All-in-One Mum

The first year of your baby's life is a magical adventure for most parents; sometimes scary with the ability to make you gain a few grey hairs but mostly rewarding.   The Babyhuddle team have created a fabulous infographic entitled Babyhud dle: A Baby’s first year – what an adventure!   And boy oh boy, what an adventure it is!  Be sure to have a look and share it with your friends for a good laugh.  The information was gathered from real parents within the Babyhuddle community and is a hilarious but very honest read. Something else exciting happening in the life of Babyhuddle is the very recent launch of their US Babyhuddle site!  Now friends and family across the pond can also be a part of the Babyhuddle community and create their own lists, ask questions and purchase products for themselves and baby.   Be sure to let your friends and family know that they too can be part of this wonderful community if they live in the US by registering at http://us.bab...

Everyone knows that having a child will change your way of life in more ways than one and many of the early changes to your lifestyle are quite a shock to the system yet you learn to adapt to them over time.   One of the changes that I didn't really stop to think about was how my social circle would change and how a completely new one would form, with many life long friendships developing along the way. I recently wrote a guest for  Shona of Wriggly Rascals  on the topic of how when baby arrives, things do change and so do the people that you interact with.  Read my post  'Hello Baby, Goodbye Friends'  over at the Wriggly Rascals site.   I’d like to say it’s a good read but then again, I’m ever so slightly bias! Have a great week everyone. A x

Andy Bates (aka Pie Man) and star of  Andy Bates Street Feasts  on Food Network, has returned to the streets for a second fabulous and mouth watering series in  Andy Bates American Street Feasts .   Andy visits diverse and vibrant food hot spots in the U.S. discovering the tales behind these truly wonderful recipes from the classic hot dog to southern fried quail.  Visit the American Street Feasts page 
  where you can catch up on episodes from the second series and try your hand at the fabulous array of recipes.   Extremely well known for his wholesome, traditional British street food, Andy brought the inspiration behind these amazing American dishes back to the UK and used that to create his own modern take on classic dishes. Andy’s delectable first cookbook, ‘Modern Twists on Classic Dishes’ was launched on 31 October 2012 and from 2 November 2012 you can stand a chance to win this beautifully illustrated book...

Green People have produced a fabulous organic hand sanitiser specifically with little people in mind.  The Organic Children sticky hand sanitiser , which was awarded the Bizzie Baby Gold Award for 2012, has a refreshing citrus fragrance and comes in a pump action dispenser that fits comfortably in the palm of your hand. The sanitiser squirts out in a light and bubbly foam that can be put straight onto little hands and can be squirted onto a cloth to clean sticky and mucky faces.  It can also be used when you are on the go to clean and wipe down toys and high chairs that are looking a little dirty and unloved before little one enjoys using either of the two. This natural hand sanitising product uses Tea Tree extract as the key anti-bacterial ingredient and contains 96% certified organic ingredients.   It is suitable for sensitive skins, even those prone to eczema, psoriasis and other skin allergies and as it doesn't use any harsh chemicals, it won't dry out the...

I'm still pretty darn sure that I am a reincarnation of someone from Henry VIII's Court (hopefully not one of the many wives) as I absolutely adore that era and could read books and watch documentaries and movies on the subject for hours on end and still be left wanting to know more. Kate over at Kate Takes 5  has made reincarnation the most recent subject of her Listography.  So, after a little bit of thought, these are my top 5 things that I'd like to be reincarnated as when I leave this wonderful world one day. 1.  A Fly on the Wall I'd like to start off as a fly.  Most people at some stage of their life have wanted to be a fly on the wall and see exactly what goes on behind closed doors.  I'm nosey by nature so I think this would be fun for the 21 days of my little fly life.  Hopefully then I'll go on to option 2. 2.  Some sort of Author I have an idea of what I'd like to write about (like I'm telling you lot!) and if I had already been a f...

I've recently discovered the absolutely delicious yoomoo frozen yoghurts.  The home range is made from a 70% natural British sourced yogurt base with natural ingredients and is low in fat, which means that you are supporting local British suppliers and enjoying a relatively guilt free treat at the same time.  Fabulous! I sampled (devoured?!) the Angelmoo which is a natural flavoured frozen yogurt with blueberry sauce swirls, a perfect scattering of mixed berries and topping of vanilla flavoured pumpkins seeds.  A true heavenly delight which left me rather sad when I reached the bottom of the pot. My husband taste tested the strawbswirlmoo which is a natural and strawberry flavoured frozen yogurt with generous strawberry sauce swirls and strawberry pieces.  I had to buy him his own pot because I knew that I most likely wouldn't want to share mine!   In South Africa we have a local brand of frozen yoghurt that we grew up with and until recently, in...

Being a mother is one of the most important jobs you can have, and is a rewarding but sometimes tough experience. Mums are on the go from the moment they wake up to the moment they go to sleep and having a full or part time as well doesn’t make things easier. It can feel like you’ve already worked half a day before you even get to work, especially when your morning involves getting children to nursery or school. Work doesn’t finish when you leave your job for the day; there’s always a lot to do once you and the kids are home. So wouldn’t it make life a lot easier if you could feel really comfortable in your workwear? Office wear can be stifling, especially if you feel you have to wear restrictive trouser suits and high heels to be taken seriously. But when time is of the essence and there are errands to be completed, you might not always have the chance to get changed. So to make life easier, instead of wearing work clothes that are uncomfortable and restrictive, choose style op...

I recently went to my first blog camp  which turned out to be a fantastic experience, giving me the opportunity to meet a group of wonderful and inspirational foodie and mommy bloggers and other individuals that I would not normal get the chance to be in the same room with. The guest speakers passed over information and inspiration on how to make various social networks work for you as well as ways of dealing with those nasty trolls who seem to make it their life's work to belittle others and leave nasty comments on posts that you've spent time labouring over. "Keep Calm and Carry On" would be the stance I think I'd have to adopt.  I've only had one possibly nasty comment from some anonymous creature.  I've deleted it, due to the sheer stupidity of it, but I should have kept it for a memory box.  I felt embarrassed for them and for the fact that my readers might have to have the unfortunate chance of reading it too.  There was a bit of racism thrown in...

That crazy time of year has already begun.  The shops are slowly beginning to stock Christmas wrapping paper, cards, candles and all things red, green, gold, glittery and shimmery for the Festive season.  We've barely finished the Easter eggs (I can never eat them in one sitting) and now we are onto the next celebration! My daughter was 8 months old when she had her 1st Christmas.  At the time it was very important to me that she had a special and memorable 1st Christmas but in all honesty, she wouldn't remember it even if I showed her photos and videos to jog her memory.  If she claimed that she could remember then I would very quickly get her signed up to Mensa.  Those retailers that sell the cute baby Christmas outfits are laughing all the way to the bank... We are heading off to South Africa for Christmas this year and as she will be 2 1/2 I think she will appreciate Christmas far more and actually be excited to see wha...

Living roughly 11,210 miles away from close family and friends in Cape Town (give or take a few inches), I use social media to share photos and videos of my daughter.  The only hitch is that a large number of these sites are not incredibly private and so I am slightly apprehensive to share more intimate family moments which is a real shame.   23snaps is a fairly new App on the market and a wonderful discovery too at that.  Basically, clever mommy's and daddy's use this extremely user friendly App to share photos of their wonderful offspring with loving family members and friends both locally and around the globe.  Comments can be left on the media you have chosen to share and if they really want to express themselves they can 'heart' the photo or add a smiley or sad face to show deeper virtual emotions. To get started, download the App , register with 23Snaps (none of your information is shared with 3rd parties) and then create a profile for ...

This is a fabulous Guest Post from Joel Dowling who writes for the Sainsbury’s Bank Money Matters blog on a wide range of subjects including family life and motoring. He has two young children but no longer dreads long journeys. I hope you find this as informative and helpful as I did! Making your Car Child-friendly One of the many daunting aspects of parenting is working out what you need and what you don’t. The marketplace seems to teem with products that you simply must have. But for travelling with your kids, there are only really a few essentials that you need to help you get by. Here are a few handy tips to consider: Safety – is the first consideration: Make sure you have a car seat that’s the right size and shape for your child and that it definitely works with your make and model of vehicle. Any serious vendor will have staff trained to know exactly what you need. Make sure your vehicle is safe and roadworthy. Get your tyres, brakes, air bags and fluid levels ch...

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My daughter jumped into bed with me after both of us had woken from gorgeous afternoon naps.   Normal hugs, kisses, tickles and cuddles were followed by my little one wanting to play the 'name that body part' game.  This is what went down... LO:  "Look. Freckle!" (on her arm). Me:   " Yes, and mommy has freckles on her arm too!" I have way too many in fact, all from growing up in the South African sun.  Don't think I've added that many in the past 8 years while living and spending most of my time in the UK. LO: (After brief inspection of mommy's freckles).  "What's that?" (pointing to my rather wrinkly elbow flesh) My elbow has a tiny scar on it from where one of the family dog's we had whilst growing up accidentally bit me when I was about 10. Me:   " It's my elbow, sweetie." At this point I straightened my arm to look at it, so the skin was no longer tight. LO: " Ewww!!" (Looks of utte...

My husband began to train and compete in triathlons about 6 years ago.  Since then our home now houses his bikes, training gear and other 'essential items' that come along with this 3 discipline sport.  I still think that he owns more running and cycling shoes than all the shoes in my closest put together?! I have a very deep respect for what he does; swimming great lengths, cycling across long stretches of road, up steep inclines for extended periods of time and then topping it off with running a few laps of whatever venue or area that particular race covers...all in the matter of a few hours!  Well, more like half a day if it's an Ironman distance.  Yes, he has competed in and finished 2.  Incredibly proud triathlete wife! Yet, that is only what he does on race day.  People don't see what goes on behind the scenes; the hours spent on the bike, in the lake, in pools, running in all the glory that is our British weather system.  The blisters, t...

I recently had the pleasure of sampling the Organic Children lavender shampoo and conditioner.  Made from 83% organic products both are mild, gentle and non-irritating which is fabulous for using on sensitive scalps like that of my toddler.  Organic Lavender, Aloe Vera and Tree Tree naturally cleanse the hair leaving it clean, smelling beautiful and feeling tangle free (every mom's dream!).   For parents with school going children it can be used to treat the removal of head lice.  Evidence suggests that Tee Tree oil naturally and effectively treats head lice. As with all the products that I test, I use them on myself first.  I have long, thick hair that is naturally brown and not coloured treated.  I blow dry and straighten my hair at least once a week.  After using the Organic Children shampoo and conditioner and gently blow drying, my hair was left feeling soft and silky which was not far off from my regular products, and possibly,...