Dove Baby Review

As a first time parent I was quite naive, I automatically assumed that the products that I had heard of for babies must be the best otherwise why would people talk about them?  I quickly realised that this was not the case.  When Connor was first born we didn't use anything other than Johnsons on his skin and it did the job but over time his skin lost that baby softness.  I just accepted that this was what happened, after all he is 3 in September, he can't stay soft as a babys' bum forever, can he?  I found a new product of Johnsons which was a gel/oil type moisturiser for after a bath or whenever your childs skin feels particularly dry.  The difference in Connors skin after just a few uses was amazing - it was so smooth, however that was short lived because after a couple of days use he developed an allergic reaction.  Everytime I put it on his skin after that, particularly his stomach and back, he would come out in a red blotchy rash.  It wasn't painful for him but in my opinion, anything which makes your skin do that can't be good for you.  So it was back to the drawing board on the toddler skincare front.

Enter Baby Dove.  My Mum picked these up in our local supermarket for the trial price of £1 each! She got a shampoo, a head to toe body wash and a lotion.  There are two different ranges within the Baby Dove collection - Rich Moisture and Sensitive Moisture.  We went for a mixture of both; every product in the range is mild and hypoallergenic which is perfect for Connor who has slightly sensitive skin.  I put some of the head to toe body wash in his bath and then used it to wash all over his body, it's surprisingly foamy - 2 pumps of the body wash was more than enough.  I then followed up with the Rich Moisture shampoo which as well as being hypoallergenic is also tear and ph free - according to the Dove website it's as gentle as water.  I was keen to try this out as Connor gets a dry scalp from time to time and I felt the other shampoos I had tried were too perfumed and made the problem worse.  The Rich Moisture shampoo actually moisturizes as well as cleanses the scalp/hair - it definitely works; I noticed an improvement in his scalp almost straight away, his hair looks shinier too!  After his bath I covered him in the Sensitive Moisture lotion which dries almost instantly and isn't sticky at all.  When getting him dressed the next morning I noticed how soft and smooth his skin was - the difference was amazing especially after just 1 use!  We have been using this trio of products for over a week now and the baby smoothness is back, Connors skin is so so soft, I can't even explain it, the difference is ridiculous!

Baby Dove is now going to be my go to for baby skincare & I have even bought the gift set they offer as a present for my cousins new baby.  I would have absolutely no qualms using this on a newborn, that is how soft and gentle I believe it is.  This coming from the woman who used nothing but water to clean her babies bum until he was about 18 months old!  There are other products available within the Baby Dove range which I haven't tried yet but am definitely keen to, they include - a baby bar available in both Rich and Sensitive Moisture ranges, a Rich Moisture Nappy Cream and Rich/Sensitive Moisture baby wipes.  I will definitely be adding them to my trolley the next time I happen to see them at the supermarket.

V x

Dear 17 Year Old Me

I recently wrote a guest post for the fab Ashley over at avodkakindamom.com and thought I would share it over here too.  Let me know what you think.  What advice would you give to your younger self?

I'm turning 27 this year - how the hell did that happen?  So I thought I'd have a look back over the past 10 years and write a letter to me when I was 17.



Dear 17 year old Victoria,

I know you think you know it all but University at 17 is not such a great idea for you - you're just not ready yet.  The last year of school is a complete skive for a reason.  I know you have the brains to pull it off and you would have graduated no problem had other things not gotten in your way, but you're just not as mature as you think you are.  You're not old enough to drink alcohol so there is very little point in going to Freshers week; I don't think you realise quite how much of Uni life is made up by the socialising outside of lectures, usually in a pub/bar.  You will tough it out for 2 years and then you have no other choice but to pack it in, let's be honest, it was never what you wanted to do anyway.  Psychology is far too full of research methods and statistics for you, you have always been more of a language lover.  Writing is where you should be focusing your time.

It'll take you a long time to realise that though, and even sitting here now I can't say 100% that you are living your dream.  You are gradually finding your way back to writing but confidence is an issue; you will get there though, I can feel it!

Mum is right, he is an absolute waste of space but it will take you another year and a half before you realise it for yourself and by then the damage will already have been done.  Never mind, you will manage to pick yourself up and in the long run you will come out of it a stronger, better person.  And believe it or not, you have already met the man you are going to marry, I'm not going to tell you who, you'll just have to wait another 2 years to find out for yourself.  But I will say that you will be married by the time you're 22.  Your husband is an amazing man; it's not going to be an easy road but you will get there, all your struggles will just make you stronger in the end.

Please know that Mum and Dad aren't trying to be the bad guys, although they do give a good impression of it at times I'll admit.  They really do just want what's best for you.   And your little sister; she may be an absolute nightmare right now but trust me she is a blessing in disguise.  She is so incredibly protective of you and will back you to the hilt regardless of whether you are in the wrong or not.  She will surprise you time and again - blossoming into a fantastic Auntie before your very eyes, I bet you didn't see that coming!  You come from a remarkably close knit and loving family, something which you have taken for granted over the years - that isn't a bad thing, but please be aware that not every family is like yours.  Family is not always everyone elses top priority but it will always be yours.

You will have your struggles with depression and are probably in the beginning stages of that now, you just don't know the signs.  Luckily for you, Mum does recognise them and together you will work to get you out of that darkness.  It will be a long road to recovery with a few relapses along the way, you are very anti medication - this trait will never leave you but you will eventually realise that taking medication is not a sign of weakness.  Taking medication does not mean that you can't fight your own battles.  Taking medication is not lying down to depression and accepting that this will be your life.  What it means is that you are accepting that suffering from depression is not your fault, there is a chemical imbalance in your brain which is out with your control.  This will be a very difficult thing for you to do, you hate to be out of control, but you will realise that sometimes you need a little extra help - and that's okay!

Don't worry though, once you get yourself back on an even keel you do eventually manage to come off the anti depressants.  You do have the occasional blip but accepting that everyone has down days and they don't always mean that you need to get to the doctors is a key coping mechanism for you.

Please know that the next 10 years of your life, although they are difficult and filled with times where you can't always see the light at the end of the tunnel, they are also filled with so much love, laughter and fun.  You will welcome a beautiful baby boy and in true Victoria fashion that will not go to plan either but you quickly realise that what's meant to be will be and there is nothing you can do about it.  So please don't worry, you will be absolutely fine and you should be proud of the woman you have turned into, I know I am.

V x

Guest Blog - A Vodka Kind of Mom

Let me introduce myself!

I am Ashley and I write for a blog called A Vodka Kind of Mom (https://avodkakindofmom.com/ ). 

I started this blog as an outlet for my personal struggles with postpartum depression and anxiety, my struggles as a mother, and my frustrations regarding the politics going on last year. My dream for this blog is to just get people talking, to make people laugh, to bring people together, and to build a community. 

I’ve enjoyed writing thus far, even if no one reads it; I’ve enjoyed it. I “met” Life in the Ginger Lane via Instagram and feel so privileged that they have offered me an opportunity to guest blog.

For this post, I’ve decided to participate in the Blogging From A to Z Challenge (http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com/) ; the joys, the struggles, the triumphs, and the battles.

A-  AGING. You never really believe it when other people tell you “They grow up so fast” until you have children of your own and they just keep on growing. They keep hitting milestones, learning new things, and become more and more independent. It’s heartbreaking but so exciting at the same time.

B-  BABIES. I loved this stage of parenthood. I loved the snuggles, soft skin, baby feet, cries, and cuteness. My kids are still cute, but they were dang cute babies, if I do say so myself.

C-  CUDDLES. I love cuddles. I force snuggles on my kids all the time, but thankfully they enjoy snuggles as well. Cash, my older son, will ask for snuggles during nap time or when it’s time to wind down before bed and I just love it every time.

D-  DEAD TIRED. I know some lucky parents get good sleepers. We got lucky the first time around, but Tate likes to get up at 4:30 in the morning. It’s rough! I feel like I am always dead tired. I JUST WANT SLEEP!

E-  ENERGY. Where do kids get all their energy?! Honestly, it’s insane how much energy they have. I feel like they never stop.

F-   FATHERS. I know I am a little biased, but fathers are so important in any child’s life. I am so fortunate that my husband stepped up and adopted my older son and has raised him as his own and does not treat the two boys any different. I love that man and couldn’t do this without him.

G-  GUILT. Also known as mommy guilt. I know I’m not alone in the feeling that I am not doing a good enough job, I’ve done some type of parenting wrong, I’m going to mess my kids up, I’ve already messed my kids up, I don’t spend enough time with them, I yell too much, etc. The list goes on of all the things I feel guilty about as a mother. However, I know no one is perfect and I love my kids and try my best.

H- HEARTBREAK. I think this is just a part of motherhood. It’s heartbreaking when your children are upset, mad at you, physically hurt, mentally hurt, emotionally hurt, whatever it may be. When you’re child’s heart breaks so does yours as a mother.

I-    I LOVE YOU. When your child starts talking or randomly throws out an “I love you” it just melts your heart. I love when my little one comes up to me just to tell me he loves me.

J-   JUSTIFICATION. There is so much mom judging and parent judging going around that every mother finds themselves justifying their parenting at one point or another. I am constantly justifying how I raise my boys and why I do certain things. It’s something I’ve been working on.

K-  KING-SIZE BED. This is a must for any parent! Even if you don’t co-sleep you will end up with children in your bed at some point in time; sometimes more than one child. The bigger the bed the better!

L-   LOVE. I didn’t know this kind of love was real until I had children. That gut wrenching, overwhelming, life changing kind of love. It’s such an amazing feeling and I feel so lucky to get to experience it twice.

M- MAMA. Another great feeling as a mother is when your child starts saying mama. Granted it starts to get annoying when they say “MOMMY” 100 times a day.

N-  NO. A word every parent should say, and say it often. There are too many people who want to be their child’s best friend and let them run the show. Those children are the worst! I think everyone agrees.

O-  OPTIMISM. Of course you have optimism for your children and their futures; there’s no other way to parent. You always want the best for your children and their lives and it’s so exciting when your dreams become a reality.

P-   POTTY TRAINING. I am so thankful Cash, my older son, was so easy to potty train. And I’ve been told younger children pick it up easier and quicker than firstborns! Tate, my younger son, has proven to be more difficult than Cash so I’m hoping that trend doesn’t continue.

Q-  QUIET. I pray for this every single day. I love quiet time in our household and try to soak it all in while I have it. It’s rare that the boys nap at the same time, but when they do it’s GLORIOUS!

R-  ROUTINE. This is one of the biggest tips I give to any new parent or struggling parent. Routine has made our lives so much easier, especially when it comes to bed time.

S-   SORRY. The one word you must continue to pound into your children’s heads until they leave your home. I only have toddlers so I’m hoping this gets better as they get older, but good lord! It’s like we start over every morning.

T-   THANK YOU. This goes along with Sorry. You have to continuously remind your children to say please and thank you.

U-  UNEXPLAINED SITUATIONS. Obviously with boys there are fights but whenever I ask Cash (who is almost 4) what happened and why his brother is crying (he is 16 months old) his response is always “I don’t know.” Mind you he’s the only one that was in the room with him at the time. UGH!

V-  VODKA. I feel this one is pretty self-explanatory.

W-  WET WIPES. They clean anything and everything! These things are amazing! They get hair dye off skin and bathroom countertops. They clean the inside of cars. They clean up spills on the carpet. They’re great.

X-  XYLOPHONE. Does anyone else really have a word for X? Because I couldn’t think of a dang thing. And every child I know has had this toy at one point in time.

Y-  YELLING. I’m one of “those moms.” I yell at my kids in public. I refuse to let them act like little brats. No one likes those bratty little kids, they really ruin everyone’s experience wherever you are.

Z-   ZZZZ. Again, as a mother I am constantly tired. I love to catch up on some zzz’s whenever I get the chance. I will sneak naps in any chance I get.

Put on your positive pants.

I am, by nature, a procrastinator.  I put things off without ever having a proper reason to do so. "I'll do it later" I say, mañana mañana  - everything always happens tomorrow - well it would do if I ever actually did it.  On the flip side I am also the kind of person who wants things done yesterday, if I'm waiting on someone to do something for me I see absolutely no reason why it can't be done right there and then.  I have no idea how I can be two types of people at the one time, it makes literally no sense.  

I talk about being fed up with my job, not knowing what I want to do with my life but I never ever seem to do anything about it.  I've been saying that I don't know what I want to be when I grow up since I was 16.  Which is fine, and perfectly normal when you're 16 but now I'm 26 - I am a grown up - I still have no clue where I'm going in life.  For as long as I can remember I wanted to be a author/journalist - writing a book is my absolute dream -  until I had a horrific English teacher who put the fear of God in me and made me believe that I couldn't do it.  Suddenly the essays that had to be written to go along with the University applications for journalism courses were too much hassle & 'I never really wanted to do that anyway'.  I swear this is where my procrastinating days began and they haven't stopped since.  I constantly find pathetic reasons not to do things, for example, I really do want to make a go of this blog and get writing again but rarely post things because 'my photography skills are shit' or 'I don't have nice pictures to go along with my posts'.  Seeing all these other blogs with the perfect photos and witty captions makes me feel like I'm not good enough, which is ridiculous because everybody has to start somewhere, right?

So I have decided to make a conscious effort to overcome any of the stupid obstacles that I come across - most of which I put in my own way.  So what if my pictures aren't great, I'm sure I'll get better with a bit of practice.  Don't know what to write about?  Just start typing and see what happens; if it's awful so be it, at least I will have made the effort.  I really need to stop being so negative about everything, after over 10 years of being a glass half empty kinda gal it's beginning to take a toll on me and it has to stop.  It's doing no one any favours.  I find people who are always positive and see the good in the worst of situations so inspiring, I'm going to aim to be one of those people.  I'm not going to lie, it won't be easy; I've had my struggles with depression in my teens/early 20s and PND after I had Connor but I'm out the other side of that now and don't want to go back.  I think that's why I find it so hard to see the good in situations, I'm constantly thinking of any possible negative outcomes so that I'm prepared.  Some might call it my coping mechanism but it's getting to a point now that this way of dealing with things has made me the ultimate pessimist.  I don't want to be that person anymore, I want to be able to put my all into everything without holding back because of fear that it won't turn out alright.     

Stacey Leigh from Mummyandthebubbas posted a quote on Instagram the other day and it got me thinking about how I'm not a particularly upbeat person.  I commented (not something I usually do) saying that being positive was something that I struggle with and I'm so glad that I did because her reply was simple but it made total sense and led me to this point.   

'Everyone has crap days and it's okay not to feel positive all the time.  Draw a line and think about all the positive things in your life.  Each day write down one thing that you feel positive about.'

Such a straightforward idea but one that hadn't occurred to me until it was pointed out.  So this is my line.  Nothing but good, happy thoughts from here on out.  I know it won't be easy and that there will be times when I struggle but I just have to remember what I have and where I want to be.  I can't stand in my own way any longer because really the only thing stopping me doing what I want to do is me.  

xx

You can find Stacey Leigh on Instagram here she's definitely worth a follow, her feed is gorgeous and her positivity is infectious.  Thank you Stacey for taking the time to reply to my comment, you've give me the kick up the backside I needed and you don't even know it.