Chasing the ducks and other autumn adventures!

Autumn is my favourite time of the year. I get to wrap up cosy but still have the days out that come hand in hand with the sunshine. Todays post is another trip to the park im afraid. Partly because my OH has the car today but mainly because its one of Rio's favourite things to do.

Not only is outdoor play fun, its also important for childrens development. It helps then stay fit and active, encourages creativity, imagination and lets them get face to face with nature. And most of all gives them freedom!

Whilst it is great to keep giving your children different games and activities to do.. its also important to have unstructured play. A chance for them to just enjoy themselves and do what ever it is that takes their fancy. And the park is a prime example of this. Theres always lots to do at the park!

 
 

Much to the Ducks dismay, Rio realised he could touch them today! This may or may not of ended in them running away and him bounding after them..oopsie! His face when he stroked the first one was a picture!

Giveaway: Thomas & Friends All Around Sodor Train Set

Have you heard people use the C word recently? I have! At work we've already had truck loads full of Christmas stock and while at first I thought, are you crazy? I then realised it's less than 100 days away. And if being a parent has taught me anything its that time flies.

It got me thinking of what I was going to get Rio. I then counted my remaining paydays and had a oh lord moment!

So how would you like to win a Thomas & Friends All Around Sodor Train Set to get you started?

a Rafflecopter giveaway

You can view the prize along with the rest of the Thomas the Tank Engine range here.

Giveaway will end on the 18th October 2013. The winner will be announced on twitter and contacted by me shortly after.

*The prize, although chosen by me, is being provided by Argos and will be sent directly to the winner by them.

Picture heavy playdate

Today was one of those days, no not one of THOSE DAYS, one of the good ones! The kind makes you smile midst soap watching and think "today was a great day". It started as an early one..Rio heard daddy heading out the door and although I wasn't at work, so in no rush to go anywhere, I felt the urge to go out and get some fresh air, gloomy sky or not. The sun took pity on me and came out though..of course, it always does when I wear a jumper!

We started off at the park, it was peacefully quiet with the school holidays being over. The only children there were around Rio's age so it was a pleasant trip all round. Apart from the bread, WE FORGOT THE BREAD. The ducks didn't take too long to realise this however and waddled back into the water to await their next victim. Stalking avoided!! ;)

Not wanting the day to end there I headed over to my sisters where my mum was watching one of my nephews. Cue sandpit play date!

 

We headed home but fitted in some pirate ship play  and 'sneaky dog on the grass-ness' before daddy got home!

Bedlam at the bookcase!

As the proceeds were going to charity, when we bought Rio's pirate ship we also bought a bookcase among other things. Like me, Rio is a bookworm and instead of them being locked away in the cupboard I thought, lets put them in a bookcase so he can help himself. Only..im beginning to think the locked cupboard was the better option ;)

Only joking. Kinda ;) God help him in the library! Some of his favourites include..

Has your little one got a favourite? Or have you got one that you prefer to read over the rest? Personally I cant wait for Rio to be old enough to discover Roald Dahl! ..I may or may not of read Georges marvellous medicine to him already, and by that I may mean I read it, and he..urm hopped off my knee and played/fell to sleep?

First impressions: Tomy Be Baby Starlight Dreamshow Yellow

In the baby world Tomy is a well known name! So when I received an email asking me if I would like to choose something from the Chemist Direct website I jumped at chance to try out the Tomy starlight. I've wanted something like this for so long and seems as though Rio slept through from 11 weeks I just never got around to it.

However he's recently started waking in the night again so ideally I would like to find something to help sooth him back off rather than him become dependant on a bottle and this seemed like the perfect thing. Yep I'm definitely  going to try and nip that one in the bud.

The Tomy Be Baby Starlight Dreamshow Yellow* is a dream show that projects little images onto your ceiling while soothing your baby to sleep. It has three different lullabies and can either be attached to the cot or used freestanding.

As Rio went into his toddler bed early (due to him being a little monkey and climbing out) we went for free standing.

My first impressions are that it is so easy to use. (even I didn't have to get the manual out on this one). I love that it has different time options so you can choose the length you want it to play, ideal if your baby is just stirring and you want to lull them back into a deep sleep. The projections are cute and vibrant without being too much..they grabbed Rio's attention straight away! And along with the lullabies they helped him realise it was bedtime, and he asked me for a "boc boc". Result!!

The only downside that I am aware of (other than it needing four batteries?) is that the music is quite loud so once the initial awe had worn off, it stimulated Rio rather than soothed him..and he proceeded to get out of bed and fetch it to me, showing off his 'new toy'.

I'm going to keep at it a while longer seems as though he associated it with bedtime straight away, and will let you know how I get on. I do love the concept so hopefully this will be the answer! I think if used from a younger age it would also have a better effect and create an additional relaxation and self settling element to a bedtime routine. We're currently trying for baby number two so you never know. I might just get to test that theory!

*This product was sent free of charge for review. The opinions and content are however 100%  honest and my own.

A realisation!

Looking back through old photos of Rio, I came across some old ones of myself pre pregnancy. Photo's that brought tears to my eyes. Photos that made me realise I used to be so stupid! They made me realise that I probably had a problem. I was so body conscious. Looking at these all I can think is why? You stupid stupid girl! But of course back then I thought I was fat! Id breathe in when wearing a bikini, hate myself when I sat down! An ex told someone that I didn't have any boobs so I wore push up bra's and contacted companies seriously considering a boob job.

My Nanna once told me that I looked like id put on weight. She meant that I looked good for it, but I took it bad, I dropped back down to 6stone, probably under!

At my first weigh in with the midwife I weighed 6stone4. I was referred to consultant care, the same you would if you were overweight. But something magical happened in pregnancy, I loved putting on weight! The more my bump grew the happier I was. Yes at the end of my third trimester when I discovered my stretch marks I cried! I rang my mum and SOBBED down the phone. She assured me they'd go post pregnancy. They didn't! And do you know what? I don't care. Rio is 17 months now and I sway between 7stone8 and 7stone12. The strangest thing is that I am more happy in this bigger, wider , stretch marked body than I ever was being the 'perfect size 0'. And the boob situation? Pregnancy is the best free boob job you can get! ;)

I scares me to know that the bikini shot isn't me at my smallest and that right after the photo was took I looked at it and thought, "hips and thighs look huge". I don't really know what made me write this post, let alone upload it. I guess it was the realisation that when my OH says he prefers my body post pregnancy, for the first time in my life I can actual believe him! Stretch marks and all, because I do too!

Ahoy there

I've been wanting a play area for Rio for a while. I originally had my heart set on one that id saw in Kiddicare (but stupidly didn't get) that has been discontinued! So when I saw this one while at a fun day at my sisters work, I had to have it!

 

As you can see, Rio thinks its the coolest thing ever, mainly because he has a better view of birds/planes from 'the top deck' and can be nosey over the fence!

Yes he's a little on the young side for this one, but what harm is a bit of supervised fun?

Brownie points to Mummy for actually managing to put it up? ;)