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.

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.

17 February , 201520 November , 2020 - Sarah 3 Comments

Review: Grobag 3.5 tog

We’ve always used sleeping bags with Toby since he was about six weeks old and big enough to fit in one. He’s such a wriggly sleeper that there is no way he would keep a blanket on! We used a few different kinds of sleeping bags to start with but kept coming back to the Grobag. I think we’ve had them in pretty much every size and every tog rating there is! You can find some great sleeping bags for bigger kids in this post too – https://www.globosurfer.com/best-kids-sleeping-bags/

With the cold weather we’ve had over the last few months it’s been rather chilly in our house, especially overnight. We already had a couple of 2.5 tog Grobags and some 1 tog ones which we used for day time naps but at night even the 2.5 tog wasn’t quite warm enough for Toby. Luckily the Grobag also comes in a 3.5 tog version which is intended for room temperatures below 16°, and we were sent one to try out just in time as temperatures dropped.

As Toby is so tall he’s been using a 18-36 month Grobag for a while now but we also had the 0-6 month and 6-18 month versions before that. The Grobags have a couple of different closures but we have always used the ones with poppers at the shoulders and a zip on the side, and so far Toby hasn’t figured out how to get out of them!

There are loads of different designs and I love the Fly-a-Kite design that we received. Those owls are so cute! And Toby looks pretty content in it too (apologies for the lack of pictures of him actually in bed but bedtime is not always the most relaxing of times in our house, and so not the easiest time to take photos!).

I also really like that every Grobag includes a free room thermometer and has information on the packaging about which tog to choose and also what your baby should be wearing under their sleeping bag depending on the room temperature. All this information is also available on the website in the Grobag Guide.

We love our Grobags here at Toby Goes Bananas and the 3.5 tog is no exception. It’s fantastic for when the weather is cold as it means I don’t have to leave the heating on overnight and I’m sure it will also come in really useful if we ever actually manage to go camping again! If you are looking for a baby sleeping bag I would definitely recommend the whole Grobag range.

**Disclosure: I was sent a Grobag 3.5 tog in return for this review. All opinions are my own. This post contains affiliate links.

16 December , 20145 December , 2017 - Sarah 1 Comment

Review: Soft Floor Kids Jurassic Mats

A while ago we set up one end of our living/dining room as a play area for Toby. As it’s not long since we had new carpet we wanted something to make sure it was protected from any spills as well as providing a soft surface for Toby to play on. We bought some cheap foam play mats which do the job but I have a feeling they’re not going to last very long!

When Soft Floor Kids got in touch and asked if we would like to try out some of their soft foam play mats I was more than happy to say yes. Soft Floor Kids make all sorts of different floor mats, including lots of different options suitable for children’s play rooms. I really like their alphabet floor mats but decided that bigger mats would be better for us at the moment, and the Jurassic Mats with dinosaur pop-outs were something I hadn’t seen anywhere else.

The mats are really good quality; Toby has already given them a good tug and pull with no ill-effects so far! Each mat is 60cm x 60cm and they come in a pack of four, including four sections of edging strip. I like the fact the interlocking teeth are quite small (particularly when compared to out cheaper mats), this helps them stay connected much better. The dinosaurs pop out easily and provide a whole other element of play.

So far, Toby mostly just likes to wave them around but he has already started trying to fit them back in the holes too.

The Jurassic Mats from Soft Floor Kids have an RRP of £23.95 but at the time of writing are on sale for £15.84. This is a fantastic price for really good quality mats, they are definitely worth paying that little bit extra for a product that will probably last twice as long (if not longer!) as cheap supermarket mats.

5 December , 20144 December , 2014 - Sarah 1 Comment

Review: The Book of Everyone

I’m just going to start this review with a little message for my brother…

Mark, stop reading now if you don’t want to spoil the surprise of one of your Christmas presents!

OK, sorry about that, now we can get on with things!

I love a personalised gift and they’re always a good bet, particularly for someone who is tricky to buy for. The Book of Everyone takes personalised to a whole new level. Because this isn’t actually The Book of Everyone, it’s the book of someone in particular. The Book of Everyone website is really straight-forward to use. You simply enter the name and gender of the person you want to make a book for, then add their date of birth and choose the age you wish to show in the book (this is great if you are giving the book as a birthday present and want it to show their age after their birthday) and lastly your own name (or whoever you want to say the book is from) and in less than an minute an online preview is generated.

Once your preview is ready you can scroll through the 50 pages, which are full of facts and trivia all based on the information you have provided. At this point you can choose a colour for the cover and also customise many of the pages even further by changing background designs, text or uploading photos. It really doesn’t take long to do this and you end up with a fantastic book that couldn’t be more personal!

Their are several different options to choose from when it comes to getting your book – digital £7.50, paperback £19.50, hardback £29.50 and deluxe £49.50. We received the paperback version which is really good quality, printed on thick paper. Delivery was also very quick, especially considering the book is printed to order. It was dispatched four days after I placed my order online and I received it the following day.

On top of the fact you get a really great gift to give someone the lovely people at The Book of Everyone have also teamed up with the charity Age UK for their #peopleareamazing campaign. Every book you buy it goes towards the “gifting” of a personalised book for an elderly person who may not otherwise receive a gift this Christmas. What a wonderful idea!

I would highly recommend The Book of Everyone, whether it’s Christmas or any other time of year!

**Disclosure: I was given a code which allowed me to order the paperback version of The Book of Everyone free of charge for the purposes of this review. All opinions are my own.

28 October , 20142 August , 2017 - Sarah 3 Comments

Review: Bioskin Junior

Toby started suffering from eczema when he was a few months old. It’s always been relatively mild and he hasn’t had a flair up for a while now. I still have to be careful what I use on his skin though and make sure I moisturise his legs every day to avoid them getting dry and sore. We have mostly been using Doublebase from the doctor to moisturise but when the people at Salcura Natural Skin Therapy got in touch to ask if we’d like to try any of their new Bioskin Junior range which are designed specifically for babies and children with eczema and severe dryness I was happy to give them a try.

The Details

We were sent the Bioskin Junior Daily Nourishing Spray and Bath Milk to try. The Daily Nourishing Spray is 92% natural origin and retails at £19.99 for a 250ml bottle. The Bath Milk is 98% natural origin and retails at £9.99 for 300ml. All Bioskin Junior products (there is also an Outbreak Rescue Cream, Shampoo and Face & Body wash) are suitable for babies from 3 months up.

The Pros

The Daily Nourishing Spray is very easy to apply, especially to a very wriggly baby! All it takes is a couple of sprays and it is absorbed very easily without the need for a lot of rubbing in.
The spray smells pleasant and I really like its light, non-greasy consistency.
For the last couple of weeks I have been using the spray on Toby’s legs twice a day and they have stayed soft and smooth without the flair ups or dry, rough skin that he sometimes gets.
I have also tried the spray on the eczema inside my elbow and I was pleased that it doesn’t sting at all, even on broken and damaged skin.
The Bath Milk also smells very nice (it contains lavender and chamomile) and it isn’t greasy like some of the emollients we have used in the bath previously.
Toby hasn’t had any reaction or complaints about the Bath Milk and it seems to be helping to keep his skin hydrated.
The Bioskin Junior products natural ingredients mean I have no worries about what I am putting on Toby’s skin.

The Cons

The only downside for me with Bioskin Junior is the price. I don’t think these products are overly expensive, especially given how well they work, but I was also happy with the cream and bath additive that we get on prescription for free from the doctor.

The Verdict

I do like the Bioskin Junior products and have found the Daily Nourishing Spray very easy to apply. It does a great job at keeping Toby’s skin moisturised and I am always happy when I can use natural products on his skin. I would also be interested in trying the Outbreak Rescue Cream – if it is as effective as the other products it could be a great alternative to using steroid creams as we have had to in the past. I would definitely recommend Bioskin Junior products to anyone whose baby or child suffers from dry skin or eczema.

**Disclosure: I was sent these Bioskin Junior products in return for this review. All opinions are my own.

30 September , 20142 August , 2017 - Sarah 6 Comments

Review: Fisher-Price Smart Stages Chair

If you look in any home where there are kids you will almost definitely find something from Fisher-Price – they have been making toys since 1930 after all! But what’s great about Fisher-Price is that they are always innovating and creating new toys that allow kids to learn through play. Toby loves the Laugh & Learn Love to Play Puppy that we reviewed a while back so when Fisher-Price got in touch again and asked if would like to try a new baby learning toy, the Laugh & Learn Smart Stages Chair I was pretty sure it would be something that Toby would enjoy playing with.

The Details

The chair has over 50 songs, tunes and phrases – there are three different levels suitable for 12 months+, 18 months+ and 24 months+ and the integrated Smart Stages technology means that the interactive elements change as your child grows. The Smart Stages chair uses 3 AAA batteries. The chair has an RRP of £34.99 – however, at the time of writing it is selling on Amazon for £26.94.

The Pros

The chair was easy to put together, just a few screws required to attach the feet and the chair back. Once it’s put together the chair feels very sturdy and well made – as you would expect from Fisher-Price!
It’s just the right size – I was a bit worried before we got it that the chair was going to be enormous and take up loads of space but it’s actually very compact.
It’s very easy for toddlers to grasp what they need to do to get the sounds and songs – Toby got started on playing straight away!
There are so many different songs and sounds that it doesn’t get repetitive – especially for mum and dad who have to listen to it. There are two different volume levels as well so it doesn’t have to be too loud.
The Smart Stages technology means you can program your child’s age into the chair when you first turn it on and then the activities will automatically change when they reach 18 months and 24 months. You can also change the stage manually if you prefer.
I like how a sound is activated when the child sits down or stands up from the seat – Toby hasn’t really learnt to sit on a chair by himself yet (or stand up from one) but I’m sure this will encourage him to do so.

The Cons

The only slight issue with the chair for Toby (it may well be different if you have a smaller child!) is that he can’t really reach any of the things on the arms whilst he is sat in the chair. This isn’t really a problem as he can play with all the buttons whilst facing the chair but just something we noticed.
You need to put the batteries in before you attach the back legs, and will also need to remove the legs if you need to change the batteries. This isn’t a massive inconvenience as it’s only a couple of screws but it is a bit annoying (especially if like me you don’t really read the instructions before you start putting it all together!)

The Verdict

The Fisher-Price Laugh & Learn Smart Stages Chair is a great addition to any playroom. As you can see from the pictures above Toby wasn’t entirely sure about sitting on it at first but he soon got the hang of it and was dancing along to the ABC song! The fact that the interactive elements of the chair can change as your child develops makes it even better and great value for money.

**Disclosure: I was sent the Fisher-Price Laugh & Learn Smart Stages Chair in return for this review. All opinions are my own.