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