My 1st Years review and giveaway

With Easter on the horizon I was very excited when My 1st Years offered me the chance to review one of their lovely Easter items. 

My 1st Years sell lovely personalised baby gifts such as teddy bears and embroidered blankets that are perfect as special presents for new arrivals and tiny tots. They even sell baby shower gifts, Christening gifts and personalised wooden toys that I think are wonderful. So many great ideas that you would not fail to find something perfect and unique for a little boy or girl. 

The baby clothes range from My 1st Years is exceptionally cute with personalised baby grows and even baby shoes that new parents would be so delighted to receive. In addition, the gift range extends to seasonal treats with Easter baby gifts and presents for the men too, perhaps for Father's Day like photo frames and personalised keyrings.

Every item is packaged with care and sent in the most beautiful posh blue gift box. 

I am going to keep my box for treasures and keepsakes. Inside here, wrapped in crisp white tissue paper was another great quality box. Pretty boxes make me very excited -they always say 'great quality item' inside.....

I received the Personalised Bunny Ears Egg Cup which is beautifully crafted in solid oak by Hop & Peck and decorated with a jaunty stripy bow. Absolutely wonderful for a special Easter breakfast for a little one and you can have their name engraved up to 15 characters onto one of the bunnies ears. The engraving is superb quality and perfectly done.

The egg cup retails at £20 and measures 15 x 9cm. It is perfect to sit upon a side plate and serve up a yolky egg with soldiers by the side - which I'm going to do on Easter Sunday for my little boy. The edges of the egg cup are smooth and rounded off so it is really made very well and a beautiful design.

I think it would also make a great nursery decoration too as a memento of a 1st Easter. I'll place it on a shelf as a decorative item to use on special occasions. It is a perfect gift for a child like mine who does not like chocolate or as something a bit different and special.

Just to be really cute My 1st Years are donating 5% of their sales on Easter bunny products to a bunny sanctuary. Awww hop, hop, hop. So, would you like to win one of these Personalised Bunny Ears Egg Cup then? Well here is your chance by entering into the Rafflecopter below. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway Sorry UK only
I received a Personalised Bunny Ears Egg Cup for the purposes of the review. All words are my own honest opinion.

My Mother's Day plants

 I had decided that for Mother's Day I would love to have a few plants for the garden and we would go the week before, so that on Mother's Day morning if the weather is fine, we can plant them.

Little Bird helped me look and assisted in pushing the trolley. A very calming exercise for him and managing his sensory overload in new situations. He was brilliant.

 

I would love this Camellia standard, a beautiful lollipop tree with pinky/red flowers like saucers. It was rather expensive though and had a big sold sticker on the pot. 

Lucky person!  Neat ordered rows to wander up and down. From palms and bamboo to shrubs and perennials. I wasn't really sure what I wanted at first. Purples - so vivid

 

Different shades of green.  I picked a Pulmonaria for its beautiful spotty leaves and purple flowers.  I recommend this plant for any shaded garden or corner. It forms a lovely clump and is so pretty.

Also an Achillia pink grapefruit was plopped into my assistants trolley. This should flower throughout the summer months and is know for attracting butterflies.

 I chose some herbs too to keep us in a supply of them for my cooking - thyme, rosemary and parsley. Rosemary has such delicate purple flowers and the bees love it.

There were plenty of blossom trees scattered around the garden centre. I can't wait for the ones in my garden to take the centre stage.

 Oh how I could have picked a lot more but you have to reign yourself in at these places. I would want more plants that I could even fit in the garden. At this time of year it is easy to see lots of bare soil and think it needs filling. Just another couple of months and all those empty spaces will suddenly have plants that are already there lurking. Although there are usually one or two plants that have not managed the winter, that's good enough reason for me to pop another couple of plants in......

I didn't :) I was very grateful for the ones I had and will look forward to planting them this weekend on Mother's Day. Thanks Little Bird xxx

Joining in with Mammasaurus and How Does Your Garden Grow?

Wednesday Wishlist - making your own Easter treats

Easter Muffin Cake Cases £2.40 // Easter Egg White Chocolate Baking Mould £6.95 // 
French antique chocolate egg mould (1950's) £7.45 // Bunny Basket Candy Mould £2.49
 Boiled egg mould £4.76 // Rabbit Glass Jelly Mould £12 // Wilton Silicon Easter Egg Mould £11.99  Easter Egg Lolly Mould £3.99Fried egg mould £7.95 // Yellow Duck Cookie Cutter £1.75 // Wilton Non Stick Cake Pan £8.00 // Vintage 1930-1950 Easter chicken chocolate mould £25.00Lamb and Chick Easter Decorating Kit £1.88 //  Biscuiteers Personalised Easter Cake £65.00 // Bettys small Simnel Cake £12.95 // Lollipop Moulds £1.54

Easter is one of my favourite times of year and this year I want to make it really special. I'm thinking I will mostly make my own chocolate eggs and treats so we can have fun being creative as well as scoffing them all afterwards. I need to investigate what I need to make gorgeous coloured chocolate so I can make a pink egg for my mum.

Also it will be nice to have a few bought in treats like a special cake or fancy eggs. I am desperate to get all the Easter decorations out and make the house look all pretty in pastel colours. We are definitely going to have a little Easter egg hunt around the garden and I'm going to decorate the blossom trees with little eggs too. 

I'm loving the rabbit jelly mould the most! What do you like? 

Joining in with Mummy Alarm and Wednesday Wishlist. 

Ethel the cow

 The ice cream farm as a little treat.
But for who?
Little Bird won't eat the gorgeous stuff, gone off it again.
But, no matter, for the excitement is about seeing the cows.
Like, really excited. Jumping up and down. Can't stop smiling.
LB really loves them.
 Not afraid.
The cows come over.
One even did a little frisky, gallopy, jumpy frolick across the barn.
A happy cow.
A jump over the moon kind of cow.
Happy Ethel and friends.
 More interested in animals than people.
Can't fault that.
My little boy who has never said 'hi' or 'bye'
but can name all the animals with such joy.
My little Temple Grandin. 
 We do go in and get ice creams.
Just in case........
Double scoop - lemon curd and jammy dodger.
Toffee popcorn and raspberry cheesecake.
10/10 Ethel and chums.
Best ice cream in Cheshire.

We Like to Read: What's Your Favourite Animal?

 A new book in the library, What's Your Favourite Animal? by Eric Carle and Friends.
Spotted in the wooden book boxes in the children's section. I was on my own today but had a little look to see if anything would interest Little Bird. I knew he'd like this one.

A collection of popular illustrator's favourite animals from Lucy Cousins to Jon Klassen. Others that I didn't know the name of but I recognised their style.  
Lots of little poems and ramblings.
Some funny, some sentimental.

I think Little Birds's favourite animal might be a sheep or maybe a elephant. 
Trumpety trump!
Baa!
Mine is definitely a dog. A large scruffy dog. Although Eric Carle's cat looks very cute. His cat hid a green bean in a shoe. Awww! 
Joining in with We like to read over at the lovely Tigerlily Quinn.

Pull a weed, lose a worry

quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson

Nothing like the allotment to release a little tension.
Letting the pulling of weeds take away the stress of the day.
Half an hour in and my mind is eased.
And there are fewer weeds in at least one patch.
Many more worries and weeds to go.
Thieves have been to the allotment, breaking into sheds. Mine escaped, save a bent lock.
I'm going to make a sign to warn of the curse of pinching from my little shed. 
Nothing in there but spiders anyway.......
and my pretty tin kettle.
Look! It's looking reasonably cleared now.
I spread chicken manure and dug it in.
Planted two rows of broad beans and covered them in a long cloche.
Planted two fruit trees - looking a bit pathetic I have to say but only £3.99 each from Aldi, so worth the risk.
An apple tree and an unknown straggly stick without a tag. I like a surprise.

A few jobs for over the next week to keep me busy. I'm willing the rhubarb to hurry up - must be a late variety as my neighbours rhubarb is quite a clump already.
Dreams of rhubarb crumble and vanilla custard.
Dreaming of my cutting garden, this year I will have plenty to gather for vases, I hope.
Resting my legs now, quite a work out digging and planting.

Joining in with Mammasaurus and How Does Your Garden Grow?

Vertbaudet for my boy

Vertbaudet clothes for children are so lovely. Becky from Baby Budgeting is running a competition for bloggers to put together a lovely outfit for our little ones to wear on Mother's Day. This is what I chose for my 4 year old boy:

I found a fab long sleeved t-shirt with a viking on it to go with some brilliant trendy, grey checked pants that look very comfy as well as being smart.

Picking out the orange on the t-shirt, I then saw an orange striped snood to keep him warm. He's had a lot of colds this year so needs to be snug whilst it is still a bit chilly.

I love Little Bird in yellow so I would definitely choose this bright parka with a detachable extra lining. I would love this myself!

If the weather was fair, these grey pumps would look very cute with the outfit and in case of rain, some amazing viking wellies - squeal at how amazing these are and he could help get them on himself using the handles. 

I love picking out clothes for Little Bird, my cute little trendy boy, so fingers crossed.

Spring breezes through the house

Come into my house spring.

You are very welcome to shine some sunlight into cobwebbed corners and chase out the dust bunnies lurking under the sofa.

I'm enticing spring into the house with trumpeting daffodils in every room.

Such an inexpensive flower.

Dotted around the garden too and in containers.

Yellow everywhere.

 A new calendar for Little Bird.

To learn the seasons and the weather.

We try and remember to change this every day.

I love these bright pops around the house. 

I have been baking a lot again.

Perhaps spurred on by Easter cakes and chocolate chicks.

Chocolate speckles and vanilla. 

My simple sponge where I weigh 3 eggs and match the sugar, self-raising flour and butter.

Works well every time.

 Time to dust all the decorative bits and bobs.

Change things around and start some Spring decorating.

Polka dots and flowers.

I feel a charity shop trip a coming for some vintage crockery.

 Boots at the ready to quickly get into the garden.

Everyday a new bloom, new shoots and surprises.

A breezy week so far, nicely drying all the washing.

That's what I like, saving money - no tumble drier days.

 More yellow. Mustard yellow is allowed too.

A new book for a new interest of mine, learning about church architecture.

So many beautiful churches.

Curious nooks and crannies.

I love a bit of history I do and identifying things appeals to my inner geek.

It's by Matthew Rice who is Emma Bridgewater's hubby and does a lot of the designs for the mugs and other lovely things.

 The bunnies are starting to appear.

The owl doesn't look pleased about this.

Easter excitement already in this house.

I'm on the look out for decorative eggs to hang from the blossom trees in my garden.

Must order a vintage egg mould too so I can make my own choccy eggs this year. 

I like a challenge, can't be too difficult can it? 

Are you getting giddy over Spring too?