The Ion Sound Splash Bluetooth Waterproof speaker: a review

ion sound splash Bluetooth wireless speaker

I love music. I shower everyday. How great to be able to maximise the joy that is iTunes Match on my iPhone by listening to it perfectly safely in the shower.

I love this gadget. It's my new favourite piece of tech. Simple, smart, pleasing to the eye. You can even, if you were super sad, answer the phone using it. Thankfully video calls wouldn't work.

Anyway.
It takes less than 30 seconds to read the 3 steps involved in pairing it to your phone.

Basically press a couple of buttons and you are on.

I left my iPhone in the bedroom, got in the shower, turned on the Ion Sound Splash and pressed play. It started playing where I last left off. Brilliant. I need to keep testing the range, but the Bluetooth connection is pretty darn good.
You can play and pause the song and also control the volume. You can't skip tunes though, so make sure you have a shower playlist, or album, ready.

How to keep the Children Entertained!

When the girls are winding me up. Or winding each other up. I firmly shout "Song Time" over the din.

Grab our cushions. One each. All sit down on the carpet in a circle and sing songs.

Not just any old songs. And not the current iTunes top ten. But traditional, action songs.

Here's my list. Sing loud. Have a dance. And above all be silly! Have fun!

Traditional
Incy Wincy Spider (involving lots of tickling!)
Twinkle Twinkle Little Star
Horsey Horsey
Old MacDonald had a Farm
Baa Baa Black Sheep
Mary Had a Little Lamb
Five Little Ducks
I Hear Thunder, I Hear Thunder!
If you’re happy and you know it
Hokey Cokey
Ring O Roses
Row, Row, Row Your Boat
Jack & Jill
One Finger, One Thumb, Keep Moving
This Old Man, He Played One
The Farmer’s In His Den
This Little Piggy
Round & Round the Garden
Humpty Dumpty
Pat a Cake
The Wheels on the Bus
Rock a Bye Baby
Oranges & Lemons
Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary
Sing a Song of Sixpence
The Grand of Duke of York
Pop goes the Weasel

The Rest
Jingle Jangle Scarecrow
Red Tractor
Five Teddy Bears Jumping on the Bed
Five Little Speckled Frogs
Terrible Crocodile
Animal Fair
There were Five in the Bed and the little one said….
Roly Poly, Roly Poly
Wind the Bobbin Up
Five Current Buns in the Baker’s Shop
I’m a Little Teapot
Hickory, Dickory Dock
One Man Went to Mow
Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, Touch your nose….
One Little, Two Little, Three Little Teddy Bears
Here we go round the Mulberry Bush
The Sun has got his hat on
Two Little Dicky Birds

Nearly a Yummy Mummy! And avoiding tantrums some more!

Feeling much more like a Yummy Mummy this week!

I've rediscovered some clothes that I haven't worn for at least 5 years, but somehow seem to work this summer. I've also topped up my casual collection with a couple of this season's Maxi dresses. It beats Jeans and a dodgy t-shirt...and both dresses are washable for a change! (Monsoon if you're interested!)

I'm off to have my initial fitness test at the Gym tonight. Regular readers will be confused, since I joined the Gym back in January. I did have the initial assessment booked in then, but had to cancel, and as every mummy will know, it takes forever for something that I need to arrange for me to get back up to the top of the to-do list. So I've only just re-booked it. Poor, I know!

I've had to refrain from any alcohol or caffeine for 24 hours before it. I also can't eat for 4-5 hours before. It's booked for 5.30pm. I've done 1 hour already, but won't be able to eat until at least 7.30pm since I'll return home and jump straight into the girls story time routine. Not sure how I'll cope with no food for that long. I'm sure I'll get chocolate withdrawal! I'll let you know how I get on...

Oh.... my feeling of Yummy Mumminess is also down to 'relaxing'. I've been telling myself to chill out this week. Every time I feel the tension building, or hear my voice raising, I am consciously saying the next sentence more slowly and quietly. And taking a deep breath. I've arrived places a little later than I would have liked as a result. It would appear that I can't relax without slowing the pace of everything I do. But I guess I can just leave a little more time. And to be fair, I've not been actually late yet! I've found the best trigger to get me in this calm and happy state of mind is listening to the Crazy Love album by Micheal Buble. There are some great feel good tunes on there!

I haven't been leaving any tips on parenting recently though. I guess my tip for this week is just that; to relax. It seems to keep the children more relaxed and less liable to tantrums.

So take a breath. Pause. Smile to yourself. Hum a tune! Then carry on.

Just make sure the tune isn't something by Metallica. I'm not entirely sure that would lead to the calm quietness I'm thinking of!