Tom's First Birthday Party

Tom's first birthday party was on Sunday and we had a Cowboys and Indians theme. Initially we didn't have great weather (read : rain, thanks Britain) but it soon brightened up and turned into a great day for a BBQ!

I'd been working on making decorations for a bit over a month, I wanted a home made feel which lent itself well to the Cowboys and Indians natural look. I reused a lot of the Approved Food boxes I had collected, as well as lots of their foods, it was basically an Approved Food party!

I will start with the cake (you know, the important bit!). I had the cake made in the shape of a cowboy hat with an Indian headdress underneath. The hat was chocolate flavour and the headdress was a vanilla sponge. It was epic! It was really heavy but tasted great. This was the most expensive part of the party but also got the most attention, so I figure it was worth it. I am really pleased with the cake and for a first birthday I guess you can go a bit OTT! 

Next up, party bags! I bought a load of plain brown paper bags on eBay and wrote each child's name in a rope style, I then stuck on a little teepee (do I have too luck time in my hands?). Inside I put some lollies (Approved Food!), a pack of bubbles (4/£1 : Poundland), a ty plushy toy or Star Wars Angry bird plushy (Poundworld), some of the older children also had a activity packs, and of course everyone was given cake! I was really pleased how these turned out, they looked great and I made a conscious effort not to fill them with tooty crap (which I think I achieved!)

For decorations I made some big cardboard cut outs and put them around my garden, these included a cactus, totum pole, teepee and saloon doors for my front door. The impact was good although I think it always could be better! But more than anything I was happy that the rain didn't ruin them!

I also added some tissue paper Pom Poms, marble balloons (Poundland), Indian arrow bunting (homemade), and a few other touches.

The thing I am most pleased with is a cut out wanted poster! It was great seeing everyone take their photo inside it and the pictures will be a lovely momento from the party!

Lastly, as you may have seen on my Instagram, I made a birthday sign like the chalkboard style but a bit more highledy piggledy. I just wanted a momento of Tom at this point in time and it made a good centre piece. It also served as a shout out to all the people in Tom's life, which was nice as they as at the party. 

  

I did make the gold number 1, and it took about half an hour before my mother in law spotted that it was back to front! At least someone noticed! 

The party was a massive success, my house was heaving but everyone seemed to have a good time! I don't think I will be holding another big party next year but never say never! Better get stashing those boxes!

20 Birthday Questions : 1st Birthday

I found this on Pinterest (where else!) and thought it might be a nice tradition! 

1. Favourite breakfast : Porridge 

2. Favourite lunch : Nutella sandwich 

3. Favourite dinner : Beans on toast

4. Favourite fruit : Banana

5. Favourite vegetable : Sweet potato

6. Favourite treat : Vegan rice crispy cake (as discovered yesterday in leau of birthday cake : dam egg allergy)

7. Favourite drink : Milk

8. Favourite activity : Playing with cars

9. Favourite colour : Tom hasn't stated a preference, obvs, but his room is blue ?

10. Favourite toy : Thomas shape sorter, not to sort shapes but to push along the hall!

11. Favourite animal : Our cat, Hillary 

12. Favourite book : The smartest giant in town

13. Favourite song : Ok, this might be weird but in the car Tom loves Taylor Swift and gets really fussy if Mr B try's to listen to LBC (as do I, it's crap)

14. Favourite season : Um, bit hard to gauge, Tom is liking playing in the garden so I will say summer!

15. Favourite thing to do with Mama : Reading

16. Favourite thing to do with Dada : Bathtime

17. Favourite thing to do as a family : Play time before bed

18. Favourite thing to do at home : Run my cars up and down the hall

19. Who is your best friend? Problably Elfie and Khali, as they are friends I became close to as we had children around the same time and have spend lots of play days together over this year 

20. What do you want to do when you are an adult? Being as he is getting closer to it every day, I would hazard a guess that he wants to walk! 

I will do a bigger post on Tom's party and maybe on the presents he has received  but for now, I want to spend his birthday with Tom and I'm sure his nap is going to end soon! 

Have a nice day y'all!

It's nearly time...

To paaarrrtay! 

I am so excited it's ridiculous. We are having a cowboy and Indian themed birthday BBQ, with around 10 other children coming, plus parents, family and friends! It's going to be a bit crazy! I will be sure to take lots of photos and/or vlog about the decs etc but I will be putting my phone down for the party as I want to really be in the moment! Plus with all the guests and a toddler on the go, I don't think I'm going to have much free time!

What I really wanted to say on this post is, oh my freekin gosh! It's been (nearly) a year?! Me and Mr b keep saying 'this time last year we...'

1. Ordered Pizza Hut, which I ended up eating the leftovers in between contractions the next day!

2. Had watched all of 24 in massive binges, hence Tom's middle name being Jack

3. Had eaten more pineapple and spicey food then I ever thought I could in an (unsuccessful) bid to bring on labour 

4. Made a second home sitting on the bouncy ball willing on labour 

5. ... Had no idea what was really to come, how awful my labour was going to be followed by how fantastic life as a parent is!

See y'all tomorrow, get your party hats and cowboy boots on!

Tighter than a gnats arse ...

I didn't really plan it that way but my blog seems to have a co-theme of thriftiness. I hadn't even realised until a friend pointed it out to me! So I've decided to embrace it! Bring thrifty is part of me and if I'm going to keep bringing it up then I thought I would post what it means to me.

Some people think that as I try to be thrifty then I am judging how others spend their cash, not true. I don't really care what you do, I know that when I see something I really want I can get it but that means not getting at the little bits that I don't care as much about. Some people do the opposite and it's their choice. I know that if I started slipping I could go a bit mad with power and spunk loads of money but, personally I would feel so crappy about it after that it wouldn't be worth it!

Some people (weirdly) think I have lots of hidden money. Nope! I have some savings but I'm no means Mr Monopoly . Living how I do doesn't save me crazy amounts of cash but makes the day to day living more comfortable.

That I am a proper tight arse. Again (hopefully!) nope! I get my round in the pub, I buy (what I hope) are nice presents for my friends and family! I actually love spending money, I just don't like wasting money. When you have been without you realise that it's not a enjoyable way to live.

In reality being thrifty has been an offshoot of being organised. I like planning things and when you do, you have to consider budget. Rather than buying something on the fly I would prefer to have chosen what I want in advance. As a result I can compare the products/prices to find what best suits.

Some myths are true, I eat smart price food, I shop secondhand, I have learned to walk away from stuff I want (it's still hard), I shop in the reduced section at the supermarket (not to be sniffed at!), I will compare the prices in the shops and online and I wait for the sales.

Is it worth it? Yup! You do need to train yourself a bit to shop and be alert as to what you are buying and why. But in time it's just second nature to make better informed shipping choices. I hope you haven't found this condescending, I am certainly no expert (there is many a website dedicated to that!) but I am a thrifty gal and I'm not ashamed!

Excuse the photo, it's from my honeymoons, but the only one I could find with a shopping bag! 

Thrifting : Approved Foods (part deux)

So my new Approved Food order arrived in time for Tom's birthday party! Hip hip Horray! I thought I'd share my wares with y'all as it seemed to go down well last time! There are some repeat buys from last time and a few things bought specifically for Tom's party. So let's take a look see, I tried to separate them into boxes of similar items ... 

This is the crisp type box, I got some more popcorn as its really nice alternative to crisps in a lunch box and only contains 101 calories (5/£1)! I got Crinkles (14/£1) and Frisps (5/£1) as a throwback classic lunchbox item! And I bought the bacon streaks(3/£1.20) for Tom's party. There is also tortilla chips (2/£1.20) which I had to crop out, they are the hint of lemon flavour which I thought would make good nachos!

This is a kinda Tom box? I have more of the Organix squeezy sachets (6/£1.99)  as Tom liked them and they don't have strawberry in (woohoo!) in the summer I might try and part freeze one to make slush? I bought more tortillas (2/£1.50) for fajitas etc and they make a good snack for Tom. I also bought more sourdough bread (2/£1.50) as its a great way of keeping bread in the house that won't go off, as we don't always get through a loaf. The other thing are these wee Gullon biscuity things, like little ritz crackers? (£1.49) I thought they would be good for the party as a snack for the kids. I also quite like the plastic tub it comes in, I'm sure that can be reused for something..?

This is the packet box, although I've plonked my Fanta zero (5/£1) in there too! I have lots of jelly and custard (6/£1.50) as we used our last dry custard up and I like having some just in case (in case of what I don't know? Custard emergencies?). I bought the jelly (5/£1.20) thinking it was regular jelly but I think it's a glaze? I will have a crack with it but I think it might be a #fail. I have some dill (6/£1), it was cheap and I'm sure my dad used to use it in a sauce? Must try and find out! I bought the flavour of Simply Casserole (3/£1) that get didn't have last time, which is a sausage casserole, I have tried the ones I bought previously and it was really nice! And lastly I have the mini samosa snacks (39p), I thought I might out these out at the party as an adult snack. 

Ok, this one is jars and stuff. More tomato and garlic sauce (2/£1) #standard, always but it as its handy to have and is generally nice. Bought some Discovery Sour Cream (39p), handy for Mexican which we have really regularly. Bought some tubs of custard (3/99p) for those pesky custard emergencies! I bought a bottle of teriyaki sauce for 39p! Amazing! I would have bought the 3 for £1 but just don't have the space. Either way I'm chuffed! I also bought these Blue Dragon sauces (2/£1) in lemon chicken and sweet and sour. They are two step jars and I mainly bought them as Mr B loves lemon chicken so I thought it would definitely be worth a try. 

And the jewel in the crown of this order... PEANUT FREE PEANUT BUTTER !?! £1.49! Tom has a peanut allergy which I discovered by giving him peanut butter, funnily enough. I'm so freekin excited to be able do some of the cute Pinterest peanut butter recipes as well as just letting Tom have a PB & J!

Lastly we have the sweets and treats. I got some packs of Chuppa Chups lollies for Tom's party bags as they was 3/£3!

The Snickers was in a flash deal so I got 6/78p, the Crunch was 4/£1, Mars 4/£1. I bought the Hershey's shell ice cream topping (£1) as Mr B harps on about having it as a kid so I thought it would be good for a bit of nostalgia. I got some little pastry puff things (2/£1) in a bit of a whim, not sure why but they look nice enough. 

As always I am really pleased with my order. Approved Food continue to offer great value and the shipping seemed really quick this time. A tip I have when ordering is to monitor the 'Feed your family for around £20 a week' page on Facebook as they often get discount rates for Approved Food, using this I got 10% off my order AND 10% off shipping! Get in!

Have you tried Approved Food yet? What's your best buy?

On a totally unrelated note I have put my first video on YouTube! I cocked it up by filming the wrong way but if you fancy a gander https://youtu.be/ZPkrh6U3bEw

Quote of the week 6 : Fathers Day

A little gem from Pinterest, in the spirit of Father's Day ...

Have a nice week y'all  

Boy howdy that's one calm toddler...

I was perusing Twitter t'other day when I came across @BabyCalmLondon asking if any parents in Kent would be interesting in attending a ToddlerCalm workshop? After a bit of back and forth with Aliy, the workshop leader (leader? Main lady?!) I got my place secured for today and was sent on my merry way. I was given my place for free in order to review the workshop but you can book your place through Aliy's page (http://www.toddlercalming.com/teacher/aliy-walsingham) for £35. I chose to do minimal research prior to attending so I could go in with an open mind. I checked that at 11 months the course content would be relevant and I was assured it would be.

I wrote a before piece a week prior to attending to cover my feelings about the course and hopefully see any changes in my opinions or any questions answered :

 

I know a few bits and bobs about gentle parenting from Janet Lansbury, which seems to be what we will be covering. I don't know if I intend to embrace the parenting style fully but I would like to have a better understanding so I can make more informed choices when raising Tom. My friend is an advocate of gentle parenting, and attachment parenting and I have seen some of it in action which is great to see. I am looking forward to expanding my parental horizons!

They say : A 3 hour workshop that enables you to understand your toddler's brain development and shows you ways to avoid and handle most difficult toddler behaviour. We will look at the science of tantrums and how to encourage your toddler to grow into a kind, thoughtful and independent child. As well as this we address concerns around the arrival of a new sibling, biting, hitting, throwing, eating and potty training as well as helping parents to prepare in advance for the toddler years. We promise that you will find this introductory workshop truly refreshing and eye opening!

On the day : I got a bit lost trying to find the place as it is an adorable cottage type house tucked away on Sevenoaks high street, this led me to arriving with no shoes on (cobbles+heels), a rather full bladder and feeling frazzled. I was given a lovely warm greeting by Aliy, a cuppa and directions to the loo, good start!

In the workshop I was with 3 other women, all with toddlers, and troublesome tots at that. After some introductions I gained a much better idea of what ToddlerCalm  is all about, it's the science of raising a child. It does contain some of what underpins gentle parenting but it is different and not so secular that it would only apply to that.

We looked at the developmental stages  of a child's brain and the impact of this on behaviour and specifically tantrums. This was supported by the psychological studies that direct what behaviour management is used as a social norm and the impacts of that style in the child. It certainly gave me food for thought. At this point I thought it was good that Aliy approached the session in a non judgemental way, she was not ostracising people for methods that they have chosen or will chose to adopt but merely provides information to expand a parents awareness to a more empathic way to raise a toddler. 

All of the parents in the room expressed examples of difficult behaviours they had experienced and discused cause and effect. It was a good way of linking what had happened with why it was happening. 

We then went on to then look at and discuss the ToddlerCalm method. Now, I'm not about to give it all away as I feel you should learn this in context of the workshop or the books, but I will say it is parenting with the aim of understanding your child, and communicating with them to alleviate the anger/stress that build into tantrums and troublesome behaviour. 

I liked that Aliy explained that this will not stop a child from ever having tantrums as children are children and its a natural thing to happen but offers a way to manage it when it happens! Aliy also promoted me time and I'm saying a big YES to that!

As Tom is 11 months, we are yet to encounter the lurking beast of tantrums, but what I liked is that I can start to put in place some of what I have learned so when we do approach that time he will already be familiar with the method. I really like that the system is about empathy, trust and love, this sits very well with what I am learning as a counsellor in supporting Tom to be a well rounded adult in his future. 

I found it interesting that all of the mums there had already raised one toddler  and were on their second, advocating that the books and reading they had done had shown them the errors of their ways! Everyone said that they wished that they had known about this from the start.

In reflection : I really feel that this a good system for managing child tantrums and that it is based on science which will please Mr B. I think it has a great balance of emotional and logical which some other behaviour management seem to be lacking. 

I am pleased to have got to attend the course before I have been in meltdown, this doesn't seem to be the case for the other mums which makes sense that they exhausted  all other options and so tried to work 'outside the box'. I genuinely hope that if you have a wee one and are starting to question parenting styles then please do investigate this. I hadn't affiliated myself with any particular style but I knew that I liked a rule to follow (and explain to friends/family when they think I'm strange for not just blindly doing what is the norm), and I also like to take an emotional approach to all I do. 

My only apprehension is how I will be able to get a consistent approach amongst all of Tom's caregivers, I guess I must accept a degree of salt with some and also let them see it in action which should help them understand the motivation. 

The workshop costs £35, now that's not money I would just throw around, nor would many of my friends with children as when you have little ones there is usually the issue of budget. I think this is why most people would approach this when desperate rather than a pre emotive strike. I would say that if you can find the money then do some research and try it out. Course are offered all over the country (and the flipping world!) so there is bound to be one near you!

I had a lovely afternoon and have genuinely walked away feeling prepared for tantrums and generally what is to come, like I have added a string to my parenting bow!

N.B. Although I was given a free place on the workshop in return for my big post, all opinions expressed are my own, no pressure has been placed upon me for a flattering post! It really is that good!

An interesting question...

I was at my mums earlier today and my mum asked me an interesting question, 'Do you prefer being at home or working?'

Well, I felt like my answer should be, being at home with Tom as a mum of course! Maybe it should be that, but is it? I don't know. I know that I do love being at home with Tom, it's so rewarding, I love watching him grow, I want to teach him and learn from him, I just love him so much... BUT... But I love my time not being a mum, I love going for a wee when I want, I can eat with two hands, I don't have food smeared on me. 

So is one better than the other? Before Tom, work was ok, home was ok, there almost wasn't a relationship between the two. Now, they are ying and yang, maintained in perfect balance they complement each other and let me be an all round person. The flip side is that that when one gets out of sync then it all goes to shit. Earlier this week Tom was in the throes of sleep regression and I was hardly functioning at work, the week was a blur and I had a fuzzy brain. The knock on effect of this was that I didn't get enough done at work and felt guilty and my time with Tom has been a bit hazy and again, guilt laden.

All in all, I guess the answer is I see work and home as conditional of each other and I can only get the best out of one when it has the other to balance it. And I will never be fully happy with one or the other as I can never give 100% to either,. I can however live 45% in each camp with a 10% guilty conscience that I'm failing the other.

Bit of a random post but I found it thought provoking. 

Product Review : Clevamama Cleva Bath

Previous to having Tom I didn't have much of opinion on bath mats and probably would have thought I was a right saddo for caring enough to write this. Well, screw you young and not tired Sophie, because here it is!

Not all bath mats are created equal. Up until recently we used a body sized sponge to lay Tom on within our bath for a bath, none of those little baby baths for us! Doing this has given Tom lots of confidence in water, too much confidence some (Mr B) might say. Tom has now started to try and crawl and walk whilst holding on to the edge, whilst in the bath. This is when we decided we needed a decent bath mat. I checked in with my mummy friends and the Clevamama bath mat was highly recommended. I have used it enough times that I feel I can give an honest reflection of its quality. 

I ordered this from Kiddicare and it came the next day, it was £10.99 which pre Tom I would have scoffed at and gone to B&M, but what I liked about this  was its size, which isn't generally available elsewhere. Now, it says it's the full length of the bath and that's not quite true but it's longer than your average and call me a size queen but I'm liking that. The length means Tom has the space to have a wee crawl with less worries about slipping. 

I also really like the texture of the mat, it's a thick rubber but like bubble rubber. So it doesn't feel like a hot water bottle it's softer and squidgier, which is obviously nicer against Tom's skin. 

The mat attaches to the bath by the little round suckers you see in the photo, I'm sure y'all have seen those before so I won't dwell.

You also get the little kneeling pad included. I wouldn't pay extra for it but it's a nice enough addition. The pad is covered in the same squishy rubber and is nice to kneel on but it's hardly shit your pants exciting. 

Overall, I accept that to many this isn't that exciting but if you are dealing with a very active tot at bath time then this really is for you! 

Gorgeous Little George : My new brand love

After a post on Twitter by @thedadnetworkuk I have found my new addiction, and thy name is Gorgeous Little George! GLG is a website run by mumtrapenur Laura Lynch based t'up North. GLG sells a variety of brands of baby and toy clothes and gifts by selected brands and its homegrown brand GLG (which is super cool!). 

The brand and the company is flipping great, after discovering them an hour ago I am totally besotted, I like the familier approach of the website, I like they style of clothing and best of all? They actually have a decent (if not better) boys section!!! It's not all catered for wee fillies! If you have a boy then you will understand that this is rare! Liking a song by Justin Bieber rare! I'm so happy!

I have put together a clothes wish list and a gist wish list of items I am coveting until payday! Mwhahaha

Clothing

1 & 3 : GLG brand T-shirts : £13.50 : Both are beyond adorable. Obviously the blogger one would be a hit but 'bobby dazzler'? Genius! I generally like the style and font and use of monochrome, simple but effective, and a pleasant break from all the bright character clothing you see (and buy and love)

2 : Weasel & Stoat Bodysuit : £13 : In truth, £13 is more than I would generally pay for in essence a vest but I am really drawn to this. I like the simplicity of the screen print style and it fills the void of me wanting a little Boston dog!

4 : Little Green Radicals Teepee T-shirt : £14 : Thomas' 1st birthday has a cowboy and Indian theme and I just like that this matches! The teal is a really nice unusual colour and the general style is such a sweet little boy look

5 : Busy People PJs : £19 : I just absolutely love the colourful Aztec print. I haven't seen anything like this on the high street and I think it's so happy and bright. I kind of want a pair in me size

6 & 7 : Baobab Jade Mobile Print T-shirt & Joggers : £22 each : I love these as separates, together I think Tom might look like a stick of spearmint gum? And yet, I still would try it. It is really unusual for a boy to use a mint colour, I find it really refreshing.

Gifts

1 : Wooden Ice Cream Sundae : £6.45 : Ok, so it's a tad girly, but it's nice to see something a bit different up in here. A different way to practice the motor skills of stacking and adorable to boot!

2 : My First Hong Kong Buddha : £18.50 : We are a catholic family, however I really want Tom to have an open mind about other cultures and faiths and I want him to be surrounded by this from a young age. It's just a lovely gift to give or receive.

3 : Boys Storage Trunks : £29.99 : I have no clue where I would put these, but come on, slugs and snails and puppy dog tails!

4 : Knitted T-Rex Dinosaur: £12 : Little boys and dinosaurs are a fabulous mix. I like that it's knitted as textural stimulation can be really relaxing, plus it looks pretty

5 : Baby Milestone Cards : £12.99 : Tom is coming up to one, so really we would get no use out of these BUT when we decide on baby #2 then I will defiantly get them. The idea is really nice and you could end up with a lovely photo log of each milestone too!

I strongly urge you to take a ganders if you want to see something different or if you wanted to find a funky gift for a wee one!

Quote of the week : 5

My true self is free.

It cannot be contained

- Marcus Aurelius

Recently I have been trying to be more guided by myself and not the needs of others. I am starting to see that by being true to myself I am happier and that if people do not like or understand that, then it is their motivation that should be questioned and not my own authenticity. Oh that's deep...

Be yourself, be happy!

Have a nice week y'all x

10 things you do when your baby is going through sleep regression

1. Wildly Google 'sleep regression' in an attempt to find a date on how long it will last and any way of speeding it up

2. Wildly Google 'sleep training', and tell yourself that you will do it, just maybe when you have had some sleep

3. Mentally calculate all the things you could have got done if he had napped properly during the day

4. Wonder if it's his teeth, spend 30 minutes debating if Calpol should be offered, give a teething sachet instead 

5. Sit and scowl at partner peacefully sleeping in the other room

6. Decided that said partner will be doing breakfast duty, even if it is there turn for a lay in

7. Go on Amazon and look at sleep aids, refuse to buy as 'it's just a phase', put in basket just in case

8. WhatsApp any other parents you know who might be up, complaining that you are up

9. Google 'co-sleeping', Google 'co-sleeping risks', Google 'co-sleeping bad habits'. Notice baby is asleep. Silently cheer without moving a single muscle.

10. Stay awake for an extra 20 minutes once they are finally asleep in case they wake up

Tom's Eczema Journey

Tom started teething at 4 months and with that came a teething rash on his cheeks, they was red and I expected it to clear when the teeth came through, but it didn't. But then Tom was teething again so I chalked it up to that. At five months I wasn't very happy with the rash, it was still there and stating to look irritated, I used Sudocream and they seemed to slow down the irritation. I then tried Weleda derma baby which seemed to soothe his face but wasn't budging the rash.

This is the rash at five months on a good day

At around six months we went to a get Tom weighed and asked the health visiter about the rash. She suggested using e45, and if that didn't work then seeing a doctor. At this point the rash had progressively got more irritated, it got redder and redder and began to weep. The e45 irritated the hell out of his face and you could see that it was stinging when applied so we stopped that.

You can see here that some weeping had started to occur 

The morning of his doctors appointment I was really not happy with his face and took to Google. I had looked up before but was searching for 'teething rash', this time I was looking up 'rash on baby cheeks ' and lo and behold ECZEMA!

This was the eczema when it was probably at its worst, it had started weeping and scabbing

I saw the nurse practitioner and explain what had been happening and my belief that it was eczema which she confirmed. Tom's eczema had become infected as it was not being treated properly. I felt like a really shit mum, like I had ignored Tom's suffering and I should have known, despite trying my best and not knowing what to look out for!

This is the start of getting the eczema healed! Still pretty red and angry looking.

So my new mission was tackle the infection and then work on clearing the eczema, with regular follow up appointments. We used Fucidin and Hydrocortisone to manage the infection and irritation. I found using the a Hydrocortison really scary and off putting as it can thin the skin and is super strong and generally isn't recommended on baby faces, my nurse practitioner is fabulous and gave me the talking to I needed, explaining that it had to be done to rapidly improve the situation before we worked on managing his day to day eczema. 

The infection slowly healing.

It took around a month to clear the infection and build a routine around keeping his eczema in check. We learned that strawberry flairs it up and that baby food companies frickin love strawberry! We found that Aveeno really works for him, we also still like Weleda. Tom itches his face when he is tired so he has a thick ointment on his face over night to moisturise and work as a barrier for the itching. And we have an eye lube called Lacri-Lube as he can get odd patches around his eye.

A few flair ups along the way

Nowadays it's not too much of an issue as managing it is part of our daily life. I think I've earned a reputation with both our families as a crazy lady around foods and skincare but I am the one that has to manage the flair ups and upset, and so I don't really care! So far Tom's eczema has remained localised to his face and hopefully it will stay that way. Apparently a lot of children grow out of it so I remain hopeful but either way I'm happy jut to have it under control (frantically touches wood!)

Horray! Healed! Just some rosey cheeks these days!

I hope this has been helpful and that wherever you are on your baby's eczema journey you find a solution! 

Tom's Baptism Poem

Tom was baptised Catholic when he was 5 months old. I wrote a poem and put it with his two godmothers cards and presents, and here it is : 

Please Help these little hands to pray

These little eyes to see wonder in the world

These little ears to listen to others

This little mouth to speaks the lords wisdom 

These little feet to walk the path God has made for him and

This little heart to share the love he has been given 

Product Review : Vaseline Spray & Go

Since having Tom I just haven't had time to moisturise and indulge myself, I really miss having lovely soft skin and with summer coming I decided to take charge! I had seen the Vaseline Spray & Go advertised for quite some time and it looked to be the answer to my lack of time prayers!

I bought the cocoa radiant flavour (flavour?) which contains pure cocoa butter + stratys (I have no idea what that is!). The big sell is that you spray it on and it instantly absorbs so you can get dressed and crack on. 

I've been using this for a few weeks so I can give a better review of my experience. I freekin love this product! It really does what it says, so it takes no longer than usual when getting dressed, in real terms I am actually able to moisturise now! Hurrah! I have found myself using this more than I would regular moisturiser as its so convenient, it's great! The spray leaves a subtle cocoa scent on the skin, which is pleasant but not overpowering. 

Vaseline Speay & Go is gentle on the skin and leaves it noticeably softer, it's non greasy and I have had no adverse effects. I love the product and without doubt I will continue to buy it! I paid around £3.50 for the can I currently have and if I see it on offer I will snap up a few as I will keep using it!

Bootfair Haul : 2

So we went to a booty today and true to form we got some right bargains! So let me fill you in ...

I bought two dresses, the first is a George Sequin Shift Dress the seller was originally asking for £2 but I asked if she could do a better price and got it for a quid! An unexpected treat! The dress has 3 different metallic sequins building a geometric pattern all the way round. I really love sequins but can't wear them around Tom as I don't like the idea of them pressing against his face, but I am going out a little bit more now and this would be perfect for an evening at the pub/club!

The other dress I bought is more of a day dress. It is a George Green Swirl Wrap Dress. I am a big fan of a wrap dress, they suit my shape and are convenient for breastfeeding. I'm very keen on green as a colour and jersey fabric, and I think this dress had a good smart casual vibe! The seller originally asked for £2 and I got it for £1.50, which I am really pleased with! 

Next up, toys! Mr B has been collecting some of the toys of his childhood for when Tom is bigger, today he added Buzz Lightyear to the collection for £2.50. There seemed to be Buzz and Woody on lots of the stalls, all around similar prices and reasonable condition. All the buttons work, as do the wings, so this will be enjoyed by Mr B and Tom in the future! 

Mr B's greatest find was the Thunderbirds Tracey Island for £10, which he says brilliant! The island is in good nick but didn't have thunderbird 1 or 4 (means nothing to me!), I haven't much to say in this except that it was really cute how happy it made Mr B. 

So my next best bargain is this Bucket of Dinosaurs with props, the bucket had a RRP. of £10 and it was sold to us by a sweet dottering old lady for 75p, I offered to pay 80p and save her finding the change but she insisted! I intend to used these in a Pintrest/WhatsUpMoms craft project where you hot glue a dinosaur to a mason jar and spray paint for cute storage. 

From the same stall we got a bigger individual dinosaur for 50p. Nothing much to say! Good contain, have no clue what I will do with it!

Keeping with the dinosaur theme, I bought this Alphabet Dinosaur Puzzle (retails for £19 from Babi Pure) for £3. The puzzle is much too much for Tom at the moment but it was so bright and colourful that I think it will look good on his shelf for now!

For part of Toms birthday present we have bought him the Batman Little People figures, at the bootfair we saw a little Little People Batmobile (retails around £14.99) to go with it for only £2.50, so we will keep it back until then!

We also bought a smaller set from the range for £2.50, it is the Wheelies Superfriebds Race 'n' Chase Batcave  (£64.99 on Amazon), there are some bits missing but it's  totally useable and it quite sweet! 

Last but not least is a framed Catherine Colebrook print (retails around £30) bought for £3! I got this for a glamour puss friend of mine as it really is her style! If she hadn't wanted it then I would have happily kept is as I like a bit of tongue in cheek! 

That's your lot folks! I am really pleased with my loot and food weeks like this is what keeps me coming back! Have you had any good finds recently? 

Quote of the Week : 4

Another Pintrest random : 

Your children will become what you are; 

So be who you want them to be

--

I will try to be kind, gentle, fair, understanding, creative, friendly and open minded.

Five Shit Things About Being Pregnant : My Experience

Now, in time I am sure I will let you know all about my pregnant experience but I thought I would ease you in gently! I was not good at being pregnant, I was an absolute misery to the point that a friend told me she forget what I looked like when I smiled (!)

One of the main reasons was that I just seemed to get a lot of the crappy side effects, so I thought I would share and if you are out there all chubby and miserable you can be happy in the fact you aren't suffering alone : 

1. SPD - aka hurty pelvis

This came in very slowly so I kinda figured it was normal, until I was telling a friend with two kids that I was getting annoyed at feeling like I had been "booted in the fanny" and she was quick to explain that this isn't normal! There wasn't a whole heap that could be done about it but some simple changes like how you get in and out of a car, or turn in bed, can actually help manage the immediate pain and discomfort. In good news, mine cleared instantly after having Tom, so there is an end in sight!

2. Headaches

For the first trimester of pregnancy I used to frequently get really strong headaches, bad enough that I would have to stay in bed with the curtains closed. I went to the Dr who checked my blood pressure which was fine (definitely do this if you are getting headaches), and then he just said its part of pregnancy for some and there was nothing he could do. So naturally, I put a ranty post on Facebook and a pregnant friend of mine explained that she had it too and actually all I needed to do was up my water intake! And it worked! Hurrah, bye bye pesky headaches!

3. Restless Legs

These came on around mid to end pregnancy. Once I would get tired in the evening (all the bloody time!) my legs would go! I can only liken it to them feeling hollow and that you want to run and shake them to get the feeling full of life again? Sorry, pretty crap explanation! I would wake up in the night with this as well, it was so irratating! Sorry to say I never found a solution! 

4. Carpal Tunnel

Again this was a mid to end pregnancy thing. Basically, my wrist hurt, it hurt a friggin lot especially using my phone or a computer, or weirdly, laying in bed? I think generally when it was unsupported. I used to wear a wrist support from Poundland and it really help but made my wrist smell a bit rank, but I could live with that. 

5. Sickness

I thought I would end on a high! I was sick until 16 weeks and lost a stone in this time as I could barely eat. It was awful and I was miserable and hungry! I never found much of a solution (ginger really didn't work for me) but I was able to predict my sickness most of the time, I knew my triggers and I would choose my foods based on how easily they would come up. One thing I learnt is that I am very loud when I vomit so no subtle voms at work! This did make a brief return at the end of the pregnancy (a highlight was scaring the life out of my friend with a full on exoticist rendition) and I think that was because I just didn't have room in me for food and baby! 

I hope this was helpful! Or at least gives you hope that it will end! Did you have any side effects of pregnancy? 

My Mummy Happy Place : John Lewis

Ok, this is a bit of an odd post but hear me out...

I was out shopping a few days ago with Tom, Tom was being crabby, I was really tired, we both was still getting better from the lurgy. Things were getting stressful and I wanted to have a little cry. But then, what did I see? The green welcoming glow of John Lewis.

Now, don't get me wrong pre-Tom I didn't go in John Lewis. I thought it was too fancy shamshy and that I didn't belong, and there is some truth to that. When I had Tom my sister raved about the John Lewis changing rooms (I guess we are an odd family like that!) so I was looking forward to trying them. 

John Lewis knows how to cater for mums, the changing areas are large, clean and have the resources you need. When I first took Tom shopping with my friend he had a dicky tum and we were stuck in there for I don't know how long but it was awful, but because the changing rooms were so well designed it was so much more manageable.

The other element that I really like is the breastfeeding area. John Lewis is the only shop I have encountered that provides a decent breastfeeding area. They provide sofas, cold water and a discreet area away from the toilets, you can see that they have actually considered the mum's needs and it has made me loyal.

Well, that covers the changing rooms. The other big lure for me as a mum is the variety of brands in the shop.  They are a one stop shop for everything you need for a baby and I'm especially fond of the clothes as I've discovered brands I would have never heard of otherwise, last time I was there I found Rock n Roll Pirates, an amazingly cute brand selling tops and jumpers adorned in superheros and other pop culture references, I'm in love! 

I know this is a random post but I just want to say that if you ever are having a mini shopping breakdown (I can't be the only one!) then go to John Lewis, peruse  the beautiful things, have a tea and change your baby's bum and think of me! 

Do you have any mummy happy places? 

Haul Post : Tom & Me : H&M and Primark

I went shopping on Sunday, not looking for anything in particular but I knew I wanted to look in H&M and Primark. They did not disappoint!

H&M

Spider-Man Snapback : £4.99

Mr B is a bit of a geek at heart and this is definitely being channeled into Tom! I really love this cap and the peak will offer a good amount of shade on his face and, in truth, I think it looks trendy! It is also available in Superman. 

AC/DC Sleeveless Tank : £7.99

I would usually consider this to be an extravagance but I just totally fell in love! The colour is more of a grey marl than in the photo, there was crappy lighting. I really like the little rocker style and thought this would be adorable with some black jeans and Vans! They smallest size they had was aged 2-4 (H&M do really strange sizes! But I guess it will last!) so Tom might have to grow into this, although I think it will work slightly oversized.

Star Wars T-Shirt : £5.99

Continuing with the geek chic, we have a t-shirt with different Star Wars ships on. Mr B is all about the Star Wars and I thought they could match, he doesn't know this yet! I think this is a really cool take on the theme, rather than just the logo or storm troopers! It reminds me of Haynes manuals.

Indigo Jeans : £4

Can you guess the price? I bought these as a basic trouser. Tom has a few pairs of more vintage look jeans and I thought it would be nice to have a smarter pair. They are pretty basic but look like a really good quality and have just the right amount of stretch and long legs which bodes well for Tom!

That's all I got in H&M, they had an awesome Jungle Book t-shirt but not in Toms size, so I will keep my eyes out for that. I've also seen a cute double pack of Superman t-shirts that I like the look of and if I see them I will probably get but they weren't  in stock at my local H&M.

Primark

Grandad Shirt : £3 (reduced)

I have been looking for this style of shirt as we have a few weddings to attend over the summer, and I was overjoyed to find it not just in Primark but reduced (what-what!). I bought a bigger fit as I want Tom to wear a waistcoat with it and to be comfy. The shirt looks to be really good quality and I really like the rolled up sleeve detail, it's deco sulu the little things that count! 

Travel Bottle Set : £1

Not that exciting but I bought this for two purposes. 1. I buy the big bottles of Aveeno for Toms eczema and have travel size for me but NanNan has to lug a big one about when she looks after him. I thought I could use the pump bottle to give her a travel option and make life a bit simpler. 2. I have to carry Puritin with me in case of an allergic reaction so I was considering decanting some for a more travel friendly option, I'm not entirely convinced it will be successful but it's worth a punt!

That's all I got for Tom but I picked up some odds and sods for me : 

Shoe Liners : £2

My feet are ruined after years of ill fitting shoes and I am slowly trying to reverse some of this. I've not tried these before but I like the logic of being able to wear these with shoes and I have a pair in mind that are lovely but evil so I'm looking forward to testing these babies out!

Men's Harry Potter T-Shirt : £3 (reduced) 

I bought this on a whim. Harry Potter madness seems to have taken over my family so I thought, why not! I like a men's t-shirt as they are usually quite long and as I am *ahem* fuller figured, my body gives them shape. I like it, it's fun, why not!

Sarong : £1 (reduced)

I bought this as we are going to Spain in the summer and I figured I am going to buy one at some point, for £1 the time is now! It's just a plain pink sarong that I can chuck on when I'm not in the pool and am chasing after Tom! Feels an ok quality, and looks easy to pack. Might even work as a scarf? We shall see...

Acid Wash Jeggings : £7

I have recently lost a bit of weight and so my size 20 skinniest and jeggings kept felling down, a pain in the arse when I'm constantly up and down chasing Tom! So I decided to get these, I've seen a lot of bloggers talking about the high waisted jeans in here, but I could only see them in a 20 (typical!) so I got the wash in these! They are good value, and comfy. I am really happy with them, feel quite trendy! They are a bit more blue than the photo but again the lighting was a bit ass.

Super High Waisted Jeans : £10

I got these too as I have heard lots of blog talk that they are very similar in style to the Topshop Joni jeans, but I have a snowballs chance in hell in getting my arse in them! The picture doesn't pick up that there is a rip in the knee (there I go being all trendy again) so I need to remember to be cautious getting dressed and not putting my foot through it, which I've done in the past! I'm pleased with the fit, they seem to hold in the mum tum, which can only be a good thing!

Batwing Cardigan : £5 (reduced)

This was a pain to photograph! It's folded in half so you can see the sleeve shape, it's s navy cardi with white stripe and it's a very fine knit. I'm not a lover of my arms and at work I like to be a bit covered so this kind of light cardi is perfect for warmer weather. It could definitely be dressed smart or casual and a fiver is really reasonable. 

Bow Hairclip : £1

This is a cute couple pink floral print with an acrylic bow on the side. Tom is fascinated my hair and can get a bit grabby so I like to keep mine up and I like that clips means no hair kinks when you take them out. It's cute, it's a quid, I'm sure I will end up getting more!

That's my lot for today, I could have happily kept shopping but Mr B was getting bored! Have you got any bargains recently?