Sunday, 20 February 2011
Review: Angelcare Nappy Disposal System
We were recently sent the AngelCare Nappy Disposal System to review. I was a bit reluctant at first because we had, had a similar bin when Alex was born but it took 2 hands to use it properly and was not very easy to use.
Set Up
The bin came in 3 parts - the top, the bottom and the blue 'cassette'. The top and bottom clipped together easily and you just peel the top of the cassette, slip it in to the bin and then tie a knot in the plastic ready for use. That's it - your ready to go.
The Trial
As I said - I wasn't expecting much after the bad experience I had first time round but I was pleasantly surprised with this particular bin because it so easy to use. You just lift the lid and push the dirty nappy in. There's a special 'push & lock' system that keeps the smells locked in. The best bit for me is that you only need one hand to use it - there's no silly twisting required.
Once the bin has a few nappies in and you are ready to move them to the outdoor bin you just open the middle section of the system and pull the bag through. There's a built in safety cutter to cut through the plastic, then you just tie a knot in the end of the bag. Simples!
The Verdict
I use mine everyday and it works a treat. It's certainly made my life easier and therefore I can highly recommend!
The Angelcare Nappy Disposal System is available at Amazon.co.uk for only £8.99.
Review: PlayMais
Playmais is a natural children's craft material which is 100% biodegradable and which does not impose a burden on the environment. It is made from maize, semolina and water, and dyed with natural food colouring. Mister A has been begging me to let him play with these for a few weeks but with going back to work and having Little E in hospital we had to delay. I think my little man was enticed by the colours!
The way the Playmais works are they come with a small piece of orange material that you wet and then wring out. Your then use the moistness of the material to wet the Playmais to stick the pieces together. On the first attempt I may have used a little too much water and the small red piece that I had in my hand began to frazzle from the sheer amount of fluid that I had drowned it in! Mister A seemed a lot more competent and was soon well on his way...
The little pieces didn't make too much of a mess (unless they got too wet) and they did leave a little residue of dye on our fingers and felt a little sticky but it was great fun playing and building with them.
I had thought that perhaps they were a little too old for Mister A but he loved them. They were quite fidgety to begin with but once we knew what we were doing we had lots of giggles building different things - I made a tree but it wasn't my best piece of artwork so I'm refusing to share! Here's Mister A's car though...
It's car! I think it's really good, what about you? These things could certainly keep him entertained for a good few hours on a rainy day and it's great that there's no glue involved! We just used a table mat and other than a quick wipe of that and a wash of the hands we were all cleared up in no time. Great fun, good for the environment and a good price too. Worth a try if you have crafty little ones!
Wednesday, 16 February 2011
Does My Baby Have Meningitis? Our Worst Week
This time last week I was preparing for a second night in hospital with Little E. You may have noticed I haven't been around much. We had an absolute nightmare of a week last week with our poor little baby. After she had her first trial day at the nursery over 2 weeks ago, Little E had suffered with a gunky eye which I had assumed was conjunctivitis.
I took her to the GP the very next day and he took a look, he said it was fine and nothing to worry about so we left without treatment. A couple of days later she developed a cough and was struggling to sleep because of her blocked nose so I took her to the Health Centre - just for peace of mind. He just said it was viral and we should just treat her with Calpol and Ibuprofen. She remained the same for over a week and I returned to work last Monday. She was well in herself, just bunged up. On Tuesday however, whilst I was at work I was told that she had slept for most of the day and when I got her home she was not herself at all. Here's how it all unfolded...
Tuesday
It's 8.00pm and Little E has been really sleepy today. She's been snuffly for a couple of weeks and she's had runny eyes but the GP had told us it was just a virus and nothing to worry about. Since I got back from work though she's been drowsy, I can wake her but she's not herself and she goes straight off to sleep. I go online at consult NHS Direct and submit a form filling out Little E's details including her date of birth and a nurse calls me back 5 minutes later. She asks lots of questions - does she have a rash? are her lips blue? and then she says she will have a doctor call me back. 5 minutes later our local out of hours GP calls me and he suggests I bring her to the Health Centre in 20 minutes. Mister A is in bed so Chris stays home with him and I call my mum to ask her to come with me.
8.40pm We arrive at the health centre and the GP calls us straight through. He asks me to undress Little E and after examining her says he 'doesn't like the look of her' and wants to send her to paediatrics immediately. I start to panic - our local doctors usually just send you off with a tissue so I fear that there is something seriously wrong. She's now developed a rash on her tummy but it does disappear when touched. The health centre is based at the local hospital so we get sent round to Children's A&E. We are greeted by a nurse who asks me to undress Little E fully so that she can be weighed. She's 15lb 5oz she whimpers as I re-dress her and begins to cough. Her temperature is over 40 degrees. We are asked to return to the busy waiting room where other sick and injured children sit patiently.
9.30pm Little E's name is called and we are not taken to the usual cubicles, instead we are taken straight through to an assessment ward. We sit there waiting and we are asked to collect a urine sample. After taking her nappy off we have to hold the sample pot underneath her - nothing will make her go - we tickle her, blow on her tummy, try to make her giggle... no wee. Eventually after over an hour I decide to 'fashion' a nappy out of some paper towels and she immediately wees all over my hand. It was the first time I had laughed since I arrived home and I feel guilty for making light of a terrible situation.The sample is then taken off for testing.
10.45pm We see an F2 who examines Little E. She suspects it's something viral but bleeps the Senior paediatrician for his opinion. When he arrives at around 11.30pm, he examines her and says that the assessment ward closes at midnight. He's not sure what is wrong with her but as she is having trouble maintaining her own temperature he decides to admit her. He sees that I'm worried and tries to put my mind at ease - "Don't worry, if you had brought her in earlier then she would have been able to go home - we just need to monitor her for a bit longer so it's just easier to admit her and check on her through the night." I feel better knowing that it's just a precautionary measure.
Wednesday
10.45pm We see an F2 who examines Little E. She suspects it's something viral but bleeps the Senior paediatrician for his opinion. When he arrives at around 11.30pm, he examines her and says that the assessment ward closes at midnight. He's not sure what is wrong with her but as she is having trouble maintaining her own temperature he decides to admit her. He sees that I'm worried and tries to put my mind at ease - "Don't worry, if you had brought her in earlier then she would have been able to go home - we just need to monitor her for a bit longer so it's just easier to admit her and check on her through the night." I feel better knowing that it's just a precautionary measure.
Wednesday
12.30am My Dad arrives to take my mum home and brings 'supplies' - in the panic though he picks up size 1 nappies! Bless him. I open up the fold up bed but I know I won't be getting much sleep - Little E is really clingy now and won't settle.
1.00am The nurse comes to check her obs and warns me that the doctor is on her way in to take some bloods. When the doctor arrives I have just managed to settle Little E but that all goes out the window once they use one of those punch things to prick her heel and start to squeeze 2 vials of blood out of her.
I spend the next couple of hours trying to get Little E off to sleep, she won't settle so the nurse brings a massive old Silver Cross coach built pram and I try to rock her to sleep in that. Every time I think she's in a deep sleep she wakes when I try and climb in to my bed.
3.50am I manage about 10 minutes sleep before the 2 doctors and a nurse burst in to the room.and turn the lights on. I can hardly focus on what's being said as my eyes try to re-adjust under the fluorescent lighting. "We need to do a lumbar puncture immediately and get a canular in her now." They explain that the blood results have come back and they are showing bacteria in Little E's bloodstream which could mean she has meningitis. They recommend that I wait in the room whilst they do the procedure as usually parents find it too distressing to watch. In the panic I agree and soon I am sat alone with tears streaming down my face. I try to call Chris but he must be in a deep sleep so I call my mum.which makes me worse. I haven't even asked if there could be complications. The clock slowly ticks over and I can hear my baby screaming down the corridor.
4.20am Little E is brought back to the room with her arm bandaged. The canular is in and she's had her first dose of IV antibiotics but because she is so upset they ask me to try and settle her before they do the lumbar puncture. Nothing will calm her down and even when I try to breastfeed she only wants to cry. Eventually she calms down, only to be whisked away again to have the fluid taken from her spine. I try Chris again and this time he answers, he sobs as I tell him what's going on. We are both scared and fear the worst, although we know that she is in good hands.
4.45am My baby is finally returned to me, the lumbar puncture has been done but she's been screaming so much that her little voice has started to break. The nurse says I have to keep her flat for the next 5 hours otherwise Little E will suffer from an awful headache. How are you supposed to calm a baby down if you have to keep them flat? I'm allowed to hold her in my arms but I can't rock her like I normally would. and she still wont settle. I have now gone 23 hours without sleep and I can feel my own body starting to shut down. As I try to soothe my daughter I start to feel dizzy and fall back on to the bed. I buzz the nurse. She insists on taking Little E out of the room in the pram so that I can rest. I feel so guilty but I know I need to sleep to be strong for my baby.
6.30am The nurse brings Little E back to me, she's managed some sleep too but she's hungry now. I lie her next to me on the fold up bed and feed her. After half an hour she finally drifts off in to a deep sleep and I move her in to her bed before closing my own eyes and drifting off.
9.30am We are awoken by the doctors returning to the room. I'm still dizzy from lack of sleep and having slept in my contact lenses I can hardly see. They explain that the results of the lumbar puncture have come back and Little E does not have Meningitis. I feel like a weight has been lifted, I'm so relieved. The doctors explain that they are still unclear about what is causing Little E to be so ill and they are now growing cultures on the spinal fluid, the blood and eye swabs to see what grows. In the meantime they will continue to pump the IV antibiotics in to her to try and cure whatever it is that's wrong. I call everyone to let them know but then start to wonder what exactly is happening to my baby maybe the chest X-Ray will tell us more.
12.30pm We head to the X-Ray department for Little E's chest X-Ray where we have a 40 minute wait before we are called in. I have to put on a massive heavy pinafore to keep me safe whilst I hold Little E still. She's still not herself and she cries as I hold her in place.
2.00pm Little E is still unable to control her own temperature. She remains only in her nappy and is given Calpol and Ibuprofen alternately every few hours. Her nose is still streaming and she keeps wiping her nose on the bandages on her arm that cover her canular. She's tugging at her arm too.
5.00pm Finally Little E smiles and I start to relax - she seems a lot more settled now the antibiotics have started to kick in. We have visits from Mister A and Daddy and Grandma and Grandad and the play lady comes in with some bits to keep us entertained. The chest X-Ray has also come back clear so the doctors still don't know what's going on. We prepare for our second night in hospital.
Thursday
5.00am The nurse comes in with her torch to administered another dose of antibiotics. Little E has been up and down through the night and I have had to feed her at least 5 times. Her nose is still blocked so she can't take a full feed.
9.00am Another nurse and more antibiotics. When this nurse checks the canular though - it's not good news - Little E has somehow managed to pull the canular completely out of her arm. Luckily it was noticed straight away or it could have bled out. We are now faced with another canular insertion and I decide that this time I will go with her.
12.00pm We've been waiting for hours for the doctors to come and collect us. I'd rather get it out of the way and get the antibiotics back in to her as soon as possible. Eventually they arrive and we are lead in to a side room where 2 doctors, 3 nurses and a play member are waiting. I lie her down on the bed and she seems content until they start gripping her wrist. They struggle to find her veins. They can't put it back in the left hand so they try her right. I watch as the needle goes in to her hand and she screams in pain but then the doctor says it's not in her vein and takes it straight back out. He struggles to locate a new site and then decides on her left foot - the same foot that they took blood from on our first night. Eventually it's complete and I cuddle her in my arms to settle her. Her leg is now in a splint to stop this one from coming out and it's bandaged quite heavily.
5.00pm I start to get grumpy because I've not been eating properly - the canteen sandwiches leave a lot to be desired - and I force my mum to bring me in a McDonalds when the nurse confirms we are staying another night. Luckily Little E seems a lot brighter. We're told the culture results should be back in the morning and depending on the outcome I can take my baby home. It will be nice to get things back to normal. The past few days have seemed unreal.
Friday
10.00pm The Doctor comes to reveal the results. The cultures were clear. I feel guilty now for allowing the lumbar puncture when it was un-necessary but I know it had to be done. They explain that it was probably a combination of septic tonsillitis, flu and an eye infection (all missed by the first doctors at our surgery). The infections took over her body and caused the massive rise in temperature. We will be allowed to go home later today.
3.00pm We are finally discharged with oral antibiotics and eye drops. Little E looks so much better already and the doctors have told me to send her to nursery to get her back in to her normal routine. I'm so glad the nightmare is over and we are excited to be home again with the boys.
It's been over a week now and Little E still can't shake her snuffles but she's a million times better and she's happy. The nightmare week has gone but won't ever be forgotten and I hope that we never ever have to go through anything like that ever again.
For more information on Meningitis please see the NHS website.
Sunday, 13 February 2011
Monday, 7 February 2011
Little E's First Day At Nursery
Bless her, she looks like she had lots of fun. x
Back To Work After Baby
As you read this I'll be sat at my new desk at work. I'll have been up since 6.00am to ensure that I can be showered and dressed before I wake the children. I'd laid their clothes out ready to avoid the usual 'why are there only odd socks?' panic. The baby bag is packed, the bottles sterilised and ready to go.
The nursery opens at 8.00am so I'll have left at 7.40 to make sure I get there as the door opens - otherwise I won't make it to work on time through the heavy traffic. I'll probably have shed a tear as I left through the big heavy door of the nursery as I embarked on my first journey to work since Little E was born.
It's only been 6 months but it feels like a lifetime since I was sat at my computer all day. Saying that though, it doesn't feel like I've actually been off for six months either - my mind must be playing tricks again. The time has passed far too quickly, I only wish that I could have taken a full year out but we're just not in a position to do that.
So I'm back to work, already, it's all gone too fast. I'm having to start a new job too so I'm going to be like the new girl at school. It's 10 o'clock now so I'm probably still struggling to connect to the network - that's if I've even managed to login. The day will be a blur . I know that my heart will be breaking thinking about my babies at the nursery but I'll cope, of course I will... I'm a mum and that's just what mums do... but it doesn't stop the sadness that I'm feeling inside.
Sunday, 6 February 2011
Saturday, 5 February 2011
And the Blogerversary Winners Are....
Frontcover Wide Eyed Set
Email subscriber winner: Dessiree Brown
Disney Sing It Family Hits Game
Facebook 'liker' winner: April Daley
A Rachel's Farm Cooler Bag Filled with Goodies
Google Friend Connect winner: Yvonne Brownsea
and finally....
5 x Schwarzkopf OSiS Shine Dusters
The 5 Twitter Winners:
@CHOCOAJ
@glowstars
@glowstars
@DrCat1981
@Baby_Genie
@relisys222
@Baby_Genie
@relisys222
Email secondtimemum@live.co.uk with your details and arrange to have your goodies sent out.
Thank you to everyone for supporting me over the past year!
The One Where We Found Our Old Toys! (If you're an 80's child you may recognise a few of these!)
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| Fisher Price Turtle |
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| Fisher Price Bath Toy |
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| Fisher Price Roly Poly Chime Ball |
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| Fisher Price Band Set |
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| Fisher Price Chatter Telephone |
and my favourites....
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| Roland Rat, Errol and Kevin! |
Friday, 4 February 2011
Thank you Duplo!
The birthday cake was a Duplo Brick and went down a storm at the party. Massive thanks to Duplo - he's some snaps of the party table and if you like what you see then watch this space for a chance to win a Lego Duplo birthday kit for your little one!
GORDON RAMSAY COOKS UP A 'SERIOUSLY GOOD' STORM FOR RED NOSE DAY
We recently got to try the delicious range of Gordan Ramsey's Seriously Good Italian sauces - Bolognese & Red Wine, Cherry Tomato & Balsamic, Spicy Red Pepper & Spianta Sausage and my absolute favourite -Wild Mushrooms and Marscarpone.
They were absolutely delicious - we ate them both with pasta and also as a sauce for meat and we enjoyed every single one.
The Seriously Good Italian range have so far helped raise more than a quarter of a million pounds for Comic Relief since September 2009.
The Seriously Good Italian range have so far helped raise more than a quarter of a million pounds for Comic Relief since September 2009.
As if the Italian selection weren't delicious enough, today saw the launch of Comic Relief’s Seriously Good Indian sauces. Gordon Ramsay took to London’s Brick Lane today serving up plates of Seriously Good curry to raise money for Red Nose Day 2011.
Ramsay was joined at the pop-up curry stall by actress Shobna Gulati, who got stuck in selling plates to the lengthy queue of hungry Londoners. Adding to the festivities were colourful performances by the Hina and Co Bollywood Dancers and a special guest appearance by one of the giant Red Nose monsters of this year’s Red Nose Day campaign.
Gordon said, “Wow, what a seriously good day, we cooked up a storm, serving great tasting curry to the public for Red Nose Day. The new Indian range from Seriously Good went down a treat with the hordes of hungry crowds in London's famous Brick Lane.”
The new Seriously Good Indian cooking sauces have been developed by Gordon Ramsay to raise money for Comic Relief all year round, with at least 10p from every jar contributing to the charity. Gordon donates his time to the project and doesn’t make a penny.
Those that were unable to make it to the curry stall are encouraged to get behind Red Nose Day by enjoying a Seriously Good curry at home. The new Seriously Good Indian range comprises four mouth-watering sauces including Royal Korma, Aromatic Masala, Butter Chicken and Spicy Red Curry.
Red Nose Day 2011
is heading your way on Friday 18th March when the great British public
will
once again be asked to do something funny for money. To join
in the fun go to www.rednoseday.com
and find out how you can get involved.
Seriously Good cooking sauces are available all year round in selected major retailers including Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda and The Co-Operative. The sauces are priced from RRP £1.89 with at least 10p from every jar sold going to Comic Relief. During the Red Nose Day 2011 campaign, specially marked packs of Seriously Good sauces will contribute directly to the Red Nose Day 2011 fundraising total.
Seriously Good cooking sauces are available all year round in selected major retailers including Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda and The Co-Operative. The sauces are priced from RRP £1.89 with at least 10p from every jar sold going to Comic Relief. During the Red Nose Day 2011 campaign, specially marked packs of Seriously Good sauces will contribute directly to the Red Nose Day 2011 fundraising total.
Thursday, 3 February 2011
Tried & Tested: Valentine's Gift Ideas
Rigby & Peller Lingerie Bag £17.99
Our Rigby & Peller lingerie bag is the perfect accessory for traveling or storing your luxurious lingerie in style. The satin drawstring bag ensures your lingerie will be protected in transit as it will prevent snagging on any other piece of clothing. To match our lingerie bag we also have a satin eye mask essential for any globe setter. Ideal gifts for any occasion.
What our reviewer said:
"If my other half bought me this lingerie bag for Valentines I would be very impressed.I know he wouldn't be able to afford to by me the underwear to match but I love a bit of luxury and it's all about feeling a little bit posh. The bag is satin with a ribbon drawstring and it feels so soft - definitely not one for putting your granny knickers in! I'll be putting my posh undies in there - maybe to keep them safe until Valentines. ; ) I think it's a lovely gift."
For him...
Flip Ultra HD
An incredibly simple to use high definition pocket camcorder with a signature flip-out USB arm and award-winning built-in software, Flip lets you shoot unforgettable moments in great quality, quickly and easily create videos on a computer and share with your loved ones online. Being pocket sized and allowing you to capture up to two hours of footage, it's the perfect gadget to capture romantic moments for years to come. The latest range of Flips were launched in November and are priced from £149.99.
What our reviewer said:
What our reviewer said:
"This is so easy to use and would make a great gift for any occasion. Just press the red button to record and away you go. All the software is pre-loaded so you just use the USB to connect it directly to your laptop and from there you can take photo stills from your videos - great if you've got kids that wont stay still - just film them and select the pic you want later on! All of our films were great quality and the only downside was that there was no flash for night use. If you're buying this as a Valentines gift why not pre-record a video message on to it telling them how much you love them. Very romantic! Would definitely recommend."
To Share Some Giggles...
MR & MRS Travel Edition (£4.99)
What our reviewer said:
"We haven't laughed so much in ages. The questions were brilliant and really put us to the test. I won - naturally but we argued because Chris was convinced I was lying with my answers so that I could win! A night of giggles. We've let mum and dad borrow it so I expect to see my Dad with a black eye at the weekend for not knowing what my Mum's favourite food is! You have to get this - but it will make your cheeks hurt from all the laughing."
A Personalised Keepsake...
Love is... book From It's Your Story
Give the person you love something truly unique this Valentine's Day with this personalised Love Is... book. 24 specially selected illustrations from the celebrated original artworks of Kim Casali have been brought together to capture loving sentiments. As well as your names on the cover, there are twelve illustrations throughout the book created for you to personalise with your names and additional information such as your favourite film to watch together and favourite food.
What our reviewer said:
"We have already reviewed one of the children's books from It's Your Story and it was fab so I chose to review this one just for me and Chris and I was really excited about it. It was personalised to us and the things that we do and like. I wasn't sure what Chris would make of it but he actually had a little tear in his eye as he read it. It's really special and we both love it - we'll keep it forever. You have to buy one for your true love - they love you forever."
Breakfast In Bed...
Heart-Shaped Silicone Ring (£3.49)
What our reviewer said:
"Last year I tried to cook an egg in a heart shaped pan that cost about 50p - with little success - in fact it was so bad that we had to bin the pan! This was ingenious. On my first attempt the egg did ooze out from underneath the silicone heart but I put that down to the amount of oil in the pan. Since that first attempt I have made at least 10 perfectly heart shaped eggs. A great novelty item to make Valentines breakfast in bed a little bit special."
Heart Flex Turner (£8.49)
What our reviewer said...
"We tested this alongside the Heart-Shaped Silicone Ring and it was the perfect size for transporting said eggs from pan to plate. I was worried that I might not be able to use it with my non-stick pan but it's made of a special material so it won't scratch. Another lovely little idea."
On a budget...
Selection of Valentines Gifts at Poundland
If you are looking for fun this Valentine’s Day, look no further than Poundland. With some naughty little gifts to get you hot under the collar, to cute and cuddly soft toys, Poundland has a great selection to make your Valentine’s Day special!
What our reviewer said:
"We got sent a few things to have a play with: Love Crackers - sounds rude but it's just a Christmas Cracker with a funny joke and a hat! An 'I Love You Toast' Stamp - you push it in to your bread before you put it in the toaster and it leaves your lovely message on the toast.Valentines socks - I'm wearing them as we speak! A cuddly toy - really cute and a bargain at £1 and a lovely gift bag to put all of your goodies in. Great novelty gifts, all good fun and at a bargain price - what more can you want?"
For the Bedroom...
Chippendale Diva (£59.99)
MR & MRS Travel Edition (£4.99)
From the popular ITV game show, the brand new MR&MRS Travel Edition, launching in February 2011, is perfect entertainment for some fun around Valentine’s Day. The game’s questions are intended to tease out gems of information on subjects that you may not expect! Guaranteed to cause arguments, blushes, blank looks and lots of laughter! The MR&MRS Travel Edition is licensed by University Games and available from all good retailers with an RRP of £4.99
What our reviewer said:
"We haven't laughed so much in ages. The questions were brilliant and really put us to the test. I won - naturally but we argued because Chris was convinced I was lying with my answers so that I could win! A night of giggles. We've let mum and dad borrow it so I expect to see my Dad with a black eye at the weekend for not knowing what my Mum's favourite food is! You have to get this - but it will make your cheeks hurt from all the laughing."
A Personalised Keepsake...
Love is... book From It's Your Story
Give the person you love something truly unique this Valentine's Day with this personalised Love Is... book. 24 specially selected illustrations from the celebrated original artworks of Kim Casali have been brought together to capture loving sentiments. As well as your names on the cover, there are twelve illustrations throughout the book created for you to personalise with your names and additional information such as your favourite film to watch together and favourite food.
What our reviewer said:
"We have already reviewed one of the children's books from It's Your Story and it was fab so I chose to review this one just for me and Chris and I was really excited about it. It was personalised to us and the things that we do and like. I wasn't sure what Chris would make of it but he actually had a little tear in his eye as he read it. It's really special and we both love it - we'll keep it forever. You have to buy one for your true love - they love you forever."
Breakfast In Bed...
Heart-Shaped Silicone Ring (£3.49)
Create the perfect romantic breakfast in bed with this flexible silicone heart shaped egg ring. Heat, odour, and stain resistant with a fold up / fold down handle, and heat resistant knob to easily remove the ring once the egg is cooked.
What our reviewer said:
"Last year I tried to cook an egg in a heart shaped pan that cost about 50p - with little success - in fact it was so bad that we had to bin the pan! This was ingenious. On my first attempt the egg did ooze out from underneath the silicone heart but I put that down to the amount of oil in the pan. Since that first attempt I have made at least 10 perfectly heart shaped eggs. A great novelty item to make Valentines breakfast in bed a little bit special."
Heart Flex Turner (£8.49)
Flexible nylon heart-shaped spatula with stainless steel handle.
What our reviewer said...
"We tested this alongside the Heart-Shaped Silicone Ring and it was the perfect size for transporting said eggs from pan to plate. I was worried that I might not be able to use it with my non-stick pan but it's made of a special material so it won't scratch. Another lovely little idea."
On a budget...
Selection of Valentines Gifts at Poundland
If you are looking for fun this Valentine’s Day, look no further than Poundland. With some naughty little gifts to get you hot under the collar, to cute and cuddly soft toys, Poundland has a great selection to make your Valentine’s Day special!
What our reviewer said:
"We got sent a few things to have a play with: Love Crackers - sounds rude but it's just a Christmas Cracker with a funny joke and a hat! An 'I Love You Toast' Stamp - you push it in to your bread before you put it in the toaster and it leaves your lovely message on the toast.Valentines socks - I'm wearing them as we speak! A cuddly toy - really cute and a bargain at £1 and a lovely gift bag to put all of your goodies in. Great novelty gifts, all good fun and at a bargain price - what more can you want?"
For the Bedroom...
Chippendale Diva (£59.99)
The Chippendales Diva is a must have object of pleasure. Created to tease and please all the right areas externally. This intimate massager boasts eight stimulation modes in two programs, all easily adjustable for the most varied and satisfying sensations perfect for solo or partner play. It is fully lockable ensuring discretion at all times.
The Chippendales Diva is currently available in two colours; black and white and is provided with a chic silk storage pouch.
"When this arrived I took it in to the lounge to investigate, put the batteries in turned it on, giggled and then put it on the stairs to take up to the bedroom. Fast forward 5 hours - son comes home from school and finds it on the stairs - "Mummy, what's this? It's moving. Come and look.' Whoops!!! It's now safely hidden away in the grown ups room! So is it any good? Well this is embarrassing! I won't go in to detail but let's just say yes - it is good - it did cause giggles at first but it does what it's supposed to ; ) "
Wednesday, 2 February 2011
Ooooh A Tasty Award!
I hate it when the postman doesn't come until the afternoon but today I have forgiven him because look what has just arrived. A lovely 'Bloggy Brilliant' biscuit award from Azaria PR.
Maybe I should have preserved it and hung it on my wall but I couldn't resist a little nibble and now it's all gone - Nom nom nom. I guess I'll just have to make do with a jpg version for my side bar now.
Maybe I should have preserved it and hung it on my wall but I couldn't resist a little nibble and now it's all gone - Nom nom nom. I guess I'll just have to make do with a jpg version for my side bar now.
Thanks Azaria!!
Review: GUMIGEM Teething Necklace
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| This heart shaped GUMIGEM would make a lovely Valentine's Gift. |
Little E is at that dribbly - 'put anything she can find in her mouth' -teething stage. Whether it's a teether, her dolly or even my jewellery - anything she can grab goes in.
Like me, Jenny McLaughlan from Dundee found that wearing a necklace once she had a baby became impossible. Her little nipper would also pull, chew and chomp on anything that hung around her neck.
Jenny missed accessorising and then had a brain wave! What if she could design a necklace that had a pendant that was safe for baby to chew but to the lay eye just looked like a stylish necklace? That’s when GUMIGEM was born. In the summer of 2010, Jenny started researching this concept. It became apparent that nothing like it was available in the UK. She observed that most mummies with babies do not wear jewellery and concluded that it could appeal to all mummies.
It became important that this pendant should be baby safe, non toxic, BPA, lead and phthalate free and meet the same standards as other teething items.
From experience Jenny also new a firm tug from your little bundle of joy on your necklace could be quite painful, so thought about adding a breakaway clasp to the necklace so any strong little monkeys would not hurt their mummies. Like all mummies she also recognised the importance of cleanliness and decided that the material had to be suitable for a steriliser or dishwasher. So following months of research she settled on silicone on a waxed cotton cord. The silicone selected was medical grade so would meet FDA standards and the safety requirement. Jenny designed two styles and worked with the silicone company to make a tool that would provide the required finish to ensure the pendant looked stylish and of good quality.
We were lucky enough to be sent one of these for review and Little E is constantly sticking it in her mouth. I don't need to worry about her playing with my jewellery anymore but we do sterilise it often. It came in handy the other day when I'd forgotten her teether when we were out and about. It's a great idea and there are lots of styles to choose from. They'd make a great gift - the heart shaped ones especially as a nice little Valentine's gift - or if you know that your man is no good at taking hints then why not treat yourself!
From experience Jenny also new a firm tug from your little bundle of joy on your necklace could be quite painful, so thought about adding a breakaway clasp to the necklace so any strong little monkeys would not hurt their mummies. Like all mummies she also recognised the importance of cleanliness and decided that the material had to be suitable for a steriliser or dishwasher. So following months of research she settled on silicone on a waxed cotton cord. The silicone selected was medical grade so would meet FDA standards and the safety requirement. Jenny designed two styles and worked with the silicone company to make a tool that would provide the required finish to ensure the pendant looked stylish and of good quality.
We were lucky enough to be sent one of these for review and Little E is constantly sticking it in her mouth. I don't need to worry about her playing with my jewellery anymore but we do sterilise it often. It came in handy the other day when I'd forgotten her teether when we were out and about. It's a great idea and there are lots of styles to choose from. They'd make a great gift - the heart shaped ones especially as a nice little Valentine's gift - or if you know that your man is no good at taking hints then why not treat yourself!
The necklaces are now available to buy online and retail at £10 and come in a range of designs which can all be found on the website: www.laughing-lamb-creations.co.uk. Mummies across the country can achieve ‘teething with style!’
Tuesday, 1 February 2011
Tried & Tested: Classic Valentines Gifts For Her
So you want to treat your lady to something special this year - she tells you not to waste your money but if you don't get her anything then she doesn't speak to you for a week. Well, take a look at these lovely gifts, we guarantee you can't go wrong with these...
Taylors Luxury Valentines Bouquet
Make sure you make the right impression this Valentine’s Day by spoiling your loved one with a beautiful hand-tied bouquet, crafted just for her by an award-winning florist. This Valentine’s Day surprise her with a limited edition bouquet of 12 perfectly formed scarlet red ‘Passion’ roses, dressed to impress in a stylish matt black standing gift box, tied with a pretty red raffia bow. What’s more, bouquets start from only £19.99!
What our reviewer said:
"I never ever get flowers - despite the most obvious hints to my man -so this was a treat. These roses were delivered by courier but were in perfect condition, so beautiful. They came with instructions on how to make them last for as long as possible. They graced my living room for almost 2 weeks before they started to droop and I had to take them away (this is a record for me). What woman doesn't love to receive flowers - I'd send them to her work address for a grand gesture and have her work mates cooing over what a great guy you must be!"
Godiva Chocolates
Give the ultimate gift of Godiva’s Romantic Heart boxes. Wrapped in the most seductive red fabric and decorated with silky red ribbons and satin roses, the box forms the perfect package for the most romantic of chocolates. The Romantic Heart boxes are available in three sizes: small and sweet (15 chocolates), heart-meltingly medium (27 chocolates) and lovingly large (40 chocolates). Prices start from £35.00.
What our reviewer said:
"Wow! We were sent a small heart shape box of truffles to sample the delights of this Belgian chocolate and we were certainly left wanting more. Although these are expensive - you can certainly taste the difference and my taste buds are pricking up even now as I write this review. If you are a chocolate lover then you have to taste these - although I have to warn you - they will leave you thinking normal chocolate is not worth the effort. If a man bought me these then I would love him forever."
Nicolas Feuillatte: Rose NV
An absolute classic, reflecting a fresh and elegant style, perfect for pre-prandial pleasures, cocktails, and for sipping on a terrace. A dependable and subtle Champagne for those simple relaxing moments. For lovers of a more natural taste. Elegant, soft, round and thirst-quenching. The ultimate pleasure in rosé Champagne. Beautifully balanced and finishing on a strawberry note.
"I love Champagne and this definitely left me wanting more. I popped the cork with my husband and we drank it together (although I did try and persuade him to move on to lager let me finish it but he wouldn't). To describe it - the bubbles are tiny and there's quite a fruity taste to it - I'm not good at this descriptive stuff am I?! It's really good though, we loved it and we'll buy it again."
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