We've officially launched my limited edition Valentine's Day packaging for my jewellery line! I am so in love with it and I hope you will be too! I actually ordered myself the rose gold Scorpio necklace especially for V-Day as I loved Emilia's Virgo one so much! It's also nice to wear this one with all the blush & dusky pinks I've been loving lately. A girl's gotta have options, right?!
To guarantee Valentine's Day delivery here are the cut-off dates for shipping:
Orders from Germany - Feb. 5th
United Kingdom - Feb. 2nd
Ireland - Jan. 31st
For all other countries, check out the shipping info page on Stilnest's website!
I really hope you guys enjoy this packaging as much as I do! Let me know if you receive a Saccone necklace for Valentine's Day!
These are the tempting treats I had to deal with in my kitchen all day yesterday (Emilia & I baked peanut butter brownies over the weekend and we got some pastries that morning just because....well, you know - it was Monday!). The pecan plaits are my favourite...they make the 9am workouts all the more worth it! I bought the glass jars from Ocado and I love them! Now I just need to find some chocolate chip cookies to fill the other one - I have a feeling this could be a slippery slope!
My outfit was super cosy yesterday; I went for my Abercrombie chunky knit cream cardigan, matching J.Crewv-neck tee and my Ted Baker ripped jeans. I love this cardigan but sometimes struggle with deciding what to pair it with as it looks better with low necked tops like this one but lately it's been really cold! I think I need some more circle scarves...I think that would look cute! Let me know if you have any other ideas - I would love to hear what you think!
I am finally getting round to posting Eduardo's 18 Month Update (at 21 months old!). Oops! Sorry it's taken me so long. But here is a little look at his current daily routine:
7:30/8am Wake up, call for mummy/daddy, snuggle in our bed or play with Emilia if she's awake too.
8:30am Breakfast time! He almost always eats porridge cooked on the stove with whole milk, honey, cinnamon and a few raisins mixed in. He also eats half a banana (shared with Emilia) and has water to drink.
9am - 11:30am On weekdays Eduardo always has a morning activity...for example swimming, toddler dance class, playgroup, soft play and toddler arts & crafts. If he doesn't do something in the morning he normally won't go down for his nap very well so even on weekends we make sure to try and take him outside so he gets some fresh air! (That totally makes him sound like a pet dog...ha ha, sorry Eduardo.)
12/12:30pm Lunch time! Eduardo is not fussy at all and will eat most things I give him. Lately he's been loving carrots & parsnips with bulgur/rice/quinoa and some sort of meat like chicken, meatballs or fish. He has a drink of milk and if he's still hungry he gets an organic yoghurt.
1/1:30pm By this time Emilia is back from nursery so the children have a bit of playtime together (in other words - trash the sitting room!) before Eduardo goes down for his afternoon nap.
2pm Eduardo still sleeps for about 2 hours in the afternoon which is a huge blessing as it allows me to get stuff done! Even with Emilia not napping anymore, she is really good and will usually do some sort of quiet activity while I work. For the meantime Eduardo sleeps in his cot - we did take the bars off a while ago but had to put them back on as he just wasn't ready to make the transition! Now that they're back he's been going to sleep really well again. He also HATES pillows! I tried putting Emilia's toddler pillow in his cot about a month ago but he despises it and refuses to go to sleep if it's in there!
4pm Eduardo wakes up from his nap and both kids have a snack. We normally have fruit or fruit salad with water to drink.
5pm This is usually playtime aka trash the sitting room time...ha ha ha. Actually it's really nice that Emilia & Eduardo play together so well. They do lots of imaginary role-play or love to do puzzles/play with Duplo/Play-doh or draw/paint.
6pm Dinner time! Again Eduardo is generally not a fussy eater so he will have whatever we're having as a family. Like I've always done I make sure we sit down to eat dinner together and although it can get stressful if the kids are acting up or don't like what's being served...I know it's a good family habit to have. (Or at least I tell myself that when food is being flung in different directions and I'm on the verge of a breakdown, ha ha.) Both Emilia & Eduardo get a cup of milk with their dinner and some sort of pudding/sweet treat afterwards.
6:30/7pm This is normally the time I allow the children to watch TV (on weekdays that is...at the weekend I'm way more chilled about it! But I figure during the week they should focus on other activities during the day if that makes sense.) So they will watch Doc McStuffins, Peppa Pig, Paw Patrol, Sofia the First, Blaze and the Monster Machines or if Emilia allows it - Eduardo's all-time favourite that he now knows all the words to...FROZEN!
7:30pm This is bath-time. Eduardo takes a bath every evening with Emilia and we wash their hair twice a week. They LOVE taking their bath and I feel like it's a wonderful bonding experience for them. They always play together or make up silly games...it's really sweet to watch! After their bath they get their cream & pyjamas on...and we try to have them in bed by 8.
8pm Notice how I said "we try" to have them in bed by this time. Yeah, it doesn't always go according to plan! Jonathan will almost always get them incredibly hyper running around their rooms with them or more recently dragging them around on a "sled" (changing mat). So 8pm normally turns into about 8:30! Since I stopped breastfeeding at 12 months I started putting Emilia down and Jonathan does Eduardo. It wasn't even a conscious decision we made I think it just happened naturally as I really missed putting Emilia to bed and Jonathan wanted more bonding time with Eduardo!
If we have had a fairly normal routine day, Eduardo will sleep through the night with no problems. On occasion Jonathan or I will have to go back up to put him to sleep again and over Christmas was a bit of a nightmare but that was when his cot bars were down. Now everything is back to normal and he is sleeping through till 7:30/8. Thankfully both Emilia & Eduardo have always been good sleepers! And that's his everyday routine. Obviously bear in mind like ALWAYS that these are loose time-frames and we are not robots who do absolutely everything according to a rigid schedule! But we do tend to stick with a general daily routine as I find it really helps with babies/toddlers and keeping them happy and content! I hope this post helped some of you guys out there and let me know if you have any questions!
You can watch our full 18 Month Update which we filmed together here!
I filmed Eduardo's looooong over-due 18 month update yesterday (at age 20 months, oops!) and despite him completely trashing my room it was actually a whole lot of fun! He's such a MONKEY! I remember filming Emilia's updates and although she would sometimes get a bit hyper, the room tended to remain at a certain level of tidiness. Maybe I'm wrong but it seems like little boys are a whole other story...even sweet, sensitive ones like Eduardo! They just want to wreck stuff! I suppose the only thing you can do is embrace the mess...well, until nap-time which is basically when I whizz about the house on a cleaning spree. (I'm not willing to give in to total chaos just yet!!) But this was fun and I can't wait for you guys to see his update. He is such a little character now and talking up a storm.
That afternoon I escaped the house for a bit of a pamper session; a mani pedi and much needed eyebrow shape & tint. I always look forward to these solo getaways but I am also usually so exhausted by the time I get there that I end up almost falling asleep! I mean, I suppose that's probably a good thing as it means I'm relaxed but it's kind of embarrassing...the poor beauticians probably think I'm narcoleptic but nope, just a tired mama!! This time I gave into my current grey obsession and went with Shellac Cityscape on my hands and Asphalt (which is a dark petrol grey) on my feet. I'm so in love with both colours!
I also posted this little throwback yesterday from when Emilia & I were recently playing together and making silly faces. She makes me laugh so much! I want to do one with Eduardo too but they never work properly as his go-to face is a happy one and he doesn't quite understand the concept! I think we need some more practise... ;)
Sorry for the lack of blog posts yesterday but it ended up being a rather hectic day! This was my cosy & simple errands day outfit from when we took Emilia to ballet and went to the post office! I wore my white 7 for All Mankind jeans (they are lovely but kind of a nightmare when it's raining...think getting in & out of cars etc.!), fluffy grey & Other Stories jumper, grey Bailey Button Uggs, Mango jacket (this is the new leather one I featured in my sales haul!) and Prada handbag. I was going to wear a higher heel boot but decided to opt for comfort instead as it was FREEZING and these are so cosy!
I've been working out 5 days a week lately and I love it. Doing it in the mornings is such an energy booster and kind of gets me set up & ready for the day. I have tried exercising at all different times including evenings and late afternoon but I can safely say that this is the one that works best for me! Sometimes though, you just can't manage it and life gets in the way...so I might have to try & squeeze it in during nap-time and that's okay too! I included my workout routine in my most recent What I Ate Wednesday video if you want to check that out. I do switch it up depending on what Lucy puts together for me (and have changed it since then!) but I always try and include it in the middle of videos to keep you guys updated so you can follow along with me! A workout session generally takes me in or around 20 minutes and I do the same routine three times (with plenty of water in between!). Luckily Jonathan & I have transformed our garage into a home gym with loudspeakers, a mirror, floor mats and various bits of equipment which is amazing! I honestly feel like HIIT (high intensity interval training) has completely changed my outlook on exercise...it keeps my body feeling challenged, I don't get bored of my workouts, it's quick & easy to fit into any busy schedule and best of all it's been proven to raise your metabolism and keep your body burning energy for hours after you work out. I highly recommend it if you're looking to tone up your whole body without any fancy equipment or joining a gym. I know I've said this before but Lucy has a TON of great HIIT videos on her channel and has even put together a wonderful FREE January workout plan for both beginners & intermediate. So now you have no excuses girls ;) You CAN get fit in 2016!
Here's the video I was talking about...what I ate in a day and my workout routine! Hope you enjoy!
This was yesterday's laid-back, casual outfit (like I ever wear anything that isn't casual...ha ha ha!). I didn't do anything extra to my hair, just brushed it out and added some oil to the ends as it gets quite dry! I actually prefer how my hair looks on day two than how it looks on the day I curl it. My shirt is by Levi's, the top is Tommy Hilfiger and my jeans are by 7 for All Mankind. I'm also wearing my new pink & grey Michael Kors watch and my black bow Kate Spade bracelet. Of course I also have on my Scorpio necklace but you can't see it with all that hair...ha ha.
And this, ladies and gentlemen is what heaven tastes like. I genuinely think Ben & Jerry's are trying to kill me with these flavours that I had only ever imagined in my wildest dreams. For one thing, we all know I'm a cinnamon freak - I'll add it to all of my food, burn it in a candle, you name it. And then there's the caramel ice-cream...well, it's got the word "cream" in it so no more needs to be said about that. But you're telling me you want to add CINNAMON BUN DOUGH to this magical concoction as well?!? I have no words...no words except for if you never hear from me on this blog again you'll know where to find me. (In the freezer...in an ice-cream coma...looking like an actual human cinnamon bun.)
Last night was date night! One of my New Year's resolutions is committing to one date night a week & sticking to it! I think it's really important for a healthy marriage and happy relationship! Also it gives you something to look forward to, gets you out of the house, gives you a break from the kids and makes you appreciate each other more! I know it sounds cheesy but it's true! For our first of the year we actually did a double date with our friends Adam & Sabrina. I wore my light grey 7 for All Mankind jeans (bought in the sales!) along with my Ted Baker over-the-knee boots, black Suncoo polo neck and YSL tassel clutch bag.
We went to Novikov in London and ate at the Asian side of the restaurant (I've been to the Italian part before but had never tried this one). At first I had no idea what to expect as the menu was pretty overwhelming and HUGE! Especially because I'm not used to eating most of the stuff we ordered! But we let Adam pick everything for us as he's the sushi expert. We basically got a variety of different things to share including raw salmon & tuna, prawn tempura, black cod, chicken & fish dim sum, vegetable noodles and lots more. It was SO good! To finish off I had the blueberry & pear cake with cinnamon ice-cream which was amazing...anything cinnamon flavoured and I'm in love!
We had such a lovely night out and it was good to do something different and try food we wouldn't normally get! I feel so lucky & blessed to have met such good friends that both Jonathan & I get on with so well. It's tough moving to a new country where you virtually know nobody, especially as a young family. So when we meet people who are on the same wave-length and have similar interests & goals it's something really special & I appreciate it so much! (You can check out Sabrina's blogs here & here.)
Today's video is a Winter Sales Haul where I show what I got in the January online sales...some of these are really good deals so I've linked everything in the description box if you're interested in what I got! Hope you enjoy :)
It has rained non-stop this whole weekend so yesterday we needed a fun indoor activity to do! Of course what could be more fun than baking brownies on a cold & wet January afternoon?! As you can tell Emilia was pretty excited about that! We had to improvise as our fridge was pretty empty (we got our weekly shop delivered this morning) and had hardly any butter so I quickly searched some recipes on Pinterest. I came up with this one, which seemed perfect - it has very few ingredients and let's be honest, anything involving Nutella is always going to be a winner! We baked them for 30 minutes, (20 would probably have been better - the middle was lovely & chewy but the sides got a bit hard) and served them warm for dessert with vanilla ice-cream. Delicious! I do recommend this recipe, it's not a patch on Kerry's brownies which I normally bake but these are a lighter option & are so simple to make! Let me know if you try these & what you think!
We knew this day was inevitably going to come but now it is official, Emilia has stopped her daytime naps! On rare occasions she will go down for an hour or two if she is really tired or after a late night but normally she's perfectly content to last the whole day. Around the time we noticed she wasn't sleeping we started to do "quiet time" in her room. That worked really well for a few weeks and she did a good job of playing quietly with her toys. Then she began leaving her room after a few minutes and sneaking into Daddy's office (where we keep the iPads). I'm no perfect parent by any means but I do have a bit of a problem with too much iPad/TV time. We do allow Emilia & Eduardo to play with their iPads but we TRY to limit it to when we're travelling. Anyway, long story short I figured there were far more stimulating things she could be doing in the afternoon so now Emilia doesn't nap anymore and we have mummy/daughter bonding time where we do some kind of quiet & calm activity together. Yesterday it was playing with Play-doh, other days it's been baking, tea parties or reading. It just depends on her mood and what we feel like! I was a bit worried at first that I wouldn't be able to get anything done and that I'd lose a huge chunk of my day (this is normally when I get all of my blogging/editing done) but I actually find myself really enjoying this special time with just the two of us. (And thankfully Emilia is so independent it's not too difficult to multi-task! ;)
...And then sometimes we do things like this! She wanted to do "crazy dancing" so this is what we came up with! Have any of my other mamas reading experience the end of naptime? What are some replacement activities you recommend? I would love to know your tips/advice!
I can't believe it's 2016...and that in a few short months Eduardo is going to be two! Argh! Time goes so fast when your kids are small. Here was my super sexy, sparkly NYE outfit...ha ha ha! Can you guess what I did?! I can tell you what I didn't do was attend any fancy parties. Jonathan & I threw our own little grandma & grandpa party which involved Netflix, a sofa full of dogs, pyjamas & chocolate. It commenced at 8:30pm and ended at midnight with a little power nap in the middle (me, unable to keep my eyes open past 9:30). But we did manage to stay up to ring in the new year AND I watched 3 of the 4 episodes of Jessica Jones we played. (Love that show by the way, my mum recommended it to us and now we're hooked!) Anyway BEFORE throwing on pyjamas and a dressing gown, this was my New Year's Eve outfit! I wore another new jumper that I got in the sales (can you tell, I bought a lot of jumpers!) from MiH Jeans in a faded pink & my Diesel combat/cargo trousers. (I took the little strap thing off the side of the hip as I find it annoying and was afraid it would keep getting stuck on things!)
These were my most liked Instagram pictures of 2015! I'm so happy to see that most of them are of Emilia & Eduardo...they are my heart & soul and I can't even put into words how proud and happy they make me! Which was your favourite? I think mine is our anniversary one just because we're all in it!
I also uploaded my first video of the year which is the annual much-requested "What I Got for Christmas Haul"! So if you're curious (or nosy, like me ;) you can take a peek here!
