MUMMY TO THE MAX

I have been dying for a pair of Uggs for months, however i believe they are far to over priced for what they actually are... Anyway recently on the net i came across a bargain - a pair for £220 reduced to £135... i purchased these as these were the ones i had wanted for weeks! They are the chestnut colour ones with socks. Am waiting for them to be delivered but ever so excited about the incoming arrival.
Me and Ben decided to visit Gunwarf Keys as he had a day off this week, we love shopping there as we always manage to find a good bargain as it is full of outlet shops.
I already had a idea that a Ugg shop was being built and when we visited Gunwarf we found the shop was actually open to the public already!
We went in and i headed straight to the clearance section! Lots of Uggs at decent prices but nothing that took my fancy.. until.. No this could not be right.. were my eyes deceiving me - a pair of Uggs in my size - the last pair in the whole shop £110 reduced to £35!! I grabbed them before anyone could have a look in and went and paid for them! I can not actually believe my luck and the icing on top of the cake, i have been looking for the care kit to keep the material in perfect condition however have not been able to find them cheaper than £30, in the outlet i managed to pick one up for £20! I was a very happy Helen!!!
They also have a baby gap shop there, we are always purchasing items for Maxwell here as we believe they are extremely good quality products, in the gap shop we managed to pick up 2 t shirts for max for just under £6 for the 2 - they retail at £10 each so we had a great saving here!
 My final bargain was a Ralph Lauren polo shirt, i am forever visiting there shop however cant justify spending £40 on a tshirt that Maxwell shall just grow out of! My luck must of been in that day however i managed to root around the clearence section and found him a polo - £40 reduced to just £6!
We had a great day out and especially love the fact that Gunwarf is situated on the sea front, i can definitely recommend using outlet
shops to grab a bargain!

Since Maxwell was small he has always enjoyed his baths! Recently though he has been getting super excited when bath time approaches!
When he goes to visit Nanny she always treats him to a little splash, she puts a small amount of water in the bath and Maxwell lies down and splashes like crazy. He splashes so much he manages to splash the water up the wall, out the bath and all over us! She tips water over him with his plastic boats and he screams in delight.
At home i bath him in his bath seat. He has a small collection of toys that he has in the bath! His favorite however is his squirty fishes! He loves the fish squirting at him and opens his mouth to try and catch the water.





 Maxwell also has a few ducks - a special one that has a theme of a builder, he doesn't play with these much however he just enjoys chewing them.
 Maxwell also has started to appreciate a really big bubble bath. He loves playing with all the bubbles and thinks its funny when i make his ducks and fishes go missing under all the bubbles and then they just pop up out of the bubbles.
I personally think Max would spend most of his day in the bath if i let him however i don't want him turning into a wrinkled prune!
Maxwell has also found he can push himself around the bath in his bath seat! He manages to push up and down and capture his toys as he goes!

I was sent a email by Jokers' Masquerade to review a fancy dress outfit of theirs to review, of course i was extremely excited. I love dressing up, but since Maxwell has been born i have had no reason to dress up.
When talking with Jokers Masquerade i found that the company were very helpful and easy to talk to, i also found that they kept me up to date on my costumes delivery and was surprised at how fast it was delivered to me.
I was asked what costume i would like to receive and i choose the Sexy Cowardly Lion Costume. The reason for choosing this costume was that i have big bright red hair so i thought this would work well with the costume.
When i received the costume and opened it i was surprised at what great quality it actually was. The material the dress was very thick and i also loved all the accessories that it came with - a pair of fur trimmed fingerless glovelets, a headband with ears and a tie on collar-like choker with golden coloured jingle bell.
I was really worried the dress would be very short on me as since having Maxwell i am very body conscience however this was not the case... im quite small, so this could have helped it not be so short however it wasn't revealing which i really liked about this costume.
The dress is available in four sizes - 

• X-Small: Dress Size 6
• Small: Dress Size 6 - 8
• Medium: Dress Size 10 - 12
• Large: Dress Size 12 - 14 

I would say on this costume the sizes are a bit larger than what the size suggests.. I got it in size large as i normally like to wear some shorts underneath it and sometimes a small top....  however being a size 12 and with shorts on i still felt there was plenty of room so should have gone for the size medium!
Maxwell also felt the need to join in with the dressing up so i let him crawl around with the lion ears on much to his amusement!

Overall i would rate this product 4.5/5
However the service that i recieved i would rate 5/5

 On Jokers' Masquerade there are many costumes available for every occasion you can think of - Whatever the occasion Jokers' Masquerade can cater for you! Especially check out there Halloween costumes with Halloween being the next big event so head on over to see there fantastic costumes!
Recently i have been looking to purchase a few costumes to celebrate mine and Maxwell's birthdays in December so i shall definitely be purchasing them of Jokers' Masquerade.

Maxwell is growing up to fast! Over the last week Maxwell has become much more independant and has stopped relying on me so much.
Maxwell is able to sit up b himself! He can sit up by himself for long periods of time as long as he doesn't start to wiggle. As soon as he wiggles he is off! He can sit and play with his toys without needing me to prop him up with things such as pillows and enjoys sitting in his ball bit playing and also watching tv out of it. It has become his secret den.
 He has become very fast at slithering along on his belly, he tries to push up on his knees and is getting very close to doing so. He especially enjoys sliding across shiny floors -  our kitchen floor! He also like to push himself over objects such as peoples legs, pillows, clothes and his changing mat. I am forever having to follow him as he likes to slide from room to room.
He also now has 2 front teeth! 2 at the top and 2 are pushing threw the gums at the bottom! I think this is great as it has started to help Maxwell with his eating. He now is able to feed himself small sandwiches at lunch and is also able to feed himself soft vegetables.  I like to see Maxwell feed himself as i personally think it helps him become very independent and helps with his development.
I went and got him weighed today and was told he weighed 20 pounds. I was quite surprised as i hadn't thought he had grown that much, however being with him 24/7 i have got used to how big he actually is.
The final thing that i have noticed about Maxwell is that he has found his voice. He now manages to screech at things when he gets excited and will try and talk to you in his baby language if you try and make a conversation with him.

Maxwell is developing very well and he continues to make me proud every day! Well Done Maxwell!

Recently i was sent some milkshakes from Shaken Udder. The parcel consisted of 4 flavors, chocolate, banana, strawberry and vanilla.
I personally love milkshake and so does Ben. Unfortunately Maxwell is a bit too small to drink them but I'm sure he will be a fan when he is old enough.
When receiving the milkshakes they have a unique identity which i think is great! The label is bright with a picture of a cow on and is very easy to read! The colour of the milkshake compliments the labels colour.
Many milkshakes i have tried in the past have been made with skimmed milk and then thickened - not Shaken Udder! Shaken Udders milkshakes are made with Fresh British Milk and real ingredients.
The milkshakes are made up with no artificial colours, flavors or preservatives and are very low in fat. The milkshakes are great as they are a good source of calcium not only that but they include less than 5% added sugar. The milkshakes are also gluten free.
I tried all the milkshakes and by far can say the vanilla is my favourite. I love vanilla milkshake but i find it hard to buy it when we go shopping in our local supermarkets.


When drinking the milkshake the texture wasn't thick it was very light and creamy, most milkshakes leave me thirsty however there are very refreshing. This milkshake also was very smooth with no bits in it. The milkshake all have a different identity but in all the milkshakes you are able to taste the nice creamy milk then on the other side you are able to taste the natural ingredient.
I would rate Shaken Udder milkshakes 5/5!

You are able to find Shaken Udder over on there website
Also you can head over to there Twitter page or there Facebook page.

Shaken Udder are also offering people a special discount at the moment!
If you are heading to any festivals and Shaken Udder are attending too you will be able to get a discount if you say "undercover udder" when you order. You are able to find out what festivals they will be attending here.

A few days ago, i looked into buying Maxwell some more toys.We really don't have much space left in the house and im always looking for toys that he will enjoy that wont take up much space.
After spending all evening looking for a new toy to buy for him i came across a ball pit. We have been looking for one for ages, however i knew if we brought a inflatable one we would have to blow it up and inflate it everyday which would be a pain and take up a lot of time... after looking on the internet i finally managed to find one that folds up and down at a bargin price of £5 reduced from £15.
I was so excited and had been counting the days down till today as i knew it was being delivered.
Finally after waiting half the day it turned up! I opened the box pulled it out and it popped into place, all i had to do was push the plastic poles in and fill it up with balls.
Unfortunately after putting all the balls in i found 1 pack wasn't enough. Maxwell didn't seem to bothered about this. I placed Maxwell into the ball pit and he decided her would explore.
Maxwell was having a great time in there, he has just started sitting up by himself so he managed to kick the balls and throw the balls whilst sitting up by himself. After a while he started to get a little board so i decided to put my long maternity pillow around him and put his blanket and dummy in there. He decided he would lay down in there (after i had moved the balls out around him)and watch the tv out of one of the holes that he would class as a window... he stayed in there for around 2 hours and decided he would come out and have a nap in his bed!
I can say he loved it! The great thing was after he had used it i managed to fold it back down and put it back in its box and the balls back in the bag... so it uses maximum space!
A fab buy i personally think and i cant wait to buy some more balls so Maxwell can have even more fun in there, i can see he will continue to use it as he grows.

Maxwell has always been a great eater and at 4 months old he started weening. HiPP Organic have recently sent me and Maxwell some food to try out.
We were sent 2 pouches - one of spaghetti bolognese and one of creamy tomato & leek pasta.We were also sent 2 jars of apricot and apple desert and plum and pear pudding. We were also sent some Little Nibbles - Organic apple and blueberry rice cakes.
I was slightly worried about giving Maxwell spaghetti bolognese as he doesn't normally like other brands of spaghetti bolognese that he has tried however i thought i would go ahead and try and see if he liked it.
The pouch that the spaghetti bolognese was very handy. I thought these would be great if you were going out as they are quite small and flat and are easier to carry in a changing bag than a jar of food. I think using the pouches is a great idea! The spaghetti bolognese itself was a good texture and wasn't runny. It was easy to keep on Maxwell's spoon when i was feeding him. When Maxwell tried the food he enjoyed it and ate the whole lot up. He didn't screw his face up like he normally does with any other brands.
Maxwell then went on to eat plum and peach pudding. I thought there was quite a lot for Maxwell to eat in this jar so i halved it. Although half wasn't quite enough but the whole jar was to much. The pudding was quite runny, and i found it hard to feed it to Maxwell.
Maxwell then went on to try the organic apple and blueberry rice cakes. Maxwell really enjoyed these. They were a great shape for Maxwell to hold and they were also a good shape so that he was able to put easily  his mouth. In fact Maxwell loved them so much he managed to eat another one.
Overall I would rate the -
Spaghetti bolognese pouch - 5/5
Plum and peach pudding 3/5
Apple and blueberry rice cakes 5/5

You can buy HiPP products from most major retailers and supermarkets
Please take the time to visit the HiPP website where you are able to find out more information about there products.

July was the first month i actually thought i would knuckle down and take competitions seriously, before Maxwell was born whilst on the few weeks i had as maternity leave i entered a few but didn't win anything, however a few months ago i thought i needed a new hobby.
People often ask why i comp, the answer - i enjoy the social side of it. As a youngish Mum most of my "friends" haven't bothered to stick around? There out partying, shopping, going on holidays, im changing nappy's, being a mum and running a home! However don't get me wrong, I love my life and wouldn't change it for the world! Being a Mummy is the best thing in the world!
My other reason is Ben recently started a new job working nights, so in the evening with Max in bed and Ben out i get quite lonely and bored.
My main reason for comping however is i want to give Maxwell the best life he can possibly have! He will never go without but winning things for him gives me the chance for him to have little luxuries in life that he never would get before!
In June i started to make a few friends that comped, and won a few prizes - a cake voucher worth £50 and a family trip to our local zoo! However when i started to speak to people that comped they would tell me about amazing wins and i thought if you can win i can too!
The start of June i got myself into a routine, Maxwell in bed and on the computer i would go to waste a few hours before it was my own bedtime.
To my surprise wins started to come in. My name announced in forums, emails sent to me telling me i had won stuff and one of the best prizes, the phone call confirming i had won Maxwell a pushchair.
I won something nearly everyday! Cosmetics, books, food, vouchers towards baby food, concert tickets, games for our Xbox. Something for everyone.
My favorite wins though were:

• Maxwell's Silvercross pushchair - Worth around £130.
• Paraolympic closing ceremony tickets - I have given these to my sister as i don't want to leave Max late at night and she is very much into the Olympics.
• A 2 Night Luxury Break given to us by Tesco Baby Club and Aptimal for Me, Maxwell and Ben, including a spa treatment, Breakfast and dinners - I think this is in the region of £700.
• A Batman Dark Knight Goodie bag - Including a crate of Energy drinks, a limited edition USB stick, a t shirt and a box-set of Batman blue-ray film  - I think this was worth in the region of £65
• A Lisbeth Dahl laptop Bag - Worth around £27

In total i think i won around £1,600 worth of stuff in July! To my surprise already this month (August) i have won a Olympic Party Pack and a GB Bracelet!
Today i also got this lovely beautifully presented box in the post i didn't even know i had won!
I am so happy with what i have already achieved and hope to have another great month!