It's funny because for the last year and a bit, all I've focused on clothing wise has been if it's been feeding friendly. There have been parts of my wardrobe I haven't been able to go to, lots of clothes I look at in shops/online and think - nope can't wear that. But as I type this, I've just started reducing Freya's breastfeeding in the day so now she just feeds first thing and then before bed, so it means I can wear whatever I fancy again - and in fact it's been easier if she doesn't have access so I've taken to wearing any 'normal' top again. Breastfeeding has to be one of the most rewarding, incredible things I've ever ever done, and whilst I haven't stopped yet - and hope I can carry on for another few months or so -, our journey is definitely coming to an end and so much less than it was for the past year. One of the things I've loved and learned most from instagram has been all about breastfeeding - and there's a wonderful support community on there of passionate breastfeeding mother's - especially recently with World Breastfeeding Week. And one of the requests I get for posts a lot is if I can share some Feeding Friendly Fashion. So here's a quick post {before I write a no doubt really long post about the rest of our feeding journey sometime soon - you can read my first post here} to share a few things I've learned along the way. I didn't want to feel restricted in what I could or couldn't wear, I didn't want to have to buy nursing specific clothing, I wanted to make what I already had work if I could and if I was buying something new, make sure I'd get wear out of it afterwards. And likewise, if I was buying anything new - it had to be feeding friendly as I knew I'd be BF for a while and hope to have a second baby someday who I hope I could breastfeed again too. It becomes quite a good filter for reducing your shopping habits too as in - 'nope, it's not feeding friendly!'. I hope this post is of some help! 

I wrote a guide to newborn essentials {HERE} and everything that we used from 0-6 months so I thought it was about time that I wrote an updated list for this period post 6 months now that Freya is over a year. Mainly for me to look back upon and remember or to send to friends! But it might be useful for any of you with babies coming up to that age too. And just as a reminder, your baby doesn't need any of these things, your baby just needs you and toys/entertainment can be made out of the simplest things or with what you can get passed down from friends/family second hand or found on Facebook market places etc. Whilst I've included all of the toys that have kept Freya entertained, equally half the time she is just as happy/inquisitive with the pots and pans from our kitchen, a cardboard box or basically anything that's not a toy ha. But these are just some things we've loved and used a lot if you were looking for inspiration. 

 I'm not sure whether to blame the global pandemic or the fact I have a 10 month old baby who is realllly on the move now {you need eyes in the back of your head at all times when she's awake and then when she naps, I have to try to fit the rest of my life into those little windows} I have battles with myself weekly for my want for writing posts on here, I LOVE this space but equally there’s just no time. Despite the fact that we're in lockdown, or indeed we have been for the past 2 months, there’s been less time than I expected? No sourdough projects over here, just trying to keep a bub entertained! Although we have been loving our garden and allotment growing more than ever. After talking to friends with older children and blogs, they all agreed that in however many years time won’t look back and wished we’d blogged more but would have wanted to just enjoy this time whilst she’s little that we'll never get again. And also I think in this Corona Rollercoaster of emotions it’s just about doing what you can to stay sane, it's such unprecedented times for us all so it's not always a time for striving to achieve all of these wonderfully organised cupboards, it’s sometimes about just keeping afloat. Anyway, I can often still be found spending too much time on Instagram - photos are still my thing - but when I answer things on my stories, or indeed my feed, it can be hard for people to go back to and so I've decided that writing a few posts here and there for things people ask a lot might be easier to reference. This one was requested by a few mama's on Instagram recently, one of which who’s baby is 1 in a week! So it spurred me on to get something online fast. And actually I heard a phrase on a podcast recently re ‘done is better than perfect’ which can often hold people back

Anyway enough waffling, on with the first birthday ideas if that’s what you’re here for. And maybe, just maybe, you'll be reading this in the future when corona will be a distant memory and we'll all be thinking 'oh gosh do you remember that crazy time?!'. Let's hope so anyway <3. Sending lots of love to you all! And promise to try to write more posts soon including one for presents for new parents/babies?

Part two of our trip to Western Australia. {You can see part one around Dunsborough/Margaret River here and this post on travel logistics with a baby}. For the last week, we spent our days in Cottesloe - a beach suburb of Perth. It's a place that we'd visited all too briefly on our quick stopover a couple of years ago and really loved so this time enjoyed having more time to properly spend there. It was a bit of a different pace to our first stop which was incredibly relaxed but we really enjoyed being near to a city again and exploring all of the suburbs around Perth. Australia really is such a dream for beaches and brunch spots. There was also Rottnest Island for an epic day trip which was a huge highlight. We really loved Perth and it was the perfect end to our trip. Photos and our favourite spots below... 

Happy Happy New Year. I have a serious case of the Christmas blues! There is just SO much that I love about Christmas and this year in particular, Freya's first, was even more special than I ever could have imagined. She's at such a joyful age, and although we didn't get much sleep and had that kind of jet lagged, fuzzy headed feeling - in the end it didn't really matter because it was all so much fun and filled with the very best food and magic of starting new traditions with her. For Christmas Day itself we spent it at my parents with Ben's Mum and my grandparents and it was really really lovely. We then stayed over at my parents for a couple of nights which made it even better, all waking up together and having breakfast, having lots of family around to entertain Freya and did I mention the food already? And then, it was over all too fast and now it's New Year's Day already! I wanted to put together a little post with photos from Christmas, especially since I took a little insta break over the holiday, but then I looked back and realised that Christmas wasn't just about Christmas Eve, Day or Boxing Day, but actually it started around a month ago when we got our tree and started all these new traditions as our new family of three. So in the end this post turned into photos from the whole of December, I know, I know, chronic photo oversharer over here.... I haven't had all that much time for this little old corner of the internet blog of mine since Freya came along but I'm glad I've found the time to put this together since I wanted all of these photos to look back upon and actually it's made me feel so much better knowing that we truly maxed out on all the festivities. It's been quite cathartic looking at all the photos bringing it allll back again. <3 So yes, Christmas 2019 - filled with snow globe joy, the look and awe and wonder on her little face staring up at the lights on the Christmas tree, seeing all of our favourite family and friends, taking a little trip to Bath, our annual trip to London to Somerset House, meeting Santa, family walks, cheese, chocolate, turkey, leftovers, games and so much laughter. Thank you too for sticking around this year if you've made it this far, big kudos if you make it to the end of this crazy long photo filled post. I hope you all had a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year and I hope to have a little more time to devote to this blog again in 2020 - but also maybe not? because my priorities have changed so much since our little baby bee arrived, and although I'm not hugely into big resolutions for the New Year, if there's anything I do want to try to take forward, it's not feeling guilty because in the end, all that really matters is right in front of me. I do have a couple of posts I really want to share soon though! As always, lots of love to you lovely readers - I know lots of you have been here from the start. <3 xx