10 Things I'm Loving Lately - October 2019

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Wow, it's been a while since I wrote one of these posts. In fact, it's been three years! It's quite surreal looking back at this post because our lives have changed so much! Anyway, less of the reminiscing, here are 10 things I'm loving lately.

Gardening

I don't have a garden, but I do have a lot of potted plants. It probably shows my age, but I feel such a passion for gardening lately and find it so therapeutic and calming taking care of plants. I wish we had a big sprawling back garden so I could all out with plants, but for now, we don't. Amongst my regular plants, I have a couple of tomato bushes, a basil shrub, and a strawberry plant. I'm looking forward to planting next year and seeing what else I can grow.

Reading
A favourite pastime of mine has got to be reading, however, lately, I haven't been reading as much as I'd like to. My friend Rebecca from Mum Of A Premature Baby is currently well into her 2019 reading challenge and is a daily reminder for me to pick up a book. I've recently fallen in love with Jill Shalvis - her books are so easy to read, light-hearted and enjoyable.

Decorating
I've mentioned this a billion times here on the blog, but after a lengthy house renovation is brilliant to finally be able to decorate our home the way we want to. We are currently focusing on our dining room as it seems to have turned into more of a playroom than somewhere to eat dinner and it drives me crazy. I've been looking to purchasing wall dividers to keep their toys separate and issue a little bit of order into the room.

Queer Eye
If you are looking to watch something that makes you smile one minute, laugh the next, and have you sobbing by the end then Queer Eye is for you. The Fab Five certainly live up to their name and are all so inspiring in their own unique way. Every episode leaves me with the warm fuzzies and I'm already itching for a new season! You can watch all the seasons on Netflix now.

Mummy and daughter time
I really enjoy my weekdays, having quality time with Ava when Noah is at school. I know this sounds a bit strange, but second children really miss out on that one on one time a lot, and Noah had me all to himself back when he was a toddler. On Tuesdays, we attend a playgroup at Noah's school which is great for socialising, arts and crafts, and a bit of freeplay. On Thursdays, we go to Hartbeeps which is a sensory, music, dance type class that Ava adores. I'd go as far as saying it's her favourite thing to do because she asks to go every day without fail.

Blackberry picking
I wish we had a large garden. I would plant fruit trees, bushes, try my hand at growing vegetables but for the time being, I'm having to make do with my potted plants. That said, we live right next to allotments and along the paths are dozens of blackberry bushes and the kids love to help themselves to them. They are coming to the end of the season now but they've eaten so many of them over the past couple of weeks and saved me a small fortune on fruit!

After school activities
Noah is now in year 1 and is coming on leaps and bounds both academically and in his confidence. To enrich his after school time we've signed him up to swimming lessons and Beaver Scouts. It gives him extra structure to his week, develops his confidence further, and he seems to be enjoying both.

WWE
I know, this isn't my "coolest" moment but I'm enjoying reliving my youth catching up with the WWE. Back when I was a kid, all my friends wanted to be pop stars, actors, models, not me, I wanted to be a wrestler! Nick and I started watching wrestling again last year after Noah showed an interest in it. Fast forward 12 months and Noah is a mega-fan and we are due to see it live again in November. We are all so excited!

Gin

Yes, I said it! Gin is my tipple of choice and I love trying new flavours and tonic/ lemonade combinations. I find it's a nice way to relax and unwind in the evening, once the kids are in bed. My favourite gin's at the moment are Boe Violet, Beefeater Strawberry, and the limited edition Seville Orange and Lime gin from ALDI. They are all exquisite and if you are a fan of gin then you have got to try them.

Nairn's Pop Oats
I love a good snack, especially if they are healthier than my regular ones. I recently reviewed Nairn's Pop Oats and they are one of my new favourite snacks and the kids love them too!

What are you loving lately?

Review: October Degustabox

I am already a huge fan of Degustabox having reviewed a number of their boxes earlier in the year so you can understand my excitement when I recently signed up to review the food subscription box for a couple more months. I couldn't wait to see if they were keeping their standards high.

When Octobers box arrived I dived right in and was very happy with the selection of products inside. 

Pasquier Brioche pains au lait and Pasquier brioche loaf - As a huge fan brioche and sweet bread I loved that these Pasquier products were included in Octobers box. We have all enjoyed the brioche loaf in the morning with some jam or nutella. 

Special K BBQ cracker crisps - At first I was a bit skeptical with the idea of these "crisps" but they were delicious. A nice change and healthier alternative from regular crisps. I must admit I ate almost the whole bag in one sitting, oops.

Dr Oetker extra dark chocolate and Dr Oetker extra dark cocoa powder - I have just started taking up baking again so it was nice to add these Dr Oetker products to my baking pantry. I intend to use these in an upcoming bake so I will remember to blog all about it. 

Solo Toasted Marshmallow Creme - This is really up my street. I had tried Fluff before which is a similar product but I much preferred this variety from Solo. Super sweet and very morish. 

Jelly Belly Jelly Beans - I thought it was nice to receive some "candy" in our October box because it seemed very fitting for Halloween. I did sample a few and they were as good as ever but my young nephew snaffled the rest. 

Bear strawberry and apple fruit pieces - Noah loved snacking on these and I think they would be a great snack for in a childs lunchbox. 

Bear Alpha Bites cereal - Another product Noah really enjoyed. Being a sample size it was perfect for my one year old. I softened them up in a bowl of milk and let him feed himself, they were gone in a flash! 

Enhance drink - This tiny little pot of concentrated juice makes a whooping 32 glasses of water a lot more interesting with a hint of orange and passion fruit. A great product if you struggle to drink a lot of regular water.  

Blue Dragon sweet chilli sauce x2 - I'm not personally a fan of sweet chilli sauce. I will eat it but I wouldn't choose it. My partner on the other hand really likes it and has gone through a bottle already. He's had it on many different dishes such as fish, chicken, burgers.

Kent’s Kitchen bengal meal kit - I am always wanting to be a bit more adventurous in the kitchen so this bengal meal kit from Ken't Kitchen is great. 

Degustabox fridge voucher - A voucher for Benecol yogurts which we are still to purchase. I'm always excited when I see a Degustabox fridge voucher inside my Degustabox, I think it gives an added bonus. 

I have to say this month is possibly my favourite Degustabox yet. It was full to the brim of such a diverse range of top brands and new products. Excellent value for money and there wasn't one product that I wouldn't use. I am very excited to see what is in Novembers box!

- I was sent this product for the purpose of this review. However all opinions are my own. 

Where we are with weaning

I bet you can't say that three time's in a row! What a tongue twister! Anyway, today I thought I would update you on how we are getting on with weaning our Noah. 

As you may or may not know we begun weaning at 4 months which is earlier than they recommend these days but at the time I felt he wanted more than milk. I introduced solids very slowly and no tasters or meals replaced any milk feeds for the entire first month. Noah's first tastes were pear, carrot and porridge and he took to food straight away. He didn't seem to have to learn what the spoon was he just knew what to do. 

The following few months I gradually introduced more and more different tastes. Starting with just a one fruit or veg puree and then mixing different fruits and vegetables together to create a bit of variety. 

I held off on dairy and meat until 6 months and his first taste of meat was lean mince meat that I cooked in a baby friendly spaghetti bolognaise. At 6 months we also introduced finger food and mashed / textured food which replaced puree's. We had no issue going from smooth puree's to lumpy foods and he seemed to relish the change. At first I was so terrified of introducing finger foods as I was so scared of him choking but you soon feel more comfortable with it. Noah has a habit of shoving far too much in his mouth and I tend to have to scoop a little out with my finger. 

Now at 7.5 months old and will eat or have a go at anything! He absolutely loves his food and we joke that his mouth is an ever open door! You don't have time to get more food on the spoon before his mouth is wide open waiting for more. His favourite foods are; strawberries, toast, tomatoes, cheese, pasta and porridge. We have yet to come across a food or taste that he doesn't enjoy. The closest we have got to a dislike is when we tried baby cereal this week. I don't think he understood the texture and was spitting it out everywhere! 

I think puree's and spoon feeding is almost looked down upon these days but I don't really understand why. They say spoon feeding is "force feeding" yet I am sure if your baby is sat there with his mouth wide open, bouncing in his high chair he's pretty happy to eat what's on the spoon! I can see pro's and con's but for us this has worked. I've weaned my first child in a way that was comfortable and right for the both of us. He has a fantastic appetite, likes everything you feed him, will feed off a spoon and will feed himself. There are things I would of done differently but on a whole I am very happy and proud with our weaning journey so far. I just hope he's such a good eater when he's older! 

Review: April Degustabox

I have been reviewing Degustabox for a few months now and each month the box just gets better and better. If you are new to Degustabox, then let me explain..

Degustabox is a subscription box for foodie lovers everywhere. Each month you receive a box full of brand new and exciting food products, all for £12.99. It's ideal if you love to discover new foods and tastes. If you aren't to keen on receiving a surprise you ca tailor the box to your personal preference instead.

Here is what was inside April's box:

Dr. Oetker Cooking Chocolate x2: I haven't baked for a while now but on seeing these Dr. Oetker products in the box it made me want to bake some muffins or a huge chocolate cake. 

Crabbies Raspberry Alcoholic Ginger Beer: I was plesantly surprised to see Crabbies Alcoholic Ginger Beer in there. We love Crabbies and my other half didn't waste any time in sampling it. It was divine! 

Clearsprings Miso Soup x2: We haven't tried these yet but they do look interesting. 

Lindt bars x3: Oh my days. Lindt is one of my favourite brands of chocolate and I enjoyed these way too much. It was nice to see them in bars! Such a rich and creamy chocolate, yummy. 

Go Splash: This is a very concentrated fruit squash which can make up to 6 litre's of cordial. Low calories and no added sugar. I received the blackcurrant variety, it's lovely.  

Cawston Press: Rhubarb blended with sweet apples and sparkling water. It's a lovely sweet and sugar filled pop. The taste is divine and reminds me of rhubarb and custard sweets. Very high in sugar though. 

Keogh's Crisps: I love my crisps and could easily live off them. I hadn't tried Keogh's before and on trying these sea salt and vinegar variety I was very impressed. Quite possibly my new favourite crisps! I just wish there was more than one bag in the box. 

Mornflake Granola & Mornflake Muesli: These cereal pots are great for on the go. All you need to do is simply add cold water and they are ready! Perfect for busy mornings.

McVities Jaffa Cake Mini Rolls x2: We received the Tropicool and Berry Burst varities and both were delicious. A great twist on the mini rolls. It says on the pack to pop them in the freezer for a frozen treat.

Again Degustabox haven't failed to disappoint. Each month they just get better and better! A great mix of products and great value for money. I am very impressed! I would hesitate in recommending Degustabox to everyone! 

If you want to sign up yourself then feel free to use this code: 9EZP6 at the checkout to receive a £3 discount.  

Slimming World

One of my new years resolutions is to start and stick to a diet. I decided to try out Slimming World as I am forever hearing positive weight loss stories and positive remarks about the diet. Although I wouldn't call Slimming World a diet, it is more like a lifestyle change. It changes the way we choose and cook our foods and I have already learnt so much in such a short space of time.

I did start Slimming World earlier on in the year but wasn't fully confident in it so I decided to give it another go this week and to stick at it and I feel a lot more committed this time around. I am on the Extra Easy plan and it is just that. Extra easy. Once you get your head around all the ins and outs it's like riding a bike. 

I try to have three meals a day but do find that I tend to miss or skip breakfast. When I do this I have a supper instead. I have always been more of a night time eater and I can't change that. That is why Slimming World is great. You don't need to change what you like and want, it's all in moderation and you tailor it to what works for you. 

There are free foods, superfree foods, healthy extra's and then the foods you have to syn. I bet it all sounds like gobildygook but once you are doing it, it all makes sense. I get 15 syns a day to use which I could spend on a curly wurly (6 syns) or even a bag of quavers (4 syns) and much much more. If you want it, syn it and you can have it! Some people go syn free all day by filling up on free and superfree foods and then splurge using all the syns they have saved throughout the week. Which is great if you haven't kicked the takeaway habit. 

I have had some fab meals this week; beef casserole with roasted, potatoes, parsnips and carrots. Tuna pasta. Piri Piri chicken, rice and peppers. Roast dinner. Chicken tikka. I've even had chips!! All slimming world friendly and containing no syns! 

I had put on weight before becoming pregnant, during and after so I have a lot to lose. I am aiming to lose 3 stone so I will be here for the long haul but I will be blogging all about my adventure and maybe post a recipe or two.

I also intend on being more active. Even if it is just taking Noah out in the pram for a good half an hour in the afternoons. I have been trying to get out and be more active but the weather is dreadful. I can't wait to be able to go on long walks on milder days, Noah loves it too. 

On to the scary part. It is my first weigh in tomorrow! Wish me luck! 

Degustabox Review & Giveaway

I have to say I am a sucker when it comes to subscription boxes. From beauty boxes, pet boxes to baby boxes they are all the rage at the moment! I had yet to try a food subscription box so when Degustabox contacted me I was very happy to try them out!

For £12.99 a month you can receive a box full to the brim of exciting well known and brand new food products. What is in the box each month is a total surprise and I have to say when my Degustabox arrived I was very excited to see what was inside. 

Here is a list of what was in my box:

Quinola Mothergrain Express - £2.55 - We use a lot of express rice in this house so we are looking forward to trying it. We plan on eating it this weekend with salmon fillets and veg. 

Jules Destrooper Butter Crisp Biscuits - £1.19 - These biscuits were heavenly. So moreish and delicious I ate the whole box in one sitting. Perfect with a hot cup of coffee. 

Dorset Cereal Berry Granola - £3.79 - We love Dorset Cereal and I was very happy to see the brand in my box. I ate it for my breakfast with lashings of natural yogurt. Great way to start the day. 

Go! Kombucha Tea - £2.19 - This tea is packed full of live probiotic acids, vitamins, minerals and antioxidents. Extremely good for you. It was a strange taste and I found it almost medicine like but you sort of expect that from something that is so good for you. It is giving your body a good cleanse! 

Zico Chocolate Coconut Water - £2.00 - I'm not usually a fan of coconut water as it just isn't sweet enough for me but this chocolate coconut version is delicious.

x3 Maggie So Juicy - 99p - I see the Maggie adverts on TV a lot and have always wanted to try them out. I received So Tender Italian Herbs, So Juicy Mexican Chicken and So Juicy Sticky BBQ. I plan on cooking up some meals next week with these flavour packets.

x2 Goody Good Stuff Sweets - £1.50 - These sweets contain no gluten, dairy, soy or nuts. They are a natural and vegetarian option too. I have tried vegetarian sweets before and didn't like them but I really enjoyed Goody Good Stuff! They still had the chew like most gelatin sweets and they tasted very fruity.

Amy's Kitchen Chunky Tomato Soup - £1.69 - This was the first time I have tried anything by Amy's Kitchen. The soup is made from organic ingredients and it was so yummy. It tasted like freshly made soup, you wouldn't of thought it had come out of a can.

All in all I am really impressed with Degustabox! There was such a variety of products inside, something for everyone all at an affordable price. I would subscribe in a heartbeat, fantastic! 

I have a £3.00 off voucher for my readers who would like to try out Degustabox for themselves. 

Simply enter the code: SG0JN.

That's not all. If you would like to win a Degustabox of your own simply enter via the rafflecopter below. Please read the t&c's at the bottom of the page before entering. Good luck! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway
t&c:

1. 1 winner of 1 Degustabox.

2. Winner must be over 18 years old.

3. Winner must be from the UK.

4. All entries checked. If an entry is incomplete it will be invalid. 

5. Competition ends 03/06/13. 

- I was sent this product for the purpose of this review. All opinions are my own. 

I Love Pregnancy

I thought I would write a post all about everything I've loved during my pregnancy. Becoming pregnant has been the best thing that has ever happened to me. Nurturing this life inside me has been a life changing experience and one I have enjoyed thoroughly. It's almost sad that it will shortly be coming to the end but I will then have my baby then, at long last. 

Firstly of course I love my boy. I love the thought of him being in my belly, the thought that I am never alone. He is always with me wherever I go and his big kicks are a reminder that he's strong and well. Words can't express how much love I feel for him already and I can't even comprehend how I will feel when I lay eyes on him for the first time. It brings tears to my eyes imagining it and I get goosebumps. I already have this super protective maternal instinct over him and I can't wait for it to develop and grow.

My bump, I have been bump obsessed. Watching my bump get bigger and bigger week by week has been incredible. The stretch marks as unsightly as they look are and will always be a constant reminder of carrying him and I am already proud of them. I know for a fact that once he is here I will miss my bump so much. I find so much comfort from giving it a rub and totally used to it being there now. I will miss his little wriggles. When I first wake up in the morning and he is nice and still if I begin to talk he will move around in response. When you feel your baby move inside you it's a magical indescribable feeling. 

I love how pregnancy has brought Nick and I even closer. The countless hours we've spent talking about the life we've created and about our future as a family. About our hopes and dreams for our son and what values we want him to have. It is the biggest, most exciting period of our lives and we can't wait to be a family. 

The crazy dreams. I have given up watching films as I may as well sleep as my dreams are so much more entertaining. From playing domino's in the big brother house, to giving birth to kittens there is never a dull moment in my mind at bed time.

The excuse to eat whatever I fancy. Waking up at 2am and eating cake then thinking well I am eating for two! I will really miss using that excuse. I don't think my scales will miss it though as I must of put on at least two stone during the pregnancy.

I probably could go for another hour but I will end it here. As you can see I have enjoyed every second of my pregnancy and really looking forward to the next chapter!  

Cravings

One thing that comes hand in hand with pregnancy are the cravings and when I first became pregnant I used to wonder what crazy cravings I would develop. Sadly as of yet my cravings have been a little boring. No nibbling on coal or chewing sponges! 

The only time my cravings have gotten a little crazy was when I ate half a lemon. I actually sent my other half to the shop to buy me a lemon. He came back, I scoffed half then had the worst heartburn known to man. I have also craved things I generally never eat such as tinned hot dogs! Normally the thought of them make me want to gag but one night it's all I wanted to eat. That is about as strange as it has gotten for me so far. 

When I was in first trimester it was all about the orange juice and ready salted crisps. I was suffering from bad nausea so they were two of the only things that I could actually stomach. Then that craving evolved and I began dipping my ready salted crisps into Philadelphia cheese. Very naughty. 

Next up in second trimester it was all about dairy. My favourite snack would be chopped banana smothered in Nutella and doused in squirty cream. Big tall glasses of milk and cheese butties. 

So far in third trimester it is all about the Crunchy Nut Cornflakes. My nausea seems to have returned so hopefully that will go away soon so I can continue on my epic food fest! 

Here are some of the delicious foods I have craved whilst being pregnant! Everyone loves a good food picture or ten!

What foods did you crave in your pregnancy? 

PS: I have really enjoyed using the excuse of eating for two on more than a dozen occasions! I will miss that one once baby is here!