How and why we switched to cloth nappies

It’s one of those things that has been on my mind for a long time, the volume of nappies we have gone through in the last 7 years between the ladies is nothing short of shocking. Our bin destined for landfill felt as if it was 50% household waste and 50% nappies most of the time. I had thought about going reusable when Lucy was small but then it transpired she had a dairy allergy and lets just say I didn’t have the energy or the enthusiasm for that level of washing!  Continue reading

3 effective ways to deal with and treat nappy rash

There are, in parenting, a few things that are rarely avoided, like sleepless nights and sore bums. Nappy rash is one of those things that just occurs, there is usually no avoiding it that’s why the title of this blog post isn’t ‘3 ways to avoid nappy rash’ because it’s not like you can stop their teeth coming down ha!! At the moment little Miss Alice is suffering, I have no idea why, she’s not really teething so I figure it’s just one of those things that happens especially once they start on their weaning journey. And nappy rash can really hurt babies, it’s an awful thing to see any small baby suffer so I’ve put together this post which covers the three ways I deal with nappy rash to firstly make it as comfortable as possible for the baby while they’re suffering and secondly how to get rid of it as quickly as possible. I usually find I can get it to clear up within about 24 hours using these tried and tested (on four kids now!!) methods. Continue reading

Stocking fillers and Secret Santa gift ideas for everyone in your life

(AD – This post is sponsored by Marks and Spencer) There are some gifts that are easy to buy and there are some that aren’t and honestly I find Secret Santa ones the hardest, you often find yourself having to buy a little gift for someone you may not know that well, maybe it’s the colleague at work you got in Kris Kindle, it could be for someone you just want to thank like the nurse who looked after you in the maternity ward or the childminder. Or is could be your brother in law or your aunt you want to get something nice for but you’re plain out of ideas – that’s why I am here and I have a huge selection 

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10 easy DIY decor ideas for a girls bedroom

Probably one of the most enjoyable things I have done in the house is decorating the girls bedrooms. I literally went mad in there with my imagination and it was the only place my husband didn’t really argue with what I did, maybe it felt decorating in pink was just out of his comfort zone! Anyway, he left me to my own devices and I really poured my DIY heart and soul into these rooms. I didn’t do it all at once and in fact they are always a work in progress especially as they get older or, more importantly, as I get bored and need something new to channel my creative Continue reading

Cows Milk Protein Allergy – our experience

I’ll kick off this blog post by saying that this is going to be purely about our experience with Lucy and her allergy to cows milk protein. I’m not a dietitian, we haven’t even been to one yet with her so I’m mainly going to talk about how we came about figuring out Lucy’s problem and what we are doing based purely on advice I have picked up Continue reading

5 free printable worksheet ideas to keep the kids entertained and educated

I won’t lie, our playroom is filled to the brim with colouring books….but since the girls discovered that my laptop has the wonderful ability to pull up any picture they can dream of to be coloured in they have me hounded. Terrible for the poor auld trees but great for my sanity. People often ask me how I find the time to get all the DIY things done around the house and I’m about to let you all in on a secret. Firstly, its not television that occupies the ladies while I’m busy creating my next Pinterest fail success, Continue reading

Be good to yourself this January and revaluate rather than resist the food you enjoy

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This post is an ad in association with Brennans Bread

I don’t know about your house but here we don’t go in for new beginnings with the dawn of the new year. I find myself so fatigued by the end of January by all these offers of new diets and new fitness routines, urgh, just not for me, I am more about moderation and healthy, sensible eating all year round. That said I do find January a nice time to reassess what we already do, life is busy and sometimes we find ourselves stuck in a rut when it comes to food and routines so it’s a good time to take stock and look at how we can be sure to be good to ourselves for the year ahead! Continue reading

Books for toddlers 3 to 4 year old

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The last post I did on our favourite books was such a success I decided to follow up with a post on what the big lady is currently enjoying. We’ve joined the local library which is quite possibly one of the best value things you can do with children. Our local library is pretty new and the kids section is nicely removed from where the students who are studying tend to sit. Online if you want to buy books Amazon is great of course as is the Book Depository and the Book People.  Continue reading

Reading Eggs online learning for young children

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There’s one thing we can’t avoid in this world and its the fact that technology is going to play a big part in our kids lives. While we do not allow any real screen time apart from a small bit of Netflix on days when I need a dig out and a virtual babysitter, I have been looking for ways to get the girls au fait with technology in a way that works for us, and that way is via learning. The big lady is only one year into her formal education and it constantly blows my mind how Continue reading

DIY display wall for kids art

It feels like an age since I have found both the energy and the headspace to get creative around our house. I also felt like we needed to settle in and get a feel for the place before I went lashing things up on walls or painting things crazy colours. I have lots more little bits done around this house which I will eventually a)finish and b)photograph but when I put this up on Instagram stories I got so many questions. Continue reading