You know that moment between knowing you are SO done with having more babies and getting rid of the very last pieces of baby furniture you will ever have? And you stop for a second. You think… What’s one more? 

I had this feeling when B1 was a baby. I knew I wanted more than just one child but it was when he went from the cot to a bed and starting doing things for himself that I really wanted another one. Two years and one month after B1 was born, B2 entered the world. I thought I wanted three but after trying for a while and talking we decided two was enough. Two was plenty.

So of course now that we had planned to move forward and get on with life I fell pregnant. Isn’t that always the way?! We had a few complications at the beginning with a Subchorionic Hematoma. What is that you ask? It is basically blood clots that form within the layers of the placenta. More often than not, they resolve themselves and I was one of the fortunate ones that it did. Once that cleared up the pregnancy was smooth sailing with the exception of painful varicose veins. You can read about my third pregnancy here and how it isn’t all glamorous.

Now Poppet turns two in June and it has gone so fast. I don’t know whether it is because the ‘fluffy puppy’ period is over and she has turned into a cheeky little shit of a kid (like all kids do) or maybe it is because everyone around me is having brand new tiny bundles that the thought crosses your mind about adding another to the family. I know deep down I don’t want any more. I have had three caesarean sections which has resulted severe scar tissue, making it extremely difficult if I were to have another one. Financially it would be crazy, our cars wouldn’t accommodate another and the list goes on. It wouldn’t be ideal. But… those damn hormonal ovaries keep gooing and gahhing every time I come within a few metres of a baby. Seeing their tiny little fingers and chubby little thighs. Teeny button noses and that smell….that delicious smell of new baby.

I don’t want more babies but I can’t make the ovaries be quiet!

Please tell me I’m not alone!

The post Stupid Ovaries – Just Be Quiet! appeared first on All Mum Said.

We all want to sleep at night knowing our babies are in a safe sleeping position and not being tangled in sheets or blankets that haven’t been tucked correctly. Well after a discussion between neighbours over the fence about the need for safe sleeping Shnooki sheet were created.

The Shnooki products have been carefully designed to meet the SIDS Safe Sleep guidelines and provided a cosy and content nights sleep. The sheets are 100% cotton with a 200 thread count, are available in standard or large cot mattress size, and come in a choice of blue strip, vanilla strip or pink strip. The blanket is double waffle, 100% cotton and super soft.

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Enter below to win: 1x Shnooki starter pack which includes 2 sheets, 1 blanket and a Shnooki Tote (RRP $125).

**As the winners are chosen based on skill and not chance; you will be sharing for 0 extra entries. It’s good karma though and I’d love you to share the giveaway with friends and family**

a Rafflecopter giveaway

GOOD LUCK!!

The post {Giveaway} Shnooki sheets appeared first on All Mum Said.

Returning to the workforce after having kids can be daunting. Depending how long you have been out of the workplace, you may find your confidence a little challenged. For anyone who has been engulfed in nappies and feed-times, the thought of going back into a professional environment can create anxiety.

Fears are generally twofold. It is common to be afraid that you will no longer have what it takes to make it in the workplace. Being ensconced in all things children can make you wonder if you will ever be able to keep up in the professional adult world again. Secondly, many parents returning to work fear that they will not be able to do everything; maintain house and children and work. Guilt is a common emotion for parents returning to the workforce.

My 1st day back at work after being a stay at home mum for 6 years.

There are steps you can take to help make your journey back to work easier and more successful. Here are some of them.

Rethink Your Options

Before you return to work, think about what kind of career you want to pursue. Don’t necessarily assume that you should go back to what you were doing before you had children. Think about what you love to do, where your talents lie, what gives you satisfaction and consider a career in that area. Too many parents return to their old job without giving it a second thought. Use your re-entry into the workforce as an opportunity to reassess what you want from your career.

New Priorities

You may want to find work that offers more flexible hours and you may want to work closer to home to avoid long commutes. Your priorities will probably have changed and you may find you value more time at home over a higher pay rate. Think about what is most important to you now and what is least important and look for a job where you can get your highest needs met.

Get Prepared

Don’t let a lack of training put you off. You can gain the qualifications you need for a new career path by studying from home. This is an excellent way to get your mind back into work mode. Vocational training and study can open up a whole new world of opportunities to you post-baby. If you are interested in finding out more about vocational training options and what career paths they can lead to, go online and check this out for details of costs and learning delivery modes. Most training programs are self-paced, a great option for people with families.

Update your Resume

You need to revisit your pre-baby resume and make changes. Get some professional advice on creating a ‘stand out’ CV that will get you a job interview. Your resume is extremely important, so make sure it is up to date. Don’t forget to mention new skills you have acquired through your time parenting, including any courses you may have completed. Perhaps it’s time to add some new design elements to the layout?

The post How to Successfully Return to the Workforce after Having Kids appeared first on All Mum Said.

So it turns out that I may have needed a break from blogging and technology. When I planned on enjoying a few days with my family over Christmas without blogging I didn’t intend on it being an extended to 10 days! Can you believe it – 10 whole days, ok almost 10 days. This is such a surprise because I don’t think I have been missing in action for this long since Mad Mummas began last year. So much has happened this year for our family and I am pleased to majority has been positive.

We moved into our newly built family home (after much stress of the building process and delays).

Our family home!

We welcomed our daughter; child number 3 to our to our family.

So perfect

We also welcomed a puppy to the family not long after.

Meet Karma

The boys discovered brotherly love; or more so how brothers fight.

Boys will be boys

Mad Dad and I enjoyed our 4th year of marriage (11 years together)

We’ve been together 11  years now

Babies first Christmas means the big responsibility of putting the star on the tree. 

She thought it looked delicious!

Santa came to 3 very happy children!

Can you tell they just wanted to play with their toys?

I cannot wait to see what opportunities 2014 brings us! I hope you have had a wonderful 2013 and an even better 2014.

Thank you for your support this year and I hope to bring you so much more in the coming 12 months.

What was the highlight/s of your year?

The post The year that was….. appeared first on All Mum Said.

Do you remember back in the day when toys were made to last? When so many of the awesome playthings were made from wood? I LOVE WOODEN TOYS and always wanted to get some for my boys when they little but just couldn’t find any and if I did they were ridiculously expensive or poor quality. So unfortunately they missed out. That is of course until a wonderful blog buddy of mine opened her very own store that is full of – you guessed it – WOODEN TOYS!! That’s not the best bit though – they are extremely affordable. Woohoo!! There is a stigma for kids that learning is boring, dull and takes them away from actually playing which we all know isn’t always the case. The range at School of Mum is absolutely brilliant and combines fun with learning. The toys are educational yet exciting!! Catered to suit children of all ages these magnificent products are great quality and will provide hours, weeks and more than likely years of fun, learning and entertainment.

The variety of products don’t stop at classic wooden toys though; there really is something for every child. You will find items suited to babies, toddlers, school age with a wide range of clothing, personalised items, puzzles, teddies, clocks, memory and my all time favourite – wooden blocks – IT’S ALL THERE!! We have recently had an order arrive from the wonderful School of Mum and my kids couldn’t get into the bag fast enough. As you will see below some of the products can be fun so much fun for children that they don’t even realise they are learning. The memory game is made from wooden tiles with a letter of the alphabet and an Australian animal that begins with the same letter. Not only are they strengthening the memory part of the brain but they are also learning letters and animals.  

Australian Alphabet Memory Game
$19.99

The clock puzzle is great for both my boys as we use it to help learn the time for my 6 year old and my 4 year old uses it to identify the numbers along with the concentration of working out the correct order of the numbers. There is a boy and girl version of this particular product.

Clock Puzzle
$3.50

For the babies in way of toys there are the Rattle and Roll Doves which are gorgeous, simple and easy to use. As bub moves or pulls it along the dove effortlessly rolls and rattles causing a great deal of excitement. This also comes in pink or blue.

Rattle n Roll Dove
$9.99

With the Bird Smackeroo there are hours of fun to had and most importantly it is great for building on hand /eye co-ordination. As you can see from the short video below it is very easy to use and great enjoyment for the kids.

My all time favourite product is the Educational Wooden Blocks, this might be because they take me back to my own childhood but at the bargain price of  $15 how can I say no? There is no much that can be done with these little babies; building, stacking, learning, the possibilities are endless.

Educational Wooden Blocks
$15

Now I’m sure by now you have worked out that I am very fond of this little shop and as a way of sharing some wonderful educational (and fun) products the extremely generous School of Mum has decided to offer a $50 voucher to one very lucky lucky Mad Mummas reader!! Just in time to get some great items for Christmas.

To enter all you have to do is follow the instructions on the rafflecopter below. Winner is decided based on skill and chance plays no part. Australian residents only! Sorry everyone else. **The mandatory instructions MUST be completed or your entry will be void!**

a Rafflecopter giveaway

GOOD LUCK!!

The post Learning Can Be Fun! + GIVEAWAY appeared first on All Mum Said.

Pregnancy is not all glamour and perfect glowing skin. I know many expectant mothers are under the illusion that pregnancy brings so many wonderful experiences and benefits. I’ll admit it does bring with it some of the most amazing experiences a woman could ever imagine however it doesn’t always come with no strings attached. I’ve personally learnt that sometimes you do really have to take the good with the bad and learn to accept the changes that have occurred; things that may never be the same again.

 A friend of mine was expecting nothing but radiant glowing skin, a perfectly round belly and complete and utter joy. This was not the case for her and I’m sure many other women out there are expecting one thing but end up experiencing something completely different. Mood swings, the amount of changes to her body, lack of sex drive and being uncomfortable are not things she expected and because she had this expectation of the perfect pregnancy her journey has not been as joyous it could have been. I am a little nervous about publishing this post as I share images of my body that have taken me an extremely long time to come to terms with and accept that is what I’ve been dealt. 6 years to be exact!

My body has gone through a transformation that could be described (and has been by me in the past) as nothing short of complete and utter destruction. I was blessed with beyond ridiculous stretchmarks and a flap of excess skin on my lower belly due to the size of my beloved children and their C-sections.

This current pregnancy the damage has been increased and has presented itself in the form of varicose and spider veins. They are not only unattractive but they can be extremely painful and spread like fuel to fire. They started near my knee and have spread up my thigh and down to my ankle, on the bright side at least they have only taken over one leg. Apparently they get worse with each pregnancy so I think it is safe to say this will be my last baby.

*26 years old and I have legs like this!*

It isn’t all bad though; I have experienced the radiant glow of an expectant mother, the ability to feel my baby grow and be nurtured inside me, the perfectly round (as huge as it may be) pregnant belly and of course the joy that motherhood brings. I’m not saying it has all been sunshine and rainbows but I have learnt to appreciate what I have. I can say I am more comfortable with my body now that I have acknowledged and accepted that it has done an incredible job creating and protecting my children.

I would like to let every woman out there who is suffering from poor pregnancy body image (before and after) that even though your body may no longer be perfect to you, it doesn’t mean it isn’t amazing. I have shared my images to let you all know that you are not alone and there is no reason to be ashamed, embarrassed, disgusted or disappointed in your body. It is strong, incredible and deserves credit for the hard work it has done – without it you wouldn’t have the little people who now or soon will call you mum.

TOTALLY WORTH IT!

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Every new parent knows the value of a good night sleep and will do whatever they can to assist this. I was very fortunate with my boys as they both slept extremely well at night, with the exclusion of waking up for a feed they pretty much slept through.

I am expecting this baby (due in 40 days) to be the complete opposite or at least that is what I am preparing myself for. I couldn’t be lucky enough to get 3 great sleepers surely! As you can see I’m under no illusions that all babies sleep well. With this in mind I have heard from mums of not so settled sleepers that babies often sleep better if they can hear mums heartbeat (I was even told when my first son was born to put a clock under the cot because the tick tocking resembles the heart beat), if there is a little night light in the room as reassurance, mums shirt nearby for the smell. Did any of these work for you?

This time I am armed with the new Miomee Musical Night Light. This little beauty has compacted everything you could need to keep bub calm during sleep time into one amazing piece of gadgetry! It is sleek, portable and so much more than just a night light; it’s genius. This product has the ability to sooth babies with comforting sounds of mums’ heartbeat, sounds of nature or a gentle melody and the option to play them continuously or set a 15 or 30 minute timer.

You can choose between 2 glowing colours. Pink – which simulates a mothers warmth and the sleepy dusk light & Blue – which creates a calm and tranquil sleeping environment with a serene blue ambience. It activates automatically when your baby cries and is chargeable with a power source that lasts approx. 7 hours. I love that it has so many functions – 3 sounds, 2 light colours, 2 timer settings and you can also choose whether you want light and sounds or light only. The glow is bright enough that you can see if you need to but doesn’t wake the babies or kids up.

I am a huge fan of how sleek the design is and how easy it is to use. It really caters for both parents and babies and with the light being portable it makes it easy to do middle of the night bed/cot transfers of babies and kids.

You can purchase it online at: miomee.com.au
RRP: $79.95

Disclaimer: I received the above item to review. All opinions are my own.

The post Tommee Tippee Miomee Night Light appeared first on All Mum Said.

 Did you breast, bottle or mix feed? What formula did you use?

Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post but opinions are my own.

 

The post Formula Fed Babies appeared first on All Mum Said.

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Image Credit



My eldest messy boy

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