Preface: I truely hope all the Mama’s, the Step-mums, Foster mums, Nanas, Dads doing it solo, extended family superstars and anyone raising loved and happy little people had a amazing day yesterday however you chose to spend it x After careful, mostly, scientific analysis- you know …
Yay another Monday and another awesome Mum to introduce you all to! I’ve only connected with Leigh-ann from Qwerky Home over the past 48 hours and to be honest it’s been a flurry of emails back and forth as we threw this feature together but…….gosh, …
I have been using these two amazing products for the past few months and am convinced that I love them! Manuka Doctor is a fairly new discovery to me, but after a 3/3 success rate (I reviewed their Apirefine Radiance Serum here) I’m convinced this is a brand that I will stick with in years to come, particularly due to their attention to natural anti-aging superstars such as Manuka Honey and Purified Bee Venom.
ApiClear 3-in-1 Purifying Wipes
I’ve been doing so well with my resolution to up my game this year when it comes to taking care of my skin, but there are still some late nights when I just can’t face the whole bedtime beauty routine. Having a skin saver product like these wipes up my sleeve makes all the difference when I hit a lazy-girl setback. I’ve tried pretty much every facial wipe on the supermarket shelves and they all leave my skin with a slight soapy residue. That’s the point of difference here, the anti-bacterial properties of Manuka Oil works to remove make-up and impurities without leaving me feeling like I need to get up rinse my face {because if I’m using facial wipes I’m already in bed!}.
Love, love, love. Keep a pack in your bedside cabinet at all times ladies! At only $9.95 this is a high end product with the same price tag as supermarket brands, so a big win for us.
ApiNourish Firm Body Moisturiser
This wee gem brings the hero ingredients we are used to seeing in facial formulas to the rest of our body. I’ve been using this for over a month on my neck, décolletage, tummy and upper arms and am impressed with the results. The combination of Purified Bee Venom, Certified UMF 18+ Manuka Honey and Royal Jelly have added a whole new therapeutic level to daily, all-over body moisturising. Hydration isn’t sacrificed as Shea Butter and silk extract are combined with the hard working natural trio of Chicory Root, Caesalpinia Spinosa Gum and Red Algae to give your skin an all over boost.
I’m all about anything that can help my skin look firmer and more toned, I work hard to ensure my body is strong and toned on the inside but until now there hasn’t been much I could do to improve the suppleness of my skin. Manuka Doctor’s Firm Body Moisturiser has filled that gap, taken my daily moisturizing routine and super-charged it.
RRP $54.95 www.manukadr.co.nz
I’ve struggled with low iron levels on and off for the past 12 years and have used Floradix every time to give me a little pep up when diet alone isn’t cutting it. You guys seem to agree, New Zealanders have been turning to Floradix …
Nix turns two in 2 months and he’s all about the tantrums. All. The. Time. I can deal with this just fine, however, a grande mal paddy sometimes causes a bit of a time crunch when you are trying to leave the house by 9.30am. God …
We found we had an abundance of both cucumbers and capsicums in the weekend so Dave whipped up this amazing 5 minute salad which we enjoyed two ways; the first as an accompaniment to some hot salami and crackers as an afternoon snack and secondly as a side salad with our main meal.
I AM IN AWE OF THE MANY INCREDIBLE MUM’S OUT THERE, DOING A FAB JOB OF RUNNING THEIR OWN SUCCESSFUL BUSINESSES WHILST SIMULTANEOUSLY HOLDING DOWN THE FORT AT HOME. I’M FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO HAVE ‘MET’ MANY OF THESE LADIES ONLINE AND CAN’T WAIT TO INTRODUCE YOU TO SOME NEW …
Who would have thought that seven days and some lipstick could bring about a total change in the way I feel about my age, my face, makeup and of course the combination of all three! If you missed the first post, catch up here. I …
Yesterday I turned 36.
Ok. I’m cool, just had to let that sink in for a minute.
Having 2 kids with an 8.5 year age gap means that the four of us often go in different directions. If Ethan has a rugby game and it’s pouring with rain, either Dave or I will stay home with Nix. When I depart to deliver E to pool training, battling rush hour traffic on Lincoln Rd, Nixon will stay at home with Mum. If there are errands to run or events to go to at nap time, one of us hits the road and the other stays home with bubs. This is how we roll. But it kinda sucks. Going places as a family is kinda the point of having, you know, FAMILY.
So yesterday Dave was hounding me all day about what I wanted to do for my birthday dinner. My lazy-girl inclinations were screaming fush ‘n chips however my birthday girl sensibilities won and I suggested taking Ethan out to eat with Dave and I. I know no-one believes me when I try and explain why taking Nixon to a restaurant doesn’t immediately spring to mind as one of my Top 5 things to do on my birthday, so I won’t even go there. All I will say is that it is very, V E R Y stressful.
My limited birthday dinner guest list was overruled by Dave and we headed out to eat at The Flying Burrito Brothers with Ethan, my Mum and Nixon in tow. < I highly recommend TFBB as a kid friendly place to eat, they have high chairs and the food comes out quick! >
Thank goodness! How wonderful it was to sit down with my favourite people in the world and share great food and appreciate just how lucky we are to have each other. I’m pretty sure the other diners weren’t all up the good vibes but hey-ho, ’twas ma birthday bitches and I’ll bring my cray-cray 22 month behemoth out to eat if I feel like it! And, I think I’ll start doing it more often as well.
Dave and I ate out all the time when Ethan was a baby and toddler. We were living in San Diego at the time and food was cheap plus, Ethan was a very different child to Nixon. Nix struggles to remain in his high-chair at home for the duration of a meal, so expecting him to do so in the new/exciting environment of a restaurant where there are people to woo, nooks and crannies to explore and food to steal off of every table is laughable.
But laugh we did. Our reservation was for 6pm and we were in the car and on the way home by 7pm! Bam. I’m not going to lie. I found it fever pitch stressful, it felt like we were running the amazing race, hurtling towards the next food drop, hoping it would arrive before Nixon lost his shit and rappelled from the high chair. But we were together on my birthday. I may not have eaten much of the avocado salsa before Nix commandeered it for his own high chair entree but I enjoyed my shrimp fajitas and my delicious glass of wine and most of all I enjoyed my people. Being out in public, as a family, with all of my people. Even the littlest one xx
Lets be frank; there are hits and misses when you sample a lot of beauty products but when you stumble upon a winner, a genuine rave-worthy forever-after fave, well, then you MUST tell everyone about it. It’s the only honourable thing to do however much …