Tuesday, November 29, 2016

My Weight Loss Journey | Weeks 16 & 17 Measurements, Slimpod Update & 3lbs Down ♥

I haven't done an update on my weight loss for two weeks now - the joys of being a very busy mother of two, but I really want to keep up with the updates as they help to keep me motivated and it's great to look back on my progress, so I filmed a quick update video today.

The video includes my week 16 and 17 measurements, a Slimpod update (I've now been listening to it for two weeks) and a very surprising 3lb loss - yay!

My latest vlog is below if you care to watch and I'd love some new subscribers if you'd like to follow along on my journey.


Share:

Monday, November 28, 2016

Introducing Molly Brown & A Giveaway ♥

I love finding and introducing new brands to you all and today's is exceptionally lovely. I'm delighted to introduce to you all Molly Brown, an adorable children's jewellery brand based in London.

On Molly Brown's launch, Vogue referred to them as "Tiffany's for kids" and I can definitely see why - their jewellery is absolutely beautiful!

I'm a boy mum, so I don't get to give them pretty jewellery, but when I was a child I developed a love for jewellery that has always stayed with me and to this day I still love finding beautiful pieces to add to my jewellery collection and I still have my first jewellery box, which was a gift from my aunt when I was six years old - you know the ones with the spinning ballerina inside, just so pretty and I'm delighted to be hosting this giveaway for Molly Brown, in the hope that a little girl in your life may discover her love for all things jewellery too.

Molly Brown has won numerous awards for their unique designs, all of which are so beautifully made. The brands collections make wonderful Christmas and birthday gifts too, as you can personalise the jewellery with an inscription, for that extra special touch.

Many of Molly Brown's pieces are designed with multiple clasps so the jewellery can be worn into adulthood, which is such a lovely idea to ensure the present is enjoyed for years to come.  

Each piece of jewellery is presented in a lovely gift box and bag, making them a really beautiful keepsake gift to open on Christmas Day or on birthdays.

The lovely people at Molly Brown have very kindly offered one lucky reader the chance to win a personalised little wish fairy necklace in their choice of colour - pink, gold or white. This is such a beautiful prize and would be perfect for a little girl to open on Christmas Day.

To enter please do so via the Gleam widget below. Best of luck to all who enter.

Terms & conditions:
This giveaway is open to residents of Ireland and the United Kingdom only.
This giveaway will run for two weeks and will end at 11.59pm on December 13th.
The winner will receive a personalised fairy wish necklace from Molly Brown in their choice of colour - pink, white or gold.
The prize is being supplied directly from Molly Brown.
Incomplete entries will be disqualified. 

Molly Brown


Share:

Creating An Online Money Pot With Leetchi ♥

Have you ever been part of a group fund - you know, for example, when someone's leaving for a new job or if someone's organising a baby shower for a friend or family member and everyone's asked to chip in for a gift? I have, plenty of times and most of the time it's plain sailing...

But then there are times when the person collecting the money has to chase people for their contribution and has trouble keeping up with who owes what or what's needed to make up the difference and everything just becomes a lot of hassle for them and everyone involved, making you wonder why you bothered going to the effort of it all at all in the first place.

I think we've all been in that position before, but thankfully someone has come up with a solution to organising a group fund, in the form of Leetchi.com - an easy and secure interface that allows anyone to create a money pot to which they can invite others to participate in with the aim of financing anything they like.

Leetchi is the leading European service for online group money collection and since it's founding in 2009, the site has gained 6 million users, and counting...

With Leetchi money pot you can turn your projects into a reality from buying group gifts - birthday, baby shower, wedding gifts, etc. or organising events to support charity, as well as so much more. I think Leetchi really is a great idea and is perfect of taking the hassle out of dealing with a group of people and handling money too, making gift giving what it really should be in the first place - a happy and joyful experience!

I also think it's ideal for raising money for charity as it can be used by people worldwide as well as closer to home, so it's perfect for raising funds for local charities or those further afield too.

So how does it work? It's all quite simple and in just a few clicks a user can set up their own money pot and invite friends, family and other groups of people to join and participate. Each person can chip into the money pot by using their bank card and once the money is raised, Leetchi users can spend their funds as they so wish.

As well as the personal money pot options, Leetchi also has a public money pot page, which allows users to discover money pots which were set up with the purpose of supporting charitable causes, non-profit organisations and personal crowdfunding projects too.

Leetchi has now partnered with Amazon UK, which is a perfect retailer to find a gift for someone who you may be setting up a personal money pot for.

As someone who has lots of family and friends overseas I can see Leetchi being very useful for us all to raise funds for special events within our family or friend group. It will allow us all to chip in for something special and let someone know we care for them, without any hassle at all - and this sounds just perfect to me.

You can find out more information about Leetchi.com on their website, or on their Twitter @LeetchiUK and Facebook @LeetchiUK for regular updates.

*This is a collaborative post. 


Share:

Thursday, November 24, 2016

Preparing For Christmas ♥

December is on the way, which means one thing for me - Christmas! I'm a Christmas lover, for me it really is the most magical time of year and if I could decorate my whole house with twinkling fairy lights and glittery baubles I would - by the way, isn't 'bauble' a great word to say? It just conjures up images of Christmas trees laden with shiny and glittering decorations for me. Anyone else?

This Christmas is a very special one for us as it's Beau's first Christmas. I remember Tyler's first Christmas being such a lovely time for us all and I've wonderful memories from that time (you can read about Tyler's first Christmas here), so I want the same for Beau. I have lots of ideas for little keepsake photo shoots I want to do with him and his big brother - I've been pinning ideas away on Pinterest and am so inspired, I just hope I have time to do them all. I also have all of his gifts, I just need to wrap them up - if only I could find the time!

The one thing I need to get him is his very own Christmas stocking. Years ago I got us all beautiful handmade burlap stockings with baby blue designs for Jacek and Tyler and pale pink with polkadots for me (you can see them here) and when we had Beau I got in touch with the lady who made them to see if she could do one for him, but sadly she's not making them this year, I'm so sad!

Our decorations always go up on December 1st and this year I want to make the house especially cosy and festive. I want to have lots of lights around the place, get a beautiful wreath for the door as well as some new festive red flowers for outside the door too. Trees will be going into Beau's and Tyler's bedrooms as well as the main one down here and Beau's will be a white tree with baby blue 'My 1st Christmas' decorations, the same ones we had for Tyler.

I want new soft furnishings and Christmas decorations for the living room and have been searching online for some beautiful, festive pieces. Matalan in particular have a great range of affordable Christmas decorations and using Matalan discount codes means I get to save even more pennies for Christmas while still being able to decorate my house with pretty things.

This week I wrote our first Christmas cards, now on their way to South Africa. I even went the extra mile and drew some holly on the envelopes - I don't know where the artistic inspiration came from but I was happy to embrace it.

I've also been looking up some festive recipes and want to make lots of treats for the boys. This year I just really want to go the extra mile to make everything special for everyone because we'll never get this time back and I want it to be the best it can possibly be for us all.

I'm also debating whether or not to join in with Vlogmas now we have a new found love for vlogging but I don't want to begin something and then not be able to devote as much time as I would like to it.

Whatever happens this Christmas I know it'll be wonderful. Jacek and I have lots of surprises for the boys and most importantly, we all have each other and celebrating together and snuggling up on the couch with the boys watching some festive TV and movies will be all that we really need.


Share:

Wednesday, November 23, 2016

5 Ways I Use Flowers in My Photography ♥

I love flowers and I think it's safe to say, if you've followed my blog for some time now, you'll have noticed that I use flowers in a lot of different ways in my photography. Today I thought I'd share these ways, to give some inspiration to anyone else who may be looking to add some beautiful floral aspect to the pictures they take.

Photo styling
I use flowers in almost every photo I take for the blog. Whether it be a picture of a cake I've just baked, a simple picture of things I've been loving lately or even just a picture of a book I've been enjoying recently, I always make sure there's a floral element to my photo styling. I think it's something which has become very identifiable to my particular photography and I think that's a lovely aspect to have when it comes to an artform such as photography, you want to make it as true to you as you possibly can and as a flower lover I can't help but include some beautiful flowers in my photos.

Home decor
If I have to take a picture in a particular room for a post I always make sure that there's fresh flowers in there. I find they make the room look much fresher and just give a much more appealing look to everything, as well as providing a nice subject for the photo background. I always have fresh flowers in my house, I get new ones on a weekly basis and they make the place look so much cheerier. Bloom Magic have some beautiful flowers, including stunning coloured roses in hat boxes which I'm totally lusting over for my house.


Flatlays
I always use flowers as part of my flatlays. They're a great element to add to a picture and they can give a great injection of colour. It's also great to use flowers as part of flatlays if you're trying to stick to a colour theme, especially for Instagram, as there's so many varieties and shades to choose from.

Product reviews
This kind of falls into what I said about photo styling above. I started using flowers as part of my product reviews years ago and they really help to make a picture 'Pinterest-worthy', perfect for enticing people to want to look at your post. I always add a picture to my tweets too and find that a pretty picture makes people more inclined to click on the post link too.

Baby updates
Since Beau was three was months old I've been using flowers to mark out the number of months he is. This is something I wish I had done for the first two monthly updates too as the twelve of them would have made a lovely collage. Using flowers to mark out the numbers is a lovely and unique way of taking your baby's monthly update pictures and the best thing is you can make them seasonal too if you so wish.

Share:

Monday, November 21, 2016

The Magic of Gougane Barra ♥

Yesterday my boys and I went exploring somewhere new, a place that none of us had ever been to before, a place that really was quite magical, the beautiful Gougane Barra.

We drove an hour and half across the county, through the most twisting and turning roads we've ever experienced to a place where the landscape was absolutely breathtaking. There were auburn coloured hills on both sides of us, some topped with snow - something which Tyler was amazed by and lots of rocky sights in view. We drove through the quaintest little towns and the Gaelic region, all the signs were as Gaeilge and the place had an air of being lost in time, it was like another world to us.

There were beautiful lakes everywhere, whose waters were perfectly still and glittering from the bright winter sun beating down on surface. There was definitely a chill in the air yesterday and as we drove through the county we could see the orange and brown autumn landscapes disappearing and the frosty, icing winter days creeping in.

When we arrived at Gougane Barra there was a definite feeling of stillness and calm. There wasn't one ripple in the lake surrounding St. Finbarr's Oratory - which we went in to to light candles and it was just a beautiful, peaceful place to walk around with our little ones in tow.

There's a huge forrest in Gougane Barra too, with lots of places to explore. We hiked up the side of a hill, up rugged stone steps and through a waterfall to get to a lookout point to view the amazing sites all around us. I was amazed that Tyler managed the steps and even when we got down he wanted to go straight back up again - he's definitely an adventurer!

We had a great time exploring Gougane Barra, a beautiful place and most definitely a photographers dream - I was in my element taking pictures of it all. It was like something out of a fairytale.



Share:

Saturday, November 19, 2016

My Weight Loss Journey | Week 15 Measurements & Starting Slimpod ♥

For quite some time now I've wanted to lose weight, but I've always been met with defeat from lack of willpower and finding it hard to resist sweet things. My weight built up drastically when I suffered from post natal depression and agoraphobia after the birth of my first son, however, after the birth of my second son on May 19th, I decided that enough was enough and that I had to give losing weight a proper go.

On July 30th I made a small change that has had a big impact on my weight and 15 weeks in I've lost 104.5cm/41in off my body. This week I've also begun something new to aid me with my weight loss - a Slimpod by Thinking Slimmer, which is a 12 week programme.

I've decided to start vlogging my weight loss journey and you can watch my first vlog below which details why I want to lose weight, what I've been doing, my measurements, losses and details on my Slimpod.

You can read my previous weight loss updates here.


Share:

Friday, November 18, 2016

Maxi Cosi Axissfix Plus Car Seat | Review ♥

A car seat is one of those essential items that every parent needs for their new baby, and in most cases, it's the first proper baby product you'll use with them when you're taking your precious newborn on that first journey from the hospital to home.

Every parent wants to ensure that their baby's car seat is the safest it can possibly be. However, parents also want convenience when it comes to their baby's car seat too, as it's an essential item that will most probably be used on a daily basis and nobody has time, let alone a busy parent, to be faffing about with products that take an age to fit into the car, buckle up and be secured safely.

There's a new car seat on the market that offers optimum safety for children as well as the convenience factor for their parents - the Maxi Cosi Axissfix Plus. This car seat can be used from birth up until approximately 4 years of age, so it also offers quite a bit of longevity too - something I always look for when it comes to baby products.

This will be Beau's car seat for the foreseeable future and as I take him the car everyday for the school run, errands and other appointments we have to go to, we've been able to put the Maxi Cosi Axissfix Plus through it's paces the past few weeks.

For the purposes of this review I'm using pictures provided by Maxi Cosi, purely because my car is a three door and I just couldn't show off how great this car seat is properly through the seats, but it really is great as the below video demonstrates.

Safety Aspects:
The Axissfix Plus offers 360 degree rotation for easy use and access to baby. The 360 degree rotation makes it a whole lot easier to place baby securely into their car seat and to ensure that they're fitted in safely and properly with the 5-point integral safety harness.

This car seat also offers rearward-facing travel for up to two years for enhanced protection of the child's head and neck. The headrest of the seat has high impact impact-absorbing material for extra protection for the head in case of lateral impact.

The ISOFIX system with Top Tether enables very easy and safe car seat installation. There are also indicators to monitor the correct installation of the ISOFIX anchors and an indicator to monitor the correct tightening of the Top Tether. There's also an Automatic Safety Belt to maintain the perfect connection of the base and the seat together.

With all these details I think it's quite clear that Maxi Cosi have really focused on safety with this car seat and as a parent, it's very reassuring to know that a brand has done all it possibly can to help me keep my baby safe in the car.

Comfort:
As I said above, a car seat is usually the first proper product you'll use with your baby to take them home and the Axissfix Plus ensures maximum comfort with newborns (up to 4 months) with it's cosy enveloping inlay.

It also offers 7 positions headrest adjustment to give your child the perfect fit in their car seat, as well as 4 reclining positions both ways to give your child maximum comfort when travelling - this is a great feature for if they're prone to falling asleep in the car.

The seat itself is well padded and very comfortable for little ones, it also offers padded shoulder, belt and crotch pads.

The video below gives a quick look at the seat in use.


The Maxi Cosi Axissfix Plus car seat is a product which I would definitely recommend to other parents, especially those who are looking for longevity when it comes to a car seat. This car seat offers optimum safety for baby, which, as someone who has to use my car on a daily basis, is a very reassuring thing. I know that if, God forbid, we were ever involved in an accident, Beau would be protected in the seat.

I'll admit, when I first saw the car seat it looked very complicated to me and I was worried that I wouldn't be able to manage it at all, but it's actually been fine and after a few practices with moving the seat and popping Beau into it a few times, it was fine - and my car is a three door is I had even more of a challenge!
 
The Maxi Cosi Axissfix is €499 and in my opinion, worth every penny.

*We were sent this product for the purposes of this review, however, as always, all thoughts and opinions expressed are 100% my own. Pictures and video courtesy of Maxi Cosi.



Share:

Thursday, November 17, 2016

AVEENO Baby Skincare Symposium & Blogfest ♥

This past weekend I was in London, invited along by AVEENO Baby to attend their skincare symposium, to learn more about their products and baby skincare and to attend Blogfest. Being a mother of a three year old and a five month old baby - both of whom have sensitive skin - I'm very interested in all things skincare and in finding the best products possible for their delicate skin.

I'll be completely honest here, before my visit to their skincare symposium I had never used AVEENO Baby skincare products before, but I'm always delighted to try new things, especially when it comes to baby products and their symposium was actually very interesting and insightful, not only because I was able to learn about their baby skincare products, but also because I learned a lot of the science behind baby skin too.

Did you know that babies skin barrier is thinner and can lose moisture twice as fast as adults, making it more prone to dryness? I didn't. I guess that explains why my boy's skin can get red and quite dry at the drop of a hat, even when I think I'm doing everything right for it.

AVEENO Baby products are formulated with natural colloidal oatmeal, a natural ingredient which helps to restore and protect the natural moisture barrier of the skin. Oats help to comfort irritated skin and create a protective film on the surface of the skin - did you know that an oat bath can help to relieve a child's skin when they're suffering with chickenpox? I'll be sure to remember that when the dreaded pox bestows it's in our house!

As colloidal oatmeal is finely ground, the granules act as micro-sponges absorbing dirt and dead skin cells. Oats also help to maintain normal skin pH, which is is an essential element when it comes to caring for baby's skin.

The AVEENO Baby range products which were showcased to us at the skincare symposium, and at AVEENO Baby's stand at Blogfest were -

AVEENO Baby Soothing Relief Baby Emollient Cream (£8.50/€11.99)
This cream is clinically proven to moisturise skin for 24 hours. I actually tried this cream on my hands at the skincare symposium and it helped to soothe my dry hands instantly - I was very impressed! If it works that well on my very dry hands I can just imagine how great it would be for my boy's skin. I've been using this for a few days on Beau's skin and it really has made him feel so soft, I'm actually amazed at just how lovely it's made his skin feel after just a short time using it.

AVEENO Baby Soothing Relief Baby Emollient Wash (£8.50/€11.99)
This wash is formulated with natural colloidal oatmeal and emollients. It gently cleanses and soothes dry skin which is prone to irritation. This is also soap free and tear free - perfect for baby baths.

AVEENO Baby Daily Care Barrier Cream (£6.99/€9.99)
This cream contains natural colloidal oatmeal and zinc oxide and helps to soothe and reduce redness on dry and delicate baby skin. This cream has also been developed for newborn skin, so it's safe to use with baby from day one.

For me, the packaging of the AVEENO Baby product range evokes naturalness and purity - both elements which I look for when it comes to choosing skincare products for my sons. What I came away with from the skincare symposium was a feeling that AVEENO really do care about the skin their products are formulated to protect and it's that care and research that makes me excited to try their products with both my sons over the coming weeks.

I'd like to extend a big thank you to AVEENO Baby for inviting me along to London to learn more about baby skin, their product range and for allowing me to pop along to Blogfest and visit their stand too - how beautiful did it look by the way?! It was set up to look like a baby's cot and the hanging circles on the mobile are made of different textures and how babies feel them versus what adults feel.

We're definitely newly converted AVEENO Baby fans and I can't believe we've waited this long to try their products.

*My visit to London was sponsored by AVEENO Baby, however, as always, all thoughts and opinions expressed are 100% my own.

Share:

Monday, November 14, 2016

The Importance of Being True To Yourself ♥

This past weekend I was in London, a place which I don't have many fond memories of, but a place which has brought out some sort on enlightenment in me.

I went to London for the sole purpose of attending a skincare symposium and to attend Blogfest (both of which I shall talk about in more detail in another post), but I came away with a whole lot more.

I was terrified of taking a trip to London by myself and as someone who has suffered from agoraphobia until quite recently it was a big step for me. I was going to back out on multiple occasions, but I pushed myself to go and I'm so glad I did.

My trip to London taught me nothing about blogging - like I had expected it to, instead it taught me a lot about being true to myself.

For a good many weeks now I've had trouble sitting down and writing this blog, feeling as though so some of invisible wall was between my thoughts and the keyboard. I'm not short of inspiration, after all, I have a new baby son and so many photo shoot ideas to put into practice and share, but what I was stuck on was the thought of - "who would actually want to read any of this?"

A writers job is to write for their audience and I think that's the thing I'm having the most trouble with.

At Blogfest, the importance of planning ahead, taking a batch of a whole months worth of photos at a time, if you can manage it and getting everything organised in advance was drummed into us - but I'm not that sort of person. I can't plan ahead, when I write and photograph it's a spur of the moment thing. My creativity and thoughts are not something I can schedule into my life, they simply happen when they happen and that's just fine with me.

I find my creativity flows a whole lot better when I actually don't think about it at all and I despair when some of my best words and ideas come to me when I'm engaging in run of the mill tasks such as doing the washing up or driving and I have no time to get to a pen and paper to jot everything down... some of my best work has never and will never be written, gah!

At the moment I feel as though my blog is at a crossroads in terms of where I want it to go. It's evolved from a beauty blog into a parenting blog and now it's in a weird limbo of lifestyle/photography. I'd love to add more parenting anecdotes and so on into the blog, but as this is my space to share all that I love, I tend to keep the everyday occurrences of parenting to myself and preferring to share just the special moments instead.

I want this blog to be inspiring to people and my everyday life isn't inspiring, in fact, it's God-awfully boring and not something which anyone would ever want to read about I'm sure!

My trip to London taught me to be true to myself and embrace the person I am. This whole sense of enlightenment inspired me to create the little 'collage of me' flatlay above (the flatlay of course, inspired by Emily Quinton's digital photography seminar at Blogfest). It's a little expression of parts of my personality, the pink loving, whimsical chasing, dreamy, nature loving, snap happy mother. I don't want to lose that person just to make this blog popular.

I want people to see me as a genuine person and the only way to do this is to stay true to yourself. A long time follower of mine on Instagram unfollowed me last night stating that they were uncomfortable that I had used the 'F' word... well I'm sorry, but I do swear, probably a whole lot more than I should. I strive for perfection with my photography but I'm not a perfect person and if my imperfections offend people then that's their problem, not mine.

I'm quite a nice person, always happy to help people out and give advice, especially to new bloggers as I was one myself once, but I don't entertain fake people just for the sake of getting by. I had an incident last week where another blogger, who was part of a comment pod I was also in, left a smartass comment on a picture Tyler had taken and which I was especially proud of as he's only three and had used the DSLR for the first time.

Their comment really riled me up and I must have called them every name under the sun in my mind, but I had hesitated to even bring it up with them because they were a fellow blogger - like why? If they had been just some randomer or reader I would have given them what for, so what was this hesitation for simply because they also have a blog? It's not as if that means we're work colleagues and it was at that moment that I realised that just because I'm a blogger doesn't mean I have to respect or get along with every other blogger I know, especially not this miserable cow...

I will never be a 'big' blogger, a popular person or have an award-winning blog, I'm too uncool for that and am too socially-awkward to every immerse myself fully into blogging cliques. I also don't entertain people I don't particularly like and believe that just because someone else is a blogger doesn't mean I have to be their best friend, and vice versa of course. I leave blogging groups on a frequent basis because some bloggers are too full on or pretentious for my liking...but they probably don't like me either so hey ho.

For years I used to think my life was shite because I wasn't out partying or getting the fabulous opportunities other people were, but you know what, I really would much rather be at home on the couch watching some TV programme that my other half and I think is absolute crap but love anyway, having a laugh with him and being safe in the knowledge that our babies are sleeping soundly upstairs and as for the opportunities, I live by the motto - "If it's meant for you it won't pass you by".

Being yourself is the most wonderful thing you can be and this is why I won't be changing who I am or what I love just to fit into the blogging world, or in fact, anything in life that requires some sort of social acceptance to succeed. I teach my children to be who they are and to never change for anyone, so why wouldn't I take my own advice on the matter?


Share:

Tuesday, November 08, 2016

Home Decor | How To Design the Perfect Bathroom For You ♥

People love expressing their creativity and personality through interior design. Whether it’s the gothic colours and furniture you have in a dining room so that you feel as though every meal is a banquet, or the soothing green colours you have in your bedroom to send you off to sleep, every room in the house is a reflection of you.

When it comes to the bathroom, this certainly isn’t any different, and if you spend as much time on Pinterest as I do, you’ll know that there are some stunning designs out there. Although we’d all like to have a rainforest shower with a view of the beach, hopefully today’s post will give you some more realistic advice when it comes to designing that perfect dream bathroom.

Think about functionality
Although you want your bathroom to look like something straight out of an interiors magazine, you have to first think about practicality. Although that beautiful, minimalistic bathroom suite is what you’ve always wanted, what’s the point if you have nowhere to store your towels, toiletries and so on, that you use every day?

It’s important that you factor in all of these basic needs first; the amount of storage you’ll need, whether there’s enough space to put a heated towel rail next to the shower, and how much space is available to open a shower door, should all be top considerations. Plus, think about what the people in your household might need. For example, if there is anyone in your home who has back or leg problems, you may want to opt for a separate shower cubicle so that they don’t have to constantly climb in and out of a bathtub.

What kind of a household are you?
Speaking of those you live with, the kind of people in your household will affect how you design the bathroom. If you have children, you’ll need to make sure there’s ample storage provision for their bath toys. You’ll want to make bath time a fun experience for them whilst keeping things organised, so you might decide to introduce fun colour schemes or themes into the design. If you’re a young couple instead, would it help to have a double-sink? Young professionals mostly work 9-5 jobs, and if you both have the same morning routine where you need to use the sink at the same time, it will become an argument.

What’s your style?
Of course, the biggest factor of all is your style. If you’ve been dreaming of your bathroom for months then you’ll already have this firmly in mind, but if you’re not sure where you want to go with the overall look, start by doing an online search for a variety of bathroom suites. As you start to pick and choose the ones you like, you’ll begin to build a picture of the tiles that will work, the colours that match it, and then you can visit a showroom nearby to see these products in person before you buy.

What’s your idea of a dream bathroom?

*This post contains affiliate links.

Share:

Thursday, November 03, 2016

aden by aden+anais Disney Collection | Review & Giveaway ♥

aden+anais is a brand we love and I was delighted when they launched aden, a more affordable range of muslin pieces, but all with the same great prints and quality of the original range by aden+anais.

aden+anais launched their gorgeous collaboration with Disney Baby a few months back, you can see my feature of their beautiful Bambi Dream Blanket here, and now aden is getting in on the act too, recently releasing a beautiful collection of Disney print items with three different ranges to choose from - Winnie the Pooh, Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse - I can just hear the Disney lovers shrieking with glee!

Beau was recently sent some beautiful pieces from the Winnie the Pooh and Mickey Mouse ranges and I wanted to show them to you all today as they really are so lovely.

Winnie the Pooh Swaddles
My baby boy loves being swaddled. It's something I've done with him since he was a newborn and now, even at 5 months old, he still enjoys being wrapped up snug in a muslin swaddle. He seems to get great comfort out of the material, so I really couldn't resist these gorgeous, and rather whimsical I may add, Winnie the Pooh swaddles.

The great thing about these swaddles is that they're extra large in size, making them perfect for long babies like my little babe.

These swaddles come in a pack of four and each design is as lovely as the next, all featuring Winnie and with one featuring Tigger too. These are adorable.

Winnie the Pooh Classic Bibs
Beau is teething at the moment so a bib is an essential for him at all times right now. Muslin is a great material for absorbing any dampness and these bibs are perfect for keeping Beau's chest and neck dribble free. These Winnie the Pooh Classic Bibs come in a pack of three, in matching designs for the swaddles from the collection.

I love the classic shape of these bibs and they're large enough to keep baby dry and their clothes clean too. These come in a pack of three and once again the designs are so adorable, which is a lovely aspect to have in a baby essential.

You can find all the aden by aden+anais Winnie the Pooh sets here.

Mickey Mouse 2.5 Tog Sleeping Bag
Since Beau was born he's gone to bed in a sleeping bag. I just love sleeping bags, they give me the comfort in knowing that he's safe from pulling blankets up over his face and he's kept warm throughout the night too.

As we're moving into the colder months now I needed to move him to a warmer tog and I couldn't help but choose this beautiful Mickey Mouse sleeping bag, adorned with the classic Mickey Mouse head print and pale blue stars.

This is such a great quality sleeping bag, it's thick enough to keep baby warm and the muslin on it feels so soft, even after washing.

You can find the aden by aden+anais Mickey Mouse sets here. All three Disney collections by aden by aden+anais are also available from Babies R Us. If you're in Ireland like us, then Arnotts also sell the collections.

The lovely people at aden by aden+anais have very kindly offered one lucky reader the chance to win a Disney bundle of their very own in a print of their choice - Winnie the Pooh, Mickey Mouse or Minnie Mouse.

The prize bundle includes a 2.5 tog sleeping bag, a hooded towel and a 3-pack washcloth set. To be in with a chance of winning please enter via the Gleam widget below. Best of luck to all who enter!

Terms and conditions:  
This giveaway is open to residents of Ireland and the United Kingdom only.
This giveaway will run for 27 days  and a winner will then be chosen at random using the Gleam widget.
One winner will receive an aden by aden+anais prize bundle including a 2.5 tog sleeping bag, hooded towel and 3-pack washcloth set in a print of their choice. 
The prize is being supplied directly by aden by aden+anais. Incomplete entries will be disqualified.
This giveaway will end at 11.59 on November 30th.

aden
Share:

Wednesday, November 02, 2016

A Spring-Less Trampoline Reduces Injury ♥

Parents today are looking for enticing activities that encourage their children to get some healthy exercise while spending time outdoors, without the chore of working so hard to pry them away from their favourite devices. Sparking their interest in a trampoline for example, is one catch-all way to accomplish this goal. However, how can you be sure the trampoline you introduce into your backyard space is safe when so many trampoline-related injuries are getting reported?

The key is to look for an up-to-date design, supported by a company who makes the safety of their product a top priority. Springfree Trampoline for example implemented standards of quality that set them apart from traditional trampoline manufacturers, heavily testing each individual component ensuring quality control, and safety for its future jumpers. While industry standards have not changed, this company creates their own by using only the highest quality materials for the execution of their innovative design. To prove it, they are the trusted recipient of the International Design Award, The U.S Family Choice Award, and the Parent Tested Parent Approved Award for excellence.

What is most unique about their product is that in its construction, flexible composite rods are used to create a safer jumping surface, replacing the coil springs. These rods are situated beneath the jumping surface putting them out of harm's way and reducing the risk of pinching or more serious injury. The frame is also below the jumping surface, eliminating the chances of a jumper crashing into it, or landing on it in a harmful way. In addition, their mats are designed to absorb shock and the net enclosure surrounding their trampoline is held in place by the same flexible composite rods instead of steel poles – not only making it safer for jumpers, but because the net has resistance, the jumper will be gently pushed back into the jumping area if they’ve found that they’ve jumped too far out.

Additionally, Springfree trampolines are now the world’s first smart trampolines thanks to the implementation of the tgoma digital game system into their design, making it the best way to take screen time outdoors. The tgoma app, through the Bluetooth feature on your tablet, lets you control the gaming experience – allowing users to get fit while still using their devices to interact. There are personal fitness programs like tgomaFit available for kids and adults, allowing users to set goals for themselves. For example, you can keep track of the number of jumps you have made and just how long it took you to make them, it will also be able to tell you the number of calories you’ve burned. If you are a competitive person, you can enter into events around the world with other jumpers. Meanwhile, your children learn while they are playing games like Alien Stomp – tgoma’s version of Whack-A-Mole. It offers fun physical exercise challenging the whole family while encouraging them to get some much needed fresh air.

At the end of the day, you want to pick activities that are not only helping your children get moving, but that do so in a way that stimulates their minds and keeps them safe while doing it. Consider a smart trampoline for your backyard today — with this level of quality and inventiveness, you can’t go wrong.

*This is a guest post 

Share:
© Dolly Dowsie | All rights reserved.
Blog Layout Created by pipdig