Boden Bargains and Happy with Hush!

I have discovered something about Boden recently which I am ashamed to say I didn't already know. If you look in their girls range, and select ages 15/16 you can get clothes that are approximately a size 10! Alright some of their clothing is blatantly aimed at children even though it comes in age 16 (which is weird) but I ventured a look in the shoe/boots category today in the sale, and was pretty happy to see a pair of leather brown chelsea boots for £18 in my mammoth size!

They've sold out now, but I did spot this cute pair of leather boots for £28 which I thought was a good buy, especially as they are leather.


They had quite a few other nice bits as well definitely worth a look in the girls shoes clearance category.

I've been after some comfortable yet semi stylish jeans for ages - but alas everything smart looking is skinny, and everything boyfriend cut has holes in it. So I happened upon these girlfriend jeans at Boden for £26 and really like the look of them. The reviews are mixed, but I have high hopes.



Onto Hush! I'm fairly new to this brand, but ever since the opening of a John Lewis in Leeds I've been able to see Hush clothes in the flesh so to speak, and I love the feel of their high quality jersey. I've been wearing their Harem trousers for ages, and I must say they are starting to bobble slightly, but then they do get washed rather a lot.  Anyway I was in Leeds the other day and saw the Ivy dress on the sale rack, they only had the medium in stock which looked huge, but I loved the feel of the dress and again it gets good reviews on the website. I've been looking for something nice to wear over some pleather leggings from Mint Velvet and I think this fits the bill perfectly! I'm not a huge fan of the green colour but the burgundy colour is much nicer - on me anyway. They don't have any smalls left at Hush but they do on the John Lewis website, definitely worth a look.



Onto the subject of pleather, these are my current fav, and at £9 a bit of a bargain too from Mint Velvet.



And finally, not so much a bargain as a WANT, but not sure I can justify the price just yet. I already have these Kurt Geiger boots in the tan and I just LIVE in them. They have become a little worn of late, probably because I need to look after them better, and I noticed there was also a black pair available. In truth I still think the tan pair are nicer but black is good right? Reduced from £169 to £129.







Anyway, that's all for now. What have you bought recently?

Changes and New Fashions!

Hello readers, I'm back!

I must admit posting has been rather sporadic of late, and I've had some pretty major changes in my life in the past few months that will hopefully give me more blogging time - here's hoping! After 9 years of being a working mum, my husband and I decided it was time to focus on the here and now a bit more, at least for the short term, so I'm taking a "sabbatical" from working to concentrate on family life a bit more and gain some head space. I actually have a lot more respect for stay at home mums now - it certainly isn't the easy option. But it does remove the stresses of deadlines, line managers and having to be in a certain place at a certain time, and all the childcare implications that goes along with that.  I was actually talking to a mum at school the other day about my decision and she said, "you know, I'm relieved. I've just done the same thing and I felt so guilty about it, and embarrassed. But you're a proper professional and if you've done it, it gives me the green light to feel ok about it too." This made me sort of sad, that as women and mothers we have to explain and justify our decisions to others. There's a great saying I saw on the internet recently, that we work hard to buy stuff we don't need, to impress people we don't like. In my mind, any true friend of mine would not judge me for deciding to spend more time with my children over making money - though in the past this was due to necessity rather than choice - and my heart goes out to those families who would love to have one parent "stay at home" but can't afford to go down that road. Equally I respect those who choose to work because it's their passion, or staying at home just isn't for them. Horses for courses!

Anyway! Enough about that, and onto fashion!

One of the downsides of course about no longer having a paying job, is that there is less money coming in, yet I seem to spend more! Anyway, I wanted to introduce you to David Nieper, who have some lovely pieces - albeit possibly aimed at the older age group. The David Nieper Tunics have particularly caught my eye - here's my top picks!



This stretch jersey tunic is smart and perfect for office or home - dressed up or down. I'm a huge fan of jersey in general as it wears and washes well, and is so comfortable whilst being super smart.



I saw this and immediately thought - teacher top! Smart, eye catching and easy to move around in. I also love the bluey green colouring - lovely!



I love this as a top to wear with black smart trousers and nice accessories - I see this as more of a going out top but perfectly acceptable for work too.

David Nieper also have some very cosy cashmere and lambswool knits which look excellent quality. And I love their loungewear too - perfect for new mums!

Another location for great fashion goods is Top Tier Style!

New post coming soon!

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Milestones in Teething Relief: Baltic Amber

We love the joy of seeing our children grow through milestone after milestone. Finding their own fingers. Smiling. Giggling. Rolling over. Crawling. Every one of them takes hard work to achieve, but none is more difficult on both parent and child than cutting new teeth through tender gums. Knowing that the pain in their little mouth is simply part of this important developmental step doesn’t diminish our desire to soothe it. 

Most of us were probably handed teething rings and frozen washcloths when we were going through the trauma of cutting teeth. Possibly our parents gave us drops of acetaminophen or ibuprofen to calm the pain and inflammation.  Like every generation of new parents, ours were making the best use of the best tools available to them to provide the best experiences they could for their children.

Time, however, has revealed some down-sides to things we once believed to be best practices. Teething toys may cause small cuts in the gums, creating an infection risk. Frozen items are too cold to be safe for the tender skin around the mouth. Medicines, while effective in providing pain relief, may have side-effects on other body systems.

Today’s parents have the benefit of building on the knowledge of generations past, keeping what is good, discarding what is not, and finding solutions that work best with the understanding we have gained. Rather than offering frozen washcloths, pediatricians now recommend soft washcloths, wetted with water, and simply chilled in the refrigerator as an alternative, safe teething chew-toy. It is cool enough to offer relief, but not so cold that it will cause skin damage. The soft material also poses no risk of cutting the gums.

But what about a better alternative to pain-relieving and anti-inflammatory medications? These were the only tools that provide long-term relief from teething symptoms, allowing parents to take relatively happy children about their daily routine without carrying about dripping cloths in ice-packed coolers.

Baltic Amber is quickly stepping up to fill this role of portable, long-term relief. In studying safe, natural means of reducing pain and inflammation, Baltic amber quickly rose to the forefront as a time-tested option. Used for centuries – from Old World Europe in hot baths to ease arthritis pain to modern day medical preparations to treat muscle spasms – this fossilized tree resin has proven to have pain-relieving and anti-inflammatory properties. In all of those years of usage, Baltic amber has also proven to be free of systemic side-effects.

As Baltic amber is warmed (by being worn against the teething baby’s skin as a necklace), it releases succinic acid. This acid is absorbed through the skin and delivered to painful, inflamed gums through the bloodstream, where it gives lasting relief. Parents who use these teething necklaces report less crying, less chewing for pain relief, less drooling, less gum inflammation, and better sleep patterns. All of this is achieved by simply wearing a properly-fitted necklace of natural tree resin underneath baby’s clothing! You can find a genuine Baltic amber necklace at http://BalticWonder.com/.


Teething may be one of the most difficult milestones in a child’s development, but it doesn’t have to be utterly miserable. This generation of parents has the benefit of better knowledge and products made with greater understanding. It’s a great time to be a teething toddler! 



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