..... my true love gave to me, a beautiful guest post from the very awesome Mary Key of Keynko. We always celebrate Christmas with some fabulous posts from our blogging friends and this year is about memories. .....

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Established in 2004, baroo specialises in the design and production of award winning baby and toddler bedding and accessories. baroo gives parents everything they need to transform their little one's bedroom with stunning, fun and imaginative nursery interiors and accompanying accessories.

Over the past decade baroo have taken a huge amount of pride in their design and production process which is why they have become a well-loved and trusted brand amongst children, parents and celebrities as well as snapping up some awards along the way.

This season, baroo are especially proud of their new collection which consists of 6 gorgeous new designs to capture the imaginations of children and parents alike.  Each design consists of a duvet and pillow case set and are made to fit their super snuggly duvets and dream filled pillows. 

The beautiful soft colour palettes of the Tweet Dreams and Sweet Pea collections create the prettiest environment for any little princess whilst the cool and contemporary design of the Urban Fox collection will be a sure hit with mischievous boys. The fun and funky Rocks 'n' Spots and Ellefunk collections are designed to appeal to both boys and girls and will instantly brighten up the plainest of rooms. For those looking for something a little more neutral or who don’t yet know the sex of their baby, the soft grey design of the Counting Sheep 5 piece bedding bale is the perfect solution for a gender neutral nursery.

Baroo believe that parenthood is an adventure like no other which is why they have tried to make things that little bit easier for new parents by offering beautiful co-ordinating accessories to compliment each range such as crib and cot bump pods and coverlets and essentials such as hooded towels, nursing pillows, muslins and burp cloths. Everything you need to create a stylish and practical nursery.

With lots more wonderful designs in the pipeline and plans to expand on their existing collections, baroo is leading the way in exclusive, inspirational children’s interiors.

You can view the new collections on their newly launched website www.baroo.co.uk 

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You may know that on November 30th the world celebrates St Andrew’s Day, Scotland’s national day. There will undoubtedly be parties galore in Scotland, events around the world and maybe a few wee drams to warm the cockles, given the cold November we are having.

As I am now married to a Scotsman, this holiday is somehow now more prevalent in our calendar and he is very proud of his heritage. According to Scotland.org "Saint Andrew (who is believed to have later preached around the shores of the Black Sea), was an agile and hardy Galilean fisherman whose name means Strong and who also had good social skills. He brought the first foreigners to meet Jesus and shamed a large crowd of people into sharing their food with the people beside them. Today we might describe him as the Patron Saint of Social Networking!"

It was through the power of social networking that I came across Buyahipflask.com. I have to admit that I *may* have historically thought that a hipflask was more suited to the older generation but after seeing a fellow blogger at an event with an uber cool hipflask, I suspected I should re-evaluate my opinon.

Given the chance to review a hipflask, I spent ages browsing round the site and whilst I was tempted by a very cool one for myself, I knew that really I should get one for my very own Scotsman. I know it sounds ridiculous but I love that Buyahipflask are based in Scotland and even more so that their hipflasks are made in the UK.

I chose the 6oz Tartan Round Flask  which retails at a very affordable £27.00 and you get the chance to personalise many of the flasks too. There are so many to choose from that it becomes a little mind boggling but I loved the stylish simplicity of this flask, whilst being a little different to the standard hip flask shape.

All their hip flasks are made from 100% Pewter, which keeps its shine with minimal effort, perfect for me who has minimal time to polish the silverware. (word of warning don't put it next to an emery board in your handbag, as this *may* scuff your shiny flask ..... just a small suggestion). On the subject of my handbag, did I also mention that it fits perfectly in a handbag for a cheeky tipple on a night out?

So what is our verdict?

What we love:

• The extensive range of designs
• The quality
• The fact they are made in the UK
• The ease of the site.

What we don't like:

• That the Scotsman has a hipflask in MY handbag .... I may just fill it with Pinot Grigio instead!
• !

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This post was brought to you by Toothpick.com Their goal is to improve the dental health industry by making it more transparent, with reviews for every practice and by making it easier for you to book a dentist appointment for you and your family. 

As most parents know, children will do almost anything to avoid brushing their teeth, even resorting to lying to avoid this simple task. Instead of constantly doing battle with your children, try these great techniques and play some of these simple games to make oral hygiene fun rather than a chore.

The Bubble Game

Play a game where all the members of your family brush their teeth at the same time. Encourage everyone to make as many bubbles as possible while brushing their teeth and give a prize to the person who makes the most bubbles.

Train Wheels

Another good game you can play to make sure that your child brushes their teeth thoroughly is to pretend that their brush strokes are actually train wheels. You can show them how to make the brush strokes as large and round as possible and perhaps sing a train song while your child is brushing their teeth to encourage them and add more fun to the experience.

Storytelling

Explain the importance of brushing your teeth to your child by telling a story. Make the story as animated as possible to really make the point and use colourful characters such as sugar bugs, which attack the teeth and have to be battled by the brave toothbrush. You can even create a comic book using these characters with your child to make the story fun and memorable.

Let Your Child Select Their Own Toothpaste

Many children find the taste menthol and mint toothpaste too strong, which can put them off brushing their teeth. However, special children’s toothpaste comes in a wide range of flavours these days, including orange and strawberry. Letting your child choose a brightly coloured toothbrush with an image of a cartoon character on it may also make them more willing to brush their teeth.

Praise Your Child

After you child has brushed their teeth successfully, make sure you give them plenty of encouragement so that they are more likely to want to brush their teeth again later. You could assign special rewards such as stickers or stars which your child can collect and trade in for a special treat when they have collected a certain number.

Countdown

Convincing the kids to spend the recommended two minutes brushing their teeth can be tough at times. Help the time pass more quickly by playing a song that your child loves or even singing to them while they brush their teeth. We have found a great app that is good for this.

Do you have any other tricks or ideas for getting your little ones to brush their teeth?

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