Maxwell is a child who know's what he likes and does not enjoy trying much else. Maxwell adores fruit, veg and salad however is not keen on meat. As a parent how likes to have meal times with Maxwell I decided that for our Amoy challenge we would create Veg wraps and noodles. I knew this meal would go down well with Maxwell however warm him up after a cold day out.

You will need;
1 x 120g sachets Amoy Black Bean Sauce
2 x Amoy Noodles
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 onion, sliced
1 large yellow pepper, sliced
Ingredients to create a stir fry - we bought a packet one
4 warm flour tortillas

1. Slice pepper and onion up and add to the stir fry mix to bulk it out.
2. Heat wok up, add oil and add stir fry ingredients, pepper and onion.
3. Heat the veg up for up to 5 minutes and slowly stir in the Amoy Black bean sauce - leave a small amount of sauce to add to noodles.
4. Whilst you are heating the veg, add noodles in a further wok to cook. Once these are warm, add some black bean sauce to them and allow this to heat through. This process should take 5-7 minutes. 
5. Once the noodles and veg stir fry are ready to serve add the veg stir fry to a warm flour tortilla wrap and place noodles on the side of the dish.

This Christmas I have neglected my blog a little. Normally every Christmas I am busy, stress and do not sit down however I wanted this Christmas to be different. I wanted to relax so I started planning ahead in October and had finished most of my to do list by December. Next year I will be planning ahead again as in the end we had a lovely Christmas which was mostly stress free.


In the run up to Christmas we didn't do anything "magical" as such with Maxwell due to him being ill. A few weeks before Christmas Maxwell went down ill with a cold which worsened and it meant a lot of sleepless nights. Because of this Maxwell missed a week of preschool and missed meeting Santa which he was very upset about as he had written him a letter, however there was very little we could do about it and in the end managed to get a video created for Maxwell from Santa which Maxwell loved.

With the run up to Christmas Ben managed to work 10 days straight which meant we had little family time to do much so me and Maxwell spent our days doing simple things like going to the park, doing crafts at home and more importantly playing with all his new toys which he got for his Birthday.

Christmas Eve was exciting. It was fantastic to see Maxwell's little face all excited due to the fact that Santa was coming. This year is the first year in which Maxwell has started to understand who Santa is and it was lovely to see how excited he was. He wanted to talk to Santa a lot before Santa arrived so took to talking to Santa on his mobile. Maxwell loved his Christmas Eve box and it is something which we will continue to do for years to come.

Christmas Eve saw Ben and I build Maxwell his very large kitchen. It took us 3 hours to build however Maxwell's face on Christmas morning was a picture. Maxwell did not want to open any of his presents as he was far to excited to play with his kitchen. Maxwell also obsessed over a toothbrush from the Disney store which was in his stocking as well as some toy cars. He was thrilled with his presents and is looking forward to using them all in the next few days.



Our Christmas Day was broken up into 2 parts - Christmas lunch at my sisters with my parents and Christmas dinner at Ben's parents with his Nan. We had a lovely Christmas and we enjoyed seeing all our family. Christmas dinner was lovely and it was a Christmas which I will go on to remember. We were all spoilt and came away with a lot of presents and money. Ben has already purchased a Ipad mini and Maxwell has managed to buy a few new toys for his kitchen however I am stuck on what to spend my money on so if any one has any useful ideas please leave a comment below.

Finally we celebrated Boxing day with my family but before seeing my family we also headed to the sales. Unfortunately there was not a lot in the sales which I wanted to buy. This was quite disappointing as I was looking forward to the sales however mid January I will have another look in the sales when stuff has been reduced again meaning I may be more tempted to buy something if it is at a better price.

For the next few days we will be catching up on sleep and spending more time together. I will start posting more and I am looking forward to seeing others Christmas posts. Did you have a lovely Christmas?

Last year we started a new tradition of creating Maxwell a Christmas Eve Box. I wanted to make it into a tradition to make Christmas that little bit more exciting. As always I wanted to do Maxwell's Christmas Eve Box on a budget this year so I shopped for bargains and decided to reuse some of the bits that we had from last year.


In Maxwell's Christmas Eve Box 2014 you will find:

Orchard Toy Christmas Surprises Game: I bought this around July this year and I payed just £4 for it. Maxwell is now at the perfect age where he can start enjoying games and he adores the Orchard Toy Games. They are great to help with learning and development. This item will feature in many more Christmas Eve Boxes.

2 Snowman and Snowdog Crackers: I picked up a pack of these for £1 in the January sales this year and I have saved them for Maxwell to enjoy this Christmas. I shall save the rest of the pack for next Christmas as I think 2 is plenty for Maxwell to have in his Christmas Eve Box.

Disney Pjs: These were a bargain which I picked up in Tesco. Tesco has been one of my favorite clothing shops this year due to there highly reduced items. These Pj's normally are priced up to £5 but I spent just £2.50 on them. They are themed with Maxwell's favorite Disney character and I think he will love wearing these on Christmas Day.

Santas Magic Key: No box is complete without a key! I have always taught Maxwell that it is important that we lock the door behind us when inside for safety. I would hate for Maxwell to grow up thinking Santa was a intruder. This was in our Christmas Eve box last year so of course this year it cost us nothing.

Peppa Pig Chocolate: Maxwell adores Peppa Pig still and watches her daily so I knew she would need to feature in Maxwell's Christmas Eve box. Upon wondering around the 99p store a few weeks ago I spotted the Peppa Pig chocolates and I knew I had to grab a box to include in Maxwell's Christmas Eve Box.

Numberjacks And Smurfs Christmas DVD'S: This year Maxwell has not been interested in Christmas TV. His favorite film which has been on TV has been the Railway children and he has also loved watching the pantos on Cbeebies. These were the 2 Christmas DVD's which I purchased Maxwell last year, he loves Numberjacks and the smurfs so I am hoping he will enjoy watching one tomorrow.

Santa's Coming To Southampton  Book: This was a buy last year which I adored. Since buying last year I have seen a lot of people have now purchased them for their children. I have to say the book is magical and the pictures are amazing. The book goes into detail about local places Santa will visit this Christmas and includes illustrations of local places as well. I think I payed around £6 for it last year and it is well worth the money. This book will be used for many more Christmas's.

Christmas Dish: This was a buy from the 99p store last year and  I think it is perfect to add nibbles into but also to eat Christmas dinner out of. It is simple, childproof and a little bit of fun.

Soft Toy Santa: Maxwell is very much into soft toys at the moment so I thought this would be a nice little extra to add into his box. It is a simple soft toy from the 99p store and he is super soft. Maxwell adores talking on the phone to Santa this Christmas so it will be nice to tell him that he can talk to Santa on  Christmas eve and Christmas day as he has his own soft toy version.

Magazine: I won a few magazines in a recent competition and I decided to save one for Christmas. Maxwell loves looking through magazines and he enjoys sticking all the stickers in the magazine once he has had a look through it so this is going to be a popular item in his box this year.

As you are able to see, Maxwell's Christmas Eve box cost me under £10. I didn't feel the need to go mad on his Christmas Eve box this year and I thought it was nice to keep it simple for him as he is still very young and I did not want to overwhelm him. I am looking forward to seeing his face when he opens his box Christmas Eve morning.

On Friday Ben, Maxwell and I attended our local Brewers Fayre which is a short drive from our home in the New Forest. On Friday it was Maxwell's Birthday however we were there for another reason - to try out their Festive menu.

Ben, Maxwell and I are food lovers. We regularly love to go out together and eat out so we were excited to go to Brewers Fayre. We have never visited Brewers Fayre before so we were a little anxious about how busy the venue - Three Bells would be due to the fact it was so close to Christmas however we had not needed to be.

When we arrived at the venue, we found there was plenty of parking. The venue was easy to access and find. We parked up with ease and walked into the venue where we were greeted instantly with friendly, happy staff who instantly seated us. There were plenty of seats available in the venue even though the venue was packed with people waiting for there Friday lunches.

Maxwell was given a colouring sheet and a pack of colouring pens which I thought was a great idea as this kept him entertained whilst we browsed the menu and decided what we would order. Ben, Maxwell and I decided to order off the festive menu however after going to the bar to order we found that the festive menu was not available on a Friday however we were able to choose off the main menu which had a lovely range of options for us to try.

Ben, Maxwell and I each decided to go for a starter, main meals and deserts.We also had a round of drinks. In total are meals and drinks came to £49.


Ben and I went for the combo feast for 2 for a starter to share and  Maxwell went for the vegetable sticks as well as dip. The starters arrived quickly and we were surprised at the great value of the combo feast - we found that there was a lot on the plate for us to share. In the end we all tucked into the combo feast together. The combo consisted of battered king prawns, breaded BBQ chicken goujons, garlic and herb breaded mushrooms, battered onion rings and slices of cheesy garlic baguette.

For main courses I went for the mighty stack and Ben went for the mixed grill. When the meals came out we found that they were both large and filling, Ben loved his and struggled to eat what was on his plate as there was so much there. He loved the meats which were on his plate. My Mighty Stack burger was lovely again and the burger itself was packed = one small niggle was that I found that my plate was a little empty at the restaurant. After browsing the menu once I got back home I realised that my corn on the cob was missing.



Maxwell is a little fussy when it comes to food however we found that Three Bells were very accommodating when it came to our fussy toddler.  Maxwell went for the child's poppin chicken. Instead of beans they happily swapped for peas. They also gave us the option to swap the chips with mash or garlic bread however Maxwell was more than happy with chips.

When our deserts came out, we were massively impressed. Maxwell had mini doughnuts, Ben had a Oreo cake and I had chocolate brownies without the ice cream. Again the potions were a good size and the deserts were delicious.

Overall as a family we had a cracking time. I found that £49 for a 3 course meal for a family of 3 with drinks was perfectly reasonable and we left the venue with full tummies. The food was hot, cooked well and was nicely presented on the plates. The staff were friendly and helpful and even though it was busy, they went out of there way to help.

Ben, Maxwell and I would definitely return to our local Brewers Fayre again for a meal. Next time we hope to visit one which has a fab play area for Maxwell to play in.

When it’s time for tots to self-feed, try the OXO Toddler Feeding Set. The OXO Tot Plate has a removable, curved ring and the Bowl features straight side walls, each designed to help guide food onto utensils with ease. Both have a non-slip bottom to keep them stable on the table. OXO Tot’s Fork and Spoon feature curved handles that are non-slip and easy for little hands to hold. Tines on the Fork capture food effectively and a deep Spoon shape makes it easy to scoop food and liquid. a Rafflecopter giveaway

Wasgij (jigsaw backwards), the UK’s No.1 adult jigsaw puzzle brand*, has launched the must-have jigsaw puzzle this Christmas - Wasgij Christmas 10: Mystery Shopper!

The 2 x 1000 piece festive jigsaw puzzle will bring family fun and entertainment to every home and a distraction from our digital screens this Christmas. The picture on the box depicts a department store crammed with shoppers trying to pick up the best Christmas bargains - but what has caught the eyes of these busy shoppers? Piece together the puzzle to reveal the solution.

Wasgij, is unlike traditional jigsaws where you puzzle the image printed on the box instead you use your imagination and the clues provided to piece together a different image than what is shown on the box. But to make this Christmas puzzle even more special, you can also piece together the image printed on the box – making it twice as enjoyable.
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Christmas is an event which I think about all year. From January I set about making Christmas perfect. I have plans in place to ensure that December is mainly stress free. I find it important to have December stress free as not only is it Christmas but it is also mine and Maxwell's birthdays.

Present Shopping - Starting in the January sales I hunt for bargains. I shop instore and online and love to find the best deals. This year one of the best deals I have managed to get was for Maxwell and it was a play kitchen that I managed to purchase him. I decided I was going to buy Maxwell a play kitchen way back in August this year, I searched Amazon for one which I liked and I kept a eye on the price. The kitchen was priced at £150 and for day's I saw it being lowered however I did not give in to the lowing price. Eventually the kitchen was reduced to £65 which is below half price and I purchased it. Straight after purchasing it, it shot back up to full price and since buying it at £65 I have not seen the kitchen being sold anywhere else cheaper. When shopping for presents I always search around before buying and I will wait for the best deals. I do not buy things for the sake of buying them because they are a bargain. I often try and team coupons and vouchers with purchases.

Food Shopping - This year I booked my Christmas food shopping in November 2 days after the Christmas delivery slots opened. I did a meal plan of basic items which i needed to buy and stuck to items which we would need over the Christmas period. I bought food for 7 days - not including Christmas as we go to family. Our food shopping is coming on the 22nd December as this is the nearest slot I could get to Christmas, I can imagine by now most of the popular delivery slots will be booked up. I am able to amend my food shopping order up until the 21st December, this gives me plenty of time to think about what I may need to add to my shopping list.

Decorating - This year we moved into a new home and since moving in I have wanted to change things. In July we painted our living room as well as Maxwell's bedroom and more recently we have purchased new furniture for Maxwell meaning he has more storage for new items this Christmas. I do not tend to do any decorating or changes to the house in December. I like to plan ahead and get the house just right before December. If I could have changed one thing this year to the house, the change would have been buying a new sofa for our home. This is on the top of my to do list for the New Year.

Decluttering - I started to declutter in September. I started decluttering from downstairs and worked my way upstairs. Items were sold, sent to the charity shop, sent to Maxwell's preschool or given to family. I got rid of toys, clothes, items in the kitchen and items in our bedrooms. It was great to see it go and it was lovely to have lots of space again. Come December my house is pretty much clutter free and there is space for new toys, new clothes and any other items which we may be given to our family this Christmas. I often tend to do another declutter in January.

Present Wrapping - This is one of the things which I did not manage to complete this year however I have not struggled to complete wrapping Christmas Presents. I normally tend to buy all my Christmas wrapping paper in the January sales as well as Christmas cards. In November I write all my Christmas cards up and I start to wrap presents. I spread present wrapping over a few days, however this year was not the case and instead I have spent a hour a day over 5 days this December present wrapping.

Brother Max Ray Digital Bath and Room Thermometer

This week Monsters Inc arrived free on DVD for Maxwell. Maxwell was of course pleased that he had a new DVD but I was also pleased that he had a new DVD which would have cost me around £8 for free. How did we get it for free? We signed up to Disney Movie Rewards, bought Disney products and saved enough points up to get our free DVD.. Is it worthwhile? YES!

The Koala Brothers is an animation series for pre-schoolers and broadcast in the UK by CBeebies. It follows the adventures of Frank and Buster, two koalas living in the Australian outback whose mission in life is to help others. From their isolated homestead, they fly out on daily patrol in their yellow aeroplane, looking for anyone in need of help. The series shows the true value of friendship and caring for others and has sold to 150 territories worldwide, been translated into 31 languages and been nominated for four children’s BAFTA awards.

This Christmas Mummy To The Max has teamed up with Koala Brothers to offer one lucky reader the chance to win a Koala Brothers Frank medium plush and a backpack. To enter all you simply need to do is enter the simple rafflecopter below.

Good Luck!

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I was recently sent a Heat Holders Snugover Fleece to keep me warm in the cold weather. The snugover fleece is a soft fur fleece jumper and is the perfect item to put over your P.J's in the cold evenings or perfect to add over a tshirt in the day time. It has a 1.4 tog rating which ensures you will stay warm what ever time of day you choose to wear it. 

Have some fun with the delightful Lipstick Pop from SewLomax!

This gorgeous Lipstick shaped bag is such a handy size and can be used as a purse, a make-up bag or as a fun clutch bag on a night out. Beautifully created from embroidered canvas with a vibrant Nylon lining, the Lipstick Pop is sure to turn heads. Length: 29cm Width: 13cm Depth: 1cm
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Victoria Green is a British textile designer who has designed for brands such as The White Company, Marks and Spencer and Laura Ashley. Victoria Green has recently designed a selection of travel bags which are beautiful. Her collection is available from Debenhams. You are able to purchase a Victoria Green bag just in time for Christmas.

Jelly Jamm is an animation series for 4-7 year olds, produced in Spain and broadcast in the UK on Channel 5 Milkshake and over 180 countries worldwide. Jelly Jamm can also be watched on Youtube which is fab if you are a busy family on the go. Jelly Jamm is funny, educational and has great music. Jelly Jamm launched a new soft toy range in the UK earlier this year. In the new soft toy range there are 7 mini plushes at £7.99.
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Baker Ross is a family owned business whose innovative ideas have led them to become one of the leading suppliers of arts & crafts to schools, playgroups and organisations in the UK. They currently offer over 4,000 items through their website and catalogues. Baker Ross has expanded its operations during the past few years by establishing Yellow Moon UK Limited.
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Maxwell and I often enjoy going for walks in the forest however often I worry that he may run off and I will loose him. The forest is a huge place with lot's of hiding places and as a parent I could not think of anything worse than loosing my child. Recently Maxwell was sent the Goldbug Owl Harness Buddy to test out. I have previously heard lots of good things about the Goldbug Harness range so I was excited to finally get my hands on one.

There are 25 different designs in the Goldbug range. The range is mostly made up of animals however there is also a design perfect for any little girl - a fairy. Due to the huge amount of different designs in the Goldbug range there is something to suit any little girl or boy. The Goldbug Harness can be worn just about anywhere and I would say it is perfect for children to use from 18 months+.

The features which the Goldbug Harness includes are great. The Goldbug Harness is not just a safety harness, it also transforms into a bag so essentially when you buy this product you are getting a 2 in 1. The handy storage pouch which is situated at the back of the bag is big enough to fit a drink in or perhaps a selection of snacks. The Goldbug Harness also features adjustable straps which allows you child to be able to move freely when using the harness as well as a safety reign with a secure clip attachment.

One of the things which I really liked about the Goldbug Harness was the fact that it is machine washable. Many childrens harness's do not include this feature, I find this feature especially important as Maxwell is forever getting things dirty. After a short walk in the forest and after jumping in numerous amounts of muddy puddles, there is nothing worse than leaving a wet muddy harness on the side.

As a parent I adore the Goldbug Harness. I love the way it looks, the owl design is especially cute and the material is lovely and soft for small people to wear.  I love the features it includes and I especially love the fact that it is machine washable. I would say the price of the Harness is reasonable at £19.99.

Cloudbabies – Fly Away Home
While the Cloudbabies are busy preparing for night-time, Bobo looks after the Skyhorseys by himself, but it isn't long before they escape! Will the Skyhorseys ever get back home? Find out in this classic storybook.
RRP £4.99

Cloudbabies: The Colour of Sun
When Bobo White finds a brush and some paint, he gives Sun a new colour. But a purple Sun can't shine properly. You see Sun isn't really a Sun unless he's yellow. Will the Cloudbabies put things right in time?
RRP £4.99

Cloudbabies: Look After the Sky! Sticker Activity Book
Help the Cloudbabies do all their special sky jobs in this fun activity book. With colouring, drawing and big stickers too, it's perfect for keeping little hands busy!
RRP £3.99

Cloudbabies: Little Library
This six book Little Library is the perfect introduction to the Cloudbabies and their friends. Meet Baba Blue, Baba Green, Baba Yellow, Baba Pink, Bobo White and the Sky Friends in this mini board book set.  Plus there’s even more fun for children as they piece together the books like a jigsaw to create a lovely stable scene from the programme.
RRP £4.99

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This winters shopping trolly essential, a range of vitamin-enriched drinks designed especially for children; A Little More. The range has been designed to help kids achieve an optimum benefit from their daily diet, in a tasty and convenient way.

The ‘A Little More’ range is one of the first drinks of its kind; the drink for kids is a refreshing blend of natural fruit flavours and spring water, making it an easy way to ensure kids achieve their daily vitamin intake in a fun and delicious way. For parents who struggle to get their children to enjoy fruit and vegetables, these multi-vitamin drinks are the perfect solution.

These fresh drinks not only contain the core essential vitamins to promote overall health and well-being, but they are also made with no added sugar and spring water – perfect for those thirst-quenching moments. Each drink is naturally flavoured – orange, citrus or mango & passion fruit - to ensure that taste is not compromised.

It can be enjoyed by children over 3 years of age. The small, easy-to-carry bottles, complete with a convenient sports cap, make it a perfect addition to any packed lunch, picnic or a simple daily nutritious treat.

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For anyone that reads my blog, they will know how much Maxwell adores music. Maxwell is now at the stage where he loves to dance to music, loves to make music and he also adores to sing to music. For Christmas this year I have been looking around for items which he can make music with. I have been looking for something which is hard wearing and something which will last. After searching around on the internet I managed to find the Wilko Play Wooden Guitar.

If you were to visit our house you would see that our kitchen cupboards were fit to bursting point. Our kitchen cupboards are not cluttered but they are full of gadgets which I like to use when cooking. Every gadget in our kitchen has a use and each gadget helps us in some way to prepare our meals. This Christmas I was sent an exciting arrange of kitchen gadget to test.

We were sent the fantastic Heston Blumenthal Dual Platform Precision Scales, Heston Blumenthal multipurpose spatulas and Heston Blumenthal  whisk which I was extremely excited to receive to review. Heston Blumenthal has joined forces with Salter and has come up with a selection of amazing kitchen equipment.

The Gingerbread Collection, inspired by the fairy tale magic of the Christmas season, is a range of essential baby products decorated with festive images. The collection from tommee tippee® closer to nature® consists of 2 gift sets containing 2 bottles and 2 soothers in pink or blue and 2 single 260ml bottles. Each bottle has a unique Gingerbread or Christmas design and comes in a gorgeous presentation / gift box.

The tommee tippee® closer to nature® bottles are suitable to use from birth and are designed to mimic the natural flex, stretch and movement of mum’s breast. Together with the super-sensitive valve the bottle encourages baby’s intuitive feeding action for a comfortable and relaxed feed. With tommee tippee® closer to nature® bottles, switching between breast and bottle-feeding is easier than ever before. The specially designed compact shape allows the bottle to be held in the most natural position during feeding, allowing baby to be closer to you. All bottles are BPA free. The baby approved* soothers are designed with a new style longer flatter teat to support healthy oral development.

To celebrate the launch of the Gingerbread range tommee tippee® have published an interactive fairy tale telling the story of Mr Gingerbread and his Christmas journey. The book brings to life a magical fairy tale world where the gingerbread people live…share the story with your little one here.
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A few weeks ago I was sent a lovely email asking would I like to receive a surprise gift in the post. At the time I had no clue what the item would be and if I am honest I was a little worried what it would be. I had needed not to worry as last week a special box was delivered to my home and inside was a beautiful gift for Maxwell. Inside the box we were greeted with a Hooded Owls Towel.

The Towel was wrapped carefully in a sheet of green tissue paper, the  paper was held with a small Hooded Owls logo sticker. I carefully unwrapped the tissue paper to be greeted with a large white fluffy towel which had a unique ribbon trim around the hood. The unique trim which was on the towel was a lovely tractor design.

When I saw the tractor design and instantly thought it was suitable for Maxwell. Maxwell adores anything farm related and is a real little boy when it comes to moving vehicles. The trim was brightly coloured and the design was simple. I instantly knew that Maxwell would love using his new towel at bath time that evening.

Bath time arrived and when bath time was over I grabbed the towel to dry Maxwell with. The towel being 100% cotton meant that is was absorbent of the water and Maxwell managed to get dry quickly. Maxwell has recently been fixated on having a hood up after he has had a bath and without one he often gets teary. I have recently been using his towels which he has had since he was a baby however they have seen better days and have been getting on the small side for him to use. Maxwell put his hood up immediately on his new Hooded Owl's towel and was extremely happy. I laid Maxwell down in his towel so I could dress him and I noticed that the towel was snugly and was a great fit for my growing child.

I was extremely impressed with the Hooded Owl's towel. The design was well thought out and I have believe that the Hooded Owl's towel will last Maxwell a few years thanks to its generous sizing. I found that towel was unique and I will be taking the Hooded Owl's towel on our next holiday with us.

The Hooded Owl's towel which we were sent cost's just £25 which I think is a reasonable price for such a lovely, luxurious towel. I loved the idea of it coming in a gift box, this makes it a brilliant idea to gift to a loved one this Christmas. I think Maxwell will get many uses out of it our Hooded Owl towel and it will be a nice item to take out and about with us. If you are interested in purchasing a Hooded Owl's towel you are able to buy them here.