Day 152 of The 366 Project

There was an old style ice cream van parked in the shopping centre today so I just had to get Ben one. Despite the serious look on his face, he was actually enjoying it.

Day 151 of The 366 Project

Ben got sent some very cool Little Dino pyjamas today from pjzoo.com. I think the picture speaks for itself - he loves them!

Farm 123 iPhone / iPad App Giveaway

Yesterday I posted a review of  Farm 123, an excellent app for young children by StoryToys which is designed to help preschoolers to learn to count. It is packed full of animals and clever games which are sure to appeal to young kids, keeping them entertained while learning along the way. The good news is that StoryToys have given me five promo codes to give away.

If you would like to get your hands on one of these promo codes just leave me a comment below along with a way to contact you (email or twitter id). I do ask if you are leaving your twitter id you follow me on twitter so that I can DM you if you win.

For a bonus entry tweet I want to win Farm 123 app from @StoryToys with @mmeeee http://bit.ly/JQ97Kf

The competition will close at 1pm on the 6th June 2012 when the winners will be selected at random. Good Luck!

*** This competition is now closed - thank you to all who entered. ***

Day 150 of The 366 Project

Ben decided to help out in the garden.

Farm 123 iPhone / iPad App Review

I was delighted when I was asked if I would like a preview of Farm 123, the latest new app from StoryToys, formely know as Ideal Binary who have brought us all the fantastic Grimm's Pop-Up books such as Rapunzel. Farm 123 is designed to help preschoolers learn to count in a fun way by helping Farmer Jo with his animals around the farm. The graphics are superb, colourful and well designed as are the interactive features which young children are sure to love.

Farm 123 - 3 options to select from

There are three options to select from when you load the app. Read, which allows you to read through the story at your own pace, turning the pages just like a real book and helping the Farmer count the animals while having fun moving them about and watching as the cow jumps over the moon, the eggs hatch and the pigs splash in muddy puddles. Autoplay is the same as Read mode except it runs automatically. Games mode is where you have to catch a specific number of animals and earn stars as you successfully complete games. The games are great for reinforcing counting and as you complete levels they get more challenging with a mix of animals to choose from rather than just one and it also speeds up quite a bit which keeps it engaging for kids.

Farm 123 - Read Mode

Farm 123 - Games Mode

As with other StoryToys apps, I love the fact that when you tilt the iPhone or iPad the background moves and you get that 3D feel to it. The interactive features are fantastic and the educational value that it offers young kids in such a fun way makes this a great app. Ben loves all the animals in the app and really enjoys both the Read and Games modes. I can highly recommend checking out this app, it is sure to be a hit with preschoolers.

Farm 123 will be available to download from the App Store for iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch from the 31st May and will free to download and includes two fun counting games with the option to unlock five additional games for $1.49 / $1.99.

*Disclaimer: I received a promo code to download a preview of Farm 123 but this has in no way biased my opinion - it is a fantastic app for preschoolers.

Day 149 of The 366 Project

I love how Ben chats and tells me stories while sitting in his stroller on our walks. Today's story involved dinosaurs, volcanoes and hot lava, as usual.

Day 148 of The 366 Project

Ben learnt a valuable lesson today. Never let your ice cream down if Coco is about. Coco thoroughly enjoyed her treat.

Silent Sunday

Day 147 of The 366 Project

Ben insisted on having his Cheerios and milk outside this morning at 6.30 am. We are certainly making the most of this nice weather.

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's blog by clicking the badge below. Happy Saturday!

 

Day 146 of The 366 Project

I got Ben a bubble machine today and lots of bubbles which he absolutely loves. I think I may have to stock up on some more bubble mix though, the rate he got through it today.

Day 145 of The 366 Project

We had lots of fun at the park today, enjoying every minute of the glorious sunshine while we were there. I love days like this..

Fireman Sam Alphabet Rescue Review

We were lucky enough to be sent Fireman Sam Alphabet Rescue by the nice people at InspirationWorks and from the minute Ben got his hands on it, it is safe to say, it has been a big hit. It is a simple, easy to use toy that is designed to help children aged 3+ learn their ABC's, sounds and phonics in a fun and effective way. 

As soon as it arrived Ben wanted to play with it and wouldn't even wait for it to come out of the packaging!

It is shaped like Jupiter, Fireman Sam's trusty fire engine and has buttons for all the letters of the alphabet and numbers from zero to nine. There are five game modes to choose from along the bottom which include the following. 

• Discovery - you are asked to select any button and then you hear Fireman Sam say "This is the letter A, A says 'ah' (the correct phonics pronunciation) as in axe".
• Find the letter or number - you are asked "Can you find the number 4?".
• Find the first letter -  asks if you "Can you find the first letter of the word idea?", which is great for kids that are learning to spell.
• Before and after - you are asked "Can you find the letter that comes after C?".
•  Music - you are asked to "Press a key to hear music and sounds" and various music and sounds from Fireman Sam are played. 

Fireman Sam fans will love the fact that all the games feature his voice and as an added incentive to get the answers right the sirens will sound and the lights flash when questions are answered correctly.

Ben has been playing with Fireman Sam Alphabet Rescue for a few weeks now and it is one of those toys that he goes and picks up unprompted to play with. It is definitely helping to reinforce his ABC knowledge and phonics. He is a bit young yet for the Find the first letter mode but once I tell him what letter to choose he selects it. The Music and Sounds mode is a favourite with him as he loves all the fire engine sounds and little tunes. 

I really like this toy, it is fantastic for teaching phonics and fun too which keeps Ben engaged. The only thing that I would like to see different is a volume settings button to switch it to either low volume or high as in some situations this would come in useful such as when Ben brings it in the car. On the whole though, I think this is a great toy and I would happily recommend it to other parents who are looking for something to help their kids learn their ABC's, sounds and phonics. 

Fireman Sam Alphabet Rescue

Fireman Sam is available to purchase from a  many retailers including Amazon, Play and Argos and is priced around £18.99.

 * Disclaimer: I was sent Fireman Sam Alphabet Rescue free to review but this has in no way biased my opinion - it's a great toy!

Day 144 of The 366 Project

Another great day spent outside running about in the lovely warm sunshine. I do hope it continues.

The Gallery: Picture Postcard

This weeks theme for The Gallery is Picture Postcard so I immediately had a look back over some of our holiday pictures. Pictures of places, warm and sunny, full of happy memories so thank you Tara for the incentive to revisit them.

I have selected two pictures, the first was taken in Puerto Banús where we have been many times, we love it there. It was taken down by the port where all the yachts are. The second photo was taken last October in Tenerife when we went to visit a Water Park and watched a pretty spectacular dolphin show. It was just a quick iPhone snap but I love the action in it.

Puerto Banús

Tenerife

Day 143 of The 366 Project

Today the sun finally came out and Ben got a chance to wear his little Life Saver outfit that his Uncle Denis sent him from Australia. I love the hat.

Day 142 of The 366 Project

Ben loves helping me about especially when it comes to using the sweeping brush outside. I love his expression in this picture.

 

Guest Post: Tips for a Happy Camping Staycation

Image by andrewmalone

Summer is nearly here and that means one thing – holiday time! Going away during pregnancy or with babies, toddlers and kids can be tricky though, especially if money is tight, which is the case for so many families right now. One option some parents may be exploring is the prospect of going camping to keep costs to a minimum and because there seems to be a real buzz around staycations right now. Here a few tips to make sure if you do go camping with kids that you enjoy your time in the great outdoors:


Think carefully about where you go camping
Even though money may be tight, don’t necessary decide on a campsite purely on a price basis. Check out what facilities they have and what’s nearby in close proximity. Perhaps ask the kids if they’re old enough to decide what type of activities they’d like to do on holiday and factor this into the planning stages. Remember if you’re taking a baby with you that you need to ensure they have appropriate facilities.

Do a practice run
That first holiday away for new parents can be a daunting time, so it may be worth doing a practice run. Perhaps go away for a night or two close to home to get yourselves and your baby used to being in unfamiliar surroundings for the first time since the new arrival. Remember, it’s a trial and error process, so get ready for if and when things go wrong and learn to roll with the punches.

It’s all about layers
When it comes to packing, pretty much pack clothing for every eventuality for your kids. The last thing you want to do is have an unhappy child at night when the temperature falls and you’ve failed to prepare properly. Other essentials to pack include bug repellent and a first-aid kit.

Pitch up in a sensible place
Pick a decent place to pitch your tent – ideally in a flat spot that’s far enough away from other campers so you don’t disturb people and are close enough to toilets, showers and any other useful facilities.

Get the kids involved
As every parent knows only too well, kids are incredibly intuitive and have a real thirst for knowledge, so get them involved in all the different aspects of camping life. It feels like time almost stands still during camping trips so embrace this, relax and take your time. Enjoy spending a bit of quality time with each other.

*Disclaimer: This is a featured post on behalf of Bounty.

Day 141 of The 366 Project

We got Ben a ten pin bowling set today. When we first set them up for him his reaction was to run over and knock them down as quickly as he could. After showing him how to roll the ball though he quickly got the hang of it and is turning into quite a little bowler.

Silent Sunday

Day 140 of The 366 Project

We have been busy today boxing things up to put in storage. Ben has been trying to help which translates to lots of unpacking and repacking boxes. Thankfully though he decided it was a lot more fun to hide in the boxes and let us get on with the packing, for a little while anyway...

Saturday is Caption Day

Can you think of a caption for this photo of Ben?

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

Day 139 of The 366 Project

Ben loves playing with his little cars and in particular his Ben truck which Nana sent him last year. Here he is busy vrooming around the floor with it.

Delicious Recipe for Dairy Free Cupcakes

My kitchen scales is currently out of action and has been for a few weeks now as I keep forgetting to get a replacement battery for it. Of course I only ever remember just after I've told Ben we will do some baking and he has made his way excitedly out to the kitchen in search of the mixing bowls. As a result I have had to use a certain amount of guess work and adaptions to my recipes but amazing this has actually made them taste better and I find measuring by cups a whole lot easier especially with an impatient toddler who wants to tip the contents of the ingredients into the bowl and "mix, mix, mix".

Yesterday we decided to make some cupcakes which I have decided to share with you as they turned out really rather yummy.  The recipe called for amounts in grams which I converted to cups and had butter on the ingredients list too which I substituted and with sunflower oil to make them dairy free.

Ingredients
1 cup self raising flour
1 cup caster sugar
1 cup of vegetable oil (I use flora sunflower oil)
1 teaspoon of vanilla essence
2 eggs
Icing sugar / melted chocolate / Sprinkles for decorating (optional)

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C / gas mark 4 and prepare a bun tin with 12 baking cases
   Whisk the eggs and sugar until light and fluffy
2. Gradually add the flour, oil and vanilla essence, gently folding the mixture together. 
3. Pour the mixture evenly into the paper cases 
4. Bake the buns for 10-15 minutes until golden on top and a skewer carefully inserted into one of the buns comes out clean. Allow to cool for 10 minutes on a wire rack before removing from tin.
5. Now have fun decorating them. We used icing on some and melted chocolate on others with lots of sprinkles to make them look pretty of course!

Dairy Free Cupcakes by Ben & Me!

Enjoy!

Day 138 of The 366 Project

We had lots of fun playing outside in the garden today. Ben loves playing hide and seek and his favourite hiding place today was behind the big "boulder" bush.

Day 137 of The 366 Project

In this photo Ben is doing his little happy dance and giving himself a round of applause for no particular reason other than he is happy.

The Gallery: Morning

This weeks theme for The Gallery is Morning. It is only recently that Ben has started to sleep through the night in his cot. It is a big change after over two and a half years. I still expect to wake up in the morning with a sleeping Ben stretched out between me and my husband and I always find myself listening out for the sound of him sleeping over the baby alarm and sneaking in to check on him.

Sleepy toes

..and finally awake - let the fun begin!

Day 136 of The 366 Project

I know I have posted photos of Ben before in the bath with his giant ducky but I couldn't resist posting this one. He was telling me that "Ben loves ducky".

Day 135 of The 366 Project

I changed the textiles on Ben's Stokke Xplory to the Forest Green this weekend which he loves. It definitely seemed to have a calming effect on him when we went out for a walk today and he was asleep within minutes.

Our Little Monkey Loves All Things JCB Kids

Last Saturday we went along to the JCB Kids event at ZSL London Zoo where we got to see the latest JCB Kids toy range and accessories along with a sneak preview of the new JCB Kids DVD, 'I Love My JCB' which features Jacey, his big sister Bea and their father Big Daddy in two new episodes 'On the Farm' and 'Dancing at the Show' and is packed with songs, animation and real life footage and is due for release on the 20th August. From the very second we arrived Ben was in his element, he made a beeline for the fantastic ride on JCB dumper trucks and tractors and was off zooming around the little track outside immediately.

Ben loved the JCB Ride On Tractor

The fun didn't stop there though as once inside I think Ben must have thought he had arrived in toy heaven (his Dad certainly did and that wasn't just because of the yummy bacon muffins). All the latest JCB Kids' range were on display with boys and girls enthusiastically getting stuck in playing with them. The range includes toys, clothing, furniture, accessories and entertainment and is suitable for 0-8 year olds. My 1st JCB is aimed at young children and includes toys such as On Site Charlie Crane Playset, My 1st JCB Talkie, the My 1st Talking JCB Vehicles in the form of Joey JCB, Marty Mixer, Doug Dumptruck, Dan Dozer and the newest young recruit Frankie Firetruck.

Playing with the On Site Charlie Crane Playset

The JCB range for older kids is designed to help children understand basic engineering and construction principles and includes the JCB Multi Construct Mighty Lift Crane which comes with a host of accessories including a drill which you can use to make as many vehicles you can think of all based around this mighty vehicle, a very cleverly designed JCB Packaway Tyre Playset, various site playsets such as a Bridge Construction one, a Recycling Plant and a Construction site set, a JCB Sitemaster Electronic Workbench and JCB Multi Construct Assembly Plant.

Ben fixing the crane with the drill

The ride on toys includes a JCB Dumper and a JCB Tractor with front loader and trailer which were such a big hit with Ben we are definitely planning on getting him one at some stage. Both my husband and I absolutely loved the JCB furniture which included a very cool Junior Bed and bedroom furniture. Ben tried it out too and his reluctance to get out of the bed was a sure sign of his approval. When we move house I think we may well be tempted to get some of this fantastic bedroom range for Ben's room.

Ben all snuggled up in the JCB bed

From a parents perspective watching the children play with the JCB toys was very interesting as you could clearly see that the toys were firing their imaginations and there was lots of creative play going on. Ben spent ages drilling and "fixing" things with tools along with loading and unloading the diggers and operating the cranes. It was lovely to see the children busily working together on their mini construction projects and sharing ideas. The toys are all reasonably priced and made of strong durable materials which definitely make them a winner for me. For prices and where you can buy them check out the website here.

Another thing which I heard about on the day that is worth mentioning is the JCB Explore website which contains lots of information about Diggers and other JCB Machines, games, and fun activities to do on, and away from the computer which is definitely worth checking out if you have a budding digger enthusiast.

JCB Explore website

I have to say I am really impressed with how well JCB have brought their brand to so many consumer areas such as clothing, footwear, birthday cards, cakes and so on. It has definitely come along way since Joseph Cyril Bamford gave his company his own initials when he started his business in 1945, at the end of World War II in a garage measuring 3.66 metres by 4.57 metre. I bet he would never have expected it to be quite this big.

* Disclaimer: I received a fantastic goodie bag and free entry into ZSL London for attending this event but this has in no way biased my opinions. We had a great day and I would like to say a massive thank you to all involved in organising the event. 

Day 134 of 366 Project

Ben has kept Nana busy playing this weekend. He's going to miss her now she's gone back to Ireland, as am I.

Run Nana, run!

Day 133 of The 366 Project

Today we went to the JCB event at London Zoo where we had a fantastic time. Ben absolutely loved the ride on JCB toys and they have definitely gone on our wish list.

Today is Madeleine McCann's 9th Birthday

Today, 12th May 2012 is Madeleine McCann's 9th birthday. She is now missing for five years since disappearing on the evening of Thursday, 3rd May 2007 whilst on holiday in Praia da Luz, Portugal with her parents and twin siblings. I cannot begin to imagine how horrible it must be for her family not knowing where she is and what has happened to her, it really must be a parent's worst nightmare.

Madeleine McCann - Age progressed to age 9

There have been many unconfirmed sightings of Madeleine in Portugal and elsewhere since she went missing but unfortunately her whereabouts are still a mystery. For more information on Madeleine you can visit the Find Madeleine official website and to report any sightings or information please contact your local police force immediately and Operation Grange on 
0207 321 9251 (in the UK) / 
+44 207 321 9251 (non-UK) Or Operation.Grange@met.pnn.police.uk OR Crimestoppers in confidence on 0800 555111 or www.crimestoppers-uk.org.