Christmas Beauty Gift Guide.

So Christmas is fast approaching, it's by far my favourite time of year. Just like last year, I've started early and already done lots of shopping, I've told myself it's far too early to wrap yet though. Now that most stores have got the Christmas stock in and ready, I've had a good look around and these are my top picks that I like for beauty gifts.

1. Chanel Chance - A classic fragrance that has been around for years, it's sophisticated and elegant. This fragrance lasts all day and after having a sample of it, I'm definitely lusting after the full size. The bottle is so timeless too.

2. Magnitone Lucid Facial Cleansing Brush - Look at the colour of this! Avaliable in lots of vibrant, you really can't go wrong. For me, this is a purse friendly version of the Clarisonic, at almost a third of the price, it's perfect for any beauty obsessed lady.

3. Urban Decay Naked Palette - Anyone who even has a slight interest in beauty knows about these beautifully pigmented palettes. The first palette often gets overlooked I feel, but it's definitely my favourite, and again something I've had my eye on for years. (You can find it here)

4. Alpha H Liquid Gold - This has had so much hype around the blogging world, for giving a flawless complexion in a matter of days, that I'm beyond intrigued to try this. It must have something to back up the rave reviews, this is something I'm sure most ladies would love to try out. (Available here)

5. GHD Creative Curve - So GHD have FINALLY created curling wands, something that's been so highly coveted by pretty much every lady in existence. And I can't wait to try one, as GHD's are my absolute must have hair straightener since the age of 13. (that's ten bloody years) I must get my hands on the creative wand, as it gives just the effect I'm after.

6. YSL Shocking Mascara - I'm currently on the hunt for a new one, a lot of the vloggers around at the moment seem to have this as a staple, which definitely means I need it too. It's not a plastic wand which is something many of us dislike, so I'd definitely be pleased to see this under my tree this year.

Noah You're 10 Months!

I feel like I repeat myself every time, but how on earth do I almost have a one year old baby on my hands? It really seems a couple of weeks ago I was changing those god awful newborn nappies in the hospital. Wow. Noah you're really shaping out to be such a kind, gentle boy and so many people are completely besotted with you.

Routine: Your routine hasn't changed much since you've been around 6/7 months old. You're trying new things now, such a muesli for breakfast, smoothies every so often and you love everything. You are very happy in your routine and we're happy that you are.

Sleeping: Sleeping is 7-6 now, so you've knocked an hour off what you used to sleep. But that's fine, as we're up at that time for work, it means we get to give you breakfast before we pass you to Nana. You wake occasionally but go down with a quick cuddle. You're beginning to nap more and it's probably because you're moving a lot more now!

Weight:  After you're health visit last week, we discovered you weigh 23.5lb, which is perfect and you're still on the same percentile you always have been. We couldn't get you measured as you hate to be put down and left with someone or somewhere you don't know, as you don't cry often, mummy didn't want you to get upset so we passed on that. 

Milestones: You've cracked crawling with ease a couple of months ago. You're sofa surfing and will walk around any table or side, as long as you're gripping on. We're just starting to get you putting your feet flatter on the floor, then you'll be walking! I'm desperate to get your first shoes from Clarkes, but I've been warned to wait for your first steps. You now have six teeth! SIX! For a 10 month old baby, that is quite a few. I think teething might leave you alone for a little while (we hope) as you deserve a little rest.

A Month In Pictures

Bottom to Top (l-r)
A bubble beard and a sink bath, Noah absolutely adores his bath time, he loves the water

Zara haul, I just can't help myself. I love their leggings and these are some I picked up, along with some cute polo neck tops - perfect for A/W.

Pumpkin! Of course this was halloween, how much will he hate me for this in 10 years?

Road tripping up to my sisters in Manchester for her Halloween party, Noah had an amazing night and she throws a good party.

A rough morning requires a lot of coffee. I owe a lot to Nescafe.

Halloween at work, or rather 'Cat & pumpkin day'. The contacts lasted till around 12 before they itched my eyeballs off.

What have you all been up to this October?

I'm back at work.

Possibly the thing most mothers dread from the moment they enter maternity leave, is it ending. I even remember having dreams in April where I'd gone back to work and woke up feeling so much relief that I was still at home. But you know what? It's not that bad. Honestly. I've been back at work now for 10 weeks and it has gone so incredibly fast. I work 8-6 Monday through till Friday, when I usually work 9-1. It works so well for us because it means I still get to spend an afternoon with Noah, so I don't feel like I'm missing out on so much. It's definitely hard, when I'm getting home at 6:30 and Noah's off to bed in 30 minutes, that's the aspect I find toughest. But it just makes me appreciate our time together so much more. Some people are incredibly fortunate enough not to need to return to work, which is amazing but that's just not where we are at. If I'm honest, I do enjoy my job (I'm a nursery nurse) and it means I get a little bit more adult conversation as well as feeling like I'm actually doing something again. I'm also aware it's incredibly tough for some people to find childcare, as someone who works in that industry, I know how unbelievably expensive it is as well as how hard it can be to leave your children with someone you don't know so personally.

Noah spends his days with my mum, which is great for us as she sends me little snapshots of what he's up to, it means we can have the routine we want for him and it also means he's with someone he's very familiar with. However two mornings a week, I do put Noah into nursery, not only to give my Mum time to do the lists of chores she has to do, but for Noah to experience new things. Something we can't provide at home, is interaction with other children, but nursery can. He plays with new toys, has new activities every day and makes friends. It's nice for him because it's learning him to be a little bit more independent. It also helps for my own comfort, that I'm only a few classrooms down so if there ever was a problem, they know where I am.

All in all, I am very happy back at work, and it really wasn't anything like I expected it to be. I know where Noah is and I know everyone around him has his best interests at heart, I might be more tired than before, or miss spending every waking moment with him. But I feel it's definitely more beneficial to us all, with me back at work.

Any other mummies returning to work soon?