The Lurgy.

You know Christmas is around the corner when everyone starts coming down with the dreaded lurgy.

It's sod's law.

Twitter has been awash with parents pleading with their poorly offspring, desperate for even an hours unbroken sleep.

And Saturday, it was our turn to don the matchsticks and attempt an allnighter with only the remaints of Freddie's breakfast, lunch and dinner to keep us company! Yak!

When I checked on him before going to bed, his bedroom stank! The poor little Mister had vomited everywhere. I soon realised that I was the most unorganised mother in the world and only had one set of bedding! Nightmare! 

We spent the whole night, every single minute, awake watching Mr Tumble re-runs on YouTube. He was literally haunting me every time I attempted to close my eyes! Things turned even worse when Fred was sick all over my bed so we were well and truly buggered! I definitely need to invest in some spare bedding!

On a brighter note, Freddie is much better and it seemed to be a short lived thing, luckily! Fingers crossed we've got it out of the way before the festivities start properly!

If you're feeling under the weather, get well soon! 

Our Visit to see Father Christmas.

This week we took Freddie to meet Father Christmas. 

This was the first time he'd been as he was only a baby last year so it was particularly exciting!

The grotto was at our local farm shop and it was amazing. They had goats dressed up as reindeer which Freddie thought was hilarious,  a winter wonderland, Santa's sweet shop which doubled as the waiting room and then Santa's grotto itself. 

It's one of my most favourite places to go as whatever the occasion, they always make a massive spectical.

Nana came with us and we had the most wonderful time.

Initially Freddie was a bit reserved and was clung to my side which isn't like him at all! He's normally very curious and confident around new people but seeing a man dressed in a red suit with a gigantic beard shocked him somewhat, unsurprisingly! 

He soon warmed to him, especially once he'd realised the fact that he got a free toy! We chose a beautiful teddy bear which will be a lovely momentum. We asked Father Christmas for lots of Buzz Lightyear toys (and Mummy may have asked for a new Mulberry handbag! Hopefully Daddy will have been paying attention!) 

I love Christmas. It is my most favourite time of year, even more so now I have to make it magical for Freddie!

Have you been to visit Father Christmas yet?

What's on your wish list? 

Footprint Reindeer Cards

To continue with our Christmas Crafting theme, we made reindeer Christmas cards. They were super simple to make with minimal fuss but still a lovely keepsake momento to look back at next year to see how Freddie's feet have grown! 

They were so simple to make and I'm sure you don't need instructions. Rudolph's face is a footprint then a simple nose, eyes & the addition of antlers make it a lovely card to send to all your friends & relatives! 

Christmas Salt Dough Decorations

As a sentimental old sod, I decided last year that it would be our family tradition to purchase a bauble or Christmas decoration type thing which we'd hang on our tree up until Freddie was old enough to fly the nest. When the time eventually came, he would take said decorations with him and live in domestic bliss with an equally lovely female (who obviously mother has approved of) and together they wil carry on the tradition with the little Freddie Jr's of their own. Or so that is the plan. 

This year however I decided that we'd make our own for an extra oomph of sentimentality and also to earn some serious parenting brownie points to counteract the fact that we had both been in our pyjamas all day. 

As much as it pains me to admit, I aren't particularly 'arty farty' but these decorations were incredibly easy to make with minimal fuss or mess! 

Here is how we made our Homemade Salt Dough Christmas decorations.

Mix: 1 cup of flour

1/2 cup of salt

1/2 cup of water

And here is Freddie having a wonderful time, being an ever so compliant 15 month old decorating his salt dough with precision to rival Van Gough.

And as any mother of a 15 month old will know, this picture is a complete set up and within precisely 17 seconds he'd eaten the paint brush and smeared paint on all 4 corners of the living room! 

Winter Warmers: Carrot & Coriander Soup

Seen as though it's becoming ever so chilly, I've been spending lots of time in the kitchen making proper homemade Winter foods. You know the sorts that warm your tummy up on the inside? When we were young, I remember eating the same foods on a weekly rotation during winter as my Mum firmly believed that salads were practically outlawed in the winter! 

So here's this weeks 'Winter Warmer'.

Carrot & Coriander Soup

● 5 carrots

● 2 small onions

● 1 potato

● 1 veg stock cube

● handful of coriander

● salt & pepper

It's literally peel, dice & bung it all in with water to cover. I used my slow cooker for convenience to soften veg and then it's simply whizz with a hand blender. Simple! 

I leave the seasoning till afterwards as I like to freeze portions for Freddie but with a good sprinkle of salt & pepper and a handful of coriander to serve, it is delicious.

It's also FREE to anyone who follows the Slimming World plan. 

Nigella, eat your heart out! 

Our Review: Mamas & Papas Armadillo

My name is Jessica and I'm a pramaholic.

There I've said it. If there were such a thing, I'd be a fully pledged member of Pramaholics Anonymous. 

Fred is only just 15 months and he's already had 5 prams. That's near enough as many cars than Mr C has had in 17 years of driving. I just cannot seem to find a set of wheels that we can settle with, until now.

Meet the Mamas & Papas Armadillo...

Isn't she a beauty right? 

Rather than bore you with all the jargon, you can find all the important techy type info HERE!

Here's how we've got on with it; 

Normally retailing for £199.99, we made a wonderful saving on the Armadillo by buying an ex-display model from M&P in Leeds. Although more expensive than some of your typical strollers, this isn't a typical stroller however and well worth the money.

Our first set of wheels were an expensive travel system that paid three times as much as the Armadillo for and I can honestly say, this is much better.

From the extra large shopping basket and the XL hood and the easy multi position recline system, it isn't a normal buggy. I found that Fred was already outgrowing his previous buggy at only 14 months old whereas the Armadillo has a wriggle room seat that is designed to last till approx 3-4 years with lots of room to stretch, making it perfect for larger toddlers who aren't able to walk for very long.

I particularly like the full recline combined with the XL hood which makes it like a cosy cocoon in there. I'm honestly jealous when I see Freddie in there having a nap! We bought the M&P universal footmuff also which makes the whole thing extra snuggly! The peek a boo window means you can keep a close eye on them whilst they are all snuggly without having to disturb them.

I always presumed that we couldn't have it all. Our previous pushchair didn't recline but folded down really small meaning that it was wonderful for space saving in the car but not so good for comfort. The Armadillo folds down in one piece and opens in seconds using just one hand, perfect when you've got bags of shopping or a baby on your arm! 

If I'm honest, I really cannot think of any faults with this pushchair. It is more expensive than some of it's rivals but it hands down beats the 5 other prams we've had any day. It is also compatible with a car seat (with adaptors priced at £29.95) so for £230 you can have a complete travel system which will last from birth to 3-4 years. In terms of competitors prices, this is significantly cheaper than other big brand names.

Initially I wasn't over keen on the lemon drop colour however it's now definitely grown on me and we have got so many compliments and admiring glances. The Armadillo is also available in Coral Pink, Stripe, Blue Fizz & Black Liquorice so there is something to suit everyone. 

Fred likes his that much that he wants to sit in it inside as well as out! 

We award the Mamas & Papas Armadillo:

***** 

5 stars!

*Although this is a review piece, we bought the Armadillo with our own money. We have received no financial reward and all views expressed are my own*

I have linked up with the #TriedTested link over at We're Going on an Adventure!

Keep Calm, it's Christmas

Christmas is meant to be a time of joy & festive cheer although when you add a toddler, a large family, present buying, finances etc into the mix it can be stressful enough to drive anyone to the sherry bottle. 

Here are my tips for how I'm keeping calm at Christmas! 

.1. Buy little & often

Fred's birthday is at the start of September so I'd finished his birthday shopping in August so I started Christmas shopping then. That's meant I've had quite a few months to buy bits rather than having to go out and spend a mass amount of money at once.

.2. Be cruel to be kind

Between us, we have 6 neices & nephews whom we normally spend around £20/£25 on at Christmas time. It soon adds up. To keep costs down we say that we will buy for the children and not the parents, our brothers do the same for us so everyone's happy and we're not going over budget.

.3. Sell before buying more

I've had a big clear out of all the toys that Freddie doesn't use and sold them on eBay and local selling sites. I then used the money to buy new. It makes sense as there is only ao many toys that we can house or Fred can play with.

.4. Look online & take advantage of deals

I've bought lots of gifts from eBay or Amazon. I also joined bargain pages on Facebook where people tell of deals that they've seen online. I got Fred a garage that was originally £45 for a mere £15!

. 5. Recycle, recycle,  recycle! 

We all have gifts that we've been given that we still have in a box in a cupboard somewhere. I have a present box that I store bits and pieces and I have no shame in regiving if necessary! Just be careful giving something back that they've given! Eek!

.6. Home made

I wish I could say I make lots of gifts from scratch and give homemade jam and the sorts but truth be told, I don't! I'm useless but if you have the time and inclination to do so, make gifts. They save you money and they are super sentimental. There are lots of ideas to be found on blogs or sites such as Pinterest.

How do you stay calm at Christmas? 

What saves you stress, or money?