A rare PJ day

 Belle and Boo are both poorly so we have had a rare couple of days in, with lots of cuddles...

We even baked some healthy peanut butter oat snacks

I hate seeing our babies poorly but it really does put everything into perspective.

I have days where I feel everything is out of control.  Running around trying to balance everything from school pick up to housework, to clubs and play dates, to meals and bedtime routines, not to mention answering the hundreds of questions Belle incessantly asks, daily.  This is all whilst trying to give quality time and instill confidence and security in my children.  

Sometimes I can not wait for them both to be tucked up in bed.

A day in the life of a mother!

But guess what...the world waited yesterday. 

When your children are poorly nothing else matters.  

So give me a million more stressed out 'juggling days'.  

Please give me years and years more of Belle's questions, because I can not think of any better way of spending my time then for that of Belle and Boo.

They are amazing.

When I see the love they have for each other. When I see the caring way Belle looks out for Boo already.  When I see them having fun with their friends and when they laugh and giggle.  It is all worthwhile.

I am so unbelievably, eternally, grateful for them and their health

Silver Cross Pink Dolls Pram

When I had Belle, and recently Boo, I longed for a Silver Cross Balmoral Pram!  However good sense prevailed and I just knew it would not be practical as we go nearly everywhere by car (we are surrounded by farms with not a path in sight).  

I'm really not sure who adores Belle's pink Silver Cross pram more!?

 

Have a lovely weekend everyone!

A Pink Cowgirl 4th Birthday Party

Our gorgeous girly has turned 4!

It only seems two seconds ago she was curled up in our arms, a little newborn bundle.

She is a little lady who knows what she wants and she wanted a pink cowgirl pony party...so she got one!

She was very poorly on the day with a high temperature but she soldiered on (or saddled up should I say) and so the show went on...she amazed us! She always amazes us!

Love you baby girl!

Outside our house..the weather was rather cold and so the carport proved a very valuable space for grooming the ponies after all the girls had a ride

The popcorn bags were later filled up!

Cowgirl cookies for the cowgirls to take home, which we found on Bakerella, Cowgirl Loot, drinks in the watering hole and cowgirl trail mix (a mixture of raisins, smarties, pretzels and cheerios)

Pink Gingham tables fit for 15 little cowgirls and Belle's Jessie Cowgirl cake. Smores to eat and sheriff stars for all the girls

The Stokke Xplory got in on the cowgirl theme too and Spike loved all the attention he received from the guests!  After all the girls got a pony ride they were able to groom and decorate them, which they loved! We can really recommend The Cuddly Pony Party!  I found this amazing cowgirl bunting from Angels with Dirty Faces.

Cowgirl Wanted signs and pin the tail on the donkey for the girls to play.

 Cowboy Bibs for the two mini cowboys that attended

Flowers for the tables, teepee and party bags

Thank you to everyone who came and helped out too!

It was lovely seeing Belle with all her friends and even though she was poorly they all managed to cheer her up!

We wonder what next years request will be?

Baby's First Converse

How adorable are these tiny converse for Spike?

He seems to approve...

We couldn't leave out Belle of course...

Aren't tiny baby shoes just the cutest things?

A willow crib and the baby mattress dilemma solved!

I have always had a thing for traditional, good quality pieces of furniture.  When we moved to this house we knew we were expecting baby boo and so I kept an eye out for nursery furniture which was befitting with a modern cottage.

When I was contacted by Naturalmat about their cocomat and beautiful willow crib a couple months before boo was born it couldn't have been better timing.  Not only is the willow crib handmade from renewable willow crops, it is also larger and sturdier than any I have come across and it really does look timeless and elegant.  Well you can see for yourself and be the judge...

The pictures really don't do the size of this crib justice, it is really quite vast to look at in real life and measures L84cm x W48cm x H53cm...much bigger than your average moses basket!  The stand is also equally lovely quality, in folding pine with leather straps, and is super sturdy.

You can buy the willow crib, stand, bumper and coco mattress separately on the naturalmat website or as a bundle here.  As a bundle it comes in at £300, which isn't cheap but then you aren't buying a standard highstreet moses basket here with a pvc mattress.  Naturalmat also do custom sheet sizes to go with the mattress and waterproof protectors too, which are quite an essential with a newborn I would say.

This crib is recommended for up to 6 months and I think this is because babies can start to pull themselves up from this age and the sides are low compared to a cot.  However length wise this crib could last them a lot longer and boo is still not filling it (yet he outgrew his moses basket two months ago!)

Now that I have shown you this stunning crib, I will get onto what naturalmat are really known for, which is of course their organic handmade mattresses.

The Mattress

If you are anything like me I spent ages researching the best mattress for baby.  I did it with Belle 4 years ago and went through it all again with baby boo, scrawling the internet for the safest, most breathable, organic mattress on the market!  It is a minefield out there!

Naturalmat do a few different types of mattress for babies (and adults alike but I will concentrate on the baby mattresses).  There is the cocomat, latex mat, mohair mat and cashmere mat.  I went for the cocomat as it offers gentle support and is extremely breathable with excellent ventilation.  Which gives me that little extra piece of mind.

Sizing - Moses baskets and cribs from the highstreet, even some of the most expensive one's, always come with those horrible pvc mattresses which you just would not want baby to sleep on!  So then you are left with finding a new mattress to fit and sometimes it just can't be done.  Naturalmat have that covered too.  They offer a made to measure service and so are able to custom make any moses, crib or cot mattress size you want.  Whether it be rectangular, rounded, hexagonal or any odd shape, they can do it!

Comfort - The coco mattress feels very firm to touch and I did worry about this but Baby boo certainly has no complaints! He has always been a fantastic sleeper and now at 6 months he still sleeps in this crib by the side of our bed at night. 

Organic - The thing that makes these mattresses the real deal for me is the fact they are completely organic!  By organic I do not mean 80% organic or just the cotton covers, like so many claim, but everything! The problem with mattresses is that since it is law they are flame resistant many chemicals are put into them to ensure this.  The cocomat uses locally sourced lambswool tufting instead of any chemicals as it can resist flames due to its high moisture and nitrogen content therefore making a naturally fire resistant mattress! 

The core - The core of this mattress is made from organic coir (coir comes from coconuts, it's basically coconut fibre).  There are many benefits of this:

• Great Sprin and support properties 
• Amazingly resilient and durable 
• Naturally anti-dust mite which means it is perfect for all allergy sufferers 
• Breathable/superb ventilation
• Organic and sustainable - a truly eco product!

Notes - Due to baby boo being a tummy sleeper I have always been paranoid about leaving him for nap times, so we decided to buy the angel baby monitor.  This monitor works very well under this mattress and picks up movement perfectly!

Disclosure:  For the purpose of this review we were given the willow crib and mattress bundle to keep.  However all views and opinions expressed are my own

Happy Half Birthday: Baby Boo turns 6 months old

Spike, how are you 6 months old already?

You are the most bubbly, smiley, sociable baby.  You smile for everyone you meet.

You are an easy baby, very basic in your needs and you still rarely cry.  We took you to Dubai for your first holiday a couple of weeks ago.  8 hours on a plane and not a peep, just smiles for all your fellow passengers!

You have brought so much joy to our lives and completed our little family.

I still get moments where I can not believe we have a little boy in the house, that daddy and I have a son, that Belle has a brother.  We are so proud of you.

We went out for lunch with Grams and Papa to celebrate your half birthday and you got a little spoilt.  Just as your sister did on her half birthday.

Belle and Boo at 6 months old

Should I have a baby and what the baby classes don't tell you!

For all the mother's (including expectant ones), this one is for you!  My friend shared this with me and I'm afraid I can not find who the original author is, so if you know please do tell.  But it is beautiful and true.

We are sitting at lunch one day when my daughter casually mentions that she and her husband are thinking of "starting a family."

"We're taking a survey," she says half-joking. "Do you think I should have a baby?"

"It will change your life," I say, carefully keeping my tone neutral.

"I know," she says, "no more sleeping in on weekends, no more spontaneous vacations."

But that is not what I meant at all. I look at my daughter, trying to decide what to tell her. I want her to know what she will never learn in childbirth classes.

I want to tell her that the physical wounds of child bearing will heal, but becoming a mother will leave her with an emotional wound so raw that she will forever be vulnerable.

I consider warning her that she will never again read a newspaper without asking, "What if that had been MY child?" That every plane crash, every house fire will haunt her.

That when she sees pictures of starving children, she will wonder if anything could be worse than watching your child die.

I look at her carefully manicured nails and stylish suit and think that no matter how sophisticated she is, becoming a mother will reduce her to the primitive level of a bear protecting her cub. That an urgent call of "Mum!" will cause her to drop a soufflé or her best crystal without a moments hesitation.

I feel that I should warn her that no matter how many years she has invested in her career, she will be professionally derailed by motherhood. She might arrange for childcare, but one day she will be going into an important business meeting and she will think of her baby's sweet smell. She will have to use every ounce of discipline to keep from running home, just to make sure her baby is all right.

However decisive she may be at the office, she will second-guess herself constantly as a mother.

Looking at my attractive daughter, I want to assure her that eventually she will shed the pounds of pregnancy, but she will never feel the same about herself.

That her life, now so important, will be of less value to her once she has a child. That she would give herself up in a moment to save her offspring, but will also begin to hope for more years, not to accomplish her own dreams, but to watch her child accomplish theirs.

I want her to know that a cesarean scar or shiny stretch marks will become badges of honor.

My daughter's relationship with her husband will change, but not in the way she thinks.

I wish she could understand how much more you can love a man who is careful to powder the baby or who never hesitates to play with his child.

I think she should know that she will fall in love with him again for reasons she would now find very unromantic.

I wish my daughter could sense the bond she will feel with women throughout history who have tried to stop war, prejudice and drunk driving.

I want to describe to my daughter the exhilaration of seeing your child learn to ride a bike.

I want to capture for her the belly laugh of a baby who is touching the soft fur of a dog or cat for the first time.

I want her to taste the joy that is so real it actually hurts.

My daughter's quizzical look makes me realize that tears have formed in my eyes. "You'll never regret it," I finally say. Then I reached across the table, squeezed my daughter's hand and offered a silent prayer for her, and for me, and for all the mere mortal women who stumble their way into this most wonderful of callings.  May you always have in your arms the one who is in your heart.

Valentine's Day Love

Happy Valentine's Day one and all!

I like using this day to remind my family how much they mean to me.  I know we shouldn't need it to remember how important loved one's are but we sometimes need a little reminder in our busy lives and at the risk of sounding blonde, you know, it's 'nice'.

Mum's cupcakes are AMAZING!

So lucky to have my hubby... Love you Mr Y

Gorgeous Cath Kidston cards for Belle and Boo from Grams!

Belle's Valentine Hello Kitty from Build a Bear

 

Beautiful girly gifts from my mum

I am so grateful for my gorgeous little family and it still feels a little surreal when I think of Mr Y and myself having a little lady AND a little man now.  I adore my family of four and am so proud of them in every way.   

To my soul mate, my husband, for still 6 years on, making me feel special.  

To my children for coming into this world and blowing me away.  Who knew love could be so deep and so strong. 

And to my mum and dad for giving me the strength, morals, values and security I hold today.  For mum making every occasion, small or big, special and for having a heart of pure gold.

So on this day, which should be everyday, thank you! Thank you to my family and friends for making my life so full.

A new find for babywear

I recently came across K&Co whilst looking for a miniature shirt for baby boo.  They have a great range of clothes, with brands from Ladybird and Mamas and Papas to Ralph Lauren and Tommy Hilfiger.

Below are a handful of things which I have picked out but you can find many, many more, on the K&Co website.  I particularly like the little prince and princess hooded bath towels!

Baby Boy Gifts

Baby Girl Gifts

They really have a fantastic selection of baby clothes, from sleepsuits and vests to special occasion outfits, to suit all budgets and I know I will be going back again.  So if you have a baby or toddler of your own, or you are looking to buy a gift for a friend with a baby, then pop along and have a look.  

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post but all views expressed are my own