tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41099629111849579312024-02-18T21:39:06.410-08:00The Well Rounded BumpThe well rounded bumphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06651370303487690059noreply@blogger.comBlogger49125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4109962911184957931.post-86685524716299114142015-07-01T03:22:00.004-07:002015-07-01T03:27:22.936-07:00Birthday Weekend<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">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. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">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: <a href="http://www.babyandchildrensmarket.co.uk/">http://www.babyandchildrensmarket.co.uk/</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">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. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">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! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">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!). </span></div>
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<i>Play Mat - John Lewis Online £58.80</i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">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!</span></div>
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The well rounded bumphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06651370303487690059noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4109962911184957931.post-74186607371456632092015-06-23T10:32:00.002-07:002015-06-23T10:40:19.793-07:00Bargain Addicts Anonymous 3<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">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. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">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! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">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!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">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. </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It is well worth looking through the George Baby department as they have quite a few good bargains!</span></div>
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<i>Photos taken from www.direct.asda.com Both products available in other colours/designs.</i></div>
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The well rounded bumphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06651370303487690059noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4109962911184957931.post-41955289976629762722015-06-22T02:28:00.002-07:002015-06-22T02:31:37.821-07:00Nanas Don't Just Knit Shreddies<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">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. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have been quite busy visiting family and working on the house and garden. Currently the following projects are ongoing:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1) Decorating the nursery</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">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!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3) Planning and purchasing everything we need for baby</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">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.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">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!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>The well rounded bumphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06651370303487690059noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4109962911184957931.post-11972105697028386282015-06-10T14:17:00.001-07:002015-06-10T14:21:47.933-07:00Bargain Addicts Anonymous 2<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">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. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Through a combination of second hand purchases and a few gifts from friends we now have:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">27 x Sleep Suits (sizes newborn, 0-3 and 3-6 months)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">26 x Body Suits - long and short sleeved (sizes newborn, 0-3 and 3-6 months)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3 x Full outfits (sized 0-3 months) </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 x Coats (0-3 months)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 x Pram suit (3-6 months)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">10 x Bibs</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">6 x Hats </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">12 x socks</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3 x shoes (0-3 months) </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">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! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">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! </span>The well rounded bumphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06651370303487690059noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4109962911184957931.post-86520137700201267532015-06-04T15:01:00.001-07:002015-06-04T15:03:59.674-07:00Project Nursery - Part 2<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">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.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">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! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">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). </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">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. </span></div>
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The well rounded bumphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06651370303487690059noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4109962911184957931.post-72717308531097660342015-06-04T14:39:00.001-07:002015-06-04T14:44:27.758-07:00Cot Bumpers - Safe or Not? <span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">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. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">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. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">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. </span><br />
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<a href="http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/pregnancy-and-baby/pages/what-you-need-for-baby.aspx#close" target="_blank">http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/pregnancy-and-baby/pages/what-you-need-for-baby.aspx#close</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.nct.org.uk/parenting/sleeping-safely-cot" target="_blank">http://www.nct.org.uk/parenting/sleeping-safely-cot</a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">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.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">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. </span></div>
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The well rounded bumphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06651370303487690059noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4109962911184957931.post-30172063949177929702015-05-29T04:29:00.001-07:002015-05-29T04:50:23.432-07:00Bargain Addicts Anonymous<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">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. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">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). </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">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.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I can't wait for my other parcels to arrive and I think sitting trawling through Ebay each evening might be my newest hobby! </span></div>
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The well rounded bumphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06651370303487690059noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4109962911184957931.post-12405914348394553982015-05-25T13:44:00.002-07:002015-05-25T13:47:30.156-07:00Project Nursery <span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">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). </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The jobs we need to complete are:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1) Fill holes and then paint the walls (expecting it will need a good few coats)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2) Paint the skirting boards</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3) Fix and paint the tiles around the fireplace</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4) Buy and insert a flume balloon to block the chimney. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">5) Clean the wardrobe and insert new poles</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">6) Buy curtains</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">7) Fix the floor boards and buy a new carpet (the current one pictured is just pieces of old carpet laid down). </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">8) Move in the nursery furniture and baby's things (the fun part). </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Should keep me busy for a good few weeks! </span></div>
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The well rounded bumphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06651370303487690059noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4109962911184957931.post-81253351752075455372015-05-25T13:24:00.002-07:002015-05-25T13:30:13.500-07:00One Down<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">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. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u>Before </u></span><br />
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<u><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After </span></u><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPz1XE8ji-MyFhKIrOxzKQE5JFPdQXBvYKsEZn2898_zB9yOZxRzJn-BA8TCWOe2akOI0Byw3ik1ruc3A5w3k8MlwcGnBg6VGMa1fV4Hp7VDrHUfI09pqQGpBCFdGFmscr_1sQdmwy3b1A/s1600/front.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPz1XE8ji-MyFhKIrOxzKQE5JFPdQXBvYKsEZn2898_zB9yOZxRzJn-BA8TCWOe2akOI0Byw3ik1ruc3A5w3k8MlwcGnBg6VGMa1fV4Hp7VDrHUfI09pqQGpBCFdGFmscr_1sQdmwy3b1A/s400/front.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">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. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Next it is project nursery! </span></div>
<br />The well rounded bumphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06651370303487690059noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4109962911184957931.post-25870741578133034102015-05-21T01:51:00.002-07:002015-05-21T01:53:25.926-07:00Making a Splash - Puddle Ducks Aquanatal<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">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. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEY_tuPR9FEMXXteYPswcVm8U98uN7W7M6lc0jljZJF8QgFP3kHKFXYabq88vPvznm9_yc8L0KE9xq5q8Cc2UlJcNlw6Zvc5Iln_wia-leLb1VlzaE3PQOxU6jBY7I7-hIKyBECVqg3pID/s1600/puddle.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEY_tuPR9FEMXXteYPswcVm8U98uN7W7M6lc0jljZJF8QgFP3kHKFXYabq88vPvznm9_yc8L0KE9xq5q8Cc2UlJcNlw6Zvc5Iln_wia-leLb1VlzaE3PQOxU6jBY7I7-hIKyBECVqg3pID/s1600/puddle.png" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">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. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You can find out more about Puddle Duck's classes <a href="http://www.puddleducks.com/what_we_do/aquanatal/" target="_blank">here</a> as well as search for classes local to you. I shall update again after my first session. </span>The well rounded bumphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06651370303487690059noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4109962911184957931.post-59079343955324054952015-05-16T10:10:00.001-07:002015-05-16T10:13:06.453-07:00Don't Look a Gift Horse In The Mouth<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">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: </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>A bouncy chair</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>An activity gym </i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>A sit up donut </i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>A light weight pushchair</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>A nappy bin</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>A bumbo seat</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>A selection of outdoor toys (including ball pool and caterpillar tunnel)</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>A selection of Fisher Price Little People toys</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>A Little Tikes dolls house</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>A selection of baby clothing</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>A selection of baby toys & rattles</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">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!</span><br />
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The well rounded bumphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06651370303487690059noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4109962911184957931.post-32124134962930101092015-05-15T11:18:00.001-07:002015-05-16T09:50:01.134-07:00More Spending <span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">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. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">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. </span><br />
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<i>Hampshire Cotbed Babies r Us. http://www.toysrus.co.uk/</i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">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!</span></div>
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<i>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. </i></div>
The well rounded bumphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06651370303487690059noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4109962911184957931.post-35052933924437766512015-05-12T14:36:00.000-07:002015-05-12T14:42:01.751-07:00Over Halfway There<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">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. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">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. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">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.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">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!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">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. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">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. </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>The well rounded bumphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06651370303487690059noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4109962911184957931.post-55779932725649706202015-05-08T08:15:00.000-07:002015-05-08T08:17:38.884-07:00Pregnancy Support Pillow<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">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. </span><br />
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<i>Photo taken from <a href="http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/3988514.htm">http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/3988514.htm</a></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">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! </span></div>
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The well rounded bumphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06651370303487690059noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4109962911184957931.post-80234808947398502772015-05-05T02:33:00.001-07:002015-05-05T02:37:46.855-07:00Mamas & Papas Sola2 MTX Travel System <span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">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. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">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. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">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. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">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). </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">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!</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>The well rounded bumphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06651370303487690059noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4109962911184957931.post-65543368922937539932015-04-29T08:12:00.002-07:002015-05-16T09:49:47.206-07:00First Purchases for Baby <span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">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. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">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. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">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. </span><br />
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<i>Photo from ASDA: Kinder Valley Tiny Ted Moses Basket (£23.00) & Stand (£15.00)</i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">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! </span></div>
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The well rounded bumphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06651370303487690059noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4109962911184957931.post-47705747528153555652015-04-27T12:56:00.002-07:002015-04-27T13:00:52.710-07:0020 Week Scan <span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">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. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">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. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">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. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">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:</span><br />
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<i style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Morning Sickness: Has been bad and lasted a long time so - Girl </i><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Heart rate: Over 150bmp so - Girl</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Skull Theory: Head look a bit angular on first scan so - maybe Boy</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Nub Theory: Could not see on first scan pic so no use. </i></span><br />
<i style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Cravings: Have been craving savoury food so - Boy </i><br />
<i style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Bicarb Soda Test: The test fizzed a lot so - Boy</i><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Spots/Acne: None at all so - Boy</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Dry Skin - Lots on my hands so - Boy </i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Chinese Birth Chart - Boy</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">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! </span><br />
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<br />The well rounded bumphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06651370303487690059noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4109962911184957931.post-46857975100238636442015-04-26T13:16:00.003-07:002015-04-26T13:18:21.270-07:00Bump to Five Show <span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">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. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">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! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span>The well rounded bumphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06651370303487690059noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4109962911184957931.post-36785246126803084342015-04-24T05:33:00.003-07:002015-04-24T05:44:38.053-07:00Origins Well Off Eye Make-Up Remover <span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">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. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">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'. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">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. </span><br />
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<i>Origins Well Off - £17.50 for 150ml</i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">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. </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As mentioned in a previous post the Origins products contain no parabens, phthalates, DEAs or other harsh chemicals. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">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! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Rating: 4.5/5</b> - only knocking off 1/2 a point as it is on the pricey side. </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>The well rounded bumphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06651370303487690059noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4109962911184957931.post-70831794850505790902015-04-21T14:00:00.002-07:002015-04-21T14:06:13.415-07:00Who Needs Sleep?!<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">OK, moan coming up..............</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am so tired at the moment. I have not slept properly for about 2 weeks now. I keep waking up at least 2 times during the night and then it takes me so long to get comfy and go back to sleep again. I think I am spending more time in bed lying staring at the alarm clock than I am sleeping. I know that I shouldn't moan as I am over the moon to be pregnant but I really, really need a decent night's sleep. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKCAC3Sx1Gkiwt1dnTJ6WjPdwGn2CA686r9chL2avGFCS6Fd9fPCBJPne1GswOPVLVK-MhWsWi5bXfXj93cVtJ8qw99auK7llDMIglzNnd4e1NJfdTbeB-uuwP8JYcXhNULEIP9GxY5Eij/s1600/sleep2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKCAC3Sx1Gkiwt1dnTJ6WjPdwGn2CA686r9chL2avGFCS6Fd9fPCBJPne1GswOPVLVK-MhWsWi5bXfXj93cVtJ8qw99auK7llDMIglzNnd4e1NJfdTbeB-uuwP8JYcXhNULEIP9GxY5Eij/s1600/sleep2.png" height="224" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The problem is that I sleep on either my back or front - both of which are too uncomfortable to do at almost 20 weeks pregnant and I am sure will just become more and more impossible as the weeks pass by. I try to sleep on my side, but during the night I roll back over - which wakes me up and starts the vicious cycle. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After speaking to some pregnant/ previously pregnant friends I decided I needed to buy a pregnancy pillow and started to look for one that would support my back and front simultaneously, so it would keep me sleeping on my side. What I did not expect to find is that pregnancy pillows must be filled with gold and diamonds! There are two pillows that meet my requirements but both are far more money than I want to spend. </span><br />
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<i>Summer Infant Body Support Pillow. Argos: £29.99</i></div>
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<i>Dream Genii Pregnancy Pillow. Argos: £46.99</i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">At the moment I just don't feel I can justify the price. Last night I tried using two extra pillows and placed on in front of me and one behind me. This felt quite comfortable when I got into bed but I must have moved them at some point in the night and again just kept waking up feeling uncomfortable. I am going to give this method a few more days and then I think I will crack. I have my 20 week scan on Monday (eeekk) so I might have to go shopping after that. I really should just suck it up and get used to no sleep - from what I hear I wont be getting any once the baby is actually here! </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>The well rounded bumphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06651370303487690059noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4109962911184957931.post-80898403319585346882015-04-19T13:04:00.003-07:002015-04-19T13:08:22.910-07:00Almost Halfway <span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have not posted in a whole week which makes me feel really guilty. I can't quite believe I am almost halfway now at 19 weeks. My 20 week scan is a week tomorrow - although I am trying not to think about it too much as both myself and my partner are starting to worrying about it. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I will blame my lack of posting on the fact that I am so tired at the moment. I have been struggling a lot with sleeping this week and just feel exhausted (so much for all the pregnancy emails I keep receiving telling me I should be feeling 'glowing' and more energetic now). I also ended up in A&E with my partner on Wednesday, after he stood on a piece of rusty fence post. He is still hobbling around on crutches now and I have been having to play nurse since it happened. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">He is back to work tomorrow so I am hoping to use this next week to get back on track with my projects:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1) The painting in the front room needs finishing as the curtains will soon be ready to be fitted. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2) I need to get back on track with my diet - my no more crisps pack went out the window after my partners accident. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3) I need to really look into money saving ideas - my plan is to look into coupons and doing more batch cooking. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Fingers crossed in just over a week I will have a positive update regarding my projects and the health and sex of our baby! </span>The well rounded bumphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06651370303487690059noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4109962911184957931.post-15546173837600434382015-04-12T05:37:00.003-07:002015-04-12T05:42:16.316-07:00No More Crisps<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have not posted in a few days as I have been away visiting a friend in Norfolk. I had a lovely few days. I have had a lovely few days but on my return I was a bit upset to find I had gained 2lb. I cannot be completely surprised considering we probably ate about 2lb of crisps, chocolate and garlic bread! </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Anyway I have decided that really I need to be more careful about what I eat - after all it is not just myself that I am affecting anymore. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Before I became pregnant I was classed as being overweight, with a BMI of 28. I managed to find a calculator that takes into account your starting weight and gives you the healthy weight range for each week of pregnancy. The idea being that the more you weigh to start with the less you should gain overall. Putting in my details I did find that I was still within the 'healthy range' - having gained 9lb at 18 weeks pregnant. However, as you can see from the chart below I am right at the top of where I should be and I know a few more days of eating badly could push me over the edge! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I calculated that if I can keep my weight stable for the next two weeks the little pink dot will move back into the centre of the green zone which I would feel much more comfortable with. I am not going to go on a drastic diet - just cut out the junk food and plan my meals better. I am really hoping I can stick to it, I will report back in 2 weeks. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For those that are interested the above calculator can be found here: <a href="http://www.direct2mum.co.uk/WebPages/weight-gain-calculator" target="_blank">http://www.direct2mum.co.uk/WebPages/weight-gain-calculator</a></span><br />
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<br />The well rounded bumphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06651370303487690059noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4109962911184957931.post-75021884635664568752015-04-07T04:02:00.001-07:002015-04-07T04:08:23.076-07:00Bank Holiday Garden Work (on a budget) <span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have not posted for a few days as we have been very busy getting some work done in our garden. We are very lucky to have a lovely garden, but since moving in we have not done much to it due to lack of funds. The only real work we have done is build our chickens a home as they obviously needed somewhere to live (we have 6 chickens). </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Currently all our gardening equipment</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> and my partners 'man things' are stored in our garage which means we are unable to use the garage as it was originally intended - as a mini gym. The first stage in rectifying this was to get some sheds sorted out. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now sheds range in price depending on the quality and although we could afford cheap ones we wanted a 'better quality' one that would last. We were very lucky in that my grandparents were getting rid of theirs and offered it to us for free. So we ended up with a decent quality shed (in need of some repairs) for the cost of hiring a van and petrol - about £60. My Dad offered to come and help us put it up and to build a proper base for it to go on too. Thankfully we have had great weather the past few days and have managed to get the area cleared, a concrete base down and the shed up and re-felted. The shed will need re-painting and we did have to buy some new felt (£30) but the slabs were re-used from our old house and we got all the hardcore for the base for free from Freecycle (if you have not heard of this look it up <a href="https://www.freecycle.org/" target="_blank">here</a>). </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now I will not pretend that I was involved in the constructing of the shed (although I did help with clearing the tress and bushes). Whilst my Dad and partner worked on the shed, my mum and I carried on with some painting of the front room and then spent an afternoon in the garden getting all our pots planted up for the summer. I wanted to add some colour to the garden but as with the shed we were on a budget. When we moved into this house in June last year the previous owner had left lots and lots of old pots and containers in the garden. As nothing but weeds grew in them last year we emptied them out (re-claiming any decent soil) and then re-potted them. I managed to get a really good deal on potting compost from The Range - two 50 litre Miracle Gro bags for just £7 (RRP of £12). I also got a good deal on bulbs from our local Wyvale Garden Centre - two bags of bulbs (40 in each) for £7.99. Now I am not much of a gardener, but with 15 pots planted up in total I hope we will at least have some that survive come the summer. I will report back in 3 months! </span></div>
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The well rounded bumphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06651370303487690059noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4109962911184957931.post-61556172847417268272015-04-03T09:26:00.002-07:002015-04-03T09:35:25.316-07:00No Poo Washing <span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now this is something I have been doing for about six months, but I wanted to write about it because I think it is something that a lot of people may have not heard of, or if they have they just disregard as 'hippy nonsense'. 'No-poo' washing, also known as 'Co Washing', is basically just washing your hair without using shampoo. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As well as ridding your hair of daily grime and dead skin cells, most shampoos also strip your hair of all its natural oils. Now for those people with oily hair this is not too much of an issue but for those of us with dry (read 'rebellious') hair this only makes it feel worse. The idea of 'co-washing' is that you skip the shampoo altogether and instead use a gentle cleansing conditioner. </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When I first decided to give this a go I researched the products that were available and read many reviews. Some of the products getting good reviews were a bit to pricey (considering I had no idea if co-washing would work for me) but then I came across Palmer's Co-Wash product and at £4.99 decided to give it a go. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">To start with the texture of this product is very different to shampoo and is a lot lighter than normal conditioners. It has a nice scent to it - I am not sure I can make out olive oil but it is subtle and fresh. To use it I make sure my hair is completely wet and then I add the product to small sections at a time (as recommended). I will be honest you do have to put some effort in to make this product work - I would say at least an extra 5 minutes onto your shower time. The instructions recommend using 12-20 pumps (up to 40 for thick or long hair), this sounds like a lot but you will soon see that each pump is only actually a small amount. I massage about 5 pumps into one side of my scalp, then 5 into the other and then split the lengths of my hair into 2 and massage 5 pumps into each side. The product does not lather and I did find this odd at first, but you do get used to it. You can add small amounts of water to make sure it is well massaged into your scalp. </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I then leave the product on my hair whilst I finish the rest of my shower - the longer the better really. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When it comes to removing it I find I get the best results if I first just add a little water to my head and massage it in again - this does create a feeling as if it is starting to lather. I repeat this a few times to ensure the product has been really well massaged in and then wash it out completely. It is important to make sure the product is completely rinsed out - but do not expect to get the squeaky clean feel you usually get from shampoo. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When you read about 'co-washing' people reviewing it</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">often describe that after using a co-wash their hair felt like it normally would the second day after normal washing - not squeaky clean but much softer, smoother and more manageable. I would definitely agree with this and I have been pleasantly surprised that my hair has not felt greasy or weighed down in anyway. I will admit that I do not use this product religiously - more like once a week to give my hair a break from shampoo. It is actually recommended that if you do intend to use a co-wash cleanser you should also use a gentle clarifying shampoo every 1-2 weeks to adequately cleanse your hair. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>My Rating: 4.5 out of 5. </b>I have knocked off 1/2 a point as it does take some extra effort to use this but overall I really like this product, its price and the results. With it being by Palmer's it is also formulated without all the usual nasty chemicals, which is why I am very happy to give it a place in my new regime! </span></div>
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The well rounded bumphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06651370303487690059noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4109962911184957931.post-77348251919611942932015-03-31T14:09:00.001-07:002015-03-31T14:17:07.553-07:00Reduced Chemical Body Moisturisers <span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When I decided to try and reduce the amount of chemicals I put onto and into my body I knew that it would not be possible to change everything or completely avoid chemicals altogether. I thought a good start was to look at the products I put onto large areas of my body and didn't wash off. I previously wrote about my new found love of Origins facial skincare products. My next challenge was to find an all over body moisturiser with less nasties in it. Sadly my usual choices of Champney's, Sanctuary Spa and Soap and Glory contain many of the ingredients in my 'avoid list'. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Already being a fan of Palmer's stretch mark creams, and knowing that they were formulated without parabens or phthalates I decided to give their cocoa butter mosturiser a go. I also decided to try Burt's Bees Milk and Honey body lotion as I had received this as part of a gift set for my birthday. If you do not know about Burt's Bees it is a natural skincare brand that was founded in America in 1984. Their products are all made using 99% natural ingredients and a focus on sustainability. Anyway, onto my reviews:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula 24 Hour Moisture </i>- This retails for around £4 for 250ml. I begrudgingly have to say that I really do not like this product. It is the same cocoa butter formula as the stretch mark treatments but the smell it has on application is no where near as nice. The consistency is very thick and the colour is yellow. Due to its thickness it is very hard to get out (imagine lots of upside down shaking and banging) and I could imagine you will end up wasting quite a lot when it becomes even more difficult to squeeze out as it become emptier. Due to its thickness it also takes quite a while to run into your skin. It does have some good points, it moisturises well, which is after all its intended purpose and the smell is much better once it has soaked in. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>My Rating: 2.5 out of 5.</b> It scores those points for its price and the fact it does its job. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Burt's Bees Milk & Honey Body Lotion - </i>This retails for £9.99 for 170g. I love this product but I do not love the price. The scent of this is really fresh lemon and honey. I think it will be even nicer in the summer months. The consistency is nice and light which means it rubs in really easily and the colour of the lotion is a pale cream - far more appealing than the Palmer's lotion. I have been using this on my legs as they tend to get quite dry and this product has definitely made a difference. I am really torn when rating this. I received this tube as a gift and I am not sure (as much as I love it) if I would be willing to pay the £9.99 price tag.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>My Rating: 3.5 out of 5. </b>I can not score it any higher because as good as the product is I honestly do not think I would buy this at full price. Instead I shall be keeping an eye open for offers at boots on the Burt's Bees range and if not I may have to treat myself using my boots advantage card points instead! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My hunt for a more natural body moisturiser is definitely not over based on these two products. </span></div>
The well rounded bumphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06651370303487690059noreply@blogger.com0