Baby DJ

Just wanted to post some photos of my beautiful little son..
I know I am totally bias ..
but hope you like them as much as I do..
xoxo

Cashmere and Egyptian cotton

I have always loved the feel of natural fibers on my body. The feeling of a silk camisole under a cashmere or cotton cardigan can make any tired frazzled new mum feel divine! Humans love the feel of things. Every time you go shopping how many times do you feel an item before picking it up? I don't spend a fortune on clothes ( I change my clothes about 3 times a day due to baby sick/poo and food ) but I make sure that most of the clothes I have are natural fibers. Cotton is the best product ever. It wears very well. You can get silky camisoles from almost any underwear section in a department store, for a decent enough price. You dont want to get all silk though, real silk creases(and who has the time to iron these days anyway) They are also expensive.
Nothing is better than cuddling up on the sofa in a big cozy cashmere jumper, drinking a hot chocolate and watching old black and white movies. However cashmere can be pricey. TK max or TJ max as I think it is in the US always have some cashmere sweaters and cardigans at good prices. Or you can go for a cashmere mix can be another lovely cheaper alternative. When traveling I always travel with my cashmere scarf spray it with some nice smelling perfume or oil mist and cuddle up in that. Gets rid of that horrible airplane smell.
DJ has also inherited the love of yummy feeling fabrics. I bought him a little cashmere blue cardigan ( I know its ridiculous but its sooooo cute I couldn't resist) He loves the feel of it. For a baby he sure is fussy. I bought a novelty top for a rugby game recently and he hated it .. he was so uncomfortable in it. As soon as I changed him in to his little cotton baby grow he was happy again.
He is a little monkey. He wont sleep in his bed but he will sleep in our bed. His daddy thinks its because we have egyptian cotton sheets on ours. I can put him to sleep in the middle of our bed for a nap and he will go down no problem. I try to put him in to his cot and he is having none of it. Now a friend of mine who is quite famous, who shall not be named, will only have pure egyptian mixed with silk sheets for her daughters bed!!! Then again she also has a proper baby masseuse to come over once a week to pamper her little darling.. Is it wrong to be jealous of a 1 year old???
Dj can get it out of his head if he thinks he is getting sheets like that! Dream on boy....
Until next time
xoxox

xoxo

Mama Loves ..Baby Loves

There are so many products on the market aimed at mums and mums to be.. I of course get bedazzled by them all. One thing I did want though was something more natural. I became very mindful about what I put on my skin. Skin is the largest organ that we have, and every thing we put on it get absorbed in to our blood stream. I didn't want to add something to my skin that may possibly get in to my little bundle of love.
MAMA LOVES:One of the best products I can recommend is almond oil. Its great at preventing stretch marks and for keeping your body lovely and hydrated. Also Vitamin E oil is great. Most pharmacies carry these. For my face I use Dr Haushka, their mud mask was great at keeping my skin clear.It can be a little pricey but e-bay sell it at half the price. I also use their cleanser and their moisturizer quince day cream. Any eye cream with a light reflecting particles in it will be a god send for those days where you are running on no sleep. I use nivea light reflecting eye cream. My make up bag is very small, but I have a few key items I could never live with out. I can put my make up on in the morning in 5 mins flat.
If I have had a partially bad night, Ill use a dab of tinted moisturizer (Olay do a great one) Ill use it around my nose chin and forehead. I use YSL touche de clat under my eyes. Hula bronzer by benefit applied with a big brush to the temples, under the cheek bones and the jaw line. I also sweep it down my neck. Curling your eye lashes makes your eyes look more awake. I usually add a dark navy eye liner to the top of my eyes. THe blue brings out the whites in your eyes. Lastly mascara.
I always feel better with a tan, but so many of them are so full of chemicals so I searched everywhere and found a great one called Tru Bronze by Hamilton. Its an Australian brand but again you can get it on the internet. It has walnut extract in it, which is a natural food dye. I found it had a pleasant smell and gave a natural even looking tan. One thing I would advise against is perfume. At least for the first 6 months of your little ones life. They know us by our scent so by putting perfume on they are going to get confused. I even use a deodorant that is scent free.

BABY LOVES: Ohhh I just love baby products they look so cute and I wanted to buy everything for him. However DJ has very dry skin and is very sensitive. For the first 6 weeks of his life I used warm water and cotton wool for wiping his bum. I only stopped because his nappies got decidedly worse, and we needed to move on to something more heavy duty. So I use pampers sensitive. Almond oil again is just amazing and he loves it when I massage him before bed time with it. Its also great for cradle cap. You just brush it out in the morning. Silcox base is also good for their dry skin. Vascaline is a great protector to put on their sensitive bums as a barrier. Sudo cream is good for nappy rash. Hamilton also do a great sunblock for babies thats good for sensitive baby skin. Thats about all I use on him. I had to change our washing powder too. He was getting very itchy and I couldn't understand why, until the Dr recommended changing our washing powder. There are some great eco friendly ones that are very kind to the skin as well as the environment. Fairy non bio is also very good for sensitive skin. JUst use half the amount you would usually use.
Hope this helps a little
xoxo

Baby Weight

Ok so most of us have or will have some baby weight to shift! I put on a hefty 40lbs with my son. In my defense he was 9lbs 2. I was bed ridden for the last couple of months of pregnancy due to Sciatica and chronic back pain. So I couldn't even go out for a walk or a swim. So the weight pilled on! 20lbs of it slipped away without me realizing after he was born, but the last 20lbs ...wel,l I am still fighting it. So here are some of the tips that I have really worked for me ..
Exercise is a must.
Unless you have a team of nannies, cleaners and chefs living with you, Its hard to get 5 mins to eat let alone spending hours in the gym. Being a mum is a full time job. So your just going to have to exercise with your baby. Luckily for us babies make great weights!
Walk. Walk every where, to the shops around the garden. If you need more of an incentive, fresh air is essential for babies well-being. It helps them build up there immune system and is great for their lungs.
Babies are great weights. DJ is 17lbs at 3 months old.He thinks its great fun when I work out with him.
For my arms I lift him above my head 20 times, I rock him from side to side while holding in my tummy for my love handles.WHen its tummy time for him, I go in to the plank position on the floor beside him for 30 sec , so I can see his face. While doing sit ups I lie on the ground with my knees bent and rest DJ sitting up on my tummy, while his back is being supported by my knees. Holding his arms I crunch up and give him a kiss. He loves this and thinks its really funny to see mummy sweating it out.
While hovering do some lunges forward. While washing your babies bottles stand on your tippy toes. WHen feeding your baby do your pelvic floors. When brushing your teeth do some squats. Finally put some music on and dance around like a crazy person. It will entertain you baby no end.
Diet. Everyone knows what we should be doing. its just so hard. There are also so many conflicting ideas.
I think the best thing to do is eat as clean as possible. If you dont know all the ingredients in something its probably not very good for you. If there is one thing you do, cut out white bread. Its really really not goof for you. Which saddens me because I love a french baguette. Infact they say to cut out anything with white flour in it.
If your just mindful of what you eat and Drink loads of water and green tea it should help melt away those last few pounds.. I also put a picture of me pre- pregnancy to inspire me to get back to what I was... Good luck to us all...
Here we come bikini body...
If you have any diet tips please share by writing a comment below..
oxox

The Zen Yummy Mummy

After having my son earlier this year. I suffered a bout of Post Natal Depression. I didn't recognize my self anymore, I felt out of control and sad. Not the baby blues type of sad, but the kind of sad where I wouldn't find anything funny, and I would just cry for no reason at all. I didn't want to be hugged I didn't want to be loved. I thought I was doing a bad job at being a mummy if Dj cried. I thought he didn't love me. I wouldn't let anyone else even take him from me. I had to be there in case they burped him wrong, I wouldn't even let my partner just be with him on his own. I was becoming frazzled, sleep deprived and just narky. DJ was picking up on my emotions and was getting upset by it. Thats when I knew I had to do something.

I spoke to the DR and she said to me that its so common to get this kind of PND after having a baby as your hormones go CRAZY and sometimes the serotonin level in our brains just don't come back up again after the birth. Now you can go on medication to bring them back up again, if its really bad then sometimes the only way to feel normal again is to go the medication, and there is no shame in that. For me, I felt like I just needed to find my Zen, to do a little soul searching and to above all trust. I researched medical journals and read phycology reports. One book I read said "When you have a baby its like your heart is walking outside of your body" I felt totally out of control because I had never experienced such love. With that love, becomes responsibility and guilt. So my answer to how I felt was I needed to let go a little. To let daddy take some of the responsibility and let them build up their own bond. To let him give a bottle at night, so I could get some sleep, and to trust that my baby would be ok. Also to get an hour a day of you time, Not having to think about the baby, for just one hour in a day.To hand over responsibility to someone else. Go have a bath with candles and bubble bath. go for a walk, go to the gym, go for drink with a friend and not talk about the baby or just to read a good book.If your like me and your baby wont take naps without being in your arms, and wont go down at night, then that hour will really refresh your mind. I want to be in good form for my baby. To help stimulate him and not just to sit on the sofa watching tv with him, because I am too tired and too drained to do anything else with him. Its been a month since I have been taking an hour to my self a day and I feel 100% better for it.
Finding inner peace and being at peace with your self is where it really begins. A happy home, setting good examples and to be there 110% for my baby. I want to be a happy mummy, not a grumpy mummy. And a happy mummy means a happy baby.
There are of course days where I feel down and out of control but thats when I take a deep breath in remember my inner Zen. I go for a walk and think of all the wonderful things and how very lucky I am.
xoxo

Jet setting Baby

The first trip anywhere with a baby is always going to be scary!
We took DJ on his first trip to London recently and I packed and repacked about 100 times!

Now after doing the trip a few times I think I have it down.

Firstly you need a good carry on bag with wheels. Have it with two different compartments. One for you and one for baby. In your compartment have your passports handy, all in different colour passport covers if possible. We have pink one for mummy, black for daddy and blue for the baby. Makes it so much easier when they ask just for the babies passport. Have a little zip bag with some make up essentials. In mine I have a good travel size moisturizer(planes make my skin so dry) some under eye concealer, lip balm, lip gloss, Bronzer, ( I find Benefits hula bronzer the best) Mascara, and a hair brush. Then I have a spare t-shirt and a pair of underwear. The first time I travelled with DJ he peed on me while I was changing him and had to spend the rest of the plane journey in wet stinky shirt. I also never travel anywhere without my big sunglasses, that cover half my face to hide the big dark circles.

In the babies compartment pack the bottles he/she will need for the trip, plus a spare bottle and a carton of ready made milk, just in case of delays. Have 2 spare vests and 2 jump suits. Baby wipes and nappies. All chemists do mini sizes of sudo cream, Vaseline and talcum powder. Try keep nappies, baby wipes and all creams all in one clear zip up bag. Makes it easier to grab it in a hurry rather than root around in the bag for it. I have all my things in little bags. Makes traveling and life in general so much easier. When traveling bring the lightest buggy you have. You will spend a lot of time folding it up putting it through scanners and getting on and off planes. If you have a baby papoose or sling as well bring it. Babies can get scared with all the people, strange noises and announcements that keep going off. having your baby strapped to you makes them feel safer and you still have 2 free hands.

I always travel in black. Black leggings, tank top with a cardigan or jumper and boots or flat ballet pumps. The last thing you need when going through airport secruity with a baby is to be taking off jewelry shoes and belts. I always dress DJ in his baby grows for comfort. and I always take his blanky as well so it smells like home.

Always add on an extra hour when traveling with a baby too. They always seem to throw up or have explosive diarrhea at the wrong time.

Oh talking of poo.. babies will always go poo in the air. its the cabin pressure on their little digestive systems. Also dont be surprised if your little one is a little constipated for a day or two after as well. Air travel does that to the best of us. I always take a small bottle of cooled boiled water with me as well to keep them hydrated.

When the plane is about to take off I always feed DJ. It helps them equalize their ears and stops them from popping. I also do this when landing too.

At your destination make sure you have your taxi,car, bus or train booked in advanced. The last thing you need is to be waiting around.

Hope this helps

xoxo

Surprise

I am actress who is used to living all over the world. Rubbing shoulders with the rich and famous and jetting to Monaco on a weekend, was all part of Job. I met the love of my life while working in Ireland and it was love and first sight. A whirlwind romance a surprise engagement and every thing was just perfect.
Then SURPRISE I am pregnant!
How did this happen? I am not ready for this! What about stretch marks! Getting fat! Sagging boobs and oh god having actually to go through labour! Deep breath.. first thing first tell the daddy to be!
He was away working so having to break the news to him over the telephone was not easy! Luckily for me he took the new well. In fact he was delighted. I was the one with the reservations.
Could I really do this? Am I ready?
Of course I am!
I've seen Heidi Klum, Jessica Alba and Gisele do it all with ease and style.
In fact think of the play dates. I can see my self and Gisele doing yoga while Benjamin and my baby play in the garden.Perfect!

9 months on and Im a mother to a beautiful baby boy Dylan aka DJ.
Let me start by telling you this.. IT IS NOT AS EASY AS HEIDI, JESSICA AND GISELE MAKE IT SEEM!! and 3 months on I am sleep deprived and Iam still not back in to my skinny jeans!
So for us mere mortals I thought I would share my experiences, my trials and tribulations of being a first time mum, and my quest in to becoming a yummy mummy.
It may take a bit of practice learning to balance a baby on one hip while applying eyeliner , fitting bottles, nappies and toys in to a designer handbag, and trying to cook dinner, put the laundry on and entertain your baby all at once, but Im sure Ill get there in the end
So let the fun begin
xoxo
So let the fun Begin ....