A few weeks ago we stayed in a caravan in Kidwelly and took the opportunity to go to Folly Farm seeing as we were half way there. Arwyn had been when he was younger but myself and Eva had never been.
We were quite shocked at how reasonable the ticket prices were and I have to admit we weren't expecting much seeing as the price was so low. An adult price is £10.95 (£9.86 if you book in advance, a child is £9.95 (£8.96 if you book in advance) and aged 2 and under are free. Therefore, we didn't have to pay for Eva.
When we were handed a map we couldn't believe how much there was to do and see there. There are a number of different areas to see which you can view on their online map here, Map.
First up we headed to The Jolly Barn and Farm. This is where all of the farm animals live such as donkeys, sheep, goats, chickens, pigs etc but they are housed in a quirky way. Everything was big and colourful and therefore eye catching for Eva. In fact her exact words when she walked in were 'wow this is amazing!'. You can feed and pet the animals and there are also special talks and events going on throughout the day such as milking goats. Unfortunately we kept missing the times for that and it was something we really wanted to do. There is also a play area in there which kept Eva entertained for ages.
We then went into Folly Interactive where Eva got some educational fun through exploring, colouring and playing. She loved it in here as she had little tasks to do. She really enjoyed the fossil area.
Next up we visited the Vintage Funfair. The word wow springs to mind when trying to describe it. It's simply beautiful. As it says on the tin it is a huge vintage funfair with all the old rides and stalls. You could literally spend all day in here, it's amazing. The rides and stalls take tokens which are priced at 50p each which I think is very reasonable and you don't mind paying this small price on top of the admission. This is unlike when you are in a big merlin theme park where you end up paying quite a few pounds for their added extras which I really begrudge. There were plenty of rides for toddlers and for big kids so there's lots in there to entertain the whole family. I'd drive all the way to Pembrokeshire just to go in here, that's how much we all enjoyed it.
We then went in one of the Farms many play areas. This was one of the indoor ones which as you can see from the photo is very big. Eva had the time of her life in here. There are food outlets located around this area so you could grab a bite to eat or like I did grab a cuppa and sit back and relax whilst watching the little one run riots.
I'm surprised Eva had any energy left after doing so much up to that point but next we saw Folly Zoo. There are a few zoo animals here but we enjoyed the penguins and the lions the most. I'm excited to see that in September they are opening a Black Rhino reserve. We will have to go and see this as I believe they are currently on the extinct list.
We then headed to the adventure play area which hosts lots of different play zones. Arwyn seemed to really enjoy the jcb/digger area and of course he and Eva had a fab time on the racing cars.
(family selfie on the big wheel)
Finally when we were all pretty tired from such an exciting day we went on the land train which takes you around an outdoor animal area. We were very grateful to be able to have a sit down at this point. Eva actually fell asleep whilst going around which I wouldn't put to her being bored more that she was so unbelievably tired after seeing so much.
To sum up we honestly had the most wonderful day. It's easily one of the best places I have taken Eva and I am so grateful that we went as a family because we all had fun. You could come here whatever the weather as there are plenty of things to enjoy indoors. I strongly recommend you visit here.
One thing I spotted whilst there was they offer an annual pass which again is such good value for money. I am putting this on my annual pass pregnancy wish list (blog post coming soon on that). I want to be able to make sure I can afford to take Eva out on day trips whilst on maternity leave so annual passes are perfect for then and I know I would get good use out of it.
Have you been to Folly Farm yet?
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I had forgotten quite how difficult it was to get a good nights sleep once your baby bump starts to develop. If you're not getting out of bed to frequently go to the toilet then you're tossing and turning!
Fortunately, I was sent a pregnancy and nursing pillow from Theraline to try. They offer a wide range of pregnancy and nursing pillows and also a revolutionary baby pillow which has one a gold parenting award and is designed to be used from birth (note to self to pop this on my wish list).
I received The Original Theraline pillow which is made with a micro bead filling. I had a bright turquoise one which you can view here, Pillow. They have a range of colours available including some cute pastels and pretty designs so have a browse at the full collection here, Theraline collection.
The pillow is designed to be used in a variety of positions which will move easily with your body. The beads are used to help the pillow form to the shape of your body. Its benefits are to help relieve your legs, bump and back whilst sleeping (or resting) whilst providing stability.
My first impressions when I saw it were that it was very long (although this is probably due to how short I am). I was worried it was going to be too long for me to get into a comfy position. First impressions aren't always right.
Fortunately, I was sent a pregnancy and nursing pillow from Theraline to try. They offer a wide range of pregnancy and nursing pillows and also a revolutionary baby pillow which has one a gold parenting award and is designed to be used from birth (note to self to pop this on my wish list).
I received The Original Theraline pillow which is made with a micro bead filling. I had a bright turquoise one which you can view here, Pillow. They have a range of colours available including some cute pastels and pretty designs so have a browse at the full collection here, Theraline collection.
The pillow is designed to be used in a variety of positions which will move easily with your body. The beads are used to help the pillow form to the shape of your body. Its benefits are to help relieve your legs, bump and back whilst sleeping (or resting) whilst providing stability.
My first impressions when I saw it were that it was very long (although this is probably due to how short I am). I was worried it was going to be too long for me to get into a comfy position. First impressions aren't always right.
The pillow is fantastic, it's become my new best friend. Straight away it made me feel less tense. I think where I have been so uncomfortable at night, my body has been tensing up causing me to be in even more discomfort. I am most comfortable lying on my left side and using the pillow so that it is infront of my bump and tucked between my legs has made me even more settled in that position. I've also found that using it so that it wraps between your front and your back almost a miracle at keeping me still. It really helps ease your back in this position.
I honestly can't praise this pillow enough. It has so many uses and I can't wait to use it when breastfeeding. I'm using it every night and I'm also using it when sitting on the sofa or reading in bed by putting it into a v pillow shape. Since using it I haven't had a bad back at night at all. It is going to help me so much until the end of my pregnancy and really help me feel comfortable in the very near 3rd trimester. When you first feel the pillow you don't expect it to be that comfortable. In fact it felt like touching a bean bag. However, this isn't the case at all as once you lie on it in whatever position you choose, it'll form to the shape of your body and it feels like sleeping against a heap of feathers.
I honestly can't praise this pillow enough. It has so many uses and I can't wait to use it when breastfeeding. I'm using it every night and I'm also using it when sitting on the sofa or reading in bed by putting it into a v pillow shape. Since using it I haven't had a bad back at night at all. It is going to help me so much until the end of my pregnancy and really help me feel comfortable in the very near 3rd trimester. When you first feel the pillow you don't expect it to be that comfortable. In fact it felt like touching a bean bag. However, this isn't the case at all as once you lie on it in whatever position you choose, it'll form to the shape of your body and it feels like sleeping against a heap of feathers.
I am so happy with this pillow. I am finding sleep time not as daunting as it was before. Whilst it doesn't guarantee me a full nights sleep (this will never ever happen due to bump lying on my bladder causing frequent toilet trips), it does guarantee me comfort. I am gutted I didn't have one on my first pregnancy. One negative thing I will say is that the hubby thinks it takes up too much room in the bed but as far as I'm concerned that's a small price to pay.
Have you used a pregnancy pillow before? Have you got any tips for a good nights sleep during pregnancy?
This pregnancy style look is more casual than what you have seen from me so far. Over the last couple of weeks my bump has grown massively and I really am struggling to fit into any of my normal clothes.
I was lucky enough to win the top I am featuring in this blog post in a competition on twitter from the brand Isabella Oliver. I hadn't heard of the brand before which im gutted about as their maternity style is right up my street. Their collections are all stylish which allows us fashion conscious mums to still look and feel great. I currently have a huge wishlist off things I want from their site which I will put into a blog post soon.
This 'sofia' top is currently £39. I love the simplicity of it. It is perfect for maternity day wear. The ruching on the sides give it a little something more to look at and helps with your ever growing bump. It is easily the most comfortable maternity top I have ever owned and worn. Even though it is designed to be a tight fitting top it most certainly doesn't feel that way. It's so light to wear and moves with you. It doesn't restrict your bump at all. I need to buy some more of these asap.
I teamed the top with a black maxi skirt as I was going our for dinner with friends. It's an old one so it's not available anymore but ASOS have a maternity one that would be a great alternative, Skirt. You could wear this with some skinny jeans (if you still fit in them, I can't say I find them very comfy anymore) and some kitten heels for a more smart casual look. For a complete casual look where it with some good old maternity jeans.
I recently went to the Next christmas press day (will be on the blog very soon) and I was gifted with this gorgeous snake print saddle bag. Anyone that knows me, will know how much of a bag enthusiast I am, so I was very happy to say the least with this gift. Animal print is going to be huge this winter seeing the return of the ever favourite leopard style along with snakeskin. There was snakeskin a plenty at the press day seen across all items such as shoes etc. The saddle bag is also a key style to be seen with so this particular bag would be a great piece for your changing season wardrobe. Buy it here, Bag.
Have you ever bought anything from Isabella Oliver? Do you prefer leopard or snakeskin print?
Hi all! Welcome back to my Pregnancy Style Linky which will run for the month of August. I am hoping second time around to gain some more posts so please do share as many as you can. All posts old or new are welcome. They can be wishlists, hauls and style posts. I hope this will inspire people to look and feel fantastic during pregnancy and give you great ideas on what to buy.
I will also pick a favourite from each category to feature on next months linky.
Please tweet me @amininorrisblog and use the hashtag #PregnancyStyle so that I can retweet you.
The rules:
1) You can share as many posts as you like each month
2) For every post you share please comment on at least 2 other blog posts including the one directly above yours and use #PregnancyStyle in your comments so they know how you've found them
HTML blog badge code:
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I look forward to reading your posts!
I will also pick a favourite from each category to feature on next months linky.
Please tweet me @amininorrisblog and use the hashtag #PregnancyStyle so that I can retweet you.
The rules:
1) You can share as many posts as you like each month
2) For every post you share please comment on at least 2 other blog posts including the one directly above yours and use #PregnancyStyle in your comments so they know how you've found them
3) Please add the blog badge to the bottom of your posts
HTML blog badge code:
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I look forward to reading your posts!
Once I found out I was pregnant again, I made a decision to do things differently this time around. I'd set out a list of things that I wanted to try and live by during this pregnancy.
Here are my 10 commandments I've decided to abide by!
Here are my 10 commandments I've decided to abide by!
1 - Thou shall do my pelvic floor exercises
I have to say people tell you to do these exercises but I'm not sure first time around how much it actually sunk in. I never realised just how important they are.
I am now 25 weeks so the question is am I following this commandment. The honest answer is no I am not. I tend to lie down in bed at night and think damn I haven't done any pelvic floor exercises today so I quickly try and do a few. These midwifes need to be a bit more military on this topic and drum it into my head.
2 - Thou shall not be caught up in weight gain
One thing I learnt from my first pregnancy is to not worry about how much weight you are actually putting on. I was obsessed with it on Eva and even though I was very conscious of it, I still managed to put around 2 and a half stone on.
At 25 weeks I have not jumped on a scale at all so I couldn't even tell you how much weight I've put on. I haven't even bothered looking in my pregnancy notes to see my actually weight in there. I've come to understand that my body is going to change and that I will put weight on so there is no point in fussing and worrying about it.
3 - Thou shall eat a healthy diet
During my first pregnancy I decided to jump on the eating for 2 band wagon which as you can imagine I regretted. I swore that this time around I would eat as healthy as I could.
My first trimester started off quite well and I ate the same low carb diet I was used to but I kept feeling faint. I am trying to be as good as I can be when it comes to treats but I'm not very good at resisting.
4 - Thou shall control my hormones
Pregnancy hormones are a killer. One minute your crying, the next you are as happy as Larry and then 2 seconds later you want to smash someone's face in. This time around I wanted to make sure that I controlled my hormones around the hubby and my daughter.
I am clearly not a magician. Whilst I try to remain as calm and collective as I can be, my hubby has taken the brunt of most of my rage and anger. I try my hardest not to upset Eva but these hormones really aren't easily dealt with.
5 - Thou shall not waste money
A lesson learnt from pregnancy and child number 1 is you seem to get sucked in to buying lots of pointless gadgets and so called necessities which you really don't need and end up regretting spending the money on. Luckily for us we are having another girl so we have already got so much stuff that we shouldn't need to buy anything.
At 25 weeks I have literally bought 3 things which are all clothing items. So far I'd say I'm winning at this commandment.
6 - Thou shall not become a rubbish mum
I made a promise to myself that mine and my daughter's relationship would not suffer from my pregnancy at all. I wanted her to still have fun with me and not let her see me upset or being sick or just over tired.
Unfortunately, she saw me be sick quite a lot but she was very good and helped me. There are so far only 2 days where I have been so tired that I haven't been able to play with her. I think I'm doing pretty good as still being the mum she needs me to be.
7 - Thou shall be organised
If I learnt one thing from having my first child it was to be organised. Baby number 2 is due mid November which is always a busy time of year with Christmas etc coming up shortly after.
We also have to do some room swapping in our house so there are 3 rooms that need redecorating. I assured myself we would be organised....
So far we have achieved nothing. No rooms have been redecorated!!!! We have 15 weeks left but I'm sure that will fly by. I must recite this commandment to myself and the hubby more frequently!!
8 - Thou shall remain active
I decided on this commandment as it was a dream of mine to float through this pregnancy and still remain as fit as a fiddle. My philosophy was that I was going to do exercise classes, lots of walking and evening swims.
It's safe to say that one is not obeying this commandment in the slightest and I am gutted about that. I have quit my gym, I don't think I've been on one walk and the only time I've been close to a swim is when I've been on holiday paddling around in the sea. Epic fail to say the least. Must work harder on this!!!!!!
9 - Thou shall not compare myself to other pregnant women
I wanted to enjoy this pregnancy and not compare myself to other pregnant women. I wanted to make sure I had a postive mind and attitude to it all.
The realness is that I am constantly comparing myself to other pregnant women and I am constantly upset about it. It's a really silly thing to do as everyone is different. This is the reason I made the commandment in the first place.
10 - Thou shall remain calm
After an extremely difficult and traumatic birth and aftermath where I was completely let down by midwifes, I decided that I wouldn't let that nightmare rule this pregnancy. I promised myself that I would be relaxed about the care I would receive this time around and that I would listen and trust my midwifes.
I think this is one commandment I will never be good at. I tried so hard to be a normal patient but I failed massively. As per usual my care has been rubbish with a lack of appointments and no one listening to me. I am hoping that a change in birth hospital will help me calm down.
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