Splash About at Christmas

It's funny, swimming doesn't cross many people's minds as a particularly Christmassy activity but when Splash About contacted me to ask me to spread the word about keeping kids swimming over the Christmas holidays it made me think that maybe we are the odd ones out to find swimming so much part of our big family break at Christmas time.  Well, I'm here to tell you that it is, indeed, a fantabulous thing to be considering over the festive period!

For us, Christmas time is the single biggest break from work that myself and Mr. B get all year.  Two whole weeks to spend with our girls and with our wider family.  We like to get up to as many family activities as possible over the Christmas break but swimming is our number one choice.  It is local.  It is fairly cheap (especially given that our local council offer free swimming sessions for children during school holidays).  It is brilliant exercise (allows you to work up an appetite for more festive food). And best of all, the girls absolutely LOVE swimming.  During the Christmas holidays you will be surprised how quiet and inviting your local pool is - it is a great opportunity to get out and get swimming!

My Splash About Hot Picks

This Christmas, one of the girls' presents each will be a brand new swim suit and a new pair of goggles each.  Something fresh and new to start the new year with.  Discovering the Splash About float suit earlier this year has been life-changing for Holly.  At 2.5 years old she swims confidently (and quickly) unaided thanks to her Splash About float suit (pictured top left) which contains removable foam floats that allow you to manage your child's buoyancy as they learn to swim.

I built up this Splash About mood board with some ideas of our favourite Splash About swimming items for children and our favourite designs and patterns (mine are very girly picks for Holly!)  We love these Goggles because they are suitable for babies right up to 6 years old so they are suitable for both of my girls and make great stocking fillers.

We are looking forward to trying out the innovative Splash About Fings which is a clever flotation device.  Half-float, half-arm-band designed to support toddlers from below and help teach them to be buoyant  This could be another life-changing Splash About gadget!

And of course, don't forget the classic Splash About Happy Nappy.  No baby should be without one of these clever neoprene nappies which give you the confidence to go swimming without worrying about the contents of your little one's nappy.  We've worshiped the classic Happy Nappy for over 5.5 years now.

If you've never considered taking your children swimming over the Christmas break before, there is no better time.

Rockley Cove Children's Rashkini Review

With the weather starting to take a very welcome turn for the better, I'm allowing myself to think ahead to the summer. We have two holidays planned for over the school holidays and it makes me feel that little bit more mellow just thinking about them! We were asked to take a look a the new range of 'rashkini' swimwear from brand new children's beachwear specialists, Rockley Cove and Lara herself has been getting into the summer spirit by testing out this UPF50+ matching bikini and rash vest.

Lara chose this geometric contrast pattern of rash vest with a matching tie style bikini.  Unsurprisingly, we haven't quite yet had the chance to test it out by basking on a beach anywhere but Lara jumped at the chance to try out both the bikini and the rash vest at her swimming lessons and they have now become her primary swim suit at her lesson on a Thursday evening!

I really like the range of colours and designs at Rockley Cove - all of the patterns and colours are feminine without being traditionally 'girly' which means they are perfect for Lara.  The designs are modern and striking and I know they will look well-placed on any beach.  It is great to see fashionable swimwear for girls which aren't trying too hard to look like adult fashion - there is definitely still a good element of childhood fun in the Rockley Cove designs.

The bikinis are available in a few different designs depending on your daughter's tastes.  I think the frilly skirt designs would look great on Holly but I felt this tie-style bikini was more Lara's thing.  The bikini doesn't actually tie (thank goodness... we have enough other things to worry about at kids swimming lessons) but looks like it would tie behind the neck and at the sides of the hips.

Rockley Cove specialise in matching rash vests - a t-shirt style top made from the same fabric as the bikini and which is designed to offer more protection to the upper body in the sun and when swimming.  All of their fabrics offer sun protection of UPF50+ which means that, come the summer, Lara will be able to wear this in the garden or when we are away on holiday knowing that her skin is protected underneath her rashvest, for a while at least, from the sun.  I'd quite like to see Rockley Cove offer some long-sleeved versions too.

Lara actually preferred the rash vest to the halter top for wearing to her swimming lesson (a bikini did seem like overkill, I'll admit!) but she said the vest flapped around her tummy when she was swimming so I think it is probably best for use when she is not actively swimming but more for playing in or near water.

The Rockley Cove Rashkinis are sold as separate pieces; the girls bikinis start from around £18.99 and the rash vests start from around £22.99. They are available in sizes from 3 years - 12 years old.

My Glamourous Girls - Holiday Snaps from the South of France

It feels like a lifetime since we got back from our hols and yet I've not really shared many of my holiday photos so I thought I'd put that straight.  We stayed in a small town south of St. Tropez... just about my favourite place on the entire planet.  We stayed in a small apartment which had access to a residents pool but we also swam in the sea several times which was enormous fun.

The swimwear and dresses in these photos are all some of my favourite picks from the Sunuva website where I wrote about summer girls fashion before I went away so they sent me a couple of pieces as a thank you; The Sunuva high summer range is now online.

And these dresses... these were a gift from their Auntie and Uncle, all the way from Panama!

It was great to see the girls so relaxed and happy that week.  We can't wait to go to sunny Cornwall with their Grandparents in a few weeks time.

Sunuva Children's Swimwear Review

Choosing a swimsuit for Lara is always a struggle – we swim together every week and yet, for much of the year, the selection of children's swimsuits on the high street is almost non-existent. I almost exclusively shop online for sports swimsuits for Lara (this suits me well because I hate clothes shopping in REAL shops) but does result in Lara looking more like an olympic swimmer than a pre-schooler when she goes to her swimming lessons! Sunuva contacted me to introduce me to a different option – their range of children's swimwear for babies and children of all ages is not only functional but beautifully styled.

Choosing a design from the beautiful range of fabrics that Sunuva use was difficult. There are some really pretty designs, and some bolder and brighter designs but my favourite was this one, the Dandelion design. Each design for girls or boys has a range of different pieces of swimwear – for girls you can buy a pair of nappy pants, a bikini, a long-sleeved sun-protection top (rash vest) and the more traditional one-piece (which is what I tend to opt for with Lara).

The swimsuit is really good quality – I was particularly taken by the white piping around the outside which made the swimsuit look really comfy to wear. Lara looks smart wearing her swimsuit and she enjoys the novelty of having a pocket on the back of her swimsuit – an unusual touch.

Sunuva also sell a luxurious and very elegant range of beachwear to compliment their range of swimwear. I will definitely be heading back to sunuva.com for some summer pieces of Lara and Holly to take away with us this summer – the little girl's dresses look floaty and cool and perfect for chilled out evenings. My only worry is that I may not be able to resist the range of swimming accessories... or more importantly the clothing accessories such as a cowboy hat or headscarf for a very trendy Lara!

I also had a browse of the little boy's swimwear that Sunuva sell – the boys swimshorts come in some wonderfully bright colours and there are even some designs that will co-ordinate well with older siblings.

Mellow Mummy readers can get 10% off at www.sunuva.com using the code MELLOWMUMMY. You can follow Sunuva on facebook and on twitter.