Mamma Reviews

A couple of weeks back we were sent a bottle of Nimble Babies – Milk Buster to try out.  I was very interested in this as milk in cups/ beakers/ bottles and this warm weather do not mix.  Both my little men love milk and love a beaker of milk before bed. However I find those sippy cups and the bottles hard to get rid of the milk residue smell and hard to get in and get them really clean.

One of the great things about this product is the spray nozzle, it means it can reach right into the spout of the beakers/ cups.  Its pleasant smelling but not at all overpowering and best of all it works.  I used to find depsite hot washes, dishwasher etc they still sometimes had a grimy film on them but certainly not after Nimble Babies.

How it works

According to Nimble Babies, it is made of the safest cleaning ingredients derived from sugar, amino acids, and coconuts. It’s pH is balanced to be very close to that of water and it also has plant-derived ingredients to remove water hardness. Its also sulphate free too.  Once opened it lasts about 2 months so really good value for Stg£5.99.  For a full list of stockists see here.  There is a great short video on their website to show the product working and explain more about the science behind it.

A couple of weeks back I was sent some Movial Plus to try out. Having thought about it im probably not the best person to give it a good trial so I enlisted some very willing reviewers – introducing the legend that is the Nana Fairy (!) and my husband, lets call him the Dada Fairy.

Both the Nana and the Dada Fairy suffer for joint point, knee for Nana Fairy and fingers for Dada Fairy (he works in construction). The Nana Fairy consulted with her GP prior to commencing.

The Product

Lets talk a little about the product first – Movial Plus is a food supplement, specifically developed to support normal collagen formation for bones and cartilage. The key active ingredients are:

1. Hydrolyzed collagen type II  which is a source of amino acids which give structure and tone to connective tissue;

2. Vitamin C  which contributes to normal collagen formation, healthy bones and cartilage; and

3. Hyaluronic acid is a key component of the extracellular matrix, occurring naturally in the body, it is a key component of synovial fluid and cartilage.

(Source: www.scopehealthcare.ie)

The results:

I was most interested to see the results of the Nana Fairy as she has been having trouble with her knee since October. She is currently 20 days into taking these and is thrilled, she couldn’t straighten out her knee in the morning time for ages and often resorted to a muscle rub cream to help however after 12 days she no longer needed to do this. She is really happy with the progress and is going to keep going on them. She really does feel the joint is a lot more flexible since taking Movial Plus.

The Dada Fairy, while the difference for the Dada Fairy was not quite as dramatic as it was for the Nana Fairy he said there was a marked difference in the pain in the evening times following his days work. He too is going to keep using them.

Take care

~Mamma F

Note: Thanks to Scope Healthcare for sending us out Movial to try. Please note I am not a doctor or pharmacist and if you have queries on joint pain do consult one or the other.

Have this post written ages but completely forget to press publish! Two sick babas these past few weeks has me all over the place.

January favourites was easy to pick. The three products were in almost daily use.

1 – Babyliss curling wand

I love curly hair, however I have long thick (very thick!!) hair so curling products get a run for their money with me.  I bought this after Christmas in the Debenhams sale for €28.  It heats up to 210c which I really need for my thick hair!  The barrel itself is quite wide so again ideal for long hair that gives a loose wave as opposed to the tight Irish dancing curl. The box is long thrown out but I found a picture of the box on line see opposite.

I found this really easy to use, and gives a long lasting loose curl. I finish with a small amount of John Freida smoothing serum and I get 2 days out of the curls. To date this is the only product that has managed to curl my mega thick mane so thumbs up for the Babyliss Curling Wand.

2 Soap & Glory Foot cream – Heel Genius

Its like a tradition now in our house my sister buys me the Soap & Glory set for Christmas! I do love my lotions and potions!! This foot cream actually works.  Im sure like most people I really neglect my feet in the winter months.  I use this a lot especially this time of year to ensure the feet are ready for summer.  It is incredibly moisturising – I put it on going to bed and wear socks over it. It contains menthol which has a lovely cooling effect on your feet too. I have tried a good few of the years but tend to always come back to this one.

I got the current one im using in a gift set however from memory its around €8 in most Boots chemists.

3 MeMeMe Shimmer Stack

I love multi purpose products!! Less products to add to my already jam packed handbag (that’s jam packed with kids toys and snacks!).  The MeMeMe Shimmer Stack contains 5 separate blocks of colour.  This can be used as a bronzer, the individual blocks can also be used as eye shadows and the darker shades for brows.  Products like this are ideal for on the go, rather than taking 3 products just take the one!! The colour intensity in this is really good. I bought the bronze but it does come in gold tones and in a rose tone.

I bought this in my local pharmacy for €15 having gone in for teething gel and come out with a make up blender, this shimmer stack and no teething gel!!! I had previously attended an event there where we were shown how to use these products and at the time had received a number of samples and based on the quality of the other products from the range I had tried I knew id like this one too (see September favourites here).

Let me know if you have tried any of the above would love to know you thoughts.

Take care

~Mamma F

As you might remember from previous posts here we were delighted to be asked to join the Netflix Stream Team. We were already fans in the Mamma Fairy house so saying yes to this was easy!

So what have we been watching…..

Team Umizoomi

My 3 year absolutely loves this series. Its based around a brother and sister (I have always assumed they are anyway) duo and their robot aptly names Bot who race around Umi City solving problems with maths, shapes, pattern, colours etc. It is very age appropriate for pre schoolers and I can honestly say as far as cartoons go this is very educational and I really don’t mind him watching this one.

Toy Story

The Toy Story films are almost cult favourites at this stage. The 3 years olds Aunt buys him the characters for different occasions, we already have Jessie, Lots-O and Buzz and the excitement and anticipation awaiting the next member is just adorable. There are 3 of the films on Netflix and while he watches them all, Toy Story 2 is his firm favourite. This particular one shows the antics the toys get up to when Andy goes to Camp. Woody gets stolen and it’s the toys job to rescue him, the film charts the toys efforts to rescue him from Al, who is portrayed as the evil greedy toy collector.

The Toy Story films are the comfort films in our house, we grab the Toy Story crew (see above!!), the comfy blankie (as its known) and chill out on the couch. Cant beat cuddles with my little men.

Now for what the grown ups have been watching…..

Making a Murderer

Who isn’t hooked on this??!! We are only a quarter of the way through this ten part Netflix documentary and I can safely say Steven Avery has generated many hours of discussion in the Mamma Fairy house. Is it possible for somebody to have suffered 2 miscarriages of justice?? Its gripping viewing, the ups and downs, ins and outs. Freed after almost 20 years of wrongful imprisonment to find himself back in again for murder. I almost feel sometimes like a member of his legal team searching for that clue or piece of evidence. I’m resisting the urge to watch it all in one go. For now the trials and life of Steven Avery is my Friday night guilty pleasure.

X and Y

We had my husbands teenage cousin staying with us for a weekend recently and I joined them for a movie and takeaway – X and Y was the chosen film. This is a lovely feel good type film. It’s based on the story of Nathan, a young boy with autism who struggles with his emotions, particularly understanding the nature of love. He is a maths genius and with the help of a good teacher he gets to the maths Olympiad wher he meets a girl. I wont reveal the rest! While it’s a really good feel good film, It does seem a little too good to be true and predictable. The teenager enjoyed it and liked the message it conveyed to him in relation to his own emotions.

Have  you been watching any of the above, would love to know what your thoughts were.

Note:  I have received a Netflix subscription and an Apple TV in return for writing blog post on what we have been watching.  All programme choices, comments, opinions and views are my own (or my sons where appropriate!!) 

Take Care

~Mamma F

The Mamma Fairy monthly favourites for December was an easy one to write. December in the Mamma Fairy house was a month of highs and lows however there were 3 products that were in almost daily use.

1 Cocoa Brown Gradual tan

I am naturally quite pale and deep tan doesn’t work too well on me however I do like a nice natural healthy look glow and find the Cocoa Brown gradual tan very good for achieving this. It’s also really pleasant smelling. It’s tinted too when you apply so you can easily see how you are applying it. I find after about 3 days I have a nice glow and I maintain it after my shower each time. It fades quite evenly too which is a big plus as there is nothing worse that patchy faded tan.

I bought mine in my local Tesco however it is readily available in pharmacies.

2 Vivisical Gorgeous Growth Shampoo and Conditioner

I have quite long dark hair and prior to my little men arriving it was glossy and healthy looking. Two kids and little time later it was dry, brittle and not healthy looking at all. I have spent nearly 3 years of buying various different shampoos and conditioners and salon treatments to varying degrees of success. I attended the BloggerConf and in my goody bag was a the Viviscal Shampoo and conditioner. This is new to the market and we got an early sample to try out. I am not over reacting in the slightest when is say this is amazing stuff. After just one use, the difference was noticeable. As you can see from the pic above the tubes are well used, I use both every time I was my hair.

What I have noticed also is that it makes straightening or curling so much easier and leaves the most amazing glossy shine. I knew it made a difference when the Dada Fairy asked me what did I do to my hair that it looked great!

I will keep you updated on the blog when I hear the date its on general sale but seriously you HAVE to try this for shiny glossy hair. See http://www.viviscal.ie/ for more information.

3 Jo Malone shower gel

I wore Jo Malone Wild Bluebell perfume on my wedding day and since then anytime I get the scent it reminds me so much of happy memories of that day. My perfume ran out early in the month and the Dadda Fairy gave me my Christmas present early, included with the perfume was the shower gel. I love love love this fragrance and adding the shower gel certain prolongs the lasting power of the scent.

I like perfumes that aren’t too overbearing, this Jo Malone scent fits the bill every time. I know the Dada Fairy purchased mine in Brown Thomas.

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 3^rd 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

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

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.

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.

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

ZAs you might already know we are in the throes of weaning here in the Mamma Fairy house.  Its something that I for some unknown reason dreaded! This is what prompted me to write this post.  There are a couple of products im using that are making the process a whole lot easier!

BabyPotz

BabyPotz are incredibly handy BPA free containers that come in ten differentr sizes.  They are dishwasher, microwave and freezer safe.  The are ideal for batch cooking. On my first I used ice cube trays in various sizes but the downside was they just weren’t portable and for us who travel a bit weren’t the most practical. I picked up a set of 20 3oz pots and lids in Bella Baby Maynooth, however they are readily available on line and in stores. They are not expensive at €8.99 for 20 as they are durable and I have been re using them over the last while and they are still in perfect condition.  I also have been using them for the oldest fella to send some snacks to playschool in.

There is also a handy associated website that I have been using for tips and advice www.mummycooks.ie  which is run by Siobhan Berry, a mum herself. Don’t forget good bibs will be essential, love this from BIBaDO.

Neven Maguire – Complete Baby & Toddler Cookbook

I got sent this book by Gill & Macmillian  which was perfectly timed as we were just getting ready to commence weaning.  This book is very useful, its easy to follow, straight forward and contain lots of different food combinations from the basic first tastes, to more exciting varied tastes suitable for the toddler years.

Its actually really handy for us, as I am using it for the littlest man and also the big man!  Slightly off the weaning topic but I love this size and presentation of this book!  What I like is that its encouraging me to try out additional tastes on the weaning journey for example, today’s batch cooking consisted of butternut squash with a pinch of cinnamon.  For my first I wouldn’t have been brave enough to be introducing herbs and spices this early but the little man devours it. There is also a nice section in the back for handy treats to make for parties or celebrations.

Ill be the first to admit, cooking isn’t my strong point but this book is incredibly easy to follow and the kids are enjoying more of a variety of foods as a result. Book is available in most book shops for €18.99.

Bio Kult Infantis

Not a product as such however this a live ‘good’  bacteria formula suitable for infants and toddlers. The formula also contains omega 3 and vitamin d.  I am not a doctor, pharmacists of health practitioner therefore im only taking from my own experience.  In my opinion from milk to solids is a big change for the tiny tummies of babies therefore I wanted help my littles man digestive system as best I could.  I received a sample sachet of this product which I used over 3 days.  I straight away went out and bought a box in my local chemist.

My little man was a great sleeper from 6 weeks from the time weaning commenced this went down hill dramatically! Rightly or wrongly I attributed this to his little tummy finding it hard to process the solids.  After 2 days there was a massive improvement.  We are one week in now using Bio Kult and he is sleeping much better.  Now it may be a total coincidence but im not taking a chance and im going to keep using them. A box of 16 sachets cost me €11.99.  I only use about a third of a sachet popped into his milk.

They are easy to use and what I like is they don’t have to be kept in the fridge like other pro-biotics I have used in the past making them very handy if you are out and about or traveling

Would love to know how your own weaning journey is going. If you have any comments or questions, don’t hesitate to contact on here, Twitter or Facebook.

Take care

~Mamma F

I was delighted to be asked to attend the launch of Cardtrix – a new loyalty shopping app which was launched today in Stephens Green by the fabulous Pippa O’Connor.

Myself and my blog buddy OneYummyMummy attended the press call and subsequent demonstration in the Fitzwilliam Hotel, where the Pippa spoke about her thoughts on the app and Fiachra Woodman, Vice President of Aimira Global Innovation Lab, the company behind the production of the app itself gave a demonstration of it in use.

I will admit I was pretty excited about this app as I am that annoying person at the checkout who rifles through loads of loyalty cards before I find the correct card!! I am a little ott about loyalty cards. I have them all, from Supermarket ones, to hotel ones to petrol one and the list goes on.

This new app Cardtrix is going to be a godsend for me (and probably anybody who has ever had the pleasure of serving me or waiting behind me at a checkout). This app acts as a digital assistant managing my loyalty cards in one place – like a digital wallet. The app is supported by the major supermarket loyalty programmes from Dunnes to Tesco to Boots, as well as the likes of Debenhams, Costa, Topaz amongst other. I also understand over time new loyalty programs will be added. However I must admit my heart did do a little flutter when I realised I could sign up for cards I didn’t already have! (there wasn’t many!)

It is so simple to use, even for a non techie like me, you simply add in your card number manually or for the ones with barcodes you can scan them in. It literally took me a couple of minutes to upload my considerable collection of loyalty cards. The great thing about the app is that all I need to do now is show the app to the cashier who scans the relevant barcode and my points are added to my account. I can also check my balances, configure the types of emails id like to receive and it sets out the listed benefits for each loyalty program.

Now for the techie bit! The app – Cardtrix is available for both iphone and android phones free of charge from App Store and Google Play Store respectively. The app itself supports the loyalty programmes of 13 major retailers in Ireland. The company behind the development are Aimia, who themselves are global leaders in loyalty programs.

I will report back next week after my weekly shopping is done and let you know how I got on with using the app day to day.

For now, if you would like any further information – see www.cardtrix.co

Take care

~Mamma F