Last month I was invited along to the Pampers Factory in Manchester along with a some other bloggers for a very hush hush day about Pampers Innovation and a tour of the factory where all the nappies for the UK are made – this was a pretty big deal, as you can imaging they’re rather protective of their production line (more on that in a bit).

I started the day at 5am to make my train to Manchester, however being Boo free any tiredness was cancelled out by the luxury of being able to enjoy breakfast and a magazine on the train in peace and quiet – a rare treat for any mummy!

It’s crazy to think the last time I was in Manchester was back in June 2012 when me and Boo appeared on BBC Breakfast for the second time – mental note: really must plan a weekend in Manchester, I’m certain there’s way more to it than Media City and train stations and I have a feeling I may rather like it.

The Pampers nappy plant in Manchester has been established for 80 years with Pampers being produced there since 1991, we kicked off the day with a fascinating talk by Dr Frank Wisemann, who spoke about the history of disposable nappies and the processes that take place with nappy development – did you know that it can take up to 10 years of research, design and testing at the Pampers Research and Design centre in Schwalbach to bring a new nappy to the market – meaning over 1,500 babies testing their nappies every week with a staggering 45,000 nappy changes – and I thought 2 hourly changes in the early days was tough!

After a delicious lunch (I’m seriously jealous of their canteen if our lunch was anything to go by!) it was time for a tour of the factory floor, something that is very rarely seen by outsiders. Suited (high vis) and booted (steel toe cap boots) we made our way onto the busy and extremely loud factory floor to see how Pampers nappies are made. There are 20+ raw material components in each nappy and it takes less than 4 seconds for these to made into the finished product, helping them to produce more than 5 million nappies a day!

I’ve been brand loyal to Pampers since Boo was born only ever trying another brand once (as in one nappy) and hating them and it’s no surprise that every day over 3,200 manufactured nappies are randomly selected for product quality tests, and their standards are pretty high with those that don’t make the grade being rubbished – ready to be recycled back down to the raw components.

After our tour we also got the chance to chat with Dr Ellie Cannon from the Pampers Love, Sleep & Play panel of experts about the importance of a good nights sleep for our little ones.

Pampers is a brand that had me at hello back in July 2011 (they after all were the only ones how made nappies small enough for Boo) and even as Boo nears the end of the road with nappies I’m still excited as a parent to try out the new innovations that will be hitting the shops later this year.

Yesterday Kara Tointon led a March of ‘Arch Angels’ through London to help raise vital funds and awareness for women who are challenged by the visible side effects of cancer treatment. It’s all part of Brow Arch March, an initiative launched by Benefit Cosmetics, Look Good Feel Better and Debenhams.

Throughout the month of March, Benefit ‘Brow Bars’ – located in 50 Debenhams stores across the country – will be offering a complimentary brow arch service(worth £11.50) for a requested minimum donation of £5, with all proceeds going directly to Look Good Feel Better.

Actress Kara Tointon says “The fantastic work that Look Good Feel Better undertakes for the wellbeing and self-confidence of women struggling with the visible side effects of cancer treatment is truly amazing. Sadly, cancer affects the lives of so many people and the charity plays such an important part in helping to regain a sense of control and normality.”

I’ve used Benefit brow pencils, shaper, highlighters (you name it, I’ve tried it) for nearly a decade and for me, no one shares my passion for groomed brows like the ladies at Benefit – remember your brows are sisters not twins! So why not head down to your local Benefit Brow Bar and by getting those brows looking good, you can help someone feel better.

When Boo isn’t jet setting across Europe she still makes time for her fair share of mini breaks – be they to Grandma’s or escaping to the country oh and there’s also the fairly frequent hospital getaways. Ok so despite what Boo would like us to believe she isn’t a Hollywood starlet who clicks her fingers and a private jet appears. However like many modern minis she’s no stranger to travelling and like Mummy is use to her home comforts wherever she lays her head.

Boo is rather fond of my iPad, in fact she sometimes struggles to grasp the concept that it’s actually mine – I’ll let her off she is after all still only 2! It’s one thing to let Boo loose with the iPad at home but there’s a whole other bunch of issues once we take it out. I’m pretty sure there’s nothing in the world that can stop accidents happening but one really important part is to make sure the iPad is protected when it’s in my bag/suitcase/on the back seat of the car.

We tried out Beatrix New York’s iPad case to see how it fared with our busy schedule. We chose the ladybird design named Juju and fell in love as soon as we unwrapped it. The design is not only so pretty but it’s the attention to detail that really sets it apart, like the ergonomically designed zipper which with it’s soft grip is perfect for little hands.

It’s slightly padded inside which whilst it won’t protect from toddler tantrums does add just a little cushioning to help soften the blow of daily family life.

Beatrix New York is an amazing brand, which focuses on designing ‘cool contemporary stuff for kids’ whilst also ticking boxes when it comes to practicalities looked for by parents.

We’ve been using the Beatrix New York iPad case for quite a while and have to say despite heavy use by Boo it still looks as good as new and encourages her to look after the iPad when she’s ‘borrowing’ it.

I may have borrowed it on a few occasions under the pretense that I couldn’t be bothered to swap cases and each time I’ve had lots of compliments and they were from minis and adults alike!

The iPad case comes in a choice of 4 designs and is available online at John Lewis

Disclosure: We received a Beatrix New York iPad case for review. No payment was received and all opinions are 100% honest we promise.

It doesn’t matter where you are in the world, you need to consider that life is much tougher when you’re a parent. As a mother especially, you’re going to feel like you don’t have any time to take care of yourself at all. Life gets so busy when you have a newborn, and the time you take for yourself is limited at best. The thing is, taking care of yourself is so important when you are a parent. You cannot pour from an empty cup, and if you try you’re going to burn out. Sometimes, you have to do the little things to care for yourself, and that isn’t always going to be the standard things to eat and wash!

Hygiene is not self-care, and as a new mother you need to remember that. It may feel like you’re doing yourself a favour by having a shower, but you need to know that self-care is going above and beyond that. It’s choosing makeup to make your skin feel good. It’s getting the chance to go for a blowdry and a cut and colour for a change. It’s knowing that when you spend a little cash on Colorescience, you’re not being over indulgent: you’re simply looking after yourself! As a stressed new mother, you need to work out how you can better take care of yourself for a change – even if putting yourself first feels unusual! Let’s dive in:

• Eat Well. As a new mother, you need as much energy you can get. The exhaustion of a tiny human in your life is going to convince you that breaking out the basket of mini muffins is a good idea. You need to choose foods that are more nutrient-dense, so make sure that you have open baskets of apples and bananas, boxes of crackers that are easy to grab. The more you choose foods that will be balanced, the happier and more energised you’ll be. Batch cook soups on a Sunday for the week, too – you can grab these and defrost them from the freezer when they’re well portioned!

• Keep Moving. Exercise? What exercise? You just had a baby! However, while you don’t have to slog it out at the gym, you should keep moving your body as much as possible. Rock around the house with the baby in the sling, get out in the fresh air for short walks. You can even join a stroller fitness class, where you and your baby can get fit with jogging and walking while pushing the baby around. There are plenty of mothers who are keen runners and use a running stroller, and moving more is a good way to take care of your postpartum body.

• Get Talking. One of the worst things that you can do as a new mother is isolate yourself. Not only will you be overwhelmed with hormones, you’re now in charge of a new little life. Sharing is caring, and you need to talk to people who can understand what you’re going through. Joining baby groups is a great way to get out and do this, and you can find some awesome support and share your feelings. When you do this, you will feel better

• Get Meditating. When the baby sleeps, give your brain an MOT. Sit and be still in the silence, and while you are doing that, empty your head completely. You can connect better to yourself and feel revitalised when you do it. Mothers can often feel mentally crowded with all of the things that need to be remembered and done. Give yourself space to do this.

Disclosure: This is a collaborative post.

You’ve all read about #operationyummymummy – in fact they’re some of your favourite posts, with most of the focus being on running. However after the British 10K last July I’ve been suffering on and off (although mostly on) with a heel injury which just won’t go. My first love has always been running but I’ve realised that for now it’s just not an option.

For the last couple of weeks I’ve been quietly hitting the gym, building up my sessions so now I’m going 5-6 times per week. However I’ve not actually been in the gym, instead I’ve opted to do my workouts in group exercise classes, I’d started to do a few last year but this time I’ve really thrown myself into it, it’s brilliant how after only a few weeks you’re chatting away with new friends who are there for the same thing as you – to work on their fitness.

As well as my beloved Outdoor Fitness I’m really enjoying Boxercise, Bodypump and I’m even signed up for Tabata tomorrow morning before Boo’s swimming lesson – ok hold up if you don’t know what Tabata is, go Google it and keep your fingers crossed I survive!

I’m also trying really hard with nutrition, goodbye village bakers hello protein shakes, but I’m not pretending to be perfect: I may have scoffed a chocolate digestive while the kettle was boiling this afternoon!

It’s early days but I know that as long as I put the hard work in, the results will come – I’m aware that my workout schedule is pretty grueling at the moment so I’m realistic in that I don’t expect to keep this up forever, just as a kick-start for a couple of months.

One thing that’s happened over night is the soreness, let me tell you that walking the morning after Bodypump is not a given and should be greatly appreciated! I’m either in lycra or leggings (jeans sometimes are just too painful after over 400 squats a week!)

How are you kick starting your fitness this spring? I’d love to hear from you and remember to follow #operationyummymummy when I’m hanging after 60 minutes of Outdoor Fitness on a Saturday morning, the likes and comments really do help!