Category Archives: Recommended Product

Mummy – I’m Sweet On You! SewLomax Bags

Posted on by
3
sweet on you makeup bag emma lomax

Click for larger image

Look At This Sewlomax Makeup Bag.  Isn’t It The Perfect Valentine’s Gift For Mummy?

I bought this gorgeous makeup bag for a friend of mine for Valentines.  She happens to be single at the moment and I thought it was such a sweet bag and would make her smile.

(It would certainly make me smile if I received it. In fact it is the perfect gift from littlies to Mummy (take note Daddies)!  I would melt if my kids handed me this and I read the beautifully embriodered message – ‘Sweet On You’).

When the bag arrived from Sewlomax it was superbly packaged; crisply wrapped in branded tissue paper and placed inside a lovely box all tied together with a ribbon. Emma Lomax, the lady behind Sewlomax has obviously put a lot of thought into all aspects of her products.  The attention to detail is stunning.  I especially love her needle and thread logo which appears on the packaging and on the products so you know you are getting the real Sewlomax article.


The Sewlomax website has a great range.  From makeup bags and washbags to stationary, kitchenware and even Pooch Pouches.  All with the same quirky, handmade quality feel.  I am coveting her gorgeous ‘Bite Me’ apron and and towel set for Mother’s Day.  They have such a sophisicated Mad Men vibe!
The website states that all Emma’s bags are ethically sourced and hand finished.  Also fully lined and Scothguarded for added protection.  I like the option to have the bags personalised with initials.  Such a great little addition.  Again, I’m so impressed with the attention to detail.  It really is these little touches that you remember, like the Sewlomax signature bobbin zip fastenings.

I was so thouroughly impressed that I wanted to find out more (and also spread the word) about these beautiful products immediately.  Emma is lovely and readily answered my questions regarding her business…

Your products are witty and sophisticated yet with a lovely hand crafted appeal.  I love them!  Where does your inspiration for your items come from?

“The inspiration for my designs comes from all sorts of places, friends, people suggestions, shopping or as I like to call it market research, which can dangerous on my bank balance.I always have to start at the drawing board, literally with a pencil and a very large rubber. Once the idea is finalised I can start stitching, this is when the idea comes to life.”

I note from your website that you have a strong ethical belief regarding your creations.  Can you tell us a bit more about what your ethical choices entail?
“The process of producing a product happens in many different stages, from sourcing the materials from local farmers to posting the finished product to your door. Each bag has its own carbon foot print I try to keep this as low as possible.”

What is your favourite product from your range?
“It changes from day to day, I usually like the newest colour or shape, because I am looking at the bags everyday, a new design is always very refreshing. Its so exciting when you have been planning and struggling with a new design for ages and it comes to fruition.”
What is in store for SewLomax in 2014?
“So many exciting things to look forward to in 2014, my baby range which is due out in March which has been inspired by my nephew Wilfred, My new spring range which will be being launched in the next few weeks and some fab beach accessories, so everyone keep your eyes peeled.”

Click here to visit the Sewlomax website.

Mamasimx

Don’t forget to enjoy your day.

Top 10 Baby Gifts For This Christmas

Posted on by
Reply

Stuck for some beautiful baby gifts?  Here are some great ideas………….

Hat_bunnie_pink2__17380.1374850964.1280.1280

 

1.  Pink organic knitted bunny hat £10 – so cute!  From Angel Cashmere – also available in blue.

 

 

 

 

Baby Sleeping bag from Bambino Merino

 

2.  Baby Sleeping Bag from Bambino Merino £59.95 – also available in pink and other colours.

 

 

 

 

Wallaboo Animal Comforters3.  Animal Comforters from €14.99 – love them!

 

 

 

Nattou Lion Neck Pillow

 

 

4.  Lion Neck Pillow £9.95 – from Nattou.

 

 

 

Spook Travel Rattles

 

 

5.  Travel Rattles £34.50 – from Spook.  How cool!

 

 

 

 

Personalised Santa Sack6.  Personalised Santa Sack £20 – from The Organic Baby Company.  A lovely baby gift.

 

 

 

 

 

Locally Produced Bib

 

 

7.  Locally Produced Bib £6 – from Little Green Radicals.

 

 

 

Reindeer Playsuit

 

 

8.  Reindeer Playsuit £32 – from Picalilly.  Serious festive fun…

 

 

 

Skip Hop Treetop Friends Owl and Friends Trio Ball

 

 

9. Skip Hop Treetop Friends Owl and Friends Trio Ball £15.95 – from Bebeeco.

 

 

 

Birdie Gift Set

 

 

10.  Birdie Gift Set £35 – from Frugi.  A lovely gift.

 

 

 

 

Hope this list gave you some wonderful baby gift ideas.

Mamasimx

Remember to enjoy your day.

 

Giveaways & Christmas Gift Ideas

Posted on by
Reply

My style guru, top makeup artist Lisa Eldridge, has posted her 2013 christmas gift ideas videos.  Check them out for wonderful ideas for not only Mummy but Daddy, Brother, Sister, Grandma and everybody in-between. There is also a chance to win any of the products Lisa recommends. Watch her videos for details.

Mamasimx

Don’t forget to enjoy your day.

Review of Bebe au Lait Breastfeeding Covers

Image

Reply
Bebe au Lait breastfeeding cover

Bebe au Lait breastfeeding cover

Having made the decision to breastfeed my baby I wanted a nursing or breastfeeding cover to use when out and about in public.  I ‘googled’, found several results for nursing covers and decided to go with the Bebe au Lait Nursing Covers.  They had some good features I thought and I loved the available colours and designs.  I purchased the ‘Yoko’ design pictured opposite.

This was seven years and three babies ago and the breastfeeding cover has stood the test of time.  In fact it is still going strong after all these years and all these washes.  The RigiFlex(TM) neckline is still rigid and the metal rings on the ‘tie’ have not tarnished at all.  A good investment.

Another one of my top 20 things I have found most useful after having my three babies, my opinion only, for what it’s worth! But I think it is confusing and stressful enough when expecting your first baby.  Its nice to know of things that other Mums have found useful and would recommend.  It would also make a great gift for a baby shower, new mom to be or gift for baby.

I just love these stylish breastfeeding covers.  And as I stated above I have been using mine for over 7 years now.  They are useful not just for covering baby and you while feeding, but as a sunshade; sunshade over the pram and as a light blanket.  Fantastic must have.

The Bebe au Lait website offers the following as features of the cover:

  • Patented RigiFlex™ Neckline allows for optimal viewing of baby and ventilation
  • Neckline Safety Technology promotes product longevity by preventing fabric wear and tear.
  • 100% breathable Cotton – single layered for cool comfort, soft as can be as it delicately shelters baby while nursing. Tuck top corner under arm for full coverage
  • Internal Terrycloth Pocket: Perfect for quick cleanups and stashing pads and pacifiers.
  • Adjustable d-ring neck strap with branded hardware for authenticity. Adjust it once and done.
  • Generously sized 26” X 36” to allow baby to remain focused, not distracted during nursing
  • Compact covers roll up to take wherever you go.
  • Multi-use: use as a changing mat, sunshade, and light blanket.
  • 2011 Creative Child Magazine Top Choice Winner
  • Machine washable
  • Imported
  • Please note some fabric dye lots and pattern sizing may vary.

The RigiFlex™ is a band that keeps the material standing away from you at the neckline, creating a space so you can look down and watch your baby while feeding.  It’s the most handy feature of all.

There is also a triangle of towelling sewn on the inner side of one corner that you can use to wipe up any extra milk etc.  Very handy.

The covers cost £27.50 or $35 and are available from:

US:  From the Bebe au Lait website.

UK:  From Mothercare (and other retailers such as John Lewis).

Mamasimx

Don’t forget to enjoy your day.

©Simone Woods 2013

Top 10 Baby Gifts for New Parents

Posted on by
1

Here is my list of the top 10 must haves to get together and have ready for when your new baby comes along.  All of the items on the list are items I have found indispensable, in other words, I would not be without.  They would also be top baby gifts for new parents so add them to your baby shower gift list!

*Some of the product links are UK specific, please search for similar products for your location.

  1. Dunstan Baby Language DVD.  Click for my review.
  2. Dedicated Feeding pillow.
  3. Hippychick Hipster Seat.  Click for my review.
  4. All natural Sleep Sacks.
  5. Good quality low chemical Nappies and Wipes.
  6. Calpol.
  7. Saline Solution and Nasal Aspirator.
  8. Windowsox.
  9. Net Feeding Bags.
  10. Olive Oil and Coconut Oil Moisturiser.  See my recipe for a simple and inexpensive version here.

Mamasimx.

Don’t forget to enjoy your day.

 

© 2012 Simone L Woods

Need A ‘Home’ Themed Gift for Christmas? Look No Further than these journals…

Posted on by
1

An offer for you my lovely blog readers of my latest  journals……….

Buy 1 and get the companion journal free!

‘Our Homes’ and ‘This House’ companion journals.  The perfect christmas gift.  For yourself, families or couples.  In fact, for any homemaker. 

Buy ‘Our Homes – The Story Of’ and receive the companion journal  for free.  That’s a saving of £10.50 ($17).

The first journal, Our Homes – The Story Of, is the journal in which you keep a treasured record of your family’s homes. It’s a journal you take with you from home to home so over the years you build a wonderful record of the family homes in which you have lived. The journal contains dedicated chapters for each home. The homes address, the dates you moved in and out, why you moved there, improvements or changes you made to the house and garden, the things you liked best about living there, best memories and memorable events, why you are leaving the house, where you are moving to and plenty of blank pages for photographs and keepsakes.

Browse an example of ‘Our Homes – The Story Of

Our Homes - The Story Of. The perfect gift.

Our Homes – The Story Of. The perfect gift.

Our Homes - The Story Of. The perfect gift.

Examples page for Our Homes – The Story Of.

 But don’t believe just me -here’s what my customers say!

“I bought this book as the companion book to “This House: The story of” for a housewarming gift for a friend. The idea was just ideal for what I was looking for. Well, I received these books and am so impressed with them that I’m going to get some for myself! I have lived in a lot of different homes and love the idea of being able to record that information. I love that this history will be recorded and that my young family will have a memento of all their homes. I’m just not sure if one book will be enough!”

” I’ve just checked out your books and they’re awesome! We’ll order Our Homes, I love the idea of handing that down to our kids one day, who doesn’t feel nostalgic about their childhood homes! Great house warming gift too huh” 

 “Essentially, it’s a ready-formatted scrapbook where you can enter various details, memories and facts about all the homes you have lived in. The author, Simone, is lovely and has answered any questions I had via Twitter – you can find her there @simauthor. I asked whether I should start from my first childhood home, or from my first home with my partner (our current home) and Simone recommended that we start right from the beginning for both of us. It’s a lovely idea to make sure we capture our memories on paper before we forget them – and as I’m not always very disciplined it’s a great idea for me.”

 There are limited copies – so order today!  And you will receive completely free –  

The companion journal – and the journal you will receive free if you buy ‘This House – The Story Of’ belongs to your home. The current owners have custodianship of the journal and the pleasure of completing one chapter. When they leave the journal is left as a gift to the new owners. The journal’s purpose is to provide a tangible link between the current owners and those who have previously made the house their home—giving a peek into its history, and a glimpse into the stories of those who have loved the house in their turn. The journal contains chapters for each owner to complete. The journal is a perfect gift for house warmings and weddings, and would be equally appreciated as a birthday or Christmas present—for someone else or yourself.  Imagine moving into your new home and finding a book that tells you it’s history, who lived their before you and see picture of what the house looked like when they did.

Browse an example of ‘This House – The Story Of

Here is what my customers say about ‘This House – The Story Of’

“Just received this book in the mail today & flipped through it.  I simply love this idea. My husband & I have lived in a few different homes & have both remarked about how great it would be to have a history about our home. That’s why when we built our current home, which we plan on being in for some time, we documented our building process. Now I have a place to record our documentation along with any changes we make over the years. I also very much like the idea of learning who the families are who’ve lived in a home. I look forward to filling that portion of the book out too.”

“I was looking for a gift and saw this for a friend who is moving into a new home. I loved the idea so much that I bought the companion book also “Our Homes: The Story Of”. I have just received the books and think they are so fantastic I am going to get myself a copy too. I have built a few homes and love the idea of passing on this experience to the new home owners. I can’t wait to get started!”

“As soon as I saw this journal I bought it, along with the companion journal Our Homes. 
My husband and I have owned eight houses in the course of our life together, and we probably haven’t finished moving yet. We have built two and extensively renovated others. The idea that when we move on we can leave a record for the new owners of who was there before them and what we did and why, is a very evocative one.”

“I loved the idea of this journal so much I bought it immediately, along with its companion journal This House: the story of. 
I have lived in a dozen homes in my life — buying and selling being the way my husband and I thought to make a pound or two. We have owned eight and rented others while building. Once in a while I’ll test my brain by recalling addresses, dates and events linked to each one. As soon as I saw these journals I realised they were what I needed. And I love how the author, in the Look Inside pages, has mocked up example chapters to show just how creative you can be with your own copies of the journals.” AEW Australia.

Buy your copy now in time for Christmas – with free delivery!

Remember there are limited copies so be quick to ensure you get your bonus companion copy of ‘This  House – The Story Of’.

And save £10.50. ($17)…..

UK – Buy from Amazon here.

US – Buy from Amazon here.

To receive you free companion copy – Simply email me the copy of your purchase receipt with name and delivery details and I will send the companion journal.  (admin at howtoparenttoday dot com.)

Mamasimx.

Don’t forget to enjoy your day.

 

© 2013  Simone L Woods

Review: The Dunstan Baby Language System

Link

1
Dunstan Baby Language System

Dunstan Baby Language System

Product Name:           The Dunstan Baby Language System
Price:                           £23.00 GBP or $36.00 USD approx.
Available from:          http://www.dunstanbaby.com. various retailers and Amazon.
Main Claim:               The Dunstan Baby Language teaches you to hear exactly what your baby is communicating. As a parent, you will be able to interpret your infant’s sounds and cries – and respond to their needs quickly and effectively. (as per Dunstan Baby Language)
Age Range:                Birth to 3 months (as per Dunstan Baby Language)
Overall Score:           10/10
Recommended?:       Yes.
Length of testing:    Over 1 year. System used for 6 months with my first baby,  8-9 months with second baby and now 7 months and counting on my third little one.

Overview of Product
  • 2 DVD’s    (English with Spanish and French Subtitles Available.)
  • 1 Wall Chart
  • 1 Booklet
  • Case
  • Slip Cover

My Mum sent me a link to an article about this system when I was expecting baby number one 5 years ago.  I was a little sceptical of the claims at first, but after reading the comments I decided to purchase the DVD and investigate further.  I was intrigued and reassured by the background information given about the systems creator, Priscilla Dunstan, on the Dunstan Baby Language website. Following is an excerpt.

‘From the age of five, Priscilla demonstrated an unusual connection with sound. Already an exceptional violinist, she could hear a piece by Mozart once, then play it back in its entirety. Her father, Director of the Educational Testing Centre at the University of New South Wales, found that his young daughter had an eidetic memory – a photographic memory for sound.

During her teenage years Priscilla toured throughout Europe and Australia as an accomplished concert violinist. Priscilla then spent more than 10 years exploring the world of opera, where her talent as a mezzo-soprano deepened her understanding of sound produced by the body.

It was years later, when Priscilla gave birth to her son Tomas, the true significance of her gift emerged. Her instincts as a mother and her connection to sound led her to believe that a baby’s cries had to be something more than just random sounds. Noting combinations of sounds in a journal, Priscilla explored various settling techniques and observed Tom’s reactions. Eventually she was able to recognize patterns, and identify how specific cries had a distinct need attached to them.

After her own experience with Tom, her theory was tested with over a thousand babies of 30+ nationalities. 9 years of observation and intervention research then led to 3 independent international studies, confirming the existence of a universal baby language – the Dunstan Baby Language.’

In her DVD, Pricilla explains that every newborn communicates from birth to 3 months using 5 distinct sounds that signal hunger, tiredness, need to burp, lower wind/gas and discomfort.  This is regardless of the language their parents speak.  It is not a learned language she explains.  Rather, it is a natural way for every baby to express their physical needs.

Disc 1 contains Lesson 1 with the following chapters:

  1. Priscillas’ Story
  2. Welcome
  3. Word 1
  4. Word 2
  5. Word 3
  6. Helpful Advice
  7. Solutions
  8. What Parents Have To Say
Disc 2 contains Lesson 2 with the following chapters:
  1. Welcome
  2. Word 4
  3. Word 5
  4. Solutions
  5. Thank you
  6. Priscilla, Mother and Babies
  7. What Parents Have To Say

Prior to my first babies birth, I watched the DVD several times; taking note of the five sounds and repeating them to myself through-out the day so that they became familiar.

I also hung the small sound chart that comes with the DVD in the nursery so that I could easily refer to it if required.

When baby arrived there was the usual shock to overcome (!), but I found that I could easily remember the sounds, especially with the help of the chart, and I began to really listen to my little one to try to distinguish his cries.  It took about 1- 2 days for my ear to attune to my babies cries and for me to begin to tell when he was making each sound.  What a feeling the first time I heard the hungry cry!  I was elated!  My little one most often made the tired, hungry or burping sounds, but also made the wind and uncomfortable sounds.  My husband and I felt confidence and reassurance knowing that we could, most of the time, attempt to understand what it was that our little son was trying to tell us.  The system states that it is best used for the first 3 months of babies life as from 3 months on, baby will begin to use learned sounds, rather than the physical/instinctual sounds Priscilla describes.  However, my husband and I heard both are boys making the sounds for much longer than this.

Priscilla Dunstan comes across as genuine, down to earth and very approachable in her DVD.  (Like all good Aussies!)  The DVD’s are watchable and easy to digest.  Most helpfully she gives lots of examples of different babies making each sound, so you get a real feel for the sounds themselves.  She also gives advice and techniques for dealing with each of the problems babies cries are signalling.  Very helpful for a first time Mum and Dad.  I recommend this product.  The DVD would make a great Baby Warming Gift as it is best to be able to study it before baby arrives.

Such a relief when you are all at sea with your first baby.

Booklet Pages

Booklet Pages

 

DVD Cover

DVD Cover

 

Mamasimx.

Don’t forget to enjoy your day.

 

© 2012 Simone L Woods

 

It’s Not All Doom And Gloom For Our Children’s Future – Dr Hans Rosling says #Dontpanic !

Posted on by
Reply
Image for Don't Panic - The Truth About Population

 

What sort of world will our children and grandchildren inherit from us?  If we believe all we read in the media, then most of us feel it will be a pretty crappy world.

 

 

Last night on BBC 2 Dr Hans Rosling, Professor of International Health at Karolinska Institute,  presented a fascinating and enlightening overview of world poverty, population, health and climate change.

I stayed up to watch this one and so glad I did.  A balanced and dare I say optimistic program. Or should I say ‘Possiblist”!

Make sure you catch in on iplayer if you can.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p01kjmyz

It will leave you feeling a little easier about our worlds’ future.

Mamasimx

Remember to enjoy your day.