Slimfast: New Products

If you read my blog regularly you will know that not long ago I took part in the SlimFastChallenge
Slimfast asked me to take part in their 3, 2, 1 plan over a couple of weeks and let you know 
how I got on. 

The plan is simple you have 3 low calorie snacks a day, 2 meal replacement bars or shakes and then a healthy 600 calorie meal. This can include the range of slimfast snacks and or healthy options such as fruit or veg.

I found the plan a bit of a struggle as found I didn't find it super filling which meant I was having more snacks than I was meant to and found I was thinking of food an awful lot due to hunger. This meant over the two weeks I didn't loose any weight and instead gained a bit. 
You can see my Pros and Cons about the plan here



Slimfast have listened to the feedback of myself and other bloggers who took part in the challenge,and have 
reduced the sugar content by 30% in their milkshake powders and ready to drink shakes. 

They have recently also introduced a starter pack to help you kick start your weightloss and contains everything you will need to get started. It's a fab way for you give the plan ago and see if it's for you. 

The starter pack contains: 
x6 ready to drink shakes
x8 meal replacement bars
x7 snack bags
and 
x7 snack bars. 

I am pleased that they decided to reduce the sugar content in some of their products as this was one of my main concerns regarding the plan. 


On top of introducing a starter kit Slimfast have also introduced new Slimfast Noodle Boxes. 
I am glad that they have chosen to come out with a new savory product especially one that replaces a meal rather than as a snack. 

The new noodle pots come in three flavours: 
Chicken Tikka Masala 
Spicy Thai Noodles
and 
Spaghetti bolognese

The noodle boxes have to be popped into the microwave for 2 minutes and then they are ready to eat. 
Which is great if your busy like myself with a 9 month old. 
As well as being tasty they are under 100 calories per serving which means you can eat them alone
or add vegetables. 
 How does this work you may ask? 
Well it is achieved by using konjac a Asian root vegetable with hardly any calories and no fat or sugar. 


So there you have it a new starter pack, new noodle boxes and 30% reduction in sugar in their milkshakes. 
Will you be giving the new range a try?

Fisher-Price Space Saver Jumperoo

Hi everyone, so today I am showing you the Fisher-Price space saver Jumperoo. 
Over the last few weeks we have been testing out this fab jumperoo (well mainly Blake has). 
Now Blake has been in a jumperoo once before over at one of his little friends. 
However we felt that if we purchased one for Blake it would take up 
too much precious floor space. 
We also weren't too sure since my in laws had recently bought him a walker. 


So when I was asked if we were interested in trying out the space saver from Fisher-Price we jumped at the chance (no pun intended). 


The Fisher-Price Rainforest Friends SpaceSaver Jumperoo was created after listening to many Mum's concerns with regards to the size of most jumperoo's. So this lovely jumperoo is one that can be folded flat for easy storage. I feel that this jumperoo is a life saver for Mum's and Dad's alike especially if living a small flat like us with lack of storage space.


Pros: 


Quick and easy to Assemble

When you open the box the first thing that made me worry was the amount of bits and pieces there are to put it together. However my husband who loves doing things like this decided to assemble it and it was all up and ready in about 5 minutes.


It folds down
      An obvious one but it folds down.
This is a huge plus point for us since big baby items tend to be bulky and living in a small two bed flat makes space essential.





A wide variety of toys and music
The jumperoo has a good amount of toys for Blake to grab, spin, poke and chew on. 
The toys are as follows: 
- A light up musical piano which has a little spinner toy in the middle which Blake loves. 
- A soft-sided overhead toy bar with monkey roller ball and two rainforest friends spinners.
- Bubble frog teether
- clacker ring bar
and
- Turtle clicker. 







Easy to adjust
The height is adjustable with four height adjustments this means the jumperoo grows with your baby.


Lightweight

It weighs 5kg so is very portable which makes it great for moving around.  I like
to swap around his jumperoo with his walker and have one in the living room and one in his bedroom. 

Bright colors

We love that is bright and attractive to the eye. 
Before we popped Blake into it for the first time he kept looking towards it. 

Washable seat
I love that the seat is washable as Blake has on a few occasions been having snacks whilst in the jumperoo.
It is also great if there are any nappy explosions as I know it can just be popped into the washing machine.


Cons: 

The piano isn't a piano
Although described as a piano what you actually get is lights that flash up as the music plays.
It would've been nice to have keys that could be pressed. 


It's a bit tricky to fold down
Although the fact that it folds down is a plus. 
It is a bit tricky to fold up and down as its quite stiff I'm hoping this will get better
the more often it is used. 


No batteries are included
I know not all toys have batteries included but feel that if you're going
to spend a large amount of money on something ( the jumperoo retails at £79.99) 
then I would want batteries to be included. 



Overview

Blake loves playing in the jumperoo, it took him a few days to get use to the idea of needing to jump as he was use to his walker. 

The bright colours, great amount of toys, lovely music and sounds as well as the jumparoo being fold-able and light weight, makes this jumperoo a must have for lots of fun and giggles. 


What are your thoughts on the Fisher-price space saver Jumperoo? 
Did/do you use a jumperoo for your little one/s? 

Buying a new electric radiator

Purchasing a new radiator when your old one has gone kaput can be hard work especially if you don't really know much about that kind of thing.

But when a time does come when we have to start  thinking about it, I know I would like to 
find one that is energy efficient not just because it is better for the environment but also as it
will save our pay packet. 

Best Electric Radiators have fab range of digital slimline electric radiators which are energy efficient meaning you can save up 50% on your energy bill. 

They are even 100% controllable and can be used throughout your home to provide an energy efficient and cost effective solution.

I also love the idea of a slimline radiator which is stylish unlike the heavy bulky ones
that have been in previous flats we have lived in over the last 7 years. 

Our current radiator's in our little rented flat are slimline and compact which is exactly what I would like for a home that we own ourselves one day.  


* This post is a collberation post but written in my own words.


Blake 9 Months

Blake is 9 months old today, it's strange to know that in 3 months time our little boy will be 1! 
The last 9 months of him being here with us have gone by so much faster than the pregnancy. 
I still feel like it was yesterday that I found out I was pregnant and doing 3 tests and still not feeling like it was all real.   

Clothing

Blake is still fitting well in 9-12 months clothing. 
He has a few tops which are a little tight, however I've worked out that Peacocks clothing tends to not 
last as long as on him as other brands he wears and tend to come up smaller. 

Teething
He has his 2 bottom teeth but that's all so far, he has started to 
dribble more again so don't think it will be that long til more start to come through. 
At the moment I've not had to give him any teething gel or calpol (touch wood).

Sleep

He is still sleeping well except when he has a cold. 
He has had another cold this month which made him not sleep well for 4 nights
in a row but he slept more in the day. 


Feeding

He is on three bottles a day of 240ml although not always finishing them every day.
He is eating 3 meals near enough every day now.
I have been struggling to get him to drink some cool boiled water but my health visitor has told me that 
it's not anything I really need to worry about at the moment. 



Development/Milestones

Having Blake's 9 month review today has meant that I have realized more of what Blake can do which makes me so proud. 

He has most likely been doing these things for awhile now I've just not took notice in them as
much as the  big milestones. 


- He is able to sit up unsupported now when he chooses to but is rare as he doesn't like to and much prefers to stand or practice trying to crawl.

-  Blake is able to stand up with support but also able to stand up holding onto the sofa without support. 

- He is able to pick up small toys with the tips of his thumb and fingers

-  He can pass a toy from one hand to the other

- he can pick up one small toy in each hand.

- He can bang one toy against another on a table 

- He is able to find small toys under a cloth after watching us hide it. 

- He can drink from a cup (when he wants to) 

- He is able to feed himself

- when dressing him he is able to push his arm through the sleeve once his arm is started in the hole. 

- He is able to say Da Da and other babbling 


Other

- Blake has started clapping his hands and tends to do this when being dressed or when watching 
Cbeebies. 

- He loves In The Night Garden especially Iggle Piggle and sequels with excitements and does little jumps.
This evening I looked over to see him waving at the TV when Iggle Piggle was the screen. 

- We have joined a new baby group called baby beeps which is a song session but very sensory 
with feather, lights, parachutes etc. 

- We have also started taking Blake to swimming lessons on a Saturday afternoon. 

What's in Blake's Memory Box

Hi everyone, I've been thinking of doing this post for awhile now. 
I love reading posts such as what's in your bag and have shown you what is in mine before.

 I decided that I wanted to show you what is in Blake's memory box.
It's not a post I have seen other bloggers do before. So I thought it would be a little bit 
different and give you some ideas for If you were thinking of putting a box together for your little one/s for when they are older. 

First of all I needed to find a good size box to fit in the bits that I want to keep of Blake's.
The one I chose was from TKMax, I purchased it awhile ago so don't know if they still do it or not.
It cost £9..99 which I thought was a really good price. 



First of all in the box is the cards that we received once he was born. 
We got so many congratulations cards from family and friends when Blake was born and I thought it 
was lovely for him to see them all when he is older. 



We added a newspaper to the box which has Blake's date of birth on it which Stuart was reading in the hospital. 



1st Christmas cards. 
Blake was 9 days old on Christmas day and he got a few special cards for his first Christmas from 
Mummy and Daddy, Nanny and from my Mum's friend Claire. 


His birth certificate's we don't have a proper holder for them yet so they are staying in the folder they were given in.


His scan photo's.
We had 3 scans during my pregnancy due to not being able to get measurements well at the first one so we
ended up having to go back the following week.  



Two lovely baby journals.
The smaller one I purchased myself and then the bigger one was a gift from where I use to work prior to having Blake. 


One of his first sleepsuits that he wore had to be in there.
This one says little and cute and is in newborn which we found was far too big on him 
but was still one of the first little outfits he wore. 



The Christmas bib was from one of my school friends as a gift and he wore it briefly on Christmas day and looked so cute in it. 
Blake definitely is the best (early) Christmas present.

The reindeer boots were from my sister which he also wore on Christmas day they are so cute and tiny. 


His Christmas outfit also from my sister. 
I had to keep it he wore it once for a few hours and looked so cute in it! 



Next we have some of his special christening gifts that he received. 
x2 bibles
silver cutlery 
personalized train money box.
We have most of his other Christening gifts dotted around his bedroom.  



Christening cards again it's there for him to look back on when he is much older. 


A little poem that was read at the Christening by the vicar and a special christening card from the church. 



I also had to include his christening candle in the box as well. 


Last of all is his plate that he made back near the beginning of the year. 
With his hand and foot print. 


I'm going to add more bits of course until the box is far too full. 
I know I'll most likely have things for his first birthday in there and I've recently found he tags
that he had on his hand and foot whilst he was in hospital as I had misplaced them. 


I'd love to know what you think of Blake's memory box? and also if you have one for your little one/s? 
comment below. 

Isle of Wight Mini Break

From the 5th to 9th of September we went on a little mini break to the Isle of Wight. 
It was Blake's first holiday and Stuart's 30th birthday was on the 7th so it was extra special. 
Although we were only there for a short time we made the most of it by going out and about. 

We stayed at a lovely holiday park in a static caravan in Lake, Sandown called Cheverton Copse.
The caravan was an ideal size for the three of us there were two bedrooms in which the smaller one had
a travel cot for Blake. 

I must admit it was a long journey on the train and then a ferry ride away but it was worth it in our eyes and
would so go back again in the near future (hopefully). 
We did arrive at the holiday park later than we had hoped as we got lost on the way trying to find it. 
Once we got there and dropped off ours bags we popped to Morrisons which was an approx 5 minute walk away, to get some essentials. 
As you can see below Blake seemed to really enjoy chilling out in the caravan. 



Our first full proper day was on Sunday so we headed off to Shanklin we had a lovely dinner in a little restaurant called the chine inn which wasn't far from Shanklin Chine we decided to go for a walk and then headed off to see what Shanklin Chine is all about. 

Shanklin Chine is the Isle of Wights oldest attraction, which first opened in 1817.
 This famous leafy gorge is much loved by poets, artists and writers. The winding woodland, with its steep sides is a magical place for rare plants, wildlife and enchanting waterfalls.
We didn't go as far to see the waterfall as there are quiet a lot of steps which makes it very tricky with a buggy. 
It was a shame we missed out on that but it was lovely all the same. 




We then chose to go The Old Smithy in Godshill. 
The Old Smithy  basically has large gifts and fashion shops, a beautiful landscaped garden and coffee shop. 
The garden was so lovely although small it was so beautiful and we enjoyed the little walk. 




Blake seemed to enjoy himself especially trying to get attention in the coffee shop. 
I had read in a brochure that the Old Smithy is one of the best coffee shops on the Isle of Wight. 
The cakes are amazing they are quiet big and Stuart and I both went for the chocolate bun with fresh cream and strawberries which was divine although slightly sickly. I tend to always go for a latte when I go to these sorts of places and this was really lovely and creamy. Although admittedly along with the cake I think I should have gone for a less creamy drink as I was unable to finish it. 




Monday was Stuart's 30th so I let him choose what to do for the day. 
He chose for us  to go to both Dinosaur Isle and the Isle of Wight Zoo. 

Dinosaur Isle is a little museum that is home to the Island's fossil and geological heritage.
To be honest that really just sums up what Dinosaur Isle is about it has some interesting fossils and information
about dinosaur's. Blake seemed to like it and wasn't to bothered by the large dinosaur models dotted around the place. We even purchased him a cute little dinosaur puppet which he loves playing with. 




Next up was the Isle of Wight Zoo we arrived at lunch time so we chose to eat before going to look around at the animals. 

Blake seemed to love Degu's at the zoo and kept tapping the glass to the cage they were in and smiling loads. 
We also saw some monkey's, a lion and some meerkat's.

 I must admit I was a bit disappointed with the zoo as there wasn't a lot of animals out but I think that was mainly due to the weather being so hot. But other then that we had a lovely time and after a lot of walking we chose to grab some pasta from Morrison's for our evening meal as we were too tired to go out the restaurant that we had originally planned to go to that evening. 











Tuesday was our last day of doing anything as we were leaving around 10am the next day. 
We chose to go to the beach on this day and to Amazon World. 
Blake was happy and cheeky as usual and was getting attention from quiet a few people at Amazon world. 
We had a lovely elderly couple come over to use and spoke to Blake. 

I thought Amazon world was so much better than the Isle of Wight Zoo. There were so many more animals to see and point out to Blake and tell him about. From different types of birds to reptiles and other wonderful creatures. 












We then headed down to Sandown to the beach as to be fair one of things you have to do on holiday is go to the beach.  

We purchased a little bucket and spade for Blake and we sat in the sun and made sandcastle's. 
Blake really enjoyed himself and wasn't bothered about the sand and kept digging his feet in it. 
I was rather surprised that he didn't choose to try and the eat the sand to be honest. 
We also dipped his feet in the sea, he wasn't too sure at first but then was ok. 



We were really blessed to have such lovely weather and we had such a lovely time. 
I wish we had gone for longer but definitely next time. 

Have you ever been to the Isle of Wight? 
If so I'd love to know what you got up to? 
If not is it a place you would consider going? 

comment below