PREGNANCY #2: Tips for Surviving the First Trimester

The first trimester of pregnancy is hard, women often have morning sickness, sore boobs and tiredness to a whole new level! In your first pregnancy you can nap when you want to (work permitting of course), book in for relaxing pregnancy massages and generally look after yourself. However, second/third/fourth/fifth time you're pregnant those are often all luxuries of the past. This time around you have a child/ren to look after; one that doesn't sit still, always listen to instructions and is generally exhausting. Personally, I've found being pregnant second time around a lot harder as I'm not able to look after myself and other than the sickness I often forget I'm even pregnant.

PREGNANCY #2: 21 Week Update

Baby has been doing a lot of kicking again this week and guess what? We felt her kick from the outside for the first time!!! I first felt her kick from the outside on the day I turned 21 weeks and then my husband felt her the next day. There are still so many kicks I consider 'big' that my husband can't feel yet, but I'm beyond excited that we both finally felt the kicks.

CRAFT: DIY Story Telling Character Sticks

If your child is anything like mine then they'll love 'reading' books and having books read to them. Isabella really enjoys looking at the pictures, telling me what various things are and listening to us reading. A fun way of bringing books alive for children is to make these character sticks. They're easy and cheap to make, while being fun and educational. Though Isabella can't speak properly yet, she isn't far off and has really started to join in with familiar songs. It won't be long before she'll be able to join in with traditional stories and these character sticks are perfect for supporting that skill.

PREGNANCY #2: Gender Reveal

Last week we had our 20 week scan at the hospital, it was magical watching the baby wriggle around and beginning to get all squashed up in their. I worried that things wouldn't feel quite as special this time around, but I was so wrong. This pregnancy is filled with just as much excitement, magic and incredible moments. When I was pregnant with Isabella we decided to have a private gender scan at 17 weeks, which was later confirmed at the 20 week scan.

PREGNANCY #2: 20 Week Update

Half way! I know everyone says this, but I seriously can't believe I'm already half way through this pregnancy. It both excites and terrifies me, while all becoming a lot more real. As I've mentioned before this pregnancy isn't anything like my first, there's barely a moment to stop and embrace pregnancy. I'm certainly not complaining, Isabella is the reason why I simply can't concentrate on this pregnancy as much but it just means that time flies.

RECIPE: Warming Halloumi and Vegetable Bake

What did the cheese say when it looked in the mirror? HALLOUMI! Sorry for the cheesy joke...I couldn't help myself. Halloumi has fast become my favourite cheese (probably thanks to Nandos!), but up until recently I haven't been very adventurous with cooking it at home. Aside from grilled tomatoes and halloumi I don't really cook 'main meals' with it. That's how this meal came about - it's a 'clear the fridge out' kind of meal, as well as being a nice centre piece for a dinner party. You can swap and change the vegetables in the base in accordance to what you need to use up - don't you love meals like that? Onto the recipe...

PARENTING: Pushing outside of your comfort zone

Recently I did something that I never really thought I'd do - I went swimming with Isabella. Now, that may not sound like a lot, but for someone who has never been completely happy with how they look it was a pretty big step. For months now I've watched Isabella and my husband go swimming together, they always look like they're having so much fun and there's me watching from the outside. Every time they go swimming I sit there convincing myself I'll go the next time, but do I? No.

TODDLER CRAFT: Play Food for Pennies

Play food can be expensive, but is often enjoyed for many hours by toddlers and children alike. If you're looking at buying some play food then why not try this quick DIY craft activity first? Your children can get involved in making them and they are ready to play with within a few hours. Salt dough is widely used over the festive period for Christmas decorations or capturing little ones hand/footprints. However, salt dough is a brilliantly cheap way of making items for children to play with too. A bag of plain flour is around 40p and table salt is only 29p (prices from ASDA), therefore you can make salt dough play food for pennies!

PREGNANCY #2: 19 Week Update

This week has been all about the movements, causing me both so much worry and so much delight. At the start of the week the kicks weren't as apparent, perhaps because I was so busy at work so didn't have the time to concentrate on monitoring it. By Tuesday I was really starting to worry and decided to share my worry with my husband. Just as I said it the baby kicked a good strong kick and hasn't stopped since! I think it has been doing a fair bit of growing this week as I can really feel the kicks and now have that uncomfortable feeling under my ribs when leaning over. I spend most of my time forgetting I'm pregnant, so when I suddenly feel a kick/movement it really makes me jump. That is until I remember that there's a baby growing!

TIPS AND TRICKS: January Sale Shopping for Children

If you've read my blog for a while then you'll know I'm a big fan of sale shopping, especially for my daughters. Who doesn't want to save 50%+ off RRP? I fill Isabella's (and now Poppy's) wardrobe with sale purchases every year, which means I only have to properly shop for her twice a year - summer and winter.

PREGNANCY #2: 18 Week Update

This week has flown by, as we were back to the nursery/work routine. It's been exhausting getting up at 5.50am again, but Isabella has loved being back at nursery and seeing her friends. In all honesty a lot of this week I've forgotten I'm even pregnant, which seems to be a reoccurring theme in this pregnancy. Is that a second/third/fourth pregnancy thing? I just don't have much time to concentrate on 'being pregnant'! When I was pregnant with Isabella I would obsessively check all of the pregnancy apps I had downloaded, yet this time I'll probably check them once or twice a week.

PREGNANCY #2: Early Symptoms

(Our early scan at 8 weeks)

I wrote this blog post back when I had first found out I was pregnant. Back when I had no idea what was to come.

A few days ago I found out some both exciting and terrifying news...we're pregnant with our second baby! Exciting because we're having another little bundle of joy, yet terrifying because life with two children must be challenging at times. This baby is very much planned and wanted, so when that faint second line appeared we were both so excited.

HAUL: Toddler January Sale Shopping

The sales have well and truly begun, both online and in-store, in fact many sales are beginning to increase in reduction value now. Every year I start buying Isabella's wardrobe for the next year, so most of these purchases were in 2-3 years. There are even some pieces for our baby due in June, the clothes are so teeny tiny! Other than Next I did all of this sale shopping online over Christmas Eve to the day after Boxing Day. Now putting together the pieces into this post I've realised that I haven't really got Isabella any Christmassy clothes for next year, so I'll be keeping an eye of for further reduced items over the next few weeks.

Zara