Mini First Aid

I joined a lovely group of parents on a 2-hour course with Mini First Aid North Hampshire and East Wiltshire. It was immensely insightful and I came away feeling confident and extremely fortunate to have found such a great class.

Have you been thinking about doing a first aid class?

Well did you know…..

There is a significant difference in the procedure for giving CPR to babies and CPR to children over 1 year old

Around 5,000 children a year suffer from burns and the faster and longer the burn is cooled, the less impact of the injury there is

There is a specific part of the nose you should ‘pinch’ and apply pressure to if your child is having a nose bleed

Scissors in the average First Aid kit are not sharp enough to cut through clothing or fabric… Which should be one of their main uses

Whilst weaning, babies gagging can be completely normal, but you need to look out for ‘silent gagging’

The amount of force needed in a back blow or chest thrust to aid a child who is choking is probably considerably more than you realise

That febrile convulsions, seizures and fits are commonly caused in young children by a raised body temperature or fever

Do you feel confident that you could help a baby or child if they needed you in an emergency? If not, then I urge you to book your Mini First Aid class TODAY!

Lucy is an excellent teacher who shares her knowledge and expertise with you in a variety of ways. The class is interactive and allows participants to ask questions, take an active role in practising a range of procedures on the ‘dummies’ provided and, most importantly, is run a relaxed friendly atmosphere which allows parents to leave feeling confident and reassured.

As a teacher myself, I have undertaken mandatory First Aid training for a number of years, but this course is by far the best I have attended. Purposeful and informative, Lucy shares her own experiences with you which relate to her own children and her friends’ children, along with stories of how she has helped and supported parents and carers out in the community, you never know when you might be able to help!

Lucy runs a range of different classes throughout North Hampshire and East Wiltshire including:

-Baby & Child First Aid – Open classes and private classes available for parents, grandparents and carers

-Mini First Aid – Classes for children aged 8-11 and classes for early years children aged 3-6

-Mini First Aid at Work – For employees and their families as well as 12 hour paediatric training course for childminders and nursery workers

I would highly recommend these wonderful classes to you all. To have the knowledge and confidence necessary to help a baby or child in a medical emergency is worth investing in.

I urge you to book a class for yourself and for your children as soon as possible! Why not get a group of you together and book a private class in your own home? Or arrange a 1 to 1 session for you and your family?

Or just check out the great class options which are coming up in your area..

https://www.facebook.com/minifirstaidnorthhampshire/

http://northhampshire.minifirstaid.co.uk/book-a-class/

Boo & Mummy x

Picked by Penny

Picked by Penny has launched in Hampshire! Opened by local Mum Abbey, Picked by Penny offers a range of organic clothing for babies and children up to the age of 10. She brings online ranges of clothes made for children to Southampton making them easy and accessible for busy parents.

Abbey’s brand is inspired by her daughter, Penny, who she loves dressing in the bright, fun outfits which are kind to her skin and to our planet. After receiving lots of compliments about Penny’s ‘funky’ clothing she decided to help other parents shop for these fabulous outfits.

Picked by Penny’s stock is sourced from a range of independent retailers which include Frugi, Kite, Maxomorra, Piccalilly, Slugs & Snails and Smafolk. The outfits are bright, colourful, and embrace everything that children love, animals, rainbows, flowers, buses, trains… the list goes on!

They have an online shop but they have also stock a selection of their clothing at the Block Party Café in Bitterne, Southampton. Although online shopping is convenient for us busy parents, we agree with Picked by Penny that there is nothing quite like popping into a shop and having a browse. Especially a shop that has space dedicated to your little ones so that they can play while you shop!

We are delighted to be able to share our experience of Picked by Penny with you and hope that you consider shopping local and popping down to Bitterne to see the fabulous clothes on offer.

From the outset, our dealings with Picked by Penny were incredibly professional. Abbey has great knowledge of her products and was able to give sizing advice for the different ranges. Boo is nearly 2 but still only just about in some of her 18-24 month clothes (which seem huge on her!) so we wanted to know we were going to be getting the right size.

The very special ‘ladybird’ dress from Kite came accompanied with ‘ladybird’ tights, which Boo was very taken with. The colours were true to the online images and the bright and bold colours really ‘popped’ in her wardrobe, we couldn’t wait to try it on! We wanted a day where we could get out and about and following the endless days of rain, we finally saw some sun, so we headed to the beach!

The outfit was warm, comfortable and incredible soft to the touch. Boo was very proud of her ‘ladybirds’ which she kept pointing at and counting whenever she saw people. We had lots of lovely comments from members of the public about her dress and she looked like a real ray of sunshine enjoying every moment of her time wearing it. The moments captured below show the pure joy of being out and about and communicate how proud she was of her fabulous ‘ladybirds’.

The clothes have washed well and hang proudly in her bedroom, she asks to put it on every morning! Definitely one to save for days out with Mummy rather than days at nursery! I have found myself browsing the Picked by Penny website a couple of times a week and already have my eye on a number of the other items…. I particulary love the unicorn dress, the dino dungarees, the woodsy set… What are your favourites!?

Shopping with Picked by Penny is easy, you can shop online here: https://www.pickedbypenny.co.uk or you can pop into the store which can be found at 8-10 W End Rd, Southampton SO18 6TG. Follow them on Facebook too and fall in love with their unique clothing https://www.facebook.com/pickedbypennyUK/

As Abbey says, she is an ordinary mum who wants to help you fall in love with extra ordinary clothes.

Have a look at her fabulous stock, make a wish list and let us know what your favourite items are!

Tactile Tots Review

We were grateful to have been invited to the final week of a Tactile Tots Baby Massage course run by Catherine.

Having attended a baby massage course with Boo when she was small, I knew how incredibly important attending a well run and organised course is for new parents.

Catherine’s classes take place in a quiet, peaceful room in St Peter’s Catholic Church on Jewry St in the city centre. She has taken a thoughtful approach to the atmosphere of the space allowing a calm and considered feel to her class. The intimate and friendly nature of the group was felt as soon as they arrived and it took me right back to those early months with Boo this time last year.

As this was the final class, it was time to bring together everything they had learned on the 5 week course and complete the full body massage. After the rousing welcome song, they started with the feet and legs. Catherine had lots of rhymes and songs to help remember the different moves and the parents were really listening to their babies and understanding their different likes and dislikes.

Catherine consistently answered questions and reminded the class of the medical benefits of different areas of the massage and her knowledge and passion for her area of expertise shone through at every opportunity. Parents were encouraged and well supported when their baby cried or fussed and were given alterations to any moves that they found difficult or their babies were unsure of.

It was a wonderful class and I was reminded how important baby massage is for so many reasons. The positive interaction I witnessed between the participants was magical. Moments that were truly special and demonstrated the powerful bonding ability of massage, the oxytocin levels in the room were definitely sky high!

Catherine has added a special touch to her classes by teaming up with Hannibal-White Photography. In the final session on her course, a photographer is present to help capture those moments on camera and preserve the wonderful moments so that they can be treasured forever. This is a truly unique opportunity and one which undoubtedly provides something wonderful for the parents to keep at the end of the course.

What struck me most about the session was the positive, supportive community feel that Catherine had created in her class. The bond between parent and baby was clear but the bond between new parents had also been embraced. It took me back to this time last year, when I was attending baby classes with Boo and reminded me of the importance of these moments.

It also reminded me why I started the Boo & Mummy page. How important it is in those early days to meet and talk with other new parents starting their journeys. To have a reason to get out of bed, get out of your pjs and have a place to go where you aren’t going to be judged and you are going to feel better just because your day had purpose. Where you could talk about the fact that you have had a terrible week, you have just had an irrational argument with a woman at the supermarket, you need more sleep and you have no idea if you are ever going to get it. Where you can just be you, and try and figure out how this new ‘mummy’ version of you is going to function and fit within her new life.

Catherine’s classes are absolutely wonderful and of huge benefit to new parents in so many ways. I highly recommend that you get in touch with her and book one of her upcoming classes at St Peter’s Catholic Church.

Please contact Catherine on Catherine@tactiletots.com  and have a look at their Facebook page and website J

Buggyworkout UK

I attended a session run by Juliette from Buggyworkout UK. Juliette runs a wide range of pre and postnatal fitness classes based in Winchester including Buggy Workout, Body Blitz and Pure Circuits.

I was warmly welcomed to the Pure Circuits session by a lovely group of ladies who are regular attendees and were raring to go. The one-hour session comprised of a warm up and cool down, with a 14 station circuit sandwiched in between. There were a wide range of activities that included boxing, crunches, squats, lunges, burpees, and many more. Juliette had a variety of pieces of fitness equipment, which made the session easy to access and it was great to try a mixture of exercises. Juliette was on hand to help with technique and ensure the exercises were clearly explained and well executed by each of the class members.

The soundtrack really helped the atmosphere, as did the positive encouragement from the other ladies in the class. It was great to train in such a supportive atmosphere with high praise from Juliette for our achievements.

Juliette is a busy mum of 3 who has first-hand experience of the challenges of getting back into shape after having a baby. A safe and effective workout is clearly paramount in her classes and she has exceptional knowledge of suitable exercises for pre and postnatal women.

All of the Buggyworkout instructors are specially trained in pre and postnatal fitness, are members of REPS, the Exercise Professional body, and have children of their own so you know you're in safe hands.

If you are thinking of starting exercise after giving birth, it is imperative that you work with trained instructors who know how they can support you and help you get back to full fitness. Contact Juliette on admin@buggyworkoutuk.co.uk to find out more about her range of classes and why not book a free trial?

https://www.facebook.com/BuggyWorkoutUk/

https://www.buggyworkoutuk.co.uk

Cookery Doodle Doo Review

We had the most amazing morning at Cookery Doodle Doo’s Pop Up Tots event making Bug Bites!

We arrived at the Overton Coffee Shop – just 15 miles from Winchester – bright and early and were welcomed by the lovely staff. There is an area towards the back of the shop that is reserved for the classes and Katie was busy setting up for the session.

Children are asked to wash their hands, they are then given an apron and invited to sit around the horseshoe shaped table layout ready to be given their first instructions. Straight away I could see some wonderfully tempting bits and pieces laid out beautifully in front of us… fresh fruit, waffles, fruit bread, jam, chocolate spread…. We eagerly awaited our instructions!

First up was the ‘ladybird sitting on a leaf’. Helping Boo spread cream cheese on a cheddar biscuit was good, sticky, fun! Topped with half a cherry tomato then small pieces of olive for the head and spots, I reckon it was a pretty good likeness. It was great for Boo to have the opportunity to try a range of different foods; the olives didn’t go down too well though!

Next, a fabulous ‘snail’ was created using a piece of celery, a squeeze of Primula, a round of apple, raisins for eyes and cucumber antennae. I have to admit this was my favourite! What a clever idea! Boo thought it was hilarious and continually tried to remove the apple slice ‘shell’ to munch on.

Finally onto our sweet treat, the ‘beautiful butterfly’. Butterfly is quite a new word for Boo so she was constantly calling out ‘butterfly’ with glee whilst this bug was made. A clever butterfly cutter shaped the waffle or slice of fruit bread, which was then topped with jam or chocolate spread…yum! Topped with a multitude of small pieces of fruit, it really was a sight to behold!

The half an hour workshop drew to a close with the children being invited to taste their concoctions and enjoy what they had made. It was such a great class filled with lots of joy and laughter – not just from the children! The average age of this particular group was probably just under 2 years old and there were 11 little munchkins and their parents. Each child was given a named paper plate and was made to feel that their creations were incredibly special.

Katie has a fabulous way with the children and is clearly so passionate about her classes. They are a really creative way of getting children to interact with food, enjoy new tastes and flavours and work closely with their parents and a professional. The short, pop up sessions for younger children is a great introduction to the other longer courses that Katie offers.

Katie’s cooking school is based in Laverstoke, just outside Whitchurch. She runs a wide range of Pre-School Cookery classes and courses as well as one off Cookery classes including a Sunday Morning Pudding Club for 5-10 year olds (which sounds AMAZING!).

Check out the Facebook page to see the events which are coming up. There are a wide range of unique one off events as well as longer running cookery classes and courses which allow children to explore, learn about, appreciate, and work with a range of food.

Why not contact Katie to arrange a £5 trial class? I would highly recommend it!

Email on katie.black@cookerydoodledoo.com, visit their website www.cookerydoodledoo.com/northhants/ or find them on Facebook! www.facebook.com/cookerydoodledoonorthhants