Simple baby mosituring shampoo

I had brought this shampoo a while ago for my son and tried it for him, but unfortunately it did not work for him and it felt him itchy so I had dumped this bottle in my cupboard for a very long time... Being the stingy me, I did not believe in wastage and hence decided to try it on me when my regular shampoo was over...

Before saying anything more, I must admit that I do not have the best hair in town not even remotely close, however I do have good healthy hair and if kept well would look really good.  But I am not someone who spends a fortune on hair products and hence my hair is just the way it is..

I have never used ant hair spray, color, iron , or any other cosmetic on my hair , I do a regular haircut and yes I do Oil my hair , after all we come from the land of coconuts !!

Now back to the review, this product does not claim to offer a lot of things, does don’t promise to be a miracle .Its promises are simple

·         Soothes baby's delicate skin

·         Gently cleanses with no tears

·         Soap free

·         No Perfume & No Colour

·         Hypoallergenic

·         Suitable for Newborn Babies

·         Dermatologically and Paediatrician tested and approved

·         Ph balanced

·         Active ingredients Pro-Vitamin B5, Chamomile and Lavender Oil

Well the newborn in question is me and I simply love this shampoo..It does not leave too much residue .It makes your hair feel nice , does not leave a lingering smell. Does not feel like I just poured over some chemicals on my head, and of course its always nice to feel like a baby

I would definetely purchase it as the shampoo for my son had he not suffered from eczema
I brought it at the pound store so I have very little complain about the price

Philips Avent bottles and teats

I came over to UK only after my son was 5 months old and since I was exclusively breastfeeding him and did not introdduce any formula milk ,I only purchased these around about when he was about 8 or 9 months old.. I wanted to slowly move him out of breastfeeding as I felt it was time , honestly it was so tiring I felt like that was all I did the whole day !!

I wanted something that would soothe him out of breastfeeding and on my mission to find just that I came across the Philips avent bottles paired with the natural teats suitable for my son ..It was on offer and I remember picking up two 125ml  bottles for close to 10 pounds and the teats included . Elated at my purchase I rushed back home to kick start my mission .Took the follow on milk powder prepared it and off I rushed to my son with the bottle .. In a mimic ,where he felt I was feeding him I introduced the bottle and hurray to my utter disbelief , he took on to it in a jiffy .. I was sucessfully able to move him out of breastfeeding to complete bottled milk in a weeks time and I was really pleased..

These bottles were so good that when my son was almost 15, and I decided that now its time to move over to the the first trainer cup with soft spout , I literally had a battle to get rid of the teats .. So , if at all I got a chance to redo this again I would have introduced the soft spout early on for sure ..

Now at almost 18, I have completely moved him out of the trainer cups as well and into toddler feeding ranges .But I would always be grateful to Philips for being such a great companion on very many trips which would be quiete painfully if not for them ..

Now to cut the story short

Advantages

• The bottles were comfortable to use and clean 
• The plastic used were of good quality,BPA free
• It was anti colic 
• The teats were interchangeable so did not have to change the bottles everytime (Best advantage for me)
• Lasts really long I still have mine in just the same state ..

Disadvantages

• Not the cheapest of bottles nor are the teats cheap

Our struggles with my sons Eczema

I remember his first birthday celebration and all those photos where he had this clear complexion and his smile on his face .. Never did I predict what was to come just a few days later .. We had always wanted to shave off his hair and we had procastinated it all the while thinking he would not look great in his birthday snaps and hence once that was out of our way , we decided to give it a short .Our in- house barber ,my husband ,shaved off his hair and I guess along with the hair went off all his good days ..

He slowly started developing rashes on his back and his head had dandruff like flakes all the time.. Worried I went to the doctor , he told me it was fungal and gave me a fungal cream.This made no effect and slowly it moved down his back and to his hands and knees .. I was devastated and worried .. I went back ,he told me to continue the cream ..

I was sure that something was not right , he too started being fussy ,icthy all the time and crying was a daily affair .. I went back again , this time another doctor diagnosed it as eczema ,prescribed me an emolient bath additve and a petroleum jelly like cream .. He also prescribed me steriods ..He asked to avoid everything with perfume in it ..

This made some progress . when the cream was applied he was ok for sometime but when it dried out it was back to square one .. I remember then, he used to always be so squishy cause he had so much cream all over him all the time..

I never wanted to put even a small dose of steriods on my son. Yes I knew that the doctor told me that this was the most common practice to treat eczema and yes in such small doses it was ok.But I just did not want to use it at all..

As a mother , the worst thing that could happen to you is to not know what and why somethings happened and then to know that there is very little you could do and that you just have to see him suffer and wait for one day hoping it would go away on its own ..

I was too stubborn to take that as an answer .. I did not want to give up on my son , never .. not to such a small thing .. I researched the internet day in and out and read about everything that was written about it.. I read books, I spoke to doctors ..Now I was a little relieved cause I felt I knew something about what it was and all I had to do was to try and control it with my own combination.

Here are some of the facts I discovered from research

• Its hereditary ( Its true for my son, it was in our immediate family )
• If the parents of the child suffers from Hayfever , the children are at greater risk of eczema (Yes my husband had hayfever)
• There is no sure medicine to completely cure it yet ..
• Steroids are the commonly used treatment
• Fragranced products , detergents , dust etc are some of the external triggers for eczema
• Its also believed that it could be triggered by some food allergies commonly for foods like Dairy , gluten ,eggs etc ..
• Its is a very common ailment in UK among children.

Having done my fair bit of research I began my experiments with products and foods.. and today after nearly 6 months of trial and errors I can quiete happy say I have found my magic portion that works for my son

His eczema has cleared out completely , and now the scars are fading away too , though if I dont follow the regime he still can get his very occasional spots .It is never the same..Yes I have taken away a lot of food from him that he probably would have loved to have , but he is a happy child and that all I ever want

I remember his first birthday celebration and all those photos where he had this clear complexion and his smile on his face .. Never did I predict what was to come just a few days later .. We had always wanted to shave off his hair and we had procastinated it all the while thinking he would not look great in his birthday snaps and hence once that was out of our way , we decided to give it a short .Our in house barber my husband shaved off his hair and I guess alone with the hair went off all his good days ..

He slowly started developing rashes on his back and his head had dandruff like flakes all the time.. Worried I went to the doctor , he told me it was fungal and gave me a fungal cream.This made no effect and slowly it moved down his back and to his hands and knees .. I was devastated and worried .. I went back he told me to continue the cream ..

I was sure that something was not right , he too started being fussy ,icthy all the time and crying was a daily affair .. I went back again , this time another doctor diagnosed it as eczema prescribed me an emolient bath additve and a petroleum jelly like cream .. He also prescribed me steriods ..He asked to avoid everything with perfume in it ..

This made some progress . when the cream was applied he was ok for sometime but when it dried out it was back to square one .. I remember then he used to always be so squishy cause he had so much cream all over him all the time..

I never wanted to put even a small dose of steriods on my son. Yes I knew that the doctor told me that this was the most common practice to treat eczema and yes in such small doses it was ok.But I just did not want to use it at all..

As a mother , the worst thing  that could happen to you is to not know what and why it happened and then to know that there is very little you could do and that you just have to see him suffer and wait for one day hoping it would go away on its own ..

I was too stubborn to take that as an answer .. I did not want to give up on my son , never .. not to such a small thing .. I researched the internet day in an out and read about everything that was written about it.. I read books, I spoke to doctors ..Now I was a little relieved cause I felt I knew something about what it was and all I had to do was to try and control it with my own combination.

Here are some of the facts I discovered from research

• Its hereditary ( Its true for my son, it was in our immediate family )
• If the parents of the child sufferes from Hayfever , the children are at greater rick of eczema (Yes my husband had hayfever)
• There is no sure medicine to completely cure it yet ..
• Steriods are the commonly used treatment
• Frangances products , detergents , dust etc are some of the eternal triggers for eczema
• Its also believed that it could be triggered by some food allergies commonly for foods like Dairy , gluten ,eggs etc ..
• Its is a very common ailment in UK among children.

Having done my fair bit of research I began my experients with products and foods.. and Today after nearly 6 months of trial and errors I can quiete happy say I have found my magic portion that works for my son

His eczema has cleared out completely , and now the scars are fading away too , though if I dont follow the regime he still can get his very occasional spots .It is never the same..Yes I have taken away a lot of food from him that he probably would have loved to have , but he is a happy child and that all I ever want

Tommee tippee Sippy cup

I was very apprehensive about this brand after a rather low response to the same brands easy beaker by my son. However I decided to give it a chance after all it was less than a pound.

The sippy cup is quite compact and convenient to hold (Suitable from 4 months) and yes my son picked up this cup the moment I gave it to him .He loved the idea of being able to pull open the spout on his own drink water and close it .I guess he felt like he controlled something... He was the boss!!

This cup is always on my table filled with water and my son does know that’s what he needs to reach out for in case he is thirsty..

Since the cap closes very well, he is yet to master the art of opening the cap and pouring out the water .However he still does manage to get some water spilled through the spout. However since very little comes I am quite happy and comfortable to give it to him at all times.

It comes in different colors like pink, blue, green etc.I have the green one. It’s very easily available in almost any big store and its priced more or less the same at most stores.

The only issue I have with it is that, it’s small. Well actually to be honest it being small is as much an advantage as it is a disadvantage. While its quite convenient for him to use, when going for a long day out etc , this would not be enough to carry water .but honestly I guess he would not drink more than that cup full during the travel but moms will be moms and I always have double the amount of everything with me while I travel.. It’s as though we always think that there could be drought in the place we are travelling to... Crazy I know... Anyways besides that I am yet to find any faults with it.

To sum up

· Suitable for tiny hands ( 4 months up)

· Extremely affordable

· Attractive colors available

· sturdy and tight cap

· Easy to clean

Innocent Apple Juice

As my son was allergic to certain citric fruits ,I wanted to make sure that he got the benefits of a fruit and yet not have too much added sugar . Yes the best way to eat a fruit is whole, but he just refused to eat an apple so either I give him apple puree or hide it in cakes .

While travelling I wanted some juice that was easily available and easy to carry. I chose Innocent cause it claims to be made not from concentrate and has no added sugar . One portion of it (150 ml
) would give him his one fruit for the day .

I have been using this product for 3 months now, though I must admit I dont give him more than 2 glasses a day , he absolutely loves it and it does give him his daily dose of vitamin C and a little fibre .. both can help

For 3 pounds you get 2 bottles of 900 ml each in Iceland . I felt that even though it may be much more expensive than the regular drinks since it does not contain too much of sugar I ll take the bargain .

Though I personally would not recomend too much of fruit juice for children for the occasional drink , this is a perfect choice ..

Marketing perspective ,

Product : provided in a fashion that makes consumer perceive that its healthy . Product available in smaller sizes as well.

Packaging: Neat and has a lot of information about the benefits of this drink written all over.Also claims of the good work Innocent does for the environment making you feel like you are doing something as well.
A smart 900 ml bottle shaped in such a way that it makes you believe there is lot more.

Promotion: always on offer on iceland , 2 for 3 pounds, makes you feel like a bargain , when the actual fact is that it looks like thats all is its actual price .

Place: Easily available in most stores

Price: 2 for 3 pounds for 900 ml bottles, even though its much more expensive than regular drinks the claims of not from concentrate and no added sugar with traces of vitamin C makes you belive the price is worth it ..

St Helens Goats milk

As my little one has been suffering from Eczema and I am on a battle to control it ,I have changed his diet drastically and have been very successful in controlling it . As a part of the diet change ,the first thing I changed was his milk.

He had started on cows milk after he turned one and I had always noticed that he was always gassy and uncomfortable on the regular milk. People told me that it was normal and things will calm down .. but it did not ..He was an ardent fan of milk and hence he used to consume a lot of it .. I soon realised that his rashes were very profound as well .

I began to research a lot and read a lot of good reviews about Goats Milk and I decided to give it a try
I went to sainsbury and brougt a carton of Goats milk for about 1.69 pounds and started my son on it

Within days I could notice that he was no longer gassy and quiete enjoyed the milk. His rashes were also not severe any more ..I was delighted and have stuck to it for more than 6 months now .

Here are some benefits of Goats milk that pulls me towards it

• Less allergic than cows milk
• More homogenized Milk
• Less likely to cause intolorence
• Milder than cows milk
• More suitable for human than cows milk

I was convinced ..

St helen's comes in whole milk as well as semi skimmed versions .. I am hence also able to provide my son with the full fat version

However I must admit it cons as well

•  it does smell like goat which is quite a turn off for someone who is looking to shift.. For my son however since I had administered this early on , he was not yet adjusted to any milk yet and hence he did not notice the difference .
• Also I wish they had provided it in larger cartons.. Tis can be quite irritaing cause you ll find yourself always in sainsbury buying milk ..
• Also its more expensive than regular milk and can be difficult to find in regular stores.

If your son suffers from eczema or has been gassy on cows milk ..This is worth a try ..

Pampers Simply Dry

Pampers Simply Dry

The first product I decided to review is the one that I use the most and hence truly deserves the first chance
I brought these recently for about 10 pounds for 60 diapers in my ever ending pursuit for the search ultimate diaper that was cheap yet sustains my sons Tsunami ...

But my answer is finally here .. Pampers Simply dry

It does feel like a cheaper option of the pampers baby dry in its look and feel but it does take quite a lot of pee .. perfect for my sons day time wear ..

It has never caused him any rash and it fits him quite well too .. I am so happy with it that I have stacked up 6 boxes of it already ..

The sticking part also has enough adhesive in it to open and put the diaper over again in case you did not do it perfectly the first time

This cannot however be used as a nigt time wear as it migh not last for 8 hours of wetting .. but for 10 pounds I ll say I am extremely pleased .

Definte top of my list

Well I know a lot has changed since I have last blogged.. even to the point that I dont even remember I had a blog spot .. but here I am back blogging about my life just because I missed writing ...
Well , now I am having a change of location ,a new member to my family and a lost identity ...

I have moved to a country far away from home to try to call the place London my home .. so here I am in this stranger land full of new people fighting to find my identity ..
Well for many days I fought it by saying that I lost it because I had a baby and was so involved in it that I had no time for myself ... but the truth of the matter is , you always have time for yourself .. you just need to find it ..
I digged deep into myself ,also parallely digging deep into the tons of bags of potato chips( thank you for all the extra kilos )  near me to find an answer ...
I did not know where to start .. hmmm I thought staring at my computer .. for days I tried hard to fit the role of a perfect homemaker .. I tried and made new receipes that I myself did not know what I put in... I cleaned the house with so many things to make it clean .. I spend so much time with my baby , that even he got bored of me .. and yet my pursuit failed

Then I thought to myself maybe if I fit into the crowd better I would find my place.. there I went shopping buying things I never would even go near ... I wore them on like a bodysuit to cover me and yet I felt lost ..

Next I did the ultimate task of searching online for my answers .. I went through lots and lots of confused people posting even confusing videos of what we should do ... only to leave me lost forever ..

Then I sat down and thought to myself . This is not what I like or want and who I am .. this is what others think I should be

So here I a at the end of a very long pparagraph still as clueless as I began .. Who am I

My search continues ....

Housewife to her rescue ..

Well what can I say I am bored being a housewife yet scared to go back to work cause my motherly instincts just fools me to think that I am the only one who can best take care of my son !! Silly I know ..

Well its been so long that I can actually feel my brain rot and my cognitive abilities become a lot slower .. not that there were at their best before .. So I decided to do this .. something I am awfully good at , being a critic..

I decided that I am gonna critic every product that comes my way .. from the prespective of a stingy housewife .. so here I am .. Hopefullly  I shall stick it out ..