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How to Look a Million Dollars on a Mummy Budget

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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Whilst I like to look nice, I fully admit that my fashion sense can be a little outdated and on a special occasion I regularly message my friends to check if an outfit looks ok before I step in to the public.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.

how to look a million dollars on a mummy budget

 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”.

how to look a million dollars on a mummy budget

“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!

How to look a million dollars on a mummy budget

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;

Website

Facebook

Instagram

The Must Have Slimming World Sweet Syn Cones

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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.

Slimming World Sweet Syn Cones

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.

 

Slimming World Sweet Syn Cones

Healthy Diet as a Working Mum

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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.

Healthy Diet as a Working Mum

 

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.

Please get in touch via email at info@arcticnut.com or visit www.arcticnut.com.

 

 

Items to Remember to Take to a Haven Caravan Holiday

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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.

 

Easter Fun Craft Ideas

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Oh I do love Easter…. The chocolate, the eggs and the bank holiday – come on what 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.

 

Crafty Easter Fun Ideas

 

Easy Peasy Bunny Ears from The Bear and the Fox

 

Easter Fun Craft Ideas

 

“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….

 

 

Washi Tape Easter Egg from The Gingerbread House

 

Easter fun craft ideas 2

 

“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…

 

Pom Pom Spring Garland from The Rose Tinted World

 

Easter Fun Craft Ideas

 

“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..

 

Eggcellent Painted Eggs from Hodge Podge Days

Easter fun craft ideas

 

“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

 

Easter Egg Colouring Pages from Messy Little Monster (FREE PRINTABLE)

 

Easter Fun craft ideas 3

 

“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 Game from Jan’s Family Notebook (FREE PRINTABLE)

 

 

“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

Debra Kilby Healing Birth Matrix Reimprinting Review

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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.

www.debrakilby.com

Facebook: Debra Kilby Healing

Instagram: Debra Kilby Healing

Programmes and packages:

Journeys to Motherhood – New Beginnings: Birth Trauma

Journeys to Motherhood – New Beginnings: Baby Loss

Journeys to Motherhood – New Beginnings: Sacred Conception

Personal transformation packages:

Life spark – Soul Discovery

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BabyLed Spreads Review – Healthy Food for a Fussy Toddler

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As you can imagine our email inbox is full of brands wanting to work with us to find out our honest feedback on products with a view to share them with parents using MyBump2Baby. Our time is very limited so we have to pick products and brands to review that we feel will be most beneficial to our readers.



Initially when I was first contacted by BabyLed Spreads, I thought it was a fantastic idea and I thought the BabyLed spreads were just for babies but after liaising with the owner he informed me they are also a perfect healthy food for fussy toddlers which was ideal for us and a lot of mums I have spoken to recently.

BabyLed Spreads Review – Healthy Food for a Fussy Toddler

I am one of those mothers that often suffers with massive mummy guilt when it comes to meal times. George is not a “veg lover” which means a lot of my time is spent disguising vegetables by hiding them in the middle of mash or just giving him what he asks for which isn’t ideal as it is usually fish fingers, chips and beans. I was really excited to try these spreads and see if they made our lives any easier and healthier.

My Review of Baby Led Spreads based on a Fussy Toddler

I love the fact that the baby led spreads are simply ordered online and they come straight to your door making it a completely simple and painless process. You can order either 18 jars for £12.00 (67p per jar) or 9 jars for £6.50 (72p each) You also have the option for dairy free jars which is fantastic if your little one has an intolerance.

At MyBump2Baby we are huge supporters of the Charity Bliss and seeing that BabyLed Spreads also supports the charity made me very happy! For every 9 jars sold, BabyLed spreads donates 30p to Bliss and for every 18 jars sold 60p is donated.

 There are 6 flavours;

  • Ricotta & bean
  • Avocado, red pepper and tomato
  • Spicy pumpkin and chickpea
  • Red lentil and sweet potato
  • Green pea, rocket and dill
  • Carrot, Apple and Hummus

The great news about these jars is that they are small enough to shove in your handbag and there are literally no rules with them, they can be eaten warm, cold, mixed in with pasta, spread on toast, as a dip or whatever you fancy. These spreads can be as versatile as you need them to be and they can just become part of your everyday life without changing your routine, if anything these BabyLed spreads have only made my life easier.

 



Mealtimes with BabyLed Spreads with a Fussy Toddler

I wanted to make sure the week I reviewed the BabyLed Spreads was just a normal busy week in our household so I could see if they fitted in to our busy lives without spending time in the kitchen trying to make different recipes with them.

The owner of baby led spreads has kindly added recipes to our Baby weaning recipe section for you to have a look at and I will be making these once I get my next batch ordered but it was important to me that the BabyLed spreads are quick and easy as well as being healthy.

 

So what did I use the BabyLed Spreads for;

The week I used BabyLed spreads, I found meal times and ideas a lot easier and quicker. George had the BabyLed spreads mixed with pasta, spread on toast, as dips with carrot and cucumber and even with some crisps when he just fancied a snack in the afternoon.

 

 

Would I purchase BabyLed Spreads again for my Fussy Toddler?

100% yes, these spreads have taken the pressure off me trying to cook and hide veg within George’s dinners and George really enjoys them. There wasn’t one he didn’t like (or I didn’t like) and I am really looking forward to using them more.

Who do I think they would work well for?

I think these should be in every parent’s cupboards, you can use them as a go to when you are just wanting to whip something up quickly and the long life on them means that you can just use them to suit your needs.

I think these would be great to take on holiday too as they are small and compact and offer you that support with food should you need it. The pots work great on the go too which means you can stick some in your changing back and use them when you need to.

Order your BabyLed Spreads

If you want to order some of these fantastic BabyLed Spreads, visit their website by clicking here.

I would love to hear your feedback on this product and I will add it to this review. 

BabyLed Spread Recipes

If you want to check out some simple recipes using these fantastic BabyLed spreads click here.

Baby Weaning

I used the Bumbo Multi-seat for baby weaning, you can read my review here



Review of the FitBit Charge HR 2 from a Busy Mum’s Perspective

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If you are a fan of my Instagram live videos and can sympathise when I talk about the diet that started on Monday ended on Tuesday and will be continuing the following Monday, then you will appreciate this post.

I was approached by Fitbit to write an honest review on the Fitbit Charge HR 2. This came at the right time for me as I was scoffing my face but not really exercising. I go through phases where I am either addicted to the gym or addicted to food.

Me addicted to Mcdonalds Hash browns

As a mum, it is so hard to find time to actually get to the gym and for me I wanted to see if the Fitbit is a good way to keep me on track with my fitness and eating habits with a view to lose a few lbs and generally feel healthier and happier without the hefty gym membership fee each month.

Ok, so before now, I was very much an indoor type of person, sure I went to the gym but if someone asked me to walk somewhere I would ask “why?” I was the type of person that couldn’t understand why people would want to walk when they drive but since getting my Fitbit walking is now one of my favourite things to do.

The Fitbit has been extremely beneficial for me at work, I work from home and just as I reach that 2pm “how am I going to keep my eyes open” slump, I stick my trainers on, pop the headphones in, press play on my favourite podcast and way I go!!!

Since using the Fitbit I have been a lot more aware of my overall health. I quickly released the reason why I am always tired is due to lack of sleep and I wasn’t dying from an undetected illness (I am such a Hypochondriac). I also wasn’t drinking enough which often made me think I was hungry rather than thirsty. I soon realised that I wasn’t moving enough throughout the day.

So what is the FitBit Charge 2 great for?

  • Motivation
  • Challenging yourself
  • Comparing your movements
  • Losing weight
  • Getting fitter
  • Calming Anxiety
  • Being Healthier
  • Logging food and water intake
  • Tracking menstrual cycles

 

What features does the FitBit Charge 2 have?

  • Heart rate monitor
  • Sleep Tracker
  • Activity Tracker
  • Breathing sessions
  • Steps taken
  • Distance covered
  • Calories burned (total)
  • Active Minutes with strenuous activity
  • Floors climbed
  • Move Reminders

The Fitbit Style and Appearance

Ok, so the fitbit Charge hr 2 is never going to look like the latest Michael Korrs watch, I mean, COME ONNNN it’s an exercise tracker. It is made to withstand the sweatiest of arms and it certainly looks that way. The good news is the strap can easily be changed from “Gym wear” to “office wear” with a simple adjustment. I have a brown leather band for when I am attending an important meeting or conference and my purple band for general day to day wear.

I much prefer the look of this fit bit to other fit bits, the screen is easy to see but not too big either. I did find the watch a little bulky to wear to begin with especially at night but within a couple of days I was used to it.

 

The FitbitCharge2 Hr App

The Fitbit app is fantastic and a great place to go to check out your health dashboard in more detail. In an instant you can see steps taken, floors climbed, activity, your sleep tracker and you can also use this dashboard to input your food and water intake if you want to maximise its use.

I love the fact that in this area Fitbit recognises that everyone is different and everyone has different goals so you can use this section to your advantage to allow Fitbit to help you with what matters the most whether it is drinking more water or getting more sleep.

 

 

Accepting Challenges

I love the fact that you can connect with other fitbit owners and set challenges and competitions. I often take on a weekend or weekly challenge and compete against other fitbit owners. If you want to add me my name is Carla L and my email is info@mybump2baby.com

The Heart Rate Monitor

The heart rate monitor works great for me when I am exercising at home or at the gym and I am trying to reach my fat burning zone. I really like this feature and I do notice a big difference when I exercise with my tracker as I always push myself to meet the zone I need to be in.

Sleep Tracker

My friends think I am lazy because I like to have a nap when I get the chance but lone behold since owning the Fitbit charge 2 I noticed that I only get around 5 – 6 hours sleep a night which is definitely not enough. I often work in to the early hours of the morning. I have now set a minimum sleep target of 7 hours to ensure I feel better – I am struggling to stick to it but I have definitely improved.

Activity Tracker

I love the fact that you can track different types of activity and not just steps. You can now track running, walking, hiking, biking, elliptical workouts and weight lifting sessions. You can select which ones you are more likely to use on the app.

Step Tracker

I did have a slight issue one day with the step tracker, I decided to do an extra-long walk which was around 7 miles in total, however I noticed that during the walk some of my steps weren’t recording. When I got home it said I had only walked 3,000 steps all day and I really wasn’t sure what had happened, after some research I did notice that my band wasn’t as tight as it should have been and I had worn the fit bit charge 2 in the shower that morning which is also a big NO, NO!!! THE FITBIT IS NOT WATERPROOF, I REPEAT THE FITBIT IS NOT WATERPROOF!! It never did it again – I did the same walk another time and it measured around 12,000 steps that day which seemed right.

Breathing

As some of you know, I get the occasional bout of anxiety and I have been told numerous times “it’s all about the breathing”, it often occurs at night and is tied in with over thinking and worrying about things I have zero control over. I have started using the breathing feature at night and it has been brilliant at calming me down and just chilling me out.

Battery Life

The battery life on the Fitbit Charge 2 is supposed to be 5 days but for me it needs to be charged every 4 days which is still a good amount.

 

Fit Bit Charge 2 review summary

I actually love this Fitbit so much and I am so glad I got the opportunity to try and test it. I was gutted that it was not waterproof but I know there are other Fitbits out there on the market that are. I did have that one day with the Fitbit where my steps didn’t tally up but as mentioned, I had been in the shower with it and I didn’t have it on as tight as normal, nonetheless it was bloody annoying. I didn’t experience any other issues with the FitBit charge 2 and it hasn’t happened since.

I do find it annoying that the fitbit is not shower proof, I have often forgot to put it back on and missed a whole day or tracking.

Has the Fitbit Charge 2 been successful with my goals?

Yes, I have lost 7lbs using the Fitbit and simply walking more. I haven’t really been to the gym much whilst I have been walking due to lack of time and how busy I have been but walking has been great for my mind as well as my body.

Would I cancel my gym membership?

No, walking is great and I really do enjoy it but I still love going to the gym for a good spin class. I love the fact that I can use the Fitbit to track other exercises as well as walking. If you are happy exercising out of the gym you could definately cancel your membership and I do feel the fitbit is a great way to monitor your health and progress.

 

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A Teletubbies Playdate

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“Tubbies” is a regular word we hear in our house; it is often screamed out with sheer excitement as George virtually face plants the TV screen every single morning. When I saw the opportunity to review the new Teletubbies Playdate pack – how could I say no?

Recently, I have felt really guilty recently about not spending enough time with George. MyBump2Baby has been incredibly busy (not that I am complaining) I never seem to get anytime off and when I do, I am often answering calls, replying to emails or setting up meetings for the days I am working. Those of you who regularly read my blog know that I find it really difficult to balance home life, being a mum and running my own business. When I saw the chance to review the Tubbies playdate pack and I saw it as the perfect opportunity for myself and George to spend some quality time together – just the two of us.

Our Tubby Playdate

 

What does the Tubby Pack entail?

The Tubby playdate pack has been released to celebrate the brand new series of the Teletubbies coming to CBeebies on 4th June. The Tubby playdate pack is a completely FREE downloadable pack. The pack is absolutely brilliant and includes crafts, games, activities and recipes.

 

The Invitations

Although, I decided it would be nice for George and I to spend some quality time together, I couldn’t help but notice the cute little invitations within the pack. The tubby playdate pack even took in to consideration the WhatsApp option where you can download a special invitation to send out via WhatsApp. WhatsApp is my lifeline to the outside world so I was impressed by this feature and would definitely use this option for our next playdate.

The Crafts

George and I decided that we would like to get the crafts ready for our playdate and decorate the house the night before so that we could concentrate on games, songs and stuffing our faces with food the next day.

We spent a good 40 minutes colouring in the bunting

Once we had finished the bunting, we stuck it to the front window in the porch to show off the fact we are going to be having our own tubby playdate. George and I went outside to check it looked ok and he was very excited that his colouring was on display to the whole of our street.

 

The next craft was the tubby antennas, George, of course wanted to be La-La and I wanted to be Po, but sadly I was told that I had to be Tinky Winky. I tried to convince George I would be a good Po but his mind was firmly made up. I cut out the antennas and stuck a lollypop stick and some cardboard to the back to ensure they would stay upright.

 

The day of the Tubby Play Date

George woke up and the first thing he shouted was “TUBBIES” he remembered it was our playdate which I thought was really cute. We had our breakfast, did a few jobs and then put Teletubbies on in the back ground, I put my phone on “do not disturb” and started we started our playdate.

 

The Food

There were some great recipe ideas in the pack and I decided to create our favourite healthy tubby inspired pizza wraps for lunch as George really enjoys helping me make them.

Tortilla Pizza Recipe

Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees

Use Tortilla wraps for the base

Smother the Tortillas in Passata

We then made a face by adding a little cheese, spinach and mushrooms and stuck them in the oven for around 8 minutes.

 

The Games

There were plenty of different ideas for games in the pack, we firstly played “find La-La”, George covered his eyes, I hid La-La and then he went on a mission to find her. He really enjoyed that game.

We also played pin the SPLAT which involves a blindfold and sticking a sticker on your favourite Tubby. George wouldn’t wear the blindfold but enjoyed sticking the stickers on.

 

 

 

Then we finished off our Tubby playdate with some songs, bubbles and music in the garden.

 

 

I absolutely loved our Tubby playdate pack, we will definately be having another one!

 

 

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The One Minute Rule

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I guess you could say our house can be a little messy on occasion. I have the best intentions believe me – I really do, but mess just seems to build up around me, it doesn’t help that my husband and I are both extremely last minute people, which unfortunately means that we both seem to think that we have all the time in the world and leave everything to the last possible minute before getting ready.
Believe it or not, this realisation only occurred to me the other day, we were due to meet our friends at 12pm and at 11:34am George was still in his pyjamas, my husband was sat at the computer in his boxers and I was finishing off some work on my IPad in my pjs.
I remember shouting “We have 20 minutes to get ready!!!” from that moment on until we stepped out of the front door it was complete and utter mayhem.

one minute rule

 

 

 

My husband was demanding to know where his clothes were whilst emptying his wardrobe, drawers and the washing basket on to the floor! George proceeded to scream constantly whilst repeatedly slapping me across the face like I was a human tambourine, all I was trying to do was get the little monster changed and then when I did dare to try and leave him alone for a few minutes to hunt for a matching pair of socks, he held on to my legs so tight that I couldn’t move. I was shouting “get off me!!!” Danny was shouting “where’s my pants?” And George was crying. Within less than 5 minutes we went from having a relatively tidy, calm and happy home to a scene of utter devastation, it look liked the aftermath of storm Katrina.
one minute rule 2

 

 

 

Just one simple change

I had been seeking ways to naturally become a little more organised in the home in an attempt to resolve our last minute, hellish experiences. I wanted to find one thing… just one simple change that could make our lives a little easier.

Housework and motivation

Now those of you who know me, know that when I want to focus on a particular area of my life, I listen to podcasts for inspiration, ideas and motivation. I love podcasts because they make me feel Iike I am utilising my time effectively, I often listen to them when I drive or whilst I am doing housework.

I was already a huge fan of Gretchen Rubins Podcast “Happier”. “Happier” is a podcast where Gretchen talks about happiness and good habits with her sister Elizabeth Craft. It was like fate that the same day as I was toying with ideas about how I can change, Gretchen Rubin began talking about her one-minute rule. The one minute rule is something that Gretchen has adapted to her life and swears by it so I thought I would give it a go.

 

one minute rule 3
 

 

 

 

So what is the one minute rule?

Do you ever feel like your drowning in jobs? Your to do list is becoming more like a “not to do” list? If so than the one-minute rule would be great for you. The one-minute rule works exactly how it sounds – if a task takes less than 1 minute to complete, you complete it straight away. I have applied this to my life for the last 2 weeks and I have noticed a huge difference both personally and in the home. Let me give you a few examples of how this rule has helped me.

 

one minute rule 4
 

 

 

Example 1

I was a nightmare at opening post and then putting the post that needed further action to one side – I have now cleared them all.

Example 2

I used to wash our clothes around 3 times before they actually made it out the washing machine – it was always an awkward time when the washing machine finishes

Example 3 

My car used to end up in a state because George would take toys in each time and I used to leave the toys in the car – before I knew it my car resembled a mobile jumble sale and was highly embarrasing when I would give someone an unexpected lift.

The above examples are just a few examples of how “the one minute rule” has made my life easier and my mind a little less cluttered and more together. Of course, it doesn’t resolve the fact that my husband and I are last minute people but it does ensure our clothes are away where they should be which makes things a tad less stressful – I am still working on the rest.