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Homemade Figure Paints

Great idea for some weekend fun!

Yummy Mummy: Celebrity Styles

Pregnancy can be an amazing experience and some women love to show off their growing bump. However sometimes you can feel rather unsexy in maternity wear. Yummy Mummies you do not need to forgo your stylish looks just because you are becoming a mom. Try and stick to your personal style and just adapt it slightly for your pregnancy. I have chosen 3 Yummy Mummies from 2011, who looked beautiful during their pregnancies - and who stuck to their personal styles despite their growing bumps. 

The Diva - Beyonce

Beyonce showed off her bump with her Diva personality. As you can see she still opted to wear high heels, paired with leggings/jeggings. But her real style is in the way she added accessories to her look, which made her look very trendy. 

Business as Usual - Ivanka Trump

This Yummy Mummy was impressive last year, managing her pregnancy with such elegance and style - while still running a tight work schedule. Ivanka is a great example of how to keep a professional and elegant look for the business women. 

 

Casual Chic - Jessica Alba

Last year Jessica Alba welcomed her second daughter, she was most certainly one of the most loved celebrity mums of 2011. Jessica has a casual chic look, and her use of layers with her style give her a effortless and sophisticated look. 

 

So, these are my 3 mommy-style-icons of 2011. They all showed that you can be fabulous and pregnant!

Best Products 2011

I have compiled a list of my top ten mommy products of the year. Each of these products have been used in our home, and are loved by baby and me. I love the designs, functionality and practicality of each product. 

1. Bunny by Jelly Cat: my daughter loves to cuddle her bunny to sleep every night, he is super soft and a must-have.  

2. Sophie the Giraffe: a popular teething toy around the world, and seen with many celebrity babies. We love Sophie as 100% natural, BPA free and delicious to bite on.  

3. Activity Gym by Bright Star: This has been a firm favourite in our house, especially for babies from 0-6months old. It can keep them busy and entertained, but its also designed to help your baby develop their motor skills and is a great way to spend "tummy" time.

4. Heat Sensitive Feeding Spoons by Vital Baby: When I found this product I was amazed at its functionality. The tip of the spoon changes colour when the food is too hot for baby to eat. As soon as its reached the right temperature you can happily feed. It's ideal for porridge feeding.

5. Humidifier: Every house needs a humidifier especially during winter time, to keep the air moist and is ideal for a baby with a stuffy nose. Add some Karvol and it will help unblock that nose and open babies chest. 

6. MAM Anti-Colic Bottle's: A fairly new brand in the bottle market, I was drawn by its unique design, easy to clean and sterilise and of course the anti-colic technology. This became my favourite find as a new mom. The Anti-Colic system really does work and its the easiest bottle to clean! We love our MAM bottles.

7. Skip Hop Versa Diaper Bag: A beautifully design diaper bag, which is stylish and trendy for any yummy mummy. Ideal for mom's who work. I love the black design as it is easy to wear with any outfit and is a discrete diaper bag for any occasion.

8. My Jungle Family Bedding: This design range is available at Mothercare (UK Brand). We bought this for our daughter's nursery and like the fact that it works for both girls and boys. Needless to say the bedding has been a consistent feature in her nursery.

9. Olli Organic Foods: As a working mom its not easy to find time to make food for my daughter, and this is why I love the Olli range - becuase its 100% organic and my daughter loves the flavours. Its a great solution for parents who are too busy and juggling a million things. 

10. Goodbye Stretch Marks by Mama Mio: Pregnancy can be tough on your skin and many women hate the inevitable Stretch Marks. This product is fantastic, and it really does make a difference. It also smells yummy and leaves you feeling fresh and beautiful. Its my favorite Mommy-Buy of all time!! 

 

 

Christmas Gifts for Kids

I am very pro encouraging children to love and enjoy reading. This is why I think giving books as a Christmas present to kids is a fabulous idea, and its something that will keep them entertained for years to come. I like to write special messages in the front of the book with the date it was given, to give it a personal and memorable touch. 

Here is a list of books that EVERY child should have!

The Very Hungry Caterpillar

The Very Hungry caterpillar is an excellent book for children, not only does it help teach the basic skills of reading, but it also makes connections with other educational areas. The Very Hungry Caterpillar teaches children the days of the week, nutrition and also the life cycle of a butterfly.

The Cat in the Hat

He may be an old standby, but he never lets us down. When in doubt, turn to the story of the cat that transformed a dull, rainy afternoon into a magical and just-messy-enough adventure. There's another, hidden adventure, too: this book really will help children learn to read. With his simple and often single-vowel vocabulary, the good Doctor knew what he was doing: hear it, learn it, read it--laughing all the way. The Cat in the Hat is a must for any child's library.

Duck! Rabbit!

From the award-winning author of Little Pea, Little Hoot,and Little Oink comes a clever take on the age-old optical illusion: is it a duck or a rabbit? Depends on how you look at it! Readers will find more than just Amy Krouse Rosenthal's signature humor here there's also a subtle lesson for kids who don't know when to let go of an argument. A smart, simple story that will make readers of all ages eager to take a side, Duck! Rabbit! makes it easy to agree on one thing reading it again!

The Story of Ferdinand

What else can be said about the fabulous Ferdinand? Published more than 50 years ago (and one of the bestselling children's books of all time), this simple story of peace and contentment has withstood the test of many generations. Ferdinand is a little bull who much prefers sitting quietly under a cork tree-- just smelling the flowers--to jumping around, snorting, and butting heads with other bulls. This cow is no coward--he simply has his pacifist priorities clear. As Ferdinand grows big and strong, his temperament remains mellow, until the day he meets with the wrong end of a bee. In a show of bovine irony, the one day Ferdinand is most definitely not sitting quietly under the cork tree (due to a frightful sting), is the selfsame day that five men come to choose the "biggest, fastest, roughest bull" for the bullfights in Madrid.

Ferdinand's day in the arena gives readers not only an education in the historical tradition of bullfighting, but also a lesson in nonviolent tranquility. Robert Lawson's black-and-white drawings are evocative and detailed, with especially sweet renditions of Ferdinand, the serene bull hero. The Story of Ferdinand closes with one of the happiest endings in the history of happy endings--readers of all ages will drift off to a peaceful sleep, dreaming of sweet-smelling flowers and contented cows.

Horton Hears a Who!

Surely among the most lovable of all Dr. Seuss creations, Horton the Elephant represents kindness, trustworthiness, and perseverance--all wrapped up, thank goodness, in a comical and even absurd package. Horton hears a cry for help from a speck of dust, and spends much of the book trying to protect the infinitesimal creatures who live on it from the derision and trickery of other animals, who think their elephant friend has gone quite nutty. But worse is in store: an eagle carries away the clover in which Horton has placed the life-bearing speck, and "let that small clover drop somewhere inside / of a great patch of clovers a hundred miles wide!" Horton wins in the end, after persuading the "Who's" to make as much noise as possible and prove their existence. This classic is not only fun, but a great way to introduce thoughtful children to essentially philosophical questions. How, after all, are we so sure there aren't invisible civilizations floating by on every mote?

Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?

The gentle rhyming and gorgeous, tissue-paper collage illustrations in this classic picture book make it a dog-eared favorite on many children's bookshelves. On each page, we meet a new animal who nudges us onward to discover which creature will show up next: "Blue Horse, Blue Horse, What do you see? I see a green frog looking at me." This pattern is repeated over and over, until the pre-reader can chime in with the reader, easily predicting the next rhyme. One thing readers might not predict, however, is just what kinds of funny characters will make an appearance at the denouement!

The Family Book

The Family Book celebrates the love we feel for our families and all the different varieties they come in. Whether you have two moms or two dads, a big family or a small family, a clean family or a messy one, Todd Parr assures readers that no matter what kind of family you have, every family is special in its own unique way.

Parr's message about the importance of embracing our differences is delivered in a playful way. With his trademark bold, bright colors and silly scenes, this book will encourage children to ask questions about their own families. Perfect for young children just beginning to read, The Family Book is designed to encourage early literacy, enhance emotional development, celebrate multiculturalism, promote character growth, and strengthen family relationships

Oh The Places You’ll Go 

Dr. Seuss's Oh, the Places You’ll Go! is a wonderfully wise and joyous ode to finding one’s path through the maze of life. In celebration of its 20th anniversary, this classic bestseller has been transformed into a popup book by master paper engineer David A. Carter. Filled with glorious pop-ups, detailed pop-up booklets, special effects, and the complete original text, this classic bursts with vibrant new energy. It’s the perfect diploma for graduates of all ages, and an ideal gift for anyone starting out on a new adventure.

Winnie The Pooh

Seventy-five years ago, that most beloved of "silly old bears," Winnie-the-Pooh, came down the stairs, "bump, bump, bump," on the back of his head, behind Christopher Robin. And now, after generations of children have grown up on stories about Pooh's adventures with his forest friends, the four all-time children's classics from A.A. Milne and Ernest H. Shepard have been collected in one hefty, handsome volume for another multitude of generations to enjoy. Gathered together are the poems and tales that celebrate heffalumps, Eeyore's birthday, the unbouncing of Tigger, Disobedience, Buckingham Palace, and sneezles. The stories about Pooh getting stuck in Rabbit's doorway, Piglet doing a "Very Grand Thing," and Eeyore losing a tail (and Pooh finding one) are timeless favorites for children--and grownups--of all ages. Four original classics are here, in all their glory: Winnie-the-Pooh, The House at Pooh Corner, When We Were Very Young, and Now We Are Six. This beautiful edition features complete, unabridged text and all of Shepard's original illustrations, each hand painted in watercolors--this is a true collector's gem.

Mr Men and Little Miss Series

Roger Hargreaves' stories are short, simple, and easy for kids to follow, with just enough alliteration to make it fun. His pictures are bright and bring the story to life. Everyone’s favorite Mr. Men books are now available in a gift set! The set holds six of the most popular titles, and each of the classic books comes with an envelope to give away as gifts.

Packing a Diaper Bag

As a new mom your diaper bag will become your biggest accessory and you will travel everywhere with it. In a previous blog “Trendy Diaper Bags” I discussed some sophisticated diaper bag options available for moms and dads (so check that out).

But what exactly do you need to pack into this bag, and what are the essential items you will need to survive the ‘outside’ world? I have compiled a list of things you need to have in your bag, from changing, to eating, to playtime. In the beginning I used to carrying a bag full of items, but over time I have come to realise these are the need-to-have items.  

The Essential Items

 

1. Change of Clothes for baby

2. Wet Wipes

3. Burping Towel 

4. Bum Cream

5. Diapers (4-5)

6. Changing Mat 

 

7. Feeding Bib

8. Food

9. Feeding Spoon

10. Bottle 

11. Teething Toys / Favorite Toy

12. Tissues

13. Panado 

14. Blanket

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