Booking a newborn photoshoot

Newborn photoshoot

Your new baby will not be a tiny newborn for long. Many parents want to take lots of pictures of their precious bundle in those early days to capture the first moments when they are so little.

Anne Geddes is an artist that has made a living out of taking beautifully artistic photos of babies for years. Her stunning imagery has inspired other photographers to learn the art and offer it to new parents.

Now, there are lots of studios that offer newborn photo shoots. This article is based on what I learnt from my experience last time with my son and what I am doing differently this time with my daughter.

Bump 2 Baby (with Noah)

With my first pregnancy, almost 5 years ago, I bought a coupon voucher for £30 for a bump to baby shoot at Baby Art Uk by Taylor Made Portraits. It included the studio time and the first picture free.

Bump shoot

I had this shoot when I was 36 weeks pregnant. The photographer provided all the accessories and had lots of ideas on what to do. My husband doesn’t like his picture being taken but he got involved for me.

If I had known what I know now, I wish I had bought a nice maternity bra for the shoot. I’m not a fan of the pictures with my bra in it.

Newborn shoot

The best time to have a newborn shoot is when the baby is a few days old (1 to 14 days old). This enables the baby to be positioned for the artistic shots. The photographer provided all the accessories and had the scenes set up. The shoot took 4 hours to allow for feeding and getting the baby to sleep. Noah was exactly 1 week old in his pictures.

If I had known what I know now, I would have gone with some premixed formula as this enables babies to sleep longer than breast feeding. We nipped out mid shoot to get some. I was worried that it might affect breast feeding but it didn’t.

Costs

Studio fee

I thought £30 was a great price until we had the shoot. The studio charged quite a lot per image, i.e. £60 a picture or £250 for 5 pics on a USB. I was heartbroken. I couldn’t afford that on maternity pay! They took pity on me and sold me the presentation video of the images and I took screenshots to get images to print.

If I have known what I know now, I would check the additional costs associated with the shoot as this is often where the photographer makes their money.

All inclusive package

This time I have booked with another studio that charges £250 (and I’ve paid the 10% deposit of £25). This is an all inclusive price and will include all the images taken during the 4 hours on a USB. We will have a family pic and then the artistic shots whilst my little boy & his dad go stretch their legs. I can then print and share the pics as much as I like or ask the studio to print for me at their prices.

I like an all inclusive price because I can budget for this and won’t be disappointed. I can’t wait to share the pictures.

Packages

There is now a wider choice of options too:

Bump (watch me grow) – This is a shoot that will involve you visiting the photographer a few times to get the same picture taken to illustrate your bump growing. You will need to choose an outfit you can wear throughout your pregnancy and will need to start seeing the photographer from around 12 weeks pregnant.
Bump shoot – this is where you get pictures of your pregnancy bump at about 30 weeks+. The photographer usually offers a maternity gown and organza to get some pretty pictures. You can also take scan pictures or items you have bought for baby like tiny shoes.
Newborn shoot – This is when you get pictures of your baby taken when they are only a few days. Have a look at the photographers album to see if they do the baby art style pictures or not.
Little sitter – This is when your baby is able to sit independently from around 6 months old. You will need to choose the outfit for your little one to wear but the photographer will provide the set and props, although you can bring props too i.e. a favourite toy.
Cake smash – This is often added onto a package for newborns to encourage parents to return when their child is one year old. It is their first birthday picture and involves them getting in a mess with a beautiful cake.

Often studios will offer the above shoots as packages with a saving. For example, Bump 2 Baby (will be a bump shoot and a newborn shoot) or My First Year (could be a newborn shoot, little sitter and a cake smash). Some studios offer loyalty cards to encourage their customers to return for other milestones.

If I have known what I know now: This time I have booked an all inclusive package with a studio that has a loyalty scheme. So, if I wish to return I can collect discounts for being a returning customer. I like this no pressure approach and feel in control of how much my photos are going to cost me. The studio were upfront about pricing that I feel assured I won’t get a nasty surprise on the day.

Booking

It is best to book your photographer as soon as possible. For a maternity shoot, you will need to book the shoot for the stage in pregnancy you wish to capture – the more time you give the photographer the more likely they will have availability for the week you need.

For a newborn shoot, you book the photographer before your baby arrives. Photographers who specialise in these shoots know babies rarely arrive on their due date. They will make a note of when you are expecting and keep some slots free in their diary around this date. This time I booked the studio when I was around 24 weeks pregnant.

Once the baby arrives, call your photographer as soon as you can to book the date at the studio. With Noah, I called the studio the morning after he was born from the hospital.

June 3, 2018 Ally Aldridge Personal

How to get free baby stuff

Here are the things I have managed to get for free for my baby and how:

Emma’s Diary

Signing up to their site gives you generic info on how your pregnancy is progressing based on your due date. They also have printable money off vouchers for Argos and regularly have online deals by other brand. It is worth checking their site before buying something.

In addition, everyone who sign up gets a voucher to collect a pack of products from Boot/Argos for different stages of their pregnancy. Here is what mine contained:

Pack 1:

Leaflets by sponsors
2x Pregnacare Original prenatal vitamins (19 in each box)
Bepanthen nappy cream
Lansinoh Ultra thin, stay dry nursing pads (2 pack)

Pack 2:

Leaflets by sponsors
Pampers premium nappies size 1 (22 in pack)
Aquafresh Milk teeth toothpaste
Lansinoh Ultra thin, stay dry nursing pads (2 pack)

Pack 3:

Leaflets by sponsors
Pampers premium protection nappies size 2 (3 in pack)
Aquafresh Milk teeth toothpaste
Lansinoh Breastmilk storage bags (2 pack)
Fairy non-bio liquid and fabric softener

Baby Box University

By watching some videos on safe sleeping (very useful) and answering some questions, you then qualify for a free baby box (might be limited to certain areas of the UK). You can collect the box for free baby box or pay p&p to get it delivered. I paid £5.99 to have mine delivered as the nearest collection point was quite drive for me.

Here is what I got:

Information pack on safe sleeping in a zipped bag
A baby box (safe for baby to sleep in)
A mattress
A mattress sheet
A light blanket for baby
A vest

Sample product

Some brands sell a sample of their product so you can see the quality before buying. You will likely need to pay p&p to receive the item.

I did this with The Finnish Baby Box company who create ‘everything you need for baby in one box’ (48 items of high quality Scandinavian style clothes and other useful products for baby’s first year). The contents is gender neutral but they will ask about when the baby is due and the climate so they can tailor the contents to be suitable for the right times in the year.

The long sleeved vest I received is really cute and feels lovely. I am very tempted to treat myself to a whole box, however, the box isn’t cheap… then again, it is a years supply of unisex clothing to get you started.

Enter competitions

This does rely on luck and doesn’t guarantee you will win. I entered via Instagram with brand The Little Art Collection and won this beautiful poppy design bamboo muslin for my baby girl (due in August). The muslin is retails at £12.50 and my prize included P&P.

I love it so much I bought an expecting friend a swaddle in another design. I’m also tempted to buy more… so beware, if the products are good you will be tempted to start spending.

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I won this beautiful #poppy #muslin in the @thelittleartcollection giveaway ?
A post shared by Author Ally Aldridge (@redfae) on Apr 29, 2018 at 7:55am PDT

Free giveaways

I missed this one but on Facebook Lidl were giving away their own brand, Lupily, of nappies for free in sizes 1, 2 and 3. Usually, their nappies only cost 86p for a pack so they are really affordable. However, when something is so cheap people are dubious about whether they will work?

Speaking to friends who use Lupily about the effectiveness have found them great. One friend uses them during the day on her toddler and both day and night on her newborn. She swears by the whole Lidl baby range and has saved a fortune.

I guess this is why Lidl gave them away for free, to spread the word that their affordable baby products work! For 86p you can’t really go wrong.

During my last pregnancy, lots of baby brands offered free products if you signed up to their newsletter. I loved my weening guide by Hipp Organic and the little cow toy from Cow & Gate. All the newsletters had bite size tips to help busy mums get the info they need and money off their products.

May 26, 2018 Ally Aldridge Personal, What have I been watching?

What to watch if you love superpowers!

This month, I’ve got so many seasons on the go that I haven’t managed to finish watching any of them! Most are new out so I’m waiting for episodes to be released – Aghh!

So, instead, I thought I would share with you some of my favourites TV shows with superpowers.

Misfits – Series

https://youtu.be/VsBYXLYNZlE

Genre: Comedy

This TV series follows a group of young adults that are completing their community service as punishment for crimes. They are hit by a storm that alters their bodies to have super abilities. This leads to some funny moments and an original story line.

It’s a similar crude humour to Imbetweeners. If you enjoyed that, you’ll also love those. One of the main characters is played by Robert Sheehan who has a gorgeous head of dark curls.

Heroes – series

https://youtu.be/9AX6aXFdTkc

Genre: Fantasy/Sci-Fi Drama

You must have heard of this one! There are a range of diverse characters and abilities and I love how they have integrated the powers into everyday life. The main story follows cheerleader, Claire Bennet, bringing all the characters together through various storylines.

One of my favourite powers is the main villian, Skylar. I loved how his ability was linked to his profession as a clock maker but they didn’t give him an obvious power connected to his trade like time manipulation. I also loved when Tracy Straus turns someone to ice and then they shatter. Ali Larter is one of my favourite actresses and she got to play a few characters in this series.

Gifted – series (Marvel)

https://youtu.be/B949SbPXGyw

Genre: Fantasy/Sci-Fi Drama

This show is set in a world where superpowers are feared. Anyone with a power needs to be monitored and often find themselves punished for their abilities. Naturally, power groups get together to protect each other and hide from the authorities.

The show follows a family where the dad is employed to capture ‘gifted’ people who go to trial and then prison. His children discover they have powers and now they are wanted. The dad turns against the law and seeks the help from a rebel group to escape, in return he offers them inside information.

To me the show explores how we are all unique and people fear what they don’t understand. It’s told as a fantasy story but in some parts of the world people are really ostracised for being different.

Runaways (Marvel)

https://youtu.be/plyJQG-nRN0

Genre: Fantasy/Sci-Fi Drama

This show is about a group of teens that hang out because their parents are friends. Whilst hanging out, they uncover a sinister dark side to their parent’s relationships that suggest they are in a cult that sacrifices people! During the series the teens not only discover more about their parent’s secrets but also about their own hidden super abilities.

This TV series has a real comic book feel – there is even a dinosaur!

Alphas – series

https://youtu.be/ig_LfnyN7Es

Genre: Fantasy/Sci-Fi Drama

This series is about a group of colleagues that have super abilities. They work together to capture criminals that have used their powers to break the law, that a regular human officer would be unable to handle without being in danger.

One of the delightful things about this series is how ordinary some of the characters are. For example, Gary Bell is an agent but has autism. It is great to see an employer (although fictional), showing how the work environment is adaptable to enable this young man to be part of the work force and bring his valuable assets to the team. If this was seen in more TV shows, I think it would enable more employers to realise the possibilities.

Many more…

There are many more TV series with superpowers in and I’ll probably kick myself later when I remember one I should have included.

I had wanted to include a TV Show from when I was a kid (decades ago). I think it was called Ali Mac but I can’t remember. It was about a school girl that during a road accident with a truck got coated in a toxic chemical that then granted her the ability to turn into liquid. If you know the show, please let me know what it is called?

The main contributor to this collection is Marvel – they love super powers. Here are more shows by Marvel:

Jessica Jones
Daredevil
Luke Cage
Iron Fist
Agents of Shields

If there’s a show you think I’d love, please do recommend.

May 12, 2018 Ally Aldridge Personal

How I got my son pedaling first try!

Today, I am going to share with you a very proud mummy moment that I am sure many parents have treasured before me. It is the day, your little one sits on their first pedal bike and realises that they can do it.

Although, Noah got it in his first attempt we have been preparing him for his pedal bike for two years and I am going to share with you how we did that.

Balance bike

My son was 2 years old when we got him a balance bike. I got him the Yedoo Fifty (this model is now discontinued to make way for their new balance bikes). I can’t remember the name of the store I bought from as I bough online and the company was based in London and donated old bikes to Africa.

I knew Noah would love it and. It was lightweight and easy for him to maneuver and he was whizzing around in no time.

Recommendation: I recommend choosing a lightweight balance bike that’s easy for a young child to manage and for you to carry when their legs get tired (you may be carrying them & the bike). In addition, balance bikes teach them the skill of balancing which they need when they take to a real bike. When choosing a balance bike you want their feet to be flat on the floor.

An alternative to a balance bike is a scooter. Many of my friends chose a scooter for their kids due to cost, size or appeal.

https://instagram.com/p/BIw6a14h96Y/

Stabilisers

I wanted to buy my son a pedal bike back in 2016 for Christmas, when he was three but his grandparents wanted to buy it. I wanted to get him a Frog 43 and offered to pay for it but they’d found a cute one with stickers and stabilisers from a high street store.

Sadly, the bike wasn’t as appealing as it looked. The stabilisers kept coming loose and causing the bike to tip. The pedals were stiff and difficult to move. My son hated using it and kept returning to his balance bike. It was redundant before Easter, collecting dust. I was going to order him the Frog when I was made redundant so all unnecessary purchases went on hold – Noah return to his trusty balance bike.

Recommendation: I don’t recommend stabilisers as they cause the child to rely on them to balance and changes the way they turn as tilting will cause them to tip over. In addition, cheap bikes tend to be made out of heavier materials and are difficult for young children. The one we had took Noah from wanting a pedal bike to hating them. Honestly, avoid them!

Pedal bike

We bought the Frog 48 from a specialist bike store (Elmy Cycles). The store told us about a scheme where we can trade Noah’s bike in for a discount against the next size when he needs it.

The staff measured Noah to recommend the best size for him. When choosing a pedal bike you want their feet to only just touch the floor, this encourages them to pedal instead of scoot along like on a balance bike.

I could have bough stabilisers to attach to the bike but chose not to – the staff also didn’t recommend them (for similar reasons given above).

Noah was excited to use pedals until he sat on the bike and realised it’s trickier than it looks. He wanted to place both feet on the pedals before setting off – which, doesn’t work. We held his seat to get him started and he quickly got the idea of pedaling. We had to remind him to look where he’s going not at his feet or over his shoulder at us. We were encouraging him to start on his own with one foot on the floor and he managed it a few times – it’s something for us to work on.

Recommendation: I do believe it is worth investing in a quality pedal bike. This bike isn’t too heavy if you end up carrying it and its light enough for a child to manage. It was also very useful visiting a store with bike experts. The guys at Elmy Cycles really do know their stuff and their advice was incredibly useful in making our decision.

View this post on Instagram
Throw back to last Friday – Noah rode his bike for the first time on his @frogbikes #frog48
A post shared by Author Ally Aldridge (@redfae) on May 11, 2018 at 1:19pm PDT

Research

It is worth doing some research into the bike before purchasing as they aren’t cheap but you want to make sure that the one you buy will be easy for your child to use and love and be worth the money. If it is the most expensive present you are buying them then you need to be confident that it will be the best and most used present.

I used the internet to read reviews on bikes. One of the best websites I found was by Two Wheeling Tots. The site is aimed for people in America but they test a number of makes and model and have universal advice for parents choosing a bike for a child. It is a fabulous result that can save you a lot of disappointment and wasted money.

May 10, 2018 Ally Aldridge Personal

Dry eyes

This is just a short post. I planned to photograph my old foundations and write a review on them all as an ultimate guide for pale skinned girls. Sadly, that wasn’t meant to be.

My dry eyes

Instead, I’ve been suffering with dry eyes. It feels like I’ve got something in my eye and they are on fire.

Sun lotion

At first, I thought it was sun lotion so bought a sun lotion specifically for face use. I was in a rush so I bought Malibu from Savers. It was only £2.99 and came with a lip balm. I’m not sure it meets with my ethical standards as I was in a rush but it works and it is budget friendly.

View this post on Instagram
Shopping this morning – ready for the #sun ☀️
A post shared by Author Ally Aldridge (@redfae) on Apr 21, 2018 at 12:18pm PDT

Makeup

Then, I thought perhaps I had suddenly become sensitive to my mascara so I ordered a trusted old favourite (Pacifica’s water resistant one). Lucy Rose Biz had an offer on where I got a free BB Cream if I spent £30 so I bought two mascaras (one black, one blue).

View this post on Instagram
My beauty haul from Lucy Rose Biz. I got black & blue water resistant mascara plus a FREE BB Cream
A post shared by Author Ally Aldridge (@redfae) on May 2, 2018 at 12:44pm PDT

Pharmacy

Next, I thought I had hay fever as my eyes kept watering. The pharmacist said I couldn’t take anything whilst pregnant. She suggested rubbing vaseline on my nose. I don’t use vaseline. Instead, I use Akamuti’s petroleum free jelly.

Optician

Whilst seeing the Optician, I asked if they had any tips. The Optician looked at my eyes and told me she didn’t believe I have hay fever but dry eyes. She explained that after a long winter and sudden heat wave, my eyes couldn’t keep moisturised. This made sense as it was really bad on the super hot days. She gave me eye drops called artificial tears which has provided some relief.

Vampire

As a redhead, I’m used to shunning the sun like a vampire but my eyes have never been affected before.

The sun is making my eyes so sore. I treated myself to two massive sun hats from Primark (I don’t usually wear hats) and have my eye on another one from the British Heart Foundation charity shop.

My husband bought me some lovely big Lipsy sunglasses which have also helped as they are so sensitive in the day light. I feel like a vampire.

Pregnancy and dry eyes

I searched ‘Dry eyes and pregnancy’ and found it is caused by the hormones not creating tears like they usually do. It often happens during the 2nd or 3rd trimester and affects a second or greater pregnancy. Usually the symptoms go after pregnancy – let’s hope so!

Tips to deal with it are:

Drink more water
Avoid screens (Tv, PC, Tablet, Kindle, Mobile, etc)
Avoid air con
Use a humidifier
Wear wrap around sunglasses
Use artificial tears
Eat omega 3 (salmon, mackerel, walnuts, flax seed)
Use a face mist

Seriously thinking of getting a face mist and have me eye on the Caudalie one.

As a result, I haven’t written the post I wanted because I’ve been resting my eyes. Screens irritate them as much as the sun. I now drive with a tissue to dab my tears.

Here’s a pic of me out for dinner this weekend and not writing!

May 6, 2018 Ally Aldridge Personal

TTC – Getting Pregnant

This is a very personal post that I hope will help other people that may be struggling with wanting to start a family but for whatever reason can’t.

My first TTC journey

I wanted a baby long before my other half was on-board with the idea. I wouldn’t dream of tricking anyone into such a serious commitment and life changing decision, so, I waited patiently until he was ready…

https://instagram.com/p/Gj36V/

We bought a house, we got engaged, we got married – still, he was enjoying it being just the two of us.

I told him everything accept how badly I wanted a baby. I didn’t want to put pressure on him to change his mind and knew it was important for him to make that choice himself.

The waiting almost killed me. I was hid it from my husband out of fear it might guilt him into agreeing. I went for my pill check up and broke down with my doctor. My doctor gave me my combination pill (as I requested it) but encouraged me to talk to my husband and start a family.

Instead, I spent my evenings locked away in my bathroom, alone with my thoughts. A world without my baby wasn’t a world that felt right. I wondered if I had missed my chance, was getting too old, perhaps I was never meant to have babies. I cried that maybe my husband would never change his mind but I couldn’t leave him – he was the one. But, I wasn’t sure how long I could wait for him; I was losing faith. I felt helpless.

I began thinking of taking my life. I didn’t want anyone in my life to know how deep my struggle ran because I didn’t want them to blame themselves when I was gone and think they could have saved me. Even today, a lot of the closest people are likely to not be aware how bad things got for me. My husband noticed in the evenings, I was hiding myself away and grew concerned. He encouraged me to see the doctor. I was diagnosed me with chronic stress and offered antidepressants but turned them down because I feared if my husband might changed his mind that my body would be full of drugs, instead, I took the option of counselling. Whilst, I waited for the referral I started talking. I confided in one of my best friend and husband. By the time the NHS was able to help me with counselling, I no longer needed it.

https://instagram.com/p/RlTsMavaRQ/

My husband was ready to start trying but now needed my mind to be in a better mental state. Once, we were both ready, I came off the pill but I was so desperate for a baby, I wanted it here 5 years ago and did everything in my power to increase my changes of falling quickly (so, I thought).

Putting pressure on myself to fall quickly, made getting pregnant more difficult. I didn’t noticed what I was doing as I was obssessed and the need to be pregnant was all consuming. I took folic acid, multi-vitamins, cods liver oil, hemp oil, casava-root pills, any other supplements suggested to boost fertility. I kept a spreadsheet to keep track of what I had taken and at what point in my cycle. I took cough medicine to thin my cervical mucus. I even imported Clomid from India. I was using pre-seed, certain sex positions, resting after sex with my legs in the air and strictly sex every other day – it made sex a chore! I was doing ovulation and pregnancy tests and dealing with the heartache of each negative result. After, 9 months I began to count down to seeing my doctor to discuss fertility options and tried to gain wait as my BMI was just below what is accepted for IVF.

https://instagram.com/p/dsPWT3vae2/

Then, I sold my house and moving stole my focus. Whilst I wasn’t focused on getting pregnant, I got pregnant.

Finally, I had my son. I will never forget how having him has made me feel complete. He really did save my life. I don’t think I could have gone on much longer without him being part of my world.

https://instagram.com/p/iRJotjPaSa/

My second TTC journey

This time, I wasn’t in a rush. I was now already a mother. If Noah was all the children I’d ever have, I would be thankful for that. My husband made me promise that I wouldn’t go crazy again.

All I did was switch my contraceptive pill for a prenatal multi vitamin and we had sex when we felt like it – we kept it fun. I was shocked when in the first cycle I fell pregnant.

What my TTC journeys taught me:

If you are on your TTC journey, I wish you the best of luck. Don’t hesitate to talk to your doctor if you need help at any stage.

If you have been successful – congratulations. What was it that worked for you?

April 30, 2018 Ally Aldridge Personal

Race For Life

What is Race for Life?

It is a Women’s only fundraising event to raise money for Cancer Research UK. They fund research into over 200 types of cancer. You can check their website for more details of the events taking place across the UK by clicking here.

How can you help?

Nearly everyone has lost someone they love to cancer or knows someone that has. My sister and her ‘mummy’ friends have decided to run this year. Sadly, this month, one of the mums lost her battle with cancer, making this years race even more personal for these women.You can help by:

Following Hev’s blog and encouraging her. She posts cute pics of her trainer (Roland – the pug that can).
Sponsor Hev to raise money for the charity. Every little helps & you could get the government to boost your sponsorship if you are a tax payer.
Raise awareness of the charity by talking about it.
You could even get involved and do Race For Life in your area!

Below is Hev’s blog article:

This blog post is not about running, it is about something more important. Roland and I have done one race a year since we started running together. […]

via We are doing the 10km Race for Life — This Pug Can

April 28, 2018 Ally Aldridge Personal, What have I been watching?

April, What have I been watching?

April

Here are the shows I have loved this month. I’m surprised how many I have got through considering it was such a busy month.

Magicians (season 3)

Genre: Fantasy

You know a series is good when you are still investing your time to watch it by the third series. And, it didn’t disappoint.

Magic has gone but don’t worry the gang will quest together to obtain keys to bring magic back. There was more to do with the faeries in this series and lots of travelling to and fro Fillory.

The idea of no magic doesn’t sound great for the show but the writers did an amazing job and overcoming this obstacle made a compelling season.

How to Get Away With Murder (season 1)

Genre: Drama – crime

I wasn’t drawn to this show, it didn’t sound like my thing. Discovering Shonda Rhimes was involved in producing the series, I decided to give it a go as I loved Greys Anatomy. I am pleased I did.

Top law students are working at their tutors firm. There are a few flashbacks and flash forwards to tease viewers as to what is going on. Through a series of events, these young adults find themselves in a position where they are using their degree to cover up a murder.

All the characters are well developed and despite the shocking theme for the show the plot is believable. The twists and turns of the characters and the predicaments that they find themselves in means you will keep watching to make sure they get out of their mess.

Fear the Walking Dead (season 3)

Genre: Drama – horror

I’ve loved The Walking Dead for years and when fans needed more we were given Fear the Walking Dead. This series follows another group of survivors with new problems to overcome.

Season 3, sees the main family reunited and residing in a ‘safe’ community. In typical apocalyptic style, ‘safe’ is a temporary illusion. With survivors desperate for water to survive, everyone finds themselves making tough choices to stay alive.

You can trust the writers to deliver plenty of strong character development which is one of the reasons I love the show. Everyone has a background and the possibility to grow as a person. Plus, there is the nail biting action that makes it impossible to look away.

Altered Carbon (season 1)

https://youtu.be/dhFM8akm9a4

Genre: Sci Fi

This was my husband’s choice and I wasn’t sure I’d like it. The series brought new ideas alive in a futuristic world, where death is possible to evade if you can afford to keep buying ‘skins’. You can only be permanently killed if your backup is destroyed (memories, thoughts, etc). Otherwise, your back up can be stored until a skin is available and you are immortal.

The main character is resurrected into a ‘skin’ to help solve a case. There is a love interest (or more) which I enjoyed following alongside the main story.

It had a complex storyline with twists to keep you guessing until the end. The new world and its problems are well thought out. I’m so glad I watched this.

Game of Thrones (season 7)

Genre: Fantasy

This season was very short but you’ll see the remaining Starks finally being reunited. There was lots of dragon footage, which looked amazing. Alliances were built to take the iron throne but plans are put on hold when they realise their immediate threat is the army of white walkers. This battle needs the living need to unite to stand any chance of winning but with each kingdom at war and historically hating each other, alliances are not easy to form.

I really enjoyed this season and I wish it had been longer but I assume the brevity was due to the cost of bringing dragons to life.

Final thoughts…

I am surprised that no comedies made the list. We do watch Friends whilst eating dinner and last month we were enjoying Grace & Frankie. I’d love a new comedy, if you can recommend one, please comment and let me know.

I would love to know if you’ve watched any of the above (or planning to) and if you enjoyed them as much as me.

Also, now you can see what I enjoyed watching this month you may have some ideas on what else I should be watching – please do make recommendations.

April 22, 2018 Ally Aldridge Personal

3 Easy Activities for Kids at a Gender Reveal Party

Amazon let me down! I ordered my party supplies and they arrived just as the party finished. I didn’t let that ruin the day. Oh no, I took to Pintrest and I got my sister to help me out with her Guide Leader experience.

I hadn’t wanted the party to be a big deal. Just a get together with my best friends and immediate family so I could share our good news altogether. Most importantly, I wanted the focus to be about Noah becoming a big brother.

Food

I had some amazing idea boards on Pinterest and had fallen in love with the idea of a Mad Hatters tea party theme. I ran out of time for that so had to come up with a new idea.

My table spread consisted of:

Healthy snacks – fruit (nectarines, raspberries, blackberries and blueberries) and vegetables for dips and snack cucumbers
Savoury snacks – cheese pizza, chicken nugget (with ketchup in egg cups) and crisps
Sweet snacks – selection of cakes and biscuits

The juice jug was a titled jug. I used Mr Kipplings cakes as they are sealed (prevents kids poking them before they have committed to eating them).

The centre piece was a cake from Morrisons with a surprise center (multi coloured sweets) and I just added a ‘Girl or Boy?’ cake topper bought from Etsy.

By putting the healthy stuff at the front, the children were encouraged to eat the fruit and veg – it worked! They were the first be eaten.

Activities

We had a number of activities for the kids in celebration of a new baby. These were:

Little bean

You will need:

egg carton
soil
runner bean seeds

My sister brought soil, beans and an egg carton. She cut the carton up to make little pots for each of them to grow their own (runner) bean. They put soil in their carton and planted their bean and watered it.

Baby face plates

You will need:

paper plates
a section of craft bits i..e pens, pencils, crayons, glue, fluffy balls, fuzzy bendy wires

My sister had brought a ‘one I made earlier’ plate for the children to see what they could achieve. They then each had a paper plate and used pens, glue and fluffy bits and paper to decorate their plate and make a baby face.

Volcano – gender reveal

You will need:

a tray
a small bottle (i.e. Robinsons fruit shoot)
1 cup bicarbonate of soda (baking soda in US)
200ml vinegar
food colouring (pink/blue – depending on the gender)
measuring jug
measuring cups

The children really came to my rescue as they helped with an activity I had never done before.

I added the secret ingredient before we started and secured the bottle (Robinson Fruit Shoot) to an old baking tray using masking tape.
The children covered the bottle in play-doh to make a rainbow mountain volcano (and helped secure it further).
We then used a 1/4 cup for measuring the bi-carbonate of soda to a measuring jug (this enabled them all to have a turn), then used the jug to pour this into the bottle. Using a measuring jug made it easier to get into the neck of the bottle.
We then added vinegar, carefully and slowly to reveal blue or pink.

Cuddles

My little nephew was a star at the party as we were all in baby mode. Everyone wanted a cuddle with him and he was a really good sport about being passed around. The children listened carefully about supporting his head and were incredibly gentle with him.

I was really proud of all the kids. They really made this party awesome.

My room decorations and confetti cannon from Amazon did not arrive in time but I think the end result showed me that you don’t need those things to throw a good Gender Reveal party.

April 14, 2018 Ally Aldridge Personal

The new bathroom

My husband and I decided that after several years as homeowners, it was time to dare to take on a big improvement project. We’ve always been a little frightened to do something like this and it costs a lot of money so it was really big deal for us. We decided to get a new bathroom.

Old Bathroom

Our old bathroom has served us well. It has a massive cupboard that has been a really useful storage space and everything works. I don’t like the mirror above the toilet as things fall out the cabinet and into the bowel and I can’t see myself brushing my teeth… and I like to see myself brushing my teeth.

Re-fit

When we remortgaged we borrowed a little extra to do up the bathroom. We then spent months decided who to go with and what to have done. We chose a local firm (Opal Bathrooms) as we knew people that had used them with good results – one of our fears was a cowboy leaving us with an unusable bathroom.

Jimmy (from Opal Bathrooms) talked us through the pros and cons of different options like tiles or panels, heated floors, towel rails, etc. He drew up diagrams of how the bathroom would look and let us take catalogs so we could change items if we wished. We spent many Saturdays in the showroom comparing floor and wall tiles together to decide on colours we liked. Jimmy was never pushy and was always on hand to answer our questions.

The main guy, Andy, who was contracted to carry out the task, always took care to leave our bathroom is a tidy state. He put dust sheets throughout the house so he wouldn’t make a mess of our carpets. He worked around the toilet so there was only one day we were without. Another guy, Chris, came a few times to do the electrics. The job took just over two weeks to complete and they arrived on time everyday even when there was bad snow.

New bathroom

We’ve been enjoying the new bathroom for just over a month.

The new bathroom is everything we could wish for.

On one side we have a walk in shower with panels (no grout to clean). We have a large overhead shower and a little handheld shower on the wall.

In the middle we have a sink with two drawers underneath. Above the sink, we have a cabinet that lights up (I can see myself brushing my teeth – yay). The edge of the sink is wide enough that I can place my make up or face products there whilst I am using them – a feature I didn’t know I needed but love.

Then on the other side we have a large bath with mixer taps and a pull out shower hose. The toilet looks so much better with the pipes hidden. We have a heated towel rail and underfloor heating!

It was stressful having no bathroom for a few days and having to visit friends and family for a shower, etc. The end result is so worth it. The drawers and cabinet hold everything we need in the bathroom. We also bought a new King Size bed with under bed storage to be the new home for bed linen.

I think we will be more confident in future to do another big home improvement project as we are so happy with the end result.