Stretch mark creams review: Bepanthen, Palmer’s & Bio Oil
They say thereās nothing you can really do about stretch marks: itās in the genes and you'll either get them, [...]
Playmobil crane review: beats Cayla and Frozen hands down
Forget Cayla the talking doll or anything Frozen related this Christmas: a Playmobil crane beats both hands down. The remote controlled crane has been the top toy in our house ever since it arrived a few weeks ago, and not just for the little kids: the big kids love it too. While BB and her friends have been using it to hoist Polly Pocket up and down (pictured), visitors including BBās uncle and granddad havenāt been able to resist seeing what they can pick up with its moving plastic hook either. At Ā£59.99 itās not exactly a stocking filler, but I think it definitely makes the grade in terms of longevity. Itās got a little Playmobil man in a top box āoperatingā the crane (pictured)Ā and a hand held remote control (also pictured)Ā which can make the crane itself move in a 360 degree circle and the pulley go up and down, left and right. […]
Phil & Ted’s Dot double buggy review: walking is getting rather tricky
I thought the three year age gap between BB and Little B would eliminate the need for a double buggy. I was wrong. Although BB will quite happily walk the couple of miles to Tesco and back, anything further and she (quite rightly) starts complaining, which given that we donāt have the car during the week and go everywhere on foot is making life rather tricky. So when MadeForMums asked me to review Phil & Tedās latest Dot double buggy (pictured), I jumped at the chance. The double-decker style forward-facing Dot is designed to hold two children from birth to five years old, with the younger on the bottom and the older on the top. Marketed as Phil & Tedās āmost compactā double pushchair to date, its 59cm wide slimline design makes it no wider than a standard stroller. And with a seat height of 65cms the Dot boasts one of the tallest seats on the market, although the main seat is rather snug and I would say thereās only limited growing room left. Iād be surprised if BB would fit into it when sheās five. […]
Paddington: there’s going to be a run on marmalade, duffle coats and Cornishware
There’s much excitement in the crummy mummy household: Paddington the movie has finally been released and we canāt wait to go and see it. Admittedly most of this excitement is from me: even though Iāve promised BB there are no Scary Bits sheās slightly dubious after our last trip to the cinema, when I took her to see Book of Life without researching the plot (ghosts + lost souls + Land of the Forgotten = lots of Scary Bits) Mostly Iām excited because thereās nothing like a good old British film at Christmas ā acting greats including Jim Broadbent and Julie Walters, famous London landmarks such as Paddington Station and icons ofĀ Britishness like stripyĀ Cornishware pottery (pictured) all brought togetherĀ ā what more could you want? Of course there’s no doubt there’s going to be a run onĀ marmalade, duffle coats,Ā Cornishware andĀ everything else Paddington-relatedĀ as a result, and good on them: I like it when everyday, honest things nobody usually noticesĀ get their 15 minutes of fame. […]
If someone had told me this is what lunchtimes would involve, I wouldn’t have believed them
She might have just turned 3, but BB is itching to start school. She asks me daily what colour her uniform will be (I donāt know because it depends which over-subscribed school we actually manage to get her into), who will collect her and pick her up (again I donāt know because it depends how far away said school is) and can she go to the school in Time For School on Cbeebies (at last a question I can actually answer ā no.) Being an August baby by this time next year she will be in reception class, but until then Iāve got to come up with ways to satisfy her school curiosity or suffer death by questioning. So when aplaceforeverything.co.uk asked me to review LEGOās latest lunch box set, launched to celebrate the release of the LEGO movie, I had an idea: we could start, like school, having āpacked lunchā at home (pictured). This is a brilliant idea, even if I do say so myself. I realise itās a total waste of cling film, but the look on her face as she unwraps each item and says āwowā is worth it (also pictured). […]
Aldi maternity clothes: you could get more than you bargained for
As a forces child I spent several years living in Germany, where our local supermarket was Aldi. I used to like going there because of the bins of totally non-supermarket and often pointless items, like watering cans in the shape of gnomes and solar sunflowers for the garden we didnāt have, which ran up the middle of the shop. As of next week those UK bins are now going to contain a ācapsuleāĀ collection of maternity and baby clothes, and Iāve been sent a few by way of sneak preview. There are dresses (Ā£11.99, pictured), leggings (Ā£6), tops (Ā£9.99) and even a nappy changing bag (Ā£14.99). The range is part of Aldiās āspecialbuysā collection, which go in store every Thursday and Sunday and are only available while stocks last. It will be interesting to see how long these stocks last. […]
Pregnancy after multiple miscarriage: it’s no surprise my waist has expanded this week
Week: 32 Waist: 38.5 inches (+0.5 inches) Feeling: Crampy legged Iām pleased to be able to report my craving for chicken soup now appears to have passed. In fact I donāt think Iāll be eating any for a very long time. Instead Iām eating and drinking other things it would never occur to me to consume normally, like squash (the liquid kind). Iāve been ridiculously thirsty throughout the entire pregnancy, and lately Iāve really been fancying squash, which I havenāt drunk for years. So when the nice people at Vimto kindly sent me some samples of their new no added sugar Squeezy water enhancer they came at the perfect time. […]
Pregnancy after multiple miscarriage: hello third trimester
Week: 28 Waist: 37 inches (-0.5 inches…again!) Feeling: Coming down with a cold, worst luck The quest for decent maternity clothes continues. When I was expecting BB in 2011 there was a plethora of inspiring ranges to choose from, and I remember having to rein myself in to curb the spending. Whatās changed? Last month I ordered four tops from H&M ā nothing fancy, several vests and a ‘smart’ top ā but the fabric was so thin it was virtually transparent so I sent them straight back again. Instead Iāve spent the last few weeks in a (non-maternity) maxi dress from Peacocks, which is just the ticket in this hot weather. Sadly this isnāt going to see me into autumn though, and it was while pondering this that I stumbled upon what actually appears to be a nice selection of affordable outfits to house my growing bump. And youāll never guess where from: Asda. Thatās right, you did read correctly. […]
What’s wrong with a big pot yoghurt poured into a bowl and eaten with a spoon?
Itās been almost 10 years since Ellaās Kitchen pioneered the squeezable āpouch pureeā baby food concept and despite claims the format is no match for real fruit/veg and is no substitute for a āproper mealā blah blah blah itās fair to say the market is now awash with copycat brands. Which is why I was surprised to discover that gourmet yoghurt brand The Collectiveās new Suckies are the first fresh branded yoghurt pouches on the market for kids. Youād think Petits Filous or someone would have thought of it before ā why has it taken so long? Needless to say BBās eyes lit up when a polystyrene box full of samples landed on our mat for the purposes of review this week. Like Ellaās Kitchen, Suckies come in brightly coloured pouches which became instantly referred to by BB ā and no doubt countless toddlers – as āthe red oneā and the āgreen oneā as opposed to their proper names. […]
Pregnancy after multiple miscarriage: Iāve gone over to the elastic side
Week: 25 Waist: 38 inches (+ 2 whole inches!!) Feeling: Properly pregnant owing to newĀ ‘over the bump’ jeans MyĀ plan to make do with low-rise jeans for the duration ofĀ the pregnancy has been thwarted: the button on my Leviās simply wonāt stretch any further and, not wanting to ruin them, Iāve gone over to the elastic side. Iām talking full-on maternity jeans with an āover the bumpā elastic panel (below – Iāll spare you a picture of me actuallyĀ in them ā itās not a pretty sight). Misery Guts laughed out loud when he saw them and I canāt say I blame him. They werenāt what I intended to buy at all. I intended to find a non-maternity pair that simply fitted, but when the sales assistant in JoJo Maman Bebe enthusiastically encouraged me to try them on I was too polite to refuse. Oh. Lordy. They are sooo comfortable I was instantly converted. I knew as soon as I pulled them up and before I looked in the mirror I had to have them ā I didnāt care what they looked like. Like my over-the-shoulder-boulder-holder maternity bra, which also isnāt a pretty sight. […]
Days out in East Sussex: Drusillas Park
With the weather hotting up weāve been making a concerted effort to explore the often-overlooked attractions right on our doorstep [...]
Pregnancy after multiple miscarriage: it’s time to dress the bump
Week: 20 Waist: 35 inches Feeling: Optimistic with spells of nausea Thereās no getting away from it: atĀ 20 weeks pregnant itās time to dress the bump. So far, being superstitiousĀ andĀ fearing that buying maternity clothes will make something go wrong,Ā Iāve cautiously bought a three-pack of maternity vests from New LookĀ (pictured),Ā but thatās not going to cut it for much longer. Iām literally busting out of everything else that involves a waist. A trip to both Mothercare and New Look left me decidedly underwhelmed – think dull coloured tops (Mothercare) andĀ poor quality fabric (New Look). AndĀ IāmĀ simplyĀ not prepared to spend Isabella Oliver-level cash on clothes Iāll wear for less than six months. Where are the hot pink tees and empire-line linens of my imagination? So Iām going to do exactly what I did when I was expecting BB: cover my bump with a maternity vest, stick to low rise jeans and take to the internet to find non-maternity clothes that can fit over the top. And Iām particularly pleased with one little find: Joe Browns. […]
I’m in drastic need of some hair-spiration
Thereās something about going on holiday that makes you come back and want to start again, with a new refreshed outlook on life. Itās been more than a week since we returned from Portugal and Iām still doing my best to maintain that post-holiday glow, mainly by slapping on the after sun twice a day. But having actually had time to peruse the fashion mags filled with summerĀ trends while on said holiday, Iāve had my annual āitās high time to change something about my appearanceā attack. The problem is, I might be creative with the written word but Iām pretty useless when it comes to being creative fashion-wise. The whole thing frightens me. Take my hair for example; itās been the same for years. The only time in the last four years I have deviated from a centre parting and straightened sides was on my wedding day (pictured), when I enlisted the help of someone who actually knew what they were doing, and last summer when my (very creative) friend neatly plaited it for me (also pictured). Even though she painstakingly told and showed me exactly what to do, I still canāt recreate those plaits. And Iāve tried, I really have. […]
Top Bananas! The best family recipes ever
At last. It may have taken two years but Mumsnet has finally compiled a cookbook featuring Mumsnetterās best recipes, which means no more bookmarking pages from the website and balancing my laptop precariously next to the kitchen sink while attempting to recreate the concoctions. The compendium of wise is called Top Bananas! and features the tried and tested recipes of more than 300 mums with dishes ranging from basic Broccoli Balls to Luscious Lamb Shanks. As well asĀ speedyĀ suppers you can create while simultaneously emptying the washing machine and doing general mum things,Ā there’s proper meals for theĀ grown-ups even Misery Guts is game to try. My favouriteĀ bit is theĀ chapter devoted to unashamedly unhealthy but rite-of-passage party treats such as Ice Cream Cone Cakes and Party Toffee Popcorn, which will surely send the anti-sugar brigade into overdrive. I can’t actually remember the last time I saw such naughty recipes in a family cookbook – probably my mum’sĀ good oldĀ 1980s Jane Asher party cakes book. […]
Rushing about with class bears and cameras: we’re all at it
Weāre back. A week of lounging, swimming, eating and sleeping in Portugal (Timmy the class bear included, pictured) has done the trick: Misery Guts is (temporarily) less miserable, Iām (temporarily) less tired and BB is bursting with memories of ice cream licking and swimming pool splashing. The addition of Timmy to our party has certainly caused a stir among Mumsnetters. After my last post about class teddy bears having a lot to answer for – and letting the side down in spite of myself by taking the damn thing on holiday to snap in various enviable locations ā featuredĀ as Mumsnetās blog of the day, the Twitterati went mad. It seems weāre all at it ā rushing around with kids, class mascots and cameras in tow in a bid to illustrate action-packed accounts of the bearās stay at our house at a dayās notice. Itās like having homework all over again. Needless to say I havenāt actually written up Timmyās diary entry or printed out the pictures yet ā like homework, itās still hanging over me to do. […]
