MM Approved: Nappies, Steak, and Selfies

So this is the first part of a weekly segment that I've wanted to do for AGES. See, I'm a thrifty shopper. Always have been; I guess it's just how I was raised. Note: thrify does not mean cheap; it just means that I like to save where I can without sacrificing quality. If you're one of those people who only shops for name brands, then this weekly segment is for you! If I could convert my mother-in-law, I'm convinced that I can convert anyone. If you're like me, and you like to occasionally opt for the generics/store brands of things (when they're as good as/better than the name brands), then this is also for you!

Call them store brands, generics, whatever you wish - I had this idea a while ago to review them! You see, aside from the occasional good fortune of finding the Good Housekeeping seal on something, you never really know if it's worth the price cut to buy a store brand item. My plan is to incorporate a few things into my weekly grocery shopping as I always do, sometimes things that I buy regularly and sometimes completely new items, and to try them and review them here for you. These posts are completely unsponsored - I do them because I want to help others to shop smartly, and for no other reason.

This week's review includes something that I picked up at Lidl, and yesterday was my first time doing the weekly grocery shop there. This won't really apply to readers in the States, but allow me to briefly explain: Lidl is just like Aldi. In fact, they're owned by two brothers, and the same one who owns Lidl, owns Trader Joe's. We have an Aldi within walking distance, but I've found a Lidl  in a nearby town that stocks a wider variety of fruit & veg, so I felt like shopping there this week. I'll try to change it up each week with groceries, beauty products, etc from different stores (and Amazon, because I order just about everything from Amazon). So, without any further delay, here's my weekly MM Approved review!

Lidl: Deluxe Ribeye Steak

£4.62

I'm sorry I don't have an image for this; just know that if you're going to Lidl, look for the meat in the black packaging. I thought I could Google an image of it, but alas, Lidl sources from small producers of grass fed beef and outdoor bred pork for their Deluxe range, so the selection can vary really widely from store to store and isn't the same nationwide (and therefore isn't available on their website). Just know that it's the meat in the black packaging, and you're good to go.

First of all, before I even review the steak, let me say that I was really impressed with the meat selection in Lidl. I'm used to shopping at Aldi, though we usually buy meat from Waitrose (3 for £10, we're not rich) or our local butcher. I loved how many cuts of grass-fed, free range, and organic meats were available. Such a wide variety of cuts, especially for the lamb, but I digress... back to the steak:

The finished product!

It had really gorgeous marbling and was pretty big; I'm going to guess somewhere around 10 to 12 oz, which you really can't beat for something like £4.60. The sirloins looked great too at around £6 per steak. I cooked it medium rare on a cast iron grill pan, salt and pepper, and it cut like butter. Steve is a steak-a-holic and it got his approval as (and I quote) "best steak yet". So, there you have it.  A big glaring two thumbs up for the Deluxe range of steaks from Lidl. 

Aldi: Mamia Newborn Nappies

£1.49 for 24

These are worth every single award on that picture (again, sorry for the stock Google image, the only pack I have left is open and half-empty, as I'll be trying out Lidl's own brand of nappies this week - stay tuned for that review next time!).  

In all of my freebie new-mum packs, I got samples of nappies from Asda, Boots, Pampers, and Aldi. Aldi won my favourite pick! And at £1.50 per pack of 24 (size 1, newborn) you can't beat it. The price didn't even influence my decision; I tried all of the samples before going out to buy what I thought was best. I'm going to have to run around knocking on every wooden surface in the house after this, but I'm going out on a very risky limb and stating that not a single poo has exploded out of an Aldi nappy. They even have the yellow-to-blue wetness indicator stripe that is usually only present on the more expensive name brands. Highly recommended and MM Approved!

Aldi: Mamia Sensitive Baby Wipes

57p (or 50p/pack if you buy a case in the Baby Event!)

Another winner from Aldi. I can't do much to describe them, except that they're fragrance-free and get the job done. The real reason they win is the price - at 57p per pack, they're almost half the price of most other brands and are just as good. 

Lastly for this week...

Amazon: Samar Bluetooth Selfie Stick 

£4.99

I was super excited when this arrived today. Admittedly, I've only used it for about 3 minutes before Chloe demanded to be fed, but it was easy enough to set up and test in those 3 minutes that I'm giving it an approval. I simply turned it on, turned on the bluetooth on my phone, chose the device, and stuck my phone onto the selfie stick. It worked perfectly from the first try, and is so much easier than setting a self-timer on a regular selfie stick. For £4.99 (plus 99p for shipping) you really can't beat it. I will definitely be getting a lot of use out of it... make sure to follow me on Instagram (@munchiemummyd) for some of my upcoming stick-enabled selfies!

I know that I haven't reviewed a lot this week, but that's because I just did the grocery shopping last night at Lidl. I'll be sure to update next week with some of the things I picked up this time. And in the future the reviews won't be so obnoxiously long; I just wanted to fill some space since I was only reviewing a couple of items this time.

I shop regularly at all of the big 6 supermarkets, as well as Aldi (and now Lidl, occasionally) so if you have anything you'd like to see reviewed, or that you're skeptical about buying, comment below and I'll let you know if I've tried it, or if I plan to in the future!