Lifestyle

Just the First bash at YouTube

Well a very persuasive three year old got her way and I have uploaded a little video onto YouTube. It’s really just a channel intro and today I’m hoping to make something a little longer.

How on earth people get into this and can make it a paying job amazes me. I spent a frustrating hour and a half hashing ten images together. Add that to the anxiety that the world and his wife can judge every aspect of your life and it really is quite a daunting process.

I’m trying to be a progressive mum and while I love a novel in the bath I appreciate that social sharing and connecting online is for better or worse the future. I am hoping that I can create a happy little space for Sienna to look back on regardless of the number views she has. Have any of you made anything for YouTube? or Facebook live? I’ve never even spoken on an Instagram story so this is wildly outside of my comfort zone.

Let me know where you all stand, do you agree with kids online or are you very much against it?

I hope you pop over to give it a little watch, click the like button and follow our little journey. We are a little loving family and I hope these crazy kids of mine make you smile

Have a gorgeous day xxx

Sienna Beth’s Very First YouTube Video

Just a beautiful school run …

This morning there was a glorious white blanket over everything and it made my heart so happy.

The Monday morning school run was pretty chipper and we even had a little play in the garden before we left.

As I’m sure is the case for most parents in December, the days are a blur of nativities, wrapping, shopping, shows and parties. Which while super fun and exciting for the kids means Mum organisation skills are at a trembling breaking point. Throw in a few coughs and colds, the odd late night and what could only be referred to as an accountancy degree level of bank balancing and it’s no wonder December can be such a stressful month.

Today I’m taking some time to watch the girls faces in bright winter light, study their gorgeous cheeks and red noses and cherish the tiny cold hands that grip mine for security and safety. These really are the best days, they are gone too fast.

Love your little angels with all of your heart. and relish those crazy busy times.

I hope you all have a beautiful snow day or sunny day wherever you are

xxx

Shop my outfit

Newlook Spicy Orange Pompom Hat

Sweaty Betty Exploration Soft-shell Pink Detailed Ski Jacket (Quite old and Sold out online but the new season ski wear is super cute)

Boden Emilie Post Box Red Curved Hem Jumper

Topshop Black Jamie Jeans

Timberland Earthkeepers Mount Holly Tall Lace Duck Woman’s Boots

Just Beauty Sleep…

As my teething, British Summer hating, restless baby goes down for what is likely to be another interrupted night of what I can only loosely refer to as “sleep”, I resist the urge to curl up beside her still fully clothed and resembling a harpy to grab the opportunity to pamper myself.

Now I would love to write a post on a beauty routine that involved massage oils, sheet face masks and a glass of bubbly while I languished in the tub but it would be fiction and instead I will give you the best realistic solutions I have found to give me a fighting chance of taking on the following day.

I light a posh candle, grab a good book and throw some Radox into the bath (even if there are a few rogue floating ducks in there)

It is tempting to grab every second of sleep, and sometimes that is the best option, but when you have the opportunity to unwind, savour it. Taking care of yourself is so important, especially if you need to take care of everyone else.

I’m not great at switching off so I love the half an hour of distraction i get from a novel and I really appreciate drifting away into a story.

I make sure to properly take off my makeup. Firstly using a small amount of coconut oil warmed in my hands then massaged all over my face. I love the smell and I love how easily mascara melts away. I then follow up with a small amount of Elemis Dynamic Resurfacing Facial Wash all over my face but avoid the eye area with this. I take everything off with a warm damp flannel and once a week use the Resurfacing mask, usually on a Sunday so my skin feels great to start the week off.

This combination hydrates my dry skin and leaves it incredibly clean without feeling stripped.

To finish off my evening skin care I squeeze a little of Kiehl’s Clearly Corrective Clarity toner onto a cotton pad and lightly sweep this over my face and end with Origin’s GinZing eye cream and Night-A-Mins moisturiser. These are cult favourites for a reason and whenever I stray brands I always come back to these.

Once out of the bath I apply Bio-oil while my skin is still damp to lock in moisture, then slather on Champneys foot cream (it is sandal weather after all) before creeping like a stealth trained ninja back into my room.

My absolute must have for the best nights sleep is a wonderful mattress. The Leesa mattress is unlike any other, designed from the inside out with three layers of universal adaptive high quality foam to provide the cooling, contouring and core support everybody needs to achieve amazing sleep.

Add to an incredible mattress freshly washed sheets and that is my idea of heaven.

How do you achieve your best beauty sleep? And what products are your saviours on an evening?

Sometimes Things Just Change

Well Hello,

So much has changed since the last time I posted anything on here, I’m not even sure where to start.

In a snappy, not too glum summarisation, Lee was made redundant and we had to leave Australia and move back to the U.K.

Now I could write chapter and verse on how upsetting the last 6 months have been but this aint that kind of blog and I aint that kind of girl.

So for now Im trying to be happy for what we have, trying not to be sad for what we have lost and focusing on what we want.

I have lots of ideas for future posts, although my outfits are now of the maternity variety as we are expecting baby number four in October – which may be the worst timed child in history or the best timed gift from God.

Things are far from perfect for our little family right now but there is much to be said with connecting with people who are also struggling or who can offer their point of view or to be in this life together with, so if anyone needs a chat I am here.

Speak soon my gorgeous bunch xx

Nioxin

Now this may not be the most glamorous post I’ll ever do but I want to talk to you about NIOXIN, a hair care range targeting thinning hair and hair loss. IMG_3084 (1)

When I became pregnant with Sienna I had long blonde hair, I did not chemically treat it my whole pregnancy but it started to snap off and fall out. I was so stressed and ashamed instead of talking to someone I had all my hair cut off and a fringe cut in, this covered most of the tufts up and made my hair appear thicker.

When I changed hairdressers, she told me that some women do suffer hair loss in pregnancy or just afterwards due to all the hormone changes and recommended I try NIOXIN as she had seen first hand the results.
I am so happy I started using this range and I recommend it 100%. I use line 3 which is for chemically treated naturally fine hair, but there are a number of different lines for different hair needs. It is not just for after pregnancy but for anyone who is having trouble with hair breakage and hair loss, for whatever reason.

The shampoo smells minty and gives an immensely clarifying deep clean. This unclogs your hair follicles and takes all the product build up and residual dirt from our hair and scalp. The conditioner is also minty smelling, when you massage it in and leave it a few minutes it starts to tingle, this is your scalp being stimulated, helping your follicles to produce new hair. The Root boost spray you apply on damp hair right at the root and then massage it in, this sometimes leaves the scalp a little red in the short term but that soon wears off. The last step is Diaboost which you spray into the mid lengths and ends of the hair to make it appear thicker and fuller.

I did hesitate slightly at the price but the pack lasts me 6 weeks and I wash my hair every day (which is the recommended amount when using this). A little goes a long way and now I have seen the results for myself I will re-purchase again and again.

As this is a bit of a Mummy blog I wanted to post this, even if only one person reading this has the same trouble or knows someone who this would benefit they can look into it. I know it will make them feel more joy than any outfit or new lipstick could.

It is a precess and it does take time, I do still have tufts of hair where the new hair is growing in and I would still prefer a fringe but I live in such a hot climate it is easier without one and so I wear hats ALOT. At least now I have found something that helps and I know I’m not alone with it.

Thank you for reading,

as always Nicola x