We love finding things our children love and this week we are loving the Slumbersac.

We know many parents and children love baby sleeping bags but what about when the get old enough to walk and get out of bed, the sleeping bag isn't always so practical then for older children, so we loved the idea of the Slumbersac. As children grow and start to take their first steps, they need all the help they can get. Slumbersac sleeping bags with feet are great for helping your child as they learn to walk and explore their world for the first time! Toddlers can enjoy the comfort and security of their sleeping bag while still being able to move about freely.

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Quite recently I traced a long lost relative. Someone who was born before me and unfortunately moved away to Manchester and I never got to know her but life has a funny way of working out, through grief and loss are new opportunities and a chance to get to know new family AND a new City. They still live in Manchester and whilst it is not a million miles away from us in Warwickshire, it is not somewhere we have previously chosen to explore. So with Easter on the horizon we thought we would see what Manchester has to offer, aisde from family reunions.

Museum of Science & Industry

The Museum of Science and Industry is a large museum devoted to the development of science, technology and industry with emphasis on the city's achievements in these fields. To tie in with the opening of The Innovation Race: Manchester’s Makers Join the First World War, opening on 28 March, the Museum of Science & Industry’s 2015 Easter Programme(3 – 19 April) centres around the mighty and larger-than-life theme of Power: Making War from the Factory Floor. Families are invited to visit this family friendly and interactive exhibition, telling the mainly untold stories of the makers, scientists, engineers, factory workers and business people of Manchester whose innovations and intervention helped turned around the outcome of the First World War. 

I have been looking at reviews of MOSI and Tired Mummy of Two feels that it is a great choice for Sunday afternoon fun, so we need to add this to the list.

There are the other obvious Manchester attractions such as Man Utd football ground and the Trafford Centre but at the risk of offending every football fan and shopaholic, we can watch sport or football any time, so we wanted to find things we could do as a family and there seems to be lots on offer. A day trip is not going to cut it so I think we will be needing to stay over and finding a good hotel where I can get a good nights sleep is paramount for me. They have some good deals at 

Crowne Plaza Manchester

Tatton Park

My cousin recommended Tatton Park as a great family day out. Tatton Park is nestled in 1,000 acres of beautiful deer park and you can explore centuries of history at the Tudor Old Hall and witness life above and below stairs in the Mansion. You are free to wander through the Gardens and take the kids to meet the rare breed animals on the working Farm. Between the 28th March and 19th April they have family Easter activities too. You can go on a magical journey with the Lindt Gold Bunny through the fairytale world of the Brothers Grimm. You have to find Sleeping Beauty asleep in the maze and discover the most wonderful gingerbread house in the dell. If the slipper fits, then you will go to the Conservatory ball …..if you arrive before midnight! The bit that tempts me is that there is a Lindt Gold Bunny treat for all children!

And if chocolate and Brothers Grimm are not your thing, then there is always the Spinningfields Duck Race!

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This is a collaborative post.

My toddler asked me if she could drive the car yesterday. Obviously I said no and had to explain that she had another 14 or so years before she could actually get behind the wheel. The tween then piped up that she only had 7 years to go and could she have a car for her 17th birthday (!!) but I told her that she had to pass her test first. (I must start a savings account for the car fund!)

I passed my test first time but this was long before the theory test was introduced and it occured to me that I have been driving for some 17 years and whilst most things are now second nature, I suspect I would need to revise for today's theory test.

Do you think you would pass? Have a little try of this great quiz from We Buy Any Car to test your driving knowledge - you might be surprised at how much or little you do actually know!

This quiz was created byWeBuyAnyCar.com

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Is it safe to take a baby or toddler swimming after having their injections?

This is a conversation starter that I have had numerous times at playgroups and with fellow mums and as a parent, I am not sure that there is a definitive answer. The Water Babies website tells us that NHS guidelines say you can take your baby swimming at any time, regardless of whether they’ve had their injections. The high quality of the water required in public pools makes the likelihood of transmitting infections very unlikely; plus, the diseases against which your baby is inoculated can’t be carried in chlorinated water anyway. 

The toddler had her second round of MMR injections recently and I was unsure how she was going to react to them. 

She was giving her instructions to me from the side, so I think it is fair to say she was fine.

She has mastered getting in and out of the water safely and loves being able to jump in and swim to me now. She will swim independently around me too, her confidence growing week on week.

Swimming every week has made a noticeable difference in her own confidence and ability. Typically with children, we don't make it every week because little ones get poorly, that's life. The Water Babies team understand if you have a bit of a cold but if either you have any significant illness, including ear infections, (the dreaded) chicken pox, or vomiting/diarrhoea, it is not fair on you, your child, the other families, your teacher, or indeed the pool. We have been there when the pool has had to be emptied as a result of a "poo" incident and it only leads to disappointment for lots of people.

So going back to the debate of whether children should go swimming after having their injections, should you or should you not go swimming? The Water Babies team tell us that they have had lots of little ones who’ve been for their jabs in the morning, come swimming in the afternoon, and had no problems at all. In fact in some ways it may even help them a little, since the warm water can soothe grizzly nerves or stiff little arms or legs.

Ultimately, you know your baby or toddler best, so if you think they are okay to swim then do as our little one does and just take the plunge!

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