Bio-Plates for Little Ones from Dantoy*

07th March 2023

The product in this post was gifted to us for consideration.

We started weaning Eliza at 6 months old and it’s been such an adventure. We mostly followed a baby led weaning approach and she’s loved food from the word go, and now, at 16 months old is a fantastic eater (and I’m sure I’ll kick myself for saying that when the inevitable fussiness kicks in!)
We’ve definitely found that the right tablewares are every bit as important as the food itself, and whilst we started off with suction bowls and plates, now Eliza is a bit older and a lot more independent we are starting to introduce more “grown up” plates and cutlery as she likes to be just like us.

This set is from Dantoy, who have featured before on the blog and are a brand that both Bob and myself love when it comes to shopping for Eliza.

This set is perfect right the way through the weaning process (although we definitely couldn’t get away with non-suction at the start) and the set’s plate allows you to divide up the meal if you so wish- we often put main and “dessert” out together so Eliza can choose what she wants to eat and doesn’t put sweet, or savoury on a pedestal. If the 2 smallest spaces of the plate are not used for food, the bowl and cup can instead be placed in these spaces and used as a tray to carry food and drink together.

The first meal we used our set for was Eliza’s all time favourite, bean and pepper chilli. As you can see, we’ve used the compartments to serve. The cutlery is a great size for the stage we’re out now, but Eliza still finds the beaker a bit tricky to manage; she still finds handles easier.

She definitely embraced the set up though and I doubt it will take her long to perfect the art of the beaker!

As with all products from Dantoy, the set is made from bio-plastics making it 100% recyclable. It can be microwaved up to 70% and can also go through the dishwasher- although we tend to handwash all of Eliza’s bits as we find they can take on a soapy taste/smell no matter what they are made of.

This set costs £18 (plus shipping) which is really reasonable in my eyes- children’s tableware can be super expensive and you often see just one plate costing that! This would make a lovely gift for new parents to put away- we really rate it for the quality practicality and will be looking to replace some of our baby plates and bowls from more of the range.

You can shop the range here.

Permalink 1 Comment

Cycling Storage, Safety, and Starters – The Essential Guide

21st July 2022

Cycling is a great way to get outdoors and embrace nature, fresh air, and the elements, whatever the season. Hornit was founded by former lawyer and Ironman triathlete, Tom de Pelet. Tom spent 7 years commuting to work in London and saw a gap in the market for innovative cycling products. When the brand launched in 2012, the objective was to create pioneering accessories that make cycling safer without compromising style. The first product to launch was the dB140 – the world’s loudest bike horn. The horn enables cyclists to alert distracted drivers and pedestrians to their presence and the sleek design blends seamlessly with any bike.

Since the success of this product, the team at Hornit has dedicated itself to sourcing and designing innovative, stylish, and fun cycling products for people of all ages. From lights and horns to cycle storage and helmets, each Hornit product has been created to improve cyclist’s lives in some way.

Now an established brand, Hornit has won several awards and its products are sold in over 40 countries worldwide. Innovation still remains at the heart of Hornit and Tom’s passion is shared by the whole team who make it their goal to create cycling products that transform your ride.

They offer a range of exciting and useful products to help store bikes, keep you and you safe and also help start a child’s biking journey through their super-lightweight balance bikes.

Here are some of their most popular products:

Hornit Clug Pro £25.99 – £27.99 from Hornit.com Save space and store bikes on a wall with the innovative bike holder. Weighing just 26g the Clug Pro holds up to 30kg, with different versions to suit bike tyres it will help keep bikes safe and secure.

Hornit dB140 Bike Horn £29.99 from Hornit.com The dB140 is the loudest cycle horn on the market, putting you in control of your safety by letting people know you’re there. It’s small, sleek, and enables you to alert distracted drivers and pedestrians to your presence. Featuring upgraded internal components and a brand-new Garmin style mount developed in collaboration with K-Edge, your dB140 is better than ever: rock solid on the bars, easy to remove, and interchangeable with other Garmin compatible devices.

Hornit Mini £17.99 available in 4 colours from Hornit.com The ultimate lights and sound effects and horn for children’s bikes and scooters. Loaded with 25 fun sounds including fire engine, police siren, motorbike, bike bell, and wolf, your child’s imagination will run wild. It also has 6 light settings including white, green, and flashing lights.

Hornit Children’s Helmet £34.99 from Hornit.com Painstakingly designed to look stylish & fun (or quietly understated in the case of Stealth!), they are fully adjustable, comfortable, lightweight, and actually, something children will want to wear. They will also love the integrated LED which is an added safety feature. With a range of colourful helmets, Hornit help stop children from arguing about putting their helmets on. With 15 designs to choose from everyone will be happy.

Hornit Airo Balance Bike £139 available in 6 colours from Hornit.com Made from a super lightweight, ultra-hard-wearing magnesium alloy, at 2.95kg this balance bike is levitating light, helping reduce injuries, falls, and accidents. The super-strong balance bike helps children concentrate on balancing and therefore helps them learn to ride much quicker than starting on stabilisers. With a lifetime guarantee, Hornit is confident the bike is here to last.

For more information visit Hornit.com

Permalink

Safety First this Christmas

15th November 2021

Once upon a time my first Christmas related blog content would have been gift guides; back in the days where I managed to post regularly I was churning them out one after another. Recently my priorities have definitely shifted, now I’m a Mum (more on that at some point) there is a notable shift in my attention; I’m all about the safety first element, fun comes second.

It seems I’m not alone in this, I recently received an email which shows that Mums are prioritising checking electrics over christmas present shopping and prepping the all important festive feast. I thought it made for an interesting read so I’m sharing it with you guys too…

“With the announcement of 20,000 electrical fires damaging homes in 2021* almost 40% of mums state they have learnt how to check for faulty electrics this year with 19% already booked in their electrical testing ahead of Christmas – a new poll has revealed.

When asked what they prioritised when it comes to keeping their homes safe from hazards, a staggering 38% cited checking their electrics as top of their list of safety measures at home. Hexo Electrical Testing commissioned the poll to gauge consumer attitudes on keeping their home electrics healthy and safe.

Within the poll, 44% per cent of mums are most concerned with having enough food in for Christmas and 44 per cent want to make sure that they have cleaned the house before the guests arrive.

Terrified, TV personality, Louise Thompson recounts the horrors of being woken up to a house fire in her London home this month. The former Made in Chelsea star announced to social media fans that she and her family had to evacuate their home in the early hours, due to an electrical fire that was started by a faulty wine fridge.

Michael Evans from Hexo Electrical Testing, states: “It’s great to see homeowners having a greater understanding of electrics in the home. Having accidents in the home can happen any time and as we rely increasingly on electrical goods and gadgets to enhance especially during Christmas, regular electrical testing is a quick win to ensure your family and your home is kept safe from potential dangers.”

Gas safety was higher on the agenda, with 35 per cent of those asked making conscious efforts to ensure their connections and appliances were safe.

Smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors ranked higher on the list of priorities to check, with 24 per cent of respondents believing these to be the key to alleviating home hazards.

Spokesperson from Hexo Electricals continued: “We would suggest a check every five years to ensure that your electrical systems are healthy and in full working order. That way, we can pick up any issues before they cause a problem in the home.”

A staggering 19% were unaware of any electric hazards in the home, such as risk of shock from damaged sockets or fire hazards from loose connections.

“We would urge people to be particularly vigilant in the lead-up to Christmas, when greater demands are placed on our electrical systems thanks to the increase in Christmas lights, cooking and even having additional people staying in our homes.”

Encouragingly, 27 per cent will check their fire and carbon monoxide alarms in the run-up to Christmas.

Tenants: Know Your Rights

The poll also showed up that those living in rented accommodation did not fully understand their rights and the responsibilities of landlords to maintain safe standards when it came to their electrics.

44 per cent of respondents did not know that landlords have a duty of care to check electrics in their properties every five years.

Insight continues; “This is a key part of a landlord’s job – to make sure that their tenants are in receipt of safe systems. A five-year check is a legal requirement so if you think your home is due, get in touch with your landlord as soon as possible.”

Advice For Checking Electrics at Christmas:

Check for damaged wires and cables.

Keep cables and wires properly stored, and away from children.

Unplug devices and appliances to repair, adjust or clean.

Don’t overload plug sockets.

Allow air to circulate around electric appliances – don’t block vents.

For more information, visit https://hexoelectricaltesting.co.uk“

Fellow parents, have you found your priorities changed? I knew that I would feel differently once baby arrived, but I wasn’t prepared for quite how big that shift would be!

Permalink

The next steps*

02nd September 2020

To say there’s a lot going on right now would be a bit of an understatement; between working full time, planning a wedding and preparing to start the process of starting a family (more on that in a bit) it’s taken the timely arrival of this daily goal setter planner from Mâl Paper to help keep me on track.

This gorgeous planner is just what I need to keep my life on track. It’s designed to help you be more mindful and set goals to get you through even the most stressful days. It features sections for monthly, weekly and daily planning and is littered with inspirational quotes, plenty of space for writing down ideas and it made from the most beautiful quality paper. This has really helped me keep on track when it comes to to-do lists to help me reach my goals, as well as making sure I take time to focus on what has gone well each day and ensures I take time out for me.

The planner costs £21.95 and you can get 15% off your order at the moment with the code BRSPECIAL15

And how is all that planning going? Well…

Wedding wise, we’re making good progress. We have a venue, photographer, bridesmaids, bridesmaid dresses, hair and makeup, wedding rings and a few other bits and pieces under our belts. I’ve got some dress shopping appointments in the next two weeks and with 387 days to go, I’m feeling quite on top of things.
We’re in the process of finalising the guest list and sorting out the invites too- that’s our next big job, and whilst it might seem that we are way ahead at the moment, things are going to get crazy over the next few months and I just know time is going to fly.

And on to that whole starting a family thing…

Due to some very unfortunate circumstances, which I won’t go in to, Bob ended up being referred to a genetics specialist to get some tests done. The outcome from that is that he has tested positive for the BRAC2 genetic mutation that leads to an increased risk of certain cancers.
From his point of view, he’s ok. He’ll be screened from a much younger age and will get all sorts of fancy monitoring to ensure anything nasty is caught early.
His/our bigger concern at this point in time is what this means for our future children.
After meeting with a genetics consultant we’ve been offered something called PGD, a type of IVF that will eliminate the risk of passing the mutation on to our future child. After lengthy discussions we decided that this was the route we wanted to go down. Knowing that there is a 50% percent chance of passing this on- with a hugely increased risk for our future children of developing certain types of cancers (the statistics if we had a girl who had this mutation were scary) meant that we personally can’t justify not giving this a go. Obviously this is a very personal decision and not everyone will feel the same, but as we have been offered this opportunity we have decided to take it. And soon.

Right now the only barrier to us starting this treatment is my weight. It turns out that as well as there being a maximum BMI for any IVF/PGD referrals, there is also a minimum, which currently I am just about 2kg under. Knowing I am the only barrier between us and starting this journey (and we are both so ready for this) has been a real kick in the stomach for me as I’ve been dragging my feet and letting my eating disorder get in the way of making those final steps in weight restoration.
It’s also given me a massive kick up the backside and with any luck we’ll be getting that referral and starting this process in the very near future.

It’s exciting but scary times for the both of us right now. Being a Mum means the world to me, and being in a position now where that dream is slowly becoming a reality is a real “pinch me” moment. At one point I was being told I’d never get better, never live a normal life, and yet here I am- more happy and more content and healthier than I ever thought possible. It’s not going to be an easy road, for either of us but it’s one we’re excited to start down.
We’ve talked about it a lot and would like to share our journey, to some extent on the blog if people would be interested (well, even if you aren’t as it would be good for us to document the venture anyway).

So, for now you’ll find me with my head in my planner, setting myself goals and reminding myself why I’m doing this on the days when I’m feeling too full of food, bloated and defeated. I’m doing this for me, for Bob (who I credit for fully for showing me what it means to live and be loved), and for all of the friends and family who never gave up on me.

Until next time! And get buying those planners!

Permalink 4 Comments

The Year of Even More Change

31st December 2018

I remember quite vividly sitting down this time last year trying to recap on the past 12 months and simply finding it too overwhelming to fully do so. The same stands this year, perhaps even more than it did then. I started 2018 optimistic and full of hope; keen to see what adventures were on the horizon, but never daring to imagine that things would, or could be quite as different as they have turned out to be.

I thought that 2017 was the year of change and turning points, and in it’s own way it was, but in terms of achievements and conquering goals, 2018 has been the one.

Probably the most notable of these is passing my driving test. I took my first lesson on my 17th Birthday, and finally, 14 (and a bit years) later, after several failed attempts, I passed. It took a lot of courage to get back to driving lessons after several years off, I was more afraid than I dared show and pretty much had to start from scratch in terms of sitting my theory test and all that jazz. I booked a week off work, found myself a bloody brilliant instructor and told myself that no matter what I wouldn’t give up this time…but still, no one was more shocked than me when I passed my test on the first time of this wave, with just two minor faults. A few weeks later I welcomed my little black Toyota Aygo “Alphonsus” in to my life and haven’t looked back.

The other big change is that Bob and I are living together. We took on a tenancy on a house in October and have loved every second of the adventure, from the planning to the moving, from the dreams to the reality. We’ve just hosted Christmas Day and Boxing Day for the first time, welcoming in our families and friends and cooking up a storm. It couldn’t have been more perfect. Pablo has settled in well to having both of us as full time “parents”. He’s developed such a personality and attitude, he’s captured everyone’s hearts and keeps us firmly on our toes.
We’ve been so lucky in the help and support we’ve had with the move, and the circumstances around leaving my parents’ home could not have been more different, or more positive than last time.

There is of course, the usual update on my eating disorder recovery journey and I am delighted to say it’s all positive. I’m nearer to a healthy weight than I have been in some years, just a few kg to go. I’m becoming comfortable in my own skin and learning who I am as a person, and learning to love that person, there is so much freedom in not being defined by a label anymore and whilst it isn’t all plain sailing and I still have my wobbles I feel more stable and cemented in my recovery than I ever have before. I’m no longer in therapy, or under regular monitoring, I’m thriving in a full time job, cooking actual meals from scratch with Bob and embracing new situations like our first holiday abroad without having to plan the entire trip around my meal plan.

It hasn’t all been positive this year, unfortunately. Tragedy struck Bob’s family on my birthday and it made everyone stop and take stock of what was around them and realise life is just too short to spend worrying and that you cannot take anything for granted. It’s shown me inspiring strength and courage from those around me, and bought a lot of people closer together. It’s not fair to go in to the ins and outs of it all, but it would be an understatement to say it’s been a testing year for several people very close to my heart.

As 2018 creeps towards it’s final hours I’m taking a moment to take stock and be thankful for those who have supported me through all of these life changing events; my friends, my colleagues, my family- most importantly my parents who I appreciate more than I ever have before.

It’s been a year of mammoth changes and it does get more than a little bit overwhelming at times (I really don’t like change no matter how positive it is!) but mostly I feel lucky, so lucky to have had a chance to turn my life around, to not have given in a couple of years ago when things were dire, to have met Bob and fully embraced what the world has to offer.

There may be uncertain times ahead but I’m ready for them. I’d like to think things might calm down a little in 2019, but I remember thinking the very same thing about 2018 and oh boy was I proven wrong!

Happy New Year one and all, see you on the other side with some new (and hopefully, quite possibly) and improved content.

What are you most thankful for right now?

Permalink 6 Comments

← Older posts

A Daisy Chain Dream

Category Archives: family

Bio-Plates for Little Ones from Dantoy*

Cycling Storage, Safety, and Starters – The Essential Guide

Safety First this Christmas

The next steps*

The Year of Even More Change