Filed under: toddlers
Clingy toddler at home, no sleep, too much to do… if you are a busy mum like me who sometimes is feeling stressed out can get an instant natural pick me up from a new product that fits conveniently into a handbag or pocket.
The MamaBabybliss Bliss Stick Uplifting Oil is simply dabbed onto pressure points whenever a woman needs a lift. The all-natural ingredients include:
- Lime Oil: lifts depression and energizes a tired mind, while easing breathing and assisting digestion.
- Bergamot: for depression, feeling fed-up, respiratory problems, colds and flu, PMS and SAD.
- Geranium: helps relieve stress, mild depression, PMS, anxiety and tension, menopausal problems and for general energizing.
“All mums need a little lift every now and then, whether they’re an exhausted new mum getting by with very little sleep while coming to terms with her new, often overwhelming role as mother, or an experienced mum of three rushing between work and after school activities,” explains Justina Perry, founder of MamaBabyBliss. “We’ve created the Uplifting Bliss Stick to help mums take a short breather, giving her the energy she needs before carrying on with her busy day.”
The Bliss Stick Uplifting Oil is available from www.mamababybliss.com and costs £5. The product is part of the MamaBabyBliss range of natural pampering products for pregnancy, babies and mothers, all of which are made with natural active ingredients that are ethically sourced and are entirely free of chemicals found in similar products.
The company also has new website featuring a range of videos including relaxation techniques, massage and yoga. See them at www.mamababybliss.com
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July 24, 2010
Through play, children learn the skills and knowledge needed for life; imaginative play encourages the toddler to use their mind and creative potential. Children can be taught to have the skills and knowledge to deal with life’s challenges and to solve problems creatively through being encouraged to be active in play that involves creativity, learning, investigation and discovery. There’s a saying “Give a person a fish and they eat for a day. Teach a person to fish and they eat for a lifetime.”
Imaginative Play
Play that is imaginative and creative will help the toddler to use their mind to find solutions to problems. One of the most important parts of imaginative play is for the child to pretend to be someone else or in different situations.
This type of play helps promote a toddler’s learning through using role play to develop their imagination. They will also be developing their emotional and social skills, sharing skills, manipulative skills, language and communication skills through this type of play. Not only this but it helps a child build on his or her self confidence and feelings of security.
Kids Play and Imagination
Through imaginative play, a child might run around, pretending he or she is a horse or a dog, an aeroplane or a train. At 3-4 years, they often do this on their own. At other times, an adult could encourage imaginative play so the child might explore new situations and fantasy worlds. This will help the child to explore their feelings and the world around them in a safe, supervised environment.
Children at this age are at Piaget’s preoperational stage. During the years from 2 to 6 Piaget saw the evidence of symbol use in many aspects of child’s behaviour. Children this age beginning to pretend in their play for example at age 2 or 3 or 4 a broom may become a horse, or a block may become a train.
Imaginative play, through building towers out of bocks, talking to and feeding their dolls, making tea with the tea set and dressing in grown-up clothes is important and should never be classed as trivial… Neither should soft toys or dolls be rejected as inappropriate for any age of either sex.
Examples of Imaginative Play Activities
Ask the children to make a pirate ship out of large cardboard boxes. They might make telescopes or binoculars out of kitchen tubes and a flag for their boat out of newspaper. Hats could be made and painted for them to wear while they’re at sea in their imaginary boat. How does this kind of play help in a child’s learning? As the children play with each other, they will be using their communication and language skills.
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July 24, 2010
100g summer sunshine
200g smiles on my kid’s face
2 tbsp Sunday chaos extract
50g adventure spirit
125g self-raising good mood
10 drops of fun
a handful of crayons
a pinch of travel wind
a pinch of “have-a-great-day” spell
secret ingredient
- Preheat your family “get-together on Sunday” mood to max (mark 6).
- Place the Sunday chaos on the bottom, draw the curtains and spread the summer sunshine evenly
- In a happy family car add the /secret ingredient/, tight well to the back seat, mix with a handful of crayons and 10 drops of fun, then whisk it, shake it, beat it… until stiff.
- Add the self-raising mood and the adventure spirit, a little at a time, whisking to incorporate, and then beat in the pinch of travel wind until well combined.
- Spoon into your day and bake for a few hours – until golden on top and overflowing with happiness. Sprinkle with the “have-a-great-day” spell and enjoy!
Have you guessed what the secret ingredient is? – Please share your suggestions below and stay tuned – something very exciting will follow soon!
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June 27, 2010
To celebrate the Child Safety Week 21st- 27th June GreenKiddie has teamed up with Graco Baby to hold a #kidstravelsafe Twitter party on Sunday, 27th June between 9pm – 10pm!
We’ll be tweeting about our challenges when travelling with kids, how to make the travel even more exciting for the children, so it can be enjoyable and less stressful for the parents. Most importantly, let’s talk about how to make our trips safe for the kids and the whole family!
Join us to share your travel stories, to get some great road safety tips, or just to have fun, chat to other parents and WIN great prizes from Graco!
How to join our #kidstravelsafe party?
- Log-in to your Twitter account (or create one if you don’t have an account yet)
- Type#kidstravelsafe in the “Search” field on “Home” tab. Click on “Save this search” so it’s easy for you to find it
- Click on your #kidstravelsafe saved search on 27th June, Sunday, at 9pm GMT and join the party!
- Follow us on Twitter: @greenkiddie and @GracoBaby_UK
When I ask a question, tweet the answer to me and make sure you always include the hash-tag #kidstravelsafe.
We’ll be giving away three beautiful and comfy Graco changing bags. The Graco Sporty Bag comes complete with changing mat and messy bag. It features – handy pockets, includes plastic changing mat, nappy wipes box and leak proof bag, insulated pockets and is machine washable.
Don’t miss it and tell your friends to join in, too!Let’s prove we care about our kids’ safety!
Child Safety Week is the Child Accident Prevention Trust’s flagship community education campaign. It aims to raise awareness of the number of accidents that seriously injure or kill children and how to prevent them.
Get Ready for the Road Ahead with Graco! Make your smart car-seat selection and learn how to make your trip better for the whole family!
Child Safety Week is the Child Accident Prevention Trust’s flagship community education campaign. It aims to raise awareness of the number of accidents that seriously injure or kill children and how to prevent them.
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June 19, 2010
GreenKiddie launches an online eco-store powered by Amazon. The brand new section will recommend carefully selected natural, organic and eco-friendly products for babies & children as well as for the whole family. The products are split by categories from nursing and feeding equipment to “green” cribs and highchairs.
Promoting the eco-friendly and toxic-free products we love is a great way to continue being helpful source of information for parents who consider natural living and the best care for their children. We believe that providing a “green”, natural care for your baby or toddler is best for your child, and it’s also great for the environment.
The “green” eStore will mainly promote products which are oxic-free, completely safe for babies and children, and have already proved their eco-friendly efforts. There will be a special space for mums and mums-to-be, where everything as pregnancy music for relaxation, books on natural and stress-free birth, organic clothing and fabulous organic cosmetics and beauty products will be featured.
GreenKiddie’s online store is a one-stop space for green products, where parents could find everything they need to raise their children naturally and eco-friendly. The same way GreenKiddie is a trustful online media for parenting advice, the hope is for the eStore to become a number one choice for parents to purchase “green” and toxic-free products for their families.
The payment process is trustful and secure and it’s powered by Amazon.
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June 17, 2010
At GreenKiddie we are starting a Green Mama Blog Carnival. Each month we will ask you to dig out your best “green” blog post on a specific topic. The idea of the Green Mums’ Blog Carnival is to share your tips, creative ideas and expertise around the mums’ community, but also to create traffic, links and comments for our blogs.
We would love to hear from you if your posts are 1/ relevant to the topic, 2/ published on your blog during the current month, and 3/ inspiring, informative or provocative.
The topic for our first carnival in July is: “Eco-friendly Summer Holiday with kids” – write about your tips and advice or about your funny stories. If you want to get involved in the July carnival, all you have to do is email a link to your post to info (at) greenkiddie (dot) co (dot) uk by 27th June and the carnival will be posted on the 7th July. Get immersed into the “green summer” theme and share your inspiration with us!
And don’t forget to read other people’s posts and comments when the carnival is published. I promise it will be interesting, helpful and fun!
If you are a brand-representative and would like your product story to be included in the Blog Carnival, please contact us on advertising (at) greenkiddie (dot) co (dot) uk.
We are also looking for interested mums bloggers to host the next edition of the Green Mama Blog Carnival. The August topic will be “Green (Handmade) Accessories”.
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June 8, 2010
Touch is love and affection. It’s the simplest but probably the most significant way of showing love for your child. But massaging your baby and small kid not only helps with bonding, but it’s also very beneficial for your child’s health. It builds stronger immune system, helps with the muscles development, gives better body tonus, relieves, soothes and helps with the relaxation before sleep, and it’s so nice and pleasant experience for both mother and child!
It is really important when massaging your baby to use the right massage oil. What we need is pure natural and organic one, specifically designed for the babies’ delicate skin. 
Make sure you avoid chemicals-based, artificially scented massage oils, broadly promoted on the market. Be informed (rather than manipulated by the TV ads) and always read the ingredients. One way is to prepare massage oils yourself. But if you don’t have the time, use ready-made organic ones.
What I’ve found works best on my little one’s skin is the Spiezia Organics Baby Massage Oil! It contains 100% organic, carefully tested and naturally balanced ingredients such as Almond Oil, Chamomile Oil, Lavender and Roman Camomile Essential Oil. It moisturises and soothes, keeping baby’s skin healthy and comfortable. Gently massage the organic oil onto their body or add a few drops to their bath so that the organic Chamomile and Almond Oils, combined with Lavender, can work their magic, leaving them soft and smooth. If your baby has super delicate skin this formula is ideal, preventing irritation and helping to relieve skin conditions such as cradle cap.
Step-by-step guide to a gentle baby massage
- Take a few drops of the specially developed Spiezia Baby Massage Oil in your hands, warm it a bit and start massaging the top of the foot first – from fingers to ankle. Using you thumbs, start pressing gently under toes; then squeeze each of the toes one by one
- Continue with the legs. Using some more of the organic Spiezia Baby Massage Oil massage legs gently one by one, moving your right hand from tights to feet, followed by the other hand. This is called “hand over hand” technique. Do it for a minute with each leg or while your child feels comfortable.
- Tummy. Get some of the nourishing Spiezia Baby Massage Oil in your hands to warm up for a few seconds. Place your palm gently over the stomach and start massaging from just below the ribs. Always massage the tummy area clockwise, as this helps with digestion. Be careful not to push hard. If your baby is colicky, tummy massage may help and sooth.
- Chests. Lavender oil from the Spiezia Baby Massage Oil eases breathing and helps when a child has a cough or a cold. Place your hands over the chests. Using your thumbs, massage from middle to sides, “drawing” an “arc”-shape. This will “open” the chests and will allow your child to breath freely.
- Go on with the arms and hands. Start with the right hand, using the “hand-over-hand” technique from arms for wrist.
- Slowly move to the back. Turn your little one over, so she can lie on her tummy. You can now massage her back using a bit more of the soothing Spiezia Baby Massage Oil, as “dry massage” can damage the sensitive baby skin. The massage needs to be smooth and gentle. Place your right hand over her neck. Start moving the hand from the neck to the bottom, making sure you don’t push hard. You can also make small circular movements with your fingertips going gently up and down the back.
- Finish with a relaxing head massage. If you are massaging a small baby, be extremely careful with the area around the fontanel, which is very soft during the first few months. Using your palm, massage the scalp from top to neck with circular movements, making sure not to put any pressure. If you do it just before bed, the relaxing chamomile and lavender natural scent from the Spiezia Baby Massage Oil will help your little has a good night sleep.
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June 8, 2010
Bring your imagination to life at this brand new family festival that celebrates all things creative. Get your hands on the LEGO® bricks from the James May house and join LEGOLAND as they re-use them to create another amazing structure. Help the Rainbow Fairies locate their missing belongings for a chance to win an exclusive Rainbow Magic book in their special treasure trail. Be enchanted by the colourful creatures of Tinga Tinga Tales in their creative art area.
Join in the fun and go dressed in a costume inspired by your favourite story time character and take part in the parade at midday. Let your imagination run wild!…
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May 10, 2010
So, what’s for breakfast this Sunday morning? We are making “magic” pancakes. Everyone know the basic recipe, right?
100g organic plain flour
pinch of salt
½ tbsp fructose/ organic sugar
2 organic eggs
250m organic milk
50g organic unsalted butter
There are a few magic ingredients to add – I’ll tell you in a bit, they are top secret!
I combined the flour with the salt and fructose in a bowl and made a wee well in the centre of the bowl and add the eggs. Then I stirred well whilst adding the milk, and poured the mixture into a jug. The moment I added the Steenbergs Organic Fairtrade Vanilla Extract, the magic spread around! Such a warming feeling and sweet aroma! I use Steenbergs Organic Vanilla Extract in puddings of all shapes and sizes, ice cream, add it to whipped cream, use with fruit, or to hot chocolate – so versatile! And if you love vanilla then Steenbergs Organic Fairtrade Vanilla Extract is a must in your kitchen, too.
I added another magic ingredient – A few drops Steenbergs Natural Almond Extract, full of dreamy volatile bittersweet aromas! Steenbergs Almond Extract has no added sugar and is a traditional extract made with just water, alcohol and bitter almond oil. Steenbergs Almond Extract is also delicious in macaroons and bakewell tarts. Next time I will try it with pastries or just with apricots.
As soon as the batter hit the hot pan, I tipped it around from side to side to get the base evenly coated with batter. We had some fan while flipping the pancakes over, making sure the pancakes land into the plate (and not the floor).
Rather than traditionally served with lemon and sugar, we decided to try something different. To add some more magic to our perfect Sunday breakfast, I served them sprinkled with Steenbergs Organic Fairtrade Chocolate Drops. They melted beautifully over the warm pancakes – so tasty! They are delicious and dairy free. Steenbergs organic Fairtrade chocolate drops are also perfect for making chocolate chip cookies or double chocolate muffins or cupcakes.
Now that the pancakes are served, there is only one thing we needed to enjoy our magic Sunday breakfast – tea! While my little one had her cup of milk, mummy and daddy indulge themselves with a cup of Steenbergs Organic Green Tea With peppermint! Instantly you feel so refreshed! Apart from being delicious drink that you don’t get bored of, it’s also great for detoxifying. And it’s so easy to make:
Simply put 1 teaspoon of Steenbergs organic green tea with peppermint into a pot, add freshly boiled water that has slightly cooled and leave to infuse for 3 – 4 minutes.
Voilà – the perfect Sunday breakfast with Steenbergs!
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May 3, 2010
I don’t have a favourite snack on the go – they are either yummy but too many calories, or healthy but not that tasty. 
Well, until now. Discovering the delicious Bear nibbles, I am amazed by the flavours and still 100% great-for-you ingredients in their products! There is nothing that I don’t like about Bear nibbles – strating from their website – easy to find what you need with funny grrraphics. I was then won by the packaging – so natural look and feel, clear design, and comfy size. Finally the magic of the taste: no other nibbles are like these!
I tried their delicious blend of whole grains and fruit baked into crunchy granola nibbles. The crispy granola Apple Crumble and Tropical Crunch were both so yummy! I can leave myself to the coconut flavour giving you a sense of exotic summer holiday – just what I needed! Digging into the pack, I found whole grain oats & maize, pineapple pieces, coconut (mmm), apple, grape (also cinnamon in the Apple Crumble one to warm up my senses) and absolutely nothing else! – No added sugar, no preservatives, no nonsense. As they say, 100 naked nature – huh, like that! Always in a hurry and always on the go, the Bear granola nibbles are my favourite
I need to be honest here – I know they are made to be eaten plain, but I also tried them with milk for breakfast and with yogurt as a desert – it was so yummy! I am happy because it’s healthy, so no guilt, and it’s also one of your 3 a day of wholegrains!
My little one was a bit jealous though – “Mummy, what are you eating? Why are you closing your eyes – is that that yummy? – I want to try, too!” So tried them as well as despite being a bit crunchy for her teeth (she is only two), she just loved it! But then I gave her something more suitable for her age to try (thank you, Bear, you have been so thoughtful to have snacks for kids, too). The oh-so-yummy yo yos in strawberry or peach flavour went just like this! As promised on the packaging, each yo-yo is one of kids’ 5 a day, so she had all her 5 at one go (there are two rolls in a pack)! I was wondering what’s inside the pack to make her that happy – apparently juicy peaches in a form of fruit pure with some mango, papaya, apple, pear for even healthier snacking…and sunny days! Hurray – healthy-tasty snacks for my little girl, too!
Why don’t you see for yourself? – It’s grrreat!
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April 29, 2010
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