MUMMY TO THE MAX

Ahead of the clocks going back and with Halloween and Bonfire Night fast approaching, much loved hero Fireman Sam is launching a nationwide campaign to raise awareness of fire safety for children.

With Halloween just around the corner, Maxwell was recently sent an amazing Morphsuit. Every year ahead of Halloween I always try to find Maxwell the perfect dressing up costume. I always give him the choice of what he would like to dress up.  I always like to choose a costume for Maxwell which is not only eye catching but something which will also grow with him and something that is practical. Over the years Maxwell has dressed up as a pumpkin, a skeleton and a wizard and this year Maxwell choose to be a skeleton again.

Recently we were contacted by the lovely people over at Zazzle and asked to pick some items off their website to review. With Halloween just around the corner, I decided to pick some Halloween personalised products for Maxwell to wear and enjoy. I wanted to focus on day to day products that he could wear after Halloween instead of focusing on costumes and table wear for a Halloween party.

Zazzle offer a wide range of products which can be personalised to anyone's tastes, they offer a range of products suitable for all occasions. If I am honest, it took me a while to choose what  I wanted off the Zazzle website. Over at Zazzle they offer such a large range of products I was overwhelmed with the amount of things I wanted to buy. I had to spend time buying the perfect items for Max.

Once I had decided what items I wanted to purchase Maxwell, I went about customizing the products. I decided to get a large duffle bag for Maxwell to use for a Halloween sleepover, a tshirt which has the caption "boo" on it which also features a monster on the back of the tshirt which I think would be perfect for Maxwell to wear on the day of Halloween and I also opted for a nice warm black skull hoodie so Maxwell would stay warm this Halloween.

Duffle bag - This is the first item that I choose for Maxwell. Maxwell is always looking for a bag to use on sleepovers and this fitted his needs well. This bag can be personalised on the back and the front and also comes in an arrange of colours. Maxwell and I decided to pick a blue bag and we decided to customize the bag by adding a simple monster motif. When the bag arrived, I was thrilled with the quality of it. The bag is of a good size - 50 cm (width) x 23 cm (height). The bag is strong,  well made and the motif which we had personalised onto the bag stands out well. The bag is machine washable and not only is it perfect for children like Maxwell who need a large bag to go to sleepovers with, it is also perfect for adults who use the gym,  perfect for the day to day commute to work or the perfect bag to use for holidays.


Boo tshirt - As soon as I saw this tshirt it stood out to me. I adored the way the tshirt looked on the front. The tshirt read the simple word "boo". I loved the funky style that the word was written in. I decided to pick this tshirt in white and went for black writing as out of all the colours that I tried, the black and white colours stood out the most. For this tshirt, I also opted to have a Pacman style character on the back. I thought this would make the tshirt look unique. When the tshirt arrived, Maxwell and I were both thrilled. The tshirt looked and felt fantastic. We washed the tshirt straight away and we found that the tshirt washed up nicely. Once Maxwell tried the tshirt on it was clear to see that the tshirt was a good fit for him and the tshirt stood out well. I can not wait to see Maxwell wear this tshirt on Halloween.

Skull hoodie - Normally Maxwell loves to wear zip up hoodies however I felt this hoodie would be better to buy him for Halloween. Maxwell can often get irritated with zips up on his other hoodies, so it made sense to get him something simple which he could remove with ease and on his own. This hoodie is barely personalised but I did choose the colours of this hoodie. I decided to go for a dark hoodie which had a white skull motif on it. I felt that these colours looked spooky, fun and fantastic for Halloween. When the hoodie arrived I was thrilled. The hoodie was of a good size and once washed and on Maxwell, I found that the hoodie allowed space underneath for a few extra layers of clothing. This is perfect due to Maxwell needing to wear a few extra layers on the upcoming cold Halloween night.

Overall I loved using Zazzle. I found that their products were good value for money. I loved the fact that the products could be personalised with ease and things such as colours and motifs could be changed easily. I was pleased with the fast delivery of these products, especially due to the fact that they were shipped from abroad. After washing and wear, I found that the products which we purchased washed up well, were fit for purpose and allowed Maxwell to look that little unique this Halloween. I 100% would use Zazzle services again.

*We received the above products for the purpose of this review.  All thoughts and opinions are of our own.

This week's 5 for under £5 s focused on fancy dress costumes for Halloween. The costumes which I have picked are perfect for boys but also great for girls to wear and are a little different than your average "Halloween" scary costume.

1. Maxwell loved dressing up for Halloween and getting in the Halloween spirit
2. Maxwell helped me sort his old clothes and toys out ready for Christmas
3. Maxwell is excited to be going to watch the Octonauts in April
4. Maxwell's speech continues to improve every day
5. Maxwell has started to complete harder puzzles

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. 

Halloween is just around the corner, a week ago Maxwell and I were sent some lovely goodies from Hartley Jelly. We were asked to make some fun jelly monsters out of the selection of goodies which we were sent. We were sent a range of goodies from the fabulous Hartley Jelly collection as well as some sweets and icing to make our monsters look spooktastic.


We were sent a range of ready made jellys from the Hartley collection however we were also sent packs of jelly, the packs of jelly are my favorite to make as it means I can create fun shaped jelly when I allow it to set in molds. The flavours which we were able to use when making our monster creations were Fangtastic Strawberry and Shocking Lemon and Slime. Maxwell and I were excited to start making our creation. As Maxwell is just 2 I wanted to make creating monsters easy for him.

Maxwell's first monster was decorated by  Maxwell himself. Maxwell used milk chocolate buttons to create the monsters eyes, strawberry laces to create the monsters smile and Maxwell used icing to create the monsters green, spooky eyes. The jelly which we used was the Hartley powder type and we put it into containers and allowed it to set overnight before we decorated it.

A few weeks ago Maxwell and I were sent a lovely box of goodies from Baker Ross. The box was full of Halloween crafts. After having a look at them I was excited to start crafting with Maxwell. Inside the box there were some fun 3D Halloween Kits as well as some Halloween Scratch Art Masks. Maxwell and I settled down to complete the crafts together.


The masks looked like a simple black plain mask however there were sticks in the packs to create fun designs on the masks. All you had to do was simply use the sticks to scratch away at the masks to make designs. Maxwell decided to draw all over his whilst I carefully added cat ears, whiskers and created glowing eyes however once completed the masks both looked fantastic.

Once we had completed the mask we simply attached a piece of elastic to them to ensure that they would fit round our faces. The masks fitted around both mine and Maxwell's faces and I think the end result looked brilliant.

Overall we were very happy with our Baker Ross crafts and once again were impressed by there fantastic quality. If you would like to buy the scratch masks you are able to buy them here. If you are interested in purchasing the 3D decoration kits you are able to buy them here.

Halloween is just around the corner and Yankee Candle have some fun, spooky candles to get you in the spirit of things. There are 3 candles available to purchase this Halloween and the fragrances are:

Candy Corn – The familiar, sweet scent is a fond reminder of Halloween fun and treats.
Witches Brew – The spicy sweet aroma of exotic patchouli casts a captivating Halloween spell.
Ghostly Treats – The scent of gooey toasted marshmallows is a haunting reminder of sharing spooky tales around a Halloween bonfire.

This Halloween there is a hero to capture all those nasty spooky monsters... Say hello to Maxwell the superhero dressed up in his stylish silver Swoopercape.

Maxwell was sent has brand new Swoopercape from a company called Miioon that allows children to design their own clothes and accessories. The idea is simple but easy for your little ones to get involved in. Children are able to design clothing and accessories, choose colours, logos, characters and even wording. The website is safe and easy to use.

Here you are able to choose what item you would like to make.  We choose a Swoopercape.

Once choosing a Swoopercape, you are able to choose what shape you would like on the cape. We choose the circle which came up with a lightning design.

You are able to go on to choose what colour you would like to make the logo on the back of your Swoopercape. We choose red.

Finally you are able to choose what letter you would like on your Swoopercape. We choose M for Max.

Making the Swoppercape was easy and fun. It was great to spend some quality time with Maxwell doing a fun activity which would see his design in something he could wear. The process of making the Swoopercape was fairly quick and it was not time consuming.


Our Swoopercape came quickly, we waited just 3 days for its arrival and as soon as we got it we were impressed. The Swoopercape came with a matching mask and wrist bands for just £12.50 I thought the cape was a real bargain.

The Swoopercape can be used this Halloween, for fancy dress days at school or it can be used for imagery play. As one size fits all, it can be used as your child grows and even siblings could go on to use the Swoopercape.


Just in time for Christmas Miioon are offering customers the chance to pick up Miioon giftcards in Asda, you are also able to buy the gift cards online. I think Miioon is a perfect Christmas present as it will allow children to get creative as well as have fun with parents and siblings over the Christmas period. It is also a great present as there are many different ideas for children to choose form over at Miioon.

For more information please visit there website.

As many of my readers know, I love to grab a bargain. This Halloween is not an exception. When we were told about Home Bargains Halloween Products we were keen to see what they were like and put them through their paces. I was impressed at the wide range of products Home Bargains had to offer.

Devil Costume – £3.99

Maxwell was sent a Devil Costume aged 1-2. At just £3.99 I thought this was great price for Halloween dress up. The costume itself is simple but fun. It does not come with trousers but it is easy to team the top with some black trousers, jogging bottoms or even some tights. The costume fitted Maxwell well and he enjoyed wearing it.

Witch Hat, 89p

This Witch Hat could complete any costume. It is well made, decorated with style and one size can fit many. At just 89p you could buy a few to give to your guests at a Halloween party to make the night that extra bit spooky. The design stands out and the material it is made of is hard wearing. 

I love dressing Maxwell up and this Halloween is not an exception! Maxwell and I were delighted when Sainsburys sent us out 2 of there spooky Halloween costumes for Maxwell to try this year. Having not ever tried Sainsburys Halloween range, we were really excited to see what the costumes looked like.

Sainsburys sent us over a toddler spider costume and a pumpkin costume. The spider costume was our favourite. The costume came with a hat, top and trousers. The costume comes in a red and black theme. The top is fun and features a spider with six stripy legs and on the top there is a happy-looking spider face on the front. I decided to put a black long sleeved t-shirt under the top of the costume to keep Maxwell warm as the top is a vest top.

The Pumpkin costume we were sent comes with just a top and trousers. The costume is a bright orange colour and a lot of fun. The costume has a pumpkin face on which is actually a pocket. The pocket allows your child to put there treats in when going trick or treating. Again the top is vest style so I simply added a orange top under the costume to keep Maxwell warm. If Maxwell was a little older I think it would be fun to paint Maxwell's face orange so he would look like a giant pumpkin.


The only issue I had with the costumes was the hat that came with the spider costume. It was a little large and kept going over Maxwell's eyes so in the end he did not wear it as it irritated him however overall we found the costumes to be fantastic.

Sainsburys costumes are brilliantly made. They are a low price which makes them affordable for all. Sainsburys cater for all the family and offer a large range of costumes.

For more Halloween costumes and Halloween ideas please visit Sainsburys website.

On Sunday Maxwell, A.Rachel and I are going to a bonfire night at our local recreation ground. I am really looking forward to it as it is the first time Maxwell will have seen any type of fireworks however I have been a little scared about what he will be wearing.

I was finding it hard to come up with a outfit suitable for Maxwell to wear. I was looking for something which would keep him warm and snug however I also wanted something which would keep him looking trendy. Katheleen came to my rescue when she emailed me asking would Maxwell like to try some Slugs and Snail boys tights.


We were sent a pair of Spooked tights in age 2-3. The tights arrived in a small box with a transparent plastic window showing off there bright design. They looked fantastic, featuring brightly coloured monsters on a dark backing they defiantly stood out. I was excited to get them on Maxwell and see what he thought of them.

The tights were easy to get on and off Maxwell, I simply was able to roll them on to his feet and pull them up his legs, it took a matter of seconds which I was happy about as Maxwell loves to wriggle.

The tights themselves were soft to touch and also quite thick which is fantastic in the cold weather. They feature anti slip soles which are useful for Maxwell as he is forever sliding around in just socks as we have laminate flooring. The tights are extremely hard wearing due to being stitched well which means they do not go out of shape after washing. I also found they do not bubble after washing.


For bonfire night Maxwell will be wearing his slug and snail tights to keep himself warm. Although I could add some jeans or other trousers over the top of the tights for extra warmth I have found that most other trousers do not fit well into Maxwell's Wellington boots which will cause him to be uncomfortable. I can not wait for people to see Maxwell's tights.

Slugs and Snails is the first company in the UK and Ireland to design and produce tights just for boys. The designs are great and the idea behind them is fantastic. I can not wait for some more designs to come out and get a few more pairs of tights for Maxwell this winter.
You are able to purchase the tights from the Slugs & Snails website.

This week saw a brand new Scooby Doo! DVD hit our shelves, Scooby Doo! Adventures - The Mystery Map. Maxwell loves to watch Scooby Doo on CBBC however the new DVD is in a all new cute puppet format which appeals to Maxwell's age a little more than the cartoon version. 

Perfect for Halloween Loubilou have given me the chance to offer my readers a very cute spooky prize.
The spooky prize consists of a pair of Ivor Spider tights. These are perfect for Halloween or just to add that burst of colour and fun to any outfit. The tights are suitable for children ages 0-4 years old.


The Ivor Spider tights feature: New improved anti-slip soles and new improved stretch giving more room after washing and yarn tightening.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

1. Carve your Pumpkin, make sure a adult is around to help if you need it. Once carved remember to save the insides of the pumpkin to create the sick affect.
2. Get a bin bag and lay it flat on the floor. Places the pumpkins insides which you have dug out of both pumpkins inside the pumpkin and out so it creates a sick affect.
3. Insert a knife into the sick pumpkin and add a lot of food colouring to create the blood affect. 
4. Get a box and place the 2nd carved pumpkin you have on it. A Halloween themed box is best. 
5. Get a rubber glove and fill it with material. I used packaging material. Fill the glove up so it has a 3D affect and simply add some food colouring on it so it looks like blood.
6. Place the second pumpkin on the box near the murdered pumpkin and add the glove carefully so it looks like the pumpkin has a hand. Ensure the hand looks like it is digging the knife into the murdered pumpkin.
7. You have your creative Halloween pumpkin!

1. Gather your items you are wanting to use form around your house, they can be found at a cheap bits and bob shop or a craft store.
2. Type up a list of the items. Cut it out for your guests to identify objects easily.
3. Grab your jar and fill it with pasta, then add a few of the items at a time. You can dig the items down or keep them near the top, you can make it as difficult as you like for your guests.