Reviews for Mama & Babas

I am (irrationally!!) terrified of all sorts of creepy crawlies, therefore the Dada Fairy was dispatched to try out Inter Play UK Bug Safari with the kids.

The set itself contains:

• Field lens (magnifying lens)
• Bug tongs
• Magnifying Pot
• Tweezers
• Paint brush (kids assumed this was to paint pictures of their findings – apparently not its for sweeping the bugs in the pot rather than touching them!)
• Handy little guide about the tools and bugs that you might find on your hunt.

The kids took their Bug Safari kit off to the local park to for their bug hunt! I sent them off with the warning that they weren’t to take any bugs home!! I had a quiet couple of hours while the boys hunted! I can happily report that I didn’t see any of the finding of the bug hunt as all were returned to their environment following investigation by my little explorers.

The Verdict

The boys would spend every waking minute outdoors so I had a feeling this would be a hit and it was.  They loved the magnifying pot which stored their loot for closer inspection. The bug tongs was apparently very handy for getting them into the pot!  I think this is a great product, contains all the tools you would need including the useful little book that comes with it.  Particular thumbs up from the Mamma Fairy house for the magnifying pot.

I can foresee this getting lots of play in our house especially over the Summer months. However do return the creepies back to their homes after inspection!

Note: We were sent the Bug Safari to review however this in no way influenced mine (or the kids in this case) review of the product.

1. Now that the dust has quite literally settled on the  Christmas toys,  two months on im always curious has the must requested item been cast aside or is it as much loved and wanted as it was when it featured on the infamous list. First up are those that are still very much played with.

1 – Irish Fairy Door Worry Plaque

Once the oldest saw this on the Late Late Toy show it was a done deal, Santa HAD to bring him one. Santa being the great man that he is duly obliged. Oldest is a real worrier about everything. The worry plaque for anybody who doesn’t know is a genuis idea by the Irish Fairy Door Company. You put your hand on the plaque and it turns from red to green meaning your worry has gone.  Simple but very effective.  Our resident fairy JoJo (cuddly teddy by the Irish Fairy Door Company) brought the worry plaque and he sits a the end of the oldest bed to look out for him.  The magic and wonder is so beautiful. I am a firm believer in letting kids be kids and the magic that the Irish Fairy Door products brings is just magical.  Our worry plaque is ably guarded by Batman and Robin!!! The worry plaque is available from Irish Fairy Door Company and in my opinion well worth it.

2 – Melissa and Doug Horse trailer

This was a last minute addition as I dashed around TK Maxx on Christmas eve. The youngest absolutely loves this toy.  The trailer carts Peppa, Ryder and all sorts of weird and wonderful characters around.  It cost €9.00 and it was so worth it.  I have seen it in a couple of places since albeit slightly more expensive. Melissa and Doug toys in my experience are really well made and last the test of time.

3 – Furry Friends Watch

Despitete the fact that he can’t tell the time he insists on wearing his watch every time he leaves the house! We were sent these before Christmas and I kept one as a stocking filler which turned out to be a great idea! Big hit here, they are well made and an ideal size for my 4 year old. They come in a range of colours and a reasonable price tag of £12. Available here

So what didn’t  make the 2 month test!

Soggy Doggy

The main item on the Christmas list was the board game Soggy Doggy.  It was played with for approximately 10 mintues and that was it nothing….. it barely made out of the box after that.  There is nothing wrong with the game I think he just expected more from it.  Board games can be a bit hit and miss anyway unfortunately this one was a miss for us.

We have finally escaped from a never ending cycle of Peppa Pig and Team Umizoomi! The boys have found some new Netflix favourites! Finally!!!

Tayo

Tayo is a popular pre school cartoon which follows a playful blue bus on its adventures around the city with his pals. I believe it originated in South Korea and has now become popular all over the world. We used to watch it on You Tube however it must be a recent addition to Netflix and a popular one at that in this house anyway!

Lego

The boys love their Lego and have recently become interested in the Lego programmes on Netflix. They are ideal for kids in that they are short and colourful and hold the boys attention. Favourites are the Lego Superheroes and Lego City.

Monster v Aliens

The four year old has taken a shine to this one! Its a Dreamworks offerings about a woman who is struck by a meteorite on her wedding day and subsequenlty becomes part of a team of monsters sent to defeat an alien mastermind trying to take over the planet.  He has been on the hunt for meteorites since!!! It contains the names of lots of big named voices. I hadnt heard of it the film before this but its actully not bad at all.

Note: We are part of Netflix Streamteam, for which we receive a montly subscrption to Netflix. However all views are the boys (or mine) as lets face it they dont really care who pays the montly subscription!!

Its no secret we love reading in the Mamma Fairy house, therefore when we were offered the opportunity to be part of the launch team for the personalised children’s book Message in a Bottle, I didn’t hesitate to get involved.

The Story

The basic premise of the book tracks the adventures of Kiki who travels the world to deliver a very special message.  The lovely thing about the book is that your childs name  and home location is mentioned throughout the book, concluding in Kiki delivering a special truly personalised message. This can to mark an occasion such as starting school, the arrival of a sibling or moving house – a lovely keepsake too.

For me, without question the level of detail in the illustrations is a must see, they are bright, colourful and engaging. Both of boys were so intrigued by them. The content itself is both educational and engaging.  It holds the attention of my pair which is no mean feat!

How to order

The ordering process is very simple and easy to follow via the website.  Delivery is free within the EU and the leadtime was very short for us.

This is definitely one to add to the Christmas book list.

Note: we have been part of the launch team and receieved a copy of the book for the purpose of the review.  However the views are my own and the boys where appropriate.

As today is World Digestive Health Day I though it quite apt to post my review of Alforex Childrens Straws.  As a blogger I get sent lots of press releases, some grab my attention some don’t.  However this one did.  For the reason being my 3 almost 4 year old has suffered on an off with digestive problems – sore tummy and constipation. I found giving him a probiotic has really helped this.  However he is a very typical toddler and incredibly stubborn.  I have tried probiotic sweets – limited success. Probiotic drops – he didnt like the taste! Therefore when I saw the straw I thought bingo, this willl work and  it did!

In the mornings he will remind me that I have’nt given him his “cool blue straw”. The great thing is it you only need 3-4 sips from the straw for the product to work.  Now for the science bit….

Alforex contains the unique  35624™ culture, developed as a precision strain which goes to work only where it is needed.   The  35624™ culture has been isolated, extensively characterised and clinically studied by Scientists and Gastroenterologists.  Alflorex straws have been designed to contain a small oil droplet with a daily dose of 35624™ bacteria.

They are genius, they really are.  They are a tad on the pricey side at €32.95 however I give them to my son at particular times in four week blocks (ie a packs worth)  such as after illness or after trips away.  While pricey I do believe they are worth it as I know he is actually getting the product.

While we were sent a box for the purpose of this review, I have since purchases a further box and also the adult verison for myself and my husband.  Please not im not a doctor so please do consult your doctor if you do have queries or concerns on your digestive health.

It’s only when I took the picture did I realise the very obvious theme!! My boys are minded by the granny during the week when I work and I am blessed with the incredible bond that is between them. We love reading in our house and the bedtime story is an integral and much loved part of our day.  Its 2 stories a night! That’s the 3 years olds request!  For the past few weeks its been these two.

• Peppa Pig – My Granny
• How to Babysit a Grandma

Peppa Pig – My Granny

This is a lovely personalised hardback book with both kid’s names in it. The story is the interaction of the kids and Peppa discussing their grannies. My 3 year old loves Peppa and the idea of being in a book with Peppa was very exciting. It doesn’t matter how many times I have read it, he still enjoys especially when it comes to his own name! The quality of the book is lovely and well able to stand up the amount of use (think more like abuse!!) they get in our house.  You can personalise the hair and eye colour of the characters in the book too.

The book is produced by Penwizard (https://www.penwizard.com/)  who kindly sent me a copy for the boys, they also very kindly sent a code for 20% off books until 31 May 2016 – (please note its not valid in conjunction with any other offers) simply input BLOGGER20 at the checkout.  They also do similar books for Ben & Holly, In the Night Garden, Frozen and many others – including a personalised potty training one.

Price wise they are Stg£14.99 and available from their website. Delivery was really quick and they would make a great gift.

 How to Babysit a Grandma

This is a beautifully illustrated book written by Jean Reagan and illustrated by Lee Wildish, who were also creators of the well know New York Times bestseller “How to Babysit a Granda”.  It’s a lovely simple but very effective story.  We have read this many times.  My heart swelled with pride 2 nights ago when the 3 years old quoted almost the entire book word perfect, he obviously can’t read but was able to recall so much of it. The story is almost a role reversal where a little girl goes to babysit her granny and the fun things they get up to.

I bought this from Dubray Books on Grafton Street for €9.99.

I love that my boys love reading as much as I do.  It’s something that was instilled in me as a child by my parents and I am delighted to pass on my love of books to the boys.

 Get Crafty

Last month we were sent a copy of Get Crafty by Ali Coghlan to review.  Ali is a fellow Irish blogger and I was delighted to receive a copy to review.  The quality of the book in particular the photography is the first thing that really stands out.  In the photographs are Ali and her kids and they are really beautifully captured.  The book itself has over 40 different craft ideas set out in different themes.

The crafts are set out in step by step guides which even the totally non crafty (i.e me) can follow. The boys have their cousins coming down next weekend so the Driftwood sail boats are on the agenda.  This really is a fantastic book if like me, arts and crafts are not your thing, if I can follow it anybody can!

Wishing Ali the very best of luck with this beautiful, easy to follow book.  The book retails at €14.99 and is available in most book shops. A great purchase with the school holidays only a few weeks away!!

Have you read any of the above in your house?

Take Care

~Mamma F

Note: We received 2 of the above books for review purposes however all opinions are my own and/or my kids.

The lovely team at COGNIKIDS sent the wee man one of their new baby bottle grippers to try out.  We were already fans of their gripper crawl suits so was looking forward to seeing the latest product in their range.

The Product

The product itself is very soft and flexible fits over any bottle.  The unique soft texture, helps with developing fine motor kills and hand eye coordination. 

In addition it helps to promote self feeding.  They come in a range of colours and retails at a reasonable €14.99 direct from COGNIKIDS

Make sure to check out the new series of Dragons Den starting on April 17th where the product will be featured.

What we thought

The wee man was instantly curious and picked up the bottle no problem at all, it fit over his regular Avent bottle easily and securely. We were at breakfast at a hotel in Lettekenny over Easter and the Grip got a lot  of attention when they saw him drinking away at his bottle by himself. Price wise it is definitely reasonable for the quality and fit. I have recommended to others without hesitation.

For further information check out COGNIKIDS

Note: We were sent the Grip to review – however as always all opinions are my own.

The lovely people at The Little Green Sheep (see here ) sent us a mattress protector to try out on the big man’s toddler bed. Anybody with a toilet trained toddler knows the importance of mattress protectors!

Now, this is not just any mattress protector rather it’s an award winning product made from extra absorbent, luxury organic cotton and it is 100% waterproof. It really is super soft, there is a lovely texture to it.

Packaging

While I know this is not the key feature of a product, I do like practical products with nice packaging as I like to gift practical products to friends and family but like them to look pretty too. See picture opposite, packaging is lovely and id have no hesitation in gifting this to somebody as a new baby present.

Functionality

In terms of size for our cot bed, its absolutely perfect. What makes the fit so good on this is its flat against the mattress and not fitted which allows the mattress to breathe and also allows the fitted to sheet to still fit snugly over it. Due to this fit it also doesn’t pucker, another plus point and one excuse less for my toddler to use!! Its also not “crinkly” or noisy due to the lovely texture. The big question – does It actually work in terms of being as described – 100% waterproof. My toddler is toilet trained and dry at night time so we haven’t had any toilet accidents on it however we have just come out the other end of a horrible tummy bug. This protector got a tough trial in the Mamma Fairy house. I can happily attest to its functionality as it kept the mattress clean and dry despite numerous (and I mean numerous) vomiting episodes over the space of a few days. I have washed it a few times also since we got it and it has held up really well. I have found in the past mattress protectors can fall apart when washed, not the case with The Little Green Sheep.

Cost

This retails at the higher end of the market at Stg£29.99 direct from their website. Admittedly it is on the pricier side, however you can’t fault the quality, functionality or the nice presentation. I will without doubt be purchasing again to gift to friends or family.

Have you tried any of products by The Little Green Sheep? Would love to hear what you think.

Take care

~Mamma F