A beautiful sky

I just had to share this photo tonight. The sun was setting and whilst I was preoccupied with getting dinner sorted for Noah, I caught a glimpse out of the window and dashed to get the camera. The light was just stunning and the balance between last daylight and night arriving created such a beautiful ambience outside. 

On nights like this I could just sit out and while away the evening- if it wasn't freezing out there! Haha!

Happy weekend everyone!

Love Bunty

xXx

Harmonica fun!

I think it's fair to say that Noah is going to be influenced by our love of music. Eddy has quite a guitar collection and a strong passion for all things related to music production, whilst I have always enjoyed playing the piano and have a more 'classical' background as far as my own tuition went.

 Whether by natural chance or simply the fact we always seem to have some form of music playing in our home, Noah has taken a real interest too. 

I bought him this children's harmonica a couple of weeks ago. It's just a toy from M&S but he loves exploring the different sounds he can get from it. He is learning the difference in technique between this and his kazoo that he also loves playing. I think he finds the kazoo easier because he just has to hum into it, whilst the blowing action for the harmonica requires a bit more lung effort! 

I thought I would share some photos of him having a play today. He had a great time!

I 

Happy weekend everybody! I hope you all have some nice plans? :p

Love Bunty

xXx

Home days

I love days like today. The weather has been pretty overcast and cold and so we have been hibernating a little bit. Although I know I have to pop to town later, I like that I get to spend the morning with my little munchkin just hanging out together. So far, today has consisted of me brainstorming blog/home makes ideas whilst doing some 'piano lessons' with Noah. He is obsessed! 

As nice as it is to have things planned in the diary, I also really love days like today where we can just snuggle together and have some quiet time and space. Next week is going to be super busy with some rather exciting future planning-more on that soon! But today I don't have to think about much more than my usual domestic chores and enjoying my lovely little boy's company.

I like to share my more 'mundane' moments with you all because most of the time they represent the happiest memories I have of just being present with my family. 

I don't always feel inspired to be creative or even write a blog post. I don't know why, but sometimes I think it's good to acknowledge that I love a 'down day' just like the next person does. 

Happy thursday everyone! Are you doing anything nice today?

Love Bunty

xXx

Minimalistic mom!

Amidst the chaos of organising our home for our impending new arrival, I have been on a mission to find a 'place' for everything and to strive to keep our living area tidy and organised. I just find it so much easier to relax on an evening knowing that the house is 'reset' for the next day: clean, tidy and ordered!

 We recently upgraded our main computer to meet more of my husband's work needs but that meant a whopping great big monitor screen which I was a little nervous would take up the whole focal point of our lounge! As Eddy is working from home for the next couple of weeks, the computer is here to stay and so I have been on a mission to declutter the sideboard it sits on, in an attempt to create the illusion of space and order.

I have shifted our large mirror along and, rather than a more elaborate display of candles and pretty decorative items, I have stripped back the accessories to just a few candles (you know me!) to light in the evenings. 

I'm sitting here looking at the sideboard now with my candles glowing and really appreciating the tranquility of a slightly more minimalistic approach to my decor. I can't let go of my love for country 'shaker style' home interiors, but I must say my tastes are evolving. I don't know if it's partly to do with meeting the needs of our household and particularly our need to toddler-proof but I really am starting to embrace the 'less is more' look. 

What do you think?

Love Bunty

xXx

38 week pregnancy update

38 weeks guys! This is really happening! With only a few weeks left I am ready to meet this baby now. It's a really wonderful time of expectation for us all as we get the last little bits and pieces in place. 

 As much as I just want to hold my baby in my arms, I think I'm slightly exhausted from the yo-yo emotions of fear and excitement. Both tire me out at the moment and I feel quite hormonal in the way I did at the beginning of this pregnancy. I think a lot of it is to do with exhaustion in general- boy did I think I was off the hook a couple of months ago! But this last month has brought with it some of the biggest physical challenges and I'm honestly glad to know I don't have much longer to go now and it's not going to get too much harder.

How far along? 38 weeks

Total weight gain/measurements: This morning I weighed myself and I'm up 2lbs from last week making my total weight gain 39lbs! My waist measures 31" now and my tummy measures 46".

Maternity clothes: Today I am wearing a super comfy maternity dress from Topshop. I've also got New Look maternity leggings on. I can't actually remember where I got this necklace from...I want to say New Look, but can't be sure- sorry!

Stretch marks: No new ones-save the small discovery I made last week! 

Sleep: Not great this week, I find it really hard to breath lying down as it literally feels like baby has a foot in my lungs. My ribs are taking quite a battering at the moment.

Best moment this week: I'm thankful for small mercies-after a family trip to the dentist we were all given the thumbs up, all clear!

Miss anything? Not really

Movement: Lots of movement all the time!

Food cravings? I've really been enjoying oranges lately, I don't know if i'm 'craving' them per se, but I am getting through our box full!

Anything making you feel queasy or sick? Not really

Gender: Boy!

Labour signs: More Braxton Hicks contractions and general discomfort. Nothing made me question labour this week, but I feel like i'm mentally on the lookout a bit more.

Symptoms: I saw my midwife last week who told me the baby was 'back to back' meaning his back is facing my back instead of his back facing out towards my tummy. That is not an ideal birth position so I have been doing different exercises this week to try and turn him. As his head is still not engaged, he still has time to move himself into the correct position. I'm pretty sure he has been doing a few 360 degree turns though as I have felt his back against my tummy this week. 

I've had a really nice week but it has been physically tough for the past few days. I'm finding I really struggle to lift Noah at the moment and Eddy has been amazing in stepping in to help, particularly with the evening run around after him. My back has been playing up quite a lot which is making sleep uncomfortable and my lower ribs feel permanently bruised. Not to be a moaning myrtle here, but I am ready to meet this baby! (And be able to breathe a full breath again!)

Belly button in or out? Out!

Wedding rings on or off? On!

Happy/Moody most of the time? Happy!- But hormonal too. I feel quite nervous about labour this time around and it's taking up a lot of my thoughts these days. I just can't wait to be on the other side! lol

Looking forward to? Meeting this little boy and introducing him to Noah!

That is everything for this week's update guys, don't forget to check in next week for my 39 week update!

Love Bunty

xXx

Baby storage

Things are a bit of a squash and a squeeze at the moment with all the new baby things that have suddenly taken over the whole house! Trying to set up Noah's room to share with his little brother's things for the next couple of months has been a little bit of a challenge, so I have invested in a simple baby changing unit to allow for extra storage. This one is great because the shelves are really spacious and, as you can see, they take lots of baskets to hold all the newborn's clothes, blankets, nappies etc. 

The top level works as a changing space which will be a great help- especially in the early days post-partum when you don't fancy doing too much lifting or bending down. 

I feel like things are slowly coming together now and we are pretty much ready to go! I haven't gone to town with redecorating Noah's room as we are going to be moving house in a couple of months so there didn't seem like much point in putting too much energy into something so very temporary. But I am looking forward to decorating the boy's new bedrooms when we do move! That will certainly make for a great spring project!

Happy Wednesday everyone!

Love Bunty

xXx

Egg cup tea lights

I was tidying up my cupboards this evening and I came across these gorgeous little egg cups from Pip Studio. My mum bought me these a few years ago and I have always loved them for their vibrant design and cheerfulness. They are just so cute and work well as a decorative feature too.

My family aren't massively into eating boiled eggs, so I'm sad to admit that we rarely actually use these. However, I think it's a shame to keep them stacked at the back of my cupboard, so tonight I decided to get them out and make a little arrangement of them. I was lighting my tea lights around our living room and thought these egg cups looked the perfect size to fit a small candle in. 

I popped five tea lights into the five egg cups and placed them on a tray as we had our evening meal together. Noah was definitely taken by the ambience of a candlelit supper- he kept trying to blow them out, the monkey!

Sweet Tuesday

You might remember I did a post a couple of weeks ago featuring some rather delicious white chocolate chip cookies. Well, this afternoon Noah and I had some time to kill before our family dentist appointment and decided to do some more baking together.

 As I was running low on some ingredients, I decided to opt for something really simple and easy- more cookies! This time we went for milk chocolate one's using the same recipe as before (which you can see here.) Again I used Green & Black's cooking chocolate- always reliably delicious, I think! And the outcome was so good! We had a few minutes to taste the soft gooey cookies before running to the bathroom to clean our teeth ready to see our dentist! Oh, the irony!

Here is what today's home bakes looked like... I thought I better get some photos taken as I do live with boys and if one thing is guaranteed, it's that these tasty little treats won't be around for long!

Coffee break with Maybelline

I haven't done a 'drugstore' makeup review in a little while but I was thinking about some favourites this morning and the Maybelline colour 24hr tattoo shadows (breathe!) really stuck out to me. I have a bit of a thing for gel- cream  eye products and so when I saw these two little pots sitting on the Maybelline counter at Boots, I had a moment of weakness- oops!

I got the Leather effect in Vintage Plum which is this gorgeous matte 'purpley' colour. It takes a little bit of working into the eye area to create a smooth finish, but it sits beautifully with the second little pot I picked up. This one is actually my favourite and it is in the shade Pink Gold. Unlike the other one, Pink Gold has a beautiful shimmery quality to it. It's very girly and light and looks so pretty and delicate on the eye. I like to wear this one on my lids and then build the darker Vintage Plum into the crease area for a gentle smokey look.

There are some other gorgeous offerings from this Maybelline range which I am itching to check out, they just didn't have any sample pots when I popped in the other day and I do love to have a bit of a play before I purchase! 

What do you guys think of gel-cream shadows? Are you fans?

Happy Tuesday!

Love Bunty

xXx

Late night spring clean!

This evening I had the urge to get into full on crazy lady nesting mode a bit of house cleaning done. I normally reserve this joyous task for monday mornings, but today just got taken up with other tasks and so by the end of the day my kitchen floor was crying out for attention! And so after my relaxing bath, I did the unthinkable...I put on my marigolds and got on my hands and knees to give my kitchen floor a much needed deep clean. I happened to buy this cute little dustpan and brush today from Dunelm, which set me back a whole £1.79 (bargain alert!) and thought I would test it out on the kitchen tiles before cleaning them.

Thankfully this task did not take long and now that the job is done it's time for a quick cuppa before I hit the hay! I don't know about any of you but I am ready for a good sleep now!

Goodnight everyone!

Love Bunty

xXx

Reminiscing and anticipating

As we are about to embark on a new journey by welcoming a new member of our family into our lives, my thoughts while I'm rushing around during the day are very much concerned with how to make sure we are 'ready' and have all the practical elements in place to receive our littlest addition. But more and more I find my thoughts in the evenings turn to Noah and the past nineteen months of living every day entirely for his benefit and wellbeing. 

I have found myself gazing at old photos of him and admiring his physical development which has always astounded us 'newbie' parents. There is no stopping toddlers- I was joking with my husband about this just earlier this evening. From the moment Noah gets up in the morning, he is on his feet rushing everywhere until bedtime. There is very little that will stop his enthusiasm for chasing about the place at top speed- save the promise of lunch on the table! What is it with little boys and their appetites!?

Like many parents, I know I find myself both hopelessly excited at the thought of our expanding family but also apprehensive at the closing of one chapter as another opens. The concerns of how to manage sharing my time and energy amongst my children after being so entirely focused on one child up to this point does, if I'm honest, scare me a little bit. Thankfully I'm a great believer in 'crossing the bridge' when you come to it.

 Whilst I still have at least (I hope) a couple of weeks of pregnancy to go, I am going to enjoy every second with my firstborn love and our family as it is. Noah is going to be a wonderful brother and I can't wait to go through all the lovely moments of change we have experienced with Noah all over again with this new baby. 

Happily reminiscing and anticipating.

Love Bunty

xXx

When one tablecloth isn't enough!

I've been meaning to do something about our dining table for a while now and, after I finished sprucing our kitchen dresser up with a lick of paint, I decided to turn my attention to our table and get it ready for spring-while I still have the time!

Our dining table is really symbolic of family time and whilst more recently we have been getting Noah into a rhythm of eating together as a family, I wanted to make it look a little fresher for us all to enjoy our meals together. 

 I knew I also wanted to ensure it was easy to keep clean and tidy so that any tablecloths wouldn't get covered in tomato ketchup on the first night!

My sister in law did a beautiful job on her dining table last year using a clear pvc covering to protect the tablecloths underneath. It's such a great idea because when you have little one's at the table you either have to forgo dressing the table for dinner, or look for a suitable alternative. Clear pvc tablecloths are a great way to 'meet in the middle' so you can still use the exact table linen you want, but without the worry of dodging food stains every two seconds!

I was in our local sainsbury's earlier doing the weekly shop with Noah and I came across their tablecloth section which happened to have this beautifully simple taupe Linen tablecloth. It has such a soft colouring that I knew would go really nicely with the colours we already have in our home. As our table is quite small, I only needed to buy the small tablecloth, which ended up being too big in the end! I simply have folded it in half and laid it over the table as the first layer. I could have ironed the linen to flatten it more and remove the creases, but I actually like the slightly more rugged look it provides as it is. It doesn't look too 'perfect' or fussed over and I think for a busy family like ours, it fits pretty well.

On top of this linen tablecloth I folded one of my 'hand towels' from The White Company. I bought these last summer and since then they have catered for a wide variety of uses around the house: from cushion covers to beach towels, now to table coverings! They are incredibly versatile and I love this particular one for its tassled edges and light blue stripes running through the ends. The subtle detailing is easy to work into most colour schemes as it is really very fresh and neutral.

The third layer on my table is my Sophie Allport runner. I got this a few weeks ago when I was having a bit of a post-christmas sale splurge. Although this design wasn't actually in the sale, I just fell in love with it. Again, I have folded it in half as it is a very generously sized runner. The chickens really remind me of the 'country style' I am so fond of and they are a fun detail for Noah to be able to point out and inevitably begin mimicking their clucking! 

The final layer is a clear pvc sheet which I picked up for about £3 on Ebay. This is such a lifesaver as it means I don't have to remove any of the other tablecloths when Noah is eating with us. It's super easy to wipe clean and has already proved its value by catching several water spills and plenty of food! 

So, those three fabrics have come together to make our current table setting. I really like the outcome and I'm looking forward to creating some different looks over the next few weeks...watch that space!

I hope you are all having a relaxing evening!

Love Bunty

xXx

Homemade lip exfoliator

 
For the past couple of weeks  my lips have been really taking the brunt of the chilly wind and cold outside. They have been constantly cracking and i've found trying to remove dead skin always ends with sore, raw lips which is never very pretty or comfortable either!

After looking around Boots the other day for some miracle lip rescue, I came away rather uninspired and so after perusing the old internet, I found a recipe to make my own lip exfoliant rescue using sugar as the main ingredient.

This was really simple to do and took all of two minutes to whip up! Plus, it actually worked! The olive oil really tackled the soreness of my lips and quickly got to work nourishing them so that when I removed the scrub, my lips felt super silky and moisturised.

I have made up a couple of miniature glass pots to keep in my bathroom, but the idea really got me thinking that these could make a great gift or favour at a party. You can really go to town on the presentation and make a truly original and creative present for a loved one and, what's more, it needn't cost very much at all.

To make my lip exfoliant, I knew I wanted to fill a couple of small jars so I guessed the quantities slightly, but I used a good amount of white cane sugar, with a few dashes of olive oil which I continuously mixed in until the scrub came together. Whilst mixing, I added a couple of drops of vanilla essence to provide a delicate scent. And voila! That was all the effort it took to sort my lip situation out! It cost me next to nothing and gave me plenty of ideas for homemade gifts in the future. 

I found the best results by applying a small amount of the exfoliant to my lips and gently rubbing it in with my finger for a few seconds. I then left it on for a couple of minutes to allow the olive oil to really absorb into the skin and then, using a hot flannel, I gently massaged the scrub off my lips revealing a much happier smile beneath! To finish, I simply applied a gentle lip balm to continue the moisturising that the olive oil began and that was enough to really sort them out!

Perhaps this will inspire you to make your own lip scrubs? You could  create various flavours or use different oils such as coconut to change up the recipe a bit!

Let me know how you get on in the comment section below!

Love Bunty

xXx

Emma Hardie cleansing balm

I'm starting off this week with a few beauty related posts as I have made a few discoveries in the last few weeks which have made quite a difference to my skincare routine. The first product I wanted to show you happens to have the longest name in the world: introducing....Emma Hardie's amazing face moringa cleansing balm.

Now, I have never really been into using cleansing balms as they tend to be used as makeup removers, in fact this one is highly recommended as a makeup remover. My personal preference is to thoroughly remove my makeup using micellar water and then thoroughly wash my face after, so I wasn't sure how this was going to 'fit' into my own routine to begin with. But I'm so glad I bought it because in this last week alone this stuff has had quite an impact on my skin.

The balm incorporates moringa seeds, wild sea fennel and vitamin E to help balance, purify and minimise the appearance of open pores. It has a really fresh, organic scent which just feels clean and calming on the skin.

It also comes with a muslin cleansing cloth which has a soft flannel-like fabric on one side and a slightly more abrasive muslin fabric on the other- great for working around the t-zone and nose area!  After removing my makeup, I take a small amount of the cleansing balm in my fingers and as I lift it out of the packaging it melts into my hands like butter. I simply massage it all over my face and neck and leave it for a minute or two. Next I sink the muslin cloth into a basin of hot water and begin to remove the excess balm from my face. This reveals the most wonderfully cleansed skin which feels so peachy soft and hydrated. I can't tell you how luxurious and silky this feels on the face. It doesn't leave you with any dryness or that all too often need to run to your moisturiser and lather it on! My face feels squeaky clean, hydrated
 and glowing!

What I also love about this product is that it can be used as an overnight facial treatment too. By applying a layer over the skin 

before you go to bed, you wake up in the morning with super soft, 

hydrated skin that feels so youthful and happy. I've done this a 

couple of times in the last week now and my word, I have never woken up with such smooth baby-soft skin. It honestly feels like I've just had a luxurious facial.

I have now started using this cleansing balm in the mornings and evenings and I honestly can't get enough of it! It's a little bit of 'me' time that I look forward to every day and I know my skin is thanking me for it.

If you are on the market for a little bit of pampering for your skin to combat the weather, Emma Hardie is a great place to stop by. It is definitely a bit of an investment product, but I have to stress that a little goes a really long way. I bought the 100ml tub and already I can see this is going to last me some time.

If you would like to find out more about Emma Hardie products you can check out her website (here.) Alternatively, you can buy her products from Feel Unique (here)

Happy Monday everyone!

Love Bunty

xXx

Noah's first proper haircut

Today Eddy and I took Noah to have his first 'proper' little boy's haircut. Recently his lovely golden locks have been irritating him a bit as his fringe had grown right down into his eyes and he was constantly trying to push it out of his face. I knew this day was coming and I have been really excited all week to take him along to the salon.

What I think was so good about our local children's hairdresser was how well they catered to short attention spans and everything they did to make youngsters feel safe, entertained and happy.

 Each of the children's chairs is a fun ride-on car or fire engine with all the bells and whistles. I think Noah was half expecting his firetruck to transport him around the shopping centre once he sat down! What was also good was that each ride-on car had a television just in front playing various current children's cartoons. Noah immediately spotted Thomas the tank engine chugging away on the screen in front of him and I think the familiarity helped him to remain calm- even though he was quite unsettled to begin with.

The staff were brilliant and particularly good at talking to Noah and making him feel special. Noah was even given a little kinder chocolate on our way out, which, needless to say, went down a treat!

Even though Noah was quite anxious to begin with, for his first professional haircut experience, it went better than I expected. Hopefully after going a few times he will relax into it more but I can't thank the staff enough for being so efficient and good with Noah.

We will definitely be coming back to this salon when Noah needs his next trim!

*Sorry about the dodgy photo quality-I cheated and stole this one from hubby's phone!

Cousin playdate

Yesterday my sister and her family came around for the day which, for Noah, meant a day of running riot with excitement and chasing after his older cousin whilst cooing over his little baby cousin. Noah absolutely loves his playdates and it was really nice for all of us to have a bit of time catching up, talking about the future and playing with the kids. 

There was a point in the afternoon where the children had worn themselves out with excitement, but we knew that going down to bed for a nap was going to be out of the question! We decided to pop a pile of cushions and blankets on the floor so they could snuggle up and have a few minutes of 'quiet time' whilst we put a cartoon on. This worked an absolute treat as the charging around stopped and the kids all snuggled up together. I managed to capture the moment on camera which was lucky because they didn't sit still for long! 

 I must admit, it was nice to have just a few minutes of stillness on the sofa to chat to my sister without having to divert my eyes after Noah every two seconds!

I hope you're all having a relaxing weekend,

Love Bunty

xXx

Day off for mum

Yesterday something quite remarkable happened. I ended up enjoying the day completely to myself as Eddy and Noah had taken a road trip to meet some of his family for lunch. As I had a midwife appointment, I couldn't go with the boys, but the break it provided was, admittedly blissful.

Sometimes I feel a bit of pressure to look like a 'supermum' who never flags or fails or has a bad day. Why do we mums put so much pressure on ourselves? Normally, I have to admit my ability to power on through surprises even myself. However, as the weeks have passed and I have now hit the 9 month pregnancy stage, I am finding it harder and harder to get from one end of the day to the other. My energy levels are so different to what they were just last month and after taking this pregnancy in my stride all the way through...I must confess I am definitely feeling it now!

Anyhow, yesterday I had the rare opportunity of a day to myself where I simply attended my antenatal appointment and popped into town to do some baby related shopping. It was a much needed few hours that I so appreciate my husband making possible for me. I honestly felt like my brain was having a 'chill out' too as I wasn't clock watching, planning lunch for a toddler, or having to do anything other than please myself. 

Do you know what was ironic though? As much as I physically needed the break that yesterday provided, after I said goodbye to my boys, I suddenly felt a bit lost as if my whole world and purpose had left the room and it took me a little while to decide exactly what to do now that I didn't HAVE to do anything.

Yes, I am a massive over thinker! And being away from my baby is something I still struggle with. I can count on one hand the amount of days I have had away from Noah and I guess I'm just not used to it at all. But I recognise that sometimes to be the best mum and to be the best wife, you have to have time to yourself now and again to re-connect with your identity as you, a person first and foremost, and then your vocation as mother, wife...

So, I'm really thankful for yesterday, partly because I honestly really needed it and I'm not ashamed to admit to it. And also because I know it will be a little while before this mama gets a day off again. But those few hours alone really refreshed me and after the boys got home yesterday evening, we ended up having such a lovely family night together. Bliss!

I hope you are all enjoying your evening...nearly the weekend now!

Love Bunty

xXx

What's in baby's hospital bag

As promised, here is my post on what's in baby's hospital bag! Again as with mine, there are a few things missing from this photo such as his towel and a couple of rompers! (Note to self!) But these are the basic essentials to carry us through the first day or two! 

1. Nappies- I never bother with the newborn size as I find size 2 to be better for boys. As we are expecting another boy, I am assuming he is going to be a similar size to Noah and therefore it's probably best to get the nappies with a bit more space for those chubby legs.
2. Aden & Anais swaddle muslins- You can see more about these muslins from my previous post(here). I'm really excited about using these, they're just so cute and vibrant.
3. Grey and white stripey knitted blanket- This is from M&S and it's really snuggly! I love grey on baby boys, it makes such a nice change from blue sometimes.
4. M&S cashmere blanket- This is more of a 'receiving blanket' than anything. I picked it up in the sales a few weeks back and it is super soft and cosy. I was thinking this would be lovely with photos and as part of baby's 'going home' outfit.
5. A pack of 5 long sleeved vests- These are also from M&S and are a bit of a staple necessity. I wanted a few new vests for the early weeks as some of Noah's old ones have lost their softness over time and use. Again, they are nice and neutral and will go with most outfits.
6. Pack of 2 newborn hats
7. Water wipes
8. Newborn socks
9. Two pairs of baby jogger bottoms from Next. I don't know if baby will actually wear these in hospital, but I thought it would be better to have something on hand if we end up staying longer than anticipated. 
10. Baby's going home outfit- I did a post on this recently which you can see (here). This little outfit is also from M&S and I think it's just so gorgeous. I love cardigans on babies too and the navy and grey is such a winning colour combination.

That is pretty much everything in baby's hospital bag. As I said, there are a couple of bits missing but nothing major at this point. I can't wait to get these all packed up now and ready for the off!

I hope you are all having a pleasant evening whatever you're up to :)

Love Bunty

xXx

What's in my hospital bag...

When I was expecting Noah, I really liked reading other peoples 'what's in my hospital bag' blog posts as I found they really helped me think about what I might want to pack in mine. Sometimes seeing someone else's contents can spark a thought or idea you haven't thought about for yourself. With that in mind, I have decided to post a 'what's in my hospital bag' blog where I will take you through the bare essentials. I will also be doing a 'what's in the baby's bag' post too so you can see all the bits we will be bringing for him.

In my first photo I have gathered together all of the toiletries and bathroom products I will be bringing along. Some of them may or may not get used but I always like to be prepared. You never quite know how long a stay in hospital is going to be with each birth as it is so dependent on the labour and delivery itself. Hopefully these items will keep me covered for any eventuality!

1. Makeup bag with my everyday makeup essentials. I just find for me that a bit of makeup can make me feel like I can take on anything. It might sound silly, but feeling good about the way I look has a huge impact on my mentality and sometimes small details like a bit of mascara or a nice lipstick can do a lot for my confidence. 
2. Toothbrush- this was a pack of three as I was intending to bring spares for my husband should he need them but as you can see, we are down to the last one now!
3. Clinique dramatically different moisturiser 
4. Tangle teezer- much easier than lugging a large hairbrush along. 
5. Palmers Tummy butter
6. Simple face wipes- I don't think I will bother bringing my normal skin care routine as it's not exactly practical for a hospital stay. These are the travel simple wipes so they are in a handy small packet that is perfect for an overnight stay.
7. Pregnicare tablets
8. Bio oil- I will continue using this on my tummy area and any stretch marks as it is so brilliant for getting the skin to heal.
9. Colgate toothpaste- duh!
10. Carex hand sanitizer
11. Lansinoh nipple balm- As I plan on breastfeeding if I can, this stuff is a Godsend. It prevents cracking and takes the soreness away, especially in the early days when you're skin is quite sensitive.
12. Nivea gentle cleansing cream wash- This is such a lovely face wash and I really enjoy using it, especially when my skin is sensitive. It feels like butter on the skin and is so gentle and non irritating. It has that lovely Nivea scent which is iconic of their brand, I personally love it!
13. Soap & Glory clean on me shower gel- I am such a huge fan of this, I always use it at home so when I saw it in the travel sized version, I picked up a couple for hospital.
14. Estee Lauder advanced night repair eye gel- this pot is actually all used up now, but I will bring a new one along with me. My eyes are going to need all the help they can get with sleepless nights on the horizons again and this stuff is brilliant and so soothing.
15. Pink shower puff
16. Aussie miracle moist travel sized shampoo and conditioner- this is my fave go-to shampoo as I just can't get enough of the scent! You know how scents always manage to evoke memories, this one just reminds me of happy days and relaxing. The first shower after birth is the best shower of your life so I intend to pamper myself royally! Haha!

Here are my other bits for hospital. I should say now that there are some items missing that I am still using and a couple of things I still need to get! Also, I have not included my going home outfit as I don't know what that will be yet! But these are the main essentials which I will be lugging along :)

1. Matenity bed mats- I bought these last time around with Noah to put in my bed in the final weeks of pregnancy, more as a precaution just incase my waters should break during the night. Guess what?  They did! And these mats totally saved the mattress! Haha, sorry for the TMI but these are one of those easily overlooked items that can just make life so much easier in a potentially stressful situation. I travelled to hospital when I was in labour with Noah and I had a few of these in the back seat with me. They really are worth having to hand just in case! 
2. Maternity pads- Yep- an obvious must!
3. Beach towel- I popped down to Primark this week and picked up a holiday towel as I didn't want to bring one of our fluffy white ones. Firstly ours are huge and secondly, I want to feel okay about throwing it away if I need to. This was about £6, it's bright and cheerful and what's more, it will do the job!
4. Maternity Tens machine- I used this in labour with Noah and I would swear by it! I'm pretty sure that it was the reason I was able to hold out so long at home before going into hospital, so I definitely plan to use it in labour this time around. I actually had it going from about midday till 9.30pm when Noah was born and it was so effective. It helped a lot on the car journey to hospital and at the end of labour too. 
5. Three pairs of socks
6. Primark pants- I got these last time around, massive size and no intention of ever wearing them again! Haha. Anyone who has had a baby knows that all you need are cheap big granny pants in the first couple of days post-partum, and then we never speak of them again!
7. Belly Bandit- I had this to wear after giving birth to Noah and I was insanely impressed by it. It really supports you in the first few days post-partum and aids your uterus contracting back into the pelvic cavity. I wore mine for several weeks and the results were better than I anticipated, especially as I was not particularly exercising before my 6 week pp check. I would recommend this to anyone!
8. Nursing bra- this was a cheap one I picked up in Primark the other day. I do plan on breastfeeding but I found it extremely difficult with Noah so I will probably hold off buying 'nicer' ones until things are settled and we have made a decision.
9. Labour nightie- again, this was a Primark offering. I just picked up the easiest looking, baggiest nightie on offer and this one will do the job!
10. Post Partum Pyjamas- these are really cosy and soft and they will be really easy to breastfeed in too, so they will be coming to hospital with us!

That is pretty much everything I am packing guys! There are few other bits like slippers and a dressing gown that I still have not packed, but the essentials are definitely there! I feel like I am starting to get it all together now and the physical packing motion seems to be helping me to mentally prepare too. I just can't believe we are nearly there now!

 Before this turns into an essay, I will end this post but I will pop another one up with everything I am packing for the baby- watch out for that one! :)

Love Bunty

xXx