How do you make a baby?

This is a sponsored post for Queensland Fertility Group and Digital Parents Collective

Easy question, right?  (Well unless you're trying to explain it to a small child)

Everyone knows you just need to get jiggy with it and boom you'll get pregnant. Easy. 

At least that's what those sex ed teachers told us in highschool. Well technically they were trying to scare us into making sure we didn't get pregnant. "If you have unprotected sex even once you will get pregnant!" Although not many of us paid attention during those classes, I totally believed them that I'd get pregnant the moment I had unprotected sex. All the teenage pregnancy warnings thoroughly scared the crap out of me. Which was probably a good thing because I definitely didn't want a baby back then.

A few years later when I was 23, I was ready to have a baby, and I naturally thought it would be as easy as stopping the pill and I'd get pregnant. I didn't think I'd be lucky enough to fall pregnant straight away, but I didn't think it'd be that hard either. Wrong. After 12 months of trying with no luck I started thinking those sex ed teachers had seriously lied to me. I mean hello - I was purposefully having unprotected sex and not getting pregnant and they told me even if I did it accidentally I'd get pregnant. Way to give a girl false expectations. After 12 months of nothing happening we got referred to the fertility clinic at our local hospital.

I never knew trying for a baby was such a complex process. I guess it doesn't feel that way for those who are lucky enough to fall pregnant without knowing all the science behind it all. When you go through a fertility specialist you soon learn just how many factors can actually affect your fertility.

The most important factor affecting a woman's ability to conceive is her age. Once women are over 36 they have half as much chance of conceiving as they would have when they were 20. Age is probably the only fertility factor I was remotely aware of before trying to conceive. Of course at 23, I didn't think my age would be a factor. What I wasn't aware of was just how much cycles, ovulation, egg quality, timing, health and general lifestyle factors also play a part in conception. There's also a number of reproductive conditions that can affect fertility and you might not even know you suffer from them, I didn't.

The infertility rollercoaster was a very unpredictable and daunting process for us at the time. There were lots of emotional highs and lows. To cut a long story short, my ex-husband and I actively tried to conceive for almost 3 years. We exhausted all of the free fertility testing options at the local hospital over the course of a year and still never once got pregnant. Our next step was to be referred onto Queensland Fertility Group (QFG) to look into other options, but our relationship broke down before we went ahead with an appointment. Looking back now I'm actually glad I never conceived with him given how toxic our relationship was. Perhaps destiny somehow had a hand in that, because I then went on to meet T and our journey has had a much better result.

T and I decided to try for a baby, knowing full well that I'd probably have trouble conceiving. Still we decided to go au natural again just to see what would happen. I had this misconstrued theory that maybe I'd magically get pregnant because I was now trying with another man (even though it was me who had the fertility issues). Surprise, surprise that didn't work. After six months of trying and nothing happening we went straight to QFG to check on everything and start fertility treatment. I didn't want to dilly dally around this time. I knew time was ticking away and I didn't want to get past 30 and think gee I really wish I had've done that sooner. 

Before I began fertility treatment I was quite apprehensive. The emotional lows of not conceiving made me start thinking it would never work. I was still optimistic, but I let my negative thoughts take over at times. I was petrified of my first visit to QFG, mainly because of the unknown. Our dr made us feel so comfortable and reassured of the process that any apprehension I had before was quickly gone. I came away from that appointment with a whole new attitude - I had a renewed sense of determination and a very positive outlook.

After initial testing I was quickly diagnosed with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS). The short explanation of PCOS is that it means I don't ovulate each month, instead my eggs turn into cysts. At the time I was diagnosed I think I had 13 cysts on one ovary and 9 on the other. Being diagnosed with PCOS was actually a good thing because I finally had an answer as to why I hadn't been conceiving. Knowing what the issue was meant we had a plan of action to tackle it. In our case that meant ovulation induction, which lead to this...

For some of us the journey to conception can be hard, but there is always hope. I'm so grateful that I experienced fertility issues in a time when there are so many medical options available to help. If you're planning on conceiving soon or have been having trouble falling pregnant QFG now offer a free fertility insights program to help you get started on the path to conception. Words cannot express the amount of gratitude I have for Dr Ben Kroon and QFG. They have given us the greatest gift ever and I simply cannot thank them enough. We're currently discussing when to try for another baby and although we haven't come to a decision yet, we have definitely agreed we will be going back to see the team at QFG when we're ready.

Toni x


* I understand its an unwritten law for sex ed teachers to scare teenagers out of having sex by any means necessary. I hereby forgive my teachers for inexplicably creating my false expectations regarding pregnancy.

Disclosure - this is a sponsored post for Queensland Fertility Group in conjunction with Digital Parents Collective as per my disclosure policy. 

52 WEEKS OF MEMORIES | 43 - BEAUTIFUL

I know you're all expecting a photo of bub given that today's prompt is beautiful, because dah, what could be more beautiful than her? ... well short answer is nothing, but considering shes not really played the game on the staying still and taking selfies or sleeping on me front this week, alas I don't have a cute photo of little miss for you all. I do however have one that is inspired by her. 

This week I received my stunning Uberkate ubercircle necklace which has bub's name engraved on it. Its the first piece of non-teething jewellery I've worn since having her and I'm going to be rocking it today for my birthday. Fingers crossed she doesn't take a shine to it and try to rip it off my neck (we're spending the afternoon bub free at the movies so it should hopefully be safe). 

43 - BEAUTIFUL

~ My new necklace is definitely beautiful ~

If you would like to join in 52 weeks of memories you can find out how to play here. Feel free to share with your friends on facebook or instagram, the more who join in the better!

You can follow me on Instagram and join in on Facebook. When sharing via Instagram or Facebook don't forget to use the hashtag #fmy52weeksofmemories so I can see your lovely photos.  If you have a blog feel free to link up your photos via the linky below and come back each week to link up each new prompt. 

Reminder - next weeks prompt is special.

Toni x

Also sharing with 

Trish from My Little Drummer Boys 

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Mummy Must Have | TBMS Educational Dinnerware

Bub has loved her food ever since we started solids at six months. Apart from initially pretending to gag on carrots and peas, she's always eaten everything I've given to her. Even though she got her teeth a lot later than the rest of the babies in our mums group she still insisted on moving onto eating "chunky" food instead of puree at about ten months old, when she only had 3 teeth (no top ones). She did surprisingly well using her top gum to chew food. She quickly became interested in feeding herself and never looked back. For the past few months she's been happily feeding herself lunch and dinner.

While other mums have gone through the refusing to eat stage with their toddlers, mine continues to eat everything. I know you all hate me after I admitted that, but believe me I know how lucky I am to have a toddler that eats everything. Her appetite has grown more since she's been walking so she now eats bigger meals and needed to move on from using her baby bowls because they just don't hold enough food. Because shes being such a big girl feeding herself, I decided to get her some big girl plates for home.

We're now using the TBMS educational dinnerware set for all our lunch and dinner meals at home. The dinner set comprises of a large dinner plate, a bowl and a tumbler which all feature different mathematic equations in bright stimulating colours. Each piece has different maths equations including addition, subtraction, multiplication and division; ranging from simple through to more advanced calculations. The dinnerware is Australian owned and designed and is made from melamine which is BPA free. It comes in a pink and a blue version.

We've been using our set for a few weeks now and bub loves it. She uses the plate and bowl confidently and doesn't pick them up and tip the food all over the high chair tray or herself, despite them not having a sticky base like most bowls for toddlers. She's getting more confident with using the tumbler, she knows how to tip it up to drink out of it, but hasn't quite worked out how to drink without spilling some of it down the front of her because she still uses sippy cups. She's loving the fact that she can (at least try to) drink out of a big cup like us though. There's so many practical and educational benefits to this set that I love it too and so will other parents.

Big kid plates

The dinnerware set is a great first set for toddlers who are ready to transition from baby bowls to bigger plates. It lets them feel like big kids, but being made from melamine they're still perfectly safe for younger children. Now they can eat from a proper plate, bowl and cup just like mummy and daddy do, without the risk of breaking them. The set will also cater for children up until 11/12 years of age so they're a great investment.

Durable

Each piece is a sturdy 3.5mm thick which means they don't topple over easy and are less likely to fall. They're also made of 100% melamine which makes them super durable and able to withstand the odd bump and fall. Bub has a habit of occasionally throwing her bowl from the high chair when she's finished and shes done it to the cereal bowl and it was perfectly fine despite falling onto tiles. The only thing not recommended is putting the pieces in the microwave.

Easy to clean

The dinner set is easy to clean and doesn't get stained by foods such as spaghetti or soy sauce which normally left stains on her plastic baby bowls. It can also be washed on the top shelf of the dishwasher, I haven't done this as I hand wash all her bottles and bowls, but its great that they can be washed in the dishwasher for those who are time poor (or hate washing dishes).

Educational and fun

The best part of this dinner set is that the different mathematics equations make dinner into a fun learning experience for kids of all ages. For younger children who obviously don't understand maths yet it can be simplified by putting a certain number of each veggie (for example) on the plate and just talking about the number of each vegetable to associate numbers with fun. You could also simplify it to pointing out the different colours of the equations. Bub looks at the numbers and points to them, but obviously doesn't understand them and won't for a while. Right now she gets excited when she eats the food and the numbers appear underneath.

For preschoolers the dinner set could be used to point out different numbers instead of doing the actual equations, e.g can you find the number 4? Once they understand basic counting and numbers you could get them to count how many number 4's there are on the plate or cup. For those fussy eaters you could also use it to count out how many peas (for example) they have to eat before they can leave the table or have dessert.

Older children could use the dinnerware to practice times tables etc at the dinner table to open up conversations between the family, e.g. quizzing mum and dad or the other way round. Or make it into a game of who can get the most correct answers to the equations first. 

There are so many opportunities to use this dinnerware set to make learning and numbers fun for children of all ages. It would make the perfect gift for children from 1-11 for Christmas. Personally I think the sooner kids get introduced to learning opportunities the better so I'm glad we've started using it at this age. In a few months I'll start using it to introduce her to different colours and eventually we'll move onto the numbers.

If you'd like to get a dinnerware set for your own little ones or to give as a gift, The Busy Mum Store is offering 10% off* to all Finding Myself Young readers on either colour dinner set (that's a whole set for only $18 + postage). Dinnerware pieces can also be purchased separately for $9.95 and TBMS also stock educational placemats for different age groups. They make the ideal practical, fun and educational (non toy) present for kids of all ages. To order, you can either use the contact form on www.thebusymumsstore.com or send a PM via the facebook page and don't forget to mention Finding Myself Young to receive your discount.

Toni x

*discount only applies to complete dinnerware sets.

Disclosure - I was gifted a dinnerware set in pink and blue (the blue one I am passing on as a Christmas present to a little boy). All opinions in this review are based on our experiences with the products. I did not receive payment for this review.

Linking with Jess

When nappy change time becomes a game

Brought to you by Nuffnang and BabyLove

When bub was younger I couldn't wait for her to crawl and walk. I spent hours each day encouraging her to get up and move, hysterically clapping and enthusiastically saying "YAAAAY" when she got even close to moving on her own. I was so immersed in the buzz of her reaching new milestones that I never stopped to consider the downsides of a mobile baby. It didn't take long for me to realise that greater independence and mobility on her part meant much less control for me, which was never more apparent than at nappy change time. 

A typical nappy change involves lots of kicking, crying, rolling, and frustrated yelling of inaudible words. Sometimes I feel like I need 8 arms to control her. The majority of the time she gets away and once she's up she runs as fast as she can in the opposite direction while giggling and taunting me to chase her. My neighbours must seriously get sick of hearing "come back here you can't run around nakey with no pants on, you'll pee on the floor!". Occasionally they also hear "you just got poo all over mummy" and "oh. my. god. I can't believe you just pee'd on the mat". I often wonder if my outbursts horrify them or if they're just smugly sitting in their house thankful it's not them dealing with a defiant toddler.

The only consolation I have is knowing I'm not the only one in this situation. In fact difficult nappy changes are often a topic of conversation at our mother's group. The last time we talked about it I mentioned how I'd love to use nappy pants instead of nappies except I didn't know how it'd work if she did a poo (the idea of pulling down a pooie nappy and it going all over her legs and everywhere else was more scary to me than the change time battle). Then one of the girlss said she's been using nappy pants on occasion already and you don't need to pull them down you just break the pants open on the side. Hello light bulb moment. Why did I not know this before?! Apparently I'm not the only one though because her mum was looking after her son and he poo'd in his nappy pants and she thought you pull them down too and ended up having to give him a bath - that totally would've been me.

After that conversation I decided the next time we needed to buy more nappies I was definitely getting nappy pants to give them a go. Incidentally, not long after, I was asked if I'd like to trial BabyLove nappy pants. Seriously, the timing couldn't have been more perfect.

No doubt you've probably heard of BabyLove nappies already. They're easily recognisable by their mascot Baby Bud. At first I thought Baby Bud was some kind of cloud baby type character, but there's so much more to his story. He has a very long and colourful history which you can learn all about in this video. Bub sat and watched the video with me the other day and was completely intrigued. At the end she was clapping her hands saying bub, bub. It's definitely going on my list of go to videos to combat tantrums. 

We've been trying out the Nappy Pants for a while now and I have to say I'm seriously impressed for so many reasons. Firstly the size that she should be in according to her weight (Walker 12-17kg) actually fit her. She still has chubby thighs and we've had so much trouble in the past with nappies cutting into her and leaving red marks. To combat this we usually have to use the next size up, but then they're too big at the waist and need to be folded over. The BabyLove nappy pants fit her perfectly in the walker size. The leg gathers and waist are nice and soft but also elasticised and stretchy so they mould to her legs and back to create the perfect fit without cutting into her or leaving red marks.

They're also just as absorbent as normal nappies. She's worn them for a couple of hours at a time and they've kept her dry and didn't leak. She even did a number 3 (she obviously wanted to make sure they were really tested out) and I was really surprised that it didn't leak out at all, because there sure was a big surprise waiting for me when I changed it.

By far the best benefit of the BabyLove nappy pants is that they make nappy changes so easy! Change times have gone from a five to ten minute battle to a quick, hassle free, process that takes less than a minute. I simply put her feet through then pull the nappy up while she's standing up. She loves being able to get changed standing up because she doesn't feel like she's being restricted and I love it because it means I no longer have to deal with the yelling and kicking. The nappy pants are removed easily by tearing the side seams (I honestly thought nappy pants had to be pulled down prior to trying them). In reality though they're so easy to use even daddy manages to do it despite his chronic aversion to nappy changes. This video perfectly illustrates the difference we've experienced since switching to nappy pants.




I'd definitely recommend BabyLove Nappy Pants to others and just quietly I'm kicking myself for not giving nappy pants a go earlier. I honestly don't think we'll be able to go back to regular nappies after being spoilt with such easy nappy changes (at least not until we have another baby). Anything that eases the difficulties of the toddler stage is a big win in my book. BabyLove nappy pants provide mum's with an affordable, quality product and I love that they go beyond that and also offer the Baby bud videos to help parents calm their babies. 

If nappy changes have become a battle at your place as well, don't worry, BabyLove have you covered too. They've put together an awesome prize pack to provide you with the same relief we've been lucky enough to experience. If you can't wait that long you can buy BabyLove Nappy Pants from major retailers, chemists and specialty baby stores in toddler, walker and junior sizes. To request a free sample click here.

BabyLove Nappy Pants Giveaway

BabyLove are kindly offering one Finding Myself Young reader the chance to win 2 months worth of BabyLove Nappy Pants and BabyLove Wipes worth over $250. 

To enter simply leave a comment below letting me know about a funny moment you've faced with an overly zealous toddler struggling to get away during nappy change time.

Competition commences 23rd October 2014 and concludes at 5:00pm AEDST 3rd November 2014. Full Terms and Conditions can be found here.  [Winner - Bubfriendly Winnie]


Good Luck everyone!


Toni x

Disclosure - I was provided with BabyLove Nappy Pants for the process of review. All opinions expressed in this review are my own based on our experience with the product. This is a sponsored post in accordance with my disclosure policy.

52 WEEKS OF MEMORIES | 42 - SITTING

If you have or have had a toddler then you'll probably know they don't really like to sit still, so this prompt was probably not very well thought out. However, there are occassions when by chance you can find just the right thing to bribe them entertain them long enough to take a photo of them sitting. This week we went to a friends first birthday party and they had a sand play area set up and she was like a moth to a flame. Of course being one that doesn't like to conform to whats normal, she decided she'd rather play with the sand and bowls outside of the huge tub they were set up in. Just to be different. And create a huge mess. She had fun none-the-less and I got a few cute pics out of it. Love the concentration in this one below.

42 | SITTING

~ Sitting down playing with sand ~

If you would like to join in 52 weeks of memories you can find out how to play here. Feel free to share with your friends on facebook or instagram, the more who join in the better!

You can follow me on Instagram and join in on Facebook. When sharing via Instagram or Facebook don't forget to use the hashtag #fmy52weeksofmemories so I can see your lovely photos.  If you have a blog feel free to link up your photos via the linky below and come back each week to link up each new prompt. 

Reminder - next weeks prompt is beautiful.

Toni x

Also sharing with 

Trish from My Little Drummer Boys 

Linky rules

1. Follow Finding Myself Young

2. Add your post for this weeks prompt

3. Grab the button below and link it to the bottom of your post or sidebar or text link

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An InLinkz Link-up

Its getting hot in here

On the first day of spring it was like someone had flicked a switch here in Brisbane and the weather immediately went from relatively cold to amazing once again. Now we're half way through spring and I'm pretty sure QLD might've actually misread the season memo and mistaken spring for summer. Although we've had a few random cool overcast days here and there, you could easily assume we've already reached summer with all the sunny, warm weather we've been having.

Don't get me wrong I'm not complaining one bit, I'm loving the fact that I've been able to get out to the beach at least once a week for the past few weeks. It's making me a bit apprehensive as to just how hot summer is actually going to get though. I remember the 40 degree days from last year and I'm really not looking forward to doing that again.

This is what it felt like last year

It's bad enough when its hot during the day, but what's even more unbearable is when its hot at night. I find it impossible to sleep when its all stuffy at night. I always have to sleep with a blanket or doona on top of me no matter how hot it is. I'm not sure if its because I just like the feel of material against my skin or if it developed from some fear of the boogie man in my childhood (if you're under the blanket they can't see you so they can't get you), but either way I simply cannot get to sleep without being wrapped up in something. Luckily for me we have an air-con in our bedroom so I can indulge my random need for a blanket even during summer. My poor baby girl is not so lucky in her room though.

Her room is the only one in the house that doesn't have any insulation in the roof so its the coldest in winter and the hottest in summer. In winter it got down to 15 degrees overnight and its already sitting at 26 degrees at night now. I can only imagine how hot its going to get during summer.

She's very tactile like me and loves having something over her at night. I've been using sleeping bags since she started rolling (because I was paranoid of using blankets with sids risks) so she's grown used to wearing a bag at night. Her 1.0 tog one was working fine until her room started getting above 22 degrees at night. Since then we've been looking for a solution that doesn't involve installing a brand new air-con in her room. Luckily Love to Dream have been working away behind the scenes developing a new product to solve our exact problem. They've just released their new Nuzzlin sleep bag this week.

The nuzzlin sleep bag is a revolutionary design, perfect for our hot weather here in QLD. Its a 0.2 tog bag made from super soft and light new generation muslin, which is perfect for bub because she's always slept with a muslin wrap as her "blankie" because she loves the feel of muslin against her skin. The bag is even lighter than her muslin wraps. You can actually see through it if you put it up against your eyes, its that light. Its suitable for 25 degrees + which is just right for her room.

26 degrees - not a problem anymore.

The nuzzlin bag is super stretchy as well which she absolutely loves because she can move around so much easier in it. The first night I put her in it she was just continuously stretching her feet in and out to see what it felt like against her toes. It didn't take her long to realise more movement means she can now zoom up and down her cot all night. She's at the wrong end of her cot in the photo above, but hey whatever works! If it makes her happy and means she sleeps more then I'm a happy mummy and really that's all that matters.

I'm in love with the designs of the new bag, how cute is the pink ice-cream?! Coincidentally the pink bag also perfectly matches her room colour scheme of pink/grey and white. For those of you who don't have little girls there's also an aqua bag with a hedgehog motif and a white bag with an apple motif.

The bags come in three different sizes 4-12 months, 12-18 months and 18-36 months. We're using the 12-18 month size and it fits perfectly at the top and still has heaps of room in the length (she's 15 months old this week). I'm glad they go up to 36 months because that means I'm covered for the next year and a half and by then I'll probably have outgrown my fear of her sleeping with sheets and blankets. Probably.

So, we've got night time covered with the sleep bag and have the air-con downstairs for those hot days. The beach is always going to be there for when we need to escape the house. Now all I need to do is work out how to get a full sized swimming pool into my courtyard so we can go swimming without leaving home and we'll be fully set for summer. Yes we have a clam shell kiddie pool and while its ok for bub, it really doesn't cut it for mummy and daddy.

Is it hot where you are?  

Do you have a swimming pool we can come and swim in?

Toni x

* Disclosure - I was gifted a Nuzzlin sleep bag from the team at Love to Dream. All opinions are my own based on our experience with the bag and were in no way influenced by Love to Dream. I did not receive payment for this post.

Linking with Eva, Alicia and Kirsty.

Shape sorting our day away

Shape sorters are like a right of passage toy for kids, right? I remember having the old school tupperware one myself back in the day. Now they've gone and got all fancy.. and seriously fun. Shape sorters are no longer about simply putting a shape into a hole, now they're multifaceted educational toys and the Playgro Elephant Shape Sorter is no exception.

The Elephant Shape Sorter combines so many different elements into one toy. From first glance it just looks like an elephant toy with ears and legs, but on closer inspection it becomes obvious just how many different design features have come together to make an educational toy that will last children from toddler stage through to pre-school age. The front of the toy provides kids with loads of sensory play experiences and the shape sorter is incorporated into the back of the elephant.

The elephants face has been designed using Playgro's signature bright colours and patterns to encourage visual perception. The legs are padded and the ears are crinkled to provide different textures for little hands to explore. The elephants trunk also spins around making a clicking sound as it moves. So much sensory stimulation. Bub loves the trunk, she'll sit there for ages spinning it around.

The shapes can be used to teach colours, different types of shapes and numbers as well as the process of putting the shapes in the holes. It encourages babies to develop cognitive skills like logic and reasoning through learning which shapes go into which holes. With the incorporation of numbers and colours into the shapes, the toy can still be used at older ages to continue teaching new skills making it a very versatile toy compared to others on the market.

The toy is guided for 12m+ which I think is a good estimate. Although babies younger would get use out of the sensory elements at the front, I don't think they would grasp the idea of putting the shapes into the holes until around twelve months. Bub is 14 months and has only just really started to get that the shapes go into the holes. I showed her a few times where they go and then after generally playing with them for a while she started trying to put them in the holes. She hasn't got it al worked out properly yet, but she does get very excited when she gets one into the hole. For some reason she always seems to get the triangle into the hole whereas the other shapes she keeps trying to put into the wrong holes unless she's shown which ones they go in. That doesn't stop her having fun with it though.

Bub has also come up with other ways to use the shapes. Her favourite thing to do is try and put the shapes on her feet like shoes. She's obsessed with shoes at the moment and always wants something on her feet and who says it shouldn't be shapes (yep shes unique). She also likes to pick up the elephant by the shape holes and take it for walks.

The Playgro Elephant Shape Sorter is a very versatile toy that'll keep entertaining kids for years. I'd definitely recommend it to others, especially those who have toddlers.

Did you have a shape sorter when you were little?



Toni x

Linking with Grace, Kaz & Ann

52 WEEKS OF MEMORIES | 41 - FROM ABOVE

So, I was going to get all arty this week and take a photo of her play area from above {the top of our stairs}, but then I realised people probably aren't interested in seeing a bunch of toys and pink vomited all over the floor. And I gather you may all be over my signature sleeping baby pics {although I have included one as a bonus}, so in order to be new and different I've gone with a slightly out of focus one that I took of bub and Max. They're always so cute together.

41 | FROM ABOVE

~ Such a cute moment captured from above ~

~ obligatory sleeping baby photo ~

If you would like to join in 52 weeks of memories you can find out how to play here. Feel free to share with your friends on facebook or instagram, the more who join in the better!

You can follow me on Instagram and join in on Facebook. When sharing via Instagram or Facebook don't forget to use the hashtag #fmy52weeksofmemories so I can see your lovely photos.  If you have a blog feel free to link up your photos via the linky below and come back each week to link up each new prompt. 

Reminder - next weeks prompt is sitting.

Toni x

Also sharing with 

Trish from My Little Drummer Boys 

Linky rules

1. Follow Finding Myself Young

2. Add your post for this weeks prompt

3. Grab the button below and link it to the bottom of your post or sidebar or text link

4. Visit some of the other blogs and share some comment love (because its the nice thing to do)

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An InLinkz Link-up

Mummy Must Have | Jeanie B Beach bag

Incase you haven't noticed by all the beach related photos on my Instagram feed and this post last week, the beach is my happy place. It doesn't really matter which beach, as long as its a nice sunny day and I can sit and chill out then I'm there. If the waters a nice temp and not too choppy thats always a bonus too.

I'm loving the fact that I get to spend more time at the beach now while I'm on extended maternity leave. The best part is I get to take my little buddy along with me. Of course going to the beach with a toddler in tow requires a lot more planning than a spur of the moment road trip to go lay on the sand for a few hours. It also requires a lot more stuff, because little people need lots of stuff to go anywhere.

The most important item required when going to the beach is a good beach bag. When you have kids a quality beach bag is a must because you really don't want to have to carry all their stuff around yourself. I used to make do with a Country Road canvas tote bag, but they're simply not big enough to hold everything I need now, so I've upgraded to a Jeanie B beach bag.

I chose the denim stripe bag because lets face it jeans are my favourite type of clothing so it goes without saying I'd be attracted to a denim look bag. The bag is available in a number of different colours, with new styles added regularly. Each bag is also fully reversible so its like getting two bags for the price of one, mine has a navy and white stripe on the other side.

We recently went to Bribie Island for a day trip and we needed to pack even more than usual as we were going for a few hours. The new bag came in really handy as I didn't want to take her nappy bag as well. The Jeanie B beach bag is huge so it easily fit everything we needed for the day for her and both of us and still had ample room left. The only let down when carrying baby items, as opposed to a purpose built bag, is that there's no separate internal zip up compartment to store nappy change supplies. It wasn't a real drama though as there's a large internal pocket so I just put her nappies, wipes, nappy bags and cream in there to separate them from our other items.

The beach bag is 100% cotton and can be machine washed. I haven't had to wash mine yet, but I love that it can be run through the machine because its bound to get dirty at some point when little grubby sand covered hands go searching for a bottle or the like.

At only $59 the Jeanie B beach bag is definitely a worthy investment, especially if you go to the beach as often as we do! There's also a smaller version available (the Jeanie B B-Tween) for $39 if you don't need a bag that's quite so huge. Jeanie B also stock a range of beachwear clothing and jewellery online.

Do you go to the beach as often as us?


Toni x

Disclosure - I was gifted a Jeanie B beach bag for the purpose of review. As always all opinions expressed in this review are based on my experience with the product.

Linking with Jess

10 ways you can tell your baby is now a toddler

Clearly there are some pretty obvious ways to tell your baby is a toddler, like the fact that they've turned one and the definition of a toddler is a child aged 1-3. There's also the obvious developmental steps like moving from crawling to walking, saying more words and needing more stimulating toys and activities to help sharpen their fine and gross motor skills. This list isn't about those things. This is all the other ways you can tell your baby has completed the metamorphoses into toddlerhood. The things people don't really talk about, but all mums of toddlers will relate to, or if you're still in the baby stage - the things you have to look forward to.

10 WAYS TO TELL YOUR BABY IS NOW A TODDLER

Your house is permanently messy

I went through a phase of picking up all the toys throughout the day to try and keep things tidy. It only lasted a few days before I realised it was futile. It's doable when your baby is immobile and they can't move toys around, but once they're toddlers they have this innate desire to come along behind you and destroy everything you've just tidied up. If your house looks like a toy shop has vomited all over the floor then its safe to say you have a toddler. My advice, learn to embrace the mess.

You can't go to the toilet by yourself

Gone are the days of being able to sneak off to the toilet. From now on you'll have a little toilet buddy whether you like it or not. Mine likes to bring me stuff like balls to throw and books to read. If she's in a particularly destructive mood she'll try to pull all the toilet paper off the roll or take one of the spare toilet rolls off for a walk somewhere and hide it. Yep toilet trips will never be a peaceful event again (even if you lock them out because then they just bang on the door saying "mum, mum, mum, mum" on repeat until you're finished).

They want to do everything themselves
You will most definitely have a little miss or mister independent on your hands once they graduate from baby to toddler. Even if they don't quite have all the skills yet, they'll still want to do everything themselves. They are now big girls and boys after all and they'll want to prove this to you as often as possible. Cue the rebellious independent streak.

They want to eat your food
Regardless of whether they wanted to eat theirs. Yours is always more interesting because they know they're not meant to have it. Even if you're both eating the same food, what's on your plate will still be more appealing. Every. Single. Time. End of story.

Everything is theirs
Younger babies are generally happy to share toys and play well with others, but once they're toddlers the what's mine is mine and what's yours is mine phase hits. Suddenly everything is mine, whether it is or not. Similarly everything someone else has is suddenly more attractive - toys, books and food are the usual suspects. FYI they don't need to be able to say the word mine to express this either, she gets her point across quite well with hair pulling, smacking and pushing. Trying to stop this behaviour usually leads onto my next point.

They throw tantrums
Its amazing how quickly kids master the art of throwing a tantrum. Babies generally only cry when they need something, but toddlers, they like to throw tantrums for a million different reasons. The tiniest thing can set off a toddler. Our latest one here is my glasses aren't on my head anymore, after she's just pulled them off. We also have my dinner is gone (after she's eaten it all), my toy fell on the floor (after she threw it there) and how dare you stop me from playing in the cats food on a daily basis. Then there's the normal screaming in the car tantrums and tired but unwilling to sleep tantrums.

Most tasks become a battle

Meal times, getting dressed, getting in the car, getting in the pram, going to bed (I could go on) usually turn into world war 3. Be prepared for a battle. Approach these situations with an arsenal of weapons up your sleeve. My weapons of mass distraction include toys, the tv and singing random songs.

Change time becomes a game of chasey

Nappy changes are a combination of a battle, a tantrum and a game; but mostly a game. It's a game of how many times do I have to roll over before I can get away from mum. Then, how quickly can I run away from mum while laughing hysterically. Then, how far can I run away from mum while I have no pants on (which is usually accompanied by the theme song "come back here so I can put your nappy on, you can't run around nakey"). The second chorus is "you need to put pants on before you do a wee on the mat". Yes, she has done a wee on the mat. Don't laugh, I'm sure your toddler will too at some point.

They bite {hard}
Depending when your baby starts teething this may start before they're technically a toddler, but they become much better at it when they're toddlers. I used to get occasionally bitten on my finger if it strayed too close to her mouth {or if I was dumb enough to let her put it in her mouth}. Nowadays though she deliberately bites me on my toes, knees and shoulders, daily. Apparently the bonier parts are better for biting because it gives them something to get a really good latch onto. It's pretty much like being attacked by a piranha, but one that you {for reasons that may momentarily escape you} love.

They have no fear
This is possibly the scariest trait a toddler has, at least for us parents. No matter how many times they hurt themselves you can be sure they'll still do the same thing again without a second thought. Its terrifying seeing your toddler about to launch themselves face first off the bed or the couch with reckless abandon. Of course I stop her before she goes over the edge, but then she tries to go straight back to the edge as fast as she can. If I survive the toddler stage without having a heart attack it might just be a miracle.


Do you have anything else to add to the list?

Toni x

52 WEEKS OF MEMORIES | 40 - TOGETHER

This prompt was never going to be hard because we spend everyday together. I have a heap of cute beach photos of us from this week (yes we went to the beach, again), but I figured you might all be over beach photos for now since I've shared so many. So, here's a signature photo of her in bed with me in the morning. I love our early morning snuggles in bed together.

40 | TOGETHER

~ Early morning snuggles together in bed ~

If you would like to join in 52 weeks of memories you can find out how to play here. Feel free to share with your friends on facebook or instagram, the more who join in the better!

You can follow me on Instagram and join in on Facebook. When sharing via Instagram or Facebook don't forget to use the hashtag #fmy52weeksofmemories so I can see your lovely photos.  If you have a blog feel free to link up your photos via the linky below and come back each week to link up each new prompt. 

Reminder - next weeks prompt is from above.

Toni x

Also sharing with 

Trish from My Little Drummer Boys 

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