Harps is an award winning blogger who shares her remarkable journey of motherhood after experiencing post natal depression and an unexpected diagnosis of Down’s syndrome. Her readers have often coined her words “relatable” and “warming”.
I hadn’t been to Heston pool since primary school days where I’d try and dodge swimming lessons like the plague!
I had a quick browse of the Fusion Lifestyle website prior to visiting and I was instantly wowed by how different it looked to school days! The website was really user friendly.
It definitely brought back memories going back to Heston pool although I could’ve been somewhere completely different! The place has been totally revamped and looks so swanky. I was so impressed by the soft play facilities, outdoor play area and new pool and changing facilities. The place has been given a modern make over and it’s really refreshing.
I’d been invited to come and review an Aquafit class. Something I’d not tried before! For those of you that don’t know, Aquafit is basically like aerobics in the water. I was looking forward to trying something different and exercising – something I’ve definitely not done enough of since falling pregnant. The thought of exercising in the water was appealing – I’d hoped the water would provide extra support and also an element of relaxation too.
Here’s my review:
Parking: the parking facilities at Heston Leisure centre are really good. There’s a large car park with ample parking and although it was busy due to school holidays, I still managed to find a space. And it’s free!
Reception friendliness: reception was a little chaotic as there were lots of children about and parents trying to book classes however there were enough staff to tend to customers swiftly. All the staff I encountered were very friendly and so helpful.
The decor is fresh and bright with floor to ceiling windows and grey and white tones for decor.
Changing facilities: It seemed like the changing rooms are cleaned frequently. There was little to no hair on the floor – a huge pet peeve of mine! There are ample lockers with larger and smaller ones available for a refundable £1. There were five showers and cubicles to get changed in. The decor is modern and everything felt new. despite it being busy due to the school holidays, the changing rooms were not over packed.
The pool: Pre warning, there were lots of children on the other side of the pool due to the holidays and it was quite noisy however there is a barrier separating the class from the common pool area.
The pool itself was very clean and the temperature was warm. The floor to ceiling windows and sky lights let in plenty of light.
There was quite a bit of hair present on the floor outside of the pool which was a little off putting but this may have been due to how busy it was.
Teacher & the class: As mentioned, I’ve never actually attended an Aquafit class before – I was looking forward to trying something new. I figured the water would help relax my tummy muscles as I’ve been in so much pain due to my internal c section scar from when I had Arjun.
We arrived a little before 12 and were told to have a quick splash before the instructor arrived who was running 5 minutes late. She ended up being 15 minutes late as she was covering another class but to be honest it was nice to be able to relax in the pool before the class began and I’m not sure I would’ve lasted the whole hour had she arrived on time! Ha!
The name of the instructor was Janette. She was a lovely warm and bubbly personality who was really considerate of everyone’s varying ability and condition. I’ve been to classes in the past where the instructor has been pretty aggressive and pulled people up in the middle of the class. She was a lot warmer and encouraging and offered varying methods of a particular exercise for those that can/can’t swim or those that found a particular exercise difficult.
There were about 11 ladies in the class in total which was a great number as we were spread out evenly. Everyone was really warm and friendly.
The water was about chest high and although I’m not a strong swimmer I felt pretty safe just in case I did take a tumble with the three lifeguards on standby!
I really enjoyed my first Aquafit class – even in my pregnant state I was able to keep up with most exercises although perhaps not as vigorously as my non pregnant state could! My favourite exercise was the tricep dip/back exercise using water weights. It helped stretch out my upper back too which really helped with tension that had built up in my shoulders. The water provided great resistance while also providing support.
The exercises included working out all parts of the body.
After coming out of the pool, my legs felt like jelly which is always a sign of a good work out! I slept really well that night.
Would I go back? Definitely!
If you’re interested in attending aquafit at Heston Pool, it’s every Friday from 12-1pm!
Disclosure: this is a sponsored post either in the form of remuneration or a free product being sent to us for review however all thoughts and opinions are our own.
I was asked to review the SheaMoisture range by online store My Luxe Kids. I jumped at the chance given I was on the lookout for something with a nicer scent than Simple bath wash that wasn’t harsh on Arjun’s skin.
SheaMoisture pride themselves on using natural ingredients, being eco-friendly and cruelty free. In addition to all that good stuff, they also support many charities and women in deprived areas.
SheaMoisture omit all potentially harmful ingredients to your skin as listed below. Something that immediately drew me to the brand to protect Arjun’s pure skin. I had never overly thought about the amount of chemicals and ingredients included in such products till now.
SheaMoistures ‘no nos’:
No parabens
No phthalates
No paraffin
No formaldehyde
No propylene glycol
No mineral oil
No synthetic fragrance
No synthetic colour
No DEA
No petroleum
Arjuns skin type unfortunately can get quite dry and has become quite rough despite lots of moisturising. As mentioned, we were using Simple bath wash and we used Burt Bees oil after bathing him. More recently, as his skin has become dryer, we’ve been prescribed Cetraben to help keep him moisturised. I would much prefer to stick to a more natural product over medicated creams as from experience I know how damaging it can be to your skin over time. SheaMoisture is known to help those with eczema and other skin conditions, so it seemed promising!
This product would be the equivalent to the Simple head-to-toe bath wash that we were using on Arjun.
What it says on the bottle: SheaMoisture’s Raw Shea Chamomile & Argan Oil Baby Head-To-Toe Wash & Shampoo cleanses while calming and comforting baby’s delicate skin. Shea Butter – deeply moisturizes and repairs skin with vitamins and essential fatty acids. Chamomile anti-inflammatory properties help soothe red, irritated skin. Argan Oil which is high in Vitamin E, keeps skin soft and smooth.
Usage: The product is definitely gentle enough for everyday use as the bottle says. The 8oz bottle would last a while as you only need a few drops per wash.
Smell: It smells lovely! I’ve been itching to use something with a little bit of a scent on Arjun! Of course without compromising what it does to his skin. The smell is fruity and refreshing.
Texture: It’s less creamy when compared to the Simple brand bath wash we’re used to. It’s more transparent with a tinge of orange/brown similar to Johnson’s shampoo. The consistency is the same as other bath washes.
How we found it: I bathed Arjun in it for a week before writing up my review. I really loved how well it cleaned things such as pen marks off his skin. With creamier bath washes I always feel as though the soap slips right off before it can get rid of the grime. This was different. I was relieved that Arjun’s sensitive skin didn’t react adversely to the product. If anything, it made his skin feel a little softer and smoother. I get a whiff of the beautiful scent from his hair even the next morning.
The only thing that it didn’t work so well on was his hair. Arjun has very thick luscious locks and if can be quite difficult to wash it. Although it was easy enough to lather his hair in the wash and rinse it out, the texture of his hair after felt quite gritty and dry so perhaps the use of a conditioner after would help.
All in all, I’d definitely recommend this product for a daily bath wash but if using on similar hair type as Arjun’s, to also use a conditioner.
This product would be the equivalent to us using Burt Bee’s oil after a bath on Arjun.
What it says on the bottle: Excellent for a calming and relaxing massage. Gentle enough for everyday use. SheaMoisture’s Raw Shea Chamomile & Argan Oil Baby Healing Lotion moisturizes, calms and comforts baby’s delicate skin.
Usage: Apply lotion on baby’s skin after bath or anytime baby needs a kiss of moisture.
Again a large sized 8oz bottle which should last a while!
Smell: it has a really pleasant floral smell (especially compared to Cetraben!).
Texture: it’s a lot thicker than average lotions, the consistency is similar to that of Coco Butter. It requires a bit of muscle when pumping out of the bottle!
How we found it: I really love the lotion on both Arjun and myself. I use it daily on my hands. Although a thicker texture, it absorbs in to the skin well without too much effort moisturising well. I am definitely using Cetraben a lot less. Im hoping we can abandon it all together eventually. I’m so glad it’s completely natural and not harmful to Arjun’s skin.
I’d definitely recommend the lotion as a daily moisturiser. You can win a bottle over on my Instagram page!
This product is the SheaMoisture’s equivalent to Vaseline.
What it says on the bottle: SheaMoisture’s Raw Shea, Chamomile & Argan Oil Baby Head-To-Toe Ointment is a petrolatum-free ointment made to calm and protect baby’s raw irritated delicate skin. Perfect for soothing symptoms of nappy rash.
Usage: Apply to baby’s lips, cheeks hands, arms and legs. Apply liberally to baby’s bottom with each nappy change, or as needed. Gentle enough for everyday use. 4oz – would last a while.
Smell: much more pleasant smell compared to Vaseline!
Texture: much firmer than Vaseline, less oily.
How we found it: we tried this product on Arjun’s lips and when he had nappy rash. It worked well on his lips as a moisturiser especially when he has dry lips however not so well on his nappy rash. It didn’t make the rash any worse but in our case, it didn’t soothe it unfortunately.
Would you love to win a bottle of SheaMoisture Raw Shea Chamomile & Argan Oil Baby Healing Lotion? We’re giving away one to a lucky winner over on Instagram! Don’t forget to enter!
Disclosure: this is a sponsored post either in the form of remuneration or a free product being sent to us for review however all thoughts and opinions are our own.
Arjun’s 5th holiday was definitely one to remember! It was our most challenging by far and the furthest away from what we’ve known holidays to be pre baby – he was constantly full of beans and wanting to explore! You can read about our previous holidays here:
I used Sangeeta to previously book a surprise birthday trip to Las Vegas and Maui for Preetam’s 30th but unfortunately we had to cancel it as I ended up being 7 months pregnant at the time!
Sangeeta is always so patient with me (you need the patience of a saint with me sometimes!) – this time we weren’t sure if we wanted to try Abu Dhabi or whether we’d try and wing a quick trip to India. Sangeeta provided us with multiple quotes and options to help us make our decision. In the end we decided Abu Dhabi was the more sensible option although my heart was set on India given the 8 day time restriction.
We knew we wanted to give the Emirates Palace hotel a go in Abu Dhabi as we’d heard amazing things about it from friends. Sangeeta was great at communicating with the hotel that it was our anniversary and that we were travelling with a baby and also ensured our chauffeur also came armed with a car seat.
I’d definitely recommend booking your luxury holiday through Sangeeta – she’s armed with lots of knowledge on the most luxurious places to visit around the world and she’s very patient and accommodating to your needs.
Etihad Aiways
As we’d opted for business class, Etihad offer a chauffeur service from home to the airport.
Our driver turned up bright and early and I was really impressed with how friendly he was with Arjun. The car seat provided was easy to use and comfortable for Arjun. The vehicle provided was a Viano which is very spacious and comfortable. He came armed with a car seat as instructed.
I know it was 6am and perhaps not everyone’s a morning person, but I didn’t find the staff particularly helpful or friendly in the business lounge area which was a bit of a let down.
The service was also quite slow and sluggish and the quality of the food wasn’t anything to write home about. I’d still say my favourite lounge is still Virgin by miles.
There was a children’s playroom which helped keep Arjun entertained. He had fun building towers and knocking them over with daddy.
The aircraft itself was really lovely – it was one of the newer A380s. I loved the décor and space, especially with a fully mobile toddler!
I was armed with snacks and toys and I was going to give the iPad a go again but finding there was an onboard nanny was super exciting. Even if there was someone to entertain Arjun for 5 minutes, I was happy!
Arjun woke just before take off (Sod’s law!) but he was generally in good spirits. After a while, he did become a little agitated as he wanted to run around and explore. Family Guy (I’m so ashamed to say) kept him entertained for a good 20 minutes and he also played Lego with daddy on the floor for a while. He was entertained by the electric barrier between our seats too.
He really enjoyed the bar/lounge area which was definitely the best one I’ve seen onboard yet! You didn’t feel like you were on an aircraft at all and the service was brilliant.
Arjun loved playing with the flying nanny who did face paint on his hands, played with stickers and stamps. We didn’t end up needing to leave him with her as Preetam did a pretty good job by himself! He slept for three hours out of the six which wasn’t too bad and he woke up chirpy.
I was so impressed by the staffs service! The air hostesses were so attentive and the manager came right over and offered to come over as soon as we’ve taken off to play with Arjun. They were also super accommodating to dietary requirements and ensuring Arjun was comfortable and happy.
I was quite worried as initially Google had told me the flight was 8 hours, however it ended up being 6 which was just perfect. That’s the shortest distance we’ve done with Arjun!
You’d think being his 13th flight he’d be used to it and we’d be pros at managing it. Not at all. I always tell people that ask me; each flight is different and their mood will also be different! Just because the last was bad, doesn’t mean the next will be and vice versa. You’ve just got to ride it out. Each minute that passes is a minute closer to reaching your destination. It’s easy to feel guilty on a flight when your child is kicking off but they have as much right to be on that plane as anyone else (as quoted by a lovely air hostess!).
We had an equally fabulous experience on the flight back however the business class lounge was amazing for children. The staff in the kids play room were brilliant. They told us they were happy to take care of Arjun while we relaxed and he really enjoyed his time with them.
On the way out, when we landed, I was mortified at the chauffeur service. We were told by Sangeeta that a chauffeur would be there to collect us from the airport and would also have a baby seat. Unfortunately, as many others experienced, this wasn’t the service we received at all. It really left a bitter taste in my mouth given the amount of money we’d spent and the service we’d expected. Other passengers that were on our flight were also told the same by their travel agents who were told this by Etihad.
Instead, we had to wait in a taxi queue for 45 minutes after a 6 hour flight. There was no baby seat. This is definitely an area of their process that Etihad need to work on – it lets the rest of the experience down. There is a stark difference between the cabin crew and the ground staff.
Emirates Palace Hotel
This hotel has been described by many as 7 star and upon driving up to the hotel, it was clear to see why. The grounds are breath takingly huge and the building itself is stunning – scenes which may be familiar if you’ve seen the latest Fast and Furious movie as parts of it were shot at this hotel.
I was even more “wow’ed” when we walked in. The attention to detail is immense and the elegance and grandness of this hotel was like I’ve never seen before. It really does look like a palace. The detail on the door handles with the jewels, the never ending marble, the splashes of gold, the high ceilings – the place is breath taking! Not surprising given it’s the second most expensive hotel ever built in the world! You can definitely tell.
Check in was smooth and quick and I was greeted by a mini bouquet of roses and Arjun with a camel toy which he was thrilled about. The staff were really friendly.
Our room had been decorated for our anniversary which was a nice gesture although somewhere along the line, they were lost in translation as they thought it was our 15 year anniversary haha (our anniversary is on 15th Feb). We were also upgraded to a sea view room.
The rooms were the nicest rooms we’ve stayed in. Super spacious, clean and oh so luxurious! Having such a gorgeous room meant we didn’t mind spending time relaxing on the afternoons where we didn’t fancy the pool.
Each room comes equipped with a tablet which you can use to navigate through a movie catalogue. We must have watched about 20 movies while there!
The bathrooms were huge with a separate bath tub and shower which was really handy with Arjun. He really enjoyed bath time there.
One super unfortunate thing was, on the day of check in as by the time we reached the hotel, it was almost 9.30pm due to the faffing with getting transport to the hotel, we decided to go for a quick dinner at the buffet restaurant before heading to our room. What we didn’t know at the time was that our butler was waiting for us in our room – no one had communicated that to us.
As a result, we weren’t informed of the butler service until three days of being at the hotel when I requested new pillows. This was pretty disappointing given the kudos and price of the hotel. Upon raising this with the management staff, the subsequent service offered by our butler was brilliant. He took care of all our restaurant reservations – both internally and externally and also ensured we were topped up on daily treats!
Another downside for us was that the dress code was smart casual. I had packed for Preetam and silly enough hadn’t checked the dress code as every other hotel we’ve been to has a relaxed dress code for at least one restaurant on the premises. Unfortunately (first time ever!) I hadn’t packed any jeans or trousers for him and the dress code was smart casual at lunch and dinner across the hotel. This didn’t give us the best start to our trip as if you know Preetam, he’s a big guy and finding bottoms and shoes in his size proved difficult. It was a real shame as we’d hoped to have a totally relaxed and casual break away and to be as comfortable as possible but it didn’t quite turn out that way! We ended up eating outside of the restaurant on several occasions which meant the half board was wasted for the best part of our trip.
Finally, although the chef was very accommodating at the buffet restaurant, we felt that the size of the buffet and the vegetarian selection was quite poor and repetitive. One of the best bits about going on holiday is the food and having a selection to choose from as opposed to thinking of what you could eat and requesting that. The quality of the food was ok. We actually found the poolside food of a higher standard than the buffet. I’d highly recommend the falafel wrap (with a side of halloumi)! The best I’ve ever tasted.
Breakfast was average. The Indian food was always cold and not very flavoursome. The selection was your standard breakfast selection which wasn’t necessarily a bad thing and they had Nutella which was consumed daily and I’m still paying the price for it! The best breakfast we’ve ever experienced is definitely the Park Hyatt in Goa. The view at breakfast was beautiful.
We decided to dine at Hakkasan for lunch as on Friday afternoon, babies are welcome. Although Arjun was full of beans and wanting to run around, Preetam and I enjoyed our meal as the staff were absolutely amazing. They took Arjun and entertained him during our whole meal. It didn’t take long for Arjun to settle right in with them to the point where he didn’t want to leave them!
The food at Hakkasan was amazing – we really loved the mooli rolls and the black bean tofu and aubergine pot! It was a nice way to spend Arjun’s 20 month birthday too.
The swimming pools were amazing – there’s a pool at the east wing which also has a baby pool however the west side has an adventure pool with slides and a lazy river as well as a kid’s pool and kid’s club. Arjun absolutely loved the kid’s pool and was super confident in the water and even tried to swim himself! It was particularly handy as it was a quiet time of the year which meant the pool wasn’t flooded with lots of guests. I was so impressed by the children’s facilities – they had poolside toys which meant all the extra bits I took weren’t needed. They also provide beach toys at the beach. Arjun loved the macaroni cheese by the pool. He pretty much lived off that and olives for the whole trip!
In addition, they had a outdoor play area with a climbing frame and slide. Although we only went once, it was great to know that was there as an option to entertain Arjun.
The kid’s club has an indoor play room which we didn’t end up using as Arjun took to the pool too much to want to go anywhere else. Outside the playroom they had giant building blocks and a few other giant outdoor games which Arjun enjoyed playing with.
Arjun loved being in the pool but has become such a daredevil – he refused to wear his armbands most of the time, refused to sit in his float and wanted to jump in to the deep end by himself. You can’t take your eyes off him for even a split second now. I definitely preferred going away with others to make it more manageable!
The beach was nice – again children’s toys were provided and there’s also a camel which you can take pictures on! Arjun was more interested in petting him than sitting on him!
The weather was fantastic for the most part. We only had one day of rain. We even managed to get a Baby Brain Appael photoshoot done out there!
We enjoyed ourselves as a family and got to see Arjun’s personality shine through more than ever with his crazy little antics!
All in all, this was definitely one of the nicest properties we’ve visited in terms of architecture but I’m not sure we’d return here again based on the food and dress code. That’s got me thinking about what a holiday means to us – comfy clothing and good vegetarian food! When we return back to UAE, I think we’ll definitely be going back to Dar Al Masyaf as the service, food and facilities were impeccable, an added bonus is that toddlers and babies under 2 eat for free.
Things to do in Abu Dhabi
We were really after a relaxed holiday and didn’t plan anything much in advance. Compared to Dubai, it felt like there wasn’t much to do. I probably preferred Dubai a lot more to Abu Dhabi based on the hotel we stay at and also the things to do. It may just be that we’re now used to Dubai!
Marina Mall: this was situated a 20 minute walking distance from our hotel. We ended up visiting three times during our stay. As well as your usual high street shops and several restaurants, there is Fun City located on the top floor of the mall. This is like a small indoor amusement park which was great fun for Arjun. He enjoyed going on the toddler rides. It was nice having it so local to the hotel as it meant post dinner he could burn a little energy.
Ferrari World, Yas Island: We’d been told by friends that Ferrari World was a little overrated and over priced for what it was but if we needed a day out then it was nice as something to do. Arjun ended up getting sunburn after a few days in Abu Dhabi, so we thought a day indoors away from the sun would be a good idea. I agree with the sentiments of our friends – it was approx. £50 per person for entry and the food was quite overpriced and poor too.
I’m not a fan of big rides, but Preetam went on a few rollercoasters as Arjun and I spectated. It was quite quiet during the week and there were no queues. Arjun really enjoyed the family ride as he got to “drive” a car. We went on that ride a few times.
He also enjoyed watching his daddy participate in the go karting race (and winning!). He really loved the soft play car wash although it was quite simplistic to what I was expecting based on the description online. We had a nice family day out and it was great that everything was indoors.
The Cheesecake Factory, Yas Island: We couldn’t visit Abu Dhabi and NOT go to the Cheesecake Factory. As always, we weren’t disappointed. The staff at this particular branch were super friendly towards Arjun and I generally find The Cheesecake Factory fab for catering to little ones. We enjoyed the deep fried macaroni cheese balls, the zucchini, mushroom and avocado fries and the nachos! The portions are ginormous – I always find myself in a food coma after!
Rose Water Restaurant, Etihad Towers: We were told by our friends to visit this restaurant as the vegetarian selection was a lot better than at the Emirates Palace. The selection was absolutely huge with a wide range of different cuisines. I was especially wow’ed by the different types of bread on offer and the epic chocolate fountain. I was also impressed with how well they catered to children – they had plastic plates and cutlery for babies which was great. This place is definitely high up in the quantity ranks but not as high in the quality ranks – we found the food average but really enjoyed the overall experience.
All in all, we had a nice time in Abu Dhabi but I’m not sure we’d return to spend a whole holiday there. Perhaps as a day trip from Dubai next time!
Any suggestions on our next holiday destination?
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I was recently contacted by Adam to share a top Mother’s Day health tip to be featured in a Mother’s Day eBook as part of a campaign alongside SHEilds. Super exciting as this is my first contribution to a published eBook!
I had to think long and hard and aside from the obvious ones, my top tip undoubtedly would be to “cherish every moment as nothing lasts forever”. Anytime I feel stressed by a tough day with Arjun, I remember that to keep myself cool, calm and collected (most of the time anyway!).
Equally, I’m a person that really struggles with change and letting go – something that’s not great for maintaining health either. My own advice is true of the happier times too. Now, regardless of what I’m doing – be it sewing, be it cooking, be it blogging, I pause if Arjun calls for me – be it to grab my hand to play lego, be it for a cuddle or to go outside – I know even those things won’t last forever and I want to cherish every single moment to fill my heart with happy and wholesome memories!
You can download the full Mother’s Day eBook here for free!
What’s your top Mother’s Day tip?
Wishing all you supermummies and those daddies playing the role of both parents, a very Happy Mother’s Day! x
I absolutely love this place so much! There are several things to do here all in one place and you’re guaranteed to have a good time. We first took Arjun with our friends when he was about 11 months old and although we loved it at that time too, this time was even better as Arjun is now walking and got to experience a lot more of what they have to offer.
The farm is about a 25 minute journey from us and is located in St Albans in Hertfordshire. The entry cost is £8.50 per adult and under 2s are free. In my opinion this is fantastic value for money based on all that’s available in one place.
Our trip on New Years eve has got to be one of my most favourite days out with Arjun. It bought me so much joy watching him enjoy himself as much as he did and seeing different sides of his personality shine through.
I’ve included pictures from our New Years Eve trip and also our first trip just before Arjun’s birthday.
Here’s why we love Willow’s Farm:
• Lots to do!: It’s amazing with a toddler as there’s so much to do. Arjun often gets bored after a while, but here there’s so much to do, he was constantly engaged. We didn’t even end up needing the buggy as he was happy to run around himself!
• Feeding Animals: Arjun loved feeding the animals. Although the outdoor animals weren’t present due to the cold, we still got to feed some animals indoors. He loves feeding the dogs at home so this was no different.
• Animal Petting: Arjun got to pet a guinea pig while Preetam and I held him (I was terrified but I did it for Arj!). Arjun is definitely a feeder – the poor guniea pig ended up surrounded by food with no real appetite! Arjun cried his eyes out when we gave the guniea pig back. He also loved petting the horses and kept pointing to them. Not sure if he thought they were giant versions of Bruno! Haha!
• Sandpit and Water Area: Arjun LOVED this! He really enjoyed splashing about in the water and playing with the ample sand toys available there. There are lots of wooden tractors and diggers here too with different mechanisms to do different things, for example pump water. It’s so educational and fun for kids.
• JCB Tractor Area: Arjun loves his JCB truck and we actually bought it for him following on from our first visit to the farm. This is a great mini tractor area with lots of different sized ride on tractors and diggers.
• Agility Area: there’s an area for older kids including things like zip wires.
• Swings and Slides: There’s a play area which we didn’t go to this time but Arjun loved the swings and slides the last time,
• Treasure Hunt: during the summer they have a treasure hunt challenge whereby you search for 5 gold pieces in exchange for a medal. The dad’s got even more excited by this than the kids!
• Bouncy Castle: During the summer there are lots of inflatable fun play zones for children of all ages. Arjun played on the bouncy castle the last time we went and his older toddler buddies also went on the huge inflatable slide.
• Toddler Ice Rink: During Christmas they have a supercool toddler ice rink which we didn’t get to try out but definitely will be next year!
• Crafts Area: Again, we ran out of time but this is also something that is offered in the Busy Bees marquee.
• Tractor Ride: This is like a train ride whereby you get to see around the farm. We enjoyed going on this in the Summer as we got to see around the grounds. It also gave us all a little break from walking!
• Funfair Rides: there are three little rides for babies and toddlers. The last time, I sat with Arjun on a ride however on New Years Eve he decided he wanted to go alone – my baby is all grown up! 🙁 He went on it twice, and had fun steering his little car’s wheel. He had a huge meltdown when it came to getting off!
• Soft Play: “Toddler Town” Their soft play is absolutely brilliant! I wish I could transform my house in to something similar as it looks like so much fun! They have several different areas with different settings and Arjun really enjoyed playing here. They also have a play zone for older children which looked like heaps of fun!
• Play Zone: they have a giant play zone for older children similar to Snakes and Ladders which we’ve not yet used as Arjun’s too small.
• Food!: The snacks available for children is phenomenal. I’ve not seen such a wide variety for children in a farm before – from cheese, to individual triangle sandwiches in several flavours, to grapes, to yoghurt, to raisins, they have LOTS! Even for vegetarians. Their adult selection of food is also brilliant.
And if the above isn’t enough, Willow’s Farm also offers lots of muddy puddles in the rain! Something that definitely kept Arjun entertained!
Better late than never right?! … Given Arjun turned 19 months today, I thought this was a relevant throwback!
We had a fun filled photoshoot at the East West Photography studio for Arjun’s first birthday. He stayed by the cake even after the shoot was done – no surprises there right?! Here are a few shots 🙂
A few people have asked about the products I use on my face and what my daily make up routine is. So here goes!
Face scrub: I’m actually quite terrible with maintaining my face since having Arjun, not that I was ever an excessive user of products or nor did I ever have a strict regimented routine! But you know what I mean! When I remember to, I use a daily face scrub by Simple. I definitely notice the difference, my skin feels a lot smoother. It’s cheap and cheerful and it works for me!
Moisturiser: Again, I don’t use anything particularly fancy. I use a light daily moisturiser by Simple. I feel like a lighter moisturiser allows my skin to breath. My skin naturally gets dry around my nose and mouth during winter. I try and drink at least 1.5 litres of water daily, I feel like this helps keep my skin hydrated. I usually apply this as soon as I jump out of the shower while I dry.
My daily make up routine usually takes anywhere between 2 minutes – 5 minutes depending on what I go for. It consists of the following:
My bare face:
Primer: I use the Olay Firm & Lift primer and apply using a beauty blender by gliding across my face. I apply this as soon as my moisturiser has set and while I get dressed. If I plan on wearing foundation, I apply all over my face. If I don’t, I only apply beneath my eyes.
Foundation: Once the primer has set and I’m dressed, I begin applying my make up. I use Micabella mineral foundation when I decide to use foundation. To be honest, most days I don’t apply it just because I’m too lazy to! But I’ve been using Micabella since I first began wearing make up (just before I got married!). It’s totally breathable and feels really light on my skin and ha a flawless finish. It sits really well and looks very natural and I often get complimented on my skin. I use MF 5 Cappuccino.
There’s always that debate between what goes first – concealer or foundation. I’ve always applied light foundation first around my chin and jaw line and forehead before concealer.
The staff are really friendly and even offer to mix colours to get the right tone for your skin. Its £45 a pot but it does last a while and it’s definitely worth it. I apply the foundation with a Micabella foundation brush in a circular motion and apply it all over my face and neck but not beneath my eyes where I apply concealer.
Eyebrows: This is the first thing I do after applying foundation (if I’ve applied it)/primer. I have a real huge insecurity about my eyebrows which is a huge deal for me to even talk about. When I had my car accident, I fractured my skull. My head split open in between my eyebrows and just missed my eye (thankfully).
When I was stitched up, unfortunately they weren’t able to align my eyebrows quite right. I have had corrective surgery as I lost some of the nerves just above my right eyebrow (feels really tingly there especially when I get my eyebrows done!) and they’ve only started to reform and feel “normal” this last year.
Two corrective surgeries, an eyebrow lift and lots of tears later, I still don’t have perfectly aligned eyebrows. This is probably one of my biggest insecurities – I shade in my eyebrows daily even if I’m not leaving the house because it makes me feel better.
I start by combing my eyebrows using a Real Techniques Brow Groomer. The one I have has a brush and a comb. I use an eyeshadow (“Mystery” by Mac) and an angled brush to fill my brows in. I start at the ends and work my way in. I sometimes use the brush from the Techniques comb to blend in the shadow once applied.
Concealer: I use the Mac Studio Finish concealer NW35 which I apply underneath my eyes sparingly by dabbing using a beauty blender. I really like this concealer, although quite heavy, I find the coverage is really good.
On top, I apply a little Maybelline FITme! Concealer in a lighter shade to act as a highlighter. I need something to cover the evidence of my sleep deprivation! I use number 20, again sparingly. It’s important to dab and not glide when applying concealer, I find this helps with reducing creases.
The beauty blender is fab – its soft compared to a normal make up sponge and the shape of it helps to get in to every little space on your face. I always pat a little concealer using the beauty blender that I’ve applied the concealer with on my eyelids just to brighten them up a little.
Concealer is my biggest face uplift. It makes such a huge difference to brighten up my face.
Strangely enough I don’t cover up my car accident scar, it’s a part of me and I’ve learnt to accept it and embrace it. It’s a reminder of my strength and what I’ve been through every single day when I look in the mirror. Translucent powder: Once I’ve applied my concealer, I always apply translucent powder to set it before it begins to crease. At this point I only apply it to the areas that I’ve applied concealer. I use Supercover translucent powder and use a big buff brush to softly apply it. to be honest I haven’t tried any other translucent powders as I’ve been pretty happy with this one but would be happy to hear recommendations!
Eyeliner: I used to swear by the Écriture De Chanel by Chanel pen eyeliner previously and to be honest I still do. But at £27, when I was randomly stopped by a Clinique rep at our local Debenhams to try out their new Pretty Easy Liquid Eyeliner Pen, at what seemed like a bargain price of £19, it seemed worth a shot. I was pleasantly surprised, I absolutely LOVE this eyeliner. It’s a combination of a liquid eyeliner and a pen eyeliner. The pen is a lot easier to glide and apply over the eyeline and the consistency of the liquid is smooth. I’ve had it for almost 3 months now and it hasn’t dried out at all. I’ll be replenishing my stock before going on holiday.
I sometimes use bottom eyeliner instead of top, or I do both if I fancy it. I use Maybelline Master Kajal which is super easy to use. I always use translucent powder to set bottom eyeliner as I have that horrible problem of running liner beneath due to watery eyes!
Left eye has no kohl, right eye has kohl for comparison:
Mascara: I’m yet to find an amazing day wear mascara. I don’t have the darkest, longest or ample supply of lashes so a good mascara is something I’m always on the hunt for. I use Younique mascara for party wear as it lengthens my lashes and mimics the look of light false lashes. On a daily basis I use L’oreal Volume Million Lashes. It does the trick!
Blusher: My favourite day way blusher is definitely Frost by Mac. It has a deep undertone which helps accentuate my cheekbones without the need for a separate contour. I have super chubby cheeks, so breaking up my face helps! I use a Mac blusher brush to apply this. I set the blusher using translucent powder.
Lips: My favourite daywear lipsticks are the following Mac ones:
Faux
Jubilee
Modesty
Velvet Teddy
I’m definitely a nude shades kinda gal. I prep my lips using good ol Carmex (cherry flavour hehe). I use Dervish by Mac as a lip liner for all of the above lipsticks.
When I was contacted by Baker Days about reviewing a letterbox cake, I was excited! Who doesn’t love cake?! Especially one that gets delivered right to your front door!
As the name suggests, these cakes are letter box sized, perfect to be sent by post.
It was Arjun’s 18 month birthday approaching so I decided to get one made specifically for that. I was so confused on which one to go for as the choice is immense. There’s such a wide choice of personalised cakes for so many occasions and you also have the option of including a picture! How cute! We decided to go for a dinosaur themed cake as he loves dinosaurs at the moment.
The parcel arrives in a little box and included:
A gift card
3 multicoloured balloons
A party blower
Candles
A beautiful tin box with the words “just for you” containing the cute little cake!
I was seriously impressed! I had just thought it’d be a cake in a cardboard box but we got far more than we’d expected. I’m all for the finishing little touches and I felt the additional items sent really make it that extra bit special.
I kept the little tin the cake came in as its so cute to store little bits in!
We cut the cake with Arjun and he was so fascinated by the funky colours in front of him. He also attempted to blow a few balloons! Haha! He also had fun trying to play with the party blower.
The cake was a vanilla sponge with icing and it tasted DELICIOUS! The sponge was moist and the cake is meant to serve 3-4 people with generous portions. We managed to get about 8 small servings from it and shared it with our friends that popped over the following day.
When ordering your cake, once you’ve selected the design, you can choose the size and flavour (5 different options!). They also offer a gluten and dairy free option catering to everyone’s needs and dietary requirements.
The cake kept so well. It’s preserved in a plastic covering and lasted over a week when the last slice got eaten!
All in all I think the letterbox cake concept is a fantastic idea. At £14.99 I feel it’s great value for money for a special occasion. This is a great idea if you want to surprise someone or let them know you’re thinking of them. I often don’t get the chance to see my friends on birthdays, so I’ll definitely be using Baker Day’s in the future to surprise them when I can’t be there.
Do you want to win a Baker Day’s letterbox cake? I’m hosting a giveaway in conjunction with Baker’s Day! All you need to do is follow @BabyBrainMemoirs and @BakerDays on Instagram, and tag two friends in my Instagram post. The competition is open till Sunday 24th January and to UK and Ireland residents only.
Good luck!x
Disclosure: this is a sponsored post either in the form of remuneration or a free product being sent to us for review however all thoughts and opinions are our own.
I’d been pondering over the idea on whether to move Arjun in to a bed for a while. I got lots of mixed responses but ultimately I knew I wanted to do what was best for him. Every child is different. Here are the reasons why I felt he was ready:
• I often noticed he felt agitated being confined in his cot bed
• He can now climb up and down a bed by himself so I knew he had the freedom to get out if he needed to and being restricted to do so was frustrating for him
• As it feels like he’s suddenly grown over the last few weeks – he’s no longer a baby 🙁
Just before Christmas, I was speaking to a colleague at work who has a baby the same age as Arjun and who’d recently moved her baby girl from a cot to a bed. Kelly’s positive experience inspired me and pushed me over the edge to give it a go!
I woke up the next morning and decided I wanted to remove the side bar of Arjun’s cot bed to make it a bed.
I spent the day rearranging bits of Arjun’s room by moving all his toys from our bedroom in to his. I also included a little table for him and removed his baby cot mobile and replaced it with the clouds mobile I was gifted. I hung up his first year timeline from his birthday party so that the room felt different and more exciting for him in line with the change from cot to bed. Arjun was really excited by his new room and spent part of the day building towers and playing with his cars in his room. It made me happy to see him feel so comfortable in his, what felt like new, surroundings.
That evening, Preetam removed the side bar. I hadn’t purchased a bed guard at this point as the decision was quite spontaneous – the same way it was when I’d decided Arjun was ready to move from our bedroom to his own, I’d made the right decision then so I trusted my gut this time too. As we didn’t have a cot guard, I cushioned the floor incase he did fall off and ordered one from Amazon Prime that same evening for it to be delivered the next day. I carefully selected the guard based on reviews and recommendations. We ended up going for the BabyDan Wooden Bed Guard in white to match the nursery furniture.
I immediately noticed a positive reaction from Arjun, he climbed in to his bed himself and jumped out himself putting his teddies on the pillow one by one patting them to sleep. It was so adorable! By the time he’d placed all his teddies on the pillow, he was left with no space to sleep himself! Haha! So he awkwardly plumped himself on the other side. He asked my sister to read him a book (the same one about ten times!), and once he was done, he kissed Mr Sun goodnight about ten times (his new favourite thing is The Gro Clock), kissed me good night and lay down. He didn’t cry when we left the room. This was something new for me – I think the fact that he didn’t feel trapped made him feel less claustrophobic.
He toddled in to our room ten minutes later carrying his blanky asking for a cuddle. He ended up falling asleep in our bed (which is the case most nights!) and we then moved him in to his own cot. Arjun slept through the night and came in to our room at about 6am the following morning. It was the sweetest thing ever!
We introduced the bed guard the following day and are so pleased with it. I was a little apprehensive on how he’d react to it as I didn’t want him to feel trapped again. Nor did I want him to stand up against it and topple over. The BabyDan Wooden Bed Guard feels sturdy and it’s easy to glide across if you want to change the positioning. The instructions suggest you attach it around the mattress, however we decided to put it around the base of the cot just under the mattress. We positioned it closer to where his head lays than the by his feet as we wanted to ensure he has enough room to be able to get out of the bed if he wishes without the need to try and jump over.
We’re really glad with how things are going since transitioning, although most nights Arjun prefers to fall asleep in our bed and we then move him in to his own, if he’s in a really tired state, he’ll happily fall asleep in his bed.
If he does wake during the night, there are no more tears, he gets out of his cot and comes in to our room where we’ll have cuddles and he’ll usually fall back asleep. We have sensor lights in the landing which means the moment he steps out of his bedroom, the hall way lights up making it safe for him. We also ensure the other bedroom and bathroom doors are closed as well as the stair gate being locked. The quality of our sleep as well as his has definitely improved too! Haha!
As well as better sleep and generally being more at peace, Arjun often gets in to his bed by himself to read a book or play with his teddies. Something he never did in his cot!
Kelly had shared with me how she’d purchased new bedding when introducing the bed to her daughter. I really wanted to do this for Arjun too but as it was such a spontaneous decision, I didn’t get the chance to. Luckily Arjun was more than excited by the prospect of not having a barrier preventing him from escaping than noticing his bedding.
It’s now on my to do list to order some super cute bedding! I’ll also be introducing him to his new duck feather duvet for these winter nights
When did you move your babies to a bed?x
Hi, I’m Harps, an award winning blogger who shares my journey of motherhood after experiencing post natal depression and an unexpected diagnosis of Down’s syndrome. Readers have often coined my musings “relatable” and “warming”. I have gone on to turn my passion of connecting people into working with brands ranging from household names through to small businesses and sharing with my engaged audience.
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