MUMMY TO THE MAX

We were recently sent the new Dynamite Dare game to review. With Maxwell on the school summer holidays, Maxwell and I have been spending lots of time together. As a parent I love spending time with Maxwell and I know Maxwell enjoys spending time with me. Throughout the summer holidays we have been playing lots of games and Dynamite Dare has been a game which we have played with often.

Over the summer holidays Maxwell and I have been playing lots of games together. With the recent weather being poor, we found we had a lot of wet weather days. We were recently sent the Wobbly Worm game from Spinmaster to review. We were excited to receive the Wobbly Worm game as we loved the concept of it.

Maxwell is a child who adores playing games. He loves playing games whatever the occasion. Maxwell loves games which require him to use his brain, his memory and he also loves games that challenge his fine motor skills. Recently Maxwell was excited to receive Paw Patrol Jumbling Tower. As a huge lover of Paw Patrol and games, this was the perfect choice of game for Maxwell to receive.

For a long while I had a obsession with fizzy drinks however over time I weaned myself off them. Slowly but surely I have gone back to drinking water and juice and have decided against drinking sugary drinks and energy drinks. Since Maxwell has been born he has always enjoyed juice or water and has been stuck in his ways about what he wants to drink however recently he has started wanting to try different drinks. With the holidays and hot summer days around the corner I was excited to try the Infruitation bottles with Maxwell.

Recently we were asked by Infruitation if we would like to try their bottles. For anyone that has not heard of Infruitation, Infruitation bottles are a smart way of staying hydrated. Opting out of buying expensive fruit juices along with expensive flavored bottle water, you are now able to make your own flavored drinks thanks to the Infruitation bottle.

The Infruitation bottle is like a regular flask that your or your child are able to drink out of however there is a little extra. Inside the bottle there is a chamber which is large enough to house fruit, herbs or veggies. When you have added your required ingredient along with water, the ingredient releases its flavour into the water. Depending on what ingredient you use, the flavour can be as strong or as weak as you would like it to be. Because of this, it ensures you have healthy water. You are able to choose what ingredients you want in your drink and no sugars, chemicals or any other nasty ingredients are added into your drinks.

Maxwell and I both decided on having strawberries in our bottles. We cut around 7 strawberries each and added them to the chamber of our bottles. We found that we needed to leave the strawberries for over a hour in the water to start getting a good taste of flavoring in our water. Since trying the strawberries we have since had cucumber, raspberries and blackberries in our bottles however we have found that our favourite ingredient so far is the raspberries.

The bottles are a great size to take to school, have at home or have on days out. The bottles come in a variety of colours which suit everyone's tastes. Maxwell has a red one and I have a yellow bottle however the bottles also come in the colours blue and green.

Every so often I get emails that pop into my email inbox that make me excited. Recently we were sent a email by a lovely company called Wicked Uncle asking if Maxwell would like to review for them. For anyone that has not heard of Wicked Uncle, Wicked Uncle is a online toy shop.

Wicked Uncle are a toy shop with a difference. Wicked Uncle sell lots of toys but they are seen as gift's for others. Wicked Uncle stocks gifts perfect for children. Whether this be for your own child, your child's friend, your nephew, grandchild, boy or girl, Wicked Uncle offer an amazing selection of gifts to suit different budgets, needs and tastes.

Recently Maxwell was given £40 to spend at Wicked Uncle, after looking at the website together we came up with the plan of purchasing Maxwell the Illuminated Aqua Dragons Deluxe set which was priced at £23.95. We also ordered Maxwell a Doctor on Call - Wooden 7 piece Set which was priced at £19.50.

The ordering process was incredibly easy. At the checkout I had to simply type our address details in and then I was asked whether I would like our toys gift wrapped and if I would like a hand written card or a gift label attached to the gift. Due to the toys being just for Maxwell I felt we did not need these little extra's on our parcel however I thought that the gift wrapping idea was fantastic and I was surprised at how little it would cost me to include this extra.

After I had made my order, I received confirmation of my order and we ended up waiting just a few days for our parcel to be delivered. When our parcel arrived it was carefully packed and I ended up feeling that the order process and the delivery process had been a exceptional one.

Illuminated Aqua Dragons Deluxe
As soon as the Aqua Dragon set arrived Maxwell wanted to get it set up however it took us a few days to set it up due to the fact we needed to buy bottled water. Without buying and using the bottled water our Aqua Dragons may not have hatched so it was important that we bought the bottled water.
Once we had bought the bottled water we found the process of setting the Aqua Dragons tank up easy to do thanks to the easy to follow instructions which we were sent with the set.
So far our Aqua Dragons are only around a week old and are still babies however they are developing well and Maxwell adores watching them through the magnified glass which comes with the set. Maxwell also enjoys feeding them and making sure there is plenty of oxygen in their water, without these 2 things the Aqua Dragons would die so Maxwell has found a new responsibility.
I feel that this is a fantastic set to buy for children. I think this set would be brilliant for children aged 6+ however I also feel it is a fantastic set for children aged 3+ who plan to use this set with their parents help.


Doctor on Call - Wooden 7 piece Set
Maxwell's preschool informed us that Maxwell was lacking in confidence when it came to Maxwell doing imaginary play so I thought this set would improve Maxwell's imagination and he would have a lot of fun when using this doctor on call set.
The Doctor on Call set comes in a lovely red case and all the small bits have places in the case to sit. The case is small enough to take around the house but it is also a fantastic size to take with you in the car or would be a wonderful extra to take to entertain your child when you are visiting people.
The Doctor on Call set is brilliant due to the detail and the amount of pieces which come with the set however the only small niggle I have is that although all the small bits and pieces are wooden, the stethoscope is not. The stethoscope is made of plastic and also has small plastic bits which come off - due to this Maxwell has managed to loose one of the small bits already.
Due to the small bits (especially the plastic bits which are removable) I think this set would be appropriate for a child aged 3+ however it may require some adult supervision.

Overall my experience with Wicked Uncle was extremely positive. Their website is easy to follow and is clear to read. I love the fact that Wicked Uncle have taken the time to add gifts into age categories and I love the fact that they have split the toys into gender categories.

I feel that Wicked Uncle stock a great range of goods at affordable prices for all and I would quite like to see them bring out a adult version of there online store in the future as it is something I would definitely use.

This week's 5 for under £5 features lots of little bits that will be helpful when preparing lunch. I always try my best to give Maxwell a creative lunch, here is a few items which I sometimes use to give him a lunch that sounds out from the crowd.

Wilbers Hare Kids Costume (4-5 Years) - £3.01
I simply adore this costume and if it had been in Maxwell's size, I would have purchased it. I think this outfit would be perfect for any Alice In Wonderland fan. You can add accessories to it to make your child look unique.

Great Pretenders Princess Dress (Medium) - £4.25
Rubies Victorian Pick Pocket costume Victorian Pick Pocket (Medium) - £4.97 Witch Cat Costume Medium 7-9 Years - £4.99 Red and White Striped Children's Shirt (6-9 years) - £4.73

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.

Halloween has arrived. It is always such a fun time for families however often people can get wrapped up in the moment and they forget how to stay safe. We have put some last minute ideas together, that will keep you and your family safe this Halloween.

• Be aware of people not wanting trick or treaters. People with young children and the elderly will not appreciate having there door knocked on late at night, go at a reasonable time in the early evening.
• Look out for signs on peoples houses asking for trick or treaters to stay away, also look around for houses which are decorated with Halloween decorations - these houses more than likely want trick or treaters to come round and surprise them. 
• If your child  or yourself is going outside in a costume, make sure they are wearing reflective clothing. Most costumes worn at Halloween tend to be dark, this means drivers and others out and about at night may not be able to see people dressed in dark.
• If your child is going trick or treating, make sure they go out in a group, preferably accompanied by an adult. Make sure your child has a mobile phone with them, this makes it easier for them to alert you if something is to go wrong.
• Make sure you know what areas your children will be going to and give them a certain time to be home by. This information will help you if there is a emergency. 
• Make sure your child knows not to enter anyone's house or to accept lifts from strangers. 
• Be wary about what treats you or your children may get off people. Some sweets may not be as they seem. 

Since Maxwell was born it has been clear that he dislikes the dark, recently he has been a little fussier at night and demands the hallway light to be left on. Maxwell already has a night light in his room however this is on the other side of the room and is not easy for him to access. For a while now I have been looking for something which would comfort Maxwell at night, something which he could keep in bed or near his bed and something which would be easy for him to operate. A few weeks ago we were sent a Thomas Go Glow Night Light.

When the Go Glow Light arrived I was instantly impressed. The Go Glow Light was bright and included a little picture of Thomas and friends. It had little stars and moons on which instantly made me think of bedtime. Unfortunately we were unable to use the Go Glow Light straight away as we had to charge it but this was not a problem for us as we charged it throughout the day to ensure it was charged for night time use. The Go Glow Light was easy to charge and once charged it should last up to 16 hours of use.


At bedtime Maxwell was extremely excited to use his new Go Glow Light. It was incredibly easy for him to use. Whilst in bed Maxwell was able to use the Go Glow Light as a torch. He enjoyed reading his picture books with the torch and he enjoyed making shadow pictures on the wall. Once he was ready to go to sleep we carefully put the light into its charging base, once in the base it then glowed next to Maxwell's bed which was a real comfort for him.

The Go Glow Light is not only great for children to use and have fun with but it is very practical. The charging feature means that there is no need for batteries which in the long run saves money. The Go Glow Light is practical for tiny hands to use and it is also simple to operate.
The Go Glow Light retails at around £22.99 and comes in a range of designs to suit little ones tastes. It is suitable for children aged 12 months +. You are able to find more information about on the Go Glow Night Light on Worlds Apart's website.

Maxwell adores looking through books. He is unable to read just yet however when he learns to, I know he will be a little book worm.  Every day Maxwell and I sit down and read a book together. I feel reading is important as it enables Maxwell to learn new words which will then go on to improve his speech. As many of my readers know, at the present moment Maxwell's lack of speech is a real issue and I have been wanting to try new ways to help him improve it. A while back we received a magical device called Sparkup The Magical Book Reader, ever since we received it Maxwell has been using it daily.


Sparkup can store up to 250 minutes of audio, or approximately 50 recorded storybooks. If you do not want to record the book yourself you are able to download recorded stories, complete with sound effects, directly from the Sparkup website. Sparkup comes with demo batteries (it takes 3x AAs which should last up to 30hours of playback), as well as a USB cable to connect to your computer to back-up your recordings, and a sample book

Now we have a garden for Maxwell, I have turned my thoughts in to garden safety. Gardens are areas for adventure and exploration; they fascinate toddlers however sometimes accidents can happen and I have to say they are the main worry for me as a parent. Here are a few of my top tips to keep your little one safe this bank holiday weekend.

Remember children are naturally inquisitive so never leave your toddler unattended in the garden.

Ensure all fencing is secure, any gates are locked and your toddler cannot reach the lock or open it. Our fencing and gate is 6 feet high so Maxwell is not able to climb over it. Toddlers do like to climb so ensure any objects which they could climb on are away from a low fence or gate.

Toddlers love water and sadly every year you read that a toddler has drowned in ponds. Always ensure ponds and any water feature is fenced off or covered. Do not leave your toddler unattended with a bucket of water as this is also very hazardous.

Toddlers love playing with sand. Always ensure your garden sand pit is covered as dogs and cats love using them as a toilet.

Some plants are poisonous so if you are uncertain teach your child not to pick flowers or plant parts. Plants with thorns are spikes can cause pain and injury.

Ensure all dangerous garden chemicals, tools and equipment are locked away. Also keep toddlers away from washing lines as they have the potential of strangulation.

Never leave your hot barbecue unattended as children are fascinated with them. Remember coals can stay hot for several hours.

All garden play equipment should conform to safety standards. Check all play equipment is secure and there are no loose screws etc.

Milton Mini Portable Soother Steriliser
The steriliser is really easy to use and includes some key features which makes life easier for parents. The Milton Steriliser is watertight and has a ultra-compact design, so you can carry it everywhere with no risk of leaks which is not only useful for in the home but also when going out. The Milton Steriliser has a versatile built-in strap that allows you to attach the device to a pushchair which means that you are not carrying it around or are at the risk of loosing it, it is also small enough to fit into a handbag. The Milton Mini Steriliser is also supplied with complimentary Milton Mini Sterilising Tablets, this means that it is ready to go as soon as you purchase it.

Overall we have found that the Milton portable soother steriliser has been a great addition to our household. Although we do not use it outside our home I have found that it has been a better option for sterilising Maxwell's dummies and I have found that it takes minimal time.

Milton Solo Travel Steriliser

This week Maxwell and I went on a Barny Bear hunt. We had tons of fun exploring our local area and I had tons of fun getting creative with Maxwell whilst doing day to day activities.


First we went to search for Barny Bear at the post box but.... Barny was not there.

We then hopped over to the train station to see if Barny was there but... he was no where to be seen.


Where could Barny be?

We ran to our local forest area, we looked under the leafs and around the trees but... Barny was not there!


We skipped over to the car but... He was not there!



So where could Barney be? Could he be by the sea?


NO.... He was waiting on the stairs for Maxwell to arrive home!?!


Cold and hungry Maxwell was happy to see Barny greeting him at the door. As soon as Maxwell got inside Barny was carefully unwrapped and eaten by his tired owner. Barny's red strawberry filling filled Maxwell with love! Pleased to have found Barny Maxwell felt a sense of achievement and vowed he would never give up in the future.

Just before Christmas Maxwell was rather poorly with a bug. He had a high temperature and had a bad cold. Normally I would have to fight with Maxwell to try and get his temperature using a thermometer in his ear which sometimes gave me a inaccurate reading however much to my relief we were recently sent the new Brother Max Non-Contact Thermometer.

The Non-Contact Thermometer is a great little product that is designed with parent and child in mind.
It is bright, compact and easy to use. It is the perfect size to grip in one hand which enables you to hold your sick child if needs be with the other hand. The design of the thermometer means that it is a non-contact thermometer. All you have to do is simply hold the thermometer close to your child's forehead and press a button for a reading.


There are many clever features about the thermometer. The thermometer has a great feature that uses a traffic light system. The light indicates weather your child's temperature is normal, raised or high, along with this the thermometer will actually give you a number reading. In addition to the traffic light system the thermometer also includes a back light which is perfect at night as it stops me having to turn lights on to see the temperature reading.

The thermometer has a clever memory feature and can store previous temperature readings which is handy for tracking how your child's temperature is progressing. This feature is brilliant especially if you have to go to the doctors and they asked if your child's temperature is raising.
The Thermometer also has a feature which lets you not only take your child's temperature but also room temperature. I will find this feature useful in the summer as Maxwell's room sometimes overheats, so it will be great to find out if we need to open windows or even bring a fan into his room to stop him getting hot and bothered.

The thermometer is priced at £34.99 on offer at Boots at the present moment. The thermometer requires 2 x AAA batteries to work which are supplied.

Natures Aid Award-Winning Vitamin D3 drops has been designed specifically for breastfed babies, infants and children. Vitamin D is an essential vitamin that helps your body absorb calcium for strong, healthy bones and teeth. This is especially important for childrens growing bodies. The UK Department of Health recommends that all babies aged from 6 months to 5 years should take a Vitamin D supplement.
It is for newborn babies and children
400iu per 1ml
No sugars
No flavourings
No preservatives
No artificial colours
Lactose free
Yeast free
Gluten free
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Today saw us hit the shops, Ben had a rare day off so I thought it would be fun to spend some of our Christmas money. I had a good feeling shops had started to reduce some Christmas stock further from there early Boxing Day prices, although this is not my sale haul  it is Maxwell's which shows quite a few essentials for him reduced.

Our first stop was Boots.  I adore Boots and I already managed to buy a few bargains for peoples Birthdays/Christmas in there Boxing day sales. Whilst browsing today, I found most of there shelves to be empty however I was drawn to the back of the store where I managed to pick up a lot of essentials for Maxwell at a cheap price.

I managed to get:
4 packs of Boots own brand nappies size 5 RRP £20 - Reduced to £10 - £2.50 per pack
2 packs of Boots Organic Rice Cakes - RRP £1.98 - Reduced to £1
2 packs of Organix Fruit Gummies - RRP £1.18 - Reduced to 60p
1 Pack Of Boots Carrot Puffs -  RRP 50P - Reduced to 25p

RRP £23.66 - Payed £11.85 - I also got £1.66 worth of boots points added to my card for this shop so the price came down to £10.19.


We then headed to Tesco. A family member actually works at Tesco which entitles us to staff discount and we had a few vouchers that enabled us to get £1 off per £5 we spent.
We bought:
Disney PJ's RRP £5 - Reduced to £3
Hoodie RRP £7 - Reduced to £4

RRP £12 - Total £7 - We got 10% off thanks to staff discount, and a further £1 thanks to vouchers which equals £1.70 so we payed - £5.30


Finally we popped into Mothercare. I am a huge fan of Mothercare and I have been buying Maxwell a lot of clothes from there. I find there quality amazing and the prices are very reasonable.
We bought:
Sheep Pjs RRP £11 - Reduced to £5.50

RRP £11 - Payed £5.50


My total haul was worth £46.66 however we payed £20.99 which means we saved over half price. Overall I thought this was a amazing shopping trip. We have stocked up on some essentials and treated Maxwell to a few new clothes.

Maxwell is a typical little boy who loves to play with cars. He spends a few hours a day whizzing around the lounge playing with different cars. This week Maxwell was in for a treat when he was sent a Tow Truck Tim and Rolling Ray from WOW Toys.
Tow Truck Tim and Rolling Ray are a fantastic lorry and car duo. They are brightly coloured, large enough for toddler hands and robust. These toys offer hours of fun for children. At the age of 2, this toy encourages Maxwell to explore and learn.
The toy is easy to use, there is a magnetic winch which connects to the car, once connected it pulls it onto the truck when your child holds down a green button on the trailer. To release the car you need to drop down the click opening tailgate and press the red button and watch as Ray rolls back down ready for action.

You are able to purchase and find out more about Tow Truck Tim who is available from Amazon. Wow Toys would also love to see you over on there Facebook and Twitter pages.