Boxing Day Bargains

I LOVE going boxing day shopping - despite the crazy crowds! It's become a yearly tradition that we look forward to around Christmas. This year was even more fun, as we could shop for the little man too! Here's what we got from..

Lush

2x Vanishing Cream Facial Moisturiser (RRP $40ea, Sale Price $20ea), Ultra Bland Facial Cleanser (RRP $18, Sale Price $9), Popcorn Lip Scrub (RRP $10, Sale Price $5), It's Raining Men Shower Gel (RRP  $14, Sale Price $7) & Magic Wand (RRP $10, Sale Price $5)

Sportsgirl
(excuse the wrinkles)

Khaki Jacket (RRP $90, Sale Price $40)

Cotton On

Minnie Dress (RRP $40, Sale Price $15)

Sadie Cross Back  Tea Dress (RRP $40, Sale Price $15)

Myers

Navy Spot Tights (RRP $25, Sale Price $12)

Benefit Hot 2 Trot (RRP $51, Sale Price $35)

T2

Twenty Moments (RRP $20, Sale Price $10)

Target - Baby

(excuse the wrinkles)

Target Baby Top (RRP $8, Sale Price $4)  &
Target Baby Shorts (RRP $6, Sale Price $3)

Target Baby Onesie (RRP $12, Sale Price $6)

Target Baby Top (RRP $6, Sale Price $3) &
Target Baby Shorts (RRP $6, Sale Price $3)

Target Baby Top (RRP $10, Sale Price $5) &
Target Baby Shorts (RRP $8, Sale Price $4)

Did you pick anything up on Boxing Day?

xx

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas from these dorks!! haha

I hope you all have an amazing day filled with laughter and happiness (and lots of delicious food!) 

xx

It's Beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

I'm so excited for Christmas this year as it will be James' first Christmas! So excited, in fact, that I started decorated the house in November! Whoopsies.

I love listening to Christmas Carols (Michael Buble is my fave) while putting up and decorating the Christmas tree. It was so cute this year having James there with me while I sang along and danced around.. he thought it was hilarious!

I don't go too overboard with decorations, I just add a few bits and bobs here n' there to make the house feel Christmasy. One of my favourite things to do is put fairy lights around the outside of our house (they are so festive and romantic).

Some of the other decorations we have up this year.. 

What do you do to get into the festive season?

xx

Our Trip to Windsor

Last week, we went to Windsor (just outside of Sydney) for a mini-break to celebrate Rob's birthday. We had a great time exploring the town and hanging out with the little man.

Gone are the days of couples massages and fancy candle-lit dinners but we did find time for a little romance. While James slept, we took advantage of our room spa and relaxed with strawberries and champers (mmmm).

We spent the next day playing tennis, shopping in town and going swimming. We stayed at the beautiful Sebel Hawkesbury Resort, which was so handy with a baby as it had all the amenities we needed (including restaurants, a pool, day spa etc). The staff were great too and provided us with a cot, highchair and microwave (to heat up James' solids).

I think we're getting the hang of the whole "travelling with a baby" thing, although the thought of bringing James on a plane terrifies me!

xx

Spring Makeup Look

I love keeping it simple during the warmer months, there's nothing worth than wearing thick heavy makeup when it's boiling outside! BB cream is definitely a must during spring as it keeps your skin looking dewy and fresh while protecting you from the sun. 

FACE & BROWS

1. BB Cream - La Roche-Posay Melt-in BB Cream in Shade 01 (not pictured sorry)

2. Under Eye Concealer - Maybelline Instant Age Rewind in Fair

3. Powder - BareMinerals Matte Foundation in Fair -

applied with Real Techniques Stippling Brush

4. Blush - MAC Pet Me Blush - 

applied with Makeup Geek Contour Brush

5. Brows - MAC Brow Gel 

6. Lip Base - Revlon Just Bitten Lip Stain in Honey

EYES

7. Lids - MAC Tweet Me Eyeshadow
8. Top Lashline - Face of Australia Liquid Eyeliner in Black

MASCARA & LIPS

9. Mascara - Covergirl Lash Blast in Very Black
10. Lips - Revlon Just Bitten Lip Stain in Sweetheart Valentine

Let me know in the comments what you guys think, and what your go-to spring makeup look is!

xx

Overnight Paleo Bircher Recipe

It sounds a bit odd but it's sooo delicious!!

Not only that but it's super healthy (packed with protein, omega-3 fats, vitamin A, E, D and B, calcium, zinc, magnesium and more), plus it's easy peasy to make!



All you need is..
2 tbs LSA meal (ground linseed, sunflower and almond kernels)
1 tbs almond meal
1 tbs shredded coconut
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp natvia
1 cup almond milk
small handful of frozen (or fresh) blueberries
small handful of frozen (or fresh) strawberries



Then just follow these 4 simple steps -
1. Combine LSA meal, almond meal, coconut, cinnamon and natvia in jar/container/bowl.
2. Put blueberries and strawberries on top of the dry ingredients.
3. Pour almond milk in and mix all ingredients together.
4. Store in the fridge overnight and eat in the morning!
(or eat straight away if you're using fresh fruit)

Simple. As. That.



Let me know if you try it and what you think?

xx

Updated Hair!

I can't believe this is the first hair cut and colour I've had since James was born! :O My hair feels so light and fresh!

As you know I'm trying to grow my hair long again and go back to my natural colour (dark blonde). My regrowth was starting to get out of control though and was looking super obvious..

Before


Yucko! Not only was my regrowth horrendous but my hair was super frizzy too! To fix my  regrowth, the hairdresser put foils at the front of my hair and underneath at different lengths to help blend it out a bit.



What do you guys think?

xx

Happy Halloween!

Here in Australia we don't really celebrate Halloween.. but it seems more and more people are dressing up and going trick or treating. So this year I thought to myself.. do I want James growing up being a part of Halloween festivities or not. 

The answer was clearly yes! I mean who doesn't love to get dressed up, eat lollies and watch scary movies? I would have loved to celebrate Halloween when I was a kid!

To start the Halloween tradition, I decided to carve my first pumpkin! It was fun (and so messy!), Rob bought the biggest one he could find (it's almost as big as James haha). I have to say.. I'm pretty impressed with my first efforts carving a pumpkin.. it looks even better when lit up at night. 

I also bought James a Scary Pumpkin costume. How could I resist!? He was, after-all, nicknamed Pumpky when he was growing inside my belly. I'm sure he'll kill me when he's older for dressing him up like this haha (I'll definitely be bringing this one out at his 21st!). 

I can't wait to see what we'll be doing (and wearing) next Halloween!

Do you celebrate Halloween? If so, what did you get up to this year?

xx

Spring Wishlist

Forever 21 Geo Print Denim Jacket


Ripcurl Bella Dress


Popbasic Navy Le Breton


Converse All Star White Sneakers


Warehouse Two For Print Dress


Romwe Blue A-Line Striped Skirt

Solids - Week 2

This week James tried Green Beans (he's not a fan!) and Carrots which he loved but are sooo messy! I forgot to take pics of him eating them, so he's one of him enjoying pear instead :)

Day 8

11am - Peas

6pm - Iron-Fortified Rice Cereal (with Pear & Breast milk)

Day 9

11am - Peas

6pm - Iron-Fortified Rice Cereal (with Pear & Breast milk)

Day 10

11am - Introduce Green Beans + Peas

6pm - Iron-Fortified Rice Cereal (with Pear & Water)

Day 11

11am - Green Beans + Peas

6pm - Iron-Fortified Rice Cereal (with Pear & Water)

Day 12

11am - Green Beans + Peas

6pm - Iron-Fortified Rice Cereal (with Pear & Water)

Day 13

11am - Introduce Carrots + Green Beans

6pm - Iron-Fortified Rice Cereal (with Pear & Water)

Day 14

11am - Carrots + Peas

6pm - Iron-Fortified Rice Cereal (with Pear & Water)

xx

Review: L'Oreal Elvive Extraordinary Oil Mist for Fine Hair

After running out of my trusty leave-in conditioner, I went in search for a replacement. I had used Moroccan Oil in the past and was keen to use something similar, but not as heavy (it weighed down my fine hair). I looked online at the Morrocan Oil "Light" and was contemplating buying it when I received a tiny sample of the L'Oreal Elvive Extraordinary Oil from Priceline as part of their regular newsletter. 

To be honest, I wasn't expecting much, just something to get me through the next few days. I decided to use it when my hair was wet to help detangle it, which it did.. but not only that, it also left my hair feeling super soft. I said to myself "I have to get this oil!". So I went out and picked up the L'Oreal Elvive Extraordinary Oil Mist for Fine Hair. I figured that the spray would be more versatile than the pump, as I could use it when my hair was both wet and dry. It would also be less messy as I wouldn't need to rub it in with my hands, just spray and brush! 

Now I am absolutely in-love with this product! It leaves my hair feeling smooth, shiny and frizz free. It also smells amazing (my hubby even commented on how good my hair smells!). It's a bargain too at only $20 (as opposed to $40+ for the "high street" version). I've totally been converted and won't be going back to leave-in conditioner.. it's oil mist all the way!

Do you use a hair oil or oil mist?

xx

Starting Solids - Week 1

So we've bitten the bullet and started James on solids this week. I wasn't sure he was ready, so I  "tested the waters" by giving him a little taste of rice cereal and he LOVED it, he practically bit my hand off when I spoon fed him and cried when I took it away! He's a big boy (7.8kg) so he's got a healthy appetite! Obviously I'm no expert on introducing solids, and there's a lot of different (and conflicting) opinions out there about when and what you give your bubs. But for us, this is what we've started with and it's all going well so far (touch wood).

Day 1

After 11am Feed - Introduced Iron-Fortified Rice Cereal (with Breast milk)

Day 2

After 11am Feed - Iron-Fortified Rice Cereal (with Breast milk)

Day 3

After 11am Feed - Iron-Fortified Rice Cereal (with Breast milk)

Day 4

11am - Introduced Pear

After 6pm Feed - Iron-Fortified Rice Cereal (with Breast milk)

Day 5

After 6pm Feed - Iron-Fortified Rice Cereal (with Pear & Breast milk)

Day 6

After 6pm Feed - Iron-Fortified Rice Cereal (with Pear & Breast milk)

Day 7

After 11am Feed - Introduced Peas

After 6pm Feed - Iron-Fortified Rice Cereal (with Pear & Breast milk)

It's exciting being able to introduce him to new foods and see his reaction. I still can't believe he's eating solids already! Naw my little baby's growing up so fast *tear*.

xx

Things to do on Maternity Leave

When I was pregnant I was constantly googling 'things to do on maternity leave' because I thought.. "I'm going to get sooooo bored being at home all day with a baby". Boy was I wrong. Being a mum is a full-time job! I'm so much busier now than I ever was when I was working full-time. It's just a different type of busy. Between feeding, showering, nappy changes, laundry, housework and playing with James.. it's hard to find time to do anything else. 

''

I make use of any "free" time I have by doing fun and productive things like..

Catching up with Friends and Family
I catch up regularly with my sister (who I'm lucky enough to be on mat leave with) to go shopping, watch trashy shows or go for walks. I also meet up with my mummy friends and my work friends during the week and still see my close friends on the weekend.

Building a Herb Garden
James loves playing outside in the shade while I potter away.

Watching Girly Shows
I'm slowly getting through the Gilmore Girls box set and loving every minute of it!


Organising my Closet
It's actually neat and tidy for once!


Going for walks with James
It's been especially nice lately, now that the weather's warmed up.


Preparing for Christmas
Why wait til Christmas to start buying presents! I've been buying presents online and wrapping them as I go. It's been fun and it's going to make Christmas a hell of a lot easier.


Watching my Fave Youtube Channels
I love the SacconeJolys, the Mom's View, Erin and Baby & Amanda Muse. I tend to watch these in the morning while having my brekky :)


Filling out James' Baby Book
This can be a bit tedious but I think it will be such a nice keep-sake for him when he's older.


Going to Mother's Group
I attend a mother's group once a week if I can. It's a good opportunity to talk to other mums who can relate.  I also like the social aspect for little James.


Selling Clothes on eBay
I've been selling a tonne of clothes that have been wasting space in my closet. It's so liberating getting rid of them and making money out of it is just a bonus!


and of course.. Blogging!
I've been pretty slack lately.. I try to blog every few days but it doesn't always happen (as you can tell haha).

There's so much more I want to do on mat leave like go to playgroups, swimming lessons with James, mums n bubs movies (can you believe I haven't been to one yet!) and I can't wait. I really want to make the most of this time off before I have to go back to work (boooo).

xx