Frugal Adventures In WebsterLand

This weekend we ticked two things off our Summer Bucket list, we visited a local farm and had a picnic.

We were going to visit a farm that's quite local to us that I had taken my older kids to when they were young, but on seeing the admission prices and the fact they wanted to charge for Jake (he's 12 weeks old) I decided to look further afield and came across a lovely little place called Acorn Farm in Knowsley which about a thirty minute drive from us.

Acorn Farm started out as a community project in 1985 and has gone from strength to strength since then, they continue to involve people from the local community, as well as providing local employment opportunities they also provide day service placement for those with disabilities.

When I saw this statement on their website 'Acorn Farm is a registered charity and we try to keep our admission and other charges to a minimum to ensure that everyone is able to access our services regardless of their level of disposable income. Any surplus generated is used to improve the farm’s facilities' I knew the farm deserved our hard earned pennies.

Here are a few photo's from our visit

The admission price is fantastic for families on a tight budget, £2.50 for adults and £1.50 for kids !

As well as the usual array of farm animals, they also have Meerkats, this little fella was busy keeping watch.

You can buy a very generous sized bag of animal feed for 50p, all the animals were really friendly and those who weren't were clearly sign posted.

There is a beautiful little garden where you can chill out, like the rest of the farm this area is beautifully maintained.

We paid £1 for Daisy to pet some of the smaller animals, the petting sessions are usually only offered on weekends but are available every day throughout the Summer holidays.

There are plenty of spaces outside to have a picnic, the farm also has a small café offering freshly cooked meals.

Although we had a picnic we needed to feed Jake so popped in the café for a coffee and Daisy enjoyed a huge slice of sticky apple cake.

The farm also has two fantastic play areas for children, a woodland walk and a shop where they sell local produce and plants from the farm.

I can't believe this little gem of a place has been sitting under our noses for years without us noticing, it will definitely become a regular day out for us now.

Acorn Farm also won a Certificate of Excellence from Trip Advisor this year and I'm really not surprised, the site is beautifully maintained and the animals look healthy and well cared for.

If you want to check out there website then you can click here .

Angela x

One of the things on our Summer Bucket List, which you can read here was to make some ice lollies with Daisy. She has recently been enjoying frozen yogurt so I thought we would make a more healthier option than the shop bought ice lollies she usually eats.

I needed a really simple idea that would be easy for little hands to help with so I chose two ingredients, Strawberries and natural yogurt.

We used one punnet of Strawberries and one 500g tub of low fat natural yogurt, you can adjust for the size of your own moulds. The Ice Lolly moulds were reduced to 75p at the supermarket what a bargain !

Of course we had to taste test the Strawberries first !

Chop the Strawberries up into very small chunks, I always give Daisy a spoon so she can help to chop as well.

Add the Strawberries to a whole tub of yogurt and stir well.

There was plenty of mixture left afterwards to enjoy.

The finished products waiting to go in the freezer.

Here is Daisy enjoying our homemade frozen Strawberry and yogurt ice lollies.

We will definitely be making these again as well as experimenting with other types of fruit, they are so easy to make and taste delicious.

Just to add if you have a sweet tooth you could try adding honey to the mixture.

Have you made any ice lollies this year ? what fruit did you use ? leave me a comment I love hearing from you.

Angela x

I remember thinking before Daisy was born that all babies had dummy's (pacifiers), my two eldest children had always had them as did I when I was a toddler, so it came as quite a shock to me when Daisy wouldn't even entertain the idea of having one popped in her mouth as a newborn.

A couple of months before Daisy was born I went to a baby show with my cousin where I bought some dummy's with beautiful designs on them, I was feeling rather quite proud of my little self for being organised when my cousin said these shocking (at the time) words to me 'don't buy too many she might not take to a dummy', I had never even considered that a baby wouldn't !

Anyway to get to the point of the post Daisy doesn't have a dummy for comfort she has blankets, many of them, too many to count, she has to have one with her (recently two) at all times, sometimes it seems like she has one permanently attached to her mouth and nose, 'snugging' it as we call it, I'm not complaining at all I find it so sweet, she is like Linus from Peanuts although I do wrestle them off her for a weekly wash.

A few months ago she began to show a preference to one over all the rest, her 'pink blankie' as she calls it must be available at all times for 'snuggie' emergencies, I've been wondering lately how long the blanket will last, will it end up a tattered little rag of a thing by the time she grows out of the need for it or will she keep it safe for the rest of her life to show her children and grandchildren, the latter thought I find really comforting for some reason.

Daisy can be quite mean about her blankies sometimes, don't dare sit on one by accident or use one to cover Jake, her looks alone are enough to kill, but at the same time if she thinks you are sad or feeling poorly she will offer you a corner to 'snug' or if you pretend to be asleep she will cover you with it to keep you warm.

This little girl and her blankie melt my heart and I hope that she continues to find comfort from them for years to come.

As a side note Jake hasn't taken to a dummy either so time will tell if he's a 'blankie snuggler' too.

What do your babies use as a comforter ? Do you have a 'snuggler' in your house too ? leave me a comment I love hearing from you.

Angela x

Today Jake is three months old today, it really does seem a case of blink and you will miss it, it seems like only yesterday we brought him home from the hospital and now it's hard to imagine what our life was like when he wasn't in it.

If you want to read the last update which was at ten weeks click here .

Sleeping

Sleeping at night has improved both for Jake and for us, he usually goes down to sleep in his cot by 9pm where he sleeps until around 5am which I think is fantastic and it's certainly made a huge difference to my quality of sleep.

The last few days I have noticed him falling into a little pattern with his day naps too, he seems to having a long sleep usually from about 12pm until 3pm, with several shorter naps throughout the day.

Feeding

Jake is still having six 6oz bottles of formula (hungry baby) milk a day , he still cluster feeds in the evening which means he usually has two bottles in quick succession, I think he has suffered slightly with colic in the evening although it's not been anywhere near as severe as Daisy was with it.

Growth

I had planned to go to the clinic and get Jake weighed this week but he's had a little cough and cold this week and I've been rotten ill with a throat infection too so I didn't fancy dragging us all out of the house. Jake doesn't fit in any 0-3 month clothes anymore, he know fits nicely into 3-6 months sizes.

Development

Jake is really alert all the time now when he's awake, he loves bashing at the toys on his activity mat, he has a really strong grasp now so has been enjoying holding his blue giraffe soft toy and having a good old slobber all over it.

Jake was due to have his second set of immunisations this week but with us all being unwell we had to cancel, I was quite shocked when the clinic said it would be another six weeks before he gets another appointment, this is a little worrying and I can't find much information on what effect this could have. I'm going to phone the health visitor on Monday and find out, has anyone else had this experience ?

I will be back at 16 weeks for another Jake update.

Angela x

Although my two little ones are too young to have an official Summer holidays, I still like to plan lots of activities for us to do during the Summer, the days are very long and we like to make the most of the better weather this time of year as well as thinking of new ideas for indoor play.

BritMums and McVitie's BN Biscuits sent us two packets of BN Biscuits to try for the challenge, our house is full of chocoholics and we were all really surprised that the Raspberry BN's were our favourite, we loved the chocolate too but the Raspberry were so Moorish ! The sandwich biscuits are tasty and a very generous size making them very filling.

Here are some things we have been up to this Summer, both outdoors and indoors.

We have blown bubbles

We had our face's painted

We had fun in the bath on a rainy day

We had fun with the hose pipe in the garden

We went on plenty of walks in the sunshine

We went to a local farm and fed the goats

We had a few picnics

We made ice lollies

We went to the Aquarium

We went to the park

We ate Ice-Cream

We drew pictures on rainy days

We had fun in the rain

We have had lots of fun this Summer so far and still have lots of plans for the weeks ahead.

Here are a few more tips for both indoor and outdoor fun this Summer.

Outdoor Fun

Fly a Kite

Go Puddle Jumping

Go To The Beach

Go Fishing

Make A Mud Pie

Indoor Fun

Have a picnic in the lounge

Make Cupcakes

Have a Marathon Movie Day

Have a Treasure Hunt

Have a Tea Party and Invite Your Friends

I hope you've enjoyed seeing what we have been getting up to this summer, maybe you could try some of our ideas or find some inspiration of your own, whatever you do enjoy the rest of your Summer.

This post is an entry for 42 Days of Summer Linky Challenge sponsored by McVitie's BN. Learn more at http://bit.ly/1mRpMCL .

Angela x

When I was growing up a crisp butty was a regular snack in our house, our budget was tight and ready salted crisps and a loaf of bread were cheap, we would occasionally spice things up by adding a splash of vinegar to the bag of ready salted, us kids thought that was amazing.

Since becoming an adult I have indulged in the humble crisp sarnie less and less, but when I saw that Seabrook were celebrating crisp sarnie week I thought I would get involved and create a more sophisticated creation than my childhood palette was used to.

Mature Cheddar, Beef Seabrook Crisps & Wholegrain Mustard Sandwich

I used a cheese flavoured ciabatta roll, I spread a generous amount of wholegrain mustard on the bottom of the roll, next came the slices of mature cheddar followed but a very generous handful of Beef flavour Seabrook crisps for extra crunch.

The end result was delicious and it's given me the motivation to try some different crisp sarnie creations in future.

Do you like crisp sarnies ? what weird and wonderful things to you use on a crisp sarnie ? leave me a comment below.

Angela x

* This recipe is an entry into the National Crisp Sarnie Week competition with Seabrook crisps *

Up until the middle of August I was blogging regularly, the ideas for posts were coming thick and fast, the inspiration and motivation to do things so I could blog about them was at an all time high, then all of a sudden everything stopped.

If you are a regular reader of my blog then you may have read other posts where I have touched on the fact that I do suffer bouts of depression, I can't tell when this is going to happen and one morning in August from the minute I woke up I knew the horrible darkness was back.

As I get older I'm starting to recognise the build up to a bout and what my triggers are, there were a few things niggling me for weeks that I didn't confront and unfortunately that's the outcome for me.

I'm also convinced that I've had a bad reaction to the contraceptive injection (Depo), I am going to write a separate post explaining about it.

Anyway, I'm feeling so much better, I had a kind of rock bottom moment recently and it's been onwards and upwards ever since.
I decided not to seek medical help this time around and instead have looked at ways that I can help myself through it, it's a work in progress and I now accept that I will have to work really hard the rest of my life to not let depression gets it's hooks well and truly in.

My head is once again full of ideas of things I want to do and write about, now comes the task of finding the time.

I had stopped writing some of my regular posts as I wasn't sure which direction I wanted to take my blog, but I reminded myself that this is my space to write in, I'm writing for me and if I'm lucky enough for anyone else to read it then that's a bonus.

I'm going to be working on a posting schedule to keep me focussed as I know that writing is my therapy, I'm going to bringing back some of the old regular posts I used to write like 'Webster's Week In Wins' which I'm going to revamp to include my success with surveys, I've also got some ideas for new regular posts.

The most important thing for me at the moment to accept is that if I don't feel like blogging I won't, I don't want to lose the joy of writing so I'm taking the pressure off myself.

Thanks for reading.

Angela x

Today Jacob is exactly 4 months old, as each month passes I wonder where on earth the time has gone, it seems like yesterday he was a shiny new baby and now he is this little person with a personality all of his own !

Sleeping

Jake now sleeps on average about 11 hours during the night, he has his last bottle between 7.30-8.30 and is usually asleep by 9, this of course is wonderful for us, we are getting s much better quality nights sleep which is a relief as I'm terrible when tired.

Jake does nap during the day but at the moment it seems to be only when he is being held by me, this normally wouldn't be a problem but when you have a toddler to look after as well it can prove quite difficult and if I'm honest a bit frustrating.

Feeding

We have taken Jake down to five 6oz bottles , we found he was bringing a lot of excess milk back up after his feeds, he is still satisfied with the reduced amount and it's not affected his sleeping.

I have tried him a few times with baby porridge when he has seemed hungrier, although he doesn't dislike it he isn't very interested so we are taking it slowly.

Growth

I had Jake weighed last week, he weighed 18lbs 3oz ! no wonder his 3-6 months clothes are a little snug. They don't measure him at the clinic I go to so if anyone knows the best way to measure a baby at home please do let me know.

Development

This week Jake discovered he has two hands and hasn't stopped grabbing at the other, he finds it fascinating and spends ages just gazing at them. Jake loves watching what Daisy is doing and attempts to jump of my lap so he can join in, I've also noticed he can wriggle himself of his play mat, I never find him where I left him.

Jake loves sitting on my knee and can quite easily hold himself up now, his neck and muscle control is growing stronger everyday.

We are also at the wonderful stage where we can make Jake giggle, is there a nicer sound in the world than this ?

I spent a few days last week chasing up an appointment for the second lot of immunisations that Jake missed out, he finally has an appointment next week so I'm not looking forward to that.

I will be back next month with another update.

Thanks for reading, feel free to leave a comment below if you have any comments or suggestions, I always read them and comment back.

Angela x

Here at the Webster's we have been taking part in the Pampers Active Fit #BritainsDriestNappy challenge,

I don't know about you but I don't think I've ever given much thought to how wet nappies might be on the inside, that was until Pampers sent us a fun little challenge to find out.

We are a Pampers household but we usually use Pampers Baby Dry, we have tried some supermarket own brand nappies but have always returned to the reliability that we feel Pampers offers us.

Dryness Demonstration

I'm a massive nerd when it comes to anything that seems like a science experiment so I got quite excited at the dryness demonstration that Pampers sent us to do at home, my husband and I both sat down to do it together, Daisy did observe but she was supervised at all times.

Here's a list of what you will need if you want to try the experiment for yourself:

A Pampers Active Fit Nappy
150ml water in a cup or bottle (this is about 2-3 wees in baby terms)
A timer
Some tissue or kitchen roll
A pair of scissors

* Take the nappy and place it as if you were about to put it on your baby, make a kind of bowl in the middle.

* Pour the water slowly into the centre of the nappy in the bowl you made.

* Set your timer for 1 minute 30 seconds.

* When the time is up place your tissue paper/kitchen roll on the surface of the nappy and apply some pressure, about the same amount you think the weight of your baby would apply.

* Lift the tissue/kitchen roll and see the results for yourself, also have a feel of the surface to see how dry it is.

We followed all the instructions above and we were really surprised with how little moisture was on the kitchen roll, the surface of the nappy was remarkably dry which was a shock as the 150ml of water seemed like such a lot when I was pouring it !

Above is a photo of the kitchen roll result, as you can see the dampness is minimal.

The dryness demonstration also challenged us to cut the nappy in half to see how Pampers Active Fit stay so dry, inside the nappy are absorbent micro pearls which absorb the liquid to form a gel which then locks the liquid away, this means it can keep your baby protected from dampness for up to 12 hours, this is great for overnight if you are lucky enough to have a baby that sleeps through.

A close up of the inside of the Pampers Active Fit Nappies.

I was already confident that Pampers were the best nappies for us, but taking part in the #BritainsDriestNappy challenge has reaffirmed our decision.

Here is Jacob modelling his Pampers Active Fit Nappy.

Why don't you have a go at the dryness demonstration at home yourself, let me know if you do and what results you get.

Angela x

*We were sent a trial pack of Pampers Active Fit nappies for the purpose of this blog post but all opinions are 100% honest and our own.*

This post is an entry for #BritainsDriestNappy trial sponsored by Pampers. Learn more at facebook.com/PampersUKIre .

I was contacted a few weeks ago with the great news that I had been accepted as part of the Babies R Us Babyologist programme, I previously filled in their online application on their Facebook page, applications are still open if anyone else is interested (you don't need to be a blogger).

I was very excited to hear that we would be sent some video baby monitors to review, not as excited as my husband Chris who is a massive gadget nerd, we have only ever used audio monitors before.

We were sent the Motorola MBP27T Sense The Temperature Digital Video Baby Monitors, upon opening them we were intrigued to read that not only was it a video monitor it also had a touchless thermometer built in, Motorola have used the latest technology to help you monitor the health of your little one.

Once we had set up the monitor the real fun began, testing out all the functions of the monitor.

The Video Monitor

The picture and sound quality are excellent, the unit also features a night vision mode, the built in photo sensor detects a low level of ambient light and switches to night vision automatically, the screen then appears in black and white while the picture quality remains thanks to the high intensity infra-red LEDs.

You can also turn off the video monitor but leave on the audio monitor if you wish.

Talk Mode

This talk mode feature is one of my favourite things about this video monitor, by pressing the button you can talk to your baby, this is great if your baby just needs to hear a soothing voice without having to enter the room and disturb them, I think this feature would also be great for toddlers who won't settle.

Touchless Thermometer

I think the touchless thermometer really sets this video monitor apart from it's rivals, there are two buttons, one is for testing forehead temperature and the other is for testing the liquid temperature of things like milk or a bath by using infra-red technology, it's so easy to use and the results are clearly displayed.

Digital Pan and Tilt

Another great feature is the ability to pan and tilt the camera unit from the monitor, this means if your baby wriggles around their cot like ours does you can move the camera to the position you need without having to disturb them by entering the room.

Alarm

The parent monitor also features an alarm which can be set for a 6,4 or 2 hour period.

Range and Portability

Once charged the monitor is fully portable and has a range of up to 300 metres and an out of range warning, I've found this a brilliant feature as I usually get my chores done whilst the baby sleeps, I can take it from room to room without worrying.

I can honestly say that we have been incredibly impressed with the monitor, not only is it reliable and flexible it also offers unique features which make is so much more than just a baby monitor, meaning it will be used by us way beyond the baby years.

The video monitor offers you peace of mind which can be something we all seek as parents of little ones.

Here is a short video where I point out some of the features of the video monitor.

You can buy the Motorola digital video baby monitor from Babies R Us online for £99.99 .

Do you use a video monitor with your baby ? let me know in the comments below.

Angela x

*We received the monitor free of charge as part of the Babies R Us Babyologist programme but all opinions are 100% honest and my own*

I'm not really one for keeping up with the lives of (so called) celebrities, I don't care about what they are doing, how much they weigh or what they had for their lunch last week but the one thing I do love reading about them is what they call their babies.

I love hearing what unusual, quirky and often bizarre combinations they come up with, I think I live vicariously through their odd choices because I wouldn't be brave enough to bestow such vibrant moniker's on my own children.

My children all have two middle names, it's my thing you see, no particular reason it's just something I decided I would do, some are named after important people in our lives, others are just names we really liked and were second choices to the names we eventually settled on.

I think choosing a name for a new baby is so exciting and equally as frustrating, there is always that one name you just can't agree on or the name you like that causes your partner to think you have taken leave of your senses.

Chris and I were considering (just for a fleeting moment mind) the name Bane (the villain from Batman) when we were pregnant with Jacob, in the end we just weren't brave enough, although if we had have had a girl second time round she would have been called Wren (so sad we will never get to use it).

Sometimes when your baby is born the name you had chosen throughout your pregnancy just doesn't suit when you actually see their little faces, this happened to me when my eldest son was born, he had one name when the midwife left the room and when she returned five minutes later he was called something completely different, my advice is always be flexible and have a few standby names at the ready.

Here my ultimate top 10 celebrity's kids names

1. Harley Quinn Smith -Kevin Smith

2. Maple Sylvie - Jason Bateman

3. Phinnaeus Walter - Julia Roberts

4. Kal El - Nicholas Cage

5. Sunday Rose - Nicole Kidman

6. River Rose - Kelly Clarkson

7. Axl Jack - Fergie

8. Rex Rayne - Fearne Cotton

9. Bryce Dallas - Ron Howard

10. Bear Blu - Alicia Silverstone

Photo Credit

Do your children have unusual names ? or are you a traditionalist ? let me know in the comments I love hearing from you.

Angela x

I'm a few days late with Jake's update, he turned 5 months old on the 9th October, things have been a little tough over the past couple of weeks, life with two little ones is certainly a lot harder than I remember but we plod on regardless. I take my hat off to anyone with lots of children and single parents I really don't know how you do it !

Sleeping

This is a sore point for me at the moment, Jake will go to bed around 9pm and sleep until around 6am each night which is great but his nap times in the day are very frustrating at the moment as he won't nap anywhere but on me, some of you might think that's no big deal but when you have a 2 year old deciding they need a wee just at the point Jake has dropped off, on top of the fact that I have to sit down and can't get anything done it's just becoming exhausting. I know he will grow out of it I just hope it's soon for my sanity.

Feeding

Jake is still having five bottles a day of 7oz hungry baby formula, I have tried him a few times with food and although he will eat a few spoonfuls he is still not very interested, I think he prefers his milk at the moment.

Growth

I've not had Jake weighed recently but I know he's a big boy, he has been wearing 6-9 month clothing for a few weeks now, even some of those are snug on him. I think he has grown a little taller too I think he will be a big lad when he grows up.

Development

Jake seems to like sitting in an upright position more now than being on the floor on his play mat, he still needs support though. He can now reach for his toys and is definitely more dextrous when playing with them.

He is still trying his best to roll over but isn't quite there yet, he has also developed a high pitched squeal when he wants some attention, he is a very smiley baby and loves watching his sister play, he wriggles in excitement, you can tell he can't wait to be mobile and join in.

I think Jake is starting to lose his baby looks and is starting to get proper little boy features now.

He has his final lot of immunisations next week thankfully, I'm hoping he won't cry too much it's one of the worst things you have to do as a parent.

I will be back next month with another update, I can't believe it will be his 6 month one, that seems like a huge milestone.

Thanks for reading

Angela x

I have been feeling really overwhelmed for the past few months, I have felt like I've been spinning too many plates, treading water and wading through treacle, I don't know about you but when there is too much clutter in my mind, too many to-do lists and the constant feeling that I need to catch up I come to a complete standstill instead, productivity becomes nothing more than a long distant memory.

One afternoon last week I had an epiphany, a light bulb moment and all of a sudden it became clear, I needed to be ruthless and simplify my life, look at all the areas that were making me feel so frustrated and de-clutter them within an inch of their life !

I'm not just taking about the type of clutter that we physically accumulate, I'm talking about mind clutter, digital clutter and debt (it is a type of clutter if you think about it).

I am determined to reclaim the time and space for us to grow as a family, I want the weekends back for us to do things as a family rather than catching up from the chores from the previous week.

This is the first part in a series of posts I want to write about our experience as we declutter and simplify our family life, feel free to join us along the way.

Physical Clutter

I have never been a hoarder, I probably have a sort out at least once a season, I give stuff away frequently but that's just no good if I'm then replacing the items with more stuff.

Over the past week I've been absolutely ruthless, going through each room and filling boxes to be donated or passed along to family.

These are the things I have asked myself each time I've faltered or been indecisive

Have we used the item in the last year ?
Would we notice if the item wasn't there anymore ?

Am I just keeping the item because I'm worried about the money I wasted on it ?

Am I keeping it out of obligation ?

Is the item adding value to or enhancing our life ?

You really have to tale a long hard look at why you are holding onto things to be able to make any real progress, at the end of the day it's all just stuff, you need to make room in your life for the things you really want by letting the stuff you don't need go.

As the rooms and spaces become clearer I am finding them so much easier clean and keep in order (as much as you can do with children in the house) , I still have quite a way to go but I feel motivated that doing a little at a time is going to make a huge difference in the end.

Of course clearing the clutter is no good if you are not going to change your mind set about the items you buy or bring into your house and life, this process is making me realise that we need to think carefully about our purchasing decisions, I am quite an impulsive person and it's really helping me to learn a different way of doing things which is no bad thing.

I can't begin to tell you how much better I feel after just a week of going through the process, I can already feel the fog lifting.

Do you have any tips for me about decluttering ? share your experiences with me in the comments I love hearing from you.

Angela x

I've decided to bring back my week in review posts, I'm not really sure why I stopped but I've really missed doing them, it's lovely to look back and see what we were getting up to and it's a great way for the kids to remember things we have done when they are older, I just need to remember to photograph more during the week !

This week has been a really productive one for me, you can read about the challenge I've set myself to declutter all areas of my life here .

Because I've been so busy this week we haven't been out or done anything exciting but there have still been moments of fun.

So that's all for this week not greatly exciting but it's the small moments that count in the quiet times.

Angela x

Recently the lovely kind people at Naturelly sent us a box full of their delicious new Jelly Juice, it's a new naturally flavoured juice made with fruit and a special type of jelly.

The special jelly is Gellan Gum, a type of dietary fibre that helps fill up kids tummies for longer, it's also suitable for vegetarians.

We were sent the Totally Tropical flavour to try but it also comes in two other flavours, Summer Fruits and Apple.

Daisy loved the Jelly Juice asking for one every day and I felt confident giving them to her as they are full of good stuff with no nasties in them.

Although the pack says ' For Kids' my eldest son (15) and my husband loved them too, especially when they were nice and chilled.

I think Jelly Juice would be a great addition to packed lunches, car journeys and days out, the lid means you don't have to drink it all at once and the squashy packet is very compact and convenient.

You can find updates on where Jelly Juice is stocked on their website here .

Angela x

*We were sent the Jelly Juice for free and no review was expected but we loved the product so much and wanted to share*

I thought I would share with some photo's of our Halloween celebrations.

I have always made an effort for Halloween with my own children and I hope my older two have some good memories of that and although my two little ones are still quite small Daisy is starting to understand celebrations which made this year really special.

Every year I pick a few things up to add to our Halloween box, as we are on a budget I don't go overboard decorating the house and have found some fantastic bargains at Aldi, Asda and Home Bargains.

Daisy chose a little Witch costume from Asda for only £6 it will also be used for dressing up throughout the year.

I'm a sucker for a gimmick so naturally I had to buy some Halloween cakes and crisps, I also bought Daisy some goodies for her Halloween bucket.

Of course Jake had to take part in Halloween too, I won a Pumpkin shaped teether which he is thoroughly enjoying.

Chris took Daisy to his sister's for a couple of hours as she has a little Halloween party each year, she returned later with a very full bucket of treats.

We didn't get a lot of knocks on the door this year which is quite sad as I had a big bucket of lollipops ready for them, I think next year we will decorate the door so the children know they are very welcome as our house can appear quite dark from the front, maybe that put them off.

I know some people can't stand celebrations like Halloween but the way I look at it is that life is short so if there is an event to celebrate then I'm going to especially if captures the kids imagination and fills them with excitement.

Hope you had a happy Halloween.

Angela x

I'm writing today about something that's driving me crazy, the very messy world of baby teething, dribble and drool.

I wrote a post when Jake was 10 weeks old about how I thought he might be starting to teeth because he had started dribbling a lot, well he is now coming up to six months and even thought no little pearly whites have appeared he continues to manufacture dribble and drool at an impressive rate.

Have you ever seen those cartoons where the baby has a huge mouth and it's coming toward the screen ready to dribble on you, that is Jake at the moment, last week on a really bad drool day I changed his bib three time in fifteen minutes.

This is only half of the pile of bibs we have, I'm washing everyday to keep up with demand.

Nothing is safe from Jake's gummy dribble chops, he's constantly looking for something to chew on and saturate with his milky scented spittle.

No amount of teething implements will suffice, Jake likes nothing more that grabbing your face and trying to suck on it leaving you with awash with dribble, and you better watch your fingers he has gums of steel and isn't afraid to use them !

Of course aside from all the joking it really isn't nice to see him pulling his gums in pain, some day's I curse that teeth were ever invented as the process of them coming up turn my happy little cherub into a grumpy grot's, all I hope is that they cut very soon and give Jake and us some relief for a little while, and of course my washing machine a rest.

Are your little ones teething ? does baby dribble drive you crazy ? leave me a comment or a tip to help with teething would be fantastic.

Angela x

Since having Jake life has become doubly busy and exhausting, I had a tough pregnancy which left my energy reserves low, that on top of sleepless nights with a newborn and challenging days with a toddler has left me somewhat lacking when it comes to making healthy choices.

I am always looking for quick healthy options to give my body the boost it needs so when the lovely people over at the Good Whey Company got in touch to ask if I would like to try their range of Upbeat drinks I was more than happy to say yes.

Upbeat is a high protein fresh dairy drink, it's low in fat, it is also no more than 150 calories per drink.

Upbeat is made with real fruit, it contains whey protein, fruit puree and fruit juice from concentrate, there are three flavours available, Strawberry, Mango & Passion fruit and Blueberry & Raspberry, I found mine in Tesco but other stores stock it too.

The Upbeat drinks are all delicious although the Blueberry & Raspberry flavour is my favourite, they reminded me a lot of drinking smoothies and were just the thing I needed mid morning or afternoon to pick me up, it definitely helped me avoid reaching for a naughty snack.

If you want to read for yourself the benefit of protein drinks then have a look at the Upbeat website, there is also lots of other useful information over there too.

I will definitely be popping some Upbeat into my trolley next time I go shopping.

Angela x

*I was sent coupons to buy the Upbeat drinks but all opinions are my own and 100% honest*

Thought I would post a little update on my poor neglected blog, the amount of times I changed my mind about whether to blog ever again is ridiculous, so I'm back with a little explanation as to why I haven't been blogging.

When I first started blogging it was because I wanted a place, an online diary a such to keep a record of our family life and also a record of the prizes, freebies and bargains I was lucky enough to receivet, I wanted to share with others a little of my life and thoughts on things, but for some reason along the way I got a little lost and didn't know which direction if any I wanted to take the blog.

Another reason for lack of posts and direction is how tough life has become since having Jacob, he has definitely been the most challenging of all my babies, I plan to do a couple of posts on this soon.

I also think I let others opinions of my hobby influence what I wanted to share, comping incase you didn't know already, I have been entering consumer competitions for 13 years and have had some amazing wins and experiences, last year comping and surveys saved Christmas.

So after thinking long and hard, I have decided to go back to my roots and blog about whatever I want and not worry so much about pushing myself down a particular route.

I'm definitely going to bring back 'Webster's Week In Wins' which will also include any bargains I've found or anything that has saved us money.

I'm also bringing back 'Webster's Week In Review' even if it's just a mish mash of photo's, these posts after all are memory banks for our family.

The rest of my posts will be a mixture of family life, days out, activites, random thoughts about things and anything else in between.

Although I write for myself, I do know that some of you lovely people return often to catch up with us, thank you so much for that.

Angela x

I'm back with monthly updates about Jacob's development, I'm really cross with myself for missing the 6 and 7 month updates as it's lovely to look back as you don't notice how much your baby is changing and growing as it happens in the blink of an eye !

Sleeping

Since Jacob was born we have never been able to just put him down to sleep, we would have to wrestle him to get him to nap and bedtime was usually around 9.30pm after a stressful rocking session, once he was in his cot for the night we wouldn't hear a peep out of him until around 6.30am so it wasn't all bad news but the next day the cycle would startagain with him being cranky, grumpy, clingy and over tired.

I had read about sleep training and one of the families I watch on Youtube had great success with the method so Chris and I decided to give it a go, I know it's not to everyone's taste but all I can say is I wish we would have done it sooner, the change in Jacob has been amazing, he's like a different baby during the day and now goes to bed at 7pm each night and sleeps soundly until between 6.30-7am.

We still have some work to do trying to get Jake to take regular naps but I'm going to tackle that once Daisy is settled in pre-school and we start a new routine.

I will write a separate post about our experience of sleep training.

Feeding

If you've read any of my earlier updates on Jake you will know that I kept trying to introduce Jake to solids from about 4 months but he wasn't very interested, I decided to wait until six months on the dot and it worked.

He now has three meals a day with his milk inbetween , and a couple of little finger foods like cucumber or banana, he's not so good with lumps but I'm going to continue introducing them gradually.

Growth

I don't know how much Jake weighs as we haven't been to clinic for ages but he's been wearing 9-12 month clothes since around 6 months old, he's a big solid boy.

Development

Jake can sit up unaided and get into a crawling position himself, he comes up on his hands and knees and rocks back and forth it's only a matter of time before he learns how to crawl, he can make his way around the room on the belly well enough, he was playing with Daisy in her room and I found him under the bed.

Jake has only ever rolled over a handful of times, this goes to show how different all babies are and that some skip development milestones altogether and go onto the next stage.

Jake has been saying 'Dad''Dadda''Mum' since he was about 5 months old and he says something that sounds so much like 'Daisy' that it always takes us aback.

He is also enjoying smacking, bashing and pinching our faces which isn't fun for us but he seems to love it.

Teething

I wrote a post when Jake was 10 weeks old as he seemed to be teething, here we are at 8 months with no teeth but huge amounts of dribble and only teasing signs of teeth, we can see them but the stubborn little pearls don't want to come out of hiding just yet.

As with all teething babies some days are worse than others but I've found that Jake's really taken to Bickie Pegs, they seem to help sooth his gums really well.

I love this stage of babyhood, learning seems to accelerate and these tiny little things become livewires with huge personalities, it seems like the difficult days and sleepless nights are behind us and the real fun can begin.

I will leave you with this photo of Jake and his Daddy just because I love it so much.

I will soon be back with Jake's 9 month update.

Angela x

A Family Day Out At Acorn Farm

Frozen Strawberry & Yogurt Ice Lollies

A Little Girl And Her Blanket

Jacob At 3 Months Old

42 Days Of Summer Challenge #Sweeet

Celebrating Crisp Sarnie Week With Seabrook Crisps #crispsarnieweek

All Quiet On The North West Front

Jacob At 4 Months Old

Pampers Active Fit #BritainsDriestNappy Challenge

Review: Motorola MBP27T Sense The Temperature Digital Video Baby Monitor

What's In A Name ?

Jacob At 5 Months Old

Simplifying Family Life - Eliminating Physical Clutter

Webster's Week In Review 18th-25th October

Review: Naturelly Jelly Juice

A Happy Halloween At The Webster's

A Tale Of Teething, Dribble & Drool

Review: Upbeat Protein Drinks

Long Time No Blog !

Jacob At 8 Months Old