Special Ways to Make Your Pregnancy Feel Less Overwhelming and More Memorable

Pregnancy is an incredibly special time in anyone's life. But let's be real... it can also feel completely overwhelming . Between doctor appointments, baby registries, and trying to keep up with normal life and a lot of expecting moms feel like they are running on empty. Having gone through two pregnancies myself, I know first hand how amazing but also stressful this time can be.  Here's the honest truth Most Pregnancies are full of both ups and downs, it can be a rollercoaster, both mentally and physically, and it's ok to be honest about both the parts you enjoy and the parts you don't, thats normal. You also don't have to just "survive" pregnancy, there are ways to slow down and make this season something you'll actually treasure, even when it's exhausting, because one day you will look back fondly on the memories you created during this time. So let's jump in and discuss * Why Pregnancy Feels So Overwhelming * Special Ways To Make Pregna......

Read more »

Simple Tips for Navigating Pregnancy with More Confidence

Pregnancy should be an exciting journey, but it often feels scary and overwhelming , especially with all the differing advice you can find on Google . From planning the month ahead to all the physical changes going on with your body, it is perfectly normal to have a lot of questions and uncertainties on this journey, regardless of whether this is your first or third pregnancy. The good news is that a few practical tips can help you feel more at ease and prepared as your pregnancy progresses. It is important to remember that every experience is different. But there are a few key areas that you can focus on to help your pregnancy be a little smoother and less stressful. To help you on your journey, here are some top tips to consider. Understand your body It can be really beneficial to understand what is going on with your body , and to learn how to listen to it. You are going to notice a lot of things, such as changing appetite, energy levels, moods, sleep patterns and overall comfort as......

Read more »

My pregnancy journeys and Natural Cycles

There are a few things in life that we cannot fully control, while some couples get pregnant very quickly others can not only take months but also years and for a few it's a dream that never seems to become a reality. Everyones journey towards pregnancy and parenthood is different and each come with their own set of highs and lows. Equally there are some who would prefer to not have children wish to wait until its the right time and have a reliable and natural birth control before wanting to start a family. I have never really spoken much about my personal journeys with my two boys but after Natural Cycles got in touch I felt it was a good time to share. If you are regular reader of my blog you will know I much prefer to lead a more natural lifestyle. I rarely take medication, my approach to health is always that of a whole food, organic vegetarian diet and I believe that getting outdoors and into the fresh air is high beneficial for your wellbeing. I did for a brief mo......

Read more »

Instalife

So it's been a pretty busy past few weeks, with the date for the new arrival fast approaching it's also been a pretty exciting time for all of us, plus trying to get organised and on top of things before our life changes forever (again). I thought I would put together a few instagram pics of things that have been making us happy over the past two weeks 1. Kale, beans and egg salad - so simple and so good 2. Looking back at some of the amazing travels we had in 2014 - the two boys on the Left bank Paris 3. A beautiful morning spent in Tenby, West Wales 4. Falling in love with Almond butter 5. Exploring the Welsh coastline 6. Enjoying some yummy breakfast at Premier in on our recent mini break to Tenby 7. A beautiful sunset on a chilly winter evening 8. Me at 38 weeks pregnant 9. Comforting porridge with seeds and cranberries - great way to start the day What have you been getting up to this week? ...

Read more »

A little peek at the nursery

Our little nursery in the eaves is starting to come together We have recently paired up with the lovely people at Laura Ashley to bring a few special touches to our nursery we have been working on and you can see the full tour on the Laura Ashely blog  which is very exciting. Basically a few weeks ago this little room in the eaves was my office space since then we striped it back and slowly turned it into the nursery which is now almost finished. Having given it a coat of paint when we moved in we felt it needed a bit of colour and decided to use some beautiful Laura Ashley wall paper to the one side as well as some cute fabric star bunting to add a touch of texture and fun. We decided to go with a traditional British theme with hark back to the childhood fairytales of Peter Rabbit and Winnie the Pooh - which is actually engraved on this lovely Obaby Gliding crib , which is a slightly larger option to the moses basket we used last time and we are hoping to get a lot......

Read more »

Pregnancy update and Essentials for the Home

Once again I can't believe I am already 35 weeks pregnant although I have to say physically I certainly feel it a bit more now. Keeping active and fit is still very important and we have a few outings planned over the next 2-3 weeks, I just hope we don't run out of time. It's strange but certainly true that each and every pregnancy is different, this time round I don't have the sciatica that I suffered with Mr A but I do have really bad rib pain as well as leg cramps every now and then. Luckily as with the first time I have managed to stay stretch mark free (fingers crossed) although I do swear by using creams throughout the pregnancy - they certainly do seem to help. Nesting has certainly set in and making sure we have everything ready. We kept pretty much all of Mr A's clothing and bedding so thats one less thing to worry about, although we did get rid of some things during the two house moves since having him, including a very useful but simple bouncer. T......

Read more »

Enjoying some sofa time

Really want to cosy up on this stylish sofa ( image) I have to say coming into my 35th week of pregnancy I am really starting to slow down and the energy levels have really seen a drop of late. I have up until this point felt fairly fit and active but the time is coming that I really want to curl up, watch some TV or read a book on a big comfy sofa and embrace a moment of calm before the chaos. Perhaps this more lazy approach to the start of the year is not the best but I am going with it as it's what my body needs right now and I am letting myself enjoy everything that this "down time" has to offer these cold evenings as well as relaxing to some of our records in the record nook. Relaxing in our record nook So for this once I am not going to be beating myself up about not totally keeping track to my New Years resolutions and to be honest I think sometimes we all need to give ourself a break as well as approach things in a realistic manner and with ......

Read more »

Pregnancy Update...33 weeks

Wow so time is really flying by and I cannot believe that on Tuesday next week I will be 34 weeks pregnant. The bump has gotten a little bigger since my last pregnancy post at 31 weeks but I have been dressing it up in my Bibee maternity tunic and pairing it with my new jacket to have something this is very comfortable but not too frumpy either, plus you can interchange the front "bibs" making these dresses very versatile. Great news I also have 15% off any bible dress for my readers, just use the special code side street  Wearing - Bibee Maternity tunic, M&S jacket, Morlands boots and Carlos bag The past month I have also been enjoying some of the delights on offer in my monthly Nonabox which has been a real treat through my pregnancy and it's always lovely receiving a little surprise each moth, especially as things become more uncomfortable as you get further into a pregnancy. it'a also a great way to get a selection of products that you may not......

Read more »

Street Style Sunday - Stripes and Jacket

Laura wears - MS jacket, Uniqlo tee, HM leggings, Morlands boots, Topshop hat, Vintage bag First of all I hope everyone had a fantastic Christmas and New Years and so happy to be starting of the year with another Street Style Sunday with the lovely Natalie from Style Me Sunday . I am sure a lot of you have a few new pieces to share and I was over the moon when I was given this lovely Jacket and wolly hat from the other half for Christmas and couldn't wait to share it. I also treated myself to this striped Paris print tee from Uniqlo and have been keeping my feet warm with these beautiful lines Morlands boots. I love nothing more than indulging in some wooly hats and jumpers at this time of the year. It's been a little bit harder than usual being pregnant in winter as last time I was coming to the end of my pregnancy during summer and would simply buy t-shirts and shirts one size larger but I am still on the lookout for a stylish maternity jacket to see me through t......

Read more »