Showing posts with label Food. Show all posts

Wimbledon Inspired Strawberry Cheesecake Cupcakes

Strawberry Cheesecake Cupcakes

Recently I have been creating delicious food in the kitchen and today I thought I would share with you my Strawberry Cheesecake cupcakes. These cupcakes are simply divine and perfect for all the family to snack on. Not only are these perfect for treats at home, they are perfect for picnics, lunch boxes and to give to family and friends!
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4 Favourite Mothers Day Treats

4 Favourite Mothers Day Treats

Mothers Day is just around the corner and I thought it would be fun to share 4 of my favourite Mothers Day treats. Every year I get a beautiful gift off Maxwell however every year I also get a few treats which I adore being treated to. Mothers Day is only once a year so it is lovely to be spoilt.
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A Week Of Learning And New Experiences

  1. Maxwell has settled in well at his old preschool
  2. Maxwell had a fantastic first day at his new preschool
  3. Maxwell has been getting on well with his speech
  4. Maxwell is nearly there with toilet training
  5. Maxwell has been trying lots of new foods recently.
With a new term starting, Maxwell managed to settle well into his old preschool. I was a little worried at first due to the fact that a lot of friends Maxwell had, had left to go to big school however it is clear to see it has not overly worried Maxwell and he has started interacting with other children that he may not have last year. He has a best friend at preschool and it is fantastic to see Maxwell run over to him every day that they attend together and watch them play.

Maxwell started his new preschool with a little bit of hassle on Tuesday however once he has arrived at preschool and came home it was clear to see he had a brilliant first day and he can not wait to go back next week. He came home with a note of praise and seeing as it was Maxwell's first day, we were super proud. We adore Maxwell's new preschool and we know it is the right environment and right place for him to attend.

Maxwell's speech is getting better and better. Lots of people have commented on how much his speech is improving which is brilliant to know and hear. Maxwell can now say words such as disgusting and delicious which are quite long words however Maxwell still struggles to put sentences together. With the help of Maxwell's new preschool, we are looking forward to see Maxwell's speech develop.

Over the 6 weeks holiday, we have nearly managed to potty train Maxwell. Maxwell now sits on the toilet and does this out and about however he still has accidents and prefers to wear pull ups than pants for a long period of time. We think that Maxwell will be there with his potty training adventure soon.

Maxwell used to hate foods that was saucy and he would hate eating meat. Vegetables, fruit and salad were fine. Recently Maxwell has been trying a range of new foods and now adores eating baked beans and enjoys a few new meats which he used to hate. We will continue to encourage him to eat a different range of foods. 


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A Family Meal At Harvester – A Review

As a family, we love each others company. We love making memories, capturing moments and spending time together. Last week we were lucky enough to be invited to Harvester - Windhover Manor in Southampton for a family meal. We were invited as part of their new initiative to get families around the table at meal times and spend more time together.

On a busy Saturday in the half term holidays, we adventured to Harvester. We had a table booked for 4.30 and we were very excited to see what Harvester had in store for us. I was wary of how busy it may be due to it being the school holidays but I needn't have worried as we had a wonderful experience.


Harvester - Windhover Manor is around a 20 minute drive from us in the New Forest. It is in a fantastic location, just off the motorway. The venue was easy to find and when we arrived, we found there was plenty of parking in the car park. The premises looked warm, friendly and clean and after venturing inside, we found that the inside was just as nice as the outside.

We arrived early however this was not a problem. We were happy to wait for our table sitting however after a short wait, we were taken to our table and we were seated. We were seated next to a window where we were able to see the cars come in and out of the venue - much to Maxwell's entertainment. We were given our menus and Maxwell was given his menu and crayons and we were left to sit and ponder over the menu.


The menu was packed with different meal ideas, I felt like the Harvester menu had something for everyone. From light bite meals to large main meals, from sides to sauces you were able to take your pick. After a short while and a lot of deciding, we placed our food and drink order and we proceeded to the unlimited salad bar.

The unlimited salad bar was well stocked, there was lots of different salad options for everyone. I noted that there were plenty of bowls for customers coming up to get their salad and the salad looked fresh and it did not look dry. There were fresh rolls located near the sauces for the salad and the sauces were well stocked. There was a little mess around the sauces which I noted but this did not make a difference to our experience.


Once we had all eaten our salad, our table was cleared and our main meals came out. We were in for a real treat. The portion sizes were large, the food was hot, fresh and well presented and the customer service was brilliant. Andrew who served us made sure we had all the sauces we needed to go with our meals and he ensured that the food was up to the standard we wanted it to be.

Maxwell decided to have chicken bites with peas and chips. He also opted to have a little roll from the salad bar with it. I decided to have the chicken skewers, Grandad decided to have the triple chicken and Ben decided to opt for an original combo. All the meals had a side as well as a sauce.


We all tucked into our meals and not one of us had a complaint. Although I found my own meal to be quite large and I found it difficult to finish, the boys all ate their dinners and complimented their meals. The meals were filling and I found that Harvester were very generous with the meat that they put on out plates.

Once we had finished, our table was cleared and we were offered desserts however we opted out of desserts however I did take a sneak peak at the dessert menu and I was impressed with what I saw. There were cake desserts, ice cream desserts and desserts that would tickle any child's taste bud.


Our meal cost the same as a average family meal which I thought was fantastic due to the service and the food which we received. With my meal and unlimited refill drink costing around £10, Harvester offers a large menu that would suit many people's budget.

Overall we had a fantastic time at Harvester. It is a great venue to take the family as Harvester caters for all ages. Their menu has something for everyone and the service was speedy, friendly and fantastic. We are looking forward to returning as a family in the future and would love to thank Harvester for the brilliant meal we had at Windhover Manor.

*We were given a complementary meal at Harvester for the purpose of this review. All thoughts & opinions are my own.
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Top 5 Tips To Save Money On Food


Top 5 Tips To Save Money On Food

As many of you know, I love to save money and recently I have been asked how I manage to save so much money on food shopping. Just this week I spent only £26 to feed 3 of us for  a week due to following the steps below.  We eat full meals, 3 meals a day and we enjoy eating snacks through the day. I always ensure we are eating fruit and veg daily. To get such a low basket, you need to shop around and follow my steps below!

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1. Write a meal plan - Up until recently I never used to write a meal plan however writing one has opened up my eyes.  Since writing a meal plan, I am able to see what I have meal wise for that week and it has stopped any food waste that we used to have. A meal plan is easy to write and I pin mine either on our calendar which is in the kitchen or to the fridge freezer.

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2. Freeze what you can - In our house, we have 2 freezers, both which are full. We often joke and say, if there was no food in the shops, we would have enough in the freezer to last us a few weeks.  Anything that I am able to freeze which is soon to go out of date or I do not fancy eating, I freeze. If I make to much when eating meals, I also freeze. You can often also see me freezing items such as bananas, bread and milk. This means I often do not have to pop to the shop for stable items.

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3. Wombling - For a few months I have been wombling. If you do not know about wombling, it is a simple method which sees you take discarded receipts off the floor. Once you have taken them off the floor you are able to gain others rewards. Tesco - You are able to collect clubcard points, Asda - You are able to collect money thank's to there 10% better price promise and Morrisons you are able to gain points. Asda is my favourite place to womble at and is the only place I womble at. Weather it is 10p, 20p or £2 that you find after comparing a basket of shopping online at Asda, it all adds up to money off your food shopping. I will soon write a full blog post telling you how you can make money from rubbish on the floor!

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4. Coupons - I adore using coupons and I often tend to get £5+ off my food shopping when I go instore to supermarkets. My favourite place to use coupons at is at Tesco due to their staff being friendly as well as ensuring I get clubcard points added to my card which means free money for me to buy Maxwell Christmas presents with. I find coupons all over the place but my favourite place to find them is in in store magazines such as Tesco, online at places such as super savvy me as well as newspapers. I often write to companies and give them positive or negative feedback about a product and this can often see me being sent coupons.
 
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5. Buy reduced food - Most Sundays you are able to find me in my local supermarket at closing time. I adore going on a Sunday at around 3pm as this is when I can pick up items for pence. When buying reduced items,  I only pick up what I need and I ensure that if I am buying something and not planning to eat it that day, it can be frozen. I find the best supermarkets in my area to visit are Asda or Tesco. My favourite items to pick up are meat, so I can create delicious meals but I  also like picking up ready meals for Ben as these make quick and easy meals for him to eat when he is working late at night.

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Downloadable Picture Card - Fruit

Recently Maxwell has been having speech therapy. At speech therapy they often use picture cards with Maxwell and I wanted him to benefit from using some at home. I searched the internet high and low for some picture cards which would fit into our routine at home however I was unable to find any so I decided that I would make my own downloadable picture cards. I have decided to make this into a little weekly blog read for my readers and I hope to start sharing 1 set of picture cards every week. At the present moment they will be basic but as time goes on I plan to make them harder. For the first set I created, I decided to focus on fruit.

Downloadable Picture Card - Fruit

This picture card would work perfectly for not only children with language delays and developmental delays but it would also be fun to take to the supermarket. This picture card can not only act like a learning tool but it can also act as a game. Why not use at the supermarket to spot the fruit down the supermarket aisle with your children?

If you would like to download this week's picture card you are able to download it from here. Once downloaded the picture should fit onto A4 paper when you go to print.

I am more than happy for my readers to start downloading any picture cards I create for Maxwell and every week I shall leave a link to any picture cards that I create however all that I ask is that no-one copies my work.
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5 for under £5

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.


This mould is cute to add chocolate or rice to to create a little animal figure. I adore the design of this set. The chicken would be a nice addition to any lunchbox this Easter.

I always find these silicone cases to be very handy. They are great to add items in such as apple or grapes. They are simple to keep clean and are easy to replace when you need to.

I love using cookie cutters in Maxwell's lunch box. I love making shapes with his food and he enjoys eating it - he especially loves stars. I prefer getting plastic cookie cutters as they never seem to go bad unlike the metal ones.

I think these little message boards are cute. On your child's special day. Whether that be a exam day, a school play or a day where you just want to wish them luck, why not send them a mini message to show them that you are thinking of them and that you care.

I adore the concept of this little guard. Maxwell sometimes has squashed bananas in his bag so this handy little gadget stop me wasting money with having to throw bananas away because they have gone bad.
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Jules Destrooper Biscuits

Are you after a last minute gift idea this Mothers Day? Why not gift your Mum some tasty biscuits that are sure to get her taste buds tingling. A family business for over 127 years, Jules Destrooper is Belgium’s finest biscuit maker, using 100% natural ingredients of the highest quality.

Jules Destrooper uses a combination of skill, a secret blend of spices and no artificial flavours or preservatives to create an array of mouth watering biscuits. Jules Destrooper biscuits are extremely tasty and are the perfect treat to eat with tea, ice cream and are perfect to eat on there own.

I was sent a box of the Jules Destrooper Almond thins as well as a box of the Jules Destrooper Crocante. Out of the 2 boxes of biscuits I enjoyed the Jules Destrooper Crocante more. In the Jules Destrooper Crocante box of biscuits there were 3 different flavours of chocolate (dark,milk and white) and the biscuits tasted very sweet. The biscuits were quite small but very filling and enjoyable. I found that after I had eaten one, I was unable to stop and I wanted to eat more and more.  


The Jules Destrooper Almond thins were also enjoyable however I am more of a chocolate biscuit fan. The Jules Destrooper Almond thins were very thin and I found that they were very easy to eat. I think that the Jules Destrooper Almond thins would be better accompanied with a sweet dessert however this is my own preferred choice. 

Jules Destrooper Almond thins and Jules Destrooper Crocante are available for you to buy from Waitrose, Asda Or Ocado this Mothers Day. The Jules Destrooper Almond thins retail at around £1.54 and the Jules Destrooper Crocante retail at around £2.49. I think this is a reasonable price for both boxes of biscuits as they come well presented, are tasty and are a luxury biscuit.  They would make a fantastic gift on there own or make a fantastic gift in something such as a large hamper.

I did not receive any financial reward for writing this post
However I did receive the product for the purpose of this review. This post is written in my own words.
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Speedy Biryani (Ben's Beginers)

Recently Maxwell and I were asked if we would like to work alongside Ben’s Beginners and the Children's Food Trust for the Big Cookathon 2015. The Big Cookathon encourages families and children to learn how to cook together at home.

Maxwell and I were asked to create the speedy Biryani recipe. Maxwell helped by cutting veg and adding water into saucepans whilst Mummy dealt with cooking and hot pans. We found that the recipe was easy to follow and we found that our whole family enjoyed eating it. We did make a few changes to the ingredients from the original recipe however overall the dish tasted great. 

The Big Cookathon taking place 6th -9th March supported by Ben’s Beginners and the Children’s Food Trust. If you think you and your children might like to take part and enjoying cooking fun family meals together, you can sign up and register to take part here. If you do sign up why not take a look at the free recipe book?



 Ingredients

200g Uncle Ben's Ready to Heat Basmati rice
1 x 15ml spoon vegetable oil
2 chicken breast fillets
100g frozen peas
1 medium red onion
1 medium green pepper
4 x 15ml spoons of Uncle Ben's Korma Sauce 
130ml Water
2 hard-boiled eggs


Boil water in a small pan, once boiled cook the eggs until hard boiled. Once cooked leave to cool in cold water.

Dice chicken breasts into small pieces.

Heat your Uncle Ben's pre cooked rice. It should take around 3-4 minutes to heat. You can do this either in the microwave or in a saucepan.

Chop peppers into small pieces.

Chop red onion into small chunks.

Heat the vegetable oil in a pan and brown off the chicken pieces. This should take around 5 minutes.

Once the chicken is white and is not pink in the middle, add in half of the korma sauce and cook for 3 minutes.

Add in the remaining curry sauce and all of the red onions, peas and peppers in. 

Add the water in gradually, I used less water than reccomeded. If I had added more I would have had a watery dish.

Add in the cooked rice, stir well and cook for 2 minutes.

Peel and quarter the boiled eggs to garnish.


I did not receive any financial reward for writing this post
However I did receive ingredients for the purpose of this review. I followed a recipe to create this meal.
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Shake your Wake Up with Nestlé Cereals 25th – 31st January 2015 #breakfastweek

National Breakfast Week kicked off on Monday 25th January, to celebrate Nestlé challenged us to create a "shake up your wake up" creation using their cereals. Maxwell was ever so happy to get his claws into several boxes of cereal that Nestlé kindly sent us to create the challenge. Unfortunately I did not think it was fair for Maxwell to eat all the cereal and taste all the goodness that Nestlé cereals provide so I felt it was time to draft in some help!  After sunning himself in Spain over the New Year, Grandad Puppet is back to help us create some fresh ideas in the kitchen!


Grandad Puppet and Maxwell met up on Monday morning to organize what breakfast's they would have through the week. They decided they would eat a different creation every day and at the end of the week they would report back with there favourite bowl.

Grandad Puppet and Maxwell were sent a selection of cereals. They were sent Cookie Crisp, Shredded Wheat, Cheerios, Curious Cinnamon and Shreddies. They were eager to mix and match!
Nestlé cereals are a brand that not only have tasty cereals that are great for adults and children but all their cereals are full of whole grain goodness as they are high in fibre and have lots ofimportant nutrients packed into them such as B vitamins, calcium and iron.


After a busy week at preschool and work, Maxwell and Grandad puppet met up and took time together to speak about what breakfast creations they both enjoyed.  After a little deliberation they put there heads together and decided on there favourite bowl!

Out of the five boxes of cereal we had been sent Maxwell and Grandad puppet decided that that they both liked Cookie Crisp and Shredded Wheat. They decided that they would somehow make the two cereals in to a fun creation which lots of children and adults would enjoy and they decided to create a base at the bottom of the bowl with the shredded wheat and add the Cookie Crisp to the top


Maxwell and Grandad Puppet noticed that the cookie crisp floated and the cookie crisp rose to the top whilst meanwhile the Shredded wheat stayed submerged in the milk! They came up with the name of their Nestlé creation and they called it Cracking Crazy Crisp! Cracking Crazy Crisp had crazy hair and a fun smile which was made out of Cookie Crisp and a had cracking taste overall.

Grandad and Maxwell created a bowl of cereal which they felt lots of children and adults would enjoy and felt that there Cracking Crazy Crisp created a smile. Grandad decided to take it to work on Friday morning. Grandad is the local preschool's lollipop man and has many adult and children friends! He offered Cracking Crazy Crisp out so all his friends could have a healthy nutritious breakfast and he said Cracking Crazy Crisp went down a treat with the children and adults, they were all asking for more!

I received 5 boxes of cereal for the purpose of this post. However everything written in this post is my own honest opinion.
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Organix Christmas Selection Box


Maxwell is the type of child who does not like to eat much chocolate. At Christmas this can be a pain when it comes to buying food gifts for him. This year Organix have a wonderful selection box which offers healthy fruit alternatives rather than chocolate alternatives for your child to enjoy at Christmas. Maxwell was recently sent a Organix selection box to try.

The Organix selection box contains 5 bags. The bags are in a box which is Christmas themed. The box is bright, colourful and shows what products come inside the selection boxes.

Organic Fruit Stars Blackcurrant & Apple - These were Maxwell's favorite item out of the whole box. The fruit stars actually reminded me of sweets and they were a great alternative to chewy sweets which Maxwell normally loves to nibble on. These will be a item which I will continue to buy.

Organic Fruit Moos - Raspberry & Apple - These were a little like the fruit stars however Maxwell did not seem to enjoy the flavorings of these as much. Once again they reminded me of chewy sweets and would be perfect for your little one to nibble on and eat as a tasty treat this Christmas.

Organic Raspberry & Apple Soft Oaty Bar - These bars were nice and soft for little ones to chomp on. Maxwell would enjoy eating these as a afternoon snack. I was surprised to find that these bars did not crumble like most of the fruit bars Maxwell tends to eat.

Organic Mini Gingerbread Men - These were a great item to include in the selection box.  They felt like they were the most Christmas themed item in the box and Maxwell adored eating them. The biscuits were a good size for Maxwell to hold and there were plenty in the packet for Maxwell to enjoy.

Organic Alphabet Biscuits - Maxwell loved telling me the letters on these biscuits. They are a great learning tool however at the same time they are a healthy treat. There was a reasonable amount of biscuits in the bag and I would buy these again.

The Organix selection box has a RRP of just £2.50 which I think is a great price for something which would make a great stocking filler or a great add on to any Christmas eve box. I think it would be a nice idea for Organix to roll out a different set of selection boxes next Christmas, it would be a great idea to do 3 different boxes, with different products in each.


I did not receive any financial reward for writing this review.
However we did receive the above products for review purposes. Everything written in this post is my own, honest opinion.
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Gifts For The Food Lover


Chocolate Orange Minis - Exploding Candy
Pop a movie on this Christmas, settle down and relax! Sit back and indulge in a pack of delicious mini milk chocolate segments, flavored with real orange oil. The Chocolate orange minis are packed full of fun popping candy pieces, these are a delicious and fun treat to eat this Christmas.

Toblerone Tablet
They say all good things come in small sizes and this year Toblerone have created the perfect stocking filler for children and adults. The Toblerone Tablet is a slender triangle bar with snap able triangular segments. Wrapped up in a Christmas themed wrapping, this sure is a eye catching treat to gift someone.

Toblerone White Bar
Perfect for all the family, this creamy white chocolate bar features a taste of  honey and almond nougat. A popular hit over the years the unique triangles of delicious chocolate are perfect to share or give as a gift this Christmas. There is plenty to go around which means no one will have the chance to miss out.

Godiva Christmas Stocking Filled With Chocolate
This little bundle of fun comes presented in a red stocking. Inside the stocking you are able to find 8 limited edition Christmas Collection sujets. There is a chocolate to tickle any taste bud and included in the selection you are able to find white, milk and dark chocolate. Each chocolate is shaped into a Christmas shape. Each chocolate has its own unique taste and will be a hit with all the family this Christmas.

Godiva New Heart Shaped Dark Truffle Biscuits
Enjoy a treat this Christmas and sample the delights of the Godiva New Heart Shaped Dark Truffle Biscuits. The 12 golden biscuits have been topped with a decadent dark chocolate truffle heart. The biscuits are presented in a blue and gold ‘passport stamped’ box. These biscuits are the perfect treat for any biscuit lover this Christmas. 


I did not receive any financial reward for writing this review.
However we did receive the above products for review purposes. Everything written in this post is my own, honest opinion.

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Win A Classic Afternoon Tea Set & Some Delicious Kate's Cakes!



To start off the weekend Mummy To The Max has a fabulous prize to gift one of our lucky readers. We're giving you the chance to win a real treat - a classic afternoon tea set and some delicious Kate's Cakes! The gorgeous home made cakes are the perfect accompaniment to a mid morning coffee, afternoon tea or an indulgent snack on the go. Enjoy Classic Lemon Drizzle Cake or indulgent Chocolate Fudge Cake and impress your friends with the perfect Afternoon Tea at home. The cakes are individually wrapped and sold in packs of five, plus they use non-GMO ingredients, free range eggs and are free from artificial flavourings, resulting in an irresistible premium homemade style cake. For more information and to catch up with the latest news on Kate's Cakes why not head over to their Facebook

To enter this fabulous competition all you need to do is enter the simple rafflecopter below! Good Luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway
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An Angel Delight Treat

When I was younger I belonged to Brownies. I often remember going on Brownie pack holiday and on the last day we would be treated to chocolate soup.  Chocolate soup was a real treat and was made out of chocolate Angel Delight. Chocolate Soup had a selection of chocolate crushed into the Angel Delight dish, you would often find Chocolate Buttons, Mars Bars and Crunchies submerged at the bottom of the dish. This is my first memory of Angel Delight however whilst growing up I had plenty more.

Since having a family I have always liked to try and do meals on a budget. As a family we do not always have a dessert with our dinner but when we do I like to try and create a dessert we all enjoy. Recently I have been trying to create desserts for our family under £1.50 and my recent success was making a dessert from swiss roll and Angel Delight.


You will need:
Bubblegum Angel Delight 
Milk
Swiss Roll
Decoration for the top
Measuring Jug
Glass Dish
  1. First you need to create the Angel Delight mix - I added 300ml of milk and stirred until there were little lumps left and the mixture was light and creamy.
  2. Cut a small slither from the swiss roll and place it into your glass dish.
  3. Carefully put the angel delight into the glass dish, make sure that the swiss roll piece is submerged under the Angel  Delight mix.
  4. Add your selected topping.  I used chocolate curls for my topping.


Our whole family enjoy this dessert. Occasionally I replace the swiss roll with other ingredients. In the past I have used fruit, meringue and biscuit. You are also able to change the flavours of the Angel Delight. We used the new fabulous bubble gum flavour however you are also able to use Angel Delights other fabulous flavours which consist of strawberry, chocolate, butterscotch and banana.

This recipe takes minimal effort to do and can be done quickly in the morning before the school run or quickly before tea time. It is brilliant for children and adults alike and it is a recipe which will tickle your tastebuds.


This post is an entry for #AngelDelightMoments Linky Challenge
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A Week Of Learning And New Experiences

  1. Maxwell has had a lot of fun cooking
  2. Maxwell had his first visit to A&E
  3. Maxwell has continued to try lots more foods this week
  4. We bought Maxwell harder puzzles this week to complete 
  5. Maxwell has spent the start of the week jumping on a trampoline
This week you may have seen our post about Maxwell cooking for Grandad, it has had lots of views and comments so thank you to those who have taken the time to share and comment. If you have not seen our post you are able to view it here. Maxwell had great fun cooking for Grandad and we will be doing some more post's with Grandad in the future.

Last night Maxwell was taken to A&E. Maxwell loves to jump around however yesterday Maxwell decided to take it upon himself to jump off the sofa, he landed awkwardly and since then he has been unable to walk on his foot. We took Maxwell to the hospital at 11pm last night and we were sat around for over 4 hours to find out if there was any lasting damage, fortunately after 2 x rays we found that Maxwell has not broken any bones. Today Maxwell seems to still be in a lot of pain and is unable to walk on his foot. Hopefully he will be back to his usual self soon. 

Every week I have seen a difference in Maxwell's eating habits and this week Maxwell has been trying lots of new foods, he has also had sauces on his food which is a massive step for Maxwell. Maxwell has been eating bacon sandwiches this week, eating spoonfuls of pasta in sauce and has also tried curry sauce on his chips. 

At the weekend we drove over to our local supermarket and decided to pick up some puzzles for Maxwell. For weeks he has been happy doing puzzles with around 12 pieces that fit into shapes, he also loves to do floor puzzles with around 8 pieces however we thought we would push him and get puzzles with around 24 large pieces. Although Maxwell is not quite there yet with creating the puzzle, he is half way there and is learning.

This week saw me buy a exercise trampoline, unfortunately for me however Maxwell has spent many evenings this week bouncing around on it and not letting me have a go on it. He loves to jump up and down however he also loves doing lots of seat jumps on it. It is quite funny to watch and its great to see him enjoying himself so much.  


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When Grandad Came To Tea With The #Afterschoolchefs

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:

Grandad you work hard, we would like to invite you for tea,
We have a great meal to feed you and the meal includes plenty of peas,
There will be laughter at our table and plenty of stories being told, 
You're one in a million, you are pure gold,
I will cook you this meal with plenty of ease
Birds Eye products will hopefully leave you feeling pleased!

Grandad accepted Maxwell's invite and Grandad came round tonight for tea. Maxwell wanted to fix Grandad up a meal quickly so they could spend the rest of the evening playing. Maxwell decided to cook Grandad waffles, peas and chicken fingers with a side of healthy salad.



Maxwell carefully laid the chicken fingers on the tray as well as the waffles. Grandad asked Maxwell if he could count the food onto the tray which Maxwell did with great success. Maxwell then carefully measured water out in his measuring jug and then poured the water into a saucepan, Maxwell then added peas into the saucepan. With a little help Maxwell put the tray into the oven and the peas on to the hob to cook them. I then turned the oven and hob on to ensure Maxwell did not burn himself.

Whilst Maxwell and Grandad awaited for their food to be cooked, I gave them both a plate to make a funny face out of salad, Maxwell loved doing this and before he got to eat his tea he decided he would like to snack on his favorite salad.

 

After a short while the food was ready and Maxwell decided to arrange the meal on to the plate for Grandad and him to enjoy. Maxwell decided to create a funny face with Birdseye peas, Birdseye chicken fingers, Birdseye Waffles and some cucumber. Grandad commented that he was not sure on the peas however after a little persuasion from Maxwell, Grandad ate all the pea's up as well as his tasty dinner.

Maxwell was ever so pleased with the dinner that he made Grandad. He was proud that the dinner had been a great success and was extremely happy that it had not taken long to cook as this let him and Grandad have lots of play time before bed!


Birdseye have always been a great family favorite of mine and I am able to say that I have tried over 70% of there products. Birds Eye ensure they sell a wide variety of products, for different tastes at competitive prices. Since eating Birds Eye products I have not found any nasty bits in them and I have been incredibly impressed by them.
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A Week Of Learning And New Experiences

  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
Since our session with the speech therapist Maxwell's speech is coming on leaps and bounds. Maxwell is still not able to put words together however he is saying lots more words and has started to reply to us using the words No and Yes. It is great to see a improvement in Maxwell's speech however I am still left feeling frustrated that it took us this long to get the help for Maxwell which we asked for months ago.

Maxwell has been doing a lot of role play this week and loves it. We have been using lots of kitchen accessories to do the role play with and it keeps Maxwell entertained for hours. At bath time we even do role play and duck has learnt to drink our of Maxwell's bath cups. It makes me happy to know he has a lovely wooden kitchen with lot of accessories being given to him at Xmas.

This week Maxwell has tried lots of new foods. Maxwell now adores feeding himself, whatever I seem to put in front of him he likes to have a good go at eating it which is fantastic. Maxwell still enjoys eating veg, salad and fruit however I am hoping he will start eating main meals which Ben and I eat.

Maxwell had a mini evaluation this week at preschool and we found out that Maxwell can nearly ride a bike with stabilizers. Seeing as Maxwell is not even 3 yet, I am so proud of Maxwell's new development. Maxwell has a balance bike and a trike however I am hoping to get him his own bike with stabilizers soon which he can ride around on. 

Now the weather has got that little bit colder, Maxwell adores sitting on the sofa. He loves to watch his favorite TV shows, cuddle up with a snack and sit calmly down. I love that he sits so quietly and I love that he loves to snuggle. 

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A Week Of Learning And New Experiences

  1. Maxwell has been playing independently.
  2. Maxwell has been having little temper tantrums.
  3. Maxwell bought Mummy special Mother's Day treats.
  4. Maxwell has been eating a range of food.
This week has seen Maxwell playing independently with his toys. Instead of wanting to play with me all the time and instead of demanding my attention, Maxwell has been playing nicely by himself. Maxwell has been building blocks, playing with his cars and has enjoyed solving his own puzzles.

Maxwell has started to have little temper tantrums. If Maxwell does not like something, he now likes to scream, run away or pull away from what he does not like what is happening. This week I have been ignoring his temper tantrums and have them run their course instead of giving into him. I hope by next week the temper tantrums die down a little and Maxwell is back to his happy self. 

Maxwell spoiled me this year on Mothers Day and managed to buy me a nice cardigan as well as a lovely box of chocolates. I also was given a cute card which had sweet little hedgehogs on. On Mothers Day I also had a lovely bouquet of flowers delivered. We had a fantastic day and I was treated to a takeaway from Ben in the evening. I am looking forward to lots more Mothers Days. 

Maxwell has continued to try new foods and has started to eat lots of different things. Maxwell now enjoys sandwiches, crackers and occasionally baked beans for lunches. Maxwell also is enjoyed crepes, pancakes and cereal bars for breakfast. It is great to see him eat lots more foods. 

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A Week Of Learning And New Experiences

  1. Maxwell decorated the house
  2. Maxwell has learnt to do forward rolls
  3. Maxwell enjoys playing games
  4. Maxwell has been trying new foods
  5. Maxwell has been very spoilt
This week Maxwell had a accident, the accident being he decided to draw on my walls with crayons. I would say I am surprised, but unfortunately I am not. Maxwell loves drawing and whilst sat in his new booster seat he happened to get crayon scribble over my wall. Luckily it came off after I tried to remove it with, fairy liquid, hairspray and toothpaste. Maxwell now knows it is unacceptable to draw on the walls. 

Maxwell has recently been very active and enjoys jumping around, this week Maxwell has discovered how to forward roll. I have to be honest at first it got my heart racing as I was unsure weather he may hurt himself however Maxwell has got confident doing it and likes to do it on soft areas. I am sure he would forward roll everywhere if he could. 

This week saw me download a few new games for Maxwell on my phone to keep him entertained through the bad weather. The games consisted largely of Peppa Pig games and I have to say Maxwell adores them. He has really got into playing them and Ben and I are surprised at how quickly he picked up the games.

Maxwell has been fussy with foods for a while now however this week Maxwell has tried melon, chicken wraps, rice and crepes. Maxwell has tried and eaten all these foods which is brilliant for him and I am looking forward to introducing more foods.

Maxwell has been extremely spoilt this week. We seem to have had delivery after delivery. From new toys to clothes, to designer clothes to craft materials Maxwell has been extremely spoilt however I have decided to introduce all his new stuff to him slowly so he does not expect it all the time and gets wear out of toys.


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Max's Sale Haul

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.
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