Friday, 13 June 2014

Baby entertainment wish list

Today I present you my last pre-baby Wish List, this week it's all about "Baby Entertainment". As you may recall from my previous wish lists I try to pick what I think is necessary and cheap/affordable. If you think I have missed anything, any essentials for the first month or two please do let me know.

Bouncers:

Bright Starts Bouquet Surprise Baby Bouncer- Mothercare £19.99

Nuna Leaf Canopy- Kiddicare £20

Bear Hug Bouncer- BabiesRUs £29.96


Playmats:

Bruin Pink Playmat and Playgym- BabiesRUs £14.96

Sunny Safari Arch & Quilt- Kiddicare £24.49

Playgro Bugs n Bloom Activity Gym- Kiddicare £24.99


Swing:

Graco Baby Delight Swing in Tutti Frutti- BabiesRUs £44.99

Bright Starts™ Comfort & Harmony™ Sandstone Bouncer- Kiddicare £45.00

Graco Baby Delight Swing- Asda £45

Mamas and Papas Merry Go Round Baby Swing- Argos £46.99

Disclaimer: I have a written consent from all brands mentioned to use above pictures.

Wednesday, 11 June 2014

Pregnancy update 38 weeks


Visible changes in my body: none, apart from my bump looks weird sometimes when little L moves on one of the sides.


Other: I started to go for a wee more often at night. I have seen my consultant last week, baby is engaged which is good, it's a shame no one can say when exactly our baby will arrive. Started or should I say trying to finish sorting out bits and pieces around the house.

How do I feel: I feel good (touch wood), can't really lie on my back as it is very uncomfortable and getting tired quicker, but it's almost the end of our pregnancy journey

Cravings: still none.

Fitness: swimming once a week, our treadmill is in the house but didn't have a chance to put it up properly.

Baby: At 38 weeks baby is has probably lost all the fine, downy hair and protective white vernix from their skin now. She is putting on weight in order to be able to control her body temperature outside the womb and to protect her organs. She is also building up waste made out of amniotic fluid, blood and skin in her intestines. She will excrete this after she is born. Her skin tone is now closer to the natural colour she will be when she is born. 

Monday, 9 June 2014

Upbeat high protein dairy drink review

I will be honest with you I don't know much about protein and how important it is in our daily life. But I do know that I like dairy products and all sorts of dairy drinks.

When I used to work in a banking industry, I remember those breaks when me and my mate shared a milk shake, it was our supplement to a food as it kept us going throughout the day.

When I was offered to review Upbeat (by The Good Whey Co., a family business with over 60 years of dairy heritage and over 40 years of expertise in crafting whey protein)- high protein dairy drink I was pleasantly surprised as
"many expecting mothers to be don't realise how important it is to consume the right amount of protein in their diet during and after pregnancy. The need for protein increases during this time to support the baby's growth, contribute to the extra muscular support for mum and to help produce healthy blood cells for both baby and mother. Also, as one of the components of breast milk is protein, it is essential that breastfeeding mothers increase the amount of protein in their diet".

Nutritional credentials:
20g protein
Low fat
Half the sugar of most fruit juices and smoothies
A source of calcium
Under 150kcal
Made with real fruit

Want to know more about the drink and if it's suitable for you or your family members please check FAQ section here.
Sounds great, right? So, my husband and I decided to give it a go. Unfortunately, you can't find Upbeat in any supermarket (available at Tesco, Ocado, Waitrose, Holland & Barrett, Booths), therefore I would suggest checking the nearest stockist on Feelingup beat website. Holland & Barrett was the only choice in my area, we were lucky enough as they had 2 last bottles: mango & passion fruit and strawberry (the only Upbeat flavours so far).


Each Upbeat bottle is only 250 ml, £1.79. I poured both drinks in a glass so that we can compare thickness and taste both drinks with my husband. What you notice straight away is that they smell exactly like mango, passion fruit and strawberry.
We have also noticed that mango & passion fruit drink was slightly thicker than strawberry one. Mango and passion fruit leaves sour/bitter aftertaste ( I had to have a whole 1 Litre bottle of water to get rid off this aftertaste), which we didn't like. Strawberry dairy drink is more of a watery consistency, but has better flavour and we definitely preferred strawberry flavour than mango & passion fruit flavour.

Would we buy it? Probably not, it is a bit over our budget and not too thick for our liking. But if Upbeat will be on offer or reduced will certainly buy strawberry flavour.

Recommendations: I would prefer if strawberry flavour could be more thicker and mango & passion fruits would be a little less strong. It would be great to see a chocolate flavoured Upbeat as well we would definitely try it!

Disclaimer: I was sent complimentary vouchers for the purpose of this review. All thoughts and opinion are my own.