Mamma Musings

As my extended maternity leave draws to a close, been thinking back over the last few days of how manic the last 11 months have been.  Two boys under 3, a husband and a dog! Busy, busy, busy!!

Add to the mix the mad cap idea we had to begin our house renovations while on leave! As if I didn’t have enough to do! We bought a house in need of total renovation so this was always on the cards however the scale of which grew as our family grew.  We are currently in the midst of a roof conversion, this will be a playroom/ study.  Outside we are doing a single story 32m2 extension and a revamped garden which will be both practical and fun for the boys as they grow up.

The biggest issue we are facing is natural light, it is quite dark and sheltered where we are so getting as much light as possible into our house was always going to be a challenging issues.  We debated at length and considered the cost trade off and in the end went with Velux, 4 in the roof conversion and 6 in the back extension.  We had considered a long narrow roof light for the back extension however when we discussed with our architect his expert opinion was the Velux would give a deeper light and penetrate more in the older part which as a result of the extension was going to get even less light.    See here for some further information and some inspiration. We are probably about 40% through our project so check back over the coming months for updates and pictures of the finished project.

 (Source: http://www.buildinginspiration.co.uk/)

My three year old has really taken an interest in the building particularly his new play space.  He asked the Dada Fairy to build him a tree house, not sure about this myself!!

We have trawled the internet many times over the last few weeks and finally agreed on this.  I actually think the addition of a firemans pole sealed the deal for my Fireman Sam fanatic! On a serious note an all weather playhouse will be a great addition to the revamped garden so hopefully the by the time we get to finalising the garden the budget will have some left for this.

Note: this is a collaborative post however all views and opinions are my own as always.

As you already know I am a mother to two beautiful (but very busy) boys ages 3 and 11 months. My close friend has two girls aged 5 and almost 3 so we are forever comparing note (in a very light hearted way!!) . I have absolutely nothing else to base this on but the time we spend with her lovely girls, which incidentally is quite a lot, that leads to me rationalise how I know im a mother of all boys!

1 – Shoes

I am FOREVER buying new shoes for my pair, they run, jump, hop, skip, fall, fall again and their shoes get destroyed. On the other hand my friends older girl has passed most of her shoes down to her little sister.  My oldest barely gets to the end of a month let alone keep them in good enough condition for his little brother to use them.

2 – Toys

I let them pick whatever toys they want, im totally in favour of gender neutral play and toys.  At the moment my oldest is totally drawn to all things Avengers related. I can talk superheroes with the best of them.  What I do notice most about the toys, is my pair have them destroyed in no time! Between wanting to take them apart to see how they work – to rough play with them.  However my lovely friends girls, their toys generally remain intact for far longer than they do in our house and get passed around cousins etc.  No such luck here.

3 Food

My boys eat A LOT. I am not exaggerating, the catch phrase in our house is “what can I eat now” I hear this relentlessly from morning to night. Boys, or maybe just my boys eat soooooooo much.

4 Clothes

No different to shoes, they boys go through a serious amount of trousers! They love being outdoors so this means a lot trousers end up torn or so mucky that is pointless to even contemplate washing! I don’t mind this one bit, its good for them being outdoors but my laundry basket is forever full.  I’m also like a demon when I see sales on boys tracksuits! I do stock up on cheap ones in sales especially for the summer months where they spend vast amounts of the day outside.

Any other mothers with boys feel the same? Please tell me its not just my pair of always hungry, outdoor loving, toy destroying, loveable rouges.

Take care

~Mamma F

That sibling bond

As regular readers will know I have 2 boys, the oldest is 3 and half and the youngest will turn 11 months tomorrow. What I have noticed of late it’s the incredible bond that is forming between the two boys. It melts my heart every time. It has happened without any prompting from us, the 11 month old has started to come into himself, he is interested in toys, interested in play, he is nosey, he is determined and inquisitive. This has made the 3 year old stand up and take notice….actually I have a play mate. Slowly mammy isn’t being asked to be the Robin to his Batman, the Jessie to his Woody, the Milly to his Gio ( Team Umizoomi!).

That touch

The gentle reassuring touch that the 3 year old has towards his little brother, I first noticed this when we picked him up from playschool. Each day without fail, he gently rubs his hand straight away when he comes out the door, it’s a gentle reassuring touch as if to say “its ok im back”.

That kiss

First thing in the morning when the little man wakes up, he calls out, not for Mamma or Dada, he wants his big brother who duly obliges and jumps in the cot beside him. Straight away little man gives him a kiss. He isn’t generous with those kisses, it takes a lot of asking and coaxing for him to give them away!

That sharing

I fully anticipated when the little man came along big man would feel a little put out and there will be constant arguments over toys and not sharing. However this didn’t happen, not yet anyway. I am amazed at his willingness to share his toys. If the little man decides there is a particular toy he wants and big man is playing with it there isn’t a drama, he lets him touch it or even use it. He seems to know the fascination will be short lived and he will get it back quickly. I know it wont be like this forever but im enjoying it while it lasts.

The bond between them warms my heart every time, I know over the years there will be many ups and down but I truly hope this is the foundation for a lifetime bond.

Take Care

~Mamma F

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

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

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.

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

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!)

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

This phrase bugs me, I mean really bugs me.

I have two amazing little men, a three year old and a five month old. The littlest man was barely born when I first heard this comment, in fact it was one of the mid wives who said it to me.

I had two difficult pregnancies, which included lots of medication and lengthy hospital stays, resulting in two c sections. I am so thrilled that my little men are fit and healthy boy, girl or otherwise pales in insignificant. Each nine month stretch was marred by worries, endless appointment, tests, scans – I look at those two men and think wow, how are you so perfect – my tough little cookies.

Each time that comment is said to me, I smile and nod politely however inside im screaming “do you not know how blessed I feel, to have such a tough time bringing them into the world that it really does not matter”. When my husband was telling people about the youngest man’s arrival into the world, somebody even said to him “congrats, but is your wife disappointed it’s not a girl?” The latest variant of the comment was said to me last Saturday night in out in our local restaurant – “you need a girl to look after you in old age”. Really?? Is that so – to be on the safe said ill put a bit by now for my own nursing home care.

I remember another incident when my first was born my friend had a girl a couple of weeks previous and the following sentence after the initial congrats was “I’m delighted I had a girl as a son is only yours until he gets a wife where as my girl is for life”. It might have been the hormones but I cried, real big tears when she said that to me, sure I’d only just brought him into the world, I have no intention of giving him up – not ever.

As a matter of interest I asked a close friend who has three girls and it was never ever said to her…sure you have to go again for the boy. Why do people give one gender precedence over another, why do I have to have a girl??

Yes, of course, if it happens I’ll be thrilled and she will be loved unconditionally like her brothers. However, if the Mamma Fairy house is destined to be made up of male fueled madness that’s ok with me too.

Dont forget voting continues for the Maternity & Infant awards – The Mamma Fairy is nominated in Best Parenting Blog (See For the Family Section).  Link here to vote – just scroll down to the “For the Family” heading and there we are half way down. Many thanks

So excited to be a finalist for best parenting blog

1 – The build up

This is key in my mind. Long before the actually training was underway we spoke about him going to the toilet, being a big boy like dada. While I would be filling the bath id let him sit on the toilet minus his nappy and often times he would go but not really realise what was going on. We bought a potty closer to the time and left it in the sitting room. At the start he firmly believed it was his new chair!! We kept explaining to him the purpose of it and he began to understand. My sister bought him a book called Pirate Pete which tells the story of Petes potty training. He loves his bed time story so this was a winner in the Mamma Fairy house.

2 – The supplies

I think in relation to the supplies side of potty training getting the child involved is crucial. We went together to Dunnes and he picked out the big boy pants he wanted. He also picked out the step for reaching as he calls it the “big toilet”. He picked out soft toilet wipes and a seat insert. Armed with his supplies he completely unprompted told the cashier he was a big boy now no more nappies. I took my cue from that and when we got home we “binned” the nappies. (Not really – my sister in law got them and the nappy bin, i didnt even know I needed such a thing until I had the boys see link for  more details on best diaper pails!). By letting him get the supplies etc, it became his decision to ditch the nappies.

3 – The patience!!

Without question the hardest part of the entire potty training journey. You need patience and an abundance of it. What we did was spend three days almost entirely house bound minus nappies, trousers etc. Every 15 mins on the button I lifted him on the potty, explaining to him all the time what was happening. Day 2 was pretty much the same only I started noticing him sitting on the potty without me putting him there. Day 3 another big improvement he began to realise himself what was happening and would go without me lifting him. Remarkably on the night of day 3 we woke up and he was completely dry. We have not had one night accident since he started, if he needs to go during the night he calls us and we take him, no drama and straight back to sleep. During those first 3 days there were of course the odd accident but it is essential you do not give out to them for it, it’s a learning process and getting cross will only set them back.

One thing that I will say don’t try to train them too early my son was 2 months shy of his 3 birthday as I was waiting for him to be ready. Some of the cues I noticed were him asking to have his nappy changed, telling me he was dirty and asking more questions about the toilet. My own mother gave me a great tip and that was not to get him too used to using only the potty and only in a specific spot so once I felt he was established, I would take him to the “big toilet” or when he went to my mothers house she had a different potty. It meant he was comfortable going in any toilet as I have friends who need to take a potty with them anywhere they go!

Hopefully the above helps and let me know how you are getting on.

Take care

~Mamma F

Note: This article reproduced below was written by me originally for Family Friendly HQ – see here

When people hear I am a working mother I often get those pity looks as if …..poor woman having to work with a young family. The truth is I choose to work. I like my job, in fact I even enjoy my job. I studied Business and Economics at Trinity College and went on to become an accountant that was over 10 years ago. Since then I have married an amazing man – a fantastic husband and a loving father and had two beautiful boys now aged 3 and the youngest is 4 months. Being a working mother isn’t easy, it has many challenges, it has good days and bad days. The key is to be organised and I mean super organised, I have lists about lists! I set out every evening for the following day, from clothes for myself and the boys, to tasks right down to the breakfast dishes for the following morning. Appointments are scheduled well in advance, diaries are synced. Being organised makes it a whole lot easier as too does having a great support network around you. I am lucky to be able to have both.

Of course I do feel the so called “Mummy guilt” being away from my children, however I make the most of the evenings, the weekends, the holidays. Once I come in the door everything else can wait, that time is time with the boys, the same goes for the weekends.

Growing up with working parents instilled a very strong work ethic in all three of us, we all went on to professional careers. Becoming a mother shouldn’t mean a switch goes off and you sacrifice the hopes and dreams you once had, you may have to take a different path but you can still get there in the end. I know I haven’t given up the goals and career aspirations I have set for myself. I do however accept that it will take a lot longer to get there but that is absolutely fine. The road may be longer but taking my boys on the journey with me makes it all worthwhile.

Being a working mother isn’t for everybody, for now at least I feel it is for me, as there is some grain of truth in the old saying – “Happy mother, happy child”.

Take care

~Mamma F

When I was pregnant with my first son, my own mother said to me to have an emergency kit as it will be invaluable as kids have a habit of falling ill at 10.01 just as the late night pharmacy closes. I took this advice on board and created my emergency kit and if im honest it really is invaluable especially as when kids fall ill, teething etc, you cannot say to them – wait until the morning until the pharmacy opens therefore being prepared is key.
Below are the items I have in mine:
1 Thermometer – I have a Vicks one I received as a gift, it’s really easy to use.

2 Pain relief – my emergency kit contains both Calpol and Nurofen and a recent addition has been Paralink

3 Teething relief – Calgel and Teetha. I have found teething can be worse when they are lying down at night time which is why I keep this handy just in case.

4 The Sniffles – Snuffle babe is the baby version of Vicks and I find it great for rubbing on feet when either of my two are a bit sniffly.

5 The Falls – plasters and lots of them in all shapes and sized!!!

6 Nappy rash – Caldescene cream and powder, find both brilliant for nappy rash.

My emergency kit also contains a list of emergency numbers, just in case – such as regular doctor, out of hours doctor and local hospital.

Ps – I am not a doctor or pharmacist!! And make sure to keep all medical supplies well out of the way of teeny hands.

Is there anything else you would add to yours?

Take Care
~Mamma F