I received my first Graze box in the post yesterday and was excited to see what was inside. I have known about Graze for a long time and have always wanted to order one but I wasn't sure if it was going to be just pure nuts but after seeing others graze box's and seeing all the yummy goodies I had to try one for myself.
The box itself is a snacking box filled with four healthy goodies. The idea is that you can have them delivered to work or home and will replace those naughty snacks and stop you hitting the vending machine or reaching for that chocolate.
When you order your box, there's a list of the foods graze provides and you can say which ones you would like to try, which you don't and things you would like them to send soon. This is a really good idea as somethings I would hate to receive and others I really wanted to try.
My first box was really good, and im hoping its not one of those one box wonders to kind of suck you in but only time will tell.
This week I received, healthy popping corn, tutti fruiti, honeycomb flapjacks and smoky gazpacho dip. The pop corn tasted so nice, just like normal sweet popcorn and was the first time I have ever had to 'pop' corn in the microwave. I ate the pop corn straight away. Today me and Lilly had a flapjack each which we both loved, they were so tasty and the little bit of chocolate on top makes the difference. I really wanted the flapjacks as everyone raves about them. I also tried the Gazpacho dip, and oh my it was so good!! I hadn't ever heard of it before but I hope I get this again.
To order a graze box you can do so here and if you use my friend code APRILN4KP you can get your first box free!
Hello guys! I have really been into trying to live a healthier lifestyle lately and wanting to exercise and loose some weight just to feel happier in myself. I have been wanting a polar watch for a long time. My Instagram feed is full of photos of peoples workouts and showing how much calories they burned.
The nearest gym to me is miles away and with Lilly its easier for me to work out at home and outdoors. I do a lot of workout dvds and youtube videos. I also go for a lot of walks with Lilly and the dogs and we also have a mini gym set up at home with a cross trainer etc which does have a little calorie thing on it but it doesn't work properly and I don't feel it gives a correct track. Knowing how many calories I have burned some how pushes me to work harder, I have a number of calories I want to burn and If I don't reach it I work harder and the polar FT4 is perfect to show me how many calories I have burned.
Polar has various watches which do similar things. I decided to buy the FT4 mainly because it is the cheapest and does everything I want it to do. The Polar FT4 retails at 69.99 here which admittedly I thought was maybe a little expensive for a calorie tracker/heart rate monitor but im glad that I bought it. The polar FT4 comes in a little black box and is available is various colours. It comes with a heart rate monitor and strap which is slightly elasticated the you clip around just under your bra line and attach the monitor. Under the strap does have to be slightly damped to work properly and doesn't feel uncomfortable but when I have a sports bra on its a little awkward.
When you first set up the watch it is set to your personal stats to get a correct reading of calories. The screen Is simple and clear and just looks like a normal watch with date and time. When the side buttons are pressed it bring up the menu where you can start your tracking and also scroll through the previous readings. It tells you the duration you worked out for, your heart rate, calories burned and how long you were in zone for. The inzone feature is what your heart rate should be between when working out. If your drop below or go above it bleeps at you to tell you.
This watch has really helped me when working out, and if your do a lot of home workouts and would like to know how many calories you are burning I would highly recommend this watch.
Hi everyone! Hope everyone has had a lovely weekend. In my last post i said Lilly wasn't feeling too well and over the week her fever stopped but she started vomiting and having terrible diarrhoea and on Thursday she refused liquids which made her a little dehydrated and we had to take her to an emergency GP in the evening to make sure she was OK and to put my mind at rest. The doctor gave me a syringe and a sachet of something which i had to give her every 10 minuets for 16 hours but she is now all OK and back onto solids and milk.
Today i wanted to do a review on my new pushchair. I cannot tell you how long i have longed for this pushchair. Back when i was about 20 weeks pregnant i bought my first pushchair which was a travel system and i though would be fantastic a couple of weeks later i saw someone with a Cosatto yo go lightly stroller and fell in love with it. I have had nothing but issues with my previous pushchair. The main issue being that the button which had i have to press and slide down to collapse it most the time didn't work and the actual frame at the bottom would jam and not collapse, the amount of time's i have been stuck at the boot of my car trying to get the pushchair to close was terrible and i finally decided enough was enough and i would buy the pushchair i wanted.
I think when choosing a pushchair its like what choosing a new car to men would be. Cosatto are a really great brand, their designs are always different to the rest on the market and definitely stand out from the crowd. I aways notice a Cosatto pushchair just because the bright colours and designs are all so lovely. Whether you have a boy or a girl, twins etc they have a pushchair for you.
I purchased the Cosatto yo! go lightly stroller from Kiddie care as it seemed to be the cheapest i could find it as it does seem to be different prices in different places, its not cheap it was £240 but i think it was totally worth every penny.Its easy to fold up and down and most of the extras are fully removable. The seat moves from sitting up position to lying down by pulling/pushing a string at the back. Its also easy to control, i took this to the farm the other day and i had to park in a field and dreaded trying to push it over a field but it worked so well and its so easy, compact and looks stunning!
So, what features does the cosatto yo! go lightly have?
*Suitable from birth - 3 years
*Light weight aluminium chassis
*carry handle
umbrella fold
*front swivel/lockable wheels
*storage basket
*complete with footmuff and changing bag
*head hugger included
*weight 8 kgs
*folded size l 112 x w35 x h35cm
*raincover included
Design
The thing that first made me notice the Cosatto Yo! was the stunning design. It has black and white stripes with a beautiful red bow on the hood and on the foot muff. It stands out in any crowd and in the small time i have had it I'm constantly getting compliments on it. It also comes with a reversible liner for summer and winter. The winter one is a fleece black and the summer is a really nice black and white polka dot design which looks so pretty with the design.
Fold
I drive the most inconvenient car that any mother should drive but i have to make it work so a small folding pushchair is a must for me. How to fold the push chair is very simple, you just have to pull up the red button on the side and push the one in the middle and collapse it and then there is a hook which keeps it compact and together. It also has a handle on the other side which makes carrying it from your car and lifting it into a boot really easy for a weakling like me. With the hood and foot muff on i did find it a little bulky but they are easy to remove if needed.
Handles/wheels/brakes
The handles are either side of the pushchair instead of the full bar across which I'm used to. The handles are lined and a easy to grip and make steering easy. The wheels are all easy to remove by simply pushing a button so if you need it to be a little smaller to fit in the boot, just by removing the front wheels it gives you alot more room and thy just click straight in. The front wheels swivel easily and are fully lockable. The brakes are at the back wheels. It has a brake on each wheel which you push down to lock and pull up with your foot to take them off.
Hood/storage basket
The hood attaches via Velcro and can be easily removed if needed. The only thing i wish this pushchair had was a "peep" hole so i could see Lilly as it only faces forward so i have to keep looking round to check on her. The storage basket underneath is ok, it can fit a few things in although i wouldn't recommend putting anything to heavy in.
Foot muff/head hugger
All these things come free with the pushchair which is fantastic! The foot muff looks so cute and is really thick and fleeced lined to keep your little one warm. At the top of the foot muff it has little hand pockets where you little one can put their hands in to keep warm in the cooler months. You can remove the foot muff and it is supposed to be easy, but the one on mine is really stiff which i guess with time it will loosen up so its not an issue. It also can be used from birth so it comes with a matching head muff, but i haven't used it as Lilly is now 9 months.
Rain cover/ change bag
Again these are both free. The rain cover is easy to attach and covers the whole pushchair. It comes in this little stripey bag which hooks on to the little hook on the side and i cant tell you how much this pleases me! I used to hate having to lug around a rain cover and most of the time i for got it and ended up being out and it raining and just being a nightmare. but with how Cosatto have designed this i just keep it on the side and its their for when i need it. The change bag matches the whole design and how the red bow, its a simple change bag and it also comes with a changing mat.
Over all i love this pushchair and if your looking for a new pushchair definitely look at Cosattos. I took this to the farm the other day and i had to park in a field and dreaded trying to push it over a field but it worked so well and its so easy, compact and looks stunning!
Hi everyone! How was your weekend? Me and mike went out for a lovely meal yesterday with baby in tow and my poor little girl is teething. When we were out Lilly got a little fussy at one point which was quickly helped by some cold cucumber (which she loves to gum) and a little Giraffe called Sophie, which gave me the idea to start doing "Mummy Mondays" I have been wanting to do them for a while and as I'm a mum and i love reading/watching Mummy Monday you tube videos i thought i would join in.
I am pretty sure she has two bottom teeth coming through at the same time but she wont let me have a look properly and puts her tongue over her bottom gums so its just impossible for me to have a proper look without forcing her and i don't want to do that. She isn't overly fussy and thankfully i am blessed with a very calm baby who really isn't too much hard work. I very rarely hear her cry, she will have a moan every now and then when she is hungry or tired but never that high pitched baby cry. Since she has started teething i can see her folding her lip over her bottom gums and she will start to cry which isn't nice for any mum however as soon as i give Lilly Sophie she instantly gums away and the crying stops.
Sophie if you haven't heard of her before is a Giraffe made for teething and stimulating baby's 5 senses, like me you may have bypassed it and thought its just another baby toy but oh no this is a must have for any mum. I bought Sophie for Christmas when Lilly was 5months and i honestly wish i bought her sooner. Its made from 100% natural rubber and non-toxic paint meaning its safe for teething. Most teethers are the standard plastic rings or links which Lilly does have but she prefers to bash those against things.
The Giraffe shape is specifically made for babies to easily grasp hold of and the long legs and shape of them make it easy for your child to get to all places in the mouth including the ones at the side and back. This little Giraffe also squeaks in her stomach and head which helps with hearing and then when older helps for baby to make the link between the sound and where its coming from. The colours of her are also a contrast between dark and light which helps with newborns sight.
What i also really like about this is its flexible and soft not hard like other teethers and its also fun so if you are out and your little one gets in a bit of pain you can whip her out and it honestly helps. I don't go anywhere without Sophie and when i say to mike "wheres Sophie" my family and friends kind of look at me a little strange but i would say this is the best item i have bought. It retails for £12.99 in toys r us and its so worth the price! It would be a great gift for a baby shower and can be used from birth.
If you do "Mummy Mondays" or any mummy related posts please leave you blog link below
Hi everyone! Hope you all had a great weekend i know most of the uk has had snow even though its spring and we should all be starting to feel the warmer weather. Lilly hasn't been well this weekend, her Daddy had the flu and no matter how hard we tried to not pass it to Lilly it was impossible and she has it but today she seems better and is getting back to her playful self.
Today's Mummy Mondays i wanted to share with you my thoughts on the Cussons Mum & Me baby range. If you follow me on Instagram you may have seen a few months ago i posted this photo of Lilly and you can see she has a red rash on her cheeks.
Why i stopped using Johnson's?
From when Lilly was born i have used Johnson's baby products, its the typical brand that i think most mums use and seems to be the best on the market, or so i thought. We all know the smell of Johnson's baby bath and lotion, you cant beat it and i was bought so much of the stuff before Lilly was born i was well and truly stocked up. When Lilly was a teeny tiny baby i used the lavender baby bath (the purple one) and i cant deny it smells lovely but the next day Lilly had this rash thing on her cheeks so i stopped using it, then the rash came back and i couldn't put my finger on what it was and she had been laying on her blanket which had just been freshly washed and i thought it was my fabric conditioner so i changed all of that and the rash seemed to go. I then noticed her cheeks, forehead and top of her arms were really dry which made me apply more baby lotion/oil to try and moisturise it and it just wasn't working.... anyway over time and taking things out of her bath routine and swapping them i realised it was the whole Johnson's range which was irritating her skin so i stopped using it all together and low and behold the rash went and so did her dry skin.
Why i choose to change to Cussons Mum & me
I realised for Lilly anything that's highly fragranced and has lots of chemicals in it isn't going to work with her skin, and after looking into Johnson's if i knew then what i know now even if it was fine for Lilly's skin i probably wouldn't have used it. Que me searching the Internet for what was best for Lilly and taking a trip to boots.
I came across alot of positive things about the Mum & me range and i decided to pick up a few thing from the baby collection. What also made me choose it was that it is "ultra mild" and has alot less chemicals in it and its really inexpensive.
The packaging
If like me your a pump lover you will love this! Most of their products have a pump and its so handy especially for the baby lotion i have it under Lilly's changing table and i just pump it out and rub it into her skin and its a thumbs up from me! The packaging for the Baby is white with purple writing, its clean without to much writing on the front and i like it.
Fragrance
Lets face it the reason alot of us love Johnson (myself included) is because of the smell. I like Lilly to smell fresh and clean and for her skin to be soft. The range does have a scent although emollient bath wash is fragrance free. I'm rubbish with smells but it smells "clean" and i can still smell it on her skin the next day. At first i wasn't sure about the smell but i do like it and the smell will always remind me of Lilly.
Ultra Mild Head To Toe Wash £2.99
This can be used as a bubble bath, a wash and a shampoo. Lilly loves her bubbles so I'm happy it creates a small amount of bubbles in her bath. The formula is kind to baby's eyes so if some does get in your babies eyes it wont result is baby red eyes. It also contains camomile which is proven to relax and i can definitely notice this and it smells lovely too.
Emollient Bath Wash £5.99
This was actually bought by mikes mum, i have used it as its created for babies with sensitive skin and eczema prone skin. The rest of the range is fine for Lilly so i don't need to use this but its good if your baby does have really sensitive skin as its fragrance free and is a milk like consistency.
Ultra Mild Baby Lotion £2.05
This is an ultra mild lotion for baby, its really gentle on the skin and leaves Lilly's skin so soft and smooth without drying or irritating her skin, i have even used it on myself because i love it that much.
Sleep Tight Balm £3.49
Mums, if you have trouble getting your little ones to sleep i urge you to try this. If you were going to buy anything get the sleep tight balm. I'm blessed with an amazing baby who sleeps the whole night and has since about 6 weeks old but she never used to go down until between 11-12 which was fine because she sleeps until about 9-9:30 but i wanted to get her to sleep earlier. I will usually give Lilly her bath between 8-8:30 and honestly since using this she has her bottle and is asleep by 10 at the latest (most nights). How it works is its like a Vaseline style pot and you apply it to the pulse points and the natural oils and camomile help to relax and unwind.
Cussons also do a bump and new mum range and is available from most store like tesco, boots etc. Have you tried anything from the range?
Hi ladies! I have noticed that alot of new mums or mums to be, read and follow my blog (which I'm very thankful for) and as a new mum myself i thought i would start doing "mummy posts" sharing my experiences with certain products, advice and general life as being a mum!
First post i thought i would do is on my yummy mummy pink lining change bag, every mum needs a change bag and when i first heard of pink lining i loved their bags and the concept of them, all their bags are lovely and they seem to have thought of everything you need!
www.pinklining.co.uk
I originally wanted the bag with the pink butterflies on the front but i couldn't find it anywhere, i then went into john Lewis and saw they had it with blue butterflies on the front and also red but then i spotted this one with the purple bows on the front and thought it was lovely and as everything of Lilly's is mainly pink i thought purple would be a bit of a change. This bag retails for £79.00 if you checkout their website www.pinklining.co.uk you can find all the new season designs. The bag is really well thought out it has a sort of waxy feel to it which is designed to protect the bag from any spills or accidents so it doesn't get damaged and your able to just wipe it clean. when i first saw it i did wonder if it would fit everything i would need to carry around with me and honestly its like marry Poppins bag i can fit so much in it, i did use this for Lilly's hospital bag and it was perfect.
The from has pink linings famous "yummy mummy" logo with the cupcake which is really sweet and i love cupcakes so this was a win for me. Inside you can fit your mummy things, when i emptied it today to take photos i had all the gift cards Lilly had when she was born a sun hat and some makeup bits and bobs.
on the side of the bag there are two pockets which have a brown bow which stretch open, i think these are meant for bottles and drinks or snacks. I mainly use these for things i would need to quickly grab if were out and about, i put in there her muslin clothes, bibs spare socks etc you can put whatever you like in them.
Inside the bag is hot pink, Theres three pockets on one side of the bag, one of them is a zip pocket and then two loose pockets which i use to put in nappies, i can fit about 5 in each, on the same side is also a pen holder and a little clip to clip your keys to so you never loose your keys in your bag anymore!
On the other side are two insulated pockets where you can put bottles to keep them cold or hot and these have been life savers on long journeys and really do work i would never buy a change bag without these, Also on that side is a pocket to put your phone into and a pretty pink mirror.
Another life saver for me is that it comes with a fold up change mat which has the yummy mummy cupcake sign on the inside, I'm not a fan of using the public change stations in case it hasn't been cleaned properly and there usually plastic and uncomfortable where as this answers all your problems. My family live a little way away from me so when i have had to travel down there and Lilly gets upset because she has a dirty nappy its great to pull over and lay it down on the back seat.
They have also provided a plastic bag for any dirty/wet clothes so they don't ruin everything else in your bag and a large strap which clips on the side to put over your shoulder which i find really handy and this it how i mainly use it.
Overall i think this is the best change bag i found and i searched through most of my pregnancy for one for the same sort of price and with all the extras but couldn't find one
Does anyone else have this bag or any other pink lining product?
