The Four F's (family, fun, food and free)

Mami and daddy live by the four F’s. That’s family, fun, food and most importantly, free.

If an activity or fun day out is not free or close too it, chances are we have to pass on it. Going out in London can get expensive and forget eating out!

Most of you know that mami and I spend a lot time at the park. We really enjoy taking long walks, feeding the ducks and even going for family runs (I have a special buggy for that!)

Found this on one of my many walks

So not surprising that during the summer daddy proposed we go to as many London parks as possible. Our days would begin early; we would take a picnic, toys, books and head out.

The only cost was the tube or bus ride. We got to see more of London and I discovered new parks I had never been to before.

We made our way to Chiswick House, Regents Park, Hyde Park, Battersea Park, Hampstead Heath, and Gunnersbury Park to name a few.  All of which had fairs, concerts, sports and even dog shows for free! (That was my personal favourite by the way)

So keeping in mind that mami and daddy are always  trying to save where possible, Pizza Hut's offer of Kids Eat Free is just the perfect treat.

They are making it possible for families to end their fun days out by letting kids under 12 eat free and giving mummies and daddies the chance to keep costs low and enjoy a meal out.

The offer was so successful during the summer that it will continue until the 9^th of January 2011. Hey, that’s right before my birthday!

Daddy says that means that for every adult main course or lunchtime buffet, the child can choose from either a free 2 course meal, which includes a drink or a free kids lunchtime buffet and that includes pizza, pasta and salad.

Sounds yummy, doesn’t it? I may not be that big, but I can sure eat! And I really like pizza, mmmm!  I just hope they take me soon!

Still don't believe it? Then go see for yourself and read more details about this offer at http://bit.ly/a1DhgJ

Bon Appetite!

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Sitting this one out

Bad news from mami headquarters in London.

Mami, or Runner 13196 as she would have been known will not be running the Royal Parks Half Marathon as planned on the 10th of October. I repeat, mami will not be running the half marathon in October due to an ankle injury.

At this time I ask that you be very kind to mami and let her sulk and cry alone. Daddy and I have stood back and let her be. But I hope that she does hurry up and get over it. I can't take much more of her whining!

Bottom line: She is NOT happy!

I think she has been in denial for a few weeks now. Ever since she took that big fall at the 4K mark at Adidas Women's 5K Challenge at Hyde Park and sprained her ankle, she has been hoping to be able to heal in time.

 Mami won't be needing these

"Maybe I can still run it. Its only 3 weeks away, I can run 10 miles then I'll be okay" she said a few weeks ago.

Daddy just looked at her and said "That's not such a good idea. You could cause permanent damage"

Mami just looked away biting her nails.

"Arrrrgggggg, I REALLY REALLY want to run this race! I have been waiting for so long! Can't believe I fell!"

Daddy and I just sit back and let her get it all out.

"And I've put on weight! I need to get out there" She told us this weekend.

Poor mami. She is frustrated and yes, she is getting a bit chunkier. Just the other day I saw her trying to wrestle her way into her jeans. They fit, but won't button.

She will start running again, but won't be racing anytime soon. However, she has plans to do a half marathon in the Spring and she is looking for company.

How many of you are up for a major challenge?

Let us know! 

Do these make me look smart?

I got hold of mami's glasses

But this time I didn't break them like I did her Ray Bans (which by the way she is still not over)

Instead I put them on my face like she does

 Do they make me look smart?

A fizzy machine

I may not be old enough for fizzy drinks, but mami and daddy sure are!

You should have seen all of the excitement at our house this weekend after mami and I were asked to test out a special machine that makes fizzy drinks called the Soda Stream. Daddy couldn't believe we hadn't discovered this sooner.

"This is amazing" he said, and he set it up in the kitchen and let me help with the preparations.

I am usually not allowed in there, but today for this special occasion the baby gate they usually patrol so closely was opened up and I was allowed in. I even got to wear my special apron. Yesss!

We had so many choices that we didn't know where to start!

First daddy filled the container with water, then he twisted it to fit into the machine and together we pressed the button and a bunch of little bubbles appeared in the water!

I started to clap because it was so funny to see the water swooshing everywhere. He did it one more time and even more came out!

See the bubbles?!

Mami then set up the different flavours for us to try. We had Mango-Apple, Orange, Cranberry-Raspberry, Lemon Lime and Passionfruit-Mango.

I tried the Lemon-Lime and it felt funny in my nose! So I handed the drink over to mami and she made sure to try all of them for me.

Mami's favourite is the Cranberry-Raspberry (no surprise there, daddy I suspected it would be her number once choice) and daddy liked the traditional Orange but said his second choice was Mango-Apple.

Mami and daddy made sure to try each one

"Aaaaah" he said after drinking it "this is so much better than buying sparking water or drinks at the store. Saves us to much money."

"Mmmm" said mami as she read the ingredients of the flavours. I could tell she was concentrating on the words. "Oh look, it says they do not have any artificial flavours, sweeteners or colours. Good huh?"

That's me trying the Lemon-Lime!

I tell you, Soda Stream has made my mami and daddy two very happy people. Plus, each one of these Soda Stream machines has a gas cylinder (that's where the bubbles are kept) that make up to 60 litres of liquid  - and that's a whole lot of fizzy drinks!

Daddy said the Mango and Apple was "crisp"

It was the first time all three of us were in the kitchen and when our friends came over that evening, daddy was telling them where they could get one (and he did another demonstration).

"Yeah, they have them at John Lewis, Comet, Argos, Robert Dyas (he loves that place), Lakeland and some Asda Stores or you can go online to their site, sodastream.co.uk".

So, thank you very very much Soda Stream. I just hope my mami and daddy let me back into the kitchen!

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My first DOG SHOW!

Today was a rainy day. I think mami and daddy secretly like these days because then we can "just take it easy".

After a lazy morning of watching BabyTV, playing with daddy and helping him put the groceries in the fridge, mami announced we were going to a Dog Show.

A Dog Show? I thought What is that? Because I love dogs!

Now thats a big doggy! I didn't pet him

We got to our local park and guess what? Mami was right, there were doggies EVERYWHERE! I let go of daddy's hand and ran off chasing them.

There were so many I didn't know where to start. I kept speaking to them like they do but they didn't answer back. "Wow wow, woof woof" I would say, but nothing.

This one was my favourite. His nose was wet!

There were big fat ones, little ones, some doggies even had long hair! Now I love dogs, put I don't really like to touch them. Sometimes they jump on my face and it really scares me!

Mami touching the doggy too

But today I approached a doggy who looked very nice. At first we just stared at each other. But I got a good feeling from him, so I came a little closer. He put his nose near my hand and licked my fingers. It was slimmy and wet, and it tickled! Hehehe!

Hey don't worry, I won't bite!

He didn't scare me as much and mami helped me pet him. I clapped with happiness and the doggy just smelled me! I had just had a cheese sandwich for lunch so maybe he likes cheese too?

No bones about it, doggies are fun!

I went around and met most of the doggies. But then it started to rain and we headed back home.

Mami put the rain cover on my buggy, but I don't like to feel trapped, so I just stuck my head out for air! Mami still doesn't get that I would rather get wet than sit under the cover!

Why should I be stuck in there?

Nobody puts Little M under a plastic cover!

And the day wouldn't have been complete without a little poo. And it wasn't me this time! Both daddy and I stepped in some while we were there - pewww!

NIP+FAB just for you

You know how much mami loves her "face stuff" right?

Yes, well, as a dedicated blogger and mami's right hand little man I sometimes have to write about things other than toys. It is my duty to let you know about fabulous products mami has tried and even give some away!

Mami and I have teamed up with NIP+FAB to offer you the chance to win their brightening concealer, the NIP+FAB Eye Fix worth £9.95.

What is it you say?

NIP+FAB is a skincare range by a woman named Maria Hatzistefanis (mami had to help me spell that one) that is designed to be affordable and very effective. It will be available at selected Boots stores across the UK on Monday the 27th of September.

Mami says it is a must have for mamas because it helps get rid of puffiness and does a very good job of hiding those dark circles she gets under her eyes. ¡Muy importante!

We have 10 of these eye fixers to give away. So get ahead of the game, tell everyone about the range and enter to win.

And from what I can tell, all mamas could use a little cover up!

You must follow the rules please: (UK only)

1. Follow my blog either in your reader or Google Connect
2. Follow on Twitter
3. "Like" and follow NIP+FAB on Facebook
4. Leave comment below with saying you have done 1-3 with your twitter name so mami can contact you

You can also tweet: No more dark circles! Win NIP+FAB Eye Fix from @verybusymama (10 to giveaway)  http://bit.ly/caQ1Bf

¡Buena Suerte!

**NOW CLOSED**

Thanks to everyone for entering. The competiton is now closed.

The winners are:

@Melaina25

@Samantha_Henry

@SusanKmann

@second_time_mum

@gingerbread_mum

@twobecomefour

@NordicaLDN

@elasticagirl

@nicsnotebook

@xcrossthepond

Please send me a DM with your home address!

Six Month Blogaversary!

Guess what? It's my BLOGAVERSARY! Yes! I have been blogging for 6 months! Hard to believe its been that long. And let me tell you, its been lots of fun!

It started back in April, mami kept talking about wanting to start a blog, but was too busy to actually do it. I had seen her and daddy on the computer and I was really good on her Blackberry. So, I did it. I started a blog for my very busy mami.

And here I am today. Mami tweets and I blog. We make a very good team. Blogging about our lives has brought us closer together. She understands me more and I can see she tries really hard to be a good mami.

Even when we went through a rough time, we now hug and kiss and cuddle more. I didn't like all the lovey dovey stuff, but it's kind of nice now. We sing together and even if we are not doing anything special, we always manage to have a good laugh.

We make a good team, mami and me

But before I boast about being a blogger, none of it would have been possible without the help of some fantastic mamas who guided us along way. As you know, blogging is hard work - you have to let others know you are out there, read other blogs, have others link to your site, and do guest posts to name a few.

Here are some mamas that we hold very dear to our hearts - mami and I are very grateful to them, and I like to say a special GRACIAS to them (that is thank you in Spanish, FYI)

Mummy's Little Monkey
If it wasn't for this blog, I wouldn't be here today. This was the first ever "mummy blog" that mami read. She really liked what Jacqui was writing about and realised just how funny writing about motherhood could be and that really got her thinking "I could do this too".

Even though I ended up taking over this side of the business, we are very happy to have come across Jacqui's blog and to have met her too! Now she is a proud mama to baby Natalia and my buddy Lucia.

Nordia in London
So after deciding to take on blogging - mami recruited the help of her good friend and colleague Elisabeth to get her back into the social media scene. Mami hadn't really been on Twitter when she was on maternity leave and needed a crash course in Twitter 101 and Blogger.

Auntie Lis got mami all caught up in 2010 and really supported mami in all our techie needs. We love Auntie Lis very much and now mami encouraged her to start her own blog too!

RedTedArt
I can't really remember how we came across Maggy's blog but we loved it right away! All those fun crafts and creative projects. Mami has tried a few, but hasn't always had much luck! Maggy was really nice and let me do a guest post on my favourite Spanish books and was the first link we had to our site. Danke Maggy!

MeTheManAndBaby
Emma was one of the first mum bloggers she followed on Twitter and was even more surprised when she followed back! She was so helpful and gave us so many tips about making our blog better and linking to us. Emma is a twitter celebrity - she knows everyone and is so nice! Mami was very happy to have met her at CyberMummy. Thanks Emma!

MellowMummy
Another blog that mami was instantly drawn to. She was impressed with Emma's (JumblyMummy) insightful reviews and her "mellow" take on parenting. Emma was terrific in getting my little blog off the ground. She answered all of our questions and thanks to her, mami signed up for CyberMummy.

There are many more, and belive me, mami and I know how lucky she we to have made so many blog friends. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Here's to bloggy friends!

Lots of love

We've come a long way

The Monday after my first birthday party, mami and I got up very early that dark winter morning. I noticed she was dressed which was unusual because she was usually in her PJs well into lunchtime.

Something about that morning was different, mami kept hugging and kissing me and daddy was also up and ready for work. On other days, we would wave to daddy from the window.

We headed out the door all together and before I knew it were we on a bus! Where were we going?

We soon made our way past the park, and then got off a few stops later. I had been here before, but I couldn’t remember why. Then we rounded the corner and then I saw it: the place with all the toys and lots of kids. It was my nursery!

My first birthday!

See, mami was going back to work after one year of staying at home with me. She said it was very difficult to leave me, but had decided she would work 3 days a week and spend 2 days with me. She thought this would be much easier for everyone.

That day was the longest day ever. I waited and waited, but mami was nowhere. I played with new toys and sang new songs. There were other kids there too; but I had never seen them before. Even the lunch was a little different than I was use to, but I still ate it. I asked for my dummy and I kept looking for mami.

After my nap, mami still wasn’t there. I looked and looked, but she was no where in sight. I cried out for her, and one of the girls came to pick me up.

She gave me a hug and said mami would come soon. Finally, after what seemed like days of curling up with my nursery teacher, the door opened and there was mami!

First morning - mami off to work and me going to nursery

I crawled over as fast as I could, stood up and held on to her legs. I cried and cried, not wanting her to go away again. She scooped me up and wouldn't stop kissing me. We hugged and held each other. I felt tear drops on my head, and when I looked up I saw mami wiping her eyes.

It was a very different and tough day for both of us, but I know we are not the only family who has to go through this new stage in life.

Nine months on and mami and is still working 3 days a week, and I have learned that mami will come back for me at the end of the day.

Being a working mum and a nursery-going toddler is not easy, but we have adjusted nicely and we are now more settled into our routine.

Having my breakfast at nursery

I really like going to play with my friends and when mami drops me off I run over the the breakfast table to eat my cereal!

It's never easy and mami says that even when she is very busy at work, she does miss me and can't wait to see me (I miss her too!)

But I just want to say that it is okay now! I like nursery and mami and I both get a “break” from each other.

Yes, even us little one’s need some time away.

 

Mami tried it! UNE and Lubatti

HOLA! Mami has some "girl stuff" for me to write about and even though I love her very much, I really don't like writing about those things.

But since we do share this blog, I had to let her get her review in. Besides, you mamas like to know about that stuff. So, for the very first time ever, I have invited mami to guest blog!

Soooo here's mami with her review on UNE Cosmetics by Bourjois and Lubatti face cream  (be nice to her, she's new at this)

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Very Busy Mama
Testing 1,2, 3. Testing, 1,2, uh? Is this thing on? Oh! Hello. Sorry. Not really in the habit of blogging. I tend to tweet and just brief my little guy on what's going on. A bit weird this blogging business.

Anyway, I hope you don't miss Little M too much, and don't mind me jumping in this week. Poor guy is tired of reporting on makeup and face creams.

I don't have a lot of time, and I know that neither do most of you. However, I believe a little makeup goes a long way.  Ever since I had Little M, my good friends Bobbi Brown and Laura Mercier have had to be dropped like a bad habit.

Now I scan the ailes at Boots looking for the best deal and hoping and praying the cover up will do just that, cover up. The blusher will last more than a tube ride, and that the mascara won't cause an allergic reaction.

So you can understand my excitement when I was sent a little gift set of UNE Cosmetics, a natual makeup range by Bourjois to try out and Lubatti face cream. I had never heard of UNE before, but I had been fortunate to review Lubatti night cream and eye gel previoulsy.

dummy not inlcuded

UNE Cosmetics
I was given Soft Minerals Powder Foundation, Glimmer Eyes Shadow, Breezy Cheeks Blush, and Sfumato Eyes Pencil. All UNE products are made with 98%-100% natural formulas and use organic ingredients. Very impressed at their efforts to be more environmentally friendly, they also do not use synthetic dyes or fragrances.

Better yet was the feel and actual application of the makeup. Other powders and blushers tend to cake on or disappear before even leaving your house.

The pressed powder is smooth and creamy. It goes on light and stays on.

The blush is a perfect compliment, also light and creamy, it goes on and blends in to your natural colours without looking too made up.

Best of all was the eye shadow which almost looks invisible. You think you may not have anything on, then it catches in the light and your eyes stand out in a subtle manner.

It is ideal for those who want quality make up without breaking the bank and busy mums on the go. Quick to apply, light and fresh and gives you glowing look through out the day!

Lubatti Gorgeous Day Moisturiser
Okay, yes, I love Lubatti! It is a luxury range by Tracey Malone, Jo Malone's sister, and treat it like liquid gold.

But before you jump all over me for proclaiming the gospel of cheap finds, I repeat, Lubatti is a luxury range. And I do believe every woman needs a little luxury in her life.

Lubatti is the kind of product you want to make last forever. I have been using the Gorgeous Day Moisturiser made with Orange and Jojoba and it is just that, gorgeous. Smells terrific and when putting it on I do so carefully and with care making sure every last inch of my face has been lathered.

Lubatti wakes up my face each morning (which is hard to do by the way) and gives it a nice tight feel and perfect before applying your makeup.

If you are like me, a slave to face creams, you will want to add this one to your list of indulgences. Don't forget, only 93 days until Christmas.

Mami's lazy Sunday

Daddy got up today and said to mami:

"today, you can do whatever you want. If you want to sleep all day, then go ahead. It's your day".

Mami couldn't believe it. She had gotten up early with me like she always does, but as soon as daddy had walked into the living room and said that, she jumped up and yelled out,

"Oh, thank you! Thank you, mi amor. I love you so much. Thank you!"

She ran off to her room and closed the door. Unlike last week when she was sad, she had a big smile on her face and had moved off the sofa very fast, forgetting that she has to be careful with her ankle.

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She really did need the sleep. Especially after the last few weeks of working late and feeling sad.

I didn't help much either. I have been waking more at night and calling out for mami to come to sleep with me. But I heard her tell daddy that I "snore very loudly" and that she wasn't able to really get a good nights rest.

So, while she happily slept, daddy had his coffee, I played with my blocks and then got dressed. We headed out to the park and I got to do whatever I wanted!

We were gone for a very long time. When we came back mami was up and reading a book. It didn't have any pictures in it and it had a lot of pages. I had never seen her read such a big book. She had her feet up on the sofa and was drinking coffee. She looked very happy and "relaxed".

I ran over and gave her a big kiss. Daddy walked over and asked what she had done today, and mami looked up at him with a big smile on her face and said,

"Nothing. Absolutely nothing".

She said it had been a perfect day.

Now mami wants to know when we can do this again. I looked over at daddy, but he just pretended not to hear her.

The simple things

Today mami and I went to feed the ducks. It was special because we have never done that before.

But when I threw some bread in the water a bunch of birds flew all around us and it scared me a bit. Then the squirrels came too!

They love bread!

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I backed away and watched them try to eat the pieces. It was so cool! I also saw a lot of dogs and I chased one to touch it but he ran away very fast. I love dogs! I bark at them, but they never answer back. I don't know why, I'm making the same noise as them.

The birds were getting too close

Mami had a great time too, even though I heard her tell daddy she was "completely sleep deprived". But that is her own fault. I know that she stayed up late to watch Mad Men. It's one of her favourite shows.

But even though she was tired, she was smiling and helped chase away the birds when they got too close. Good thing, because there were so many!

I was calling the ducks "quack quack"

Come to think of it, she must have been really tired because this morning she let me wear her shoes, when she usually takes them away. Then she let me have lunch on the sofa when I wouldn't sit in my high chair.

Then at the park she let me go up and down the stairs all by myself, and when I screamed and kicked because I did not want to go in the buggy she let me walk....all the way home!

Getting the last of the pieces

I was so happy to be with mami out and running around. I really don't like being in the flat all day, the best days are when we can play outside and she is not sad anymore. I can't wait to see what mami has planned for us this Friday. 

The only bad thing is, I have a feeling I may be back in my highchair.

Oh well, it was fun while it lasted. I wonder why we didn't do this sooner?

Mami is sad again

Been quiet lately.

Mami and I have been dealing with our own "issues". She has been staying late at work and I think I may be getting more teeth. How many more do I need? I have a mouth full!

Apart from late nights at work, mami has been sad again. Really sad.

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Daddy and I can always tell. She doesn't smile as much, her eyes are teary and on weekends she gets up with me then hands me over to daddy. She goes back to her room closes the door and we don't see her for hours.

This weekend daddy and I went out alone, no mami. Normally we take long walks or go for our family run, but daddy and I slipped out the door quietly.

When we got back she was curled up on the sofa with the shades down. She was staring at the TV and her coffee cup was still on the table. She hadn't even finished it! Daddy asked if she was feeling better and mami didn't answer him. She just looked at us and gave us a very, very small smile.

"Do you want to go for a walk then have tea at the cafe?" daddy asked.

I know she was trying to be nice, but she said she didn't "feel like doing anything".

Daddy tried to ask her again, but she just raised her voice and said "I just want to be alone!"

I ran off to play with my blocks, and mami and daddy kept talking. I could hear them in the living room talking about things I have never heard of before. She was trying to tell him why she was sad, then I heard her cry.

After a few minutes I heard the door open and by the time I ran out to see who it was, I heard the door slam shut and mami was gone. I stood behind the door calling for her, but daddy said she "went out for a little bit". Daddy looked sad too, but he called me over and I curled up in his lap.

Daddy and I spent the afternoon together. We read books, watched BabyTV, and ate raisins. I waited and waited for mami, but she did not come back.

After my bath, just when daddy had put me to bed, I heard the door open. I heard mami's voice and I called out for her. She came into the room and gave me a hug and kiss. Where did you go all day? I wanted to know, but she never told me. She held me for a little bit, then she said "buenas noches mi amor" and walked out of the room.

Today she forced herself to get dressed and we went out to lunch with friends. I think she had a good time. I even saw her laugh, but she has yet to be the fun mami I know. I hope mami feels better soon, I like going out with daddy, but I miss the days we can all be together.

Dear mami,

Daddy and I love you very much.

I hope you are not sad this week.

Mr George (at Asda)

Life as a blogger. It has its perks. Most of the time mami gets to bask in the rewards while I stay at home with daddy. But not this time. Last week I was invited to my first ever press event for someone named George.

Can you find me?

Our friends at Asda were nice enough to invite both mami and I (my name was even on the invite!) to see the new clothes coming out for this Autumn and Winter.

This George person has some really nice clothes. I'm not too concerned about what I wear, but I noticed mami was especially impressed with the kids clothes. She said the "prices were amazing and it was good quality".

How about this one mami?

See, mami knew of George's clothing line from Walmart in the US, and lets just say she was less than impressed. So she wasn't sure what to expect from the clothing here in the UK.

But mami's eyes lit up when we arrived at The Hospital Club in London where the room was decorated with "some seriously stylin' pieces".

Snowflake sweater - to match the one daddy has

These were not the "frumpy frocks" she had in mind. These were stylish and affordable clothing for the entire family.

Like many other mamas, mami likes to dress nice but really can't spend too much on clothes. I think she use to shop a lot, but doesn't anymore. She says the clothing that Mr George has to offer is just what she has been looking for!

If you don't believe us, just look at this toggle coat mami can't wait to buy...

And now look at the price...

Amazing, right?

So what are you waiting for? The new line comes out in October and mami has already told daddy we are making a special trip to "check it out".

Hey, I'm talking to you!