Toddler Swimming Essentials

22.3.17

Going swimming with your little ones can be one of the loveliest experiences... but only if you are prepared. They can get chilly quickly, be slippery little things, and don't even think about going for a dip without a proper swim nappy.

So I've put together my list of toddler swimming essentials, to hopeful make your swimming experience a positive one!

Toddler swimming Essentials
This year we're thrilled to be working with Konfidence, as one of their Baby Swimologists. Parker recently finished his term of swimming lessons with Puddle Ducks, where we got to test out some fantastic Konfidence products.

We've used the Konfidence Aqua Nappies since Indie was a baby, and have recommended them to almost everyone. They're made from a soft polyester outer layer, a PVC middle barrier and then a soft inner mesh. They grow with your little one as they can be adjusted with poppers and velcro, and when you're done just wash and reuse!

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Most swimming lessons have a double layer policy when it comes to nappies, so we used the Konfidence NeoNappy nappy cover on top. It provides that extra security (no one wants a poop explosion mid-swim!), by creating a soft, stretchy, impermeable shell.

If you've ever changed in a public changing room, you'll know they're not the nicest of places. The Konfidence Roll & Go Changing Mat is great for this. It's made from soft cushioned neoprene with a non-slip back - creating a more hygienic and warm spot to change / dress your child. It rolls up really easily too which is a little bonus.

A swimming bag probably isn't an essential, but it's pretty handy! We love our Trunki Paddlepak as it's waterproof, full of handy little features, and the designs are just adorable. You can read more about our experience here.

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If your little one gets cold easily (or you're going abroad where you know the pools with be freezing), the Konfidence Babywarma Wetsuit is brilliant. It's essentially a baby/toddler wetsuit - it's a lot easier to use those as it is completely velcro adjustable. As well as keeping your little one warm, it also offers 100% UV protection on all covered areas, it provides additional grip and it looks pretty cute too!

Although showering after swimming isn't always easy, you can make it a more enjoyable experience with lovely products. We love Childs Farm and their 3-in-1 swim not only smells absolutely amazing, but I know it's gentle on our two's skin. This travel set is perfect for swimming as the bottles are smaller, and it includes a hair detangler and moisturiser too.

Finally, you of course need a snuggly towel to wrap them up in! We love our poncho towel from Cuddledry, although any hooded/poncho towel would work. The poncho design means they're covered, but they have their arms free - perfect for holidays too.


Disclosure - We received the Konfidence products as part of our Swimologist role. All opinions are honest and my own.

AEG 6000 Series L6FBG941R 9kg Washing Machine | Review

19.3.17

Moving house and having children are apparently some of the most stressful things you can do. So when we moved house at the weekend WITH two children, we wanted to things to be as stress-free as possible.

We knew we needed a new washing machine, so I got in contact with AO.com after hearing so many good things about them. They were fab and after ordering on Friday, we had our delivery slot arranged in minutes for the Saturday!


We received the AEG 6000 Series L6FBG941R 9kg Washing Machine which is perfectly suited to our family. Packed with the latest technology and a huge 9kg drum it's really made doing the washing a much less stressful task!

I can wash more in a load and know it's done correctly, thanks to ProSense® Technology. This fantastic feature weighs the load and then automatically adjusts the cycle settings to suit - making sure every item is given the best possible wash whilst saving energy and water too... how fab is that?

Speaking of saving energy and water, the machine has an A+++ efficiency rating, and costs just £29.26 to run per year. This is extra helpful for families like mine, where the washing machine feels as if it's constantly on!



There are 10 different wash programmes including cotton, delicate, easy iron (I love this one!), and quick wash which is only 20 minutes. You can adjust the spin speed (top speed of 1400 RPM) and temperature of the wash, with the touch of a button once you've selected your setting.

A handy feature is that the child lock automatically turns on and off once you hit start and then the wash finishes too. The handy display screen also shows you (with the help of flashing icons) which stage of the wash it's on, as well as the time remaining.

Another thing to add is that it is soo quiet - we sometimes put our wash on overnight, and you wouldn't even know during most of the wash! And on the subject of washing overnight, the time delay function (up to 20 hours) is perfect for this.


Although we love the actual product, I will say the delivery did leave a lot to be desired. Sorting the delivery with AO was very easy and quick, however the delivery men weren't so helpful. Their communication skills weren't very good, and they didn't seem to have the correct tools needed to fit the machine - it was lucky we had a neighbour who has what they needed, or they would have had to come back another day to install it!

Overall though I would definitely recommend the machine, and ordering from AO to anyone. If you're constantly doing laundry and want a more effective but yet efficient machine - the AEG 6000 Series L6FBG941R is definitely the machine for you!

Dimensions - H85 x W60 x D63

Disclosure - We received this item in exchange for our honest review. All opinions are honest and my own.

The Siblings Project | March 2017

18.3.17

I had so many photos I could have used for this month's Siblings Project. Beautiful smiles, all taken on the 'proper' camera with actual decent light. But I couldn't not choose these ones. My two snuggled in bed together, in their new bedroom one morning this week.


They've taken the house move like absolute super stars, and I actually don't think I've seen them so happy in a long time! Parker is now in a big boy bed, so the safety of the cot is gone. Despite our worries it's probably the thing these two enjoy most.

Most mornings since we've moved I've come in to find them snuggled up together reading stories. Indie the bossy big sister who of course makes the decisions (I'm not sure how long this will last with P getting so big though!), and Parker willing to oblige - loving his new freedom and the fact his big sister's bed is now so easily accessible.



I'm not expecting it to always been so positive (the terrible twos are coming), but I just love how much the bond between these two is growing. It's been a month of big changes, but they've got through them together!


The Me and Mine Project

Parker's 19 Month Update

8.3.17


Oh beautiful boy, how fast did that last month go? 19 months old sounds far too grown up for my liking. February was a shorter month, but I feel as if you've developed a lot. I also never thought it was possible for you to become cheekier and more mischievous... But you managed that too!


Routine at 19 months seems to have settled back down to normal. Teething has left us alone for the time being (touching ALL the wood), so sleep and eating have returned. A big change is that we managed to stop bottles and switch over to milk in a beaker. After a few days he cut out his morning milk completely, so he's only have one beaker of milk to go to bed with now.

Naps have been a lot easier now he's not poorly or teething, and the 18 month sleep regression seems to be over too.. yay! We are getting a full nights sleep nearly every night too which is benefiting all of us so much.



Now he's not having so much milk he's eating so much more. Don't get me wrong, P was always an eater. But now he seems hungrier and will eat full meals (sometimes bigger than Indie's), as well as wanting regular snacks. He's so good at eating independently now and I can happily leave him with a bowl of cereal or a yoghurt and he will eat it with minimal mess.

Stats wise, not much has changed since his 18 month update. He did finally pop that final canine though, so he has 16 teeth! His eczema seems to have flared up a bit in the last few weeks too, but hopefully now it's warming up a bit it'll settle down.



Every day he seems to say something new, or do something I never knew he could do. Climbing seems to be his favourite game at the moment, and he's almost learnt to climb out of his cot. We're planning on trying him in a toddler bed when we move next week.. wish us luck!

Transitioning from Bottles to Beakers at 18 Months Old

2.3.17

I think we've finally cracked it.. Parker is 18 months and we've ditched the bottles! We've made the transition from milk in bottles to beakers. And I couldn't be happier.


Now don't get me wrong. I absolutely loved using our Dr Brown's bottles. They helped with Parker's colic when he was little, and once we stopped sterilising at one (when we transitioned to cows milk), it was simply a case of washing them up.

But Parker had become attached. He associated bottles with going to sleep - something we didn't want to continue. I was sick of having milk covered sheets where he would leave the bottles to drip. And honestly I was totally done with bottles - especially as the Dr Brown's ones have a lot of parts.

I feared it would be a hard process, especially as he was still having two bottles a day. But honestly it's not been that bad at all. And now a week later, we've dropped the morning bottle and he's happy taking his bedtime milk in a beaker.

So how did we do it?

I bought Parker a new beaker - one with a cow print so he knew it was for milk (this isn't really necessary I know, but I thought it was cool). Then before diving straight in with a morning / bedtime bottle I tested it out at nap time. A tip I've always found with big changes is to get them when they're already sleepy (not overtired though), as then they're more likely to give into sleep anyway.


Then from that nap, we never looked back. There were a few moans where he threw the beaker and moaned for 'nunck' (that's P for milk). But we never backed down! It only took a couple of days for him to not even bother with his morning milk.

I'm so thankful we had it easy, as I know it's not always the case - we struggled for a loooong time with our first. So I thought it would be interesting to ask some of my fellow bloggers how they made the switch...

We literally did it cold turkey after my son threw up his bottle of milk due to coughing. He was around 18 months and had gulped down a full 200mls or so. After that I was like right, no more and just gave him his sippy cup. We had about 3 nights of whinging and then he got used to his cup - so my tip - go with the whinging, persevere! - Emma @ Me and B Make Tea

We always gave our eldest beakers for drinks so bottles were only for milk. Then when she was old enough to understand we explained that she was a big girl now so no longer needed a bottle. Bedtime was the worst, but after a few days she was ok! - Amy @  The Smallest of Things


We started the transition by switching to a sippy cup with a silicone spout first, so it wasn't too different to a bottle. After a while, and by trying lots of different cups for their water, we managed to move to a normal sippy cup for their bedtime milk - Gemma @ Two Little Misters

We only used bottles for milk, when water was introduced he had a cup. Then we got him a similar cup for the milk and just swapped the bottle for the cup. He cried for a bit but then drank it. Jo @ Pickle and Pocket

We introduced sippy cups with water when we started weaning, so they were used to them. Bottles only used for evening milk but not to go to sleep with. We tried to make sure the sippy cups were as close to free flow as possible though. Silicone spouts always went down well. He has the munchkin 360 degrees spoutless cup now. Helen @ Talking Mums

And Fran from Whinge Whinge Wine 'Just took it away!' - That's my kind of approach!


How did you make the switch?


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