Parenting Archives - Page 27 of 47

I have always wanted a piece of fingerprint jewellery however have never managed to get my bottom in gear and actually do anything about it. When the lovelies from NotOnTheHighStreet got in touch and asked if I would like to review something from the fabulous Button and Bean I didn’t hesitate for a moment before accepting gratefully.

Button and Bean offer a range of personalised fingerprint jewellery for him and her, all of which make fabulous gifts and keepsakes. From pendants to cufflinks there is something here for everyone. It took me a while to narrow down which item I would like best to be honest however in the end this gorgeous Personalised Fingerprint Heart Necklace caught my eye.

ButtonandBean Heart Necklace — Click to visit the product page

When the kit arrived I immediately handed it over to my husband who like many men didn’t read the instructions. The instructions are very clear; once you mix the two putty-like substances together you need to get your child’s fingerprint straight away as the putty starts to harden very quickly. As he hadn’t read this (I hadn’t either in all fairness) we found ourselves with a wasted kit. I was aghast to say the least! Fortunately replacement kits are available for a small charge and are quickly sent out.

This time we were organised and ready, mix, stick finger in and go. A very simple two minute task if you read the instructions first. Off my boy’s fingerprints went…..

Although the estimated time on the website for orders is between 10 and 24 days my beautiful new necklace arrived pretty quickly (I’m guessing for key times such as Father’s Day or Christmas it would take an extra day or so within this range as they are understandably popular for gifts). I have worn the necklace every day since.

I’m not a big jewellery person to be absolutely honest, wearing my wedding ring and the occasional pair of earrings however I’ve not wanted to take this off. It looks great regardless of what I wear and being solid silver is going to last if I take care of it. Once I’ve eventually stopped wearing it (I can’t see me wearing it when the boys hit 18yrs old for example) I will have a beautiful keepsake which is personal to us with their unique fingerprints displayed in such a pretty way.

Would I recommend Button and Bean? Absolutely! From the first kit being sent to receiving my necklace I have been very pleased with the service and the obvious quality of the work. Would I buy another piece as a gift, yes I would. Roy may well find himself with something lovely for his birthday or Christmas.

I have received numerous comments on my personalised fingerprint necklace from people asking where I got it from and how easy it was to use the kit and I’ve told everyone the same.
“If you read the instructions it is easy to do and very worth it. I adore it!”.
I’ve worn the necklace for over a week and it looks as good as new and the chain is also of a high quality.

I was lucky enough to receive this Button and Bean piece of personalised jewellery at no cost in exchange for an honest and open review. I can honestly and openly say that I am over the moon with my new favourite piece of jewellery and based on my 5* experiences of Button and Bean would recommend them without hesitation.

I am a naturally early riser. You might even find me up and about, doing work (fuelled by copious amounts of double strength coffee) or housework as early as 5am. You would assume on hearing this that I would be one of those people who thrive on a couple of hours of quality sleep a night. You’d assume wrong. I need six full uninterrupted hours of quality sleep. If I don’t get it I am no use to anyone and have even been described as narky (amongst other things).

In a sleep study carried out by Silentnight, researchers found out that a third of us can feel anxious if we don’t get quality sleep. Anxious? I’m climbing the walls! It appears that my children also need decent amounts of quality sleep as without it they turn into monsters. They cry, whinge, cry some more and are thoroughly unhappy with themselves. Clearly for everyone’s sake a good night sleep is essential in our house. Thankfully the kids rarely wake in the night unless they are unsettled before bed for whatever reason therefore we make sure that we stick as close as we can to a bedroom routine that works for us.

Time

Bedtime is bedtime. Both boys (at 6yr old and 2yr old) know that when the bedtime routine starts that bedtime is imminent. There is no staying up later because they have begged or screamed or cried; up the wooden hill means sleep time! The actual times that they go to bed vary as they are different ages. Taylor (2yrs) goes up around 7pm and Kieran (6yrs) at 7.30pm. We are a bit more flexible with Kieran now he is older and on a weekend he is allowed up later provided that when the bedtime routine kicks in…. he goes with it.

Bedtime Story

Nothing settles our boys better than a story before bed. Apart from anything else this gives us a chance for some last minute cuddled up 1-1 time. A story, a quick chat about the day and a cuddle before sleep works wonders and is a cherished part of the day.

Comforts

Both boys have something they like to take to bed with them or have running before they go to sleep (as well as teddy bears obviously!). Kieran has a quite dim globe lamp over his desk that he likes on as he drifts off. He isn’t scared of the dark but he likes it, it comforts him, and he knows we turn it off later. He also chooses a Lego “creation” or something that has meaning to him that week to put on his bedside. Taylor’s must have bedtime items at the moment are a Mr Tumble playing card (the one with Mr Tumble falling asleep on it), his teddy and if he isn’t absolutely shattered he likes a short CD audio book on (Usborne Books – Farmyard Tales) while he drifts off.

Pulling it Together

The comfort items or sounds, the story, the calm time, the cuddle time and the predictable bed times are all part of an overall routine. Not only do they enjoy the way that the night winds down, as do we, they also sleep so much better for it and wake refreshed and cheerful…..And so do we! I’m curious, do you have a set routine or does flexibility work better? I’d love to know what cute or funny comforters your kids have at bedtime too – my friend’s son MUST have a certain blanket which is much loved at bedtime. Provided they never lose it (the horror!) it seems a lovely way to help him settle down to sleep.

These things work for us (thankfully!) but perhaps aren’t for everyone? If you and yours struggle to get a good night’s sleep it may be worth getting some advice from sleep expert Dr Nerina.

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Personalised Fingerprint Jewellery from Button and Bean (NOTHS)

Sleeping Time