Fantastic Lush Mummy Competition - The Winner Can Choose the Prize!

Thanks to Twitter I came across a new websites for mummies, Lush Mummy, offering fantastic range of clothes including materninty, postnatal and breastfeeding fashion. This company was started by two sisters who when they got pregnant were frustrated with the lack of choice for smart and sharp clothes suitable for the office. You can find there beautiful classic or casual dresses, breastfeeding tops and blouses, as well as skirts and trousers.

I was offered to review one of their products, but as I am not pregnant or breastfeeding, I have thought of you, my lovely blog readers. So, here is your chance to win one of their products. You can choose any item on their website, yes, that's right. How generous of them!

How to enter?

1. Follow @CityLushMummy on Twitter and leave a comment on this post including your twitter ID and tell us which item from their website you would like to win  ( compulsory)

and for extra entries (max 2) you can:

• comment on one of my non- competition posts and let me know which post you left your comment on
• mention this competition on Twitter including @Kahanka @CityLushMummy and the URL of this competition post  in the tweet and come back here and let me know you did so, and leave your twitter name too.    
       

Please use a separate comment for each entry. 
Maximum 3 entries!

Only entries that have completed all the compulsory entry requirements will be counted!

Thank you! 

Terms and Conditions:

• The closing date of the competition is 28/05/2011
• The winner will be chosen at random from all entrants.
• The winner's name will be made available on this page and on Twitter. If the winner does not respond to our request for a postal address within 5 days, a redraw will take place.
  
• Competition is open to residents of the UK and Ireland only.
• The prize is non-refundable and cannot be transferred. No cash alternative is available.
• The All Baby Advice decision is final - please don't quibble.

And the winner is:

Congratulations to @iheartmuthahood

I will be in touch soon or you can also e-mail me your name and address at allbabyadvice@yahoo.co.uk

Only entries that completed all the compulsory entry requirements were counted!

Easter Egg Hunt!

I'm ready, mum, the egg hunt can start!

Anything under there?

Yes, some Hello Kitty Easter eggs!

Need to check here, just in case!

See, I told you, Smarties giant Easter egg!

And some delicious Lindt chocolate mini eggs

Cannot see anything here...

I will check it here again, last time there were some eggs...I might be lucky again!

And some chocolate chicks!

And a chocolate bunny!

Wow, a giant Hello Kitty Easter egg!

Look at all the Easter eggs, daddy!

Mummy said to check out the shed, there might be some for you as well...

I'm very happy with my Easter egg hunt.

What did you get?

Coleen Butterflies - New Fragrance Review!

I have to admit I have really started enjoying reviewing products that are not for Isabelle, as I think that mums also have the right to enjoy some new products. When I was asked to check out the new perfume  Butterflies by Coleen Rooney, I wasn't sure, but then I thought that the bottle just looked too gorgeous to say no and went for it. Unfortunately, I got a sample, but not in the original bottle, so that was a bit of a disappointment.  But then I thought it was all about testing the perfume anyway, wasn't it?

When I sprayed it for the first time, I knew straight away what I could smell, roses and vanilla. I am not going to give you the official description of the fragrance, as there is no way I know how some of the things smell, but that is definitely what I smelled, roses and vanilla. So quite sweet, and a bit too heavy for every day use I would say. I can imagine wearing it for a special occasion, dinner or night out with friends. It reminded me of one of my friends, who loves this type of fragrance and I will definitely let her check out my sample, as am sure she will love it. I think when it comes to perfumes, it is not easy to get it right, but this seems like a nice new fragrance and is supposed to become this season's top selling fragrance, so don't forget to check it out and let me know if you like it!

Talk To Your Baby!

A while ago I was sent some very interesting facts about how important it is to talk to your baby. I was shocked that one in five new parents are unaware of the need to talk to their young baby. I was talking to Isabelle from the moment I found out I was pregnant, and haven't stopped since then. I agree it is very important, and that's the reason why I decided to mention the new National Literacy Trust's 'Talk To Your Baby' Campaign on my blog ( not a sponsored post!). Check out their website and please help to spread the word!

It’s such an important campaign as there are growing concerns about the number of children reaching school age lacking even the most basic communication skills so this new campaign is aiming to encourage parents to recognise what an important and positive role they can play in helping their child develop communication skills from day one.

The newly launched website – www.talktoyourbaby.org.uk - is great as it features lots of educational materials, free activities to stimulate talk, celebrity hints and tips, the chance to win hundreds of free children’s books and information about how to make a pledge or hold a ‘Talk To Your Baby’ party.

My Angel Turning Into a Monster - Help!

This afternoon we had one of Isabelle's best friends over with her mummy. We have seen each other a few times in the past few months and I have to say that I really like her friend and her mummy. While the girls play nicely together, we chat about them and our lives. We have never had a problem that one of them wouldn't want to share her toys or any other problems. Well, until this afternoon. 

Isabelle was so excited about seeing her friend, and couldn't wait to show her all her new toys that she got for her birthday last week. It all went well, they played nicely, but then suddenly Isabelle started saying not very nice things to me, like "you shush, and be quiet". At first I was shocked and almost couldn't say a word, but luckily I managed to tell her to stop being rude and not to talk to me like that again...which she did a few minutes later. It was a very difficult situation, as we had guests, and also I have never experienced her like that before, but now I think I just should have sent her away or do something more than just tell her to stop it. At the end, when the girls played tennis outside, her friends was much better than Isabelle and that really made her angry and very grumpy and she started throwing the ball and bat around...and also started accusing her friend of throwing it too far or too much to the left...I told her to stop it and to practise. Her friend's mummy was explaining to Isabelle that her daughter plays tennis all the time with her nan, so that's why she is quite good, and that everybody needs to  practise to be better. But our daughter wouldn't have it...I felt really ashamed and started playing with her friend, as Isabelle crossed her arms and refused to play. 

Anyway, after they left I was sooo angry, and was trying to think about what to do next. First I wasn't talking to her much, which she realised straight away. She also realised that I was really angry and that she has done something wrong. She was sitting down on the rug and waiting for me to say the verdict. I gave her her dinner, and was still not talking much. She asked for the TV to be turned on, and that turned me on. I told her in firm voice, that what has happened will never happen again otherwise she will have no friends over again or she will not be visiting anyone either. I was explaining to her that the way she was talking to me was really bad and that made me very sad. We ended up both in tears. She kept on repeating she loved me. When I asked her why she was doing it, she just wouldn't answer, and later she mentioned that the reason was she was not very good at tennis...

What to think about this? She is not a baby anymore, she is growing, and as they say, little children, little problems, big children, big problems. I am just very sad, and I know I have to get ready for more situations like this. This time I stayed very calm, but who knows what am I going to be like the next time she decides to be like this? I just wish there will not be the next time...

Forever Friends Naturals - Review & Competition!

Last week when recovering after running the London Marathon, I was having an interesting conversation with the Forever Friends PR, which ended up in receiving some samples of their new Forever Friends Naturals range. I don't think I have to mention their fantastic books and cuddly bears, but I had no idea, they also produced baby bath products.

Anyway, I was really nicely surprised that the packet arrived the next morning, that's what I call "THE NEXT DAY DELIVERY"! I knew there was supposed to be a little surprise in there, but thanks to school holidays and Isabelle being at home, I had to open it in font of her. When she saw the cream and two other containers, she spotted the tiny bears on them and just said: "Mummy, these are for me, aren't they? Just look at the teddy bears, they cannot be for mummies!" Well, I couldn't protest, as she was right anyway. Then she  found the tiny mini bear, that is soooooo soft, and decided that this teddy bear would be the toy for her toy puppy Snowy. 

That evening we started testing the bathing range, Sleepy Head body wash and Rub- A -Dub, 2 in 1 shampoo. The packaging is not just cute, but also very easy to open/close and apply even with Isabelle's little hands. They both smell great and the most important for us parents, don't contain any artificial colour, and are free from parabens and SLES! And the Nighty Night cuddle lotion? That is my favourite, love the smell and  even my skin stays very soft after applying it. All in all, we give all the products we tested thumps up!

 

How to enter?

For a chance to win the Forever Friends Night Night, Sweet Dreams gift book and a mini Forever Friends bear

 

follow the instructions below:

1. Like NaturalsForeverFriends on Facebook and leave a comment on this post including a way of contacting you in case you win ( e-mail address or twitter ID)  ( compulsory)

and for extra entries (max 2) you can:

• comment on one of my non- competition posts and let me know which post you left your comment on
• mention this competition on Twitter including @Kahanka @BabyNaturals and the URL of this competition post  in the tweet and come back here and let me know you did so, and leave your twitter name too.

Please use a separate comment for each entry. 
Maximum 3 entries!

Only entries that have completed all the compulsory entry requirements will be counted!

Thank you! 

Terms and Conditions:

• The closing date of the competition is 27/05/2011
• The winner will be chosen at random from all entrants.
• The winner's name will be made available on this page and on Twitter.
• Competition is open to residents of the UK and Ireland only.
• The prize is non-refundable and cannot be transferred. No cash alternative is available.

And the winner is:

Congratulations to @goriami

I will be in touch soon or you can also e-mail me your name and address at allbabyadvice@yahoo.co.uk

Only entries that completed all the compulsory entry requirements were counted!

Green - The Gallery!

The topic of this week's gallery is green. I love green, it is my favourite colour and it is everywhere around me. I have soooooo many pictures of green, so it wasn't easy to choose just one. I am giving you two of my favourite photos from our visit to the Whipsnade Zoo and of course, I have to add a photo with Isabelle, when having a picnic in a park at St Albans last weekend.  People say that green is the best colour for your eyes, to calm you down and I have to agree. Isn't it one of the most stunning colours?

I was impressed by the green colour of the lake and the bright orange flamingos,

as they are usually pink!

 

 

Don't forget to check out the other gallery posts!

I ran the famous London Marathon for the Great Ormond Street Hospital Charity on 17 April, please,
sponsor me!

My Recovery After the Marathon - Fitness Tuesday - Week 40!

A week ago, I was still very sore. My legs were not that bad, but I woke up with a very bad back ache. I was almost in tears, and it took me a few minutes to get out of bed. Luckily, my mum was still here looking after Isabelle, so I didn't really have to get out of bed, but I had so many things planned... Anyway, to be honest I admire the poeple who had to go to work the next day after running the marathon. I was really struggling with walking down the stairs or standing up from sitting on a chair. When I got an e-mail from my personal trainer not to run for the next 2-3 weeks, I kind of had to laugh, as I was definitely not planning to do any running that day!

Now, a week on, and I feel fully recovered, but am going to listen to Karen and not run for another week. I played tennis with daddy on Saturday and did a lot of gardening in the past few days, so that is kind of exercise for me too. I keep on looking at people running along the roads and cannot wait to go for a run, but will wait. I know it will be great, as it is my passion and I also cannot wait for my spinning class next Wednesday. I haven't been there for a few months now because of my knee, and cannot wait to join the class again.

It was so great to hear all the congratulations on running the marathon this morning from the mums and teachers when picking Isabelle at school, she looked so proud of me.

The recovery was very painful, but definitely worth it!!!

In the Night Garden - BBC Children's Books Review!

 

Isabelle has always been a big fan of the In the Night Garden show, and her favourite character is Makka Pakka. As she just turned 4 last week, she doesn't watch it very often anymore, but still remembers all the characters and the bedtime song, which she often sings along with daddy.

We were sent a few books for a review, and as I expected, Isabelle loved reading them all. The first one was the Noisy Ninky Nonk sound book with sturdy board pages that are very easy to turn and a perfect red button, which she kept pressing. As all these books are aimed at younger children, we were  not only reading them, but also using them for spotting some letters she has currently been learning at school.  Next we checked out the Bedtime Little Library, again stories with all the favourite characters. I love it as this can be great when you travel. Isabelle has a collection of similar books with different characters and we used to take it on a plane when she was younger and it kept her entertained for the whole flight to Prague. And did you know the six books make a jigsaw? A Lovely Present can be great for introducing and practicing numbers and the Pinky Ponk Juice Everywhere is another great sturdy board book with rounded corners and beautiful bright pictures. We liked the books very much, and will be passing these over to one of our friends' 18 months old daughter, and am sure she will love them.

Baking Easter Bunnies and Eggs!

Easter, "velikonoce" also means a lot of baking, so with the help of Isabelle and my mum, we baked some sponge Easter bunnies and eggs, and some of them we also covered in white and milk chocolate. Here is the recipe for the sponge:

Ingredients:

180g unsalted butter ( at room temperature)

180g golden caster sugar

180 self-raising flour ( sifted)

1 tsp baking powder

3 eggs

milk if the mixture is too stiff

cocoa powder

Heat the oven to 180C. Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl, I used my mixer, but that's not a must. Then we divided the mixture into 2, and added some cocoa powder to one half. Then put a bit of mixture in your Easter moulds and bake for about 10 mins. Leave the little sponges cool down before covering with  white or milk chocolate. 

To cover them with chocolate, you will need some white and milk cooking chocolate. Boil some water in a kettle, pour in a saucepan, and put a smaller saucepan in the bigger one with the hot water. Break the chocolate bar into small pieces into the smaller saucepan and keep stirring, the chocolate will melt. Do the same later with the other chocolate bar. Once the chocolate is melted, use a spoon and cover the sponge eggs and bunnies as shown on the photo below. Once covered, put them in the fridge, it will take a little while for the chocolate to harden, but once you taste it, you will love it! If you melt too much chocolate, you can also pour it into the moulds and leave in the fridge overnight, and here we go, more chocolate bunnies and eggs!

Decorating Easter Eggs - the Czech Way !

Isabelle was so excited when I announced we would be colouring and decorating some eggs, that we really had to watch her when the eggs were boiling in a saucepan. My mum brought some food colourings for the eggs from the Czech Republic, as I have no idea if you can buy these here. When I ask daddy, he just doesn't know if English people also colour eggs... Anyway, when the eggs were hard boiled we let them cool down a bit and boiled more water for dissolving the food colourings in very hot almost boiling water. Then you put the eggs in the bowls and you have to keep turning them around to get the colouring all over the eggs evenly. We had green, yellow, red and blue, and then we mixed blue and red to get purple, and red and yellow to get orange. Isabelle loved it, but you really have to be very careful as the water substance is very hot. Then we let the eggs get dry on a piece of cloth. To get the shiny finish, just use a bit of butter or margarine, spread it all over the eggs using your fingers, they will look stunning! That is the traditional Czech way of colouring Easter eggs. There are many more very creative ways, but would be just too difficult and dangerous with Isabelle, including using hot wax, or raw eggs and blowing the inside of the egg out to use just the egg shell. Cannot wait to be doing these techniques with her when she is a bit older. Isabelle just wanted to use some glue, so she decorated some of the eggs with some poms poms and foam bunny's ears, etc. Check out our eggs, we love them do you?