Platinum Freshly Picked Moccasins Review

I have adored Freshly Picked Moccasins since I first became aware of them, it was maybe slightly unholy lust if I'm honest but what do they say... put the thoughts into the universe for what you want in your life and you will receive?? Well its certainly true, I adore these little soft soled shoes like no other. I am a shoe fiend anyway especially now I have a child and I think these babies go great with any outfit. The feeling has really rubbed off on Eva as well because whenever we go anywhere or see someone she hasn't seen for a while she will point at her feet and say 'oh, NICE shoes!' She certainly loves them as much as I do.

As you can see from the pictures we chose Platinum Gold Freshly Picked Moccasins in a size 5. We measured her feet using the sizing guide on the website and as she was between a 4 and a 5 picked those, and thankfully we did because she had a huge growth spurt and was only in between the sizes for maybe three weeks. I am also currently loving Heirloom Limited Edition Moccasins as they have gold spots on them and Eva's favourite shape was a 'ball' aka circles and I think she would have loved these too.

Pictures taken from FP's website, don't they look beautiful!?!

 

 It was the most amazing day when I got the little card through the post from Royal Mail saying we had to pay shipping of £14.95 and go to our local delivery office between some really funny opening hours. Anyway, it was turning out to be the most magical day with blossom from the trees blowing in the wind, I knew but could only anticipate as to what was waiting for us.

We arrived early and waited on the delivery office opening, as soon as we'd got the package I got us back into the car and holy Mary mother of god, it was the Moccasins! We had to rush for an appointment so these are the pictures I snapped really quickly of Eva. Don't think she appreciated me twisting her round from my position in the front to get these on her feet!

Pro's

As you can see the shoes are made really well and are hand stitched in the US by Freshly Picked. I follow them on Instagram and love seeing what an honest company it really is. They are elasticated at the front so you open the shoe up this way and slide onto your babes feet. Eva really liked wearing these soft soled shoes and I let her put them through their paces, I got her to wear them out when I was hanging washing out in the morning so there was still dew on the lawn in places and surprisingly they were still dry on the inside afterwards apart from the tiniest spot on the heel (middle picture). Not too bad, especially in this Scottish climate, even in May it still averages about 11c in the morning.

When we first got the shoes Eva was in between a 4 and a 5, we did get her Clarks trainers too but she kept taking them off and within three weeks it was clear it was probably because they were actually too small. All the while the mox were still being worn with no problem, having a bit of room in them is ideally what you want anyway so their little toes have room to move and develope, so I was really happy we had these.

Eva runs about all day in these shoes with no problem at all, they give her that little bit of traction that she needs on our laminate floors while looking very stylish all day every day. I have so many good things to say about these shoes and most of all I am glad they fit so well and will last a while longer than her walking shoes, I feel like we have spent so much on shoes for her lately its not even real. Thankfully these shoes mould to your child's feet and they feel more comfortable every time they go on, I love that we can look at the sole of the shoe to see what side goes on what foot, its the cutest thing.

Cons

Unfortunately the price tag on these guys is a bit off putting, especially with Eva lately going through shoe sizes so quickly, plus shipping from the US to the UK took a little longer than a week to get to us, plus the import tax on top. Thankfully, we were gifted these to review by Freshly Picked and I am so very glad we have them. Its like the best shoe and we are in shoe heaven because of them. I cannot get over how amazing that fact is.

Saying that though, they are worth the price in every way. Initially after receiving them, I did compare them an awful lot to some other brands of moccasins we have tried. We have also owned Amy & Ivor moccasins in a few sizes now but they don't quite do the same colours and are very differently made, probably because they are different leathers but thats just me speculating, I don't actually know.

We have also had several pairs of Bobux shoes and I have to say comparing soft soled Freshly Picked Moccasins with Bobux soft soled shoes, they are probably on par for quality and durability. However, I only remember there being one type of baby moccasin from them which we wore to death and because they were brown suede got filthy and minging when Eva was smaller. Don't think I'll be getting suede again!

All that being said, there is certainly something about taking that splurge and owning a pair of Freshly Picked Moccasins. I rarely bother spending money on myself now, its all about my child and growing baby bump. I am not a working mum though so can't often afford to buy the best for my babies but end up somehow doing so anyway. I'll be eagerly following Freshly Picked on Instagram for any upcoming sales as I totally want to get Eva a pair of Heirloom Moccasins in a size 6, so Universe, I hope you're listening because I know they are limited edition but its worth putting it out there.

Stunning Moccasins!!!

Eva will be wearing her Platinum mox to death that's for sure, and with every single outfit she owns this Summer, check out my Instagram feed for our latest escapades!

Brigid

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Pregnancy Tag 23 Weeks and GENDER REVEAL!

So many of my favourite bloggers are pregnant right now or have had their babies recently. Anna Saccone from the SacconeJolys vlog had her son Eduardo a month ago already, Judy from ItsJudy'sLife has 6 week old twin girls,  Barefoot Blonde is due soon, Maskcara, and the daybook blog is due in September like me :) . Having just read Maskcara's blog post on her pregnancy I thought it was high time I joined in the fun too.

How far along are you? 23 weeks and one day today!

How did you find out? My period was due on Christmas Eve, I thought it was just a little late and didn't take a test until boxing day, I couldn't be this lucky to fall pregnant so quickly could I?! Felt bad for having had drinks over the few days before I found out, but it was Christmas!

Morning sickness? Nope and didn't with Eva, though had some car nausea which I don't normally have in the first trimester this time and if I got hungry I'd feel sick if I didn't eat straight away.

Are you finding out the sex?! We have and we're expecting another girl! So excited and happy to have another girly, and I am sure in time Eva will be best friends with her little sister Isla. One of the best parts is reusing all the girly clothes that Eva wore literally a handful of times and thankfully baby girl is due in the Autumn so hopefully all the seasonal clothes we had for Eva can be reused.

 
Mood changes? In the first trimester I was a lot moodier and more tearful, crying watching Disney movies, and ice skating on the Olympics. I think I feel a bit more organised in myself now I am past 20 weeks things are a bit better. (?) Starting to get over the easy period of being pregnant though and getting more tired again so be prepared for more mood swings than before!

Cravings? I like meat so much right now, Parma ham or prosciutto ham. I don't have any real cravings as such other than for chocolate. I had a bar of green and blacks organic milk chocolate on Tuesday and I was looking out for it today but couldn't find it. Also, I used to love an Ovaltine hot chocolate in the evenings, now I am pregnant I don't want it at all having a cup of herbal tea mainly chamomile instead. I loved Ovaltine in my pregnancy with Eva having a couple of cups a day, and continued on from that since then even having one when it was 28c outside in the Summer last year.


Other symptoms? Lots of movement, since 12 weeks. Its one of the best parts of pregnancy. I have noticed slight swelling of my hands lately but if I drink more water I'm fine. I got leg cramp for the first time the other night, itchy stretch marks from pregnancy with Eva, SPD but nowhere near as bad as before. Thankfully I am taking all the right precautions and saw a great physio who taught me how to fix myself. I also have super clear skin which is nice and am getting really restless sleep at night lately. Roll on the 3rd trimester for more of that. Haha!

Excited for!? Getting all the little clothes washed and put away into drawers neat and tidy but as of this moment aren't bought, yet! Seeing Eva's face when we get to take the baby home because she LOVES babies and is such a great helper lately.

Nursery? Baby will be in with us for 6 months at least in a sidecar cot, which I actually have already! Then sharing a room with Eva. Eva slept through from 6 weeks old but at 6 months when we started weaning had a blip of a few months waking once or twice. Which is understandable because we were getting her calorie intake right so lets hope her sister is the same way.

Any Pregnancy MUST HAVES? Maternity jeans and leggings, ankle socks for swollen feet, Palmers cocoa butter twice a day at least for belly and hip stretch marks, pregnancy belly bar, regular massages or osteopath/physio appointments for SPD, getting enough sleep and enjoying pregnancy!




I'd love to hear from any other pregnant ladies, I always love reading other people's blogs and remember to tag me too!

Brigid

cr8v-design.blogspot.co.uk

   

Why Am I A Stay-At-Home-Mum??

I feel like these days, society expects women to be able to do it all. You can have a family, a nice house, a husband, home cooked meals every night, sterling social life and a fantastic career to boot. It's like since we asked for the ability to have careers, women now are thought to be superwomen and staying at home is not enough and without a career or your own money "its just not good enough".

Martin and I decided long ago that my focus, my career if you will, would be raising my family and doing it myself with Martin there for evenings and weekends. We don't want some nursery or playgroup to provide our child with the time she needs from us, though don't get me wrong we have thought about it! Children need to be with their main caregiver at home, learning, playing and receiving love from them. I fully understand some women who feel they need to go back to work to provide for their children or they can't do without a second wage coming in, but we decided we would make major cut backs in life so we could afford to do things this way.

I feel like when I tell people my status of home maker/ stay at home mum/full time mum, they think I'm some second class citizen or I've no education hence why I do nothing but raise Eva. Screw them and their small mindedness!

The plan for now is to raise our family while we're young and fit and then I can either follow my path in web design and interactive media by going to university or finding work and earning my own money.

For now I try to be the best mother I can to Eva and teach her good values. I cook everyday which I love doing, I deliberate over what baby items we need to buy, I scour websites on ways to save money and then go out for coffee, usually decaf these days, haha, I'm not perfect! Eva goes to creche Monday while I go to antenatal swimming class, Tuesday and Wednesday are our days for cleaning or general appointments, Thursdays Eva is at creche while I attend a PND counselling session, and Fridays we did used to go to Bookbug and we still try to but this is when I have midwife or hospital OB appointments so we haven't gone as much as I'd like to. Guilt again!

Brigid

cr8v-design.blogspot.co.uk

   

21 Weeks Pregnant with Baby Number Two!

Life has been so busy lately, as you can imagine with a one and a half year old and being halfway through this pregnancy! My poor other half is studying hard for his upcoming exams in May and as we had our 20 week scan last week both our brains have gone to mush it seems!

20 weeks with baby number 2!

20 weeks with Eva!

Trying to regain some control and stay sane though! It seems as though things got real after last weeks ultrasound scan. We'd planned to start getting the necessary baby items once we had the all clear and now we have its pretty scary as we now have 4 and a half months to go. With a toddler in tow, thats no time at all!
This last week I have bought the buggy, thankfully Eva likes it, its a Phil & Ted's e3 double buggy bought second hand as there was no way we buying something like the almost £2k Bugaboo Donkey! So much harder shopping for a double than a single let me tell you. Thankfully we got this but still loads more to get though!

Our baby is beautiful and healthy but a completely different kettle of fish from Eva, who would not stay still for the sonographer and never has since the day she was born. This one though lay there good as gold, did some thumb sucking and generally a lot cooler than the wild thing we already have.

Can you guess what were having?

I had been thinking for some time to look into having my placenta encapsulated and take the pills in dehyrated form because of the amazing health benefits. Your placenta controls your hormones for 9 months and when you give birth it takes a while for your brain to get used to doing this for you again. I had such a hard time in those firt few weeks with Eva that any help would be welcome! It's strange that we are the only mammals who don't regularly consume our placentas so it makes perfect sense to me, though I will not be consuming mine raw that's for sure!

I contacted Holly Gibb at Minyara and she is going to come and do mine, as well as making an umbilical cord keepsake, and beautiful placenta print.













Holly's words on the subject,

You probably know all the benefits already but incase you don't, consuming your babies placenta will help increase your energy by replacing hormones and vitamins that have been lost during birth.  This also decreases baby blues and postpartum depression.  You will give your milk an incredible boost; decrease your postpartum bleeding, and also decrease night sweats.

I am completely making this pregnancy as nice as it can be, doing the things I didn't do in pregnancy with Eva and really enjoying every day and what it brings because its such a short time and then your hands are full with a new bundle of love!

I can't wait to be able to do a belly cast and hang this in the nursery for baby and Eva, as well as the beautiful placenta print I am so proud of already. 

If you follow me on Facebook or Instagram you may have seen that Eva was gifted with a gold pair of Freshly Picked Moccasinshttp://freshly-picked.com/! We are going to do a review of them coming very soon! 

Brigid

cr8v-design.blogspot.co.uk

   

 

My Birth Plan - I'm 18 Weeks Pregnant!

I am almost halfway through my pregnancy and the time has come to start thinking about how I want to give birth!

I started Lazy Daisy Birthing Classes this week and even after one session I feel so much more prepared for birthing. I tried hypnobirthing last time. Hypnobirth coupled with being induced and having pretty closed views of what I wanted for my birth made it pretty hard when my concentration was broken when I was having contractions.
From what I understand now, hypnobirthing is like meditation and when you have your concentration broken at all it can be extremely hard to get back in the zone.

With Lazy Daisy, birth is more about understanding the physiology and being in control of breathing to lower adrenaline and keep oxygen going to the most important muscle you use during birth - your uterus. When you get anxious and fear takes over adrenaline takes over and sends oxygen to the important fight or flight muscles and other body parts get tense. Its not a good way to be during labour that's for sure.

I have another 5 sessions of the birthing class to attend and I am so excited to learn more. We covered relaxed breathing exercises, positions, the actual physiology of the birthing process and why we want our endorphines on our side! Endorphines are many more times stronger than morphine!

My Relaxed Birthing Plan

Preferences for labour and the birth of my child.

• Whom do I want with me during labour and birth? Martin Reay, if there are complications would like privacy to discuss anything. I do not want to be separated from my partner during labour or birth.

• My environment for labour and birth? Privacy, quiet, relaxed music, my own food and drink, dim lighting, birthing ball,use of aromatherapy oils,

• If everything is straightforward, how do I want my baby’s heartbeat to be measured during labour? At various intervals with a hand held Doppler.

• How will I cope with pain? If everything is straight- forward I would like gas and air if I need it, do not offer me PAIN relief. We want a relaxed atmosphere, preferably in a birthing pool.

• Vaginal examinations to assess progress of labour? Would like this to be limited and only if necessary, and not to be put into a position that can slow down labour or move baby from the birthing position.

• How would I like to give birth? Plan A is in a birthing pool (if available in the labour ward), including delivery of placenta without injection if possible, I understand if I have to.

• After my baby’s birth: Wwould like baby to stay with me and apgar to be measured in my arms so I can establish breastfeeding, I will clean baby up and want to be present for weighing etc.

• Agree to give baby a vitamin k injection.

Other requirements

• 12 hours after heparin injection.

If in established labour 12 hours after taking a heparin injection, I would like a water birth and I will ask for gas and air if I need it, please do not offer me anything other than suggestions for positioning.

If birth isn’t straightforward then I would agree to a spinal injection/epidural for any complications such as caesarean or forceps intervention etc etc.

• Before 12 hours

If in established labour before 12 hours after taking a heparin injection, I understand I cannot have a water birth, but would like a similar relaxed environment, to be allowed use of a shower for the water to get me through labour or use of a gym ball, and to be free to move around, i.e. standing, squatting when giving birth.

If there are complications, I understand I need to be given a general anaesthetic.

• Special requirements

If labour slows down, I’d like to be sent home.

I would like no time limits on labouring and prefer labour not to be augmented unless medically necessary.

I'd prefer not to have an episiotomy unless absolutely necessary.

I would prefer no IV unless absolutely necessary.

I would like to wait to breathe baby down until I feel the urge even if I am fully dilated. Also, do not want to be counted or told to push.

I would like to wait on cutting the umbilical cord until it stops pulsating, my partner might like to cut the cord.

I would like to be discharged as soon as possible.

The lazy daisy birthing class I joined is with Rosie in East Lothian and was £48.60 for 6 classes. This was with 10% off because I found her through netmums.co.uk. Here is the link to her Facebook page too if you are interested in trying a class in your area. 

 

Brigid

cr8v-design.blogspot.co.uk