Interflora Brighten Up Your Day

However down you may be feeling, however grey the skies may be, the delivery of a huge bouquet of flowers brightens up your day!  Today I received a beautiful Pink Radiance Bouquet courtesy of Interflora.

The stunning hand tied bouquet features a generous selection of fragrant, oriental pink lilies, classic pink roses, pink lisianthus and cerise germini.  The vibrant pinks contrasted beautifully with the gypsophilia, aspidistra leaves, eucalyptus and salal.  It is a personification of summer itself! Finished with gift wrap, ribbon and presented in a stylish gift bag, it made a huge impact as it arrived this morning by a lovely Interflora florist wielding an umbrella to protect them from the rain!

Flowers have an uncanny knack of making you smile and this exquisite bunch is no exception.  They looked so pretty and they smelt lovely too.  They add a real splash of colour to the house.  Take a look of these colours!

Interflora are proud to be the world's largest and most experienced flower delivery service.  Every day thousands of people trust Interflora to deliver good wishes or thoughtful sentiments on their behalf.  Everyone involved takes care to add a little personal touch to the Interflora experience.  Every bouquet is prepared with care and hand delivered.  So whether you are looking for flower delivery in Nottingham or florists in London, you can trust Interflora!

Fun with Jungle Junction

Jungle Junction is a huge hit with us here Inside the Wendy House.  The Disney Junior BAFTA nominated TV show stars animals who live in the jungle with "wheels instead of feet"!  I was very excited when Flair created a range of toys based on the show.  I saw the Jungle Playset at Christmas in July  and loved it.  I was even more excited when I was sent the Jungle Junction Hippobus and Beetle Bugs Play Set and the Wheel Around Fun Set to review with my Tiny Testers Freddy and Kizzy.

The Jungle Junction Play Set at Christmas in July.

The play sets bring to life the fun of Jungle Junction for children to enjoy in their own home.  Pre-Schoolers can re-enact the fast moving adventures from the jungle with the familiar characters from their favourite TV show.

The Hippobus is a big yellow, smiley school bus who takes the Beetle Bugs safely to school.  The Play Set comes complete with five colourful beetle bugs plus stop and go signs to see them safely across the road!  The Hippobus has working sounds, just press his ear and the bus erupts into the giggles of the Beetle Bugs, their boinging sounds or the bus horn beeping.  The side of the bus opens up to reveal rows of colour coded seats for the bugs which encourages early colour recognition and a slide.  The bus is robust and beautifully made.  It comes complete with batteries so it is ready to be played with!  All the accessories store neatly inside when not in use.  A cardboard jungle scenery play mat and stickers are included.

The set was the perfect size for Freddy's little hands and he loved whizzing the bugs down the slide and wheeling Elebus along.

The Wheel Around Fun Set features Ellyvan, Bungo and Scooter who can zoom around their own cardboard play mat.  The set includes road signs and stickers to add to the fun!  The individual characters can be wheeled along the road in their own adventures.

The sets can be added to with free wheeling figures that come individually or in duo packs.

The Jungle Junction toys are fun, colourful, well made and will provide hours of fun for Disney Junior fans.

The Jungle Play Set RRP £39.99
Hippobus and Beetle Bugs Play Set £19.99
Wheel Around Fun Set £9.99
Jungle Junction Figures £3.99 - £6.99
Available from Smyths, Argos, Amazon, Boots and other stockists.

When Life Throws a Curve Ball

I am a worrier, always have been, always will be.  Mostly, the worry is reserved for my children.  Even after my eldest two have left home, I constantly worry about them.  It doesn't stop.  Very rarely does this worrying extend to my husband.  He is my rock.  My hero.  He will be here by my side forever. No question.  What is there to worry about?

The belief that we will grow old together is set in stone.  It's our destiny.  It was always meant to be.  Perhaps I have taken that unshakable truth for granted, because right now my faith is being tested.  Just a tiny bit. It is only a slight niggle that is rocking the foundations of my world, but it is enough to make me stop and take stock of my life.

I know it's nothing and I'm worrying unnecessarily.  Ian is fine, I'm convinced of it.  But a routine doctor's appointment for a minor ailment lead to some routine tests which have resulted in the discovery of an anomaly.  This is now leading to a further battery of tests.  Ian has never been ill in all the time we've been together, apart from the occasional bout of man flu of course.  He isn't ill now, but the medical profession feel the need to probe and scan and test my husband.  It is a little scary even though I'm sure they are just taking precautions.

Hopefully these tests will highlight a whole host of illnesses that Ian hasn't got.  I'm sure it will put my mind at ease as the list of possible problems are dismissed leaving nothing but a clean bill of health.

But just having the ugly head of the prospect of illness raised in my marriage has shaken me.  Reminding me that every day is precious.  Reminding me to not take anything for granted.

When I was pregnant I had some medical problems.  A heart murmur was detected early in my pregnancy and my kidneys struggled to work properly.  But we weathered the storm together and after Freddy was born I recovered...no more babies for us though!  All our health worries have revolved around me, never Ian.

Maybe this reminder is a good thing, and when this is all over I will be holding onto my loved ones a little tighter, breathing in their scent a little deeper, telling them I love them even more than I do now.  I am so lucky and so blessed.  May I never forget that.

Keep Your Kids Safe With UK Wasp Watch

The Summer Holidays are in full swing and that means playing out in the garden, day trips, picnics and WASPS!!    With the unseasonably warm weather that we experienced earlier this year, wasps are flourishing.  In fact Rentokil reports a 13% increase on wasp enquiries from this time last year!

WASP!

Rentokil have conducted a survey which has found that two thirds of mums are worried about wasp stings.  This is not surprising as wasp stings can cause severe reactions and 300,000 people in the UK suffer allergic reactions to stings.  Anaphylactic reactions can occur and in severe cases can prove extremely dangerous.  The survey showed that 76% of mums would not know how to deal with anaphylactic shock if their child suffered from it.

The Anaphylaxis Campaign advises the following steps:

·         Call 999 immediately to seek medical help

·         Keep the patient calm

·         Lay the patient down, with their feet raised to increase the blood flow to the heart

·         If there is a sign the patient will be sick, turn them onto their side into the recovery position until the ambulance arrives

To help parents, and the wider public, manage the risk of wasps - Rentokil’s interactive UKWaspWatch map tracks sightings of wasps to create a picture of wasp hotspots across the country. This year, Rentokil has teamed up with The Anaphylaxis Campaign  (the UK charity focused on helping people living with severe allergies) and will donate 20p to the charity every time a person logs a wasp or wasps’ nest sighting onto UKWaspWatch throughout the summer.  The site also includes information on what parents should do if their child is stung.


Wasps can be unpredictable and get particularly aggressive towards the end of summer.  To reduce the risk, you should avoid areas where wasps cluster, such as rubbish bins in picnic areas. Wasps' nests can contain up to 5000 wasps which can be incredibly dangerous if provoked.  Children should be made aware of the dangers of playing near or worrying wasps' nests. After all prevention is better than cure.

Rentokil has the following top tips for parents to minimise wasp threats:

·         Encourage your child to stay calm in the presence of wasps.  The best advice is to move away slowly; waving arms or swatting wasps will increase their tendency to sting.

·         Wasps are attracted to bright colours.  If you’re planning to spend time outdoors, muted or pastel shades will help prevent your child being targeted.

·         Don’t walk barefoot outside and look out for wasps before sitting down.

·        Wasps will make a beeline for sweet drinks and foods.  Encourage children to use lids and wrap food as soon as you’ve finished eating.

·         Ensure children wipe their faces and hands after eating sweet things like lollies and ice-creams to minimize further temptation for wasps.

·         Remember that insect repellents go hand in hand with sun cream in the hot weather.

·         Research the difference between wasps and bees. While both are bright yellow and black striped, there are noticeable differences between the insects. For example, wasps tend to be less hairy than bees, their eyes are kidney shaped and their bodies more pointed, with a noticeable waist. Being stung by a bee is quite rare as they are much less aggressive than wasps.

A high wasp presence is a real turn-off for parents, with 82% of mums stating they would actively avoid a wasp hotspot. Parents concerned about wasps can log onto UKWaspWatch to identify areas with high wasp activity when planning days out or weekends away.  You can also log any sightings together with their severity, ranging from a single wasp through to a wasps’ nest:

• Visit www.ukwaspwatch.co.uk and log a sighting directly onto the map by following the simple instructions
• Enter your sighting via a special Facebook application  
• Tweet the hashtag #ukwaspwatch, your postcode and how serious the sighting is using the scale on the UKWaspWatch website.

Wasps can be real pests in the summer and cause anxiety, especially with the risk of an allergic reaction if your child has never been stung before.  It is very useful to have practical advice on avoiding wasps and what to do if your child does get stung.  Although as a parent we worry about wasp stings, it is reassuring to know that only 0.5% of the population will suffer from an acute allergic reaction.  Knowing what to do in such an event can be a real life saver.  If we take the recommended precautions hopefully we can all enjoy a summer free from wasp stings!

To find out more about UKWaspWatch and to raise money for The Anaphylaxis Campaign visit www.UKWaspWatch.co.uk. 

Listography...Top 5 Kids' Films

Kate has chosen favourite children's films as the theme to this week's Listography after her eventful trip to see Cars 2 at the cinema.  Her story reminded me of taken my eldest son to see Beauty and the Beast at the cinema, aged 3.  I spent the majority of the film chasing after my toddler who was crawling down the aisles underneath the legs of unwitting cinema goers who were trying to watch Disney's latest release on the big screen.  It was traumatic to say the least!

However, the experience of taking my first born to the cinema for the first time did not ruin my love of film and in fact the aforementioned Disney classic is my number 1 choice!

1: Beauty and The Beast

This may be my favourite Disney film ever.  I love Belle, the bookish, brunette who sees that beauty is more than just skin deep when she falls in love with the hairy stud muffin aka Beast.  The songs are like the real traditional Disney songs that I loved to perform in my bedroom as a child.  It's a proper fairytale brought to life with a happy ever after...perfect!

2: Toy Story (the Trilogy!!)

Toy Story is simply incredible...all three of them!  They were the first films that Freddy loved and we've ended up buying every single character in toy form from the Disney Store from Woody to Buzz to Slinky Dog and the toy soldiers.  Yes we are suckers for merchandising and seeing the wide eyed wonder on our son's face as he sets his eyes on the latest cast member that appears in his toybox!  I love the genius scripting, the randy Newman soundtrack and the fabulous casting of the voices.  Pixar perfection!

3:  Ice Age

This film has been resurrected by Freddy who is hugely amused by Scrat's adventures with his acorn.  He laughs out loud at the hapless little creature.  Subsequently, I have become quite fond of this movie.  I love how the unlikely group of animals form a herd and work together.  Good life lesson!

4: Hans Christian Anderson with Danny Kaye

How could anyone not love this film?  It reminds me of my childhood and I adore Danny Kaye.

5:  Monsters Inc

God, I am such a Disney junkie, but I can't get enough of their films!  Another Pixar classic that the whole family loves.  I cannot wait for number two to come out...I just hope that by then Freddy will be old enough to take to the cinema without re-enacting his big brother's first visit!  Somehow though I think I'll need to prepare myself for embarrassment!!

Lunch Time with Crocodile Creek

The US based company Crocodile Creek have a brilliant selection of back to school lunch products which are stylish as well as functional.  With water bottles, lunch boxes and food jars, the products are all child friendly, beautifully designed and made from the highest quality materials.

We have been sent a thermal food jar from their range to try out.  The wide mouthed food grade stainless steel flask is both strong and safe.  The design we have depicts the solar system and is really funky as well as educational.  Perfect for any budding astronomers!

The 5.5" tall double walled insulated flask is perfect for both hot and cold food.  It gives the opportunity to avoid boring sandwiches in your child's lunch box.  How about a healthy pasta salad or a chunky soup for a change!  The wide mouth makes it very easy to eat from.  The outer wall remains cool to touch with hot food inside and is sweat proof with cold foods.   It is also easy to keep clean (hand washing recommended).

The screw top lid is secure but easy to do up and undo which is important for a child's independence.  Kizzy will enjoy the option of having a tasty, home made lunch in her flask.  It will make school lunch time choices much more flexible for her.

The Crocodile Creek Thermal Food Jar retails for £15 and is available in designs suitable for both boys and girls.

You can find Crocodile Creek products online at Amazon.

The Gallery...Birth

This week's The Gallery prompt is "Birth".  There are so many ways this prompt can be interpreted but I have decided to go literal and a bit medical. (Look away now if you are at all squeamish!)

Freddy was born in July 2009 and we were lucky enough to have the most brilliant midwife.  She was really straightforward and matter of fact...none of the overly sentimental platitudes that some midwives adopt and definitely none of that calling me a "good girl" malarkey *cringes*

She suited my birthing style perfectly and I delivered my 9lb 10 oz baby with no pain relief whatsoever.  Afterwards, we were chatting about how interested my girls were about my pregnancy.  My midwife sprang into action allowing us to video her explaining about the workings of my placenta.  She pulled it all about, demonstrating how it all worked to nourish Freddy during my pregnancy.  She was awesome.

The afterbirth is the forgotten part of the delivery.  It is usually expelled and disposed of without much thought.

Nothing really in pregnancy is more amazing than the organ we create to sustain our unborn child inside us.  The rich network of blood vessels that feeds our baby.  The membrane that holds our unborn baby safe inside.  The umbilical cord that connects mother and child.  It is a forgotten miracle.

I'm not one of those mothers who wanted to eat it or bring it home to give it a Christian burial, but I was humbled, amazed and proud to see what my body had done to give sustenance to my son.  OK it looks like something found in a butcher's shop or possibly a horror film...but it is the giver of life and the enabler of the miracle of birth!

As well as the video, my midwife posed with my placenta for some photographs.  One of which is my Gallery entry for this week.

My Placenta

Pop across to Tara's blog to discover other photos in The Gallery!