Nonabox is in the UK :D

Hello everyone, I hope you are all doing really well - aside from the weather taking a turn for the worse and the nights drawing in closer *sigh* I do get sad waking in the dark and having to put the big light on at 6pm! Well, what if I could cheer you up with a brand new blog post all about a new amazing concept called Nonabox. 

I am sure a lot of people in the blogasphere and YouTube world will be well aware of the monthly beauty subscription boxes that are out there, well its time for a shake up. Nonabox is a new fab idea tailored for your little babies or like me big ones :D I have always watched in envy as the US have baby/toddler subscription boxes and wanted something similar for Finley (and Mummy) to get excited about every month, well Nonabox has come to my rescue....red pants, shiny cape and all.

Nonabox were lovely enough to send out Finley and I a brand new box to try out, so I thought why not share it with you all and let you see what fab goodies arrived in the post. The boxes themselves are tailored to your babies age so you don't need to worry that there will be chunky toddler snacks before you have even tackled weaning :D

 

Firstly when it arrived I was surprised at the size, it was twice the size of the average box for a beauty subscription and was even bursting open at the seams packed to the rafters with goodies. Finley and I opened it together but at the time if I am honest he ran off with the cardboard outer which left me to unwrap our suprise package in peace. 

The first thing that popped straight out was the cutest softest Cloud B lamb, unfortunately the entire label was in French and as I only speak the 'Del Boy' dialect I couldn't decipher much. From what I have googled it is a fold-able pillow/stuffed animal (with the softest fur) with lavender scented pouches that snuggles with Finley as he snoozes. I am not a lavender lover as a rule but I really cant detect much of a strong fragrance and I think it is more a gentle waft that baby gets whilst laying next to it.

Next up I spotted a MAM toothbrush :) perfect

Finley is currently cutting his last few teeth so getting him to brush his teeth is a little struggle at the moment. The best method I have found is distraction - isn't that the method for all child problems lol. He has his brush and 'brushes' his teeth then its mummies go, but with only one toothbrush it was a nightmare taking his off him! So this has come in so handy to be his new big boy brush whilst Mummy sneakily brushes all the others.

Finley re-joined me with his cardboard box for probably 2 mins before running off with the ribbon that comes around the box and was trying to put it on George and make him look fancy! 

I spotted Water Wipes....Yes. I have wanted to try these for so long, I love testing all brands of wipes, something I never thought I would have said 2 years ago! haha! I love Simple baby wipes and haven't found anything close since using them well over a year ago so I am hoping for big things, I have heard a lot of bloggers rave about them so crossing fingers I'll love them too. I haven't used them yet, I cant bring myself to open the tiny packets whilst we have a back log of half open wipes all over the place...thanks to Finley the wipe stealer!

The next product intrigued me, a 360 degree spoon. How, what, when? I am surprised and delighted at the same time that this intriguing product exists. I bet £100 a parent invented this...they will have had a backwards upside down spoon yogurt eater like myself and couldnt bear to watch anymore. Finley scoops his food, moves the spoon into each hand and then goes for an upside down mouthful resulting in the majority on his chin/lap, so I cannot wait to get his cracking with this. I might try to catch it on film to show you all how it works, it looks amazing!

Staying on the food and drink train I next found the babycup, a teeny tiny plastic beaker perfect for little mouths. I WISH I had this 3 or so months back. Finley went through the fussiest stage of only drinking from a cup, no sippy spouts, straws or any kind of toddler beaker. He wanted an open cup....that was it. He was drinking out of large plastic beakers which was a whole other problem, juice, smoothies and milk all over the place. The lip in the cup is too wide so having this back then would have saved all my worries! If you are going through anything similar I would suggest getting one, even to save you changing their tops every 5 mins. 

Next up an Ellas Kitchen Little Big Meals! Yay, if you have read my blog for a while you will know I am a big fan of Ella's Kitchen, they have helped me through everything from weaning to fussy eating, to getting fruit into one fussy toddler. And yes, Finley is still that fussy boy that doesn't want to eat anything more than bread and petit filous' so I am hoping this will do the trick and get him back on the road to having a healthy appetite just like his mum ;)

The last treat that I picked out of the box was a Gumigem necklace, a teething accessorise for babies and toddlers to help put those teething aches at bay. Finley is probably at the age where he will run off with it and chew it to his hearts content watching Peppa Pig whereas if he was still at that chubby cuddly age he would snuggle up be comforted whist easing those poorly gums.

That was everything that was insides this months fab Nonabox :)

 The great thing about Nonabox is that all the boxes are tailored to your own babies age and from what was in my box gender too. It isn't a sample service so you are paying for actual items rather than a few sample products here and there, your money is going towards things you can use day to day not just once which is what I had disliked about the beauty boxes. The subscription price itself is £25 per month with free postage and packaging :) You can also save if you buy so many months upfront.

You can choose a box from newborn up until your baby turns two, this would have been something I would have loved to receive when Finley was still so tiny. Preparing me in advance and giving me a head start on products I hadn't even thought about needing until it was too late! Plus who doesn't love a surprise every month, especially with sleepless nights, endless nappy changes the idea of an exciting package arriving is just the pick me up you need. 

PS: If there are any Dads reading, why not surprise your wife, partner, girlfriend with a subscription. As much as I dislike the phrase 'push present' this is the perfect solution if you don't have a huge budget but still want to show your appreciation and support, after all I think giving birth warrants even the smallest of thank you presents.

Overall I am super impressed with this months box and very excited to see how Nonabox match up with its next exciting box. Lets just hope I can get Finley more interested in the opening next time. I shall be recording a video version of this blog post so once its fully edited and uploaded I shall link it here for you all.

 If you fancy getting your hands on a Nonabox subscription or even just a gander at the website you can here or just ask away in the comments as I am always happy to reply :D Thank you so much Nonabox

Thanks so much for reading everyone, sorry for the picture overload but I just can help but photograph everything haha. 

Lots of Love

Kayleigh x

What's to do with Finley

A little while back I let you all in on why I have been a little absent on the online world and why posts have been more sporadic than usual. If you missed it you can check it out here :D 

But if you fancy here is a little recap for you all, Finley began cruising around furniture from around the 1 year mark, we were expecting to be kept on our toes pretty quickly soon after chasing around an unruly Finley jumping from one couch to another, running around the house ripping off his clothes or even balancing enough to climb up to the biscuit barrel and pinch a choccy digestive or two....however he is nearly 20 months old and he still hasn't got there.

We are still at the cruising stage with maybe a few unbalanced steps here and there, and his primary method of getting out and about is on his knees. He is quite happy zooming around on them little baby knees, carrying his toys along or even pretending he is shopping carrying around my handbag (sorry Matt) haha. 

I dont have too many shots of him on his knees but here is one, and as an added bonus he is dressed as a dinosaur

Well, finally after months and months of waiting we attended our specialist appointment. And Finley has now been diagnosed with a case of Idiopathic Tip Toe Walking. 

To expand it basically means that he walks on his knees (and tip toes when cruising) for no real reason whatsoever, meaning there is no real cause as to why he does it. There isn't a magic cure unfortunately but it doesn't mean that he will never walk, a lot of babies and toddlers either grow out of it or with a little help start to walk with splints and boots. It isnt an overly common condition BUT the specialist did ease our minds and told us he has at least a dozen current patients with the same as Finley.

We went into detail with the specialist and he saw Finley give a little demo of his party trick knee shuffle, and put our minds straight at ease that he doesn't think it is anything sinister going on with his spinal cord or nerve reactors in his legs - PHEW! But he said that he wont be surprised if we are still talking about this in years to come. I am assuming such an habitual habit is going to be tough to break, especially with Finley being such a blumming strong willed so and so! Plus he told us Finley will quite enjoy the sensation on standing on the ball of his foot, almost like a comforter for him...I try to avoid dummies and this happens lol It just shows you doesn't it.

We described Finley's personality and development and he picked up on a few noticeable characteristics that generally correlate with idiopathic tip toe walkers. Finley has a huuuuggee temper, he can be the sweetest loveliest chap then the next minute you take away his crayons and wow, he goes into full on melt down mode. He is also obsessed with any gadgets, i-phones, normal telephones, controls! He would happily sit and play with a bunch of keys rather than a stack of mega blocks any day. Plus he is a fussy eater, I mentioned it a while back I am struggling to feed him anything overly exciting and we are still at that stage, he said it is all linked and Finley is one of those kids that just like things a certain way at a certain time! 

So where do we go from here, up to now we have just encouraged walking when he is interested but as he only ever balances on his toes he struggles picking up momentum and gets frustrated. If we initiate walking and stand him up he just tucks his legs under and wont even attempt walking, cries and gets annoyed. The last thing we want to do is force him so he is the one in control now. He has taken a few steps months back but never fancied it again!

We are being referred to physio at a local children's centre and they will more than likely give us exercises to perform as they need to avoid his achilles tendon shrinking or becoming too tight. Luckily I pushed for a referral early and surgery is probably not need *crosses fingers* he will probably be prescribed little walking boots and plastic splits to keep his feet at a right angle. Sounds uncomfy, but no more so than walking on floors every day on your knees!

Up to now that's all we know and we are just waiting for the next stage in the process, luckily Finley doesn't even bother and is more than happy shuffling around....shame that we go through pant bottoms like nobodys business.

If you are reading this because you have a similar story please let me know how your journey panned out or if you have any questions what so ever please ask, I have done sooo much reading and question asking I have all this knowledge floating around in my little head. Most stories online are of older children toe walking whereas Finley will stand on his toes but walk on his knees, he is a little hybrid and I can't seem to find many similar stories.

As soon as there is the next update I shall let you all know and when Finley finally does walk please can we all have a virtual 'walking' party and celebrate with balloons, cakes and loads of new shoes :D

Perhaps a cheeky pair for mummy too!

Thank you all for sticking by me and not jumping ship because I am being rubbish lately :D oh also if you want a video of his walking let me know, my friends find it so bizzare and think he looks like a munchkin so if you want to see how he gets about I'll upload a clip for you.

Lots of Love

Kayleigh x

Whats in my Illamasqua Mystery Selction Box???

A little while ago I stumbled upon this little gem hiding away on the Debenhams website, it encompasses everything I love in life - Make Up and Surprises.

Well what is it Kayleigh? It is a full box of surprise Illamasqua products everything from blushes to eye catching pigments!

For some reason Illamasqua has never been one of my most reached for brands, I own a handful of product from cream pigments to lip glosses but I think like most make up I worry about the money side of things. I wish I could happily sit and buy a huge selection of products from all brands but on our budget it just isn't possible...no matter how much I wish it was. So when I saw this and then saw it was also in the sale I snapped it up with no hesitation!

The box itself is the Alter Ego Mystery Selection box and contains 6 FULL SIZE products :D Each box comes with 1 Nail Varnish in Collide and 1 Liquid Metal in Electrum but then the rest of the goodies are left as a surprise! I am really liking the 'alter ego' references as you will see from the pictures that some of the colours are a little bit out there, and not necessarily what you would pick up and put on to head out for the papers. And I really like that, I would never usually reach for anything but peach blushes and neutral shadows and to be able to experiment and become your own 'alter ego' is exciting.

On opening the box you will see all your products nestling together all cosy in a little straw like nest, I cant tell you how eager I was to get everything opened and swatched. So excuse the finger prints in the products because I just couldn't help myself.

Here we go with the picture overload....sorry about that! I have a new lens too so I think I went a tad overboard when taking the pictures....overall for this blog post I took 88 pictures! Holy Moly - I was even shocked when I uploaded them. Ready, Steady, Go!

First up I shall talk about the products that every 'alter ego' box contains. 

Liquid Metal in Electrum

This amazing antique gold shade is so dazzling in real life, as it says it really does come off as Liquid Metal on your eyes. You can blend it if you wish to create more of a sparkle of colour across your lid or if you want more pizazz then layer it over your lid for an amazing guiled effect. This would look Ah-Ma-Zing on tanned skin across your shoulders, arms or decollete. Gently add some sparkle to set off that amazing golden tan...oh what I would give sometimes to have olive tanned skin! 

Nail Varnish in Collide

If you have seen a snippet of my nail varnish collection you will know that I love me some bright pink nail colours! This is right up my street and have worn it so much since it arrived, I even have it on my toes today :D On my nails it dried to an almost semi-matte texture which I love but if you fancied more of a high shine look just add your fave topcoat. I did need 3 coats so make sure you have time for it to dry but I do say it did well and stayed put for 3 days with no chipping....That is great in my books at the mo. Puppies, Babies, washing = nail damage, so it held up really well.

Now onto the surprises :) 

Powder Blush in Panic

WOW - how amazing is this blusher! I don't recall ever owning anything like it, I am a little scaredy cat when it comes to bright colour and stick to peaches and maybe the odd coral but nothing as vibrant as this. But I surprised myself and I love it. I will admit I did 'Panic' (see what I did there) when I first attempted to use this but a little definitely goes a long way. Don't overload your brush as you will end up looking like a gnome that is teething haha, a light dusting blended over the apples gave me a warmed up glow that looked amazing on my pale skin. Like I had cute pinched cheeks from walking in the cold winters breeze.

Intense Lipgloss in Move

Again another fab product I have been wearing so much recently, the past month or so I have switched around and heading towards wearing gloss a lot more than lipstick. This is a firm handbag fave as it is almost natural to wear with anything but still has an amazing purple/pink hue to look eye catching. My lips tend to be more purple than pink so I think it suits my skin tone really well, the only problem is my hair! Long hair and gloss don't mix haha - so my hair has to be up or out of the way when I wear it.

Powder Eyeshadow in Fallen

This deep grey purple shade is somewhat of a huge step for me to take, so much so I haven't yet plucked up the courage to wear it in a look yet. From a girl who loves a soft neutral eye to then consider a deep extremely pigmented eye shadow is a huge leap for me. But from swatching the shadow the pigment is amazing, so rich and deep just like the blusher a tiny amount gives amazing colour pay off. So when I finally pluck up the courage I need to be very careful to no overdo it. Any ideas how to incorporate this pleas let me know?

Lipstick in Fetish

First when I saw this lipstick I was shocked, when will I ever wear this? I thought, but then I remembered that is what Illamasqua want you to think, you are looking to become your alter ego so embrace the shade and think go for it. I love the vampy 1930's look that people wear, dark lips are eye catching and beautiful but again I have been stuck in my ways and never ventured out to purchase a lipstick like this. Now I am thinking of an occasion to wear it, I cant wait. Or do you think I should just pop down to the library with it on and rock out a vamp look? The texture is creamy and the shade itself is matte but not as intense as on the bullet so can be toned down with a little lip balm mixed over the top. 

Swatches

Overall I am ever so impressed with this Illamasqua Mystery box and would highly recommend anyone who is looking for something new to try it out. Especially like me if you don't always have the budget to buy a handful of full sized products no matter how much we wish we could regularly top up our make up stock! Shall we all chip in for a lottery sweepstake haha!

I bought my box in the Debenhams sale for......£19! Yup £19 for 6 full sized products - amazing value. I think totalled up the collection would be over £90. You can buy yours Here from Debenhams - I think they may be out of stock at the mo but they always keep coming back so keep checking back. They also do a more nail focused box if that tickles your fancy and you can check that one out here plus its even cheaper at £17.50. Come on Debenhams - top up the supply soon please :D

Hope you are all okay, sorry I haven't been around too much recently but my next post is a little update on that cheeky boy Finley and how his appointment went :) Now we are over the waiting and worrying stage I am back and here to stay!

Love you all so much

Kayleigh x 

My Labour and Delivery Story

After a short little break and a quick pit stop for my 25th Birthday I am back with blogging and have some very exciting posts coming up and some fab reviews.

 

So what have we been up too, George has being running riot! Wow that Puppy has gained some energy these past few weeks....he has become so much more confident and is becoming more and more a part of the family :)

 

Finley is doing really well, his speech is coming along swimmingly, he is starting to surprise us on a daily basis with new words and also his imaginary play! He will happily sit and 'eat' pretend food from your hand (I am assuming this is the plate in his head) and sit there going 'uhmmmm' 'yummy' 'more' - just a shame he isn't that eager when it actually is tea time. Perhaps he is a lost boy and much prefers imaginary feasts!

 

I shall be honest, he legs are still a massive weight on my mind and I cant shake it off! We are very close to his appointment - next Tues to be precise so shall keep you all updated on how it goes. I am hoping once we have a answer and then can start looking forwards on how to get him walking. I cant imagine him on his feet, wearing real shoes and not being frustrated he has worn out the knees in his new pants after 3 wears!!! My friend popped over the other day and commented how agile and quick he was on his knees, he zooms every where, carrying his books...even chasing the dog. He doesn't

seem one bit phased by it at all...shame I cant feel the same!

 

 I thought I would share with you all my most recent upload on my YouTube channel, I go all the way back to the beginning and share Finley's labour and delivery story!

 

It isn't a massively exciting long labour tale but I did end up with an assisted delivery so If this is something you are interested in OR perhaps a little apprehensive about then take a look. I really hope I can put your mind a rest and send some positive labour vibes your way :)

 

I am sure I have missed out details or specifics so if you have any questions at all please ask? I had soooo many when pregnant and even now about other people so ask away. Happy to answer anything what-so-ever.

 

My editing skills are near enough non exsistent lol so I never managed to add any photos to this video so I shall try to make a fun video or blog post of when he was super duper tiny!

 



 

So sorry for being such a softy recently and worrying but hopefully soon I will be all back to normal!

 

Thank you all so much.

 

Lots of Love

 

Kayleigh x

Winner Alert,,,,Winner Alert :D

Is it just me that read the title of this blog like a serious tannoy announcement with full on imaginary sirens blazing in the background...no? Okay, just me and my crazy mind then!

I wanted to pop on and finally announce the winner of the giveaway that ended last week :) George has been keeping us on our toes and for some reason I feel more tired than when we had a newborn?! Not sure how a puppy has done that to me but he has! So I have filmed the video announcement which shall be added to this blog post once its live....if I am really fancy I may be able to schedule them to link together at the same time, but I really don't think I am that fancy.

I just wanted to say a huge massive squidgy thank you to everyone who entered and left such lovely comments and since become new subscribers and followers. 

I plan to do another giveaway really soon as I really enjoyed putting everything together and getting to surprise a lovely viewer/reader. Plus I get to use the excuse 'it's not for me, its for the giveaway' excuse when I am shopping hehehe. 

I wont hold the suspense any longer....the winner is.....

Congratulations StarDotBop :) 

Please send me over an email on KayleighBamber1@gmail.com or via my YouTube page so I can take your deets. I shall also send a quick message over to you in case you don't see this post just yet. 

Thank you to everyone who entered and I shall see you all very soon with a super cool mystery make up post. woooooo!

See you all soon

Love Kayleigh x

The new addition *squeeeeeeee*

You may have seen me mentioning throughout my latest post and also on Twitter that we had some very exciting news coming up, usually the first thought that pops into peoples heads when reading a baby related blog is BABIES....sorry to disappoint everyone but Finley is wayyyyy enough mischief for both Matthew and I to handle haha.

So the next best thing to babies is PUPPIES :D

Ever since I moved in with Matthew way back in 2007 when I was a mini 18 year old I have been pet obsessed, I love any cute little critter, furry or not...(I am quite taken with spyhnx cats but they freak Matthew out so they are struck off the list...for now.) We adopted our first cat Mr T (Oscar Tiddles - but Mr T has just stuck) in 2008 when we finally moved somewhere with a garden and ever since then we have been hooked. Six months later Penelope Pitstop arrived, a tiny little fragile feral kitten I took on with the challenge to bring her out of her shell and get her socialised. They are the best of friends and Penny is near enough fixed :) the only thing is they tend to be outside all the time, meaning no cuddles for us.

Matthew and I were having a chat weeks back and I brought up the 'dog chat' again, for years I have dropped in how lovely a family dog would be but usually he gives me 10 reasons why not too and we forget about it. The main one being as tenants we were never allowed dogs, but now we have moved somewhere we can have all the pets we like :) For some weird reason that night we both made a decision that we definitely want a doggy and we shall get one very soon Hoorahhh....my persistence finally paid off. 

I have never ever owned a dog before but had a fair idea how much work we have to put in, Matthew has had loads of dogs over the years so was well equipped with the knowledge we needed. 

If I pass on one nugget of information I would defo recommend researching the breed you want and why thoroughly, we wanted a cuddly dog that likes lazing on your lap, very loving towards us and kiddies and one that shows no signs of aggression. We initially were looking at a Boarder Collie as Matt had one growing up and loved her but when reading about the breed they just weren't suited to our lifestyle, so I carried on with our search and we came to the decision to get a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel :D 

Initially we were thinking of adopting from a shelter but when we looked all our nearest shelters had older dogs, a number of which couldn't be homed with children or other animals. Plus with me being a 1st time doggie owner I wanted to start off small, I admit I am a little nervous around dogs so having a puppy is perfect as my confidence can grow with them.

After all the chats, research, viewing other dogs and then doing more research we found our new puppy George. 

When we went to see him he was the 1st one to bound over and say hello, nuzzled into my belly and most importantly gave loads of love to Finley. Perfect.

After weeks of waiting we finally picked him up and added him to our family last Friday :D

He is absolutely lovely, so tiny and cuddly with those 'sad' eyes even though really he is just a bundle of fun and so loving. We are all so pleased he is here and cant wait to create so many memories for Finley and his new companion George. 

But beware don't be fooled by his cuteness he is still a typical puppy....excitable, happy, bouncy and rolls everywhere haha, its all part of the fun isn't it? If you can cope with a baby/toddler you can defo manage a puppy but you will need to keep those 'parent' eyes on at all times. He also wakes in the night too, but after researching it shouldn't last too long...not like the 15 months I had with Finley gahhhhh it makes me yawn just thinking about that all over again!

We are so happy to have a new tiny addition to the family and if you want me to add 'puppy updates' to the blog just let me know :) I am in no doubt he will be getting up to some mischief I will capture to share with you all. 

If you have any tips of puppy training advice we welcome all suggestions :) also if you have doggy or puppy blog posts or pictures link them below...I cant get enough cuteness at the mo. 

Happy Welcome George Day 

Lots of Love

Kayleigh x

A Little Retail Therapy

After being a little down in the dumps the past few weeks what better way to pop a smile back on my face than scouting the sales and doing a little online 'window' retail therapy. 

It makes a change to be scanning clothes for me, usually I am sat here cooing over the boys section in Next, creating an imaginary wish list for Finley's next bundle of clothes. I even hop over to the newborn girls section to coo and 'ahhhh' over those tiny tufty tutus. I tell ya, if we had a girl I don't think she would wear anything but tutus and ribbon headbands!

Usually if I am able to treat myself I head straight to the beauty products section on any website, adding creams and serums to my basket in a hope to cure my ever so sensitive drying skin. (I can tell you Matt shall shake his head whilst reading that last sentence, he is a bar'o'soap and water kinda guy)! But for a change I thought I would peruse ASOS in a hope to find something to hide my tub and....well, fit! 

Since having Finley I haven't bought more than 5 new items of clothing, I am a little scared and just feel generally bleugh about my figure....I know that if I had a slimmer figure and would be able to shop in River Island I could pick up loads of yummy mummy outfits. But being on the chunkier side I find the whole 'Plus Size' thing a bit tough - its soooo difficult to find things that aren't frumpy, tent like or completely wrongly designed for larger frames....Dorothy Perkins I am looking at you!! Yes I have a belly so please allow a few extra inches on the hem to cover it!

 I have recently discovered ASOS curve in a bid to spruce up my lack lustre wardrobe so thought I would show you a few things I liked the look of. You will see I am no fashionista by any means and just currently shopping for comfy everyday clothes, nothing too out there....just yet.

Here are a few of my 'picks' in a wish list form....bearing in mind they are just a wish for now...especially that Whistles Handbag!

Clothes

1. ASOS Curve Panda Jumper - £18 in the sale

2. Super Sexy Skinny Jeans - £16 also in the sale

3. Prepping for winter already - Fur Trim Flare Coat - £63

4. ASOS Curve T-Shirt in Slub - £14

5. Midi Bodycon Dress - £22

6. Peg Trouser in Charcoal Marl - £14 sale bargain

Accessories

1. Whistles Burlington Leather Bag - £235 gahhhh!

2. Aubrey Leather Purse - £35 in the sale :)

3. Melissa Bow Pumps - £60

4. Gold Grecian Headband - £8

5. Cute Cable Socks - £4

6. ASOS Side Cross Necklace - £6

I may be brave and take the plunge and order a few things but knowing me they will stay forever in my online basket without ever being checked out! Especially the dress, I love bodycon dresses on a fuller figure, I think they look great but I worry I would resemble a bag of King Edwards! Perhaps a pair of spanx should also appear on this wish list haha. 

If you know of any other cute, fun plus size places to shop please let me know....I am bored of wearing the same old boring comfy pants and tank tops day in day out! I need to break out of this rut and jump back in with all the cool kids....I realised by typing 'cool kids' I shall never be back in that crowd will I? Hehe! Oh well never mind :) 

Oh and thank you all for being so patient with me whilst I had my little freak out! I am feeling much more positive now, just wait till Finley is 18 - He will be shown all these posts and can see just how much he worried his mum silly!

Lots and lots of Love

Kayleigh x

Chin Up...

Source - Google Images

I am no doubt sure you have noticed me missing in action for a few weeks, well I just wanted to keep you all in the loop and let you know where I have been....nothing exciting unfortunately. 

I am not usually one to dwell on the things that make me frown in my little online land, I am not that kinda girl that dwells on the unhappy things in life and to be honest when the stuff does hit the fan so to say I can cope quite well. In Matt's words he would say I was strong....too strong for my own good sometimes!

But recently I have been trying my very best to file this one 'unhappy thought' to the back of my head's imaginary filing cabinet without success. And as a result of over thinking and trying to ignore it, what happens?? You think of it more 10 times over! That coupled with my obsessive compulsive habbit to Google every symptom and cause under the sun has left me worrying all day and all night long!

Lets get to crunch, as you may or may not know Finley has had a few little issue with his walking. I posted on twitter a few months back he took his first few steps :) Hooray we thought, he has finally hit this milestone and we don't have constantly bribe him with toys and cuddles to take a step. 

Well...that's still as far as we have got, ever since Finley could stand unaided and couch surf (around 12 months) he has been up on his toes. I mentioned it to our health visitor but she wasn't all too concerned at the time and said it was just his balance adjusting and he will get the hang of it...phew I thought!

Well at 18 months old he is still up on those tippy toes and doesn't seem much closer to getting brave enough to take a proper lunge across the front room. I have always had a niggle in my head telling me he wont walk for ages, a mothers intuition if you will and I seemed right. 

We have had health visitor visits and seen our GP and we are set for a Paediatrician appointment at the end of August.

The worrying part is he seems more than happy 'walking' on his knees!! It is as though he just doesn't feel the need to walk ever. I also have over done it on the Googling front and worried myself beyond control, my mind has been so pre-occupied with looking at leg casting, possible causes, autism spectrum and it just has got way too much. 

Every time I opened blogger to write a new post all I could think about was Finley, one thing led to another and there I was sat reading forum after forum about knee walking, club foot, operations and far more than I need to know right now. But the promising thing is he can stand flat footed unaided and balance fine, its just when he goes to step he uses the ball of his foot. 

At the moment he hasn't been diagnosed with anything and we have no way of knowing when he will fancy walking, I am hoping to get some answers in late August and I will of course keep you updated. It could be anything at all from what we have read, but I am hoping for a case of 'lazy Finley' syndrome. 

I have had to deal with some pretty crappy things happen the past few years and had sooo many changes to my life that I have always seemed to manage and deal with really well, but this has just taken over...I guess this is what happens when you have babies eh? I still cant help but squish him every day, no matter how many trousers he wears out!

I am sorry for this not being a happy cheery kinda post but I just have felt so down in the dumps about this recently it really got on top of me and sort of took over for a little while...well I am here to kick those worries aside and get back on track with everything. I have something way too exciting happening next Friday and you couldn't possibly miss out on that :) 

If anyone has any advice or help on this topic please let me know as we have tried everything we know so far. Any tips to keep his feet flat, protect his knees....and a place to get fab cheap trousers as we go through dozens!!

Thank you all so much for being patient and waiting for an update :) I probably wont make a video just get in case I get wrapped up in it all again and end up a blubbering mess. 

Lots of Love

Kayleigh x

Our Day Out at the Zoo

Hi Everyone :) sorry I haven't blogged in a little while, it has just been one of those weeks where everything happens all in one go...days out, phone calls, forms to fill out plus we couldn't miss out on the sunshine and the occasional nap! 

And we have been organising something amazing, I have some very exciting news coming up in the next few weeks YAY! No babies but something just as tiny :)

Last week Matthew, Finley, my Dad and I all headed off to the zoo for a lovely day out, I say day it was more a morning as Finley was becoming a cranky pants with the combination of heat, being still for longer than 5 minuets and the bustling crowds. We happened to arrive the same day as 'school trip' day aghhhh it was kid crazy, but it was fun seeing all these little kiddies getting excited and laughing at a rather loud monkey.

We popped off to our local zoo which is the same one we took Finley too on his 1st Birthday - if you fancy a gander at that post you can here. I just looked back and he looks tiny!

We were treated by Grandad for our tickets and off we went on our exciting zoo adventure. Finley is still a little tiny to take in exactly what is going on, especially the animals far far away, for example we were at the tiger enclosure and all he could do was sniff the flowers and trees haha. But he did love the penguins this time around and giggled as they swooshed past him. Last time we went it was the monkeys he fell in love with but they were all out in the open this time and he didn't manage to get a close up look. 

But oh my, I had no idea how many tiny little babies had been born! Wowzers, I couldn't contain myself and swooned at every little baby there was especially the tiniest little chimpanzee :) It reminded me somewhat of Finley, all the big ones were relaxing and taking a nap and this little critter wouldn't stop bouncing around, swinging on ropes and generally being cheeky...Finley's monkey double. 

It was a beautiful sunny day and was lovely taking in the sights as we wandered around the zoo, they even have an open enclosure that you can walk through and see birds flying around a monkeys jumping all over the trees. My Dad was somewhat cheeky and decided to give one a little stroke even thought they can nip :) 

I do love visiting the zoo and Finley really enjoys getting out and about, he is a massive show off really and will smile and wave at anyone he can...3 separate people came over and commented on how smiley and happy he was :D if only they knew and saw him in total melt down mode throwing his tea all over the floor and screaming because I  moved his spoon!!! 

We even saw a elephant getting a manicure! The keepers would just shout "back, back, back" and it shuffled itself into place and popped its foot up ready to be pampered! 

 
We had a really great time and took soooo many pictures, I didn't want to overload you all but thought I would share a few snaps to get a feel of the day :)

Thank you very much Grandad for a great day out :D

What are your fave days out with your little ones? Especially with the sun shining as big as it is at the moment!

Love Kayleigh x

We have a Giveaway :)

What better way to kick off a new month with a giveaway :) (we are a day late because my video took agggeesss to upload) Sorry!

A little while back I had a giveaway planned and as it has taken me soooo long to get the prizes I thought I shall re-jig and let you all know about it. 

I wanted to say a massive thank you to the people who visit my little blog and those that leave lovely comments along the way...it really does make my day. I write this blog for fun, to escape the daily stresses and of course to share the little bit of knowledge that I hold hehe. And to have met some lovely people and gained fab readers along the way has just been even better. 

So I wanted to thank each and everyone of you soooo much for stopping by and reading my ramblings, I cant give you each a big squeeze so the 2nd best thing I can do is offer a chance to win some lovely prizes. 

I have tried to get products that would suit anyone from a beauty lover to a new mum. Some products are steered towards little babies but we have no rules here, if you want to smother yourself in baby body butter then who am I to say no...I hold my hands up as a stealer of Finley's products :) 

Each and every little prize has been bought by my fair self, nothing is included that has been sent to me or anything like that....so you will be happy to know I picked out everything...I am even jealous and wish I had picked up two of everything haha.

PLUS you will be all jumping for joy to know it is an international giveaway - so anyone anywhere can enter and I shall happily post it wherever its new home will be. 

So, your all sat here thinking 'come on Kayleigh, what are the prizes?' Well lets go -

A full Size Body Shop Buriti Baby Body Butter (that's a mouth full)

1 MUA Lipstick in shade 15 Juicy

1 Revlon Colourstay Cream Blush in Coral Reef

1 Banana Boat SPF 50 Baby Sunscreen

60ml Bottle of Bio Oil

Tiny little coin purse

1 Carmex Lip Balm in a Pot

1 Carmex pomegrantie lip balm

1 Rimmel Apocolips in Big Bang

ASOS fine band rings

La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo

Phew.....what a prize! 

If you fancy watching my giveaway video you can below, I go into a little more detail about each product and why I choose it :) Plus I probably ramble on as usual.

If you would like to enter this fab giveaway here are the rules

1 - Please be a subscriber of this blog - either via Bloglovin or GFC (if its still there)

2 - Subscribe to my Youtube Channel - Beautylifebabies

3 - Leave a comment on either this blog post or my YouTube video saying you want to enter.

That's it :)

I do have a Facebook and Twitter but you don't need to be a follower of these to enter....I may have to make a new Twitter soon anyway as its all messed up!

If you left a comment on my previous giveaway post you will be included in this so don't worry, I shall be using Random.org to enter peoples entries and to then pick a winner. Please make sure your email is on your blogger profile or YouTube so I can contact you if you are the lucky winner!

This giveaway is closing on the 31st July 2013 so you have plenty of time to enter :)

Again I just want to thank you all so much and I cant wait to announce the winner and send off their box of goodies!

If there are any questions please don't hesitate to ask as I am more than happy to answer anything you may wish to know. 

Good Luck

Love Kayleigh x