Month: April 2018

Homemade Bath Bombs

Homemade Bath Bombs

I’m jumping on the latest internet craze once again. Its safe to say bath bombs are pretty much everywhere. I was surprised to see how much these balls of scented goodness can retail for. Everyone loves baths, with my boys we often use little fizzies in the bath to colour up the water, and I just use them for their glorious scent and healing properties.

With mothers day coming up they are the perfect gift to give to someone special. You can customize color, scent, and shape to perfectly suit the person, and its a heck of a lot cheaper to make them at home. It was such a fun activity to do and the boys loved watching their balls form.

Ingredients:

1 Cup baking soda (Bicarbonate of Soda)

1/2 cup Epsom salts

1/2 cup Citric acid

2 tsp Essential Oil (I used Lavender)

1 tsp water

3 tsp Coconut Oil

Plastic moulds/ egg shells (I used those little plastic ornament shells for Christmas as well as egg shells). Silicon moulds work really well as well.

All these ingredients are natural so the bath bombs are safe for kids and toddlers. I chose to omit glitter, as pretty as it is, on purpose. Most glitter is made out of plastic and I have become quite conscious of what goes down our drains and into our water system. You can choose to add dried petals, or even those little magic grow beans to hide inside.

  1. In a bowl whisk together the baking soda, citric acid, Epsom Salts.
  2. In a separate small bowl combine the melted coconut oil, water and essential oil
  3. While whisking, very SLOWLY drizzle the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients until well combined. You can choose to do this with a spray bottle. DO NOT be tempted to add more liquid. If the liquid gets too wet it will activate the fizzy part of the bath bomb too soon!
  4. TIGHTLY pack the mixture into each side of the mold then press the two sides together. Ideally let it stay in the mold overnight, then lightly tap around the mold with a spoon to very carefully open and remove bath bomb.

What I learnt:

It is so important to add in the liquid as slowly as possible. I have seen some people using a spray bottle for this step, just to ensure a thin mist. You do not want the Citric Acid to start reacting.

Some recipes contain Corn Starch, I chose to omit that on purpose as I wanted the bombs to be as natural as possible. My little guys suffer from Eczema and I didn’t want the corn flour blocking up their pores in any way. I would like to try that recipe in future though.

This is a messy activity so do it somewhere that’s easy to clean up. Citric Acid is easier to find then i thought, i searched Dischem and Clicks and ended up finding it at good old Pick n Pay, right next to the Bicarb.

 

This is one fun activity and now that I have all the ingredients on hand its time to play! I want to try mixing up essential oils and colours. Its a little addictive, and the boys loved it!

Review: Eucerin’s DermoPURIFYER Range – has it really made a difference?

Review: Eucerin’s DermoPURIFYER Range – has it really made a difference?

The DermoPurifyer range has had a bit of a makeover and three new products have joined the range – Micellar Water, The Skin Renewal Treatment and the Mattifying fluid. All the formulas are enriched with exfoliating acids, in sleek modern packaging.

I never expected this result. I will be completely and utterly honest, I have never noticed such a dramatic difference from using a single product before. I received the Eucerin DermoPurifyer range a little over a week ago, and was fully prepared to write a review after about a month, but here I am 9 days later, that is how great a difference I have seen. This past year I have battled with my skin, whether its age, city living or lack of sleep my face has taken a beating and I started getting small little pimples all around my jaw line. I don’t have “oily” skin as per say, just your typical T-Zone, so I have battled with “normal” acne skincare products as I find they dry out my skin too much, causing it to be tight and uncomfortable.

I certainly have my hero products in the range, and there are a few that I’m not one hundred percent in love with, keep on reading to find out my thoughts.

EUCERIN DERMOPURIFYER MICELLAR WATER

I have only recently started using Micellar water in my skincare routine, in fact I never really knew when to use it. My routine this time around has been at night to use Micellar water before I cleanse to remove all excess make up and oil, and then I go in with the toner after I cleanse. This one is quite gentle in comparison to others I have used. It’s also loaded with humectants, like glycerin and hyaluronic acid, that attract water into your skin, keeping it well hydrated. It leaves my skin feeling clean and soft, but I did find it didn’t remove make up as effectively as others (Tracers of mascara still remained).

EUCERIN DERMOPURIFYER OIL CONTROL CLEANSING GEL

I’m obsessed with the pump action of this product. It makes it so incredibly easy to use and the bottle just looks so refined. Its lightweight, not too think and not too foamy. It uses gentle surfactants that strip away only excess oil, not all the oil. Despite the fact its out there fighting wars with the acne causing pollutants on your skin, its gentle enough that I don’t feel my skin has been stripped of its protective barrier.

EUCERIN DERMOPURIFYER OIL CONTROL SCRUB

Eucerin DermoPurifyer Oil Control Scrub has a small amount of lactic acid in it, the beads and pore-refining micro-particles gently exfoliate the skin, unclogging the pores and refining skin texture at the same time.

I have used this twice I think, typically exfoliating once a week. It definitely left my skin smoother and brighter, with the little pulp particles lifting all dead skin. After exfoliating I used my L’Oreal Pure Skin Clay face mask. It would be nice if Eucerin had a mask in this range as well.

EUCERIN DERMOPURIFYER OIL CONTROL TONER

This is possibly my least favorite in the range. I prefer more natural toners and steer away with anything from alcohol it in. I find it dries out my skin and leaves it tight and normally use a toner that is as close to good old rose water as possible. I found this toner to have too much alcohol in it, and could smell it before i even applied it to my skin. That being said, this didnt strip or dry out my skin as much as other alcohol based toners do. My go to before trying to range was the Eucerin DermatoCLEAN Clarifying Toner which i may go back to .

EUCERIN DERMOPURIFYER OIL CONTROL SKIN RENEWAL TREATMENT

This is my hero product. Literally. I know its probably a combination of everything, but I’m giving a large portion of the credit to this bad boy here. The DermoPurifyer Oil Control Skin Renewal Treatment is one of the newest additions to the range.

It has a blend of 10% Hydroxy Complex which is made up of highly effective peeling agents − Glycolic Acid, Salicylic Acid and Polyhydroxy Acid , they treat breakouts and prevents them from coming back. This triple action combination removes and exfoliates dead skin cells from the surface of your skin so your pores won’t get clogged up again. It boots collagen production to firm up your skin, while the Salicylic Acid gets deep inside the pores and unclogs them from within. I literally noticed a difference with all those pesky white heads around my browline within one week.

It’s a lightweight texture and sinks in quickly into the skin. I’ve been using it at night, straight after cleansing and toning. It doesn’t feel too strong on my skin at all. After application I do get a slightly tingly feeling on the areas where I had breakouts, but this lasts about 20 seconds and is gone. My skin is quite sensitive, It hasn’t been red, or dry once!

All these products have lightweight textures that absorb quickly into the skin. None of them have dried out my skin. My pores are visibly smaller, my skin smoother and the affected areas of my face have reduced and are less inflamed. I haven’t tried any of the moisturizers in the range, I’ve been using the Eucerin Sun Fluid Anti-Age SPF 50 together with my normal retinol day cream.

I would absolutely recommend taking the time to use this range if you have been battling any sort. I feel so much better about my skin and cant wait to see how it continues to improve!

Before

After , see all the little bumps around my eyes and jaw line have almost all dissapered.

Life before kids – the top 10 things i took for granted

Life before kids – the top 10 things i took for granted

I think most parents can agree that their lives changes forever when you became a mom or dad. I found my purpose, my meaning in life. I’m responsible for raising good, strong, giving future leaders. For teaching them right from wrong, for bringing smiles to their cute little faces. I love every single minute, despite how tired I am. Once in a while however, I get little “flashbacks” of things that did “BC” that I completely and utterly took for granted.

So here’s a list of some of the things that I took for granted for all of you “parents to be”.

  1. Top on my list has to be sleep. UNINTERRUPTED SLEEP! Whether it’s in a nap form on a Sunday afternoon on the couch, or in my own bed, not having to share my pillow with anyone or a Lie in (what’s a lie in?)– sleep is the one thing I will miss forever.
  2. Watching TV – Since becoming a mummy I can honestly say my TV watching has gone out the window. (I’m not referring to Barney or Paw Patrol). I’m talking about my weekly date with Greys Anatomy and consistently sitting down to watch my favourite shows. It just doesn’t happen anymore. EVER. I’m sure I’ll get back there at some stage in my life, and ill probably have to buy at least 10 box sets to catch up.
  3. “ME Time” – I’m referring to Salon visits here – Pedicures, facials are few and far between. Typically because any extra money I get is typically spent on my kids these days but also because I don’t have the free time anymore. 
  4. Hot Food and Beverages – A hot, uninterrupted mug of tea is literally my absolute favourite thing in the world. My kids have a built in sensor, it beeps every time I sit down to drink my tea. I never get a chance to sip and enjoy my hot cup of tea, in silence. Actually enjoying a long meal from start to finish. All of my meals, including dinner are typically wolfed down and of course is eaten in between cutting up food and giving mouthfuls to my two fledglings.
  5. Travel – Of course travel doesn’t have to stop once you have kids. I just took for granted how easy it is to just book a flight and travel overseas when its just you to think of. Now I have 3 other people to consider (and pay for). 
  6. Running Errands – Mundane things like popping into the store on the way home to boy milk or paying bills at the post office. I always have little people around which involves car seats, “mummy can I have this sweet” or “how long will this take. Enjoy running your errands in peace if you can 🙂
  7. Going to the Shopping Mall – I literally only do this as an absolute last resort if my kids are with me, or if I have back up. I miss strolling through Zara looking at the latest fashion or spotting a cute pair of heels. Nope, none of that now
  8. Lazing by the pool – I used to love lying by the pool, feeling the sun on my skin and closing my eyes. Drifting off on my Lilo. I can’t close my eyes for a minute with my boys by the pool, never mind the fear of drowning, they love splashing me with water !!  
  9. Date Nights – Date Nights were never really “Date Nights”, they were just nights out. Going for a movie or grabbing a dinner after work. I miss that bonding time I had with hubby.
  10. My Parents – from the moment I gave birth I realized just how much I needed my mommy. I am so incredibly grateful and appreciate my mom and dad so much more since becoming a parent. All the sacrifices they made for us, all the times I asked for a chocolate or Fizzy drink whilst shopping. The incredible childhood they gave me, I will never ever take them for granted again. 

I know there will be a time in my life where I get all of this back, and I am certainly not complaining at all. I cherish my children more than life itself, I just thought it would be a nice little reminder for any parents to be to enjoy all the little things; before your lives are turned upside down with sweet kisses and sticky fingers.

Returning to work after baby – tips to help you through

Returning to work after baby – tips to help you through

Returning to work…. Three simple words to send a feeling of dread down any new mothers spine … The cause of stress, anxiety and a few grey hairs I’m sure. We can all agree it’s a painful time. Mum guilt is real.

In South Africa we are not as blessed as our European colleagues who can get up to one full year off, though we are a great sight better off than moms in the USA, who typically receive NO paid maternity leave. But at 3 months old, You have just started to bond with your baby, your cute little cherub is actually starting to show some signs of personality and independence. You have just begun to learn your baba’s cues, yet suddenly you’re preparing to leave them with a caregiver of some sort. It’s completely understandable that’s it’s so stressful.

Coupled with the nerves of leaving your baby behind, you also have to deal with your position at work. Will things have changed? Did your colleagues manage your work load smoothly, or did they do it better than you perhaps?

Heres a little advice I can give, based on experience, to help you through.

This too shall pass. Actually, that may become one of my life’s motto’s. It gets easier with time.

Millions of women go back to work after maternity leave. Breathe. You can do this!

Remember that your entire world has just changed, you are dealing with a change in dynamics at home, sleep deprivation, it will take some time to get used to. Go easy on yourself.

Don’t be afraid to enjoy your own time – I can actually laugh when I say that when I went back to work with my eldest, I almost ran out of the front door that first morning. I was lucky though, I had a nanny that I trusted (and continue to trust) tremendously, and at the time, I had slightly flexible hours. I relished the fact that I could get a break from worrying about nap times and smelling of sick up. Being a SAHM is rough yoh!

Nurture your support system – It really does take a village. Make sure that you trust and respect your chosen caregiver, go with your gut and make sure you are comfortable. Ensure that your carer is comfortable with your expectations and has time to adjust to baba before hand. Make sure they know about correct dosages of Panado and signs to check in nappies.

Don’t be afraid to cry – Lets be honest, Mum guilt is VERY real! Remember though, you’re providing for your baby. You’re bringing home money that may better your child’s life. You’re are teaching your child that a woman can have a successful career outside of the home.

If you are breastfeeding don’t be shy about it – There are laws in place to protect you as a new mum. Find out from your HR department what rooms are private and available to use. I used to prop my chair up again the back of the door, because of course It didn’t lock 🙂  Car journeys are also surprisingly the best use of time for pumping. Aint nothing like a traffic jam on the way home with hard boobs 🙂 If you can invest in a great hands free kit, Medela offers a fantastic range and put your car journey to good use.

Stock up on supply – Again if you are breastfeeding you need to start at least a month in advance of building up your freezer supply. I started a bit too late and ended up working myself into a mess making sure baby had enough.

The anticipation is way worse than the reality – Its amazing how you will slip right back into the routine. While the time apart is difficult, it does make you cherish the time you do spend together.

I know from experience your baby wont “forget you”, you’ll see his/her little face light up the second you walk back in the room. Yes your baby may cry when you leave him in the morning, but it will stop, and then you’ll cry the day he doesn’t cry, but its OK, he’s comfortable. It gets easier. The time you do have is more precious and you learn to value quality. Don’t be afraid to find out if your company has flexible hours or family support. You’ll be surprised at how many South African companies are adopting a more global, adaptive structure.

If you have returned to work after baby, what tips helped you get through things?

Make your own Squishy Balls

Make your own Squishy Balls

“Squishy Balls” aka good old stress balls, have had their fair share of You Tube fame recently, the latest trend in the toy world. I’ve been seeing the most amazing tension relieving creations filled with different concoctions and decided I HAD to try this with my boys.

Firstly, Stress balls are hugely beneficial for children and help relieve worry, tension and aid in concentration. They are also advocated by many OT’s as squeezing a stress ball can help to rehabilitate and strengthen your hand. Typically, a child’s hands are weaker, learning to hold a pen or pencil can be tricky. The repetitive action of squeezing the stress ball makes the muscles stronger and aids in writing skills.

I wanted to do a little more than the traditional “flour” or “rice” filled stress balls, and i thought it would be a great experiment for the kids if we compared the different types of fillings and then chose their favourite.

The fillings I chose were:

Water beads (soaked in water overnight)

Floam

Floam mixed with Slime

Plain Slime (You can find my slime recipe here)

Corn Flour and Water

Together with your choice of filling you will need:

Clear, latex Balloons (I got mine from PartySpot)

A few plain coloured balloons (If you choose cornflour and water)

A funnel (I took a 2L Coca-Cola bottle and cut of the neck section, it was the perfect size)

A spoon/long stick for poking the filling through.

Floam filled Squishy Ball

Attach your balloon to the bottom of the funnel, add in your choice of filling, as much as you can. You want a nice rounded shape for your ball. Keep enough space to securely tie the neck of your balloon. Cut off the extra end to make a nice round shape.

If you chose to do the Cornflour and Water (Gloop) mixture, double up two plain coloured balloons. As this mixture is heavier the balloon is more likely to pop so you need to make sure the gloop doesn’t get everywhere. You can also cut the neck off a deflated balloon to “cover” your ball to ensure extra coverage.

Floam mixed with Slime

Have fun with your kids! Our favorites by far were the water beads, purely because it was just so pretty and pretty satisfying, as well as the slime mixed with Floam. They were so successful I decided to create a Clubhouse Adventure with Adventure Clubs with it, showing other kids how to make their own squishy balls.

Waterbeads (Orbeez) filled               Squishy Ball

Have you made your own stress balls before? Do you find them beneficial?

 

How To Parent Children With Different Personalities

How To Parent Children With Different Personalities

It’s something I should have always known, no two children are the same. Growing up with two other siblings, our personalities were all different, yet we had largely the same upbringing. It still surprises me however, just how different they are, and just how difficult it is to parent different personalities. Do you change parenting styles according to your children? How can I be the best parent to each one when their needs, interests and quirks are so drastically different?

You are the same person, you love your children all with the same devotion and vigour, give them all the same opportunities, and to a large extent try to balance out the same attention. Yet they are not the same people and they never will be, I’ve started to learn that you most definitely have to adapt your parenting styles.

One might be more timid and easy-going, while the other is highly social and passionate. One adapts to change, while another might need extra time to adjust. Same parents, same house, same culture, yet two completely different personalities.

The Soft Soul

I have two boys, pretty close together in age (so I haven’t changed much), my eldest is a soft soul. My husband thinks almost too sensitive. He’s not shy at all, in fact quite the contrary, he loves his friends and has the confidence to speak up in a room filled with 100 people. He thrives on praise and has the softest heart in the world, but you just need to look at him with a little disappointment or anger in your eyes and he picks up on it and will cry. He cries for a lot. He is highly empathetic and will cry if he feels he has hurt you.

I know however that is future is bright, he is empathetic, he understands others feelings. He would make a great therapist/doctor one day (though all he wants is to race for Ferrari in Formula One).

Then we have our defiant one

My youngest, he’s a force to be reckoned with. He is not even 3 yet, but yesterday this little guy, in the middle of a meltdown, actually said “Daddy and I both have short tempers”. How right you are my little munchkin. He also adores praise, and love, however, when he decides he wants something, he WANTS that thing, it’s all or nothing and boy oh boy he will break you till you cave. He throws things, he gets cross if things don’t go his way. To put it frankly, he is stubborn as hell.

I know however that if I can nurture this passion properly, I can help him to become a great leader, a confident CEO of a grand empire (though all he wants is to play Golf).

How do parent different personalities in the most effective way?

I’ve come to realise a few things, looking at their “love languages”. The outcome needs to be same because that’s fair but the parenting style needs to be tweaked a bit for their individual style. My eldest thrives on praise. Words of affirmation and encouragement. My youngest doesn’t actually need the encouragement as much, he knows hes got this down and has the confidence to jump right in. While he also thrives on praise, I have also learnt with him to stand strong to your word. Don’t falter, because he does test you. He requires an enormous amount of patience and guidance. I also know that just because he is more “strong willed” it certainly doesn’t mean he is not sensitive. In fact, in a way, he is MORE sensitive and the “aggression” often comes from not knowing what to do with that emotion.

It’s important to give all your children the same amount of attention, take a day in the week or month for some undivided one on one time. Let their own strengths shine through.

Steer clear of labels (which is exactly what I just did when i described them), by repeatedly referring to a child as “naughty”, they will believe that they are indeed naughty, and use that as an excuse to fall back on. I’ve heard my youngest a few times saying “I’m naughty hey”.  Don’t over emphasize their differences either.

The truth remains that even when there are two boys being raised by the same two parents, they will be different for so many reasons. I’m looking forward to seeing how they continue to develop and watch as their personalities develop even further. I think as long as you instill the same values and principles in life, the same positive belief in each child you are on the right path. This in an ongoing journey…challenging me every day, but I’ll be sure to keep you updated every step of the way.

I know one thing is for sure, if they can keep the same bond they share now throughout life, they will lead lives filled with adventure with each other by their side.

 

DIY Magnetic Wall with Magwall SA

DIY Magnetic Wall with Magwall SA

When we moved into our current home there was a wall (correction, cupboard) in our Kitchen that was a real eyesore for me. Previous tenants had hung things up with double-sided tape, which they then obviously tried to remove and it had left horrible scratch marks everywhere. This surface quickly became our boys “art wall” (largely to cover up the scratched). They proudly come to me with their most precious creations and ask to put it up on the wall. Who am I to say no?

I came across Magwall whilst browsing the internet one day and was instantly mesmerized. MagWall is a high quality paint primer with metal properties that can transform your wall, and other surfaces such as glass and wood, into magnetic receptive surfaces. It has a fantastic range of magnetic products that can be used to create  engaging, fun, educational environments around you. Their offering is absolutely perfect for young kids, schools or even corporate offices and their product range varies from shapes, educational maps, and even photographic magnetic paper to print your precious memories on. I knew instantly that i wanted to do something with this product in our home.

Let me begin by saying I haven’t even begun to do this product justice. I have visions of redoing the boys play room with a mountain style blackboard paint across one length of the wall. That’s future planning though, and would require a bit of reorganization in our home.

Instead, I took our blank bare kitchen wall/cupboard, which is the first thing you look at as you walk into the kitchen and transformed it into our family board/ memory wall. Now I am NOT a painter, In fact, I’m one of the most impatient people when it comes to finer details (ie: waiting for paint to dry in between coats). I was pleasantly surprised with just how easy the process was, and how quick the paint dried. I even got my handy helpers involved 🙂

First coat of Primer

The process was pretty straight forward, I started by prepping the surface. This took a bit of elbow grease and some spirit vinegar, to remove any grease. I then took the Magnetic Paint Primer  and did three undercoats of this. This is the primer that creates the magnetic stick, after the third coat you can test it to see if your magnets stick. Mine did, so I didn’t bother with a third. Once that was dry i painted two coats of the blackboard chalk over it. The dry time in between was only about 2 hours, thankfully it dried to touch in about 30 minutes so i didn’t have to worry about the boys coming and putting their fingers into sticky paint.

I am so thrilled with the result. The cherry on top for me are the accessories. My family is literally scattered across the globe so when I came across the magnetic world map I knew I had to get my hands on that. I also have a variety of letters and numbers to leave special notes on the cupboard or to practice our alphabets with the boys. My 2-year-old has been practicing his shapes and colours and creating his own pictures with the shapes kit and I absolutely ADORE being able to print our precious memories onto a magnetic photographic paper.

Next on my list to buy would most definitely be the magnetic weekly planner. To be able to wipe off and easily adjust schedules would be a lot easier than writing it out on a pad of paper like we currently do. I also want to create a chore board for the boys.

So if you are looking to add a bit of fun into your home and create a unique feature, give Magwall a thought. It’s perfect for a feature wall of photos, a fun home classroom or bedroom for kids and corporate offices.

Here’s a little video from Magwall to inspire you:

 

What do you think? I even gave our old chalk board a new lick of paint.

Go on, get creative ! Keep your eyes open for a fantastic giveaway up on the blog soon.

 

Disclaimer: I received Magwall products to test and review.