Win With Kids Book Club

Guess what? We are giving away another one month subscription to Kids Book Club- delivered to your doorstep!

If you have been living under a rock and don't know about Kids Book Club, then read more about our experiences with them here and here.

As a family of bibliophiles, we all get excited when our monthly delivery arrives. We just got our latest monthly delivery yesterday and I am thrilled with the books they have chosen for us this month. 

Noodle starts school in January so the books about the first day of school and about making new friends are incredibly apt. 

These books also follow on from a clock book that we received in October featuring the same characters. There is a hard mini book about playing in the snow (Squish has taken this one) and and a book with lots of Christmas craft activities (there are some cute ideas and most of them can be adapted to the rest of the year so they are less seasonal). Craft ideas will definitely come in handy while the little ones are at home for over a month and of course Noodle likes all the shiny stickers in the middle! 

We also get a bunch of magazines each month. While these are meant to be for mom, Squish has taken a liking to these and 'reads' the magazines to me. I love paging through them while he tells me stories about what is happening in the pictures (his stories are a bit bizarre sometimes but always cute and entertaining).

So I am sure you are dying to win a Kids Book Club subscription. To enter, just follow the Rafflecopter steps below. Note- only step one is needed to enter but the other steps earn you bonus entries.

This competition is only open to individuals who reside within South Africa. The prize is sponsored by Kids Book Club, who will be solely responsible for delivery of the prize to the winner. The winner will be selected randomly using online digital software. The competition closes on 18 December 2015. Good luck to all who enter!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

2015- The Year That Ran Away

It is hard to believe that it is already mid December- it feels like each year just goes faster and this year just vanished in no time!

Despite the pace, so much has happened in these twelve months. The year began with us celebrating the first birthday of my chubby BABY boy, who was just taking his first tentative steps and talking baby language. Now, I have a long and lean, fully-fledged TODDLER, who goes to school three days a week, talks in full sentences, knows big words and zooms past me on his plastic scooter. For numerous reasons, we have decided that December is time for weaning off the breast (for real this time, we have tried before but this really is the end of the booby road), so that is the next big step for him. Also, it is time for potty training soon- although he already makes his number two's in the toilet (sometimes anyway) I have not yet been brave enough to leave him without a nappy. I am having an internal debate about whether or not it is time to give it a go.

If I compare pictures of my little girl at the beginning of the year, it is obvious that she has grown a lot physically- she is miles taller! Now five, she has figured out how to write a few words, draw complex pictures, roller-skate and ride her bicycle without trainer wheels (sort of- she is still a bit wobbly and hasn't mastered turning without falling but she is getting there). Of course, she has also matured emotionally and has grown to be very philosophical- always pondering the meaning of life and asking complex existential questions. She has just graduated from nursery school and we have just had a week filled with awards ceremonies and medal collections for various extra-murals. She is now about to take the big transition to grade R at primary school. I think we are both excited but a little bit apprehensive and it is odd to think of my little baby in school uniform soon.Exciting times ahead!

February 2015 was the month that I started this blog, on a whim. My initial plan was to start a fancy expert blog in my area of professional expertise (which turned out to be a bore, even to me). Of cause, I have a very non-technical background and knew nothing about blogging, web design, SEO or social media management at the time (in fact I am still a learner driver when it comes to most of this), so I decided I would first do this one to dip my feet into the water with a 'starter' mommy blog and just write about whatever came to mind to see if I am cut out for this blogging thing. Since then, I have gotten quite attached to this blog so it is not going away any time soon. I also met lots of wonderful online friends via this blog, a few of whom I have met in person and many that I have not. 

Work wise, the second half of the year found me spending a large portion of my time committed to a part-time contract which is in my field of expertise but in an area that I would not have imagined myself entering- but found myself enjoying. 

This year was all about finding a balance between work and play- and I loved the fact that I managed to spend lots of quality time with my family and that we managed to do new things and  learn new things together. We found time for life, travel and play.

What were the highlights of your 2015? Please do share. 

Interview With A Noodle

Noodle turns five this week- where has the time gone? I swear it was just yesterday that we were bringing an infant home from the hospital!

I have decided to interview her about some of the important stuff in her life. I did this last year just before her fourth birthday too, but in a notebook that I have misplaced (kicking self in head). I will start the tradition afresh this year and plan to do this on an annual basis to see just how much she has grown and evolved. 

What makes you happy?

Flowers, hearts, standing in the rain, when a kitty comes to me, ice-creams, sweets, when someone does something nice, my baby brother, painting.

What makes you sad?

Thunder and lightning

What do you be when you grow up?

(‘Doctor’, screams baby brother. ‘No, a butterfly!’)

Noodle: I want to be an ambulance driver (note: the answer to this one changes on an almost daily basis, ranging from doctor, teacher, lawyer, policeman or cashier).

What is your favourite colour?

White... and my second favourite colour is really, really dark pink.

What is your favourite programme?

Agent Oh So (weird, I have never seen her watching that one), Doc McStuffins, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Sophia the First and Jake and the Neverland Pirates.

What is your favourite food?

Boiled eggs. (True story, Noodle is really passionate about her hard boiled eggs- a pity since I hate making them).

Now ask me what is my favourite animal!

What is your favourite animal?

A chicken! Because it lays the eggs! (Oh, but of course.)

What food do you really not like?

Mushrooms .... ewwwww! 

What does it mean to be a good person?

I don’t know. Good people always hug us and are nice to others. 

What was your favourite holiday ever?

When we went to the desert!

What is your favourite toy?

My robot and my helicopter! 

What is your favourite season?

Winter, because I like to be cold.  

What is your favourite sport?

Cricket.  

If you could be president of South Africa for a day, what would you do?

I can't tell you, it's a secret! (What was I thinking trying to infiltrate state secrets.)

What is your favourite book?

Alice in Wonderland 

Have you tried interviewing your little one? What were some of their answers? 

About the Weekend- The Little Prince and Burger King

This weekend we were lucky enough to catch the premier of The Little Prince at Ster Kinekor at The Zone, Mall of Rosebank, sponsored by Burger King and Toy Kingdom.

The kids had loads of fun before the show, with face painting, balloon animals and they got to meet a prince, a king and a toad (or at least Noodle did- Squish is still going through his petrified-of-people-in-animal-suits phase). Noodle is going through a bit of a cat obsession at the moment, so she got her face painted as a glittery pink cat and got a matching kitty balloon animal (or at least they told her it was a cat) while Squish got a dinosaur.

After the movie, we were treated to some yummy Burger King burgers and fries. We have been a big fan of Burger King since it launched in South Africa not that long ago... the kids love their food and they are Halaal in South Africa. Incidentally, the Rosebank one, just downstairs from the cinema where the premier was held, is our most frequented branch.

We were also given some great treats from Burger King and Toy Kingdom- thank you to both! We have read the Burger King books a few times already- I love that they are very educational (one is all about recycling and the other one is an interactive but challenging I Spy book) and the kids enjoyed them too! The Little Prince kaleidoscopes are beautiful (I am strange and have not outgrown kaleidoscopes).

 

The movie is an adorable animation about a nine year old girl (I don't think her name is ever mentioned) who is being groomed by her loving but over-achieving mother (played by Rachel McAdams) and by society at large to be the perfect adult. Her controlled life of maps and schedules is suddenly interrupted when she meets the eccentric Aviator from next door (played by Jeff Bridges) who introduces her to the world of The Little Prince and helps her to rediscover childhood. Watch the trailer here.

If you plan to watch one movie with the kids this holiday, I would recommend this one. I would say that this one is probably better suited to children ages seven upwards though- while it is family friendly and hubby and I both loved it, it is a longish movie and some of the themes are quite complex so my kids, being a bit younger, seemed to lose interest about halfway through. That having been said, this film is a thought provoking one, with an important message to any adult viewers about allowing kids to be kids and not forcing them into growing up too soon- something I think we are all sometimes guilty of.

Keeping Your Kids Safe While Travelling

This might sound like something you have heard many times before, but especially as the holiday season approaches, the importance of car safety and using car seats cannot be repeated enough!

As we know, it is now the law that under three's need to be strapped up in car seats, but of course the ideal is to extend beyond that period. According to the Safe Kids Worldwide organisation, car seats reduce the risk of death by 71% for infants and by 54% for children ages 1-4 years and that they reduce the need for hospitalisation by 69% for children ages 4 years and under. 

With two little ones, I know that sometimes it is difficult, or near impossible to get them to stay strapped up, especially as they get older, but it really is quite important. It is still quite a common site to see small children being transported unstrapped on laps, from which I conclude that there are still many South Africans who are not aware of just how important car seats are (I refuse to think that there are parents who willingly put their kids lives in danger). 

Jacqui Marsh, Marketing and Communications Manager for Cartrack shares some essential car seat safety tips ahead of the festive and travelling season.

• “Rear facing car seats are more ideal for new-born babies as they provide the best protection for infants until they are 1 year of age. Keep them in this position for as long as possible and only move them to a forward facing child seat when they no longer fit in the rear facing position. Some car seats allow the child to be rear facing until they weigh 25kg”. 
• “If a child is restrained in the wrong seat for their age or weight, or the straps or harnesses are not adequately secured, it will place the child at an increased risk of both fatal and non-fatal injuries." 
• “Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions when installing a car seat and placing your child in it”. 
• "Convertible car seats can be used for toddlers and are designed to grow with your child. These can be modified with each weight and age transition."
• “To achieve firm support, always ensure that there is less than 2,5cm of movement from side to side and forward once it is installed.
• “Never install a car seat where there are air bags. Airbags deploy with considerable force and can cause serious and even fatal injuries”. 
•  “You can ask your vehicle manufacturer to switch off the airbag function for you, if installing a rear facing car seat.” 
• “If you’re installing a forward facing seat, make sure that it’s flat against the seat’s bottom and back.”
• “Once your child has outgrown the bigger car seat, it needs to be replaced with a booster car seat which props the child so that a standard seat belt can rest correctly across the body.”
• “Parents need to educate themselves and take the necessary precautionary measures for a safer car seat experience and peace of mind whilst on the road. Make use of the alternative seating arrangements and always place a great deal of importance on child safety”.