Friday Chaos 40. Link up your favourite posts.

Welcome to The Friday Chaos Blog Hop! 

Feel free to link up your favourite photos from the past week, DIY's, recipes, parenting advice, pregnancy posts, fashion & beauty posts anything you like! We love to read new posts and here at the Friday Chaos Blog Hop want to be able to share all of your posts!

Some simple rules!

1. ONLY link up 2 posts per person (no giveaways or other hops)

2. Follow your hosts and co-hosts.

3. Visit at least two other blogs and comment on their posts.

4. Come back next week to see if you have been featured as blog of the week.

5. Grab the button below and leave a comment so we can comment back.

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Have fun! 

Hair Loss After Giving Birth

Every woman knows that your body changes throughout pregnancy but not everyone will know some of these still changes occur after giving birth. One of the major changes you may notice is with your hair! It may fall out, become dull and lifeless and even turn grey! During your third trimester you may notice that your hair is much fuller and a different texture. But as soon as baby is born your hair will start to shred. This is due to the hormones during pregnancy and how they react after giving birth. You hair will eventually grow back on its own over time however it can be an annoyance especially if you have a baby who is pulling at what little hair you have left. 

Here are some tips on how to take care for your hair post pregnancy:

Your diet is crucial to healthier hair. For example, your hair is protein, so it is very important to have a good amount of protein intake. Many woman like myself, suffer from low iron level which is a major cause of hair loss and will also make it become thin and weaker. Eat more meals with iron for example red meat, liver, whole grains, eggs, and spinach. Also maintain a diet which includes a lot of fruit and vegetables.

Don't brush your hair too much. The less you brush it, the better. Hard or heavy brushing can break the hair and cause it to fall out. Also try to use less heat products to style your hair, I have had to stop using my GHD's as my hair was falling out left right and center. Since I stopped straightening my hair I noticed a huge difference. 

Avoid stress as much as possible. Too much stress can result in hair loss or decease in thickness, especially after pregnancy. Having a new baby to take care of can create even more stress in your life. Try to avoid additional stressful situations, when you get time to yourself try and read, take a nap when your baby is napping.

There is no way to prevent hair loss however you can experiment with different hair styles and hair products that will make your hair look fuller. Many women opt for a shorter hair cut during this period as it is easier to manage. You could also look into buying hair extensions however do stay away from hair weaves, curlers or products that will put stress on your hair. You can find many hair extensions and products to help with your hair after pregnancy from websites such as www.capitalhairandbeauty.co.uk. 

Have you had any issues with your hair since giving birth?

Kerry 

Twitter | Facebook | Bloglovin' | Pinterest 

Read my disclaimer here. 

Latest Offers From The Boots Mother & Baby Event

Juggling a new baby and a tight budget can be a delicate balance. When you shop at Boots.com, you'll find exclusive online offers on the biggest Mother & Baby brands, along with helpful advice and children's health news to help you every step of the way. Parenting Club members also get 10 Advantage Card points for every pound spent, so new parents can make the most of their budgets and stretch every penny as far as it will go. And what's more, a range of exclusive offers makes it easy to save on your favourite Mother & Baby products all year round. 

Take advantage of our great online and in-store offers for Mother & Baby from Boots. Save £15 when you spend £60 or more online or £5 when you spend £20 in store - giving you a saving of 25% on essentials, from nappies to high chairs and everything in between. This special deal is designed especially for new mums and parents-to-be and will be available in store and online until 28 May, offering savings across thousands of products for at home and on the go. 

Find everything you need in our Mother & Baby range - offers like 3 for 2 on Huggies Nappies or 2 for £10 on Pampers Carry Pack Nappies can help you save on your daily expenses. And because we price match on all the leading brands, you'll find it easy and hassle-free to choose the perfect car seat, pushchair and nursery furniture to suit your needs.

Head on over to your local Boots store or you can visit the Mother & Baby event online at www.boots.com. The event ends on May 28th so still plenty of time to get in on the offers!

Where to Find Inspiration for a Home Business

image source

Have you always thought about running your own business from home, but keep putting it off? One of the first hurdles to get over is figuring out what to sell! This is easier said than done, and if you already spend most of your waking hours running after spirited toddlers it can be even more daunting. However, inspiration is everywhere if you take the time to look for it. It's important to forget about finding the "perfect" business idea, and find something that is right for you. With the use of tools like ecommerce software, blogs, and wholesale dropshippers, it's now easier than ever to start your own business. So what type of business will you run? 

Start the Brainstorming Process 

Everyone has different methods that they prefer for brainstorming. The important thing is to try something to get those wheels turning. This could start with a simple list of what you feel your main talents are, or five things that you are most interested in. Making lists and exploring your own interests can point you in the direction of inspiration. Try to think about products or services that would make your life better. In addition to this time of self-reflection, you can also turn to others for inspiration. Ask your friends and family these same questions to see if they're dying for a new product that you could potentially provide them. 

Google It! 

Chances are, you probably already rely on Google to find out everything from the weekend weather forecast to healthy lunch ideas for the kids. Why not use Google to help you come up with business ideas? This is a bit more complicated than simply typing "home business idea" into the search bar, although that may be surprisingly fruitful! Use other tools like Google Trends to find out what others are searching for, or Google Groups to take part in discussion groups and forums. Reading trends and ideas can help point you in the right direction towards finding a hole in the market that you can fill. 

Find a Niche 

The idea is to find a niche market. If you start a business that's too generic, you'll face oodles of competition and may feel a bit scattered. For instance, you may feel that you are most interested in starting a retail clothing business from home. This is a great start, but you'll then need to think about where your interests lie, as well as what type of clothing seems to be in high demand. After using Google Trends, you may find that vintage clothing is a hot seller right now. Because you are a parent you may have a special eye for children's clothing. It could make sense to start your own vintage children's clothing shop, which is a unique niche. 

You'll want to keep narrowing your focus until you are able to tightly define your target demographic and product line. You should be able to give an "elevator pitch" as if you were explaining your start-up idea to a busy investor with only the length of an elevator ride. If you find yourself rambling, it's time to sharpen your focus further. 

In many cases, putting off starting a business is due to fear of the unknown. Taking the time to think about what you would like to sale and researching your market a bit can alleviate this fear and give you the strength and energy to take that exciting entrepreneurial leap!

Kerry 

Twitter | Facebook | Bloglovin' | Pinterest 

Read my disclaimer here. 

Review: Num Num Baby Dips - A Baby's First Step To Self-feeding!

When I was recently contacted by Num Num to try out their new range of Baby Dips, I jumped at the chance. Amelia can be rather fussy when it comes down to eating. Some days she will happily sit there and feed her self and other days she will much rather me feed her off the spoon when she is being lazy.

"The NumNum is the first dipper of its kind, NumNum is a baby's first step to self-feeding. The innovative design makes it easier to use than an ordinary baby spoon because there is no right or wrong way to hold it. Which means less mess for parents while your baby develops the fine motor skills necessary to move on to using a spoon." 

When the NumNum's arrived I was rather impressed with the packaging and couldn't wait to get using them. We headed to the kitchen and I made up some porridge for Amelia. She never usually eats porridge as with a normal baby spoon she will just throw it everywhere and depending on what mood she is in she may not even eat it at all so I usually just opt for toast or fruit. 

I opted for the orange NumNum for this task as porridge is quite lumpy and thick the head on this is channeled and perfect for thicker foods. It claims to "capture and hold thicker first foods." Instantly I was shocked that as soon as I passed her the NumNum she put it straight to her mouth and the spoonful of porridge was gone immediately. I was amazed at how the porridge stayed in the NumNum, it's a flat head not rounded so I was really impressed at how it stayed there. Not a drop fell out and there was surprisingly not much mess! 

The handle is contoured which is designed to comfortably and securely fit a baby's hand. I found that Amelia had no problem holding the NumNum and it wasn't slippery at all. I usually find with some spoons they don't have a grip on the handle which means baby usually throws the spoon on the floor. 

Even though Amelia is now one, these are great to dip in yogurts and other textures for her to get used to them. These would be perfect for the weaning stage at around 6 months and I really wish I had found out about these sooner when Amelia was first trying out new foods, this would have been a life saver and Amelia may have been eating better. The Num Num's are the perfect size as they fit neatly in a pocket they don't take up any room at all and are great for throwing in the changing bag for days out. 

I would highly recommend these to any parent having trouble with their little ones eating off a spoon or if you are about to start weaning these would be perfect to get used to.

You can find NumNum here and also purchase your own for $9.99 here. Also follow NumNum on Facebook and Twitter for their latest updates. 

*We were sent this product for the purpose of the review. All opinions are my own. Read my disclaimer here.