I've been lucky enough to review all sorts since I started blogging but when Prestige Hampers got in touch to review one of their luxury Christmas hampers I couldn't believe my luck.

Unwrapping the box I was greeted with the most stunning wicker basket. The leather detailing throughout added a touch of luxury and when I released the clasps I was stunned at how much was included from wine to chocolate, biscuits, preserves and so much more. I quickly snapped a photo on my phone and sent it to Tom as I was giddy with excitement but I knew we couldn't touch anything until I had photographed it for this post.

For me, food hampers are my favourite gift to give and receive. I find it's a great gift for a couple or family and oozes a wow factor that you just don't get with your standard bath set.

This is where Prestige Hampers come in to their own. They provide hampers for every occasion and all budgets from a chocolate fuelled Letterbox Hamper for only £14.99 through to their ultimate Luxury Hampers from £49.99.

We aren't flying home to Belfast for Christmas this year as we have decided to enjoy Dylan's first Christmas as a family of four but I have had a look on Prestige Hamper's website as I might post something back for the family to enjoy as let's face it, who doesn't love a hamper for Christmas?


I was kindly sent the Elegant Christmas Hamper to review and I was amazed at how much was included. There were so many goodies for Tom and I to enjoy including Chocolate Coffee for this sleep deprived mama, Sticky Toffee Pudding Biscuits and Yorkshire Crisps for my Yorkshire husband.



Initially we wanted to tuck in to a few treats but we've since decided to put the Hamper away until Christmas and enjoy it then when we have visitors or when we have date night. I seriously cannot wait for the Lily O'Brien chocolates though, I've had them before and they are immense!

I'm really impressed with this Hamper from the quality of the wicker basket through to the products included. The basket can be used for storage in the future (I'm imagining picnics in the summer) and there are so many goodies that we can both share and also enjoy individually.

Thanks so much to Prestige Hampers for brightening up a rubbish week, it was exactly what I needed.

 

As Ethan is getting older my favourite thing to do with him is to involve him in baking and cooking. It keeps him out of mischief and he's learning about food while I get some quality time with my biggest boy.

He's only 2 so his attention span isn't great and any baking we do needs to be quick and easy otherwise he loses interest. 

With Halloween approaching I wanted to make something with Ethan that would get him excited about it but that would have minimal involvement from me. He's an independent little boy and I like to encourage this as much as possible.

Halloween bark is super quick and easy to make; we were able to knock it together while Dylan kicked about on his mat without him getting fed up that he wasn't getting any attention. It's perfect for mums who are short on time and creates minimal mess which is always a winner in my eyes.

Halloween Bark

200g milk chocolate

50g white chocolate 

A selection of Halloween sweets

Line an oven tray or chopping board with some baking parchment

Melt the chocolate in two separate bowls

Spread the milk chocolate out to make a large rectangle around A4 in size

Dollop the white chocolate on top and drag it through the milk chocolate with a skewer or knife

Scatter over the Halloween sweets

Place in the fridge for 1 hour to firm up

Once set, break into pieces and enjoy!

Apologies! I fully intended to get this recipe typed up yesterday and published this morning but a certain baby of mine decided that all week sleep is for the weak therefore I could barely think straight never mind write a blog post.

So, both boys are napping (win!) and I'm taking the opportunity to quickly type up the last recipe in my Biscoff Week series. Have you see my posts on Biscoff Cupcakes and Biscoff Brownies?

A wee while ago I was scrolling through Instagram when I saw a post from Jane's Patisserie on Biscoff Cheesecake and I just knew I needed to make it. I used her recipe but made a few adjustments to it and oh my, this cheesecake is the nicest thing I have ever eaten. It's light and creamy, with a little bit of crunch and has set the bar for future cheesecakes ridiculously high. I gave a friend some of it and sent half of it into work with Tom as there is no way we could have eaten the whole thing and thankfully everyone loved it. I'm always wary of people's reactions to my bakes but I think this is one that I will make time and time again.

Biscoff Cheesecake

I couldn't resist including this photo. He looks a tad guilty haha!

To celebrate Biscoff week on the old blog I've got another amazing recipe to share with you - Biscoff Brownies!

Brownies are by far my most favourite thing to bake and I've made all sorts of varieties from Malteser, to Crunchie to Cookie Dough and so much more. They are such a versatile little traybake and I love how you can turn a simple chocolate treat into something so much more indulgent.

I love how these two flavours work together; the sweetness of the Biscoff spread balances out the chocolatey richness of the brownie. I actually made these as a birthday gift for a friend and if I'm honest I wish I could have made a whole batch for myself, they were just immense!

Biscoff Brownies

Salted Caramel used to be my addiction but now it's all about the Lotus Biscoff Spread. I mean, seriously, that stuff I could happily eat out of the jar, it's just heaven!

While I was going through my drafts and food photos I realised I had 3 recipes that I had yet to share which are all Biscoff related so I've decided to declare this Biscoff Week on my blog and I'll be sharing a recipe today (Monday), on Wednesday and Friday.

First up is my Biscoff Cupcake recipe. So simple and easy to whip up but the flavour of the buttercream is a fluffy piece of heaven. I find I prefer making a sponge that is quite plain to balance out the sweetness and richness of the buttercream otherwise it's just too rich and sickly rather than indulgent. Cupcakes may be small but it's important not to over do it on the sweetness front.

Biscoff Cupcakes

170g SR flour

170g baking spread (preferably Stork)

170g light brown sugar

1tsp baking powder

3 eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

5 Biscoff biscuits crumbled

Preheat the oven to 160C (fan)

Line a 12 hole muffin tin

Using the all in one method place all the ingredients into a bowl and whisk on a high speed until well combined and fluffy in texture

Divide the mixture between the 12 muffin cases (using an ice cream scoop will make this easier)

Place in the oven for 20 minutes until springy to touch and a skewer inserted comes out clean

Remove from the tin immediately and place on a wire rack to cool

To Decorate

500g icing sugar

200g unsalted butter (softened)

a few heaped tbsp of smooth Biscoff spread

a few tbsp of milk to combine if needed

a piping bag of 2 tbsp of melted Biscoff spread

Whisk the icing sugar, butter and Biscoff spread on a high speed for a good 5 minutes until pale and fluffy adding milk to combine if needed. 

If you feel the buttercream doesn't have a strong enough flavour add more Biscoff spread until you have reached your desired taste.

Pipe a generous swirl on to each cupcake, scatter over a handful of biscuit crumbs and drizzle some of the melted Biscoff spread to finish.

Enjoy!

I had all of these grand plans for my blog for maternity leave but Dylan is now over 3 months old and it's only now that I'm finding time to start a routine with blogging and vlogging. Tuesday is Ethan's nursery day so I am now using that day to catch up on writing posts or editing vlogs while Dylan is happy kicking on his mat beside me. 

Now, one thing I am particular about is feeding my family a well balanced diet and touch wood Ethan is a fairly good eater. It will be interesting to see how Dylan reacts to food when we start weaning him in December. A few weeks ago the lovely folks at Baby Led Spreads got in touch wanting to know if we wanted to try out their new spreads. As much as I enjoy cooking from scratch, using pouches or the odd golden breadcrumb dish from the oven isn't the end of the world. 

For the most part we eat together as a family but on a Friday or Saturday night Tom and I like to order a cheeky takeaway or cook a nice steak dinner after the boys are in bed. On these occasions Ethan will eat separately from us earlier in the evening where I usually give him a little pizza or a picnic plate style of dinner. 

I was sent two packs of Baby Led Spreads and I've set one pack aside to use for Dylan when we start weaning in a few months. I tested out the other three jars with Ethan in a variety of ways. First up we tried the Green Pea, Rocket & Dill mixed in with some pasta for a simple lunch. He loved helping me make it and demolished over half of the bowl. Ethan's not great at lunch time as he often doesn't have a large appetite or is too tired and needs his nap so I was pleased with how much he ate.

Finally we tried the Carrot, Apple and Hummus spread with some crackers as a post nap snack. Once again Ethan tucked into it with gusto leaving very little on his plate. He demolished it so quickly that I didn't get a chance to snap a photo of him eating it.

Overall I'm pretty pleased with these spreads. They are an ideal size for little appetites (meaning minimal waste) and the glass jar is perfect for recycling. Ethan enjoyed helping me cook with them and I liked that I was exposing him to more new flavours in a quick and easy way. Let's be honest, as busy parents we don't have the time to spend steaming and pureeing but with these spreads I can store them in the cupboard and reach for them when time is short, rest assured that I'm feeding my little men food that is nutritious and not loaded with hidden salt and sugar.

I can't wait to see what Dylan thinks of them when we start weaning.

To find out more about Baby Led Spreads please click here.

***Product sent for review, all opinions are my own.***

Dear Dylan,

I can't believe I'm sitting down to write your 3 month letter, it seems like no time at all since I was doing the same for Ethan.

I prefer doing these letters every 3 months rather than monthly but it's also a stark reminder of how fast time really does go.

I remember when you were born looking forward to having the whole summer in front of us but it's gone in the blink of an eye and here I am debating about putting the heating on. It doesn't look like we will be having an Indian Summer this year.

Dylan, you were born on the 11th June 2018 in the middle of the hottest summer in years and therefore spent a lot of time in vests or simple rompers. It was just too warm to dress you in anything else. Even though the weather has turned cooler now, I'm enjoying dressing you in snuggly sleepsuits so you are nice and warm. Just like your brother, I am in no rush to dress you in proper clothes, comfort is key at this age (well any ages if I'm honest) and is there anything comfier than a soft babygro?

You were a big baby at birth (10lb 2oz!) yet your delivery was so much better than Ethan's - fast, no time for pain relief and a quick recovery even though my stomach muscles split afterwards. Born on the 98th percentile, you have continued to follow this line and now at 3 months old you weigh 17lb 6oz and are well into 3-6 month clothing. You didn't even wear newborn and were out of the 0-3 stuff within 6 weeks. Your baby cousin Willow was born 10 days after you and she was only 6lb 4oz, such a dainty little thing. Dylan, my darling, there is nothing dainty about you; you're a proper little chunk and I just adore your rolls. You are also super strong and love nothing more than standing up on us locking your legs to look around. Ethan was just the same, I think I make big, strong boys.

Milk wise, you are a total boob monster. Breastfeeding to start with was so much easier than it was with Ethan but then around 4 weeks you went through a really fussy period arching your back during feeds, screaming out in pain and refusing to latch. I didn't doubt my supply as I could see you were gaining but I did start to wonder if you were suffering from reflux or was something in my milk causing you bother. A few friends suggested that it might be your digestive system developing as your body uncurled from it's newborn state and I think they were right as within a few weeks you were back to feeding normally again.

Family wise both Daddy and Ethan adore you. We have been so lucky that Daddy has had so much time off since you were born, he had his 2 weeks Paternity Leave and then he was only back at work for a few weeks before being off again for 6 weeks for the school holidays. It was wonderful having that summer together to get to know you and enjoy quality time as a new family of four.

We were both worried about how Ethan would react to you but he loves you and we often joke that he will kill you with kindness. He's constantly kissing and cuddling you, bringing you toys when you are upset or patting your tummy to comfort you with a "there there Dilly chops." It's so cute (and yes you may have ended up with the nickname Dilly...).

Sleepwise you are yet to get into a routine and we have had one night where you slept through but I reckon that was just a fluke. Like with Ethan, we embraced the Fourth Trimester and were happy to follow your lead. Now the summer is over I am going to try to encourage a good nap routine but I know you babies set your own agendas so time will tell how that one works out. Most evenings you seem to be ready for sleep between 6:30 - 7:30pm so we bath you both together then Daddy gets you ready for bed and I sort out Ethan. We then swap and he puts Ethan to bed while I feed you and lay you down in your Snuzpod. Some nights we don't hear a peep from you until 1/2/3am but other nights you waken every two hours, it's total pot luck. The past few nights have been rough but we have all been suffering from colds and I can hear you snuffling away in your sleep so it's no surprise you keep waking up. You do end up in bed with us most nights too. Even though the Snuzpod is attached to my side of the bed with the side panel removed you are still at your happiest sleeping snuggled into the crook of my arm. I don't mind though, you might be my last baby so I'm enjoying the cuddles while they last. 

At the start of the summer when you were only 6 weeks old we made the trip back to Ireland to meet the family and you new baby cousin, Willow. It was a hectic and busy week but lovely to see everyone. You did brilliantly on the ferry but hate your car seat. Even though it's less than 2 hours to Liverpool we still had to stop a few times to feed and comfort you as you were so upset in the car. Even now you still kick off in the car no matter how long the journey is.

The first month with you was difficult but you have now settled down and are such a happy little thing. You love to be cuddled, will smile at anyone and are happy to be plonked on the floor under your play gym or in your bouncer (sorry but that's second baby problems). Ethan is at nursery on a Tuesday so that's my day with you where we take things at a slower pace and generally just have a cosy day at home. When you get a little older I will enrol you at some baby classes but for now it's just us on a Tuesday. You do get lots of interaction with others though as you are always there when Ethan has a play date and lots of his little chums now have younger siblings, hopefully they will become your little crew as you get older.

I know I could keep writing but it's time to draw this letter to a close. We all love you so so much, our beautiful baby boy.

All my love Mama xxx

Dear Ethan,

It's been a long time since I wrote to you, looking back it was your second birthday in March but you've hit some major milestones recently and I felt the need to put pen to paper (or key to screen but you get my drift).

This summer was the summer that you left the baby days behind and became a little boy.

The summer you started talking in full sentences

The summer you became a big brother

The summer you potty trained

The summer mama became mummy

The summer you gained a new bedroom

The summer you started sleeping in a single bed

The summer you learned imaginative play

The summer you discovered the love of a morning cup of tea

The summer you learned your colours

The summer you learned to count

The summer you learned to jump

The summer your hair started to curl

The summer you showed us how much love you have to give

The summer you became a little boy

When Dylan was born you suddenly seemed to grow up overnight but over the past 3 months your development has come along leaps and bounds and as much as it pains me to say it, you really aren't a baby any more. Moving out of nappies was the final step and now I feel like that door is firmly closed. I am sad to say goodbye to your baby days but I'm more excited to watch you grow into a little boy and see your future unfold.

All my love,

Mummy xxx

When Ethan was tiny I shared his birth story as I didn't want to forget it so it's only fitting that I do the same for Dylan. He's already over 2 months old and time is flying by so I need to pen to paper so to speak before it also becomes a distant memory.

There's a bit of a back story so bear with me but it's important to include all of the facts.

Let's go back to Saturday 2nd June (my due date was the 5th June). I was upstairs getting ready to meet a friend for coffee when I heard Ethan cry out downstairs and he wouldn't stop crying. Tom was with him and even after cuddles he was still upset. He had tripped over the clear mask of Space Snoopy and hurt his leg. We thought nothing of it as he's always falling over something and figured he would be fine in a few hours. I got back from my trip to Costa and he was sat on the sofa and couldn't put his foot to the floor so we took him to Minor Injuries where they said it could be a toddler break and if he was no better the following day to go to A&E. The next day he still wouldn't walk on it so Tom took him to A&E telling me to stay at home as it wouldn't be good for me considering I was ready to drop at any moment. The doctors there diagnosed Irritable Hip and booked him in for a follow up appointment a few days later but gave us a sheet of certain symptoms to look out for and if any appeared to come straight back. 

The following day Ethan was still not walking but happily scooting about in his little car. He seemed well enough in himself but when Tom got back from work he suddenly developed a high temperature of 40.6 so we took him back to A&E as it was one of the things they told us to watch out for and come back if he had one. Initially they thought he had a bone infection and decided to admit us so we were sent up to the Children's ward. Now at this point it's 9pm and the day before my due date so there is a bit of concern that I might go into labour but thankfully I didn't. We were seen by another doctor who immediately diagnosed tonsillitis which is what was causing the high temperature but it didn't explain the problem with Ethan's leg. He was sent for an x-ray and we were told the Orthopaedic Team would see us in the morning. I was advised to stay over with Ethan in case I went into labour as the delivery suite was next door and Tom was sent home to get some rest, pick up a change of clothes for Ethan and I and my hospital bags just to be prepared.

After very little sleep we saw the Orthopaedics Team first thing the following morning and they decided to put him in a cast for 10 days as he didn't quite have a break but there was a bend in the bone. Never in my life have I felt more like a grown up until I was sat on a hospital bed with my little boy talking to a group of doctors. This day was also my due date so I had a few concerned nurses stopping by to make sure I was ok and asking was I getting any twinges. I was so stressed out that I knew I wouldn't be going into labour any time soon.

Thankfully we got home later that day but I did not feel ready to have this baby when I was so worried about Ethan. How could I go in to labour when he was in a cast along with suffering from tonsillitis? This baby just needed to stay put.

A couple of days later we had a little play date and Ethan suddenly felt confident enough to walk on his cast which made me feel so much better. He seemed to be coping so well and the thought of leaving him to give birth didn't feel quite so daunting. I then saw the Midwife for my 40 week appointment and she booked me in for a stretch and sweep the following week and an induction for 10 days later explaining that at Harrogate they had changed how they did inductions and would give me a pessary, send me home and let me labour there as if I had gone into labour naturally and return to the hospital when it was time to deliver the baby.

I came away from the appointment feeling really good and relaxed - Ethan was feeling so much better and a lot more mobile and suddenly the possibility of induction didn't sound quite so bad.

Two days later it was Sunday and a glorious day. I had been vlogging that weekend as I knew it was our last weekend as a 3. Ethan was napping and I said to Tom that we should go to Costa once he woke for coffee and cake and to get a dose of sunshine. We went to Costa then into Sainsbury's to pick up a few basics as we weren't doing a proper shop in case I went into labour (little did we know what was about to happen). While in the queue the lady in front let us go ahead which was so kind. We then headed next door to Kwik Fit to pick up a tyre that was being repaired. They didn't charge us which was very strange but I wonder did they take pity on me being heavily pregnant and Ethan with his leg in a cast.

We got home and Tom said he would cut the lawn and I settled down on the sofa to watch the Lion King with Ethan while a pie was cooking for tea in the oven. I suddenly felt a little twinge but thought nothing of it as I had been getting Braxton Hicks on and off for weeks. 10 minutes after that I got another twinge and 10 minutes after than another one. I told Tom and said it's probably a false alarm but I text my friend who would be looking after Ethan to give her a heads up. At this point it's just after 5pm. We sit down to eat dinner and I'm still getting these niggly pains every 10 minutes or so. At 6pm I text Sara to come and get Ethan in case it is the real thing then he would be settled at least for bed. I nipped to the loo and saw the tiniest pink spot on the tissue and wondered was that the start of my bloody show. Each time after that when a little pain hit I felt a small leak which had me wondering was it my waters. With Ethan they went as a gush while this was more like a small trickle. 

Sara arrived at 6:15pm and I had a couple of contractions while she was there but each one was pretty mild. Oddly I didn't feel emotional saying goodbye to Ethan. We snapped one last photo as a 3 and he went off quite happily. I then phoned the hospital and they said to come in when I was ready and they could see what was going on. Tom went for a shower and I tidied up after dinner. He thought I was mad but I didn't want to come back to a messy house. Once he was done I had a quick shower too as I was quite hot and sweaty as it had been so warm that day. While I got ready he laid a towel in the car for me and fitted the car seat.

We left home at 7:45pm and got to the hospital just after 8pm. At this point the contractions were about 5-7 minutes apart but still not too bad. We made our way up to the labour ward and the Midwife asked to see my maternity pad (I had popped one on once I started leaking) to check if my waters had gone. She then told us to go for a walk to see if things started to speed up so we decided to head down to the car to get my stuff. I had only brought my notes up with me in case I was sent home. At this point contractions are getting stronger, around 5 minutes apart but bearable as long as I concentrating on my breathing. A few porters offered to get me a wheelchair but I needed to keep moving.

We got back up to the ward around 9pm and said I wasn't in established labour yet but they would not send me home as second babies can come quickly and we lived 20 minutes away. The active birth room was free so I asked to go in the pool and by 10pm it was ready for me. They wouldn't give me gas and air yet but by 10:30pm contractions were coming thick and fast and I knew I was in established labour. I tried listening to my hypnobirthing tracks but it was doing my head in and I got Tom to turn it off. The water was lovely but very quickly I felt that it wasn't for me and voiced my concerns that I wanted a positive birth but didn't think I could do it without drugs. I asked for an epidural but was told I needed to be examined. At this point contractions were a minute or so apart so it took a lot of effort to get out of the pool and over to the bed to be examined. The Midwife said I was 8cm and at that point I realised I was too far dilated for drugs and would have to do it with just gas and air. Looking back I wonder was the point at which I was doubting my abilities actually the transition phase.

It was now around 11:30pm and much of the next bit is a blur. I just remember leaning over the bed and concentrating on my breathing while using the gas and air. Suddenly I felt like my insides were going to fall out and yelled that I needed to push. The ring of fire was just as horrific as last time and next thing I know I've stood up straight and locked my legs forcing a cannula to fall out that had been inserted in preparation for any blood loss (I lost a lot of blood last time). Seconds later at 12:26am our beautiful baby boy Dylan is born with his hand at the side of his face and he is passed between my legs and into my arms.

I don't remember how I got on the bed but somehow I did, the placenta was delivered and I was checked for damage (thankfully I only had a small graze). I was stitched up while Dylan was weighed and we were both shocked to hear that he weighed 10lb 2oz considering a growth scan at 35 weeks predicted a birth weight of 7lb 15oz!

I'm still amazed that I delivered him on gas and air with only a small graze. It was a totally different labour and delivery compared to Ethan and recovery was so much quicker. We were home 12 hours later to begin our life as a family of 4.

Sorry it was such a long one but life was pretty eventful in the lead up to Dylan's birth. I'm pleased to report that Ethan is fully recovered too and just adores his baby brother.

Mid contraction. Tom thought it was hilarious that I was leaning on a picture of Prince Phillip

So it's been a couple of months since I last blogged but we've had a lot going on in particular welcoming our second baby boy into the world.

Introducing Dylan Francis Longley, born on Monday 11th June at 12:26am weighing in at a whopping 10lb 2oz!


Life has been chaotic in the lead up to his birth hence the blog absence. In the final weeks at work it took all my energy to get through the day so this poor little space got a tad neglected. What I did do was put together a plan of where I want to take my blog and YouTube channel over the next 12 months. I don't know what I will achieve but it was nice to write down my ideas and fingers crossed I can find the time to tick a few things off the list.

Life with two is even busier than I could have thought possible. It's an endless cycle of feeding, nappies and sleep deprivation but throw a toddler into the mix and it's even more manic. Thankfully Ethan loves his little brother and we often joke that he will kill him with kindness as he's always kissing and cuddling him and showering him with love. Honestly we couldn't have asked for a better reaction from him.



Poor Ethan also hasn't had an easy time of it lately either with two broken bones and two casts in the space of a couple of weeks but thankfully he's fully recovered and back to his usual cheeky self. Juggling pregnancy and then a newborn with a toddler in a cast has been a challenge to say the least!

We've also upgraded our car to an estate - a proper family car! We are heading over to Ireland on the ferry next week to introduce Dylan to the family and meet my new niece Willow so we can't wait to take the car on it's first road trip. Question is, how much stuff will we need to bring with us for a week when you have two small children in tow?

Now I've been sat here typing I want to keep going but I need to take advantage of Dylan being asleep and get myself to bed. I'm blooming knackered but it's worth it when I look at my two boys (three if you count the husband!) and feel like the luckiest mama in the world.

I promise to be back soon x