Blondie Boy's Tree

Today we planted a Scots Pine as part of the Velvet Tissue Tree Campaign and hopefully if we don't kill it, we can track it's growth alongside Blondie Boy's growth!

Wordless Wednesday

9 months

Age - nine months

Weight - 19lbs, 9oz

Height - 28 1/2"

Sleeping habits - He sleeps from 9:30/10pm to 9-10am roughly.

Eating habits - Eating 8oz 3 times a day and has had pancakes, pumpkin bread, croissants and blueberries added to his repertoire.

Favorite activity - swimming, singing, drinking invisible water, banging on things.

filmed on a Kodak Zi8

Milestones - Crawls EVERYWHERE, pulls up to stand on EVERYTHING.

Firsts- tooth!!!

Apologies for the crap photo, but someone wasn't in the mood for a photoshoot today!

Retail me this...

Update: I received the sweetest note and a new fleece in the correct size from Lands End yesterday. I really appreciate that they took the time to make it right. It just goes to show that if you aren't happy with your retail experience say something about it!

So I purchased a fleece and a jacket from Land's End who are renowned for their customer service and durability guarantee. When the items arrived they were WAY too big, like NotBlondeHusband could wear them, too big. It was advised in the item notes to "size-up" which I did and ended up with the wrong size.




I phoned up today as I wanted to exchange them for the correct sizes, however I was told that because the items were a sale price and are now a higher price I could not. They'd be happy to issue a refund, but no exchange. Ummm, what?


The exact same items, exact same colours are available in the correct sizes, but because they are now listed at a higher price than what I paid (even though they are the same item number) and therefore I can not exchange them.

You'd think a company known for it's customer service wouldn't have such cracked out policies. Any store I've ever been to has also been happy to exchange like for like regardless of past/present price. In fact anywhere I've worked has always encouraged exchanges over refunds. Is it just me or does this make no sense what so ever?

Trippin and Trappin

Remember way back when Blondie Boy was not even 3 months old and he reviewed the Stokke Table Top? Well we were lucky enough to be able to try out the fabulous and functional Tripp Trapp that it is an accessory for now he is big enough!

The Tripp Trapp chair adapts to the size of your child - and the child always sits at the right height at the table with their feet supported at the same time. This ensures a perfect fit for children of all sizes allowing them to sit correctly and comfortably while interacting with the family at the dinner table. The no-tray design allows the Tripp Trapp to pull right up to the table to encourage communication. Blondie Boy seems to like his doesn't he?

We put the Tripp Trapp in our dining room and tested it out while we had his Grandma over for dinner. He seemed to love sitting at the table and certainly enjoyed playing the drums on the table. He was content for most of dinner, but towards the end twisted and wanted to get out of the chair, but he generally doesn't sit still long no matter where he is!

The chair is gorgeous and I love that it will last Blondie Boy as he grows into a bigger boy and even an adult. It is certainly stylish and does not look out of place in our dining room. It was easy for NotBlondeHusband to assemble and the baby set slotted in easily as well. The only drawback I see is it is not practical for feeding away from the table. I have to admit most of the time we feed Blondie Boy in the living room; I know we are bad, but I aspire to eat in the dining room more as he grows older. I love that he will be able to sit at the table with us for his first Thanksgiving!

The Tripp Trapp is available in 12 colours and you can find your nearest retailer by clicking here.

Transatlantic Blonde was provided this product for review.

Wordless Wednesday

Crawling outside rules, staying inside drools....

Totally Blissed Out

I love beauty products, especially ones that are pampering. I'd heard of Bliss before, as they are stocked in my favorite store, Sephora (why doesn't it exist in the UK?), and regularly listed in beauty magazines. I was super excited to try their products out and even roped my mother-in-law into helping me test as well.

I started first with the Bliss Vanilla and Bergamot Body Scrub which you rub on to your body BEFORE you get in the shower and then rinse off. I'm a big fan of exfoliating products and was interested to see how applying before you step in the shower would work. I expected since you started your shower with the scrub the scent would be gone by the end of your shower, but the scent lingered long after I'd finished showering. The scrub is effective, but not harsh and left my skin feeling smooth and soft. My only complaint is the scent and that is only because I am not a fan of musky smells and bergamot is a musky scent. That being said, it's not so strong that it's stopped me from using it.

After showering I followed up my scrub with Bliss Naked Body Butter Lite. Now I don't know about you, but when I see body butter I immediately think of thick and greasy--this is anything but! This moisturizer is light and refreshing and quenches dry skin without leaving you feeling like you can't sit down for the next twenty minutes. It has a light, fresh scent and I love that it comes in a pump; I hate having to dig into jars and getting moisturizer stuck under my nails. This is a random one, but the pump comes with a guard so you physically can not pump out any body butter when the guard is on. As someone who has had product spilled out in my suitcase several times I love this.

The final product we were given to test was the Bliss High Intensity Hand Cream which I gave to my lovely mother-in-law since she let Blondie Boy and I crash with her last week while NBH was in London. Here is what she had to say:

I have tried lots of hand creams and no matter what the companies say in their advertising, the problem is always the same - they remain greasy for far too long and you end up leaving fingerprints on clothes, work papers, in fact anything you touch. So when I was asked to try Bliss hand cream I was fairly sure I could predict what my reaction to it would be - I'd like to use it but my life is far too busy to wait 15 minutes for cream to soak in. I was completely wrong.

The tiny amount I applied left my hands feeling moisturised and softer. More importantly, the cream was absorbed straight away which means I can apply it anytime, whether I'm handling papers or about to fold washing. I also love the smell - fresh, clean and lemony. I'm now a complete convert to Bliss and intend to try out some of their other products. The hand cream definitely works.

If you'd like a bit of pampering in your own home shop Bliss online or request a catalog.

Transatlantic Blonde was provided these products for review.