Friday, July 31, 2015

A Little Holiday Haul | Mama & Baba ♥

It's not often that I post a haul, because to be honest, I don't go shopping all that often, well not for me anyway, I'm always buying things for my son, but when I go on holiday, especially to Jersey, I like to pick up some things for myself as they have shops that we don't have here in Cork. I picked up some goodies for myself and for my son too - I couldn't resist the Little Bird display in Mothercare. I also did some thrifting in a local hospice store which had some lovely things, most of which I couldn't buy as I wouldn't have been able to take them back on the plane but I did get some lovely pieces.

The stationary addict in me couldn't resist going into Paperchase for a look, a shop that we don't have here in Cork, and I picked up some lovely bits for keeping my blogging work in order. I got this gorgeous pale blue and gold diary that goes up to December 2016 for keeping all my blog work and contacts organised, this was reduced from £16 to only £5 - what an absolute bargain! I also got this beautiful hand-embroidered journal for keeping blog notes and post ideas in, I loved the typewriter design, this was reduced from £10 to £5 also. The three pens caught my eye as they looked like they were pastel but the ink is actually quite neon but it doesn't matter, they're still pretty and it's great to have different colours for highlighting different things, these were three for £2.50.

One of the things I picked up in the Hospice shop was this pretty vintage mirror for £2.50. I've cleaned it up and I'll actually use it for applying my makeup. It'll also look pretty on my dressing table and will be nice for photo styling too. I can never resist a trip to MAC, especially when I'm in Jersey as I always think the products are cheaper as they're in sterling - I'm so wrong... I picked up six new lipsticks - Creme Cup, Creme de la Femme, Peach Blossom, Sandy B., Angel and Divine Choice. I also picked up a Fujifilm Instax instant camera in pastel pink and two cartridges of film. I haven't used my new camera yet, I'm saving it for an evening when there's some nice sunlight because there are only ten photos per film, which is a bit of a rip off but they'll be nice to have. The camera was £56 and the films were £17.

 I picked up both these dresses in the Hospice shop (which is actually like a warehouse really there's so much stuff!). I really loved the colour and the print on the sunflower and daisy dress, I'm not sure if it'll suit me or not but I had to pick it up anyway. The brand is Hell Bunny and it was £6, which I did think was a bit much for a charity shop but it's going for £24.99 here so it's a bargain really.

I also picked up this beautiful rose print dress from Topshop for £2 - bargain! It's a size 12 (which I am most definitely not) but I couldn't leave it behind and thankfully it actually fits, yay!

 I got this beautiful Hope and Greenwood oilcloth bag in the post office in Sark. I absolutely love the print with bluebirds, ribbons, love hearts and letters - it's so pretty! I couldn't leave it behind and it was only £19.99.

Cath Kidston had a sale on (which they always seem to do when I'm in Jersey!) but I only liked one of their bags from their new Library Collection but it was like £58, which I wasn't parting with for a bag I probably wouldn't end up using. I got Tyler Lee this gorgeous cloud print jacket which was reduced from £28 to £16, it'll be perfect for autumn. The blue star print shoes were just £8 so I couldn't leave them behind. I also picked up these little plastic lunch boxes for him as I want to start packing him sandwiches and fruit for lunch at school and these will be ideal for that and our little picnics too. These were £4.

Mothercare also had a sale on so I had to go in for a look and to check out their Little Bird display as the one in my local Mothercare isn't the best. The sale section had only baby sizes left in the Little Bird range and even though I'm not expecting (although I'm optimistic about the prospect about it happening again one day!) I couldn't leave the gorgeous little sleepsuits behind, I think they're so unique! They were £7 and if I don't end up being able to use them I'll donate them to the charity shop so there'll be no loss there.

I picked up some bits for Tyler Lee from the new range and was actually surprised that it's all purple for boys, I think the blue on the trim on the t-shirt would have been a far nicer option. I got him a rainbow long-sleeve, toadstool print t-shirt, rainbow designed joggers and some knee high socks which I've been wanting to get him for ages. I can't remember how much they all cost and typically the Mothercare Ireland site doesn't have them in stock yet...

 I also picked him up these pairs of shoes from the Mothercare sale. They were just £6 each and the star print are perfect for summer, I'll be keeping the hightops for him for the autumn.

I love baby tights - I should probably call them toddler tights by now - so I picked up these two from Blade & Rose for £10, they'll be perfect for keeping my boy warm in the cold weather. I also got him this honey coloured Jellycat bunny for £14. I've been wanting to get him a grey one for ages but unfortunately they didn't have one, this one is just as gorgeous though.

Have you been hauling lately?
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Wednesday, July 22, 2015

My Good Reads | Mini Book Reviews ♥

As a child I always had my head in a book, in fact, I used to visit the library every Saturday and take out two books which I would have finished before my next visit. I was a huge fan of The Babysitter Club books (Remember them? Oh the hours I spent reading about those girls antics and wishing my name was Claudia...) and quickly worked my way through every single book from the series that the library had. In my teenage years I began reading biographies and books that usually centered around Kurt Cobain (oh how I loved him...) and all the conspiracies about his death. My taste in books has varied over the years and I've always loved finding new, interesting books to read, but after I had my son my love of reading become replaced by other new and exciting hobbies - blogging being the main culprit for my lack of reading books over the past two years.

Back in May I promised myself that I would begin reading again, try and spent more time off the laptop and social media and more time broadening my horizons and imagination with some good reads. I'm proud to say that I've kept my promise to myself and have made my way through a handful of books in the past two months. This is my first mini review post...

 Life With A Sprinkle of Glitter by Louise Pentland | I picked up this book on the off-chance when I spotted the blogger/vlogger section in my local Waterstones. I've never watched any of Louise's vlogs but I have checked in with her blog from time to time and loved her down to Earth, fun tone. This book is lovely and actually spurred me on to begin reading other bloggers books too. I love how happy the book is. It shares a lot of positive thinking and tips from beauty, to DIY to relationships. There were a few parts I had to skip as they just didn't relate to me - living in student digs, etc. but overall it was a great read and I'll be hanging onto this book for future reference. I'd give this book a 5/5, love it!

My Boys, My Body, My Business by Caprice Bourret* | I was actually sent this book to review and I was happy to do so because I actually like reading autobiographies, they're usually easy reads and that's just what I like. I finished this book in a day and it gives a great, honest account of Caprice's life, from her days as a famous model, to beginning her own business, to her struggle to get pregnant and then being blessed with the miracle of two beautiful baby boys. I really liked Caprice's honesty in this book, she didn't hold back on the details of her life and that was refreshing, especially as she's a well know figure. I tweeted about how inspirational I found this book - Caprice's determination to create a successful business and become a mother really resonated with me - and I was delighted that Caprice actually tweeted back to thank me, it made me like her even more. I'd give this book a 4/5.

The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame | Many people see this book as an absolute childhood classic but I had never read it before I picked it up in a charity shop last month. I was really drawn to the cover (I know you should never judge a book by its cover!) and was delighted to begin reading it. It follows the adventures of Mole and the Water Rat and their friends Badger and Mr. Toad. Some parts of the book were great but I began to become quite bored in the middle and actually couldn't wait to finish it just so I could have it over and done with and that is never a good way to feel about a book. I wouldn't call this book a classic, it just didn't draw me in. I'd give it a 3/5 and that's just for the good bits.

Have A Little Faith by Mitch Albom | Mitch Albom is one of my favourite author ever and his books never fail to make me think of life in a different way. His books mainly deal with theories of religion and philosophical thinking and Have A Little Faith is no exception. This book is a true story and is centered around Reb aka Rabbi Albert L. Lewis, who Albom met with on a regular basis in order to be able to write his eulogy when he died. As the story goes on and the theories and beliefs of Reb are talked about by him and Albom another character named Henry Covington is introduced, as is the work he did in the I Am My Brother's Keeper Church. I really loved this book, it really made me think and show that there is good in the world and even though religion is a primary theme in the book you don't have to believe in a God in order to appreciate the sweetness, hope and positivity that is expressed throughout it. I'd give this book 5/5.

 Playing With the Grown-Ups by Sophie Dahl | This was a re-read as I actually couldn't remember the plot of the book when I came across it when donating some books to the charity shop. It follows the story of Kitty and her over-eccentric mother Marina who leads a rather glamourous lifestyle from the profits from her art. The books follows Kitty's life from a young age right up to present day and all her adventures with her mother. The book is quite hard to relate to as I could never imagine anyone being like her mother is described, although I'm sure there are people like that out there. In fact, the lifestyle the main characters were leading became a bit too unbelievable for me and I hated the ending, it didn't really resolve the plot. I'd give this book 2/5.

L.A. Candy by Lauren Conrad | This was a book I wanted to read for quite a long time and when I came across it in the charity shop last week for just €1 I just had to have it. It follows the story of best friends Scarlett and Jane who move to L.A. for work experience and college and their rise to fame as stars on the reality TV show L.A. Candy. All the while I was reading this book all I could think was - this is the story of The Hills and I'm sure Lauren did draw on her own experiences for the plot. It was a really easy read but not very gripping, which was rather disappointing as I had been wanting to read it for so long. I'd give this book 3/5.

Angels in my Hair by Lorna Byrne | This was another re-read for me as I absolutely loved this book first time round and wanted a refresher of it before I pass it onto a friend. It follows the true story of Lorna Byrne, an Irish mystic who can see and speak to angels ever since she was a child. The book has some sad parts but really does give an immense sense of hope and made me really believe in angels and the power they can bestow on people in order to help them through life. I love how Lorna describes the angels and their appearance and names. I also felt as if some paragraphs in this book were just speaking to me, that I needed to read them in order to feel okay in myself once again. It really is such a beautiful book and I can't wait to read Lorna's three other books. I give this book 5/5.

I will be donating these books (bar Life With A Sprinkle of Glitter and Angels in my Hair, which I'm giving to a friend) to the charity shop now that I'm done with them. It's so great to be reading again, there's nothing like the feeling you get when you finish a good book, it's so satisfying.

Have you read any of the above books or would you want to?


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Tuesday, July 21, 2015

Tips For Flying With Small Children | Travel ♥

I was recently asked to contribute a tip about flying with babies under two for an article on Ryanair's blog Into the Blue. You can read the article here and see my tip under the heading 'keep them warm and cosy'. I'm not going to lie, I thought that flying with my son would be one of the most daunting things I'd experience as a parent but honestly, it wasn't too bad at all (I say this as we are on a flight to Jersey for a weeks holiday so fingers crossed it all goes well again!). Last summer (oh it seems so long ago now...) Jacek and I took Tyler Lee on his first holidays abroad, first on a flight to the Jersey in the Channel Islands and then on a slightly longer flight to the Algarve, both went okay and I was actually surprised when our boy fell asleep during the flights - thank God for small miracles! 

We had both been feeling quite  daunted and anxious about how we would cope with him on a plane before we left (he's not a child who readily sits down for long periods of time) but everything actually went fine due to us preparing ahead and using some of the tips below. I can assure you, flying with small children is never going to be as bad as you think it will be and remembering some of the key things below can actually be lifesavers on the plane.

Book at the right time with the right airline
First things first, actually booking your flight. Some families are only able to travel during the school holidays or half term but if you can avoid peak-time flights (which we prefer to do), you’ll be rewarded with more space, more attention and a better experience all round. Weekday flights tend to be less busy too, so look at traveling between Tuesday and Friday (we're traveling on a Tuesday so we also followed this tip) and although you might pay more for a nicer airline, the additional cost is often well worth it. If you can also be flexible with your travel dates then it can really be worthwhile for saving money. We saved €300 alone by flying on a Tuesday instead of the Saturday before.

Get them excited about flying
Very young children might not fully understand what is going on but if you can teach your kids about the wonder of flying they are more likely to feel at ease and comfortable. I've been bigging up planes all week to my son and have told him that we'll be on a plane and visiting his grandad soon, this has made him excited and hopefully he'll find wonder in being on a plane and flying through the skies.

Come up with some games and activities
Keeping children occupied is tough at the best of times (I know it is for me when it comes to my son anyway!) but on a crowded and confined flight this becomes an even bigger challenge, but use the airplane to your advantage and come up with some appropriate activities or games. You could let your child pretend to be the pilot (I'm always happy to promote imaginative play!) or get them to draw portraits of fellow passengers (always a fun one!). Alternatively, there is always flying themed games on smartphones and tablets to fall back on or you could simply download their favourite cartoon and let them watch as they fly. For our flight today I've prepared a 'lucky bag' of sorts for my son, full of things which I know he'll enjoy and which will hopefully keep him quiet and happy throughout the flight. I have a mini etch-a-sketcher, dinkies, some healthy snacks and lollipops to give him a treat and to keep his ears from popping.

Don’t forget the essentials
From medicines including ear drops and sick bags for the changing altitude and turbulence to their favourite toy or book, don’t forget to include the essentials in your carry-on, even if it's for 'just in cases'. Always take more than you may necessarily need and pack similar essentials in your checked luggage just in case items get lost in transit. Bring along a blanket for your child as flights can get quite cold and this will come in very handy for keeping them snug and cosy while they nap too. I'm also bringing along his favourite comforters and his dummy, the more home comforts I can bring along for him the better.

Don’t be put off by the thought of going on holiday and flying with young children. As long as you remember these tips and tricks, you are sure to have a great time away and all that traveling will soon be forgotten about.

Are you going on a holiday with your little ones this year? Are you nervous about the flight with a baby or toddler?
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Monday, July 20, 2015

My Personalised Handprint Heart Charm Necklace From Hand On Heart Jewellery ♥


Since my son was born I've completely fallen in love with personalised items. There is something truly unique and special about an item that has been personalised especially for you, or in the case of most of things I buy, for my son. I have featured many personalised items on the blog in the past two years but I recently became the owner of a beautiful handprint heart charm necklace, the most precious piece of jewellery I have ever owned and the first personalised item I have ever gotten for myself (even though it's focused on my son). I got this necklace from Hand On Heart Jewellery, a jewellery company who specialise in personalised pieces that can be engraved with children's actual hand and footprints - amazing right?

I've wanted something like this for ages because I actually don't have any of my sons handprints, apart from a DIY clay ornament I made when he was like six months old. Hand On Heart Jewellery have a wide range of jewellery pieces available but I was really taken with their handprint necklaces. I was really curious as to how Hand On Heart Jewellery would be able to actually get his handprint engraved onto the necklace but it's actually a really simple process - they send you out a sheet and a wipe, which you swipe over your child's hand (or foot if you're getting their footprint) and press it onto the sheet, it's an inkless print but it shows up on the sheet. You then freepost it back to them and they put your necklace together.

The necklace arrived in gorgeous packaging - which made it even more of a treat and it'd actually make a great gift too as it's presented so beautifully in packaging adorned with a ribbon and then a little white plastic box with your piece of jewellery inside, they also sent two mini packs of Loveheart sweets, such a lovely touch. 

When I opened the little white box and saw my necklace engraved with my sons handprint and his name I actually said "wow" out loud, it just looked so beautiful. I shared it on my Instagram later that day and other people also thought it was precious. I absolutely love how it looks and having this little piece of my son with me everywhere I go is such a beautiful thing for me. I also love the fact that Hand On Heart Jewellery sent me proofs of how the necklace would look and whether I would rather 'Tyler Lee' or just 'Tyler' on it, depending on my own personal tastes. I, of course, had to go for his full name and I absolutely love how it looks.

This was the perfect piece of jewellery to treat myself too and I honestly will treasure it forever, it really is so precious to me. I haven't stopped wearing the necklace since I got it and my son actually recognises his name on it too and likes to look at the necklace - so sweet!

The handprint heart charm necklace is £95 and really is worth every penny, it really is such a special thing to own. You can find my particular necklace and browse the other beautiful pieces Hand On Heart Jewellery have to offer on their website. As an angel mummy I love their range of memorial jewellery too, such a beautiful idea.

Do you like my necklace? Would you get something similar to tribute your child/children?
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Wednesday, July 15, 2015

Ways To Keep Kids Happy & Entertained This Summer ♥

School has finished here in Ireland already and in just a couple of weeks school will be out of the summer in other countries also. The house will be full of little ones who will most probably use the phrase "I'm bored" at some stage over the holidays, so how do you as a parent keep them entertained and happy during the summer break? As a stay at home mother, keeping my son entertained and happy with new activities and adventures is an ongoing challenge, but I've thankfully been able to find these to do which we can both enjoy together. With almost two months until school begins again, you’ve got plenty of quality time to enjoy with your kids in the sunny weather and even without the routine of school, here’s some ideas to fill that time as best you can and these can also make great bonding activities, not only between you and your kids, but between siblings and relatives too.

Cooking and Baking
In the hot weather, it’s important to stay safe - so seek some shade and have some fun by cooking some cold treats. Home made ice lollies are a tasty way to stay hydrated in the heat, while chocolate krispie cakes provide ample decorating opportunities for little ones who love adding tasty treats to a chocolate and krispie mix - you can see the Rice Krispie Medleys which my boy and I made here if you're after some treat inspiration. For a tasty and refreshing drink, fruity milkshakes make a great snack while staying relatively healthy - just add the fruit of your choice and some vanilla ice cream to some milk and blend. To make these drinks even more fun you could serve in little plastic bottles with straws, it's such a simple thing but such a novelty for kids.

Crafts
For the inevitable rainy days of the holidays (it's been raining almost all of July here in Cork!), craft activities are a great way for kids to unleash their artistry. Little gifts like decorated photo frames and homemade birthday cards are excellent for friends and family members with summer birthdays. Summer themed activities are lots of fun too: spruce up some sun hats and t-shirts with glitter paint and tie-dye, decorate some plain photo frames to hold a holiday photograph, or make some bird feeders and pinwheels for the garden.

Outdoors
Take advantage of the great outdoors over the summer with some outdoor adventures and days out. If you play any sports, take the time to teach your little ones basketball or football, how to ride a bike (something I really want to do with my boy soon), or simply good old catch, or take them for a trip to the pool to cool off. For more outdoorsy families, pack a yummy picnic - this is also something you can enjoy in the garden, you can see our teddy bears picnic in the garden here - and get stuck into nature by going hiking, or have some peace and quiet fishing at a local lake or river. For intrepid future scientists, grab a guide to local wildlife and a pair of binoculars and a notepad and pencil and keep a record of all they’ve seen over the summer. Of course, a trip to the beach is always an essential during the summer months and even if the water is too cold to swim in a paddle and exploring the rock pools can always give kids hours of fun.

Learning
For bookworms the summer is a great opportunity to explore some more reading and get to know the local library. Many librarians create reading challenges for the holidays to encourage youngsters to expand their literary tastes. If you'd like to get your kids out in the garden, teaching them how to garden is a great way of teaching them something new and letting them pitch in whilst planting seeds, watering plants and pottering around the garden. I recently taught my son how to garden and he loves helping out with it now. Food festivals are increasingly common in bigger towns, so older children will feel grown up watching demonstrations and sampling some of the dishes. For family days out, a trip to a history or science museum always goes down well, with lots having interactive displays and some even organising days of the week that are more family oriented over the summer holidays - a quick web search will show what’s going on nearby.

These are things I enjoy doing with my son, not only in the summer but throughout the whole year, however, having sunny days to go with these activities is always the best. Will you be doing any of these things to entertain and keep your kids happy this summer?
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Friday, July 10, 2015

NYX Love In Paris Eyeshadow Palettes | Madelines & Macaroons, Parisian Chic & Love Affair With Louis ♥

It's no secret that I love everything Parisian themed and when that theme is apparent in one of my other favourite things in life - makeup, then I'm even more overjoyed! NYX have a whole Parisian collection named Love in Paris and I've actually reviewed their C'est La Vie eyeshadow palette on the blog before and now my makeup collection has been added to by three more of their beautiful Love In Paris collection eye shadows - Madelines & Macaroons, Parisian Chic and Love Affair With Louis*. These are small, compact eyeshadow palettes consisting of nine eyeshadows each and all have a pretty little bow clasp to keep the palettes secure.

Madelines & Macaroons | This is probably my favourite palette of the three in terms of colour choice but my least favourite when it comes to pigmentation. I absolutely love the colours included within it, there's a mixture of pale pinks, golds and fawn coloured shades, all of which are quite pretty and perfect for daytime looks. The shades are a mixture of matte and shimmer which is always great to have in an eyeshadow palette for creating different looks. However, the colour payoff isn't great at all, the shades are really light (as you can see in the swatches above) and most of the shadows are quite chalky, which is really disappointing as the colours really are beautiful.

Parisian Chic | This palette has a lovely mix of copper, bronze and fawn coloured shades which are a mixture of matte and shimmer shades. My favourite shades are the three brown shades on the left of the bottom row, they have a copper metallic finish to them which is just stunning and the colour payoff is quite good in this palette. This palette is perfect for creating nude inspired daytime looks which can be transformed into an evening look by using the darker, copper look tones. It's beautiful!

Love Affair With Louis | This is a lovely looking palette full of beautiful blues, navy and silver shades. All of the shades are shimmery and I think this palette is perfect for the summer months, the blue shades are just stunning and they kind of have the 'mermaid-esque' vibe going on with them. This palette is also perfect for making smoky eye looks with a bright twist due to the navy shades included. Again, the colour payoff in this palette is great, making it a handy little compact palette to take on your summer travels with you.

Overall, I do like the NYX eyeshadow palettes and Love Affair With Louis and Parisian Chic are definitely my winners out of these three palettes in particular. There are twelve palettes in total in the NYX Love in Paris range and all do look beautiful so I'd love to try out some more, especially Be Our Guest Maurice and Let Them Eat Cake - I'm loving the French themed names! The Love in Paris palettes are €10.49 each and are available in Sam MacCauley's pharmacies nationwide.

Which is your favourite palette from the ones above?

*I was kindly sent these palettes for the purposes of this review, as always all thoughts and opinions are 100% my own.


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Thursday, July 09, 2015

Wickey Sand Pit Flip | Review ♥

I was recently asked if I would like to review the Wickey Flip Sand Pit* and as the mother to an active and curious little two year old boy who loves sand, I graciously and gladfully accepted. It was the perfect time to review the sandpit too as summer is here and I was Tyler Lee to spend as much time as he possibly can outdoors. The sandpit is now the perfect addition to our garden and he's been having lots of fun with it, not only playing with the sand but hopping from bench to bench too on either side - oh the games little ones come up with!

Now I have to admit, assembling the sand pit did take some time. I left the task to my stepdad and Jacek and for the life of them they couldn't work out the instructions. Eventually they figured out a way to put it together correctly but it did take a couple of hours. It was worth it though (says she who didn't have to do it!) because it really is a feature in the garden now and gives our boy hours of fun - which far outweighs the time it took to put together in my opinion! In fact, he's playing in it right now as I write this post, I'm watching him through the sliding doors, he's having an absolute ball with the sand and a watering-can of all things!

The sandpit arrived as plain wood, but as I love to paint everything and really wanted the sandpit to be a feature in the garden, I painted it in a beautiful duck egg blue. It only took about an hour to paint so if you're like myself and are considering buying this sandpit but would also like to paint it then know that this is an option. The design of the sandpit is fantastic, it contains a large pit for the sand - we also received the 3W Sand Safe Foil to protect the bottom of the sand pit and to keep weeds, bugs and dirt away from the play sand. The sand pit has two sturdy benches on each side, perfect if your little one fancies a sit down while playing or wants to hop up and down from each one (which my boy favours!). I've even sat on the benches to watch Tyler Lee playing and building his sand creations, I think they're such a lovely addition to the sandpit.

What's great about the Sand Pit Flip is that it really does flip! The benches fold over easily to cover the top of the sandpit. This is great if it rains or if you have animals around your garden and want to keep them out of the sand when it's not being played with. It even looked lovely when it's covered over, my Dad thought it was a swimming pool because it was blue! It took four bags of play sand to fill the sand pit up as much as we wanted but there is room for more sand if you'd like it to be a bit fuller.

The Wickey Sand Pit Flip really is such a great product and addition to our garden. As it's made of strong, sturdy wood it will stand the test of time and is perfect for playing with in all seasons - if they weather is dry of course! Wickey also have a range of other fantastic wooden outdoor toys such as some impressive climbing frames, which I know Tyler Lee would absolutely love too. He is obsessed with climbing frames and slides at the playground so having one in our own garden would be an absolute dream to have one day.

The Wickey Sand Pit Flip is currently on offer for £59.95 and is well worth the investment. I highly recommend it as it's suitable for children of all ages and is the perfect toy to grace the garden, especially during these lovely summer months.

*We were very kindly sent the Wickey Sand Pit Flip to review, as always, all opinions are 100% my own.

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Wednesday, July 08, 2015

Doing My Own Thing... ♥

All my life I seem to have wanted to gain validation from the people around me, have them admire and applaud what I do, as well accept me for who I am... sadly this hasn't always happened. When I joined the blogging community and began my first blog La Belle Dame Sans Merci (see now why my Facebook page for Dolly Dowsie is called this?) I felt so welcomed and chatted to lots of people, mainly on Twitter, who I could see myself becoming friends with. Fast forward onto last week, over two years into my blogging journey, where I was feeling so lonely once again, feeling like an outsider in the blogging world and as though all my efforts were complete and utter crap. I was ready to throw the towel in on this blogging lark and forget about it all... Then I spoke to a fellow blogger, who I've become quite friendly with recently, and she changed my perspective on everything in just one sentence.

This blogger (J, you know who you are, thank you so much!) told me that she doesn't care who reads her blog, she writes to record all her memories with her son and that's all that matters to her. Oh my God were these words like the little light bulb going on for me, the tah-dah moment, the jolt I needed to remember just why I began blogging in the first place and why I should still be continuing, not for all the wrong, insignificant reasons - such as wanting people to read my words, see my photography and interact with me - these of course would be amazing but they are not the be all and end all.

I initially began blogging to share my love of makeup and beauty. After I had my son Dolly Dowsie was formed and it became my place to document my adventures with my baby boy as well as sharing everything else I love with the world. You have absolutely no idea how much I cherish this blog, it's like another baby to me and having all of my memories and adventures with my family to look back on in one place, on days where I need a pick me up or want to remember what my son was like before he sprouted a head full of golden curls, is so precious and priceless to me.

Who gives a frigg if no one else reads my blog, who cares if people don't like my photography or think what I write about is boring? I enjoy it and that's all that should matter. I became too caught up in stats, comparing myself to other bloggers, feeling so left out of the loop and so alone in this big, bad blogisphere, but honestly, why did I allow myself to become so caught up with the virtual world and neglect my reality?
Why should I care if other bloggers chose to ignore me? After all, they're people I have never and probably will never meet in my entire life. Yes, it would be lovely if we could all get along and support each other and be friends but that's not going to happen with everyone, blogging is, unfortunately, a very competitive world and I've witnessed people not wanting to be there for each other or help each other out at all. To the ones who didn't want to know me or who bitched about me, best of luck in your blogging journeys, I wish you every success.

I have a very small group of friends who are also bloggers, some of whom I've met in 'real life' and some who I've only got to know via their blogs and Facebook messenger. I'm incredibly grateful to know these amazing people, the ones who opened up to me and support me on this little blogging journey of mine, I will always do the same for them. It only takes a second out of your day to show someone kindness and I'm ever so grateful that these girls did that for me.

I now blog for me and my son. I blog to share all I love with the world (lets face it, I'd be lost without my pretty things) and to document all my memories for my son of the times he'll never remember and ones which I possibly won't be able to remember either when I'm old and grey.

Stats don't matter, comments don't matter, admirers don't matter, followers don't matter. Yes these things are all wonderful if they do happen but they are not the reason why anyone should blog or be the reason why anyone should give up a blog either.


To those of you who have chosen to follow mine and my families adventures, thank you from the bottom of my heart. As someone who experiences loneliness on quite a regular basis, your comments have brightened my days on more than one occasion and are always appreciated, more than you'll ever truly know.

This is the start of a new chapter for me. I'm going back to my roots in blogging, not stressing about every little thing and just want to enjoy the ride and any wonderful opportunities which this little blog of mine brings me. The blog has had a makeover, I've had a mind makeover and I'm really to let my creativity flow.

Remember, blog for you and no one else. Don't let anyone bring you down or make you feel bad about your little space on the internet, it's yours and no one else's and quite simply, if they don't like it they can just click that little red x on the top of the browser. Be yourself and enjoy what you do. Let your personality and creativity flow through your blog and don't let anyone bring you down or dull your sparkle. I've learnt the hard way that the less you care about what other people think of you the happier you'll be n life, but believe me, that really is the secret to a happy existence.

Be you, be happy, be beautiful and share what you want, when you want, always.

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