LivingwithKids

...allowing your child to have the biggest ice-cream in the world because you couldn't resist those eyes.

...staying in the shade on a gorgeous sunny day because your child has such sensitive skin.

...knowing that precious moments like this will remain etched in your heart forever.

What does Motherhood mean to you?

Clinique Happy for Men Groom Happy Set. I love the smell of this cologne and after shave balm – light wood notes spiked with citrus, very manly. (£33, available from John Lewis)

A gorgeous photo book from PhotoBox (from £19.99) – you (or your children) choose the pictures and the captions to make a really personal and lovely gift, simples.

Some rather yummy (and very masculine) pampering products. The Father’s Day Collection from Elemis includes full size Ice Cool foaming shave gel, Deep Cleanse Facial Wash, Energising Skin Scrub and Daily Moisture Boost, all in a stylish black wash bag (£25, from timetospa).

A Thorntons chocolate football shirt, iced with a personal message (£4.49). Well, it IS the World Cup.

And a bottle of single malt whisky. Buy them a bottle of Talisker, The Singleton of Dufftown or Dalwhinnie (available from Oddbins) – and they'll get two VIP passes to a free malt whisky master class at 20 locations around the country.

These babygros (£7 and £8) and bibs (£5) from Mothercare are very cute.

I also love the soothers (£2) and baby bottles (£3) from Tesco.

They’ve bought out some new limited edition boxes just for the World cup designed by Wayne Hemingway, Phil Daniels and Gerald Scarfe. (For more details click here).

And if your children are fans of Chuggington they’ll love this Wilson Carry Case (£14.99), available from Toys R Us. You have to buy the engines separately (and at £5.99 they’re not cheap, but they’re made from die-cast so at least they’ll last).

No 1 Son went to school this morning with his hair sticking up like Stig of the Dump, his shirt hanging out and I suspect not having cleaned his teeth. He's at that age now where if I try to comb his hair he pushes me away with a 'Gerroff Mum' and if I ask him if he's washed his face he rolls his eyes and does the exaggerated 'Muummm'.

Brilliant cause and as you can see, Lenny Henry, who provides the voice of Elephant and Buffalo in the Tinga Tinga Tales TV series , is already a fan.  ‘It’s great that children in Africa will also benefit from the success of these stories with actual books being donated to help improve their literacy skills,’ he says. Couldn't have said it better myself.

You wouldn't believe how much persuasion this photo took. Bribery was involved (several Swiss Francs), and of course the shades stayed on. As you can see, we're on top of a mountain in Switzerland and my heart was in my mouth the whole time (that's not much of a safety barrier, is it?!) But I love this picture because if you look closely you can see a smile on my boy's face. Just a slight one, but it's there.

Him: Press the round button on the left Mum.  No not that button Mum. The one on the left.
Me: Oops.
Then:
Him: Press the button on the top of the controller Mum.
Me: Which button?
Then:
Him: Look at the screen Mum. Look at what’s happening on screen.
Me: Why are they going the wrong way?
Him: Because you’re moving them in the wrong direction.

And so on. Still it was fun, and by the end of our training session I was sort of getting the hang of it. ‘That was pretty cool, Mum,’ No 1 Son said. I was feeling all warm inside until I asked what age the game we were playing – Viva Pinata – is aimed at. ‘3plus,’ he replied. 

Meanwhile, we already have an early entry for the Christmas present stakes. It’s the new Xbox 360 gaming experience, aka Project Natal (for now). We’ve been treated to a sneak preview of it and it’s absolutely brilliant. 

One of my absolutely favourite pictures of all time is not by a famous artist. It is by No 1 Son. It shows a stick person with very long arms and a very big head. No prizes for guessing who it is supposed to be but I treasure that picture as if it was a Van Gogh.

Kids love painting and drawing and ELC  have a fantastic range of products to help your children get creative over the Easter hols (great for rainy days!), including the Art Centre (£40) and Starter Kit (£12) and my personal favourite, the Paint Your Own Card House (£30).

And don't forget, if you shop through KidStart, you get money back for your kids.

OK, before we get on to the chocolate, I want to show you some non edible items. First of all, M&S  have some brilliant craft kits – I particularly love the Chick puppets (£6). And the sweet Zip-a-Long chick (£5) would be the perfect gift for little ones.

Then, winning the Cutest Toy We’ve Seen In A Long Time Award, is the Tomy Micro Pets-i Chocolate puppy (available from Argos). Isn’t he adorable? Put it this way, he went to school today. That’s how cute he is.

Easter wouldn't be Easter in this house without a copious supply of Lindt, and their delumpcious (it’s a word, right?) gold bunnies, Lindor Easter Eggs and Fun Bugs and bees, available from House of Fraser , Ocado, Sainsbury's, Tesco and Asda.

For special relatives who don’t live close by, the Easter Bouquet with Milk Chocolate Egg from Thorntons (£35) is just the thing.

If you’re after something ‘almost’ too beautiful to eat, then Fortnum and Mason has an exquisite Rose and Violet Creams egg (£30). And from Hotel Chocolat comes the fabulously witty You Crack Me Up Egg (£22).

Finally, if you’re on a diet, and you only want something very small, then the Malteaster bunny (59p, available from Tesco) , is probably just right. Then again, you might need two or three (*cough*).