MAD Academy

Isla and I have recently started a new activity on Saturday’s and we both really love it! It’s called MAD Academy (Music and Dance) and it’s a 45 minute class of physical and mental stimulation. We also go with a couple of my NCT friends and their toddlers, so it’s a great opportunity for us to catch up.

The session starts with everyone saying hello, going round in a circle, and over the weeks, the little ones become familiar with the welcome song and learn the actions (nodding head, clapping hands and waving). Next up is the warm up to music (a bit of Katrina and the Waves - 'Walking on Sunshine', first thing on a Saturday morning does wonders for the soul!) where we all stamp our feet, jump up and down and tear up and down the hall, Isla always loves this bit and laughs loads. What’s important to mention at this stage is that the leader of the class, Debbie, always makes it clear that if your child is doing something different to everyone else/ doing their own thing, then that is absolutely fine, it’s a free spirited approach and no one is made to feel bad if their child isn’t joining in.

From there we do activities that encourage the kids to learn colours and shapes and also listen to sounds and identify what they are. Isla has really got better at colours and shapes since doing these exercises. Another thing that I like about these classes is that after each activity, the children are encouraged to collect up the apparatus/ bits and pieces they have been playing with – they seem to love tidying up – shame this doesn’t translate when we get home!!

There are lots of other things that we have done in the classes, as they take a different shape most weeks but what I love most about them is that Isla is absolutely tuckered out afterwards – it is a proper work out for her and we both generally go home happy (well, that’s if she hasn’t had a tantrum about wanting a biscuit when I’m trying to get her in the car to go home!), and a lunchtime nap is generally guaranteed and being heavily pregnant now I need the rest too!

MAD Academy is in lots of different areas now, so check out their site and see if there is one near to you - click here MAD Academy

This is not a sponsored post - it's an activity that Isla and I thoroughly enjoy and I want to recommend to other parents!

Bump Watch...Week 29

Week 29...Already feeling like the back end of a bus!

I'm Going to Cybermummy (well I hope I am!)

As per the title - I sincerely hope I am going to the Cybermummy conference, the reason i'm unsure is that it depends on whether baby boy can cling on and either arrive on time (1st July) or a bit late! I have the ticket and I'm really looking forward to it.

I uhmmed and ahhed for ages over the decision to buy a ticket and then I thought, GO FOR IT, I'm quids in whatever happens - if I get to go then I'll get to meet all the fab mums I've 'met' through twitter and blogging since last November and will have the chance to attend some fantastic workshops and listen to inspirational speakers. If I don't get to go then that means that I've got my lovely baby boy and I'll be up to my eyes in nappies and will be too tired to even remember my own name! I also know that there are many mummies who missed out on a ticket for this years event so if I can't go then I already know peeps who will snap my hand off for my ticket.

So here's hoping that I do get to go. I hope that everyone is as friendly as they seem to be and that I get to make some new friends. This year is a big year for me what with extending our family but my blogging 'hobby' is something that I do just for me and I'm thoroughly enjoying the experience.

If you're going too, let me know below!

Born Free Giveaway!

Recently I was very lucky to win a competition run by the people at Born Free. I won £100 to spend on their fabulous products. I bought things I knew would come in handy for Baby Boy when he arrives but found that I had more in the coffers than I needed, so I decided to buy a Born Free Gift Set (retailing at £24.99) with my left over spends to give away to one of my lucky readers!

For those who don't know Born Free products are all Bispenol-A free (BPA). BPA is a chemical compound used to create polycarbonate baby bottles and recent research suggests that small amounts of BPA may leach into foods and beverages causing neural  and developmental damage in children.

The gift set I have for one lucky person includes the following:

1 x 260ml bottle with level 1 teat
3 x 150ml bottles with level 1 teats 
2 x level 2 teats
1 x 220ml trainer cup

The bottles have an anti-colic vent and promise no leaks! This would make a lovely prize for someone expecting a baby this year, either yourself or a friend/ family member and the BPA free guarantee will set new parents minds at rest.

If you'd like to enter this giveaway, please do the following:

- For one entry, please leave a comment below with your contact details - twitter name/ email address
- For a 2nd entry please 'Like' my Facebook Page 'I Heart Motherhood'
- For a final entry tweet the giveaway on twitter “I’ve entered to win a @BabyBornFreeUK Gift Set on @iheartmuthahood’s blog” and tell me you have done so below

The Giveaway will close on 22nd April - Good luck everyone from I Heart Motherhood x

And the winner is @daisyangel1 - Angela - I'll be in touch!

Wellstart Parenting & Child Development PC Software - A Review

I was recently offered the chance to review a new computer based software package dedicated to recording details of pregnancy and your child's development. It also has information about conception and fertility for those at the family planning stage.

I love keeping records of Isla's development and up till now I've done this through a paper baby journal, inserting scans/ photo's and writing bits and pieces about her development as and when I remember to do it. And that's the trouble with baby books, you have to remember to write in it (that's once you've remembered where you've put it in the first place!) and so you can forget to record all those momentous milestones, like first rolling over, first tooth, first steps etc. The beauty of the Wellstart program is that it starts up on the laptop once Windows has opened, so given that I use my laptop everyday, it works as a prompt to add in a quick note about something that Isla has done that day or something about my pregnancy. There is no excuse not to do it.

The program itself is a calendar and in relation to pregnancy, it gives notes about what to expect each week. For existing children it gives guidelines of what you should expect of them for their age, along the lines of how many words they should have in their vocabulary, things that they should be physically capable of doing  for their age, like climbing the stairs etc.

When you first use the software you input all the family details, mother, father, existing children and pregnancy details. You can then add in photo's of your children and from that point onwards you can make journal type entries relating to each of your children. For each note you make you can add photo's, video footage or sound files, so written memories of babies first taste of solids can be accompanied by a video of those first few mouthfuls - which I think is brilliant - the memories all consolidated in one place! This makes it like a library of your child's development and I think it will be fantastic to actually be able to sit with Isla or the new baby when he's old enough and show them all the notes and media you've kept about them. I remember being fascinated with the cine film footage that my Grandparents took of me when I was very young and that didn't even have any sound, so I can imagine their delight at seeing all this.

My only criticism of the Wellstart software is that it could be aesthetically more pleasing, it has a basic look about it - you are able to change the colours in it and the fonts and you can add your own photo's, but I think it can look a bit clinical. So for me I'd like it to be 'funked' up a bit - this is minor criticism though!

If you are the kind of person who likes to have hard copies of this kind of thing then you can also print off your records and you can email records you've made too. Another feature I like is the link to BabyCentre which has a wealth of resources for child development and advice, I'm a regular visitor to their website, so for me this is a useful resource.

Overall I'm sold on Wellstart, and I can't wait to start using it for our baby boy's arrival in July. I will enjoy recording his milestones right from the beginning and using the software to store favourite photos and videos of him. I have already bought him a paper baby book and I think it's nice to have both anyway!

We were supplied with a copy of the Wellstart software to review free of charge in order to write this blog post.

I ♥ Sweetheart Knits!

Anyone short of ideas of what to get Baby Boy when he arrives then get over to Sweetheart knits and check out their cute and cool designs for little ones. I love these Pirate Booties and this Pom Pom Hat!

I ♥ Sass & Belle Owls

I saw these Sass & Belle owls in a little shop near me this week and I've decided I absolutely have to have one, so it's on my list of purchases I need to make! I will disguise it as a present to Isla.....I'm trying to push my love of owls on to her....