We had two different lakeland products to try our tomatoes out in – the ‘mini grow bed, frame & cover‘, and the large growpots. So we obviously did what any sensible and serious grown up reviewer people would do and set them up under scientifically controlled conditions to compare and contrast the results (aka bunged the tomato plants in and watering them a bit).

Here’s how the catalogue how’s them:

The mini grow bed was set up in minutes, and appeared pretty strong. We didn’t use the liner, but had an old hessian sack which we popped inside to stop the patio slabs staining. In the first high winds when the bed was empty the plastic ‘t-bar’ which the poles slot into at the top both snapped – but we fixed them with a bit of tape, and they have held fast ever since.

We popped six plants in the bed, zipped up the cover, and do try to remember to water them occasionally.

The large growpots were also dead easy to set up – simply swivel them around a bit on top of a grobag until they pierce the plastic, and push in. topfill the central column, plant your tomato plant in the top, and then just top up with water occasionally. I was actually more excited about these, as I have horrible trouble with grobags – I never keep mine at the right water content, either drowning and creating rivers of runoff, or leaving them to dry out far enough for the plants to lean over sideways in a very dejected manner. But these pots promise to put an end to that issue.

So – this is what ours look like at the moment:

Looking a weeny bit pitiful, yes? We’ll just see how they do…

The next thing Lakeland suggested we might like to try was growing our own potatoes in their Patio Potato Planter Trio. The three bags arrived, and all seemed very simple, so using the shopping skills of previously-mentioned Grown up (what would we do without Gangy, eh?) we found ourselves equipped with a sunny afternoon, two bags of seed poatoes, compost, a watering can and four able willing assistants…

Not too tricky - soil, potatoes, then layer. What can go wrong?

Things start off all very civilised...

Then stated getting a le-e-e-tle bit out of hand. SOME soil went in the bags, honest.

One month later - exciting discovery. We have lift off!

We planted just the two bags to start with, and reserved the third which we have just planted up with ‘lates’.  It’s all very exciting though. Our very own potatoes!

We’ve got the builders in; diggers, fork lifts, safety fencing, porta-loos… the lot. This morning I am hiding up in my temporary office/bedroom, gazing out the window, listening to the incessent grinding-buzz of the disc saw… as you do…..  when the biggest grin spread across my face. A bright pink delivery lorry nudging it’s way up our drive!

The very good folk at Travis Perkins are supporting various charities, including the Breast Cancer Campaign. I LOVE that they are doing something so gutsy as painting their wagons pink in such a male-dominated industry! I particularly love the bright pink safety helmet on the dashboard. Good on ‘em!!

You can read more about their fantastic charity support here.

Shocked by the news reports regarding the little baby who was exposed to too much sun last weekend at Brighton I think we all need to be aware of how fierce the sun can be – even in the UK.

Most people think sunburn is something that happens on holiday – but most cases of sunburn happen in the UK, not abroad – and many times people are simply out and about, not deliberately ‘sunbathing’. You may be outdoors watching sport, doing the gardening, walking round town or just sitting in the park, so try to keep out of the sun between 11-3pm or if you must be out wear a wide brimmed hat and sun glasses.

We all enjoy soaking up the sunshine – who doesn’t? But as we become more and more aware of the dangers of too much exposure we need to figure out ways to enjoy the sunshine but stay safe. Slapping on the sun cream is vital of course, but what else can we do?

Most skin cancers are caused by damage from the ultraviolet rays in sunshine. The best protection is avoidance, but where that’s not practical the next best thing is covering up, and covering up with sun protective clothing is better still!

David R Gateley FRCS, Consultant Plastic Surgeon at St George’s Hospital, London says,

“We must remain vigilant and protect against sun burn at all ages, using a combination of sun screens with high SP factor and when in water wear sun protection swim wear. The latter is a very practical way of keeping skin, both young and old, safe from harmful UVA and UVB rays.”

Top tips for protecting children in the sun

• Use shade Keep babies in complete shade: under trees, umbrellas, canopies or indoors. Provide shade for prams and buggies, if possible.
• Cover them up When outdoors, protect a baby’s skin with loose-fitting clothes, and a wide-brimmed hat that shades their face, neck and ears.
• Wear sunglasses Buy good quality, wraparound sunglasses for children, as soon as they can wear them.
• Find hats they like Encourage children to wear hats with brims, especially if they are not wearing sunglasses. The wider the brim, the more skin will be shaded from the sun.
• Use sunscreen wisely Use at least a factor 15 sunscreen and choose a “broad-spectrum” brand that has a four or five-star rating. Apply to areas that cannot be protected by clothing, such as the face, ears, feet and backs of hands. Choose sunscreens that are formulated for children and babies’ skin. These products are less likely to contain alcohol or fragrances that might irritate the skin and cause allergic reactions.
• Apply sunscreen generously and regularly. Put some on before children go outdoors. Sunscreen can easily be washed, rubbed or sweated off – so reapply often throughout the day.
• Don’t forget school times Remember play times and lunch breaks on summer school days too. Give children a hat to wear and, if they can’t apply sunscreen at school, cover their exposed skin before they go.
• And a last personal tip - be prepared for stripping off. My son was mildly burnt two years ago even though I had applied liberal amounts of cream – because he stripped off his trunks to play in the garden, and I forgot to apply more cream to his now-revealed derriere. Ouch…

Our lovely friends at The Beach Factory, who have a simply brilliant range of childrens beach and UV clothing (see our reviews here and some pics of the review in action here) have decided to offer all our lovely readers free P&P until the end of June. Simply Go Shopping, and use the Beach Factory Offer Code HAT100526122525 .

Oh what a wonderfully exciting little dull bit of machinery this is!

I am happily in no real need of an air purifier. No amount of dust, pollens or pollutants will irritate my eyes, make me sneeze, or cause me restless nights.

Sadly, it is not so for the husband. He suffers from hayfever  and cat hair/dust mite allergies, usually waking feeling bunged up and itchy-eyed. He was very dismissive of the whole air-purifier malarky, and happily agreed ot review in the inetrestes of saying how rubbish it all is.

Well. This years grass pollen season has kicked in  – and he has been thanking the Gods of all things mechanical for this lovely little device.

I turn it on in the bedroom early evening, and leave it running with the windows and doors shut. By the time we go to bed the air feels different. Honestly. I didn’t really buy in to the whole ‘postive ions’ thing myself, but when this has been running for a while, you walk in to the room and wonder who opened the window, the air is so fresh and cool and clear.

But best of all – leave it running at night (which is a bit noisy, I have to say, and I would look for a quieter model if I was choosing for myself) and the husband sleeps snore-free, waking up able to breathe clearly and easily. WHAT a difference – it has transformed the miserable grass pollen months for him, and he’s refusing to be without it now.

I have also left it running in the kitchen for a few hours to clear the smell of fish cooking, and I’m sure it would be equally as efficient at getting shot of that old-dog-lives-here odour (only our own ‘old dog’ sadly stopped living here a year ago, so I can’t tell you for sure on that one). In the winter months when it’s too cold to have windows open I will most certainly be running this little machine during the day in the home office, where it gets incredibly stuffy from all the computer equipment,  to re-create that fresh outdoors feel

Thank you Bionaire – you have us converted!

This is a highchair that you will either love or hate. It’s not flashy, or posh, or patterned, nor does it have a million and one functions. Which is why I love it.

Jacob is 9 months old and has been sitting confidently since 6 months. This highchair is perfect for him – but wouldn’t be very supportive for a wobbly sitter. It was very simple to put together, and easy to take apart to put in the car if you’re travelling. I love the fact that you can take the bottom half of the legs off to create a shorter chair perfect for putting up to children’s tables, or for lazy feeding from the comfort of the sofa! It’s very sturdy and strong – a must in a household of three disaster-prone children. The padded seat cover is easy to remove for washing, and the whole highchair is just made for easy cleaning; the ergonomic design means there’s no nooks and crannies for food to collect and fester.

The only downsides to the highchair are the fact that the tray and leg-rest are non adjustable, and the chair only has a 3 point waist harness rather than a 5 point shoulder harness. This hasn’t been a problem for us, but it is something to be aware of.

All in all I like the simplicity and sturdiness of this highchair… it does exactly as it says on the box, and it does it well. For under £41, it’s a great buy!

Annabel Karmel is at it again – another new book out this week, this one just made for me – ‘Top 100 Pasta Dishes‘.
What did we do in the UK before pasta arrived? You know, that ‘oh, it appears to be 5.30 and I’ve cooked no dinner’ moment – what do we do? Reach for the pasta.
Easy.
So, I needed no arm twisting when we were asked to review the new book – I know Annabel Karmel can be trusted to have interesting recipes that are quick and easy, look pretty and above all can be used for the whole family. Full review coming on the main site shortly, but we have been given permission to give you a sneak recipe peek…

Fusilli with salmon in a light cheese sauce with spring vegetables

“This is a favourite recipe of mine; it’s a delicious combination of spring vegetables and tender chunks of salmon. It makes a delicious meal for adults as well. The sauce couldn’t be simpler – just stir together the ingredients and heat through.”

Ingredients:
200g (7oz) fusilli
2 tbsp of light olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
100g (3 ½ oz) orange pepper, cut into strips
100g (3 ½ oz) brocolli florets
1 medium courgette, slice and cut into semi-circles
250g (9oz) salmon fillets
200 ml (7floz) vegetable stock
150g (5 ½ oz) tomatoes, skinned, deseeded and cut into chunks
75g (3oz) parmesan cheese, grated salt and freshly ground black pepper

• Cook the fusilli according to the instructions on the packet.
• Heat the oil in a heavy-based saucepan and sauté the onion and garlic for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the orange pepper, broccoli and courgette and sauté for 6-7 minutes until tender, stirring occasionally.
• Meanwhile, cut the salmon into chunks, put in a saucepan, cover with fish stock and poach over a gentle heat for 3-4 minutes until cooked. Remove from pan, strain and set aside.
• Stir the crème fraiche and vegetable stock into the cooked vegetables and bring to a simmer. Stir in the chopped tomatoes and chunks of salmon and simmer for 2 minutes, then stir in the parmesan and season to taste.
• Toss the drained fusilli with the sauce, taking care not to break up the chunks of salmon.

I’m afraid the picture isn’t mine – we had big bowls, not pretty pots, and it was scoffed far too quickly for me to manage to get a picture of it. But every last scrap was eaten, and next time I’ll be increasing the quantities as there were rather a lot of shouts of “Is there any more please?”.

(other readers may move along now, nothing pretty to see here at the moment…)

We thought you might just fancy getting your hands on a copy of our newsletter especially for small businesses, which tells all of our latest news along with tips and advice from Clever and Useful People (there’s no need to be one of our advertisers, we’ll talk to anyone y’know).

[newsletter]

Keris is one of our favourite reviewers (and the author of our brilliant Slopsville series last year, her week by week success-by-disaster weaning diary), so we are naturally excited that her first book is finally on the shelves. And just look – this (very excited) image taken just today in WH Smiths proves it!

‘Della Says OMG!’ (bottom shelf, third from left, black cover) is a YA/Teen fiction, and a contemporary coming of age tale in the same vein as Judy Blume’s ‘Forever’ (which left its mark on all of us of a certain generation, I believe). Written of course with Keris’ characteristic honesty, warmth and wit which make even talking about reusable baby wipes snort-out-loud funny.

Keris is  such a lovely, lovely person (you can talk to her on Twitter – @keris – she’ll talk to anyone, honestly, she’s not fussy), and I’m so thrilled for her – and also have no doubt this is the first success of a fantastic career.

If you visit Keris’ website you can read the first chapter (please do, you’ll love it) – and enter a comp to win an iPod touch too. Take a cup of tea with you – you may be some time.

(Okay Keris, I’m done now – you can stop blushing)

Just look – how sweet is this? Summery floral print cotton dress, in lined cool cotton for those hot summer days (we can dream!).

Such a pretty girls dress – smocking, buttons, puff sleeves… Oh, and perfect above-the-knee length to make it practical for those girls who like to wear pretty dresses whilst climbing trees and playing soldiers.

Not that I would know anything about small girls like that. No no.

Oh, and it comes in ages 2-12, and is currently reduced to £10.50. Yes, £10.50. What are you still doing here? Go! Buy!

I had well and truly outgrown my coat by about six and a half months and so the arrival of this poncho was well timed. Hark! What’s this? Why, it’s something that fits over my enormous bump!

Quality-wise it is lovely, really soft, a beautiful shade of grey, and well constructed. It is really very sophisticated and smart. Completely fine for turning up to work meetings.

I have it hung up on my coat rack and sling it on as my final layer when popping out. If you have long sleeves on, then combined with a scarf it can be all you need on a spring day.  I think it does a pretty good job of keeping me warm without that that tent look that could be associated with ponchos.

However, where it has really come into its own is as an emergency layer. It folds down really small and is so easily slung in my handbag, so is great for this unpredictable British weather.  Rather than wondering whether or not to take a bulky cardigan out or not I can now just grab the poncho… perfect!

Downsides?  It can get in the way a bit during leaning over tasks like strapping the boy in his car seat, or helping him with his coat. And, once, I did get it caught on the door handle as I walked past and it nearly took my head off, but this could be put down to bad garment management, and it didn’t snag!  Also, not quite warm enough on those colder spring days, so not a substitute for a winter coat, but hey, I think I’d be pushing it to expect it to keep out a howling gale!

Overall I am pleased as poncho (sorry) with this and unlike many maternity clothes it will also be a great asset to my non-maternity wardrobe.

Review by Alice from Backstitch.

Website: www.cashmereponcho.co.uk

The Archers at The Larches is one of my favourite Google Reader stops. It’s up the top of my list, and is one I always find the time to keep up with (you know how it is, FAR too many blogs in the reader, never enough time to read them all properly).

I love the way Lou writes, I love her photography… but actually, the biggest draw is that when I grow up I want to be Lou.

I too want to move to an interesting house in the country with 9 chickens and 2 cats.

I too want to create a most gorgeous of family home out of a wilderness of a garden and fabulously dreadful blue glass bathroom.

But for now, I content myself with living the dream vicariously through Lou. I suggest you go visit, and see what I mean. I dare you not to want to move into The Interesting House.

Pretty things for small people’s rooms – always a way to our hearts. So when I saw these gorgeous personalised alphabet prints from Modo Creative I was made very happy by their sheer loveliness. And once again, they’re brought to you by a Creative Working Mum – just the way we like it.

When looking for art for her own new nursery, she decided in the end to make her own:

“I wanted beautiful colours, quirky design and an inspiring message.”

Well, that suits us just fine too – and these prints really are gorgeous. This boys alphabet print is a personal favourite, and as well as my own greedy thoughts on owning one I can’t imagine a nicer gift for a new baby, either.

(there’s also some very stylish canvas art on offer, be sure to have a mooch around the Modo Creative shop).

A little while ago we launched a competition with Baby Bean to give away one of these fantastic Paperpod rockets. The competition had a glowing halo hovering over it because all entrants were asked to nominate a children-related Good Cause to receive the prize. Pre-schools, Mums & Tots groups, children’s hospitals… that sort of thing.

We are over the moon to announce our lucky winner, Carmen Haselup, who has nominated the Royal Alexandra Children’s Hospital in Brighton to receive the Paperpod rocket.

Congratulations Carmen and the Royal Alexandra Children’s Hospital!

*More Good News* Baby Bean have given us a 10% discount code for all our regular readers. Enter ‘Littlestuff’ as the discount code at checkout to receive your discount! Huzzah!

2010 marks the 300th anniversary of von Essen’s Luxury Family Hotel, The Elms in Worcestershire and to celebrate this milestone is offering an exceptional package.
One room, every night, from now until 22 December 2010* will be offered for only £300 per room, per night.

But wait… This will include ALL of the following treats: accommodation for two in the best room available, a glass of champagne and tray of chef’s treats in room on arrival, a half-hour back, neck and shoulder massage each, a relaxing Arabian rasul mud therapy for two in the Aquae Sulis Spa, a sumptuous 3 course A La Carte dinner for two in the award winning restaurant and a full English breakfast.  A complete steal!
And of course, the children are not forgotten! Part of the Luxury Family Hotel collection, von Essen’s Elms hotel has a number of supervised fun activities organised for children, so while you are being taken care of in the Spa, our little guests can enjoy activities such as puppet making and face painting or playing outside in the adventure playground!  Children also stay free when sharing their parents room, meals charged as taken.??For more information or to book this very special break, please visit www.theelmshotel.co.uk  or call 01299 896666. It is essential your treatments are reserved prior to your arrival. To book treatments please call The Aquae Sulis Spa on 01299 891850.

If you’re still in need of convincing, have a look at What Jackie thought when she wrote our Woolley Grange review, another Luxury Family Hotel.

This special break is available from 23 April 2010 to 22 December 2010. *Subject to availability excludes school holiday periods best room available at the time of booking. Only 1 room available on this break per night. Treatment times will be scheduled according to availability and confirmed in writing; if unsuitable please contact the Aquae Sulis Spa as soon as possible.  Subject to 2 night minimum stay at weekends.  Children stay  free when sharing parents room.

The fabuloso Kelly from A place of my own has been doing a  bit of review work for us (well, actually, I think Piran has been doing must of the hard stuff, Kelly just has to do the easy typing bit).

It’s for the oh-so-cute Dribble-Ons Bandana bibs, and if you have a drool-fest of a child (one of mine spent about a year with a permanently soggy top he was so slobbery) then you definitely want to read on…

We were sent a Dribble Ons bib to try. This is a nifty little bandana style bib which fixes round Piran’s neck with a single popper fastening at the back and removes the need for multiple changes of clothes if your baby dribbles a lot. The one we received was made from soft blue stretch cotton with a white terry towelling backing. Piran does not dribble too much usually, however I always found that his top would get soaked if he was upright in his door-bouncer.

I thought that the bib looked really cute and that it seemed to be part of his outfit which is better than a normal bib. I am happy for him to wear it anywhere. I wish that I had these when he was smaller as they would have been great for him to wear when being given a bottle out and about. It washes brilliantly and dries quickly. They come in a range of plain colours that would go with any outfit.

Today Butlins launches its search for the artists of the future with the first ever Toddler Art Prize, a prestigious competition with a prize fund totalling £10,000, that aims to find Britain’s leading contemporary artists – aged four and under!

“We’re searching for the mini Mondrians, weeny Warhols, and petite Pollocks.” said Mike Godolphin, Head of Entertainment at Butlins.

A panel of judges from the Contemporary Art Society  will choose 12 pieces of submitted artwork for exhibition at a gallery in East London in October 2010.

The shortlisted toddlers and their families will be invited to an impressive ‘orange squash and canapés’ opening and award ceremony, where winners will be revealed and the first ever winner of the Butlins Toddler Art Prize announced.

The chosen 12 talented toddlers will share in a prize fund totalling £10,000 with the winning tot banking £500 in cash.

Entries can be anything from paintings to sculptures to installations.

Fabienne Nicholas of the Contemporary Art Society, and a judge in the competition said:

“Getting toddlers engaged in thinking about art is an exciting idea. From sculpture to painting, collage to photographs, what’s interesting about art today is how it can open a whole world of possibilities that goes beyond just making a pretty picture.

“Contemporary art can help us see the world from different viewpoints, make unexpected connections between ideas or express our secret emotions. Creativity is hugely important, especially from a young age, and children love nothing more than expressing themselves through art.”

The Contemporary Art Society has developed the following tips for parents of toddlers entering the competition:

• Collage can be an excellent way of introducing children to composition. This can be done with material that has already been cut out, so the onus is on them to assemble the shapes as they see fit.  Try using tissue paper that they can easily rip and layer

• Drip drawings are good for experimentation with line.  If some ink is placed onto a large piece of paper the child then has to hold the sheet up and use gravity to create an image – a great method for learning control and steady discipline

• Teaching colour theory is most easily done using cellophane sheets, which can be layered on top of one another to produce colour combinations
• To help children consider composition and colour relation, get them to use potato printing.  By placing different coloured prints around a piece of paper, they can learn how individual designs can come together to create an aesthetically pleasing image
• Encourage tots to experiment using paint to really develop their natural creativity – use big and small strokes, flick paint and use other tools
• Keep empty packaging to hand to allow children to produce sculptures or combine with paintings for a 3D effect

To help toddler’s become more creative, why not encourage them with the following tips:

• Look! The longer you look at something the more you will see
• Think! Think of an emotion – what does happiness look like?  Try and paint it
• Play! There are lots of ways to make art other than painting – here are some ideas…

-          cut out pictures from magazines and collage them together

-          try different materials for collage – fabric, felt, wool, card, leaves etc

-          put together a sculpture box – full of things you find that can be put together later on

-          photographs – experiment with the camera and find different angles on things

-          try potato stamping – cut out a shape from half a potato & use watery paint to make patterns

To enter visit www.butlins.com/artprize. All entries must be received by 31st August 2010, and there are four age categories for entries:

Shoes are a tricky thing to talk about – I mean, just how exciting can a pair of school shoes be? Well… if they have Lego bricks on them, apparently very exciting :)

The collaboration between Kickers and Lego has meant that for the first time ever the 7yr old is very very VERY excited to put his shoes on in the morning – and to keep them clean too. Oh yes – you heard me. He cleans them. Without prompting.

There is a huge range of colours and styles (*whispers* a few of which are, quite frankly, a bit ugly) and some of them are very very lovely. You have the traditional Kickers styled boots and shoes, and the option of laces or Velcro. I wish more companies would give us the option of laces – call me old-fashioned, but how can my children ever learn to tie them if they can’t get shoes with laces? Plus I always think they fit better.

I love the red infants boot, and the girls one bar shoe is so pretty. But in the interests of economy I went for plain old ordinary black school shoes (dull, but true). But it’s okay, they’re not really dull at all – the Velcro versions have have subtle lego bricks on the end of the tabs, and the lace ups have fab coloured lego eyelets – and multi-coloured soles. Gorgeous!

Best of all, they are Kickers. So that means they are perfect childrens shoes:  chunky, supportive, well made, leather, and tough enough to withstand the playground batterings.

It’s going to be hard to go back to any other kind of shoe, to be honest.

Petra Boase are new to LittleStuff – but we’ve meandered through the pages of the site oh so many times in the past. We’re so pleased to welcome them in! So. Have you seen them? Do you know all about the delicious Petra Boase owls and birds and umpteen lovely things she stocks?

No?

Tsk.

Okay – here’s a head start for you. My personal favourite? This Flying Birds mug. I am thinking I need my tea from this very mug very soon (please take note Mr Laura. Or Petra. Or anyone else who feels like buying me a lovely new mug… Mr Laura certainly won’t as he feels there are Too Many Already. Pah – no such thing. Anyhoo, I digress…).

Then of course there’s the sweetest little owls who drew me in to Petra’s clutches originally…  A notebook. With THAT owl on it. Pretty pretty.

Not to mention the tea towels. Or the Cotton Ball Fairy Lights.

Oh, now look. I just lost ten minutes… Honestly; go wander around on your own time. I have Things To Do.

Yet another new name in the LittleStuff house – and plenty of things to go ooh over too, we’re happy to say.

There’s a really rather gorgeous collection of maternity wear (which because it has been individually sourced is full of ‘something different’), maternity lingerie & nursing underwear, baby changing bags, baby clothes, maternity nightwear and special gifts that we have handpicked from all over the world.

We’re particularly taken with the Noppies Bangkok maternity jeans, which we’re assured look fab on all shapes of bum (hello weird Google searcher; yes, we’re using bangkok and bum in one sentence but we’re probably a bit of a disappointment to you). In addition to the jeans range, there’s a whole page of totally fabulous maternity dresses – something which I always struggled to find. Whether you’re looking for something cool and everyday this summer, or something a  bit special for a wedding then this page is really worth stopping by and taking a peek at.

Oh, and along with the maternity wear, there’s a fab range of gifts – I have a serious eye on this Moulin Roty Dressing Up Wardrobe. I know a small pink person who would expire with joy if THAT found its way to our door…