April Degustabox - Review


Another month, another Degustabox! As I've mentioned before receiving our box every month is something we really look forward to. Once we've had our Degustabox delivery my son and I unpack it together and we are always excited to see what's inside. We've never been disappointed with any of our monthly boxes and April was no exception. 




1. Canderel Sugarly - £3.00

2. Thor Sparkling Drinks - x2 £1.80
3. Levi Roots Coat 'n Cook Sauce - £1.00
4. Popchips - £1.99
5. Rejuvenation Water - £1.99
6. Veetee Rice - x2 £1.49 / £1.29
7. Milkybar & Smarties Chocolate - x2 £1.00 / £1.29
8. Bebeto Fruit Strings - £1.99

9. Parle Biscuits - x2 25p / 89p 
10. Green Lady Tea - £1.99

As you can see there was quite the variety of different products in this months box and quite a few brands I had never tried before too. My favourite product has got to be the Canderel as I used it in my coffee and it tasted just like sugar, I will be buying this from now on. Noah of course loved the chocolate where as Nick raved about the Levi Roots cooking sauce. There's always something for all the family, every month without fail.

Degustabox costs £12.99 per month but if you would like to try it for the first time use BLDEG15 at the checkout to receive a whooping £6.00 off! 


What products do you like the sound of? 



- I was sent this product for the purpose of this review however all opinions are my own.

Mummy & Me - May


Noah and I had quite a few photo's taken together this month as we've been on holiday and have posed for half a dozen! With that in mind I struggled picking one this month, so have selected a few of my favourites. I love the photo above because although Noah is totally ignoring the camera and has zero expression on his face, mine says it all - I adore him. 



Nicola... Life Through My Eyes

Project 365 - Week 20 & 21


15th May - 28th May


15/05/16


16/05/16


17/05/16


18/05/16


19/05/16


20/05/16


21/05/16


22/05/16


23/05/16


24/05/16


25/05/16


26/05/16


27/05/16


28/05/16

This weeks post is a double as we've been away as you have probably already guessed by all the holiday photo's. What a whirlwind we've had over the last two weeks! We had the most amazing holiday and made some lasting family memories that we are going to treasure forever. I just can't believe it's over already, it flew by! It was a 10 day all inclusive holiday in Majorca and we spent the majority of the time either on the beach or by the pool and Noah absolutely loved both! He started out preferring the beach, building sand castles and paddling in the sea but then towards the end of the holiday preferred splashing about in the pool. Holidays are so much different when you take a toddler, they aren't relaxing like they once were but they are so much more enjoyable and we wouldn't have it any other way. That being said once he fell asleep in the pram at the poolside we would head over to the beach bar and help ourselves to the beer and sangria! Ha ha! Since we've been home we've just taken it easy and visited family as we are shattered! Hope we can book something for next year soon as it's always nice to have something to look forward to! 

What have you been up to this week?

Num Noms - Review & Competition


Get ready for the new children's craze as Num Noms open up a new world of play - with a cupful of cuteness and a spoonful of surprise! Featuring miniature characters inspired by sweet foods and flavours, such as cupcakes and ice cream, the individually scented Num Noms are a recipe for mischief!   

Take a Num, the outer, soft, squishy, hollow characters, and nestle it on top of a Nom, the inner, hard-shelled characters that are either motorised to scoot around, or filled with flavoured lip gloss. Pile them high for wacky combos or race them against each other with friends.   

With over 1,000 mix and match combinations, such as Raspberry Cream,Banana Go-Go or Peachy Choco Gloss, go crazy and collect them all! Collect by flavour, scent, colour, type - the combinations are endless.  

 

Num Nom Mystery Pot - £2.99:
Includes a Num and a surprise flavoured Nom lip gloss in a super cool yoghurt-style mystery pot.

Num Noms Starter Pack - £8.99:
Each starter pack includes three Nums and one motorised Nom, plus a spoon and a cup or cone.

Num Noms Deluxe Pack - £14.99:
A Num Noms Deluxe Pack includes six Nums, two motorised Noms plus a spoon and a cup or cone.


Num Nom Go-Go Café Playset - £24.99:
Featuring a special edition Num Nom, the Go-Go Café playset has everything you need to set your Num Noms free! Let them scoot around, go on the slide, teeter-totter saucer, spinning doughnut wheel or in the peek-a-boo teapot shower.


As you can see there are a whole range of different Num Noms toys in a range of different prices. I think this is great as there's something to suit all budgets. The Deluxe pack would make an ideal birthday present where as the Mystery Pot is perfect for a spending money treat!



We were recently sent a Num Noms Deluxe Pack and two Mystery Pot's to review and I couldn't wait for them to arrive. Noah loves figures and enjoys collecting things so he's already a great fan of Num Noms, especially the little motorised Noms which we often have races with! I can see Num Noms being the next big thing and I know that back when I was a child I would of gone crazy over these (and kinda still doing now at 28 years old!) 

How would you like to win a Num Nom Deluxe Pack and two Mystery Pot's? To enter all you need to do is use the Gleam form below. Good luck and don't forget to
enter my other blog competitions
Num Noms Deluxe Pack & 2 Mystery Pot's

Terms & Conditions.                                                                                                 
1. 1 winner will receive the prize stated, 1 Num Noms Deluxe Pack and 2 Mystery Pots.
2. Prize supplied directly from the PR. 
3. Competition ends 26/06/16 
4. Incomplete entries with be disqualified. 
5. UK entries only.

Celebrate your baby’s Champion Moves!



Moving like a champion takes a lot of practice, a lot of work, a lot of time and most importantly a kit that helps you achieve your best performance. Studies have shown that babies move around so much during the day that they can take as many steps as a marathon runner, in just 24 hours! Just like the greatest athletes in the world babies also need a durable kit aka a durable nappy. A nappy which offers both comport and protection, one that enables them to move freely and without restriction and that can be found with Pampers. 

Pampers are the only nappies with NEW revolutionary Magical Pods! They are absorbing channels that help to evenly distribute wetness and provide a sag free fit and superior dryness so babies are able to show off their champion moves!


This is why Pampers are currently teaming up with their very own sporting hero, Jessica Ennis-Hill to launch the Pampers Little Champions Campaign which aims to shine a light on the next generation of little athletes and encouraging parents to celebrate their own little champions too! See the video campaign here.

Jessica is an athlete at the top of her game so she knows how important it is to have the best kit to help her perform. Likewise, she knows how important it is for her baby to also have the freedom to move in comfort. Jessica says: 

‘As a mum I love being active with Reggie – we have so much fun together and I know that it’s great for his development – that’s why I’ve teamed up with Pampers to encourage mums to celebrate their little one’s champion moves! Our babies are the future generation of medal winning athletes after all…’


For Noah and I Pampers have always been the best because I feel they understand that being able to move freely and in comfort is beneficial towards babies’ development. 



Pampers Love, Sleep & Play expert, Dr. Ellie Cannon explains how research shows that an opportunity to move is an opportunity for movement development to happen:

‘Feeling physically free and uninhibited whilst being supported and safe is an important part of a baby’s exploration of the world and physical development. Babies don’t need instructions to learn - they learn through self-discovery and encouragement from those around them. That encouragement comes in all forms: not just a clap from mum and dad, but also being unrestricted in their clothes and nappy. Freedom to move without restriction is a key aspect of your baby’s development environment’.


With this in mind, it’s not surprising that freedom of movement is freedom for your little one to reach their potential!
- In collaboration with Pampers.

Noah at Two and a Half


When Noah was younger I blogged monthly about his development but when he turned two I switched to every 6 months. You can read all about Noah's two year entry here but today I'm here to write all about him now at two and a half years old. How is he two and a half already, seriously?! 



Character
Of course his character can't change too much over the months as his character is who he is but there are parts of his personality that become stronger and others parts which decrease. For example his temper has decreased tenfold and he no longer has tantrums. He never really had them often to begin with but he would often get frustrated when he wanted something he couldn't have and that would lead to a little melt down. 6 months on and he has a better level of understanding now so when he gets to the point of frustration I can simply explain it to him, he understands and he calms down, nipping it in the bud before it's even begun.


Other traits which have changed is his humour. He's funnier than ever and he'll literally do anything to make you laugh or smile. He always has a warped sense of humour, just like me. If you trip or fall over well prepare for a round of hysterics!


I've found he's a little more independent now and tries his best to do most things himself although he does still need Mummy's help with a lot of things. He's also very inquisitive, caring, gentle, thoughtful but also stubborn and has a short fuse too. If I had to name one trait that sums him up it would have to be cheeky. He's the cheekiest child I've ever known! 



Size
Noah is the same weight he was 6 months ago and weighs two stone exactly. He wears a size 5 shoe and is currently wearing a mix of 18-24m and 2-3yr clothes. He's a string bean and it's no wonder as he literally never sits still.


Health
On a whole he's been great but when we went to Forest Holidays a few months ago he came down with the flu. It was probably the worst cold he's had to date and it was so bad we contemplated coming home. Thankfully it only lasted a few days and then we were able to enjoy the rest of our break away. He's also had a few niggles with teething as his top molars and he's had a few bumps and bruises too being the clumsiest child I've ever known! 




Feeding
Noah is a bottomless pit! He has three meals a day and countless snacks. He still drinks 12oz of milk a day and drinks around 8oz of water too. His favourite foods are; cheese, tomato, bread, pasta, chicken, apple, pear, chocolate, tomato sauce, beans, broccoli, biscuits, raspberries, blueberries, crisps, sausage, omelette and so on! 



Sleep
Last week we switched Noah from his cot into a bed and the process has gone perfectly. He fell out the bed and was a little unsettled the first night but we put a bed guard on the next night and ever since we've had no issues. We thought he wouldn't ever sleep and would be messing about with his toys but he's been good as gold. He doesn't even get out of bed in the morning and waits for me to go in to get him. He will usually sleep 8pm-8:30am. He still likes to nap but I don't often put him down for one any more as I find he's harder to settle at night when he has one.



Speech
Noah doesn't speak in sentences yet but he does know a lot of words and can communicate quite well despite it. I'm just waiting for it all to click into place and for him to be able to have proper conversations with me, I can't wait for that!


Potty training
I recently blogged all about our potty training journey and you can read more about it here. We first introduced the potty when Noah had just turned two and he understood what to do with it but he would have accidents in his pants if he wasn't prompted so I knew he wasn't ready just yet. I waited another month or so, reintroduced the potty and we've not looked back! I can count the number of accidents he's had on one hand and I think that is all down to waiting until he was completely ready. He's completely dry in the day time but we haven't tackled bedtime just yet as he still drinks a lot of milk before bed. 

- Edit. A week later and Noah became dry at night time too, while on holiday in Majorca! A great way to remember it! 


Milestones and new tricks
Noah is now completely potty trained.

He's in a toddler bed instead of a cot and had no problem transitioning. 
He knows most his colours; red, blue, green, yellow, orange, purple, pink, black.
Can almost count to 10 though not in the correct order!
Likes to re-enact his favourite parts in his favourite films (Rex using his head to open the the vent in Toy Story 3 / Pumba charging the Hyenas on the Lion King.) So cute to watch!
He can use my mobile phone and tablet better than I can! 

He seems to understand absolutely everything! 



Favourite things
PUDDLES! Chocolate, Spiderman, Elmo, the cats, animals, ice cream, raspberries, his new bed, cars and trains, story time, kiki, kinder eggs, surprise egg videos, the iPad, colours and numbers, toy figures, visiting family, his cousins, dancing, movie time, baking, going on an adventure, Blackpool, visiting farms, dip dip, roast dinners, playing in the garden, his best friend Elise, Mimo, Paw Patrol, being silly, learning new things, stickers, toy story, paddling pools, playgroup, SUPERHEROES, youtube videos, swings and the park. 



Project 365 - Week 19


8th May - 14th May

08/05/16

09/05/16

10/05/16


11/05/16

12/05/16

13/05/16

14/05/16

What a wonderful week it has been! We've been outdoors a lot enjoying the lovely weather and have also been prepping for our holiday abroad next week too. We started the week off with a nice big walk and a picnic at the park but it was so hot we decided to cut our trip short, buy a paddling pool and take it to Noah's great grandparents house. Noah had a whale of a time splashing in the paddling pool with his cousin and had even more fun helping his great granddad water the garden, as you can see by the photo! So lovely! The rest of our week went by in a blur of playing out in the garden, shopping and visiting family. It ended with my childhood friend getting married and we had such a great time at the ceremony and the party! So much so that Noah would literally not get off the dance floor and we needed to coax him off it at 10pm! Fab week! 

What have you been up to this week?