Say 'Thank You' to your midwife

Some of us had midwives that were a pain in the bottom, some of us were hacked like we were a cow in the butchers and weren't so lucky (I personally know at least one lady, that was treated like that!) and don't really give a rat's ** about the midwife that took part in our birth and would slap her if we ever saw her again.



Hopefully majority of us had a nice midwife, I hope, that treated us with respect and care.

Image Courtesy of NHS

The midwife that assisted in my daughters birth, just over 2 years ago was one of those.

She respected my wishes and almost didn't touch me and my daughter on my hospital water birth, with very little intervention, many kind words and encouragement, I gave birth to my daughter myself with the midwife only assisting the baby after she was born and I had a chance to hold her for a few minutes... I took my daughter out of the water and held her close to my body and it was the best feeling in the world.



It was thanks to my midwife that day that the room was quiet with only ambient music, and my birth was a pleasant (it did hurt like hell but I prefer not to concentrate on that!) experience.



Nothing like my boys birth (my first) which was a right nightmare. I actually feel rubbish that I didn't do more for my midwife, other than say thank you on that day. I sadly can't even remember her name, to do something now.



But if you gave birth recently and remember your midwife's name or simply don't have a mushy brain like me... you could still do something nice for your midwife!!



Send her a nice gift or perhaps nominate her for an award? Or both?



The Royal College of Midwives are holding their Annual Midwifery Awards 2012 and you can nominate your midwife over at https://m.johnsonsbaby.co.uk/midwife-of-the-year.php, closing date is 26 September 2011.



Was your midwife lovely or a terror? Would you hug her or bash* her?



Monica xx



*Bashing not actually endorsed, please don't bash anyone as this generally lands people in prison!

Naturalmat Coco Mat Review

The Naturalmat Coco Mat Baby Mattress is recommended for newborns and babies up to

18 months. It provides children with gentle support and excellent breathability. It consists of

an organic coir (coconut fibre) core which gives the mattress spring whilst the organic lambswool tufting adds extra comfort.



The Coco Mat Mattress comes with a machine washable cotton cover and more importantly it is completely chemical free.

The Naturalmat Coco Mat Mattress can be ordered online and be delivered to your door within five days.

Naturalmat customers have provided the company with an overwhelming amount of positive

reviews. You can purchase Naturalmat products from www.naturalmat.co.uk.



Our opinion:



We got one of these mattresses for my daughter, she had a soft mattress which I wasn't very happy with in the first place and needed a new one right about now.



This arrived pretty quickly, when I opened the box and had a look at how luxe it was, I had an epiphany! I had to get her room sorted before we put on her cot bed... make her room look as lovely as the new mattress.



Silly I know as no one would actually see the mattress but it mattered to me! Maybe it's mummy syndrome, not sure, but we did end up painting her room, getting rid of loads of stuff and now her room looks pretty. Her mattress was put in and she went to bed that evening as normal.



I must say, as her old mattress was softer, I was expecting her to wake up but nothing, she slept until the next morning as normal... lovely. The cover on the mattress is a very nice cream and extremely soft cotton, the outer cover can be removed for washing which is nice and practical.



Even when I sit on the cot bed the mattress feels comfy to me, when I bought her first mattress I spent about £80 and if I had realised that I could have gotten a natural one that is super comfortable and totally chemical free for a bit more I would of happily bought one (Specially considering its hand made right in England, Devon to be precise)!



The mattress comes with a 5 year manufacturer's guarantee, and after a quick peek... they do adult mattresses now as well, although I would have to save up for a good while as my bed is king size!



The fact that the mattresses are Chemical Free is one of the most important factors to me and my family as well as comfort, there are already so much pollutants around us and we spend an awful lot of time sleeping and inhaling whatever is in our mattress, so this fact is reassuring.



It also might not matter to everyone but I was quite impressed how the mattress was packaged, it came wrapped in 100% biodegradable cornstarch "plastic" (instead of real plastic that stays around for years and years) and then in a cardboard box. Excellent, impressively eco friendly.



So a week later...



Rating: 10/10



Monica x

MOO - Awesome Printing & a Voucher Code!

Yes you heard it right... MOO...probably the coolest printing company on the planet!!!



If you haven't heard yet MOO was born out of a love of beautiful, high-quality print.



MOO brings different to the table with the patent-pending ‘Printfinity’ technology, it helps its customers to showcase their business or brand, their products or personality, by printing a different image on every card in a pack!



Printing millions of cards a month, MOO has hundreds of thousands of customers in over 180 countries.



Well I guess you would like your promo code? Yes? Ok, there is one catch... you have to be my friend!



You are?! Great then go here!



See because you are my friend and I am ever so popular, my friends at MOO will give you 10% off your order! Neat isn't it? Go on pop over to the MOO website.

Business Cards
Business cards should be a conversation starter – don’t let
your cards let you! MOO allows you to upload your photos
or designs, logo and details to fully personalise your cards,
with a different image on every card in a pack!



Available in short print runs of 50 cards, MOO’s doublesided,
Business Cards are printed in full colour on a smooth,
premium 350gsm/16pt stock. Ideal for making a great first
impression.
Premium Business Cards from:
$21.99 / £10.99 (excl. VAT) / €12.79 (excl. VAT)

Greeting Cards
A personalised greeting makes a card come to life. Create
cards for your clients, your friends or your family by
uploading your own images or designs.

Haven’t got your own? Why not chose from a selection of MOO designs!
You can easily customise the cards with your logo or a
personal message. Available in short print runs of 25 cards,
with a different image on each card in a pack.
Custom Greeting Cards with envelopes from:
$39.99 / £17.79 (excl. VAT) / €21.45 (excl. VAT)



There's loads more on their website!! MiniCards, Eco Friendly Business Cards, Postcards, Sticker Books and loads of accessories... You have to see it to believe it.



We are regular customers, so we certainly recommend them!



Monica x

Radiopaq Duo's DJ Style Headphones Review

Radiopaq extended their popular range of unique designer audio headsets by adding the Duos a classic over-head DJ style headphones available in five colours: High Gloss Copper, Candy Green, Candy Purple, Metallic Silver,  and Soft Touch Black.



The Duo headphones are adjustable and easy to store thanks to Fold Flat Tilt and Swivel headphone cups, with soft 15mm cushions. Gold plated 3.5mm connector also added for optimal sound transfer.

Powerful 40mm sound driver were added to the Duos to ensure first class specification.



Radiopaq Duos are available for RRP of £19.99 in stores now at Carphone Warehouse, ASDA, Argos, WHSmith and www.radiopaqproducts.com.

Gadget Dad Verdict:



There are a lot of DJ style headphones out there and these new Radiopaq Duos really freshens things up for a change. The colours are really fresh and will be a great hit for both young and old during this summer. The headphones come in a great looking solid box and is packed very well without wasting packing materials.



The problem with the usual DJ style headphones are that they are very bulky and not so easy to transport but Radiopaq made it easy with the special Fold Flat Tilt and Swivel design. They fold so flat that there is no problem to fit them in a briefcase or student bag.



They are also comfortable to wear around the neck when not in use. The soft 15mm cushions are very soft on the ears but I think the cushions could have been a bit bigger as they did feel a bit uncomfortable around the ears if worn for a while, as if they were pushing your ears at the bottom and the top. I understand that they wanted to keep the headphones as small as possible and also still keep them comfortable but maybe if they made them oval shape they could have been a bit better. A microphone would have been a welcomed addition to these as a lot of people these days use their smartphones to listen to their music while on the go.



The build quality and the way they fold flat are excellent and the fact that they are available in 5 funky and stylish colours are a thumbs up!



The sound quality of the Duos are remarkably crisp and the base just hits the right mellow defined note and outside noises from the busy world are kept outside, feels like you are in your own little world without feeling like your damaging your ears to keep other noises out so you enjoying your favourite music.



Pros:

• Easy Fold Flat, Tilt and Swivel design for storing away in a bag or briefcase.


• Adjustable soft padded headband for secure fit.


• Ultra soft 15mm deep ear cushions reduce pressure on ears.


• Unbeatable crisp and superior audio for the price.


• Gold plated 3.5mm connector for optimal sound transfer on: Apple iPad, iPhone and other MP3 Players.


• Available in 5 cool colours: High Gloss Copper, Candy Green, Candy Purple, Metallic Silver and Soft Touch Black.

Cons: 

• The only thing I found could be improved with the Radiopaq headphones was that the cushions going around the ears could have been a tiny bit bigger or maybe oval shaped to make them a bit more comfortable around the ears and they could have added a microphone so you can use it with smartphones like the iPhone.

Gadget Dad Rating: 8/10



Till next time

Gadget Dad

Boots Active Stretch Nappies Review

We were sent a pack of these nappies to try out, with my daughter a 2 year old girl.

In my opinion these performed just as well as the leading brand we normally use, there were no leaks, they seemed comfortable and absorbed everything well.



They had fun bear designs on them which my daughter was delighted with and were easy to fasten & kept fastened while in use. The stretchy parts on the sides of the nappy had just the right amount of stretch.



I am not sure how these perform on boys as my little girl has had very few problems with nappies while my son had all sorts when he was a baby.



Based on my experience with a whole pack of 24, I definitely give the thumbs up, they performed as well as the brand we normally use.



They are on special offer at the moment in Boots, at £8.00 for 2 packs of these, so pretty good value.



My Funny Bunny Rating: 10/10

Mini Lalaloopsy!! Sooooo cute...

Seriously... how cute is this?! When I was offered this to review, I thought I have to have it!!!

Never mind the kids, such a terrible mother aren't I? Well I couldn't let anyone see me playing with it by myself so of course I had to give it to the kids and play with them, otherwise my husband would think I'm bonkers, naturally!



Since then I looked at www.lalaloopsy.com and the website is just as cute as the dolls AND I found a whole new range including a tree house which I sooooo want, for the kids of course.



Yes, ahem, diverting from the real purpose here, a review of course.



First, I mean after me showing my obsession already, I should tell you a bit more about them.

These
cute 3” Mini Lalaloopsy™ dolls have moveable arms, legs and head. They
each come with their own cute pet and accessories. The Dolls are priced
around £5.99 and suitable for ages 4 plus.

Also available in the
range are the fun Mini Lalaloopsy™ playsets, which include the Crumbs’
Tea Party™ set we got and others, priced at around £9.99.



There are many
other accessories in the set like a ferris wheel, a tree house and so
on, you can create your own little magical world, where houses are askew, animals are unusual sizes and colours, and everything is made from fabrics, buttons and thread, ahem, that came out wrong, I meant create it for your kids of course.



I really wanted my kids to love this, I love sewing and I love baking, so Crumbs really appealed to me and lets say brought out my inner child.



Luckily my kids loved it, I was relieved otherwise my excuse to collect and play with these would have soooo disappeared!



My daughter instantly started squealing when she saw it, and didn't stop bugging me until I opened it. They both loved playing with it, the only negative thing I found about it was that the chair legs come off, I think its good that you can separate the chairs and the table apart so you can store it away in a box while you are not playing with it but the chair legs are so teeny weeny they easily get lost.



Apart from that minor detail we are totally in love with these and we really want to collect these!

My Funny Bunny Rating: 9/10



If you want to get your hands on your own Mini Lalaloopsy (love the name by the way!) you can now find them in most toy stores or on Amazon.




Monica x