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 :)