Thursday 25 December 2014

Sunday 21 December 2014

Bethany Update - Month 11


 This month has been, I think, one of hardest months being a Mum. To me, Beth has made the transition from baby to Toddler. She is now crawling on all fours, and can do it at some speed too. Can now reach things on a higher height, by pulling herself up onto her knees at first and now starting to get on her feet.

Beth is bright and inquisitive, she loves music by wiggling and clapping along. Hubby has an app on his phone of a piano for babies, it is her favourite 'toy' and her face lights up when she has it. Beth also loves my teething necklace from Mama & Belle, I never get to wear it as planned as Beth likes to take it on and off all day and wear it herself.


I love my little shadow, Beth follows me around and says, "Mama" when she's apart from me. I am very proud of her, being able to be at home with her is something I do treasure especially during this phase of growing as she seems to be doing something different.

It has not been a bed of roses, she has been difficult through getting frustration in learning, getting her nights/days mixed up again and being full of the worse cold she had. For myself, I have been getting hand full of hours sleep each day as well as also finally had my conception changed to stop my migraines (this I will write about on it's own as it's an interesting update), after a small blip it's seems to be working.

The month has been hard but the light at the end is Christmas. The past week and half have been brilliant, I've finally made a playgroup for the NCT Christ mas party, all dressed in her Mrs. Claus outfit she looked adorable. We followed this by seeing Santa the next day with Daddy, she was OK for a minute but soon was crying for Daddy but they soon chatting away. She has just had her photo published in the local newspaper with the rest of the local children.



The next update will be her 1st birthday, which I really cannot believe. This time last year I was 38 weeks pregnant and waddling all over the place. Now, I have the most beautiful little girl, who loves Christmas trees and is going to get very spoilt by all our family over the next month.

Bethany keeping warm this time last year!

Thursday 11 December 2014

Why I am Boycotting anyone who uses YODEL



Every Christmas I always buys and makes presents, this year I am planning to do something different from my usual biscuits/truffles and needed a food processor for this. I had some Tesco vouchers left over as well as they are doing their double value if you spend on them on certain things like kitchen appliances.

I ordered it and it had said about 5 days so I waited. I got text message and an email from Tesco apologising that there will be a delay as they were busy, it's Christmas if they weren't busy I would of been more worried. A few days later I got a dispatched email and the following day I had a text from the courier saying that they would be there between 12am and 9pm.

8.50pm and I'm calling Texco customer line (who are open until 11pm), after a 10 minute got an apologies and a £5 credit to my account as an apology. They said it was likely that the driver ran out of time and I was on the delivery list tomorrow. I cancelled my plans for the next day and stayed in with Beth.

8.55pm came and I was on the phone again, this time a little less understanding. They only had an email from the delivery an hour before saying that there was a four day delay on my delivery, that was sitting snugly in a warehouse lock up somewhere. I was off, "So when was I going to be told?" etc. More apologies, then I asked who their courier was - YODEL.

I might as well give up seeing my food processor ever again or delivered in one piece.

I am now waiting for my delivery to finally appear, as yet they cannot give me a day/time as to when I finally get my delivery. I am also waiting for Tesco customer service to contact so I can lodge a formal complaint about using YODEL as the clever people of YODEL do not have a customer service department. I have a theory that there is a very good reason for that.

From now I am not buying for any company that uses YODEL, I have had enough of the lack of communication, the disrespect for the customers their serve, and the disregard for the packages they deliver. I was recommended to look at a Twitter account called YODELHell which then led me to their website (YODELhell.co.uk) a collection of horror stories from users and staff. Those should be enough to stop using them.

I actually ordered clothing from Tesco's a few days afterwards and they arrived earlier than anticipated by Hermes courier. This I was surprised as those who were reading last year would know I had my own issues with them (For those who want to re-visit New Look and the Missing Hermes Delivery)

For now I shall wait and hope.


Friday 5 December 2014

Weleda White Mallow Range



I have previously shown love for the Weleda range, founded in 1921 it's holds a philosophy of using pure natural substances to maintain, support and restore human health. It also wants to increase it's business in a  sustainable way. The body's oils are my favourites of the range and was deeply interested in the baby range for Bethany.

Beth has recently been suffering with sensitivity with the ranges I had been using and Weleda saw my SOS tweet on Twitter and offered an opportunity to try out the new White Mallow range. The range is developed for babies with over sensitive skin, baby eczema, sensitive skin, rash on baby skin and neurodermatitis.

The body lotion, nappy cream, and face cream has extracts of organic White Mallow and pansy soothe skin prone to irritation. The organic coconut oil and organic sesame oil provide intensive care moisturising, cooling and soothing. They have National Eczema Association Seal of Acceptance™ and are 100% certified-natural.

The body lotion is the right consistency of being thick so it feel it would moisturiser but when applied it sunk in without leaving any residue. After a few days use Beth's dry patches felt like they had a springy feel like they had moisture back. The nappy cream also battled teething nappy rash within one use, it left a good barrier between the skin and nappy so no rash has returned.

Personally I loved the products to the point that I have 'borrowed' them as adults can also use the range. The skin on my legs get really dry and itchy, this relives the itch and is neutral enough that I can use fragrance over the top without affecting it. I have also used the nappy cream to relieve an itchy bite I had one day.

I had the body lotion RRP £11.95 and nappy cream £8.95 and both still have a large amount left in the bottles after having for a couple of months. I like the fact that a range is now made with something for people who have over sensitive skin, my skin can flair up with anything and I suspect that I have passed this on to poor Bethany. I now have a weapon to help.