Christmas Gift Guide

Hey all! As promised, we have written up a Christmas Gift Guide for you, so if you're struggling with presents for your toddlers, we hopefully have you covered! And as always, feel free to DM on Insta us if you have any questions! :) 

1. Mega Blocks 

We bought this for the kids for their first birthday and it's only recently become something that they spend ages playing with and have so much fun building towers and shapes. We have linked the product in the subtitle above. 

2. Casdon Washing Machine 

Zack was bought this for his first birthday and it has been a hit since day one! Whenever Sophie has mum friends over, the kids always seem to gravitate towards it and all the little functions are so realistic.We have linked the product in the subtitle above. 

3.  Mini Doctor's Kit

Both Zack and Delilah have this in blue and pink it has been one of the best gifts they have ever been bought! It's not expensive at all and we feel is such a perfect present to either fill a stocking or if you're looking for that one last little item! Some of the little medical pieces have some great features and they spend ages playing with the stethoscope! We have linked the product in the subtitle above. 

4. Learning Resources Cash Register

As the kids have got older, we have definitely noticed that role play toys are becoming a massive hit. They love to pretend and play make believe and this cash register is a great way to teach them about shopping and paying for items, and you can have fun in the process setting up a pretend supermarket! We have linked the product in the subtitle above. 

5. Happy Land Cherry Lane Cottage 

This was bought for Delilah for Christmas last year, and she still plays with it almost daily. It's definitely a great first doll's house, before they are old enough to appreciate a bigger one. She is actually receiving a proper one for Christmas this year, which i think Holly is more excited about than anything! But as far as a first doll's house goes, this is definitely a perfect buy if you are unsure on what to get but you know you want this type of gift!

6. Wooden Castle

If this is not the ultimate boy's gift, we don't know what is!! Zack was given this castle from a relative and even we can't stop playing with it! As far as boy's toys goes, it is definitely a massive winner. Whilst it is on the pricey side, we feel it is a toy that will last for years (most likely due to the fact it's wooden) and will be used for years, and it looks so perfect placed in a boy's bedroom. We have linked the product in the subtitle above. 

7. Hamper Gift Set 

We were recently sent these gorgeous hampers for us and the kids and absolutely loved them! The kid's ones were filled with snacks, bubbles, stickers, bath toys and various other cute little bits and pieces and what's great about these, is that you can ask to have them personalised to however you wish! So if you'd rather food based or toy based, it's totally your call! We think they're a cute little extra for the kid's to get excited over opening with all the various surprises in there! The company is only on Instagram so we have linked the account to the subtitle. We have linked the product in the subtitle above. 

8. Making Memories Piano & Amy & Benton Electric Piano

Both the kid's pianos were bought for them a few months back, and Delilah's in particular has been such a massive hit, as it comes with a little microphone that she sings into daily and plays various songs. Zack's you can have personalised and is quite a bit bigger and sounds more like a proper piano and looks so cute in his little play area. Just bear in mind, that they are NOISY, but so much fun. We have linked the products in the subtitle above. 

9. MORI Pyjamas 

We have been massive fans of MORI since the kids were newborn and both Zack and Delilah live in their pyjamas now. We were so excited to receive their Snoozy PJ's Set recently and couldn't' recommend their gorgeous collection enough! Made with the softest organic cotton, they are long lasting and totally worth the money. We have linked the product in the subtitle above. 

10. Vanity Table

What little girl doesn't love their own vanity table?! (Or let's be a little more honest here, what mother of a daughter doesn't want to desperately buy their little girl a vanity table...) This particular one from Asda is a great starter one for when they're a little too young for a proper one. and comes with cute little accessories, lights up and and is small enough to store away!

11. My Show Bird

Holly bought this for Zack's first birthday and it is hilarious! It's loud (a little annoying), it sings, it dances, it comes out with random funny comments and jokes and it even has a feature where it copies what you says! It is definitely entertaining but a word of advice, make sure to turn it off at the end of the day, because you will hear some random outbursts at 2am... We have linked the product in the subtitle above. 

12. Ikea Kitchen

This kitchen was bought for Zack for his second birthday and decorated by a friend. It isn't too expensive, not too big or offensive and is very sturdy and you can do it up and decorate it as you wish! It comes as a very standard looking kitchen, but so many people we know who have it, have painted it in various colours and adding some fabulous touches to it, like faux marble worktops! So if you're the creative type who loves the idea of a bit of a 'do it yourself' decorating job, we highly recommend this one! We have linked the product in the subtitle above. 

13.  My 1st years personalised Christmas stocking

We absolutely love these stockings , it's something you will keep for years and years and such a lovely personal touch at Christmas. 

And just in case you would like to see what we have bought them for this Christmas, we have listed some of the items below! 

1. Baby Born Doll 

As Delilah will soon have a little baby brother, Holly thought it would be a good idea to buy her a baby boy doll so that she could get used to the idea and can look after her very own little boy doll! She has also bought accessories to go with it, such as; a mini changing bag with nappies etc, a mini bathtub and crib. Let's hope she loves it! We have linked the product in the subtitle above.

2. Dolls House 

As mentioned above, Holly's parents have bought Delilah a gorgeous, proper doll's house this year, that is much bigger and comes with lots of accessories such as furniture. This particular doll's house is also large enough to fit Barbies (which Holly is very excited about!) Again, we think we are more excited to play with this!  We have linked the product in the subtitle above.

3. Leap Frog Scoop and Learn Ice Cream Cart 

Delilah is obsessed with creating little picnic set ups and making Holly and Adam have 'make believe' dinner with her on the floor and one of her favourite things to offer is ice cream! And Zack has also recently taken a liking to all things icecream and runs straight to this particular toy whenever he sees it a  friend's house, so this year we have bought both of them an Ice Cream cart from Leap Frog. If your kids love a bits of role play and in particular anything to do with food, this is definitely a great buy that should keep them entertained for enough time for you to be able to make a hot drink and at least have half of it...! We have linked the product in the subtitle above.

4. In the Night Garden Characters - Iggle Piggle and Makka Pakka 

Both Delilah and Zack are suddenly really into the show, 'In The Night Garden' and so Sophie bought Delilah for Christmas, an Iggle Piggle and Makka Pakka singing soft toy, which she will love, as she already tries to steal Zack's! We have linked the products in the subtitle above. 

                        

5. Skechers Energy Lights - Gusto Flash Trainers

Zack has such a great collection of trainers, so these rather fabulous flashing pair from Skechers, are the ideal Christmas gift if you're also a lover of kid's shoes! And if your children aren't a fan of putting shoes on and it's a constant struggle, hopefully these will make it a little more fun! We have linked the product in the subtitle above.

6. Neat-Oh! Dinosaur Play Set 

Zack has love dinosaurs since his first birthday and his collection is vastly growing! And this very cool dinosaur storage chest opens up into a play mat and comes with two figurines! Another great Christmas gift that can not only pack up and away small, but can be used as an imaginative game. We have linked the product in the subtitle above.

7. Playmobil Noah's ark

Both the kids love anything to do with animals, so this Noah's ark set from Playmobil should keep them entertained for ages! It comes with a couple of figurines and other accessories, floats on water (which is a bonus!!) and is a perfect size!

***P•O•T•T•Y T•R•A•I•N•I•N•G***

So, the last week we decided to start our potty training journey and as much as I’d put it off for so long and was scared to start, I couldn’t be prouder of my little munchkin and how well she’s done. So I thought I’d let you know what I did and how, just in case any of you are anxious to start. To be totally honest, I had no bloody clue what to do, other than going by some of my friends advice who had recently taken the big step. I can’t fit everything on a caption, so head on over to the blog to read the full story 

1. For the last couple of months I took out her portable potty and left it around the house so she could get used to seeing it. I also explained to her every now and then what it was and would sit her on it before bath time. This also sound a little gross, but some great advice I was given, was so start to show her, her poo in her nappy so that she could get used to what it looks like and not be scared or get a shock when she sees it for the first time in a potty. A lot of mums say that one of the things that terrified their kids during potty training and set them back, was seeing their poo for the first time. 
2. When I started noticing that she was more vocal about her toilet habits and began to take more of an interest, i knew she was ready. I also think that until they’re old enough to communicate better and understand negotiation, there’s no point in attempting (personal opinion)
3. Last Sunday morning when she woke up, I told her she wasn’t going to wear a nappy today and instead I pretty much let her be naked all day and kept talking to her about her potty as often as possible and reminding her to use it when she needed to go. I left the potty in sight all day, would sit her on it every 20 mins/half an hour and made a sticker chart for her, so that every time she did a wee or poo, she would get to put a gold star on it (this really worked for us!) I pretty much made it into a fun and exciting game
4. We stayed in for at least five days and with constant gentle persuasion and sticker enticement, she clocked on very quickly and when she did her first wee on the potty I jumped up and down, clapped and did a silly dance so that she could see how happy and proud I was of her, and this certainly made an impact as she began to do the same every time she did a wee (poo had not quite happened yet, but this can take longer)
5. For the first couple of days I did notice that she would hold her poo in until I put her nappy on for bedtime and that’s when she would go, but again, this is all apparently very normal. 
6. I then told her that if she did a poo on the potty, mummy would get her more special stickers as a ‘well done’ and I let her pick the ones she wanted.  So when she understood that, she finally did her first little poo on the potty and I made the biggest fuss possible!!! (And i mean act as silly and over the top as possible to make them understand how good they are!)
7. As her potty training became more established and she started to really get the swing of things, she began walking over to the potty herself without any assistance and I started putting her in knickers and getting her used to those and teaching her how to take them off etc and I then began to introduce her to the adult toilet with her own little seat placed on it. I would put her on it all the time and tell her that she can be like mummy and daddy and all the big girls and how clever she is. This did take a while for her to come round to as she was a little nervous and kept jumping off asking for her potty, so I made sure not to push it and scare her more and went at her pace. 
8. Around day 5, she finally did her first wee AND poo on the proper toilet and I made the biggest fuss yet. I then bought her a gift I knew she had wanted for a while as a ‘well done’ (it was a Ninky Nonk train from In The Night Garden) and made it clear that this was because she used the big girl toilet and how proud I was of her. 
9. Now we have stopped using the portable potty and she only goes on the actual toilet seat and I make sure to put her on it every half hour / 45 minutes as she doesn’t always say when she needs. And yesterday was the first day we took her out without a nappy and she was amazing! We took the toilet seat with us (yes this is something you have to do for a while until they get the hang of not using it which is interesting) and would take her to a restroom as frequently as necessary and she did incredibly!!

Yes we’ve had a couple of accidents along the way, but she has done so incredibly well and I am so proud and impressed with her. I do know that sometimes doing a poo on the potty or toilet, can take much longer and be a lot harder to achieve which is so normal, and I am very aware that Delilah happened to grasp this quickly and how lucky I was, but  please know that this isn’t usually the norm!! I guess my words of advice are to go with your gut, don’t panic, every child is different and does things at their own time and pace, and don’t put pressure on yourself or your child, it will happen naturally when the times right and remember, it’s not like your kids are going to be walking down the aisle with a nappy on ... (or so I hope...!!!) 

Here is the potty/toilet training kit I've been using in case any of you are looking!

Pourty Toilet Training Combo Bundle

First Trimester

Here We Go Again!

When we both fell pregnant with Zack and Delilah around the same time, it was such an exciting shock and an incredible experience.  We felt so blessed to be able to share the journey together and go through every up and down, phase and milestone and be by each's others side through it all.

So when we both decided we were ready for our second baby, we agreed to try our hardest to avoid any pressure, avoid too many questions and just go with our own flow. And to our utter amazement, we both fell pregnant at the exact same difference in weeks as last time!! EXACT! It was like something from a film and we are both so appreciative to be on this journey again together. 

Our first trimester this time round has definitely been different to the first. We both have felt extreme nausea and exhaustion and spent many afternoons in bed or laying on the sofa, cancelling plans and falling asleep in the middle of the day without even realising, only to be woken up by a cold, wet tip of a felt pen as were used as human drawing boards... Of course having a toddler to run around after didn't exactly help with the symptoms we were experiencing as there is pretty much no time to relax and take a breather, but at the same time, they were also a massive distraction and half the time we would forget we were even pregnant until a wave of nausea hit us and we were running for the biscuit tin or smearing copious amounts of peanut butter on thick white bread...

Along with the above, we both also suffered from constipation (which definitely isn't fun...) headaches and dizziness. It was like we were hungover daily. It was definitely harder to hide this time around, as we couldn't hide out at our offices or work during the week and then lie about being sooo busy on the weekend, as we had two year olds to occupy from Monday to Friday! So dragging ourselves to play dates when all we wanted to do is sit down and find a bucket to wretch into, was definitely not an easy thing to hide! 

But here we are now!! Sophie 13 weeks along and Holly 18. We are so excited for what's to come and will continue to update you on our pregnancy journey together and promise to be as real and honest as possible! From symptoms, to personal feelings to our new nursery decor and product preferences, we will be covering it all.

So for now, thanks so much for the incredible reaction to our recent announcement posts and please feel free to ask us any questions, or provide us with any tips when it comes to the second pregnancy! 

Big kisses xx