‘Where’s The Scone’ counts down from ’10 Llamas eating Bananas’ to ’1 Swan eating a Scone’ and is full of fun and colour.  I love that the way we say scone (scon) up north is confirmed as the ‘right’ way to say it ;)

Books which rhyme are always a hit with us and I think it helps with literacy since they have to find a word which rhymes to finish the sentence and the rhythm is helpful too and I enjoy reading them to the boys.

In addition to ‘Where’s The Scone’ we were also sent ‘The Monster Book of Colours’ and ‘The Monster Book of Numbers’.  Well, my boy’s hated both these books…

Ok, I’m joking!  They absolutely loved them.  They are full of imagination and brightly coloured illustrations by Calvin Innes and, as you might have guessed, are great for learning numbers and colours.

All the books we were sent are great sizes for taking out and about yet big enough for the bold illustrations to make an impact.  Spud already knows most of the Monster’s names we have read them so often and Pooh Bear loves searching for the various hidden items throughout ‘Where’s The Scone’

We would definitely recommend purchasing books from My Little big Town, who are based in Yorkshire and also produce their titles in digital form.

With titles such as ‘Stuart the Bug Eating Man’ and ‘Pirates Don’t Play Cricket’, I can see us buying books from Little Big Town as the boys grow up.  My Little Big Town aims to publish ‘Fun, Exciting, Silly Books Children WANT to read’ and from the books we were sent and looking on their website, they have accomplished exactly that.  I am harnessing all my willpower not to buy the boys a t-shirt or myself a mug featuring graphics from their books as they look brilliant and just what my boys are in to.

You can visit the My Little Big Town website, Facebook and Twitter pages to find out more.

***Disclosure:  We were sent the books for the purpose of this review which has been conducted with honesty and integrity***

The Handmade Felt Slippers come in four designs Pink Mouse, Blue Mouse, Rabbit and Cow and are handmade in Nepal.  Pooh Bear chose a cow pair for himself.

The slippers are made from Tibetan lambs wool in Nepal and with soft suede soles they are lovely for delicate little feet.  The felt is shaped with soap, water and hand pressure and left to dry out under the Nepalese sun.  I love that these little slippers were made this way.  I can imagine these gorgeous moo cows enjoying the sunshine before being sent four and a half thousand miles to keep Pooh Bear’s little feet warm and cosy.  The dyes used to create the colours are environmentally friendly and they come in an organic drawstring bag which you can reuse or simply keep your slippers in to keep them looking beautiful.

These special slippers are exclusively for little feet and you can order sizes to fit ages 0-3 years.  We ordered the biggest size which is age 2-3 and they just fit Pooh Bear but he is a big two and the felt will stretch a little as he wears them so they will be comfortable for a while yet.

Pooh Bear has a few pairs of slippers but none of them seem to stay on him for long before they flip off or he takes them off.  These are great as they are more like ankle boots and he loves parading around in them and is happy to keep them on.

The slippers are really well made and seem very durable so would definitely make great hand-me-downs once your toddler/baby grows out of them.

The straight tails look so cute sticking up at the back but Pooh Bear was too wriggly for me to get a shot in focus.

Would definitely recommend these as a gift for friends and family.  They are quirky, fun, eco-conscious and comfortable.  Perfect when you need to find something a little different.

***Disclosure:  We were sent the slippers for the purpose of this review which has been conducted with honesty and integrity***

Here we are on our wedding day enjoying the first dance with Spud who I think is on his fourth outfit.  You can feel the love in the room in this pic.  I miss Spud being so little.  Lovely.

Looking back at the photos of our big day, I want to do it all again.  Wonder if I can convince Scatty Dad to renew our vows soon ;)

Please pop over to ‘Introducing Mummy Mugshot‘ to find out why I’m trying to get in the picture with my boys and if you would like to join in with Mummy Mugshot then please grab my badge and leave a comment with your link so I can add it to the body of this post.

Related articles

• Mummy Mugshot #29 – Spud and Me (lifeloveandlivingwithboys.wordpress.com)
• Mummy Mugshot #27 – A Windy Day and a Grumpy Old Troll (lifeloveandlivingwithboys.wordpress.com)
• Mummy Mugshot #25 – In the Park (lifeloveandlivingwithboys.wordpress.com)

Dementia is something which has touched my life and is one of the things I worry about in the future.  Two thirds of people living with dementia are women and although it is most common in older people, it is not a natural part of growing old but is caused by diseases of the brain.

My witty, intelligent, active, lovely Grandma was taken away by dementia years before she passed away.  She was always scatty but her forgetfulness gradually developed into something more than just a personality trait.

I hate that I can’t remember when she started to show symptoms.  Dementia crept up on all of us.

I hate that I find it hard to remember who she was before dementia took her away.

I hated her confusion when she realised something wasn’t right and she tried to hide the fact she couldn’t remember.

I hate that I was unable to share my pregnancies, births and wedding with her.

I hate that I was scared for her to hold a newborn Spud but then I hate that she too was unsure and refused to hold him.  She was a Mum of six and Granny to many more yet she didn’t want to hold my baby.

I hate that she wasn’t my Granny for so long before she died and I wasn’t sad at her funeral.

I grieved for her long before she passed away.  She had already gone.  So different from Granny who applied face cream at the rate of knots.

Who rode her bike everywhere.

Who cooked a mean roast chicken.

Who once got stuck in a children’s fairground ride with her bottom sticking out of the little car’s window.

Who was always laughing and had smiley eyes.

Who mistook candle wax for jam (and ate it) when we had ‘posh’ breakfast after staying over.

Who could say ‘llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch’.

Who was very fondly remembered by all who met her as ‘Nance’.

Who loved gardening and with whom we spent so many happy summer holidays.

The thing I find hardest is trying to remember the past before dementia.  Memories get clouded with time.

Although it was incredibly sad to see Granny deteriorate, there were flashes of humour.  We took Pooh Bear to meet her when he was born and she was asleep for most of the visit but when she saw Spud playing she piped up and said he was ‘fabulous’.  This made us smile.  He is fabulous.

She always loved to sing old songs and although her repertoire dwindled, this didn’t change when dementia took hold.

I will always remember my Grandad telling us that neighbours who used to chat to Granny were now avoiding her.  She was always so sociable and was happy to chat to anyone and everyone.  She didn’t discriminate or judge.

I wish I’d taken more opportunities to hug her.

I wish I’d been more prepared and understood more about dementia when she was first diagnosed.

I’m glad I was contacted by the Alzheimer’s Society to highlight this week.  I have had tears in my eyes as I type and I’m thankful for the opportunity to remember her and to write about something I haven’t really wanted to share before.

By talking about dementia and sharing stories we can help raise awareness so that it isn’t such a scary thing.  Better understanding could help families cope with the symptoms of dementia and better support each other.  Wider acceptance and understanding will help those with dementia seek support and lessen the stigma in society.

Please share this post and your own stories to raise awareness of dementia and the work the Alzheimer’s Society and others do to support those with dementia and their families.  There is a wealth of information on the Alzheimer’s Society Website regarding research, support in your local area and what to expect when someone you know and love has dementia and much more. You can follow on Facebook and tweet #talkdementia on Twitter.

I was lucky enough to be invited to their celebratory coffee morning to launch their DVD which I urge you to watch here on YouTube.  It’s less than 20 minutes long and split into four sections and explains far better than I can the importance of breast milk in the hope that more neonatal units in the UK will use donated breast milk.

I’m really proud to have such excellent facilities on my doorstep here in Chester.  Not only do we have one of the most productive milk banks in the country but our hospital also holds Unicef’s Baby Friendly status.  Our neonatal unit has embraced the use of donor breast milk and this is a very important step for babies being cared for there…

Why is donor breast milk neccessary?

When you give birth to an ill and/or premature baby you are about as stressed as you can be.  It is a very daunting time for parents and the stress is enough to hinder Mum’s milk production in the short-term.  Mum could also be ill herself after birth and needs time to recover before starting to think about her own milk supply.

When donor breast milk is available the immediate pressure is taken off Mum to produce milk which in turn helps with the stress and helps her milk supply.

Why not use formula instead of breast milk?

A real risk for premature babies is of developing Necrotising Enterocolitis (NEC).  This is essentially an infection which can kill areas of the gut and is treated by antibiotics and also surgery.

Exclusively formula-fed infants were 6 to 10 times more likely to develop NEC than those who received breastmilk. Although NEC is rare in babies over 30 weeks gestation, it was 20 times more common if the baby had received no breastmilk.

Unicef Baby Friendly excerpt from Lucas A & Cole TJ (1990). Breast milk and neonatal necrotising enterocolitis. Lancet 336: 1519-1522

Seven studies were found to comply with the inclusion criteria, although methodological weaknesses were present in all. Six looked at the impact of donor breastmilk on necrotizing entero-colitis (NEC) and the combined evidence from these studies suggests that donor milk reduces the risk of NEC by about 79%.

Unicef: Donor Breast Milk Versus Infant Formula for Preterm Infants

There is a high mortality rate for babies who contract NEC and require surgery and babies who do pull through can suffer long-term complications associated with having parts of their intestine removed or patched up after perforation.

The emotional cost of losing a baby from NEC is huge and not only for the parents and family but it impacts on the staff caring for those babies too.  With donor breast milk having such an impact on the risk of developing NEC in the first place, surely it should be made available to all premature babies?

This Sunday, 19th May, is the first ‘World Day of Human Milk Donation’ and celebrations are taking place across the UK.  Cheshire and North Wales Human Milk Bank will be scaling Snowdon along with members of the North West Blood Bikes Manchester to celebrate this momentous occasion and raise awareness.  Please pop over to Lynda’s sponsorship page to find out more or you could visit UKAMB’s website or facebook page to find your nearest Milk Bank and see if they have anything planned to mark the day.

I’ll be discussing Milk Banks and their importance throughout Breastfeeding Awareness week in June and the fact that it’s not only premature babies who can benefit from donor breast milk.  Contact your nearest Milk Bank if you would like to be considered as a recipient.

Related Articles:

Lactation Matters: “World Day of Human Milk Donation”

Bliss.Org: Amanda Davies CNN Presenter’s Story

Cheshire and North Wales Human Milk Bank: Happy Recipients

Not Even a Bag of Sugar: Milk Banks – Why Use Donated Milk?

Thankfully he let Scatty Aunty carry him. I only had one Mei Tai with me and as you can see Pooh Bear was already snug as a bug in that.

After lunch we went to The Spotty Pig and had a really lovely few hours together playing and crafting.  Spud painted a frisbee, large gecko, ninja turtle and a letter.  Pooh Bear was busy decorating a dinosaur egg and a dinosaur.

Both boys really enjoyed being creative and The Spotty Pig has a lovely relaxed atmosphere and they are brilliant with children.  Poor Scatty Aunty didn’t get chance to do anything crafty for herself as she was helping the boys so it’s a good job they also do ‘Ladies’ Evenings’ where you can craft and chat without the little ones.

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Spud is at an age where he has us in stitches one minute and pulling our hair out the next.  The terrible twos arrived late in our house and I personally think three year olds are more taxing.  Spud hates coming in from the garden in the evening for bedtime but yesterday I had some help.  After telling him he had ten minutes of play time left and then him refusing to come in, he surprisingly appeared at the back door…

“Mummy, I’m scared” he whispered.

All sorts of scenarios were running through my head including an uninvited guest…

“What are you scared of little man?”

“A spider”

“Oh, you’re not scared of spiders. We like spiders because they eat yucky flies”

“This one is a big one”

Bless him.  I’m not bothered by spiders so I don’t know why this one made such an impression but he didn’t seem bothered by it the next morning thankfully.

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Unfortunately the sun stopped shining on Friday and rain was threatening but it was the only day we were able to get to the garden centre to spend our vouchers on the bits and bobs for the wigwam I mentioned in an last week’s #CountryKids.

Earlier in the week we had an exciting parcel full of Seedlets products to review. Keep reading the blog next week to see us sow the Seedlets Rocket seeds in a future post…

Spud was so excited by the gloves he had to wear them to the garden centre and Pooh Bear was brandishing the trowel, spade AND rake as he scuttled down the aisles.

Yes, even superheroes do gardening.

Shortly after this photo was taken Pooh Bear went for a nap so Spud and I decided to make a start before the rain came.

We had bought ten sweet pea plants and marked out the circle of the wigwam leaving a larger gap for the entrance…

Using the seedlets spade, Spud got busy making the initial holes I’d dug bigger…

Before we finished bedding the plants Pooh Bear awoke and made a beeline for the sweet peas already in the ground! Luckily he didn’t manage to dig any up before I stopped him and really enjoyed helping out bless him.

That’s as far as we got today but you can check back soon to see the canes being erected and the wigwam hopefully taking shape.

The Seedlets tools are really fun and the boys loved having their own to join in with. They’re really colourful and very easy to clean. We were also sent some Seedlets Rocket seeds which we’ll be planting next week too. The idea behind the Seedlets range is to encourage children and their families to grow food you can eat and you can find more information on the Seedlets website where Chris Collins, the Blue Peter gardener has lots of hints, tips and projects for you to enjoy.

After today, I’ll definitely be doing more gardening with the boys since they were both really in to it and it’ll be lovely to see the sweet peas grow. I chose sweet peas as they remind me of my granny who grew them and always had a little posey in the kitchen when they bloomed…I love the nostagic aroma :)

We’ve got some runner beans ordered too so will add them to the wigwam and will enjoy picking and eating them for tea.

Happily joining in with Coombe Mill‘s #CountryKids again this week so please pop over and see what everyone else has been up to.

***Disclosure*** We were sent the Seedlets products for the purposes of this review and as always our thoughts and opinions are 100% honest.

We didn’t set out to get to two years in the beginning and I had written a long, rambling blog post on how we arrived at this milestone but have decided to save that for again and just share my Mummy Mugshot this time…

I love this photo of a sleepy Pooh Bear and me even if I do feel (unnecessarily) exposed.  The reason I share my experiences of breastfeeding an older baby/toddler is because I found support and inspiration from similar women online when I didn’t have the same support in real life.  My family have always been supportive but they don’t understand in the same way as my peers do and it was nice to get reassurance from others Mums when I was having doubts.

Please pop over to The Mule’s ‘What kind of Woman breastfeeds a Toddler’ and keep scrolling until you see me with the bunny ears. I still get goosebumps reading all the stories and looking at the photos of the women who are a really diverse group with one thing in common.

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We do have a gorgeous little Cherry Tree which we were given by my school friends as a wedding present and it just blossomed a few days ago…

Whilst the boys were at nursery I was hoping to nip out and get some garden canes, sweet peas and runner beans to make a wigwam with but the vouchers (a competition prize) I had put aside weren’t valid for our local garden centre so it’ll have to wait until we count up the pennies at the end of the month. I was able to get a blackberry bush though so Spud and I got busy whilst Pooh Bear had a nap…

Now all we have to do is wait!

Happily linking up with Coombe Mill‘s #CountryKids again this week so please pop over and see what everyone else has been up to.