[Baby] 24 Week Update

The last four weeks have probably been the best of my pregnancy so far. I thinking knowing that we've got a little girl in that ever growing bump of mine has just made everything seem more real. It's also been really exciting to start buying things. We held off until we knew the gender and once we knew for sure that everything is going to be ok. 

We've started work on her nursery. I've painted furniture and a few decorations. The carpet has been steam cleaned and the whole room has had a deep clean. We just need to move out the dressing table and sort through the last few bits and then that room is ready for a cot and all things baby girl. 

I only have just under 7 weeks left at work, which is crazy to think about. Finishing work is when the real countdown begins and I'll start to feel a little more stressed about getting everything ready. 

Her kicks and moving around have got really strong and between the hours of 9 and 10pm she has a little party kicking away, as well as during the day. I've noticed that her kicks are getting higher up which means she'll be under my ribs soon (which every mama tells you about!) Every single kick is amazing and sometimes I'll just sit there staring at her making my belly weird shapes. 

Next week also marks the beginning of lots of hospital/midwife appointments. They seem really spaced out for the first few months and then before you know your diary is filled with appointments. I'm hoping that next week we get to hear her heartbeat at our midwife appointment which is going to be amazing.

Here's to the next 4 weeks. I'm hoping they are as enjoyable as the last 4. 

[Baby] 23 Week Maternity Style

Shirt & dress - New Look

I thought I'd post another maternity style update now my bump is getting bigger. In a way, although certain things don't fit anymore, it's getting easier to dress my bump. I'm now past that awkward "too many cakes" stage and onto the clearly pregnant. I had a few customers at work notice the other day and that's the first I've had. 

I've already decided that body con and midi dresses will be my staple this summer. I'm also thinking that maxi skirts and vest tops will be my friend too. Leaving me cool enough and comfortable too. I think this may be the first time this year I've braved getting my legs out in public now we finally have some lovely weather. 

My jeggings that did fit me so well have now been packed away. Luckily my lovely friend at work (who will be reading this right now, HI! ) gave me a pair of stretchy jeans that she thought would work well and she was so right! I can do them up which makes me happy. I don't think I'm going to bother with maternity jeans now unless I can pick up a pair super cheap. It's hard as I love my jeans so much but I'm looking forward to treating myself to a few new pairs once baby girl is here! 

I'd love to see any maternity style posts. Link me below! 

Follow my maternity style board on Pinterest here.

[Visit] The RHS Chelsea Flower Show

On Saturday my Mama and I along with 24,000 other people visited the RHS Chelsea Flower Show. It's been somewhere my mum has wanted to go for as long as I can remember. After last years show she started saving money up every week so she could afford the tickets and travel and by the time Christmas got here she had enough to book our tickets. It was one of those events that you count down and look forward to and the day really didn't disappoint. 

The day started for us at 4:15 am. We had to get up, get ready and walk down to the coach by 6 am so it was a hideously early start. It took us just over 4 hours to travel down from the East Coast and we arrived in sunny London around 10:30. We were dropped off on Chelsea Bridge Road and walked around the corner, passed beautiful cars with hood ornaments, to the entrance. Our tickets were scanned and we were there. It was an overwhelming feeling of " Wow we are finally here". 

It was busy. Very busy. I'm not a fan of crowds and being 23 weeks pregnant as well meant that being squashed wasn't an option. Luckily there were only a few times when getting through the crowds felt impossible. We went into the Great Pavillion first. The beautiful floral scents hit you as soon as you walked in and all the beautiful colours were a feast for the eyes. I knew that I would end up taking photographs of everything. There's so much inspiration not just for how to style your gardens but colour combinations, shapes and wedding inspiration. We wandered round for an hour or so and then made our way round the Fresh Gardens. Both of us were suprised that the gardens aren't all in a row, show gardens, fresh gardens and trade stalls are all mixed in together. You really don't get a sense of that when you watch on the TV. 

We made our way round the show gardens and then went off into the picnic area for our packed lunch. We settled for a grassy spot where others had settled down too. It was great spot to people watch. Once we finished our lunch we headed into the Artisan gardens. It was really busy and we had to wait for people to move out of the way so we could see the gardens. The Artisan gardens were so beautiful and much more achievable for your own garden. As we wandered through the woodland area the heavens opened. Luckily we came prepared with raincoats and it wasn't too bad. Seeing people walk round in their white plastic ponchos made up for the fact we got a little bit rained on. 

We sat down at the bandstand for a little bit to rest our my tired feet. Baby girl must have been enjoying the loud music as she was kicking away. We worked out what gardens we had left to see and where we needed to go. We ended up finding the ones we had missed and even spotted a few "Gardening celebrities" along the way. We then went back into the Great Pavillion, which was much quieter to catch up on what we had missed. 

At 4pm the bell rings. That indicates the end of Chelsea and the plant sell off. This is where things got really funny and really heartbreaking at the same time. Seeing people carry around huge displays of lillies or trees that were far too big to carry was hilrarious. But heartbreaking to see the once perfect displays broken up and ripped to pieces. You can see why the designers choose not to be there, it's really sad to see. 

We finished our day with a final wander of the grounds to catch up on anything we had missed and then we headed back to our coach stop. Watching coach drivers lose their temper with the sheer amount of plants people wanted to bring home was rather funny. Our coach arrived just before 6 and we started the long journey back home. We arrived back on the East Coast at 10:30 pm, got into a taxi and headed our separate ways home. We were both exhausted but had such a fantastic day and we both left there with lots of ideas we would love to recreate! It really was worth the early start and I'd recommend it to gardeners, flower lovers and photographers!

Did you go to the Chelsea Flower Show or see it on TV? 

[DIY] Isn't she lovely printable

As soon as we found that we were expecting girl I knew that I needed to have this print and surprisingly I couldn't find exactly what I was looking for so once again I've made my own print. Using the same font as the last print. I opted for a coral for the background, although it looks more pink in these photograph. 

The print was perfect to show off my new box frame from Hobbycraft. I bloody love Hobbycraft. I could spend (and have spent) hours wandering around picking up things I think I  need. They are perfect for all craft supplies and this frame is no expection. It's a box frame which means you can put little bits inside. Perfect for memory collages, but it also adds a really lovely depth to prints. I think it frames this print really nicely and is perfect for the nursery.

I printed mine slightly smaller so I could fit this 15x15 frame but it prints really nicely at A4 too.

Find the print here. 

*Disclaimer: Although the frame was sent to me C/O Hobbycraft, all opinions are my own*

[Food] Vegan chickpea meringues.

That's right. Vegan meringues. Meringues without eggs. It's crazy. A couple of months ago I was scrolling through Pinterest and saw the caption that said vegan meringues. Feeling confused at how meringues could be vegan I clicked the link and learnt that you could make meringue with chickpea water. I have to say I didn't think it would work. How could the water we drain away create a light and fluffy meringue? Well it does and it tastes just like a normal meringue too. The real test to see if they tasted the same was with the Mr. He can not stand chickpeas so if he could taste them we knew they wouldn't work. Safe to say he finished his plate. 

Now I do have a confession. The meringues photographed are not entirely vegan because we ate them with softly whipped double cream but you could leave that out and use coconut milk instead. Or just serve with berries. We opted for kiwis as we had some in the fruit bowl. These are just a easy to make as normal meringues and they taste just a sweet and light too. So I guess you'll want to know how to make them?

Adapted from wallflowergirl.co.uk

You will need:

Water drained from 1 x 400g can of chickpeas

125g icing sugar

Your choice of fruit and cream to serve.

Preheat the oven to 100ºC. Line a baking tray with greaseproof paper/ baking parchment.

Add the chickpea water into a large bowl and use an electric hand-held or stand mixer to whisk for approximately 5 minutes until it's more than doubled in size, white and foamy.

Slowly start adding in the sugar little by little, whisking until the mixture forms stiff, glossy peaks. 

Pipe into nests or use a spoon to create mounds.

Bake for 2 hours. Do NOT open the oven within this time.

After 2 hours, turn the oven off and leave them to cool in the oven for at least another hour.

Serve with your chosen fruit and cream. 

[Beauty] Boots Botanics Skincare

At the end of last month I had some leftover money it doesn't happen very often, but when it does it calls for a splurge in boots. I needed a new cleanser so I decided to have a browse of their skincare. The Botanics range was on offer so I thought that I'd give it a try. It has "brightening hibiscus" and anything that claims to brighten my skin is a good thing. So I thought I'd give it a try and so far my skin really seems to get on with it. 

I use the micellar water and cleanser daily. The water is great at removing stubborn mascara and eyeliner and doesn't irritate the skin around my eyes. I then use the cleanser to remove the rest of my make up and cleanse my skin. If I was a beauty blogger/guru I would then use the toner but to be truthful most evenings I forget. When I do remember to use it the toner is cool and refreshing. The scrub is not too abrasive which is great as sometimes an exfoliater can leave your skin feeling a bit raw. I've been using it a couple of times a week and I think that is helping towards brighter skin. It makes my skin feel squeaky clean and ready for moisturiser. 

Overall I really like the range. It's not groundbreaking but it's a great range that's simple and good for your skin. I would re-purchase and try out some different products in the range. I'm not a beauty blogger at all so I can only tell you my personal opinion but I've been getting on really well with the range.

Have you used any of the products?

[Baby] Nursery Inspiration

{Black and white polka dot}, {Bookshelf}, {White room, colour pop}, {Pineapple print}

{Cot}, {Shelves}

I can't believe that we are over the half way point of my pregnancy already. That means we need to start getting things sorted and now we know that it's a little girl in there kicking away we can get her nursery sorted. At the moment that room is a bit of a dumping ground. It was my dressing room but things have just been dumped in there, including lots of clothes I still need to sort through. My plan is to get things tidy so we can start that nursery at the end of May on my week off. We want to steam clean the carpets and get everything sparkling clean before we start moving furniture in. We've been given a chest of drawers that needs painting and the rest of the furniture we need to buy or source. 

I've always visioned a white nursery and as our house is rented we can't really paint anyway. But I do have some polka dot wall stickers I'd like to put up. The rest of the colour will be from furniture, toys, books and accessories. I am planning to make a few prints of my own and other accesories will be sourced from charity shops and carboots. I'm refusing to spend loads of money on things when we can make it look just as pretty on a budget. 

I'm going to blog the makeover of the nursery, including some horrendous before pictures. We just need to get started on it now!

[Beauty] No7 Pampering Dry Oil Body Spray.

I'll start off by saying I know nothing about beauty and beauty blogging but when a product that's really good comes along. I need to sing it's praises. I was recommended this oil by a friend of mine who is 35 weeks pregnant. She's been using this oil spray for a while and said it's amazing. It doesn't claim to prevent stretch marks, and there's no proof that any cream can prevent them but moisturising can help. 

The stretching of your stomach during pregnancy can really dry your skin out and although I've got a way to go still and a lot more stretching to do I've already suffered from dry skin. Not only on my stomach but all over and this oil works really. It leaves your skin smooth and it smells really good. It kind of smells like a baby product but because it's so moisturising it works really well. It does have a luxurious feel and it doesn't leave your skin feeling oily. It doesn't transfer to your clothes although I always use it before bed so don't really notice it on my PJ's.

It's £9.95 but there's always a £5 off No7 voucher floating around which makes it even more of a bargain. I really would recommend it and I'm glad my friend recommended it to me. 

[Food] Mozzarella, salami and pesto cibattas.

Sometimes when you're wasting endless hours scrolling through Pinterest you stumble upon something that you need to make. This was one of them. And something that can be recreated without ending up on Pinterest fails is always welcome. There's nothing better than a good sandwich, one that you put some effort into rather than the soggy ham sandwich in your pack lunch box when you were 6. I'm pretty sure I could live off sandwiches and I need to experiment with lots of flavour combinations. I feel the need for a sandwich series!

These are so easy to make and you could use any bread you like. We opted for cibatta but a sourdough would work just as well. The same goes for the meat. We've made these a couple of times and used salami and pepperoni both work really well. What you do have to keep the same is the mozzarella and pesto. That combination is just beautiful. These are perfect for lunch (they'd be amazing for summer picnics) or for dinner served with fries or thickly cut chips. Onto the recipe!

You will need: 

150g mozzarella, sliced

1 pack of salami

4 cibattas

4 tablespoons of green pesto

Preheat the oven to 200ºC. 

Slice the cibattas in half and place onto a baking tray.

Place the salami onto the cibatta and layer on the mozzarella.

Bake for 7 minutes or until the mozzarella has melted. 

Take out of the oven a spread a tablespoon of pesto onto the other half.

Place together and eat straightaway whilst the mozzarella is gloriously stringy.

Enjoy!

[Baby] It's a . . . & 20 week update

Can you guess what we're having? It's a little girl and we're so excited. The Mr said it was the other night as we both made guesses, although neither of us had a clue! I'm sure he will gloat about it for a few days. We made a reveal video for our friends and family and you can watch that here if you'd like.

 

I can't believe that we are half way through already. It seems to have gone so quickly already. There's still so much to sort out but I think now we know what sex the baby is we can start getting sorted. I can't wait for a shopping trip to get all the little bits and pieces we've been looking at for months.

My belly has definitely "popped" and there's no hiding it now. Although Strangers still don't realise I'm pregnant yet, so no chivalrous moving out of my way/seats etc. As for the past month it's been a bit up and down. From 16 - 17 weeks I felt good, my energy came back and then as soon as I hit 18 weeks I think baby had a growth spurt and I felt rundown and exhausted. I had to have a couple of days of work which did me the world of good. I think it was my body telling me to slow down. But since then I'm back to normal.

I've been feeling little kicks and it seems that the baby is nocturnal at the moment (which is not good!) as it's more active at night. Although that's when I sit down so can notice it more, I hope. I'm really excited for when the Mr can feel the kicks too although it's nice at the moment knowing that it's just me who can feel them. Feeling those little kicks certainly make up for feeling rough in the early days.

I can't wait to share little DIY's with you and the nursery makeover. But for the meantime I need to sort out that huge pile of clothes.

[Baby] Unisex Wishlist.

Mint cellular blanket.        Lemon cellular blanket.       Banana body suit. 

Printed muslin squares.             Pear romper.                 London baby grow.

Miffy bodysuits.       Peter Rabbit muslin squares.        Baby moccasins. 

Fruit print bibs.           Polka dot leggings.      Peter Rabbit hooded towel.

On Tuesday we have our 20 week scan when we hopefully can find out if we are having a boy or girl. One of the questions you repeatedly get asked is if you are going to find out. I'm a very organised, control freak, kind of person and we don't do surprises. So we were always planning on finding out. There is sometimes a bit of "oh, it's so nice not finding out" or "there's not many surprises left in life" which I'm sure is true but we are going to find out. 

We've not really bought much yet. Some baby grows from Morrisions that were reduced to £3 and we've been given a few bits and pieces but we are waiting. Mainly because I've found it hard to find unisex things. So I thought that I'd put together the best unisex items I've found. You really need to look under the boy and girl section as some of the best things are hiding in there.. Everything above in under £25 and some of these items I think I'll just have to dream about as saving for a wedding and a baby is hard work! 

I'm sure there will be another wishlist when we know boy or girl. And keep an eye out for the announcement on Tuesday. We've got something special planned (hopefully).