Thrifty tip - How to fix broken powder compacts!

If you've read my Mummy's Make-Up Bag mission statement you'll know a few things about my view of make-up.  You'll know that saving money on make-up is important to me.  With that in mind today I'm going to share with you a few tips that will hopefully save you a few pennies as well.

Smashed Powder Solutions! 

Have you ever had the misfortune of finding your favourite blusher, bronzer or pressed powder smashed?  It used to happen to me regularly.  When it happened I used to believe I only had 2 options.  Either keep trying to use the smashed contents inside the compact or bin it!  The first option generally ended in disaster as every time I opened the compact bits would fall out on my clothes, carpet and furniture leading to regret and sometimes un-shiftable staining!  This would then force me to resort to option 2...the bin!

Well, I'm here to tell you these are not your only options!  I have TWO solutions for you!

Listography - 5 wishes for my child

This week over at Kate Takes 5 she has been pondering what five wishes she might bestow on her child if she were to happen across the services of a fairy godmother.  So it has definitely got me thinking about the 5 things I'd most wish to bestow upon my own daughter.  So let me wave my own mummy magic wand and as if by magic my list shall appear below....

How and when do you find the time to...Meme

Some time ago I was tagged to do this wonderful meme.  I love doing memes I do!  Shamefully though, I have been neglecting all meme activity due to...well do I really have a valid excuse? So I am here to atone for this sin and I'm finally doing it!  Before I get into it, here are the meme rules:

1. Please post the rules!

2. When answering the questions, give as much information as possible. It's all about the finer details people!!

3. Leave a comment on Sex, drugs, rocker...and stroller, baby. This is so we can keep track of the Meme and take a polite nose into everyone else's lives!

4. Tag 3 or more people and link to them on your blog.

Now we've dealt with the serious business lets begin!

Holly's Hauls - April 2012

As you'll already know if you've read my very 1st Holly's Hauls post, I like to be as thrifty as possible kitting out my girl.  So this weekend we went to a baby sale and here are some of the fabulous finds we picked up!  As Holly is already in her 3-6 months clothing I tried to focus my purchases on 6-12 months and beyond, only buying something 3-6 months if it really tickled my fancy (Holly has more than enough in this age range already)!  Not all of the purchases I bagged are listed here as there would be too many to show. I'm not sure of the individual prices of each item, as I haggled on a lot of purchases but I can tell you that I got in excess of 20 items and spent approx £25-30. So here are my fabulous finds!

Nappy Liners are easy!

If you use cloth nappies you might also currently use something called a nappy liner, then again, you might not.

What is a nappy liner? 

A liner is a either a fabric or disposable barrier that is placed on the inside of a nappy.  It should not be confused with an insert which is used to absorb wee. What this barrier does is catch poop meaning that you don't have to scrape, rinse or scrub the inside of the nappy to remove the poop from it.  Instead if it is a disposable liner it can be thrown away, or if it is fabric you can usually shake the contents off into the toilet with minimal effort, rinse the liner and pop it into the wash with the rest of your nappy laundry! This means that your nappies will also stay stain free!  While disposable liners probably offer more convenience, over the long term washable liners are definitely better value and don't take any extra effort as you already have nappies to wash anyway!

Now, you could go out and buy some nappy liners if you like, but the cost of these can vary quite considerably, but by far the most cost effective nappy liner is homemade!  Now let me let you into a secret...making liners is ridiculously easy!  You don't need to be good with your hands, or crafty in the slightest either!  You don't even need a needle and thread!  Want to know how?  Well read on...

Things you will need:

• Sharp Scissors
• A template (mine is 12 inches long by 5 inches wide approximately -  you may need to adjust sizes depending on the nappies you use)
• A pen or something to mark out the material
• Anti-pil fleece fabric (this is why you don't need to sew....fleece doesn't fray!!!)

How much fleece will you need? 

As a rough guide using the sizes given, half a metre of fleece should make between 30 - 40 liners depending how you lay them out!

Where can you buy fleece fabric?

You should be able to pick up fleece really cheaply in any fabric shop or even Ebay!  If you have a quick search on ebay there are lots of different designs to choose from to suit either girls or boys!  Or maybe you have an old fleece blanket lying around?  You could use that if you like!

So how do you do it?

Lay out your fabric.  Draw round your template as many times as needed.  Cut out. Now step back and admire your easy hard work! Ta Da!!!  You have made your liners!  I told you it was easy!!!

Even if you decide not to use all the fabric for liners, why not use some of it to make cloth wipes?  All you need to do for that is cut into squares or rectangles of any size you like! 

So people, there you have it!  The easy peasy nappy liner!  Hope this helps!





Happy Real Nappy Week!

Cloth Nappies...The best solution?

Are you a cloth nappy using mummy or daddy?  If so, I am fairly certain most of you will also be using cloth/washable wipes too.  Or are you considering giving cloth wipes a go for the first time but not sure how to use them?  Well, I was thinking as it is Real Nappy Week I'd share with you my favourite, easy to make wipe solutions that help keep Holly's bottom fresh, sweet smelling and rash free!

You can use nappy wipe solution in either a spray bottle to apply to dry wipes or store your wipes moist in a wipes box (or tupperware container).  Bare in mind that if the wipes stay moist for too long they may get a bit yucky, so always check, rinse and refresh with solution when necessary!  Volumes needed will depend on how large your spray bottle or how many wipes you moisten.  I advocate only making small amounts at a time so the solution and wipes stay fresh!

Super Simple/Plain Wipe Solutions


Plain old water!  Yup, sometimes that might be all you need!

OR

Water and a couple of squirts of your favourite baby shampoo or baby bath



Sensitive Bot Wipe Solutions (ideal for nappy rash)

Cooled Chamomile tea (yes - it really works!)*

*If the nappy rash gets very severe I'll sometimes pop a cooled damp Chamomile tea bag over the affected area and it really helps!

OR

Water and Aloe Vera Gel

Calming (anti fungal) Wipe Solution

Water,  a few drops of Tea Tree Oil and Lavender Oil

OR

Water, Tea tree and a few drops of white vinegar


Peachy Perfection Wipe Solution (well apricot but close enough)


Water,  a few drops of almond oil and apricot oil





That is it!  It really is that easy! Don't be scared to experiment and have fun with your own recipes though, remember to mix first before applying to the wipes as this means if you aren't happy with your solution you can start again! Also as you are using such small quantities of ingredients you won't have to worry about expensive wastage!  Remember, using cloth wipes is better for baby, better for the environment and also better for your bank balance!

Happy Real Nappy Week!

XXX

Why I Hate Mary Poppins!

I only just realised it the other day, I'm the mummy equivalent of a bag lady, minus the bag...

I just happened to spot myself in the mirror as I was foraging through one of the many large pockets which adorn my day to day attire.  I took a long hard look in that mirror with dismay, as it seems I've begun to choose clothing based more on practicality than style.  The days outfit choice is now generally based around whether it has enough storage (not only for my ample stomach, thighs and other assorted wobbly bits), but for wide variety of baby paraphernalia as well.  Not a day goes by that I don't stick my hand in a pocket and find one (or more) of the following:

• A sock/A shoe
• A muslin cloth
• A bib
• A bottle lid
• A baby wipe
• A used nappy (yes I know that is disgusting *hangs head in shame)

Bag lady or hobo status aside,  I can accept that.  My issue is that bloody Mary Poppins!  I used to like the woman really, but now I see her for what she really is.  A complete cow!  I mean, what a stuck up, flashy know it all cow! On one side you have little old me with my hobo pockets, and on the other is Mary, with her flashy magic bag!  You've seen the kind of rubbish I pull out of my pockets!  Then along comes Mary pulling out magic mirrors, flying umbrellas and coat stands no less! Not one dirty nappy in sight!  Perfect figure, perfect hair and a singing voice that would make angels weep.  Practically perfect in every way....How is a hobo pocket monster like me supposed to live up to that kind of example?  Even if I had her magic umbrella I'd still be crap, the weight I am now I doubt it would be able to get me off the ground!  It just isn't fair! Not a very realistic or achievable role model for mums is she? 




Of course, you know I'm not really talking about Mary Poppins.  I'm talking about all those seemingly super mums out there.  The ones you see with the carefree expression and the angelic children.  Not a hair out of place, not a blemish or stain on their body or clothing, or even their character.  You just know they bake cakes, and knit and volunteer for the red cross in their spare time too.  That will never be me.  I like to eat cake in my spare time, I occasionally curse and I always spill food on myself.  I try to be better, but I always fall short of my own expectations.  As you can imagine, it isn't a great self esteem booster. Having thought about it a while now,  I have come to this conclusion...I could waste my time comparing myself to the "practically perfect" people in this world or I could just be Holly's mum and relax and enjoy our time together, knowing I'm doing the best I can with what I've got.  I may never be the perfect mum, but I'm the only mum Holly has, so I'd best get on with it.  If I can make my baby smile, I must be doing something right, so I'll focus on that for now.


So what became of Mary Poppins?  She may still seem practically perfect but I heard her and  Bert split up.  Apparently they'd been having problems for a while, she was high maintenance and always acted as if he wasn't good enough for her.  She always did seem to be stringing the poor bloke along though, what a tease!  Last I heard Bert was doing well though, he'd changed his name to Caractacus Potts and was getting it on with some bit of stuff called Truly Scrumptious in the back of his new car Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.  Just goes to show, some people are very good at keeping up appearances, you never do know what goes on behind closed doors!