Malory Band

As I said in yesterdays post I am now trying to shift the baby weight and a stone or so more. 
I was contacted by Malory Band last year but at the time I was pregnant but wanted to be involved in
trying out their product so I contacted them once Blake was born and have been testing out the Malory Band 
over the last few weeks. 

First of all Malory Band is a soft, narrow and adjustable cord which goes around your waist. 
The band doesn't break,  stretch, rot, rub, fray or irritate. 
You wear the band all day, every day as it acts as a reminder for when you have eaten enough, a bit like an external conscience. 

I have to make sure that you know that the band wont MAKE you slim, since a healthy diet and exercise are the only ways to achieve lasting weight loss. 
The Malory band however will act as a great support reminding you to cut back on how much you are eating for when you have made the physiological decision to lose weight. 


If you want to chart your progress, you can buy a Malory Band clip-on bead. The bead attaches to the starting loop, so every day you can see how well you are doing. The bead also functions as a means to clip-up the tail, which grows longer as you lose weight.
The band may ride up, which is perfectly normal. It will find its natural position in time.


The first time I wore it I was unsure if it would work at all as to be honest it doesn't sound like something
that would normally work for me. 
Once its on, you are aware that you are wearing it so I think that is how it works to remind you that 
if you eat too much than you will put weight on. 
It is a good idea but I don't think it really works as my eating had been bad over the last 4 weeks or so and
I had put on 7lb of what I had lost after having Blake. 
I found that personally for me that the band didn't get tighter though. 

It would be interesting to see if this has worked out for others though. 


Blake 10 Weeks

Last week at 9 weeks old Blake had his first lot of immunizations.
It was really horrible seeing my little man cry so much. 
He was given one orally and then had two injections in his little legs.
I am dreading the next lot that I need to book in for him when he is 13 weeks old. 

Sleep is going really well and its not taking him as long to settle at night. 
Once we have turned out the lights and put on the light on his slumber buddy Eddie the Elephant he falls asleep within 30 mins or so.
He is also awake more during the day now and sleeping for 7/8 hours a night.

He is drinking his milk really well and will be having 180ml, 6 times a day up until he is 4 months old. 
He loves his dummy still and it really works to help him settle when he is really upset. 

We attempted using cloth nappies as they now fit but his legs aren't chunky enough so they leak a little so have gone back to disposables for now. 
In disposables he now is wearing size 2. 


Development wise Blake is moving his arms and legs around loads and is even more of a wiggle bum.
He still isn't keen on tummy time, I have tried him again on his mat today but he starts to push up with his little legs and then starts crying. 
He is much happier when resting his head and chilling out as above. 

He loves babbling and cooing away having conversations with both Mummy and Daddy. 



Slumbersac Giveaway

Last Friday I told you all about Slumbersac and their range of sleeping bags 
at fab prices. 
Now you have the opportunity to win a £25 gift voucher with them. 
All you have to do to enter is complete the raffle copter below.



Terms and Conditions apply. 

January Degustabox

Another month and another Degustabox! 

For those of you not familiar with Degustabox they are a food box subscription service and 
every month they select and send out an exciting range of new and limited edition products from
a range of fab foodie brands.

The box this month has 10 different brands inside with there being a box with a choice of alcohol or  non alcohol options.
But with being a blogger I got to have both so I have 11 wonderful items to tell you about. 

This months Degustabox is called the Healthy Box which I thought was suitable 
as during January most people are wanting to be more healthy etc.



So first of all in the box is Magners Orchard Berries Light Cider. 
Which I am looking forward to trying since I am no longer pregnant so am
able to have a drink. 
This looks as though its going to be a fab Friday night treat.

Next up we have a sample of  Clippers Green and lemon tea as like last months 
one I am going to pass this on as I am not a huge fan of green tea. 

I am looking forward to trying out KoKo Dairy Free Coconut Milk
as I've never tried Coconut milk before and am up for trying something new. 
KoKo Dairy Free contains fewer calories than skimmed milk, 0% cholesterol and is 100% allergen free.

I am glad to see Little Miracles again as I really loved the drinks last time. 
The drinks are a beautiful blend of  organic tea, juice and ginseng. 
With less than 90 calories per bottle with no artificial coloring's this makes a 
fab refreshing pick me up.

Simple Aloe is an all natural, never from concentrate aloe vera drink. 
Blended with fresh grape juice and a squeeze of lemon to create a extremely tasty and
healthy drink.
 I was a bit unsure on what it would taste like but have been impressed. 

Magners Light
Clipper Tea (sample)
Koko Dairy Free £1.39
Little Miracles £1.49 each
Simplee Aloe £1.79 

Next up we have Alfa One Rice Oil  which is nutritionally well balanced and high in natural antioxidants. 
Alfa One Rice Bran Oil is simply one of the healthiest and most  versatile cooking oils making
it perfect for cooking any dish.
I am looking forward to trying this out. 

Next up  Kabuto Noodles are a delicious combination of authentic Asian flavors made
with quality ingredients  and available in 7 different flavors. 

Haywards Piccalilli has delicious chunky vegetables in a tangy mustard sauce great for sandwiches, burgers and BBQ's. 
I'm looking forward to giving this a try.




Alfa One Rice Bran Oil £2
Kabuto noodles £2
Haywards Piccalilli £1.89

Mornflake top porridge pots are fab and a perfect start to the morning. 
I have really enjoyed these simple to make up porridge pots. 
With  Nutella or golden syrup you can add the right amount of sweetness you need (if you want to).



Mornflake top porridge pots £1.50 each

Finn Crisp original crispbread are low in fat and use only natural ingredients. 
I am looking forward to giving these a try.

Sukrin Cake mix is a low carb "free from" mixture to make up a yummy cake
all you need is egg (if you wish) and other optional ingredients such as coco powder. 



Finn Crisp £1.20
Sukrin Cake Mix £5

This month you can get £3 off the Degustabox when quoting the following code: 
H8MC5


http://bit.ly/DBhomepage - website
http://bit.ly/DBUKfacebook - Facebook
http://bit.ly/DBUKTwitter - twitter

Gro Hush

When Blake was born we found it extremely hard to get him to go to sleep in his moses basket at night time. 
I have heard about using white noise to help babies to drop off into a wonderful world of sleep. 

I was contacted by The Gro Company who you most likely have heard of due to their many popular nursery brand products such as their famous Grobag. 
They wanted to send me the Gro Hush for me to try out with Blake which I jumped at the chance to try out
since sleep was becomeing something I hadn't heard of for awhile. 

White noise has been consistently proven to help soothe babies triggering the calming reflex and allowing them to relax by mimicking sounds made inside the womb. This can be done by using items in the home such as the radio, hoover, washing machine and even you can help by making a shh shh sound but that can get tiring after awhile and also its costly running the hoover or having the radio static on constantly. 

The new Gro Hush from sleep experts The Gro Company is the only hand held white noise device that delivers soothing sounds to your baby.



The Gro Hush is simple to use and is ideal for using as part of a calming routine at home or out and about. 
Gro Hush provides calm and reassurance allowing your baby to relax wherever you are. 

The Gro hush includes a handy travel case and washable cover and is powered by 3x AAA batteries which 
are not included. 

To use the Gro Hush hold down any button for a few seconds until they all illuminate.
Once turned on you can choose from the three sounds by pressing the relevant button. 
The three sounds to choose from are:
Mothers Heartbeat 
Rain on a tin roof 
and 
Ocean waves 


Blake seemed to prefer the rain on a tin roof sound over the other two as he quietened down much more quicker.
The Gro Hush volume is preset at a safe and effective volume level of 75 decibels which can only be heard by your baby. 
The Gro Hush automatically turns off after 10 minutes but you can turn it off manually by holding down any of
the buttons until the light goes out. 

Overall I like the idea of how the Gro Hush works and its a useful product to have when you have a baby
that needs help to calm down and relax. 



All of The Gro Company products are available throughout a wide range of some of the world’s leading nursery and fashion retailers, such as Mothercare, John Lewis, Babies R Us and online with Amazon and Kiddicare, to name a few! They also have their own retail website, The Gro Store, which sells their full range of products.

Have you tried the Gro Hush or any of The Gro Company's products? 
If so I'd love to hear your thoughts. 

Dream Child Free Holiday

by Gualberto107
http://www.freedigitalphotos.ne
t/

Before Blake was born and there was just me and my husband I had so many ideas of places
I would love to go on holiday both as a family but also child free holidays. 

One child free holiday I would love to go on is a cruise. 
I love the whole idea of going around different places and soaking up the sun whilst
on a cruise ship with sea breeze in my hair, the sun shining down on my face and 
sipping on a cocktail or two. 

Fred Olsen Cruises do a fab range of Caribbean cruises.
I love the whole idea of being able to sit on white sandy beaches fringed with palm trees and crystal clear waters.
Caribbean cruises mean you can go to places such as  Dominica, Jamaica, St Kitts, Antigua, Martinique, St Lucia and Barbados, as well as destinations further afield such as Belize, Honduras, Cuba, and Colombia's Caribbean coast. 

This is totally my perfect ideal child free holiday to spend with a partner. 
One of the destinations I have mentioned above that I really want to see is Cuba.


Have you ever been on a Caribbean cruise?
If so I'd love to know where you went and what you got up to. 

Blake 8 Weeks

Last week we saw our health visitor  and he was weighed again so he now weighs 9lb 110z as of last Thursday.

He is really good at night now but still takes awhile to settle. 
He seems to sleep better on nights when he has had a bath which I am trying to get 
into a routine of doing every 2 days (even though he hates it). 

As of today he is now drinking 180ml of Cow and Gate every 3/4 hours. 
He loves his dummy at the moment and uses it for when I settle him to sleep. 

As for his development he is now cooing loads and follows me around the room 
as well as looking at me when I am talking. 
Last Friday he smiled at me for the first time and it definitely wasn't wind.
He is much stronger and is able to hold his head up now for a few seconds. 
Blake is also focusing more on  objects now and especially loves his hands. 

He is still wearing size 1 nappies and I've not had a chance to try him out in cloth nappies as of yet. 
I've been so busy organizing things and trying to get into a routine especially since moving
back in with my mum. 





Rose and Rebellion Baby Carrier

When it comes to baby wearing I wanted a carrier in a funky design rather than the plain 
designs most companies do.
I came across Rose and Rebellion and knew that I just had to have one of their designs. 

Rose and Rebellion's seamstresses proudly work to make sure that they produce the highest quality products 
made right here in the UK. 
Through every stage of production from the initial cutting of the cloth to the final closing of a seam, Rose and Rebellion Baby Carriers will have been checked and rechecked to ensure that when it arrives to you it is of the very highest quality.
 There mission is to bring you products that are not only simply beautiful, but also beautifully simple to use.



I chose The Age of Equestrian design as I found it to be a design that is suitable for both boys and girls. 
The baby carries are suitable from 3.5 kg to 20kg and  to be used from 3 months old when your baby should be able to hold their head. I love this cute zebra desgin which makes baby wearing more fun. 

Its reversible to plain black if you would prefer to have it that way, with generously 1 inch padded shoulder straps for ultimate comfort. There is a integrated sleep hood which gives additional head support and comfort when baby is sleeping.

The other features include:

- Adjustable chest strap that keeps straps safely in place
- Heavy duty buckles featuring patented Slick Click latching mechanism and thoughtful ergonomic design
Three part fully integrated waistband for comfort security and lumbar support
- Versatile strap system to fit varying body shapes.
- Waistband extends to a maximum of 50 inches
-Wide seat base places baby in a more natural and comfortable position
-Tall body gives support from baby through to toddle.
-Lightweight design each carrier weighs only 450grams.

As Blake is not yet old enough or able to hold is head as of yet I have not been able to use
the carrier with him in it. However I have had fun learning how to use this for when the time comes.
Its very simple to use and the product is of very high quality I can see this carrier lasting a long time. 

Once Blake is older and able to use this carrier I'll give you all a little update on how we are getting on. 



What do you think of Rose and Rebellion and their lovely designs? 





What Blake Wore: Slumbasac Baby Sleeping Bags

Whilst I was pregnant when out and about browsing at the wonders of so many baby items,
I came across baby sleeping bags and knew that they were popular and considered buying one myself.
Once Blake was born Slumbersac asked me if I was interested in trying out one of theirs. 
Slumbersac are a young and fast growing family business  based in Dorset and run by Karina Grassy,
her family and a small team of employees. 

Slumbersac sleeping bags combine quality, comfort and safety at a price you won’t find anywhere else! 

I chose the Planes and trains sleeping bag which comes in three sizes:
0-6 months, 6-18 months and 12-36 months. 
They also come in three different tog ratings 
0.5, 1.0 and 2.5 perfect for the changing seasons. 

Made from 100% soft and pure cotton fabric this exciting Slumbersac design is perfect for adventurous little ones. 
Featuring zooming planes and chugging trains,this is a design that your baby will love. The design features an all-over Planes & Trains print, and the sleeping bag is trimmed with cute polka dots.


As a parent you probably know that the correct tog rating is important as to make sure
that your baby doesn't over heat or get too cold. 
Which is why Slumbersac have three different tog ratings for the ever changing seasons. 

The light weight bags which has a tog of 0.5 are completely unpadded and suitable to use
in the hot summer months and room temperatures of over 24 degrees. 

The Summer weight which has a tog of 1.0 is ideal for use in warmer rooms with a temperature 
between 19- 24 degrees. These bags are slightly padded. 

Last of all the standard weight which has a tog rating of 2.5 are padded and suitable for general all year 
round use in rooms with a temperature between 15 and 21 degrees. 




We tried out the planes and trains sleeping bag the other night and Blake was a bit skeptical about being put in one as you can probably tell from the photo he didn't seem to know what to think about it.

The sleeping bag is excellent quality and the design is adorable and looks so comfy and cosy for him to sleep
in. The plus side to sleeping bags are that he wont get cold as he does have a habit of kicking his blanket 
off when sleeping. 

I am overall very impressed with Slumbersac and recommend that if you want to give sleeping bags
a go slumbersac is the company to buy from! With fab designs, excellent quality and  great prices these 
slumbersac's are priced from £14.99 to £20.99. 


Yves Rocher Quelques Notes d'Amour

Rediscover the exhilarating sensuality of a romantic encounter with 
Quelques Notes d'Amour from Yves Rocher. 
To translate the emotions of  a women in love Yves Rocher has created a modern and unique fragrance. 

Quelques Notes d’Amour: the unusual encounter of a Rose Damascena absolute and a Guaiac Wood essence combined with the sensuality of Benzoin.


The fragrance is an ideal gift for Valentines day for the women in your life or
if you are single this Valentines Day then why not treat yourself to this lovely fragrance.





Aldi Baby and Toddler Event

It's that time of year again Aldi's Baby and Toddler event is now on as of 
29th of January you will be able to buy a wide range of baby and toddler items at great prices. 

Items included in the Baby and Toddler event include : 
Mamia comfort baby monitor £19.99 
Very Hungry Caterpillar gift set £14.99
A range of lovely soft blankets and towels
Baby clothing essentials 
and more. 

I was sent some lovely items to show you on my blog. 
Unfortunately they sent me items suitable for a girl rather than for a boy
but I will be passing them on to someone I know that is having a girl in February. 


As you can see above I was sent these lovely 3 pack of muslin cloths.
They are great quality and would be fab at mopping up baby sick which
is a perfect feeding essential. 
The butterfly pattern is adorable. 

Below we have a fab fleece blanket which will be great in this cold 
weather. I love fleece blankets and have quiet a few neutral colored ones for Blake
so I will have a look in my local Aldi to see what the one for boys is like. 


Last of all we have some neutral babygrows I was sent tiny baby size which 
would have been ideal a few weeks ago but Blake has now grown out of that size. 
They look like fab quality and I love the elephant design. 



Will you be having a look at Aldi's baby and toddler event?
Or have you already? if so I'd love to know what you have brought.