Review- John Frieda Frizz Ease 3 Days Straight

 As Joseph is 3 months old I felt me again and decided I would like to have nice hair now please.  I asked a few bloggers about it and read mixed reviews.  I have naturally curly hair and if I straighten my hair I have to wash it, blow dry to almost dry, brush and dry with a air brush then straighten but felt after all the hard work it doesn't last.  I decided when I was shopping to just buy it and treat myself.
 I had heard it was just a heat protector spray not a semi permenant product if it worked I don't care.

  I have to say I am a very fussy product tester when it comes to hair.  I have tried since a teenager to find THE product to help straighten and smooth my hair.  A niave 15 year old bought straightening shampoo with the hope that I would step out of the shower with different hair.  Obviously this did not happen.  Since becoming a mum my hair has been tied back as I seriously did not have the time.

 So this is the product...

• Transform curly, frizzy hair into a straight, smooth style that lasts up to 3 days.*
• Designed to work with your hair straighteners, this weightless spray with heat protection blocks out frizz as you straighten. A revolutionary blend of polymers with keratin protein wraps each strand, sealing in straight style for up to 3 days.* Keeps hair glossy, smooth and swinging with body.
• Safe for colour-treated and chemically-treated hair.
• *Or until your next shampoo if less than 3 days.

I sprayed it onto my towel dried hair and styles as usual and I have to say I noticed the difference when dried with the air brush.  It was much easier to dry and the hair felt smooth and I didnt have to keep styling the same piece of hair over and over.

Here is my hair usually

Here is my air brush dried hair

This is my hair straightened that night

And the back 

This is straightened the following afternoon before my night out

 This is my hair just brushed of day 3!

 As you can see it has worked for me! 10/10 for this product!!

Team Noah-An Auction to raise funds for little Noah

  I would like to share with you an online auction that is happening soon to raise funds for a little boy called Noah who has Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus.  Two lovely ladies are helping to raise awareness of the importance of folic acid as well as raise funds for Noah's journey through life.  Please check out Noah's fundraising page HERE/

 I would like to let you know about the online auction where bidding starts on the 9th March.  There are some fantastic items to bid on HERE

 You can like Noah's Facebook page HERE and contact Fi one of the lovely ladies from team Noah via email .... Fi@childcareisfun.co.uk.

 Check out Noah's Story on the video below

'NEVER GIVE UP HOPE'

My Week That Was... Link Up

 I spotted a tweet from Real Housewife of Suffolk County with a link up to a weekly diary of what you have done in the last week! I would love to do this as you soon forget and its great to look back!

 This is brief as my memory has gone!!



Monday

Callum was still suffering from a horrible sickness bug which lasted 5 days poor little man.  I had nearly run out of Josephs medicine for reflux called Ranitadine so we went to the doctors and after weeks of hassle with a number of doctors about prescribing milk the doctor offered to prescribe with no problem.  I was shocked still am.  I will go more in detail in another post.  Myself and Annabelle took lots of pictures of my new business cards which I have got a giveaway to win a 1000 with 4 winners.

Tuesday

 Phil was back to work after nearly a week due to unexpected news from work.  Bit up in the air at the moment but looks like he will be looking for another job due to redundancies.  Callum was better so we spent most of the day at home and he was very tired so had a afternoon sleep which isn't usual for him. I did notice white bits on Josephs tongue but decided to wait a day incase it was milk.  It didn't go but wasn't upsetting him.  The children enjoyed lots of ice lollies today.

Wednesday

 After weeks of planning a night out I realised I didn't have a dress.  So looked online as there was nothing in my local town.  I love the lace dresses and the skater dresses are in.  I ordered from boohoo.com.  It took me forever to choose. The children enjoyed role planning with the baby carrier and lots of puppy teddies then  I also took the children to a play area/cafe in one of my local towns.  I went with sister who is expecting a baby is May.  The children love it there and so do I.  I prefer it to the playbarns as I do not pay to enter, only for food and drink.  It has toys and a small play area based for under 5s. We ended up at the doctors again to get medicine for Josephs thrush.  Feel like we live there at the moment!

Thursday

 The dress arrived very quickly but unfortunately I looked stupid.  I had to pick Phil my other half up from work at 6 and rush to Hanley in stoke as its my nearest bigger retail park.  Luckily found a lovely dress but I was very disappointed with the range at the moment.  I also bought a few beauty products which I love.  I really needed a pampering after having a baby.  Here is a photo of the dress I am sending back.

 Friday

 I decided that I had to go for a bra fitting as I have lost weight and I could tell that it wasn't the right size. I am glad I did as I was wearing the wrong size .  My mum came round and cut Callums hair later on it the afternoon as it was a little long.  My mum is a hairdresser so we are lucky.    Friday night was pamper night!! Phil went out for the night and I really didn't mind as I was going to try fake tan for the first time and I didn't tell him.  For a couple of reasons, I knew he would question how much it costs and would laugh if it went wrong.  Luckily It was a success!!

Saturday

 Saturday morning Phil was in bed so I caught up on my blog and other blogs around 'mummy I want'.  I was able to have a while to get myself ready for my first night out in too long.  The children also had a great time helping me clean my kitchen floor.

Sunday

 I thought I was going to wake up with a hangover but no I was fine, a little tired but could handle that.  It was a tidy up day as its back to normal tomorrow with preschool.  We have had a fun day laughing a lot.  Annabelle put my hat on Joseph and this entertained them for ages.

27 years old and used fake tan for the first time!!

Well I am going out tomorrow night woohoo! I havn't been out other than a trip to london since before I was pregnant with my 2 year old! I deserve a night out! Joseph is now 12 weeks old and I feel ready to let me hair down for 1 night!
 After looking at myself in the mirror ( as I do not do this often)  I had the shock of my life! My legs were so pale!  I needed fake tan.  So what did I do? I turned to the blogging world.  I googled best bargain fake tan bloggers and St Moriz was the most popular and for £3 I couldn't resist.  I followed the advice and bought the mit too.

 So tonight my other half went out and I had a pamper night!

 So as the title says it was my first time using fake tan, I just wasn't bothered before. I have to admit I was scared and watched quite a few you tube tutorials as If I made a mess I would not go out and this could not happen!!

Before....

Preview of my dress :)

After....

  The photo was taken about 30 mins after I had applied! So far so good!

 I have to admit I do feel more confident!

 xx

Who would like to win 1000 business cards from Instant Print??

  I was very kindly asked by Best British Bloggers if I would like to create and review my own business cards made and sent to me from Instant Print.  Of course I said yes. I needed cards for my Blog as I would love to attend more events and a business card is a great way of people getting in contact with you.

Annabelle put her own shoes on but Love the Photo :)

How do you create the cards? 

 You need to design the card yourself and send the finished design to Instant Print.  There are different formats you can use, if you have Arts Illustrator, In Design and Photoshop already on your laptop this would work well.  I do not have any of these so I used publisher which I found was easy to use.  I added a couple of images and typed the font I wanted.  It did not take long to design once I knew what I wanted.

What do I think of my cards?

I am very happy with my business cards, the card is thick and not at all flimsy.  I choose matt as the finish and it really makes the cards look professional however you can also choose gloss if you prefer .  The images are great quality and the font is bold so stands out well. It is just what I wanted.  The only tip I would advise is that when you are creating the card the font and images look a lot bigger than the finished product so just keep the sizing higher. The cards were created and sent quickly and they were packaged very well.  I would like to add that my little blogger Annabelle loves them so a big tick from her!!

Who would like to WIN 1000 Business cards from Instant Print??? Well you lucky lot,  I have 4 sets to Giveaway!!!!

Are you a blogger? Or run a business? What are you waiting for ;)

    

All you have to do is fill in the rafflecopter form in below!!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

My Sunday in Pictures

 We went to a local lake to feed the ducks as we have been stuck in due to a horrible sickness bug Callum has had for a few days.  Phil and I stood in the garden in the sun and both decided we should all get some fresh air!

 These little outing we will look back on in years to come and smile and remember the special times

I just want five minutes peace...

 Do you ever remember reading 'Five minutes Peace by Jill Murphy'? As a child I used to think why does mum and dad elephant want peace and quiet.  You soon realise when you become an adult we need some time to ourselves.  The great thing about children is they just get on with it! Brilliant little things aren't they!!

 Since becoming a mum of 3 I have had a lot less time to myself.  I think a newborn takes up a lot of your time especially a baby with reflux.  I remember when Callum was a baby it did get easier when he was about 6 months as he could entertain himself and Annabelle and him would play.  So we are still at the tricky stage. Even though my babies are my world I do need my own time to function.  Like now to write my feeling down.

 So all I can do is plod along and try and get a balance.  Right now I am getting some me time whilst my two boys are sleeping each side of me! Just lovely!!

Fancy a treat? Win an Afternoon Tea for Two!!!

Before I was a mum I didn't realise how much time and things I had for just me.  When I only had Annabelle I remember saying ' I can't even have a piece of toast to myself' Does this ring a bell??

 Every Mum deserves a pampering every now and then ( I think a lot more but we know that just isn't possible) and Mothers day is just around the corner and its the mummy law that we HAVE to be spoilt!

 I just know you would love to win an Afternoon Tea for Two! An amazing Mothers Day Gift would be an afternoon off from cooking cleaning and looking after the children.  Love Being a Mummy have teamed up with BUYAGIFT.COM to offer 1 lucky mum( or dad but you have to promise to take the mum out) a afternoon tea for two worth £35 across 1 of over 80 Locations across England, Scotland and Wales!
                           
             

  All you need to do to be in with a change is fill in the rafflecopter form! There is a change to gain some extra entries too!!

Good Luck and I hope the winner has a lovely time!!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

I believe people are in your life for a reason

 I'm finding it very hard to think about anything else other than the tragic loss of Jennie from Edspire's baby girl Matilda Mae.  I am sure I am not the only one.
  I keep thinking how can life be so cruel? I am heartbroken for Jennie so I cannot comprehend how she is feeling.  It is just awful.  Like everyone I want to turn back the time and stop Jennie and her husband from the heartache.  Nobody should have to go through that pain.
  Thank you Jennie for sharing your tragic story I have now taken the blankets from baby Joseph and bought a baby sleeping bag.  It is going to take time for him to get used to it as he loved the blankets by his cheek but Jennie's story has made me not want to risk it.
  I have given my children more time.  I am very thankful I was able to watch Joseph fall asleep in my arms earlier.  As he fell asleep he had a huge smile on his face.  He was happy and knew  he could feel the love I was sending through to him.  I could feel the love back.
  I have to admit like every parent I need some peace and time to myself and children do not understand that.  They do not need that time I guess.  If I start to get annoyed something clicks inside me and I think how lucky I am to have Annabelle and Callum who love me dearly.  I love them so much.
  I believe this world is about growing and learning.  You learn from everyone around you and in this day and age with the power of social media we can learn and grow from people all around the world.  We then become better people.  Stronger people. I also believe that when I am low I can turn to people that have passed.  My Nana is the person I think of most when I feel low.  I ask her to help me.   I feel the help.  We all need some guidance and if you ask for it, it is there.
  I think you meet people for a reason.  People are in your life for a reason.

   I have certainly become a better person thanks to Jennie's Story.

Matilda Mae- The little Star

 
   I have been following a lovely blog 'Edspire' for some time now and when a tweet popped up on twitter it saddened me so much. Jennie from 'Edspire' lost her baby girl.  Jennie wrote

"Our beautiful daughter Matilda Mae was taken from us last night to join the angels in the sky x RIP Beautiful angel daughter x We love you x"

  Her baby girl who was only 9 months old, had started crawling that very same day and every parents worst nightmare happened.  After reading this I could not blog or enjoy my time as I could not believe what this poor family was going through.  Jennie is being amazingly brave.

 Matilda Mae and her family made me realise that nothing else matters except your family, your babies.  Joseph was awake most of the evening, I didn't care I just held him.  I thought that worrying about money and housework was not going to happen anymore.

 Since I have enjoyed my Children and haven't take them for granted.  I have listened more, I have kissed and cuddled more and I have laughed with them more.  I have put them first at all times as they are my world.

  Matilda Mae you are a little star and have touched so many people's hearts, mine included.  I am sure because of your story children are being given a lot more time and affection.  Thinking of you!

 Please take a look at Jennie's blog and her posts about the wonderful Matilda Mae
                                                                                                                           xx
                                       



 

KiddyCharts Subscription Giveaway

 

I have an amazing Giveaway to share with my lovely followers.

 I have wrote my review on KiddyCharts HERE and now one of my lovely followers will have a free subscription to create and download your own Charts.  The Winner will receive 10 credits so you will be able to create 10 Charts!!!



KiddyCharts reward charts have really helped us and i'm sure you think its a great idea also.  From recently using the charts Annabelle has wanted to eat all her dinner up, likes to clean her teeth and also let me wash her hair without screaming due to the water near her eyes.  I was very impressed! Why don't you enter and give the Charts a go!!

Please enter using rafflecopter below a Rafflecopter giveaway

Using KiddyCharts Reward Charts to help Children Develop- Review Post

  

Have you heard of KiddyCharts?

  I have mentioned in a earlier post how we have been having problems with Annabelle using the toilet.  Luckily we are getting there but I felt that she needed a little motivation, I thought that a reward chart would be perfect.  I got talking online to Helen Neale who owns Kiddy Charts and she kindly let me review the charts to see if it would give Annabelle that encouragement she needed.

 There are 3 different types of charts to use

1. Reward Me
2. Track Me
3. Care 4 Me

  It was very easy to create.  You just add your child's name and photo to customise which makes it individual to your child.  Then choose a background which suits your child's age and interests!  What I found brilliant was you can choose the behaviours to suit your child's development and how many they are able to cope with.  You can choose stars star coins or ticks and whether you want the behaviours as just images, text or both.  

These are the 2 charts that I designed for Annabelle and Callum.  Annabelle is a ballerina fan and so I knew this is what she would like.  Callum is very interested in transport and I knew he would love to look at the images.  As Annabelle is almost 4 I choose 4 behaviours out of the limit of 5.  As Callum is only 2 I choose a couple.  We printed them ourselves and the finish is fantastic using Phils at work printer :) I made little cut out stars as I want to take a star off them if they don't try so in encourages them to keep there stars.

Both Children loved their charts.  Annabelle understood it straight away and Callum liked looking at the design.

Very happy to add her star

Annabelle was very excited about accomplishing the behaviours.  She even washed her hair last night for the 1st time in a long time without screaming, I can't believe how much the chart gave Annabelle that confidence.  Her other tasks were cleaning her teeth, eating up her dinners and tea's and using the potty or toilet.  She still has the habit of withholding but when I mentioned the chart she sat on the potty quickly and was very proud of herself as you can see from the above pictures.

Here is Callum saying Spider which I have never heard him say before

  I defiantly recommend  KiddyCharts to parents for Children of all ages, my nearly 6 year old brother really wanted one as he can do behaviours such as being polite and doing homework.  They really can be personilised by you to suit the child.  The chart is really helping Annabelle with her tasks, she even wanted to tell her nursery teachers so they can let me know later.  I was also a nursery nurse and do know that these reward charts help and honestly I am very impressed with the charts.

 Prices start at £2.99 however paying for a subscription works out cheaper!  If you would like one of the fantastic charts for your little one click on the link on the right of my blog!

KiddyCharts Website 

KiddyCharts Facebook Page

KiddyCharts Twitter

KiddyCharts Blog

What I want for my blog

 I have been blogging for 1.5 years now and gained a lovely following, been to some fantastic events and met some great people.  Its taken me a while to decide what I want for my blog as I think it takes people time to know where there blog fits and what you enjoy writing about.
  I have just had my third child and I feel like I can now look past the birth, a newborn and think about me.  So I want for my blog to be about the things I enjoy most, budgeting, fashion and beauty and craft with my little ones.  I am only 27 and I feel like the part of me that cares about my appearance was slipping away causing not much confidence in myself.
  So this is the day my blog begins its new journey and I hope you will follow me.

                   Victoria x