A Checklist for Designing Your New Baby's Room | Collaboration

When you’ve got a new baby on the way, there’s an endless checklist of things that you have to

prepare before the big day. One of the most important things that you need to sort out is the new

baby’s room. Everything needs to be ready and in place, so your new baby can settle into their new

surroundings when you bring them home. If you’re starting work on your new baby’s room, here is

a handy design checklist to help you along the way.

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The Crib

The crib is the most important part of the room, so you should make sure to take time choosing the

right one and make sure that you invest a bit of money in it. If you already have children and you

invested in a good quality crib the first time around, you might not need to get another one. If this is

your first child or you got rid of the old one, you’ll need to get another one. You can get some beautiful

Obaby nursery furniture from Beautiful Bambino that is great quality, so it should last long enough

for your other children if you plan to have some more in the future. This is not the time to try to save

money by buying second hand, and you always need to make sure that the crib you’re buying

adheres to safety standards.

Make sure that you buy plenty of sheets as well, you’d be surprised how many you can get through

in just a couple of days. At least 5 or 6 is a good amount because you won’t have that much spare

time to do washing when you’re looking after a newborn baby.

The Changing Table

You’ve got two options when it comes to a changing table; you can buy a separate, free standing one

or you can get a changing pad that will fit on top of a dresser. The second option is usually best,

especially if the room isn’t that big, because you’ve got extra storage underneath. You can use some

of the drawers to keep a stock of diapers and wipes in so you’ve always got everything to hand.

A Comfortable Chair

You’ll spend a lot of time in the nursery rocking the baby to sleep or feeding them, so you need a

comfortable place to sit. A nursing chair is always good for helping your baby to get to sleep. You need

to think about the material carefully as well because babies are messy. You need something with a

slipcover that you can easily take off and wash.

Toys

Now that you’ve got all of the essentials in there, it’s time to get some toys for your baby. If you’ve got

children already, putting some of their toys in there so they can play together is a great way to

help them bond with the baby. Choose toys that will stimulate your baby, like mobiles above their crib.

This is an exciting time so always remember to have fun decorating your baby’s new room as well.

note: this is a collaborative post

3 Simple Ways to Look After Yourself | Collaboration

Self-care is one of the latest trends that is taking the world (and social media) by storm. As far as trends go,
this is one of the good ones, and it’s a lot better than some of its alternatives. Thankfully, people have
started to spend some time caring for themselves, in a world that is slowly becoming a place that doesn’t
see caring for yourself emotionally as a weakness. It’s pretty great.

However, looking after yourself can be pretty difficult, especially if you’re not used to spending time on
yourself (hello, busy Mums). We’ve put together some simple tips, so that you can nail your self-care,
without having to do three hours of yoga a day!

Our Weaning Journey | Blog

Smidgey is 8 months old now so our weaning journey is really in full swing. It has been such an interesting journey this time round as it hasn't gone at all like I expected it to! Pickle was a dream when it came to weaning. We decided that we were going to try purees with Pickle and some finger foods when he was ready. I cooked all of his meals from scratch. I had a freezer full of home cooked, pureed meals for him and he happily sat like a little bird and ate whatever we offered him. Smidge is a totally different beast! 

Smidge is Mr Independent. He doesn't want anyone to feed him. He doesn't want to eat mushed up purees. He wants to feed himself and eat what everyone else is eating. I am sure he see what Pickle has and does and he wants to be just like him. This has meant that we have had to change our plans with Smidge and we have gone down the Baby Lead Weaning route more than traditional purees. He will still eat mushed up food but that is only if we can sneak it in without him realising.  As soon as he clocks that we are trying to feed him he clamps his mouth shut and won't open until we give him food for him to feed himself. He is a stubborn little moo just like his Dad!! 

Baby lead weaning has been a bit of a scary ride for me. When we first started I was pretty paranoid. I was convinced he was going to choke or that he wouldn't eat enough and he'd be hungry all the time. I was so wrong. He hasn't properly choked yet where I have had to whip him out the chair which I am so pleased about. He gags every now and again but he has coped with the lumps and different textures so well. I did a baby first aid course when Pickle was small and once we realised we were going to have to do baby led weaning with Smidge I brushed up on my knowledge to make sure I was totally prepared if the worst happened and he started to choke. This has helped me to feel really confident and safe in the knowledge that I would know what to do. 

Valentine’s Day Date style with Simply Be | Collaboration

Note: This is a collaborative post with Simply Be

As we all know, Valentine’s Day is just around the corner and it is the perfect excuse to get dressed up and head out for the night (or day if your like me and in bed by 9pm because you have a non sleeping baby!!) and head out for a date with your loved one. I always find dressing for dates really hard as I want to be comfortable but I also want to feel glam and gorgeous so when Simply Be offered me the chance to put together a few outfits from their range, I was excited to see what I could come up with.

The first look I chose was for a less formal, day time date. I think this look would be perfect for a trip to the cinema or maybe an afternoon pub lunch. You could easily pair it up with a leather jacket for an edgy look or with your favourite coat and oversize scarf for a really snugly feel.