Green Nippers Review

the lovely people at green nippers sent a beautiful red smock top for us to review to review.

  Green Nippers pride themselves in making organic, ethical and eczema friendly baby and children’s clothes. Green Nippers clothing collections are made
        from 100% organic cotton, and only use nickel free poppers and natural dyes without the use of nasty chemicals and pesticides. Each Green Nippers product is certified by the Soil Association and Global Organic Textiles Standard, this gives you as a consumer peace of mind what you are buying is 100% organic and ethically made.

The smock top we received is absolutely beautiful, the website just does not do it justice, the material is extremely soft, perfect if your little one has easily irritated skin. the top looks lovely on and the colour is lovely and bright and the material is extremely sturdy, it needs to be with my little girl.  

 I wanted to test the top thoroughly and make sure it had a good few washes before i wrote my review and i have to say the top washes perfectly it has now had at least 5 washes and looks and feels exactly the same as it did when i received it the colour is as bright and the material has stayed soft.

If you love this as much as i do why not head over to Green Nippers and take a look at all their beautiful clothes. http://www.greennippers.co.uk/

War Horse Voted Top Children’s Wartime Book plus competition

                                                      

The Imperial war museum is well worth a visit this holiday especially as its starting to get considerably colder, its a place where children can not only have fun but learn at the same time and above all its free.


Having recently been turned into a blockbusting film directed by Steven Spielberg, Michael Murpurgo’s novel, War Horse, has now been voted by visitors to IWM North, part of Imperial War Museums, as their favourite children’s wartime book.

The moving tale of Joey, a horse detailed for service in France during the First World War, and his young owner Albert has captured the hearts of children since it was first published in 1982. It now features alongside other much loved stories about war in a major exhibition, Once Upon A Wartime, at IWM North in Manchester.

The poll, which surveyed visitors to IWMN North throughout the summer, revealed Robert Westall’s adventure novel, The Machine Gunners, as the second most popular book, closely followed by Carrie’s War, the story of an evacuee and her brother by Nina Bawden.

Visitors were also asked which favourite childhood book they would most like to pass on to their
own children. Favourites included The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe and Anne Frank’s Diary.

The Once Upon A Wartime exhibition explores the world of children’s wartime literature, bringing five much loved books to life for visitors of all ages. The painting that inspired Morpurgo to write the original War Horse novel sits alongside items from the set of Spielberg’s Hollywood film in the exhibition, as well as genuine items from IWM’s collections, revealing the true history behind the fiction.

IWM North is running a programme of free activities for all the family, inspired by the exhibition, until 2 September. On Saturday 25 August, visitors will be able to take part in a Bank Holiday Book Swap – where visitors can share their old books and explore other people’s favourites. Further free activities include a storytelling session by National Storytelling Laureate Katrice Horsley (28 Aug), performances, creative activities, object handling and tours of the exhibition.

Graham Boxer, Director of IWM North said: ‘War Horse is an emotional and moving tale of hardship, loyalty and adventure that appeals to both children and adults alike, so we are not surprised it has been voted the favourite of all children’s wartime books by our visitors. At IWM North, we are bringing War Horse and other novels to life through our exhibition and free activities so that everyone can get involved and be inspired by these great stories.’
For further information on IWM North and all activities, visit www.iwm.org.uk

To celebrate i have 3 copies of War Horse to give away and all you have to do is leave a comment below with your email address, like my blog and facebook page http://www.facebook.com/pages/Two-little-munchkins-and-me/122558704508095 
Competition closes Thursday 27 th August at 10pm

Baby Aid compact first aid kit

All I can say is I love this kit I have to admit that this product has amazed me. When I first saw the BabyAid Compact i couldn't believe a first aid kit could look how nice the zip-up bag was, it is colourful and really sturdy. It is made from really thick tough waterproof material  so it's excellent for a first-aid kit, I also believe that it will last a very long time.

                                             

Then I opened it i couldn't believe how much was packed in there

The BabyAid Compact First Aid Kit isn't your normal kit, it contains nearly everything you would ever need in a minor first aid emergency 

.Baby Aid Compact contains 33 items and still has space for you to add some of your own. Dimensions are 15cmx10cmx5cm. This kit contains :
3 x Burnshield Burnblott Sachets
1 x Non adherent absorbent dressing 10cm x 10cm
1 x Conforming bandage 5cm x 4m
1 x Blunt first aid scissors
1 x Adhesive tape 1,25cm x 5m
1 x sterile Eyewash/Woundwash pod 20ml
3 x Disposable Traxit childrens thermometers
4 x Alcohol free cleansing wipes
2 x 4cm x 4cm hypoallergenic plasters
1 x 6cm x 7cm hypoallergenic plasters
8 x Childrens fun hypoallergenic plasters
6 x Brave Little Star Stickers
1 x How to make it better-Guidance leaflet
1 x What is it all for-Directions for use leaflet

In short the first aid kit is great and will fit into any bag, perfect for a day out and not just for the little ones infact the first person to need our kit was me!

Lilypadz competition

I am offering one lucky person the chance to win a set of Lilypadz.

                                            

These are the best breast pads i have ever used and will continue to until i end my breast feeding experience see my review here 

http://2littlemunckinsandme.blogspot.co.uk/2011/10/lilypadz-first-breast-pad-to-give-me.html


All you have to do to be in with a chance of winning this amazing prize is leave a comment below with your email address, like my blog and facebook page http://www.facebook.com/pages/Two-little-munchkins-and-me/122558704508095 and be a friend of Simplylily on facebook  http://www.facebook.com/simplylily 
please note information will be passed to simplylily about entrants, Competition closes Monday 10th September at 10pm

Yoomi competition

Who would like to win a Yoomi bundle including a Yoomi bottle, warmer, microwave pod and a warmth within lamb

                             




All you have to do to be in with a chance of winning this amazing prize is leave a comment below with an email address, like my blog and facebook page http://www.facebook.com/pages/Two-little-munchkins-and-me/122558704508095 and be a friend of Yoomi on facebook http://www.facebook.com/yoomibottle
please note information will be passed to Yoomi about entrants, Competition closes Saturday 8th September at 10pm

Yoomi microwave pod - an excellent addition

as you may be aware i love our Yoomi bottles, i have been breastfeeding for 19 months so my little girl didn't  like bottles, until we were introduced to Yoomi that is. the unique breast shape is perfect as it avoids nipple confusion and enables me to go to work without worrying she wont be able to get a nap. The Yoomi feeding system was already excellent, how could they make it any better, well they did. The fantastic brains at Yoomi have been working overtime and have come up with a microwave pod that enables you to charge the warmer without a pan of water here's how it works 

*  Place the warmer upside down in the Pod.

*  Secure the Pod’s lid by clicking the arms into place.

*  Pop the Pod into a microwave and heat on full power for the specified duration according to the guidelines in the Yoomi feeding system guide (follow the guidelines for timing as heating time is connected to the microwave wattage).

*  Take out the Pod and shake it vigorously for 30 seconds (a rattle should be heard).

*  Pop the Pod back into the microwave and heat for an additional 30 seconds,

*  Take out the Pod and shake it again for 30 seconds.

*  Allow to cool before use.

I found the pod so easy to use and is a fantastic addition to the Yoomi product range but don't take my word  on how good the Yoomi system is take my baby's

Once Upon A Wartime

If like me you have an older child who loves thrilling stories based on real life you cant go wrong this year with a visit to the Imperial War Museum on Salford Quays especially as its free all year round. Up to the 2nd of September they are running events aimed at getting children to write and explore their imaginations. I have been very privileged to receive some storey writing tips from Bernard Ashley the author of Little Solider so I thought I would share:


What I’ve found useful in writing is
1. Carrying a writers’ notebook – small, unobtrusive – for jotting down phrases heard, thoughts, people’s dress, etc. I suppose an i-phone could be used in the modern world.

2. Researching. Get on top of your subject, see it from more than one point of view. The internet is marvellous for this, but so is ‘going there’ as I did for ‘Little Soldier’ – seeing the colour of the soil, eating the food, avoiding the mosquitos. Look for the idiosynchratic detail that brings a scene to life, illustrating that life can be stranger than fiction.

3. Being aware of style – an action scene will be written with shorter sentences, fewer adjectives and adverbs, while a romantic scene can be lush in sentence and word. I imagine what sort of music would be playing beneath a particular scene in a film, and match it with words.

If your looking for a fantastic, fun and educational day out here is there list of activities.


Walkabout Performances (Ideal for all ages)
Tuesday 21 August
11.30am, 12.30pm, 2.30pm and 3.30pm
Special Exhibition Gallery
Silent masked characters are on the loose in the Special Exhibitions Gallery. Will you spot one of these specially developed characters as you explore the Once Upon a Wartime exhibition? Inspired by the stories featured in the exhibition, the characters are brought to life through the use of full face masks and physical theatre techniques.


Wednesday 22 August
11.15am, 12.15pm, 1.15pm, 2.15pm
Main Exhibition Space
See one of our special, family friendly performances dramatising stories of wartime adventure including the story of a daring female spy serving with the Special Operations Executive during the Second World War.


Shaping Up (Ideal for all ages)
Wednesday 22, Thursday 23, Friday 24 August, 11.30am
Meet underneath the Harrier Jump Jet
What brings together an alien, his space craft and a playground full of friendly shapes? In this special storytelling event follow a group of shapes who discover how much better things can be when we all get along.


Illustration Workshop: The Colour of Home (Ideal for ages 6+)
Friday 24 August, 10.30am and 2.30pm
Libeskind Rooms
Join professional illustrator, Karin Littlewood and take part in a workshop where she will reveal the techniques used to create her pictures in The Colour of Home and get the chance to try your hand at some illustrations of your own.
FREE but booking is required via learningnorth@iwm.org.uk or 0161 836 4000


For more information please visit http://www.iwm.org.uk/visits/iwm-north

Win tickets to the Baby Show

The Baby Show is back and offering a shopping haven for new parents and parents-to-be at the NEC Birmingham from 18-20 May 2012.

The Baby Show takes the stress and confusion out of shopping for your baby by offering the UK’s biggest baby brands all under one roof, so you can compare and try products before you buy! With over 250 must-have brands including         Fisher-Price, Mamas & Papas, Mothercare, Marks & Spencer, Britax, tommee tippee and new companies Mammae,     Poco Nido, Kinderroom and Curaprox, there will be brilliant buys for all! The UK’s leading parenting experts will also be on hand to offer advice on sleep, breastfeeding and first aid.

The show is geared to making visitors lives easier and offers a home delivery service as well as the Emma’s Diary FREE shopping drop-off and collect by car service. There’s also the Emma’s Diary Mums meeting point, a fabulous arena to meet other new and expectant mums for a well-earned cuppa! The Pregnacare Juice bar will be serving fresh juices and smoothies across all three days to quench those shopping thirsts and give visitors a chance for a refreshing break.

The show also sees the welcome return of the hugely popular Face of The Baby Show which offers parents the chance to enter their baby in the competition to have the chance to be part of the 2013 marketing campaign. Hosted by Bumpkins each child will be photographed, capturing the very best images to be entered into the competition. What’s more, all parents will be given a free copy of the photograph of their child to take home from the photo experts.

Tickets are on sale now, costing £12 in advance and £20 on the door and are available through www.thebabyshow.co.uk .

We went to Manchester last year and had a fantastic day out and grabbed lots of bargains.

I have teamed up with the Baby Show to offer you the chance to win a pair of tickets, I have 2 pairs of tickets to give away, to enter just leave a comment below to let me know why you would like to win. For extra entries follow my blog and like my facebook page http://www.facebook.com/pages/Two-little-munchkins-and-me/122558704508095, please leave a comment for each extra entry. Competition closes 9pm Saturday 5th May

LilyPadz - The first breast pad to give me peace of mind

Introducing LilyPadz the first and only re-usable non-absorbent breast pad.

As a working, breastfeeding mummy the last thing I want to think about during work is am I leaking. Unfortunately this has happened to me while I was teaching a group of 15 year old boys, luckily I had a thick cardigan on that day and no one noticed, however I was still rather embarrassed and spent the next few weeks constantly in fear of it happening again.

So why buy LilyPadz instead of disposables. I found trying to find the right disposable breast pad a nightmare, I tried cheap and expensive ones, I found some too thin and others so thick it looked like I had put a sanitary towel in my bra and the breast pad ring is almost as bad as the wet patch! but worst of all  was when I found my daughter chewing on the glue from the back of a breast pad after a feed that's when I knew I had to find an alternative and found LilyPadz.

Here is what the simplylily website had to say:

LilyPadz are the revolutionary new alternative to traditional breast pads combining such unique features as flexibility, breath-ability, invisibility and "sticks to you ability" to provide the kind of protection every expectant and nursing mother needs.

LilyPadz reusable non-absorbent breast pads are the only breast pads that adhere to you and not your bra. LilyPadz unique design maintains pressure on the nipple and forms a non-absorbent barrier to prevent to prevent breast milk leakage.
No more inconvenient pad exchanges, and you and your clothes stay dry!

No Leaks. No Lines. No worries. 

As you can imagine this really appealed to me as LilyPadz seemed to offer everything I was looking for, so was very happy to be chosen to review them. when the package arrived I was amazed at how small and thin they were and happy to see they came in there own protective case that looks rather attractive, no more trying to find a place for a big box of unsightly breast pads especially when you have to keep them out of reach of a 10 year old and her friends (I once came into find they had used my breast pads to make themselves eye patches)

LilyPadz are made from silicone meaning they are soft and flexible as well as breathable. the silicone is smooth on one side and tacky on the other to hold the pad in place on the breast, they also have a scalloped edge preventing them from showing through clothing.

So how easy are LilyPadz to use, the answer very, you just flip the LilyPadz inside out over your nipple with the tacky side toward the skin. With a finger in the centre of the pad, firmly depress the nipple. With nipple in flattened position, smooth the edges of the LilyPadz down over the skin, making sure to smooth out any air pockets from forming underneath. Simply peel off to feed and re-apply after.

I found the LilyPadz felt weird when putting them on but after two minutes a couldn't feel them at all and felt comfortable all day, they even stopped the tingling feeling i get in my nipple towards the end of work when my breasts are ready to burst. 

LilyPadz can be used day and night and thanks to the way in which the pads are attached there is no need to wear a bra in bed this is something else I hate to do and felt so much more comfortable.

LilyPadz are easy to clean just use warm water and liquid soap or invest in some Lilywash and leave to air dry.

LilyPadz are re-usable but will not last forever and the life of LilyPadz varies from person to person but with proper use and care they can last for months, and when you think of the cost of disposable breast pads not only to your purse but to the environment LilyPadz are worth every penny.

Overall I found LilyPadz to be a fantastic product and would not hesitate to recommend to my friends.

Yoomi - The next best thing to mummy

Introducing Yoomi the first clever bottle.

As a breast feeding mummy I tended not to use many bottles but then I returned to work, as Mia was not used to bottles I tried a few different ones to find the one she liked and after trying every bottle on the market I still hadn't found one she was truly happy with, that's when I discovered Yoomi, the self warming bottle here's how it works:

The Yoomi bottle contains a unique warmer that is activated by pressing the orange button. This triggers the internal solution to warm the unit in just 60 seconds.

The cold feed is gently warmed as it flows through the specially designed channels on the outside of the warmer. By the time the feed reaches the teat, it is at natural breast milk temperature (32-34 deg C).

Its not just the clever warmer I like, the shape of the bottle is fantastic, it is what can only be described as a boob on a bottle, this means baby has an easy transition from breast to bottle without nipple confusion and the wide neck makes it easy to pour defrosted breast milk into or scoop formula in as well as clean.

I know what your thinking its a bit gimmicky or what a faff what's wrong with a jug of hot water, well here's my answer, yes you have to charge the warmer in a pan for 25 minutes but you can wait up to 20 minutes for a bottle warmer to heat the milk, yes you could use a jug of hot water, i used this method with my first daughter who was formula fed and my partner scolded his arm at 3am half asleep trying to heat up a bottle for a screaming baby. This is by far the safest way to heat babies milk especially if you have a toddler running around getting in to everything and you can heat the warmers in the morning while sorting out the days bottles.

The only down side to the bottles you may find is the cost but after comparing this with the amount of money i have spent on bottles trying to find the perfect one the Yoomi bottle worked out cheaper, and the fantastic packaging means it would be the perfect gift.

The other useful thing to note is that you can use the Yoomi bottle with or without the warmer.

Overall this is a fantastic bottle and just perfect for my little girl, I no longer worry if my husband has warmed Mia's milk up correctly while I'm at work or that there is a jug of boiling water lying around the house. My husband says the best thing is not having to try and find someone to warm her milk when out and about, but if you needed any more proof here is Mia's opinion

to take a look at Yoomi for yourself visit http://www.yoomi.com/

Teething Bling - The fashionable teether

Mia is now seven months old and teething,  she loves to bite on everything and anything including my slipper (its like having a puppy), as you can imagine I have bought all the teething rings imaginable, we have spent so much money on them but they either get lost or end up in the bottom of the toy box. In fact I found my little munchkin found my bracelet to be the most appealing teether something I wasn't  best pleased with as it cost a small fortune! That's why I was so happy when the fantastic Teething Bling from Smart Mum UK asked me to review their teething bangle, its such a simple idea but so effective.

When my parcel arrived it felt like all my birthdays had come at once I couldn't wait to get it open and when I did, I couldn't believe how beautiful the packaging was, the bangle came in a lovely organza bag. My first thought was, what a beautiful gift this would make for a baby shower or new mum. I tried it on immediately and was very happy to find it stayed on my small wrists (I made my other half try it on to check it fits a larger wrist too and no problems either). I was happy to see that although it is made from a baby friendly silicone like the ones most teethers are made from it didn't look cheap or plastically at all, I have actually been asked numerous times where I got my nice bangle from and people are amazed when I tell them its a teething ring in disguise.

                                                                 

Most importantly what does Mia make of mummy's new bling - well she loves it the first thing she did was wrap her gums around it, then she discovered it comes off my wrist which has two advantages - she can chew for as long as she wants then i can pop it back on and she can hold it while feeding which stops her from nipping me one disadvantage is the she can hit thing with it including my head but the giggle she gives me makes up for that. the bangle is the perfect size for little hands and gums even if they are attached to a mischievous munchkin. 

The bangle I received is the sugar plum one and I think the colour is fab however there are tons of colours in the range, you could get one for every outfit, they also do a range of matching pendants and the price is good too at just £12.95 for a pendant and £8.95 for a bangle, these are fantastic value and make an ideal gift.

check out the complete range here http://www.smartmumuk.com/

Mam Nipple Shields

I always wanted to breastfeed but for many reasons this didn't happen with Abby so as you can imagine I was determined to make it work with Mia but after 10 days the pain in my nipples was excruciating, I had been to a breastfeeding support group and spoken to my midwife but nothing seemed to help, then I discovered nipple shields and the relief was amazing. However I did find them rather big and the teats had a very plastic feel to them but they helped me through the first few weeks, that's when Mam asked me to review there nipple shields, I found these much better as they were smaller so Mia was still able to get the feel of my breast and the silk teat felt much more like a nipple. The shields also come in a handy box that can be sterilised with the shields, I found this good to take to bed for night feeds. The nipple shields come in two sizes, size 1 and size 2 I tried both and found size 2 to be far too big but size 1 just right. Remember when choosing the size of your nipple shield it is your nipple size and not your breast size don't just think because you have a generous bust you will need the bigger shield and vice versa. Overall I found the Mam nipple shields to be a godsend and enabled me to carry on breastfeeding comfortably until I was able to feed without there help, however I still keep them close to hand especially when Mia is feeding a bit too vigorously during teething.

I must point out a few things:
Always get help from your midwife, health visitor or a breastfeeding support group.
Nipple shields may reduce your milk supply (I didn't find this)
Try and wean baby off nipple shields as soon as you can when you have healed or the pain from feeding has stopped.

The Munchkins first review - A musical cot mobile from Mabyland

Courtesy of mummynews we were asked to review a cot mobile from Mabyland heres how we got on

The mobile is attractively packaged and easy to set up, it took me about 2 minutes. The mobile will fit on all cots however I tried it on my daughters swinging crib and found it too heavy as it weighed one side down. The mobile features 4 characters kitty, bunny, doggy and teddy, as they are brightly coloured and will suit either a girl or boys room, they attracted my daughters attention and made her giggle as they went round. The rotation is optional as there is a switch on the side of the mechanism to allow you to have it turning or not, I found the rotation soothed my daughter and sent her to sleep. The rotation and the sound is operated via a wind-up mechanism so doesn’t require batteries, however this does mean it doesn’t last long and can need to be wound a few times before baby is asleep. The music is row row row your boat which is a familiar tune to most mummies, daddies and babies and is a slow soothing sound. This is a great buy for the price £22.99 and I found delivery fast and easy, it would make a fantastic gift especially if people are keeping babies sex a surprise. My daughter enjoys having this on her cot and I enjoy how easy it is to get her to sleep.

http://www.mummynews.co.uk/

http://www.mabyland.com/

Hello from two little munchkins and me

Hi my name is Joanna and I'm Mummy to two gorgeous little girls, Abigail Eleanor (Abby) nearly 10 and Amelia Elizabeth  (Mia) 5 months. I am on maternity leave at the moment but life is soon about to change as I go back to work very soon and leave daddy in charge! as we are a one income family with hugely different interests money can be tight, in my blog i will not only share my experiences of being a mummy to my two little girls (ok one not so little but still my baby) i will share my tips on the best products i have found for them and the best prices around, it helps that my partner is rather savy when it comes to buying anything if we can save 10p we will.

If you are a company who has a product you think will meet the munchkins aproval and would like us to review it please email me on jolenenoted@hotmail.com