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Ten, maybe fifteen years ago, if you had told someone that you were going to do all of your shopping online, they would have probably looked at you strangely because shops opened on a Sunday, they had late night opening times, why would you want to order online? The reality is, our lives have got busier, we want accessibility at the touch of a button and we want to be able to get everything we need, from the comfort of our own homes.

In 2013 you can quite simply get almost anything delivered to your front door, no more traipsing round shop after shop, no more paying exorbitant parking fees and no more sore feet. The only problem now is selecting the right online retailer. Now we run our own boutique here at the Lilypad but it is a very specialised niche and we sit comfortably in our little corner of the internet, but what if you need to appeal to a wider audience? What if you are looking for an extensive range of branded products but not necessarily mass produced by the major chains? We were therefore delighted to be asked to look at the Internet Gift Store and found that it has a fabulous range of gifts to cover most genre's, occassions and tastes.

On the subject of taste, getting the right lunch bag for your child is certainly not child's play and with so many different characters and styles available, tempers have certainly been frayed in our house when choosing a lunch bag but the Internet Gift Store has a massive range of kids lunch bags to suit every age ( I am particularly fond of Elmo myself).

The world wide web provides a huge resource for consumers like you and I but with many big companies going into administration, maybe it is time to place confidence in the smaller boutiques and stores and give them a chance to shine. 

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I recently read about the MyFamilyClub Parent Pledge and couldn't help but be inspired. The principle of the campaign is easy, all you have to do is tell them how you pledge to spend at least 30 minutes each week doing something different, fun and thrifty with your children.

It got me to thinking about the time I spend with my girls and the "quality" of that time and I decided that there are small changes I could make, to make a difference to my children. Anyone that knows me, will know that I am never far from some form of technology, whether that be a laptop, tablet or phone. This love of technology is echoed by my own girls, even the little one has her own toddler apps but I never had those as a child, the closest I got was a Fisher Price wooden phone .... which is not really the same thing.

So here is my pledge:

I pledge that for 30 minutes a DAY (not a week) I will turn off all the apps, phones, laptops and tablets and enjoy reading an actual book, rather than an electronic one, we will do some physical drawing, rather than with a stylus and we will bake delicious cakes that we can actually taste, rather than look at on a screen.

Technology is fantastic and making sure that my children are competent in using it is a great skill for them as they grow up but it is easy to forget that there is life in the real world, waiting to be discovered. This weekend we may even go to an "actual" farm, not one that has been created online!

Don't get me wrong, we are not always stuck in an electronic world but it is easy to forget that the simplest things are often those that create the very best memories.

So will you consider making a pledge? If you do, don't forget to share it with MyFamilyClub as if they love your idea you could win a prize. Their favourite Parent Pledge will win a luxury family break in Cornwall, courtesy of the beautiful Sands Resort Hotel & Spa. 

What do you pledge?

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I remember when my eldest daughter was born, every single person that walked through my front door was made to wash their hands or use hand gel before they came within breathing distance of her. She was never ever dirty, to the point where my mum told me that I was being ridiculous and she would never develop immunity to anything because I wasn't letting her be exposed to anything for longer than a second. After realising that she was right (mums usually are .... that's what I tell my own daughter now), I began to relax.

I can't categorically state that I relaxed in every aspect and I can vivdly remember cooking, mashing, pureeing and storing food like my life depended on it and only the most naural and organic products would pass through her lips. I was officially the food police! I recall going on a caravan holiday with my best friend and her suggesting that we get the children fish and chips for dinner, I remember feeling a little panicky as my daughter had never had chips before, so I rustled up some rice and vegetables to go with the fish ....... she must have thought I was bonkers (but then again she has known me forever so probably knows this to be true anyway).

Fast forward to today and my youngest daughter has learnt to eat through baby led weaning and has today eaten pasta and vegetables for lunch, followed by an apple. However she then starts shouting at the cupboard. She wasn't cross with the cupboard, she does however know that is where we keep the chocolate, high up in the cupboard where little hands can't get hold of it. My mum now warns me about the little ones sweet tooth but this time, I think that I am the one that is right. My youngest daughter eats very well, she eats healthily and with a varied diet but when she sees her big sister (and "maybe" mummy too) eating chocolate, it feels wrong to deny her a small taste. Don't get me wrong, she would totally gorge herself if she could but at the end of the day, don't you always want what you can't have? My Nan would have told me that "a little of what you fancy does you good" and despite being so strict with my eldest, she will still ask for chocolate the same as the next child.

As I said at the beginning of this post, mummy is usually right but now that mum is me, I am no longer going to be the food police, I am simply going to be mum!

 

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As parents, we always strive to provide our children with the essentials in life but also luxuries and treats that bring a smile to their faces. My eldest daughter is currently a huge fan of the "onesie", now love it or hate it, you cannot escape how popular the onesie has become, so when we were asked to review one from the www.kigs.co.uk website, I happily agreed.

The Kigs website says that they sell kigurumi (animal onesies) for both children and adults and I have to admit that they have a fantastic range. I chose the kids giraffe costume (as I knew my daughter would love it), which comes in a spotted yellow giraffe hide pattern in an adorable warm fleece material.

Now the kigurimi are essentially costumes which makes it a great website if you are going to a fancy dress party but in our house, they have been a favourite of the sleepovers! My daughter is currently enjoying the new craze in the world of a 7 year old for going (and having sleepovers) and the Giraffe Onesie has been the envy of her friends (and their mums).

I have to be honest and say that at first, my daughter was a little unsure because of the baggy design and the fact it had "no feet" but once she put it on and felt how comfortable it was (not to mention how much her friends loved it too), I have struggled to get it off her to wash it! (thankfully it washes at 30 degrees!)

So that's why this review is part of our Love Is .... series of posts, because what's not to love when a great product puts a big smile on your child's face?