by CoombeMill
16 May 2012 08:30
Loved By Parents Awards
The Lovely people at Loved by Parents are hosting their 2012 awards. With great products for tots and their parents in many different categories, do take this opportunity to vote for your favourites and make their day.
And my heart went thump!
I found myself this morning receiving a congratulations tweet from . I had to do a double take in disbelief! Wow, this is my second year in the final of the Special Awards Category "Blogger of the Year". Last year I was a runner up and have been proudly displaying this badge ever since:
It feels greedy to have been given another bite at the cherry, but I am chuffed to bits to have been selected again. I would love to hold on to my position and replace 2011 with 2012, and even dare to dream of higher, but I can only achieve any of this with your help.
My Blog
Last year my blog was only 2 months old; I was just experimenting on Blogger with my farm adventures and parenting tips. I have come such a long way in a year, re-launching my web site last autumn with my blog included as its own .com site. My Posts have gone from one every week or so to several a week, my outdoor activities weekly linky "Country Kids" was born and blogging has become my guilty pleasure! Being nominated again as a finalist has boosted my blogging confidence so much. A huge thank you to the "Loved By Parents" parent panel for choosing me, my great respect for the other amazing blogs selected, I am proud to be up there with you all.
The Voting
Voting has begun and I would be thrilled to have your support:
Special Awards: Blogger of the Year: Fiona Cambouropoulos. Here is the all important link http://lovedbyparents.com/awards/2012/vote/
Thank you so very much
Fiona @Coombemill x
by CoombeMill
15 May 2012 10:16
Sharing Baby Tips
Having a new baby and becoming a parent is such a magical time. The responsibility and love that comes with parenthood is like no other, bringing a change in lifestyle that is full of new experiences for both parent and baby. We seek out the little gems of advice and handy products to help make light of the challenges and joys of baby's first year. I have come across a lovely new business, set up by Mums, called Bondie Bird who has created a unique and versatile product for babies called Playwrap. This is one such product which I am delighted to share.
What is Playwrap?
The playwrap is essentially a portable, wearable, attachable play mat with clip on toys suitable from birth upwards. A neck clip makes it easy to wear but when removing it will lay flat on the ground. There are some clever suckers on the reverse for securely attaching to a pushchair, car door, patio doors or any number of surfaces. It appealed to me as being perfect for travelling and holidays since it is compact, fun and entertaining for so many occasions and even comes with a handy travel bag. I would certainly have been using one if it had been around when my children were tiny. It retails for £29.95 and you can order on line here http://www.bondiebird.com/Shoppingcart It would make an imaginative and practical gift to any new parent.
Try one out at Coombe Mill
The lovely Mums from Bondie Bird have sent me a Playwrap to test at Coombe Mill. It is only in its second week of use but the feedback has been great. The squashy sand filled bug toy and musical bells were voted as best by babies in trial while the versatility of usage being a winner with Mums. If you are coming to stay with us at Coombe Mill, the Playwrap is waiting in reception for you to borrow, so please help yourself and give it a go! You can read more about Bondie Bird and the Playwrap on their web site: http://www.bondiebird.com/
Win a Playwrap
I have one playwrap to send free to a lucky winner. All you have to do is leave a comment below saying that you'd like to enter, remember to also leave a way for me to contact you.
To increase your chance of winning:
Follow Bondie Bird on Twitter and leave an extra comment here with your twitter name.
For an additional entry, like the Bondie Bird facebook page, and leave a separate comment with your Facebook name here.
For one final entry, please tweet the following sentence and leave another comment to say you have done so:
I want to enter the playwrap for babies competition from @BondieBird with @coombemill here http://bit.ly/playwrap Pls RT
The competition is open to UK residents and will close on Thursday 31st May 5pm. Good luck to all taking part.
Disclosure: I was given a Playwrap to review for this competion free of charge. However, the views and opinions expressed are entirely my own and those of our guests who have tried the Playwrap.
by CoombeMill
13 May 2012 09:00
Chuffed to Bits
I am so thrilled, amazed and living out my wildest dream to be in a major parent blogging contest. Yet here I am in the finals for the Mad Blog Awards! Even writing this makes me excited all over again, this means so much to me. If you helped me to this awesome final thank you so much!
Blogging to me
I began blogging just over a year ago, out of a desire to share our farm fun as a family and for our guests here on holiday beyond the more formal nature of the web site. Every day there are new things happening here from baby animals to new properties. Sharing our holiday business and all the "behind the scenes" adventures as a parent too, just lent itself to a blog and so "Tales from the Farmer Wife and Mummy to 6" began.
Please Support me if you can
I would be delighted for you to take a wonder through my blog, see our farm adventures, join in with my weekly linky on Country Kids to promote healthy outdoor time for children and of cause spare me your vote in my nominated categories *shivers excitedly again* Family Fun and Small Business. This is the Badge to take you there. Thank you for helping me and inspiring me onward in my blogging of family adventures on our holiday farm.
by CoombeMill
13 May 2012 00:00
It's Sunday and we are still waiting, Sshhh....may be today?
by CoombeMill
12 May 2012 09:00
Who sabotaged the Tractor Feed Run?
This past week we have had quite a few regular guests with school age children. I know it isn't the school holidays but many have made the long weekend at the last minute or taken a few days off school to make it the week. Either way we had a lovely group of boys aged about 7 - 12 who had a ball with the freedom of the farm.
Too old for tractor Rides?
While Clio has been joining in and helping our out younger guests with feeding the animals, my triplet boys, Guy and Jed together with their older brother Theo have been thick as thieves with the other boys staying. They have formed a real boy gang taking great delight in not joining in on the feed run, but instead stalking and ambushing from a distance. With Tree climbing, hiding and plotting obstructions, they have been having a wild time, of cause under the assumption that we had no idea what they were up to. Ahem, boys, with that din, we could hear you coming a mile away!
We saw this one in the making whilst we were busy feeding the lambs and Dotty our pregnant pig, it seemed a shame to spoil their fun so all the parents and I played along with their game until the tractor was coming, then it really did have to be dismantled before an accident happened!
It is lovely to see the children, who might in another setting have found a farm a little to young for them , actually forgetting their grown up persona at home, leaving behind the trendy gear and gadgets and just being like kids of old and enjoying some good old country play.
Country Kids is for everyone
I love to see what others have been up to and to share outdoor play ideas, so please join in, grab the badge and link up your adventures anywhere from the garden to the beach.
