The Almora baby changing bag by PacaPod

A few weeks ago it had occurred to me I should actually buy a changing bag for when the baby arrives. Having looked around on the internet and visited a few stores, my husband and I couldn’t agree on a bag. He had his eye on a “man” changing bag from John Lewis and I had my eye on a pretty girly one from Mothercare.

I was beginning to think we’d have to buy two bags! Then I came across the Almora baby changing bag, from PacaPod.


Stylish and very practical, it is a changing bag, nappy bag and cool bag all rolled into one.

Sold in four colours and different patterns, I picked the Highland tartan design, it is great for both mum and dad.

It features a feeder pod, changer pod and changing mat and has a fully adjustable shoulder strap that can be worn across the body or wrapped on a pram. Perfect.

Now all I need is a baby and I am ready to go!

The Almora costs £75 and is available to buy from PacaPod at www.pacapod.com/baby-changing-bag-print-almora.html  

Mothercare's Snug moses basket

Now I like to think of myself as a traditional kinda person.
I always imagined buying a classic moses basket; the same type my mum had for my younger brothers and sister.
This was until I literally fell into the Mothercare's The Snug Moses Basket!

Luxurious and stylish with a unique snug wicker basket, I could not imagine my new arrival sleeping in anything else.

The mattress is dressed with a lovely velvor coverlet and fitted flat sheet with soft padding. The moses basket has strong cream leather handles making it easier to transport. 

At a cost of £99 for the basket and a further £29.99 for the rocking stand, the moses basket is quite expensive.
However, it was love at first sight and I was sold.
We pre-ordered the basket straight away and had to wait a few weeks for it to be delivered.

Now it has arrived and I can't wait to see our newborn looking so snug and comfortable :-)
xxx

Mylo - Mamas & Papas' amazing pushchair

Having spent months trying to decide what pram we would buy, my husband and I finally stumbled upon the Mamas & Papas creation, Mylo.

With my heart originally set on buying the Silver Cross Balmoral, it was hard to find any other pram that even came close to this amazing traditional coach-built design.
Having decided the Balmoral is too large and heavy for everyday life, I didn't think we would ever find a pram I loved half as much. 

However, that all changed when we discovered the sleek and stylish Mylo puschair - loved by celebrities Alicia Keys and Gwen Stefani!
Unlike the Balmoral, Mylo has a range of fashionable accessories and innovative features for both baby and parents:



Features for Baby
- Unique soft moulded seat - best in class for baby comfort.
- Seat faces both ways - face mum and dad, or face the world
- Multi-position seat recline for sitting up or comfy naps
- Front and rear wheel suspension for a smooth and comfy ride
- Travel system compatible with the Aton car seat - adaptors sold separately
- Five point safety harness with adjustable height setting as baby grows

Features for Parent
- Iconic design with a choice of co-ordinating accessories
- Unique and effortless single handed fold, with or without seat attached
- Compact fold for easy storage, even with the seat attached
- Light and easy to steer
- High quality fabrics and leatherette handle - adjustable for your comfort
- Includes rain-cover and extendable hood for getting out and about in any weather
- Lockable swivel wheels for easy manoeuvrability
- Large easy access shopping basket with easy access

While a tad on the pricey side - £595 for the chassis, another £200 for the carrycot, not to mention the car seat, footmuff and so on - I would say the money we spent on the black jack Mylo is worth it. However, as we are yet to try it out with a baby, I'll reserve my full judgement until afterwards!

While the service we had from Mamas and Papas was pretty appalling (long story) there is no denying the quality of their goods.

Visit http://www.mamasandpapas.com/ to find out more.

Isabella Oliver - maternity wear at its best

32 weeks pregnant and I have finally discovered Isabella Oliver - the chic maternity desgn label. 
Claiming to offer 'pregnant women around the world unrivalled quality and fit' I just had to find out for myself if this statement was true. 

I was not to be disappointed. Well, only in the sense that I wish I had discovered the award-winning brand sooner in my pregnancy. That way I could have taken advantage of the amazing flattering clothes. 


The garment which sealed the deal for me is the Olivia Maternity Dress. 
As soon as I tried the jersey dress on I was in heaven!
With a V shaped neckline and ruched body this dress clung to my body in all the right places. It is smooth, comfortable and very flattering. No longer did I feel like a whale, I was now a sexy goddess! 
No wonder celebrities Reese Witherspoon, Jennifer Garner and Natalie Portman were spotted wearing Isabella Oliver clothes when pregnant! 

I wore the Olivia dress on a night out with heels and lots of accessiories but it would be great with a pair of tights and flats for the day.

The dress comes in cobalt blue (my choice) and wine. 
It costs £119 and is worth every single penny.
See for yourself and visit www.isabellaoliver.com for more maternity wear designed in amazing fabrics that will flatter your new pregnancy curves. 
Genius.  

Becoming a mum-to-be...

I'M HAVING A BABY!!!

Six months pregnant and the reality I will soon be a mum has now hit me! For the first four months, nausea, extreme tiredness and worry took over my life. I'm a bit of a worrier at the best of times but for the first few months of pregnancy, it was extremely hard to relax and feel incredibly excited about the news. What if something happened to the baby? What if the ultrasound showed there was no baby? Would I be able to cope with such a life changing event?
Even though my husband and I had planned this pregnancy and were 100% sure we wanted a child, it still didn't stop my worrying.

Now six months down the line we couldn't be happier :-)

At our anomaly scan we decided to find out the sex of the baby. We were absolutely thrilled to be told we are having a boy!!! Since finding out the sex everything has become so real. On August 26th I felt my little man move for the first time :-) To say it was amazing is an understatement.
I feel him every day now, sometimes it is just small butterfly type movements but other times it is pretty intense. While eating ice-cream the other day it would seem our baby was having a blast inside me! I can't work out whether he loved or hated it...

For the remainder of my pregnancy I will keep you all updated with the goings on, reviews of baby products and no doubt I will have a moan about some of the rubbish side effects of pregnancy - back ache, tiredness, heartburn, sleeplessness, urinating a lot - the list is endless!

Bye for now
Naiomi xxx

Air Hogs, Paper Jamz, Lite Sprites and more - Christmas gifts for your little helpers!

Christmas 2011's season of goodwill is nearly upon us, so I have decided to do the hard work for you and feature my favourite children’s gifts currently on the market - sent to me from a number of great PRs. Get some of these stocking fillers for your little treasures now and enjoy the rest of the run up to Christmas Day in relaxation and happiness - result!

Air Hogs Hyper Active 
The new Air Hogs Hyper Active Stunt is one of the fastest remote control cars around. It is capable of doing amazing stunts (well amazing for little boys), 360° spins and jumps, while always landing on its wheels!
Air Hogs Hyper Active Stunt costs £34.99 and is suitable for youngsters aged 8 and over.
Visit http://www.airhogs.com/ for more information.

Air Hogs Vectron Wave
Air Hogs Vectron Wave is the UFO you can control with the palm of your hand. Eliminate the need for a remote with this flyer, as the Vectron Wave uses altitude sensing technology and effortlessly glides over almost anything, using clever obstacle sensors to detect the proximity to the ground. When you’re done, dock it on the launch pad for easy charging.
Air Hogs Vectron Wave costs £24.99.
Visit http://www.airhogs.com/ for more information.

Bakugan Drago
Combine multiple Bakugan and traps to form one massive monster!
For the ultimate battle brawler, build a Dragonoid Colossus with 4 exclusive Bakugan Battle Gear and 1 Bakugan. Each piece fits together to make the most fierce Dragonoid yet and by dropping the final brawler into position, auto-transforms into the ultimate weapon!
Bakugan Drago costs £39.99 and is suitable for children aged 5 and above. Visit http://www.bakugan.com/ for more information.

Fab Effex
Fab Effex is a fabric youngsters can decorate clothes, shoes, hair bands or make rings and dolls clothes with.
The fabric can bend, shape, twist, wrap and stick to items to decorate and design.
It’s re-useable so youngsters can undo and re-make their decorations over and over again.
The Variety Pack offers lots of fabric sheets, pre-cut shapes and all the tools including moulds, key rings, a greetings card and finger rings to make and create. It costs £19.99 and is suitable for girls aged 6 and over. Visit http://www.fabeffex.com/ for more information.

 Zoobles
Zoobles are colourful collectible toys which magically transform from tiny balls, into cute creatures when placed in their habitat.
When “petted” the Zoobles react by blinking their eyes, wagging their tails, wiggling their ears and more! There are now over 250 Zoobles to collect from every corner of the Zoobles Isle.
Each quirky character is named and numbered to ensure that keen collectors won’t miss out on any Zoobles.
The Mama and Zoobling Play set, which comes with exclusive twins and all the accessories, includes a highchair, nappy changing area, swing, slide, playpen and pushchair.
It costs £24.99 and is suitable for girls aged 5 and over.Visit http://www.zoobles.com/ for more information.

Pro Microphone from Paper Jamz Pro series
Pro Microphone has perfect pitch vocal-tuning technology and four other voice-enhancing effects to make you sound like a superstar.
Download MP3s to sing to - making it suitable for all musical tastes.
Available in three cool designs for girls and boys, Pro Microphone costs £34.99.
Visit http://www.paperjamzpro.com/ for more information.

Paper Jamz Pro Guitar
Pro Guitar, which features real chords, individual notes, a working ripstrip and a built-in accelerometer, plays like a true instrument.
Download MP3s to the guitar and play along to your favourite hits, switching between notes and chords in three different play modes.
Pro Guitar costs £44.99, and is suitable for youngsters aged 8 and over.
Visit http://www.paperjamzpro.com/ for more information.

Lite Sprites
Lite Sprites are a collection of interactive dolls which use and share colour and light to create a magical playtime for little girls.
There are five dolls available to buy.
The toys, recommended for ages 4 years old and over, cost from £14.99.
To occupy the dolls, why not buy your little one the Tree of Lite Play set where girls can hang the Sprites in the canopy and spin it for colourful lit-up display and sound. The play set costs £39.99. Visit http://www.litesprites.com/ for more information.

Light Strike
A bit like Laser Quest, Light Strike is a brilliant interactive shooting game - a dream present for young boys aged 8 years and above.
The fully customisable weapons come with interactive light and sound affects so youngsters can imagine being in the middle of combat while creating exciting ever-changing battle scenarios.
Youngsters can conquer individual challenges, play one-on-one or create the ultimate team battle with unlimited players.
Strikers start from £29.99 with accessories from £9.99.
Visit http://www.lightstrike.com/ for more information.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Elemis Little Superstars Top-to-Toe Spa treats - a perfect gift for Christmas

Enjoy a touch of luxury with this sparkling gift set from Elemis.

Beautifully packaged in a chic make-up bag, these face and body treats come in handy travel-sized bottles to use at home or away.
The set contains Pro-Collagen Marine Cream, Pro-Radiance Cream Cleanser, Frangipani Monoi Body Oil, Tranquil Touch Creamy Body Wash and Tranquil Touch Indulgent Bath Elixir.

The aromas are truly delightful and, in my opinion, a great Christmas gift for mums, aunties or sisters.

Elemis Little Superstars Top-to-Toe Spa treats gift set costs £37.50, down from £47. For more information visit http://www.hqhair.com/elemis-little-superstars-top-to-toe-spa-treats/10535748.html

Be the belle of the Christmas ball with treatments from The Chelsea Day Spa

There is almost nothing better than indulging yourself with a set of beauty treatments and relaxing after a hard week’s work.

So, you can imagine my delight when I was invited to road-test the New York manicure and pedicure at The Chelsea Day Spa in London.

I went to the beauty salon after work on a Monday and I was surprised to see it was indeed very busy at 6.30pm.  

The salon itself is cosy enough and decorated nicely but the room where the manicures and pedicures are carried out was tiny.

If it is comfort and relaxation you are looking forward then The Chelsea Day Spa is probably not the place for you. There were six people in the room while I was having my treatments done - three of whom were customers waiting to be seen next!

If, on the other hand, you aren’t fussed about the above, the quality of the manicure and pedicure - which costs a bargain £12.50 and £20 respectively - was second to none.

My nail technician Pinkie Nguyen, who helped me choose a gorgeous dark purple nail varnish, was ever the professional. She soaked, filed and shaped my nails, and sorted my cuticles out - quite a job as it had been two months since my last manicure!

The end result was brilliant - beautifully manicured hands and feet.

To book an appointment at The Chelsea Day Spa call 020 7351 0911. Visit www.thechelseadayspa.co.uk for more information about treatments carried out at the spa.

Give your feet a boost with Pedi Pro Deluxe

The Christmas party season is nearly upon us!
With that in mind its imperative we ladies make sure our feet are in great shape and that cracked heels are not on show, when wearing gorgeous peep-toes shoes.

In just minutes, this can be done with the battery operated Pedi Pro Deluxe.
The bullet shaped gadget uses a rotating disc to remove hard skin, corns and calluses from your feet.
It also comes with buffing pads which can be attached to exfoliate and give your feet a smooth finish.
A pretty pink colour, Pedi Pro Deluxe is easier to use on dry skin before bathing.
I won’t lie to you, my hand did ache after working for a couple of minutes on my first foot but it was very worthwhile in the end for the silky smooth result.

The gadget costs £19.99.
Visit www.jmldirect.com for more information.

Spectacle Wearer of the Year 2011 awards - and a bit of bitchiness!

Having attended the Spectacle Wearer of the Year 2011 awards last night, at London's Battersea Power Station, there seems to be three hot topics people are talking about today...

• Kara Tointon's plunging neckline
• Martine McCutcheon's weight gain
• The Wanted's "heart throb" and celebrity winner of the Spectacle Wearer of the Year 2011, Max George 

First of all, when in god's name did Max start wearing glasses?!
Second of all, Martine looked great. She isn't a beast, like some tabloids would have you believe.
Thirdly, what's the point in wearing a plunging neckline with no breasts?!

Here's what I enjoyed on the night...

• The endless supply of champagne
• Seeing TOWIE's Lauren Pope and Lauren Goodger
• Speaking to The Apprentice winner Tom Pellereau about his forthcoming wedding and a 3D Printer (seriously!) 
• My goodie bag
• Meeting some great journalists

Overall, a good night xxx