1 September , 20154 August , 2017 - Sarah 5 Comments

Review: Bambino’s Tidy Table Tray

As Toby is still in nursery full time for the moment he eats most of his meals there at a toddler size table and chair. At home though we were still using his highchair for mealtimes and although he was still mostly happy to be in it there were starting to be more occasions when his two year old wilfulness made an appearance and he would make a fuss about going in the highchair. We were looking to move him onto a booster seat and sitting up at the table with us and so when we were given the chance to try the Bambino’s Tidy Table Tray it seemed like a good opportunity to make the transition.

The Bambino’s Tidy Table Tray (RRP £34.95) is a simple idea that helps toddlers and young children sit up at the table with the rest of the family, whilst containing their mess in an easily cleanable tray. It has a large clip which allows the tray to be attached to almost any table, and it’s strong enough that it can’t be removed by the average toddler. The Tidy Table Tray also has a removable inner tray with a couple of clever features; there’s a space for a cup and also pictures to show where the plate and cutlery should go. The green inner tray also has a lip at the front which helps stop too much food being dropped onto the floor. The Tidy Table Tray can also be used without the inner tray – with a channel round the edge to stop crayons or other things rolling away it’s ideal for arts and crafts.

When we first got the Tidy Table Tray we tried using it with Toby in his highchair up at the table but he wasn’t that keen on the idea. This is mostly just because Toby can be very fixed in his ways and is used to his highchair having the tray attached. However, as soon as we put a booster seat on one of our dining chairs he was happy to use the tray up at the table and it’s been great having him sat up at the table with us. Toby now has his own place at the table and he likes to make sure every knows it is ‘Dobby’s chair’! (We’re still working on getting his name right!)

The Tidy Table Tray is a great product and I’m sure we’ll be using it for a good while yet. It’s perfect for the transition from highchair to sitting at the table and allows you to clean up really easily after meals. Great for us as parents and after his initial wobbles, great for Toby too.

**Disclosure: I was sent the featured product in return for this review. All opinions are my own. This post contains affiliate links

25 August , 201525 July , 2017 - Sarah 1 Comment

Review: Secret Saviours Anti Stretch Mark System

Everyone knows there are plenty of less glamorous sides to pregnancy and for a lot of women stretch marks are one of them! When I was pregnant with Toby I thought I had managed to escape them all together but then they appeared in the last three weeks or so! They were all under my bump so I didn’t really see them until after he was born and if I’m honest I was pretty upset by their appearance. They have faded a lot now and this time round I still hadn’t got any new ones by the time I was in my third trimester. I knew there was still time though so when Secret Saviours got in touch and asked if I’d like to try their Anti Stretch Mark System I was very happy to give it a go.

The Secret Saviours Anti Stretch Mark System is made up of a specially designed bump band, a day gel and a night cream. The bump band has small raised spots on the inside which stick to the skin with the help of the day gel and essentially hold you skin together to help stop stretch marks forming. You only need to wear the band during the day, at night apply the night cream to moisturise the skin. The bump bands come in pink or black and a variety of sizes. To find your size simply measure your bump around your tummy button. Secret Saviours recommend you use the Anti Stretch Mark system from weeks 12-14 of your pregnancy for maximum effectiveness so you will probably need two sizes of bump band to see you through your whole pregnancy (additional bands are £29.99).

So what did I think? I found the bump band very comfortable. As well as its function on helping to prevent stretch marks it is also an effective bump support. The only slight issue that I had is that because I have quite a narrow waist compared to my big bump I found the band had a tendency to roll up a bit at the back sometimes.

The day gel which is applied before putting the band on makes your skin slightly tacky so that the spots inside the band stick to your skin. Although it doesn’t sound very appealing (and when you take it off it leaves you looking temporarily like you’ve had a bath mat stuck to you) it is surprisingly comfortable. The night cream is a light moisturiser which soaks in quickly, unlike some other bump creams I’ve used in the past. Both the gel and cream smell lovely too.

The big question though…did it work? Well, no, not entirely. I did get some new stretch marks right at the end of my pregnancy. However, they are quite feint – they are perhaps slightly more obvious than it appears in this photo but still nowhere near as angry looking as the ones I got in my first pregnancy. Also, as I have already mentioned, Secret Saviours recommend you use the Anti Stretch Mark system throughout your whole pregnancy and I didn’t start wearing the bump band until around week 34. It may well be that I would have seen better results had I used the system for longer.

At £69.99 for the kit including the band, day gel and night cream I think this is perhaps quite an expensive way of avoiding stretch marks but unlike other lotions and potions on the market the Secret Saviours system has been clinically proven to help prevent stretch marks in 70% of women so if avoiding those tiger stripes is something you are really concerned about then it might be your best chance of doing so.

**Disclosure: I was sent the featured products in return for this review. All opinions are my own.
**This post contains affiliate links

20 July , 201513 October , 2016 - Sarah 1 Comment

Summer garden fun with #asdaoutdoors

It seems like summer has already been and gone here in Scotland; we had some lovely weather in June but July so far has mostly been grey, wet and windy. I’m hoping we get some nicer weather a bit later in the summer, we do sometimes get quite a nice September so here’s hoping.

Despite the not that inspiring weather we have been trying to let Toby play in the garden more this year. We don’t have the most child-friendly garden – that’s definitely something we need to think about when it comes to moving house in the not too distant future. There is a bit of space to play though and this year we’re hoping to get a bit more use out of it. Toby likes to just run around and look at the flowers (while his dad tries to stop him pulling them all up!) He likes to help with watering the plants too with his trusty watering can.

We didn’t really have any toys for the garden until recently though. As you might have seen from Toby’s birthday post his Grandma and Grandad bought him a slide this year which we’ve already managed to get out a few times. We were also lucky enough to be sent some other things from the Asda Outdoors range for Toby to enjoy this summer too.

A couple of weeks ago we had a warm enough day to get the sand and water table out (although for the moment I am being mean mummy and we’re only having water because it doesn’t make as much mess as sand!). Toby really enjoyed playing in the water and once he’d figured out what to do with the water mill section in the middle he stood there for ages pouring water in the top and saying ‘oh wow!’ This table is a great size for him and I like that it comes with lids for each section so you can cover it and and leave it outside if you want. With our very unpredictable weather though we’ve been keeping it in the garage when it’s not being used so we don’t end up with it blowing away!

The other thing we got from Asda was this 2 in 1 balance bike and scooter. I really liked that you could lower the handle bar, add a seat and you had a balance bike but that it could also be used as a scooter when Toby gets a bit bigger. When we first got it out Toby wasn’t too sure about it but with his dad holding on to the seat at the back he started to get a bit more confident. I don’t think it’ll take him too much practice before he’s happily wheeling himself around the place!

I really hope we do get some more better weather as the summer goes on so we can all make the most of the garden. I know Toby definitely feels better after some fresh air and a run around so fingers crossed for some more sun before the summer is out!

**Disclaimer: We were sent the sand and water table and scooter in return for this post. All opinions are my own.

9 June , 201526 March , 2021 - Sarah 11 Comments

Review: Britax Dualfix car seat

When Toby was about 8 months old he outgrew his 0+ infant car seat. He was nowhere near the minimum weight to move to a next stage forward facing seat but being so tall the top of his head was starting to appear over the top of the seat.

3 June , 20154 August , 2017 - Sarah 2 Comments

Review: Trespass Edwin men’s waterproof jacket

Living in Scotland we are always in need of good waterproof jackets – you just never know what the weather is going to do up here! I have a coat from Trespass that I wear almost every day (and it still goes over my baby bump just about), so when Trespass got in touch and asked if we’d like to review something from their website I decided I would give the honour to Barry and let him get a new coat to try out (and try out some of his catalogue poses for the photos too!).

He chose the Edwin men’s waterproof jacket in khaki (RRP £149.99, currently £49.99 on the Trespass website). This coat is rated as TP100 which means it has the highest technical specification that Trespass offer. It is waterproof to 10000mm, breathable to 5000mvp and is also windproof and has taped seams which prevent rain from entering the jacket through the stitching. The adjustable hood is removable and the coat has 3 outer zipped pockets and two inside pockets.

I’ll hand you over to Barry now so he can tell you what he thinks of his new Trespass jacket…

The outer material is waterproof, though I haven’t been caught in rain heavy enough to really test this, and the lining is thick and warm enough for typical chilly mornings without feeling heavy. All the seams and zips are cleanly stitched, which should further add to the waterproofing.

The hood is snug and can be detached easily, and there are plenty of pockets for everyday use. The standard exterior pockets are deep enough, though perhaps could use slightly wider openings for bigger handed customers. There are also pockets beside the zip and in the inside lining, for waterproof storage.

The only problem I had with the coat was the initial stiffness of the exterior fabric. Bending over would cause the material around the waist to crumple and poke out in unusual rigid folds. However after a few weeks of occasional wear the material has softened a lot and the effect is already far less obvious.

This really is only a minor niggle, to be honest. Overall, this is a comfortable and well-constructed coat and I’m sure it’ll get a lot of wear throughout the coming year.

**Disclosure: We were sent the Trespass Edwin men’s waterproof jacket in return for this review. All opinions are our own.

1 June , 20151 June , 2015 - Sarah 2 Comments

Which? Birth Choice (and giveaway)

Deciding where you would like to give birth is a big decision when you are expecting a baby and there are lots of different factors to consider. There is a lot to think about when you are preparing to have a baby, whether it is your first or you’ve got a whole brood at home already. To make the decision about where to give birth a bit easier the consumer group Which? have put together the Which? Birth Choice website (they do more than just review washing machines you know!) to help you decide.

There are several different options available, although as a first time mum you might not be aware of them all. I know when I was pregnant with Toby I didn’t really give it that much thought. I just assumed I would give birth in hospital. My local hospital doesn’t have a maternity ward any more so I had to go to a hospital about half an hour away. As I was considered ‘low risk’ I was able to give birth in the mid-wife led unit which is part of the maternity unit. I know the decision isn’t always as straight-forward – you may have a choice of hospitals or birthing centres, or there is always the option of a home birth to consider.

The Which? Birth Choice website includes lots of helpful information about the different options of where you can birth, as well as expert advice on things like water births, pain relief and who might look after you during labour. There is also a unique birth choice tool which can help you make your decision. By answering a few simple questions and giving your postcode the tool will give you the options which may be best suited to your circumstances.

As well as using the Birth Choice tool, the lovely people at Which? also sent me three birth boxes, each containing things I might need or find useful in each of the different birth settings.

In the hospital birth box there were all sorts of things that would definitely make a hospital birth more comfortable; an eye mask and ear plug set for those noisy maternity wards, an iTunes gift card to fill my phone with music or movies for those early stages of labour, the all important charging cable – no one wants a dead phone when it’s time for those all important announcements! There were also flip flops for those swollen feet, a fan, lip balm, snacks and a very handy water bottle with a built in filter. If you give birth in hospital you may have to stay in for a day or two and all these things would really come in handy.

In the birth centre box there were hair bobbles (very useful for most people but not something I’m likely to need!), a hot water bottle to help ease those labour pains, or equally the after pains you get for the few days after the baby is born, a dressing gown and slippers to keep you nice and comfortable for both during labour and after the baby is born, and lastly a spring water spray to keep you nice and cool whilst you are in labour.

Lastly, the home birth box contained a birthing ball – I loved my birthing ball during my last pregnancy for helping me to get more comfortable and it was very useful in the early stages of labour too. There was also a waterproof mattress cover – essential to keep things clean when you are giving birth at home, a lavender aromatherapy room spray which can help to relieve tension and stress, and lastly a lovely receiving blanket for after the baby is born. In this box there were also some extra Cowshed products, such as moisturisers, stretch mark oil and body washes for both me and the baby as an extra gift from Which?

There is so much great advice on the Which? Birth Choice website and I would definitely recommend you take a look if you are unsure about where you would like to give birth. And as for me? Well, unfortunately for me it isn’t quite as straightforward as just deciding for myself. In three weeks I will have another scan to see if my placenta as moved away from my cervix. If it hasn’t then I will have to have a caesarean and this will be in the consultant-led unit of my nearest maternity unit. If the placenta has moved enough to allow a vaginal birth but is still close to the cervix then I may be able to give birth in the midwife-led unit where Toby was born. And if at has totally moved out of the way and there is a low risk of complications then I might still get the home birth I was hoping for, and which the Which? Birth Choice tool also recommended for me.

The lovely people at Which? are also giving you the chance to get your hands on three birth boxes worth £250. All you need to do is test your knowledge of the different birth choices by answering the questions in the widget below (Hint: Take a look at the Which? Birth Choice website if you aren’t sure of any of the answers!)

14 May , 201525 November , 2018 - Sarah 150 Comments

Review: Serenata Hamper

Serenata are perhaps more well know for their fresh flowers but did you know they also sell a large selection of hampers as well? When I was given the opportunity to try a hamper from Serenata it took ages to choose which one to get. Had I not been pregnant I might have got one of the hampers with wine and other treats but seeing as I’m not drinking at the moment I decided to treat Barry with the Trio of Ale and Cheese hamper.

The hamper contains:

Cheese Board Chutney 105g
St Peter`s Golden Ale
St Peter`s Organic Best Bitter
St Peter`s Ruby Ale
Hand Waxed Whittington Oak Smoked Cheese 170g

It’s worth mentioning that this is different cheese and chutney to that in pictures on the website, and the cheese was also different to the one listed in the details on the website. This wasn’t a problem for us but perhaps something to keep in mind.

When the hamper arrived it was well packaged with cellophane and straw, it also had a little card inside and if you order from the website you can choose your card and a personal message to put in it – great if you are sending the hamper as a gift.

Barry was very pleased with the contents of his hamper. The cheese and chutney go very well together and are a great complement to the organic beers. All the products certainly seem to be high quality.

The Trio of Ale and Cheese hamper has an RRP of £34.99. If I’m honest, I felt this was a little expensive given the actual value of the products included in the box. For this price I was expecting to receive more of an actual ‘hamper’ of some kind, or perhaps a more decorative presentation box, rather than the products just packaged inside the postage box. Having said that I still think the hampers would make a great gift and you do get free delivery – even free next day delivery for orders made up to 10pm the night before (or you can pick a delivery day that suits you) which is brilliant service!

**Disclosure: I was sent this Serenata hamper in return for this review. All opinions are my own.

11 May , 20153 August , 2017 - Sarah 1 Comment

Review: Original Theraline Maternity and Nursing Pillow

If you’ve ever been pregnant you’ll know how difficult it can be to find a comfortable position to sleep in. When I’m not pregnant I sleep flat on my tummy so sleeping on my side isn’t a natural position for me. As your bump grows it can get even more uncomfortable as the weight of it needs supporting to avoid it becoming painful.

When I was pregnant with Toby I got quite sore hips towards the end of my pregnancy and I used a cheap bolster pillow in bed. It did the job but the stuffing soon got flattened and it wasn’t as supportive as it could have been. We now use it as a back support on the chair in Toby’s room so I knew I needed to get something new this time, and when my hips started to hurt about 3 months into my pregnancy that need became a bit more urgent! Which is where the Original Theraline Maternity and Nursing Pillow came in. I was delighted to be asked if I wanted to review this pillow as it was just what I was looking for.

First of all this pillow is huge! It’s longer than I am tall, which makes it perfect for finding a comfortable position. It also has plenty of filling, and the clever micro-beads me you can mould it to whatever shape is best for you and there’s never any sagging. The only slight negative I found was that at first I found it wasn’t always easy to get the pillow into a comfortable position – it can be a bit tricky to shift the micro-beads around to get them in the right place but I’ve now been using the pillow for a few months and I find it much easier to get it how I like it. I tend to sleep with the lower half of the pillow between my knees and ankles, the thicker middle part under my bump and then I cuddle the top part which helps me avoid a stiff neck or sore shoulders.

Original Theraline Maternity and nursing pillow

The Theraline Maternity and Nursing pillow is available in a large variety of patterns and colours, and with covers made from different fabrics. I went for the Waterdrops Purple in High Quality Twill which matches the colours of our bedroom but there are lots of other options available too. The material is lovely and soft making it very comfortable for sleeping with. Both the cover and pillow itself are machine washable which is great too. It also comes with a bag which is ideal for storage or if you are going away whilst pregnant or nursing – I know I’ll be taking my pillow with me when we go away next week!

For the moment I am only really using the Theraline pillow for sleeping but it also makes a very good back support for reading in bed or watching TV on the sofa. It is easy to bend in the middle to make a v-shaped pillow to use when sitting. As the name suggests this pillow is also very useful as a breastfeeding (or bottle feeding) support after the baby is born. I did find getting into a comfortable position to feed Toby very difficult and ended up using loads of pillows and cushions, and even then I found I quickly got back ache. I am hoping that the Theraline pillow will make things much easier this time round.

Theraline make a variety of different pregnancy and nursing pillows so if you don’t want something quite so big as the Original Maternity and Nursing pillow then I’m sure you will still find something to suit your needs.

This pillow (including the cover) has an RRP of £44.95 and can be purchased from the Theraline online shop and from Amazon. This may seem a bit expensive for a pillow but having tried a cheaper alternative (and a more expensive one) I would say that it is definitely worth the investment. Since I started using the pillow three months ago my sore hips have almost completely gone and I get a comfortable night’s sleep every night, even if it is sometimes interrupted by a crying toddler! I’m sure the pillow will get plenty of use after the baby is born too, to be honest it’s so comfy that I might still sleep with it even when I’m not pregnant!

**Disclosure: I was sent the Original Theraline Maternity and Nursing pillow in return for this review. All opinions are my own.

8 April , 20153 August , 2017 - Sarah 4 Comments

Review: Bravado maternity and nursing bras

When I’m pregnant I’m all about being comfortable so as soon as I found out this time I ditched my underwired bras and headed straight back to the comfort of maternity/nursing bras. I still have the bras that I wore when I was pregnant and breastfeeding Toby but some of them are looking a bit sorry for themselves to say the least. I was on the look out for some new bras but being a 36G I find my choices are sometimes a bit limited so when the people at Bravado got in touch to see if I would like to try two of their maternity/nursing bras I was very happy to give them a try.

Essential Embrace Nursing Bra

The Bravado Essential Embrace Nursing Bra is made from Bravado Dynatex fabric which is a combination of cotton and microfiber. The breathable fabric has a four-way stretch so it can mould to your changing shape throughout pregnancy and breastfeeding. The bra has a full drop cup for easy access when feeding, and this also allows for that all important skin to skin contact.

I received the Essential Embrace Nursing Bra in black with purple piping in size 36 FF/G. I found the bra fits well and is very comfortable. As I’ve found with all non-wired bras and having quite a large chest this bra doesn’t quite manage to avoid the mono-boob look, but this isn’t really a problem. The material of the bra is quite thick and so feels very supportive. I also like the full drop cup, I found this style much easier when feeding Toby. The clips are easy to open, even one handed. The bra has four sets of three hooks at the back and also included with the bra is a bra-extender which I think is a great idea. I know in the latter part of my pregnancy with Toby my ribs really expanded so having a bra-extender will mean this bra will still fit comfortably and I won’t have to buy another size. Bravado even include some extra clips/hooks with instructions which allow you to convert the bra to a normal non-nursing bra when you have finished breastfeeding. To be honest I don’t know if this is something I would be bothered to do but I think it’s a great added extra which again would help extend the life of the Essential Embrace bra.

The Bravado Essential Embrace Nursing Bra is available in white, chai (skin-toned) or black and from size 32 B/C to 36 HH/J. It has an RRP of £34.00.

Body Silk Seamless Nursing Bra

The Bravado Body Silk Seamless Nursing Bra is made from soft stretchy material, and as you may have realised from the name it is seamless so there are no bits to rub or irritate. There are pockets in the cups which hold foam inserts designed to hide nipples or breast pads, these are removable if you wish. I normally avoid any sort of moulded cup as I think they tend to make my already ample bosom seem even bigger but that isn’t the case with these inserts. There is a wide stretchy band that sits under the bust which makes this bra very comfortable and the stretchy fabric means it can easily accommodate your changing shape throughout pregnancy and nursing. Like the Essential Embrace Nursing Bra, the Body Silk Seamless has a full drop cup and the clips are very easy to open. It also comes with the kit to convert it to a regular bra when you no longer require it for breastfeeding.

I found the Body Silk Seamless Nursing Bra to be very comfortable but I do have a few niggles. This bra does not come in regular bra sizes, it is sized as small, medium, large or extra large. I had to get the extra large in order for the cups to have enough material to cover my boobs but this means that it is quite loose around my ribs and rides up a bit at the back. The other problem, similar to with the Essential Embrace bra is that it does not separate my boobs leading to a rather sweaty and not entirely attractive mono-boob. Like I said, this is a common problem for me with non-wired bras but I did find it slightly worse than usual with the Body Silk Seamless. Lastly, the stretchy material, although very soft and comfortable, did not provide me with a huge amount of support. It was fine for most things but I definitely needed to be careful I didn’t run down the stairs! With all this in mind I would recommend the Body Silk Seamless Nursing Bra for those of you who are perhaps a bit smaller than me in the boob department, it is incredibly comfortable but for someone who is a G cup it maybe isn’t the best option out there.

The Body Silk Seamless Nursing Bra is available in a selection of colours and has an RRP of £30.

I obviously haven’t had a chance to try these bras when breastfeeding yet, so I’ll be back with an updated review after our little bear arrives in August.

**Disclosure: I was sent these Bravado nursing bras in return for this review. All opinions are my own. This post contains affiliate links.

26 March , 20152 August , 2017 - Sarah 3 Comments

Review: Cantaloop Pregnancy/Nursing tank top

I still have all my maternity clothes from when I was pregnant with Toby so I’m hoping to get away without having to get too many new things this time round. What I did find useful last time was having long vest tops that I could wear under my normal tops and jumpers making them suitable for accommodating my bump. I also had a few vest tops which could also be used for breastfeeding after the baby arrived too which was very useful and meant I got more than just a few months wear out of them. When I was offered the chance to try a Pregnancy/Nursing tank top from Cantaloop I was pleased to have another addition to my maternity wardrobe.

The Pregnancy/Nursing tank top comes in black, white, red or turquoise and has an RRP of £28.49 – I went for basic black as it goes with pretty much everything. The top is made from very soft microfibre material which is very comfortable. Its only downside is that it does have a tendency for static build up.

There is a built in bra within the tank top and although it is reasonably supportive I would say that if you are on the more ample side up top then it might not offer enough support on its own. I’m a 36G when pregnant and I would wear the tank top on its own around the house or to sleep in but I think I would need a bra underneath if I was going out in it.

The tank top also has nursing clips for easy access when breastfeeding. I have to admit though I am slightly confused as the front of the vest itself unclips but still leaves the bra part in place which you would then have to pull down out of the way – this seems a little odd, but maybe it’s just me!

Overall the Cantaloop Pregnancy/Nursing tank top is very comfortable and there is plenty of material to accommodate my growing bump. I’m sure I’ll get plenty of use out of it, both while I’m pregnant and as a nursing top after the baby is here.

**Disclosure: I was sent a Cantaloop Pregnancy/Nursing tank top in return for this review. All opinions are my own. This post contains affiliate links.

Toby Goes Bananas

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