A few months ago I was tidying the house when big man was at pre school. I discovered one of his school shoes. Mmmmmnnnn the sneaky thing must have worn his trainers and I hadn't noticed - he is as devious as a teenager already I thought. Then I found his trainers. Now I was baffled. I started to panic slightly as it had been one of those days when it was a rush to get out of the house. To be honest that is any day we have pre school! Had I made my boy walk to school with only one shoe on? Was he too frightened to tell me, incase I shouted at him because we were running late? When we arrived at pre school I was somewhat relieved to see that he was wearing two shoes.Two shoes that looked pretty much alike. It turned out that he had got one of his correct shoes on and one from a pair that he had grown out of. You see the problem is when a boy reaches the age of 3, shoes just aren't that funky anymore and look pretty much the same.


So when I saw that this weeks theme on Pretty.Little.Things. was Funky Footwear - I had to put a bit more thought into the post. Luckily my boys like their wellies and they are pretty funky. Then there's the lovely little booties that my Mum made, and kept baby mans tiny toes toasty when he was a newborn, and last but not least the favourite current shoes that my boys have.




Maybe boys can have funky footwear afterall.

So not only did I do a photo a day for my facebook page, I did one for baby man. Mainly because I hadn't taken a photo each day from when he was born and was feeling guilty. Below are the promts and photos. Now all that remains is for me to decide whether I have the energy to do it all over again in July? Fancy a go yourself? Click here for the prompts for July - and good luck - it is harder than you would think!


If you haven't seen the other photos a day I have done check out week 1, week 2 and week 3. I will be posting week 4 in a few days.

So big man starts school in September and I am worried about him and me making friends. I am pretty shy. I am much better than I used to be, but I find it hard making conversation with people I don't know. I vividly remember moving when I was eight years old. My mum ended up giving me an ice pop to give to the girl next door as a way of me talking to her. She took it even though she was off shopping but it broke the ice (excuse the pun) and we have been friends ever since. Don't worry I am not thinking of setting up some free ice cream van at the school gates, but it has made me observe how the boys go about making friends.

Big man is actually quite confident. He doesn't really understand shy children and when they run to their mums or hide away he just shouts his name more loudly thinking they cant hear him and that's why they aren't answering him. His main way of making friends seems to be introducing himself, his brothers and even telling the child about his new baby cousin. Then conversation usually reverts to age, and at some point he will come and verify what month his birthday is. Somehow this strategy works and before you know it he is chasing some child round in a tag game.

Middle man is just learning about the friends making process. My heart goes out to him when he tries to make friends with bigger boys who don't want a "baby" two year old hanging around. Some 3 and 4  year olds can be very mean. However, he has a few friends and a current best one. Although he will be a school year above middle man, I can see them both joining the local rugby team and staying friends from that. Here is a picture he drew of him.







Today whilst big man was at gymnastics middle man made another friend - Brick. Luckily 3-4 year old girls are slightly kinder than boys and will play with a 2 year old even if they keep shouting their name incorrectly. In the end Brooke decided it wasn't worth trying to correct him any longer and accepted the pretend orange that he was trying to give her.

And then there is baby man. He is very successful in making friends and it is his strategy that I think will probably work best for me too. He is just happy and smiles at people. Sometimes it isn't even what you say that is important.

I am currently sitting writing this post wondering if  I am Bridget Jones. And no I am not talking about the knickers I wear. I am talking about how I manage to get myself into stupid situations that I manage to make worse. Today I am writing about my biggest blogging error to date.

With my new found love of photography, I thought it was time to take part in The Gallery.
This weeks theme -  Hands.

Big man made me and my Grandad "Thank You" cards at pre school. I think he may have got bored of thinking of things to thank me for hence the "everything else" comment. I thought it was very sweet that he made my Grandad one as he thought it would make him happy as he can't walk very well and he likes playing dinosaurs with him when we visit his care home.


On Saturday big man went along to a new football class and was given an award. Ok half the class got one, but he came in beaming and proud so this made me happy. He had to sleep with the curtains slightly opened so he could see it on his windowsill.



Middle man has decided that he is Princess Holly! How can you not smile at that. "I Princess Holly -Mummy you Nanny Plum!"



To see more posts that have made people smile head over to The Mummy Adventure

It is amazing what I will do to avoid tidying the house. I love crafty things and enjoy watching Art Attack with the boys. When this weeks See it Snap it Love it said it was going to have the theme of piece and quiet I immediately thought of taking a picture of baby man asleep. Then I remembered a conversation with my sister in law about an artist who photographed her baby having dreams. Well I just had to have a go didn't I? So here is my entry to See it Snap it Love it this week - baby man having a dream about going sailing.....

If you read my yummy mummy meme you will know that I love shopping in Next. So when I saw a competition to style a maternity or children's outfit up to the value of £500 it gave me an excuse to look at more cute clothes for the boys. I decided that I would use my middle man as inspiration. First we had the Jubilee to get us excited and now London 2012 is nearly upon us, so I decided to use the Olympics as my theme. I could easily have found an outfit of London 2012 merchandise, but as my middle man is only 2 1/2, I also wanted to match up clothes that he can wear long after the Olympics have finished.

When I was expecting my big man, I was shocked at the array of baby products on the market. Knowing what you actually need and choosing the right product to suit your lifestyle is a minefield. We attended our local antenatal group and were shown how to bath a baby - I am not sure I really needed a lesson on how to do this, but it made up our minds that a baby bath would be useful, and bought a standard baby bath.


By the time baby man came into the world, Hubbie had decided that the baby bath was too cumbersome and we wouldn't bother with it. I jumped at the chance of reviewing the Flexibath as it would solve this problem. At first glance, the Flexibath is at the top end of the price scale for a baby bath at £29.95. However, on receiving this product, it is clear that the price reflects that you are purchasing a top end product. The Flexibath is a baby bath that folds flat, making storage easy. So if you are tight for space it's great. This also makes it easy to transport, so if you want to take it camping or on holiday then it's a perfect travel baby bath. It grips well to the inside of the bath or other surface so it won't slip around.




Baby man absolutely loves his Flexibath. He can splash around in it and sit up and hold onto the ridged sides. So for the next few months he is going to be happy in it. The age range is from
0-4. Whilst my middle and big man were very excited when I filled it up and put it in the bath, I think that it was more the novelty of something new. So how can I justify the large price tag? Because after you have used it as a bath, you can use it for other things. It is a fab laundry basket. We normally use the fold up crates to put our washing in. they are fine, but middle man likes to sit in them every now and then pretending they are a boat or fire engine. Inevitabley he manages to break them as they are flimsey. So not only does the Flexibath make a good boat for middle man, it makes a sturdy laundry basket for me. Another idea is a toy box, and for those odd sunny days, tip the toys out and take the Flexibath out into the garden for some water play.




The Flexibath really is a lovely product.


I was given the Flexibath for the purpose of the review, but all the views here are my own.

Day 16 Out and About


Day 17 In your bag


I was shocked that there were no rogue raisins in here! However, there is my purse, some photos I printed for Father's day, a usb stick, Clinique superpowder, Benifit Mascara, old reciepts, a baby wipe. an empty humzinger packet, a car park ticket, a costa coffe club piece of paper, two packets of raisins, a map for Legoland Windsor resort, 2 for 1 merlin entry tickets, fireman sam stickers, discount voucher for Wellington country park, my polling card and a mumic with mummy renewal form - quite tidy for me!

Day 18 Something we didn't know about you


Yes it is true I wrote this. It seems as though it was in a previous life. I figured even the people that knew I had a masters wouldn't know what it was called. I doubt many people have even read it. Maybe the odd student in Swansea of Cardiff.....

Day 19 Imperfect


Imperfect yet perfect at the same time. My middle man loves to get in a mess.

Day 20 Fave photo you've ever taken

My favourite photo changes on a daily basis, but i think this is pretty good for a disposable camera.


Day 21 Where you slept


Looking down at the penguins at Chessington World of Adventures Resort. If you have pre school children check out their parent and toddler tickets which are only £15 at the moment.

Fancy finding out more then head over to http://fatmumslim.com.au/

The only one of my boys that is bothered about who he goes to bed with is middle man. He has a few favourites - Donald, Nappy Monkey and his current favourite "My Mickey." I think this distinguishes between his and big man's Mickey. I also thought it was important for them to have different Mickeys and got middle man a 2011 ice skating Mickey Mouse when we went to see Disney on ice last year. Why I hadn't learnt from experience and got two I am not sure - you can't get a replacement in 2012! Unfortunately "My Mickey" has had to go through the washing machine - and then I realised he was hand wash only. So "My Mickey" is a slightly grubby mouse with short trousers due to the washing accident, but my middle man still loves him.

Whilst i was tagging Jess to do the Why? meme, she was busy tagging me in this one from BusyBeeMummyBex. Clearly Jess has never met me, as I wouldn't describe myself as yummy, but I am a Mummy so i am half way there.


So, here are the rules:

1. When answering the question give as much detail as possible.  It's all about the finer details people!
2. Leave a comment here (Busybeemummybex blog where the meme was created). 
3. Tag three or more people and link them to your blog.
4. Tweet #yummymummy when you share on Twitter.




And here are my answers:


What is the first thing you do when you wake up?
I am generally woken too early by baby man needing a feed - and then go back to sleep if I can. I am then embarrassed to say I turn the i pad on and read facebook and hotmail. Then I drink a strong coffee.


Do you shower daily?
Yes. I can't wake up without a shower, and if I go to the gym then I have an extra one.


Are you an early morning shower or an evening bath type?
Early morning shower kind of girl. I would love an evening bath, but spend too much time on the computer.


Do you wear make up daily?
I try to  - but no always. Foundation and mascara if I am in a rush.


What’s in your make-up bag?
Clinique superpowder and the pretty much most of the Benifit counter.


When you're having a slummy mummy day, what do you normally wear?
Baggy clothes.


Nails - how often do you get them done?
I don't. I bite my nails. I would like nails done but not really a great idea with two kids in nappies - maybe in a few years time.....


Your top tips for tired eyes?
Benifit lemonaid


Are you a Starbucks or Costa Coffee kind of girl?
Costa because they are stronger (although I believe Starbucks were going to increase their strength) There is also a Costa in my town. Really cant beat a caramel macchiato from Starbucks though. I like both.


How many children do you have/want?
I have three gorgeous boys. I was advised not to have any more. This is probably a good thing as I would have probably gone for a fourth....I just love my babies!


What is your favourite place to shop for babies/children's clothes?
I shop online a lot. I love the Joules outlet and have just got some gorgeous stuff from Boden. I would only buy it in a sale though. Next is a favourite too and generally supermarkets for trousers. I don't mind spending a little bit more on quality clothes as they can then be passed down, but they also need their own clothes. to be honest in some of their baby photos I can only tell who it is from what they are wearing.


Flats or Heels? Everyday shoes are?
Flats. Converse trainers, fit flop boots or Birkenstocks.




I am now going to tag Rach, Cathy and Eve

When I was younger I vowed that I would always listen to pop music. It all started going wrong after I turned thirty. I vividly remember one of the kids in my science class asking "Miss do like the pigeon detectives?" Mmmnnn it seemed I had become out of touch with the youth of today. So by reviewing the new moshlings app, I thought not only will it help me keep in touch with the kids, it will be a change from the Smurfs Village and big man will also know what Moshi Monsters are for when he starts school. (I am aware that it is not on the early years curriculum but I am pretty sure that those with older siblings will know all about it)





Looking at the app, it is aimed at existing Moshi Monster fans. So my boy and I logged in and created him his own Moshi Monster to find out more. This is where it would be helpful if he was able to type as he seems to understand the concept of the game better than me. As far as I understand you create your own Moshi Monster and then look after him. You can invite friends to view your land too. Moshlings are pets for your Moshi Monster, and they can be attracted by growing certain flowers. I have just grown three star blossom and received Snookums - the baby Tumteedum. Confused yet? Well I am sure your child won't be!





The Moshlings app contains the Moshlings you can get and lets you know what you need to grow to get them. It has some information about their personalities and habitat. If you touch thme they make noises and move. You can also use a variety of  digital stickers to cutomise pictures of the Moshlings. Here is big mans Blurp and my Fifi.







Moshi Monsters is recommended for 6-12 year olds. It is a little bit too hard for big boy at the moment, but the Moshlings app means he can make up his own pictures and learn a bit more about the Moshlings he can collect when he undoubtedly starts playing Moshi Monsters.

I was given the app for the purpose of this review, but all the views here are my own.

I was tagged by Cathy to share some of my very own why questions in Mummy Central's meme. At home with a pre schooler I am forever answering questions - or looking up the answers on Google. So the idea is to write a list of questions that you would like to ask your kids.








Here are a few of the questions that I would like my boys to answer:

Why do you refuse to eat a dinner I have slaved over a hot stove making, but will happily tuck into some Play Doh?

Why do you always need to have a poo when we are running late for pre school?

Why are you always ill when we visit Nanny and Grandad?

Why is there always one of you crying?

Why does every toy in the playroom need to be emptied on the floor, for you then to come into the living room and fight over an empty box?

Why do you think Grandad wants you to collect stones for him?

Why do you pick the worst song on the CD to have on repeat play?

Why don't you see baby pigeons?

Why do you have to pick sticks up on the way home from pre school and pile them like a bonfire outside the house?

Why do you think it is funny to put your pants on your head or two legs in one trouser leg when we are running late?

Why do you moan continually that you are hungry and then cry when I serve up anything other than a cheese and cucumber bagel?

If you have pre school children, you will know what it is like taking them out for the day. They see something that they like and before you know it they have wandered off. These large eye-catching stickers are designed to give parents peace of mind on days out. I road tested them with my two and four year old. They were perfect for my two year old. I am not sure if he realised that he even had a sticker on his coat. My four year old tested out their sticking capabilities my removing it on numerous occasions. I ended up sticking it on his back and he left it alone. I have used a similar type of sticker before at a theme park, which invariably fell off half way through the day - these stayed put.




I couldn't help thinking how useful they would have been on our holiday this year. If you want to find out more take a visit to the keep me safe kids website. They are also looking at extending their range to include options for older children too.

I have a set of one pack of four stickers to give away to one of you lucky readers. All you need to do is fill in the rafflecopter below. Leave a comment is a must and then there are some bonus entries too - good luck!



a Rafflecopter giveaway

When I saw this I just had to take part. It is always good to focus on the good things that happen in life. We all have times when we are stressed, and I felt that picking 3 things each week that has made me smile can only be a good thing - and may even make you smile too.

Day 9: Your view today



Day 10: Best bit of my weekend