Project 365 - Week 16
17th April - 23rd April
17/04/16
18/04/16
19/04/16
20/04/16
21/04/16
22/04/16
23/04/16
As you can see by our photo's we've had a wonderful week! The sun was out so we slapped on some suncream and spent most the week enjoying every moment of it! We played in the garden, splashed in the water table, had picnics on the grass and it was perfect. My Mum came to visit on Tuesday and we took a walk to the park and had ice cream which was a highlight of our week. Noah's best friend from next door visited a lot too and it was a pleasure to watch them play together and boss one another around, haha. The weather at the weekend hasn't been the best so far so I'm hoping that that isn't our Summer over and done with before it's even begun!
What have you been up to this week?
What have you been up to this week?
Win 1 of 3 Organix Weaning Bundles #RealFoodFace - Competition
We weaned Noah what feels like a lifetime ago when in reality it was only 2 years ago now. His expressions or should I say his #RealFoodFace played a big part in what foods I thought he would like and which he wouldn't but I didn't let that stop me introducing new foods to him. He's now almost two and a half and will eat pretty much anything you put on his plate and I think that is all down to offering a wide variety of food as soon as weaning begun.
Organix has created weaning foods with a variety of tastes, shapes and textures to encourage your baby’s curiosity about food. For little ones at the start of their journey Organix offers a variety of simple and natural first tastes in baby cereals and fruit pots, to more challenging flavours and textures as your baby moves on. Their finger foods come in lots of different shapes and sizes to encourage your little one to pick them up and learn to feed themselves. All its foods come with the Organix No Junk Promise, a stamp of reassurance that they are made with the best organic ingredients, and contain no unnecessary additives so your little one gets great tasting food, without the junk.
1 of 3 Organix Weaning Bundles
t&c-
1. 3 winners will each receive a £20 Organix weaning bundle.
2. Prize supplied directly from the PR.
3. Competition ends 29/05/16
4. Incomplete entries with be disqualified.
5. UK entries only.
2. Prize supplied directly from the PR.
3. Competition ends 29/05/16
4. Incomplete entries with be disqualified.
5. UK entries only.
Top Weaning Tips & Ideas with Organix #RealFoodFace
A survey, launched last week by leading baby food brand Organix, reveals that one of the biggest barriers to introducing new foods during weaning is baby’s facial expression in response to new tastes. It can be challenging to introduce new foods during weaning and the faces babies pull can be interpreted by parents as disgust or dislike at what they are trying, which can make it all the harder.
The Organix weaning survey reveals:
* More than half (55%) of mums say a baby’s facial expression puts them off trying to encourage their baby to like a new taste and flavour.
* 49% say it’s a struggle to keep babies interested in food.
* 42% say they find it hard to get babies to try new foods during weaning.
From sweet carrot to sour lemon and bitter broccoli, weaning is the beginning of a taste adventure, the first opportunity for your baby to explore and experience taste sensations. Evidence shows that it can take between 10 and 15 times to introduce a new food or flavour and that learning about food is all about familiarity and repetition. So by understanding more about their babies’ facial expressions, parents are likely to feel more confident about introducing new foods.
In response to the research, Organix has commissioned Vivien Sabel, Clinical Psychotherapist and body language expert, to help parents interpret and understand their little one’s facial expressions, rather than being put off.
Top tips from Vivien Sabel, Clinical Psychotherapist and body language expert:
* Look out for all of your baby’s non-verbal cues and expressions, they can support your baby and you through weaning and trying new foods.
* Observe your baby’s expression and mirror it back to your baby as a way of saying you understand their communication.
* Remember babies do what babies see! They are like sponges and soak up everything you do, if you look like you’re enjoying the food, your baby is likely to copy you.* The more time you spend observing your baby the more you’ll understand what they’re communicating.
It can be challenging to keep offering new foods and coming up with new and inspiring ideas to tempt little ones, but it’s important as those first tastes during weaning help define a child’s future relationship with food. The Organix survey found:
* 63% of mums say it’s stressful to think of different foods for your baby to try.
* 57% say it’s a challenge to encourage little ones to try a wide range of tastes.
To help inspire parents Organix’ children’s food expert Lucy Thomas has lots of simple, fun activities to help introduce new taste sensations to babies. Here you can see how vlogger Charlie O’Brien put some of them to the test with her son Noah https://www.youtube.com/user/Organixfood
Ideas for Weaning Fun – by Lucy Thomas, Organix’ Children’s Food Expert:
* Finger popping purée: have some fun with Organix fruit pots and explore new tastes and textures at the same time. Dip your fingertips into the pot so they’re covered in the brightly coloured purée (Organix Apple & Blueberry is lovely and bright), then suck the purée off your fingers with a loud popping sound followed by a big smile. Then help your baby do the same - if easier pop a spoonful of purée on their highchair tray for them to dip their fingers in.
* Matching pairs: match a finger food with a purée, such as Organix carrot sticks as a dipper with carrot purée, you could try a soft cooked carrot baton too. It’s a great way to offer the same vegetable in lots of different ways for baby to try without masking the real flavour.
* Tiny taste explorer: offer your baby small taste experiences throughout the day, to introduce them to new tastes. Try a lick of the lemon slice from your water, a sprinkle of cinnamon on their apple purée, a hint of curry powder in their parsnip mash or a pinch of nutmeg in some Organix banana porridge.
* Mirror image: babies are fascinated by their reflection, even though they can’t recognise themselves! Hold a mirror in front of them whilst they’re eating or holding a finger food, it’s a great activity when you’re introducing something new, watch how their expression changes.
Do you have any tips or ideas you would like to share?
- In collaboration with Organix.
Our Potty Training Journey & Potty Training Tips
Forget the weaning, the sleeping through, the learning to walk or the tantrums, the development stage which worried me the most was the prospect of potty training. All I'd ever heard was how hard and stressful the whole process was so with that drilled into my head I was dreading it before we had even begun. I shouldn't have listened because our potty training experience has so far been a walk in the park.
First of all let me start by saying I'm no expert when it comes to potty training, not by a long shot. Noah is my first child, this is the first time I've potty trained a child and he isn't dry at night time just yet. With that aside I thought I would share some of the things which have helped us a long the way and to hopefully put other parents minds at ease because potty training doesn't need to be stressful for either you or your toddler.
1. Wait until they are ready.
Potty training is not age linked, there's no age that you should start or a set age they should be fully dry by, so don't worry. It's all about when your child is ready and showing signs. If they aren't showing signs don't push them, they'll be ready soon.
For us we knew when Noah was ready because he started showing signs such as hiding when he was going to have a poo, telling me when he was having a wee and asking to use the toilet.
2. Introduce the potty.
Another important step I think is introducing the potty at the right time, too soon can cause upset or confusion and too late they just might not be bothered with it at all.
Once Noah showed the signs of being ready to potty train we bought a potty and placed it in the corner of the living room. For the next week we let Noah run around the house bare bottom and every time he said he needed a wee I would remind him about the potty and he would toddle over to it himself, sit down and have a wee. He would then get a cheer and a round of applause and hearing the encouragement and seeing the smiles on our faces seemed to make it all click into place. He's never needed much persuasion when using the potty or toilet and I think that is due to starting when he was ready and by creating a positive association with the potty from the get go.
3. Accidents are no big deal.
I've seen and heard parents and grandparents being quite firm with their child when they have an accident and I personally don't think that's the way to go at all. They need to have accidents to learn, it's all part of the process.
On the rare occasion Noah has has an accident we usually say "nevermind sweetheart, next time we will do it in the potty" and just brush it off. I've never wanted to create a negative association and I think that's really helped Noah a long the way.
4. Skip the training pants.
Training pants or pull ups are often recommended to parents but I think they feel too similar to nappies. I didn't want to confuse Noah with it so we skipped this stage all together. We went from bare bottom to underpants in about two weeks and we haven't looked back, it worked for us.
5. Let them choose their own underwear.
I think that including your little one in making decisions like this really encourages them and makes them feel more involved. Noah's favourites are his Thomas & Friends vest and matching undies which he chose himself, he looks so cute in them too!
6. Buy a personalised potty training book.
We have a personalised Pirate Pete potty training book from Penwizard and I feel it adds more excitement and fun to their potty training journey. It would also be great to look into if your child just needs that extra little nudge in the right direction or they are a bit wary of the potty.
Do you have any potty training tips you would like to share?
Or perhaps you would like to share your potty training experience with me?
March Degustabox - Review & Competition
We've been working with Degustabox for quite some time now and as I've mentioned before receiving our box each month is something we really look forward to. Once it's arrived my son and I usually take it into the living room and unpack it together, it's always so exciting to see what's inside and we've never been disappointed.
March's Degustabox lived up to expectations as it was full to the brim with exciting products to try:
1. Brioche Pasquier - £1.40
2. Weetabix On The Go - 2x £1.50
3. Good Hemp Original - £1.49
4. Metcalfe's Skinny Popcorn - £1.50
5. Kent's Kitchen Stuffing - £1.85
6. Chewits - 4x 35p
7. Parle Biscuits - 2x 59p / 39p
8. Pipers Cheddar & Onion Crisps - £2.00
9. Lindt Chocolate Bunny - £2.99
10. Kallo Multigrain Cakes - x2 £1.89 / £1.00
11. Karyatis Meze To Go - £1.99
There was such a varied selection of products within last months box that I don't really know where to begin, there was a little something for everyone! The Brioche and Weetabix On The Go made easy to grab breakfasts for my partner who's always in a rush in the mornings. The Lindt Chocolate Bunny and Hide and Seek biscuits made a yummy after dinner treat for Noah. Myself I really enjoyed the Pipers Crisps for a treat with my lunch and the Karyatis Meze To Go was absolutely heavenly!
A box costs £12.99 per month but if you would like to try it for the first time use the code BLDEG15 at the checkout to receive a whooping £6.00 off!
Not only have I got that wonderful voucher code for you to use but I also have a competition for you too! How would you like to win your very own Degustabox? I have three up for grabs! Enter below for your chance to win! Good luck and don't forget to enter my other blog competitions!
1 of 3 Degustabox
t&c-
1. 1 prize to 3 winners (Winners will receive June's box)
2. Prize supplied directly from the PR.
3. Competition ends 27/05/16
4. Incomplete entries with be disqualified.
5. UK entries only.
1. 1 prize to 3 winners (Winners will receive June's box)
2. Prize supplied directly from the PR.
3. Competition ends 27/05/16
4. Incomplete entries with be disqualified.
5. UK entries only.