Project B Pregnancy Box Review - Month 7

 

Inside my Project B pregnancy box

Who doesn't love getting parcels through the post? It certainly makes a nice change than receiving bills or junk mail!

Since the launch of subscription beauty boxes a few years ago, the concept of receiving a box of products in the post has grown in popularity.  These days subscription boxes are not just aimed at the beauty industry; food boxes are also popular and now you can receive pregnancy and baby boxes for the parenting market too.

Project B Box

I was really excited to review a pregnancy box by Project-B. It is a monthly subscription box of wellbeing goodies designed to nurture mothers-to-be through their pregnancy journey. Working with some of the UK’s leading mother and baby brands and industry experts, each Project-B box is tailored to a specific month of pregnancy with handy products, useful tips and information for expectant mummys.  

I love how Project B’s subscription box is all about making sure that the mothers-to-be takes some time for herself. In this month’s subscription box, month 7, the theme is “relax”, designed to encourage periods of rest and induce feelings of relaxation during pregnancy. I couldn't think of a better time to start my subscription with Project-B as now I’m in the third trimester, finding ways and methods to relax is exactly what I need!

This month’s box includes a hypnobirthing book, alcohol free wine, special offer on a children’s décor and toy website, feeding cup and a beauty balm.  Some of my favourite items include the following:

"Why Hypnobirthing Matters" by Katrina Berry

Why Hypnobirthing Matters by Katrina Berry

Hypnobirthing is a method of birth preparation using a series of simple but effective techniques that can facilitate a calm and natural birth. In this book, Why Hypnobirthing Matters, author Katrina Berry looks at the origins and rationale for using hypnosis for childbirth.  If you’re looking for bite-sized information on hypnobirthing, this is a great little book as it explains what you can expect from hypnobirthing and dispels the common misunderstandings, all in a lively informative way. As let’s face it, anything with humour makes things much easier to deal with especially when it comes to pregnancy and labour!

Eisberg alcohol-free wine

Eisberg alcohol-free wine

When I saw that Eisberg alcohol free wine was included in this month’s box I was thrilled! Just because you’re pregnant doesn’t mean boring soft drinks are the only beverages on offer when you’re out and about. Eisberg is made in the same way as your favourite wine, the alcohol in Eisberg is gently removed using one of the world’s most advanced techniques to ensure that the original flavours of the wine are kept in tact. The result? Alcohol free wine containing less than 0.005% alcohol, 34 calories per 125ml glass and the real flavour of the wine taste that you know and love! Best of all, Eisberg is available in Chardonnay, Riesling, Rose and Cabernet Sauvignon so there’s a range of choice on offer.

Dr. Lipp’s “Original nipple balm for lips”

Dr Lipp’s Original Nipple Balm for Lips is a 100% natural miracle balm. A favourite with celebrity make up artists, nursing mothers and pharmacologists, this balm for lips is best used every day for soft glossy lips or as a treatment for dry, rough, sore or itchy skin.

Ivy Cabin website offer

Ivy Cabin special offer

Ivy Cabin is a new online store selling quality toys, décor and accessories for children. Their concept is simple, they want to showcase only the best products making online shopping experience as enjoyable and exciting as possible. In this month’s box, you get 10% off your order.

Useful tips and advice from industry experts

As well as all these fab products, this month’s box also includes information from industry expert’s who give useful and independent tips and advice on pregnancy. This month, midwife and health professional Nikki Holdsworth offers advice on eating well with recipes on how to cook chicken nuggets with an option for vegetarians too. There is information on what to expect from month 7 of pregnancy (weeks 25-29), tips on staying active by taking up yoga and other forms of relaxation techniques and what to buy for baby.

You can buy Project-B box as a one off gift, £14.99 or have it as a regular treat and sign up for a subscription, £14.99 per month. Mums-to-be can join the service at any point during their pregnancy and you only pay for the boxes you receive.

I loved receiving my box and looking forward to what surprises will be in next month’s box too.  To find out more about Project B, or to subscribe yourself or for a friend click here. To visit their website www.project-b.com

*Disclaimer: The products featured were gifted to me for review however all words and opinions are my own*

Pregnancy journal review

Pregnancy journal - BaeTheLabel

Polaroid camera - Amazon

Plant - Gift

A few months ago I came across a beautiful pregnancy journal from Australian store Bae The Label.

The stylish pregnancy journal is a great way to document your journey and store all your keepsakes like ultrasound photos and week by week bump pics which I have been doing using polaroid images as they're the perfect fit for the journal.

The journal is a compact in size and small enough to go in your handbag (12.5cm x 18.5cm) but sturdy with a vinyl hard cover and a ribbon bookmark.

The modern design is the biggest draw for this pregnancy journal.  Unlike some pregnancy journals with baby pink and blue pastel colours, the beautiful black and white striped cover with gold text really sets it apart.   The 110 interior pages are beautiful as well, containing a weekly diary of your entire pregnancy from week one, all the way up to week 40. 

What I love best about the journal is its inspirational quotes and light-hearted and fun writing prompts like: "The ultrasound shows it's a...", "Hooray, half way!" or "You move the most at..." I also love how each week, you get a sense of your baby's approximate length and weight from conception to birth with comparisons to fruit and vegetables. For example, at 27 weeks, your baby is the size of a cauliflower - really sweet!

This pregnancy journal is a true, modern keepsake and an ideal gift for mothers-to-be. It's lovely reading through the journal and reflecting on my pregnancy journey so far and I would definitely recommend to other first time mothers too!

Bae The Label ships worldwide - buy your pregnancy journal here.

Easter Break in Provence & Maternity Swimwear

Easter break in Provence

The first day back from Easter holidays is always a bit glum, especially when you've spent the last two weeks in the sunny South of France and return to cold and wet London.

It was lovely to get away, visit family, relax beside the pool and of course indulge in lots of easter eggs too! 

With temperatures reaching up to 22 degrees in Provence, it was time to update my spring wardrobe but this time I was on the hunt for maternity wear. I needed the perfect swimsuit that was both stylish and would compliment by bump and I came across this fab maternity swimsuit from ASOS by Mama.Licious.

Maternity swimwear - ASOS

Maternity shorts - Old Navy

Hat - New Look

Who says swimwear has to be boring when you're pregnant? Not me! I loved this playful black and white geo print which is super flattering for mums-to-be. Plus most importantly, it's very comfortable too, with an empire line tie and stylish cut out back.  

If you're after more styles in different colours, then I'd recommend checking out the ASOS maternity collection - they have a wide range of maternity swimwear that's both stylish and comfortable and purse friendly too!

Remescar Silicone Stretch Marks Scar Cream Review

Remescar Silicone Stretch Marks Scar Cream 

For many women, stretchmarks are part of being pregnant and it’s inevitable at some point before, during or after your pregnancy, you’ll get them. Even though we’re told to love our flaws, stretchmarks are not pretty!

When you think about how quickly your skin expands during pregnancy, it’s not surprising that most of us get stretch marks. They can appear anywhere on your body but during pregnancy they usually appear on your tummy, upper thighs and breasts as your pregnancy progresses.

Using a good stretchmark cream during your pregnancy will help prevent too many appearing, and after pregnancy they will help your skin repair and heal. Which is why I was keen to try Remescar Silicone Stretch Marks Scar Cream.

Remescar is a light scar and stretch mark cream that's silicone based which improves and corrects all types of stretch marks. According to a clinical study, it showed that it reduces up to 50% of stretch marks severity on stomach, hips and legs in just 28 days*. 

I've been using Remescar for a few weeks and following the instructions, I applied after bathing to dry skin and massaged the cream in until it completely absorbed, twice a day. I made sure not to rub it too hard as this does not increase the effectiveness.

The cream is white coloured with a soft texture and absorbs into the skin very smoothly. I love how it rubs in and blends well so you aren’t left with those white cream marks you get when a product doesn’t rub in smoothly. This can be incredibly annoying, especially on dark skin. The cream dries quickly leaving my skin feeling soft and moisturised and not too sticky and greasy unlike some thicker based creams.  The scent is clean and fresh too, so not too overwhelming, and stays on the skin for some time after application.

So does it prevent stretch marks? It’s hard to tell! Remescar is best used twice a day for 2 to 3 months and as a preventive measure mothers to be are asked to use from the second month of pregnancy, or on existing stretchmarks for 3 months.

I’ve been using Remescar cream for just over three weeks, so clearly not long enough to see the results - yet. But so far my skin looks and feels moisturised so I would agree with it’s description, that is moisturises the skin, but as far as a decrease in the severity of stretchmarks, only time will tell.

In my opinion, the Remescar stretch mark cream is worth buying for first time mums, like me, who want to protect their skin during pregnancy.  This would also be a great product to give to an expectant mother to rub on their bump as it is full of natural and organic ingredients, smells good and moisturises the skin well.

You can buy Remescar from Boots here.

*The most frequent score, based on the global evaluation of the panel according to a clinical 4-point scoring assessment of number, size and colour. For more information read here.  **Disclaimer: The products featured were gifted to me for review however all words and opinions are my own*

Zoe's Ghana Kitchen Review

My favourite meal of the evening!

This week I attended a Grub Club supper club event called Zoe‘s Ghana Kitchen, a Ghanaian pop-up restaurant in South London. I’m always on the look out for chefs who specialise in African cuisine so when I heard Zoe Adjonyoh was cooking up a storm in a kitchen at Pop Brixton, South London’s newest foodie place, I knew I had to visit her supper club and try these culinary delights I’ve read so much about myself.

Zoe promises guests will “eat good home cooked Ghanaian food in an intimate restaurant setting”. Her slogan is "It's #ghanabetasty" so I had high expectations of the night ahead.

Selection of drinks on offer for the evening

Firstly, Zoe introduced herself, her vision behind Zoe's Ghana Kitchen and gave an outline of the evening ahead. She explained about the drinks on offer: a selection of Ghanaian Beer, red or white wine and for the non-drinkers, CoCa Cola and Schweppes. What makes these fizzy drinks “African” apart from being sold in Ghana? Well, African fizzy drinks are known for having a slightly different taste, mainly being, super sweet, and having a sweet tooth I was very pleased with the drinks on offer!

My drink for the evening

Then we were served our starters for the evening, okra fries & crispy kale. Okra is traditionally used in West African dishes as a stew served with meat and accompanied with ground cassava, but Zoe gave a different spin to this by slicing and deep-frying the Okra in a light batter to turn them into crisps – certainly different but ever so tasty!

Okra fries

Crispy kale

We then had bambara bean stew - (Aboiboi) with spiced plantain pancakes which makes a good veggie dish followed by my favourite dish of the evening: the grilled lamb cutlets with spiced peanut sauce (Nkatenkwan) served with a portion of tasty rice and beans (Waakye). The lamb was incredibly succulent, very tender and soft and served with the groundnut sauce (a spicy peanut sauce) it was the perfect addition to this dish.

Bambara bean stew (Aboiboi) with spiced plantain pancakes

Grilled lamb cutlets with spiced peanut sauce (Nkatenkwan) 

Rice and beans (Waakye)

Finally, the supper club ended with a delicious dessert, Chin Chin Banoffee Pie. Chin Chin is an African baked biscuit usually eaten as a snack however Zoe used this famous African biscuit as the base for the Banoffee Pie and it tasted delicious!

Chin Chin Banoffee Pie

Overall, I really enjoyed the food at Zoe's Ghana Kitchen. I was intrigued to see how Zoe would serve traditional West African food and I loved how creative she was with her dishes, like changing the way Okra is traditionally used and turning them into crispy Okra fries. It could easily have not worked, but it really does!  It was also refreshing to see nearly all the dishes on the menu were vegetarian, gluten free or both, proving that contemporary African food can be both tasty and healthy too.

Zoe (left) hard at work

Zoe’s way of serving traditional West African food with a contemporary twist is a great way to showcase just how delicious Ghanaian food is. So if you're looking to try some tasty Ghanaian favourites with a modern twist be sure to check out Zoe's Ghana Kitchen, you won't be disappointed.

Book tickets to the next supper club at Zoe's Ghana Kitchen here.

Mother’s Day Gift Guide for Every Type of Mum

This year, Mother’s Day falls on Sunday 6th March and with the special day fast approaching, it's time to pick a gift that will make it one to remember.

Whether you’re spoiling your mum rotten with a really indulgent gift, or looking for something unique and personalised, visit BuyAGift.com for ideas and inspiration. With over 5,000 gifts to choose from BuyAGift.com have something for every type of Mum covered. Here are some of my favourites:

Champneys spa treat

For Mum’s that love pampering…

Show your mum her how much you care and treat her to a pampering day at a luxury spa.  Let her unwind and relax with a spa experiences that are sure to make her look and feel gorgeous at Champneys. Start the day with a breakfast refreshment, before enjoying a 25 minute treatment each of your choice. Choose between treatments like the Champneys Massage, Champneys Body Wrap, Head in the Clouds shoulder, neck and head massage, or the Champneys Facial. Whichever one you pick will sure to leave you and Mum feeling relaxed and refreshed! Then finish the day with a healthy three course lunch each.

Champneys Luxury Spa Day with Breakfast, Lunch and Treatment for Two

Was £188, Now £135

Memorable Mini Break gift

For Mum’s that like to get away….

Every mum deserves a break from time to time so why not treat your mother to an overnight spa break?

BuyAGift.com has a range of over 150 memorable minibreaks on offer. Choose from city getaways, seaside retreats or rural escapes to the countryside - you’ll find something for every type of mum. Select memorable minibreaks and then at point of purchase you will have the option to choose either a gift box or an e-voucher.

Memorable Minibreak -Smartbox by Buyagift, £69.99

Afternoon tea at Harrods

For Mum’s that like to lunch…

Allow her to relax in charming surroundings with afternoon tea for two at Harrods’ Georgian Restaurant. Your Mum will be treated like royalty from the moment she enters with this exceptional afternoon tea for two. You’ll both be served a quintessentially British treat accompanied by unlimited loose-leaf tea of your choice. Harrods' menu includes some of the finest teas from around the world, a wonderful treat for a Mum that loves her tea!

Afternoon Tea for Two at Harrods' Georgian Restaurant, £88

View from the Shard

For Mums that love sight-seeing…

Treat your mum to a visit to The View from The Shard and enjoy breath-taking 360 degree views of the capital for up to 40 miles around. Once you have captured those fantastic landmarks and sights, take a short walk to the famous Borough Market where you will enjoy a divine afternoon tea for two at Hotel Chocolat’s Rabot 1745.

Visit to The View from The Shard and Afternoon Tea at Hotel Chocolat for Two, £109

Vineyard tour

For Mums that like a tipple…

This Mother's Day, swap a bottle of wine for a vineyard tour and give your mum an unforgettable experience, discovering the beauty and elegance of English wines. An expert guide will take you both to the winery where you will be navigated through the wine-making method. Then the best bit, sampling the vineyard’s wines, before being treated to a delicious lunch or indulgent afternoon tea. This experience is available at five locations five locations across England.

Vineyard Tour andTasting with Lunch or Afternoon Tea for Two Special Offer, £49

For the chocolate-loving Mums…

Make it the tastiest way to tell your Mum you love her and treat her to a box of 33 delicious truffles. Want to make it extra special? Then add a message of your choice! Messages can be personalised with beautifully written icing lettering on each of the individual chocolates. A gift that’s sure to make her smile.

Thorntons PersonalisedTruffles - 33 Chocolate Box, £20

Personalised trowel and fork gardening set

For the green fingered Mums…

If your Mum is mad about gardening, then get her a gift that she’ll really ‘dig’ like this fork and trowel set. Armed with all her unique tools for her to get the garden the envy of all her neighbours, this gardening set is ready to tackle any job that needs doing. Personalise it with your mum’s name or a message of your choice to make it even more special.

Personalised Trowel and Fork Set, £19.99

For mum’s that like to bake…

If your mum is a fan of baking or can give Nigella a run for her money in the kitchen, why not get her a stylish apron crowning her “Queen of the Kitchen”? You can personalise the apron as you wish and add any name, nickname or message to put a smile on her face.

Personalised Queen ofthe Kitchen Apron, £24.99

Whatever you are looking for, from afternoon tea to spa breaks or personalised unique gifts, BuyAGift.com has plenty of gifts to choose from!. For more inspiration on ideal Mother's Day gifts visit www.buyagift.com.

Pregnancy Announcement

We are expecting!

I wanted to officially announce our big news, we are expecting! Baby DoYouNoah is coming Summer 2016 :-)

Stay tuned for more updates as I share this journey on my blog. I will post about pregnancy, parenting and more, so if you haven't already, make sure to subscribe under "subscribe via email", on the right hand side, to get all the latest updates.

Newton's Appl Fizzics Review

Newton’s Appl Fizzics

As February draws to a close and with Spring fast approaching, we’re now entering the full flow of wedding season which has got me thinking about the two weddings I’ve been invited to this Summer.

Weddings are well known for the over flow of alcohol and I’m yet to attend an alcohol free wedding. But what if you were planning a dry wedding because of personal preference or wanted to have a selection of non-alcoholic drinks for pregnant guests, someone’s religious beliefs or perhaps for the designated drivers?

Well there are more options than just orange juice, lemonade and water! Like Newton’s Appl Fizzics, a new apple drink with a healthy twist.

Newton’s Appl Fizzics is packaged in a glass bottle just like cider, even I was fooled into thinking this was an alcoholic drink. But on closer inspection it reveals the soft drink is in fact completely natural blend of apple juice and sparkling water with no added sugar, artificial ingredients or preservatives.

The juice drink has been inspired by Sir Isaac’s Newton's discovery of gravity – when he spotted an apple falling to the ground - and is named and produced in the UK by Newton ’s appl fizzics’ own ‘fizzicians’. What’s more, it contains no E numbers, hence no ‘e’ in the appl of appl fizzics!

So how does it taste? While it’s made from concentrate, I love that this juice drink isn’t too sweet but still has a tasty but refreshing flavour. Plus it’s much healthier than just apple juice on its own.  Newton’s Appl Fizzics contains approximately 40% less sugar than apple juice so this makes it the ideal soft drink not just adults but for children too.

A great choice for non-alcoholic drink at a wedding 

So if you’re planning on serving soft drinks at your wedding this year here are some of my top tips:

• Not just children who don't drink alcohol! Around up to 30% of guests won’t be drinking at weddings this year so remember it’s not just children who will want soft drinks, Remember to think of designated drivers, those with religious beliefs, pregnant friends or guests who just want to go alcohol free for the day. 
• Presentation is everything - Serve your non-alcoholic drinks, like Newton ’s appl fizzics, in champagne flutes to help your non-drinking guests feel super special.
• Dress up your non-alcoholic drinks: Having a rustic themed wedding? Then fill a wheelbarrow with ice and place your soft drinks in it. Decorate with flowers, ribbons and a blackboard to finish off the rustic look
• Don't forget accessories: Add small but cute accessories like vintage straws to glasses that match your wedding colours to add a bit of fun to the non-alcoholic drinks.

Newton’s Appl Fizzics is available from Amazon.co.uk, Harrods and independent grocers, farm shops and delis. 330ml bottles RRP of £1.29 and £2.49 for 750ml. 

*Disclaimer: The products featured were gifted to me for review however all words and opinions are my own*