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 :)

 

Review: The Konjac Sponge Company ~ Konjac Baby Sponge

I received an email from Michele over at The Konjac Sponge Company asking if I'd be interested in their baby sponge. The sponge arrived with some useful information about their products, cute postcards and the lovely little sponge itself!


About the Company....

Michele Riley, is the founder and director of the Konjac Sponge Company.
She is a self confessed workaholic mother of 4 children. Michele Juggles motherhood and full time work, and endeavours to keep a "green" slant on all aspects of life. As always, she would never sell or promote anything she is not passionate about and will use for herself.

Having hypersensitive skin herself, Michele came across Konjac Sponges by total chance, and purchased one to try, she has never looked back! Impressed by something so pure, natural yet so effective she decided that the UK and Europe should have the opportunity to benefit from such a simple yet effective product.

Michele scrupulously investigated the product and the manufacturing process to ensure it was as green and ethical as first appeared. Once satisfied, she set about finding the finest most ethical and natural manufacturer in the world. Michele then quickly set to work, ensuring all the range was available for the UK and EU market.

Recently introduced to Europe the sponge has roaring success in places such as Japan, China, Korea and the USA. Made with 100% natural Konjac fibre, a food grade vegetable fibre from the root of the amorphophallus konjac plant.

The 100% vegetable sponge is naturally pH balanced, biodegradable, colouring free, vegetarian, moisture rich, compostable, naturally sustainable and environmentally safe. Ideal for use on baby's skin and also for applying make-up.

 

As the sponge is naturally moisture rich no further soap or body wash is required, however if you choose to still use some you can use much less as it will bubble more and go alot further than if it were on a 'normal' sponge or flannel. Thus making it better for your skin, your pocket and the environment!

 

The sponges were originally intended for use on children but people have grown to realise the benefits of everyone using them. The cleansing and soothing abilities make them ideal for all skin types and particularly good for those who are hypersensitive to some other products out there. 

The Konjac Baby Sponge is ideal for baby's or children (or indeed anyone) with sensitive skin or even eczema as no nasty chemicals or toxins are used. A baby's skin is more porous and can absorb harmful chemicals and pollutants into the skin 5x more than an adults, with this sponge you can safely and gently cleanse them without any damage or worry to the effect it may have.

Recently Lydia has had a rather sore bum, evil nappy rash due to her getting to hot after running around in her cloth nappy's in this heat we're having. Each bath time was a fight, the products we were using seemed to irate her sore delicate skin all the more. But what could i do? I couldn't just wash her in plain water after everything she gets up to in the day!

Lydia's first meeting with the sponge :)

So i didn't think twice and tried the sponge straight away. Using no soap or baby wash i cleaned her with the Konjac Baby Sponge and was so pleased to hear no screams this bath time! Amazing. Its soft and squidgy that amused Lydia how it felt, and it left her with really soft skin.

I like to squidge it squidge it!

I then had to sneakily use it myself when she wasn't looking, i washed my face with it. It has a funny vegetable smell but it doesn't linger or stay on your skin so that's OK, the texture freaked me out a bit but that's my own problem! My face was left really soft and i did feel cleansed and soft to touch, it certainly woke me up! Lydia then realised that Mumma was using her new best friend, and this is what happened....

....when the sponge was put away :'(

You can also use the sponge for washing baby's hair, as the sponge holds 10x its weight in water. So by gently squeezing it over baby's head you create a gentle and peaceful hair shampoo for baby :) Lovely. 

At £5.25 its only a few pounds more than a regular baby sponge, but you make your money back from all the shampoo and body wash you save.

Also being kinder to baby's skin and the environment is surely priceless?

Click here to order your Konjac Baby Sponge and view their other great products in their online shop.

A Little Sister for Lydia....

A Little Sister for Lydia



Dear little sister, i hope you become my very best friend.

I don't want you to steal my stuff but you can borrow it.

I don't want you to hog Mumma, we can share her.

I love you already without even realising it,

I hope our first hug is going to be as magical as mine was with Mumma.

Mumma likes hugs and kisses so be sure to give her lots,

but don't forget me. I like them to :)

I will hold you hand when you scared and chase away nasty children,

i will play with you and not moan about you being a 'baby'.

I will help Mumma when you need a nappy change,

or be good when your hungry and need Mumma for milk :)

But please keep the noise down when you cry

otherwise i will cry to :'(

I do know how to put my fingers in my ears though!

I know I've not met you yet, but if you like me your going to be awesome!!!

And remember Mumma loves us both,

because we're the best of course!

I miss you....

I Miss my boobie baby, i have even had a dream in which she comes back to me. She's so grown up and independent now that its hard to imagine that just over 2months ago she was with me all the time, having boobie and hugging me.

Sometimes she pulls a face when she is sleeping that reminds me of how she used to look whilst feeding,so sweet and 'baby-like'. Now she's all toddler and girly looking, with alot of mischievous looks about her.

I know i'm going to have a new baby to feed and love, i just miss my Lydia baby. I need to realise that she's growing up and needs me less than before, i can acctually have a little time off and give her to a friend or relative for a few hours.

She has recently started to give cuddles and kisse's which is really lovely. She is always happy and smiley, unless she's throwing a wobbly!

I am planning on trying to do lots more with her, toddler clubs, swimming again and finding out new games for us to play. Some 'us' time whilst we are still a family of three.

Flat hunting is still going on, what a STRESS that is, i never knew it was so hard? Everything i find has been taken already! I've been trying not to take my stress of that, hormones, sickness, tiredness and cheeky toddler-ness out on Justin and Lydia but its difficult sometimes.



Well i'm off to play with my cheeky little madam, and to try and relax. She can still be my 'baby', she's just not 'a baby' anymore :)

Hello cheeky toddler!

Now you can walk, talk and give me attitude. Am i confusing toddlerdom with being a teenager? No, my little terror is one to watch...i dread the teenage years! Screaming at me for no reason, really loudly and high-pitched. Its really not nice, its quite upsetting :(

Lydia has certain face that she pulls when shes being cheeky, a face that melts your heart, making you want to cry also :( I've not managed to capture it on camera as yet.
She throws mega tantrums over the silliest little things. I can hear the teenager in her shouting 'I hate you' already!

Your cheeky antic's involve many things, here's a list!

• putting things in the loo (shampoo,hairbrush,toys,wrapping paper,keys etc...)
• unravelling whole loo-rolls
• pulling things out of the bin and bringing them to me
• turning the house upside down, following behind me tidying up and un-tidying it!
• standing on tubes of things, like toothpaste!?!
• throwing wooden bricks at me :(
• chewing food and spitting it out
• stealing anything and everything i am eating/drinking
• filling the washing machine up with toys/paint and generally stuff you shouldn't
• emptying her water bottle all over herself/the floor etc....

I really could go on, but the list would be endless! I was hoping it was a phase, but I've been warned it continues and turns into the terrible two's :'(

She loves going to the park, she brings us her shoes/coat if we say 'lets go to the park'. Her favorite being the slide which she find hilarious? Then the swings where she trys to grab me each time she comes forwards :)

We are still breastfeeding, nearly 14mths now. She has a morning and night-time feed :)
She did something hilarious the other night. I was feeding her for bedtime and she pulled off and looked up at me smiling, she touched my boob where a dribble of milk was and said 'Boobie' then put the same finger on my lips and said 'Yummy'. Hahaha!!! Justin nearly threw up :)

She's been talking loads and responds to the things we say/ask her. Her favorite trick is saying 'Bum-bum' when she needs a nappy change, then she pulls out her changing mat and runs away!

Right i'm off to attempt cleaning up this disasterous looking house before she wakes to wreak it all over again! :) Have a faby mother's day :) xxx


                                                  ~~~ A mother's work is never done ~~~

Now you're 1, and other kinds of fun!

Sorry its been a-while since i last did a personal blog post. I've been rather manic and stressed out what with your birthday and all!

I can't believe its been 1 year and 1 week since i became a Mumma!

We had a little party for you and your friends. Pub lunch! (yes,it was for me really! hehe)

Thankyou to all who joined us, and we missed those who couldn't make it.

Your birthday cake, i made it all by myself :)

The time has just rushed by in the blink of an eye. I look back at photo's and it makes me sad to see how big and independent you've become, but happy that I've made you into a fit/happy and healthy boddler! (not a baby, but not quite yet a toddler!)

Being cheeky & posing for the camera

Your taking up to 8-10steps in a row now, trying to talk properly with the odd clear word coming out. You're very cheeky,independent and nosey. Off in your own little world like i was as a child :)

<--- Your first shoes 

 Off for a walk! --->

Today is the 6yr anniversary of me & daddy (Justin).

                                     I was (un-knowingly after 9mths of ttc) 4wks pregnant here :)

Jac-Jac & Grandad (mum&dad) are going to look after you tonight so me & daddy can go out for a nice romantic meal :) Our first proper 'date-night' in well over 2yrs!!!

I am really excited about it :) Hopefully we can have a nice stroll around the pavilion gardens, where we first kissed :) But its SUPER freezing out there tonight, lots of hugs and kisses on order me thinks!
Give you your last milk of the day then i can drink some pink cava to celebrate!

Now your growing up i am getting rather broody! Seeing teeny baby's in coffee shops and hearing tiny crys...I feel you need a brother or sister, a 2yr age gap would be nice :) Not to close but not to far apart either, and NO i am NOT pregnant at the moment!

We are still going strong with breastfeeding, a few weeks back i thought i may have to give-in...but we battled through the pains and we are back on track. Your teething got in the way, i had/have very sore painful and cracked nipples, and you were biting! You cut your first top four teeth all within 2days of each other!!! I had/have a cut that was bleeding, and my eczema was flaring up like crazy!?!

Since using some homeopathic remedies it has eased both of our pains and feelings of anxiety. I hope to continue our breastfeeding journey with less discomfort from now onwards :)

Anyways, i must go and make myself gorgeous to go out....erm....how do i do that again????

Night nappie review ~ 2: Little Lambs Bamboo

On my quest to find the best night nappie, i found Little lamb and Vicky sent me out one of their trail packs.

Trial packs contain; 1 nappie (bamboo,organic cotton or microfibre), 1 wrap (various colours available), 1 washable fleecey liner, 1 booster insert and a gorgeous green wetbag! The booster is sewn into size 2&3, loose for size 1 so its less bulky for a newborn.
We recieved a size2 nappie and a white wrap. Size 3 nappies are only available with white wraps.
Sizing as follows; size 1 - 7lbs-20lbs, size 2 - 20lbs-38lbs, size 3 - from 30lbs.
At £12 this pack saves you £8.50, if compared to buying all the items individually. And you really do need them all so it fantastic!

My first impression of the nappie was ''Oh no,it has a wrap'', as i've had bad expieriences with 2 parter nappies of another brand. But my view was dramatically changed after we used it!

The nappie is SO soft, its unbelievable how soft until you've acctually held one yourself! As is the fleecey liner. The wetbag is a good size to keep a few (2-3) night nappies in unitl your ready to put a wash on. We were sent a white wrap but there seven available colours to choose from, one for each day of the week?

We washed the nappie as per instruction (inclded in the trail pack) and waited for it to dry. It did take almost 2days to dry, but it is bamboo! On the website they mention that its ok to pop them onto the radiator to speed up the drying time. The wrap and liner however, dried almost instantly!

So i opened the wrap and the nappie out as the instructions state and added the liner. Popped Lydia in and found it so easy to fit! I was very impressed with how snug, comfortable and 'non-bulky' it was. I have always thought two parter nappies make babies look huge, but this looked no different size wise to a normal pocket nappie. The wrap is soft and silky feeling, made with a breathable waterproof knitted polyester layer. It also has the cross-over velcro fastening, making it perfect for the nappie.

The velcro fastenings are shaped with the Little Lamb cross-over tab that ensures a perfect fit every time. A close fit for skinny/small babys, going right up to a wider fit on a larger child/chubba bubba! With closable tabs to prevent the pick-up of fluff in the washing machine.
The leg and back elastic have been gently shaped for a better fit and are tight enough to stop leaks but are also soft enough not to hurt or chaff baby's skin.
The thousands of loops that make up the nappie are knitted rather than woven, hence to super softness to it.

The morning came and i was silently dreading waking up to a wee ridden cotbed, I was totally wrong! Not a drip/dribble or mark out of place! I was so pleased. I took her to be changed, still expecting her sleepsuit to be wet through. Nothing was wet!!! Everything (inc.a poop!) was happily contained inside the nappie, it hadn't even slipped out into the wrap :) The super soft fleece liner kept the pee away from Lydia so she wasn't sore, and was really easy to 'flick' off the poop in the loo, and along with my old view of two parters it got flushed down the loo!!!

At only £12 for this kit, it is a great way to test the fantastic fit and amazing absorbency of their shaped nappies.  And they offer a money back guarantee, so it's risk free if you don't think you've bought the best nappie. If you're not completely satisfied just return it and they'll give you a 100% refund.

''Possibly the best selling bamboo nappy on the market today'' - quote from their website, and i agree with it!


To get your trail kit and other lovely stuff from them, just click this link; Little Lamb

Night nappie review 1: Real Easy by HipHip Baby!

Our desperate search for a night-time cloth nappie that works!

I got in touch with Zoe over at Babykind and she was keen to help us end our search. Zoe was very helpful, kind and polite, excellent customer service was recieved. Zoe sent us three of their Real Easy Nappies to test and review. These nappie's can also be used for day time, and as they come for a 'light' bedtime wetter, or just add one of your regular inserts into their roomy pockets for night-time use.

They have so many gorgeous colours/patterns/designs to choose from. So i was very excited when received three of them!!! My favorites from the stunning collection :)


Plum Red Minky

Citrus Spots Minky

Minky Summer Flowers designs

There are five sizes to choose from;

Extra-Small 4 - 12lb (1.8 - 4.5Kg)

Small 7 - 18lb (3.2 - 8.2Kg)

Medium 15 - 30lb (6.8 - 13.6Kg) *these are what we used

Large 30 - 45lb+ (13.6 - 20.5Kg+)

Extra-Large 45lb+ (20.5Kg+)

With the poppers giving a snug,secure and adjustable fit, most baby's would only ever need the small and medium until they're potty trained. That saves alot of money, rather than having to buy a whole new batch of nappy's every six months or so.

The super soft Minky outer is really luxurious to feel, doubled with a stretchy,anti-wicking waterproof layer that's silky and smooth. There are two built in inserts, one a super fluffy double layered micro terry and the other a triple layered organic cotton flip out. Combining the latest fabric technology for top performance, with the natural benefits of organic cotton. A super soft fleece lined inside, protective against staining, soft against baby and keeps them dry. No bulky seems around the legs or back, giving a comfortable 'bulk-less' fit.

They came with some very clear and helpful instructions for usage,washing and care (info) so i washed and dried them as per the instructions, anxiously waiting to get them on Lydia! I didn't have to wait to long as they dried in the same amount of time as a typical two parter nappy does.
Then the next test was for me to pick which one to use first! They're all gorgeous!
We finally decided to go with the Summer Flowers design. Lydia seemed pleased with the choice, smiling at the nappie and looking at the brightly coloured flowers.

I was very pleased with what a great fit they give, very snug,secure and comfortable for baby. An extra row of poppers on the side is an excellent idea as some other branded nappies pop together with only one row and the sides seem to slip down,poke out, the inserts move or bunch up. Not this one! I was very pleased at how generous, yet 'bulk-less' it was, some night nappies make baby look like the Michelin man once dressed! This was like any other normal sized pocket nappie :)

With lots of failed night-nappy trials, Lydia being little miss fidget bum and having a dodgy tummy bug, I was slightly dreading the whole night in a cloth nappie! I added one more small extra bamboo insert and a re-usable fleece liner, the liner is not needed but i didn't want to ruin the inside on the first go!

But in the morning i woke up to.....No leaks! No exploding poo all over everything, Nothing! Not even a dribble of pee escaped, this nappie stayed in the right position all night! I thought the flip-out insert would've needed a popper or two at the top to hold it in place, but it didn't. Thanks to the super absorbancy and excellent fit, not a slip, twist, lump or bump was out of place in the morning. I was so surprised and happy, i even did a little dance around the nappie! Hehehe :)

These ''new-generation'' are little miracles! I am definitely wanting more in the next size up, should Lydia grow out of them before potty training  :)

With prices starting at just £10.99 you need some in your nappie sack!
Get your hands on these great valued, super Eco-friendly, nappies that actually work!

They also sell other great Eco-friendly baby wear including bibs, clothing and shoes :) And do deals on purchases over certain amounts :)


For more info visit Babykind or to buy directly go here; http://www.babykind.co.uk/realeasynappies.htm