It’s a crazy thing having a baby. No sooner than those first precious days are here, it seems that time fast forwards until you don’t know how you got up to that first month. Which is why I feel it’s so important to keep a record of the first weeks when it all happens. Alice’s first scrapbook by Potato Print* was just the thing I was searching for in an album- its personalised cover and blank centre left it open for me to get creative.
The ‘first adventures’ album is £25 and lets you choose the front cover text and photo. It also comes with handy labels inside for you to add in wherever you choose. The date markers are such a clever little touch!
I decided to use the 30 pages to document Alice’s first four weeks, starting from day one…
I used the sticky cut out flags for the important titles- such as meeting the great grandparents!
And of course we had to use up at least three pages for her photoshoot sessions on day 13 and 23 of her journey.
I ended the album with my favourite snaps of Alice with her mummy and daddy- that last one was taken on our one year anniversary and was the first day she started smiling!
Something like this would make an amazing new baby present or as a Christmas present too. I have a 10% off discount code for you to use: SAHARASPLASH10 so go get creative!
Thanks for reading Alice’s first scrapbook by Potato Print!
At just 24 days old, Alice took her first journey into the city. My sister Evie came along with us to help out during the day. We were headed towards Kensington at 10am (after a quick stop to get some hash browns) for a very exciting blogger event. Alice had been invited to experience a baby massage class at Kensington Leisure Centre hosted by Spa Experience.
I was a little nervous about taking her out for an entire day after just little outings, but as per usual she was brilliant.
It was also the first time taking out my Fact + Fiction baby bag!
We arrived just in time and the setup was carefully laid out for mummies and babies.
Our Spa Experience instructor Neji talked us through what to expect throughout the class and it was super relaxed and chilled out. We got Alice out of her nappy, thankfully she had just done her business so we were safe!
We used the oil provided to practice massaging the legs which is the easiest part to start with as baby massage beginners. We practiced the ‘Swedish milking technique’ which uses both hands. You go from ankle to thigh with one hand while keeping hold of the ankle with the other. We also used ‘rolling’ on the legs and she loved the ankle circles!
We sang songs to create a lovely atmosphere, and by this time Alice wanted to have a feed and walk around to see the room so we listened in on the last part of the class.
After a boosting smoothie, the mums were treated to mini spa treatments and so I opted for a back neck and shoulder massage.
Thank you so much to Spa Experience for inviting us along to the baby massage class- we had a fabulous time and have been massaging at home ever since!
Happy Friday guys!!! I’ve got something really exciting to bring you this fine November day wherever you may be. If you are getting into the Christmas spirit, my Big Fat Christmas Beauty Gift Guide 2017 will be sure to help you on your way. I’m guilty of watching a few festive films and having a mince pie already so go on, get your tinsel and Shakin Stevens turned up!
Leighton Denny Expert Nails AW17 Heritage Collection
I’m in love with these vibrant yet classy colours from Leighton Denny’s AW17 Heritage Collection. The nail polishes are available at £12 each or you can get the whole beautiful set of 6 for £65.
Sweethearts Hair Detangler Spray
This is a super sweet treat for a really different stocking filler to your usual chocolates and socks. Wow your friends and family with a little haircare essential for that friend with frizzy and knotty hair- that’ll be me! Sweethearts Hair detangler is just £5.75.
Bloomtown Christmas Beauty Baubles
To add that wow factor to your gift giving, Bloomtown have combined a bit of festive cheer along with some of their amazing beauty products. All 100% cruelty free, you are definitely spoiling someone’s Christmas tree with this charming bauble trio at £25.
Dr Botanicals Apothecary Collection
Another perfect idea for a 100% natural and vegan friendly present- here are a few from Dr Botanicals new Apothecary Collection. There are ten different products to choose from in the range- here are the kale, artichoke and pomegranate superfoods! £17-£32.
Makeup Revolution MYSIGN Elements Collection Eye Palette
Such a great concept for a quick and easy but personalised gift. Inspired by your zodiac sign, Makeup revolution and MYSIGN have created a makeup range tailored to your star sign- how cool!!! The palettes are £6 each, so why not get one for yourself too?!
The Head Candy range has been a long standing favourite of mine- these are well used in salons and so you’ve probably seen and tried at least one of these ranges before. They smell divine and you can purchase smaller sized bottles at a great price- under £5!
ProBlo CurlMe Collection
This gift is for someone truly special in your life- maybe a sister, best friend or someone you really want to treat this year. The ProBlo CurlME set comes with six different sized barrels, the detachable handle, clips and a neat little travel bag. I featured ProBlo in my top beauty picks this summer so it’s a range that comes highly recommended by me. Preorder the CurlME set now at £35.
Sadly we have come to the end of the magic- I hope you loved my Big Fat Christmas Beauty Gift Guide as much as I did creating it for you. Let me know in the comments if you’re planning on getting any of these gifts or putting them on your own Christmas list!
Can you believe it’s less than 7 weeks to go now until Christmas? Sorry for putting the C word out there to those of you still in denial that we are almost done with the year! Seeing that the end is now upon us, I’m doing a post on the best and worst moments of 2017. It’s been a pretty life changing year for the Schaefer household, and here’s why…
January: I’m pregnant!
So this was probably one of the best starts to the year we could possibly have asked for. Finding out I was pregnant just weeks after our wedding, it didn’t quite seem real. It took me a while to get used to the idea- then my tummy started growing and the reality set in!
May: Last holiday of the year to Dubai
Paul and I were just in time to take our annual trip over to Dubai before I became too pregnant. In May we made our way over and had (as usual) one of the best Dubai holidays* in just a short space of time. We stayed with our extended family, saw the godchildren, did a bit of baby clothes shopping and had a rather amazing time. See the blog post here.
June: Goodbye Harley
June saw us say goodbye to Harley, our Harlequin Great Dane. He was 13 years of age and such a huge part of my life. I had accepted that it was his time for a while as he had started going downhill in 2017. In June we made the hard decision to let him go and now I like to think he is running around as wild as can be.
August: That freak hay bale accident
Yes, a freak hay bale accident occurred in August. Paul and I were setting up Alice’s cot in her nursery one afternoon when we heard the loudest crash from the living room. We came in to find that our entire wall had a huge crack, the skirting board was jutting away from the wall and the entire contents of our bookshelf was in disarray on the floor. As a hay truck drove past, one of the bales had come off and tumbled into the side of our house! Don’t worry, it’s all being fixed up next year and is structurally sound, but for now our living room sort of resembles that crack in the wall from Dr Who!
October: Hello baby Alice
After what seemed like the longest wait in September, baby Alice arrived on the 16th October- just ten days late! I had the perfect birth, just how I had planned which I know I was very lucky to have. I also had three birth partners with me the whole time- my husband, sister and Mum who all played vital roles and I couldn’t have done it without them.
I’m allowed to not look my best during labour right?!
October: One week post partum nightmare
After the birth, things took a turn for the worse in terms of my health. I had a terrible 5 days of shortness of breath, and physically not being able to even walk to the bathroom by myself. I ended up being re-hospitalised the weekend after Alice was born and it turned out my red blood cell count was to blame. As soon as I had an intravenous iron drip I was instantly better! I just wish I had known what was wrong earlier as it did put a spanner in the works for Alice’s first week here. My family stepped in to look after her while I couldn’t, and I now know for next time what to look out for earlier.
Here’s my expressing efforts that had to happen during the night in hospital- wouldn’t wish that on anyone!
Not wanting to leave on a worst moment, I’ll leave you with a moment I am looking forward to…
November: Our one year wedding anniversary
Paul and I are imminently close to celebrating our first wedding anniversary. It’s crazy to think that one year has passed since our two day wedding ceremonies. If you haven’t seen the pics then head over to part one and part two. To celebrate, we will be eating our final piece of wedding cake which we froze, having a bottle of wedding champagne which we saved and going to see the Justice League- badass!
Saharasplash x
Thanks for reading the best and worst moments of 2017. What’s been your best and worst moment of 2017?
This week we are celebrating National Spa Week. There’s nothing I love more than a good old pamper, whether that’s getting a massage, manicure or a more specialist treatment like experiencing a non evasive face lift from Facegym! So, I’m here to show you how to get involved and start celebrating National Spa Week with #QSPAINABOX. Q Hotels have come up with a spa-at-home experience that you can get inspiration from and get pampering today!
As a new mum, it is a truth universally acknowledged that ‘me time’ is now being shared by ‘baby time’ as well. These past few weeks it has been a huge accomplishment if I have managed to drink a whole cup of tea without it going cold or brushed my teeth before lunchtime. Though I have this new commitment, which I would not change for anything, I want to make sure that I haven’t forgotten myself along the way. I am still the same person, even if that means swapping a spa day out for a spa day in.
Q Hotels have provided an incredible selection of products I want to share with you so no matter how you like to get your R and R- there is bound to be something here that floats your zen boat!
Jessica Phenom Instastyle Fall Collection
Inspired by the latest styles, these three on trend colours along with Finale Shine top coat will have your look completed for the next big event.
ESPA Optimal Skin Introductory Collection
This collection will nourish, balance and restore the skin ready for winter. Included is a procleanser, a 3-in-1 cleanser, exfoliator and mask, a toner and a proserum. A great way to refresh your skin routine or add to your Christmas gift list at £26.
Mii Cosmetics
If you’re not into nails and you already have a skincare routine that suits you, why not give Mii Cosmetics a go? In the #QSPAINABOX I found their Power matte lip creme, Glamourous trio face bronzer and Showstopping Lash Lover mascara. This trio will have you ready in a jiffy when looking for a quick makeup turnaround!
Find some time today to get celebrating National Spa Week with #QSPAINABOX and do it your own way. What would you like to try? Send me a message over on Twitter or comment below!
Saharasplash x
Check out baby Alice as she rocks her first post with a special Rockbox gift box!
I will tell you, this week has been a tough one. Parenthood is unexpected and wonderful and brings many happy moments, but with those moments there comes a certain amount of heartache and struggle too. There are countless times in the day where I think to myself ‘I’m not doing the best I can for my baby’. I have a huge amount of support around me, and I never think for a second that my baby isn’t safe or loved, it’s more down to the little things- could I have prevented that baby meltdown for example or gotten her changed a little quicker to avoid upset. These feelings I know are absolutely normal and I just have to roll with it. Alice is a pretty chilled out little thing for the most part, and although I don’t feel like a rockstar as much as I used to, here is how my baby is a mini rocker with Rockbox.
The Rockbox company designs the most incredible bespoke gift boxes for different types of people and occasions. You can browse the site for ready made boxes, or you can create your own with an array of gorgeous products, cards and accessories for that personal touch. This is the Mini Rocker gift box which is perfect for a gender neutral arrival:
Included in the mini rocker box is a cute little xoxo postcard along with a Bibs and Booties UK set which I adore on Alice!
There is also a silicone teether ring in the shape of a cloud to match the monochrome vibes from Foxs Felts. She will need a little more time to start using this!
Here are the cutest booties with raindrop pattern to match the bib:
Alice rocks them wearing nothing else, and we can’t wait to match them to an outfit for a trip out soon. She is definitely a mini rocker already, from the way she is independent, strong and ready to go at any moment.
My baby is a mini rocker with Rockbox this week and I’m so proud to have this little star in my life- tears and fears included!
