thealiceiris Archives - SAHARASPLASH

saharasplash4 August, 2020

AD- Teaching my Toddler a Daily Routine

This is a sponsored post, all thoughts and views my own

I know what you must be thinking. It’s not as if I have all the answers, believe me. My almost three year old has such an independent personality, sometimes I struggle to get it all done every day. It’s been a tough 6 months for everyone, and we have had a lot to deal with in 2020 from moving house to imminently expecting the arrival of our new baby boy. I can imagine for a toddler all this change is hard to take on board.

We are trying our best as parents to raise our children the best way we can, and that way differs from family to family. You have to take into account so many aspects, and whenever anyone makes a comment about your child or their behaviour it can strike a nerve when you feel like you cannot do anymore than you currently are for them. People are too quick to judge and share what works for them, assuming it’s as easy as that. So this post on teaching my toddler a daily routine is in no way meant to impose into your parenting style/ solve your problems. It’s really important we share our victories and wins, however, and I’d love to let you in on what we are doing with Alice at the moment…

Dental care

The hardest 4 minutes in a day sometimes! Getting your kids to brush their teeth properly is an issue that I have discussed with many parents, and most of us do have a battle at some point. When they are gaining their independence little by little, it can be a mission to persuade them to do what you want them to do, especially if you are trying to get out the house. Alice had been brushing her teeth well until she hit 31 months (2 years 7 months). I have come up with a new technique that helps me out- pretending to be a dentist! ‘Dentist Mummy’ wants to inspect her teeth, make sure they aren’t dirty, and if they are, we need to brush them and make as many bubbles as we can! She really likes this imaginary play and it seems to be working really well for us.

Hair care

Another pain in the bum can be brushing your child’s hair. If they have hair prone to tangles and knots, it’s no wonder they run away from you when they see that brush! I’ve got a daughter with very fine hair, and this needs brushing through regularly to stop her wispy hair getting all tangled. I usually try and distract her with a tablet or a snack and sit her on my knee so she can’t escape. Sometimes she will like to take my brush and do it herself, but it doesn’t really get a proper brush this way. I’ve not found a hack to get her to keep a band or clip in so far, she just pulls it out. If anyone has any tips for me, leave a comment down below please!

Skincare

As you may know, I am seriously into skincare as a blogger. I am constantly trying new brands and testing out top class products from all over the world. Baby skincare is no different. It’s a fantastic opportunity to get to know my child’s skin type, what works and doesn’t work for her. Right now we are loving Sanex Kids head to toe wash. It’s incredibly mild but with a gorgeous scent that helps restore a natural pH to the skin. It makes lots of bubbles in the bath, and Alice loves using it as a hand wash too.

Hygiene

A subject on everyone’s minds for the foreseeable future no doubt is hygiene. Now more than ever, we have a duty to teach our children the importance of washing our hands and staying clean. Making sure you have hand wash near every sink and bathroom is a must. Our children copy what they see and take it all in so you are doing your kids a service just by letting them watch you keep clean. I always bring Alice along with me if I need to wash my hands before cooking or using the bathroom, and she definitely is picking up the habit all by herself. I have found myself becoming too complacent to reach for a pack of baby wipes rather than just using plain soap and water after snack time, and I’m glad that’s now changing.

This is probably going to be one of my last blog posts before giving birth, so I hope you’ve enjoyed it; I’ll see you when our family becomes a little bigger, and my tummy is a little smaller!

Saharasplash x

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saharasplash2 December, 2018

A Truly Alice in Wonderland Tea Party

It’s no secret that I have been slightly obsessing over everything Alice in Wonderland since having my own little Alice. I think this birthday party had been an idea in my head during pregnancy as soon as I found out I was having a girl and that we would name her Alice. So, a Truly Alice in Wonderland Tea Party was set in motion and I’m here to share a few moments from Alice’s first birthday party…

Sign by The Paper Butterfly

As usual, my head was filled with specific details and I couldn’t wait to get started with the preparations to see it all come to life. We had hired a village hall for around 40-50 guests so we had enough space for us all to have one giant tea party! I used artificial grass which we had kept from our wedding day, and this grass has come in so handy for other uses too! The decorations, plates and food looked amazing when everything was laid out.

Decorations by Talking Tables (the Truly Alice collection)

I had some beautiful Alice-themed biscuits made just for the occasion too, and I think we had about two left when the party was over!

Biscuits by Sisters that Bake

The hall came equipped with a kitchen so we were able to make guests any tea they desired, including this fabulous blend by Adagio Teas.

Some of my favourite flavours were in this special blend, and I can’t wait to explore more of the range this winter.

Tea by Adagio Teas

Party bags were waiting next to the most whimsical cake made by one of our local favourites.

Cake by The Cupcake Kitchen (Ipswich)

Now for some costume reveals. Of course Paul came dressed as the Mad Hatter. Alice’s grandad had an inspired waistcoat that fit so well with the theme.

I came dressed as a big Alice- clearly I couldn’t avoid the sign that said ‘Eat Me’!

Alice’s dress was a limited edition piece from Cath Kidston with quotes and delicate designs.

The Queen of Hearts was inevitably Alice’s nana, her auntie came as a very dapper White Rabbit.

It was such a special moment to see Alice blow out her first birthday candle, an incredible milestone for an incredible little Alice.

Thank you so much to everyone involved and all our friends and family for a Truly Alice in Wonderland tea party.

Saharasplash x

PR samples included, all thoughts and views my own

saharasplash14 March, 2018

Moving house with a baby is hard!

Since December I have been heavily involved in moving my Mum into her new house. For those of you who haven’t seen, my new house, new home for mumma post is right here for the before shots of the house. This house is only 5 minutes down the road from the old one mind you, but don’t think that this has made life any easier for us- moving house with a baby is hard!

My bedroom from my adolescent years has seen a lot of things come and go. Fashion, accessories, books and DVDs – yes I was a huge collector. It was definitely time to sort through my massive collection of keyrings and countless (yet now obsolete) electronic devices such as a portable DVD players, 3 laptops from 15 years ago and several out of date digital cameras.

Moving house is a mammoth task all by one’s own self, but throw a baby into the mix, and the task somehow gets very daunting and excessively drawn out. I’ve been going through my dated wardrobe, opening drawers I haven’t looked in for years little by little, and only now am I finally seeing an end in sight. I have a huge box for charity filled with trinkets, candles and such, but I also have a fair few boxes packed up for Alice when she is a bit older too.

This week I went through my entire book collection- about 15 copies of Twilight which I am not ashamed of at all- and moved over what seems to almost be the last of the possessions. They don’t have a home yet in our new bedroom, so at the moment they are residing on my mother’s living room floor- bad I know! Here’s a couple of shots of the tidy places in the new house!

So, moving house with a baby is hard! Almost too hard it seems now we are months down the line, and my sister’s bedroom is even more of a mess than mine (no surprise there). We’ve had a number of helpers, friends and family, to try and ease the load for us but we still have a long way to go. The dreaded loft will be opening its trap into a black hole of clutter from about 3 decades past, and I just know it’s not going to be a fun task!

If you are moving house and have a baby with you, I highly recommend you look into getting some outside help, like from themanvan.co.uk. They offer quick and friendly house and office removals and removal with packing service too! I genuinely think that one doesn’t know the depths to which their household goes until it’s too late, so think smart and get some professional help for your house and for your own peace of mind!

Saharasplash x

Thanks for reading moving house with a baby is hard! Go check out Alice’s mini style icon 3-6 month update HERE.

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