Dear Darcie,

Today you turn two! (I’m posting this a week late because I’m forcing myself to stop editing it now. It will never be as perfect as I want it to be, it will never be as perfect as you or as perfect as you deserve, but I hope that one day when you read it, you’ll like it anyway).

I just read back over the letter I wrote to you a year ago today on your first birthday. At the end I wrote ‘You will grow and you will change, but please stay sweet, stay kind and stay you.’ That is exactly what you have done. You have stayed sweet, and you have stayed kind and you are still very much the you that you were last year (just with a little bit more sass!). You have changed and grown so much. I can see it happening right before my eyes and yet you are still so similar in so many ways to the person you were a year ago. (more…)

Have you ever noticed how many different ‘types’ of parent out there? The stereotypes. The labels that some people feel the need to assign to themselves or to others. I’ve read so many articles about ‘The Five Different Types Of Mum You’ll Meet At Soft Play’ or ‘Eight Types Of Mums You Want To Avoid’. I’ve never known which box to put myself into and that used to make me feel lost – where did I fit in? Where is my tribe? But then I realised that actually that doesn’t make me lost, it makes me free. It means I’m parenting on my terms and making each decision for myself not because any clique or parenting rule book is telling me to. (more…)

I’ve been meaning to write this post for a while now, but what with being pregnant and looking after a toddler, time has somehow managed to slip away from me in that way that it always does! In a way it is good that I am writing this at 34 weeks pregnant as I have now had almost my entire pregnancy to think about what have been my favourite maternity items and products throughout this time. It’s so easy to spend your pregnancy thinking solely about the arrival of your little one, after all that is the most exciting part! But it’s also important to remember to look after yourself while you are doing the most important job of all – growing your baby. Most of these items are related to being comfortable and treating yourself, which are obviously two very important things for any expecting mum. (more…)

There is so much pressure out there to love your pregnant body. We see it everywhere, from advertising campaigns for maternity wear to the mum you barely know at baby group telling you how marvellous the pregnant form is. And don’t get me wrong, I think it’s wonderful that we are encouraged to celebrate the changes that are happening to our bodies as they grow beautiful healthy babies and prepare to give birth. But what about when you just don’t love your pregnant body? What if no matter how hard you try, you just can’t? What about the days when you feel huge and swollen and yet the world is still insisting that you celebrate? And on those days, funnily enough, having a perfect stranger tell you (directly or indirectly) that you must love your pregnant body -doesn’t help. I hated my body during pregnancy the first time around, and so this time I was more determined than ever to try to celebrate it. Frankly, that hasn’t gone to plan and I’m sitting here feeling as if I resemble a whale and mourning the time when my clothes actually fit me.  (more…)

I know, I know. I’m 33 weeks pregnant and only just getting around to sitting down and writing my second trimester update. (Sort it out Hanna!). I know I’ll kick myself if I don’t record this pregnancy on here, time is running away from me so I’m really going to try to include more pregnancy related content over the next couple of months. I could come up with a million excuses as to why my pregnancy content has been lacking but I think it basically comes down to the fact that this is my second pregnancy, and to be honest most of the time I forget that I am even pregnant at all! Writing about it doesn’t even occur to me because it’s not new to me this time. That has been the main thing that has really struck me throughout this pregnancy, it is SO similar to my first. Unless I’m about to have the surprise of my life when I give birth, you can forget all those myths about how different it is being pregnant with a boy or a girl. For me, it’s been virtually identical.

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Every pregnant woman knows the struggle of finding great maternity clothes. It can be hard enough to pull together a small selection of every day outfits that you feel comfortable in, but the struggle really becomes real when you have a special occasion to attend and nothing nice that fits over your bump. I recently had a maternity photo shoot booked in with the lovely Rebecca Frost Photography which I was so excited for but also totally stumped as to what I was going to wear to make me feel special on the day. That’s where Tiffany Rose Maternity stepped in. Tiffany Rose sell a beautiful selection of maternity dresses, from gorgeous and stylish day wear to ‘the dress of your dreams’ bridal wear.  (more…)