About my Baby #2

It's almost been a year since my first post about Emily so I think it's about time I give you an update.

Emily finally started walking when she reached 17 months old and this is probably considered late as it is common for a child to take their first steps around their first birthday. Although it turned out that Emily was waiting until she felt completely confident in her ability to walk as when she started she hardly stumbled.

We stopped using the pram shortly before her second birthday as she hated being in it and it's hard to hold onto a pram when you're also trying to keep hold of a very wriggly child. Any parent knows this struggle, am I right? (The picture below was taken on her second birthday)

Talking hasn't ever seemed to be a problem for Em, and believe me when I say it makes life so much easier when your child can tell you what they want. That being said it can be a little frustrating when they are demanding a drink and bashing their head into your crotch when you are trying to finish the washing up! But at the end of the day hearing your baby sing along to Thomas and Friends or say 'love you' makes everything worth it.

She has recently started pre-school and absolutely loves it, she didn't even shed a tear on the first day when me and daddy disappeared (nor did I, but I got a lot of housework done). We only have her in school for a couple of mornings a week and she's getting a little more comfortable around other little ones, which was my main reason for starting her schooling.

Thomas and Friends has become a recent favourite of Emily's, although she really enjoys many TV shows. Peppa Pig is still very loved too, and the Minions, and Frozen..

I hope you enjoy this update about my baby, and I will probably keep calling these updates About my Baby, simply because Emily will always be my baby.

See you soon
xx

50 Random Facts about Me

This is going to be tricky, lets get to it.

1. I forget things really easily
2. Folding the laundry is my favourite chore
3. I really want to teach myself how to do acrylic or gel nails
4. Rainbows and hot-air balloons instantly make me happy
5. I can open my eyes underwater
6. Professor Layton is the best game series and makes me feel super clever
7. I say sorry way too much, I once said it when I walked into a building post
8. I fear that I talk about myself too much when I'm talking to friends
9. My favourite day of the week is Monday
10. I'd love to have a career in criminology or investigating crime scenes
11. Anything that is even the tiniest bit sad has the ability to make me cry and I've only been like this since I had my daughter.
12. I failed Chemistry in college even though I decided to re-do my first year (I finished with an E) and I blame baby brain for failing the second year completely, it's a real thing I swear!
13. I use exclamation points a lot, I have to cut them out a lot whenever I'm writing a blog post or even a text or Snapchat
14. I was in foster care for two years and then supported board and lodgings for two and a half years
15. I only moved out of supported board and lodgings because I was 8 months pregnant and wanted to bring my baby up with my partner in our own house.
16. Me and Mark have been together for over four years
17. I got pregnant and gave birth at 19, and I don't regret it at all
18. When I told my mum I was pregnant she replied with "Shit happens"
19. My ringtone is Nelly - Ride Wit Me, but I don't want to answer my phone when it rings I just want to dance!
20. When I was 15 I had to have surgery to have a tooth removed from under my gum in order to have braces, had to have a couple milk teeth removed too. I was under anaesthetic for all of this and I really liked having the stitches in my mouth but I really don't know why.
21. Raw tomatoes should not even be a thing and they need to stop being added to pre-packed sandwiches. I can taste the contamination when I've taken them out.
22. Revising the theory for the driving theory test is so boring but so important. I should really get on and do that.
23. I once auditioned for a film that we heard about through school and instead of contacting me after they contacted my school teacher so I never got the chance to go to the follow up audition as she didn't tell me until we were back in school about a week after it was taking place. I still hold a grudge against that teacher.
24. The pictures on my phone are probably about 80% Emily and 20% selfies
25. The number one song when I was born was Meat Loaf - I'd Do Anything For Love (But I Won't Do That) 
26. I was born with blue eyes and they turned green when I was six or seven
27. I find it incredibly difficult to not lip sync to songs when I have earphones in, especially on the bus. Sometimes I want to dance too.
28. I really enjoy movies and TV shows, I have different favourites depending on what mood I'm in.
29. My favourite perfume was Kylie Minogue's Showtime, with the shimmer, but it's been discontinued and I haven't found a new favourite yet
30.  My favourite colour is green 
31. I'm super frugal when it comes to myself, I would love to spend a load of money on make-up and clothes but I feel that I can get by with what I already have, even if I have owned it for years
32. I once shaved my eyebrows off when I was in primary school and didn't think people would notice, I was so wrong!! I didn't know about the whole pencilling them on at that point so I rocked that look until they grew back. 
33. I hate, hate, HATE making hot drinks
34. I've never been abroad but have had a passport for about six years. 
35. If I ever have to date things on my birthday I almost always write my date of birth and not realise I've got the year wrong till much later
36. I didn't have chicken pox till I was 13
37. I have tried knitting many times, I can cast on and cast off and do straight simple stitches, I tried other stitches but I just couldn't get it
38. I have weighed the same since I left school over 5 years ago
39. Swans and geese scare the life out of me, but I do like ducks
40. Winter used to be my favourite season but now it's summer.
41. I'm a bit of a hoarder but I'm slowly trying to get rid of things that I haven't used for over a year.
42. My favourite kinda TV shows are real life crime stories, but after I've watched them I get all paranoid.
43. Me and my cousin used to skive from school at least once a week and people knew we were skiving because I'd turn up at school with new hair or I'd be messaging them on Bebo. 
44. I once came runner up in a 'Lovely Legs' competition although I was wearing skinny jeans at the time!!
45. If I could have any superpower it would have to be shape shifting because I feel that you can kind of cheat by shifting into a bird if you want to fly, or a cheetah if you want to be fast.
46. I drink way too much cola, about a litre a day or more. I will cut down one day but the more I try the more I fail.
47. My favourite childhood movie is 101 Dalmatians, and I class dalmatians as my favourite animal.
48. Michael McIntyre is my favourite comedian, and I've seen him live. Started tearing up when he came on the stage.
49. Gordon Ramsay's food shows are the best, especially Hell's Kitchen.
50. I didn't realise until last year that I didn't like turkey. I just always thought it was too dry but I've never been able to eat too much of it.

Well this has taken me hours to complete but here you go. Tell me a random fact about you :)
See you soon
xx

I Dyed my Hair

I have been on the fence about adding some colour to my hair for quite some time, and when I say add some colour, I mean slap on some bleach and bright dye and have really vibrant hair!

First of all I have used hair bleach before, I must have been around 13 maybe 14 and my cousin and her friends wanted to do it so I thought why not. At the time I thought they knew what they we're doing... quite frankly they did not! I had a big circle of my natural colour poking through on one side of my head, and it was right on the top few layers of hair so very visible! Embarrassing!!

I am not at all suggesting that you should do this, it's very damaging to your hair especially when using box kits instead of visiting a qualified hair dresser. This is the hair I started with.

Since I was to be using bleach there were some factors I needed to consider before actually committing. It was gonna damage my hair, possibly snapping off, going mushy (I don't even know what this means) or not lifting enough colour. Also it's not going to ever be the same as it was without bleaching, it's gotta grow out.
I only applied it to the hair parted from the ears down. I was too scared to put it on the top of my hair in case it came out all funky looking. I seriously regret this now, the final colour would have been ten times brighter if I did use the bleach all over. HEY, I'll learn from my mistake! I used this one (although this is not what I paid, I suggest you have a look in your local Bodycare).

Toning was needed a little as I didn't leave the bleach on long enough and there were a few brassy tones. Also I'm an idiot and forgot to apply the bleach on the hair around my left ear :( I used this toner as it was to eliminate those nasty brassy tones and, to be quite honest, it was cheap, just 99p in Bodycare! I personally feel it worked well, I would have been happy to keep the blonde but I set out for colour and I wasn't prepared to stop just yet. This is the toner I used.

I'm so bummed this is the only picture I got after toner, I didn't realise I saved it from Snapchat with that giant black box going across it! I thought I'd still include it though.

Putting colour on top of the bleach should be left for a couple weeks as the bleach really dries out the hair... but I'm far too lazy to wait, I did it the next day :P Plus the texture of my hair was a lot better than I had expected from the chemicals. I chose Carnation Pink for the lower section closest to my neck, then Turquoise for the middle section so when parted from ear to ear, and finished the top section with a mixture of Tangerine and Poppy Red (do remember I but these on top of a light brown hair colour as I didn't use the bleach all over)
I began by sectioning off the three sections and decided very early on the it was going to be difficult to do alone as you need to be able to see the back of your head, so I propose you get a friend to help.
The hardest task whilst doing this whole process was applying the colour to the areas where the colours separated in my hair, trying to make sure the sections weren't mixed at all. I started at the bottom and worked my way up, covering the roots before I work on the length. I did this with all three colours.

Excuse my weird face in this, also, can you tell I like Snapchat yet?

 

Turns out I didn't take as many pictures of the actual process as I had thought but here is the final result. The pink isn't half as bright as I wanted it to be but next time I plan on going full on pink! I'll take you through that too if you like? The main problem with these colours is that they fade pretty fast, which SUUUUUCKS!! But on the upside it means I can do the pink sooner providing I don't wimp out on the bleaching.

This is after about three or four washes. Pretty tame now!! The pink is only visible at the roots and it's my favourite bit!

Anyhow, we'll see how it goes next time :)
See you soon
xx

2016 Aims

I've never been particularly organised but I am one for writing lists... many, many lists. I started putting together a list of things I'd quite like to have achieved by the end of 2016.
The one thing I am pretty good at when it comes to making lists is being realistic. I know there is very little chance of flying to the moon, or becoming rich beyond my wildest dreams, but that's no reason to not have dreams and ambitions! (That being said I have no intention on flying to the moon)
Here is what I have written down, I'll add to it and cross things out as we progress through the year.

• Pass theory test
• Past driving test
• Get a car  

The above three are obviously all related to each other, I just really wanna get driving. As soon as I get on the road a lot of opportunities open up for us, I could take Emily on loads of exciting journeys!

• Move back into town. This won't matter as much when I finally pass my driving test but it would be a lot nicer to be living closer to our family.
• Get a new sofa. Mine is an absolute state, completely covered in stains (ok, I have since got a 'new' sofa, but it's got a few rips and tears in the leather so I'm still searching)
• Sign Emily up with a dentist. I understand I'm meant to do this when she reaches the ago of two but we do make sure her little teeth are brushed everyday.
• Get a rug for the living room. YES, I need a rug. Every single day Emily grabs a fleece throw and comes over saying 'Help me' until we put it on the floor just like a rug. I think if we actually have one we'd both be happy.
• Potty train... Now I realise I have to wait until Emily is ready, but I think she's getting pretty close to it. I mean she HATES sitting on the potty, but she tells us when she is wet or dirty and likes to be changed pretty often.
• Do a course or learn something new. Being a full time mum is the best thing in the world, I get to spend everyday with her, but that also means I get very little time to do my own thing. I really want to learn something new, I'm considering doing acrylic or gel nails, I'd probably teach myself to start off with and buy everything piece by piece.
• Buy Emily her school jumper. I genuinely can't believe that pre-school is right around the corner, there is a uniform for them but they don't have to wear it in pre-school. I think most of the children there wear the uniform though so I'll get it for Emily so she's not the only one without it. She's going to look so smart!

 Places and things for us to do as a family

• Zoo. Em knows a lot of animals now so the next time we go should be a lot more fun!
• Beach. I've not actually taken Emily to the beach yet, I was worried about her eating the sand or going to close to the water. Plus train tickets aren't exactly cheap and I never let myself ruin Emily's routine and she's not having daytime naps now so we should be able to go this year.
• Farm. Piggies, cows and sheep, how can that not be fun!
• Indoor play areas. We don't go to many, and a new one has opened near Emily's nanny's house so there are plenty of excuses to go to this one.
• Holiday. I'm not quite sure we'd be able to do a holiday this year due to funds, but it's nice to think about.
• Fireworks. I wanted to take her to the fireworks this year but they started at Emily's bedtime and she was zonked that night.
• Swimming. Last time we went Emily wasn't too keen, so I plan to take her more often so she starts to enjoy it.
• Peppa Pig World. Peppa is one of Emily's favourite things to watch, she's even learned many words and songs purely from this show. It cracks me up every time I hear her singing 'I'm a wigg-ey worm, I luff oo, how do you do, I'm a wigg-ey worm' so precious!
• Picnic. Who doesn't love picnics?!!
• Santa. Following the recent holiday Emily now calls Santa 'Christmas', so I think she'll love to visit him this year.

This year I feel Emily can understand a whole lot more and can enjoy many of the activities she couldn't last year, Here's to a great 2016!!

See you soon
xxx

Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure Review and Swatch

Firstly I must say that all views shared are my own and I have purchased all myself.

Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure nail polish is a little bottle that does everything in one. No need for a base coat or a topcoat and it also strengthens and helps nail growth. It always has a lovely finish and a decent size wand that doesn't leave any stoke marks on the nail providing you have enough coats. I find it dries rather quick when you apply two coats, this is a must when I use nail polish as my little girl doesn't let me sit down for too long. I guess it's quite a thick consistency but as long as you remove the excess from the wand before applying it, it really is manageable.
I have nine shades to share with you today (nine shades and ten nails, that's handy! Although I will change the swatches to full hand pictures when I actually wear it) and I've found them in Superdrugs, Wilkinsons and some I was shocked to find in Poundworld!

110 Wedding Glitters. A lovely gold and silver shade with glitters. I bought it thinking it was more silver but when I got home and used it I see it as mainly gold with gold and silver glitters, to be honest I think it's one of those that change in the light, I want to say iridescent? Please correct me if I'm wrong...  I am wearing two coats and I feel it's needed with this shade or it can look a tad streaky.

160 Shell We Dance. It is a very sheer pink, very natural and wears as a nude. Personally I love it as it gives of a very elegant finish, almost like a barely there colour but also really beautiful. In the pictures below I am wearing three coats as I like the opaque look but even one or two coats is enough for a touch of colour to your nails

320 Earl Gray. This is the first of two grey colours I have for you today. This is the paler one of the two and works better with my yellow under-toned skin. I don't really have much to say about this colour, I like it and it goes with practically anything! I am wearing 3 coats, it's fine with two just needed an extra one for a more solid finish.

372 Greige. I have no idea why this is called greige, I don't see any beige like shades in this at all but that's just me. This is the darker grey which I think makes my hands look ill (sounds odd I know) I only needed two coats of this for my desired finish but I think this is one of my least favourite shades.

639 Scarlet Fever. A deep, deep, blue toned red, quite an autumnal colour I'd say but it is rather dark. In fact I wouldn't call it scarlet as there isn't any orange in it at all. To be honest I didn't expect the colour to look so dark on the nails, I personally think the bottle makes the shade look slightly lighter than it is. This colour didn't stain my nails much only where my nail had broke. I used two coats, might have been able to get away with one but put another coat on anyway.

660 Pat on the Black. Obviously from the name it's a black shade, although I bought it because I thought it looked like a deep purple in the bottle. I don't get on well with dark nail colours as my hands are so pale but I wanted to chance it. When applying it you can actually see the purple with the first coat but it doesn't seem to photograph well at all, I will insert it but it just looks black. Unfortunately I very much doubt I'm ever going to wear this nail polish, it is just too dark for me.Two coats was enough.

826 Pique side. This is a lovely dark mint green colour with tiny gold specks that are barely noticeable. I love it. That's all I need to say. Two coats although I feel I should have added a third.

831 Cute-ture. What a cute name for a nail varnish, it's so princess-y. This is almost a Barbie pink colour, it makes me think of bubble gum.On my nails I think it looks a teeny bit orange toned, but I still really like it. Three coats was needed for an opaque finish.

843 Moulin Rose. A beautiful colour, a dark pinky colour with tiny glitter specks that I'm pretty sure are pink. If I'm honest I can see more beige in this than in the greige polish, A very pretty colour, it'll go with almost anything and can definitely be used for events and occasions. Three coats are needed for this finish as it's quite sheer. This picture is actually after washing up with no gloves, it held out pretty well!!

They wear for a few days without chipping, maybe not ten like they claim but a good four or five. Although expect a little more chipping if you don't wear gloves when you wash up, trust me I know!! They seem to average around £7 but like I said I found some in Poundworld so have a look around you might find your own little bargain!!

See you soon
xx

Well Hello There!!

Happy New Year!!!

Okay, I've been away for a few months but 2016 has arrived and maybe this year I'll be a better blogger!

It's safe to say that a lot has changed since the last few posts (well except the whole sleeping thing, that's still the same) and I guess I should write a little update. Don't worry, I won't keep you too long.

Emily is walking and talking very well now, she gets a lot of compliments on how well her speech is for a two year old *smug mummy* and I'm sure will improve even more when she starts pre-school. How she can already be old enough for nursery is insane, she'd still a baby!!

Recently I decided to start a new instagram for my hobbies, which at the moment is facepainting, feel free to check it out and make some suggestions. Like I said it is pretty new so I've not got many posts or followers at the moment, although I'm quite proud of myself for gaining the confidence to show everyone what I can do (even if it is very little, and amateurish).

Instagram

Leave a comment and let me know what you've been up to over the Christmas and New Year season!

See you soon
xxx

Sleep rant

I know that I'm not the only person in the world to have trouble sleeping, but to be honest with you that is not really the issue with me.
I am a fussy sleeper, and I don't mean that I must sleep with the window open or something like that; I mean that would be easy to resolve. My list of musts before being able to sleep is ridiculous in my opinion!!
I think the only way I could back this up is if I go ahead and share this list with you.
We're gonna get the bulletpoints out!!

• I have to be on the left side of the bed with my head facing outwards instead of towards my partner.
• My right foot must be snuggled into the sole of my left.
• The covers must cover my feet and be tucked under them, but also covering my head and wrapped around my right arm and over my ear so it feels blocked.
• There cannot be any noise; rain, wind, birds, anything!!!
• Also no lights. This is odd considering I wouldn't sleep in the dark at all until into my teenage years.
• My hair must be up in a low pony tail and quite tight, but cannot be touching my back. This is the one reason alone why I'm considering chopping my hair to shoulder length, but it requires a lot of maintenance when it's shorter and I'm not down for that.
• Clothes are kept to a minimum or I just end up taking them off anyway, small shorts are about the most I can deal with.
• I CANNOT BE TOUCHED. I'd love to fall asleep being cuddled by Mark but it just doesn't work :(

I need to know that I'm not the only fussy sleeper, let me know what you must do before you're able to sleep at night.
Also if there is anyone who has any tips on how to break these habits that would be great, I really want to be able to sleep in a different position and without the duvet on my head!

See you soon xx