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: Stardust T-shirt ~ Rags for Rascals!

Have you heard of Stardust? A funky and cool place to get stylish gear for your little rascals!

Geraldine over a Stardust HQ sent us a beautiful top for Lydia. 

I call the top 'Moriss Hepburn' as the cat looks like my old cat with an Audrey Hepburn hair do! The design was instantly appealing to us both, as Lydia and i both love cats and i am a fan of Audrey.

It arrived beautifully packaged in a white paper shopping bag, white tissue paper and a really cool sticker. We opened it to find the t-shirt very neatly folded with a funky tag on.

Lydia instantly grabbed it off me saying 'Cat!' and attempted to dress herself in the t-shirt, then she realised the print was shiny and had glitter in so she was stroking it saying 'Wow' and smiling :)

Oooh shiny!

Cool Toddler Clothes : Audrey Cat T-Shirt, is its real name and where to find it.

You have choice of six different colours to have it in, and i presume that the pattern colour will vary depending on the colour of your chosen t-shirt.

Sized from 0-6mths right up to 11-12yrs, we went for fuchsia in aged 1-2yrs. Lydia is 16mths and quite heavy, however this t-shirt was the right size for her with enough room to grow.

 

The t-shirts have been....

- Made in India by an ethical ETI Basecode compliant family factory.
- Made from premium 100% interlock cotton which is gentle and stretchy.
- Nickel-free poppers on the neck of baby sizes for simple dressing.
- The garment washes and wears beautifully and has been tested on our own kids!
- Hand printed in our London workshop with bold durable graphics.
- Machine wash up to 40°C, tumble dry on low.

I love how soft and thick the fabric is, a really quality about it unlike mass produced in store high-street purchases. Also i find it to be a lovely length, some tops are to short for toddlers little pot belly's but this was great! I was very pleased to see that the age 1-2yrs top was still classed as a 'baby' size and therefore has poppers on the left shoulder this allowed for easy dressing of my fidget bum toddler.

Priced at £14.99 i found was a bit steep to be buying them as everyday wear. They're more as a one off present or treat, but for the quality and individuality it is worth it.

Gweneth Paltrow is a regular customer of Stardust, but she can afford to be. Lol :)

They also make custom printed items, so if your looking for a one off gift, or feeling as plush as Gweneth then head over to Stardust's facebook page for 10% discount code and then onto their website to purchase! :) Also don't forget to check out the sale items!!!

 

Guest Review: Mothers en Vouge ~ Bonita flutter sleeve top

Mothers en Vouge sent me a beautiful top to review. Unfortunately i just looked ill in it with my super pale skin tone, I'd have loved it another colour. However my sister-in-law Margaret is also pregnant, at 24wks, (4wks ahead of me) she has a lovely bump and was a bit unsure on how to show it of in style. A perfect candidate for the review of this top.

Here's what she thought of it....

Bonita flutter sleeve top in golden amber

At 24 weeks its a good top if you want to show off your bump. Both the fabric and back ties help to support and flatter the bust, overall giving the top a nice fit. The fabric is 92% Rayon and 8% Spandex, making it a very soft and comfortable fit with room for a growing bump.

I love the fact that its also suitable for breastfeeding, which i intend to do when my baby boy arrives. The top will offer me great coverage allowing access to only the necessary area without me having to flash to much flesh, which is a concern of mine being a first time mum. 

I think its suitable for both day and evening wear, you could add a simple pair of jeans or a smart black pair of trousers/skirt for a more dressy feel. 

The colour certainly suits the darker skin tone and I'd like to know what other colours are available.

At  around £29 this top is a little bit more expensive than similar items I've seen that are available, but i do think that this was the most comfortable and stylish. So you get what you pay for really. Based in Singapore you can only get their products online here....Mothers en Vogue

Review: Mother's en'Vouge ~ Goddess drape nursing /maternity dress

Mischa over at Mother's en'Vouge sent me their beautiful Goddess drape dress to review. I received it in black, but its also available in Mauve and Teal as shown in the pictures below.

Size's are XS, S, M, L or XL. I chose the XL as i have massive boobs! I am usually around a size 14-16, and i found this dress was a great fit for me. Leaving room for other tops to go underneath. The A -line silhouette with loosely draped overlay fits many body shapes. 

It's made of 95% Modal and 5% Spandex/Elasthanne, made in Singapore where the company is based.

I love the little comment on the label inside...''For the stylish mom who loves her child, herself and mother nature''

The dramatic draped overlay with fluid gathers cascading from the shoulders and neckline, and sweeping down to one side of the hemline opens out to be the breastfeeding access panel, and you pull the flap over top part of the dress down over your breast to feed. Its a very spacious panel which can double up as a nursing cover or thin blanket for your baby. However if feeding from the right breast (and not wearing another top underneath) you would be very exposed as the panel would be fully opened out showing both breasts.
I like teaming it up with a polo neck top for warmth, or a vest that go's unseen if the weather is warmer.

This soft, flowing dress gives adequate room for a growing baby bump without being clingy or restrictive. Currently without a baby bump i found the dress to be quite baggy and sack like in shape. I made a quick fix of this by adding a few accessories. Wearing some cropped leggings, a red nurse's style belt just under my boobs, matching red bracelets and necklace turned this into a Hot Mama's outfit! I wore it out for an evening and received many a complement :) You could do so many different things with this dress, its gorgeous go for it!

The Singapore based company's website is priced in Singapore dollars. This dress is priced at SGD 89.90, which is roughly £44.99. An average price for a designer dress.Stocking many other gorgeous items of maternity and nursing wearing, they currently have a few offers on certain dresses so go check them out.

Their home page is here; http://www.mothersenvogue.com/

Direct link to this dress; http://www.mothersenvogue.com/product.php?id=143#

Review: YummyMummy Materity wear, Mama-licious Feed Me Long Sleeve Nursing Top (Green Floral)

The lovely Zoe from Yummy Mummy Maternity in Hove, sent me one of their long sleeve nursing tops (in green floral) to review. They do nursing and maternity wear.

I first saw this top on their website and thought how lovely it looked, then it arrived and i was not let down. Its GORGEOUS! Normally i don't wear anything floral or green, but this was so different and lovely.

It arrived wrapped up nice and neatly, displaying the product well and keeping it clean & safe. I particually loved the tag thats says '' FEED ME'', very cute and funny :)

The only off-putting thing was that is says 'XL' on the packaging.
Yummy Mummy's 'XL' is sized for 14/16, the UK's average womans size, so its not really a huge size at all? Lol :)

I found this size fit me perfectly, roomy enough around my 'mum-tum' and snug enough around my boobs for a great fit and chance for a bit of cheeky cleavage!
I am usually around a 14 for tops, but with these huge 36G milkers this top was an amazing fit! I felt very comfortable, trendy and like a yummy mummy in it :) If in doubt over sizing and ordering online, go for the next size up to ensure enough space for nursing sized boobs!

This top has pull-down flaps for nursing access, which allows just enough 'boob' to be out to feed comfortably and descretly (if baby does'nt pull it down like mine, see picture below! lol ). It pulls back up and into shape after feeding without leaving the top saggy or misshapen in that area. Just what every yummy mummy aims for :)

I loved the softness of the fabric and the versatile sleeve's. I like to push my long sleeve tops upto my elbows when busy, trying to feed my daughter lunch for example (picture below). The sleeve's have beautiful detailing around the wrists that tailor it slightly, however leave enough room to gather up comfortably.
The length of the body was also fantastic. I have found that some nursing tops are to short and gather up at the back when sitting/nursing. This has a bit of extra length that covers any sign of 'muffin-top' or 'builders-bum!' (talking about myself here!) Its just great!

As you can tell, i loved reviewing this top and i'm going to wear it to death!

So if you or someone you know are looking for some comfy, descrete, stylish yet affordable nursing tops then i highly reccomend this one.

Also i have some good news for you! The lovely Zoe has shared some discount codes with me, that i can pass onto you to buy this top, similar tops or some of the other gorgeous items from YummyMummy's online shop! (or direct telephone orders on 0844 8094424)

NN10 - will give you £10 off a £25 spend (excluding Sale items)

~~~ Or ~~~

AMB10 - will give you 10% off of ANYTHING and EVERYTHING!!! (any order, any amount,including Sale items)


Or you can visit the shop in Hove and see what other lovely things they have! Open 10am-5pm, daily (aprt from Sundays when they're closed)

Yummy Mummy Maternity

161a Portland Road
Hove
East Sussex
BN3 5QJ

Telephone: 01273 327892
Thankyou for reading my review, and i hope you treat yourself to something gorgeous from Yummy Mummy soon!