Can you believe how quickly being on the cusp of autumn has turned into the anticipation of winter? As the last of the leaves flutter down and the promise of Christmas beckons with its magic, I can’t help but feel wistful about the unexpected pleasure of a season that I had been apprehensive about. I recently wrote about trauma anniversary reaction, and how autumn holds a sense of melancholy for me. Part…
Thoughts on Turning 30
There is just one month left before I leave my 20s behind. Birthdays are always a time of reflection, and even more so on the precipice of a new decade. Your 20s are the first decade of adulthood, so in many ways it’s a time for finding yourself, discovering who you are and what you want to be. It’s a major transitional period and I love that I can look back at the last…
Loving Your Postpartum Body
A woman’s relationship with her postpartum body is a complex one. It is a body which has given life to another human; a precious new soul, through nourishment and safety. It has endured the intensity of birth. It is truly miraculous and awe inspiring. Then there’s the inevitable changes to a woman’s body that come hand-in-hand with pregnancy and birth, which can be difficult to accept. The weight gain. The stretch marks. The loss…
Making Memories & Messes
What kind of home do you have? What kind of environment do you hope to create? For me, I want to be the kind of mother who makes my children laugh, who says yes to adventures, running barefoot in the garden and indoor picnics. Who gets up and dances with them, builds forts and plays with water indoors, jumps on beds and makes messes with them. I want to be a mother who creates a…
Documenting Family Life
When Henry was born, I did what any new parent does – I took thousands of photographs. I wanted to capture every detail, every marvellous curve and feature of this miraculous little being that Matt and I had created. I was enthralled by him, mesmerised by his miniature perfection. Before I knew it, I had thousands upon thousands of photographs of the most precious person in my life. It didn’t…
What I’m Reading: Books to Inspire
Around this time last year, I talked about three books that have inspired me and helped me to lead a more fulfilling life. Today’s post is a continuation of that, with another collection of books that have enhanced my outlook on life and led to some positive changes. Simplicity Parenting Much like The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying, Simplicity Parenting focuses on stripping away unnecessary distractions and reclaiming space and freedom,…
2015: A Year of Change
Wishing all of my readers a wonderful New Year! I hope the festive period bought you much merriment and that the arrival of 2016 has been met with excited anticipation. The end of a year always serves as a reminder to reflect on the months gone by – what has changed, the highs and lows, the hopes and wishes for the year ahead. 2015 has felt the fastest year of…
Our Christmas in Virginia
I hope you all had the most wonderful Christmas and that this festive season has been filled with joy and happiness. Mine was spent with Matt and the children, and for the first time in my life, I didn’t spend Christmas Day with my parents and brothers. Having grown up in a big family, which is even larger now with my sister-in-laws and five nieces and nephews (there’s 16 of…
A Magical Christmas
Just two nights until Christmas! December seems to have flown by and now the most magical day of the year is almost upon us. It’s always been my favourite part of the year. My birthday on the 3rd December always signals the start of festivities as it’s become a tradition to put up the tree in the evening. Each year, Matt and I open a bottle of champagne, press play…
Richmond, Virginia
After an eight hour flight and a two hour drive from Washington airport, the three of us finally arrived in Richmond, Virginia – our new home for the next two years. Weary but excited, we hauled our four suitcases (our only possessions for the next month) up two flights of stairs and opened the door into our new apartment. The next morning, we watched the sun rise over the lake…
What I’m Reading – Children’s Literature
I was an avid reader as a child – much more so than I am now. My collection of hundreds of books held the secrets of other worlds hidden within their pages, waiting to be devoured and relished. We couldn’t afford to go on holiday when I was growing up, so I spent my summers curled up in the shadows of trees, exploring foreign lands through literature. Lately, I’ve found…
Our Last Week In England
Our last week in England… It feels surreal to even write those words, the chasm between concept and reality still an endless distance apart. It has been a week of heightened emotions, exhaustion, love and tears. We’ve said a lot of goodbyes and each one has been painful. To our home, where we have created so many memories. To William and Noah’s grave, a place we have grown to love, although we…
