Cuddledry Review | Parenting

Posted on February 26, 2015 by Catherine Balavage

The Cuddledry is something that immediately caught my eye. Reason? Because it is so damn cute. It would take a hard person indeed to look at the pictures of the cute baby wrapped in this towel and not go ‘aw’. But we can’t be worn over on cuteness alone (mostly). Does it work? Is it convenient? Read on…

First of all, it looks good. It is obviously high quality. It is very soft and feels great. Perfect for baby’s skin. If you don’t already know what the Cuddledry is; it is an apron style towel that lets you dry your baby hands free. This is not to be underestimated. Anything that stops you dropping your baby is a good thing. The baby bath towel also keeps you dry and it has a hood which makes baby look adorable and keeps the water away from baby’s skin and hair. We love this apron towel. It makes life with a newborn significantly easier. A brilliant, yet simple invention.

Made with natural bamboo fibre and pure cotton, the Cuddledry is much softer than a normal towel, and stays that way after washing – ideal for snuggling and drying your little one’s soft skin.

Cuddledry designers, Helen Wooldridge and Polly Marsh, were inspired to create the Cuddledry after they and their husbands struggled at bath time with slippery babies, and realising this was a challenge every new parent faces:

“We asked hundreds of parents and found that mums and dads everywhere battle with baby towels held awkwardly under their chin, or in their teeth, or put crying babies onto towels on cold bathroom floors, to get over the need for an extra hand to hold the towel at bath time,” explains Polly Marsh, one of Cuddledry’s creators. “It is of course impossible to safely lift a baby without two hands, but you also somehow have to hold a towel and wrap them in it!”

“Cuddledry have thought of everything, it clips around the neck to free up your arms for picking up your bubba and drying them in a flash, before you know it baby is all snuggled up in the cuddly side. Fantastic invention, why didn’t I think of it first” – Zoe Ball

“I’m so glad my mum bought a Cuddledry for me, it’s the best thing anyone can buy for a new parent.” Denise Van Outen

Helen and Polly were asked by the BBC to take the Cuddledry apron towel onto Dragons Den. They amazed the dragons by turning down three offers of investment. Since the show, the entrepreneurial duo has secured private investment and the business has expanded beyond all expectations. The Cuddledry is now used by tens of thousands of parents, endorsed by celebrities and recommended by midwives and maternity nurses worldwide. It has won over 40 prestigious awards and is recommended again and again as the number 1 baby bath-time essential.

The Cuddledry apron is available to buy for £29.99 here or from Boots.com, John Lewis.com, JoJoMamanBebe.com and Mothercare.com as well as the Cuddledry website www.cuddledry.com

Diamonds Are Forever… Jennifer Klein’s Exquisite Debut Jewellery Collection

Posted on February 25, 2015 by Corinne Tuddenham-Finn

It may break the rules, but daytime glitz is all the rage and real stones have never been so cutting-edge.

On Saturday evening, Jennifer Klein launched her debut ‘Diamonds are Forever’ 2015 collection at the Meursault, Kensington, a heady mix of the finest jewellery on a catwalk presentation produced by Oliver Morris and played out to a huddle of well-heeled, glossy VIP guests who were treated to drinks and canapés whilst deliberating on their purchases, direct from the catwalk. Alex B, a vision of elegance, compered the evening, taking the audience through the collection at an absorbable pace.

Jennifer’s use of fashion colours rather than traditional hues make this exclusive collection as appealing as a sweet shop – fashion accessories to be indulged in.

This is great news for the woman who loves to wear real jewellery. The last few years the girlie, quasi-Bohemian aesthetic has been fun but it didn’t give us the opportunity to dazzle – real gemstones instead of paste is what suits fashion’s money-conscious new mood … and Jennifer Klein is running with it.

Aimed at a design-conscious clientele, far from the hushed, carpeted atmosphere of the old-fashioned jeweller as you can imagine, Jennifer’s collection is giving real jewellery a modish twist, it’s as though all the sugariness of the past few years has unleashed in each of us the deep desire to behave like a woman of the world, instead of a slip of a girl.

Jennifer Klein has rationalised the reinstatement of the pearl necklace, considering all the baggage it once carried with it of dowager duchesses, maiden aunts and women who wear taffeta gowns to the opera. The return to real jewellery is about being grown-up, chic, womanly. It’s a step up in sophistication and it’s a step up in significance because a necklace intricately defined with real stones is, by definition, less throwaway than, say, a £5 bead choker from Top Shop.

Real gems are now being worn by a younger generation of women, no longer saved for special occasions, but worn with the season’s wardrobe – just as all those rules about only wearing sequins in the evening dissolved in a flurry of spangled T-shirts, the idea of what jewellery you can wear and when is changing.

The catwalk featured black leather and silk necklaces, 4 stone detail embellishments incorporating Tibetan turquoise, quartz druzy, white agate and amethyst, Swarovski crystals and 18 carat gold plate, double freshwater pearl

and black druzy. Cuffs adorned with semi-precious bi-colour gemstones surrounded by tumbled ametrine and crystal on genuine snakeskin bands… each piece, due to their inherent characteristics, unique and unmatched.

Each beautiful adornment is sensibly priced, earrings are approximately £150 per pair, necklaces, approximately £380 and cuffs around £175.

A Latin-themed dance show inspired by the sophistication of Jennifer Klein’s luxury jewellery debut collection was presented by international championship dancers, Florent and Diana – superior dancing from a couple who are taking London Fashion Week 2015 by storm, leaving the audience spellbound after a breath-taking performance.

Jennifer’s jewellery can be purchased or hired.

To purchase, visit www.jenniferklein.co.uk

or to hire:

www.msdroom.com

Please view the beautiful promotional video featuring the jewellery of Jennifer Klein:

About Jennifer Klein…

London, Paris, New York and Spain were the backdrops and influences growing up with a mother who was a model and an International fashion tycoon for a father. Jennifer began her 14 year career in beauty as a professional makeup artist working with prestigious brands such as MAC, Laura Mercier, Space NK and Shu Uemura.

Along with her fashion and beauty editorial background, she has also worked within corporate PR and media. As well as styling commercial fashion shoots in Spain, London and New York, Jennifer is a model who has also worked with a great portfolio of International clients including Spanish Hola!, Vogue España, Marie-Claire, Tatler and Now! magazine.

Having identified a gap in the market where fashion, beauty and lifestyle are synthesised within one brand. My A-Dress Book under one dynamic platform, is the first part of this vision.

About My Secret Dressing Room…

YOUR INFINITE WARDROBE

They say you are what you wear… Although I am sure you will agree it is not always easy to find the right outfit for every occasion! Then again, the idea of continually wearing the same outfit can quickly lose the appeal, and additionally you are really eager to keep up with trends without spending a fortune. Well, we have the answer! My Secret Dressing Room is an infinite wardrobe, where women like you, share dresses, bags, shoes and fabulous accessories.

RENTING IS EASY, QUICK AND SECURE

Once registered, you can browse the infinite wardrobe for your perfect outfit. You are able to ask the Secret Stylists for specific information and advice on the fashion items. When you have selected the perfect fashion item/s, you then choose a suitable time and location for delivery and collection. The chosen items can be delivered directly to your home or place of work. After your fashion item hire, you will be encouraged to give feedback on the fashion items and the SecretStylists. Your opinion is important in allowing the secret community to flourish while providing the opportunity for SecretFans to select their dream outfits.

HIRING OUT YOUR FASHION ITEMS IS EASY AND ENJOYABLE

Becoming a ‘Secret Stylist’ is very easy, and above all, totally enjoyable! Simply register on the website, book your free photo shoot, and select the dresses and accessories you would like to add to your virtual wardrobe. On completion, you will be invited to meet our team, where you can star in your own private photo shoot, all managed by our fashion professionals. (If preferred, we are happy to organise our own model ) Once the fashion items are loaded onto the website, you can decide the hire price for your items alongside your own brief description of each piece – perhaps telling the story detailing the event and experience of them. When a lady chooses her perfect outfit from your wardrobe, our personal courier service will collect and deliver them directly to her, allowing her fashion fantasy to become a reality!

Search – Shoot – List- Feel Safe – Earn

Images © Shane Finn at Visual Devotion – www.visual-devotion.co.uk

www.corinne-modelling.co.uk

There Is Only One Word For Sex Selective Abortion: Gendercide. But Should It Be Illegal?

Posted on February 25, 2015 by Catherine Balavage

On Monday the 23rd February MPs voted on whether to amend the serious crime bill to make abortion based on foetal gender a crime. MPs ultimately rejected the amendment to the bill from Fiona Bruce. But was it the right decision?

Sex selective abortion is only one thing: gendercide. This brilliant article on gendercide in The Economist states the shocking fact that at least 100 million girls have been killed. It will be much more now, the article was written five years ago, but it has always stayed with me. I always thought sex selective abortion was a problem in China and India, I had no idea that it was also problem in Britain. And lets be clear: it is a problem, and a growing one.

I tend to be wary of amendments to abortion rights. In the US more and more bills are passed to take away a women’s right to her own reproductive future. History also proves that it doesn’t matter if abortion is legal or not, women will still have them. Legalisation means less maternal deaths. I am pro-choice even though I would never have an abortion myself. A woman’s body belongs to herself, not the government. But what about gendercide? Which is a very real crime.

As I write this I am 35 weeks pregnant with a boy. When we told people the sex of our child I was shocked at the sexism. I was told congratulations for having a boy. I was even told it is ‘better to have a boy’. Why? Usually no reason was given. Or a fluster of babbling that made no coherent sense. I was supposed to feel proud that my body was making a boy, as if by making a daughter I would somehow have failed. What makes a boys life more important than a girls? It’s a good question, if only so we can address and dismantle it. If there is pressure for a white, British, non-religious female to have a boy, can you imagine how much pressure a woman from another culture would feel?

Feminists widely criticised the amendment. Bryony Gordon spoke out against it. Rebecca Schiller wrote an amazing article on it but I think they are both wrong. Should gendercide be illegal? Yes. Schiller says “This is not about whether sex-selective abortion is right. This is about a woman deciding what happens to her body throughout her life and valuing her as the key protagonist in these decisions across her lifetime.” She makes a good point, but if that decision is to kill a baby girl then it is not okay. The Telegraph did an amazing expose on doctors agreeing to do sex selective abortions.

Lisa Hallgarten, chair of Voice for Choice, said: “We urge MPs from all political parties to oppose this dangerous amendment. This is the wrong piece of legislation to address the issue of son-preference and gender discrimination and could disadvantage the very women it claims to be helping. “If passed, this amendment would seriously undermine abortion law and provision in this country, which is clearly the intention of its proposer Fiona Bruce MP.” Some feminist may be up in arms but what is more anti-feminist than a girl being aborted just because of her gender? One way to fix this is the gender of the child not being revealed until the abortion limit has passed.

Women’s reproductive rights have been hard won and should always be protected but the truth is sex selective abortions are becoming more common in Britain. Christina Odone wrote a great piece in The Telegraph and stated that ‘We should be up in arms at the thought of would-be parents deciding that girls are not worth conceiving. In a country where the culling of baby seals brings out street protests, the culling of baby girls is happening without a murmur.” We must defend the rights of girls. In the womb and out. Labour MP Yvette Cooper MP has said that the practice of aborting a foetus simply based on their sex is already illegal, but more must be done to enforce it. Over one million girls are lost every year to gendercide. Something must be done about it. We must show that a girls life is just as important as a boys.

New Social Shopping Site Launched For New And Expecting Parents

Posted on February 6, 2015 by Frostie

Parents need all the help they can get. Which is why we think BerryClever, a brand new social shopping site for new and expecting parents is great. It aims to make online shopping more fun and interactive by giving parents the power to discover and choose the perfect parenting products by reading and sharing honest advice from the people they can trust the most, their friends. BerryClever has had over 7,000 members joins since it launched 3 months ago.

Online shopping has revolutionised our lives and the range of product choices available to parents for their little ones has never been greater. But with this overwhelming range of choice often comes more questions than answers, especially for first time parents who are under pressure to buy all sorts of baby essentials that they often know nothing about. BerryClever’s research found that an incredible 91% of people surveyed admitted that they had wasted money buying the wrong products for their babies. What’s more 86% of people surveyed wanted their friend’s recommendations when making purchasing decisions. So where do you start when it comes to choosing the right products for your baby? That’s where BerryClever comes in.

BerryClever has created a unique online environment, which allows you to connect with existing friends and new like-minded ones to discover the products they love, regret or simply can’t live without. Kristi Flax and Emma Kafton, who are both mums themselves, recognise that parents in particular prefer recommendations from people they know and trust when it comes to buying products for their babies. Because the reviews on BerryClever are written by friends in your network, you know they have no vested interest in promoting certain products and that they are just sharing their own honest and experienced views. Emma explains that “the idea is to make online shopping for your baby feel intuitive rather than the transactional and anonymous experience you get on many other ecommerce websites. With so much online content being disingenuous, the ability to read information from people you trust is ever more valuable”.

BerryClever’s reviews, known as ‘tips’, are no longer than 150 characters making them quick to write and read on mobile devices and ideal for busy mums on the go. As parents overwhelmingly prefer reviews from people they know, BerryClever’s unique algorithm ranks reviews based on their social profile so they will always be shown the most relevant products reviewed by their friends and the people they are most similar to first.

Users can also upload Pictips – a product photo review, watch recommended videos from the web and create lists of favourite or most wanted products for themselves or to share with others. The ability to explore friends’ lists provides a simple way for experienced parents to help their newly pregnant friends find everything they need for every stage of their birth and child’s development, from weaning and feeding to potty training, playing and learning.

Not only does BerryClever help parents make the important decisions on what to buy, it also quickly and easily links directly through to their Amazon account or the retailer’s website to allow them to make the purchase. There is even a ‘demand a lower price’ feature to help parents, who on average spend £5,000 in the first year of their child’s life alone, save money on expensive items like buggies and car seats. If a lower price can be found, the user will be sent an email within 48 hours confirming an offer which they can choose to either accept or decline, with no hidden small print.

Every feature is intended to make BerryClever a place where shopping can become a fun, social and resourceful experience.

Peppa Pig Visits Selfridges At The Trafford Centre

Posted on December 15, 2014 by Keeley Watts

Last week was all about Paddington Bear at Selfridges, this week it’s Peppa!

Peppa Pig will be at the Selfridges ice rink at the Trafford Centre for a special appearance on Sunday 21st December

Skaters will get the chance to have their photograph taken with Peppa Pig and also go home with a Peppa Pig cupcake from Hey Little Cupcake, a new addition to Selfridges Trafford Centre food offering.

There are two early morning sessions available either 9am-10am or 10am-11am. Tickets are priced at £15 per person and include a skate, meet/greet with Peppa and a cupcake. Adults accompanying children are free of charge where not skating.

Tickets are available here… http://style.selfridges.com/whats-on/ice-rink-selfridges-manchester-trafford

Skip Hop Duo Special Edition Changing Bag Review

Posted on December 12, 2014 by Catherine Balavage

It is hard enough to find a bag you like in life without the addition of baby paraphenalia. Which is why changing bags have it so hard: they need to be functional and gorgeous. Parents don’t expect anything less.

First thoughts on the Skip Hop Duo Special Edition Changing Bag were good. It is a beautiful bag. It is well made and has a lovely design. It is so stylish and beautiful that I would actually buy it if it wasn’t a changing bag. But is it functional? Yes. The bag has wipable fabric and a cushioned changing pad. It has a total of nine pockets which included a personal zip pocket and two hidden insulated side pockets.

It has two pockets on the front of the bag which are very handy, and the pocket at the back has the cushioned changing pod in. The back pocket still has room for other things too. The front pockets have magnetic closure and one of the things I really love about the bag is that it is not bulky at all. It is incredibly well designed and you can tell a lot of thought and time has gone into making such an excellent changing bag.

The bag is a good size and I love a big bag. Other great things are the slip-resistant adjustable stroller strap & the rolled handles, the key fob zipper pull and the fact that the bag is BPA and Phthalate-free. This bag really is a winner: highly recommended. It is perfect for fashionable parents who want the best of everything.

The latest changing bag to come from the New York based SkipHop brand is the Duo Special Edition. The bag’s ultra-stylish, fresh design came about after Skip Hop cleverly incorporated all the style and functionality of its best-selling Duo Deluxe changing bag, but added three contemporary patterns and several extra special features, ensuring parents really stand out from the crowd.

With the Duo Special Edition, Skip Hop has cleverly combined high style with practicality. Mums will love the faux leather detailing, smart key fob zipper pulls and rolled clutch handles in addition to the slip resistant shoulder strap. And when it comes to the bag’s material, it looks just like a regular, smart fabric but in fact it’s a clever, wipe-able material that ensures the bag stays looking as good as new for years to come.

Other features on the Duo Special Edition include Skip-Hop’s special patented shuttle clip system which allows the Duo Special Edition to attach effortlessly to the buggy handles in seconds. The nine compartments let you organise all of baby’s essentials and keep wet and messy items separate; the pockets include a large, roomy main compartment with a zip closure to keep contents safe, large rear pocket for changing pad and nappies and two roomy front pouches. Contents are easy to spot with the contrasting lining and the convenient side phone holder and easy access pen holders ensure mums and dads have everything to hand. Parents will also appreciate the ‘quiet’ magnetic closures to help prevent waking baby. The changing pad is cushioned and waterproof and the entire bag is of course BPA and Phthalate free.

Parents have a choice of three fabric patterns: the smart black and white ‘Aztec’, chic ‘Blue Pin’ or the ‘French Stripe’, a classic ‘boating’ style navy striped fabric that looks just like canvas.

Skip Hop Duo Special Edition: RRP £65.00

STOCKISTS:

French Stripe – marksandspencer.com

Blue Pin – marksandspencer.com

Aztec – www.jaijai.co.uk

More Skip Hop Duo Changing Bag’s available here.

www.maguari.com

Paddington Bear Visits Selfridges At The Trafford Centre

Posted on December 11, 2014 by Keeley Watts

This weekend sees a Hollywood star visiting Selfridges at the Trafford Centre! Currently starring in his own movie Paddington Bear will receive his public at the ice rink on Saturday 13th December between 9am-11am before moving into the store to meet his fans.

The Selfridges ice rink holds 120 ice skaters and is a winter wonderland which echoes the Christmas storytelling theme of the Trafford Centre with forest greens and sparkly gold accents to bring the magic of enchantment and fairy tales to life.

The ice rink is covered meaning it is perfect in all weather with hot food and drinks available to keep you cosy.

Booking and directions information can be found here… http://style.selfridges.com/whats-on/ice-rink-selfridges-manchester-trafford or you can call direct on 0161 629 1204. Don’t miss your chance to meet a Hollywood movie star and help to bring the magic to life for your children this Christmas.

Things That Suck About Being Pregnant

Posted on December 9, 2014 by Catherine Balavage

Pregnancy is supposed to be an amazing time but it doesn’t always work out that way. My mother always talked about her wonderful pregnancies and, in truth, I don’t think I ever heard a negative pregnancy story from a family member or friend. Sure there were some truly awful stories in the media and, although I found them horrifying, I cast them out of my mind. Which is why I am pretty annoyed now. Pregnancy is not this magical thing people told me about. It is not a magical time at all. Okay, creating our child is wonderful and I would not have it any other way but wonderful or any other such word does not encapsulate it. In fairness, my pregnancy has been termed ‘unlucky’ by my doctor. It is a bit of an understatement due to the horrendous acute morning sickness but, never mind. Here are my pregnancy rants. Feel free to add your own because ranting is good for the soul.

Bump Molestation

Seriously, what is up with this? Today I actually had a stranger molest me from barely underneath my breasts all the way down. I may have been in a sitting position but it was not appropriate and if it had not been an elderly woman she would have at the very least been slapped. It is not okay to touch a pregnant women’s bump without asking her. And even then, keep your hands to yourself unless you are a very close friend or family member. How would you like to be felt up? Especially when you are creating a life and feeling very protective of your bump? This brings me on to my next rant….

A Women’s Body Does Not Become Public Property When She becomes Pregnant

Not only does this mean NO TOUCHING but it also means you don’t get to tell her what to eat or drink, how to exercise or how much weight to put on. You don’t get to make comments on how she looks or what she does so mind your business.

The Unsolicited Advice

Your pregnancy choices were good choices for you. Only share them with other pregnant women if they ask. If you are a man, keep quiet unless you are a doctor and a question is asked. Also annoying is pregnancy advice from women who have never been pregnant. I mean, really?

The Constant Personal Questions

When people find out you are pregnant they ask you everything from what you are going to call your baby, what the sex is and how much weight you have put on. It really is too much. People seem to forget their manners when they are in the presence of a pregnant woman. If you feel uncomfortable just smile and avoid the question or say you are not sharing that information publicly yet.

Morning Sickness

As Miranda says in Sex & The City, ‘I don’t know why they call it morning sickness when it lasts all fucking day.’ Exactly Miranda, exactly. Some woman get barely any morning sickness and some, like Kate Middleton, get acute morning sickness which is otherwise known as hyperemesis gravidarum. Morning sickness is not fun. Think of your worst hangover ever and then think about suffering through it everyday for about three months, sometimes longer. There you go: morning sickness.

Not being Able To Tell Anyone Why You Are So ill

The chances of miscarriage are high in the first 12 weeks so you are recommended to keep your pregnancy to yourself. Suffering in silence is not= fun and colleagues will probably notice something is up. Just know you will get to the end of it.

Having To Do All of the Stuff You Did Before

There is a popular quote that Ginger Rogers had to do everything Fred Astaire did but backwards and in heels. Well, pregnant women have to do everything everyone else does but whilst dealing with morning sickness, being kicked internally, headaches, muscle pain, nausea, random pains, tiredness…the list is endless. The pressure for pregnant women to not let anyone down and act like some kind of superwoman is tremendous. The reality is: pregnant women should be given some slack. If you don’t like that, just remember that the little baby they are creating will be paying for public services in your retirement.

The Fact That EVERYTHING Hurts

I mean everything. From your head to your legs to your vagina. A lucky day is when it doesn’t hurt all at once.

The Constant Worrying

I stopped reading the pregnancy literature before 12 weeks. I could not take it. Even now the stuff overwhelms me. Sure, things can go wrong in pregnancy but do you really need to know about every single thing that could go wrong? No, you don’t. So relax and read a magazine or a good book instead. Ignorance is not bliss, but somedays it is easier.

The Glee of Awful Things To Come

Too many people take such glee in the fact that, apparently, you will never sleep again, nor have a life. People can seem pretty happy because they think that having a child will ruin your life or career. Ignore these people. They are jerks.

What are your pregnancy rants?

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