I was recently sent a bottle of Tommee Tippee Close to Nature Surface Spray to review for the Mummy News website.
You can read my review HERE
Have a look round Mummy News while you're there!
Monday, 20 February 2012
Thursday, 16 February 2012
Sophia's First Valentine
I admit to not being a massive fan of Valentines Day in the past but Mr T has managed to bring out my more romantic side so this year we celebrated. However, as could only happen to us, the day did not go as planned!
All started well and Sophia got in the spirit by wearing her Valentines themed bib
I cooked a three course meal (for the three of us!) and we exchanged gifts. Mr T bought some heart-shaped lanterns so we decided to set these off after tea. Unfortunately, this is where things went a bit off-course and instead of floating off in a nice, romantic manner, the first lantern heart that we lit set on fire and plummeted from our balcony to the ground (hopefully not an omen...!) This would have been bad enough but there is building work going on outside our property which means lots of flammable items strewn about - cue the two of us frantically pouring water over the balcony to put out the flames before a full-blown fire started!
To add to this, Mr T was forced to admit that the delivery I had ignored earlier in the day was some Valentines roses (my hair was at the in-between stage of drying and straightening so I was not answering the door!) Fortunately these were re-delivered (still alive) the next day!
Despite these mishaps, we had a lovely day and plenty of giggles! Sophia even received her first ever Valentines card - doesn't she look pleased with it?!
All started well and Sophia got in the spirit by wearing her Valentines themed bib
To add to this, Mr T was forced to admit that the delivery I had ignored earlier in the day was some Valentines roses (my hair was at the in-between stage of drying and straightening so I was not answering the door!) Fortunately these were re-delivered (still alive) the next day!
Saturday, 28 January 2012
Boudoir Bump
Would you be photographed in your underwear? I never thought I would but that is exactly what I did when I was eight months pregnant!
I had been vaguely aware of the company FYEO (For Your Eyes Only) before my pregnancy but it wasn't until I decided I needed a lasting reminder of my bump that I really paid them attention.
I had briefly considered making a plaster cast of my expanding tummy but realised that we didn't really have the space to store or display it so opted instead for an increasingly popular bump photo shoot.
FYEO are a company offering 'Boudoir Photography' - essentially this translates to a photo shoot in your lingerie (or nude for the very brave). They offer a variety of packages e.g. 'Bride', 'Bump', 'Couples'. Needless to say, I opted for 'Boudoir Bump', booked a shoot and then wondered what had possessed me! Now, I'm not the type of person keen to strip off at the drop of a hat, but I felt it was too good an opportunity to pass up. So, despite my apprehension at exposing my three-stone-heavier-than-usual body to a stranger, I decided to shed my inhibitions and enjoy the experience....and enjoy it I did!
On arrival at the Manchester studio I was made to feel at ease instantly. It is decorated in a luxurious style and really sets the mood well. My make up was done ready for the shoot (be warned - the make up is heavy so that it shows up well on camera - I forgot this and left the studio with excessively rouged cheeks, only remembering when I saw my reflection in a shop window...don't make this mistake!!) and I was taken into the studio to change. I had chosen simple black underwear and, as customers are encouraged to bring a 'prop' with them, I had brought one of Mr T's shirts so that he could be included in the photo in some way.
The photographer was very professional and made me feel comfortable throughout, directing me into a series of 'flattering' poses - though some required a degree of flexibility that my bump did not allow for! The photos are taken in a dark room with just one female photographer present, so any self-consciousness soon disappears. In fact, the hour went really quickly and I was surprised how enjoyable it had been. It certainly felt like a real achievement especially as I haven't always felt confident with my body!
About a week after the photos were taken, I was emailed a link to my gallery and could view a selection of pictures. The package I had chosen included one print and it was so difficult making the decision on which image to choose as there were so many I loved. After a lot of deliberation I did choose one and this image is now printed on a canvas and has pride of place at the top of our stairs!
I found this experience to be a massive confidence boost, a great memento of my pregnancy and a really fun day out!
www.fyeoportraits.com
I had been vaguely aware of the company FYEO (For Your Eyes Only) before my pregnancy but it wasn't until I decided I needed a lasting reminder of my bump that I really paid them attention.
I had briefly considered making a plaster cast of my expanding tummy but realised that we didn't really have the space to store or display it so opted instead for an increasingly popular bump photo shoot.
FYEO are a company offering 'Boudoir Photography' - essentially this translates to a photo shoot in your lingerie (or nude for the very brave). They offer a variety of packages e.g. 'Bride', 'Bump', 'Couples'. Needless to say, I opted for 'Boudoir Bump', booked a shoot and then wondered what had possessed me! Now, I'm not the type of person keen to strip off at the drop of a hat, but I felt it was too good an opportunity to pass up. So, despite my apprehension at exposing my three-stone-heavier-than-usual body to a stranger, I decided to shed my inhibitions and enjoy the experience....and enjoy it I did!
On arrival at the Manchester studio I was made to feel at ease instantly. It is decorated in a luxurious style and really sets the mood well. My make up was done ready for the shoot (be warned - the make up is heavy so that it shows up well on camera - I forgot this and left the studio with excessively rouged cheeks, only remembering when I saw my reflection in a shop window...don't make this mistake!!) and I was taken into the studio to change. I had chosen simple black underwear and, as customers are encouraged to bring a 'prop' with them, I had brought one of Mr T's shirts so that he could be included in the photo in some way.
The photographer was very professional and made me feel comfortable throughout, directing me into a series of 'flattering' poses - though some required a degree of flexibility that my bump did not allow for! The photos are taken in a dark room with just one female photographer present, so any self-consciousness soon disappears. In fact, the hour went really quickly and I was surprised how enjoyable it had been. It certainly felt like a real achievement especially as I haven't always felt confident with my body!
About a week after the photos were taken, I was emailed a link to my gallery and could view a selection of pictures. The package I had chosen included one print and it was so difficult making the decision on which image to choose as there were so many I loved. After a lot of deliberation I did choose one and this image is now printed on a canvas and has pride of place at the top of our stairs!
I found this experience to be a massive confidence boost, a great memento of my pregnancy and a really fun day out!
www.fyeoportraits.com
Thursday, 12 January 2012
Baby in 3D
During my pregnancy we decided to have a 3D/4D scan (the 4D part refers to a moving image, so the video of the scan as well as the 3D photos - I didn't know this before but am now educated!)
There are loads of places now offering this service and after a bit of shopping around we decided to book an appointment at ScanAssure in Bolton. We chose ScanAssure because they seemed to offer the best value package and they made it really clear what was included so there was no confusion around various bits and pieces needing to be added on to the final price (unlike some other companies I researched!)
On the day of the scan I was both nervous and excited to see a clear image of our baby! The staff were really welcoming and put extra chairs in the scan room for the in-laws who had come along with us. I was really worried we'd accidentally find out the sex of our baby as we had chosen to keep this as a surprise, I needn't have been concerned though as the sonographer checked first whether we knew the sex and told us look away from the monitor while she checked the position of the baby. Our baby decided that they were camera shy though so our first attempt was completely unsuccessful as she kept her face covered by her hand! I tried drinking coke, eating chocolate and running up and down the stairs to get her to change position but she was determined not to move.
The sonographer was fantastic and really persevered, we were there for about 90 minutes all in all - much longer than our appointment should have been, which we thought was amazing service as we didn't feel rushed at all and were reassured that ScanAssure really wanted us to get the best images possible. Eventually though, we did have to admit defeat and go home and a further appointment was made for two weeks later. When we returned for our second go, Sophia was much more cooperative and we saw some fantastic, detailed images which we loved every second of.
The sonographer explained everything in detail and answered any questions we had. We were given a medical report (as they check everything looks OK with the baby and take measurements etc in much the same way as you would experience at your NHS 12 and 20 weeks scans), a large selection of printed 3D images (around 20 although the package states you should receive 8!), a CD of all the images, a DVD of the scan and last but not least, a gift bag which included a body butter for myself, a teether for baby and a silver photo frame. We chose the Gold package which was £130 although there is a Silver package also available for £80 which doesn't include the DVD, CD Rom or gift bag and offers fewer printed images.
We had our original scan at 27 weeks but the follow up was at 29 weeks and the images were very good so I would consider this an ideal time to have a 3D scan.
If you live locally to ScanAssure I would completely recommend them and if we have another baby I wouldn't hesitate to return here for another scan!
www.scanassure.co.uk
There are loads of places now offering this service and after a bit of shopping around we decided to book an appointment at ScanAssure in Bolton. We chose ScanAssure because they seemed to offer the best value package and they made it really clear what was included so there was no confusion around various bits and pieces needing to be added on to the final price (unlike some other companies I researched!)
On the day of the scan I was both nervous and excited to see a clear image of our baby! The staff were really welcoming and put extra chairs in the scan room for the in-laws who had come along with us. I was really worried we'd accidentally find out the sex of our baby as we had chosen to keep this as a surprise, I needn't have been concerned though as the sonographer checked first whether we knew the sex and told us look away from the monitor while she checked the position of the baby. Our baby decided that they were camera shy though so our first attempt was completely unsuccessful as she kept her face covered by her hand! I tried drinking coke, eating chocolate and running up and down the stairs to get her to change position but she was determined not to move.
The sonographer was fantastic and really persevered, we were there for about 90 minutes all in all - much longer than our appointment should have been, which we thought was amazing service as we didn't feel rushed at all and were reassured that ScanAssure really wanted us to get the best images possible. Eventually though, we did have to admit defeat and go home and a further appointment was made for two weeks later. When we returned for our second go, Sophia was much more cooperative and we saw some fantastic, detailed images which we loved every second of.
We had our original scan at 27 weeks but the follow up was at 29 weeks and the images were very good so I would consider this an ideal time to have a 3D scan.
If you live locally to ScanAssure I would completely recommend them and if we have another baby I wouldn't hesitate to return here for another scan!
www.scanassure.co.uk
Tuesday, 22 November 2011
IKEA ANTILOP Highchair Review
During my pregnancy we bought A Lot Of Stuff. In the interests of not allowing our home to be completely taken over by various baby accessories, we decided to wait until we actually needed one before purchasing a highchair. This bought us six months thinking time! I've found that pretty much everything you buy for your baby needs some serious research, I could probably do a PHD in baby products now but that's another story...
Anyway. After a quick Internet search it was confirmed that as is usual with baby products, there is a ridiculous amount of choice when it comes to highchairs! I had to decide what I really wanted from a highchair and at the top of my list was: Easy to clean. This really needs no explanation - weaning is pretty much guaranteed to be super messy so I didn't want to spend hours trying to scrub mushed up broccoli out of the seat.
After reading many, many online reviews of highchairs, I kept coming back to the ANTILOP from IKEA. Now, this is as basic a highchair as you are likely to find so is definitely not for those who want something pretty. But it is amazing if, like me, you want an easy clean product!
Apparently this highchair is often used by restaurants so it is likely that your child may already have sat in one. In fact, before we bought ours, Sophia had trialled an ANTILOP on a day out at the Manchester Museum.
We are fortunate to live near an IKEA so we were able to pick one up avoiding the sometimes quite steep delivery charges. This is possibly one of the best value (aka cheapest) highchairs on the market, coming in at a bargain £10.99 plus an additional £4.00 for the tray. Told you it was good value!
It comes in three colours; white, red and blue. We opted for the red because we thought it was most girly (and Mr T is a Manchester United fan). The colours relate only to the chair however, the tray is a standard white.
After using this for a few weeks now I can honestly say I have not regretted my choice at all. As expected, it is very easy to keep clean due to the chair being made entirely of plastic and therefore not having any fabric/cushions/fiddly bits to remove stray spag bol from. In fact the only part that can really get dirty is the strap/safety belt but this can be easily removed and (I should imagine) would be easily washed in a washing machine. Or by hand, if you can be bothered! I have heard of people actually placing the highchair into their shower too to rinse it off as it's so compact (yes, I admit I did try this after a particularly messy lunch but unfortunately for me it didn't fit!) The lack of padding may put people off but IKEA have thought about this and also sell the STADIG supporting cushion for £5.49 which is an inflatable support you can place in the seat. We didn't buy this and Sophia seems perfectly happy without it but the option is there if you want it.
There are no frills and ribbons to this highchair but I personally like the basic design. I love that it is easy to clean! The height is just right for our table which is great so although we are using the tray at the moment, we may remove it at some point and push Sophia right up to the table so she can be just like mummy and daddy! I can't find any negatives to report and I can't express enough what amazing value this is - a highchair for under £15.00! It's not going to appeal to everyone but I would consider it one of my better purchases to date!
To prove how good it is, here's Sophia messily enjoying her tea!
Please note, I was not asked to write this review and received no incentive to do so, I just really like the product and wanted to share!
Anyway. After a quick Internet search it was confirmed that as is usual with baby products, there is a ridiculous amount of choice when it comes to highchairs! I had to decide what I really wanted from a highchair and at the top of my list was: Easy to clean. This really needs no explanation - weaning is pretty much guaranteed to be super messy so I didn't want to spend hours trying to scrub mushed up broccoli out of the seat.
After reading many, many online reviews of highchairs, I kept coming back to the ANTILOP from IKEA. Now, this is as basic a highchair as you are likely to find so is definitely not for those who want something pretty. But it is amazing if, like me, you want an easy clean product!
Apparently this highchair is often used by restaurants so it is likely that your child may already have sat in one. In fact, before we bought ours, Sophia had trialled an ANTILOP on a day out at the Manchester Museum.
We are fortunate to live near an IKEA so we were able to pick one up avoiding the sometimes quite steep delivery charges. This is possibly one of the best value (aka cheapest) highchairs on the market, coming in at a bargain £10.99 plus an additional £4.00 for the tray. Told you it was good value!
It comes in three colours; white, red and blue. We opted for the red because we thought it was most girly (and Mr T is a Manchester United fan). The colours relate only to the chair however, the tray is a standard white.
After using this for a few weeks now I can honestly say I have not regretted my choice at all. As expected, it is very easy to keep clean due to the chair being made entirely of plastic and therefore not having any fabric/cushions/fiddly bits to remove stray spag bol from. In fact the only part that can really get dirty is the strap/safety belt but this can be easily removed and (I should imagine) would be easily washed in a washing machine. Or by hand, if you can be bothered! I have heard of people actually placing the highchair into their shower too to rinse it off as it's so compact (yes, I admit I did try this after a particularly messy lunch but unfortunately for me it didn't fit!) The lack of padding may put people off but IKEA have thought about this and also sell the STADIG supporting cushion for £5.49 which is an inflatable support you can place in the seat. We didn't buy this and Sophia seems perfectly happy without it but the option is there if you want it.
There are no frills and ribbons to this highchair but I personally like the basic design. I love that it is easy to clean! The height is just right for our table which is great so although we are using the tray at the moment, we may remove it at some point and push Sophia right up to the table so she can be just like mummy and daddy! I can't find any negatives to report and I can't express enough what amazing value this is - a highchair for under £15.00! It's not going to appeal to everyone but I would consider it one of my better purchases to date!
To prove how good it is, here's Sophia messily enjoying her tea!
Please note, I was not asked to write this review and received no incentive to do so, I just really like the product and wanted to share!
Friday, 11 November 2011
Baby-Led Weaning
After reading about Baby-Led Weaning during my pregnancy, we decided that this was the method we would use to wean Sophia. Ten days before Sophia turned six months we decided to give it a go and, not yet owning a highchair, we sat her in her Bumbo and handed her some banana and apple slices. Predictably, most was flung to the floor but eventually she did put some in her mouth, which was possibly one of our proudest parent moments to date! (We have a lengthy home video to record this event!)
I had actually expected to feel quite sad that, as a breastfeeding mother, I was no longer going to be providing my baby with her only source of nutrition. As it was, I didn't feel that way at all, just excited that she was now able to try new flavours and textures which she seemed eager to do!
Later that day we purchased a highchair and are continuing the long journey of weaning our daughter! One of the main "rules" of baby led weaning is that you don't place food into the babies mouth. This is so they have the chance to explore it themselves and eat in their own time. (An example I have heard a few times is to imagine, as an adult, someone coming towards you with a spoonful of an unidentifiable food - your first reaction would probably not be to open your mouth and eat it, but to push the spoon away and try to get control of it yourself so that you were able to first, look at what was being fed to you and secondly, to control how much was put into your mouth - makes sense really!)
This sounds easy but I have found it to be incredibly difficult resisting the urge to feed Sophia! Especially when she eats soft foods such as yogurt - I pre-load her spoon and she 'feeds' herself (to an extent!) but it is so tempting to spoon feed her. So far I have avoided doing this, as after reading Baby-Led Weaning: Helping your Baby to Love Good Food by Gill Rapley and Tracey Murkett I personally really identify with the theory behind this weaning method. But boy, is it messy!
It is really difficult to know how much (if any) food is being eaten at the moment (although there are a few clues in her nappies!!) but we are only a couple of weeks in and I am so pleased with how well Sophia seems to be doing. Unless she's really tired she always gives new foods a try, current favourites seem to be melon, banana (this stains clothes, beware!!) and sweet potato.
If you're considering trying baby-led weaning I would definitely recommend getting hold of a copy of the Gill Rapley book. I've read through it a couple of times now and it really explains the weaning process well. I got my copy from Amazon who were the cheapest seller when I was looking - linky here if you want to grab a copy for yourself! Baby-led Weaning: Helping Your Baby to Love Good Food
I had actually expected to feel quite sad that, as a breastfeeding mother, I was no longer going to be providing my baby with her only source of nutrition. As it was, I didn't feel that way at all, just excited that she was now able to try new flavours and textures which she seemed eager to do!
Later that day we purchased a highchair and are continuing the long journey of weaning our daughter! One of the main "rules" of baby led weaning is that you don't place food into the babies mouth. This is so they have the chance to explore it themselves and eat in their own time. (An example I have heard a few times is to imagine, as an adult, someone coming towards you with a spoonful of an unidentifiable food - your first reaction would probably not be to open your mouth and eat it, but to push the spoon away and try to get control of it yourself so that you were able to first, look at what was being fed to you and secondly, to control how much was put into your mouth - makes sense really!)
This sounds easy but I have found it to be incredibly difficult resisting the urge to feed Sophia! Especially when she eats soft foods such as yogurt - I pre-load her spoon and she 'feeds' herself (to an extent!) but it is so tempting to spoon feed her. So far I have avoided doing this, as after reading Baby-Led Weaning: Helping your Baby to Love Good Food by Gill Rapley and Tracey Murkett I personally really identify with the theory behind this weaning method. But boy, is it messy!
It is really difficult to know how much (if any) food is being eaten at the moment (although there are a few clues in her nappies!!) but we are only a couple of weeks in and I am so pleased with how well Sophia seems to be doing. Unless she's really tired she always gives new foods a try, current favourites seem to be melon, banana (this stains clothes, beware!!) and sweet potato.
If you're considering trying baby-led weaning I would definitely recommend getting hold of a copy of the Gill Rapley book. I've read through it a couple of times now and it really explains the weaning process well. I got my copy from Amazon who were the cheapest seller when I was looking - linky here if you want to grab a copy for yourself! Baby-led Weaning: Helping Your Baby to Love Good Food
Wednesday, 9 November 2011
Half a Year
Our little pudding turned six months old this week. It has come as a bit of a shock not only how fast the time has gone since she was born, but also the realisation that the rest of our lives are probably going to pass by just as quickly! These have truly been the best six months of my life yet and *touch wood* Mr T and I don't seem to be doing too badly! Sophia is a happy and loving little girl, even if she is possibly the only six month old who still hasn't figured out how to jump in her Jumperoo or roll over....nope neither front to back nor back to front...! I am relatively confident she will acquire these skills at some point! Six months is a fantastic age, Sophia is still a "baby" but is also starting to become much more interactive and keen to play, which her Daddy is enjoying (except when she claws his face...any tips on managing ridiculously sharp baby nails are welcome!)
To celebrate her half-year-birthday, here is a picture of the little lady just after she was born
And here she is at six months
Worth every single sleepless night!
To celebrate her half-year-birthday, here is a picture of the little lady just after she was born
And here she is at six months
Worth every single sleepless night!
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