Weekend Review: Toybox

Ez and Fonz have always been big music fans, so when I was asked if we would like to review a new album of classic children's songs and nursery rhymes, I jumped at the chance.

Toybox is the second part of a series of albums for kids, created by The Rainbow Collections – singer Sophie Barker from Zero 7, and successful producer KK. The album includes songs such as 'Old Macdonald', 'If You're Happy and You Know It', and 'The Grand Old Duke Of York' (one of our all-time favourites). Sophie and KK have produced their own unique and modern take on the original classics, without making the tunes unrecognisable, and there are some fantastic rhythms - I love the calypso-style version of 'If You're Happy And You Know It'. The album's been a big hit with the babies, and it's the sort of thing I don't mind having playing, because it's actually very pleasant to listen to!

I've noticed that Fonz in particular, really thrives on music and rhythm. Here's a little clip of him enjoying Toybox...

Family and parenting expert Jenni Trent Hughes has shared some top tips to help parents get the most our of music and playtime with their children:

• Play music and sing daily and as often as possible
• Make instruments out of household items. An empty plastic bottle and a handful of beans; a wooden spoon and the lid of a pan. The more imaginative, the better
• Act out the songs with wild exaggerated gestures. Children love laughing at their parents
• Use music to enhance the child's mood. Sitting on the sofa, having a cuddle and 'singing along with mummy' is a memory that will be treasured forever
• Write songs about pets, siblings, food and favourite toys – anything that will expand a child's imagination, vocabulary and knowledge base

Toybox is available now from Amazon.co.uk, Play.com and HMV.

This is a sponsored post.

The Weekend Review: Little Dish purees

It's been a while now since the babies started eating proper solid food, but not long before we gave up purees, we were sent some puree pouches from Little Dish to try. What I liked about these sachets was that they used fresh ingredients - they had to be kept in the fridge and used within a couple of days. Made from 100% fresh fruit and vegetables, they tasted like you would expect, rather than other readymade purees that don't taste as fresh. Ez and Fonz were fussy with their purees, and rejected every readymade sachet I tried, so I wasn't sure how the Little Dish pouches would go down.

We gave Ez and Fonz the Blackberry, Apple & Banana puree first, and they gobbled it down cold for dessert. A hit! Mango & Banana was the next flavour we tried, and again it was well-received, though quite runny so a little difficult to spoonfeed. We mixed the Butternut Squash, Carrot & Apple puree with baby rice, and again the babies ate every last spoonful without any fuss. Strawberry & Apple worked well spoonfed as a pudding, but we also spread it on toast like jam. This one was definitely Ez and Fonz's favourite, and although we've left purees behind now, I would still buy this to use on bread or to add to yoghurt for dessert. And I'll definitely be giving the Little Dish natural meals a go - great for when time is tight.

A few weeks after the purees arrived, Little Dish sent us their cookbook to try too. Unfortunately I've been rather busy of late, so we haven't had a chance to cook up any of the delicious-sounding recipes, but we've got the Creamy Chicken Curry bookmarked for next week.

The Weekend Review: Phil & Teds Dash with double kit

You may remember that a while back the kind people at Phil & Teds sent me a Dash inline pushchair to trial. I had imagined it to be a useful second pushchair, great for trips up to town, but I honestly can't remember the last time we went out in our old pushchair since the Dash arrived! We've tried it out in all sorts of situations - long walks, a nip to the local shops, our first trip on the London Underground, our first trip in a black cab, fighting our way down Oxford Street and even a stroll along the beach. We've given it a good testing, and here's my honest review.

The Dash looks smart and modern

It's good on any surface, including grass

Strengths:

The 'intelligent handle' includes a trigger fold and braking mechanism, making the Dash really easy to fold and unfold. When folded it's compact size means it fits easily in the boot of my small car. Out and about, the pushchair is really manoeuvrable, and the suspension is great, even on rough ground. Both seats are multi-position so they can recline. Miss E and Mr A happily sleep without reclining, so I haven't had to use this feature very much. The sunshade was invaluable over the heatwave, and I also use it to encourage the babies to nap.

People often seem concerned that the baby in the back gets a raw deal, but I can honestly say that neither Mr A or Miss E seem to mind being the rear passenger. In fact, I would say that Mr A actively enjoys it, as he loves playing with dangling toys, which can be hung from the seat in front. And contrary to general opinion, I think the view he gets from the rear seat is pretty good - I liken it to being in the back seat of a car - you can't see straight ahead past the seat in front of you, but you have a great range of vision to either side.

Of course the Dash's main strength is its width. The inline design means that it's no wider than most single pushchairs and it makes shops and crowded places much more accessible for me. My side-by-side pushchair doesn't fit through the doors of a lot of my local shops, so it's been fantastic to be able to pop down the road to pick something urgent up. I've used it for those little trips that a lot of my mummy friends would use a sling or front carrier for (obviously not possible with two babies!). The Dash has also made me feel much more confident about heading up to town - I would never brave the tube with a side-by-side pushchair, but I have no fewer worries about it with the Dash.

I also feel a lot less conspicuous when we're out. When you're pushing twins you can get a lot of attention. This can be lovely, but can also make me feel quite self-conscious at times. When we're out with the Dash it's a lot less obvious that I've got twins, so I feel a bit less stared at.

 Mr A loves the back seat (double kit)

Both babies enjoy the view

Weaknesses:

Unfortunately the Dash isn't suitable for two newborns, so it isn't ideal for twins (with the double kit it's suitable for one newborn and one toddler or two toddlers). A pushchair is such a big purchase and when we were considering our options before the babies arrived, we had to look for models that would last us for a few years.  Unfortunately, buying a new one six months down the line just wouldn't be an option for us.

The braking mechanism on the 'intelligent handle' requires two hands to operate. This can be really difficult if you're trying to hold a baby at the same time!

The Dash is really easy to fold, but you do have to remove the double kit from the back before you can fold it. It's pretty straightforward to do, but is a bit of an added faff if you're in a hurry.

Young Daddy finds pushing the Dash slightly awkward with the double kit attached, because he knocks his knees on the double kit as he walks. He reckons the handle should be a bit longer for a more comfortable walking position.

Summary:

Phil & Teds describe the Dash as 'the active urban inline' and I think this description is spot-on. We spend a lot of time out and about, and the Dash has been great in every situation. I think it's ideal for urban living, and for me it has definitely taken a lot of the stress out of our outings as I haven't had to worry about whether I'll fit in wherever we're heading that day. I wasn't sure it would win me over, but it's made me feel much more free and more like the independent and outgoing mum I always imagined I'd be. For our family, the Dash has been a real winner.

Spec:

Weight (with double kit): 12kg

Width: 62cm

Price of Dash: £435

Price of Dash double kit: £73.95

For the Dash's full spec and other details head over to the Phil & Teds website, where there's also a video and a spinning view of the pushchair.