My Winter Wardrobe Wishlist

Fairisle Onesie|Knitted Slipper Boot|Aztec Jumper|Let It Snow Jumper|Fairisle Jumper

It's funny how things change over the years. Growing up I would refuse to shop in certain shops because they weren't 'cool' now these are my go-to shops. Especially when I was pregnant, Matalan was my guilty pleasure. It is 2 shops down from my work and I would just 'pop in' after my shift and end up spending more money than I had. I love getting their little seasonal brochures through the door because they always have some great stuff in.

I've conveniently left this out on the coffee table to see if Gavin gets the hint for Christmas. He probably wouldn't notice if I smacked him over the head with the brochure but I can live in hope!

Christmas Gift Guide 6 Months

One of my biggest worries with Christmas approaching is buying Logan the right things. When babies grow and develop so fast I find it quite daunting that I'm buying him presents that he won't use/play with for another 2 months. So I've tried to be prepared and buy things that will be suitable for him by the time Christmas comes. However that's easier said than done when I have no idea what he'll be like at that age. He is currently 6 months old and by Christmas he will be 8 months. At the moment he cant sit up on his own, by Christmas he might be able to do that, though there is a possibility he wont. Maybe he will be crawling, maybe he wont, you get the idea, so I thought it might be helpful for mummies that have babies that will be around the 6 month mark at Christmas if I gave you an idea of what kind of stuff Logan likes now and it might give you an idea of what Santa can bring your little one.

Jumperoo|Logan The Lion|Clopy Pony Squeaker Rattle|Nuby Teething Ring|Clover Cow Rattle| Chico Soft Rattle

I know a lot of mum's will agree, the Fisher Price Jumperoo is money well spent. There is so much for the little hands to play with and touch. It gives me a bit of peace of mind, I know he is amused long enough for me to grab a cup of tea.

Logan the Lion is a Lamaze toy that we initially bought because his name was Logan, but then I thought that might get a bit confusing so we've taken to calling him Leo instead. The Lamaze toys are pretty similar and has lots to keep them amused. logan especially likes chewing on his feet because they are that crinkly paper like stuff that he just loves. 

The moment Logan realised he could squeak this himself Clopy Pony was a winner. The head rattles as well so its a great toy for distracting him. He also likes to chew hell out of it. Though he likes chewing just about everything.

Nuby have some great teething toys but this set of keys seems to be Logan's favourite. He can hold onto them well and they soft rubber is great for him to chew on. They can also be put in the freezer to cool fiery gums.

Clover Cow along with Clopy Cow is another one from the Early Learning Centre's Blossom Farm Range. She rattles and has the crinkly paper stuff in her ears. Gavin and I have taken to naming Logan's toys silly names so Ermentrude gets thrown into the mouth along with everyone else.

I think he likes the duck so much because he can hold it really well in his little fists. Its another great distracton because of the rattle. Oh and this ones called Arthur.

Hopefully this might give you some ideas for Christmas.

Zara Wishlist BABY EDITION

Hopefully Logan wont be going up a size into his next wardrobe until Christmas or hopefully after (to give the bank balance a chance to recover) however that doesn't stop me looking! I thought I would give you a look at my current wishlist from Zara.

Drawstring Trousers £15.99 - T-Shirt £4.99

Bibs - I cant find the same ones online anymore!

Printed Sweater £14.99 - Striped Leggings £6.99 - Leather Sneaker £19.99

Mask Leggings £6.99 - Mask Hat £7.99 Cardigan £22.99

Buttoned Cardigan £19.99 - Fox Print T-Shirt £6.99 Drawstring Trousers £15.99

REVIEW Cow & Gate 5 Step Weaning Plan

I published a quick introduction to the new 5 Step Weaning Plan launched by Cow & Gate, you can find this here. But I thought I would take the time to go through the 5 Steps and tell you what I thought.

My first thoughts on the plan was that it was a great idea for new parents who were just beginning to wean their babies. As I said in my initial post, beginning to feed your baby 'real' food can be incredibly daunting so any help is great. 

As a mum who started weaning early I felt a lot of places you might look to for help around weaning, were quite judgmental. I know that the NHS are quite strict about beginning weaning at 6 months, however as I've said before that just didn't work for us. I started just before Logan was 5 months and I don't regret the decision. Even though I've been told by family members that what I did was wrong, I don't care. I made the best decision for my baby and it was definitely the best decision for us. So when the Anabel Karmel app splits recipes into 6-9 Month categories I find that a bit off putting. I understand that its a guideline but some people may be put off trying these things till their baby is exactly 6 months old when that baby might have been ready for them earlier. So I really like the fact that Cow & Gate don't split their steps up by age. I feel like its more 'these are the steps we think you should follow, you're clever enough to try them at your own pace'

What is Weaning?

Before you start they give you some information on weaning. What signs your baby will display if they are ready to start weaning and what you need to begin. The 5 Step Plan is very much based around purees and not Baby Led Weaning though if you are interested in BLW they give you links to more information. 

Step 1 - First Spoonfuls 

By the time we started following the plan we had already passed this stage. However I think its really great at showing you how to start. They start with Baby Rice and recipes for 9 Fruit & Veg purees. They give you some really handy tips on what to do if your baby rejects a new food, when and where to try their first time and what foods to avoid.

Step 2 - Introducing Breakfast

Step 2 is the shortest step and I felt it probably could have been combined with step 1. It only tells you how important breakfast is and to establish it early, not that breakfast isn't important, I just didn't feel like it needed a step all to itself.

Step 3 - Introducing Variety

We were just between steps 3 & 4 when the plan launched but we had already followed the plan pretty closely so it was reassuring to find out what we had been doing was correct. In general I found step 3 very reassuring. If it hadn't been for step 3 I may have given up quite easily with a few foods that didn't seem to go down well the first couple of times but they encourage repetition of new foods. The recipes it gives you at every step are really easy to follow and I love that they give you a shopping list so you can buy everything you need to try the recipes for that step. Its a great way to stay organised.

Step 4 - Meat, Fish & Alternatives

This was the step I found most helpful because it was the step I was most apprehensive about. I'm not a great fan of meat, I hate preparing it, and I'm not overly confident in cooking it so I found this a great step to follow. This step tells you how to prepare the meat, how much you should be giving them and importantly what to avoid. At first I thought the recipes for introducing meats were really basic when you compared them to the likes of the Anabel Karmel recipes. She adds oil, herbs, stock, etc so I thought the Cow & Gate recipes might be quite boring but after trying the Chicken & Carrot recipe for the first time I remembered that the taste of chicken on its own must be such a big change that adding herbs and spices at such an early stage would probably be disastrous.

Step 5 - Establishing 3 Meals A Day

We followed this step at the same time as Step 4. Again this is a pretty small step but I thought it was reassuring to know I was feeding Logan the right amount and at the right times. 

The Weaning Plan encourages you to make your own foods in big batches and freeze them which we have chosen to do but Cow & Gate kindly sent us some of the pouches and jars to try as well and they were a big hit. Although, as much as possible, I want to make my own food for Logan so I know exactly what is in each dish I think the jars and pouches are really convenient if we are going out for the day or if I forget to take food out the freezer (which can happen quite often and has just reminded that I haven't taken any meat out the freezer for my dinner!!!!)

If you would like any more information on the plan or would like to try it out yourself please check it out https://www.cowandgate.co.uk/five-step-weaning-plan

Autumn Days

Since setting up the pushchair part for Logan's pram and getting rid of the carry cot Iv'e been really enjoying going out for walks. I think because he enjoys it more I enjoy it more. I enjoy getting all wrapped up and going off on an adventure. Without getting in the car there isn't very many interesting places to walk to so our walks usually just involve a circuit of our estate. Sometimes we'll adventure a little further in the car and visit our local park which has a 4 mile walk around a... pond? loch? lake? *I just googled it, its a loch!* and after the Glasgow Commonwealth Games its a very clean loch!

REVIEW - Bubble Gum Years

Bubble Gum Years is a print shop based in Glasgow, Scotland and they specialise in whimsical and fun prints aimed at nursery and toddler markets. Steven at Bubble Gum Years very kindly send me a selection of prints.

My first thought that the prints are of really high quality. On umpteen occasions I have thought (and even attempted) to make similar things myself on my laptop. Its not until I had the real deal in my hands that I realised I would never be able to make something this good.

The selection of prints they have are fantastic. They have a great range of prints for both boys and girls and even some lovely unisex ones. They vary in styles, some more traditional animal prints and the alphabet to more funky quotes and aliens. They have a great choice of customisable prints that would be a great addition to any nursery. Check them out at https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/BubbleGumYears


*

When It Starts To Get Easier

I used to hear/see mothers saying things like 'just stick with it, it does get easier' or 'don't worry, they get easier' or 'they'll get easier eventually' and I often wondered when would this day come? Or was this just something women said to help you push through the 'newborn' stage and it never really got easier, you just got more accustomed to your baby. Because for a while I never thought it was going to get easier.

At that age, who would think with that face he could be anything but angelic!

Logan wasnt' what I would call an easy baby. He wasn't difficult, don't get me wrong, I know he could have given us a lot more problems. However he was never easy. He was rarely ever content just to sit, to chill out on his own. He constantly wanted to be held or cuddled. He has never been able to fall asleep on his own (our fault to a certain degree) he is always fed to sleep or rocked to sleep. He was never happy to sit in your arms on the couch or sit in his bouncy chair, he wanted to be on the move. If you were holding him you had to be up and on the move. He wanted fed every 2 hours and he would throw a wobbly if this didn't happen. Sometimes he would feed for up to an hour at a time so, especially in the early days, it felt like a constant cycle of feeds. He would not nap. He just wouldn't. For such a long time we tried everything and no matter what, he would fight it all the way and defiantly refuse to sleep during the day. The only small mercy was, on the whole, he was a good sleeper at night. Which meant the minute you told anyone he wouldn't nap but he slept well at night, you gained the response 'oh well that's all you want really' and all I wanted to shout was 'no, what I really want is just 5 minutes to myself during the day' entertaining a baby from 7 in the morning till 9 at night is exhausting!!

It felt that the minute we left the house he would throw a wobbly. The feeding every 2 hours made it pretty difficult, but even when we did manage to leave the house after 5 minutes he would just start moaning and he would get hungry. So sometimes I would think 'what's the point?' And just stay in instead. I knew babies, who after about 12 weeks, started to feed less often. I prayed for this to happen for us so we could stop living our life in 2 hour incrimints. It's bloody difficult to get anything done or go anywhere when the minute you eventually leave the house your baby needs fed again.

However after 6 months I can finally say: it does get easier!!! I don't think having a baby will ever be an easy job but it is finally getting easier. I think the main difference is he no longer demands being fed every 2 hours. Logan is on 3 meals a day now which I think has helped the most but he can now go 3 even 4 hours between feeds. It might not seem like much but that hour can make all the difference. We can actually leave the house and I don't have to constantly be commence rend about when he needs fed again because he doesn't throw a hissy-fit the second he wants fed. The second biggest change is he now naps during the day. Sometimes for only an hour, sometime we are treated to 2. It now means that come 5pm he is not having a complete meltdown because he is so over-tired. We can actually enjoy our evenings with a relatively happy baby. 

He isn't always overly happy to be left on his own for long. But usually long enough that I can get my breakfast in the morning! 

So after 6 months I can finally join in and say 'hang in there, eventually it gets easier'

When did you find it go easier for you and your little one? Or are you still in the 'difficult' stage or are you a lucky one with an easy baby?

Lil HipStar - The Creator

I thought I would give you a little insight into the world of creator of Lil HipStar, Laura.

What inspired you to start your label?
Lil HipStar launched in September 2013 in Melbourne Australia as a design and creative outlet for a stay at home mum (me!). When Oliver was born I just couldn't find the funky, hip baby blanket that I was looking for. I wanted something a little different. Before having my son Oliver, I was a full time architect. When Oliver was born with a congenial skull condition called craniosynostosis, I knew that returning to the corporate work would probably not be possible. This was a turning point and a great opportunity to have the best of both worlds: caring for Oliver, designing and creating fun exciting things for other babies that just weren't available for us! Hence as a result Lil HipStar was born.

How did you choose your business name?
Lil HipStar’s name came to be after lists and lists AND lists of names. These names were discussed with neighbors, friends and family members. A lot of back and forth went on before the name as finally chosen. Lil HipStar was chosen as I feel that it really portrays the spirit of Melbourne (which is where we live) and this funky little generation of kids. We also wanted a name that reflects the type of product we are selling: cool, modern and hip kids accessories.

Do you prefer to work with certain fabrics, colours or styles?
I absolutely love working with all fabric! I love everything about it! I love shopping for it, buying it, sewing it and the texture especially black velvety minky cuddle and jersey knit. My most favourite colours and style combinations at the moment are geometric black and white. I love the simplicity I of monochrome and the gender neutrality.

What inspires your creativity?
My creativity is this constant passion for wanting to make, create and design. For me, designing and making things has been an integral part of my life for as long as I can remember. The next step in Lil HipStar’s life is to start designing and printing our all of our own fabric designs. I think this will add an extra special touch to our product range.


You can check out Laura's fantastic products at Lil HipStar

REVIEW Stitched Into Gear - Burp Cloths

 Stitched Into Gear https://www.etsy.com/shop/StitchedIntoGear is a beautiful store on Etsy that make gorgeous handmade items from bags to cushions to quilts, but the items I was most interested in were funnily enough the baby items!!They have some gorgeous hooded towels and wash cloth sets at really good prices. Crystal at Stitched Into Gear was kind enough to send me some of these super cool burp cloths.

Now I love burp clothes, muslin clothes any kind of cloth really. As a mother, they are never far away. I am currently sitting on my sofa, in the living room and I can see one on the arm of the couch, one on the floor and one on the bookcase of all places! They are so useful and versatile. They can be use for multiple things, sick, spillages, dribbling, saliva that has dribbled down the chin from blowing too many raspberries. So I always have a few to hand.

The main thing I love about these cloths is obviously the design. I love the quirky patterns and the bold colours. The material used is really great quality, they have cotton cloth diaper on one side and flannel on the other. The are really absorbent which makes them really versatile and great for any job, however that also means they do retain a lot of water so aren't as quick to dry out. If you want a burp cloth that's more interesting than your average plain white muslin square then these are definitely for you! 

You can find Stitched Into Gear on Etsy at https://www.etsy.com/shop/StitchedIntoGear where you can see a lot of really great designs.

REVIEW Lil Hip Star - Bib

I was really excited when I was given the opportunity to review one of Lil Hip Star's bibs. This is the first item I have been sent from a company and it shows a great deal of belief in my blog and I'd like to thank Laura at Lil HipStar for giving me this opportunity.

When Laura told me I could chose my own design I didn't know if I'd be able to because all her designs are beautiful. On her Etsy shop there is a great selection of bibs, organic teething rings, blankets and even beautiful hats and headbands. The patterns and fabrics Laura uses are seriously gorgeous. She uses strong colours and gorgeous geometric styles that I really love. Eventually I plumped for this monochrome triangle print because I thought it might go best with more of Logan's clothes but I honestly could have chosen any of them. All items are hand made, so I did wonder if it would be obvious that it wasn't made in a big factory, but it isn't. The bib is really well made, it has the fabric on top and fleecy flannel underneath. It is also fastened with a snap closure which I much prefer to velcro.

As you can see the design is beautiful and the quality is fantastic. All her products can be found on the Etsy store: Lil HipStar (https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/LilHipStar), you can also find the products at www.bubbabling.com.au , www.downthatlittlelane.com/au and as of the end of October she has a UK stockist in Bonne Nuit UK

Ready, Steady, Wean! Cow & Gate 5 Step Weaning Plan

Cow & Gate have been helping mums feed their babies for 110 years, so they know how messy, fun and frustrating weaning can be. That's why their team of nutritionists and baby feeding advisors have created the online 5 Step Weaning Plan to help parents take their baby from first spoonfuls to 3 meals a day, in 5 easy-to-follow steps.

When Cow & Gate got in touch and asked if I wanted to take part in the launch of their 5 Step Weaning Plan I jumped at the chance. Being in the relatively early stages of weaning any help or guidance is appreciated.

As a first time mum, weaning can be one of the most nerve wracking things to start. There are so many questions and for me I found it quite hard to know where to start. Cow & Gate have answered my, and I assume lots of mums, prayers and have introduced a really fun and easy to follow 5 Step Plan.

Step 1 First Spoonfuls
Step 2 Introducing Breakfast
Step 3 Introducing Variety
Step 4 Meat, Fish & Alternatives
Step 5 Establishing 3 Meals a Day

Each step of the plan includes a great selection of easy-to-follow recipes, designed specifically with baby in mind. The plan also includes tips and advice from the Cow & Gate careline team to help make the weaning journey as smooth as possible.

Its really simple to use and easy follow.  You can create your baby's own personal weaning plan with different recipes, track your babies likes and dislikes and get Cow & Gate money off coupons tailored to each step.

You can sign up online at https://www.cowandgate.co.uk/five-step-weaning-plan. 

6 Month Update

Half a year old? My oh my! Another 6 months and I'll have a one year old! Aaaaahhh!

Weight: I haven't manage to get Logan weighed this month. He never looks as if he's putting weight on though he always looks longer and stays perfectly in proportion.

Height: I think I will take this out of the updates because since he was born I've never known what height he is.

Food: Weaning is well under way! Bananas are still the firm favourite. He also seems to like Butternut squash, Avocados and Carrots.

Routine: Logan has just started lasting a little longer between feeds, only half an hour or so. So that gives us slightly longer between feeds for games and stories! 

Sleep: We've tried to move his bed time an hour earlier, sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. He has his last feed anywhere between 19:30 & 20:30 and he sleeps right through to 7am! He has started to nap now but it's still bit hit and miss. Sometimes he can nap around 9/10 and 2/3 sometimes it's only the one around 1 or sometimes it's none at all. It's something we are still working on.

Clothing: He is in 6-9 month. Although like last month the trousers are still too big for him round the waist but 3-6 are too short on the leg so H&M jogging bottoms are the answer at the moment. A few of his baby grows seem to be on the tight side so I fear we may need to go up a size in these soon! 9-12 Months?? Eeeeeek!

Likes: Jumperoo! We bought this mid-way through the month as I felt he was getting bored. Playing on his mat was no longer cutting it, he was getting agitated with his toys and I felt like he needed something that would get him up and bit more mobile and he has loved it. Best purchase ever! 

Dislikes: Being left on his own. I'm not sure if it's a good thing or a bad thing but he rarely likes to be left alone to just chill out, which make the naps so important. He constantly want to be doing things, playing, jumping, rolling, wriggling. He loves to be on the move, he never want to just lie for half an hour and cuddle or chill out. 

Milestones: Logan had just managed to master rolling from his back to his front at the beginning of month 5 so now he has turned his attention to crawling. He can hold his upper body up with his arms and he can kneel perfectly fine, he just hasn't worked out how to do them together. So he has become an expert and shuffling around on his knees and his nose! I'm pretty sure this won't last long because I don't imagine it's too comfy. He still hasn't mastered how to sit up on his own. I'm not sure if it's because he can't or because any time we try and sit him up he just wants to chew on his feet so just bends forward to grab his toes and stick them in his mouth! Hopefully it won't be too much longer though.

It's so fun to watch his little personality shine through. As every day changes he becomes more content and happier and its a joy to watch him grow. I don't know where I'd be without my little baby!

Kirsty x

REVIEW Beauty Kitchen Moisturising Oil & Hand Scrub

Beauty Kitchen are a company based in Glasgow who manufacture and sell 100% natural beauty products. Their products claim to be 100% Natural, 100% Affordable and 100% Effective.

The contents of their products are not hard to check. Their website (www.beautykitchen.co.uk) is very open and honest about the ingredients they use. A quick glance at the site and you can see their products really are 100% natural. I often think that company's stick buzz words like 'Natural' and 'Organic' on the front of their products without actually living up to that name but Beauty Kitchen does. Burt's Bees Beeswax Lip Balm for instance. Bet you thought that was 100% Natural, as it claims on the tube. I know I did. 100% Natural to me means no chemicals, Limonene and Tocopheral don't sound too natural too me. However you'll be hard pressed to find any chemicals in these products.


Great affordable products are what everyone wants these days, aren't they? Now although I was fortunate enough to be sent these products by the beautiful Kirsten at Beauty Kitchen (who just so happens to be a good friend too) the products are so reasonably priced. Beauty Kitchen offer Bath and Body Hampers from £39.95 to Make Your Own Experiences at £25 where you can visit their Glasgow store and be shown how to make your own products, both of which make fantastic Christmas gifts.

100% Effective though? This was the one I was dubious about. In the past I've found the Organic/Natural stuff doesn't usually work as well as the stuff packed full of nasty chemicals! I mean surely there's a reason these chemicals are there! So although I thought the products might be good, I didn't know if they'd be great.

The first product I tried was the Inspire Me Shimmer Dry Moisturising Oil. When Kirsten asked if I wanted to try any of their products I asked if I could 'pretty please have something moisturising'. My body is still recovering from having a baby and there's a lot of skin that still needs moisturising and stretch marks that still need a bit of help. On first try I was a bit unsure about the smell. It's slightly too citrusy for me. However the scent doesn't linger too long so it's not something that would put me off the product and there are plenty other scents on offer. Beauty Kitchen say 'This dry oil absorbs quickly into the skin for a smooth, soft and non sticky finish' and I can't think of a better way to put it. It really does just that. Being an oil I thought it might be quite similar to Bio Oil, where I find Bio Oil takes forever to sink in and I find myself walking about like a naked scarecrow waiting on it to dry, a few moments and this oil had absorbed right in. I was able to dress pretty quickly without worrying that it was going to seep into my clothes. A little goes a long way. I didn't need to use a lot to cover the areas I wanted to and because it dries in quickly I wasn't left with the horrible oily mess on my hands that is murder to try and wash off. It made the areas that I had used it on super soft which I really liked. It straight away felt like it was working.

The second product I tried was the Indulgent Hand Scrub. Your hands get tired of looking after the rest of your body, so look after them with an amazing skin smoothing and renewing scrub. It's so good we all use it as a face scrub as well. Suitable for Vegans and 100% natural. Its a really simple, effective product. Its easy and quick to use. My main problem with nearly all beauty or skin products is that I forget to use them. I'm in my bed by the time I remember I should have cleansed and toned and I can't be bothered getting back out my bed to do it. I sit this scrub beside my bathroom sink and use it when I wash my hands. My hands feel all soft and nourished after using.

For now Beauty Kitchen can be found in their store at 117 Saltmarket, Glasgow and online at http://beautykitchen.co.uk/ but they have a wonderful collaboration happening soon with a leading UK retailer! Keep your eyes peeled for more information on that soon!


Kirsty x

BOOTD

Today's Outfit

Jumper: Next. It was a gift so I have no idea how much it was an it was bought in January. Sorrryyy!

Jeans: Next £9.50