My Must Have Pregnancy Products

Pregnancy, however much of a miracle, is a long nine months and sometimes filled with lots of annoying side effects. I wouldn't have got through the past seven months without some beauty essentials.


For Stretch Marks:


Palmers Cocoa Butter Stretch Mark Lotion

This has a lovely smell and feels really soft and luxurious on my skin, despite it being pretty cheap.


Bio Oil

Love this. I tried cheaper alternatives but none work as well as Bio Oil. I hate the smell of it though, reminds me off elderly women!


Avent Moisturing Light Oil

This  oil is great, smells nice and feels nice when it's rubbed in.


For limp hair:


Aussie Colour Mate Shampoo

This shampoo is great. It smells really nice and I use it to help keep my blonde highlights looking as good as they can.

VO5 Nourish Me Truly Conditioner

 

 

I started using this when my mum bought it and I love how nice and soft it leaves my hair. It has a lovely smell and you only need a small amount.

Lee Stafford 'For Hair that Never Grows Past a Certain Length' Hair Treatment

 



 

 

 

I haven't been using this lately but when I did use it reguarly it really did seem to be working. I had my hair cut into a bob a long time ago and have struggled to grow it since. I have now gotten it to just below shoulder length and it seems to be in much better condition than it was.

 

To make pretty Nails:

 

Nails Inc Notting Hill GatePolish

 

 

Painting my nails always makes me feel more girly. I love Nails Inc polishes as they go on so smoothly and have an amazing finish to them. This shade is beautiful alone but I pair it with.....

 

Nails Inc Princes Arcade Pink Diamond Nail Jewellery

 

 

 

 

This shade looks more pink on than in the picture. It looks really nice over a pink nail polish.

 

For dry skin:

 

Soap and Glory Pulp Friction

 

 

This is the best exfoliator I have come across. It actually makes my legs feel so much smoother and acts as a great exfoliant for when I fake tan.

 

 

Soap and Glory Glow Lotion

 

 

This is such a nice body lotion. You don't need to use much and it gives your skin a nice subtle sheen. I have been using it before putting on my tan, which gives the tan an extra glow.

 

St Moriz Fake Tan Mousse

 

 

 

 

This is by far my favourite fake tan and the only one I will use these days. It is amazing for the price (£2.99!) and I find it goes on well with no streaks, the colour is perfect and often fools people into thinking it's real. I love having a tan to make myself feel less self-conscious about my body as it gets bigger.

 

For a spotty face:

 

Soap and Glory Facial Wash

 

 

This is a great face wash. Usually face washes leave my skin feeling tight and dry but this one is really nice and you only need a tiny amount.

 

Simple Face Wipes

 

 

I have such sensitive skin that I find it hard to find face wipes that don't irritate my skin. These aren't too cheap but work.

 

Garnier Cleanser

 

This cleanser is brilliant. It smells gorgeous as well!

 

Garnier Toner

 

This toner has the same scent as the cleanser and works well.

 

Garnier Day Cream

 

The day cream completes the set. I use it at night rather than in the day and it makes my skin feel like it's getting a treat.

 

Prickly Pear Peel Off Face Mask

 

I love this range of face masks, especially the peel off ones as they make the least mess. This new prickly pear one is really nice and left my skin feeling soft and supple.

 

For a relaxing shower:

 

Original Source Vanilla and Raspberry Shower Gel

 

 

 

This shower gel smells gorgeous and leaves my skin feeling really soft and pampered.

 

And not a beauty product but to pick me up....

 

 

Glade With Love Scented Candle

 

Plus....

 

Lindt Lindor

 

 

 





Bump Photoshoot

I really wanted to have some photos taken of my bump when I was pregnant with Cameron but I never got round to it. This time I made sure I made arrangements to have a photoshoot with a family friend and fantastic photographer, Carl Lewis. As my bump appeared to be getting pretty big quite fast we decided to have the photoshoot around 28 weeks. The shoot went really well, although I did get tired a lot faster than I used to when I modelled before becoming pregnant.

I'm really happy with the photos Carl took and would definitely recommend him to anyone looking for a photographer.

My Life.... an Update

When you're pregnant, it can seem that suddenly your whole life is all about the baby you are carrying. I think this has come across a bit on the blog and I want to get back to blogging reguarly and blog about more than just my pregnancy. First of all I thought I would update you all on what's been going on in my life lately other than my expanding waistline....

Firstly, I am soon to be a mother of a two year old. How scary is that?! Cameron turns two on 13th September. It seems like only a few weeks since I was celebrating his first birthday and making his Fireman Sam cake (how times change, he now wants nothing but Night Garden!). How scary how fast time passes, before I know it he'll be going to school! Cameron has grown up so much in the last couple of months. He looks like a proper little boy and he's talking in little sentences. He says he wants something now, and says please and 'ta' without needing to be prompted, which I'm very proud of. He is also fiercely independant and wants to do everything by himself, from getting his own breakfast to going to bed at night. I love that he can do so much now, but can't help feeling neglected now he no longer needs me so much.

Cameron practising at being a big brother!

Yesterday I took Cameron swimming, along with Tim and my sister who is visiting from Essex for the week. Cameron was swimming by himself, which I was thrilled about. I was worried that he wouldn't pick it up as I stopped taking him swimming at around five months old, but luckily he now loves his weekly swimming trips and has really taken to the pool.

Our wedding fund!

I have been engaged for a couple of months and am loving being able to plan my own wedding (as you will know from reading my wedding planning updates). I can't wait to move in with Tim in the New Year and be a proper little family. Tim has been amazing as my pregnancy progresses. He is always willing to come round for a quick hug to cheer me up when I've had a stressful day, and he makes the most of the time he is over at the weekends to try and make me feel like a princess, even when I feel more like a whale...

Tim painting my toenails as my bumps grown too big for me to reach!

He has also just bought me a maternity dress for the upcoming family events, which I couldn't afford to buy myself, as well as a gorgeous chunky knit cardigan for when I come out of hospital with the baby, to make me feel a tiny bit stylish!

As I mentioned before, my sister is currently staying with me for the week. I don't get a chance to see her that often as she lives with my dad in Essex. I haven't always got on with her as there is a seven year age gap, but we have reached an age where we both have things in common which is great. I've enjoyed taking her into town on shopping trips and having girly pampering sessions in front of the TV or a chick flick with a big bowl of popcorn. I'll be sad to see her go, but she should be coming back in just under three weeks for Cameron's birthday party.

My sister with Cameron just after he was born

Planning my own wedding has made me want to get back into planning properly and I am looking forward to when we have moved and I am able to start up my business in Events. In the meantime I have been planning lots of family events such as my upcoming Baby Shower, and my mum's 50th birthday party, which is just two days before my due date! I love how organised you need to be when planning events, it makes me feel more focused. I can't wait to have my own business!

I have been filming for an upcoming BBC3 show on parenthood, which I've been told will air either the end of this year or beginning of next. It has been great to have something to focus on during my pregnancy, and will be an excellent memento to look back on when the children are older.

Happy :)

Life in general is amazing and I feel so lucky when I think back to how things were this time last year. I had just finished my degree and was waiting to hear back about whether I had graduated or not, I was a single mum and felt like I would never find a guy who wanted a girl who already had a son. I am so happy how my life has turned out and look forward to the next chapter of my life as a mother of two, moving in with my fiance, planning my wedding and starting my own business. I really do feel as if my dreams have come true...

Pregnancy Diary: 29 Weeks!

What's going on with me this week:

Babycentre says:

"As your bump gets bigger you may find it harder to get a good night's sleep. Many mums-to-be find they have vivid dreams about their baby in the third trimester".


What I feel this week:

I have definitely been struggling to get any sleep but I'm not sure it really has much to do with my ever growing bump. Cameron has become unsettled during the night with night terrors and this has me up and down at least twice in the middle of the night lately. On top of this I have been getting awful nausea late at night along with acid reflux which means I have to prop myself up into a seated position to go to sleep at night- not ideal! I have been lucky enough to be able to have a lie in some mornings as my mum is not at work during school holidays. I am dreading when she goes back next week and I have to survive on barely any sleep with a toddler to entertain all day long. The joys of having a second baby so close to your first!

I'm so excited as the countdown to our 4D scan is now in single figures! In just five days time we will get to see our baby again and check that everything is going well. I cannot wait! In general I am starting to enjoy my pregnancy a bit more, apart from the night times. Eleven weeks doesn't actually sound that long to wait now, especially when you consider that in just eight weeks I will be full term! Exciting times!


What's going on with my baby this week:

Babycentre says:

"Your baby now weighs a little over 1kg and measures about 39cm from head to toe. On his head, hair is growing well. If you're having a boy, his testicles will have descended from near the kidneys through the groin en route to the scrotum. If your baby is a girl, her clitoris is prominent, because it's not yet covered by the still-small labia. These will grow to cover it in the last few weeks before birth.

Your baby's head is getting bigger to make room for his developing brain. Nearly all babies react to sound and light by the end of this week.
Your baby's nutritional needs reach their peak during the third trimester. You'll need plenty of protein, vitamin C, folic acid, iron, and calcium (about 200mg is deposited in your baby's skeleton every day), so eat foods rich in these nutrients. His skeleton hardens even more and his brain, muscles, and lungs are maturing all the time. Take a look at our eating well guide to make sure you are getting the right minerals and vitamins".


What my baby looks like inside this week:

What my bump looks like this week:

Thank heavens for elasticated waistbands :P

This Week I...... Explored a Giant Peach!

Yes, you did read that right. My mum, nan, Cameron and I went away for another couple of days, this time to Oxford. It was such a hot Sunday when we arrived that all I felt like doing was lying down in the cool hotel room. We went for a meal at lunchtime and then went exploring the local village.

Cameron exploring with his beloved toy monkey 'Mumby'

In the evening we had a picnic in the park. The next day we drove into a nearby town, Aylesbury, and went to the Roald Dahl Children's Gallery. I said it was for Cameron but to be honest it looked amazing and I wanted to go myself!

The gallery isn't very big, although it does cover a couple of floors. It fits quite a lot in, however, and I think it would be great for children aged 3 and up.

Cameron playing with a yoyo

Although Cameron did really enjoy it, he wasn't fully aware of what everything was, and would have enjoyed it more if he knew some of the characters.

In the Matilda Library room

I had a great time reliving some of the tales from my own childhood, and acting like a big kid. I even faced my fear of enclosed spaces when I went through the fantastic Mr Fox's tunnel at Cameron's insistance!

In the tunnel!

If you happen to be in the area (unlikely, I know), I would definitely suggest a visit. Tickets are reasonable at £6 an adult, £4 for concessions and children under 3 going free.

Pregnancy Diary: 28 Weeks!

What's going on with me this week:

Babycentre says:

"You're in the home stretch. The third trimester typically starts this week and lasts until the end of week 39 and sometimes even beyond. (Don't worry – 42 weeks is the maximum! After that, a mum-to-be is usually is induced to give birth.) Most women gain an average of 5kg during this trimester.

You're probably wavering between feeling as if you've been pregnant forever and being nervous about labour and birth. Checking off things on your to-do list can help. Start selecting possible baby names and begin thinking about life after your baby's birth as well".


What I feel this week:

I am so happy to be in the third and final trimester. This pregnancy has been dragging more than when I was pregnant with Cameron but 28 weeks feels like quite far along, only 12 weeks left! Being impatient is at least preventing me from worrying about labour. Having done it before I am not as nervous as I know roughly what to expect. I have a 'bring it on' attitude at the moment, I just want to get through it and meet my little baby girl! I have my midwife appointment today and will be able to ask about all the little worries I have been having and listen to the heartbeat which will help me feel more relaxed about everything.


What's going on with my baby this week:

Babycentre says:

"Your baby weighs a little more than 1kg and may measure up to 38cm from top to toe. At about this time, she can open her eyes and turn her head in your uterus (womb) if she notices a continuous, bright light shining from the outside. She's getting used to blinking her eyes, which now have eyelashes.

Her fat layers are continuing to form and her bones are nearly developed, though they are still soft and pliable. Her bones won’t harden properly until after she's born".

What my baby looks like inside this week:

What my bump looks like this week:

Planning my Wedding: Deciding on a Theme!

As promised, the second installment of my wedding planning feature!

One of the most exciting parts of planning a wedding, I have always thought, is deciding on a theme which you can then work everything else around. I always thought I would use a deep purple in my wedding but when it came down to looking through magazines and coming up with ideas, I actually decided to drop purple completely and instead found myself drawn to a pale baby pink colour.

I have bought about five wedding magazines since getting engaged last month and have gone through them pulling out things that I liked. I then cut these out and put them in a file and looking through it, it is nearly totally pink!

Luckily Tim doesn't mind the wedding being very pink and girly, and he has made some input into the planning saying that he wants a pale grey suit, which actually works really well with the pale pink colour.

I didn't like the idea of just having one colour as a theme so we sat down and thought what theme would go with the colour. I came up with Sweetheart as I am obsessed with using sweets in the wedding, as favours, decorations and as part of the menu and the pastel shades of sweets go well with the colour scheme.

Hearts work well with the date of the wedding as it is going to be held in February, around Valentines day and I felt that the word Sweetheart conjured up images of pale pink hearts rather than the perhaps more 'traditional' red ones used around Valentines day.

I have also decided to have an 'accent' colour of cream/pearl and plan to wear pearl accessories on the day.

So far I have found a gorgeous dress I would love to have my bridesmaids in and have been planning the DIY invites shaped like hearts.

I am really happy with the theme and so excited to start putting the wedding together. We are trying to work out whether there is any chance of us being able to afford to get married in 2014 rather than 2015 at the moment, but if not I will just have to be patient (something I find extremely difficult!).


Coming next time: DIY plans to help cut costs!

Three Engagements and a Birthday

My engagement wasn't the only one in the family recently. A couple of months beforehand both my cousin and my brother proposed to their girlfriends. Last night was the first chance since Tim's proposal for us all to get together and celebrate as my brother and his fiancee live in Newcastle and my cousin and his fiancee work long hours at a restaurant. My brother's fiancee had her twenty-first birthday only two days ago as well so we celebrated that at the same time.

It was pretty stressful and I got a bit worked up at a couple of points (arranging a meal with 22 other people is not an easy task!) but it went pretty well and I even managed to add some finishing touches to the cakes.

All three of the weddings are most probably going to be held in 2015 so that will be a busy year for our family!