life

Mama’s beauty go-tos 

Hi everyone, 

Today I thought it would be fun to share the makeup I have been loving lately. Not because I am good at doing at my makeup (full disclosure I am not) but because these are products that work for me and ones I find extremely easy to use and thought maybe some of you may want to give something new a try. 

The first product is foundation:


Wet & Wild Photo Focus is my new all time favourite foundation – It’s medium coverage, feels lightweight and has a semi-dewy finish. I purchased from Crush Cosmetics for $15.00 and in my opinion you just can’t beat it!!! 
Next is bronzer 


Soleil Tan De Chanel – its a creamy, warm bronzer. It can be used as a base under your foundation or over the top. I use it in place of a traditional powder bronzer. On occasion I use it as an eyeshadow too. It’s a bit on the pricey side but it is a large container and will last ages & ages. I purchased from David Jones for $69.00
Next is an eyeshadow palette 

Marc Jacobs Beauty Style Eye Con in 204 Starlet – is a great every day palette with lots of colour choice and I like that it is small enough to fit in a makeup bag when travelling, yet still has a decent sized mirror. The payoff is gorgeous and I feel like a little bit goes along way. I purchased from Sephora for $89.00 (currently out of stock) 
Lastly is lipgloss & lipstick 

I love lipsticks and lip glosses and honestly my favourites haven’t changed for a very long time. My favourite lipstick is Chanel Rogue Coco hydrating lipstick in Rose Cosmete. Its a nice pale pink and one I feel comfortable wearing everyday. I can’t find this colour readily to buy, however I orginally purchased from David Jones and they still have a great variety of colours for $53.00 


My favourite lipgloss is Marc Jacobs Beauty Enamored Hi Shine lipgloss in the colour Sugar Sugar 312. It can be worn alone or over the top of lipsticks, I do both but love wearing it alone when I haven’t got any makeup on but want to look a little put together. This lipgloss was ‘free with purchase’ so is a dinky travel size however Sephora sell the full size for $42.00 and it will be a purchase I make once I run out of this little baby. 
What have you been loving lately? What’s your go to makeup items, I would love to know! In particular mascara, I have the hardest time finding a mascara I actually like. 

Until next time, 

BCM

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Travelling with kids 

When we become parents we don’t wish to give up the opportunity to travel, however travelling with kids can be daunting and overwhelming to say the very least. Being a parent doesn’t mean you can’t travel, it just means you may have to travel slighlty differently. Taking the kids along on your holidays doesn’t have to be painful and I’ve got a few tips that might help! 


Personally we have only travelled by car with our little ones, they have yet to experience air travel. Travelling by car has its perks, in that we have an immediate way to get around the destination and we can stop whenever needed to give the kids a break. However just as car travel has its perks, it also has its negatives, such as the added length of time needed to reach the destination, the boredom the children face from being strapped in the car for hours and the lack of being able to move around without stopping and losing yet more time. 

I’ve found the best way to tackle travelling with kids has been organisation. It is impossible to have a smooth trip, without being adequately organised. I start packing days before we leave and have a huge checklist that I slowly tick off and even add to, as I remember other things we need. Having a 9 month old means we always take a portacot with us, it’s cumbersome and takes up a lot of boot space, however I don’t like relying on cots supplied from accommodation. It’s not always to our standards and is often forgotten. We pack bottles  half full of water for the car and a thermos of hot water to add to ensure the temperature is just right. I used to put formula into travel containers but found this unnecessary in the car, so I just have the whole tin in an easy to reach spot and add it straight from there. (I still pack our empty travel formula containers, to use while on holiday) 

We are lucky enough to have a dual screen DVD player in the car that was gifted to my eldest for her birthday and that thing has been a favourite since it was installed. It may not be everyone’s idea of entertaining children but it works for us. We also have toys in reach for the girls to play with and snacks upon snacks readily available at any given moment. 

We have a double pram and tend to pack that whenever we have the space, however an umbrella stroller and carrier can work just as well and take up much less space in the boot. Another thing we have found helpful when packing the boot is to pack the kids clothes in a small bag each and our clothes in one large bag, it allows us to make the most of the small available areas that always tend to appear when stacking a boot. 

Travelling with kids, toddlers and babies can be daunting and does mean that you usually travel with a lot of extra things but with a lot of organisation and smart use of the space in your car  it can be (nearly) painfree. 

We have yet to travel by air with the kiddies but the moment we do, I’ll be sure to share my tips on that too. If you have any tips please comment them below. If you have found my post helpful please like and share. 
Until next time 

BCM 

The terrible twos! 

The terrible twos, we’ve all heard of it, a lot of us have experienced it and others are dealing with it right now. But how terrible are the ‘terrible twos’? 

I’m the latter, I’m completely in the middle of the terrible twos, we’ve got the tantrums and the blantant disregard of rules. But is it terrible? No, I don’t think so, I think there is a lot more to a toddler than we realise. 

I know a lot of people think this generation is too soft on their kids, but I think that is utter bullshit. We may parent differently than older generations but it doesn’t mean it’s the wrong way to parent – it’s just that, different.

I think the terrible twos are the time in a toddler’s life we they are beginning to learn about their emotions and how to handle and process them correctly. I know even as an adult,  this can be an extremely hard skill to master. (Some days I totally want to throw myself on the ground when I don’t get my way) Feelings are difficult to understand and toddlers are experiencing new ones all the time. It can be really overwhelming to feel extremely upset about something that they aren’t able (allowed) to do simply because they are too young or small. And that’s where pushing the boundaries begins to come into it, once they realise that they are aren’t allowed to do certain things, such as take toys off their sister (I wonder who does that?!) they want to find out if that rule applies every time and to everyone or only in that particular situation – I guess it really is the best way to learn. 

So I say that for the most part the terrible twos are not actually ‘terrible’, they are simply the phase in a child’s life where they are beginning to understand their emotions and that they have to behave a certain way, and sometimes it just becomes way too much!

Of course I’m not saying sometimes children aren’t naughty – because they are (don’t I know it) but I don’t believe in saying a particular age is terrible. Lets be real, children can be naughty at any age! 
Until next time, 

BCM

home is where the heart is…

When you become a parent, there are certain things, memories or feelings from your own childhood that you wish to recreate for your own children. Something that always made you feel comfortable, safe or happy.

For me the thing I most wish to recreate for our girls is the security I always feel in my parents home. I have not lived with my parents for 10 years, however their house is still without a doubt one of my favourite places in the world. The comfort in their four walls is something that I cherish. Their house is home, no matter where I live. As a child, coming from a close knit family, meant I enjoyed movie nights with my family, hanging out on Sunday afternoons or playing the nintendo until bed time (even though I truly sucked compared to everyone else). We created fond memories and they still radiate in the walls of their home. The familiarity of everything in that house calms me and is my happy place if I ever feel like I need picking up.

I want this for my girls, I want to create a safe haven, a cosy home for them to cherish. I want them to love being here with us and to feel the same warmth in our home, as I feel in my parents’. I want us to be their security, for our house to hold our family memories and for it to comfort them when they need it.

I want the photos on our walls to tell one story and the familiarity of our rooms to tell another. I want them to feel at peace here. I want to pass on the feeling of being in a strong family unit. I want this house to be their happy place and for it to be their home no matter where life takes them.

All that I am, all that I’ll be – I owe to my mother and father. (and I hope one day, my kids say that about us)

What do you want to pass on to your children? Or even what do you not?

 

Until next time,

 

BCM 

Thank you coffee

To my dearest coffee,

I am writing to thank you from the bottom of my heart for everything you have and continue to do for me, especially in these last few years. I always drank you because I enjoyed you, but now you are my play button. The kick up the but I need to begin my days.

You have managed to single handily pick me up on multiple occasions, even if I have had to consume 4 cups of your sweet goodness to get said pick me up. You have been my morning go to for years but now you are my afternoon go to as well. You have been reheated, spilt, shared with family, friends and acquaintances. You have been tipped out, spat out and remade. You have put up with and offered so much. How would I have ever survived without you?

Without you, some days would seem so much longer. Some days I don’t know if I could open my eyes, talk to people, be nice to people. Functioning off two hours of sleep is made easier with you, not easy – easier. You are a good excuse to get together with friends and a good excuse to sit alone on the lounge for a while.

As with all good things, you certainly have your cons, such as the new stress I have when trying to enjoy you, when my toddler is in the room. The constant reminders that you are hot and the cup is not for babies is getting old. Yet I still find myself needing you every single day.

People say you’re no good for me, but  I don’t see myself ever giving you up.

Thank you coffee for all you have done!

 

[Hope you enjoyed my sarcastic letter of one of my life saviours, until next time BCM]

 

Feature image sourced from pexels.com

 

 

An open letter to the random man in the Doctor’s waiting room

To the random man in the Doctor’s waiting room,

Somehow we have both managed to be sitting in the same waiting room for the obstetrician. You are here with your partner and I am here with my entire family. We don’t live in this town you see, so we do not have the luxury of having our children minded, they have to attend whatever appointments we have. Seeing that the obstetrician we are seeing delivered both of our babies, I don’t think she will mind too much that they have accompanied us today.

You seem to be bothered though, my eight week old is happy enough but does demand some attention, to be honest what eight week old doesn’t? My sixteen month old has travelled six hours in the car and then been made to wait for an appointment half an hour longer then we had hoped. She is restless but well behaved, she wants her parents to read her stories and to play with the older children in the waiting room. She only wants to say hello and then she moves on. She is a young child, a baby even, a simple hello and then continuing on with conversation is all that is needed, not snide remarks about how close our children are.

You see, random man in the waiting room, it’s really none of your business how close they are. You do not have to have children close together, you don’t have to have any if you choose. That’s the thing with freedom of choice, its one we all have. We are parents of a young family, who are treading through the first few years of being Mum and Dad. We are happy and our children are loved, supported and provided for. Their age gap is really none of anyone’s concern, especially someone like you, someone we have never met. I didn’t need to hear your remark to your partner and to be honest neither did anyone else is the waiting room. Your partner seemed uncomfortable like she knew I had heard, but you didn’t seemed concerned at all.

I’m a strong girl, and to be honest, I really couldn’t give a shit, what others think of me or my life choices, but others may. I have bounced back from my pregnancy and giving birth well, but others may not. Words hurt random man, and I hope you think twice before expressing your opinions of another so they can hear in the future.

 

Regards,

BCM 

 

Unfriending! 

I sat down to write and I wasn’t sure if this is a topic I should really touch on or not. But I figured we’ve all done it, we’ve all had it done to us and right now we are probably considering it. The good old “unfriending” on social media! 

To be completely honest, this is one of the things I hate about social media the most! In “real” life when we are sick of someone or hurt by something they did, we avoid them for a while or stop talking to them all together. On Facebook when you push that unfriend button, the person you have “unfriended” may not be aware straight away but eventually they will know! It’s kinda shit! It creates unnecessary ill feelings and it is very easy for people to become caught up in how many “friends” they have and why someone would choose not to accept their friend request or to delete them from their list.

 I have over 500 friends on Facebook and how many do I talk to? 50, maybe more but certainly not often! How many have I unfollowed so I don’t have to see their stuff? More than I’d like to admit! I try not to delete friends because I would hate for them to know, but I have been guilty of it in the past. I make no apology for that. I have also been deleted and blocked and that’s okay. 

I feel this part of social media can create issues, people get so caught up in popularity online and it eventually consumes them. Technology is so advanced that most things can be done at the press of a button. Truthfully I love it, but it means that people can act on their emotions and can do things that maybe once they had settled down or had time to think, they wouldn’t have? That includes airing their dirty laundry, but that’s another story for another day. 
What do you think? Let me know below! 
📸 featured image: thegoodvibe.co

#likeaqueen

While scrolling through Facebook the other day I saw Constance Hall post about the queen in her life and was asking others to do the same. The queen could be anyone that you consider to have had the most impact on your life, on who you are or just is point blank –  kick arse! I thought it was a fabulous idea and thought there was no better way to share then here on my blog!

    
The queen in my life is my mum! No surprise to most I’m sure! She has impacted my life in ways she probably will never know, she has helped and supported me in becoming the person I am today and is just all round a kick arse Mumma! We have gone from being just mother and daughter to the best of friends and she has done everything in her power to do whatever she can for my brother and I. Now I am married and have my own offspring she does whatever she can for my husband and baby too! 
My mum taught me to be myself, to stand up for I believe was right and shown me its okay to be different from everyone else! She encouraged me (and my brother) to chase our dreams to never give up and be grateful for what we had. I was taught people deserve second chances, but sometimes they don’t! That no bullshit means never having to pretend and that lieing means always having to remember the lie! We grew up spoilt but appreciative. We were spoilt with time and love just as much if not more, then with things. 

Mum was 23 when she had me, 19 when she got married. 30 years later they are still together, some days she wants to kill my dad, don’t we all (sorry Nev) but they are still there working as a team. Their relationship taught me its okay to speak your mind, that all should be equal and how wonderful it is to come home to a happy house everyday! 

I hope one day my daughter and I can have half the relationship me and my mother have. That she follows the same morals and ethics that my mother passed on to me. That she is stands up for herself and becomes her own person! Because that’s the legacy my mum would like to see! 

5 wishes for baby 

I thought for this post it would be fun to share with you all my five wishes, hopes and dreams for Rhemy as she takes this journey through life.
1. Courage. I hope you have the courage to pass through your life following your dreams and being able to stand up for your beliefs. To push yourself to the limit and be courageous in all that you try to do. 
2. Education. I hope you are educated in whatever your choose to do. Whether aquiring a university degree is necessary or learning on the job. 

3. Knowing your worth. I hope and will do my best to ensure that you grow up knowing your worth and that you ensure others know it and respect it too. You are worth the world and it’s important to me that you believe that!

4. Happiness and Love. I want your life to be filled with happiness and love in every aspect of your world! 

5. Passion. I wish for you to find your passion in life and that you are able to follow it with all your heart. Daddy and I will do everything we can to give you all the opportunities you require. 
I would love to hear your hopes and dreams for your offspring so please comment at the end of the post sharing them with me! 

My achievement list! 

Okay everyone knows what a bucket list is, what they want to achieve and conquer during their life. But I present to you an “achievement list” it is a catalog of what you have succeded, participated or experienced in life that you are proud of. That you can look back on and give yourself encouragement of how far you have come, when you are feeling down or just need a reminder of how great your life truly is! 
It’s not to be taken as bragging or to show off. It can be totally private, shared anonymously or shared for the whole world (online of course) to see. 

I would love to share some of mine with you all. The rest I will keep for myself, but here goes: 


Rhemy; duh my greatest achievement in life. No other explanation necessary. 
My marriage; an equal partnership. The only way I want our marriage to be. 
My relationship with my family; we are close friends as well as blood. I have their back, they have mine. 
My study; I have completed certificates in my chosen field and out of it. I’m currently participating in a university degree. My achievement is not what I have become qualified in but the fact that I continue to learn. 
Travel; I have seen many places with some of the most important people in my life at some of the most important times of my life. Hello 21st birthday and honeymoon! I have memories and stories from these trips to last a lifetime. 
There you are my achievements, not material but sentimental. Maybe not what everyone strives for but what I hold very close to my heart. 
Share yours with me or jot them down for yourself but do it! Look back, be proud of what you have already achieved! Dreams are wonderful, hence why the bucket list exists but what about the dreams we have already conquered? Don’t be so focused on what’s to come that you forget about them.