Just Ordered My Belly Bandit...

... and now I cannot wait to strap it around my waist as soon as bump - who is currently HUGE at 36 weeks - makes an appereance. This magic little device will help get your stomach back to the way it was pre-pregnancy - in record time, and will help support those very stretched-to-their-limits abdominal muscles as your body slowly but surely returns to normal again. And hey; if it worked for Kourt...(!)

Kourtney's Post Baby Body...

... is pretty smashing. Is it torture or inspiration though, I wonder, to look at pictures like these when you still have 4 month of growing to do, before you can even contemplate starting to loose the weight again?! Time will tell. But one thing is for sure: Yoga and Tracy Anderson: One Helluwa' combo, by looking at it!

(Photo credit from US Weekly)

Today's Yummy Mummy Style Crush

Busy mom-of-two Nicole Richie talks family life in the latest issue of Glamour magazine:

On her favorite time of day: "When I wake up at 5:30 A.M. and it’s still dark out. I love, love being alone. It helps me to be a better mom to my kids and a better person at work."

On her husband Joel Madden: "You know, Joel barely speaks all day, and then out of nowhere he has 9 million things to say, only for 30 minutes, from 9:00 to 9:30 P.M., when I’m watching Real Housewives."

On her body image: "I feel [gets all fake dramatic]…great about my body. [Laughs.] You know, aesthetically I can be picky, but I choose not to. I’ve taken huge leaps. I’m proud of that. I work out, and I get lots of sleep, and so I feel great. And that is most important."

You said it, Nicole!

Post-Baby Mamas

These Hollywood mamas was spotted rocking their seriously hot post-pregnancy bodies this week:



VB looked nothing short of stunning in this spread for ID magazine. The lovely Mrs. Beckham, who has four children with her soccer-star hubbie David Beckham, gave birth to baby girl Harper Seven in July.


New mama Beyonce was spotted out in NYC last night, and despite having given birth to baby daughter Blue Ivy a mere month ago, the singer looked flawless in her red figure-hugging mini-dress.

Hot mamas!

(Photo Credit from here)

10 Days After Giving Birth...

... Alex Curran is back on the Liverpool social scene. And in her leather pants at that! In one way I am thinking fair play; Alex, you are flying the flag for fab mums and the ability to juggle motherhood and a social life, but another part of me is going: I would rather be at home with my brand new baby girl, and leave the social life for another couple of weeks. Happy medium, I guess.

(Photo Credit from here)

My New Running Shoes...

... will be heavily used once we are properly back in Ireland and I can reclaim some me-time in the evenings once more. I cannot even begin to explain how much I have missed my daily runs since Nahla and I have been mostly by ourselves here in Oslo, and I haven't had the opportunity to go running every evening. Running is my absolute favorite exercise - OK, that and yoga - and clears you rmind like nothing else. Now all I need is some new running shorts. Or pants. And maybe a jacket. And some new music for my iPod. And I'm set!

Today's Yummy Mummy Style Crush

Now there is my favorite mother/daughter duo again! Jessica Alba and her adorable mini-me Honor were spotted at a local Starbucks in L.A. earlier today, on the way to Honor's pre-school. The pretty pair were seen picking up frosted drinks and a sweet flower for little Honor.

Jess, who welcomed second daughter Haven Harner a mere six weeks ago, recently stated in an interview that even though she tries to eat healthy and work out, she is not feeling any pressure to loose the baby weight too quickly.

"I try not to indulge in super-fattening food but I still have desserts as Cash always orders them and they taste so good," Jessica said. "It's just everything in moderation", the mother-of-two explained.

And in fairness, Jess, you look pretty smoking as it is, so I wouldn't worry too much about your weight if I were you!

(Photo Credit from here)

Lovely In London

Kate Hudson and Matt Bellamy were spotted out and about with little baby Bingham (seriously, Bingham?!) in London this week. Kate, who looks to have sprung back into shaper after welcoming her second son a mere two months ago, rocked the Missoni clad Bugaboo - clearly baby Bing (I really really don't get the name!) likes to ride in style!

The loved up pair are in England as Matt works on his latest album with his band, The Muse.

(Photo Credit from here)

2 Months On...

... from the birth of baby Bingham(I still struggle to figure out how-in-the-name-of-what they came up with THAT name, but anywho...) and yummy mama Kate Hudson is back looking her smoking hot self. The actress, 32, was snapped with finacee Matthew Bellamy when the pair attended a star studded birthday bash in London, in honor of Kates designer-to-the-stars friend, Stella McCartney.



Kate rocked a pale orange dress by Elie Saab and Jimmy Choo heels - and let the world know she is back on her finest fashion form! Go, mamas!


(Photo Credit from here)

Today's Yummy Mummy Style Crush

Look who is regaining her pre-pregnancy figure in no-time at all! The always gorgeous Jessica Alba was spotted out with her equally gorgeous eldest daughter, Honor, 3, yesterday. The pair looked to be doing a spot of shopping, while remembering to cool down with a refreshing drink in the sveltering L.A. heat. Little Haven Garner, who the world is still waiting the get a glimpse of, was not with the mother daughter duo.

The actress, 30, has been tweeting about her efforts of getting back to her pre-pregnancy shape, recently telling fans on the social networking site: "I did my first day of wrkout since I had the baby, just cardio for 40 min. - it's a start. Anyone else starting a fitness regimen?"

Much as I think starting your exersie regime again is clever thing to be doing, I still think Jess should be giving herself some time to just enjoy her very newborn baby without having to worry about being picture perfect. Normally a doctor would advice you to wait six weeks after giving birth to start working out again, as this is the amount of time it takes your body to heal after having a baby. And Jess gave birth just three short weeks ago. The pressure is really on for those mummies in Hollywwod!

(Photo Credit from here)

Hot Mama

Wow! How sizzling does Jessica Alba look here, gracing the cover of Men's Style Australia?! Granted the cover was shot before the 30-year old got pregnant with little Haven Garner, but still. Utterly fabulous!

(Photo Credit from here)

Post Baby Body

Just two short weeks after welcoming little Haven into the world, yummy über-mummy Jessica Alba is looking swell! The actress, 30, who was snapped taking her oldest daughter Honor to a doctor's office in L.A. yesterday, rocked a simple flowing maxi dress topped off by denim shirt - clearly she is intending on continuing her amazing pregnancy style well even now post-bump! Admiration!

(Photo Credit from here and here)

Wear With Pride

I must admit I never got too worked up over the whole stretch mark thing. My mum have none, her two pregnancies didn't leave her with any, so I figured I was pretty safe, as the argument is that they are pretty hereditary. That didn't stop me from rubbing myself with a variety of (organic!) creams every day throughout my 9-month baby-making journey. You know, attack is the best from of defense and so on. And I got away easy. A couple of tiny little lines near my hipbone. I can live with that. Easily. Because they are marks that I am a mum. I created a person. I grew a baby inside me.

Women, I think, get even more beautiful when they become mothers. All of a sudden they have this glow - and tired eyes can be hidden behind great sunglasses! But most importantly, they are all of a sudden more genuine. More caring. More kind. More beautiful - marks and all.

It baffles me how so many women hate their post-pregnant bodies. Yeah, I get that those first weeks can be a shocker. I mean; everything is kinda.. loose. Like, naively, I thought, once the baby was out, my belly would be flat again and I could leave the hospital in my J. Brands. Eh, not so much.

It takes a while. And even with time and yoga and cardio it will never be QUITE the same - although near enough so that you can live with it is perfectly fine. That doesn't mean I don't think everyone should try and be the best version of themselves that they can be. Because you should always be that. Be fit and healthy and happy and you will be one glowing gorgeous mama. And wear the marks of your pregnancy with pride - you sure have earned it!

This beautiful poem I came across on Pinterest explained it better than I could - so warm, sweet and true!

"A mark for every breath you took, every blink, every sleepy yawn. One for every time you sucked your thumb, waved hello, closed your eyes, and slept in the most perfect darkness. One for every time you had the hiccups. One for every dream you dreamed within me. It isn't very pretty anymore. But that's ok. It was your home. It held you until my arms could. And for that, I will always find something beautiful in it." - Cassie Fox.

(Picture via Pinterest.)

Puro Yoga...

... is my new Oslo yoga haunt. And now, taking advantage of the fact that Bestemor (Granny) is down to babysit my little munckin, this mama intends to fill these balmy summer months with lots and lots of yoga. B.L.I.S.S!

Proof...

... that I should NEVER be let into Duty Free when slightly tired and hence with a weakened willpower... Oh, and slightly jet-lagged and therefore less-than-glowing-looking skin, in which case I buy even more stuff to restore my youthful glow!

Than be said; I HEART the Sisley lipbalm. The Guerlain powder makes me look perfectly sunkissed. And the serum from Origins? AMAZING. So all in all, money well spent!

You Know You Have Children When...

1. ... you utter weird sentences like "Don't dip your sisters hair in the strawberry jam and lick it off!"


2. ... you openly discuss poop and color and consistency at the dinner table. And is mystified by the fact that others think it's gross.

3. ... you feel the need to inform 378 Facebook friends about your little bundle's new tooth. Guilty as charged!

4. ... you have no problem giving random strangers a bloody and detailed desription of your labor...

5. ... you hear yourself telling new mums that time just flies by too quickly - even though you vividly remember being annoyed by those very words only a few months back.


6. ... you now fantazise about sleep where before it was sex.

7. ... you consider sleeping til 7 AM a luxury.


8. ... you find yourself worshipping at the altar of caffeine.

9. ... you realize that you are capable of showering, getting dressed and made-up in less than 7,5 minutes.

12. ... you feel like you are missing a limb when you are out on your own with no pram and no baby.

13. ... you praise your newfound liberty when baby can hold his own bottle so you get a chance to empty the washing machine.

14. ... your shopping trips now generate more for baby and less for yourself.

15. ... your filled with gratitude when kind souls bring toys that make no noise and requre no batteries.


16. ... you find yourself googling "rash" and "red bumps" and "signs of meningites" at 3 AM...


17. ... you wipe your childs snotty nose on the sleeve of your very expensive coat - without even cringing.

18. ... find yourself rocking the shopping trolley while queing up to pay in Tesco.

19. ... sharing your bed with toddlers and plastic animals and a flashing Disney sword feels like the most natural thing in the world.

20. ... you open your fridge and find a shoe size 23....

21. ... is amazed at how much you can get done before 8 AM on a Sunday morning. 3 cups of coffee, 2 machines of washing, 1 accidental pool of pee on the floor wiped up and a loaf of bread baking away in the oven.


22. ... you can change a nappy in the dark. At the speed of light.



23. ... you find yourself humming along and doing the moves to all the shows on CBeebies. Zingzillas, Maca Paca; you know them all.

24. ... you find yourself sifting through 4000something pictures on your computer - not one of them not containing your little pride and joy.

25. ... you have an afternoon off and seriously wonder what to do. What the hell DID you do before you had a baby?!


Nodding in recognition? You most definitively have kids!

Early Morning Yoga...

... is a must. Even if we only manage a few poses. And when I say we, it is because much as it is Mummy doing the yoga, little Nahla LOVES to join in and now does a mean downward dog - at the tender age of just 14 months! Talk about bendy baby!
Anyway, we really cannot wait for summer when we can do this out in our garden instead of on the living room floor. And much as I heart the new Om Yoga & Lifestyle magazine and all the fab yoga clothes shopping tips, these days I mostly use my yoga APP for coming up with new series of poses - technology; I am in awe! And now; ready for a new week!

Post Baby Body

"I like that my tummy is a bit soft... I think it's womanly" Denise Van Outen explained to the Daily Mail on her post-baby body. And I find myself nodding in recognition. Your body DOES change after having a baby. Mine, luckily, not overly much so, but a little softer, a little more womanly, sure.

And the best part? I don't mind at all. That's not to say I - like all other women on the planet - don't always harbour ambitions to be fitter and keep my body toned and healthy - which is a good thing, we should strive to work out and keep fit, not to get younger, but to get older. As in if you want to live a long full healthy life, be healthy.

Magazines are stuffed to the brim with pictures of celebrity mamas "miraculously" shrinking in front of our eyes as soon as bump graduates to baby, leaving most mere mortals green with envy. How normal does it seem to you when they pop straight back to their pre-baby bodies seemingly minutes after leaving the hospital? No? Me neither? And if there is one thing motherhood has taught me, is that happy mummy = happy baby. Starving yourself when you are meant to be: 1. recovering from labour. 2. producing nutritious milk for your baby and 3. storing energy to handle those sleepless nights and long feeding sessions, is clearly not very clever. Not good for mummy = not good for baby.


Eating healthy. Getting out for walks which provide the double goody of fresh air and exercise. Letting your body heal and recover. Slwly reintroducing your pre baby exercise regime. All smart moves.

But Denise Van Outen, unlike most celebrity mommies, is happy to reveal that her body completely changed after giving birth to daughter Betsy in May 2010.

"My hips area is still wider so I can't get into any of my old jeans," the 36-year-old Essex girl says. And so what? She still looks like a yummy mummy to me!

Denise shows off her post-baby figure in the latest issue of Health & fitness magazine, but says some parts of her body have changed for good:

"My tummy is different now," she tells the magazine. "But I quite like the fact it is a bit soft because I think it's womanly. And if anyone says anything to me about it I'm like "Oh come on give me a break, I've got a little girl to show for it!"'

Denise, who married Lee Mead, 29, in 2009, says her role as Paulette in West End musical Legally Blonde keeps her in shape.
"If you think about it I'm doing a gym workout seven times a week,I dance in the show and running up and down the stairs for costume changes is a lot like interval training!" Yummy and sensible Mummy - we like!

Run, Mummy; Run

If there is one thing I long for more than anything when it comes to the end of winter drawing near, it is to be able to go running again. Outside, just me and my iPod (I treated myself to the new Nano just to keep myself motivated come running season!) Much as I love yoga, and classes and spinning and piloxing and all the other new ideas Norwegian gyms seem to steal from our more innovative friends across the pond, nothing beats running.

The simplest reason I suppose is because it works. It's (apart from the gear) free. It is pure meditation when you find yourself pounding the pavement with nothing keeping you company but your own breath. When living in Dublin I found myself going for a proper run every afternoon after work. It helped that I lived 5 minutes from the office so there was no horrendous commute to dampen my spirit. I used to come home, get changed into my running clothes and hit the road. It was the best stress release of all. It cleared my mind after a hectic day. It made me discover the city all over again. It kept me fit- for free. And it became a much loved habit.

And now; although having done it sporadically over the year that has gone by, I am now more so than ever ready to find my running form once again. And what better way to start then by investing in some brand new running clothes?! Nike is my favorite, but I am loving the idea of browsing for some new let's-get-fit stuff!

(All images from procusers.)

Anti-Gravity Yoga...

... sure is bound to not only be good for my body- but also my soul- can you imagine the laughs trying to get this right?! And if you never try, sure you will never know!