London, From A Mum's Point of View

I loved London. The Big Smoke was one of the few cities in this country that I would have relocated to. Had the opportunity arose, I would have packed my life away and joined the rat race without giving it a second thought.

That was then, and now you couldn't pay me to give up my lovely home, or my beautiful son. Because living in London for me will mean leaving my son behind. Sounds harsh doesn't it? Well that's the conclusion I've made after my first trip to the city with my little boy. The mad rush, the escalators, the stairs. Where are the lifts? Forget people with pushchairs for a second, how do wheelchair users get around? Elderly people? Pregnant ladies! Is there a secret fund that pays for them to be chauffeured around the city? Oh wait, there's buses. You don't fit the criteria of the underground so you can't get to your destination as quickly as the rest of us. Go plonk yourself on a bus and see you in an hour. 

I don't expect most people to see where I'm coming from, especially as I'm only seeing it now. I was one of those blind dumb asses running around madly in love with London. Then I opened my eyes. I realised how rude people are, how inconsiderate they are. All they care about is getting on that damn tube and reaching wherever they need to be. 

My mischievous little boy must have picked up on the fact that mummy was stressing, so he was on his best behaviour. In actual fact he wasn't even bothered by London and slept through most of his trip, very unusual for him as he loves new places. Not so fussed by this one though. 

My rant aside, we did manage to make it to the Magnum Store in Covent Garden where we personalised our own Magnum ice creams. I went for brownie, honeycomb and coconut flakes. 

Baby A decided to wake up for M&M  World which he thoroughly enjoyed and we brought him a teddy bear from Harrods as a souvenir. 

Overall a good family trip away, just a shame that I didn't find the people of London and the city itself very child friendly. 

H x 

The Birthday Blog

I've been eager to upload the birthday blog for a few weeks but haven't been able to get round to it. Thank God for the wet Bank Holiday, now I can share the birthday bash of the year with my followers! 

Baby A turned one on August 15th and we organised a Minion themed party for him. The dress code was yellow (this goes without saying) his friends from play group were invited, outdoor soft play was hired, as well as a minion costume and a bouncy castle. We went all out, after all my boy will only have one first birthday party. 

Even the weather held out! After a week of non-stop rain I didn't think we'd get the garden party we had hoped for. Typical British summer....

The showstopper of the day had to be the amazing cake(s). Five individual letters spelling out birthday boy's name, also adhering to the minion theme. We had so much cake leftover that we were still giving it away a week later. I managed to save a letter for us though, the sponge was so soft even a week later, and the raspberry buttercream filling was scrumptious. Just thinking about it now has triggered my craving for a slice accompanied with a warm cup of coffee. 

I'm digressing now. Ok so here's few tips if you're struggling for party ideas for young children. I guess it will get easier as they get older. 

What do you put in favour bags for one year olds? Here's the answer; 

*Rubber duck 

*Bubbles

*Baby reading books 

*Bouncy balls 

*Baby colouring books with crayons 

How do you avoid feeding babies crisps and snacks that you would usually avoid? 

Don't let them miss their lunch. Start the party at 12pm which is lunchtime for most babies. Prepare a pasta bake in the morning and bake it in the oven before guests are due to arrive. Upon arrival serve up, and keep in the oven so it's warm for late arrivals. If the little ones are fed on time they will have enough energy to enjoy the soft play and bouncy castle. There were all played out and from what I hear most of them were fast asleep before they made it home. 

Keep some baby biscuits to hand so that suitable snacks are available should Baby  need a nibble. 

Is it a good idea to invite babies under one to a party? 

Of course it is. Just have plenty of activities to keep them busy and don't make the party last too long. We invited six babies, seven if you include birthday not himself. Babies arrived at 12 pm, family arrived at 2pm after which the cake was cut and most babies left as they needed a nap. Then the party continued with fault members. 

Hope this helps with organising your first birthday parties. For further info on the cake, bouncy castle, outdoor soft play and minion mascot please get in touch. 

H x