Product reviews – Page 2 – Our Daycation Life

💗 GASTON LUGA 💗

Published on April 9, 2020 by Our Daycation LifeLeave a comment

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Today I road tested my new bag from @gastonluga and I love it! It’s really comfortable to wear thanks to the adjustable straps and it’s a great size too: a nice alternative to the usual large and oversized versions of a backpack.

I really love the pink details of my bag and think they give it a girly edge. However this style comes in a variety of colour combinations to choose from!

The quality is amazing and it’s easy to keep clean as it’s wipeable. It even comes with its own dust bag to keep it protected when not in use.

@gastonluga proves that you don’t have to sacrifice style and class if you want a backpack style bag. Definitely head on over to look at their range of styles and colours: you’re bound to see something you like!

You can even get a 15% off discount with the code BABYPEA15 on all items on the website and they always offer free delivery and returns too.

🦌 Little Fawn Box 🦌

Published on March 18, 2020 by Our Daycation LifeLeave a comment

4th March 2020

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Well someone’s happy to have received his subscription box from @littlefawnbox! I wonder what’s inside…… 🤔 as it’s Mother’s Day this month, a little fawn told me that there are some super nice treats for Mummy in this one, as well as some lovely things for baby too!

@littlefawnbox are a subscription box for mum and baby from her 20th week of pregnancy up until baby is 18 months old.

The boxes contain products for both of you and are a complete surprise until they arrive. What’s more exciting than getting a box full of surprises posted to you each month? They are amazing value for money too with over £30 worth of products for just £12.99, but you can even get your first box for just £8 😱 I’ve had a sneaky peak and it’s DEFINITELY worth it. Plus all of us mamas deserve a treat at least once a month! Head on over to @littlefawnbox to sign up and wait to discover what goodies are inside 😍

💙 Mini Plum Baby 💙

Published on March 18, 2020March 18, 2020 by Our Daycation LifeLeave a comment

3rd March 2020

💙 NURSING 💙

Did you realise I was breastfeeding my baby in this photo? Wait….. did you even spot the camouflaged baby in this photo? 🙊

I am loving breastfeeding this time round. Despite his tongue tie, Eddison feeds like a dream which couldn’t be more different to the experience I had with Otis. I hated breastfeeding for the first 4 months with Otis; I had to syringe feed him for the first 5 days because he couldn’t latch, when he did latch, it was a shallow latch and it was such hard work and very painful at times too. I am so proud that we managed it for 26 months in the end!

So I was prepared for the same struggles with Eddison…… but low and behold he’s a complete natural. To the extent that he has never dropped his birth weight. In fact when we went to his first weight check 4 days after his birth, he had *put on* 50 grams 😱 the midwives were shocked, as was I! So for that reason they decided not to interfere with his tongue tie. But after speaking to more professionals I’ve learned that his tongue tie may be a reason why he’s so sick – because he can’t fully control the flow of milk coming in and takes down too much. I’ve also learned that when my milk settles properly at about 3 months old, Eddison will have to work harder for it which is when we may have a problem, but they are reluctant to snip a tongue tie after 12 weeks. So now I’m trying to figure out if I should get it snipped now or not…. 🤔 hopefully the health visitor can help advise me about it tomorrow.

I love to twin with my boys, but although there is a lot of matching clothes out there for mothers & daughters, there’s barely anything for mothers & sons. This is definitely the first thing I have ever come across that I can twin with Eddison whilst nursing him too! So when @miniplumbaby got in touch offering to send this set for us to try out I was over the moon! It includes a nursing nightie and dressing gown for me, a sleepsuit, mittens and hat for Eddison and even a matching pillowcase. It also comes in a pink option! I absolutely love it because it’s comfy, easy to nurse in and cosy for Eddison.

👶🏼 BITSY BOXES 👶🏼

Published on February 25, 2020 by Our Daycation LifeLeave a comment

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We have recently tried out one of the @bitsyboxes (powered by @bumpboxes) and I think the service they provide is fantastic! The Bitsy Boxes are a subscription service where you sign up for 6, 9 or 12 months to receive a box to your door every month with products individually chosen for the age of your little one. They’re also not just for babies either, they can be designed for toddlers up to the age of 3!

The best feature of this service is that it’s all a surprise. So you don’t know what’s in there until you open it up which is super exciting.

I really enjoyed discovering the products hidden in our box and was pleased to see a good variety in there. Our box for Eddison included:

* baby calming lavender oil l

* a @hanes flexy baby vest

* a Chikki Chicken taggy rattle from @taggies_baby

* a soft tag-along book from @cottagedoorpress for helping teach emotions and facial expressions

* a @lulujobaby nursery banner that reads “I wish I may, I wish I might”

All products are really adorable and I’m super pleased with this box, I know we will get good use out of everything!

@bitsyboxes isn’t just a subscription service either, you can also order a variety of one-off gift boxes to be sent to people including new baby, new mum, new dad and breastfeeding boxes – the perfect baby shower gift or gift to welcome a new baby into the world. It’s fantastic value for money and if you haven’t already, you should definitely check them out!

Babycare TENS

Published on February 25, 2020 by Our Daycation LifeLeave a comment

💜 BABYCARE TENS 💜

Here is a photo you haven’t seen before: me in labour with Otis! I hope you don’t mind this #throwback photo, but we didn’t take many photos during labour with Eddison until I got into the pool so of course I had to put my TENS machine aside then, but I really want to talk to you about it!

That thing around my neck is my @babycaretens machine & has been my saviour during both my labours.

During labour with Otis: I used my TENS machine since being 3/4cm dilated up until I went into the pool. I found it a great relief & a distraction during contractions. The best thing was that I could stay mobile. Not only was I able to use it in the car on the way to the birthing centre, but it also allowed me to keep mobile in the room & walk around the hospital too. It created a pleasant pulsing sensation between contractions that helped me release endorphins to combat the pain & then when I had a contraction I pressed the “boost” button which gave me an extra surge of power against the pain. I found that I didn’t need to increase the intensity too much as contractions got worse because it was so effective. Although the TENS machine can be used alongside gas & air and pethadine, it of course can’t be used in water & so I had to turn it off at one point. I missed it then because I knew it had helped me hugely & also made me feel like I had some control over my contractions & my ability to push through them.

During labour with Eddison: I was really proud that I managed to make it to 8cm dilated with just my TENS machine alone & I found it so affective that I didn’t need to increase the depth & intensity of the pulses more than 5 (on a 0-15 scale on the machine). By using the TENS machine, I could also go up & down the hospital stairs numerous times and do lunges & squats to help move baby down without being restricted to the room. At 8cm I swapped it for the gas & air as I went into the birthing pool.

I would really recommend the @babycaretens to any pregnant woman as it’s a great drug-free pain relief that really does work. And it’s not just good for labour! You can also use it to treat arthritis, neck/back pain, period pain, sciatica etc.

Serenity Dream

Published on February 18, 2020 by Our Daycation LifeLeave a comment

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👩🏻 MAKE-UP BAG ESSENTIALS 👩🏻

What are the essential items in your make-up bag?

For me a good base is a priority to boost my confidence and so I was really keen to try out the foundation that I was kindly gifted from @seren_ity.dream. I chose the blur effect lifting foundation in beige as I was intrigued by its promise to “superbly cover imperfections” and also because it’s a much cheaper alternative to the MAC foundations I usually buy. I have really enjoyed trying it out and seeing how my skin reacts to it. Even with the hormone inbalance after just having a baby, my skin hasn’t broken out once with the new product, it’s stayed really healthy. As soon as I tried the foundation for the first time I noticed the pleasant scent to it and also realised that although the coverage it provides is fantastic, it doesn’t feel too heavy on my skin and I feel like my skin can still breathe. Because of this it’s easy to blend too and doesn’t leave any foundation lines. It does exactly what it says in its product description: “it guarantees flawless, youthful and a natural look without the mask effect”. It makes my skin look soft and not shiny at all. I also love that it’s not tested on animals. I’d absolutely recommend this foundation, you should give it a go!

Lucy Coggle

Published on February 18, 2020 by Our Daycation LifeLeave a comment

👣 FOOTPRINTS 👣

We all know our little ones leave footprints all over our hearts, but it’s easy to forget to keep a physical record of their growing footprints in the mayhem that can sometimes be family life!

This is why I love @lucycoggle and her footprint kits because she makes it easy! Her illustrations are absolutely beautiful and the kits are designed so little ones add their footprints as feet onto the animal of their (or your!) choice. Each kit comes with 2 prints of the animal as well as clear instructions and some baby safe ink. I think it’s great that it comes with 2 sheets because it not only allows room for error in case you make a mistake, but it also means you could frame one sheet on the wall and either gift the other to a family member or put it in a keepsake box. It was so much quicker and easier to do than I imagined and within 10 minutes I was left with the most beautiful keepsakes from both my boys. (Perfect Mother’s Day gift idea – send your partners to the @lucycoggle page!!)

I really want to point out that these kits aren’t just for babies! They come in a variety of sizes to adjust to your little one’s shoe size. I did this with Otis first and he absolutely loved it, he was so proud of it afterwards and excited to see the bunny have feet! He then helped me do Eddison’s prints by putting the ink on his foot as I held him. I love that I can use these kits not only as a milestone keepsake for Eddison, but also as a keepsake for Otis too as a toddler and it’s a great way of getting him involved. I can’t wait to share our finished prints with you later!

@lucycoggle has so many beautiful animal designs to choose from. We chose a bunny for Otis for his Peter Rabbit nursery and of course Eddison had to have the duck!

What one would you choose? 🐻 🐼 🐧 🦉🐥

My Eko life

Published on February 16, 2020 by Our Daycation LifeLeave a comment

10th February 2020

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🚀 BLAST OFF! 🚀

You probably saw recently how much fun Otis (and his Daddy!) have had with this awesome spaceship that we were recently and kindly sent from @my_ekolife. I posted videos of them playing in it together, exploring the windows and fuel hatches and role-playing that the were flying to the moon and coming back to Earth! 🌍 I’m really not sure which one of them was having the most fun 😂 Otis is obsessed with rockets at the moment and so this space voyager is the perfect choice for him!

This space voyager took me about 5 minutes to assemble, it was so easy. It has lots of lovely features that make it interactive such as the flip-up door that also has a locking tab that can hold it open too. The voyager also has lots of star and moon shaped windows which allows for light to enter. I also love that the inside surfaces are white which will be fantastic for Otis to draw on and I plan to also draw some buttons etc inside that he can pretend to play with.

@my_ekolife make eco-friendly toys from cardboard that’s renewable, recyclable and bio-degradable. They have a huge range to choose from and have something for every little one. I love that their products not only inspire imagination and role-play, but because they are cardboard they can be folded down and packed away too if (like us!) you are short on playspace. There are so many advantages to these toys that really outweigh the use of plastic toys and make them a great alternative.

Helen Lacey Author

Published on February 16, 2020 by Our Daycation LifeLeave a comment

6th February 2020

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💙 “LET’S TALK ABOUT YOUR NEW BABY BROTHER” 💙

It’s no secret that we really enjoyed working with @helenlacey_author to help spread the word about her amazing book “let’s talk to mummy’s tummy” so when she got in touch offering to send Otis her new book, I absolutely jumped at the chance! I was so impressed with her first book and so grateful for how it helped explain my pregnancy to Otis, I knew that the new book was going to be good!

This afternoon Otis and I read some of the new book together in the company of Eddison too. It’s called “let’s talk about your new baby brother or sister” and is a siblings’ guide to the next 24 months with their new baby brother / sister. I absolutely love it because it helps to explain things to Otis that I sometimes forget; such as why Eddison cries and why he’s so sleepy as well as promising him that as Eddison grows they will have lots of happy times together too. I cross-referenced the book with pages from the previous book which gave us ideas for activities we can do together to help the boys bond and also what memories they may make together in the future, for example swimming together, playing catch, playing on swings together etc.

The new book continues to talk about developmental milestones that Eddison will reach and suggests more activities that Otis can do with him as he grows.

Both books are beautifully illustrated with gentle and soft pictures that echo the tone of the information provided to toddlers. Otis really loves looking at the pictures and talking to me about them, pointing out that the breastfeeding baby was having milk and another baby was crying and one was sleeping etc. He saw pictures of older siblings holding the new babies and he wanted to hold Eddison too.

I really loved reading the start of this book with Otis and I know that it definitely will lay the foundation for a close and harmonious relationship between the boys. I’d 100% recommend it to anyone who is due or has recently had a second / third baby etc!

Thank you @helenlacey_author 💙

Baby Bamba

Published on February 16, 2020 by Our Daycation LifeLeave a comment

3rd February 2020

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🐮 BABY BAMBA 🐮

As you know by now, as a family we have recently enjoyed introducing more bamboo into our lives as an environmentally friendly alternative to other products. Otis was very kingly sent this fabulous bamboo dinner set from @baby.bamba and has really enjoyed using it to pretend he’s a cow this evening!

The set is so lovely and comes as 5 pieces: plate, bowl, cup, fork and spoon. All pieces are eco-friendly and made of 100% biodegradable bamboo fibre and the set is also BPA and Phthalate free!

If cows aren’t your thing (why not – how adorable is this set?!) then there are many more designs to choose from including a monkey, butterfly, hippo, giraffe, ladybird and many more!

If you head over to the @baby.bamba now there’s currently a giveaway to win your own set! Or if you use our code ”OTIS25” you can get a huge 25% off too!