review this + giveaway : stuck on you drink bottle

in my few years of parenting i have been through a ridiculous amount of sippy cups and drink bottles. recently i have test driven the stuck on you drink bottle with my 4yo daughter, and to be really honest, my 18mo daughter too!

i need my children's drink bottles to fit a bit of a criteria. might sound silly, might sound a bit o.t.t., and well that's just part of my makeup! the low down on this drink bottle... it fits in the drink holder on miss 4's carseat. check. and in the front of the car too. check. i've had a couple that have been too big around the base to fit in snuggly, so i love this point. second win is that i have ditched the nappy bag and am now on handbag status again. this drink bottle is a 500ml capacity, so it fits standing up in my handbag, so is easy to keep organised and can be grabbed straight out with no fumbling around. love that. the pop cap is still quite firm for miss 4 to open and close herself, which i like because it means i know that a certain 1yo can't sneak it away and tip water all over, well, everything! the designs are so pretty, love it personalised with a name, means it's easily recognisable at daycare, or anywhere we go that involves other drink bottles. it's stainless steel and bpa free. check, check and check.

 

miss 18-months-going-on-4-years {sheesh}, has proven her ability to drink from this drink bottle also. which is great. big girl status! so a frankie design will be hiding under our christmas tree for her this year.

 

i've teamed up with stuck on you and we are going to give away one personalised drink bottle, valued at $24.95 and posted free to you. wanna know how you can go in the draw to win one? firstly, go visit the stuck on you website :: www.stuckonyou.com.au :: find the drink bottles and choose your favourite. come back here to this blog post and leave a comment below {if you are leaving a comment as anonymous, please leave me an email address, or even email it to me, so that if you win i can contact you} with what design you will choose if you win one. pretty easy, and well worth the effort if you do win!

 

i will randomly draw out a winner on monday morning {december 10}.

 

good luck!

loving : saltwater sandals

loving the new mash-up saltwater sandals in tan and turquoise, exclusive to lady pinwheel. if you're quick, you can save 10% on a pair aswell as go into the draw to win a free pair!



threads on thursday

are you doing the instagram thing? if you are, would you like to join in with us on a thursday to share your wardrobe style? ...or your kids style, or your nans style, or even a sneaky stranger shot style {you get where i'm going with this?!}. the bestie and i thought we'd try and drop some more fun into the instagram thing and start a hashtag : #threadsonthursday.

it's not about designer clothes and showing off. it's about giving yourself a little push into your wardrobe and mixing some outfit combo's you might not have pulled off before. it's about $15 kmart mint jeans. it's about those new shoes you just couldn't resist. it's about sharing style idea's. it's about having some fun. it's about getting creative with your camera. it's about replicating your pinterest boards into your real life. for me, it's about neon and blazers right now {because i am an obsessed neon freak, but you already knew that if you follow my pinterest boards}.

in around-about way, this started from 4 years of wardrobe neglect. i am certain i am not the only mum out there who has been obsessed with dressing their little people in gorgeous, adorable, too cool for school ensembles. it brings me so much pride to have my little people looking their cutest. i love my kids, i love fashion. it fits together. but i lost "me" along the way. somehow. i had style in my 20's, for years i was all about the denim with heels and a tee. along with many new years resolutions this year, one of them was to re-build my fashion style and add some new clothing pieces to my wardrobe. and now, i'm seeing my old style peeking through at me from my wardrobe and you know what, it feels awesome to want to get up and push my wardrobe limits each morning.

we'd love you to join in and play along too, you don't need to be asked to hashtag your image, just chuck the hashtag on and mingle with some instagrammers like yourself, who have "stuff" in common. if you're a private user, you can still play too - only your followers will see your image in the hashtag gallery, anyone who doesn't follow you won't see your image. and of course, all public profile images are there to be seen by anyone {this is the mingling part i was talking about}.

i'm on instagram as @becwatts - i'll see you tomorrow!



lusting : billy shoulder bag

this jerome dreyfuss bag makes my peche heart sing. it's price tag however, does not.

happy weekend to you all!

get out of town {quite literally}

if you've seen me about on pinterest, you'll know i go weak at the knee's for j.crew and crewcuts fashion. you could imagine my eyes popping out of my head then when today it was revealed that the fashion giant has extended it's trading to aus and asia. and hold your pants people, they are shipping to australia free of charge until the end of april. uhuh. free. international. shipping.

above are a few things for the biggest of my mini me's that have stolen my heart.

wearing : the belted scarf

have you tried belting your scarf? it's such an easy and effective fashion trend that can just pop that every day outfit and give it a bit of jous. there are endless options on how to belt a scarf, from silky leight weight scarves in the summer, to thick lucious woolen ones in winter. you can wear it basic and long like i have here, you can loop it once or twice around the neck to bring the height up and give you more neck coverage, skinny belts, thick belts, you get the drift!

i particulary find this look useful while i'm a breast feeding mumma. here i wear the lilly b nursing tank in white, so i have instant access to my feeding aparatus. i actually unclip my belt and my scarf is wide enough to cover my baby and discreetly feed her. i drape my scarf around my neck for this reason, and also because this gives me an elongated look {aka - makes me look taller when really i'm not}.

it still looks great from the back, the belt doesn't look too out of place. i'm digging this look. do you wear it? will you try it this year? i wear :

top : yummy mummies & mini me

scarf : one red hen

belt : op shop

necklace : yummy mummies & mini me

jeans : country road

loving : bardot junior crochet short

{ https://www.bardot.com.au/Crochet-Short.aspx?p374417&cr=091844 }

review this : myrtle & tuppence night night sleep tight + crusty coconut

do you have a couple of items for your baby that you couldn't imagine living without? the ones that you suggest to other mum's when talking about your babies? well get ready to add 2 more awesome products to that list! if you haven't already discovered myrtle & tuppence, do read on...

i'll start first with the night night sleep tight lotion. i'm a firm believer in a night time routine. i used a night time oil on my first baby and she was always an excellent sleeper, sure she woke up during the night for breast feeds, but was always happy to go straight back down in the cot and settled herself well. i believe the oil i was using back then played a vital role in her sleep. the first couple of months with my second baby were quite full on, with lots of wind issues and what i thought was going to be a cat napper. 6 weeks in and still trying to find our new family groove, which now included a toddler, i realised i wasn't following a night time routine. i'll tell you right now, i was finding it hard to find the time to cook dinner let alone have that beautiful spare hour of bath and massage time for the baby like i did with my first {poor second child right?!}. once i realised i wasn't doing the same things that seemed to worked for my first {night time cream and music playing sweetly as she lay down to rest}, i was straight onto the internet to see what new products were about. and that's where i found the myrtle & tuppence website.

the night night sleep tight is as it suggests, a lotion for restless babies. ingredients are chamomile, mandarin and lavender essential oils in a plant derived base lotion, citricidal. i definately smell the lavender scent firstly, and then the mandarin and chamomile hit your nose and give the lotion a slightly fresh scent. it's really quite nice. you don't need a lot of cream, which means the bottle will last a while, i pump out 3 squirts {as below}, rub together on both hands and use one hand to massage onto the chest and the other hand for the back. the cream, along with a couple of other practices put into place {that music cd i was talking about and the love to swaddle up wrap}, have made our bedtime routine for frankie hassle free and pleasant. coincidence or not, the first time i used the cream i got a 7 hour sleep from frankie. that might not sound much to some, but for us, it was heaven. i've also been known to pin my toddler down and smother her in the cream aswell! worked a treat the first couple of times i caught her, but she's onto me now and runs away when she see's me rubbing frankie with it!

now the other product is the crusty coconut. this oil is fantastic and if your child has cradle cap that you are trying to get rid of, seriously grab yourself a bottle of this magic lotion. both of my kids have had cradle cap, frankie much worse than summer's. the baby oil wasn't seeming to work too well on frankie's, i felt it was drying her head out too much. so i saw this on the myrtle & tuppence site and didn't even hesitate to grab a bottle to try. glad i did, it has worked a treat! i tried to take some before and after shots but they didn't turn out too clearly, so you'll just have to take my word for this one! ingredients are coconut oil and rosewood essential oil, citricidal. the rosewood is quite a strong pleasant smell and that's what i smell straight up with this. you rub the lotion onto baby's head and leave it for half an hour and then wash off as normal. i done this every second night, for 5 sessions and the cradle cap was mostly gone. she just has one small section of cradle cap left on her soft spot, which obviously i am very gentle around, but i don't participate it being there after the next couple of doses. fantastic product, i'm extremely happy with the results we got for frankie and definately recommend it to my mum friends!

i think the main thing with baby products is to not be skeptical and give a product a go. it may just change your routine around for the better! the night night sleep tight cream is $9.50 for 100ml and the crusty coconut {clean my coconut} is $9.00 for 100ml. postage is $5 and to order you enter your details through their website and the girls will call or email you to arrange payment.

myrtle & tuppence

{website} http://www.myrtleandtuppence.com.au

{facebook} http://www.facebook.com/myrtleandtuppence

loving : witchery kids long stripe tube dress

review this : eco child natursutten natural pacifier

when i was pregnant last summer, i noticed these natursutten dummies from eco child in the shop 4 kids eco news. shop 4 kids labelled the dummy as being a huge hit with mum's in europe and that they are growing a cult following in australia. and i can see why.

i think you're either a dummy mum or you're not. i am. i wasn't at first, with my first, but my mother threw a dummy in my daughter's mouth at about 3 weeks old to help settle her down one day, and well, i went with it and haven't looked back. so when my second baby arrived, i was a lot more relaxed and knew that more than likely i would have a dummy for her.

we all worry about what's going into our baby's mouth, some things can't be helped, but a dummy can be. the natursutten soothers are made from all natural pure rubber. they are non-toxic, bpa free, phthalate free, have no allergy causing substances, no artificial colours, aswell as also being completely biodegradable and non harmful to the environment. they have no cracks, crevices or joints where bacteria can hide, so they are very hygienic. they definately tick all the right boxes.

pictured above is the orthodontic in size small {0-6 months}. it also comes in sizes medium {6-12 months} and large {12+ months}. the round pictured is in size medium {6-12 months}, it's also available in sizes small and large. what's the difference between the two and which one is right for you?

orthodontic : is better for their teeth - providing it is placed in the right position. if they are placed in your baby's mouth upside down, they can actually do more harm than good.

round : cannot be placed in wrong and are a popular choice recommended by midwives and clinic nurses, especially before baby has teeth. this shape also tends to work better for breast fed babies as their tongue is positioned under the teat as it is during breast feeding and this helps prevent nipple confusion.

the dummy will gradually change to a darker colour during use. this is normal and is your signal that it needs to be replaced. you should generally replace your child's dummy between 6-8 weeks of use.

i've had frankie on the natursutten dummy for two weeks now and i highly recommend them. if your baby has a dummy and it's time to replace it, don't head to big w, jump online and give these ones a try. you can purchase them from eco child {http://www.ecochild.com.au} for $9.96 each.

loving : native shoes

a shoe addiction? who me? who us? we're loving the natives right now. so comfy. so the summer connies!

the mini me wears : pink jefferson natives from http://www.littlepinwheel.com.au
the yummy mummy wears : grey jefferson natives from http://www.ladypinwheel.com.au

loving : zoya matte velvet dovima nail polish

i want my daughter's get up!

hair : flirty bird

tunic : princesse rock n roll

stockings : pumpkin patch

boots : gap

loving : peter alexander family onesies

i can't help it. i love them! i love them for my daughter, i love them for me and i love them for my partner {who is absolutely refusing to even try the mens one on for me! i think he's scared i'll snap a quick phone pic of him in it!}.

either way, this is what i'm loving this week!

{note : the above designs are in store but they don't seem to be online}

i want my daughter's get-up!

hair : flirty bird

top : mini metalicus

skirt : minti

shoes : noon

loving : valentine's day paper goodies

valentine's day makes me feel all lovey, sweet, generous and calm. or is that the second trimester hormones kicking in?! either way, it's all making me feel nice today. i'm really loving this belle & boo card for valentine's day.

i'm also adoring the love is peachy valentine printables that sarah at style me gorgeous has made. it was only last week that i was saying to my partner how clever i think my graphic designer is, and then bam, she comes out with my fave of her collection thus far!

yesterday i ordered some pink and red pom pom's from the awesome daneve at ah-tissue for a little birthday gathering i'm having on the weekend. today i'm thinking i could use the pom pom's again for valentine's day, along with these other goodies, and spoil my valentine with a yummy home cooked meal and dessert and have a quiet romantic night in. just need to find myself a babysitter...

smell me yummy

do you have a signature scent, or do you like to have several scents? i used to have 2 or 3 bottles of perfumes going at the one time; one for work, one for weekends and one for going out. these days, i don't go to work as such and i rarely 'go out', and that disposable income i used to have, no longer seems to exist! so i've been a one bottle mummy for a while now.

i have just finished my bottle of fendi palazzo, and oh my i loved it. but i'm the type who likes to move on and try something different. the image above represents my 4 favourite smells; fendi palazzo, jean paul gaultier classique, chanel coco madamoiselle and calvin klein euphoria. i am considering going back to either euphoria or coco madamoiselle, as it's been a while since i've had them. i remember the days when in my lunch break i would pop into myers and try a new perfume on each arm, let them sit, then decide if they were me or not. nowadays, i don't really get to the malls that often, not when most of my shopping is done online.

i saw over on good mum hunting a few suggestions, and i had lots of lovely suggestions on our facebook page too - like gucci guilty, chloe love, marc jacobs daisy - all of which i made a special little trip to the myer perfume counter and tried on, but just wasn't totally grabbed by any, if you know what i mean? i did try jil sanders jil, it was ok, again though, didn't grab me.

what do you currently wear? what would you suggest i try next?

loving : witchery kids cut flower t

this would be one of those tee's that will go with any outfit and look; jeans and connies, skirt and slip on's, shorts and havi's. i have it in my cart, don't think i can wait til i can go instore and grab one. and it's a reasonable $35. not only loving this tee, but quite a few other key looks on the new witchery kids site. also loving their prices.

loving : seed ice cream van tee

it's a glorious day on the gold coast today. summer and i shared a soft serve cone at the mall this morning. when i say sharing, i meant i only got to lick up the icrecream that was melting down the cone. "it's mine" i was told!

thinking i will make a trip to marina mirage to pick up this gorgeous tee for little miss. i can see her wearing it a lot!

loving : seed frill layered bather

are these too fancy for swimming lessons? hehe. this is what my mini me will be wearing this summer. to the beach, to the pool, and under the sprinkler. i love them!