Little L's birth story

I wanted to share my experience with you guys as I haven't done it yet, and it's been 1 year since I gave birth!
I still remember how quick it all went and always wanted to write it down so it stays in my memory forever!

20 June 2014 was my due date, but I didn't have any signs of contractions which was for the best at the time as we were in the middle of the move from our house to parents house and then to a new rented flat (some of you may recall the accident we had with neighbours which meant that we were force to move). 

I have agreed to have a sweep on 28th as I didn't want induction I was hoping that things will start after the sweep.

The sweep was quick but very uncomfortable, I have felt a little bit weird and few minutes later started to have weird pains, it wasn't too bad but enough for me to feel tired and I fell asleep on the in laws sofa whilst my husband and in laws were sorting our new place. 
Later in the evening of 28th June and 29th I had stronger contractions, which were getting worse and worse. I couldn't sleep as it was uncomfortable and unbearable. My husband decided that we need to start things going and ordered curry and bought some pineapples. It is hard to say if that worked but next day 30th I gave birth. 

I will never forget the moment when in laws brought curry and because I was a little bit embarrassed to make noise helping out to deal with my pain I had to lean silently on my ball and cover my face as they were watching me.  

At around 9 pm on 29th June we decided to call the hospital (we have previously called them but they said that I need to have 3 contractions in 10 minutes and then I will have to go) as I wanted to be checked. I could hardly walk and contractions were getting closer, I was convinced that I am half way dilated but according to the midwife I was 2 cm. They offered me co-codamol, which didn't work and asked if I want to stay but my husband wasn't allowed. 

It felt so wrong to stay in a hospital without my husband and I opted to go home. It was the worse night, contractions were getting worse, no matter how tired I was I couldn't sleep, at that point I was almost 2 nights without any sleep. The only option was to stay in a bath whilst my husband had some nap. The last recorded contraction I have at 3:40am I must of fell asleep for few minutes as that moment is a little bit blurry, I started to feel that I'm literally ready to give birth. L was pushing and wanted to get out and I couldn't stop it. I had to call husband whilst holding my hand down there as it was helping with pain and hoping that that way I will stall L for a bit.

My husband had to call the midwife who advised to call ambulance. This is not something I have ever imagined will happen, whilst my husband was on the phone with a midwife as she wanted to stay on the phone and to hear my voice which I thought as ridiculous as when ambulance operator asked me to spell my name! Just bare with me a second I need to go through several contractions and I will answer all you questions!

So having to phones in my ear, as midwife wanted to go through the breathing and operator wanted to be on the line to go through my details and condition! Whilst on the phone my mucus plug came out which in my state of panic felt and looked weird as I wasn't sure what it was until midwife told me.  As I was totally naked I had to rush to get dressed as wasn't ready for strangers to see me naked.

Couple of minutes later ambulance arrived, thankfully we live just 5-10 minutes away from the hospital. The moment I was introduced to gas an air I felt so much better, every contraction I had I was breathing the gas in and it felt so good and relaxing. I remember when the guy asked me question I had to stop and think or concentrate on what I was trying to say as it felt as if I'm drunk. Few minutes later, which to me were the longest few minutes we have arrived to the hospital and wheeled into the birthing pool room.

Upon the check midwife said that I'm fully dilated and we have no time for the pool. Oh my, the ring of fire exists!! I didn't want to hold my husband's hand, I couldn't stay quiet as pain was unbearable and I had to apologise for the noise I made which now seems a little bit silly! I remember I was also asked if I wanted to touch L's head which I refused to do as I could feel her head stuck there anyway!

And there she was born on 30th June at 5:32 am, my little princess! 

I must say there are few things I'm not happy with the way they were handled:

- I thought that it is ridiculous to ask a woman which is about to give birth details over the phone this is something my husband deal with
- the whole idea of not being admitted to hospital if you don't have 3 contractions in 10 minutes didn't work for me hence I ended up in an ambulance. I do believe if they allowed my husband to stay with me, it all wouldn't be so stressful and rushed!

Days Out: Folly Farm Adventure park and Zoo, Pembrokshire

I must say that our visit was a little bit darkened on the day due to a little misunderstanding between in-house PR and private PR company working for Folly Farm. No one expected us on the day and a Folly Farm staff member was going back and forth several time just to clarify my name and what I'm there for, after quite a long and awkward wait we were told that our tickets (adult £10.95, £8.96 if bought online) expired in March which didn't make any sense at all as I have approached PR in April. It wasn't the greatest start especially as we had little one and no one bothered to apologise for the wait and inconvenience caused, next time I would prefer to buy tickets rather than to go through the same embarrassment on the day. 

We are a very special zoo park in South Wales where you can make all sorts of farmyard friends!

Meet our friendly sheep, pigs, donkeys, horses, chickens and all sorts of other farmyard creatures.

We also introduce visitors to many exotic species, with keeper talks and feeding times which help you to understand a bit more about some of our wilder residents. You will also discover a whole host of fascinating facts by taking our Zoolympic Challenge Trail.

We have visited Folly Farm whilst we stayed in Bluestone Wales in May and apart from the rocky start we really enjoyed the Farm and the Zoo. 
As we arrived to the Folly Farm car park we then followed the sign telling us to go under the underpass as the Farm itself is across the road. 
Upon you arrival you will be given a map so that you can decide where you want to go first. 

We went to Jolly barn first where you saw different types of hens and cockerels, Shire horse- the biggest horse I have ever seen, donkeys, goats, a cute little incubator section where you and kids can learn a little bit more about little chicks and much more.

As we were about to leave the section when we have noticed that in the Cwtch corner the staff member was holding a rabbit which we could hold and stroke.

On the way to the Zoo section we have seen outdoor Adventure play area with an interesting welsh red dragon playground, big pirate ship activity area, go-karts, pedal tractors, big wheel.

The Zoo for me was the best part and I can tell that L enjoyed it as well. As she is still little I could see that she enjoyed penguins more as they were constantly moving. We have seen absolutely beautiful little marmoset monkeys, giraffes, lions, cute meerkats, lemur, ocelot, we haven't seen a skunk itself but we could definitely smell it.

We have spent about and hour and a half in the Folly Farm without stopping in the Adventure play area the activities were for older kids but it would be great if Folly Farm could have something for smaller kids as well.

Now looking at the map I have noticed a Follywood area which myself or my husband haven't seen any signs for on the day. I remember that on the way back to the car park we saw a couple walking in the same underpass but in the different "tunnel" and I was wondering where this tunnel leads. It such a shame that we have missed the nature trail as it would be lovely to investigate that part of the Farm, till the next time I guess!


Disclaimer: I were provided with a free entry for the purpose of this review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Birthday gift ideas: Kid's Concept

Few weeks ago I came across a Swedish online shop offering cute, original gifts for babies and children. As a big fan of Scandinavian clothes (I have already bought few cute sleepsuits for when L is 1 and a winter jacket and trousers) I thought that it would be lovely to spread the word about the brand. Kid's Concept have kindly offered to review a toy box just in time for L's 1st birthday which I will be sharing with you shortly.

These are just few of my favourite Kid's Concept products:

1 Pumpkin - Pink 100% Cotton Runner Rug £32.90 
2. Star - White Wooden Dolls Pram £69.9 
3. Princess - Pink Childrens Play Tent £32.90 
4. Pumpkin - Large Wooden Building Blocks £24.90 
5. Star - White Wooden Chair £39.90
6. Star - White Wooden Table £49.90  
7. Star - Pink Wooden Hammer Bench £19.90  

Brand:

Kids Concept UK is an established Swedish brand that offers unique, original concepts and designs of childrens bedroom and nursery accessories, baby bedding, toys and gifts for children ages 0 - 7 yrs. If you are looking for great ideas to transform a childs bedroom or a babys nursery, you are sure to find these here with our fantastic selection of wooden storage boxes, hook boards, shelves, cute wall decorations, baby bedding, curtains and blinds. Our colourful and fun handmade wooden toys such as the rocking horses, play instruments, dolls cots and prams would also be a wonderful addition in any child’s room and teamed together with our colourful play tents & tunnels they will be the envy of all their friends.
With the growing trend for children's décor, they found that certain unique items were missing from the market, so the inspiration of Kids Concept was born. By coordinating our products by colour and concept as well as showing how to mix and match our designs, we aim to help the customer easily create a stylish coordinated design.

All of our products are designed by Kids Concept and are all quality controlled. Our wooden products are hand-made – with each one being unique. We are continuously expanding our range creating new concepts and product line with our own design and pattern. All with a Touch of Scandinavia.

Products:

We manufacture most of our products in Asia and particularly China and Vietnam. We cooperate with some twenty factories around China and we visit our manufacturers continuously. It is important for us to verify that the factories and suppliers we work with follow all the rules, environment and job requirements that are asked.
We follow all the rules that apply to small parts, risk of pinching, choking hazards, dyes, flame resistance, chemical agents, plasticisers called phthalates, etc. It ensures that before a toy coming onto the market an independent testing laboratory has tested the toy. All other products that are not toys but sold to children are tested so that they contain only approved substances.


What is your favourite item from the Kid's Concept website?

Fast Diet Kitchen Summer Ready Campaign week 4 update

This week I feel a bit down, it has been 4 weeks since I have started Fast Diet Kitchen summer campaign and haven't achieved anything yet, having an active baby doesn't really help either.
I know what I should be doing and what should be avoided but I just can't concentrate on eating and it seems that with lack of food I'm not able to function during the day. 

Over the weekend I have received an exercise number 4 from Fast Diet Kitchen called "How are we doing?".

Whether you feel you are doing really well or whether you feel you haven’t quite got there yet, now is the time to look to see what improvements we can make and how.
If you are doing brilliantly then this exercise will help your momentum and pave the way for future weeks. 

I had to valuate from 1 to 10 boxes below depending on how great the obstacle is for me.1 being not an obstacle at all and 10 being a major obstacle or block.

Knowledge / Info *

Please select one012345678910

Skill *

Please select one012345678910

Belief/ Confidence *

Please select one012345678910

Wellbeing *

Please select one012345678910

Other people *

Please select one012345678910

Motivation *

Please select one012345678910

Time / Money / Resources *

Please select one012345678910

Familiarity / Habit *

Please select one012345678910

Fear *

Please select one012345678910

This should help to understand what I need to tackle in the next 7 days.

Last week I went as far as looking at pictures of celebs as I thought that it will keep my motivations going and it did work for a little while. I really, really want to look great, to feel comfortable in my own body but it looks like I'm my own enemy at the moment.

Food wise last week I had:

On Wednesday I had pea and ham soup for lunch (213 cal) and smoky sausage & butter bean casserole(316) for dinner.

On Thursday I had carrot and coriander soup (141 cal) for lunch and vegetable cous cous (163 cal) for dinner.

I really enjoyed eating soups last weeks, but it is never enough for me as I'm breastfeeding hungry mother :-) 
I have also noticed that all dinners I have tried are quite watery and it never feel me up, the same with water it is refreshing but won't make me feel fuller.

I will try to do my best this week and hopefully will achieve something in the next couple of weeks.

Disclaimer: I was sent the items mentioned above for the purpose of these weekly updates. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

What's in my changing bag?

When I'm venturing out of the house or leaving little L with grandparents I'm always trying to make sure that I have everything L would need. Sometimes my bag looks like a mess and I can't find what I'm looking for but I know that all the essentials are there, even a spare nappy is always there in case I don't have any at home :-)

So here is what I carry:

• Breastfeeding cover in case I need to feed L when out and about
• Teething toy and teething liquid as poor L is struggling with either molar or canine teething coming through
• Straw bottle with water for when L is thirsty 
• Toys to entertain L
• Changing mat to make L's changing comfy and clean 
• Small towel to wipe wet bum
• Baby wipes to wipe dirty surfaces, hands and bum
• Nappy and nappy bag 
• Leg warmers in case if L wants to crawl but wears a cute outfit I don't want to ruin
• Antibacterial hand gel in case if I have to pick up something dirty or wipe surfaces
• Bib for dribble or eating
• Food and snacks, they are not on the picture as I pick on the day what I'm going to take. Normally I would have a jar, a pouch, biscuit and a pack of puffs.

I don't normally put my phone in the bag as I prefer it to be closer e.g. in a pocket, and I don't have a purse as someone stole my purse before few times and I feel safer without one, but I do carry a little bit of cash in my pocket.

Family Garden Moments with WorldStores

L's 1st birthday is fast approaching, my darling daughter will be 1 next week and we are planning to have a lavish BBQ celebrations.

When I was small we didn't have a garden and most of my adventures were in the playground and family celebrations were held either in our flat or in a restaurant, where as my husband had fun times in the garden and I hope that our daughter will enjoy her party and many more happy memories in the garden!

It would be so great to watch her grow, play, celebrate many more birthdays to come, play with friends and hopefully siblings no matter what the weather is like just like my husband did!

I have teamed up with WorldStores website to help them create a timeline of the UK’s nostalgic family garden moments. The campaign is all about nostalgic Family Garden Moments as the researches show that the garden is the most popular place in the home for families to take photos of special occasions.

Keep a look out for WorldStores facebook page for details on how you can get involved.

What were you most precious memories about garden?

Disclamer: I was gift a £50 voucher for the purpose of this post.

Review: baby girl Zippy suit

When L was tiny I had a few "awkward moments" when I had too many poppers left undone, eventually I have realised that half way through you need to do the poppers from the bottom. When I saw Zippy suits with a zip instead of poppers I thought straightaway that these are ideal hassle free sleepsuits! 

Zippy Suits were designed after spending many frustrating moments trying to do up matching pairs of poppers when changing very wriggly or crying babies. We simply thought there had to be an easier way….Zippy Suits with their single zip fastening were the solution! 

I have opted for a girly flamingo sleepsuit for 6-12 months (£15). I must say that it looks much better in real life than on the picture.
When we received the suit L was 9 months and as she is a little bit smaller than average baby the suit was a little bit big for her, but 2 months down the line it fits perfectly!

The suit itself is stretchy so no matter how big your baby is s/he will definitely fit in the Zippy cotton sleepsuit and will have room to grow. The elasticated ankle will keep your baby's feet snuggled in it's feet section, it didn't "work" for us at first, which I thought could be due to the width of the ankle area itself, would be great if it can be adjusted! The anti-slip/grippy dotty soles are there to make sure your baby has a grip when trying to make first steps or whilst standing. A zip guard protects the baby’s skin and a cover stops babies playing with the fastened zip pull. To top it off you can buy matching beanie hat and a bandana bib which can make a great set!

Zippy suits are available in 3 colours for babies aged 0 to 18 months.
After few washings and tumble drying I can confirm that Zippy suits colours do not fade and bright colours makes it a perfect, practical sleepsuit for me as you won't be able to see any stains as sometimes I struggle to get rid off stains on sleepsuits wih light colours.

Zip idea is just brilliant and I think is perfect for smaller babies who have poonamies all day long, the process of undressing is so much easier! Having said that those who prefer to undo poppers at the bottom of the outfit might question the zip idea as it simply may not work for them, but nonetheless it's a great, useful product!

Disclaimer: I was sent the item mentioned above for the purpose of this review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Last minute Father's Day gift ideas with Hawkin's Bazaar

Father's day is fast approaching and if you didn't have a chance to buy anything for your loved one's, these are few last minute ideas courtesy of Hawkin's Bazaar.

Hawkin's Bazaar offers a unique and extensive range of unusual toys, gifts, gadgets and curiosities. We are not just another toy-shop, or indeed just another mail-order company.

S8 3CH IR helicopter £19.99

Take to the skies like a pro, piloting the Syma S8 remote control helicopter around any stubborn obstacles, family members and pets that stand in its way. Using the simple and intuitive controller, this 3-channel remote control chopper handles like a dream in the air, ascending, descending, turning and flying back and forth in an incredibly responsive manner. This is helped along nicely by the on-board gyro system and contra-rotating blades that make it stupendously stable in flight. At its core is a removable lithium polymer battery that recharges from the USB cable included in the box, giving this RC 'copter a full tank of fuel after a 45 minute charge.

Syma helicopter could be a great present for a "big kid", it's looks sleek and expensive and will be a great entertainment for my husband who always wanted one.

Features:
Syma S8 remote control helicopter
3-channel movement
Intuitive controller
Gyro stabilisation and contra-rotating blades
Two infrared control frequencies
Removable lithium polymer battery
Charges via USB cable (included)

King for the day inflatable crown £4

                                          
Well every king needs a crown, and we've got that sorted with this budget friendly inflatable version. It signifies you as the regal man that you undoubtedly are, but doesn't cost thousands of pounds, plus you don't have to worry about losing it on the dance floor. All you have to worry about is having a royally good time!

When I came across this crown online I thought what a funny and cool way to show your other half that he is your king. It doesn't mean you have to do everything they ask on Father's day, but at least the crown will make him feel almighty! Approximately 25cm in diameter can hopefully fit a "king" no matter how small or big he is.


Disclaimer: I was sent the above items for the purpose of this review/gift guide. All thought and opinions are my own.

Fast Diet Kitchen Summer Ready Campaign week 3 update

Last week I went of the course a little bit, I thought that if I have a little bit of "normal" food on my fasting days that nothing won't happen or change. Indeed, my weight is exactly the same as it was on week 2, in fact it feels like I'm losing this battle.  It seems that I can't make this as a habit yet, speaking of which last Sunday I have received a 3rd e-mail from Fast Diet Kitchen with an exercising called "Habit forming".

Dendrites or neural pathways in our brains are like motorways and footpaths. The first time we learn to do something, pathways or dendrites are formed in our brains.

They become stronger and stronger the more times we do it, forming habits and leant responses.

I'm sure that for my body and mind it feels weird that I have less food, the portion size is different and the food consistency is different and all these will take longer than I thought to get used to. 

Now to the meals I had:

On Wednesday I had vegetable minestrone (159 cal) for lunch and vegetable casserole (116 cal) for dinner.

On Thursday I had delicious scotch broth (174 cal)  for lunch and vegetable chilli (194 cal) for dinner. 

I like how easy it is to cook these meals, if you are constantly on the go it will take 2 and a half minutes prep time and all ready to eat. The see through packaging allows you too see what you are about to eat, so you can pick and choose what you fancy on you fasting day.

It looks like I've lost my motivation last week, if you are in the same boat have a look at the article "12 ways to make the Fast Diet work for you" here and maybe you can find what works for you!

Disclaimer: I was sent the items mentioned above for the purpose of these weekly updates. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

10 step baby yoga with Pampers

As L used to go to baby massage I have never thought about taking L to baby yoga not because I'm lazy I just didn't see how it can help us. Recently we were contacted by Pampers who offered us to try some baby yoga moves with Pampers active fit nappies and a very cute personalised babygrow. 

We are a long way from perfecting baby yoga moves but it was fun!

Pampers, together with Baby Yoga expert, Sam Petter, have developed a new, natural baby yoga routine, with simple-to-follow 
stretches that you and your little one can have fun practicing at home. And with benefits including helping to improve sleep,
digestion and reduce wind, you can enjoy a lovely bonding experience together that’s doing some good too.

                 
Plus, Pampers is offering you the chance to win a free pack of Active Fit nappies when you share your precious pictures of your
little one showing of their moves. 

Pampers Premium Protection™ Active Fit, have stretchier sides than ordinary nappies as well as a unique extra absorbent layer that speeds away wetness from delicate skin, so your little one gets our best protection no matter how they bend, twist and turn. As your sleepy little lamb wakes up, and becomes a little explorer discovering the world in their own way, you want the reassurance that an uncomfortable damp nappy won’t hinder their freedom of movement.

Visit facebook.com/PampersUKIre or tweet @Pampers_UK and use #PampersBabyYoga to be in with the chance of winning a pack of new Pampers Active Fit. See facebook.com/PampersUKIre for T&Cs.

Yoga stretches your baby’s whole body, leaving them relaxed and happy. It also helps progress key developmental skills such as footplay, coordination, and balance and it can help strengthen your bond and communication with your little one. 

This is a big workout for your little one, so go gently at first, reading your baby’s signals and mood with every step. Never force the movements and stop if your baby is not happy.

Start of with just a couple of repetitions, increasing length and duration as you learn together.
Disclamer: I was sent a Pampers hamper mentioned above for the purpose of this post.

Review: Zoggs girl baby wrap

I always wanted to take L swimming but when the time and the weather is right for us. As I have been in our local swimming pool before I know that the water is quite cold there and for me it was very important that L stays warm in the water.

Thankfully Allens of Kingsbury swimwear specialist were kind enough to offer L Zoggs girl baby wrap to review.                                   

Allen's of Kingsbury is a family run business that has been run by the Allen family and their relations for over 35 years. There are three separate companies who share the Allens of Kingsbury name, all of which are completely independent businesses, run by separate members of the Allen family – a fishing tackle business, a printing business and of course ourselves, who specialise in supplying swimwear, from accessories to top-of-the-range racing competition suits.

I have opted for a pink with blue rim neoprene baby wrap for 6-12 months (£18.50) which had plenty room to grow.

Baby wrap is very nice, light and soft to touch and it didn't look like L was restricted in moved when was wearing it and doesn't leave any irritation on a skin.

The wrap has velcro fastening in the middle, at the bottom and at the top which makes it very easy to put on no matter how small or big your baby is (adjustable fit).

When L tried in on for the first time I was very surprised that her body feels so warm as I wasn't sure that it will work, but it does keep her warm. 

Putting baby wrap on: as it opens up fully I have tried putting it on L when she was lying (lay the baby, put the flap through the legs, wrap each core torso side which will secure the bottom and middle part and put the shoulder straps over) and sitting. I found that it is a little bit easier to adjust the velcro straps when L was sitting as you can see how comfortable she is and if it's tight anywhere.

The very first time we took L to the swimming pool was at the Bluestone Wales, where water warm but as I like to be on a safe side I kept the neoprene baby wrap on her but I know some mums prefer to take it off if the water is warm. L was wearing a swim nappy underneath which gives her a full protection from any accidents in the water. We have spent about 40-45 minute in the water and L seemed calm and not cold at all.

It is recommended not to wash the baby wrap in a washing machine and not to tumble dry, just to rinse in cold water, dry in a shade.

Overall, I'm quite happy with the neoprene baby wrap and will be using it every time L goes swimming.

Disclaimer: I was sent the item mentioned above for the purpose of this review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Father's Day gift guide

It's my husband's first Father's day this year and I wanted to buy him something special but not too much as he doesn't like to be 
showered with gifts. Here is a small selection of cute little gifts  for men to treat your other half:

1. Bacon Curing Kit £16.50 from Qwerkity

Our quirky range of high quality gifts includes traditional gifts, new and unusual gifts you won’t have seen elsewhere, and personalised gifts, so you can give something truly unique.

Bacon curing kit would be an ideal present for cooking fathers interested to try something knew. My husband will love it, he is the one who cooks and I'm the one who enjoys his creations. Every week we have pulled pork and cured pork belly could be a great alternative. The preparation takes no more than an hours and curing takes 7 days.

The kit includes:

- 12 plastic gloves
- 3 types of curing meat
- 3 sealable bags
- butchers hook
- muslin
- instructions

2. love2read my daddy personalised photo book £14.99

The key words in each book are known as high frequency words which are some of the first words your child will be taught to recognise when they start school. As they start to recognise these key words on sight (also know as the 'look and say' method of learning) their confidence builds.

Love2read books are a 10 page photo book which holds your child's photo memories and a combination of words or sentences relating to that. The most time consuming part of ordering the book is actually picking the pictures, but once you have done it you can save the book online if you wish to carry on at a different time.

This personalised photo book suppose to develop your child's love for books and reading and of course be a great keepsake for your close one's and your child. 

I have opted for "My daddy" book as I thought it could be an interesting 1st Father's day gift as it holds the most precious memories from the moment our darling daughter was born. I do believe that such book not only helps a child to read but can create a bond between a child and a father or any other relative or friend as the title can be personalised to your requirements.

3. Made With Love Father's day cards £3.50

Made With Love is an online boutique, specialising in couture wedding and events stationery, unique hand crafted greetings cards & fabulous gifts & furniture. 

I have reviewed MWL Mother's Day card and was kindly offered to review cards for the fast approaching Father's day.
I have opted for "Best Dad" card (from £3.50) and "Wishing you a fantashtic father's day!" card (from £3.50).

"Fantashtic" father's day card comes in a standard size 14x14cm with kraft brown envelop and can be personalised at the front.
For lovers of moustaches and purveyors of fine facial hair everywhere. A cool tashy Fathers Day card for Dads, step dads & granddads with typography & mustache print.

"Best dad" card is 15x10cm long, it can be personalised my colour- black, pink and blue and you can also add your personalised message at the front.

The perfect Father's day card for the Best Dad in the world ever ever ever.
You can also add printed message inside both cards or leave it plan for you to fill it in by hand. Both cards are of great quality and can make a great present for dads of all ages!

To say thank you Made With Love Designs offer 30% off their website in the run up to Mothers Day just use the code MYLITTLEL30. The code will expire on Friday 19th June.

3. Inkly app and a Father's day card £2.99
I was offered to review the funky free phone app which allows you to personalise a card no mater what occasion is, all you need is a phone with an Inkly app, paper and a pen.

I'm not a big fan of photo cards but you can pick from a variety of personalised photo cards and funky printed cards which all can be personalised with your own writing and drawing! 

The process is quite simple- take a piece of paper and write your message for the card, open the Inkly app and follow easy steps by choose the card you wish to be personalised, use the app camera and take a picture of your creation, make adjustments if need be, choose the envelope colour make a payment and await the delivery!

Disclaimer: I was sent the above items for the purpose of this review/gift guide. All thought and opinions are my own.

Fast Diet Kitchen Summer Ready Campaign week 2 update

I have been participating in Summer Ready campaign for 3 weeks now. Those who have signed up to FDK weekly newsletter updates during week 1 were asked to do an exercise- to complete their own pledge. Writing the pledge helps to understand what it is you are going to achieve, that makes any goal or aim more successful. During week 2 was about choices we make.

I must admit last week I didn't have time to think about hunger or food as my little L was keeping me occupied. I did eat but it was very late in the day. When I weighed myself the day after fasting I was 89.5 kg and few days later my weight was going up and down.

On Wednesday I had butternut squash and sweet potato soup for lunch and spicy chicken arrabbiata for dinner.

On Thursday I had moroccan soup for lunch and moroccan lamb meatballs for dinner.

I am very determined to lose weight but because I have no time to exercise it is not so easy. I still have plenty of time till our holiday or my 30th and I certainly can feel slightly lighter and my tummy is less obvious, which is a great start! Even though my weight is jumping up and down I feel positive  as it didn't happen for many years and I'm hoping that eventually it will go down.

If you are interested in low calories recipes with Fast Diet Kitchen meal please sign up to weekly newsletter and if you are interested to read through Summer Ready FAQ head over here.  

Disclaimer: I was sent the items mentioned above for the purpose of these weekly updates. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Little L is 11 months

I can't believe that in less than a month L will be 1!! 

Development/milestones/character: L is quite a character! She could be cuddly and smiley one second and then changes to a little active munchkin, by active I mean she has enormous amount of energy! She wants to be picked up quite often or just won't let go of me or my leg. Recently I have noticed that she will interrupt my telephone conversations and will start crying until I stop chatting on a phone. I have absolutely no problem with her being clingy if that's what she wants then so be it. I do leave her in her playroom when I need to do things but she won't last long on her own and will play longer if I'm there.

Last weekend I have witnessed L making her first 3 steps! I wasn't holding her just securing with my arm at the front and she made 3 steps! 

Apart from being a little energiser bunny, L is ticklish on her chest which is so cute! She started to wave good bye and is interested in ribbons, zips, boxes, sticks more than her own toys and loves cartoons and dancing!

Sleep: it's always a roller coaster for us. For the past 2 weeks it changed from very good to not so good. As she has a cold for few weeks now she won't soothe herself to sleep like she used to and will nap for no more than 30 minutes if in cot and then will cry and need soothing. We have to tiptoe when leaving the room otherwise she will wake up. Just when I thought that L is ready to move to the nursery everything went downhill. For the past couple of days L won't nap in the morning, she will literally nod off for a minute and then happy and awake as if nothing happened! I'm not sure yet if it's a new routine change and will have to monitor it for the next few weeks.

Clothing: L is still wearing 6-9 months outfits (depending on a brand) and fits in some 9-12 months outfits but generally they are too long

Feeding: L is nursing first thing in the morning, then around 11-12, then around 3 and last time before bed time.

Teeth: L still has 8 teeth and seems like we have a little break from teething, phew (touch wood)! 

Review: Dreambaby® home safety products

As L is getting active and more adventurous preventing her from getting access to potentially dangerous places is my number one priority. 

So far L mastered:
- climbing the stairs, so I had to fit the stair gate
- likes to take everything out of he TV stand, so I had to pack all the DVDs and CDs in a box
- started to show interest in opening the cupboard doors
- shows interest in plug sockets

Luckily we were sent few home safety bits from Dreambaby® to protect L from harming herself and preventing future potential problems.

"Our extensive range of products is specifically designed to provide parents and carers with modern home safety solutions that make it easy to help keep children safe in and around the home.Our products are designed to not only help make your home safer, but also to make life easier".

The hamper includes:
- no tool no screws safety kit with 35 pieces £11.99

It contains 1 Appliance latch, 1 Angle Lock, 1 Secure a lock, 1 fish door stopper, 4 corner protectors, 1 adhesive double lock, 24 outlet plug covers, and 1 mini multi purpose latch. 

Everything you need to get your house baby proof & safe!
The set is excellent and can be installed without screws.
We have fitted several plug covers 

& corner protectors 

(to the edges of our fireplace base).

If you purchase the set items separately it will cost you more, so it is better to have everything in one. The packaging is excellently presented and I like the handle attachment which means that you can pack other pieces safely in the box and take it with you if something needs putting up for example at grandparents house.

- door knob covers £4.99

Keep rooms around your home or holiday accommodation out of reach and inaccessible with the Dreambaby® Door Knob Covers (left). These ingenious and inconspicuous safety items are easy to install, as they snap easily onto most standard door knobs (no tools required). The neutral opaque finish means they won’t detract from your homes décor. Take them away on holidays with you to ensure you little ones are kept safe and away from potentially harmful balcony and outdoor spaces or laundry, garage and basement areas.

I'm yet to work out if we are going to use them or not as in the house where we live now door knobs are quite high and L won't be able to reach at least until she is 3-4 years old. But I can see why they are invented, as all doors are different.

- soft touch corner cushions £4.99

Injuries from sharp corners on tables, shelves bench tops, counters 

and even fish tanks are easily preventable with the new Dreambaby® Soft Touch Corner Cushions (left).  These small yet important safety items have an extra soft protective layer to help prevent serious scratches, scrapes and bumps to young ones.

The set comes with 4 corner cushions, double sided adhesive tape.

Before applying corner cushions you need to wash them in the soapy water, dry well and to clean off any dirt, wax, polish from furniture corners. Slowly peel off the backing side of the adhesive tape and apply to all 3 sides inside the corner cushion and press firmly onto furniture corner.

I have slightly struggled with peeling off the adhesive tape, as I'm not sure I followed the instructions correctly as it was sticking to my fingers and to itself. 

- Dreambaby® Ezy-Check Multi-Use Latch® £3.99

The new Dreambaby® Ezy-Check Multi-use Latch® (above right) is a multi-touch release lock supported by Dreambaby® Ezy-Check technology. It is extremely safe and makes it hard for young children to open drawers, small cupboard doors, toilets and even some household appliances such as washing machines and refrigerators. Made from durable, flexible, non-toxic material, the Ezy-Check Multi-use Latch® is easy to use - its adhesive backing works on glass, timber, metal or laminate surfaces. No tools or screw required!

We didn't put the latch yet as we are planning to change the room lay out so it's more comfortable for us and safe for L, the moment I see which draw L tries to open I will attach the latch as it seems to be quite easy and quick to do.

Visit the Dreambaby® web site at www.dreambaby.com.au Why not become a Dreambaby® fan: http://www.facebook.com/Dreambabysafety
Disclaimer: I was sent the item mentioned above for the purpose of this review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.