#silentsunday

#silentsunday

I know I’m meant to be silent… You know “An image needing no words” and all that! But sorry I’ve just got to ask… Don’t you think my normally cute little Cover looks like a scary demon with them freaky eyes?

Silent Sunday

Half Term Battles

So yesterday was another one of those days. Woken early I had lots to do, firstly there were the kittens, two would be leaving us and although I knew we would all be a tad dishearten, there was one person in particular whom I knew would find the adjustments a little tough to take! Yep… The little man!

Little man was playing in the garden when the first kitten left… I thought it would be better this way! It wasn’t like he wasn’t aware he was leaving, he had said his good byes and gone of to play on the trampoline! Still preparing for the event didn’t make things that much easier and as expected Little man cried for a rather long time! He called me names, told me I was evil for taking his Bellas babies away!

The turn of kitten number 2 came and despite him knowing that we could visit this kitten as she would be living with my sister he still branded me a cat napper. “A cat napper indeed”

Change is always hard for little man, his become attached to these little furry balls of cuteness and his certainly been dreading their departure.

Children adjust, that’s what we are told, I know this is true we all adjust as human beings because we have to! It’s just that sometimes it takes the little man that bit longer and in the meantime his certainly not the easiest of children to live with.

During the early hours, Bella (the mother to the litter) is pacing, she’s crying and hunting for her babies! Little man showed no intention on sleeping instead informing me that he was cat sitting! Yes… Cat sitting! I dont know who’s worse, Bella or Little Man? I’m sure they both felt I was going to steal the remaining two kittens during the night as both wouldn’t leave the room and Bella was continuously carrying her kittens around the room before trying to stash them beneath my bed.

I do love the connection little man has with our cat Bella, yes it sometimes feels like a kick in the guts when he shows her more affection than me… His mother, but he just has a different connection with animals which in many ways is beautiful.

Another thing that seems to have affected little man is not only the half term but that of the extended bank holiday weekend. Like many of us tend to do, the little man is getting his days mixed up. The whole thing has thrown his body clock into overdrive… I guess it’s kinda of like jet lag. The half term can often be disastrous and the fact it’s another bank holiday today won’t help!

The queens jubilee seems to have taken over the television and the little man is getting somewhat tired of it. Plus it’s messed up the bus timetable so we will definitely not be going anywhere that requires such a mode of transport for the remainder of the day!

I would say that luckily the little man is now sleeping but it’s 2.30 pm and this just makes it harder for him to settle tonight! We often find any sort of bedtime routine that we have put everything into establishing goes to mush once any type of school holiday hits.

One thing the little man has been focusing on, which I guess makes him feel that bit more relaxed, Is that of his special interest. Transport and Lego are a bit part of his life and now his added wrestling to the equation his had plenty to occupy his Busy mind… And mine!
Admittedly he has been driving me a little bonkers with his Lego master pieces which largely consists of buses and wrestling rings and that of his constant re-enacting of wrestling matches which involves lots of banging and crashing (headaches are a continuous part of my life these past few days)! However his interest have saved us from any major meltdowns and have been my secret weapon for reinforcing good behaviour, so, yes they have their up sides.

Here’s hoping the rest of the half term runs smoothly and we don’t face any back to school battles!

Little Man’s Kitty has a seizure

So, if any of you read my post “I don’t feel like me anymore” you will know that I’ve been feeling a little down in the dumps and a tad stressed lately.

I wasn’t to sure what was happening, was I falling into the grips of depression, would I therefore be reliant upon my old friend “Mr Prozac”

Feeling a tad guilty I took a little “Me Time” and I went to Brighton on Sunday (just for the night) returning Monday evening. Preparations were in place for the children and that of our 2 cats and the 4 kittens (in which 2 are due to shortly be re-homed).

The night away really was needed! Just to have time to think and clear my head if anything! I’ll share my one nights break and those thoughts and feelings in another post, now isn’t the time, as on my return something else took place, something I’ll now share with you.

Mind you… This is no happy event! It’s one that I myself and the children found extremely distressing!

One of the four kittens, the weaker of the four, the one who’s always been that bit behind her siblings, had a seizure.

I was cleaning the kitten area when I noticed that the kitten was not running around and jumping about like the others, next thing I knew, she was trying to get back in the kitten enclosure and instead of slipping under its door as she normally would she had instead put her head through the bars and become stuck! However, she wasn’t distressed which I found strange, she just seemed to stare blankly. I freed her head and she sat there for a moment before accidentally stepping into the water bowl. I approached her and she started shaking, at first I thought she was shivering as the water was cold, then she fell to the side of the enclosure. My instant reaction was to pick her up and dry her quickly. Suddenly I realised this was something more serious! She dribbled and before I knew it her mouth was foaming heavily, she had a seizure right there in my arms.

All three children are extremely fond of the cats and the kittens, little man loves his Bella who is the mother of the litter. Little man was very nervous when Bella first had the kittens, his anxiety levels were off the scale as he worried about Bella and her new litter constantly.

It was a great relief for him to watch the kittens thrive and as they grew he became reassured all would be OK. Of course, I did well to remind him that the kittens were healthy, the likelihood of them becoming sick as the weeks went on was small!

I guess both the little man and his sister worried more due to the fact I needed to intervene a little and help Bella attend to them in way of feeding. Bella came into heat pretty quickly (when the kittens were almost 3 weeks old) and during this period she feed them less, requiring me to help by way of bottle feeding 4 hungry kittens. Initially one of the tabby’s was what one would normally refer to as the “runt” of the litter, then I noticed the kitten in question got pushed out more during feeding time and even it’s mother would sometimes become a little rough when grooming it.

Have you ever read the book ‘All cats have Aspergers’? (I’d highly recommend, little man loves this book)! My point is, looking back the kitten in question displayed some quirky behaviour, such as not mixing well within the group, being a tad bullied and sleeping in a corner with its face buried in amongst the side of the kitten box while the others huddled together. When all running around the room displaying some crazy speeds, this one joined in only a handful of times, and when she did it wasn’t long before she took herself of back to the enclosure and into her corner.

It’s strange as little man brought up that book and asked me “Do you think all cats really do have Aspergers? As our little black kitten seems to have it more!” I couldn’t help but smile, as in a way little man was displaying more awareness for his own “condition” and the fact he literally felt all cats had Aspergers was actually quite lovely. I wondered if this was the reason he connected with them so well, they have all become somewhat therapeutic in the way we often hear about horses and dogs when it comes to autism.

My daughter Alice-Sara, is also brilliant with the animals of the house, she’s like the zoo keeper who keeps them all in check as she goes about feeding them.

With this you can just imagine the total upset within the household when the kitten violently shook and cried out. I did a terribly job of remaining calm for the sakes of the children, fellow cats and the kitten itself. I just felt helpless and scared, extremely unprepared to witness such a worrying situation. I now know I should have laid her on the floor, removing everything that could harm her, instead I held her firmly and with tears streaming down my cheeks I tried reassuring her, through now I understand she would have had no idea what was happening.

By now Little man was standing at the door way with eyes so wide and watery I could almost see within them, that of my own reflection! He spoke just 3 words… “she’s dying mum” before fleeing the room. I wrapped her in a blanket as she continued to have accidents after the actual seizure, then throwing on my shoes I darted to my neighbours, rudely banging on her door at 11pm.

Thankfully we have one of the nicest and kindest neighbours you could wish for, a women who actually used to babysit me as a child. Inviting myself, daughter and kitten inside, she called the emergency vets which happens to be miles away and well beyond my reach (in my head I’m running of a list of those people I can call to collect me and whisk us off down there). However, having spoken with the vet and given the fact the kitten is by now no longer having the seizure, instead laid in my arms not fully together, I’m given the advice to keep a close eye on her throughout the night! Instructions are to keep her in a dark safe room away from others (including other animals) if she has another seizure, I must call again, otherwise it’s vets in morning… especially if she still wasn’t walking, using the litter tray, eating and drinking, generally not acting herself.

It’s now 3.30am, the children are in bed, little man having only just settled, I’m writing this on my iPhone as I lay in bed surrounded by pitch black darkness and a very weak kitty who remains very confused with very little awareness of what’s happening around her. Am I worried? Yes!

So, yes… I was home just a few hours before this happened, god I’m so thankful this didn’t all occur when I was away.

Thankfully I got a great nights sleep in Brighton, as I won’t be having any whatsoever tonight.

And to top it all off… I’m sun burnt… Really… Really… sun burnt!

#Silent Sunday

#Silent Sunday

Air Force 2 Total Home U89-MAF2-T

Evening all, just popping on to share my latest thoughts on our latest Vax.

Being a Vax consumer tester is a brilliant opportunity and I was most lucky at being selected late last year. I’m now currently on the third product, which is the “Air Force 2 Total Home U89-MAF2-T” the latest upright in the Air Force Collection. This mighty machine is the daddy of upright cleaners and is a lot like the Vax air total that I reviewed right at the end of the year (December the 29th). Saying this, mine is however a cylinder vacuum cleaner, where as mentioned this is an upright. With this awesome compact little device already tucked neatly under my stairs and a mother with a vacuum cleaner that struggles to lift the smallest of crumbs, it was decided that I’ll pass the Air force 2 total home, to my mother! Of course the vacuum was welcomed by mum who really appreciated it which isn’t surprising given the lack of efficiency from her old cleaner. Now… as much a I love my mother, this was handed over with a few conditions attached! Condition 1) she vacuums, while I follow her like a lost pup in-order to comply my note and snap some pictures 2) She tells me what she thinks 3) She doesn’t run me over in the process. With all conditions agreed, it was time to test this baby out.First impressions: Myself and mother pretty much agreed with one another when stating that although it’s a really smart design, it is on the large side, also being quite heavy. However, the fact that this has nearly every attachment you could possible think off means, you can leave the body of the upright at the bottom of the stairs, what with its super long hose that easily reaches the very top of the staircase.

Instruction manual: Clear, easy to follow instructions with words and diagrams in host of languages.

Overall performance: This is 340 air watts and is listed as the brands most powerful muti-cyclonic upright vacuum cleaners Vax sells to date. We, meaning myself and mum, can second this statement! We found it to be extremely powerful, unlike nothing I’ve yet discovered (watch out this can super suck a number of objects quicker than a blink)! Mum almost sucked up the famous odd sock bag and demonstrated its suction power by attacking her own daughter, almost sucking me up and transforming me in to billions of dust particles (really… how childish)!
To manoeuvre the vacuum is pretty much OK, through it is a heavy machine so sometimes a bit tricky to get into the corners. Nonetheless, the many attachments give a solution for any given problem, however big or small.
Extra Long Hose and Cable: Big bonus… not only does this have a great long hose for the stairs but an extra long suction pole to reach tops of curtains and corners of ceilings.

Flat upholstery Tool: This is ideal for giving hanging curtains the once over. Perfectly designed to vacuum without the worry of actually suctioning them of their runners.
Large capacity: This upright has a very large 3 litre dust capacity which means more vacuuming and less emptying… Result!

Antibacterial H12 HEPA filter: My mother has a 9 month old pup as well as my sister and her new-born in the house, so, the antibacterial HI2 HEPA Filter was a must! This is a great filter for those with pets as it removes bacteria and allergens while actively reducing any pet related odours.

TurboTool: Another impressive attachment, that also come’s with my cylinder vacuum and I use excessively. I can see this being my mum’s new cleaning buddy, what with a puppy and growing baby in the house. The TurboTool is ideal for cleaning stairs, upholstery and car seats.

Flexi Crevice tool: Yes funny name I agree, through this craved tool gets down the sides of the sofa a treat, what with its almost paper like flatness.

Emptying the collecting container was easy, and locks back on with no difficulties. Did have small issue trying to work out how to remove filter for washing, finally worked out that I was meant to be twisting then pulling as opposed to just trying to pull it out. Not the Vacuums thought, more likely down to me being inpatient and probably had little sleep the night before, as mum hasn’t had issue removing since.

My mum has a new sheep skin rug and its recommended that you vacuum the rug to remove access fluff when you first lay it down. Well, I was surprised that there was any rug left given how much fluff was removed by the Vax Air Force 2, just check out the slideshow below!

Pros: Powerful suction, array of attachments, extra long hose, (no need to carry to vacuum stairs) large capacity of 3 litres, Anti-bacterial filters, easy clean, Massive 6 year guarantee included (giving peace of mind), removable handle shortening devices for storage

Cons: Little heavy (though with attachments and hose not much need for carrying) tad bulky so need some where to store.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Attached Price Tag: RRP £279.99 (prices vary from one retailer to another) Click HERE to check it out over on the Vax UK official website

Value for money? This is super powerful, comes with great attachments and a 6 year guarantee! I classify that as an investment that you can rely on.
Specifications
Model no: U89-MAF2-TPower Multi-cyclonic AirWatts 340AW
Variable Power: No
Capacity: 3.0 litres
TurboTool: Yes
Turbo Brush: No
Cord: 10 metres
Filters: Anti-bacterial H12 HEPA
Hose: 4.2 metres
Suitable for hard floors: Yes
Weight: 8.8kg
Guarantee: 6 year guarantee
Other tools included: 3-in-1 crevice tool (crevice tool/dusting brush/upholstery tool), flexi crevice tool, flat
upholstery tool

Win a bundle of ‘Natural and Clean’ goodies

As many may know, I love hosting a competition, its great to be able to give away a few prizes to my readers! Really it’s a great feeling being able to alert your reader and make their day! I almost love it as much as when I receive that special notification alerting me to a competition I’ve ran (yes, comping is getting a bit addictive but that’s another post altogether)!

So, as you may have guessed already, this is one of them awesome competition post, bringing you the chance to get your paws on some freebies.

Today’s competition is brought to you by “Natural and Clean” a fantastic brand selling ecological innovative household, travel and pet cleaning essentials. We did a review for the brand back in 2011 (Click Here to read) in-which we were bowled over by the magical Whoops a daisy! This stuff is amazing, a powder consisting of super absorbent crystals that when sprinkled directly onto spillage’s, the crystals expand & magically absorb the liquid converting it into a jelly like substance so it can then be easily removed along with any traces of odour with the use of a dust pan and brush. Not only does this save your carpets and upholstery’s from staining but is great for them difficult clean up jobs like urine caused by the little potty training tots or in my case a naughty little kitten. There were loads more great products in the range however, this is one I swear by.

Well, those lovely lot at Natural and Clean, have donated a great selection of there products, including my favourite “Whoops a daisy” as a competition prize.

This isn’t just one or two products we’re talking about… “Oh no”! Natural and Clean are giving you lovely lot, the chance to bag yourselves a huge bundle of goodies, consisting of 9 Natural and Clean products, worth the tidy sum of £45.99

Here’s what you can win, along with a few images of some of these earth friendly products.

Whoops-a-daisy (for every day spills) £4.99

The essential travel kit (handy to have in the car or under the buggy) £10.99

Nappy and standard bin deodoriser (for fresh smelling bins) £3.39

Spot remover spray £3.43

Spot remover wipes (useful for spills on carpets and soft furnishings) £3.43

Carpet and fabric deodoriser £3.43

Baby clean-up kit (a handy travel kit) £10.99

Dry Carpet Cleaner (500g) £5.19

Foaming Carpet Cleaner £3.58
For more information on all items Click Here to be directed to the Natural and Clean Website

One winner will bag themselves this huge bundle of essentials

Here’s how to enter

Compulsory action
This entry must be completed before any of the below extra entries will be accepted!

Leave a comment telling me a great cleaning tip (email address or twitter contact left with all comments please)

Extra Entries
You can do however many you like, though for each action taken a separate comment must be left (those that are not, sadly won’t be valid)!

+1: Follow Clean and Natural on Twitter

+1: Tweet, “I want to win a cleaning bundle from @naturalandclean via @clairelouise82 & ensuring you add the URL for this post!

+1: You, will receive one extra entry for using any of the share buttons within this post (separate comment for each please)!

+1 Subscribe via “Feedburner” to my blog

+2 visit and subscribe to my sister blog “Mummy of many talents” you may just love it (no obligation to remain once competition closed, though I hope you might) 🙂

+1 Follow me on twitter @clairelouise82

Myself and Natural and Clean would love you to pop over and check out the Natural and Clean Facebook page. You don’t have to and it is not an entry into the competition but it would be lovely of you guys to check them out! (Plus you will never miss a fab comp or great promotion) and we wouldn’t want that would we.

Competition will close on the 6th March 2012
Winner will be randomly drawn and announced soon after.

T&C

UK residents only please, competition will close on the 6th March at 5 pm, prize will be sent directly from prize provider “Natural and Clean” (Note: there is no cash alternative to this prize) All rules must be followed, those entries that have not abided by this rules will not be counted into the draw, regardless if the comment was approved or otherwise. Winners will be given 72 hours following the winning notification to contact me via the email located in the sidebar or that of the about page. Postal address will need to be forwarded to the brands PR and winners name will be published here on the blog. Those who do not leave an efficient contact (email, twitter , etc.. Please no Facebook contacts) may lose the prize which will be randomly redrawn.

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Natural and Clean the green way to clean your home

I was recently asked to review some products from the ‘Natural and Clean‘ range, Of course I said, “Please, bring them on” Why wouldn’t I? As much as I hate to clean, I still find myself engaging in such a task, what with three children and two kittens, I don’t have a choice!

Natural and Clean are UK specialist that sell a selection of  home, travel and pet cleaning essentials that are all 100% natural, no nasty chemicals to contend with and environmentally friendly!

The lovely people at ‘Natural and Clean’ sent me a great selection of their products to put to the test, these were…

100% Natural Cat Litter

This Litter is 100% Biodegradable and consists of 100% waste vegetable matter from only sustainable sources. The patented odour control formulation removes the smell of cat urine permanently and with this clumping formula, you need only remove the waste clumps. A 6 litre bag will last 1 cat approximately 4 weeks and can absorb 300% of its weight in liquid and this lightweight formulation makes it even easier to carry!

My thoughts… It all sounds fabulous, I received the litter (which was as light as a feather) and started using it straight away. However all was not fabulous for these two naughty kittens, as they went a toilet everywhere but the litter. The kittens just wouldn’t go near the stuff and I only noticed having discovered a puddle of pee smack bang on the middle of the living room floor. I persisted, yet no matter what, the Kittens just wouldn’t use the litter. I think this may have been due to the fact it was so… different to what we were using before! Sadly my kittens had got a bit used to the cheap crap ( kittens are not cheap to keep so I had been using the cheap rubbish that is super heavy to carry, for far to long) I only wished my kittens had taken to this litter and maybe I should have tried mixing it with the rubbish I’ve been using. If this does what it claims to do then it will be an excellent product! Sadly I can’t comment and only wished I could give more useful feedback. £6.65 would seem a high price for cat litter, but if it does last the length of time it claims, then it’s actually no more expensive than any other litter as the cheaper brands tend to last no more than a week!

Whoops a-daisy

The fine crystals of Natural & Clean Whoops a-daisy! Convert liquid spillage’s into gel, making them easy to control and remove. Whoops a-daisy! is non-toxic, biodegradable and safe to use around both children and animals. It can be used on any carpet, hard flooring, upholstery, bedding or clothing.

My thoughts… I’m a massive Whoops a-daisy fan, I’m not the kind of girl you will usually find raving about a cleaning product, it’s just a cleaning product right! No, not right… you couldn’t be more wrong if you tried. Honest, this stuff is my new best friend, it’s converted me into an advertisement, seriously whenever someone comes around mine, I find myself pouring water on the floor just to demonstrate its magic. I can’t stand having to deal with all them nasty accidents what with the kittens not taking to the litter and a toddler in potty training mode I’ve had to deal with my fair share this week alone. Whoops a-daisy makes it real easy. I love the fact there is no strong and overpowering odour. Little man is sensitive to certain smells and I can only use everyday cleaning products when his at school or sleeping , etc. In this respect We didn’t have any problems with the ‘Natural and Clean’ range. Basically you sprinkle some whoops a-daisy on any spillage wait a few minutes and the powder absorbs the spillage along with it’s odour, once fully absorbed you can hover or use a dustpan and brush to remove the power and it’s horrid contents that has now become some form of jelly. It’s fantastic for them emergency accidents like blood or red wine on white carpets. Honestly I’ll be buying more, its awesome the results are instant and amazing. Priced at £4.99 it’s simply a ‘Must Have’ bargain.

The Natural clean and clear essential travel clean up kit

The Essential Travel Clean-up kit is the ideal portable solution for accidental spillage’s when on the move, potty training or coping with your little one’s sick bug. Suitable for carpets, upholstery and hard surfaces, the travel kit is perfect for use in cars, buggies, caravans, boats or planes. The simple to use products contain and absorb the spillage and the clean-up process is completed with a deodoriser to remove any odour. £10.99

My thoughts… Excellent product, it contains a travel sized Whoops a-daisy some cardboard scrapers to remove any horrid accidents, some throw away silicon gloves, deodoriser, travel hand sterilising solution and a disposing bag. The only thing that I couldn’t get my head around was why the disposing bag was so huge? I dunno maybe others have a lot bigger accidents than us! However I think it would have been more useful to have maybe one or two smaller bags. All contents came in a handy carry zip case, and I kept mine under the pushchair. I used the emergency Whoops a-daisy when little Harley spilt his juice all over his trousers, the water was removed quickly leaving them a tad damp instead of soaked. Price £10.99

Natural & Clean spot remover wipes

Disposable Natural & Clean spot remover wipes makes removing spots and spills more convenient, eliminating the potential to over wet the carpet. The special cleaning formula leaves no sticky residue and dries to a powder, preventing re-soiling and ensuring carpets stay cleaner for longer. The safe to use Natural & Clean spot remover wipes are pH 5.5 and have a unique “active plant” formulation for gentle, effective cleaning of all spots and spills. They contain a naturally derived fragrance and are free from solvents and phosphates.

My thoughts… At first I really wasn’t sure about this as when I opened them they felt as if they had dried out, however once using them on the carpet I released that they are actually meant to be this way. The wipes don’t make the carpet overly wet and instead turn to a powdery substance that you can just vacuum over. Some wipes really do make a spillage so much worse, these didn’t. A really good product, though it has nothing on Whoops a-daisy (I really can’t see how anything will ever compare again). A good price at just £3.49

Natural & Clean Pet Shampoo

Natural & Clean Pet Shampoo is suitable for all Dogs, Puppies, Cats & Kittens. Its low irritation green formulation is kind to pets’ sensitive skin; leaving coats not just soft and clean, but smelling fresh.

My thoughts… My Kittens again would have non of it! I found myself chasing them around the house like a mad woman (they can get in the tiniest of spaces)! After a week or maybe two I gave up and passed this on to a much-needed best friend who has one very small dog and one very large dog (I know a weird combo). My lovely mate had promised to come and show off their shiny coats once she had used the shampoo. ‘Daisy’ the smaller of the two, even had her picture taken (honestly some pet portrait thing at one of the large chain pet stores) I’m really looking forward to having a peep, never seen a pet portrait before 🙂 Would she buy the product? Her answer was… Yes, she would! What a result!

Natural & Clean pet spot & odour eliminator

Natural & Clean pet spot & odour eliminator is a modern approach to odour removal. It is designed to attack and eliminate odours and they’re offending causes naturally. The product has been successfully manufactured through harnessing naturally occurring microbes which attack and degrade organic waste matter, thus eliminating odours and their primary sources.

My thoughts… Honest People this is the last one I know I get quite deep but trust me, you will thank me next time your puppy poops on the carpet and you have this in the cupboard! There isn’t much to say about this one, apart from yes, It works and works very well! It also smells fantastically  awesome (not too overpowering, to little mans delight) priced at £3.49 how can you complain? Another great product worth having.

I love the range, and found that it didn’t only tackle the tasks at hand but also was great to work with. I have really sensitive skin and the range didn’t cause me any irritation. Little man is also very sensitive, but this time its to the odour that some cleaning products let off, especially bleach (he really gets upset by it). Again we had no issues of this kind when using the Natural and Clean range… Bonus!

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