My Pregnancy Skin

This pregnancy has been so different from my previous three and whilst I felt like I was really 'glowing' with the others during the second trimester, this time I have dry grey skin that I seem to pour moisturisers and oils on each night only to wake up peeling again.

Vital Touch saw my struggles and sent me some of their facial skincare range designed for pregnancy and beyond.  Whether you are glowing or grey, chances are your skin is going through some pretty big changes just like the rest of you during pregnancy and I have found some of my usual products aren't working the same or are even causing a reaction whereas before they were fine.  I never knew there were face care products designed specifically for this period, but it makes sense now!

The Natalia Radiance Replenishing range is gentle even on sensitive skin and is designed to balance and brighten.  I am becoming much more conscious of the chemicals involved in every day life so the fact that it is free from parabens, SLS, artificial perfumes and petrochemicals is important to me too.

The range consists of a cleanser, exfoliator and moisturiser.

The cleanser is easy to use, leaves my skin feeling fresh and has a simple smell.  The exfoliator left my skin feeling moisturised which surprised me as often it feels very dry straight afterwards and it didn't feel as harsh as my usual one.  The moisturiser soaked in quickly, and whilst it felt a little sticky the first time I used it, that sensation was gone pretty quickly.  I have been slathering it on in a bid to stop my face from peeling and it is definitely making a difference.  I have found that the best combination for me is an oil based moisturiser before I go to bed and using this as a daytime one.

My skin is still far from glowing and I think the grey tone may not vanish until Finn starts sleeping through the night, but I am finding my skin more manageable now and I will be sticking with these products until the end of pregnancy (and beyond if they last).  

The cleanser costs £12.50 for 100ml, the moisturiser is £16.50 for 50ml and the exfoliator is £15.50 for 50ml.

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What the Boys Wore - Dribble Stop Vests

Rosy red cheeks and sleepless nights, a tube of teething gel in every room and dribble pouring from his mouth, this baby boy of mine is well and truly teething.  His first two didn't appear until he was just over 10 months and three more have cut in the last month with another causing lots of misery and pain.  I don't remember the other two struggling so much with their teeth, but it may be something my brain has blocked out.  The nights are long and restless and my normally happy boy has periods where he really isn't his happy little self.

Dribble bibs have become a staple in his wardrobe, but we were recently sent a pack of dribble stop vests which do the work of a vest and bib in one - perfect for when Daddy gets him dressed, or when you just don't have a bib that goes with their outfit.

The bibs have a handy panel inside made of waterproof material but which is still completely breathable.  It is still only super soft jersey against Finn's skin, but dry jersey.  Finn has really been putting them to the test, and I am happy to say that they work!  He stayed dry, although the actual seam along the top did get slightly damp at times.  He didn't get irritated by it and the vests are lovely quality and a great fit.  A vest lasts him happily for a whole day without needing changing - something that would never happen without a bib usually.

At the moment there are three options, a pack of two white, a blue stripe and white and a pink stripe and white.  I would love to see some bright ones added in as the company expands, but a white vest is a staple in Finn's wardrobe and the blue and white stripes looked gorgeous with his dungarees too.

I was really impressed with the vests and can really recommend them.  Somehow the bloke managed to dress Finn and put one on back to front this week - it takes some skill and I can confirm they still look lovely the wrong way round, although they don't work nearly as well!

The vests retail at £13.99 for a pack of two and look and feel great quality.  They are available in sizes 0-3 up to 18-24 months, Finn is wearing the 12-18 months here at 13 months old.

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Spring Style for Archie

Spring has arrived and we already enjoying building sandcastles on the beach, lunch in the garden, bare arms and the odd ice cream. It feels like there was a sudden shift from winter coats to leaving the house with just a cardigan but I am not complaining (nor am I expecting it to last without a few colder days thrown in the mix)

In honour of the wonderful sunshine I have started thinking about the boys' spring wardrobes and making wishlists. I have been browsing for Archie and seem to have found a bit of theme with white, black and yellow.  His wardrobe is pretty full of colour and these simple shades will go really well and maybe be a bit more grown up for my newly turned three year old.

Archie Spring Style by beckygower on Polyvore

Beau LOves Inky Black Arrows Davenport Pants / Clarks Tric Roar G Canvas Shoes | Brantano.co.uk / Woven Hood Shirt, Beige, Boy 2-7 Years, Kids | Lindex / Patterned Sweatpants, Turquoise, Bottoms, Kids | Lindex / T-shirt with Print, Yellow, Boy 2-7 Years, Kids | Lindex / Black Short Sleeve Dinosaurs Slogan T-Shirt (3mths-6yrs) / Aarrekid clothing | Short Sleeved T-Shirt - Whale | Finnish designed... / Mini Rodini | Swedish Children's Clothing | Mini Rodini T-Rex SS... / Lucky No.7 childrens clothing |Lucky No.7 Rebellious Tee - No! / Lucky No.7 childrens clothing | Lucky No.7 Pants - Shark / Albababy | Albababy Gelas T-Shirt - Yellow Striped | Albababy tshirts

Archie is still living in his wellies so we need to get him some more suitable Spring footwear for the dryer says and I love these Clarks sneakers from Brantano as they are fun but still pretty Archie -proof (dark colours!). We only have a couple of these items already but I am hoping to slowly get a few more over the coming weeks (slowly so that the bloke doesn't notice of course). Lucky no.7 is my new favourite brand for Archie and so the t-shirt tóp left and the shark shorts are top of my list!

Have you started buying ready for Spring/summer? What have you seen that may accidentally fall into your shopping basket?

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Me and Mine March

I think the theme to this year's Me and Mine photos is going to be  'ah, it is the end of the month, quick, jump outside and look this way'.  We surpassed last month's 5pm on the second to last day with a 10am on the very last day of the month as the boys were already in bed last night when I remembered.  We did it though, we always get it in there somehow and whilst they certainly aren't the best photos, you can see us.

This month has been about Easter, with the excitement starting very early on, Easter cards being drawn daily, talk of chocolate, egg hunts, time off school and family.  Our Easter was lovely with a great mix of time just us five, time with the wider family and a little spring cleaning thrown in there too.  We are leaving this month with anticipation of a busy April, lots of appointments,  the rest of the Easter holidays to enjoy and hopefully a continuation of the lovely Spring weather we keep getting glimpses of.

This month Mummy is loving how strong baby kicks are getting, having her big boy off school for a while, the way that Finn sings to himself when he is happy and buying the boys matching t-shirts.

Daddy is loving feeling Britney bump kicking, turning 32, Cadburys mini egg cakes and hitting the (dry) ski slopes again when we went to Snozone in Milton Keynes for the day.

Dylan is loving writing birthday invitations to everyone and anyone (his birthday isn't until August but he likes to be organised), playing pirates with Finn as his matey, hunting for eggs in Grandma's garden and paddling in the sea.

Archie is loving the freedom of the empty beach and being able to run around, his new scooter, bedtime sleepovers in Dylan's bed and having his big brother home more.

Finn is loving emptying packs of baby wipes, eating sand, being able to crawl around outside more now that it is dry and his little slip on moccs.

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Fitting 6 in a 3 Bedroom Home

When we moved into our current house back in 2012, I was heavily pregnant with our second baby.  Our previous home was quickly being outgrown and we chose somewhere we could see our boys growing up, somewhere near the schools that we wanted, within walking distance from everything we needed and that fitted our family of soon to be four.  Archie was to be the final piece of our puzzle and we didn't want to have to think about moving.

Over three years there have been lots of twists in our story, an unexpected pregnancy that resulted in a third baby boy meant the bigger two boys had to start sharing a bedroom and a job change for me and redundancy for the bloke has seen us both start working from home.  Our long term house has quickly started to feel rather full and with a fourth baby on the way, I think our time here is coming to an end.  

We don't want the stress of moving whilst pregnant or even with a newborn, so we are going to find a way to make things work for a while whilst we make a plan for the future.  Our current set up has the two boys sharing a room and the baby's room doubling as an office, so we have to decide whether to lose our office and work from the dining room or have the three boys all in together for a couple of years - something not completely hard to imagine as they are all so close in age but busy all the same.

It is looking like bunk beds are definitely on the cards, something which the boys are incredibly happy about.  Dylan currently has a mid sleeper which he loves so I think a bunk bed will be really easy to get used to.  I love the idea of a fitted bedroom to help create more storage and space - this kids 'Cassia' option creates so many drawers and nooks around the bed that it would give the boys far more space to play if their stuff could be well stored.  

Downstairs, we are lucky that our house is quite well planned out with a long living room/playroom, a dining room and a box kitchen, so there is enough space for six of us to live, it is just the bedrooms that seem to be problematic.

It doesn't feel like long ago that I packed up Finn's 'baby bits' and in three months or so they will be coming back out again.  A play mat, bouncer and moses basket take up quite a bit of space in the living room so I think fitting six into a three bedroom house is going to be about being organised, tidy and finding the best storage solutions that we can.

Do you have any tips on squeezing us all in comfortably for a few years?

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An Easter Outing

This year the Easter weekend has seemed even more special than usual.  I have two children old enough to know what is going on, a little one who can have his very first taste of chocolate and the promise of two weeks with no school run and my biggest little boy at home,  Over the long weekend we managed to fit in some spring cleaning, catching up with friends, quiet time in the house, family time and an Easter outing too.  The winds blew, the sun shone, the chocolate disappeared pretty fast and three little boys were already asleep as their heads hit the sheets each night.

Easter Monday was the day we had planned a day out and despite the fact the wind had howled all night (and blown over our fence panels), the sun was still shining and we needed a day of fresh air.  We headed to our local Wildlife centre as it has something for everyone and had such a lovely day that we all came home smiling.

I love seeing the big cats but we seem to spend the longest time in the reptile house as the big two are fascinated by lizards, snakes, crocodiles and rodents.  It works out well if you manage to time it so that you are in there whilst it rains and enjoy the nicer parts of the day outside though.

We love this park as it has a playground inside that has so much to do and we spend just as long climbing and sliding as we do looking at the animals (and there is a soft play inside so that Finn can get out the buggy or sling and explore too).  There are also ride on electric trucks that they have to have a go on each time we visit.

I can't wait to spend two whole weeks with my favourite small people now, especially considering that when the new term starts Archie will be doing more hours at nursery and our time together will be even more precious. 

How was your Easter Weekend?

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On the Go with Little Dish

Now that Finn is on the move, I often have three children going in three different directions and they are always on the go.  They share a love of exploration, adventure and food and I am sure the three of them eat far more than I do!  They all have a healthy (large) appetite with a love for fruit and vegetables and a desire to graze throughout the day.

I am always on the hunt for new snack idea to add variety to their diet and with Finn's intolerances to dairy and egg it is easier to find things that all three can eat rather than providing seperate and hoping that he doesn't pinch anything that his elder brothers have.  We mix up crackers, cheese, breadsticks and fruit at home, but always choose pre packed goodies for when we are out - they are so much easier to grab and go, portioned well and they love the novelty.

We were recently sent some of Little Dish's new GoGos to try out and they seemed the perfect choice for us.  Suitable from one year upwards and with Finn-friendly ingredients too.  They are full of healthy ingredients like chia seeds, oats and flax and help release energy slowly - ideal for a day out with little people.  They come in three flavours, raspberry, vanilla and ginger and the bags are just the right size too.

We have been testing them this past week and they are a hit with all three boys.  Finn finds them a great size to grab and easy to eat with limited teeth too.  The fact they have no refined sugar makes me happier letting him loose with them and he loves the independence of his own bag.

Archie loves the ginger flavour and enjoyed dipping them in yoghurt too.  The bag is a perfect size serving for him at just turned three and the slow release energy is perfect for a child that doesn't stop moving. 

Dylan is four now so above the target age but definitely not too big to enjoy them and they have turned out to be a perfect after school treat.  He prefers the raspberry although they love to swap some if they have different flavours.  I am still quite fussy with what I let him eat and so these are a perfect compromise.  He feels grown up with his own packet of biscuits and I know that they are providing him with protein and contain only ingredients I am happy for him to eat.

They will definitely be added to our list of going out snacks, at 60p per bag or £2.50 for a multipack of five they are inline with what I normally pay (We tend to stick to the toddler food aisle for pre packed snacks for all three).  I would love to see a savoury flavour added to the mix in the future too as we are always looking for new savoury packaged snacks.

I am a member of the Mumsnet Bloggers Panel, a group of parent bloggers who have volunteered to review products, services, events and brands for Mumsnet. I have not paid for the product or to attend an event. I have editorial control and retain full editorial integrity. [I have received a voucher in return for writing this post]

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