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Style Saturday: Pastels & Polka Dots!

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Another postpartum/breastfeeding outfit of the day! This is the same outfit I wore on Easter Sunday - I liked it so much I decided to recycle it! Can you tell I'm living in these Zara jeans?! They are comfy for postpartum but the low-rise can be a pain with the Belly Bandit as it creates a gap at my mid-section which means I'm constantly either trying to pull them up or pull the Belly Bandit down to cover it. I normally favour a mid-rise jean but these are the only pair that fit me right now! The last couple of pounds are definitely the hardest to lose!

My shirt is a regular Tommy Hilfiger one that I've had for years, and I just layered it over a white long-sleeve Boob nursing top. I bought the pashmina at one of the many little stalls in Sorrento last summer and my flats are from ASOS (about 3 years ago). On my lips I'm wearing Estée Lauder Crystal Baby lipstick & my bracelets are by Alex & Ani.


Personally I think Emilia is killing it in this outfit today! Jonathan got some really amazing shots of her and she looked so cute! Her top & headband are from The Children's Place (she is wearing size 2T/24 months now...how is this possible?!) and her leggings are from Next. Her shoes are by Clarks.  

She had just spotted Albi in his bed :) 

I hope you are all having a wonderful weekend! I still have yet to get my bum in gear with my exercise routine :( I feel so lazy! I had promised myself I'd just do 30 minutes 3 times a week this week and although that seems totally doable I just can't seem to find the time! Hopefully this weekend I will get the chance to do some sort of physical activity...I really miss it! 

xoxo
Anna


My Week in Pictures - April 21st - 27th

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Monday
This is what we like to call...a milk coma! 


Tuesday
A postpartum outfit of the day - this was actually the one I featured in my Fashion Friday post! It was my first time wearing the Mother Tucker leggings by Belly Bandit and so far I love them! My shoes are from New Look, cardigan is by Senes Paris and my tank top is by Boob.


Wednesday
Eduardo turned 2 weeks old! Here he is in his DPAM babygrow which is size 1 month - he is already almost out of his newborn clothes!


Thursday
Emilia & I got some cool shades in our PO box! Ha ha ha! She is obsessed with sunnies...although I think she liked my ones better ;) 


Friday
Looking very grown up in her pretty little outfit! This was featured in my Style Saturday post. The top and headband are from The Children's Place, leggings are from Next and her shoes are from Clarks!


As if she wasn't growing up fast enough already...Emilia got a toddler pillow! We got her the Clevamama Toddler Pillow from Mothercare and she absolutely loves it. I was actually pleasantly surprised by how much this has improved her bedtime experience! Even though Emilia has always been good at going down for naps & bedtime, this makes her want to go to bed even more! She literally can't wait to put her head on this pillow...it's so cute!


Saturday
Another grown up OOTD - can you believe these pants are 24 months?! The top & jeggings are from Target (I think), her Twinkletoes shoes are by Skechers and she is wearing a lavender Layniebug Designs bow with her Princess Sophia headband from Heather's Bonny Bows

That's all for now, but I will be posting another picture of my dessert this evening ;) Stay tuned if you're interested...ha ha!

xoxo
Anna

Mommy Monday: 2 Week Postpartum Update!

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Again, sorry about the crease-marks they are from the Belly Bandit!

Here is what my belly looks like at 2 weeks postpartum. I lost another 4lbs this week, putting me at 123lbs which means I have another 8lbs to go until I'm back to my pre-pregnancy weight. I think the last couple of pounds are the hardest (and take the longest) to lose though...I remember that from last time! Also even though my belly is getting smaller the stretch marks/bellybutton area is looking more wrinkly. This is due to such a rapid initial weight loss but hopefully the skin elasticity will improve once I start working out again! (If I ever get started...ha ha!) Right now I am using a combination of Bio-Oil and Bloom & Blossom Anti Stretch Mark Cream to help fade them. I am also still wearing the Belly Bandit day & night! And of course breastfeeding helps, along with drinking at least 2L water a day! I am NOT dieting FYI - and don't intend to start cutting calories anytime soon, breastfeeding makes me ravenous!

I would like to get started on some kind of workout routine again...and I use this term very loosely. I'm no gym bunny, nor do I have any intentions of becoming a fitness model but I would love to get in shape for summer. My goal for now is to just do 30 minutes of exercise 3 times a week. Eventually I hope to build up my fitness level but I'm going to start slow...I also don't intend on doing any abdominal work until 6 weeks postpartum! 


And here's what Eduardo looks like at 2 weeks old! 

Height/Weight: We didn't get a height measurement at his 2 week doctor's appointment but he did gain weight! Yay! He now weighs 8lbs 6oz. My doctor was very happy with that and it was so encouraging to hear he is doing so well! As I've said before, it's hard to know when you're breastfeeding so I will be taking him to get weighed again next week by the PHN.  

Routine: It hasn't changed much at all since last week...I am still doing a mixture of feeding on demand and sticking to somewhat of a routine. I try to work around Emilia's as much as possible so that her life stays as close to normal as it can! Her schedule has also moved about an hour earlier to suit Eduardo's. 

7am - We usually wake up around 7am and I give Eduardo his first feed, then he stays in our bed while I get ready for the day. 

7:30/8amEmilia wakes around  and comes into our bed, then we all go down to breakfast around 8:30. 

8:30-10am - Eduardo naps in his bouncer/swing till 10am and I try to get Emilia dressed & all the breakfast things put away by this time. 

10/11:15am - I feed him at 10 and then again at 11:15 so he sleeps for at least an hour or two while I film/get work done. Thankfully Emilia still gets minded either by my mom or sister Erika from 10-1pm so I have this free time in the mornings! 

1:30pm - I try and eat lunch with Emilia around 1:30pm and usually have to feed Eduardo while doing this (multi-tasking! ha ha). 

2:30-4:30/5pm - Emilia goes down for her nap around 2:30 and Eduardo follows shortly after. This part of the afternoon is when I get all my editing/blogging done - and where I plan to eventually start fitting in my workouts! 

4:30/5pmWhen Emilia wakes up from her nap, Eduardo is usually ready for another feed. She usually gets a small snack & some milk on the couch with me while I feed him. Then Emilia normally goes out to play if the weather is nice.

6:30/7pm - We start getting things ready for dinner. I try to time it so that Eduardo is fed & happy in his bouncer while we eat. 

7:30/8pm - We bring the two of them up for a bath. We very recently started bathing Eduardo every night, only because I noticed it relaxes him and tires him out so he sleeps better in the evenings! At the start of the week we were doing it every 3 nights, but now we just wash him in his baby bath before Emilia and alternate between using products & just water.  

8:30pmI then feed Eduardo in the glider in Emilia's nursery while Jonathan washes her & gets her ready for bed. Then we swap and I read her a bedtime story & put her down for the night. We did attempt to put Eduardo to bed in our room (where he sleeps at night) but he didn't last very long! So for the meantime he is still coming back downstairs & sleeping in his bouncer while we watch TV.

10/11:15pm - I usually feed him again at 10 and then at 11:15ish when we go up to bed.


Sleeping: Eduardo is still waking about twice a night...although lately he has been WIDE awake at 5:30am and then takes a lot less at 7am which I hope he stops doing soon! 5:30 is a bit too early for me!! During the day he is still napping in his bouncer seat/swing downstairs & at night he sleeps in his co-sleeper and feeds in bed with me.

Eating/Feeding: He is still feeding really well, and has been going for a little bit longer which means longer rest times too...thankfully! 


Sizes: At the moment Eduardo has just started growing out of all his newborn clothes. Pretty much all his babygrows & vests are small on him now! He is currently mostly wearing 1m clothing from DPAM and/or Zara Baby. He is wearing size 1 nappies (Pampers).

Milestones: Lots of smiles...and he laughed at Emilia which I managed to catch on camera! He has also started making more sounds that aren't just crying...little gurgles & baby babble :) Our doctor commented on how aware he is for a 2 week old - he definitely has become a lot more awake & aware of his surroundings! He loves looking around him and has started reacting slightly to when we talk to him or move objects in front of him. 

That's all I have to report at two weeks postpartum! You can compare Emilia's 2 week update here! And don't forget to check out my 2 Week Postpartum Update video below!



xoxo
Anna

Beauty Tuesday: April Favourites 2014!

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Here are my favourite beauty products for the month of April!



This Estée Lauder eyeshadow trio was a firm favourite all month long - I love the colours! There is a light vanilla shade, a taupe and a dark/smokey brown which is perfect for me because that's all I usually wear. I like how compact the palette is too for travel & packing into my makeup bag! 


I picked up Benefit Brow Zings in the shade medium and have been loving a lighter shade on my brows lately. I think it works better with my current hair colour! These were the brow kits we used in makeup school so I knew it would be good before I even got it but I am super impressed with how pigmented & long lasting this is! I don't tend to use the wax or the brush/tweezers but for travelling this would be very useful!


The Barry M Silk nail paint in Mist was what I ended up choosing to wear on my nails for Eduardo's birth as it became my favourite shade of baby blue after having tried & tested so many! Although I am completely sick of blue nails by now, this is very pretty and the pastel shade is perfect for spring. I don't normally like metallic nails but the silks are a lot more subtle and not so garish. This was very long-lasting too, much better than some of the nail paints from the regular collection!


After I got my hair done this month, my lovely hair salon gave me a goody bag with some Wella Professionals products inside. This Luxe Oil is what they used on my hair in the salon and I am completely obsessed with it! The smell is to die-for and it makes my hair feel silky soft...I can't get enough of it! The bottle is huge for how much product you use with each application (I only need one pump) and I love the packaging. If I had to recommend one product in particular this month it would be this one! 


This was the shower gel I brought with me in my hospital bag, just like last time I gave birth and I love it! Soap & Glory Clean On Me has now become my favourite shower must-have because I associate the smell with my two babies :) The first shower after you give birth is always heavenly so I wanted to use something special & this gel smells amazing. I bought two travel size bottles so I have been using them since coming home from the hospital too! I need to purchase a full-size version next!


Lanolin oil is normally associated with being used on cracked nipples during breastfeeding but luckily I didn't need that this time! However I was sent some Australian Lanolin Oil Moisturising Cream by an Australian viewer and had been keeping it on my nightstand for a couple of weeks until one night I decided to use it as a foot cream. I was so impressed with the results, as after using it every night for almost a month my feet have never felt softer! I really recommend this stuff if you can get your hands on it. 


Finally here's what I've been using to fade my stretch marks - a mixture of Bio-Oil and Bloom & Blossom Anti Stretch Mark Cream. I apply these both twice a day (in the morning after my shower and before bed at night). Then I wrap my tummy in the Belly Bandit which locks in all the moisture & helps the skin soak everything up! I know the Bio-Oil really works to fade stretch marks from my last pregnancy but I also love how the Bloom & Blossom cream feels on my skin.

That's it for this month! You can watch my April Favourites video below!



xoxo
Anna

What I Ate Wednesday {25.4.14}

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Breakfast
This picture of Emilia makes me laugh so much! She's so funny...I had pointed the camera at her while she was eating her breakfast and said "say cheese!" and this was her reaction! As you can tell, breakfast for me was the same as always - Flahavan's Organic Quick Oats with 1/2 banana, almond milk, blueberries & cinnamon. I also had a black coffee (Nespresso Vanilia) and Spatone in my water. Emilia had orange juice, milk, 1/2 a banana and Cheerios mixed with Rice Krispies Shapes. She's going through a weird breakfast phase at the moment! Sometimes I don't know what she will eat that morning so we try a bit of everything.


Lunch
We ate lunch at home so it was nothing special - just another multiseed toasted panino with turkey breast, sweetcorn, cheddar cheese, cucumber & tomatoes. I know, kind of boring! But we like these a lot! :)


Snack
I had another Nespresso Vanilia that afternoon when Emilia & Eduardo were napping, followed by a snack of a chopped up Pink Lady apple and 10 almonds.


Dinner
I took these pictures on a Friday, which meant it was Pizza Party Friday Night in our house! We ordered Domino's and I got the Rustica from their Gourmet Range. I love the thin crust! This one has bacon, sundried tomatoes, spinach and chicken on it. I shared with Emilia...I have half and she has about two slices chopped up!


Dessert
My dessert that night was some white chocolate carrot cake M&M's (which I think I bought out online...I ordered 10 big bags from Amazon and spent a ridiculous amount of money!! But they are so worth it!). I had these along with another Nespresso coffee (black). 

To drink I had 2L of water, and that's it! You can check out my What I Ate Wednesday video here.

xoxo
Anna

Throwback Thursday: Flower Child

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This week's throwback is from when I was around the same age as Emilia! As you can tell, neither of us had much hair...ha ha ha!

I hope you're all having a great week! We are in London house-hunting at the moment...looking forward to getting this big move over and done with. Travelling with two under two is pretty stressful, but I know it will be worth it in the end! I also uploaded a video on How To Be "Successful" on YouTube so if you're curious to check that out, feel free to watch it below!



xoxo
Anna

Fashion Friday: Toddler Room/Closet Tour!

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Here is a little update on what Emilia's room & closet look like at 19 months old...bearing in mind that this setup is rather temporary as we are moving country very soon! (You can see what it looked like back in November 2012 when she was 2 months old here!) I had planned to move Emilia out of the box room nursery and into her "big girl room" but as we are now moving house those plans have been postponed! She will be getting a lovely bedroom in our new house in London so in the meantime, this is what her very small nursery and closet look like!


Her bedroom door


Her crib (which will be Eduardo's soon ;)


The main part of her tiny closet. I only hang/display items in her size that she currently fits into (because of the space issue!) so in here I have hung dresses, shirts & any bulky jumpers that can't be stored folded. The rest of Emilia's clothes are stored in big plastic bins labelled according to the size. The four you see here are only the few that fit inside her closet! The rest are in our spare room.


I store Emilia's shoes in their boxes for now...she doesn't have that many so it's not a problem and I feel it keeps them better! Again I tend to donate or give away any shoes of hers that don't fit anymore and only keep what she wears or will eventually grow into. I hate clutter! In the back I also store her bows in two special edition Glossyboxes :) 


On the other side of Emilia's closet there are shelves, where I have folded all the rest of her clothes. The top shelf contains her bathing suits (not shown in picture), the one underneath has leggings/pants & long-sleeve tops (this is what I pull from the most!), underneath that we have tutus and pyjamas at the back, short sleeve tops and vests in the front. Under that we have two pink baskets full of her socks/tights and another one with some special items from when Emilia was a baby like embroidered bibs/burp cloths along with her underwear. In the bottom shelf I just kept any items that are neutral/can be used by Eduardo. Such as hats, bibs, socks & a basket of burp cloths!

And that's it from Emilia's tiny little nursery & closet tour! It's nothing special and definitely a temporary set-up but maybe it'll give you some ideas if you're stuck for space! You can watch my Toddler Closet Tour below!



xoxo
Anna

Style Saturday: Mommy Daughter Stripes!

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On Saturdays we wear stripes! Okay, that's not actually true...but we do like them in this family! I'm wearing one of my new Boob nursing tops that I featured in my Postpartum Fashion Haul. I refuse to give in to the miserable weather! It's May, okay Ireland? Not December :( I also froze my tootsies off in these sandals - but again I'm too stubborn to go back to wearing boots!! After taking these pictures I threw on a navy blue cardigan. Unfortunately Ireland doesn't seem to have gotten the memo that it's spring.  


My jeans are actually from ASOS Maternity! They are possibly the most ridiculous, impractical maternity jeans I ever purchased...they are the type with an elasticated bit on both sides of the waist band which is supposed to grow with you. Well it grows with you if you're giving birth to a grape. Or if you just ate a big meal...not if you're actually pregnant with a human baby!! So while I would never recommend these to any pregnant lady, they do come in handy when you haven't quite reached your pre-pregnancy weight yet ;)

I got these sandals from TK Maxx and unfortunately they are horribly uncomfortable! But for some reason I felt like wearing them today...maybe I just like to torture myself. I have to say my favourite part of this outfit is the Boob top - the material is so soft & stretchy and I was pleasantly surprised by how flattering the fit is! My bracelets are from Alex & Ani, earrings are from Orelia and I'm wearing my gold Scorpio necklace from my dad. My nails are not painted because I fail at life never have time to do them anymore!! 


Emilia's outfit is kind of matching with mine! She is wearing a striped cat jumper from Next, Matalan leggings, Clarks shoes& a red Layniebug Designs bow with a lace headband from Heather's Bonny Bows. I love her in red, white & blue :)

A little update on our moving situation...we viewed a ton of houses on Thursday while we were in London and fell in love with one of them. We put in an offer on Friday and heard back good news this morning :) So it's official! We have a house and will be moving to the UK at the end of the month. I'm so excited & nervous at the same time!!

xoxo
Anna


My Week in Pictures - April 28th - May 4th

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Tuesday
Just hanging out with my two babies :) I love how much they look like each other! It's actually surprisingly easy to breastfeed Eduardo & still bond with Emilia at the same time. She loves to sit on the sofa with me while I'm nursing!


Thursday
I snapped this picture at breakfast in our hotel, right before we set off for a full day of house viewings! The day before, we flew to London and brought these two monkeys along with us. I'll admit I was pretty apprehensive & a bit anxious about travelling with two under two...especially because I knew this wasn't going to be a particularly fun trip for Emilia, being that we were to spend the three days either viewing houses, attending meetings and sitting in a car/plane. But both babies were actually incredibly well-behaved. I must say Jonathan and I are very lucky parents! Even in her crankiest moments, Emilia is not a difficult toddler. Yes, travelling with two small children is quite stressful but not anywhere near as bad as I thought it would be! Luckily Eduardo is so tiny all he does anyway is eat, sleep & poop so aside from having to breastfeed in some rather awkward situations, he was very easy!


Friday
Another day, another hotel breakfast! This was our last day in London. Emilia was so cute, we asked her to say cheese and she kept looking up at me when she said it! Normally she is a total daddy's girl but on this trip I feel like she bonded with me a lot. I don't know why but I remember when we went to Sorrento last summer it was the same - she tends to get clingier towards me when we travel for some reason. Have any other moms experienced this?! 


Saturday
These were the outfits Emilia & I featured on our Style Saturday post yesterday! She is also on a Peppa Pig kick at the moment which is funny because she had gone off her and was all about Minnie Mouse (she still is) but lately she's reverted back to Peppa! Maybe it's because we were in England and she recognised the accent...ha ha ha :)


I visited my mama yesterday & she sent me home with these amazing lemon cloud cookies baked by my sister Emma. I had two last night for dessert with a caramel Nespresso...they are delicious! They have a lemon cream filling which is to die-for!


Sunday
Here are my sleeping boys this morning! This is how I am able to get ready in the mornings...I feed Eduardo at 7am and then put him into our bed with his daddy so I can shower, put makeup on and get dressed! Last night was the first night we successfully put both babies to bed at the same time. Meaning that Eduardo went to sleep in the co-sleeper and not back downstairs with us...success! Hopefully he will be in a bedtime routine by the time we move (fingers crossed!!)


I spent the day doing what I love...baking vanilla cupcakes with Emilia! Well, she helped with the decorating :) Counting out all the chocolate beans & placing them carefully on each cupcake! 

I hope you all had a lovely weekend! To keep up with my iPhone snaps throughout the week you can follow me on Instagram here

xoxo
Anna

Mommy Monday: 3 Week Postpartum Update!

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Here is what my belly looks like at 3 weeks postpartum! I only lost 1lb this week, putting me at 122lbs which means I have another 7lbs to go! I am still not dieting - far from it...I've been eating normally & breastfeeding. I also still wear the Belly Bandit as you can see from the crease marks and will continue to wear it until I reach my pre-pregnancy weight.  

I did slowly start exercising again last week and although I was only able to get out twice, I reached my goal of 30 minutes 3 times a week as I did two hour-long walks. I felt really good afterwards...had I done the same thing during pregnancy I would have been destroyed afterwards. It's great to have my energy back!


Sorry the pictures of Eduardo aren't that great this week! I promise his 1 month ones will be better...he was actually asleep in his bouncer/swing when I tried to take these & woke up briefly but wasn't in the mood for pictures, ha ha! 

Height/Weight: We weren't able to take him to get weighed this week as we were so busy but I will try & get an update next week! Right now going by his last height/weight he is 19 1/2 inches and 8lbs 6oz. I'm pretty sure he has gained though...he is going up sizes in clothes and he feels heavier!

Routine: The only real change since last week is that we have no started bathing Eduardo at the same time as Emilia, so they go up for their bath together at the same time every evening...he gets bathed first and then she gets her shower. This relaxes him a lot more before bed and I find he settles better afterwards.


Sleeping: He still wakes about twice in the night to feed, and will wake up in the morning anywhere between 6-7am. He naps in his bouncer/swing during the day and sleeps in the co-sleeper at night & feeds in bed with me.

Eating/Feeding: Eduardo has been feeding for longer & in turn will nap for a little big longer as well but it still does depend on the day. Some days he is snackier than others, so I just kind of go with the flow!

Sizes: He is currently in that annoying "in between" stage of being too big for newborn size clothes & too small for 0-3 months! So I normally dress him in size 1m from DPAM or 1-3m from Zara Baby as they have smaller sizes. He is still wearing size 1 nappies (Pampers).

Milestones: Staying awake for longer periods of time during the day. 

That's all for this week! Next week marks the big one - 1 month! I can't believe it's already been that long! You can watch my 3 Week Postpartum Update here:



xoxo
Anna

Beauty Tuesday: Updated Hygiene Routine!

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This little messer helped me film my hygiene routine video yesterday...you can't really tell from this picture but she's actually got a firm grasp on my toothbrush, and ended up chewing on it in the background for almost the entire duration of the video. Very "hygienic"!

Last time I shared my hygiene routine was when I was pregnant with Emilia so I figured an update was very much in order! Here are the products I use currently:


In The Shower
I wash my hair on Mondays & Thursdays, so on those days my morning routine takes a bit longer. Above are the products I use in the shower.

Aussie Miracle Moist Shampoo (twice a week)
Aussie Reconstructor Deep Conditioner (twice a week)
Estée Lauder Perfectly Clean Foam Cleanser/Purifying Mask (I use this as a mask twice a week - the rest of the days I just use it as a cleanser)
Dove Silk Glow Moisturising Body Wash (everyday)
Oral B 3D White Luxe Healthy Shine Toothpaste (everyday)
Venus Breeze Razor (twice a week)


After Showering
Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair Eye Serum (everyday)
Estée Lauder Daywear (everyday)
Dove Summer Glow + soft shimmer (twice a week)
Nivea Pearl & Beauty Deodorant (everyday)
Wella Professional Luxe Oil (everyday)
Tangle Teezer (everyday)


Night Time
Simple Kind to Skin Cleansing Wipes
Clarisonic Plus
(I also use my eye serum & moisturiser after this!)
Bio-Oil
Bloom & Blossom Anti-Stretch Mark Cream
Australian Lanolin Oil Moisturising Cream (on my feet!)
Nivea Lip Butter Caramel Cream

I forgot to include this in the picture but of course I also brush my teeth :)


In Between Washes
Batiste Dry Shampoo XXL Volume & Tangle Teezer

I use these to give my hair a refreshed look in between washes!


Emilia didn't want to say "cheese!" ;) Those are my go-to products that I use on a daily/bi-weekly basis! You can enjoy our unhygienic hygiene video here! 



xoxo
Anna

What I Ate Wednesday {London Edition!}

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This week's What I Ate is brought to you from London! I decided it would be fun to record what I ate last week when we were travelling/house hunting, and here it is! I feel I should also preface this post with a disclaimer...this day wasn't very healthy, so dieters look away! As most of you know it's not always easy to keep things super healthy when you're travelling but no guilt here - I enjoyed every morsel! :)


Breakfast
I love croissants for breakfast, they're my guilty pleasure whenever we're at a hotel! I'm not a big fry/cooked meats person so you'll never see me ordering full English/Irish breakfasts...although Jonathan loves them! I had two mini croissants & a big cup of coffee :) I also took my Spatone with me so I had that with water (my water consumption was HORRIBLE on this trip though!). 


Lunch
We drove all over London looking at houses and ended up eating lunch in Enfield at a little café called ChooChoo's. It was actually really nice! They had lots of toys for kids & a couch for moms to relax and drink their coffee, almost like a mini daycare/mommy group! I ordered a tuna melt panino with red onion and a side salad of cucumber, lettuce, tomato & sweetcorn. Nothing fancy but I was famished, so it tasted like the yummiest sandwich in the world!! I also had another cup of coffee.


Dinner
We ate dinner at Carluccio's! We were so happy to find one in the area...they have the best food! I ordered my favourite dish, spaghetti alle vongole. Actually any kind of seafood pasta is my favourite - it's pretty much all I order when we're in Italy! This was so so good. To drink I had water. Even though I didn't drink a whole lot on this trip I have been very good & staying away from Diet Coke. It's not the best for breastfeeding...well, it's not the best for your overall health either!


Dessert
This was by far my favourite meal of the day (when is it not?!). I ordered a strawberry & mascarpone tart which came with a scoop of Carluccio's vanilla ice-cream. OMG. I could have eaten 15 of these...the mascarpone was on point! Unfortunately I had to eat this rather awkwardly while breastfeeding Eduardo who was becoming fussy so it was hard to break the pastry apart but I still enjoyed every bite!


After dessert I also got an espresso shot which comes with a glass of water (good idea!). I'm a little piggy so I dunked my ice-cream into the espresso...ha ha ha!

Hope you guys enjoyed this London edition of What I Ate! Sorry it wasn't very healthy...well at least I had strawberries for dessert, eh?! ;) You can watch the video below!



xoxo
Anna

Throwback Thursday: Mama's Birthday!

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It was my mama's birthday yesterday! Which got me thinking about all her past birthdays that I've spent with her. This one from 2009 was quite special, it was her first birthday after my dad had passed away and I was living in Bournemouth, UK. I wanted to give her something really special & after talking about it with my grandmother I decided to get us both tickets to see the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra. This meant that she came to visit me in England and we were able to spend her birthday together! I took this picture of the two of us at the concert :)

Looking at this picture makes me realise how much things have changed since then! I can't believe my mom is now a grandmother of two & I am a mama!

If you're in the mood for some Q&A, check out my Ask Anna video below! I answered your questions about low self confidence, marriage and fast food ;)



xoxo
Anna 

Fashion Friday: Blue & Grey!

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Happy Friday! We are a family of blue & grey today, ha ha ha! And no, this was not planned! Evidently I just happen to like blue...a lot. 


I am wearing my Zara low-rise skinnies, grey New Look ballet flats (similar pair here), Soaked in Luxury cardigan and an oversized GAP t-shirt (similar one here). Looking at these pictures I realise that the t-shirt is not the most flattering and kind of adds a few lbs but you know it's comfy so that's all that matters sometimes! My earrings are from Silver Apple Designs, the heart necklace is by Swarovski (similar style here) and I'm wearing my Tiffany's Heart Charm bracelet

Emilia is wearing a denim OshKosh dress with a navy & white belt, Clarks shoes and a white cardigan from The Children's Place. She had a bow-bow meltdown this morning, where she insisted on picking out her own bow! She is definitely becoming her own little person now and likes to make decisions on her own! Unfortunately I can't remember where this bow is from, it was a gift from a viewer. 


This handsome studmuffin is one month old today! I've just started dressing him in proper clothes rather than babygrows. He's fitting into 0-3 month clothing now so dressing him just got a bit more fun! Today Eduardo is wearing a grey & blue polo-shirt/onesie and grey leggings from Zara Baby as well as some blue socks from Next.

You can watch our outfit of the day video here! 



I hope you're all having a fabulous Friday! I am working on creating a new feature for my blog/channel which I'm super excited about! It will involve cupcakes & baking ;) I can't wait to start but it needs a bit more planning. 

Have a lovely weekend!
xoxo
Anna

Style Saturday: Tired Mama!

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I realise that I've featured variations of this outfit on my blog before (exhibit A and B), but here's the spring/postpartum/breastfeeding version! The pants are by Selected Femme, the gilet/jacket is from Vila and my nursing top is by Boob. My ballet flats are from New Look, bracelets are Alex & Ani and my earrings are from Orelia!


Emilia is all in pastels today! Her jumper is by DPAM, jeans are from Next and her shoes are from Start Rite. She is also wearing a lace headband from Heather's Bonny Bows and pale pink bow from LaynieBug Designs

Today was another one of those days where I am just exhausted! I'm getting to that point where I would actually do just about anything for a full night's sleep! :( I know it's only temporary but I think that's the hardest part of having a newborn baby...the sheer exhaustion & tiredness! I feel like if I weren't so tired I would get so much more done. I had a goal to pack up my cupcake room today but between breastfeeding, blogging, filming videos, looking after Emilia & walking dogs, laundry etc. etc. time just got away from me! My mom keeps reminding me that moving is the second most stressful life event...ha ha, thanks Mama!! ;)

xoxo
Anna


My Week in Pictures - May 5th - 11th

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Monday
Emilia "helped" me to film videos this week!  


Tuesday
On Tuesday her Oma took her for a few hours so I could get some work done...and she wore this adorable outfit! I have no idea where it's from, it was a gift. (Sorry!) I think it makes her look so grown up!


Wednesday
Wednesday was my mom's birthday, so Emilia & Eduardo got dressed up in their special outfits! Emilia's dress & footless tights are from Next, Eduardo is all in Zara Baby. I can't believe I got this shot of them both smiling!


This was also the day Eduardo turned 4 weeks! Isn't he a handsome little studmuffin :)


For my mom's birthday dinner we went to the Maryborough Hotel - the food was delicious!! We went here for my birthday too, and I ordered the same dessert because I loved it so much. Croissant bread & butter pudding... *drool* It was amazing!


Friday
On Friday I had both kiddies by myself in the morning as Jonathan went mountain biking...I did attempt to film for next week but I lost one of the clips & as a result it's a bit of a mess! :( But these things happen... Anyway, they do look adorable together :)


I went to my mom's house for lunch and was served this beauty for dessert! Her birthday cake was a delicious Key Lime Pie baked by my sister Emma. I literally could have eaten the whole pie..and yes that is whipped cream beside it! 


Sunday
Emilia turned 20 months today!! Can you believe it...I have a 20 month old and a 1 month old! This picture made me laugh because I had just asked her to kiss her brother and she did this, but then about 5 seconds later she kissed him anyway :) 

That was my week! You can follow me on Instagram here. I hope you guys are having a wonderful weekend! I'm trying to get started on packing up this house...slowly but surely! 

xoxo
Anna

Mommy Monday: 1 Month Postpartum Update!

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Sorry about the dodgy lighting in these belly pictures - I had to wait till later that day to take them as Jonathan was out so it was quite dark! 

Here I am at 1 month postpartum! I can't believe it's already been a month since I gave birth! I lost another 2lbs this week which puts me at 120lbs. I gained a total of 27lbs and have lost 22lbs so far so I have 5lbs left to go! My usual non-pregnant weight has always fluctuated between 115-120 so I feel like my normal self again and have stopped wearing the Belly Bandit. My tummy still has a bit more shrinking/toning up to do and I would like to lose the last 5lbs to get back to my pre-pregnancy weight but I'm not in any rush. Most of my regular clothes are fitting me now so I feel pretty good about it! I obviously have a lot more jiggle in my belly area which I intend to work on once I get the all-clear from my doctor. 

My exercise was horrible last week as we were busy with travelling/organising the move etc. but so far this week I've gotten back on track and am trying to get out & walk almost everyday. Aside from that I'm still not dieting (as you can probably tell from my Instagram posts, ha ha ha!) and am drinking lots of water. Breastfeeding obviously also helps! 


Here is Eduardo at 1 month old! 

Height/Weight: I don't have an update on this yet - he will be measured & weighed at his 6 week appointment.

Routine: We made a big change to our routine last week which we are all very happy about! We finally have a bedtime routine...meaning that both Emilia & Eduardo now go to bed at the same time! This was a huge step for Jonathan & me because it means that we get some free-time to ourselves in the evening. This is heavenly as a parent!! Especially because I am still feeding several times a night so I really appreciate the break! 

Sleeping: Right now Eduardo is waking at 6:30/7am and then naps in the morning while we're eating breakfast, he has another longer nap at lunchtime and then again in the evening while we're having dinner. Then bath-time is at 7pm and both kids are in bed for 8pm. He doesn't usually wake for a feed again until about midnight at which point I'm normally already in bed for about an hour. He does wake in the night about twice and I normally take him into our bed to feed...I try to put him back into the co-sleeper but to be honest I'm usually too tired & fall asleep while feeding him so he stays the remainder of the night in our bed. This doesn't bother me though, as he's still going for 4 hours in his own cot when we first put him down.

He also loves sleeping on his tummy. I noticed this for the first time in London when I put him down on his belly and he stayed happy & content for ages. Emilia is a tummy sleeper too and so am I! So I always put him to bed on his tummy but we have the AngelCare Monitor so I can always hear that he's okay which is very reassuring! 

Eating/Feeding: Breastfeeding is going remarkably well this time, I've had no complications or issues which I'm so grateful for! Eduardo is definitely a muncher & packing on the pounds nicely!

Sizes: He has now grown out of his newborn stuff and is fitting into 0-3 months. He still wears size 1 nappies but I'm thinking of moving him up a size soon. 

Milestones: Aside from establishing the bedtime routine which I'm very happy about, he also rolled over at 3 weeks! We were initially kind of shocked & thought it might have been a fluke but nope, he did it twice on the same occasion and then again the next day! I can't believe it! I think Emilia was 2 months or so when she rolled over so I was not expecting that at all!


Emilia totally crashed our postpartum update video! Poor Eduardo was napping while I filmed and she stole all the attention! I don't think he minds though :) Until next month!



xoxo
Anna

Beauty Tuesday: Spring/Summer Eye Makeup Routine!

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So many of you asked me for a more detailed post on how I do my eye makeup, so here it is! (You can check out my full makeup routine blog post here.) I do my eye makeup the same every single day, give or take a few product changes when I buy a new palette or eyeliner. Here are the products I use! 


- Benefit Browzings Powder in Medium
- Estée Lauder Eyeshadow Trio in Amber Alloy
- Estée Lauder Double Wear Zero Smudge Liquid Eyeliner
- Estée Lauder Double Wear Stay in Place Eye Pencil in Onyx
- CoverGirl Lashblast Mascara

Real Techniques Duo-Fiber Eye Brush
Sedona Lace Angled Eyeliner Brush
Sedona Lace Fluffy Eyeshadow Brush
Urban Decay Flat Eyeshadow Brush
Dior Eyeliner Brush


And this is what the eye makeup looks like close-up! You can watch my step by step tutorial of how I achieve this look here:



xoxo
Anna

What I Ate Wednesday {7.5.14}

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Breakfast
This was the same as always! Flahavans Natural Quick Oats with almond milk, 1/2 banana, blueberries & ground cinnamon on top. I also had a Nespresso coffee.


Lunch
We don't eat out for lunch very often anymore but when we do one of our favourite places is Table Restaurant in Brown Thomas! This is what I almost always order & I have featured it on my blog before...it's the goat's cheese salad with beetroot, candied pecans, quinoa and parsnip crisps. Yum!


Afternoon Coffee
I had a decaf Nespresso :) No snack as I was saving myself for dinner - we were going out to eat as it was my mom's birthday!


Dinner
For my mom's birthday dinner we went to the Maryborough House Hotel which is where we also went for my birthday in November. Their food is amazing, ever since they changed their restaurant last year! I ordered deep-fried mushroom risotto...it was SO delicious! It looks like bread in the picture because it came sort of inside a crust - I was so impressed! It also came with some grilled zucchini and cherry tomatoes.


Emilia got chicken goujons & chips...to be honest their kids' menu wasn't great. They didn't really have any healthy options. She didn't eat much of this but her dessert made up for it! 


Dessert
This was the best dessert I've had in ages! I loved this so much on my birthday, I had to get it again :) It's a croissant bread & butter pudding with creme anglaise on the side. Bread & butter pudding is a total guilty pleasure of mine. I don't order it very often but I LOVE it! I also got a decaf coffee with this but it was instant and tasted gross :(


Emilia got a chocolate brownie with chocolate ice-cream...she and her dad devoured this :) 

To drink I just had water throughout the day (about 2L) and that was it! I hope you guys enjoyed this WIAW birthday special! You can watch the video here:



xoxo
Anna

Throwback Thursday: Cruising in Monaco!

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Here's a more recent throwback to last October from our cruise! We went on a shore excursion to Monaco and although it was very beautiful, I don't recommend doing guided tours or shore excursions like this with babies and/or if you're pregnant! I was 17 weeks and Emilia was 13 months old...probably not the best time to go on a cruise! But it was an experience all the same, and I'm happy I got to see a couple of places that I'd never visited before!


Emilia and her daddy...those were her first shoes!


It seems so strange looking at these pictures without Eduardo! Although he was in my belly :) But now that he's here I can't even imagine life without him!

I also uploaded a video on shaping up for summer...check it out if you're interested in getting started with me!



xoxo
Anna

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