Cussons Mum&Me New Mum Stretch Mark Fader review

I'm not sure with a one year old that I qualify as a "new" mum anymore, but I do love to review things, so when Cussons sent me their New Mum Stretch Mark Fader to try out, I jumped at the opportunity.

I was relatively lucky with my pregnancy, I didn't get terribly large and actually, one of Mr Fork's favourite things to do was to rub my growing belly with various lotions and creams as I got bigger. It helped that Ellie dutifully kicked at him every time he did that. So I was kept lovely and moisturised throughout pregnancy although I did get crazily itchy as my skin stretched. I don't have any tummy stretch marks, but there are a couple on my hips, although I can't be sure they're all from pregnancy.

Apparently, up to 90% of us get stretch marks at some stage or another, whether it is through pregnancy or just as we're growing normally. That's where the Mum&Me Stretch Mark Fader comes in. With a triple moisturising serum designed to absorb rapidly, and a neat rollerball applicator to help massage in the serum, what's not to love? It's also supposed to be Dermatologist Approved but to be honest I'm a little fuzzy about what that really means.

Thoughts:

Best results are supposed to come from using the product twice a day for at least four weeks. I don't really have time in the mornings to do it, so I only used it once a day and it's been about two weeks so far. I usually do it after my shower when I do all the rest of my pampering routine (ok fine, pampering = slap on moisturiser). Anyway, the product is quite nice. It doesn't have a strong smell, which is great, and I really love the little rollerball applicator. It was easy to use and didn't get clogged up at all, as I had suspected it might. It's different enough to keep me interested in using it, especially because you're supposed to use the roller to just generally massage for best effects after the serum is applied.

After I was done I got into pyjamas, and I didn't notice any residue so that's a plus for me. My skin does feel nice and soft, but I'm not sure if that is specifically from the product or just from all the extra love and attention I've been giving it. Similarly, I think that my stretch marks are marginally fainter, but again, I'm not sure if that's due to the cream working it's magic or an improvement in my skin as a whole due to all the targetted care.

Would I buy this product? Probably not, but only because I don't have that many marks and I'm not too fussed about that. If I did and I was, this is the sort of product I would be using, if only just because it would inspire me to pay a bit more attention to me, which is always a good thing right?

G for Gift Giving (for new mamas)

With Ellie's first birthday recently, I started reminiscing on where I was and what I was doing a year ago. It got me started on thinking about those first days after she was born – just how tired I was, and how tentative I was and how scary looking after my brand new daughter was. Some memories really stood out for me. I admit that I did a few things that with hindsight I wouldn't do again:

• We had guests and visitors galore, both at home and hospital, and those were frantic and hectic times instead of being a calm period spent getting to know Ellie. I would tell people to leave us alone for a few days
• I was stressed and I think that translated into lots of feeding difficulties as Ellie picked up on that. I would have been much more calm and zen had I been able
• When visitors did come, I didn't tell them when would suit me and let them come whenever. I ran around after them, getting them tea and letting them hold the baby – what I should have done was let them wait on me and accepted their (genuine) offers of help.

Gratuitous Ellie shot

All of this came to mind again as I've been invited to a baby shower in a few weeks and I'm pondering what to get the mama. You'd think having done it myself I'd have some ideas but I want to make sure I get her something useful.

 

I've already spoken about Mr Fork and my gift giving ideas for Ellie before, but I have some more ideas and baby related gift thoughts based on what I know now and what I would have wanted back then:

• If you visit a new mama, do not go empty handed. Those early days are scary, and you barely have time to think. Take her a home cooked meal, preferably one that can be eaten one handed. Pack her a few extra meals for the freezer if you're feeling generous. Or some snacks for when she's ravenous but can't leave the baby.
• If you genuinely want to help, that's a gift in itself. If someone had offered to hold Ellie while I had a quick shower, or used the bathroom or even had a 15 minute catnap I would have been delighted! I would have kissed the hand of someone who offered to put on a load of laundry, vacuum my floor or even just do a quick tidy of my kitchen.
• The friend who gave me a bag of baby essentials at my baby shower was onto a good thing. She gave me things based on what she knew I'd need, not just a bunch of cute things for baby. Her bag had panadol, nurofen, a bottle, a bottle cleaner, a little rattle, nipple cream, baby wash, powder, Eukybear rub… and so many other things I didn't know I'd need until I needed them! Don't get me wrong, I loved everything we got for Ellie, but really, she grows so fast did she need eleventy-billion dresses? Probably not. Especially when she lived in onesies…
• Something for mama. Not for right away of course, but when she's back in a routine. When you're pregnant, you're the centre of attention. People check your weight, constantly ask how you're feeling and gosh, even give up a seat on the bus for you. As soon as you have that baby, you're second fiddle, and it's a little bit odd. The doctor asks about baby, not you. Hospital is all about caring for the tiny human, no word for the person who grew them. So let mama know she's loved. Get her a spa voucher. Some tea just for her. Some special hand cream to guard against dryness from all the hand sanitiser.

So what am I going to get my pregnant friend? I'm thinking I'll make her a couple of meals for the freezer. A batch of lactation cookie dough which I'll also freeze ready for her to bake up as required. An eye mask for when those post baby hormones kick in and your eyes swell up from crying. And if I get the time, I might make her a wetbag as I know she's going to use cloth nappies.

 

Share with me, is there something you wish you'd gotten when you had baby? What do you like to give new parents?

Baby Mum-Mum review

Ellie just loves rice crackers. She may only have two teeth still, but she uses them with gusto. There is nothing that she won't eat, or at least try, for which I am very grateful. I have heard that this will change when she is older, but for now I choose to live in blissful ignorance that this is how it will always be.

When the1337mum gave Ellie one of her small man's Baby Mum-Mums to try on a recent visit, Ellie was hooked. I think it was something about the lovely crunchy sound that they make when she bites into them. She will happily sit there and just bite into a cracker repeatedly to hear that sound. Then when it's so chewed it couldn't possibly hold together any longer, she will gum it and start all over again with a fresh part.

Usually I buy her supplies while I'm grocery shopping, but our local shop only stocks the banana and vegetable flavours. Have I ever mentioned how much I loathe both the smell and taste of bananas? Ugh. Anyway, I was pretty excited that Baby Mum-Mum had a stand at the recent Brisbane baby and toddler expo as there are always some pretty awesome deals to be had and a host of flavours on offer. That excitement fizzled out when I realised there was nothing left by the time I got there. Yes, they are just that popular. Not to be deterred, the good people at Baby Mum-Mum got in contact with me and offered to send out a little something. Of course I jumped at the chance!

In due time, a box of goodies was delivered, and what a box! We were very generously given 6 boxes of apple flavoured Baby Mum-Mums and 6 boxes of banana Little Quackers.

Baby Mum-Mums are yum-yum!

I have to say, they are both a hit. As soon as the contents caught Ellie's eye, she was signing for me to give her some right away! Sure, she may look a little manic in this picture, but who doesn't when they are eating delicious rice cracker goodness?

Later, while I was putting away the contents of our parcel, this happened. I don't know who got in first and encouraged who, but I reached for my camera right away because it's just so ridiculously cute!

Disclaimer: I was provided with the rice crackers as a consideration. This is not a sponsored post, the products are just a hit at chez Fork.

Dreamer Dotty Blanket Review

About

This cute little blanket is designed for a cot and measures in at 100 x 150cm. It's an ivory base with a mixture of blue, orange and brown dots. The material is a really fluffy knitted cotton velour and claims to be anti-pilling, anti-allergic, light weight and very breathable.

My experience
When the1337mum asked if I'd like to try on of these blankets, I jumped at the opportunity. Ellie is at a stage now where she is very textural, and one of her favourite things is minky softness. We have them all over the place - in the car, as a blanket, as a pillow pet in the lounge and even a few cold weather minky sleep suits. The Dreamer blanket is no exception. It was a hit as soon as I removed it from the packaging, with Ellie grabbing it and lying down on top of it immediately!

The size is great too, as I can use it as a cot blanket, but its not so large that we can't put it in the lounge or use it in the car as well. The minky has stayed nice and soft after washing so I know that this is a blanket we'll use over and over until it is loved to pieces.

This post first appeared on Lifestyles of the Modern Mum.

Ellie turns one!

On Saturday, we celebrated Ellie's first birthday. Despite the weather being a little gloomy, a great time was had. We didn't really go all out for the day because a) I don't think she will remember it in detail anyway and b) I am lazy. While other mummies plan lovely themed parties and make gorgeous cakes, I'm content if I can throw on an outfit that is coordinated. We therefore settled on celebrating theme-free that quite frankly, we've made it to a year and haven't done anything seriously damaging to our daughter so far!

So, what was the birth day of 1 year old Ellie like?

At 6:45 we went off to swimming lessons. It sounds like a horrid time of the day, but with the sun getting up early, so does Ellie and 5am is the normal wake up time now. On work days, I appreciate this. Other days, not so much! As a twelve month old, she's moved up to the toddler class and now does much more swimming without being held, and learning to move herself around the pool more.

We came home and opened presents. In line with our present policy, Mr Fork and I got Ellie a giant wooden xylophone. Just quietly, it's a bit of a hit!

She loves it! Hound photobomb and Mr Fork being mysterious

My aunt was visiting for the weekend and festivities and she assisted with the creative direction of the cake. I was going to do the comparison of the Pinterest photo inspiration and the end result but that's just depressing, so here's my version only. I'm not going to justify it except to say that again, she won't remember it and it looked much better in my head! Also, you know, I went to the effort of making a cake. That's love right there.

Hello piranha cake! Do you live in the Amazon?

Ellie's friends (and the friends of Mr Fork and I) came over for the kid friendly party which was basically an open door between 11 - 2. Children's sleep schedules are so unreliable so we made it easy for people to just turn up and celebrate with us. Much festivity was had, but unfortunately I was too busy 'assisting' with present opening and socialising, so not many photos were taken. Here's a photo of the cake cutting. Note that the tutu also got an outing!

Cake cutting fun! Turns out Ellie loves chocolate (duh)

After the kid's party, it was time for a nap (for everyone). Then cleaning up in preparation for an influx of family members to celebrate over dinner. Many more presents and cuddles happened. A big deal was made of Ellie walking. Oh yes, I'm not one to brag about baby milestones, but Ellie started walking in the weeks before her birthday. I am just so proud of her!

This also happened. As I was cleaning up, I dropped a salad bowl. It was a reflex reaction to just stick my foot out and try to stop it breaking. Well, I did that, but I also broke my toe in the process. Silly mama! Lucky aforementioned aunt has a first aid certificate and got me iced up and resting. Mr Fork says I did it on purpose to get out of cleaning up but with the pain that comes with a broken toe, I tell you this was completely accidental! I'll spare you the horror of a colour photo. And not that having a broken toe stopped me having a much needed pedicure either. Guess which toes are usually buddy taped together though?!

Toe. Broken.

All in all, it was a great day. Life with a one year old is lovely. From birth to now, she has developed so much. She is walking, making baby talk and is so sociable and smiley. She loves to laugh and play with musical toys and anything fluffy. She will give cuddles and kisses and is just such a people person. It's been one of the best years of my life and I can't wait to see how she changes over the next year.

Happy first birthday bean!

I love birthdays, even if they're not mine. What's your favourite way to celebrate a birthday?

F for Fun and Friends

When I was growing up, it was in a small town and I know that my parents trusted me implicitly. I was allowed to ride my bike to school and I never asked permission to do things, I just had to be courteous and let someone know what I was doing. I had my own key to the house since I was in primary school and I could be trusted to make simple meals by myself while aged in the single digits. Friends were the people we grew up around and it really was determined by location and nearness. This had me thinking about the friends that Ellie has now, how she came by them, and whether they’re friends she’ll keep when she’s older. Really, they’re the children of my friends. The people she goes to daycare with, and most importantly, the children of mothers in my mother’s group. Apart from my friends who live all over, for Ellie it’s also somewhat proximity based more than any real preferences from herself.

Ellie has just recently gotten to an age where she’s interested in interacting with other babies. Previously, if I’m honest, gatherings were more for the mother’s sake and we would all chat and compare notes while our babies sat still on a mat and gazed around them in wonder. Now, we still chat but we’re often interrupting ourselves to chase down a wayward crawling child, or instigate sharing when one child has snatched all the toys. It’s great that they’re now starting to interact with each other, but sometimes I’m just bamboozled with the things Ellie chooses to play with.
 

Her idea of fun is ripping up the junk mail. Pulling tissues out of a box one after the other. Examining each item in the (clean) recycling bin. Staring through the crimsafe and moving her head back and forth to make things fuzzy. Opening and shutting drawers… not taking anything out or looking in them – just opening and shutting them. Eating a leaf and pulling up handfuls of grass. Rolling around on the rug and studying lint. Which I think is just great for my wallet and appeals to my frugal side no end! Thinking about it more, I suppose that when everything is new to you, of course it’s amusing and interesting. It’s when you start to get a bit older and ‘wiser’ that things become mundane and jaded. I personally hope that Ellie keeps her sense of wonder with the world because I love seeing things through her eyes!

Of course, she has more traditional toys as well. Mr Fork and I generally ignore the age suggestions given and look more at what interests her when we’re choosing things.

Apparently this ball pit is for age 3+ but Ellie loves it anyway

As long as she’s not going to choke on any small pieces it comes down to judgement calls about what is suitable. It’s really hard when it comes to buying presents as there is SO MUCH COOL STUFF out there! We’ve had to put a system in place. Every occasion that Ellie gets gifts, we limit ourselves to a maximum of four things:

1. Something to read
2. Something to wear
3. Something she needs
4. Something to play with

We hope that this will do several things. Teach her the value of things. Help us save money by allowing us to buy things such as a school backpack in the future. Encourage a love of books. Making us carefully choose her presents as each one needs to count.

How does your child have fun with friends? How did they meet their friends?

Bagel goodness

I'm a sucker for a good bagel. When Mr Fork and I make it to the New Farm markets (less of an occurrence now Ellie is around) I used to stock up at the bagel stand at 6 for $10, then freeze them and hoard them, savouring them for special breakfast and lunch occasions.

Since we rarely go to those markets anymore, I've been somewhat bagel deprived. Then I figured, $1.67 per bagel is kind of pricey, especially when I could get a whole loaf of decent bread for twice that. So I started to look around for a recipe I could utilise at home without needing a bread maker or any fancy ingredients. I think I've cracked it!

Bagels - makes 8

Ingredients:
4 cups plain flour
1 tbsp sugar
pinch salt
1 tbsp oil
2 tsp dry yeast
1 1/2 cups warmish water

Method:

1. Combine half the flour with the sugar, salt and yeast in a bowl.
2. Add the oil and water and pour into the bowl 
3. Use a wooden spoon and beat until smooth and creamy looking
4. Add the remaining flour and knead by hand for 10 minutes
5. On a lightly floured board, divide the dough into 8 equal size balls. Let them rest for 20 minutes.
6. Roll each ball into a long log and wrap around to form a ring. Make sure the hole in the middle is distinctive otherwise it may close when the dough rises. Fuse the ends of the log and smooth over the join. Rest the rings for another 20 minutes.
7. While the dough is resting for the second time, preheat the oven to 205C, boil a large pot of water and line a baking tray.
8. Drop bagels into the boiling water and cook 1 minute on each side, then place on the lined baking tray.
9. Bake for 10 minutes then turn over and bake for another 10 minutes.

Fresh out of the oven bagel goodness!

Tips and Substitutions:

• I've successfully made this with a mix of wholemeal and white flour, and have even substituted some wheat bran for the white flour successfully. The recipe is pretty forgiving!
• You can season the bagels before baking. After boiling them, drop them face down into the decoration - poppy seeds, sesame seeds, dried herb or garlic for example. Continue to bake as per the method above.
• I've also made these in a sweet version by adding cinnamon and dried fruit to the mix as well.

Cost of my home made bagels? About $1.50 for the batch if you use fancy flours (cheaper if you just use white flour)... so 19 cents a bagel. Much better than the $1.67 I was paying before, and I get the satisfaction of making them myself to taste. Win!

Tell me, have you made anything delicious lately?