Spring has sprung....

For those wondering this photo was taken in St Fagans

Yes Spring is finally here, I feel like I can shake off all the cobwebs & throw back the curtains. This Easter is our last Easter as an twosome which I find incredible, I can't believe that in 5 weeks time we get to meet little Alffie, the one that has been kicking me none stop & having all sorts of what feels like parties in my belly. I feel like I'm as prepared for Motherhood as I possibly could be & I have no doubt in my mind that Martyn will be nothing less than an amazing Father. I do feel sad that my Dad isn't here to meet his Grandson & play with him & be silly with him like he used to with me, but even if he isn't here he still will be part of his life, not only in his middle name but I will make sure to share all our wonderful adventures & stories with Alffie. I feel like I have heaps still to do, but Martyn has the decorating under control & we have the bulk of things needed as well as a whole wardrobe filled with clothes (Alffie has more clothes than me!!) so it's just a matter of waiting I guess. Just waiting. I'll be sure to show you around his beautiful nursery as soon as Marty finished painting it & I finish faffing around in there (faffing is obviously what I do best). 

I hope you all have a fantastic Easter filled with lots of family merriment & fantastic food. 

Post pregnancy shopping....

Not that I'm counting or anything but today I officially have 5 weeks & 4 days left! With the time growing closer I'm getting more & more excited not only to meet my little Alffie but to also not have swollen feet, not waddle like a duck when I'm walking & be able to eat pate! It's the little things really. I'm actually over joyed at the thought of wearing normal human clothes again too as apposed to being constantly in sweat pants & pjs (I feel like a flump). I have an ever growing list on Asos & Topshop & I can barely contain my excitement at the though of dressing pretty & wearing nice jeans again. So as I'm on strict "rest" today, I thought I'd do what I do best & compile a little want list of all the lovely things I have saved away ready to be ordered for when I pop. 

Everything is from Topshop

Life Lately....

The best yummy homemade hot chocolate ever! Complete with salted caramel & mallows, A healthy yummy breakfast, Cute little fox jumper for Alffie from Boots, Mega curly hair with Mac's Relentlessly Red Lipstick, Valentines day gifts! Some little treats from Debenhams, A messy Gertie before she was groomed & a naught Gertie after!

I thought it had been a while since I had posted a little life update, I haven't been up to all that much lately, mainly thinking about Alffie & getting lots of bits ready for when he's here & packing my hospital bag...what a palava that is turning in to! I think if I took a whole suitcase of stuff with me I'd still manage to forget something! I'm thinking of doing a blog post on what I'm actually taking maybe it will help other soon to be Mums because I know I've struggled terribly. The due date is looming every closer though, D Day is May 12th (fingers crossed he is born on that day or maybe before?!) I know I'm getting more & more anxious as it approaches. 

Moving on from all things preggo related, My beautiful little Gertie had her first grooming session last week, she looks so beautiful but even more gangerly & tiny than before! I miss her messy fluffy mane! If your in South Wales I'd defiantly check out Doggy Do's in Port Talbot not only is it one of the most affordable groomers that I've found but the groomer Simone is so friendly & really has a passion for what she does, she really put my nervous little fluff ball at ease & has done an excellent job. 

I forgot to mention that this valentines I was extremely spoil! Not only did Martyn buy me a gorgeous River Island handbag I'd had my eye on for a while but also he gave me a gorgeous little hamper filled with lots of goodies like chocolates, a mug, Yankee tarts, bucks fizz & more! We had a fantastic meal & snuggled on the sofa all night after a lush bubble bath complete with face masks, we sat & laughed the whole time, it's little moments like that, that make me so happy & really cherish & appreciate how amazing he really is! 

I'll be sure to do one of these updates each month, especially when my phone is groaning at the amount of photos I take! I do love photo diary style blog posts. 

Redecorating & Room Inspiration....

So before my little Alffie bear gets here me & Martyn (mainly me because I'm a massive nag) have decided to redecorate our bedroom, now there's nothing wrong with it we just left it as it was when we moved in (it had been freshly painted a neutral off white color) we are slowly making our way through our house & putting our stamp on everything. So for our bedroom as it's going to be our very own little slice of heaven especially when Alffie get's here & one of us wants a nap or to just chill out for an hour before bed or when I'm using my breast pump in between feeds I want our room to feel as luxurious as possible, with deep colors to contrast against the crisp white walls & be really set off against our black bedroom furniture. As far as color goes i'm pretty sure we're sold on getting a deep purple as a feature wall, it was going to be a dark grey but there's something warm & inviting about a deep dark purple shade that has caught my eye & I thin will really set off the black furniture. We haven't officially decided on what color yet, I feel we'll defiantly have a patchy wall where we experiment with some tester pots at the end of march! 

Furniture wise, I already have two Kullen chest of draws from Ikea that are in a dark blackish shade so we are keeping all the furniture black, & I plan on getting these beautiful bedside tables & Malm dresser  from Ikea too just as extra storage. We also plan on getting a new bed & mattress from Ikea too which I think my back will be singing hallelujah for! 

I defiantly plan on getting some deep plum/berry shade accessories & I'm slowly picking up bits as I go, I found some gorgeous things so far from B&M, Asda's Home range, The Range & H&M home, I'll be sure to show you before & after pictures & I'm keeping note of where & how much all the bits I'm getting cost so you can expect a giant home ware haul/room tour style post in the coming months. I'm so excited to creature a beautiful space for us both to really chill out in & an environment that will hopefully be calming to new born Alffie. Also I've been posting a ton of room/home inspo on my Pinterest lately so be sure to keep an eye on there if your interesting in home decor as much as I am. 

The Perfect Pamper Evening....

Being a big old preggo whale that I am at the moment, I can't seem to get enough of having a chill out in the tub. Thankfully my fiancee is amazing & happily runs me a bubble bath & lights all the candles, as well as even supplying me with a face mask & magazine (yes he really is the best, I suspect it's a ploy to play some Fifa in peace without me asking a bazillion questions). I feel nothing helps me unwind more than when I'm soaking in a giant bubble bath with a face mask on. I feel like every Mother to be should have a bit of "me" time before the little one arrives, especially when you can't see your toes & you're some how tired just by sweeping the floor. These are some of my bath time essentials;

It's pure bliss just sat soaking away turning in to a prune, I know I'm defiantly going to get my big shares worth of "me time" bubble baths now before my little kicking spud arrives. Although Martyn has vowed that this is something I need to do at least one night a week even after Baby Alffie arrives, I think everyone needs a bit of me time & even more so when you've got nappies up to your eye balls. 

Be Mine This Valentines 2015....

So with January out the way it seems like Valentines day & Easter looms upon us. Part of me loves Valentines day & part of me very much loathes it. I hate to sound like an 87year old granny here but it seems like Valentines day is all about what present your going to get when in actual fact that's so far from from what Valentines day is about it's silly. Granted I have bought the handsome Marty some presents but I haven't gone crazy, if money were no object I'd have a brand new Nissan Qashqai turning up but the reality is things take more of a priority & I honestly believe as long as you do something special no matter how small (I for instance de-iced Martyn's car the s'morning & made him a peanut butter & banana cinnamon bagel) just to let that person know you care, then that is all it's about. So forget about the Michael Kors watch or rings from Pandora & just buy a big box of chocolates, each of your favorite films & snuggle up together! I know we most certainly will be! We decided against going out for a fancy meal & instead I'm cooking the starter & Marty is cooking the main, followed by a box of chocolates from Hotel Chocolat & our duvet on the sofa....that to me is bliss. Oh & not forgetting a bubble bath & face mask session together. If it's one thing that I've learned that's togetherness is the most important thing, no matter how big or how small a deal you decide to make, as long as your together then that's all that counts. So if your doing something with your Boyfriend, Fiancee, Grandpa, Mother, Best friend, Nanna, Girlfriend or hey even your dog! Just remember I'm with you on the non soppy a dozen roses side of things! 

If you do want some ideas on what to get your other half, I'd say stick to a budget (I know I have!) & remember it's more about the sentiment than the cost. 

Save or Splurge?

Florence Anne Blackcurrant & Fig Eau De Toilette 

Florence Anne Blackcurrant & Fig Candle 

Now we all love a bit of luxury & we all love a splurge, but when I find a dupe that not only packs a punch but has a great price I can't help but to get excited. So at Christmas time whilst browsing the various scents & candles that Jo Malone has to offer I fell in love with the Blackberry & Bay Cologne, but I didn't fall in love with the £82 - per 100ml price tag. But hay it's Christmas right? We all love something special at Christmas time. Before deciding if I wanted to buy the fragrance I decided to pop to Boots & have a look around at all the gift sets when I happened to stumble upon the Florence Anne Fragrance section, now I'd never heard of this brand within Boots before but I couldn't help but to notice how the style of the range was slightly similar to Jo Malone. I went on smelling the candles & spraying away at the perfumes. That's when I found the Blackcurrant & Fig perfume & boy was I blown away! The scent is gorgeous & starts of smelling quite fresh but gets fruitier as it matures. It's priced at £10 per 45ml they also have candles in the range that start at £12. Which obviously is quite a difference in comparison to the Jo Malone range. 

Now by no means am I saying that this little brand beats Jo Malone because it quite obviously doesn't but it does slightly rival it, it has the look & most certainly has the scent. I think it would make a lovely gift especially package wise, it's really pretty. So maybe before jumping in & splashing out on Jo Malone on a perfume you might only wear once or twice, or purchasing a candle you'll be crying every time you light. I urge you to pop to Boots & give this range a try, because I can guarantee you'll certainly be as surprised as much as I was. 

Current Beauty Wants...

So Christmas has come & gone & I got some amazing beauty presents to tick off my ever growing list. Since it's my birthday in January I think it's acceptable to place a cheeky Debenhams order (or two) I made this little want list to keep me happy until payday rolls around. Although it seems to be ever growing, thank god for the "save for later" button! I sense this is going to be a year of beauty & new discoveries for me, needless to say I'm excited even if my bank balance & Fiancee isn't. 

Too faced Chocolate Bar Pallet

Too faced Chocolate soleil bronzer

Too faced absolutely invisible candlelight face powder

Mac Lipstick in Honeylove

Mac Studio Fix Fluid

Mac Fix Plus

Yankee Candle in Wild Fig

Montagne & Jeunesse Face Masks

Laura Mercier Creme De Pistachio Honey bath

Laura Mercier Fresh Fig Honey Bath

Hello 2015.....

So 2014 was a bit of a mixed bag it most certainly had it's ups & downs but one thing is for sure I've moved in to 2015 with a far more level headed & positive attitude. If 2014 has taught me anything it's to be thankful & grateful for what you have & I'm not talking about makeup & clothes. I mean the things that really matter like the people you love. The two biggest highlights of my year have to be moving house & finding out we are having a baby. Two major life changing things that couldn't have come at a better time & made us anymore happy than we are. We also found out on Christmas eve that we are having a baby boy, We have chosen his name & now that Christmas is out the way we can start buying & prepping ready for him to arrive, he's due May 12th 2015 but if he makes an appearance on that day is another thing completely. We are both so excited for him that I honestly feel like I could burst, I feel like we've moved on from being just a couple to actually being a little family which makes me so happy, to finally have something to call ours & something to turn our house in to a home. Speaking of which, it's an absolute godsend to be living in a house that isn't full of damp & isn't crumbling down! We actually have a garden, a beautifully big kitchen & three lovely bedrooms. I no longer feel cramped for space & feel like every day is a battle to see which chunk of wallpaper is going to fall off next. Our new home is so peaceful & perfect as well as being warm & cosy, it's the perfect place for our little family to grow & flourish. It doesn't need a mass amount of work but slowly we are moving through each room, upgrading furniture & putting our own stamp on things.

I have made new years resolutions this year & one of them is to defiantly blog more, I can see myself using this little basic blog to grow & escape each evening when I'm up to my eyeballs in dirty nappies. I feel like as I've changed as a person where life isn't all about  makeup, I can transition in sharing more lifestyle posts & Baby updates. The other aren't quite as interesting as "try more lipstick shades" or "make more cookie for everyone in work" but rather to never take anything for granted & to appreciate each day as it comes.