Missing babywearing

Sitting here today looking at old baby photos of the kids and I would like to share some old Babywearing pictures with you all. I miss wearing my youngest, Babywearing made life so much easier, from shopping with a toddler, cooking dinner to soothing my upset baby. I hope you like the pictures and if you are new to Babywearing please comment and hopefully I can point you in the right direction.

Always important to follow the T.I.C.K.S. guidelines for Babywearing safety. I started back wearing when my little one was 4mths but I felt confident and had been taught by the local Babywearing community.  

 

 

My daughter first time in a back carry! I will always remember this day, I was at a local Babywearing meet and had so much helpful advice and support.

 

 

Miss this wrap so much. My favourite brand of woven wraps was Kokadi, the ones I owned were all 100% cotton but were always very supportive for baby and toddler.

 

Out shopping x

 

Catching some sun

 

Natibaby wovens are very affordable and will last from baby to toddler

 

Kokadi LOVE

 

FHI

 

So much awesomeness in one picture!

 

My middle child loved to wear her teddy when out and about while I wore her sister. Ergo and Ergo doll carrier

 

This wrap will always have a special place in my heart! After months of searching I found Ela in Germany. But yes I had her cut LOL

 

 

 

She turned out great. I wonder who owns her now?

 

Obi! My Babywearing days finished just before the Tula craze hit, back in the day Obi was on top :p

 

 

Yes clearly had a thing for Wonderland wovens

 

This was my first hand-woven made by Turkish Towel, it felt like silk and wrap like a dream.

 

Omg mind blank I can't remember this carriers name! But I do remember it being the most comfortable carrier I had ever used.

 

I have lots and lots more picture and many more wraps I could show but I think I will leave it at here. 

Do you babywear, what is your favourite carrier? 

Mumma is a winner

Since starting Mumma Loves Comps Facebook page, website and blog I have came across so many great competitions that I've been able to share with my Facebook likers, Google plus and twitter followers, but what I like the most is finding amazing Australian business and blogs.

I love when I check my emails and read "Congratulations", my heart gets a little flutter and a smile comes across my face. This is what happened yesterday, an Australian Facebook page and website that I absolutely adore called Let's Go Mum had a competition to Win 1 of 4 Bratz dolls. My daughter Charlotte loves Bratz so I did the quick Gleam competition and crossed my fingers and toes.



Mumma is a winner!

And I was 1 of 4 who won! As they say you have to be in it to win it. Can't wait for the "Hello my name is" Bratz doll arrives and I get to see my daughters eyes light up.

 

So this blog post is a huge shout to say thankyou Let's Go Mum, who does a great job at product & travel reviews for us Australian mum and dads, oh and competitions :) I love competitions that have a reason, I prefer competitions that have a review so I can read and see what the product is about- you can read Let's Go Mum's  review for "Hello my name is" Bratz doll HERE.

As a parent I want to read real reviews, I want to find a connection with what I'm reading, I want to discover what's hot and what's not from real Australian parents. This is what Let's Go Mum brings to us and I know you will love Let's Go Mum just as much I do.

Thankyou again Let's Go Mum xoxo

Starting spring cleaning late...

Been so busy I'm yet to start spring cleaning. Spring cleaning to me is all about decluttering, getting rid of all those extras and items that just have no purpose in my life. I do the 3 box/ bag way of sorting the good from the bad-

1. Box/ bag for items to keep
2. Box/bag for items to throw away
3. Box/ bag for items to donate

• Items to keep are the things that get used regularly, that you love and that have a place. If it is something you want to keep but doesn't have a home, make sure you find a home for it.

• Items to throw away, are all the things that are broken and that no one would love. If you find something you want to keep but needs to be fix make sure it gets done ASAP.

• Items to give away, are items that you no longer need or love but someone else would benefit from it. Once this box/ bag is full, be sure to but it in the car right away so your not tempted to take things out.

I'm using this blog post to list my To-Do list of decluttering. The main point of getting rid of the clutter is so that it is easier to clean.

Kitchen

• Pantry and spice cabinet

1. Keep all items in date- I like to utilize my plastic storage containers to make things tidy and easy to find.
2. Throw away any items that are out of date or won't use- some people might not keep just food items in the pantry
3. Giveaway- any non-perishable food items that can be donated to charity

•    Pots and pans, baking cupboard, appliances, cups, plates, cutlery etc..

1. Keep all items that get used regularly, all baking and appliances items that don't get used as regularly should be placed neatly and easy assessable
2. Throw away broken items 
3. Giveaway doubles, things you don't use but others would

As you can see with these two lists it quite easy to get started, other things to declutter-

• Under the sink area
• Bench top space 
• The dreaded junk draw

Lounge room and dining

My home is open plan, I wish I had a separate dining room from the lounge room :(

1. Keep items that you use and love but make sure they have a home! We have a toy box downstairs but I will be moving that back to their bedrooms upstairs, I'm constantly putting things back but they don't even play with it, they see it neat and tidy and instantly zero in on it with their amazing tornado powers. LOL
2. Throw away junk, broken items and don't forget to check under the lounge.
3. Giveaway- perfect time to head to Kmart to change your decorations but not till you have placed all the items you want to change in the car and dropped of to the local charity store.

Laundry and linen press

1. Keep all bed linen that gets used- a tip I love is to pair sets together by placing in the matching pillow case.
2. Throw away torn items, empty laundry liquid, broken pegs etc.
3. Giveaway- bed linen that doesn't get used

Kids rooms

1. Keep- toys that actually get used, books etc.. Kids clothes are what I dread the most-its time to empty those cupboards and get all the ones to keep neat and tidy.
2. Throw away- broken toys, ripped books, stained and holey clothes
3. Giveaway- clothes, shoes that no longer fit and can help a family in need. Toys that don't get played with

Kids rooms seem to take me the longest to get done, I have no idea how they accumulate so much stuff!

My room

1. Keep anything you love and use and make sure it has a home
2. Throw away anything that is broken, stained etc., just like the kids room
3. Giveaway- clothes and shoes that you haven't worn in forever. That dress your holding on to just in case one day it will fit.

Bathroom

1. Keep- items that get used but this is the perfect time to organise all your make-up
2. Throw away items that haven't been used in awhile. Did you know makeup have a expiry date? Bath toys that have seen better days
3. Giveaway, old towels to pet shelters, makeup that's never been used 

These are the main living areas in my home that I really need to declutter and organise. Like I wrote earlier, decluttering is so that it is easier to clean. So time to get out that pen and paper and note down where you need to declutter and organise.

• Declutter
• Organise
•  Clean

What are you favourite cleaning, decluttering or organising tips? Comment below x

Can you help? Mumma Loves Comps is on the hunt....

I am calling out to all my likers and followers to get the word out. Mumma Loves Comps is looking for an Australian business that is currently or is about to hold a competition or giveaway that would like to feature as Mumma Loves comps Facebook page pin-post for the duration of the competition, a spotlight blog post that will show off the competition and the business who is holding the competition and also feature on our spotlight page on our website.

This is a great opportunity to get more views and likes, I am offering this for free, I don't want anything In return. Mumma Loves Comps is about sharing great Australian competitions but also about getting the name of Australian businesses out there to a wider audience.

So if you know someone who would like to work with me please get them to message me through our Facebook page or our website xo

3 Little monkeys jumping on the bed

My partner and I planned on having one child together and I was fine with us being a one child family. I was able to return back to work when our son was around 6 months old and life basically continued as normal, but when my son turned 5 and started school....

I had a overwhelming urge that I needed another child, I hadn't experienced this feeling in the last 5 years and it wasn't something I could ignore to make it go away. I spoke to my partner about my feeling and he was deadest on "no more", yes I was torn and told my other half that I don't think our relationship will continue- I wanted a baby. Yes it sounds like I was giving him a ultimatum- give me a baby or go away.

In the end he said- "I will give you a month, if it is meant to be then its meant to be". So I had the implanon rod contraception removed and the month we actively tried for a baby- boom mumma was pregnant with number 2. Looking back now I don't know if I would of left if he said no or not but I know I would of resented the decision.

My partner actually missed our sons birth since we were told it was going to be some time before I gave birth, so my partner went to the car to grab the bag I left and by the time he returned, his son was born. So this time he wasn't going anywhere, I had a perfect waterbirth, no complications, no drugs and its a day I will never forget- it was perfect and our daughter was absolutely beautiful.

So now I have a planned baby, a baby sort of planned but we will call that a "if it happens its meant to be" baby, so where does number 3 come in?

Having a 5yr gap between my first and second child was bliss, I had time to rest while our son was at school. Don't get me wrong it wasn't all rainbows and perfectness- I won't get into the months of colic, screaming from 3pm to 3am every day. One thing that was easy which wasn't easy with my first was breastfeeding- my second took to it extremely easy.

So lets fastward 8mths, life is great, family feels complete, colic screaming has ended and breastfeeding is still going strong. My period had returned when little miss was 4 months old, I wasn't on any contraception and yes I had the belief that if you breastfeed that it is a natural contraception, so we were using the "pull-out method".

My period had been quite regular since it returned 4 months ago, so when I was a week late I was concerned and booked in to see my doctor the following week. The urine pregnancy test came back negative, I asked the doctor if I should have a blood test but he said no, I was 2 weeks late- if I was pregnant it would of shown up by now and since I was breastfeeding that can make my period act funny.

So a week later, I was experiencing headaches which is the first symptom I experienced with both my last pregnancies. So sent my partner out to buy a test, he was thinking it was all in my head and that it was pointless to test...

Yep a BFP! Confirmed with a blood test.

So now we have a planned baby, a if it happens, its meant to be baby and a opps how did that happen baby. And I wouldn't change it for the world. We had another daughter and as I can hear them laughing and playing I don't regret a thing but I can honestly say....

We are done! ha-ha- I feel our family is complete.


In the end, you will never regret the baby you had but might regret the baby you never had xo

Where your babies: A planned baby, a if it happens its meant to be baby or a "how the hell did you get there baby"? Comment below x
 

The loop Giveaway! How great is this x

GIVEAWAY CLOSED

This morning on my competition hunt for you fellow compers, I came across this great competition called a LOOP giveaway and as you may know Mumma Loves Comps absolutely loves finding out about Australian businesses, their products, competitions and sharing with you all.

7 amazing Australian businesses have teamed up to be apart of this LOOP competition. Its quite a great concept where you follow the posts on Facebook, like the page, like the post and then move to the next page which is linked in the post, until you reach the page you started on. I found this fun, new and exciting and I know you will too.

In this blog post I am excited to be sharing these 7 amazing Australian businesses with you and to send a huge thankyou out to them for planning and doing this competition for all us Aussies out there. Keep reading, link to the LOOP competition start will be shared at the end x

COMPETION ENDS: 25/10/15 at 6pm. Winner will be announced after 8pm on each business page. Prizes will be posted to winner, postage included.

Binky Bubs- Are giving away a Dinner Winner Plate and a... quad pack of Pram Pegs (winners choice of colour). 

What I love is that Binky Bubs is an 100% Australian owned and operated family run business that only sells things that they would buy themselves. To me that says they are passionate with what they do, so please check out their amazing product range for mums and bubs HERE.

Brooklyn Harvey- Brooklyn Harvey. are giving away a Triangle Ribbed Singlet (size 0). You can checkout their range HERE.

Serious cuteness warning! Brooklyn Harvey. is a unisex label for stylish babies and toddlers. What makes Brooklyn Harvey stand out to me is that their clothing and accessories are either handmade, hand printed or painted which makes them unique and rare and totally awesome! 

Little Birdie Boutique- Little Birdie Boutique are giving away a Bib and Headband OR a Bib and Dummy Clip in winners choice of size and pattern.

Little Birdie Boutique provides your baby with stylish accessories, dribble bibs, burping cloths, dummy clips and hair accessories. See their range and fabric choices HERE. I think I even spotted some confetti ;) Everything is made to order

Inspire Stocking Bundles- Inspire Stocking Bundles are giving away a Tolo Rattle Ball! Children's curiosity will be stimulated as they peek in this ball to see a... smaller patterned ball shake and rattle inside! Fantastic for encouraging crawling or walking to chase this toy around the room and cooperative play. Comes in a sweet gift box with lid.

Inspire Stocking Bundles sells unique Christmas gifts for 0-5 year olds. They take the hard work out by putting bundles together sorted into age appropriate groups ranging from Outdoor to Eco to bath time. All the gifts in the bundles have been chosen by a qualified educator and are from exceptional brands. Watch your little ones eyes light up on Christmas morning!

Their Bundles start from $19.95 and can be found HERE.

Mud & Co- Mud & Co is giving away a "I put the Lime in Da Coconut!" emulsified sugar scrub with kaolin clay- the perfect skincare treat for mummies and daddies to pamper themselves with. Now doesn't that sound divine!

With Christmas around the corner Mud & Co is perfect for gift ideas. They sell quality, natural, Eco-friendly, coconut oil cold process soap, coconut oil whipped body cream, lotion, shower gel. Inspired by coconut oil and clay. Now that sounds like something we all want and need in our life's x To see their range click HERE.

The Cats Meow Cloth- The Cats Meow Cloth are giving away a Hide and Seek Bag! Entertain your little one with this cool bag that has hidden treasures like pegs, buttons, shapes and bells for them to find in the window!

OMG!!! Pre-warning, before you click HERE, your going to be blown away by the awesomeness of these 100% handmade MCN! Its almost got me clucky to want a baby again just to buy all the cloth! Oh I also spied some mumma cloth too- I'm in love with this amazing business and I know you will be too. 

Miss Mily & Bel-  Miss Mily and Bel are giving away a Black and Cream Yellow Summer Collection Mummy Necklace and a Penny the Penguin Teether Toy.

Miss Mily & Bel are proud to supply mums & their bubs with beautiful BPA Free Silicone Teething Jewellery & Accessories. Their range can be seen and purchased HERE.

 

Seriously how great are these Australian businesses? This is the first time I have came across a competition like this and to have these 7 together at once is very lucky for us aussies. So lets get started, the loop starts HERE.

 

Comment below and tell us what you think about this LOOP competition- giveaway xo

Menu plan Wednesday

Today is the day I menu plan for next week, I do my shopping online Friday for delivery on Saturday morning. I've tried Woolworths and Coles, I have found Woolworths to be much cheaper, I get more for my buck. Where do you shop? Comment below. I've heard good things about ALDI but we don't have that chain here :(

I mainly use Taste.com.au to find meal ideas, our family pick a new recipe to try once a fortnight and keep to our family favourites mainly. I'm looking forward to doing other blog posts showcasing the way we make our family favourites.

*Please note- I am only meal planning for our family dinners

Saturday- Do I have to cook? hehe Might get the other half to cook tonight :p Chicken stir-fry with rice.

Sunday- Roast lamb shoulder with roast vegetables (recipe to come! I'm looking forward to taking pictures and sharing this one, pending on the weather I might even use the smoker) My partner loves toasties with the leftover meat

Monday- Spaghetti and meatballs- all round family favourite

Tuesday- Taco Tuesday! My favourite night of the week, I like to prep it all and let the kids make their own

Wednesday- Curried sausages- I recently discovered Keens curry base and OMG it is the bomb! The kids don't like curry no matter if it is or isn't spicy so they will be having plain bangers and mash tonight. 



http://www.mccormick.com.au/products/mustards-and-curries/keens-recipe-bases/keens-curried-sausages

Thursday- Roast chicken, peas, roast potatoes and gravy- this is  the kids favourite and mine too due to the taste and cost.  

Friday- Homemade pizza, I either make the pizza dough in the morning or if I have time, the day before. The kids prefer plain toppings, just ham and cheese, but my partner and I love to shake things up with the leftover roast chicken from the night before. (Will be posting about how we make our pizza dough) Best thing about homemade pizza is that the kids can get involved.

I will add to this post the shopping list and cost, this is just a quick overview.

Mumma Loves Comps would love to know if you menu plan and what is on your menu list. Help me plan next week, would love some new ideas xo