Our Adventures with a Recycled Tuff Tray

I love this Tuff Tray. Like, properly love. It saved my poor, abused carpet from more spills. It kept my crazy toddler's mess contained. Plus, it's made out of recycled plastic. SWOON.

We used it near-enough constantly. Indy is getting to the fiercely independent stage of wanting to feed himself. With the tray, no problem! Any spills were easily wipe-uppable, and no damage to my carpet.

Finger painting had always terrified me. We attempted it a couple of times on our dining room table, but things invariably got covered in the thick, staining goop. I was more than happy to strip Indy off and let him prod and poke the paint to his hearts content. I was able to just peeeeel it off the tray when it was dry. Obviously, after this activity, Indy himself was covered. I contemplated trying to take him upstairs and to stand perfectly still in the bathroom while I ran a bath, but realised that was silly talk. Find me a toddler who can stand still while covered in muck. (tip, you can't.) A flannel just wouldn't cut it, a baby wipe wouldn't cut it, visions of looping the hose into the house did flash across my mind (albeit very briefly) and then I had a flash of genius. Our old washing up bowl! It would fit into the tray, it would get him clean, he could play with the water and it would be fine! So, voila. A mini bath/water play.

Butter. Wouldn't. Melt.

I looked around for more ideas on what I could do with this magical tray. Then my mind flashed back to the kinetic play sand I had picked up at the pound shop. Indy had the HappyLands zoo set, and I thought it would be a great activity, to have the animals trampling in sand, mark making. I set up the blue and the stone coloured sand, and let him have at it. No sand got smooshed into my carpet, and it was so easy to put it all away afterwards!

In short, I really really recommend getting a tray. We used it in the garden when the grass was damp, we used it in the kitchen, we used it everywhere. It's perfect for when little hands get the colouring bug but can't quite stay on the pages. It's ideal for Play Doh and other slightly mucky activities. And snack times are super easy when you've got a lipped container for your child. Ha! The tray can be found here. Go get one!

Cloth Sanitary Pads and the Media!

Today I stumbled across a wonderful news article regarding CSP, and from a mainstream newspaper no less! The Telegraph published this article today, and I think it's fantastic. I use resuable menstrual products myself, and I have done since I had Indy. Once the CSP bug really 'bit' I started making my own, preferring to add as many absorbant layers as I felt comfortable with, tinkering with the length til I felt confident, altering the snaps til I felt my CSP didn't budge when I walked. I now use a ready-made pattern, as I finally found one commercially available that I loved. I now sell the CSP that I make, finding great pride in spreading the reusable joy. (In case you wanted to find where to buy them, my page is Silly Panda Nappy Co.

I agree with the article, I too find them to be far more comfortable than the great wodges of sweaty, crinkly plastic I used to stick to my knickers. Gone are the embarrassing rustles in the public toilets, the tell-tale clank of the sanitary pad bin. Hello to soft, dry, pretty periods, with sleek designs and reassuring sturdy poppers. I almost get the urge to show them off at every opportunity. Almost. Instead I spend hours in my sewing room, Indy playing nicely (hahaha) in his bedroom next to me, whipping up another batch of pretty pads, occasionally stopping to cackle or stroke them or just bask in all the lovely fanny fluff.

So whether you're a cloth veteran, or simply intrigued by the notion, I honestly urge you to buy a couple, maybe a few different lengths and absorbancies, and to just treat yo' self. Honestly, your vajayjay will thank you.

The Ultimate Guide to Green Parenting - Zion Lights. A review!

When I was offered the chance to read The Ultimate Guide to Green Parenting, I jumped at the chance. Green parenting is what I aim for, it keeps me grounded and sane, and makes me feel like I'm really making a difference, to both my son and the environment. This book lived up to my expectations and then some. It was lovely for me to finally read a parenting book that focuses on the bigger picture, not just sleeping patterns and eating, but on impact both emotionally and environmentally. To have a parenting book that considers the World, not just your house to me feels pretty rare. I felt accepted and inspired, and I'm sure it will have this affect on others.

The book has several chapters each with a different focus on various aspects of parenting. There are sections on the science behind green parenting, diet and nutrition, vaccines, and nappies, to name just a few. Each chapter is split up into easy to manage sections, all scientifically backed up, and links and references are at the end of each one. The end of each chapter also features a really handy summary of what was just written about, which is brilliant for refreshing your memory or if you're short on time.

The book is written simply, with a friendly reassuring tone. You're not made to feel uncomfortable if you're not doing everything suggested, unlike other parenting books that can make you feel like 'you're doing it wrong'. For me this is a real winner, nobody likes to be patronised or spoken down to especially during what can be considered as the most vulnerable time of your life.

I'd definitely recommend buying this book, for yourself and for any expectant friends. A clearly written, scientifically backed up, eco-friendly way of parenting condensed down into a wonderful book.

The Ultimate Guide to Green Parenting is available to buy on Amazon

Mini Masterminds

And we’re back! Sorry about the absence, life got in the way (it does that sometimes).

So, what’s happened since we’ve been gone? I swear Indy has grown like a foot taller, he is looking huge and so grown up. The tantrums are also getting impressive; we’re getting a lot of screaming into the floor and growls. He’s been upgraded to a bigger bedroom now as well. Partially because his toys were beginning to take over the living room, and partially because we felt it was time he had a proper space to call his own.

We’ve popped into our favourite bookshop a couple of times in the last few weeks, Books & Pontyclun. Most recently we picked up a DVD called ‘Mini Masterminds – Animals’, because at the moment Indy is obsessed with farm yards and the things that live there. We didn’t know what to expect from the DVD, but it was reasonably priced. Back home, we popped it on and we were pleasantly surprised. It features a backing track of Mozart pieces, made a bit more child friendly and lullaby-like, and a soothing montage of animal pictures and videos. Mozart is renowned for aiding concentration and encourages well-balanced behavioral patterns. We found it ideal to have on in the background whilst Indy was playing. It’s not at all obtrusive or distracting, so Indy isn’t gawping open mouthed at the screen.

It’s something nice and relaxing to have on the television, another bonus if it’s naptime. All in all I’d say it was a worthwhile purchase, and it’s one that Indy keeps picking up  and asking to watch.

I plan to take Indy to a real-life farm soon, we had planned to go in half term but the weather simply wasn’t on our side. Nothing beats experiencing the sounds and smells of a real farm yard!

Next blog post I’ll be reviewing a potty training book I received, how exciting!

An Awfully Long Break!

Thank you to my brother-in-law for this picture!

Sorry for radio silence, we went and got married.... :D it was such an incredible day, with everyone we wanted in attendance. It was filled with food and music and general loveliness, and was so relaxed and low-key. It was perfect.






So, what have we been up to since? Lots! Indy has had his first trip to the beach, it was a spontaneous trip which is always the best type of trip.

We're very lucky to have Barry Island a 20 minute drive away. I have lots of fond memories of playing on the beach as a child, and I'm so happy I can do the same with Indy. I was on the hunt for lovely big shells and pebbles to take home, but there weren't any. Indy wasn't phased though, and had a whale of a time collecting little pebbles, throwing them, then running after them to pick them up again.

Next time we go, we'll take a kite. Indy loves the rainbow kite in Sarah & Duck so I'd love to see his face if we were able to fly one.



As expected, Indy fell in love with the seaside. He picked up shells and pebbles, prodded seaweed, wrote in the sand, and splashed in the sea. He was devastated when we had to leave to get fish and chips. It's a hard life!

During our time off, we visited Caerphilly Castle. What a place! The views are spectacular, but be warned, the stairs are very narrow and can be slippy as a lot of it is open air. Luckily, Nanna came with us and kept an eye on Indy, so we were able to have a wander and take Indy to the more baby-safe areas. He met some ducks and geese and tried to get a bit too friendly with them!


 The information provided at Caerphilly Castle is done in a really lovely and accessible way. There's a video playing in one of the rooms, projected in the round with full surround sound, which really adds to the drama behind the history of the castle.


We would definitely recommend a visit to Caerphilly Castle. The prices are really reasonable, and the gift shop is normal gift shop prices.








What have you been up to? Let me know, I'd love to hear from you.

Rainbow Rice is Ever So Nice!

We made some rainbow rice! Doesn't it look pretty? This is a really easy, straight-forward activity that engages sight, touch, and sound, plus it only costs a few pennies. I'm going to give a step-by-step with pictures to show you how to make your own edible rainbow rice.

This is all I used, some vinegar from the cupboard, some gel food colouring also from the cupboard, and a pack of value rice. Some people use liquid food colouring, some people use gel, there isn't a massive difference although liquid will make a slightly stronger colour. Vinegar acts as a thinner for the gel, and also helps the colour stick to the uncooked rice. Brown rice also works, but the colour will be a little duller (but it's super handy to use up the brown rice that has been lurking at the back of the cupboard for ever.)

I poured a good quantity of rice into a sandwich bag, I didn't measure, just estimated roughly on how much rice I'd like. Then I added the entire tube of food colouring as I wanted a nice vibrant colour. Then a few drops of vinegar were added, and then the mixing began. I rolled the bag between my hands, jiggled it, bounced it, you name it, I got that baby mixed. I lined a tray with cling film and poured each bag out onto it in a thin layer, then I left them to dry for 24 hours, being sure to mix them about every now and then.

picture from http://www.faspaints.com/face-paint.html

Pretty! These colours weren't exactly what I had in mind, but I liked them just the same. I mixed a couple of the gels to get the lovely darker blue colour, something to bear in mind if you want to save some money on buying lots of different colours. Don't forget your colour mixing!

For ease of clean-up, I used the PVC mat that we got from Dunelm, and a cutlery tray from Ikea to keep the colours separate (for now!). I placed the tray inside our paddling pool, and let Indy have at it!

I placed a selection of child-sized utensils inside the pool (utensils from Ikea) and gave Indy minimal direction. I gave him a few ideas, such as scooping the rice with a pot, but let him explore the texture and the sounds himself. After he finished, I poured all the rice into a jar ready for next time. As the rice is still uncooked it lasts indefinitely, but I will replace it when it's past its best and has been played with several times. Instead of throwing the coloured rice away, I'll make a treasure bottle with it (a future blog post to come). If you try rainbow rice, be sure to show me a picture!

You would never guess it but...

I have a high needs toddler. Everyone who meets Indy comments on how happy, chatty, and smiley he is. When Indy is around other people he is happy to wander around, talk to people, play by himself, you name it. However, you be a fly on the wall when it's just me and the boy, and it's a completely different story.

Indy is my shadow. Indy clings onto me, onto my leg, onto my chest, onto my head. "Mama, mama, mama, please, mama, mama" is repeated, constantly. He still breastfeeds like a newborn, asking every  half hour, pulling on my top and smacking on my chest. I've started saying no, and we successfully night-weaned him using the Dr Jay Gordon method. I play with him, I reassure him, he gets lots of cuddles and kisses and 'I love yous' and is a very content little boy, he just seems to turn into a completely different child when it's just him and myself.

This is partly the reason why I started this blog. I wanted to show myself and others that I was interacting with him lots, and that we were playing together and his needs were being filled. In a way I feel guilty that he acts like this, Daddy has walked downstairs from work and seen how different Indy acts towards me and he has been shocked. I suffer from anxiety that leaves me fairly housebound, so going to baby and toddler groups has been difficult. I'm persuading myself to try a couple in the next few weeks, to partly relieve some of the pressure off me, and to let Indy be around other people. I know nobody there will believe me when I say I have a high needs toddler, watching my confident little boy strut around independently, making friends and playing, but I'm sure someone else there will know exactly what it's like.

A Catch-Up. Grab a cuppa.

It's been a while! Things have been pretty manic over here, the count down to the wedding is ON. (It's a week today for anyone interested...)

My technology post has been so far the most popular I've done, and I'm happy with that. It seems a lot of parents look for reassurance online, so if I've offered that then I'm proud. I hope to keep up the on-topic posts and give people a glimpse into the way we parent. If there's anything you'd like me to touch upon, feel free to let me know.

Indy and I recently visited a local commune with my friend Emily. Emily knows the gardener there so we were treated to a tour around where they live. It's a beautiful place, and a lovely community feel, but I don't think I'd be able to live in a commune. I love my creature comforts and I think they'd probably frown upon me bring my xbox. Indy was right at home, running around barefoot and playing all the instruments they had. I love the idea of everyone having their own role within the community, and living to help each other out. I think that's missing a lot within today's society, people look after themselves before one another. I'd love to stay somewhere like this for a week or so, and reset my body clock.



Back home, Indy decided he wanted to have a go at babywearing. We've done this before with a silk play scarf, but he was pretty determined to have a go with our Boba. Something tells me I'm going to have to have a go at making him his own (baby-safe) buckles!

Later today, in between my makeup trial and a package collection, we'll be playing with some rainbow rice. I'll have a step-by-step instruction post so you can join in with the multi-coloured fun too :)

Why We're Not Banning Technology

Technology. Toddlers with iPads and phones and gadgets and millions of things running on batteries. It's a touchy subject in a lot of gentle parenting groups, and a topic I try to stay away from. Why? Because we let Indy play with technology.

Let me explain why. We are a technological world. It is all around us. From electronic billboards, to televisions, to LeapPads, it is something you CANNOT avoid. Children are using tablets in school, teachers are writing on interactive whiteboards, museums are installing electronic tour guides. Some people try to avoid it as much as possible and stay with toys made out of natural materials and a plastic ban. Some people embrace the tech, and some people call this lazy. I can see both side of the arguments, completely and totally. We try to buy wooden toys where we can, we prefer the more tactile nature and the fact they're built to last. We encourage Indy to play outside and to experience things for real as opposed to via a screen. Indy can also unlock both mummy and daddy's phones, choose his favourite game, and complete a few levels.

Parents don't have to choose, parents can provide both. We are living in a technological age, and it is present in most working environments. I believe that using technology is now a life skill, and if you aren't proficient in Word and Excel when you apply for a job, you are at a disadvantage. Why not teach this skills when they're young, do it in a fun way, and give your child life skills? When Indy uses technology, we don't use it as a 'babysitter', we interact with him and use it as family time.

Some people will disagree with us, others will nod their heads and feel slightly less guilty (I hope.) I think children and technology shouldn't be a taboo anymore, and shouldn't be seen as lazy. I think it should be accepted, encouraged, and even enjoyed. We are a gaming family, and want to help other parents make the right choices when it comes to technology, hence our other project PixlBandits; a youtube and blog where we discuss retro games, and provide parents guides to popular games.

Cervixes, smears, and LLETZ, oh my!

I'm writing this post in bed, which is totally unlike me so I'll explain why. Today I had a LLETZ procedure, following two abnormal smears and an unsatisfactory biopsy. As I lived in England until I was pregnant, I wasn't offered a smear until after Indy was born. I was nervous about going for a smear but knew it was important, so I booked it and went. The smear itself isn't painful, it's mildly uncomfortable, but it's nothing to worry about.

The biopsy was done in hospital, it took 5 minutes and was more of a pinch than pain. Again, nothing to get worked up about and it heals quickly.

Today's LLETZ was a little different. I'm not going to lie, it is a little more painful and uncomfortable but is so so worth it. I did what I always do and made really awkward jokes all the way through (think things like #biopsy and surgery selfies and you'll see where my weirdo brain went).

Now I have to wait a few weeks for my results. I'm in bed as I'm in some discomfort, Indy has croup so he's super clingy and wants to climb all over me, so the decision was made to banish me upstairs so I can try to make myself comfortable. I'm expecting some blood loss over the next few weeks so my CSP is in action again. But yeah, go for a smear. I can't emphasise it enough.

Gelli-Baff

Yesterday, me and my mum (Indy's nanna) went out to do some lovely sunny bank holiday shopping, mostly for wedding things. We went to Dunelm to get some fabric for table cloths, and my mum spotted this awesome PVC!
http://www.dunelm-mill.com/shop/roadmap-pvc-fabric-453377

So naturally we bought a metre of it to use as a messy play mat. I had itchy fingers, so had to try it out this morning with the Gelli-Baff I've been hoarding since I found it in Pound World.

This is all you need to make this wonderfully gloopy stuff;  a nice big bowl, a litre of warm water, and the two packets in the box.

It tells you to add a little at a time as it all of a sudden thickens, and you have to keep stirring. It's a lot like jelly mix (hence Gelli...)

Luuuvly. Looks like a slush puppy. Then the fun begins!

Indy decided this wasn't enough goop and muck for one day, so wanted the Play Sand involved as well. Lots of 'wow' noises and squelching occured! He scooped and plopped and whisked.

All finished off with a great big cheesy grin, and a nap on the sofa :) A successful morning's play I think. Next time, I think I'll go for the green or the blue, and hide things in there like shells, toy animals, and foam letters.

Easter Weekend

So, I thought today was going to be a complete write-off. Indy's sleep was shockingly awful last night, he wakes up the second you attempt to extract yourself from his grasp, so one of us normally ends up sleeping in his bed all crumpled up with a cricked neck. He was waking pretty much every hour, and then had a lovely wakeful period of about 2 hours where all he wanted to do was bounce or have boob. Or bounce whilst on boob - never enjoyable.

I was pleasantly surprised when we all woke up for the day at almost 11, and then proceeded to have an accidentally productive day. You know the type, nothing in particular planned but all of a sudden you've fixed the drawer, mopped the bathroom, and hoovered the cat or something. Today I moved the furniture round in Indy's room, started tidying our laundry roo-- I mean bedroom, cooked a roast dinner, did some gardening, and finally got around to the packing paper nest.

We used a huge cardboard box, packing paper and bubble wrap, and hid little toy ducks (chicks as it's Easter) inside. I showed Indy where some were, and let him do the rest. Play lasted for 10-15 minutes and then turned into him running around shouting 'quack quack'. He liked looking through all the paper, scrunching it and rubbing it on his face. The noises were a combination of rustling paper and bubble wrap, both of which he enjoyed.

Gardening was great fun, spurred on by collecting a free compost bin!

Here it is, all up and running at the back of our garden. We decided to finally plant some vegetable seeds we'd bought from a pound shop last year, and included Indy as much as possible. He ran his fingers through the mud, felt and inspected the seeds, and even helped with watering and patting. Surprisingly, he didn't try eating any mud, I think he's possibly learnt from the last bajillion or so times he's tried it.

No, he's not wearing trousers. He decided against them for most of today. He also helped Daddy with weeding and tending to our very overgrown herb garden. This was an excellent sensory adventure, the feel of the earth and of the different types of plants, the smell of the herbs mingled in with damp soil, the taste of the herbs. I would definitely recommend having a herb garden to enjoy with your smalls, or a potted herb if you don't have access to a garden. There's so much to learn from gardening and cultivating your own food, it is a properly multi-sensory activity and is really enjoyable.

Daddy is sometimes a genius...

...don't tell him I said that. He's been off this week for my birthday, and he's come up with some properly good ideas for play. First up! Indy has been showing some real interest for percussion, only encouraged by us receiving a Rock Band drum kit off my brother. Whilst we're not quite at full drum set just yet for him, a shoe-box drum kit sates his drum lust for now.

Daddy stuck  some brown packing paper on a shoe-box (I think we have a packing paper problem. Say that quickly 3 times) and some scrunched up survival blanket. Both make really different sounds, and the box itself makes a lovely noise. Survival blankets are crazy versatile, as shown in my next picture-

I finally got round to making Indy a busy board! It's not got all the latches and catches of others I've seen, but the day was thoroughly miserable and I had the crafting itch, so I made do with things I found around the house. A cut up sponge, a door catch, some artificial grass, a jar lid, a bag clip, a hair bobble, a silk scarf, and some of the infamous survival blanket. I ordered my survival blanket off eBay for pennies, it's absolutely ginormous and has been used for loads of different activities. Peepo, in his little tent, on the ceiling, so many possibilities from something so cheap and easily obtained.

Tomorrow will be Easter-themed activities, chick hunting (little yellow toy ducks in a huge cardboard box with shredded brown packing paper as the 'nest') and an Easter garden with different types of artificial grass, toy bunnies and more.

A Lovely Birthday Weekend

It was my Birthday yesterday, I turned a grand old 26 years. On Saturday we did our usual Saturday thing of popping to the local farmers market, a cheeky stroll round some charity shops, and then popping into a cafe near us that offers people with various learning disabilities the opportunity to gain experience in the working environment. We like supporting local businesses as much as possible, so try to visit whenever we can afford it. My mum came with us as we were searching for things we can use for our impending wedding! She finally caved and had a go at babywearing, I think she loved it a bit.

On Sunday, we gave the hall we're getting married in a fresh lick of paint. Safe to say, I was thoroughly exhausted and looking forward to a nice quiet birthday.

Monday rolled around, and I had a deliciously quiet birthday. I was greeted with cards, and daffodils, and coffee (yesss), and a really cool Batman tshirt off my boys. I had a lovely long bath with a Terry Pratchett book, and that evening we went out for an Indian (Indy ate loads, as always)

Today we went into Cardiff to spend some birthday money! We popped to Lush as Indy suffers with eczema, so got him a couple of Ickle Baby Bots and a pot of Dream Cream, as they work wonders on his dry patches. We also got him some Burt's Bees shampoo, as his hair has been looking dry. I'd heard a rumour that Pound World had gelli baff and Play Sand in stock so on the off-chance we went in. We found some! I'm so excited to try the gelli baff with Indy. We couldn't resist opening the sand, as Daddy was itching to have a go.

All of this was topped off nicely with a bath. Indy was so knackered that a bit of boob and he was fast asleep by 7! Bless him. We're hopefully finally getting round to our Easter themed 'treasure hunt' with the packaging paper tomorrow, so I'll be sure to post!

The rest of this week!

Looking back this week, considering we haven't been out much we've still managed to cram loads in.

I made Indy a little book nook! (Complete with his DVDs) Indy is a proper little book-worm, he loves nothing more than snuggling up and 'reading'. He reads out loud to himself in his own little language, it's amazing how they pick up the tone of spoken word.

We also tried some colouring again, but this mostly involved Indy attempting to eat crayons (everything. Everything in his mouth.) so didn't last for very long.

We had a really lovely day today, we spent the morning together, and then met up with Indy's friend Sioned and her mum Jo for a coffee at a lovely coffee house around the corner from me. They obviously had missed each other and spent a while shouting 'hiyaa!' and giving each other slobbery kisses.

After biscuits had been eaten, we strolled over to the charity shop a few doors down. I am in love with this charity shop, it's run by the community for the community, so we try to support it every way we can (this normally involves us coming home with piles of books and DVDs and tablecloths and records etc). Today was a real winner, we found a wooden train, a Stephen King book (for me), and a toy shopping basket complete with contents, still in it's wrapping! I think Indy is still a little young to understand it though, as he kept handing me the cardboard boxes asking for food.

We also popped into possibly the best bookshop I've ever been in (but I may be biased). They'd posted on Facebook earlier saying they had a cardboard box and a load of brown packaging paper going free, so naturally I jumped on it and had ideas flooding through my head already. Whilst we were there we also picked up a Thomas the Tank Engine book, as Indy is choo-chooing constantly.

I think we'll have a play with the packaging paper this weekend, I have visions of making nests and Indy has to discover the eggs inside, or possibly using it as mud in a farmyard, I'll be sure to show you what we get up to with it!

The week so far

This week has been a fairly quiet week in our household. Both of Indy's friends have been poorly, so we've had none of the usual playdates. Instead I've been inspired to try and find some fun new ways to engage with him at home, and to prevent the usual cabin fever!

I had a quick rummage in the cupboards, and found some lovely thick zip-lock bags we'd picked up at the farmers market. Inspired by other posts I've seen, I filled one bag with fingerpaint, and stuck it to our glass dining table with sellotape. Indy loved it, and it was nice and easy, mess-free fun (hurrah!).

He loved it so much, I wanted it to continue, so I found another zip-lock bag and filled it with glitter and water, and taped them to a tray so he could play with them in the living room. He was captivated! He loved squidging the two bags at the same time, feeling the contrast between them, and seeing the colours mix. This is a definite one to repeat, he loved it so much he tried biting them both several times (do they ever get over the 'putting everything in their mouth' stage?).

I wanted to keep up the DIY sensory play, so the next day we had some fun with posting pasta. As I previously mentioned, Indy still puts absolutely everything in his mouth, so pasta is the perfect play item. I had an old coffee tub (definitely not a caffeine addict...) and carefully cut holes in the lid. I snapped a handful of spaghetti in half, and demonstrated to Indy how they slotted into the holes.This activity is great for hand-eye coordination, and the spaghetti made a really satisfying noise when it was dropped in. Again, this activity kept Indy focused for so long I was amazed. I'd never seen something grasp his attention for quite so long. Please excuse my unhoovered carpet, Indy chases me when I hoover and attempts to sit on it, so it's a task I manage only a couple of times a week. Landlords really love putting beige carpets into houses, eh?