Cleaning like the Champs

Posted on November 1, 2017
by dinabutti

If you’re a mother of a nutty toddler or perhaps even a group of adorable troublemakers, you’ve probably gotten used to a chaotic household with every item in it having some sort of stain. So when I was asked by Champion Cleaners if I’d like my stroller professionally cleaned before my number two arrives, I not only jumped at the offer, I asked if I could pop into the factory to watch. Yes, mamas, it was as good as it sounds.   Walking around the factory as everything got fixed, cleaned, pressed and organized was like a play date in an alternative universe where everything functioned in reverse and came out without applesauce on its face.   And yes, the stroller! My mush and I had spent the morning decorating it with markers, mustard, honey and all sorts of gucky condiments - after all, we had to see if they really could clean like...

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Oops… I did it again.

Posted on October 15, 2017
by dinabutti

I’m ballooning. Eating my feelings. Freaking out. The sleepless nights are all too common. Oh and have I mentioned I’m panicking? I’m panicking.   Everyone keeps telling me how the second time around the parenting merry-go-round everything is that much easier. Yes, I haven’t been worrying about things like having too much caffeine, forgetting to take my folic acid or accidentally bumping my bump like the first time around… nah, none of the cute first-timer stuff. But this time, the ride wasn’t just choppy – at times, it felt like it was simply out of order.   A debilitating morning sickness that left me with sciatica, constant pain due to a broken tailbone from the first delivery, an umbilical hernia that only further limits movements and constant coughing (thanks to having a toddler in nursery) means that every time I have a fit, all of the aforementioned injuries kick in AND I pee, like,...

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Skincare from the Farm to the Pram

Posted on September 26, 2017
by dinabutti

They’re back. The stretch marks. That odd brown line with a name I can never remember – Linea Nigra (ok I may have googled it). And how can I not mention those bursts of red capillaries, which always make me think of tiny little fireworks announcing to the world I’m pregnant?   All these memorable pregnancy marks, which serve to remind me that my skin has a life of its own thanks to an insane amount of hormonal changes and increased blood circulation. Of course this isn’t my first time hosting another human being. You’d think the second time around I’d welcome the marks like a badge of honor, or appreciate the random artistry behind their capillaries much like a Jackson Pollack. But I still don’t.   In fact, similar to my first pregnancy, it was the first sign of chaos breaking out on my skin that reminded me it was high time to...

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Here We Go Again

Posted on September 12, 2017
by dinabutti

For months, my life has been dominated by nausea. And before you think it, yes I’ve tried crackers, ginger and all sorts of natural and/or medical remedies. Yes, I know I’m blessed to be having a baby. No, vomiting does not make the nausea any better.   There’s nothing more frustrating than fulfilling that pissed off pregnant woman stereotype, however, when you’re vomiting anywhere from ten to 30 times a day and taking naps on the bathroom floor, it’s hard not to. And as lovely as it is for someone to empathize by relaying a story about that one weekend they had food poisoning, when you spend months getting awoken by vomit coming out of your mouth before the sun has risen, it’s a whole different ball game.   It can be hard to relate, I get it. Even I’d kind of forgotten the challenges of whipping up a bun in the oven after...

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Stoked for Stokke – Eid Giveaway!

Posted on August 29, 2017
by dinabutti

Once you become a mama, you realize that despite how tiny babies are, their stuff will inevitably invade your household. I quickly learned that it’s worth investing in baby gear that adapts to your munchkin for years to come. Sure it means forking over a bit more cash up front, but it also means saving long term and, as the furniture piles up, a whole lot less ‘crammage’.     With that said, I’m super stoked to be giving away Stokke’s best-selling Steps chair! It’s earned a reputation as a highchair for modern mamas and for good reason. Not only does it serve as a multi-functional and transformable base, but it also offers awesome support and its snazzy design allows your little ones to hang out with you at the dinner table from the time they’re born till they’re ready to go to school.   In combo with Stokke Steps’ most popular accessories – the...

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The Manic Miracle

Posted on August 14, 2017
by dinabutti

How many times have we heard parents gush about nothing being as miraculous as the first time they held their baby in their arms?   I waited for that moment so anxiously I was starving for it. As soon as the doctor got sight of my little man during delivery, I reached down and stroked his hair to let him know mama was there and waiting to get her hands on him.   I was, of course, as high as a kite, having proudly taken so much gas and air and then an epidural, that I could snap away selfies and crack jokes between pushes. We cheered when our doc announced my munchkin had arrived looking healthy. We counted ten fingers and ten toes and my hubby cut the cord just like we had practiced…  Then the BIG moment arrived!   They placed my son on my chest and I looked down to find a grayish...

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Welcome To My Messy Motherhood

Posted on August 7, 2017
by dinabutti

I always wondered why so many new mamas take up ‘the art of blogging’… and then I became pregnant.   I vomited 15 times a day for months and became so good at it, I did it while driving, one handed and without even wincing. I lost control of my body – so much so, it eventually became normal when I tinkled on my way to the bathroom. I gave birth while taking selfies and stroking my son’s hair as he entered the world. I cried so much during that ‘fourth trimester’ – half the time because I wasn’t sure if I’d made a mistake and half the time because I loved my son so much, it actually pained me. I got crapped on AND tasted someone else’s vomit for the first time after my baby puked right into my mouth… I loved him so much, it didn’t even taste that bad....

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