It's CHRISTMASSSS!

This week we have been getting ready for Christmas in our house and it's fair to say "it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas"

For me however the festivities started back in November with a plethora of Christmas coffees and cakes .....

   

Continuing at home with stollen; it is only Christmas once I 

have had a slice or three!

And after realising I had been spending FAR too much at Costa I decided to start making my own fancy hot chocolates, frothy, cream and all that jazz which have gone down a storm, even if my presentation is lacking!

    

We have also had a few visits to Winchester Xmas fair  to enjoy  some bratwurst with sourkraut and outdoor skating as well as picking up a few little stocking fillers which of course I can't show or talk about because it will spoil the surprise.

    

However all my big presents were bought, wrapped and sent ahead to the mother in laws back in Movember (just call me Supermum!) 

So while everyone else runs round the  shops in a mad panic  I have been able to enjoy the festive atmosphere and stock up on Christmas treats and decorations from JLP and children's craft projects at ELC. 

That said I am still finding MORE things to buy! My maternity leave and additional time seem to have made for a generous Christmas despite my new sole breadwinner status - I also went back to work this week, Boo, but I will save that rant for another post!

    

Then came the decorations, tree and fairy lights galore.....

   

including my own little craft project. Having 3 holly bushes in 

our garden is a pain during the summer months as you 

step on the dried spiked leaves but for one month of the 

year they are very useful for craft projects. 

This year I decided made a table centrepiece. 

       

So what about   

Well my 9 year old cottoned on early on that there is no Santa but still plays along for the extra gifts or arrangement brings.

I must be a terrible mum because I am happy to keep it that way; she has always known that the pressies are from us but that Santa leaves  his gift in her stocking. 

Two reasons really, the first being that I like her to understand that we work really hard to give her what she wants as well as needs but also because I don't like the thought of children comparing how much Santa likes them or not based on what they got.

It seems to work as she is very appreciative of everything she gets as a result.

Finally don't forget that I have teamed up with KnottingElle.com to give one lucky winner some arm candy this Christmas. 

Visit the WIN tab to try and get your hands on this little beauty.

Have a Merry Christmas one and all Mummy Loves Dress Up x

Mummy blog #2; Post pregnancy fashion and beauty

  

For the weeks that follow having your little bundle(s) of joy your appearance will be irrelevant (and quite rightly so) as you enjoy and adapt to motherhood. 

Once however you have found your feet and settled into a routine that will all change and you might want to start focusing a little more on you. Your little one however may have other ideas so you need to learn how to look good fast, with practicality at the forefront.

 Here are my top 3 tips on post pregnancy fashion and beauty:

1: Firstly its important to remember that you are not a supermodel/singer/ actress, unless of course you 

actually are, but either way its unlikely that you will drop your baby weight in record time as some seem to, as the realists say "9 months on, 9 months off" .

 So relax and accept that it is okay to wear your "fat" clothes in the weeks and months after you give birth, the key being to jazz these up to help you feel a little less frumpy. While a skinny belt will work wonders, cinching you in and showing of that much missed waistline for me a staple of my post pregnancy wardrobe is the wedge boot/ trainer. 

Why? Well firstly I absolutely missed wearing heels while pregnant and put them straight on as soon as I could but quickly realised they were not practical for my new lifestyle which involved more walking than just tottering around the office. Plus after the broadening and flattening of your feet that happen in the later stages of pregnancy (glamorous truth alert) they weren't that comfy anymore and having not actually worn heels for some months I struggled to balance. 

The wedge was therefore an appropriate solution as while giving you the height and posture we crave from heels they are much easier and comfier to walk in. The added bonus is that they do this strange optical illusion thing that makes your calves look really slim!.When teamed with a nice dress you have the fashion you crave but the practical comfort required for any new mummy.

 Topshop, River Island, New Look and Primark have some great options in at the moment, here are my top picks 

New Look Black Chelsea boots £29.99

http://www.newlook.com/shop/shoe-gallery/boots/black-pointed-toe-patent-chelsea-wedges_257445601

River Island Grey lace up boots £35

http://www.riverisland.com/women/shoes--boots/ankle-boots/grey-wedge-ankle-boots-624447

Topshop Black buckle trainers £85

http://www.topshop.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?beginIndex=1&viewAllFlag=&catalogId=33057&storeId=12556&productId=8088351&langId=-1&sort_field=Relevance&categoryId=208544&parent_categoryId=208492&pageSize=200

2: Figure out a 5 min beauty routine because gone are the days of spending hours in front of the mirror. While I am normally quite frugal with my purchases,  make up and skincare is one place you just can't scrimp on and Clinique is my go to brand. 

  A tinted moisturiser is great for hydrating and lifting tired skin and the Clinique Mouisture Surge also 

offers SPF protection - tackling three tasks in one product, bonus!

 Lip gloss and blusher in neutral tones are perfect for that glow everyone raves about and the Quick Blush  and Chubby Sticks are fast and convenient ways to achieve this. Finally finish with High Impact Extreme Volume Mascara which works wonders for opening up tired eyes. 

When it's time to take your make up off then there is no better way to end your day than with the rinse off foaming cleanser for a luxuriously fresh pamper session. The redness solutions range is perfect for masking that "glowing" patchy, blotchy skin that your pregnancy hormones bought about and if you can't do the whole cleanse, tone routine then you will be amazed at what this moisturiser can achieve when teamed with the foaming wash.

As I stated in an earlier post a fringe is essential for hiding a multitude of new mummy sins, a must!

-

If you want to try myths 5 min beauty essentials I recommend from Clinique see below;

http://www.clinique.co.uk/product/1599/15635/Makeup/Foundations/Moisture-Surge-Tinted-Moisturizer-SPF-15/index.tmpl

http://www.clinique.co.uk/product/1606/22759/Makeup/Mascara/NEW-High-Impact-Extreme-Volume-Mascara/index.tmpl

http://www.clinique.co.uk/product/1603/15520/Makeup/Lip-Glosses/Chubby-Stick-Moisturizing-Lip-Colour-Balm/index.tmpl

http://www.clinique.co.uk/product/1593/6433/Makeup/Blushers/Quick-Blush/index.tmpl

http://www.clinique.co.uk/product/1673/6254/Skin-Care/CleansersMakeup-Removers/Rinse-Off-Foaming-Cleanser/For-Dry-Combination-to-Normal-Skin-Types/index.tmpl

http://www.clinique.co.uk/product/1687/6007/Skin-Care/Moisturisers/Redness-Solutions-Daily-Relief-Cream/index.tmpl

3: Is quite simple;  just don't leave the house in track suit bottoms as it will just make you feel a little grim and frumpy and when it's so easy to throw on leggings and a comfy yet smart dress there is no excuse really, is there?

Mummy Loves Dress Up x

My hiatus explained.

It's been a while...... I'm not being lazy, promise!

It's been crazy recently, as I have been trying to wean my darling baby in preparation for my impending return to work and it has been a full time job and a mission impossible but this week with just 12 days to go she caved, she finally gave in and took the bottle. Now I just need to stop the 2am and 5am feed; #joysofmotherhood!
We have however had lots of success with taking solids thanks to the wonderful books and paraphalalia of Annabel Karmel. Unlike with Poppy, Ida loves her fruit and veg, so the battle is won for now at least. Amongst all this a highlight for me was buying a new hand blender (which in itself is a signal that I must go back to work) and it's literally the most amazing piece of technology I have ever used but I think my family may be getting a little bored of the homemade guacamole and no one wants to try my avocado and banana purée but it really is A - MAZ - ING, trust me?!?

I have also organised my paperwork and utilised the shredder since I had every single bank statement I had ever received (14 years worth) . Finished the nursery, got a new sofa, curtains and wall art so while it has been quite a boring few months in terms of blogging, it's been very productive in terms of real life.

In other news we had the blow of "grumpy" dad being made redundant, just in time for Xmas, YaY!!! The silver lining is that he is going to take a few months to be a house husband which is good because not only is he a better cook than moi but he also enjoys the laundry which is in turn my Kryptonite! Now if I can only convince him that it is essential to buff the dining table with French polish every other day and religiously hoover the ceiling and walls and curtains as well as the floors ( my odd ocd) then I am golden.

So with 12 days left before I return to the "adult" working world there are just a few things left to do; dye hair ( still not grey, yay) plan the perfect outfit for day 1 in the office and drop 2 stone since  my daily habit of tea and cake has prevented my miraculous celeb body bounce back. Oh and write a few blogs but the good news is Xmas is all wrapped up, literally.

Mummy Loves Dress Up x

Mummy blog #1: Dressing your bump

Knowing how to dress is a nightmare when your body is constantly changing and you cant help but feel a little worn out. Here are my top 3 tips to help you ensure you maintain your style mojo and more importantly your confidence;

1: Go bigger

While many high street retailers now offer maternity ranges these can still be quite cutesy and frumpy and who really wants to wear a baby on board t shirt? Certainly not me! Throughout my pregnancy I just bought bigger sizes of dresses I liked so that I still felt like I was on top of the latest looks and trends.

Tea dresses were great for the earlier stages of my pregnancy when I was keeping my bump under wraps at work and the shape also helped to flatter an ever increasing cleavage.

   

Try this ASOS Cherry print tea dress (£40)

http://m.asos.com/mt/www.asos.com/A-Wear/A-Wear-Cherry-Print-Tea-Dress/Prod/pgeproduct.aspx?iid=2486906&cid=13931&sh=0&pge=1&pgesize=12&sort=-1&clr=Black

At around 6 months you may opt to move onto smocks, shifts and tunics that should skim as opposed to cup your growing belly. Shapes like this are great because they can be dressed down with leggings for a casual look or worn with blazers for the office.

 

Try this dress by Mary Portas at House of Fraser (£135)

http://m.houseoffraser.co.uk/Mary+Portas+No+brainer+crepe+dress/161494069,default,pd.html

If however you do want specific maternity wear then New Look, H&M and Marks and Spencer all have great ranges.

2: At some point you will have to give up the heels

If like me you are a heels junkie then the thought of this may make you dizzy but the reality is your feet will swell and at a certain point it's just not safe or practical to keep on wearing them. However rather than go cold turkey, why not try phasing your heels out by gradually decreasing the height.

 

These wide fit t bar courts at from New Look (£19.99) still give enough height to make you feel good and the wide fit is perfect for accommodating pregnancy swelling and better still they come in three fabulous colours.

 http://www.newlook.com/shop/shoe-gallery/view-all-wide-fit/wide-fit-black-and-cream-crossover-t-bar-court-shoes_257889401

When your ready to move to flats find a pair you love and get them in a daring colour. I got more compliments for my sequined red "Dorothy" pumps than I ever have for any pair of shoes.

 


These wide fit studded slippers from New Look (£17.99) are bang on trend and also available in three colours.
http://www.newlook.com/shop/shoe-gallery/view-all-wide-fit/wide-fit-black-studded-slipper-shoes_255675601

3: Accessories are you saviour

You may find that you start to get bored of wearing the same few outfits in your final weeks of pregnancy but a good collection of the right accessories  will help to add variety and edge to your outfits. So pile the rings and bangles high, layer the necklaces, add a scarf and invest in some statement bags. The good thing about most accessories is that they fit no matter what size you are so are perfect for your pre, during and post pregnancy body.

Try some statement bangles like these from River Island (£13)

http://www.riverisland.com/Online/women/jewellery/bracelets/gold-tone-leopard-print-pack-of-bangles-614648

                                                                               Mummy Loves Dress Up x

3 reasons my daughter is the coolest ......

SHE.GOT.SWAGGER
  
       3 words is all it takes

                                                                                    Mummy Loves Dress Up x

3 reasons my baby is the cutest .....

Portrait by; http://rowanwattsphotography.co.uk

     LOOK.AT.HER

          3 words is all you need

Portrait by; http://rowanwattsphotography.co.uk

Vest available at;  http://www.nippazwithattitude.com/mama.html

                                                                                                         Mummy Loves Dress Up x

3 reasons why a fringe (bangs) is a must have for a new mummy

When you have a baby it's easy to fall into an 'easy' hairstyle i.e. scrapped back and unstyled. Therefore while a fringe might sound like more hassle than its worth here are 3 reasons why its actually a must have for any young mum;

#1 It will hide a multitude of sins like those eyebrows you haven't got round to plucking or those frown lines that grow deeper with every sleepless night and new mum worries.

#2 Fringes have a strange ability of making you look younger and fresher which again is a bonus as you battle the draining nights and the effects they have on your appearance.

#3 The scrap back pony tail is inevitable in those first few weeks. Having a fringe will make it look a little less Croydon face lift and a little more sophisticated.

But don't take it from me, take it from these yummy mummy's who show the many looks that can be achieved;



Image sourced from
http://0.tqn.com/d/beauty/1/0/v/1/1/Jennifer_lopez_bangs.jpg

   



Image sourced from
http://www.rm-uk.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/08/kate-moss.jpg



Image sourced from 
http://images.beautyriot.com/photos/jessica-alba-bangs-updo.jpg





Image sourced from http://www.fashionfame.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/hilary-duff-ponytail-hairstyle.jpeg



So if you havent already had the shop pick up the   phone and book an appointment today 

                                                                                        Mummy Loves Dress Up x