It’s getting colder and darker, so it’s time to prepare for autumn and winter weather. For parents everywhere, making sure the kids are warm is one of their biggest concerns. With older children, it’s easy to ask if they’re feeling cold. You’re probably more concerned about getting them to keep their coat on and stop losing their gloves. But when it comes to babies, ensuring that they’re warm (but not too warm) can be a bit more difficult. Keeping the chill away when you’re out and about is essential, but how do you know when you’re doing enough?

The Layer Rule

Knowing just how warm your baby needs to be can be a bit confusing. However, there is one rule that parents have been using for a long time. If you’re unsure, giving your baby one more layer than you have is a good idea. So if you have a t-shirt, jumper and coat, give them the same, plus a blanket over them. This helps to take the guesswork out of everything. Although, you should still keep an eye on whether they still seem cold or too warm. Don’t forget a hat when you venture out into the cold.

Look at Pushchair and Pram Accessories

Getting your baby and all their layers into their pushchair or pram can be a bit of a hassle. You might find that you constantly have to tuck corners of blankets back in. One good idea is to look at accessories designed for your pram or pushchair model. For example, you can buy an I’Candy footmuff to match your pushchair. You can find accessories designed for a specific brand or generic ones that will fit any pushchair or pram. They can be a lot more convenient than dragging blankets around, which could fall off and get lost.

Invest in a Snowsuit

If it’s very cold, and maybe even snowing, a snowsuit is a good idea. They provide a puffy, warm layer and can protect your baby’s hands and feet. They may seem like a bit of a hassle. However, you just put them on over your baby’s other clothes. It’s easier than it looks to slip it on before you go out and take it off when you’re inside. They can have waterproof exteriors and warm and fluffy linings made from fleece or flannel.

Give Yourself Lots of Time

It’s an unfortunate fact that going out with a baby will always take a long time. In the winter, it can take even longer. Make sure you give yourself time to get out the door and prepare as much as possible. You can’t be prepared for everything; sometimes there will be an unexpected nappy change or something similar. But you can know what you need and what steps you need to take to get out the door and on your way. The more you prepare in advance, the easier it will be to leave on time.

Keeping your baby warm in the winter can involve a bit of juggling. But once you have your routine down, you can find it a lot easier.

This is a collaborative post.

I know I say this all the time, but being a work at home mama doesn’t mean I have oodles of time on my hands, it’s often the opposite. Trying to juggle working, running the house, coordinating mine and Boo’s social calendar aka I run round after all her party invitations!

Any free time I have is often an hour here and there pinched from my busy day so the idea of booking in for a massage while sounding lovely just isn’t practical. Imagine being able to book someone to come to your house for a massage at as a little as an hours notice… Hello Urban Massage.

Urban Massage allows you to book a professional massage wherever you are; this is a game changer when it comes to achieving mindfulness in a busy mama’s life. The whole process from signing up to the app and booking a massage took less than five minutes; I booked a calming massage with Elizabeth, I couldn’t believe how easy it was and I liked how you could select which massage therapist was best suited to the type of massage you had selected.

All you need to enjoy an Urban Massage is the app and a bit of space in your home. The therapist brings the massage table, oils and an abundance of calming energy. It didn’t take long for Elizabeth to work adn her manage and soon I was imagining that I was laying on a beach, with the heat and the sound of the ocean. When the hour was up, I opened my eyes and felt as if a weight had been lifted, and the best part? I didn’t have to put lots of layers on and go out into the cold and drive home; once Elizabeth left I enjoyed a cup of tea while extending my very much needed snippet of relaxation.

I’m super excited to be able to offer you £10 off for your first booking at Urban Massage with the code MUMMYBOO and is valid until the end of December 2016.

Disclosure: A fee was received to cover my time, however all opinions are 100% my own.

We’re having a home day, trust me when I say that it’s a very rare and welcome treat for Boo and I to not have to be anywhere or even go out for that matter. Our home days follow a very simple yet much loved formula: lazy snuggles in bed, pancakes for breakfast, a bit of pottering, and a fair few disney films thrown in for good message. One thing I tend to try and do when we’re having a home day is catch up with some baking; today I made banana bread because it’s universally accepted that there will always be a bunch of bananas festering in the fruit bowl – please tell me I’m not the only one – and banana bread is perfect to slice and freeze for a yummy after school treat for Boo.

I always like to make the most of the oven being on for an hour, so as I glanced round the kitchen for ideas I spotted a butternut squash again lurking next to the fruit bowl and then I remembered the ridiculously easy recipe for soup and decided to make that for our lazy lunch.

To make the soup you will need: 1 butternut squash and 650ml vegetable stock (I made mine with 2 Knorr veg stock cubes for a thicker consistency).

1. Start by cutting the butternut squash in half, and again twice more so you have eight pieces. Spoon out the seeds and roast in the oven on a lined baking tray for 45-55 minutes at 160C.

2. Once soft, remove from the oven, allow to cool slightly then peel the skin off and place in a medium saucepan.

3. Add the vegetable stock to the butternut squash over a low heat and use a stick blender to combine.

And that’s it! I’m by no means great cook (I think I wear the title lazy Nigella very well!) and I have to give credit to my Mama for the recipe. The soup is a guaranteed crowd pleaser and is so creamy and full of flavour, it’s crazy to think that it has just two ingredients.

So now the banana bread is cooling and we’re snuggled up on the sofa after a delicious lunch watching Snow White… We just love lazy weekends.

Who remembers Design Technology at school? And the time when after you’d completed your woodwork project it was time to turn your hand to creating a clock using acrylic sheets. Despite learning the hard way that there are no second chances or tolerances when it comes to cutting (hello lunchtime catch up sessions!) I loved working with the Clear Perspex Sheet.

Fast forward nearly fifteen years and as the home soft refurbishment project is tantalisingly close to being finished (I’m determined for everything to be finished by Christmas Eve; by hook or by crook it WILL be done!) I’m starting to look around the house to see where I can add small home made projects that will really personalise our home and reflect our personalities, don’t worry it won’t be anything too big – I know my limits! I’ve been contemplating adding acrylic perspex sheets to a pin style board, so instead of using the traditional cork and pins I’d choose clear perspex instead and mount it in front of a chalkboard which I could write our message of the week/reminders then use washi tape to fix party invitations/photos to the perspex sheet – bye bye painful push pins! I love the idea of the different layers and the perspex will help keep the theme of light and bright with the functionality and fun of the chalkboard backing.

What home craft projects have you got planned before Christmas? Would love to see your mini home transformations!

This is a collaborative post.