Moving Pages!

Hey guys I won't be posting on mumma bubbles anymore! I'm starting a new blog over at bethanymayxx.blogspot.co.uk ! Please follow me over on bloglovin! It would mean the world to me! 

Hopefully I'll see you over there with some fresh new blog posts! 

Car Boot Sale/ Home Haul!

Throughout most of the Summer me and my hubby really got into going to car boot sales. We're up early everyday with the kiddies anyway so we might as well do something. You can find some real gems at car boot sales nowadays, with our throwaway culture we're willing to let things go cheap just so we have the space to replace them with newer things! So I thought I would show some of the 'home' stuff I managed to grab,  I also got a few things not from a car boot sale but still pretty cheap nonetheless! 

I got this garden ornament from Tesco while doing my weekly food shop! They have been having a huge clear out at my local Tesco recently so have picked up a few pieces, you'll see more below! I got this for my bathroom! I wanted to do a little bit of a nautical theme and managed to bag this for £3.00! 

I got this awesome lighthouse for my bathroom. It was a little more on the expensive side at £6.99 but I thought it was so cute and went with my bathroom decor. Plus it is from Dunelm Mill so £6.99 is pretty cheap for them! 

I picked up these two red and white stripped cups from my local charity shop. They were only 50p each and I just loved the fact that they are kind of 'mushroom' shaped. I also got the coffee can from Tesco, would you believe I got this for 75p! I thought it would be perfect for storing all of Daryls different coffees! What a bargain.

I got this cool 'Stamp' cushion from a carboot sale for £1.00. I love all the different prints and it sits nicely on my vanity chair. 

I got this shabby looking coat rack for £1.00 too! I cant wait to hang it up. I may do a blog post of a before and after in my hallway! Just need to keep nagging my hubby to put it up! 

This guy right here is one of my favourite car boot finds. I got him for 50p and have him sitting on my desk waiting for Halloween so I can put a candle in him. 

These candle jars were a completely random purchase. While walking around the end of a car boot sale one stall still really wanted to get rid of all its stuff. So I had a dig around and found these. I had no idea what I was going to use them for but I got them both for 50p. It didn't take too long for me to find a home for them and now they are holding my ear buds and cotton pads. Yay for cute storage.

I have been going cushion crazy this summer. I'm not completely sure why but I decided that I wanted some nice blue cushions for my bedroom. I found the big fluffy cushion at a car boot sale for £1.00. The blue cushion on the left with the pink car was another find from Tesco and only cost me £3.00. Last but not least I got a semi matching cushion with a yellow balloon on for only £2.00! So I think I am all set for pillows in my bedroom at the moment! 

I hope you didn't mind this type of haul because you can't go out and find these items yourself but its a good excuse to check out the car boot sales when they start up next Spring! 

Making a 'Mini Library' For Your Little Ones

So recently I have been feeling a little bit claustrophobic here in Castle Clarke. I feel like I never have the space to do what I want with my home. Sometimes it can feel like the walls are closing in. So I've decided to go on a 'decluttering mission'  around my house and make the most out of every little nook and cranny to make my home feel more spacious and a nicer space to live.

 So for inspiration I went to good old Pinterest. I searched for storage ideas and ideas for childrens room and came across the 'rain gutter bookshelves'. I instantly loved the idea and wanted to try and incorporate them into my home for my little ones books. I also looked up some play area ideas and came across a few pictures of childrens corners in libraries. So that put the idea into my head that I could make a fun library themed corner in my little living room to keep my little ones happy. 

After a rather long trip to B&Q, I am terrible in DIY stores. I literally walk around in circles having no idea where to begin to look. I came across the rain guttering and picked up the 2 metre long white, square version. You can get round rain guttering too but I didn't think the books would sit very well in the rounded guttering. 

Above is the area I decided to put the 'library' in. As you can see it isn't a very big space and was basically used for storing junk in the corner. As you can see the books had no order to them and were basically thrown onto the windowsill once my children were finished with them. It wasn't the best looking space and to be honest it was a wasted space. 

So after measuring 85cm for each shelf my partner took a fine hand saw and cut the guttering to size. We fitted 3 wall plugs for each shelf into the wall (each side and one in the centre). Then we screwed the shelves into the wall. I was a little worried at first that they wouldn't hold the weight of my youngest because he is at an age where he pulls himself up on everything and anything, but they held really well! They're surprisingly flexible and strong! I went online to my local Facebook 'Free and Cheap' group and picked up this road mat for £5.00. It was far too big for the area but I tucked the spare sides under the sofa and chest freezer so that the rug would not slide about while the kids were playing on it. Also I thought no 'library' would be complete without somewhere comfortable to sit. The beanbag chair is from Dunelm Mill, I love that shop! 

So there we have it, the start of making the most out of small spaces! I hope you like the before and after look, I'm very happy with it and my kids love it too. Even the neighbours children come over to sit and read in the 'library'. It just goes to show you don't need to break the bank to make the best of a small space! 

Autumn Fashion Picks

With  Autumn well on the way I have been going through my wardrobe and packing away the Summer dresses and flip flops for another year. It's hard to be upset though with all the amazing Autumn fashion on the high street at the moment. It's easy to say that I could happily spend a fortune in the shops at the moment! So while lusting over pieces to put on my wish list I thought I would show you some of my favourite picks!

1. Fleece Lined Aviator Jacket // 2. Blue Winged Colourblock Bag // 3. Love Swing T-shirt // 

4. Wide Fit Black Chunky Zip Biker Boots // 5. Blue Faded High Waisted Jeans //

 6. Purl Knit Cardigan // 

Are you looking forward to Autumn? I'll be happy knowing that people won't be seeing my dodgy painted toe nails for another few months! Let me know your Autumn fashion must haves!

Summer Summary!

This summer has easily been one of my favourites! With Jonathan crawling around and exploring a lot more we had a lot of fun visiting new places. We went to ZSL Whipsnade Zoo, Clacton-on-Sea, Aqua Vale Swimming Pool and loads more! We did so much that this post would be stupidly long if I went into detail about every single thing! So I will make this post more about the pictures than the writing. 

I hope you all had a lovely summer too! I must admit I am looking forward to scented candles, blankets, hot chocolate and CHRISTMAS (yes, I said it)!! What is your favourite part about fall/autumn?

Potty for Playsuits!

So far this Spring/Summer I have bought 3 playsuits and I'm not finished yet. I just think they make perfect outfits for the summer time and can be dressy or casual! You can pick up a playsuit for as little as £5.00 from Primark, yes I do own a couple of them already! So as my love grows for playsuits I thought I would show my top picks from ones I have found online! 

1. Erica Tropical Cut Out Back Playsuit //  2. Red Strappy Ditsy Floral Ruffle Layered Playsuit // 

 3. Mint Green Floral Print Skort Playsuit //  4. Floral Halter Playsuit //  

5. Lime Green Chain Trim Strappy Playsuit //  6. Petite MOTO Rio Playsuit // 

Are you Potty for Playsuits this Summer? Let me know if you have spotted any that are just irresistible! Or send me links to any OOTD's featuring Playsuits! 

Family Fun Day!

On Saturday one of the local pubs in our area held a family fun day for charity. We went to support them as we are friends with the landlord and had such a lovely afternoon! The sun shined all afternoon after a rainfall in the morning so the weather was a huge plus!

There was so much going on! There were so many different stalls to choose from and Keira got to sit in a fire engine that was parked out front. Jonathan had fun playing the lucky dip games and getting to choose prizes. There was also a book stall where you could take as many books as you like as long as you made a donation and I managed to find some classic children's books!

We couldn't resist hitting up the cupcake stall either. We got 3 for £1 and by the end of the afternoon they were selling them for whatever change you had left! So naturally we added a few more into our goodie box! 

Being an overgrown child, I couldn't help but get a glitter tattoo. They were so cute and fun it was hard to resist. Luckily I wasn't the only adult getting one so it felt totally normal! Not to mention the grown men getting tigers face painted on! They're all such good sports and they raised loads of money for charity. I even got my nails painted for £1.50.

             

Keira also got her face painted as a tiger. Luckily it came off easily with a few baby wipes as well (mummy problems ha!). It was such a lovely day, I hope they do something similar again and soon! Woo hoo! 

                

Throwback Thursday: Keira's First Swing

Recently Jonathan has been doing a lot of his 'firsts'. He's started crawling, saying words, eating adult foods, getting teeth come through. So I thought it would be nice to look back on one of Keira's 'firsts'. This was her first ever trip to the park. Being so little she could only really go on the swings but she didn't seem to mind. I still remember her face lighting up while she played happily. I'm glad I have these types of photographs so I can be reminded of these times. She is growing up so fast soon she'll be a little lady. To me she'll always be my little baby girl though, even when she tells me it's not cool to hang out with your mum. 

Weight loss Wednesday

So far my weight loss journey has not been the most successful. It's not that I've put on a ton of weight, I've just not been trying to lose any. Last time I posted about my weight I think I was in the 11st 6lb mark. Since then I have stayed around the same mark. I've not been over eating but I've not been eating little or healthy enough to lose weight. I decided last week that I wanted to get back on my diet so I could lose some weight before I go away next month. Being a mum of two means that my belly is a lot more wobbly than I would like and finding time to tighten up my abs is next to impossible. I've started to use an ab belt to help my with my tummy wobble so I will keep you up to date with how I get on with that!

At the moment I am calorie counting 1400 calories per day. This adds up to about 1 lb loss per week. It can be more depending on how much exercise you manage to do but I'm not trying to squeeze exercise into my schedule at the moment. Everyday chores such as hoovering are a great way to burn some extra calories as well though. Basically keeping active is a good as going to a gym. As long as you aren't sitting on your butt all day, you're burning calories. I would say I'm finding the calorie counting quite easy. I'm not denying myself any food but eating them more in moderation. Such as when I crave some chocolate I reach for a 66 calorie snack size chocolate bar rather than open a bag of share size Maltesers and stuff my face with them. I know a lot of people don't like calorie counting and I can understand that, this is just what is working for me at the moment.

Image source: Google Images

I've also found that by calorie counting I can see a drastic change in meal size. I can see I was over filling my plate at dinner time and is probably a big reason why I gained a lot of weight in the first place. It really puts things into perspective for you about how much your body needs and what your mind thinks you need. I've found myself getting fuller on the smaller portions and feeling comfortably full for the rest of the night. 

Currently my weight is at 11 stone 5 lbs. My goal weight is around 10 stone, which is perfect for my height. Hopefully I can keep on going and this time next summer I will be at a happy place with my weight and can enjoy a few more treats! 

It'll be worth it in the end.  

Children's bedroom inspiration

Over the course of the next year I will be designing Keira's bedroom so that we can fit both kiddies in there when Jonathan is big enough. It is not the biggest room to fit two kids into so will need a lot of nice looking storage idea for them! I went onto Pinterest to see what ideas I could take to use for my kiddies and give it a special touch to make it unique to them. 

All images used are from Pinterest. 

I love the idea of having their beds in an 'L' shape. It will maximise space and will make under their beds great for storage. The book cases on the wall are also a great idea for space saver! I'm thinking of going for a 'Jungle' theme so it is pretty neutral for them both. 

I'll keep you updated as I slowly progress with their bedroom. I'm quite looking forward to it myself! 

June 2014 Goals!

OK. Can someone please tell me what happened to May? Seriously. It went by so fast, I can't believe it's June already. Although I am looking forward to Summer so I'm not going to complain that much. 

Last month I set some goals for May and I really enjoyed doing them. Not all of them were met perfectly but I hit the guideline well enough to be happy with my efforts. So this month I have decided to keep on with my goals and set some new ones! 

1. Drink more water! I think everyone has said this at least once in their lives. With all the choice of drinks in the world a lot of the time a nice cold glass of water gets over looked. Well not anymore! I'm going to drink as much water as I can (healthily, I know too much can unbalance your body) and hopefully it will help my dehydrated skin too! 

2. De-clutter. I have so much stuff that just sits around doing nothing and taking up space. I think I have about 20 pairs of stud earrings, yet i wear the same two pairs in my ear all the time. They only really get changed occasionally when I decide to sterilise the ones I wear normally. So I think having 20 pairs is a bit excessive for me. Its small things like this that add up and suddenly I'm surrounded with stuff that I just don't need. So, it must go.

3. Carry on with losing weight. I have been doing quite well with how my body is slimming down at the moment. I haven't actually lost any weight but I have been doing sit ups to try and tone up my 'Mummy Tummy' and it seems to be getting flatter and a little less wobbly. So that is good enough for me at the moment. As long as progress is being made no matter how small then happy days.

Do you set your self any monthly goals? Maybe you're doing a spending ban like many bloggers are at the moment. I seriously would struggle so much with that, go on girls you can do it. Let me know if you are doing anything similar so I can read your posts too! 

  

Simple 'Spotless Skin' Cleansing Wipes and Moisturiser Review

Today I am going to be reviewing some of the 'Spotless Skin' products from the Simple Skincare range.

Firstly, the Spotless Skin Anti-Blemish Moisturiser is something I came across while looking for a new everyday moisturiser. I normally like to try a different range of moisturisers so I can see what works best for my skin. Naturally when I saw that Simple had a moisturiser for spot prone skin, I jumped right on it. I love Simple products, even when they aren't in the spot reducing range. I was not let down by this moisturiser at all. I was worried with all the spot fighting ingredients that it would totally dry out my skin and cause flaking. Luckily for me it does completely the opposite. It leaves my skin nice and soft as well as reducing redness on any blemishes I have. 

With all the added hormones I have with stopping breast feeding and not sleeping I have had so many break outs I felt like a hormonal teenager (there is nothing wrong with being a hormonal teenager, it's just not practical for a mum of 2 in her 20's to feel like one). I would totally recommend this product of you are struggling with the fight against spots. With a good cleansing/toning/ moisturising routine (using the spot fighting moisturiser) your skin should clear up considerably! ( I have also used the Simple Facial Cleanser and Facial Toner before and love them, I'm not reviewing them today though so I won't ramble on about them!). 

Secondly, the Spotless Skin Quick Fix Cleansing Wipes. I like using these wipes just throughout the day when I get a bit hot and if I don't have time to wash my face before doing something (like making the kiddies breakfast and school run, don't worry I wash my face when Jay has his morning nap if I haven't had time before). I think they totally compliment the moisturiser when used first. The wipes themselves have a nice scent to them, to me they smell 'clean', which is always a bonus. 

So these are just a couple of the things available from the Simple 'Spotless Skin' range. I'm very tempted to go and grab a few more of their products so I can have beautiful skin. If you want to shop for the Spotless Skin range I will add a link at the bottom so you can have a browse for yourself. 

Let me know if you try any out and if they worked for you. 

Simple Spotless Skin Range.