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Our January Monthly Review Round Up

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So January has come to an end and I am looking forward to February. I love February because its only a short month, the children have half term and its the month of love with Valentines Day on the 14th. 
I managed to read a book this month which I am shocked about really because over the last few months I just haven't had the time to do anything for myself really.
Jo Jo Moyes - Paris for one
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"I Want It And I Want It Now"

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Little J is approaching 22 months and although I know it's another 2 months yet till we hit the terrible twos, I'm starting to see a little sneak preview of what's to come. Recently he has wanted everything that everyone else has and when he doesn't get it he will cry or scream and it's hard not to give in but I have to be strong and start to teach him to share. 
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Nerf Wars

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I know we won't be the only ones that have spent many days and nights having our very own Nerf wars, in our living room. Nerf fights are just so much fun and we have played with Nerf for as long as I can remember. I don't think there has been one birthday or christmas were we haven't got a brand new Nerf gun, well maybe thats a fib because I can't imagine Father Christmas bringing a Nerf gun for big J's first Christmas.
So over the years we have built up quite the collection and we still use each and every one of them at some point during our fights. So last night we turned our living room into the battle arena and we set up bases for each of us. Now when I say each of us I mean Daddy, big J and myself. Now little J is very keen to join in and will be found wandering around with a unloaded blaster in his hand but he hasn't quite got the hang of it yet. He doesn't understand that we need to run and hide when there is a sponge bullet flying towards us, somehow though he manages to dodge the bullets with ease and seems to have a great time.
Big J somehow manages to swap his gun at least five times during a battle and will pause the game while he tries to pick up bullets that have flew around the living room. 
Last night I was using my new Nerf Rebelle that I had bought myself, its pink, purple and white and its just for girls, so all mine. I did cheat a little as I used little J's castle tent as my base so it was very easy to hide from the bullets but also sneaky enough to peek through the hole and shoot at my opponents. 
Usually we do have one casualty at some point in the game, someone will get hit in the face or worse the eye and that someone is usually me but somehow last night I was pain free and had lots of fun. 
I always say I am gonna count how many bullets we use per game because I am sure lots go missing throughout as we always finish with a lots less than we started, we usually find them behind the TV or other crazy places for weeks after.
Have you ever had your own Nerf battle?


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Justafit - The Perfect Sleepsuit For Little J

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When big J was little we had a terrible time getting clothes to fit him. It was fine if we bought separates but buying a tracksuit or pyjamas was a nightmare. He was always a larger size on top than he was on the bottoms. He had a longer top half and shorter legs. It really was hard because pyjamas in particular use to be so long we would end up having to roll them up around the waist and turn then up at the bottom too. Little J definitely takes after his big brother and its already becoming a problem when buying pyjamas. We recently have been trying out Justafit sleepsuit by Infasense and its perfect for our little monkey.
We have been trying out age 2-3 now little J is only 22 months but its a perfect fit up top. It buttons up the front and while he is sat playing it isn't popping open or gaping. Now the legs are a little long, as I said earlier he is only short from waist to toe. 
The Justafit sleep suit is perfect for little ones like my little J because no matter how long the legs are you can easily adjust the length by using the velcro straps. 
The velcro which is around the ankle is fastened to keep the sleepsuit legs in place. This reduces the risk of little J tripping over and it also shows me that there is still plenty of room for him to grow into it so he should get plenty of wear. 
There is also velcro around the wrist too which is perfect for little ones who find the sleeves of their clothes get in the way while playing and eating.
I love little J in sleepsuit's and he always looks very comfortable whilst sleeping, playing and walking around. 
The Justafit sleep suit comes in five colours and the sizes range from 6 months - 3 years. You can buy online by clicking HERE 




*we were sent a justafit sleep suit in return for a honest review. All thoughts, opinions and photos above are our own*
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Project 365 Days 19-25

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Welcome to this weeks Project 365. This week has flew over, its crazy that its Monday again already. It will soon be February. I have noticed its started to get lighter earlier in the mornings now, makes getting up for work and school that little bit easier.

19/365 - Little J received an new toy from his uncle Paul, his very own JCB and he loves it. Its got a horn on it too and he loves pressing it...all the time.

20/365 - Today we had a huge Nerf gun battle in our living room. Big J tried to his new Nerf Zombie Strike gun. Foam bullets flying everywhere but it was lots of fun.

21/365 - I've ate this pretty much every day this week. Chicken, lettuce, tomato, sweetcorn and sweet chilli sauce. I love it. Today I was feeling a littler hungry so I added some pasta to it.

22/365 - Today I got a lovely delivery from Tesco of lots of protein filled foods to help me with the #proteinchallenge I a taking part of thanks to Upbeat. Keep an eye out for how I get on.

23/365 - We got our new beds delivered today which I thought was exciting but big and little J were more excited about jumping and playing on the old mattresses. 

24/365 - A very cold day today but that didn't stop us wrapping up warm and heading of to New Brighton for a late afternoon stroll, a quick go on the arcades and to the pub for tea.

25/365 - No one can make little J smile like this except his big brother.




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Win Upbeat Goodies

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I am currently taking part in an #proteinchallenge and I have been drinking an Upbeat dairy protein drink every day aswell as eating a protein diet. Upbeat drinks are high in protein (20g), low in fat, just 149 kcals and have half the sugar of most fruit smoothies.
I have felt really good so far, eating lots of chicken, eggs and salmon. I have been drinking my Upbeat drink as a snack. i have tried Mango and Passionfruit and Strawberry and they both are very tasty.
You will be able to read all about my #proteinchallenge soon but for now if you would like to win lovely Upbeat goodies including some Upbeat drinks enter my competition below.
Win Upbeat Goodies

Good Luck
Terms and Conditions

Competition closes on Saturday 7th February at 12AM
Entrants must have a valid UK address
Bulk, third party or any other entries using automated software will be disqualified
All entrants and entries are checked and verified.
All entrants must follow the mandatory step and answer the question as a blog comment.
1 lucky winner will be chosen at random by the Gleam application.
Mummy2Monkeys will contact the lucky winner within 1 day of the competition closing
The winner must respond within 7 days.
If no response a new winner will be chosen.
The prize is Upbeat Goodies.
There is no cash alternative.
It will be the responsibility of the representative of the named company above to issue the prize.
The winner must consent to their name and details being passed on to the representative so their prize can be distributed.
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Three Things I Love About My Favourite City - NEW YORK

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I am the biggest fan of romantic comedies and growing up into my late teens I always pictured myself going to New York and finding true love just like they do in the movies.  Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan found love twice in New York, on top of the Empire State Building in Sleepless in Seattle and over the internet in You've Got Mail its just looks like the most amazing place in the world and it was my dream to go there one day
Accor Hotels are hosting a competition and they are have asked entrants to list the three things they love about my favourite city so I've entered mine and here it goes.
MY WEDDING DAY
Well I didn't find love in New York because I met Daddy here in Liverpool BUT he did give me the most amazing day ever when we married New York. Even though he is so scared of flying he overcame his fears to give me the wedding of my dreams.
FAO SCHWARZ
New York is home to biggest toy shop you will ever see FAO Schwarz and if you have seen the film BIG you will be excited to find that you can have a go on the floor keyboard just like Tom Hanks did in the movie.

THE EMPIRE STATE BUILDING
For me this is just the most romantic place on earth. I love going up the Empire State Building. The views are amazing (we are actually at the top of the Rockerfella Centre looking towards The Empire State) We went up on our wedding night and it was just magical.

So these are my favourite three things about New York. Do you have a favourite city? What are your favourite three things?


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Oops I've Become An Online Shopper

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I'm not sure how this has happened but somehow over the last few months I've become addicted to shopping online. It's not something I would say I have done much of really in the past, maybe a little around Christmas time but that's it really. 
I know it's because I have my iPad handy, it makes it that much easier. I can check sales online or click links in emails to shops websites. Is this a good thing though? I sometimes worry that one day we wouldn't even need to leave the house if we didn't want to because everything is so accessible and available on the World Wide Web.
I have to admit that last night I decided that I was too busy this week to go shopping so I spoke to Daddy and said I would do an online food shop. I sat in bed with a cup of tea in one hand and my iPad in the other and browsed the virtual supermarket aisles clicking and adding my weekly food shop to my virtual trolley.
I like to look for offers when in the supermarket which are usual at the end of the aisles so I was worried that my total bill would be greater than usual because I'm missing out on the offers. Well if you have done an online food shop you will know that for each section you can click special offers and it brings them all up for you. Perfect!
So I did my order and then I had a choice to have it delivered to my home or I could collect it free of charge from the supermarket. Well it was just £1 to have it delivered so the lazy bones that I am decided to have it brought to my door. 
This afternoon it arrived within the hour slot I was given and all bagged and brought to my door. The man made about 20 trips to and from the van with my bags. I thought how awful of me to have this poor fella carrying all my bags, I felt really lazy. I did ask him did he want a hand with it but he just smiled and said its okay. Once everything was inside and he had gone I was left with all this shopping in my living room and I couldn't help but think 'wouldn't it be great if they put it away for you too' doesn't that sound bad? Putting the shopping away is the worse thing ever because I always buy too much so it never fits in, I end up playing freezer Tetris. 
Luckily I hadn't bought to much this time, maybe because I wasn't tempted by things I had seen sitting on the shelf as I had done it online. 
I actually think I would order online again as sometimes it is a nightmare when you're food shopping with the kids, it takes so long but this was really easy. 
Have you shopped online before? Do you prefer it?


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Wrapping Up Warm with Vertbaudet

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There is something about January, February and March that makes me want to get up early, get dressed and head out for a walk. Most people would rather stay tucked up under their duvet in the winter months praying for Summer to come along but I have always enjoyed wrapping up warm and heading out for a winter walk. I have already planned some walks for us and I can't wait. Vertbaudet have a lovely collection of clothes that would be perfect for winter walk.
I have never shopped at Vertbaudet before although I have seen it advertised online many times but never had a look. I did however have a browsing session recently and the clothes are really nice.

I love the denim shirt under the jumper look in this photo. 

The Army Green Parka is perfect for a winter family day out. Big J used to have a coat this colour when he was younger and it made a change from the usual blue and black.

Again i love the colour of this Parka - Honey. Its so easy to stick to the same colour when buying clothes. I always come home with clothes for little J that I have bought and they are dark. Its nice to add a bit of colour to the wardrobe and I am always surprised how different he looks when he has reds or greens on.  

Little J will be trying out a lovely Parka and Hat and Scarf from this collection on our winter walks so keep an eye out for that coming soon but for now if you want to browse you can visit the website here - Vertbaudet
Do you enjoy heading out in the winter months for a winter walk? or do you prefer to hide under the duvet?
Image 1 - Scarf & Hat Set, olive-blue sky, £13; Denim Shirt, untreated, from £19; Sweater, off-white, from £17; Combat Trousers, charcoal, from £16 
Image 2 - Parka, army green, from £44; Hooded Cardigan, pebble grey, from £19, Jeans, stonewashed, from £16 
Image 3 - Chapka, charcoal, £11; Hoody, pebble grey, from £19; Combat Trousers, black, from £14; Parka, honey, from £44; Sweater, black, from £19
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Weebles Wobble But They Don't Fall Down

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Is it just me or is the Weebles jingle the catchiest song ever? I often find myself singing it even when I don't realise.  "Weebles wobble but they don't fall down" I hadn't realised the Weebles have been around for years, I have only noticed their adverts recently while watching TV with little J. This week little J received his first ever Weebles toy, Weebles Wobbily Farm Mill and Barn   

Weebledown Farm is a new addition to the Weebles collection. There are over 10 products to choose from including animal characters, mini farm vehicles and a wobbly tractor. Little J was sent Wobbily Farm Mill and Barn Playset to play with.

 When it arrived as always he couldn't wait for me to open it he just wanted to get stuck in. I did manage to open it very quickly so he could start playing.

Rusty the Rooster is included in the playset. Little J worked out quite quickly that if you push down the milk churn the windmill spins around. He did this repeatedly for about five minutes. Little J loves anything that spins and would be happy to just watch that.

I showed little J that there was a place for the rooster to sit on top of the windmill so he put Rusty up there. Then when he pressed the milk churn down it made the windmill spin and also it pushed Rusty the Rooster down the slide. 


Once Rusty the Rooster has gone down the slide you can spin him around on the millstone roundabout at the bottom.

What we liked.

Little J really enjoyed playing with the farm. Its very colourful and we like that it is all one piece. Sometimes playsets can become too complicated with lots of different pieces and add ons.

 The milk churn pushes down quite easily so at little J's age there was no need for adult help. 

Little J likes spinning the rooster around on the floor and found that very funny. 

Its nice to know you can extend the play if you wish by buying more of the same range.

What could improve.

I would have liked more than one character to be included in the playset.

The Wobbily Farm Mill and Barn is suitable from 18 months old and is part of a larger Weebledown Farm range. RRP is currently £29.99. Additional items can be bought seperately. Animals RRP £4.99, Wobbily Vehicles RRP £7.99 and the Wobbily Tractor £19.99


With little J's birthday fastly approaching I would consider extending his collection of Weebles because they are great fun.



*we were sent the Weebles Farm in return for a full honest review. All thoughts, opinions and photos above are our own*
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Project 365 Days 12-18

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The days are whizzing past this month. Here is our project 365 Days 12-18

12/365 - Today little J went to his Nana and Grandads. He loves playing in his inflatable helicopter.

13/365 - I found a packet of Gluten free muffins in the cupboard that I had bought for a relative and big J asked could he try one. I take it from his smile he thought it was yummy!

14/365 - Little J has found a new way to eat his yoghurts. No need for a spoon just stick your tongue in.

15/365 - Daddy bought me the most toastiest socks ever. They are so thick and warm and perfect for my cold feet. 
16/365 - Caught red handed rooting through my shopping looking for treats.

17/365 - Daddy and I went to see Taken 3 at the cinema. I absolutely love the Taken films and I am gutted that this is the last one. Liam Neeson is just an amazing actor and didn't disappoint.

18/365 - Today we celebrated Daddy's Dads birthday. we all went for a lovely meal. I love this photo of all the boys together.



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Date Night

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One of my resolutions is to spend more time with Daddy. Obviously I see Daddy every day but I do want to spend more time doing something just for us two. Being a parent is so time consuming and some days you don't have a minute to sit, chill and relax. When we do get to sit and talk we are normally to tired (or well I am) so its cut short.
I love being a Mummy and spending as much time with my two monkeys as possible but I do think its nice to spend time alone with Daddy.
We did manage a few nights out together in December which was nice. We are not big drinkers so a night out on the town isn't for us really. We don't go crazy maybe just a meal or the cinema. For those two hours or so you feel completely relaxed knowing that you don't have to worry about anyone or anything. 
One of our nights out was going to see the Hobbit - The Battle of The Five Armies. We booked our tickets really early to secure our seat at the Odeon in the Gallery. I love the Gallery and if you haven't been - you must. It's not available in every Odeon but if it is in one by you, do give it a try. It does cost slightly more than a usual ticket but the experience is so much more. 
We like to arrive at least 45 minutes before the movie but we got stuck in traffic with everyone christmas shopping so we were running slightly late. We headed up to the gallery which is located on the top floor. When the lift doors open you are greeted by a huge window the length of the cinema looking out over Liverpool. You can sit and relax on the sofa's while enjoying unlimited soft drinks, tea, coffee, nachos, popcorn and chocolates. 
I usually just have a Pepsi Max and Nacho's. I not a big fan of popcorn but Daddy loves it. The seats are so much bigger in the gallery too. You get a double leather sofa to share with speakers in. The Hobbit was in imax so the sound was amazing.
Once we were settled and had our goodies to eat and drink we were ready to watch the film. We are huge Lord of The Rings fans and have been for years. We watch the trilogy every christmas and have seen the Hobbit films as soon as they come on the cinema. 
Anyway the film was amazing and we didn't move for the duration which is probably a first for me because usually I am the one that squeezes past everyone to go the toilet at least twice through a long film. 
After we watched we returned to the gallery and had a chat about the film. Its sad to think that this is the last one. I hope Peter Jackson does something again in the future. 
So thats it, my resolution has been made that more 'Date Nights' are to be had for Daddy and I. We need to make the time and no excuses. 
Do you have 'date nights?' How do you plan them?
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Winning December

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I tried to start my hobby again in December which is probably the worst time to start entering competitions but I did and I managed a few little wins. 

I thought I would share them on here so I had a little record of what I won in December. I mainly did twitter competitions which are a lot easier to enter than Facebook or websites especially if you don't have a lot of time. I do however like to have a browse at the website of the companies giving away prizes as sometimes you can come across sites you might not stumble upon usually.

My first win of the month was from Smooth Radio. There was a competition over on twitter which asked you to tweet a photo or a memory of Blackpool. I have so many memories of Blackpool. I have been going since I was little. Its such a fun day out and we try to go as often as we can. My memory however was the first time that big J walked on the Skywalk. The piece of thick glass that you can walk on which when you look down is 380ft. Its expanded over the years but when we first went on it it was only a small square and big J lay on it. He was bothered at all that you could see right down to the floor. He loved it. Anyway this was my memory and it won. I won afternoon tea at the Blackpool Tower Ballroom. Sounds lovely and we can't wait to go.

Next I entered a competition over a Hitachi Finance to win a Festive Betty's Hamper. I was so pleased when I got the message to say I won. Daddy loves christmas cake and there was a lovely one included in the hamper. The presentation of the hamper was lovely. It came in a gorgeous hat box which I will use for something else once we've ate it all.

Boyles Bingo picked me as one of the winners of their festive stocking competition and I received a stocking full of christmas treats including lovely Jelly lollipops which big and little J enjoyed. 
I did win a few other competitions but the prizes haven't arrived yet so I will include them next month.

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Getting Cosy With Gro

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I'm not quite sure why we never used a sleeping bag with big J when he was little. It is almost 13 years ago now so I don't know whether they were not available to buy or maybe we just missed them amongst the madness and craziness that comes with having your first baby. Little J however was a different story we knew about sleeping bags before he was born as a friend had recommended we get one. He has slept in one ever since he was born and not only does he enjoy snuggling into it each night, its part of his routine. Little J has been getting cosy in a travel Grobag over Winter and its been perfect for late evenings out over the Christmas.


 Its very unusual for us to be out and about around bedtime as little J loves his routine but over the Christmas the routine went out the window and there was a lot of late night shopping and evenings out. Little J loves his sleep and would drift off in the car on the way home. The travel version of the Grobag was prefect for such occasions because of the travel opening at the back allowing a 5 point harness to fit through. We were able to pop him into his sleeping bag before our journey, fasten him securely in his car seat. It was just as easy to then remove him from the car seat then into his cot if he was asleep. 

We were sent an 18-36 months sleeping bag and I was really happy with the room little J has to spread his legs and move around. He is quite tall for a 21 month old but there is plenty of room for him to grow.


Even when not using it as a travel Grobag it is just the same as a normal Grobag which can be used in the cot as the travel opening just closes with velcro.

The Up and Away Travel Grobag is available in 2.5, 1.0 and 0.5 tog and in sizes 0-6, 6-18 and 18-36 months.

100% woven cotton with a two way zip at the front.

Easy access travel opening.

Machine washable and can be tumble dried on low heat.

There are lots of designs to choose from  and you can view them over on Grobag website.



*we were sent a Travel Grobag in return for a full honest review - all thoughts, opinions and photos above are our own*
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A Perfect Smile

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If there is one thing I would love to change about myself it would have to be my fear of the dentist. I have been scared of the dentist for as long as I can remember and I would love to completely conquer that fear one day. I say completely conquer my fear because I have to admit it isn't as bad now as it was. As I have grown up and got older I realise it probably isn't the horrendous experience as I used to think but I do still walk in the room with butterflies and my tummy churns every time I sit down in the chair. 
Having that fear means my teeth are not as good as what they should or could of been. I will go the dentist for check ups and I have had work done on my teeth over the years but I probably leave it too long in between but that is something I am working on because I would love a nice smile showing off lovely straight teeth.
I have looked trying to get that perfect smile before and I have considered braces in the past and it would be something I would have if the dentist recommended it. There are so many different procedures you can get now to give you that smile you always wished for and I would have to opt the easiest option available. 
I have been looking at fastbraces recently. Although its a new fixed brace treatment its actually been in development for over 20 years. It appealed to me straight away because it promises speedy results and a beautiful straight smile. Fast braces are able to produce the same results as fixed braces but in half the time so around 12 months. Using state of the art materials enables the braces to work quickly and painlessly. This would be a perfect combination for me.
Daddy had braces when he was younger and his teeth are lovely and straight. He is confident to smile with his mouth open and teeth showing whereas I prefer to smile with my mouth closed. I try not to let my fear of the dentist effect my two monkeys because going the dentist is such an important part of life. Luckily they both have lovely teeth and enjoy going the dentist. I hope it stays that way.
*collaboration with Sensu*
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