My Sunday Photo 30/11/14

On Friday Billie Faiers launched her 'The Signature Collection' pram range with My Babiie and I was invited along to interview her. You can read it here if you fancy it.



The Signature Range - Interview With Billie Faiers

When an email landed in my inbox asking if I'd like to interview Billie Faiers at the launch of her Signature Range with My Babiie, I of course said yes. What mum doesn't like to scope out the latest set of wheels for tots?!

Billie teamed up with My Babiie to produce a range that reflected her personality and her 'passion for cutting edge design'. As a new mum herself Bille strove for high quality products, as parents we all want the best for our children but they also needed to look stylish, which I certainly think they do!

I was most surprised by the prices of the range, I expected the starting price to be over £100 but prices start at £59.99 which I think is excellent value, especially as the pushchairs have features you would pay extra for with other brands.

 

What Billie said about her range in the press release...

"Designing my own range and working with the team at My Babiie to create ‘The Signature Range’ has been a dream come true. I've had so much input and created products that I'm really proud of and products that I wanted to use – I love them!

“Before Nelly arrived I wanted to make sure she had the best of everything as all new mums do and I soon realised that it doesn't always have to come with a high price point. I've created a range that people can use again and again - I'm keeping hold of all my items as I would love more children and I will be able to use it again soon as it would be great to give Nelly a little brother or sister – I really want to have another soon so the children are close in age."





 I was a bit nervous about interviewing Billie especially when I realised it was not behind the scenes as I thought but on the shop floor. It was fine though, Billie was lovely, very friendly and came across exactly how she does on TV. Below are the questions I asked about her range.

 

What gave you inspiration for your designs?

Billie said that she worked closely with the team at My Babiie to incorporate the things she loved. As a fan of Chanel she pointed out the quilted design on her cream pushchair. She wanted them to look great and not be gender specific.

 

If you had to pick one, what would your favourite design be?

This was an easy answer for Billie, pointing to the cream stroller again she exclaimed that was her favourite. I told her I loved the look of it too but it wouldn't be practical for Mr E as he is a messy little chap.

 

Are there any plans to create more baby products?

Billie said there were definitely plans in the pipeline for more baby products and that they were looking to expand the range at My Babiie.

 

And last but not least...

What one tip would you give mum's to be?

Billie thought long and hard about the answer to this one and exclaimed it was hard as there are soooo many things she could say. But her tip would be definitely buy a cot mobile, she said her daughter Nelly absolutely loved the fisher price one they had. Billie exclaimed Nelly would stare at it for ages and it would comfort her.

 

So there we have it, I probably could of squeezed in a couple of more questions but I could hear Eliot having a meltdown somewhere in the background and at the moment they are pretty bad so I wrapped up with a photo.

You can watch my vlog here http://youtu.be/-POJ2fARQDA

Looking very un-glam next to Billie

 What do you think of The Signature Range?

Polagram Personalised Calendar Review & Giveaway CLOSED

 A few  weeks ago I was contacted by Polagram and asked if I'd like to review one of their products. If you haven't heard of Polagram they are a company that print photos directly from your smartphone, it really is as simple as that! I'm always taking photos on my iphone whether it's to the camera roll or to upload to Instagram or other social media sites, so this sounded like the perfect option for printing those photos easily.

Once you've downloaded the app you can choose what product/s you'd like to order. You can choose from a selection different sized prints, including polaroid style prints, the polaroid prints are also available in a giftbox of 36 prints. A poster is another option which displays 35 images, along with iphone cases and a photobook. Seeing as it's coming up to the end of the year I decided to select their personalised calendar to review.

Once I'd selected the calendar option I needed to choose 12 photos to upload. I gave permission for Polagram to access my Instagram and Facebook account, this enabled me to have a larger range of photos to choose from.

I chose a photo from that month the year before (if that makes sense), they are mainly of Eliot! I found the easiest way to select the photo for the month I wanted was to choose the pictures in order. So the first picture I selected would be January and so on. It does also give you an option to organise you photos once you have selected your images.

Once I'd done this I chose four photos from my selection that I wanted on the front cover. Polagram gives the opportunity to 'shuffle' these until you're happy with the four photos. Once you're satisfied with your calendar layout you can add more products or go through to the checkout.

When the calendar arrived I couldn't wait to see it! Unfortunately there was an issue as there had been a problem with the printer so another one was sent out.

When I received the amended calendar I was really impressed with the finished product, the quality of the calendar is great and I love all the photos I chose!

December is a few days away which means Christmas is almost upon us! If you're still thinking about a gift for someone the personalised calendar would make a perfect pressie. It can be personalised and tailored to an individual/couple/family in a few simple steps. You can purchase for £16.90 and other currencies are available to pay in.

I do have one personalised calendar to giveaway to one lucky reader! You will need a smartphone to be able to download the app. Just enter the rafflecopter for your chance of winning!

If you can't wait though here's a code for £2 towards Polagram products PG5EL1FO

*Disclaimer I was sent a personalised calendar in exchange for my honest opinion



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Parragon Book Buddy Review Peek-A-Book & Count To 10 With A Mouse

Back in June at Britmums Live I signed up to become a Parragon Book Buddy. The two books I'm writing about are the September and October books for babies/toddlers. I have been so swamped with work, moving stress and general day to day stuff  I've been delayed at getting this post up!

The September book, 'Peek-A-Book' by Malachy Doyle was out of Stock when it was due to be sent, so it was sent along with the October book. After reading it myself I could see why had been out of stock. The teacher in me immediately saw the opportunities for discussion on each page, it is a book that will appeal to all fairy tale fans. It is a story I imagine reading to a whole class and the children being excited by it, especially when recognising some familiar characters.
The two main characters in the story are a cat and a dog. The dog chases the cat on to different pages, each page has a part cut out or is shaped differently. As the cat jumps on to a new page, she also jumps into a different fairy tale. The illustrations are bright and colourful which are very inviting for children. As a story it's obviously too old for Eliot to enjoy at the moment but he has loved flicking through the pages and looking at the pictures. I envisage it as a book we will enjoy together for years to come and eventually Eliot being able to read the story to me!
I highly recommend this book for older tots and children in key stage one, it would make a great stocking filler and you can buy it here.

Enjoying Peek-A-Book before bed!

The second book we received was 'Count To Ten With Mouse' by Margaret Wise Brown which came in a gorgeous gift set complete with cuddly mouse! Although I must admit I can't look at the book in the same way after my own encounter with a real mouse at the weekend but I won't get into that!

This again is a book Eliot has picked up and happily flicked through, with a bit more ease as it's smaller and the cover is hard back.
A key element of the book is that it features a mouse size hole on each page, the idea being the mouse hs crawled through which I think is cute.
The book has rhythm and rhyme which will draw in children to listen to the story along with the repeated pattern of the book.
I think it's a lovely book that has a bit more to it than most number books for tots, which often just feature the numbers. It has a story to it too which adds depth to it.
As it comes in a lovely gift set this is a fab Christmas present, children can never have too many books! To order click here.

*Disclaimer we were sent the books in exchange for a review as part of the Parragon Book Buddy Programme.

Trotters Milo Body Review

 I was contacted by Trotters Childrenswear and asked if we'd like to review the Milo Body, an item Prince George has recently been seen wearing. If it's good enough for royalty I was definitely more than happy for my own little prince to try it out!

The Milo Body is made in the EU from beautifully soft jersey. With its traditional piped Peter Pan collar, this body is bound to become a wardrobe staple for your little ones. Team this basic body with stylish dungarees, or with trousers to complete the look. The fastening with poppers down the back and along the leg seams ensures that dressing will be easy.

When I unwrapped the Milo body the first thing I noticed was how soft and cosy it felt. Made from 96% cotton and 4% elastane, the quality is excellent and the stretch means it could give your little one that bit of extra wear out of it. I ordered size 18-24 months as Eliot is 18 months on Boxing Day and most of the clothes he wears now are in 18-24 months. I think the next size up would have been a better fit for Eliot as there would be more room for him to grow into it. 18-24 months fits him but I'm not sure how long it will last. Eliot is big for his age though and looks about 2 already!

I LOVE that the Milo Body has poppers at the back! I don't know about you but I often find it tricky getting clothes over Eliot's head, so this feature is a big plus point to avoid mini tantrums when dressing your tot.

If I'm honest I thought the Peter Pan collar might look a bit 'girly' but I was wrong and I really like the look. It adds that 'something' to a simple, yet staple item in your little ones wardrobe.

I think the Milo Body looks great teamed with dungarees, the collar detail stands out in a subtle way (if that makes sense!) to give the outfit a different look from the usual round neck collar. With it's long sleeves (also available in short sleeves) it's ideal for layering up in the colder weather. I think it would look fab under a wolley jumper with the Peter Pan collar visible over the top, as below.

With Navy Trim Collar

 

I definitely recommend the Milo Body if your looking to add to your tots staple collection!

Have you bought any items from Trotters?

 

*I was sent the Milo Body in exchange for an honest review

My Sunday Photo 23/11/14

On Friday we finally exchanged contracts for our sale and the house we are purchasing, so we celebrated with a bit of fizz and Mr E had a fruit shoot treat! It's all been a bit stressful so we're relieved to have got there in the end.

OXO Tot 4 Piece Feeding Set Review

 Today on the blog I'm sharing the OXO Tot Toddler Feeding Set. I was super excited to receive the set and let Eliot put it through its paces. Having worked with OXO Tot before, I knew I would be receiving the highest quality products and I was not disappointed!

 It's a four piece set consisting of plate, bowl, fork and spoon, each with their own unique features designed to make self feeding an easier task for toddlers.
The fork and spoon have non slip handles and are designed with a flat area to prevent them from rolling off on to the floor.

 The plate boasts a removable ring which is designed to help toddlers guide their food onto the cutlery and minimise any food spills. Once your tot has mastered the art of feeding themselves with the cutlery, the ring can be removed. It also features a non slip base making it a doddle for toddlers to learn to feed themselves independently without their dish sliding all over the place.
Eliot's not quite there with feeding himself completely independently. However, as you can see in the photo he is pretty confident. It's getting the food on to the cutlery which he still needs help with.



The bowl is perfect for cereal, snacks and pasta, it comes with a snap on lid which is ideal for storing leftovers or taking snacks on the go. It is designed with 'straight side walls' to assist toddlers with guiding their food on to their cutlery. Like the plate it has a non slip base, meaning it stays firmly in place when your toddler is putting food on their fork/spoon.

 

We have been really impressed with the OXO Tot feeding set, I love how the look is simple yet sleek and stylish. The design of each piece is really helping Eliot on his journey to self feed with cutlery, which you can see in the photos.
All pieces are dishwasher safe and are free from BPA, PVA and phthalate.
As with the other OXO Tot products I've tried, the quality is outstanding. I 100% recommend trying out the OXO Tot range if you haven't already! You can purchase from sites such as Amazon and other retailers.

Have you tried any of the OXO Tot range?

* I was sent the product for the purpose of the review, all opinions are honest and my own


Organix Weaning Bundle Giveaway! CLOSED

I've teamed up with the lovely team at Organix to give not one, not two but three lucky readers the chance to win an Organix weaning bundle!

Win an Organix weaning bundle, including the new Organix Little Book of Weaning

Just when you and your baby are in a confident routine with milk feeds, along comes weaning.  To help you we’ve got 3 amazing Organix weaning bundles up for grabs, a tasty selection of organic baby foods, plus a copy of the new Organix Little Book of Weaning.

Weaning provides the perfect opportunity for developing a healthy and balanced diet for your baby, giving them a healthy start in life.  It be might be messy and challenging, but weaning can also be exciting and full of fun.  

To help parents make sense of all the information Organix has launched its Little Book of Weaning. It aims to simplify things so parents and little ones can enjoy their weaning journey, and to encourage mums and dads to help their babies mash, lick, squash, squeeze and play with new foods.  From advice on how to tell when your little one is ready to start weaning, to top tips on making every mealtime fun, The Organix Little Book of Weaning is designed to help at every stage of this exciting time.

Your prize also includes weaning foods – Organix stage 1 cereals and fruit pots in simple tastes and smooth textures to help get you started, and stage 2 foods so you can add more tastes and textures at mealtimes as your baby’s confidence grows and you and your baby become more adventurous.  Plus, finger foods in a great range of shapes, textures and tastes to help your little one learn the skills they need to feed themselves.

If you’re not lucky enough to win you can download a free copy of the Organix Little Book of Weaning at www.organix.com/littlebookofweaning

Just enter the Rafflecopter for a chance of winning!

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Moving Update & Ikea

Some of you will already know we sold our flat back in August and had lots of disappointments when   searching for our new home but we got there after what felt like a lifetime. As usual though with moving not everything goes to plan and I've shared our update in my most recent vlog.
On Saturday we headed to Ikea for the afternoon to browse for furniture ideas and came away with lots of ideas. One of which is that I am definitely getting a dressing table! Our nearest Ikea is currently in Croydon and it was decked out with Christmas displays and homware which felt very festive indeed!

Here's the vlog...

Thank you so much if you're already subscribed :) If you're not I'd love you to!

My Sunday Photo

We popped to Ikea yesterday for a browse and Mr Eliot was quite taken with the toy kitchen. So much so we've put it on his Christmas list!

Off The Blogging Track

The photo is not relevant to the post but I find Eliot's crazy hair amusing so thought I'd use it.

 

Lately I've been totally off track with my blog posts and I can't exactly pinpoint why. Here's a few reasons why I've been lapse...

 

• Working (albeit part time)
• Moving home 'stresses'
• Mummy duties
• House chores

I have things I want to write, I have things I NEED to write but they're just not getting done. I have every intention of writing something and then the opportunity is gone. Purely because something else needs to be done or my blogging 'mojo' has evaporated.

I love blogging, from the memories captured to the opportunities that I've had, so there's no way I will end it. 

I think once we've moved and we're settled somewhere new, I will be back on track. Right now I feel overwhelmed with it all.

I apologise if my posts are a bit here and there, bear with me and thank you for coming back to read them!

My Sunday Photo

This week I've noticed a large increase in festive bits & bobs, Christmas songs on in the shops, the John Lewis advert and decorations adorning shop displays. So here is our first festive photo, next to the Christmas countdown tree in Asda :)

Mr Men & Little Miss Beefeater Launch

When I was a child I often visited Beefeater restaurants with my parents, I vaguely remember ordering from a Mr Men & Little Miss menu. Beefeater are teaming up with Mr Men and Little Miss again as part of their 40th birthday celebrations,  launching a new kids menu.

On Saturday we were invited along to a rather special event to celebrate the reunited partnership at the Beefeater Parkway in Guildford. Even though it was a Saturday the traffic out of London was a blinkin' nightmare and we arrived a little bit late. Thankfully we were just in time for the part of the day I was looking forward to the most, a workshop with Adam Hargreaves. Adam is the son of Roger Hargreaves who created the Mr Men and Little Miss series, he continues his father's work as author and illustrator.

Whilst one of the stories was read, Adam created some matching illustrations and encouraged the children that were old enough to do their own. I did feel in awe to be I the presence of an author and illustrator of such a well known series, one that I enjoyed reading as a child myself.

 

After the workshop we headed outside for some photos with Mr Tickle and Little Miss Sushine, Eliot was rather taken with Mr Tickle's arms!

There was ample opportunity for the kids to get their faces painted, unfortunately Eliot wasn't old enough to have his done but he did enjoy reading some books and browsing the Mr Men and Little Miss magazine. We also met Adam and he signed a Mr Men and Little Miss Book for Eliot.

 

Soon it was time for lunch, it didn't get off to the best start which was a shame. To begin with there was a lack of highchairs, understandably there was a fair few of babies and toddlers at the event. There were also families out for lunch in the restaurant but overall not an out of the ordinary amount of people requiring highchairs. I was disappointed, as a family restaurant I felt there should have been more available. The PR team were very helpful and tried to track one down but I don't think we were the only people on the hunt. My other half managed to nab a highchair when one became available, it was a bit messy so he asked a member of staff if they could give it a clean. Luckily I had some sterilising wipes with me as they never came back over to wipe it. Once Eliot was in the highchair we realised the middle strap that comes up between the legs was missing. That meant he could have slipped out underneath the tray. We asked for another when it became available as it wasn't completely safe. When it did arrive it was too late.

We had pre-ordered our main courses but I didn't realise we were getting the chance to sample some of the starters.  However we seemed to be the only table from the event who didn't get them, in the end we asked for them and our main meals arrived before the starters.

Grumbles aside, we really enjoyed the food. We had a flatbread and breaded mushrooms to try out as starters and we both had steak for our main, which was served with chips, tomato and mushroom. Both were cooked to how we'd requested and were very tasty.

We'd ordered Eliot Mr Strongs flat iron steak from the new kids menu as whenever we do go out he normally has pasta or chicken. We thought the steak would be a nice change.

But Eliot wouldn't eat the steak as he was being a bit of a fuss pot, he did of course enjoy the chips and ate some peas too.

 

The Mr Men and Little Miss menu offers plenty of mains for children to pick. From Little Miss Trouble's Tomato pasta to Mr Noisy's Bangers and mash to having the option of creating your own pizza. There is something to appeal to even the fussiest of eaters! As well as mains, there are a selection of starters, sides, drinks and desserts to choose from. Depending on how hungry your brood are, there are three different meal deals available. One course and a drink is priced at £4.49, two courses plus drink £5.49 and three course with a drink £5.99.

 

To round off the day there was a competition to create a sundae in the theme of a character. Armed with lots of sweet treats, Eliot got to work on his pudding.

We named it Mr Messy's Mess. The sundae's were judged by Adam Hargreaves who liked the 'not so original' name of our creation. Mr Messy's Mess was not the winner but we had a great time at the Beefeater (minus the highchair & starter issues). The highlight for me had to be meeting Adam Hargreaves.

 

Have you tried the new Mr Men, Little Miss menu yet?





My Sunday Photo

Meeting Little Miss Sunshine & Mr Tickle after getting his books signed by the author and illustrator.