lambandbear, Author at Lamb & Bear

August 24, 2014 by lambandbear 3 Comments

Baby boy haul – H&M

Well I did it again. I shopped for boys clothes. I don’t have a shopping problem, I promise. I don’t think I do anyway. Ah well, I didn’t spend much and I love what I got!

The H&M in our town has had a massive refurb. They now have an upstairs!! A month or so ago, they rearranged the downstairs and literally chopped the childrenswear department in half! Mostly the boys stuff. Yes, I was fuming, but to my surprise, the part they chopped away was being used for a new set of stairs, which lead up to the most amazing childrenswear department! Yipeeeee! (So glad I didn’t complain to head office now).

I could have bought everything. It was so nice to actually have a decent boys section in H&M for once. I didn’t buy everything. I only bought 3 things, but I love them so thought I’d share with you! I’m going to write a wish list of boys clothes too, so look out for that in the next few days if you like what I buy for Lamb.

Total outfit price £7.99

Trousers £5.99

Long sleeve top £3.99

H&M are currently doing an amazing promotion on tops/vests and trousers. Certain styles have a big, yellow label attached to tell you they are part of the offer. Both a top and bottom for £7.99! This actually only saves you £1.99, but that price is too good to miss! There was plenty to choose from, in both the baby and older boys sections. Luckily I can buy 18-24 months in the baby section, or 1.5-2 years in the boys section, giving me even more to choose from! It’s only recently I realised I could do this, so make sure you look in the older department if you little one is over 1! Make the most of the extra choice!

Trousers £5.99

If you read my last baby boy haul post, you’ll know I have a little obsession with printed trousers for Lamb. I’m always on the lookout for them. I found these yesterday and I love them. Lamb has a similar pair I bought a few months ago that are black and grey zebra print. In fact, I really wish I had bought them in the next size so he could carry on wearing them! For £5.99 they are an absolute bargain! I really wish they offered more prints, I would buy them all!

Hope you like my choices. Where is your fave place to buy baby clothes?

Alex xx

August 22, 2014 by lambandbear 1 Comment

Summer holiday with the GroCompany

Earlier this year we were given the opportunity to review products by the GroCompany, which was really exciting as we are huge fans of the brand.

We decided to review products ideal for our summer holiday, so we chose the 0.5 tog Travel GroBag, and the Gro Anywhere Blind. What amazing choices these were!

0.5 tog Travel GroBag

Our British Summer has been so amazing this year, I’ve been putting Lamb in his Summer GroBag at home, and it’s made our bedtime routine so much easier! I’ve always found Lamb sleeps better in a sleeping bag. We’ve used one since he was a few months old (they are suitable from 8lbs) as I found them so much safer than blankets; it really stopped me worrying. No matter what the weather is like, a sleeping bag always helps Lamb sleep through, as it helps regulate his body temperature.

So off we went to Devon. A long 6 hour drive. I was dreading the journey. Jaxson isn’t a baby anymore and doesn’t sleep as much in the car, so we prepared ourselves with plenty of snacks, juice and toys. We knew we would have to stop a few times for him to stretch his legs. To our surprise he was really well behaved! I think we only stopped twice. Once for breakfast, and once at Puxton Park, which is an amazing family farm and play area. I highly recommend a visit if you are in the west country.

As we were reviewing for our summer holiday, which was to a lovely holiday park in Devon, I chose the Sandcastle Bay design. What better than a holiday theme sleeping bag to take on a summer holiday! Staying in a caravan can be a little bit difficult with a baby or toddler. One minute it’s really hot, the next it’s freezing. The curtains are usually pretty thin, and the radiators aren’t great. So having the GroBag and Gro Anywhere Blind, really made bedtime much easier. I can honestly say they are 2 of my most recommended items to take on holiday, especially in a caravan!

I have never thought of using a sleeping bag during the day (other than for naps in the cot). The travel grobag offers the ability to fasten your little one into their pram safely, while also being zipped up in their GroBag. This was great for long walks on the beach, or in the countryside, when the weather was a bit cooler. We didn’t have to worry about lambs little legs getting cold, or more importantly, him kicking the blanket off onto the floor!

Features of the Travel GroBag

100% cotton – single layer.
Available up to the age of 6 years.
Chin guard over zip to prevent rubbing.
Easy access opening for use when travelling.
‘ZipClick’ cover to prevent little ones opening the zip.
Machine washable and suitable for tumble dryer on a low heat.

The Travel GroBag comes in it’s own matching carry bag, making it really easy to transport around when you’re out and about, as well as easy to store when it’s not in use. This made it so easy for me to take out with us each day while we were on holiday. It didn’t take up much room in the pram, or if I had limited storage space, I was able to hang it over the pram handle.

Gro Anywhere Blind

We have also spent all summer using our Travel GroBlind. This is 100% one of my most recommended products to have at home as well as on holiday. If, like us, you invested in a ‘blackout blind’, you will know that they are, in fact, not ‘blackout’. As soon as the clocks changed and the evenings became lighter, we really struggled to get Lamb to sleep at his normal bedtime. He went through a stage of thinking it was OK to stay up until 9pm. No, Lamb, it is not OK.

The Gro Anywhere Blind is really easy to put up. It has rubber suction cups that stick directly to the glass, ensuring no light will sneak in. What’s even better, the blind width can be reduced using the velcro attached, meaning holidays in a caravan (with small windows) can also benefit from the Gro Anywhere Blind.

Like the Travel GroBag, the Gro Anywhere Blind also comes in it’s own travel bag, which makes packing it into a suitcase that little bit easier. The blind is quite large, so it’s well worth folding up neatly and putting into it’s bag if you plan on taking it away with you.

Features of the Gro Anywhere Blind

Adapts to any window (up to a maximum of 130cm x 200cm).
Can be reduced in size to fit smaller windows.
Comes with it’s own travel bag.
Premium black out material.
New moons and stars design.

I literally use this every night in Lambs bedroom. I’m scared not to! Unfortunately for us, Lamb’s bedroom is south facing so is exposed to the sun from dawn until dusk, so a Gro Anywhere Blind is an absolute essential in his bedroom. Otherwise, we will have long nights ahead of us!

We have just booked our first holiday abroad, we are off to Spain in a few days, so both the Travel GroBag and Gro Anywhere Blind will be coming with us. I can’t imagine a holiday without them! In fact, I can’t imagine any bedtime without them, no matter where in the world we are!

Alex xx

To find out more about any of the GroComany products visit gro.co.uk or to purchase a product visit gro-store.co.uk.

We were sent these products free of charge in return for our honest opinion and review.

August 21, 2014 by lambandbear Leave a Comment

Summer Holiday Wish List

The last time we went on holiday abroad I conceived Jaxson! It’s been soooooooooo long! But holidays have not been a priority to us since Jaxson came along. We just couldn’t afford it. We recently sold our other property (after it being on the market for over 2 years!) so now have a little bit of money in the bank (it won’t last long, we have to pay for our wedding with it!) Daddy Lamb is being very kind and paying for us to go away for 5 nights at the end of the month. This will be Lambs first time on a plane, so we have decided to go on the shortest flight possible, so have opted for somewhere in Spain. Cheap and cheerful!

We haven’t decided what we are doing for our honeymoon yet, but if we do decide to go somewhere long haul, I think it’s a good idea to give Jaxson the experience of travelling on a plane before we stick him on one for 10 hours!

As it’s been so long since I was on holiday abroad my wardrobe is just not up to scratch. Plus, since being pregnant my body shape has changed (when I say body shape I mean my boobs have shrunk – a lot). So none of my bikinis or tops fit. My taste has also changed. Before Lamb I was more quirky and playful, but I have toned this down and have recently become more casual and sophisticated (with a hint of quirky of course).

I have decided to put together a little post of my summer holiday wish list, which will most likely be mainly from ASOS (Vicky and I are a tad addicted to ASOS).

1. After about 5 seconds of browsing on ASOS I stumbled across this winner. LOVE. This is exactly my taste as the moment. Sophisticated with a hint of quirky. Plus I’m obsessed with mix match prints. It retails at £50, which is a little pricey, but it’s something I can wear to work as well as on holiday, so I’ll definitely get a lot of use out of it The one issue I have with jumpsuits, is fitting them on my hips. I’m really pear shaped so I have to go up a size for my hips (most likely a 12), but then the top is way too big. So as much as I love this, I’ll have to wait and see what the fit is like before I buy it.

2. My next item is this amazing leopard print maxi dress. Everyone who knows me, knows I love animal prints, in particular, leopard print. It’s just such an easy print to wear and is really easy to accessorise. For a boho look just add a crochet kimono, plenty of bangles and gladiator sandals. Perfect summer look whether you’re on holiday or not!

If I buy this, maybe I should throw away the 3 others I have? Do I really need 4 leopard print maxi dresses?? Errrrr…. yeah!!

3. A pair of denim shorts is an absolute essential for a summer holiday. It’s taken me a while to get the courage to buy myself a pair this summer, but I lost the baby weight and feel like it’s time I got some. These are exactly what I want. Love the ripped detailing and fringed edges.

4. I’ve got a slight obsession with unicorns at the mo, and luckily for me, so do ASOS! SO I’ve snapped up this winning tee perfect for chucking on when my shoulders are burning (which they will be, I’m an English rose!)

4. I absolutely love these sandals. Don’t really need to sell them to you. They sell themselves. Perfect for holidays, days out, work, home, wherever, as long as it’s sunny!

5. OMG. This is my favourite find. What an amazing bikini! This is literally perfect for me. Combines 2 of my fave trends. Black & white and neon.

6. What’s even more exciting, I’ve found the perfect cover up. A bright white crochet, waterfall cardigan. Mixing trends is huge right now. Wear this over the bright zig-zag bikini to combine graphic print with boho chic. Love it.

7. I’m not a huge jewellry girl. I like jewelry, but I’m a bit lazy with it. I find something Ilike and wear it to death. So I’ll probably only take one set of bracelts with me, to finish off my looks with a bit of bling. I love these mixed bracelets because they offer something for all of my looks. I can mix and match, wear one or wear all of them. Plus theres a bit of neon in there. Have you noticed I like a bit of neon? 😉

8. To finish off my summer holiday wish list, I need the perfect beach bag. Now my holidays include a toddler, there’s loads more stuff to take. This one from Wildfox is exactly what I need. Big and spacious with a zip fastening so I don’t lose any valuables (or so Little Lamb can’t steal them), and the colourings work perfectly with the rest of my wish list.

So where are we off to?

We have just booked a 5 night All Inclusive holiday to Costa Del Sol and I can’t wait!! Now to order everything on my wish list…

This blog post is my entry for The Blogger’s Lounge and Eurobreakdown.com “Tell us what’s in your suitcase this summer” competition.

I’ve got my fingers crossed!! Wish me luck.

Alex xx

August 20, 2014 by lambandbear 4 Comments

A little haul for a little boy – ZARA

If you follow our blog, you will know I work in fashion. More specifically in design. So I can get a tad obsessed with buying Lamb clothes. As it’s been so hot, I’ve given my bank balance a break from spending as he’s been living in vests, T-shirts and shorts, and rompers. But it’s nearly the end of the summer and Lamb is approaching 18 months, so he’s almost ready for the next size of clothes.

I love Autumn fashion. I love the colours, the fabrics, the layering. Now Lamb is a little boy, not a baby, I can put a lot more effort into styling his outfits. This isn’t going to be healthy for my bank balance (the teeny tiny bank balance I have). I don’t care though. I love clothes, I design clothes, I enjoy buying clothes! And I really love buying clothes for my little man. (I feel like Isla Fisher right now. Shopaholic’s Anonymous comes to mind).

This week I got the urge to buy Lamb new clothes, in particularly from Zara. I love their boys clothes. There’s not a lot of places that I LOVE their boys clothes, but Zara, do amazing boys clothes.

Not only do I love clothes, but I’m a sucker for the packaging they come in. Zara put so much effort into the appearance of what their customers receive. I haven’t ordered from there in a while, and was happily surprised to receive such a well design box. This makes the shopping experience that little bit better.

Who want’s to see what I bought? Well here it is…

T-shirt £6.99, Printed Trousers £6.99

Printed Leggings £6.99

Sweatshirt & Joggers £14.99

I’ve got a huge obsession with printed leggings at the mo. Lamb looks so cool in them. I’ve also got a huge obsession with contemporary but quirky prints. Zara is one of the only places that offer both of these at such a good price. There’s so much more I wanted to buy, but gave myself a £40 limit. Tough, but I managed to stay within budget.

So I love what I bought, but did the little man himself approve? Let’s see…

Yep, looks like he approves!

What do you think? I’d love to know if there’s anywhere else that sell printed leggings for boys!

August 14, 2014 by lambandbear 4 Comments

Lamb’s first trip to London

This week we took Lamb to London for the first time. I know, you’re probably thinking i’m mad, but it really wasn’t that bad. I did a little research before going. Kerry over at Oh So Amelia has a couple of useful posts on trips to London, and these really put my mind to rest about the trip.

We decided to drive to Blackhorse Road tube station and park (which only costs £5 for the whole day!) Living in Essex gives me the option of either driving, or getting a train, both taking around 1 hour, so we have really easy access to the capital.

We left around 8:15am which didn’t feel too early at all. Little Lamb even managed a little nap in the car, which meant he wouldn’t be grizzly when we arrived. Phew.

Lambs first time on a tube was perfect. He wasn’t scared at all. We really thought the noises might freak him out a bit, but all he did was wave as the tubes left the platform! So cute!

The reason for going to London wasn’t for a day out, we were actually heading to the Passport Office to fast track Jaxson’s first passport! But decided to make a day of it and have a family day out. While we were waiting for our appointment we let Jaxson run around in Grosvenor Gardens, which he loved. Although, he has no sense of personal space and decided to run around all the people napping in the park. I still can’t believe he didn’t wake anyone up!

My first tip would be to make sure you have plenty of snacks and drinks with you. We had around an hour to wait for our appointment, plus while Joe was at the Passport Office, Jax and I had to wait around as only one person could be in the meeting. We took with us Organix Oaty Bars (these are Jaxson’s fave), cheese straws and crackers, raisins and dry cereal. Sounds appetising doesn’t it, but my fussy toddler won’t eat anything else! We also made sure we had plenty of water and as a treat we let Jaxson have a Fruit Shoot.

While we were waiting for Daddy, I found the time to do a little shopping! Bliss!

For lunch we only had one place in mind. The Hard Rock Cafe! Joe and I have a tradition of eating there whenever we are in a city with one, anywhere in the world. So far we have been to London (a handful of times), New York (twice), Phuket, Barcelona, and Gran Canaria. Not that many but we are aiming to tick a few more off the list! We were so excited to take Jaxson there for the first time, especially as he’s recently got into dancing when he hears music!

After lunch we headed over to Hyde Park (opposite The Hard Rock Cafe), to let Lamb run around some more. We had a lovely walk in the sunshine and took some lovely photographs of our afternoon. We thought about taking him to the aquarium, or the zoo, but we didn’t need to. He was more than happy playing in the park, and didn’t need dragging around on the tubes anymore (plus mummy and daddy were exhausted by this point!)

We didn’t take many toys with us to keep Lamb occupied. We knew one of us would be carrying Jaxson, and the other would carry the pram on the tubes, so took as little as possible. Luckily we have an amazing buggy which folds really easy. The Baby Jogger City Mini. I highly recommend this buggy (so would mummy bear). Although, it is quite heavy, but this isn’t a problem for me. If you travel on public transport regularly with your little one then you may want something much more lightweight, especially if you are on your own.

Overall, we had an amazing time in London. Jaxson was really well behaved (apart from the times when he refused to hold our hand when walking around). He didn’t fuss on the tubes, in the restaurant, or most importantly while I was shopping! I just wish we had more time to take him to some of the bigger attractions, like the London Eye, or The Natural History Museum. But as our trip was so successful, I know we can start taking him more regularly.