Monday 29 April 2013

9 Months To Gain 9 Months To Lose

That is what people say isn't it. It takes you 9 whole months to put on weight when you are pregnant so therefore the theory is that it will take you 9 months to lose the baby weight once you have given birth.

Well my baby girl was 9 months old yesterday, so the question is, have I lost the weight??

I am one of the lucky people that can answer this question with the word yes!! Infact I am lighter now than what I was at sixteen years old. However I still haven't got the body that many women like myself desire.

Now maybe I'm being brave, maybe a bit stupid but I have added a photo of myself here. (try no to laugh). The thing I am most unhappy with is the dreaded "bum tum". This photo doesn't show it very well but trust me it's there. I'm hoping by me having to look at it, it will give me a bit of a nudge to carry on.




I know in my head, that all the stretch marks and saggy skin are all signs of creating my four beautiful children but it doesn't stop me wanting the "perfect" body. I admit, I am one of those yo yo dieters, forever falling off the exercise wagon but I have been trying my hardest since January to really get into shape and I am still searching for the solution to finally getting rid of my jelly belly.

Currently food wise I am sticking to relatively healthy diet, only eating bread a couple of times a week because it really bloats me out and upping my water intake. Exercise wise I am trying to do different ab work outs every day and I really enjoy going out for runs at the weekend.

My will power and motivation have been starting to slip again recently because, for me I'm not seeing any significant improvement. So I was hoping by putting it out there in the blogosphere that some of you lovely people might be able to offer some words of wisdom to keep me going??


xxxx

Friday 26 April 2013

Gumigem Review

So the teething continues in the Hazelden household, poor Layla is dribbling more and more and anything she can get her hands on she has to chew, including my phone, the little monkey.

This however made Layla a very good subject to help me review a product from Gumigem.



Gumigem is a lovely UK based company, created by Jenny McLaughlan, that makes teething jewellery. The jewellery is made from silicone and is BPA, PVC, lead, latex and phthalate free, so very safe for your little ones.

The Gumigem range has expanded over the past couple of years and they stock many necklaces and bangles. These are designed in the UK and manafactured in both their UK and Chinese factories.

I was sent one of their Gumidrop necklaces in the Plumberry colourway (purple is my favourite colour!!).


What I instantly love about Gumigem, is that they think of the mum as well as the baby, all the jewellery is very fashionable and because there is such a wide range of colours/styles to choose from, I would be tempted to buy quite a few to match different outfits, all you ladies will know what I'm saying, it is all about accessorising ;)

The necklace was an instant hit with Layla. The material is very soft and flexible and even though Layla has got a couple of teeth already, this didn't mark or ruin the necklace in any way. The necklace itself is put on a long black cord with a breakaway clasp. I loved the length of the necklace as this gave plenty of reach for baby.


Now I know that Gumigem are primarily for teething but it also doubled up into a babywearing necklace. The necklace really came into it's own when I had Layla in a wrap. It kept her entertained while we were out and about and it also meant that she wasn't pulling on poor mummy's hair!!! I should have recorded the lovely noises she was making as she was chewing away.


With prices starting at just £8.95 for a bangle, I think they are extremely good value for money and if that wasn't good enough, you can also buy sets of necklaces, bangles or both and save yourself money!! 

You can also find Gumigem on facebook and twitter for all their latest news and competitions. 

I honestly couldn't recommend them enough, I think this is one of those must have items!!! Would love to know if any of you have got one, or if you haven't which one would you choose??

xxxx

Disclaimer : I was given the necklace for reviewing purposes, all opinions are my own

Wednesday 24 April 2013

How to tell your children about someone passing away?

I hate to write sad posts but this seems quite relevant to me right now.

Recently an old family friend passed away from cancer and today I am attending the funeral. This time round it isn't anyone my children are really aware of so I haven't told them where I am going today, they are just excited to be going round to their friends house to play after school, so haven't really asked where I will be.

However it really got me thinking. People don't live on forever and unfortunately death is something we can't avoid. My own grandparents are quite old now and one day I am going to have to explain about someone passing away to my children but I really have no clue what I would say?

The first time I had to deal with a death was when my Grandad passed away, I was 15 years old. I was of an age where really I already knew what it all meant. I don't remember what I was told, I guess there wasn't a lot of explanation needed and I actually attended the funeral.

I had my children a lot younger than when my mum had myself and my brothers so I expect my children to be younger when they first experience someone passing away. My kids have always been very switched on so it isn't that I don't think they would understand, I think it is more that I don't want to upset them.  If I'm honest, I think this is one that I will probably leave up to Daddy Hazelden to explain, I think he is better with words than I am. The other thing which I will be unsure over, when is the right age to let a child attend a funeral, is there a right age?

It is one of those times where I wish there was a manual telling you what to do, I suppose with parenting there will always be tough times going along side the good times!!!

Have any of you had experience with this subject yet? What would you say?

xxxx




Monday 22 April 2013

It's A Bibble Review

As some of you will know from reading my blog, Layla has reached the dreaded teething stage, which mean copious amounts of dribble!!


I was lucky enough to be sent a dribble bib from the lovely people at It's A Bibble and I was hoping it would save some of my baby's clothes from being drowned.

Its A Bibble are bandana bibs which I am pleased to say are made in the UK. They are made from cotton on one side and fleece on the other. With their popularity increasing, they are now shipping their bibs globally.

I was sent a bib in the Emily print but with over 90 different designs, there is definitely one to suit every child.

These bibs can be used right from birth up until your child is around three years old. With two settings of popper fastening they are very adjustable. I am happy to report that these bibs really do work, the cotton absorbs any wetness but the fleece on the other side stops it from getting on to your little ones clothes, I suppose it acts like a barrier.


I am going to assume these bibs are very comfortable because unfortunately Layla cannot talk just yet but she never attempted to pull it off, so I will take that as a good sign, the fleece is very soft to touch and washes very well.

I have been using this bib for a couple of weeks now and it hasn't shrunk or lost it's shape. Also being fleece on one side, it is extremely quick drying!!

I love these bandana style bibs because as well doing a great job at keeping your little on dry they look so cute and with so many designs you can get ones to match all outfits :)

Offering discounts the more bibs you buy and bib packs of 4 bibs costing just £10.00, I would say they are great value for money. You can also buy bibs for special occasions and they have now widened their range, recently introducing the bibbleplus+ for older children and adults who have special needs.

You can also find Its A Bibble on Facebook for all their latest news and you might even find a giveaway or two.

Tell me, which designs would you choose??

xxxx

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Sunday 21 April 2013

Final Day With the Graco Evo Mini

Today was the last day of testing the Graco Evo Mini so we thought we would treat the Evo Mini to a nice trip to the beach.

It got to enjoy watching everyone eat ice creams.


It got to feel what it was like on pebbles (I'm told it was a bit bumpy)




And at the end of our little adventure it even got a carry from Daddy Hazelden to save it's poor wheels getting tired.


We here in the Hazelden Household have had a really great time testing the Graco Evo Mini and are quite sad that it is over!!!

xxxx

Disclaimer : I have been sent the Graco Evo Mini as part of an on going review, all thoughts and opinions are my own

Silent Sunday


Friday 19 April 2013

The Graco Evo Mini Review

Graco are global brand that have gone from strength to strength. In recent years their range of products has expanded to include car seats, pushchairs, travel cots, travel systems and baby swings.



I was very happy indeed when I found out a month ago that I had been chosen by Graco to be one of five people lucky enough to test their new pushchair, the Graco Evo Mini.

What you get in the box

In the box you receive the pushchair itself, rear wheels, front swivel wheel, hood, raincover and instruction booklet. This pushchair is sold exclusively at Mothercare with a RRP of £179.99


We were sent the Graco Evo Mini in the Grenadine colourway, I have to say it wasn't the colour I would have picked but I really love it. In my opinion it is a mix between a red and an orange, very neutral, so suitable for both boys and girls. The Graco Evo Mini is also available in Latigo Bay. 

Piecing the pushchair together was ever so simple. Just a case of clicking in the wheels and poppering on the hood and basket, it is all explained nicely in the instruction booklet too, just incase you get a little stuck!!


The Chassis

The metal chassis is sturdy, I find a lot of strollers can feel like they would tip over but this is very solid.   It is also a look better looking in real life. In pictures it looks a bit plastic but I can assure you when up close and personal it has a really nice finish, I would describe the colur as gun metal.

All three wheels are made from solid rubber, no worrying about punctures and the front wheel can be locked or used in swivel mode. The swivel makes the pushchair very easy to manouvere, although I did find that it made a slight rattling noise when out and about.

The brake has a small pedal that can be pressed down on either side, giving a nice clicking sound as you push it down. Easy enough to do however I wouldn't recommend trying to take it back off with your feet if you're wearing flip flops as it can be a little stiff.

The basket I think has to be it's best feature!! For a stroller it extremely spacious, I managed to fit two big bags of shopping in there and it was fantastic for the school run. It is easily accesible, even when they pushchair is reclined.



The handle is about average height, around 102cm, it isn't adjustable, not the biggest problem but would have been nice if it was. As you can see from the photo below, all of my family members managed to test it out, even my tiny 4ft 11 mummy!!


The Seat

The seat itself is very spacious. It is nicely padded and it wipes clean, which is great if you have mucky toddlers. The Evo Mini was tested by my 3 year old and 8 month old daughters, as well as my 14 month old godson and 18 month old nephew. Even my 3 year old being at the top of the age bracket sat in there comfortably and because the pushchair is an extremely lightweight 6.2kg, even with my Gracie in there, it stayed light to push, even with only one hand on the handle and another child holding onto the frame.


The harness was a bit fiddly to adjust when pulling through the seat unit but was a lot simpler to adjust for the length. 

The seat can be reclined via a toggle at the back of the pushchair. I love the recline because you have more seating positions and the seat lies almost flat, so with the right accessories you may be able to use from birth. The thing I don't like about the toddler recline, is sitting it back up, not so bad with a baby, but with a heavy toddler it can take some effort.

The hood is quite large, providing suitable coverage from the sun. It is very strong, no being blown back in the wind but I was disappointed that there was no window in the hood, I didn't like not being able to see my little one. 

The raincover

This is very well designed. It fits the pushchair like a glove and can be put on with minimal effort, as shown here. It poppers round the bottom of the frame, meaning it can't be kicked off by fidgety feet. And when not in use, it folds down nice and small so you can pop it in the basket for safe keeping.




The Fold

The Graco Evo Mini is easy peasy to fold and the fact that you can do it with one hand was a plus for me, having four children around it is nice to always have one hand free!! I made a video to show you how easy it is to do, once folded it locks closed. The specifications when folded are 79 x 48 x 22 cm, making it nice and compact and it even folds down with the raincover still attached.


Conclusion

I have never been the biggest fan of strollers, I've always refused to use the mother in laws buggy but the Graco Evo Mini has well and truely changed my mind. With it's spacious seat and basket, as well as being unbelievably lightweight, it is suitable for any family. As explained in my review the only things I can complain about are the lack of window in the hood and that the handle isn't height adjustable but these are minor problems. I wouldn't hesistate to recommend this pushchair to others infact I have done nothing but tell people how amazing it is!!!

Disclaimer : This pushchair has been sent to me as part of an ongoing review, all thoughts and opinions are my own



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Thursday 18 April 2013

Nature Babies Stuffable giveaway

So we are half way through Real Nappy Week. What have you all been buying, how many bargains have you grabbed??


I have another giveaway for you. The love people at Nature Babies have kindly donated one of there Stuffable nappies for a lucky reader to win.

Stuffables are an all in one btp nappy and you can choose from either aplix or popper fastening and the best thing is, is that the are British made!!! All you need to do to win one is fill in the rafflecopter for mbelow, you have until the 24th of April to enter.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck everyone

xxxx

 ThePrizeFinder - UK Competitions

Wednesday 17 April 2013

Real Nappies = Real Choice

As you may have gathered I am a really big fan of cloth nappies. I really wish I had used them with all of my children, however the first time I used them from the beginning was with my youngest daughter.

I think one of the best things about cloth nappies it that there is such a wide range of them. With disposables they are all the same generic design so you can't really adjust the fit of them.
With cloth nappies there are different sizes, different absorbancies, different colours and different fastenings, so you can get ones that a almost taylor made for your little one.

I thought I would show a few different types of nappies and explain a little bit about them.


The nappy to the left was a custom made nappy. I got to pick what size it was and what material it was made out of.

This particular nappy was made out of cotton and minki and was a teeny tiny newborn nappy.

It has poppers on the side to fasten it but you can also have nappies made with aplix which is like velcro. There were three sets of poppers on both the waist and hips so it was very adjustable, Layla had small legs so she always wore it on the tightest setting.

The nappy to the right is a Baba+Boo birth to potty pocket nappy.

Birth to potty nappies have poppers down the front to adjust the length and poppers or aplix on the waist to adjust the tightness. These nappies are made to last right from birth up until your child is potty trained.

There is a pocket at the back to put inserts and boosters to absorb the wee wees. And again you can adjust this, all depends on much your baby wees.


And this lovely nappy to the left is an all in one nappy.

This basically means that the insert to absorb the wee is attached to the nappy, so this is the one that is probably more like a disposable nappy, more convinient for places like nurseries to use.

One other nappy type which I haven't got a picture of is a two part system which I would highly recommend for use of a night time. This is wear you have a nappy and then a waterproof wrap to put over the top of the nappy. Bamboo nappies are great a t night because they are very absorbant!!

With all cloth nappies I would advise using either a disposable or a washable liner inside, this will catch any poo poos and stop the nappy from getting stained. I always use washable fleece liners in mine, nice and soft on babies bottom and they just go in the wash with the nappies.

For more information on cloth nappies I recommend having a look at the GoReal website, this really helped me when I was just starting out.

xxxx

Tuesday 16 April 2013

Disney Shake It Up CD Review

I was lucky enough to receive the new CD from Disney to review. Well I say me, my daughters were the ones doing the reviewing really.

Everything Disney is a big hit in the Hazelden household and this CD definitely impressed us. My 2 eldest children are big fans of the Disney hit show Shake It Up so they were very excited when I showed them what had arrived in the post.



With 11 main tracks and another 6 bonus tracks, this CD will keep your kids dancing for hours. There are mixture of fast and slow songs and as you can see from the video below, the "tunes" as my kids said, were a big hit. With a mix of pop and dance, my daughters aged from 3 years old to 7 years old all found their own ways to move around to the music.


When I asked them what their favourite song on the CD was, they all agreed on "Beat Of My Drum" by Zendaya. 

I have to admit, I even found myself dancing too, although my children weren't as impressed with my dance moves as I was with theirs!! Embarassing mum springs to mind. 

I would recommend this CD to other parents buying for their children, keeps the kids happy and it gets them up and moving, meaning they are exercising without evening knowing it, a great bonus in my eyes!!! I think it would also be good to use at children's parties too. I'm hoping to sneak it into the car when Daddy Hazelden isn't looking :)

xxxx

Disclaimer : This CD was sent to me for free for reviewing purposes all views and opinions are my own



Cloth Nappy Offers and Giveaways

I thought I would write down a few of the offers and giveaways that are being run throughout Real Nappy week.

The two main competitions are :



Clothopoly with Real Nappy Week
You have to go round and click on each of the companies and hunt for a letter on each page, at the end of it all the letters should form together to make a certain phrase. The grand prize is worth over £500's!!!

Then you have



The Great British Nappy Hunt
You need to register first and then every day you will be sent clues to find Billy on certain retailers sites, when you find him, you need to answer a set of questions and pick which prize you would like to win if you are selected.

Now here are some of the offers that I have found :

Fluff Heaven and Baba Me also has 20% off EVERYTHING aswell as other offers
Baby Peach also have 20% off EVERYTHING, enter RNW13 at checkout
BabyBumBoutique have lots of discounts on their site
Cheeky Wipes are offering 25% off with code RNW2013 
Wee Notions are offer 10% off with code RNW2013
Tiny Nippers have some fab offers running too
Baba+Boo are offering 15% off EVERYTHING with discount code RNW13 and over on their blog you can nominate someone to receive a starter kit fron them.

These are just handful of offers that I have found. Please feel free to add in the comments of other offers and discounts that you have come across.

Hope everyone is enjoying Real Nappy Week so far.

xxxx

Monday 15 April 2013

Baba + Boo Cloth Nappy Giveaway

This week is "Real Nappy Week". From today, the 15th April to the 21st April many companies will be running offers and competitions, all to help raise awareness and understanding of cloth nappies.

I for one am a massive fan of cloth nappies, so throughout the week my blog posts will be letting you know all about real nappies, including my personal experiences with them.



So to kick off "Real Nappy Week", Baba+Boo have kindly allowed me to giveaway one of their nappies to one of my readers, the winner will get to choose a nappy from their range.
All you have to do is fill out the rafflecopter form below. This competition will run until next Monday, good luck to you all!!



a Rafflecopter giveaway

xxxx


 ThePrizeFinder - UK Competitions

Saturday 13 April 2013

The Graco Evo Mini in film

For those of you that perhaps haven't seen my tweets, I have put a few clips on You Tube showing different features of the Graco Evo Mini. So I thought I would put them all in this post for you to have a nosey at.

1. Introducing the Graco Evo Mini



2. A pushchair is a chair right?



3.  Even little girls can push the Graco Evo Mini



4. Folding the Graco Evo Mini



5. Fitting the raincover on the Graco Evo Mini



Happy watching

xxxx

Thursday 11 April 2013

First Tooth

I'm kind of sad to say that another one of those firsts has been and gone. On April the 9th Layla got her first tooth, then yesterday she quickly got her 2nd tooth and by the way she is behaving today I think the 3rd one is already on it's way!!

Now to start attempting to brush her teeth. Although she is my 4th child, I have never learnt the trick to getting little ones to let you brush their teeth. Does anyone have any tried and tested methods?? What about toothbrushes, can anyone recommend any good ones??



xxxx
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Wednesday 10 April 2013

#SnapHappyBritMums Flowers

Can't believe this was 6 years ago

Who Fancies a Cornflake Cake?

Seen as there were grey clouds in the sky this morning, we decided to use up the rest of the Mini Eggs that I found and make some cornflakes cakes.

Here is the recipe that we used :

* 225g chocolate
* 50g butter
* 2tbsp golden syrup
* 75g cornflakes
* packet of mini eggs

These cakes are easy peasy to make, just melt the chocolate, butter and syrup together, mix in the cornflakes and place the mixture evenly into 12 cake casings. To add a little twist we used a mixture of white and milk chocolate.


After leaving them in the fridge for an hour to set they were all ready to eat at lunchtime. 


They are very mourish, I'm not sure how long the rest of them are going to last!!!

xxxx


Tuesday 9 April 2013

Daisy Roots Shoes Review

If my daughters are going to be anything like their mummy, then they are going to need lots of shoes!!! Infact my 3 eldest are already taking over the wardrobe space the amount they have.

Layla however is yet to really start her collection. So when I was sent a pair of Daisy Roots shoes to review I couldn't help but get a little excited.


These lovely little shoes are made from a Chrome Free Tanned Leather which is great for the environment as well as for your little ones feet. One thing that really makes them stand out for me is that they are made in the UK. I love being able to support businesses in our country, they have gone from strength to strength as these popular shoes are now sold not only across the UK but in the USA, Europe and Asia as well.

I was asked to choose which design I would like, now I have to say this was a very tough choice.  Daisy Roots provide designs for boys and girls, all the designs called out to me and with 100 girls shoes to choose from, I wish I could of had one of each. I finally decided on a pink pair with silver footprints embroidered on them, unbelievably cute. Most of their shoes are available in sizes 0-6 months up to 18-24 month but they also provide a good range of larger size shoes going up to 3-4 years.


When they arrived I couldn't wait to get them on Layla's little toes. The leather is very soft, making them easy to put on but because there is elastication at the top, your little one can't kick them off, meaning no more lost shoes!!! We were actually on our way out when they came so here is Layla in her car seat looking all posh with her shiney new shoes.



The leather being chrome free means you don't have to worry about your child putting the shoes in their mouth, this is certainly handy as Layla is at the stage where everything ends up in her mouth. And the suede anti-slip soles make them perfect for when your little ones start cruising around the furniture. I have to admit I chose the shoes in 6-12 month because Layla is 8 months old but they have come up quite big, however I think Layla has tiny feet bless her, just means plenty of room to grow in to them.

I wouldn't hesitate to recommend these to my friends and family. Most of the shoes are priced at £18.50 and I think for the quality that you get, this price is very reasonable. For just £2 extra they offer to gift wrap them for you, making a great present for any child. 

I have had lots of people comment on how cute they are, I'm already trying to decide which pair to buy next.

Why not take a look at their website and tell me which shoes you would pick. You can also find Daisy Roots on Facebook for all of their latest news and lovely designs.

xxxx 



Monday 8 April 2013

#SnapHappyBritMums Housework


Rainy Days With the Graco Evo Mini

Just before the sunshine made an appearance, there were a few days where the Graco Evo Mini's rain cover needed to be used.

I am really pleased with it. With some strollers the raincover can be quite flimsy or hard to fit, this raincover was the complete opposite.

To fit you just simply do up the velcro around the hood and the frame at the top and do up one popper around the front wheel at the bottom, I thought the popper was a nice touch as it means that when you have an older child in there, they can't kick it off. It covers the whole pushchair so your child and the seat stay dry.

You can roll the raincover back and keep it attached to the pushchair as the stroller still folds with it attached but it is also just as easy to take it off and store it in the basket as it folds down nice and compact!!

Below are a few pictures just to show you what I am talking about.


xxxx

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Friday 5 April 2013

#SnapHappyBritMums Beach


WOW Toys Competition

Following on from my review of Flora's Fairy Garden, WOW Toys have kindly offered my readers the chance to win one of their toys.

One lucky reader will be given the chance to choose from the following two toys :

Flora's Fairy Garden

Or

Dudley Dump Truck
All you need to do to be in with a chance of winning is fill in the rafflecopter form below. The competition will finish on the 18th of April and is open to UK residents only. Good luck.

  a Rafflecopter giveaway

ThePrizeFinder - UK Competitions

Thursday 4 April 2013

#SnapHappyBritMums Vegetable


Flora's Fairy Garden, WOW Toy Review

Having had four children, I have played with my fair share of toys and also gone through a lot of batteries keeping these toys in working order, I should buy shares in them!!

So imagine my joy when the lovely people at WOW Toys kindly sent me one of their toys to review.



For those of you that have never heard of WOW toys, I shall explain a little. This company was launched way back in 1997 at the London toy fair. They are now available in over 900 UK retailers and can be bought in 40 countries around the world. Their toys don't rely on batteries and help children develop through creative play, aimed at kids aging from 18 months right up until 5 years old and even beyond that!!

I received the lovely Flora's Fairy Garden to review :


The true tester of this toy was my three year old daughter. Straight away she was eager to get it out of the box.  In the box you get the main toy and you also get a cardboard backdrop to aid their play time. I loved that on the box it gave you the names of the the two fairies and the frog that came with it, this mean that Gracie connected with the toys straight away and began role playing with them.


As you can see from the picture above even though its says from 18 months old, even my 8 month old wanted to join in with the fun. I think the main selling point of WOW toys to a parent is that there are no batteries needed, no need to keep paying out after you have bought the toy. There is actually a lift that moves up and down but it is done manually by the child turning the flower at the top, therefore helping with coordination and motor skills. 


                                    

As you can see from the video above, without batteries it meant that there were no sounds, this meant that Gracie had to use her imagination, creating what the toys were doing and saying herself, well until she noticed mummy with her phone lol.


An added bonus was that you got a lovely leaflet that not only showed you all of the other WOW toys that you could purchase, there was also a lovely drawing that could be coloured in.


I have found this toy really well made, my children can be quite heavy handed and it still looks brand new after 2 weeks of playing with it. My children even got their dolls involved with what they were doing.  There are such a wide range of toys to choose from and all them can be played with together, creating endless ideas and stories. I will definitely be investing in some more of these toys, even my 7 year old was joining in with the fun!! 

You can find WOW toys on facebook and twitter to keep up with all the latest news.

For those of you that want to get your hands on a WOW toy, keep an eye out for a competiton on my blog.

xxxx 

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