Pregnancy-Dealing with feeling “Fat” and emotional…

So my baby is growing and unfortunately so am I. My last pregnancy I was not particularly fit and I didn’t have a healthy eating routine, I have since in the last three years taken up jogging and become fit, I have adjusted my eating to cut out sugar and refined carbs and worked hard on becoming sexy again. This Pregnancy was wanted, It was badly needed and wanted and planned for so very long that It is now a miracle that it happened after my struggles. When I started this pregnancy I vowed to continue with my healthy eating and fitness as far as I could as to not just pack on a seriously large amount of unneeded fat like I did the last time. I find it is not about what I look like or how big I am but rather more about how comfortable I feel in my own skin and at the moment it is not very comfortable at all.

Now before I carry on let me just say that it is in no way healthy to “diet” during pregnancy and it is not good to worry about staying skinny because that just isn’t going to happen anyways, this post is aimed at the self esteem and uncomfortable feelings pregnancy can bring on. My goals are more aimed at only putting on what I need and not falling for that mind trap that tells you to eat everything in site while being pregnant. Its a big myth that you have to eat for two during pregnancy and baby in the beginning only really requires about 300 extra calories a day from the second trimester.

All I have dreamed of is a pregnancy where I feel fit and healthy and confident with myself, If you have been pregnant before you will know that when you hit that second trimester and start feeling “puffy” all over , it is then difficult to not feel uncomfortable especially when your clothes do not fit anymore. So with my healthy eating plan and all that… Where did I some how go wrong in the last few weeks?

I started out well with my continued fitness routine and my eating was super healthy but as soon as the “I am dead tired” pregnant feeling kicked in I started eating more bread and junk food in search of energy and then one unhealthy week morphed into six and here I am a good few Kg heavier and feeling like I lost myself somewhere along the lines. Mostly not the weight that is bothering me but more the fact that I lost control of my routine and fitness I have spent the last few years building. It can be a big emotional adjustment to learn to not look at the numbers on the scale.

It is so important to remember to love your self no matter what you look like, Or tho it is hard to deal with feeling uncomfortable in your own skin. Here are a few tips to help you take back control of your routine if you find your self lost as I am, And with it bring back your confidence during pregnancy!!

• Make A food diary… Keep a diary of your daily eating, write down everything you eat and then you can review it and make changes for more healthier choices. Often seeing what you have written down then puts it into perspective.
• Research Food options or ask your Dr or Midwife which food groups are a healthier choice during pregnancy so that you are getting correct nutrients while not making bad eating choices.
•  Exercise! This is an important one. keep moving, If you are already a runner then keep running or If you are not then take up going for fast walks and do toning exercises such as leg lifts and squats, there will keep you toned and prevent feeling puffy. It is so healthy to stay fit while pregnant and even helps prepare for labour.
• Drink Water!!! Staying hydrated helps in so many ways and is also essential for baby! Drinking enough water prevents constipation (one of the main causes of feeling uncomfortable)  and also helps flush out impurities in your system so less puffyness!!
• Dress up pretty!!! Make use of maternity wear that is tight fitting to show off your sexy new curves but at the same time is designed for comfort. Take time to do your makeup and spray on some perfume, It does wonders for self esteem!

I would love to hear about how you felt when you were pregnant or how you are feeling now if you are currently pregnant. I am now 17 weeks, I will be posting pregnancy updates and my feelings and progress as I go along so if this interests you then follow me on social media and on the Blog.

Parenting lately.. Am I threatening my daughter too much.

Something Different on the blog today…

The heading here sounds a bit harsh considering I have a three year old. But you will get what I am saying, everyone does this but I somehow feel like my daily routine is one little threat after the other and its getting a bit hectic. All fine and given it is not an all day thing as Zoe does go to play school till 3pm but when 3pm hits and I go to fetch her its another story….

Fetching Zoe from school starts out calm and pleasant, I have had time to refresh myself, drink coffee and reach a stage of the day where I am not half asleep and feeling dead. when I walk into the school its all fantastic, she’s playing nicely and smiling and is the worlds most well behaved child. As soon as I walk out of that schools front gate it is like she senses that she has me all alone. Cry and nag at mommy mode begins. It starts immediately with resistance to properly be strapped in the car. NOW here is where the threatening starts, usually I start with like a “Lets hurry up and go home so we can eat something yummy”, This is me hoping she will fall for it and then by the time we get home forget that I promised her a yummy. When we get home its the same issue getting out the car….

This goes on through out the afternoon unless of course she is distracted by something she find entertaining and gives me the day off. I am pretty sure it has become a little game for her and she half enjoys torturing me. The hours between 3pm and 7pm when my husband gets home can feel like days at the mercy of my toddler. Getting her to eat her food involves threatening to take away a toy or what ever she is busy with, threatening to put the Ipad in the cupboard, threatening no more yummy treats for the rest of like forever!!!

This I am sure like every other little toddler tantrum stage will pass, but last night after an hour and a half of bed time battles I decided enough is enough. Being pregnant and exhausted at night and trying to talk Zoe into going to bed all ended up a bit much for me last night and lets just say I was the one crying in the end. Today I am going to try things differently… there will be no threats today. I will remain calm and just sit quietly while I wait for Zoe to eventually agree to do what I need her to do. It is easy to get into a day to day routine of bribing my toddler to do what I need her to do and often this bad routine isn’t noticed before it is too late, which is the case with me at the moment. This is also just a mommy and Zoe issue, she is fine with everyone else but obviously has mom wrapped a bit to much around her little finger!

Now I am assuming I am not the only over tired mommy with this problem? ..

 

 

Bio-Oil Hamper Giveaway for Pregnancy Education week.

For Pregnancy education week Bio oil is giving away this really beautiful hamper that is perfect for pregnant women or even those with a small baby. Pregnancy Education week runs from 13 to 21 February, The aim of this is to highlight how childbirth education enables you to make informed choices about your pregnancy and what is best for you and your baby. This years theme is  “Date and way of birth – what would baby choose”.

This is such a stunning hamper, every item in the little basket is good quality and super cute, the hamper is worth over R1000!!!! The hamper consists of:

1. Basket
2. 3 bottles of Bio-Oil (60ml, 125ml and 200ml)
3. Cuddly rabbit with silky ears
4. 100% cotton babygrow
5. 100% cotton blanket
6. Soft grey & white striped cotton blanket
7. Bio-Oil’s ‘Tips for Moms from Moms’ booklet & Baby scan album

Bio-Oil is the skincare brand most recommended by doctors, pharmacists and midwives to help prevent pregnancy stretch marks. Bio-Oil is a passionate advocate for childbirth education, to give parents the knowledge to make informed choices.

Here is what you have to do to Enter, I have kept it east at 2 simple steps:

1. Comment Bellow on this post and tell me what the most interesting fact about pregnancy is that you have learnt.
2. Share this Giveaway post Using the Hashtag #InformedChoices AND make sure to tag me in your post so I can see you have shared/entered (you can share on Twitter or Facebook just make sure you are following me and tag me in the post using the Hashtag)

This Giveaway will run till The 21st February and The winner will be announced Monday the 22nd, The Giveaway is only open to South African Residents. You do not have to be pregnant to enter.

Remember you can find all the information on pregnancy education week and Childbirth Educators and events in your area on:

www.expectantmothersguide.co.za Or Visit their Facebook Page Expectant Mothers Guide

You can also visit www.parent24.com during pregnancy education week for expert pregnancy and skincare advice

Pregnancy Education week Plus a Bio-Oil Giveaway coming up!

Bio-Oil is in support of pregnancy education week that runs from 13 to 21 February, The aim of this is to highlight how childbirth education enables you to make informed choices about your pregnancy and what is best for you and your baby. I find this especially important for first time moms because I remember feeling half lost in the world of pregnancy and not always being sure about choices that needed to be made. I think we can all agree that spreading awareness and correct information about pregnancy would do the world a whole lot of good! I will be posting a bit about pregnancy awareness week and also there is a stunning Bio-Oil Giveaway coming up (*hint *hint the lovely gift I received the other day )

I am now currently 13 weeks pregnant with my second child and I am still learning things about pregnancy and child birth that I never knew. The theme of this years pregnancy education week is “Date and way of birth – what would baby choose” , This is an important topic for me because I have to again make these decisions and for a long time thought after my c-section I would be forced to have another but have recently learnt a lot about safely having a vaginal birth after a c-section.

Bio-Oil has teamed up with childbirth educators and hospitals around the country to create awareness and to offer various talks and pregnancy-related activities.

You can find all the information on pregnancy awareness week and Childbirth Educators and events in your area on:

www.expectantmothersguide.co.za Or Visit their Facebook Page Expectant Mothers Guide

You can also visit www.parent24.com during pregnancy education week for expert pregnancy and skincare advice.

PLUS!! Keep an eye on the blog as I will be running a stunning Giveaway for a beautiful Bio-oil hamper just like the one I am enjoying!!! Follow me on Twitter and Facebook to keep up to date with this.

A Look at my life behind the blog -My exciting start to 2016

I have never written a personal post on my blog before, up until now I have never felt the need to or possibly just had nothing personal to write about that I felt was worth mentioning. I have always kept a clean blog focusing on Beauty products and reviews but here is a bit of a personal update on whats happening my side lately.

So as some of you know I have a 3 year old daughter and me and my husband have always planned to have our children close together so that they would grow up together with not too big of an age gap. I didn’t fall pregnant easily the first time and also suffered two miscarriages. I never gave much thought to my first struggle to fall pregnant cause it did eventually happen, now looking back I wonder if it was just luck. When my Daughter was 6 months old we decided to start trying for our second child and I never thought it would drag on so much. I just couldn’t fall pregnant, I felt like it was never going to happen.

If you have never struggled to fall pregnant then you will never know the massive emotional roller coaster it is, it can feel like the end of your world and months can feel like years with waiting and bad news after bad news while watching all your friends fall pregnant and have bundles of joy, it is a pain you will never know unless you have suffered it. I found it was easy for people to tell me to relax about it and forget about it then it will happen but this advice just frustrated me because it is not something you simply forget about, I mean how?!  After a few Dr’s appointments and tests I eventually ended up in hospital for a Laparoscopy surgery to remove Endometriosis tissue and make sure everything was clear with no problems on the inside of the womb. The operation went well but I have to admin it was more painful and unpleasant than the dr made it out to be. In the end it was all well worth it because here I sit 3 months after the operation and I am now 9 weeks pregnant!

I never thought I would start my 2016 year with such great news but when my visit to the gyni confirmed that I am pregnant and I could see my little miracle with its beating heart on the screen I just felt complete again. I am only 9 weeks and 5 days pregnant so not completely out of the danger zone yet but I do have faith that this baby is going to be just fine 🙂 , I also now sit with emotions that I am not sure about, it is like I struggled for so long that now that it finally happened I am not sure how to feel. I know I am over the moon excited and happy but it half feels unreal or too good to be true, its been a good few weeks of emotionally adapting to my new pregnancy.

I will still be blogging fully as usual 🙂 so I am not at all going anywhere! over the last year my Blog has become my other little baby that I have put all my love and creativity into and I am definitely planning on doing great things with the blog this year!!!!!

I am considering doing a pregnancy post or two on the blog over the next few months, or maybe a mommy post here and there to adapt to my current situation lol, let me know what you guys think of this idea? My blog will still remain mostly a beauty blog with maybe a different post here and there.

Benefit b.right Radiant Skincare

I waited a while before getting my hands on any benefit products to try out, the reason for this is that we don’t have a benefit counter in George so I waited till I got a chance to visit one so I could check out the items and decide what to buy. Its great buying online but I just could not decide what to get!

One of the Items I got from Benefit is the b.right Radiant Skincare travel intro set. It contains six little tester size items so you can try out the range before buying it, this is great for anyone that doesn’t want to spend loads on skincare to then just find out it doesn’t work with your skin. This beautiful little skincare pack costs only R295 and you can get it at your local benefit counter or online from RedSquare.

So The pack contains the following:

1. Foamingly Clean Facial wash 8.9g
2. Moisture Prep Toning Lotion 8.9ml
3. It’s Potent! Eye Cream 3.0g
4. Total Moisture Facial Cream 8.9g
5. Triple Performing Facial Emulsion 8.9ml
6. Refined Finish Facial Polish 8.9g

This pack contains everything you need to try out the full skincare range and is great for traveling. It comes in a neat little box and also has a little travel bag to keep it all in, super handy! I find all of the items in the pack to be extremely refreshing for skin and highly concentrated so these little babies actually last a while.

These products have a very light fragrance to them that is beyond refreshing, skin feels instantly refreshed and moisturized when these are applied. The foaming facial wash takes only a tiny bit to produce the most perfect face wash with loads of foam and the refined finish facial polish results in super smooth skin that is the perfect surface for then applying makeup.

The facial cream, eye cream and facial emulsion are nice and thick and supply skin with great moisture and radiance! The moisture prep toning lotion is perfect for preparing skin before applying moisturizer and all together this set has your skin sorted and looking radiant! Plus you just have to love these stunningly cute little bottles and pots the product comes in! How awesome would this be as a last minute Christmas gift or stocking filler..

I will have some more Benefit product reviews for you very soon 🙂

xxxx

Beauty Blogger – South African Beauty Blogger – Beauty Reviews

The Test Box – December Treats

Three little bottles that are magical for hair! These are some of the best that Kevin Murphy has to offer and these cute little sample size bottles are perfect for you to try out the product or if you are already addicted then these are great for traveling.

This little Test box of goodies is just what I needed for the holidays, a good hair refreshing treatment session and some super fantastic styling. I like to spend time over the holidays relaxing with face masks and hair masks and just catching my breath again before the new year starts. Just Cant get enough of The Test Box , it has been a fantastic year of trying out new products!

So lets get down to whats in the box, The Kevin Murphy Maxi wash , Kevin Murphy Born again treatment and the Kevin Murphy Motion Lotion! They are 40ml bottles and this sounds small but these go along way cause you use very little product.

This is a well thought out box as the Maxi wash and Born again treatment go so well together, When used together they become a power packed make over for hair, think of it as like a facial for your hair. The Maxi wash is  a detoxifying shampoo that contains AHA’s (fruit acids) that break down fatty acids for a clean, clear scalp. It helps remove build-up of unwanted products and chemicals, giving it a new clean refreshing start! So go ahead and give hair a great wash with the Maxi wash, it helps prepare hair to absorb nutrients so its perfect to then follow up with the Born Again Treatment

The Born Again Treatment Is designed in a way that the molecules are so small that they are instantly absorbed into hair and get to work right away. This treatment gives hair a boost and protects it from future damage while repairing hair , leaving it vibrant and shiny. It is the perfect partner for the Maxi wash! Then the third little bottle, The Motion Lotion, Is a great finishing product to define waves and curls. The Motion lotion is super easy to use and you just rub a tiny bit into wet hair and scrunch, it does not leave hair feeling sticky and is weightless on hair so you don’t feel like you have rubbed something on hair. Plus it helps control frizz so bonus 😉

These Lovely Kevin Murphy Products and tiny tester bottles are available to buy on The Test Box site so go check it out and do some Christmas shopping! They also have a stunning special running that all orders for December receive a free Test Box!!!! You do not want to miss out on that one.  www.thetestbox.co.za

 

Panasonic Wet & Dry Epilator

The New Panasonic wet and dry Epilator has fast become my new go to for hair removal. I have been testing it out for two weeks now and I am falling more and more in love with it. Now I have to mention that first the little gadget actually scared me lol and it was painful at first but after a few good attempts and a glass of wine, now that I have the hang of it, it has turned out to be a blessing! I was lucky enough to receive it from Beauty Bulletin to review, you can also go sign up to the Beauty Bulletin site and stand a chance to review items for free!

With summer here it is now time to keep up with all the shaving and looking like a well groomed person on the beach, Bikini season means shaving all the little hairs to avoid the embarrassment of being caught with hairy arm pits. This is such a handy little thing and the fact that you can use it in the bath or shower makes it even better! Would be better for first time users to try it out in the bath first cause the hot water does heat up the skin and make it easier for the hairs to come out and using it with some shower gel for foam makes sure that your skin is left smoother and less dry.

 

The Panasonic wet and dry Epilator is cordless and rechargeable and has a nice compact size that fits perfect in the palm of your hand making it super easy to use. You can even throw this baby into your hand bag and take it with you to make sure you don’t get stuck in a situation with hairy legs, Like those unplanned summer trips to the beach! This is also serious value for money in regards to once you have purchased it then you have it. It is not like waxing or shaving that you constantly have to buy new products or pay to have it done and because it is rechargeable you do not even have to buy batteries. So you know I am gonna be looking after mine so we have a nice long run together 🙂  Another Bonus of it is that it wont interfere with your spray tan like shaving does! meaning you can remove hairs without it taking your tan off.

The Panasonic Epilator works with 24 little tweezers that rotate super fast and pluck out the hair from its root. It has the power to remove even the shortest fine hairs and results in hair growing back slower, thinner/softer and less hair growing back so your second use is much easier. it is recommended to Epilate once a week but with regular use hairs should grow back slower and then you can move to using it less regular or as needed for touch ups.

The Epilator comes with a charger and a little cleaning comb and retails for R599. If you are looking for Christmas presents then this would be great for yourself as well as for your friends, really an item that will be well used.

xxx

Beauty Blogger – South African Beauty Blogger – Beauty Reviews

 

Kevin Murphy Hydrate Me -My hair’s best friend

Today I am telling you about the Kevin Murphy Hydrate Me wash and rinse. Basically my hairs new best friend! A product that is beautiful inside and out. If you have not yet tried any Kevin Murphy products then I strongly suggest you do! It is totally life changing for how you will look at hair care. Luxury like never before! These stunning products are available to buy from The Test Box site.

If your hair is dry / damaged and needs moisture, shine and softness then this is the product for you. If you are like me and and have gone from product to product searching for one that really gives moisture and takes away that hard dry feeling that thick coarse hair can have then you should go straight out and buy some of this! The Kevin Murphy Hydrate me range gives moisture to hair from the first wash and smooths it out fantastically. This means less frizz and smoothed over split ends making them loads less visible so that the overall appearance of hair is healthier and glowing!

 

You can feel even the wash (shampoo) nourishes and hydrates your hair, It is also sulphate and paraben free and takes only a small amount of product to do the job properly so you are getting a good long use out of it making it more value for your money. The Hydrate me Rinse (conditioner) is thick and creamy and beyond a pleasure to rub into hair, It leaves hair feeling completely moisturized while adding shine and softness as well as smoothing out frizz incredibly! I also have to just brag about how amazing these products smell, it is like aromatherapy while you wash your hair, I have never had a hair care range that smells so totally amazing!!!!

All Kevin Murphy products are also cruelty free and are designed in a way that the beautiful packaging in environmentally friendly. I don’t think you need any more reasons to go out and buy these? You Seriously just cant go wrong. The Hydrate me wash sells for R370 and The Hydrate me Rinse is R380 and you can click HERE to buy them online from The Test Box.

xxx

Pretty Messy Mellon – Beauty Blog – South African Beauty Blog

Lush Christmas

If you are looking for something special to get you into the Christmas spirit and bring on those feel good holiday vibes then look no further than the Lush Christmas collection. These delightful new products will bring joy to any bath time. The sweet and spicy aromas that come from these are exactly what Christmas is made of.

I live in George and we don’t have a lush store here but lucky for me you can buy online from the Lush site and they have fantastic service and fast delivery that brings all that stunning Lush goodness straight to your door step. But beware… Lush is extremely addictive 😉 Bath time will never be the same again.

The pictures speak for themselves with these Lush Christmas items, They glow sparkly cheerful vibes that no one can say no to. Just having the little box of Lush standing in my room makes my whole room come alive with the aromas of Christmas.

I chose myself six Items from the Christmas collection, I probably would have bought more but some of the items I wanted were out of stock at the time. If you log onto the Lush site and Items that you want are out of stock then don’t worry, try check back in a few days cause they do go in and out of stock and will probably be available again while the range is running.

The Items I chose are:

• Bar Humbug – Liquorice scented bubble bar
• Candy Mountain- Pink Candy/vanilla scented Bubble bar
• Cinders – Sweet and spicy bath bomb with cinnamon & popping candy.
• Five Gold Rings – Reusable bubble bar with Comforting Fair Trade vanilla absolute, Benzoin and tonka
• Holly Golightly – Festive spice scented Bubble Bar
• Shoot for the Stars – Multi colored bath bomb with sweet and calming scents.

These Bath bombs and Bubble bars range from R39-50 to R89 and are well worth their money. The bubble bars depending on the size can be cut in half and used twice so you get double the joy. My current favorites from these are the Five gold rings, Holly Golightly and Bar humbug.

You can go check out the rest of the range on the Lush South Africa site and order yourself some, it is easy to work the site and pay for orders so shopping is a breeze with Lush! These Items also make the most fantastic Christmas stocking fillers and will bring lovely scents to your home this holiday.

Xxxx