Polagram Review ( Discount code included)

The blog is well over due a review post and I have recently stumbled across Polagram an app which prints photos direct from your Facebook, Instagram or

Camera roll so though I'd check them out. 

I am forever taking photos on my camera phone and rarely print copies so Polagram offers a fun, accessible and easy to use interface for ordering prints of your favourite daily snaps and those special moments you've managed to capture.

With use of a £5 discount code I ordered a set of 19 prints for only £2.20 (including postage)

I loved how easy the app was to use.

Polagram offer 3 styles of print. These are

Pola Style

Square

Regular

My personal favourites are the Pola or Square style as they look so crisp, with that retro modern vibe about them.

I placed my order on Monday and they arrived Saturday so was waiting about 5 days for them to drop through the letterbox.

So here is how they arrived in the post:

Inside a brown sturdy postal envelope was this pink envelope containing my prints. It's s nice finishing touch and cute way to enclose your goodies.

And the finished result:

I was really chuffed with them. The print quality is lovely, the images are clean and  have a nice gloss to them and the colours are vibrant and clear.

I wasn't entirely sure what to do with my prints so we went down The Range and placed them in a nice big square frame to display in the living room.

Here's how they turned out:

What's great about these is you can change the photos regularly so it's not a static piece of wall art. The combinations are endless.

Polagram have a range of fantastic products including a similar style poster print which looks gorgeous, a photo book, gift box, canvas and even phone cases. 

The prints are also a perfect size and easy way to display your favourite photos  on your desk at work, string a few together at a party to create a photo garland or to fill some of those smaller sometimes fiddly gaps in a multi aperture frame.

I adore them! 

Thank you Polagram for creating an easy, user friendly way for me to enjoy my digital files and cherish these moments again.

Here is my discount code for all my readers 

PGN9DNMJ 

for £5 off any order, so go check them out and order yourself a few prints. You can order 10+ prints including postage with the code and create some lovely wall art of your own :)

Trendy Tot Thursday- Surf Suit

This weeks Trendy Tot Thursday features a lovely surf suit with SPF 50+ an online exclusive from F&F at Tesco.

Our little boy adores Peppa Pig so this George Pig surf suit featuring sea monster effect fins along the shoulder is just too cute! It's fun, colourful a great fit and most importantly offers great protection from those harsh sunny rays.

We really like the surf suit style because you get more coverage of swimsuit over a toddlers delicate skin and I think they offer a little extra warmth in colder pools than your standard trunks or bathers.

Here is Oscar enjoying his surf suit and having a splash at his first session at swim school.

And to top it off I've just seen they've been reduced in price! Now only £6.50 so grab yourself a bargain and get yours here online.

Hope you're all having a splash this Summer :)

Teepee hideaway.

 


















I am very excited to be writing this post as ever since I can remember I've always wanted to have a magical little den for the children to play in.

Pinterest is full of creative teepees including 'no sew' tutorials, perfect for someone like me who looks at a sewing machine like its some sort of object from outer space.

I never plucked up the courage to put one together but enrolled myself on a course to make one this summer with the the help of some expert tuition, moral support and guidance. This still didn't go to plan as I decided to cancel my place, I think for numerous reasons, including childcare concerns, costing for materials and nerves.

So, when I stumbled across this I was so pleased, it's ideal for a novice and looks heaps of fun.

The teepee comes with the material canvas and poles included, you simply put it together and then decorate as you wish.

The possibilities are endless! You can use fabric paints, felt, feathers, bunting , appliqués or even add your child's name to completely personalise your teepee.

Here are some designs I love:

I decided to go with the classical look and keep our teepee the natural canvas material, I wanted to keep it simple and whimisical.

Currently the teepee has been constructed and I've decorated it with some neutral bunting and one of Oscar's musical cot toys for a splash of colour.

The beauty of this is that if we decide to re decorate the teepee we can whenever we choose. So it can be mixed up depending on the season or the kids tastes. We've since added some starry fairy lights along teepee poles and some micro fairy lights to decorate the top. 

These lights are on a timer for 6 hours and then switch off and are battery operated . The battery pack is held in place in a canvas pouch inside and the lights sewn into the canvas to avoid and risk of the kids getting entangled.

A canvas teepee with all the poles for £35 is a real steal. I've always thought this was something out of our price range for a play room but this one is a good budget alternative and heaps of fun to get creative with if you wish too :)

Grab your own here:

Decorate your own teepee

The Love/Hate tag

The rules:

The tagged blogger must share 20 things about them - 10 things they love and 10 things they hate.

Then nominate 10 bloggers to take part! Simple!

Thanks Rachel over at Illistrated Teacup for the nomination. This is my first tag so here goes. Here are 10 things I love and hate in no particular order:

Love.

1 .My Parents. 

They always believe in me, they're always there for me and have given me a loving upbringing. I look up to them so much and hope that I am even half the parents they have been to me and I'll consider that a success.

2. My husband.

I thank him for being there and for loving me despite all my flaws, he is a wonderful man and my best friend.

3 .My son.

My handsome and caring baby boy. He's 21 months old and a right handful at times, but I do adore him. Last week I came indoors after hitting a pigeon whilst driving, it's the first time I have hit anything behind the wheel and I burst into floods of tears and felt dreadful. My little boy took one look at me, came over and wrapped his arms around me. He is a wonderful boy and I am very proud to be his mummy.

4. My beautiful daughter.

We were blessed with having a little baby girl this year and I absolutely and completely love her. She is the most joyful baby I think I've ever seen. She is everything I aspire to be, beautiful, clever, loving and happy. 

5. Swimming:

Swimming is my outlet, it is my favourite way to keep fit and such a great sport. I found it a god send when recovering from my broken knee cap as it took all the weight off the joint and helped my muscle tone as well as my general fitness. It's also an invaluable survival skill and an activity I can enjoy with my children. 

6. Holidays.

Yes I love a family holiday. Sometimes it's nice to break away from the routine, the chores and to travel and see a new little corner of the world. This doesn't always have to be abroad. We adore Devon and Cornwall for a family adventure, there's lots to do there and the drive is manageable with 2 under 2. We love family activities, learning, exploring and helping to create happy memories for the children together.

7. Siblings.

I love that I have siblings, sometimes we argue, we disagree and have huge difference of opinion but they are still there at the end of the day, through the good times and the bad. They do not walk away and if they have done they've come back to make amends, I couldn't ask for any more than that.

8. Crafts.

I love making things. I get a sense of achievement from making things for the home, for family and for friends. I love personalised items and gifts with time, thought and meaning put into them and something a bit unique.

9. Animals.

I am a huge animal lover and enjoy visiting conservation zoos and local community farms the most. I love seeing different species up close and my particular favourites are the anteater, beavers and the platypus. We have 3 adorable guinea pigs who are also a huge part of our family.

10. Breastfeeding.

Yes I've said it, I am loving breastfeeding Lottie, now that's not to say it doesn't come without its struggles. The first few weeks were hard, very hard. We had tears, we had breakdowns, bleeding, and copious amounts of lansinoh. But after overcoming Lottie's tongue tie we've eventually got there and I feel so proud that all her growth and development is sourced from me as her mummy. It's an unbelievable bond that I treasure.

and one more for luck...

My home

This is a bit of a love hate relationship at the moment as we clear through the clutter accumulated over the last 2 years- my biggest bugbear. But I do love having a place we call home. I feel grateful to have a roof over our heads and a garden for the children to play in and a space to make our own. I need to keep this into perspective some days as we battle the storage boxes.

Hate

1. Clutter

This a huge one for me at the moment, we are still battling our way through 2 years of stored items from our house move and it makes me feel claustrophobic some days. I strongly dislike hoarding and keeping  hold of things which aren't being put to good use.

2. Facebook

This may come of a huge surprise to my readers or those who know me well but I'm well and truly done with Facebook. It's a huge time waster for me and I dislike the politics. It's so easy for people to form judgement of you online or misinterpret things and I simply have no time for it any longer.  It's been a long time coming and I really only use it for baby stuff and buy & sell groups so bit the bullet and removed my profile. I have much more spare time with my children now, am not constantly glued to my phone and am enjoying storing my photographs in online Flickr albums for family & friends rather than on social media sites. I find myself agreeing with the thought catalogue on this one.

3. Sinusitis

I suffer with it really badly and more so since having my two children. It brings me to a complete halt at least 7-8 times a year now and sets me back a good couple of weeks in pain. I've already had my sinuses operated on as a child and fear I will never be alleviated of sinusitis unless I go under the knife for a second time, my nasal passages are obviously wired the wrong way round!

4. Sleeplessness

I struggle without my sleep. I get grouchy, I don't function well and have a habit of tripping over and lose my spacial awareness. Having 2 little ones means this occurs quite frequently for me, so that woman mounting the curb at the car park, that person driving off with their mobile phone still nestled on the car roof and the lady that's got her top on inside out yep that's probably me! Please be kind and approach with caution ;)

5. My knee

I know we all have body hang ups and before mine used to be a few of my moles, my chunky thighs and my skin but now I really do have a huge pet peeve and it's my knee. My knee has never been the same and never will since fracturing it 2 years ago and I get daily discomfort with it, sharp stabbing pains and the kneecap clunks and cracks out of place regularly. I get frustrated that I will never seem to have normality with it again. 

6. iPhone internal storage

Yes I know my memory is almost full, why do you keep talking to me about clouds? And please let me take one more picture if I clear a few first!

7. Mis use of parent and child parking spaces

This really grates on me, no it's not illegal if you use these spaces and don't have a child in your car with you but you are taking a valuable space for a family which actually really benefit from using these spaces. When you have a toddler or a newborn it's a real struggle to find a space with enough room to open your car door and get them out of their car seat or remove the car seat to insert it into your buggy chassis. You need heaps of space and placing your buggy at the rear or the car with vehicles driving past is simply not safe. I think it takes an incredibly selfish, thoughtless and/or lazy person to deny these spaces to those who genuinely need them.

8. Depression and Anxiety

I hate what these do to people and have seen the effects on both family and friends and those I care about alongside experiencing them myself. I hate that they eat away at people from the core and can leave you feeling so helpless. I am a big fan of talking about mental health openly.

9. Bullying

I hate it when people purposefully intimidate or deliberately ignore or isolate others. It's a horrible trait. I'd like to live in hope that people are mature enough to be civil and polite with one another despite differences they may have faced. I have a heap of respect for people that carry themselves with more dignity. 

10. Creaky floor boards

This never came on the radar before children but boy are these annoying! I don't mind the sound it's actually kind of quirky but I now have memorised the creaky points of the floor in my son's bedroom down to a tea! There's something about a creaky floorboard that never fails to wake a snoozing toddler as you try and sneak out the room. So for me it's onto tip toes, lean to the right against the changing unit, swift left towards the wall and the final step out the bedroom door, works most times!

My nominations are:

Entertaining Elliott- Elaine
Renovation Bay-Bee- Steph
Clearly Bex- Rebecca
Confessions of a new mummy- Kate
MotherGeek- Tina
The Knott Bump & Us- Sarah
Teen Tween Toddler- Sharon
Trials and Tribulations Of A Brummie Mummy- Tina
Mummys Blog- Kay
Hello Archie- Kaye

Trendy Tot Thursday- Cool by the pool.

I couldn't resist this weeks Trendy Tot Thursday as Oscar has been sporting his brand new hooded poncho towel.

We recently had the joy of a paddling pool play date round a friends and all the kids seem to have one.

So after being informed that the local Aldi stocked some hubby managed to pick one up on the local food shop, don't you just love those bargain bins!

But this is not just about keeping trendy by the pool, hooded towels are great for putting on to keep off the chill after a dip in the splash pool, after swimming lessons or playing with the sprinkler toys in the garden. 

And at only £3.49 Aldi's hooded towel was hard not to add to the shopping trolley!

Here is Oscar enjoying his poncho:

Cuddly cuties sutiable for a Newborn

I had to share this with my readers! Our little Oscar has far too many soft toys, something which until recently he has actually taken very little interest in but this morning he carried into me his big traditional teddy bear which lives in his nursery and was cuddling it!

With a few friends pregnant and also due shortly my mind has been thinking about newborn gifts and soft cuddlies that are appropriate for a newborn.

A lot of teddies and toys have beaded eyes or parts which might be deemed a risk or choking hazard to a new born so it's always best and safe practice to go for those that specifically state they're appropriate for a new born. They usually have sewn on features and no loose parts and are filled with a safe filler.

That's when I came across this gorgeous range, a Danish design DonebyDeer

Each cuddly toy is designed as an adorable animal in a funky modern striped design.

This is Nozo the rhino in yellow and blue. The smaller rhino is in fact a musical toy which can be attached to the crib/cot to soothe baby to sleep.

There is also an Anteater, Zebra and Hippo in the range, this one features a soft textured horn.

Only downside is I can't find a stockist in the UK and freight charges are £8 ouch! So I suggest if you like the range to nip down to your local TK Maxx which is where I found them at a brilliant price.

The DonebyDeer Range starts at £14 for a cuddly and £18 for a musical cot feature see their Toy Range here.

At TK Maxx they're a fraction of the cost at only £3.99 each. Stylish cuddlies at a snippet of the price.

Be sure to have a rummage through their toy section though as TK Maxx seem to have a random stock list and no items are ever guaranteed in store.

Sharing your birth experiences

This summer Lottie's birth story was featured in the nct newsletter.

One of the volunteers was asking for home birth experiences and although we didn't have a home birth I did offer to share our experience of labouring at our local birth centre which was welcomed.

What was so refreshing about writing her birth story was having a written record of events to keep, I find as the time passes the whole experience and memory of birth can fade and become blurred so having things written down is a refreshing  reminder.

Also it's good to talk, sharing your birth story no matter what the experience, the good, the bad and the ugly is such a positive thing to do as it helps others get an insight into different birthing stories, understand and appreciate that each birth is different and there is no norm. Birth experiences are certainly as unique as each child that enters the world.

It's a great feeling to be able to share with other mums and families an appreciation of each birth story no matter what the content or happenings, not in a means to compare, to compete or even to associate with each of them but simply to appreciate and hear them is a wonderful thing to be able to do.

So I'm glad we shared our birth story.

I'm pleased we sought support from the neighbourhood midwives, the breech birth support groups and midwifery led acupuncture and moxibustion practices locally. And I'm even more pleased that these support services exist.

Having a breech baby to full term certainly made us think outside the box and re evaluate our options particularly with standard practice guidelines nationally and at our local hospital. 

On that note here is a quote from birth without fear which seems to sum things up perfectly.