Colouring has been shown to help mental wellbeing, by improving focus and sleep, reducing stress, improving motor skills and promoting mindfulness.
In light of World Mental Health Day, we have a free colouring sheet designed to help you unwind and relax.
We love that colouring has been shown to help mental wellbeing, by improving focus and sleep (as part of a wind-down routine), reducing stress, improving motor skills and promoting mindfulness.
We know colouring is great for our kids’ development – and there are plenty of reasons for Mum and Dad to pick up the pencils (or extensive marker collection…) as well.
A study quoted on Healthline.com found 20 minutes of mandala colouring “significantly relieved feelings of anxiety compared to plaid pattern colouring, free drawing, and reading”.
According to Beaumont.org (a large health care system in the US):
“Colouring has the ability to relax the fear centre of your brain, the amygdala. It induces the same state as meditating by reducing the thoughts of a restless mind. This generates mindfulness and quietness, which allows your mind to get some rest.”
So, in light of World Mental Health Day, we have a free sheet on offer chosen specifically to help you unwind, feel good, and enjoy some colouring time with your family!
Our books are designed to bring the joys of colouring, personalisation and memory recording together.
We often get members of our Blueberry Co community saying how much colouring helps them relax, and bonds their family too.
“New member to the club! This has become a great activity for me to enjoy with my children … Definitely brought some calm and bonding to our little fam” – Tara
“I have always loved colouring in as a way to relax. But I was colouring in so much I found I wasn’t enjoying it when there was no purpose to it. Blueberry books couldn’t have been more perfect for me, I get to colour in with purpose and I get to create beautiful things that people will see and I am proud of.” – Jessica
“Huge stress relief for me, it’s my me time and I don’t have any guilt in taking that time because they are for my boys.” – Justine
Download our free sheet today and unwind tonight before bed – or whenever you wish – with some therapeutic colouring!
And if you are experiencing any mental health issues, please check in with someone who can help or contact Lifeline.
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For years, you’ve sent me DM’s and emails asking for merch that reflects our obsession with colour and stationery… and this year I decided to give it a go!
I’m not going to lie, launching a completely new product (clothing!) is SCARY! But now I have my hands on the samples, I know you’re going to love these as much as I do.
This launch is going to go a bit differently. We’re working with an amazing Gold Coast based embroiderer (because I want to support other amazing women in business) and all of these items will be made to order!
Here is your cheats guide to get the most out of our very first Blueberry Co Merch launch!
Step 1: Sneak Peek!
Before we launch on Wednesday 18th May 2022, check out the styles we have available!
Step 2: Pre-order opens
At 10am AEST Wednesday 18Th May 2022 we’re opening pre-order for ONE WEEK (pre-order closes on Wednesday 25th May 2022).
Step 3: We make your order
We’re making all of these amazing Tee’s and Crews with the help of a fab Gold Coast based embroiderer! It will take us 2-3 weeks after pre-order closes to get the orders made and shipped.
Step 4: Your order is Shipped
If you ordered any books or stationery with your merch, they’ll be shipped right away! Your Merch order will be shipped within 2-3 weeks of the pre-order closing. We’ll send the shipping details as soon as we have shipped your order.
Step 5: Enjoy!
Your order arrives and you can enjoy it! The quality is AMAZING!
If you have any questions about our Blueberry Co Merch launch please don’t hesitate to flick us an email or DM me on Facebook, Instagram, or Tiktok.
Can I order Books or Stationery with my merch?
Yes you can! Your books will be shipped within 2-4 days or your order being received and your Blueberry Co Merch will ship within 2-3 weeks of the pre-order closing.
Can I change my size once Pre-Order closes?
No, unfortunately as soon as the pre-order closes we will be unable to change your order.
Can I add to my order once I order?
Unfortunately not. In some cases we may be able to add to your order if it hasn’t shipped yet, so flick us an email to double check info@blueberryco.com.au .
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You can down your FREE Bonus printable pages here, but while you're here you may want to see how I add my finished page into my book!
Step 1: Print your page
It's a great idea to select 'fit to page' to avoid cutting the edge off the images. We use 200gsm paper in our books so if you want to match the paper quality, then that's what you're looking for.
Step 2: Colour your page
Choose your colours and get colouring!
Step 3: Trim
Cut off the edge. Most home printers don't print to the edge of the page so you can just trim that off.
Step 4: Add to your Book
Grab 3 paper clips and weave those paper clips into the binding of the book you want to add the page to. Then use the paper clips to attach the page. Flip the page over and use tape to stick the page to the paper clips so it doesn't come loose.
It's easy!
If you do use this in your books, please don't forget to share it in our Blueberry Co Baby Book Club!
Happy Mother's Day!
xox Chloe
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We've teamed up with One Chew Three to develop the most amazing set of Flash Cards you could ever imagine and they're available from Monday night! Plus, these amazing images have been featured in the new One Chew Three timber Name Puzzles too - which also launch on Monday. It's going to be HUGE!
To celebrate the launch, we're giving you the chance to WIN a set before they're even released! Each prize packs includes our new Alphabet + Number Flash Cards, a personalised Name Puzzle and a Blueberry Co Memory book - we'll even throw in a matching personalised bag tag too! Each prize is valued at over $150!
We can't wait to share these amazing new products with you very soon and just in time for Easter gifts. We really have squeezed so many amazing features into our Flash Cards, we know you're going to love them.
They're available from 7pm AEST Monday 22 February (eek, we can't wait) or win one of the very first sets - just enter below! For even more chances to win, we also have a set to giveaway on our Instagram and Facebook pages too.
For full terms and condition, click here.
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I distinctly remember when my first baby was about 2 weeks old thinking to myself ‘Gosh, is it the weekend yet?’. The journey from a childless independent female with a successful career to a stay at home new mother is a tough transition for anyone. The shift in focus from managing yourself and possibly your partner, to keeping another small human alive was a huge one. I went from washing and straightening my hair on a strict 3 day loop to forgetting when I last had a shower. Just like most new mums, I didn’t feel much like myself for the first 9 months of being a new mother, but on the whole, I managed to get a second in between the crazy feeding/sleeping/housework duties to find something for myself.
In that first year my daughter Rosie and I walked a lot. That’s how we’d catch up with friends. Our pram walks would start near a café and finish near a café and we lived on coffee and cake. That year wasn’t too bad for me creatively too, heck, I designed our Monochrome Baby Book when my daughter was 5 months old and launched it when she was 10 months old.
We had up’s and down’s as a family too that year. We lost 3 family members within 18 months and we went through the usual transition of learning what our new roles meant. Not unlike most men, my husband, Dave, took a while to really understand what it was like being a full time carer of a little one, and I took a while to learn how to communicate the pressures I was under and that extensive internal list all mum’s have going. Lucky for us, we’d worked out our stress points prior to having children so although this was a challenge, we still had the trust and communication skills established to get through this transition.
Fast forward 18 months and we were ready for number two. We looked at Rosie and thought she was so grown up and we just wanted another little version of her. Rosie was such a chilled baby. She had all the usual baby problems of waking etc, but feeding, eating went really well and it was really obvious to me when she was tired; if she was grumpy, she was hungry, tired, hurt or sick. Other than that, she was a very cheery happy baby.
Basking in that glow of parental success (and I guess naivety of what it means to have more than one child) I fell pregnant as we were planning our move from Australia to New Zealand. We chased our dream, seeking the happiness of our little family, but we moved away from all our extended family and the support and help that offered. I was 15 weeks pregnant with our second baby.
Any mum of multiple children will tell you how much of a shock the jump from one to two is. There’s something in the change from being 100% available to one child and then having to split your time between two (one of which is a now a loud toddler and the other is a helpless desperate newborn). Ladies, let me tell you, that jump was brutal.
A friend described her journey from one to two like swimming in the ocean. Before kids, you’re wading out, knee deep water and having fun, then you have your first baby, get a bit further out and get tumbled by a few waves, but you can find your feet between the sets. By the time you’ve got your second baby you’re our too deep and the waves are rolling in fast; all you can do is try and make it to the surface before you get dumped again. That’s exactly what it was like for me.
Like all parenting experiences, mine was complicated with our second baby. I definitely loved her, and I was so grateful to have a safe healthy bub, but I didn’t get the rush of love and obsession I had with my first. I often question that (usually in the depths of mum guilt) but I think it was for a few reasons. Her birth was traumatic and at home (you can read about it here) and I found I had frequent flashbacks which meant it took me a long time to process her birth. I also suffered from a bladder prolapse which took months of specialist physiotherapy to recover from (and the ongoing management of post-prolapse is still with me). I found the physical reminder of her birth, which I felt every day, another component in the layers of stress on top of sleep deprivation. Also, I had a busy 2 ½ year old to care for as well as a newborn!
My second baby was also a very different baby from her big sister, she was very unsettled, often spending hours every night crying unconsolably. I know that if you’re a mother, you’re reading this cringing because you know what it’s like to have your baby scream and not be able to do anything about it. I spent hours pacing the hallway, bouncing her or cuddling her, trying in vain to settle her or console her, and on some of the worst nights too my toddler would be crying too because I couldn’t be there for her. Those nights we all ended up in a pile crying together.
I found the first 12 months as a mum of two stressful and frankly baffling. I didn’t know her as well as I knew her big sister and I was eaten up by guilt because of it. I know why I felt that way though (not that the knowing helped with the guilt); there was no time to stare at her gorgeous face while she slept because when she was happy, I was chasing around a toddler, doing house work, preparing meals or working. My attention was always diverted so I missed critical cues of tiredness or hunger or just wanting a cuddle and she learnt to make her needs known pretty quickly (hello super loud crying!). I was also bloody exhausted, with no hope of relief.
The first four months of her life were the most stressful of my life. I think it was like that for our whole family, my husband was at home with us full time and he was struggling every day as well. We were both exhausted, he would wake up and settle our two year old whenever she woke, and I would get up and settle our new baby. We were both so exhausted, all we could do was look at each other and kind of nod as we both floundered in the intensity of parenting two small children. In our previous lives, if one of us was going through a rough patch, the other would be there to pick up the pieces and identify if the other wasn’t coping. This time we were both in it together, unable to see our way through or help the other one, other than a brief acknowledgement that we were struggling and we just had to keep going!
The complex thing about being a mum of more than one child, is that you have to jump around so much, trying to find the best solution for your whole family, not just one child. I remember trying to settle our new baby while my toddler was running and screaming and having fun (and just being a happy toddler) and holding onto my frustration as each squeal of delight made the baby stir. Often, I’d just get my toddler just got to sleep after needing to be held for an hour, and the baby would wake up and the whole 3 hour bed time marathon would start again. We also did the divide and conquer thing that lots of parents of kids this age take on; the ‘you handle your kid and I’ll handle mine’ method works, but it left me missing my toddler desperately, my husband didn’t get much time alone with our new baby (because she was so hard to settle, she just stayed with me) and neither one of us got much alone time. Every decision felt like a compromise with no-one coming out happy at the end. It was all so draining.
Now my situation isn’t particularly unique, or dramatic. But I did have the overwhelming feeling that most people thought that I was a mum of two so I knew what I was doing. I did not!
So why am I writing this? If you haven’t got children yet, you’re probably thinking ‘whoa girlfriend, I haven’t even wrapped my head around one child let alone two.’, if you’re pregnant or planning your second baby you’re probably thinking ‘how much harder can one extra child be? Surely only twice as hard?’, and if you’re a mum of three or more you’re probably laughing yourself silly because I have no idea what true chaos is (and you’re definitely right about that!).
I’m writing this down for you, my fellow mum of two. If you’re feeling swamped by the extra responsibility, the extra layers of guilt, and the complicated craziness that comes from having small children and trying to do the best you can for everyone but unable to do it for yourself. I want you to know you are not alone. It is ok to survive one day at a time.
I also want you to know it GETS BETTER!
Your baby will grow up (and yes it feels both fast and slow at the same time), you will get more sleep, you baby will learn to talk and not scream, and your love for your two children will grow into something so intense and so different from the love you had for your first child as an only child. And, rest assured, the love you have for your second babe will grow with them; a friend described it as growing from a flicker to a raging fire. The love you have for your second babe will equal that of the first and the love you have for them both will consume you.
And how did we make it through? I’m embarrassed to say, we just survived when we should have asked for help. As our little family grew, everything slowly got better. We turned a point at 4 months, 8 months, 12 months and again at 18 months. We still have days that are up and down, but these day’s they’re mostly up.
So mama, whatever stage of the crazy life we call #mumlife you’re in, I want you to know that you are amazing. You are strong. You will survive whatever waves come towards and you’ll end up playing in the sea on the other side basking in the love for the amazing little humans you raised.
** Note of reflection**
I’d love to explain why I felt the need to share this with you, my Blueberry tribe. I confess, I’ve been avoiding filling in my girls baby books (crazy I know!), but I just found it too hard looking back at the photos, and writing something positive about each month. However recently I’ve started filling in their books, especially my youngest daughter’s book.
It’s been a really lovely experience, and a surprising one! I haven’t been able to look back at the photos of my first year as a mum of two without feeling slightly nauseous as all those overwhelming feelings came back. But now, almost 20 months down the road as a mum of two our world is changing. My girls are thriving and everything is less desperate. We are getting more sleep, eating better and just dealing with life better!
I’ve been able to start on my youngest girls book and start to all the feelings I’ve been searching for all this time, into this book! It’s been so nice to fill out her book with my new intense feelings of love and pride and in the process I’ve realised I’m crazy in love with my daughter. It’s happened, I’ve been waiting for months and it’s finally here. So now her baby book is a reflection of the crazy year we survived as a family of four, but it’s also a place where I’ve recorded all her amazing milestones and her sweet baby face.
Have you had the same experience? I’d love to hear about it!
Xox Chloe
]]>The Toddlers years are the most important years for learning and development for your child. Their physical, emotional and cognitive development is in overdrive as they grow from a baby to a toddler. They are learning social and emotional skills, their language develops from single words to complex sentences and they use play to explore and understand the world around them.
It can be an intense time for both parents and children, and for me, keeping busy and providing fun and flexible play options is one of the best things I can do to support my toddler’s learning and development!
By the time you’ve reached the Toddler years, you can be drowning in toys, so it’s always nice to discover new and amazing brands to support! I’ve pulled together 5 of my favourite toddler products that I love!!
]]>It can be an intense time for both parents and children, and for me, keeping busy and providing fun and flexible play options is one of the best things I can do to support my toddler’s learning and development!
By the time you’ve reached the Toddler years, you can be drowning in toys, so it’s always nice to discover new and amazing brands to support! I’ve pulled together 5 of my favourite toddler products that I love!!
Ok- this one is a present for the parents… But it’s still amazing!!
Getting out of the house can be difficult at the best of times, but as my daughter went from a baby into a toddling toddler, my fancy over-the-shoulder nappy bag just didn’t cut it! I need both hands free to grab, dive and hold the hand of my newly walking babe. That’s where the amazing ‘On-The-Go Parent Backpack’ comes in! It let’s me have both hands free, and carry EVERYTHING I need for a day out.
Supporting your toddler’s language development is one of the most rewarding things about having a toddler. Watching them go from single words to full sentences and stories is one of the most obvious ways in which your child changes. I love using Two Little Ducklings flash cards! We started by identifying animals, colours etc., and now as my toddler grows into a pre-schooler, we are looking for letters and sorting the cards into groups.
They also look super cute stuck up on your wall!
Dinner can be hard at the best of times with toddlers. One of the best things I’ve done is make meal times fun AND easy! The amazing products from We Might Be Tiny are beautifully stylish (yay for mum!), fun for kids AND easy to clean! Check out their placies and snackies here>>>>
Play-dough is a favourite indoor activity in our house, and while I know I can make it myself, I have enough cooking to do! So I choose to use the amazing naturally scented play-dough by Happy Hands Happy Heart. We bring it out 2-3 times a week and create all sorts of wonderful creations. I have a set with stamps that is fun when we’re learning letters and numbers!
I also love choosing educational toys that can be used in role-playing, so when I discovered OK Dolls, I knew I had to have them for my daughters. OK Dolls create aspirational dolls with inspirational careers and so far, my 3 year old hasn’t let her dolls leave her side since we bought them 3 weeks ago!
Of course, as you watch your child grow, you’ll want to record every precious moment! Our Monochrome Toddler Book is the perfect Toddler diary to record every amazing milestone and all the hilarious ones too!
Want to win it all?
We’re running an amazing competition so you can win the ULTIMATE TODDLER PRIZE PACK!
Enter below (open July 19-22, enter via Instagram)
]]>My home VBAC… yep!
Let’s get this out of the way; a homebirth was not the plan. It wasn’t even in the realm of possible outcomes for the birth of my second baby.
]]>Let’s get this out of the way; a homebirth was not the plan. It wasn’t even in the realm of possible outcomes for the birth of my second baby.
I’ll set the scene for you; we live in rural New Zealand, about an hour away from a hospital. In my 39th week I was crazy with ‘late stage pregnancy rage’ as I like to call it. I think if my midwife called me that day and said ‘I think there has been a mistake, you’ll be pregnant forever’ I would have believed her. I felt like it was never going to end.
The pregnancy had been complicated. I’d had spotting in the first trimester, horrendous pubic symphysis pain in my second trimester and, due to placenta previa noted in my 14 week and 20 week ultrasounds, I was very careful to take it easy.
We got the all clear to try for a VBAC (Vaginal Birth After Caesarean) at my 36 week ultrasound, because the placenta has moved. Even so, we had booked in a planned C-section for 2 days after my due date, just in case. My previous emergency C-section with my first baby meant that I really didn’t want to try for a vaginal delivery, only to have it end in an emergency caesarean section anyway; been there, done that. So, at the recommendation of my obstetrician, I would try for a VBAC if I went into labour naturally before that 40+2 date, and if that didn’t happen, it was a planned c-section.
So at 11 pm on August the 7th, at 39 + 1 weeks (and so pregnant I was going nuts), while lying on the couch watching Game of Thrones, my waters broke with a huge pop. I think I waited there for a minute or two before telling my husband ‘Dave… I think my waters just broke’. Precious of our new couch, he raced to get a towel. I stood up and the contractions started. In our house that night we had my 2 ½ year daughter Rosie and my mother-in-law (who was there to look after Rosie when the baby arrived). Both were already asleep.
With my first daughter, the contractions were strong to begin with, but they didn’t ramp up until we reached the hospital (then only 10 minutes away). With my this labour, they were very strong and very close straight away.
I called my Midwife Terri to let her know it had started. The official plan was, because it was a VBAC, I had to have my baby in a hospital. That was fine by me! After our first experience I wanted to be as close to medical care as possible. So, when I went into labour I was meant to call my midwife, she would come over and check me out, and then we’d all head up the highway to the hospital together where I’d have my baby (hopefully with an epidural and gas and what ever else they’d give me - I’d laboured for 12 hours and pushed for 2 hours with my first baby, so I had experienced labour, and wanted the drugs!).
Back to that night…. We should have known it was going to happen that night. It was a full moon and there was a dense fog and no wind. I’d called my midwife (woken her up actually!) and she said ‘Call me back when your contractions are 6 minutes apart’. So we counted. The contractions were strong and about 2-3 minutes apart. I went to lie down on our bed, thinking that I could slow them down if I just moved the weight of the baby. After another 10 minutes, I called my midwife back, told her ‘The contractions are strong and about 2-3 minutes apart’ so she decided to come to us.
15 minutes later I felt a change in the contractions, and I needed to push. My husband came in, alarmed, I think he must have heard the change of tone in the noises I was making. And I remember my mother-in-law (Sally) popping her head in at some point, patting me on the shoulder in encouragement.
I think the 25 minutes it took for my midwife to arrive were the longest ever. I was panicking that Rosie would wake up, that I’d have to get in the car while pushing to get to a hospital and worst of all that I’d be having this baby on my bed with no help! Meanwhile, my husband was silently freaking out that he would have to deliver this baby himself. In hindsight, I think he was more relieved than I was when Terri walked through the door to a loud announcement from Dave, ‘She’s pushing!!!”.
It was 12:05am, August 8 2017.
Terri checked me out (yep, fully dilated and pushing), and told us we’d be having this baby here. She did all the practical things you take for granted in a hospital, like covering as much of the bed as possible with absorbent pads, and listening to the baby’s heart rate with her monitor between contractions. She also called in another midwife to assist (her name was Lydia). Sally put towels in the dryer to stay warm for when the baby was born, and kept a bowl of water warm for wiping up anything and everything. Luckily I had read enough stories of women who’s waters had broken in bed, so I had 2 waterproof mattress protectors on our bed.
The next few hours were a bit of a blur, but, looking back at my maternity notes, I can see the progression of events. Lydia arrived at 12:50am, and with Terri’s help they moved me around the room trying to get the baby to progress faster. I remember this part clearly: a) because it felt so damn hard to move, and b) because we ended up back on the bed with me propped on my back with cushions and pillows supporting me (a position I was keen to avoid pre-labour). This position was giving me the best support and helping me push the baby out.
The baby was progressing down the birth canal slowly, so at 1:12 am Terri called an ambulance as a back up, in case we needed to get to hospital. I remember discussing the progress with Terri and Lydia. They were both very calm, encouraging and supportive, even though I was tiring.
At 1:22am (or so my maternity notes inform me) the head was spotted. I felt a huge relief when they announced this because my first labour didn’t make it that far, despite 2 hours of pushing. At some point, Terri told me the baby had a lot of hair. She joked, ‘If only I could grab it I could pull her out!’ - in hindsight I think that was probably a good suggestion.
The ambulance arrived at 1:34am, Sally waited by the gate to wave them down in the thick fog. The female paramedic came into the room and was given the job of holding one of my legs in the air. Sorry for that graphic piece of information, but that’s how it happened, Dave had the other leg. The male paramedic stayed outside the room with my mother-in-law, Sally. Over the course of the next 30 minutes they spent their time scoping out spots for a helicopter to land on our property, if it was required.
Shortly after the paramedics arrived, Lydia noticed my contractions were getting weaker and further apart. I was getting tired, and I could feel there was less and less forced behind each one. Sophie’s head was still visible but progressing very slowly. In an effort to keep everything moving, Lydia had Dave feed me a spoonful of honey between every contraction and a sip of water. There was a fair bit of skill on his part to achieve this; holding his pregnant wife’s leg in the air, whilst spooning honey into my mouth and providing sips of water - and encouragement. I think at some point he over heated, because I remember him disappearing, and later found out he was about to faint! He had to go and cool down, put his head between his legs, get some moral support from his mum, and just take a deep breath. He reappeared in a tee-shirt and shorts, ready to face the action.
The effect of the honey and water was almost instant. The contractions increased in intensity and strength. Each contraction I had I could push the baby forward, but she’d slide back. Every contraction. The pain of the bones of my pelvis closing back after each contraction (and pushing the baby back) is what sticks in my memory most. Terri and Lydia used olive oil from my kitchen pantry to try and lubricate the process. This went on for 20 minutes, until Terri raised the option of an episiotomy. If you’re reading this and you’ve never had a vaginal delivery, an episiotomy sounds (and is) brutal. But frankly, at this point in the labour, I would have done anything to have it over with. So I agreed, willingly. Anaesthetic was applied to the perineum, and at 2:06am the episiotomy was performed.
The last few minutes of my labour were intense.
Terri and Lydia were giving me very strong instructions to keep pushing, even in between contractions, to try and get the baby to move past my pubic bone. There was no yelling, but it wasn’t the calm, joking atmosphere they’d had going on around me previously.
Finally, at 2:09am she was born. On my bed. On my new Sheridan sheets.
I’ve never felt such a sense of relief as I did when her head came out. It wasn’t relief of pain, just effort. All of a sudden I knew I could get her out from there. When she came out, Terri removed the umbilical cord that was loosely wrapped around her neck and she was put straight onto my stomach.
I just stared at her. I had no choice, I couldn’t move my arms, and I was utterly and completely exhausted. My beautiful baby who looked identical to her big sister.
“What the F*^K just happened?” were my first words after she was born. Everyone laughed.
I delivered the placenta, and Lydia helped me try and breastfeed Sophie while Terri inspected the damage. I had a deep second degree tear, so the decision was made to transfer me to the Hospital to be sutured.
Sally came in to meet her newest grandchild, and believe it or not, Rosie had slept through the whole thing. She hadn’t made a peep the whole night.
So that’s how it happened. My accidental home VBAC.
The aftermath….
It was one of the most intense and traumatic nights of my life. Despite not loving my first labour, I had a lot more negative feelings after my second one. A lot of that is in relation to the extreme feeling of helplessness. I think I spent the whole labour thinking about how I wasn’t going to make it to a hospital, and at some point it did pass through my mind, that I would die there on my bed.
In the first few weeks after Sophie was born, I didn’t feel too bad about it all. But, as I continued to suffer from birth related injuries (a bladder prolapse and scarring that caused ongoing pain) and the lack of sleep took its toll, I felt worse and worse about the whole thing.
I should point out that we wouldn’t have done anything differently given the circumstances, I had amazing care from both Terri and Lydia. However, giving birth in my bedroom, on my bed, left me with strong visual cues and I had frequent flashbacks. I know now that, the emergency situation I experienced with my first baby, greatly impacted my feelings about the birth of my second. I knew how quickly it could all go wrong. That feeling of helplessness and danger only got worse as I got further from the birth, and I adjusted to life as a mum of two.
I mention all of my complicated feelings here because, although the situation of Sophie’s birth was crazy and we often laugh in an incredulous way about how it all happened, it would feel false to say it was a 100% positive experience. I’ve had to come to terms with the fact that it’s ok to be so completely grateful for the birth of your healthy baby, but also feel like that experience was the most awful and horrific thing you’ve ever done. That’s how I feel and I’m ok with that.
I’m now 11 months’ post-partum, and in my case time has been a great healer both physically and mentally. I’m also getting more sleep which has helped tremendously. I also re-arranged my bedroom so I no longer look at the same corner of the room I was staring at that night. That small change has reduced the flashbacks and anxiety associated with being in the same space. My husband even bought me two huge prints for my birthday to hang in our bedroom so now it’s filled with colour and positive vibes (hooray for loving and sensitive partners who just get you!).
So… we’re in a good space now. Learning every day how to live with two children (eeeekkkk).
Do you have negative feelings associated with the birth of your child?
If you feel like you have experienced trauma after the birth of your child some valuable resources that helped me are:
PANDA - Perinatal Anxiety & Depression Australia supports women, men and families across Australia to recover from post and antenatal depression and anxiety, a serious illness that affects around 100,000 Australian families every year
Australasia Birth Trauma Association - Emotional and practical support to women and their partners who have been traumatised by a difficult birth experience. The labour and delivery, which may have been vaginal or by caesarean section, has resulted in physical and/or psychological damage.
Emotional and practical support to women and their partners who have been traumatised by a difficult birth experience. The labour and delivery, which may have been vaginal or by caesarean section, has resulted in physical and/or psychological damage.
https://www.birthtrauma.org.au/
If you feel like you need help right away talk to your GP.
]]>We are lucky to work with some amazingly talented people and Dana, aka @mam_style_maker, is no exception! She's a creative mama of two boys with a passion for photography AND she's a huge fan of our Monochrome Toddler Book!
She answered a few questions for me and shared photos of her Monochrome Toddler Book.
]]>She answered a few questions for me and shared photos of her Monochrome Toddler Book.
As a parent I am often blown away by the speed at which my children reach their developmental milestones. It is astounding (and amazing) how quickly they develop from helpless newborns into opinionated toddlers!
It all happens so quickly, I try and document all the significant changes. Here are my top 5 things to record;
]]>It all happens so quickly, I try and document all the significant changes. Here are my top 5 things to record;
Between your child’s 1st birthday and their 5th birthday they will learn to say approximately 1300 words. Crazy right?! That makes the key toddler years of 1-4 years old an intense time of cognitive development. They start with single words like ‘mama’ and ‘dada’ and progress to asking simple questions, singing songs and telling stories.
Your child will literally change every day. That’s why it’s so important to make notes of funny words, nicknames, stories and conversations you have with your child.
One of the easiest ways I have found to keep on top of this fast paced development is to make a note in my phone and write snippets in there. Usually I just copy and paste from text message updates I send her dad or other family members.
Food preferences or aversions are a normal part of toddler development. They will start to show an interest for withheld food (like sweets!) and might also show a fear of new foods and reject foods they’d previously liked. Sometimes food is even rejected on site without tasting.
This can be infuriating for parents, but it’s also good to record the crazy lengths you go to in order to get them to eat! Trust me, one day this will make you laugh.
Disaster strikes... she doesn't like the food she ate yesterday
Toddlers are known for their opinions, and sometimes you just have to give in to survive. Clothing is one of those battles that can turn into something hilarious! Pyjamas all day, underwear as outerwear and dress-ups or costumes out in public; it’s all gold!
Imagine those photos displayed on their 18th or 21st birthdays #parentsrevenge
As your toddler grows you’ll see a dramatic change in the way they play by themselves and with other children. Playing is the way children make sense of their world, so the way in which they play reflects their understanding of them and their surroundings.
Toddlers in particular use objects to explore the relationship between objects and how they can control them (remember the first time your child stacked some blocks?), and they also start to explore social interactions and language development in role-playing and make believe play. Physical development is also explored through play. Running, jumping, spinning, rolling and climbing are all ways your child is exploring their new found physical freedom and learn about risk.
As they get closer to pre-school age they also develop friendships and explore these social interactions through play, first by watching other children play, then by playing alongside other children and finally by playing with other children, exploring and developing new games. Physically they develop their fine and gross motor skills quickly, start planning ahead and start having and interest in objects and how they fit together (as in building complex constructions). They will also play by themselves for long periods.
In all the crazy emotional development toddlers throw at us as parents, watching your child discover the world through play is one of the most rewarding aspects of toddlerhood.
If you’re a parent already you’ll know that you can get kind of obsessive over your child’s sleep. Anything and everything if fair game when you’re trying to get some precious rest.
You’ll also know, if your baby has grown into a toddler, that toddlers can be sticklers for repetition and get very possessive over both small and large objects and the order in which the bedtime routine occurs. It can drive you nuts!
But rest assured, your toddler will expand and escalate their bedtime demands (especially once they figure out that more books = a delayed bedtime!).
They can also fall asleep in the strangest positions and circumstances. Small kiddies go hard all day long and sometimes this means crashing in the most unlikely of places! Take photos of this all!! It’s a good way to reflect on the funny side of bedtime, and also tell stories about as your child grows.
If you’re wondering: ‘How do I document all of this?’… Don’t worry; I’ve got you sorted! Our Monochrome Toddler Book has room for all of this magical toddler goodness and MORE!! Have fun with it and reflect on your child’s growth and development in our stylish Monochrome Toddler Book.
]]>Is your Easter all about chocolate?
If you’re looking for beautiful gifts for babies and kids, and avoiding chocolate, it can get challenging, so I’ve pulled together the best baby EASTER GIFT GUIDE!!
]]>If you’re looking for beautiful gifts for babies and kids, and avoiding chocolate, it can get challenging, so I’ve pulled together the best baby EASTER GIFT GUIDE!!
Warmth
With the change in seasons, it’s pretty easy to get all snuggly. Easter is that last weekend for warm holidays (or, let’s face it- wet ones). Aster and Oak make the most amazing organic cotton clothing and blankets. Why organic? Because babies and small children have sensitive skin and organic cotton is low allergen and oh so soft!
You’ve got the outfit, so what about the shoes? Just Ray has the cutest shows fro little feet! These amazing leather soft soles moccasins are the perfect addition to any baby’s wardrobe. These shoes are ideal for rollers, crawlers and walkers!
Organisation:
With the cooler months approaching there is a LOT more indoor time to be considered. Making meal times fun and easy is a priority! The We Might Be Tiny range is the perfect gift if you want something to last for years (and I mean YEARS- I’ve had my own bunny placie for almost 2 years now and it still looks beautiful). It has the added bonus of also being so beautifully simple it will look good in every home. The new range of snackies go perfectly with the placies so you can be organised even when you’re out and about!
Decor:
Why not add to your darling child’s room with some stylish bunny themed decor? Faith Lane has the sweetest hand made timber bunnies that sit perfectly on your little one’s book shelf or dresser.
Chocolate:
Ok- so you can’t go by chocolate. That’s the reason for Easter right???!!
One Chew Three has you covered!! Their amazing limited edition Chocolate Bunny Teethers will fit right in with your real chocolate eggs! They’re perfect for babies and I know I’ll be using these so my baby doesn’t get fomo when her older sister is demolishing easter eggs!
Make Memories this Easter!
Don’t forget to capture all these amazing memories, like ‘My First Easter’ in your Monochrome Baby Book. Have you got a toddler who LOVES chocolate? We’ve got you covered there too; the Monochrome Toddler Book is the perfect place to record all those Easter egg hunts, Easter hat parades and chocolate eaten!
]]>Are you determined to record all the precious moments of your pregnancy?
After two pregnancies, there are few things I know I want to remember. I want to know the symptoms I had and when they started or eased. I want lots of photos to look back on the way my body changed and for my girls I want to make notes of the small bits of their personality that made itself known in utero.
]]>After two pregnancies, there are few things I know I want to remember. I want to know the symptoms I had and when they started or eased. I want lots of photos to look back on the way my body changed and for my girls I want to make notes of the small bits of their personality that made itself known in utero.
If you're reading this and you have one child, it's hard to imagine how your next pregnancy might be different. I knew that each pregnancy was different but it wasn't until I was pregnant with my second child that I realised just how different it was. I felt my second child move at 12 weeks, where as I didn't feel my first until 15 weeks. My second child kicked all night long, where as my first child was pretty chilled and would wiggle here and there but wouldn't keep me up at night. I had horrible pubic symphysis pain during the second trimester of my second pregnancy where as the second trimester of my first pregnancy was the 'glowing' stage everyone talks about.
Now I have my two girls I can see how their personalities were formed before I even set eyes on them. My first daughter is calm and relaxed, while my second daughter is the happiest baby when she's happy, but the loudest baby when she's not!
When your baby is born, it can take a while to process it all. The birth, the days at hospital, and the adjustment of adding a new baby into your life. In a lot of cases it can be an intense and amazing journey, and in others it can be the most traumatic and challenging few days and weeks of your life. Either way, its a big thing giving birth to another human.
There are a few key things I want to remember from those first few crazy weeks, and the major story to tell is about the birth.
Alex Hockett
I'll talk in more detail about what to record in your birth story if you're having trouble getting started, but for now, the things I want to record are:
- The labour or lead up to a planned c-section (time, date, story of how it started if you went into labour)
- Your feelings about the whole process while it was happening (excitement, nervousness, fear)
- The medical stuff: Was any medical intervention required? Write this down so you remember it for later pregnancies or just to tell your children later on.
- The aftermath: how did you feel when it was all over and you had your baby in your arms? I felt extreme relief, quickly followed by blissful happiness that it was all over!
Going home is a moment you'll never forget, particularly with your first baby. It's the moment you realise that you're all alone looking after this tiny new life. It can be pretty scary; I know I sat in the back seat with my first daughter for the first 3 weeks of her life during every car trip!
That first bath, the first visitors, the general chaos of a new baby. Record it all. The time drags in a long sleep deprived crawl, but one day you'll emerge and want to look back on how far you've come!
All of these intense moments are why I designed our Monochrome Baby Book. I was desperate to document the massive change in my life and write it down so I'd never forget how far I've come. Look at me know! A mum of two beautiful girls with matching Baby Books!
Do you want to see inside my Monochrome Baby Book? Watch my recent Facebook Live for a sneak peak of just a few of the pages I have finished!!
]]>
Jungle // Into the Wild
Almost all of the birthday trends these days can be unisex depending on the preferences of your little one. Both boys and girls love animals and you can customise your jungle theme by incorporating key colours that suit your little one.
Use balloons, leaves from your garden and cheap plastic masks to create an epic centre piece! Image via Lauren Conrad
Think Jungle themed food with these great (and healthy) snacks! Super easy to make and soooo easy to clean up! Image via Festival Brides
You can't go wrong with letter foil balloons. They've been around for a few years now and they may the cutest centrepiece to a party table (and also make a great photo prop for the birthday boy or girl!!). Image via @collectedblog
The cake!! There's no need to go overboard with cakes these days! Grab some faux leaves, a few jungle animals and print your own cake topper and you're away! Keep it simple and delicious. Image via Project Nursery
Boho // a floral adventure
Boho birthday's aren't just for little girls, but they almost always are. Think lovely loose flowers, fairy lights and tea-parties. This is the perfect style for an afternoon tea birthday party (a great one to replicate with your mother's group if you just want something small). Here are the key features:
Fairy lights are a really easy way to make something feel magical. Grab your christmas lights and string them up. If you want a soft glowy effect put them behind a sheer curtain and help them frame your food table. Image via Style Me Pretty
The cake!! Simple cakes are all the rage- bake two small cakes and put them in top of each other. Layer with some rustic thick icing and top with flowers from the garden. There are some AMAZING cake toppers out there so get a custom one made for your little one and keep it for later. Image via Wilsons and Co
Photos! First birthday parties are really all about the parents. It's a celebration of you surviving the first year of parenthood, so make sure you set up a pretty back drop and get as many photos as you can with your little one and your loved one! Image via 100 Layer Cake
The birthday girl or boy!! Even if you're not going all out and having a huge birthday party take this chance and grab some special photos of your little one. Decorate your highchair with balloons, flowers and even a birthday sign and get some photos to celebrate this huge milestone! Image via Bee Mine Photography
Sweet // all the yummy things
This one is for the foodies and sugar addicts... or if you just like a special treat. The trick is to get colourful! Use colourful fruit, cups and straws and make a super special cake.
The cake!! ok this is a super special cake. It's fun, bright and colourful... and I'm sure you can find a million diy guides on how to make this on Pinterest. Have fun with it.. and keep it colourful! Image via London Had A Little Lamb
A picnic theme is a great (and easy) way to have a colourful and sweet celebration of your little person! Use lots of balloons (try tying them to stakes instead of using helium balloons to save on money and effort) and colourful plates. This striped picnic rug makes a great backdrop to all the colour. Image via Livingly
Balloons and confetti are a great way to frame your birthday table or just as something fun to play with. Use the large foil number balloons and take some special photos of your tiny one. You won't regret it! Image via Peach Blossom
If you have a small one getting close to their first birthday, you'll know there isn't a whole lot of party food kids of any age can eat... that's where ice blocks come in! Try making some rainbow ice blocks with different fruit as a special treat! Image via Pop Sugar
Record it // snap
There are sooo many amazing ways to celebrate a first birthday. The possibilities are endless. Whether you're doing a small picnic ir a full blown family party the size of a small wedding the most important thing is to have fun and record the memories! The next few years will fly by!
Record every moment with our Monochrome Baby Book and Monochrome Toddler Book here >>>
]]>A lot of the time I feel like I’m just a Mum. Sometimes it’s comforting, sometimes it’s empowering 💪🏼 (hardest job in the world right??!!) and sometimes it’s downright deflating 😦. . How the hell can I get anything done???!!
Motherhood is honestly the most intensely exhausting job, and I admit, sometimes I lose sight of me in the craziness of everyday life with two little ones 👶🏼👧🏼
]]>Motherhood is honestly the most intensely exhausting job, and I admit, sometimes I lose sight of me in the craziness of everyday life with two little ones 👶🏼👧🏼
Life as a mum of two has been tough, I’m not going to lie. My body has taken a battering (and so has my confidence), and I underestimated how exhausting the multi-tasking would be. When you have two kids at home, no family close by AND run a business there is no ‘sleep when the baby sleeps’. You have to keep going or you’ll never get back up again.
On NYE we had the most wonderful relaxing night- a picnic on the beach and I went for a sunset swim all by myself. I feel like that night I came up for air and started seeing the amazing things around me for what they are, instead of the through the lens of a mother just trying to survive.
That’s why I designed our Monochrome Baby Book... not for when my girls are babies or even toddlers (although my toddler does love to look at photos of herself as a babe 👶🏼). It’s for me. For me to pour my heart into as I watched them grow... for me to write all those funny little things about them I swear I’d never forget but after one I know you always do... and for me to give to them when they’re grown: full of all the ways I know them better than they know themselves.
There is another reason too… I know that I will forget the intensity of life with two small children. I know in 30 years when my girls have babes of their own, I’ll look at them and say ‘Enjoy it! Time passes so quickly!’… and that’s true. It does. But I also want to tell them what it’s like, how I struggled and the things that used to help me cope in the tough times.
How do you use your memory books? Do you write sunny beautiful reflections of each month or do you write the hard stuff too?
I’m not sure if it’s because I have girls that I’m acutely aware of my experiences and how I can share it with them. I wonder if I would feel the same way if I had boys? Either way, for me, there is value is sharing experiences, emotions and how we have worked through tough times. Whether you’re a mother or a father, parenting is HARD but so rewarding. Actually it’s more than rewarding; it’s life altering... in a good way.
So.. onto my mission for 2018! TAKE MORE PHOTOS OF ME!! That's right! I've set the challenge to the people in my life to take more photos of me doing my thing. I want to look back on these moments and remember the highs and the lows. So I'm taking more selfies (why not right??!!) and if I see an opportunity I ask my husband to grab a snap too. Will you join me? Make 2018 the year YOU decided to document your motherhood journey!!
(on a side note: a friend recently commented that her kids will look back on all the photos and think their dad did all the hard work 😂 😂 😂 .... and we can't have that 😉 )
Want to shop our Memory Books? Check them out here >>>
]]>Hello lovely!!
I wanted to write you a personal note to say a massive thank you for coming along on this ride with us. Blueberry Co has grown from a small hobby I started on my dining table 2 years ago to a business that now sustains our entire family AND we’re winning awards. We are all in this memory making game, and we are passionate about helping you make the most of the time with your kids. Why? Because we’re living this life right along side you!!
2017 was a huge year for us, both personally and in business. We added another little girl to our family AND we won our first ever business award ‘All in Flynn 2017 Business School for Mums’ award! We’ve also been nominated for the 2018 Telstra Business Awards 🏅
Our kids grow up so fast! Before we know it they'll be adults and off living their own life. Through the dizzying highs and crazy lows of raising small children, we are passionate about ENJOYING these little people. They're only young once so lets create some amazing memories 👶 👦 👧
In 2017 we have also managed to grow our business and still keep all our operations in Australia: we design, print, package and ship in Sydney. So thank you for continuing to support small local businesses. Wherever I can, I push the #supportsmall love down our production line ❤️️ 🇦🇺
We have some massive plans in 2018…. HUGE plans!! More memory books (hello the School Book you’ve all been waiting for), more freebies (hooray!!) and ways to support you and your tribe to create memories EVERY DAY!
So from our family to yours- Happy New Year!!
Xoxox
Chloe, Dave, Rosie & Sophie
by Brooke Meyer, Owner Bouncing Back from Birth
For 9 long months as I grew my babe I, unconsciously, began my transition into motherhood. And although I had been teetering on the edge of becoming Mum it wasn’t until 6:48am August 6 2014, that I unlike my husband had to cross the threshold and jump - feet first, no looking down, fingers crossed into the deep unknown depths of parenthood.
This is the story of how he eventually jumped in after me, or more accurately how I gently coaxed him to the edge and then with a wicked gleeful cackle pulled him in.
But first, know that my husband fell deeply in love with our son from the moment he was born, that his support for me and us was and has always been unwavering.
]]>For 9 long months as I grew my babe I, unconsciously, began my transition into motherhood. And although I had been teetering on the edge of becoming Mum it wasn’t until 6:48am August 6 2014, that I unlike my husband had to cross the threshold and jump - feet first, no looking down, fingers crossed into the deep unknown depths of parenthood.
This is the story of how he eventually jumped in after me, or more accurately how I gently coaxed him to the edge and then with a wicked gleeful cackle pulled him in.
But first, know that my husband fell deeply in love with our son from the moment he was born, that his support for me and us was and has always been unwavering.
So there we were, me treading the deep waters of fresh motherhood and him looking from above with love and then throwing me a baby,
For Feeding.
For Settling.
For 8 hours a day eventually while he worked.
It made sense, I was the milk maker and he the money maker. It makes sense for many of us, this isn’t a criticism of ‘traditional’ family roles. But as time went on I grew tired of the questions.
He won’t settle what should I do?
Does he have a clean onsie?
Where are the wipes?
Which bag of milk should I take out of the freezer?
What time should I put him down?
Being the keeper of all knowledge was exhausting and then it dawned on me, my being a woman and a mother didn’t gift me with secret access to information. I didn’t have head start when it came to being the expert on our son, I just didn’t have a choice.
And so, at 10 weeks postpartum I returned to work – one day a week on Saturdays.
I loved being back among my amazing colleagues, getting creative, having one day of total autonomy again. It was bliss and the absolute right decision for me at that point in my journey.
And so, my darling husband on that first Saturday, me buzzing with my return to work leaned in for a goodbye kiss and as I closed the door I reached out and pulled him in. Into the deep unknown.
2 weeks in our son began refusing the bottle. But Hubby navigated that challenge and successfully got our boy back on the bottle.
He survived missed naps and teething troubles.
They had park dates and beach dates and play dates.
Secret songs and games.
Eventually, he had his own set of secret tips and tricks.
More and more during the week I could keep stepping back, letting him take charge. And as time went by we became equal experts. Together we pulled ourselves out of the deep, built a raft and captained together.
Our boy adores his adventures with Dad.
And on nights when he’s having trouble going to bed with Mum, Dad steps up.
Their laughter and games first thing in the morning makes my heart swell, the sound of our son’s hysterical laughter at some silly in joke they share is no doubt one of the reasons I’m pregnant with our second.
If you’re reading this and nodding right now Mama, take my experience as the confidence you need to step back. Your partner is capable and adaptable. Just like you.
About Brooke
Brooke Meyer is the founder of Bouncing Back From Birth an online retailer dedicated to Mum’s postpartum recovery and a champion for self care and body positivity. She has created one tiny dictator aged 3 and welcomes a second in command in December 2017. Happy places include the warm comforts of a nice hot bath, pillow forts & Netflix and any establishment offering coffee.
Many thanks to Chloe at Blueberry Co. for the invitation to share a piece of my journey into motherhood with you. I’d love to see you over at Bouncing Back From Birth - come say Hi! Enjoy 15% off our full range using the code ADVENTURESWITHDAD
]]>I used to be the perfect mum.
I’d hear my girlfriends bribe their kids to behave, and I’d shake my head in judgement. ‘No wonder kids are so entitled these days’; I’d think to myself.
I’d see toddlers glued to iPads in cafes and I’d tsk-tsk their parents for being lazy. ‘Our kids will never use screens at mealtime’, I’d whisper to my husband.
I’d roll my eyes up in disbelief every time a mum complained about how tired and unappreciated she was. ‘Seriously, how hard could it be?’, I’d snigger.
And then three days into motherhood, I came to the scary realisation that I wasn’t the perfect mum I thought I would be.
If I could turn back time, I’d apologise to all the mums I judged with my smug ‘I’ll be better than you’ attitude. I’d offer to hold their crying colicky baby, entertain their spirited toddler or just fold one of their many loads of washing.
And I would listen. Really listen. Because there are so many things that I now wish I had known before I became a mum.
]]>I’d hear my girlfriends bribe their kids to behave, and I’d shake my head in judgement. ‘No wonder kids are so entitled these days’; I’d think to myself.
I’d see toddlers glued to iPads in cafes and I’d tsk-tsk their parents for being lazy. ‘Our kids will never use screens at mealtime’, I’d whisper to my husband.
I’d roll my eyes up in disbelief every time a mum complained about how tired and unappreciated she was. ‘Seriously, how hard could it be?’, I’d snigger.
And then three days into motherhood, I came to the scary realisation that I wasn’t the perfect mum I thought I would be.
If I could turn back time, I’d apologise to all the mums I judged with my smug ‘I’ll be better than you’ attitude. I’d offer to hold their crying colicky baby, entertain their spirited toddler or just fold one of their many loads of washing.
And I would listen. Really listen. Because there are so many things that I now wish I had known before I became a mum.
These are just some of those things!
Written by Ani Tuna, Founder of MumLife Australia
HI MAMA, I’M ANI
MumLife Australia’s Lead-Mama, PANDA Community Champion & Mum of Two
I still remember those first frightening moments after bringing my newborn baby home from hospital. Everything felt so new and unfamiliar. And everywhere I looked, I was faced with images of Perfect Mum. From Instagram to Mother’s Group – It seemed like there was a competition for that elusive title!
And as a strong, successful and independent woman, those images of Perfect Mum shaped my entire expectations of motherhood.
So there I stood, a new and overwhelmed mum, on the slippery slope of mummy self-doubt. Every little decision seeming momentous and fraught with anxiety. When my baby cried, unable to be comforted, my feelings of helplessness and overwhelm made me question e-v- e-r- y-t- h-i- n-g.
And when she didn’t take to breastfeeding, I felt an immense amount of guilt.
‘Would she be less intelligent? Would she be less successful? Would she be less happy? Would it be ALL MY FAULT?’
It wasn’t until I reached breaking point that I finally let go of my need to be perfect. And as soon as I accepted things as they were, other mums around me began to open up and share their difficulties as well.
Now a mum to two gorgeous girls (I know, I’m bias), I love watching their (cheeky but mostly kind) personalities grow into their own individual characters. Yes, life can still be a roll coaster at times, but with realistic expectations and greater preperation, the second time around has been an entirely different experience.
These are the resources and the support I wish were available when I was a first-time mum.
]]>1. Hospital and giving birth
In Finland you can choose which hospital you give birth and there are very few private facilities only. You are encouraged to a have normal delivery, elective c-section is strictly for medical reasons only. Once baby is born, the baby is given to mother for skin to skin contact and baby is not washed as vernice will protect the baby. Sounds like here, doesn't it?
You normally stay in hospital only for a day after a delivery. It is believed that staying at home is better for you and your baby. Home births are not that common as national health system does not cover these.
2. Sleeping Baby outside
We Finns like to wrap up our kids warmly and sleep them in a pram outside, even in winter. The idea is that babies sleep better in slightly cooler environment and it builds their immune system. It is not uncommon to see prams parked outside houses or below window of a house or even a shop. Parents say that -5 degrees is the coolest temperature they sleep their child in. Here in Australia we do not sleep babies outside even in cooler weather.
3. Potty training
In Finland the potty training starts as young as 6 months old. It is believed that the earlier you start the better and some babies are potty trained by 24 months of age. Babies are sit down for a potty after a meal routinely to get them started with the idea that potty is the place for a poo. Many of my friends had their kids trained before they turned 2 years.
4. Pre School
Finland has strong pre-school and school programs and are world famous for the fact that their schools and pupils rank the highest in the world. Why is this? Well in Finland the government supports the mother to return to work . They pay partially the pre-school fees and by law they need to secure a child care place for the child over 1 year old if the mother wants to return to work. Pre- school is compulsory from age 6 onward and it is carried in kindergarten before the child starts a school year after. Full day pre-school is not completely free. Parents pay according to scale based income and with low income families getting the fees covered by the government.
5. School
School starts the same year you turn 7 and there are very few private schools in Finland. In Finland you have no school uniforms or colors you need to wear. You have a free school meal every day and morning and afternoon snacks in some cases as well. School transport is free until secondary school and after that it is subsidized by the government.
Finland has a mandatory 15-minute outdoor free-play break after every lesson of every day, even in the winter. According to Finns, there is no bad weather only inadequate clothing.
In class, children are allowed to have fun, giggle and daydream from time to time. Finns put into practice the cultural mantras - Let children be children.
So there are definitely differences between these two cultures but certainly some things that we can adopt here in Australia.
What would you like to see borrowed from the Finnish system and introduced here?
Susanna lives in Sydney with her husband and two boys. She writes a blog www.theymayfairlady.org when she has time from her passion that is www.tuutu.com.au
Tuutu Baby Boxes are a sustainable, organic and eco-friendly sleeping space. Tuutu Baby Boxes are made in Australia from Australian cardboard and everything (from the packaging to the accessories) are carefully selected to ensure your baby benefits from natural and organic products. All products are gender neutral and suitable for boys and girls.
]]>If you follow us on Facebook, you would have seen I've recently embraced Facebook LIVE!! It's so much fun and a great way for me to quickly show you how I do my own children's books and answer any questions you might have.
The video I posted last week showed me filling in my daughter's 2nd birthday party page in a crazy 7 minutes (yes I would have loved to be able to spend more time... but she woke up from her nap early!). I want you to see how you can create great customised pages in your Blueberry Co memory books without spending hours and hours on it. I used pens, markers, double sided tape and created a really great party page for her 2nd birthday in record time.
]]>
The video I posted last week showed me filling in my daughter's 2nd birthday party page in a crazy 7 minutes (yes I would have loved to be able to spend more time... but she woke up from her nap early!). I want you to see how you can create great customised pages in your Blueberry Co memory books without spending hours and hours on it. I used pens, markers, double sided tape and created a really great party page for her 2nd birthday in record time.
I love to lay out my photos first and see how they look and test the arrangement first before sticking them in. I love using double sided tape (I use the normal version although I have heard there is photo-safe tape too), especially when I only have a small amount of time. I hate waiting for glue to dry before I close my book, so this is the best way for me to get on with it and have fun.
I get my photos printed with Picture Postie Photo Printing App which is available on Android and iTunes so you can print directly from your phone. I use the 4" x 4" photos. I also tried out my new Japanese Zebra Midliner highlighter markers (in pastel) and I love them!! Its a great subtle colour. I bought mine from Kawaii Pen Shop.
My daughter loves looking at her Monochrome Baby Book! She'd fill it with drawings and stickers herself if I let her. I'm not allowed to draw without some toddler help.
Do you have any questions? Pop a comment below and I'l get back to you asap!
Happy memory making!!
xoxox
Chloe
]]>Have you been admiring beautiful crisp images of babies all over Instagram and Pinterest with the coolest Milestone Cards?
Well now you can join the fun! To celebrate the launch of our FREE Printable Milestone Cards we've pulled together the cutest Milestone Cards trends so you can get on board!!
JUST SIGN UP AND WE'LL EMAIL YOU A COPY RIGHT NOW!
]]>Have you been admiring beautiful crisp images of babies all over Instagram and Pinterest with the coolest Milestone Cards?
Well now you can join the fun! To celebrate the launch of our FREE Printable Milestone Cards we've pulled together the cutest Milestone Cards trends so you can get on board!!
JUST SIGN UP AND WE'LL EMAIL YOU A COPY RIGHT NOW!
We'd love to see how you use our Free Printable Milestone Cards! Don't forget to follow us on Instagram @blueberrycobaby and tag us #blueberrycobaby so we can see your adventures!
Flatlays
Flatlays are a super fun way to document your favourite baby outfit. Maybe its one of the outfit they wore home from the hospital or just your favourite combo (before it gets puked on)... It's not just for brand reps and bloggers. It's a great way to document your growing child!
Image @run_wild_riley on Instagram using our Free Milestone Cards
Image @piperandthelittle on Instagram
Baby Props
That's right! You can use your baby as a photo prop!!
It's much easier before your child moves (If you've ever tried to get a baby who can roll away to stay still you'll know what I'm talking about). Feet, hands and a nicely swaddled new baby, or even better a sleeping one make very cute photos next to their fav toys and milestone card!
Image: @blossomandpear on Instagram
Image: @veroni.le on Instagram
Mum/Dad's hand
That's right! You can get involved too!! Is your kid too quick? Or they're sitting up now or crawling and you want your photo to reflect their new skills? Why not hold the card in the photo and get the right crazy chaotic context in the photo.
Image: @katha_rina on Instagram
Image: @seriously_milestones on Instagram
That's it!! You've got an idea about how to start... sign up below and get snapping!!
We'd love to see how you use our Free Printable Milestone Cards! Don't forget to follow us on Instagram @blueberrycobaby and tag us #blueberrycobaby so we can see your adventures!
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Soooo... here at Blueberry Co we've been busting to introduce you to a few of our amazing customers so you can see what they get up to!! We're surround by so many amazing families exploring the world and creating magical memories with their little people!
Taneyha is a wonderful mum of two girls and one of my Instagram sistas! She's been an amazing support to Blueberry Co and takes the most amazing photos! You can check out her Instagram account here.
]]>Taneyha is a wonderful mum of two girls and one of my Instagram sistas! She's been an amazing support to Blueberry Co and takes the most amazing photos! You can check out her Instagram account here.
Tell us a bit about you and your family:
Hey! My name is Taneyha (tar-nay-ya), I'm 29 (and totally freaking about the big three-oh), an emergency nurse by definition, but I much prefer to think of my main role as a mum...it's by far the most fun, scary, exhilarating, frightening and rewarding job role I've ever had! I met my hubby almost 13 years ago, and we have been married six years this December...young love! We have two girls, Indi Rose (2.5) and Elke Rain (5 months). Indi is crazy! She is so full of life. I've never met anyone who makes me laugh as much as she does. Elke is the opposite, she is so laid back, calm, happy and peaceful...we've nicknamed her smiley. I always wanted my very own girl gang, and although i'd love to say our family is complete, I can't quite say I'm ready to shut up shop!
We’re all about the memories here at Blueberry Co. What’s your most treasured memory of time with your children?
I grew up in the United States and my hubby in New Zealand...as a child, I had more stamps in my passport than most adults as we travelled a lot for my dads work. I was fortunate enough to experience the most amazing sights and adventures with my family and that is something hubby and I are so passionate about providing to our children (If only our parents had a memory book like we do where they could have recorded these amazing memories). We try and take the girls on a holiday every year, somewhere calm and peaceful where we can all unwind and enjoy each others company. Our happy place is Hawaii, Indi has been twice already and Elke once in utero hehe. Our last trip was March this year. Indi was old enough to really enjoy the beach and pool...she's a little fish! We are hoping to get back next year with Elke and create some more memories on our first holiday as a family of four.
Tell us something small you’ve done with your child/children that you’d love to record in one of our memory books?
Well we haven't done it yet, but...Indi is being surprised with tickets to the Wiggles Concert, an early Christmas presents. I'm making her costume, Emma of course. I can't wait to see her face when she realises where we are and what is about to happen! This will definitely be one for the Memory Book!
What books do you have and what do you love about our Memory Books?
We have all three! The Monochrome Baby Book was our first, followed by Adventures with Dad (which the girls gave to their daddy for Father's Day), and My Grandparents and Me. I love that they are 100% customisable! I really enjoy getting creative and using paints, stickers and pens to decorate the books. We also had a great tip from BlueBerry Co to have all our Instagram pictures printed with Picture Postie, so when Instagram is long forgotten in the future, at least our memories won't be!
What’s a tip you would give to other families trying to spend quality time with their kids:
Although we love holidaying in Hawaii, like most families we're on a tight budget. We aim to take the girls on a new adventure at least once a month...inexpensive, but all about introducing them to different sights and experiences. Recently we spent the day at Centennial Park in Sydney and Indi loved feeding the eels (the ducks were MIA), and only yesterday we spent the day at the park and had a picnic lunch. Try and make time at least once a month where you spend the day together as a family and place the focus on something the kids would love to do. We're forever dragging them around with us on our day to day errands, so it's nice to stop and make them feel super special and appreciated.
Have you been creative with your memory book? Tell us your tips.
Watercolour paints! So easy and simple to use, and anyone can look like an artist when they paint with watercolour. The Memory Books are great for using watercolours on as the pages are nice and thick, so they don't bleed through...just make sure your paintbrush isn’t soaking wet. I also love using washi tape to fix down our photos. Kmart have some gorgeous colours and patterns and they are so cheap! We're also obsessed with pink in this house, so we always record our memories with a pink pen (we use the pink gel pens from Kikki K).
What’s something you’d like to do in the future with your child/children?
Whilst we'd love to take the girls to Hawaii again, we're planning on taking a road trip up to QLD this Christmas break to visit family...wish us luck haha! We're also planning a trip to Greece next year for my 30th to visit family and relax on the islands.
Tell us the next product you’d like to see us create:
Definitely a travel diary! A place where we can record places we stayed, things we saw, foods we ate and people we met!
If you love our books and you'd like to be featured on our blog- please email Chloe at info@blueberryco.com.au xoxo
]]>I love this gender neutral nursery mixed with some beautiful vintage furniture by Vintage Revivals. I'm one of those people who love to look at beautiful homes with lots of white decor and my house ends up a mix of vintage pieces, with lots of texture and colour.
I love this boho inspired nursery. Lots of texture, different finishes, and something that anyone can pull together without investing a stack of cash in designer furniture. This is by Paige Jones as featured on 100 Layer Cake.
This is the kind of home I dream of. Beautiful. White. Tidy. I love the soft light and the romantic soft furnishings. This nursery is by Philosophy Design for Project Nursery.
This beautiful simple room is by RC Studio, a boutique interior design firm.
I have to admit I have a soft spot for the beautifully styled nursery in neutral tones (and you know I'm all about allowing kids the space to discover their own style), and I wish I had a lovely white light filled house as the starting point! Maybe one day. In the mean time I've put together a style guide of my favourite nursery decor items and makers.
Ok, so where do you start with your neutral nursery... Your core bedroom or nursery pieces are all generally pretty good (unless you bought a hot pink cot, in which case this is probably not your thing anyway). You can do pretty much anything with basic furniture, and a few feature pieces will pull it all together for you!
Cable Knit Blanket by Wrapsy Daisy
Spoil your little one with this luxurious classic cable knit cotton baby blanket. It is made with 100% cotton and is incredibly soft and gentle to delicate baby skin.
It is snug and cuddly as a cot & pram blanket to keep your precious baby warm.
This will remain a favourite nursery accent piece for years to come and precious enough to be passed on to the next child or next generation as an heirloom.
This blanket is $59.95 plus shipping.
You can follow Wrapsy Daisy at www.wrapsydaisy.com.au
on Instagram @wrapsy_daisy and Facebook www.facebook.com/WrapsyDaisy
Handmade Timber Play Gym by Hope and Jade
These amazing play gyms are hand made by the Hope and Jade team, with a choice of 12 different colours for the tips and beads. You'll have to get in quick! They do monthly releases, so head on over to their Instagram @hope_and_jade and Facebook page (www.facebook.com/Hopeandjade) to stay up to date so you can grab yourself one!
Each play gym and toy combo is $72 plus shipping.
www.hopeandjade.com
Wall Hanging by Chief Thundercloud Co
I am in love with this wool wall hanging hand made with love by the amazing Cobi at Chief Thundercloud Co. If you haven't discovered this amazing etsy maker, then head on over to her etsy store and show her some love!!
You can grab this grey tassel wall hanging for $35 plus shipping, or with this limited edition watercolour print by Tog & Pini for $60.
You can shop Chief Thundercloud Co here:
www.chiefthundercloudco.etsy.com
follow on Instagram @chiefthundercloudco and Facebook here: www.facebook.com/chiefthundercloudco
Hand Crafted Dolls by Upper Dhali
If you're a mother of a little girl, you'll have a special place in your heart for amazing dolls. Upper Dhali is run by Lou Peters who makes the most amazing dolls!! These are on my wishlist! I want a whole set of them!
I couldn't stop at one photo (and you wont be able to either) so follow Lou at Upper Dhali on Instagram @upperdhali and Facebook (www.facebook.com/upperdhali)! Her website www.upperdhali.com.au will be up and running soon.
Dreamy Eye Cushion by My Marybell
Shannon at My Marybell makes the most amazing hand painted cushions. I especially love the Dreamy Eye design. Its the perfect little handcrafted feature to make your child's room look uber stylish!
The Dreamy Eye Cushion is $30 plus shipping.
You can follow My Marybell in Instagram @mymarybell and Facebook (www.facebook.com/mymarybell).
www.mymarybell.bigcartel.com
Stay tuned for more neutral nursery love. Part 2 will follow! Don't forget to sign up to our mailing list to get your very own FREE Bunny Printable for your nursery!
xx Chloe
]]>Monochrome is the coolest trend. Its swept homewares, clothing and all things kid related. Heck, I've based my whole business around monochrome colour schemes.
So why is it so freaken fantastic? I love monochrome things because they form a great basis for you to personalise your style. I particularly love monochrome furnishings and clothing for kids. All it takes is for them to add a bit of colour and they can completely change what their wearing or their room. I'm all about allowing kids lots of flexibility to play with who they are, which is why I have so any monochrome clothes and furnishings.
]]>So why is it so freaken fantastic? I love monochrome things because they form a great basis for you to personalise your style. I particularly love monochrome furnishings and clothing for kids. All it takes is for them to add a bit of colour and they can completely change what their wearing or their room. I'm all about allowing kids lots of flexibility to play with who they are, which is why I have so any monochrome clothes and furnishings.
This epic room is by the amazing instamum and monochrome fanatic @lorena_m_f . Lorena uses blonde timber pieces to soften this room and give it a Scandinavian feel.
UK kids store Bobby Rabbit has used monochrome patterns and motifs to create the sweetest girls room!
So now you're on board with this monochrome trend, and you're thinking 'where the hell can I get my hands on some of this monochrome goodness???'
Some of my favourite monochrome makers & biz mamas are:
Bear & Cub
Auke Wicks is the owner and designer behind the boutique fashion brand Bo and Fleur;
'I am the 3rd child in a big family and was always handed down all my clothing. When I became a teenager and received some pocket money, I felt liberated and distinguish myself from others by buying different type of clothing. My style has changed a lot over the years and after having children, I decided to leave my corporate career behind me and follow my heart. Inspired by my 2 little girls, I started to develop bold skirts with vibrant prints. I didn't want them to miss out on my European background and also wanted them to be able to develop their own style from a young age. Bo and Fleur was only founded 3 months ago. Our mission is to produce quality, fun and daring clothing for kids, to help them express their own unique story. Our range of designer kids clothing is based on simple design principles, which enables them to BE KIDS, whilst developing their own individual style by choosing from a range of bold and energetic prints.'
You can check out all the Bo and Fleur styles here.
Decor Me
Decor Me is an inventive and imaginative brand that creates trendy, modern handmade Decor for the kiddies, and for your home! The underlying theme for Decor Me is about letters and names, It is a way in which people can express themselves and a natural connection to the personal nature of words.
Decor Me have recently released the 'Little People's Range' which includes various wooden doll stacker sets to match your children's room Decor. They are made out of Tasmanian oak, natural wood, non toxic paint, and natural sealant, and are a perfect decoration for any little ones room, as well as a fantastic educational stacking ring set to assist in hand and eye coordination skills.
You can check out Decor Me here.
Nauts & Crosses is a trendy headwear brand for kids that like to stand out in a crowd. They are dedicated to delivering high quality, functional and stylish headwear for children. Bold, on trend patterns and colours are used throughout the collection. We talked to Katie Hunt, designer and owner of Nauts and Crosses;
'As a mum with two small children I found it challenging to find a hat with a trendy design and the right fit for my kids, so I decided to create my own. All our headwear and fabric prints are designed in Australia by me and are manufactured ethically abroad.
Our bucket hats have a deep crown for comfort,along with a wide brim for maximum sun protection. A toggle at the back of the crown can be pushed through to the other side when reversing the hat to adjust for the perfect fit. A detachable chin strap can be fastened through the loops on either side of the hat with a secure brass press stud when reversed, or be completely removed if not required. These features allow all our bucket hats to be fully adjustable and reversible, ensuring the best fit for your child.
We are excited to be expanding our headwear range to include unisex monochrome Snapbacks which are coming soon.'
Shop Nauts and Crosses here- www.nautsandcrosses.com.au
Seriously Milestones
The amazing cards from Seriously Milestones are the milestone cards that reflect real life parenting wins and near misses.
Seriously Milestones is about telling the truth - that having kids isn’t all coffee dates and gummy smiles.
The cards embrace the desire for parents to capture and share more of the ‘real’ parenting moments. Seriously Milestones are intended for use when sharing images on Social Media using the #seriouslymilestones or by snapping a photo to put in the box with the cards as a keepsake.
New parents will even enjoy having a quick look through the cards to have a laugh, assured they’re not the only ones!
One dollar from each pack sold will go to Perinatal Anxiety and Depression Australia (PANDA), because if anything deserves more awareness than annoying kids and imperfect parenting, it’s this organisation. Seriously.
We can't wait for them to launch in July! Check them out here.