Trendy Thursday - Threadless

If you're one of my regular Trendy Tuesday buddies, then you'll know all about this.. but a heads up for those that don't.  Trendy Tuesday has moved to Thursday.  I think that Thursday will suit me better and it seems to suit a lot of others better as well.  So, I'm hoping it might mean more people will be able to join in.. Let's see!

On to the fashion...

Have you heard of Threadless?  They are just about the coolest t shirt company out there.  They've been around for quite a while now and I usually place an order with them once a year.  They are based in the US so I can't go too crazy because postage (and customs if you place a large order) can make it pricey.  Their t shirts are so funky and different though that they really are worth it.  Especially if you get something in their sale.  In fact, recently, they had a free postage offer that included international orders - that really was a great bargain!  I placed a large order and was expecting to pay a customs charge but it arrived yesterday in the normal post and I didn't have to pay a thing - very pleased!

Threadless sell babies and children's t shirts as well adults.  The nicest thing is that many of the prints are universal across the ranges so if you're feeling a bit cheesy you could easily buy everyone in the family the same print and look very.... cool?!

I bought two t shirts each for the boys on this occasion.  Felix has already been rocking one of his.  I bought his in 12 months size but they aren't huge so I'm going to put him in them for as long as I can!  They'll fit for a while I think.

Ethan got two to grow into because that was what was availble in the designs I liked.  So, he won't be wearing his for a year or so, but I love knowing that he's got some cool clothes to grow in to!

I'm hoping that you might not have heard about Threadless before and if so, I've probably enabled you, because there really is something for everyone on their site.  Go check them out!

Apologies for the rubbish photos today.  Picmonkey isn't playing ball so I've just had to add them in and two were taken from my phone as well so not great quality!

If you have a children's fashion blog post, please link up using the linky below.  Please don't forget to comment here and visit others who've linked up.  Don't forget to tweet me @medicated_follow!

Six months old - Baby Led Weaning begins! An open letter to Felix.

How can 6 months have flown by?  Just a moment ago you were a tiny squawking newborn, Felix!  Now you are sitting, rolling around, shuffling backwards and on the cusp of perfecting crawling forward.  So exciting!

Last Friday we introduced your first solids.  Your first taste was a banana followed by rice cakes and a breadstick.  Actually, scrap that.  I just remembered you stole some bread from Daddy the other week... still, your first official "meal" was the banana and rice cake etc...

You've tried a heap of stuff now!

Toast
Bread
Breadsticks
Rice cakes
Carrot
Broccoli
Sweetcorn
Blueberries
Pineapple
Stewed apple
Banana
Marmite sandwich
Porridge
Cheerios
Shreddies
Spaghetti
Mixed fruit purée
Philadelphia on toast/bread
Avocado
Scrambled egg
Cheddar

Without a doubt you like banana, fruit pots, rice cakes, cheddar and bread the best at the moment.  It's lovely starting this journey with you.  The funny little faces you make as you experience the new tastes and textures.  This morning you enjoyed some banana and porridge mixed up.  You prefer to eat it from my fingers!!!!!

We are going for a baby lead approach but I'm not against the use of spoons as long as you aren't being force fed.  Usually you have one spoon and I have the other and we rotate.  Or, like this morning, you eat from your fingers and mine!! Whatever works.

At six months old you have three teeth which surprised me.  Your big brother Ethan didn't get his first tooth until he was 12 months old!  You still wake twice a night for a bottle, usually you make it through 12-14 oz of milk in a night.  Just like your brother in that respect.

You are a very good boy.  You prefer your naps in your cot.  Usually you have a two hour nap in the cot (mid morning usually) and a cat nap in the afternoon, in the buggy or cot, depending on what we are doing.  You settle like a dream in your cot.  You are happy to be put down awake which makes life easier!

We use cloth nappies on your cute little behind.  At first you were totally in disposables, but over time we've made it from full time disposables to part time to full time including nights.  Although your grandparents will always put you in a disposable.  I suppose Grandma had enough of cloth when she brought me up!!!  You look so cute with a big cloth bum and I get too much of a thrill putting you in cute nappies... as if I need another addiction!

You adore your big brother.  No one makes you smile and laugh like he does.  It warms my heart to see the two of you together and I really hope you'll grow up loving and supporting each other.

It hasn't been easy adjusting to being a Mummy of two.  It's damn hard work and some days are hugely stressful, rushing too and from.  Sometimes I feel you get the raw end of the deal because you get taken from place to place as we rush about with your brother (school, swimming, friends houses) but you always seem such a cheerful chap.  Everyone comments on it!

You smell like heaven.  One of the bonuses of the fact I only wash my hair twice a week is that your beautiful smell gets transferred onto my hair and I love catching a whiff of my baby boy on me.  Weird, I know.. but no one smells as good as my boys!

I love you little man! Happy 6 months.  Here's to the future! xx

Little Grippers Socks - Review & Giveaway

Baby socks.  They are a pain in the bum, aren't they?  They are anywhere but where they are supposed to be, which, in case you weren't sure, is ON THEIR FEET!! You'd be forgiven for thinking it was in their mouth... or under the sofa.  Or on the floor... anywhere really.  We all know that if you dare to put socks on your baby, they will, with a few deft movements, have removed it and turfed it aside.  Or decided to chew on it.  Socks just don't stay on.

Felix is my second child and I am well versed in the game of "hunt the sock" having played it for many years with Ethan.  With Ethan, I employed the use of sock ons.  You may have heard of them.  A funny little thing you place over your child's socked foot in an effort to keep the socks on.  They more or less did the trick with Ethan but I always felt they looked darn ugly.  So, I ended up not using them for aesthetic reasons.

Felix is a sock remover of epic proportions.  Far worse than Ethan.  He can get a sock off before you've even started putting the other one on.  I used Sock Ons with him and even they didn't work.  Which I was kind of glad about due to their butt ugliness...  I was pretty much at a loss.  With the exception of all in one suits or using tights, I didn't know what to do to keep his feet warm and winter was fast approaching.  When I was asked if I would like to try out Little Grippers, a range of socks designed to be almost impossible to remove by small hands (or feet) I nearly broke my laptop typing out my reply email - YES!!

Our socks arrived a couple of weeks ago, and I've got to admit I was sceptical.  On first inspection, they look like any other sock.  I felt the inside of the sock and I could feel a rubbery effect at the top of the sock. Hmmmm, I thought.  Well, if you don't try, you'll never know!! I popped them straight on him and then left in kicking around on the living room floor.  They'll be off in moments, I thought.

I looked over at Felix after a few minutes and was shocked.  They were still on!! They showed no sign of rolling down.  There had been no sock movement AT ALL.  Felix, on the other hand, was a good few meters away from where I'd left him, so I knew he'd been moving around.

The socks remained on for the rest of the day.  They really truly DID NOT BUDGE. Every day he's had them on since he has not once got close to getting them off.  They really don't move!

So - how do they stay on?  Well, Little Grippers use a thin layer of natural silicon on the inside of the cuff of the socks.  It's 100% natural, hypo allergenic and breathable so it doesn't irritate skin (I can confirm this - Felix has very sensitive skin and these haven't bothered him and only leave minimal pressure marks on the skin which fade very quickly).  Little Grippers state that the silicon lasts the lifetime of the garment, it can be washed and tumble-dried as it renews itself after every wash and doesn't loose effectiveness.

You can buy Little Grippers via their website, www.littlegrippers.co.uk or at selected independent retailers. They have a range of plain baby socks for £3.50, patterned socks for £5 and they even stock a school range in black, navy, white and grey starting at age 3-6 up to 14+ years. Over the knee school socks are £5. Baby socks start at age 0-6 months.

Like the sound of all this?  Well, one luck reader will get the chance to try out Little Grippers for themselves for free!!! If you enter via the Rafflecopter below, you might win a Little Grippers gift box which contains new A/W winter patterned socks!  If you are the lucky winner, I will contact you after the giveaway ends and you can tell me what size you require!

The giveaway is live for one week from today!  Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Keeping warm with Joules

Sometimes, I think the designers at Joules live in my head.  They have such a way with pattern and colour, it really speaks to me!

I'd love to be able to buy a whole heap of clothes from Joules, but unfortunately, we're on a limited budget.  I recently sold a heap of baby clothes, shoes and some of my old clothes on eBay and once my profits were happily in my paypal account, I decided to treat myself to some winter essentials from Joules.  If I can't afford to buy dresses, socks and tops from them, I can at least get my winter essentials from them!

So, what are my winter essentials?  Well, I love a good pair of wellies but my pair from last year are still going strong (they were Joules actually, pheasant print.  Adore them!).  I have a warm coat.. what I needed was a new gilet/body warmer.  I have always loved the ones sold by Joules, so I knew that was going to be my first purchase.  Then, to compliment and update my winter wardrobe I decided some knitwear would be a good idea, a new hat and maybe some gloves.  Want to see what I chose?

Charmwood Gilet - £79.95

Calin bobble hat - £17.95

Chocoway gloves - £19.95

I asked for opinions on Instagram at first with regards to the gilet.  I loved the colour, a nice bold mustard yellow and the contrasting blue & white stripes inside the hood, but I wanted to make sure people thought it looked OK on!! The consensus was good though.

I love the new hat and hand warmers.  The hat is really snug and looks cute on.  Love the pompom detail as well.  The hand-warmers tie the look together.  What I really like about hand-warmers is that you can put them over other gloves for an extra layer.  I find they work really well over leather gloves because leather gloves aren't too bulky but sometimes they benefit from some extra warmth!

There are so many more items I could pick from Joules, but my budget is limited!

Are you treating yourself this winter?  What are your winter essentials?

Linking up with Rachel and Lena for the Passion for Fashion linky.

Trendy Tuesday - Children's Fashion - is it worth it?

This might seem a strange subject choice for Trendy Tuesday, a linky which, after all, focusses on children's fashion.  However, I feel it's the perfect time to write about this.

Children's fashion - is it worth it?  What do I mean?  Well... from a personal point of view, I LOVE children's fashion.  My boys are a huge part of my life.  I love clothes and fashion and rightly or wrongly, the boys are an extension of me (at their young age at least!) and as a result, I love dressing them as much as I love dressing myself.  Probably even more so.

Does it matter what our children wear?  No.  Of course it doesn't.  As long as they are appropriately dressed  for the weather in clothing that is of good quality (i.e. not falling apart!) then it doesn't.  All they need is to be warm, dry and comfortable.  They aren't born with a need to be in the latest fashions.  So.  Why does children's fashion exist?  Well, for the parents of course!  It is us who buy their clothes, and to make more sales, brands have to appeal to us.  Hence the huge variety of choice.

Panda cap - H&M

Bright as Day top - Boys and Girls

Arrow leggings - Saltcity Emporium

Fashion isn't about necessity, it's an indulgence. It's about expression, personality... even showing off.  I enjoy dressing my boys.  I enjoy having lots of clothes to put them in so that they look different from day to day.  I find exciting outfits interesting to look at.  They inspire me, clothes allow me to express myself.  I like to think that by exposing my boys to colours and patterns that they will be happy to wear whatever they like and be happy to express who they are, not who they feel they should be.

Neck warmer - Polarn O Pyret

Fleece - H&M

Jeans - Asda

Wellies - Joules

There are other benefits to buying slightly 'higher end' children's clothing, such as the use of materials which are better for the environment and kinder to the skin.  There is also the argument that better quality clothing washes better and lasts longer allowing the clothes to be worn by siblings, cousins, friends etc.  In our case, I am saving the best items for my grandchildren once the boys have grown out of them!!  If I don't have grandchildren, well, I'll pass them on to someone else!

Romper - What Mother Made

I do buy cheaper items for my boys, I'll happily buy second or third hand, but I do love to have a lot of variety and it gives me endless pleasure dressing them in gorgeous clothes.

Bib - Funky Giraffe

Leggings - Saltcity Emporium

Moccasins - Mocons by Sock-ons

What are your thoughts on children's fashion?  Do you have a huge selection of clothing for your children?

If you have a children's fashion blog post, you can link it up below!  Share the love, comment here and visit others who join in!

Stella & Dot Jewellery giveaway

Hurrah!  Little by little my followers are increasing and I'd love to thank you all by hosting a giveaway.

I've chosen three lovely items from my Stella & Dot collection so three of you will get lucky.  All you have to do is complete the Rafflecopter below - to enter you must 'like' my facebook page.  For extra chances you can follow me on Bloglovin' and follow me on twitter.  If you already do all of those things, then it's even more simple for you :-)

This is what you could be winning - remember, these are three separate prizes, three of you will be winners.

Prize one - Three lovely bangles

Prize two - A cute limited edition purse

Prize three - A limited edition blue beaded and gold chain bracelet

So, what are you waiting for?  Get entering below, and good luck!  The winners will be informed by email shortly after the giveaway ends.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Yummy Yumi!

I first discovered Yumi in Bath.  I was browsing in one of the little boutique shops there away from the main shopping area (although, it's all changed now, with their recent shopping development!!) and I discovered a rather beautiful and different dress.  I tried it on, loved it and bought it.  The label read "Yumi".  I'd never heard of them before... but now, their name was etched on my brain!

Dress in action back in 2008

Next came the craze for batwing cardigans - remember that a few years back?  Probably more years back than I care to remember now.  I was on the look out for the "perfect" batwing cardi.  I was watching a program on BBC3 about disabled models, Britain's Missing Top Model.  One of the girls, Lilli, was wearing a gorgeous batwing cardi.  I thought it was fantastic.  With the help of Google, I managed to track it down. Low and behold, it was Yumi.  I hit their site and became a proud owner.  I wore that cardigan for years.  I don't own it any more, it was too big for me after I lost weight post baby, but I really was very fond of it. You can actually see Lilli wearing it in a video interview here!

Batwing cardi joins us in San Fran on honeymoon in 2008

For me, Yumi is the place I go when I want something on trend but a little bit different.  Something with a cool print, something that packs a punch, gets compliments and stands out.  Their items aren't mega cheap, but they are affordable and they have fantastic sales!!  I often frequent their online store, but if I'm at Clarks Shopping Village, I can always find a bargain in their outlet shop there.  I thought I'd share a few more recent Yumi purchases with you!

Yumi! www.medicatedfollower.com

Stripy oversize cardigan - £45

Orange rose print coat - £30 (reduced from £85)

Daisy print cardigan - £20 - bought in sale, no longer available

So, there you have it.  A love affair with Yumi, still going strong.  Do you shop with them?  If you don't, go and check them out!  There's bound to be something you'd like..

Linking up today with Rachel The Hat and her fantastic Passion For Fashion linky :-)

Shhhh... 20% off at Polarn O Pyret? #JustSaying

Got a Polarn O Pyret shop near you?  Then get down there this weekend because they have a 20% off event.  All of their Winter collection is now in stock and the 20% is off EVERYTHING in store.  They are also offering refreshments, activities for children (keep them entertained whilst you shop) and the chance to win a £100 shopping spree!

Not sure if there's a store near you?  Here's their store locator.

Just sharing some knowledge!

The Day The Crayons Quit - Book Review

Oh, we LOVE this book.  Firstly, you can tell who it's been illustrated by in all of 1 second.  The fantastic Oliver Jeffers.  Words are by Drew Daywalt who we've not heard of before, but we're happy to know him now!

The fantastic folk at Harper Collins sent us a copy and we've been enjoying it ever since.  It's quite a long wordy book so it's brilliant for Ethan's bedtime.  He really enjoys more in-depth stories these days but still loves a good amount of illustrations.

If the title hasn't already given you a clue, this book is all about a pack of crayons who have had enough. A boy called Duncan opens his box of crayons one day, eager to start drawing only to find that each crayon has written a letter.  Most are letters of complaint.  Each crayon has issues and they all want to be heard.  Perhaps they've been used too much, or too little.  It's an amusing book with beautiful illustrations.

You can tell the author is American, some of the words used are quite "American" but not so much that it's an issue.  Oliver Jeffers does a fantastic job with the illustrations helping give each crayon a personality.

I found this an enjoyable book to read.  It's interesting from a parent's perspective as well as a child's and Ethan often asks for it so I know he enjoys it!

Definitely one we'd recommend!  Published by Harper Collins with a RRP of £12.99 for the hardback.

Trendy Tuesday - stripes and unisex fashion

Stripes.  I love them.  They are classic, always in style, they look fantastic on pretty much everyone (as long as you wear the right type).  I love to wear them myself, hubby loves them too and we both love them on the boys!

Somehow, until recently, I'd never heard of the Little Bird range by Jools Oliver at Mothercare.  Once I discovered it though, I had to make a few purchases.  It seems Jools shares my love of stripes and retro style.

Another brand big on stripes are Polarn O Pyret.  Their classic range is all stripes and they also have range called the "circus collection" which features their classic stripe in some beautiful bold colours.  I purchased a pair of tights for Felix from them, and a top for him to grow into.

Green & yellow sleepsuit - Rainbow Kids

Bodywarmer & wellies - Little Bird by Jools at Mothercare

Stripy top & tights - Circus Range from Polarn O Pyret

I think what I love most about these ranges and about stripes in particular is how unisex they are.  Lots of items from PO.P and Little Bird could be worn by a girl or a boy so it makes them really easy to pass on to subsequent children.  Love it!

Are you a stripe lover?  Link up any of your children's fashion posts below and please tweet me your link and visit others who join in - don't forget to comment here and on the other posts you read!  Thank you :-)

Can you Dance to the Boogaloo? - Book Review

Something I love about having a blog is being asked to review children's books.  We adore books in our house, reading during the day and before bed!

Recently we were sent a copy of Can You Dance The Boogaloo? by Alice V Lickens.  

The first thing I noticed about this book are the bright funky illustrations.  They pop off the page and grab your attention.

This is a lovely book.  Not very wordy, so perhaps for younger children and toddlers but there is something for everyone.  The purpose is to inspire you and your children to get up, make music and dance around, so it's not something I'd suggest before bedtime.  It's better suited to the day time, followed by a good jive around your living room!!

Ethan, who is 4, enjoyed the book though he does prefer stories and longer books these days.  He enjoyed pointing out and naming instruments though.  

Felix, 5 months, was really engaged.  He didn't even attempt to eat the book until I'd finished reading!  I think the illustrations really grabbed his attention and he really enjoyed the funny noises I was making when imitating instruments.

All in all, a sweet book.  Published by Pavilion and Anova Books.  RRP is £5.99.

Exclusive - New Children's Nightwear from What Mother Made

You might remember recently I reviewed a lovely website, Loubilou, and a beautiful item of children's clothing I bought via them from London based children's wear label What Mother Made.  Well, I received an exclusive from Charlotte from What Mother Made this evening and I thought I would share it with you!

What Mother Made specialise in vintage style children's clothing with funky prints.  Items are handmade.  I can vouch for the quality as well!  They are about to release a new range of nightwear next week and I can give you a sneak peak of a couple of the designs!

Image source: What Mother Made

For the girls, the range includes two beautiful heritage floral fabrics; English rose/sky blue and subtle purple violas. Soft detailing around the pockets and sleeves on the four buttoned nightshirt.

For boys, buttoned downed Peter Pan collars, long sleeve nightshirts and contrast pocket adds a modern twist to classic nightwear design. Twinned with either thin classic red pin-stripe or blue and white ethnic
diamond dot fabrics.

Both ranges feature an elasticated waist and will be launched on the 11th of November priced at £34.00 exclusively from What Mother Made.

Traditional, yet cute!

I know a lot of people like to buy "Christmas" pyjamas for their children to wear on Christmas Eve - these might be just the ones for you!

Trendy Tuesday - Daisychain Baby

I'm sorry the blog has been so quiet.  We've all been ill, one virus/cold after another (we're still ill now!).  We had half term last week and we were ill all the way through that! Anyway, I'm trying to get back on track.

It's Tuesday today so of course that means some children's fashion.  I was contacted recently by a very lovely lady, Lins, who runs an online children's clothing store, DaisychainBaby, with a focus on organic and eco friendly materials.  She stocks some of my favourite brands such as Little Green Radicals and Slugs & Snails  so when Lins asked me if I'd like to review her site and some clothing, I jumped at the chance!

I chose one item for each of my boys - lucky things!!  It was really REALLY tough making a decision.  I fell in love with these fabulous shoes made by Poco Nido:

Image source: DaisychainBaby

In the end though, I decided to go for a beautiful funky playsuit by Little Green Radicals.  The print just got to me, I NEEDED it in our lives.

Image source: DaisychainBaby

For Ethan, I plumped for something a bit different.  He has heaps of jeans/leggings/trousers/t shirts/tops in his wardrobe, but he hasn't had any dungaree/jumpsuit type pieces.  I love a retro look and I adore mustard.  This gorgeous number has it all going on!! A beautiful retro inspired velour jumpsuit from Nosh Organics.

Image source: DaisychainBaby

I found the Daisychain Baby site really easy to use.  I'm not just saying that because I feel I have to.  I do A LOT of online shopping, especially for children's clothing, and some of the sites I use, I do because they have great prices and brands, however, it's a slog using them.  This site not only has competitive prices but it really is easy to use.  You can shop by brand, but also by age which I thought was very handy.  After all, there's nothing worse than finding out the top you've just fallen in love with isn't available in the size you need.  Filter and shop by age first and then you know straight away what's available!

Lins is really easy to contact and she asked several times that if I needed help with measurements etc just to let her know.  Very useful!

Our items arrived beautifully packaged and with a hand written thank you card.  Such a beautiful touch - it really felt like a personal service!

Unfortunately, Ethan isn't quite tall enough for his jumpsuit yet, so I can't show you a picture of him wearing it, but I can say that it is fantastic quality and I know he is going to love it.  So soft and easy to wear.  I have every confidence it will last and wash well so that Felix will also enjoy it one day.

The Cats & Dogs print playsuit is brilliant.  Felix has worn it loads and every time he does people comment on it.  The print is bold, I adore it.  I got 6-9 months because I use reusable nappies on Felix so it's an advantage to have a bit of extra space in clothes.  The fit is great and it should last him a while.  I've washed it three times so far and it still looks as good as new.  It's one of my favourite items to put Felix in.

A #FlatFelix wearing the playsuit - for some reason I don't have a pic of him wearing it!!!

Would I recommend DaisychainBaby to friends and readers?  Yes, hands down.  Great service & prices, easy to use, not overwhelming, quick postage, packages beautifully carefully packaged.

If you would like to get 20% off an order of anything apart from tights at Daisychain, simply use the code REVIEW at checkout!

***A few facts about DaisychainBaby***

Products are all organic or ethically produced or made in the UK. We stock from 0-5 (only Nosh Organics is 5-6 because of how they size their collections).

Postage and packaging is free to the UK. Giftwrap is included in this (in the same way your package is wrapped, and we like to include a little hand-written thank you card too!)

We ship internationally

Packaging is either recycled or can be recycled

Now, that's what we've been rocking - what about your children?  Link up below - don't forget to comment here and visit others who join in!