This year I have felt more excited about Christmas than ever before! I think it is because it is the first Christmas in our own home, so it feels really special. We're able to do things exactly the way we want, decorate how we want and put things wherever we please. 

When Ian and I first moved in together back in 2011, we bought an artificial Christmas tree. We had the same tree and the same decorations every Christmas since then, with a few extra decorations made by the children added over the years, until Christmas 2017.

Decorating our Christmas Tree | The Christmas Forest Review

This year I have felt more excited about Christmas than ever before! I think it is because it is the first Christmas in our own home, so it feels really special. We're able to do things exactly the way we want, decorate how we want and put things wherever we please. 

When Ian and I first moved in together back in 2011, we bought an artificial Christmas tree. We had the same tree and the same decorations every Christmas since then, with a few extra decorations made by the children added over the years, until Christmas 2017.

Friday December 14th 2018 is Christmas Jumper Day, when people up and down the country will be donning their favourite festive sweaters to help raise money for charity Save the Children. In schools, workplaces or just at home, by wearing your best Christmas knit and donating £2 you'll be helping to create a brighter future for children here in the UK and all over the world. But that's not the only way to get involved! 

Save the Children's Christmas Jumper Day - more ways to get involved!

Friday December 14th 2018 is Christmas Jumper Day, when people up and down the country will be donning their favourite festive sweaters to help raise money for charity Save the Children. In schools, workplaces or just at home, by wearing your best Christmas knit and donating £2 you'll be helping to create a brighter future for children here in the UK and all over the world. But that's not the only way to get involved! 

Next month it will be three years since I decided to go vegan. At first finding vegan goodies was a little tricky, but now there is SO much choice! My husband decided to go vegetarian at the same time and one of the things that I have most often been caught out on is sweets. He has such a sweet tooth so I often grab him a packet of sweets when doing the shopping, only to get home and realise that they contain something like gelatine. Gah! 

Sweet Vegan Treats from Swizzels!

Next month it will be three years since I decided to go vegan. At first finding vegan goodies was a little tricky, but now there is SO much choice! My husband decided to go vegetarian at the same time and one of the things that I have most often been caught out on is sweets. He has such a sweet tooth so I often grab him a packet of sweets when doing the shopping, only to get home and realise that they contain something like gelatine. Gah! 

A few months ago VTech sent Jude a Kidizoom Smartwatch DX2 to try out. But with moving house and getting settled in we've only recently had the chance to play with it properly. 

Playtime: VTech Kidizoom Smartwatch DX2 Review

A few months ago VTech sent Jude a Kidizoom Smartwatch DX2 to try out. But with moving house and getting settled in we've only recently had the chance to play with it properly. 

You'd think with my complexion and dark hair that I'd be blessed with lovely, thick eyebrows, but you'd be wrong! Instead I have sparse brows made up of the tiniest, finest hairs EVER. Which means that combined with the aforementioned complexion my brows are barely visible. So every month I get my eyebrows threaded and each morning I use make-up to fill and define them.

I've been getting my eyebrows threaded at Superdrug for a few years now, after discovering that that was where my friend, who always has perfect eyebrows, got hers done. Recently Superdrug offered to send a voucher for me to try out their instore beauty services and as I already love their threading service I decided to try having my eyebrows tinted as well this time. 

Beauty Spot: Superdrug Eyebrow Tint & Shape Review

You'd think with my complexion and dark hair that I'd be blessed with lovely, thick eyebrows, but you'd be wrong! Instead I have sparse brows made up of the tiniest, finest hairs EVER. Which means that combined with the aforementioned complexion my brows are barely visible. So every month I get my eyebrows threaded and each morning I use make-up to fill and define them.

I've been getting my eyebrows threaded at Superdrug for a few years now, after discovering that that was where my friend, who always has perfect eyebrows, got hers done. Recently Superdrug offered to send a voucher for me to try out their instore beauty services and as I already love their threading service I decided to try having my eyebrows tinted as well this time. 

If you're wondering when is the next Aldi Baby & Toddler Event, then get your purse ready pronto, as the hugely popular Baby & Toddler Specialbuy event returns online from Sunday 12th August and in store from the Thursday 16th August! As always the event offers parents a huge range of beautifully crafted nursery furniture, every day essentials and adorable accessories at amazing low prices. Aldi kindly sent a sneak peek of some of the goodies that will be available, and they also sent some vouchers so I can pop along next week to stock up on new bits for Essie. Like last time, I'll share what I buy on Instagram Stories so make sure you're following me over there

Aldi Baby & Toddler Specialbuy Event August 2018

If you're wondering when is the next Aldi Baby & Toddler Event, then get your purse ready pronto, as the hugely popular Baby & Toddler Specialbuy event returns online from Sunday 12th August and in store from the Thursday 16th August! As always the event offers parents a huge range of beautifully crafted nursery furniture, every day essentials and adorable accessories at amazing low prices. Aldi kindly sent a sneak peek of some of the goodies that will be available, and they also sent some vouchers so I can pop along next week to stock up on new bits for Essie. Like last time, I'll share what I buy on Instagram Stories so make sure you're following me over there

How are your summer holidays going? Keeping busy and enjoying the sunshine I hope? I've been trying to keep my three children entertained by having a loose plan for the summer break with a list of ideas that we are working our way through. One of them is taking part in Save the Children's Den Day! 

Take part in Save the Children's Den Day this summer!

How are your summer holidays going? Keeping busy and enjoying the sunshine I hope? I've been trying to keep my three children entertained by having a loose plan for the summer break with a list of ideas that we are working our way through. One of them is taking part in Save the Children's Den Day! 

Little fans of Hey Duggee will have spotted that there was another Royal Wedding that took place in May. Hey Duggee character King Tiger has met his perfect partner and gets married in a brand new episode, titled Hey Duggee & The Wedding Badge.


GIVEAWAY: Hey Duggee The Wedding Badge And 10 Other Stories DVD

Little fans of Hey Duggee will have spotted that there was another Royal Wedding that took place in May. Hey Duggee character King Tiger has met his perfect partner and gets married in a brand new episode, titled Hey Duggee & The Wedding Badge.


I have always had a preference for natural beauty products and recently I have been making more of an effort to make conscientious decisions about what to buy for myself and my family. Weleda have been making "clean beauty" products since 1921, factoring in not only natural ingredients but thinking about sustainability and the environment too. With Cleaner Beauty becoming a bit of a trendy term for 2018, the brand want to make it clear what it means to them. 

Beauty Spot: Weleda's #CleanerBeauty Campaign

I have always had a preference for natural beauty products and recently I have been making more of an effort to make conscientious decisions about what to buy for myself and my family. Weleda have been making "clean beauty" products since 1921, factoring in not only natural ingredients but thinking about sustainability and the environment too. With Cleaner Beauty becoming a bit of a trendy term for 2018, the brand want to make it clear what it means to them. 

This post contains affiliate links highlighted with an asterisk

I meant to post this review months ago so huge apologies if you've been waiting to read it! I wrote it back when Essie was six months old, but do you remember we had that choking incident? I struggled for a long time after that and life felt very surreal. And it seems I just forgot to hit publish! I have been having a good sort out of my laptop files today and came across it sitting there, waiting to go live. Big oops! So here it finally is: my review of one of my absolute favourite baby nursery products, the Sleepyhead Deluxe Baby Pod!

Baby Loves: Sleepyhead Deluxe Baby Pod | Review

This post contains affiliate links highlighted with an asterisk

I meant to post this review months ago so huge apologies if you've been waiting to read it! I wrote it back when Essie was six months old, but do you remember we had that choking incident? I struggled for a long time after that and life felt very surreal. And it seems I just forgot to hit publish! I have been having a good sort out of my laptop files today and came across it sitting there, waiting to go live. Big oops! So here it finally is: my review of one of my absolute favourite baby nursery products, the Sleepyhead Deluxe Baby Pod!

Am I in my children's good books or what! I surprised them one day after school with a box full of the brand-new season three Hatchimals CollEGGtibles. These are adorable little toy creatures that come in small, speckled eggs. Like the larger Hatchimals Surprise Eggs, they need their owners help to hatch. We were sent a selection from the new season to review, which has resulted two VERY happy little boys!

Playtime: Hatchimals CollEGGtibles Season 3 “Hatch Friends Forever!”

Am I in my children's good books or what! I surprised them one day after school with a box full of the brand-new season three Hatchimals CollEGGtibles. These are adorable little toy creatures that come in small, speckled eggs. Like the larger Hatchimals Surprise Eggs, they need their owners help to hatch. We were sent a selection from the new season to review, which has resulted two VERY happy little boys!

Do you know, I still can't believe that Essie is a year old. And I certainly haven't got my head around calling her a toddler yet. Just how much longer do you think I can get away with calling her my baby? She looks so grown up now, there's no denying that, especially when you see her walking around, chatting away, getting into mischief. Oh, so much mischief!

Mini Style: Molly Brown London Girls Jewellery Review + GIVEAWAY

Do you know, I still can't believe that Essie is a year old. And I certainly haven't got my head around calling her a toddler yet. Just how much longer do you think I can get away with calling her my baby? She looks so grown up now, there's no denying that, especially when you see her walking around, chatting away, getting into mischief. Oh, so much mischief!

This post contains affiliate links

Last month Essie turned one and a few days later took her first steps. Since then there's been no stopping her. She tears through the house like a tiny Tasmanian devil and is into evvvvverything. It's a delight to watch her playing and learning and her collection of carefully chosen toys is steadily growing. We were sent a Hape Tito the Turtle Pull Along toy to review which is a great addition and ideal for little ones who have just started to walk. 

Playtime: Hape Tito the Turtle Pull Along

This post contains affiliate links

Last month Essie turned one and a few days later took her first steps. Since then there's been no stopping her. She tears through the house like a tiny Tasmanian devil and is into evvvvverything. It's a delight to watch her playing and learning and her collection of carefully chosen toys is steadily growing. We were sent a Hape Tito the Turtle Pull Along toy to review which is a great addition and ideal for little ones who have just started to walk. 

Most readers will know that I'm a big fan of cloth nappies, what with all my fluffy spam on Instagram, and I have used reusable nappies with all three of my children. I have never been able to get my husband on board with them though, so we also use disposable nappies. There are also times when I would prefer to use disposable nappies myself, for example, when we go on holiday. I'm always keen to use products that are as environmentally friendly as possible so Bambo Nature's recent blogger event was a great chance to meet the brand, learn about the new skincare products, catch up with some familiar faces and have some fun!

Bambo Nature Blogger Event at Kelmarsh Hall & Gardens

Most readers will know that I'm a big fan of cloth nappies, what with all my fluffy spam on Instagram, and I have used reusable nappies with all three of my children. I have never been able to get my husband on board with them though, so we also use disposable nappies. There are also times when I would prefer to use disposable nappies myself, for example, when we go on holiday. I'm always keen to use products that are as environmentally friendly as possible so Bambo Nature's recent blogger event was a great chance to meet the brand, learn about the new skincare products, catch up with some familiar faces and have some fun!

It's National Weaning Week! From 7th - 13th May 2018 National Weaning Week aims to give families help, advice and recipes to make weaning as easy as possible. You can join in by sharing your experiences using #WeaningWeek2018 on social media! I have had three babies and each time they've started solids I learnt something new and discovered new products to make the experience easier. One of those is the Tidy Tot Bib & Tray set. I bought this for my daughter a few months ago and it has made mealtimes far less messy! 


Win A Bundle of Weaning Goodies for #WeaningWeek2018

It's National Weaning Week! From 7th - 13th May 2018 National Weaning Week aims to give families help, advice and recipes to make weaning as easy as possible. You can join in by sharing your experiences using #WeaningWeek2018 on social media! I have had three babies and each time they've started solids I learnt something new and discovered new products to make the experience easier. One of those is the Tidy Tot Bib & Tray set. I bought this for my daughter a few months ago and it has made mealtimes far less messy! 


Jude was only two and a half when Essie was born and his little legs weren't quite ready for walking everywhere. When Jude was a baby I used to carry him in a sling whilst pushing Noah in a stroller, and I sometimes do this too with Essie. But for various reasons it's not always practical, and this is when the Lascal Maxi Plus BuggyBoard comes in really handy! 

Review: Lascal Maxi Plus BuggyBoard

Jude was only two and a half when Essie was born and his little legs weren't quite ready for walking everywhere. When Jude was a baby I used to carry him in a sling whilst pushing Noah in a stroller, and I sometimes do this too with Essie. But for various reasons it's not always practical, and this is when the Lascal Maxi Plus BuggyBoard comes in really handy! 

This year marks six years of me either being pregnant, breastfeeding, or both. That's a lot of change that my body has gone through, especially my boobs! This year also marks the 25th birthday of multi-award winning maternity lingerie brand, Bravado Designs. I've mentioned before about how previously, I was never too fussy about maternity and nursing bras; as long as I could feed my baby then that was good enough for me. Then, I discovered Bravado Designs, and I've never looked back. Nowadays, they're the only brand of bras I wear! 

Mama Style: Bravado's New Original Nursing Bra

This year marks six years of me either being pregnant, breastfeeding, or both. That's a lot of change that my body has gone through, especially my boobs! This year also marks the 25th birthday of multi-award winning maternity lingerie brand, Bravado Designs. I've mentioned before about how previously, I was never too fussy about maternity and nursing bras; as long as I could feed my baby then that was good enough for me. Then, I discovered Bravado Designs, and I've never looked back. Nowadays, they're the only brand of bras I wear! 

If you're wondering when is the next Aldi Baby & Toddler Event, then get your purse ready pronto, as the hugely popular Baby & Toddler Specialbuy event returns online from Sunday 15th April and in store from the Thursday 19th April! As always the event offers parents a huge range of beautifully crafted nursery furniture, every day essentials and adorable accessories at amazing low prices. Aldi kindly sent a sneak peek of some of the goodies that will be available, and they also sent some vouchers so I'll be popping into my local store next week to stock up on new sleepsuits and a summer weight baby sleeping bag for Essie!
 

Aldi’s Baby & Toddler Specialbuy Event April 2018

If you're wondering when is the next Aldi Baby & Toddler Event, then get your purse ready pronto, as the hugely popular Baby & Toddler Specialbuy event returns online from Sunday 15th April and in store from the Thursday 19th April! As always the event offers parents a huge range of beautifully crafted nursery furniture, every day essentials and adorable accessories at amazing low prices. Aldi kindly sent a sneak peek of some of the goodies that will be available, and they also sent some vouchers so I'll be popping into my local store next week to stock up on new sleepsuits and a summer weight baby sleeping bag for Essie!
 
Essie is at that wonderful curious age of being inquisitive and wanting to explore. Open this cupboard and see what's inside. Shake that toy and see what sound it makes. Stack these blocks and see how tall they get. Anything new that comes into the house gets thoroughly investigated by her, like these two adorable Disney Baby toys we were sent by Rainbow Designs; the Patch Comfort Blanket and Dumbo Ring Rattle. 

Baby Loves: Disney Baby Patch Comfort Blanket & Dumbo Ring Rattle - Review + GIVEAWAY

Essie is at that wonderful curious age of being inquisitive and wanting to explore. Open this cupboard and see what's inside. Shake that toy and see what sound it makes. Stack these blocks and see how tall they get. Anything new that comes into the house gets thoroughly investigated by her, like these two adorable Disney Baby toys we were sent by Rainbow Designs; the Patch Comfort Blanket and Dumbo Ring Rattle. 

Last week the children and I drove down to Southampton to meet with the very lovely folk from Save the Children, along with some other bloggers and their children, to take part in a special Muddy Puddle Walk. Save the Children are a fantastic charity who believe that every child should have the chance to learn, play and grow up happy and healthy - no matter where they're born. Peppa Pig's Muddy Puddle Walk for Save the Children is an annual fundraising event which raises money for the international children's charity. Last year 160,000 children across the UK took part and raised an incredible £243,000. This year, the charity hopes to raise even more! 

Peppa Pig’s Muddy Puddle Walk for Save the Children

Last week the children and I drove down to Southampton to meet with the very lovely folk from Save the Children, along with some other bloggers and their children, to take part in a special Muddy Puddle Walk. Save the Children are a fantastic charity who believe that every child should have the chance to learn, play and grow up happy and healthy - no matter where they're born. Peppa Pig's Muddy Puddle Walk for Save the Children is an annual fundraising event which raises money for the international children's charity. Last year 160,000 children across the UK took part and raised an incredible £243,000. This year, the charity hopes to raise even more! 

I'm a sucker for a good subscription box, especially beauty boxes! Wildling Box is a new lifestyle subscription box with a difference. Wildling's founder, Leilah, wanted to come up with a way of raising awareness of the cruelty that animals suffer from around the world, along with helping people discover the best cruelty-free brands around. As a  beauty-obsessed vegan, this sounded perfect for me, and I was lucky to receive a Wildling Box to review.

Beauty Spot: Introducing Wildling Box

I'm a sucker for a good subscription box, especially beauty boxes! Wildling Box is a new lifestyle subscription box with a difference. Wildling's founder, Leilah, wanted to come up with a way of raising awareness of the cruelty that animals suffer from around the world, along with helping people discover the best cruelty-free brands around. As a  beauty-obsessed vegan, this sounded perfect for me, and I was lucky to receive a Wildling Box to review.

Back in my pre-baby days I'd get excited about new shoe deliveries. Nowadays, it's the arrival of a new pushchair that gets me all giddy! The Diono Quantum Classic is based on the best-selling original Diono Quantum travel system. The new version has a range of updates to suit all parents and Diono kindly sent us one to review. We've really been putting it through its paces over the last few weeks and here's how we got on with it!

Review: Diono Quantum Classic Pushchair

Back in my pre-baby days I'd get excited about new shoe deliveries. Nowadays, it's the arrival of a new pushchair that gets me all giddy! The Diono Quantum Classic is based on the best-selling original Diono Quantum travel system. The new version has a range of updates to suit all parents and Diono kindly sent us one to review. We've really been putting it through its paces over the last few weeks and here's how we got on with it!

My children and I love our visits to Willows Activity Farm in Hertfordshire and were so egg-cited (I'm sorry, I couldn't resist!) to be invited along last weekend to see what they've got planned for their Easter Eggstravaganza this year! The boys were SO excited; the "Peter Rabbit farm", as they call it, is one of their favourite places to go for a day out and they were counting down the days to our trip! Especially when we heard that new for 2018 Mr Tod will be taking residence at Willows with the introduction of Mr Tod’s Lair and the Super Secret Squirrel Nutkin Test. 

Days Out: Willows Activity Farm Easter Eggstravaganza 2018 + NEW Mr Tod's Lair

My children and I love our visits to Willows Activity Farm in Hertfordshire and were so egg-cited (I'm sorry, I couldn't resist!) to be invited along last weekend to see what they've got planned for their Easter Eggstravaganza this year! The boys were SO excited; the "Peter Rabbit farm", as they call it, is one of their favourite places to go for a day out and they were counting down the days to our trip! Especially when we heard that new for 2018 Mr Tod will be taking residence at Willows with the introduction of Mr Tod’s Lair and the Super Secret Squirrel Nutkin Test. 

Essie has really become such a curious and inquisitive little girl recently, and with her newfound skills of pulling herself up to standing and cruising furniture, she is able to get about and explore anything that catches her eye. Which is usually the kitchen cupboards! Fisher-Price have launched a new product which seemed perfect for this stage of Essie's development: their 2-in-1 Sit-To-Stand Activity Centre, and they kindly sent us one to review.

Playtime: Fisher-Price 2-in-1 Sit-To-Stand Activity Centre Review

Essie has really become such a curious and inquisitive little girl recently, and with her newfound skills of pulling herself up to standing and cruising furniture, she is able to get about and explore anything that catches her eye. Which is usually the kitchen cupboards! Fisher-Price have launched a new product which seemed perfect for this stage of Essie's development: their 2-in-1 Sit-To-Stand Activity Centre, and they kindly sent us one to review.

One of the nursery items I was most excited about using with Essie was the SnüzPod 3-in-1 Bedside Crib, which was kindly sent to me to review along with some beautiful Snüz bedding and accessories. Like with my two older children, I was keen to have Essie sleep close to me so that the night feeds would be a little easier and I would hopefully get a bit more rest in between feeds. 

Baby Loves: SnüzPod 3-in-1 Bedside Crib - Full Review + DISCOUNT

One of the nursery items I was most excited about using with Essie was the SnüzPod 3-in-1 Bedside Crib, which was kindly sent to me to review along with some beautiful Snüz bedding and accessories. Like with my two older children, I was keen to have Essie sleep close to me so that the night feeds would be a little easier and I would hopefully get a bit more rest in between feeds. 

This is a collaborative post sponsored by Bepanthen.

Nappy rash is something that affects a lot of babies and toddlers, with up to a third experiencing it at any one time. My children have generally been lucky and very rarely suffer with nappy rash, but all three have had it a handful of times. Teething, being poorly or being in a nappy for a long time (such as night-time) seem to have been the main causes of soreness with my brood - and eating blueberries! 

Protecting against nappy rash with Bepanthen

This is a collaborative post sponsored by Bepanthen.

Nappy rash is something that affects a lot of babies and toddlers, with up to a third experiencing it at any one time. My children have generally been lucky and very rarely suffer with nappy rash, but all three have had it a handful of times. Teething, being poorly or being in a nappy for a long time (such as night-time) seem to have been the main causes of soreness with my brood - and eating blueberries! 

Can you believe that in just over six weeks it will be Essie's first birthday? It will also be my birthday, but I expect that Essie will totally take all the birthday glory from now on. And that is absolutely fine with me! It does feel like only yesterday that my little lady arrived, and you might  Annie Haak sent a delicate little silver bracelet with the initial E and a baby girl charm to celebrate Essie's birth.




Mama Style: Annie Haak Mother's Day Jewellery

Can you believe that in just over six weeks it will be Essie's first birthday? It will also be my birthday, but I expect that Essie will totally take all the birthday glory from now on. And that is absolutely fine with me! It does feel like only yesterday that my little lady arrived, and you might  Annie Haak sent a delicate little silver bracelet with the initial E and a baby girl charm to celebrate Essie's birth.




Frugi's latest collection for spring/summer 2018 is here! If you don't know who Frugi are, they are the UK's leading ethical and organic children's clothing brand. Hailing from Cornwall, they are known for their bright colours, fun prints and gorgeous applique designs, all made in the softest, most sumptuous organic cotton ever!


Mini Style: Frugi's Globetrotter Collection SS18

Frugi's latest collection for spring/summer 2018 is here! If you don't know who Frugi are, they are the UK's leading ethical and organic children's clothing brand. Hailing from Cornwall, they are known for their bright colours, fun prints and gorgeous applique designs, all made in the softest, most sumptuous organic cotton ever!


Cloth nappies. Oh how I love them! And if you're a regular reader or follow me on Instagram you'll already know this, as I LOVE snapping shots of my cloth bummed babies! I've used reusable nappies with all three of my children, and actually TotsBots were the very first brand I ever bought, over five years ago when pregnant with my eldest son. TotsBots got in touch a few weeks ago to let me know about their newest collection of prints and to ask if I'd like a sneak peek ahead of the launch. Being the big cloth nappy fan that I am of course I had to say yes!

Baby Loves: TotsBots new Playtime Print Range

Cloth nappies. Oh how I love them! And if you're a regular reader or follow me on Instagram you'll already know this, as I LOVE snapping shots of my cloth bummed babies! I've used reusable nappies with all three of my children, and actually TotsBots were the very first brand I ever bought, over five years ago when pregnant with my eldest son. TotsBots got in touch a few weeks ago to let me know about their newest collection of prints and to ask if I'd like a sneak peek ahead of the launch. Being the big cloth nappy fan that I am of course I had to say yes!

"I'm bored!" Two words that every parent dreads. Upon hearing those two little words, it can be tempting to hand over the tablet or switch on the TV, but what would happen if you just let your children work through their boredom? If you gave them the space to find their own solutions instead of stepping in? Well, that's exactly what I did for the Let Them Be Bored Challenge as part of the #PetitsFilousPlayFree project!

What happened when I let the children be bored...

"I'm bored!" Two words that every parent dreads. Upon hearing those two little words, it can be tempting to hand over the tablet or switch on the TV, but what would happen if you just let your children work through their boredom? If you gave them the space to find their own solutions instead of stepping in? Well, that's exactly what I did for the Let Them Be Bored Challenge as part of the #PetitsFilousPlayFree project!

In this post Alison from Five Little Stars is sharing her most useful 'nice-to-have' baby item for a newborn. She's an Australian mum of two who now currently lives in Paris with her English husband. Over to Alison!

MY MOST USEFUL ‘NICE-TO-HAVE’ FOR A NEWBORN - Guest post from Alison at Five Little Stars

In this post Alison from Five Little Stars is sharing her most useful 'nice-to-have' baby item for a newborn. She's an Australian mum of two who now currently lives in Paris with her English husband. Over to Alison!

I was talking to a friend earlier in the week about baby clothes, and how my tastes in childrenswear has changed since having Essie. I always thought I would love the same bold, bright prints that I bought for my boys, but I have found myself being drawn to more vintage inspired outfits. Think little dresses, bloomers, rompers, Peter Pan collars, in florals and muted tones. I was so excited when Essie was offered a dress from La Coqueta, they are utterly exquisite, and I have to admit I lost hours browsing through them all, then even more hours taking photos...

Mini Style: La Coqueta Baby Dresses

I was talking to a friend earlier in the week about baby clothes, and how my tastes in childrenswear has changed since having Essie. I always thought I would love the same bold, bright prints that I bought for my boys, but I have found myself being drawn to more vintage inspired outfits. Think little dresses, bloomers, rompers, Peter Pan collars, in florals and muted tones. I was so excited when Essie was offered a dress from La Coqueta, they are utterly exquisite, and I have to admit I lost hours browsing through them all, then even more hours taking photos...

Ever since I posted on Instagram about getting back to pre-pregnancy weight with intermittent fasting, I’ve had SO many people wanting to know more about it that I thought I should write a post to briefly explain how it works. I put on 33lbs during my third pregnancy but lost it all by the time my baby was six months old and it was pretty easy to do so. Since then so many of my friends have started fasting and are seeing results too!

How I lost my pregnancy weight with intermittent fasting - no dieting!

Ever since I posted on Instagram about getting back to pre-pregnancy weight with intermittent fasting, I’ve had SO many people wanting to know more about it that I thought I should write a post to briefly explain how it works. I put on 33lbs during my third pregnancy but lost it all by the time my baby was six months old and it was pretty easy to do so. Since then so many of my friends have started fasting and are seeing results too!

Lamb & Bear is a brand I've featured on the blog a few times before and is the creation of designer Alex, who is also a fellow blogger. Running a business and a blog, I don't know how she does it, but she is certainly proof that you can follow your dreams and make them a reality. She originally launched her brand of 100% cotton children's clothing with a small collection of leggings and since then the range has expanded with even more prints, matching dribble scarves, headbands, sleepsuits and swaddle blankets. 

Mini Style: Lamb & Bear Flamingos

Lamb & Bear is a brand I've featured on the blog a few times before and is the creation of designer Alex, who is also a fellow blogger. Running a business and a blog, I don't know how she does it, but she is certainly proof that you can follow your dreams and make them a reality. She originally launched her brand of 100% cotton children's clothing with a small collection of leggings and since then the range has expanded with even more prints, matching dribble scarves, headbands, sleepsuits and swaddle blankets. 

When I think back to my own childhood, some of my earliest memories are building dens with my mum at home in our small flat. Something as simple as upturned clothes airers draped with bedsheets became an exciting new world for little me to explore with my dolls. I took charge and my mum joined in with my game. I also loved to head to the park with my siblings and cousins, where we were free to run, jump and climb to our hearts' content. We had the most amazing adventures, armed with not much more than a few sticks and our imaginations. 

The Importance of Free Play for Children

When I think back to my own childhood, some of my earliest memories are building dens with my mum at home in our small flat. Something as simple as upturned clothes airers draped with bedsheets became an exciting new world for little me to explore with my dolls. I took charge and my mum joined in with my game. I also loved to head to the park with my siblings and cousins, where we were free to run, jump and climb to our hearts' content. We had the most amazing adventures, armed with not much more than a few sticks and our imaginations. 

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