Emilia & Eduardo's Bedding #AD

I've recently been getting quite a few questions about Emilia & Eduardo's bedding sets as some of you may have seen them featured on our vlog. Both children were lucky enough to get some new sheets, quilts and throw cushions from Christy's #ChristyJunior collection and they are in love with their "new beds"! Eduardo's set is the Christy Junior Galaxy Teal and he also has the Christy Junior Cosmos Collection quilt & cushion. This whole set is perfect for him because he loves space and stars! His favourite item of all is the Christy Junior Ticket to the Moon cushion; he and Emilia have so much fun pretending they are going on a real adventure into space with this! 

Emilia's duvet set is the Christy Junior Willow Coral and she was very excited about the fact that there are "real pompoms" on her bedding! She also has the Christy Junior Hetty Cushion and actually likes snuggling with this when she goes to sleep! Both children have Christy Junior Speckles Jersey fitted sheets and I think these are my favourite of the entire collection. They are super soft and remind me of when they were babies and I would buy similar jersey sheets for their cots. 

I really do love this bedding range and was so impressed with the high quality of the cotton. Everything is beautifully made, 100% cotton, super soft and feels amazing. The packaging and way in which it was all delivered felt very premium and the price point is reasonable & fair for the luxury quality of the products you receive. Emilia & Eduardo love the feel of their beds and that is the most important thing because it means their sleep-deprived mummy & daddy are less likely to be disturbed in the night!

You can shop any of the #ChristyJunior products I mentioned here, and also get 10% off the whole range using the discount code ANNA. 

Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by Christy. All opinions are my own, as always :)

My Husband is A Published Author!

Jeans - 7 for All Mankind (similar style without the rips), Top - Mango (out of stock), Boots - Whistles, Watch - Michael Kors, Necklace - Anna Saccone, Bracelets - Louis Vuitton, Anna Saccone, Van Cleef & Arpels

Yesterday was Jonathan's book publication day which means The SacconeJolys and The Great Cat Nap is now available from all good bookshops across the UK and Ireland! The book tour starts tomorrow, which is super exciting yet also kind of stressful (trying to figure out logistics with the three children, dogs etc.) but one thing is for sure - I am SO proud of Jonathan! Writing a children's book and this entire project has been his dream for so long. He is truly a family man and watching him become a father has been one of the most special and rewarding experiences of my life. I am so thankful that he is my partner to raise our children with because unlike so many other men I know, he is a team player when it comes to bringing up our kids. Jonathan is one of the most hands-on dads you'll ever meet; we actually have to fight over who does the school runs as he feels left out if he doesn't do them! He will ALWAYS choose his family first over anything or anybody else and that is one of the things I love the most about him. 

This is why I think this book is such a perfect fit for Jonathan because I know in my heart that he would never release a product or sell something that he didn't 100% believe in. I saw the whole process that went on behind closed doors while he worked on this book from coming up with the initial idea to choosing an illustrator and working together on getting each and every character exactly right. Seeing the book in its completed physical form is such an amazing experience when you know how much care, time & effort went into creating it. 

Reading books to our children has always been a huge part of their night time routine since Emilia was a tiny baby. It doesn't matter what has happened during the day, the bedtime book is always something they can rely on and I feel that they look forward to that quality time with Mummy & Daddy. For me personally, the bedtime story is what replaced breastfeeding as I always drop the night time feed last after my babies turn 12 months. Reading a book to your little ones is such a lovely bonding experience and these are the memories our children will cherish forever.

If you do pick up a copy of The Great Cat Nap, let us know what you think of the story by tagging us on Twitter or Instagram and tell us who your favourite character is! 

What I Ate Wednesday {14.10.17}

Before I start this blog post I feel like I need to address the comments on my previous one. Thank you SO much for the wonderful support and lovely messages you all left me both on Instagram and here...the reaction I got was unbelievably positive and not what I was expecting at all. You shared stories of similar days/weekends/weeks and made me feel less crap about myself...and for that I want to say thank you. Thank you for reminding me exactly why I started blogging in the first place; to share my experiences with and relate to people all over the world who I would otherwise never be able to reach. You've all just reaffirmed to me why social media is important and how it truly can be used for good.

I don't want to sound like a broken record here because I'm actually feeling MUCH better now but unfortunately this What I Ate was filmed right in the middle of my stressful weekend...so, well you'll see how the day unfolded! I was seriously contemplating scrapping it and refilming the whole thing but I want to be honest with you guys and show you that not everyday is perfect!

Breakfast was pretty standard - I had two boiled eggs and a slice of wholegrain toast with butter, a black coffee & bottle of water. I always soft boil my eggs and add salt! I love having this breakfast if I have time to make it in the morning. 

My lunch was a sesame seed bagel with tuna, mayonnaise, sweetcorn and some cherry tomatoes & cucumber on the side. I also had another bottle of water. 

At about 3:30/4pm I started to get hungry again so cut up a kiwi which I wasn't even really craving but thought it would be good to eat some fruit as I haven't been having a lot of it lately :( I don't know why but I've just gone off fruit lately or I just forget to eat it which isn't like me at all! I'm not sure if it's because it's getting colder outside and I normally enjoy fruit in the warmer months but that doesn't really make sense considering I'm always hot at the moment (breastfeeding hormones anyone?!). 

A little bit after that I made a cappuccino with almond milk. I use the Almond Breeze Barista Blend for a really frothy cup and then I also had a Nature's Path Dark Choc Chip granola bar which are my favourites lately! 

By dinner time things were going a bit downhill...children were screaming and fighting, dogs were barking and everyone was a bit frazzled, hence why this photo isn't even in focus! Our dinner was good but I didn't really enjoy it unfortunately :( We had chicken drumsticks with homemade potato wedges, carrots & peas in coconut cream sauce. I also had another bottle of water though I don't remember if I finished it or not! 

After we put the kids to bed and cleaned up a whole load of dog wee and a house that looked like it had been hit by a hurricane, I had a bit of a weepy moment in the kitchen before cheering up over a Twix bar (not pictured because it was inhaled in about .000005 seconds) followed by this Rachel's rice pudding followed by a packet of veggie crisps FOLLOWED by two little packs of mini Oreos. It was one of those days...hahaha! The only reason I didn't photograph the other stuff is because emotions were high and I didn't feel like whipping out a camera. But trust me, I felt A LOT better afterwards! :)

So that was my crazy stressful day which sort of continued this way for the whole weekend! I'm glad I shared it with you guys because I feel much better but now I'm ready to put it behind me...and never speak of it again...haha only joking. Be sure to check out my video from today on my channel later this evening. And I will see you on Friday! 

Don't Judge A Book By Its Instagram Feed

Top - Abercrombie & Fitch (similar top), Boots - Toms, Jacket - G-Star, Jeans - Abercrombie & Fitch, Vest - Zoa NY (same top in metallic blue)

Lately I've been feeling totally overwhelmed...it's almost as if my life has descended into this whirlwind of total chaos and there are times when I feel like I'm going to hit breaking point. No filter & no fakery here...you all know I like to keep it real! Don't get me wrong, I love my kids, adore my husband and care deeply about my six crazy dogs. But sometimes running a business together while simultaneously trying to raise a family and not lose your sh*t at least 12x a day is hard. Adding to all of that was the fact that we were delivered 4000 books on our doorstep which needed to be signed over one weekend. The same weekend that we had family over...suddenly our kitchen erupted into what looked like a sea of books & sharpies. I'd be lying if I said we didn't all feel like murdering each other by Sunday evening. 

Hopefully this is just temporary (I know deep down that it is) and although there are 150 other things going on that I don't share on here because I choose to keep them private, I just want you all to know that not everything you see on social media is real. Everyone has problems, EVERYONE! You might see someone's "perfect" outfit picture on Instagram and while it looks like they have their sh*t together behind that smile is a whole story you know nothing about. I have been struggling lately...my life feels out of control and I hate that. I'm trying to get back into the swing of things but working from home means you never really switch off from "mummy mode". I'm not complaining and I am obviously grateful for everything I have. But let's be totally honest here, no matter who you are or what your situation is raising little people is HARD WORK. There are days when my children break me...they wear me into the ground and I feel like I'm doing a rubbish job. Sometimes I don't understand how the people you love SO much with all of your heart can also break you into a million pieces that you just want to sit on your kitchen floor and sob. 

I also kind of know that's normal! That everyone has days or weekends like this (or even weeks!). It's just important to remember not to judge a book by its cover, if you'll pardon the very appropriately timed pun. I want you to know that nobody's life is picture perfect and it's okay to feel inadequate or like your life is a total mess. In fact that's exactly what I feel like 99% of the time...a hot (the sweaty kind, not the attractive one) mess! But a problem shared is a problem halved, right? And I hope that by spreading a lot more of this "honesty" message in a world of pretty Instagram filters and themed squares showcasing the highlights of people's lives, we can come together as a positive, loving community that supports each other. Who's with me?

On a totally separate note, here's a cute video Eduardo and I made together...it's his three year update or an (attempted) interview with my three and a half year old! Hope you it makes you smile. 

Celebrating Autumn

This week we've been celebrating autumn and the lead up to half term. We attended Emilia & Eduardo's Harvest Festival at school which was super cute (although Eduardo didn't even see me there...he saw his daddy but never made eye contact with me! :( ) I got my nails done & a much-needed pedicure (it's actually embarrassing how long it had been) and went with a nude biscuit-y taupe colour (number 019 from the Gel Bottle Inc.) which sort of match my boots! 

Today's outfit consists of my Replay light denim jeans which I bought before I got pregnant with Alessia (similar wash without the stitching here). Although I do like the look of these jeans I'm not a huge fan of the stitching detail on the front of them as it gets quite irritating and scratchy on my skin. I'm wearing these in a size 27, but they are quite stretchy and forgiving! I also wore these to Emilia's 4th birthday party which you might remember! 

My checked shirt is from Joules and it's in a longer style so I tied it in a knot at the front. This look is such a great cheat for when you're feeling bloated (as I was today because I ate about 6 chocolate chip cookies the night before!!). The knot kind of puffs out the top in a natural looking way so you don't have to worry about your tummy sticking out! I love this trick ;) I'm also wearing a basic navy t-shirt from J.Crew underneath which I've tucked into the jeans for comfort & to make breastfeeding more discreet. I'm wearing the shirt in a size 8/34 and t-shirt in size XS (both run big).

My boots are by Toms and these are SO comfy! For quite a high heel (about 3 inches) I have walked around NYC in these with absolutely no problems and I reach for them quite a lot in the autumn/winter when I want a slightly more dressed up look. I'm wearing them in a size 38/UK 5 and they are true to size. Unfortunately they're sold out on ASOS but you can get a similar looking version (with a lower heel) here! 

Hope you guys like the outfit and don't forget to watch my new Q&A video this evening! It's one I filmed back in August (oops) which I finally got the chance to edit and upload this week! It's a good one; I address some rumours about cosmetic surgery and chat about lots of other topics you've asked me on Twitter & Facebook! 

What I Ate Wednesday {10.10.17}

I decided to bring back What I Ate Wednesday posts to my blog because people love them so much & although they are quite repetitive I think there's something quite nice about them! I also like looking back on them to see what I was eating at that time. Recently for breakfast I have been gravitating towards this one as my go-to, as it's quick, easy and when Alessia is fussing or I'm trying to feed her at the same time I just can't justify preparing something that takes longer to make! So this is my current breakfast of choice; Rude Health organic muesli with almond milk warmed up in the microwave for 1 min 30. I love this muesli! It's chock full of dried fruit, chia seeds and all sorts of yummy, filling goodness that it always keeps me full until lunch! I also have a black coffee and water. Muesli always reminds me of my granny - she used to eat it every morning and it was a staple in her house!

For lunch I had an egg salad sandwich made with that Waitrose Duchy seeded bread which I love so much and always rave about on my YouTube channel, two boiled eggs, mayonnaise & cress. I also had a tomato with some Italian herbs on top and another water. This was also super filling and I've been craving eggs recently (not pregnant or anything!). 

In the afternoon around 4pm is when I normally need another pick-me-up so I made myself an almond milk cappuccino. I use the Almond Breeze Barista Blend milk which gives the best foam and isn't too sweet either. I use my Aeroccino to make these and I genuinely look forward to them everyday. I also had a Nature's Path Dark Chocolate Chip granola bar which are so yummy! Jonathan and I are obsessed with these. He has one for his morning snack and I have one in the afternoon!

This afternoon we had Parents' Evening at the school at 5 o'clock so we were late getting back and had dinner after the kids went to bed. So I had to quick snack to tie me over to dinner time as I was quite hungry by then! My favourite yogurts at the moment are these Rachel's Organic Luscious Fruits ones - I had the raspberry flavour. 

Okay so here's where I kind of royally messed up this What I Ate as I was so starving by the time we actually ate dinner (after 8 o'clock by the time all the kids were asleep!!) that I completely forgot to take a picture and just ravaged my entire plate without thinking! So I'm really sorry but I have no photo of my meal :( It was delicious though...we had lamb stew with mashed potatoes, carrots, peppers and tomato sauce. Real comfort food! 

After dinner I had a lemon cheesecake. We have been loving these mini ones by Gu and my favourite is the plain one (Gu York Cheesecake) but tonight I had the lemon. I also drank another bottle of water and took my (breastfeeding) prenatals before bed. 

And that's it! Please do check out my YouTube channel for a video version of another What I Ate Wednesday (filmed on a different day) if you'd like to see more of what I eat. Let me know what yummy foods you've been enjoying lately and if you like you can leave a comment telling me what you ate today!  

Blogging Again

So it's been a while since I blogged...in fact it's been half a year!! *insert hiding monkey face emoji here* Err, since then a lot has changed. I've had a baby! Hahaha, in case you hadn't noticed the missing bump!? And if you follow me on YouTube of course you did know that already but I haven't officially updated you all on here yet so it feels weird to ignore it. On March 30th we welcomed our third baby, Alessia Francesca to the world. She is absolutely beautiful and perfect in every way; you can watch my labour & delivery story video here and also her monthly updates! I will do an official blog post on our newest addition soon but in the meantime, here's a good old outfit of the day!

Since Emilia & Eduardo went back to school in September, life has been a whirlwind of breastfeeding, school runs, packed lunches, six fluffy barking dogs, nappy changes and attempting (very badly) to squeeze work life in there too. It's been hectic, to say the least. I thought back to school would make it easier but truth be told, I feel like now we're busier than ever! I love it though...I adore being their mama and wouldn't change it for the world. However that all means that blogging has taken a bit of a backseat but now that Alessia is 6 months old I'm ready to jump back into it. 

I've managed to sort out some childcare a few hours a week so I can get back to work and so far it's only been a few days & I am loving it. I want to do it all but I find there aren't enough hours in the day! Being a mama is definitely my #1 priority but at the same time I don't want to give up my career either. I let so many opportunities pass me by because I simply cannot do both, so now I'm ready to take the reins as I'm beginning to feel more myself again. 

Onto what I'm wearing! Today my sweatshirt is from a local boutique called Joie de Vivre and the brand is Sweats.Co. I'm wearing a size medium Neon Tri Star jumper in navy blue. I love it! The feel is amazing & it's such a cosy yet casual piece! Unfortunately this colour is out of stock but I've also got this grey one with a neon pink star. My jeans are from All Saints which I purchased about a year ago and I'm wearing a size 28. I'm not sure if the ones linked are exactly the same as mine have zips at the ankles but they look extremely similar! My shoes are Converse Ox Festival Trainers (I'm wearing a size 5) which I got from ASOS earlier this year. These are unfortunately now out of stock but you can get a similar pair here which don't have the embroidery on them. 

I hope you like the look - also don't forget to check out my YouTube channel this evening at 8pm for a new video (Alessia's 5 & 6 Month Update!) and I will see you guys on Wednesday!