Ultimate Winter Guide to Strengthening Your Babies Immune System

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As a parent, you of course want your baby to be as healthy as possible. One of the best way's to achieve this is by boosting his or her immune system. With winter coming, you may be concerned about cold and flu season, especially with a baby or small child. Although it is common for babies to catch viruses and get sick, this can happen less frequently, and symptoms can be milder, if you focus on strengthening their body's ability to fight things off. 

Baby multivitamin drops are one of the ways that can help, and there are some other things you can do as well. Keep reading below for advice on keeping your little ones as happy and healthy as possible this winter. 

Quinny Zapp Xtra 2 **REVIEW**

A few weeks before we were due to go on holiday this summer, I came to the sudden realisation that, whilst I love our big pushchair it takes up our whole boot meaning there was going to be absolutely no room for luggage! Now like most families with young children, we are not a family that travels light so boot space was essential and we had to look at getting a more compact pushchair. Luckily the lovely people over at Quinny came to our rescue, offering us a Quinny Zapp Xtra 2 for review and so I thought I would share how we got on with it for those in a similar situation to us. 

The Quinny Zapp Xtra 2 is designed with one thing in mind - to make life easier and it certainly did for us. Our first impressions of the Quinny Zapp Xtra 2 were really good. It looks sleek and elegant, and it has a really good size seat unit. Evelyn is 2 but still uses a pushchair for long walks and near roads etc but we do find some pushchairs have quite a small seat area. However, the Quinny Zapp Xtra 2 offers a really generous size seat which is padded and looks super comfy and was more than roomy enough for our average sized 2-year-old. 

The next thing we did with the Quinny Zapp Xtra 2 was test it out in the car, after all this was our main concern with the previous pushchair. I was amazed at just how small the Zapp Xtra 2 folds down! It easily fit in the boot of our Ford Focus alongside 2 of our huge suitcases as well as all our holiday items for 7 nights. 

Putting the pushchair together was really easy to do which was a big releif. It was simply a case of clicking in the wheels (make sure you hear 2 clicks) and attaching the basket and we were ready to go! Putting the pushchair down however was a little more complicated to begin with. To collapse the pushchair, you first fold the seat unit down then simultaneously press the numbered 1 and 2 buttons either side of the seat unit, this folds down the handlebars. This is where it got tricky as you then have a section at the back on the bottom labelled 3 and 4, you have to push 3 down and push 4 in. 

I found this a bit tricky to begin with but after a few attempts (and a few watches of the You Tube video) I had it worked out and its actually really simple to do but definitely a job that requires a little practice first

The basket on the Quinny Zapp Xtra 2 isn't huge, but this seems to be standard on most lightweight stroller style pushchairs. But don't be deceived by looks as its actually quite deceptive. We managed to fit 2 water bottles, sun cream, 2 nappies a pack of wipes, a change of clothes for Evelyn and a few snacks all underneath in the basket so I was pretty impressed! 

Another thing I love on the Quinny Zapp Xtra 2 is the extendable sun canopy on the hood, this really came in handy whilst we were on holiday. When not needed the hood is a standard size but when needed you can unzip the middle section of the hood, allowing you to extend the hood further and providing lots more sun coverage. Evelyn can sometimes get frustrated when the sun gets in her eyes but still wants to see out and Quinny have this covered.

The Quinny Zapp Xtra 2 is suitable from birth right up until you choose not to use a pushchair, it's that versatile. It can rear and forward face and can even be converted into a travel system using the Maxi-Cosi Pebble or CabrioFix car seat. I love the adaptability of the Zapp Xtra 2 and that you could just buy this one pushchair to last throughout. 

Our overall verdict of the Quinny Zapp Xtra 2 is a big thumbs up! It is lightweight, easy to use and push and is small enough to fit in any boot. It comes with the extendable hood as well as an easy-to-use rain cover meaning you are covered for all weather. The most important thing for us, Evelyn seems to be happy and comfy so we would definitely recommend it. 

Have you tried out the Quinny Zapp Xtra 2 yet? 

xXx

** I was not paid for this post. I was sent the pushchair from Quinny for the purpose of this review however all thoughts, opinions and photos are my own. **

Little Tikes spinning seas water table **REVIEW**

As summer fast approaches my mind has turned to getting the garden ready for the summer. Both James and Evelyn love being out in the garden and now that Evelyn is a little older this year and can really get around outside and enjoy it, I wanted to make sure they had plenty to play with.

So, when the lovely people at Little Tikes offered us a Spinning Sea's water table to try out, we couldn't wait for it to arrive. If the splashing, they do in the bath is anything to go by I knew it would be a big hit!

When the spinning sea's water table arrived, it came in several pieces with clear to follow picture/text instructions. It's pretty simple to put together though with most pieces just clicking into place and only a few screws needed to hold together the centre column, then it was ready for the kids to play.

The water table is made of sturdy plastic with a smooth finish and chunky plastic legs which provide a stable surface and the perfect height for little people to play. When built the water table stands at approx. 17 inches tall which is a perfect height for Evelyn who is 2, she found it easy to reach all the bits within the table without struggle or having to lean over or stretch too much.

The bright colours on the table make it eye catching and it looks great in the garden! It comes with plenty of accessories including the centre column with a large basin on top which leads to 2 windmill style spinners, simply throw the ball in the top and see where it lands! There is also a catapult to spring the balls into the water table and a Ferris wheel style ball catcher that can be spun around.

The Spinning Sea's water table has already provided hours of fun for James and Evelyn, and I know it will be getting lots of use for summers to come. The water table is well built, sturdy and really built to last even against boisterous toddler play as would be expected from a fantastic brand like Little Tikes.

If you are looking for something for your garden this year, I would highly recommend the spinning sea's water table as it provides hours of fun and doesn't take up a huge amount of space (especially important if you have a smaller garden like us). My children are aged 2 and 6 and both enjoyed splashing around in it.

The Little Tikes spinning seas water table is priced at around £49.99 and is available to purchase from lots of stores including Argos, Amazon and The Toy Shop,

Do your children love being in the garden? What is their favourite outdoor toy?

xXx


**I was not paid for this post, I was sent this item and we used the item to produce this honest review. 
All thoughts and opinions in this post are my own and written by me. **

Fisher-Price Princess Walker **REVIEW**

Evelyn finally reached that big milestone of walking a little over a month ago and whilst she is still a little wobbly she loves to walk everywhere. Now she is on the move she loves pushing things along and taking her teddies on walks is great as it seems to steady her much more and gives her lots of confidence.

So when we were given the chance to try out the new Fisher-Price Princess Walker we jumped at the chance as I knew Evelyn would love it, and I wasn't wrong.

The princess walker is perfect if your child is learning to walk right up until they are confidently walking, the wide, sturdy base and easy grasp handle are just right for little toddlers. As I mentioned above Evelyn is already walking but this is still helping her grow in confidence, speed and stability.

The Fisher-Price princess walker is great for developing motor skills and also encouraging role play scenarios. Evelyn is a huge fan of this baby walker and she loves pushing around her dolls and teddies around in it.

The princess walker also has the added feature of music and lights! With a simple press of the heart shaped wand at the top it rewards your toddler with magical sounds and lights along the top of the walker. Evelyn loves this added edition and happily bops her head and wiggles along to the music as she strolls along. To run the music the walker requires 3 AA batteries which are not included and has 3 settings - off, on quiet and on loud.

We are giving the Fisher-Price princess walker a huge thumbs up! This has been one of Evelyn's favourite toys since it came out of the box. It seems to be really well made, strong, sturdy and built to last as with all Fisher-Price products we have tried. Evelyn has pushed this indoors and outdoors on all different surfaces and it still looks as good as new.

The Fisher-Price princess walker is suitable for ages 9 months + and is priced at £34.99. The Fisher-Price princess doll which you can see in the pictures above can be purchased separately and is priced at £9.99. Stockists include Smyths, Toys R Us, Argos and Amazon.

If you want to know more about either product of more products from the range you can visit the Fisher-Price website here - www.fisher-price.com.

xXx


**I was not paid for this post, I was sent this item in return for an honest review. 
All thoughts and opinions in this post are my own and written by me. **

Evelyn - 14 Months Old.

Evelyn is now 14 months old and when describing her one word spring to mind.... DIVA!

This little lady knows what she wants and she wants it NOW!

Im pretty sure having James and him being such a calm, chilled out and relaxed baby set me up for a serious fall when Evelyn came along. It was like sitting on a calm beach where you had spent the last 5 years just chilling out, enjoying the sun and living life at your own pace them BAM a massive tornado just sweeps in and shakes your whole world around, yep that was Evelyn arriving lol.

Ok Ok so I may be exaggerating a little above but she is so much harder than James was, Evelyn is in to everything and I mean everything well everything except her toys and things she is actually allowed to touch. Her particular favourites include pulling out TV cables, attempting to eat her brothers LEGO, opening every cupboard in the kitchen and dangling off the stair gate!

Evelyn recently had her 1 year check (at 13months old) with the health visitor and they were very happy with her progress. She is right on target with her development and they had no concerns or need to see her again unless I wanted to get her weighed at clinic. She weighed in at a huge 26lbs but also measured in at a rather tall 81.5cm and so is apparently perfectly proportioned.

Oh and did I mention we now have a WALKER!!! Yes this past month Evelyn has been growing in confidence and initially with a little help from us began to stand alone and then take a few shaky steps between me and her dad. Fast forward a few weeks and she was doing it all by herself and now you can stop her, the first sign of trouble to be had or an escape to be made and she is on her feet and off she goes.

Her vocabulary is still quite limited as she only really says dada, mama and dog but she has her own ways of communicating with us through pointing etc so she still certainly knows how to get what she wants. .

The last 14 months has gone by so quickly and I cant believe my little baby isn't really a baby anymore, more a confident independent toddler with a total diva attitude. I am loving watching her grow and she seems to learn something new every day at the moment. Her relationship with her brother James is still just as strong as the day she came home and they still sit and play together most days. James really enjoyed reading to her and Evelyn is always the first one to get a hug and kiss when James come out of school each day!

(Jumping over the waves on holiday last week!)

I am feeling truly lucky to be able to watch these to grow even if they do drive me up the wall sometimes!

xXx

OXO tots products **REVIEW**

You may have seen a few months ago we reviewed some products from the OXO tot range include a divider plate and beaker which we loved, if you haven't seen the review you can find it HERE.

Well OXO tot very kindly sent us some more of there products to try out as Evelyn is getting bigger and moving on to a whole new range of feeding and drinking utensils!

We received the Flippy snack cup, Fork and spoon set and the training cup. 

First of all we tried the fork and spoon set which is priced at £7.00, Evelyn has been showing some interest in feeding herself with cutlery and these looked like a good size for her to try with. 

In fact the set was fantastic!  The smooth yet non slip grippy and chunky handles offered Evelyn the perfect handle to get a good sturdy grip on both the fork and spoon and help her navigate around her food. The spoon has a deep centre meaning food actually stays on the spoon and the fork has a great wide surface area for holding food too. This cutlery set makes a great starter set for toddlers to get used to using cutlery before moving on to more grown up cutlery. 

Next up we tried the Flippy snack cup which is priced at £6.00, I was really excited to try this as Evelyn likes to launch her snacks especially out of the pushchair and then cries when all her food is gone (baby logic hey!?). 

The Flippy snack cup features a soft flexible opening which gives little hands easy access to the goodies inside but stops even the smallest of snacks escaping! The snack cup also comes with a lid which is great for when you want to pop the snack cup in your bag or when not in use to keep the product inside fresh. The Flippy snack cup features a small tea cup style handle on the side which a non slip surface and is the perfect size for little hands to easily grab hold of. 

Evelyn was a little miffed at how to get the contents out from the cup at first and looked a little confused at why I was handing her something she couldn't get. However after a few tries and me showing her how it was done she soon had the hang of it and now it comes everywhere with up! A must have purchase for anyone! 

Finally we tried the training cup priced at just £6. Evelyn has been getting on really well with her OXO tots beaker (which you can see in the previous review post, link at the top) and so I thought it would be a great time to introduce the training cup (Evelyn is 13 months old). 

The training cup features a translucent lid insert with perforations around the perimeter which controls the flow of liquid when a child tilts the cup to drink. There are also non slip grips on either side of the cup to make it easier to a child to hold on to. The training cup has a 200ml capacity. 

 Whilst I don't expect her to be perfect at using it I would like her to be familiar with the training cup as it will eventually hopefully help with her transition from beaker to normal cup in the future. Evelyn actually got on better than I expected and knew exactly what to do with the training cup, we did have some spills etc and I am still holding the cup for her whilst she drinks but we will keep using it so she becomes familiar with it and hopefully more confident with using it. 

Overall we have been thoroughly impressed with the products we have tried from the OXO tots range and have found them fairly priced and high quality.

Do you use any OXO tot products? 

xXx

* I was not paid for this review. All opinions given are my own.

* If you would like me to review your product or service, please email me on xJessLegresleyx@hotmail.com.