"I need the toilet!"

Daisy has done remarkably well this past week or so. After trying to get everything ready for the beebee's arrival I took potty training by the horns and decided to just do it and get it done! I'm a very impatient girl and when I want something done, it has to get done there and then. I understand that kids will be dry when they are good and ready but I had been dancing around potty training for quite some time, spending days with Daisy in just her vest running about the house and others without offering the potty at all. How terrible!?

Anyway, I brought Daisy some proper big girl knickers (the sweetest thing to peg on the line!) and popped her in them. She was super happy and has had about two accidents since being in them which is absolutely fab! I am cheating a little with a potty training aid in the form of the Dry Like Me training pads which turn knickers into 'training pants' They where invented by mums Jude and Di and are nothing more than a sticky pad that goes in pants to partially absorb any leaks to save a little mess and embarrassment but leaves the child knowing they have had an accident. They are really a security blanket for parents, without these Daisy wouldn't be flashing her knickers to people in supermarkets and she would have me asking if she needs the toilet every 5 minutes and hassling her. They have left her confident and feeling grown up enough to ask to use the toilet where ever we are, at nursery and has even been dry through the night! So she has one nappy a day (while shes asleep) and doesn't even pee in it which is saving me some pennies :)

The best recommendation I can give to the parent of a potty training child!

Plus Seven.

Day 7. As in seven days since due date and no Beebee.

Everyone has been swarming me like vultures for information on the progress of this beebee! This is what I look like. This is how many days I have unfortunately kept everyone waiting. I am uncomfortable and the meanest woman around to the poor Mr (who could make himself some money if I pop today) which might make up for how grumpy I have been towards him lately :/

 I will lovingly apologise, especially after he brought the Daisy home from shopping and got her to run through the house with bunches of flowers shouting 'I LOVE YOU' 'SMILE MOMMA'

 (he is wonderful.) I couldn't possibly be grumpy after Daisy chose one of my fav flowers!

After a 41 week appointment at the hospital this morning, Mrs Midwife says she is likely to see me back in hospital in the next 24 hours after doing her 'thing' to get things moving. Eek. If not and I go another 5 days its Bristol hospital for me :(
Just as a footnote, I am freekin' petrified of having a beebee. (just so you know.) Me, Daisy and the Mr are such a team and nothing scares me more than the possibility of something changing that.  

Momma's Monkeys.

So Daisy had her first trip to the zoo this week, well first where she wasn't a tiny bean asleep in a pushchair, and saw my favourite puffer fish... who had somehow lost an eye?! :/ and sadly the lions where no where to be seen but she had a good time, costing me a fortune in kiddy rides and stuffed animals. We had been saving up for quite some time, putting pennies in a piggy bank and selling old toys until we had enough to have a day out together before beebee comes along so I was pretty happy to throw £14 at a deformed looking giant guinea pig type animal teddy.

 After a fabulous screw up with maternity pay, no blame placed anywhere other than where it should be placed.... I'm happy to start a new week with a lovely picnic in the park with the Mr and a whole bunch of family from his side. Watching Daisy running about and enjoying an ice cream is always a beautiful sight and hopefully after I sort out a stack of forms and payslips etc. tomorrow, I can enjoy some time with the sister, who has a week off and maybe make some bits and pieces with Daisy and other delights of not wanting to risk going outside incase I pop.

 (Place your bets)

A recent make sees these guys born.
I'm putting together a little 'I'm a big sister!' package for when Daisy visits me and beebee in hospital or when we bring beebee home, which will include this little pickle along with several other little goodies to help her feel as special as she is (and if she hates beebee to start off with she has the fun of having some pressies to open.) I have also made one for the Boy. I'm hoping they will both be very loved and be kept until 'the kids' are old and the monkeys are smelly, have eyes missing and an arm of the others sew on to the other...

...See you when I'm old and I'm sad about my children growing up too fast guys.

Baking My Own Nemisis.

So, the last time I get to see beebee while he is still protected from the outside world, I'm told the 'computer is guessing' he weights roughly 6 pounds!! This is average. To most quite small if he was to be born now but Daisy was 5 pounds 15 ounces so I have had a firm word with the little blighter and ordered him to stop growing or ask to get down from the table.

Get out!
Get out!
(I'll miss you but...) Get out now while you still can!

Daisy got her usual good girl sticker from the sonographer (if that's the correct term) Its so nice that she can be allowed to see her baby brother in Momma's tummy. I guess this makes up for seeing the midwife who helped deliver Daisy, the cleaning cupboard you gave birth in and all the noises and feelings of when I gave birth the first time. needless to say I was a little pale coming out of the maternity ward. 

Make it, Daisy Maker.

While the Mr was cooking us a wonderful dinner, as usual, me and Daisy sat in the garden while it was still warm and made some lovely colourful pasta. Fab for filling half an hour.

First get the little one to put pasta shapes into a lock seal sandwich bag and then pop a few drops of alcohol hand sanitizer in with the pasta. Get them to pour in some food colouring and lock the bag which they can then have great fun shaking up and rubbing all the colouring into the pasta. Do several different bag with a different colour in each. Great for learning colours!
Once you have done all your colours beebee might find it hard to leave them to dry but they need to be put on a paper lined tray and left in the sun to dry. May take a day or two so have something else to do for when the fun colourful pasta thing is snatched away!

After the pasta is dry tie a knot in some string and ask beebee to thread the shapes onto the string to make 'jewellery' wonderful for motor skills and learning colours and also for Daisy to get her confidence kick of 'LOOK AT ME PAPPA! BOOTIFUL NECKLACE!'

Garnier Perfect Blur & Mirical Skin Perfector.

I've been wanting to try the new 'Perfect Blur' by Garnier for sooo long now. I was hoping to save enough Boots points to get it for free but My God it takes forever! so I brought it while it was a little bit reduced and used the points I had to get the new BB cream ' Miracle Skin Perfector.
I was looking at the Nanoblur, which claims to make you look 10 years younger in 40 seconds! but I had seen nothing but bad reviews. the Perfect Blur is AMAZING. it visibly blurs wrinkles, imperfections, open pores and shine. Its light reflector technology helps give a lovely glow when applied to the skin after the normal moisturiser thanks to its high concentration of light reflectors to diffuse light in all directions for delicious looking skin.
   The packaging is super girly which is always fab, A quick shake and a little blob of the product (goes a long long way, which is also a bonus...) it glides over the skin like silk and instantly my quite large and 'orrible pores disappeared. not even exaggerating. My complexion was instantly considerably more even and fresh looking. I could have easily worn this without any additional make up, with a possible reapply during the day but all in all the best primer product I have found. Its always good when you can eventually find something that works for your skin (we all know what a challenge it is ladies) so I cannot rate this product enough.

   The BB cream on the other hand.... is pretty bloomin' fab too! I tried two or three BB creams before and absolutely hated them. they didn't cover, they go patchy and orange but the Garnier Miracle Skin Perfector goes on like a moisturiser and covers evenly and effectively. the Perfect Blur is a sure help for the application but the BB brings its own little goodies with its anti shine, extension of blurring imperfections and pores, evening the tone of the skin and boosting glow and sprinkles a little sun protection on top too. For someone with dulling pregnant skin, red patches and large pores and shine I just love these products. Im sure Daisy will squeeze the BB cream all over a mirror somewhere and use the other to wash her hands or something but for now they are a little slice of happy.

Ultimate test: Apply after child birth and see how it makes me look! Beebee due in a month Eeek!

Gromit Unleashed.

From July 1st to September 8th, Wallace and Gromit Grand Appeal and Aardman Animation are hosting a public art exhibition which has been scattered across the city of Bristol in form of 'Gromit Unleashed.' At the end of the trail the Gromits are to be auctioned to the highest bidder to raise money for the Bristol Children's Hospital Charity. (You can register your interest of bidding on the below website.)
   The Bristol Children's Hospital is one of "only a few specialist children’s hospitals in the UK providing life-saving surgery, care and treatment to children on a local, national and international scale. The hospital is now expanding to create one of the most influential children’s hospitals in Europe.
Specialist paediatric healthcare and pioneering treatment require constant investment. By supporting Gromit Unleashed, you will be helping to save the lives of sick children. Treatment unimaginable a decade ago is now within reach, and with your support we can make this happen." -  http://www.gromitunleashed.org.uk/

With over 70 sponsors and a lucky collection of celebrities and artists Nick Park's Gromit has never been more sought after. over 100,000 people have already been on the look out for 80 differently designed 'Gromits' which have taken over the city of Bristol. Standing over five foot tall, each Gromit embarked on a journey, on the 1st July, to their individual locations for all to discover on the Gromit Trail. The Gromit Trail can help you discover lots of Bristol's oldest streets and landmarks down to the usual central locations. From Cath Kidston to Joanna Lumley's 'Poetry in Motion' its hard to have a favourite!
If your following the trail, you can pick up a free Gromit Passport which you can have stamped at 6 different passport stops, giving you a piece of Gromit Unleashed merchandise to take home at the end of your search. There are also plenty of limited edition pieces to go around. With over 400,000 visits to the Gromit Unleashed website, of which a quarter where from overseas, and more than 16,000 people visiting The Art of Gromit Unleashed shop, opposite Bristol Children's Hospital and the exhibition inside the shop at The Mall Cribbs Causeway has seen an average of 2,000 visitors a day, everyone is going to want a piece to take home!

A personal favourite of Daisy's is the "Stat's the way to do it, Lad!" by artist Gav Strange. Daisy has also been inspired to paint her own Gromit after a ride on the Gromit Train in Cribbs Causeway and a find of several Gromits. I don't know about anyone else's little one but Daisy is very much enjoying "GROMIT!"

Dear Jo.

So Daisy is super bossy, likes to say NO! when she is being told to do something and YES! when she is told no, she is enjoying screaming and shouting at us and being an all round bratty bum.

1) Warning
2) Time out for 2 minutes after explaining why she is in a time out
3) When the 2 minutes have been completed, explain again and ask for an apology
4) Kisses and Cuddles
5) Hope Jo Frost is God and this is effective.

Any advice?

Baby brain says no to a catch up.

I suppose having zero followers means I don't need to do a catch up! Although I do wish I had pictures of Daisy's second birthday... I'm one of the ones who doesn't take many pictures because I would rather enjoy the moment completely. Anyway, Daisy is in full swing of being two, I'm super pregnant and currently enduring the head of a small foetus in my ribs 24/7 for the past few weeks. ouch!
Daisy excitedly went out with Nanna and Grandad this morning until early afternoon so I drew up our Blueberry (and chocolate) muffin recipe for Daisy to colour and keep in our scrap book.

Does anyone else keep a scrap book with their monsters?!

Nursery for Momma's

After finding Daisy a wonderful little nursery with fab staff, all I can do is sob to the Mr about how Daisy didn't want to say hello to the other children without me until the staff where holding out hands to her and introducing her to other little girls and asking if she would like to play in the garden, then she gave me a glace for approval and off she went....
Where do all the Mommas go to cry while their children are in nursery?

It will be SO beneficial to Daisy to play with other children, to lean to respect other children and play in groups, have lunch with other kids and have some independent time. Which is why I'm paying though the roof for her to spend one morning and lunch time meal a week there. Schools should teach kids the price of childcare in schools, now there is a contraceptive!

I just never expected the feelings of being a Mother. I thought I had a baby for me? but I had a baby for said baby to have a life of their own. That's one thing but another is to realise one morning that they are already beginning to live their own life before I even realised that's what they would do.

Blown away.
Being a mother is indescribable.
Its a feeling that hasn't even been given a name. I just hope Daisy enjoys this as much as I am :')

Faux Hawk.

The fab Nicole Kidman rocked a super sleek and sexy Mohican in Cannes on Wednesday and so it has taken me two ish days to attempt to recreate the updo. Its pretty simple to do but needs improvement from this first attempt.

(tries to explain how but cant think of the words right now) >.<

All I know is Daisy told me she "likes hair" so its been approved by kiddies. I didn't even have to ask for her opinion!

Has anyone else tried it yet?

Topshop Hair Artist.

Has anyone tried the new hair chalk from Topshop?
Being pregnant, dying hair should be a no no and a very committing time but a girl has to have some fun that doesn't consist of making her Mr jealous by drawing pictures of a desired Cbeebies personality on their daughters chalk board.

No dye
No commitment
Must be fab, yes?

To be continued ...

Shallow.

Help a dull skinned Momma out with a skin illuminating something or other please ladies...

Shopping and shopping.

On Saturday I dropped the little one to Mothers for lunch and an afternoon play while me and my sister popped to Bristol for a bit of shopping. By the time we got our chops round a giant GBK burger, skinny fries and giant milkshake it was 2pm and after the first floor of Primark was complete I casually turn to ask my sister what the time was, to be hit with a time of 4:30pm was not well received. Being the most organised Momma ever I went into sheer panic and felt horrific that I had even taken that much time to myself and was out after 4pm felt very naughty! Jeez. So, Mr didn't get anything from Primark and I made a quick dash around the home section, only to be disappointed but a Momma can always pick up some new sheets and a take out coffee cup for after baby is born so I can attempt to survive if I ever leave the house! and the sister and I picked Daisy up a few little playsuits for summer and some sunglasses cause the girl loves to wear glasses like her Momma and as many bits in her hair as she can find lying around.

Sunday morning was fab. I actually love nothing more about shopping than getting a juicy little piece for cheap, especially now I'm a Momma. So with the help of the parents and sister, and of course Daisy, I managed to pick up a double pushchair from a local car boot sale. Always looking for something to do on a Sunday morning. Mr had his heart set on a £700 plus icandy peach pushchair or whatever its called but Daisy is so independent I would hate for his (and mine) hard earned money to go on a pushchair that Daisy isn't even going to use as well as Beebee. So, £20 got us a mothercare tandem 'phoenix' contraption for the 'I just need to run to the shop and its chucking down with rain so please sit nicely kids, moments. I also picked up a few bits of clothes and blankets and bedding for the boy. Daisy got a cuddly Dumbo.
Daisy loves Dumbo.
Daisy is eternally happy.

Monday has been an average day, apart from the genius of a new slow cooker which I purchased somewhere in between, and watching Mr try to dig out the pond along with giant bushes and pond reeds. Nightmare.
The plan for tomorrow was to take Daisy to the Zoo. She would absolutely pop but the forecast is rain rain rain so.

Does anyone have a mothercare 'phoenix' ?
Or any idea what to do with my last day off?  

Waking up to earrings. Wonderful.

Well... Busybusybusy.
 After a three day week at work Friday I turned into the oldest 23 year old ever. I had a fab day, My daughter presented me with a yummy cake (despite my terror of seeing that my mother had got my small child to hold a cake larger than her head with two candles burning on it) OH MOTHER! >.<  even Daisy looked at me like 'erm, even I know I shouldn't be doing this.... what is nanna doing?!'
Anyway, I was presented with a fab little cake pop maker which will come in really handy for when I'm catering all the wonderful childrens parties... and a delicious Zara bag

Wowzarzara

Super practical, enough room for all Daisy's bits and bobs and babies things and also maybe some of my own things if I'm lucky :p also the handy little draw string top prevents little hands popping in and out with whatever snack is fancied or things falling out as it hangs over the pushchair. looks swell, like a grown up bag. Boop.
 Other gifts from family included a couple of vouchers, a voucher for a hair salon from the lovely sister, which I am very much looking forward to using. If not before baby is born to spruce myself up before getting all sweaty, after to kick start me back into being 'yummy' The Mr's side of the family rummaged through a sweet little shop called Carolyn's
I wont explain, just look
Ahhh.

Boom I want everything.

I also got two memorable cards. One from Mr's brother and girlfriend. Erm, who's card declared me 'sister in law' ermm, if I don't get the benefits of being married I do not... well, I just didn't like it. Is that ok? I don't know if I was emotional? would anyone agree?
And a sweet little home made card from Mr's brother's (for blog purposes only I refer to him at home as Mr. I see what's happened!) daughter which was incredibly sweet.
By the end of the day I was ready to cry and was in a stroppy mood. Is it normal to get like that after a birthday or am I just feeling old? 

A sucker for a bit of honey.

After having a wonderful haircut from the Mr with the kitchen scissors my hair has been feeling a little healthier but if its a busy morning, I leave my hair to dry naturally cause hey, its the last thing on my mind sometimes, it ends up a big frizzy mess. Not the beach babe hair I tell myself its transforming into as it blows in the wind of a supermarket car park or having fish shaped stickers stuck in it.
Anyway, after seeing the new Herbal Essences 'Bee Strong' shampoo and conditioner I had to give it a try. Seeing its supportive name first thing in the morning is one thing is one thing but I love beauty products which contain honey and a super sweet smell like this product. AMAZING. the shampoo alone was as conditioning as I would expect the conditioner to be so once the conditioner was washed off, my hair was left super, super soft. I cant stand it when you leave a conditioner on for ages and then still cant get a brush trough it after towel drying but this was a break through this morning.
I gave it the ultimate test and let my hair dry naturally. Admittedly, I didn't leave the house this morning but my hair dried frizz free and soft. I was stunned. My toddler wasn't even tempted to squish play dough into my hair and even offered to brush my hair.
Now, instead of napping, she is singing away in bed while I am sat on the sofa enjoying the smell of honey and dreading going outside as debris seems to be frying across my living room window. I wonder how my hair will feel at the end of the day with all this wind outside?

Go to ASDA and buy Herbal Essences Bee Strong. 2 for £4. Or give the little bottles a try first for just £1! Must have for Mommas.

Bee Strong

Sun Shades, Sun Cream & Sand.

The Mr was working a Family Fun Day on the Sea front so myself and the Daisy went for a lovely quiet lunch with My sister Cherry. Our favourite is a little granny lunch of cottage pie in Bhs! The do an amazing job at catering for children, no place has quite fulfilled my expectations for children's food as most provide glasses for drinking and grown up knives and forks with massive bowls etc, but Bhs has been the best find so far.
They do a fab little children's deal provided by Annabel Karmel where for around a fiver you can choose from a picnic bag containing a sandwich, biscuits, freeze dried fruit 'crisps' and a fruit water or a prepared on demand, healthy, hot meal, freeze dried fruit 'crisps' a fruit water and a little pot of dairy ice cream. Daisy also takes fully advantage of the free use crayons and colouring papers as she enjoyed sitting in her chair singing 'Mr Maker' which trying to dance and draw at the same time! My only issue is the woman brought out the bowl of spaghetti bolognaise and put it strait in front of Daisy, instinct immediately causes me to pull the bowl away from my small child as I don't know the temperature of the bowl or exactly what it contains. The woman seems to take offence and says the bowl is not hot (well, I don't care what you say, thanks, politely) Shes right the bowl isn't hot but the food was scolding.

Anyway, after that we said hello to Mr and hit the beach. Daisy LOVES the sand. She will eat it, throw it in the air shouting at the top of her voice 'DUMBO, YOU CAN FLY!' and pour it in her pockets to play with when we get home on the living room floor. Hey, at least I wasn't the mother shouting at her small child to 'Put that sand down' as he picked up a handful...
  It was lovely to spend time just hanging out with Daisy and my sister.

My proudest moment of the day was Daisy displaying a need to pee. I asked her if she would like to use the toilet and she agreed so for the first time my 21 month old held her pee until she sat on her peppa pig toilet seat on the big girl toilet. I would recommend getting some Andrex toilet wipes for kids. they have a handy little tub with a picture of different animals on which you can talk about while 'waiting' and then a child friendly button which pops the lid and a fab dispenser with only allows the child to pull out one wipe at a time and then after Daisy had freshened up all by herself she hops off to flush the chain, wipe her hands and say 'Proud!'

BOOM.

Happy Morning.

After a uncomfortable night sleep with back ache, tummy cramp, calf cramp and uncomfortable boobs (oh being pregnant) I'm up before Daisy, as usual, and feeling a little more human after a shower and putting on my fav top from a delicious boutique in my local High Street. It's lovely and summery and floats over baby bump to keep it cool and safe ^_^ The majority of the big name stores have closed down and I cant say I'm too bothered. It just means places like Number 5 open up and sell new, pre loved and vintage clothing, jewellery and accessories for really good prices. I could spend all day in that shop.

I'm about to have our daily breakfast spread with Daisy, which is a really handy time to get lots of cereals and fruit down her, and then spend the day in the sun. I'm a little ill prepared for the summer so will get that sorted this morning.

How do you feel good in the morning?

Boop.

Ok, so... I'm not going to say "Hello" or anything. I don't expect anyone to be on the receiving end so that would be silly.
Hopefully its not too inconsiderate of me to call myself 'The Momma' but just for internet status that's what I will do.
I am currently a 22 year old Mother of one incredible little slice of female inspiration of the future. People would say she's a near 2 year old little girl but I call her Daisy. She is phenomenal, she was the start of my own personal independence which exploded on the 4th July 2011 (no relation of explosion with the process of labour) I wont go into my labour story cause most women would send me hate mail, and she will, with no shadow of a doubt, go on to have her own personal experiences of love, but for now she is mine.
As well as Daisy I have a wonderful man who couldn't make me happier. He believes entirely that he doesn't make me happy but boy if he ever knew. He is a beautiful man who doesn't get enough recognition as the seamless photographer that he is.
Ermm... As far as introducing myself, that was what came first which is the story of my life (and all mothers I would assume) we don't come first. That is absolutely fine. I used to be a beauty junkie, I have a BTEC National Diploma in Beauty Therapy Sciences which I am proud of as most beauty therapists don't have the title that they should have. People sweep the name under the carpet and tend to think 'beauty' oh, she paints nails etc. NO. I would always defend beauty therapists but I wont get into it because I couldn't even do anything with my qualifications so have a lot of respect for those who are practicing and I think I don't need to say any more.

In the soon future I will be a 23 year old Mother of two. The Male version is on his way. I am very adamant that I am not ungrateful in the least, as I don't mind saying that I would have loved a sister for Daisy. I have a sister and it is wonderful. I love having a friend that I can share things with and having common ground with a sibling is very special. HOWEVER, don't hate me yet (I've said a lot for people to hate me already :/) I am over the moon that Daisy will have a sibling that she can rely on and play with and teach.... It's quite nice to think she will have a bond with her brother that I wont even be able to understand so it will be entirely hers.

That's about it. Im quite dull. I don't get time to do all the beauty things I used too. I don't get time to wear, or actually buy, all the clothes I would love too. But how important is that really?! I will post them on here and feel like I have. I will be able to post about babies and baking (which I love) and throwing children's parties, which I also love (I would secretly love to be a children's party planner)

So, yeah...