Merry Mimi's First Christmas! & Happy New Year

Mimi is wearing a vintage red polka dot baby dress worn by Lulu in 2007 and prior to that Mummy in 1971! My mum took wonderful care of it and I am so lucky two of my little princesses got to wear it after I did. Her little booties are also vintage - the ones I wore at my baptism, also in 1971 : )

More Sugar & Spice! Its a GIRL! I have a princess trifecta!

Introducing Mimi! Born on 22 July, 2010! I have my little princess trifecta - Gigi + Lulu + Mimi

Without going into too much detail, I ended up having to have a caesarian (after two natural births) and boy oh boy, was that a shock to the system! A whole new world of firsts for this third time mum! Had a few feeding issues to start (no one told me that milk flow is a bit slower with caesarian births) and of course I wasn't up and at 'em as fast as I was the other two. Coupled with a hubby who was banned from the nursery for 2 days as he had a stomach virus, a concerned & emotional 5 year old and a robust 3 year old it was a hard ol' slog in hospital this time around. Once I was home, I felt much better - nothing like your own environment to relax and bond with baby.

Mimi is settling well - a very happy baby - but a night owl like mum - and yet to sleep through. She started off taking an occasional bottle (I am breastfeeding) however one day decided it wasn't for her. With solids starting, I am hoping a full belly will help with the waking in the night issue and I am going straight to a cup, having tried numerous teets, different bottles and trying & changing brands of formula when she didn't want expressed breast milk out of a bottle. This proved challenging for hubby when I had a night out in November - he ended up using the syringe you get for administering Infant Panadol to feed her 100mls, 2mls at a time! Besides this one night, Mimi & I have basically been inseparable and I think she is a real mummy's girl and just wants me and my booby juice ha ha. I am not complaining, in fact just quietly, I am savouring this baby time as I know she is my last.

My apologies for keeping you all in suspense for so long - three kids is definitely a handful, but I am loving it and though my blogs have been a little neglected, my new years resolution is to try and get back into the swing of things so thanks again for your patience - I have lots of baby fashions & accessories to catch up on and especially with my third little girl, I am searching more and more for all those beautiful things "sugar & spice" x

The Final Countdown..... 10 Days to go....

It is now officially 10 days to my due date....feeling good, tired but good..
It remains to be seen if I will be continuing to expand my "all things sugar & spice" blog or whether I may need to start a new one for "frogs & snails & puppy dogs tails"...
Why not click on the link in my sidebar, become a Gigi + Lulu Spice Fan and follow me so you will be the first to know...
Watch this space x x x

Santa, did you send your RSVP?

It's that time of year again - all the big department stores here in Sydney (and I think, Australia wide) are having their big toy sales. I was brave enough today to venture into Big W, at 37 wks pregnant with a 5 and 3 year old in tow, to have a look at what they had and I was impressed. Gigi started school this year and is quite the little party girl. We have lots of parties coming up so I had lots of presents to buy and despite the hussle and bussle, long queues, screaming kids (ironically, not mine this time, surprise, surprise) and Gen Y shop assistants who would grunt at any question, I actually managed to get my shopping done without too much trouble. Hmm, my blood pressure was slightly up at my routine visit this afternoon so maybe I was a little more stressed than I am letting on...
But seriously, if you are in Sydney, Big W & KMart started their toy sales today, Myer started last week and finish up on the 25th July and Target is getting ready for its big sale starting July 22. I better place a call to Santa - in this time of global economic crisis, he will be looking for a bargain wherever he can get it. Wonder if Big W online delivers to the North Pole? : )

Dannii Minogue - Who Magazine's Most Beautiful - capturing the beauty of a first time pregnancy. Just come back & see me when you are up to #3...

Back in the mid-eighties, every Aussie teenage girl wanted to be Dannii Minogue.

With her big 80's teased hair, funky 80's fashions, singing and dancing up a storm on a Saturday night on Young Talent Time - who didn't want to be Dannii? My sister and I would copy the hair and fashion and sing along with the songs. When Dannii got a perm, we got a perm. If Dannii teased her fringe, we teased our fringes. If Dannii wore a braid, we wore a braid. Why, if Dannii jumped off the Harbour Bridge we would probably have given that a go too.

So now in my late thirties I find myself pregnant at the same time as Dannii - pretty much due around the same time. However, as I sit in my jim jams, feeling bloated & exhausted with bags under my eyes, I am a far cry from emulating 2010 Dannii, even if I tried. Voted this week as Who Magazine's Most Beautiful, deservedly so, Dannii is a perfect poster girl for how attractive a pregnant woman can be - even with the help of a stylist, a bit of lippie and a beautiful dress. Regardless, she looks absolutely fantastic. But then, all first time mum's are beautiful - they have that "glow" you always hear about in pregnancy books. Pregnancy is a beautiful thing - and don't get me wrong, take away all the yucky stuff, I love being pregnant - however I would like to see if Dannii feels just as beautiful after a couple of pregnancies. I must admit, the novelty does tend to wear off just a little. Let me elaborate....

Given that it is her first child (oh, and the fact that she is a super hot pop star!), she has the edge over me anyway because she only has herself to consider, and I do recall when I was pregnant with Gigi that I was all about pedicures and manicures and coffee with friends and running my own business - because it was all about me. I can say that unashamedly because it was fun having everyone make a big fuss over you. I bought all the pretty over sized clothes and dresses, had my hair done and wore lots of makeup. Hubby and I even went on one of those so called babymoons - a weekend away just for the parents-to-be, lots of pampering and massages and good food and quality couple time. Enjoy it while you can, I say, because the second time around, people are less fussed because they figure you have been there, done that, plus you have a cute little toddler to chase around after and it is all about them now. I had sold my business and was alot more casual in my approach to pregnancy - still wore the pretty, billowy dresses and wore a little bit of makeup but did less of the mummy pampering - had the odd pedicure and wore my hair in a ponytail 80% of the time because a trip to the hairdresser with a two year old was all too hard. As for a weekend away, meh, who had the time or the energy or the inclination.

Now I am heading towards the business end of pregnancy number 3 and it's basically just going through the motions this time around. I have a signature pair of loose, stretchy pants, several plain, longline tee shirts in bigger sizes, a range of scarves and a couple of layered cardis and that is pretty much it for me. I am down to a smidge of foundation (mainly to cover and fill wrinkles), but having said that, I always wear blush and lipstick as a rule. Depending on time or if I am in the mood to be bothered, all my other makeup is simply gathering dust in the cupboard. I went for a hair cut the other day and my hairdresser was shocked at how long it was - and funny, I can't remember when I last had a hair cut. You see, this time around we are talking ponytail 99% of the time..

Now don't get me wrong, frock me up, shave my legs, do my hair and makeup and send me to a ball and I would guarantee you I would have a good time and I would have that "pregnancy glow" but for now, I am more than happy to curl up on the lounge with my little chickadees, who love mummy just as she is, and leave the glamour shots to Dannii. But seriously, congratulations Dannii - you have worked hard and I am really happy that you will get to experience motherhood as it is really the best thing in the world and I am sure you will look just as fabulous next time around x

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter from my family to yours x x x x x
PS: Gigi & Lulu love bunnies (and we see LOTS of them on our farm!) so here are some lovely Easter images, including these adorable bunny slippers, similar to the piggy slippers we saw Suri in this week on Suri Cruise Clothes blog (thanks Natalia x)
PPS: If you want some children's Easter books inspiration, I did a feature last year of my Top 10 Favourite Children's Easter Story Books - check it out here : )

A trip down memory lane with Fisher Price - Little People 50th Birthday Play & Go Farm

When I came across this image of the 50th Birthday edition of the Fisher Price Farm house, I took a nostalgic trip down memory lane. Who doesn't remember this toy? My sister and I played with ours all the time until we were about 10 years old - no Nintendo or Wii back then! I remember loving to attach the trailer to the tracker and hooning around the lounge room. Or bridling up the horse to the trailer to drag the dog around. I distinctly remember the soft nose of the sheep and how I chewed mine like a dummy - I even strangely recall the taste of that soft rubber. Weird huh? My sister and I would dip the cow and the horse heads into the troughs to feed and I can still hear the sound of the cows as you opened the farm house doors. We used to sit the chicken and rooster on the posts of the fences and I think someone even broke off my farmer's hat. I would love to get my hands on one of these sets for my girls - I recall many wonderful hours of fun and imagination with my 1970's version!

Who wore it best? Our Gigi or Dannielynn in Pumpkin Patch

Both these little princesses look divine in this lavender hued dress with jewelled neckline and checked skirt, which was featured in the summer collection of Pumpkin Patch in Australia, unfortunately no longer available online. Gigi just loves this dress - it has a layer of black tulle under the skirt which gives it some flounce and it looks like Dannielynn Birkhead loves wearing hers as well. It is a shame her mummy, the late Anna Nicole Smith never got to see her in it but daddy Larry Birkhead looks as proud as punch!

2 Pink Lines.....

It is with great joy that I can announce that I am 13 weeks pregnant! Our much longed for third baby is due late July and we are so thrilled! It has been a very long, hard journey to get here as I have had alot of health complications in the past 3 years that have hindered our progress in getting pregnant but after 3 unsuccessful cycles of IUI, we took a break in October to consider our options and though I was told it would be very unlikely I would fall pregnant naturally, my little miracle happened and we did just that - finding out on my 39th birthday which was the best present ever! There will still be extra ultrasounds and tests required to ensure the safe arrival of our baby but in the meantime, I look forward to enjoying my pregnancy and sharing my experiences with you. I will be continuing with gigi+lulu but I am also creating a new blog - Baby, One More Time, which will be a diary of my pregnancy in my own words and I look forward to talking about my experiences with IVF/IUI, life after an abnormal pap smear and cone biopsy, the fun things that Gigi & Lulu say about my growing tummy and generally just documenting my experiences for my children to read one day. Once again, thank you for your ongoing support and I hope you enjoy my new blog as well x x x
PS: It is a little grainy but above is a photo of our little jellybean, giving us a little wave at my 10 week scan

Did you miss us?

As you can see, we have all been busy settling in to our new life on the farm. Gigi & Lulu just love wearing their new gumboots everywhere and can't wait until the arrival of our new dogs in the not too distant future. On top of completing a massive interior renovation of our little homestead, we had Gigi's birthday, moved house, had a week's vacation that had been planned a year ago (ie before we knew it would fall on the same week we were moving house!) and at the same time I have been undergoing some fertility treatments in the hope of conceiving baby #3. PHEW! Stop and breathe! As you can appreciate, I have hardly had time to keep up with my blog so I apologize for the few postings of late. I am almost unpacked now so watch this space - gigi + lulu, all things sugar & spice will be back soon with lots of new fashions, accessories, party ideas and celebrity baby style : )

Recycled Style #2 - Big Sister Violet in her Big Sister Tee

Beautiful little Violet Affleck first wore her Big Sister tee by Pluto Kids in January when little sister Seraphina was born, seen here with her daddy, actor Ben Affleck. While shopping with mummy this week, actress Jennifer Garner, Violet matched it with some really cute sneakers (watch this space) and an adorable teddy bear on roller skates. So sweet.
Hmmm, will I need another one of these shirts soon...?

Happy Birthday gigi + lulu - all things sugar & spice - 1 today!

Happy Birthday to us!
gigi + lulu - all things sugar & spice is 1 today!

We have had such a great time researching all the beautiful fashions, accessories, furnishings, gifts & party ideas for all the little princesses out there, following all the celebrity baby trends along the way.

Thanks so much for following our blog, it is the positive feedback and love of "all things sugar & spice" that keeps us going and we hope to bring you so many more beautiful things in the next 12 months x x x

Happy Father's Day to our Northern friends x x x

Happy Father's Day to our Northern hemisphere dads!

We celebrate in Australia in September but you can click here to see our gallery of celebrity dads from last year

Have a lovely day guys x x x

Happy Mother's Day x x x

Today is Mother's Day in Australia so we thought we would show you some lovely photos of our fave celebrity princesses with their mums. BTW - Happy Grandmother's Day Nonna, lots of love Gigi & Lulu x x x
Actress Jada Pinkett Smith and Willow Camille Reign (8), her actress daughter with superstar Will Smith

Actress Teri Hatcher and her daughter Emerson Rose (11)

Actress Katie Holmes with her delightful daughter with superstar Tom Cruise, Suri (3)

Actress Nicole Kidman & singer Keith Urban's nearly one year old daughter, Sunday Rose

Actress Tori Spelling and another nearly one year old, Stella Doreen, her daughter with actor Dean McDermott

Actress Soleil Moon Frye and daughters (right) Poet Sienna Rose (3) and (left) Jagger Joseph Blue (1), seen here with hubby Jason Goldberg

Actress Salma Hayek with 20 month old Valentina Paloma, her daughter with billionaire husband Francois Henri Pinault

First Lady of the United States of America, Michelle Obama with hers and President Barack Obama's beautiful daughters (left) Malia Ann, almost 11 and (right) Natasha "Sasha", almost 8

Ah yes, cute little Harlow Winter Kate Madden, who was one in January, daughter of rock star Joel Madden and reality star turned jewellery designer Nicole Ritchie

The ever smiling Matilda Rose Ledger, seen here with actress mummy Michelle Williams. The lovely 3 year old is also the daughter of the late Australian actor, Heath Ledger

Princess Isabella of Denmark, 2 year old daughter of Crown Prince Frederik and Australian born Crown Princess Mary of Denmark

12 year old Lourdes Leon, daughter of Carlos Leon and pop superstar Madonna

Former model, designer for Baby Phat and reality star, Kimora Lee Simmons is mum to two beautiful little princesses - Ming Lee (9) and Aoki Lee (6). Daddy is record producer Russell Simmons

Actress Julia Roberts and 4 year old daughter Hazel Patricia. Hazel has a twin brother, Phinneaus "Finn" Walter & younger brother Henry Daniel, 2

Actress Jennie Garth is a mother of 3 gorgeous girls - Luca Bella (almost 12), Lola Ray (6) and Fiona Eve (2). Daddy is actor Peter Facinelli

Australian actress Isla Fisher and fiance, English comedian Sacha Baron Cohen are parents to 18 month old Olive Cohen

With news this week that beautiful 5 year old Leni Klum will be getting a little baby sister later in the year, supermodel/television host mummy Heidi Klum and singer Seal will have their hands full with their family of 6 that also includes sons Henry (3) and Johan (2). What a gorgeous family : )

Actress Halle Berry and 1 year old daughter, Nahla Ariela - daddy is Gabriel Aubry

Stunning like her model mummy Milla Jovovich, 18 month old Ever Gabo Anderson looks set to follow in her mummy's footsteps with those big blue/green eyes

Just like me, actress and reality star Denise Richards is mother to two little princesses - Sam J (5) and Lola Rose (nearly 4). Daddy is actor Charlie Sheen

Actress Demi Moore has 3 daughters with her ex husband Bruce Willis - Rumer (20), Scout LaRue (17) and Tallulah Belle (14)

Actress Marcia Cross is mum to 2 year old twin girls, Eden & Savannah

Another mummy of two princesses - actress Brooke Shields is mum to Rowan Frances, almost 6 & Grier Hammond, who has just turned 3. Daddy is television writer Chris Henchy

Ava Eliot Jackman has two loving actor parents - Aussies Hugh Jackman and Deborra-Lee Furness. I know it's a Mother's Day special but it just didn't seem right to cut Hugh out of the picture.... ; )

Our favourite multi cultural family - the Jolie-Pitt's - are a big brood of 6 - 3 girls and 3 boys, 3 of whom are adopted. Mummy Angelina Jolie is seen here with her 3 daughters (left to right): Zahara Marley (4), Shiloh Nouvel (nearly 3) and one half of the nearly one year old twins, Vivienne Marcheline. Brothers Maddox Chivan (7), Pax Thien (5) and other twin Knox Leon round out the family headed by daddy, actor Brad Pitt

Honor Marie Warren is the 10 month old daughter of actor Jessica Alba & Cash Warren

Finally, our favourite laid back casual princess is 3 year old Violet Anne Affleck, seen here with actress mummy Jennifer Garner and new baby sister Seraphina Rose Elizabeth

Have a lovely day ladies, I hope you get spoilt x x x

Happy Easter x x x

From my family to yours, have a lovely Easter, we hope you enjoy some precious time with your loved ones as we will be doing this year. Don't forget to check out my earlier post on my top 10 Easter inspired Children's books that your little princess will love x x x

Tszujing up Dora or just another Bratz incarnation ??

Let it be known - Gigi & Lulu LOVE Dora the Explorer. We have DVD's, we have t-shirts with Dora on them, we have pool toys and dress up dolls. We even have a Dora the Explorer mobile phone upon which I downloaded off the Internet "Ola, Gigi" in Dora's voice. In a nutshell, Dora & her sidekicks Boots, Diego et al, are more than welcome in my house, being good role models for children, teaching them problem solving, geography, process of elimination, some Spanish language skills ...the list goes on. With her Suri haircut and casual shorts and t-shirt, the most bling Dora can be accused of wearing is a simple bracelet on her right arm. For Dora, life is simple & fun, as it should be for children. In fact the most stressful decision she has to make is usually whether to go over a bridge or under it. Basically Dora is your everyday girl, with no reason for parents to be concerned about her brainwashing our little girls with body issues or forcing other adult issues on them.
Until now.
Mattel has announced that Dora is getting a face lift. Coy on the details, we have been given a preview in silhouette - obviously so as to create the buzz that blogs such as mine are having as we go into overdrive discussing the pros and cons. The general consensus - if it ain't broke, don't fix it. Ok, let's break it down. Her hair has grown out (is this some subliminal message that to be attractive, you must have longer hair?), she has graduated from shorts and sneakers to mini skirt & ballet flats (some would say a natural progression for tweens but how will this impact the littlies?) and has generally given in to peer group pressure for a, and I quote, "new fashionable look". How sad that they have forced Dora to be a superficial fashion victim when we all thought she would go on to navigate around and/or travel the world, problem solving and charming everyone she met along the way. She would make a fantastic UN ambassador, not brand ambassador for some fashion house. Needless to say, I eagerly await the unveiling of the updated Dora the Explorer and as I mentioned in comments I made on this topic on one of my favourite blogs, mamamia, I can embrace this new Dora provided she is true to the original and continues to provide my little girls with an anti Paris or anti Britney role model that they can aspire to be like.
Any sign of excessive make up, superficial jewellery (belly rings and multiple piercings), cleavage or an ounce of "Bratitude", it will be adios Dora the Explorer...

Happy Birthday Lulu!

Happy Birthday gorgeous girl - have a lovely day!
Lots of love , Mummy, Daddy & Gigi x x x x x

What happens when you leave your nearly 2 year old alone with your make up purse......

Mascara madness.....

Merry Christmas from Gigi & Lulu x x x x x

All the very best wishes for a wonderful Christmas to your family from ours x x x x x
May the New Year 2009 bring you much joy and happiness - God bless x x x x x
Gigi & Lulu x x x x x

And finally....my favourite Christmas Little Red Dress #25 - Baby Gap Ruffled Party Dress

When I first started my blog, I came across this lovely dress and have been saving it for a special occasion ever since then - no pun intended. The Baby Gap Ruffled Party Dress is A-line with ruffle trimmed front button placket and mock collar, short puffy sleeves, decorative bow, attached tulle petticoat and attached nappy cover. Simply the most delightful of all the 25 dresses...Merry Christmas x x x