WHAT THE RUSHTUSH GLOW CLEANSE DID FOR ME

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My clothes were tight, gym tops even tighter, my level of tiredness and lack of motivation was skyrocketing while trying to remain positive and quite frankly, I couldn’t get my bottom into my lycra gym tights without feeling like a Heffalump!

This was all happening while stuck in the land of a serious plateau that just WASN’T budging and I felt as if my weight loss journey had come to a halt. I was frustrated and disappointed and literally wanted to dive head first into a box of chocolates and give up – we’ve all been there!

After sulking for an entire weekend, I decided to give the Glow Cleanse from Rushtush a go. I had read amazing things about it and had seen fabulous results from other REAL women who had tried it. Rushda had also had a baby around the same time as me and was on the same postpartum weight loss journey. And let me tell you, she kicks some serious ass in the gym!

In general, I am not a believer in meal plans and diets, but when you find yourself stuck in a place not fully understanding how to nourish your body properly and how to eat within a calorie deficit to promote fat loss, then the right plan can definitely come in handy and be beneficial. For me, the Glow Cleanse was just that! It helped reconstruct and refresh my knowledge that I had somehow lost over the last 5 years of how to eat healthy, keeping myself full and curb those 4pm cravings that tend to creep up on us!

The famous Hulk Juice!

The Glow Cleanse is a 4 week eating guide that is super easy to follow and includes a maintenance plan in the 4th week, which pretty much guides you with how to live your best life – eating wise. During my first week of the Glow Cleanse, I dropped 2.2kg – I mean, can you imagine the excitement, after being stuck in a plateau for almost one month? In total, over 3 months, I lost 8kg and -37cm in total all over my body. Goodbye size 16 and hello size 14!

The biggest loss of cm around was around my hips/butt at – 10.5cm, my chest/upper back fat at – 6cm and my kangaroo pouch (lower abdomen) at – 6cm. I had a mountain load more energy and started to feel a little more aero dynamic, being a little lighter! My skin also really cleared up and my nails finally stopped breaking! Totally giving the hulk juice credit for this!

What I really loved about the Glow Cleanse is that the recipes are all easy to make. They’re simple. They keep you feeling full and they’re budget friendly. I also found that there’s minimal waste when it comes to left overs, as the structure of the meal plan allows for them to be used up on the following days.

One of the delicious GC meals! Yum!

One of the most spoken about recipes from the Glow Cleanse is the Hulk Juice and Hulk Soup – they’re green, and packed with all sorts of goodness! YUM! Think roasted greens, garlic, broccoli, onions, spices and you have yourself a delicious, filling Hulk Soup!

Everything off the menu is FRESH and organic. There are no processed foods and you can say goodbye to things like bread, cheese, dairy, processed meats, refined sugars etc. The Glow Cleanse allows for delicious natural foods making up your smoothies and meals. Have you ever thought of pairing strawberries with chicken and almonds in your salads? Me neither, but learning to love new flavours together has become something that I’ve REALLY enjoyed through the Glow Cleanse journey!

What about carbs? Oh yes, don’t think that you have to give those up – they’re in there! Natural carbs like sweet potatoes, quinoa, bananas!

It honestly is such a rewarding feeling to see the results of eating correctly for health, and Rushda is on the ball with online support! No question is ever too silly to ask. Rushtush is taking the fitness industry by storm and helping other ladies reach their fitness and weight loss goals – together as a community!

She is also proving that postpartum weight loss is totally possible after having a c-section herself too, which gives me hope! While using the Glow Cleanse, I also used her 8 week Newbie Body Guide which has helped kickstart my exercise journey. It’s perfect for beginners as it is a step by step guide to the fundamental exercise movements. The guide is made up of 4 rounds of 7 minute circuit exercise movements, and it sure does get your heard rate PUMPING and those results in!

Below are my results from a combination of the Glow cleanse and Newbie Body guide after just under 3 months.

On the left is June and on the right is August 2018
On the left is June and on the right is August 2018
On the left is June and on the right is August 2018 – the saddle bags are finally budging!

I’m so glad that I stuck to the glow cleanse and Newbie Body Guide for 8 weeks, and then integrated what I have learned through this program into my lifestyle. I have 3 more months to try and reach my weight loss goal for our Christmas holiday in Cape Town and feeling super confident that the Glow Cleanse will help me get there!

Now that I am feeling stronger with my fitness, I am moving towards weight training in the gym and more cardio. I actually enjoy cardio – can you believe that?

All in all, my thighs and lycra gym tights are totally thanking you Rush!

Until next time,

Mycaila – Jade

xxx

P.S If you want to follow join and follow more of my postpartum weight loss journey through the ups and downs, head on over to my Instagram account @bootyandbeautyblog

HOW MUCH PLASTIC DO WE WASTE AS PARENTS?

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Throughout life, we are sometimes oblivious to the amount of plastic that we use on a daily basis and as parents, thoughts about plastic waste seem to escape us too. As mummy’s and daddy’s, we all want easy, cost effective, and convenience at our fingertips – but is this always best?

Sadly, we are all aware that our planet is suffering, but are we actually trying to contribute towards saving Mother Nature?  Simple gestures such as being more aware of our household waste, and to be aware of the waste that we leave behind as parents can go a long way. To be honest, I didn’t even know about half of the things contributing towards plastic waste that I used to use every day for my daughter, but since finding out the facts, I of course just had to share it with you!

Image credit : Eco by Naty

Did you know that only 5% of plastics are actually recycled properly? FIVE PERCENT, according to The Guardian. Statistics show that one refuse trucks worth of plastic is dumped into the ocean every minute. YES, every MINUTE! There are 1,440 minutes in one day, 10,080 minutes a week, and 40,320 minutes per month, roughly. With statistics like this, one wonders why we aren’t doing more to help our planet and reduce our waste.

For some reason, plastic is in almost EVERYTHING that we use on a daily basis. Because plastic is relatively cheap to produce, it is of course the number 1 option for the packaging of products. Currently, it is estimated that plastic production will increase 400% by 2050. FOUR HUNDRED PERCENT!

As parents, we tend to opt for convenience and cost effective solutions to many things. We might see a fabulous deal on a 10 pack of wipes, and naturally we think “BARGAIN!”, and in the trolley it goes. Is this really best though?

Did you know that there is plastic in baby wipes? Many of us do not realise this, but many wet wipes are actually made up of plastic resins, like polyester and polypropylene. These materials make it impossible for a wet wipe to biodegrade. Instead, they break up into tiny pieces over time, and release endless amounts of microscopic fibres into our environment.

Image credit: Eco by Naty

Every year, over 8.8 million tons of plastic from all sorts of products are released into our oceans. It is estimated that there will be more plastic than fish in our oceans by 2050. If this isn’t enough to make you want to help mother nature, then I’m not sure what is.

Plastic waste is of course a result of MANY things. I’ve put together a list of products that we use as parents that are contributing to the worlds plastic waste crisis as well as eco-friendly alternatives.

Plastic toothbrush

Did you know that 1 single plastic toothbrush takes 1,000 years to decompose? Try switching to a bamboo toothbrush. They’re super easy to find online. 

Plastic toys

This one’s a no brainer. Try and opt for wooden toys rather than the plastic ones, as it is far more sustainable and more gentle on our planet.

Bottled toiletries

This goes for kids and adults. Have you ever considered how many bottled toiletries we go through in one year, per person? Switch to solid soaps rather than bottled products, unless they’re eco-friendly bottles.

Shiny gift wrapping paper

We use these for our kids birthdays, normally. Try a plain, more sophisticated look with brown paper, and a non-plastic ribbon, or gift wrap that is made out of actual paper.

Wipes

As I explained earlier, many wipes have plastic in them. Try opt for eco-friendly wipes (Eco by Naty are fab!) or a damp cloth. Damp cloths are also super easy to take out with you in your kids bags, so that they are easy to reach.

Nappies

Did you know that just as wipes have plastic in them, so do nappies? Yes, strange, isn’t it? A fabulous plastic free eco-friendly nappy alternative is Eco by Naty nappies.

Nappy sacks

I honestly find nappy sacks to be the biggest waste of single use plastic. It’s as if you’re putting a nappy into a mini shopping bag only to put it into the bin?

Another eco-friendly choice of nappy sacks in biodegradable sacks are Eco by Naty.

Juice boxes with straws

It’s so easy to just reach for a boxed juice for your child, but have you ever thought about the plastic straw that comes with it (normally glued to the back of the box?).

We all know straws wreak havoc on our environment, so why would a kids juice box be any different? Try and prepare juice at home and decant it into a waste free bottle for your kids.

Take away coffee cups

This doesn’t necessarily relate directly with our kids, but as parents, we tend to be very tired. And very tired people tend to opt for take away coffee on the go to keep ourselves going. The take away cups that we have our coffee is made up of plastics. Try and opt for an eco-friendly coffee cup instead. Some coffee shops have actually started selling these in the shop too – which is fab

Kids lunch snacks

Pretty much all of our kids snacks are wrapped in some form of plastic. Be aware of this next time you are shopping for delicious snacks for them by opting for a “homemade” alternative. A prime example is kids string cheese. These cheese sticks are individually wrapped in plastic, only to be placed in another plastic bag all together – I mean, seriously? All the plastic! A home-made option would be to buy a big block of cheese, and cut individual slices for your kids lunch boxes.

 As you can see, there’s plastic in pretty much everything that we use for our kids. The list goes on and on. Sometimes, we simply cannot escape the use of plastic with some items, but for the most part, we can try eliminate the unnecessary ones.  What I have also found is that people seem to confuse being eco-friendly with being SUPER expensive too, which isn’t the case at all.

If you find that eco-friendly brands are going to cost you more, there’s no harm in doing a “homemade” version – like damp cloths, rather than buying eco-friendly wipes.

I really feel that as parents, we should educate our kids and make them aware of single use plastics. We should get them involved. Let’s all get creative and help save our planet.

You never know, our little humans might come up with fabulous ways to keep the plastic at bay! After all, they are our future!

Until next time,

Mycaila – Jade

xxx

(Image credit for featured image is http://www.dw.com/en/un-resolves-to-end-ocean-plastic-waste/a-41690999)

Sources:

https://www.naty.com/uk/why-we-should-stop-using-oil-based-plastics.html

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2016/jan/19/more-plastic-than-fish-in-the-sea-by-2050-warns-ellen-macarthur

 

HEY GORGEOUS PURE WILD VOLUMISING MASCARA [REVIEW]

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Are you tired of lashing out (lol, pun intended) at your mascara brush, because your eye feathers aren’t quite co – operating when it comes to looking all fabulously voluminous?

Great! I’m glad I’m not the only one.

As you may know, I am trying to make a conscious effort to use cruelty free make up brands and skincare products, and contribute towards living less of a waste free lifestyle. Fortunately, one of my favourite skincare brands from South Africa,  and now MAKE – UP brand too, so happens to fit these exact qualities.

Yes, my heart skipped a beat too, when I heard that Hey Gorgeous was working on a make – up line, and they’re dropping some hot new things!

For the last two months, I have been testing out their very first product from their up and coming range, which is the Pure Wild Volumizing Mascara in Black/Nior. Everything about this packaging is SO “HEY GORGEOUS”. Think fun, playful and my favourite bit – CRUELTY FREE!

I first used this mascara when having a braai (bbq) which lead to a night out of drinks, so yes, I have put this little tube to a few good tests! The brush wand is Pure Wild! See what I did there? Thanks to this marvellous wand (Oh, and Hey Gorgeous too), I found that when using this, my mascara was clump free. I have honestly struggled to find a non-clumpy mascara. I mean, how difficult can it be, with all of the mascaras out there in the world?

The formula is thick enough to build up to your desired thickness on your lashes, or keep it light and fresh for a day look. To get the look in my picture (above), I went in with 2 layers of mascara. Volume is key for all sorts of sexy eyelash fluttering! A girl has always got to be prepared!

Black marks under the eye? I absolutely love how I have had minimal to none! The only time I had a bit was when I got caught in serious torrential rain for about 30 min and when I’ve done really REALLY intense, sweaty exercise sessions. But that’s a given, right? Day to day activities, have also allowed me to return home after a day out looking like the same species that I left the house as, and not a panda! Black eyes are a thing of the past!

I love that the wand has smaller bits which allow for the inner lashes of the eye to be reached easily with no mess. If bottom lashes are your thing, then this wand makes that super easy too, with the smaller brush bits.

Another big quality that really tickles my pickle (and probably my lashes too), is that I don’t have to fight with them to get the mascara off at the end of the day. It is super easy to remove and totally hassle free.

Below is a picture my mascara in the morning, followed by an evening picture of what it looked like at the end of the day. Fabulous, isn’t it?

eautyblog.files.wordpress.com/2018/08/img_6351.jpg”> Bright eyed and bushy tailed with my lashes!

height=

This wand can be
[/caption]This wand can be found in both South Africa (R140.00) and in the U.K  (£14.50) Im so excited for Hey Gorgeous to release the rest of their make-up range!

OUR THOUGHTS ON PULL UP PANTS [ BY NATY]

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When I first heard about pull up pants, I totally associated them with potty training. Well, I was wrong. Pull up pants are actually one seriously cool invention when it comes to keeping our little ones’ happy, and keeping us parent’s sane.

Changing table terrors – does this sound familiar at all? Boy oh boy, this is a serious game changer (or nappy changer – whichever way you look at it) when it comes to changing our little one. Changing a wriggly worm can quickly turn into serious moments of fear, more so, when  you have a dirty diaper on your hands – literally!

In general, we use Natys eco friendly nappies for Harps, but when I heard about their range of pull up pants, we of course had to give them a go.

The sizing is fantastic, for a snug fit. Very often, because of my little wriggly worm, I sometimes find that I don’t fasten Harper’s nappy as tight as it should be. Sometimes it can be quite a challenge when your child has her legs squirming left, right and centre, arms flapping and squeaking like a baby dolphin in every effort to escape from the person who is so willingly attempting to give her a cleaner bottom. For this reason, pull ups really do come in handy. You can pretty much pull up and go (as you would with panties) off of the changing mat, letting your bub stand/ lean on you while pulling them up from their ankles.

All the stretchiness in the world.

We have had no leaks while using the pull up pants, as they are the perfect little fit. The waist band is also super stretchy and comfy, and doesn’t leave any red marks along Harper’s tummy. There’s nothing worse than little red lines when a nappy has been put on too tight.

We have found ourselves in a bit of a pickle a few times with changing a dirty pull up nappy. At first, it seemed like a real scientific affair, trying to suss out how to get Harper’s pants off, without getting the contents of her nappy everywhere. We find that snipping the area where the clasps would go on a normal nappy, with scissors seems to be working well.

We really love alternating between pull ups and nappies and they both offer their own unique qualities when it comes to keeping our bub dry, fresh and happy. Pull ups are fabulous for evenings and throughout the night.

A comfy waist band

The cute little patterns make them even more adorable and are 100% breathable, which helps prevent nappy rash. My favourite part about these is that they are of course eco friendly and biodegradable which leaves our hearts super happy, along with Harper’s bottom.

If your baby is between 8kg – 16kg, then these are perfect to try. These pull ups also have a non bulky fit, are chlorine and perfume free, and have a compostable corn based film which is what helps prevent leakage.

You can find these online for £7.49 for 18 pull ups. These really are a great investment for our planet and our children.

Best friends in their pull ups!

Until next time,

Mycaila – Jade

XXX

A NIGHT’S STAY AT MHOR84, SCOTLAND [REVIEW]

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Since having Harper, myself and Robbie haven’t managed to secure a night away together, amongst sorting our lives out and being a part of what seems to be a hurricane of events when living our daily lives and being parents, so you can imagine the excitement when we decided to escape our parenting duties and head off to MHOR84 for a date night away, with no distractions.

Being the true Cape Tonian  that I am, I am an absolute sucker for scenery and all things nature related. The drive to MHOR84 was so beautiful, cruising through quaint little Scottish towns, past Loch Lubnaig, with sightings of free roaming cattle.

MHOR84 is nestled in amongst the Trossachs of Scotland, making it an ideal location for active families, couples, tourists, or anyone who fancy’s popping into the restaurant for a bite to eat, followed by an adventure of cycling, walking, hiking, or jogging. Or, you could keep your bottom plonked down with an array of drinks and bites flowing your way.

We were greeted by friendly, warm staff, who showcased plenty of banter across the bar area later that night, but who were also very attentive to our orders of gin, gin, and more gin!

Our room, was simple, clean and quirky, with a touch of rustic living, which is right up my alley. We had a beautiful view of the surrounding forestry, which was gorgeous to look at, considering we had an afternoon nap (typical parents) and could treat the eyes to such exquisite views.

Simplicity is key! We loved the few Scottish touches to our room.

During our stay, we really went all out with the food and drinks, and definitely ate our weekly calories in one sitting. Yes, myself and Robbie are little piglets at the thought of delicious food! The lunch menu was super simple. I had muscles and fries, and boy did I get some muscles! They were honestly the best ones and meatier than ever! I have. Think fresh and garlicy, with drippings of delicious juiciness! The portion sizes are incredibly generous, with average prices too. Robbie had the Scottish Rarebit, which he was pretty much silent for the entire consumption of his meal. Surely that’s a good sign?

Muscles, muscles and more muscles! What a beautiful way to enjoy some lunch!

The evening menu is separate from the day menu, and is dedicated to dinner meals, starters and an array of delectable homemade desserts. Again, I’d be lying if I said that our evening meal was anything short of complete lip smacking activities. Feeling guilty due to my generous face stuffing at lunch time, I opted for a salad to go with my Prosecco. Talk about balance! My oh my, was this honestly the fullest, leafiest, and most bloody divine salad I have ever had! Robbie opted for the sirloin steak which was a bit pricey, but in his words, it was “totally worth it”.

Dinner is served! Born up a tree! (Bon Appetit!) Just the way I like my garnish!

Steak and chips!

We sat outside, overlooking the Trossachs and taking in the Summer sunshine, while enjoying our dinner. We moved inside towards the bar area where more foodie events took place. The inside area was super cosy, right next to the fire.

Enjoying the sunshine with dinner! How romantic!

The ambiance of MHORE84 is super chilled, and one thing that really stood out to me was being allowed to actually enjoy our meal, without a feeling of being rushed out so that the next customer could come in. All of our meals were freshly cooked, and served with a smile! It makes all the difference!

This room expresses the quirkiness that MHOR84 is!

Check – out was at 11am the next day, so Robbie and I decided to take advantage and have a much needed lie in the next morning, grab some breakfast and head off for a fabulous morning cycle to Lochearnhead. I haven’t really cycled since I was about 12, so this excursion was quite an eventful one, as you can imagine. I nearly face planted a few times.

Breakfast!

I must also say that, the staff at MHOR are superbly honest too. We received a call from them just after check out, when we were plodding along having a riveting experience of face plants on what was meant to be a romantic cycle, to let us know that we had left a bottle of wine that we bought in the room.

We appreciate the honesty, MHOR. Parents totes need their wine! The MHOR, the merrier!

All in all, I would 100% recommend spending a night at this lovely getaway. There is also plenty MHOR to see from this brand, as it is actually a collection, ranging from a Motel, Fish shop, bakery, and have their own farm.

There is also a little quirky side shop, filled with plenty of rustic bits and bobs!

Until next time,

Mycaila – Jade

xxx

P.S This is an unbiased review. Our room or food was not sponsored by MHOR84. All payment was made by us.

ECO BY NATY: LITTLE GREEN DARLINGS [MONTHLY COMPETITION]

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Since we all LOVE a good competition, I wanted to share one that is specially for all the mums with little bubs. This is for the mums who have an interest in having their little one smelling as fresh as a daisy, with the spiffiest bottom in town!

Every month, my favourite eco-friendly brand, Eco by Naty hold a competition called Little Green Darlings. If the entry pictures are anything to go by, then you’ll totally understand why it is the most adorable giveaway going!

Every entrant needs to upload a picture of their bub wearing one of Naty’s yellow crowns, using the hashtags #littlegreendarling and  #ecobynaty. A winner is then chosen in a random lucky draw. The lucky winner will receive a tailored Eco by Naty package. Is that not more fabulous than any Flapjack Friday? If you answered no, then I’m afraid we can’t be friends.

If you’re wondering where you can pick up one of these mighty yellow crowns, click here. There’s no charge (besides from your shipping).

This monthly competition is also a great way to get involved with Naty, and become an ambassador too! Goodness me, it just gets better! So, if you fancy 10% off your first online order, or being a possible Little Green Darling competition winner, what are you waiting for? Join myself and baby Harper and have some fun with your entry pictures!

I’ll see you on the inside of the lucky draw pot 😉

Until next time,

Mycaila -Jade

xxx

BEING A STAY AT HOME MUM

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There is a common misconception when it comes to being a stay at home mum. For some reason, there seem to be people who confuse being a stay at home mum with having an “easy” or “stress free” life. We are often put into the category of “not needing to work because we can afford it”, and we are often undervalued by society.

Thought patterns about being a stay at home mum seem to go along the lines of being able to sleep in, relax all day and pretty much just fart arse around to our hearts’ content. People often categorise being a stay at home mum as easy, because, well, we’re at home, right?

I couldn’t be more proud of my baby girl! I love being a stay at home mum for now, even though there are many tough days. It’s all worth it and I am so grateful to be able to spend every day with her!

Generally speaking, a day in the life of a stay at home mum goes something along the lines of professional flapping about like a headless chicken when baby sleeps, while trying to get the house in order after the last 2 hours of trying to entertain and stimulate an 8-month-old. You’d be surprised just how messy things can get. Crumbs on the floor, broccoli under the couch, spew on the blanket, toys scattered everywhere for tummy time/play time.

In between dodging certain obstacles, namely play chairs, high chairs, bouncing chairs, and play mats, comes the daily adventures of trying to teach baby how to crawl, stand and play. While doing this, come the tasks of making fresh food from scratch, dealing with tantrums, soothing a screaming teething baby, trying to remain level headed when your house is upside down with an occasional trip to Turkey (tripping over things) because you didn’t have enough time to pick up the damn sippie cup, before a certain pair of eyes resurfaced after a 10-minute nap.

Certain objects that one tends to trip over/dodge on a daily basis. Generally during times of panic and rushing around LOL!

As exhausting as this may sound, the majority of this happens before 9am because our day starts at 6am. Oh yes, bright eyed and bushy tailed! And heaven forbid you’ve had a “sleepless” night before all of this, waking up every hour because of your little one’s sleep regression. Tough luck pal! You’re in for a real treat today!

Along with being a stay at home mum, comes a sense of essentially running the household. This means doing chores that you once thought you’d escaped when you were 16 years old. Balancing the laundry, a clean home, dinner, happy baby, and my absolute favourite – “popping” out for the weekly shopping trip. Yes, this is all part of adulating, BUT when you have a little one, doing these become a priority every day, otherwise you would be kicking yourself in the foot, being in an unorganized house. Basically, it is essential that you have your shit together. Survival is key, my friends.

Potentially speaking, all of this resembles feelings similar to the ones when you realise that you’re possibly lactating in public – a moment which could be somewhat soul destroying or soul building. Very similar feels to motherhood, yes. There are fabulous days where everything runs as smoothly as your favourite peanut butter, or where things go absolutely balls to the walls and gives the term “tits up” a whole new meaning.

Those ongoing chores. At least i’m doing them with a smile in this picture though LOL!

This all comes before doing anything for yourself, might I add. My personal favourite is trying to balance daily exercising to lose my baby weight, because let’s be honest, a few kg’s lighter could possibly make one a little more aerodynamic for mentioned household chores and moments of wild flapping, trying to get things done.

And just when you finally thought that your little one had nodded off comes the horror of hearing a squeak subtly loud enough to let you know that “I’M STILL AWAKE” or the long winded nap time tantrums. These are always fun when you’re at your wits end on a tough day.

Oh, the daily nap tantrums that go down – as pictured here. These are always fun.

When I do very rarely have a moment of silence, I try my best to blog and study for my final year of university. I absolutely LOVE being a stay at home mum for now. I have no idea how I’m going to feel when I have to put Harper in day-care when I return back to work.

Being a stay at home mum teaches you so much about yourself. You get to know the exact amount of coffee it takes to get yourself feeling like a Fabulous Fred, ready to take on the world, a baby and a household. You learn that it’s okay to be in your pyjamas for most of the day while sprinting around the house to get shit done. You understand that it’s okay to answer the door in one sock, child on your hip and hair funky enough to hold chopsticks in place when mail arrives.

The truth about being a stay at home mum is that it is the furthest thing from easy. As with any day job, it tests your patience. It can be tiring, and it is challenging. We often don’t get a break during the day and we generally walk around like zombies, but my oh my, do we get to experience and take in all of the new things that our little ones learn and do in a day.

We get to be there to experience many firsts!

A loving moment of sharing a cuddle with your bub or making them smile is so valuable. Being there at hand for their first-time experiences are indescribably rewarding in so many ways. There are days where running around seem endless, and the feeling of accomplishing nothing can sometimes get you down, but our purpose of being stay at home mums for the stage of life that we are in is enriching and precious. And to the mums who are doing this with more than 1 kid or who are single working mums and working mums, you are such bloody heroes.

We are all doing our best. We are all warriors. And our kids love us. They look forward to seeing our faces, first thing in the morning and they know hard to push our buttons.

But most importantly, they love us hard. And we are appreciated.

Well done, mamma! Keep doing an amazing job!

Until next time,

Mycaila – Jade
xxx

ECO PERSONAL CARE BY NATY

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Being squeaky clean, should always be on the top of your list. A shower a day keeps the stinkyness at bay!

With that in mind, my husband and I have recently been trying to make a joint effort at being eco-friendlier. We have since introduced these eco-friendly ways into our daily hygiene, being conscious of the products that we use.

If you have been reading my blog for a while, you will know that our daughter has been using the most divine eco-friendly range from Naty (Eco by Naty). Naty are a Swedish company, dedicated to being waste free and have designed a beautiful extensive baby range from nappies, nappy bags, all sorts of baby toiletries to eco-friendly clothes!

Naty always leaves Harpers bum as happy as can be, so with that in mind, my husband and I gave the Naty Adult range a try. Parents have to have some spoils too, right?

We have the Naty shampoo, shower gel and body lotion.

A lovely family photo!

The first thing that I noticed is that all of these products are packaged in waste friendly bottles, with beautiful branding that’s simple, yet elegant. Who wants to look at unattractive bottles anyway? Respect for the eyeballs really goes a long way!

husband and I both really liked the shower gel, its smooth, fresh, and a little goes a long way. To me, the shower gel has a beautifully light rosey scent. Its super subtle, but its definitely there. Robbie said that he thought it smelt foresty, but this is also the same person who thinks that strawberries smell like apples.

Robbie loved the shampoo. He found it to lather really easily and left his hair as soft as Harpers bottom. I found that the shampoo worked quite well. I have EXTREMELY damaged hair from years of highlighting. I often buy salon quality shampoo ranges specifically for blonde/damaged hair which are extra conditioning and give my hair some serious TLC. As far as my damaged hair goes, my hair was left feeling dry, but I can only guess that it’s because there are no bad chemicals, parabens, or mineral oils. However, when brushing my hair wet, it was totally fine where my hair has grown out, but when I brought my hairbrush down to my highlighted hair, it didn’t brush through very easily. This tells me that if I had an entire head of natural colour free hair, that this shampoo would’ve been superb, especially being friendly to our planet and waste free. Robbie and I both loved the scent – very similar to the shower gel, just a little stronger, in a yummy way!

I absolutely LOVED the body lotion. It smells like a bottle full of sweets! How delicious! One of the mumma bloggers Gill from ChatsWithGill, that I regularly interact with and follow was recommending this lotion to her audience, and now that I have tried it, I TOTALLY understand why! The lotion formula is smooth and again, a teeny bit goes a long way. The bottle also has a pump lid, making it easy to apply and scoosh out. I’d absolutely recommend this!

All in all, the Naty Adult range is really an amazing one to try, simply for its eco-friendly, chemical free, oil free, pollution free ethos. So many things FREE!

It’s also a priority of Naty’s to be cruelty free, which is a major bonus in my books as I really am making a slow move in that direction. I truly love everything that this company stands for after using both their baby range and adult range of body care/hygiene products.

Until next time,

Mycaila – Jade

xxx

FITNESS UPDATE: MY POSTPARTUM WEIGHT LOSS JOURNEY MARCH 2018

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This month has been an amazing month of testing my boundaries with eating chocolate (because Easter), starting a new fitness class, making friends (which might or might not have resulted in a day of cocktail drinking and a disgustingly delicious Italian pasta meal), and of course, a month of yet again wearing my lycra gym pants 5/7 days of the week because of the much-loved spandex benefits.

If you remember my brave decision as of last month to finally ditch the bloody scale because we weren’t really seeing eye to eye, then you’d have probably guessed that YES, I was of course close to a little pants piddle when tallying up my results from the last 30 days with my monthly weigh in and measurements. The main thoughts running through my mind were “Have you managed to pull this off?” and “Heavens above, please don’t let the scale defeat me”. Having not checked in on my results weekly as I normally would have kind of left me off track, not really knowing what to expect.

4th March vs 4th April

Although my results aren’t happening as fast as they once did before, I am reaping the rewards in other ways. I started this journey as a size 18 and have bought my first pair of size 16 jeans during the month of March. I also have a few items of clothing that I set as short term “goals” to fit into. These were mainly tops/coats that were too tight around my arms, but now fit. Yay!

One size down in my new jeans named after Harper! Yay!

MARCH’S WEIGHT LOSS TOTAL

Although, the scale says I have only lost 1.6kg this month, my measuring tape says otherwise, with a MUCH more positive attitude. I am 9.5cm down in total around my body for March.

TOTAL CM LOST AS OF 4 JANUARY TO 4 MARCH:

March has been a great month of movement as I have started an aerobics fitness class twice a week, followed by a bums and tums class straight afterwards. These classes burn an average of 850 calories twice a week, which KILLS me, being 1hr and 15min total, but it is so worth it and is a fun way to do cardio.

My daily goal at the moment is to burn 500 calories worth of exercise a day. Monday, Wednesday and Friday are weight training focused exercise days and Tuesday and Thursday are aerobics classes cardio.

I am going to start encouraging myself to be a little less lenient when it comes to weekend wine, as it is Robbie’s birthday next month and I’d like to wear something feminine and flowy and hopefully in a size smaller.

4th January (left) vs 4th April (right)

I’m looking forward to the next month of this journey, and hopefully a smaller Mycaila will be writing to you from behind the computer screen next month!

Keep those bottoms moving, heart rates up and calories down!

Until next time,

Mycaila – Jade

 

ORGANIC BABY BATH & BODY CARE | NATY

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Nothing beats watching your little one splash about in a bubble bath, splishing and splashing with their rubber duck, and being squeaky clean after all the fun has been had. If baby comes out happy at the end, then as parents, we’re all winning at life, and chances are, your little one will get a good nights rest. A warm bath works wonders!

We have been testing out the Organic baby bath and body care range from our favorite eco-friendly Swedish brand, Naty. This range is fabulous as it is quite extensive. The baby bath range includes body wash, bubble bath and shampoo. The baby body range includes body lotion and nappy rash cream.

All of these products are organic, plant based and gentle enough for daily use. This is also an award winning baby care range and is cruelty free (my favorite part!).

The baby body wash and baby lotion both come with pump lids, making it easy to use when you are on the go with bath time and afterwards. Two pumps of each is also PLENTY for your baby’s body. Both baby shampoo and baby body wash lather up a storm. I absolutely love that about the baby shampoo as this makes it easier to see it on your baby’s head, which avoids getting some in their eyes. Strange point to make, but I’d hate to experience any baby getting shampoo or body wash in their tiny little eyes. Oh, the squeals and crying. If it can be avoided, I’m sure as parents, we’d take that route.

I was also super excited to see that Naty had baby bath foam in their range. An entire bottle dedicated to BUBBLES! Harper LOVES this and has so much fun splashing around with the them. You only need a small scoosh of the bubble liquid as a little goes a long way.

The bottle sizes are also super generous as they are all 200ml bottles, except for the nappy rash cream, which is a 50ml squeeze tube – again, easy to use while on the go! The nappy rash cream is also fabulous as a barrier protector as it is quite thick and spreads super easily, being non – sticky. Whenever Harper shows signs of possible nappy rash starting to flare up, we use this rash cream which soothes the redness and tones her bottom down a notch from looking super angry. Nobody likes angry bottoms!

All is certified by Ecocert and all of these products have no parabens or chemicals which leaves your delicate babys skin angelically soft and irritant free.

All in all, if you are looking for a gentle, chemical free range for your baby, then this is the perfect line of baby care products. This range has a very light scent too, which also suits the snout if you’re prone to fragrance whafts. I love knowing that the products that I am using for my little Harps doesn’t harm the environment or her sensitive skin.

Until next time,

Mycaila – Jade

xxx