Super Soft Skin

It's been a bit of a battle with my skin really since falling pregnant the first time with JC. I'm quite lucky in that I'm not overly susceptible to stretch marks (apart from the ones I already have through weight loss and gain) but I have much drier and irritated skin in certain areas. The worst area is my hands as they are in water so often. I blame the anti bac gel I used when JC was a tiny baby. It really dried out my skin as I think it was just too harsh for me.

I was recently asked to review two skincare products by Vaseline. The first product was a Cocoa Butter Oil Gel. Brimming with Brazil nut oil to lock in moisture and paired with almond oil which its natural minerals and antioxidants to keep skin pampered, it is full of oiliness to soften even the toughest of skin. Coleen Rooney has recently mentioned this product as one of her pregnancy must haves to keep her skin in tip top shape. It retails at £5.10 which I think is a really reasonable price.

The first thing I noticed about this product was the gorgeous smell. One of my kids at school even commented on the smell several hours after applying. She thought I was wearing sun cream as the smell is one of summer days and not too far removed from that delightful coconut smell you find with most sun creams. You only need a small amount and I can imagine that the generously sized bottle will last a while. I have used it for a week and there is only a small amount gone from the top of the bottle. My only issue with it is that it is quite oily and takes a while to absorb into the skin. The first few days of use were through the day but then I changed to using it at night which was better. It is perfect for those areas that are really dry. It worked wonders on my crocodile skin on my feet and legs! I would recommend this product and will buy it again but would probably use it on certain target areas.

The second product was a revelation for me! As a mum and a primary school teacher, I come into contact with many bugs that transfer on hands and surfaces. My hands are not able to cope with the strength of some anti bac gels and constant hand washing isn't good for me either. Vaseline's 2-in-1 Hand Cream + Anti Bac is the answer. It combines 5 moisturisers with a germ sanitiser which keeps hands protected from germs whilst keeping them super soft. Unlike most of the other hand gels and anti bac creams I've tried, this one doesn't dry out my hands and its smells lovely. It's in a handy wee bottle and I have taken to carrying it around in my handbag. It will be a godsend when the baby comes along too. It's only £3.29 and both products are available from leading supermarkets including Superdrug and Boots.

Overall, two fab products which will hopefully keep my skin glowing throughout pregnancy and beyond. I would recommend both although the hand cream is my personal favourite!

This is not a sponsored post, I received a free sample of the product but all comments and opinions are my own. 

An Audience With JC

JC is now 2 years 9 months and this has to be the most wonderful stage. We seem to have turned a corner with the behaviour side of things (dare I say it!) and he has taken to toilet training with little trouble. Don't get me wrong there are challenges, days when I feel like screaming at him when he point blank refuses to do a thing he's asked to. Some days when it's like he's had an injection of pure sugar and is completely out the box with energy. In balance though, there are days when he is an absolute joy to spend time with. One of my favourite aspects at the moment are his conversational skills.

He has always been a good talker but recently has started to hold proper conversations with me. I am so glad he's a chatterbox like me! 

Here is a video of his most recent ponderings . . . he goes from discussing his dinosaurs to Santa to heaven. My Grandad died a fortnight ago and it's been a really hard time with other losses around me  (hence the lack of blogging). This light hearted interview with JC really cheered me up!

I love that boy!

Things I Forgot About Being Pregnant

I have just entered my 2nd trimester so by rights, I should have a blue peter badge for all the crap I've put up with over the past 12 weeks. Here is my own little list of things that I must have forgot about when I decided that I missed being pregnant . . .

• Vomiting - there is nothing quite like having to stop the car to puke at the side of the road, classy. 
• Nose like a Basset hound - I can smell a Mc Donalds within a 5 mile radius, it's a gift. The smell of dirty hands causes me to gag but the smell of rubber is pleasantly appealing. This new super sense can be problematic. For example, sitting through an 8 hour course and all you can smell are the feet of the person to your right. 
• Tiredness - So much so, you don't even realise you are tired until you do that nodding dog thing or someone rudely awakens you an hour later. 
• Potty Mouth - everything you eat leaves an ugly after taste, even toothpaste. 
• The Little Voices - there is the constant chatter or what ifs or should, would, coulds that drive you to distraction and keep you up at night. 
• Zero Sex Drive - the thought is as appealing as ice fishing whilst naked. 
• Broken Thermostat - from hot sweaty boobs to chittering with 2 jerseys and a coat on. 
• Sensitive Gums - bye bye crunchy crisps.
• There's an app for that - the compulsive need to check baby apps to see what body part you are growing this week. "ooh, week 9 is balls all round with eyeballs and testicles developing. 
• Horror Mones - a permeating bolshiness overriding everything I do and say.  
• Sweet Dreams - I think not! Waking up in the morning either in floods of tears or with uncontrollable rage due to the vividness of last nights dream. He is in for it for the rest of the day! 
• Cravings - watermelon is delicious, especially when paired with pickled onions and raw lemons.
• Persistent Peeing - I fear I might dehydrate. 
• Acne - mostly on my scalp and back, how attractive.
• Compulsive Crying - adverts about things like paint or washing powder get me going.

On that note, this post is really quite a pity party, I'm going to go cry in a corner somewhere. Roll on the blooming stage of trimester 2. It's really about time I was glowing!

I also forgot that I will look as big as whale in a few months . . .

This One Is My Favourite!

Although I am an advocate for Baby Led Weaning, I have made no secret about my love for Ella's Kitchen products. I used the baby food and fruit pouches from time to time when I was travelling with JC or as a standby in the cupboard.

They recently got in touch with me and asked if we would like to try their new range of Big Tastes dairy products. Here is a picture of Ella's Dad driving the worlds smallest milk float delivering delicious dairy delights to children in the London area.

I decided that we would try the yoghurts as we have already reviewed the fromage frais in a previous post and JC is not overly keen on rice pudding. 

The Taste Test

Here is what I liked about it

• Great size - some yoghurts are far too small that JC often eats 2 or 3 at a time!
• Pot shape - the pot is quite wide so it's easy for little hands to get the spoon in and manipulate the yoghurt onto the spoon. 
• The taste - I had a sneaky taste and I liked the tangy flavour. It is a thick and creamy texture.
• The Ingredients - 20% real fruit, no added sugar, organic milk and fruit.

What's not so great

• Price - the only downside is the price which is £1.79 for 4 pots. The yoghurts that I normally buy are £1 for 6 small pots. This might not actually be a great deal considering he would eat 3 in one go as there is hardly anything in them and the ones at this price are usually full of refined sugar. 

This is not a sponsored post. I received a free sample of the yoghurt but all opinions are my own. 

Baby Grumpinator

I've been hiding something from you.

Baby Grumpinator Round 2
Due Sept 5th

We are very excited!

6/52 - Tranquility of the Outdoors

My favourite day of the week this week had to be Friday. These were also my favourite photos. John and I took advantage of the improving weather and went out for a walk. It was more like a run! He ran most of the route with exception of the hill at the end.

We both love the outdoors and I think it calms us. I've always found it very therapeutic to walk, especially down the farm roads.

It takes me back to a special time in my youth where I would bomb round the farm on my bike, wind in my hair, stinging my cheeks, blowing the cobwebs away. The sweet smell of nature hanging in the air with the feeling of being part of that nature. I used to call these my 'oneness' moments. To be truly in the moment and savouring life. I can only imagine that this is the feeling of mindfulness that people who practise meditation experience. I hope I can pass this feeling of tranquility onto JC but in the meantime he is savouring the joy of being outdoors and all the fun it has to offer.

I'm linking this post up with Country Kids and The Boy and Me's 365.

Fife Family Fun

I am always trying to give JC new experiences and develop his interests. At the moment, the main interest is Ice Hockey. He is only 2 and a half and already he follows his local team, Fife Flyers. He loves spending time in the arena, checking out the Zamboni (the big ice cleaning machine), watching the figure skating, schmoozing with the ice hockey players and sourcing snacks from the vending machines and cafe. We will usually take him to a game if its a Sunday as the Sunday games start earlier. He sits screaming 'Go Flyers!!!' at the top of his voice.





What I love about Fife Flyers is that it is an institution steeped in history. The arena itself is old and weathered but that all adds to the charm. It maybe doesn't have the pizazz that the Odyssey arena in Belfast has but it makes up for all that with the passion of the crowd and the family friendly atmosphere. The Fife Flyers community is like one big family. My hubby gets annoyed at me because in honesty, I very rarely watch the game. I'm all about the atmosphere and the people watching.

I have been going to games since my hubby and I started seeing each other when we were 16 (about 14 years ago) and in that time I've seen babies, wrapped tightly in blankets, soaking up the atmosphere, toddlers running around the rink with the parents chasing after them desperately trying to catch some of the game. Young children playing hockey, fully kitted up, at the bottom of the stairwell, teenagers spending time together in a safe environment  giving them something to do on a Saturday that doesn't involve drinking or causing mischief. Older teens and young adults meeting up at the rink prior to a big night out on the town, dressed to the nines underneath a hockey top which is the only thing keeping the scantily clad warm. Then there is your middle aged, geez oh that would be us! The die hard fans who have a passion for the game and a love of the club, often bringing along with them the next generation of flyers fans. Lastly, there are the golden oldies. I love watching them, they sit with their cosy blankets on their knee and a flask of tea. Quite often they bring snacks and they are often willing to share.

My hubby is directly involved in the club as he runs their website and I'm very proud of him. The future of Fife Flyers is so important to him which by proxy makes it important to me. I'd like to take this chance to encourage you, if you have never been to a Flyers game, give it a go. I promise you that you won't be disappointed and your kids will love it. There is something there for everyone. If you are not a Fifer, support your local ice hockey team. It's a great sport to follow and the players are excellent role models for our children. Ladies - there is plenty of eye candy too!




I'm running a giveaway for free tickets to a Flyers game in the coming weeks so watch this space!