PhotoBox Photo Book Review

I was recently contacted by the people at PhotoBox asking me to check out their products and give my honest opinion. I have to say that this opportunity couldn’t have come at a better time as since Isla was born I’ve meant to make a photo book of her and 21 months later I still hadn’t done it! All photos of her were either still on my digital camera or in an array of folders on my laptop! Seeing as baby boy is coming in July I felt that it was high time we put together a record of Isla’s first years before he arrives.

PhotoBox is a great site offering their customers with beautiful and innovative ways of making the most of their family and kids snaps. PhotoBox supplied my account with £30 credit and invited me to use it to either order a Canvas print, make a photo mug or photo book. Photobook was my choice and so I set to work making it!

Firstly I had to wade through almost 2 years of photo’s! Obviously this is my fault and I’m sure some of you are far more organised than me and have them properly catalogued! This took me an entire evening but what I was left with was 130 photos to then whittle down to my favourites to put in the book. Although it took a while, I really enjoyed looking back over the old photo’s and seeing how Isla has changed from a newborn into a toddler. Her character shines through in recent photo’s and I felt like I couldn’t wait for this to transfer to our very own book.

I uploaded the photos to the site, this took no time at all and then I selected the option to make a photobook. I chose to make a A4 Personalised Photobook I opted to use the 'Instant' way of making the book where the photos get taken from your album and the book is automatically created for you. This is genius as it can save you a lot of time fiddling around manually creating the book. I don't have a great design eye, so this helped me a lot. I could see that my 130 photos made a book that would cost in the region of £50, slightly more than I had in mind. So from that point onwards I went through the book deleting photos that I felt didn't make the final cut, moving photos around and whittled the book down to 36 pages, a more reasonable £39.49, plus postage and packaging of £3.99. At this point I found a discount code that entitled me to £5 off when I spent £20, so I used this and my book was then £34.49, plus p&p. I find that there are always discount codes for these types of products and they can really make your item more affordable.

The process of making it was so enjoyable as although I created it instantly I also then manually rearranged photos and made some more of a feature than they were when they were automatically put in. It also helped to show me which photos I could really do without in the book - I will just get these as prints I think.

Here is the finished article:

I absolutely love it! I love the whole idea of Isla starring in her own book and I love how it documents her growth from birth to now. The memories that it evokes every time I flick through it (which I have done at least 50 times now since it came in the post!) are amazing. I now can't wait to show it to people. It's also made me realise I've been a real slacker and need to get my 4 year old wedding photos in order too, so that will be my next project!

So in summary, big thumbs up from I Heart Motherhood for Photobox, I'll definitely be using them again for Photobooks!

Bump Watch...Week 31

Baby Bump, Week 31 - after lots of baguette and easter Eggs in France!

I ♥ Pogofandango

I've just discovered Pogofandango through the website Not on The High Street. I absolutely love greetings cards and there is nothing I like better than taking my time to select appropriate cards for all occasions for my close family and friends. I think sometimes the card can be more thoughtful than the gift itself. In the last year I've really loved the laser cut designs that I've seen in the shops and the one above particularly appeals because obviously we're due a new baby in July and this card is gorgeous!

The cards are made by a mother and daughter from Cornwall and they don't just do baby cards, they cater for all manner of occasions, check out their website for laser cut cards!

Chicken Soup for the Soul (and to make you feel better when poorly...)!

A few weeks ago when I was feeling a bit under the weather I knew that what I needed most was Chicken Soup! Luckily we'd only had roast chicken the day before and I'd got the carcass in the fridge and so I stuck it in a pot, covered with water, chucked in half an onion, half a carrot, peppercorns and a bouquet garni and made some stock. Strictly speaking I don't know how long you should simmer the chicken carcass for but I usually just use my own judgement and it probably ends up being at least an hour and a half. The house ends up smelling a bit 'chickeny' but it gets your taste buds going!

Once the stock is made I drain it carefully ensuring there are no bones left lurking in the soup. Then I strip the meat from the bones. Next I get the food processor out and grate a couple of potatoes, a couple of carrots and an onion and then bung them in the chicken stock along with the meat. I season with salt and pepper (I like white pepper for soups - nicer flavour) and then let it cook for about half an hour until the veg is cooked and voila you have your chicken soup. Best eaten with big hunks of crusty white bread (and extra white pepper)!

I definitely felt so much better after eating a bowl of this and it also makes me feel better to know that I've made something wholesome and used up all the leftover chicken!

MAD Academy

Isla and I have recently started a new activity on Saturday’s and we both really love it! It’s called MAD Academy (Music and Dance) and it’s a 45 minute class of physical and mental stimulation. We also go with a couple of my NCT friends and their toddlers, so it’s a great opportunity for us to catch up.

The session starts with everyone saying hello, going round in a circle, and over the weeks, the little ones become familiar with the welcome song and learn the actions (nodding head, clapping hands and waving). Next up is the warm up to music (a bit of Katrina and the Waves - 'Walking on Sunshine', first thing on a Saturday morning does wonders for the soul!) where we all stamp our feet, jump up and down and tear up and down the hall, Isla always loves this bit and laughs loads. What’s important to mention at this stage is that the leader of the class, Debbie, always makes it clear that if your child is doing something different to everyone else/ doing their own thing, then that is absolutely fine, it’s a free spirited approach and no one is made to feel bad if their child isn’t joining in.

From there we do activities that encourage the kids to learn colours and shapes and also listen to sounds and identify what they are. Isla has really got better at colours and shapes since doing these exercises. Another thing that I like about these classes is that after each activity, the children are encouraged to collect up the apparatus/ bits and pieces they have been playing with – they seem to love tidying up – shame this doesn’t translate when we get home!!

There are lots of other things that we have done in the classes, as they take a different shape most weeks but what I love most about them is that Isla is absolutely tuckered out afterwards – it is a proper work out for her and we both generally go home happy (well, that’s if she hasn’t had a tantrum about wanting a biscuit when I’m trying to get her in the car to go home!), and a lunchtime nap is generally guaranteed and being heavily pregnant now I need the rest too!

MAD Academy is in lots of different areas now, so check out their site and see if there is one near to you - click here MAD Academy

This is not a sponsored post - it's an activity that Isla and I thoroughly enjoy and I want to recommend to other parents!

Bump Watch...Week 29

Week 29...Already feeling like the back end of a bus!

I'm Going to Cybermummy (well I hope I am!)

As per the title - I sincerely hope I am going to the Cybermummy conference, the reason i'm unsure is that it depends on whether baby boy can cling on and either arrive on time (1st July) or a bit late! I have the ticket and I'm really looking forward to it.

I uhmmed and ahhed for ages over the decision to buy a ticket and then I thought, GO FOR IT, I'm quids in whatever happens - if I get to go then I'll get to meet all the fab mums I've 'met' through twitter and blogging since last November and will have the chance to attend some fantastic workshops and listen to inspirational speakers. If I don't get to go then that means that I've got my lovely baby boy and I'll be up to my eyes in nappies and will be too tired to even remember my own name! I also know that there are many mummies who missed out on a ticket for this years event so if I can't go then I already know peeps who will snap my hand off for my ticket.

So here's hoping that I do get to go. I hope that everyone is as friendly as they seem to be and that I get to make some new friends. This year is a big year for me what with extending our family but my blogging 'hobby' is something that I do just for me and I'm thoroughly enjoying the experience.

If you're going too, let me know below!