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Pretty Big Butterflies

Family, Food & Plus Size Fashion Blog

Milk Buster – Does it really work?

These days all I do is wash bottles. OK, wash bottles and feed Baby C. We have been formula feeding so our bottles get  a lot of usage. Just like any bottle, they have started going a little bit cloudy and the last thing I want is a smelly bottle. I’d rather throw them away and get new ones. But Milk Buster from Nimble Babies says that they can get rid of all that!

Milk Buster - Does it really work? Review

Milk Buster is a patented baby bottle cleaner that detaches milk fat and proteins from plastic, the main causes of cloudiness and smelly odour. I thought that was what washing up liquid was supposed to do. To a degree it does, but over time the milk takes hold. I was sceptical about Milk Buster, I mean, was it really just another product on the baby market targeting vulnerable new mums? Well I gave it a go for quite a while to see what happened.

Before and After Milkbuster

Usually I go in depth with reviews, but for this one I’m going to bullet point. There’s a reason why. The Milk Buster does so much more than just clean bottles and I wanted that message to really come across. This is what I’ve found after using Milk Buster for the past few weeks:

  • It does make bottles clearer. As you can see from the above picture, the ‘after’ photo really shows how much clearer the lid and teat are. This is pretty impressive and probably not sometime you’d notice unless you physically compared it.
  • My bottles don’t smell. AT. ALL. Like not even a whiff of old milk.
  • Another huge thing for me was that its far less bubbly than washing up liquid. This makes it easier and SO much quicker to rinse off.
  • You only need a few squirts per bottle. I wash my bottles separate from my other washing up. The amount of liquid we go through these days is incredible. The Milk Buster is really cost efficient.
  • As another tip, if you get a bit of dried milk stuck to your work surface that just won’t budge. Spray some Milk Buster on it and leave it a few seconds. Trust me, it will just wipe away!

So, as you can guess, I think Milk Buster is pretty good. If like me you wonder what’s in it (those nasty chemicals right?) wrong! It is made from the safest cleaning ingredients derived from sugar, amino acids, and coconuts. You’ll probably have a few questions, well if you’re like me you will. So go and check out their FAQ page which tells you everything you need to know.

Fancy giving Milk Buster a try yourself? You can buy it here! Let me know what you think.

Sushi Pusheen – The cutest soft toy around

One of my best friends lives in Canada. You know her. I haven’t seen her in person in over a year – mainly because my pregnancy with Baby C kept me home for the latter end of 2016 – and it’s not exactly easy to get around now he is here. I miss her a lot. We still talk all the time, but it’s not the same.

Pusheen Real Good - Review

Anyway, we’re always trying to think of ways to make each other smile. We buy each other gifts (especially ones she can’t get in Canada and I can’t get in the UK) and it will just have to do, until one of us can make the flight across the Atlantic.

One thing that I’ll always associate with Katie is sushi! Every time I see it, I’m reminded of an afternoon in Soho spent trying uncooked fish and sticky rice for the first time. You know what I learned that day? It’s just not for me. As pretty and appetising as it looks, I’ll always take the cooked alternative. But just as a reminder of Katie, it always makes me smile.

Pusheen Sushi Review

When my niece’s birthday came around, I knew she could do with another Pusheen to add to her collection. The new Snackables range just so happened to launch around that time, and included a sushi one. It was an amazing coincidence that it all happened at the same time.

Pusheen from GUND

When it arrived, I didn’t want to have to give it away! It’s so cute and actually reminds me of Katie. In the end, I gave my niece the Pusheen – wrapped snugly with some other treats on her 11th birthday – to earn some major aunty points. But now I want one for myself. It’s a lovely size, about the size of a football. It’s super soft and plush, I could easily use it as a cushion to be honest. It’s holding a rather cute sushi in it’s paws an generally puts a smile on your face!

Pusheen Review

You can grab yourself a lovely Pusheen from GUND UK where you’re guaranteed to receive a genuine one, as there are a few fakes out there. I’d happily add the mermaid or pizza Pusheen to the collection. But the Pusheenicorn has to be my favourite!

National Picnic Week – Our first picnic – sort of

National picnic week is in full swing. Talk about good timing. It’s been the hottest week of the year so far and it really does feel like it.(We’re melting!) I’m so happy that my parents now have a garden and just in time for this massive heat wave. With Baby C not being a big fan of the sun, it means we can have picnics outside and pop back in whenever the sun get’s a little too much. It’s the first time we’ve been able to have picnics in our own garden. It’s also the first time I’ve had a picnic with my own baby. So we needed the right equipment for a picnic and this picnic bag and dinnerware set from B&M was perfect.

National picnic week - B&M picnic bag - pretty big butterflies

The super light picnic bag has loads of space and comes complete with:

  • 4 x plates
  • 4 x knives
  • 4 x forks
  • 4 x spoons
  • 4 x napkins
  • 4 x plastic glasses
  • 1 x multi-function pocket knife
  • 1 x spice bottle

What’s crazy is that all the above is hidden neatly in the front pocket of the bag, so the inside is totally free for a lovely and soft picnic blanket and of course the nibbles and drinks. It reminds me of the Mary Poppins bag. Things just keep coming out and you wonder where it all fitted.

The perfect picnic - mummy blogger - pretty big butterflies

Dining Alfesco - b&m - pretty big butterflies

We had a lovely Sunday chilling out in the garden; we’ve just bought some new garden furniture (I act like this is MY garden right?) so we had dinner al fresco. Using the picnic bag contents to dish up a roast dinner was fun and entertaining. (Whose idea it was to have a roast I’ll never know!) It was a double Father’s Day as well as the start of national picnic week so we timed it well.

Baby C Summer Hat - pretty big butterflies

I actually posted a picture of this gorgeous summer drink I made yesterday and had people ask what it was. It’s SO easy to make. Just crush some fresh raspberries, add lemon juice, a teaspoon of raspberry jam and mint. Mix it up. Fill with lemonade and add lemon slices and lots of ice. I used these reusable ice shapes. Give it all a stir and just keep topping up with lemonade when you need a refill. It’s so delicious in the warm weather. Sweet and refreshing plus its super cheap to make!

Home made raspberry lemonade - pretty big butterflies

To be honest, we’ll be having picnics and eating Alfresco all the time now that we have outdoor space. Baby C loves the breeze (he tries to taste the wind!). With this picnic we can take the essentials wherever we go!

 

Go Play More – Sudocrem Giveaway

I LOVE Sudocrem. Out of all the nappy ointments we’ve tried on Baby C, good old Sudocrem has been the only thing that’s stopped nappy rash. As he is teething now we’ve started popping a little on his chest too where it gets a bit sore from his dribbling! My mum used to tell me about Sudocrem, but of course being a new mum I wanted to try all the new stuff. But so far, Sudocream is the only thing that’s worked. It’s definitely been part of our family for a long time.

The family favourite have a new summer campaign thats all about getting outside and having fun. Go Play More. Makes sense right? with computer games and millions of TV channels at your finger tips, it’s easy to pop your little one in front of a screen for a few minutes of peace. Well how about getting a few minutes out in the fresh air? Sudocream have a new Facebook game where you have the chance of winning bikes, trampolines, Amazon gift vouchers  and much more! In fact, each game gives you the opportunity to WIN up to £3,000 worth of outdoor goodies! There are three mini games (which are actually quite fun and not that easy which makes a change!) and all you have to do is be logged into your Facebook.

To celebrate the Go Play More game, Sudocrem are giving three of you the chance to win yourself a spring goody bag (we need it in this heatwave!) Including –

·      Sudocrem Care & Protect      

·      Sudocrem Skin Care Cream 

·      A Sudocrem legionnaires cap (for infants)

·      A pair of Sudocrem sunglasses (for infants)

·      A Sudocrem coffee flask

·      A Sudocrem t-shirt (for infants)

Just enter via the Rafflecopter below. Let me know if you win anything! (As a heads up, The Monkey Tree Climb is the easiest!)

End date: 11.59pm 25th June 2017

a Rafflecopter giveaway

A Special Lady Voluptuous Bouquet

I’ve been a fan of Lady Voluptuous for ages now, ever since I saw Georgina Horne from the blog Fuller Figure Fuller Bust shout about their dresses on social media I’ve followed them on Instagram. I’ve worn one of their dresses before but it was a long length number and totally wasn’t for me. So I’m so pleased I’ve tried again because right now the range of dresses have my name all over them! Lady Voluptuous is the UK’s first dedicated Plus Size Vintage Clothing label and is made in London. The range has been made in collaboration with Georgina, so you know it’s got to be a special.

Lady Voluptuous Plus Size Vintage Dresses - Pretty Big Butterflies

This absolutely gorgeous dress is the Rosa Dress – in Dusty Jade Bouquet. The flared skirt is made to sit just below the knee and the classic 50s style means it nips in at the waist creating an hourglass look. If you know me, you’ll know that floral is on the top of my list of patterns and this print is just beautiful. In the sun, it literally radiates! I feel like a walking Kew Gardens, which is a GOOD thing.

Lady Voluptuous Plus Size Vintage Dresses - Pretty Big Butterflies

I opted for the elbow length sleeves but this design also comes in short sleeved (definitely getting a short sleeved one next time!). It is also available in an off the shoulder design too. The one thing that I really need to shout about with regards to Lady Voluptuous dresses is just how lovely the fabric is. It’s such good quality. It’s cotton sateen and feels really luxurious without feeling heavy. The dress is lined too, which helps prevent it blowing all over the place in the wind.

Lady Voluptuous Plus Size Vintage Dresses - Pretty Big Butterflies

In terms of sizing, this dress has a little stretch to it. I found the arms to be true to size and the body of the dress a little generous. Lady Voluptuous have all the measurements on the product page so you can work out the perfect fit for you. It’s really comfortable to wear. It doesn’t feel restrictive and it moves with you.

Plus size vintage dresses - pretty big butterflies

When you think of Vintage clothes, a particular look comes to mind, especially vintage dresses. It’s great if you want to have the victory rolls and Mary Jane shoes to go with this dress (I love victory rolls by the way!). What’s nice is that Lady V has a Vintage appeal with a modern twist. So while the cut is very 50s, the bright colours are actually really modern. I love that. It totally works for me. Lady V also hosts some awesome and quirky prints, so it’s not all flirty floral. I’d definitely recommend you take a look.

Fuller Figure Fuller Bust - Dress Collection

If you have a special occasion coming up or just want to treat yourself. Lady Voluptuous needs to be on the top of your list. They’ll pop a smile on your face and a spring in your step this summer.