Favourite Brands Archives

How to Look a Million Dollars on a Mummy Budget

10/07/2019/0 Comments/in Favourite Brands, Home & Lifestyle /by Carla Lett

I adore fashion and when I’m not slobbing at home with my mum bun intact, I like to look presentable. However, being a busy working mum I often don’t have time to think carefully and plan my outfit choices let alone matching clothing with accessories. Ok… Ok… I hold my hands up, you only have to look at my Instagram to see that I have left the house with odd shoes not to mention the child stained clothes …. you all know what I mean, that lovely smear of snot or a chocolate handprint on my skirt…. and sometimes (mainly when I bump in to someone I know) I think, oh no I wish I had made more of an effort!!! But can you look a million dollars on a mummy budget?

Fashion No-no

Whilst I like to look nice, I fully admit that my fashion sense can be a little outdated and on a special occasion I regularly message my friends to check if an outfit looks ok before I step in to the public. I struggle to accessorise the day to day outfits and all that thought of what matches and looks nice is a job in itself and as a busy mum juggling work, home life and parenting I don’t have time to invest in to fashion. I personally need somewhere I can look, somewhere I can trust, somewhere that gives me inspiration and as most of my shopping is done online when I get 2 minutes to myself (often after 10pm) it will most likely need to be there.

The Best Fashion Find for Mums – Your welcome

We will take a bow in advance as we are fully responsible for finding the amazing “Thanks Suzanne”.

“Thanks Suzanne” is an online and social media shop that specialises in offering stylish yet affordable, accessorises to ladies which make a statement but doesn’t break the bank. What more could you want? I mean seriously!!!!

Thanks Suzanne offers accessories that can be worn with any outfit to give it that extra bit of luxury. Founded by a busy mum of 5-year-old twins, Suzanne needed a career change and a better work life balance. Having always had a love of shopping, fashion and style (in particular accessories), Suzanne decided to take the leap and launch her online shop .

After speaking with numerous mums, Suzanne also found that whilst us ladies love online shopping, we sometimes long to be able to see and touch the products. Hold Tight Ladies – as well as her online store, Suzanne offers one to one shopping services in the comfort of your own home available across the Yorkshire and Lancashire Regions.

No Extra Cost for One to One Shopping Services

After completing a style questionnaire, budget preference and what things you’re looking for Suzanne will arrange a time and bring the shop to you at no cost; yes, you read that right no extra cost!!! She will then even offer exclusive discounts from her website prices and you can take the products away with you there and then.

Bundle of Heaven

We were sent some amazing products so we could do the full review of the product as well as the service. In the bundle of heaven, we were sent pink and leopard print – I mean she already won me over without even having to go through it all!

Surprised at the High Quality

What surprised me the most is the high quality of the products the pink leather type bag looks very high end and the gorgeous grey leopard print scarf is so soft and just to die for. Also within the pack was a gorgeous wooden beaded natural blend and grey coloured necklace and silver and twine bracelet, which look like they belong in some exclusive boutique. I love that everything she has picked out matches and compliments each other and all together these accessories give me a completed look that I feel I can wear with any simple outfit to give it that extra look of style.

Now Imagine Receiving a Subscription Like This Every. Single. Month.

Wouldn’t it be great if every month, Suzanne could send a pack of accessories that all complimented each other? As a busy mum on a budget, I need easy style classics that can take me through the seasons and be worn on the nursery run, to the office, to business meeting and maybe even to lunch or for drinks. Well you and I need not worry anymore because Just Suzanne has got our backs.

Newly launched this month, Suzanne is offering Subscription Bag Offers for £29.95 which includes P&P. This means that EVERY.SINGLE. MONTH us fabulous, well deserving ladies will receive a minimum of 3 items, including a handbag each month and a gift voucher for the website. The RRP of each bag in total will be over £75, I mean just WOW!

Subscriptions will be able to be taken out for 3, 6, 9 or 12 months. Once you have signed up you will receive a style questionnaire, on colour choices, styles, jewellery preferences etc. Then all we have to do is sit back and wait for our goodies to arrive and voila without much effort at all we can start looking like an “I’ve got chic” style as opposed to “time starved mama needs a good makeover” style!

So if you are like me, and love fashion but struggle to find time to put together accessories, or just want to find affordable stylish pieces that you cannot find on the high street or on the usual online shopping sites, head to Thanks Suzanne I promise she has you covered.

Recommended on

We have awarded this amazing business with our Recommended on MyBump2Baby badge.

Visit Thanks Suzanne on the following;

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The Savvy Little Monsters Ltd – Taking Pre-loved Buying to Another Level

26/06/2019/0 Comments/in Carla's Blog, Favourite Brands /by danny

How much do we all love pre loved buying, or buy sell sites though?

I know I do, there is always a bargain to be had and always something in my house that is unused and worth some money. There is sometimes however, the downsides to buying preloved items because you can never really know exactly what quality of goods you are going to get.

You know that awful feeling…. you know…. when you buy something on the local buy, sell, swap sites and you either go to collect or it is delivered and it is faulty or unclean and you think “whyyyy!!??” …. it is actually like throwing money down the drain!!! When you collect in person you can often feel a little awkward saying “sorry I don’t want to give you my money anymore because the toy you are about to sell smells a lot like cat wee”.

Now don ‘t laugh…. but this has actually happened to me

I handed over £20.00 for some toys that definitely once a cat’s litter box, I had to stop at the nearest bin and throw them away, as I couldn’t stand the smell in my car. So that day I basically I threw £20.00 plus petrol money in the bin because I didn’t want to offend the seller. I am sure I won’t be the only one that this has happened to.

Wouldn’t it be great if a person could vet all the toys before we buy them and make sure we don’t waste our money on “cat wee” smelling toys?

Great news!!!! There is such a site…. The Savvy Little Monsters Ltd was set up by a husband and wife duo and in essence is a pre loved selling site, but boy do they ensure quality and cleanliness. The Savvy Little Monsters Ltd ensure each product is fully safety checked and cleaned before you buy so it really is like buying brand new without the “brand new” prices.

The Face and mascots of the business are the ‘The savvy little monsters” themselves. These cartoon monsters represent the real life members of the family run business from the daddy monster to baby monster.

Meet The Savvy Little Monsters

The Safety Monster (Dad) is responsible for the safety of each product. He ensures all products are checked for missing or broken parts and passed to, The Earth Monster (Mum) for re-sale once passed through quality control.

The Earth Monster is responsible for deep cleaning each product before re-sale. Ensuring any unsuitable products are taken out of circulation and sent to Terracycle for recycling. To look after the companies’ green footprint and to help make the Earth happy (yeah they also have a handy zero waste policy ensuring no unsafe products return back into the selling market).

The Insta Monster (Teenager) is responsible for making sure they are active on Instagram. To ensure products are promoted and that their followers grow and interact with them and the teenager also looks after their brand awareness. This actually makes me feel proud like I could have my little monster help grow our business one day.

Then there is The Fun Monster (baby) who is responsible for having fun and to oversee that the toys are drop, dribble and most of all Monster proof! I mean adorable overload and just amazing to include the whole family.

These monsters draw you in and relating them to the family makes the service that little bit more personal and relatable. You really feel like the second hand pre loved items you buy from them will be top quality, safe and clean as they come directly from a family who care and want to ensure the safety and cleanliness of each item. It really feels like the ethos of the business is ensuring high quality. If they would buy and use the product, then that is the only way they will sell it.

The Savvy Little Monsters Website

Their website is easy to navigate and hassle free saving you lots of time. You can shop by category, brand or even characters, so with my toy story mad son I can head straight to that section. Not only that, they give you the option of monthly packages and my word you get some incentive for your money!! Savings of 25% every month, a free session at a toddler group, up to 50% Cash Back on toys bought from them and the choice of any pre loved toy up to a certain amount on their site every month!! I mean what on earth could be stopping you from saving this site to your favourites.

We at MyBump2Baby absolutely love The Savvy Little Monsters, for their strong quality and zero waste ethos, for their incredible pre loved products but most of all for their fun family orientated business smart idea. Go now and check them out it’s a must in my book.

Recommended on MyBump2Baby

The Savvy Little Monsters Ltd have been awarded with our “recommended on MyBump2Baby badge” check out just some of their fantastic reviews.

Gemma says “Friendly and willing to go the extra mile. I’m so grateful for all the help that was gone into finding a toy that my baby loved to play with at the family centre. Highly recommended and will be going here again for all his toys. Thank you for being so friendly and wonderful x”

Jade says “Fabulous service and great customer service very friendly and kindly donated to our up and running baby group! X”

Charlotte says “Amazing little business, toys as good as new will define you be ordering more! Great service and quick delivery highly recommend Thankyou xx”

If Only You Could Rent Baby Clothes | Baby Clothes Subscription Box

30/04/2019/1 Comment/in Baby, Carla's Blog, Favourite Brands /by Carla Lett

“Have a baby “they said…. “it will be fun” they said… but they never said how many sleepless nights you have when you have a baby.

Regardless of whether it is the numerous night feeds or the amount of thoughts on your mind when you are trying to balance everything that comes with being a parent, there is always a little bit of stress attached when it comes to running a household.

We simply cannot deny the increase in outgoings when it comes to starting a family. The fact is, our babies are always growing which means clothing purchased that initially fits like a glove, regularly need to be replaced with new clothing.

When it comes to babies, growth spurts happen at different stages and sometimes you can end up buying a whole new wardrobe and within weeks the clothes have gone from loose to bursting at the seams and new sizes are needed. Before you know it, you are haul-assing your way to the local shop on an urgent shopping spree at a time that is totally inconvenient for everyone not to mention expensive.

Now what if this problem could be fixed? What if this problem could be fixed with one simple change? What is you could rent baby clothes via a monthly subscription….. wait a minute….. YOU CAN!!!!!!!!!!

Baby Clothes Subscription Rental Service

Troberg Baby Box is a subscription rental service that allows you to rent clothes for your baby rather than purchase them, ultimately saving you money and creating a simple delivery service to ensure you receive your new clothing ready for the next growth spurt. The old items are simply sent back, quality checked, washed and sent to a new family. This is a great way to recycle baby clothes.

The Björk Box is a subscription renting service that brings 16 baby clothes items right to your door. Use them for 3 months or until they no longer fit and swap them for the next size up. The box is based on a simple brand to match the simple life we are trying to create for you. By having a subscription box, you can rest easy knowing when you need clothes most they will be delivered to your door.

The Clothing Inside the Baby Box

There are no time restrictions when it comes to the items, simply return and swap as and when suits you and your baby. The baby clothing is 100% cotton, 100% soft. All the clothes are machine washable and each box is designed to get you through one week.. Just throw it all in the wash and you will be ready for another 7 days – it is that simple!!!!

Our Review of the Troberg Subscription Box

The box was delivered and came in a beautiful box.

Inside the box there was some lovely items which comprised of;

Baby Grows x 2

Baby Vests x 5

Tops x 5

Trousers x 1

Bibs x 3

Hat x 1

The clothes are good quality and the outfits included in the box cleverly match up together no matter what top or trousers you choose.

Why We Recommend Troberg Baby Box

Let’s face it, as parents we long for an easy life. When I think about the most difficult times of the day with George they often involve trying to locate something to wear and match it up with something else. I personally would have loved this box when George was a baby, I think it would have saved a fortune.

The whole concept of the baby clothes subscription box is fantastic. In the first 2 years of parenting we spend lots of money on new items and our babies barely have a chance to wear everything before we are replacing it with something else.

Based on our experience we have awarded Troberg Baby Box with our Recommended on MyBump2Baby badge.

If you would like to get started with your own baby box click here.

You can follow them on Facebook too.

Greenhawk Spirit | The Magical Teething Jewellery Specialist

30/04/2019/0 Comments/in Baby, Favourite Brands /by Carla Lett

“Isn’t teething fun” Said no parent EVER!!!

Teething can be a very difficult time for both parents and baby, with lack of sleep, ongoing tears and plenty of unsettling symptoms – it really is no wonder parents are often searching for some kind of magical teething jewellery to help them through this difficult stage parenting.

There is no set age for teething, although very rare, it is not unheard of that babies can actually be born with teeth. Others, start teething before they are 4 months old, and some after 12 months. But most babies start teething at around 6 months.

What can help with teething?

If I said I hadn’t heard the raving reviews about the benefits of Amber when it comes to teething babies, I would be lying. Many parents who have used Amber cannot speak highly enough of it, which is why we were really excited to share more information about the amazing Green Hawk Spirit – a company who specializes in Amber teething jewellery.

What is Amber and how can it help a teething baby?

Now, this is where it gets interesting, the story behind Amber is incredible. Amber came from tree resin millions of years ago. It has been on one heck of a journey from initially being buried, fossilized and created over this time. One of the main noted points in lore for ‘Amber’ is that it is said to have properties that can help soothe a person, traditionally being used as jewelry on infants to help with teething.

Here are some reviews from other mummy bloggers who swear by Amber Teething Jewellery;

Suzy who blogs at Our Bucket List Lives said “We had an amber bracelet for my son when he was younger. He sailed through teething and I’m sure it was because of this. The times he wasn’t wearing it he always seemed grumpier. I miss seeing it on him now as he looked so cute wearing it.”

Mandi who blogs at Big Family Organised Chaos said “we had never tried an amber necklace with the first 5 children and I was a little skeptical, but gave it a go with number 6 and omg it was amazing, he sailed through teething, and it was the first thing I reached for when we had baby number 7. “

Kelly who blogs at It’s a Tink Thing said “My daughter wore an amber anklet/bracelet and then a necklace. I can honestly say we never even knew she was teething, unlike with my son, who didn’t wear amber! She only stopped wearing the necklace about a year ago at the age of 6. I’d recommend everyone to try it!”

Lisa from The Family Ticket said “I honestly thought that the amber necklace was going to be another fad which didn’t work.
I never noticed it working or not working but both my boys had their teeth come through with barely any problems.
Now that I hear other mum friends struggling so much with teething and their little ones I’m totally convinced it must have been the necklaces….plus they look super cute!”

About Green Hawk Spirit

Green Hawk Spirit are a developing business and family, dedicated to learning about and being mindful of the world around us. They have been creating this fantastic company for a few years but only in the last year have they truly found their feet and emerged into the world of holding stalls, attending events, online retail and so much more!

Green Hawk Spirit specialize in Authentic Baltic Amber teething jewellery. Their products are available in a variety of colours, shapes and sizes to ensure there is something to suit all families. They also have a selection of mixed jewellery, containing Baltic amber and semi-precious stones, including rose quartz, amethyst and plus lots more.

We love the fact that all of the amber purchased comes presented with an authenticity card and free, first class, signed for delivery within the UK.

Reviews from other parents who have used Green Hawk Spirit

At MyBump2Baby we love discovering fantastic new businesses and you only have to look at the fantastic reviews from parents who have used Green Hawk Spirit to see how well valued they are;

“I received my order very quickly and beautifully presented would highly recommend. Thank you again😊” Kim

“Really lovely bracelet, my little girl is very happy and the packaging and certificate were all very nice too! Arrived so quickly. Thank you again for running the competition and for your great communication 🙂 xxx” Chloe

Based on the reviews from customers, we have now awarded Green Hawk Spirit with our Recommended on MyBump2Baby badge.

If you would like to purchase some Amber Jewellery you can visit their website or Ebay Shop and follow them on social media where they regularly hold competitions for their followers.

You can find their website here

Follow the Facebook page here

Baby/Toddler Sustainable Bath Sponge – Koha Kids

20/03/2019/0 Comments/in Carla's Blog, Favourite Brands /by Carla Lett

Bath time in our house is George’s time to flick between becoming a super-hero Shark hunter saving lives by selflessly pulling screaming children from the depths of the ocean to Finding Nemo as he swims around the bath desperately searching for his parents.

As with most things when you are a parent of a toddler, there does of course tend to be a negative side to anything you do and the negative side of bath time in our house is the tears and tantrums that come along when he has his hair washed. We have tried numerous methods when it comes to washing George’s hair including the pre- warning countdown with a jug “3,2,1”, the zero countdown when we think a countdown won’t go down well and the singing cheery bath songs as we try to wash him down with a smile on our face – none work and every time we try, it results in tears followed by us reassuring him he isn’t actually blind!!!

Eco-Friendly Bath Sponge

Recently, after reading some scary articles about what is in our bath products, I swiftly changed Georges bath wash to ensure we are using more natural products. The next job on my list was to start looking for toddler sustainable bath fun sponges that we can use. I bought a few sponges that are a little “different” but sadly I quickly noticed that they were a little harsh on George’s skin, so I decided to go back to the usual sponge, jug and dreaded countdown routine. That was until I recently tried Koha Kids!

Koha Kid’s is a collection of eco-friendly, cruelty free and ethical items to help make caring for your children fun and sustainable. Koha Kids have gone above and beyond when it comes to caring for your family with both the present moment as we use the product and the future, ensuring we protect the earth for our children’s future.

Koha kids offers a range of products including their bamboo toothbrushes. The bamboo toothbrushes have been carefully made using naturally antibacterial Moso bamboo. Moso Bamboo is panda-friendly, sustainable and biodegradable. These easy to grip toothbrushes are a positive change from a regular plastic toothbrush with soft bristles to ensure your child’s teeth and gums are looked after in the cleaning process. The toothbrushes are only £2.50, which is not dissimilar to the price of a regular toothbrush but allows you to make positive changes to the world in which we live in whilst educating your child on the importance of being environmentally friendly.

About Koha Beauty

The KOHA Beauty Company began as a simple idea with a view to simplify cleansing naturally, without compromising on quality. KOHA Beauty stands for cleansing simplified.

Koha Beauty recognised that skin care doesn’t need to be complicated, but it has to be right for your skins needs. Koha Beauty have created something incredible based on their passion for simplicity and their respect for nature to ensure your skin stays beautifully nourished using their incredible range.

Koha Beauty pride themselves on creating ethical high quality beauty products. It is refreshing to see a company keen to contribute towards a cruelty free world.

The Koha Collection – The Konjac Sponges

Today I am excited to share my experience of the new Konjac sponges especially designed for children. Koha Kids recognises the importance of gentle bathing when it comes to washing children’s delicate skin. The Konjac sponges are specially designed for the most sensitive skin, in fact the first Konjac sponge was actually created for baby’s skin.

The KOHA Kids Konjac sponges are entirely free from chemicals, additives and preservatives, as well as being PH balanced, non-toxic and 100% natural ensuring they are the ideal partner for babies at bath time.

There are 2 different Konjac sponges available, one is the “Pure White” sponge which is designed specifically for skin that is easily irritated. The alkaline in the “pure white” sponge helps rebalance the skins PH whilst gently cleaning the skin without causing irritation.

The ‘Blue Konjac’ sponge is cleverly infused with blueberry, which works to calm and soothe the skin, the “Blue Konjac” is the ideal partner for a little one who loves exploring and using their imagination at bath time.

Our Experience of the Blue Konjac Sponge

The initial feel of the blue Konjac sponge had a very unique feel to it, it was hard and very lightweight.

I held the sponge under the tap for around 15 seconds and the sponge became soft and supple. The sponge swelled up but still kept its starfish appearance.

George’s thoughts on the Konjac Sponge

When we eventually threw the sponge in to the bath George was mesmerised, he loves anything to do with fish and sea creatures so he was in his element and he quickly became Nemo in search of his parents once again.

Washing George with the Konjac Sponge, George seemed to be more accepting with us squeezing the starfish over his head as we played with him. We managed to wash his hair with a lot less fuss as we played with the starfish.

George’s skin was beautifully soft as it usually is but I was impressed to see that this particular sponge didn’t irritate his skin.

We love this product and would definitely recommend it to other parents who are looking for an eco-friendly fun sponge for bath time.

Where Can I purchase Koha Kid’s Sponge

You can purchase the blue Konjac Sponge directly from Koha Beauty’s website for £7.50.

We awarded Koha Kid’s with our recommended on badge

You can check out Koha Beauty on their fabulous website

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How Do You Tell Your Toddler You’re Expecting?

19/03/2019/0 Comments/in Carla's Blog, Favourite Brands, Pregnant /by Carla Lett

Ok… Now before you jump to any conclusions… NO I am absolutely not!!!

A big question that many parents ask is “how do you tell your toddler your expecting?”.

Telling your Toddler You are Pregnant

Many parents claim that the moment they tell their little one the exciting news about a future siblings arrival it has been a little….. disappointing! We all envision that the special announcement will involve a leap in the air, a fist pump and maybe even a tear of joy, but in reality, once many parents tell their little one the exciting news about the expectant new sibling, they are left with nothing but an array of difficult questions and little but no excitement. It’s not surprising really, I mean think about it, it must be a little difficult to understand that there is a baby growing in your mummy’s tummy. It can be hard for a toddler to process that they are now going to share their parents with another sibling. George seems to think Rambo the Cat is his brother so you can imagine how confused he would be if I told him I was expecting.

In addition to the million questions of “how, why and when” it can also be difficult to explain to a child why mummy is sick, tired or can’t do certain things anymore. Many children could see all the changes as a negative, when in fact we want to create positive relationships between siblings before he or she arrives.

So how can you prepare your toddler for your new baby in a positive way?

The great news is that there is now a book out there designed especially for this called “Let’s talk to Mummy’s Tummy”

Let’s Talk to Mummy’s Tummy Review

This educational and positive book has been written by the talented Helen A. Lacey and beautifully illustrated by the wonderful Carla Moreno.

The purpose behind the Let’s Talk to Mummy’s Tummy Book

The book has been designed to addresses potential concerns or questions that a child may have all in a positive child-focussed manner.

Let’s Talk to Mummy’s Tummy Book

When you open the book you will see 8 milestone stickers attached for your child to stick on the relevant pages. The sticker milestones begin at 12 weeks and has a picture of the fruit or vegetable every 4 weeks to update your child on their brothers or sister’s growth.

The beginning of the beautifully illustrated book concentrates on finding out how your little one is feeling, raising any potential questions and also ensuring that your little one is aware their new sibling will not be coming for quite some time yet. It cleverly brings the attention back to your little one by speaking about what they were like as a baby, it also raises any potential issues that can affect your child such as mummy being sick and tired and reassures them that this is only temporary.

Week by week, the book raises issues to prepare your child for their sibling and week by week your little one is greeted with a message from their new brother or sister intertwined with lots of interesting facts to ensure your little one is involved as much as they can whilst promoting a positive bond from the very beginning.

Filled with fun interactive elements such as tasks and the special ‘flip effect’ throughout the pages that brings the sibling to life, this book is the perfect way to help a child to understand pregnancy and be prepared for what to expect when their brother or sister arrives.

Our Review of Let’s Talk to Mummy

This book is fantastic and I actually got a little emotional reading it. This is a fantastic book to read with your little ones and a great way for them to feel included in your pregnancy whilst preparing them for the changes the new arrival will bring. This book forms a strong bond between your child and their sibling from the beginning and cleverly gives your new baby a voice so that your little one can interact with their sibling and carry out tasks such as cuddling and touching mummy’s bump.

To be totally honest with you, this book has made me completely broody. I would absolutely purchase this book if I ever did have a baby in the future and I would really enjoy reading this book with George.

This book is the ideal tool for any expectant parent who has another child or children. I must admit that I found this book a refreshing change from most pregnancy based books out there as it focuses on your child’s thoughts and feelings. It encourages engagement between siblings and is enjoyable for mum and child to both take time out of their hectic lives to bond with bump. Interacting with your bump is also now proven to support your unborn child’s brain development.

The book covers a range of topics including;

Where the baby will sleep

Names

Baby crying

How will you wash the new baby

What the Baby will eat

plus many more.

This book can be used time and time again without getting repetitive as the book encourages discussions around different topics. Different children will have different thoughts and views.

We have awarded “Let’s Talk to Mummy’s Tummy” with our recommended on badge.

You can purchase this book direct from the authors website. It’s also available on Amazon.

Follow Helen A. Lacey on her website;

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Baby Clothes Keepsake Bear – Tracy’s Treasured Keepsakes Review

16/03/2019/0 Comments/in Carla's Blog, Favourite Brands /by Carla Lett

Sometimes, it is all too easy to forget those precious little outfits your little one wore in their first year – you know which ones I mean, those treasured items you washed, neatly folded and put away in their untouched nursery, those baby clothes you nervously packed in to your hospital bag, those baby clothes you once held up and said “I love it but this will be way too big” and then, before you know it they are bursting at the seams.

Eventually you are folding all your favourite outfits that were once “too big” and sending them up to the attic with every intention to “do something with them one day” and then before you know it and as sad as it is… life takes over and we end up forgetting about those once loved clothes and then just like that our little one’s clothes are buried under old Christmas decorations, school books and CDS and never looked at again!

The fact is that, no matter how hard we reminisce, no matter how hard we try to picture those first days with our babies … they are just memories and no matter how hard we try, we will never get those days back… but, we can treasure those memories even more by creating something special, something everlasting, something that displays some of our favourite memories in a beautiful way.

Teddy Bears Made Out of Baby Clothes

Today we are thrilled to be reviewing the amazing Tracy’s Treasured Keepsakes, Tracy’s Treasured keepsakes is a fantastic business that creates beautiful personalised items for all the family including the much loved keepsake animals which almost look “too cute” to be displayed in your tantrumming two year olds bedroom – believe me I know!!!

Tracy’s Treasured keepsakes showcases stunning keepsake animals on their website. They have 4 animals to choose from, each animal also has a miniature version so if you think the large one maybe slightly “too big” for the window ledge, fear not – Tracy’s Treasured Keepsakes has thought of everything.

You can choose from the following animals;

Bear

Mini Bear

Bunny

Mini Bunny

Fox

Mini Fox

Elephant

Mini Elephant

Our Review of Tracy Keepsakes Bear

We chose the Personalised Memory Bear for George’s bedroom

George loves bears so it made sense for us to choose the memory bear as our item. My husband headed up to the attic and we brought down the bag of our favourite and most memorable outfits of George’s. They still smelt of my baby George and I sent them over as they were. We sent a total of 7 items over to ensure Tracy had more than enough to use.

The Process

It was refreshing to receive constant updates from Tracy’s Treasured Keepsakes, it was clear to see that Tracy genuinely cares about customer service, from confirmation she received of the clothes we posted to the stuffing of our little bear we felt involved in every step and we had an instant bond for little Malcom the bear right from the beginning.

Delivery Day

We received an update from Tracy telling us that our bear was on his way, George and I were very excited and cleared a shelf in George’s bedroom ready for Malcom’s arrival.

Malcom arrived in a big white box and I waited for George to get home from nursery before we got him out.

I was memorised by Malcom the bear from the moment I saw him, it was very clear to see that Tracy is an absolute perfectionist when it comes to creating these personalised bears. The stitching, the buttons and the items she chose were absolutely perfect and I couldn’t picture a better keepsake bear if I tried.

Malcom the bear

Although Malcom is very cute, he is not to be used as a toy and George eventually understood this. I told him that Malcom sits on the shelf in his bedroom and that is where he lives. He has been happy with this and enjoys speaking to him at night.

As you can see Tracy included George’s full name, date of birth and birth weight on the bear which melted my heart.

How to Order your Keepsake Memory Bear

You can visit Tracy’s website or Facebook page and make an order, perhaps you would love one of these bears as a gift? Tracy’s Treasured keepsakes also offers vouchers which would be a fantastic baby shower or mother’s day gift.

Extra details can be added upon request, such as a jumper, a collar or even a voice recording or your baby’s heartbeat from an antenatal appointment. Additional charges may apply.

Recommended on Badge

We awarded Tracy’s Treasured Keepsakes with or recommended on MyBump2Baby badge.

You can follow Tracy’s Keepsakes via

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Her website is www.tracystreasuredkeepsakes.co.uk

Our Arbonne Review

10/03/2019/0 Comments/in Carla's Blog, Favourite Brands, Women in Business /by Carla Lett

Arbonne review – who they are, what they are about and what are their products like?

Many people, parents especially, are now taking the plunge in to self-employment and who can blame them? I mean seriously, with childcare costs on the rise and more self-employment opportunities than ever…. Why would you not want to work around your family and grow your own business in the comfort of your own home?

At MyBump2Baby, we speak to so many parents who are looking for alternatives to your usual 9 – 5 job and who can blame them? We love that there are so many opportunities out there for parents these days and as a parent myself, I think it is fantastic that we no longer have to choose between being a stay at home parent or your career, in fact many successful women began their incredible journey as new mums who wanted to simply work around their family.

Today we are reviewing a very well-known brand, a brand that offers those much desired, luxury products whilst giving amazing work opportunities for people that are open to building their business around a reputable and well known company. Today we are reviewing Arbonne products and sharing information about the company and opportunities as a whole. So if you are interested in discovering more about Arbonne then read on…

Arbonne was established in 1980 and has been described as PURE SAFE AND BENEFICIAL. Arbonne pride themselves on being vegan friendly and gluten free and in this day and age, who doesn’t have a gluten intolerance? Arbonne’s famous products include skin care, make up and nutrition. Arbonne is a worldwide company and is growing rapidly in size with thousands of consultants dotted all over the globe. Arbonne are currently in USA, Canada, UK, Poland, Australia and New Zealand and they have just partnered with Groupe Rocher (Yves Rochers company, massive in France and Europe) so will be launching into France very soon, then into Europe

The Products for review today are;

The Mascara

I personally have my lashes done every few weeks which as you can imagine adds up. I was keen to review Arbonne’s “It’s a long story” Mascara to see if it lives up to its name. I tried it on and it was lovely, as mentioned I have my lashes done so it was difficult to see length and thickness but it definitely gave definition and made my eyes stand out. I was impressed to see that it was still very much on when I awoke the next day along with the ultimate hangover…

The Mascara is priced at £31 and you can purchase it here or collect your free sample by emailing Catherine directly.

The Primer

Primer, to be totally truthful I am lucky if I use a baby wipe on my face at night let alone a primer before I apply make-up and I was excited to see what all the fuss is about. I have been told many times that primer is underestimated.

I applied it and my makeup went on smoothly and easily, it gave me a dewy glow. I would definitely add this to my makeup collection as I personally did notice a big difference, the primer is priced at £33 and you can purchase it here or collect your free sample by emailing Catherine directly.

RE9 Advanced anti-ageing kit

RE9 advanced has been talked about a lot by skincare bloggers and the reviews are fantastic. I was really excited to try out the samples myself and see if I find them as beneficial as other people do.

In the sample pack I received the following;

The Cleanser – only need a small bit as it foams up well and removes make up easily.

The Toner – The toner is very refreshing and makes you skin feel fresh.

Intense Renewal Serum – The renewal serum is amazing and very different to anything I have used before.

Eye Cream – The eyes cream was good but didn’t have enough in samples to make a huge difference.

Night Repair Cream – I really liked the feel of going to bed in this and my skin was very smooth and hydrated by the morning.

RE9 Advanced Aging Kit Overall Review

The overall experience of these products was lovely and my face felt very fresh and clean. I would be interested in possibly purchasing this as a treat but if my budget was a little tighter I would go for the serum and then the cleanser. You can purchase the full kit here or email Catherine directly.

Baby Care

We had no idea that Arbonne also specialised in baby care too, I mean come on!! Is there anything they don’t do? If you are searching for natural, vegan friendly and non-toxic products for your baby then look no further.

They have a fantastic range called Baby care ABC range which consists of;

Hair and Body Wash – Less sudsy than usual, fragrance free. Hair was soft afterwards. I really like this wash and love the fact it is an all in one.

Body Lotion – The lotion worked well on George’s skin, it is fragrance free and we used this after Georges bath, he really liked it.

Sunscreen – Who would have thought that I got to give this a try in February but believe it or not – it happened. This sunscreen glides on so easily and is easy to apply, a lot less greasy than other brands we have tried.

Nappy cream – smooth application and easy to apply.

Overall Review of Baby Care ABC

This is a great gift to give to a parent, I do love the idea of using safe products on our babies but if money is a little tight then you could just purchase a couple of the products. You can buy the kit for £79.00 but clicking here or email Catherine for a free sample.

Discounts

We all love a discount don’t we, the great news is that you can pay £25 for a 20% discount for a year, or £30 for a 35% discount and your very own Arbonne business should you want it

Becoming an Arbonne Consultant

If you are looking to become a consultant and begin working around your family read on…

Many Arbonne Consultants started out by simply using the products, realising how fantastic they are, then wanting to shout it from the rooftops and then realisation kicked in…. if they were going to spread the word anyway, why not get paid for it?

To set up your Arbonne adventure the cost is only £30, a small investment for a potentially life changing opportunity.

Email Catherine for more information and to see the other fantastic products available click here.

You can email Catherine ctillbrook@ntlworld.com or visit the her shop via https://www.arbonne.com/Pws/CatherineTillbrook/store/AMUK/default.aspx

You can also keep up to date with the latest offers, products and opportunities by following Catherines page’s

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An App To Make Your Baby Smarter

27/02/2019/0 Comments/in Carla's Blog, Favourite Brands /by Carla Lett

An App To Make Your Baby Smarter by using it for Just 10 Minutes a Day

From the moment you cast your eyes upon those two pink lines on the pee stick, your life, as you know it, changes forever! Your favourite goats cheese pizza, the doorstop sizes wedges of pate on toast and the bottle of red wine on a Saturday night are now just distant memories as you embark on your new journey in to the wonderful (yet somewhat challenging) world of parenting…. It can be pretty scary for first time parents and often scarier for parents with one child or more already.

From the moment the pee stick reads positive you can’t help but feel a little…. What’s the word?…. Responsible, vulnerable, scared… the list could go on!!!!!!!! The fact is, as parents we all want the very best for our little ones and we want to ensure we give them the best possible start in life. What if I told you there was an app designed to make your baby smarter by using it for just 10 minutes a day?

The Oliiki App – Designed to Make your Baby Smarter

I only wish the new Oliiki app was around when I was pregnant with George. The great news is that the Oliiki app can be used from the first trimester right up to the age of two which means if your little one isn’t two yet you still have time to join in on the fun.

What is the Oliiki app?

The Oliiki app is a fantastic resource for parents and parents-to-be with an extensive library full of suitable activities carefully selected by experts for each day, from pregnancy to right up to 2 years old. The Oliiki app is designed to support and encourage your baby’s development.

The Oliiki app has been created to make your babies smarter by simply using it for just 10 minutes each day, the first 1000 days of life are the foundation of all life learning!

The Oliiki app provides an activity a day from pregnancy right through until your little one reaches 2 years old. The Oliiki app has been written by professionals and is grounded in research.

Each activity simply explains to parents exactly what they need to do, why and how they should carry out each activity. Each activity is cleverly supported by research and once your daily task has been completed it is ticked off and you are ready to move on to the next one.

Our Review of the Oliiki app.

The Oliiki app is available from the first trimester right through to 2 years old. We feel that this app encourages positive bonding with bump and baby which ultimately leads to less mental health problems in parents.

The First Trimester with the Oliiki app

Although your baby hasn’t been born yet, the exercises and prompts give you things to think about and discuss with your partner that you may not have thought of. Each activity is supported by science and factual information about the benefits of the activity provided for that day.

Many of the first trimester pregnancy tasks are based around you as an individual and a couple. It encourages you to think about your own thoughts, feelings and even think back to your own childhood. The app gives you an understanding of the different things that can benefit your baby. I was really impressed and shocked by the impact you can have on your child’s development from bump to toddler.

This app touches on sensitive yet important subjects such as mental health, emotions and self-esteem. I was impressed to see subjects like “arguments” and one of the tasks is to speak to your partner about how you will resolve arguments once your little one comes along and the impact explosive arguments can have on your child’s future and wellbeing.

The Second and Third Trimester with the Oliiki app

Using the Oliiki app during the 2^nd and 3^rd trimester is fantastic for interacting with your baby, there are lots of activities in line with your baby’s development and these help create an everlasting bond between parents and baby before the big arrival. Many pregnancy apps out there tend to focus on the size of the baby (watermelon…. GULP) but I couldn’t find any that concentrate on your baby’s brain development and how you can interact with your baby during pregnancy and after birth

From Birth and beyond with the Oliiki app

Once your bundle of joy arrives the app has multiple activities depending on your child’s age the sections are as follows;

0 – 3 months

3 – 6 months

6 – 9 months

9 – 12 months

1 – 1.5 years

1.5 – 2 years

When you finally have your baby and all the visitors have slowly calmed down parents often have a “what now?” situation. This app is fantastic at giving you age appropriate ideas and tasks you can do together as a family. As previously mentioned, each task once completed is ticked off so you can ensure that you can move on to another activity to keep it new and exciting for you and baby.

Other Features of the Oliiki app

Week by week view

You can view your activities as a week view so you can see exactly what is lined up for the week ahead.

Subject View

You can view activities based on subjects, so perhaps you are wanting to focus on numbers for example, all the activities related to number come up and you can use the app that way too.

Activities by age View

It may be you are pregnant and you have a baby, if you have unlocked the full version you can use the app by age which is handy if you have visitors or you have 2 children under 2 years of age.

Favourite Activities

If your baby loves a particular activity or you feel you would like to work more on a particular activity you can by simply select the star and pin it to your favourite board.

How to get the Oliiki App

The Oliiki app is available to purchase via the apple and play store. You can pay monthly for your app or you can purchase the full app

Oliiki app Price

Oliiki have really thought of everyone when it comes to price, if you like the idea of using this app for limited time you can purchase it in 3 monthly – 6 monthly blocks. However you buy it, it works out as less then the price of a coffee a month!

1^st trimester £2.00 per month bought as a block of 3 months: total £6.00

2^nd trimester £2.00 per month bought as a block of 3 months: total £6.00

3^rd trimester £2.00 per month bought as a block of 3 months: total £6.00

0-3 months £2.00 per month bought as a block of 3 months: total £6.00

3-6 months £2.00 per month bought as a block of 3 months: total £6.00

6-12 months £2.00 per month bought as a block of 6 months: total £12.00

1 to 1.5 years £2.00 per month bought as a block of 6 months: total £12.00

1.5 -2 years £2.00 per month bought as a block of 6 months: total £12.00

You can buy the whole app for £44.99 which is the same as £1.30 per month for the whole 33 months.

*** FOR EACH APP PURCHASED OLIIKI GIVE AWAY THE FULL APP TO A FAMILY IN NEED ***

Overall Summary of the Oliiki app.

We feel the Oliiki app is the perfect friend from the day you see those two lines on that pee stick right until your little dot reaches 2 years old. You can relax in the knowledge knowing that you have given your baby the best start in life in terms of brain development as well as helping them on their lifelong learning journey. I personally feel that this app will encourage a strong and healthy bond between parents and baby and prepares you for parenting without overwhelming you. Unless you are an expert in building babies’ strong brains, it can be difficult to know where your bump or baby is up to in terms of development. This app helps guide you easily in the right direction.

Recommended on MyBump2Baby

We have awarded the Oliiki app with our “Recommended on MyBump2Baby” badge

If you would like to download the Oliiki app, click here.

Mama Bamboo – ECO Friendly Sustainable bamboo Nappies And Baby Wipes

09/02/2019/0 Comments/in Carla's Blog, Favourite Brands /by Carla Lett

8 nappies a day, 7 days a week, 30 months on average = That equates to 50,400 nappies thrown in to landfills, this isn’t including wipes and this is just your impact…..Now, think about how many friends and family members you know that are using disposable nappies and wipes…. imagine how many that would be? It is a scary thought isn’t it?

To be totally truthful – I have always used disposable nappies and wipes but when I did this calculation it did make me shudder inside. We should be looking after the earth for our children and for our children’s children and disposable nappies and wipes do not help!!! As I type this review, I can’t help but feel a little embarrassed about how little I have helped the earth this last couple of years.

As a busy, unorganised mum of one, cloth nappies and wipes (as lovely as they are) just don’t work for us but I was delighted to find out that there is a brand out there that has an eco-friendly nappies and wipes range called “Bamaboo”. The Bamaboo nappies and wipes are biodegradable which means that they are capable of being decomposed by bacteria ultimately avoiding landfill pollution. I was delighted to read that the Bamaboo nappies will be over 60% disposed in just 75 days and the wipes will be 100% composted in 6 months- how fantastic is that?

About Mama Bamboo Nappies and Wipes

The Mama Bamboo “Bamaboo” nappies use bamboo layers which feels silky on your baby’s skin. The bamboo fibres are moisture absorbing and the nappies are temperature regulating to keep your little one comfortable on hot and humid days. Bamboo also has an antibacterial property built in to them which reduces the chances of irritation and nappy rash. The packaging is also oxo-degradable which is good to see, it is clear to see that this brand cares about the environment which is nice to see.

Mama Bamboo’s promise

We love Mama Bamboo’s promise and how ethical the company is ;

“By choosing natural Mama Bamboo products you are giving your baby a more natural healthy start in life. In return we give you our word that our products live up to our values….

BEST for BABY – each product is designed with your baby’s comfort and health as a priority

BEST for YOU – designs are beautiful yet simple, pleasing to parents but without hefty ‘designer’ price tags. Products are tested and tested for practicality and durability offering you value for money.

BEST for MAMA EARTH – all elements of product and supply are chosen to be kinder to the environment.”

The Bamaboo Baby Wipes

About Mama Bamboo Nappies and Wipes

The Mama Bamboo “Bamaboo” nappies use bamboo layers which feels silky on your baby’s skin. The bamboo fibres are moisture absorbing and the nappies are temperature regulating to keep your little one comfortable on hot and humid days. Bamboo also has an antibacterial property built in to them which reduces the chances of irritation. The wipes are 98% water and plant based ingredients.

The Bamaboo Baby Wipes

The Baby wipes come in the usual size and can perfectly fit in to a nappy wallet.

You get 60 wipes instead of the usual 64 that we get from Aldi, comparing the two the bamaboo is a lot stronger which means that less wipes are needed with each change so although you get a couple more Aldi wipes your Bamaboo wipes should last longer.

The wipes are priced at £1.89 but if you bulk buy a pack of 12 they equate to £1.50 which are priced higher than Aldi but as I previously mentioned, if these are used correctly each pack should last longer than a standard Aldi pack.

If protecting your children’s environment whilst using good quality wipes is your aim Mama Bamboo is the brand. Click here to purchase yours.

We used the wipes on George for a week and found on average we used less wipes and one pack of Bamaboo lasted longer than our usual Aldi packs. There was no irritation when changing from Aldi nappies to the Bamaboo ones and we felt that the Bamaboo wipes were better quality.

The Bamaboo Baby Nappies

The Bamboo nappies are surprisingly soft to touch yet extremely strong when pulled. The branding is lovely with an environmental look to remind you that you are helping the earth with each and every baby change.

You can purchase these nappies at £8.99 for 50 (18p per nappy) and there is a bulk buy option reducing the nappies to 14p per nappy and you can subscribe and save an extra 10%.

Mama Bamboo are THAT confident in their product that you can receive a free sample pack which includes 5 nappies, this is a fantastic way to try out the nappies before you buy. To claim your free sample pack click here and use the text “FREESAMPLE” at the checkout

We asked a couple of MyBump2Baby mums to test the nappies with their babies and these were the testimonials

“These were absolutely great in the day, we are still changing Lyla throughout the night and the longest she went without a change was 6 hours and I was thrilled to find that we had no leaks. I would recommend this product to friends”

“If I could afford to buy these I absolutely would, being on maternity leave means money is tight and we are already struggling, when I go back to work I will definitely look in to adding these in to my monthly budget”

“I use cloth nappies but I love this brand and their ethos. These nappies would be a great option for Oliver when he goes to nursery or stays at his grandparents. I will most definitely be purchasing some of these.”

MyBump2Baby has now awarded this fantastic brand with our recommended on badge

Mama Bamboo nappies and wipes are just a small part of their fantastic eco-friendly website. They have lots of fantastic products including; Reusable breast pads, Breast feeding bras, Eco Friendly dinner sets, Compostable nappy bin bags, RE-usable nappies, Bamboo charcoal teeth whitening tooth powder, Nappy wallets, Maternity nappy bags, bamboo shampoo and cleansing bars, Eco friendly toothbrushes, Toys, Baby brush and comb, Wall plaque, Bibs, Makeup Brushes, Bamboo cloth period pads, washable bamboo panties, Blackhead mask.

You can order from Mama Bamboo by clicking here

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