My 25th Birthday

Last Wednesday was my 25th birthday and I had such a lovely day with my little family. 

The day started with Blake waking me to have his usual 8 o clock feed and then Stuart popped out

and got me a late McDonald's breakfast. 

We then went out to the Picnic in the park that was being held in one of our local parks. 

It wasn't as good as we had expected so we ended up going to a coffee shop for lunch instead.

This was followed by a bit of shopping as my father in law got me a peacocks voucher as my birthday gift. 

We then went back to the flat and just had a relaxed day which included cake.In fact more

than one cake as Stuart chose to buy me some cupcakes from Tesco rather than a usual birthday cake. 

Stuart then took me out for a lovely meal at a local restaurant called Martini's.

We had been wanting to go there for a good few years so Stuart chose to treat me for my birthday. 

Overall I had such a fab day and Stuart really did spoil me this year.

I thought I'd share with you a few of my gifts first of all Stuart got me a Zumba kit. 

I have wanted this for awhile as I love Zumba and not done it since having Blake due to our wii 

breaking. 

Blake got me these cute earrings from Argos

Stuart also got me these 3 Dvds that I have been wanting for awhile. 

I also got this cute candle in this adorable little jug/mug from my Mother in law and step father in law. 

They also got me an Amazon voucher which I have now spent. 

I also got a few other gifts including a voucher to have a facial from Stuart which I need

to book a date to have done. I am really looking forward to it as I've never had a facial before unless you

count the ones I do myself at home.

Pelvic Floor Muscles: How they are affected by pregnancy

After Blake was born I was constantly being reminded in hospital and also by

both my midwife and health visitor once we were home the need to do pelvic floor exercises. 

I was told that just even though I had a C-section and that even though I didn't push my baby out I had still

had a baby jumping on my bladder for 9 months.

I was aware that your pelvic floor muscles can be affected thanks to pregnancy and that exercising them

was important but lets be honest how many of us actually remembered to do them? 

What are your Pelvic Floor Muscles? 

 Your pelvic floor muscles basically hold all your pelvic organs in place. 

They support your bladder and your bowel and give you control when you need to urinate. 

As you get older they tend to get weaker and pregnancy doesn't help the matter. 

As above I mentioned  that pregnancy can have an affect on your pelvic floor. 

  After all you have the baby, amniotic fluid, placenta, etc resting on your pelvic floor muscles with great pressure which causes them to become weaker too. 

To strengthen your pelvic floor muscles, you have to squeeze said muscles in and hold it there for about 10 seconds before letting go and doing it again (do not hold your breath or tighten your stomach whilst doing these). Repeat this about 10 times. It is advised that you do this a few times a day.

I did try to remember to do my pelvic floor exercises but it was hard when you've had a C-section so your in pain from that and then your baby needs your undivided attention. 

So as at some point the future we would like another child I have thought it is a good idea to

make doing pelvic floor exercises a part of my life. 

I was sent The Elise Pelvic Floor Exerciser which is an easy to use pelvic floor exerciser 

providing relief from stress, urged and mixed incontinence.

It is recommended that you give the pelvic floor exerciser a go for at least 12 weeks as that's 

the time its recommend to take to notice any difference. 

So I am going to give it ago and let you know how I get on in 12 weeks time. 

The little boy who lost his name

I have always been a big reader, I love going to the library and picking out a book or two to take out and read. 

I also have a collection of books at home that I love,although not a huge collection I still have a fair good 

amount that I love to read again and again.

Reading to me is very important for children. 

Although Blake is 6 months old and far too little to read himself I have been reading to him

since he was a few days old.

I am also a fan of personalized items as you probably know by now if you read my blog frequently. 

So a book that is personalized especially for Blake is right up my street. 

The Little Boy Who Lost His Name opens as a child wakes, to discover their name is missing from their wardrobe door. 

They then set off on a quest to find it, meeting bears, mermaids, narwhals and other creatures, depending on the letters which make up their name.

I adore this book and I think that it makes an amazing keepsake for years to come.

This book will certainly be an item I'll putting in Blake's keepsake box so that he can look back on it when he is older. 

I showed Blake's Granny and Grandpa the book and they both said that 

they thought it is an ideal gift for a newborn. 

I love how the story is cleverly done to spell out Blake's name so that when he is older

I know he is going to have lots of fun listening/reading this book. 

The book is ideal for boys and girls as their is also a girls version the little girl who lost her name. 

One of things I would love to see in the future would be the possibility of being able to personalize the character to look like your child to give them an even more fun experience. 

What do you think of this book? Do you think it's something that your child will love?

Comment below. 

CityStroll Stroller Organizer

When going out and about with Blake there is always so much to take with us. 

If I know I am going to be out for long while I'll take the CityStroll Stroller Organizer.

The CityStroll Stroller Organizer is a 2 in 1 Stroller Organizer & “take your essentials with you” Shoulder Bag. 

It's such a fab item to have as it means I can fit all of Blake's bits and bobs in the changing bag and use the essentials with you bag for my bits such as my purse, keys, mobile etc. 

I also think its a great concept as Stuart tends to go to a Dad's group every third Saturday of the month. 

So I tend to meet up with him in town so can take this bag with me, with my bits whilst Stuart has the changing bag. 

Stroller Organizers in general are a great idea to have since you can fit so many bits in them. 

The organizer bit itself has a cup holder which is ideal when out and about as it's pretty tricky pushing your pram and trying to carry a bottle around. There is a phone pocket at the front of the organizer and next to that is a section for you to put wipes in so that they are easy to get to when needed. 

There is also a big section for you to put other miscellaneous bits and bobs in that you need. 

Or for you to put the handy essentials bag in. 

The Essentials bag also has a cup holder, both cup holders are insulated so are ideal for putting your babies bottles in. There is also a good amount of space to fit more bits and bobs. 

It also a small zip compartment at the front to keep valuables safe and shuts with a magnetic closure flap. 

The set is waterproof so I know that my items will keep safe from the rain and is slip proof too. 

It's also a universal item so will fit on any pram, pushchair or travel system.

This is due to it's large and adjustable Velcro straps. 

The organizer set comes in a choice of 5 colors: 

Red, Blue, Pink, Green, Pink and Black. 

So you have a choice of colors to choose from that suits your taste or go with your pram. 

Blake 6 Months

So Blake has turned 6 months old today!

Clothing

Blake is in 6-9 months clothing which are fitting fine on him and still has a good amount of 

room for him to grow into for now. 

Teething

He has some bad days which you can tell as his cheeks will be bright red, he dribbles

all day and spends a lot of time chewing on the teething necklace I wear.
He also loves chewing on his Sophie la Giraffe a lot at the moment. 

Sleep

He is now sleeping in cot for naps during the day as well as night. 

He has got into a routine now of going to sleep between 8pm and 8:30pm 

and then waking up between 8am and 8:30am. 
He does have the odd night here and there that he does wake up. 
I normally can get away with just popping his dummy in and putting his slumber buddy light on
and sneaking out. 

His naps during the day really depend what we are up to. 

If we are out and about he will sleep in the pushchair  to and from where we are going to. 

He tends to have an hours nap during the morning and then another hour in the afternoon.

Feeding

He is on 240ml of formula milk every four hours now. 
We have actually changed our weaning plans now and have decided to go with 
baby led weaning as Blake seems more happier weaning this way than with purees which
we had been doing. 

Development/Milestones

- Blake seems to recognize his name, when Stuart and I call him by his name he will look at us and smile. 

- He loves rolling onto his front and has now started to pull himself up and move around a little on his tummy. 

- He loves to amuse himself by playing with his hands and feet or grabbing for a toy. 

- He is still trying to pull himself into a sitting position but still not quiet there yet. 

- So far he is only able to sit up unaided for 30 seconds. 

Other

- He is still in size 3 disposables (when we use them) 

- He has started to get separation anxiety and hates it when I leave the room.

Also when his Dad is feeding him he keeps looking for me to make sure I am still there. 

- He has started playing peek a boo with his muslin cloth.

He loves putting it over his eyes and then bringing it down so that we go boo. 

- He also has a habit of dropping things so that we pick them up and then he will do
it again. This happens from time to time with his dummy before bedtime. 

Summer Garden Products

The long summer days are here at last and Aldi can help you to make the most out of your garden

with the special buys summer range. 

Aldi's Summer Garden Special Buys are on sale from 18th June and available whilst stocks last. 

Aldi have a whole range of items in store from big items such as the stylish Rattan Garden Furniture Sets  to small items such as this bronze outdoor wall clock.

The wall clock comes in two colors Bronze and Cream. 

I have found with the clock that the position of the battery pack makes it more harder to hang. 

But also as the hands of clock are quiet dark it's quiet tricky to be able to see the time. 

Aldi sent me a wide range of items from the Summer Garden Special Buys.

Since we live in a flat I have passed these on to my Mother in law. 

One of the items which I think would look fab in your garden or on 

your balcony (if you have one) is the Outdoor lantern.

 If we were ever to get our own place with a garden

I would love to own a garden lantern. 

I am a huge fan of candles so love the idea of being able to have candles outside in the garden safely.

Will you be popping into Aldi to have a look at the Summer Garden Special Buys? 

Alternative christening gift Ideas

Yesterday I shared with you our plans for Blake's christening in July. 

Today thanks to getting personal I am going to show you two lovely alternative christening gift ideas.

When it comes to christening's most people buy traditional items such as a bible and silver items such as money boxes, silver spoons etc. 

I wanted to give you some alternative ideas as I love personalized items but also 

items that are a bit different and not just traditional. 

First up is the "Little Star" Blue text token.

This little token is made from polished glass which features the message "Little Star" 

along side a cute blue star design. 

It comes in its own little presentation box so that you can keep it safe.

 H3 x W3 x D2

I love this and am adding it to Blake's memory box for when he is older. 

If you would like me to do a post on what I have in Blake's memory box so far.

Than comment below, I've had such fun adding bits to it so am happy to show you all if your interested. 

Next is the most cutest personalized Oak wooden toy. 

I love, love, love this little toy it's such a special little gift.

I think it is an ideal alternative christening gift. 

I can imagine that this will bring Blake hours of fun when he is a little bit older. 

Fixed to it's feet it has four chunky white balls meaning that the elephant can be pushed around. 

You can even tie a piece of string through the elephants eye so it can be pulled along.

 The elephant is handmade from durable solid oak, sourced from sustainable forests and finished off with Danish oil.

You can add a lovely touch to the toy by getting the toy personalized with any name. 

It's an item that will give your little one hours of fun and then serve as family heirloom for many years to come. 

What do you think of these alternative christening gift ideas? 

Comment below.

I love your comments. 

Planning Blake's Christening

I've mentioned once before that we are getting Blake christened at the end of July. 

July the 26th is the date we have chosen as the day after would have been my Dad's 65th birthday.

We chose that date as we felt it would make the occasion even more special for Blake who's middle name Philip is after him. 

Now that it's nearly a month away I need to get my bum in gear and start planning properly. 

1. The Venue 

We are having the service at All Saints Church Leighton Buzzard. 

The church is where me and Stuart got married but also where Stuart and his older brother and younger sister 

all got christened. 

So it makes it extra special for it to be held there. 

For the after party it was quiet tricky to decide where to hold it. 

We chose not to hire out a hall as we thought it would be too much hard work and be easy to

hold it in function room at a local village pub. 

We  have chose the Axe and Compass in Heath and Reach. 

It's not too far to drive to get to there so it's ideal really. 

We will be hiring the little function room which is ideal in size for the amount of people we are inviting.

I have the idea of a pale blue and white color scheme.

We will be providing the decorations so that is something that I need to look more into. 

I am thinking of having a few hanging decorations and buntings in the color scheme dotted around as well as a few balloons here and there etc. 

2. Outfits

We have yet to sort out either of our outfits. 

I know I want Blake in a little suit with some cute little shoes, socks with a cross on and

also get him a special christening day bib. 

I am thinking of trying to find a pale blue dress for myself so that it goes with the color scheme, 

But not too sure on the style at the moment. 

3. Food 

For food the Axe and Compass are putting on a little buffet for us with a few hot and cold bits and sandwiches.

4. Cake

We have the cake theme sorted which will be two tires one which will be sponge cake and the other

will be chocolate. 

My cousin is making the cake like she did with our wedding one. 

Are you getting your little one christened? 

If so I'd love to know your plans

comment below. 

Hair Issues

When it comes to my hair one of things I have had issues with is that it is very fine and brittle. 

This is mainly due to having two medical conditions which fine brittle hair is the symptom of

PCOS and underactive thyroid. 

I've always dreamed of having long thick locks and have tried to make my hair more thicker and healthier 

by trying out different shampoo's and conditioners to make my hair look and feel thicker. 

These however have never worked and I had started thinking of giving up and just having to 

accept that my hair is always going to fine. 

As you can see in the photo below the front of my hair is very fine I have tried growing my hair 

so that it is all one length but it's only really got as long as this before it starts to break off. 

You can also see that my hair looks very flat too. 

The back of my hair doesn't look too bad but really could do with looking more thicker and healthier. 

Your hair follicles follow a natural cycle of hair growth and resting phases. 

But if like me you have an underactive thyroid  the changes in the body can throw off the cycle meaning 

you have more resting phases and not enough growing phases resulting in excessive hair loss, thinning and balding. 

Because hair growth relies on your thyroid gland working properly abnormal levels of thyroid hormone produced by this gland can result in hair changes.

I am going to be trying a female hair loss treatment for a space of three months to work together with 

the normal hair growth cycle and help normalize the overall life and function of my hair follicles. 

Hopefully I wont find my hair shedding and breaking off like it currently does anymore.

Do you have issues with your hair due to an imbalance?

Teething essentials

Blake has been teething for quiet a while now and I have been trying out different ideas to help ease the pain  for Blake.  None of his teeth have come through just yet but his gums are certainly hard and he seems to be in pain with them.

I have tried out the Nuby Ice bite teether keys which he got as a Christmas gift. I think its a teething essential as its filled with PureICE™ teething gel. which stays cool for longer than water filled teethers. It's to be put in the fridge and used when needed to help deal with  sore gums by soothing them or to massage new teeth. 

Dentinox teething gel, we chose this teething gel as it was cheaper than the others at the time, being on special offer. I think any teething gel is essential as it really does help Blake with numbing the pain as once its applied he seems happier much more quickly. A friend has also reccomending ambusol liquid so we may eventually get some for him to see if that works any better.

Weaning equipment

I've talked about weaning Blake a few times and will continue with updates over the next month or so. 

As Blake is 6 months old next week I am going to start trying him on some finger foods as well as purees. 

I thought I'd share with you some of the equipment we have so far for weaning, 

First up I got some Tommee Tippee Explora feeding spoons. 

I picked these up in Tesco when they had an offer on them and chose them ones as they are made for self feeding. 

Blake is already grabbing the spoon so with his next feed I am going to give him a spoon as well as using the spoon to give him his rice or puree fruit/veg. 

I also picked up some bowls which are suitable from 6 months and also the Tommee Tippee Explora Easy Scoop Feeding Bowl Lid and Spoon, which  I have been using at each feed since we started weaning him. 

I also got him a Tomee Tippee sippy cup which I am going to start using to give him water once I get him into a

better weaning routine. 

We are also going to start making up purees to freeze so I got a freezer tray. I also got him 

a Nuby Feeder which I love idea of you just fill it with fruit or vegetables and your baby just munches on the net 

meaning it's safe for them to introduce solid foods as the risk of choking is lower. 

Its also great for sore gums as you can fill it with ice to become the perfect teether. 

We then have the OXO Tot dish and spoons which you can read my review on here. 

I also have got him a roll bib and some snack pots which aren't pictured. 

Fathers Day with Getting Personal

One of my favorite companies has to be Getting Personal, I love how you can find the perfect gift 

for anyone and for Fathers Day there is no exception. 

I could spend hours on the website and it always takes me ages to decide what I am going to get. 

So here are three fab ideas of what you could get for your Dad or to buy for your children to give to their Dad.

The Man Tin is an ideal for gift for men who if they are anything like my husband always has a drawer in the kitchen filled with miscellaneous items. Now Stuart will be able to keep his pointless items he wants to keep in this little box out of the way. It's definetly a useful gift for Fathers Day. 

Next is this gorgeous engraved star paperweight its an ideal gift for commemorate a special occasion.

I chose this as I feel that it makes a fab memento for Stuart as it will be his first Fathers Day. 

The paperweight is crafted from smooth , polished metal and can be engraved with a message of your choice.

The paperweight can be personalized with any message up 60 characters printed over four lines. 

I chose for it to say: 

"Daddy

Lots of Love

 Blake

xxx." 

Next up is the Personalized pint glass, Getting Personal have many different designs for Pint Glasses but I chose this one. 

The glass is expertly engraved with a stylish oval badge design, alongside the word "Pint"

I chose for it to say "Stuart's Pint" rather than "Daddy's Pint" as I felt it would be more personal to Stuart that way. 

The special message I chose was

" Happy Father's Day 

Lots of Love

Blake" 

Have you chosen what you are going to get for your Dad or for your children to give to their Dad?

I'd love to know, comment below. 

Fathers day with sendmecakes

Fathers Day is just under two weeks away now and they say that the best way to a mans heart is through his stomach. 

Well I was sent some yummy cakes from sendmecakes which make the perfect gift.  Whether for  Birthday & Christmas Presents, Mother's & Father's Day,  Easter, Afternoon Tea , Picnics & Parties , Saying Sorry,  Thank you , Good Luck,  Get Well Soon , New Home  ,Thinking of You ... Or to treat yourself!

Sendmecake are a unique letterbox cake boutique. 

Bringing you delicious cake and bake slice boxes that are made to order in the heart of Kent using local and British ingredients.

The cakes have no fancy fondant icing, no buttercream and no "fake food" ingredients. 

The cakes stay moist for days and are full of flavor because every one of them has a fruit or veg, herbs and spices and only natural extracts to keep them that way.

I was sent a spring variety box which retails at £22 for the purpose of this post. 

The box contained nine yummy slices of cakes and bakes in seven wonderfully yummy flavors. 

- Chocolate and Cherry Jam sandwich

- Lemon and Strawberry Jam sandwich 

- Orange and Poppy seed drizzle 

- Kent Apple and Almond cake

Gran's Lavender shortbread

- coconut flapjack 

and

- Chocolate Brownie. 

I absolutely enjoyed every flavor and feel that this would make an awesome gift especially if you are a cake lover like myself. 

I feel that Dad's would love this treat for Fathers Day and Mum's and children will hope Daddy will share

a slice or two with them. 

Check out sendmecakes seasonally changing and growing range of different and better cakes. 

Order for asap, for a future date or they can be perfectly frozen in their box until required. 

Baltic Amber Teething Jewelry

When it comes to teething there are a huge range of products that help with the teething stage. 

One of them is Baltic Amber teething jewelry, there are mixed reviews with regards to using them. 

Some parents swear by them others are worried about the strangulation risks.

So why are so many parents choosing to use Baltic Amber Jewelry to relieve teething pains? 

Scientific research has determined that amber worn against the body releases natural oils onto the skin that are then circulated into the bloodstream. These oils induce a calming effect and have analgesic (pain relieving), antispasmodic (eases the muscles helping relieve colic and gas), and febrifuge (fever reducing) properties. 

Hence why Baltic Amber necklaces and bracelets are used to relieve teething pains. 

I was recently sent an Amber necklace and bracelet to try out with Blake. 

I must admit I have always been dubious about them due to worrying about strangling.

However I know quiet a few people who use or have used them on their little ones. 

So I have decided to give them a go. 

I have chosen to use the necklace more than the bracelet mainly due to the bracelet being too loose on Blake and falling off.

Due to me being a worrier and for Blake's safety I have chosen to only let him wear it with supervision. 

I always make sure that I remove the necklace when Blake goes down for a nap and when he goes down for the night.

So far I've not really seen any major difference other than that he doesn't seem to dribble as much when wearing the amber necklace. 

 I will continue to let Blake wear it but will always make sure that its with supervision. 

What are your thoughts on Amber teething necklaces and bracelets? 

Do you swear by them or do you think its a hippy dippy unsafe thing to use?