intro

Welcome to my blog! I started my blog to let you in on a little bit of my life. My life as me, as a mumma, as a Coeliac and my product reviews.






Thursday 25 November 2010

A mother's work is never done....but surely she deserves a tea break?

On Friday the 12th of Novemeber we went on our first family holiday!
We went to Bath to stay with Justin's dad and his wife, in their gorgeous bungalow.

It was dark when we arrived after a 4-5hr car journey. We only had to stop twice, once to feed Lydia and give her legs a stretch from the carseat and secondly so i could wee! (Very daintily alongside the motorway,glamourous or what!?!) I also sucessfully managed to breastfeed Lydia twice whilst Justin was driving! Totally safely and both strapped in, i just leant into her. Thankfully i have huge boobs! Lol

We had a white Skoda Fabia hire car, small but perfect size for the three of us. I was so shocked at how much luggage such a small person needed (Lydia, not me!) and i was amazed that i managed to tetris style fit it all in the boot!
The car was comfortable once we worked out how to lower the seats, but in need of a good wash!

I was greatly amused by its registration number;

FOOK! (hehehe)

Julia had prepared us a lovely meal of beef stew, the first stew i have ever eaten! And i hadn't eaten beef for several years, but it was gorgeous! Since being home i have re-created it, but our beef was not as tender as the Bathonian Jasper the cow!
We washed it down with some yummy cava, a few bottles to be accurate!

So here was my break, finally! Peter and Julia were so lovely and would'nt let me lift a finger! Everytime my glass had a sip missing it was topped up, if my plate was empty i was offered more. If i needed or wanted for anything i was told to ask for it. They were so attentive to Lydia's needs and tuned in to moving all the hazzardous items away from her grasp! It felt quite alien to not do much, but bloody fantastic at the same time! It was lovely to find out that Peter fully supports and understands me for still breastfeeding Lydia, after all she is a baby and needs it! (had a not so nice comment from another family member so i am a bit touchy on the subject! lol )




With Lydia getting lots of attention from Peter & Julia, Justin and i managed to have a bit of 'us' time.
I felt really happy and fell in love all over again! Holding hands walking through the streets of beautiful Bath together, so romantic! We can't wait to go back, hopefully next year for longer :)

Justin & I at 'the circus' cresent


On the saturday we headed into Bath town centre, about 11miles from where we were.
We had a coffee to perk us up then all walked around Bath centre, the royal crescent, back streets, a few shops,the weir and stopped for lunch at Garefunkils. The weir is a beautiful sight, i'd imagine it to be a perfect picnic location during the summer.

That evening we went to Glastonbury! Not the concert though, thats in Pilton :p
It was a carnival for a childrens charity that they run for a few weeks a year, every year around the surrounding area/towns/villages.
Walking to the carnival through the main street was manic! It was so packed (think Lewe's on bonfire night and times it by five!) We were meeting a few of Julia's friends at the other end of the street, so we had to battle it through the crowd. We found a gap in the fence to get through so i asked the people stood there if we could pass. the response was, well.... less than polite! Lets just say they ruined our night before it had even started! The carnival was nearly 2hrs late in starting and we were all friggin freezing standing around waiting for it to start. Full of drunken kids smoking weed, it got to 9pm and we had only seen about 3 floats, it started to rain and we decided it was time to go home to wine and nibbles!

Lydia & Daddy at the carnival
Then sunday arrived, going home day :(
Lydia was a bit unsettled in the night,but nothing to major. Didn't have to bring her in with us, she was happy in her travel cot on loan from Chelle & Fizz. (Thankyou :) )

We met up with Julia's parents and went to the local pub (for local people, hehe) for a sunday roast.
The staff were very good at helping with my dietry requirements and checked things for my safety. I had roast chicken and Julia had roast pork, everyone else went for the beef. The beef was quite tough yet rather red inside? Julia complained and they couldn't appologise enough, offering a new meal and free tea/coffee's all round. Excellent service that you don't get down here that much.

 
Before we left Peter showed us around the bungalow and garden (1/3 acre!)
He picked an apple fresh of the tree and gave it to me! I'd love to able to have that. They have a huge vegetable patch, green house and several fruiting trees/bushes. I was given a bag of pink fleshed apples to cook with. They looked scary but tasted gorgeous in the apple pie i made :) yummy!


Then we had to leave for home :(
We were very sad to leave as we'd had a brilliant time with fantastic company. But we left smiling, knowing we were welcome back, and for longer next time.

The journey was quicker coming home as it was a late and dark sunday, and Lydia slept the whole way!
We stopped off to get a take-away curry and some cava to finish off our holiday with a bang! (more of a pop really! lol)

We still had the hire car until tuesday morning so we decided to make the most of it by having a day trip on monday. We went to Eastbourne :)
I finally brought myself something! (it was only a pair of leggings, but its something!) And managed to get quite a few christmas presents, yey!
We drove home via seven sisters, what a beautiful view!


Tuesday arrived and it really felt quiet somber, the real end to our holiday :(
We handed the car back and wandered aimlessly around Brighton.

Lydia loved having her daddy all day everyday for two whole weeks, she had been super clingy to him the whole time. I knew i'd have my work cut out when he returned to work.
And boy was i right! This week she's been teething so badly, waking a few times each night. Being un-consoleable and grumpy.



My tea break is well and truely over.....COME BACK DADDY!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sunday 21 November 2010

Review: Theraline 'The baby pillow'



At first glance this just seems like neat, cute little pillow for your baby.
But its so much more, Its a must have!


The size of it is a perfect fit for any moses basket/crib. The contoured shape for 'head shaping' is spot on for baby sizing, and its fully breathable! Such a re-assurance to mum's of young baby's. I was very impressed with its almost invisible insides of anatomically shaped and perforated high-tech fabric. With its super-soft exterior its lovely next to baby's skin without causing any irritation.

Also it can be hand-washed at up to 60 degree's. Fab!




''As cosy as a feather pillow, but without the associated risks'' ~ quote from the packaging



I just wish we had this since birth, as Lydia was born with Vonteuse causing a slightly wonky/misshapen head. The magic of this pillow would've surely helped to 'normalise' the shape of her head much quicker, had i known about it sooner! I will definitely be recommending it to friends with newborns.




Lydia is 10mths old today, and the pillow can be used from birth to 12mths. As recommended by doctors and midwifes the first 5mths of use is the most important and successful of usage.

However we managed to successfully use it for 2wks before Lydia decided that laying still on her back to sleep was not for her! Now sleeping with her bum in the air and head firmly into her mattress, this pillow will be kept and used for baby no:2. (Hopefully coming soon!)


To buy yours you can visit Theraline online. It available from other retailers online and prices seem to vary from £15~£20, dependant on shop.


Saturday 20 November 2010

Nuby Reviews; twisty bug teether (6m+) and Hippo Safari Chime (0m+)






Lydia loved playing and chewing on this bright funky and colourful product. It is very strong and sturdy, withstanding the numerous throwing about of a pre-toddler!
The packaging states it is suitable for 6m+, however on the website it says 3m+.

It won last years Mother&Baby GOLD award in the 6-12 months category.
Its east to see why as it has so many elements to it. Twisty bugs with touchy feely feelers and wings, cool gel in the wings for sore gums, clicky noises that baby's love, massaging bobbles, robust for rough play, bisphenol free, easy to clean, clear instructions, bright colours and moving parts.

Over all we enjoyed it alot and its great to see Lydia learning through playing with it. She was happy and didn't complain of sore gums whilst having a chew on the gel filled parts.

Also a good price at £4.99, available in many stores and from Nuby online


 




 
Another funky product from Nuby, safari chimes! (also available in other designs)
Lydia loved the bright and colourful hippo and its twinkling chime sounds, as waved this about like the crazy baby that she is. She also enjoyed having a good chew on the handle!
Again the information on the packaging for this was also different to the online recommendations. On the packaging it says that its suitable for 0m+, but online it says 4m+. It is bisphenol free and wipe clean only.
I couldn't help but compare it to a similar product by another well known company. In comparsion to the other product i found some good and bad points.
In this one the chime sounds 'cheaper' like a plastic ball and its not as loud, the other one was clearer and had more quality to the sound. This could be because there is some padding around the chime itself? Which is good as its softer but not so good for sound quality.
However i found that the toy itself (hippo) to be much brighter with better detailing to its features, using different fabrics for difference in texture. I feel that its ears could of had a crinkle to them though? As doe's the opposing product.
The handle/loop was of much better quality, being thicker and stronger. Lydia enjoyed chewing on its as it was solid and seemed to help her teething. Also it was sturdy enough to loop over the buggy/straps and not fall off, get tugged of or lost.
All-in-all we like this toy and would recommend it if you want a cute, fun and funky little gift for someone.

Great price at £4.99 from Nuby and other retailers

Friday 19 November 2010

Organix Christmas Selection Box (Review)

We got sent one of these to review for Christmas. On first glance it seemed very exciting, colourfull and fun! And Lydia seemed to instantly recognise the brand with its bright colours and cute pictures.
However i found the box/packaging very flimsy. When i recieved it the box was creased and bent, i feel it needs to be stronger as it wouldn't last very long at all in the hands of a toddler! On the other hand the tape dots that were used to seal it were very hard to open, i had to get some scissors out as to not ruin the box completely.

Inside we found a cute little pop-out and play winter farm scene. This was lovely to look at but the items kept slipping off the scenery as the card is very shiny, a toddler may find this frustrating? I feel a few glue dots were needed. 

The selection box contained, 3 packs of organic biscuits and 2 organic oaty bars from Organix ‘Goodies’ range.  Goodies foods are suitable from 12 months, however it did not state this on the packaging. New to brand customers would be unaware of the age target. But their ‘no junk promise’ means a child of a slightly younger age (7mths +) could also enjoy them, guilt free!
I am a Coeliac (wheat and gluten intolerant) and Lydia has to follow the same diet as me until she's 1yr old to get tested for it. So i did feel slightly saddend by the fact that she (and i) couldn't infact eat any of the items contained. I think Organix should offer a 'freefrom' (allergy freindly) range of this pack. But my other half desided to devour the lot with a huge smile on his face! cheeky!

I noticed that all of the items and the packaging had pictures of girls on, this is great for a girl. But if given to a boy he may think he's been given a 'girls' present and not enjoy/want it as much? A few other styles available to purchase would be good to offer variety amongst larger familys/different sex familys etc...

I think this novelty gift is worth the money at only £2.99 per pack, from http://www.organix-shop.co.uk/ also available from Ocado and Boots.

For more information about Goodies – www.organix.com/goodies

Wednesday 3 November 2010

Kenny's insides taste good to!

Following my previous blog about Kenny soup i bet you were wondering why i said to keep his insides? And what to serve with it? Well all will be revealed here!





After making Kenny soup you will have just his seeds left. Here is a recipe for spooky seeds;

Ingredients:

Kenny seeds - washed well so none of the blood (gooey pumpkin guts) remain
1tbsp sunflower seeds
1/2 tbsp sesame seeds
1tbsp of dried garlic flakes (add more or less according to your taste)
A few shakes of Knorr Aromat seasoning or 1/2tsp of Bouillon
Salt'n'Pepper
Olive oil

Cook it!

  1. Thoroughly wash and dry the seeds, whilst the oven is pre-heating to 200degrees.
  2. Put the seeds and dry ingredients in an oven proof dish or foil lined tray and mix. Then add a little oil until coated and mix again.
  3. Roast for 10mins then stir, then another 10mins or until browned off nicely.
  4. Enjoy warm or room temp as they are, or sprinkle over your Kenny soup. Also makes a nice salad sprinkle. (don't give to baby as salty and choking hazard)


What else to serve with Kenny soup??? Why, wicked wedges of course!

Wicked wedges......

Ingredients;

6 sweet potato's
Salt'n'Pepper
Olive oil

Cook it!

  1. Wash and scrub the potato's well, then dry. Meanwhile oven is pre-heating to 220degree.
  2. Dependant on hunger slice 4-5 of the potato's into 4 wedges each. Toss in oil and season them, place on a foiled baking sheet.
  3. The other 1-2 potato's are for baby, these ones need peeling and cubing. Toss in some oil and put in an oven proof dish (small Le Cruset is perfect)
  4. Put both in the oven for 30-40mins until nicely browned.
  5. Mash or puree the baby's potatoes dependant on baby's age/eating habit's. Serve an appropriate sized portion and fridge/freeze the remainder.
  6. Adult potatoes are ready to be served straight away.
  7. Serve your family with your spooky feast and enjoy! Mmmm.........

I killed Kenny...then i ate him!

Don't worry Kenny was a pumpkin! Here is the recipe for Kenny soup...






Ingredients

1small pumpkin or 1/2 a medium pumpkin - DE-seeded and cubed (1" cubes)
2small onions - peeled and cut into 6wedges each
3fat garlic cloves - separated but not peeled or crushed
1pint/550ml of vegetable or chicken stock
Salt'n'Pepper (not the girl band)
Olive oil

And a mix of the following according to your own tastes;

1/2tsp of ginger powder
1/4tsp chili powder
(i used this one with a little shake of white pepper also)
or 1/2tsp of curry powder
or 1/2tsp of cinnamon

Instructions:

  1. Pre-heat oven to 200-220 degrees (Gas 4-5)
  2. De-seed and cube pumpkin, put the seeds to one side for later. Bin the skin. Peel and cutonions into six wedges each. Put veg in a roasting tin/tray (we used a large Le Cruset dish) add the garlic whole with its skin on. Mix so all is coated in the oil.
  3. Roast for about 40mins until pumpkin is golden brown and soft to touch. Squeeze the garlic out of its skin and into the veg. Pour all veg into a large mixing bowl or saucepan.
  4. Meanwhile (whilst near the end of roasting the veg) bring a large pan of your stock to the boil.
  5. Pour the stock into the bowl of veg and puree to your desired consistency. (if to thick you can add plain water to thin it out, i added about another 250ml)                                                                 
  6. Now add your chosen spices/flavour and season to taste. (You could also add a little soy or Worcester sauce if you like)
  7. Heat through and serve with a sprinkle of your roasted seeds and sweet potato wedges (recipes to follow) Or just crusty bread if you like?
  8. Don't forget the glass of vino!!!!
                                         ~ENJOY~


 This recipe makes 2adult portions and 1baby portion. For baby's portion you need to spoon out enough for 1 serving for them before you add any seasoning (NO salt for baby)