Category: Reviews

1. eBay Inspires .... me!

   Posted on 3:18pm Thursday 27th Mar 2014

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   I have to admit that I have only really started using eBay in the last few years (I am not entirely sure how it passed me by before) but now before I buy anything, the thrifty side of me has to check eBay to see if I can get a better deal. The range of products listed every week never ceases to amaze me and you really can find anything on eBay.

   So in March 2014, eBay launched their eBay Collections and we were delighted to be asked to create some of the the first collections to feature on the site. This was extremely exciting, especially when we found out that we were in the company of style icons such as Danni Minogue and Kelly Hoppen. The collections are essentially a mood board or an online scrap book for you to create a visual picture of what you are trying to create, whether that be a room, a theme or (like me) just indulging a shopping habit!

   

   eBay have rolled out their collections now so you can click and create collections to your hearts desire. You will find  "add to collection"  just underneath "add to watch list" on each item listing. It really is that easy. I have created collections around our home and socialising .... which is something we love to do! The Man on the Pad is a little concerned at how excited I got over finding new things to add to each collection but it is a great way to see if items work together, especially if you are redesigning a room.

   If you would like to have a little look at our collections, just click here. You can follow the boards too, if the mood takes you!

   Click.

   Create.

   Inspire.

   eBay Inspires me to shop more cleverly. How will you use the collections?

    

   This post, is part of my ongoing partnership with eBay.

2. Mia Tui Amelie Bag : Review

   Posted on 10:22pm Wednesday 12th Mar 2014

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   Since becoming a mother, I have had even more reason to indulge my passion for bags. I have an ever increasing collection of oversized bags and my justification for this is that I always need to carry "everything" with me and when I say everything, I really do mean everything. (My friend and I recently went to a soft play and she didn't have socks but my bag had a spare pair for her little one .... and her!)

   So when I was given the opportunity to review one of the bags from the Mia Tui range, I leapt at the chance and chose the Amelie bag for its classic design and amazing specification. It retails at £63.00 and there is an extensive range of colours to choose from but I typically chose black (as it goes with pretty much every outfit). I was delighted when it arrived as it was beautifully packaged and the quality was obvious from the first moment.

   

   
   

   What can you fit in a Mia Tui bag? by littlelilypadco on Polyvore

   The Amelie bag is made in an ultra soft faux-leather and wipes clean (perfect for any mom with a sticky fingered child), which appeals to my tactical and sensory side. Whereas the the practical side of me loves that the Amelie bag comes with:

   • 2 Clear internal bags with hand strap
   • 1 Matching clutch bag with hand strap
   • Water bottle holder
   • Key clips
   • Phone pocket
   • Pen holder
   • Hands free shoulder strap
   • Zipped pocket on back of bag
   • Blue Interior

   Despite my love affair with a "big bag", I have to admit that the Amelie is probably too big to be considered an every day handbag but it is perfect for those occasions when you do need to cover every eventuality, such as travelling with children or it is a great option for a stylish gym bag. The matching clutch is a great addition to the bag, as you can go from day to night in the blink of an eye, if you going from work to play at a moments notice (or after carefully arranging babysitters in my case).

   

   
   

   Mai Tui - Perfect for all occasions by littlelilypadco on Polyvore

   We have had great fun working out how much we can actually fit in the Mia Tui Amelie bag and the only thing that we have struggled with is my ability to carry it, rather than the lack of space in the bag! (My toddler has attempted to get in the bag but I don't recommend that you carry small children in there!!)

   I know everyone isn't as passionate about bags as I am but even if the Mia Tui Amelie bag is a little too big for you, they have an amazing range to choose from. I am an existing customer and very happy reviewer ..... the only downfall about Mia Tui? They have so many bags for me to lust over!

   

   Disclaimer: I was sent the Amelie bag to review but all opinions are our own.

3. Putting Spring in your step .... and your wardrobe : Vertbaudet review

   Posted on 2:13pm Wednesday 26th Feb 2014

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   Clothing small children is no mean feat. Especially when those small children develop tastes and fashion sense (I use the term sense loosely) so when Vertbaudet asked us to review from their new Spring & Summer catalogue, I thought it was the perfect opportunity to ask the 8 year old to choose her own outfit.

   I was suprisingly pleased at her choice.

   

   
   

   Vertabaudet Spring Summer by littlelilypadco on Polyvore

   Note :  This is not my daughter in the pictures ....... her mane of curly hair, would never look that sleek :-)

   She choose this coral party puffball dress for £32 and matching coral bolero cardigan for £ 22, which is a very "girly" choice for her and she obviously wanted to wear it as soon as it arrived. Unfortunately the weather didn't really lend itself to a summer dress (the rain outside trying to convince me that spring is nowhere in sight), so we compromised and added black leggings and pumps to create a great look.

   The dress is 100% cotton satin and comes plain or printed (depending on your choice) and it has a pure cotton voile lining. While this is lovely, all parents want to know how it washes and I am pleased to say that at 40 degrees, it didn't lose any of its colour or quality. The only thing it needs to lose are its creases ....... how does one really iron a puffball dress??

   She is delighted with the dress and I can see it being a key item in her spring wardrobe ..... I am just waiting for her to ask for it in the other colours too!!

   Disclaimer : We were sent the Vertbaudet dress and cardigan to review but all opinions on the quality are our own (and the 8 year olds)

4. Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature Perfect Prep Review

   Posted on 8:26pm Wednesday 19th Feb 2014

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   February is the month of love and we have been talking alot about the things we love, which leads us perfectly into our review of the Tommee Tippee Perfect Prep. My gorgeous nephew has been chief tester, so without further ado, I shall pass you over to Suzi, our baby blogger .....

   I have been using the Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature Perfect Prep machine for a couple of weeks now and one word sums it up: Timesaving and if something is timesaving when you have a baby then it really can feel like it’s lifesaving! When you come to the end of your breastfeeding journey or this is simply not an option for you, for whatever reason that maybe, Tommee Tippee brings you as close to nature as you can get. 

   Tommee Tippee claim this machine ‘makes a fresh bottle at just the right serving temperature in less than 2 minutes’ and not wanting to blow their trumpet, I think it’s even quicker than that.

   So, how does it work? Simply, you select the number of ounces required for the feed and it dispenses a small amount of boiling water into your baby’s sterilised bottle, to which you add the milk powder and shake. This part of the process sterilises the powder (a process that is recommended by the health service but is easily missed if making up bottles using other methods). Lastly, you place the bottle back under the machine to collect the filtered cold water that makes the feed up to the right amount and to a perfect serving temperature.

    

   So, it’s quick and easy to use that is clear, but is it revolutionary enough to be worthy of paying the RRP of £100? Well to put it simply, YES! And that is not because I have money to splash around, (if only..),

   its because we no longer have to worry about preparing night feeds in advance,

   it’s because we only have to pacify our little cherub for 2 minutes if he catches us off guard hungry,

   it’s because I don’t need to worry about whether the bottle is too hot or cold,

   it’s because I am happy knowing it has sterilised the milk,

   it’s because I am not wasting water and fuel and time boiling kettles and cooling / heating bottles,

   and last but definitely not least, it’s because my husband loves it! What man doesn’t like a gadget?!

   And what women doesn’t want her man to embrace making up the baby feeds : )

   Oh and there is one more thing, it looks smart, a little bit like a coffee machine to be honest so I’m happy for it to take pride of place in my kitchen. 

   I can only highly recommend this product; its simple, slick, efficient, safe and most of all timesaving, which as I said at the start, feels LIFESAVING!

   And to show just why we both love this product, here is my husband proudly demonstrating how it works! 

   It really is that easy!