Favourite product: Sunglasses for kids

In our house husband is the practical one while I am all about the pretty. He'll buy the long lasting sturdy product while I buy the one that looks the nicest. So when husband suggested we get Ben some sunglasses obviously I went to Cotton On Kids and bought the cutest pair I could find. When I got home husband wanted to know about the quality of the lenses and UVA protection and I didn't have a clue because I didn't think about that stuff. Needless to say husband was not pleased.

A few weeks later we were gifted a pair of OV-optics sunglasses to try out. It was a perfectly timed product drop. Thanks girls.

 

OV Optics was founded and is owned and operated by Tanya and Zule. Two amazing girls with incredible passion for what they do. Tanya is a qualified optometrist while Zule is a professional photographer. Their mission is to educate and inform parents about the danger of UV exposure to the eyes of children, they belief that prevention is better than cure and that pro-active living is the way to a healthy future.

We as parents spend a lot of money on keeping our kids healthy. We vaccinate, we cook healthy foods we wash them with organic products and have epic battles to try brush their teeth but somehow eye safety is often forgotten. As adults the first thing we do is put sunglasses on when leaving the house yet we send our kids to school, sports days and playgrounds without eye protection. This is why the OV Optics girls Sunglasses at Schools project makes so much sense. They aim to make sunglasses part of the school uniform and ingrained in our culture.

OV Optic Sunglasses are available in Small/Medium and Large. There are 2 styles available: Swag and Sport. 

 

These sunglasses retail at around R400. Now some parents might think that's expensive for kids glasses that will probably break within a month but you are so wrong. OV Optic glasses can bend and twist and is virtually unbreakable. Ben has broken 2 pairs of sunglasses before. MY SUNGLASSES. THAT I WAS VERY FOND off. But his OV Optic glasses are still perfectly in tact. The lenses are also shatterproof and impact resistant making them safe and very long lasting. They also come in a handy little pouch with a clip so it can hook onto a diaper bag or school backpack.

I am honestly so chuffed with this product and would definitely suggest all parents look into it. For more information you can contact OV Optics or visit their website.

Moms and Social Media

When I found out I was pregnant most of my friends were either single or getting engaged, and I could count on my one hand the amount of babies I've held in my arms before. I knew nothing. I had no close friends to ask for advice or share the experience with.

Luckily a Twitter friend announced her pregnancy a few weeks after mine and through her I linked up with a few other young first time moms to be till I eventually gathered a nice little possy. Together we shared scans, baby shopping, the amount of chocolate we ate, not being able to sleep and where to buy comfy stretch pants.

One by one we had our babies and shared the excitement as they made their Twitter and Instagram debuts. Together we struggled through breastfeeding, extreme exhaustion and post pregnancy hormones. These girls were my people. They guided me through that first few months of the unknown. Sitting on the rocking chair in the nursery during the freezing hours of winter nights breastfeeding my baby there would always be one of them on Twitter to keep me company. Together we celebrate milestones, together we suffer through teething. They are always there for advice or a quick pep talk.

Most of these girls I have never seen in 'real' life. I only know them from social media. So when the invite for a Mommy Blogger Meetup arrived and I saw some of them would be attending I was beyond excited. Cindy Alfino is the master mind behind the CTmeetups and she does such a great job at organizing them. The meetup was hosted by Graze Restaurant in Kenilworth and it was such a perfect venue with amazing food. Their kids menu is also pretty awesome.

Nikki Lincoln a fellow mom, blogger and digital food editor at Woolworths did a great talk on blogging and the tools all bloggers should be using. And then there was the goodie bags. Such an amazing bonus to what was already a pretty perfect morning.

Stationery sponsored by Gumtree

 

Mr Price fashion went above and beyond by sponsoring each mom with a beautifully wrapped gift as well as a voucher to spend online. I also got a R250 voucher to give away, but more on that later.

 

Ben's MR Price gift. Love that bowtie.

 

It really was so great to have a face to face chat with these awesome girls who have shared so much of this amazing motherhood wild ride with me. I really do appreciate all your support and kind words. Also how did mothers survive before social media.

 

*Thanks also to Wakaberry, Kin Shop, Oh So Heavenly, Ella's kitchen, Reusable Pouches, Tangled Tree, Baby Group, Optiphi, Wellness Warehouse, Almay, Mitchum, Beatiful Earth, Adventure Bootcamp and Galileo Cinema for contributing to the amazing goodie bag. You guys Rock!



Pram envy

If you asked me a couple of years ago my thoughts on a pram I would have shrugged my shoulders and rolled my eyes because who cares about prams and aren't they all pretty much the same.

Even when I found out I was pregnant I wasn't still very much indifferent. Spend R10 000 on a pram? Are you nuts?

I was about 18 months pregnant when my parents invited us out to do pram shopping. I did no research before hand. My mom knew a few young moms and aske them what they have and where to shop from. Babyboom was having a sale on the brand that my mom was told is a good option so what better time to shop. We only looked at the one pram. Since my parents were buying I didn't feel like I was entitled to boss them around from store to store looking at a million different types. I didn't want to seem like I was taking advantage of their generosity. I was just happy to tick pram from my baby shopping list, a very long list that scared the crap out of me. The suggested pram was very well priced, it looked sturdy and according to all the moms who lived on farms it handled gravel roads like a charm. Gravel roads you ask? Well at the time we were living on an estate with gravel roads snaked throughout the property. There were also vineyards nearby. We knew we wanted something that could handle afternoon walks up the hill and between the vineyards. Never did it cross my mind that I would also be doing narrow spaced shop aisles and have to cart it around in my tiny boot space.

Oh how things have changed since then.

Pram envy is a very real emotion. Its right up there with body envy and vacation envy. And I've got a bad case of it. I now walk around shopping malls and markets staring at moms with prams. Where I would usually notice a women's outfit I now first notice the pram, then the baby then the mom. I suspect my very obvious pram envy stare have now reached the point of complete awkwardness for all parties involved.

Although our pram does the job of carting our tiny person around just fine I do regret not looking at more options before buying.

What I want in a Pram:

• Must not be too bulky. Folds up easily without having to take the whole thing apart.
• Sleek & modern design.
• Must be rear and front facing (something our current pram is not)
• Have a cupholder for mom's coffee/drink.
• Easily adapts to every age, newborn to toddler

The wishlist:

The Bugaboo Chameleon

I've only heard good things about this one from fellow moms. But it is WAY out of my budget. I've been trolling Gumtree for a while now and there are some pretty sweet deals on there.

List of awesomeness includes: Reversible seat, adjustable suspension, car seat compatible, reversible height and adjustable handlebars, rotating carry handle, independent seat and bassinet, can handle rough terrain and shopping malls with easy maneuverability.

pic credit

And even though I have a boy how can you not fall in love with this pink one.

Pic credit

Bugaboo Buffalo

I noticed a mom walking around with a Buffalo at the recent Kamers Vol Geskenke and immediately fell in love. Definitely my second choice although I have heard that it is rather bulky and difficult to fit in the boot of a small car.

Read more on their website here

So I'm dead set on saving a little money each month and then getting a well looked after second hand Bugaboo. Probably the Chameleon. Wish me luck.

Superstar gifts for a 1st Birthday

As I sent out the invitations for Ben's 1st Birthday party (Party post will be up soon. Finally) I suddenly got a bunch of replies with the subject "Gift ideas for Ben"
Uhm... At the time Ben was into unpacking my Tupperware drawer and ripping toilet rolls into a million pieces but I doubt people will be too thrilled with a gift list of Tupperware and toilet rolls. So I franticly googled: Gift ideas for one year olds.

Luckily most people ignored my boring list and Ben ended up getting some pretty sweet stuff. Such a lucky boy.

Its been 2 months since the party. I've had lots of time to watch him test out all his new treasures and here is my list of favourites for anyone having to shop for a one year old.

The first thing my dad said after we told him we were having a baby was "I'm buying him a scooter for his 1st birthday" And so he did. You can buy these at any toy store but this particular Mickey Mouse one is from Checkers Hyper.

This castle tent is from Crazy Store and cost R200. Ben loves to hide in it when we play pee ka boo/hide and seek. Its also available in pink. Fill it with colourful balls, also from the Crazy Store and its a fun time guaranteed.

Available at Mambo's or Plastics for Africa.



Bright Starts Roll o Pop Airplane from Toys R Us.



Ben loves any walker/push type toy. Out of all his toys its definitely his favourite's.

The table has a hole in it for sand or water and as soon as summer starts I'm moving it to the garden. Table and chair both from Mambo's. 

 



 

I recently saw this cute table and chair set at Nevada Furniture. A little more pricey than the plastic stuff at R599 but so pretty. I'm putting this on Ben's Christmas wishlist.

We had this at Ben's party and the kids loved it. The slide was a pre birthday gift from my parents. Both the slide and sea shell is from Mambo's and the balls from Crazy Store.

*Side note: Ben was a very early walker and is extremely active so most of these gifts relate to this. Other superstar gifts not mentioned here include Duplo and books. You can never go wrong with a good book

Happy shopping!

Favourite Products: Naturals Beauty

As a little girl I would always get sweet smelling bubble bath in the prettiest Tinkerbell, Care Bear or My little Pony bottles for my birthday. After the party my mom would pack it away only to be taken out and used on days that she felt brave enough to deal with a red, irritated crying toddler.  I had very bad eczema as a child and couldn't wear nylon, wool or use any perfumed or scented products. I really struggled with it and doctors kept telling my parents that I would outgrow it at 16. Sure it did get better over the years but never completely went away. I was very worried about Ben getting my eczema and unfortunately he did. Luckily it doesn't seem to be as severe as mine was.

We started off using Epizone A on Ben and then switched to Cetaphil.  The Cetaphil is a bit pricey but Ben's skin started feeling less sandpapery and more baby like so I was happy.  Then a fellow mom posted a picture of Naturals Beauty RR Baby Range and I just loved the look of it. You see I'm the kind of person who buy wine based on how much I like the label which is why we drank Tall Horse for a very very long time even though I didn't really care for the wine. I'm all about the packaging. 

The RR Baby Range products sounded lovely and I was very intrigued but also not sure if it would work on Ben's eczema skin. I was offered a trial pack to see how it goes.

The Baby Set I got contains a 200ml Body Lotion, Body Wash and Shampoo and the Gentle Milk Wash.  I spoke to the lovely Tanya du Boys creator of Naturals Beauty and mom of two who told me the following: 

 

- We use only natural ingredients and we use as many organic ingredients as possible. There are 3 products in total.

No matter what the child’s age is I would recommend using our moisturising milk wash instead of a soap or a gel cleanser. Gels and soaps traditionally draw moisture from the skin and as you know this is not an ideal situation for eczema skin. The milk wash cleans the body and face but very gently (think of a milk cleanser for your face) and does not strip the skin of any natural oils. Our range is also VERY lightly scented with chamomile and we use no synthetic fragrances which are also known to irritate a sensitive skin. The lotion is light and has a lovely ‘slip’ to it which means you can  massage him (if he’ll lie still long enough!!) as well as use it as a lotion -

 

I LOVE these products.  There was no negative skin reaction to it at all. I love how gentle the Milk Wash is on his skin and the gorgeous shine and softness the Shampoo gives his hair.  There is a bit of scalp dryness afterwards but we have been battling with a bit of cradle cap since birth so dryness is to be expected.  The body lotion is silky soft and like Tanya said it does indeed have a nice slip to it. I just adore the healthy shine of Ben's skin after rubbing him in with lotion from head to toe.

 

 

The product is very reasonably priced and will last you quite a while. I honestly have no complaints and will definitely continue using it on Ben.

My favourite Pregnancy product

You get two kinds of women: The one's that love being pregnant and then those who hate every sweaty, uncomfortable, swollen minute of it. I am the first kind.

I loved being pregnant and I adored my baby bump. I felt healthy, pretty and for the first time ever I actually liked my body. That pregnancy glow they talk about, I don't know if I looked it but I definitely felt it.

Yes there were sleepless nights where I just couldn't take one more minute of sleeping on my side. There were the extreme exhaustion of the first trimester where every minute not spent at work was used for sleeping. That whole December and January is just one big tired blur.

Second trimester I had a few horrible-head-about-to-explode headaches but all in all it was a pretty good morning sickness free pregnancy. I was also pretty mobile right up to the end. I actually played swing ball at 37 weeks pregnant. Sure the low balls was a no go, but I still rocked that game.

Except for being tired the only other thing that bothered me was the itchy tummy.  I looked like a flea ridden dog. I would just scratch and scratch and scratch.  Eventually I heard about Mama Mio's Tummy Rub.

Mama Mio is a pregnancy skincare product that protects against stretch marks and itchy tummies by increasing skin elasticity.

 Image: I am mumalicious

It's a little more that what I usually spend on beauty products but it is so worth it. I just adore this product. It's feels soft and creamy on your skin and the smell is glorious. I use to love rubbing my belly after baths. My skin felt healthy, soft and I had no more itchy skin issues.

Best part is I went through nine months of pregnancy with not one stretch mark. That in my book makes this the best thing since slice bread.

Mama Mio is imported and distributes in South Africa by POISE Brands. Have a look at their website for the list of stockist. Also check out Boob Tube. Another amazing pregnancy must have.

My favourite baby products - The diaper bag

When we first decided to try for a baby, we weren’t as financially strong as we would have liked to be, but as the clock was ticking we decided that waiting would be foolish. And except for the delivery/hospital part, how expensive can a tiny little baby be? They just poo and sleep. Its only once you start paying school fee’s that you need the money and by that time we’ll be sorted. Oh poor naïve us. When that shopping list of “Must haves” came I nearly fainted. From the pram to the baby carrier, bouncy chairs and car seats, babies are expensive.

Luckily I wasn’t too picky when it came to the big money spender; the pram. We got a very reasonably priced 3 wheel Chelino with infant car seat from BabyBoom and then a second hand Maclaren stroller which I actually use most of the time. Our bottle warmer, steamer and a bunch of other goodies we bought second hand as well.

But every mom has that one thing that she’s fussy over. For me it was the diaper bag (and the baby carrier, but more on that later).  I wanted something functional yet stylish. I wanted a gender neutral bag cause I wanted husband to be comfortable walking around with it as well. There’s nothing worse than making a grown man carry a huge pink bag or one covered in Teddy or Toy Story print.

Nothing I saw in the shops were right. I down right hated almost all of them. I started looking on the internet and fell in love with the US Brand Skip Hop, that was until my Sister in Law from the UK emailed me about Pacapod Diaper bags.

I watched the promo video on the website and that was it. Sold.  It was completely out of my budget but it was exactly what I was looking for and I knew I just had to have one.

The Pacapod is stylish, functional, good quality and easy to clean. The bag consist of 2 compartments, one for clothes, toys, mom's keys.phone etc. and then another fitted with 2 mini Pods: a changing Pod and a Feeder Pod. These Pods can also be taken out of the bag and used separately or attached to the Pram. The Feeder pod is like a little cooler bag and once kids are older the feeder bag can be used as a lunch pack.

  I chose the Mirano Pacapod in navy.  It's also available in white.

 

  From their website:

“The PacaPod Mirano bag has taken its inspiration from Riviera chic and has a stylish mix of natural fabrics and soft leather, with fashionable buckle details to create a truly iconic silhouette. Tucked discreetly inside this cavernous bag (32 litre plus capacity) are PacaPods unique and detachable feeder and changing pod for storing baby feeding and changing items. All neatly wrapped up in a stunning baby bag outer.”

I ended up getting my bag as a babyshower gift from my Parents in law for which I am so very grateful.

If you have a bit of extra money and a friend who won't mind playing courier on their next trip to SA (they do however ship to SA, if you don't mind spending the extra cash) I would seriously suggest you look at a Pacapod bag.  I promise you won’t be disappointed.

*All images from the Pacapod website.