Play and play all day...

I have quite a list of must haves when choosing clothes for Honey. Is it pretty? Is it practical? Is it quirky? So when the lovely Chantel, owner of Evie Bee's (a new, Cheltenham based children's boutique) got in touch to see if we'd like to test and review this gorgeous outfit, we jumped at the chance! First test, how easy is it to put on? The answer is very! Honey could pull the suit on by herself and just needed me to do the ties at the top. Second test, does it cope with a wide (and random) range of situations? Why yes it does! In the space of 10 minutes, Honey had crawled, danced, climbed, eaten a snack and done the washing up and that was just the start! Mummy test, how does it wash? I washed it in with a normal white wash at 30 degrees and the thin, summery fabric dried quickly. Unfortunately for me, the jumpsuit almost certainly needs to be ironed after washing and drying which is something I'm not a fan of doing (not a fan of doing = NEVER do) but a fact that I'm sure won't bother most people! The outfit packs down to almost nothing, which was handy for our recent weekend away as I pretty much wanted to take her whole wardrobe and our case wasn't very big! If you like the look of the playsuit or fancy browsing more gorgeous clothes for babies and toddlers, head over to the Evie Bee's Facebook page or follow @Eviebees2015 on Twitter or @eviebeesboutique on Instagram. It's possible to collect your items if you live locally or have them delivered within a certain area or if you're further afield, postage options are available.

Honey wears... Jumpsuit by Evie Bee's

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

Just keep swimming...

When Honey was little, we took her swimming every week but since then colds, classes and a multitude of other things have taken over our time and her swimming career has been sporadic! Since we came back from our camping holiday in Woolacombe (where we took her swimming every day), I've been determined to get her back into the water regularly, so this morning off we went. After 17 years working in the leisure industry and swimming for free, I must admit that I did feel a bit gutted to be handing over my money for an activity that may only last 10 minutes but I've always said I wanted my children to be as happy in the water as me, so needs must! Anyway, I needn't have worried as, after an initial wobble, Honey absolutely loved her first Leisure @ experience! We went to the parent and toddler session so the teaching pool was full of floats, woggles and watering cans and there was an air of excitement filling the pool hall as the little ones splashed, jumped and kicked. Honey made lots of new friends as she loudly told anyone who looked our way 'I swimming' and I swear she enjoyed having a shower 'in the rain' afterwards as much as being in the pool. The Changing Village is set up for families so there are large cubicles with baby changing stations inside, as well as spacious showers with hooks to keep towels off the floor. On the way home, Honey said to me 'fank you luffy time swimming pool' which I think means that she wouldn't be against going again very soon! 

Honey wears... Wetsuit by Jojo Maman Bebe

Milk...

We were recently chosen to product test a new brand of toddler milk. We arrived home one morning to find that the milkman (who?) had left 4 pints of Arla Big Milk on the doorstep. Never ones to hang around, we got to work straight away. The milk was a big hit with Honey and did the job poured over Mummy and Daddy's cereal too. Arla have worked with over 1000 mums, nutritionists and child development experts to create a yummy alternative to whole milk and with it's funky labels and added vitamins I'm sure it will fly off the shelves.*

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

Honey wears... Peppa Pig jumper by Boots

Bath time...

Honey is very excited to have been chosen as a Child's Farm Brand Ambassador. The job is a tough one, it involves having lots of baths and trying out an array of yummy products then sharing free samples with our friends and family... Did I say tough? I meant awesome! We can't wait for our pack to arrive and we'll let you know when we have samples to share!

Honey wears... Denim jacket by Next

Toys to Grow...

I can't wait for Honey's birthday on Monday, I... I mean she, gets to play with her brand new Lottie doll! I have very quickly developed a slight obsession with these after Honey discovered them at the Toys to Grow play area in The Regent Arcade today. Developed by a Mum who wanted dolls her little girls could relate to, Lottie can do anything she sets her mind to. I chose the 'Muddy Puddle' version and also bought two accessory packs one of which includes a scooter, ramp and crash helmet - Awesome! Fossil Hunter and Festival Lottie would be my next choices but i'll see how Honey receives her new toy before going loopy over Lottie! 

Honey wears... Striped tights by Mini Club @ Boots

Carry on camping...

Woolacombe has been a favourite place of mine for a few years now, not least because that's where we got engaged in 2011. This bank holiday, Honey experienced her first stay at our favourite camp site, Easewell Farm. We started each morning with a swim, we'd all but stopped taking her at home as our usual pool turned the temperature down and she was gettin really chilly, but she began to regain a little bit of water confidence while we were away. Honey also had her first go at Ten Pin Bowling which she thought was amazing, especially pushing the ball down the ramp. I was slightly disappointed that her feet were too small for bowling shoes (imagine the cuteness)! 

Having Honey along also forced us to make the most of our Woolacombe Bay wristbands and I finally got to explore the other sites within the group. I was really impressed with the  range of activities on offer across the parks and was even more delighted with how many of them were included in the price of the holiday (pools, soft play, adventure playgrounds, evening entertainment and one of the cinemas). Honey loved the outdoor life and was allowed to stay up late which helped her to sleep until a reasonable time in the morning, despite the light pouring into her 'cave' (as she took to calling her bedroom pod within the tent)!

Honey wears... Jacket by Buffalo