A room for the Grown Ups

After searching the Internet high and low for ideas for Finley's new bedroom it soon dawned on me that once it is finished we will have our bedroom back!

Currently he is residing in our room until his is painted and decorated, but soon I can re-claim the massive space that his cot takes up and make our room much more 'grown up' and less like a nursery :) 

Matt and I have always rented houses that are fully furnished so we never saw the need to buy any bedroom furniture ourselves, but unfortunately that means in our new house it has left us with only two miss-matched bedside tables and a very dubious clothes rail (currently sporting a worrying tilt)!

I have been browsing the Internet for some ideas and came across some lovely pieces of Bedroom Furniture at K&Co.

I love the shabby chic, country cottage look and I am desperate to get a dressing table! All my make up is dotted all over the house and the majority is in the coffee table in the front room!! LoL! I need to put it all in one place especially now Finley has started cruising around, I wouldn't want to nip to the fridge to come back in finding him painting the cat with lipgloss!

These are a few of my favourites here 

I think that once we have decided on the 'theme' for the room that will decide what style of dresser I go for, I usually would be drawn to the all white look in a bedroom but unusually for me I love the mirror table. Its also a bargain of a price at £179 for all three items.

If anyone else has bedroom furniture ideas let me know, I love decorating tips and cant wait to get started on our new project in the new year :) 

 Love Kayleigh x

Superhero Bedroom

Ever since I was pregnant with Finley I never really had an urge to decorate his room in pastel blues and have little mini trains all over the walls....instead I had the idea of bringing a comic book to life, and so my mind was set...a Superhero bedroom it is.

After pondering on the 'superhero plan' for months I convinced myself he was too young and painted his room blue and had the usual matching nursery set, don't get me wrong it looked lovely but it just isn't our cup of tea. I wanted a shabby chic for boys look so settled on 'My Favourite Things' theme from Toys'R'Us, it really is charming, all patchwork and tiny blue stars, but now when I look at Finley's boisterous face and stocky frame it just doesn't suit the once 6pound baby we had.

In our new house he has a much bigger bedroom meaning the Superhero flame has been re-lit and we are back to planning his new fancy room.

Here are a few pictures of inspiration taken from Google, Etsy and Pinterest.

I'm very tempted to paint his door like the one above but not sure if maybe my imagination is running away with me and its too much, what do you think? 

I also want to have a gallery style wall of pictures and captions for him to admire like these below

I'm hoping to get it all finished and looking snazzy for his 1st Birthday when he officially turns into a big boy!

I am so excited for Finley but no doubt his reaction will be somewhat underwhelming and will crawl straight out and start to play with towel! Hey ho, he will appreciate my efforts in no time im sure and will be the envy of all his mini superhero friends! 

If you find any pieces of inspiration anywhere be sure to let me know so I can add them to my ever growing list of things to buy/make/paint :)

It looks like this is a job for Superman Supermum! 

Love Kayleigh x

Sainsbury's Bank Family Bloggers

Hi everyone...my blog seems to be full of exciting news recently :) Hip hip hooray!

The other day I got a lovely email advising me that Beauty Life and Babies has been selected to appear on the 'Family Bloggers we love' page on the Sainsbury's Money Matters Blog! You can see the link to all the other lovely bloggers here I have been popped in the 'Inspiring Family Blogs' category.

I was a little confused as I hadn't even been in touch with Sainsbury's but it seems like they found my blog via good old Google, read it and enjoyed it...just shows you, you never know who is reading.

I have been in touch with Sainsbury's Money Matters Blog to thank them for their lovely words and since been invited to join their Family Blogger Network *yay* 

Below is a short post from Sainsbury's regarding feeding your baby whilst travelling, something I know I found difficult and if honest something I tried to avoid but tips like this would have definitely helped me and Finley :) 

Car travel with a baby to feed

A long car journey with a baby who needs regular feeds can seem a daunting challenge – especially for new mums – but as your newborn grows, you’ll want to get out and about.  

The key to a peaceful trip is getting the feeding right. Here are some tips to help keep your little one nourished while on the move.

When can I travel with my baby?

There’s no reason why you can’t travel with your baby in the car when they’re very young, but you’ll want to feel safe and relaxed.

• First make sure that you have the correct, rear-facing child car seat, properly installed in the back of the vehicle.  
• Check too that you have some blinds for the back windows to protect baby’s skin and eyes from strong sunlight.  
• It’s best to keep a close eye on a newborn – if possible, someone should travel in the back to watch over the baby – and stop regularly to avoid the child being in the seat for too long. 

 

Picture courtesy of Sainsbury's

Breastfeeding

Breastfeeding in the car is the simplest way to keep your baby topped up.  Don’t feel that you shouldn’t breastfeed in public. The law is on your side – it is actually illegal for someone to ask you to leave a public place because you’re breastfeeding.

Be prepared – make sure you have appropriate dress for feeding. Specialist breast feeding tops are readily available, but can be expensive.  You could wear two stretchy tops instead – one that you’ll pull down and the other to lift up.  A shawl or baby blanket works well too.

Formula feeders

Gone are the days when you’d have to make sure you were carrying enough powder and sterilised bottles for your trip.  

Premixed formula is readily available and very convenient in ‘nipple ready’ bottles. If your baby isn’t used to ready-mixed milk, it might be an idea to introduce it a few days before your journey.  

If you are taking bottles and powder, keep them separate until you need them. To make up the formula, always use boiled tap water in the UK, and make sure you use only sterilised equipment. You can buy travel sterilising kits to make the job easier.

Some service stations have bottle warming facilities, but if not, beware of using milk that has been heated in a microwave. It could contain hotspots that might burn a baby’s mouth.

Storing formula

You can prepare your formula ahead of time, and store expressed milk. However, if you can’t guarantee the temperature inside a cool box or bag, it’s maybe not the best idea. Expressed milk, for example, must be stored at or below 4˚C, which is too cool for anything but the back of a fridge.

A vacuum flask can keep water hot for several hours – so if you measure dry formula into the bottom of a pre-sterilised bottle, you can make up the feed when you need it.  

In order to kill off any bacteria, the water should be used before it falls below 70˚C, and then cooled until tepid.  

Check that milk isn’t too hot by first squirting some onto the inside of your wrist. It should feel warm, but not hot.

However you choose to feed your little one while travelling, always make sure that you have adequate car insurance

Author Bio:
Liam Williams writes for the Sainsbury’s Bank Money Matters blog . In his spare time he enjoys motoring and organic gardening

Thank you so much Sainsbury's for recognising this blog and being happy to represent our little family :)

If anyone has any questions please do not hesitate to get in touch :)

Love Kayleigh x

Nuby Blogger Competition

You may or may not know that sometime ago I entered the Nuby UK blogger competition that was advertised on their Facebook page, Nuby were looking for all kinds of family groups to represent them and test out some products. I had just re-launched the blog so I thought "hey, why not enter" but after seeing some amazing entries I was doubtful I would have even a small chance of my blog being read let alone winning.

However a week or so ago I heard back from the lovely team over at Nuby and they informed me that the loved my writing style and photography and excitingly Beauty Life and Babies came runner up :) *celebration dance* How great is that! I was happy enough that Nuby themselves gave me such compliments about my blog but as an extra special treat they offered to send me and Finley some goodies to try out! 

I received my lovely parcel from Nuby at the weekend and sat Finley down to open it together 

 :)  

  Is it just my baby that has more of an interest in the packaging of an item rather than the amazing present inside? 

I let Finners choose what he wanted to review first and he opted for the George Teether toy, perfect I thought, as I have a sneaky suspicion that his top teeth are well on their way. Mummy's choice is the new Grip and Sip sippy cup, I reviewed the old style here but already I can see the great improvements Nuby have made and shall be making a comparison post to show you all :) 

 I just wanted to thank Nuby for being extra generous and giving me the opportunity to review some of their lovely items for them. 

Nuby have just launched their new website here - go and check them out and see all the great offers they have available at the moment. I'm thinking mummy Father Christmas may treat Finley to some new Monster Plates and cutlery for Christmas! 

PS: Just a note about the photos, now the nights are drawing in a lot earlier :( it is so difficult to get any natural light anywhere in my house so I may look into getting a light box to make them jazzy again. Totally of topic but I wanted to keep you all informed!

I have linked all the winners to the Blogger competition below - make sure you go and check them out :)

FIRST TIME
Hannah Parker - Mums Days www.mumsdays.co.uk

Charlie Alexander – Learning Lessons in Mummyography www.learninglessonsinmummyography.blogspot.co.uk
Suzanne Davison – Stitches and Stretchmarks www.stitchesandstretchmarks.wordpress.com
Kirsty-Anne Ross www.kirstyross85.wordpress.com

HANDS FULL
Rebecca Beesley – The Beesley Buzz www.thebeesleybuzz.blogspot.com
Sonya Cisco - www.sonyacisco.blogspot.co.uk
Emma Rathbone – Snowing Indoors www.snowingindoors.com

TODDLER TANTRUMS
Cara Quinn – Roman Three Six Five www.romansthreesixfive.blogspot.co.uk
Paula Fazekas – Mummy vs Work www.mummyvswork.co.uk

I’M THE DADDY
Pauly Twinklestar – Gifts From The Pirates www.GiftsFromThePirates.com

Have a great day everyone

Love Kayleigh x

Christmas Decs Haul

Oh dear I have done it again, the Christmas bug has bitten and I have a few more festive items to show you all....our house is going to be like a full on Grotto by the time Christmas Day comes!

For some strange reason I have the weirdest online shopping habits, I casually browse a website for ages, see things I love, check the prices, add to basket then the 'tight-wad' in me goes and closes the whole site down! Is it just me who does this? Please tell me I am not alone in 'pretend online shopping'? 

Anyway I am a regular 'fantasy' shopper on dotcomgiftshop - Amazing website! I absolutely love living in a retro world and the thought of neatly stacked vintage lunchboxes fills me with glee. *takes a moment to swoon* The great thing about Dotcomgiftshop is the prices, usually I find that anywhere that stocks anything shabby chic or of that nature they hike the prices right up because they know how popular it is. But all the lovelies on this site are extremely well priced - sometimes cheaper than Ebay! 

So what made me check out this basket? Their amazing deal of the week offer, that's what. I have been eyeing up the Christmas section for some time now and had my heart set on some lovely Christmas bunting but as usual every time it was in my basket I clicked of the page....and regretted it every time :( 

But last week they had some fab Christmas bunting....half price! Say What?! It was a sign, in my basket it went along with a few other Christmassy bits, some retro old skool paper chains to make with Finley and some fancy napkins for our Christmas dinner! Bet you cant wait to get your chops on these Dad!! And a little sneaky prezzie for Finners' stocking!

Want to take a peek at the goodies? Here you go :) 

I think I got some great bits and my grand total was around £30, a great deal!

Make sure you go and check them out here and have a look at the deal of the week offer for some great savings :) Im currently compiling a wish list to hand to Matthew...I mean Father Christmas for him to maybe place a few treats under the tree for me.

Love Kayleigh x

A treat for Mummy

Since Finley has been born I haven't been one for buying treats for myself but this was an offer I just couldn't pass up. Yes that's right I have only gone and bought a Clarisonic. 

Now before you all think I am a trillionarie and have money stuffed in my mattress I don't, but I'm sure I'd sleep a lot better if it was stuffed with £50 notes galore! 

Anyway I digress, the reason I snapped this up was because it was a bargain plus I wont have paid it off until February *sigh* I wonder how it feels to be rich eh?

Funnily enough I bought this beauty on Matt's birthday - Happy Birthday to Matthew me!

If you a regular watcher of QVC like me, yes you heard right QVC - it really isn't for old ladies they have some major offers and stock brands like Liz Earle and Benefit! Everyday they have a really reduced price on an item they sell or a group of beauty items. That day it was the Clarisonic Mia :) 

I have toyed with the idea of getting a Clarisonic for a while now but the price has always put me off, for someone that likes to thrift and save money spending over £100 for a face cleaning machine seemed a little far fetched. Especially for Matt who is in the mindset "whats wrong with a flannel"?

However the deal on QVC was rather tempting, I got the Clarisonic Mia with the standard cleansing brush head plus 3 other different heads, cleansing wash and a wash bag all for.....drum roll please....£99!!! Still a massive wedge I hear you say, well yes I agree, but QVC offer easypays (a payment a month) on certain items and this was on 4 easy pays of £24ish pounds! A steal as for the Clarisonic Mia with one head is averaging £127 on its own.

 

Even better they offer a 30 day money back guarantee on anything if your not happy, even if you have used it everyday! But wait theres more, as it is nearly the festive season they are saying if it is a present (which it is but just for me) they are extending the guarantee till the end of January 2013! 

I shall be testing this to my hearts content as I have peace of mind I can get my money back in a heartbeat and I haven't had to shell out the full price. This was the major selling point as reviews are mixed, some say it is their holy grail product, some say they never even use it. 

I haven't used it yet and I think that is down to being scared of the purging process but I will keep a log of my progress and see if it really is worth all the hype, if not it is getting boxed back up and sent back to QVC. But I am hoping it gives me clear soft skin and can take pride of place on the bathroom side :) 

What do you think of the Clarisonic Mia? When was your first treat after having your baby? 

Love Kayleigh x

Logo Love

Oh hi there, wow its been a hectic week or so which meant I disappeared for a little...Sorry. It was Matthew's birthday on the 5th so we have been out for family meals and days out plus I've been at work again...my return looms closer! 

Anyway I just wanted to let you all know about my fancy new logo that I had commissioned. 

 

 

Don't you just LOVE it, its a little snapshot of Matthew, Finley and I :) 

I'm currently working on a header with fancy writing and all that Jazz but for now it is popped in the sidebar purely because I want to show it off! 

A lovely lady called Emma from Bubble Trump Ltd created the whole thing from start to finish! She is amazing...how do I know? because I used to eat my sandwiches with her at school and see the most beautiful sketches she did in Art! What a talent I can hear you all say! 

If you are thinking of getting something similar for your website, blog or business or even if you just want a sketch please go and check out Emma and her soon to be husband Joe's website here. This commission was extremely well priced and arrived in my inbox within days!

I cant wait to email Emma for a Christmas themed logo fit for the festive season! 

Make sure you go check out their Facebook page and go and follow them over on Twitter.

Thank you so much Emma :) *yay*

Love Kayleigh x

Happy Halloween

How exciting, it was Finley's first Halloween yesterday :) 

I bought his Halloween outfit back in August, a little eager but I do love a bit of fancy dress. I opted for a spooky spider as there is little other option for anyone under 1, it was either this or a pumpkin. I cant wait to dress him up properly - face paint, dyed hair - the lot.

I planned on carving the pumpkins together but Finley had other ideas and opted to take a nap instead and Daddy has a fear of pulp so it left Mummy to do all the hard work. Shhhh don't tell them that I actually really enjoy carving pumpkins. An hour and a half later we ended up with these beauties 

Last year I did an owl style pumpkin which was soooo good (blows own trumpet) and I wanted to re-create it this year but the 'Finley's 1st Halloween' one took so long I went for the traditional 10 minute scary face! Perfect for the doorstep don't you think?

We had loads of trick or treaters, they seemed to arrive in packs! I answered the door with Finley dressed to the nines in his swish spider outfit and all the kids were saying "is that Finley" "awww, happy 1st Halloween". Then there were the few 'kids' I had doubts about, I'm unsure if a 15 year old girl wearing a onsie counts as a trick or treater, especially when she used her hands cupped together as a bag! hmmmmm! 

Overall a great 1st Halloween for Finley :) I had tried to get a picture of him sat between the pumpkins but his newly found crawing knees didn't stay put for longer than a second so I had to weigh up what was more important, perfect Halloween picture but an on fire baby or safe baby and okayish pictures. 

Hope you all had a great day and enjoyed all the spooky goings on

Share your Halloween pictures on my Facebook page :) I would love to see them 

Love Kayleigh x