Friday, 12th June 10pm: I’m in my bed, eating the hell out of a packet of Lindor Balls. I just got out of the shower. A long shower into which I took my trés classy bourbon-in-a-can and sat on the floor. I didn’t cry, but …
I AM IN AWE OF THE MANY INCREDIBLE MUMS 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 …
Truth: I’m not a social mama. I don’t have playdates scheduled weeks in advance, Nix doesn’t have a massive gang of toddler mates, we don’t do coffees at the mall, go to baby gym or playgroup. This suits me just fine but if I’m honest, it’s not the best for Nixon. It’s pretty easy for me to get very caught up in the ‘routine’, the chores, Ethan’s big kid stuff and my self-imposed blog deadlines (I work every nap time and every night once the kids go to bed until around 11.30). Nix is anything but mellow, but if we’re talking second child stereotypes, then I have to say, he’s getting a bit of a raw deal at the moment.
Cool your jets for a second. He’s not ‘neglected’ in any way, I just haven’t been going out of my way to plan many, ok, any Nixie-specific activities or outings during the week. Enter all the mummy-guilt feels.
So this morning I did something I should have done a long time ago. Nixon and I went to Mainly Music. It sounds like no big thing right? Ethan and I attended our local Mainly Music religiously every week for three years when he was a pre-schooler. I loved it. He loved it and we made best friends with a Mummy/Daughter duo whom I still love dearly to this day. So I have very fond memories of my virgin outing at MM all those years ago.
Last year Nix and I headed off to our local chapter and I was so disappointed. It wasn’t at all as I remembered, the Mums weren’t really in to it, the leader wasn’t really in to it and I left just feeling awkward and vowing never to return. Well, that’s the end of that I thought.
But with spirits bolstered, I set off this morning to a different suburban church, full of resolve and a smile on my dial, ready to do the damn thing.
And. It was awesome. Nix and I both had a great time, the Mums and kids there seemed friendly, fun and welcoming.
I saw you, Mum-with-the-wet-hair, who had just managed to scramble out of the shower and into the car. I waved at you (in my head) and thought, that will be me 9/10 times I go, because who has time for a blow dry right? I saw you, Mum-on-your-phone, and thought how nice it was that you could just sit and relax for 5 minutes in PEACE while your kid was super happy and playing with one of the church Nana’s blowing bubbles. I smiled at you (in my head) and thought, I know how you feel, those chairs look super comfy, one day I’ll join you and we can quietly play Candy Crush side-by-side in an unspoken gesture of solidarity against being up our kids asses 24-7. “Let them play!” we’ll say. And we might be friends. I hope.
I’m going back dammit. I’m going to go to Mainly Music every week, and I’m going to shake my sillies out, sing Skinnimarinkidinkydink, march like a majorette and I’m going to make friends with Mum-with-the-wet-hair and Mum-on-her-phone, they won’t even see it coming………………..HELLO, HI? I’M MELISSA!!
OK ladies, here’s another stellar product from my bag of tricks. The Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair Synchronized Recovery Complex II is definitely an investment, but a wise one. I’ve written about serums before and tried quite a few. In my opinion, this little brown bottle is …
Good things come in small packages, so they say, and one of the most celebrated beauty products to hit the shelves in recent years is now available in a limited edition mini! I was lucky enough to get my hands on this wee gem a …
It’s not weird to want to eat your kids bubblebath right? Like actually just charge it back straight from the bottle………I think I need an intervention people!
After using and loving the Pineapple Heads shampoo on Nixie’s golden locks earlier in the year, I was freaking pumped to get the whole range into the bathroom and lather the boys in some yummy, all natural, New Zealand made goodness.
Lord knows they need m o r e washing.
It’s June, the early days of a cold and gloomy winter are upon us and Nixon was in {physically IN} the vege garden this morning at 7.40am. Digging in the dirt. Having the time of his life. This is standard procedure around here. Hence the child bathes a lot.
This is where I worry. It’s not entirely uncommon for him to shower twice a day, and the effect on his beautiful baby skin is quite apparent. It gets really dry and bumpy and he loses his deliciously soft and squishy touchability if I’m not careful with the products we use. Not only that, but exposing his skin to such frequent product application is not something I take likely.
My sporty, outdoor-loving, landscape destroying boys have taken to the Pineapple Heads range like pigs to mud. Me too. I could happily huff the stuff all day long, but you know, totes inappropriate. Everything just smells SO DAMN GOOD! Think nectarine, coconut, hibiscus flower, peaches, honeysuckle, mango, papaya, lime, lotus flower………..seriously every product in the range is a veritable fruit salad of yummy bubbles. Pineapple Heads Founder Megan (who is a Mum herself) developed her kid friendly fragrances with a French Parfumer who specialises in natural and organic scents! Fancy.
Good news; we have been using Pineapple Heads exclusively for a week and Nixie’s skin is loving it! I was rubbing lotion on him after every shower, but have found that I’m not having to do it every time now. The ‘No Baddies’ formulations in the range seem to have eliminated the drying effect that bathing has on his skin. Now I just wish for a tropical scented moisturiser for kids to complete the range!
My big boy Ethan is also down with the yummy smells now on offer in the bathroom. He has hair like steel wool but I’ve always struggled with getting him to consistently use conditioner to soften his mane, the extra step in an already arduous part of his day – that would be bathing – has always been a step too far. The peach, honeysuckle and lemon balm conditioner is doing the job it’s designed to do and softening and smoothing his coarse hair. I’m stoked and he’s now amped on washing, though always seems to emerge from the shower hungry?
Very Important things to Know;
I know when you’re outside, looking in, other people’s lives can often appear to be a collection of perfectly styled images on Instagram, strung together in a series of well timed moments and effortless outfits. This is the real deal. Perhaps my favorite image of …
Between Mum’s place up north and our own trees (which are producing fruit in bulk for the first winter ever!), we have lots of home grown citrus and the babes are loving it! Nixon is obsessed with mandarins. I peeled him two for morning tea, …
I AM IN AWE OF THE MANY INCREDIBLE MUMS 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 FACES AND THEIR AWESOME ENTREPRENEURIAL ENDEAVOURS. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO GET INVOLVED AND HAVE YOUR BUSINESS FEATURED, PLEASE SAY HELLO! MELISSA@THEBESTNEST.CO.NZ
Life and Lily is a blog I’ve been following for a while, so it’s super exciting to see Holly, the creative babe behind it, take a step in a new direction with the launch of her online Pop-Up shop – Styled by Life and Lily.
Having met Holly before, I can say that the empathy and respect she shows towards her delicate and very important role as a step-mum translates effortlessly in the first person. Her blog focusses on her amazing DIY ideas, her own ideas on parenting and her experience of growing up in a blended family.
Holly’s new venture offers ready styled, budget friendly, on-trend outfits for little ones presented in a gorgeous gift box. These are easy-wear combos, that combine staple basics with fashion classics – think stripes, denim jackets, slouchy marle and great quality. With 20 options currently available, Holly’s picks are just as perfect for gifting as they are for building up your own little ones wardrobe. I die over both pairs of slouch pants Nix is wearing in these shots, they are SO soft, the cotton slub fabric is divine – thick and warm too!
Blended Families can be tough. How did you decide to begin blogging about your relationship/experiences with Lily?
Blended families are so prevalent in today’s society and I truly believe it is important to embrace and normalise these different relationships. I grew up in a blended family so it is second nature to me. My brothers were my brothers, never my half brothers, and my mother always treated them as if they were her own. I have always admired her for that, and now that I am in her position I respect her even more, as you are right, it can be tough!
The blog is a way for me to be honest and open, a place where I can feel confident expressing who I am and the role that I play in our family. I am also an obsessed DIY’er so this is my creative hub of ideas, activities and recipes to help and inspire other working mums or families living on a budget – like us! The blog was not designed to be directly about Lily, but more my collation of ideas and thoughts on making the most out of life, regardless of family make up or budget.
Making the move from blog to business seems so daunting to me! How have you managed the transition with your Styled by Life and Lily range?
I love to try new things and I am constantly challenging myself. I enjoy the thrill of putting myself out there and fighting the fear of failure. I created this as a pop up shop, another way for me to express some creativity.
The concept of the ready styled boxes is awesome! Where do you get your outfit inspo from?
This concept is very similar to that of my own! I don’t tend to buy from chain stores in NZ as I have started to see people all wearing the same thing. I buy the majority of my wardrobe online, usually from the sale section, so my personal style is different and cheap you could say! I have carried this through into Styled by Life and Lily. I feel there is a lack of smaller line children’s clothing that is affordable in New Zealand. I wanted to focus on complete outfits, in limited quantities, that were affordable. I spend a lot of time on Pinterest and Instagram looking for styles in children’s wear that strike my eye, then search online for items to match together and create easy complete outfits.
As a mama who’s trying to stay at home and make this blog work for me, I know how difficult it can be to get the balance between your online life and your real life just right. How are you managing to stay sane with a new business thrown in the mix?
We have Lily Wed to Sat, so when she is with us I like to spend all of my time with her and Conrad. That realistically gives me Monday and Tuesday night to write, create and edit content, not leaving much ‘me’ time. However, this is important to me and I am so passionate about it that I don’t view it as work; this has become my ‘me’ time.
Nix wears Box #2 – Navy & cream cotton slouch pants, white basic tee and black aviators $35What’s ahead for Life and Lily?
I hope I can continue to share my experiences, creations and ideas in a positive way within the online community. I have learnt a lot over the last few years, through all the highs and lows, so I would love to be able to share my experience and support others who may be struggling in a similar situation. My mother’s advice was so valuable through the hard times, so I know how important it can be to talk to someone who has been through a similar experience. Step parents often play the supportive role and may hold their own emotion or struggles in for the sake of the family. So in saying that, my biggest goal over the next few years is to help and support any other step parents who may need some advice or even just a pair of ears xxx
One lucky reader has the chance to win a Styled by Life and Lily box of their choice! To win head over to Facebook and follow the entry conditions on this weeks Say hello! post. Competition closes Sunday June 7th at 10pm.
Some weeks are just weird. A veritable whirlwind of accidents, events, chaotic scheduling, driving, rushing. This week, like so many recently, was the epitome of busy. I look back and can’t think of the cuddly, sweet moments with Nixon that were surely there right (right?!!). …