New Review: Tinga Tinga Tales 15cm small plush toys

With Christmas in the not so far away distance (126 days according to a very excited William who has been counting down the days since his birthday back in February!) my ears have started to suffer the pain of 4 small children begging for every toy the adverts show this continues in a familiar pattern for the full 4 minutes of the ad break, no matter what the toy their is a member of the household that simply can not continue without it. Their excitement builds with each new product being shown until the final advert when all 4 are about fit to burst when they will run off in search of pens and paper to write their next list to Father Christmas.
This continues roughly every 15 minutes for as long s the TV is allowed or I give up and put CBeebies on.

One of the current favourites with my youngest two, Katie age 3 and Ollie,13 months is the hit Cbeebies show Tinga Tinga Tales.
Based upon tales from all over the African continent, Tinga Tinga tales follows Monkey and his friends Elephant, Tortoise, Tickbird, Hippo and Lion as they take your child on a unique safari filled with adventure, stories and music.
We have been lucky enough to review a toy from their new range which is available in most toy stores now. The range includes 25cm plush soft toys with sounds, bath toys, collectable figures and the 15cm soft toys. Starting at the great stocking filler price of £5.00 the toys are great for encouraging imaginative play.
We received the 15cm hippo (RRP £5.99) and we were not disappointed.
Suitable from birth the bright colours and friendly face are guaranteed to brighten up any nursery and are excellent value. The quality of the toy was fantastic. It was soft and very very cuddly as proved by Katie who has taken it to bed with her every night since. At 15cm Hippo was small enough to take out and about with us on day trips, very handy once he became Katie's new favourite friend!
 The only downside is they are not recommended for putting in the washing machine, I often put all the soft toys in the washing machine they do tend to get mucky quite quickly, especially if they have been invited to a teddy bears picnic, and whilst you can surface clean Hippo with a damp cloth, sometimes that's not quite enough.
Having said that, I wouldn't want to compromise the quality of the soft material or the brightness of the colours and at the great price of £5.99 it may be worth buying a spare Hippo as I am sure he is here for years to come!

Tinga Tinga Tales toys from Bandai http://www.bandai.co.uk/brand-home.aspx?BR_ID=32&pg=1

Tinga Tinga Tales Hippo, Lion, Monkey or Elephant 15cm small plush toy rrp £5.99 each

New review: Peppa Pig World @ Paultons Park

I happen to have 2 daughters who live and breathe for Peppa Pig, so when the opportunity came earlier this month to be one of the first to have a sneak peak round the worlds first and only Peppa Pig world at Paultons Park (in the New Forest, Hampshire), I have to admit, I am not sure if it was me or Kitty who was more excited!

After numerous days of ' Is it time for Peppa Pig world yet?' (think a 7 month long journey complete with constant 'Are we nearly there yet?'s) countless bribes ('Go to bed/tidy up/behave NOW or there will be no Peppa pig world!') and me having to pack the car twice (sorry Katie, but there was really no need to attempt taking every single Peppa Pig toy that you own!) we were on our way.

Being a typical 6 year old boy, Will prefers pretending to be Ben 10 and spending his days defeating 'baddies' on his Nintendo DS than watching Peppa Pig which according to him is 'For Babies or girls, which means it is just not necessary Mummy' but even this big boy 6 year old could not suppress his excitement as we parked the car and caught our first glimpse of the Windy Castle Ride.
As we entered Peppa Pig World, it was clear that the quality and attention to detail was to be second to none. Without a doubt it is the best Theme Park of this sort I have ever visited in the UK. From the grass roofed buildings to Peppa's house complete with pancakes on the kitchen ceiling, no stone has been left unturned in making sure this is a day out for young fans to remember. All the characters have a place in the park, from George and Grandad Pig down to Suzie, Zoe and Madame Giselle there is something for everyone no matter who your favourite is.

Being a smaller than average 2 year 9 month old and by far and away the biggest Peppa fan in our house, I was slightly concerned that Peppa Pig world would be a let down for Kitty, she is a strong willed child and I really was not looking forward to being the one who would have to explain that she was too small for the rides. However, I was pleasantly surprised to find that all the rides bar one were suitable for children 12 months plus as long as they rode with a responsible adult (I never thought I would be worried about park attendants turning my husband away from a ride!) and we spent a good few hours making our way round the seven rides,and various other attractions all of which are hugely relevant to the show. Our Favourite had to be Grandpa Pig's Boat Trip which was great for all ages!

Lunch just had to be at Daddy pig's Big Tummy Cafe, a name that has made my children laugh out loud as they seem to think it is named after their own Daddy who would like me to point out he has been working very hard to loose his own 'Big Tummy!' The sandwiches and snacks on offer were very tasty but I have to say I thought they were very expensive, especially the children's meal deal which came in at £4.05 for 5 items plus a piece of fruit. Times this by two, three or even (in our case) four and then add on food for adults and it adds a huge cost to the day. It is also worth noting that there was no food available for babies so if you are at that weaning stage it is a good idea to take something with you.

After lunch we headed off to George's spaceship Playzone, a great idea especially when the weather is not so good, I must say, the mere thought of indoor soft play is enough to bring me out in a sweat but it was very clean and the children had great fun although personally, I think it would have been a little too easy for a child to wander off outside if you lost sight of them for more than 10 seconds or so, something that is easily done when you have more than one child at Soft Play.
Outside, Mr Potato's Playground is a bright and fun park that again, the children loved. There were lots of great things to do including a play xylophone that I had to drag the husband away from, a roundabout, swing, tunnels and slides. It was very secure and relaxed and great for younger children too, something that is hard to balance in a park but Peppa Pig World have managed it perfectly.
Muddy Puddles, the outside water splash park ended our day, this too was great fun, though I have to add, I was slightly bemused that whilst in George's Spaceship Playzone I was asked to purchase socks for myself and Kitty so she could continue play (and I could run around after a very active Ollie!) yet outside, it was perfectly acceptable for many children to be stark naked in the splash area. Health and Safety at it's best I think, but never the less, it did not spoil what was an amazing, magical day.

I would strongly recommend looking at Paultons Park for offers if you are thinking of taking a trip here. Paultons Park itself is a great family day out but you could (and we did) easily spend a whole day in Peppa Pig World itself, I believe that there are currently offers on where you can stay at a nearby hotel and return to the park for free the next day so you can have a look at all the other amazing attractions this theme park has, a great idea if you are having to travel far http://www.paultonsbreaks.com/?agent=ppw01.

There really is something for everyone at Peppa Pig World, The look on 4 year old Ellie's face as we arrived and she met her hero's in the 'flesh' will stay with me for a very long time!
 I am already being asked if we can return in the summer and I have to say, I quite fancy it myself!

https://paultonspark.co.uk/

Tickets prices vary, please check the website for latest prices and offers!

New Review: Jackson Reece Herbal Baby Wipes

What a busy few weeks. Having dealt with birthday parties, sickness bugs, infections, a teething baby and a toddler who has well and truly hit the terrible twos, I have to admit, I am near breaking point! You know things are tough when whilst making the children's dinner, you find yourself sniffing the wine bottle, longing for the moment when all four little darlings are tucked up asleep in bed and you can go back to fooling yourself how easy it is rearing four small children!
I have been slacking recently, having recovered from the sickness but I was less than delighted to discover that the 2 smallest children now had the other end of the bargain. Literally. Rather than 'ruin' my beautiful cloth nappies with the constant stream of poo coming from each child (yes, I am fully aware that they are there to poo in, however, I just couldn't bring myself to see my prettiest, softest nappies abused in such a way, ask any true cloth addict, they will agree!) I opted to use my supply of Bumgenius Flip nappies with their very well designed biodegradable disposable inserts (review to follow!) so to further save my washing pile (and quite possibly my sanity!) I thought now was a good time to review the Jackson Reece Biodegradable Herbal Baby Wipes.

Being honest, I am quite a fan of cloth wipes, it is easy to throw a pile of wipes in with a nappy wash and further saves on precious bin space -why am I the only one in the street who every week, without fail, has overflowing bins??? But another reason I like cloth wipes so much is that I can make them smell just how I like. Being my usual fussy self, I was yet to find a disposable wipe that had a pleasant fragrance and didn't leave a nasty sticky feeling on the skin. Until now.

Jackson Reece Herbal baby wipes are scented with Organic Tea tree oil, Aloe Vera and Lavender Oil giving a fresh and relaxing smell and as they do not contain any of the usual irritants normally found in baby wipes, they are much kinder to baby skin and there was no redness from use after.
It is a welcome change to see a baby wipes manufacturer making such an effort to help the environment. Jackson Reece are the first baby wipe company to use degradable packaging, joined with the bio-degradable, compostable wipes these are a fantastic alternative for those Eco Mummy's who are not fans of the cloth wipe.

I'm delighted to have found these wipes, I had never enjoyed taking cloth wipes out and about but these provide a fantastic all round friendly alternative and they are now a permanent feature under the buggy, with the added advantage that comes with all packet baby wipes, they are a great source of entertainment for an 8 month old baby in a restaurant!!!

retail around £2.25 per 72 pack

http://www.jacksonreece.com/

How to make quick and easy playdough!

Half term has not gotten off to a good start here. After a wonderful day with my Son on Saturday celebrating his 6th birthday, I now have 3 children with a sickness bug and an over active 7 month old who this morning, fell off the bed and now nursing a carpet burn on his chin!

Judging by other Mummy's Facebook and Twitter updates, it seems many of you are in similar situations either with poorly children or stuck in over half term due to the poor weather (roll on summer!) So I thought I would share with you something that the children and I would have done today had they all been well.

Play-dough is a huge hit in our house, and often my 2 girls will happily spend a whole afternoon making shapes and models which is great when Daddy and the boys want some peace on a Sunday to watch the football. But I seemed to spend lots of money replacing play-dough that had dried up and gone hard or had been mashed with other colours to make a big brown goo so I decided to source a good play-dough reciepe to make our own.
I needed something quick, cheap and preferably easy enough so that the girls could do most of it themselves, knowing how determined they are, I knew they would want to do as much without mummy 'interfering'! Although, obviously I do not recommend the children do the hot water part themselves!

This recepie is the quickest by far and will keep for a long time after in sandwich bags.

I hope you have as much fun as we did!

Quick and easy Play-Dough!

You will need:
1/2 a cup of Salt
1 cup of plain flour
1 tablespoon of cream of tartar
1 tablespoon of oil
1 cup of boiling water with a few drops of food colouring added

How to make:

Add all the ingredients together in a bowl and mix vigorously with the hot water (adult needed for this part)

Sit back and relax while the children play quietly (we hope!)

Aldo Zilli's Organic baby food pouches (7months plus)

Whilst I would like to pretend I am a domestic goddess who lovingly prepares every meal fresh for my youngest child, aged 7 months, the last time I slaved over the stove to produce pureed Sweet potato, leek and spinach, I managed to burn my hand, make myself late for the school run and when I actually tried to feed him my lovingly home made effort, Olly screamed as though I had fed him poison before happily demolishing the pureed pouch I had on standby.

The thought of dragging 4 children under 6 and an unwilling husband around the supermarket on a Saturday afternoon is enough to bring me out in a rash. So usually, I shop online on a Friday evening with a large glass of wine in hand (yes, this has given us many an interesting shop in the past, the best by far was a very bemused Tesco delivery driver who handed over 2 packets of kinder eggs and nothing else, I have no idea how I managed that one!!). However, whilst waiting for my husband to meet us in town last weekend, I popped into the nearby Waitrose for a few essentials and it was here I spotted the new Aldo Zilli baby food range. As I have said before I have a soft spot for things that are new and a little different so I grabbed a few pouches to try and have to say I was really excited.

The first pouch we tried was Zilli Fishy Dishy recommended for babies from 6 months I heated it in water for a couple of minutes and sat down an excited Olly.
I was expecting high quality, tasty food from a celebrity chef and I have to say I was very disappointed.
I do not like the smell of fishy baby foods in general but it was a milder smell than some baby fish pies and it had a reasonably good texture for a 7 month old, there were no big lumps it was more like very tiny flakes but I was very surprised by the consistency. It was thin and very watery, so much so that it was difficult to feed to Olly as it kept falling off the small weaning spoon and as for the taste I found it to be rather bland although Olly seemed quite happy to finish his bowl.
The next evening I sat down again with the Zilli Fruit and veg puree, suitable for babies from 6 months. the smell of this one hit me right away, it was quite overpowering and whilst it was not entirely unpleasant, I did feel a little awful feeding it to Olly as I would not have eaten it myself. Again, it was very watery and this time, even Olly did not want more than 5 spoonfuls.
I definitely would not buy this again and think that Aldo Zilli will have to work hard before the launch of the next 12 flavours in April to make me reconsider. I think it was overpriced for the quality and there are much better brands available for that price.

http://www.zillibaby.co.uk/

P-rice: around £1.29 per stage 2 (6months plus) pouch

COMPETITION TIME!!!


Would you like to win a pair of tickets to this weekends baby show at the ExCel arena in London?
just comment below and tell me which eco friendly parenting item you would like to see reviewed and I will pick one winner at random after midday Weds 16th Feb.


Competition closes at midday Weds 16th Febuary 2011

Bumgenius V4.0

The first nappy I used was a Bumgenius One Size Version 4.0 so it seems fitting that the first review is for this well known brand.
First Impressions:
I had heard lots of great things about the Bumgenius range, they seemed to be very popular amongst the cloth community and whilst they were rather plain, they did come in 8 different colours which satisfied my need for something a little different although if I am very honest and maybe slightly picky, the white was not as white as I expected and in fact has remained unused as I think it looks discoloured.
The nappy is made up of two parts making it simple to use and comes with microfibre boosters for both the newborn setting and the older baby/toddler setting which is great if you are looking for a nappy that is not too bulky on a newborn but will still last until potty training. It is easy to get the inserts into the pocket and remove them when dirty but I did not like the feel of the inserts, and they did not keep their original clean colour (a very nice bright white) well after  washing.

The test:
After getting the nappy on a rather wriggly Olly, I was very impressed with the fit. I was using a snap closure nappy and there were plenty of snaps to adjust the rise and the fit around the waist so I was able to get a good fit easily and quickly.The small insert meant the nappy was very slim although, If I had needed to, I could easily have fitted both inserts in the large pocket. Something that would be useful for night times.
There were no gaps around the legs and whilst I was confident in the fit it was not so tight that Olly was uncomfortable.
I left the nappy on for 4 hours and was pleased to find there were no leaks at all from my very heavy wetter. I would add though, that anything over the 4 hours and that would have been a different story but never the less 4 hours is good for a nappy and I was very pleased.

I tried one of the other Colours out with Kit who is a bulky 2 and a half year old and again, I got a very good fit with plenty of spare room should we need it as she gets bigger.
Kit is an average wetter and after 4 hours, the nappy had lasted incredibly well with no signs of a leak and later on in the week the nappy lasted her overnight, again, with no leaks.

On different occasions, we found the same, both children had lasted up to 4 hours in the nappys with no leaks and bowel movements had been contained well. The nappy shell washes up well and still looks good after 20 washes. and as they are a 2 part nappy drying time is minimal, the shell air dried very quickly as did the microfibre inserts, although, as I mentioned before I did not feel these washed up very well, they greyed very quicky and easily even after being washed only on a white wash and they did not feel very nice after. Perhaps a microfibre/bamboo mix insert would have worked better?

Overall, I have been very impressed with these nappys and they have become part of my staple nappy stash. They might be plain to look at (although you can now purchase limited edition prints by Chelsea Perry, very swish!), but they are reliable and do exactly what the manufacturers say.
As a side note,I have found the customer service from Baba me and Bumgenius to be helpful and friendly.

Price range:


around £14.99 per nappy
or £15.99 for the prints.

More information:


Baba me: http://www.thenaturalbabyresource.co.uk/site/index.html
Bumgenius: http://www.bumgenius.com/