MUMMY TO THE MAX

When Maxwell was smaller I loved making sure his outfit matched his bibs however I often found it hard to find fun bibs that would match his outfit. I found that the bibs I liked were expensive for what they were and I often had to go for plain white bibs which I found boring. At the time I did not know about Funky Giraffe however I wish I had.

Funky Giraffe offer a wide range of products at affordable prices.  One of the best items which I think they have to offer is there range of bibs. Their bibs are unique, fun, colourful and come in bundles. They have ranges for both boys and girls and have bibs which are made up of different fabrics.

Funky Giraffe offer products which are practical and functional. Funky Giraffe offer products for babies which have style!

Mummy to the Max has teamed up with Funky Giraffe to offer one lucky reader the chance to win £20 worth of items off Funky Giraffe's UK site - the winner gets to pick items up to the value of £20. All you simply need to do to enter this competition is to enter the rafflecopter below.

This giveaway is open to the UK only however if any of my readers live further away, Funky Giraffe have just launched sites in Italy, Spain, and they also have a French site. If you live in these areas why not pop over and take a peek at the baby items Funky Giraffe have to offer?

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Fire up your engines, grab a sou’wester and experience life on the ocean wave with Toot the Tiny Tugboat, a delightful, pre-school series, adapted from the book Toot and Pop! by Sebastien Braun. The programme Toot The Tiny Tugboat can be watched daily on Channel 5’s Milkshake! at 6.35am.

Life on the high seas is a whirl of fun and adventure when you’re a little boat with big ideas. An eager and energetic tug in his first year of service, Toot works and plays with his ocean-going friends in the busy waters of the Harbour, a thriving coastal port which serves its local community. With his rallying cry  “Heave ho! Let’s Go!”, Toot shows children that they are capable of big things, no matter how small they are.

Mummy to the Max has teamed up with Toot the Tiny Tugboat and is offering you, our readers the chance to win your a copy of the Toot and Pop picture book. The book which you will receive is exclusively signed by children’s author and illustrator Sebastien Braun!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

I like to think I am a patient lady however when I find that a type of service which I have paid for is not up to standard I have no problem complaining. 9/10 my complaints are recognized, the situation is sorted and I leave as a happy customer however over the last month I have had issues with a company... a company who is meant to be trusted, a company who is meant to get parcel's to my home securely and in a good timely manner.

The last 2 times Yodel have been hired to deliver goods to my address in a good timely manner, they have failed. They have not failed a little bit. They have failed miserably. At first I thought I was the only person who just had back luck until I saw people on social media networks complain about poor service. I decided to dig a little deeper, after digging I found that they had already appeared on Watchdog!

In January, I waited 2 weeks for one toy order for Maxwell to arrive as well as 5 days for a next day home delivery order to arrive. When the home order did arrive to my disappointment 3 items were missing.  On both occasions I rang Yodel up and gave them a opportunity to try and sort the issue however this was not the case. I found that there staff liked to pass blame to one another and daily I was told that items would be delivered the next day and they were not. I was also lied to and told that items had "tried to be delivered" in fact they had not. I had waited in all day for items to appear and they did not.

I have not written this blog post to bitch (although I feel I could after a 2 week wait for items). I have written this post to hopefully help anyone en-counting issues with this company.

- If you are wanting to talk to a customer service agent, call 0844 453 7443 - This is their direct number. There is not a option 5 listed on there options when you call, but when listening to options wait for the options to finish at 4 and press option 5 on your keypad. This will allow you to get through to there customer service center.

- There is now a "live chat" option on there website. When "live chatting" to them, make sure you keep a record of who you spoke to and what was said. This can always be done via a screen shot. I always find this important as at Yodel, they seem to pass blame to one another. I found when I had records of chat's I could back conversations up and tell a customer service agent exactly what had been said.

- Always remember that although Yodel deliver, your contract is with the business or person you are getting your delivery from. The person who took you money/sent the item via Yodel is reasonable. If Yodel are mucking you around you are within your rights to ask the company for a refund or ask for them to resolve the situation. Ask them to chase Yodel from there end 9/10 they shall.

- If you are wanting to contact the top, use this website and find the CEO of Yodels email. It is a free website to use and I have found on several occasions that it helps to go to the top!

If you are wary about using Yodel, a heads up. These company's are happy to use Yodel to deliver goods! This list was written in January 2014.

Hedrin Protect & Go is a clinically proven head lice protection spray which offers parents greater control in the battle against head lice. Hedrin Protect & Go is a fuss-free spray which, when applied twice-a-week, protects children from the parasites by breaking the life cycle and killing lice before an infestation can be established.

The protection spray contains an organic compound called 1,2 octanediol which disrupts the life cycle of head lice preventing their spread. It is easy to apply and dries naturally leaving the hair looking healthy and conditioned.

With a RRP of £4.29 for 120ml, Hedrin Protect & Go is available from Boots, pharmacies and leading retailers nationwide. It is skin friendly and contains no known asthma triggers.
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A while back I was sent some Radflek Radiator Reflectors. I had put off using them for a while because if I am honest I was worried about how long it would take me to install them and I was wary about if they would help heat up my home however last week I decided it would be a great time to fit them due to the fact it was getting very cold in our house due to the cold weather setting in. Since having installed the Radflek Radiator Reflectors I have not had a problem with them and my house is feeling toasty, my only regret is not installing them when I got them.


For those that are unaware of Radflek Reflectors, they are aluminium sheets that are fixed between the wall behind a radiator. They reflect heat back towards the radiator which stops heat from escaping from the house. Where the hear reflects back into your home, your home will stay warmer.

I was sent a pack of Radflek Radiator Reflectors that had 2 sheets of aluminium membrane sheets in. I found that this provided enough material for me to put behind all the radiators in a 2 bed house, however I did miss 2 radiators that I felt did not need any material behind.

The Radflek Radiator Reflectors were incredibly easy to install. I simply measured the radiator and then marked the measurements on the aluminium membrane sheets.I then cut the sheet to the correct size and folded it so it would fit in the correct position behind my radiator .The reflectors were held behind the radiator with special plastic clips which I found to be a great fit to fit behind my radiator.

I was wary that the sheets may rip however this was not the case. The sheets were thick and withheld me forcing them down the back of my radiator, they also did not rip when they got caught on the metal bits holding my radiator to the wall which was a huge relief.


I found that the Radflek Radiator Reflectors are inexpensive and can be purchased for under £20 on Amazon. You are also able to buy bigger packs if you have a larger house and the prices of these pack can vary. I think that £20 is a good price for the Radflek Radiator Reflectors as over a period of time you will save money by using them.

I would reccomend these Radflek Radiator Reflectors to anyone that is looking to save money in there home.The Radflek Radiator Reflectors are built to last and are easy to clean and care for. I love the fact that you are unable to see them so they do not make the room that they are placed in look messy. I also love the fact that they can be moved around easily so if you were to move, you would be able to take them with you to your new home.

Last week Maxwell had a fun session of drawing on our walls with crayon. As a parent I was horrified, horrified that he had actually drawn on the walls and horrified as I had no clue how to remove it. I was panicked that I would have to spend money out on redecorating however my mum suggested for me to use toothpaste and fortunately it removed the crayon stains. This meant I did not go out and spend money on paint to redecorate at the wall looked as good as new. Soon after the incident it got me thinking what else is toothpaste good for.

I have not written a post about Maxwell in weeks. I promise that I will continue to keep you updated on his progress, I have just been having a small break over the Christmas period.
Maxwell has come on leaps and bounds since Christmas and Maxwell is continuing to learn every day. He is turning into a well manned little boy and his speech is coming on well.

1. Maxwell can not stop singing songs
2. Maxwell is obsessed with "baby"
3. Maxwell has been spoilt this month 
4. Maxwell has started to go to preschool for full days
5. Maxwell has been unwell

For me December was a month for me to kick back and relax. I planned most of my blog post's in November so December was a month where I could focus on family, mine and Maxwell's Birthdays as well as Christmas. This said I did have time to enter a few competitions. I did not manage to enter as many competitions as I would have liked to however I did win some fab prizes.

If you have followed my blog for a while you would know that Maxwell adores dressing up. Maxwell now has a whole toy box full of dressing up costumes and his box of costumes is continuing to grow. Maxwell has costumes for all occasions for the year and has costumes suitable for him to wear daily. All Maxwell's costumes are bright, fun and are costumes which he loves to wear. Recently Maxwell was given the chance to choose a new costume to celebrate the new year in.

Maxwell was given the opportunity to choose a costume from the online shop Time To Dress Up. From the word go we had great customer service and were kept in the loop the whole time. We were advised about fittings and were given advice about sizing which I found to be very helpful due to the fact Maxwell has a tiny waist but is quite tall for his age.



In the end Maxwell decided on a Triceratops Dress Up costume. Maxwell adored the costume due to it being dinosaur themed however as  I parent I loved the costume as I thought it was practical for Maxwell to wear and was a costume which Maxwell would not grow out of easily.

Once ordered Maxwell and I awaited for the costumes delivery. The delivery was fast and the costume was well packaged. Once received we were excited about dressing Maxwell up and allowing him to run around in the costume.

Maxwell wanted to put the costume on straight away. In my opinion it is one of the most detailed dinosaur costumes I have seen recently and it was a costume that I was proud to see Maxwell in. The costume itself was well made, was a perfect fit and the design was fantastic and well thought out.

The Triceratops costume is a dark green costume and is made from a plush material. The costume features a soft tummy and a cute tail. The head of the costume includes a hood design which allows Maxwell to either have the hood up or down which I think is a great feature as often Maxwell can get hot and bothered with having things on his head. The hood has horns and spikes which I feel gives the costume a great effect. On the hands and feet the costume features soft claws, the claws are the final special touch to the costume and make it look great.


The costume seems to be hard wearing and Maxwell has worn the Triceratops costume in the garden, around the home and around relatives houses. I have no negative points to make about the costume. It has become one of Maxwell's favorite costumes and Maxwell loves to roar at people whilst wearing it. Although we got the costume in age 2-3 years and Maxwell is now 3 years old, there is plenty of growing room in it yet.

The costume can be bought in sizes 18 month up to 6-8 years and costs just £31 with free delivery. When Maxwell has worn the costume, he has had a lot of feedback. If you are after a eye catching costume for your child, this costume is for you.

For Christmas 2014 I hated our Christmas tree however I knew we were lucky to have one and instead of paying over the odds for a new Christmas tree before Christmas I decided to make do with our old one. The old one was on its last legs and was falling apart, when it was time to take the tree down we were greeted with half the tree on the floor. I knew I needed to spot one in the sales for Christmas 2015 ASAP.

Since the 1st of January I have been eagerly searching on websites for a bargain. I missed most of the bargain Christmas trees on Argos however today whilst looking on Tesco I found enough bargains to make Christmas 2015 complete and it cost me under £10.

For just under £10 I managed to buy:

• 6 Luxury Christmas Crackers
• Silver Bead Chain
• 25 Mini Baubles 
• 100 Multi-Function Microlights Coloured
• Silver Christmas Topper
• Evergreen Fir 6ft Christmas Tree
• Christmas Wrapping Paper

We are now in 2015 and I am looking forward to the year. I have so many plans, so many ideas and so many things I want to achieve this year and I hope that you my readers will share this years journey with me.

Last year had its up and downs but overall it has shaped me into a better person. I have learnt so much about myself, so much more about blogging and I am starting 2015 on a positive. This will be my 3rd year of blogging, however I wanted to look back on my 2nd year of blogging and see all the post's which I wrote. I have featured my favorite 12 below. They feature sad times, happy times and exciting things Maxwell and I got up to.

January
When my beautiful Nan died, it hit me hard but I think it hit certain family members more. I am so proud with how our family have coped this year but most of all I am incredibly proud of my Grandad who has tried to stay strong throughout and my Mum who has been everyone's shoulder to cry on and has more than likely put her emotions last to support us all.
This was one of the hardest post's that I wrote in 2014 however it is one of the post's that makes me smile the most. I love reading this post over and over again because not only does it make me cry but it brings me joy, joy that I got to share 22 years with an amazing women. My Nan will never be forgotten and where ever she is now, she is still with us and will be with us forever.

February
In February I took part in the Mum tag and it is crazy to think this was nearly a year ago. Some things have changed in the last year but being a mum isn't one. I am so proud of Maxwell and I loved looking back on this post to see our thoughts and opinions. I would love to do another up to date Mum tag soon.

March
In March I wrote a post which had lots of thoughts and feelings in. It was a reflection on the past few years and I loved reading this back. This post spoke about me as a young parent, how I was proud of Ben and how we were looking forward to moving into our first real home together. Everything which I wrote in that post still stands and I found many months of happiness. I hope that happiness continues.

April
In April we celebrated Easter and I found our post about our busy Easter Weekend. I remember what a fab weekend we had and I remember the effort which was made to make Maxwell's Easter magical. I am really looking forward to Easter again this year and I am hoping to make it as magical as the last one for Maxwell.

May
In May I wrote this post which was a post that was close to my heart. I highlighted the problems for working parents and how I felt the system where certain children were handed free preschool places whilst others had to pay was unfair. Since writing this post we have paid for Maxwell to attend preschool. He has come on leaps and bounds because he has attended preschool and if we had not paid for him to go I worry how Maxwell may have developed. Although Maxwell's speech is still not quite there it is improving and he is now getting the help he needs. My thoughts in this post still stands and one day I hope the system changes. I won't pretend finding the money for Maxwell to go to preschool was easy because Ben and I have gone without things so Maxwell can go however it was well worth it and Maxwell has learnt tons of new skills which will benefit him in life because of it.

June
In June I wrote a positive post about celebrating my 2 year blog anniversary. 2 years seems like such a long time to write your thoughts, feelings on a blog but I have loved every second and I can not wait to continue into my 3rd year. Looking back at all these posts today I am so happy that I started my little blog. I have written so many memorable moments about Maxwell's life which I would have maybe forgot if I had not written them down.

July
In July I wrote this post about judgmental parents and it was a post I felt strongly about. At the time it was something which was relevant not only in the media but my day to day life. Luckily my daily life has changed now and I am blessed to have wonderful people surrounding me however it is something which I still see in the media daily. I think it would be lovely to see everyone get along however I am unsure if this will ever happen. The media loves to stir and unfortunately people like to believe everything some people write which is normally inaccurate.

August
In August Maxwell and I created some amazing memories and I blogged about having 31 days of fun, We got up to so many different things however one of our favorite activities was going on the steam train in Eastleigh. We had such an amazing day out and we are looking forward to going again soon. It was one of our best days out in 2014.

September
This was one of my favorite review posts which we wrote in 2014 - When Grandad came to tea! It was such a fun post to write. It was a competition entry, although we did not win the competition, we put a whole load of effort into our entry and we created lots of memories doing so, For anyone wondering about Grandad's whereabouts... Grandad will be back in 2015!

October
It is post's like these which I love to look back on - what we did weekly. There will be plenty more of these post's come 2015 and I can not wait to share them. I loved the fact that this post highlights Maxwell having his first hair cut and at that point in his life he was obsessed with light up toys. Come January 2015 he is not so obsessed and is more into cars, trains and his play kitchen. It is funny how things change.

November
In November I wrote this post about how I wish our lives would change for the better. I am hoping 2015 will allow us to have a better lifestyle. In 2015 I am looking at ways in how I can share money saving ideas with you. I have so many ideas and there is so many things which I do to save money but I normally do not have time to share my ideas with you. I hope this is the year I save money, meet new money saving friends and get to talk about saving money everywhere!

December
In December my favorite post which I wrote was about our Christmas 2014. It was a special one and one which I enjoyed a lot, the only thing I wish I had done more of is taken more photos as I had a lack of them. I loved spending time with my family and I enjoyed taking a back seat from my blog for a few weeks. I can not wait for Christmas 2015, I hope it will be bigger and better than Christmas 2014!