Smiggle that’s where a smile meets a giggle, is the latest stationary brand to really catch my eye. They have brought bright fun stationary to the marketplace with something for all ages and great quality too.

I was recently sent a Smiggle 30 pack of pens to get my creative juices going; this would make a great Christmas gift for a stationary lover or to encourage the kids with their homework.

It includes a mix of gel, glitter, neon and pastel Smiggle pens, scented, which is where the Smiggle fun comes in, yum! And all tucked nicely away in a handy carry case; my Smiggle 30 Pack Pens Review gave me the excuse to get organised!

I just knew these would make a great addition to my family planner. I usually colour code each person’s activities and my own work tasks, I thought I’d take this opportunity to show you how our little family stays organised!

Keeping my To Do List out of my head really stops me feeling overwhelmed, and juggling work, blogging, family life, volunteering and studying too gets overwhelming, trust me!

My planner gives me confidence that I won’t forget to do something important!

Essentially I have a little colour coded system to make it easy to see what’s coming up for who at a glance, I use my blog like a memory journal so sometimes I jot down ideas so I don’t forget what we’ve been up to, or if Joss say something that I want to remember that gets jotted down too!

I get my planner out on a Sunday morning and meal plan for the week ahead, making a shopping list alongside.

If other stuff runs out, like washing up liquid or hand wash I keep a set of post its in my planner and add to a little ‘on the go’ shopping list to go alongside my main list when I finally hit the shops!

Do you keep a family planner? How do you stay organised and in control?

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When I was pregnant with Joss I was given a set of ‘baby essentials’ by a friend, and in the box was a bottle of Milton sterilising fluid.

I was taken back to the age of eight, when my baby brother came along and the distinctive smell of Milton brought back a really familiar feeling.

Now in its 65th year did you know that the original Milton Fluid was first used as a disinfectant during the First World War, and was taken into the trenches to treat skin burns?

After the war, the Milton Fluid continued to be used as a general antiseptic, disinfectant and food preservatives, as well as being used in hospital surgical procedures and later it became associated with sterilising baby bottles.

We used a Milton classic cold water steriliser like this after using it on the hospital ward to sterilise the nipple shields I brought with me, the bucket and secure lid were really handy and the clear instructions helped me through the fog of those first few difficult weeks when we moved to sterilising bottles too, something I found quite stressful but quickly got the hang of thanks to the easy directions. I continue to use this now to sterilise Joss’ drinking cups as they tend to be quite hard to clean.

Milton Sterilising giveaway

Milton have a wide range of products to offer to new parents, including microwave sterilisers and portable soother sterilisers too.

The lovely folk at Milton have given me two brilliant must-have prizes to give away, one lucky reader will receive a Milton Combi Microwave / Cold Water Steriliser and some sterilising tablets to get you started, and another lucky reader will receive a Milton Mini Portable Soother Steriliser with mini sterilising tablets to get you started (soothers not included).

Here’s a run down of both products. First up, the combi steriliser, A 2 in 1 microwave or cold water steriliser, it holds five bottles of any brand, fits the majority of microwaves and sterilising from 2 minutes in the microwave and in 15 mins with cold water it’s a fast option for a busy time in any new parent’s life.

The soother sterilisers are a new one to me as we didn’t use a soother; 2 in 1 it cleans and sterilises soothers on the go with no need to rinse and with a hand adjustable strap to easily attach it to your buggy, pram or change bag this is a great portable option for always having a spare soother ready when out and about!

To enter this giveaway simply use the Rafflecopter tool below, terms and conditions as follows; UK postage only, winners notified within 24 hours of the giveaway closing, responsibility for sending out prizes is with PR company associated with the brand, there is no cash alternative or prize alternative.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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As we wave Organic September goodbye we say hello to a super soft and snuggly SillyBillyz Organic Mini Bath Robe in our house! I was so pleased to finally find a robe in organic cotton, they’re harder to come by for toddlers, and it has been a real treat to review!

I find organic cotton much more durable than non-organic and that’s really important to me in an item in everyday use as Joss’ dressing gown is a daily must-have, especially on those work mornings when I need to give her something to eat while I get ready before getting her dressed for the day. She is quite officious about making sure I get my own ‘dressidown’ on before we get up for the day so the fact that SillyBillyz robes are a dead-ringer for my own robe put us onto a winner, her own dressidown, brilliant!

Why Sillybillyz Organic?

Organic cotton is grown without the use of toxic pesticides or fertilizers; buying organic is better for the environment and kinder on sensitive baby skin too not to mention it’s a better quality product and the fabric produced tends to be softer, stronger and longer lasting to boot.

The Lowdown

Joss has thoroughly enjoyed two days of lounging in her PJs and robe both in the mornings and after bath time! Available in two other colours, milk and blue, as well as this gorgeous plum and with a snug hood and Organic terry cotton inner these super robes are super absorbent, perfect for colder morning showers and a faster option than a towel for a ‘dashing to her toys’ Joss! The terry cotton on the inside of the gown means that I don’t need to spend long towelling her off, she can practically hop from the shower into the gown, hood up and she’s cosy and warm, a must for those cold winter days!

Although aged 9 months to two years plus I think it might be a tad big on a smaller baby, no complaints here though as this is so roomy she will be wearing it for at least the next year! The size is really generous which makes this a long lasting buy and the robe is stain resistant and tumble dry safe so it’s perfect for tots to relax in and wear whilst eating (stain resistant!) as it dries really quickly too.

The simple waist tie means that there’s no risk of trips and falls and the robe is toddler safe as the tie is attached to the body of the gown.

Available from Safetots and retailing at £18.99 this is great value for Organic cotton and it’s a beautiful, soft quality cotton at that, you can see the soft terry pile and smooth nap of the fabric; super snug!

Packaged up in a zip lock gift bag this would make a lovely, warm and practical gift for a baby or toddler, it even comes with a gift tag included!

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