LIFE

And just like that, she is one.

 

“I can’t believe my baby is one” a quote I have heard so many times, from so many parents, and then I heard it come out of my own mouth. Granted my baby turned one like a month ago, but it is still blowing my mind . Anyway, I thought I would break my blog drought with a few images snapped by our main gal Heather Liddell of our wee celebration.

We kept it simple with close family and friends, a spread of cheese and crackers and a free-from-all cake. One rather special thing we did do was create a keepsake box for Margot that family and friends wrote a letter for and popped in a special something, it will be gifted to Margot on her 16th Birthday, and Nathan and I will add a letter of year each birthday.

This past year has been one of the most challenging, and most rewarding ( again, another cliche quote ) but being able to watch Margot grow into the fascinating, fun, sassy and strong girl that she is becoming, really is an honour.

 

 

Happy Birthday Bird, now stop growing up.

 

 

 

Cake made by yours truely, recipe from Eleanor Ozich, Candle from Blackbird Goods, beautiful ( and edible ) Feverfew from My Flower Cart

Margot wore Jamie Kay, of course

My Dress is Miss Crabb

Keepsake box was a plain on from Keeps

 

 

 

 

 

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Essentials for babe & mama

With the arrival of Margot, I have been getting asked to share what my essentials for both mama and baby are. What are my tried and true and must haves? So today I am sharing a few of my favourites for both, the things that make life a little easier or a little more luxurious for those 2am feeds.

FOR THE MAMA

Clockwise from left top.

MARYSE MINERAL DEW | THE best product in my make up kit. Not only is it nourishing for your skin, but it is the best pick me up for tired mamas. With it’s subtle and silky shimmer, it adds illumination to your skin. Available here

MAVIS & OSBORN HOUSE SHOES | When one is stuck at home for most of the day, it’s the small things that count. These house shoes make home life a little more pretty, and a little more cosy. Although I am thinking of upgrading to the cosy winter pair as well. Available here.

AMELIA BOLAND LEATHER TOTE | My whole ethos around babies and buying is buy quality, and buy multi-purpose. This guy is exactly that. Simple, well made ( by Wellingtonian Amelia ), and something I will use in the years to come, baby contents or not. Available here.

HOT MILK NURSING BRAS | I don’t know many woman who loving their nursing bras, because the reality is that most are dowdy and leave you feeling a little less desirable than you’d like. So thank goodness for Hot Milk! Beautiful bras that are comfortable, nursing friendly and have a decent size range! Available here.

LAING SLEEPWEAR | I learnt early on that investing in great “loungewear” or the likes is a must for a new mama. Because while somedays you can get up and actually get dressed, there are days when you don’t until at least 2pm. I have the Frances set and it is a dream, most of the time I wear just the top to bed, amazing for middle of the night feeds with the button down, and then pop the pants on first thing and voila! At home chic.  I am also eyeing up that cashmere, because, cashmere. Available here.

FOR THE BABE

Clockwise from left top.

CHEKOH RING SLING | I personally love the ring sling, easy to pop on and pop the babe into when you are on the go. I literally use it every day. Whether it’s popping into a shop, out for a walk or just around home, it’s the best way to carry the babe hands free. Margot loves it!  Chekoh fabric is hand dyed with eco-friendly dyes, and they’re on sale right now!  All the wins! Available here.

BABY HAIR BRUSH | Margot was born with a little hair on her head, and ended up with a bit of cradle cap also, this brush, coconut oil and breastmilk ( yes, breastmilk ) was the best for helping it keep at bay. Available here.

HAAKA BREAST PUMP | I wasn’t really sure about needing or wanting a breast pump before having Margot, but with the idea of being able to pop out for a few hours,  or have Nathan feed her if we are on a job in the future, I thought a pump would be handy. I did a little research and stumbled across Haaka, and boy am I glad I did! Super easy to use, easy to clean and sooo affordable! It uses suction and you can pump one side to catch the let down as you nurse on the other. Pretty great! Available here.

MILLSTREAM GARDENS BABY BOTTOM CREAM | THE best baby bottom cream. You may say I am biased, as this is Nathan’s Aunty and Uncle, but seriously, incredible stuff. If Margot flares up with a rash, I wipe some on, and it’s soothed and gone by next change. All natural and made here in Hawkes Bay. They also do a myriad of great natural skin products and treatment balms.  Available here.

KIMONO BY NATURE BABY | We love Nature Baby around here, and these kimonos were a life saver. Not only were they perfect for Margot’s rough start and needing oxygen 24/7 ( aka nothing could go over her head ) but also just with newborn life. Babies necks aren’t strong enough, and getting clothes on the can be awkward, and a bit of a struggle. These lie completely flat and you dome around them, rather than pulling over. A far more gentle way to dress such a fresh human! Plus they’re all made from organic cotton. Available here.

So there is a tiny summary of the things I have found helpful in the last few months, aside from that – the Dunstan Baby Lanuage was an absolute lifesaver in the beginning. And now, The Wonder Weeks app and book are  invaluable, and I am currently reading ( and loving ) The Danish Way of Parenting.

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This blog post is not sponsored, these are items I truly love and value.

 

A bit of a break

 

I am sure it has been rather obvious that it has been a little busy around here. With the impending arrival of the baby bird, the ever-expanding Blackbird Goods shop, and not to forget our newest renovation endeavour, it’s safe to say I am full up with life.

So after much thought ( and endless amounts of guilt at not posting ) I have decided to take a break from the blog as I settle in to life with a newborn. I wish I had time for it all, but I know it is the right thing to do for now, and that my focus needs to be on my growing family. I am so thankful for everyone that has followed along, and supported Blackbird Blog, and don’t worry guys, we will still have Instagram and Facebook, so get ready for a bunch of baby spam, and  a lot more reno life grams as well.

Til next time!

Gem x

The final and full reveal.

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Its almost bitter sweet writing this post, but it’s pretty fun to see all the before photos to see how far we came!

As a few of you may know, the old ( ish ) girl was bought down from the mighty Waikato in the summer of 2014, in various types of disrepair, and in two pieces. We then began to fix her from the bottom up! Above are a few snaps of what she looked like before, not so pretty.

But here is what she looks like today!

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The exterior was painted in Resene Foundry, and landings in Resene Woodsman Cedar Stain 

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The Master bedroom was painted in Resene Black White

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The bathroom was painted in Resene Black White, with Resene Smoky Green on the floors

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The Laundry was painted in Resene Atomic, with Resene Smoky Green on the floors

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The Hallway was painted in Resene Double Alabaster, while the Spare Room and Office  was painted in Resene Black White, with Office floor in Resene White Gloss .

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The lounge and Dining where painted in Resene Black White, with Office floor in Resene White Gloss .

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The kitchen  was painted in Resene Double Alabaster.

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The fire pit fence was painted in Resene Blue Bark with Resene Woodsman Cedar Stain  on the built in seating.

And as many of you know we have now sold, and moved into a new project ( at the same time as another pretty big project ) But before leaving we were lucky enough to have our main gal Heather Liddell fully document our first home and renovation for the latest issue of Homestyle magazine. I then got all nostalgic ( read pregnancy hormonal ) and wanted to share a few of our favourite snaps.

Although you may have seen snippets of the progress in Homestyle over the last year, if you are after more information on what we did, how we did it, and more detail on the Resene paint colours we chose ( beware, there is A LOT of black white ) you can check out my  previous posts. And if you want to read the full story pick up a copy of Homestyle, or head over here!

Here’s to ( all ) the new adventures!