A Treat of a Day in Manchester

I'm officially in my last few weeks of being pregnant (SCARY) and my maternity leave is now in full swing. I've had a couple of really busy weeks of sorting the house, my life and all the baby things out, and now it's time to relax before our lives change forever! 

Last Friday was the first completely indulgent treat day I've had so far and it was SO lovely. I was lucky enough to be invited to try out a few services at blow LTD in Debenhams and the exotic afternoon tea at the brand new Sunset terrace in Australasia, they both happened to fall on the same day so I made a full day of it and thought I'd take you along with me.

The Joy of Missing Out

The constant, let's be honest, usually self inflicted pressure to maintain our social media channels, keep on top of our overflowing inboxes and find a spare minute to get up to date on the group chat can be pretty bloody overwhelming. Being connected is such a huge part of our lives, it can be hard (ok, kind of impossible) to switch off.

Whether it's our social lives or work, technology means that there is little respite from the world around us and it can make us feel like we're missing out on something, even if we're not 100% sure what it is. It also means that you draw constant comparisons with others which can be mentally draining. I have been so guilty of it this year, I've had serious FOMO thanks to suddenly having to make up excuses about why I can't go to a party because I was too tired during the first trimester or lie about why I wasn't drinking. To be honest, all I did was go to bed early and scroll to see what everyone else in the world was up to.

Fears and Hopes for the Future

We can finally say our baby is due this month! Which is exciting and bat shit crazy in equal measures.

In the whirlwind that this year has been, I've barely had time to contemplate how our lives are going to change, what the future holds and the sheer madness of being in charge of a small human who is entirely dependent on us. Not scary AT ALL. I'm now a few days into my maternity leave and although I've been keeping myself busy so far, I've had time to think about everything a little bit harder.

Rather than keeping these thoughts in my head to slowly drive me insane, I'm indulging in a bit of therapy by getting them out on here. Hopefully I'll look back in a year or so and be feeling completely different, fingers crossed... If anything strikes a chord with you, do leave a comment or get in touch as it would be lovely to chat.

A First Look at our Nursery

After nearly 8 months of mentally preparing ourselves for our (now very) imminent arrival, we've finally got round to the actual physical preparation, which let's face it is the fun bit!

I've slowly but surely been through what feels like every single nursery pin on Pinterest for inspiration and although they are lovely, there was nothing that felt quite right for us so we're going our own way Fleetwood Mac style. This is the very first stage of the nursery but I wanted to document it all the same. 

It's essentially a functional space where we can get the baby changed, cleaned and fed, but in a few weeks it will be painted and covered in prints and commissioned art to make it completely ours. Thankfully my mum works at a school so gets the summer holidays off work so she's going to come and help me do all the hard work, I won't be up a ladder any time soon, don't worry!

Is Skincare the new Self-care?

Over the past year, slowly but surely, my skincare routine has almost quadrupled in length and the amount of products I use regularly has doubled. My dressing table is essentially a shelf of a French pharmacy and I am 100% here for it.

I’ve always been into skincare, constantly trying different products and experimenting to see what suits my rather temperamental skin, but recently it has developed into an essential part of my day. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that during this time yoga and meditation have also creeped into my life, skincare has become a vital part of my self-care routine.

Taking the time to regularly indulge in a skincare routine can be as relaxing as a meditation or yoga session. Taking even 10 minutes to focus on yourself and your skincare allows you time to reflect, relax and mentally prepare you for the day ahead or wind down before bed.

We are all so crazy busy in our lives that we rarely get time to ourselves, taking just 10 minutes for a little self care in the form of a skincare routine can really help. You also don’t need to invest in expensive products for this, it’s more the action of taking time that’s important so you’ll get the same results with soap and water as you will with a super fancy cream!