Grandma “Life doesn’t get any better than watching your grandchild jumping in puddles and kicking leaves”.
Cotton Traders Daytrip Decider
Earlier this year Vicky and I were introduced to a new online tool called ‘Daytrip Decider’ by Cotton Traders.
Basically, the tool offers suggestions on days out suitable to your requirements and destination. Our first impressions of this new tool were really positive. As new mums we are always looking for things to do with Lamb & Bear, and it’s not always easy finding places to go. So when Cotton Traders asked us to collaborate, we were more than happy to try the Daytrip Decider.
We are based in Essex, but unfortunately this isn’t available on the tool, so we had two alternative options. East Anglia, which covered Ipswich (about 20 min drive from us), or London (50 mins on the train). So either of these were suitable.
We decided to take the kids to London for the day. After asking for an ‘active and involved, indoor’ activity the day trip decider suggested The Natural History Museum. Perfect!
We decided to drive to Newbury Park tube station and jump on the tube to the museum. When the kids are older, we will most likely opt for the train. Lugging around buggies and bags isn’t easy, so driving some of the way is more convenient.
I’m sure a lot of you have been to the Natural History Museum already, so I won’t go into much detail about what’s there. Plus, we didn’t actually see that much as Lamb & Bear’s little legs didn’t take us very far!
We took them straight to see the huge whale and other animals. We spent about an hour walking round pointing at different animals and watching the kids faces light up when they saw more and more. Baby Bear spent about 15 minutes standing on the balcony waving at Daddy Bear on the lower floor. Super cute.
We are really lucky to live very close to a Zoo, so Lamb & Bear regularly go and see the animals. We knew this would be a very fun day out for them, and it really was. Ok, so there were a few tantrums from Lamb (he was recovering from a cold and very tired), and they both got a bit fed up on the long tube journey, but other than that it was a great day out.
Would we use the Daytrip Decider again. Yes. The tool itself works perfectly, I love how you can choose whether you want to be indoors or outdoors. The only thing I noticed that needs improving was the amount of day trips on offer.
Would we take Lamb & Bear to the Natural History Museum again. Yes. Would we go on a Saturday again. NO! (Way too busy for our stress levels 😉 )
Why don’y you pop over to the Cotton Traders website and have a go on the Daytrip Decider yourself? See where it sends you!
Alex & Vicky x
It’s my birthday – I’ll relax if I want to.
This month was my 28th birthday. Yep, I said it, 28. That’s only 2 off… Let’s not go there.
Each year I find choosing presents more difficult. I just don’t know what to ask for. Vouchers are usually the obvious choice. There’s no rush or panic to get anything, plus I get to shop!
Being a new mum, who has the tendency of getting rather stressed, has very little sleep and no time to herself, I’ve finally come up with the perfect present- a spa day.
So this is what I asked for from Daddy Lamb. I haven’t booked anything yet, but I think I will be going to The Lifehouse Spa next month. I’ll keep you posted.
However, to my surprise, Mummy Bear bought me a massage and cream tea voucher for my birthday- best present ever – and that’s what we have been up this weekend!
The Dads are on Daddy Lambs stag do, so what better time to book our massage?! We shipped the kids off to their grandparents and off we went to The Holistic Retreat in Assington.
The Holistic Retreat is situated at The Barn in Assisngton. A really lovely place to go for lunch and a walk around the gardens, and certainly family friendly. As we had never been before, we didn’t know what to expect, but we were pleasantly surprised. There a few animals for the children to look at, the Holistic Retreat for us mums who could do with a bit of pampering, a lovely cafe selling home made food, a play area for the kids, shop, garden centre and farm shop! It’s not a huge place, but certainly somewhere to plan a family day out to.
We were both booked in for a 30 minute back massage, and cream tea. Vicky was spot on with her gift this year. I seriously needed a day out with no men and no babies! Lamb has been a bit difficult recently. His bedtime routine has gone completely out of the window since our holiday, and he is up until 9pm every night and point blank refuses to sleep in his cot. There will a post all about this soon.
The fact I was able to lay down in silence for 30 mins, plus chill out in the relaxation room while Vicky had her massage was beyond bliss. The woman who owned the Spa was lovely and gave a great massage! We both highly recommend a visit if you are local to the area.
After our massage we walked over to the cafe for our cream tea. The menu had a really yummy choice for lunch – all home-made, which gets a thumbs up from us. We had soup and fresh bread followed by our scone and tea. Luckily for us the sun was shining, so we sat outside in the fresh air and soaked up some of the last few rays of the year (although I’ve heard we are having an Indian summer?!)
For any of you who struggle to think of gifts to ask for, a massage and cream tea is perfect for any new mum. Time is the one thing we have the least of these days. In particularly, time to ourselves. Every once in a while it’s essential we get some ‘me’ time, to unwind and relax. If, like me, you have a tough time with your little one, days can roll into the next and life can become pretty tiring. There’s nothing wrong with asking for a bit of ‘time’ for your birthday. I have!
Thanks again Mummy Bear 🙂 xx
The Baby Show giveaway
It’s almost time for The Baby Show!
From 24th – 26th October, Olympia will be hosting this fabulous event.
We attended The Baby Show in February, and had a brilliant day out.
We loved hanging out with the girls on the Cosatto stand! Such beautiful prints…
Not only do you get to browse great baby brands, but also listen in and get advice from some top experts. The highlight for us in February was meeting Annabel Karmel and getting some great practical advice from Jo Tantum. And they’re both attending The Baby Show in October too.
We’ve attended a few baby events, and for a big event, this has been by far the best. We just loved the extra touches that had been considered – from the creche, to baby feeding area, and buggy friendly aisles!
Competition time
We’ve teamed up with The Baby Show to giveaway a pair of tickets! (Worth £40). You can enter below. x
Summer holiday with the GroCompany
Earlier this year we were given the opportunity to review products by the GroCompany, which was really exciting as we are huge fans of the brand.
We decided to review products ideal for our summer holiday, so we chose the 0.5 tog Travel GroBag, and the Gro Anywhere Blind. What amazing choices these were!
0.5 tog Travel GroBag
Our British Summer has been so amazing this year, I’ve been putting Lamb in his Summer GroBag at home, and it’s made our bedtime routine so much easier! I’ve always found Lamb sleeps better in a sleeping bag. We’ve used one since he was a few months old (they are suitable from 8lbs) as I found them so much safer than blankets; it really stopped me worrying. No matter what the weather is like, a sleeping bag always helps Lamb sleep through, as it helps regulate his body temperature.
So off we went to Devon. A long 6 hour drive. I was dreading the journey. Jaxson isn’t a baby anymore and doesn’t sleep as much in the car, so we prepared ourselves with plenty of snacks, juice and toys. We knew we would have to stop a few times for him to stretch his legs. To our surprise he was really well behaved! I think we only stopped twice. Once for breakfast, and once at Puxton Park, which is an amazing family farm and play area. I highly recommend a visit if you are in the west country.
As we were reviewing for our summer holiday, which was to a lovely holiday park in Devon, I chose the Sandcastle Bay design. What better than a holiday theme sleeping bag to take on a summer holiday! Staying in a caravan can be a little bit difficult with a baby or toddler. One minute it’s really hot, the next it’s freezing. The curtains are usually pretty thin, and the radiators aren’t great. So having the GroBag and Gro Anywhere Blind, really made bedtime much easier. I can honestly say they are 2 of my most recommended items to take on holiday, especially in a caravan!
I have never thought of using a sleeping bag during the day (other than for naps in the cot). The travel grobag offers the ability to fasten your little one into their pram safely, while also being zipped up in their GroBag. This was great for long walks on the beach, or in the countryside, when the weather was a bit cooler. We didn’t have to worry about lambs little legs getting cold, or more importantly, him kicking the blanket off onto the floor!
Features of the Travel GroBag
- 100% cotton – single layer.
- Available up to the age of 6 years.
- Chin guard over zip to prevent rubbing.
- Easy access opening for use when travelling.
- ‘ZipClick’ cover to prevent little ones opening the zip.
- Machine washable and suitable for tumble dryer on a low heat.
The Travel GroBag comes in it’s own matching carry bag, making it really easy to transport around when you’re out and about, as well as easy to store when it’s not in use. This made it so easy for me to take out with us each day while we were on holiday. It didn’t take up much room in the pram, or if I had limited storage space, I was able to hang it over the pram handle.
Gro Anywhere Blind
We have also spent all summer using our Travel GroBlind. This is 100% one of my most recommended products to have at home as well as on holiday. If, like us, you invested in a ‘blackout blind’, you will know that they are, in fact, not ‘blackout’. As soon as the clocks changed and the evenings became lighter, we really struggled to get Lamb to sleep at his normal bedtime. He went through a stage of thinking it was OK to stay up until 9pm. No, Lamb, it is not OK.
The Gro Anywhere Blind is really easy to put up. It has rubber suction cups that stick directly to the glass, ensuring no light will sneak in. What’s even better, the blind width can be reduced using the velcro attached, meaning holidays in a caravan (with small windows) can also benefit from the Gro Anywhere Blind.
Like the Travel GroBag, the Gro Anywhere Blind also comes in it’s own travel bag, which makes packing it into a suitcase that little bit easier. The blind is quite large, so it’s well worth folding up neatly and putting into it’s bag if you plan on taking it away with you.
Features of the Gro Anywhere Blind
- Adapts to any window (up to a maximum of 130cm x 200cm).
- Can be reduced in size to fit smaller windows.
- Comes with it’s own travel bag.
- Premium black out material.
- New moons and stars design.
I literally use this every night in Lambs bedroom. I’m scared not to! Unfortunately for us, Lamb’s bedroom is south facing so is exposed to the sun from dawn until dusk, so a Gro Anywhere Blind is an absolute essential in his bedroom. Otherwise, we will have long nights ahead of us!
We have just booked our first holiday abroad, we are off to Spain in a few days, so both the Travel GroBag and Gro Anywhere Blind will be coming with us. I can’t imagine a holiday without them! In fact, I can’t imagine any bedtime without them, no matter where in the world we are!
Alex xx
To find out more about any of the GroComany products visit gro.co.uk or to purchase a product visit gro-store.co.uk.
We were sent these products free of charge in return for our honest opinion and review.