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.

Natalia New Parent Survival Box Review

As a new mum to Holly, I was recently asked to review the range of gifts for new mums and mums-to-be from treather.com. I chose to review the Natalia New Parent Survival Box which looked like it as packed full of pampering aromatherapy goodies.

The New Parent Survival Box is a selection of beautifully scented natural products for mum and baby which comes in a small but sturdy presentation box. I'm not sure that the title, "Survival Box" is entirely truthful as there are quite a few more things that I've needed to survive over the past few weeks. I think "pampering treat box" might be a better description.

The box contains a bottle of Natalia New Mother Bath Soak which smells divine when you pour it into a running bath (assuming you find the time to take a long relaxing bath). My favourite product in the box is the New Parent Instant Revitaliser which is a little roll-on blend of essential oils designed to be applied to your pulse points. The scent is an ABSOLUTELY HEAVENLY heady mix of floral notes such as jasmine and bergamot and within minutes of applying it to my temples I felt zinging all over. Fab.

For baby there is a small bottle of massage oil (sunflower oil and vitamin E) and a little booklet to explain some of the basic baby massage moves. Baby massage is a wonderful way of bonding with your new baby (I'm planning a blog post about it soon). There is also a small tub of skin balm which is packed full of moisturising oils such as calendula, shea butter and olive oil. I'm not sure if you are supposed to use it as a nappy cream but we use it as a body rub for Holly.

All of these goodies are wrapped up in a soft organic cotton flannel that either mum or baby can use. The Natalia New Parent Survival Box is a very luxurious treat that has brought us some relaxing moments over the past couple of weeks both for me and for Holly who loves being massaged and pampered (and smells scrumptious afterwards).

The Natalia New Parent Survival Box costs £30.99 from treather.com and would make an awesome gift for a new mummy.

The Sunday Review – Mama Baby Bliss

Mama Baby Bliss is more than a retail website. Its a way of life – a pampering, nurturing approach to maternity and motherhood. The founder, Justina, is an expert in her field; providing holistic, natural support to mums through pregnancy and the early stages of motherhood.

A little while ago I was sent a Mama Baby Bliss Stick to try out. The Bliss Stick is an aromatherapy oil blend in a roll-on applicator designed to slip into your changing bag or handbag to provide a little uplifting boost at times of stress. The oil's amazing scent is a mixture of lime oil, geranium oil and bergamot – three essential oils for an energising pick-me-up when applied to the pulse points on the wrists or forehead. I have used my Bliss Stick at work to help me get through those long afternoons, and at home to fight off headaches.

I was impressed by the Bliss Stick so I checked out the Mama Baby Bliss online store at their website. There is a small range of products available which are all beautifully packaged natural pampering products. For a friend of mine who is very shortly due her second baby, I bought a bottle of “Oooh..” Bath Soak and some “Aaah...” Soothing Balm from the 'New Mums' section of the website. The Bath Soak is a heavenly mix of lavender, calendula, aloe vera and geranium – the ideal combination for post natal healing. The Soothing Balm is a mix of Sunflower oil, beeswax, shea butter, mango butter and vitamin E and is designed to relieve chapped skin, particularly cracked nipples.

Ordering was easy. Payment was even easier – payment is made online through Paypal. Despite opting for the 'Super Saver' delivery (which was FREE), my items were delivered within 48 hours in a box packed full of beautiful wrapping and a gift card with a personalised message. The products are more expensive than anything similar you would find on the highstreet but they are all natural and make a special treat for a new mum who needs all the pampering she can get.

Mama Baby Bliss also offer weight loss, breastfeeding, yoga and massage classes, tips and advice for new mums and mums to be.

Images courtesy of peekaboocoms.co.uk