Life, love and little things - March 2016

March has been a busy month for us, Harry's vocabulary grows seeming hourly at times, and with that comes new challenges - what does "tee" mean in the context of breakfast? Answer, Weetabix. Of course it does. Our days potter past in an blur of playdates, toddler groups and a seemingly endless supply of washing, ironing and housework.

I convinced M to invest in a new sling - the beautiful Toddler Tula in the 'Look for the helpers' print. We bought it from Babipur a favourite website of mine - the stockist of my much lusted after Grimm's Rainbow. I know Harry would adore it. As would I. Ahem. We've used it countless times already, and being London based it makes travel on public transport so much easier. I would still love a wrap, but this is quick, easy and practical. I've always loved baby wearing, and toddlerwearing is just as convenient, and snuggly. And surprisingly less heavy than I feared.



The weather has been ghastly this month so we've done a lot of sensory play - cloud dough, play dough, cloud sand and fingerprinting have all been winners. Although given Harry's tendency to try to eat ALL new sensory play things it's a bit stressful for me. On a long replacement bus service I read the brilliant 150 screen free activities for kids which has given me some brilliant ideas for wet weather play.



Because of Harry's allergies, Easter is a chocolate free zone for us, so we've made our first steps into the world of Lego. To say M is over the moon would be a huge understatement. Harry's Duplo set is lovely, beautiful primary colours (completely non gendered thankfully) and has been played with daily since Easter Monday. We're also trying to work on his understanding of 'Tidy time' now we have the Duplo and aside from stashing some emergency bricks in the seat of his car (because clearly everyone needs some emergency Lego) he's been really good at joining in with putting all the blocks back in their box. I should just say how much I love the fact that his Duplo came in a massive Lego storage brick.

My eczema has flared up something chronic this month - my poor legs are covered and my hands are starting to go too. It used to be that eczema for me was entirely related to stress, but these days it's far more closely linked to being tired and an inordinate amount of hand washing. Now we've excluded Harry's allergens, we can manage his eczema with Lush Dream Cream, but of course that doesn't touch mine (that would make life far too easy!) so I'm always on the lookout for something that works. All suggestions welcomed...



Anyone that follows me on Instagram will have seen that I finally finished Harry's stripy blanket and my crochet wreath. My next big project is going to be the Last Dance in the Rain blanket made to a design started by crochet blogger Marinke of A creative being who sadly lost her fight with depression last year. Each yarn kit will include a donation to Mind, a charity doing such important work around mental health issues. If you are a crochet-er then please do read the post on Marinke's blog and consider getting involved in the Crochet along.  As always I'll be posting my progress on Instagram. At the moment, I'm being thrifty and using up the ends of my Cottage cosy stripe yarn to make some bunting for the fireplace.

Now we are one - baby favourites for June/ July

I haven't done baby favourites for a few months as it would have just been - Jumperoo, Violife, Jumperoo, Violife... But, over the last month or so we've expanded our horizons and toy boxes and added a few new things that Harry loves. We also seem to have taken out a second mortgage to spend in Boots as the sun has finally come out!

Soltan baby hypoallergenic sun screen - Factor 50+
Like so many new mums I'm utterly paranoid about Harry getting sunburned so he's slathered at every opportunity in sunscreen. This one is lovely, doesn't irritate his eczema prone skin and as a bonus comes in both a nappy bag size and full size bottle.

Sun hat  Obviously Harry has a hat for sunny and warm days. I picked this one up in Boots when caught with an unexpectedly sunny day early on. I had to sew an elastic chin strap on, as the first thing bubs did was fling it from his head and the pram whilst grinning triumphantly at me.

Oatly oat milk  - on 3 for £3 this week at Waitrose. Regular readers know about Harry's cow's milk protein allergy. This was recommended by the dietician as a supplement to breast milk now he's one. That's not to say there's anything wrong with either the quality or quantity of my milk - far too many new mums believe that to be the case and very very often it's twaddle. Harry has taken to it well and has it in addition to his meals, snacks and breastfeeds.

Aveeno bath and shower oil
One of the things that goes hand in hand with allergies (oh the things you learn) is eczema and eczema prone skin. Prior to going dairy and soya free - Harry had eczema on his arms and legs. Our friend Jennifer had given us a tube of Aveeno moisturising cream which, combined with the dairy and soya free diet cleared that up wonderfully. We now use the bath and shower oil in place of oats in Harry's bath as it keeps his skin soft, Interestingly I can tell if we've found a new allergen or if I've accidentally had dairy or soya in Harry's skin within about 24 hours - I was caught out recently by some chicken crisps at a party.

Lulujo satin edged comfort blanket
Harry loves things that feel satiny - clothes labels or tags, and if you're cwtched up with him will look for something to stroke. A couple of months back we were having a period of sleep deprivation and I thought I'd try something satiny he could take to bed. We ordered one of these from Amazon and once washed, he took to them straight away. Much like bedtime bear, his blanket lives in his cot, and I think he knows it's nap or bedtime when he has it.

We've also made some new Discovery bottles, and been playing in Harry's new sandpit - but I'm holding off on those for a post on sensory play which I'm hoping my sister will help write (guest post).

February baby favourites

How is it that time again? I'm writing this on the 1st of the month and can't believe that my baby is nearly 8 months old. Our favourites are starting to change as the baby gets more mobile; the activity mat (our one dud purchase) is firmly out of favour, and the jumperoo is the place to be. Facing the patio doors to the garden Harry has become a wonderful kitty scarer, and the local birdlife isn't quite sure what to make of him either. After a good bounce in it, he's ready for a nice long nap, which provides me with the opportunity to put my feet up with a much needed coffee do the hoovering. Ahem.

Waitrose Baby Bottom Butter, Bepanthen and Sudocrem Care and Protect

We've been using the bottom butter since birth, sadly Harry's inherited my horribly sensitive skin and after a reaction to something in NICU that ended up with him needing a prescribed cream under his nappy I wanted something fairly unreactive and having used Bottom Butter on my bump throughout pregnancy I thought I'd try that. Winner. However of late teething and weaning are doing unkind things and we've upped our game to include the Sudocrem and Bepanthen. The Sudocrem Care and Protect we use during the day, Harry hasn't reacted to it at all and the Bepanthen at night just to make things a bit more comfortable and to ward off that dreaded nappy rash.

Books

We joined the library a couple of weeks back, and at Rhyme Time Harry enjoys looking at some different books. Our favourites at home are from the That's not my... series - the combination of the sensory element with storytime (I love our storytime, Harry cuddles and reading are my idea of heaven) seems to really keep him interested.

Rice cakes and breadsticks

Like all new mums going through weaning, I'm permanently interested in finding things Harry can snack on that are a bit more portable. Breadsticks are the newest as I was afraid they'd be a bit scratchy, but Harry adores rice cakes. His face lights up when I get the little tupperware I keep them in out of my change bag. On a side note how sad was I to discover that rusks are basically sugar. I love rusks.

And one for me... Ole Henrikson Nurture Me

Pregnancy has left me with what I can only describe as ridiculously sensitised skin. I have one cheek covered in a red splodge, and the rest of my face is on the edge of being sore the whole time. Some research online led me to the above which I managed to find on sale with 20% off as my Maternity pay barely stretched to it. It does seem to be soothing my skin, although sadly not taking down the redness. I'm hoping it's just hormonal and will start to ease soon, but my ridiculous levels of vanity mean I'm whacking on the concealor like it's going out of style. Just as well Harry and M don't care really.

January favourites

As another month passes, Harry gets bigger and our favourite things (sing with me) change. This month the cold, moving along our weaning journey and starting to sit up (yes, really!) have all prompted changes in the things both Harry and I reach for on a regular basis.

All these things have been purchased by us (or been presents from friends and family)

Tuppence and Crumble star wrap

I had seen pictures of babies in star wraps and thought 'how cute' long before Harry was born - however, I came to buy one because Harry needed another layer when in  the sling. Much like in the car seat, snowsuits aren't recommended when babywearning for safety reasons so I needed an alternative - which is when I remembered star wraps. Harry has a cornflower blue wrap and over Christmas we used it as a makeshift dressing gown when away from home, as well as an extra layer in the car or sling. He much prefers to his snowsuit as it's softer and he's more mobile in it, and aside from the cuteness factor I love the fact that it's far less of a battle to get him in it.

Bedtime bear

Bedtime bear (a little bear/ lovey/ comfort blanket) was a gift when Harry was born, and to be honest this could be any soft toy/ comforter as it's what we do not what it is that makes it a favourite. At our NCT group a friend's husband recommended putting soft toy in the cot/ crib that just lives there. Never leaves. Which is what we do with the thus named Bedtime bear. Harry loves seeing him when I put him in his cot/ crib - he rubs him on his face (no, I've no idea either) and after a little chunter to the bear settles himself down. Not every time - he's a real baby, not a pretend one. I like to think that Bedtime bear is a signal that it is bed/ nap time, and a friendly signal at that. I checked online, and guidance seems to be that babies shouldn't have anything in their moses basket/ crib/ cot until they're around 4 months - although I'm sure if you looked you could find contradictions to that as there's nothing like confusing and frightening new mums with contradictory guidance. Four months is about when Bedtime bear appeared in the cot.

Weaning supplies

Last time I was at my mum's, we popped to the local poundshop and stocked up on some of their weaning supplies, mini tubs and individual freezer pots have proved to be invaluable. They're all BPA free and dishwashable and are perfectly sized for a couple of rice cakes, or a portion of chicken and veggies. I use them every time we're out and about and they're cheap enough that if I do leave them somewhere in my sleep deprived state it's not the end of the world.

Bath toys

We were very lucky at Christmas and among other gifts Harry was given some bath toys - these include some penguin squirty toys from M&S (no longer on website) that we love - In part, thanks to his swimming, in the last couple of months Harry loves his baths and has made the connection between kicking and splashes. We now come out of bathtime just as soggy as him! Bath toys are his idea of heaven, and these squirty penguins make him splash and squeal in delight.

December favourites - baby centred

This month it feels like Harry's moving away from a newborn - he's nearly 5 months corrected now, and we're fully embroiled in baby led weaning, sensory play and random bouts of giggling for no real reason. If I ignore the teething it's lovely

Survival blanket from Amazon - we use one of these as our 'moon' at Hartbeeps, and Harry loves it. A good friend mentioned you could get them in Poundland, but sadly ours didn't ever stock them so I turned to Amazon. I cut it into quarters as it's massive, but at just over £1 I'm happy for Harry to scrunch, chomp, dribble and wriggle on it as much as he likes

Sock-ons - recommended by one of my NCT friends, these really do work. And without them Harry permanently has one sock on and one sock off. If he's anything like me cold feet will only make him grumpy.

Touchnote - having family fairly spread out, this is a great way to send thank you notes and postcards almost immediately on taking that 'perfect' shot. It's ideal for use with Grandparents who don't have smartphones, and for when you need to immortalise that carrot smeared grin.

Moby wrap - I've been using a sling with Harry pretty much since we came home from hospital. When he was tiny it was a surefire way of gettong him to sleep - and now it's a convenient and cosy way for us to get around. I love it because of the closeness, and I like to think that he loves it for the same reason. I suspect it's because he can see more than when he's in the pram though.

February favourites

Lord how time flies! I missed January, but it's the 26th and I'm about to write up February's favourites.

A slightly random collection of food and kitcheny type things this month.

Kenwood hand blender - as I mentioned in this post, I've been making a lot of soup this month. At least one batch per week and this is indispensible in blitzing them. I'm fundamentally lazy when it comes to washing up (it's normally M's job) and the thought of having to put the whole food processor in the wash? Not so much. This is great for the job, which it does quickly, easily and only one thing to wash.

Contigo travel cup. I first saw these reviewed by Kavey the Christmas before last, and bought M one for this Christmas. I waited for him to use his first to check it was as good as I hoped and then bought myself one. Although intially gaspingly expensive it's already paid for itself by replacing the (albeit imagined) *need* to buy coffee at the station when I'm working away.

Welshcakes M's mum introduced me to these and I'm always secretly thrilled that there's a batch when we visit. I learned how to make them last year and have started making them myself now regularly as they're a fabulous lunchbox staple for M and a treat with my mid afternoon cup of tea.

Suma Pear & Apple fruit spread If I'm not having poached eggs for breakfast I have porridge - I used to top it with brown sugar and sultanas but in my bid to be slightly healthier I picked this up when we were in Swindon over Christmas. Since then I've used it pretty much every time I've had porridge and love it's intense fruity taste. I tend to add bananas too, but bananas are - bananas and don't warrant a mention.

December favourites

This post is a bit late owing to my inability to remember that a monthly favourites post needs writing up, well - monthly. 

December was a busy month work wise, and with Christmas as well it seemed to go by in the blink of an eye. But, there was still time for favourites - some old, some new and some... somewhere in between. 

Tea - I drink a lot of tea. More than I care to admit, especially if I'm working from home. My sister and her husband got M and I drinking Yorkshire Tea for hard water, it really does seem to work with the horridly hard water we have in London. 

Russett apples - I love Russetts, as soon as I see them in the shops I put them in my basket. One of the most oft heard complaints from me as we go around the supermarket is that there are no good apples. I hate the imported, pappy, flavourless apples that seem to be so popular these days. Most of the year I eat Cox's but can't wait for the crispy balance of sweet and tart that is a russett. To me, they're real apples. And no, I can't believe I've written a paragraph praising an apple either. What was even better was that these were from Sainsbury's Basics range - proof again that this range is such good value. 

Amaretto - last month I talked about spiking my hot chocolate with this liquer and this month I've been mixing it up with Gluwhein (from Aldi - I love their German Christmas treats) as a festive treat. 

My mum (not photographed) - while I was doing my "Don't panic it's just a roast" Christmas posts, she was there reminding me of things that I'd forgotten over the course of year, and giving me hints and tips to include - she really was a favourite last month! 

Pulses - split peas, cannellini beans, lentils... you name it. In the name of making sure that Christmas wasn't too costly I've been bulking our meals out so that I can use less meat and more vegetables without M feeling deprived of protein. 

So that's it. December favourites from the pantry. An oddly unfestive round up from me. Was there anything you enjoyed cooking or cooking with last month?