SERIES: #mummyessentialproject - week 3

Hello,

So for those who don't know but I hope you do by now! This is the #mummyessentialproject run by Mummy Bloggers Community (me!), which is created the weekly #mblogchat on Twitter for mummy bloggers.


This series has started for bloggers to share their wisdom on great products and tips for expectant mummies! I am taking part from my own personal blog and over on Mummy Bloggers Community there is a link up for everyone to share their posts and view others. The posts will go live every Tuesday, but don't worry if you want join in any time of the week :)


You can view previous posts here:

Week 1 - Furniture

Week 2 - Clothing

This weeks topic is Lotions & Potions (Bath, Bum Rash, Oil etc)

I am a lover of all things Johnsons - shampoo, bath bubbles, body wash, baby oil, baby powder (okay so just the whole damn lot!) But mainly, the great thing for when baby is a baby, is Top to Toe, it is safe to use from birth as so soft and gentle and I still use it now.

Also something I feel I must add in is Metanium Nappy Rash Ointment - the best ever cream invented. Despite it's horrible yellow texture that is incredibly hard to get off clothes, it clears the worst of nappy rash within hours and I literally mean hours!!!

Pampers I have always used for wipes and nappies, will never go for anything else as they have always worked and for me the best.

What do you think? :) What were your must-haves? Next week topic is Baby Comfort (Buggies, High Chair etc)

Love, Gemma xo

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SERIES: Have You Discovered.. Highlighter & Brow Tool?

Hellooo,

#haveyoudiscovered series - another week, more beauty products :) Except this week I am doing last weeks and this week in one as I got caught up in the Bank Holiday and forgot to post - naughty me! Last week topic is Highlighter and this week topic is Brow Tool.

Highlighter

I have used the highlighter from Sleek Face Form Palette for as long as I have owned it, a great natural colour for my skin which adds the perfect amount of shimmer. I also recently purchased the MAC Crew Highlighting Powder Limited Edition from Cohorted and I am in love, its such a beautiful colour with the mixture but I am yet to see how it quite acts as a highlighter as not much of a shimmer to it!

Brow Tool

So I literally have blonde eyebrows, if they are not coloured it looks very odd especially with my dark hair (origionally ginge!). I have spent a fair amount of time getting them dyed but the hassle of having the 'inbetween' stage between appointments I was thankful for some blogger tips. I now use the L'Oreal Paris Super Liner Brow Artist (brush, wax and pencil) and a matte light/medium brown eyeshadow from my Sleek Oh So Natural Palette. I really want to get my hands on Collection Eyebrow Kit which has 3 different powders to suit all brows and one clear brow gel mascara thing :)

So there you have it, if you have any recommendations then please let me know :) Come back next for Eye Shadow/Palettes!

Love, Gemma xo

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Have you seen my NARS giveaway yet?! Check it out here - ends on Friday!

Mummy 15 Minute Make-Up Challenge*

Hello,

A recent survey by AOL showed that the average woman spends 55 minutes on her appearance every day - equivalent of 2 weeks a year!! So www.roomtogrow.co.uk thought this really couldn't take mums into account, so put their own survey together of 82 mums, needless to say their findings were different as the average mum spends 10-15 minutes day. Quite a big difference!

I personally take 2 hours every day to get ready, this including shower, make-up, hair and getting dressed. I will always allow 2 hours every morning for this as I really don't like to be rushed!

So if you can't guess by the title but I have been challenged to do my make-up within 15 minutes!

www.roomtogrow.co.uk supplied me with some make-up bits for this including a pretty pink stopwatch.

Products Given: Maybelline The Smoother Instant Anti-Age Primer, Batiste Dry Shampoo, Revlon Balm Stain in Charm, Elizabeth Arden Lash Extending Treatment Mascara and Elizabeth Arden Palette (4 eyeshadows, 1 Blush and 1 Bronzer!

Products I used: No 7 Beautifully Matte Foundation, No 7 Perfectly Light Pressed Powder, Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer and Boots Soltan Lip Balm.

I have to admit I didn't think it was possible, but I did decide to record doing my make-up so you could see for yourself so click below to see via YouTube:)


I was shocked that it only took me 14 minutes 55 seconds - I don't know how I done it! Usually I take around 15 minutes alone just trying to perfect mascara. Below is the finished look. I frankly don't feel like I put on enough coverage but the colours of the Elizabeth Arden palette are just incredible and summery.

Also, during #mblogchat on Friday, our topic was 'Mummy Pampering' so I thought what a perfect time to ask how long others take and everyone was saying about 10 minutes so really it must just be me who takes a long time?!

So I ask you, how long do you take to do make-up in the morning - whether you are a mummy or not I would love to know :)

Love, Gemma xo

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May Bank Holiday & #MorrisonsMum*

Helloo,

I thought I would share what we got up to over the May Bank Holiday Weekend and also the lovely people over at Brit Mums and Morrisons sent over £80 worth of vouchers to do a shop to feed the family for the weekend!

I usually take pictures once I have written the blog post so I forgot to snap a picture of the vouchers but they were pretty and pink! My shop came to a total of £81.18 so only cost myself (okay my mum!) £1.18 but then returning the trolley to its little hut some lazy person hadn't taken their £1 out of the trolley in front, I obviously took as you snooze you lose and gave it to mum so only really cost 18p haha - what a bargain :)

Also we got this great 6p off every litre of furl, which is great as we travel to Skegness for our holidays this coming Monday - in Bedford Morrisons are rated top 2 of the cheapest places to get fuel :)

These are just some of the bits I brought for the food shop and honestly I couldn't refuse the odd couple toys for Corey as wanted some fun things to do over the weekend, plus he has wanted a fire hose for like ever, we have never found one until now! The toys cost only £13 altogether which isn't too bad just hope the quality is good enough for them to last with a toddler.

Food that was made:

Cheesy Beef Burrito's - bottom left and Corey enjoying eating them.
Made enough to serve about 8-10 people, serve with salad on the side and you have a perfect summer meal. It was so beyond yummy! For all the ingredients it came to roughly £15

Lemon Drizzle Cake - bottom right
An absolute favourite in my family, with the ingredients we made three cakes (one each for my house, mums and nans!) costing roughly £10

Recipes coming soon for the above two :)

Indoor Picnic Buffet - top left and right
Weather wasn't quite nice enough the day we had this, so we had it inside instead but I just LOVE the bits - mini sausages, pork pies, crisps, satay, quiche and many more!! We had enough to serve 6 people. Costing roughly £12
In all honesty though despite Morrison's new campaign of I'm Cheaper (them permanently lowering some costs!) I still found it was quite costly and didn't find I got much for my money but I know some other mums did get quite alot for their money so might just be me. Most of the food quality was quite good and the blueberry muffins (not pictured) were sooo delicious at only £1 for 4!

The start of the garden transformation but still a long way to go. Every time my other half has a day off, it is raining just like today in fact!

We went to the lovely National Trust Wimpole Estate and Farm for a day out with my nan and her friend. It was a little bit of a car journey so as soon as we arrived Corey wanted lunch and the rain showers started, luckily by the time we finished the sun had come back out. It was so much fun - went on a tractor ride, saw some cute animals, Corey attempted milking a cow (pretend buckets of water) and he loved it all as you can tell by the pictures! By the time we got back to the car to leave the rain started again, we were lucky to miss it all!

We did get some lovely weather though, just look at that sky and I was quite proud of my summer make-up look created with pinks from Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette and MAC Please Me lipstick :)

Overall though what a great weekend and I look forward to the next at the end of the month :) What did you get up too?

Love, Gemma xo

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Have you seen my NARS giveaway yet?! Check it out by clicking here!

SERIES: #mummyessentialproject - week 2

Hello,

So for those who don't know this is the #mummyessentialproject run by Mummy Bloggers Community (me!), which is created the weekly #mblogchat on Twitter for mummy bloggers.


This series has started for bloggers to share their wisdom on great products and tips for expectant mummies! I am taking part from my own personal blog and over on Mummy Bloggers Community there is a link up for everyone to share their posts and view others. The posts will go live every Tuesday, but don't worry if you want join in any time of the week :)


You can view previous posts here:

Week 1 - Furniture

This weeks topic is Clothing (Baby Suits, Outfits, Bibs etc)

I personally think that the main thing is to remember that do not buy so many 0-3 months stuff it does not last long most of the time and it is what most people buy as gifts too. For me as Corey was premature 0-3 months lasted until he was like 5 months at least I think so we did get wear out most of it, but still not all of it. Mainly he was in vests, sleepsuits and the odd outfit here and there like the pictures above. Bibs and Muslin Squares aren't necessarily clothing I realise but they are every day essentials for new borns, Corey forever lived in a bib just encase and well Muslin Squares he had up until he was 2.5 instead of a dummy. Below is Corey in some of the bits he used to wear in the first four months:

Clockwise - Corey's first piece of clothing in hospital at two weeks old, his going home outfit, a lazy day and just a funny face!

All proper outfits ranging from around a month old going clockwise at around four months old on his first holiday!
What do you think? :) What were your must-haves? Next week topic is Lotions & Potions (Bath, Bum Rash, Oil etc)

Love, Gemma xo

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Have you seen my NARS giveaway yet?! Check it out by clicking here!

A Pretty Big Wishlist #1

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RECIPE: Spaghetti Bolognese

Helloo,

So if you follow this blog you will know I have done a couple of healthier recipe's and today I have another: Spaghetti Bolognese

Previous Recipes: Broccoli & Cheese Soup and Scouse.

Ingredients

To serve a family of 4:

350g of Bucatini pasta or any of your choice
500g of lean mince
500g of Passata or tinned chopped tomatoes
1 oxo tube
1 vegetable stock
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 garlic gloves, crushed
Pinch of mixed herbs

Instructions

1. Boil hot water and add pasta, cook for 10-12 minutes whilst preparing the sauce
1. Fry finely chopped onion and garlic cloves, add vegetable stock and mix
2. Add mince and cook until brown
3. Crush one oxo cube into mince and stir
4. Add passata or chopped tomatoes and mix
5. Put on low heat and simmer until pasta is cooked
6. Drain pasta and dish up sauce
7. Use grated cheese and garlic bread to finish if you wish

Here is what the final outlook should be like:

Admittedly, this is a big portion as I over done as I did a recipe for 4 when there was only 2.5 haha :)

As a massive lover of pasta and Dolmio sauces usually! I never would have thought making your own sauce would be so yummy, quick and easy. If you are on Slimming World then this meal would be completely free of syns, if you don't use cheese and garlic bread. Honestly, give it a go and let me know if you do.

Love, Gemma xo

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Have you seen my NARS giveaway yet?! Check it out by clicking here!