Kitchen Must Have for Busy Mums

This slow cooker is an absolute must have for lazy cooks like me. I can cook up a meal in a flash once the husband comes home. It's just so frustrating to cook a nice fresh meal and it sits there on the dining table getting cold and dry while you wait for the husband to get home. Mine has terrible time management and when he says five minutes it literally means one hour. So having a slow cooker eliminates all this time guessing and arguments when he does finally come home at a very late hour and me screaming at him for not calling me to let me know he will be late.

So with my Breville slow cooker I can prepare dinner in the morning and leave it to cook for a few hours or put in the ingredients a few hours before dinner and let it cook while I do something else.

Breville Ikon Slow Cooker

Plus, I got this book (below) for $15.00 at Borders on sale and it has really simple recipes that anyone can follow. I don't like long instructions and whole list of ingredients- simple is best! However there are not pictures but that's ok. Most things that are cooked in a slow cooker are all combined anyway so no need to present it in a certain way. It's so easy! 

Fix It and Forget It Cookbook

You can also purchase this book for around the same price at Book Depository- my favourite books store online and so much cheaper esepcially if you know exactly what you're want. I do still like to go to book shops and look at books. (then buy it online) No wonder Borders is in trouble!

My Sticky (and Stinky) Diet to Losing Weight

Having a baby is a life turning event and also a life turning change for your belly. I know mine will never be the same again. At first the weight just fell off during the first two weeks and it was probably due to a bit of baby blues and getting used to the whole idea of motherhood. Once I was getting the hang of this baby thing and was feeling like myself again- I was eating a LOT more and it was like I was pregnant again. So obviously I gained back all that I lost in the beginning.

I tried to eat less which made me even more hungry after a day or two eating of like a bird. Then I binge and ate really bad food. I just didn't feel satisfied. It is a very frustrating cycle! I had to stop myself from snacking and eating junk food. I was still eating chocolate and Ribena everyday which I thought was a pregnancy crave- I am not pregnant and still craving this!

Anyway I thought I might try to eat in small portions and eat when I am hungry. My weight still stayed the same- maybe I lost my metabolism after giving birth? I used to be able to lose weight quite quickly if I ate small portions. Not anymore. Boo hoo.

Now I am going to attempt at eating healthy snacks instead of the usual chocolate and ribena. I discovered natto and kim chee are a great combination with fluffy steamed rice! Plus it fills me up!

I found this Kimchi Natto Don and it's a great idea to add eggs on top.

Natto is a fermented soy bean and it's not everyone's cup of tea. But I love this stuff! Most people need to grow up eating this type of food otherwise I guarantee not many people can actually like this. It's a bit smelly, sticky and stringy to eat. My husband always gives me a look of disgust everytime I eat natto. He says it looks like sticky boogers on rice.

I gather that if this is low in fat and healthy for you it must help to lose a bit of weight too:)

Being a little podgy is worth it if I see this smile everyday!

Practical Shoes and Heels

My trusty Birkenstocks! I wear this when I am in a hurry to get out the door with baby strapped to my chest, handbag on my shoulder which leaves me with two hands free. Ok, I need at least one hand to push the pram- but sometimes I can nudge it along with my hips when I need to carry my groceries- which looks a bit funny to some people. Not very funny to me.

These shoes have been with me when I went for my (last) holiday to Japan and lasted right through my pregnancy till now. It's a bit beaten and black but it's still the most comfortable thing to wear on my feet right now. I am not sure what I am going to do when winter comes. I might still be wearing them and freeze my toes off if I don't find a pair of equally comfy boots soon!

So I went to do a bit of speedy shoe shopping while baby was sleeping in the pram. But of course I don't find boots. Instead, I stumble on a Nine West sale at David Jones and bought two pairs of really not practical shoes......

I was so indecisive that I bought two of the same shoes in different colours. Lucas was waking up and was going to scream the whole department store down if I don't feed him soon. So I quickly grabbed both and didn't think twice about it until later at home when I realised I won't be wearing them to anywhere, anytime soon.

Another pair of not very practical shoes but I LOVE it! I was so close to buying them online during a midnight feed and my eyes were drooping and blurry from scanning pages and pages of shoes from Steve Madden.com and then realising that they don't ship to Australia. I guess it was a good thing.

Getting Ready for First Baby

Having your first baby is exciting and you can easily go overboard and buy everything baby related because you think you might need it or just in case. However when your newborn arrives all they do is sleep, cry and feed and sleep again. It's a very simple (ok, not that simple) routine in the beginning so you don't need that many things as I learnt the hard way. I bought way too many things! It was like I was having triplets instead of just one little baby.

Ok so here is what I couldn't live without and what things you do need to buy before baby arrives. It is my opinion only and of course all mums have differing views on what is neccessary and what isn't. It's up to you to decide what suits you best:)

The first thing I bought is clothes. Actually the very first thing I bought when I knew I was pregnant was the Baby Bjorn Carrier. I didn't find this useful in the beginning because I hardly went out. But one month later- it's my life saver! You definitely need one of these. You can buy it before they pop out or later on. However, having a baby when you go out makes things a bit more challenging so I suggest you buy it before.

Alright, onto the baby clothes. I bought so many and in the end I just used Bonds singlets most the time- a white one and a blue one. I wash everyday so I just rotate them. (I had about 15 singlets in total which are still lying in the drawers with stickers on them.) 

 

And I also bought some Bonds Coveralls and Onesies. Again you just need a couple of each and just rotate. Unless you plan to do your washing once a week then I suggest you buy a few more. Keep to the same colours so you dont have to sort colours in the wash. I stuck with white or blue.

 Helpful Hint: Avoid clothes with too many buttons! It will drive you crazy during the wee hours of the morning when you change nappies in the dim lighting.

I love the Pumpkin Patch Sleeping Gown (below). It is easy to put on the baby (no need to go over their head) and the open end makes it easy for nappy changes. Also the open end can be buttoned up into pants.

Now onto sleeping items for baby. I used the Merino Kids Cocooi Wrap (below pic) to swaddle him to sleep. Newborns settle better when they are nice and secure. You can choose other types of swaddling wraps- there are many options out there! If you aren't good with wrapping then I suggest you go for the zip style wraps eg. ErgoCocoon or Woombie.

Avent Dummies- Some parents might suggest otherwise. Personally, I think dummies are my sanity saver. It soothes them when they suck and it also helps to stretch out his sleeping times so I can get an extra hour of sleep. Sometimes they just want to suck and are not actually hungry. I like Phillips Avent as they come with a cover. I'm just a bit of a clean freak. Although I heard that a bit of germs is good for their immune system.

Terry washcloths are so useful! I bought heaps and glad I did. You can use them for feeding to wipe milk spills etc. and I use them for bathing. I also use it to clean the tongue and mouth. It's so multipurpose and cheap! I bought mine from Target. I never use any muslin cloths. Never.

Here is a list of things that are also useful:

Cot- unless you want a bassinet but they will outgrow them pretty quick!

Change Table with bath tub- I live in a small space so this was great! You can also change nappies on your bed of on a chest of drawers to save your back. No need to buy a special change table for this! In the beginning I just used a laundry bucket to give him a bath. Then I transitioned to big tub at around 2 months.

Pram- unless you plan to use your carrier all the way but a pram is more convenient for shopping trips and walking in the park etc. Especially when they weigh a tonne later on!

Steriliser and Bottles- Some people don't sterilise or they use the good old big pot of boiling water to sterilise. However I find that with an electric steriliser it can save a lot of time! Bottles are a must- breast feeding or formula. You can give Daddy a go sometimes and you can take a break! I prefer the Philips Avent range.

Bath Products- I love the Mustela range and use the Bath oil and the cleansing gel. Smells like baby heaven to me:)

Baby Scissors- to cut those little tiny nails! It's scary at first but you become a pro in no time!

Bamboo Blankets- Soft and warm!

Nappies- I use disposables by Huggies. I would love to try MCNs (Modern Day Nappies) and will get back to you on that!

What I wasted my money on.......

Sleeping positioners- Lucas never moved much when he slept. He was swaddled so I don't think positioners were useful for me.

Sleeping and Breathing Monitors- I live in an apartment so I could hear him cry anywhere. As for the breathing, Lucas makes a lot of noise so I was never worried about his breathing. But I still get up and check once in a while just to make sure! It's part of my paranoid personality!

Muslin Cloths- they are only useful for prams as a sunshade or a bedding sheet. I don't use them to swaddle (not stretchy enough) or to wipe up mess. (terry cloths are good enough).

Sleeping bags- Newborns need to be swaddled so you don't need these until they're much bigger. But all babies are different so it's up to you to decide:)

Bibs- I have not used any yet. Maybe good for when they start solids.

Toys- Lucas had no interest in toys until recently (3 months) so you can buy them later.

Bouncers/Swings- they outgrow them very quickly so I suggest you get second hand!

Nappy Bags- Most of them are so bulky and big they just lose practicality. I use a soft bucket bag to carry all his stuff. But if I am out and about with the pram I just use the pram storage compartments. No need to carry a big bag!

Nursing Pillows- I just use normal V-shape pillows which works just as good!

Nursing Chair- I sit on the lounge chair with my pillows. If I want I can turn on the TV but usually he wants my full attention!

Bottle Warmer- Didn't use it at all. Maybe if you are breastfeeding it will be more useful. Especially if you express and then keep it the fridge. Could be useful when they start eating food.

Hope this was helpful! Remember everyone's parenting style is different so it's best to start off simple and go from there.

Good Luck and enjoy the first few months! They grow so fast! 

How to get Bambi Eyelashes

Here is my secret to fluttery Bambi eyelashes- it works. That's all that matters. I know there are other products that claim they "work" and it's all trial and error for some but I can certainly say that this stuff will definitely give you to-die-for peepers in a few weeks! I've used it in preparation for my wedding and stopped it straight after when I decided to get pregnant. Now I am back on again. I miss my long lashes!

Here is the proof!

This is after two months of using Lilash. My lashes were pretty non existent before so this is pretty good without any mascara.

After. With mascara. It makes a huge difference to how your mascara can work for you. My personal favourite is Loreal's Volume Million Lashes mascara.

Makes any mummy feel gorgeous. Only when we have the time for makeup in our busy lives!

Impulse Buys

Was walking around town and spotted Marc Jacobs "Daisy" perfume on the stands. It was pink and the flowers looked so pretty- I am a sucker for packaging. So I bought it! I have no idea when I will actually wear it. I worry that the smell is too strong for my baby. At least it looks pretty sitting on my dresser!

How cute is this? I love Pacman! Another impulse buy- Pacman wall decals for Lucas's room when we move house in August. I bought mine from Etsy. Or should I go for a Super Mario theme?

Lucas is 3 Months Old!

My little boy is growing so fast before my eyes! I'm not sure whether to cry or be excited? I can't wait till he can start talking- it does makes things more easier for me! At least I will know what he wants instead of trying to work out all his different cries- he has many many cries and puts on his usual grumpy face. Especially after a poo. haha

Now he is three months he is definitely smiling more and recognising people's faces. He knows me and daddy's face and always greets us with a smile in the morning:) So very cute!

He is starting to grabs things now but drops it almost immediately after.

He has a very strong grip!

He also likes to chew on everything- especially likes to drool all over my shoulder and grab my hair too!

He finds his hands very interesting! He can spend many minutes just looking at them!

He isn't interested in Daddy's hands though.....

This is so cute! Hope everyone had a good easter break- I am so looking forward to Mother's Day and having my break. Daddy promised to look after baby while I get some sleep. Yay!