How I've fallen back in love with Instagram

Instagram is a funny business.
You either love it, or you hate it.

Personally I love it. It's by far my favourite social media platform, but it is also really hard work.

As a blogger I want to grow my following. No, numbers aren't the be and the end all, but growth is always a good thing to see, and an increase in following and engagement is always going to be good for an influencer who wants to make money from what they out online.

But it's so very easy to fall into the trap of feeling like it isn't worth it when algorithms are making visibility harder, and numbers are dwindling.
And I'll admit, some days I have questioned whether it is worth it.
It's hard seeing people with huge followings uploading any old photo and getting loads of likes, when I spend time curating a feed that I love, for no one to see it.

So I readjusted how I looked at Instagram.

Henry, you're two!!

Two whole years of Henry Gordon Ian.
That's pretty surreal to write down.
But it's been the absolute best two years of my life. I cannot imagine my life without my little guy and my whole world is more complete with you in it.

So Henry, you're two years old!

Mental health, pregnancy and me

Collaborative post*

Let's talk about mental health.

It's a pretty big and very serious topic, and generally one I stay clear of as I really don't have much experience with mental health issues, and I'm certainly not about to go trying to give advice on a subject that is incredibly personal to each individual.

However I do want to share a little about my mental health journey, because, perhaps, it could help someone else.

Appreciating days at home

Collaborative post*

Winter is such a tough season.
I mean it's great with Christmas and cosy days at home with lots of home cooked food and cuddles.
But after a while, and after what feels like 267 days of non-stop rain, staying at home can feel like a bit of a drag.

With Spring, finally, sort of, on it's way, we'll be getting out more and more.

But with Spring comes Summer and our imminent new addition. And a newborn means a few more days at home.

Why reading is my favourite self-care therapy

Even since I can remember I've been a bookworm. I've always been the one in our family with my nose in a book. However for some years I kind of lost my reading mojo in favour of hours of mindless scrolling and binge TV watching.

Last year I started to make a real effort to read more, which started well but did slow towards the end of the year. This year, again, I'm trying to continue my reading efforts, and broaden my horizons. With one very important reason behind my decision.

I realised towards the end of the year that reading was part of my own self-care regime, and a really big part of it. I think it really hit me when an old man on my bus stopped to talk to me on his way off the bus to say "you're never alone with a book". And he was right. That's why I find books so important for my personal mental health and wellbeing.

Growing Up

Honestly, where is this year going? I swear only the other day we were celebrating the first blossoms on the trees in Spring, and now the leaves are turning golden and falling to the ground. We're already planning Christmas, and then before we know it we'll be in 2018! 

I know the years have gone by faster as I've gotten older, but this year has seriously flown by. 

I think it's a mix of seeing one of my closest friends announce her pregnancy at the beginning of the year, and then seeing him (not literally, I wasn't there) arrive, and also watching Henry grow up,which has made the year feel like it has been the fastest yet. 

As much as this year is quite daunting to feel the year go by so quickly, it's also been the best. 

Seeing this little boy grow up is so rewarding, more so than I ever expected. 

Pumpkin Picking

It's my favourite of all the autumn pastimes.... Pumpkin picking!!
And luckily for me, we live literally about three roads over from a Pick Your Own farm which also has many pumpkin patches where you can pick your own pumpkins!
I think this year they have three pumpkins patches to explore, each at least the size of a football pitch.

We decided to pop along one Monday afternoon and it was peacefully quiet so we had the patch all to ourselves.

Sheep Fields - and the love & worries of motherhood

Is there anything better than family time? Recently we popped up to visit Dann's parents for the weekend and it was just the nicest chill weekend. There's something about those cosy weekends with family with lots of food, walks and play time.

We always make sure we get outdoors lots as the village is set in the middle of beautiful countryside and I really think the country is so important for young minds.

This always includes a dog walk through the sheep fields, which is a popular trip. Spending time with the dog and his grandparents is one of Henry's favourite things, and seeing them all together definitely makes up for the restless nights and the distance we travel.
Although we don't live thousands of lies away from the grandparents it's a good hour and a half to two hours journey time in the car. And with a busy lifestyle, finding time to visit can be tricky.

There are so very many perks to being a parent. All the smiles, cuddles, laughter and adventures. It seriously is the best thing in the world. I so often watch Henry exploring or discovering something new and it makes my heart swell with pride and love.

Life with boys

I was never really certain I would have a boy.

I'm one of three girls, and although I know this really makes no difference to what gender you have, I just sort of assumed that I would follow in my mother's footsteps (to be fair she also thought Henry was going to be a girl).

Don't get me wrong, having a son has been the most wonderful experience, and I have no daughter regrets (yet). Henry is everything you could want from a little boy, but there have definitely been some tricky bits. 

I'm totally out-numbered 3 to 1 - yes I include the cat in this! But I'm really quite happy with the arrangement.

So what is life like with boys?

The start of Autumn

Autumn is the best. Autumn walks are better. Family Autumn walks might just be the best thing ever.

We decided to celebrate the arrival of autumn with a little autumnal walk (and fashion shoot, and well actually there was a lot of photo taking really) and make the most of the best season before winter arrives. 

Now I would apologise for the sheer number of photos in this post but I just love so many of them. 

I know we're incredibly lucky to live so close to so many country parks, and I think they are at their best in September and October when the colours are starting to change and become those tonal warm oranges and reds that I adore. 

Why Hampshire is Home

I moved to Southampton in September 2008 to start studying for my Journalism degree.
A little known fact, Dann actually moved down to Southampton in June 2009 so we could move in together. Since then, Hampshire has been our home away from home. We're both originally from Buckinghamshire/Oxfordshire (there's some question as to what county Dann's home village is actually in). We met in Bucks, and 90% of our family is still in the county, so you'll often hear us say we are going back home for a weekend.

But it's a sentence I am planning to drop.

Don't get me wrong, I love my old home. I think I might even love Dann's old home more than my own. Our visits there always stick with me, and we have some of our fondest memories there - including our wedding which was in the church in Dann's village, and the reception in my favourite local town.

But it is no longer really home.
It was a home. But our home is now in Hampshire.

Once in a life time - it might not be enough

This is a post I honestly never thought I would write.

And it's been sat in my drafts for quite a while now.

So I'll jump straight in.
We turned down the opportunity of a life time. A once in life time kind of thing, that we are unlikely even to get close to again. And I'm going to share it with you (be warned, this is going to be a long'un!).

Happy Father's Day

Technically this is Dann's second Father's Day but as last year Henry was only a week old we didn't do a huge amount for it, and to be honest we were both still in that newborn bubble and didn't know what day of the week was half the time!

I wasn't really sure what I was going to write for this post but knew I couldn't let the occasion pass without writing something! 

One year as a parent - what it's taught me?!

I'm going to be going on about this for a while yet, so hold on guys and girls, but I'm still somewhat bewildered that we've kept a small human alive and well for an entire year!

A year of ups and downs, and swings and roundabouts (literally sometimes). 

There's been days that I genuinely wondered if I was really cut out for this and worried that I wasn't good enough, and then days of utter bliss and joy and happiness. 

So what has a year as a parent taught me?

Happy First Birthday Henry!!!

Today is the day, and I am so far from prepared for it, it's unreal.

My baby boy is one!!
Happy birthday my sweet boy.

This past year has been the most surreal, amazing, hard, exhausting, brilliant and over-whelming year of my life. But I wouldn't change it for the world.

I absolutely my sweet Henry. He is the kindest, happiest, cuddliest, and contented child. His smile brings smiles from everyone that meets him.

Am I ready for baby number two?

I've always always wanted a big family.
I'm the first of three girls. Dann is the first of three too. We both have close age gaps between us and our sisters next in age.
And if I'm totally honest, it's what I want for my family.

Motherhood: Becoming the Mum I am

You know those people that always knew exactly what they wanted to do with their life, in what order, and when. They knew they were meant to be a nurse, doctor, police man, soldier or teacher. They knew their calling from the days of dress up, or when they picked their GCSEs. They had a plan and a life's calling. They knew if and when they would want a family.

I don't really think I ever had that. I knew I wanted to be successful. And from a young age wanted to travel, and from my early teens I wanted to write. And in the back of all that, I knew I wanted a family. But I never really knew the order, and I never really worked out which I wanted more.... until recently.

Motherhood. It changes a person. It readjusts your priorities. Whether you want it to or not.

For me, it's the silent calling that I would be the person I am. I truly believe I was made to be a mother.

We didn't go out today

We didn't go out today... or the day before if I'm totally honest.
We didn't get dressed, and we never even planned to.
I wore no make-up and didn't brush my hair.
We didn't leave the house once.

And sometimes that is perfectly OK, even when your baby is a bit older.

The thing is, with the weather like it is in not-so-sunny England, it's hardly difficult to think, that there are going to be quite a few stay-at-home days, especially when you don't have a car during the week (and frankly even if I did I'd probably hate it because this girl HATES driving!).

You often see these mums on the internet that really do have their shit together, and are out and about every single day,and every type of baby group you can imagine, having coffee dates with other mums and basically nailing mum life and maternity leave.

I don't do this.

You were born an original - stay that way

Originality. It's a funny thing.

A quick google search brings up so many quotations:

"All good things that exist are the fruits of originality"

"Originality is a by-product of sincerity"

"It is better to fail at originality, than to succeed at imitation"

And it's that last one that sticks out to me most.

This blog started out life as a tattoo blog, and tattoos remain to this day, one of my biggest passions. The art as a whole took a bit of a sideline last year due to being pregnant for half the year, and being a new mum for the remainder, but I will be focusing more content to tattooing this year, starting with a bit of a rant. 

I've previously talked about tattoos and originality in this post about copying tattoos back in 2015, but I want to do a little revisit. 

I recently saw yet another tattooist having to call out another on stolen artwork just a day into 2017! To be honest, it makes my blood boil. Imitation is NOT a form of flattery. Whether it's written word, a photograph, an oil painting or a tattoo.

Seven good moments of motherhood

Motherhood is damn hard!
I knew it was going to be hard, but I guess I kind of under-estimated it, but, boy it is it worthwhile.

Sometimes it's really easy to get bogged down with all the bad stuff. I mean it's always easy to let the bad times over-rule good things in almost any aspect of life, but combined with sleep deprivation and a steep learning curve, it'seven easier to focus on what isn't right, than what is.

So to help me, and hopefully you, I'm sharing seven good moments from my motherhood so far!