Candyfloss & Dreams

Category: Lifestyle

lifestyle blog posts focusing on home, lifestyle, parenting, pregnancy, family life and home and style. Home decor and working at home, working at home as a self employed freelancer and blogger. Family lifestyle blog posts including family reviews, family products and saving money as a family. Being a more eco friendly family.

  • Getting Started With Reusable Nappies

    Getting Started With Reusable Nappies

    For #RealNappyWeek I am going to talk about how easy it is to get started with cloth nappies and give you some affiliate links on the things you can find and buy to make your experience using cloth nappies simple and easy. I want to stress that if you don’t know where to start with real nappies, it does not have to be all or nothing from day dot. You can slowly build up a collection. Just swapping one disposable a day for a cloth nappy will help save around 900 single use plastics going to landfill and that is amazing.

    Find Out About Real Nappies

    First thing I would say is to visit The Nappy Lady website where you can find out loads of useful information including a questionnaire on what nappy’s you might want to try first. It’s also got lots of instructional videos, advice, how to’s and benefits of using cloth.

    Visit A Nappy Library

    This is usually in places like children centres so it’s worth looking to see if there is a real nappy library in your area or close by. These often give out trial kits for you to try before you buy. It’s a great way to see them in use, get a feel for them. A quick search online or asking a local social media page might be a good place to start.

    Check if your Local Authority offers a Real Nappy Incentive

    If it does, this is great. It is usually a discount voucher, real nappy kit or subsidised voucher to help parents get started with cloth nappies. Some councils offer it as you will be naturally reducing or not putting out as much waste when using cloth.

    Check Pre Loved, NCT, Selling Pages & Ebay for deals

    Cloth nappies have an excellent resell value and buying them second hand can really help you build up a collection quickly for a fraction of the cost. I was able to get a bundle of all in ones, pockets, two parts and liners for just £15 on a local selling page in a variety of sizes which has massively helped with my son. You can strip them and give them a wash before storing them. When you’re done with them sell them on to make more space in your changing unit.

    Check Local Supermarkets

    Some supermarkets sell reusable nappies so to help you build up your stash you could consider adding one or two to your weekly or monthly shop to spread the cost if you want to buy new. Or you could consider just buying one or two a month when you can afford it from different providers until you find the right nappies for you.

    Potty Training with Reusable Nappies

    There are potty training pants available too for older toddlers that want to be constantly on the move. I know you might be thinking, why not just move to normal pants? If they’re reusable they’re going to wash better and hold accidents better as well as feel a bit more grown up for little ones. It also means not having to buy proper pants until they’re truly dry through the day. I remember potty training with Evie and we threw so many pairs of knickers away following accidents before going back to pull ups!

    Reusable Swim Nappies

    If you swim a lot with your baby you can spend a small fortune in disposable swim nappies. The designs on cloth swim nappies are super cute and will probably end up saving you money in the long run. Again I’ve seen this in supermarkets as well as online so they’re very accessible.

    Fox Cloth Nappies on Cloth Nappy Changing Mat, Blog Post on How to get started and everything you need for cloth nappies

  • How We’re Using Cloth Nappies

    How We’re Using Cloth Nappies

    We have been attempting to make lots of eco friendly changes to our family lifestyle and one of those has been using more Cloth nappies. Reusable nappies are so much easier to use than they used to be and we are still finding our feet with which works best when we’re at home, out and about and during the nighttime. We have now, however, built up a bit of a collection in various all-in-ones and pocket cloth nappies.

    I’ve written about our changing table set up here. We’re using bamboo boosters and fleece liners alongside the nappies and they’re very easy to clean! You can use bamboo liners if you want which you should throw away and not flush despite many of them saying they’re flushable. A better way to deal with poop in cloth nappies is to simply hold them against the flush and sluice them off into the toilet before washing them.

    There are so many great prints available too which makes cloth nappies really cute and actually quite lovely to see on a baby. I know when we’re n holiday or experiencing warmer weather letting Felix wonder around with a cloth bum is going to be a little cuter than the regular nappies and honestly it feels good to do something that I know is going to benefit the environment.

    Cloth Nappy prints and colours

    I know a lot of parents are concerned about the amount of washing when it comes to reusable nappies but it honestly hasn’t been a problem for us and usually do a wash of cloth nappies every three days or so. We are also using reusable wipes and I’m using cloth sanitary protection too so it makes sense to wash these all together and makes me feel like I’m not just putting on an extra load. Every other nappy wash we use the Dettol Laundry Cleanser just to give them a good clean and we always air dry our cloth nappies. Tumble Drying can affect the absorbency of them.

    Most cloth nappies are best for babies around 8lb+ however there are plenty of companies that offer smaller, newborn sized nappies which are ideal for babies between 5lb-10lbs. We had a lovely set of these for Felix but as he was born at 9lb-9oz we didn’t get as much use out of them as we would have liked! The designs really grab me though I have to say, they’re so colourful! Tots Bots have a set of All In One nappies for smaller babies which are a great addition to hospital bags for those that want to cloth from day one.

    There are lots of wonderful companies around featuring cloth nappies and I really recommend visiting a local nappy library to see if they offer any trials so you can find a good fit for you and your baby. It can get a little overwhelming at times. There are ones with velcro which are lovely and snug but as babies get older and they can undo the velcro they might not work as well. There are also nappies with poppers which I personally find a bit fiddly at times to get the right shape but they are fully versatile and will, hopefully, be harder for little ones to pop off when they get bigger.

    Affiliate Link for Tots Bots Reusable Nappy Kit Below:

    How We Are Using Cloth Nappies, Getting Started on Cloth Nappies, Eco Friendly Cloth Nappies, Parenting, Babies, Pregnancy
  • To Everyone Asking “Am I The Only One That Hasn’t Watched Game of Thrones?”

    To Everyone Asking “Am I The Only One That Hasn’t Watched Game of Thrones?”

    No. You’re not. You really don’t need to keep asking every year when a new series comes on. But don’t worry! This is the last season of Game of Thrones! Loads of people it seems from my social media claim they “haven’t seen a single minute” of the HBO show Game of Thrones and do you know what? No one cares. The fans of the show don’t care that you haven’t seen it, nor do the actors, directors, writers or anyone involved in the show. No one cares that you haven’t seen it. Finally, your question has been answered!

    However, every time I see this I can’t help but feel those that aren’t fans are trying to get the upper hand for something. It’s like being at school, when you like something and then it becomes “mainstream” so it’s much more edgy and cool to say how much you fundamentally disagree with something that a lot of people like. It feels a bit juvenile. A bit like you’re trying to make fun of the fans of the show. A bit like it’s way too geeky or nerdy for you. You don’t have to like it. No one is forcing you to like it. No one is coming up to you and holding your eyes open and face directly in front of the screen to make you watch something that is not your thing. So you really don’t need to keep asking if you’re the only one. I’m sure there are many, many more people that have never seen an episode or read one of the books. They just don’t feel the need to imply that they are above everyone else that enjoys it. Because that is exactly how it comes across.

    I could go on and on about how much I don’t enjoy daytime TV, any reality celebrity programme, most chart music, prawns, sitting at a table with my back facing the restaurant but it’s such mundane, irrelevant stuff that no one really cares about.

    I’ll admit that this probably comes across as a bit like I do care and need your approval for the type of things I enjoy watching but since I woke up this morning all I’ve read is people saying “Is it just me that has never and will never, ever watch Game of Thrones?” that it’s just got on my nerves and made me feel a bit belittled for enjoying a TV show. It’s just too much negativity for an early Monday morning in the Easter holidays. I totally understand that if annoyed or angry or frustrated you are eight times more likely to complain or talk about something than if you enjoy it. But I don’t get it. I don’t get this sort of weird dislike for show that people who haven’t watched it, and never plan to watch it, want to keep banging on about how they “MUST be the only person that has never seen a second of Game of Thrones.”

    So for those of you that haven’t seen it, that’s fine. You do you and enjoy whatever you like watching. But the snide comments are really not needed to make those that like and enjoy the really successful show are so unnecessary.

    To clear a few misconceptions though – because there are PLENTY of misconceptions about a fantasy drama show – it’s not all boobs and sex and blood and dragons. It’s actually a lot of very good writing. It is fantasy, so if you don’t like that sort of thing, you’re probably not going to enjoy it. But it also really digs deep into relationships between families, people, the underdog coming through, expectations, class divides and war. It is emotionally driven and there are a lot of scenes and episodes that bring all the feels. It isn’t afraid to do the unexpected – which happens frequently but especially every penultimate episode. Episode 9 of the first six series has always been a hard hitting, shocking and emotional episode. It’s also acted really well and there are some beautiful filming locations.

    And I really am a mega fan too. I’ve read the books, I have the audiobooks (although the voice acting is questionable), I have the extra books that talk through the history of the world George R.R. Martin has created. I hope, one day, I’ll get to read how it ended as well as watching and as much as I wish I had been able to read all of the books first, I’m looking forward to diving back into that world again. I’ve scoured fan theory reddit forums and watched fan made prediction videos on YouTube. My family have actual in depth conversations about the episodes, what we think is to come and discussing theories and possibilities.

    We are going through a bit of a shit time in the world right now with the Tories, Brexit, low employment rates, the crisis and shambles of the NHS, cuts in schools, poverty, a million families using food banks to feed their families, all of the issues with Universal credit, global warming, plastic in the ocean and that’s just a scratch on the surface of the fundamental global problems that are existing right now. So maybe having a little bit of escapism in a world that (isn’t real) is going through a worse crisis than we are (an army of the dead coming to kill them all lead by a king that can raise more dead as he kills and rides a dead dragon) isn’t such a bad thing is it? If it gives us 60 odd minutes of enjoyment once a week until the middle of May to make us feel a little bit better about what’s actually going on outside, then I am all for it.

    Pin image, Game of Thrones Stark Family Sigil, Am I the only one that hasn't seen Game of Thrones? response

  • Felix at Six Months

    We’ve had a son for six months! How time has flown from his birth on 4th October 2018 to now. Honestly some of these months are firmly in a fog of sleep deprivation, bleakness, tears and frustration but mostly it’s been a very happy six months. Adjusting to life as a family of four has been hard. It’s much harder to do it without a car which is something I never really gave much thought to when we were a three.

    The thing is three people can fit into another person’s car easily. A child above the age of five has to pay but gets a seat on public transport. You can carry a basket easier when you don’t have a pram to push. I get that feeling of needing to have eyes in the back of your head with two kids. Juggling Felix’s routine around the school run is sometimes a real challenge. Not to mention being in a small two bedroom flat. Baby stuff takes up so much space!

    One thing that isn’t changing anytime soon is Felix going into a cot in his own room. He’s not sitting up unsupported yet so he’s still in his next to me crib next to my side of the bed. We’ve found a cot bed we both really like the look of and we are planning on buying it in May but he still won’t be going into his own room. It’s really unfair to expect Evie to share with her then seven month old baby brother so he will be in with us, probably until we are able to move home.

    We have, however, moved his pram around to parent facing mode although I’m not sure I’m happy with it. The straps don’t seem to have much give for him and the footmuff keeps slipping down when we get him in. It’s also been awkward to push in the wind. I think I’m also looking for excuses as I’m getting a bit bored with it. I know we will also need something that folds smaller and is more compact for our holiday in July and further travels in the future.

    We are going to start weaning him so we’ve been getting bits and pieces ready including a highchair, bamboo bowl, spoon and suction plate. I’m completely new to babyled weaning as Evie had purees but Felix has not been ready or interested in food. We will of course be giving him a mix of purees and finger food but encouraging him to do it all himself. We’ve decided on the Cosatto Supa Noodle highchair which is adjustable, folds well, has a removable tray and lots of padding. At six months Felix can not sit unsupported so I feel he benefits from the extra padding keeping him comfortable and secure.

    baby boy in Cosatto highchair weaning, eating banana from bamboo bowl

    He is, however, moving around the living room by rolling everywhere. The other day he rolled from his playmat on one side of the room to under the coffee table. He will often roll onto his front and shuffle or rotate himself around. I want to get a big soft rug for the living room floor to make it a little softer for him but we are currently laying down a lot of blankets. He will often get on either his forearms or lift himself up on his feet. It looks and seems like he is very desperate to crawl and I think he will make a bit more progress on this soon. I might get Evie to crawl around in his view to maybe encourage him and so he can see what to do as he is getting so frustrated with not being able to move and get exactly where he wants to!

    He can now pass objects from one hand to the other with ease and he will actively look for things that are moved or dropped. He is starting to become very interested in smaller details like zips and loves touching different textures, particularly the sofa cushions which are rougher than the rest of the sofa.

    baby boy sitting supported with white and grey mamas and papas inflatable sit me up seat

    He loves music! It can really help calm him down during the day and he really loves his more musical toys. Sometimes it’s helped drift him off to sleep. Anytime music plays he will turn towards it and be completely mesmerised, and that includes mine and Evie’s dodgy singing! He can also make himself heard and can be very vocal with his sounds and wails. He loves a little chatter in the morning and before bed which is very cute. He gives lots of smiles and giggles to Evie and most of the time seems pretty happy.

    I love him so much. I love being a mum to two kids, more than I thought. It’s tested my patience of course but I find myself at times just soaking in the moments. I love watching them together, and a bond I didn’t really fully see coming. I love seeing Adam as a dad and getting involved and working hard to do so much for us all. Despite all the stuff going on with me mentally, life does feel good and I feel like I’m in a good place. I’m very excited about the next six months.

  • Glass Sword Book Review 7/52

    Glass Sword Book Review 7/52

    Glass Sword by Victoria Aveyard is the second in the Red Queen series and follows the story of Mare Barrow, a recently discovered Newblood as she evades the clutches of the new king. This book is quite different from the first being set all around the nation of Norta and features lots of new characters.

    Mare is a pretty angry person that is very conflicted by her recent past and she is struggling with what’s expected of her. The relationships she has with the people around her are quite cold and held at an arms length throughout. There are some pretty gruesome scenes throughout the book which really go to show just how disturbed the king is.

    I originally listened to Red Queen on Audible and then carried on the series by reading through for my reading challenge. I’m not sure how I really feel about this series just yet but I’m sticking with it because I do want to read on and find out what happens next however I have found myself skimming through some of the chapters. It’s not that it’s bad as the story is okay but some parts feel rushed that I wish weren’t and other parts feel lengthy and a bit like they’re just trying to fill out the plot. Some of the content is a bit too graphic for younger teenagers and it’s absolutely aimed at the older YA audience.

    The thing is I’m not really sure I have much sympathy with the characters. I just don’t really know them well enough to decide whether or not I think of them as likeable or easy to relate to. None of the relationships are really very believable and it’s just clear that everyone is really angry. There is a lot of angst throughout the book and given the subject of a nation on the brink of rebellion after years of oppression you can see why. I’m interested to see how the plot continues in the next two books.

    One of my goals for 2020 is to read 52 books or around one a week. Some might be new, some are ones I’ve had for a while or been meaning to read, some I haven’t quite finished yet and some will be recommendations from others. You can see all the books I’ve read so far on my Good Reads 2020 Reading Challenge.