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Dear Daisy, It is your first day at school...

GIVEAWAY time!

Well I never set out to grow my blog into something lots of people would read, it was something to fill some spare time when away and vent a little about pregnancy etc but it's still going strong and it's really evolved into much more in just a few months.

So I hit 15,000 views not so long ago and to celebrate I said I'd do a give away.  As part of some of the great reviews I've had chance to do I thought I'd share some of the great brands with the lucky winner and have been and got some of my favourite bits... 


The lucky winner will receive all 6 of these items from MeMeMe Cosmetics, Make up revolution, FACEB4, Batiste and Colorsport. 

So see below on how to enter!!


Lots of love,
Hayley xxx
a Rafflecopter giveaway
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Mummy maternity moments

Becoming a mum has been and is the best thing ever, my life has changed and I absolutely love it. Of course it's difficult at times like when she had a cold and her injections all in a few grotty days and then there are the times she won't nap and she really needs it and the times where I have so much to do that I really need her to nap too. Oh and how I have to eat my tea every evening juggling her on my shoulder, will I ever eat my tea normally again?!



So where did this post come from? After watching Jess' latest post on Youtube from Lilypod and sweetpea it hit me that some of the ways I've been feeling are felt by most other mummies and in fact they're normal! The key to it all and the answer to all of these thoughts is that I should be savouring every minute with her and just rolling with it as I won't get this time back again. 

I shouldn't be trying to bundle her off to sleep just so I can mop the floors or polish the place, it can wait. It doesn't matter. I already know my time with her is precious because I am due to go back to work in October, due to financial reasons sadly. So I really do need to make the most of being a full time mummy as it's not going to last forever, heartbreakingly. If only money was no object and I could take a year with my girl... 


Jess talks about being over whelmed about all of the pressures she puts on herself and it really made me feel sad to see her talking about that, as I've felt it too and I'm sure it's something all of us feel at times. So I thought I'd just talk about some of those thoughts. 


First up, I've got thinking to do about my return to work (thinking about it makes me have a bad head), what will it look like in terms of days, routine, things won't be like they were will they? I worked away a few days a week and I'm really not sure how I'll feel about being cooped in a hotel room alone when my family are at home without me. But for now it's going to the back of my head, I've decided I'll snuggle when she naps, interact as much as I can and basically enjoy every minute I can with her. She won't be this little forever, she is already growing flipping fast!! And the weeks are running away with me. 

Late afternoons- early evening can sometimes be Daisy's witching hour when she doesn't know what she wants and neither do I! The minute tea is ready she is off on one, whining, generally just unsettled. As much as it frustrates me that I can't eat my tea in peace and it's hard work I do count my blessings as she is a good sleeper during the night, quite often sleeping through if not 6/7 hour stints. I would rather her tire herself out then than have me up in the night! I'd rather sleep than eat basically!! Haha!!! 


Other mummy moments that have dawned on me recently is the idea of baby groups. When I was in the later weeks of pregnancy I was going to a Surestart group- Bumps and Babies. I then went a few times when Daisy had arrived. However I soon realised that it wasn't for me. Luckily I went with my sister and her baby girl so there was someone there I could sit and chat with because the rest of the group I didn't find all that relatable (is that a real word??!). They are an older group generally and there appears to be not one of them who need to work and I just feel a little judged and out if that clique if you like. I would much rather go to see my niece so Daisy can interact that sit in that stuffy room with people I would probably never socialise with outside. A task of mine is to find a new group somewhere as I don't want to wish id made more effort when I looked back and also it can only be good for Daisy!! 

Lots of love,
Hayley xxx



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MeMeMe...

No this isn't an over indulgent post about me! Its about a boutique brand called MeMeMe cosmetics that I've been lucky enough to try and share with you all. 


I was so excited to receive these not only did they come packaged beautifully but they also still looked pretty when out of their case. 

And who doesn't love receiving make up goodies in the post? I certainly won't be complaining, and certainly not on this occasion because I love these goodies. 

First up is a tinted moisturiser in Golden glow £7.49, I'm currently using the No7 Essentially natural foundation. Ok so this isn't a foundation but I did find it of the same consistency and actually it gave coverage and good coverage at that. 


It's a little warm for my complexion so I would need to review the shades and choose a cooler tone but the consistency and feel of it was perfect, I really like this product. I'll be popping it into my summer bag for when I have a tan! But if you are after something really light and more of a moisturiser than a foundation then perhaps this may be a little too heavy.

Another plus is that it has an SPF of 15 which can only be good for your summer collection. 


This is me just after applying! (Excuse the mop on my head I was making the most of nan napping and popped a hair mask on!!)

Next up is the Cupids Kiss cheek and lip tint £5.50. This is the only product that I was a little disappointed with, and only for the reason that it wasn't strong enough to be seen over my make up and on my lips. Maybe it would work better on au natural skin, I'll have to give it a try. 

I was sent the eyeshadow quad in Ocean eyes £6.50, a dramatic array of blues and greens. I do like this kind of shade and so was pleased to give it a whirl! These are highly pigmented and I found I didn't need much on my brush to complete the look I was after. On the photos below I've opted for a day time lighter look where I have blended a lot to not look too dramatic for tottering around the house all day! 


On these photos I've also tested out their  Lash Attach black mascara £7.50 which is lengthening. Usually I would go for volume over length but this was pleasing, I'll be keeping it in my make up bag for casual days when I don't need plumped up lashes!



So overall a thumbs up from me! A nice set of products from a new brand that I expect will do very well on the high street. 

Again please excuse the under eye bags and hair do! I'm a new mum with limited pamper time :)

You can buy these products online on their website and also House of Fraser.

Lots of love,
Hayley xxx
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Daisy's hero products

Daisy is a little young to do her own beauty blogging but I'm going to have a good go at writing this for her! 

Newborn skin is so soft and sensitive and anything that keeps it so smooth and perfect is a winner, obviously. 



I had a mix of products bought for us when I was pregnant in hampers and at the baby shower etc so it's been great to try different things and really see what works for us and what we like. 



As part of our night time routine we have bath time, it wears her out, calms her and leaves her smelling beautiful. The first thing I tried was the Johnsons nightime bubble bath, with a touch of lavender. Firstly let me say this smells gorgeous, but sadly this seemed to be quite dehydrating and left not only Daisy with dry skin but also my hands turned very dry and itchy, it's the only thing I can think of that could have contributed. I do use Johnsons though for other things and have had no problems, I think maybe we should give their new gentle range a try out, first touch. 

As a result of her dryness I've been using Cussons Mum & Me baby lotion, again this smells delicious. It's non oily and is gentle on Daisy's skin and takes away any scaliness!! It's also lovely for baby massage which I try to do after her bath to relax her a little more whilst looking after her perfect skin. I highly recommend. 

After a few weeks of using the Johnsons bath stuff I was kindly sent some Infacare baby bath, again this is a night time scent which is perfect for when we bath Daisy. It smells much more gentle and less perfumed than some other brands, and it leaves us both silky smooth. Another thing which I love is that the bubbles stay put for the entire bath time, where as sometimes before by the time I had actually gor her in the bath they'd disappeared! Thumbs up from us! 


And last but not least I was given an M&S baby care gift set at my baby shower and the one product that has stood out is the bottom butter, it's so silky and even feels nice applying it to her botty feels smooth. It's camomile in it to not only protect but to sooth any soreness too. Perfect! 


Only a quick one from us today but hopefully useful :)

Lots of love,
Hayley & Daisy xxx
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Icandy apple 2 pear- does it live up to the hype?


Your pram is probably the most expensive purchase you'll make when getting ready for baby's arrival. And the most difficult decision to make. There are so many options available it's crazy, and then when you choose a brand you have more decisions to make, the decisions and choices are endless.


I looked into prams in quite a bit of detail before going to look at them, online, in various catalogues and review sites as well as the usual word of mouth recommendations by friends who have babies. 

I really knew I wanted a model that allowed me to have an old style pram top as well as the ability to transform into a pushchair style as the baby got older. I didn't like the super modern models, three wheels, super shiny frames etc... I think I must be more of a classic girl! 

Although one of the only other prams I liked compared to the icandy was a mamas and papas fox print Urbo 2 which is very much on trend. I love prints like this! But then it would date and I hated how everything was an "optional" extra, I felt the price you saw on the ticket was a little deceiving.




So I decided the icandy apple was the one for me! Then the decision was to get second hand or buy new. I looked and looked for second hand and I can tell you they really hold their price for a decent condition model!! Which can only be a plus to buy a new one if you ask me?

The trouble with icandy is that they won't sell online and they don't allow stores to display the pricing either. Their thought being once you see it and try it you won't look elsewhere. I went to a local store to try some out and ended up comparing the oyster and the icandy against one another. I found the Oyster to be a bit of a cheaper replica of the icandy style, sadly though you could really feel the difference in the frames in terms of sturdiness but then you pay for that too! 

In the end I ordered the icandy apple 2 pear. I loved how it was adaptable to be made into a double pram if needed one day, never say never!!! The frame was super strong and it looked classic whilst still being modern and sleek. 



One of the big selling points for me was the way in which it goes down and pulls back up, so easy compared to some! This is what really separated it to others. 

The lifetime guarantee also is a major selling point! 

So now I've had baby for over two months I feel I can give my honest opinion on it and I can honestly say I still love it! Anyone else that tries it (people can't help but give it a push!) also seem to love how light and reactive it is as well as the majorly useful extendable height handlebar thingy! 



The only thing I would say is that it's quite large, and you do need a decent boot to fit it in, especially if you have the carrycot, I've had to take my parcel shelf out for the time being and my boot is a decent size! But hey I'll live with that!

Lots of love,
Hayley xxx
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Thrifty Lollies #2 Lazy Rhuby Rubys

My last lolly post was a success with lots of you saying you were going to give it a shot, you won't have gone wrong it was easy peasy!!


At the moment I'm all about using everything that we buy and being careful not to throw food away, we can't afford to and it's such a waste. But something we often do, for example bananas go over ripe and I wont eat them and can't stand the smell!! Yuk! So in the bin they would go.. Not anymore. 

We had Jamie Oliver's "Save with Jamie" book and it's great!! If nothing else it teaches you how to use everything up. So we now freeze ripe bananas in freezer bags ready for a milkshake or smoothie!! Anyway back to lollies....

So these are lazy, really lazy. But just show what you can do for hardly any money at all and no time! 

This week I fancied something refreshing rather than creamy and after a scavenge of the fridge saw that we had raspberries that needed using so firstly I threw 5/6 into each holder. I then popped in a mint leave, more for appearance really but it adds a tiny tang of freshness too. 

This is where it gets bone idle.. Using a pre mixed soft drink fill up the cups. In this case it was Aldi's Rhubarb and apple sparkling fruit crush drink - super cheap and you won't need much. As long as the drink is red and goes with raspberry you will be fine, cranberry juice may go well. Then you are done, in the freezer they go!!

Ta-daaaaaa! 


I mentioned something more exotic like Pimms last week- I promise next up will be!! 

Lots of love, 
Hayley xxx
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Thrifty lollies recipe #1 Banana & Coconut

Recently we have got into a bit of a habit of having ice cream most nights, I wouldn't say it's a bad habit!! It's summer and who doesn't love ice cream?! Well my waist for a start I'm sure, not sure how much longer I can keep saying well I'm breastfeeding- I need the calories!! Also as much as I don't generally buy expensive ice cream it's still a luxury that can be avoided sometimes. 

Ben came home this week with a pressie from Lakeland, ice lolly moulds!! I love them! They remind me of my mum using them when my sister and I were young! 

So here goes, idea #1 Banana and Coconut lovelies 

Super, super easy....

(I'm not much on strict measurements, I'm too lazy but you can't really go wrong here)

Ripe banana (great way of using them up)
A dollop of yogurt- I've used low fat Greek yogurt 
A splash of milk (if you have any coconut milk you could use that here)
A squirt of honey for sweetness
A few raspberrys for colour
And a handful of desiccated coconutfor taste   but also texture 


Throw it all in a processor, no messing around. 


Ta- daaaaa! 


Some summer yummyness and no nasties whilst being cheap and cheerful! 

Wonder what I will come up with next? Mmmmmm I'm thinking Pimms perhaps!!

Lots of love, 
Hayley xxx
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My latest accessory! Becoming a baby wearer

So I looked up baby wearing when I was pregnant and it really is a minefield, like everything else to do with babies there are too many options and opinions! 

But I knew babywearing as they call it would be for me, it would mean I could do some of the things I enjoyed pre baby with Daisy, the biggest thing being walking Bobby, the dog. 


We are very lucky where we live that there are lots of walks right on our doorstep but sadly most are not pram friendly, and I wouldn't want to dirty my icandy!! There is a country lane right off our back garden which is safe for the dog and a nice walk up to the disused quarry but it means climbing either up the bank or over a fence! So the baby wrap is perfect! 

I decided to try a woven stretch wrap like the Moby wrap but a cheaper version from eBay! The link is here. I thought if it did the job and if Daisy enjoyed it then maybe I would upgrade, but I've heard of lots of babies not liking it! It turns out the wraps are pretty each to use, comes with clear instructions and there are lots of videos on YouTube and hoooooray Daisy loves it! She is usually asleep within 5 minutes!!! 


It means not only can I walk the dog but I also can cook tea when she has her grumpy hour every evening, do the hoovering, put the washing out, you get the picture!!! 




What baby holders do you like or have you tried? I'd love to know more about them! 

Lots of love,
Hayley xxx
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Surviving the newborn cold and immunisations

Daisy has been a healthy little bean since she was born, no episodes of sickness etc, until last week. 


We had a few tricky days/ evenings of crying and generally non settling (routine chucked!) where deep down I was thinking if this is the norm then I'm not sure I can cope! Anyway, the day after a full on runny cold popped his head up to cause us pain! What made it if even more difficult was that I seemed to get it too, so not only was I trying to get Daisy better and make her comfy but I was a snot monster too!!

The worst part of Daisy's cold was her temperature, I became obsessed with taking it and found myself stripping her down at every opportunity, "just incase"! There were two incidents where her temperature peaked close to 38'C which is obviously fine for an adult but pretty high for a newborn baby. Luckily Daisy was 2 months old that week and so could have a small dose of Calpol, thank god!!  It took a while to kick in but when it did it stopped the intense screaming and let her sleep it away. 

The other miracle product I used was Calpol Saline nasal drops, it was tricky to get up her nose and not in her eyes and anywhere else it shouldn't be but when it made it, it did clear her up allowing her to breath and again sleep. It seemed anything that made her more comfortable just made her sleep. Which is exactly what she needed to do. 

Whilst she had the stupid cold it was time for her 8 week injections too. Could the week have been any worse?? My poor little flower. Actually they weren't too awful, one top I was given and that I'd tell anyone else is if you are breastfeeding then try to feed them while they do the jabs, it comforts and relaxes them. With the first one we had the usual wobbly bottom lip but no sound along with her eyes popping out of her head and then she nustled in again before the next one! Well this one she did shout!! But it was for seconds and she then snuggled up again. It's worse for the person taking them I think! Very distressing! 

Anyway it was the aftermath that was awful! She slept pretty much right after for a few hours but it was when she woke that it was so hard, she screamed a scream I'd never heard before and there was no stopping her, she was purple! Out came the calpol!! Again it took some time to work it's magic but when it did it eased her, bit fully but it definitely helped, and also helped her temp which was shooting up. 

She wasn't herself for probably two days, very sleepy, very jumpy and some bad tummy ache. But lots of cuddles, massage and baths seemed to help her. 

So my survival kit;
-Calpol infant suspension
-Calpol saline drops
- Braun thermoscan
Kleenex super soft tissues to protect her tiny nose
-patience!!!! (I don't have much of that!!) 


That's her right after the injections! 

Lots of love, 
Hayley xx
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