With autumn in full swing and Halloween just around the corner, take a look at three of our favourite Halloween shopping ideas for 2019!
Decorate your home in a classy way with these gorgeous Halloween plaques by Wooden Topz Gifts. Made with acrylic these would look fantastic with a tea light behind them for a spooky glow. They are 23cm x 23cm and come with a wooden block to make them freestanding.
These beautiful plaques can be personalised. Each plaque features the words “Halloween at the….” where you can add your family name. On selected designs, you can also add individual family members names!
To personalise with the names of several family members choose from skeletons, ghosts or black cats! These are amazing value at £14.95 each.
For a personalised family name plaque you can select from the following designs; Graveyard, Spiders Web or Bats. These cost £14.95 each.
Personalised freestanding Pumpkins are also available, made of 18mm thick MDF and an absolutely bargain at £5.
I was lucky enough to receive a personalised family plaque with three black cats on – one for Mummy, Daddy and Jamie. The cats are cute with a small one symbolising Jamie. The plaque is transparent except for the cat design and the detailing around the edges of cobwebs and bones. As someone who doesn’t like the garish décor mostly found at Halloween this is a lovely seasonal piece to display which won’t terrify the children! It is also a lovely keepsake which can be displayed year after year! Also, as it is made of acryclic if small hands do manage to pull it from where you display it, it won’t shatter like glass would.
Wooden Topz is a Yorkshire based business owned by Sarah. She handmakes all her items from her home studio and is lucky enough to work around her two young children. Sarah creates beautiful hand made gifts. You can check out Wooden Topz website and place orders here;
Do you love dressing up your children in seasonal clothing? Instead of bulk made items from the High Street would you like your child to wear handmade clothes with gorgeous Halloween designs from a family business?
If yes, then home-based business, Me and the Bea, has created some beautiful Halloween inspired children’s clothing to make your child stand out from the crowd this Halloween.
Charlotte, the owner of Me and the Bea, creates handmade, beautiful clothes for girls aged 0 – 7 years from gorgeously soft, luxurious fabrics. Whilst Me and the Bea predominantly design clothes for girls, the jumpers can also be made for boys.
I absolutely adore this gorgeous little pinafore dress with a matching bow! I have a little boy myself, who I doubt would appreciate it being put in a dress, but I can just imagine how beautiful this will look on little girls with a warm roll neck jumper and some cute tights. Most amazing of all, Charlotte wants to create your vision so if you have an idea in mind then let her know and she will do her best to source the material to create that for you.
If a pinafore dress isn’t for you then why not opt for a jumper and legs with witchy designs on? The jumper is warm and snug and the leggings leave your child comfortable to play Witches and Wizards! The possibilities are endless for design with Me and the Bea and everything costs under £25.00.
For more of Me and the Bea’s designs check out the Facebook page;
Rockhopper Books have a wide selection of Halloween books to get you in the spooky mood! The fantastic That’s Not My… series has a fantastic new Bat edition with sensory pages for your young ones to explore – babies and toddlers alike will love these books. If your children are a little older, let them enjoy Halloween themed sticker books or Magic Painting books! Or have some cuddly family time curled up in front of the fire reading a spooky story book!
Based near Dartford, Rockhopper Books can deliver orders locally or take orders online via the website.
Oliver Moon & Nipperbat Nightmare
Hooray! Magic School has finished for the Halloween holidays – and even better, Oliver has been chosen to look after Nippy the nipperbat, the class pet. But with Oliver’s naughty baby sister lending a hand, it soon turns into a nipperbat nightmare!
Magic Painting Halloween – £5.99
Spooktacular scenes burst into vibrant colour as you brush water over the black and white illustrations in this magical book! Sixteen detailed pictures include a haunted house, a family trick-or-treating, witches around a cauldron and lots more. With a handy fold-out back cover to prevent colours running through to the page beneath.
Witches & Wizards Sticker Book – £6.99
A spooky sticker book full of hilarious scenes of magic and mayhem. Children can use over 500 stickers to decorate a gingerbread cottage, send young witches and wizards to charm school, bewitch the town of Mandrake Grove on Halloween and stock the shelves of Master Mistletoe’s magic store with gruesome potion ingredients, plus lots more.
That’s Not My Bat – £6.99
Celebrate the 20th anniversary of That’s not my… with this delightfully spooky Halloween addition to the series, complete with purple holographic page edges and adorable bats with hairy ears, fluffy tummies and shiny eyes. The bright pictures and textures to stroke are designed to help develop sensory and language awareness.
Halloween is creeping up so fast and so is half term!!!! To be brutally honest, I don’t know what frightens me the most…. Creepy movies and eerie characters knocking on my door or our little one’s tantrums during half term? Probably the latter.
Either way, a question every parent has is but what can we do at half term with my little ones? The weather is rubbish, indoor play areas are crazy and anything else remotely fun can get a little expensive…
Are you wanting to decorate your house for Halloween? Are you wanting to keep your little ones busy? Why not kill 2 birds with one stone this Halloween with these easy fun craft decorations that we have sourced from other crafty bloggers.
This option is described as a cheap, no thrills craft that’s perfect for parents with a small craft supply box. This is suitable for young toddlers with only minimal help needed. You can make this as long as short as you want and this can involve multiple children too Click here to read the full guide.
The spooky wooden spoons made our top 5 craft list as this is something we can all have fun with. This is a fantastic fun craft idea for toddlers and pre-schoolers… heck even us adults would love to get involved with this one. Your little ones can paint Halloween characters such as Frankenstein and use them as Halloween decorations during the spooky season.
As we mentioned above Halloween half term can be a little on the expensive side if you let it so this is a great craft that can keep your little ones entertained for hours on end.. Check out this fabulous craft that you can turn in to a family fun game.
Although this is from a Christmas blog, I couldn’t help but think this was a perfect Halloween craft to create. The owls look fantastic and you can make them as spooky looking as you wish.
Can I ask one question? Who here actually enjoys carving a pumpkin? What if I told you there was a fantastic no carve pumpkin craft that meant less mess? Well there is, thanks to the fabulous they share their guide with us
So there you go, our list of crafts for you and your little ones this October. If you are looking for a few recipes, don’t forget to check out our spooky jelly pumpkins,
https://www.mybump2baby.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/5-Halloween-Craft-Ideas-for-Toddlers.jpg960540Carla Letthttps://www.mybump2baby.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Logo-1-300x81.pngCarla Lett2019-10-09 19:23:202019-10-09 19:24:345 Halloween Crafts Ideas for Toddlers
Did you know that when asked, over 87% of parents admitted that they didn’t have life insurance in place should the worst happen?
At MyBump2Baby we are keen to change this and we are really excited to be working with trusted financial advisers throughout the UK on a campaign to raise awareness on this important subject in a bid to protect more parents and families should the worst happen.
Many parents admit that life insurance is a subject they often don’t like to think about as it means thinking about our own mortality. Unfortunately, life insurance is often taken it out when we have witnessed the awful repercussions of what can happen when someone sadly passes away without it, often leaving family unable to pay bills and maintain the lifestyle they had before.
MyBump2Baby will have one trusted financial adviser in each town throughout the UK that growing families can build a lifelong relationship with to ensure that your family is looked after if the worst should happen to you or your loved one.
Today we have our guest Andy Sutcliffe our Preston based financial advisor from Paul Schofield Wealth Management Ltd answering few general questions you may have on life insurance.
What does life insurance do?
Life Insurance is a basic insurance policy that pays out a lump sum of money upon death or diagnosis of a terminal illness (an illness where the individual is not expected to live longer than 12 months).
How soon should we get life insurance in our lives?
As soon as possible is the simple answer. This is because Life Insurance gets more expensive as you get older as we are deemed to be a higher risk as we age.
Do we only need life insurance if we own a property?
Not at all. The proceeds from a Life Insurance policy can be used for any number of things. Yes it can be used to pay off a mortgage but it can also be used to help with the cost of raising children, to leave them a lump sum in later life and can also be used to mitigate Inheritance Tax issues.
My partner has death in service at work? That will cover us wont it?
Death in service is a great benefit from an employer but is really only temporary cover as people quite often change jobs/employers. Employers can also make changes to the benefits on offer at their discretion.
Is life insurance really expensive?
It is actually really inexpensive. It is the cheapest form of personal insurance and can cost as little as £5 per month for over £100,000 for a non-smoker.
I have heard horror stories about life insurance not paying out, how can I check this doesn’t happen to me?
There are only 2 reasons when a policy may not pay out – the first is if you stop paying your premiums, your policy will automatically cancel. The main reason why people have experienced issues in the past is because they haven’t been truthful in the application process. For example, they have said that they are a non-smoker when in fact they are. So if you pay your premiums and answer questions honestly then there are no issues.
https://www.mybump2baby.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/trusted-financial-advisors-throughout-the-uk.jpg14172126Carla Letthttps://www.mybump2baby.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Logo-1-300x81.pngCarla Lett2019-09-16 08:53:432019-12-03 12:55:18Connecting Trusted Financial Advisors with Growing Families Throughout the UK
There is just something so satisfying about getting a regular delivery of something you love straight to your door. I am personally a huge fan of monthly subscriptions and I guess it all started with me when I could get my favourite magazines delivered.
Subscriptions have taken the world by storm and according to Forbes 15% of online shoppers have signed up for one or more subscription services in the past year. It isn’t surprising as there is literally something for everyone. From clothing to self-care to food products.
We wanted to celebrate our top 5 subscription boxes for mum and babies and we are sure you will love them as much as us so here goes in no particular;
We regularly promote businesses that have a self-care element to them. Did you know that recently 76% of our mums admitted that they don’t take time out of their day to focus on themselves? Many added that finding the time to fit in… even 1 hour of self-care a day is a real struggle.
Joe and Anna’s high quality Coconut and Soy Wax melts are a perfect wind down for a busy mum on the go, the rich, intense yet relaxing scents burn away whilst you sip your steamy hot chocolate or delightful glass of bubbly in the evening, you might only have 10 minutes of self-care time but we can assure you that these high quality, hand poured Coconut and soy wax melts will allow you to drift off in to a state of utter calmness no matter how long you can spare.
You may feel that you don’t simply have the time for self-care but I can assure you that even burning away the hand poured natural Coconut and soy wax whilst you take make up off with a baby wipe is still an absolute treat and not only that your house will smell incredible.
Upon delivery of the bag, I couldn’t help but notice the strong rich aromas coming from the bag. To say I was excited to open this bag was a huge understatement. Each unique coconut soy wax melt is individually wrapped which kept me in suspense as I unraveled every unique scent one by one – it was like Christmas. The lovingly crafted combination of aromas give off that “high-end” impression, it is clear to see that a lot of time, market research and effort has gone in to creating a perfect subscription bag that fits through your letter box to ensure you never miss your self-care fix.
For me, as a busy business mum this is a perfect way to invest in a self-care ritual that doesn’t break the bank and doesn’t require a certain amount of time. I can have a self-care regime no matter how busy I am. If I want to burn a wax melt when I am in the bath I can or if I want to burn a Coconut and soy wax melt whilst I am writing my latest blog – I can. I love the fact that the scent runs through the entire wax rather than your usual scented ‘plug’ along the wick.
I can rest assure that these hand poured soy wax melts are free from harmful paraffin wax or chemicals which means families can rest assure that no one is breathing anything in that is harmful and completely suitable for people with allergies, compared to cheap candles.
I personally can highly recommend this product and feel it is the perfect gift for you or someone you care about.
Reviews
Don’t only take our word for this fantastic brand, check out their reviews over on Facebook.
Recommended on MyBump2Baby Badge
Based on our personal experience we have awarded this fabulous business with our recommended on MyBump2Baby badge.
The Little Sensory box offer a sensory subscription service tailored around your baby’s key development stages within their first 12 months. The boxes provide you with the equipment and guides to stimulate your baby’s senses based on your babies age. As part of the subscription service each quarter your baby will receive 4 boxes throughout their first year based on their age. Each box contains between 6-10 sensory items to support you through sensory play.
From before birth, babies are already exploring their senses, they begin to make sense of the world around them as they grow through the exploration of new textures and materials. Sensory play through both classes and equipment are becoming increasingly popular across the globe and we especially love that The Little Sensory Box provides you with the equipment you need to maximise your baby’s senses. The tailor made box gives you peace of mind that the equipment you are using is accurately in time with your baby’s developing senses.
Before we even received the box we loved the idea of this subscription box to encourage bonding through sensory play. As a new mum the thought of going outdoors and facing a group or class when you have had no sleep isn’t always the nicest of thoughts, so receiving the sensory box straight to your door is a welcomed treat.
The beautifully designed new born box was delivered and I couldn’t wait to open it and take a peek inside. As I opened the box it had lovely gift wrapping inside which gave it an extra special feel to it.
I opened the box and it was full of the equipment mentioned above, the “learning through play” guide was neatly sat on the top, this is a beautifully made colourful guide that provides parents with a detailed approach to sensory play. It’s clear, easy to understand format makes learning simple. The guide contents included a detailed introduction to the new born sensory box as well as the benefits of the items in the box and how to play with them to maximise your babies’ senses and encouraging learning.
I love how the new born sensory box contains everything you need to get for unlimited sensory fun for the first 3 months.
I personally can highly recommend this product and feel it is the perfect gift for you or someone you care about.
Reviews
Don’t only take our word for this fantastic brand, check out their reviews over on Facebook.
Recommended on MyBump2Baby Badge
Based on our personal experience we have awarded this fabulous business with our recommended on MyBump2Baby badge.
It is expensive to buy the best quality, sustainable, organic baby clothing, but it is much more affordable to hire and that is what Belles and Babes have to offer. Delivering essential washed and ready to wear clothing direct to your door. Belles and Babes then replace your bundle when your babe has outgrown their previous size. All clothing is beautiful and well designed in the softest material, ensuring that the environment and the people who made it have been well treated too. You can expect to receive hire of 18 essential everyday items of luxury organic clothing for your £36 a month with all delivery costs included and no contract. Each bundle is worth £300-400 and will be in excellent new or nearly new condition, washed and ready to wear. Bundles can be customised and tailored to baby’s age, gender and season.
An example box includes;
18 pieces of super soft organic clothes from brands such as:
Baby Mori
Pigeon Organics
Little Green Radicals
Kite Kids
All wear and tear is included in the subscription price.
Now everyone knows that babies outgrow their clothes so fast it feels like they jump up to the next stage weekly. You quickly replace the outgrown clothes spending a fortune in the high street shops whilst your spare room quickly fills with bags upon bags of clothes that you promise to sell on eBay or take to the nearest charity shop, but you don’t and the pile soon becomes unmanageable. Belles and Babes wash the clothes and make any repairs necessary and when the clothes are too worn to reuse, they will upcycle or recycle them to reduce waste. So you feel safe in the knowledge that you ae not contributing to added waste.
Firstly, what a fantastic idea that saves the endless buying (I am all for money saving) of new clothes that last for what feels like 2 weeks. I have lost count of the amount of clothes I have donated to charity or I am ashamed to admit I have binned when I have been too busy. The fantastic services provide you with not only lovely pre washed and cared for clothes but the correct sizes when you need them. The clothes are high quality and I feel so much better knowing I am helping the environment as lots of the clothes are nearly new and in excellent condition, I also like the fact that when I am finished the clothes will be returned and lovingly cared for and used again by another gorgeous baby. It is very clear that the owner goes the extra mile tailoring the boxes if desired to your preferences. When a mum is running a business you know they care and have you covered and it certainly shows with Belles and Babes.
When it is that simple to receive new baby clothes to your door washed and ready to go what could stop you from subscribing.
I personally can highly recommend this product for you and feel it is the perfect gift for someone you care about.
Reviews
Don’t only take our word for this fantastic brand; check out their reviews over on their Facebook page or on their website.
Recommended on MyBump2Baby Badge
Based on our personal experience we have awarded this fabulous business with our recommended on MyBump2Baby badge.
An example subscription box includes 5 -7 items from the list below;
Breastfeeding Bra Breastfeeding Top Tea Energy Snacks Nipple balm or oil Breast pads Muslin cloth Breast Pump Milk storage bag Face Mask Breastfeeding cookie Personalised tote or mug Hand sanitiser Panty Liner Baby Balm Personalised Journal Baby sling Breastfeeding Cover Breastfeeding Gel Pads for Engorgement Improve Milk Production Breastfeeding Treatment – Nipple Treatment Breastfeeding Smoothie Baby Bottle Breastfeeding Bracelet Breastfeeding Vitamin
The Fairy Milk Mother box is a subscription or one off service tailored around breastfeeding. It is specifically designed to help and support mums who are breastfeeding or/and pumping. Fairy Milk Mother aims to empower breastfeeding mothers by providing products. According to the Fairy Milk Mother website, the UK has some of the lowest breastfeeding rates in Europe. Fairy Milk Mother believes that this is due to lack of support for mothers.
Fairy Milk Mother are committed to providing support that will enhance a breastfeeding mothers experience. They understand that this precious period of bonding can take a bit of effort and they enjoy sharing a selection of products that have been tried and tested to make the whole journey a bit easier. The great news is if you don’t want to commit to a subscription, they have non subscription boxes available, perfect gift for a new mum.
Breastfeeding is an individual and unique journey for every mother. Fairy Milk Mother recognises the struggles that some mothers have and their aim is to support them as much as possible whilst celebrating their breastfeeding journey. We have spoken to lots of mums who have struggled to breastfeed and found that if they were offered more support they would have potentially been able to continue their breastfeeding journey.
We love how this box support and cheers breastfeeding mums on from the side lines. We also really like that once you have decided on this unique subscription box you fill in a short survey at checkout to ensure the box meets your needs and requirements.
Reviews
Don’t only take our word for this fantastic brand, check out their reviews over on their website.
Recommended on MyBump2Baby Badge
Based on what we have read and the reviews on the website we have awarded this fabulous business with our recommended on MyBump2Baby badge.
Ecocobox is a subscription service with a mission to shower mums with gifts. It is specifically designed for mums who are conscious about the products they use on themselves and their family and want to avoid toxins and buy ethically. They focus on eco-luxe brands, helping mums transition to natural and eco products without compromise. With the ecocobox team doing the research for mum, this subscription creates the space and excuse for some “me time”, and they even make it guilt free by including items for your bump or little one too! The very pretty box is packed full of 5+ gorgeous products (minimum 4 full sized) which is sent free to your door every couple of months. Brands and items are chosen based on the needs and wants of mums. You can expect to receive a mix of items for you and your little one including self-care, home and beauty, tailored to your stage of motherhood from pregnancy to preschool. ecocobox works with a mix of leading and emerging brands, finding natural products with no nasties, animal products or cruelty, so you can enjoy pampering yourself and your little one with peace of mind.
An example box includes;
FULL SIZE 100% Natural Refresh Multi-Purpose Balm by Dr Botanicals (RRP £29.90)
FULL SIZE Mineral Blusher by Love The Planet (RRP £7)
FULL SIZE Bamboo Plasters by Patch Strips (RRP £7)
Travel Size Bloom Body Oil by Nathalie Bond (RRP £10)
PLUS another gorgeous gift personalised to your motherhood stage
We have written before about our aim to become more eco conscious after realising the waste created by certain baby products. We have aimed as a household since to be more eco minded when purchasing products and so when on the lookout for more eco-friendly beauty products we stumbled across ecocobox. Working only with ethical and sustainable brands, ecocobox is not only a treat to yourself, but helps you discover products that are better for the health of you, your family, and the planet too! You can use everything you discover knowing it is free from toxins, animal products and cruelty.
I love a subscription box especially when it is for me and with ecocobox it is the perfect happy post to receive as a busy working mum (it’s also absolutely perfect for busy stay at home mums too). I love the idea of knowing that I will have pure luxury to look forward to every couple of months with the peace of mind that I am helping in some small way to better the planet. Who doesn’t enjoy a treat and this box allows me to receive very needed treats every few months in a beautiful box packed full of luxurious items to enjoy, not only that but I am able to discover new brands for my son.
The fact that the products are specifically chosen for your stage of motherhood by the business owner who is a mum that truly knows what it is like is a massive plus.
I personally can highly recommend this product for you and feel it is the perfect gift for someone you care about – you can buy bundles of 3 or 6 boxes as a present.
Reviews
Don’t only take our word for this fantastic brand, check out their reviews over on Facebook or on their website.
Recommended on MyBump2Baby Badge
Based on our personal experience we have awarded this fabulous business with our recommended on MyBump2Baby badge.
https://www.mybump2baby.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/mybump2babys-top-5-subsctiption-boxes-for-mums-and-babies.jpg720720Carla Letthttps://www.mybump2baby.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Logo-1-300x81.pngCarla Lett2019-08-29 22:36:122019-08-30 11:37:00Our Top 5 Subscription boxes for mums and babies
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.
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.
https://www.mybump2baby.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/how-to-look-a-million-dollars-on-a-mummy-budget-2.jpg900900Carla Letthttps://www.mybump2baby.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Logo-1-300x81.pngCarla Lett2019-07-10 16:10:502019-07-10 16:12:01How to Look a Million Dollars on a Mummy Budget
This article is a review on the amazing Yummy, Mummy and Me – Ashlie perfectly packages slimming world sweet syn cones in line with your ideal syn value. To purchase your slimming world sweet cone click here.
Being on a diet seems to be a way of life for me these days, I so wish I was that person who could eat whatever I wanted and stay slim – It’s the dream isn’t it!! When it comes to diets, I must admit that I have tried them all -believe me I have done EVERY.SINGLE.ONE. I have to say Slimming World is one of the better diets I have attempted, it is practical, easy to stick to and it actually works when done properly.
Briefly, the Slimming World diet involves dieters choosing food from a list of low-fat foods they call Free Foods, such as fruit, vegetables, pasta, potatoes, rice, lean meat, fish and eggs. These foods can be eaten in unlimited quantities..(yes really!!) Whilst no foods are off limits, some of the less healthy treat foods, known as Syn foods, have values attached. Syns also include foods found in the Healthy Extras (like cheese and bread), allowing you to eat bigger portions of these foods if you want them.
Slimming World Treats and Syns
One of the best things about Slimming World (besides the fact you can still eat cheese and carbs every day, honest they encourage it) is that you can still have treats in the form of syns. So what are syn I hear you ask? Well the long and short of It means that you have a certain number of syns per day to use on treats, or extra savoury items. As long as you stick to the diet and healthy extras for your meals and remain reasonably good you are allowed yes allowed CHOCOLATE and SWEEEEETS and CRISPS every day.
If you are like me when I started Slimming World I got ridiculously excited by this but also a little silly as I kind of forgot to add up my syns… I would end up going over to the treat jar, uttering the words ‘sod it!’ and eating a whole packet or two of something naughty and then I would spend the evening convincing myself it would be within my 15 syns… even though deep down I knew I had messed up.
For me my will power and my inner sweet toothed demon are constantly at war! There’s just something about holding a bag of sweets in your hand and finishing that bag that satisfies that inner demon.
If you have the same issue…. I have wonderful news for you….
There is a wonderful business out there who has taken the idea of a syns and managing what you can have one step further.
Have you ever got to the end of the day with so many syns left, but don’t know what to have?
Yummy Mummy and Me has created the perfect answer to this problem and has made syn cones, and they have only gone and added up the syn value for you so all you have to do is… open the bag and stick your face in to it (don’t forget to chew)!!!
Not only that but She has managed to create sweet cones that range in syn value including all of your favourite treats so you have the option of choosing or just save your full syn allowance and go for that 15 syn bag every night. The contents always vary too, so a new surprise every night. Yay!
Her prices are absolutely insane at 1 for only £1.50, 3 for £4.00 or 5 for £6 you just cannot go wrong and you can have one every single day if you save your syns for them. My sweet tooth is actually bowing down to this absolute goddess who founded this amazing company.
The good news is if you are located in Lytham St Anne’s you can simply collect your goodies from the business directly and the great news for the rest of you is that she can post them to your door to ensure the wheels never come off your diet again!!
They really are amazing and you feel like you are being indulgent but because Yummy Mummy and Me ensures each cone never go over your required syns you really are not. You need to check out her Instagram page and Facebook page but WARNING!!! It’s not all Slimming World so try not to get distracted.
She also caters for all occasions including weddings, birthdays, hen parties and christenings. Anything we can celebrate she can cater for. How great is that. All of her products are perfectly packaged and presented perfectly we are all like children when it comes to sweet treats the better they look the more tempted we are and because they look so good, for me the whole family enjoy them. My little one now asks for my treat cone from Yummy Mummy and Me, and I have to say I don’t feel too bad every now and then letting him have one because I know the treats within it do not contain anywhere near the sugar value a normal treat bag would.
Hurrah for Yummy Mummy and Me for taking the time to work out my syn values and giving me a great big bag of goodies to eat with no guilt.
We have awarded this amazing business with our recommended on MyBump2Baby badge.
https://www.mybump2baby.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Slimming-World-Sweet-Syn-Cones-2.jpg960960Carla Letthttps://www.mybump2baby.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Logo-1-300x81.pngCarla Lett2019-06-11 21:46:582019-06-11 21:55:27The Must Have Slimming World Sweet Syn Cones
We are thrilled to have a guest post from the fantastic Taru from the incredible brand ArcticNut. Today Taru shares her insight on a very important topic; ensuring a balanced diet as a mum.
Healthy Diet as a Working Mum
Staying healthy, balanced and energised is every mum’s goal – for herself and for the family, but when you’re working as well as taking care of the children, time is of the essence. Getting children ready for the day, preparing breakfast and arranging your own day means that mornings are very hectic and time-constricted.
I know this from experience and that’s why I wanted to share some tips with you to make your days a little bit more balanced.
Morning
Firstly, don’t be tempted to go for the ‘quick-and-easy’ –option or skip breakfast altogether. Make sure you eat breakfast. Period.
If you’re used to skipping breakfast or choosing a sugary breakfast cereal, you’re bound to feel tired by the time you get to work – let alone surviving till lunchtime or even snack time. Instead, swap sugar for recharging foods such as oats, nuts, seeds, fruits or unflavoured yogurt.
Make a batch of coconut overnight oats the night before and then have them while your kids have breakfast or eat it on the go. They’re a really simple way to get your vitamins, protein, fibre and good carbohydrates in at the start of the day. You can add any fruit or berries on top to make it colourful and to add textures and more flavour.
Steady Energy
By starting your day off with steady, slow releasing energy, you set the pace for the day. By mid morning, you still feel energised and could have a little snack to tide you over till lunchtime.
A quick and easy option is oatcakes with a piece of fruit and maybe a thin spread of nut butter or a handful of nuts.
Fuelling up regularly every 3 hours to keep your energy and blood sugar levels stable will help you avoid those dreaded energy slumps and temptations to go for ‘quick and easy’ sugary options to quickly recharge your batteries. Be sure to include some fibre and protein rich foods at each meal, such as beans, lentils, nuts and seeds, eggs, brown rice or quinoa.
Eating some regular snacks during the day has a lot of benefits, so be sure to fill up your drawers at work with healthy snacks such as nuts and dried fruit. This will make it easier to resist temptation as a colleague offers to bring cookies or piece of cake to solve the afternoon tiredness.
Fight The Tiredness
If you have less energy now than you used to, be sure to check your diet. Many of us don’t get enough vitamins and minerals in our diet or lack sufficient carbs (yes, you read that correctly), which can wreck havoc on your energy levels.
Getting the balance right in your body leads to more energy, better sleep and less stress. We are all unique and that’s why there is no one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to the diet. Our requirements change with different life stages and therefore it’s crucial to keep updating your diet to suit this ebb and flow.
By taking care of the balance of your own diet, you are much better equipped to care for your family. Putting Mum first is crucial in ensuring a balanced family diet, as mums are usually the family chefs and snack time warriors.
Dare I even say that you’ll be more even tempered when your diet is in balance – if you don’t believe me, try it out for yourself!
My name is Taru and I’m a Nutrition Coach for Women. The core of what I do is to help mums and families find the balance in their lives with tailored nutrition advice. You can find Taru’s business listing here.
https://www.mybump2baby.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Healthy-Diet-as-a-Working-Mum.jpg7331100Carla Letthttps://www.mybump2baby.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Logo-1-300x81.pngCarla Lett2019-06-03 21:40:232019-06-04 21:05:39Healthy Diet as a Working Mum
Wahooo…. the Haven caravan season is finally upon us!!!
There is honestly nothing better than driving away from your normal life to spend quality time with your tribe…. away from chores, jobs and that awful thing that we call “laundry”. Regardless of whether you are heading to Presthaven Sands, Riviera Sands or Lakeland Holiday Park you will need a list of items to remember to take to your Haven Caravan holiday.
You may be intending to be in the caravan for a very short space of time or you may plan on being in the caravan a lot…. Either way it is important to make sure you pack all the essentials.
Essential Items to Remember for your Haven Caravan Holiday
Where on earth do you start when it comes to what you need to take with you? What Essentials do you need for a Haven Caravan holiday?
Perhaps your new to caravan life or maybe you have been a dozen times, either way… I am sure you will agree that a “caravan list of essentials” is absolutely necessary when packing for your well-deserved break.
We have only started going on caravan mini breaks since having my son and believe you me, unless you have a list of what to take on a Haven holiday you WILL forget something. The reason I have created this list is mainly so I can use it myself (I always forget something when we go on our caravan holidays).
You see, packing for a caravan break is a little different then packing for your usual hotel break. Hotels often supply you with towels, bedding and all the extras you need but caravans don’t. You need to think about washing up, cooking etc. which are things you don’t need to think about in a hotel. The reason I have created this list.
Sure…. Haven Caravan Parks have shops on site should you forget something but the cost of these items can be a little on the expensive side. To make sure you swerve any additional charges follow our caravan essentials list and you will be all ready for your break with no hiccups and unexpected surprises.
Caravan Break List of Essentials
Here are my list of essentials (items I have most probably forgotten to take myself before)
Kitchen Items
Washing up liquid
Antibacterial handwash
Sponge
Dishcloth
Tea Towel
Kitchen cleaning products
High chair (unless pre-ordered)
Bin bag
Tea and coffee.
Sandwich bags if you are planning on a picnic
Foil for cooking
Kitchen roll
Laundry Items
Bags for dirty washing
Washing powder
Hand washing
Iron
Bathroom Essentials
Towels (hand, beach, bath and swimming towels)
Shampoo
Conditioner
Body Wash
Hand wash
Hairdryer
Hair products
Makeup
Bedroom
Bedding (take your own bedding to save additional costs)
Extra blanket
Travel cot and bedding
Entertainment
Tablet (remember wifi may be limited so download from BBC IPlayer or Netflix before you go)
Laptop
DVD player and DVDS
Camera
Chargers
Board games
Books
Colouring
So hopefully this list has given you enough guidance to ensure you have the perfect break. To save money we always find a local supermarket nearby and get some yummy food and drinks with plenty of treats too so we aren’t constantly spending money.
https://www.mybump2baby.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Items-to-Remember-for-a-Haven-Caravan-holiday.jpg6861030Carla Letthttps://www.mybump2baby.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Logo-1-300x81.pngCarla Lett2019-04-15 17:07:072019-04-28 21:47:43Items to Remember to Take to a Haven Caravan Holiday
Oh I do love Easter…. The chocolate, the eggs and the bank holiday – come onwhat is not to love! If you have older children who are off school it can be an expensive time, especially if you are at a loss for things to do. A simple cinema trip can cost over £20.00 and that isn’t including the sweets and drinks.
We decided to put together some fun craft ideas that you can do with your little ones this Easter that don’t cost the earth and should keep them entertained without driving you insane. Now I am not going to pretend that I am a crafty mum – I am useless at all that stuff but I have asked some of my super crafty bloggers friends for some simple crafts you can do with your children this Easter.
“Last year around Easter, my big boy and I went to an Easter family event at one of our local Berlin museums. Amongst other things, we made some colourful, feathered bunny ears, which we recently rediscovered during a big tidy up. No sooner found, than he was jumping around the house with them, putting on his best bunny face (see above) – and, as to be expected, his little brother wanted some bunny ears too!…..” Read more….
“As my washi tape collection grows bigger and bigger I thought it was about time I used some of them up. My Pinterest boards are full of Easter and Spring crafting and I wanted to make something with my 3 year old who is currently exploring eggs at his nursery. We decided on pretty washi tape Easter eggs”… Read more…
“Is it me or is it feeling like Spring is in the air? The temperatures have definitely been unseasonably warm, some of the spring flowers are blooming, and I have even seen some frogspawn appearing in local ponds. So with all this in mind, I was inspired to make a Pom Pom Spring garland.” ….Read more..
“When I got an email from school reminding me that entries for the Easter Egg Painting competition needed to be handed in this week, I went into a slight panic. Although we love doing crafts together, he can be a bit easily distracted if something isn’t done and dusted in one session. We chatted about what we could do and between us we came up with three easy ideas for painted eggs.” … Read more
“Toddlers and preschoolers will love colouring these free printable Easter egg colouring pages. The simple design is perfect for younger kids. If you are looking to make Easter cards with your children then these would be perfect to stick on the front of the cards. Simply download, print and colour. Don’t forget you dont have to just colour, painting or adding collage would look amazing too!” Read More…
“I Spy games are a fantastic way to help young children develop various skills including vocabulary, comprehension and maths skills. Little Miss loved the bright colours in this Spring I spy game and had great fun counting the different pictures. I spy games are great for rainy afternoons or for taking on long journeys. This I spy game would be a fun addition to a Spring unit study. The sheet can be laminated to use over and over again. Children can use pom poms or buttons to place over the pictures once they are counted.” Read more
https://www.mybump2baby.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Easter-fun-craft-ideas-eggscellent.jpeg375500Carla Letthttps://www.mybump2baby.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Logo-1-300x81.pngCarla Lett2019-03-27 21:02:312019-03-27 21:02:31Easter Fun Craft Ideas
In this day and age, we are blessed with so many groups, classes and businesses that are set up to help us with different aspects of our life. At MyBump2Baby, I have the pleasure of speaking to lots of inspirational and wonderful business owners that want to help other parents on the back of their own experiences.
When I initially spoke to Debra, I was blown away with her personal story and what services she offers. Her service is unlike anything that I had ever heard of and I was intrigued to find out more.
About Debra Kilby Healing
Debra has been helping mums, as well as mum’s in waiting, for many years on their journeys to motherhood. Debra has helped many mums change the way they feel about their birth experiences, no matter how traumatic it was. Described by many clients as a “magical experience”, I felt I had to have a session with Debra to see what it was all about.
Debra also supports mums who have experienced miscarriage, termination and mums who are struggling to become pregnant.
Debra’s healing and guidance not only allows you to feel better but has a huge, positive healing effect on your own child and any future children. I personally felt the weight of emotion and trauma lift and instantly felt lighter, more free and stronger after my experience which I will talk a little more about below.
How does Birth Matrix Reimprinting work?
Debra uses powerful techniques such as Birth Matrix Reimprinting, EFT, Theta Healing and colour healing. She is also an intuitive guide who can sense and move and work with energy. Mum’s are first guided into a relaxed space through a beautiful and relaxing healing meditation. They are then led gently to any moments of trauma and helped to release any emotions such as fear, pain or guilt; feeling disempowered or perhaps the feeling that they have somehow done something ‘wrong’, or failed in any way. All of those negative thought patterns that can heighten the intensity of the trauma.
Why I felt a Session with Debra would help me…
Those of you who read my blogs and follow me on social media will know that I suffered with postnatal depression, PTSD and anxiety after a traumatic period in my life.
During my pregnancy I had “Placenta Previa”, I began having bleeds around the 27th week of my pregnancy and had to be hospitalised for a minimum of 24 hours each time.
The risks with Placenta Previa are very high and although extremely rare, if a big bleed was to happen both George and I could die within minutes due to extreme blood loss. In the meantime, our wedding was around the corner and the bleeds were getting more frequent and heavy – I was unsure if our wedding would actually go forward.
The week before our wedding I was told to rest as much as possible but on the Wednesday my mum came round in floods of tears telling me that my dad and best friend had a massive heart attack and she didn’t know if he was ok, I broke down completely. I just remember dropping to the floor and crying continuously.
Luckily, my dad is ok now but at the time it meant that he couldn’t come to our wedding and I was broken hearted. I was trying not to stress but I couldn’t help it, I wasn’t sleeping and I was phoning the hospital throughout the night checking that my dad was ok.
The wedding soon came around and then a month later (at 33 weeks) the big bleed happened, luckily, I was in hospital already but both George and I nearly died. George was resuscitated and taken away to NICU and I was in complete shock. I didn’t sleep for 36 hours and was continuously shaking.
Looking back, it isn’t surprising that I suffered with my mental health afterwards. Each time I finally plucked up the courage to visit the doctors I was offered pills and that was all. I was never offered a chance to discuss what happened and I guess I never dealt with it. My mental health is mainly ok now as I have learnt how to control it but I still hadn’t dealt with the underlying issues and I wasn’t sure how to.
My Birth Matrix Reimprinting with Debra
I must admit, I am very open minded when it comes to life and Debra’s services really excited me.
I was intrigued to find out if my session with Debra would clear any of the trauma around George’s birth that I have been keeping inside. It is important to me that if I decide to have more children in the future my negative experiences won’t get in the way.
We arranged a video call and I began relaying my story to Debra and within minutes of starting our session, I was crying like a baby. Debra is very easy to talk to and I instantly felt comfortable releasing all my thoughts and feelings without feeling judged.
We revisited the areas that affected me in the lead up to Georges birth, we discussed each of the triggers and went back and discussed the areas in great detail. We then concentrated on healing each area individually by tapping and revisiting the traumatic moments in my mind. We thought about how George may have felt in the womb at the time and we went back and healed him too.
We were on the phone for almost two hours and I felt an instant release after my session with Debra.
3 weeks later….
I wanted to write the review of Debra’s services a few weeks after the session so I could see if I really did feel different or whether I was just caught up in the moment after the call.
My job means that I speak to different businesses all the time, many of the business owners often ask how MyBump2Baby came about and I used to get a lump in my throat just talking about that time in my life but since Debra’s session I haven’t.
It has been 3 weeks and I feel completely different about that time in my life, it doesn’t make me sad anymore like it used to and I feel like a weight has been lifted.
I occasionally struggled with anxiety when my head hits the pillow at night which often kept me awake but this has stopped since my session.
Debra explained that sometimes you can notice a change in your child’s behaviour afterwards, I didn’t notice any major difference in George’s behaviour after my session, George is only 2 years old so it would be difficult to pinpoint an exact change.
Would I recommend Debra Kilby Healing?
For me my session has helped me massively and I would definitely recommend her services to any parents who have experienced traumatic times.
You can find out more about Debra’s services here;
Debra is an intuitive pre-conception, baby loss and birth trauma specialist, Soul Purpose guide and baby spirit communicator.
