MUMMY TO THE MAX

Maxwell has been getting back into the routine of going to preschool. Although he is not there all day, being a active 2 year old can take its toll and Maxwell often comes home hungry. A few weeks back Birds Eye sent Maxwell and I some vouchers, we were asked to come up with a special meal that showed us getting back into our tea time routine using Birdseye products. Maxwell decided that he would love to invite Grandad round for dinner to celebrate his first month back at preschool.


Maxwell sent Grandad a invite to invite him for tea and it went a little like this:

1. Maxwell's speech is coming on leaps and bounds
2. Maxwell adores role play
3. Maxwell is trying different foods and is enjoying them
4. Maxwell can nearly ride a bike (with stabilizers)
5. Maxwell loves cuddling on the sofa

It has been 2 weeks since I last did my 5 for £5 and since I shared the last lot with you I have had a few requests for children's bits. These items would be perfect for Christmas and I am in love with a few items which I have purchased. The items are suitable for a variety of ages. Enjoy!

Innovation experts Bosch DIY are celebrating the birth of the IXO cordless screwdriver this summer, with over 10million units sold to date. Launching in 2003, the IXO was the world’s first and smallest cordless screwdriver, powered by lithium-ion technology. It has evolved significantly since its inception, experiencing four model changes,  being embellished with Swarovski crystals and refreshed with various attachments to help around the house, from opening a bottle of wine, to grinding salt and pepper.


To celebrate the 10 millionth unit sold, Bosch is giving away a free meal for two at Pizza Express for every new IXO sold throughout September, there is also a big competition where three lucky customers will win a luxury trip for two the Maldives! If these offers are not good enough for you, Mummy To The Max have also teamed up with Bosch and together we are giving 1 person the chance to win an amazing IXO. To win all you need to do is enter the simple rafflecopter below.

 If you would like more information on the IXO please pop over and visit www.bosch-ixo.com for more information.

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At the weekend we went to our local Clarks store in Whitley Village to pick Maxwell some new shoes for the fast approaching Autumn/Winter. Before heading there I had a little look at the shoes I thought may look nice on Maxwell on the Clarks website, there was a lot of choice, a wide range of prices to suit everyone's budget and a whole load of designs. After a long look on their website I had in mind what I was after.
When we got to the Clarks store in Whitley we were greeted by friendly staff. We were told to take a number and we were asked to wait on comfy seating, we were then asked to wait for our number to be called out and we were told we then would be seen by a staff member who would measure Maxwell's feet. We waited a short amount of time and we were then seen.

1. Max has been having fun outside
2. Maxwell's speech appointment went well
3. Maxwell celebrated Great Grandads 86th Birthday
4.  Maxwell is looking forward to getting a new wardrobe and new shoes
5. Maxwell has a small addiction to stickers. 

Maxwell's speech has been a big concern of mine recently, I have been loosing sleep over it and worrying madly. On Friday we went to see a speech therapist, who along with another lady decided that although Maxwell did have a delay, it was nothing major and they would hope he would not be on there books for long. It was a great session and it was a huge relief to know there was very little wrong with Maxwell. We have a few activities which we need to do at home to encourage Maxwell's speech and the speech therapists will be attending Maxwell's nursery sessions in a few weeks time to see how he is getting on.

This week we celebrated my Grandads 86th Birthday which meant we got to see my parents when we visited my Grandad. It was brilliant to spend time with my parents and Grandad and Maxwell really enjoyed himself. He spent hours playing bat and ball with my Dad and he loved giving cuddles to my Mum. My Grandad also seemed to enjoy himself, he was very spoilt with presents and was also given a large amount of cake!

Now it is nearly Autumn time, I am looking to update Maxwell's wardrobe. Yesterday  I wrote about a few items I would love to buy for him to keep him looking cool and trendy but this weekend will see us hit the shops and get Maxwell some new Autumn clothing. We will also be visiting Clarks to get him some shoes which will be suitable for him to attend preschool in as I would hate him to go in his Converse trainers and allow his feet to get wet and muddy. We are looking to buy Maxwell some nice leather shoes that will be suitable for him to wear at preschool but also suitable for him to walk to preschool in. We will also be looking to buy him some spare wellies to keep at preschool.

Maxwell has a big sticker addiction, this week we have seen Maxwell complete a sticker book, a activity book full of stickers and use lots of stickers out of 2 magazines. It is great he has started to show a interest in stickers and I am looking forward to this week, when I am able to show him that stickers can be made into art work.

Money can often be tight and sometimes it can be hard to save but here I have a list of 30 different ways that enable you to save £1 in money.  Some of these ways can be harder than others but I find that most of the ideas are easy to complete.

Before Maxwell was born I already had a idea of what products I would use on his skin. I was aware that baby's skin was sensitive and I hated the thought of putting something on Maxwell's skin which he may react to. After talking to other parents I heard lots of positive things about the brand Johnson's, since Maxwell was born we have used Johnson's bath products. Maxwell's skin has always been soft and he has never had a reaction to their products.

Maxwell and I were lucky enough to receive a bundle of the new First Touch range from Johnson's. The range included: All in one wash, moisturising lotion, barrier cream, shampoo and wipes. The new First Touch range is a brand new fragrance-free range developed for newborns that includes everything mums need to cleanse and protect their baby’s delicate skin from top to toe.


First of all we tried the wipes. Over time we have tried lots of different brands of wipes and to date we have been extremely happy with the Johnson's brand. Previously we have tried other brands and have found that the wipes are to wet or to dry and tend to come out in clumps which make it hard when changing nappies and cleaning messy hands and faces. When we tried the new First Touch range wipes we found that they were wet enough, did not come out in clumps and they did not split. They were perfect to use on Maxwell's skin and came in a large pack of 64 which means that they would last over a long period of time.

Secondly we tried the  First Touch shampoo and all in one wash. Maxwell is a huge fan of baths and adores nothing more than splashing around in a lot of bubbles. The all in one wash can be carefully poured into the bath due to its great pouring hole which is fairly small. This allows the all in one wash to flow into the bath instead of going into the bath clumpy which makes it harder to break down so less bubbles form. The First Touch shampoo was also a hit in our household, I used very little shampoo to wash Maxwell's hair however the shampoo seemed to spread out well and a lot of bubbles were formed meaning Maxwell's hair had a good wash. I liked the fact that these products were fragrance free as after bath time I do not always want to smell a strong smell of bath products on Maxwell's skin.

The Johnson’s Baby First Touch range is available at many supermarkets, chemists and also Boots.

1. Maxwell's bedroom has had a transformation
2. Maxwell has gone back to preschool
3. Maxwell can now say part of the alphabet and his favorite word is no
4. Maxwell has been a little poorly this week
5. Maxwell has enjoyed having his Daddy at home

To return back to preschool Maxwell was sent some lovely items from Smash and Nude Food Movers. Not only were we sent a lovely, bright, toddler friendly lunch bag to accompany Maxwell back to preschool but we were also sent some lovely food storage containers to use in his new lunch bag and at home.


I always love to choose Maxwell unique items to use at preschool, instead of character items which we find many children have.  We like to buy Maxwell bright, colourful, fun, unique items which we know Maxwell can identify easily. When Maxwell's new lunch bag arrived from Smash and Nude Food Movers I knew instantly that it would fit in with Maxwell's personality and I knew that no-one at Maxwell's preschool would have the same lunch box. The lunch bag we were sent was an amazing 3D bright green crocodile!

The lunch bag is a good quality item and it is clear that the item is made to last. The material is thick, the zip has thick teeth so is unlikely to get caught and broken and the lunch bag has a good size handy handle for Maxwell to keep hold of the lunch bag on his walks to preschool. The lunch bag is large in size and includes a main compartment, zipped pocket front and a reusable 500ml plastic drink bottle. The lunch bag also is insulated which is a great extra to have as it means Maxwell's food will stay chilled.

As a added bonus Smash and Nude Food Movers also sent us a selection of food storage containers. The idea of the containers is to eliminate the wastage of packaging, instead of spending money and using sandwich bags you are able to simply buy Smash and Nude Food Movers storage containers and use the containers over and over again. Not only are the containers great for eliminating waste they are also great for packing leftovers and also limits portions to healthy sizes in order to cut down on food waste.


We were sent a mini rubbish free lunchbox which is perfect to fit into the Smash and Nude Food Movers lunchbox. The mini lunchbox has two separate storage areas, one area is perfect to fit a sandwich in and the other area is perfect to add a range of snacks in. As a added extra the lunchbox is leak proof and is also easy clean due to its easy to wipe plastic material.

The last two products which we were sent are two very handy products. We were sent rubbish free snack tubes and a rubbish free yogurt mover. The snack tubes are 3 little tubs which all stack together however they also detach from one another if you are only looking to use one tub. These tubs are ideal to store dry fruit in, small crackers and even dips for lunchbox items such as bread sticks. The tubs are spill proof which is perfect if you are wanting to use the tubs for liquid items. The yogurt mover is one of my favorite items which we were sent due to its uniqueness. The yogurt mover is of course perfect for yogurt, the pot comes with a fab spoon which is reusable and is perfect for eating on the go, the pot also has a freeze gel wall which means that what ever is placed in the pot will stay cooler for longer.


Overall I was really impressed with the quality of the Smash and Nude Food Movers products. I would 100% reccomend their products to other parents. Their products not only save money over time but they are also eco friendly. Their products are well thought out and are priced reasonably for the quality of the item which you get. Smash and Nude Food Movers products can be found in all good supermarkets. You are able to find more information here.

Would you like the chance to win an Ipad Air? Why not enter Sudocrem's brand new competition over on Facebook?! Compete against the clock and see how quickly you can complete Ready, Steady, Change, Sudocrem’s latest competition!

The unique game is made up of 3 parts;
Clean – Wash the baby when the water temperature is ‘just right’
Dry – Use the towel to make sure the baby is completely dry
Apply – Apply Sudocrem Care & Protect onto the baby at the perfect spot

You need to complete the game in a quick time and if you do so you will be entered into a fabulous prize draw to win 1 of 8 iPad Air 32GBs. There are also lots of vouchers to win that you can use to get money off Sudocrem products! You can play once  but can gain extra chances to win by referring friends, following Sudocrem on Twitter and Tweeting about the game also.

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There is not a day that goes past where Maxwell does not get up in the morning and heads to tune into his favorite TV channel! Channel 5's Milkshake has played a big part of Maxwell's mornings for a while now and he would be lost if he did not get to see his favorite TV characters. Each morning Maxwell is entertained by the likes of Thomas The Tank Engine, Ben and Holly and his favorite, Peppa Pig.


This week Maxwell was thrilled when the new Milkshake! Stars DVD dropped onto our doormat. His first reaction was to scream when he saw Peppa Pig and his second reaction was to get the DVD into our DVD player as soon as possible. Once the DVD was safely in the DVD player, Maxwell sat for around 2 hours enjoying everything the DVD had to give.

The DVD was full of 15 exciting episodes made up of the Milkshake Stars. Peppa Pig was a clear winner when it came to asking Maxwell what his favorite episode was on the DVD but Ben and Holly came a close second. As a parent I was also happy to watch the Milkshake! Stars DVD and I was happy to relive some of my childhood favorite TV programmes such as Thomas The Tank Engine and Fireman Sam. The DVD also included stars like Little Princess, Bert and Ernie, Bananas in Pyjamas and many more!

As a parent I can happily say that the DVD was full of action, comedy, adventures and lots of little learning curves. The DVD is perfect for not only watching in the home but also to take on long journeys in the car or even on holidays further afield due to the short but entertaining episodes.

The DVD goes on sale on the 8th September so keep your eye out for it, it is worth the money due to it providing a lot of entertainment and if your child is a Milkshake fan they are sure to be impressed! If you are counting down the days for its release why not preorder it on Amazon for just £7?

If the DVD is not good enough for your little one, I bring you further exciting news! Milkshake is going on tour! There are many venues you can to attend to up and down the country, it looks like a great show and a lot of fun for all the Milkshake lovers out there. For more information of dates and venues, click here.

1. Maxwell has made the transition from cot to bed
2. Maxwell has started to try and dress him self
3. Maxwell has had a lovely summer
4. Maxwell is looking forward to going back to preschool
5. Maxwell adores dancing

Maxwell and I are huge fans of OXO and we have used many of their products. I have always found that OXO products are reasonably priced but also are very good quality. OXO sell products which are great to use around the home, they also sell products which are suitable for children to use. OXO have teamed up with us to give 1 lucky reader 2 products which are great to use around the house.


Mini 4 in 1 Screwdriver for Toys
The OXO Tot Mini 4 in 1 Screwdriver for Toys makes easy work of openeing small battery compartments on childrens toys and more. This compact tool has four different sized attachments of 1/16 inch (2mm), 1/8 Inch (4mm), #000 Phillips and #1 Phillips. The magnetic attachment heads attract and hold even the tiniest of screw whilst the screwdriver spins for smooth turning. A soft, non-slip handle ensures a comfortable grip.

Compact Dustpan & Brush Set
Small messes are no big deal with the OXO Good Grips Compact Dust Pan. The brush conveniently snaps into the Dust Pan for storage, keeping dirty bristles covered. The Dust Pan’s flat bottom allows it to stand up, making it easy to store on countertops or shelves, but it is also slim enough to fit into a drawer. The soft, comfortable brush handle is angled for quick and easy countertop use. The Dust Pan features a soft, rubber lip that conforms to surfaces to ensure efficiency.
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