5 Things – The Pet Peeve Edition

Hi Guys! I’m well into my third trimester now (32 weeks! EEK!). I’ve also left work for Maternity leave, which means I have a bit of free time I didn’t have before. I’m going to enjoy it before all my time is taken up with nappy changes and feeding.

These last few weeks, my hormones have been playing with my moods (not much change there!). I’ve been decidedly more irritable and the pregnancy rage is real. Very real. Anyway; I’ve always had a few pet peeves, but figured since I’m a bit grumpy right now, it’s the perfect time to have a good old rant; and where better to vent my frustration than my own personal slice of the internet? So, here come my top five pet peeves. Be prepared for some very grumpy writing; which I don’t tend to do very much of here on my blog; so this is new. If you’re offended by any of this; I’m not even sorry. There, I said it.

1. Leggings as Trousers

They are NOT trousers! They are footless tights, designed to keep you slightly warmer on those in between days; whilst allowing you to wear ballerina shoes without looking like a granny; or sandals without looking like a tourist. They are also more versatile than tights in the pattern department; so you can wear leopard print or florals on your legs (provided you do it correctly). The only time it is socially acceptable to wear leggings in public without a dress that completely covers your arse is when you are working out. Even then; you should be wearing sports leggings which are made of a much less see-through fabric. Nobody wants to see your VPL. Nobody wants to see your camel toe. At the very least, put on a longer top so you’ve concealed everything nicely. If you want to wear something with a skinny fit that’s not jeans, look for the word TROUSERS on the label. If it doesn’t say Trousers, then they’re likely to be leggings. Stay classy, ladies. Wear leggings as they were meant to be worn. As footless tights.

2. Indicators!

When you approach a turning, and the driver in front of you suddenly turns into it with no warning and you have to slam your brakes on to accommodate for their stupidity. When you’re waiting at a roundabout, thinking the driver to your right is going straight across in front of you when, in fact, they turn left and you could have gone. F*cking indicate! I mean, it’s a little stick on the steering wheel, that moves the same direction as the one you’re turning. How hard is it? Usually when I see people do this you could hear me about three miles away, yelling at them. I may actually over-use my indicators; because when my husband is in the car with me, He quite often says: “Why are you indicating? There’s nobody behind you.” To which my reply is “just in case”. If everybody had that mentality there might be less road rage, fewer prangs and a lot less anxious drivers – myself included.

3. Poor Table Manners

Where did etiquette go since I became an adult? Am I the only one who eats with their mouth closed now? When you eat, you should NOT open your mouth. If you can’t breathe, you should take smaller mouthfuls so you can swallow them before opening your mouth again; not sit there chomping a huge mouthful with your mouth wide open making the most disgusting noises imaginable; and letting everyone see your half chewed food going around as if it were in a cement mixer. This one has REALLY got me riled up whilst being pregnant. So much so that if there’s someone eating with their mouth open, I’ll likely leave the room so I don’t end up smacking them. Not. Even. Sorry.

4. Being underestimated

I am female. And proud. But I hate to be underestimated because of my gender. I don’t consider myself a feminist, because of the bad connotations that go with it; but I do agree that women should be equal to men on at least some things – their knowledge base and understanding of the world being one of them.

When you’re talking to a man who doesn’t like what you have to say; but then your husband/ male boss/ father/ other significant male in your life; makes the same point, and said man agrees with him over you? Well it makes your blood boil.

When you go into a shop that is considered “Manly” by society (Hardware shops, computer shops etc.) and the male sales assistants assume you have no idea what you’re looking for. This is a favourite pastime of mine; because I love to see their faces when I reel off a list of item specifics that often leave them dumbstruck. You can see the cogs start turning. It’s a woman? Who knows what she wants? Good Lord No! It works even better when you look extra “feminine” (Heels, pretty dress, lipstick etc.)

So yes; I am female. And yes, I know some sh*t. Deal with it.

5. Then & Than

So, I don’t know when or why this started. I started noticing it about three years ago. At first I thought it was just a couple of insignificant, possibly innocent, grammatical mistakes. No big deal. But then it became more “popular” if that’s the right word. People using the word “than” instead of “then”; and the word “then” instead of “than”. Can somebody explain to me why? I mean, it’s not like anything extra needs to be typed. It’s just plain idiocy at its finest. In case you need re-educating because you didn’t pay attention in Basic English classes in primary school or you have just lost the ability to be grammatically correct in the age of social media; let me give you a little reminder:

• Then – adverb – commonly used to detail a specific time; usually after another event.

“There was lightening flashing all around; and then came the thunder.”

• Than – preposition – commonly used for the sake of comparison.

“The thunder was much louder than a jet engine.”

Get it right people! Or I may have to start correcting your grammar!

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So there you have it. A totally new side to my blog – having a good old rant about stuff. Don’t forget to comment your pet peeves and let me know if you agree with mine. I promise I’ll write a less grumpy post next time.

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Happy 2019!

What a year 2018 has been! Looking back, I have to admit it was certainly a better year than quite a few in my adult life. While 2018 was not without loss, I feel like I gained so much from the year that the good outweighed the bad.

In January, since waiting for six previous months, we got an offer on our house, which we accepted. We started dolling out our wedding invitations, and used this as an excuse to build some bridges, and encourage connections with family and friends. It felt so good to start the year with a clean slate, so to speak.

February through to April were spent wedding planning and getting all the necessaries sorted for the move. We had a lot of fun choosing our wedding playlist, and not so much fun with the packing.

Not forgetting the two rounds of snow we had in March which broke up the craziness for a while. It was so much fun to take the dog out, take some photos and play around like kids.

 

At the end of April we moved house, and had a bloody brilliant housewarming party. It was really where our year truly began. Finally we were in a place we could call home.

The fun didn’t stop there. My hen party was a week after we moved; which meant my friends and family got to fill the house and I tuned it into a pink palace for the weekend. I will never forget the hen party, which I did on a budget so my hens didn’t have to spend much. The first thing was a day trip to a wildlife and dinosaur park. I think the girls were a little dubious at first but they seemed to absorb my enthusiasm and the day was incredible. The girls even surprised me with a meet and greet with a sea-lion! The evening was a girly night in with DIY pizza, party games, plenty of chocolate and some cheesy pop songs. We did the cha-cha slide in the new dining room at midnight. The Sunday was a chilled out morning, with pancakes for breakfast in the garden (the weather was beautiful basically from the moment we moved in); then afternoon tea at a local hotel, where we all dressed up like it was ladies day at Ascot.

Of course the next big event in May was a wedding (and not Meghan and Harry’s)! I’ve written about it a lot but since I’d been waiting for it to happen for 9 years, it was an event that made my year. The fact that it went without a hitch (aside from getting hitched) was fantastic.

Unfortunately, my wedding was the last day that I saw my granddad. In early June, less than two weeks after my wedding, he passed away. Despite this, we still managed to make the most of the glorious weather, with regular BBQs and al fresco dining. Our new garden was something we were really starting to enjoy, with a rocking bench, some fun signage and a paddling pool.

July was much the same, and as the grass turned brown, my skin went a little red.

In late July, just before our honeymoon, I started to feel weird. Exhaustion crept up on me for no reason and I had a craving for olives one Friday night that drove me slightly insane. Took a pregnancy test the next day and boom! Baby on the way! The honeymoon wasn’t quite what we expected, what with me not being able to eat certain foods, or drink alcohol. And I was starting to get nauseous. Still, we went to Italy and I ate real Italian food – a bucket list item.

The rest of the year was baby, baby, baby. It’s been quite a ride through this thing they call pregnancy so far, but it was news I was so happy about; despite the timing and the fact she was not at all planned!

Christmas this year was awesome; despite me missing baileys, brie and paté (no, not all at the same time). I was waited on hand and foot, and a plate full of food was never far away. I wasnt judged for eating all the mince pies or napping whenever I felt like it. There’s something to be said for being pregnant at Christmas time.

So, for 2019, I’m a little nervous, as I’ll be a mama before long! The first quarter of the year (the third trimester) will be as much about me as possible before my baby girl arrives in March. I’m booked in for a mani/pedi at my local salon; and plan on sleeping in as much as possible when my maternity leave starts.

So, what does the future of my blog hold? Well, you can expect more posts between my maternity leave starting and baby’s arrival; and then, who knows? Maybe more content when I’m awake at 3 in the morning because baby is hungry. Maybe less, because I’ll have no time to sit and type. One thing is for sure though; when I do have the time, I’ll be writing about being a new mum as much as I can, because I want to share my experiences with you.

So anyway, that’s the end of a personal post; get ready for some fun posts to come in the next few weeks!

Wishing all of my readers a healthy, happy 2019!

What was your 2018 like? Did you achieve goals? Reach targets? Have fun? What are your plans for the new year? Any resolutions?

Drop me a comment below.

5 Things – The Christmas Edition

First of all, let me apologise to any of you reading this that have seen my Instagram and were expecting a makeup related post. December has become increasingly exhausting for me as I approach the third trimester – who knew growing a human was so tiring? I naively thought the tiredness didn’t start until after the baby was born! Anyway, I digress. I felt like a festive post was necessary, and I wanted to write about the festive makeup looks I’ve been creating of late. They’ve been really fun, and it’s something I can do to relax; but having to write about them afterwards was mentally draining and I simply couldn’t be arsed to do so. Forgive me? Good. Let’s continue with five things I love the most about Christmas. (P.S. Number 5 will include some of my makeup looks, because I couldn’t just leave them out completely.)

1. Christmas Food

I mean, I’m living for food right now. And so is my growing girl – she goes nuts about half an hour after I’ve eaten, and I can see her movements. So exciting – I had to throw that in. But Christmas is particularly special because the flavours that explode from everything at this time of year are so much more delicious. There are the festive coffees (decaf for me, of course) like gingerbread and cinnamon. Christmas menus at all our favourite cafes and restaurants – usually involving some kind of twist on turkey, stuffing and cranberry sauce, which I am totally here for! Then if you walk into the supermarket, there’s all the festive favourites – mince pies, I see you. Unusual crisp flavours, and more often than not, a whole aisle of festive party food that you just don’t get any other time of the year. Not to mention that most years, I love to cook some amazing festive recipes. Last year I made the most awesome mint chocolate cake which I decorated with mint humbugs and peppermint candy canes. This year I made some chocolate orange cupcakes, which were so amazing; and we’ve just now eaten our fourth roast turkey dinner this month (I’m having a bit of a gravy craving phase at the moment, so any excuse to get my gravy on is fine by me). The one thing I’m a little sad about is the cheeses and the cured meats (Smoked salmon and brie, I miss you!) Along with my usual baileys hot chocolate that I have every year; these are things I’m not really allowed, but next year I’ll be indulging in these like there’s no tomorrow!

2. Christmas Music

Let me get one thing straight here, I F*cking LOVE Christmas music. There’s something about having to wait a whole year before you can hear a song; so I, unfortunately, am one of those people who drives everyone else nuts by having a Christmas playlist on repeat throughout December. Christmas music is usually so damn cheery – even the depressing stuff has little jingly bells in it so it’s hard not to smile when you hear it. I also love carols. I used to wait all year to go to my local carol concert in the village hall just so I could sing descant in “O Come All Ye Faithful” when I was younger. I still sing; just not in the carol concerts like I used to. This year, my top 5 Christmas songs have been:

1. Lady Gaga – White Christmas
2. Shake Up Christmas – Train
3. What’s This? – Nightmare before Christmas Soundtrack
4. Christmas Time (Don’t Let The Bells End) – The Darkness
5. Thank God it’s Christmas – Queen

3. Downtime & Family Time

It’s the one time of year when I have the time to do all the things I enjoy – crafting, writing, sleeping, eating, spending time with loved ones. Having time off work doesn’t happen for everyone, I know – I’ve done my fair share of festive work too; so I feel blessed that I have time to indulge over Christmas. I usually make a list of projects I want to start or finish over Christmas time; along with all the friends and family I want to see. I sometimes don’t get around to doing everything on my list, or seeing everyone I planned to; but I get a lot more done and spend a lot more time with my people than I would if I was working. Last year, all of my downtime was spent sewing and crafting for the wedding. I had so many needle punctures in the New Year after a Christmas spent finishing my dress.

4. Christmas Decorations and Lights

If there’s one thing that turns me into an excited child at Christmas time, it’s the lights. There’s something about them that instils excitement and wonder. I love going out in the car at night time over Christmas time. You never know what you’ll see – some people do some really crazy stuff to their houses and it makes me squeal with glee when I see a house lit up like Blackpool illuminations; giant inflatable light up Santa included. Unfortunately, as of yet, I haven’t been able to do this to our house. The last place we lived was a bit awkward to put lights up. And our first Christmas in the new place sees me unable (and also too lazy) to climb ladders to put up outdoor lights. I’ve put some in the window; and that will have to do until next year; when the neighbours will probably have quite the surprise come the 1^st December – at least, it would be nice to have some pretty lights up. I also love decorating the house; but this year, as we are in a bigger house, I found the decorations were a bit sparse as I’d d tried to spread them across more space. But I will be getting some more decorations in the January sales (who actually pays full price for decorations anyway?) so that next year will not only see more lights, but more decorations too; especially as I want my baby girl to have some beautiful things to look at, so she too delights at all things sparkly and shiny.

5. Christmas Makeup

As promised. I mentioned earlier that I loved having downtime. This is one of the reasons why. I get to have a real play with makeup. Halloween is a time for experimenting with special effects and unusual colours; but as there’s no time off for it, I don’t get to play around as much as I do at Christmas. At Christmas, I will look like a glitter ball most of the time; usually with a bright, festive colour palette to boot. Part of my Christmas morning routine is doing my makeup – not that anyone but family sees it, it’s just nice to get my glam on. So, here’s four of my Christmas “looks” that I created for a Blog post that is sadly not going to happen now. If you do want to know how I did anything; or what products I used; don’t be afraid to drop me a line or tweet me.

 

So that’s it from me this year. I’ll be chilling out and eating my baby’s body weight in chocolate (and probably gravy too) for the next few days until the new year. To all my lovely readers, I just want to say Merry Christmas. Hope you all have an amazing time!

What are your favourite Christmas traditions and indulgences? Do you agree with my list? Comment below!

It’s Update Time

So I was planning on posting a blog post about Shop Miss A this weekend, since my order finally arrived and I have quite a few thoughts. But this post is a bit more personal; and the Makeup post can wait for a little while.

We had our 20 Week scan on Thursday, and after telling our families and announcing it on Facebook this weekend, I can now proudly say that hubby and I are expecting a baby girl!

I’m so excited!

To be honest, I’d be just as excited if we were due to be having a baby boy, but I’m really looking forward to having a daughter!

I wanted to do something really creative with a pink babygro or something for the social media gender reveal but we ran out of time and I couldn’t really figure out what to do! So I just thought I’d update everyone on that before I get back to rabbiting about makeup again.

Cheers all.

Granddad’s Scrambled Eggs

Hey everyone! I’ve been eating a lot of eggs recently. Three guesses why. But I’ve also realized that I’m becoming more like my granddad every day. His legacy certainly lives on; especially in my current taste in food. Salt and pepper on EVERYTHING! And also his special scrambled eggs which he taught me and my sister to make one weekend. I’m pretty sure it was the first thing I ever learned to cook. We’ve been making them ever since; and I can’t have my eggs any other way now. They just don’t taste right. So I’m gonna share the recipe with you, and trust me, you’ll thank me. Especially if you like a bit of a kick to your food.

You’ll need:

• 1 medium egg per person, plus one extra (so; 2 eggs for one person; 3 eggs for 2 people; 4 eggs for 3 people, etc.)

• Milk (whatever colour lid you usually use. I’ve used green top and blue top and they both work equally well)

• Butter or spread

• Salt & Pepper

• Curry Powder (Nothing special, just cheap, basic curry powder with a medium heat)

• Your favourite bread (A good white farmhouse cut into thick slices is my favourite)

Method:

1. Crack the eggs into a jug, add a splosh of milk and a knob of butter; and the salt, pepper and curry powder to taste. I like a good tablespoon of curry powder for my single portion size – but f you don’t like spice so much, use a bit less.

2. Whisk vigorously until the egg is smooth and the butter is lumpy. It will look a bit gross and the curry powder will turn it a funny brown colour, but trust me on this, it tastes awesome.

3. Pour into a pan on high heat and continue to whisk.

• • The pan is all down to preference. Typically I use non-stick as the eggs tend to burn otherwise. But I’ve used a frying pan, a saucepan, and even a wok. Don’t judge me, it was the only pan in the cupboard and I was hungry.

4. While the eggs are cooking, toast & butter your bread the way you like it.

5. Let the eggs cook to the consistency that you like. I enjoy proper rubbery eggs that are cooked until they are bouncy and fluffy and all goopyness has disappeared, but I know some people like their eggs a bit sloppier.

6. Take the eggs off the heat, butter your toast and toss the eggs over the top. Add some more salt and pepper if required. In my case extra pepper is ALWAYS required.

7. Enjoy!

If you try this, do let me know. I would love to know what you think of my granddad’s recipe. It’s been a favourite of mine since I was a child and it’s super good for you thanks to eggs high protein content.

That’s all for now folks!

5 Things – The Plastic Edition

Since January (after watching Blue Planet 2), I vowed to make more of an effort to reduce the plastic waste from our household. It’s been a long, ongoing process and I’m still doing everything I can – even if it does get on everyone’s nerves when I nag them about it too. But I’ve managed to reduce my plastic output quite a bit in the last few months. This is a subject that I’ve become incredibly passionate about, so please excuse me if I sound preachy. I’m really not trying to cause any offence or judge – I understand plastic is a huge part of everyone’s lives; and it’s hard to change habits. But at the same time if you want to change the world, it starts with your own life and home. Please also note that these are just the things I’ve done. I know there is so much more that can be done and that so many higher powers can change the way the plastic comes in to our homes to start with; and believe me, I’ve signed petitions and given so many companies a thumbs up when I see them using paper straws or plastic free packaging. This is also a pretty lengthy read, and the first time I’ve posted anything like this, so if you have anything to say, please be gentle. Without further ado, here are my top 5 ways in which I’ve done that.

1. Think about plastic when you’re out and about.

Take a water bottle out with you. It’ll save you heaps of money on bottled water. And if you do buy a bottle, don’t just chuck the empties in a litter bin while you’re out. Keep them in your bag and put them in the recycling when you get home. Bonus, you can refill them when you’re done rather than buying another bottle. Try to opt for eat-in cafés rather than takeaways if you can, so you don’t get given a load of plastic food wrapping. And lastly, there’s absolutely #NoExcuseForSingleUse. Get yourself a reusable coffee mug and ask for your favourite coffee in that instead of your usual takeaway cup. They look far prettier anyway. I’ve got a gorgeous, panda safe bamboo one that insulates my hot beverages better than any disposable cup. And in recent months, you can also get bonuses from some cafés for having a reusable cup – I get an extra stamp on my card at Café Nero each time, so I’m an extra step closer to my free drink. I think Costa has a similar scheme. Also, reusable bags! The amount of plastic bags we get through as a country is absolutely disgusting, so I always carry several folded in the bottom of my bag. Primark sell them for £1 each and they are bigger than the average 5p bag, so you don’t need as many. When you’re out and about, thinking about your plastic output will save you money, as well as saving the environment.

2. Go through your bathroom!

The bathroom is the WORST place for plastic waste. Face Wipes, toothbrushes, bottles, jars, and everything in between. But it can be quite fun to find new and inventive ways to cut down your plastic output in there. So here’s a breakdown of what I’ve managed to cut back on so far:

• Wipes. Be that facial, baby or other. Use toilet paper, or get some bamboo or microfibre flannels and use them with micellar or regular water to remove makeup – they feel just as gentle, but actually work better to get makeup off because they have longer fibres so exfoliate your skin at the same time as cleansing it. Then you can just chuck them in the washing machine after a couple of uses. That’s right, you can use them twice (or more if you’re smart about how you store them) by rinsing them out or using a gentle soap like dove to clean them. I use B&Ms bamboo cloths, and at pence each, they will save you SO much money!

• Toothbrushes! These are something that’s meant to be changed every 3 months. So that’s four toothbrushes a year. Per PERSON. Times that by seven billion and you have a LOT of plastic waste going straight to landfill and/or the ocean each year. A bamboo toothbrush is a great alternative. The bristles are softer, and if you’re a heavy brusher like myself you’ll probably have to replace it more often than every three months; but as they are not plastic, and cost far less than most conventional plastic toothbrushes, you’ll not feel bad about switching them up regularly.

• Bottles & Jars. This is your shampoo; Your shower gel; Your face masks; your body butters. These are, in most cases, recyclable. So don’t be lazy and put them in the bin. Carry them to your recycling container and put them in it!
• Cotton Buds. These can be made of plastic or paper. I ALWAYS choose paper. If there’s a plastic free alternative, I wonder, why waste your time buying the plastic variant? I’m living in hope that if we don’t buy the plastic items, the shops eventually wont stock them.
• Sanitary wear. (Scroll past this to point 3 if you don’t want to read in too much detail, as I am sharing my experience, blood and all) Before you turn your nose up in disgust, please read the articles on google about the dangers of disposable pads. It’s scary. And I’d much rather reduce my risk of thrush, endometriosis, CANCER, and painful cramps – thank you very much. It cost me around £50 for a set of pads; and although I only used them for three periods before I fell pregnant, they changed my LIFE! Here’s a few reasons I love them:
  • I felt cleaner, despite there not being any perfumes to mask that odour; because they do have a waterproof external lining so when you’ve got all your clothes on you don’t notice any smells at all.
  • It was like having a pair of fleecy, supersoft knickers on, and that’s awesome when you want to feel comfortable at your most ‘vulnerable’ time of the month.
  • They didn’t make me itch! I’ve got to be honest, the disposable ones were awful. Even the “Cotton feel” ones were itchy as hell and really not pleasant.
  • They didn’t move around half as much as I expected. No more than a usual pad.
  • I’ve saved a TON of money! Unfortunately mother nature blessed me with the heaviest periods I’ve heard of compared to females I’ve spoken to. Which meant even the heaviest pads on the market were not enough of a match for me. I had to change them every couple of hours for four to five days, and wear an extra pair of shorts between my underwear and my pyjamas at night as I’d ALWAYS leak. Now, not only have I not had to buy as much because I wash and re-use the pads, but also because they are actually more absorbent so I didn’t have to change them as much. And guess what? I haven’t leaked since as the night-time ones are HUGE!

  There’s still a few items I’m trying to find alternatives for. I’m looking into a safety razor instead of disposables, and also toothpaste tubes – as some of these are not recyclable, which makes me a little bit angry, every time I brush my teeth.

3. Go through the kitchen.

I’ve put a blanket ban on cling film, opting for tin foil instead as it can be recycled. I use storage tubs for food instead of wrapping them – it keeps them much fresher too. I always try to make sure the food I buy is wrapped in as little plastic as possible – although the supermarkets really do need to do more to combat this. I also look at the packaging of food to see if it is recyclable before I buy it now. It drives my husband nuts but we aren’t filling our bin up anywhere near as much and the recycling is usually overflowing each week because I’m so scrutinous. I limit the amount that goes in the bin, recycling every scrap I can – boxes, jars, bottles etc. I always use a food waste bin for compostable leftovers (that wont get eaten) along with peels, shells, teabags and other biodegradable food waste.

4. Don’t be lazy!

As I’ve said previously; it takes a lot to change your habits. If you want to change them, you can’t be lazy. You need to have the drive to do it. Just look at all the heartbreaking photos of animals being killed by plastic that are readily available online. If that still isn’t enough, watch blue planet 2. You’ll soon be sorting through your rubbish and rethinking the way you shop, eat, and clean your teeth.

The “rubbish” I brought downstairs from bedroom and bathroom bins that CAN be recycled!

5. Share your progress.

Social media is a fantastic way to share how you’re getting on, with the “5 minute beach clean-up”; “no excuse for single” use and “plastic free” movements being just a few to join in with. Using the hash-tags and spreading awareness to others is just as helpful as the act of recycling. If it trends on social media, more people will get involved and we’ll be living in a healthier world before we know it.

As always, thank you for reading. I know this is a much longer and slightly different blog post than usual, but what’s the point in me making all these changes if I don’t share them with the world? (See point 5). And I know that a lot of you may be wondering about my pregnancy, and how I’m going to bring my baby up in an eco-friendly environment. Well, I’ve been doing my research on biodegradable nappies, wipes and other baby products; and rest assured, if there’s plastic that can be avoided while taking care of my baby; then it will most definitely be avoided! If you’ve come up with any ways to reduce your plastic output, I’d love to hear them. As usual, please drop me a comment or reach me on social media.

Guess What?!

Hey guys! It seems this year has been a bit of a rollercoaster. What with house moves and weddings and funerals taking up most of the first half of the year. When we thought we were safe to relax and enjoy the rest of the year without too much in the way of drama, along came a little surprise.

If you’ve seen my social media posts (Instagram and Twitter), then you’ll already know what I’m about to say. I’m going to be a mum! Yep. My husband and I are expecting our first (very unexpected) child. It was totally unplanned but we are both thrilled. The timing was a little early (first time anything in my life has happened early tbh!) but clearly somebody up there wanted it to happen now… (I’m looking at you, Luci!) So now hubby and I are both trying to settle in to the idea of being mum and dad, so soon after becoming husband and wife.

So if you were wondering where I’d been, I’ve sort of been in hiding. I was far too excited; and knew if I started writing a blog post I’d end up spilling the beans before we were ready to tell everyone. But now you know; and I’ll be on here more often (hopefully) throughout my pregnancy with a few more posts. Because at least now if I mention it in an off-topic post, I wont have let any cats out of the bag. They’re long gone now!

 

5 things: The Wedding Edition

So, as if I haven’t talked about it enough, I got married in May. It was quite an event, and I thought I’d share with you the 5 most important things I learned in the run up to the big day, and afterwards too. So here you go:

1. Learn what to DIY and what to Buy.

It sounds obvious, but it’s definitely worth thinking about. Short story: I was going to DIY a whole load of little crates for the centrepieces. I worked out the cost of the wood and the time it would take to make them. Then I went on eBay and realised I could get some exactly the right size for half the price of the materials without any production time. That saved me SO much money/time/stress.

2. Planning a wedding is a great time to engage with family & Friends

I rebuilt connections. I built bridges. And we hosted a couple of pre-marriage parties that introduced people from different circles. My social life now is so great compared to a year ago and building bridges with the important people in my life really was worth it.

3. Don’t waste money on extra food.

I made a candy cart and a cheese tower. We took 90% of it home with us. Seriously, it’s really not worth it.

The photo booth however? Totally worth the infinitesimal amount of money for some props – photos below. (I bought some cardboard props from eBay, and used a bunch of stuff from my dress up box, with an old curtain as a backdrop)

4. Enjoy the planning, and the day.

It takes up so much of your life, that when it’s finally there, it’s over so quickly and you feel a little empty afterwards. I had a few plans made for after the wedding so I didn’t feel too lost, and our honeymoon wasn’t until July so we had something to look forward to. Some of the best parts of the planning for me were my husband and I choosing the songs for our playlist, makeup trials, and getting all the girls together for dressing up sessions. On the day, I had only three alcoholic drinks. Keeping a clear head was totally worth it as I can remember 3very minute detail of the day and it’s something I can cherish.

5. The honeymoon period DOES exist.

I thought it was just a saying. But if you truly love your partner, there will be magic on the day. And magic for quite a while after. You will both feel it. My husband and I have never been closer than since we got married. It sounds totally daft, and I never believed it myself because we’ve been together for 11 years. I just assumed it would be just another day. Wrong. It was so unbelievably special!

So there you have it. 5 wedding tips for all you brides (or grooms) to be. Good luck!

Spreading the Love.

So, I feel rather shocked. A blogger whom I follow – the lovely Kelly over at “This, Tatt and the Other” – wrote a blog post on Friday. Nothing unusual. Except it was about me! Now thankfully it was a lovely post, and the thing that sparked it was a simple tag on my Instagram.

I’ve always felt like people should get credit where it’s due, and you might notice a few tags on my Instagram from time to time. None of them are ads, none of them are endorsed. If I like something, I feel everyone deserves to know. Anyway, Kelly wrote about me because on a post a few weeks ago, she was writing about bikinis and despite my zero belly confidence, she inspired me to give the world the finger and wear one.

I’ve been hiding in swimsuits since my late teens when I saw holiday photos of my inherently wobbly belly in a bikini, which made me say “never again”. All through my twenties I’ve been wearing swimsuits. And her post made me realise that actually, who cares? I don’t care about what people think of the rest of my clothes, so why should my swimwear be any different?

So anyway, I’m not really here to write about bikinis, but to show how powerful things like a simple tag can be. You never know how far that tag will go. That’s the beauty of the internet. So my point here is, don’t let a good blog post go to waste. Tag bloggers and let them know they’ve inspired you. Tag brands and let them know you love their product. Tag people and let them know you love them. Just spread the love. I implore you. It really is worth it when you see the internet become such a positive thing, used for the good in the world instead of spreading hatred.

So, go forth and get tagging!