Review: Baby Black & Supernatural Kids Clothing

Baby Black

A lovely local little company set up and run by Jenny. They specialise in black baby grows, black sleepsuits and black playsuits – all ethically produced from soft GOTS certified organic cotton jersey. Blackwear for baby's and toddlers.

Aware that black isn't for everyone, Jenny sent me a medium sized black baby grow for Séraphine to try.

My first reaction was that it looked super smart, very soft to touch and a rather fitted shape. Beautifully packaged with tissue paper and ribbon, a lovely little ethical magazine for Lydia to read and the tags telling you more about the product origins etc...

 

The crossover neckline reminds me of a ballerina, very cute. Also available in envelope neckline if preferred.

I managed to get it on my chunky baby, 9.5mths old at the time, however as soon as she moved the poppers came undone as she was just to chunky for the fit of it. She definitely needs a large!

So... I sent it to my diddy god son to review for us.

Teamed with the white cord from his dressing-gown and a TV remote, he was transformed into a ninja!

Both Silas and his mummy were very impressed with the quality, fit and feel of the suit. Silas always suits darker colours, so Baby Black it the brand for him!

 

I find the price to be rather expensive for just one suit, £18 each. I know you pay for what you get with the quality of excellent material that's ethically sourced. However baby's grow so quickly that i wonder how much value for money you'd get out of it? Definitely consider buying as a one off special gift.

At the moment you can get up to 20% off at the Sussex baby and toddler show, see the Baby Black website for more information.

 

 

Supernatural Kids Clothing

 

The sister company to Baby Black, offering older children the same ethical choice in quality clothing.

Aimed at 1-5yr olds the Organic Cotton and Modal fabrics are designed to last the rough and tumble lifestyle of active children.

 

With a cartoon superhero called Natty it really involves the kids, encouraging their interest and knowledge in nature and ethical clothing.

 

Jenny sent an age 2-3 raspberry pink/black hoodie dress, for Lydia to try.

Lydia was so excited about a dress with a hood that she instantly stripped off to put it on! Lydia is a tallish, fussy 2.5yr old that knows what she likes.

 

 

Again, it was really soft to touch. You can feel the quality.

Lydia found the wrist cuffs rather tight, she couldn't push the sleeves up her arm to 3/4 them. She also disliked how open the neckline was, she asked for a top to wear underneath so her "boobies" weren't showing.... Hahaha.

Another thing i noticed about it is that the crossover panel is visible and curls up underneath the top layer of fabric. This was slightly irritating Lydia's tummy before she put a top on underneath it.

Throughout the day of her wearing it she was constantly adjusting the neckline, as it kept slipping off alternate shoulders. I think it neckline could have a few extra stitches in it so its not as gaping wide, alternatively just go for the envelope neckline option.

The dress is fab to team with leggings, jeggings or jeans.

Co-ordinating leggings are also available to purchase from Supernatural Kids.

I got Lydia to try some of her leggings on with the dress...

 

 

A lovely versatile item for all seasons that's currently at a bargain price of £15, usually £29.

The mid-season sale at Supernatural Kids Clothing has made most items 1/2 price!!!

Snap yours up today, add some leggings in with it to and you've got your funky girl an outfit.

Boyswear is also available to buy.

 

 

 

 

This month i will mostly be...

Wearing Nothing...

 I spend all my spare cash on things for my girls, i desperately need to get myself some new clothes. Its getting embarrassing now. The trouble is my boobs, find something that fits them and its baggy all over elsewhere, or the opposite then my boobs bulge out! Grr...

Also everything has to be accessible in some way to feed Séraphine.

Well i have a good excuse as i am soon to be a god-mumma, definitely need a new outfit for that surely?

And a new bra, that actually fits these massive udders!

(my nipples don't look like this though! hahaha)

Reading...

50 shades of grey (when i say reading i mean stealing the odd glimpse when i get two seconds)

Lets face it, who hasn't been reading it? So far I'm up to the beginning of chapter 3.

Its written very well, compelling you to read on. But with this handful that's nearly impossible! 

There's talk of it being turned into a film, who would you cast? For me Ana (Anastasia) would have to be Anne Hathaway, however I'm unsure she could get away with playing a 21yr old student?

I'm un-decided who would be Mr Grey (Christian to you or i), but he'd need to be totally sexy, charming and look awesome in a grey suit. Yummy.

After this book there are two more volumes, thinking i need to purchase...

Making...

So far I've made a pair of booties and a rabbit from an old damaged fleece sleep suit, a sock panda, a cushion for a friends birthday present and two sock animals for a fantastic charity that my friend runs.

Silently screaming...

Séraphine is ill for the first time, bad cold that's making her phlegmy with a nasty cough :( On top of teething and not sleeping. Lydia has been potty trained, she went from nappies to 99% dry in 3wks (including nights) Otherwise she's been getting the night terrors and being a typical terrible 2yr old!! 

All of this concludes to me having only between 2-6hrs sleep each night, last night it was almost 3hrs...whoop! Yuck :( These kids are lucky they're cute.

 

And lastly i will be trying to get on here more.

Review: The Essential One - Fur Baby Snowsuit/Pramsuit

Oh baby it's cold outside....

Lydia making sure her sister is tucked in :)

I was sent a beautifully soft snowsuit for my newborn to test run! Being a chunky monkey she fitted right into size 0-3mths straight away. This picture is her at 8days old weighing 9lb8oz, eek!

The snowsuit was very easy to use. Two zips down the length of the body which enable access to get baby in and out of it with much less disturbance than the suits that only have one zip. The front panel flaps down and there's baby! With mitts that popper on and off its perfect as you can use them with other things, or popper them on so you don't loose them when your out and about.

Also sporting one of her Essential One hats here, she is super warm and toasty. Ready to brave this cold spell. I really love how soft the fabric is, making her super cuddly that i never wanted her to grown out of it.  However being the size she is it only fit her up to 5wks old. She weighed 13lb5oz at 5wk6days , and was 59cm long! Now the actual snow has arrived and she is 13wks old and needing a new one aged 6-9mths! Luckily my friend had brought her older son one of these when he was born so she has passed it down to Séraphine to wear :)

I wish these were made in adult size, just look how happy she was...

So if you know of a small person whom you very much love and wish to keep toasty in this evil weather, then i recommend this lovely little purchase.

Available in a few different colours for boys/girls or as a gift for an unborn you don't yet know the sex of. At £28 it is the going price for a snowsuit, but at this standard of quality and warmth it is well worth it! Plus you can purchase accessories to match it.



Wow life's crazy now!

Well the title says it all really.

Séraphine is now 12wks6days old and things are settling down, if you ignore the teething and refusing to sleep until gone midnight! Lydia is doing really well as a big sister. Not to much jealously or violent acts, however the terrible 2's has most deffinatly set in!

She had a Mr Men themed birthday party at the local libary which your allowed food & drink in. I made a Miss Whoop's cake, very pleased with the result! I need to add a picture of that...

Life has been a bit crazy to say the least, at the moment i am chuffed if i manage to get everyone ready to get out the door. Let alone having a shower or properly dressing myself!

Sorry it's been short, but it was sweet....

Review: Baba and Boo cloth nappie



The lovely Eve of Baba and Boo sent me one of her 'Limited edition' green spot nappy's, both of us keen to see my verdict following my previous review of their nappy's.

The Baba and Boo real nappy brand has just won ‘Best Reusable Nappy’ in the Loved By Parents awards and Eve came runner up in the 'Fab Woman' award. Also shortlisted for ‘Best Green Business’ in the Mumpreneur UK awards.

Fantastic work Eve!

I was very excited when i received my parcel as i had no idea what nappy was inclosed. I opened it up and was even more excited to find not only my favorite pattern of polka dots, but it was green also and we didn't have any green nappy's! The fabric is a printed poly/cotton with a waterproof lining that's soft on baby's bottom. The nappy came with two microfibre inserts, so only a few washes away from being worn :) 

This new nappy has been improved, now with extra poppers along the top of the legs to give a much better fit on baby. Being a one size nappy (10lbs-37lbs) it super easy to maintain and you never get the wrong size for your little one. Simply pop or un-pop up the front to get the correct height and the same along the top when on baby for the width.

My chunky thighed 19mths old wears hers on the highest setting with two poppers showing around the waist, still lots of room to left for her to grow into. She is now 28lbs and this will see her through to potty training.

Then its being passed on to her sister who is due in just over 10wks time. As a newborn/young baby she will wear it on the smallest setting with all the poppers fastened.

Being so stylish i was proud for Lydia to show it off, it became part of her outfit in the summer...

Let's just hope she grows out of flashing her knickers in public! :)

At £9.75 for a limited edition nappy and two inserts i think your onto a winner! And with so many other designs to choose from your baby's nappy's are going to be more stylish than your own knickers! You can also buy more than one at a time which offers you a lovely little saving, even better :)

I can safely say that i LOVE these nappy's, Thankyou Eve.

Baba and Boo offer so much more than nappy's and great value, have a browse around the online store and remember to visit the clearance page for some bargains.

Review: Bags of Change, re-usable bag

Faith from Bags of change sent me one of their gorgeous re-usable bags. The bag that was voted "Most Innovative Green Product" in the Green England Awards 2008. A fantastic step towards being more green, don't use plastic bags, use one of these instead!

Available in three new colours, brown, green or blue. I received the brown and cream version.

Not only is it re-usable its made from fair trade, ethical materials including organic cotton, hemp and fairly-traded rubber.

The bag was instantly impressive with its bold design and chunky coconut shell buttons on the sides that open out to expand the bag, allowing more room for shopping.

A must with my bags is that they have an inside pocket. Somewhere for my keys/phone or money if I'm just popping to the local shops, so i was very pleased to see that this bag has a roomy pocket for such things.

I would love to see the same bag made in a variety of size's, one that's extra big for the supermarket shop would be fab. Also a thinner lighter one that you can fit into the pocket of this one for emergency's.

And possibly two more colours? Red and purple please :)

These three new colour ways are on an introductory offer of £14.85 at the moment, soon to go upto £16.85. Get yours whilst the offer lasts :) I'd love to own the whole colour way set but at £16.85 its a rather expensive fancy. For what is essentially a cotton bag i feel a lower price tag of around the £10 mark would be more suitable, £9.85 and your on!

However this bag also works as part of a loyalty scheme amongst over 70 participating ethical retailers, you could save 10% on your purchase when using your bag, so i guess this is where you claim back the cash you spent to buy it. To find out more information and to view the listing of participating shops visit the Bags of Change website here.

Review: Bravado

Clare over at Babyworld offered to send me a brand new product to review. A maternity/nursing bra, a Bravado body silk seamless. Available in two new colours, teal blue or poppy red.

It arrived safely in a neat box and wrapped in some lovely tissue paper :) The box is excellent for storing the padded inserts or even some breast pads in. A very clear size guide and product information on the reverse, and included spare nursing clips/loops in the shape of a 'B'. I thought that was excellent, as if one breaks you'd normally have to go and buy a whole new bra. Not with these ones!





I find it to be the comfiest maternity/nursing bra ever! Or so i think :) And i was the first person in the UK to get one! I went for the teal blue 1401, size Large. Being a size 38DD/40D i was in between minds whether to go for the Medium or Large, i choose large to accommodate my growing shape whilst pregnant. Also i ballooned from 34D to 36G whilst breastfeeding my other daughter so i am pre-empting!

I love the fact that the foam cups are easily removable, great to use for a cold day or to hide breast pads. Or wear it without in the summer or under slinky outfits. And the cups shape your boob nicely for a lovely figure.




The fabric is so soft and feels lovely against your skin, ultimate comfort. The straps are a good width, not to thin that they dig in and not to wide to ruin the look of strapy outfits.
With four rows of hook & eye fastenings you can be sure to get a good fit, loosening for comfort or tightening for support.



The fit is perfect as its cut low enough for low cut tops, but not being to risky. The cup leading into the side of the bands are shaped and cut just right as to not dig into your skin or rub you under the armpits. The thick waist band keeps the bra in place through the whole day offering support and comfort without any adjusting!
I can see myself living in this bra throughout my pregnancy, new baby's nursing life and beyond!

For around £30 the bra is on the expensive side for just one, maybe a pack of two would fit the bill better. Or even staying around the £20 mark would be great. I'd definitely purchase more at a lower R.R.P, in the mean time i will be keeping an eye out for any deals and offers they may be included in.

Otherwise if you want style, comfort and ease of use from your bra then you need this bra!

Available in black, white, red, teal, nude and more means that there is one for everyone!!!

To read other reviews on this item or any other Babyworld products then follow these links....

This bra ~ http://www.babyworld.co.uk/information/reviews/product.asp?id=1801
Babyworld ~ http://www.babyworld.co.uk/
Meet Clare ~ http://www.babyworld.co.uk/aboutus/meet_the_team.asp


 

Review: Glory Foods ~ Gluten free baked goods

Chris and Rosalie Barton a married couple who also have their own business.

A business i very much admire as it involves food, Gluten free food! :)

Glory Foods are a Scotland based company who home bake gluten free goodies for cafes, restaurants and many other places with a tourism industry. They originally started out just baking cakes for Chris's mum who is (like me) a Coeliac, and things have grown from there.

Being a fairly new company and in the process of moving business address, they are still working on packaging their goodies. However my package was in an air-tight container and wrapped securely so the tasty content was not broken or damaged.

The lovely Rosalie had whipped up a batch of her gluten free chocolate chip cookies for me to try.

These are made with gluten free flour, fair trade sugar, free range eggs, Scottish butter and fair trade chocolate. I really like the fact they're combining local produce, fairtrade and free range together to make their yummy items. I couldn't wait to open them and tuck in!

The cookies are just right, perfect texture that's moist yet still chewy and crumbly at the same time. The lovely deep taste of the chocolate hits you as you bite into the generous chunks that are scattered on the cookies.

I was very pleased to find that they weren't to sweet, most gluten free products compensate flavour for extra sugar, which isn't good for anyone and taste's horrible. Not these well balanced cookies.

It would've been interesting to know more details about the content though, maybe send an information sheet with them about the RDA of fat/energy etc... content.

Needless to say they didn't last long....

Chris said he will be sending me some more of their goodies to try out and review for you all to read. I'm looking forward to seeing what else the fabulous Rosalie can make :)

Meanwhile you can have a nosey around their website and read more about them here.

Review & Competition: Eternal Creation - Summer outfit set

Eternal Creation - Ethical fashion from the Himalayas

Frances started the company in 1999 with the aim of producing quality women's sleepwear and accessories, after the birth of her two children she started designing and making children's clothing. All made under fair labour conditions with locally sourced materials to work with.

Frances won the magazine 'House&Garden' award for Woman with drive.

All items are made by local people and tailors. Each item is individually made to order.

My package arrived in a fabric envelope rather than paper, and inside my item was wrapped in a plastic bag to stop it getting dirty. I found the bag envelope quite hard to open, i had to use scissors and  and it had a funny smell about it. I feel if they used just one jiffy type of bag then they'd save more and be more ethical than using the fabric and plastic? I know this is something they're working on to improve.

The customer service was really friendly and helpful with all my enquiries, and the parcel arrived quickly considering where it has come from and had to go through customs etc...

The outfit we chose is the two piece set KD846 in the 'Desert Flower' print. An Embroidered cotton voile top with spaghetti straps, full back opening and matching knickers.

It is so pretty down to the very last detail. Beautiful flower buttons, embroidered flowers on the top, a dainty ribbon on the chest and knickers with tiny bead detailing and cute little ruffles at the cuff of the knickers.

Matching items are also available in this print. You could complete the outfit with a lovely matching headscarf.

Lydia is a 27.5lb 18mth old, we picked size 24mths. This was the perfect fit with room to grow. I was very pleased that the knickers were made baggy enough to allow room for a cloth nappy, and have enough fabric at the back not to give Lydia a builders bum.

The top is very floaty and cool to wear, perfect for a hot summers day and baggy enough to team up with something warmer underneath and some jeans for a pretty autumn look.

The outfit washes really well with no fabric discolouration, fading or shrinkage.

The elastic on the legs in un-covered and left marks on Lydia's legs after wearing, i found it had dug in/rubbed a little whilst she was in the buggy. Maybe a strip of fabric could just cover it over, or you could turn the hem up as its cuff instead? She wasn't in pain from it and it wasn't tight on her.

The knickers are long enough to wear as shorts and team up with other items, such as a plain coloured t-shirt/vest top. They do make me giggle a bit as they puff ball out slightly and remind me of Nora Batty's bloomers! But in a cute baby way, not like granny gear! lol

At £23.43 (today's conversion online) this outfit is amongst the higher price ranged of baby/toddler clothing. But if you think about the quality you get and how ethical it is to purchase then you know your doing a good thing, and a very stylish thing :)
If you type in NEXT20 at the checkout you will recieve a massive 20% off of your order, so forgot the high street designers of the same price, choose Eternal Creation.

Also at the moment they have a sale on, upto 30% off selected designs, so get shopping!



COMPETITION!!!

Want a chance to win 2x $50 gift vouchers to spend at Eternal Creation? Of course you do!!!

All you have to do is click this link for Eternal Creation's facebook page, click *like* and write on their wall ~ ''I must be mad'' sent me ~

This competition will start today on the 01/08/2011 and end on the 01/09/2011, Once finished Eternal Creation HQ will randomly select the two winners and notify them via their facebook username.

Please feel free to stop by my page and thank me if your a winner :)

Good luck!

Review: The Essentail One ~ A Newborn's basic must have's!

This review certainly is going to be picture heavy, it has to be so i can show you all the gorgeous things that Kate from 'The Essential One' has sent me. 

The Essential One specialize in baby's first year, 0-12mths. Hence the name, all baby's first year essentials can be found here! Kate sent me a wonderful package that contained lots of beautiful things for this unborn baby of mine, another girl.
 The Essential One have girly, boyish and uni-sex items, so something to please everyone before and after baby arrives.

I arrived home and found this parcel at my door. What a lovely surprise :) The pretty logo on the pack lets you know who your parcel is from and instantly makes you excited to open it up! When i opened it the first thing i noticed was the smell, the unmistakable scent of a freshly bathed Newborn. Enough to make any hormonal pregnant lady cry, beautiful. This is their signature scent, the fragrance is cleverly designed to be allergen free and is sprayed onto the tissue not directly onto the clothing itself.

I found a tissue paper wrapped neatly presented and folded bundle, with a great little catalogue of all the other available items.

Even the stickers have the brands bunny face on, so cute i love them! :)

I carefully unwrapped the tissue paper and opened it out...

Beautifully folded and pressed clothing, already laid out in a way that i could see most of the content. I was very eager to delve further and open them up to check the sizing. My first daughter was 8lb4.5oz at birth and didn't fit into Newborn size's, so Kate thoughtfully sent me 0-3mths (upto 14lbs, 62cm height) for this baby :)

These totally adorable hats and mitts where the first things i looked at, i am one for dots & stripes so i was instantly loving these! The mitts do seem excessively small and don't taper in very much around the wrist. I would love to see how long they actually manage to stay on baby without falling off due to not being long enough or fitted enough? But, when baby arrives i will be testing them out a.s.a.p!

I could fit both of my fists (clenched) into the hats, leaving enough room for movement and growth. These are definitely spot on for sizing, and i love the little detailing of the knotted top.

Co-ordinate with the other items i was sent, and other available items.

Hats 2pk - £5 EO38, Mitts 2pk - £3 ESS23. Both sets are in the Pastel pink colour way.

 

This stripy heart all-in-one is one of their best sellers. A beautiful outfit that's great for daytime as an outfit or as an easy to use sleepwear option.

The cute design looks like it is double layered with a t-shirt underneath, very cool baby! The access to baby is great with fully poppered back and legs. The feet look a little small on this suit, but it has been 18mths since I've seen a newborns feet so they maybe perfect for her :)

The chest area has two little buttons and the left leg has a cotton bow on, now you may wonder if they're safe to be put on a baby's outfit. Choking hazards etc... Well i can assure you they're pretty sturdily fixed on, i had a good tug on all of them and not a wobble or loose thread to tell of. Also very sturdy poppers that won't undo if baby wiggles a bit, but are also smooth on the skin.

Co-ordinates with the hats and Mitts. Other items also available.

Pastel Pink Suit - £15 EO32

Inside these lovely little cotton bags are sleepsuits and bodysuits. The sleepsuits come in a three pack and the bodysuits are a five pack, both come with their own bag for storage. Plus they are drawstring close so you can use them to hang up bits and bobs. I am planning on using one for baby's socks and the other for hats & mitts.

The sleepsuits have beautiful details, featuring the bunny embroidered on and other little patches and bows sewn on. A layered neckline for extra comfort and fully poppered body and legs.

The sleeves have 'built in' mitts, a very useful thing when baby at night when regular mitts get knocked off in their sleep.

Co-ordinates with the hats and mitts. Other items also available.

3pk sleepsuits in Pastel Pink - £18 ESS13

This five pack of uni-sex suits really impressed me. A deep but snug fit neckline with a good amount of material to fold over the shoulders, keeping baby's neck and chest area covered. And low-rise leg openings, great as knowone wants a saggy bum! These offer a comfortable and practical fit, whilst also being in totally adorable designs! Unlike some other brands of sleepsuits that tend to fall short in these areas, making it drafty and uncomfortable for baby.
Other co-ordinating items are available.
5pk Bodysuits in Uni-sex Beige - £15 ESS4

All of the items are SO soft, like baby rabbit soft! That's because The Essential One only use 100% fully combed soft handle cotton. All of the items can be purchased individually or (most of them) as part of one of their many gift sets, both gorgeous and great value for the quality and amount of items you get.

The poppers and metal items are nickel free to avoid irritation, machine washable and all are regularly tested throughout production to ensure attachment strength is maintained. Making it safe for baby to bumble about as they do :) And all embroideries have a soft backing inside the garments to ensure there is no irritation to baby’s skin. On all the items i found the tags to be super discrete, small and soft next to baby's skin. Fabulous, no irritating tags to itch the baby or for mummy to have to cut off!

Everything has been thoughtfully done when making these items, every care has been taken. Excellent designs and quality.

I haven't a bad thing say about this company or their products, with their super friendly service and easy to use website, shopping here is a most enjoyable experience. The only problem being what to order first!?!
Well to help you decide they offer 10% off your first order, all you have to do is enter ESS1 at the checkout :) Order online or by phone 0870 850 0727

The recipe for nightime

Page 6 of the catalogue, this made me cry! But they were happy tears....

1 cherished newborn
1 cosy Essential One sleepsuit
1 cotton Essential One bodysuit

Add a snugly pair of matching mitts,
cuddle for 30 minutes in a pair of loving arms
= all that is essential for a great night's sleep.


It's beautiful :) Then you think about it....hang on a minute....No nappie? Lol

Also don't forget to visit their facebook page, check out the Autumn Photo shoot, so darn cute! And remember to tell them i sent you :)