How I keep myself feeling like more than a mother

Since the day I fell pregnant I came second, time for myself was lost and for a while their all you would find me in is jeans and a t-shirt and a top bun. Once i got out of my hermit shell I found ways to keep myself looking fairly good and to do it in record time. I can now straighten my hair in less than 10 minutes, paint my nails while my kid is still awake and even turned the top bun into a stylish hairdo.

Here are my top products I use to save time and still keep myself feeling like more than just a mother.

Bennets Aqueous Bath drops - putting on cream or body butter is a treat and never an every day thing, this drops you put in the bath and moisturizes your skin while having a bath, killing two birds with one stone.

Johnsons Face Wipes - getting rid of the days make-up has never been easier and gives you a second boost of freshness to get through night duty.

Garnier BB Cream - I LOVE this stuff, best foundation ever made, it really does last all day, blends well, has an SPF 15 and moisturizer all in one.

Sock Bun Device - This little goodie makes the top bun look like a well planned hair-do instead of a lazy, I don't feel like brushing my hair day.

Maybeline Super Stay - Lipstick never lasts, smudges around your lips and goes on your teeth, this stuff lasts most of the day and dries so no smudging or teeth dying.

Wella Pro Series Moisturizing treatment - I have tried plenty hair treatments, this one is the best and it takes only 1 minute instead of the usual 20 minutes, who the hell gets to bath for 20 minutes! oh and it is only R36!

The Wet Brush - I have damaged my hair with countless times brushing my hair wet or not brushing it and having to pull knots out, this beauty glides through wet hair and any knots. My favourite little investment.

Woolworths Hand Cream - the only hand cream I will use, it's non greasy, smells great and leaves your hands feeling soft and revived.

Hair Candy - My beloved hair dresser Galan from Hair Candy, every now and then I treat myself to getting my hair done at the salon, he always does my hair exactly like I imagine it and he is so well priced!

Mr Price - I am a Mr Price junky, I have to stop myself from walking into their stores just so I don't bankrupt myself but when I feel like spoiling myself or need a little wardrobe pick me up, Mr Price is my go to shop, they fashion forward and affordable on a single moms wallet.

I was not paid or sponsored to write any of this, I genuinely love all these products and or services!  

Endless battles with feeding my kid

The blog world this week has lit up with how to feed your kid and what is healthy and what is not healthy and how bad kids menu's are at resturants.

Now I agree with some of it and disagree with some of it.

I agree we should teach our kids from young what is healthy and what is not, I don't agree with being an insane mom who smothers her child with cucumber and the latest trend of what is acceptable eating.

Spur for example is fun and their food is fun, I take my child to Spur for fun, I don't go to Spur and eat salad, I eat buffalo wings and chips with blue cheese sauce and I enjoy it, not daily or weekly but as a now and again treat, if they took mac n cheese off the kiddies menu my kid would literally not eat!

Now my kid is a picky eater and as I was raised I do not force feed him anything, if he isn't hungry he doesn't have to eat and if he doesn't like what is made he can choose an option that is easily prepared or what I buy in advance, like Woolies kiddies mac n cheese (Aidens version is awesome noodles), shop bought muffins, bovril toast, yogurt, porraige or fish fingers.

He doesn't like veg.

He doesn't like meat.

He doesn't like rice or potatoes.

I don't like most veg, I don't like my food touching or stews and soups. I don't like cottage pie and I hate salad. I don't eat it but I still eat a healthy diet.

Fair enough my kid isn't eating a balanced diet but he isn't malnourished or some crazy zombie child. He is a kid. I apparently would only eat spaghetti bolognaise as a kid and I am perfectly fine adjusted adult. Yes a tad over weight from pregnancy and being insulin resistant but definitely not from mac n cheese and chicken nuggets as a kid.

For some reason Aiden will eat all food at school, teachers say it's a monkey see, monkey do effect so I know at least 5 days out the week for breakfast, snack and lunch he is getting in all his veggies, protein, fruit and dairy so I am not to phased about the other meals being less than adequate.

Maybe I am a bad parent or a lazy one but I'm not going to make my kid scared of food, of eating or having fun. There should be balance in everything, parenting today has become so structured,  so rigid, so fad related and high strung.

Let kids be kids, hot dogs on white bread and all!

Christmas Traditions

I LOVE Christmas!

I'm also a present person, definitely my love language, spoiling people is my thing and I love cheesy traditions where people are forced to love each other because lets face facts, we should every other day of the year buy Valentines, Easter and Christmas it's so much easier.

In my family we have always put up the Christmas tree on the 1 December (and then normally take it down some time in June) so I wanted to keep that one with Aiden but this time the night before I put up the tree and decorated our little flat so when he woke up in the morning, it was a surprise of pure joy. I also layed out a healthy breakfast of Woolworths waffles and biscuits, along with Poy holding his Advent calender to count down the days.

The smile on his face was priceless.

Love from Bear