How to plan a Baby Shower

Second time lucky (I somehow deleted this blog post after I was about to press publish *cries into my baby sick stained clothing*) this is my first post since I gave birth to Winston - I will write about my birth but I thought that I need to catch up on all the posts I had lined up prior to labour that I never got out - trying to get my groove back and why not start with a party post, you all know I love a good party.

I originally did not want a baby shower as I had so much going on, it did not take much to twist my arm but I decided to host as I could be in the comfort of my own home and go to bed when I got tired and I have a big garden which I rarely get the excuse to have anyone round.

Theme

If you have read my wedding blog post you know I do not like typical 'themes' so I guess you could call my baby shower theme a love of food and balloons.

Decor

The decor as you can tell involved balloons:

Balloon arch from Aldi
Balloon wands from Bubblegum Balloons 
'Oh Boy' Balloon sign from Amazon
Large outdoor lanterns from Lights4Fun 
Ice cream pom poms from Bubblegum balloons
My food table decor was from Anthropologie I have listed some similar items below to shop. 

Food 

The food was the inspiration behind my baby shower I really wanted a grazing table, I contacted a few companies but the cost (although I probs spent way more in the end) and the fact I wanted to create it made me just go for it, I could also use my new CostCo card! 

To start the grazing table I started with crackers, I used ones from Peter's Yard, I first tried them last year and knew they would be perfect with all the different colours, textures and shapes - there is even black ones using charcoal and Rye.

Then fruit, pretzels, nuts and meat including my favourite, Parma Ham, large cheeses scattered throughout.

To finish off the table was the showstopper from Hummingbird Bakery, I had the rainbow pinata cake in blue and inside is filled with rainbow colours and m&ms and everyone was in awe, Hummingbird is always my go to the size of the cake, the taste and the price just makes it a no brainer.  

Drink

Even though I couldn't drink at my babyshower, the fizz was flowing and in these quirky champagne baby bottles from PrezzyBox

Games

1. 'My Waters Broke' - Get some little plastic babies and pop them in an ice cube tray, each guest gets and ice cube in their drink, the first baby to pop out of the ice you have to shout 'MY WATERS BROKE'.

2. Guess the baby - each guest brings in a baby picture of themselves and all guests have to guess, we actually went digital with this and guessed on a album on Facebook.

3. Can you guess the bump size? - Everyone gets to cut a piece of string and the closest to my bump size wins, everyone was way off, they thought I was HUGE. 

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15 'Nesting' Baby Essentials

I have already done some serious 'nesting', a strange term that everyone seems to call pregnant people when they start preparing their home for the baby...not sure I would say I am building a nest, but I have spent a small fortune, my babies wardrobe is better than mine and Adams combined and the nursery is at mood board stage.

You would of seen a lot of baby content on Instagram but this is the first baby blog. To catch you all up I about to turn 23 weeks pregnant and I am having a little boy, name is top secret but we have three choices. I will do more blog posts and go into more details about how I have been feeling etc but this one is all about SHOPPING.

 I thought I would share some of the key items I have already got for baby FK, I will do some separate post on clothing and the nursery when its complete so if you think I am missing the obvious of a cot...that will come later on.

1. Natural Knitted Moses Basket, Little Green Sheep, £79.95

The traditional moses basket comes in three colours; midnight, linen and dove grey. Most people see a moses basket as an essential for the first six months when the baby is sleeping in your room as an alternative have a look at number 6 on this list for a more modern take.

2.Organic Knitted Fleece baby Blanket, Little Green Sheep £34.95

I am guessing you will need a blanket at arms reach at any one time, so I think I will need to get a few but this one will get a special place in the nursery as its so soft and looks stylish, it comes in three different colours and I just got told you MUST get a cellular blanket to even leave the hospital but don't worry LGS have you sorted and its the nicest one I have seen so far.

3. Blink XT Home Security Camera System, Amazon, £149.99

One thing I wanted was my home to have more security especially as I’m going to be at home more often and the Blink system is battery powered so no electrician required - YES please. It links to my phone so I can see when the delivery man takes my parcels away without leaving them but it also give me peace of mind. 

4. BabyBjorn Carrier Mini, Babybjorn , £79

These come in jersey or mesh fabric and they are for babies from newborn to around 12 months. Being compact and super soft has made this carrier a winner, we have already been practicing with it, although Dylan (the cat) refused to be a model. 

5.Organic Babies Newborn Collection, Green People, £35

Something I have started to 'stockpile' is baby beauty products, when you go to places like The Baby Show you will end up getting lots of sample versions for you and baby.

The Organic Babies Newborn Collection is one of my full size versions and is such a great gift for a new mama with shampoo, oil, nipple balm and nappy cream, the perfect full size starter set.

 

6. SnuzPod3, Bedside Crib, Snuz, £199.95 

An alternative to the traditional Moses basket is the SnuzPod3 which is a bedside crib for the baby up to 6 months whilst it sleeps near you, in your room. You can easily lift off the bassinet and there is a reflux incline feature and fits perfectly with my room decor.

7. Organic Baby Gift, Odylique, £40

Odylique has the cutest packaging, I am already in love before using it. The set comes with baby gentle wash & shampoo, baby repair lotion and soothing salve.

8. bbhugme, Amazon, £138.50

One for Mama to be in this incredible pregnancy pillow, it was the only thing I didn’t think I needed but god once I reached 20 weeks I swiftly changed my mind - your neck, back and pelvic girdle is crying out for one and the BBHugMe does what it says, hugs your body!

9. Ewan The Dream Sheep Deluxe, John Lewis , £40

If you have ever seen a purple and white sheep around a child, that my friend's is Ewan - settling those sleepy heads he mimics the comfort of the womb with a pink glow and soothing sounds. The deluxe version also features smartCRY®, cleverly designed to automatically activate when baby stirs in the night.

10. The Little Green Sheep, Organic Cotton Bunny Hooded Towel, £26.95

Isn't this why we all have kids to dress them in the cutest of items that you shouldn’t skip this when it comes to towels. A hooded towel is important to ensure your baby gets warm / dry from top to toe quickly. The baby bunny towel is 100% certified organic micro-cotton that’s super soft and absorbent.

11. ergoPouch £34.99

A bit different from your standard baby sleeping bag the ergoPouch Clouds Cocoon swaddles the baby so he will be snug as a bug - remember to pick the right tog for the season this easily transforms into a sleeping bag.

12. Moby 3 stage bath tub, Skip Hop, £40

This bath grows with your little one is is a whale so what is not to love!!

13. Bouncer Bliss, Soft Selection, BabyBjorn, £144.99

This super soft bouncer is perfect for baby to get cosy. The bouncer will rock gently with the movements of your baby with no batteries required. Newborn - 2 years

14. Elvie pump, £249

I don't have this but I know a pump is an essential, I would love to hear of anyone who has tried the Elvie or other pumps as it looks too good to be true a silent breast pump that you can use whilst out and about - the dream right?!

15. Johnson’s CottonTouch selection

Johnson’s is a brand I remember when my little brother was born a brand loved my Mums for years and they have gone for a total re-brand.

CottonTouch products have a lightweight feel to enhance your touch!

16. Sleepyhead DELUXE+, John Lewis, £130

The must have for any new mama and so many stunning covers I was quite boring and went for white - I wonder how long that will stay shiny and new for?! The sleepyhead does seem to be the number one things on ever mamas lists and you can get accessories for your one like a toy arch. 

It’s a safe area for baby to sleep, play, change and tummy time. Suitable 0-8 months.

17. Quinny Hubb, Quinny, from £629

A pram is obviously an essential and the Quinny Hubb meets all my mummy needs, something to go to town, go for a forest walk and also have plenty of space for all my shopping with the XXL basket - so many have basically no space for my handbag let alone a baby bag.

The Hubb has three from birth solutiosn I went for the Hux Carrycot but you can also get the cocoon and matching maxi-cosi pebble plus car seat.

One key feature of the pram is the one-hand folding.

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My Wedding | September 2018

Date: 21 September 2019

Time of ceremony: 1:30 pm

Venue: Upwaltham Barns

We didn’t have a specific area we wanted to get married, we were looking for anywhere south of London all the way to Bournemouth but we actually found somewhere around the corner from where I used to go to School. Upwalltham Barns was perfect as I really wanted a location with a few different locations so it felt like there was lots going on and more places for me to decorate.

Wedding Planner: Me - you can contact me for all your wedding planning needs time2gossip@gmail.com

Photographer: Most photos shown in this blog post are by the fantastic Murray Clarke.

Videographer: Ben Radley FIlms 

My Wedding Dress - #DRAMA

I did everything right, I started looking for my dream wedding dress a year before my wedding day and I had every brides worst NIGHTMARE, my wedding dress never got into my hands and I had to buy another...one month before my big day!

At the moment I can’t talk about it because it still really upsets me (not because they threatened legal action against me if I mentioned how poo they are!) I will talk about it one day and I am watching out for anyone you recommends them….it was a Alvina Valenta dress if you want to do your own research!!

But anyway I brought my dream, dream dress around 4 weeks before the big day, so one thing I took away from this experience was it’s never too late to buy your wedding dress. My dress was actually down the road, so don’t discount local shops and also outlets. Swoon Bridal was my savior where I found a discounted Riki Dalal number - Noya by Riki Dalal, Camil and it was just stunning and all my bridesmaids who saw my original dress said this one was incredible and it was fate the other one never came and I truly did feel like a beautiful princess, I said I would sell my dress immediately after my wedding but instead I splurged £50 on a wedding box – god they are expensive and it lives upstairs waiting for my to see if i still fit into it next year.

Adam’s outfit: Our Brother in Law owns a bespoke suit

tailor so of course Adam’s suit was from King and Allen and he picked up a swanky pair of shoes to rival mine from Hugo Boss.

Veil: Rainbow Club as my dress was very intricate I went for a plain veil in tulle.

Shoes: Jimmy Choo, I brought them before I got engaged, as I found them in a sample sale and it has always been a dream to walk down the aisle in Jimmy Choo’s. 

I also had a box of havaianas in prep for dancing later which everyone was loving and you can spy in my wedding video.

In my hair: You can’t beat real flowers – rose pink, roses and foliage.

Wedding Rings: My wedding rings are both from Hatton Gardens and in particular my wedding band was from Alistair Stewart Jewellers, which took me forever to find. I wanted the flattest band ever to fit under my engagement ring with diamonds around half of the band and they sorted me out and Adam with a plain band without hesitation – other places said it wasn’t possible so if you have a dream ask around or ask Alistair Stewart.

Beauty: Another element that helped me feel like a princess was having my hair and makeup done professionally it is defo worth the money and stops a lot of stress - you don't want mascara all over your face prior to just walking down the aisle. With the dress debacle I didn’t have time to have another hair trial and as my dress had such a beautiful back I wanted my hair up so we just winged it on the day and the result was incredible thanks to Olivia Mills Makeup – I have even booked her in for a friend’s wedding in July.

Bridesmaids: Wore WeAreRewritten, Vienna Dress in Oyster, I fell in love with their unusual colour pallet and gorgeous fabrics. After the wedding I had so many compliments on how beautiful the dresses were and that they suited everyone’s figures. Each bridesmaid also got a Links of London bracelet as a gift from me on the day which they all wore.

Groomsman: Looked smashing, again an unusual colour - i would say it was a mix of navy and grey from Dobell, which do the most reasonably priced suits with waistcoats from ASOS.

Flower Girls: They looked like little fairies in the Monsoon, Estella Dress and with thick foliage in their hair.

Flowers: Sophie from The Bloomery, which was a local florist near to my old workplace that I always loved when I walked past and ended up being more reasonable than the other local florists. Everyone kept asking why I wasn’t using a local florist and I just wasn’t WOW’d by what they did and the price was even more disappointing. Sophie’s dedication and floral displays blew everyone away, key flowers in my displays were: 'Cafe au Lait' Dahlias, 'quicksand' Roses, 'cappuccino' Roses, Snow berries, Sedium, White wax flower, fountain grass, Pampus grasses (these have been dried and are still going strong), 

Hydrangeas, Berried eucalyptus, Eucalyptus, Oak, olive and mimosa.

The Ceremony: One of the reasons I fell in love with Upwaltham Barns is they had two barns, one for the ceremony and one for the reception, I liked the idea that you could get married in a different place to your wedding reception without the need for a church – maybe because I am a control freak and wanted to check everything was perfect the day before.

We decided to go for a Humanist ceremony, if you don’t know what that is, don’t worry I didn’t until I went my friend’s Alice’s wedding and it was like they knew each other for years. 

As we were not getting married in a church (not that I was against that just I didn’t like the one close by) I didn’t like the idea of not knowing who was going to be marrying us. It turned out one of my Mum's friends was a Humanist living just down the road from us and she was the perfect addition to our wedding, and you have wine at all your meetings, so that's a bonus. – Hazel Olde, Blissfull Ceremonies. With a humanist you can shape how your ceremony is delivered and make it really special to both of you. 

  

The Cake: One of my sisters friends created my cake, Sam Pugh (Anyone4Cake) which was a Victoria Sponge with pure white buttercream frosting made with a rustic frosted edge with fresh flowers, placed on top – not going to lie when we cut the cake we went through two sections (FYI just cut the bottom cake) the whole nearly toppled over.

The cake was beautifully made, met my vision perfectly and didn't cost ridiculous amounts.

The Food: The caterer came with the venue and was Nibbles2Nosh we started with a number of canapes such as Fish and Chips, mini Yorkshire puds, seared tuna, pork belly, then a veggie friendly option – although veggies and those with intolerances got treated to a whole platter of suitable alternatives.

Starter was an antipasti platter which was very Adam and I, main was British lamb shank with a rich rosemary and red wine jus with buttered mash and dessert was not one, not two but a trio, including lemon posset, chocolate brownie and an Eton mess.

Evening Food: There was a lot....

• Sausage and bacon baps
• Mac and Cheese from Mac to the Future
• Donut Wall filled with yumminess from Krispy Kreme - I am renting this out for local weddings.
• Sweet table
• Mini cupcakes from Humminbird Bakery

The Drinks: Again there was a lot....

Prosecco bar: Was filled to the brim with Mionetto Prosecco which is one of my favourites with fresh flowers, glitter and different cordials to pimp it up.

Gin bar: with different gins from around the UK and again some fresh herbs and different cordials to pimp it up.

Table wine: White and red was from Aldi, and approved by the parents, meaning it must be good.

Décor:

Stationary: White Olive Designs

Candles from Cloudberry Living – Ester& Erik Tapered Candles in soft white.

Neon light: happily ever after from Love Inc – it was a real focal point at the wedding, behind the top table.

Favours: 

For the ladies - Personalised candles from Kiss Air Candles. 

For the Men – We decided to donate £5 to Cancer Research for each male guest at the wedding and in turn they got a nice pair of cufflinks or tie clip. The donation was made on behalf of both our Granddads who we lost to cancer.

  

Wedding Band: Swamp Cats via Alive Network.

DJ – DiscoFever

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