From Slummy to Yummy

I thought if I let you all in on what I've been calling (in my head) 'Operation Yummy Mummy', my public praise/humiliation would be more than enough motivation to stay strong.  Be gentle with me on my off days though!

Before:

Almost a month ago, we returned from a lovely family holiday.  What wasn't lovely about it was sitting on the sidelines whilst Mr B took Madam swimming, all because I'm too embarrassed to be seen in a swimming cossie, in public.  Without a very large towel wrapped around me anyway.  I did swallow my shame long enough to be the proudest mummy in the pool, beside my baby girl as she swam by herself for the first time ever!  But it made me realise, I am FED UP.  Fed up of being ashamed of my body, fed up of not having the energy to run around with Madam, fed up of changing an outfit several times and still not being happy with what I see in the mirror.  So I made up my mind, I would rejoin (yes REjoin, I've attempted this before, several times) a local slimming club and shift the ugly weight once and for all.

So I rejoined, I spent a not totally unpleasant first week on the diet, then I jumped on the official club scales.....6lb off! I admit it, I did my happy dance.  But I thought, don't take this for granted, it won't be like this every week, you still need to work at it.  So I worked for the second week, still not hating it, but starting to get bored of the same meals every day (my imagination doesn't work without chocolate, I'm sure...) and get this: 1.5lb off!  I got a certificate for my first half stone weight loss, and it has been proudly displayed in the kitchen, near the treat cupboard for 'scaring-off' purposes.

Anyhoo, I'm now half way through week three, and hoping for a loss as often as I can.  Even just 1lb at a time, it's all still going in the right direction- OFF!  This week my plan is to up my exercise.  Not easy with Madam around, I can't think she take too kindly to amusing herself on the rowing machine at the gym, but I will try nonetheless.  Watch this space, I weigh in on Monday evenings so if you don't see a progress report on Tuesday mornings, feel free kick my butt into gear, you lovely readers!

Right, I'm off for a salad.

Organix Goodies

We received some lovelies from Organix Foods for Madam to be further spoiled with, including a fruit pouch and fruit juices.  I already love Organix, especially their little boxes of Californian Raisins, I never go out without a box or two in my bag to keep Madam happy.

The fruit pouch is a new flavour that Organix have added to their Goodies Squeezy range, 'Blueberry, Blackberry and Pear'.  A completely, 100% organic blend of fruit purées, this is a great way for your (12 month old and up) toddler to get some yummy fruit in them, and one pouch is also one of their '5 a day'.  

As with all of Organix's food and drink, the Squeezy comes with the 'No Junk' promise, so you know that what your little precious is consuming is full of only the best quality ingredients, with no artificial colours, flavours or added sugar.  I particularly loved the cap on the pouch, resealable- so if Madam doesn't feel like downing it in one go, I can pop it back in my bag without fear of everything else getting covered in purple goo!
You can grab these delicious, guilt free Goodies at Boots, The Co-operative and Asda, to name a few stockists, at a RRP of 89p for the 100g pouches.

The juices also went down very well, and very quickly!  Gulped down were the Apple, Grape and Peach, 

and then the Apple and Blackcurrant.

Madam is fussy in that she refuses to drink plain water, so these juices are perfect for her.  They are simply a blend of water and organic fruit juices, delicious and again with the 'no-junk' promise.  The mini bottles are also the perfect bag size, and you can find them in most major supermarkets at a RRP of 89p each.


You can also find an Organix Mighty Meals review here, plus a fantastic give away competition.  Good luck!

Angelic bath time- Halos n Horns review

The lovely people at Halos and Horns have sent Madam some bathtime goodies to try out.  I'm not sure if she has horns or a halo lately though; let's just say she's certainly discovering her independent streak!

First she jumped in the bath with some Zingy orange shampoo, which doubles up as a body wash.

The twin function is particularly useful for those bath times when she's a bit tired and grouchy and wants out asap.  It has a lovely orange smell, that's not overpowering, and lasted on my hands after I'd washed Madam's hair, my skin also felt really soft.  I also loved that, while the bubbles were plentiful, they didn't remain for ages after the water had drained, making my job of cleaning the bath that much easier!

Then she got to brush her teeth with the Toothy Fruity toothpaste.  I wasn't too sure about this, as in my head toothpaste always equals minty fresh smell and taste.  But Madam liked it, she actually seemed to brush her teeth properly rather than just sucking the water off the brush.  I think the taste made teeth brushing a more enjoyable experience (for us both!).

The toothpaste is SLS free, which is known to be a skin irritant, so you can rest assured your little one isn't swallowing nasty chemicals.

You can find Halos n Horns at Asda, Morrisons, Tesco and Boots, to name a few!  They have lots of fantastic products in their range, and knowing it's all good for sensitive skin can really put your mind at ease.

A Breath of Fresh Air

When Retardex offered to send me a sample of their oral spray, which claims to combat bad breath for up to 8 hours, I couldn't help but feel a little offended.  I mean, I clean my teeth, I'm not a huge fan of garlic, could they really smell my breath from there?!

But in the name of blogging, I bravely accepted and popped it in my bag, thinking I wouldn't need it for a while, maybe not until Mr B surprises me with a delicious Italian meal.... Ahem, yeah right!

I actually found it came into use a lot sooner than I expected (hoped?!), as one morning I had an unplanned job crop up (if you're interested, my first EVER blog post was about my new job!).  So my mother dearest came to the rescue to babysit, and I got togged up in my work clothes (black, no foods stains a bonus).  Unfortunately, as I rushed to my car, I realised I'd not had a chance to brush my teeth that morning- ugh!! The last thing you want to inflict on mourners is a blast of breakfast cereal, but en route to the church whilst I was starting to panic, I remembered the spray!  Two quick blasts into my mouth when I arrived, and voila!  Minty fresh breath that lasted until my lunch, which unfortunately was tuna based.

Since then, I've tried the spray twice more whilst out, both times after lunch, and I'm very pleased to say that my breath remained inoffensive until bedtime!  The spray size is perfect for on-the-go handiness, I would recommend it to anyone.

You can find the Retardex Oral Hygiene spray in Boots for a mere £3.25.

Sterimar Nasal Spray

I was sent a nose clearing spray a while ago, at the time I thought "Oh no, won't need this until next winter, my Madam is soooo healthy!"  Yes, well.... A short while later and fresh from a fortnight's lovely holiday; Madam has summer cold!

This nasal hygiene spray is a sea water and purified water diffusion, and is medically recommended for clearing little noses from 0-3 years old.  The small (perfect pocket size really, so you can always have it to hand) 50ml bottle holds approximately 150 doses, which is more than enough for several colds!

I found it really got to work in less than a week, but getting it into Madam's nose- well, that was the fun part!  The best way to use this is to lie your baby on their side and gently tilt their head up to one side.  Then carefully put the nozzle up each nostril in turn and press down briefly.  You can then wipe away any excess solution, done!

The spray seemed to work best for Madam at night, she likes to sleep with her dummy in, so having a clear nose was quite essential for breathing purposes!  She got used to Mummy squirting something funny up her poor little nose after a few days, but she certainly never liked it.  I am definitely going to be keeping this spray around at all times though, I was very impressed with how it worked.  And Madam's grateful for being able to smell again!

Sterimar Nasal Sprays are also available for adult use, they are great for relief from hay fever and other allergies.  You can find the sprays at Boots, with a RRP of £4.07 for the baby version and a RRP of £6.75 for the 100ml isotonic.

Mighty Meals Give-away!

Lucky Madam has been sent a lovely selection of Mighty Meals from Organix to try out.  With scrummy fillings like Pork Meatballs, Spinach Falafels and Hearty Lamb Hotpot, they certainly put my old faithful spag bol to shame!

I found these meals really handy on those days when Mr B and I were having something Madam wouldn't eat, such as hot chilli or curry, or if I wanted to give her dinner earlier than us.  You simply remove the cardboard sleeve (which gave amused Madam for five minutes by putting them on her arms!), puncture the plastic lid a few times and pop it in the microwave for around 40 seconds, or put it in a pan of boiling water for 10 minutes; done!

She first tried the Tomatoey Beef Bolognaise, and didn't waste any time with her cutlery...

but unfortunately, after a few bites, she turned her nose up and wouldn't eat anymore.  

So the next one we tried was the Creamy Chicken Pasta.  Madam is a huge fan of pasta and chicken, so I assumed this one would be a winner.  For once, I assumed correctly- it was gone before I could grab the camera!

We're going away this weekend and I'll be taking the rest of the meals with us for speedy tea time solutions.  They're so quick and easy to prepare, and being from Organix you know there is the guarantee that there is nothing added you wouldn't use in your own kitchen.  That’s nothing artificial, they’re just full of goodness so they taste as they should - of their real ingredients, so your little one has a nutritious and tasty dinner.  These are a definite must on my shopping list from now on, even though I love cooking Madam's food myself, they are certainly handy to have around.

Organix Mighty Meals cost £1.99 each (for a 200g portion, which I found was a great size for even Madam's healthy appetite) and are ideal for toddlers from 1-3 years.

You'll find Organix Mighty Meals in Boots and all major supermarkets, in the baby food aisle.  For more on Organix baby and toddler food, visit www.organix.com, or see what other mums think at www.facebook.com/organixfood.

To be in with a chance of winning a set of 5 of these fabulous meals, simply:

• Like my Facebook page here, 
• Like Organix's Facebook page here, or follow them on Twitter here 
• Leave a comment below saying which you've done and leaving a contact email/Twitter i.d
• And make sure you are following my blog to keep updated- simple!

You have until midnight on Friday the 15th to enter and you're more than welcome to get your friends and/or family to enter on your behalf.  Good luck!

Silent Sunday