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Gift Ideas For His 50th Birthday

My dad turned 50th last year, my uncles 50th is this weekend. But what the bloody hell do you buy a 50 year old man?!

Here’s a few ideas that might help you…

50th birthday ideas

  1. Hugo Boss cufflinks
  2. Hugo Boss wallet & cardholder £129
  3. A tattoo
  4. Silk tie £40
  5. Clarins grooming set £35
  6. A family trip

As a family we all chipped in for my dad a new tattoo. I don’t think he’s got it yet, I suppose it’s a tough decision to make, it’s there forever!

A lovely wallet, pair of cufflinks or silk tie is something they can keep forever, a family trip will provide everlasting memories.

I really do struggle to buy birthday gifts for blokes.

Sometimes I should stick to vouchers!

What would you buy a guy for his 50th?

~A~

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Tips For Reducing Stress When Travelling With Kids

travelling with kids pinWe’ve taken Lamb on holiday abroad twice and in all honesty both trips went really well. We now have 2 kids and travelling may become a little difficult.

So what can I do to reduce stress?

Use Travel friendly Products

Not everyone has the budget to buy quirky products but there are some products out there that would really help when travelling with babies or children.

The Doona for example. What a clever idea! Whether you’re off on a plane or travelling cross country on a train, this fab infant carrier/pram means you can travel with your baby safely and not have to lug a pram around!

A car seat that turns into a pram. Genius.

Be Organised

Organisation isn’t a strength of mine, but when it comes to travelling it’s pretty important that I stay organised. I usually keep everything in one folder and print out all booking forms and confirmations even if it’s not required. My tip is to double check all dates and times of bookings/flights etc and log them into your calendar on your phone. That way if you can’t access/find your paperwork you can check your phone. If you’re travelling abroad make sure you check the expiry dates on your passports and that they all have 6 months left.

Have A Treat Bag

We all know how quickly kids can get bored so my tip is to have a little rucksack or bag packed with lots of goodies that you can distribute throughout your journey. Snacks/sweets, stickers and crayons. Oh and don’t forget surprise eggs. Come up with a way of letting them earn something out of the treat bag. Maybe they have to be quiet for an hour (yeah right), or eat all of their lunch. Or maybe they can choose something every half an hour.

Pay Extra For Sensible Flights

Ok, you’ve got a 3 year old and 8 week old, do you really want to get up at 3 am for a 7 am flight? Do you? No. So book an afternoon flight, give yourself the morning to pack up the car and make your way to the airport. Give yourself time for stops along the way – “I need a wee/snack/iPad/teddy”. You know what toddlers are like.

The sensible times usually cost more, but I know I’d prefer a pricey flight to stressful departure.

Stay Overnight At The Airport

If you don’t live near to the airport you are flying from, why not book a hotel for the night before? It reduces the stress of the journey and adds another little part to your holiday!

Hire A Car

Waiting for taxis with kids? Probably not the easiest of things to do. Now we have 2 children I think hiring a car would be sensible. I can organise car seats for the kids and know we will be travelling safely. Book a car with a reputable company before the holiday, perhaps ask the holiday organisers who they normally recommend. To save some pennies why not use a comparison site like Holiday Autos to see who’s offering the best price for what you need. When you collect your car make sure you get the car you paid for (I’m sure I read somewhere about a couple who were given a more expensive car and were made to pay a lot more when they returned it) and the agreement is correct.

Those are a few of my tips for reducing stress when travelling with kids.

What would your tips be?

~A~

*In collaboration with Holiday Autos

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Tennis – A Sport For The Whole Family #GBTW

tennis weekend pinWith the Great British Tennis Weekend coming up next month (16th-17th July) and with the excitement of Wimbledon and warm sunny days we’ve been having, what better time to enjoy a little tennis.

As a child I loved sports. I won sports day in primary school 3 times, I was on the netball and rounders teams and I represented my secondary school in district sports. But now I’m pretty lazy and the most involved in sport I am is by watching it on TV! I can’t wait for the Olympics 😉

My husband is more sporty than I am. He plays football a couple of times a week, regularly goes to the gym and every now and then plays tennis with his dad (who plays weekly). He’s so good at encouraging Lamb to be active.

At the moment Lamb is getting into football (much to his dads delight). Last week we signed Lamb up for football lessons which start next month, so Daddy went and bought him his first proper football kit. He looks so grown up wearing it!

I’d love him to enjoy lots of sports, including tennis. If he was allowed he’d be outdoors until dark every night playing (even if it’s raining, he loves the rain). So, yesterday I decided to buy him a children’s racket and ball and capture the first moment he played tennis. What better time to start!lamb tennisTo our delight he spent the whole time telling us “I love tennis. Like Grandpop”. He was really good at hitting the ball and rarely missed when daddy threw it to him. What a natural! It’s important to us that Lamb keeps active and enjoys plenty of time outdoors, and what better way than with a sport that the whole family can enjoy.

As technology plays a huge part in our lives these days it can distract our children from more physical activities. We are happy that Lamb enjoys a bit of both and even though he’s an iPad pro, he loves playing in the garden also. So whether you’re on the beach, in the garden, or at the park you can grab a couple of rackets and ball and enjoy some time outdoors playing tennis.

lamb tennis poseTo celebrate the Great British Tennis Weekend the Lawn Tennis Association are encouraging families to get active and play a little tennis. Whether you’re a pro or complete novice you can spend the day at your local club for a free session. Head over to ClubSpark to find a club local to you.

I’m sure Lamb will be going with Daddy soon, while Mummy stays at home with BB watching Wimbledon with a cold lemonade. 😉

So who’s going to sign up for a free session at their local club?!

~A~

*I’m working with the Lawn Tennis Association on their #GBTW campaign. Sign up for for your FREE tennis activity .

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A Family Holiday – Butlins Bognor Regis Review #ButlinsAmbassadors

butlins review pinBack in April we headed to Butlins Bognor Regis for our first holiday as Butlins Ambassadors. The week we stayed was one of their Just For Tots weeks which are aimed at under 5’s. It was our last holiday as a family of 3 and we couldn’t wait. One last opportunity to spoil Lamb and spend quality time together before BB arrived. I can honestly say we couldn’t have asked for a better holiday. We absolutely loved it.

[Read more…]

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Introducing my #BML16 Sponsor – Shnuggle

shnuggle titleAs you all know I’m off to Britmums Live soon not only to learn lots to improve my blog and meet up with some amazing bloggers I’ve gotten close to over the years but to also attend the BiBs Awards as a finalist in the Best Family Blog category! I still have to pinch myself.

This year I was on the hunt for a sponsor and I’m excited to announce I’ve teamed up with with the amazing brand Shnuggle.

A little bit about the brand…

Shnuggle was founded in 2009 by Adam & Sinead, parents to three fabulous children. They draw on they experience raising their babies and have designed a range of Clever Baby Products to make life easier for modern parents. Everything they make is designed right here in the UK, but the Shnuggle products sell all around the world as far as Australia, Canada and China! With core principles of Design, Safety & Function, Shnuggle’s award winning products have got sleep time and bath time covered and are loved by parents all across the globe!

Shnuggle offer 2 amazing products. The award wining Shnuggle Bath and the Shnuggle ‘Dreami’ Clever Baby Sleeper.

We are currently using the bath with BB and love it. During the early months the Shnuggle Bath offers your baby support making them feel safe and secure and after a few months you can begin to bath your baby handsfree as the bath supports their neck and back.Noah 3 - OrigAs your baby learns to sit up and forward the ‘bum bumpkin the bath make them feel secure while also giving them the feeling of independence. Lamb offered to test out ours and even though her is way too big for it, he still had lots of fun!

shnuggle Baby Willow High ResThe Shnuggle bath is also an excellent aid for babies who may have additional needs and need more support during bath time.  This support makes bath time safer and less stressful, while helping baby to continue to develop important motor skills and core strength.

Here’s a little peek of BB trying out his bath…

BB shnuggle Shnuggle are expanding their brand with the launch of Dreami® – a complete baby sleep system, designed for maximum flexibility around the home and on the go.

Shnuggle DreamiThe gorgeous Dreami® sleep system uses the clever Shnuggle ventilated base with a fully breathable 3D mesh fabric, reducing the risk of airflow restriction within baby’s sleeping environment to help towards a safer and sounder sleep.  The mesh is cotton facing to be soft against baby and has a hypoallergenic inner core which wicks away moisture and offers a slightly padded feel for complete comfort.

For maximum flexibility the Dreami® base is easily removed from the included Curve Stand, and can be used in a high-level fixed position or turned upside down to create a low-level rocker. When not in use, the Curve Stand can be easily folded up for easy storage and travel.

shnuggle Dreami-Benefits

The Shnuggle Bath retails at £19.99 and the Dreami retails at £129.99, with the additional Curve Stand retailing at £35.

If you want to find out more about Shnuggle products then head over to their website, or you can find them on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.

Thank you so much to Shnuggle for sponsoring me to attend Britmums Live. Keep an eye out for a full review of the Shnuggle Bath coming up on the blog soon, and good luck to all of the finalists in the BiBs Awards! *Fingers crossed*

~A~

 

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