Wednesday 1 July 2015

Birthday Weekend

This week I got to enjoy a long weekend with my partner for his 39th birthday. He is not really one for celebrating (Birthday Grinch comes to mind) so we didn't do much - but still had a lovely time. 

On the Saturday we went to our second Baby event. This time it was a Baby & Children's Mega Market that had a range of new items and nearly new sellers. It cost £1 to get in and was very very busy (and hot). For this reason we didn't stay long but we did pick up a wooden activity station that looks hardly used for only £10, they retail for £40 in the shops. My partner has been wanting one of these so it was nice to find one for his birthday. There were plenty of bargains to have if you had the patience - clothing, moses baskets, toys, feeding accessories etc. I definitely think we would go to one again - just at a cooler time of year. You can find locations and dates for these events at: http://www.babyandchildrensmarket.co.uk/


On the Sunday we went to a local Fayre and Square pub for a meal. We had not been there before and were quite impressed. It only cost £12 for a meal and drink for us both and the food was better than normal 'pub food'. Sadly baby is taking up far too much room now for me to fit in a dessert too but they did sound nice so I am sure we will go back. 

I also finally got chance to give my partner the birthday presents I have been working on for a few weeks. Not knowing what to get, and not getting any help from him, I decided to make a 'New Dad Survival' Box. I made the box using an old shoe box and filled it with items he can use once baby arrives. My favourite item was the 'Baby on Board' sign that I made. He loves dinosaurs so I wanted to make him a personal one, it is hand embroidered and I am very proud of the finished item. He loved it too which is all that matters! 



Finally on Monday we went to the New Walk Museum in Leicester to see their dinosaur exhibition (see above) and then did a bit of shopping. We collected an activity mat that we had reserved from John Lewis. This was purchased as a gift from my brother and really is lovely - so much nicer than most of the garish ones that seem to be about! I also got a few more maternity essentials from New Look and also bought some basic vest tops and stretchy dresses from H&M (much cheaper than Maternity wear so well worth a look!). 



Play Mat - John Lewis Online £58.80

Apart from the heat I had a lovely weekend and feel very positive. I can't believe that after this coming weekend we will only have 10 weeks to go!

Tuesday 23 June 2015

Bargain Addicts Anonymous 3

My partner and I have never been 'big spenders'. We have never liked spending more than we need to and often just make do. This was not because we 'had' to live this way, although neither of us had jobs that paid the 'big bucks' we certainly lived well within our means and this made us happy. As mentioned in previous posts, I left my job when I was 3 months pregnant which meant our budgeting became more of a necessity. As my other posts have shown I have been trying to buy everything for the baby with this new budget in mind. 

With recent articles suggesting that first time parents often spend £1000-£2000 on items for their new arrival I was worried that spending less would be a struggle. It really has not been though! Yes there are some things that are expensive (travel system, cot bed etc) but I do think that if you spend a bit of time looking around for the best prices and also consider what you can buy second hand or even made do without you can save a lot of money. Gratefully accepting all gifts and hand me downs helps too! 

I have a few new additions to my bargain hunting. The first is my amazing second hand nursing chair. We decided that as I fully intend to give breast feeding a really good go, having a nursing chair would be a good idea. Even if breast feeding fails I am sure we will both appreciate somewhere comfy to sit during late night bottle feeds. I decided that if I wanted one it would have to be second hand as the cheapest one we could find in the shops was £130 (Argos). I looked daily on Ebay and Preloved to see what had been added in the local area. I also joined a few local baby and toddler item selling groups on facebook. In the end after a few weeks of searching I managed to get a barely used chair and stool in immaculate condition for only £50. We had to collect it but as it was only across town this was not a problem. I am so pleased with this purchase and how much money we managed to save!


My other new bargains come from George (ASDA) online. I have been trying to buy some of the smaller items that we need so that we don't have too much to get all at once. I have been looking around for hooded baby towels, which most places seem to sell for between £5 and £10 each. I was very pleased to find that George sold them for only £5 for a pack of two. They also sold packs of 2 jersey fitted moses basket sheets for just £5 too. I ordered a couple of packs of each and got free delivery to my local store. I am very pleased with the quality of the products and am very glad I didn't spend more. They have good reviews too, with most people saying that the quality and softness lasts after washing. It is well worth looking through the George Baby department as they have quite a few good bargains!

Photos taken from www.direct.asda.com Both products available in other colours/designs.

Monday 22 June 2015

Nanas Don't Just Knit Shreddies

I have not posted for a while - which is bad of me and this blog was intended to keep me on track with my plans and projects. 

I have been quite busy visiting family and working on the house and garden. Currently the following projects are ongoing:

1) Decorating the nursery
2) Eating more healthily - after the midwife measured my fundal height as being 1.5 weeks ahead last week at my 28 week appointment (an increase of 6cm from the previous appointment) I am making a conscious effort to reduce my sugar intake and eat healthier. We shall see how that goes!
3) Planning and purchasing everything we need for baby

I will cover those in more detail later on as this post is about the amazing gifts that my grandma (baby's great grandmother to be) gave us this weekend.

My grandparents live 2 hours away from us in the Cotswolds which means we do not get to visit them as often as I would like. We went down for the day on Saturday for lunch and a catch up and we were given some handmade gifts for baby. She had made us a large white blanket, a very cute white cardigan and some knitted animal toys. The blanket is beautiful and I love the animals as they remind me of the toys that I played with at my grandma's when I was a child. I think they will be kept on a high shelf in the nursery until she is at the age she can play with them nicely!



Wednesday 10 June 2015

Bargain Addicts Anonymous 2

Now that all my Ebay clothing bundles have arrived and we have pretty much got all the clothes we think (and hope) we will need for the first 6 months I thought I would do an update. 

Through a combination of second hand purchases and a few gifts from friends we now have:

27 x Sleep Suits (sizes newborn, 0-3 and 3-6 months)
26 x Body Suits - long and short sleeved (sizes newborn, 0-3 and 3-6 months)
3 x Full outfits (sized 0-3 months) 
2 x Coats (0-3 months)
1 x Pram suit (3-6 months)
10 x Bibs
6 x Hats 
12 x socks
3 x shoes (0-3 months) 


I have worked out this has cost £47.00. Even if I went to the cheapest places to attempt to purchase all these items brand new (Asda/Primark etc) I worked out that this would have cost almost £100. Considering that the vast majority is brands such as NEXT and Mothercare I know that if I worked it out properly it would have actually cost a lot more! 

I am hoping that we only need to pick up a few more bits such as another pram suit and maybe a few more day outfits for 3-6 months (I plan for her to spend most of the first 3 months in sleep suits but will probably have to start dressing her properly by then!) I am definitely hoping that we don't have to spend too much more to do this. I really am so pleased that a bit of time consuming Ebay trawling and charity shop hunting has meant that we may have managed to get all the clothes we need for the first 6 months for around £50. Well worth the effort! 

Thursday 4 June 2015

Project Nursery - Part 2

Having returned our original cot bedding set (see previous post) we were back to square one with the decorating theme for the nursery. Having decided we would just get plain fitted sheets we knew that we wanted to make more of a statement with the rest of the room. We decided that curtains were a good place to start - especially with them generally being one of the most expensive items.

After measuring the window (and getting stressed working out what size that mean't we needed, they never make it easy!) we decided to look in Dunelm Mill in the hope that we could just get some 'pre-made' ones. It must have been our lucky day as they were selling off some of their nursery range at 50% off. We managed to buy some black out curtains with a matching rug, 2 packs of bunting and door stop all for £45.00 - which was less than what we expected to pay for the curtains alone! 



 

Although job number one is to get the walls prepped by sanding and painting a white base coat we have chosen some samples of the final wall colour as Dulux and Crown paint are currently on offer in B&Q (2 for £24 and 2 for £22 respectively). 


Having been convinced we were having a boy I still can't quite believe I get to paint a pink room. I can't wait to get started. The plan is to have it finished by the end of June - fingers crossed. 

Cot Bumpers - Safe or Not?

A while back I posted about how pleased we were with the lovely cot bedding set and mobile we got in the sale. Since then we have actually returned it. The first reason for returning it was because the quilt had a manufacturing fault, and originally we planned to just exchange it. In the few days between this I had also (luckily) been reading about how to put baby to sleep safely. I was reading into this more and becoming aware that cot bumpers were actually not recommended that gave me the second reason to return it. 

Now I knew that the quilt that came with the set was not recommended for use for babies under 1 years old, it said this on the packaging. However this was the first time I had read anything questioning the safety of the cot bumper part - which is suitable from birth according to the packaging. 

Naturally I read into this further and I found quite a few sad stories about babies who had died after getting caught up in the ties from the bumper or that had suffocated after the bumper had fallen on them. As shocking and sad as these stories a big part of me still felt that because all the shops sold them and displayed them in their cots, that surely they must be safe. Maybe these parents just sadly didn't use them correctly? Then I look on the NHS and NCT websites. BOTH stated that cot bumpers were not recommended. 




It was reading this that made me 100% decide to return the bedding set and opt for just plain fitted sheets for the cot. As pretty as the sets make a cot look, if something ever did happen I could never forgive myself having read these warnings.

I have since read a quote that said 'There is only one thing you need to make your cot beautiful - your baby'. This is so true. 

Friday 29 May 2015

Bargain Addicts Anonymous

This week has officially been the 'week of bargains'. Being on a budget has meant that every single purchase for baby has been properly researched to ensure we get the best price possible. 

Thursday was the start of Aldi's Baby and Toddler event. Knowing it might be quite busy and there might be limited stock we actually got there for 8am to make sure we could get what we wanted. This also meant my partner could still make it to work on time for 9am. I am really pleased with what we managed to buy. There were large items for sale, such as high chairs and travel cots, but we only wanted smaller items. We got a changing mat for £3.99, cellular blankets at £2.49 each and muslin clothes for £1.99 each (should of been £3.29 but were scanning through wrong). 



My next set of bargains came from Ebay. About a week ago I started to look on Ebay to see what clothing items were being sold. I was pleasantly surprised to find lots of 'bundles' of baby clothes for sale, with the vast majority described as barely used. Knowing how quickly babies grow, and also how a lot of people buy far too many clothes it makes sense that there would be a lot of 'never worn' or 'worn once' items for sale. I have already purchased 4 bundles and am aiming to get all the basics for up to 6 months. The first parcels arrived today and I am so pleased. I got 9 sleep suits and 7 body suits from a mix of brands (Mothercare, TU, NEXT, Jasper Conran, Gap) for £12.50 including postage.

  
 

I can't wait for my other parcels to arrive and I think sitting trawling through Ebay each evening might be my newest hobby!  

Monday 25 May 2015

Project Nursery

The time has come for us to tackle project nursery. At 24+3 days, and knowing that it will probably take us 3-4 weeks to complete, I do not want to leave this much longer. This room was always going to be the biggest project. When we moved in there was only backing paper on the walls, no under-lay under the carpet, loose floorboards, a curtain pole that didn't fit and a fire place with broken tiles. The pictures below have been taken today after we had some help on Saturday from my partner's parents who started removing the wall paper (a job they love and I dislike). 




The jobs we need to complete are:
1) Fill holes and then paint the walls (expecting it will need a good few coats)
2) Paint the skirting boards
3) Fix and paint the tiles around the fireplace
4) Buy and insert a flume balloon to block the chimney. 
5) Clean the wardrobe and insert new poles
6) Buy curtains
7) Fix the floor boards and buy a new carpet (the current one pictured is just pieces of old carpet laid down). 
8) Move in the nursery furniture and baby's things (the fun part). 

Should keep me busy for a good few weeks! 

One Down

A while ago I posted about my decorating projects. The first room we needed to complete was the front sitting room/ my office. We actually finished this room a good few weeks back now but it took me a week to move into it properly and I have finally got round to taking photos of the finished project. 

Before 




After 




Ignoring the mess on my desk (still to be sorted) I am really pleased with the finished result. The only thing I need to do is find some nice art work to go up and maybe add a shelf and a notice board - there is no rush for these finishing touches though. 

Next it is project nursery! 

Thursday 21 May 2015

Making a Splash - Puddle Ducks Aquanatal

So this week I took the plunge and signed up for a 6 week block of aqua natal classes with 'Puddle Ducks'. They cost £6.00 a session and are held at my local DW Fitness Gym. I used to have a membership here so I know that the facilities and pool are very nice, plus it is only 5 minutes down the road. I am really hoping that the exercise will be great for my health and also I will get to meet other mum's to be - a bonus for my happiness. 



I don't actually start until Wednesday 2nd June, which leaves me a bit of time to ensure I don't pile on too much weight and can still fit into my costumes. I currently have 3 that still fit - as of yesterday. They didn't feel tight so I hope they will fit for at least another month or so, however the course will go on until I am 31 weeks pregnant so I don't foresee me still being able to squeeze into my old costumes by then! I shall be keeping my eye out for a nice maternity swimsuit. 

You can find out more about Puddle Duck's classes here as well as search for classes local to you. I shall update again after my first session. 

Saturday 16 May 2015

Don't Look a Gift Horse In The Mouth

With money being an issue for us, I said all along that I would be more than happy to save a few pounds by getting most baby things second hand. The only items we wanted brand new were the cotbed, mattress and travel system. I am lucky in that my mum is a very recently retired childminder and having worked as one for 28 years she has amassed a wide range of baby and child items. Her gift to us last weekend was a large collected of these items, including: 

A bouncy chair
An activity gym 
A sit up donut 
A light weight pushchair
A nappy bin
A bumbo seat
A selection of outdoor toys (including ball pool and caterpillar tunnel)
A selection of Fisher Price Little People toys
A Little Tikes dolls house
A selection of baby clothing
A selection of baby toys & rattles

All of these items are in great condition (some barely used). We have managed to wash the activity gym and donut and have washed all the clothing too. A lot of the toys we have boxed up and put in the attic as they are not suitable until 1 year plus. I did have to sort (read play with) them all first to check they are all in good working order!






Friday 15 May 2015

More Spending

With all the sales on at the moment we have done a bit more purchasing. When we first started looking at nursery furniture and cot bedding I fell in love with a lot of very expensive items. I am glad that we took some time to research things in more depth and also to think about what we really needed. We already have an inbuilt wardrobe in the nursery but it terms of other furniture we decided we would just get a cot and a nursing chair. We decided against a changing unit after reading that a lot of people felt they never got full use out of it and found it just as easy to change baby on the floor. 

We managed to get a cotbed we loved in the Babies r Us sale for £129.00 down from £199.99. It felt really solid and sturdy, has 3 mattress positions and the colour matched the wardrobe that is already in the room. 


Hampshire Cotbed Babies r Us. http://www.toysrus.co.uk/

We also managed to get the cot bedding we loved in the Babies r Us sale too. We got a bedding set that included a bumper, fitted sheet, quilt and a blanket and we also got a matching mobile and changing mat. All of this combined should of cost £117.97 but we got it all for £75.00. This still seemed really expensive but unless we got second hand (which I didn't really want for bedding) this was the cheapest we could find. We have the cot on the 'Lay away' scheme with Toys r Us so wont collect it until the end of July. I can't wait to get it all set up, we just need to get the room decorated first!

 


Vintage Love & Kisses Range at Babies r Us. Bedding Set £79.99 full price, Mobile £27.99 full price & Changing Mat £9.99 full price. 

Tuesday 12 May 2015

Over Halfway There

Well at 22+3 I am definitely over half way there - even if I go 2 weeks overdue. I definitely feel it is time to do an update on my progress - after all the aim of this blog was to record my attempt to improve my own life before I bring another one into the world. 

10 weeks ago when I started this I rated the main aspects of my life and explained how I wanted to improve them. I have done the same again and this time my scores add up to 21 out of a possible 40 - which is definitely some improvement to the last score of 16. 



Health - I have given this a score of 3 out of 10, an improvement of 1 point. Now I definitely have not become a health freak or a gym bunny in the past few weeks but with my morning sickness now gone I have been eating a bit better (more meals less snacks) and I have been trying to get out on evening walks with my partner. My weight gain at 22 weeks is 13lb which is still considered to be within the 'normal range'. I still think there is room for improvement with both my diet and exercise.

Home - I have given this a score of 6 out of 10, an improvement of 1 point. We have been working hard on trying to get through the never ending list of jobs we need to do. I have finally finished decorating the front room (pictures to follow) which means we can move onto the nursery next. Lots more to do still but we definitely deserve a point for the work done so far!

Money - I have given this a score of 4 out of 10, an improvement of 1 point. On one hand I have not managed to find a suitable job to apply for so we are still only on one wage, but I have managed to be sensible with money and cut back where ever we can. All of the purchases for baby have been in the sale (or donated) and I have managed to get the weekly shopping bill down to just £40 with lots of planning. I will be submitting my application for maternity allowance payments after my next midwife appointment and all going well will get that from June onwards. 

Happiness - I have given this a score of 7 out of 10, an improvement of 2 points. Leaving my job has had a huge impact on my happiness, I was incredibly stressed and anxious there due to issues with management and I also worried greatly about the risks my job posed to my baby. Although the time up to our 20 week scan was stressful, since finding out I have a healthy little girl growing inside me a huge weight has been lifted off us. I am not saying we don't still worry - but we certainly feel a lot more relaxed. Feeling her kicking and moving around inside of me is such a reassurance too. I am sure that as we plan more and get more excited about babies arrival our happiness will continue to grow. 

Friday 8 May 2015

Pregnancy Support Pillow

A few weeks back I wrote about my struggle to sleep at night. Due to the extortionate cost of pregnancy support pillows I decided to hold off and see if I could get away without one. After a week of trying and failing to prop myself between two normal pillows I decided to buy one. After ready reviews, and swayed by the fact we had a £10 voucher I bought the Summer Infant Body Support pillow from Argos. 



I am really glad that I decided to buy one. My original issue was that I struggled to sleep on my side and lying on my back was far too uncomfortable. Now I must admit that at 22 weeks pregnant I am not finding lying on my back as uncomfortable. Apparently my uterus should have risen up slightly taking pressure off my bladder, which also explains why I do not need to wee so much now. Despite this I know that research suggests it is best for you and baby to lie on your side when sleeping, and that as my bump gets bigger I will again find it too uncomfortable to lie on my back. This pillow is perfect for my needs as it really does stop you from rolling over onto your back. I find that the back of the pillow rolls round high enough to support my hips and my lower back and the front is really nice to 'cuddle'. I have definitely slept better since having it. I do find that I need to change sides half way through the night, which is not the easiest thing to do as you have to get out the pillow turn it over and get back in (I don't think my partner appreciates this). Despite this I am really pleased with my purchase - £20.00 well spent! 

Tuesday 5 May 2015

Mamas & Papas Sola2 MTX Travel System

This weekend was one made up largely of us trawling round shops trying out different travel systems. This started off being quite fun but at the end became quite stressful as all the different systems just blurred into one in my head. I think we felt more pressure too with the bank holiday sale ending the next day. 

After initially saying we didn't want to spend much and just wanted the bare minimum we did persuade ourselves into going for the full travel system - pram, carry cot, car seat and isofix base. We ended up with a few front runners - the Joie Plus Chrome, the Mamas & Papas Zoom and the Mamas & Papas Sola2. We ruled out the cheaper Zoom as it just didn't feel as sturdy (I guess what you get for £100 less). After testing the systems for how well they worked and then for their fit in both our cars we decided on the Mamas & Papas Sola2. The trio package came with everything we wanted. The only thing we couldn't get our heads round was the choice of colour - lime green or tomato red! Now we both wouldn't normally let this affect us BUT they really were hideous and we had to think about re-sale value too. So we decided to upgrade to the Sola2 mtx in denim blue. This version was much more hard-wearing, designed for 'off road' use and came with an upgraded car seat. 


Photo from www.mamasandpapas.com

We purchased this in the sale for a price of £499.99. As my partner's car has isofix we also had to purchase the isofix base at £110.00 (crazy price for a lump of plastic). We also ended up with the winter footmuff for the pram thrown in for free after the sales assistant accidentally scratched my partner's car when putting the isofix base in. We were quite upset about the scratch as we have only had the car a few months but hopefully it will polish out. The footmuff was priced at £79.99 and we will need one eventually when we move from using the carry cot to the pram. 

Overall we made a saving of £310 on the system. Obviously we can't say how much we will like it yet (we collect in August) but from wheeling it around the store and car park and testing putting the different bits together it did impress us. The isofix base was a pain to get in but once that is in my partner's car it will stay there (my poor little 06 plate fiesta does not have fancy features like this). My partner's car is a Skoda Rapid - with plenty of boot room to fit the entire system in. My fiesta just fits the pram base in the boot and then the carrycot or pram top would need to go on a rear passenger seat. This would be the same with any travel system so nothing I can do about that (without selling my much loved car). 

I do have to say that this system was actually purchased as a very kind gift from my partner's parents - we would have struggled to afford such a good quality system and would have had to made sacrifices on either parts or quality. Very much looking forward to collecting it in 13 weeks and very glad we do not have to look at travel systems anymore!

Wednesday 29 April 2015

First Purchases for Baby

Now that we have passed the halfway mark, and had the all clear from our 20 week scan we have allowed ourselves to start thinking about buying things. The one thing we decided from the start is that we didn't want to spend lots of unnecessary money (largely because we can't). Although I will be getting maternity pay from June onwards, not having worked since March has made an impact on our finances. This has made it all the more important to research the best prices and value for money with pretty much every purchase we make. 

We are very lucky in that my partner's parents have asked if they can put some money towards a travel system. My parents are also donating a lot of items (my mother is a recently retired childminder). We have also had a few offers of hand me down clothing too. All this will be a huge help but we still want to hunt out bargains for everything else we buy. 

We went on a research shopping mission after our scan on Monday. It was a long day of dragging round many, many stores. We took photos and made notes but on the whole feel more confused now about what we need than ever! We did manage to purchase a few bargains as ASDA currently have a 'Baby and Toddler Event' running in store. We purchased a moses basket and stand for £38.00. It had really good reviews online and considering most moses baskets in mother care were over £50.00 for the basket alone we are very pleased with our buy. 


Photo from ASDA: Kinder Valley Tiny Ted Moses Basket (£23.00) & Stand (£15.00)

We did also buy a couple of very cute things (had to be done when finding out we were having a girl!). We bought a 'My First Teddy' Bunny from NEXT and a little outfit from Morrisons. The teddy cost us nothing as we had a £10.00 voucher and the outfit was only £4.50 - so not a huge over spend. We have said that we will not be buying lots of outfits though, and will try to make do with multi-pack clothing as they work out much cheaper, and I am sure it will be a while before she becomes fashion conscious! 


Monday 27 April 2015

20 Week Scan

So today was our 20 week scan. We have been looking forward to and dreading this day in equal amounts for the past few weeks. I knew they could tell us everything was looking good, and maybe even the sex but I also knew they could tell us something was wrong. 

Our scan was at 9am so luckily no agonising wait in the waiting room - in fact we were in for about 8.40am. The scan itself took a long time. Baby was lying in a very awkward position (on its belly with legs crossed) and wouldn't move. The sonographer checked all the organs and did the required measurements, she explained what she was doing which was nice, but she certainly wasn't trying to win a personality contest at the same time and did come across a little cold. I could tell she was getting a little frustrated about measurements she was struggling to take too. After what seemed like a lifetime she confirmed all looked good and despite baby having its legs clamped shut for 90% of the time she did get one shot and said was able to tell us the sex. 

Now both myself and my partner have been convinced we were having a boy for the past few months. This is not because we both preferred a boy - in fact if you had asked us a year ago we both would have said we wanted a girl. I am not sure what first made us think it would be a boy, it may of even been because when we first found out we were pregnant my partner kept joking it would be typical if we had a boy because then he would have to learn how to play football - which he hates. We both just had a gut feeling we were having a boy. 

We always knew we would ask the sex at the scan. Just for fun we looked into a few old wives tales this week to see if they backed up our 'blue' hunch. These are the results:

Morning Sickness: Has been bad and lasted a long time so - Girl 
Heart rate: Over 150bmp so - Girl
Skull Theory: Head look a bit angular on first scan so - maybe Boy
Nub Theory: Could not see on first scan pic so no use. 
Cravings: Have been craving savoury food so - Boy 
Bicarb Soda Test: The test fizzed a lot so - Boy
Spots/Acne: None at all so - Boy
Dry Skin - Lots on my hands so - Boy 
Chinese Birth Chart - Boy

Going by the above there it looked more likely to be a boy (if any of these actually work). Despite baby trying not to show us the one look the sonographer did get was enough for her to say she "was seeing what she would expect to see in a girl" and showed us three distinct lines. She wouldn't be anymore direct than this (guessing for legal reasons) but it looks like we (and many old wives tales) were wrong and we are in fact team pink! We are over the moon. It may take my partner a few days to get over the fact he can't have a dinosaur themed nursery anymore. I can't say I am not relieved! 


Sunday 26 April 2015

Bump to Five Show

Yesterday we went to our first baby show. It was a local 'Bump to Five' show and consisted of a range of stalls and activities. To be honest we didn't stay long as there was not much to see for 'bumps' - most was aimed at people already with children. I did speak to someone about aqua natal classes though and I will be looking into doing this soon hopefully. I also spent some time talking to the people at the 'Weleda' stand. 

Now I think prior to yesterday I was vaguely aware of Weleda, but I didn't know that they were natural and have certainly never tried one of their product. It turns out their products are completely natural, organic, ethical and sustainable. As well as standard products they also have a baby range and I was given a handful of samples to take back with me. I got face cream, body lotion, baby oil and baby wash. I shall look forward to trying them when baby is here, that is if I don't crack and use them on myself, it does state on the label also suitable for adults with sensitive skin! 


  

Friday 24 April 2015

Origins Well Off Eye Make-Up Remover

In my search for cosmetics with fewer chemicals, one of the products I struggled with was my eye make-up remover. Now I have always had problems with finding a make-up remover that I like, that is not too expensive and that actually works. Having always had a major weakness for premium brands like Clinique, Estee Lauder and Clarins I have tried many different ones but I honestly find that the more expensive ones do not work and always went back to my trusty (and cheap) favourite - Simple. 

Now the brand 'Simple' describes itself as a brand that is suitable for all skin types, including the most sensitive skin. They state they only use the most natural, skin loving ingredients. Now I will admit that Simple's 'Kind to Eyes Eye Make-up Remover' is the best I have ever found - it works really well and even removes my waterproof mascara with no rubbing or tugging. You can imagine how annoyed (and surprised) I was when I looked carefully at the ingredients and found the product contained parabens and sulphates - so much for those 'skin loving ingredients'. 

Now I will admit that I didn't throw this product straight out - after all the aim of this was not to be completely irrational and ban all 'bad' products, I just want to try and pick better products. Instead I decided to use the rest up whilst looking for an alternative. Having been so impressed with Origins facial skincare products I looked to see what they offered. Their 'Well Off' eye make-up remover had good reviews but it was £17.50! Considering my usual one cost only a few pounds this did not fit in with my current money saving mission so I continued my search. Now I didn't have much look finding an alternative so I did actually end up buying the Origins product - but more by chance. Myself and my partner went to Cheshire Oaks shopping Outlet were there was a cosmetics store selling premium skincare at greatly reduced prices. Just by chance they had 'Well Off' and I managed to purchase it for £10.00. 


Origins Well Off - £17.50 for 150ml

At £10.00 for 150ml I would still say this is on the pricey side BUT I am so glad that I took the risk and purchased it. It really does work and feels so gentle on my eyes. I only need to use one 'dab' on my cotton pad for each eye and it gets rid of everything. For more stubborn make up I just hold it over my eye for a bit longer before wiping. There is also no scent at all which means my eyes do not feel irritated afterwards too. As mentioned in a previous post the Origins products contain no parabens, phthalates, DEAs or other harsh chemicals. 

I have been using this for a few months and I have only used about a 2cm from the top of the bottle - so it may work out more budget friendly that I first thought! 
Rating: 4.5/5 - only knocking off 1/2 a point as it is on the pricey side.