Yesterday we spent the day sailing to France (and back again) for a little trip to see how the In-Laws holiday home renovations are coming along.

Little I was a bit baffled by being woken up at 4am but Little E thought it was a great adventure and kept asking if we were in France yet - even before we arrived at the ferry port! My favourite moment was watching them sea gazing...

Now I'm even more excited about our slightly less mini adventure to Spain next month!

Linking up to #bwphotoproject at podcastdove.com #mysundayphoto at onedad3girls.com #magicmoments at theoliversmadhouse.co.uk and #mycapturedmoment at runninginlavender.co.uk

We have recently discovered eggs, I know late to the party!

Back in January we switched to a high protein diet. I was searching for alternatives to the starchy high carb potato, rice and pasta we ate in copious amounts and eggs kept cropping up. I wasn't an egg fan, I considered them an ingredient in my baking or a binder in recipes like homemade burgers and of course a vital element in a Sunday morning fry up. The idea of them forming the basis of a meal was an alien concept. But a cooked egg is a complex bundle of amino acids and vitamins delivering 6g of protein - 0-15% of your daily protein requirement! In just 1 egg! That's powerful.

I was scared to touch eggs full stop when pregnant due to the small but very highly publicised risk of salmonella. I can remember baking cakes with no idea if I'd put enough vanilla in because I was too concerned about tasting the raw mixture! I wish I had known that British Lion Eggs have virtually eliminated salmonella in eggs by vaccinating the hens! How clever is that! Look out for the little lion on your eggs (90% of British eggs carry the food safety mark) as they are safe to eat during pregnancy. Find out more here: Eggs and pregnancy 

But how times have changed in our household! We now eat at least a dozen a week between us if not more and the children love them, especially Little I who we call the Egg Monster; She virtually inhales them! Scrambled or poached are their favourite for breakfast and Little E loves a heart shaped omelette (except of course when she meant a pancake). I personally like Spanish tortilla but I make it using sweet potatoes as they aren't as carb heavy - delicious!

Adding eggs into my diet has definitely helped my recent weight loss down. The filling effect of eggs for breakfast versus my old breakfast cereal is quite staggering. Gone are the 10am munchies and sometimes I don't even feel hungry at lunchtime.

So don't be afraid of eggs! They get a huge thumbs up from this household! Look out for the lion mark so you know they are safe and embrace their versatility whilst giving your family a protein boost.

Linking up to #bigfatlinky at thedadnetwork.co.uk #sundaystars with mami2five.com #sharewithme at letstalkmommy.com #brilliantblogposts honestmum.com

The clever people over at Bathrooms.com have been conducting interviews to recruit a fluffy duckling to be their Official Bath Tester! How cute!

Over the last two weeks the online retailer has been overwhelmed at the volume and quality of candidates for the position, with over 50 hopefuls from across the UK, of varying ages and breeds, applying for the role.

After shortlisting the top eight feathered candidates, Bathrooms.com invited the ducklings (and their owners) to their head office for a face to bill interview. The interview day included swimming trials, ‘splashability’ challenges and tests to examine the comfort of baths.  Ducklings were rated on their enthusiasm, inquisitiveness and waddling in and around the baths. 

Bathrooms.com will announce who they’re offering the Official Bath Tester position to, the week commencing the 25th May online at bathrooms.com

To celebrate the announcement, Bathrooms.com are giving away an iDuck wireless floating bath speaker! To enter simply tweet @bathroomsdotcom and @mummy_blog telling us which song is your favourite to sing in the shower/bath or use the Rafflecopter form below! (Remember to include which song is your shower favourite in your tweet!)

It seems we have a new, uncommissoned mural on the landing. The graffiti artist is undecided if it is a snake or snail. Looking on the upside at least it isn't a scribble...

Linking up to #wickedwednesday with brummymummyof2.co.uk and #minicreations at kidglloves.com

Plant hardy perennials

For years I have planted each season only to have empty pots and borders the following spring. I cottoned on last year to the power of perennial plants which die off each Winter but grow back in the Spring. Not only has this saved me a lot of shopping and planting time but it has also been easy on the wallet. Try to buy hardy plants which will cope with cold Winters and remember where you planted everything!

Distract the eye

We have a pretty basic lawn front garden with a border under the front window. Having to deal with two gardens is twice the effort so I have only planted some low maintenance evergreen shrubs in the front border but tricked people into thinking it is a stunning front garden by placing a very colourful plant right by our front door. Everyone comments on it as they walk in and it is super easy to look after. Bingo. If you struggle combining colours in your garden try using a colour wheel to help you match complimentary and contrasting tones.

Protect your garden furniture

We learnt this lesson the hard way with our first ever set of garden furniture. Husband left it outside, uncovered one Winter and by the Spring it looked 50yrs old. No-one dared sit on a chair. So if you have the room bring your garden furniture inside for the Winter or at the very least invest in a good furniture cover which will protect it when outside. Then when Spring comes you can just take the cover off and you are ready to relax. Tesco have a great guide to looking after your garden furniture explaining how to treat different kinds of wood, metal and rattan furniture.

Go potty for pots!

I love pots because they are so much easier to look after than borders. An empty, boring corner can be transformed with a mixture of shrubs and flowering pots. They also hide a multitude of sins. Ugly drain cover? Pop a pot on it. Hole in the fence? Stick a pot in front of it. You can go for one design if you like uniformity or mix up lots of different styles and sizes like I do for a more eclectic effect.

Fairy lights aren't just for Christmas!

How many times have you had to move the party indoors because it gets too dark outside?! A few fairy lights and lanterns are a really quick fix that can turn your garden into a magical night time setting. We have solar fairy lights which require no maintenance and can give your garden a welcoming glow all year round. We have them front and back but we do avoid the twinkling settings outside of Christmas! If you fancy trying some more adventurous lighting designs you should consider some of these garden lighting effects.

This is a collaborative post

Linking up to #HDYGG over at mammasaurus.co.uk #brilliantblogposts at honestmum.com and #pocolo at vevivos.com

Since Christmas I have been slacking with cooking meals from scratch for the kids - the freezer has been rammed with our baking exploits but the savoury batch cooking has been lacking.

I have a bit more time on my hands now I am not working so have decided to start weekly meal planning. I've already conquered the world of online grocery shopping so this should make me even more efficient! At least that is the plan...

I will also be sharing some of my batch baking recipes from the previous week if you fancy having a go and filling your freezer - look out for my Rainbow Chilli recipe later on this week!

Monday - Pesto quinoa & bulgar wheat with chicken sausages and broccoli

Tuesday - Fish pie with sweet potato topping (batch bake for freezer)

Wednesday - I'm out so a quick cottage pie from the freezer for Husband and kids

Thursday - Homemade burgers (make double and freeze) with salad and pitta breads

Friday - Pork with apple and sweet potato cakes and mixed veg

Saturday - France for the day

Sunday - Chicken roast (freeze kids size portions)

Linking up to #mealplanningmonday with athomewithmrsm.com and #allaboutyou with mama-andmore.com

Little I has started to develop patchy ezcema recently. We aren't surprised as the same thing happened to her Big Sister at around this age. It seems to flare up in her creases - so the back of her neck, backs of her knees and at her elbow joint. It isn't severe but bad enough for us to want to do something to stop any irritation she is experiencing. 

Oilatum got in touch to see if we'd like to try out their Daily Junior Lotion. We were sent their new range a few months ago (read more about that here) and we have been loving the bath products but the lotion had disappeared very quickly when Little E got her hands on it and applied 3/4 of it to her body in one go! They very kindly sent through a second bottle plus some lovely treats to make bath time extra special. 

You can see in the picture below the patch of eczema on Little I's neck. It is being aggravated where the collar on her clothes rub. I have been focusing on rubbing in the lotion after her bath to help protect the area when she sweats in the night. The lotion is quite thin making it easy to apply without getting cream on her clothes.

Oliatum have put together some really useful comfort skin tips to help you manage your baby's dry skin conditions. 

TIP #1
Not too hot!
When it comes to bath time, try to make sure the bath water is just warm, not too hot. Hot water can aggravate your child’s delicate skin.

TIP #2
Not too long!
Try to keep your little one’s bath time to 5-10 minutes as too much time spent playing in the bath can cause excess drying out of the skin!

TIP #3
Take care with bubbles!
Avoid soap, try to use bubble bath that is designed especially for your baby’s dry skin – some detergents can irritate the skin.

TIP #4
Pat don’t rub!
Wrap your child in a soft, fluffy towel - be careful to pat the skin dry rather than rubbing as this can affect dry, delicate skin.

TIP #5
Lock in moisture
Moisturising cream can be especially effective when your child’s skin is damp, so apply it as soon as you’ve patted them dry to lock all that moisture in.

TIP #6
Make it fun!
Make moisturising fun with a game. Little ones can keep their arms out straight and stand still like a scarecrow while you apply moisturising cream - no matter how much it tickles!

TIP #7
Don’t miss a bit!
As you apply the moisturiser, remember that your little one’s hair might be hiding dry skin, so check for any dry patches that might have been overlooked.

TIP #8
Cool kids
Try and keep the temperature of your little one’s bedroom cool – if it’s too warm, this could affect their delicate, dry skin.

TIP #9
Spotless!
Wash clothes and bedding with non-biological products that are kind to dry, sensitive skin and rinse clothes twice to be extra sure that all traces of soap residue have disappeared.

TIP #10
Dress to impress
Where you can, dress your child in loose fitting clothing made of natural fabrics such as cotton - try and only use cotton bed sheets, as these are cooling and comfortable for dry skin.

What is your favourite tip? Mine is Tip 9 because I've always washed with non-bio products due to having sensitive skin myself - it really makes a difference! You can share your favourite comfort skin tips or one of your own unique skincare tips on Twitter using #OilatumComfortSkinTips.

Find out more by visiting the Oilatum website

I was sent Oilatum products for the purpose of review but all opinions are my own.

Linking up to #triedtested at myfamilyfever.co.uk #MMWBH at superbusymum.net #binkylinky at twinmummyanddaddy.com and #sundaystars at stoppingattwo.co.uk

Looking for a toy which will provide hours of fun but also help your child's cognitive development? Then you should be looking at Swedish company Brio who make some fantastic wooden toys and this Surprise Pounder is no exception. The classic design from 1957 had been given a fresh new look for the children of today.

Features of the Surprise Pounder:

• Beautifully designed in Sweden by Brio
• Manufactured to a very high standard using wood and rubber
• Painted in bright, child-safe paints
• Your child will enjoy many hours of fun whacking the pegs down only to see another one pop up randomly – surprise!
• Great for teaching kids cause and effect and developing hand-eye coordination
• Presented in a Brio window-fronted box
• Approx. dimensions of bench 15cm x 8cm x 7cm
• Suitable from 2 years +
• Worth £24.99!

You and your child will not be disappointed with this traditional toy which has really stood the test of time. You can buy this and other fantastic Brio toys online at BornGifted.co.uk


To enter simply complete the Rafflecopter form below! Good luck!

So I folded that clean washing 2 minutes ago...

Linking up to #wickedwednesday with brummymummyof2.co.uk and #sharewithme at letstalkmommy.com

A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini

This book was our book club read. I was not impressed. Being set in war torn Afganistan I knew it was going to be depressing and as a general rule I tend to read books which catapult me away from reality. In short, I did not want to read this book.

I was right it was depressing, more so shocking, and at times I had to put it down. But it was beautiful, incredibly moving and I loved it.

The story follows the lives of two Afghan women; Mariam and Laila.

Mariam is only 15 when she is sent to Kabul to marry Rasheed 20 years her senior. At first Rasheed is kind but a series of personal tragedies reveal Rasheed's brutal personality.

Laila lives down the street. A young girl growing up in the shadow of her absent brothers who are away fighting with the Taliban. But the love of her modern thinking Father and her best friend Tariq are a shining light in the dusty city.

As Kabul is devastated by mortar attacks an aging Mariam and young Laila are thrown together to live in an impossible situation under unimaginable conditions.

I cannot recommend this book highly enough. The themes in the book are tough there's no getting away from it and I was surprised and shocked by the extent of the oppression of Afgan women under Sharia law. At times I simply couldn't believe what I was reading. But the writing is stunning. The character are so finely crafted you can almost feel them standing beside you. Despite the atrocities depicted you simply cannot stop reading, desperately hoping it will somehow work out ok in the end.

Be warned, this is a book which will have you reaching for the tissues but it is worth it.

Linking up to #read with me at mamamummymum.co.uk #triedtested at myfamilyfever.co.uk #allaboutyou at mama-andmore.com and #weekendbook club at trainingmummy.com