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This day I love.......

My youngest daughter loves Squishy and collectable characters, she also loves to be creative. When I heard about the smooshins surprise maker kit I immediately thought it would be something she would want to try. The smooshins surprise maker kit provides over 10,000 different combinations and you can purchase additional colour pouches and moulds so the surprise maker can be used again and again.

Whilst the instructions are really clear and easy to follow I am rather grateful that the Surprise maker kit comes with a practise colour pouch. Our first 2 attempts were unsuccessful, which is why in the video the kids are wearing different clothes! On one of our attempts we did not mix the colour enough. You have 90 seconds to mix all the colour together. In another attempt we took too long to squeeze the colour into the maker, you only have 30 seconds to do so. 


The maker also lights up different colours in an attempt to guide you through the process.


We were very much third time lucky.

It is really important to fully pop the colour pouch and then mix it within the allocated time, followed by squeezing the colour before it hardens. A top tip would be to make full use of the practise pouch that comes with the kit, as it really does give you an idea of what to do. We also found that the longer you leave in the mould the better the product is. We left in the maker for 4 hours and then left it in the mould overnight. 

The girls talk through step by step how to make a Smooshin here



Now we know what to do and have had practise runs it is actually a lot quicker and simpler than the first time we did it. The girls really enjoy making the Smooshins and the extra surprise of not knowing what the character will be like really helps add to the magic. It is also great that additional moulds and colour pouches can be purchased so that you can continue to use the surprise maker kit once the supplied materials have been used up.

Smooshins are a really cute collectable toy, and the added mystery of not knowing what they will look like adds a whole element of fun to the creating process. My girls aged 8 and 6 really enjoyed making them and could do so with very minimal help. They are wanting to make some more so I am going to have to buy some more colour pouches for them.

The Smooshins maker was sent for review, all words are my own opinion. 

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If you follow me over on Instagram you will know that I have not been very well this past week. In fact the house has been full of lurgy! So much so that Saturday evening saw Little Man rushed to hospital with breathing problems. The problem when you are a parent and you are poorly is that you still have to take care of the tiny humans you have responsibility for. When there are 3 of them to entertain, each with different needs it can be extra tricky.

First port of call for the youngest two was trying to make me feel better. This obviously involved listening to my heart beat and checking my temperature. Little man seemed to shove all the medical tools into my ear, which didn't help matters.


After my check up I really needed a little bit of peace and quiet. Lets face it I wasn't feeling well to start with and a 2 year old performing a check up who is not the most delicate did not seem to help matters. Entertaining 3 children and keeping them quiet can be tricky but I found a solution. Mess free painting!


Little Brian paint sticks provided mess free painting and kept all three children quiet. Win all round. The paint sticks were perfect even for Little Man to hold and he had no issues twisting the paint up to use. There is no need for brushes or water, so nothing to clean up and no accidents to spill. Even better they are non toxic and wipe off glass and wooden tables easily [don't ask how I know].


With the colours drying really quickly creativity began flowing and the children were busy with their masterpieces. The colours really bold and vivid and dried the same way too. 


I managed to get some quiet time and the children got to spend some time using their imaginations and creativity. Even better there was no mess to clean up afterwards, except a quick table wipe were Little Man had got very creative.


The Little Brian paint sticks have been a huge hit all around and I can see us using them a lot more and not just when I am poorly!

The paint sticks were sent for review, all words are my own opinion 


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This morning we went for a run and assumed the weather would remain nice for the rest of the day, unfortunately we could not have been more wrong.  The rain came and just would not stop, so in a bid to keep the girls entertained we opened our 80 piece colouring activity set from BIC Kids. 


The kit has everything for wipe-able felt pens to easy to sharpen pencils, including and Alvin and the Chipmunk activity book.  The girls were very excited and could not wait to begin


One of the nice things about the kit is it keeps everything neat and organised.  The girls can easily see the colours and the colours are easy to get out.  It also helped us when tidying up as we could quickly see if any were missing.


The girls spent the afternoon colouring and completing the various activities in their BIC kit.  They both worked together and I had no arguing from them over a colour pencil, which is always a bonus.  


The BIC colouring pack was carefully tidied up after by the girls and has been stored safely for tomorrow.

Thank you to BIC for sending the colouring pack
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I really love apps that allow children to be creative.  This is most certainly the case with the Drawy book app from Bic.  The app allows children to have their drawings come to life.  

The app is free to download and simple to navigate.  The main screen can be rotated and children can explore the whole virtual room, even clicking on certain items.


We had two options to select either free hand drawing or to follow the story of Marty and the alien. 


The story is read out loud and whilst it is a good pace there is no skip option, so you do have to listen to it all.  There are handy hints and tips explaining how the app works, which is great and helps you to understand what to do.  I love that there was always the option to obtain help if needed.


At certain points in the story you are asked to draw an item.  We were asked to draw alien snacks, and this is what my youngest designed. 

Within the design you have the option to edit your creation.  In here you can add stickers to further customise your drawing.

The app is a great way to combine drawing and virtual reality.  Both girls find it great fun to play and I love that it sparks creativity and imagination in them. 
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In the final few weeks [or days] before Thing 3 arrives, I am feeling really lucky to be able to work with some amazing brands.  This week Thing 3 has received some wonderful things, and I am getting more excited for their arrival.

Snüz Pod

Both my girls were terrible sleepers as babies.  My eldest wanted a hand on her cheek in order to sleep and my youngest liked a hand on her tummy or to be laid on my chest.  Both proved difficult to do in a standard crib and I would be sat upright most of the night until they eventually fell back asleep.  Whilst I would have loved to have co slept with the girls, in all honesty I was too scared to in case I squashed them in my sleep.

When I saw Snüz Pod I knew that it would have made such a difference when the girls were babies.  The mesh side allowing me to watch them whilst they are asleep, zip down side to allow co sleeping without my fear of squashing and a way for me to lie down and comfort the girls as they wanted.

Imagine my excitement when I found out I would be lucky enough to be sent a Snüz Pod to review for Thing 3.  To say I am over the moon is an understatement, I really feel lucky.  Along with the Snüz Pod I have been sent some absolutely gorgeous bedding, which I cannot wait to put Thing 3 in.



I have a feeling my Dad is also excited, a when he saw the box he wanted to put the Snüz Pod together.


I am going to be sharing a first impression post of the Snüz Pod, which will include how we found assembly, on the blog soon.

I simply cannot stop looking at the Snüz Pod as it sits at the side of my bed in waiting ready for Thing 3!  

Colours colours

Colours Colours everywhere is written by Libby Walden and illustrated by Samantha Meredith.  The black base for the book really helps to accent the colours and show off their brightness  I personally love this as it helps the little ones with the colours.  Some sections of the book are raised which helps little hands explore the book and engage with the story.  I really love the simple story which flows beautifully through the book.  The illustrations are really child friendly and help little ones want to engage with the book.  This will be a gorgeous book to introduce Thing 3 to colours. 

Colour Colours everywhere

Peekaboo 1 2 3 and Peekaboo A B C

We have a huge passion for reading in our house and we are all secretly hoping that Thing 3 loves to read too.  Peekaboo 123 and Peekaboo ABC by Gareth Lucas are gorgeous hard back books with large lift up flaps.  The books have made a stunning addition to Thing 3 growing book collection.  They are the perfect size to hold and share with a little one.  The text in both books is humorous and accompanied with bright colourful illustrations.  They are both great books and I think Thing 3 is going to love them.  Peekaboo 123 and Peekaboo ABC are published by Little Tiger press and priced at £9.99 each.  They will be available from the 10th March.

Peekaboo 123

Tomme Tippee Ultra

Tommee Tippee have launched a baby bottle like no other.  It has 85% of Mums saying that it is the best baby bottle they have ever used.  The Tommee Tippee Ultra offers:

- An extra wide teat to give a more breast-like shape for baby to latch on to, making it easier to combination feed

- A contour zone has been built in to the Ultra teat which gives a secure seal to help reduce air ingestion and comfort.  It also reduces the amount of air dribbles

- The angled teat on the Ultra ensures milk flows down the bottle even to the end of the feed, giving a more natural feeding position.

I cannot wait to give the Ultra a try with Thing 3.


Tommee Tippee Ultra

Deep Freeze

Not strictly for Thing 3, but this week I received some Deep Freeze patches.  I have tried to be as active as possible in this pregnancy but the problems I have encountered with hip displacement and torn abdominal muscles have not helped.

As Thing 3 has got bigger I have been experiencing back pain and Deep Freeze Cold Patch ensures  a consistent, long-lasting cold analgesia at the point of pain but without the mess and fuss of an ice pack.

The Deep Freeze Cold Patch contains menthol, aloe vera and water in a hydrogel layer which slowly evaporates to produce prolonged cooling relief without a hint of drips or dampness. The slim profile and flexibility of the adhesive patch means it can easily be hidden under clothing and is suitable for use on any joint.  The adhesive patch can also be worn without restricting movement or needing to be replaced frequently to maintain the cooling effect.  Once in place it will work for up to three hours.

They are easy to apply and really help with pregnancy aches and pains.

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Regular readers will know my passion for learning.  I am currently in the process of 2 diplomas, both in very different fields and both come with coursework and assignments.  Printing out pages of assignments plus notes can become quite costly.  Even without these courses as a household we still do a lot of printing.

I love printing photos of the girls.  I also enjoy finding activities online and printing these for the girls also.  Needless to say we are a busy household and high technology users.  We try where ever possible though to watch the costs, so when Epson got in touch and said they could reduce our printing costs by 70% I was very keen to discover more.

The Epson ET-2500 is a 3 in 1 ink jet printer, which uses an eco tank and not ink cartridges.  It comes with enough ink to print up to 4,000 pages in black and 6,500 pages in colour which is around 2 years of printing.


The Epson ET-2500 comes with everything you need to set up and start using, with the exception of paper.  It has a small footprint for the amount of functionality within it.  The Epson ET-2500 is able to print, scan and copy.  I was a little worried at first when I saw the CD in the box for install, as my laptop does not have a CD drive, but thankfully the whole set up can be done via an online link.



There are no ink cartridges in the Epson ET-2500, and instead uses an eco tank which you fill with ink.  I found this a little messy the first time I did this but on subsequent colours got more efficient at filling the tanks.  


After filling the eco tanks the Epson ET-2500 the rest of the install process takes place on the computer.  Everything seemed to be done automatically and I needed no knowledge of our WiFi or any detailed computer knowledge.  Simply follow the on screen instructions.



I was quite surprised at how fast set up was, I needed nothing but my computer and the printer no extra cables.  






Once I had set the printer up I downloaded the Epson app onto my smartphone.  The app has a very simple layout to it making it user friendly.  From here I can print direct from my phone, which is something I absolutely love.  No need to scroll back through and find that photo, I can print direct.


As the Epson is WiFi enabled I can also print from anywhere in the house, or even outside the house.  There is the ability to store documents in the cloud and print when you get home or to print directly from anywhere.  My husband has been taking full advantage of this feature by sending me random messages via the printer, whilst he is at work.

Overall I have been very impressed with the Epson ET-2500.  I love that there is the option to scan and copy as well as print.  It takes both paper and photo paper meaning no need for a separate photo printer and with its WiFi capability I can print from anywhere at great quality and at less cost.


Thank you to Epson for sending the ET-2500, all words are my own opinion 
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About me

About Me

Welcome to This Day I love.

My name is Leyla, also known as Mum to my 3 humans and dog Mum to J. I have a passion for the outdoors and love to run. I can often be found off road exploring the trails and fells and covering distances all the way up to 50 miles. As a family we love travelling and discovering new adventures, as I try and run around the world!

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