Thursday, April 30, 2015

Our Welsh Adventure 2015 - Review of Haven - Hafan-Y-Mor

We recently visited North Wales and had just the most amazing family holiday I thought I would share our 'Welsh adventure' with the world. We stayed at a Haven site, our favourite so far called Hafan-Y-Mor. This site is near to the town of Pwhelli with Snowdonia on the beautiful horizon.
The classic giant Haven deck chairs!
We didn't know what to expect from the area or our holiday site, but we were totally blown away by everything we experienced. I never wanted to come home and I am still unsure how I feel to be back to reality.
My baby carrier was a godsend for this holiday, especilly the zoo!
As we drove closer to our destination, the scenery became more and more beautiful. We drove from Lincolnshire, a flat county of nothingness. We gradually emerged into a mountainous, wooded countryside, with livestock in the fields and some of the most perfect British sea views I have seen in the UK. 360 degrees of perfect vista.

Mr Waffle and our son exploring the rocks at high tide.

Stunning views in the sunshine, two minutes from the front door!
The site

The site has so much to offer but is compact enough for little legs (like mine) to walk back and fourth without getting too tired. We stayed in a newly renovated apartment which was perfect. It was nice to have a decent shower, proper closing doors and heaters!

The site had lakes, one with a resident heron, a Canadian goose that seemed to follow us 'honking' everywhere and dozens of ducks with newly hatched babies bobbing about on the water, amongst both real swans and giant pedal boat swans!
We were able to hire a family cart and secure baby with my buckled carrier, they held hands and loved it!
There was a woodland area with all sorts of activities built in and a giant teepee where some activities are held. An amazing playground for little ones of all ages to enjoy and a tree top adventure area for bigger people who are feeling brave and have a head for heights! Also on site were Basketball courts, a pottery painting shop and crazy golf. There was a full itinerary of activities for all ages throughout the site, something for everyone. We unfortunately ran out of time to do everything on offer!

The whole site was very clean and well kept. The swimming pool was amazing for all ages with a tide pool, flumes and a special toddler area with slide slopes. The changing rooms were being cleaned and dried before we went in and the staff over the whole site were extremely friendly and helpful.


Retail and Food

On site there are a few Spar shops which are priced normally and thankfully not with hiked prices to exploit us holiday goers, pretty refreshing! In the Spar shops you can buy ample food, snacks, drinks, toys, DVDs, buckets and spades and most the essential things you will need that you won't want to have to pack, such as toilet roll and washing up liquid. They also sell all the sea squad character toys and accessories and amazing slushy drinks.

Food wise there are a few treats, a Papa Johns pizza, fish and chip shop, Burger King and Starbucks. I can say that we did try them all (for the sake of a review - of course!) And all were very tasty.

Whats nearby?

There is so much to do on site that you really needn't leave, but there is so much in the local area to explore too.

  • Bowling
  • Mountains
  • Seaside
  • Countryside
  • Slate mine
  • Rabbit farm (great little trip out with pony rides!)
  • Welsh mountain zoo (we visited on the way home on a whim and boy was it worth it!)
  • Steam railway 


The Beach - (Attached to the site)
The seaside had miles of sand when the tide went out, and by lunch time lots of fascinating rock pools were on show for us to explore. I was transported straight back to my childhood sifting through seaweed with a net getting excited catching lots of shrimps, baby crabs and fish.

The beach was strewn with jelly fish, unlocking another memory of a beach I had visited as a child. I built sandcastles with my son while his sister snoozed in her pram. I even got a big see through bucket for us to watch our daily catches before my son released them all back into the sea, to 'find their families'.



Our Family Time

We ate food, any food we wanted. We had gone wrong chocolate brownie for my birthday, one of those 'gone wrong' bakes that tastes a million times better for it. Thank you Mr. Waffle. We had ice creams in the sunshine and sat as a family eating pizza. Mmm pizza.
The happiest kid ever!
We had the most amazing weather, we were warm and cosy all day and snuggled up at night. I was in with our daughter and my husband with our son, who loved having his Daddy all to himself for special night time stories and giggles. This seemed the best option with one teething and one going through night terrors.


Baby S perfecting her 'starfish' pose.
We took our son to a fencing lesson on site and also a mini archery session where he used a cross bow to fire plastic darts. At the fencing he got to dress up and legitimitely hit my husband with a foam sword, he was so happy and you could tell he was really enjoying himself. I would have quite liked a go myself.


A having his fencing fun!
We went swimming, it was baby's first time and she loved it, before getting a little tired and falling asleep on the changing table. I braved a huge tunnel slide, it was so fast but I braved it, twice. I laughed and squealed all the way down, I loved it. 


Baby S had her first paddle in the sea!
My son couldn't sleep on the first night so I took him out to look at the stars, I love stars and the sky was so much clearer than our polluted city sky at home. A was wowed by it and although we didn't see a shooting star like I was hoping, we had a cuddle in the breeze and it was lovely. He thanked me for showing him the 'twinkle twinkles' and planets and insisted he saw Saturn fly past because it had 'rings on it'. 


A in his sun hat with his Rory toy, star struck!
We didn't venture off site too much only really for the one day to stock up on a few things at the local supermarket and check out the local town and lifeboat.

We loved our Welsh adventure and had another amazing experience at Haven.

Typical Welsh penguin farm. Actually the bird show at the Mountain Zoo!
We booked our holiday via the Sun newspaper and their £9.50 holiday deals. We regularly book Sun holidays and have had mixed but mostly good experiences of the Haven sites. This site though was something else and I felt it deserved a good review and feedback on their excellent site.

For the official website of where we stayed and will hopefully revisit next year, and to find out more about the great Sun holiday offers, please click the links below. 

http://www.hafan-y-mor.co.uk/
https://www.sunbookonline.co.uk/

The words and views in this review are all my own and in no way influenced by Haven on The Sun.


'Chesney' the pony, A's first ride at the local rabbit farm!


Happily holidays!

Wafflemama



Keeping Motivated: May Weightloss & Fitness

Another month gone, where did that go?! April had lots of ups and downs and tests of my ever so slightly existent willpower. We had Easter, our birthdays and a lovely family holiday.
I ate a crazy amount of chocolate, but I love Easter and LOVE Cadburys, of which we had plenty. I think I was able to keep on top of my weight loss by making better plans, i.e - a light salad for lunch, so that I can have some chocolate in the evening. Before I started on this journey I would have sat like a pig in the proverbial and scoffed the lot, there was a bit of self control this time, so I am pretty happy with that!

Tasty healthy snacks - yum!
Our holiday was amazing and everything a holiday should be including the treats.

My April goals were;
  • Lose a pound a week
    I did this and have now lost 28.5lbs in total.
  • Drink more water
    I started each day with a pint of water with either lemon juice, fruit or both. I feel so much better having more water, it really seems to wake my brain! I went off track a little on holiday and had to set a daily reminder on my Weight Watchers app to get me back in the habit.
  • Exercise 3 X per week
    This one hasn't been as successful, but I have increased my activities and forced myself off the sofa more, even if just to run up and down stairs to do something extra. Our holiday included lots of walking and we've done lots if trampolining at our local farm since getting back.
  • Be positive about my body
    Well this was a toughie, I didn't exactly stand naked in front of the mirror 'high fiving' my wobbly bits but I did go and get myself a pretty girly dress to wear to a wedding in June. Its flattering for my shape (I think!) and pulls in at the waist - its not black too! 
Yum yum.
Overall, April was a pretty succesful month. I'm getting to where I want to be slowly but surely. I never feel hungry and don't feel like I am on any kind of diet, exactly how it should be.



Totally addicted to home made burgers!

Goals for May


The idea of May makes me feel sick. I'm back at work at a hot counter in the supermarket. It is tasty food but once you've cleaned out a dirty pile of chicken pans at 9pm that have been sat there all day, you kind of don't want to eat a thing! I don't know if work will help or hinder my progress but we will see.
  • Take snacks for work breaks.It will be tempting to buy from the cheap vending machines in the staff canteen on my break, but they are filled with pure rubbish. I only get 15 minutes and shouldn't really need anything, but I'll stick a snack in my bag just in case.
  • Lose 1lb a weekSame as last month my aim is for 1lb per week, I'd be really happy with this as it would get me so much closer to the next stone bracket! 
  • Prepare lunches in advanceI had a few (lots of) days recently where the baby was playing up, toddler acting the lunatic and I really struggled to find the time to make something good to eat. Something about 'failing to prepare is preparing to fail' kind of fits here! 

So that's it for this month, wish me luck!



Wafflemama



Tuesday, April 28, 2015

Back To Work Blues

The time has come, the week I return to work after maternity leave. I am totally suffering from the 'back to work blues', again.

With my first baby, I had a full time job which I was due to return to, but from the day I came home with my son I knew that could never happen. There was no way I would be able to leave my baby with someone else. Nine months soon came around and I extended my leave until he was one. This meant a bit of a squeeze money wise but I needed the extra time to get my head round leaving baby with people I didn't know, or just leaving him at all which I had never done. I physically couldn't do it.

A year soon crept up on me and in a snap decision I quit my job. After nursery fees and petrol I would have earnt a maximum of £10 a day going back, reason enough to not bother. I also wouldn't get to do all the fun baby stuff, I'd have to rip my heart out every day I left him and go to a job that meant nothing. My hours wouldn't have worked well with a baby, and I had a boss that would probably have all children put down a mine if she had her way.
I have never regretted my decision and apart from the drop in money, getting to spend every day with my son has been totally worth it. 

Time with this one - priceless.
It took me nearly a year to find a part time job that fitted in with my day, who would have thought it would be so hard to get an evening job. I felt so useless applying for job after job at fast food places, supermarkets and nothing. I have a degree and worked from the age of 13, yet it seemed I was totally unemployable. I finally got offered a temporary Christmas job, nothing glam just in a supermarket on the food counters, they kept me on and that's where I am still today, awaiting my return.

This time round the past 9 months have gone even faster. I've had some amazing times with my babies and some alone time with my daughter while her brother goes to pre school, though not enough.


Going back to work is no easier, nor is leaving my baby.

I will be working just three evenings for just four hours, I know I really shouldn't complain. We have cut down our bills as much as we can so this just about works for us.

The main reason I am dreading my return is that I will miss bedtimes. Bedtimes can be a bit manic at times but it's the only time of the day we are all together and that brief few minutes a day are so lovely. I usually get baby to sleep as I still feed her, something I can't imagine not doing. Missing bedtime right now makes me really sad but I'm sure I will get my head around it next week.

Since I left work my boss has changed, half the people have left and everything on the job seems to have changed too. I've also not really driven since I left and have developed a crazy fear of the dark! 

Wish me luck, lets hope I can shift these blues soon and that it's not as bad as I think it will be.

Thanks for reading,


Wafflemama



Monday, April 27, 2015

Never Stop Dancing

I took this little video of my son on his holiday. Aside from the fact he clearly has amazing dance moves, I love that he is so care free and happy. I never want him to feel any other way than he does in this video, bum out and all. 

Happy Monday!


Never stop dancing little dude!

Wafflemama

Sunday, April 26, 2015

Second Baby: Change Is Good!

When I was expecting my second baby I had lots of worries and fears about what would become of our family and how I'd feel afterwards. It all sounds so silly now but at the time it was totally gut wrenching. 

I read a post by Katy that really put my mind at ease, so I hope in turn this post would do the same for someone. Its normal to worry and I want people to know that.

Another reason for writing this is because IF by any chance in the future we decide to have baby number three (gulp!) Then I can look back on this for reassurance, as I would no doubt feel the same again.
"Look Mummy - a baby train!".
Baby A was my first baby, a beautiful baby boy who is three and a half now and the most wonderful amazing lovely child you could ever wish to meet (99% of the time).  
He is super sociable and was not a big fan of playing alone, he needed a sibling. We always wanted more than one, so off we went (I'll spare you the details) and we were extremely lucky and blessed to fall pregnant again with baby S, our amazing little girl. 

I had the most straightforward pregnancy second time round, compared to my first pregnancy that was horrendous from start to finish. This was great, but an easy pregnancy meant I didn't really feel pregnant or at all ready for baby number two. I felt bad that I didn't feel the same excitement as the first time round. I just felt guilt towards my son and how our/his lives were going to change so much. I didn't know how I would ever feel love for another baby as I did for him. 

I had the vision of our new family of four, A playing with his new baby sister, walks in the park and lazy Sunday afternoons. I still felt terrible though that my son would feel left out, neglected, or dislike for his sister. 

I've never really been apart from A and I've only ever worked in the evening when he's asleep. Going into hospital for induction meant god knows how many days apart and this was another thing that worried me so much. The last few weeks we had to stay at home more and I felt we were having our last cuddles together.

Needless to say, the hospital stay wasn't as bad as expected and a quick and easy birth meant I was feeling better very quickly. A went to his uncle and aunts for the day/night for his first ever sleep over with his cousins. They were great and took him on a grand day out, he had a whale of a time and they sent me lots of pictures and texts to keep me happy.
Our first trip out. Proud big brother with his 2 day old sister.
I missed him so much but the second I saw his new baby sister it was true love all over again. All my worries were gone in a heart beat. It turned out I didn't have to share the love, I had more all along. THIS was our family now and I felt happier than ever. I felt the exact same love and happiness I had first time round and felt silly for all my doubts. My husband brought A into hospital to visit me and it was just one of the best moments of my life. Seeing my babies together and the love that A so obviously had for his new little friend, that he had talked to through my tummy for so long. 

A has become the best big brother ever and is still the sweetest boy to her every day, so far. I still get my special Mummy/Son time and we are still super close.
I realise now that I never needed to feel all the guilt. I always knew deep down I would love baby S and my only downfall was loving A so much I didn't want things to change. Things have changed, but change is good. We are one happy family and are going to have the best of adventures, all four of us!


What an amazing day.


Thanks for reading.
Wafflemama

My Sunday Photo #4 - Silent Sunday

My Sunday Photo #4
Silent Sunday #2
One photo. No words.






Wafflemama


My Sunday Photo #3

My Sunday photo this week sums up my wonderful week in Wales. We were in the most perfect place I have ever been. One direction we had perfect countryside, another direction - perfect mountains, another and you have the most beautiful seaside with rock pools and miles of sand. 
We had the best time. We got to look in rock pools with our net and buckets, build sand castles and catch shrimp, crabs and fish. I was taken straight back to my childhood holidays and school trips to Rottingdean. We had an amazing day every day but our highlight was definitely the time spent on the beach so I chose this picture. 












I'll be writing a full post and review on our Welsh adventures and Haven park shortly.


Happy Sunday!

Wafflemama


My Gratitude List: Week 2


A particularly lovely week this week, it's time to reflect.

On our Welsh adventure.
This weeks gratitude list: Week 2


1. Having an amazing holiday.
2. Seeing brown bears in the flesh at The Welsh Mountain Zoo. May have cried just a little.
3. Seeing my son the happiest he's ever been and having fun.
4. Getting quality family time all together.
5. Eating whatever I wanted for a whole week after months of good (food) behaviour.
6. Paddling in the sea.
7. Catching shrimp, crabs and fish in the rock pools, taking me right back to childhood.
8. Braving a humongous water slide, twice.
9. Turning 31 and feeling pretty good.
10.  Braving a swim suit (even if it was quickly covered up when I realised how little of my bum was covered).



Thanks for reading!
Wafflemama

Linking up with the Enchanted pixie's 52 weeks of gratitude.

Saturday, April 25, 2015

Pregnancy Dreams

I don't tend to dream very often. I think I have to be in a really deep coma like state to dream, but I do occasionally.
When I was pregnant though, I had really crazy dreams. Some dreams would be funny, some morbid and some really bizarre (I gave birth to a never ending snake once). 
I wondered if there was any connection with pregnancy and bad dreams, did I eat too much cheese? It seems that the combination of having more on your mind and not achieving deep sleep due to those delightful pregnancy traits (waking frequently for the loo or getting leg cramps) could be to blame. 
If we are waking frequently then apparently we are more likely to remember our dreams.



Here's some of the ones that really stuck out for me.

The white dress baby

I had this dream with my first pregnancy. I was in this heavenly like place, all dressed in white (totally not my colour), it was cloudy, breezy and beautiful and I was walking down steps for the longest time. 
At the bottom of the steps stood a bandstand type affair, draped with white fabrics and a beautiful white moses basket with a little pink smiley baby in a white christening dress type outfit. I would pick the baby up, cuddle it then lay in this big white bed and have the best cuddly sleep ever. 

The hair monster

I remember watching a programme once where a man was growing his twin in his stomach. Years later they operated and removed this mass of flesh and teeth. Yep you guessed it, that's what I gave birth to in my dream, only mine was mixed with super long matted hair, yuck. Slight contrast to the lovely white dress baby dream!

Cake party

This dream found me in a night club with Rick Waller. Does anybody remember him? Apparently he is firmly attached to my subconscious as this was not my first RW dream! 
Anyway, the lights would go down after a power cut at the club. They then locked us in (no idea why). Rick Waller opens up his bum bag ('fanny pack' for any American folk) and pulls out a Tupperwear box of cake, inviting me to sit and eat a slice. 
Me being too polite and a cake addict, take him up on his offer and we sit eating until the lights are back and the doors unlocked. Once the club is running again, I get back to dancing (alone and quite badly) and off goes Rick and his empty lunch box. Thank god it wasn't a sexy dream.

Why!?

I can make connections with the baby dreams, but Rick and cake? I have no clue. Maybe I just fancied some cake and my brain sees him as the ultimate cake peddlar! There were lots more too, some morbid and horrible and some weird and wonderful.

I'm so glad i don't dream like that all the time. Did you have strange dreams when you were pregnant? I'd love to hear yours too, especially if a cake sharing Rick appears!

Thanks for reading!


Wafflemama

Sunday, April 19, 2015

Gratitude List Week 1

I am trying out this positive thinking lark. It can be so hard on days where I've hardly slept or I'm just having one of 'those days'. 




I am extremely lucky. I've learnt lately that life really can be too short, and can be snatched away from us at any time. I need to make the best of it and notice all the little things that make me happy. I decided to write a weekly gratitude list to reflect ten things per week that made me happy or that I am thankful for.

This weeks gratitude list: Week 1

  1. Hearing my two babies make each other laugh
  2. Feeling excited about my blog writing
  3. My husband and how we are two peas in a pod
  4. Buying myself a top that isn't black
  5. Having a healthy family
  6. Being proud of my friend for writing such a beautiful eulogy for our friends funeral and being brave enough to read it
  7. Baby learning to wave
  8. Enjoying music with my son
  9. Getting some sunshine
  10. Having a holiday to look forward to

That's my ten for this week!

Thanks for reading...
Wafflemama

Linking up with the Enchanted pixie's 52 weeks of gratitude.

Friday, April 17, 2015

How To Cope With A 'Threenager'


Slim Treats


I want to give my motivation a little mid month 'boost', or rather a mega kick in the proverbial.

I've had a low few days following sickness (all of us, plus a teething baby, plus no sleep) and need to focus on the good things, particularly with a holiday and birthday on the horizon and goals I need to reach!

I thought I'd write a little list of all the positive things that have come from losing weight so far. I'm just short of two stone so not a great deal really as its about a third of what I have to lose to be deemed 'healthy'. Garrrr. Enough though for some differences you may not (I didn't) expect so early.
Face is as much as I'm sharing today!
I can run up our hill

We live on a really steep hill, right at the bloody top. Before this journey began, I would walk up better than most people after years of practice, but I still needed at least one quick breather. I forgot my purse the other day and we were late and I actually RAN up it, this blew my mind. I may have felt like I wanted to die right there and then buts its still a massive achievement! I felt like a chubby Forest Gump, proud.

I have gone down to a high street size

I've gone from being either the biggest size, or too big in some normal shops. I have gone down a couple of sizes in most shops and can now be excited about clothes again.

I have already kicked bad habits

I used to have treats every day, at least once. This behavior was rubbing off on my toddler - not good. I felt totally irresponsible but we are both eating better and having the treats as treats and not every day snacks. 

My shape has changed

It's changed so much! My legs are literally about half the size and my waist is back. My tummy has gone down, my bum has halved (it had its own postal address before - huge) and I am feeling a whole load better about my general shape. I'm not even dreading swimming on holiday, that's a pretty big deal for me.

I feel happier when I look in the mirror

I was avoiding the mirror before, now I take a sneaky look all the time. My clothes are hanging better and I am so much happier with what I see.

I feel healthier.

Health is my main reason for doing this and it feels good to feel better. I cant explain exactly why I feel healthier - other than breathing a little easier, I just do. If i get a good nights sleep I even have a little energy and my mood is generally better and more positive.

That's enough for now to keep me going. I hope I can keep this up as I am excited to see how good it feels to be super fit and healthy, I'm not sure I ever have been! So far soooo good.


Thankful for the wet stuff - love it.


Thanks for reading!

www.wafflemama.uk 

Thursday, April 16, 2015

Our Spring/Summer Fashion - Baby & Toddler

I've always loved dressing my son up and although the novelty of washing tiny clothes has worn off quite a lot, OK completely, the shopping and putting his little outfits together hasn't.  
A lot of their clothes are pre-loved (missing my fuller wage packet) but it's still easy to put awesome little looks together and mix old with new. I love to have a little splurge when I get chance and get them some lovely new bits. A's always been very choosy about what he wears himself, he definitely has his own style.


The babes - A in his favourite floppy hat...

I've now got a daughter too and I am loving dressing her, especially in all the colours and patterns that I can't get away with myself! (I'm porky and most patterns make me look like a sofa or a badly dressed sugar pig). I got her some amazing leopard print sunglasses today in Primark, I just need her to be as excited as me, then maybe she will actually keep them on her head!


Baby S - dreamy!

Looking to summer and all the excitement of sunshine (minus the fact we are all paper white and sunburn capital) I'm excited for all the new things they can wear.

For him
A is 3 and a half and looks a total dream boat in everything he wears. I'm loving nautical colours and patterns and always classic checked shirts and tee-shirts. He has a sun hat from last year that he just won't give up so we will be seeing that floppy straw affair for another summer but it is very very cute so all is good in this hood. I have seen a nice trilby in Primark which we may have to invest in, just in case. We as parents are of the ex skater/rock/hip hop/ska/punk/god knows what else persuasion and there is a definite streak of this in his wardrobe too.

For her
Baby S is such a happy little squish. She really suits floral prints, polka dots and all things girly. Think more Kidston than Barbie though. My plan of her wearing her brothers hand me downs has mostly gone to pot except for his pjs, vests, band tees and jeggins. 

The thing I just can't get enough of are the head wraps/bands. I've got a few in but I am starting to make my own too so the worlds our oyster, and sorry (not sorry) I may even make us matching. In fact I think we may end up with a lots of matching things once I can brave something prettier than my normal head to toe black!
Shopping
H&M has my tastes down to an absolute tee, and always has done. I am using their latest collections of beautiful baby/kids clothes in my wish list shop to show my chosen looks.
They are so reasonably priced in there we have already managed to grab a few of these bits from our local store, and earmarked the rest.


Here are my wish list items for this spring/summer! Enjoy!

(Thank me later and send my sincere apologies to the wallet!)


Clockwise, Cat hat, sunnies, kitty shoes and polka dot romper. Floral 

harems, striped vest, cardi and hairband. Floral jumpsuit (love!). Floral 
Coat, grey harem pants, kitty tees and pink cat hat (older girls range.)


Clockwise - Pirate swim set, hat, slip-ons and sleeveless hoodie for an
extra layer. Striped vest and shorts with trilby and sandals. Triple denim, 

woo-hoo! With an amazing octopus tee. Some wardrobe staples with a 
cool tee and high tops.

What looks are you loving this year? If you see anything you think we would like please comment and let me know...

Thanks for reading! 


To view these items in full detail you can visit the H&M website by clicking here.
                     www.wafflemama.uk 

Tuesday, April 14, 2015

Blogging: It's Love.

I'm pretty new to having a blog but I love it. I'm pretty certain I'm already addicted, but if not, I'm certainly well on the way.

I have started to 'think in blogs' which I know sounds weird! I see things, or do things, or take pictures, always thinking about how they could fit into a post or make a memory. I take notes on paper, I make notes on my phone and I have drafts of a million posts, some of which will never see the light of day. 

I lose sleep to write something 'quick', I write between baby feeds, between meals and sneakily while the children are occupied and I should probably clean.

Blogging helps my stress and anxiety. I spill my guts and in turn read other posts and it helps. 

I feel like I always have someone to talk to. I don't publish posts sometimes or even really know if anyone's read them when I do, I'm just happy to have offloaded, it's great therapy.

I feel like I have something I will be proud to look back on and it's a really nice way to help document my life as a mother and my children's early years. 

Blogging has made me feel like I am a person again, I care about myself and even the way I look when I haven't in years. I have a new love for everything, home decor, fashion, food and getting healthy!

I may not be the best writer In the world but I love talking (waffling) and really want people, especially other parents to realise that the things they are going through are normal, and to make them feel good too.

Other bloggers are lovely, helpful supportive people who are nice to be around (even if only on a screen so far).

It's all pretty new this blogging business, but right now its pure 100% love.
www.wafflemama.uk

Thursday, April 09, 2015

Insta Natural Vitamin C - Youth Express Night Cream - Product #Review

I'm 31 in two weeks and have two children, neither of which want to sleep well at the moment. I'm a tired, sometimes stressed, ex smoker (boo) with a very basic beauty regime.

When I was offered a trial of Insta Natural's night cream I jumped at the chance.
Who better to put a beauty cream to the test? I certainly liked the sound of it and what it could transform me into. I didn't know what to expect, because I've used various products before and wasn't very familiar with the Insta Natural brand.



"Night Cream Moisturizer Treatment for Face - 
Infused with Vitamin C, Niacinamide (Vitamin B3), Matrixyl 3000, Rosehip Oil & Argan Oil - Made With Natural & Organic Ingredients".


After 3 days my pores were visibly reduced and skin vastly improved,

This product boasts a lot of exciting results, some of which are; Anti-ageing benefits, soothing acne and blemishes, deeper hydration and a reduction of redness with irritated skin. This cream had me interested from the get go. I could see and feel a difference after one day and I was intrigued to see what could become of my rapidly increasing wrinkles and giant pores that I thought I had to just live with. It was genuinely exciting to see my face appear smoother and younger within only a few days. I was pleased to put the claims from the amazon listing to test, which to be fair were completely true. I would say this product 'Does what it says on the tin'.


 "Reduces the Appearance of Fine Lines, Wrinkles, Hyper Pigmentation & Uneven Skin Tone - Guaranteed to Improve Complexion!"


I also have blotchy dry skin and however much I cleanse, it feels like I'm putting my makeup on an old dish cloth. This product has changed all that in just a short time and I am so pleased to review such a genuinely great product. My makeup is easier to apply and I have probably halved the amount of foundation  I use each morning as my skin just doesn't need as much coverage.


My smoother more 'youthful' skin to apply my make up to.
Product details

  • Cost £17.95 (free postage)
  • Where from? Amazon 
  • How much is in the bottle? 100ml
  • How you do apply it? Apply to face and neck in a circular motion with fingertips from the nose outwards. Let the cream absorb into the skin.
  • Packaging.
    The cream arrived from amazon in one of their cardboard cases with a see through plastic cover. The labelling is clear and gives all the details of the products advantages.The bottle has a satisfying smooth pump action allowing you to get as much or as little out as you'd like.
  • Texture
    The cream is white,  light and soft and feels thick but not greasy. I guess you'd see the difference here as the more budget creams have a cooler, thin, wet like texture. 
  • Application 
    When applying this, I cleansed first with a general Micellar water then applied this liberally to my neck and face. Paying particular attention to my forehead, crows feet, eye bags and cheeks. There is no strong smell to the cream just a very very light fragrance. I have very sensitive skin and had absolutely no issues. It feels quite lush and thick but it is absorbed very quickly, leaving the skin almost rubbery (in a very good way!) smooth and dry leaving it feeling healthier and moisturised! This feeling is still there in the morning too. When makeup is applied the next day it goes on noticeably smoother than normal. The instructions do state to cleanse and tone first but as I have only recently been using micellar water I didn't want to introduce a toner which may distract from any positive results from the night cream.
  • Continued use
    After a few days I felt the pores on my cheeks appeared reduced. In fact I could see clear results in the mirror too. My skin had plumped a little and had a generally more youthful look to it than before I began using his cream. The whole of my first week of trial I felt so much better about my skin, this continued. The pores seemed to shrink by the day and I felt a lot healthier looking and even had a comment to say I was looking really well. My skin looks so much more even and less dry now.
I am intrigued to see what else the brand has to offer. I will carry on using this nightly and will be restocking when this runs out, or at least dropping heavy hints as a birthday gift!

I was given this product in exchange for my honest review. The thoughts and words written in this review are my own and in no way influenced by Insta natural.


www.wafflemama.uk