Styling it up with the BabyBag

So last Friday I was set my second Lin and Leo challenge, I had to "style it up", you can find my first one here. Basically this meant a little fashion show to demonstrate my favourite outfits all completed with the lovely BabyBag.

Well you might think this challenge sounds quite simple but I am not a big fan of being in front of the camera, if you have ever seen the episode of friends where Chandler and Monica need to have their engagement picture taken then you will know what I mean when I say I can't smile for the camera!!

However I will now show you a series of looks. My eldest daughter took these pictures so I blame the photographer if I don't make the BabyBag look as good as it could.

To the left is my first outfit. Now you may be thinking that isn't very stylish, well you are, I think most, definitely right. However my email did say my favourite outfits and I do where this outfit a lot.

If you hadn't guessed it already, I wear this stunning little number every week when I go exercising.

I happen to think that the BabyBag would actually make a good gym bag and who doesn't want to look good while they are working out!!

The outfit in the picture to the right is one of my all time favourites.

I think it is a dress that not many people will have, I know I am not the only one who doesn't want to always be wearing the "in thing" all of the time.

Do tell me if I am wrong but I think the colours in my dress and the bag compliment each other and I believe people might be mistaken and think I am carrying a handbag instead of what is actually a changing bag.

Next up is this obligatory piece of denim. Everyone has to have atleast one piece of denim in their wardrobe, whether it be a pair jeans, a denim jacket or even those shorts you are dying to fit into for Summer.

The skirt I am wearing is one of my best pieces of clothing, it is actually 12 years old, so I guess that it could almost be classed as vintage.

Now a part from the fact that I could get a really bad tan line by wearing the bag over me like that with my boob tube on, I don't think it looks too bad??

This is what I like to think of as casual. You can see the casual look in the way I'm posing can't you?? :)

Vest top with crop top layered over it, comfy comfy leggings and flip flops complete the look. This is how I tend to dress most days, with four girls to get ready in the mornings, I don't have a lot of time to get myself look presentable.

I found the purple of the crop top made the turquoise of the BabyBag really stand out, my two favourite colours brought together.

Hands up who loves a maxi dress!!!

Over the years I have purchased many maxi dresses, not only are the great for those hot Summer days, they are brilliant if you really don't like showing off your legs.

My only problem is because I am such a shorty, even when I buy petite, the dress still manages to reach the floor and I look like a person who doesn't have feet.

My girls said this was their favourite picture out of the ones that were taken.

The stripes not taking away from accessory I am trying to show off.

And my final effort at "styling up" was with my love rose patterned playsuit.

This is a staple item in my Summer closet because I can wear it as a day or night time outfit depending on what accessories I put with it.

The BabyBag would actually be taken out at night, it might be bigger than the average handbag but atleast you would be able to fit in your make up, purse, phone, keys and a change of shoes, you know, for when those extremely high heels just become unbearable to wear!!!


So there we have it. Now you really know what the blogger behind the writing really looks like. Do you think my "style" compliments the BabyBag, do we think I could be a model in the making?? Ok maybe don't answer that second question.

Cannot wait to see what challenge number 3 will be!!!

xxxx

Disclaimer : this bag has been sent to me free of charge for reviewing purposes however all thoughtd and opinions are my own.

The Toddle Pod Review

Poddle Pod UK is a company that has been developed in Rugby Warwickshire UK, it started in 2011 when the Poddle Pod was created.

The Poddle Pod itself is essentially a baby nest, somewhere where you can lie your babies safely when you don't have a moses basket or cot near by. This is made to be suitable for newborns up until they are around 6 months.

Then they introduced the toddle pod, this is the bigger version of the Poddle Pod. This is suitable for babies aged 6 months old and onwards.

Made from polyester hollowfibre filling, the Toddle Pod measures approximately 32inches by 19 inches on the outside and approximately 19 inches by 17 inches on the inside. A very generous size but still not taking up too much space.

The thing I love instantly is that you can pick which cover you would like for your Toddle Pod, you can also buy more than one cover, meaning that you can swap and change and because the covers are machine washable, it doesn't matter if your little one manages to get them dirty at all. I picked the safari design. This fabric is bright and fun and gives your little one plenty to look at. Each pod is handcrafted so you are essentially getting something unique because the fabric will be slightly differently placed with each cover that you buy.

Layla loved it instantly. It is lovely and soft and makes a great place for her to lie down. You can place the toddle pod inside of a cot or have it by itself on the carpet and because it is extremely lightweight you can very easily move it around, making it ideal not only for in the home but for taking out too, great if say your little ones are spending the day/night at their grandparents house.

The Toddle Pod has become one of the favourite items in my house. Not only can your little one sleep soundly in it, we have found many other uses for it. I have used it as a changing mat, with the raised sides it has meant that my little monkey hasn't been able to roll away so easily, meaning changing a nappy has become less of a challenge.

As you can see from the above picture Layla has also used it for many other things. We have placed it behind her to stop her from throwing herself backwards on the floor, making for a nice soft landing!! She has sat in quite happily to play with toys whilst mummy gets on with housework and we have even used it for her to sit and eat her snacks in.

Even her older sisters have found use for the Toddle Pod, each one of them have used it as a comfy pillow to sit and relax on. I think I made need to buy one for each of them to stop them from arguing who gets to sit in it.

As you can see from the picture above, the Toddle Pod is definitely made to chill out in. Even my lanky 7 year old fit in there nicely. I admit, I managed to squeeze my big old bum on there too (an adult size one would be nice!!).

Other ways people have recommended to use it for are : a place to do baby massage, sponge baths, as a photography aid and tummy time. I'm sure there are other ways parents will find to use the Toddle Pod with their little ones.

Priced at £29.99 for a Toddle Pod and one cover it is well worth the money, it is very versatile as it can be used for many different things and with all the children fitting in it, I can honestly say you will not disappointed. Extra covers can be bought for £9.99 each which I think is a very reasonable price to pay. 

This is one of those items that I think will turn into a must have baby accessory. I've already been recommending it friends and family.

Why not go and say hi to Poddle Pod UK over on their facebook and twitter pages, this is where you will see all the latest cover designs and news they might have to tell you.

Which fabric would choose for your Poddle/Toddle Pod, would love for to leave a comment and let me know.

xxxx

Disclaimer : I was sent this product free of charge for reviewing purposes however all thoughts and opinions are my own

Calin Bleu Gauze Wrap Review

If you didn't know, I am a huge fan of babywearing, so when Calin Bleu sent me one of their gauze wraps to review, I couldn't of been happier.

Calin Bleu is a company based in Suffolk, England. It was established in 2005. They produce high quality, 100% cotton stetchy and woven baby wraps, as well as ring slings, bags, that are available worldwide and the best thing is they are made in the UK.

I was sent one of their gauze wraps to review.

The wrap itself has a RRP starting from £39, which is a very reasonable price in my opinion and if you were to buy more than one then you would save money.

Available in many colours, even in a limited edition Union Jack design. I received one in the teal colourway, stunning colour that can be used for either boy or girl. Some people pick the colour of their wrap based on the gender of their child, I however pick a colour that I like regardless of gender.

Made from 100% cotton gauze, the material is extremely lightweight, I would say more suitable to the Summer months because of how thin it is. It's machine washable, which is always handy when you have little ones, stains seem to appear from nowhere!! And because of how thin it is, I can tell you from first hand experience, it dries very quickly.

The wrap is available in two sizes, either medium or large. It is suggested that the larger wrap is more suitable for a parent that is a size16 or above. The medium is 4.6m long and the large is 5.2m long. I was sent the medium, which was more than enough wrap for me as I am only a small 5ft1' and a size10. If you were to choose size large then it adds £3 on to the price which I think is more than fair for an extra half a metre of fabric.

I was pleased to see that the wrap came with a fantastic set of instructions included, showing detailed pictures on how to wrap your little ones in different carries.

Of course to really review an item, you have to test it fully so I tried the wrap out using a variety of different carries on both my 9 month old and my 3 year old.

First I tried the Front Wrap Cross Carry (FWCC). This I found very comfortable for both myself and Layla. I was able to tighten the wrap easily and keep Layla in the correct seating position. 

Next I tried the Hip Cross Carry (HCC). The is almost the same as the Front Cross Carry except you are placing your little one on your hip. I find this position a good one now that Layla is getting taller and a lot more nosey!! Again very easy to do, the only problem I found, was that I was left with quite a bit of fabric so I had to wrap it around my body one more time to prevent having really long tails. I like to have the wrap slightly more gathered on my shoulder but you can easily move the wrap so that it covers your shoulder too.

And then it was my 3 year olds turn. We did a Ruck carry, which is a simple back carry. Gracie is quite small for a 3 year old, so I would say this wrap probably isn't as suited for an older sibling because the material becomes quite diggy with a heavier child wrapped in it. However I think with wraps it is a personal preference as what one person finds uncomfortable, another person finds the best wrap ever.

These are just 3 of many other carries that you could try. I would recommend looking on places like You Tube to learn how to do the different carries, they really aren't that difficult after a bit of practice.

I really love this wrap. It is a well made wrap that when worn properly, spreads the weight evenly around your back, shoulders and hips. The material is breathable, lightweight and can be folded down to be very compact. I've already decided that it will be coming on holiday with us in July!! 

You can find Calin Bleu on Facebook and Twitter to keep up to date with all their latest news.

Disclaimer : This wrap was sent to me free of charge for reviewing purposes, all thoughts and opinions are my own

        

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

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

Toddling with the ToddleTug

I'm sure a lot of parents have faced the struggle of not having enough hands. Well when trying to convince Gracie to hold my hand to keep her safe whilst I try to push the buggy, I could really do with that third hand!!

So when the lovely people at BuggyTug said they were looking for people to test the ToddleTug I jumped at the chance.

Gracie is now a fully fledged independent toddler who thinks that she doesn't need to hold mummy's hand any more, so much prefers to hold on to the frame of the pushchair, well most of the time. The problem with this is that she ends up tripping over the wheels of the buggy or finding herself having to stretch to reach the frame to hold on.

That is where the ToddleTug comes into its own. It is a simple yet very effective product, a long red strap that has a metal ring one side and a handle the other. All you need to do is wrap it around the frame of your pushchair and slot the handle through the metal loop, easy peasy.

I wish it had been around when my other children were younger. It means that Gracie no longer trips over the wheels of the pushchair, she doesn't have to outstretch herself to hold on because the ToddleTug remains at her level and because the material it is made from is stretchy, Gracie can feel like she is walking by herself without being away from me.

The only snag I found was that I like Gracie to walk on the side of me that is farthest away from the road, which meant swapping the ToddleTug to each side of the pushchair when needed but it so easy to do  that it really is a minor problem. Priced at just £3.99 I would be happy to purchase two to have one either side of the pushchair.

You can also purchase BuggyTugs and TeddyTugs in their shop for the same price, or if you wanted they also sell the TugTrio which is one of each strap for just £7.99.

Disclaimer this ToddleTug was sent to me for reviewing purposes, all opinions are my own.

The Original Big Body Bib Review

You may have noticed my post a couple of weeks ago showing you what I had got through the post.

I received an Original Big Body Bib to put through it's paces. I have been using it on Layla for a couple of weeks, so I'm now going to share my thoughts with you.

This company was founded last year, these bibs were originally made for the owners two sons to use but they soon realised this idea was too good not to share with others.

I have to admit I love the concept. I don't know about you but Layla is always managing to spit her food down her clothes rather than on her bib, so the idea of this bib intrigued me, could it work??

The great thing about this bib is that it's adjustable. It has a set of poppers to adjust the waist size and a set of poppers to adjust the length. Just to prove how adjustable this bib is, I took photos of each of my other daughters wearing it :

Here we have my 3, 5 and 7 year olds each modelling the bib, they are all of average size and as you can see it is only just starting to get too short on my 7 year old, so you know the bib will last well.

I love the materials they chose to make it out of, cotton one side and fleece the other. The one I received has a cute pig design on the front and yellow fleece back with yellow poppers. This sort of material means that even when they spill drink down it, your child stays dry because the fleece absorbs it. It also means that when washed it is very quick drying, infact it comes out of the washing machine practically dry already.

It has been through the wash several times now and I have had to use stain remover at times, you know the dreaded orange stains!! The stains come out no problem and the bib has kept it's shape and size perfectly.

As you can see from the picture above, Layla's body is completely covered, it really does work, I have had a lots less washing since using this bib as it manages to completely cover her tops and where we do a mixture of spoon feeding and blw, believe me there is a lot of food that gets dropped.

Overall I couldn't recommend this bib enough, it is a great twist on the idea of a bib. The only negative I could find was that there was only one popper to fasten around the neck, it could have done with a couple more to make it tighter on Layla. I would love to see them made with sleeves as well!!! I think because of the design, it works well for babies right up to older children who maybe struggle to feed themselves.

Why not go and check out their website where you can pick from in stock bibs or even customise your own bibs, you can even pick which colour poppers you would like!!! And please go and say hello on their facebook page and let them know what you think.

xxxx

Disclaimer : I have not been paid for this review, I was allowed to keep the bib after, however all thoughts and opninions expressed are my own

MAM knows best

Now up until now I have used MAM dummies for Layla as they are were the only ones I could find that were small enough for her. I didn't realise that they also made cutlery and tableware.

I recently got asked to review an item from MAMs new feeding range. The range is all BPA free and is suitable from 6 months and onwards.

I received one of their new feeding bowls to test. I was happy to see I had been sent the pink one, it matched all of Laylas other things, although it is also available in blue and green.

Where do I start

* The Handle 

This makes holding the bowl easy and comfortable to hold, whether it is the parent or the baby holding it.

* Two Compartments

This means you can either separate the dinner or perhaps have dinner one side and pudding the other ( that is what I did as it stopped Layla moaning, she no longer had to wait for me to get the yoghurt out of the fridge)

* The Lid

This I thought was great idea because you can put your little ones food in there when you need to go out for the day and you don't have to worry about extra pots or any spillages

* Multi Functional

I also think this can be used for putting snacks in instead of dinners, so can essentially be used for any type of meal time. 

The bowl is surprisingly deep for how little it looks on the outside, so can hold plenty of food. The only thing I struggled with sometimes was getting the more dry foods out of the bowl, almost like it needs some sort of lip.

Overall I can't recommend this bowl enough. Since this bowl arrived I have used it frequently, not just for meal times at home but also when out and about, it is just so practical. An added bonus is that you can also get cutlery for both baby and toddler to match the tableware. Prices start from just £3.25, a good investment as these can be used from the weaning stage and right through toddlerhood.

If you were to purchase something from MAMs new feeding range, which colour would you choose??

xxxx

Dribble on the Doublez

We have reached the stage in Laylas' life where there seems to be a never ending river of dribble coming out of her mouth which can only mean lots of soggy bibs!!!

I was very lucky to receive one of the new Doublez bibs from Skibz to review, well I say for me but Layla was doing all of the wearing.

For those of you that haven't heard of Skibz they are a lovely company that provide well designed bandana bibs for your little ones. As well as this they do bibs for meal times called Feederz.

I received our bib last week in the vintage rose and dotty green colourway, unbelievably cute. There are however 7 different designs to choose from, a mix of boy, girl and gender neutral designs, so something for everyone.

The little smiling baby on the packaging immediately draws you in. Well if they are happy wearing the bib then why wouldn't my little one be.

One big thing that you will notice is that the bib is reversible hence the name doublez. I think this is quite clever, as if you're anything like me you buy bibs to match the outfits, this means only buying half the amount of bibs.

One thing I find a lot with bibs is that they are to wide around the neck, they are a one size fits all.

I was pleased to see that these bibs are adjustable with 2 popper settings. I done it up on the tightest setting on Layla and the fit was snug but not too tight.

The real test was the dribble test, how long could the bib survive from the rivers that flowed from Laylas mouth.

I'm pleased to report that after 3 hours of wearing it, even though it was wet one side, you can see by the picture to your right, the wetness didn't come through to the other side, a real success.

As you can see from the photo below Layla was very happy wearing the Doublez bib,it even survived a little bit of chewing from her too.

Retailing at £12.50 they won't break the bank and being made out of 100% cotton means that they can be washed time and time again even at 60 degrees and they won't be ruined. I have to confess mine even went in the tumble dryer accidently and it came out good as new!!!!

You can follow Skibz on both Facebook and Twitter for all the latest news and for some great giveaways.

Finally I'm interested, which design would you pick and why?? 

xxxx

Nappies nappies everywhere

My due date seems to be fast approaching and as it gets closer I am starting to make list of things that I still need to buy, I liked to be organised.

One of the things that every baby needs is nappies because as we all know baby's will wee and poo lots and lots, just one of the joys of being a parent.
This time round I have decided to use cloth nappies. I started using them when my youngest daughter Gracie was 14 months old because she got horrible rashes and burns from disposable nappies and I have to say I wish I had used cloth nappies with all of my children.

There seems to be a mis-conception when it comes to cloth nappies that they are more difficult to use than disposables, that they smell, that washing them is a pain etc. I think everyone just remembers the old terry nappies and rubber pants and programmes like loose women and Lorraine do nothing to change peoples ideas about this but let me tell you times have changed and these concepts couldn't be further from the truth.

Now the lovely people at Baba+Boo have asked me if I would like to help them show people just how easy reusable nappies can be and have asked if I will review a couple of their nappies as well as some of their reusable wipes when my little bundle arrives and of course I was very quick in saying yes.

So I would like to use this post to give a brief introduction into their nappies, here are the nappies that they have sent me to review :

I chose the Moo power, which is a minky fabric and the  mummys little soldier which is a poly cotton fabric, both have a hidden waterproof fabric, there are lots of other designs to choose from. These are what are know as birth to potty nappies which means as it says, they can be used from the minute your baby is born to when the time comes that they are potty trained. No need to spend lots of money on lots of different size nappies.

The wipes that I chose are fabric one side and cotton terry the other, they come in a pack of 5 and are big enough that you only need to use one wipe for each bum change. See how easy they are already.

This picture to the right demonstrates how the nappies are made smaller. As you can see from the nappy on the left there are three rows of poppers on the front, when the top and bottom poppers are snapped together it makes the nappy a lot smaller, hence making it the perfect size for a newborn.

You also have two rows of poppers at the top, one for the waist and one for the hips, this is so you can adjust the nappy to fit snuggly round your baby's legs and waist. Another reason why cloth is better than disposables as they are more adjustable therefore fitting baby's of all shapes and sizes.

Now I bet your wondering how these nappies manage to contain all the wees that your little ones will do.

These nappies each come with two large microfibre inserts that have poppers on one side so that they can be made smaller to fit inside the nappy when it is made smaller.

You can use either one or both inserts depending on how heavy a wetter your baby is.




Now you can't tell me I haven't got you interested, just look at how cute these nappies are. If you are anything like me you will start to coordinate their nappies with their outfits :) I look forward to testing thes out properly when baby number 4 arrives.