Category Archives: Lifestyle

Free From Easter Eggs Taste Testing and Comparing

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Welcome to today’s post as I discuss Free From Easter Eggs with a Taste Testing and Ingredients Comparison.

This Easter time I might be on a Dairy Free diet, but that hasn’t stopped me hunting for treats! I wanted to share my findings with you all, my opinion, product information, photo’s and all! Here is my Review of several Free From Chocolate Easter Eggs.

So I’m trying a few chocolate eggs that are known as free from, I require dairy free but a lot of these eggs come as free from several allergens. Wheat or Gluten or Dairy, most of these go together. I will be outlining Allergens and Ingredients with each egg below.

Number 1. The first egg I have is an Asda Free From Easter Egg with Chocolate Orange Flavour Disks.
The pack is available for £4.00 for it’s 200g.
LINK

This Egg is Vegan, Gluten Free, Wheat Free and Dairy Free. The Asda Chocolate also has No Artificial Flavours, Colours or Hydrogenated Fats.

Ingredients and Allergens
Sugar, Cocoa Butter, Cocoa Mass, Rice Syrup, Inulin, Coconut Oil, Rice Flour, Flavourings, Emulsifier (Soya Lecithins).
Soya is the only allergen present. This Egg should be suitable for those who have Nut allergies because Nuts are not part of the ingredients.
The Pack provides 6 servings. 1/6 of the pack (1 serving)
Energy kJ 778,
Energy kcal 186,
Fat 12g,
Of Which Saturates 7.1g,
Carbohydrate 19g,
of Which Sugars 12g
Fibre 0.9g
Protein 0.8g
Salt 0.02g.

Egg Design – The Egg design has lines similar to tree bark or waves. It’s an appealing looking Egg and smells strongly of cocoa. It’s presented inside a piece of plastic (which says is recyclable on the packaging) with disks in a plastic bag at the base. The Egg size and pattern is view able through the mostly clear plastic which is good, you can see what you’re getting. You receive 6 Chocolate Orange disks in orange foil, this is one disk for every serving. The disks are round with lined tops. The foil from the disks is recyclable but the plastic bag they come in is not.

Egg Taste – The Egg tastes very nice, it is quite a strong cocoa taste but leaves a nice aftertaste of sweet chocolate. The sugar content is very high though, and after a couple of bites I had had enough. The Chocolate Orange disks are very tasty, they have a strong natural orange taste to them.

Egg Quality – The Easter Egg itself measures 3mm in thickness at the smallest sections and 6mm at the thickest sections. The chocolate orange disks are 5mm deep and taste great, a nice addition to this Easter Egg treat.

Egg Value – A very tasty Egg and a nice treat for anyone requiring a Free From Easter treat. I would say you get a lot for your money with this considering you get the Egg itself plus the Chocolate Orange disks. Because it’s so sweet you wouldn’t usually eat all of this Egg in one sitting, meaning it will last you longer too.Most of the packaging is recyclable except for the film and carton the egg comes inside.

Asda Free From Chocolate Egg

Number 2. The second egg I have is a Moo Free Easter Egg which cost me £3.00. This pack is only 110g. You can find these Eggs at most stores, I have seen them in Aldi, Asda and Tesco.

Organic Cheeky Orange Egg that is Dairy, Gluten and Soya Free. This pack contains a Chocolate Egg that is a Milk Chocolate alternative made from a combination of Cocoa, Sugar, Rice and Orange Oil. Moo Free are an ethical and family owned manufacturer based in Devon in the UK. They use high quality ingredients that have a single origin, including organic cocoa mass from plantations in the Dominican Republic.

Ingredients
Organic Cocoa (44%),
Organic Raw Cane Sugar (34%),
Organic Rice Powder (20%),
Organic Orange Oil (2%),
Organic Sunflower Lecithin,
Natural Flavouring.

Despite no allergens being present in the ingredients the packaging makes the customer aware that the product is Dairy, Gluten and Soya Free. It doesn’t mention Wheat, and it also states that is is made in a factory that handles Hazelnuts.
This pack contains 2 servings it states, 1/2 of an egg is classed as a serving.
The values per serving are as follows;
Energy 1334 kJ
Fat, Total 21.2g
Of which Saturates 12.5g
Carbohydrate 29.9g
Of which Sugars 20.8g
Protein 1.8g
Salt 0.17g

Egg Design – The design of this Egg is nice, hexagonal shapes are all over the surface of the oval shape and all link together.Taste – The Orange taste of this Egg is very prominent and along with the sugar content makes it rather sweet, almost sickly. I couldn’t manage half of my half (serving) and stopped at a quarter. It’s meant to be a milk chocolate alternative however it’s quite a plain and strong chocolate flavour.

Egg Quality – The Moo Free Egg is only 3mm thick all the way around the oval. It has been the thinnest of all the eggs I have tried, and is also the most rich. The taste is nice but very strong in comparison to others. Moo do several eggs but I chose to try this Orange one, so perhaps the other flavours are not to overpowering.

Egg Value – This Egg is small and you don’t get much chocolate for the amount of money that you pay. Considering most other Dairy Free items are made with Soya products though, this item gives those who suffer with a Soya allergy a way of eating chocolate this Easter. I’m very happy to see a notice on the Moo Free box which says the plastic that their egg comes inside was made with recycled plastic, and could we please recycle it again. The box is also recyclable, so of course I will do that Moo Free Company! I’d be happy to because I’m big on recycling and it makes me happy to!

Moo Free Egg

Number 3. The third egg I have is a Trio of Flavoured Chocolate Eggs. This one is a little more indulgent, I had it from Asda in their extra special range, it cost £4.50 for its tiny amount of chocolate at just 150g.
LINK

There are three eggs inside this Easter Egg Selection, the first is a Chocolate Egg with Raspberry Pieces. This one tastes delicious, there are sweet and tangy raspberry pieces in every bite. The second egg is a White Chocolate Egg with vanilla, and you can see the flecks of vanilla all inside the white chocolate. The taste is surprisingly similar to white chocolate and has lots of vanilla flavouring too. Finally the third of the set is a Dark Chocolate Egg with cocoa nibs inside. This one tastes delicious because of the dark, rich chocolate flavour combined with the cocoa nibs which give boosts of taste, it’s rich and indulgent but also has a really nice after taste.​

Ingredients and Allergens
Dark Chocolate (32%), Sugar, Cocoa Butter, Cocoa Mass, Inulin, Maltodextrin, Maize Flour, Coconut Oil, Rice Syrup, Rice Flour, Flavourings, Cocoa Nibs, Freeze Dried Raspberry Pieces, Vanilla Powder, Coconut Oil, Emulsifier (Soya Lecithins).

Soya is the only allergen present. This Egg should be suitable for those who have Nut allergies because Nuts are not part of the ingredients. It also states that there are No Artificial Colours, Flavours or Hydrogenated Fat.

The Pack provides 6 servings, half of each egg which would be about right considering the different tastes.
1/6 of the pack contains (1 serving)
Energy kJ 583
Energy kcal 140
Fat 8.9g
Of Which Saturates 5.5g
Carbohydrate 14g
of Which Sugars 9.9g
Fibre 1.0g
Protein 0.7g
Salt 0.01g

Easter Egg Selection Trio

Trio Eggs Design – Each of these Egg tastes great, I would say that the Raspberry combination is my favourite, closely followed by the Dark Coca Nibs. The White is some of the nicest Free From White Chocolate that I have tried however, which gives this Egg a bonus point in taste design. The Vanilla definitely makes a big difference. Over all the set is nicely balanced in flavours, you have the fruit combo which is both Sweet and Tangy, you have the Classic flavours of the Vanilla and then you have the Rich and Indulgent Dark.

Trio Eggs Quality – The Easter Eggs were not hugely thick, however they were consistent at around 4mm. The Cocoa Mass was pretty high within this chocolate, dark chocolate has 58%.

Trio Eggs Value – Although they are the more expensive per 100g these eggs also have the better quality. Over all I would go for the taste and these have that in abundance. You don’t feel like you’re eating something that has been designed to not have Allergens in it, but instead you are enjoying a delicious chocolate treat of high quality cocoa and its adjacent flavourings to match.
I have to ask myself, would I buy these again because of the taste and quality? Yes in fact I would do. Only as a treat, and Easter is that sort of one of time where I would allow it. I only wish the eggs were a bit larger, I would pay another £1 for larger ones of this quality and deliciousness!

Easter Egg Selection Trio

Of course there are plenty of other Free From Eggs out there, however I needed to avoid any that definitely contained Nuts due to my husbands allergies. And there were others that I didn’t think I would enjoy due to their flavour combinations…

I loved the flavour of the Orange Disks from Egg Number 1, and I loved Eggs Raspberry and Dark from Number 3 the Trio.

Thank you for visiting Severn Wishes today, I hope you have enjoyed this Review and that you all have a great Easter Bank Holiday!

✩ Sabrina ✩

HAPPY EASTER!!!

Breastfeeding – My Journey & Experiences

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Breastfeeding – My Experiences

Today I am choosing to share my own Breastfeeding Journey and my own tips. Some I have established myself and others have been passed on to me by other mothers and also health care professionals.

Everyone has different experiences and I feel I’m lucky to still be feeding my son, there were many hurdles but we overcame them in the end. If you would like to learn more about my journey then please keep reading.

This piece is known as one of my honest posts because this is what happened to me in my life and how I dealt with it all. Thank you for supporting me by reading this article today.

 

My Breastfeeding Journey
 
I’ve just reached the 9 month mark of breast feeding, and while it’s a huge accomplishment and I’m very proud to be still doing it, it makes me sad that not more mothers are encouraged to do it from the beginning.

I understand that it’s not for everyone, depending upon your maternity leave and personal situation. Some babies just don’t get the latch, or are tongue tied, there are a ton of reasons why it won’t work. Yet certain hospitals in the UK seem to have staff that are more supportive than others.

I was one of the lucky ones who spoke to a breast feeding coordinator within 24 hours of my son being born. Despite the fact we had to stay in hospital for 2 weeks due to him being jaundice, I still soldiered on like a mummy warrior because it was what I wanted to achieve. I breast fed my son every 60 to 90 minutes, and pumped in between every 2 feeds. He was then breast fed and given a top up of expressed with a cup after every feed. Exhausting isn’t the half of it.

We were supported and my own perseverance served us in good stead for continuing with this schedule. I contracted Ductal Thrush during the 7th week of breast feeding and it reoccurred meaning I was on antibiotics for 6 whole weeks. Applying cream, then removing the creams before feeds, rubbing gel on my sons gums, I had lanolin for my bleeding nipples which were struggling also. It was a nightmare time and yet I still got through it.

Ductal Thrush was more painful for me than giving birth. I’m not exaggerating. Any mum that has had it will back me up. The only way I can describe it is like this… When baby latches on the first 30 seconds feel like he’s pulling your milk and nipple through shards of broken glass. Then it’s like a burning sensation that radiates down from the nipple into the deep tissue of the breast. As milk is drawn up and through by baby, the pain moves down the ducts and can be felt right down. For me it was all the way into my arm pit and into my back. The pain was present for the first 4 or 5 minutes of every feed. It was so bad at times that I cried out in pain if my baby let go during those first 30 seconds to a minute, and had to latch again and start the process over again. The one evening tears were rolling down my cheeks as I bit down on something to stop myself waking up the neighbours. My husband sat next to me looking terrified asking what he could do to help… the answer was nothing. I had had the tablets prescribed by this point but they took a few days to do anything.

I was asked if I wanted to stop feeding when my Ductal Thrush came back for vengeance. But I knew we could beat it and come out stronger the other side. It was a really difficult time, we had to ask people to stop visiting us because I was embarrassed by the amount of pain I was in. But because I have Stage 4 Endometriosis it was more beneficial to me to keep feeding my son. It was overall better off for both of us if we could continue. And we did it! I’m also proud of my pain threshold, I read about some mum’s having to give up after their infections. But I was not only determined for my son but for myself,  breastfeeding creates hormones that keep my cycles at bay, which means no Endometriosis pains, for now.

A lot of mothers are misdiagnosed where Ductal Thrush is concerned, so please speak to your local breastfeeding team before going to your GP if you’re concerned. They will be able to help with your symptoms are let you know what the GP needs to do to confirm it. My GP thought I had Mastitis but in fact it was Thrush. You must be aware of both of these as a Breastfeeding Mother, yet some people don’t know what to look for. To clarify Mastitis is when your Ducts get blocked with milk from engorgement and your baby not feeding effectively. Make sure that if you get any redness with heat, any pain and swelling of the breast that doesn’t subside after a feed and a let down, you should see your GP urgently.

Another hurdle that I had was to have a baby who cluster fed, some days he would have 16 feeds in 24 hours. The most he had was 18 feeds a day when he was having growth spurts. The feeds were anything from 15 minutes to 50 minutes and all times in between. It was an exhausting time, but the bond that we created was worth every moment of the no sleep and the bleeding body parts. Thank goodness for my Pregnancy Pillow!

By the time I got to 5 months I was infection free, we were down to 14 feeds in 24 hours and we were almost ready to begin some basic Weaning of vegetable purées. But my son had issues with his bowel and with his skin, eczema had flared up all over his body since he had his vaccinations. So our GP sent us to a pediatrician for advice.

They asked me if I wanted to continue feeding, if I did I would need to give up dairy products entirely, to consume nothing which contained dairy, that meant nothing with milk, lactose or whey powder in. That would’ve been easier if the alternatives weren’t all nut related. My husband has severe nut allergies and therefore products of this nature don’t even enter our house. I knew it was going to be a struggle to negotiate this new challenge before me and I remember shedding a few tears of frustration… after everything we now had this to deal with as well.
 
Finding a balance between getting my breastfeeding calories a day but still cutting out everything on the doctors list was hard. A few things were easy to change to, Soya Milk instead of regular Milk and Vegan Flora Spread instead of Buttery Milk Spread… but other things were much harder because you didn’t even realise that they contained milk. Usually it’s the lactose used to bind ingredients together…

In the end I gave up over half of my usual food items and I managed to swap into a third of alternatives. The rest is just given up on for the foreseeable. I would do anything to stop my son scratching his skin and/or experiencing his crippling wind pains. But it’s so hard when they’re little and they cannot tell you what’s wrong or how to fix it.
 
Our son has had a variety of creams and liquids for the bath, we are slowly getting on top of his skin conditions. The dairy issue is an ongoing battle, though we are Weaning and so far we haven’t had any other issues, we are avoiding a small list of some foods entirely. Dairy is something I eat one item of every 3 to 4 weeks and see if baby reacts to it a couple of days later,
that is because it takes time for the dairy proteins to pass into my milk supply and then into baby and their digestive system. So far we found him have a very unsettled sleep within 3 days of me having anything dairy. It meant he had wind and sometimes nasty nappies along with it. It was awful to see him react this way, though the doctor has advised we try dairy once a month to see how his digestive system copes, especially as he is getting older now.
 
I’m hoping that he grows out of this sensitivity and it doesn’t become an intolerance, some babies do! I am keeping so much crossed for this! In the meantime we are just taking things one day at a time. I’m so proud of him, he’s such a happy and intelligent baby, I am one proud mummy bear over here! The Breastfeeding comes to us so naturally now, and I even breastfeed in public without getting embarrassed or feeling insecure about it. At the end of the day I am feeding my child and his needs come first.
Here I am Breastfeeding my son while out recently.

I have a few tips for women hoping to Breastfeed, these are my personal tips and obviously won’t work for everyone. Some are factual though and you should be reminded of them by your midwife or heath visitor…

Sabrina’s Top Tips for Women New to Breastfeeding

1. Drink a ton of water! I’m not exaggerating when I say that feeding makes you really thirsty! I had to carry a 1 litre bottle with me everywhere I went, and I had a pint glass by the side of my feeding chair. A bottle by the side of my bed and also a cup in the bathroom for drinking at night. You will still pee quite a lot after the birth (natural or c-section) while your bladder recovers, and so despite needing to wee you’ll find yourself very thirsty at the same time. On average they recommend 3 litres of water a day. Limit yourself to one cup of coffee, two of tea or one can of pop. Water is what makes milk ladies! Drink up! Add a little squash if you’re not fond of water but get it down you.

2. The second tip I have is be comfortable! Your baby will be small when they’re born, but they won’t stay that way for long. I invested in a pillow, and it was one of the best things I ever bought. On offer from Online4Baby I paid around £12 for it. It’s a half circle shape and allows baby to lay across it while the pillow goes around your middle. I will pop an image below! In the end I bought two and kept one on my bed and the other in the lounge. Cushions for your neck and elbows are also essential when you have a baby who likes a longer feed.

4 in 1 Pillow for Nursing and Baby

3. Look after yourself! Keep showered and in clean clothes, changing them every 24 to 36 hours at least. You won’t have much time on your hands, but try and make your partner see that being clean is important so as to minimise risk of infections. You will feel so much more human too! Having a little human attached to you is daunting!

4. Eat Well! This might sound silly but you need plenty of protein related foods and also vegetables and fruit as a new mum. Calcium is important too! Unless like me you have a baby who has issues! If not then get yourself some milk and cheese. I ate cereal every morning that had extra iron and vitamins. It’s a good idea!

5. Fresh Air! Fresh air should help you be a bit more relaxed and also help baby sleep. Be careful if it’s cold and wrap yourself and baby up warmly. Remember to shelter baby from any sun rays as well if they’re a newborn. But getting out even for ten minutes for some fresh air is a good plan.

6. It took me a while to be comfortable breast feeding in public. I put that down to my sons problems and then my infections. Once those were all rectified we had no problem getting comfortable on a cafe sofa, usually rolling up my coat to go beneath him and help my arm take the strain. My biggest tip is to just consider it as your baby is having a meal. You wouldn’t deny yourself lunch if you were out for the day would you? Just because you’re not at home doesn’t mean you cannot do as you would do when at home. Baby will tell you when they’re hungry enough for you to not ignore that cry any longer… whip out a boob and stick that hungry baby on it, because they’re the most important thing.

7. Don’t be surprised if you get lopsided and baby prefers one boob over the other! I didn’t think I would ever get this lopsided but my son prefers my one boob over the other. Who am I to argue?! Despite trying to get him to feed off the other one for months, he only usually does so when he is half asleep and cannot tell the difference.

8. Pumping or Combination Feeding is not as easy as you’d think and it isn’t for everyone. I had to stop pumping after I got my Ductal Thrush infections. After those 7 weeks had gone by my breasts didn’t produce as much milk on a pump as they did when I was physically feeding my son. We had hoped to combination feed so my husband could help, but our son was reluctant to take to many bottle types and then I simply couldn’t pump enough anyway. Just because you pump doesn’t mean that’s all there is, some mum’s require babies own latch to produce milk, others find they have a bigger supply and can feed and pump large amounts easily. Remember what I said above about Water – it’s what makes the milk so you need to increase your intake of it so as to increase milk for baby. At a certain point your boobs will be less hard and your baby will stimulate the making of the milk rather than your body just constantly producing it…

9. My final breast feeding tip is to go with the flow. Not the milk flow as such but the flow of you and baby. Feed when baby wants it, those first few weeks will be a mess of body fluids and bits hanging out. But you’re learning and your baby is also learning as well. After a month or two it will feel so natural to you, and hopefully you will choose to continue feeding for as long as is appropriate for you and your baby. I’m hoping to get to the year mark and maybe even go for longer, it all depends if baby has an allergy or not… until then we will just be feed feed feeding!

The hours are long but the cuddles make it all worth it…

✩✩✩


Thank you for reading this post today, I know it has been an honest one, and I hope it helps someone out there. Breast feeding is one of the most rewarding things I’ve ever decided to do in my life, and I wouldn’t change my experience despite the ups and downs. The bond I have with my son is incredible and it’s the look on his face when he knows we are going to settle down for a feed that makes it so worth it. The look he gives me sometimes part way through feeding, locking eyes with me and smiling, sometimes he smiles so much he either lets go of his latch or spills milk all down himself, it’s so cute and it’s a look of love and thanks. It’s amazing…

If anyone has any questions about breast feeding I’m happy to try and answer them. There are also pages on Facebook, local groups you can contact and your GP too. Forums are also good I’ve heard people say (although I’ve not joined one) that there are also some good breast feeding apps too!

✩✩✩

Thank you for reading my Breast Feeding journey so far…

Dr. Jack Newman has a Channel on YouTube, known as a Breastfeeding Guru and has lots of tips for a new mum. Including Latch, Cup Feeding and tons of other videos. It’s worth a look if you’re stuck.

Always ask your friends who are Breastfeeding mum’s for advice.

Breast Feeding Apps
Breast Start
Baby Buddy
Wonder Weeks

Top Tips For New Breastfeeding Mums from the Breastfeeding Team
With a newborn you’re looking for 3 sucks, then a swallow and a breathe.
A good latch is essential learning for you and for baby, usually before you leave hospital after the birth. If unsure then don’t go home uncertain.

Thank you for joining me on Severn Wishes for this honest post, I hope you have found it useful or in the very least interesting.

Breastfeeding is not the easy way of feeding your baby, especially when there are many issues with things that some people aren’t even aware of.

The main thing is that if you’re pregnant and you want to feed baby yourself, get the help you need that first day in hospital and speak to the right people, they will support you if you’re willing to work hard and make it work.

But remember that not all babies take to breasts, and you shouldn’t feel like a failure if it doesn’t work for you.

Just give it a go, that’s all you can do to start with. Good luck if you’re starting your BF journey!

✩ Sabrina ✩

Reviewing the Munchkin Sit & Soak Baby Bath

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I have been testing this Bath on behalf of being an Argos Tester. This product has been sent to me in order for me to try it out and write about the functionality and purpose of it. My honest review is first posted to the Argos website.

My review is now live and has been submitted and accepted to Argos so I can now share this item with you.

Here is the Argos link to this product LINK

The dual stage Munchkin Sit and Soak Baby Bath has soft blue foam at the back for baby to lean against and the same with a shape at the base too. This surface gives friction for baby’s skin to be against and is designed to help them stay in place comfortably while bathing. The white lump in the base is to keep baby in place as they sit. Their bottom goes behind it with their legs going over the top. It must be comfortable because my son had no problem sitting in it from the first moment we tried him inside.

It has a water full level part way up. Always follow the instructions of use. It is designed for optimum comfort allowing your baby to stay warm during bathing.
The whole bath is lightweight and it’s dimensions are Height 38.4cm, Width 41.2cm, Depth 64.5cm.

There are useful warnings and safe uses on the inside of the bath on a sticker. Of course common sense is required when aspects like water are present. This bath is only to be used by adults, children are not to be left unattended at any point whilst in the bath, and you must follow the guidelines.

The bath has an attractive shape that is easy to get in and out of a bath tub and easy to fill. It has a handle for ease of lifting when it is empty. There is an easy lift able drain in plastic covering holes in the base, when bath time is finished it is easy to drain the tub without the need of tipping or lifting. This innovative pull tab is ideal for everyone to use because it’s so easy to use.

The innovative pull tab in order to drain the bath after use. This design is very useful and I think a key selling point of the bath.

This bath is very functional without taking up lots of space in your home. You can easily hang it on the back of the bathroom door when not using it. Our son was 8 months old at the time of testing and he sits comfortably in the bath and is even able to touch the sides. He found it good fun to be able to sit unaided by us due to the insert in the base, and he enjoyed the water.

My son demonstrates how a baby would sit inside the bath tub so you can see without any water inside. Their bottom goes behind the inserted structure and the foam keeps them in place. The drain can be seen at his feet.

Overall I am happy that I have had the opportunity to review this item, and because it is good for babies up until the age of a year we still have plenty of time to use and enjoy it. You could even pop it outside on a flat surface in the summer months and use it as a pool type of thing. It has a non-slip base and is sturdy when placed upon a flat surface.

Thank you for visiting Severn Wishes today, I hope you have enjoyed this Review and that you come back here for more soon.

✩ Sabrina ✩

Sabrina Has 6 Ways to Improve your Well Being

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Today On The Blog I Am Discussing Ways to Improve your Well Being.

It’s actually easier than you think to improve your well being. I began to do these things last year and am happy to say that I achieve most of these most weeks still.

✩ Stay Active
✩ Read More
✩ Eat Well And Proportionally
✩ Remember To Climb Those Stairs
✩ Try Something New Once In A While
✩ Do Something You Love Every Day And Enjoy Yourself

✩ Staying active is easy providing you stick to what you’re able to do. Even a ten minute walk is better than not walking at all. Other easy exercise includes gentle swimming and cycling. However if you’re generally a healthy person you might want to take up a new hobby this summer, walking outdoors is often free to do. You can make it fun for children by playing Spotting or Eye Spy games.

✩ Reading more is something I’m passionate about myself and I aim to increase mine even further. Whether you read the news, a book, a magazine, you are still working your brain by reading the words, and looking up words you don’t know is also beneficial. But more than that you are exercising your brain and taking in knowledge, despite what you read, a physical book or on a screen, it’s still reading.

✩ Eating well is so important anyway for your health, but portion sizes and proportion is vital. You need a good ratio of the main elements of food types as well as the right sizes of these types. Your 5 fruit and vegetables a day is also a key element in keeping your body healthy.

✩ Climbing a couple more staircases every day rather than taking the easy routes of lifts and escalators is something to consider. Your heart rate increases when you climb inclines or stairs, this is classed as exercise, even if it only takes you one minute to do the task. Stairs are also good for using muscles in your legs.

✩ Your mind needs to remain healthy too, and one way you can accomplish this is by trying something new. Whether it’s a hobby or activity, playing a board game or simply going somewhere new. New things stimulate your brain.

✩ No matter what kind of day you have, a busy day, a slow day, a stressful day or a day of fun! You should do one thing that you love each day. This is more for a sanity reason, but we all get busy and chores and work come ahead of what we want to do or love to do. For example, I love to play games, so I allocate twenty minutes in an afternoon or evening where I play Scrabble on my mobile phone. It’s not just something I enjoy but it also stimulates my brain by getting me to think.

Sabrina’s Top Tip!

Don’t try and accomplish all of the sections above in the same go! Perhaps do one a week and then see if you can achieve it again the following week. Also my tip is to pick the one you believe is most achievable to you!

Thank you for visiting Severn Wishes for this lifestyle post today, I hope that you have enjoyed it. Leave me a comment if you want to, I would love to hear what you think about it.

✩ Sabrina ✩

Review of the KeriKit Thor Backpack and Changing Bag

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The KeriKit Thor Backpack and Baby Changing Bag

I was so lucky to have won this backpack last Autumn, and I was ecstatic about the quality and the size. I can go out for the day with one bag for all things. I am able to fit a huge amount in this bag, and I will list the items below for those who are interested.

This bag was Oxblood coloured Genuine Leather and features two main compartments accompanied by several pockets that are zip protected. All the space and different areas to store items help with the general organisation of the bag itself.

Oxblood Thor Leather Baby Changing Backpack. RRP £275.

Features of the Thor Baby Changing Backpack

This leather bag has been award winning for Kerikit and is not just great for busy parents but anyone who likes a quality leather bag with tons of space. The one I was lucky to win was Oxblood but they currently supply a Nude or Tan shade of leather Thor bag.

The Thor features two large internal pockets that are separate. The main one has fabric divided into five sections so it’s easy to find what you’re looking for. It has fabric inside it that is waterproof and the outer leather is easy to wipe clean and maintain.

Two long leather straps at the back allow the bag to be carried on ones back, or you could place it in the bottom of a pram, or even use the hooks situated either side to hook on to pram hooks at the handle bar.

The back pocket section of the bag has a keys ring and luggage hook so they won’t get lost in the depths of the backpack.

The fabric itself has a stylish pattern on it and its colour makes it easy to see things when looking inside the bag.

In addition to the main part of the bag there are four zipped pockets, one horizontal compartment either side and one secret pocket at the back part situated vertically. These are all good sizes and add to the bags surprising versatility. Finally you will the fourth inside the main compartment, ideal for small medicines or valuables.

Bag Details
Weight 1.5 kg
Dimensions 30 × 18 × 40 cm
You also receive a baby changing mat and separate washable and waterproof lined food bag.
Me out and about with the backpack in use.

Overall I am so happy that I won this beautiful backpack, and I adore the colour too. It has now been up and down the country with us and it still fits everything inside it that we need, despite my son now being 8 months of age and us needing to take more things with us.

What I usually carry inside the bag on a day out includes a change of outfit for baby, his bottle of cooled boiled water, a bottle of water for myself, sweets and snacks for longer days out, 4 nappies (minimum), a packet of baby wipes, two creams, nappy sacks, 2 bibs, spare socks, a packet of tissues, 2 muslin cloths, spare top for myself and breast pads, one of his toys if not two, and finally a plastic bag for placing dirty items.

I can fit in the bag additionally items you would usually find in a ladies handbag, such as wallet, lip salve, toiletries etc, as sometimes I don’t want to carry more than one item. This does make the bag quite full up but it still closes due to the nature of the drawstring and magnetic stud.

My final review scores for the item are;
Quality 5/5
Design Practicality 5/5
Design Fashion 5/5
Value for Money 5/5

The 3 outer zipped pockets are really handy, especially this one situated at the back of the bag. The leather is beautiful too.

Here is the link to the current Thor backpacks available link

If you would prefer to browse all the baby changing bags available at Kerikit then click this link instead link

Thank you for visiting Severn Wishes for this review today, I hope that you have enjoyed it. Leave me a comment if you want to, I would love to hear what you think. What baby changing bag brand do you use?

✩ Sabrina ✩

My Jewellery Box UK Favourite Bracelets – A Style for Everyone & Review of New Purchases

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Jewellery Box UK New Purchases Review & My Custom Pieces

I always buy my earrings from Jewellery Box UK but lately I have been looking at some of their other items. Some I had previously bought and have now considered getting them as gifts for others, due to their excellent quality but also their affordable prices.


2. Sterling Silver 3mm curb cable bracelet (Left).
3. Sterling Silver floating heart charm (Right).

When purchasing a gift recently I came across a Heart Charm that I adored, but I had no necklace to put it inside. Then I had the great idea of sliding the charm on to a bracelet I already had. These are the two items and what the bracelet looks like with my idea completed.

Top – My Custom Bracelet Designed By Me
Bottom – The sterling silver beaded diamond cut star bracelet
Model – Severn Sabrina

My Jewellery Box UK Fave bracelets for everyone’s style!
They have Infinity, Circles, Hearts, Stars and even Geometric pieces that all look more expensive than they are.

What I love the most about all of these bracelets is how they look expensive but are very affordable. They are delicate yet well made, their quality is apparent in the products shine and with the 925 hallmark stamps.

I cannot pick a favourite but I love how I have created my own piece using two of the Jewellery Box UK best sellers.

Here is a little more information about the bracelets you can see in my images and the charm I used to customise one of them too. I will also include website links if you wish to purchase anything yourself.

1. Fine sterling silver star belcher chain bracelet 7.5″
£4.85
Link

2. Sterling Silver 3mm curb cable bracelet 6” – 8″
£6.85 – £7.85
Link

3. Sterling Silver Floating Heart Charm
£4.15
Link

4. Sterling Silver beaded diamond cut star bracelet – thin and delicate bracelet with a tiny star and round details
£7.15
Link

Bracelet 1. Fine sterling silver star belcher chain bracelet.
2. Curb Cable Bracelet 3mm.

3. Sterling Silver Floating Heart Charm.
4. Sterling Silver beaded diamond cut star bracelet.

Thank you for visiting Severn Wishes, I really hope you enjoyed this post and you enjoy browsing over on the Jewellery Box UK website.

✩ Sabrina ✩

My Argos Testers Review of the Minky Black and Rose Gold Styling Dock

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The Minky Organiser is a great product for those who have plenty of electronic hair products that require a safe and tidy place to be stored.

The Minky Rose Gold Styling Dock Bedroom Organiser is something I hadn’t ever considered that I was missing in my life until doing this review. Not only is it Somewhere that is handy to store my electrical hair products when in use and awaiting usage too.

I’m also impressed with the added extras like the plastic pots at the front for hair clips and grips etc. It’s a well thought out design with the added bonus of looking like a fabulous on trend piece with the colour being black and rose gold.

The Minky Styling Dock is an organiser ideal for all your heat styling product needs. It’s something I hadn’t ever considered I was missing until this review. It’s handy to store my electrical hair products after use due to its heat resistant silicone body & is great for storing items awaiting use too. I’m impressed with the added extras of pots for clips & grips.

Overall it’s a well thought out design with the bonus of looking like a fabulous on trend piece with the colour being black and rose gold. It’s a reasonable price for all that you can store inside it.​

The Dock can withstand temperatures up to 230’c because of its Silicone lined Body and Heat Resistant top part. Your tools will cool down safely when you’re in a rush to get out of the house and the silicone is also gentle on your hair tools to prevent marks.

The Hair Clip Pots Are Very Handy.

The Minky Dock can be bought online but I was given this product to test because I am a member of the Argos Testers team.
On the Argos website it is currently retailing at £24.99 (Price correct at time of publishing).
Here is the link if you wish to see if it is available at a store near you.
Link

The back of the Minky has space to wrap cords around and space for plug sockets as well.

Thank you for joining me on my blog today, there are lots of product reviews on Severn Wishes, I hope you enjoyed this one!

✩ Sabrina ✩

Our Experience of Baby Sensory Class and How I Teach My Baby At Home

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Our Experience of a Baby Sensory Class

Beach Theme – Under The Sea.

Using textures, sounds, bubbles, bright colours, animals, music, voices, singing, shiny surfaces, sign language and toys… Baby Sensory has something for babies of all ages. This class that I attended was for babies of only a few weeks old right up to 13 months.

Our son Baby A has just turned 6 months old, so he was able to appreciate a great deal of what was going on. There were various mats on the floor for parents to sit upon and soft mats to lay babies upon in front. The class interacted with the children on many levels, be it laying on their back, sitting up, laying on their fronts, and sat upon their parents laps even!

There is always a hello and a goodbye section of the class, then in between is a theme plus a short break midway through for feeding and changing, or just more playing.

Sand was substituted for oats so that babies weren’t in any danger if they happened to eat any. I thought this was a great idea! A variety of textures were used doing the hour, silk, organza, bubbles and soft mats. Sign language is used during songs to make the babies think about the words being sung and said. This is also a really nice part of the group activities.

Baby A enjoyed some aspects of the class more than others, such as the objects and instruments that he could personally interact with, especially when he could hold and feel them. He very much liked the shells and wooden objects that were in the bucket I was given in this class.​

I have paid for a course of classes for my son and I to attend. I feel it’s a good idea to introduce him to other babies, various sounds and activities that I cannot do very easily at home. Plus it’s a good reason to get out of the house and for my son and I to have some fun learning things together.

If there are classes in your town I recommend that you give this type of learning class a go! If you find a good one the activities can be essential to your baby learning things and experiencing things in a safe environment.

Baby Sensory Class
Bucket and Mat for the Under The Sea Theme

How and What I Teach My Baby At Home

There are many things that I teach Baby A at home, and also when we are out and about. Such as pointing out colours, numbers, weather and words as well as the basics like animals and objects. You don’t need to spend a lot of money on things, and you can use items at home to create sensory things.

I really enjoy showing my son real objects. Ones that make noises and have great textures are the best types. We often use toys and explain what in reality they are based upon. We try and expose him to educational television programs and we try and use books daily too. Ones with pictures are best at the moment but we always interact with the books with words and noises to help him understand further.

Young babies can only see Black, White and Red colours, so it’s a good idea to begin showing them shapes and every day objects and short words that are designed in this colour pattern. As baby gets older you can show them more colours and build upon it week after week.

Repetition is the best way of learning, and a baby will begin to recognise objects from an early age when shown them on a regular basis. Our son liked particular animals that were on flash cards, so we aimed to buy him other things that had these things as the theme. Such as he liked the image of a snail in one of the books and so we attached a snail hanging toy for the arch on his play mat.

My Top Tips for teaching your child things at home, are to incorporate a section of learning time into your routine so that once a day your baby is learning. Use repetition and do any teaching when your baby is most awake and alert. Making the learning fun means your little one is more likely to enjoy it and recall aspects of it.

Learning with your child should be an activity that you can both enjoy, you can always get other people involved too such as grand parents and friends. If there are babies of different ages in the room you can get everyone to do things in a way that they would all benefit. Such as explain colours and objects to the younger baby while getting an older child to spell the word for example.

Baby Sensory Light Display


If anyone found this post useful then please leave me a comment. I may elaborate on ways that I teach if people would find it beneficial. And also explain about the items that I have made and created for our at home sensory experience.

Thank you for reading my blog today and for visiting Severn Wishes, I hope you’ll stop by again soon. Have a great day!

♡✩ Sabrina ✩♡

My Goals & Aspirations for 2019 as a Writer & as a Mother ​

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The past year has been a roller coaster of highs and lows. The main event was of course me giving birth to our son. I don’t often say that I’m proud of myself unless I feel it’s justifiable, but in this particular case it definitely is. I’m proud of myself for not giving up when I found out I had Stage 4 Endometriosis, I’m proud of myself for staying strong, and I’m most proud of myself for carrying and nurturing my son.

Another thing is I’m proud of the mother I have become, and I’m so grateful to everyone who helped me to get to where I am today with my gorgeous little boy. My husband and I have been through a lot in our eleven years together. Though I feel it’s made us stronger every time that we have felt tested by our life together. I have a lot to be thankful for and I’m grateful to be living the life that I am with my wonderful family and those of my friends who have stuck by me through some very hard times.

My main goal for 2019 is to devote more time to my writing, the last year has flown by, but all my focus has been on family. I have blinked and 12 months have happened. So I’m not going to make many new year resolutions, only to keep eating healthy and looking after myself.​

My Main Goals This Year as a Writer


♡ Finish One Of My Books – Final Complete Draft.

♡ Maintain My Blog with 1 Published Post Each Week.

♡ Make More Time for My Hobbies like Reading and Walking.


My Main Goals This Year as a Mother


♡ Make Time for more Family Fun Things.

♡ Spend More Time as a Family – Days Out and Learning.


Thank you for visiting Severn Wishes, I hope to see you again very soon. Have a great January!

✩ Sabrina ✩

How a simple Cropped Hoodie from BooHoo is changing the way I consider breastfeeding in Public this season

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How a simple cropped Hoodie from BooHoo is changing the way I consider breastfeeding in Public this season

 

It’s not always easy to find comfortable and practical clothing that you can wear in the colder months that’s both suitable for breastfeeding and preventing you from freezing in the process. I’m like many other mum’s out there who consider buying things to help themselves out, are usually last on the list of priorities. However on a recent window shop scroll through the boohoo website I saw something that I knew for me would be a game changer. For £12 boohoo are selling cropped hoodies. This might not sound like anything special, but we’re fast heading into winter now. Considering I’ve been getting cold in cardigans and other loose articles of clothing that won’t get in the way of my son feeding… this was exactly what I had been waiting to find.

Not only has this hoodie allowed me to feed more comfortably, but it’s changed the way I feel about feeding my son around people who are not immediate family. It has given me confidence and hasn’t cost the earth. So many Maternity and Nursing items are highly priced, and at a time when you’re already forking out lots of money, you shouldn’t have to spend a ton on items to simply help you to accomplish what is both natural and a necessity for you and your baby.

The hoodie material is soft and thick, because it’s cropped it means that I can keep my arms inside the fabric, and just simply lift one corner to expose what I require for the feed.

This hoodie is ideal to wear all year round, with shorts and a T-shirt or with jeans and a tee in the colder months.

I’ve found this hoodie to be more than adequate for what I need, it’s both comfortable and practical, and doesn’t cost the earth either!

I highly recommend this style and quality of item from BooHoo and am very happy with the ones I bought.

As you can see me demonstrating in this image above, it’s easy to lift one corner of the hoodie. I normally am able to simply tuck the fabric up underneath and out of the way.

BooHoo Cropped Overhead Hoodie

Link


Was Available in Black, Navy, Wine, Pink, White, Grey and Tan.


Quality of Material – Very good, it washes well and wore well afterwards. The material is soft and comfortable on the skin.

Fitting to Size – I ordered a Small size because I’m usually a Size 8. It fitted perfectly along my arms and around my back and neck.

Details of the Small Size

60% Cotton and 40% Polyester.
Sleeve Length 63cm / 25”
Bust 53cm / 21”

Overall I’ve been very happy with my purchases, and I would purchase items like these again.


Thank you for visiting Severn Wishes today, I hope you have enjoyed this content. Have a lovely day.

 

✩ Sabrina ✩