bubbaloves

Evie's first Christmas

2014-01-31T14:07:00.003+00:00

I suppose this post is a little late , but having a new baby can be quite time consuming . In fact i often wonder how other Mummy bloggers get the time to do so many post , i can hardly manage to get myself dressed before 10 am these days!
Christmas was lovely , she didn't really know what was going on but seemed to enjoy her main pressie , a fisher Price jumperoo .

Like and proud Mummy i felt the need to dress her in lots of cute Christmas outfits too . By the time we finished she was a little fed up i should imagine , but lots of happy memories made for when shes a big girl!

Thorntons Christmas Hero!

2013-11-10T17:28:00.000+00:00

We were recently contacted by Thorntons and asked to take part in the Thornton's Christmas Hero campaign, a little like Secret Santa but with amazing chocolate surprises .
In short you nominate someone you feel deserves a treat and tell the world (OK , maybe not the world...... but all my lovely readers) all about them.
Of course we said yes to this fab idea, I instantly knew who i wanted to pick and thought it was a lovely idea, after all Christmas and chocolates are some of my favourite things !

I've chosen my Mum and Dad to receive the treat. My Mum has been a carer for the last 37 years . My older sister , Zoe was diagnosed with epilepsy at the age of 2 when she had her first seizure where she stopped breathing ,this left her with slight brain damage and learning difficulties.
Zoe has continued to need help and support throughout her adult life and my Mum , even though she isn't in the best of health herself cooks for my sister and her partner Barry , who has cerebral palsy. She sorts out their bills , does their shopping and helps with their general care needs.

My Dad helps out too. My younger sister Claire and her partner work full time so my Dad does the school run with her two boys , picking them up after school looking after them until Claire finishes work .
Over the years they have done so much for myself and my sisters. I have autoimmune arthritis and mixed with a new baby i often feel tired , unwell and in pain .

My Mum constantly offers to help out and never needs or wants anything in return. She is amazing , and although most people would say their Mums are the best ....she really is!
She really is one of the most caring and compassionate people i know always putting everyone else first.
Our pressie was delivered to my house so we could keep it a secret from my parents. We decided that we would let my sisters two boys Jake & Daniel present it to them , which they really enjoyed doing.

My Mum and Dad were absolutely thrilled by the thought , but even more so by the contents of the parcel. Our gift was the Continental Collection Hamper priced at £25 and included a selection of goodies which were a hit with both my Mum and Dad.
Thanks Thorntons for giving our family the opportunity to thank our parents in such a lovely way ... and Thanks Mum & Dad for being there for all the family no matter what .

Happy Halloween

2013-10-30T20:51:00.001+00:00

Halloween is tomorrow and Chris and the kids have been busy
carving pumpkins. I was going to have a go too but have been suffering really bad with my bones and my fingers are just too sore to attempt it.

This year Beth chose to do the batman sign and as Brad got fed up , which often happens (.....the trouble with having ADHD) Chris ended up making 3 face pumpkins. Here's this years attempts

As i took a year off last year and i didn't get the chance to show last years efforts i thought id upload them too so here goes.

Brad did manage to finish his off last year and decided he would do pac man, which even had his eating cherries and the ghost on the back .

Bethany did a bat .....looking at this year and last year i think she must have a bit of a theme going on , and i did a spooky ghost... simple and basic but looked ok
Chris stole the show with his Ricky Gervais show characters which took ages , but looked awesome!

TOMMEE TIPPEE closer to nature advanced comfort vented bottles

2013-10-29T19:30:00.001+00:00

Our little Evie is such a good baby, shes practically perfect! sleeps all night and feeds well . The only problem we're having is colic! Ive tried everything. Anti colic drops , comfort baby milk and numerous bottles without much relief for her.
The crying usually begins around 6ish and can continue until around Midnight . The feeds during this time have become quite a struggle .
Colic in infants may be caused by a combination of inﬂuences including ingesting air during feeding. The new advanced comfort range from Closer to Nature is specially designed to help reduce air bubbles in the milk and to encourage a good latch-on to help reduce the risk of baby ingesting air during feeding. The air vents down through the tube and into the air-space at the base of the bottle, completely bypassing the milk.

Top Features include
~Unique tube and value system to provide optimum vending during feeding
~Unique, easy-latch-on teat shape that promotes continuous feeding
~Soft, natural-feel silicone teat to make it easier to switch between breast and bottle
~Easy-hold bottle with slow-flow teat
~Bottle compatible only with Closer to Nature advanced comfort™ teats (not Closer to Nature Easi-Vent teats)
~BPA-free

Tommee Tippee offered us a packet of their advanced comfort
vented bottles to try out with her and here's how we have got on.
We have been using the bottles for around 2 weeks now and assembly is really simple. The bottles have a purple stem which locks into a vented white cog then presses into the top where the teat fits. see diagram .

The Tommee Tippee teat is shaped to be similar to breast , with ripples inside the teat making the teat pull and and flex like a nipple would. The bottle is ergonomically designed and the venting tube takes out air from the milk and any air baby sucks in while feeding. The bottle works by sending the air down the vent into the bottom air space in the bottle eliminating baby gulping air down Evie was already using closer to nature bottles so she was comfortable with the shape of the teat, we have noticed that her crying bouts while feeding have decrease while using the advanced comfort vented bottles, she is still struggling with her 8pm feed but before she was having trouble with all her bottles from 5pm until midnight.
She also seems to be much happier taking her bottles especially at night when she was experiencing the worse of the symptoms.

Sizes: Available in 150ml and 260ml sizes Packaging: 150ml available in packs of 2, 260ml available in packs of 2 and 4 Compatibility: Compatible with all Closer to Nature advanced comfort™ teats
These bottles can be purchased from these stockist

I have my freedom back :)

2013-10-23T16:47:00.001+01:00

This week Ive finally been given my freedom back and passed 6 weeks from my c-section date meaning that now I'm allowed to drive my car again.....yeah !
I find driving so stressful but haven't half missed the freedom it gives you . So today on my first day of freedom Ive been to take little Evie to be weighed. The last time i got her weighed was on September 30th and she was 8lb 7oz , which i was really glad about, after her losing just over a pound when she was born.
Today she was 10lb 5oz and its hard to believe shes more or less the same size my eldest was when he was born!
Shes struggling with colic at the moment meaning feeding times are becoming a bit of a battle. But I'm relieved that shes putting weight on well and keeping up with the centile line she was on at birth.

Roomii Monsters

2013-10-19T20:12:00.001+01:00

This week we were sent a brand new funky product to test out with the children. The fantastic new Roomii Monsters toy is an exciting
ride on toy with storage.
The Roomii comes in 3 fab colours , pink , blue and orange .
This sleek , contemporary and award winning toy has more
functions than one! Its stylish design
looks great, while it can also be used as a toy storage and pull-around. What's more, it provides the parents a new way to educate the little ones to tidy up on the go!
Our parcel arrived on Friday , Daniel aged 4 & Jake aged 7 were very excited on opening the box.
The roomii is made from robust , durable , strong plastic and required minimal assembly. The ear handles simply screwed into place then a screw inside needed tightening too with the allen key which is supplied with the toy.
The internal screw is a safety feature to ensure that the top doesn't close too suddenly, and this can be re-tightened over time if the hinge becomes loose .
There is also a strap which can be attached to the front of the toy to make it into a pull along .

Dimensions:~ 576mm x 376mm x 234mm ,the toy states suitable from age 3+ and up to approximately 110 cm tall.

Features include:~
~360 degree omniwheels providing a maximum of mobility
~Cool looking pulling strap matching the colour of the toy
~High quality materials providing a long lasting experience
~Soft rubber teeth
~Adjustable slow closing lid

Once I'd screwed the handles to the main body , which took around a minute, tightened the internal screw and added the pull along rope handle we were ready to go .
Daniel was really excited . The bold colours and unique design really evoked his imagination and he couldn't wait to sit on and have a go.
He really loved the monster face which you can post toys into and happily tidied up after playing , which is a real plus side especially if , like Dan your child doesn't usually like to help in picking up their toys.
I love the fact that the roomii is a multi functional toy and children will enjoy spending time discovering new features.
It was lovely to watch Daniel and Jake when they realised that you could ride on and pull along the roomii. They took turns posting their items into the Roomii's mouth and lifting the top to retrieve them. When it was tidy up time we made a little game out of the monster eating their toys and they couldn't wait to post them into the jaws of their roomii monster.

The Roomii ride on toy is EN71 certified to British and European safety standards , Holds a maximum weight of 26kg (57lbs) and Not to be used near swimming pools, steps, hills or roadways.
Over all i think this is a great toy and will be on a lot of kids & parents Christmas list this year. The toy is made to last and is really reasonably priced. Our family absolutely love this and will be spreading the word about our new best friend!

Roomii from Roomii on Vimeo.
The Roomii can currently be purchased via their online shop and selected stores and is priced at £69.99 which included free next day delivery.
Make sure you check out Roomii Design on facebook and Roomii on twitter for exciting updates.

Life as a family of 5

2013-10-19T12:14:00.000+01:00

Little Evie-May is now almost 6 weeks old and although she is such a good baby , sleeping all night, feeding well and gaining weight life with a new baby as been quite hard.
I naively thought that once little miss arrived id somehow slot back into my old routine within a week or so , but Evie doesn't have the same thinking as me !
I still don't think its fully sunk in yet that we finally have our long awaited little miracle and i really cant complain about anything in my life at the moment. In fact I'm probably the happiest Ive EVER been.
The only thing that is slightly off at the moment is that as expected my Psoriatic arthritis has flared up since Evie was born. I really wanted to exclusively breastfeed Evie , but the medications i have to take to control my autoimmune disease had made it impossible to carry on . I feel really guilty , and pretty much a failure as I'd set my heart on this.
I had to restart on my weekly enbrel injections 2 weeks ago , which has slowed down the progression of this flare up but I'm still struggling daily with pain , stiffness and swelling . Having a new baby and living with this disease is quite hard.
My older children Bradley aged 14 and Bethany aged 13 have really adjusted to our new addition better than i could have ever imagined. Beth is always picking Evie up , and helping out . Brad has surprised me with how helpful and interested he's been in his little sister too.

Family life as a unit of 5 doesn't really seem much different than when we were a family of four, accept of course , there is much less room in our house and car and a sudden shortage of time to do things , hence the lack of recent post ... i am currently trying to rectify this so please
stay with us .

Spaghetti With The Yeti book

2013-10-02T22:52:00.000+01:00

Just before Evie arrived we were sent a lovely children's book called Spaghetti With The Yeti to review with Jake and Daniel.
Spaghetti with the yeti is a fantastic rhyming book about a little boy named George, who is n a mission to prove that yeti's exist. On his journey to find the Yeti he comes across some cool characters too.

The book is wrote by Adam and Charlotte Guillain , Adam is a performance storyteller and was the Roald Dahl Museum and story centre writer in residence.
Charlotte taught English to air traffic controllers and nurses before deciding a career in publishing would endanger fewer lives. Following a decade working as a commissioning editor, Charlotte is now a prolific author of children's fiction, non-fiction and picture books.The book has fun illustrations that children will love. Jake is 7 and Daniel is 4 , both really enjoyed the story .
Daniel thought the pictures were interesting and the monsters were friendly looking. Jake enjoyed reading the book and guessing what each monster would be called.
Both boys really liked the rhyming element of the story too
The book is priced at £6.99 and available to buy now.

Here's Evie-May

2013-09-23T21:56:00.001+01:00

OK , so this post is a little late . Evie-May is now 12 days old and today 23/09/2013 is her official due day .

Mum's first cuddle

Very proud Daddy

Evie , was booked in to be delivered by c-section on the 11th September 2013. We arrived at the hospital at 7.30 am for our section , which was booked for 12.30. Once we arrived on the ward , it was made clear that we were first on the list due to complications with my second section where scar tissue from my first section had adhered to two separate places making the section section over 2 hours long , as they had to cut off and tidy up the adhesions.
We were took on the short walk to theatre , and as you ladies may know those theatre gowns are not known for helping hide your modesty so i asked for a second one to use a 'batman' cape ....if not for my own dignity but for the poor folk who i had to walk past on the way down.

Tired but relieved Mummy

As they expected my section to last a while they decided that a combines epidural and spinal block was they best option , as if required they would be able to top up during the surgery.
At around 8.50 they started their first attempt at placing the needle into my back , i must admit i am very phobic of needles and my psoriatic

20 minutes old

2 hours old

arthritis makes certain positions hard to stay in after a few minutes. The first goo at placing the needle didn't go to plan so they moved a little further up and the needle was in place quite quickly which , by this time was quite a relief.
Chris was then allowed back into the theatre and the excitement then took over from the fear.
After a bit of tugging and pulling , but without any pain Evie was delivered at 9.59 am weighing 8lb 3oz , which isn't bad for 12 days early !
Best of all no top up was needed and the adhesions hadn't caused too much of a problem this time around

With big sister Bethany

She immediately cried after she was born , which was lovely to hear and her and Daddy was taken into another room to be cleaned up ( Evie , that is ....)
Once i was stitched up we were took to the recovery room where i got my first cuddle with her :)

With big Brother Bradley

By 11.30am we were up on the extended recovery unit , awaiting both sets of Grandparents and big brother and sister to come and visit .
When i had my older children it was normal to expect to stay up to 4 days after a section but i was absolutely shocked to see that they expect you to be able to go home just 24 hours after delivery, providing all is well.
Luckily we were home the following day after Evie had the all clear from the baby doctor.
I cant believe that shes finally here . After the last two years and the two pregnancy losses we had the entire pregnancy and birth was a worry and we finally feel we can relax and enjoy our little girl at last !

Evie has changed so much in the last 12 days its unbelievable
Thanks so much to all of our friends, family and facebook likers who have sent lovely messages, cards and pressies.

Little Bird Told Me :~ Luxury Cot Mobile.

2013-09-21T10:34:00.000+01:00

Little Evie arrived last Wednesday and we've been looking for a cot mobile for her , something pretty , pink and traditional.
We were delighted when Little Bird Told Me offered us a pink luxury cot mobile to review . Priced at £40 . With Little Bird Told Me's write up of their fantastic baby mobile range who wouldn't want one for their baby !!
"A good night’s sleep is absolutely essential for both you and your baby. So what better way to lull your little one off to dreamland than with one of our luxury baby mobiles for cots. An elegant addition to any nursery, our baby mobiles

feature a choice of friendly garden characters to reassure and

calm little minds as they’re drifting off to sleep. The gentle rotating motion is so soothing and encourages those little peepers to close. And what baby mobile is complete without a beautiful soft melody? So just wait until you and your baby hear the soothing lullaby that plays when you wind up the traditional music box on your baby mobile."

The mobile cot mobile arrived boxed up and was really simple to put together, the pieces clicked into place easily and required just 1 screw to complete assembly. We really like how well
made the
mobile is . The base of the mobile is completely solid made from wood and the top is fabric with bright coloured garden characters which Evie seems to love.
The mobile is easily connected to the cot with a large wooden cog. The mobile is suitable for babies from newborn until 5 months old.
The mobile doesn't require batteries which is fab , as it works with traditional wind up mechanism. Which makes the top gently rotate with soothing melodies , and is available in pink as we have and a unisex option too. Little Bird Told Me also has a wide range of baby items on their site including some very pretty rocking horses and baby play mats and gyms .
You can check out all their items on their website here and don't forget to check out their facebook page here

Bakerdays personalised letterbox cake

2013-09-20T10:00:00.000+01:00

Having just had a baby we received some pretty awesome pressies for little Evie , but Mums and Dads often get forgotten about . Over the weekend the fab people at Bakerdays sent us a scrummy new baby cake to review , we were delighted.
Bakerdays is situated on the edge of Sherwood Forrest can safely deliver great celebration cakes everywhere in the UK and the next day. The folks at Bakerdays are not just great bakers and innovators . They have developed this truly versatile colour and decorating process to create beautiful cakes that actually taste just as if you made them yourself.
Bakerdays have a massive choice of cakes for every occasion and budget. From the traditional birthday cake to cakes for retirement , anniversary , new baby and even design your own cakes.
The Bakerdays website makes it simple to create your own special design of cake. Choose a size and flavour, then add your special message! If you order before 2pm, They can deliver your cake the next working day, virtually anywhere in the UK. All their cakes come complete with candles and balloons.
Their cakes come in 4 different sizes all round in shape.

The sizes of cake vary from cakes to feed 3 people to 60 people.The first size cake is their letterbox cake , which is made to feed 3-4 people and is a 5 inch cake. The next is the small party cake which feeds 10-12 people and is a 7 inch cake Then the medium cake feeds 18-25 people and is the 9 inch cake and the final size is the largest and feeds 40-55 people being a 12 inch cake.

They have developed an almost unlimited selection of cake designs for every occasion , which can be personalised or if you would like , they can even make up your own special design .

We chose our cake from the New Baby range , There are lots of choice in this category including some to have your own photo added ... the one we chose was the 'baby girl' cake then we added Evie's name to the design .

Ordering was really easy , After picking the design you want you next chose the flavour of cake ... we picked chocolate , then the design . The cake is the letterbox sized cake and easily fed Me , Chris and our two older children.
The letterbox cakes start at £14.99 for the 3-4 portion size and depending on which flavours you chose prices do vary .

The cake arrived in a lovely little box , once opened the cake was presented in a cream gift tin , with the words 'just for you' on it , also in the box was some party bits including balloons and a party blower.

It was quite sad to have to cut into the cake but well worth making the sacrifice as it was absolutely lovely!
I think this is a gorgeous pressie for new parents and quite unique . Myself, My husband and the kids really enjoyed the cake , it tasted fab and looked pretty too, but most of all was a lovely treat for tired new parents !
You can browse the bakerdays site here , keep up with their news on their facebook page and twitter page too

Torino Cot in Natural & Mattress ~ Bambino Direct

2013-09-19T08:57:00.001+01:00

Finding the perfect cot for a baby can be very difficult , with so many choices and colours its hard for new parents to even find out where to start. We had an idea of the sort of thing we wanted , natural colour to go with the rest of the nursery furniture , choice of level for the cot to be set at , the cot must be sturdy ~ after all you want it to last a while , great quality and fantastic price.
With two older children aged 13 and 14 money is quite tight at times and I'm known for being a bit of a bargain hunter in the family.
When we were offered the Bambino Direct Torino cot in natural to review i was delighted , it ticked all the boxes we were looking for and is currently priced at £49.99 which is fab, but not only is the price great you also get a free Bambino foam mattress!
Our order was dispatched immediately and received the day after which i was delighted about. We found the service from the people over at Bambino Direct fantastic !
Product details include :~
Age: Suitable from birth+
Size: W64.5 x L126.5 x H90 cm
Weight: 13kg
Mattress Size: 120 x 60 cm
Material: All pine
Finish: Natural
Chris had put the cot up as soon as it arrived , which he found really
easy to assemble , Chris said the cot is really well made and was impressed how the base actually screwed in to the sides unlike others we had seen.
He also was quick to show me the plastic teething rails and that the cot can be moved to two different levels.
We love the modern look of the cot too.
Evie is sharing a room with my older daughter Bethany so space is quite limited , luckily the cot fits nicely in the space we'd saved for her cot which I'm quite glad about , making it an excellent choice for parents with limited room.
Little Evie seems very comfortable and happy in her cot which is always a bonus and has slept really well in there.
Bambino Direct also have lots of other items on their site for great prices including pushchairs and prams , car seats and safety and air quality
Don't forget to check out Bambino Direct's facebook page where there is currently a chance to win a Maxi Cosi loola. There is also a chance by sharing this post on facebook to win this cot and choice of pink or blue bedding

Tommee Tippee closer to nature Electric Breast Pump

2013-09-17T15:55:00.000+01:00

Little Evie is a week old now and after discussing feeding options we decided that we would like to breastfeed her, which i did with my second child Bethany 13 years ago as i really enjoyed the closeness and bonding experience and the fact that i knew that baby would be getting all the goodness from breast milk.
When i had Bethany , she weighed 9lb 6oz when born , but due to not being able to produce a lot of milk lost over a pound in weight so i was advised to used a breast pump to help increase supply. At that time i wasn't very well informed with regards to pumping or breastfeeding and bought a manual pump , which i really struggled with. I have psoriatic arthritis which is in most of my joints and had deformed my fingers leaving them stiff and sore. Anyone who has used a manual pump will know it can take quite a while at first to produce even an ounce of milk , so it was really quite painful for my hands to cope with .
This time with Evie i wanted to be prepared so read up on breast pumps , various styles and makes and decided i would contact Tommee Tippee and explained my situation and was so happy when i was offered one to review.
Evie was born weighing 8lb 3oz but less than a week later of exclusively breastfeeding she'd lost over a pound in weight.
Its so stressful if you are new to breastfeeding , worrying how much milk your baby has taken . which is why i wanted to use the Tommee Tippee closer to nature electric breast pump .So we could express milk to help increase supply and so i could measure what she was actually having .

      Top features of the Tommee Tippee closer to nature electric breast pump are :~

~Portable and lightweight
~Includes handy steriliser box
~Only 3 parts – easy to use, clean and assemble
~BPA-free
~Included inside: 1 x Closer to Nature Easi-Vent 150ml Baby Bottle, 1 x Milk Storage Pot, 6 x Disposable Breast Pads, 1 x Microwave Steriliser Box
Evie seemed to be spending around a hour at a time at my breast suckling but obviously this hadn't been enough. On Evie's 4th day we started to use the pump.
The pump is really easy to put together . There is a base unit with 4 buttons on it , the middle button being the on/off switch which is also the light flow setting and 3 outer buttons of various settings ( 1 dot for slow , 2 dots for medium and 3 dots for the fastest setting ). The pump can be powered both by mains adaptor or batteries too.
After washing and sterilising all the appropriate pieces the pump is simply assembled and ready to use within a few minutes.

To start pumping place your nipple into the suction cup front piece then once in the correct position press the centre light flow on/off switch to encourage milk to let down. After a minute or so on that setting you are ready to pop the pump onto the setting you feel most comfortable with. I personally found going right onto the medium setting fine and then increasing to the high setting .
I've found the pump very effective at pumping and already seen my milk supply increase from initially pumping 1-2 ounces on the first day to being able to pump 3 ounces on day 3. Evie was weighed yesterday and today and with the help of expressing and measuring her feeds she has put 2 and half ounces on which I'm really pleased with.
Special Features include :~
~Natural Feel Expression The Closer to Nature Electric Breast Pump’s soft silicone cup is specially designed to mimic a baby’s natural feeding action.
~ Efficient Milk Expression You can switch between low, medium and high suction levels during expressing to give you maximum efficiency and extra comfort. 0% backflow guaranteed.
~ Extra Comfort The new soft silicone cup combined with the new valve design provides gentle and efficient expression, offering maximum comfort for mum.
~ Easy to Use / Clean / Assemble The simple and intuitive design of the Closer to Nature breast pumps makes them easy to assemble, use and sterilise

~ One Piece Valve A new, one piece valve provides improved suction, delivering improved efficiency and guaranteeing 0% backflow.
~ BPA Free For total reassurance, all of our products are free from Bisphenol A (BPA).

Like any electric pump it does make a noise while you're using it , i didn't find it too distracting though and didn't find it was that loud.
Chris , My husband also loved the fact that he got to give Evie a feed too after expressing and felt a little more included in our journey as new parents .

Asda's Baby Event :~ Look what we bought

2013-09-07T22:05:00.001+01:00

Johnson & Johnson Wipes (6 x 56 pack) £4 (67p per pack),

With the start of the Asda baby event coming just at the right time for us , we still had several bits and bobs to buy . We decided to take a trip to our local store to see what goodies were on offer.

Pampers Baby Dry Mega Pack, (Was £14) Now £11 (9.8p per nappy)

The Asda baby event started on the 26th August and last for 3 weeks in total ending on the 15th September in-store and 16th September online , with lots of products from feeding to changing and all at bargain prices.
Our little girl is set to arrive on the 11th September so made a list of things we still needed and was off to make our purchases.


*Bright Starts Alphabet Bouncer, Was £25 £16*

Nappies, bottles , wipes, a baby bath and some other bits which were all necessities but we also wanted a baby mobile or something that lit up to put on her cot.

We wasn't disappointed with the offers in store. The 6pk pink Tommee Tippee bottles were an Chicco goodnight stars projector which was reduced from £24.99 to £20.00. selected chicco items have 15% off while the baby event is live !

absolute bargain at just £10 down in price from £25 and of course we couldn't help resist a little treat for little Miss Evie for when she arrives .... the

Not only are Asda spoiling oour little ones but they want to take care of us Mums too; the new NSPA Mum to Be range includes everything from Soothing Nipple Balm to Moisturising Bump Butter and with products available from just £1.00, it’s never been a better time to pamper yourself.
To check out the full Asda baby event make sure you drop into your local store or check out the Baby event online here

Pregnancy Update :~ Week 37

2013-09-03T19:34:00.003+01:00

This week we've been extremely busy building , assembling and arranging baby things. Although babies are tiny , it seem that i have forgotten how much room they actually take up, and now seem to have boxes and baby items EVERYWHERE !!!

Chris did they last bits of decorating that needed doing and we're finally all ready to meet our little girl.
Our pets especially Lulu our dog seems to be very interested indeed in all the new things and has taken to lying underneath Evie's little chair.
This week i only have an appointment with the midwife on Friday to check my blood pressure and then Monday is Pre Op day :)
I then have to go in to hospital on the 11th September at 7am as i am booked in for my c-section at 1pm , although it could be any time as if emergencies crop up it will make our time slot later on . I'm so excited and cant wait now to meet our little girl

Dont forget to enter our guess the weight competition over on our facebook page here

Pregnancy Update :~ Week 36

2013-08-30T08:00:00.000+01:00

This week we turned 36 weeks pregnant and now i can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. My shingles have responded really well to the treatment and have virtually disappeared, making me

feel so much better.
I finally got my growth scan this week too , which was booked originally for 34 weeks and cancelled as there was no doctor in to see me , it was rearranged for 35 weeks but i had shingles so then was rescheduled for Thursday when i finally got to have it done.
We were 36 weeks and 3 days and their calculation gave an approximate weight of 7lb 7oz.
I think when i was similar time with Bethany she was 7lb 9oz . To get the approximate weight they measure the femur length , head circumference and the abdominal circumference. Each time Baby's belly had been large but i was shocked to see today's measurements were off the scale for her tummy size lol ... her femur and head was both within normal range.
After the scan i was sent to see the consultant where they were happy with baby's growth and all my normal ante natal checks.
I need to go back to my midwife next week for blood pressure and urine test but the next time i attend St Mary's will be for my pre op on the 9th September , that is , of course if she doesn't decided to make her debut a little earlier than planned.

Don't forget we have a guess the weight competition over on our facebook page which can be entered here

Back To School with Clarks

2013-08-29T09:57:00.001+01:00

As part of our back to school posts we decided to include school shoes for Brad , Bethany had already picked her shoes a few weeks back and we'd bought them already but Bradley still hadn't

found any suitable. At 14 years old he currently wears adult sized shoes.

We were booked to have a fitting at our local Clark's store on Crown

point north retail park, Denton. We picked a ticket from the machine and waited a few minutes to be called to have Brads feet measured. The assistant who measured Brad's feet was really fab , she ensured all the correct fittings were checked and then told us his size so we could have a look around.

Bradley's feet measured size 9.5 H so we set off to find some suitable school shoes for him. We looked over at the children's ranges but struggled to find any in stock that were in his size.

After a few minutes looking at the adult range Brad found a pair he really liked. He tried them on and decided these were the shoes for him.
They were the Action Line men's leather shoes in black. Originally priced at £59.99 but were in the sale for £44.99. They are available in sizes 6 adult to size 14 adult in whole and half sizes too, and come in H (wide fitting).

The staff were extremely pleasant and polite and very helpful looking for shoes which were suitable and fitted well.

The shoes are made of the following materials :~

Upper Material ~ Leather

Lining Material ~ Pigskin

Sole Material ~ Rubber

Fastening Type ~ Lace

Removable Insole ~ No

Trims ~ Eyelet

Designed with a wide fit in versatile black leather. Brad found the shoes very comfortable with the Cushion Cell comfort underfoot , making walking around all day at school a breeze. The outer material is durable and hard-wearing without losing any of the modern style and feel.

Both Bradley and myself were really impressed with the customer service which we received at Clark's, I especially liked how the staff let you go off and look around without feeling pressured by them and once you pick a pair the assistant was really quick to help get the other shoe and check they fitted properly too.

We were very impressed with our visit to Clark's and from stepping inside the door to leaving the store we were met with pleasant, polite and very helpful staff .
There are lots of styles and choice in the childrens range which can all be viewed here

** We were sent £40 voucher towards the purchase the shoes for this review **

Heat Holders Thermal socks

2013-08-25T09:00:00.000+01:00

Cold extremities seem to be a major problem in our family. I suffer with autoimmune arthritis causing me very poor circulation and making it difficult to get warm once ive got too cold. My husband has
vibration white finger and constantly suffers with cold hands and feet too.
We were recently sent some heat holder socks to review, one pair of original socks, one pair of junior socks and a pair of ladies wellington socks.
Chris was keen to try the original socks, i picked the welly socks while Jake was chosen to try out the children's size ones.
Being almost 36 weeks pregnant and having put a bit of weight on during pregnancy i was a little worried that the socks might be tight around my legs , but was pleasantly surprised to find they weren't at all tight and fit really well feeling comfy and cosy. They came right up to my knee too.
Basic cotton socks are around 0.3 tog rated, ordinary thermal socks being around 0.89 togs and heat holders are a generously warm 2.3 tog rating. The outer sock looks and feels like normal knitted socks while the inner part of the socks are an unique , extra long looped cushion pile to hold more warm air in , increasing the thermal tog rating , finally ,an intense brushing process maximises the amount of warm air

held inside the sock for all day warmth and comfort.

Chris usually rides a motorbike to work and has chosen to try out his socks at work . As a panel beater , working in a garage can get very cold. He always seems to be freezing no matter what so thought it would be the perfect trial time.
After wearing the socks for around a week (washing them obviously) He was really pleased with how well they kept his feet warm without feeling sweaty and damp. Chris also has found them really valuable while walking our dogs on the field. sometimes the mud filled field makes your feet so cold but while using the socks he hasn't had this problem either.

Ive been using my socks to keep my feet warm at night. Our house is an end terrace and can sometimes be quite cool at night. So its important for me to keep my feet warm as once i get cold i feel the cold for hours afterwards. the socks are very cosy and warm , they are also idea for under wellies and while on the field with Chris and the dogs i found that the socks kept up above the wellingtons and didn't roll down into your boot like some other socks do.
Jake , My nephew is almost 7 and we've sent the children's pair up to his Mums to use these at bedtime. Hes a little wriggler and often kicks off his bedding making his little feet cold at night , then once he gets cold feet he leaves his bedroom for the warmth of Mum & Dads Bed. His Mum said hes enjoyed testing out the socks and that they have helped to keep his feet warmer at nighttime, leaving them without their little visitor some nights
The heat holder socks are available in a variety of colours , styles and sizes which can all be seen on their website here , and are stocked in a wide selection of stores.

Stocking fillers for the little ones.

2013-08-24T09:09:00.000+01:00

Asking the older children to pick out what they thought someone of their age would like as a stocking filler was quite easy ,
both Brad and Beth understood the concept of a stocking filler and that I'd given them a price limit of £10 , but Jake (7) and Daniel (4) were a little more tricky. Jake seemed to understand the £10 limit but just didn't want to pick something for that amount! Typical children ....... anyway after a long discussion and some suggestions from me they finally chose their own ideas.
Jake absolutely loves construction toys of any variety . After searching for the perfect toy he came up with the Chad Valley Tornado Fast Jet Construction Set which is priced at £9.99 or available on the 2 for £15 toys selection via Argos.

The set is aimed at children aged 5 and above and comes with very clear , easy to follow instructions , with pictures to help the kids pick out the correct brick each time. #
The set comprises of 171 bricks and is fully compatible with other Chad Valley building sets.
Jake soon got to work with the bricks and coped quite well making the plane. He did require a little help with some of the more difficult pieces but Bradley was quite happy to jump in and lend a hand.
The style of the set is a military jet and features a fully opening cockpit , which Jake loves ! He was also quite impressed that the set came with a little figure pilot, which you could remove from the cockpit.
You can even go supersonic with the fully working swing wings and lock onto your target with detachable sidewinder wing missiles!
Jake finished his brick model in just over 2 hours and couldn't wait to play and show off all its features.

Next up was Daniel, he may be small but don't be fooled by that angelic look !
What Daniel wasn't going to buy with his £10 wasn't worth thinking about . I think he took almost a full hour to pick something, and with several changes of choice during that time. He eventually opted for the Star Wars: The Clone Wars Basic Blaster Assortment this was also in the 2 for £15 toys selection or available individually for £9.99 .
The gun comes with two soft rubber tipped bullets and requires no batteries so is ready to play with as soon as it is unpacked.
Unfortunately little Daniel has got a broken arm so was struggling to play with his gun at the moment. He did manage to shoot a few rounds but as he's broken the arm he usually uses it was quite difficult for him. Jake couldn't wait to offer his assistance and have a go .

He found the bullets really easy to load and the gun easy to aim and shoot. Although the bullets are tipped with a soft rubber material it doesn't really hurt if you are accidentally hit by one , as my poor Mum soon found out.
Daniel, in the initial excitement of opening the gun , loaded it and accidentally pressed the trigger , launching the missile right at his poor Grandma. Fortunately no damage was done to Grandma , or the gun when she got hold of it :)

Then finally i chose something suitable for a baby , with our very own little girl due in just over three weeks time i found a gorgeous little Activity Bunny by Chad Valley which is suitable from birth . Its priced at £9.99 or can be purchased on the 2 for £15 offer .

The bunny stands at 28 cm tall and comes in a lovely lilac colour. It has two floppy ears , each containing a material which scrunches when felt, evoking the senses of even small children. One ear has knotted string while the other one has little taggie material sewn to it.
On one of the rabbits hands are two coloured shapes and on one of the bunny's feet is a fab little mirror .
The bunny is full of interactive features to enhance your little ones development.
Including bright colours , sounds and different textures .

The bunny is really snugly and I'm sure our little girl will cherish her very first Teddy once she arrives.

Bradley & Bethany's stocking filler picks.

2013-08-23T08:46:00.002+01:00

Whenever I ask Bradley aged 14 to pick something toy wise , Nerf guns! Over the years we've had lots of them and Brad is quite the expert on these now. When I gave him challenge to find the perfect stocking filler for Christmas he didn't let me down and chose yet another amazing Nerf product. This time the Nerf N-Strike Elite Stockade which is currently half price at

he almost always suggest
Argos £12.49 , Bargain!
The Nerf N-strike elite requires 3 x AA batteries making the dart gun semi automatic blasting darts up to 20 meters and is suitable for ages 8 plus. The gun features a rotating ten dart barrel and removable stock with storage for extra darts .

Bradley opened the box , placed in the batteries and it didn't take him long to put it all together . Simply just click the back handle onto the gun barrel, and fill up the
darts then place in the batteries and you're ready to start shooting and having fun. The great thing about the Nerf range is that a lot of the products have the same ammo so you can interchange them with other guns , you can also purchase replacement or extra darts too. The gun also features a safety switch , once activated means the gun won't be fired. The darts are made so they are tipped with foam meaning even if they were to shoot at another child it won't hurt them .
Bradley was impressed with how well the darts fitted into the gun and how easy it was to fire and aim. Bradley wasn't let down by the Nerf gun and I was more than impressed with the great price and durability of the toy. Its very well made and the pieces are sturdy too.

Next up Bethany aged 13 chose her number one pick for her Christmas stocking filler idea. Beth is quite arty and loves crafts and making

things so she immediately went to the creative toys. She eventually
settled on the

Chad Valley Gem, Mosaic and Sparkle Creative Set priced at £9.99 or available in the 2 for £15 section. The set is suitable for children aged 3 and over but older children will also enjoy this creative kit.

The set includes 4 easy to follow projects including a photo frame, key ring ,little note book and a fab little box to decorate and keep all your important items in. The pack also includes some funky gems and a holographic mosaic set. Beth couldn't wait to start the projects. She sorted out which bits and bobs she wanted on each project and started out. The little kit comes with everything you need to make all the projects. As you can see by the photos there is a printed guide on each item showing you what shape to place and where to put it.
Bethany enjoyed making the storage box the best and this probably did take the longest to complete , around 2 and a half hours in total. The smaller items didn't take too long to make and I would say each one could be made within 20-30 minutes each. We feel it's great value for money , a fantastic price to keep the kids occupied during the holidays .

Pregnancy Update :~ Week 35

2013-08-22T20:29:00.001+01:00

On Monday just passed we turned 35 weeks pregnant. This week we've had quite a hectic time and have had a mixture of emotions.
On Monday i was diagnosed with shingles .... see our post here .
I was already feeling a little upset and fed up then on Tuesday i had a phone call from the hospital to tell me that my booked c-section for the 12th September was being cancelled and that i would have to come in on Friday the 13th.
Normally I'm not superstitious at all but since we've had such bad luck with our last two pregnancies there was no way i was going in on that day ! So the telephone call didn't go as planned.

After i explained why i didn't want to have her on that date i was told I'd have to wait until the week after, by this time hormones raging i was almost in tears! so politely suggested the day before. The lady then said she'd have to check with the doctor and get back to me. Waiting those 10 minutes felt like forever. To some they might think I'm being daft but its been such a hard trail to even get this far, and every day is clouded by stress , worry and thoughts of what might go wrong. I know i should think more positive but its so hard.
Then today was our growth scan and renal ante natal clinic. I arrived at the hospital and went to book in , informing them of my shingles and was then told i couldn't be seen in the clinic, which i can fully understand. I was really annoyed at the fact I'd spoke to the midwives on Monday about my shingles and they knew i was due in clinic today but never told me i wouldn't be seen. After a tearful half hour and hubby going back to the desk to tell them i needed a prescription for my tinzaparin, aspirin and gaviscon and explaining that i ha vent been seen for 3 weeks and I'm due for my section in just over 2 weeks time a doctor came out and saw me in another part of the hospital. As expected my blood pressure was then quite high but everything else was OK and i have had my growth scan re booked for next Thursday. This is the 3rd attempt at my growth scan as its now been cancelled twice :(

Walkers Mighty Lights 30% less fat crisp

2013-08-21T14:50:00.000+01:00

Living in a houseful of crisp lovers I'm often left feeling like the odd one out. Its not that i don't really like crisp, its just that i have to really be in the mood to fully enjoy a good old packet of crisp.
As for flavours I'm more of a prawn cocktail or Worcester sauce kinda girl. As for the kids and my
husband we're a varied lot. Bradley prefers the more traditional taste of ready salted or cheese and onion , whereas Beth usually opts for salt 'n' vinegar . Chris on the other hand likes the more meaty flavours of chicken, beef and bacon crisp.
Being the crisp loving bunch we are when the chance to taste test the new Walkers Mighty Lights came up we couldn't resist the tempting offer.
NEW Walkers Mighty Lights ridged crisps claimed to be tasty yet light with 30% less fat. Made from real potato with no artificial colours or preservatives and no MSG, they're perfect for little lunches. They sound fab and i couldn't wait to see if losing some of the fat from the crisp meant losing the taste or volume of crisp too.
With around 114 calories per packet and 4.7g of fat the crisp are on average 30% less fat than a normal packet of crisp.

As soon as the box arrived with the 3 large multi packs of crisp enclosed , Chicken, lightly Salted and Cheese & Onion . The kids enthusiasm to help shone through. Each one of them choosing their favourite flavour and tucking in. Little Daniel wanted ' a red packet' so tucked in to a packet of ready salted, Beth wanted some cheese & onion and Brad opted for the Chicken .
My Mum, sisters , Dad, and myself all had a bag too ....you know, for research purposes! ;)
On opening the bag i found crinkle cut , quite thick crisp , next for the sniff test .... nose in packet and a big whiff in the crisp smell just like you would expect them to, and lastly the taste test . I picked out a large crisp and got ready to taste , the thing that surprised me the most was that it taste as good , if not better than regular crisp and there is no way you can tell these crisp are lower in fat like some other lower fat crisp. They are packed with flavour and the ridged feel offer a great texture to them too.
After letting the kids finish their bags and asking opinions from them they all gave the crisp a massive thumbs up. Daniel really liked that the crisp had little bumps on them, Beth liked the strong flavours of the cheese and onion crisps, Bradley was far too amused by the little crisps men

holding up signs on the bags with little quotes! his favourite being on the chicken packet " I'm not your average crisp, I'm special. When i walk into a room, its all eyes on me . I may be light but my flavour is mighty good "
I was quite impressed that the crisp are suitable for vegetarians an contain no artificial colours or preservatives , its also great to see on their website that " none of our Walkers Mighty Lights flavours contain nuts or sesame seeds, and we do not handle either in our factory" Great news if you have a family member with a nut allergy !
Although they do say " none of our Walkers Mighty Lights flavours contain gluten as an added ingredient; however they are made in a factory that handles gluten, wheat and barley."
So please be advised if you require further information on ingredients to contact their customer service team on 0800 274 777 or 1800 509 408 which is a freephone number.

I must admit i used to really enjoy a packet of chicken crisp , they remind me of being young and going swimming as it was always our little treat afterwards but as i got older the chicken flavour used to repeat on me so I'd stopped eating them . Feeling brave i opened and devoured a pack and waited to see if the dreaded all day chicken burps followed ..... but they didn't ! i think Ive finally found a chicken crisp i can once again enjoy !
Walkers Mighty Lights are available in multipacks from all major grocery retailers, so you should have no problems finding them while out on your weekly shopping trip .

35 weeks pregnant with shingles!

2013-08-19T15:14:00.002+01:00

All last week i felt a little unwell , to be honest i actually thought it was the lack of sleep and being heavily pregnant that was making me feel off colour . Ive had a funny tummy and shooting pains in my back then on Saturday night while getting ready for bed hubby noticed a cluster of spots.
I tried to see them through the mirror but as the little buggers were right in the middle of my back i couldn't see a thing!
I eventually got Chris to take a photo so i could have a look at them, and this is what i saw!
I took to good old Dr Google for answers and as my daughter Beth had a bout of shingles in March and this looked similar i feared it might be that.
This morning i got to see my GP and she confirmed that this indeed was shingles, and advised me to call up St Mary's to ask the obstetricians advice on treatment options and then return back to the GP.
So off home i went , and called the hospital.
The midwife was lovely and after asking several questions told me she'd have to speak to a virologist and get back to me a little later on.

After about 30 minutes the phone rang and she finally had some answers. Because I'm 35 weeks pregnant ,suffering with nerve pain , are on steroids for my psoriatic arthritis and due to go in for my c-section in just over 3 weeks time they advised i should be treated with Aciclovir.
Armed with the information given ,back to the GP i went and was given a prescription.
I'm just hoping this helps a little as my back has been quite painful the last few days and not helped when trying to get comfy in bed at night.
I NEED SOME SLEEP !!

Is it too early to think about Christmas ????

2013-08-16T15:47:00.002+01:00

I'm not sure if this is just a tradition in my home ,but once the summer holiday arrives and the new Argos catalogue is out my children start their hunt for Christmas ideas. It starts with two different
coloured markers and lots of rings being drawn round toys in the catalogue . Me and my two sisters did the same when we were young , and always had so much fun picking out what we wanted .

With the help of my two kids Brad (14), Beth (13) and my two nephews Jake (7) and Dan (4)I've managed to get them each to pick their top idea of a stocking filler , as well as get a little treat for baby Evie due in 3 weeks time and all for less than £50 .
First up was Bradley , the oldest and the one who took the longest to select. He finally settled on the Nerf N-Strike Elite Stockade .Beth chose the Chad Valley Gem, Mosaic and Sparkle Creative Set. which is from the 2 for £15 section.Jake also took his pick from the 2 for £15 selection and opted for the Chad Valley Tornado Fast Jet Construction Set. Then Daniel , who loves star wars picked the Star Wars: The Clone Wars Basic Blaster Assortment. Finally i chose the Chad Valley Baby Activity Bunny for little Evie. Daniel and Evie's toys were also from the 2 for £15 section
I will be doing the reviews in a post very soon so keep your eyes peeled for that

Freshening Up The Bathroom ~ Feature Post

2013-08-15T10:43:00.000+01:00

With our new arrival due in just 4 weeks time , My lovely husband has been extremely busy working full time and trying to re-decorate and spruce up the house before our little princess appears.
We've done most of the rooms already but the one i was worried about the most was the downstairs toilet , which has been recently neglected and used as a storage room for far too long.

Chris fitted some new carpet tiles last week over the old concrete flooring and spruced up the general bathroom area but there was still something lacking !
We already have a little silver mirrored unit so wanted to keep with the silver theme in the room.
What i really needed was a new bin , the old one was a grey plastic, awful looking thing, that i was never really keen on , Its not that I'm fussy ,I'm really not , i just like things to match and look nice!
After searching we found the perfect bin from the Brabantia range , at John Lewis . Our second bathroom is very small with just a toilet and sink in there so i didn't want something too big that took extra space we didn't have . The bin we chose was the Brabantia Touch Bin, Brilliant Steel, which is a 3L size bin. The bin is priced at £40.
The Brabantia bathroom touch bin has a brilliant steel finish.With silent opening mechanism, removable lid, plastic inner liner and wall bracket. A rubber ring on the bottom prevents slipping and damage to your floor surface.
Features:
     Soft opening mechanism – lid opens silently with one touch
     Removable stainless steel lid – easy to change bin liners

     Complete with stainless steel wall bracket – easy to fix to the wall
     Strong plastic inner bucket – removable and easy to clean
     Protective rim – prevents damage to the floor surface
     Guarantee 10 years
Sounded great , and ticked all the boxes we were looking for , to go with the bin i also bought the Brabantia Spare Toilet Roll Holder, Brilliant Steel as our tiny little unit only holds one spare roll once all our other bits are in there. The Brabantia Spare toilet roll holder made of high grade stainless steel is an easy to clean bathroom essential and is priced at £20.
Features:
     Room for 3 rolls - never run out of toilet paper!
     Suitable for wall mounting, bracket supplied
     Constructed of durable corrosion resistant materials
     Non-skid base

Both products were ordered via the internet and arrived within two days , which i was rather pleased about and and qualified for free delivery too !
As i said before our tiny second washroom already has no floor space so both products are ideal as i can fit them on the window sill. Both items have fixtures to attach them to the wall if required too , which is an excellent idea..... and i can finally rest knowing the down stairs loo is all finished ...AT LAST !!