31 days

It’s been exactly 31 days. Even after countless projectile poop explosions, nappy changes and leaky boobs later, my heart melts at my boys’ smile!

It was an incredible 9 months carrying our little one in my tummy and going through labour was the most exhilarating experience ever! It’s taken me 31 days to string words together, pour out my feelings on going through labour and becoming a mother.

Where shall I start? Let me start right from the beginning.

Getting pregnant

This was the fun bit but also equally terrifying time as we weren’t getting pregnant ever since we started ‘trying’. However we kept our ‘trying’ phase a secret which was brilliant as we didn’t have the pressure from friends or family! After several months of trying, on the 11th of July, Clearblue delivered the happy news! Wooop woop!

Pregnancy

Gurl, let me tell you, first 3 months were the worst. Working a 9-5 job, hiding the most happiest news from your colleagues and speed walking to the toilets to puke was the hardest few months ever! Apart from the general tiredness, raging hormones where I would turn from being an angel to an incredibly rude person (only to my darling husband, Basil) and terrible heart burns, my pregnancy was pretty magical. I’m so grateful to God for that! I also managed to squeeze a work trip to the States, holidays to Spain and Disney World Paris too!

Birth

After listening/reading to many positive birth stories and hypnobirthing podcasts I envisioned my labour to be a positive one too.

Was my labour and birth easy-peasy-lemon-squeezy?

It was and wasn’t.

The story begins on the 12th of March around 3:30AM when I got the urge to pee. As I made my way to our bathroom, I felt a trickle of water down my leg and all over the bathroom floor. I remember thinking to myself, “Ugh, I just peed myself! I’m gonna have to clean this up with disinfectant!”. Also I have to let you know at this point, I’m 41 weeks and a day overdue! When I realised that I couldn’t hold my pee and the trickle of water was not stopping, that’s when it hit me. WE ARE GONNA MEET OUR BABY BOY SOON! Basil woke up with the fuss I was causing and after we realised exactly what was happening, he grabbed my blue maternity notes and we called up Triage (Maternity A&E) who suggested we could either wait it out for the contractions to begin or come over to the hospital to make sure everything is okay.

At the hospital, the midwife confirmed that my waters had broken, baby is doing great and I should just wait it out for the contractions to begin! In my head I was thinking, “I’m going to have this baby in the next few hours! This is great!” Of course, this is not what happened at all! We got home, had a cup of coffee and just waited and waited…for the contractions to begin. About midday, my contractions started to get slightly more painful and I breathed through them with my younger sister who was nice enough to let me squeeze her hand through each contraction! (Poor thing, all of this must have put her off having kids!) By late evening, the time between each contraction were longer and they were not painful at all. This could only mean one thing – I’m going to be induced for this baby to come out!

On the 13th of March, around 4AM – Basil, my mum and sister got ready to go to the hospital to be induced. We were all hoping that we get to the hospital, they induce me and I just pop out the baby by midday. Of course, that is not what happened.

I was put on a waiting list to be induced. A WAITING LIST! Come on!

Even at this point I was really hoping my contractions kick in hard and I deliver our baby in the birthing pool, just like I planned. Na uh! Our baby was not budging! The day felt long and Basil didn’t leave by my side. He is the best.

Around 5:30PM, I was told by a midwife, “The wait is over! You are going my to be induced!” I was thrilled! My mum and Basil were going to be pillars of strength and they were! We got to the labour ward, I changed into the hospital gown and they examined me. Whilst I was waiting to be induced, I was bouncing around on a birthing ball throughout the day hoping that my labour would start naturally but since that didn’t happen, I hoped I was dilated at least 5cm! Na uh! It was only 3cm! That’s when it hit me, “It’s going to be a long night!”. I was hooked on to monitors and then they induced me. By this point, I started trialling out gas and air – it was fantastic! My memory after this is a little fuzzy as I was on cloud 9 with just gas and air. When the pain got a bit more unbearable, I requested Pethidine and I could feel my contractions coming more frequently and fast.

At about 11:30PM, I shouted (apparently) that I wanted to push which led the midwives to examine me again and I was 8cm dilated! I remember the doctors and midwives encouraging me to push with each contraction. Then the next thing I remember was a whole lot of doctors and midwives in the room all looking in between my legs, looking worried and all up in my face asking me to keep pushing. This was the most hardest thing I have ever done and even writing about it now is making me tear up. I could feel the Ring of Fire when our baby popped its head out and I couldn’t feel any more contractions.

After giving birth to our baby, my mum explained to me that baby’s heart beat had dropped and so did my blood pressure which caused panic in the room. Back to the labour ward, I once again started pushing with all my strength where it felt like it was the biggest poop that I needed to let go of. I pushed and pushed but nothing is happening. This is when they decide that they need to cut me. Ugh! This was the one thing I didn’t want but it needed to happen. After they cut me (shudders), I pushed and pushed and out came into the world, crying loudly, our adorable baby boy, with head full of hair at 12:38AM on the 14th of March weighing 3.28kg. We are in awe of our little Ethan Jax.

Although I didn’t get the birth plan I wanted, I’m super glad that our little one and I are doing great even after losing a lot of blood which was scary. My biggest thanks to my mum and my darling husband who took all my tantrums and for being super positive the whole time with me being pumped on gas and air! Another massive shoutout to all the midwives and doctors who looked after me and gave me the best care!

I hope this little story encourages any expecting mums! Whatever way you choose to have your bundle of joy, you should feel proud and honoured to have gone through the experience which no one can take credit for!

Ethan Jax

 

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Life Update

Well, hello there! Long time, no see!

Gosh, I cannot believe it has been exactly 9 months since my last blog post! I have very good reason as to why I was MIA for the last 9 months. It’s definitely not what you are thinking, given that it has been 9 months! Haha!

2015 was a pretty great year for me because I got married to my one and only in December and so I was busy planning a wedding, shopping for the wedding and tackling all the craziness that comes with a BIG INDIAN WEDDING!

Happy to report, our wedding day was just perfect and it’s great being married to my best friend! I still need to get used to being called a Mrs though! Also, figuring out what to eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner takes a lot more time than usual!

I have missed blogging and I cannot to write about EVERYTHING! 😀 I have some great blog posts coming up so do look out for them!

 

PS. Choosing a single wedding picture is hard because it is really hard to choose the best one, so here is a candid one from our pre-wedding shoot which I love very much!

Basil & Tinu

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Love: Ankle Boots [Deichmann ft. Hanneli Mustaparta Edition]

There is a word that gets me every time when it comes to shopping. There is nothing extraordinary about this word, it a 5 letter word which makes my feet very happy. I have a feeling you might have already guessed what the word is by now (or not, the title of the blog post gives most of it away!).

Shoes.

Simple as that.  I mean there isn’t any other 5 letter word that would make feet happy, right? 😉

As soon as I heard that Deichmann was collaborating with the fashionable blogger Hanneli Mustaparta on a capsule collection for AW15, it’s safe to say I was excited! The collection features 10 chic styles perfect for this autumn season. This collection has something for everyone, whether you are still in school or if you are out working full time, this collection has got your back. The Slip on Casual Skate Shoes is perfect for those casual days and the sparkly Court Shoes is the ideal accessory to vamp up any outfit for the upcoming party season.

Deichmann ft. Hanneli Mustaparta Edition

Deichmann ft. Hanneli Mustaparta Edition

I have a special love towards ankle boots and these boots give me no reason not to love them. Just look at them! Let me first start off by acknowledging how much my feet are thankful for these boots. Why, you wonder? Well, heels and I don’t see eye to eye. They mostly go out of their way to try and hurt me (not intentionally, of course!) whenever I give them a chance. I’m still learning and training myself to walk in heels. I’ll be honest; I was a little nervous about the heel height which was 6.3cm but, once I wore them and walked around with them, I had nothing to be nervous about. If you love heels and ankle boots, you are in for a treat with a very affordable price tag of £24.99.

Ankle Boots [Deichmann ft. Hanneli Mustaparta Edition]

Ankle Boots [Deichmann ft. Hanneli Mustaparta Edition]

Here is an outfit featuring these cute booties. How would you rate it out of 10?

Outfit Details ft. Ankle Boots

You can shop the entire collection here!

Enjoy!

A special thank you to Deichmann for kindly sending me these adorable ankle boots!

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Thank You 🌹

Elated, surprised and (very) grateful. These words accurately describe my emotions as I’m writing this blog post. I started this blog (with Tinu) 7 months ago as an outlet to rekindle my creative side as I spent weekdays at my desk coding away or in very important meetings. Also, my younger sister nudged me to just do it and for once I listened to her. It was the best thing I did! I am genuinely blown away by the support and positive response I have had from every corner of the world. This is mind-blowing! One thing was for sure, I was not expecting any of it!  This has motivated me to keep consistent and produce quality blog posts to you, my lovely readers!

The picture below perfectly captures how I’m feeling right now (#fbf to the time I had long hair!).

Thank you! 🙂

This blog post is really in essence, a long-winded way of saying Thank You to each and every one of you who has supported me in any way.

I would like to end this blog post with this quote from a brilliant movie, PS I Love you.

Holly Kennedy: “All I know is, if you don’t figure out this something, you’ll just stay ordinary, and it doesn’t matter if it’s a work of art, or a taco, or a pair of socks! Just create something… new, and there it is, and it’s you, out in the world, outside of you, and you can look at it, or hear it, or read it, or feel it… and you know a little more about… you. A little bit more than anyone else does… Does that make any sense at all?”

Hope this encourages any one of you to create something that is totally You with your stamp on it for the world to see 🙂

Thanks guys!

Much Love
Tinu
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Purchase of the Month [JUN] – Shoes [JustFab]

Shoes. This is my second favourite ‘S’ word after shopping of course! I’m always on the lookout for good quality, reasonably priced and fashion forward shoes that adds a little ‘je ne sais quoi’ to an everyday outfit. A few weeks back, my quest to find some work appropriate shoes began. I could have easily gone and got myself some nice black heels but, heels and I are not really the best of friends (we are still trying to get to know each other), so the other alternative are flat shoes. After having a quick a browse through some of my favourite shops like H&M, New Look, ASOS, Misguided and Boohoo, I was left disappointed. I did not find any shoes that my feet lusted over. When I was on the verge of finally giving up, I was reminded of an online shop I subscribed a few months back – JustFab.

JustFab sells designer quality items (from shoes, clothing to accessories) and guess what, all items are priced at £35! Yes, you read it right. £35 only! (Click here to find out more about how JustFab works). As soon as I started browsing through the pages, I instantly started adding my favourites into the ‘My Wishlist’ basket and a couple a minutes later the basket had over 10 items! I had previously decided on a budget of spending only £35 and only intended to get one pair of shoes. However being spoilt for choices, I was struggling to make up my mind. This was when I discovered something exciting! As this was my first time of buying something from JustFab, I was able to make use of an offer which was, BUY 1, GET 1 FREE! I couldn’t believe it! This offer was applied to any shoe that I picked for total cost of £35 + Free Delivery! Buying two pairs of shoes for £35, I was over the moon!

To be completely honest, I was hesitant to put the order in as I was not sure about the quality and also the sizing of the shoes. Nevertheless I took the risk, ordered it and received it swiftly.

Friends, meet the recent additions to my shoe family!

Purchase of the Month – Shoes from JustFab

Let’s meet Natalee. A luxurious-loafer styled shoe that definitely makes a bold statement and can also turn a few heads. Wearing this shoe is definitely a confident booster as I feel empowered and bold (never knew a shoe would make me feel such things!). This shoe may not be everyone’s cup of tea but I have got plenty of compliments which were always nice to hear! Next, let’s talk comfort. I had a difficult time breaking this shoe but once getting past that, comfort level is 7/10. I tend to pair these with tailored cigarette trousers and a simple a blouse.

Purchase of the Month – Shoes from JustFab

Purchase of the Month – Shoes from JustFab

This is Rodgie. Edgy, sophisticated and chic ballet flats which my feet love at the moment. They are super chic and comfort level is definitely 9/10! The spikes and studs on the shoes give it that extra oomph and make any outfit stand out. These shoes are perfect for those night outs if you don’t want to wear high heels but still want to glam it up.

Purchase of the Month – Shoes from JustFab

Purchase of the Month – Shoes from JustFab

What do you guys think about these shoes? Do you like Natalee or Rodgie or both? Let me know your thoughts through comments below! 🙂

PS. I did not choose the name of the shoes. They already came with their names which I’ve decided to keep it! 😛

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Get Your Summer Glow On!

Clear blue skies, long lazy evenings and flip-flops! Summer is just around the corner and I’m already excited. Here in the UK we haven’t seen a lot of sunshine, so I’m very much looking forward to those days where you are in your garden and soaking up all that Vitamin D! #summerloving Today’s blog post I would like to share with you some easy tips and healthy recipes that could benefit you to achieve that perfect summer glow (on a budget, of course!). Let start off with something easy:

• Face Masks

They are pretty great. I am definitely a face mask advocate! Now, we could easily spend a £1 or even £10 for a face mask because it’s easy, less hassle and maybe because they had great reviews! However, we are not going down this route! You could easily whip up a face mask using ingredients from your kitchen cupboard! Once we start foraging through our cupboards you can actually start to see some that some ingredients on their own can be excellent face masks. I could go on and on about the various ingredients you could use for a face mask but, I’d like to tell you of 2 items that I use on a regular basis as a face mask. Potatoes and Tomatoes. Surprised? I bet some of you might be! I have been using these ingredients as my face mask ever since my grandma suggested! Although it didn’t quite make sense why my grandma insisted on using these, a quick Google search answered my questions. Tomatoes: It contains high amount of Vitamin C which is known to brighten skin. The high acidic content in tomatoes helps to treat rashes and acne. Just cut one tomato in half and gently run them against your skin. Sit back and let the tomato juice works its magic on your skin! Don’t forget to rinse after 20 minutes!

Face Mask: Tomatoes!

Potatoes: They have a high content of carbohydrates and vitamin C and are a natural under eye brightener. Applying potato juice or potatoes directly on the affected area can banish dark eye rings. The juice also helps in the treatment of dark spots and blemishes.

Face Mask: Potatoes!

• Superfoods: Almonds

The ultimate superfood! Almonds have been a part of my diet for over a year now and they have done wonders to my skin and health too! Why are they super? I’ll tell you… These little nuts are very rich and a good source of Potassium, Calcium, Vitamin E, Magnesium, Phosphorous, and Iron. I soak almonds the night before, peel and eat them first thing in the morning. Doing this on a regular, every day basis, has most definitely improved the health of my skin. Soaked almonds can help you get your glow back and improve your skin tone by repairing the damaged skin tissues internally and helps in the formation of new cells. However, I’m sorry to those of you who are allergic to them. Blueberries are a perfect alternative and a handful of them everyday can do wonders!

Superfood: Almonds!

• Healthy Recipes ft. ALOHA

I’m not a very good cook. Living with my parents, my mum makes the most delicious home-cooked food which is a perfectly acceptable reason for me to not cook at all! However after exploring the recipe page from ALOHA, I feel as though I can rise to challenge of cooking something appetizing. My eye caught this recipe: Chicken (or Tofu!) Tacos with Superfood Mole Sauce. Why? It’s simple – Chicken! I need not say more! I am looking forward to cooking this very soon! For all my vegetarian readers, do not fear! They also offer some great veggie recipes too! Like this one: Nut + Seed Veggie Burgers Do feel free to head to their website for more inspiration: ALOHA I really hope you enjoyed reading this post and hoping the tips I shared with you helps you to get your summer glow on! ❤

The Good & The Bad ft. Cetaphil Moisturising Lotion

The Good

As someone who has been using topical acne medication on a daily basis, my skin dries out quite terribly. The dryness is concentrated in and around the areas where I apply the gel (cheeks and chins area). Prior to using Cetaphil, it was really an uphill battle trying to find the right type of moisturizer that helps hydrate my skin when using acne medications.

I first learnt about Cetaphil when several Beauty bloggers raved about this product. I had to jump in, try it for myself to really understand what the big fuss was all about. Well, after initially trying it out, I can say that this product was worthy for all the big fuss it generated among skincare enthusiasts.

Cetaphil Moisturising Lotion

I have been using this product for over a year and my skin has been loved it since day 1. During winter months is when I could really tell how this product works on those cold wintery days. A word of warning though, I would not recommend this product if you have an oily skin type. Due to this reason, I only use this product in the evening after I apply my acne medication before I go to bed. The next morning, I’m always woken up to soft and hydrated skin which is always wonderful!

If your skin type is dry, then this is the moisturizer for you. Your skin will surely love it. It is also a wonderful base product to be applied before applying foundation. A few things to note:

• Very little of the product goes a long way
• It is fragrance free and non-comedogenic (oil-free)
• One 230ml bottle of Cetaphil lasts at least 6 months.

You can buy this product from Boots for the price of £8.99.

The Bad

All you Cetaphil lovers, you are not going to like what you are about to read. You might have heard about this or might not, but it just wouldn’t be right if I didn’t share this with you even after knowing about it.

In the past few weeks, I have read blog posts that explain how Cetaphil is not the simple and innocent moisturizer it claims to be. The blogs explain that Cetaphil uses toxic ingredients which are harmful to the skin. Surprised? Shocked? This was how I genuinely felt after I read about it. As someone who has been using it for a long time, it really made me think. Click here to read more about this. I have to say, my once positive opinion about this product has been swayed after knowing the unpleasant truth about Cetaphil.

Have you used Cetaphil Moisturizing lotion? What are your thoughts about it? Let me know by commenting below!

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Purchase of the Month [MAR] – Nike Air Max Lunar1 Trainers (ASOS)

It is nearly the end of March and that can only mean one thing for me (drum roll, please!) – writing up Purchase of the Month! If you had read my previous Purchase Of the Month posts (found here, here and here), you can probably tell that there is a pattern. Have you had a quick look at those posts? What do you think?

Yes, that’s right. I love shoes. My love for them has taken over precedence when it came to writing up my Purchase of the Month posts. This month is no different. March’s Purchase of the Month is Nike Air Max Lunar1 Trainers. However, this month’s winner has a little bit of a sentimental and emotional value to it. Let me enlighten you the reason behind this.

Purchase of the Month [MAR] – Nike Air Max Lunar1 Trainers

 My dad had been wanting a new pair of trainers for the longest time. He just doesn’t have the time to go to a shop to get them as, he has been working crazy hours. He had an evening off one day but was too tired to get dressed and go out to buy it. This is the moment when I stepped in, I persuaded my dad to buy a pair online. He wasn’t thrilled about the idea as he is not much of an online shopper. However, he reluctantly agreed (which was a surprise to me!) and we sat on the couch literally shopping for a pair of trainers on ASOS. There were many contenders that dad and I had to sieve through but, in the end only one made it to the basket. When it came to the final checkout stage, I simply took out my debit card and said, “Daddy, I got this.”

Purchase of the Month [MAR] – Nike Air Max Lunar1 Trainers

 Everyday I’m thankful and blessed for the job that I have which has been keeping my bank account on a high. My dad has bought me many things – small and big and sometimes even surprised me! I was really happy that I was able to treat my dad with his new pair of trainers and it really is the best feeling in the world.

The next hurdle is waiting for the delivery and making sure the shoe fits him and it is how it looked online. Since, I have signed up to ASOS Premier customer, I get Guaranteed Next Day delivery. You can be a VIP customer too! Click here to find out how! The delivery came first thing in the morning and my dad tried it on.

Purchase of the Month [MAR] – Nike Air Max Lunar1 Trainers

He loved it. I felt relieved and glad. 

For a pair of trainers, they are indeed very stylish and my dad says that it is very comfy and undeniably lightweight. All in all, I can say that he is very pleased with his new pair of trainers.

Want to buy these pair of trainers for that special person in your life? Click here! 

Certainly this month’s Purchase of the Month has been a little different. What are your thoughts? I would love to hear from you! 🙂

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Product Praise ft. The Body Shop [Seaweed Deep Cleansing Facial Wash]

Disco ball. This is the only word I think is the most appropriate to visually describe my skin at the end of a long day. My oily skin type is taking all the blame for that. I was under the pretence that any kind of facial wash that was specifically developed for the oily skin type was all just a gimmick. It was a hard concept for my head to wrap around the idea that using a facial wash helps in dealing with this problem. I knew of and have used great moisturisers/primers that have aided me in fighting this problem, but certainly not facial washes. This cynical view of mine took a great big U-turn when I started using this product from Body Shop. Initially, I bought this product as it helped me reach a set price so that I will eligible to redeem a voucher. I didn’t have any expectations and really just assumed it is just another facial wash for me to try. Product Praise ft. The Body Shop After my first attempt at using this product, I was genuinely shocked to find my face a lot less shiny at the end of a very long day. I was very pleased and surprised that this product actually works for oily skin types. I made sure no Primers were used when testing the facial wash to get reliable and fair result. So imagine, if I did use a facial wash and a great face Primer? The results would be even more impressive. This facial wash has a very lovely scent and a little of it goes a long way too. For £8.50, it is just great. My perceptions about using facial washes specially designed for oily skin has changed for the better. Product Praise ft. The Body Shop Do you have oily skin? What steps do you take to combat this issue? Please do leave your thoughts below! ❤

Purchase of the Month [FEB] – Office Nautical Knee Boot

Ever since starting my internship at this big corporate company, on an everyday basis, there was always this one day I looked forward to the most. Apart from the obvious being a Friday, there was another day I looked forward to the most. This day is none other than Pay Day! Since I was handsomely getting paid each month, I took an adult decision of what I should do with all this money in my bank. I decided that I set aside a specific amount of money into my savings account and a little amount of money to spend on it whatever I wished (within limits, of course!).

January’s pay day meant that this month I could possibly get a pair of knee boots, for a decent price. A few days after my pay day, it was a joyful coincidence when an email from Office read, ‘30% off selected Boots!’ and the timing of this couldn’t be more perfect. My search began immediately and I came across this beaut of a boot which had the following characteristics:

• Leather
• No heel
• Knee high
• Sale price of £68.60, reduced from a huge £98!

I was in love. 

Purchase of the month – Office Knee High Boots

There was no looking back, several buttons were clicked and the order was placed for Office Nautical Knee Boot. Ordering online, I’m always a little apprehensive till I physically see and try on the item I purchased. A few days later, my boots arrived and on this occasion, I realised that all my worrying was a waste of time. These boots fit me like a glove and the gold zip details gives a sophisticated look for these simple knee high boots. Of course, the quality of these boots is top-notch too! I could definitely see these boots lasting for a very long time (with lots TLC!).

Purchase of the month – Office Knee High Boots

Purchase of the month – Office Knee Boot

These boots have been a real hero in saving me from having numb toes on those cold and frosty mornings we have recently been experiencing here in the UK. They are extremely comfy to walk or run (for my bus or train!) and also, it gives that extra oomph to an outfit to be extra special. I have been pairing these equestrian-ish type boots with skirts but, I think they look their best when paired with black leggings and a big cosy knit jumper. For working ladies out there, I pair these with my skinny formal trousers and a chiffon blouse or a smart shirt with a jumper.

How would you pair these boots? Do you love it as much as I do too?  

Since starting this series, I have really enjoyed writing them so far without fail on a monthly basis. I would love to get your feedback on whether you like reading them too! Please drop me a comment and let me know.

Thank you for all your continued love and support!

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