Aromatherapy Associates

Since I started running, earlier in the summer, I've found myself really enjoying my baths after a long run.  I've always loved a bath but somehow I'm enjoying them even more now that they serve as my reward for a great exercise session.  I always like to add a little something special to my bath to help with that mellow mood and there aren't many things more mellow than this Aromatherapy Associates De-Stress Mind Bath & Shower Oil.

This bottle contains enough for 20 of the most relaxing baths ever.  Saying that, you're not limited to simply pouring this oil into your bath, you can also apply it to the whole body before you take a bath or shower; getting the maximum de-stress experience from the oil by applying it directly to the skin.  I think I prefer using it this way because I'm more in control of the level of oil used and I feel like some of the effects of the oil are more immediate.  Also, the first bath I poured the oil into was probably a bit too oily for me and did require me to clean the bath afterwards!

This Aromatherapy Associates bath and shower oil is designed to help you release the stresses of a long day.  For me, bath time is my time to switch off from work and from the noises and pressures of a busy evening with the girls.  The blend of oils includes essential oils chosen for their ability to help you focus and relax the mind. Frankincense, petitgrain, wild camomile and rosemary to help your mind sort out all the stresses of the day.

To me, the most intense note of the scent is the camomile oil which is an essential oil I sometimes use to help sooth inflamed skin for me and the girls.  I'm absolutely loving using this de-stress mind oil - it adds a chill-out element to me post-run schedule without making me so sleepy that I can't finish off all my jobs before I go to bed!

Mums - What Makes You Feel Mellow?

If there was one thing I would ask for as a Mother's Day gift this year, it it would be a whole afternoon of just me.  Nobody else. No noise. A chance for me to do whatever it is I want to do and not have to rush.  The thing that makes me feel most mellow is a long hot bath with lots of time to spend pampering.  As I write this on a Tuesday evening after work I feel exhausted, stressed, sweaty and exasperated that, once again, bedtime for the girls took so long that I missed my opportunity to take a long hot bath and instead, tomorrow morning I will rush to squeeze in a shower before breakfast time and the school run.

For me, bathtime is not only my chance to indulge in a few of my favourite skincare products (one of the original starting points for my Mellow Mummy blog!) but it also signifies time.  Time for a bath means time for me.

Pebble Grey, bathroom accessory specialists asked me to think about what it is that makes my bathroom my place of sanctuary.  I love my bathroom - the two keys to a properly mellow bath are my heated towel rail (got to love a huuuuuuge bath sheet straight from the nice warm towel rail) and my LED Mirror which makes a really lovely light glow in the bathroom if I switch the main light off.  These two things set the mood but it is the pampering smellies which really make the occasion.

So here are my top tips for a mellow mummy bathtime experience this Mother's Day.

1. A really good quality bath milk or bath soak.   Bubbles are cool but they tend to disappear quickly so choose a product with a scent that you love and which works as an additive to the water that can keep your skin soft and well-loved.  I LOVE the Elemis bath milk as it leaves my skin feeling wonderful but the Neal's Yard Remedies bubble baths all smell amazing.

2. Turn the lights low and zone out.  These days I most enjoy having a bath after the girls have gone to bed because it is more likely that I will remain uninterrupted.  Though not guaranteed.

3. Use a gentle body exfoliator during your bath to slough off dead skin and leave your body feeling renewed.  This Agent Provocateur Silky Body Scrub is one of THE most awesome products I've ever come across.  My legs and arms felt soooooo good after I had used it and the room filled with the heady Maitresse scent.

4. Use a face mask or dedicated facial wash on delicate facial skin so as not to dry it out or irritate.  Modern Friction by Origins skincare is my current favourite exfoliating face treatment.

5. Bathtime doesn't have to finish once you get out of the bath. Once you're wrapped up in that warm bath sheet you can still find time to treat yourself.  Finish off with a slathering of a sumptuous, sweet-smelling body lotion and let your skin drink it up.

6. Finish off with a home manicure or pedicure (to me, the fact that I only find time to do this approximately once every three or four months means this is the ultimate indulgence).  Give your feet a scrub, rub in a little hand cream or foot cream, touch up those nails and lie back and wait for them to dry - the perfect excuse to stay still, chill out in the bathroom and not go anywhere for a little while longer.

Don't Drink the Bath Water

Lara is trouble. A real little minx. She has developed a naughty streak. The kinds of naughty streak that involves running around the house stark naked after a bath, throwing things, hiding behind the television, tearing stuff up into tiny eenie weenie little pieces... and drinking the bath water.

I feel like I'm playing on repeat. “Don't drink the bath water”. “Lara, no, DON'T drink the bath water”. “No, really Lara”. “Lara”. “Stop drinking the frigging bath water”.

Bathtimes have become really good fun in the mellow household. It is the time of day when I let Lara wear herself out ready for bed but sometimes I find it hard work. We've had to confiscate the Bob-the-Builder car wash bath toy because she kept yanking it off the wall. We've had to replace the normal sponge which was torn into a million different pieces with one of the Boots Ramer sponges (much less destructible!) and we've turned bathtime into a two-person job!



I know that at 21 months this is just the start of things to come. I've got to psyche myself up for this and prepare myself to take on the terrible twos the mellow mummy way.

Making Bathtimes Funtimes with CuddleMat

As a Mummy, part of my mellow routine is long hot soak in a nice-smelling bath. To me, bathtime is chillout time.

Very soon after Lara was born we worked out that for Lara, bathtime is not a chillout time. To start off with, bathtimes were 'scream very loudly and get very worked up – times'. Over the months we did manage to calm her down somewhat by joining her in the bath – an annoying habit that we have yet to break. So these days we try and make bathtimes funtimes!

We have plenty of bath toys that Lara plays with. Our Brother Max toys have been a firm favourite but Lara is slowly beginning to lose interest in favour of her Bob The Builder car wash which attaches to the side of the bath.



One of the other ways we entertain her is with bubbles. With Lara's sensitive skin, I have to be a bit careful with bubbles. We've tried all sorts of organic and sensitive skin products which are lovely but my current favourite is the Boots Dreamtime calming bubble bath which is not organic or paraben-free but is hypoallergenic, smells great and has an added bonus – I'm convinced that ist helps us with the wind-down after bathtime ready for bed.

These days Lara quite enjoys her baths, in fact, the screaming starts when the fun stops and she has to get out of the bath. It seems such a shame, having worked out how to make the actual bathtime lots of fun, that the whole process has to end in tears.

Last week we became the proud owners of a brand new Cuddlemat from Cuddledry. The colour-changing bathmat is the answer to our problem! We have a purple bath mat which changes colour to a rather striking shade of neon pink when you dribble hot water on it! It is great fun for Lara (and Mummy and Daddy) when she gets out of the bath because she can see her wet footprints make coloured patterns on the mat. She is so busy making footprints that she doesn't notice us wrapping her up in a towel and drying her!.

Our splattery creation!

Now that she knows what it does, Lara pokes her head over the side of the bath and splatters water over the mat to make even more splodgy patterns! I'm really glad we've found something that can extend the funtime of bathtime even when Lara is out of the water.

The Cuddlemat is made from 100% cotton and the colour-changing effect won't diminish through a normal washing cycle. At £14.99 I think it would make a wonderful gift for any family and I really can't recommend it enough – great fun!