Sick Days.

It's that time of the year again where the bugs seem to be out in full force. I'm choked full of the cold for the third time in about 6 weeks. At first I thought it was my allergies playing up because I was busy in the back garden and didn't use gloves to pull weeds out etc. But nope, I'm still sick today! I hope I don't pass it on to the kids. I'm kind of glad it's happened now and not later in the week. I changed my scan date to Monday instead of Sunday as it's more convenient for me. I should be all better by Monday! 

So, since I'm too tired to do anything today the toy cupboard has been opened up and the living room looks like it's been hit by a toy tornado! All fun all day!! 

Chilli Pasta Bake

Seeing as it's Sunday again, it's recipe time!

I made this for the first time through the week and it went down well. I got the recipe for a tub of Philadelphia cheese a while back and just never got round to trying it until now. The only thing I will add is that it could have done with more sauce. I was guessing all the weights though because I left my kitchen scales at my mum's house! Oops! So, I suggest actually measuring properly! Haha!

You Will Need:

300g extra lean minced beef

1 large jar ready made chilli con carne sauce (I used a mild sauce but you can use medium or hot)

300g pasta (I used fusilli, but you can use penne, shells, etc)

100g Philadelphia light with garlic and herb
1 egg
150g low fat Greek natural yoghurt
40g cheddar cheese

How To:

1. Pre heat your oven to gas mark 4 (or 180C). Heat a frying pan and then add the mince and cook until it's browned. Add the chilli sauce and then cook for 5 minutes on a reduced heat.
2. Cook the pasta as normal and then drain. Mix the pasta with the mince and sauce and then pour into an oven proof dish.
3. Whisk the Philadelphia, egg, yoghurt and half the cheese in a bowl. Spread it over the top of the pasta and then top with the remaining cheese. Put in the oven for 20 minutes and then serve.

This should serve 4 people.

I was really looking forward to trying this but cooking the mince put me off. I'm easily sickened anyways but being pregnant makes me 10 times worse! 

Pregnancy Week 16

I saw this on Anna Saccone's blog and thought it would be a good idea to do this each week of my pregnancy as well. Something good to look back on! I will start posting this on a Friday as that's when my weeks change over. 

How far along? 16 weeks

Total weight gain: None so far. I lost 7lbs at the start and haven't gained anything back.

Maternity clothes? I'm mostly wearing maternity clothes. I bought some leggings and tops from Next. And I still had a pair of jeans from when I was expecting Logan. If I'm wearing my ordinary jeans I have to put a hair tie in the button hole and wrap it around the button!

Stretch marks? I'm covered in them from my first pregnancy. I don't think it's possible for me to have anymore!

Sleep: I'm sleeping fine. I don't usually get sleep problems until much later in my pregnancies.

Best moment this week: Going for my gender scan and seeing my little baby again!

Miss anything? Peanuts! I want them so bad! But because I suffer from hay fever I think it's advised that I avoid peanuts. It's impossible for me to eat them in moderation! Lol!

Movement: I can feel baby moving! Not on the outside yet obviously.

Food cravings: Nothing to be honest! 

Anything making you queasy or sick: Brushing my teeth has been horrible from the start. It makes me retch like crazy. But needs must. I just have to put up with it!

Gender: Girl! I'm hoping this doesn't change at my next scan! Haha!

Labor signs: None.

Symptoms: I keep getting a stuffy nose but that's about it! 

Belly button in or out? In.

Wedding rings on or off? I don't wear my engagement ring at the moment anyways because I scratched Logan with it by mistake when I was changing him. =( Felt so guilty so I took it off and never put it back on. But it's still fits so on! 

Happy or moody most of the time: Mostly happy. If Paul doesn't dampen my mood! Hahaha!

Looking forward to: Going for my second gender scan although that's not until a week on Saturday. HURRY UP!

Best and Worst Baby Buys

After having two children you learn what things babies actually need and which things are pretty much a waste of money. This pregnancy I know exactly what works for me and what I don't really need at all.

Worst buys:

Insulated bottle bags... they really don't keep anything warm.

Loads of bath products.. this is what I bought when I was expecting Keira. I ended up throwing a load of it away. It took me almost a year to go through a bottle of baby shampoo (and that was washing her hair most days). The bath box was also never used.

Electric steriliser. Took up much needed work top space and eventually went kind of rusty on the bottom. I feel like it was an unnecessary expense seeing as it was almost £50. 

Full baby bath. To me, this was just awkward and scary. Trying to hold onto a slippery baby. I didn't like it at all. 

Bath and bedroom thermometers. I didn't even use these. The duck was cute for in the bath as a toy though. 

Best buys:

Baby bath seat. This made my life so much easier. I was able to place this in the bath and then just fill the bath up enough for baby. There wasn't really anyway the baby could slip or fall. It also folds flat which is handy for space saving. I will be buying one of these again for sure!

Powdered milk storage pots. So handy for going out.

Flasks! These were a life saver! When going out I would fill a flask with boiled water cooled to the correct temperature. It was then so simple to fill up a bottle with water and then add the milk from a storage pot. Bottle was ready in seconds for my hungry baby. I also used flasks for night feeds. I filled one with boiled cold water and one with boiled hot water. When my baby started fussing through the night I added water from the cold flask and little from the hot to make the correct temperature. I then added milk from a storage pot. Again, my bottles were ready in seconds. Most of the time my kids weren't quite at the fully awake stage when being fed through the night which meant I was able to put then straight back down to sleep after burping them. Both my kids were sleeping through the night from 9 weeks old. I believe this is the reason why!

Microwave steriliser! Takes no time at all. Can be stored inside the microwave to save space. And a lot cheaper. Mines cost me £16 but Amazon are currently selling this for £13.49 free delivery. This includes a small sized Tommee Tippee bottle, a soother and tongs for picking up teets after sterilising. You get microwave sterilisers in other brands as well as Tommee Tippee. I know these bottles don't work for everyone.

I know a lot more now than what I did when I was first pregnant and I'm sure I'll learn more as I go. But at least I know now that I don't need to buy every single thing there is for babies!

Logan...

Just because I haven't posted a picture of Logan on here yet...

He was eating breakfast! And if he didn't have rice krispies stuck to his chin this would probably be my new favourite picture of him! Haha!

Kids Shoe Haul

My mum went shopping with Keira on Wednesday for a girls day out and bought some shoes for both her and Logan. I thought I'd share what they got. =)
Firstly, we're not big on brand names in this house. If something looks nice that's all that matters. I refuse to pay out a fortune in shoes (unless it's Dr Martens!) for the kids when their feet grow so fast and the shoes get ruined pretty quickly.

Keira picked these boots all by herself. This isn't normally something I would go for but she fell in love with them as soon as she saw them. We've actually had trouble getting her to take them off! I'm unsure on all the prices because my mum bought them but I think they were around £15 from Shoe Zone. She saw a few other pairs of boots and a pair of shoes that she really wanted so I'll have to go back shortly!

Keira picked these by herself as well. They were £26.99 from Sports Direct.

Finally she got these Lee Cooper high top canvas shoes. My mum picked these out but Keira picked the colour. Pale pink wouldn't normally be my choice (though they are a pretty colour) because it gets dirty so easily. These were also from Sports Direct and were £8.99

Logan got these high top trainers. They are British Knight (never heard of it before!) and he doesn't like them! Hahaha! Two years old and he's already picky about his footwear. This is the second pair of shoes he's gotten where he said he didn't like them! He'll get over it eventually! These were from Sports Direct and were roughly £10 I think.

And lastly Logan got these denim Lee Cooper high tops. He loves these ones and wanted them on as soon as he saw them...which is why they are slightly dirty around the rubber sole and toe cap! These were from Sports Direct and cost £6.50.

So, overall I think my mum got some good bargains for them! Of course Keira managed to get blag some make up (4 nail polishes, an eyeshadow palette, lipstick and three lipglosses) as well as paints and play doh too. Wrapped around her little finger much? Haha! 

I'm hoping to do more posts like this as I buy the kids new things. And I will more than likely do baby hauls!

Make Up Tag

1. Do you apply your foundation with a brush, sponge, or fingers?
It all depends on what I'm using. Most days I wear a BB cream and use my fingers. If I'm wearing a proper foundation then I'll use a brush.

2. Do you apply your eyeshadow from light to dark? or dark to light?
When I wear it I go from light to dark.

3. Do you prime your eyes?
If I'm wearing an eyeshadow then yes - Urban Decays Primer Potion or Benefits Lemon-Aid.

4. Concealer first, or after foundation?
It depends on my skin. If I have spots I'll use concealer first and after. If not then just a little bit first to correct some parts of my face where the tone is off.

5. Go for manicures, or manicure yourself?
I just paint my nails myself. I have never been to a nail bar. =(

6. Exfoliate lips, face or both?
Both! St Ives Apricot Scrub for my face. LUSH Bubblegum Lip Scrub for my lips.. when I can stop eating it! Haha!
   
7. On average, how long does it take you to do your makeup?
If I'm wearing BB cream it usually takes me 10 minutes at the most.

8. Do you wear makeup everyday and everywhere?
I wish! Somedays there's just no time. Especially when I have the school run to do.

9. What release are you most excited about? (Makeup)
I'm not at the moment. I'm not sure what's due out but the most excited I was about make up was when I was waiting on the Alice In Wonderland palette from Urban Decay!

10. What’s your weakness? Shoes, purses, clothes, jewelry, eyeshadow, lipstick or other?
Jewellery and nail polishes! Used to be shoes and bags but I seem to have managed to wean myself away!

11. Do you whiten your teeth?
I've never had it done professionally but I use a whitening toothpaste. I want to try the Crest whitening strips.

12. Wax eyebrows, or pluck?
I wax mines myself. Mainly because it takes two minutes to do and the pain is over with quickly!

13. What do you use to contour?
I barely ever contour but when I do I just use Bourjois chocolate and highlighter.

14. False lashes, or natural?
Natural, because I'm completely hopeless with false lases. ='(

15. Favorite makeup brand?
Urban Decay, MAC, Barry M.

16. Liquid eyeliner, pencil or gel?
I use gel for above my upper lash line. MAC Fluidline. Then I use pencil for below my upper lash line and my water line. I think I am using an Urban Decay 24/7 liner at the moment.

17. Lipstick, lipgloss or chapstick?
Lipbalm mostly!

18. Pigments, pressed or cream eyeshadow?
Pressed or pigment.


19. If you had to wear only one thing, excluding foundation; what would it be?
Mascara

20. Favorite color?
If I'm wearing eyeshadow I like bronzes or plums. Black is my favourite to wear but I can't wear such a dramatic eye on the school run etc. 

21. Favorite color combination?
I don't really have a favourite colour combo at the moment.

22. Natural? or Dramatic? (Eye Makeup)
Both!

23. Do you care more for quality or name brand?
Quality. Sometimes some of the cheaper brands are far better than name brands.

24. Do you enjoy using face masks? If so which ones?
I only ever use the packet ones. Can't remember the brand. I'm desperate to try LUSH fresh face masks.

25. What is your current addiction? (example: lipsticks, eyeshadows, earrings..)
Necklaces and nail polishes! Obsessed!

I was tagged by Lulu at http://www.amummastimeout.blogspot.co.uk/ Her blog is great!
[EDIT] I realised I didn't change the answer to the lips question! Fixed it now! Sorry! Haha!