I did it...I did it!!!

You may or may not know that for a little while (3 years!) I have wanted to sit down at the end of my bed and film a Youtube video.

I first started watching YouTube ageeeeess ago looking for make up tips for my wedding day, which funnily enough is 3 years ago on Wednesday <3 

After falling into the wormhole that is YouTube I soon found sooo many amazing people chatting away to their cameras and filling you in on their days event, whether it be annoying habits, what they got up to that day or announcing pregnancies. And from that day I have been hooked ever since.

Youtube is amazing really when you think about it, it has helped me with small things like blending out eye shadows correctly, relaxing whilst catching up with my favourite vloggers, giving me so much more advice than any antenatal class but also 'meeting' some very lovely people. 

So after a 3 lengthy years and being a scaredy cat for far too long I finally plucked up the courage and did it...yup that's right I filmed a video. agghhhhh! I admit it, I was very nervous and it shows but I finally managed to do it. It may not be a huge deal to some but for me it was a massive deal, especially since it has taken me so long. I have to thank Matthew and my lovely friend Zoe for all the encouragement and support they have given me. 

So if you fancy seeing a very nervous northern lady waffling on about absolute rubbish then I am the Youtuber for you haha. I have re-linked my Youtube account to the top of the page as it is a brand new account and the other was an old one so take a look if you fancy :) 

I shall link my channel below if you fancy a look! Ekkkkk! The account is Beautylifebabies and I currently have two videos up at the mo. I am not sure what videos to film next so if you have any requests please let me know and I will be more than happy to give them a good go. Plus if you like what you see you are more than welcome to subscribe :D 

http://www.youtube.com/user/Beautylifebabies/videos 

They are a tad longer than most videos out there but they are the ones you can watch once the kids are tucked up in bed and you are all comfy on the couch.

I really hope you like them despite my rambling and nervous-ness but I am sure with time it'll get better and you never know I might even vlog out and about one day....one step at a time though haha. 

Thanks so much for reading everyone...and watching :D

Love Kayleigh x

Finley Photo Outakes

One of my most favourite things to do along with having lye-ins and putting my make up on is taking snaps of that lovely jubbly sausage that is Finley!

You can guarantee that he has 20 pictures for nearly every day of his 1st year, they seem to have dwindled since purely because his hands and eyes are constantly on the lens and we can never get a picture of him sat still. But you can find me still regularly taking little candid snaps on Instagram and proper pictures on the big boy camera....even though now it takes me a lot longer.

When I take pictures for either our little family bundle or snaps for my blog I never delete anything, a little example for you, the last blog post I did I edited and posted a grand total of 6 pictures however I took 42 with products in different lighting, different layouts etc, so you can only imagine how many unused pictures are stored away on my harddrive. Plus I never have the heart to delete anything Finley is in, so here are some photo blunders I thought I would pop up here. I wanted to keep it real and let you all in on the 'behind the scenes' and how 90% of the pictures I take are like this!

I feel bad that there are so many photos hiding away in folders and sub folders that will probably never get used or even looked at...so I am sending them some love and hand picked a few for you to have a gander over. Some are photos from blog posts and others are just general snaps we have taken :) There are soooo many to pick from so here are just a few, some embarrassing (for Finley) others of him wayyyyyy to close up! 

Tiny Little Hairs

Anyone with a baby will know what face this is!

Pumpkin attack - Good job Daddy was on hand...safety first people

Typical Finley, climbing up my leg with half a face in shot - half my hallway full of baby items!

THE biggest diva you have ever seen in the history of blogging! Quick get this guy some puppies, white lilies and blue smarties! Sheesh!

All this because the grass felt weird!

Not sure if he is keen on his dungarees...or me!

Sorry for the picture overload but I thought it would be fun to share some snaps that I regularly take a peek at just for fun :) If you enjoyed this post and would like another similar please let me know as I have soooo many hidden snaps from when Finley was super duper tiny to now....plus a couple of rather embarrassing shots of me!

Thanks so much for reading.

Love Kayleigh x

Ooops another little haul

Well I have done it again, the postman has been knocking on the door and this time he delivered a lovely little parcel from Debenhams....again! I love seeing and reading peoples hauls so I thought you might fancy a look at what I decided to get :) If Matthew asks every item was £1....don't Google these Matt or read any further haha!

First up I headed over to the virtual Illamasqua counter and picked up a cream pigment in Hollow. I first heard about this in a recent Pixiwoo video, Sam was creating a beautiful bronzed prom make up and she used this for her contour....but lets face it she could use an old tea bag and I am sure she would still look stunning! Usually i'm not one for remembering products people use in videos and you can usually find me traipsing back through 10 videos to remind myself what shade a certain red lipstick was. But this looked so amazing and Sam said how perfect it was for fair skin tones so it stuck in my mind for agessss, I headed over to Debenhams but it was out of stock agghhhhh. Luckily it was a short wait and it was there ready for the purchase. I have worn this a few times now and I am hooked, it has no orange tones and is a perfect soft brown shade for anyone struggling to find a 'pale skin friendly' bronzer. If you fancy one you can pick one up here for £17.50, they are out of stock again but check back in a few days and there should be more!

Next up I bought myself a second Mac 217 brush. The lovely Zoe from Mammafulzo was raving about these and she was telling me how you can not only use them for blending eyeshadow but for concealer too. So of course I had to get another, it was more of a necessity than a nonessential. I know I spoke about them last time but I shall have another little mini rave about them now for you :) It has taken me years to take the plunge and finally buy Mac brushes and I would recommend them day after day after day. If you were like me and had just generic brushes here and there treat yourself to a 217 and I promise you will fall in love. I bought mine when they were in the Debenhams sale for around £15ish but you can get yours here for £17.

I bought this lipstick from Boots ageeeees ago and only just found it buried deep in its box unloved. So I have rescued it, used it almost every time I have worn lipstick so thought I would pop it in this haul. It is a Loreal Rouge Caresse Lipstick in Dating Coral. If you are a regular reader of beauty blogs you will no doubt have seen this being raved about over 12 months ago now but being me I have only just picked up this shade. I own 3-4 Rouge Caresse and love them, they aren't too 'pow, take that lips' so you can get away with wearing them to the park or playgroup but they give enough colour and pizazz to give a swoosh of colour to finish off your make up. Loving them at the mo! Grab yours here from Boots, but if you want a few wait till the 3 for 2 offer is on....looking good whilst saving pennies...the best way to be!

Matt will be happy to know this is the last item I bought! A Mac Paint Pot in Painterly. I have wanted to check out a few eyeshadow bases from Mac for ages so took the plunge and went for something not too OTT just in case it scared me off. When placed over the eyelid I would say it doesn't give me much colour but more evens out the lid and creates a fab base for neutral shadows. I have a few more on my list to try that give more of an eyeshadow look without all that blending, basically I want something for an all over easy look that takes no effort when we have to be out of the door in 5 mins! So far I am very impressed but I do have a few sneaky Maybelline colour tattoos on the way so I shall be comparing the two! If you fancy grabbing a paint pot you can here for £14.50.

Here are a few swatches for you :)

They are looking a little darker than they appear in real life so dont panic, plus I got a little swatch happy and there is probably 3 layers of everything. Oh and I have just realised I missed the 'n' out of painterly Gahhh so please forgive me as I will re-edit but just pretend it isnt there for now.

More exciting news I finally got myself some much needed lighting today YAY. I shall be putting it to the test very soon and hopefully everything will look loads brighter and genenrally more fab. 

Thanks so much for reading everyone :) Hope you have all had a fab day!

Love Kayleigh x

Finley's Fab Personlised T-Shirt

Firstly before we get going how amazing has the weather been so far this week! Wow! We had our first BBQ yesterday lunchtime and even got the paddling pool out...even though in the end the water was far too cold to get in! Any tips to heat up a freeezzzzing pool let me know.

Anyway lets get cracking with chatting about one of the most exciting packages I received for Finley in a while. A few weeks back a lovely lady called Vikki from MiniMe Baby sent me over a tweet and asked if I wouldn't mind reviewing a lovely piece from her fab website. I love finding new websites especially those that stock such great products (especially with a quirky edge) and introducing them to you all, so I happily said yes. After a chat and a browse I chose this amazing personalised T-shirt for Finley....isn't it amazing?

I am a sucker for anything with a name on it and would happily wear 'Kayleigh' T-shirts all day everyday if I could get away with it, so my next best option is to let Finners take the lead in the personalised stakes. 

I asked if we could pop 'Finners' on the front instead of Finley, you know me, I love anything a little different and quirky. I chose a worm for the main picture for the simple reason that he never ever sits still and we always call him a wriggly worm. You can choose your design from the selection they have, anything from cutesy blossom trees for little girls to chunky dinosaurs for those cheeky boys. You can pick from a number of coloured T-shirts and colour schemes but I left this up to Vikki to chose, I do love a surprise.

The whole design is hand appliqued direct onto the T-shirt which amazes me, I watched Kirstie Allsopp's homemade homes once and she was saying how time consuming and intricate it was. And boy can you tell how much effort and care has gone into the design, from the little button for the 'i' and the tiniest bead for the worms eye :D Plus check out how even the stitching is!! And it has a patchwork look....need I say anymore. 

The T-shirt itself is 100% cotton which is perfect for this hot weather and for the tiniest of babies who's skin is still soooo sensitive. I have washed this over and over (around 12 times) to put it to the test because lets face it that's what us mums are interested in...the practicalities of how it stands up in the washer haha. And it has come out perfect, it will need an iron but hey what doesn't! Finley also had a mini accident with a fruit squeezy but with a little vanish the stain came out perfectly! The sizing seems pretty great too, he is in the size 1-2 T-shirt and is currently just growing into 18-24 months clothes, he is only just over 16 months and has very broad shoulders so I'm happy to say the sizing is spot on.

I even emailed asking if you could add a number to the t-shirt and yes you can...how great would this be for a birthday T-shirt for the party or even as a surprise prezzie for the birthday boy or girl :) You can choose anything you want up to 10 Characters so why not get creative. We always call Finley Mr Bun or Mr Sausage....they have stuck since I was pregnant so they were next on my list after Finners. They even said they might be able to get a shark for Fin Yay. What name would you choose to have on a T-shirt? 

Overall I am so pleased with this and would happily purchase another for me Finley :) the total cost is £17 and for all the hand crafting and time that is clearly input it is so worth it, and postage is free. I am even going to frame Finley's once he has grown out of it. These would be perfect for presents, party's and just general fun!

You can check out the MiniMe Baby website here and follow them on Twitter here for all the updates and any new promotions.

Vikki was kind enough to include some extra goodies for Mummy which I have been putting to good use and also a fab organic shampoo body wash combo for Finley that I may actually review separately we are loving so much. Thank you :D

Finley showing off his new bestest top

I just want to say a massive thank you so much to MiniMe Baby for sending us such a wonderful item to review, we are so lucky and Finley is extra happy he can show off his fancy new top. Please head over there and show them some love, the company is a supporter of small businesses and other mums like us, they source UK handmade items so not only will you receive an amazing item through your door you are also helping out the little businesses who could be part time crafters or mum's setting up their business on Maternity leave.

Hope you enjoyed this post and if you have any questions or would like to see any more pictures please let me know and I will be more than happy to help.

Love Kayleigh x

Massive Sale I have to tell you about :D

I usually don't post about the beauty and skincare sales that are out and about there but this one is too good to miss so I had to share with you all.

You may remember in my Spring Time Skin Saviours I raved about the Perricone MD Formula 15 face treatment. It is one of THE best face products I have used leaving my skin brighter and looking top notch, it was just the pick me up my face needed at the time.

For me the Perricone MD products are definitely a considered purchase and aren't always in my budget so when I heard about this fab sale I had to let you all know. 

Starting Friday 7th June (tomorrow) Perricone MD are offering you a fab 20% off ALL products...but be quick as it is only on until Monday 10th June.

I shall definitely be browsing and hopefully picking up a few items that I have wanted to try for ages, one being the no concealer concealer...if you have seen reviews of this online you will know how amazing it is. I am so excited!

Here is the link for you all perriconemd.co.uk Remember to enter the code SUMMER20

Happy browsing and hopefully you will be able to pick a few things off your wish list whilst also saving a few pennies :D

If you want me to let you know any other brilliant sales popping up just let me know and I shall do my best to keep you all informed.

Love Kayleigh x

25 things about me

I have seen posts like this floating all over the interweb for ageeeess now and I thought it was about time I caught on with the trend and let you all in on a few embarrassing fun facts about me :D

Its always a nice easy going read and I love hearing about all the fun little quirks that other bloggers and vloggers have so if you have written a similar post link it below so I can have a peek!

Lets get going....

1. I LOVE Diet Coke! More than I should, it was my most missed thing when I was pregnant and caffeine free just does not hit the spot.

2. Matthew and I got engaged when I was 19, we then got married when I was 22 and had our first baby Finley when I was 24.

3. My Namesake song is by a band called Marillion "Kayleigh, is it too late to say I'm sorry" fancy a listen to this 80s ballad click here

4. I break easily and I am very clumsy, I have many a story of different broken bones and trips to A&E! Including fractured ankles, broken legs and a majorly sore broken in three places arm! And I am embarrassed to say I did it on these 90s bad boys

5. My Best Friend in primary school was originally from Seattle in the US.

6. I never ever drink cups of tea or coffee.

7. My most fave food in the world are sandwiches...mmmmmmm. We often make an hour round trip to my most favourite sandwich shop because I love them sooo much. 

8. Matthew never ever calls me Kayleigh, when we first met he called me Pebble for ages, then Button which evolved into Sandwich Button now he just calls me Sandwich. Sounds a little weird when he is shouting me in the middle of Next.

9. We very nearly choose the name Spencer instead of Finley.

10. Before I discovered Blogging and Youtube I used to sleep with make up on and hardly ever use moisturiser....the thought of that now makes me shudder. I apologise now to my poor face. 

11. I was a waitress for 3 years in my teens and I loved it! Yup you heard it right, I loved running around on busy functions, chatting to customers and working 13 hour days! I'm not too sure why...I think its because I am very much a people person and people pleaser.

12. I moved out from my parents house into my first flat with Matthew 4 days after I turned 18.

13. I loved swimming when I was a kid, I had achieved my Bronze, Silver and Gold by the time I was 9.

14. I cannot work Itunes, Help Me!

15. I'm too scared to dye my hair any other colour than bright red or pink.

16. I was lucky enough to have the best pregnancy ever.

17. Dry Shampoo has completed my life.

18. I am a homebird and the perfect night in is trash TV, peace and quiet, comfy pants and blogging.

19. I probably only drink alcohol twice a year...I'm not tee total or anything I just never fancy a grown up drink.

20. I cant help but bite my nails and cuticles...gross but I am keeping it real. 

21. I use lip balm all day every day and if I didn't have one close by I would be having heart palpation's.

22. I used to have a 14mm ear plug, wear baggy skater jeans and hang out at skateboard parks...this was around 10 years ago! Wow I feel old saying 10 years ago *sob*

23. I am the worst person at texting or calling back.

24. When Take That were massive in the 90s I had a teeny weeny crush on Mark Owen <3 I had a massive Take That poster up on my wall and one day I decided that he needed a freshen up, so took my toothbrush and brushed his teeth on the poster! The shame! And yes, he had a white foamy mouth from that day on.

25. I have wanted to and still want to make Youtube videos for over 3 years but I am too scared.

So those are my 25 for you :) I hope I didn't embarrass myself too much haha

I could have thought of a million more so if you want another similar post like this in the future just let me know. 

Hope you enjoyed reading?

Love Kayleigh x

Great toddler snacks for fussy eaters

Phewww, we are finally just coming out of the end of a difficult few months with Finley and his eating habits! 

 Ever since weaning the little chap has happily munched his way through anything put in front of him, veggies, fruits....chocolate biscuits tut tut. Then out of the blue one lunchtime he turned his nose up at his most favourite spaghetti bolognese, the concerned mummy in me panicked, worried, offered different food and it turns out it was just the start of Finley being a Fuss Monster! Ever since then dinner and tea times (he still loved his brekkie) just became a daily struggle trying to offer out dinosaur shaped sandwiches and heart shaped strawberries (he is just that kinda boy)! But alas nothing seemed to work, a few nibbles here and there but the majority left uneaten.

After speaking with a few friends and questioning my biggest Friend Google my mind was eased and found out it is quite common and shouldn't be cause for too much concern unless he isn't eating anything at all. It can be a combination of reasons why babies eat a little less from just not needing as many calories, exploring their boundaries to say no and make their own decisions and of course the dreaded back teeth arriving. One reassuring thing I read was to look at what your toddler is eating week by week not day by day, they might have a not so great day but the next they may eat you out of house and home - some mums said their little ones seem to live on air! Just keep an eye on their weight but try not to panic as Finley is coming out of the other side now.

Luckily after much perseverance and 2 months of trying an array of exotic cuisine he seems part way back to normal...fingers crossed. So today I thought I would share with you some of my holy grail saviours that have saved the day many a time when he hadn't filled up on much else. Plus they are great snacks that go down well in this household for both Finners and Daddy.

Fruit Squeezey Pouches

What would I do without these! They have been a great way to get a portion of fruit into Finley in one go without him turning his nose up at them. He loves the unique way he can eat them, he isn't too keen on being spoon fed anything at the mo so just to squeeze them directly into his mouth is fab. Plus when it gets a little warmer you can freeze them for a little while and they become like fruit slushies....yum! I have tried a few varieties but always come back to Ella's Kitchen, they have the biggest variety of flavours and I am a sucker for quirky packaging.

Banana Slices

One of the few fruits he will still happily eat, I am thinking its because they are slightly softer and soothing his poorly gums. That and they are delicious of course.

Little Plain Biscuits

I bought these on a whim from Tesco a few weeks ago, I was browsing the offers and these popped up for 5 packets for 50p - I thought for 50p its worth taking a chance to see if Finley may eat these as a snack....and they turned out to be amazing. I have just bought a further 20 packets, they are dotted all over the house haha. I would say they taste like a little sweeter version of a rich tea biscuit. There are four in a packet so perfect for out and about, plus me and Matt love them too. They are in the polish section which I would never have thought to look in but take a look there are some fab bits and pieces.

Fruit Smoothies

An obvious choice for all parents and they probably pop up regularly in most fridges across the world but Finley is loving them. They aren't as thick as homemade smoothies and they pass as a treat so Finley will happily guzzle one of these with his breakfast. I know the sugar can be higher in smoothies but as it was there wasn't much else in the day he ate so I cant see any harm :) plus its an extra portion of fruit.

Coco Puffs??

Too be honest I am still not sure what these are called? They were another Polish aisle item and I thought two big bags for a £1 is worth a shot. They aren't the most attractive looking things but Finley and Matt go mad for them....me not so much haha. They are a sweet coco dusted corn puff, if you are from the UK imagine a giant wotsit (minus the cheese) that is sweet flavoured. Yup, I still cant get my head around it but they are the sweet treat that isn't sugar and chocolate filled to the max. I shall be buying more of these just for the boys, I on the other hand shall stick to my chocolate digestives. 

Frozen Fruits

Our current favourite are frozen raspberries, I tend to buy the fruit frozen as it is half the price as fresh and lasts so much longer. And it tastes even better, they are like mini ice lollies which Finley is loving. Be careful though, they do stain so arm yourself with an all over bib or wear something your not too fussed about getting marked.

Finley's Favourite Yogurts

I couldn't write this post without giving a shout out to the one an only Fromage Frais! These are Tesco's own Brand as they sent them me as a replacement (can anyone guess I do online shopping) and he isn't as keen on this brand but he loves Petit Filous and would eat them for every meal if he could. We buy them in big multipacks and they work out cheaper than own brands so look out for bulk buy prices! These are my saviour, they have all the calcium he needs and I now without fail he will guzzle one of these in literally 10 seconds. *bows down to the fromage frais* (if someone 10 years ago told me I would be raving about yougurts I would have said they were mad...the joys motherhood brings hey).

That's all the snacks I can think of for now but if there are any others I forgot I shall add them on :D

Luckily I think we have turned a corner with Finley and he is venturing out and slowly getting back to his former self food wise. We are still struggling with veggies so any suggestions would be great...I don't know whether his tastes just have changed or it is a battle of wills! I may have to think up some great disguising recipes and ways to hide food other than to cover it in cheese haha. 

Please leave any meal ideas or snack suggestions as they are all more than welcome...my inspiration and ideas have only gone so far and would love to hear your ideas :)

Thanks so much for reading

Love Kayleigh x