22 little things you can do as a family to be more eco-friendly

I've been working on this post for the last few weeks compiling as big a list as possible of little things you can do as a family to reduce your impact on the environment.

It's something I've become more and more aware of as I've gotten older, and especially so since having Henry and knowing that I need to teach him how to treat our planet. He's already an avid fan of David Attenborough and his wildlife shows (yes, a very proud parent moment when he pointed at the TV saying David!) and adores all animals, so it really is more and more important that we show him the best ways of leaving a good planet behind for future generations.

I'm not saying we do everything in this list, but we're well on our way to doing a good chunk of it, and making progress with others. And I think that's the important thing, that we're at least trying. Every little steps help a little bit.

Why it's OK to "do it for the gram"

"Doing it for the gram" is usually said with a mixture of laughter and self-consciousness, and I think most people with Instagram, and most definitely Bloggers, have done something purely to get that perfect Instagram photo to share on our grid.

I've certainly done my fair share of things purely to get a shot for my layout. Whether that's buying flowers that I really don't need, making a tea I had zero intention of drinking, or searching out the perfect background for a "from behind candid" shot.
And I know plenty of bloggers that have visited places purely "for the gram". In fact there are entire businesses that are so successful, just because they are "Instagram goals".
And then there's buying props, purely for Instagram photos (and blog photos too in a lot of cases.) I for one, bought a Letterboard just because it would work nicely within my Instagram feed, alongside my 'leg shots' which I take only for my Instagram.

And do you know what, that's all OK.

It's OK to do things, or buy things, and go to places, just because you want to put a photo of it on your Instagram grid.

How we updated our toddler bedroom

Since we found out we were expecting a second baby, we have been planning Henry's bedroom move to free up the nursery for baby boy. 

The room has been a work in progress for quite some time, as it started life as a spare bedroom, then a playroom - which didn't really get much action to be honest. Now it has a new lease of life and honestly it's one of my favourite rooms of the house now. I feel like it's a room with so much functionality and fun. 

As I'm super nosey, and love seeing inside other people's home, I thought I'd share a little glimpse into our toddler bedroom and share a few of my favourite homely bits too. 

Mother's Day Breakfast in Bed Recipe

This is a collaborative post*

Right so it's my first Mother's Day at the end of the month, and to say I'm excited would be an understatement! We didn't do anything last year whilst I was pregnant, as for me it just didn't feel right.

Anyway this year,since becoming a mother myself, I've really realised how important our mums really are (yep, I'm super important don't you know!). I know for a lot of people Mother's Day can be really hard, and in some respects it is for us. We don't live too close to our family, so seeing them on Mother's Day isn't hugely logistical and remind me that, like my mum, I'm basically doing this motherhood on my own (of course credit to Dann where it's due).

So to celebrate Mother's Day, and hopefully get you inspired, with Blind's Hut* I've put together a little recipe post (and back story) for the perfect alternative Mother's Day Breakfast in Bed!

Updating your homeware

One of the things I love the most about owning my own home is that I can decorate it however I please and not have to ask anyone's permission (sorry Dann I know you'd probably like some say in the house decor, but nope!).
The only downside is that homeware can be very pricey, especially if like me, you change your mind a fair amount!

We bought our house in March 2015 and have only decorated once in the time - go us! However I'm feeling a bit of an update is needed for a couple of the rooms. Our bedroom is going to be having an entire overhaul, but I'll probably post about that separately when we actually get round to doing it. The other room I want to update is our living room. It's the hub of our home, and one of my favourites. It's had a few changes made to it since Henry arrived (and just before during my nesting stage) including the rearrangement of our seating area, a tidy of our storage, and movement of the artwork and entomology on the walls.

Now I'm looking at creating a new feel to the room by adding a splash of colour to the otherwise quite neutral pallette we have. I toyed with a couple of ideas - I am in love with orange as a colour at the moment - and have landed on gold and navy blue as my extra colours. I'm hoping the gold will and a little brightness and sophistication, and the navy will be good against stains (kids eh!) and add a new depth to the room.

LIFESTYLE: My Raremoments Boudoir Shoot Experience

I recently won a facebook competition for a boudoir shoot at a local photo studio called Rare Moments Photography and thought I would share my experience with you. 

I've never done anything like it before and thought hey, you only live once right. After a pretty shit start to the year, I felt like my luck was starting to change and maybe things were on the up so why not try something a little out of my comfort zone. After feeling pretty down about myself and feeling let down by my body, I wanted to gain my old confidence back, and prove to myself I'm still the woman I was last year,  if not better!

Arriving into the very scenic Petersfield I found the studio pretty quickly. I was instantly welcomed in and seated and having a chat with one of the girls on reception. Shortly after commenced hair and make up.

Not going to lie I felt glammed up after Casey was finished with me. If only I could look that sophisticated everyday.

Then onto the shoot. My photographer was amazing.  Put me totally at ease, completely comfortable and made the entire experience relaxed and most importantly.... fun. I couldn't hold all the poses (credit to models everywhere) and I was sweating like mad as it was a hot Saturday and even the HUGE fan was giving up on itself! The whole photo experience was fab. I would definitely do it again!

They have a slightly different set up compared to most studios. Viewings are done on a different day to the shoot. I think its quite good personally.  It keeps the anticipation going longer, and you're more likely to stay with in budget as you're not still riding your glam high from being a model for an hour.

On arrival to our ordering appointment we were met by the lovely staff and shown to a private room with a sofa (and sweets) to be shown my images. First was a slideshow set to music of all my photos. I was pretty impressed not going to lie, especially with the lovely and confidence boosting comments. 

Then we went through the images one by one using a traffic light system, green yes, amber maybe and red no. This eventually whittled us down to 13 images. We then got down to 8 final images in digital files. As with all photo studios the images are not cheap, but I was given a price list on leaving from my shoot so I was prepared. 

It was not the easiest decision getting the numbers down.

"Rare Moments did an amazing job. I'm so happy with the photos, and I really hadn't anticipated loving them as much as I do.
The entire experience was amazing. I felt empowered, beautiful, comfortable, confident and proud of myself. I would highly recommend this to anyone looking to treat themselves and boost their self-love and body confidence. "

You can find Rare Moments Boudoir Photography on Facebook or see their website.
*copyright is owned by Rare Moments Boudoir and images cannot be replicated without prior permission