Envirokidz Cereal- Breakfast with a purpose! [Review & Giveaway]

They say breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and now Isla is in full time school it really is! I do what I can to make sure she’s had a good start to the day so she keeps her energy up till her lunch- all the fun and learning can really drain her.

Over the last few weeks, we’ve been trying the Envirokidz cereals by Nature’s Path every morning. There are currently three different varieties to try- Leapin Lemurs, Gorilla Munch and Choco Chimps!

Envirokidz cereals are high in fibre, dairy free, gluten free, organic and according to my children- yummy! I was actually a little concerned that being a “healthier” cereal they wouldn’t take to them or they would taste bland- they aren’t fussy kids, but they like the sugary kinds of cereal usually and have turned their noses up at some brands in the past... I don’t know if it was the fun packaging or the fact that it’s healthy AND some are chocolate flavour still, but each box has been a hit! It’s a huge relief to not have any arguments about eating before school. 

Even Jack has been on board with them as he’s been trying to eat healthier lately!

I will admit the peanut butter taste in the Leapin Lemurs didn’t jump out at me but they were still gone within a week with all of us enjoying them.

These aren’t your fun themed cereals though- each pack is themed around the animal they’re named after and features fun facts and activities which aim to teach children to protect the world they live in- they even have things to do inside the box before you recycle it! Nature’s Path also donate 1% of all sales to support endangered species and each of the animals featured is an animal they help through the donations. How wonderful is that?

If you’d be interested in trying them, they’re £2.99 a box which is pretty reasonable for a branded cereal in my opinion- add on that they have a better purpose and it’s definitely more worth it!

You can also check out the widget below and enter to win the range yourself! Good luck!

I was gifted these cereals in exchange for review. All words, photos and opinions are my own. Please ensure you read the T&Cs of the giveaway if entering. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Appy Kids Co Drinks- Review & Giveaway

It can be a massive headache insuring Isla stays hydrated. She sips water here and there and will chug a cup of milk before bed, but she's never been a big drinker and I think part of it is because being two years old, a bottle of water just isn't that appealing OR tasty. Kids are fickle right?

I honestly wish I could put into words how excited she was, that being said, when she realised the massive box of juicse covered in some of her favourite cartoon characters the postman dropped off were for her. The Appy Kids drinks come with a variety of character designs that would appeal to most ages- Dora, Paw Patrol, Peppa Pig, Spongebob and even the Ninja Turtles!

There's even mobile friendly activities on the box for the bigger more techy kids.

Taste wise, Isla was definitely sold. We tried the Mixed Berries, Apple and Orange variations and she most often asked for the mixed berry. I personally favoured the slight tartness of the apple. Jack did like the orange but he couldn't get the straw in most times...!

The only downside I would say to the drinks is the fact that being made from proper fruit, they do have a good amount of sugar in. Not the best for the tiny teeth so we ensured that Isla only had one or two a day (as you would whenever sugar is involved). There isn't any added sugar though so you know they aren't drinking anything unnecessary which is a huge bonus as some drinks on the market are packed full of rubbish.

We did sometimes struggle to get the straw in and drip a little in the process but that was just due to poor technique I think (mostly on Daddy's part I might add)

They're such a handy thing to throw into your changing bag or take to the park and I've even found myself grabbing one to take out with me just in case.

Do you think you'd want to give them a try? If you would I've got a fantastic competition for you to win EIGHT boxes of Appy Kids Co Honestly Good Juices!

Check out the widget below.

Appy Kids Co Honestly Good Juices

I received a selection of Appy Drinks Co drinks in exchange for this honest review. All photos and opinions are my own. Prize to be supplied direct from Appy Kids Co. Over 18 UK residents only.

Weaning with Archer- Apple & Carrot baby food recipe

Archer hit 4 months at the start of October, and along with his age and the signs he's been giving us for weeks now, we've decided to start introducing him to purees! How exciting!

Isla was early to be weaned as well- we started her at 16 weeks. They're both just exceptionally hungry children and even with me breast feeding this time around, there was no denying Archer felt ready to join in with the good stuff.

So, I'm inviting you to follow along with our weaning journey. I'll be sharing recipes, tips and tricks, and how he gets along with it all.

This past week, Archer has had tastes of avocado pureed with breast milk, bananas, and parsnip puree. I've been homemaking all of his food so far and once he hits around 6 months I will start mixing in some elements of baby led weaning.

Apple and Carrot Puree Recipe

Ingredients;
- One medium Gala apple (Gala apples have a mild, sweet taste)
- One medium carrot
- 1.5 oz breast milk (optional, to make a creamier texture. You can mix in formula when serving if you prefer)

Start by peeling, and then chopping your apple and carrot. I choose to steam most of the fruit and veg I work with so chopping it as small as possible helps with cooking times- it also helps when blending later.

Steam the carrots for around 10 minutes before adding the apple- the carrot cooks faster and you'll lose a lot of the apples juices if you put them in too soon. Once the apple is added, steam for around another 10 minutes.

If you have a low capacity blender like mine, add in around half the steamed bits and blitz on low before adding in the rest. Keep stopping to mix in the larger lumps until none can be found, forming a puree.

I prefer purees to be a bit creamier and I find they blend smoother if I add in breast milk- plus, it makes the flavour a little more familiar for Archer. Add in around an oz to two oz, dependant on how thick or thin you need the mixture.

(Alternatively, add in some formula when serving if that's what baby drinks, it will also make it creamier and add the familiar taste!)

I put around 1.5oz of food in each storage pot for now as that's around what Archer eats. Once he's eating more, I'll start making enough to freeze and store.

What was the first thing your little one ate? If they try apples and carrots let me knw how they get along!

Steph xo

Cheap & Cheerful Lunch Ideas for Toddlers

Now I'm juggling a newborn and a toddler- who, I might add, like to tag team me and both decide they are hungry at the same time- I've had to start making Isla lunch during her morning nap. She is a good eater, but I worry about her getting bored or having the same thing every day.

I find that a lot of the foods branded towards her age group, and designed to be fun, can be quite pricey when added to the weekly shop, so I've been trying her out with my own little plates and lunchtime is a hit now! (They're super satisfying to put together too...must invest in some cute bento accessories and more cutters.)

Below are some quick, easy and cheap idea's for your toddlers lunch. All took less than 20 minutes including prep, cooking and presentation. As you will see, I'm lucky Isla is a huge fruit and veg fan!

 "The Moana"

We call this lunch Moana lunch because it is VERY loosely based on Isla's favourite movie. We have Heart of Te Feti cucumber slices (which I used a play dough cutter to make...very classy mummy), Hei Hei's Egg Cake and Island berries.

The egg cake was super easy to make and Isla helped me out with it. We just beat 3 eggs, chopped up some cherry tomatoes, added them together in a cupcake mould and sprinkled on some cheese and pepper to taste. A quick blitz in the oven cooking by eye and they are ready to eat.

Telling your toddler that their food is somehow related to a book or movie usually has a great influence on their enthusiasm when trying something new.

 Pesto Pasta

Pretty self explanatory- pesto is always a winner in this house. Its quick and easy and super cheap t throw a jar onto your shop. You only need a teaspoon and going on with the theme of weird toddler food explanations, we like to pretend they are a mossy environment for the dinosaur cheese to roam across. We add blueberries for the fruity element, You'll notice we add them to pretty much every lunch. Can you tell they're her favourite?

 Sandwich Swirlies

Isla doesn't really like bread. It's kinda dry sometimes, hard to chew..I think a lot of toddlers feel this way. She always gets along better with bread when I squash it a bit with my hands and make it doughy.

I'd seen pinwheels done with tortilla bread (quite popular in America I think) but I didn't have tortillas and I didn't really want to buy any since we have bread... so I just squashed her sandwich, rolled it up and cut it up. You could give it any fun name and I'm sure your fussy one will try it. Bug lover? Sandwich Snails. Mermaid lover? Sandwich Sea Shells. You get it!

 Ham Fairies

Fairies. Or butterflies. It was actually random play dough cutter- but she finally ate ham. Isla is notorious for picking the ham out of things and she is such a huge fruit and veg fan I really try to make sure she gets something meat based too.

We've added in some microwave vege rice- you can make this SO easily but when tag teamed by a two year old and two month old, sometimes good old Uncle Ben has to come in and save the day if you want to shake lunchtime up a little bit.

Dino Platter

Lots of little bits to pick at- this really is the key to getting Isla to eat some of everything on her plate. If we just give her a big sandwich, I think she gets bored of the taste. I mean, as an adult I love lots of little different things on a buffet or a platter compared to one big meal which gets a bit boring after a few bits. It's also a great way to try sneaking something new in to their plate and to use up the bits which will expire soon or don't have much left.

Oh, and tell her that if she doesn't eat it quickly, the dinosaur will. That works.

Tiny Heart Trio

How cute are those tiny sandwiches? They've got a little cheese inside and yes I was back at it again with the play dough cutters... but she ate them! Bread success. Mum win. Mum of the year. I also encouraged her to crumble her biscuit into her yogurt, dip blueberries- get messy yes, but she really loved mixing the flavours up.

Toddler lunches don't have to be a battle. Or expensive. Or super fancy. I hope this post has given you some ideas for making lunch time a bit more fun without taking hours or costing the world!

If you have any ideas you'd like to share, please do! 

Steph xo