How many of us have been left with stretch marks after the birth of our children, and despite knowing that they are there to show the journey our body has been on, we still wish them away?

This short poem aims to put the meaning back into each little mark, and highlights the importance of each one, and the job it may have done. By thinking about what you would have to 'trade in' for each mark, it may help you to see their true value...

A poem about stretch-marks 

What if every mark is just a symbol for the parts of you that grew...

Dutch products in the UK | Bringing a piece of Holland Home

What do you imagine when you think of Holland? Tulips…windmills…clogs…canals…hundreds of bicycles?

Disclosure: Paid partnership with DutchGrown

My husband was born and raised in Noord-Holland, in a small town called Bergen, where my parents-in-law still live. I spent every Xmas between 2005-2013 there (halted only by my first child being due on the 23rd Dec 2014, and then making us wait another 2 weeks before arrival!) plus some special occasions in-between, such as, Lichtes Avond, Sinterklaas and Koningsdag. 

 My husband proposed to me at the Ruinekerk – not his original plan, it should have been in the sand dunes - but I’ll tell you about that story another time! I visited wedding dress designers, Dutch cheese markets and shipped home tiny little love heart shaped sweets and Wilhelmina mints as wedding favours. Although I’m terrible at languages, and no amount of books, CDs and ‘only speak Dutch’ days have helped me – there are some words I only know in Dutch, having learnt them first in Holland! Imagine my confusion when attempting to buy a new blade for my shower screen wiper and referring to it as a ‘trekker’ in the UK (for those confused as to why I didn’t learn this word before, I grew up with just a bath at home, no shower. I met my husband at University which is when I left home).

Tips for getting ready to sell your home

Preparing for putting your house on the market? Maybe you are getting ready to sell your house, or maybe you are looking to buy a new home. Whatever the case may be, you will want to make sure that your house is in good condition and is looking its best. Here are some tips for getting your house ready for sale...
 

Disclosure: This is a collaborative post

Selling your house is a big decision. The process can be time-consuming and stressful, but it's worth it when you find the perfect buyer.Homeowners are often surprised by the amount of time and money it takes to get a house ready for selling, but the time you spend preparing your house for sale can save you money in the long run, and get you more money when it sells.

Before you list, here are some things to do to make your house stand out from the rest, and a few things to check before you take the decision to sell your house...

September 2021 - update

It's a new academic year and lots has happened in the last couple of months! There have been some highs and some lows...

From buying/selling houses, to illnesses, birthdays and new school starters we have crammed quite a few emotions into the last few week...

First Day of School Poem

A Poem for your First Day of School ...

Femme Luxe Finery | August Edit

Disclosure: Ad: Paid Partnership with Femme Luxe

With the weather heating up this month and things opening back up again, I decided to include a couple of dresses and shorter tops on my Femme Luxe fashion edit this time! With the prospect of moving house to a 'doer upper' and also a couple of parties in the pipeline, I chose some items which could be suitable for a bit of DIY, lounging around and dressing up!

Semi-Permanent Eyebrow Healing Journey | Emergency Removal

At the end of last year I went for my first 'powder brow' session at a Yorkshire based beauty salon. Unfortunately I was unable to have the treatment as planned as I was informed once there that I needed to have stopped breastfeeding for AT LEAST 2 weeks before I had the semi-permanent eyebrow tattoo. I ended up going back in April this year for my first session, which I was happy with, and this blog post and video shows the healing process. A few weeks ago I went back for my top up session and I'm afraid to say that this wasn't a positive result and I ended up having emergency tattoo pigment removal using 'Botched Ink' 24 hours later...

I had saved up for semi-permanent Ombre / Powder Brows for a while, but had always put off booking a session because I was so worried that I would come away with brows that I hated, were uneven, the wrong shape or the wrong colour. Read on to find out what happened and why I ended up needing emergency removal....

School readiness – preparing your child for Reception Class

School readiness…its something you’ll probably hear quite a lot if you have a child who is preparing to start Reception Class in September, but what does it actually mean??

How can we, as parents, make sure that we are helping and not hindering when preparing our 4 year olds for big school?

Most of my Teaching career was spent teaching Reception, and so this is something I thought long and hard about when passing on information to Parents. What would I hope, as their Teacher, they could do already? What sort of things would I discuss in the Parents meetings for new starters? Where would my expectations be bearing in mind I don’t yet know the children or what level they are at?

Its not what you might expect….

July 2021 - quick update

It has been a while since I did a little catch up post, so I thought I'd fill you all in on what has been happening over the last couple of months!

 

From birthdays, to classes, product launches to house moves (almost)...its been a busy time!

The first trimester vs the Third trimester - which would you rather?

First trimester or third trimester?....It’s a tricky question isn’t it? And one that you can’t really debate without inevitably spiralling down a path of negativity around all things pregnancy related…BUT…if you’ve been there and you’ve SUFFERED through pregnancy rather than glowed your way through it on a cloud of rainbows, you’ve probably earned the right to have a little moan.*

              *(I have earned this right. I love my children dearly, but I definitely get to have a moan now)

 

There are many wonderful moments throughout pregnancy. Feeling the first kick, hearing the heartbeat, having a positive scan, watching your bump grow and sharing the excitement with family and friends. Most parents-to-be find that the second trimester is the easiest to cope with, as energy levels return and news is generally ‘out in the open’, with a manageable sized baby bump and plenty of time left to plan. Before and after this portion of pregnancy is where some parents can struggle though. Let’s have a look at some of the delights that await, before deciding which you would rather…