Baby Baker Friday - Lets Talk Boobies...

I've decided that Friday's on the blog are now going to be dedicated to my new found pregnancy status.

Whilst I know this won't please everyone, it's something I really want to do - after all being pregnant is a huge thing to be happening in my life and I really want to share bits and pieces of what is going on amongst these pages.

So here we go

~ Baby Baker Friday ~

I've noticed that there has been a whole lot of talk across social media lately around the topic of breastfeeding, and with it being National Breastfeeding Week I suppose that it is only natural for it to be a hot topic of conversation.

And why not.

It certainly got me to thinking about it all a little bit more anyway, so much so that I figured it would be quite an appropriate post topic for Baby Baker Friday this week.

I'm no expert in the field I must stress now, in fact my knowledge levels, beyond the "Breast Is Best" mantra, is very close to nothing.

But I still have my own thoughts and opinions on the subject and that's what I'm going with here - my ideas, my viewpoint, my thoughts.

It's quite funny really, a class of my students at work have been studying the "Breast vs Bottle" area in their Child Development lessons recently and they love nothing more than dragging me into the room whenever I walk past to get my thoughts on the subject - and I have to say, for a group of fourteen year old girls, they certainly know their stuff - they offer me tips and advice regularly, it's great.

But they are all desperate to know how I will choose to feed Baby Baker when she is here.

So what will I do?

Well, very honestly, I would very much like to give breastfeeding a try.

I'm really keen on it this time around actually and I know for sure that I didn't feel this way when I was pregnant with my son - in fact I'll go as far to say that it didn't even enter my head to try breastfeeding at all.

And I'm not really sure why.

The only things I can put it down to is the fact that I was only 21 at the time - not that age has anything to do with it of course, but I do think that for me personally I was way too young and one hundred percent wasn't in the same mindset as I'm in right now.

Plus, I had just endured an exhausting nineteen hour labour topped off nicely with a fairly traumatic knock-me-out-fully emergency section...so I suppose this (and all of the pain) could have played their own little parts in putting me off trying.

But whatever the reason, breastfeeding never came into it and I can't even remember my midwifes asking me about it either...

However this pregnancy around, I've already put time into thinking about what I want and why I want it, as well as planning on ways to make the process as successful for me as possible.

Not for one minute am I saying that I'll be amazing at it though - all the planning in the world won't make my body do something it doesn't want to so I know I may not be able to do it.

I've heard that it's not all that easy and that it comes with it's own bit of pain too but at least I'm expecting these things and have planned for them - I know I'll have to persevere...well...for a while anyway.

There are a few things I'm worried about though I won't deny, things such as...

~ What will other people think when I pop my boob out...?

I'm not a person who goes for any sort of public attention grabbing scenarios and I can blush at the slightest thing - even if it doesn't embarrass me.

So can you imagine if I thought a stranger had spotted my exposed nipple - oooh - it's never going to be good isn't that one...

~ Will it hurt?...A lot...?

I try not to moan too much about things (the Husband may not quite agree with this...) but I know that I don't have the highest pain threshold out there, so sore boobies and nipples aren't really appealing to me at all...

~ Will I end up with knee-grazing boobies afterwards...?

Saggy boobies?

Oh please no...

I suppose, as in most situations, preparation is the key...

~ I've enquired about some breastfeeding hints and tips classes through my midwife, just so I get an idea of what I'm supposed to be doing.

~ I'm going to bug the hell out of my midwife cousin for as much advice and help as she can offer up.

~ I've already invested in a few packs of muslin clothes, which will stop me becoming all exhibitionistic, and will make a good cover to pop over the boobie area whilst I'm feeding if I'm out and about.

~ I'm going to look into buying some nice, flattering, easy accessible feeding tops...along with some really good, comfortable supportive bras...
(sore, saggy boobs - be gone!)

It's also important that the boys in the house don't miss out of some of the feeding/bonding time with Baby Baker too, so I already have a Tommee Tippee Manual Breast Pump (thanks lots George Clothing for this!) so that I can express a bottle or two for them to be involved as well.

...and not to mention it will mean I get an occasional night off the feeds too...

I'm really hoping I manage to make a success out of it all.

But if not, after solely bottle feeding my son when he was a baby, I know that I'll be OK - I mean he is an amazingly well developed, strong, clever little (well - not so little!) young man now so the bottle certainly did him no harm now did it...

Anyway, we shall see...

* Pump included in my haul of goodies from George - words, pictures, thoughts all my own

Fun, Fancy Tea With An IngenuiTea Maker

Hands up if you love a good cuppa.

Yep, me too - nothing beats it, especially after a really long, hard slog of a work day.

I'm actually more known for being a bit of a coffee fiend if I'm honest - I used to have quite a lot of the stuff at one point - however, since I became pregnant, I wouldn't exactly say I've "gone off" of the taste of it but I would now much rather have a steaming hot mug of tea instead.

So it was fairly obvious then that when I was asked if I would like to have a little try of a fancy tea making contraption along with some pritty fab varieties of loose tea that I said yes.

I must admit, loose tea is kind of a new concept to me - at home I'm more a Yorkshire-Tea-from-a-bag kind of a gal, I mean I do have a little loose-tea-appropriate-tea-pot but it very rarely comes out of the cupboard.

But when I'm at work I do struggle a little bit - I'm always on the go and I find it really difficult to ever actually sit down and spend a few minutes savouring a good, hot cuppa.

It really is quite a disaster

They either go cold before I get a chance to take a sip or I can never get my hands on any milk which isn't a week or so past it's sell-by-date...

So what's the solution?

Well, simply take the IngenuiTea maker to work with me of course!

~Tea

~ Quickly

~ With no milk required

~ Problem solved ~

And it really has been working for me - quite successfully too I may add.

This handy little teapot-like contraption is small enough to fit on my over-crowded desk and it allows me to make a life-saver of a drink in absolutely no time at all

Loose tea is popped directly into the plastic pot and then boiling water should be poured directly on top of this

After a few minutes all of the flavoursome loose tea has steeped and infused into the water and it is ready.

And then comes the clever part.

Simply pop a mug underneath the teapot, sitting it directly onto the rim of the mug and watch whilst tea is served.

It's blooming great!

As the teapot hits the mug, a valve is released which allows the tea to flow through and down into the mug whilst all of the loose tea - every single bit of it - remains in the teapot above.

I love it and it still hasn't got old, watching the water filter into the cup below
(I do realise that I'm getting way too excited over a teapot..!)

It's brilliant - but what is a fancy, squeal-creating teapot without any fabulous loose tea to enjoy with it?

Nothing, that's what.

So it's very handy then that I was also sent a selection of fantastic teas to sample alongside the fab IngenuiTEA pot.

I'm not a huge fan (not at all) of green teas so I avoided these like the plague and instead was sent a few of Adagio's slightly "darker options" to tantalise my taste buds and I've really found myself enjoying them.

Today for example, I had a few mugs of the fairly sweet Peach Oolong tea and the smell as it steeped in the hot water was just amazing - my office smelt all fruity for ages - even after the tea was gone.

And obviously is tasted pritty amazing too...

The IngenuiTea maker is now a permanent fixture in my office - it provides me with my much needed tea fix and it does it quickly, with no fuss and with a little element of fun thrown into the mix too...

It's got to be Chocolate Tea tomorrow I think...

Hmmm...what's not to love!

*item sent free of charge to review - thought, words & pictures are all my own

A Trip To Sheffield For #BloggersUniteSummer15

I think for me, one of the - no - probably the best thing I have found since I began my blog is that there are so many amazingly brilliant and lovely like-minded people out there.

Once I'm over all of the initial nervousness, there's nothing more I enjoy doing than attending different blogging events.

They are always so much fun and give me an opportunity to either have a good old catch up with people I have already met over the last two years, or allow me to continue meeting, and getting to know, even more brilliant new faces.

~ It's really not a bad hobby to have is it ~

A few Saturday's ago I found myself in one of these "let's go meet people" scenarios, and now because the Hubby - A Blokes Eyeview - has a blog too it's nice that we get to occasionally go to events together

(I still like a bit of girls-only time too though!)

Anyway, on this particular occasion we headed over to Sheffield to the Eat Eaten Cafe in the town centre for the #BloggersUniteSummer15 event, and although the weather was anything but summery, we still had a really relaxed, really fun few hours.

And all thanks to Hannah, Frankie and Emma for inviting us!

Initially I was a little apprehensive about the proposed ice-breaker task that greeted us as we entered the room - a bit of a bloggers speed dating activity - but once it began it was really fun...and really, really noisy!

The aim was to get us speaking and interacting with each other for a few minutes at a time, finding out random information about people we may have never even set eyes on in the past, before moving down the line and doing the same again.

My Hubby was in his element - a room full of beautiful ladies and him the only male blogger for them to chat to - he loved it

But then again, so did I - there really are some fantastic people out there

Once we had exhausted all avenues of question asking we had a short "catch-your-breath-break" before sitting down to hear all about three new product ranges being launched by a Sheffield based entrepreneur - two specifically for hair care and one which can be used for all kinds of body care.

The founder of the ranges, Ben Collins and the lovely Faye talked us through the products and the reasons why they are what they are...

~ Keratin Revolution ~

This is predominantly a salon based product containing hydrolysed keratin which helps to nourish every individual hair strand resulting in amazingly soft, sleek, fuzz-free hair.

Sounds like something I could fall in love with.

~Noir Caviar ~

Now Noir Caviar is a very luxuriously packaged product which is sold as a three step anti-age beauty regime for the hair.

All three products contain caviar, collagen and ceramides which help to stop the ageing process of the hair.

~ Sounds fancy ~

Once I've had a real go with the products - as we were given samples to take away with us (yay!) - I'll make sure I let you know, in more detail, how I have found them.

Another brand in attendance on the day was MooGoo - an Australian skincare company who specialise in using all natural ingredients to treat a whole host of skin issues.

A lot of the ladies seemed very intrigued with these products, especially with MooGoo also having a make-up range on offer.

I was all impressed with the baby suitable products that I found in the catalogue (yep, it's all baby, baby, baby at the moment - I just can't help myself!) and I will certainly be having a little delve into what's on offer within this range that's for sure.

Once we were accustomed to all of the new beauty products on display, it was time for a little more talking, accompanied with the odd beverage drinking, oh and a little bit of food tasting too.

The amazing raffle was drawn just before we left, with all proceeds going to the extremely worthwhile charity Look Good Feel Better...

 Unfortunately for me, my luck was very much out on the day and I won nothing, however the Hubby did win a rather fabulous brow taming kit...which I (obviously!) managed to snaffle away from him.

Before we said our goodbyes, it was time for a jam-packed goody bag to land in each of our laps and it was literally crammed with loveliness.

Very happy, very spoilt and very talked out, it was then time to leave Sheffield and head home...

Thanks for having us ladies - see you next time!

Baby Baker Friday - A Room Transformation & Lots Of Love For George

I've decided that Friday's on the blog are now going to be dedicated to my new found pregnancy status.

Whilst I know this won't please everyone, it's something I really want to do - after all being pregnant is a huge thing to be happening in my life and I really want to share bits and pieces of what is going on amongst these pages.

So here we go

~ Baby Baker Friday ~

Wow - a whole week since I last posted.

*note to self* - you must do better

So what's happening with Baby Baker this week?

Well, I thought it was about time that I shared with you all of the goings on in my home over recent weeks as it will partly explain the reasons my blog has taken a little back-seat lately.

Not that I've been doing a whole lot of (*read as "none of") the heavy lifting or the building or the painting...

...but still - there has been a lot of other, less manual things which had to be done.

Baby preparation is never going to be an easy task now is it, especially not when you live in a fairly small house with only two bedrooms, zero storage space yet have absolutely no financial scope to move.

The exact position we are in at the moment in fact.

But what's the point in worrying and stressing over things - nothing can or will change so there's no point at all.

You simply make the most out of what you have and get on with it.

And that is exactly what we did.

Now the bedroom that myself and the Hubby had wasn't all that fantastic.

Not at all.

It was decorated a whole lot of years ago, and if I'm honest it was simply a place to sleep...and a place to dump everything else we wanted out of sight from the rest of the house.

It was certainly no luxuriously amazing calm and serene place that's for sure, and it was long overdue a makeover.

Especially with Baby Baker on the horizon - things had to be done.

Our initial idea of replacing the full bedroom window, putting in a dividing wall, plastering and then redecorating was scrapped in the planning stages - the two teeny rooms it would have left us with would have been of very little benefit really...not to mention the whole process was pritty costly.

So what did we do?

(Now when you see the pictures of our bedroom in the "Before Stage", although it was a lot of a mess, please remember that they were taken after the overly crammed wardrobes had been fully emptied - the mess that is all over wasn't how we had the room all of the time...)

I felt it important to state that now before you see the total chaotic mess the photographs illustrate.

So yes - we emptied our wardrobes - but why?

Well our main issue was a total lack of space - we had none at all.

We decluttered and rid ourselves of years worth of unworn clothes, shoes, books and bags and then down came the four ugly wardrobes (which I had totally hated since the day I moved into the house)...

Which created a tad more space - at last...

Then it was time to fill in the holes, strip off the horrid wallpaper, decorate and tear up the not-so-adorable brown carpet...

~ Work, Work, Work ~

I think at this point there was a part of me that saw no end to the mess and destruction the rest of the house was in, but we had to keep on going...

And finally, down went the lovely, fluffy brand new white (!!) carpet...

...in went the new, yet slightly smaller than usual bed

(a three-quarter bed to be precise to save on space)...

And then I finally - for the first time in practically forever - had a bedroom that wasn't yucky and brown or dark and dingy.

~ And I love it ~

But could we accommodate Baby Baker into it?

Well, with humongous thanks to George Home - yes we could.

Although the room isn't an extra bedroom, with the lovely, clean, fresh-looking furniture that I chose from the amazingly huge home section George have, we now have a space which is perfect for Baby Baker's arrival...

It is so light, airy and bright - a real soothing, calm and peaceful environment, which is the total opposite of how it looked before.

In fact it is now my favourite room in the whole house and I spend as much time as I can in there...folding baby clothes or reading in my comfy chair...
(real Rock 'n' Roll stuff!)

As Baby Baker gets a little older, the moses basket will be replaced with a cot and then hopefully (fingers crossed) we will be in a position to move to a slightly bigger house - with three bedrooms - just in time for the "first bed" stage.

It really does go without saying that I am actually a little in love with all of my new baby things and there is no doubt at all that there has been a major room transformation...

A Total Baby Baker Transformation

~ *don't worry - there is a full George Haul post coming soon too* ~

* furniture items/clothing all kindly gifted to myself by George - work, thoughts & images are all my own

Baby Baker Friday - Sampling Some Panache Lingerie

I've decided that Friday's on the blog are now going to be dedicated to my new found pregnancy status.

Whilst I know this won't please everyone, it's something I really want to do - after all being pregnant is a huge thing to be happening in my life and I really want to share bits and pieces of what is going on amongst these pages.

So here we go

~ Baby Baker Friday ~

Well, we meet again, and what a lovely, gloriously sunny Friday we have today.

I'm fast approaching the 22 week pregnant mark now and after a little bit of a rough start to this week my midwife insisted that I take a few days out and spend time putting my feet up, doing nothing apart from rest, rest, rest.

I have fully taken advantage of "doctors orders" and have practically snoozed the best part of the last 72 hours away, but I think Baby Baker approves - there has been a whole lot more activity going on in their recently.

I can now even see my tummy moving with some of of the kicks and swipes she delivers.

~ Little Diva ~

So what pregnancy related topic do I want to bring to you today?

Well, it's quite a pink, fancy, lacy topic actually and is something certainly more "Mum" than "Baby" related.

So what is it?

Well, "it" is in fact an amazingly pretty lingerie set that I received from those very talented people at Panache Lingerie

Isn't it just fantastic?

And as lovely looking as this is, the set is actually from the award winning Panache maternity range.

I know, I know...I never knew maternity undies could look so fab either!

My little discovery was all thanks to an event I attend - The City Girls event in Sheffield - and it was here that I managed to get my hands on this lovely little set.

You may have already read that Panache Lingerie were in attendance at the event, with a huge rail of white brassieres on display, and what they were doing was quite a brilliant and unique thing to find at a meet up I think

The lovely Sheffield Panache lady Zehra was offering to correctly size all of our boobies for us there and then (in private of course!).

She then gave each of us a catalogue packed full of the Panache range - which is all blooming beautiful I must say - to take home with us and allowed us to pick out our favourite bra - any one at all - insisting she would send it to us.

How brilliant is that.

And when the lovely packages landed on our doorsteps, not only did we receive the bra of our choice, Zehra also sent us the matching bottoms to go with it too - well, I suppose matching never fails to make you feel great does it.

So, thanks to the amazing generosity of Panache Lingerie, I was left with this very cute, very supportive, Mum-To-Be-Boob-Appropriate lingerie set - and I love it.

I actually couldn't choose a colour myself so I asked Zehra to pick for me and I'm really happy with her selection - I do love girlie-girlie pink.

It is simply beautiful - you definitely can't go wrong with a lovely shade of pink can you, especially when it is topped with a little bit of luxurious white lace

And the little bow in the centre is the perfect detail to just finish the piece off nicely

It is very, very pretty.

I found that the material on the inside of the bra is very pregnancy friendly too - really soft and silky -  Panache certainly know how to keep sore, pregnancy boobies as happy and as discomfort-free as possible don't they

(which I'm very grateful for!)

Being "with child" my boobies are naturally getting bigger than they were before...a whole lot bigger in fact and I have found that this bra really supports well and covers everything it is supposed to do.

The fastening strap of the bra is fairly thick too - without being ugly - and this also helps offer support.

It has six sets of fastening loops too, which allow for a bit more range when it comes to fastening the bra

Very useful in not only maximising comfort but also, the more the bra can be adjusted to fit an ever growing body shape, the longer time period it can be worn for, meaning less need to invest in others.

~ Brilliant ~

I'm also a fan of the knickers (the thong knickers - oooh...) in the set too - they perfectly match and complement the bra

I mean how could you not feel brilliant wearing these.

I am really pleased with this lovely set and am happy to find that there are options out there allowing pregnant ladies to buy fancy and pretty, but yet still practical and supportive underwear.

After all, having an "expanding all over" body for nine months isn't always the most glamorous time in a ladies life but that shouldn't mean that options aren't available to help make us feel as amazing as possible now does it.

Thank you lots Panache - I really love this set and I know I'll be back, post pregnancy, popping a few more undie orders in.

This is certainly a case of "Pretty in Pink"

* products sent free of charge in exchange for an honest review. All words, thoughts and pictures are 100% my own

thePinkCowBrand - A Moisturiser Review

Now just because it's been a fair while since anything even remotely beauty related appeared on these pages it doesn't mean that I haven't been trying to look after myself.

On the contrary actually - I've tried to give myself a little extra pamper time as much as I can in recent weeks and I just had to share something I have been absolutely l-o-v-i-n-g with you...

thePinkCowBrand face cream which is described as being  "100% Natural, 0% Bull"
(geddit...?)

Now when I first heard about this cream I wasn't convinced about it in the slightest if I'm honest and I very nearly turned down the opportunity to test it out.

Why?

Well one of the key ingredients within this moisturiser is actually colostrum.

Colostrum is the first milk mammals produce to feed to their young and it helps to kick start their immune and cell regeneration systems.

Immediately when I heard this my back was up and I was thinking all sorts about poor little calfs not having enough nutrients, so I dug a little deeper into the background of the product and I'm really glad I did.

thePinkCowBrand was developed by a man called Denie Hiestand who has spent time working as a health care consultant, an author and a successful New Zealand dairy farmer.

Combining all of his skills, Denie understood that colostrum was very nutrient, protein and vitamin rich and could help aid such things as cell growth, limit cell deterioration linked with the ageing process and could help regenerate skin tissue.

Now even to my novice ear that sounds like an amazing skincare combination.

But what about the cows - aren't the babies going without?

Well, no - it seems there is enough of this wonder colostrum to go around.

The cows used are all outdoor, fully grass-fed, New Zealand cows and the colostrum which is collected from them is only collected under "the most stringent and ethical processes" and it is "only the oversupply" which is collected for use by us humans in these health care products.

~ Good Stuff ~

So with my mind fully at ease that the baby cows of New Zealand were still happily fed and fully nurtured I began applying this seemingly magical product to my face

And oh-my-goodness how my face did thank me.

Magical product it blooming well is.

Initially the scent wasn't totally to my liking at all - it is really quite rich, and can I say slightly milky maybe - but after a few days I was used to it completely.

The cream absorbs amazingly into the skin - just two or three pumps is more than enough to fully cover the whole face area - and the difference it brings is clear to see right there and then.

My face can be pritty dry at times and sometimes feels fairly tight, especially in a morning - but nope, not anymore.

I have been using this cream morning and night and the difference in my face is amazing.

It has seriously got to be one of the best moisturisers I have used.

The tone and texture of my skin is improved, I have fewer spots and even the problem pores on my nose seem reduced, not to mention the softness of my skin - I love this stuff.

I was really surprised too when I read up on the amount of things the cream is actually suitable for...

~ Anti-ageing

~ Anti-wrinkle

~ Moisturising
~ Nourishing
~ Revitalising
~ Healing
~ Eye area
~ Toner
~ Lip Balm
~ Hand Cream
~ Foot Cream
~ Leave in conditioner

It is even pet and child safe - not to mention cruelty free

A perfect all rounder!

Another plus point for the product came recently after I had been abroad - only for a few days - on my friend's hen do - boy did I catch some serious sun.

When I arrived back home my neck and arm area were really quite sore and red - I was very unprepared for the heat I must admit - and the only thing I had at hand to use to try and help was this cow cream.

I only used a small amount (it is really concentrated) and rubbed it into my sore, fairly red upper body and do you know what - it worked.

The cream totally eased the stinging sensation, so much so that I had no problem falling asleep that night and that horrible, tight feeling you get with sunburn all but vanished too.

I found it even helped stop my skin peeling over the following week as I continued to apply it.

Fantastic

I actually can't fully express how much I love this product - it really is amazing and it's going to be a sad, sad day when my bottle runs out.

It is well worth it's $59 splurge price in my book because there's really no need for anything else.

A Fantastic Beauty Find

*product sent free of charge for an honest review. Pictures, opinions & the love for it are 100% my all of my own

The City Girls, Sheffield - All Of The Goodies

~ Happy Monday Everyone ~

Here's to a fantastic start to the week...and a very speedy hop, skip and jump towards the weekend.

Last month I filled you all in on a fantastic event I attended in Sheffield held by The City Girls and couldn't express myself enough of how much of a fabulous day I had.

~ It was brilliant ~

But as with everything in my life at the moment, this follow up post is live rather later than planned, however I figured today was a good day to share details of the fabulous goodies I walked away with within the very generous goody bag I was given.

It's my little way of showing just a teeny bit of appreciation towards the amazing brands who contributed to the day - in both goody bag form and the crammed raffle prize table which helped to raise money for the brilliant City Hearts charity.

So first up is the goody bag.

I do love a bag crammed full of treats (who doesn't!) and this bag did not disappoint in the slightest.

It was full to the brim, but I have to hold my hands up and admit a few of the more edible items are not in any of my pictures...I'm sorry, I'm sorry - I just couldn't resist snaffling them before I managed to get the camera out.
(greedy I know)

Oh - and the dry shampoo - a total god send for me and my wild hair so naturally this is already all used up too - I blooming love the stuff...

Included were some absolutely amazing full sized products - some which I have used already and have totally loved, some of which I really can't wait to delve into.

One of my very favourite finds came in the form of The Enchanted Forest Colouring Book complete with colouring pencils...

I've spied quite a lot of these on other people's social media recently and have heard that they can be really therapeutic and relaxing.
I can't wait for a bit of me time, to sit, feet up, cuppa in hand and really get to grips with this.

So, yes, we were very spoilt weren't we, but it didn't stop there, we also had a raffle to contend with, with all proceeds being donated to the very worthwhile City Hearts charity.

In total we raised £350, and with all of this on offer, I'm really not surprised...

I wanted everything but in particular, being the lover of caffeine that I am, I couldn't resist hoping, wishing and praying that the nine jar Beanies Coffee Stash box would be mine

I wanted it from the second I headed over to the table, and guess what - I took the little beauty home with me

~ Y A Y ~

Amazing right!

The whole day was just brilliant and a great deal of this was due to the brands that contributed.

Well - judging by the looong lists above, how could they not make the day!

Thanks for having me City Girls and for thoroughly spoiling me rotten!

I can't wait until next time...

*goody bags given out, free of charge, as a gift from the event