The May Bank Holiday is here and I am back inside at the PC for a little blog.  I’ve just been outside “organising the car” for our trip South – rubbish from last trip removed, H’s DVD’s loaded, CD’s changed and sweet stash reviewed!  Mr L gets to do the fuel, washer fluid and tire pressure (oh the glamour!)  I’m off to my old stomping ground, Clapham, London tomorrow and Mr L is catching us up on Friday evening.  SW4 you better brace yourself The Lancaster’s are coming!

Now this post is a request for feedback to help a pal of mine with some product development so please can all you mummy’s and daddy’s tell me what you think about this … this being this

The Mediwrap blankets and ponchos which keep you dry and warm if your car breaks down, because if you do breakdown the RAC advises that you get out of the car immediately and get away from moving traffic, for your own safety.  “Get out?  Are you mad?” I hear you cry and I was the same, until a few years ago when I passed a lorry which had pulled over onto the hard shoulder and pretty much pulled onto the broken down car on the hard shoulder.  I can only hope the passengers inside were OK, it was a hideous mess. 

That is the truth, you are meant to get out and its a UK Bank Holiday so chances are its going to be cold and rainy – prove me wrong mother nature, prove me wrong I beg of you!  Having seen what I saw on the hard shoulder if we break down I will get out,  I will get my kids out and we will sit up at the top of on the motorway embankment and wait for help.  I have a Mediwrap Family Pack (current price £34.99) in my car it lives there, my friend is the business development guy for Mediwrap and he gave it me.   So whilst I know I won’t be winning any fashion awards they will help to keep us all warm and dry and in case you were wondering in the event of breakdown there will be tweets but no twitpics! 

To me this is one of those things that I hope I never ever have to use but if we were in a situation where we needed it I would pay ten times its price to have it there and then.  With prices starting at less than a tenner I just wonder if people just aren’t aware that either in the event of breakdown you are supposed to get out of the car or that these product exist?  I follow Davina McCall on Twitter and I remember when she, amongst many others, was stranded in the snow  so it even happens to the rich and famous!

So as the Bank Holiday Traffic starts to build what do you think as mums, dads, parents, guardians, drivers?  Do you have?  Have you considered?  Have you used?  Please leave me a comment and let me know your thoughts. 

Please note I have already suggested a Maxi Dress for this season!  Happy Bank Holidays!

The old social life has been more than neglected / non-existent since October and Baby G’s arrival.  But I am starting to sort that out and catch up with Mr L and friends sans enfants.  I mean proper grown up going out, yes I mean at night and not during nap times.  Going out that involves proper getting ready – make up, hair, nails, outfit, accessories – all this is still a nightmare as I still have baby weight to lose so not a great deal of clothes that fit to choose from but I need social time, time away from mummy life more than fretting about my outfit. 

So last weekend a couple of friends and I headed out locally for a night out to a local place Panacea in AlderleyEdge.  If you live locally to me you’ll know it’s a new/old place.  It was The Braz, the epitome of Cheshire life at its most affluent, new owners totally refurbished it in to a sparkling new Bar and Restaurant Panacea in 2008 which unbelievably was closed by a major fire just 5 days after it opened!  I never managed to go to the first version and it reopened again last Summer.  I went in December 2009 to celebrate my Birthday and had a “got home at 2am night” of greatness!  My evening there last week was my second visit and was just as good!

It was Friday night, hair & make up done, earrings, bags, silly high shoes, best dress on off we rolled.  My night out pass started at 7:30pm I was by the door ready to go at 7:29pm and at the bar by 7:40pm – I am serious about this reclaiming my social life thing! 

Mrs P was with me on the sharp exit and we installed the glamorous versions of ourselves at the bar for our first well deserved cocktail of the evening.  I had a Panacea Breeze and Mrs P had a Gin Paloma long, refreshing & lovely.  When Mrs G joined us looking all foxy in a little black number we ordered three martini’s, well it would’ve be rude for us not to join Mrs G in a cocktail starter!  We headed to our table, enjoyed our cocktails and debated the menu.  It was tough, the menu is great, check it out I didn’t have the goyza last time but my friend did and I remember being a teensie bit jealous so I went for that followed by the lime and pepper tuna steak.  Two great bottles of wine and a really good laugh accompanied the meal, the highlight of which was the dessert, we had a sharing plate of all the desserts, nom nom nom nom … check this baby out!

Left to right we have :  Belini cheesecake, chocolate pudding, strawberry trifle, key lime pie, creme brule.

The night didn’t end there, oh no, (perhaps it should have!) “a gin & tonic” – why not?!  Then we went upstairs for, my bill advises me of, two futher champagne cocktails.  I was unable to resume my mummy duties until lunchtime but my goodness it was worth it and I can’t wait to go again! 

• Illness:  I was tired of being mummy.  I was tired of having no answer when asked “what have you been up to”.  I was tired of never having any reason to get dressed up and go out.  I was tired of being a tired mummy. 
• Medication:  Panacea - pan·a·ce·a – n.  A remedy for all diseases, evils, or difficulties; a cure-all.

That it most certainly was!  Until next time!

I now have more pushchairs than children – FACT!  
I have a ratio of 2:1 pushchairs to children – FACT! 
Why?  Well let me explain my pushchair timeline and driving credentials: 

• 2007 “my first pram” Bugaboo Chameleon (in sand & charcoal!)
• 2007 Grandma pushchair needed, Bugaboo too tricky, Maclaren Techno XT purchased
• 2008 Grandma’s new car & Maclaren doesn’t fit!  Enter the Thomas the Tank Engine lightweight stroller
• 2009 Baby G arrives as does a Lascal Buggy Board for Bugaboo & SnugBaby carrier
• 2010 holiday to Egypt  – bar buggy required – Cosatto You2 Twin Pushchair

Lil’ H was pretty much exactly 2.5 years old when Baby G arrived, my out and about pushchair plan with two had been:

1. Baby in pram, toddler on buggy board
2. Baby in carrier, toddler in pushchair
3. Baby in pram, toddler in pushchair and Mr/Grandparent! 

Option 3 is clearly the preferred option at all times!  Our first few Wintery months with a toddler and baby at the end of last year and we were getting along ok with this, then we decided to go for our first family trip abroad and booked to go to Egypt.  Mmm so how are we going to manage a toddler and a baby overseas in a hotel, so they can both sleep whilst we drink soak up the local life during an evening?! 

So with the holiday splashed out for I had kind of overlooked the whole buggy thing, budget allocation a big fat zero, then I spied @cosatto_tweets asking for blog reviewers for their products and I was on the keyboard in a flash and just before I jetted off received a Cosatto You2 Twin Pushchair to review – I fondly refer to it as my “bar buggy” because  it allowed me to enjoy some fun time, some me time as Mr could take them both out and some quiet time as both my babies slept comfortably!  Babies and toddlers alike had a great time in it … here’s Baby G on the right with her bessie mate Little Miss S, altogether now awwwwww!

OK so here are the facts … 

• The Cosatto You 2 Twin stroller is an umbrella fold side by side pushchair
• Suitable from birth and Lil’ H is now 3 years old & he still comfortably still in it!
• Hoods are independent of each other
• Seats recline to multiple positions independently
• All the accessories are included – cosy toes, head huggers, chest pads, insulated bottle carriers, rain cover etc.
• There is a 4 year guarantee!  REPEAT!  There is a 4 year guarantee! 

So there are the facts and here’s my experience and thoughts on the pushchair

• It looks GREAT – seriously GREAT – the biggest challenge is which funky design to choose – I went for eenie meenie although it was a toss up with Snap and the new Bro & Sis Too with its ditsy print is just gorgeous
• I have a personal issue with handles on pushchairs, my Maclaren gives me blisters, the You 2 has lovely soft foam covered – ticking the box for Mrs Lancaster’s soft & kind hand policy! 
• The rain cover is the best ever – it covers the children and any items, like your handbag you have hanging on the back – although to be fair the under seat baskets are really big I’m just a travel heavy kind of girl!  Here’s a pic of the rain cover in action when we got caught in a hail storm!

• It’s a smooth push and a smooth ride.  Both baby and toddler were more than comfortable and slept well in it
• It’s tough!  Six pushchair’s were put on our flight, four came off damaged and pretty severely damaged including a wheel snapped off the double buggy of our pals.  The Cosatto You 2 Twin stroller was a bit dusty.  That. Is. All! 
• It managed the weight difference between my toddler & baby no issue at all
• The mechanism to extend the leg rest was super easy compared to others, squeeze & lift – loved this!
• For a double buggy we felt it was light and easy to put and down
• The cosy toes are cosy and a bit too cosy to zip up on H but in fairness he is right at the top of the age for use and the designs make up for that in cuteness.

But don’t just take my word for it I asked Lil’ H for his view:

Me:  Do you like your new buggy?
H:  Yes, can we go to the park?
Me:  No, not now, later.  What do you like about your new buggy?
H:  Its really comfy and … and … and … I can hold bash Baby G’s hand and … and … and… bash her!

If you’re looking for a double pushchair I’d certainly recommend the You 2.  Cosatto have a full range of pushchairs, Karin from Cafe Bebe has reviewed the i-Spin which I love because you can turn a full 360 with one hand with a latte or mobile in the other – FACT!  Cosatto have a full range of nursery furniture, high chairs (the Yumi is in Baby G’s future!) and other nursery equipment, the 40 Winks travel cot is possibly the best sized travel cot I’ve seen, H had outgrown his at 2 years old but could still sleep in this one at 3 years old in my opinion. 

P.s.  It all started with a tweet … since then I have developed a great relationship with the team at Cosatto following this product trial.  In the spirit of open, honest blogging I want you to know that I am now working with Cosatto on the new Cosatto blog (check it out!) and other fab products and initiatives coming soon!

!!! ATTENTION !!!  New UK release date July 21st 2010

There is a God!  Two days closer to seeing the new Toy Story 3 movie in the meantime here’s a little featurette with the main men explaining a bit more about what we will see in July!  Enjoy!

Like most I have a bizillion photo’s on my computer and not enough time so I am only able to join in The Gallery when I know exactly which shot I want to use and write about otherwise I lose hours in my photo files!  This weeks prompt is Self Portrait.  Like most mums I am behind the camera or changing the baby, or prepping the lunch when the kodak moments happen.  I rarely have my hair, make up or am wearing an outfit I want to be photographed in so I am typically more absent than present.   

I do make a point of quite often lying down with the children and doing some “self takes” – you know where you hold the camera out in front of you and take the shot with everyone crammed in on a wing & a prayer that you’ll all be in it?!  I have always had a fondness for “self takes” originally done travelling and in bars and nightclubs with pals but now on my living room floor or on our bed with my babes is way more fun.  My H & G love it and they capture some of the best expressions you’d never get from behind the lens.  Have a go I recommend them & leave me a comment and a link if you post yours up as I’d love to see!

Between now and next Birthday / Christmas I am coveting a Samsung ST550 Digital Compact camera, yes I’ve got a Canon EOS digital SLR & a Sony Cyber Shot compact but this new Samsung has a screen on the front as well as the back – my self take gallery can only get better! 

 See more contributions to The Gallery to this prompt from the wonderful Blogosphere here: