Lamb & Bear

Brand & Blog

by

What’s In My Hospital Bag? For Baby…

baby hospital bag pinI’ve finally finished packing my hospital bag for baby boy. Well, it was packed last week for our holiday in Butlins, but I kind of rushed it. I’ve now gone through everything again and I’m happy with what’s packed and won’t be opening it again until we are in the hospital, unless I triple check everything again which is quite likely!

baby hospital bag collage 1The bag I am using for baby is from toTs by smarTrike Voyage in dark grey melange which I’ve been sent to review. So far I genuinely love this bag. It’s so spacious and light weight and has the perfect amount of pockets and compartments to keep everything organised. I honestly really love this bag and definitely recommend it (from first impressions of course, I haven’t taken it out and about yet).

There are a few features which I love.

  1. The bag doubles up as a rucksack (perfect for hubby to help carry!)
  2. It’s lightweight.
  3. It comes with a very compact changing mat that doesn’t take up much space in the bag.
  4. It comes with a pull out smaller bag ideal for keeping essentials you need easy access to (I haven’t used this for the hospital).
  5. There is a pocket either side to hold bottles meaning they don’t take up space inside.

I’ll be reviewing this bag again once I’ve used it properly but really wanted to share my initial thoughts with you as I really am impressed with this changing bag.

Now let’s move on to the exciting stuff… what am I taking for baby?!

baby hospital bag vestsbaby hospital bag sleepsuitsbaby hospital bag trousersbaby hospital bag extrasbaby hospital bag toiletriesBaby’s Hospital Bag Checklist

  1. 2 first size long sleeve vests
  2. 2 newborn long sleeve vests
  3. 2 first size short sleeve vests
  4. 2 newborn short sleeve vests
  5. 2 first size sleepsuits
  6. 3 newborn sleepsuits
  7. 2 pairs of trousers
  8. 2 pairs of socks
  9. 3 pairs of mitts
  10. 1 hat
  11. 2 cardigans
  12. 2 large muslins/swaddles
  13. 1 peter rabbit comforter
  14. 23 size 1 nappies
  15. 1 pack of water wipes
  16. 1 pack of nappy bags
  17. 1 pramsuit/all in one (not photographed)
  18. 1 blanket (not photographed)

A lot of the clothes I have packed were Lambs when he was a baby, I managed to keep a lot of newborn clothes look pretty new!

The items which you can buy if you’re interested I’ll list below.

  1. Yellow/white cloud/stripe vests are from The Essential One.
  2. Grey/blue elephant print sleepsuit is from Sainsburys.
  3. Daddy & Me giraffe sleepsuit is from Next.
  4. Barcode sleepsuit is from Next.
  5. Yellow/white cloud/stripe sleepsuits are from The Essential One.
  6. Peter Rabbit comforter is from Marks & Spencers.
  7. Grey/white muslins swaddles are from toTs by SmarTrike.

If you are packing your hospital bags soon then I hope you found this post useful. If you think I’ve missed anything then please let me know! I’ll be taking a pram suit and blanket for him too.

Please note, I have packed this bag with the intention of staying in hospital at least one night. I had to stay in 2 nights with Lamb due to him not latching and this time I’m a carrier of strep b so we both need checks and to be monitored after he is born, so my guess is I’ll be in 24 hours.

Look out for my hospital bag checklist for my bag coming soon.

Ax

by

A-Z Blogger Challenge – N is for Netflix

Netflix has been a family friend for a while now. I would say Netflix is watched at some point in our house almost every day, whether that’s on the TV, iPad or iPhone.

As life is about to get a bit hectic with the arrival of baby number 2 approaching, I think Netflix is going to become a family member rather than just a family friend!

I won’t have time to keep Lamb occupied when I’m feeding/changing/cuddling baby boy, so if he’s after a bit of down time then he will be picking something from the Kids section on Netflix for when we are at home and a bit stuck for something to do.

Night feeds will mean mummy has lots of time to watch things, and this is what I’ll do to keep my eyes open! I’m sure Daddy will end up with a playlist too for those nights when Im in bed when the baby is.

Here’s what’s on our playlists.

Mummy’s Playlist

  1. Once Upon a Time – I’ve already watched most of this, but I don’t think I will be finished before baby arrives so this is first on my list to watch during night feeds.
  2. Absolutely Fabulous –  this is one of my favourite shows ever and I’m so excited it’s now available on Netflix!
  3. Pretty Little Liars – I’ve heard this is amazing so it’s on my list for things to watch during those pesky night feeds.
  4. Mr Selfridge – I never got round to watching this when it was on TV, to be honest we are too busy watching Netflix so always miss good TV shows.
  5. Dexter – I watched this ages ago and got to season 6 (I think!) so I want to catch up as there are now 8 seasons to watch on Netflix. This might have to be a nursery day watch so I don’t get too scared at night!

Lambs Playlist

  1. Kong: King of the Apes – Lamb has just started watching this and is really enjoying it, so I’m sure he will be watching it on our sofa snuggle days.
  2. Teenage Mutant Ninga Turtles – Lambs new obsession!
  3. Peppa Pig – I don’t know why but Lamb is loving Peppa Pig at the moment. I’m sure he will be watching this over and over during TV time.
  4. Avengers Assemble – I can’t tell you how many times we have watched this movie! My little Avengers loving 3 year old would watch it every day if I let him!
  5. Frozen – He loved this movie when he was younger, but has recently started watching it again, and as I like it too I’m happy for him to watch it during our days at home together.

So that’s what we will be watching in the near future. Do you have any recommendations for myself or Lamb?

Ax

by

Work From Home Mum – HP Instant Ink

instant ink pinI was recently introduced to a new service from HP – the Instant Ink replacement service. As a work from home mum this service is invaluable to me and certainly something I’ll be looking at setting up in the near future.

The service is really straightforward. You basically buy yourself an eligible HP printer, then set up a monthly plan based on how many sheets of paper you print a month. The printer then automatically orders the ink you need before you run out so you are never short of ink.

As I run my children’s clothing brand from home, I need to print fairly often – invoices and shipping forms etc. I also have a 3 year old that is obsessed with me printing Avengers colouring pages for him to paint, so I can often get caught out with low ink and none in the house to replace. It’s not always easy to get to a shop that sells ink, especially as I’m 37 weeks pregnant and have a 3 year old to drag along! It’s going to be even more difficult once baby number 2 arrives. I know I can buy online, but I’m so forgetful, there has been a few times where I’ve been without ink and had to wait for it to be delivered.

This is definitely a service that would be really helpful to a work at home mum like me, and what’s even better is you can save up to 70% on your ink by using this service!

Take a look at the video below for more information on the HP Instant Ink Replacement Service.

Ax

*Collaborative Post

by

A-Z Blogger Challenge – M is for Morning Routine

morning routine pinIs anyone else awful at morning routines? If I have plans I’m always late, if I don’t I stay in my pyjamas for hours.

I just can’t get it right.

Inside I’m slightly panicky at the thought of getting out of the house early when baby number 2 arrives. If I struggle with one, how will I cope with two?! I know I’ll just have to set a routine. There’s no other way around it. Of course, if we are having a lazy day, I’ll let myself off and be a little less strict, but on days where Lamb is at nursery I know it’s going to be difficult for me.

For example, I’m currently sat in my pjs and dressing gown, laptop on my lap (obviously), snuggled next to Lamb under a duvet. It’s almost 9am.

Does that make me a slob?

I am heavily pregnant of course so that gives me an excuse, but I really should be dressed by now shouldn’t I.

I was worried this would happen when I was made redundant. I was worried I would get lazier and lazier. I’m not worried about Lamb getting bored as he goes to his Grandmas once a week and nursery 2 days a week. So there’s only 2 days a week where it’s just us. Daddy is home at weekends of course.

I’m really going to have to organise myself when baby number 2 arrives.

Mornings, mealtimes, mess. All of it needs to be a priority.

As Lamb likes late nights he’s rarely up early. This morning was an exception and he was up at 6:40am, but in his defence his Gro Clock is set to ‘wake up’ at 6:30am, so he’s well within his rights of getting up that early. I think it’s time to change it to 7am. He’s normally up after 7 which is really reasonable for a 3 year old.

Of course when baby number 2 arrives I’m going to be up through the night feeding and will most likely be up much earlier than Lamb. But maybe this is ideal for getting up and dressed before he wakes?

When my husband started his new job he had to get up early and some mornings I would get up with him and shower and get dressed before Lamb had even stirred. It also did wonders for my mood that day. I felt so much more positive and awake when I was up and ready by 7/8am.

I’ve got to get back into this routine.

I’ve been thinking about the things I can do when baby number 2 arrives to try and make my mornings/days a little easier.

  1. Set an alarm for 6am and wake up before Lamb. Of course my alarm may be the baby, but until he’s here I have no idea when his feeds will be so will adapt this around him. But basically I need to get up and dressed before Lamb wakes up at 7ish.
  2. Try get my hair and make up done before Lamb wakes up. I had got into this habit last year but since being made redundant I’ve got a little lazier and need to get back into the routine of putting make up on early. This also wakes me up and helps me feel more human!
  3. Have the boys clothes out the night before so I’m not running around looking for socks and pants and making us late for the school run or anywhere els ew need to be.
  4. Dress Lamb before he goes downstairs. Normally we head down for breakfast and snuggle in our pjs for an hour and I dress him downstairs, but going forward I will try to dress him in his bedroom as soon as he’s up.
  5. Breakfast is obviously difficult as Lamb doesn’t eat much and it’s not a priority to him, but I will make sure I give him a bowl of cereal to nibble on even if he doesn’t want it. I’ll put it on his table, tell him it’s there and at least I don’t have to worry about it later.
  6. If it’s a day where I’m at home all day with the boys I want to get dinner sorted in the morning as I know I’ll be exhausted by the end of the day. The slow cooker will most like become my best friend (although we are already pals anyway 😉 ) When baby is napping I will prep dinner and chuck it in the slow cooker. My favourite thing to make is a thai curry, you literally put chicken, veg and coconut milk in with a bit of curry paste and boom, you have a delicious curry for dinner.
  7. When Lamb was a baby I found my Pink Lining Mini Yummy Mummy Bag so useful for nappy changes at home, especially as it comes with a small changing mat folded up inside. I always made sure it was full of nappies, wipes, nappy bags and nappy cream and had it close by. That way I could change baby wherever I was in the house. We won’t have a changing table in the nursery this time as it doesn’t fit with Lambs bunk bed and the cot in there, so nappy changes will be on a mat on the floor/sofa/bed.

I think by adding these points to my morning routine I may be able to be a little more organised. Obviously in the early days I’ll be resting after giving birth and getting used to feeding etc, but once Daddy is back at work I’ll have to be in some sort of routine.

I’d love to hear of any other tips you have to help me with my morning routine when baby number 2 arrives!

Ax

by

My Dream Nursery For Baby Number 2

baby boy nursery pinHaving a small 2 bedroom house means baby number 2 will be squeezing into Lambs bedroom, the poor guy won’t be blessed with his own room. Lamb has upgraded to a mid sleeper cabin bed and will be giving his cotbed to his little brother. They will be sharing drawers and wardrobe space, and I’m sure some of their clothes will end up in my room.

I’ve had to think long and hard about how I’ll fit baby number 2’s things into the nursery. We’ve done some rearranging and come up with a couple of solutions.

For example, our hallway has a chimney breast so we have put Lambs tallboy drawers either side of that and utilised the space – it actually works pretty well! Under his bunk bed there’s a 4 cube shelving unit which tucks away nicely and has provided us with space to store nappies and wipes for the baby. There’s still some space under there so I can find home for something else. Most likely Lambs toys!

We were kindly given a wardrobe by a friend which means I can store lots away for baby and Lamb. Inside I’ve put a little set of drawers which has given me more storage, we also have lovely boxes on top of the wardrobe for extra nappies and wipes. Stocking up will save us some pennies!

nursery

Even though I’m doing my best to squeeze baby number 2 into our small house, I can’t help but dream about how I would design the nursery if it was just for baby number 2.

The room isn’t huge so space saving products would be ideal. Australian nursery furniture brand Boori have designed a new collection called Urbane aimed at contemporary and small spaces, so ideal for our little house!

Boori are currently holding a blogger competition and have asked us to think about planning the nursery for our new arrivals. I’ve decided to share with you my dream nursery for baby number 2 including lovely space saving products from the Boori Urbane collection as well as any tips to create storage without looking too cluttered. That’s my pet peeve. Clutter. And I’m the worst for creating it.

First up is my favourite set from the Urbane collection, the Omni Transformer. I love the mix of almond and white wood and the sleek straight lines of the cotbed and furniture. My favourite thing about this cotbed is the way it extends into a bed when it’s time for your little one to upgrade to a bed. Really useful for smaller and more compact bedrooms.

Boori Urbane Omni Transformer Nursery Range

I have a huge obsession with grey and white for baby number 2 so my dream would be to use this colour scheme in baby’s nursery if I had the opportunity to design one from scratch. I’ve been looking online and have found some gorgeous bedroom accessories that would make his room very dreamy and cute.

nursery grey cloud collage

  1. These 2 pictures are from Matalan and are super cute for a newborn nursery. My favourite animal happens to be a giraffe so that makes me love these even more.
  2. I found these adorable cushions from an Easy shop called Prosto Concept and this they would be a great addition to baby’s cotbed. I think yellow is a great accent colour to grey and white.
  3. This storage box is from Matalan and would fit on the cube storage shelves under Lambs bunk bed really well. It could hide lots as clutter and fits in perfectly with my obsession with grey, white and cloud print!
  4. How cute is this clothing stand from My 1st Years?! The cloud chalk board at the top means you can personalised the stand and it’s not too big so won’t take up any room. Perfect for handing coats and dressing gowns.
  5. Another great find from Matalan is this cloud fleece blanket. To be honest I’d love this for me, so I’d probably use this the most when feeding baby or just having a cuddle. It would look adorable in baby’s got to add a little pattern.
  6. More cloud print from My 1st Years with these cushions. I love the funny looking bear next to the cloud cushion and could add this to Baby’s cot for decoration.
  7. This grey house shelving unit is a really good way of decorating the wall in a kids room. You can add their favourite little toys or teddies and make it look really fun by filling up the different sections.
  8. I love this personalised arrow light from My 1st Years. Adding this to baby’d dream nursery would work well with the the contemporary design of the Boori Urbane collection.
  9. Finally, I love this grey cloud changing table topper from Nubie. What’s great about the chaining table in the Omni Transformer range is it’s also a chest of drawers. So once you’ve stopped using it to change nappies, you can simply remove the topper and you just have a check of drawers with space for storage on top. The cloud storage boxes would look fab on here, of simple baskets to store toys.

Now you have seen how I would decorate my dream nursery for baby I thought I would share with you my tips for saving space in a small bedroom.

      1. We all know how many cuddly toys baby’s are bought, and as lovely as it is, they take over the house! We decided to buy Lamb a Toy Hammock to store all of his cuddly toys and only keep his favourites in bed with him. This is a great way of decluttering the cot/bed and letting your little one keep all of there teddies!
      2. On top of the wardrobe in the nursery we have large Storage Boxes to keep things we need, but don’t need easy access to. For example, if you stock up on nappies and wipes keeping them stored away on top of the wardrobe is ideal, as you know you’ll be needing them quite soon. I also keep the next size of clothes in those boxes too. I like to buy baby/toddler clothes in advance rather than constantly shopping, so stock up and keep them out of the way for when they are needed.
      3. Creating extra storage inside the wardrobe is proving really useful for us. We have a little set of Wicker Basket Drawers that used to be in our bathroom that I’ve put in the wardrobe to keep things like muslin cloths and blankets. I find I don’t hang many baby clothes (they are too tiny!) So adding drawers and boxes inside the wardrobe means you are utilising more of the space available. Even better if 2 children are sharing a room!
      4. Another thing that children accumulate a lot of is books. We have books for Lamb in almost every room! Bookshelves can take up a lot of space so my lovely in laws got us this fab Tidy Books Bookcase for Lamb which screws flat against the wall, so doesn’t take up much room. It’s also great for toddlers to see what books they have and can choose what they want to read. I definitely recommend something like this for space saving!
      5. Finally I really recommend Underbed Storage. Not all cotbeds come with a drawer underneath, but the one we had for Lamb did and it was such a useful use of space to keep things like clothes and bedding. If the cotbed you have doesn’t have a drawer it’s well worth measuring the space underneath and finding storage boxes/bags that will fit.

I hope you’ve found my tips helpful for decorating and space saving in a small nursery. It’s my dream for baby number 2 to have his own room, but with both my husband and I being made redundant within 10 months of each other moving house just isn’t possible for us anymore. Instead we are making Lambs room as decluttered as possible so both boys can sleep happily in there together. To be honest, I’m sure once baby number 2 is a toddler they will love sharing a room and it won’t be an issue. The most difficult thing is rearranging everything to fit 2 lots of clothes etc, but these tips that I’ve given you are proving quite successful for our space saving.

Let me know of any space saving tips you have that might be useful to us!

Ax

*This post is in collaboration with Boori and my entry into their blogger competition. Contains affiliate links.

Categories

BritMums
mumsnet

Archives

TOTS100 - UK Parent Blogs
TOTS100
BritMums
%d bloggers like this: