Ben's top iPad / iPhone app this week: Hickory Dickory Dock

Last week we went along to the Minshapes Launch Event where we were introduced to a number of apps including the fantastic Hickory Dickory Dock. Ben was instantly drawn to this app with it's cute little mouse character. I was very impressed by it for a number of reasons.

First off I love the idea of an app to help children learn how to tell the time in such a fun manner. Secondly the graphics are excellent with an amazing level of detail in each mini game. Finally there are lots of impressive features throughout the app which use proper physical forces to mimic gravity, friction, weight and acceleration such as when you pull back a spring to launch the mouse and another mini game where you add weights to a scale to enable a cover over a piece of cheese to be lifted, if you remove the weights again quickly enough  you can trap the mouse who tries to steal the cheese. There is a mini game for each number on the clock and the great thing is they are all completely different which keeps it engaging and fun while educational, teaching time and improving fine motor skills and cognitive development.

Uncover the cheese by placing the weights on scale

Ben loves the dancing mouse

Ben absolutely loves this app, he asks me to play "Tick Tock Mouse" quite a lot and it is safe to say as he is playing it he is getting better and better at completing the mini games. His favourite mini game is where he gets to feed the mouse, I love how much he laughs while he plays it.

Laughing lots while playing Hickory Dickory Dock

I highly recommend this app, I love how educational it is and the fact that there is so much variety to it. It has been very cleverly designed by the Mindshapes team with an impressive amount of detail and thought put into it. It is one of those apps that your child will really love playing for some time as it has a lot to offer young children from the very young who will love the music and the cute mouse to older children who will really enjoy playing the mini games.

Hickory Dickory Dock can be download from the AppStore and costs £1.99 and is available for the iPad, iPhone and iPod touch.

*Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post. I received a promo code to review this app but this has in no way biased my opinion - it is a fantastic educational and fun app young children will love. 

My Happy Start to the Day

Ben did the cutest thing this morning when he woke. He put his arms around me, gave me a kiss and said 'Love Mama'. Needless to say I totally melted..

I love my little guy!

Sneak preview of my Princes Breakfast Box

Yesterday Mr Postman arrived with a lovely surprise for us from Princes thanks to Claire over at Cheshire Mum. Ben who has just had his second birthday where he had quite a few presents arrive in the post thought it was another gift for him so I left him to it and I am pleased to say he was really excited by what he found inside as was I!

Ben couldn't get the parcel unwrapped quickly enough!

There were lots of wows when he saw the colourful contents

So what exactly was inside it? I hear you ask - well it was packed with Princes goodies such as canned fruit including grapefruit segments, peach slices, pear halves, fruit cocktail, pineapple chunks and mandarin segments and Princes pure juices which I am very pleased about as they will greatly help us hit our five a day. It also contained some other lovely items including the most deliciously fragranced candle, colourful beakers and bowls, colouring book, placemats, clock, vouchers and a bunch of recipes.

This made me go wow!

Over the next couple of weeks I plan on trying these products out and experimenting with some recipes which I will feature in a post. I will also be taking part in the Princes Breakfast Stress Test which requires me to monitor my heart rate at different times including breakfast time and stressed and relaxed times which I have to say will be interesting to do and I am looking forward to seeing the results of.

The great news is I will soon be running a competition on my blog where you can win one of these fantastic breakfast boxes delivered to your door. How fantastic does that sound? So make sure you keep an eye out for when I announce the competition on twitter and facebook. Believe me this is one competition you will want to win!

A big thank you goes to Claire and the lovely people at Princes for the brekfast box. I am looking forward to using it and sharing my experience here.

*Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post. I received the breakfast box for free however this has in no way biased my opinions. I am looking forward to sharing how we get on with all these goodies.

The Gallery: Home

This weeks theme for The Gallery is Home. I have to admit when I read it at first I was a bit stumped as I wasn't sure how I could sum up what makes our home 'home'. Then after a chat with my husband about it on Sunday night I had my idea so I definitely owe him some credit for this one.

In our hallway we have three items hanging on our wall. There is a 'Home' sign, underneath that an Irish blessing plaque which my mom gave us as a house warming present, it has the Irish word 'beannacht' which means 'blessing' on it and underneath that there is a glass imprint of Ben's hands and feet which we had made when he was just five weeks old. I love how these things look together and how they symbolise our family home which is truly blessed by our wonderful little boy.



It was difficult to get a decent picture of them together as it is quite a narrow hallway so here is each one in more detail.







I have to give a special mention to the imprint of Ben's hands and feet as I just love this piece so much. It is a Crystal Imprint by Connell and Hart Glass which we had the impression for taken at the Baby Show back in 2009. It is amazing how much detail there is in each little hand and foot with all the lines clearly visible and they are oh so tiny, it's hard to imagine now that they were ever that small! I am so glad we had this made when we did and opted to get both hands and feet. It truly is a once in a lifetime piece to treasure forever and takes pride of place in our home.

My Perfect Jeans

I am so very pleased with myself and the reason for this is I have found the perfect pair of jeans. So perfect I had to go and buy another pair in a different colour yesterday. I love jeans. I love how you can dress them up or down depending on the occasion but what I do not love is when you get a pair, try them on, they look fabulous but then after a few hours wear and they stretch out a bit they kind of go all loose and baggy especially around the bum. These don't, they stay fitting perfectly.

So where are these magic jeans from I hear you ask, the answer is Topshop. They are the Moto Supersoft Leigh Skinny Jeans range which come in a selection of colours including indigo vintage, black acid, forest green and burgandy amongst others and are available online and in store priced at £38. They also do a maternity and petite version. They are made of a softer material than traditional denim jeans but they look like jeans while being as comfortable as leggings, super tight and figure hugging yet not restrictive. I am so glad I found them as I was getting really sick of my boring wardrobe / uniform and these have definitely made me happy - a brilliant find in my opinion!

*Disclaimer: This is not a sponsored post. I am writing about these jeans as I love them so much I wanted to tell others about them.

I'm A Versatile Blogger? Seven Things About Me

Thank you Jenny from Mummy Mishaps for tagging me in this meme - Seven Things About Me. The rules are as follows:

* Thank the blogger who nominated you - check

* Share seven things about yourself:

1. I am a second dan blackbelt in Taekwondo and have represented Ireland on numerous occasions including World and European Championships. 
   
2. I have had a chihuahua as a pet since I was five years old (not the same one of course). My first was a little black and white one called Gringo and I used to take him for walks in my dolls pram. They are my favourite breed of dog.
   
3. I have one older brother called Denis who lives in Sydney, Australia and I haven't seen him since I got married back in September 2008. He has yet to meet Ben which I think is kind of sad as he has never seen him as a baby.
   
4. I am scared of butterflies and ladybugs. It's their wings that freak me out the most.
   
5. I have curly hair naturally but nearly always wear it straight (thanks to my trusty GHD's).
   
6. My favourite perfume is Chloe. Its used to be Chanel Coco Mademoiselle which I still wear the odd time.
   
7. My worst job was a summer job when I was a student where I was a "crew member" at McDonald's. I hated it so much but I think it made me more determined than ever to do well at university and get a good career.

So there you have it - have I surprised you with my seven revelations?

* Tag some more bloggers - who are as follows:

 

Not Yet a Yummy Mummy

 

Bakes, Books And My Boys 

 

Mummy & Monkey 

The Winner of the Postman Pat DVD is...

Thanks to everyone who entered and now for the winner!

Dum-de-dum.......

...and the winner is

Congratulations Sarah Anguish (@littleboo_21) you are the winner of the Happy Birthday Postman Pat DVD as picked by Ben. It's a great DVD and we love the CD too - I hope you will enjoy it :). Drop me an email or DM on twitter at @mmeeee with your address.

Silent Sunday

An aaahhh Moment

This seldoms happens anymore so I felt I had to share.

Saturday is Caption Day

Can you think of a caption for this photo?

You can then check out some more fab entries for Saturday is Caption Day over at Mammasaurus blog by clicking the badge below. Happy Saturday!

Getting Appy at the Mindshapes Launch Event

I was really quite excited when we were invited to the Mindshapes launch event as being a bit of a geeky family I knew it would not only be of interest to me, but also my husband and most definitely our two year old son Ben who is a real little whizz on the iPad. The event was held to mark the launch of three new fantastic eductional apps, Meteor Math, Lingo Zoo and  Hickory Dickory Dock which are all available for the iPad, iPhone and iPod touch. I plan on doing individual more in-depth reviews of each of these apps but for now here is a quick overview.

Ben + iPad = a very happy boy :)

Meteor Math is, as the name suggests, a Maths app aimed at improving numerical skills including addition, subtraction, division and multiplication in children six plus years. The clever thing about this app is that it disguises mathematical puzzles by presenting kids with arcade style challenges where they have to smash together correctly numbered meteors to solve the problems. As progress is made through the levels the puzzles get more challenging and complex which is sure to improve childrens maths abilities in a fun engaging way. Meteor Math is available to download from the AppStore and costs £1.99.

Showing Daddy how to play Meteor Math

Lingo Zoo is a fun animal puzzle game young children are sure to love which also teaches them basic animal names in Spanish. As each jigsaw-like puzzle is completed the animal sound is made and it's name spoken in both English and Spanish. This app is aimed at children aged three to five but Ben, who is just two really enjoyed playing it. There are various levels including Farm, Underwater, Safari, Flower Garden, Outback and Jungle, as you complete one level a new one gets unlocked. This is the kind of app that will keep toddlers entertained for hours with it's fun graphics and animal sounds while teaching them animal names in both languages and improving their fine motor skills. Lingo Zoo will be available to download from the AppStore on the 29th Spetember and will cost 99p.

Having fun playing Lingo Zoo

Hickory Dickory Dock is a fantastic app which is aimed at teaching young children how to tell the time aided by a very helpful little mouse which Ben loved. The graphics, detail and depth in it are amazing with lots of fun mini-games which are sure to engage any child while improving their cognitive development and helping them to learn to tell the time. It is evident that the team responsible for Hickory Dickory Dock really put a lot of work and thought into creating it. As we played it, we kept discovering lots of impressive features and details which use proper physical forces to mimic gravity, friction, weight and acceleration. I am really looking forward to playing this app again with Ben and reviewing it in more detail. Hickory Dickory Dock is available to download from the AppStore and costs £1.99.

Ben & his Daddy enjoying Hickory Dickory Dock

One other thing which I have to mention in this post is the fantastic venue, Maggie & Rose Kensington Club where this event was held. It is truly a fantastic place for kids which holds bespoke art, music and cookery classes as well as hosting children's parties. Ben loved it there and I wish it local to us as we would definitely be going there more often if it was!

Having a little rest from all that App playing :)

We thoroughly enjoyed the event and meeting the Mindshapes team - a great event and fantastic new apps which children are sure to love.

*Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post. We were invited to attend the Mindshapes Launch Event where we got to play with the apps but this has in no way biased my opinion - they are great apps well worth checking out!

My favourite baby item this week: Tommee Tippee Sangenic Wrap & Go Dispenser

Today I want to tell you about a fantastic little item that every change bag should have, it is the Sangenic Wrap & Go by Tommee Tippee. I am a big fan of the Sangenic Nappy Disposal System so I was pleased to see this clever addition to the range. It is a small nappy bag dispenser with a clip handle that you can attach to your buggy, pop in your bag or keep in your car. It means that you always have a nappy bag when you need it and an effective one at that which contains all odors with it's lemon infused scent, prevents leaks and is anti-bacterial which means it kills 99% germs on contact.

I have found it so useful when I have been visiting friends and need to change Ben. I no longer have to worry about where I am going to dispose of the nappy and if it will smell or leak when I put it in my change bag. I can see it being very handy for when we go swimming or if an emergency change is required in the car amongst many other scenarios. To prove whether it would truly contain odors I put it to the test by wrapping one of Ben's more fragrant nappies and leaving it in the bathroom. I checked an hour later and I can safely say it passed with flying colours so it definitely gets a thumbs up from me.

The Sangenic Wrap & Go dispenser is priced from £4.99 and includes 30 wraps (15 per roll) , Sangenic Hygienic Happy Wrap Refils are also available  priced from £4.99 and includes 3 refills (15 wraps per roll).  The Sangenic Wrap & Go is available from Tesco and Boots amongst other major retailers.

*Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post. I received this product free in exchange for a review but this has in way biased my opinion on it - it is a very useful item!

The Gallery: Guilty Pleasures

This weeks theme for The Gallery is Guilty Pleasures. When I saw it, I instantly knew what the subject of mine would be. You see I am addicted to jellies, especially those of the sour fizzy variety. I just love them and eat far too many. The amazing thing is I went totally off them when I was pregnant with Ben, even the sight or smell of them back then was enough to make me feel sick. Once he was born however my love of the brightly coloured sugary treats was well and truly rekindled. I have some dislikes though - I hate green pastilles, purple jelly beans and I can't stand jelly babies.

The great thing about this theme was it gave me the perfect excuse to visit my favourite sweet shop Mr Simms and indulge in lots of my favourites all in the quest for a perfect picture (thank you Tara for the excuse). So here you are, feast your eyes on my guilty brown bag full of pleasure - I already have and they are gone.

Ben's top iPad / iPhone apps this week: Shapes & Puzzles and Love To Count iPad / iPhone apps

As yesterday was Pirate Day I thought what better day to introduce Ben to two fantastic apps from the Pirate Trio Academy, an exciting new educational mobile academy for preschoolers which aims to improve skills in areas such as numeracy and geometry in a fun, effective and engaging way which young children will love. The first two apps which are part of this project are Shapes & Puzzles which improves your child's ability to recognise shapes and sizes through it's many fun puzzles and Love To Count which introduces basic numeracy skills such as counting, addition, subtraction, sequences and so on.

Four modes to select from

The Shapes & Puzzles app has two hundred puzzles for the iPad version and one hundred and eighty for the iPhone. When you load the app there are four modes to select from which includes three puzzle options which vary in presentation of the puzzles and the pieces and a toddler focused mode to teach the names of shapes. I liked the different modes, the first of which presented the full puzzle with the shapes to be slotted in along the side so immediately you could visualise what the end picture would be like. The second mode built up the picture by revealing one shape at a time which added a little bit of excitement as to what the end result would be. The last mode included detailing on some of the shapes such as the rungs of a ladder on a square, which made it more jigsaw-like and hence forces children to think about where exactly to place each individual shape.

Drag shapes to correct place on the picture puzzle

Shape silhouettes added one by one to reveal picture

Some shapes have details such as the fireman's ladder

Teaching Shapes mode

This app is aimed at three plus years but I found Ben, who has just turned two was very capable of doing the puzzles. In comparison to other similar shape puzzle apps for preschoolers which I have come across it has a lot more pieces per puzzle which is good for the age range it is targeted at as it offers a little more of a challenge. This app will not only keep your little one entertained but help to develop shape recognition, geometry, and encourage them to look at things in their surroundings and spot the shapes which they are composed of. I believe Ben picked up on this immediately as while we were drawing a house later, he pointed out a triangle shape I had used as the roof, said triangle and he then proceeded to make a triangle shape with his hand - I cannot say for certain if this was a result of playing the app earlier but it is a big coincidence if not.

Love to count: Profiles can be accessed by clicking the round icon on the lower left hand corner which is added one set up

The second app I want to tell you about from the Pirate Trio Academy is Love To Count which deals with all things numerical helping to introduce basic arithmetic, sequences, counting and so on. To begin with you set up a profile for your child so that you can track progress in the various skills targeted by the app through the following screen.

Progress Tracking screen

As you can set up individual profiles per child it allows multiple kids to use the app while retaining their own progress and tracking individual performance. This app is aimed at four to seven year olds so Ben is still a little young but as he can recognise numbers, count to ten and identify the correct order sequence of numbers we were still able to play with the app in our own way with me telling him the answer and asking him to find the number and also do things such as pick out the next number in a sequence when ordering them.

I really like the fun way the app teaches addition, subtraction and fractions which I can see is of huge benefit to children slightly older than Ben. It deals with the basics of mathematics in a fun and effective way and I can see Ben learning a lot from it in the future. Some examples of the types of questions it poses are as follows:

Subtraction

Ordering and Number Sequences

Counting

Addition

Addition & Subtraction

Fractions

Ordering

In my opinion these are great educational apps which are sure to help develop your child's skills in a number of areas while maintaining a fun element which in my opinion enhances learning. These are the kind of apps which help lay the fundamental building blocks of mathematics, geometry and so on which will most definitely serve to be of benefit to any child. The apps are well designed with child (and parent) friendly navigation and I have to say I love the pirate theme as does Ben. I highly recommend these apps and they get a big thumbs up from Ben too! I firmly believe that you can never start introducing number and basic maths and shapes early enough and these are a great fun way to do so.

Ben busy playing Shapes & Puzzles

Shapes & Puzzles can be downloaded for £1.99 and Love to Count for £2.49 from the AppStore and are compatible with both the iPad and iPhone.

*Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post. I received promo codes to review these apps but this has in no way biased my opinion - I believe they are great fun yet educational apps. 

A Little Something That Makes me Snigger..

Every time I read the opening sentence in Ben's new Postman Pat book to him I have to stop myself from laughing..


Ahhh the things that amuse me these days! Go on tell me - Is it just me or did this make you snigger too?

Silent Sunday

My favourite Baby Item this week: Houdini Stop Carseat Chest Clip

Recently Ben has been a nightmare in the car getting his arms free of the car seat straps in seconds which scares me to death when I'm driving. No amount of pleading with (or bribery) would get him to stop. All he wanted to do was get his hands free so he could play with the door handle which led to some frightening moments. Therefore I was only too delighted to try out the Houdini Stop Carseat Chest Clip.

The Houdini Stop Carseat Chest Clip is such a clever, effective yet simple design. It consists of a strap with two clips either end which you attach at nipple level to the straps of your child's car seat and bingo they can no longer get their arms free. Here is a video on how it works:

We have a Britax Safefix car seat and at first when I went to fit the Houdini Stop I wasn't sure it was going to fit as there is extra padding on the straps but all I needed to do was move these up a little (I think they may have been too low to start with) and hey presto I could fit the Houdini Stop Carseat Chest Clip in the right position after which there was no way Ben could escape during our car journey and believe me he tried! He eventually admitted defeat and exclaimed "Ben no like" while his Dad and I grinned smugly.

This little Houdini's escaping is definitely stopped now!

The Houdini Stop Carseat Chest Clip is a must have for any parents who need to stop their child's dangerous escaping antics. Put simply, it works which is a huge relief to me as I am sure it is to many others. It can also be used for similar problems with the straps on a child's highchair or stroller. I really do want to say a huge thank you to the clever people who came up with this product, I am sure it has prevented many accidents already.

You can purchase the Houdini Stop Carseat Chest Clip online for £11.99 and you are guaranteed a speedy delivery with it usually arriving next day if ordered before 4.45 pm.

*Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post. I received this product for free in exchange for a review but this has in no way biased my opinion - it is a fantastic product which is effective and one I highly recommend.

Saturday is Caption Day

This is my first time joining in with Mammasaurus blog's Saturday is Caption Day . Add what you think this photo is saying to the comments below.


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