London, From A Mum's Point of View

I loved London. The Big Smoke was one of the few cities in this country that I would have relocated to. Had the opportunity arose, I would have packed my life away and joined the rat race without giving it a second thought.

That was then, and now you couldn't pay me to give up my lovely home, or my beautiful son. Because living in London for me will mean leaving my son behind. Sounds harsh doesn't it? Well that's the conclusion I've made after my first trip to the city with my little boy. The mad rush, the escalators, the stairs. Where are the lifts? Forget people with pushchairs for a second, how do wheelchair users get around? Elderly people? Pregnant ladies! Is there a secret fund that pays for them to be chauffeured around the city? Oh wait, there's buses. You don't fit the criteria of the underground so you can't get to your destination as quickly as the rest of us. Go plonk yourself on a bus and see you in an hour. 

I don't expect most people to see where I'm coming from, especially as I'm only seeing it now. I was one of those blind dumb asses running around madly in love with London. Then I opened my eyes. I realised how rude people are, how inconsiderate they are. All they care about is getting on that damn tube and reaching wherever they need to be. 

My mischievous little boy must have picked up on the fact that mummy was stressing, so he was on his best behaviour. In actual fact he wasn't even bothered by London and slept through most of his trip, very unusual for him as he loves new places. Not so fussed by this one though. 

My rant aside, we did manage to make it to the Magnum Store in Covent Garden where we personalised our own Magnum ice creams. I went for brownie, honeycomb and coconut flakes. 

Baby A decided to wake up for M&M  World which he thoroughly enjoyed and we brought him a teddy bear from Harrods as a souvenir. 

Overall a good family trip away, just a shame that I didn't find the people of London and the city itself very child friendly. 

H x 

The Birthday Blog

I've been eager to upload the birthday blog for a few weeks but haven't been able to get round to it. Thank God for the wet Bank Holiday, now I can share the birthday bash of the year with my followers! 

Baby A turned one on August 15th and we organised a Minion themed party for him. The dress code was yellow (this goes without saying) his friends from play group were invited, outdoor soft play was hired, as well as a minion costume and a bouncy castle. We went all out, after all my boy will only have one first birthday party. 

Even the weather held out! After a week of non-stop rain I didn't think we'd get the garden party we had hoped for. Typical British summer....

The showstopper of the day had to be the amazing cake(s). Five individual letters spelling out birthday boy's name, also adhering to the minion theme. We had so much cake leftover that we were still giving it away a week later. I managed to save a letter for us though, the sponge was so soft even a week later, and the raspberry buttercream filling was scrumptious. Just thinking about it now has triggered my craving for a slice accompanied with a warm cup of coffee. 

I'm digressing now. Ok so here's few tips if you're struggling for party ideas for young children. I guess it will get easier as they get older. 

What do you put in favour bags for one year olds? Here's the answer; 

*Rubber duck 

*Bubbles

*Baby reading books 

*Bouncy balls 

*Baby colouring books with crayons 

How do you avoid feeding babies crisps and snacks that you would usually avoid? 

Don't let them miss their lunch. Start the party at 12pm which is lunchtime for most babies. Prepare a pasta bake in the morning and bake it in the oven before guests are due to arrive. Upon arrival serve up, and keep in the oven so it's warm for late arrivals. If the little ones are fed on time they will have enough energy to enjoy the soft play and bouncy castle. There were all played out and from what I hear most of them were fast asleep before they made it home. 

Keep some baby biscuits to hand so that suitable snacks are available should Baby  need a nibble. 

Is it a good idea to invite babies under one to a party? 

Of course it is. Just have plenty of activities to keep them busy and don't make the party last too long. We invited six babies, seven if you include birthday not himself. Babies arrived at 12 pm, family arrived at 2pm after which the cake was cut and most babies left as they needed a nap. Then the party continued with fault members. 

Hope this helps with organising your first birthday parties. For further info on the cake, bouncy castle, outdoor soft play and minion mascot please get in touch. 

H x 

Calling Brummy Bakers!

Help! I am really struggling to find someone to bake a birthday cake for next month. I don't want to risk booking someone who's cakes look great on Instagram, but don't actually taste very nice. So I'm enlisting the help of my social media friends and fellow bloggers. 

Wanted: a fantastic Birmingham based baker with great reviews. I require two cakes for Baby A's birthday in just over a month. 

Can you please share/tag/forward to any recommended bakers so that I can discuss further details with them. 

Thanking you in advance. H x 

Life Changes: Returning To Work

Some of you may know that I am due to return to work shortly. This means that like most working  parents, we now face the difficult decision of who will look after our little gremlin while we are at work. 

We've explored most avenues and hit many brick walls. There's the busy grandparents who are adamant that they will be having bubba, but at 10 months old he is everywhere, and therefore can be quite a handful. Ask me, I spend my days chasing around after him and taking a breather when he finally goes down for a nap. 

We've spent weeks going round in circles. Yes he's definitely going to nursery, but then again maybe he'll be happier with the grandparents...but it will restrict them from going out and doing their things. My head has been a total mess these past few weeks. I knew we'd be taking out a second mortgage by sending him to nursery, and that's only part-time. So we bit the bullet and started settling him in at nursery two weeks before he would start, and what an emotional roller coaster that has been. For myself and my poor little boy! Five sessions later and there's still tantrums and years, from mother and baby. 

How can we justify paying a fortune for childcare when the little gremlin doesn't even settle. He's the happiest little boy who can entertain himself very easily at home. Always exploring, climbing things, going for all the things he shouldn't be going for, but never screaming and crying the way he does when he goes to nursery. Apparently this will happen for a good few weeks, or even months before he finally adapts to life at nursery. How cruel is that. As a mother I can't sit there and listen to my baby crying, I can't drive to work without worrying about how upset he is, let alone completing a full day's work and then getting back to collect him. 

I know that all mums go through this when the returning to work transition begins, I just don't know how they do it. I'm very weak when it comes to my son, I've even thought about packing in nursery altogether and relying on family members to pull together and look after him for a few days a week. That's fine as a temporary arrangement, but after a few weeks or months temporary arrangements just won't cut it. 

Nursery offers me the stability and guaranteed childcare, that's why I refer to it as a second mortgage. I just wish it didn't have to upset my little bubba so much in the process. 

I hope he can forgive me for abandoning him while he's still so young. 

H x 

Shake it like a polaroid picture

I signed up to Printl last month, I read about them on Miss Mulberry's blog and thought it was a great idea. Thanks for the recommendation!

I love pictures, despite the odd upload on Facebook, Instagram etc I don't actually have as many printed pictures as I would like. Printl link to your Instagram account and will post your top photos direct to your door every month. Also, delivery is free of charge. How great is that! These are my snaps from my first month, a random selection of a snapchat screenshot of the lovely Jose, photo collage from my lovely friend Katie's wedding last month, and a rare appearance from Baby A on my Instagram account. You may have noticed that I don't share pictures of my son in my blog, well I've also limited the pictures I share on my personal Facebook and Instagram profiles. I have my concerns about the privacy policy on social media. 

Anyway, enough about me and my concerns. Sign up to Printl today to receive your top Instagram pictures direct to your door. 

Happy snapping! 

H x 

Beauty product of the month

Brace yourselves ladies, I'm about to introduce you to a product that has the ability to transform your skin like no other toner can. If you haven't already heard of pixi glow tonic, then here it is. Avid beauty fanatics/ bloggers are more than familiar with this toner. 

An exfoliating toner which leaves you with glowing skin with regular use, need I say anymore. I've even had makeup-free days since I've been using the toner regularly, thanks to my sis for treating me to yet another pixi product.

I know the title of this post suggests that it is my product of the month, the results suggest that I will be using this more often as I am very impressed to say the least. 

At £18.00 it's slightly more expensive than other toners on the market but definitely worth it. Once you see the improvement in your skin you'll wish you had discovered it sooner.

Get yourself some pixi glowing skin online (pixibeauty.co.uk) or visit their lovely boutique on Carnaby Street. 

Happy beautifying bloggers!

H x

I'm The Mum Who....

Thank you to firstooth for nominating me to write a post titled 'I am the Mum who...'

So here it is, dedicated to my little boy who in the space of 10 months has turned the least maternal person into the most devoting mum.

I am the mum who:

• Said I wouldn't spoil you, and then I took you to Toni and Guy for your haircut when you were just a few months old.

• Wasn't prepared for motherhood in the slightest, and now I can't imagine my life before I became a mum. 

• Cooks all your meals from scratch because I don't want to feed your jars 

• Cried with you when you had colic and were teething 

• Speaks to you when we are out, and people think I'm talking to myself, oops. 

• Is battling this separation anxiety so that we are both ok when I go back to work

• Has become a rubbish wife/sister/daughter/Aunty because I want to be the best mother

• Misses having a spotless house 

• Wondered what I did with all my time before you came along...?

• Forget to eat because I have 101 things to do that are more important 

• Is still baffled as to how a tiny being can impact our lives so much. You can't even speak yet, how do you influence my daily activities you little gremlin! 

• Hope you fulfill your wildest dreams, and even some of mine that I probably won't get around to fulfilling! (No pressure) 

• Finally understands what unconditional love is.

Most importantly, I'm the mum who now appreciates what my parents went through whilst bringing up me and my siblings. I now understand that when my rents say that parents only want what's best for their children, they actually mean it! 

Dear Mummy-to-be

I wish I had realised how much my life would change after I became a mum. I like to think that I made the most of the time that I had to myself, although there's a few things I probably would have done while I had the time (sorting out the spare room is just one of the jobs I will probably never get round to doing now)

It's taken me a while to actually think back to this time last year and recall what I did with my time. 

I never really took much notice of people when they told me that I wouldn't get as much time to myself after I have a baby. I thought they were exaggerating, that's how gullible I was. 

So here's a list of things that I enjoyed doing before I was running around after my little gremlin. 

If you're a mummy-to-be please take note. Enjoy! 

• Indulge in long soaks in the bath. If you're struggling to sleep then this bath soak from Mum and Me will work wonders for you, it has camomile in it and really relaxes you if you have a bath before bedtime.

• Have as many lie-ins as you can. I've always been an early bird, one of those annoying people who's body clock wakes them up super early even at the weekends. Boy do I miss my rare lie-ins now. I won't scare any sleep lovers by revealing my daily wake-up time....

• Catch up with your girls. Have movie nights, dinner, or just a good ol' chinwag. It's nice to see your friends, even nicer without a cheeky gremlin in tow who steals all the attention. 

• Date nights! What's that again? Oh yeah I remember now. Squeeze in a date night as often as you can. Cook together, eat together, go to the movies, go out for a meal. I don't mean to sound so bossy but surely you can feel my frustration. If not for yourself then do it for me! Hubby's long working hours + bubba's early bedtime = no date nights for us. So enjoy them while you can, it's easier to arrange a date night when you're not worrying about babysitters etc. 

• Pamper yourself. Get your hair done, treat yourself to a facial, paint your nails. Indulge in some beauty therapy, if that's your thing. You'll look and feel fabulous, more importantly you'll look every inch the yummy mummy once your bundle of joy comes along. 

• Retail therapy! This is probably the last thing on your mind, but if you like to get dressed up and look nice (which most of us do) then buying a few outfits for your post baby wardrobe is a sensible idea. No need to spend a fortune, just a few pieces that you can slip into when you are out with bubba. Take it from someone who has had just a few wardrobe related meltdowns since becoming a mum. It's nice to have something new, and clean to wear when you're out and about showing off your baby (who happens to have reflux, but that's another story for a different day) 

• Finally, devote time to your hobbies. Whether that's reading, painting, cooking, baking, sunbathing. Whatever you like doing in your spare time, do it  while you have some spare time. Newborn babies require a lot of your attention and if you are anything like me then you will probably forget what you enjoyed doing before you became a mum. Luckily it doesn't last forever, once babies get into a routine then you will have time to do the things you love.

Hope this has helped, and not scared any mumy's-to-be too much!

H x 

They Grow So Fast

I saw this post on Facebook a while ago and it makes me feel quite emotional. 

I'm glad I held my boy more than people thought I should. Rocked him, sang to him, cuddled him some more. 

Now at ten months, he doesn't need to be held as much- he's far too independent for that. It's all about crawling about, climbing things and discovering everything in his stride now. You know they are no longer a little baby wen they can hold their bottle, feed themselves and crawl away when it's nappy changing time. 

Forget what everyone says. Make the most of every second with your baby while they are still a baby. As the quote says: he is only a baby for just a while. 

H x 

Pamper Time

It's taken the best part of nine months, but I finally took some time out for myself this afternoon. Leaving Baby A in the capable hands of his dad, off I went for a massage and a facial. Lucky me hey, it was even better than it sounds. My treatments lasted an hour... I don't know where I drifted off to for those 60 minutes but it was pure bliss. I can't remember the last time I felt so relaxed. 

My brain is always ticking away, it never stops. When I'm not running around after the gremlin, 'me time' usually consists of a coffee on the sofa, phone in hand checking emails/Instagram/showbiz goss/twitter. It's been a very long time since I switched off and just drifted away.

My half body massage was out of this world, my knotty back and shoulders felt weightless. The facial was an added bonus as I booked the June promo. Oh how I've missed facials, I mean the ones where you just lay there while a professional gets to work on your face: not the ones you quickly slap on when you have a spare 5 minutes before bedtime. Huge thanks to the team at Highfield Beauty, and especially to Natalie who made me feel like my youthful, less tense self. 

The current promotion is a half body massage and Dermalogica revive facial for £39, available throughout June. Contact Highfield Beauty for more info. 

I'll be back for more pampering soon ladies, it's always a pleasure. 

H x 

Coming Soon: Naked Smoky Eye

I need this in my life! As a make-up enthusiast and Naked Palette fan, I cannot wait for the Smoky Eye palette to be released. I've been experimenting with my current Naked Palette's and my Sleek palette to create various smoky eye looks. I was never a huge fan of smoky eye, I have the darkest circles under my eyes so dark eye shadows didn't really compliment me very well. After a lot of makeup experimenting I have found a few looks that work for me, so it's perfect timing Urban Decay to launch yet another of my favourite eyeshadow palette, in smoky eye shades.

I can't wait to get my hands on one of these! Released July 8th 2015!

Baby A's travels: The Library of Birmingham

This wasn't the first time that Baby A has visited a library, but it was his first visit to the fantastic Library of Birmingham.
We attended the Shake Rattle and Rhyme session on Thursday morning. I was unaware that the session takes place weekly during term time. I just happened to be browsing the website last week whilst I was planning a visit. So we went along on Thursday to have a sing-song, it was a busy session and then there's a stay and play until 1pm. We got a little goody bag of nursery rhymes and stickers to take home with us, but left well before 1pm. I wanted to take my boy to the secret garden, I absolutely love it up there and as it was a hot sunny day it was the perfect opportunity to soak up some rays.

I would recommend attending the singing session at 11.30am, I would have liked to stay for the stay and play afterward too but it was too crowded, and some parents are quite inconsiderate, they aren't very mindful whilst walking around and almost trample over smaller children playing on the floor. Other than that, I'd give it a go just make sure you get there a little earlier to ensure you get a good seat!

Review: The Ultimelt Cleanser

I love hot cloth cleansers, I've always been a Cleanse & Polish kind of a gal. In my eyes Liz Earle is the queen of skincare and all other cleansers don't even scratch the surface. That was until I discovered the Soap and Glory Ultimelt Hot Cloth Cleanser.
Use in the same way as any hot cloth cleanser: rub onto your face, massage for 1-2 minutes, run your cloth under a hot tap and place on your face. Let the hot cloth sink into your skin for a few seconds, and then wipe away. Voila, you are left with smooth makeup-free skin, which smells quite tasty. Then again, all Soap and Glory products do!

At a price of £10, it's a steal! A fantastic bargain for a mini pamper, go on treat yourself. Available on the Soap and Glory website and Boots.com

Pssst...Boots currently have an offer on their S&G products; buy one get second half price.

Outdoor Fun

In the summertime when the weather is fine....I want to be outdoors! 

So with my little boy in tow, we took a trip to the Nature Centre in Edgbaston. 

This was my first visit, but I've heard great things about it. 

I was so surprised to see a range of animals, we might as well have come here instead of the zoo! (I don't actually mean that, I do love the zoo) 

They have everything here from Lemurs, meerkats, monkeys, a whole host of reptiles and otters. 

This is an ideal place to visit if you love animals but don't want to trek all the way to a zoo. It won't take up your whole day, although it could if you wanted to. With an admission price of just £5.50 for adults it's a steal for value for money. I highly recommend visiting the nature centre whether you have children or not. I can't believe this place is on my doorstep. As an animal lover, and a mum, I will definitely be visiting again. I might even take the hubby along next time! 

H x 

Afternoon Tea

Time to relax and indulge in some afternoon delights. Well that was the plan, but Baby A gate crashed my birthday surprise from my friend. Although he is no stranger to Afternoon Tea, he was on his best behaviour while mummy and her friend gossiped away, sipped on various forms of caffeine beverages and tasty finger sandwiches followed by a generous helping of cakes, scones and meringues. We literally rolled out of Hotel La Tour last Monday. 

Thank you for your hospitality. I've has afternoon tea at La Tour on several occasions and would highly recommend it. The staff are very attentive and I discovered on my recent visit, child friendly too.  

The C Word

This one is for new parents, or anyone who is interesting in reading about just one of the challenging aspects of becoming a new parent.
I had never heard of colic before, I never imagined that newborn babies could cry so much, and so loud. I have never felt so helpless in all my life.
I went through childbirth, my little boy was circumcised, he endured the pain of teething, but it's the colic that was the hardest thing to deal with, for us first time parents and our newborn baby.
I'm not an expert on colic, but having done my research I feel that I know my fair bit.
For the best part of eight weeks my baby cried, constantly for several hours every night. His face was bright red, his screech was so loud and comforting him seemed impossible. He was healthy, taking down his milk without a problem (despite having reflux) and was a happy baby during the day.

My advice for dealing with colic:

• Massage your baby's tummy. Move the legs in the bicycle motion.
• Invest in Dr Brown's bottles: Online retailers
• Ask your doctor about colief
• Ask your doctor about Infacol 
• As soon as your baby turns 4 weeks start giving them gripe water 
• Keep soothers, comforters, massage oil at hand so you are prepared when colic related crying strikes
• To avoid exhaustion, sleep when your baby sleeps. This way you can be ready for your ear drums to burst when the little one decides to have a colic crying fit. 

The following websites have some great (professional) advice for colic:

babycentre.co.uk
netmums.com
Bupa.co.uk 

The first few weeks of parenthood are exciting, amazing, tiring and very challenging. That's in any case, with colic the tiredness, stress and exhaustion is doubled. There is no quick fix for colic, but the suggestions that I have given helped me to be in as much control of the crying as possible. Sometimes it reduced the crying, other times i didn't make any difference. But I was in control, I was doing something and I didn't feel like a useless mum while my baby was crying his eyes out.

On the off chance that someone has found an instant cure for colic, please let me know.

The Return of The Backpack

It's been a while since I've purchased a lovely new bag, hence why I'm a little too excited about this beauty. I've been eyeing up these fashionable backpacks for a while now, but struggled to find 'The One'. Now I have it, and what a steal it was from New Look - for under £25 would you believe it! I'm so glad that these backpacks are trendy again, I used to have a small one when I was younger. I could only fit a lipgloss and compact mirror in it, shiny black patent and I took it everywhere with me. Now a good few years later it's ideal with a baby in tow, no fussing about with handbags sliding off your shoulders while you're faffing about with pushchairs and car seats. Yet looking bang on style at the same time. Hurray! Here's the link if you want to grab yourself a stylish bargain: 

http://www.newlook.com/shop/womens/bags-and-purses/black-box-zip-front-metal-trim-backpack_320400001#g4KBpxF0wrZP4tb5.03

They're not just practical bags for mums, Check out ASOS and River Island's collection for a range of styles and sizes. 

www.riverisland.com

Happy (belated) birthday to me!

Yes it's true, you do forget your own birthday when you become responsible for a tiny person. Well if you're anything like me then you do. I hadn't planned anything for my birthday, which was on Thursday in case you were wondering. Baby A picked up his pace with crawling over the bank holiday weekend, then he came down with a bit of a cough and a snotty nose, lovely. Also, with the bank holiday not falling on my birthday it just didn't click that it was coming around so quick. Not until I started getting messages from friends asking what my plans were for my birthday. Yikes!

Luckily the hubby had remembered, phew! So here's how my day went: an impromptu trip to Twycross Zoo, followed by a spot of retail therapy to pick up my new bag (post to come later), dinner out with my 2 boys and cake cutting with the family. I do love a spontaneous birthday!

I have been waiting to take Baby A to the zoo for months. I think he's at a good age now (9 months) where he can appreciate the animals. Unfortunately he was fast asleep by the time we got to his favourite, Sophie the giraffe. 

It was nice to have some family time. I'll pencil in my birthday in my diary for next year. Just making sure I don't forget again. 

H x 

Welcome!

Ola! Welcome to my new blog where you will find a selection of my ramblings. I will try to keep this site up to-date. As a first time mum (my bundle of joy is now nine months) I hope to give you an insight into my world as a newish mum and the fun and games I get up to with my little gremlin. Don't worry, it won't all be baby related....

Stay tuned, feel free to leave any comments, suggestions and share anything you find interesting. I'll try to keep it fun and light-hearted.

H x