Sep 13 2013

Clothes That Make You Fall In Love With Your Bump from KLM Maternity

Posted on September 13, 2013 by admin

I received a lovely treat from the girls at KLM Maternity yesterday, a lovely maternity cardigan and a really comfy nightie to accommodate my ever-expanding belly!

I’m a massive fan of KLM - for everyday, practical and affordable maternity wear, they’re pretty hard to beat. I first stumbled across them when I was pregnant with Dexie and fed up of the high street. When you have a huge belly, the last thing you feel like is hauling it around town and having a mass ‘trying on’ session. Add to this the fact that most high street shops have limited maternity ranges (usually unceremoniously dumped in a shady corner of the shop floor so you have to waddle past all the things you can no longer squeeze into) - there’s usually a few vests, shirts and the odd skirt… not much to get excited about!

Online shopping is definitely the way to go. You can’t beat a specialist maternity store that stocks lots of different styles and occasion-wear. I find you don’t have to try things on so readily when you are pregnant - if they are made well, with quality fabric, they’ll comfortably stretch over your bump anyway. You don’t want things to be really fitted and clingy so you tend to buy loose-fitting styles with less potential to make you look like you ate too many pies.

KLM are fabulous as they have such a huge selection to choose from. I literally have a huge wishlist as long as my arm. Here are some of my absolute favourite bits…

As you can see, the prices are beyond reasonable and there are things for work, play and special occasions. The sizes are great too as most styles go up to size 14-16 for the larger figured lady.

I was sent a lovely fitted cardigan from Mamma-licious in Limbo (a kind of red wine colour / mulberry colour). The material is beautiful and soft and there’s loads of stretch in it so cover the bump. I choose to tie the ties at the front to show off my bump, but presumably you can also tie them loosely at the back to accentuate your waist. It’s ridiculously comfy for everyday and a bargain maternity essential at just £24.99.

I was also sent the 9Fashion Lisa nightdress in grey - this will be perfect when my tummy is too big to fit in my usual PJ’s. Right now it’s slightly too big for me but very well fitted around my boobs (which have increased to a mammoth 36H with this pregnancy!). It’s fabulous for breastfeeding as the panel across the breast unclips from the pretty ruffled straps for easy access to your breasts. It would make a fabulous birthing nightdress as it’s lightweight, cool and very generously sized for the later stages of pregnancy. This is just £25.99.

I’d happily recommend KLM Maternity for speedy delivery, ease of ordering, and for having such a fabulous choice of maternity wear for the busy and style conscious mama-to-be. The only thing I can possibly think of that might improve the shopping experience is a zoom function on the clothes. For 99% of people this wouldn’t be a problem at all, but for those of us with big busts it helps to be able to see how if there is a under-bust seam that might not accommodate my boobs.

To top it all off, if you like them on Facebook you can unlock a 10% off your first order code, and they’re always available on Twitter if you have any questions! Well done KLM Maternity for making maternity shopping a less stressful experience!

DISCLAIMER: I was sent both the above products in exchange for my views. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Sep 10 2013

Pregnancy Style: Something a Little Bit Different from Mothermoods

Posted on September 10, 2013 by admin

If you’ve read yesterday mornings post, you’ll gather I’m not exactly having the best time of it with this pregnancy. When I’m not in bed napping, I’m slouching around the house generally feeling sorry for myself. But I’m hopeful things will look up when I get through this first trimester and the bump and I can get out more.

I’ve written a great deal on maternity wear during this pregnancy so far, and I was delighted when the Thai brand Mothermoods found my blog and got in touch. Taking a look around the website I fell in love with the quirky fashion-forward style and the concept. Created by mummy and founder Dao, she’s created a unique collection of loosely structured clothes that really inject a bit of fun and personality into your pregnancy wardrobe. I haven’t seen anything like it anywhere else and couldn’t wait to give it a try.

I opted for a real statement dress - this nursing tunic in truly orange. As I have very dark hair and blue eyes, I tend to carry off bolder colours better than muted ones. I’m also off on my holidays soon and will hopefully come home tanned and feeling a little more confident about my changing body shape. In my heart (even though I’m really struggling this time around) I believe bumps should be celebrated and that all pregnant women are beautiful. I was therefore looking forward to the opportunity to get something eye-catching on the bump.

I love it - it’s very ‘me’. I’m a massive fan of light and airy materials and this is made from Japanese silk so it’s lovely and cool on your skin. It also has a sparkly sheen (best seen on my arms) which makes it that little bit extra special as an occassion piece. Obviously I wouldn’t wear this down Tescos, but for a night out, you’d certainly stand out from the crowd.

This tunic has a discreet feeding panel making it ideal for post-pregnancy too. This is concealed beneath the gathered front panel, you simply pull it to one side to reveal a peep-hole. It’s also very forgiving for fluctuating weight during pregnancy and skims all your lumps and bumps perfectly.

This attention to detail is true of the entire Mothermoods collection. Dao has focused on natural fibres like silk, cotton, georgette and chiffon and loose fit flowing cuts that grow with your pregnancy. They are a cross between a fashion label and a tailor meaning they don’t bulk-make their designs. They’re happy to receive your measurements and custom-make your chosen style to fit you perfectly. All the designs are easy-to-wear, practical and unique. There’s definitely a hint of catwalk chic about them for the style conscious mummy-to-be.

The price point’s are really impressive too. For custom-made items that you would never find on the high street, everything is incredibly reasonable. My tunic is £39.90 and there’s a flat rate shipping fee of £16 for all UK and European orders. Your clothes will arrive in a gorgeous silk bag too so you can be sure your order will arrive safe and well protected.

You can follow Mothermoods on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest, to keep up to date with all the latest designs and get some maternity inspiration.

Jul 18 2013

A Summer Holiday to a Secret Destination

Posted on July 18, 2013 by admin

When the PPI scandal reared its head a few years back, I didn’t pay much attention. When Craig casually mentioned 2 years ago he was submitting a few claims, I didn’t pay much attention. When he rang me a week ago from work and told me that some of his loan-providers had agreed his insurance was indeed mis-sold, I paid a huge amount of attention. The pay-out is enough to cover our visa applications and moving costs for Oz. and a few treats.

All of a sudden, the fact that he hadn’t got around to booking our September summer holiday was forgiven. What was originally a £1000 budget has now doubled and he’s promised me a holiday of a lifetime. Given our year didn’t get off to the best of starts, I figure we deserve some time to ourselves and couldn’t be any more excited. He’s whispered several locations to me now, from Mauritius to the Maldives, the thing with my Craig is that he loves to surprise me.

Given we’re not restricted by school holiday’s, a healthy budget can go a long way. I won’t send you all into a jealous rage by droning on about the holiday (not least because I don’t know what it is!), but I can tell you I’ve got a matter of weeks to put the perfect summer wardrobe together.

Yes, my beautiful, charismatic, funny, charming and handsome (he reads this blog!) Craig has pledged me £800 to stop me panicking about what to wear. The single condition is almost laughable in its absurdity - I can’t get to the day before the holiday and break down in tears that my sarong doesn’t match my swimsuit. He wants an easy life and no hysterics. I have to promise I’ll have my shopping done before we board the plane… no exceptions.

Heidi Klein: Dark Orange Cancun Swimsuit (£195), Heidi Klein Raffia Santa Caterina Bag (£185), and David Szeto Tangerine Belted Rossodo Dress (£244)

So without a destination to research and obsess about, I have my own little project to get stuck into. I have to fill an entire suitcase with the ultimate summer wardrobe. We’re talking figure-flattering designer swimwear, sky-scraper heels, and effortless dresses that look just as stunning down the beach as they do in a high-end restaurant.

Having stumbled upon luxury fashion site Avenue 32 this evening, I’m confident that I’ll find the key pieces I’ll need to fit in with the jet-setting elite. I figure this search is going to a quality over quantity hunt. I’d rather plump for some budget-busting treats than buy-it-cheap-and-stack-it-high for my once in a lifetime holiday. They’ll be plenty of time for mumsy attire when I’ve got a handful of mini-me’s trailing behind me.

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