Thankful Thoughts

When Noah turned four a couple of weeks ago I found myself having a strange kind of reality check (along with a minor freak) out about how quickly life was moving on. I suppose this year will always stand out for us as it marks Noah's departure from being under my wings full- time to being under that of his new teacher's at his school. As a mummy, it's both a very strange and normal part of life and something I will endeavour to embrace.

How little he knows that already I am treasuring the time we have left together 24/7 because I know everything will change when September rolls around and we begin the school runs every morning and afternoon!

Our lives seems to be ever-evolving, ever-changing and just when I find myself content and happy with our little bubble, new challenges present and we find ourselves adapting. It makes me so proud as a mother to see how resilient the children are and how much they embrace the here and now. They live in the present tense and that is something that definitely rubs off on me. As a result, I find myself more mindful that tomorrow doesn't matter as much as this moment right here and to be thankful for each and every day that comes around.

It's a wonderful privilege to be a mother three times over, to be able to experience the repetition of milestones made three times- it's the real stuff of life and it sure makes ours all the richer for having them in it! 

We feel so blessed to have three happy little chappies who make us laugh every single day!

...Some of my musings this evening :)

Love,

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Top tips for a restful night's sleep

Hydration Sensations!

Following on from my 'Luminous skin' post the other day, it occurred to me that my skincare routine has also had a wee adaptation over the past couple of weeks- (with great results too) so I thought I'd  have a wee chat about two products that are making quite a difference at the moment.

The Body Shop Vitamin E Aqua Boost Sorbet- Now there is a mouthful of a title if ever I saw one! When I originally tried this in the shop it was the 'sorbet' part of the name that made my ears prick up...like, would it really seem edible?  (Don't eat it, it doesn't taste as good as it looks!) But honestly, this is proof enough that looks can be deceiving, it really does look delicious! The thing about this sorbet is that it has this almost viscous texture that applies to the skin like a silky butter, melts in immediately and instantly refreshes it with a boost of hydration.

My face has been feeling a bit tight and also at the mercy of my hormones lately so I wanted something that would just really hydrate and nourish it and this does exactly that.

 Is it ok to also mention how pretty this looks on my dressing table? The bottle is glass AND pink so if looks are your thing, this won't disappoint!

The body Shop Aloe: Soothing Eye and Lip Contour: Now, this was a bit of a gamble purchase. I had been on the market for a soothing eye cream but when I first spied this duo-functional product it did make me wonder if it would actually be any good. 

I was definitely somewhat dubious to begin with. I suppose lips and eyes are so very different and I wasn't exactly sure how one product would successfully take care of BOTH areas. 

Well done Body Shop- you did it again! I'm not sure how they've managed it here but the important takeaway is that they have managed it! This cream is just-so-luxurious on the skin and really gentle. The Aloe extracts are really calming and cooling and I find it sits really well under makeup and doesn't mess with foundation or lipstick.

 I'm using it around my eye area twice a day and on my lips whenever I feel they need an extra boost of hydration and I have to say, I really think I'm onto a winner with this. It's soothing, delicate, easy to apply and feels wonderful! 

What's your fave Body Shop product? 

Love,

Letters to my children

Luminous Summer-Ready Skin

Baby bath time with Baby Dove/ Ad

As a mother of three lively little boys, I have grown to love the evening bath routine and for our boys it has definitely begun to take on a dual function.

Aside from using the bath routine to tackle muddy fingernails and cleanse little bodies, I also love bathing my boys because for them it signals the gentle process of unwinding and relaxing from the day. Considering they have such a lot of daytime energy, I have come to understand the importance of creating a soothing environment to calm my sons, ready for peaceful sleep.

Dove recently launched a new range of products under their 'Baby Dove' campaign and these, as the name suggests, have been specifically developed for very little ones. We were invited to try out the complete new range which includes the Baby Dove Rich Moisture Head to Toe Baby Wash, their new Baby Bar soap, Shampoo, Lotion, Nappy Cream and Wipes- all of which includes a 'hugs and kisses' fragrance specifically developed to be gentle with delicate baby skin.

My first impressions were 'Wow!' Dove has spent the last 60 years creating moisture-rich products that are now firm household favourites. Yet, here they are going a step beyond to provide baby- suitable products that are not only mild but actually replenish essential moisture and nutrients in young baby skin. That alone is something that particularly appeals to me as my youngest is only six months old and Jonah suffers from mild eczema- it's great to think these products could be suitable for all of my children's skin needs.

I was pretty excited to try the range out and I wasn't the only one either! Seeing all the new packaging and bottles heading for their bath, the boys were also very eager to know what they contained! Safe to say, our first Baby Dove bath time was made easier for all of us with the guaranteed tear-free formula's and so the boys happily splashed about the place while I got down to business with the cleaning!

We have been especially loving the baby lotion. Aside from when the boys were tiny, I never bothered with baby massage because they just never lay still long enough for me to apply the product to my hand, let along massage into their skin. However, now with Joshy in the game, we've all been enjoying making a bit of a routine out of our post-bath lotion and the boys have been 'helping' apply the Baby Dove lotion to Joshy too, all the whilst splodging it over their own legs...and the bedding too- sighs!

I know in the past I have definitely struggled with finding bath products for the kids and have regularly forgone using any just so that I could bath them each night without worrying about their skin becoming dry or irritated. Most nights the boys genuinely need bathing but so often the products available to purchase are too strong or provoke eczema outbreaks, particularly with Jonah. I love that Baby Dove have really thought about this and have designed the range in compliance with the standards of dermatologists and paediatricians, who have approved them as safe to use every day- even on newborns! It's also nice to be reassured that these products are also hypoallergenic, clinically proven to minimise allergy risks and pH neutral too.

It has been a lot of fun trialling these new products and so far, we have absolutely loved all of these. Baby Dove is now available in Tesco, Asda, Boots, instore and online and retails from as little as 69p for the Baby Bar to their most expensive product which is only £3.50 for the Nappy Cream. As you can see, the range is extremely affordable and very convenient to trial, especially if you're popping out to do your supermarket shop and see it alongside the nappy ailse.

 Baby Dove has centred the range around a 'Trust Your Way' ethos which is all about encouraging mothers to trust their own instincts and to be confident in their own individual approaches to parenting whether in regards to feeding, educating or disciplining their child. The new Baby Dove range fully supports this ethos and wants to make it easy for mothers by supplying superior bath time products which allow us to get on with parenting our own way!

I hope you've enjoyed this post, have you managed to try out any of these products on your littles ones yet?

Love,

*Sponsored post in association with Dove

Three handbag essentials

I recently picked up a new handbag and, I have to say, in a very short space of time I have become rather smitten! It's funny because I wouldn't consider myself 'into' handbags at all but I guess it was a case of just happening to be in the right place at the right time- thanks TKMaxx! It definitely helped that all three boys were behaving beautifully at the time which gave me a sneaky oppertunity to scout out the bag section and lock eyes on a dreamy bag with an even dreamier discount!

I ended up making a cheeky purchase and this Dune crossbody was my winning selection. What I like about this bag is that it is so lightweight but has a really generous interior meaning I can actually fit quite a bit inside. Aside from the usual, wallet/purse, phone, keys…and not least the obligatory stash of lego; I thought I would show you some of my handbag essentials or the things I typically carry around with me on a day to day basis.

Lipstick: Or, two or three-  as is often the case. I tend to have at least one lipstick kicking around the bottom of my bag as an easy ‘quick fix’ for life on the go. Some days it’s a simple case of bare face and sunnies with just a hint of something on my lips…even if just to distract from my panda eyes!

Charlotte Tilbury Bronzer: Honestly, I could wax lyrical about this amazing bronze/highlight duo and I already have many a time on here so I will refrain this time! However, I do LOVE the mirror inside the compact because it's big enough to really see your face properly and it's ideal for touching up flyaways or unruly eyeliner when I’m out and about.

Diary: I do have a bigger diary on my desk but I really wanted a handbag sized one to carry with me. I picked this one up from Cath Kidston and it makes keeping note of appointments or meetings on the go far easier for me. Using this I can quickly jot down essential info instead of trying to remember and then 9 times our of 10 forgetting something crucial. Once home I normally transfer key notes into my large organizer.

So, now you’ve had a little nosey around my handbag, I’d love to know what your handbag essentials are?!

Love,

June Goals

I always become more forward thinking at this time of year. I'm not exactly sure why that is the case but it probably has a lot to do with summer being around the corner and subconciously wanting to be prepared for it. Being JUNE now (Yikes, this year is flying by!) I thought I would put pen to paper and set myself some extra goals this month to really help put me in the best frame of mind for this last 'pre-summer month' as I like to refer to it.

01. Digital detox. I gotta get on top of the amount of screen time in my life. I've had a few proper 'digital detoxes' lately and they've done the world of good. Having gone camping twice in the space of a week we have had a few solid days away from screens and phones and it's been blissful. Plus, I've not missed devices half as much as I thought I might! 

Sometimes I find myself mindlessly looking at my phone and refreshing my pages for no real reason. What a waste of life! I want to be super mindful of the time alloacted to work or social media and put my phone away in the evenings to concentrate on down time with my family. Whilst without a doubt technology is bloomin' incredible these days, it can also be such a thief of time! Phones, computers, games consoles and the like generally lead to a lot of unnessesary procrastination in my opinion! 

02. Health & wellbeing. So since I stopped breastfeeding officially and my cycle finally returned, my excess baby weight has almost totally shifted as is usually the case for me. I'm down to the last few pounds before I reach my pre-pregnancy weight and now I want to up my general fitness and really focus on strengthening my body. In the past four years I've been pregnant three times and have gained and lost a lot of weight three times over. I'd really like to spend this month giving myself oppertunities to focus on fitness and core strength and build back a little more muscle tone- hopefully setting myself up for a more active and healthier lifestyle.

03. Journal more. I love journaling, keeping diaries, all of that malark! I'd quite like to do more of it both in my prayer life as a Catholic and in simply making notes about the children, their funny little stories, phrases...really anything that seems memorable. I just want to record it all to be able to look back on one day!

04. Live outdoors. Well...not literally speaking but you get the jist. I want to spend A LOT more time outdoors. Whenever I feel stressed or upset, down or just a bit 'meh,' getting outside, going for a brisk walk, even simply breathing the fresh country air always makes me feel better about most things life throws our way. It's a natural antedote to feeling cooped up too which can often happen while looking after very little kiddos so I really want to make the most of our beautiful countryside and live in it this month...and every month!

05. Podcasts. I have discovered podcasts in a big way recently and I feel like I'm on a whole other journey of discovery! (Excuse the closet granny moment) Seriously though, I've really got into the series 'At home with...' by Anna and Lily and I've been tuning in every wednesday to get my fix. All I need are some wireless headphones and my country walks will be the epitome of relaxation. 

Any podcast suggestions you'd like to throw my way would be gratefully received!

Love,