Christmas guide for: Kids and babies

 

1. Cocomelon Yellow School Bus, Smyths, £19.99 - Who doesn't love a good old bop to Cocomelon, press the front for Wheels on the Bus' to blast out. As soon as my son saw this he made an immediate beeline. 

2. AVEENO Mum & Baby Gifts, Boots, £20 - perfect for a new mama or mama-to-be, the gift set includes: moisturising lotion, hair and body wash and baby daily moisturiser which is specifically designed for your babies first few weeks and if you were not already sold you get a soft teddy comforter included.

3. Peggie the Penguin® Sensory Teether, Bickiepegs, £8.99 - Teething is the worst and Bickiepegs have a cute solution with Peggie. This Sensory Teether makes the perfect stocking filler for your baby. Another plus is this is a small family business so give them some love and shop small.  

4. Love Monster and the Perfect Present, £6,99, all book retailers - This charming book follows Love Monster (from TV). Present Day is coming up but they can be expensive so what is Love Monster going to do? 

5. Noah the Whale Tablet Cushion Stand, Planet Buddies, £19.99 (30% off use: BUDDIES30 until 31/12/20) - your iPad needs comfort to with its very own bean bag cushion. It's very light-weight so you can take it with you wherever you go with vibrant prints and its also wipe clean.

6. Dantoy, Bio Stacking Cups, £22.99 - These pastel bio stacking cups are not only sustainable, made with 90% sugarcane but also stimulate your child's senses with the beautiful colours and shapes. They learn how to stack on top or inside of each other - or fun just to knock over. They can also be used in the bath to make 'rain' or you could use them as play dough cutters.

7. Journey of Discovery, The Luxury Essential Skincare Collection, Little Butterfly, £43 - A newbie from Little Butterfly, containing smaller versions of their best-selling products so you can try out the range before buying the full sized item or its a beautiful gift for a new mama. 

The gift set includes: 

• Bubbles in the breeze, for body and hair and to also make bubbles for bath time.
• Dewdrops at dawn, body lotion
• Wrapped in love, baby face cream
• Love eternal, baby massage oil
• Soft as moonlight, nappy change cream

8. PAW Patrol Dino Rescue Hero Pups, Smyths, £9.99 - What child wouldn't want a PAW Patrol toy, especially one with dino's. Each set is a surprise and come with a pup, a large dinosaur and mystery 'mini' dino. Collect all of the packs to create your own mission. 

9. Grouch Couch Board Game, Smyths, £19.99 - Ever find anything in your couch - of course you have. Get those items back with this new board game. Take turns in feeding 'Grouch Couch' and see what goodies you can get - the player with the most wins. 

10. PAW Patrol Dino Rescue Dino Patroller, Smyths, Reduced to £44,99 from £64.99 - Another solid gift with PAW Patrol on their first ever motorised huge Rescue dino patroller. The patroller has room for all 6 pups and has a projectile launcher and you can chase the T-Rex. This is definitely a fun one.

11. Santa Jaws, Bloomsbury Childrens, £6.99 - A fun take on Santa with Santa Jaws, Shelly the Shark also wants to be Santa and waits for all the little fishes. 

12. Voksi City, Voksi, - The Voksi City is the warmest and cosiest sleeping bag I have seen, which lasts up to six years.

13. Done by Deer Snack plate, £15.95 - Make snack time fun with this cute crocodile and the suction cup that ensures it can't be thrown off the table. 

14. Knitted Baby Onesie, ZippyUp, £20 - this super soft Charcoal onesie has none of the buttons and made from 100% cotton is lovely and cuddly on your child's skin. Two way zips for easy nappy changes and sizes range from Newborn to 24 months. 

15. Super Socks in a bag, Frugi, £6 - The most PERFECT stocking filler and they come in their own gift bag, with festive characters keep your little ones feet toastie.

16. Ace PJ's, Frugi, from £24 - These magical pyjamas are the perfect gift for under your tree. Made from organic cotton, these super soft PJ's are cosy and you can personalise. 

17. Pat-a-Cake Play Kitchen, Great Little Trading Company, £95 - My little boy is 16 months and this stunning play kitchen went down a treat. It is quaint, beautifully made and surprisingly compact, which if you have a 16 month old you need all the space you can get as toys are just everywhere. Another positive is its really light so you can move it all around the house.

18. Play Teepee, Woodland, Great Little Trading Company, £75 - another complete hit, who knew kids like to sit in a dark space, not me. Whenever we put it up we get squeals of delight, whilst he drags all of his toys inside. It takes seconds to put up and even quicker to take down if you don't have the space to keep it as a permanent feature. 

19. Personalised Sling Bookcase, Great Little Trading Company, £78 - I originally has put up shelves for books, which was fine when my child couldn't move but his love for books is like my love for chocolate and he wants easy access and this sling bookcase stood out from the rest. You can see all the books for an aesthetically pleasing look to create a little book corner and you can personalise.

20. Cubo Baby Monitor - £279 (Use 'CUBOFIONA' discount) - A good looking baby monitor who would have thought – after spending so much time on the nursery you need every element to look the part including the technology and the Cubo Baby Monitor does just that with the cute bird design and intelligent AI technology.

The key features which I love:

-          Daily pictures from the night before

-          Cute design

-          Inbuilt white noise and lullaby feature

-          AI technology to alert if your babies mouth or nose is covered (an essential when they are tiny)

-          Real time alerts

-          Everything on your mobile

-          Amazing night vision – image is crystal clear

21. Ravensburger Gruffalo & Other Stories puzzle, £11.99 - This puzzle is the perfect starter set with just 2-pieces per puzzle and you get 9 in total and from one of the kids favourite storybook character - The Gruffalo. 

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Christmas Gift Guide - tech and woman

HoHoHo who cares about lockdown because we can start planning Christmas and I have a whole host of goodies for you. I am also sharing daily gifts and small business love over on my Instagram @FionaLKay so head on over.

For the gadget lover

1. CLCKR Stand and Grip phone case from £24.99 - I am not sure how I survived for so long without this - with a child my phone gets thrown around A LOT and also is an essential when Netflix is required in a public tantrum emergency. I can easily slip my phone to sanding and the phone looks stylish to.

2. TCL 10 Pro Mobile Phone, Argos, £399.95 The slick phone with curved amoled display and 64mp AI quad camera is the ideal gift and a really reasonably priced smart mobile phone.  

3. EKO iMira Pro Ultra Clear Sensor Mirror, £149.99 - this aesthetically pleasing magnifying mirror has 1x and 5x magnification to give you viability even in the darkest of rooms.

4. Ordo Sonic Toothbrush, Boots, £50 - every year I get a new electric toothbrush and the Ordo is for 2020, with sonic pulse technology for a dentist clean feel. You can also get a subscription service to receive all your oral care products when you need them. Available in Charcoal, White and Rose Gold.

For all the ladies:

1. Revlon One-Step Volumiser Titanium Special Edition, £53.32 - This premium Titanium, special edition in cherry will give you shiny locks and that 'stepped out of the salon' feel. 

2. Signorina Ribelle, Fashion Edition in Fuchsia by Salvatore Ferragamo Parfums, 50 ml £75, The Perfume Shop - I have been a fan of this brand for a while now and this new floriental scent is divine with notes of mandarin, Red Pear, around Pink Pepper alongside classic notes of Ylang-Ylang with Frangipani and Jasmine grounded with sandalwood, coconut milk and the sweetness of vanilla gelato.

3. Dr PAWPAW Prep & Party Gift Set, £15 - A annual favourite, includes Dr. PAWPAW Tinted Ultimate Red Balm 25ml and Dr. PAWPAW Scrub and Nourish.

4. Yardley, English Rose Bath & Body Set, £15 You get a great set with Body Wash, Body Lotion, Hand cream oh and a gardeners apron all infused with Yardley London's English Rose Fragrance. 

5. Ted Baker Regal Glow Gift Set, £10, Exclusively at Boots - Who doesn't love a good candle, especially when it falls in the 3 for 2 Christmas deals at Boots. You get three 50g candles with irresistible notes of pink pepper, green apple (one of my faves) and winter flowering honeysuckle in beautiful packaging. 

6. Sanctuary Spa, Beauty Sleep Journal Gift, £20 - well-being should be on everyone's mind this year and Sanctuary Spa have created the perfect gift so you can de-stress, stay calm and sleep soundly. You get a sleep mist, de-stress warming body balm, beauty sleep recovery mask and a sleeping eye mask. 

7. Blendup, £50, Magnitone I have been a Magnitone fan for a while and when I spotted this, I couldn't wait to try it. So whilst blending your makeup it also stimulates the skin for a more natural and healthier finisher - airbrushed skin here I come. 

8. Haribo Starmix and Tanfastics tube, Wilko, £0.95 - Who wouldn't want this under their tree?! With iconic sweets everyone will love.

9. Purdy & Figg, Hand Sanitiser Gift Set £16.99 - The most apt gift for 2020, hand sanitiser. You get three bottles in Wild Woody, Original and Charlotte's Floral all 50 ml and they look so pretty. 

10. Lush:

Winter Wonderland Gift Set, £30 a gift set with five Lush treats of a shower bomb - scoop up the foam as it expands to clean. Shower Scrub, Shower Gel, soap and body lotion. This ethical box is also made of reusable material. 

Two other key items you need to try:

I Want A Hippopotamus For Christmas, £2.95 Your new raspberry scented best friend turning your bath into a shimmery, purple dream

Roasting Chestnuts On An Open Fire, Shower Gel, £14 - get in the full Christmas Spirit with this amazing shower gel, you will be transported to a full on Christmas scene. 

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ULTIMATE gift guide for a one year old

My little babe turns one at the start of August and I have started an ULTIMATE gift list for a one year old - now Winston won't be getting spoiled with everything on this list but I thought it might be useful to other Mum's out there who might be stuck for ideas.

    Also I am going to send this blog to family and friends as they keep asking what Winston would like...

Some items we already have in preparation, they just need wrapping:

1. The snack on-the-go pot, Vital Baby, £4.99 

A practical present for a baby that just loves his food. It's perfectly sized for little hands to reach food through the soft silicone slatted lid.
2. Swim Rings, Vital Baby, £9.99
The one thing we lack in our home is toys for bath time and now we have weather to rival the desert, the paddling pool is out most days with very poor toy choice. The swim rings are also a great development toy, when talking through the colours and the animals - Winston loves a good Quack sound.

3. BabyBjorn Dinner Set, BabyBjorn, £33.99
With weaning in full swing you can never have enough meal time gear and this set come in four pastel shades with a bib, plate, spoon and a spork and a little cup. One of my sons favourite toys is his spoon!
4. Classic Baby Dream Blanket, Aden and Anais, £44.95
Every baby needs a 'blankie' and this one is so soft and cuddly its the perfect companion we have been using it as a picnic blanket. Aden and Anais is not new to our household we have lots from the brand but these newly released prints including the fish design are just too beautiful not to buy.
5. The Sleepyhead Grand, Sleepyhead of Sweden, £238
A step up from the baby version, this is a must - I even lied down for a second and nearly shut my eyes, with the beautiful design features and it is suitable from 9 months - 3 years its the perfect edition to your little ones nursery.
6. ErgoPounch Sleep Suit Bag, £49.99
Now Winston is a little bit older the sleepsuit with legs is a dream, especially when they might try and get up in their cot at night and there is even a grip for little walkers.
7. Ride on Car Toy, The White Company, £96  This is going to feature as Winston's main gift for his birthday, all set up with his presents surrounding it, i think I am more excited than Christmas.
8. Bumbo Multi Seat & Suction Toys, Bumbo £79.91
Off to Grandma's? Don't forget your Bumbo the perfect travel companion for your little one, suitable from 6 - 36 months. It can be used as a floor seat, strapped to an adult chair for feeding or as a booster by just removing the pad. The suction toys are the perfect accessory and with four to choose from with Luca the Lion being our favourite.
9. Prettier Playmats, The Earth Series Dove, ToddleKind, £89
This truly is a pretty play mat, part of Toddlekind's new 'Earth Series' collection with stunning colours, and this cool grey one really caught my eye and replaces my carpet and looks beautiful. With the spotted design you can create a number of different designs and it will keep you little one from bumping their bum.

Items still on the wish list:

1. Finger Paint Set, Jo Jo Maman Bebe, £13
2. Babiators, Natural Baby Shower, £22.50
3. Intex Dinosaur Play Center. £49.99 - i think they have a 25% offer running
4. Aquadoodle Deluxe Doodle Mat, Amazon,£21.99
5. Leapfrog Learning Friends 100 words book, £19.99
6. Leapfrog Letter Band phonics Jam, Harrods, £29.95
7. Baby's Very First Big Play Book, Usborne, £14.99 - any book that has flaps and makes noise is a winner.
8. Wee Gallery Baby Bath Book, Liberty London, £8.99
9. Skip Hop Explore & More Sort and Spin Yeti Toy, John Lewis £30
10. Little Tikes Little Baby Bum Singing Storybook, Amazon ,£23
11. Scuttlebug, Amazon, £19.99
12. Wee Gallery Alphabet cards, The Modern Nursery, £20
13. Clothes from some of my favourite brands: Bonds, Zara
14. Casdon Dyson Cordless Vacuum Toy, Selfridges, £22
15. Play Tunnel, Scandiborn
16. My First Soccer Ball, Smyths, £4.99
17: 2 in 1 Sports Centre, Amazon, £39.99

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My Routine with a 9 month old during lockdown

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I thought I would share my new routine as a Mum during lockdown (If you have not been following my journey on here or Instagram then I became a Mum to Winston in August 2019) and some insight into the Aptamil Follow On Milk with Pronutra™️-ADVANCE I have been using.

Before I became 'Mum' or 'Mummy' I really didn't have many decisions to make other than to choose what colour I should paint my nails this week (FYI it was usually a different shade of nude). I am nearly ten months into my motherhood journey and to say it’s been tough would be an understatement but it has already been an incredible journey. I am amazed by the female body and the power all parents have, it is the best thing I have ever done.

After having a baby, everything I am met with comes with a huge number of options and even more decisions. I am so glad for all the mum support networks out there, I have my NCT group and all the local online groups. Without them I am not sure how I would cope during these crazy and uncertain times.

I wanted to share my advice so hopefully if you have even just one of the many questions I had; maybe this post will help.

A typical day in the life of me right now is, (this is not exact but a rough guide):

6:30am: Winston wakes up in his cot. We then have some cartoons, usually Little Baby Bum on Netflix and quiet play in bed whilst we fully wake up. My husband is currently home so he gets to see Winston awake which is one of the positives of the current situation. I then change out of my pyjamas into leggings or day pyjamas.

7:30am / 8am: Winston will have a feed and usually stays in his PJ’s, ready for breakfast - currently we have a mix of apple pancakes, porridge or toast.

9am: Feed and nap time - I then tidy up from the morning. There is usually a bunch of toys and one or two nappies strewn about the place.

11am: Wake up and get changed, have a feed and get ready for our virtual sensory class. We used to do swimming (which we do in a paddling pool) and a messy play class which we can’t do.

11:30am: Virtual sensory class in the lounge - this week was Magic week. 

  

12:30pm: It is lunch time for Winston and I have my lovely husband home who does lunch time and makes something for me. 

Some favourites for the babe are: puff pastry pinwheels, spaghetti bolognese and kiwi. He will also have water or Aptamil Follow On Milk with Pronutra™ - ADVANCE from a beaker. Lunch currently consists of purees and some strips of fruit and veg but that is for another post.

1:30pm: gets a top up of milk, Aptamil Follow On Milk with Pronutra™  ADVANCE   for nap time - currently persevering with getting him asleep in his cot for this nap.

2:15pm: Play time, or we will pop out for a walk. Key toys currently are a wooden spoon and metal pan to hit it on, bubble machine and Thomas the Tank Engine book.

3:30 / 4:00: Breastmilk time

5pm: Feed Winston dinner, again with water or Aptamil Follow On Milk with Pronutra™ - ADVANCE from a beaker.

6pm Bath time (every other day)

6.15pm: Get Winston dressed for bed usually in a short sleeve baby grow and a sleep-suit and a sleeping bag, currently 1 tog.

6.30: Book and FINAL feed time!

6:45-7pm Bed time along with his favourite rhyme 'Hush little baby'.

And that my Mummy friends is my typical day at the moment! I am sure you are interested to hear more about how I do my feeds. I am currently combination feeding and above is just a rough guide. I feed Winston on demand but I think its typically every three hours for a core feed.

The follow on milk I decided to use when Winston turned 6 months was Aptamil Follow On Milk with Pronutra™ - ADVANCE. To be honest, no other brand crossed my mind. Most of my NCT class use Aptamil Follow On Milk and I have always heard it being recommended even before I got pregnant. All my decisions have been on recommendations and when I am stuck, the Mum community is my key resource.

The brand behind Aptamil Follow On Milk with Pronutra™ - ADVANCE is known for their scientific research into breastmilk. They have around 500 scientists that continue researching into this area of nutrition, which resonates with the brand packaging and as a Marketer I feel safe in the knowledge that they are experts in their field and want to promote the science behind this. I think this is one of the many reasons why I trust the brand so much; 

Talking more about the fantastic 'mum community' and needing someone to go to for advice; Aptamil Follow On Milk have a 24/7 care line in the UK which, being honest, I never knew about until I recently spoke to the brand. This service is so fantastic during times like these where parents are more isolated and may not have access to their usual support network. You can get advice on anything from how to prepare a bottle, tips on feeding, to just having a chat because Mum life can be very overwhelming at the best of times!

Sometimes, I just want to have a quick chat with someone who is knowledgeable on topics such as 'is Winston feeding enough?', advice when starting solids, his weight - and the list goes on and on so knowing about this resource is such a valuable tool.

Aptamil Follow On Milk with Pronutra™ - ADVANCE Stage 2 is for babies over six months the formula contains:

• Vitamins A, C & D - Vitamin D supports the normal function of the immune system

• Iron which supports normal cognitive development

• Omega-3 LCPs (DHA) to support normal visual development (benefit obtained from a daily intake of 100mg DHA).

• A blend of Galacto- and Fructo-oligosaccharides.

One thing which I have found to be important after Winston turned six months was making sure he was getting enough Iron in his diet. His and all other babies iron stores from being a newborn are depleted at six months so it’s important he is getting iron from his meals and with Aptamil Follow On Milk with Pronutra™ - ADVANCE having that included was just a bonus.

At 6 months I introduced Winston to the 360 beaker which he uses to drink water or Aptamil Follow on Milk with his food. Preparation is so easy! Follow the back of the packaging if you are in any doubt but you can also find some tips here.

1. Watch out for hot spots, avoid using a microwave to heat

2. Do not add extra scoops or anything else to the feed

3. Discard unfinished feed straight away but always within 2 hours

4. Never leave your baby alone during feeding. 

Aptamil Follow on Milk with Pronutra™ADVANCE is available in powder format (800g pack) or the ready-to drink bottles (4 x 200ml & in 1 litre), which are easy to pop in your handbag. It also now comes in brand new Ready to Mix Sachets so you do not need to count out the scoops of powder making it easy when your away from home. 

Like my friends recommended to me, I will confidently recommended Aptamil Follow On Milk to all my mummy friends out there.

Disclaimer from Aptamil Follow On Milk: Important Notice: Breastfeeding

is best for babies. Follow On Milk should only be used as part of a mixed

diet and not as a breastmilk substitute before 6 months. Use on the advice of your healthcare professional.

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