Our January Favourites...

I was so pleased to get so many lovely comments and messages after posting my last blog.

Many messages asked what my favourite potty training tips/products were and other favourite beauty buys. It’s so nice to know that people are interested and that my recommendations might be helpful.

So, I thought my next blog should be all about mine and Lola's favourite things from January.

I will try to do this every month as it changes so often. If there’s a "favourite" I’ve missed, drop me a message and I’ll make sure I add it on in February!

Hope you enjoy reading.

January, 2018

Favourite Beauty Product

Mummy

Estee Lauder Double Wear Nude Water Fresh - Debenhams £32.50 and Maybelline Fit Me - Superdrug £6.99

My favourite foundation this month has actually been a mix of two! I use Estee Lauder Double Wear Nude Water Fresh and mix it with Maybelline Fit Me. I used to wear the original Double Wear and loved it, but found it was getting a bit heavy for every day and I prefer a more glowy, dewy look at the minute. On its own, Double Wear Nude can be a little too dewy so when you mix it with Fit Me, the combination is just perfect! I’m obsessed with my new little combo – just call me a... foundationoligist??!

Lolly

Snailz Kids - http://www.safe-nails.com/ £7

Lola has always been really girly - I’m already so excited for the day we can go get our nails done! She is desperate to come with me and have hers done already! But for now, I have found this amazing washable nail polish for kids – you only need soap and water to take it off. It’s completely natural, free from all toxins and chemicals, odourless, and comes in so many fun colours (and glitters!) Lola loves it – especially when she gets to paint Daddy’s nails. Him, less so.

Favourite Skincare Product

Mummy

Egyptian Magic Cream – Look Fantastic £24.50

This cream works miracles. I have used this for a long time now and can’t see myself stopping. Under make-up, my skin has such a natural glow and feels hydrated all day. I use it as a night cream, face mask, lip balm, hand cream! It helps with stretch marks, eczema, minor burns, shaving rashes and it’s even great for Lola. I’ve used it as a nappy rash cream and on any little dry patches she gets, and it clears up within days! Every Mummy NEEDS this in her baby bag!

Lolly

Mamia Sensitive Baby Wipes – Aldi £0.50

I’ve always used Pampers wipes and have had no issues with them – other than I get through about a packet a day! I saw these in Aldi and thought I would give them a try given they’re 50p!! They definitely aren’t as big as Pampers so you may need to use an extra wipe, but for the price, they’re great! I mainly use them to wipe Lola’s face/nose/hands and she has never reacted badly to them. I also love the handy plastic opening which makes one-handed wipe emergencies much easier!

Favourite Perfume

Mummy

Chanel Chance – Debenhams 50ml EDP £74 and Zara Woman Floral – Zara 100ml EDT £9.99

Chanel Chance is my signature scent and it wouldn’t have felt right not to include it in my favourites. However, I found a great, everyday perfume when I was shopping in Zara (again) last week and I love it! It's a sweet, floral fragrance and has quite similar notes to Viktor and Rolf Flowerbomb. The staying power isn’t amazing but at £9.99, who cares! I spray it twice a day and have had lots of compliments. I've heard their whole fragrance collection is worth a sniff - a different one for every month?!

Lolly

Nenuco Cologne - www.lemonfreshuk.com £4.95

I’m not really one for perfume on babies but I’ve used this on Lola’s clothes when ironing since she was a baby. It’s a family tradition! The smell is so fresh and there’s nothing else like it! It comes from Spain so can be hard to get hold of, but due to its more recent popularity in the UK, it’s getting easier. Hoorah! I’m praying for the day I find it on a random shelf in Aldi - I think I’d cry.

Favourite Hair Product

Mummy

Hairburst Shampoo and Conditioner - https://www.hairburst.com £24.00

My hubby bought me these for Christmas after seeing the brand advertised on Instagram. After having Lola, I lost a lot of hair, mostly around my hairline. Apparently, it’s quite normal (although no one tells you this until it’s all in your shower plug hole and you’re having a near on breakdown). As you can imagine, I lost my confidence and for about a year, I couldn’t work out what was better – tie it all up and have a sporadic, fluffy micro fringe or, leave it down and look like I’d had the sides of my hair razor cut, unequally. I tried supplements, oils, vitamins, horse shampoo…. but nothing worked. This shampoo and conditioner have made my hair grow significantly and it’s thicker, healthier and stronger.

Don’t get me wrong, I still have a long, long way to go before I look more Jennifer Aniston and less Tommy the RUGRAT, but at least I’m finally getting somewhere!

Lolly

Aveeno Baby Daily Care Baby Hair & Body Wash – Superdrug £5.99

Lola’s hair took forever to grow but this really helped to encourage those little topknots I was desperate to create! We are finally getting there and, at last, a French plait doesn’t seem too far off. It smells nice, there are no nasties, it’s soap free and paediatrician tested. Love it.

Favourite Film/TV Show

Mummy

Broadchurch ITV 1

I know, we were incredibly late to the party, but we finally watched this series and oh my goodness we have been hooked! We are now on Season 3 and are yet to discover who did it….! Apparently, it has been categorically confirmed there is NO Season 4, so we are anxiously trawling through Netflix for a new series – suggestions please

Lolly

Sing! – Sky TV

Lola loves this film – and, considering how many times a week we watch it, thankfully so do I. It’s a funny, feel good, sing a long classic. We have the soundtrack in the car and spend most of our journeys singing “Shake it off, shake it off”. We went to the Cinema last week to watch it on the big screen which Lola loved (that or the massive bucket of popcorn she ate.) I would recommend for any toddlers who love a sing and dance. The message behind it is lovely so it’s a great one for kids to remember and take with them wherever they choose to go - pursue your dreams and do the things you love.

Favourite House Purchase

Mummy

Dusty Rose Vase – Homesense £ 9.99

You will find there is a theme to my favourite house purchases here – Homesense. I am obsessed. I feel like it’s my happy place. There’s cushions, vases, storage boxes, chairs, flowers, lamps, pictures, dinnerware – EVERYTHANG. The prices are great, and I just love searching through it all. My new house has a grey, white, chrome and glass theme running throughout but I wanted to add a splash of pink (without Steven noticing) in a couple of the rooms. I have chosen Lola’s room (obvious) and our downstairs cloakroom. I have bought some lovely grey and pink ombre hand towels from John Lewis and now an amazing dusty pink vase to take pride of place on the windowsill – he’ll never notice.

Lolly

Pink Rabbit Cushion – Homesense £19.99

I saw this cushion and couldn’t not buy it – it’s so cute! It’s going to be a feature pillow on Lola’s new bed. I’ve chosen a white duvet set and have a beautiful pink throw with pompoms, so this ties everything in nicely. Although, when Lola finds a bunny shaped cushion on her bed, I’m not quite sure how to explain to Lola what a feature pillow is……

Favourite Household Product

Mummy

Zoflora – Tesco £1.30

The thought of not having this in my cupboard brings me out in cold sweats! It’s a concentrated disinfectant that comes in lots of different smells. My favourite is Linen Fresh – it smells like clean, fresh washing on a breezy Summer’s day! I dilute a few drops into a small amount of hot water and leave it to cool. Sometimes, I leave it all day – the smell when you come home is insane! I use it to wipe down surfaces and on my radiators, so when the heat comes on, it works as an incredible air freshener. I’ve used it on all my upholstery for a little freshen up too!

Favourite Store

Mummy

NU Rose Billericay High Street / Instagram @nurose_boutique

I always prefer to shop at independent boutiques because I like to find little one-off pieces that are a bit different. When I lived in Essex before, I had so many near me but there aren’t as many in Buckinghamshire unfortunately. When I went to meet the builders at the new house last week I went into a boutique in Billericay high street and found some amazing bits. I managed to restrain myself and just bought two pieces – an oversized khaki sweatshirt with ribbon ties on the sleeve and some dark khaki leather trousers. They were so affordable, and I can’t wait to have this on my doorstep soon – Steven not so much.

Lolly

Mini Mills – minimillsboutique.com /Instagram @minimillsboutique

I love this shop! It’s an online shop and I can’t believe I have only just found it! Their pieces are so unique and so gorgeous – I love Lola in traditional, classic pieces but she’s getting a little older now and it’s becoming harder to keep her in this sort of thing. This site seems to be a good blend of classic and young girl. I don’t like anything that makes her look older than her age and I have found some beautiful little two-piece sets, blouses, leggings and rompers! They also have some beautiful summer bits – hurry up holidayyyy/any sign of sun.

Favourite Snack

Mummy

Simply 7 Lentil Crisp Sea Salt and Reduced Fat Humous – Waitrose £2.29 / £1.40

This is my go to snack this month. I swear all I ate was crisps and dip over Christmas. It had to stop. So, I found a great, healthier alternative. These crisps are quite high in salt (there has to be something bad), but they’re gluten free, contain no artificial colours or preservatives and are made from all-natural lentils. I have tried to live a reduced sugar diet for the last year and a half as it seems to be the only diet that works for me. And, whilst I am partial to a bag of foam bananas every now and then, I try to make sure everything I eat has less than 5g sugars per 100g - this includes fruit and "natural sugars" - it's still sugar, i'm afraid! These are 0.7g so well within my limit and taste delicious, especially dipped in gallons of humous.

I am thinking of doing a post on sugar free diets with tips, recipes, more low sugar snacks and meal ideas. If it’s something you’re interested in, drop me a message!

Lolly

Organix Goodies Mini Gingerbread Man – Waitrose £2.40

Lola loves these – they come in handy little packets so are great for snacking on the go. They’re organic and contain no refined sugars. They’re still much higher than my sugar allowance quota because they contain grape juice but for toddlers, they’re fine in small doses. They work well as a little treat instead of the normal, sugary biscuits. Plus, I don’t feel as guilty when I “try” one every now and then……they’re also not messy which is always a terrific, terrific thing.

Favourite Book

Mummy

I have not had time to read a book since 2015. However, my New Year’s resolution is to read more. I’ll start in February.

Lolly

The Gingerbread Man (Ladybird) - Amazon £4.00

My Mum bought Lola this book over the Christmas break and we have read it almost every night. To be completely honest, I had forgotten how it ended. When I discovered the gingerbread man gets eaten by a fox, I had my concerns. However, Lola found it hilarious and it certainly hasn’t put her off eating said Gingerbread men.

Favourite Blog/Instagram Page

Mummy

@hesellicdesign

This is an Interior Design Instagram page and oh my goodness, this is talent! I have been so inspired by this page. If you love home and interiors go check it out. Although, prepare to spend your life in soft furnishing stores (Homesense) every weekend if you do….

Lolly

@millynaoimi_

I knew Milly a little when I started reading her blog in 2010 as we went to the same school. She has a passion for beauty products and I have tried many different lipsticks after reading her posts and always agree with her recommendations. Milly now has a little girl so, whilst a lot has changed for the both of us, I enjoy reading her blog as much today as I did then.

Favourite/Random Tip of the Month

Mummy

Baby Oil – Wilko £2.95

I can’t actually remember where I learnt this, but it is a seriously life-changing cleaning tip for anyone slightly OCD with surface smears. Firstly, clean all your stainless-steel surfaces and appliances with a floor wipe (another tip!), followed by a damp cloth. Spray a small amount of baby oil on to surfaces and use a piece of kitchen roll or a microfibre cloth to work in the oil. If you rub the surface in the direction of the grain (it takes a little bit of patience and effort) the result is uh-mazing! Super shiny, smear-free stainless steel. VOILA!

Lolly

“I can’t know”

If Lola’s ever being mischievous, we sit her down and ask her to tell us what she’s doing, why she’s doing it and what she should do instead next time. When Lola was quite young, we made the decision to do our very best not to raise our voices when disciplining her. We don’t use naughty steps or time outs. I understand this doesn’t always work for everyone, but we have found this to be the best method for us. Anyway, Lola’s most recent method for explaining bad behaviour is to answer, “Mummy, I can’t know.” Not only is it incredibly cute, but it’s bloody funny. I can’t help but laugh and our attempt to discipline goes well and truly out the window – and she knows it! So, without a doubt, this is Lola’s January tip to all you other cheeky tantrum’ing toddlers out there.

Thank you for reading.

Sophie and Lolly

xxx