A Sad Mama

Hi everyone,

Today I'm sad. You may not know, but for the past three months I've been at home taking care of Seb. The reason for which came out of the blue, but turned out to be a blessing in disguise. Since taking that time away from the working world for the first time (i've worked since age 16 and studied for a degree), it's been lovely seeing Seb flourish into the wonderful toddler/baby he is.

I start a new job this Monday and am only going because funds are low, if money was no issue, i'd stay with Seb all day, everyday! I'm not one for signing on and taking benefits, despite being a regular taxpayer so the little savings and overdraft I had are allllllllll spent. Still the cost was worth it.

Mama's sad today as returning to work spells Seb going to nursery too! I mean, the nursery i've chosen is a brand new, converted mansion with a small number of babies there so he'll get the attention he's used to getting with added companionship. It has a huge garden, so he'll be able to go out everyday as he's used to doing so with me. There's also a lovely park across the road which he and I often go to, so he'll be in familiar surroundings and of course the nursery staff seem lovely. I'm confident in it, however, just sad that our time is ending :-( :-(

Ok, i'm going to put him down for a nap so I can cry quietly whilst looking at these pix (no joke)



Love Mama x

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mama recommends: Topshop Lipstick 'beatnik'

Hi everyone,

As a young Mom, I'm constantly reaching for my makeup bag. Sleepless nights- concealer, Doctor's appointment - blush, Moms & baby group - the full works (you know how competitive Moms can get)...

Today has been a down day and apart from doing a quick grocery shop this morning, I've been makeup free most of the day. So I thought, why not do a recommendation of my new Topshop lipstick called 'beatnik'?
 

Seb's Godmother kindly gave me this lipstick over the weekend as she felt it did not suit her complexion. I tried it on and instantly liked it.

The colour is a mauve/ pink with a hint of metallic sheen. I'd say it has 'cool' undertones, so it probably suits warmer complexions as a counter balance. It's a creamy finish (like MAC's cremesheen finishes) and has fairly good staying power for maybe two hours at a time if you don't eat in between!
 

The drawback for me is I don't like the feel of cream finishes on my lips in general. I feel this in particular feels a lil on the greasy side too. However, if you're a lipgloss or Vaseline type of girl, you'll love this.

Here's an impromptu lip swatch on me done by Seb! Excuse my horrible makeup free eyes and dishevelled hair!

  Love Mama x
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hand Painted Easter Eggs

Hi everyone,

In my last post I spoke about what Easter means to me and my family and mentioned the usual schedule. It went as planned! Chillin', loadsa eating, family party, seeing friends & just having a nice time!

This time we were at family in London, so soon I'll do a post on packing for a weekend away with a teeny: what I find useful on our travels and what I leave at home!

It was lovely as I even staged a mini Easter egg hunt for Seb, which wasn't too complex or taxing and he loved the round of applause he received after finding each egg! It was lovely.

Onto the eggs...here are the finished articles!

Seb painted them himself and I filled in the blanks. It was so exciting for me, as i'll be able to keep the eggs as a reminder of his first real Easter!

Hope you all enjoyed your Easter and created new traditions and new memories!

Love Mama x

Easter Traditions

Hi everyone,
 
Easter is nearly upon us and the weather right now in Birmingham, England is just so beautiful!

 

 

 

 

The past week was very busy for this Mama, including job interviews and general Mama duties, so sorry for the silence!
 
Easter is a time for most Christians to reflect on Jesus' death and resurrection. I would consider myself more 'spiritual' than 'religious' as such, but still, traditional values are important to me and will play a vital part in how I'll raise Seb.
 
Usually Easter for us involves eating Fish and spending time at home on Good Friday. Chilling on Saturday. Sunday going to Church and visiting family where we have a big Jamaican meal and share jokes. I know a lot of young people go out on Sunday night, but even before Seb, I always felt a bit 'disrespectful' so stayed in. On the Monday I usually devour any left over Easter eggs and watch the TV!
 
I never really grew up with the 'Easter bunny', but used to look forward to receiving huge Easter eggs. My favourite was Smarties and Mini Eggs! Obviously, Seb is too young for Easter eggs now at 15months old, but I found these cute little eggs to paints with/for him!
 

 

 
I'll show you what faces or patterns we'll paint in another post. An absolute steal from a store called 'Home Bargains' for only £1.49 and the bucket to 'hunt' them was a mere 79p!!!


 
As your little one grows, it's important to start to create memories and traditions with them.

What does Easter mean to you and your family? Do you have certain traditions?  

Love Mama x

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mama has so much to say: Social Media problems

Hi everyone!

Last week I joined instagram and found myself on Twitter more than before!

I know I'm late to the party, but the party don't start 'til I walk in!

Ok, so now I find myself further distracted as I now have to update Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr and this blog! At this rate, I'll need to schedule my scarce and precious internet time to cover all bases!

The only question I pose is why so much social media? I admit to being an addict, but I fear it takes away precious time, or at least can distract from things a person needs to do in 'real life'.

I put Seb first and we go out every single day for him to get fresh air by doing a 'fun' (and mostly free) activity. However, because of Instagram, I've chastised myself when we've gone out and i've left my tablet at home and missed out on precious 'camera time'. It's almost like being in your own reality show and having to pre-plan when and where you will shoot!

I have no real interest in becoming a 'reality tv personality', but I know that each blog post needs some engaging photos.

I guess what this ramble is getting to is : how much is enough? How much do we have to share in order to be relatable or at least understood? Is it a problem when you think about Instagraming a 'special' moment instead of just living it? Even Queen Bee, Beyonce, demanded at one of her concerts for the crowd to put their filming devices down and just feel.

What do you think?
Does social media take away from living an experience or enhance it?
As a parent, do you feel that spending time online takes away from spending time with your beloved kids?

Anyhoo, I enjoy writing and hope that my little Mumsy tidbits help at least someone reading

Love Mama,

zenafashionstalker.tumblr.com
Instagram: zenafash1
Twitter: @zenafashstalker

Sowwie ^^^^^^

Baby Fashion: Styling plaid shirts with jeans

 

Hi everybody,

 

This post is about how I style Seb in his plaid shirts.

 

I love checked or plaid shirts because they give off a smart casual vibe, perfect for a meal out, a stroll around town or visiting relatives.

 

I like to pair them with jeans from Next, but if we need to be smarter, I'll choose some chinos.

 

These shirts were gifts hence them being similar in colour and style, but I love them equally.     

Ted Baker shirt | Next jeans

 

 



Mexx shirt | Next jeans

Asda George Jumper | Mexx shirt | Next jeans

 

 

There are fewer plaid shirts for baby girls around, but the ones that are give off a super cute country casuals vibe!

 

 

Do you like to style your little one in check?

 

UPDATE: 'Supermom' or Kourtney Kardashian and her lovely little girl were papped today wearing MATCHING plaid shirts and jeans combo! Soooooo cute. Check it out on my instagram: zenafash1 x

 

Love Mama x