Babymoov - the ultimate new nappy bag?

The nursery is almost finished - sneak peak coming soon - and with only 6 and half weeks to go. I'm seriously starting to shop for the new arrival. One thing in particular I've been looking at is nappy bags, as whilst this is a market flooded with options, I've not been particularly impressed. I personally absolutely love handbags and have spent an absolute fortune on them in the past but most of the bags I've come across in stores just seem cheap and make me feel like I'm also going to be the one attending nursery. Then the nice ones I've found are no where near as practical and don't have a lot of the basic features...

Over the coming weeks I'm going to be reviewing some of the bags I've found that I do actually rate and one in particular is the Babymoov style bag:

Babymoov are a french brand, established around 13 years ago, who are slowly infiltrating their way into the UK market. They offer a range of baby accessories from toys to strollers but it was their bags that really caught my eye and in particular their style range. I can't really say why but they just seemed to offer that happy medium between a fun and practical bag that wouldn't make me feel silly walking around with it. The baby chic variation seemed the most fun to me so I ordered one to see what it was really like.

The bag itself comes with quite a few accessories including:

• Detachable changing bag which includes the mat (55x45cm)
• Insulated bottle holder
• Transparent detached pouch for wet items
• Soother pocket with universal fastener
• Polar fleece
• Adjustable universal stroller harnesses

The bag itself is pretty well organised inside with several pockets to keep your bits and pieces organised. It's also not too big in overall size which is great because in my personal experience the more space you have to fill the more rubbish you'll fill it with. 

However my absolute favourite bit about the bag is that the front part is a detachable mini changing bag. So if you're travelling somewhere and don't want to take the bag or you need to be a little smarter you can pop it into a different bag you can. Beforehand I was going to buy a nappy bag and one of these separate mini changers for exactly this purpose. 

The bag comes in four different styles depending on your taste and retail at around £45 on amazon. For more information then go direct to the Babymoov shop where you can also purchase the bags here. 

My 4D scan

A couple of weeks ago my father finally persuaded Mr W and I to go and have a 4D scan of little muffin. It's not something I think that we would personally have to decided to do because I do find the whole thing a little bit strange. However as this is my parent's first grandchild we came to agreement where we said we would do it if they came along and shared the experience with us.

I have to say though it was absolutely amazing. Any chance you get to see your little one again is worth taking even if it's just for piece of mind.

So what can you expect if you go along and have one of these awesome new scans? Well they started off just checking everything was ok using the traditional black and white imagery you're used to seeing in the hospital. We also had double confirmation that he was a boy which was pretty hilarious because he seemed more interested in showing us that part of his anatomy then his face - as you can imagine Mr W was pretty proud...

They then have to check the position of your baby and ensure there is enough fluid between the area you want to see in 4D and the probe. This is where we came a cropper though because muffin likes to keep his face as tightly up against the placenta as possible - it's actually caused quite a few problems with previous scans. So I had to do some chocolate eating (of course), jumping around and several different positions to just get the tiniest amount of fluid in there - that he wouldn't drink - but in the end we got the following shots:

They're not as great as others you may have seen but it does all depend on your little one's performance on the day and it is still something I would seriously recommend anyone does.

You can get a 4D (btw the fourth dimension is movement so we also got a video of him moving around) scan in most major towns and cities across the country and they typical cost around £150. Make sure though when you book that if he isn't performing on the day you get a second appointment and your money won't be wasted.

Lots of love,

Mrs W xxx

Chicco 2013 launch - new colours, new products

So I'm still feeling excited from everything I saw this morning, although at the same time I'm slightly worried about how much I haven't got for muffin! I've definitely got all the basics now but I really hadn't thought about all the other bits and pieces that will entertain him e.g. swings and toys. At least I have my baby shower to go and I can tell you some of these bits and pieces will definitely be on there.

Anyway just thought I'd share some other bits and pieces you can expect from Chicco:

Chicco Mia - comfy manual rocking chair

Polly Magic highchair - the high chair that's suitable for newborns right up until their 3 years old

Polly 2 in 1 Highchair - multi-award winning highchair that's suitable from six months to three years

Polly Swing - 4-speed motorised rocking chair with a removable console that plays music and comforting sounds and a relaxing coloured nightlight 

Chicco launches new Trio Living Smart 4 in 1 travel system

This morning I had the absolute pleasure of having breakfast at the Sofitel in London and a tour of the new 2013 range from Italian brand Chicco. It was all great timing as well as with just under two months to go I'm really starting to assess and look at travel systems for muffin so it was great to see what they had on offer.

In particular it was really interesting to see their latest offering the Trio Living Smart 4 in 1 in black and lime:

The system is comprises of a stroller, car seat and carrycot suitable from birth to three months old, and comes with several accessories including a padded leg cover, booster cushion, matching bag with changing mat, removable mattress for the carrycot, fittings for the car kit and booster cushion, shoulder pads and base for the car seat.

From birth the Living Smart system comes with a really sturdy carry cot that has a hard and practical base but it's softly lined inside. It attaches to the frame using their click-clack system so it's simply a case of clicking it in and lifting it off, which is nice and simple when you're in a rush and you don't want to disturb them.

Or if you don't want to disturb them when you've finally got them to sleep in their car seat then you can also attach it to the frame again using the click-clack system. I tried it all out for myself and really is very simple, plus both parts are pretty light-weight and something I think my little 5ft 4' frame could cope with. I should add that the car seat does fit their iso-fix system or can be used without but you'll have to get the base separately. The booster cushion for newborns also has a small hole in the head rest to help prevent them developing bald patches when their sleeping.

Then as they grow older the pram then simply turns into a stroller that you can either have rear or forward-facing depending on how you feel about privacy. However if you do want to take a peak at how their doing in the front facing position then you can take a peak through the transparent window on the full cover hood. The stroller also has a 4-position reclining function for the early months which you can adjust quite simply on the back of the chair.

There are four swivel wheels to make it easier when manoeuvring around town. Then the frame itself it designed to be compact when closed, which can be done in a couple of clicks without needing to remove any parts when used as a stroller. When I had a go at lifting the stroller it was reasonably light and could easily be lifted by one person in and out of the car. I certainly thought it was better then the Quinny Buzz and Bugaboo Cameleon systems I've tried. However, whilst when it's folded it is relatively compact it's not quite as small as the Baby Jogger if you're short on space in the boot but as I said it's still pretty impressive.

I'm still waiting for details on when the Living Smart system will be available but the RRP for the complete system (stroller, carrycot and car seat) is £599.99 in black or lime.

Miracle Bump Creme - Review

I can't begin to tell you how scary the last couple of weeks have been in terms of my bump's growth, it's just growing like crazy and I've still got another 7.5 weeks to go. Up until I'd reached the seven month mark I was feeling very smug about the fact that I hadn't developed any stretch marks 
and whilst I still haven't got any I'm feeling less smug and more terrified as each growing day passes. 

So, when I came across the new Miracle Bump Creme that launched last month I was desperate to give it a try and find out a bit more about why it's different from any thing else already out there. 

Here's what owner Sebrina Butler had to say: 

I'm a 24 year old mum of 2 beautiful girls, one toddler aged 3 and one baby just 9 months. After falling pregnant at such a young age it was so important to me to keep my body beautiful. I really felt I had no long become a woman and hadn't worn bikini's often enough for me to not wear them again because of stretch marks. It seems shallow but I think I am being honest about how most women feel, obviously we accept stretch marks but it doesn't mean we want them.

When experiencing a terrible time with other well known brands, due to fact of hormonal skin changes as well as harsh ingredients in the products. I began researching and developing my own creme using all natural ingredients.

After having my first baby I do believe I suffered with very mild Post Natal Depression which was undiagnosed. Most of the time I just felt unconfident, low and that I had lost my identity in the whirlwind of motherhood. I never use to go out or make an effort, all my energies was put into my daughter I lost care for myself and I hadn't even noticed.

As my daughter started to get older, baby weight was dropping off me and slowly my confidence was coming back. I started to feel like myself again, throughout that time I had friends and family fall pregnant and I would give them my creme and directions for use. (I found a method of application which I was so beneficial to me now known as the Miracle bump method) At this stage making the creme was more of a hobbie, reaserching, investigating in different ingredients was just something I enjoyed doing, running a business never crossed my mind.

Two and half years later I fell pregnant with my second daughter, the first thing I did was start using my creme. Simultaneously a family member was also pregnant, I was telling her what I use to fight off stretch marks when the penny dropped.

Since then I turned my recipe into a formula, which was tested and manufactured, the company is called Miracle Bump Ltd. I didn't have a clue about starting a business this is when I turned to the Princes Trust.

They have helped and guided me through the process of turning a dream into a business. I am still a one man band, I design my own website, order ingredients, wrap up the jars and post each item. I have a family member who is a graphic designer, I basically tell her what my vision is, she understands what I see and creates exactly whats in my head. I couldn't be more lucky, I've had to do everything on my own because I am building a business on a shoe string. I refuse to ever compromise the quality, luxury and indulgence of my product so I had to sacrifice having a website designer- its a juggling act. I have recently been given a mentor by the Princes Trust who guides me with my decision making. My mentor is very helpful, she keeps me in line so to speak.

Miracle Bump is really special because there really is no other creme like it, the amount of sheer quality ingredients put in the creme. It is extremely rich and thick because there is no added water but it melts and body temperature. The smell is sweet yet so subtle, the packaging is beautifully striking its almost impossible to get quantity and quality one product. Best of it works...

I have some really exciting Ideas which I want to bring in 2013, I will be focusing on some fabulous gift sets for mums. It's really important to me that I don't want mums and mums-to-be to feel unconfident or lose their identity in the challenges of motherhood.

Everything I talk about on my blog, on my website none of it is for the purpose of marketing, its from the experiences I have had.

So what did I think? 

Well when my jar arrived I have to say the first thing I noticed was the smell, it's absolutely scrummy. I don't know why but it y reminds me of white chocolate... It's much sweeter and more delicate then the cheaper cocoa butter creams you can find in local supermarkets. 

The creme in itself is in more of a solid state as opposed to the liquid, similar to Palmer's butter which surprised me. Not sure why but I'd expected something more runny. As per the instructions I applied it every morning and evening for a couple of weeks using the recommended method on their website. You take out a small amount, rub it between your hands until it melts and then rub it onto your bump, breasts, hips, bum and thighs. 

Initially it took a little while to get used to mainly because the creme was so thick and therefore took slightly longer to sink in. So I needed to make sure I rubbed it in as early in the mornings as possible as I didn't like when I could feel it on my clothes if I was in a rush. What I loved most though was rubbing it in at night and then feeling how nice my tummy was when I woke up. 

The other thing that's important to remember when using this product is NEVER to scratch your skin. If you feel an itch then apply the creme instead of using your fingernails. Apparently scratching removes skin which in turn can lead to stretch marks. 

In conclusion though after two weeks of usage, my skin really did feel gorgeous and as I mentioned earlier - still no stretch marks! Plus I'm also beginning to feel more confident about my bump, it smells great and is soft to touch which is nice when hubby is constantly spending time seeing if he can feel muffin move. 

All in all this is definitely a luxury purchase (it's £90 for a jar) but one I think worth investing in and it will last the whole way through your pregnancy and afterwards when you're getting yourself back to normal. 

If you want more information then you can visit the Miracle Bump website here.