Posted on by — Leave a comment

Egg Free Gingerbread Recipe

Thanks to Arjun’s nursery, we ended up baking yesterday! As part of his observations we were asked to bake together to encourage his fine motor skills. I must admit, if it wasn’t for his home obs task, this isn’t something I would’ve done anytime soon. It all seems lovely and fuzzy in theory but the thought of the mess always put me off!

I was quite excited to bake with Arjun – I’m not really a natural baker and I couldn’t find an eggless gingerbread recipe that was rated well so I decided to totally wing it. My objective wasn’t to create amazing tasting biscuits, more to have as much fun as I could with Arjun. And that we definitely did! It was a bonus that they tasted bloody amazing (if I do say so myself!) and they’re eggless! They’re chewy and soft on the inside and crunchier on the outside.

Arjun had so much fun, he loved eating the dough and mark making with the icing … Most of all he enjoyed eating his creations!  He helped me tidy up afterwards (the table was sparkly!) and he refused to part with one of his biscuits and decided it had to go to bed with him!

          

Enjoy x

Makes: 20 large or 35 mini

Time taken: 45 minutes 

Ingredients: 

  • 350g plain flour
  • 2 teaspoons ground ginger
  • 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
  • 110g softened butter
  • 150g soft light brown sugar
  • 40 ml full fat milk
  • 0.5 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 4 tablespoons golden syrup

 

 Instructions: 

1. Preheat the to oven 190 c and line a baking tray with baking paper. 

2. Mix the flour, ginger and bicarbonate of soda in a bowl and rub in the butter using your hands. The heat from your hands helps to soften the butter. 

    
 

3. Add in the sugar and stir in the syrup and mix with your hands. Slowly mix in the milk to form a thick firm dough. Work in the milk slowly as you may not need all of it depending on the consistency of your dough. It shouldn’t be too sticky but shouldn’t crumble either. 

  
4. Roll out the dough about 5mm thick and cut out your shapes using cookie cutters. 

   
   

5. Space out the biscuits on the lined baking tray. Refigerate the uncooked, cut biscuit shapes on a baking tray prior to cooking for approx 15 minutes to help retain their shape.

6.  Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. 

7. Leave to cool for a few minutes before transferring on a cooling rack. 

  

8. Once cooled, decorate with icing.  

 
      

 

Enjoy!

Posted on by — 4 Comments

My 1 Year Blog Anniversary! 

Wow I can’t believe it’s been a year. I don’t remember my life without it to be honest but at the same time, I can’t believe I’m still doing it! 

I remember when I first started my blog, I spoke to my husband and sister Goov for ages debating whether I really should. I figured it would be good for me given I was struggling with baby brain so much (I still am!). My purpose for starting was to journal my thoughts and feelings and our journey. I wanted to be able to look back without the frustration of simply not remembering. I was often reduced to tears when someone would say “do you remember when Arjun did this?” And I’d have no recollection of what they were talking about. I wanted to capture all those memories so I could look back at any time. But I was scared. Really scared. I didn’t think anyone other than my mum (who accounts for about 75% of my page views!) would read it but I was scared about the reaction that the other 25% might have. Would I be able to handle it? 

Never in a million years did I think I’d get the response that I did. A year later and 1,850 Instagram followers, 1,050 Facebook followers and 1,250 Twitter followers after, the amount of personal messages I received on a weekly basis, I can’t even begin to express what an amazing journey it’s been. The mummies, daddies, parents to be, those that want to embark on the journey of parenthood, grandparents and even singletons without children that actually find my random ramblings even remotely interesting and relatable. 

I’m truly overwhelmed with the amount of love you guys have shown Arjun and I. My blog wouldn’t be what it is without our readers. I was reading over my first blog post today and it took me right back to the day I found out I was pregnant – I’m so glad I’ve given myself the gift of journaled memories to be able to relive all those beautiful times! 

Regularly I’ll bump in to someone that follows the blog and recognises us at the temple, at a shopping centre, a supermarket or a party. Thank you to all those people that have come up to us to introduce themselves and have given us such amazing feedback. If you ever do see us out and about, make sure you do come and say hi. 

Arjun is spotted often when we’re out and about – his crazy antics and signature curly hair have definitely made him a mini celebrity and it’s so sweet how much love he gets shown by people he’s never met before!
  

Opening up my life to the world was and is bloody scary, you never know what sort of response you’re going to get especially when you often delve in to slightly taboo subjects in my culture, but the one thing I’ve kept consistent throughout is to be true to myself. I have never dusted over or sugar coated what motherhood has been for me – the good times and the bad. It’s my little virtual space to express myself. In my first year I’ve managed to journal so much. My blog has encouraged me to push myself out of my comfort zone – by facing my fears and anxieties. It helped me to overcome my PND by writing about it and trying to challenge it. I’ve captured the highs and the lows and I always have this to look back on to remind myself of the journey I’ve been on.  

There have been times where I struggled to balance things at home and work with the blog. I didn’t anticipate how much time is required for blogging and how that would fit in to my life. There have been times where I’ve thought to pack it in and then I’ll receive a message from someone that reads the blog – and every time it’s been a really personal and heavy message. One that doesn’t let me stop because I’m reminded that for some crazy reason people have been able to relate and have taken comfort in my words. It was never about stats for new, if I’ve been able to help or give hope to even one person, then for me it’s been worth it. 

I didn’t think my blog would ever get noticed by anyone let alone the amazing companies I’ve had the opportunity to work with; The Gro Company, Quorn, Party Bags and Supplies, UDI’s among some of them.  I’m so grateful to have been given the opportunity to work with such reputable brands. 

Never in a million years did I think I’d rank in the top 500 of the Tots100 out of over 8,000 bloggers. 

And of course my latest adventure; Baby Brain Memoirs enabled me and inspired me to launch Baby Brain Apparel, an online store (which I managed to get up and running by myself!) specialising in hand designed tees inspired by the daily antics of Arjun and handmade leggings by me. I would never have done that without the love and support of my readers. 

   
    
    
    
    
   

I’ve met some amazing people through blogging and I’m so thankful for it! Both readers and fellow bloggers. I especially noticed the blogger love when I started my linky and launched Baby Brain Apparel when I was totally blown away with how many fellow bloggers went out of their way to share the love. 

A big thank you to Rod at Modern Dad Pages  who helped me set my first ever linky up (#BabyBrainMonday), for your continued support on Baby Brain Apparel and the blog! A big thank you to other amazing blogging friends I’ve also met (to name a few!):  Mummy and the Bubbas, Battle Mum, Absolutely Prabulous, Eat, Write, Be, Cuddle Fairy, Blood Sugar Ecmo Magik,  Eat.Live.Love and The London Mum and all the other lovely blogging mummies and daddies for your support and inspiration through differing forms! 

The above may seem tiny to some but I feel like I’ve achieved so much in my first year of blogging. I can’t imagine my life without Baby Brain Memoirs and all that comes with it!

A huge thank you to my husband for being so damn patient with me – when I’m blogging on my phone or taking a gazillion pictures for blog purposes. 

A huge thank you to my parents, my sisters, family and best friends Amrit and Sav for always encouraging me and being by my side. To Neeru for all your support and help with my site – couldn’t have done it without your help. 

A big heartfelt thank you to my followers for sharing your journey with me too. For sharing your experiences and helping me to learn so much. Thank you for sharing your deepest sorrows, your heartbreaking stories and your happy ones too. I feel so honoured that you feel you can. I may not have met most of you, but I feel a connection with you. And knowing that you’ve taken time out to even compose your messages means so much. 

The hugest thank you to my baby boy Arjun for inspiring me daily and for letting this all happen! One day you’ll probably kill me for half the stuff I’ve shared! 

Ok ok enough of my Oscar awards acceptance speech! 

But seriously, thank you to everyone for all your love, support and blessings always! I look forward to the upcoming year and riding my journey of motherhood with you! 

To celebrate a year of Baby Brain Memoirs, I’m launching our limited edition #BabyBrain tee for all the fellow baby brain mummies out there! It will be available in the new year at £15, please message me for pre orders 🙂 I hope you love it! 
  

Big love to you all!xx

Posted on by — 6 Comments

The Guilt of a Working Mum

Soon after I returned to work, I wrote a post about why it wasn’t so bad and how well I’d settled back in. Now that it’s been a good six months since I’ve been back at work, although I’m settled, I can definitely say there’s a lot of guilt that consumes me on a daily basis. Many mums may be able to relate. I’m still so grateful that I work part time which enables me to spend a few extra days with Arjun and also focus on the other things I have going on such as the blog and Baby Brain Apparel. 

The early wake ups have resorted me to tears once or twice – not because I’m too tired. No. I’m ok. I’m an early riser. More having to wake my sleeping babe up. How unsettling for him? One day we’re encouraging him to sleep for longer and the next he’s being woken at 6.45am. I feel so consumed with guilt for doing that to him. What a way to start the day. Some days we change him while he still has his eyes shut as they’re so heavy with tiredness. I feel guilty for disturbing his precious sleep, for disrupting his sweet dreams and for giving him such an abrupt start to the day. I wonder if he resents me for it. But I’m grateful that he’s settled in at nursery and the lovely staff ensure he gets sleep when he’s tired. 

I feel selfish – I chose to work 7.30am – 4pm so that we’d have some time in the evenings together. I made that decision, not him. I wonder if he’d prefer to sleep for a little longer and have a little less time with us in the evenings? I’m grateful that he’s full of love when I pick him up, he drops whatever he’s doing to come over and embrace me and my favourite part is feeling his tiny heart beat fast against mine. 

  

I feel guilty that our mornings are so rushed, that cuddles with daddy are no longer than a few minutes as we wake Arjun up as late as possible so he gets as much sleep as he can, but the flip side is he doesn’t get to spend as much time with daddy. I feel so guilty hearing his screams and cries as I pull him away from his daddy to take him to nursery. My heart breaks. But I know even five minutes longer wouldn’t be long enough. 

I feel guilty that sometimes the first proper cuddle I give him in the mornings is when I leave him at nursery because I’m so busy trying to frantically get ready despite preparing everything the night before. But I’m grateful I get two extra mornings off  to make up for it. 

  

I feel guilty that not all the meals I give him are Instagram friendly. There have been times we’ve just had cereal for dinner on the days I am at work. I comfort myself in knowing that he’s had 3 decent meals and 2 lots of good snacks while at nursery on the days I’m at work and too tired. 

I feel guilty that I’m always so tired. I don’t have the best health which often results in me feeling full of fatigue. That means I can’t always be the best mum. Sometimes I let him play independently while I lay on the sofa beside him. I feel guilty that I’m not down on the floor playing with him. I feel guilty that I’m not that fun loving mum that’s always full of energy – in fact I hardly have any energy at the best of times! But I’m grateful that he enjoys independent play to give me that ten minutes of down time. But I’m sad that he has to. 

  

I feel guilty that my house looks like a disaster zone a lot of the time – that sometimes last nights dishes are still there in the morning, toys are scattered all over the lounge, the sofa cushions aren’t placed back neatly in the right order the way I always want. I’m grateful that I have a cleaner that comes twice a week otherwise only God knows what state my house would be in! I try and comfort myself in knowing that we often have people over and are entertaining and that I can’t possibly manage everything. Or can I? Should I? I used to be so OCD and house proud, and now I feel like I don’t have the time to sort through the junk I’ve managed to hoard! But I’m glad that I’ve let go of my OCD a little and my house looks like a baby lives here – it’s house too after all. 

I feel guilty whenever I have to take time off work to be with Arjun if he’s unwell. This one pisses me off the most. Why do I feel guilty? Nothing or no one comes before my child. I’m used to being a perfectionist and giving everything I do 120% but right now it feels like I’m doing a million things at 70%. That’s tough to deal with. I feel guilty that I have a constant mental battle between my priorities. 

I feel guilty that it’s someone else that’s full of energy and fun gets to spend the day with my baby. They get to see his eyes light up when they do have the energy to play with him, to cuddle him when he wants and to watch him eat. But I’m grateful to his lovely nursery staff that help him make me the cutest keepsakes like this one. 

  

I feel guilty that I make his food and leave him to eat while I clear up the kitchen. This hit me hard last Sunday when Preetam and I took Arjun to town for lunch and I saw him eat a sandwich like an adult for the first time. It reduced to me to tears. When did that happen and how did I miss it? I’m so consumed with everything going on because I’m trying to juggle so many things like many mothers that I feel I miss things that are right before my eyes.

  
 
I feel guilty that I’m not there for him at nursery when he may need a cuddle. It’s a ratio of 3 children to 1 member of staff at nursery. That means he won’t always have someone as soon as he needs them. I’m grateful though that he takes comfort in a few of his favourite members of staff at nursery and they’re always offering him cuddles. 

I feel guilty that my time after work is often spent blogging and working on Baby Brain Apparel – both of which he was the inspiration for. But I take comfort in knowing that all of it is for his future and that I’ve managed to find a more sensible balance recently. 

It’s tough as I don’t have any “me” time. But I’d rather have mummy and son time over “me” time. When he’s older, I’m guessing “me” time will be in abundance and I’ll be reminiscing about the times I wish I’d spent more time focusing on him. 

  

 

Being a working mum isn’t easy, but being a mum full stop isn’t. The most difficult things in life are often the most rewarding. I definitely don’t have it the hardest, nor do I have it the easiest – managing work, housework, cooking, cleaning (when Jeta isn’t here!), blogging, entertaining, being a mummy, a wife, a daughter in law, a daughter, sewing and all the other randomness I have introduced in my life plus a baby is hard work!! But ultimately I’m grateful for all the blessings I have to help me cope with the guilt I’m often consumed with x 

Posted on by — 2 Comments

CryMummy! … A Memoir

Today when I picked Arjun up, it was a pretty standard nursery pick up. I walked in, gazed around the room wondering where my little monster was. I caught a glimpse of a sleeping baby with two curly bunches and assumed it was him (but it was actually a little girl!) … And then the nursery staff told me he was tucked away in the ball pool. 

I don’t know why but whenever I walk in to nursery, my heart bursts with so much emotion seeing Arjun. It’s really odd and I thought I’d feel it less as time passed, but if anything it grows each day. I often find myself day dreaming about Arjun when I’m not with him. The journey from work to nursery feels like the longest journey ever and I literally run down the corridor when I get there! 

Watching him play in the ball pool at nursery is different to watching him play at home. It’s a different environment. At home I don’t see him playing with other kids that often. And when he is playing with other kids, I’m usually too distracted entertaining the mummies to appreciate how heart warming it is watching my not so tiny grown up little boy. At home he’s in the comfort of our presence. I can’t quite articulate it but when I see him in a new surrounding, especially when he’s unaware of my presence, I get a feeling I can’t describe. I feel happy, I feel sad, I feel a heaviness in my heart, I feel a lump in my throat but most of all I feel so proud – he amazes me every single day. We created that little human being. He lived inside me for 9 whole months and now here he is, thriving in this big world. Enjoying life’s simple pleasures. I always want him to be that way. 

Perhaps I see his independent play in a magnified way when I think of him in the future – except now he’s still dependent on me. As he grows, so will his independence. 

I need to remind myself to cherish the NOW. Relish those precious moments watching him play and interact gently with his buddies oblivious to my presence in the room. Cherish this time where he rushes over to me as soon as he hears my voice or spots me in the room when I go to pick him up – I can feel his tiny heart beating so fast against me as I embrace him with excitement. Make the most of the extra cuddles he wants before I put him in his car seat after nursery. I know it isn’t going to last forever. 

Today, Arjun’s key worker handed me a little Christmas card he’d made for Preetam and I. And I know Arjun didn’t write the poem but when I got home and read it – it reduced me to tears. Why? Because those four little lines captured exactly how I feel above. 
  

I don’t do well with change and I’m not sure how on earth I’m going to cope when he’s a grown little boy not interested in making hand printed homemade cards for us (though I doubt he even is now! Thank god for nursery nurses!). He’s growing so fast. How? How is time flying past this quick? I really wish I could hit the pause button. This is my favourite age. 

These special little memories are ones I’ll cherish forever and I’m so grateful I started my blog to be able to capture and journal them. I’m also so grateful to Arjun’s nursery nurses and key worker for this special little gift in particular – it’s my favourite one so far x
Ps apologies for this not being amazingly written but it’s an unedited memo x

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Our Trip to Meet Santa (Harrods Grotto) & Winter Wonderland!

We visited Santa at the Harrods Grotto last year too and I think it’s already become a bit of a family tradition to go every year! Arjun was only 6 months last year and it’s hard to believe a year has passed by already!

   
 

We decided to also book the afternoon tea this year as we’ve not tried the Harrods afternoon tea before and also Arjun would be able to enjoy it with us.
 

Our slot to meet Santa was booked for 12.30 and afternoon tea was at 1.30 – a little bit later than Arjun’s usual lunch time but he had a quick pouch before going in meet Santa to tie him over till lunch. 

 

You’re required to queue up at the designated time slot to meet Santa so if you do go earlier, be prepared to have to kill time (and spend money!) whilst waiting.  We ended up getting there about half an hour earlier so walked around.  It was really warm and Arjun doesn’t take too kindly to the heat so got frustrated after a little while.

 

Thankfully, by the time we were queuing, he was in much better spirits. There are several little games for children to play – they had the same last year but we didn’t get to enjoy any of them as Arjun was too small to play.  

This year they had a presents sorting game which Arjun absoltueloy loved (it was similar to basketball for him!).  He didn’t want to move from this game but the staff were super friendly and patient and were more than happy to have him which was really nice.

 

The second was a scale for children (and parents) to stand on which indicates whether you’ve been a good girl/boy this year to report back to Santa.  Arjun didn’t really know what was going on here but was happy to stand on it.

  

 
The third was another he loved – a giant walk on piano.  He spent ages walking up and down making music.

 

If you’re after a grotto that has lots of reindeers and the traditional niceties like letter writing to Santa, this isn’t that place but the games and  decor kept Arjun really entertained till it came to our turn to meet Santa. I’m not sure older kids would be as entertained. 

  

    
    
 

There are two places that pictures get taken, one on a scene setter – last year’s was a sleigh, and this years were large boxes infront of a festive backdrop. I personally preferred last years.  The second is with Santa.

    
We got in to meet Santa and were immediately impressed by the fact that Santa is now bi-lingual! He greeted us with “Satsriakal tusi teek ho” (hello and “how are you” in Punjabi) and Arjun immediately warmed to him! I was a bit apprehensive about how he’d react to Santa – he was super happy last year but this year I knew he’d be more aware and you often hear of children reacting to Santa badly.  But Arjun loved him.  Perhaps as he’s used to long beards from his granddaddies. 

Santa asked Arjun what he’d like for Christmas, to which Arjun jumped off and walked towards the fireplace and pointed towards a little mouse figurine – lucky for Santa as the gift was a jingle box with a picture of a mouse on one side! How’s that for luck!? In addition to the jingle box, his little toy satchel included a giant chocolate coin and a badge which he refused to part with!

  

 

We then went to view our pictures – they didn’t come out great (only one of each where we’re all looking at the camera!) but we purchased two for our keepsake. It took a while for them to process due to some issue or another with the till which resulted in a very grumpy and hungry Arjun!

 

We then headed to The Georgian for afternoon tea.  I love how spacious and open the setting is here.  Everything is also super fancy although not the same extent as the afternoon tea at The Dorchester.  It’s a lot more casual and the spread of food isn’t as great.  However, it was all yummy.  Arjun really enjoyed a plain scone and my favourite thing was the chocolate brownie – the best I’ve ever tasted!

  

    
 
   
   
After Harrods, we spontaneously decided to head to Winter Wonderland.  We’d parked our car at the Cadogan Place NCP car park where we bagged an absolute bargin by booking in advance as it was on offer from £80 for the whole day to £10!  The location of the car park is central to Hyde Park and Harrods so Winter Wonderland was a short distance away and we were all in a good mood!

 

Again, we’d visited here last year but we’d booked the grotto a lot later in the month and closer to Christmas which meant Winter Wonderland was absolutely rammed!  This year it was a lot more enjoyable for several reasons.  Firstly because it wasn’t so chaotic and you could actually enjoy walking around without bumping in to others.  Secondly Arjun could enjoy it this year as he’s a lot more aware of his surroundings.

   

    
    
   
 

 I was so excited to take him to Santa Land given he’d appreciate it more this year than last! He got to enjoy two rides (one he went on twice!), got to meet Santa again (wow twice in one day!) and he got gifted his favorite thing ever – STICKERS!
  

    
    
   
I was also impressed by the increase in vegetarian food available this year – I’m not sure if we missed it all last year due to the rush or if there is a genuine increase in presence of veggie food but I was gutted that I’d just eaten and couldn’t enjoy all the yummy stuff they had!

  
All in all, we had a fabulous family day out!x

Posted on by — Leave a comment

The Gro Clock Review … & Breaking Our Co-Sleeping Habit (Again)

I was contacted by The Gro Company to review their products. I’d been considering The Gro Clock for a while now so immediately knew that was the product that would best suit us. I was a little uncertain about how the Gro Clock would work for us given Arjun is only 17 months and the clock is designed for age 2 years plus but it’s definitely had some sort of impact although I’m sure we have many more benefits to reap as he grows and understands more!

gro clock box

 

What does it say on the packet?

The idea of the Gro Clock is that “you stay in bed until you see the sun”. Mr Sun is a bright yellow smiley sun which represents wake up time, and Mr Star signifies bedtime.

gro star gro sun

The clock comes with an illustrated book which you read at bedtime before saying night night to Mr Sun before he morphs in to Mr Star. There is a super cool stars to sun countdown which is basically 12 little stars surrounding Mr Star which disappear one at a time to signify the passing of time. This will be really educational as Arjun grows and understands a little better.

 

How did it work for us?

When we first set up the Gro Clock, Arjun was pretty oblivious to it. I made the mistake of setting it up just before bed without introducing him to it before the mayhem of bedtime started. In hindsight, I should have introduced him to Mr Sunshine during the day so he became familiar with him before bedtime.

 

We were having a few co-sleeping dilemmas (again) so I thought I’d introduce the Gro Clock inline with trying to get him back in to his own room.

 

Day one was an absolute nightmare but Preetam and I were both prepared for it. Arjun took 0 notice of Mr Sun as he was feeling pretty frustrated as he soon realised he’d have to fall asleep in his cot. We read him the story book and he was pretty engaged by it (but kept flipping the pages back to front!). The book also features Mr Sun and Mr Star too.

 

gro clock book

When it came to saying night night to Mr Sun, I did so by waving and placed Arjun in his cot. He wasn’t happy.

 

Two hours, a hysterical melt down, the attempt of using the lava lamp, Ewan and the nightlight slide show later, Preetam and I both found ourselves lying on the floor with Arjun in his bedroom to get him to fall asleep. My aim was to not leave that bedroom as I didn’t want him to think enough tears could get him out. He finally fell asleep and we moved him in to his cot.

 

gro clock floor

 

 

As the days progressed, things have gotten a lot better. We passed the phase of having to sleep on the floor, passed the stage of wanting to kill Mr Sun (as it was another thing to throw during bedtime filled tantrums!), passed the stage of wanting to press every single button on Mr Sun (which prompted me to set the key lock function on!), and we’re now at the stage where Arjun and Mr Sun are friends!

 

I introduced giving big kisses to Mr Sun and now Arjun is in the habit of kissing and waving goodnight to Mr Sun too. Sometimes Mr Sun is inundated with kisses! What Arjun doesn’t quite get is that it’s his bedtime too. Haha! He’s definitely getting better at it but we do still have some nights that are a little more challenging than others. I’m hoping as he gets older, he’ll understand more.

 

I feel like the introduction of The Gro Clock has made Arjun feel a lot more comforted by having “someone” in his room with him during the night. Arjun has started sleeping through the night since after a few days of us introducing Mr Sun. Another thing I’ve noticed is that Arjun no longer cries when he wakes in the mornings, he’ll happily babble away in his cot – something that’s very different to before we introduced the Gro Clock. I’m not sure if it’s sheer coincidence or if it is that he’s built some sort of trust with this new animated character. Either way I’ll take it!

 

He hasn’t quite grasped the wake up routine part with the Gro Clock yet but it’s definitely helped a lot at bed times. He’s been sleeping through the night and on a Monday – Wednesday is still fast asleep when it’s time for us to take him to nursery and I’m always filled with guilt when we have to wake him. The rest of the week, he’s waking anytime between 8-9am. This morning we got an extra lie in till 10am as he went to bed very late last night! You’re able to set two different wake up times with the Gro Clock which I’ve not done yet as Arjun seems to be sleeping through for now. This is something I will be setting soon though in anticipation that the sleep through nights won’t be lasting long as experience dictates!

 

We haven’t used the Gro Clock for nap times as Arjun generally falls asleep himself at nap times and is happy to pull down a cushion when he’s feeling tired during the day.

 

The Gro Clock has several features in addition to the ones mentioned above. We have never had a nightlight for Arjun, but this acts as just that and as mentioned it seems to form some sort of comfort for him. You can set the brightness to your preference – we’ve gone for the lowest so it doesn’t disturb his sleep. It also has a built in energy saving mode running on minimal electricity which is great.

 

You can purchase the Gro Clock from the Gro Company for £29.99.

Disclosure: this is a sponsored post either in the form of remuneration or a free product being sent to us for review however all thoughts and opinions are our own.

Posted on by — 1 Comment

Arj’s 17 Month Update … The Month of Slopes and Stairs!

My goodness, I can’t believe my angel is almost a year and a half. Having a child really makes you appreciate how fast life whizzes by and how precious time is! 

Here’s his 17 month update: 

  

  • He visited his fourth country outside of home – Bali

  

  • He now mimics – even your tone and voice volume – if you whisper, he whispers! If you scream, he screams! If you roar, he roars!

  • He tried his first Oreo … It was love at first bite
  • He has now found a new love for water and was confident enough to jump in when in Bali (in to daddy’s arms)

  • He loves to wear everyone else’s shoes

image

  • He’s full of quirky antics and often has a tantrum if he doesn’t get his own way! 

  

 

  • He copies everything like blowing on hot food to cool it down
  • He loves climbing up stairs!

  

  • … And ladders! 

  

  • He loves to kick a ball about
  • He says “hiya”
  • His favourite toy this month is a very real looking Lizard toy! 

  

  • He’s lost his appetite since chicken pox 🙁 
  • He likes to dance to Mickey Mouse hot dog
  • He likes broccoli
  • He likes to “fix” things

  

  • He hates anything on his feet
  • He amazes me daily – for example he knows to swap his tooth brush from one hand to the other when we get him dressed to slip his arm in to his sleeve and then swaps hands for the other arm. 
  • He understands to throw rubbish in the bin 
  • We launched Baby Brain Apparel 🙂

   
   

  • He puts things back when he helps himself to a snack 

X

    Posted on by — 1 Comment

    Singapore & Bali with a Toddler – The Packing List!

    Hello all,

     

    I thought I’d share an updated holiday packing list given Arjun is no longer a baby so my previous ones may not be as applicable! Also, this was our first holiday travelling for 2 weeks and the luggage limit meant I really had to be sensible with my choices. I was a little more relaxed with his clothing packing this time (although it may not seem it! Haha!), because I’m a lot more confident based on the holidays (Dubai x 2 and the Maldives) we’ve had with Arjun.

    Here’s what we packed for our 2 week holiday to Singapore and Bali!

     

    Hand Luggage:

    • Baby Zen YoYo – I love this buggy, it folds up in to hand luggage size which means it doesn’t get bashed about with the check in luggage. It also means we can keep Arjun in his buggy till we reach the plane. Arjun’s quite happy to be in his buggy and used it more on this holiday than any other.  Probably because he was tired from all the running around!

    IMG_6942-0

    Skip Hop Monkey Bag (Nappy Bag)

    Instead of our usual change bag, I opted for a much smaller option as I felt it would be a lot easier to carry during our travels. I’m so glad I made this decision because it really helped not having to lug a large change bag around!

    skip hop monkey

    In our make shift change bag, I included the following items:

    • 5 nappies
    • Vaseline
    • Metanium (just incase!)
    • Nappy bags
    • Change mat
    • A change of clothes in the front pocket
    • Water beaker in the side slot

    Trunki

    We also took a Trunki as our hand luggage for Arjun. We purchased the bright green Trunkisaurus Rex version for £35.99.  As mentioned in my “Singapore & Bali with a Toddler – The Flights” post, I had my doubts about the Trunki  and I’ve explained those here although Arjun absolutely loved it!

    IMG_6389

    In the Trunki we packed the following:

    • An extra change of clothes
    • A babygrow
    • A toy sack which included a chalk board, pencil case with crayons and chalk, a colouring book, building bricks, a soft football, 2 stacking cups, a toy car and a soft turtle
    • Arjun’s snack box – brilliant as it was used throughout the holiday.

    IMG_6335

     

    • Thin blanket – we didn’t end up using this as we were given one on the flight.
    • iPad – We also took the iPad but carried that in Preetam’s carry on luggage.  The iPad was barely used – I’d taken it as the surprise toy hoping that Arjun would be entertained for hours, I was quickly disappointed! He wasn’t interested at all!

    Check in Luggage:

    Medication:

    I was particularly paranoid about packing for Bali. I was so worried Arjun would get bitten by a mosquito, or that he’d fall sick and there’d be no immediate medical attention. He’d been really poorly a few days prior to our departure and had his first ambulance trip. It was really scary and we weren’t sure we were even going to still go away. But he’d perked up by the time we were due to fly out. I’d packed everything I thought I’d need just incase! But actually our hotel was brilliant and an onsite 24/7 doctor was available. Here’s what we packed anyway:

    • Baby talc – just incase he developed any rash around his neck from the extra heat.
    • Calpol – especially as he was so unwell the few days prior to us departing.
    • Nurofen
    • Piriton
    • Thermometer
    • Anbesol – he was having a bout of teething so I knew we’d need this!
    • Ashtons & Parsons teething granules
    • Mosquito repellent – I used the Boot’s own brand and was so happy with it. He didn’t get bitten once even though the rest of us faced multiple bites!
    • Calamine lotion – I had this left over from when Arjun had chicken pox and read that it was also good for sunburn. Thankfully we didn’t need it for Arjun but I did end up using it!

    We didn’t end up actually using any of the above items apart from the last 2 however I’d still pack them just incase.

    Nappy Changing:

    • 75 nappies – we pretty much used up all of these. If we had run out, it wouldn’t have been an issue as Bali Collection was right next door to our hotel and they had ample supplies of nappies!
    • Nappy bags
    • Wipes – we took 4 packs as we also used wipes during meal times. We ended up using 3 packs. In hindsight I could have taken less and bought more from Bali Collection if I’d needed them.

    Swimming and Bathtime:

    • Baby Swim Float – Arjun spent a lot of time pushing this around but also enjoyed sitting in it. It’s definitely a must with a baby on holiday! We also ended up purchasing arm bands for him while away. Although he wasn’t comfortable with us letting go of him, it was a step closer to water independence!

    IMG_7302.JPG

    • Zoggs Kids Seal Flips Swim ToyEdit – there were great as swim toys. They were new to his water toy collection and he had lots of fun throwing them and catching them. When you blow on them, they flip over. The pack comes with 5 little spaceship shaped toys and were a great buy.

    zoggs

    • Hairbrush – we never used this as his curls are too thick to brush over, a comb is what we used.
    • Haircomb
    • Baby wash – I took a head to toe wash which we use here in the UK
    • Face cream – we didn’t end up needing to use this but i took it just incase he suffered with any dryness due to the heat
    • Swim nappies – I only took one pack assuming he’d only spend half an hour to an hour in the pool each day as he has done on pervious holidays to Dubai and the Maldives. However, in Bali he was in the pool for up to 5 hours a day! We ended up using up our swim nappies on the last day and unfortunately there weren’t any available at Bali Collection. Definitely take enough of these if travelling to Bali.
    • Sunscreen – the highest factor I could find though he’s more tanned than any of us!
    • Swimwear x 3– we probably could’ve gotten away with just the 2 but we had them so took them anyway. One of the swimsuits came with a matching swim hat. The other 2 we used regular sun hats with.
    • Sun hat x 2 – he doesn’t often like wearing hats, so I didn’t go crazy. We used the 2 we did take, mainly in the pool.
    • Swim towel x 1 – we took the one but didn’t end up using it much other than to pat his face dry as it was so warm and he dried off real quick.
    • Mickey Mouse beach bag – this goes everywhere with us and houses our camera, poolside nappy changing bits, swim toys and poolside baby snacks
    • Bath towel x 1 – I normally would’ve taken at least 2 of these, but due to the restricted lugguague allowance, I could only take the 1. We ended up washing it while there.
    • Nail cutter – definitely a must when away for 2 weeks!
    • Cotton buds
    • Massage oil – especially essential after a day in the pool in the sun!
    • Toothbrush
    • Colgate

     

    Feeding:

    • Ready made formula x 35 cartons – i couldn’t be dealing with the faff of having to boil a kettle and allowing it to cool so I took ready made cartons. I’m always uncomfortable allowing Arj to drink milk abroad, not sure why though!?
    • Fairy liquid – in a small travel bottle for washing his beakers
    • Weaning bibs x 3 – I took them but he refused to use them which is where the extra wipes came in handy.
    • Ella’s kitchen fruit pouches x 25 – always brilliant as a snack and when on the go. We used about 20 of them.
    • Beakers x 3 – for both milk and water
    • Cutlery – I’d taken a set but we never used it. He ended up using the restaurant spoon or fork, or his hands!

    Sleeping:

    • Cellular blanket – we didn’t end up using this as Arj slept in our bed with us and used the duvet.
    • Books – I took one book and his masis bought him “That’s not my Monkey” which he read quite a bit

    Travel:

    • SnoozeShade – we didn’t use it at all as we didn’t really use the pram during the day.
    • Pram FanEdit – I took this but forgot to take batteries which was a real shame! In the end we ended up purchasing another one which also had a water mister from Universal Studios to cool Arj down.
    • Giant muslins x 2- I took these to use as a cover up if we went for a wakl on the beach after breakfast like we used to in Dubai. We didn’t end up doing logn walks on the beach so didn’t use the muslins at all.
    • Insect Pram Net – we didn’t end up using this at all as the mosquito repellent on Arj’s clothes was enough. I also don’t thin he would’ve taken too well to a net over his buggy as he loves to see what’s going on around him!

    Clothing:

    • Vests x 7 – didn’t use any of these
    • Rompers x 8 – we used all of these
    • Babygrows x 10 – we used all of these for bedtime. I decided to take babygrows as opposed to pyjamas to ensure his top didn’t ride up during the night increasing the risk of mosquito bites. I quickly learnt that Arjun hates having his feet covered though!
    • Shorts x 8 – we used 5 out of the 8 pairs
    • T shirts x 10 – we used 9 out of the 10 some of which we used to model mummy’s new kid’s fashion line! 🙂

    IMG_7343.JPG IMG_7268.JPG IMG_7012.JPG

    • Polo shirts x 5 – we used 2 out of the 5
    • Long sleeve tops x 3 – we used 2 out of the 3 for flights
    • Socks x 6 – we used 3 pairs for flights
    • Hoody x 1 – we used this for the flights
    • Long sleeved vests x 5 – we used 1 for the return flight back to the UK
    • Joggers x 2 – we used both for lounging and the filghts
    • Sleeveless vests x 4 – we used 1 as it was too hot to leave his shoulders exposed
    • Leggings x 5 – he wore these on the flights

     

    Shoes:

    • Swim sandals – I got these from next and they ended up being such a great buy. I didn’t realise how much he’d be running around. The floor was super hot so this was a great way to protect his little tootsies and they dried up pretty quick.
    • Havaianas – he didn’t wear these
    • Next strap on sandals – he wore these everyday
    • Adidas trainers – he wore these twice
    • Clarks shoes – he wore these at the airport

    Other bits:

    • Laundry sacks – I always take these from home although hotels do provide them. I separated all our clothes in to darks and whites so it was easy for me to get the washing done when we got home.
    • Cellotape – It’s a “thing” I have, cellotape always has to be at the ready! I use it for all sorts like sealing bottles shut when coming back home – the last thing I need is leaked make up all over our clean clothes!
    • Scissors – again, something that has to be at the ready and always comes in super handy!

     

    Are there any other bits that you’d add?x

     

     

    Posted on by — 1 Comment

    Guru Nanak Dev Ji’s Gurpurab (Birthday) … How We Celebrated :)

     

    Last week marked the Gurpurab (birthday) of our first Guru and the founder of Sikhism, Guru Nanak Dev Ji.

    image

    Guru Nanak Dev Ji’s basic messages were:

     

    • “Kirt karo”: earn an honest days labour
    • “Naam japo”: always remember God like a mother always has its baby in her thoughts to fight off the five vices known as kaam (lust), karodh (rage), lobh (greed), moh (attachment) and ahankar (ego)
    • “Vandh ke shakhao”: share what you have and always be humble

     

    He also rejected the caste system and believed in equality both between religions, castes, men and women and rich and poor.

    It’s really important for me that Arjun grows up knowing about our religion and roots. While I’m totally open and embracing of other cultures, especially living in England, it’s also really important for me to ensure we mark such occasions to the same degree as we do others such as Christmas.

     

    I always try to mark special occasions in Sikhi such as Guru Arjun Dev Ji’s birthday and Vaisakhi even if it’s just visiting the Gurdwara.
    Last year for Guru Nanak Dev Ji’s birthday, a few friends and I took our (what were then), babies, for a day out and afternoon tea (more for us mummies!). After a few hours play at Snakes & Ladders, we all shared valuable lessons of Guru Nanak Dev Ji and learnt so much from each other. It was a really special day and something we promised we’d continue to do each year. They’re coming over this weekend to celebrate in our Winter Wonderland where all the mummies will tell stories about Guru Nanak Dev Ji and we’ll have a little crafts session around equality.

     

    This year, on the actual day, I was really unwell with sinusitis and barely had any energy to do anything but I was determined to go to the Gurdwara with Arjun. After dropping him to nursery, I listened to blissful kirtan on Desi Radio on my journey home. It was beautiful and I ended up sitting in the car parked in the drive to carry on listening because I just didn’t feel like moving!  I felt so calm and peaceful.

     

    The night before, the DIY Winter Wonderland went up – we thought we’d decorate the house early for Christmas to also celebrate the birth of Guru Nanak Dev Ji.
    As I wasn’t feeling too good, I happily played creative director while allowing the others to decorate and jumped in every so often (mainly to fix there mishaps hehe). We’ve included a picture of Guru Nanak Dev Ji in our Winter Wonderland too.

     

     

    image image

    Arjun was ecstatic when he saw it and was so overjoyed. He kept cuddling me and kissing me. It was adorable! He squealed with excitement and couldn’t contain himself – I’ve never seen him react like that before. It made it so worth it!

     

    image image

    His Gurpurab gift was a cute little Bosch tool belt to match his daddy’s. He’s obsessed with tools and “fixing” things so we thought this would fit!

    image image

    We just about managed to get to the Gurdwara with my sister to do matha. He insisted I held him all the way up to Maharaj (Guru Granth Sahib), got down and did matha by himself and then stood up with his hands together infront of Maharaj. It was so so adorable and I felt so proud of my little boy. I wish I could have photographed it! I literally had to pull him away (and had to deal with a few kicks as a result!).
    We listened to kirtan for five minutes, or tried to anyway! Arjun was up to his usual antics of running up and down the path to do matha – I’m definitely STILL THAT mum at the Gurdwara! He enjoyed his langar and insisted on breaking his roti (chapatti) himself.

     

    image image image image image

     

    I was so glad we made it to the Gurdwara although it wasn’t for as long as I’d hoped.

     

    How did you celebrate Gurpurab?x

    Posted on by — Leave a comment

    Party Bags & Supplies Dino Blast Party Pack Review

    For those of you that follow my blog, will know that I’m a sucker for party planning! Arjun’s first birthday party took almost 6 months to plan and every little detail had to be perfect!

     

    So no surprises that the thought of his second birthday often creeps up, given he isn’t even 18 months yet, I do try and push it aside! There’s no harm in thinking about themes though right!?

     

    When I was given the option to review a party pack, I jumped at the chance! Especially given I’d made the silly mistake of buying Arjun’s first birthday supplies individually instead of as a pack.

     

    Party Bags and Supplies have a wide variety of party packs and I was really spoilt for choice, but given Arjun’s so in to dinosaurs at the moment, and it is a theme possibility, I decided to go for the Dino Blast themed party pack.

     

    Each party pack contains 8 cups, 8 plates, 16 napkins, 1 table cover plus 8 filled party bags. Per the website, the Dino Blast themed party bag included 1 x dino glider, 1 x stretchy dinosaur, 1 x dinosaur finger puppet, 1 x finger trap & 1 x set of micro stickers. Each pack costs £28.

     

    I really like how colourful the themed pack is, I’m a fan of lots of bright colours especially for kid’s parties. There’s lots of additional matching décor available on the site which would make it a lot easier to theme the event.

     

    The cups and plates feel like great quality – they’re not thin and flimsy and I love the gloss finish on the plates – it gives them a really good quality feel and also enhances the colours. The napkins are two ply and are large in size.
    The table cover is plastic which means its easy to wipe down.  It’s a bordered style cover so the centre is white and the sides are printed.  This is the type of table cover that would be perfect for the cake table.  I made the mistake of using an all over printed table cover for Arjun’s 1st birthday cake table which didn’t allow for the cake to be showcased as much.

    I love that the party bags are put together according to the theme. If you read my party bag post from Arjun’s birthday, you’d have seen that I spent a lot of time trapsing the internet to theme them! Having a headstart with pre filled themed party bags would have been great!
    The items included as per the website are also similar to the types of things I’d look to include in a party bag such as the glider and the finger puppets and also stickers as they’re Arjun’s new favourite thing! However, there is a disclaimer on the website stating that contents may vary. What I actually received was stickers, a gunky mini egg dinosaur, a stretchy dinosaur figurine, haribos and a finger trap. Other than the stickers and the dinosaur figurine these aren’t items I’d probably choose myself.


    If I was to purchase this pack, I’d definitely add to the party bags with another edible and another toy (or two) – something like these dino blow outs.  I would also probably swap the plastic party bags with something different like perhaps party boxes. Although the party bags include items for 3+, a lot of the children attending Arjun’s party would be over this age anyway. They wouldn’t be as suitable for the younger children especially items like the gunky mini egg dinosaur.

     

    I really like the pack and I think its great value for money – especially given how much I ended up spending on Arjun’s birthday! The sum of the items bought individually is greater than buying it in a pack by about £4. I’ll definitely be opting for one of these party packs for Arjun’s second party once I’ve definitely decided on a theme, they’re a lot better value for money!  I used this company for Arjun’s 1st birthday but just made the mistake of buying individual items! The service I received was great and the items got delivered fast!

    Party Bag & Suppliers are kindly offering all my readers a whopping 15% off all orders – use code HBBM15 at the checkout.  Happy shopping! 🙂

    I was sent this product for review however, all my opinions and beliefs about the product are honest and my own.