Thank you, Changes & #SecretProject!

Yay, I'm back! 

For those of you who follow me on Facebook and Twitter, you will know my laptop has not been behaving as I would've liked it too. After cursing at it yet again for being so slow, I gave in and called Chris at McGarr Electronics. Thanks to his speedy work I'm now back up and running and speedier than before! 

Over the last few weeks I've felt a bit all over the place. Between sleepless nights with my little ones thinking 5am is a good time to start the day and my mind being distracted with some upcoming projects (which I hope to share with you soon) I got the date wrong of my 6 month "blogiversary"! When I realized it earlier today I was raging! I was sure it was yesterday but alas no, it was last week, 22nd May! 

So as the saying goes, "Its better late than never", I want to say a MASSIVE THANK YOU, to you all! I want to say thank you for all of your support, your views and your comments. 

I'd like to give a special thanks also to my husband, my brother in Oz, my dad and my Father in Law. Family is important to me and their support means a lot. 

I'd like to give a special mention also to Hope from a Butterfly, LilliWhiteRose, Where is my mind? and all at Irish Beauty & Lifestyle Bloggers Inspire for their continued support. 

The last 6 months I genuinely cannot believe how my little blog has grown. 

Some changes ahead! 

A little slow down!

I've mentioned in some previous posts that I'm working on a #SecretProject! The last couple of months I've let it slip so I've cracked the whip to get myself back on track. With that in mind, I need to give it some attention over the coming weeks. I've an appointment coming which I'm hoping will give #SecretProject a start in the right direction. I'd love to share it with you all but I'm afraid you will have to wait a little longer ... sorry!

With me needing to prepare for this appointment I'm going to reduce the amount of days that I blog before then so I can give #SecretProject the time it needs. I don't plan to stop blogging altogether as its my little sanctuary, I just won't be blogging twice a week as I've previously committed to. I will publish my posts Thursday / Friday for the next couple of weeks.  

#YourAnInspiration 

While its a series I really enjoyed sharing with you, I'm afraid, it will be on hold for now. This took a lot more work than I'd envisaged in trying to get people who I know are inspiring to take part. 

It's a shame those who inspire don't always see how they help others.

Vlog

This is something I've been toying with over the last few months and after completing a video editing course on Monday its something I'd like to start in conjunction with the blog. I'm still toying with what to vlog about?I'd love to hear your thoughts. What would you like to see? 

Thank you again for all of your support, it really means so much to me. 

I'd love to hear what you'd like to see more of on the blog? 

What would you like me to vlog about? 

I made the Team - The Netflix Stream Team!

I have to say I'm quite excited to be part of the Netflix Stream Team! If there is one thing I love it is great TV and lets be honest Netflix has some fantastic viewing. As I was flicking through whats available I was quite overwhelmed as there is lots of viewing not just for adults but for the whole family. 

Last week I received this fantastic welcome package from the #NetflixStreamTeam and finally I'm all set up and ready to rock to catch up on some Netflix viewing!

So, what am I ... sorry we, planning to watch?

Better Call Saul

Well, I think, this is going to be the first point of call for myself and my husband. We LOVED Breaking Bad so this is something we are quite looking forward to watching. For my husband and I we enjoy when we can both watch a series together so Better Call Saul, it is for us .... to start! 

Better Call Saul follows the story of James Morgan "Jimmy" McGill six years before his appearance in Breaking Bad. For those of you who haven't watched Breaking Bad .... Watch it! It takes time to build up but I have to say it's a great series. It made me see Bryan Cranston in a whole new light after knowing him from Malcolm in the Middle. 

Grace and Frankie

The cast alone is enough to make me want to watch this. Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin, Martin Sheen and Sam Waterston. They are characters I've always been fond of and more recently I've watched the Newsroom with Jane Fonda and Sam Waterston who were fantastic. 

The story is about two women who are forced to reinvent their lives and bond together after their husbands leave them for each other!  To me this sounds like there will be some laughter along the way. It will be interesting too, to watch the characters and their families as they develop on the new journey in their lives!   

House of Cards

This is one I've wanted to catch up on for some time so I'm really looking forward to start this. House of Cards is an Emmy-winning original thriller series. It stars Kevin Spacey as Francis Underwood who is a ruthless and cunning Congressman. He will stop at nothing win the power in Washington D.C. His wife Claire played by Robin Wright, is his secret weapon and she is equally as ambitious. .

For the Family / Kids!

So, Netflix as we know has a lot to offer for all ages. With that in mind I'm really looking forward to the great movies we can watch together. Our 16 month old might not be quite in Family movie mode yet but our 3 ... nearly 4 year old is! So, here's what I think he might like. 

Team Umizoomi (series)

Our son recently began watching this and loves it. Team Umizoomi is about Milli, her brother Geo and their friendly robot named Bot. They are "math superheroes" and help others in Umi city with their problems which have been sent to them by via the Umi Alarm. 
The young viewer is introduced to the various concepts of counting, measurement, shapes and patterns. 

Postman Pat The Movie

Postman Pat, another favorite of my sons and I think when he knows that there is a film he will want to watch it all the time. 

Bambi

I hang my head in shame as I type this but I have never seen Bambi! I know, I know "it's a classic" I hear you say but yes I haven't seen it along with some others so this will definitely be one for the family to watch. 

So, I hope you enjoy my updates as to what's coming up on Netflix and what I'm viewing with my family. If your not already, follow me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to see what we're watching! 

Disclaimer: 

I received a Netflix subscription and an Apple TV from the Netflix Stream Team. All views and comments are my own 

The A to Z of Me tag!

I'd like to thank Glitter Mama Wishes for tagging me in the A to Z of me! I hope you enjoy mine as much as I've enjoyed reading others!

A Ambition! Yes, even as a Stay at home mum, I have ambition and not just to make it through the day minding our two children! There are some things that I'm working on that I hope to reveal to you all in the coming months

B While the obvious is probable blogging, or for some who know me Beer! I do enjoy a beer after a long week! For me B is for Blanket! No matter how big the fire is in the sitting room during the winter months or even during an Irish heatwave, in the evening when the kids are in bed, I like to curl up on the sofa under a blanket! 

C Christmas! This really is a wonderful time of year and its made all the better now with have our children. For us its not all about spending, its about enjoying the love of one another all the more. 

D Damnait, my mums name and also my daughters second name. It's pronounced Dow-nit. Its very much a Mayo name where my mum was from. You can read a little about the history here 

E Eimear! yes my own name! My mum was inspired by W.B. Yeats when I was named. It's another good old Irish name and one I'm proud of. I also love the meaning of my name and it's link to Irish legends which you can read about here

Me & my Mammy! 

F Family. I know this may be an obvious one but I must say for me, my family are my rock. 

G Gardening This is something I'm making an attempt at. We are in our home nearly 7 years and while I've made starts I'm slowly but surely getting there ... In another 7, I might actually have some order on it!

H Home My home means the world to me. After my mum passed away we sold our house when I was in Australia. When I came back to Ireland I felt quite lost not having somewhere to call home. Since meeting my now husband after we first moved in together after just 6 months of knowing each other (my children won't be told this!!) I felt at home for the first time in about 8 years! 

I Innocence I think at times I'm actually more innocent than I realise. I can embarrass quite easily when people talk of topics I'm not quite comfortable about

J  Joking I love to joke about as best and as much as I can. I think it s good for the soul

http://www.kidzworld.com/article/22377-just-joking-around

K Kelly Another name I know but one I was very proud to take when I married my husband. I always said if I changed my name if I got married, it needed to be to a name with pride and strong sense of family and marrying my Mr. Kelly, I've that in bucket loads. 

L Love This is one that doesn't come easy to all but I have to say I'm very lucky in love with my husband and family.  

M Mammy Being a Mammy, I feel truly blessed. I know how lucky I am to say I am a Mammy and I'm so grately for our children. 

N Negativity This has to be my biggest pet hate! I know life can be tough but being negative intentionally is not going to make it any easier. 

O Organisation Everything, and I mean everything has to have its place. I hate when things become disorganized and I've to run around to try fix it. 

P Planning When I do things I like to have a plan in place and be prepared as best I can. I research, make lists etc 

Q Questions! Something I wish I asked more when my mum was alive. When she passed I was 19 and like all of us at that age we never thought we needed to ask questions, we knew it all!!

R Rugby For those who know me, they will know that this is an obvious one! Rugby is probably the one sport I don't mind being on all weekend. It's a sport I really enjoy to watch when I can and it even decided on how our wedding was planned which you can read about here!

Celebrating our Wedding Anniversary this year at the RDS watching Leinster! 

S Spring is probably my favourite season of the year. 

T Time this is something I never feel I have enough of lately. 

U Understanding As me, as a wife, as a partner and as a mum I like to think that I've a good understanding for my family. 

V Vanity If someone told me a few years ago I would become vain I would of told them - no way! Over the last few months I've discovered more about me and as my confidence has grown so has my vanity, lol!!

W Waves Its a sound I love. Sitting by the sea listening to the waves as they crash is so peaceful. I also love the power and strength that a wave has. 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk Wave photographer Clarke Little

X Xylophone A word that I was so proud of when our son was only about 18 months old said with ease and his sister seems to be following suit at 16 months

Y Young Even with the broken sleep from the children and the crazy days they can give me, I feel younger now than I ever did! At 38 years young I feel I could take on the world with ease ..... after a nap maybe ;-)

Z  Zoo! I don't go often enough really but I'm hoping to change that now that our daughter is a little bigger and she can enjoy having fun with her big brother. 

I'd like to thank Glitter Mama Wishes again for tagging me. It's certainly not as easy as it seems! I hope enjoyed getting to know a little bit about me and weren't put off!! 

I'd like to nominate 

Dee-Termined to Glam and Glow

Trés-Belle 

Mummascribbles

Squidgy Moments

Review - Wash & Learn

Recently as some of you may know from following my Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages, I'd the pleasure of meeting with the lovely Lorraine owner of Duane Learning. When Lorraine offered me the opportunity to review her product Wash & Learn I was delighted. Only some weeks prior I'd seen the Wash & Learn on a brief visit to a local shop Bob & Kates but unfortunately I hadn't the time to see what Wash & Learn was all about? 

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On meeting Lorraine I must say the one thing that struck me was her energy and passion for the Wash & Learn. Not only did her passion strike me but also our 3 year old son. He was the one who was really going be be trying the Wash & Learn out and on first impressions he was a happy little boy .... believe me, he's a tough reviewer! 

So, what is Wash & Learn? Well, in simple terms it is a toiletry bag that is designed for children. Not only that though it teaches children the basic principles of hygiene. It is designed into 3 compartments with different openings styles (Velcro, buttons and zip) where your child can store their tooth brush, toothpaste, face cloth, soap and any other toiletries that may be needed. 

Benefits of the Wash & Learn:

• Develops your child’s pincer grip
• Develops their concentration
• Teaches basic personal hygiene skills
• Reduces the spread of germs
• Teaches through repetition

As I made some coffee for Lorraine, my son like all 3 years olds was all questions wondering what it was she had brought. I watched as she explained the Wash & Learn to him and he was loving it. 

She read the story of Peader the penguin to him in the little book included and he loved it.

 

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Peader explains why it is important to wash your hands, teeth, face and behind your ears. It's a simple little story that is easily understood and gets the point across of the importance of good hygiene. 

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For me as we sat and had coffee, like all parent's I "poked and prodded". While I had Lorraine there I wanted to ask any questions I may of had about the product. Being honest while we chatted about the Wash & Learn and other things I kept touching and I remarked about the quality. 

As parents when we buy things for our children we all want the best. We also want something that's safe and ... value for money!To me all these got the "tick" mark. 

The Wash & Learn is made from toweling, and in each of the three compartments it is lined with plastic so if a there's a soggy face cloth or toothbrush put in, it isn't going to drip every where. Another bonus too it that its washable! 

With my son being so excited about using the Wash & Learn, I will be honest for the first couple of days I'd to hide it from him. Cruel mammy you might think but I wanted to hang it for him in the bathroom properly and I wanted to make it special for him picking up his own bar of soap for his Wash & Learn. 

So how did he get on? 

I think one of the best comments my son came up with was the morning after using the Wash & Learn for the first time was "I love my Wash & Learn Mam". Since then he has loved and is still loving his Wash & Learn.

For me as a parent, what I've loved is it has added an easy change to a previous routine. Since our son had his first tooth at 5 months we have brushed his teeth in the sitting room. This was just a habit. Before he was snuggled into his sleeping bag after his milk in the sitting room we brushed his teeth before being bringing him to bed. 

Both myself and my husband knew this routine needed to change and it was probably delayed with the birth of his sister and her new teeth! I must say the Wash & Learn has been a fantastic tool in this transition. 

Routine has always been a key in our home and I've always been grateful for the routine we have. With the Wash & Learn I have watched our son as he's used it gaining the independence he desires. I've also watched his 15 month old sister checking it out! While its designed for 3 years plus I've felt it is safe enough for smaller children in my opinion. 

Wash & Learn gets the thumbs up from me but more importantly from our son! 

Check our Duane Learning here and also Lorraine's Facebook page here and Twitter here. Lorraine not only has a great product in Wash & Learn but has some great ideas for the future so keep an eye out! 

The Wash & Learn retails at €25. I will be honest on first hearing this and I said it to Lorraine, I thought this was expensive. After a proper examination of it and after watching my son (and daughter but don't tell him using it!) I think €25 is a fair price for a well made product and the learning that comes from it. 

If you'd like to add Wash & Learn to your child's routine or purchase it as a gift just click here!

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Disclaimer

Any images marked beneath with an * are from Duane Learning and all other images are my own. 

I have received this product from Duane Learning for the purpose of reviewing and all opinions are my own.  

Our Parenting Journey - Where it began!

In my short time blogging I've met some fantastic fellow bloggers. Through reading their blogs I've laughed, cried and most of all I've been inspired. My inspiration was spurred more recently with the Irish Parenting Blog Awards. There was a lot of reading to be done to vote for those I wished to go forward to final shortlist. 
Since then, I've made a greater effort to read more fantastic blogs and it has inspired me to share a little bit more about me with you. As you know my blog is about the "Clucks and Downs" of a stay at home mum and with that in mind I'd like to share more with you about my parenting journey and I hope it is something you will enjoy. 

So, where did our journey to becoming of family of four begin?

Well, like a lot of little girls we dream of a fairy tale life. For me I hoped to be lucky enough to meet a wonderful man and we'd have two children. I wanted a boy and a girl in that order with about 2 to 3 years between them. As I grew up and as the years passed I've been lucky enough to have met and married my best friend and we have two beautiful children our son and daughter in that order and low and behold to top if off, there's two and a half years between them! My fairy tale came true but as we know in many fairy tales, there an be some bumps along the way. 

When my husband and I married in 2009, we began our journey to parenthood. We were "trying to conceive"! Words as I read them even now put fear in me. For some trying to conceive can be the easiest thing in the world and for others as we know its a journey of being prodded and poked and medication in the hope they are lucky to conceive.  

http://northvalleynews.org/2013/the-clock-is-ticking-down/

For us we were taking the "let's see how it goes approach". As the months passed and as I saw another birthday nearing my mind and clock were ticking! This in turn drove me crazy charting in my mind, check dates online and of course reading everything you shouldn't online in hope I'd find a miracle answer. 

I still remember to this day a conversation my husband and I had in our dining room after nearly two years of trying. We agreed that maybe it wasn't to be for us, maybe it's just meant to be. For me, and my husband also, this was that hardest thing in the world to admit. While we cried, I knew it was a decision that had to be made for ourselves and our relationship. With this harsh acceptance came a relief knowing we were so lucky to be the couple we are. I know some people may thing this is early to "give up" but we always knew if there was an issue, we weren't going to go down the route of medication etc partially because of the cost but also as we know what a strain this could be. We're a strong couple but we're believers in what is to be will be. 

After that tough conversation, about six weeks later I took my first ever pregnancy test at the age of 34 to see a BFP - Big Fat Positive! That morning, put the biggest smile on our faces and also the biggest fear! We were on a journey to becoming parents! We are no longer going to be just us, we are going to be responsible for another little person. That feeling while it brought fear it brought a new love into our hearts that we never knew possible. All going well, after another 8 months we were going to hold our baby, OUR BABY, for the first time. 

Interview - Kate Barlow, UK Parenting Expert

Kate Barlow, the UK's leading parenting expert was invited by WaterWipes to present some exclusively commissioned research,the first of its kind from the biggest ever survey into modern Irish parenting. You can read some of the details here via MummyPages. 

I was invited to meet with her while she was here but was unable to do so, so was offered the opportunity to do a telephone interview. When I knew this was possible I looked forward to speaking with her about a couple of things.  

A little bit about Kate

As previously mentioned Kate is one of the UK’s leading Parenting Consultants. She is an expert in helping families overcome common childhood problems such as:
- Toddler tantrums
- Picky eaters
- Potty training
- Bedtime woes

You can learn more about the services Kate offers via her website The Parent Consultancy

A little background to my two little ones!

I'm very lucky to have two healthy (Touch wood) children. Our son is 3 (4 in July) and our daughter is 15 months. 

Overall both are fantastic and I know I'm truly blessed. Recently though as some of you will already may be aware their have been changes in our home. 

With my husband recently beginning a new job it means his days are a little longer and at times he is required to do over night training, most recently a 5 night trip. 

With these changes and also with developmental changes, there has been some "fun" in our home at times! 

With some things in mind I was looking forward to asking Kate some questions. 

Telephone interview

After we introduced ourselves and I gave her a background of our family the questions proceeded. 

1. My sons bedtime routine has changed and separation anxiety has crept in with recent home changes. What would you suggest to get him back to normal which was going to bed without any problems and keeping his door closed as before?

Kate suggested the issue to deal with first was the sleep routine. When there are new habits, it is important to deal with them separately. 

A suggestion she made was to introduce the "Sleep Fairy". Give him a letter from the Sleep Fairy and in it tell him how if he keeps his door closed and isn't calling out unless needed that he will get a present. 

She went on to say how his calling out was just delay tactics to go asleep and it was important that we were consistent in our approach. 

2. With him having changed how he goes to bed he is waking earlier and still tired. 

A suggestion Kate made which was something we were thinking of getting was a GroClock. By explaining to him how it works it would give him clear cue's as to when it was time to get up. 

http://gro.co.uk/gro-clock

3. With his sister being 15 months, what do you recommend for them both regarding sharing. 

Kate suggested the following:

• Use timers for playing with a particular toy and when one child was finished the other could then play with it. 
• When explaining to them about sharing to keep to their level. 
• Try and distract them where possible. 
• Sometimes when they fight it can be a way of seeking attention. 
• Always be fair and when they are playing together to reinforce this with them with praise. 

4. What are you suggestions dealing with discipline? Do you think a "naughty step" is a good thing? 

• The general rule of thumb is to praise good behavior and to ignore the bad behavior. 
• With regards the naughty step some children just say sorry to get off it. It can also cause another conflict which is not always a positive thing. 
• Always demonstrate the behavior it is you want. 
• If a child has been hit for instance, give all of the attention to that child. Don.t force a sorry but if they say it themselves, praise them for it. 
• Always reinforce good behavior

5. Dinnertime! What do you suggest when they decide not to eat their dinner even if it is their favorite?

http://www.clipartpanda.com/categories/dinnertime-clipart

Again a similar formula is coming through with is "praise the good and ignore the bad!

With our son not always eating dinner he is trying to assert his independence. 

As Kate said healthy children will eat (thankfully our little fella is a healthy eater)

Kate also said to  

• Take the battle out of it 
• Don't distract him when he says he doesn't want anymore
• Still offer fruit / yogurt afterwards if you normally do
• Keep him involved in the conversation
• Mention how tasty dinner is during conversation
• Praise when the meal is finished
• Try a Tapas style dinner giving him independence and control in his choices

6. Starting School - With his separation anxiety recently, we're conscious of what he might be like starting pre-school

Kate explained how its important to not push it. 

• Explain to him that you will be back to collect him. 
• Try and explain to him on a regular basis what his day will be like. 
• Don't say things to him like "I wont be long" 
• Don't sneak off but when you do need to leave
• Make it clear your leaving, be matter a fact, leave and don't look back
• At the open day, get numbers off other mums and try and arrange play dates before he starts so there is familiarity. 
• if needs be set up a Facebook page so there is an interaction with the other parents

I must say it was lovely speaking to Kate. A lot of what she had said we were already doing so it was lovely to get reassurance that we're on the right track. 

Something I have been noticing more of is to praise more often when my children play together and are doing good. We're also, taking the conflict out of dinner. It can be difficult at times but I must say its easier than asking him continually to "eat his dinner"

Have you difficulties with your little ones? What are your top tips?

Me and Nivea's Q10!

So for those of you who read my recent post Something Old, Something New and On the Hunt for you, you will be aware that I've I've been seeking products to add to my skincare regime. So the next day when I saw than these Nivea products on special offer in my local Pharmacy Marron's I couldn't leave them behind! 

Q10 Anti Wrinkle Day Cream RRP €12.99

Q10 Anti Wrinkle Night Cream RRP €13.99

Q10 Anti Wrinkle Eye Cream RRP €11.99

Q10 Anti Wrinkle Day Cream

While I don't like to admit it, I need to think more "Anti aging" when it comes to choosing my skincare products and the Nivea Q10 Anti Wrinkle Cream is a good start for me. Plus having an SPF15 is a bonus for me. I never like to buy any day dreams or foundations without an SPF if I can help it.

So why the Q10? Well the Q10 works with our own natural levels fighting the appearance of wrinkles and smoothing our skin! 

For me, I've found that a little went a long way. It absorbed well without feeling greasy or heavy on my skin. My skin certainly feels smoother and brighter too since I started using it. 

Q10 Anti Wrinkle Night Cream

The night cream works the same as the day cream supporting our skins own natural levels of Q10. It also replenishes your skin at night and supports yours skins ability to regenerate. 

As you can see from the picture below, my day cream will need replenishing soon but unfortunately it will be some time yet before I need to buy a new night cream. This is by no means a fault of the cream but of myself. I need to take better care of my evening routine as I do during the day. 

From the few times I have used it, I have found it to absorb well like the day cream again without feeling heavy or greasy on my skin. 

Q10 Anti Wrinkle Eye Cream

With our eyes being the window to our soul, I'd like mine to say I'm 21! Wishful thinking I know but none the less, I'd like them to stay young!

A little really goes a long way with this cream which is fantastic. I used it around my eye socket. With my daughter teething at the moment, it has led to sleepless nights so this eye cream has been put to the test. The cream helps minimize dark circles under your eyes and I must say, my eyes aren't looking tired and dark in the mornings as I would expect after a bad nights sleep.

Overall Thoughts?

I must say, I'm pleased with how my skin feels. Its been a long few weeks and where normally my skin would feel dull and lifeless after broken sleep it feels quite the opposite. My skin feels smooth, bright and no new fine lines seem to have appeared so that's a bonus. 

I know, to be able to have better results, I really need to work on my night care routine so that is going to be a focus over the coming weeks along with some new additions. 

Yesterday I purchased the Q10 Nivea Anti-wrinkle Energy Serum with my online Tesco Shop. It was on special offer so yet again, I couldn't leave it behind! 

The Ziaja Rose Butter Micro-Peeling I picked up when I was at Walsh's Pharmacy for their Celebrate #Ziaja25Years which you can read about here

What are your favorite skincare products? Have you any tips on reversing the aging process?