have to be pricey (the cake was £3 and I spent about £10 on the crown and badge). So if you've got a special birthday coming up, give it a go!

The Siblings Project | July

14.7.16

Just one more month and I will have completed a whole year or siblings! It's crazy how much Parker has grown between these photos and the ones we took last month. Now he's walking around he suddenly seems so much more grown up, and the fun these two have has reached a whole new level!

 

Parker has been unwell the past week, and it's really brought out Indiana's caring, loving side. She's always been concerned when he cried, but she really understands now. She would bring him his dummy and muzzie, and even offered him her bunny (which is her comfort) so it's sweet she thinks it'll help him.

She's been so encouraging with his walking, and loves to hold his hands to let him walk along. He loves to pull up on her now and will do anything to be close to her! Just like the last few months Indie does have her limits though, and will get annoyed / frustrated with him quickly - especially if she's trying to play and all Parker wants to do is destroy it.




I can't believe in my next post I'll have a 2.5 year old and a 1 year old! It's been so lovely to watch them grow this year, and to watch their sibling relationship blossom. Parker is a lucky boy to have such an amazing big sister. And I'm a lucky mummy to call these two my own.


The Me and Mine Project

Motorola Mbp43s Wireless Video Baby Monitor | Review

12.7.16

As part of our role as a Babies R Us 'Babyologist' we have been sent the Motorola Mbp43s Video Baby Monitor to test and review. We've been using the product for over a month now, and we really love it!

When we found out we were expecting with Indiana, the very first baby item we got was a baby monitor. It was a Motorola audio monitor, so was very basic, but did the job (and is still going strong 3 years later!). Neither of us thought a video monitor was necessary. But since using this monitor we both agree that now we have one wouldn't go back - and that's very high praise from Jack!

The box contains the parent unit, two plugs (the camera must always be plugged in, the video screen does not), rechargeable battery pack and instructions
The camera was very easy to set up, and despite very simple instructions I popped the battery in no problem. It has a very long cord so it's easy to place anywhere - it can be wall mounted if required too. The parent unit needs charging for 16 hours prior to first use, so do keep that in mind.

Once charged it was ready to go! I couldn't wait to explore the features, of which there are many. The 3.5" full colour screen has a number of buttons. Arrows control the pan, tilt and zoom options - as my two share a room I'm able to pan between both of them without the need of two cameras, which is fantastic! There's a menu button which leads to more features, ok button to select (when used with the arrow buttons in the menu), a button to turn the screen on and off, and a feature we've always wanted, a talk back button.


Clicking onto the menu button you have a number of options. You can adjust the volume, increase the zoom, adjust brightness, play a selection of melodies, set an alarm, change the temperature from celsius to fahrenheit, add / remove extra cameras, and decide how long the screen remains on for.

All the features are very easy to use. The picture is very clear, and I love that it realises when it's dark and switches to infrared mode by itself. It does lag slightly when turning the camera, but not enough to make a huge difference. The talk-back feature is fantastic (and I may have had a little bit of fun with it and Indiana!). We've never used the melodies as they are more songs than white noise, and they play quite loudly, however this might be a useful feature for some.



It's not 100% perfect though, and it's biggest let down is the battery life. Our previous monitor could last two nights without needing charging. However this monitor seems to always need it! We've been woken a number of times in the night, to the very loud bleeping telling us to plug it in. We're unsure whether it's because the camera doesn't charge when turned on, or whether it literally is just poor battery life (even with the initial 16 hour charge). If you were using it for nap times and bed time you would most definitely need to have it charging all the time - not so portable really.

Overall though we are very happy with the product. I love that we could add a second camera if we ever needed to, and the added temperature display is a really handy extra feature. Despite needing to be plugged in most of the time, it hasn't affected our experience. I would 100% recommend a Motorola baby monitor, and this one especially!

Strawberry Picking at Downingbury Farm

11.7.16

Bright and early Saturday morning we packed up the car and headed to Downingbury Farm. Nestled in the Kentish countryside, Downingbury Farm is a fab place to grab fresh fruit and veg, and other fresh produce, and is also home to a pick your own. From strawberries and gooseberries to apples, plums and raspberries, there's plenty of choice throughout the year. We came for the strawberries, and Indiana couldn't wait to get picking!



The back field was a little tricky to navigate to with the pram, but it was well worth it! Despite seeing lots of people with full punnets of strawberries there was a still a large amount for us to pick ourselves. And after a quick explanation to Indie about what ones we needed, we were off.

Parker absolutely loved crawling and exploring in the fields. He had been teething awfully during the week, and hadn't eaten properly in about 3/4 days. Even he couldn't resist the strawberries though, and was picking them straight off the bushes and chomping away. Clearly all he needed was some super fresh yummy strawberries!




Of course Indiana didn't want to miss out, so we let her eat a couple too. We took along our Babymoov bowls so she could hold the ones she collected. They're the perfect size for snacks on the go, and the lids meant the ones she didn't want to eat straight away were safe (and away from Parker's little fingers too)! 

As you can see she was very proud of her pickings, and was proudly telling everyone about our visit. Pick your own is great for a day out, and I love showing the kids exactly where food comes from. The tasty fruit we picked was a huge bonus too! I'm excited to make some yummy smoothies with the ones we picked (if there's any left). The Babymoov Cooking App has some fab recipe ideas, so keep an eye out for a future post!




Have you been to a pick your own?

This post is part of my role as a Babymoov Stresslessweaning Ambassador. All thoughts and opinions are my own

Parker's 11 Month Update

4.7.16


11 months ago I was 35 weeks pregnant. I remember feeling huge, tired and so ready to meet our baby boy. Now I have an 11 month old and I wish time would just slow down. I AM NOT READY! Looking back on Indie's update I remember writing and feeling the exact same thing. One is just such a big milestone isn't it? It's like a goodbye to the baby stage forever!

Anyway, onto the update. Despite my sadness of him growing up, I absolutely love this age. Parker is learning and understanding so much now, and everyday I'm sure he learns a new trick. At 45 weeks he weighed exactly 21lbs which jumped him up a centile (it's probably all the pasta he eats). I'm transitioning 9-12 month clothing into his wardrobe as he's getting so big now. He's not really chubby, just tall and has his dad's wide shoulders.


Routine is very much the same. Up at 7am where he'll have a bottle, breakfast, nap at 9.30/10am (around an hour), lunch, nap at 1pm with a bottle (between 1-2 hours), afternoon snack at 3pm, dinner, bed at 7pm with a bottle. We seem to have fallen into a trap of milk meaning sleep, but we're not too worried about it at the moment. He still loves his food and would probably eat all day if we let him. He's still sleeping on his stomach - preferably with his bum up in the air!

Milestones this month include learning to stand unaided for short periods, playing peek-a-boo by himself, pushing toys around (he is obsessed with cars at the moment), climbing stairs, using things to get to something else - he was pulling the string on a balloon to get to the balloon, and getting his big boy car seat! And as I was taking these pictures for this update, HE TOOK HIS FIRST STEPS!! It totally came out of no where, and he was taking up to 5 steps in one go - I am one proud mama right now!


He's very vocal as well now and knows exactly what he wants. If I even go towards the kitchen he'll whizz over shouting 'NUUUUM' repeatedly at me - this basically means food, and he doesn't stop until he gets it. He can say Nana, although we're unsure whether this is aimed at his nanny's or whether it's his way of saying Indiana. His newest trick is to pull all the washing down, while smiling sweetly at me saying 'uhh ohhhh' - very cute, but also very annoying.

We're fully in party / birthday planning mode and are nearly 100% ready. We'll be doing a DIY cakesmash at some point in the next few weeks too, so make sure to look out for the post!