The Sleepyhead (Grand) | Review

I have been wanting to write this post for a while now, especially since a lot of people have asked my my opinion on the Sleepyhead, but I have finally got round to writing down my thoughts. Before I jump into the review I just want to highlight that this has not been sent to me for review. My lovely parents actually purchased this for Henry (well me really!) for Christmas, after me going a little nut's that Henry wouldn't settle in his cot after being an amazing sleeper in his moses basket. I had high hopes that the Sleepyhead would work wonders and make my little boy settle at night.

All mum's know that the way to a happy mamma is to have a happy sleeping bubba. Exhaustion due to restless nights are the absolute worst. In my eyes if something claims to bring magic sleepy dust then it most certainly will grab my attention and usually, my money too. So what does the Sleepyhead claim?

Henry at 8 Months Old

Henry is eight months old. Keeping with tradition, I will say the same thing I do every month, where did that last month go? 2016 seems to be whizzing by before my eye's which means that my little man is seemingly growing at an alarming rate too. He has changed so much this month and growing up to be a very curious little boy who is full of adventure. 

The Untold Benefits of Family Holidays

Everyone loves a good holiday. Even the word ‘holiday’ is powerful enough to evoke images of seaside relaxation, colourful drinks and light, summery reads. A good holiday is something we all look forward to, but this doesn’t mean that they are simply a decadent luxury. In reality, respites from everyday life can hold enormous benefits for the health and wellbeing of our families.

In 2015, results from a British poll showed that the social and psychological benefits of family holidays are significant, and they last far longer than you might at first believe. The director of the Family Association, John McDonald, went as far as saying "This research is the cast iron evidence we have long known to be true and demonstrates the incredible, positive impacts on the family and wider society that a break away from the daily grind can bring."

Prepare to pack your suitcases and get ready for an adventure, as with the longstanding effects of the following family holiday benefits, we have all the excuses in the world to escape for a well-deserved break.

Reclaim Your Home

It’s hard to remember those days when you’re home wasn’t full of trip hazards and garish primary coloured toys disjoining the décor, but when you have little ones the mess monsters soon appear, and what was your beautifully decorated, organised home, can become a jungle of clutter that leaves you feeling stressed and ever so slightly anxious. 

Our home environment has a dramatic impact on our mood and overall wellbeing, making us feel overwhelmed and stressed as soon as we walk through the door is no way to be greeted when you get home after a long day at work. 

When you’re a parent it’s hard to let go of those neat freak tendencies, but you can reclaim your home without making sacrifices on the children’s fun. 

With just a few of these tips and tricks you can have your home back to the haven that it once was. 

A Modern Daddy - 8 Reasons He's Freaking Awesome

I've wanted to write this post for a while now, an almost memoir to my Husband. In my opinion, he is pretty flipping awesome. In fact, this evening after dinner, he said to me "You don't seem right, would you like me to bathe the kiddies?". This isn't unsual, he loves being involved as much as he can and takes his role pretty seriously. 

A lot of my friends are often amazed at how much he does, but to us, it's just the norm. We both are parents to our children, we both feel that we should be raising them equally. We also both feel it's important to have a career. It's hard work and it takes a lot of planning and teamwork. But isn't that what marriage is all about? Team work, supporting each other?  Since my return to work, we seem to now work in sync with each other (I will be doing a video all about my return to work shortly), including the parenting. 

Time Stops For No One

Time stops for no one, it's a phrase I often hear but have always taken for granted, but time really does stops for no one. This is something that has struck me recently, my babies have seemingly grown so much so, that I feel like this time is slipping through my fingers. As much as I try to cling on, time is moving forward and isn't waiting for me.

I have said before just how proud I am of them both, and I am. Every day they both amaze me and make my heart burst with pride, but in that very same instant my heart begins to ache. These baby days are numbered. Knowing that Henry is our last baby makes every milestone make the tick tock of the clock tick even louder. 

Sun & Sleep Pop-up Travel Bubble Cot | Review

I'm a sucker for a good product that makes parenting less stressful. I won't lie, having two can be a juggle sometimes and anything that can make life a little easier is definitely worth my time/pennies! One thing that is most important and I think all parents will agree with me here, is sleep. For us, I think we've cracked it. He goes down beautifully and will normally only wake once for a feed during the night. I'm pretty happy with that, we had a battle with our daughter and almost two years with very little sleep, bedtimes were always so, so, so stressful. 

So even when you've cracked it, something that may throw a spanner in the works, is when you travel/go on holiday. I know for me this is something I certainly have worried about. It has even put us off going away on a few occasions. Koo-di, my wonderful sponsors for Britmums Live, sent over a fantastic product, their Sun & Sleep Pop-Up Travel Bubble Cot (£74.99) which is suitable for babies aged 6-18 months. It's compact, lightweight but does it give us that stress-free bedtime and sleep?

5 ways to add value to your home

Buying and selling a home can be a daunting task. When we first got into the property ladder I thought, hurrah we've made it! But now, with the intentions of wanting to upgrade our home to a bigger one in a couple of years time, I have started to take more notice of property prices in our area. Guesstimating how much our home is worth, can we increase that in any way? So I have been doing a little research in ways we can increase the value of our home.