All Mum Said

Telling it like it is...

Archives for 2015

A Very Merry Vtech XMAS

By Leave a Comment

A Very Merry Vtech XMAS

Christmas is so close that Christmas trees are on their way up and tinsel is being untangled. I am quite eager to be honest!
I am also excited about the new range of Vtech toys that have been released in time for Christmas. It is all so much fun and without the kids even realising, it is educational as well! Best types of presents.

Vtech XMAS ideas

There are three products that jumped out at me, and they are relevant to different age groups. They include:

Vtech Baby Peek-a-Boo

As the name suggests, this super cute little baby plays Peek-a-Boo. But it also does so much more than that. She also knows 60+ songs and phrases so your little one will not only learn to talk along with her but they won’t get bored by the same few words being repeated. She requires only 2x AA batteries and for the sanity for parents (and battery saving) has a 15 minute play timer for songs!


This sweet doll teaches children aged 2+ about different body parts, food, feelings, nursery rhymes and encourages pretend play (CLICK HERE to learn the benefits of pretend / imaginative play).
RRP $34.95 from Kmart.

ABC Spell with Me

Perfect to help your child aged 3-6 with word recognition, this Vtech toy is offers four interactive games and teaches letters, words, rhyming and phonics. It can also store 30 letter blocks inside (these are included). The blocks are great for coaching word building, independent play and of course having fun!


Parents have been taken into consideration with this toy. There is a volume control for quieter play, a strong and durable design and on automatic shut off!
RRP $39.95

Kidizoom Action Cam

This is perfect for the children aged 5+ in your home. They can be like all the YouTube sensations and sporting stars with this Kidizoom Action Cam. Your child can capture their adventures; water/swimming/splashing, indoor or outdoor activities like bike riding/skateboarding, jumps or even races!


It even has the option of video or camera so you get the best of both worlds. No need to worry about how many batteries it will go through because it has a rechargeable battery.
Included Accessories: Waterproof case, camera holder, bike mount, adhesive mount, wrist strap, USB cable, double sided adhesive tape.
RRP $99.95 from Big W.

For more great Vtech products for Christmas click here to see my other reviews!!

Would your child like one of these Vtech XMAS ideas?

DIY Printables And Educational Games For Kids

By Leave a Comment

DIY Printables And Educational Games For Kids

With school holidays fast approaching, it’s great to have some creative tools up your sleeve. Keeping the kids entertained, learning and laughing over the Christmas break may sound like an impossible task, but it’s not – with some printable activities and fun learning games, you can keep their boredom at bay in an educational way.

LEGO Puzzles

These nifty little puzzles are a great tool for increasing motor control and aiding in cognitive development and spatial awareness in toddlers and pre-schoolers. They can also be a great idea for presents!

Here’s how to make them:

1. Print a recognisable character, picture or word on thick, laminated paper.
2. Glue the back of your paper to a stack of connected LEGO Duplo bricks (or regular LEGO pieces for older kids).
3. Simply slice between the seams of each Lego brick.
4. Take the pieces apart and let your little ones put them back together.

Heads, Shoulders, Knees And Toes

Another activity to keep your kids’ minds at work these holidays is teaching them the parts of the body. A fun way to beat the old “heads, shoulders, knees and toes” song could be to create your own jingles. Depending on your child’s age, you can introduce new body parts to the song, such as tummy, elbows, chin and chest. If you’re after a really crafty afternoon, print out diagrams of the body and see what parts they recognise (just the basics is fine – nothing too challenging!).

Dear Diary

It’s no secret that children have huge imaginations. Make the most of this by keeping a night-time journal with your children. Even if they can’t write yet, work with them to create a personalised journal featuring their own pictures and stories. For example, you could print out a picture of their favourite character and dedicate a diary page to them. A diary is a great educational tool as it teaches your child the benefits of reflecting and remembering. Best of all, you can laminate and frame it for their 18th birthday!

Learn The Alphabet

Print out large letters of the alphabet and glue them onto sticks. You can pick them up in order, or make a game out of spelling words. The ageless ‘pick up sticks’ game has never been so educational!

Timetables

Print out a graph of the timetables on bright, colourful paper. Laminate it and stick it somewhere in the house to help your child or children get more familiar with them.

Greater Than, Less Than

Mix and match art with maths. Have your child design a ‘greater than, less than’ monster such as a crocodile and teach them maths with a deck of cards.

Printable activities can be useful for kids of all ages, but the value of printed materials extend beyond childhood as well! Education and training providers find that printed documents are effective training tools in all kinds of industries – particularly when created with expert printing companies like The Print Group (click here to learn more).

For the kids, quality learning doesn’t just have to happen in school. Learning at home can prove just as good for stimulating and pushing your children to their full potential.

What are your favourite ways to inspire learning through DIY activities?

This is an S2 POST.

Make Life Easier This XMAS + Trampoline Giveaway

By 155 Comments

Life is pretty busy with 4 kids, not to mention one of those being a newborn. Thankfully she is very cruisy and just fits in with the rest of us, so far anyway. The house has been full of people and as anyone with a big family knows this also comes a large amount of mess.

You know what I’m talking about. It is not just toys, clothes or even food; it is the constant trail of dirt, flowers, grass and anything else they want to bring in from outside. I feel like I am constantly cleaning! The vacuum may as well find a home in the living room because it is there more than it is in the cleaning cupboard.

I recently received an email from Crazy Sales asking if I would be interested in collaborating with them on a review and product giveaway. I jumped straight onto their site to see what goodies they had to offer. I immediately thought, ‘what will potentially make my days easier and less stressful’? Something that cleans for me would be ideal but I very much doubt they would have a robotic vacuum. I was wrong! They actually had a few robotic vacuum cleaner options and so the comparison research between them began.

After much deliberation, I decided on the 7-in-1 Robot Vacuum Cleaner because it received the best reviews. When it arrived, I was stunned that it came fully assembled and the lithium battery had enough charge that I could give it test run before letting it completely charge, as everything these days seems to require a complete charge before you can use it. I will be honest and say I was expecting something of the ‘cheap’ variety but it was pleasantly surprised with the quality.

The 7-in-1 robot vacuum (aka Robi as the kids have named it) has a range of modes, they include: Auto, Spot, Wall Follow and Dock. The features of this machine also say that it can mop and disinfect but I haven’t used these options yet so I cannot comment on how well they work. I can however tell you that the auto vacuum mode works well and does so unsupervised.

It transfers from tiles to carpet and back again with no intervention and does a good job on both. I wouldn’t use it for my big bi-weekly clean but it is great for everyday tidy ups as it makes the job smaller and more manageable. I have found that it doesn’t quite make it right into the corners of a room but overall ‘Robi’ does a pretty good job. The big bonus is you don’t actually have to do anything and when the battery starts to get low, the vacuum will return to the dock to charge.

It apparently has an intelligent anti-collision feature however I find that it runs into everything before it turns away. This is not a big deal for me though as the bumper is soft enough that it ensures no damage is done to the furniture. The bin is extra-large and easy to remove which means I don’t have to constantly be emptying it. Robi offers more features than I will ever need but they are there if I ever want them. Overall the 7-in-1 vacuum does a pretty good job for a machine that operates solo.

Prize Includes: Genki 8ft Trampoline with 5ft Safety Enclosure. RRP $249.95.

For more information on the Genki 8ft trampoline, click the link or to view other sizes click here.

**As the winners are chosen based on skill and not chance; you will be sharing for 0 extra entries however I’d love you to share the giveaway with friends and family. Sharing is caring and karma loves kind people. **

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Terms & Conditions:
(1). Entries open to Australian Residents only.
(2). Comments on blog and shares via social media are required.
(3). This is a contest of creativity, the most creative entry will be chosen as the winner by the blogger. Judges decision is final.
(4). Shipping and prize costs will be borne by Crazy Sales, however Crazy Sales will take no responsibility for the package once it has been shipped.
(5). Winners are required to photos of the prize and share them on social media with a link to the product page.
(6). Commenting on the relative post announced on CrazySale Facebook page is also eligible to enter.
(7). NOT endorsed by or have anything to do with facebook.

If you want to enter more giveaways click over here.

Disclosure: I received the Robotic vacuum for the purpose of this review. All opinions are my own.

4 Home Renovations To Make The Most Out Of This Summer

By 1 Comment

4 Home Renovations To Make The Most Out Of This Summer

Summer is here already, and there is nothing that resonates with people more than getting to enjoy the longer days and warmer weather in the great outdoors. If you’ve been thinking about a renovation that will allow you to get the most out of the hotter months, then here are some suggestions to transform your home in preparation for summer.

1. The Ultimate Entertaining Area

To make the most of this summer, you need to make sure you spend as much time outdoors as possible. To do this, renovate your backyard to include the ultimate entertaining area. If you’re going to be spending a lot of time there, you’ll want it to include a high quality patio or deck. It’s a good idea to go online and check out patio and deck builder websites such as www.AdaptItGroup.com.au to see what’s available. Don’t stop there though – you can also include a beautiful outdoor dining set with plenty of seating, some hanging plants to add some colour, and a double cooktop barbeque with a bar fridge.

2. Gardener’s Paradise

A landscaping renovation is no easy feat as your garden paradise may look substantially different depending on the time of year. Summer is a great time to help your garden shine as flowers and other plants feed off the warmth and become acclimatised to their surroundings. You don’t have to go overboard with colour and variety; stick to a smaller number of species that you can alternate and repeat throughout the backyard. Also, make your garden something you can work on continually – have a section of your garden set up with vegetables, fruits and herbs.

3. Tropical Haven

The ideal summer renovation is a tropical escape. The first step is to install an in-ground swimming pool, big or small, that you can laze by and cool off in. Once this is done, use the pool as the focal point for the rest of the space. Include pebble pathways leading to the pool, or to different locations around the yard, and set up a hammock or day bed in amongst some shady foliage. Natural products are the key to this renovation, so try incorporating something like bamboo poles along the fence line that can have vines growing throughout. Also, keep garden accessories such as furniture made from natural products, such as a hardwood dining set.

4. Indoor/Outdoor Living

One of the major elements to install for an indoor/outdoor renovation are doors that allow you to open up the entire area. Floor to ceiling, glass bi-fold doors are your best option, as it will allow the entire wall that separates your home from the yard to be opened up. Once this is done, your only limit is your imagination. Put in a deck in if you don’t already have one, include a large outdoor kitchen so you can move mealtime outside, have an array of potted plants inside that tie-in with the greenery outside, and have your outdoor furniture tie-in with the theme of your indoor living space.

The ideal summer renovation is the one that resonates relaxation and warmth. By incorporating some of the great suggestions above, you will be enjoying the very best that summer has to offer before you know it.

What is a renovation you have always wanted to do to your home or backyard? Leave your answers below.

This is an S2 POST.

Love To Dream Nuzzlin Sleep Bag + Giveaway

By 45 Comments

Babies love to be swaddled and wrapped up tight, right? Well if your children are anything like mine, you will know all too well that some simply cannot stand their movements being restrained. My first three children despised being wrapped up and their arms being tucked in, whereas my newborn (currently three weeks old) doesn’t mind it either way.

Love To Dream Nuzzlin Sleep Bag

As a result of the older children not liking swaddles, we adapted to the use of baby sleeping bags from almost day one. Some are better than others, some have better features than others but I can say with all honesty; I am absolutely adoring the Love To Dream Nuzzlin Sleep Bag.

It is light and unbelievably soft, which is a must on sensitive baby skin. Created with a new generation muslin, it is 100% cotton knitted fabric and is extra comfortable thanks to the amount of stretch in the fabric.

I love the extra long zipper because it allows nappy changes during the night even easier as you don’t need to remove the Love To Dream Nuzzlin Sleep Bag, simply unzip and change. If that wasn’t benefit enough, we all know that new babies can be prone to throwing up regularly which is why I love that it can be machine washed. Due to the sleep bag opening flat, you can hang it on the line and it will be dry in a matter of minutes!

 

The Love To Dream Nuzzlin Sleep Bag is so simple to use. Lay the bag flat, place baby on top, fold shoulder strap over and clip it, zip it up all the way and it is done! The zip has a cover over the handle as well so you don’t have to fear your baby getting scratched.

I cannot rate this Nuzzlin Sleep Bag highly enough!!

The Nuzzlin 1.0 TOG Sleep Bag is the perfect all rounder. Available in Pink with a happy elephant, Aqua with a fun pear and yellow with a cute watermelon motif. Sizes include: 4-12 months, 12-18 months and 18-36 months. RRP $59.95.

Follow Love To Dream on Facebook or click over to see their website!

3x WINNERS!!

Each Prize Includes: 1x Love To Dream Nuzzlin 1.0 TOG Sleep Bag. (Winner can select size and colour) RRP $59.95 each. Total Prize Pool: $179.85.  

This print not available. Winner must select from the 3 shown above.

**As the winners are chosen based on skill and not chance; you will be sharing for 0 extra entries however I’d love you to share the giveaway with friends and family. Sharing is caring and karma loves kind people. **

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Terms & Conditions: 
1. Australian residents only.
2. Judges decisions is final.
3. Winners must make contact within 72 hours.
4. This is a game of skill. Chance plays no part!
Therefore no extra points are given for sharing however it is good karma!!
5. All Mum Said is not responsible for delivery of prize.
NOT endorsed by or have anything to do with facebook.

If you want to enter more giveaways click over here.

Disclosure: I received the item for the purpose of this review. All opinions are my own.

Top Posts & Pages