Room on the broom...

Luckily, there was room on the (pleasantly crowded) broom for us today and we had lots of spooky fun with Witch at Blue Skies! Kind witch read us a story which we got to join in with using signs and props, then we sang songs and played games and finally she provided some scary snacks (banana ghosts = genuinely terrifying). Honey threw herself into the parachute games and particularly enjoyed the one where she had to run underneath when witch called out her animal name, turns out Honey was all of the animals today so she spent a lot of time running underneath! 

Honey wears... Biker boots by Next

Down on the farm...

We paid a visit to the St James City Farm in Gloucester today. The farm is run by volunteers and is free to look round (although donations are greatly appreciated). There is a small cafe selling drinks and crisps (I believe lunch is available depending on volunteer availability so do ring before you go if you'd like to buy lunch there) and you can also make use of the picnic tables outside if you take your own food. We saw goats, a pony, a pig, cows, chickens, ducks and even got to go into the rabbit enclosure to play with the adorable bunnies (although I definitely found that more fun than Honey, who just wanted to eat their food). We parked for free on Albany Street, close to a children's play area which we didn't get to explore as Honey was worn out by the morning's activities!

Honey wears... Peppa Pig wellies by Next

Babel Babies...

We loved our taster session of Babel Babies earlier this year but unfortunately the timings clash with Sing and Sign for us at the moment so we were delighted to find out that there'd be another opportunity for us to try our hand at singing in different languages! Babel Babies and Les Petits Zouszous put on a mini languages festival at Cheltenham Children's Library today and it was fabulous. Honey alternated between exhaustion (she's getting over a cold) and elation (complete with super excited faces and squeals)! She loved all the props, especially the parchute which got the biggest squeal of all!

Honey wears... Ballerina bunny t-shirt by Next

I think I want to carry you...

A while ago I saw an amazing (for amazing, read pink) carrier on the ABC facebook page but couldn't find the pattern in the UK. Well, guess who's taken over the UK distribution of Action Baby Carriers and guess who saved us one of the very few TOTALLY PINK ones? (It's the lovely Nicole at Blue Skies by the way). We are now officially a two ABC family, 'Happy' has not fallen out of favour completely but 'Cadence' will be my carrier of choice for the foreseeable future! It's super comfy as you'd expect from an ABC and as a toddler carrier, has added width and height for long legs and tall bodies. As you can see, the carriers also come with added sleepy dust! A huge congratulations and tonnes of good luck to Nicole as she adds another branch to the Blue Skies tree, we're rooting for you (groan)!

Honey wears... Cadence toddler carrier by Action Baby Carriers

Dry as a bone...

Time for Honey to start earning her keep again and test out some new nappies! We were selected to take part in Pampers' #BritainsDriestNappy challenge through the NetMums Blogger Network and were sent a pack of Pampers Active Fit nappies along with a letter explaining the trial and a memory stick with some product videos on it. My two main criteria for a successful nappy are:

- No leaks.

- Let me sleep.

To be honest, we have tried most nappies and only ever found two which were disasterous and we'd never go back to (Carrefour Discount and Naty by Nature Babycare) and the Pampers Active Fit join the list of successful nappies. Previous experience of this brand told us that it would be better to ask for a size up from our current brand (Tesco Loves Baby) as for some reason, Pampers usually come up small on Honey. Pampers asked for honest answers to some questions at the end of the trial, the gist of my feedback was that I would only buy them again if they were on offer as we felt that they equalled rather than out-performed our usual brand so wouldn't pay more for them.*

*Although we were given products for the purpose of this product test, the opinions expressed in this blog are my own.

Honey wears... Pampers Active Fit Size 4+

Wiggle wiggle wiggle...

Honey really enjoyed her first Wiggle Beat class today. It just so happened to be Humphrey's Corner pyjama week (in aid of The Children's Trust) so the morning routine was cut short as we bypassed the getting dressed aspect! Wiggle Beat lets toddlers dance alongside their parents, who may or may not be wearing younger siblings in a sling too. Honey shared a few of her favourite moves but mainly enjoyed playing with all the fabulous props provided by Emily-Rose throughout the session! She did come up for a cuddle in the sling halfway through but eagerly went back down when ribbons were on offer and 'Let it Go' started playing!

Honey wears... Busy bee pyjamas by Mothercare

The more that you read, the more things you will know...

We had a wander round the Cheltenham Literary Festival this morning. It was lovely to see town so busy despite the rain and even lovelier to see so many children enjoying The Hideaway. Honey shared some toys with The Cat in the Hat and was desperate for a cuddle with Spot (whose arms weren't really built for that sort of thing), she also happily lunched/people watched in the food court while Mummy and Daddy enjoyed a 'luxury' hot chocolate!

Honey wears... Double layered tutu by Marks and Spencer 

Just like Mummy...

After seeing photos of Honey wearing her doll in a scarf, Emily-Rose (of Sling Beat fame) knew she'd found the right baby to try out the latest SB merchandise! The Sling Beat branded mei tai carriers are made by a local Mum who has become a Sling Beat regular. The sewing is super neat, the fabrics are high quality and the embroidery has been done to an excellent standard. I found the straps quite long and had to wind them round Honey quite a few times but I guess that just means it will last and last as she grows up! As you can see, Honey started dancing as soon as she and her baby were secure and ensured she had regular stops for kisses and cuddles with her tiny partner. Honey put the carrier through some rigorous testing and I am pleased to say that it passed every test, even the little known 'climbing up a slide' sling safety test!

Honey wears... Dungarees by Adams