It was recently reported in the Daily Mail that a mum was charged £3.00 for taking her breastfed baby in to a restaurant. The restaurant have subsequently advised that this was a misinterpretation of policy by staff but it still goes to demonstrate the obstacles that women face when wanting to breastfeed. So when most healthcare professionals promote the "breast is best" philosophy, it is still difficult for breastfeeding mothers to do this comfortably outside of their home or designated groups / rooms.

I promise that I am not getting on my soapbox (as I would probably be there all day if you let me) but as a mum who breast fed a (milk guzzling) baby, I know how fantastic it is for baby, bonding and helping to get back into your pre-pregnancy jeans. I also know that you can feel self conscious and a little like a 24 hour cafe at times!

I have to be honest that in my experience, breastfeeding clothing hasnt been the most stylish so I was delighted to try some items from Peaks of London, which is a fantastic new brand that, in their words "has created the first ever stylish collection, for breastfeeding women"  Their beautifully tailored garments, allow women to discreetly breastfeed in public, whilst also letting them rediscover their pre-baby style. Their collection is versatile and functional and pefect for me! In fairness, it is not the cheapest clothing on the market but it is beautiful and ideal for mums who want to get out of the "standard" breastfeeding vest!

Clothing is a passion of mine (like many women) and just because you become pregnant and ultimately a mum, this doesnt mean you have to leave your stylish wardrobe at the maternity suite door! I came across a new maternity range this week called Glow and you can buy this online, at their store and through NCT!

I am not being given anything by either of these companies or paid to promote them but while the yummy mummy debate / challenge rumbles on for most of us mums trying to get through the day, having fabulous clothes to wear whilst pregnant or breastfeeding can only help to remind us how fabulous we are! (even if we still walk out the door with baby sick on our shoulder!)

So I wont be eating in a restaurant that charges £3 for my baby but saving it up towards more beautiful stylish clothing!!

In association with our friends at Blog Match, we are pleased to share with you that Sudocrem have just launched their latest initiative, which they would love to involve you!!
 
Please help to name Sudocrem’s new Moose!
Sudocrem have just launched their Twitter & Facebook pages for a new, mystery product expected in spring 2012 and to celebrate they are running a competition to name the mystery products mascot, the Sudocrem Moose. The winner will received £500 worth of Toys R Us vouchers and a personalised Santa sack, with the winner drawn in time for Christmas! So do you have the perfect name for the Moose?

Instructions on how to enter:
It’s simple all you have to do is ‘Like’ the new Facebook page and then enter your suggested mascot’s name. One lucky winner will be picked on the 21^st December 2011 and receive their prizes shortly afterwards.
Competition Start Date– 18^th November 2011
Competition Finish Date– 17^th December 2011
Competition winners announced– 20^th December 2011

The Prize: £500 worth of Toys R Us vouchers and a personalised, handmade Santa sack worth £150.
Competition found on; http://www.facebook.com/SudocremMousse 

Good Luck!!

We are delighted to share this guest post from Tara West, giving some sensible, practical and easily achievable ways to save money on energy consumption.

It can be hard to maintain a household in a tough economy, especially if you have children. However, there’s no need to become frustrated with your energy costs when there are so many ways to be proactive. 

Simple ideas can go a long way to reducing your electricity and gas bill. Compare energy prices, remind your family to practice energy conservation and use services like http://www.uswitch.com/gas-electricity/compare-energy-prices// to become more informed about energy tariffs. To get the details on these and more money-saving tips, keep reading.

1. Turn off the lights.

You’ve probably told your kids to do this at least once already today, and for good a reason. Energy spent on lighting your home can make up as much as seven per cent of your total energy bill. Especially during holiday when the kids don’t have to go to school, you could really reduce your electricity usage by making sure they do this consistently.

2. Keep warm air inside.

Whether it is summer holiday or Christmas break, your kids are bound to be in and out of the front door all day long. Make sure they don’t linger when entering or leaving so that money spent heating or cooling the house doesn’t go out the door with them. Also, make sure you have sufficient weather-stripping on the door to prevent cracks in the frame that could make your home more difficult to keep at a comfortable temperature.

3. Switch energy providers.

You might think of it as a complicated process, but online resources can make researching and switching energy providers a lot easier than before. To make sure you are not overpaying for your electricity and natural gas, go to a site like www.uSwitch.com  and find out how you can change your tariff with little to no effort.

4. Turn off electronics.

If you or your family members are not using the television, stereo, video game consoles or DVD player, make sure you turn them completely off. It can be easy to ignore an idle television that no one is watching, but an extra few pounds on your monthly electricity bill will get your attention. To save even more energy, plug all of these appliances into a power strip so that you can break the circuit when they are not in use.

5. Close the refrigerator.

You’re probably as guilty of this as your children are. You go to the refrigerator, open it and take what seems like forever to decide what you want to eat. Your indecisive eating habits could be driving up your electricity bill, as well. It has been reported that your refrigerator and kitchen appliances make up one fifth of your total energy bill. Don’t make it more expensive by keeping the refrigerator open for long periods of time; this requires more energy to keep the food you have stored inside chilled.

So do you have some ideas to go away with? We hope so!

We are delighted to have teamed up with Munchkin to offer you the chance to win this fabulous Nappy Changer.

Lets be honest, every mum could use an extra hand at changing time. This multi-tasking organiser ensures all your changing essentials are within reach and neatly arranged. It has 8 handy storage areas for every cream, lotion, powder and accessory you need, plus, a convenient nappy dispenser that keeps nappies from falling out. We all know that a neat table makes a happy mum!

So how do you win? Head over to our facebook page and "like" us and when you have done that, click here to confirm your details through our contact page.

You have got to be in it to win it!

Competition closes on Friday 25th November 2011