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Mamma Fairy

Mamma Musings

Waxing while pregnant – Advice from the experts

This article was originally written for  Mummy an Little Me – See original here

This is a subject which has generated a lot of discussion amongst my own friends, with lots of different viewpoints on whether or not we should or shouldn’t wax while pregnant with the phrase “it would be too sore!” gaining the most air time.

I had the opportunity to speak to Ellen Kavanagh from Waxpert’s on this very topic so I jumped at the chance. Waxperts is a multi award winning waxing salon run by Ellen and her team. Their own products – the Waxperts Wonder pads and the Waxperts Beautiful Body Oil have become firm favourites in the beauty world. For more information see here

wax

On the subject of waxing and pregnancy, there is normally no reason to avoid waxing while pregnant, however if you do have concerns for peace of mind it’s no harm to chat to your consultant or midwife. I asked Ellen what were her top tips for getting as pain-free a wax as possible while pregnant, as our skin can be extra sensitive during those months.

Her expert advice was:

  • Book all your appointments in together and work back from your due date. Even if you have to change them you’ll stick to the overall plan better this way;
  • Keep your skin hydrated. This helps prevent ingrown hairs from occurring but also helps your skin maintain elasticity while it grows and stretches through your pregnancy;
  • And it’s not just your bump that grows, so don’t forget to apply creams or oils to your bum and thighs too!
  • Exfoliating gently with a mitt will help prevent ingrown hairs; and
  • Avoid caffeine before you get waxed too, it only makes you more sensitive.

Honestly didn’t know that about coffee and im a coffee addict myself!!

Another thing about waxing that I really wasn’t sure about was how soon after having a baby can you get waxed although let’s be honest the thought of it can be scary after all we have just gone through!!

According to Ellen, depending on the labour you had, you can get waxed anytime from 6 week post partum. However, that all depends on each individuals healing rate and if there were stitches etc. Again if in doubt no harm in seeking the advice of your midwife. I had 2 C sections and waited quite a while before contemplating a wax as I was firstly, petrified of anybody seeing the scar and secondly, conscious of how sore it might be. Ellen’s expert advice is following a C section its best to wait for around 6 months before you could wax over the scar area. What they do in Waxperts is they work around the scar area. So you can get your brazilian 6 weeks post partum but instead of a landing strip they leave a neat triangle and the scar is hidden there! Genius!

Ellen herself is a busy working mum and I wanted to hear her top tips for combining a successful business and her home life with her young son. According to Ellen the key is when in work to give 100% but when at home she devotes her time to her son. I love this advice and try subscribe to the same moto myself.
Massive thanks to Ellen for taking the time to answer my questions – hopefully this is of some help to those debating whether to wax or not while pregnant.

 

Take Care

~ Mamma F

Features

Lunch with Jeff Brazier in London courtesy of Netflix!!!

Following on from this post – I was invited to London to have lunch with Jeff Brazier at the super trendy Hoxton Hotel (check it out here) courtesy of Netflix. The lunch was to mark the launch of the Netflix and DreamWorks Animation collaboration –  Dinotrux Favourites, an entire episode in a 5-minute package. Genius – simple but very effective. Kids think they have won the battle of wills but for parents bedtime is only delayed by five minutes!
dinotrux

Joining me was fellow bloggers Kellie (My Little Bábóg Blog) and Sinead (Bumbles of  Rice), two of the nicest ladies you could meet. Being a newbie blogger I was pretty nervous, but nerves were unfounded they were so welcoming and we had some good fun.

The hotel is amazing, it epitomises London for me – super cool and super trendy with immaculate attention to detail. (If the Dadda Fairy is reading this – yes id love a weekend break here for Christmas!).

During a very tasty lunch Jeff spoke about parenting and his own bed time battles with his boys. Jeff is a life coach and gave some great insights into parenting but with his life couch hat on. One thing that stuck in my head since Tuesday was the phrase “asking appropriate questions at the appropriate time”. This phrase really made me think. In other words don’t bombard them with questions as they walk out the creche/ playschool/ school gate. Like the concept of 5 minute Dinotrux episodes, this advice is so simple yet so effective.london1The whole day went so quickly. The flight home that evening was the evening of Storm Barney, so after initial uncertainty about whether the flight would go or not and whether we would land in Dublin or Belfast, I was pretty glad to be home safe and sound. Nothing like the pilot announcing he will “do his best to land in Dublin” and the cabin crew to proclaim its too dangerous to serve hot drinks on the flight given the stormy conditions to invoke the fear of god in you!!

 

 

Thanks to Netflix and fellow bloggers Kellie and Sinead for a fabulous day. Also thanks to Netflix for helping us with those bedtime battles. My Master Negotiator has been outwitted!!

Would love to hear some of your bedtime battle stories.netflix - research

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Take Care

~Mamma F

Mamma Musings

A Mamma Fairy Christmas – Gift Guide part 1

It’s hard to believe its the time of year again, planning for Christmas and getting the presents sorted. I love this time of year and its only become more magical since having the kids.

Below I have set out part 1 of my Mamma Fairy Christmas gift guide where I give you a sneak peak into my purchases so far for Christmas.

christmas

Going from left to right above, ill set out some details of the products.

1 Baby Dapper onsies: These are fun little babygro’s which come in a range of styles from superheroes to rugby to seasonal santas and elves.  They are available on the website – here and retail at €20. Admittedly on the more expensive size but the quality feels great and they come presented in a lovely presentation box, no need for wrapping!

2 Kate Spade Dairy: I love stationary, I think you can’t beat a cool funky diary, especially for busy mums. I completely fell for this Kate Spade Diary.  Its a 17 month diary (from August 2015) and the quality is fantastic it comes with monthly and weekly pages, note pages and laminated dividers.  Its €46 and available from My Shining Armour – see here

katespade

3 WatchOver watch: This is a gift between a couple of my family members for the head of the Mamma Fairy family!!! He is almost 90 and the most amazing person you could meet. This watch we are hoping will assist him in continuing to lead an independent life as well as giving us the peace of mind for the times he is out and about or home alone.  In summary with this watch you can:

  • Check the live location (via an App)
  • Call/ makes calls from the watch
  • Receive alert notifications through the App
  • Set safe zones

I will do a full blog post on this after Christmas when he has tried and tested it. However I am hopeful this lives up to our expectations. For further information please see website – here

4 AYU Make up brushes: This is a travel brush set developed by Irish company AYU Makeup led by make up artist Suzanne O’Neill. It comes in a really soft leather pouch with five brushes in it.  It’s  hand bag friendly and reasonably priced at €35 for good quality brushes. Available from their website here

5 Agrikids books: I am a farmers wife!! And farm safety is something I feel incredibly passionate about. My kids love the farm and from a young age we instil the safety aspects of work and farm life in them. Agrikids was set up with this in mind, they sell a range of kids books and clothing all with the key message of promoting farm safety. I think books are a lovely present for young children and “Tales from Riverside Farm” is ideal for kids especially those who live or visit working farms.  There are 3 books in the series and they make the perfect Christmas present. See  here for more information and products. (ps – check out the fluorescent beanies!)

book

6 Sceál Handstamped Jewellery: You have to check out the amazing hand crafted personalised jewellery created by Sceál jewellery. The one pictured in the graphic above is my absolute favourite which can be personalised with family names or messages. The range includes pendants and bracelets and price wise is incredible value. The one pictured at the top of the post starts at €26. They are made to order, personlised and unique. They can also do totally custom made pieces. Check them out on Facebook here includes a link to their Etsy shop.

Part 2 next week featuring much more for the men in our lives!!

Take Care

~Mamma F

 

Features

Netflix Stream Team – The final countdown 5,4,3,2,1 Bedtime

It’s been a busy and exciting week in the Mamma Fairy house.  I am delighted to announce that I have been invited to join the Netflix Stream Team.  We are already fans of Netflix in the Mamma Fairy house having been subscribers for almost 2 years now.

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You might have seen my social media post a couple of days ago on the survey conducted by Netflix on kids bedtime stall tactics!!! I have posted about this before, my 3 year old doesn’t do sleep or bedtime! In fact it’s as if he doesn’t need any!! Two of the below tactics are used (actually make that over-used!) in the Mamma Fairy house.  netflix - research

He is THE Master Negotiator.  Tonight’s negotiations began like this:

Mr Master Negotiator: – “I can’t go to bed until I talk to Dada, I need to ask him something important” (Dada is working late, he works in construction (stay with me its relevant!!))

Mamma Fairy:  – “Why? maybe I can help”

Mr Master Negotiator: – “No Mamma, I really do need to talk to Dada, you wouldn’t know the answer”

Mamma Fairy: – “Try me!!”

Mr Master Negotiator: – “Dada would be better to ask”

…..time is ticking on……..

Mamma Fairy: – “I’m sure ill know the answer”

….after careful consideration and yet more time lapse….

Mr Master Negotiator: – “Ok….Do tractors have 4 wheel drive and throttles??? Its really important, I need Dada to ask him…..I NEED to know the answer before I sleep”

Mamma Fairy: – “Look Team Umizoomi is on, lets watch this and then we will go to bed”

Its Netflix to the rescue….it’s one his favourite Netflix shows, closely followed by Paw Patrol and Dinotrux.

This is just one example, I could write volumes on his random bedtime questions, which are all naturally so important and urgent and most of the time the only person who could possible know the answer is not there!!

This leads me to the genius parenting hack a collaboration by Netflix and DreamWorks Animation. They have launched a new series of shows called Dinotrux Favourites, an entire episode in just 5-minutes!  Its genius – simple and effective.

dinotrux

As anybody with kids will know, it’s a daily battle of wills.  By agreeing to one more episode, they think they have got the upper hand, however with it being only 5 minutes long it’s win-win and bedtime doesn’t get too delayed.

Mr Master Negotiator, I have you sos’d!!!

Anybody else got a Master Negotiator in their house? Would love to her the negotiation techniques!

Take care

~Mamma F

 

 

Reviews for Mama & Babas

Eskimo-3 Kids Supplement Review

I am a firm believer in the benefits of supplements, even more so in the case of my oldest who is a fussy eater. At the end of the Summer we were kindly sent some Eskimo-3 kids to try. I had never used this supplement but did plenty of reading up on it before I gave it to my son.

eskimopic

The timing was ideal for us as he was just starting playschool. I’ll be honest, I wasn’t looking forward to the colds, flu’s and the likes that were destined to come through the front door. Added to the fact that at the time I had a 4 month old baby in the house.

We have been using Eskimo-3 kids since September and I am really impressed and happy with them. I give them to him after his dinner in the evening, no particular reason why its just become a habit now. Now, im not saying this is solely down to the supplements but I am certainly of the opinion that they were a major contributor. We have had some sniffles here and there and dodgy tummy one night after a mammy dinner (that’s a whole other story!) but nothing, yep absolutely nothing else. I am delighted, I was really worried about it and everybody kept telling to prepare myself for an onslaught of illness but thankfully this hasn’t materialised. I am really hoping I haven’t jinxed myself now!

Well what are they….they are a stable fish oil, with omega-6, omega-9, vitamin D and vitamin E. According to the makers of Eskimo-3, Omega-3 fatty acids have been well studied for their role in the support of many systems in the body including brain function. Because a child’s brain and nervous system have different fatty acid requirements whilst growing, Eskimo-3 Kids provides a balance of omega-3, omega-6 and omega-9 fatty acids to reflect these needs.

Eskimo-Kids-health-benefits-and-features-1024x651

(pic credit: http://www.eskimo3.ie/)

Its in liquid form and and comes in two flavours – tutti-frutti flavour and orange flavour. We have been using the orange flavour with no objection from said fussy eater!

It’s readily available in pharmacies and costs around €20.

Please do consult your pharmacist for advice, as im neither a pharmacist or health care professional just a satisfied Mamma. For more information on Eskimo-3 products see here

 

Take Care

~Mamma F

Mamma Reviews

Mamma Fairy October Favourites

Where does time go its hard to believe Octobers gone and we are heading towards the end of the year. As I mentioned before im no beauty blogger or expert but I do like products which useful or treats for us hard working mamma’s, here are my October favourites.

 

1 –Nima Foundation brush

First up is my Nima foundation brush. I have used a couple of different brands over the years with mixed success. I love the texture of this brush, it doesn’t shed! I purchased a foundation brush a few months back and it was terrible which to be honest put me off brushes but having attended Nima brush 3rd birthday celebrations I thought why not give them a go for myself so treated myself to this on the night.

Another thing I like is that it doesn’t use and soak up tonnes of product, like some of them do. Rightly or wrongly I wash it in baby shampoo and it’s as good as new.

Check out the full range of brushes here

The one I have is the “Georgie” and incredibly reasonable at €16

 oct

2 -Nivea Daily Essentials eye make-up remover

For my September favourites I talked about my love for mascara (see here), I never go out without it however I am guilty of not taking it off properly resulting in the infamous morning “panda eyes”. I have been using this Nivea eye makeup remover for the last few weeks and its doing a great job at removing eye make up, particularly stubborn mascara. As small bit on a cotton wool ball (what mamma doesn’t have a house full of these!!!) and it comes off gently no rubbing. I have quite sensitive eyes and this doesn’t irritate at all. This product is really readily available in supermarkets and pharmacies.

3 – Neo Strata Bionic Face Cream

Lastly for this month, I have just started using this face cream. I have finally accepted im 30+ and need something a little strong for those fine (very fine!!) lines on my forehead. I am not joking when I say the difference was visible after 2 days of night use. It’s quite a rich feeling cream and a little goes a really long way. The texture is almost velvety and goes on really well. I only use it going to bed as it’s a bit rich for under makeup I think. In the morning I just wear sun screen under my makeup (currently using Eucerin SPF30 face cream). Yes I know its winter and we live in Ireland but I wear it every day on my face.

Back to the bionic face cream, I just love that name! The packaging is quite clinical looking and pricewise is expensive around €42 but it works and works quite quickly. It’s definitely an investment as a little goes a long way. I never mind paying for something if it works and this does.

A list of stockists is available here

Take Care

~Mamma F

Reviews for Mama & Babas

Magic Sleep Suit Review

The lovely people at www.magicsleepsuit.com sent me one of their Magic Sleep Suits for Little S to try out. The timing was perfect! We had just moved him from his moses basket and his swaddle wraps were now far too small. He looked so lost in the huge cot and his sleep became a lot more broken. Where had my sleepy baby gone! My first was a terrible sleeper so you an image my excitement when this newest man slept!!

sleepsuit

When I opened the post with the help of the 3 year old who thinks every letter is for him, we immediately tried it on S for size, big brother was rolling around the floor laughing calling him a baby astronaut!! Picture below!

maic

What is the Magic Sleep Suit – brilliant name for it! The woman behind the product is Maureen mother of four, pediatric physical therapist and founder of the Baby Merlin Company, a family owned and operated company. Maureen’s educational background includes a B.A. in Biology from the University of Delaware and a Master of Physical Therapy degree from Temple University. It was her first child’s lack of sleep which prompted the development of the Magic Sleep Suit.

According to Maureen, the Magic Sleepsuit is designed to be introduced at approximately three months of age when most babies are growing out of swaddling, transitioning into larger more spacious cribs from smaller sleep environments. It is recommended that babies transition out of the Magic Sleepsuit once they are able to roll over in it, since this is typically a sign that they are ready for more movement in their sleep, and the Magic Sleepsuit is specifically designed for the back sleeping position.

The purpose of the sleep suit is to muffle twitches and startle-type movements that can wake them prematurely, instead keeping them cosy and secure making it easier to go to sleep on their own or fall back asleep if woken.

We began using this product as the weather started to get colder too, which was ideal as it really keeps the baby nice and toasty and no need for blankets.

I love this product, Little S like most babies loves to be cuddled up tight and he was not impressed at all with the cot. The third night after using this he was back to my sleepy content baby. Prior to this, once he was moved to the cot, he would put his comforter over his face or up against his cheek and I was so worried about leaving him unattended in the room. To get him to sleep he had to have lots of bits around him snuggling him up, I would take them away once he was asleep but if he woke during the night we had to do the same routine over again.

Using the Magic Sleep Suit gave me such peace of mind that he is kept warm and im not concerned he is pulling blankets or his comforter up over his face. It meant he could self settle him back to sleep if he woke up.  It is ideal for these cold winter nights too. As I have mentioned before we travel a bit between Dublin and Donegal and with something like the Magic Sleep suit it provides continuity for sleeping for the little man, he can drift off to sleep seamlessly in either location which for me is a mega plus.

I showed it to one of the girls at baby massage and she was going off to buy one after the class as she thought that it would be a huge benefit to her little girl who suffers bad with eczema and wont keep the mittens on night time, she believes the suit will let her have her hands free which she wants but not enable her to reach up and scratch her face. Fingers crossed it helps her too.

Overall, I love this products, the concept, the story behind the brand but most of all it does work. The Magic Sleep Suit is now available in Ireland and the UK from Amazon.

If you decide to get one – do let me know what you think.

Take Care

Mamma F
Ps – I am trying to convince Maureen to make me an adult version!

Features

A sneak peak at Aldi’s upcoming toy event – 29 October!

With the C word fast approaching, I was delighted to see the Aldi toy event is coming back. It’s in stores nationwide on Thursady 29 October. From previous experience, get there early and know what you want as it tends to sell out quite quickly.  The wooden toys are particuarly good quality and have become a firm favourite in the Mamma Fairy house.

 

aldi

The Mamma Fairy’s list

  • 2-in-1 Pop-Up Target Goal €19.99- no explanation needed, for the budding footballers! I have one in my house!!

goal

  • Large Wooden Kitchen – €39.99. this is available in Pink or Red. Do note though that the accessories are sold separately and self assembly is required.
  • Wooden Toys – €10.99. Classic sets in handy storage tubs. We love wooden toys in The Mamma Fairy house – choices include Wooden Railway, Fruit and Vegetables, Fishing Game, Construction Blocks, Port Facility or Threading Game. (see above pic for some of the selection available)
  • Wooden Jigsaws – €8.99 each. -Choose from Frozen, Paw Patrol, Mickey Mouse or Cars

Also part of the event are craft items, which are really useful stocking fillers, im after the:

  • Craft Cases – €5.99 – Full of arty tools, selection includes Poster Painting Set, Superset Poster Paint or Superset Finger Paint

For the teeny man in my house, one the following is on the list.

  • Sound Board Books €4.99 each. Choices are Noisy Vehicles, Fire Engine, Police Car, Noisy Farm, The Pretty Princess or Here Comes Santa. We love our books in the Mamma Fairy house and for little man the nosier the better.

If you go in for nothing else – I urge you to get one of Aldi’s My First ReadyBed®. We have one and its ideal, its an all-in-one pillow, mattress and duvet. Its really handy for visits to either of the Granny Fairy houses’ and really portable, crucial for us as we travel a bit and with 2 kids in tow space in the car is at a premuim! It comes with in a few options including; In The Night Garden, Peppa Pig, Thomas the Tank Engine, Sofia the First or Doc McStuffins. Great value at €29.99.

redybed

The above is just a small selection of whats available, more details will be available on the Aldi website.

Do let me know if you purchased any of the above.

 

Take Care

~Mamma F

 

 

Mamma Reviews

Mamma Fairy Monthly Favourites – September

A little later than anticipated, but here is a new feature on The Mamma Fairy Blog.  Each month I will be talking about my monthly favourites. It’s very easy to get so consumed in life with kids that you can forget about Mamma. I am no beauty expert or beauty blogger but what I do like is products, which are pampering, or save me time or are simply just a nice treat for busy Mamma’s.

My September products are three products which I use daily when running (quite literally) out the door to make 9.30 playschool.

 

september

1 – Bio Derma BB Cream

I just love coverage this cream gives, I use the light version and the coverage is perfect for my tired 30 something year old skin! I have used a good few different ones over the years but I find the coverage can be hit and miss but this one isn’t. For night-time (and those are rare nights!) I use it under my foundation to give a good base and prolong the wear from it.

 

2 – MeMeMe Boho Balm

This is pretty genius its duo product for use on lips and cheeks. It’s a light tint for lips and coverage is good on cheeks. It’s a coral and a taupe colour. It smells lovely too. Because of its size, its very hand-bag friendly and lasts very well on cheeks especially.

 boho

3- L’Oreal Volume Million Lashes

I just love long lashes, which I unfortunately wasn’t blessed with. I just hate falsies on me so I am always on the lookout for a good mascara. This I love, makes my lashes look really long and full and the colour is intense.

 

Well, there you have it, The Mamma Fairy September favourites. None of the above are expensive, very pocket friendly and readily available in pharmacies nationwide. Any question at all, please let me know.

Take Care

~Mamma F

Reviews for Mama & Babas

Booky Wooky Review

 

One of the perks of being a blogger is meeting and dealing some lovely people, one such couple are Melanie and Ross.  Together they run the website www.bookywooky.ie.  I absolutely love the name and as the name suggests,  they supply books.  However not just any book, personalised books you create yourself.  There is a gallery of different types of products to choose from and a very handy You Tube video with tips and tricks if you need any assistance.  There is also a cool on line chat facility if you have queries.
I am totally useless when it comes to printing or doing anything with photos of the boys! However I was delighted to get the opportunity to try out and review www.bookywooky.ie.  I used the animal fun template and created my own masterpiece of photos of my little men.  It didn’t take me long at all, the online editor is really institutive, essential for the likes of me!!

booky

The finished product was a fabulous quality hard book. My 3 year old just loves looking a the photos of himself and his brother so the durability has been put through its paces, so far its still in perfect condition.
The books costs €25 plus P&P, it may seem a little pricey but the ease of use and finished quality is fantastic.  In my own view, well worth it.  We have it only a few weeks and its no exaggeration when I say it has been well loved by the 3 year old.  We have vowed now to create a BookWooky after each family holiday to treasure the memories, otherwise the photos will end up on phone, laptops etc for a lifetime.

Click here for wesbite.

Take care

~Mamma F