My Mini Monsters Blog

With our busy lifestyles, we find ourselves increasingly under pressure to be prepared and organised. As a result of this it seems surprises in life are becoming fewer. But when it comes to our babies… do expectant parents want to know the sex of their baby?

Our leading supplier izziwotnot recently asked expectant parent customers if they are planning to find out the sex of their forthcoming new arrival. Over half those who have already responded say “no”; 57% said they would rather wait.

Maybe therefore we do still like some surprises in life? It’s seen as something that is out of any future parent’s control, so they decide to wait? But with over 40% of expectant parents appearing not to like surprises and wanting to know the sex of their imminent arrival, the result is almost too close to call.

Izziwotnot endeavour to meet the needs of all expectant parents, with a wide range of nursery furniture and accessories designed for both those parents who do want to know and those that prefer to wait until baby’s arrival.

For a classic character theme with a twist, izziwotnot’s Vincent Bear range in crisp white cotton, features beautiful appliqués of Vincent; combining fresh neutrals with warm chocolate accents. The range features everything from cot bed blankets and bumpers through to curtains and wallpaper borders. For a timeless neutral design, izziwotnot’s White Gift and Cream Gift ranges are also perfect for the neutral nursery. White Gift is a pure white mini waffle design, whilst the Cream Gift waffle bedding pieces are accented with caramel piping. Both ranges include maize and wicker moses baskets, cot bed quilts, bumpers, curtains and fleece blankets.

Here at My Mini Monsters we are looking forward to two neutral ranges being launched by izziwotnot  for Autumn/Winter 2010 with the arrival of Time to Play and Pitter Patter.  

My youngest Child has just learn’t to ride his bike without stabilisers.  I can say to see the look of pride on his face has been so satisfying, as he is speeding round the park!  Here are some handy tips to help your little one banish the stabilisers!

Step 1: Preparation

1. Get a bike. You don’t have to buy new, especially as children grow so quickly, search the local paper for second hand bikes. One size too small is good for learning, but plan to ride on the correct size later.
2. Wear protective gear. Shoes are a must - no sandals. Long pants, long sleeves, helmet, and gloves are a good idea. Young children might want knee or elbow pads to feel safer. Helmets are a must!!!
3. Go somewhere flat and car-free. Take the bike to a large, vacant paved area (for example, a school parking lot on a weekend). The area should be flat and free of obstacles such as bumps, parked cars, pedestrian traffic, people playing games etc. Grass is softer, but much harder to ride in. Be sure to check whether bicycling is allowed should you select a public park as your practice area.

Step 2: Get Going!

1. With your little one sitting on the bike, make sure they know where the brakes are and how to operate them.
2. Teach them to balance the bike: hold the bike behind your little one as they try to steady it whilst pedalling.
3. After practicing for a couple minutes, you can release your hands while your little one tries to keep their balance.
4. When ready, they can ride alone. But first lower the seat until they can sit on it and put both feet flat on the ground.
5. When confident, try coasting for a few feet without putting feet on the floor to train the sense of balance. Do this until your little one is confident about steering the bike.
6. As they gain experience, raise the seat up so that only their toes can touch the ground whilst seated. This is the more appropriate height for the seat.
7. Finally, your little one just has to practice.
8. Once they can balance, pedal, start, and stop, you’re little one is a bicycle rider. Congratulations!

Tips

• Find a safe open area to practice on away from traffic.
• Be patient, and encourage your little one not to be afraid of falling down from the bike.
• Practice more.
• Riding a bike is like living your life: we subconsciously head toward whatever we’re looking at, so remind your little one to keep looking ahead.

 Good Luck!

Woes your

mini monster like?

One issue that is sure to have many parents tearing their hair out with frustration is getting their children to eat a balanced diet.

Getting used to new foods, textures and tastes can be troubling for any child, but equally spending time preparing food which is left uneaten can be troubling for the parent!

Here are a few tips to help you achieve that balanced diet for your little one.

Take your child to the supermarket with you and let them choose an item to buy for themselves, as long as it is something they have never tried before, like a healthy piece of fruit or some yummy vegetables.

If they are old enough, give them a little bit of money to buy it themselves. This will make the experience more exciting and meaningful to them.

You could ask them to buy you a new food to try with them. Give them a reward each time they try something new to reinforce this behaviour.

Make preparing a meal a fun and exciting thing to do together. Let your little one add ingredients to dises, for example sprinkling herbs or stirring the dish. If they are old enough you can get them to chop up some vegetables or measure out ingredients for you.

If you think you can cope with a few initial spillages too, let them get drinks sorted for all the family. This will also help them with their developing co-ordination.

Younger children will love washing up, tearing up salad or getting messy with some floury dough. If the meal’s a success,celebrate by inviting one of their friends around and cook it again.

Try not to keep too much junk food in the house. That way, when your child feels hungry there will only be healthy options toc hoose from. If you want to keep some snacks try keeping a snack jar to limit the intake of these around meal times.

Originally an American tradition, baby showers are becoming more and more popular in the UK. There’s an abundance of gifts, services and websites dedicated to baby showers and, if nothing else, it’s a great chance for mum’s-to-be to get together with their friends for a party!

A babyshower is essentially a celebration of the imminent arrival of a new baby, with guestes bringing gifts and clothes for the baby and sometimes for the Mum-to-be. It’s an opportunity for her to be centre of attention for the day! A shower is usually held in the last trimester and could be kept a surprise from the mum-to-be.

Traditionally, the shower is given by a friend rather than a family member. So if this job falls to you, here are our top tips to help you along the way ;

Location

There is no set guidelines for when or where showers are to be held and the party can be at a variety of places although the daytime is usually better for the expectant Mum than night time. Your house or a friend’s will do just fine - anywhere that you can comfortably entertain a group of people will fit the bill.

Themes

There are no set guidlines for what takes place, but just as with any party, a theme will help the event go with a swing. More glamourous themes could be cocktails and champagne (orange juice for Mum!) or afternoon tea. If you know the sex of the baby then the event can be themed to a girl or a boy and the theme can begin with the invitations. The best advice is to think about the personality of the mum involved and pick a theme that will suit her.

Games

If you feel very adventurous then you could incorporate party games - for grown ups of course. Why not ask each individual friend to make a pledge to the Mum, and not just the traditional babysitting. How about promising to pop round and hoover, make dinner, or even take the baby for a walk whilst Mum gets hair done.

Gifts

Of course it is customary to give presents to the mum-to-be, but how to know what is the best? You can shop for a gift for baby and something for the Mum, and of course, here at My Mini Monsters you can find lots of inspiration for gifts large and small!

Check out a New gift Baksets in a range of four differnet colours in four different sizes.

It’s always fun for you and your child to plan and cook a summery meal for others or just to eat yourselves.  There are loads of recipes for you and your kids to cook together. As well as being a fun experience for the kids, they will take huge pride in making their own (pre-planned) meal, snack or just some little treats. However beware! Their enthusiasm and the excitement may decrease if the recipe is too long. That’s why we have chosen short, fun and tasty recipes (see below).

Also you could make a day of it, by making sandwiches and other little snacks and going for a picnic. The kids would love this little adventure and it’s a great way to make the most of the British summer and the fabulous sunshine which we normally have!

Recipes

Hehere are a few simple, quick and fun ideas:

1.       Triangular Sandwiches

·         This is simple; prepare the ham, cheese, bread etc. into triangular shapes.

·         Then lay out lettuce, cumbers and tomatoes etc. with the cut up bread, ham …. And let your kids mix a match to make their ideal sandwiches how they want.

·         Finally lay out some sauces – mayo, ketchup etc. and let the kids dip their sandwiches.

2.       Make your own pizzas

·         Buy a pizza base (from any supermarket) or make one if you’re feeling creative.

·         Let your kids put on their own toppings, which could be any thing from tomatoes, cheese, spinach, peppers, mushrooms etc.

·         Then put them in the oven but make sure your little monsters stay away from the hot oven. Check on them after 10 minutes.

Don’t worry even though pizzas sound unhealthy they are only as unhealthy as the ingredients that you put on them.

3.       Fruit on a Skewer

·         Firstly chop small cubes of fruit whatever you want (make sure you do this) – apples, bananas, melon etc.

·         Then simply get the kids to push pieces of fruit, of their choice, on to a skewer (be careful they are quite sharp).

·         However we know kids don’t always love fruit so they can add a small number of sweets or marshmallows in between the fruit to make it a bit more appealing.

This recipe is simple, fun and is a great way to get the kids to eat some healthy stuff.

Cooking Tips

·         Plan the meal

·         Make sure all hands are washed before you start.

·         Keep sharp objects away from children give them jobs without knives and away from hot objects and materials. Always keep an eye on them.

·         Tie-in reading and maths into the cooking. I.e. by making them read the recipe / weigh the food

·         It is a good way to make your kids try and use new foods.

·         Make your children understand that cleaning and tidying up is part of the routine, which they must take part in.

·         Don’t worry if the kids don’t eat all their food, it’s normal for kids to enjoy the cooking of the food more than the actual eating.

·         Try to eat the food made as a family ensuring and teaching the kids the correct manners and dinner table etiquette.

….Also don’t forget to all wear aprons in order to keep the un-preventable mess to a minimum.

Actress Jennifer Ellison currently starring in Calendar Girls, gave birth to son Bobby just five months ago.  Like most celebrity mums she has felt the pressure of losing her baby weight. But on stage in Cardiff on Tuesday, the actress went one better than most celebrity mothers as she bared all in the new production of Calendar Girls.

The 27-year-old follows in the footsteps of Kelly Brook, Gemma Atkinson and Jerry Hall by playing trophy wife Celia, aka Miss September, in the latest cast change of the touring production.

The Hell’s Kitchen winner is taking along her baby son Bobby as she brings the touring production to Llandudno, Glasgow, Aberdeen, Inverness, Edinburgh and Liverpool over the next few months. Initially when she accepted the part Jennifer thought she had one of the only female roles which didn’t involve disrobing ‘It turns out I’ve got a lead role - and I’m as naked as everyone else.’ Talking about going nude, she explained: ‘It’s a bit scary but I’m not too nervous about it’

Her opening night comes after she shifted three stone of baby weight in time for her debut in Calendar Girls. Jennifer admitted she went up five dress sizes whilst pregnant.

The Summer Holidays are upon us, for some of us this means entertaining the Kids for the next six weeks!

Keeping your monsters entertained can be difficult, so here at My Mini Monsters, we’ve come up with a selection of ideas that are fun, exciting and creative. Your little one will be entertained for hours whether having fun on their own, with their friends, or with you.

We have guides on gardening, making cupcakes even Birthday party ideas! Take a look at :-

http://www.myminimonsters.co.uk/index.php?_a=viewDoc&docId=10

The “Diary of a Call Girl” star has been photographed smoking near her two year old Son Winston.

The photos showed the little boy close to a cloud of smoke, have infuriated health advocates, who are adamant that exposure to tobacco fumes puts children’s health at risk.

Amanda Sandford, of campaign group Action on Smoking and Health (ASH), tells WENN, “There is no doubt that second hand smoke harms children and it is inappropriate to be smoking while holding a child… Second hand smoke seriously damages a child’s health, raising the risk of asthma, bronchitis and chronic ear infections. The second reason is that the more a child sees adults around them, the more likely they are to try smoking themselves as they get older. Parents who quit smoking are therefore not only doing themselves a favour but their children will benefit too.”

What are your thoughts on this issue, is it so damaging for Parents or even Grandparents to be smoking near their children?

The apprentice star and businesswoman Karen Brady has admitted that taking only three days  maternity leave after the birth of her daughter was a mistake.  Karren Brady is renowned as a workaholic,  but she has since staed that her return to work just three days after giving birth was “shameful”.

The businesswoman, said she thought her career would be in jeopardy otherwise. But in an interview with Hello! magazine she admits she made a mistake not to spend more time bonding with her daughter Sophia, who is now 14.

Brady, 41, said: “It was a mistake and most people would look on it with shock, as they should. When you’re young and in a career, you don’t think it will last a lifetime. You think it will slip through your fingers if you take time out.”

What do you think? Are women pressured to go back to work after having children, how long do you think is an acceptable time to take off work after giving birth, is our maternity leave an acceptable time, let us know your thoughts?