Braun ThermoScan 7 Ear Thermometer - Review

As soon as you become a parent, you spend most of your time worrying about your baby and dread them feeling poorly! This time of year is terrible for coughs and colds, Elliot seems to have had a snotty nose for the past month and all kinds of germs have been going round his little group of friends.

We were recently asked to review the Braun ThermoScan 7 Ear Thermometer and I thought that it couldn't have come at a better time! Since Elliot was a baby we did have an ear thermometer but it was so cumbersome and unreliable that I didn't really use it much. So I was a bit excited to get this one of the box and try it out! ;)

I wasn't aware of this but the definition of fever changes with age and what is classed as high on a newborn could be completely fine for a toddler or older child. With this in mind, the ThermoScan 7 features unique age-adjustable fever guidance technology. You simply press the button of the crawling child on the front of the thermometer and select the age bracket you want eg 0-3 months, 3-36 months and 36 months +.

Taking the child's temperature couldn't be easier, you just place the tip in the ear (the tip is also pre-warmed enabling a more accurate reading) press the big button on the front and the thermometer will beep and light up when it has an accurate reading. All this takes 1-2 seconds which is really handy when you have a poorly child who really doesn't want anything in their ear! The thermometer will then display the temperature with green, yellow or red light letting you know if the temperature is normal or not. (Yellow means elevated whilst red obviously means high)

Other features include disposable lens filters which pop on and off really easily, memory function which stores the last 9 temp readings, and also a nightlight feature which is really useful if you're creeping in at night to take a temperature!

Thoughts

I really wish I'd had one of these when Elliot was a baby because it would have made things so much easier. I love the fact that it's so simple and fast to take a temperature and when you've got a wiggling child, time is of the essence!

I had a quick check online and you can pick up one of the thermometers for around £42.99 which does sound expensive for what it is BUT I think that it is well worth the money and is something that can be used right from newborn to adults. The age-adjustable fever guide is so so simple to understand and really takes the worry out of whether your baby has a fever.

I'm sure we will be using the thermometer lots over the germ-filled Winter months!

Disclaimer: We received the product for the purpose of the honest review. All views are my own

Christmas Crafts with Baker Ross

We were recently sent a big box of festive goodies from Baker Ross and we had the tough job of testing them all out.....it's a hard job, someone's got to do it ;)

Baker Ross have lots and lots of seasonal items on their website and following on from the Autumn Crafts, the Christmas range is amazing. Christmas cards, stocking fillers, decorations, craft kits. stickers, paints, stampers, porcelain art....the list goes on!

Our bumper box contained Penguin Foam stickers, Christmas Ceramic Tealight holders, Christmas Stampers, Snowflake Stampers,  Festive Fingerprint Cards, Christmas Wreath Fingerprint Photoframe Kit and a 6 bottles of ready mixed paint.

We put our Christmas Tree up today so Elliot decided we would make the wreath photoframe kit, these little wreaths hang on the tree so a good option for us to do! As with lots of the Baker Ross kits, the instructions are so straight forward and even a not-very-creative person like me can make something that looks half decent! Elliot couldn't wait to get his fingers in the ink pad - lots of it ended up on the table as well as the decorations but fortunately it rubbed off ok....good old baby wipes ;)

Elliot did a great job in sticking down the ribbons on the wreath and I helped him out with the cutting - he was then able to stick the photo down onto the foam which made the back of the wreath. A bit of mummy assistance with the ribbon and he was good to go - he couldn't wait to hang them on the tree!

The next kit we tried was the festive fingerprint cards - this was very straightforward, so easy that it didn't need instructions. We just followed the pictures on the front of the packet and put our fingerprints in the right places! This was a bit hit with Elliot as he liked splodging his fingers in the inkpads! The pack contains 10 cards so plenty of spares for all your friends and family.

Elliot was overjoyed to spot the foam stickers in the box - he loves nothing more than sticking them on a bit of paper to create a scene. What's good with these stickers is that the backing paper comes off very easily making it perfect for little (and impatient) fingers! We decided to create a snowy scene with some white card - apparently the penguins were at the North Pole :)

Time to get the paints out next and we decided to give the stampers a go. I loved these, they were so Christmassy! All the stampers are nice and chunky which is perfect for little fingers and I loved the variety in the Christmas pack. The snowflakes were really pretty and Elliot enjoyed making a "frozen" themed picture with these. (no pics of these I'm afraid...was too busy stamping!)

Last but not least were the ceramic tealight holders. These can be decorated with porcelain pens or acrylic paints, both available from the Baker Ross website. We haven't decorated ours yet, but actually they look very sweet as they are, minus any paint!

This is just a very small selection of what Baker Ross has to offer and I'd definitely recommend checking out the website, especially the Christmas range! 

Disclaimer: We received the products for the purpose of the honest review. All views are my own

Baby Moo's Baby & Toddler Clothing - New Bournemouth Store!

Last weekend we were invited to the opening of a lovely new shop, Baby Moo's in Bournemouth and we were excited to go along and check them out.

Baby Moo's was launched in 2010 when new mum Anna got bored of all the blues/pinks/pastel colours in the shops for babies and longed for something different at affordable prices. She sold some of her unwanted baby items to raise some cash, imported some stock and Baby Moo's was born! Since then the website has gone from strength to strength and lots of the items are designed by Anna herself. Baby Moo's has even expanded to offer a toddler range - offering some very cool items that you just won't find on the high street!

The shop is the next step for Baby Moo's and Anna is looking forward to meeting lots of new customers in sunny Southbourne, Bournemouth.

First impressions of the shop were that all the clothing looks so eye catching and I love all the little details like the cow hooks to tie in with the moo theme! There's no insipid colours here - everything is bright and punchy and I love the different logos on the babygrows. I really wish I'd known about Baby Moo's when Elliot was little because I longed for funky outfits for him!

I'm a big fan of skull prints so the toddler section caught my eye - it's nice to see skull emblems on girls t-shirts as well as boys. My favourite top was the white t-shirt with the skull hands - this definitely appealed to Elliot's gruesome nature haha! Anna very kindly gave us this t-shirt to review and it's a really lovely top. The t-shirt is made from good, thick quality material and fits him really well. We went for a size 3-4 and I would say this is true to size. The t-shirt has been through the wash this week and hasn't lost it's shape, and the printed design looks as sharp as it did brand new.

I did try and take some nice photos of Elliot modelling the t-shirt but he wasn't really in the mood for posing haha!

Anna told me that the toddler range will be expanding soon so I will be keeping my eye on the website for more funky clothes. I just love that the prints are a bit different to what you'd find elsewhere - and anything with skull print is good with me!

For more info and to take a look at Baby Moo's fab range, check out their website www.babymoos.com or pop into the new store at :

134 Seabourne Road

Bournemouth

BH5 2HZ

Disclaimer: We received the t-shirt for the purpose of the honest review. All views are my own. 

Party Bags and Supplies - Review

Recently I had the chance to review a party pack from Party Bags and Supplies and although Elliot had a birthday coming up, I decided to look for a party pack suitable for a little Halloween party we were planning for Elliot and a few of his friends.

Firstly, I was so impressed with the website - there is so much choice! Literally every single theme you could think of is there whether thats Gruffalo, superheroes, princesses, Disney, pirates and lots lots more. There were even two options for spooky party packs so I chose the 'Premium Boneyard Boogie Halloween Party Pack'. This pack contained the following:

- 8 cups
- 8 plates
- 16 napkins
- 1 tablecloth
- 8 pre-filled party bags containing a spooky sticker, skeleton noisemaker, evil eye jet ball, a spin top, a halloween tattoo and a chocolate ghost.

Photo Credit - Party Bags and Supplies

When the pack arrived it was well packaged and I immediately noticed that the quality of the items was really good. I've bought party bits from the pound shop before and whilst it's cheap, you really do get what you pay for! The tablecloth was huge and really thick and I loved the spooky spiderweb pattern.

The party bags were great and I think it's such a good idea to be able to buy them ready made. I always find it a bit of a faff sorting out party bags and it can work out really expensive having to go and buy all the toys/sweets separately. So to have them ready made is a big bonus! The party bags were a big hit with our guests :)

The party packs cost £28 which I think is a fair price for what you get. You'd definitely spend more if you were to go out and buy all the bits separately and it's so convenient being able to buy it all in one go! I love the fact that there is so much choice and I will definitely consider buying from Party Bags and Supplies in the future.

Disclaimer: We received the party pack for the purpose of this honest review. All views are my own

CHRISTMAS GIFT GUIDE FOR MUMS

With Christmas only a month away (eeek, I'm so not organised!), you may be struggling with ideas for the important ladies in your life. I've put together a few things which I think any Mum would love...

1. Yankee Candle - Christmas Cookie (£11.99) - I LOVE Yankee Candles and there's nothing better than a home smelling of your favourite scents. The Christmas editions are all lovely but my current favourite is the Christmas Cookie one - husband if you're reading this, this is a hint!
2. AM/PM Yoga for Beginners; Roxy Shahidi (£12.99)* - You may recognise Roxy from Emmerdale but you may not know that she is a certified yoga instructor too! Beat the post-Christmas rush of fitness DVDs and pop one of these in your mum's stocking, she may thank you after over-indulging in mince pies ;)
3. 3D Polar Bear Mug - John Lewis (£5) - John Lewis always have a great selection of Christmas gifts and this cute little polar bear caught my eye. Just imagine him filled with steaming hot chocolate with cream and marshmallows ...mmmm!
4 & 5. Avon Body Butter and Lani Necklace (£5 & £15) * - Avon have some brilliant gifts this Christmas and you will be spoilt for choice for ideas for your Mum. I love this body butter, it feels really luxurious but you know with Avon that you are getting great value!
6. BIC® Conte Colouring Pencils (£5.99) *- Adult colouring seems to have taken the world by storm - apparently it can help destress you after a busy day! These colouring pencils from BIC® can help you colour your worries away. For more info, check out @mybicpen on Twitter
7. Accessorize Snowflake Scarf (£35) - You can't go wrong with a snuggly scarf as a gift and this one from Accessorize is perfect for the festive season!
8. Olverum Bath Oil (From £23.50) * - Olverum Bath Oil is a unique blend of 10 essential oils and has been described as "bath nirvana".  Not only does it sooth tired muscles, it relieves stress and helps you achieve a great night's sleep. I'm usually one for showers but I will definitely be making time for more baths after trying out the oil for myself - I went to bed feeling thorough de-stressed and relaxed!
9. Photobox Personalised Calender (From £22) * - A personalised calender makes such a great gift and it's something I've given to my Mum for the past few Christmas'. Photobox have some brilliant gift ideas and the photobooks would also make a great Christmas present for Mum. The mobile version of the website and the apps are really handy for creating personalised gifts, I'm guessing most of us have lots of photos on our phones! (App available from App Store, Google Play and Amazon)
10. Bakedin Baking Club (From £4.99) * - For something a bit different, Bakedin have launched the Baking Club which is a monthly subscription service supplying everything you need to bake delicious cakes from scratch at home. I love eating cake but my baking skills aren't amazing so this kit is perfect for someone like me! The Baking Club costs £4.99 for the first month and £9.99 per month thereafter but gift packages are available starting at £29.99 which makes it an idea Christmas present.

I hope that's given you some good ideas. 

Are you organised with your Christmas shopping this year?!

*Disclaimer - some of the items were provided to me for the purpose of this gift guide

My Week in Pictures - 21st November 2015

Well after a crazy couple of weeks of birthdays and moving house again (that's a tale for another day), things are finally settling down and getting back to normal.

Here's what we've been getting up to this week:

Top Row:
- I've been nagging my husband for months about getting a bookcase for Elliot's room and we finally got one, woo! It was only a cheap one from Argos but it has made such a difference in his room. He has so many lovely books and it's nice to be able to display them properly now. Whether this will stay this tidy is another matter!!
- Birthday party season has started for Elliot and last Sunday he had a great time at his little mate Finleys' party. They look so cute here with their faces painted!
- Pre-school really took it out of Elliot last Monday, he went all quiet as I was making lunch and I realised he'd dozed off! He never ever does this!

Middle Row:
- We have a Costa just a few minutes walk from our house so we often pop in. Elliot is a big fan of the chocolate babychino's - although after he'd slurped this one, his face was covered in chocolate!!
- Having some quiet time on the iPad whilst I got ready!

Bottom Row:
- He loves bathtime! The family bathroom in our new house has a posh shower with a handy glass door so it means he can splash about in the bath and I don't get wet...providing he keeps it at the right end!
- We braved the cold today and had a quick walk along the cliffs by Bournemouth Beach. It was absolutely freezing but I wanted to stop at this bench which is in memory of a good friend of mine who passed away a few years ago. I might pick a warmer day to visit next time ;)
- We were invited along to an opening of a new baby clothing shop in Bournemouth today, Baby Moos. I will be writing about this very soon!

Have you been up to anything exciting this week? 

Elliot's 3rd Birthday Celebrations

It seems only 5 minutes ago that I was writing about Elliot's 2nd birthday and his amazing Gruffalo Party but in the blink of an eye 12 months have passed and he is now 3 years old. 3 years old?! How did that happen!!

We decided to hire our local village hall for Elliot's birthday celebrations and he told me he wanted a "spooky" party. Fortunately his birthday is a few weeks after Halloween so I was able to get lots and lots of decorations and party bits when the Halloween stock hit the shops in September. I even managed to pick up some party bits whilst we were on holiday in Florida - the shops were full of amazing Halloween displays so I was spoilt for choice really! 

My family were on hand to help "spookify" the hall and they did a great job helping me set things up. We had a bouncy castle to entertain the kids and we laid out tables and chairs for the parents. All the tables had a spooky centrepiece such as skeleton bones or pumpkins and combined with fairy lights and curtains drawn, it gave a really spooky effect. Totally rubbish lighting for decent photos though!

My mum helped me with the party food and as usual we went abit overboard - I always worry we won't have enough so I tend to go in the opposite direction and we end up with way too much! All the food was renamed for spooky purposes, e.g dead man's fingers (cocktail sausages!) and witches wands (chocolate fingers). We also had an amazing birthday cake made by a great local company (Creative Cakes by Nicki) and this of course was fitting for the spooky theme!

It was a very manic day with around 30 kids plus parents coming along the party but Elliot had such a great time and he was absolutely knackered at the end of it. He had a 2.5 hour nap afterwards which is unheard of these days! 

For Elliot's actual birthday we didn't have too much planned because he had pre-school in the morning but he was up bright and early to unwrap his presents. Two of his presents came all the way from Walt Disney World and I'd managed to sneakily buy them on our last day at the parks when he wasn't with me. He couldn't wait to get the figures out of the box and was very excited to see them!

After school we went to my parents house for lunch and Elliot was absolutely spoilt with more presents. Mum and Dad bought him an easel which he loved! Another birthday cake (the third of the week!) and another chance to blow out the candles :)

In the afternoon my husband finished work early and we went to our local Smyths Toy Store - a new one has recently opened near to us so we were interested to see how they differed from Toys R Us. I was really impressed, lots of good value items and I even started my Christmas Shopping! We bought Elliot a Scooby Doo Haunted House as part of his birthday present - he's had his eye on one for ages so he was really happy :)

We ended the birthday celebrations with a meal at Frankie & Benny's which is one of our favourite restaurants to take Elliot to as it's very family friendly.

I think it's safe to say that Elliot enjoyed his birthday celebrations and he got so many lovely presents. I still can't believe he's 3!!