Mummy & Moose
clapping, napping and yapping our way through the day

Getting prepared for Back To School with Ace | gifted

Unless you have been living under a rock for the last month or two, you must have seen the latest cleaning craze which has hit social media. The likes of Mrs Hinch and (my personal preference) The Queen of Clean have been everywhere and so, the Zoflora has been out out for many a Mum and Dad.

The thing is though

I am not a naturally organised person. Cleaning is not how I express myself or what I consider to be any kind of fun. With that in mind I wasn’t feeling too enamoured when I was sent some Ace cleaning products recently – I mean, sure, I was happy to try them out of course. If anyone could pose a challenge it would be my adventurous 4 year old, Moose!

But me and cleaning? it was all a bit, meh! I have 3 children so stains are not a stranger in our home but I have always been a bit disbelieving of the claims of some of these cleaning products – mainly due to experience.

The day after our products arrived, my 4 year old son arrived home after school and it was like the planets had aligned. He got changed into his play clothes and when he handed me his polo shirt I had to laugh, I have no idea what he did at school that day but it was MESSY! It just so happened that I had been sent Perfect timing.

Exhibit A

The first thing I did was to soak the shirt in a mix of COLD water and Ace for whites. It has to be cold water because hot water decomposes the active ingredient of bleach in the product and renders it ineffective. I didn’t know that either until pretty recently and I am 36 and have kept 3 other humans alive, so don’t feel bad if you didn’t know either.

After a while of soaking (it was going to be about half an hour but I was distracted and ended up coming back to it about 2 hours later – oops) most of the stains were gone. I then just popped the shirt into the washing machine and let it do it’s magic along with a little capful of the ACE for whites to give it a bit of help.

This was the result. Before and after – just for you!

So the shirt is again like new. I know this won’t last, there will be more stains and plenty of them. All marking out how Moose has played that day. Now that I know I have a cleaning product which works, that seems a more pleasant prospect than it had previously.

To help with your stains at home, head to ACE clean UK to find out more.  ACE can also be found in Tesco, Sainsbury’s Morrisons and Waitrose

Long live stains and creativity and pushing the boundaries – and thank goodness for ACE!

We received some Ace products in exchange for writing this post. All opinions are honest and our own.

 

Hills Science Plan Pet Food Review | Ad

We received a bag of Hill’s Science Plan and payment in return for writing this post. All opinions are our own. 

Hill’s™ Science Plan™ Canine Mature Adult 7+ Active Longevity™ Medium with Chicken is a complete dried dog food especially designed for older dogs. When we were offered some for Fudge to try though, well, I wasn’t sure she would be interested. 

Beagles are supposed to almost completely led by their stomach. That is to say that it would be foolish to trust even a well trained Beagle alone in a room with any kind of food. Then there is Fudge. 

Fudge is our 13 year old Beagle.

She enjoys bullying hedgehogs, chewing socks and leaving dog hair all over the house. She is also surprisingly picky when it comes to her grub. Fudge will not, for example, entertain any kind of dog treat. She loves a little cheese or cooked meat as a snack. Any kind of dog chew or treat though? Forget it! 

Fudge is equally as fussy when it comes to her meals. As a rule she likes to eat twice a day. Once in the morning and once in the evening. Now that she is a bit older she prefers not to eat her morning meal all in one go. Choosing instead to graze on it throughout the early part of the day. 

This is all well and good for her but over the summer it becomes problematic for us. Fudge prefers wet food but flies are attracted to it if it is in her bowl for very long. Not great on those long hot days in August. Not to mention the smell. Oh dear lord, the smell! 

I have tried her with dry food in the past. Mostly she eyes it with suspicion and then ignores it until I throw it out and give her a tin of chunks in gravy (she isn’t even massively keen on the stuff in jelly to be honest). 

The day Hill’s™ Science Plan™ Canine Mature Adult 7+ Active Longevity™ Medium with Chicken arrived

It was promising then that on the day our Hills dog food arrived she showed a fair amount of interest before I had even opened the bag. 

I really like the packaging of the Hill’s™ Science Plan™ Canine Mature Adult 7+ Active Longevity™ Medium with Chicken we were sent. The bag can be opened by hand and has a velcro reseal which keeps the biscuits inside nice and fresh for longer. 

The biscuits appeared to be larger than other dry dog foods I had seen and I did wonder whether Fudge;s poor old teeth could manage them. She managed absolutely fine!

She tried a couple of biscuits at first and over the course of about a week we introduced the Hill’s™ Science Plan™ Canine Mature Adult 7+ Active Longevity™ Medium with Chicken into her daily diet, mixing it in with her regular brand. 

Hill’s™ Science Plan™ Canine Mature Adult 7+ Active Longevity™ Medium with Chicken is formulated to sustain mobility and healthy vital organs. With clinically proven antioxidants, and glucosamine and chondroitin from natural sources.

Key Benefits

  • Joint and mobility support with glucosamine and chondroitin from natural sources.
  • Sustains healthy vital organs with balanced sodium and phosphorus levels.
  • Highly digestible ingredients for optimal nutrient absorption.
  • Made with high quality ingredients for great taste. 100% guaranteed.

2 weeks in and she is having a big bowl of Hill’s™ Science Plan™ Canine Mature Adult 7+ Active Longevity™ Medium with Chicken in the morning and then a tin of chunks in gravy mixed with a few more biscuits in the evening. This has been great for us because it means that I don’t need to worry about those pesky flies anymore or have to live with the dog food pong on hot days! 

Fudge is loving her new meal plan too.

She is full of energy and looking really healthy and most importantly she seems to like the biscuits! Plus, between you and me. Her breath (and her wind) is SO much better having some dry food incorporated into her diet. We will definitely be continuing to use Hill’s Science Plan. You can purchase Hill’s Science Plan here or you can find it at all good Pet shops. 

 

Treads Stress Free Foot Measuring and WIN Treads School Shoes

We were sent a measuring gauge and will be sent a pair of shoes in exchange for writing this post

School shoes were always an expensive no brainer when I was a child. Once a year we would be taken into town about a week before term began to be measured in the one decent shoe shop. It would be alarmingly busy so there was a guaranteed wait of what felt like a month and usually there would be a choice of 2 styles in our size if we were lucky. We would be given a warning to take care of our shoes because they needed to last. Every year we all (Mum included) absolutely dreaded it.

Fast forward some years and I had become a parent. Off I took my newly walking son to our local shoe shop (rhymes with barks…you know the one) and after a bit of a wait we had his feet measured. As I watched the teenage shop assistant with my son I just wasn’t convinced that they had got it right. So, when we left the shop we walked to the department store (which sells the brand that rhymes with barks too) and had him measured again. We went to 3 different shops in the end (what? I’m thorough!) and we were given THREE DIFFERENT SIZES. That was the day I decided that that particular brand was not worth the money they charge.

So good to see that a change has come.

Treads is changing the game. The brand was born out of the frustrations of a parent – which is always a good start. It means that the brains behind it know about what children – and parents – need from a school shoe. Back to school can be a horrendously expensive prospect for a lot of parents. School shoes often make up a large part of the budget so it really is important that we choose a great pair.

The idea of Treads is fundamentally a pretty simple one. Well made school shoes which can be bought online and are built to last – even if your child appears like mine to be ridiculously heavy footed. Some days I feel like I spend the lions share of it instructing Moose to stop stomping and “is that a herd of Elephants up there?!” can be regularly heard to be shouted up our stairs (apologies again dear neighbours about the noise… I can assure you I do ask nicely before the shouting begins, promise.)

So what makes Treads any better than all of the other school shoes on the market?
  •  Permair® leather – Breathable performance leather
  •  “Strobel” construction – The upper is placed in a mould and the sole is injected around it
  •  Reinforced heels – Prevents splitting through stamping
  •  Shock absorbing insoles – Easy to remove too!
  •  Flexible injection moulded soles – Hard Wearing, non slip and non-marking
  •  Reinforced seams – Additional strength
  •  Easy clean – Wipe clean surface
  • Texon® board inner – Designed to reinforce sole and wick away moisture
  • Treads come in a range of different styles and sizes to suit boys and girls aged 6 to 16 (unless your child has massive paws like mine in which case they also suit 4 yr olds..)

So confident are Treads about their shoes being built to last, they offer a 12 month guarantee. A whole year!

AND YOU DO NOT HAVE TO DRAG YOUR CHERUBS TO A SHOP. A change indeed.

At Home Measuring

There are 2 ways to do this. You can download a free paper measure which you then print out and use to measure your child’s shoe size. The other way is to purchase a foot measuring gauge which is then posted to you to use at home. We tried the latter.

I was so excited to receive our Treads Foot Measuring Kit in the post. For the £5 it costs I was surprised that it felt much better in quality than I had expected. Definitely something that can be put away to use next summer.

The gauge comes with an easy to follow instruction booklet which even after 3 hours sleep and a morning of Teen Titans I could follow without stuffing it up.

This is how easy it was to measure Mooses feet for his Treads school shoes.

It really is that simple.

Measure the length. Measure the width. Input the measurement on the Treads website and then order the shoes and wait for their arrival!

We cannot wait to receive Mooses new school shoes and, with the way he gets through shoes, really make use of that 12 month guarantee. We will be able to request a new pair if any of the following happens

  • the sole has split or is removed from the upper
  • the outsole is worn through into the midsole
  • the stitching has failed resulting in a split or torn seam
  • the leather upper is cracked or damaged forming a hole
  • a strap has detached or split leaving it non functional
  • the eyelets are detached from upper.

I am really impressed by what I have seen so far and I will be sure to post an update when the shoes arrive.

Win a pair of Treads school shoes

I am so pleased that the fabulous people from Treads has given 1 Mummy&Moose reader the opportunity to win a pair of Treads school shoes of their very own. To be in with a chance of winning, follow the instructions and make sure you enter by 23:59 on 19/08/19.

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Baby Shark Let’s Go Hunt and Wooden Puzzle Review and Giveaway

We were sent these products in exchange for our honest review. All opinions are our own. 

Baby Shark DO DO DO DO DO DOOOO. If you don’t know what Baby Shark is then please comment below to let me know which rock you have been living under – I may want to move in!

When he is not busy building, Moose and his friends love Baby Shark and know all of the dance moves!

I am pretty sure that 99% of people opening this post will know all too well about this particularly aquatic ear worm. To add to the fun, Spinmaster have brought out some Baby Shark toys.

Lets Go Hunt

You will need 2x AA batteries to get started. The Baby Shark Lets Go Hunt game is bright and colourful. It plays the catchy tune as players use their miniature fishing rod to catch as many fish as possible. To make this a challenge, the pond that the fish are in rotates while the music plays and the fish open and close their mouths.

The Baby Shark Lets Go Hunt game is suitable for 2-4 players aged 4+. Moose loved this game and we had a lot of fun trying to best our scores on each go. We put a time limit on it to up the ante after a few games!

I think that this game is great for hand eye coordination. It’s simple enough for a 4 year old to set up and when I had to go and do other things Moose was happy to continue fishing by himself so it’s not just a multi-player toy.

Wooden Sound Puzzle

Moose has a lot of the wooden shape fit style puzzle but this one is a little different. Each member of the shark family has its own special place. When you slot them in, their part of the Baby Shark song plays. Pretty cool! Moose liked playing with this puzzle but I feel like it would be better suited to a child aged 2-3 (4 at a push).

That said, he liked it when I turned the pieces so that they were face down and selecting the correct piece presented a bit more of a challenge. You will need 2x AAA batteries for this puzzle. No volume control but you could switch it off and still use it as a puzzle.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Strictly Briks Classic Trap & Gap – LEGO compatible bricks review

We were sent this product in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own

Moose absolutely loves building with bricks at the moment. The tablet he used to play with daily has been in a cupboard for god knows how long and from the moment he wakes up all he wants to do is build with LEGO.

I’m certainly not complaining. There is a reason why the market leader in building bricks is consistently top of the charts when it comes to children’s favourite toys. That stuff is pricey though!

We hadn’t heard of Strictly Briks before we were sent a set to review a couple of weeks ago. I was almost certain that nothing else would match up to “that brand”.

I was happy to be proved wrong.

The Strictly Briks Classic Trap and Gap is a set of stackers and base boards with ramps and trap doors. Moose immediately grabbed his toy cars. He wanted his Strictly Briks set to act as a garage/car park. He spent a long time building little walls on each level and then suddenly his garage was a house!

Along with the Strictly Briks Classic Trap and Gap we were sent a 156pc bag of bricks. Moose loved being able to build little pieces of furniture and he soon moved some mini figure super heroes into his creation.

The base boards in the Strictly Briks Classic Trap and Gap set are 10″x10″ which is not a size offered by LEGO. I thought that the base plates felt a little on the thin side. I did like that they are stackable though. So you can attach them on top of other bricks as well as using them as a base.

All of Mooses LEGO minifigures (and there are a lot) were compatible with Strictly Briks and not in a this-is-going-to-pop-off-any-minute way. They really do fit well!

Would we buy Strictly Briks?

The price point of Strictly Briks earns it some serious brownie points. The Strictly Briks Classic Trap and Gap set has an RRP of £21.99 and the 156pc bag of Strictly Briks retails at just £6.99.

I think this along with the variety of sets in their range makes it difficult not to consider it. We do love LEGO but Moose can’t tell the difference. At his age he just wants to play and Strictly Briks seems like a decent choice to me!