What To Get Where - Baby

Before becoming a mum I didn't know what I needed to get let alone where I needed to get it, now we are 11 months in I do feel like I've gathered some wisdom on the subject. I am nowhere near an experienced mum just yet but I have figured out what works for us and how to save money on items while getting the best stuff!

Feeding: Feeding is so stressful, I breastfeed so I didn't have to buy much for this but once weaning started it was a whole new world I knew nothing about. We started with purees both homemade and Ellas Kitchen pouches which we found to be good quality, baby enjoyed them and well priced. We soon discovered that Rory was more suited to the baby led approach so now he eats pretty much what we eat but snack wise I do like to have a selection of baby safe snacks so keep him full on the go or distract him while walking around the supermarket! We have found Aldi's Mamia range to be the most affordable, he absolutely loves the Carrots Snacks and Raspberry Rice Cakes both of which are less than 50p and last all week. We also love Boots own range. Own brands have proven to be of equal quality of baby brands and usually half the price! 

Bath and Body: Poundland is the place to go! We aren't fans of spending loads of money on washing stuff because at the end of the day they just wash. Johnsons is a reputable brand known for great quality baby products and they are super affordable anyway but bought from Poundland they are even more so. We have never had an issue with them and actually have never had to re buy the shampoo after 11 months as the bottle is still half full! Poundland also sell a pack of three super soft flannels which are you guessed it, a pound and so incredible good. It's all we use!

Nappies: We mostly used Pampers Pure at the beginning as we were kindly gifted a good supply from  Pampers and we got a lot in Bounty packs (get these) and Emmas Diary packs (get these too!) and honestly, they are fantastic nappies but once they ran out and we had to pay for them, we found them to be too expensive so we started trying out so many different supermarket own brands, some better than others but we found Tesco Fred and Flo nappies to be by far the best. Very affordable, soft, no leaks and super cute patterns. Aldi is also ok, don't have the same luxurious feel but do the job well and are a bargain!

Wipes: Aldi, Aldi and only Aldi! Their wipes are incredible! Less than 50p per packed, you can get travel sizes for your handbag and you can even buy in bulk which we do. The packaging is functional and sturdy, you get a lot of wipes and they are the perfect wetness! They are also sensitive which is great for little baby tushies!

Toys: We are very lucky that Rory has 5 older cousins, 3 boys and 2 girls so we have been given so many second hand toys all of which have been tried and tested by real life little ones and then passed on to us. We also love to look on facebook marketplace for second hands bits in our area, send a quick message, jump in the car and go collect! Be sure to give them a clean then they are good as new. We also love supermarkets, they tend to have a great selection of toys and garden centres are fantastic for good books!

Clothes: We have bought clothes from literally everywhere over these months but now we have found our faves that we frequently shop at when Rory has a growth spurt! My absolute favourite is Morrisons Nutmeg, they always have the cutest bits and so so cheap! They also regularly have really good sales to collect bits for his future wardrobe. Other supermarkets such as Asda and Tesco are also great. We also looooove Next but as Next is usually quite pricey we always looks out for sales or outlet shops. We have found so many great deals recently.

 Nursery Furniture: Everything in Rorys room is either Ikea or Mokkee, both affordable, stylish and functional brands. We continue to be very impressed with everything we have bought. Don't fall into the trap of thinking you need to buy everything from John Lewis or Mothercare because you will end up paying more!

Baby big buys: So im talking things like the pram, carseats, carriers. What we did was go into shops such as John Lewis, Mothercare and Mamas and Papas to have a look, ask questions and roll prams up and down the aisles then once we decides what we wanted we went and bought them on Argos or Precious Little One as they were so much cheaper!

I hope some of this helped you as a new or expecting mama or even a seasoned mama who's looking for something new to try out!

Do you have an brands/items that you swear by, what are they?

Rory Has His Own Room!

We lived in a tiny 1 bedroom house when Rory was born, the garden wasn't useable, tiny kitchen and everything was unbelievably dated. We tried our best to make it look nice, we painted and bought all new furniture and I'll be honest, we really did love it but Rory was outgrowing being in our room and Watson (our dog) desperately needed a garden.


We always said that one Rory turned one we would start looking to move but my the time he was 10 months old we realised we needed to get a move on and hopefully with his own room he would start to sleep better.

Spoiler: we were wrong! Still sleeping as badly as ever

We are now fully moved in and unpacked, we are loving all the space, the big kitchen feels like a crazy luxury for us and Watson is in his element running around the garden. I may do a full house tour at some point but until then have a look at Rorys new room!

I'm sure things will change as time goes on, more toys will sneak in after his upcoming 1st Birthday but at the moment, his room is adorable and its working well for us, Rory absolutely loves to play and pull down all his books but sadly, not sleep! Baby steps!

Birthday Wishlist!

I am turning 27 next week, like what?! There isn't much I want this year, my birthday lists are usually makeup, makeup, makeup (which it still kinda is) but this year thanks to a little pain the butt named Rory, I don't have as much time to experiment like I used to with makeup. I do still put it on most days but I tend to use the same products every day which has made compiling a list for Liam really hard!

1. Revolution X Roxi palettes - Roxsauraus (a youtuber) has created three palettes with Revolution and they are so lovely! I am including these because I really like them but I wouldn't be too sad if I don't get them or one of them as they are quite bright shades and I know I won't make full use of them in my now boring daily makeup routine.

2. Too Faced Damn Girl mascara - this mascara has only recently been released and I already know I need it! I can easily incorporate this into my daily routine and I am the biggest fan of their Better Than Sex mascara so I'm sure i'll love this one as well. How gorgeous is the packaging?!

3. Cath Kidston Pushchair Organiser - I don't know how I have managed for 10Months without one of these, I am constantly trying to juggle a coffee or losing my keys and phone while out and about so I just really need something to keep everything together. The colours of this one would look lovely with our pram but honestly i'd be happy with any organiser that stops me spilling my Starbucks Caramel Macchiato.

4. Wilde Women by Louise Pentland - this book is the third in a series and I have loooooved the previous two so much, I am desperate to read this one! Sadly, it doesn't get released until July but I may just have to put some birthday money aside to get it and pre order it on amazon. Dying to find out what's next for Robin Wilde!

Lastly, we will be in Ilfracombe, Devon for my birthday like we are every year. Last year we had tapas and this year I have my heart set on a full Afternoon Tea with a sea view. This weather had best cheer up otherwise it will be a rainy indoor Afternoon Tea but either way I am getting a scone! haha! 

10 Month Baby Update! 🎉

Apologies for my absence in the here recently but omg, having a 10month old and being back at work part time has been hard! 

Firstly, I’ve been back at work for almost 2months now and it has been an emotional rollercoaster to say the least. Initially I was really worried about leaving my boy, I fully trust our family to care for him but he is still exclusively breastfeeding so I’ve been pumping a lot to keep up with him but thankfully, as it turns out, he doesn’t drink/want as much milk when he’s not with me so it hasn’t been too bad! This has meant pumping at work which my work have been great with and as I only work part time I haven’t lost too much time with my baby boy. It’s been nice to have a bit of me time as well. Who would have ever though work could feel like me time?! 

Breastfeeding wise, he loves the milk! He’s a milk monster! He still feeds to sleep but has become less reliant on it recently and will settle just as well with his daddy which has been nice for us all. I intend to continue until he’s one then slowly weaning him off the tit at his own pace. Neither of us are in any rush, it really is a lovely experience and I wouldn’t change it for the world. 

Weaning is great! We are are all really enjoying it. He is very adventurous and doesn’t struggle with new foods, he is very able when it comes to different textures and shapes of food. He pretty much eats what we eat now which has been good for us as parents as we have had to start eating a little healthier. I’ve been making more food from scratch to make it healthier for sharing! He loves a snack, rice cakes and fruit such as banana, strawberries and orange are his fave but he’s not fussy! He eats a lot! More than my 3 year old niece, definitely explains his moobs! 

Physically, he is doing amazingly well! He’s been crawling for a while, cruising the furniture and recently he has started standing unaided and taken his first few shaky steps which he is improving at everyday. Certainly won’t be long until he’s running! 

Speech wise, he’s a noisy little thing! Loves to laugh, squeal, blow raspberries and growl but hasn’t made any noises that sounds like actual words as of yet and we think he won’t for a while but that’s fine by us as he will do it when he’s ready.  

Sleep... well, this is something he has far from mastered. He wakes many times a night which is frustrating but he is showing progress. He used to need feeding back to sleep but often now he will just have a cuddle and go back

down or sometimes a pat on the butt does the trick. Sleep is something we really struggle with but it’s also something we have accepted and manage with as best we can. Again, he will sleep when he’s ready. He still naps for a good 3-4hours over the course of the day but if he doesn’t get that he’s a very moody boy so I am reluctant to reduce his napping. But this does mean that I also sometimes get a daytime nap which I looooove!

His favourite things to do are eat, feed and play with wheels! My god does this boy love wheels, pram wheels, car wheels, toy wheels, scooters, anything with wheels so we have accumulated quite the collection of vehicles recently! He also really enjoys his fur brother Watson, everything that dog does is hilarious. He especially likes to watch him poop! 

His least favourite things are being put in the car seat ( he loves the car once it’s moving though), being laid down for a bum change or getting dressed and being told no when he’s bashing toys on the tv. He has developed a special half cry half scream for these situations and it’s the most vile noise on earth. 

The fact that he is 10month old both terrifies me but also makes me so incredible proud. He’s such a loving boy and such a character! We are currently in the process of moving house and planning his Hey Duggee themed birthday party as well as a week away in the next month so there’s a lot going on! We are so excited for all of it though! Count down to a one year old is on!

Weaning: Completely Baby Led

Weaning terrified me and I am back to tell you that it doesn't anymore!

 My baby is growing up and becoming a little person. A little person who can and will be influenced by my eating and the food I choose to give him. 

I'm not a healthy eater, I don't eat fruit, salad or many vegetables. I have a fear of unknown foods and a huge fear of texture, living off mostly carbs and meat. I have gotten better in recent years but my diet is still far from good.

I want Rory to have a healthy relationship with food unlike his Mama!

Not long ago I wrote that we were doing a combination of purees and baby led, that was mostly through fear if i'm honest with myself. Fear that I wouldn't know what to give him that was healthy so a puree full of veggies would be the healthiest option but I have realised that just isn't the case. A healthy balanced diet includes fruits, veg and everything else!

Rory started refusing the spoon, he only wanted to feed himself so thats what pushed us to let him, I started with what I considered safe food such as boiled veggies but soon enough he was stealing my toast and staring longingly at our food.

I just thought fuck it, i'm going to feed him what we eat but with baby safe changes and added fruit and veg. He now eats a close variation of our meals everyday and he is finally embracing food! He could eat all day long if I let him!

Here he is eating a mini stir fry! Well cooked steak with baby corn, carrot and broccoli. He loved it and it was relatively mess free which is a huge bonus!

Mini pizza is definitely a fave of his as he is such a carb lover like him mama, he really enjoyed this meal. The pizza got demolished first followed by the carrots but as usual he ignored the broccoli.

I just don't get why he doesn't like broccoli! It is one of the few veggies that I like so I try and hide it as best I can! This is a quick dinner of cheese and broccoli on toast, he really enjoyed this one!

For breakfast he often has cheerios, fruit and a yoghurt. This may seem like a lot of cheerios but they mostly end up on the floor or in the dogs belly! The blueberries always get eaten though as they are a huge favourite! The skins do tend to come out in his poop though so I try not to give him too many haha!

A yoghurt is one of few things he will let us spoon feed him as he just loves them so bloody much! 

If you are struggling with BLW I would advise you to just do it! Give them a little of everything to try and if they don't like it, try again later. Get yourself up to date with how to cut and cook things safely which can easily be found online and away you go. As with adults, everything in moderation. The only things we avoid is chocolate, sweets and we try to keep salt at a minimum.

These are some other foods that have been a big hit...

. Grapes cut into quarters

. Easy pealer oranges, these are his faveeeee

. Blueberries

. Crumpets

. Toast

. Reduced salt baked beans

. Raisins

. Cream cheese sandwiches, sometimes with sneaky broccoli inside!

. Cheerios

. Mamia Carrot puffs (instead of chocolate for Easter, because bunnies love carrots!)

. Humous

. Carrot fries (homemade)

. Grated cheese

. Peas

And a few things he doesn't like...

. Broccoli on its own

. Cucumber

. Strawberries

. Banana (which he will eat from other people but not me?) Maybe he knows I hate them! lol

Learning With Little Ones This Easter

Something a little different on the blog today! I was recently contacted by education.com and asked if I would like to share a learning worksheet (https://www.education.com/worksheets/)with my readers and talk about their website. At first I thought well, Rory's too young for this but then I thought, many of my fellow mums do have older children and with the Easter holidays in full swing they may be looking for both fun and educational activities to do with their little ones! 

"Education.com aims to empower parents, teachers, and homeschoolers to help their children build essential skills and excel. With over 12 million members, Education.com provides educators of all kinds with high-quality learning resources, including worksheets, lesson plans, digital games, an online guided learning platform, and more." (education.com)

Education.com has a huge selection of worksheets and activities that you can download and print for free, whether your kids love to learn or would rather just colour it in, they are sure to find hours of entertainment and maybe even give you time for an uninterrupted cup of tea!

The worksheet I have chosen to share with you all is the "Crawlies Maze" as it is great for a range of ages, even Rory who is only 8months old will enjoy watching me do it or me holding his hand to help him it. In addiction to this worksheet you can find loads more printables on the website for you to explore. 

Zoella X ColourPop Collaboration - Brunch Date Palette

I am a huge Zoella Fan, I do feel she has been slacking recently with her youtube channel and her Zoella Beauty range but when this collaboration was announced, I knew I needed to try something. I had never used anything from ColourPop before either so this gave me the perfect excuse to try them out!

I have always been concerned about shipping and customs costs when ordering from America so have always avoided it but this collection if ordered within 24hours had free shipping to the UK which was a really nice and well thought out choice from Zoe and the team at ColourPop. This fact is definitely what swayed me into going for it!

I am all about eyeshadow palettes, I have quite the collection already so I knew what item I would be purchasing! 

Lets first talk about the packaging, it's beautiful! The palette is a basic cardboard (reminds me of Zoeva) but has a luxurious matte soft feel and the design is wonderfully whimsical with the waffle design outer packaging and the brunch inspired pink palette. A perfect combination of fun but also grown up. 

It fits perfectly with the design of the rest of the range which I think is so well designed, very unique and aesthetically pleasing!  

I would have loved to get the whole collection but my maternity leave budget meant just the palette for me. It cost roughly £17 including a small fee which I thought was a reasonable price for a collaboration palette.

Inside you have 12 shades, 5 mattes and 7 shimmers/foils. In my opinion there is a good selection of creases shades, natural shimmers and a few pops such as the gorgeous blue and the gorgeous burgundy. It is certainly a palette you can wear everyday but it is entirely possible to make something more fancy out of the shades. It is the perfect take on holiday palette for me, I could easily create a week or twos worth of looks out of this.

Left Top to Right Bottom

Maple Syrup - Sundae Funday - Sunny Side Up - Americano - Brunch Club - Extra Slice

Champagne Toast - Pancakes Please - French Toast - Skinny Latte - Cinnamon Sugar - Mimosa

As you can see, the swatches are impressive! The mattes are very pigmented but also very blendable so it's easy to apply because it is so easy to blend out and keep looking perfect. It really doesn't take a lot of work to get the crease looking great. Brunch club is an intense matte blue, not the most unique of shades but is a nice addition. 

Maple syrup, Americano and Mimosa are the perfect selection of crease shades that will work with most looks and French Toast is the most beautiful burgundy that you could use in the crease but I think would work wonderfully for a smokey eye. Extra slice is a matte with flecks of gold glitter and it is the absolute dream! I can't wait to do a full smokey eye with it.

The shimmers, especially Pancakes Please and Cinnamon Sugar just kill me. They are so incredible beautiful and right up my street! I have used them both so many time since owning this palette so I am sure they are going to become everyday faves. 

There has been a lot of backlash on this palette, people saying the shades are boring but I just don't agree. It is an everyday palette, yes but it is a step above. A step more pigmented, a step more sparkly and you definitely can make it work for a night out too.

Ultimately I am really pleased with my purchase! What does you guys think of the collection and this palette in particular? 

TOP TIP: Like many ColourPop shadows (so ive heard) the shimmers and even the blue are best applied with a finger in order to get full pigmentation. You can use a brush but you get the best look with your finger.

SHOP THE COLLECTION HERE

MUM TAG!

I came across this new Mum Tag on youtube created my Emily Norris (find her here!) and it has been done by many of my fave mum youtubers now which ive really enjoyed watching so I thought I would do it here on my blog! Its so interesting to hear how other mothers find parenthood and their experiences so I hope you enjoy reading mine!

1. Favourite mum hack? Im not sure this counts as a hack really but a baby carrier! Babies clingy? Carrier. Babies tired? Carrier. Need to be hand free? Carrier. Muddy walk? Carrier. Breastfeed on the go? Carrier. I love it.

2. Most embarrassing mum moment? Ermmmm, none? I don't embarrass easily and for some reason Rory is better behaved in public than at home!

3. What part of the day do you love the most? Either seeing his smile first thing in the morning or 7pm when Liam gets home from work and Rory is so excited to see him!

4. What part of the day do you like least? Between 5 and 7pm, Rorys a grump so its just counting down the minutes till Liam gets home.

5. The worst thing someone said to you while pregnant? Again, none. People were really supportive while I was pregnant and I loved every minute of it. 

6. Baby name you didn't agree on? Many! I like unique names and Liam doesn't so much! I can't remember exact names honestly but I remember liking Ryan or Bay for a girl and Liam hated both.

7. Do you co sleep? Absolutely not, its something I really done agree with. I mean, each to their own but I would never do it. I do not think its safe, I think it creates bad habits for baby and I also like to have one place thats just mine!

8. Something you bought but never used? We were really careful not to over buy so there wasn't much that went unused but we never used mittens because they are just pointless and we didn't use the swaddle as Rory is a spread out sleeper!

9. Two hospital must have items? I gave much during a heat wave so my mini fan was a life saver. Also makeup, I know that sounds crazy but to be able to have a shower, fresher myself up and put a little makeup on after birth made me feel human again.

10. Are you a routine mum or a go with the flow mum? and what does bedtime look like? Both! During the day I go with the flow, he feeds when he wants, eats when I do and sleeps whenever he needs too but I done let him sleep after 5.30pm so that he is tired enough for bedtime at 8.30pm. His bedtime routine is always the same, up to bedroom, pjs on, feed in nursing chair while Liam reads out loud, baby lullabies on then bed. 

11. What type of labour did you have and what pain relief? I went into labour naturally at 40+4. I started feeling light contractions on the Friday, the ramped up Saturday night and we headed to hospital at 4am Sunday. He was born Sunday 11.47pm. It was a loooong labour and I had high blood pressure and temperature so it was really difficult, I had an epidural and do not regret it!

12. Have you been mum shamed? No but I wouldn't take any notice if I was. I don't care about other people opinions of my mothering in the slightest. Unless i've asked for it and its constructive!

13. What are the biggest challenges you’ve faced since becoming a mum? In the first 5weeks, breastfeeding was really hard. He cluster feed really badly and I felt really trapped. I couldn’t leave the sofa for 5+ hours a day and often in the evening while Liam was at work so I would sit in the dark watching Netflix with dead feet and starving. I cried over that a lot. Now, it’s sleep. He’s is a terrible sleeper, currently waking 8+ times a night, it’s really hard and people always say it will get better but it never seems too.

14. The best bit of advice you’ve received and the biggest piece of advice you would give a new mum? I think people telling me that it gets better has helped a lot actually because it’s true. Every hurdle will improve eventually and it’s all worth it for your baby. To a new mum I would say don’t pressure yourself into doing too much, you may feel you need to say yes to all the visitors and all the baby groups but you don’t. Take some time to relax with your baby, to sleep, to get used to being a mum rather than putting pressure on yourself to please everyone else.

15. Who’s your mum crush and who do you tag? Charlotte Louise Taylor and Giovanni Fletcher! And I tag BecomingMumsy!

Baby Led or Spoon/Puree Led Weaning?

Weaning is the one thing about parenting that I always worried about, I am not a healthy eater, I am terrified of new foods and different textures. I am also scared of any foods that ripen or go off such as fruits and cream cheese. Basically, I'm a freak and I have been so nervous about passing on my weird habits to my child. I want Rory to have a better relationship with food than I have.

We began spoon fed/puree weaning because we felt that way he would be able to try lots of flavours without having to deal with the choking hazard and the different textures straight away. I decided to make my own purees to both save money and give him the purest ingredients, we started with buying spoons, bowls and puree storage pots for using in the fridge and for freezing. We thankfully already had a NutriBullet to use for blending!

I have found that most fruits and veg just need boiling till soft then blending with a little water until the required consistency and pretty much everything can be frozen. We try to give a veg puree in the evening and a fruit for breakfast because we found that if we gave too much fruit in the evening, the sugar rush kept him up at night! 

Winners so far have been blueberry, carrot, apple and sweet potato (separately not together!)

I think purees have their upsides in that baby actually eats the food instead of throwing it on the carpet, it is less clean up and and easier as you only need to defrost a pre made meal rather than find three nutritious meals to make from scratch each day. We can't just eat the same meal because as I said, I am a terrible eater!

We have tried some thicker foods and finger foods as well, edging towards the baby led side of things.  He likes really small pasta with a homemade veggie sauce as you see him to trying to snatch the bowl in the photo above! 

And he has tried carrot sticks, broccoli florets, toast, pitta and various baby snacks such as rice cakes and puffs which have mostly been a hit except the wet and slimy things. Such as strawberries! 

Watching him turn up his nose at strawberries but gobble up toast happily makes me so anxious. How does he know that strawberries are healthy and toast isn't so much? Why will he eat an Ellas Kitchen Puff but only pick at a carrot?

So, basically we have been doing a bit of both spoon and baby led. Spoon feeding does have its downside which is where the finger foods come in. With just puree alone they don't get to explore the food and make their own choices about what goes in their mouths. I've found that when I do give him solids, he is very apprehensive about it, he often doesn't put it anywhere near his mouth which can be really frustrating when you have spent ages cooking it but I think a little bit of perseverance with baby led will hopefully improve this and change apprehensiveness to curiosity! 

Ultimately, I don't know what is the best route or what will benefit baby most because every baby is different and will want to do things differently. I'm really trying to remember this and stress a little less!

Are you currently weaning? Hows it going?

Or have you in the past and have some tips for the rest of us?

Current Favourites

Recently, I've collected quite the list of favourites to share with you! Hopefully something here inspires you to read a book or have a pamper.

Firstly, coffee in this beautiful Starbucks mug with cookies/biscuits to dip. I've really been enjoying this mug recently, Liam got it for me for Christmas as we are big Starbucks fans and appreciate a good quality mug. It is the perfect size and shape for me and has a lovely wide top so you can dip even the biggest cookies inside. 

My biscuits of choice have been these Cadburys Mini Stars, I got them in Poundland, I've never seem them anywhere else but they are chocolate biscuits with a thick white chocolate star on top. I love them because of the way the white chocolate star melts into a delicious gooey mess on the biscuit when dipped in my coffee.

I am a big reader or at least I was until Rory came along and I lost the me time I used to read in. I bought Louise Pentland's Wilde About The Girl a few weeks after Rory was born and have only just finished it! It's taken me 6 months but it was a great read so fully worth it, I have now started reading Some Kind Of Wonderful by Giovanna Fletcher and have been stealing away every possible second to read it. It is so good already and I'm only a quarter of the way through!

A way I've been finding time to read is to have a bath! I either put Rory in the bouncer and have a bath while he watches his fave, Hey Duggee in the bathroom or wait till the weekend so Liam is there to take care of him. I take a book to the bath and pop in some bath time treats to make it a truly luxury experience. I've been really loving these Tranquil Beauty Bath Bombs and also the Zoella Beauty Moisturising Solid Bath Oil. Be aware that these bath oils really make a mess of your bath so you will need to scrub it down afterwards but they do make your skin feel soooo soft!

Lastly, music is something I've neglected since Rory came along but recently I have been really getting into it again! Bring Me The Horizons new album, Amo, is so so good so it has been my album of choice since it came out. I have also been loving Ashley Tisdale's new stuff! Both are worth checking out if you fancy something new to listen too.

Find My Faves

- Starbucks Mug : Instore

- Cadbury Mini Stars (I got my white chocolate ones from Poundland but can only find a link to the milk chocolate from Iceland)

- Wilde About The Girl By Louise Pentland

- Some Kind Of Wonderful By Giovanna Fletcher

- Tranquil Beauty Bath Bomb Set

- Zoella Beauty Moisturising Bath Oils

- Bring Me The Horizon : Amo, can be found on most music streaming services

- Ashley Tisdale : Love Me Let Me Go, can be found on most music streaming services

6 Months of Motherhood

Today, Rory is officially 6 months old and I have been his mum for half a year. I won't lie and say that this hasn't been the hardest 6 months of my life or that every step has gone exactly to plan but it sure has been the best 6 months of my life.

Rory is such a delightful little person, he has perfected his resting bitch face but when he does laugh or smile, it is so beautiful that you can't help but smile back. He can roll over, sit up unaided and is so close to be able to army crawl! He loves toast, sweet potato and his Sophie giraffe. And he really really loves his fur brother, Watson. 

He is such a daddies boy but is very clingy with his mummy. He gives the best cuddles with his chubby arms and soaks the bathroom every time he has a bath.

I am so proud of everything he is and I am because of him. I am so proud that I have exclusively breastfed him for 6 whole months and that I can happily whip out a boob in Starbucks or even while using a baby carrier in the supermarket. 

As I said though, not everything has been perfect and simple. I hated breastfeeding at the beginning, I struggled with lack of privacy and still do sometimes. He's a fussy sleeper, waking minimum of 3 maximum of 6 times a night, he won't nap in his cot during the day or in the pram meaning that I'm still breaking my back carrying his chubby 22lb butt around in the baby carrier. He isn't a fan of taking a bottle which makes ever leaving him hard and he is frustratingly clingy. 

At times these things get me down but then I look at all the things he has learnt in the past 6 months and feel so proud of both of us and of Liam for being the most amazing father. 

I cannot wait to see where we are in another 6 months, what we will do for his first birthday, what his first word will be (we think it will be papa) and when he will walk. 

Motherhood is and will continue to be a complete rollercoaster and I'm loving it!

Tranquil Beauty Bath Bomb Collection

The products shown are gifted but all thoughts are my own

You may recall that not long ago I worked with Tranquil Beauty to be gifted their bathmat and bath pillow to try out. Both of which I really liked so when they contacted me to ask if I would like to be gifted their new bath bomb collection to try, I jumped at the chance!

I love a good bath bomb in a nice relaxing bath so I was super excited to received them and give them a go!

They retail at £10.99 and you get 8 bath bombs which in my opinion is such a good deal! Considering  more popular bath bomb companies such as Lush would only provide you with 2 for that price!

They are packaged in a sleek black box, well labelled and filled with 8 bath bombs in 4 different scents, individually wrapped and sat on a pillow of straw. All very aesthetically pleasing and looks a lot more expensive than the tiny price tag.

You get four scents, Rose, Coconut, Lavender and Mint. I'm usually not a big fan of any of these scents (I don't mind coconut though) so I wasn't sure how I would feel about them but actually they are all really nice! They have very subtle scent, not too overpowering but enough to make your bath feel fancy. If you're looking for a Lush style burst of strong scent and colours you won't get that here but I prefer that because it makes for a nice, simple, everyday bath but with that luxury edge you need on a Wednesday night, no need to save these for special occasions, they are your perfect everyday luxury.

They are individually wrapped which I love because should you go on holiday and a night away you can simply pop one in with your toiletries and have a fancy bath away from home without taking the whole box.

Each bomb is well labelled so you know exactly what is inside.

The first one I tried was Coconut, it fizzed quickly but effectively and left my bathwater colourless but smelling lovely. I have since used the Lavender bomb and that one completely turned my water a gorgeous purple and I'm assuming the mint will be green and rose will be pink so it is really nice to get a variety. A variety of colours but also a colourless option. 

These scents have been so well chosen, I think that you could easily mix a few for a different colour/scent experience. I'm tempted to pop both coconut and mint in my bath tonight! 

Overall, I'm impressed, they are fuss free, well priced and wonderfully luxurious without breaking the bank or staining your bath and skin! I also think they would make a beautiful gift, anyone would be over the moon to receive these! I know I would be!

If you like what you see and want to give them a go for yourself, click HERE

Lack Of Sleep Is A Killer

Looks so peaceful doesn't he? He has his moments when he goes straight down and sleeps like an angel but there are also nights when he flat out refuses and we end up rocking a crying baby multiple times through the night. 

I can't complain really, Rory has always been a good sleeper (except a few nights we will not mention!), he goes down relatively easy and when he does wake during the night he tends to go back down pretty easy but his downfall is that at 4 months old he is still waking between 3 and 6 times a night. 

He usually sleeps from 9pm till 7am including these multiple wakes but overall, I do get about 7-8hours of sleep which as a mum I really can't complain about but I have always been someone who values sleep and needs it. I've been having a regular nap everyday basically for my whole life, I am lucky enough to have been able to with my job and I loved it. I knew when baby came, sleep is what I would struggle with the most.

These are the ways I try and deal with it...

1. Get a lay in at the weekend. Usually on a Saturday I will get up at 7am change Rorys bum, give him a feed then wake Liam up and kick them both out of the bedroom so I can have a few hours nap. I live for it.

2. Nap when baby naps. This is a hard one for me because Rory has always preferred to nap on me so I can't sleep while holding him which is torture when you are so tired! But on the rare occasion he does nap in his cot, whether I am tired or not, I sleep.

3. On Sundays, me and Rory take a long nap together, when he falls asleep on me I make no effort to move him, instead we snuggle up and sleep all afternoon while Liam plays xbox next to us and keeps an eye out. Sleepy Sundays reinstated! 

4. Go out of the house. It makes such a difference to how tired you feel if you are out and about rather than cooped up in a dark house. Go for a walk, look around the shops or take baby swimming!

5. Remember that dads need sleep too! Liam gets up even earlier than I do on weekdays so on Sunday he gets his lay in. When Rory wakes up we sneak out of the room and leave Liam to sleep the morning away! 

The main this to remember though when you are up with the baby all through the night is that this is temporary! You will get your sleep back one day, sooner or later and these nights with your little one are precious. So value them! 

Mum Guilt and Keeping Baby Busy

I am currently suffering so badly from mum guilt and its a horrible place to be. Maternity leave is wonderful, being able to spend all my time with my little man and watch him grow but theres only so much to do. Maternity pay is rubbish so I can't afford to do much meaning that a lot of our time is spent at home. This is where the mum guilt comes in, it is so hard to keep Rory entertained at all times and I can't help but feel like I'm failing him when I'm watching tv and he's just laying on his play mat or sitting on my lap. I feel like I need to be constantly playing with him, reading to him or taking him out to see new surroundings but its just not always possible!

How do you get over this? I just don't know! I know that its important to let him learn to play on his own and entertain himself sometimes but it doesn't make me feel any better. I just want to say that if you are feeling the same, you're not alone!

 Here are some of the things I have Rory do to help him entertain himself a little bit and learn at the same time which in turn helps ease the mum guilt...

Fisher Price Kick and Play Piano Gym, this little guy is a life saver! I keeps Rory the most occupied and it is super easy just to plop him down on when I need to answer the door or let the dog out for a wee. He loves kicking at the piano and hearing the sounds it makes, he chews on the hanging toys and he most likes to try and escape the gym which keeps him happy for ages! I try and swap/change the hanging toys regularly to keep him busy.

Even before Rory was born we had our eyes on this adorable little Jellycat Octopus, I didn't really think a baby would care much about it but we desperately wanted it simply because its freaking adorable. But, Odell the octopus really does keep him entertained! He pulls on and chews all the legs, he cuddles it, he throws it. Sometimes I even tie him to the play gym using two of his legs and Rory spends ages trying to free his little friend.

If your baby is teething, you need these! Only recently he's been paying much attention to these, especially Sophie the giraffe. He loves to chew them both and they are perfectly sized/formed for his little hands to be able to grip onto super well. I do however, spend a lot of my time boiling them both to keep them clean because they take turns being chewed on then dropped on the floor.

BOOKS, BOOKS, BOOKS! This kid loves a good book, he loves being read to, loves looking at pictures and if i'm too busy to do these things with him, he also like to chew them and throw them about. We keep the nicer books safe in the bedroom for bedtime reading and the ones that can be chewed downstairs with his daytime toys. These poor books are quite wet most of the time. 

I got these soft blocks for him for Christmas, I didn't think he would use them much until he was a little older but actually they get used loads. I stack them so he can roll through them or punch them down. I also like to stack them in front of his door bouncer so he can kick them down. He smiles and laughs like crazy when they are gently thrown at him! 

Tomy Eggs, I loved these as a kid, I feel like every kid loves them. I have no idea why because they are literally a box of eggs but like most babies, Rory is a fan. He knocks the box about until the eggs are all out then rolls around in the mess picking up egg pieces as he goes. 

Last, the door bouncer! This is a life saver for people in little houses like us, we just don't have the room for a jumperoo so this has been amazing and Rory loves it! Can you tell?

It entertains him for ages while helping him strengthen his legs and learn new skills. I often secure different items to the front for him to play with as well such as this crinkle book that he paws at while he jumps!

Its important to let your baby do things by themselves and not cuddled all the time, which is hard when they are so damn cute but these are the things that have been helping me keep him busy! 

Is there anything you do that keeps your little one busy? Id love to know so I can try it myself!