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Beauty Tuesday: July Favourites 2015

August 4, 2015, 12:00 pm
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Here are my beauty favourites for the month of July, which I will also be sharing in an upcoming video (along with a few other non-beauty faves). But here is a sneak preview! I actually had quite a few that I wanted to share with you. 


YSL Rouge Volupté Lipstick in Ultimate Beige 
Tanya Burr Lipgloss in Sparkling Dewdrops

This has been my must-have lip combo for the end of the month...I'm obsessed! At first I wasn't sure if I liked this lipstick or not as it's a little bit darker than what I'm used to but now I love it. The gloss is about a shade lighter so I apply it to the middle of my lips & then just blend it out. 


Here's what it looks like on - along with the eyeshadow palette mentioned later in this post :)


YSL Luxurious Mascara for False Lash Effect 

I bought this mascara at the duty free on our way to LA and I love it! I was actually about to repurchase Babydoll but the woman at the counter advised me to get the original one & I'm so happy she did. It's 100 times better than the other, as it gives so much length & volume! Plus you don't need that many coats because it's super thick. 


Pippa Palette by Blank Canvas Cosmetics

This is my friend Pippa's eyeshadow palette & I am so proud of her...she sent it to me while we were in America so I came home to a lovely present and have been using it ever since. I am usually quite skeptical of new makeup lines/brands that I'm not used to but this is brilliant. The shadows are mainly matte & very neutral so this would be perfect for beginners or everyday looks, plus you get a highlight, blush & contour in it too. The shadows are all highly pigmented & blend so nicely. I instantly got compliments on my makeup after using this! 


CND Almond Hydrating Hand Lotion

This stuff has become one of my nightstand favourites! I have a little collection of products that I use every night on my bedside table...this is what I use on my hands & it smells delicious! Anything almond scented is probably going to end up being a favourite of mine anyway because I can't help myself - it smells like a cake my mum used to bake :) 


Hawaiian Tropic Silk Hydration Protective Sun Lotion SPF15 

I think this is my favourite suncream I've ever used...I don't know if it's the coconut smell or the fact that it comes out streaked with a bronze colour (which doesn't give you more of a tan or shimmer) but for some reason when I apply this I feel like I'm glowing. Maybe it's my imagination! Either way I love it and will definitely be taking it with me on holiday to Italy!


Zoella Beauty Candy Cream Softening Body Lotion

I don't know if it's the fact that this is called "Candy Cream" or the yummy blueberry & acai scent but I'm obsessed with this body lotion! Yes it's from my friend Zoe's product line but she knows more than anyone that I wouldn't recommend something unless I genuinely loved it - and this is amazing! Although I feel like it's more of a body butter than a lotion as the first time I put this on I used WAY too much and turned myself white, ha ha ha! It also comes with tiny hot pink beads which blend into your skin & are super moisturising. I apply this at night after my shower and the morning after my skin is lovely & baby soft. 


Those were my favourites for the month of July! What were your beauty faves? 
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What I Ate Wednesday {4.8.15}

August 5, 2015, 3:57 pm
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Here's what I ate today! 

Breakfast
This was the usual (minus cinnamon as we're out): porridge with almond milk, half a banana, blueberries and a cup of black coffee with a half litre of water. After breakfast I worked out and drank another half litre (I aim for 2L a day so it helps to drink one earlier in the morning!).


Lunch
For lunch I had a wholegrain pitta bread with smoked salmon, light cream cheese and cucumber slices with some leftover cherry tomatoes (one is hidden! ;).


Snack
Later that afternoon I had another coffee (also black) along with half a mango (cut horribly!) and some coconut chips. These are my new favourite snack - they are so yummy! 


Evening Snack
While waiting for dinner to cook I got hungry again so I had another half banana (this was leftover from my breakfast!) with a heaped teaspoon of peanut butter. This really fills you up and tastes like dessert - I love it.


Dinner
For dinner I baked chicken breasts marinated in Nando's peri-peri seasoning rub, along with some grilled veggies (I buy these frozen) and sweet potato chips. This is delicious and such a hit with the kids. To drink I had more water!


Night-time Tea
Before bed I had a cup of my favourite tea - Teapigs Licorice & Peppermint which is great for sweet cravings. I love this right before bed!

And that was everything I ate! You can watch my video below. What did you eat today?

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Throwback Thursday: Bonnet Baby

August 6, 2015, 3:26 pm
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Here's an old picture of me which my cousin recently shared on Twitter! I am pretty sure this was at my uncle & aunt's wedding (I was their flower-girl) so that would have made me about 3 or 4. And that was not my hat! I actually had a flower crown :) Do you see Emilia or Eduardo?!
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Fashion Friday: Gold & Tan

August 7, 2015, 3:56 pm
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Today was a pretty busy/hectic day - Emilia had nursery in the morning and I had an appointment, then we were filming with ITV all afternoon and my mum & sister are visiting from Ireland! So it was a little bit crazy but I somehow managed to squeeze in a few outfit pictures :)

I'm wearing (almost) head-to-toe Michael Kors which was totally unintentional, it just so happened that both items went together nicely! I bought the jeans last winter and the top is a more recent purchase from when we were in America. My shoes are super old ballet flats from New Look. Emilia is wearing a pair of yellow jeans from Next, her new lemon t-shirt from Zara which was a present from my mum, and a matching yellow bow from Layniebug Designs.

I also uploaded my July Favourites video which is a combination of lifestyle & beauty faves - hope you enjoy and have a lovely weekend!


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Mommy Monday: Emilia Turns Three!

September 14, 2015, 2:50 pm
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I can't believe my baby girl is three! Every time I look at her she gets more & more beautiful - I could not be prouder of my little Emilia <3 Here are some pictures from her pink & gold princess party we threw for her on Saturday. All credit goes to Laura Attwood for these beautiful photos. A full list of vendors / party suppliers will be below. Any questions just leave them in the comments below! :) 


Catering  - The Icing on the Cake (Dani is fantastic & I thoroughly recommend her, she catered Eduardo's birthday party too!)
Emilia's dress - Infantile Shop 
Emilia's shoes - Accessorize 
Cupcake cases & star toppers - Toot Sweet
Castle cupcake toppers - Posh My Party
Gold crown cupcake toppers - Pelemele
Princess crown confetti - The Party Haven
Mini lace crown toppers - My Paper Romance
Pink and gold star wands - Confetti Momma Party
Pink and gold crown paper straws - Confetti Day
Disney Princess photo booth set - Let's Get Decorative
Pink and gold paper straws - The Baker's Confections
Napkins, paper plates, bunting - Ginger Ray (Not On The High Street)
Cake topper - Miss Cake
Photography - Laura Attwood
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Mommy Monday: Dealing with Fussy Eaters!

September 22, 2015, 1:27 am
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I am by no means an expert when it comes to parenting advice but recently I feel like we've experienced a bit of a breakthrough as far as fussy eating goes. I was really lucky with Emilia & Eduardo in the baby stage as they were very good eaters. But around the time Emilia turned 18 months she started to get very picky about food. Incidentally this was right about when Eduardo was born so as you can imagine, I probably wasn't very focused on her nutrition as I had been before so I found myself giving into her a lot. Of course this only made her fussy eating worse! As a child I was the complete opposite and I would eat almost anything my parents put onto my plate, so I didn't really understand how to approach this problem. I figured because Jonathan is a picky eater, maybe Emilia had inherited that from him!

By the time we moved to the UK I found myself with a toddler who would only eat Nutri-Grains, ham & cheese sandwiches, pasta and milk. It was a bit of a nightmare, but like I said with the stress of moving country and a newborn baby to look after - it took a backseat on my list of priorities and I figured it would sort itself out. Needless to say, it didn't. I asked our public health nurse for some advice and was told "no child has ever starved to death due to fussy eating...if she won't eat something don't give her other options but you have to be strict". Although I took that advice on board and in theory it made sense, mealtimes were becoming incredibly stressful and I found myself giving in to Emilia for the sake of getting something into her belly. To me, the idea of sending my child to bed with an empty stomach went against all of my mummy instincts! 

Fast forward a year and Emilia's fussiness hadn't changed all that much, but even worse Eduardo (who by then was also a toddler) seemed to have picked up on some of these bad habits! He was getting clever and would spit out his veggies, push away fruit, demand "choclit" and was starting to figure out that bread baskets are a fussy toddler's best friend. I felt completely frustrated and knew something had to change...I figured if my parents could do it then so could I so I did LOTS of research! I read articles online, asked healthcare professionals, asked my mum, talked about it with other mummy friends and finally one day after months of perseverance I feel like I've cracked it. Being honest, my kids are not perfect and of course if given the option they would choose cake over broccoli but for the most part they are a million times better than before! I've compiled a list of tips that helped me the most and wanted to share them with you, as I know this is such a common problem that mums & dads face! So here they are...my top tips on how to deal with fussy eaters: 



Hopefully this helps some of you...I wish I would have known how to tackle this sooner but I suppose as with most things in life you learn from your mistakes. Also a lot of this advice sounds obvious but put into practise it is soooo much harder than you would think. Often as parents I think we give in or settle for the easier option because it means a peaceful home or mealtime whereas actually in the long run, it could create more problems. I really hope this helps some of you! Let me know your tips for dealing with fussy/picky eaters! 
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What I Ate Wednesday {22.9.15}

September 23, 2015, 3:19 pm
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Breakfast
It's been a while since I properly blogged What I Ate Wednesday so here we are. Today was a pretty busy day as we headed into London for a meeting at Google HQ and a sneaky lunch date ;) Breakfast was same as normal - porridge cooked with almond milk, 1/2 banana, blueberries & cinnamon. Black coffee and a water! I keep telling myself I need to try warm water with lemon in the mornings but I always forget...maybe tomorrow!


Lunch
We grabbed lunch at Zizzi's and I got the chicken & prosciutto salad. This is really yummy and very filling! It's got everything from cherry tomatoes, croutons, avocado, parmesan cheese and red onions in there. To drink I just had still water because I'm trying to drink 2L a day!


Coffee Break
After our meeting we went for a much-needed caffeine boost at Monmouth Coffee Company. This place is famous for its coffees and had been recommended to us so many times! I can attest to the fact that their coffee is amazing...and very strong!


Snack
Luckily there is SO much free food at Google so I knew I would be hungry later and I stocked up! They have tons of healthy snacks to offer, I opted for a nectarine (think I called this a peach in the video, sorry!) and this blueberry & seed shot. I ate these in the taxi on the way back to the train station!


Dinner
Since we arrived home at about dinner time and were totally exhausted from being in London all day, we picked up some easy yet healthy (ish) microwaveable meals at M&S. Of course I got a seafood linguine dish, the kids got Ravioli to share and Jonathan had a chicken Thai green curry. This was obviously not a patch on the other seafood pasta dishes I'd been having in Sorrento but it hit the spot for this particular evening!


Evening Snack
After dinner I opted for a healthy snack of organic fat free strawberry yoghurt (Yeo Valley is the brand) with lots of red grapes mixed in. I also made a licorice & mint tea (Teapigs) and that was it! To drink all day I had about 2L water :) 


Hope you enjoyed this week's What I Ate! What did you eat today?
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Milkmaid

October 5, 2015, 10:49 am
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Autumn is officially upon us so I've been easing my way into the woollier section of my wardrobe! This knitted Maje jumper is a great between seasons piece as it's cropped and not too heavy so it's good for that summer - autumn transition time. I've been loving high-waisted and cropped combinations lately so these Ted Baker ripped jeans went perfectly with the jumper. I teamed it all up with my trusty brown H by Hudson boots from last year; these are probably my most-worn pair! 

In an effort to do something different with my hair I attempted Zoe's beautiful milkmaid style from her recent hairstyles video. What may look effortless in these smiling pictures in fact took me ALL morning as I spent about an hour trying to get this right. I am completely useless at styling hair, let alone anything involving more than two plaits. But a few frantic messages back & forth to Zoe and many bobby pins later, this was the outcome. I'm pretty happy with myself actually! It's not bad for someone who struggles to curl their hair without burning themselves. (Check out the tutorial on how to do this look here!)


I also uploaded a video in which my personal trainer Lucy & I show you how to do an at-home work out with your baby/toddler! We wanted to create something for all my fellow stay-at-home mummies out there who don't get a lot of time to themselves. This was hectic and a bit all over the place with two active little ones but I was sweating buckets by the end of this video! And the best thing is you don't need any equipment, you can do it from the comfort of your own home and it's a fun activity to do with your kids. Hope you enjoy!
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Pastels in the Rain

October 6, 2015, 12:00 pm
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This is possibly the most inappropriate outfit for the current weather we are having at the moment but sometimes you just need some pastels in your life! Also, do you ever just wake up in the morning feeling like pink jeans are calling your name? No, just me then. 

This Tommy Hilfiger shirt is about 1,000 years old but it just goes to show how long classic pieces like these last in your wardrobe! The jeans are by Fiorucci and still remain one of my favourite pairs. I wouldn't typically wear boots with this outfit but since I had no choice about braving the outdoors while doing the pre-school run I threw on my trusty suede H by Hudsons. Aaaand sucked everything in / tried to avoid being touched by all car doors entry-ways. Like I said, very bad outfit choice! 
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What I Ate Wednesday {6.10.15}

October 7, 2015, 12:00 pm
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Breakfast
Today was a dark and gloomy morning so I added some vibrance with a few summer berries in my porridge! I know strawberries are technically out of season now but I have been craving them so I bought some organic ones in our weekly shop (most of which have already gone bad) to add to my breakfast. I had my usual staple of porridge with almond milk, 1/2 banana, blueberries and a sprinkling of cinnamon. Of course I also had a cup of black coffee along with a bottle of water.


Lunch
My lunch was an old favourite of mine; I used to eat this all the time when I was pregnant with Emilia! It consists of a wholewheat pitta with mozzarella (I use half a ball), cherry tomatoes, salt and a drizzle of olive oil. I also drank another bottle of water as I had a workout session with my trainer. We do about 30-40 minutes (realistically about 10 of those minutes are spent catching up on girly gossip!) of HIIT: high intensity interval training. After my session I am always POOPED! 


Snack
That afternoon I had a little pick-me-up snack of a large pear (I bought these for this week's cupcake recipe!) and a teaspoon of almond butter. I figured pear and almond must go together if they're almost always in tarts, right?! Ha ha!


Dinner
For dinner I attempted a new salmon recipe I adapted from one of Lucy (my trainer)'s videos. It was so good! I smeared low-fat cream cheese mixed with coconut and lemon juice over salmon fillets, then wrapped them into foil parcels and baked them in the oven for 25 minutes. I served them up with some wholegrain brown rice & quinoa and steamed broccoli. I loved this meal, the kids were fans of everything except for the broccoli (no surprises there) but Jonathan wasn't keen :( He is very fussy when it comes to trying new foods which can be very difficult! 


Dessert
After the kids had gone to bed for my little evening treat I had a big bar of chocolate (Cadbury's Dairy Milk...the best!) and I made a caffeine-free almond milk latte which is basically just a fancy way of saying I had hot milk. Ha ha! We have a frothing machine to go with our Nespresso and I use it to make frothy lattes but since I don't drink coffee in the evenings anymore I just make them with milk. Almond milk actually froths up really well and I then dip the chocolate into it so it melts...mmm! Delicious comfort food perfect for eating while snuggled up watching TV. 

I also drank 2L water today *pats self on the back*. I find this easier on the days that I workout with Lucy because I sweat so much! What did you eat today?

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Halloween in NYC!

November 1, 2015, 8:58 pm
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Hey guys! Long time no blogging...I know, I say this almost every time. But today is the 1st of November (at least in my current time zone it still is!) and as November is my birthday month I thought I'd make the commitment to you guys to blog every day this month. I can't promise that it'll be as good as last year's 30 Days of Style as our lives have probably got ten times busier since then and we are almost always busy with work commitments...but I can guarantee you with a daily post from me!

This Halloween was very different than the usual as we spent it in New York! Jonathan and I attended StreamCon for most of the day where we had a Q&A as well as a few meetings and Emilia & Eduardo hung out with my family. They did dress up (I remembered to pack their costumes!) and made an unbelievably cute Elsa & Olaf. They got so many compliments from people in the street! Although we did have to bribe Eduardo with chocolate every time we wanted him to put on his hat but Emilia was thrilled to wear her Elsa dress for the entire day! 

They passed out that evening while we walked around Times Square and admired all the crazy costumes! New York is so much fun at Halloween! They finally woke up later on when we arrived at the restaurant for a huge Italian family dinner...it became a big family reunion as my mum, sisters, brothers and their families are all in town! I love spending time with my family but what makes it even more special is that Emilia & Eduardo get to bond with their cousins Matthew & Sophia, whom they don't see that often! 

This Halloween we didn't get to carve pumpkins, or go trick-or-treating but it was a very memorable one that I will never forget! Watch what we did today here: 


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StreamCon NYC!

November 2, 2015, 9:00 pm
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As you all probably know, the reason we came to New York was to attend StreamCon. This year was our first time hitting up all the conventions but StreamCon is brand new to everyone. We attended all three days (Friday, Saturday and Sunday) with a Q&A on Saturday and our meet & greet on Sunday. But the highlight of the convention for me, was meeting two of my favourite online celebrities: Thomas Sanders and Jiff the Pom! I'm really not cool or trendy at all and it's a wonder I even know that the app Vine exists but what I do appreciate is someone who can make me laugh and Thomas' does just that. If you haven't checked out his Vines already please do because he makes me cry laugh every night when I watch him over & over (especially his Story Time ones!) Jiff the Pom made me want to cry from the overwhelming cuteness as well as miss my own furry babies. On that note, it was Sina's 5th birthday today so happy birthday Sina, from your loving mummy! I'm blowing you a virtual kiss :) xxx
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My 28th Birthday!

November 3, 2015, 10:23 pm
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Today I turned 28! I had the most wonderful birthday in NYC! I was awoken in our hotel room by Emilia & Eduardo with birthday pancakes (which they consequently devoured!) and two beautiful bouquets of flowers - one from Jonathan, one from the children. What a treat! 


We then spent the day in Saks Fifth Avenue where I did some serious birthday shopping! (You will have to wait till the haul to see what I got!) Let's just say Jonathan was very generous and I must have been a good wife all year, ha ha ha! Here I am trying to decide whether to get patent or matte shoes...can you guess which ones I went with? 

We met my sister Emma for lunch in TGIFridays and then trotted back to our hotel. Unfortunately we had a bit of an emergency situation with Eduardo though as he got very ill and we had to take him to a doctor. He is absolutely fine now so don't worry...but he does have an ear infection :( Poor baby. 


Thankfully we have our amazing nanny with us who is fantastic with the children & loves them like they're her own so I had peace of mind knowing that they were in good hands, even when one of them is sick! That evening I changed to go out & enjoy a meal with just Jonathan. I wore a black embroidered a-line Needle & Thread dress with dark red jewels on the neckline and my new Christian Louboutins (yes, I went with the patent!).


For dinner Jonathan brought me to this amazing revolving restaurant called The View, which gives you a 360 view of the city...it was so cool!! We sat beside the window so we could see out and it was breathtaking! I ordered scallops for my main course and a delicious New York cheesecake for dessert. I honestly think this was the best dessert I've had so far! The food was SO good!!

Thank you, Jonathan for giving me such an amazing birthday and thank you guys for putting up with this soppy post! 
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Happy Birthday Dad & Exciting News!

November 4, 2015, 11:40 pm
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Today was my dad's birthday...he would have been 77. I miss him all the time and would give anything to have one more day with him. However...on the 9th of April 2014 I feel like I was given a second chance. I can't quite explain how it felt to find out I was having a baby boy. When I was little I used to tell my dad that if I had a boy when I grew up I would name him Eduardo. He would always tell me "no, that's an awful name...don't name him that! The English version is much more beautiful. You should name him Edward." And I would argue back no, I'm naming him Eduardo. This was years before I even seriously contemplated having children! I don't know why I told him that, but evidently it was something that I felt strongly about even at a young age. So when I found out that I was having a boy (something that also secretly terrified me because I knew nothing about boys!!), I instantly knew it was Eduardo who I was carrying in my belly and somehow I felt like there was a part of my dad inside of me. This also came with an enormous amount of pressure to keep the baby safe, not that that wasn't the case with Emilia too (especially being my first!) but I did feel like I was more on edge and anxious with my second pregnancy. 

I remember the last time I looked into my dad's eyes. It's not something I particularly like to remember...but it's one of those moments that you cannot erase from your memory. He was really sick and I had flown back from the UK as we believed that he was nearing the end. His health had deteriorated considerably since the last time I had seen him a few weeks prior and he wasn't talking anymore, but my mum said something to him about me being there...he opened his eyes, looked at me and I knew from his reaction that he had acknowledged me. That was the last time I looked into his eyes. Then on the 9th of April 2014 I gave birth to a baby boy. He had sallow skin, dark brown hair and was beautiful just like his sister. But when he opened up his big brown eyes and looked at me, my heart skipped a beat. In that moment the only words that popped into my head were: "I never thought I'd see you again." It was like my dad was staring back at me. I don't know what I did to deserve this but I honestly feel like I got a second chance with my dad. Eduardo reminds me of him in so many ways!


Sorry to go all deep on you...that wasn't actually my intention with this blog post! I can't help but get a bit emotional on his birthday! Anyway, we had a lovely day and I think my dad would have been very happy with how we celebrated. We spent most of his birthday in Central Park where we met up with my sister Emma and later that evening went to Eataly for dinner, which is a very authentic Italian shop/restaurant! Here was my outfit of the day - I kept it casual and pretty comfy for a day spent doing lots of walking! I'm wearing 7 for All Mankind skinny jeans, TOMS boots (so comfortable!), an Abercrombie cardigan and Zegna scarf (my dad's!). 


And now onto the exciting news bit :) I wanted to make this announcement on a very special day like today as it is connected to my dad in so many ways. This month I am launching my very own jewellery line which is inspired by my gold Scorpio necklace. I wear this piece every single day and had inherited it from my dad, who was also a Scorpio! I've designed 12 different necklaces for each sign of the Zodiac and I really hope you will love them all as much as I do! Now you can finally have the same necklace as me, as I get so many questions about it every time I show it! Let me know your thoughts! I'm so excited to share this project with you!
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Last Day in New York!

November 5, 2015, 10:53 pm
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Today was our last full day in New York. :( We are so sad to leave this beautiful city! We had such an amazing time and made some wonderful memories here...I will always remember New York as the place that I celebrated my 28th birthday, the children's second Halloween together and the announcement of my jewellery line. These are the things that made this holiday all the more special!

One thing we definitely did a lot of here was walking. We walked a LOT, so hopefully now that I think of it that will balance out all the eating because we did a lot of that too! Today we did a little bit of shopping and stopped outside the New York City Library for a very romantic photo...aww :) Aren't we sweet?! I also unfortunately packed way too warmly for this trip as it is boiling here compared to what I expected! I think I was expecting winter wonderland, whereas instead it feels like spring. I was sweating in this wooly jumper and leather leggings (seriously, what was I thinking?!). This moss green jumper was a recent purchase from Gestuz and the leggings are by Michael Kors. My suede wedge boots are from Whistles (totally impractical choice for walking around NY!) and the scarf is from Accessorize. My bag is by Prada and was a birthday present. 


One of the highlights of today was definitely this mind-blowingly amazing bagel. I mean...look at it - this is the stuff of dreams!! (Well, my dreams anyway!) This wonderful creation is from The Bagel Store and our friend Radhika somehow managed to bag us a couple to try. (Which involved queuing up for 2 and 1/2 hours...they are popular indeed!) I had a pink and purplish blue bagel with funfetti cream cheese. It felt like a party in my mouth...and my stomach...and my brain. I was so excited I almost wanted to cry!! And I ate the whole thing. Quicker than most people took their first bite. I will genuinely dream about this bagel probably forever...if you live in New York YOU HAVE TO TRY ONE! 
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Goodbye NYC!

November 6, 2015, 7:06 pm
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Our New York trip is officially over as we are now back on UK soil. As happy as we are to be home, we were also very sad to say goodbye to NYC. It was my first time visiting the Big Apple and I honestly didn't think I would like it as much as I did. I'm usually not a "big city" type of girl...I find large crowds overwhelming and I've never been one to seek out crazy nightlife or hustle & bustle. I'm quite content in a small town with a few boutique shops or an upscale shopping mall. So the idea of the "city that never sleeps" never really appealed to me. However I was pleasantly surprised to find that New York is one of those cities that really has something for everyone. I fell in love with the shopping, the autumn weather, the people, atmosphere and Central Park (where this family photo was taken!) completely stole my heart. 

After a long day of travelling and a 6 1/2 hour plane journey, I'm feeling pretty delirious and have no idea what day or time it is anymore...but what I can tell you is that I will miss New York and wish we could have stayed a bit longer! I also left my little sister Emma there, whom I love & miss very much! Until next time, NYC :) But in the meantime...I think I need to catch up on some sleep!
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Home Sweet Home

November 7, 2015, 5:03 pm
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We are home sweet home and it's already beginning to look a lot like winter! All the trees are getting bare...I feel like this happened overnight! So it's time to break out the chunky knits & wooly jumpers. And no, I'm not pregnant despite all the comments I received today about a "bulge" which is obviously just the result of too much cheesecake :( *sigh* I get that you are all excited for me to announce a 3rd pregnancy and all but sometimes it gets a little frustrating when there is constant speculation about the size of my belly. /Rant over!

Anyway...I actually really love this outfit! The jumper is from "& Other Stories" and was my birthday present from my sister Emma. My black skinny jeans are by Ted Baker and I'm wearing a black bow Kate Spade bracelet.

We didn't get up to much today...just a pretty chilled out day of unpacking, cleaning and organising. Emilia & Eduardo watched Brave (let me rephrase that...Emilia watched Brave while Eduardo followed me around the house!). What really impressed me though was how much Emilia has grown up & the fact that she is now capable of sitting through an entire movie! Not only that but she gets into the story too, for example she came running in to me crying when Merida's mother is feared dead. I know this is going to sound stupid but I feel like every time we travel, the children grow up twice as fast! Whenever we get back from a trip they seem to act older. Just yesterday evening Eduardo randomly started singing "Happy Birthday to you" far too clearly for my liking. They need to stop this growing up business, fast!   
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Baking Day

November 8, 2015, 4:35 pm
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We are still getting over our jet lag, so today started with breakfast at 1 o'clock and lounging about in our pyjamas for most of the afternoon! I'm in love with this cute pair from VS Pink, they were a birthday present from my little sister Erika! (Top and shorts available here& here.) 


After we got back from America we had a lot of mouldy fruit & vegetables I needed to get rid of...among those were some black bananas. As I was about to throw them in the bin, I remembered what my mama always taught me! When life gives you black bananas, bake banana bread! (Only joking - she never said that, I just made that part up ha ha ha!) She did always used to bake it so as not to waste food though and today I found myself craving it badly. Then I also remembered we have some canned pumpkin left over from my Halloween baking so I Googled a few recipes and came up with this one. I didn't have any walnuts but I used raisins and was short one egg so instead added an extra (small) banana. The result was delicious but extremely moist! Next time I'll try with both eggs and see how it turns out. But the good news is the kids liked it and we had it for a healthy-ish pudding! 


We have hardly any food left in the house (we get our weekly shop delivered each Monday) but I suppose I got bitten by the baking/cooking bug because I really felt like cooking something from scratch using whatever ingredients I could find! So I figured we had pasta, tuna and tinned tomatoes and everyone enjoys a good old pasta bake. I used Jamie Oliver's recipe with wholewheat penne. The recipe feeds 6 people and it went down a treat, with plenty left over for tomorrow! Emilia finished every last bite - I was a very proud mummy :) 


Here are my two little angels before bed...we skipped their nap today and put them down at 8pm so they would get back on schedule. Fingers crossed it actually works because starting next week they have all their activities on again! I bought them these in the Disney shop in Times Square - I was supposed to keep them for Christmas but as you can see I'm way too impatient. Plus they look so cute, how could I resist?!
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Four Years, Two Babies and Six Dogs

November 9, 2015, 3:20 pm
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I don't think I ever shared this picture on the blog but this is our 4 year wedding anniversary shot! I took an Instagram on the same day but both kids were looking grumpy...we actually took a LOT of pictures to make sure we got at least one we could use and this was the clear winner! (Even if Eduardo still looks like he's going to beat someone up!). Sometimes I can't believe how much has happened in the last four years...I love our little tradition of taking a picture every year especially because you can see the progression of us going from newlyweds to parents! I'm even pregnant in two of those shots :) 

This morning Jonathan went into London to begin the procedure of getting a hair transplant. He was both nervous & excited at the same time (probably more nervous though!) and I had to bring all six dogs to the vet for their vaccinations...in my new car which I had never driven before. Err, you can imagine how that went down!! I don't even know which buttons mean what yet so it made for an interesting morning that's for sure! Thankfully all the puppies were fine and healthy which is the main thing. I then filmed a video (which you can view below!) before heading into London to pick Jonathan up from the hair clinic. Poor thing is on so many meds and it looks sore :( But it will be worth it in the long run...they do half today and half tomorrow. The half they have done already looks amazing and makes the world of difference! I feel like he's going to look like a teenager when they're finished with him! 

We are currently staying in a hotel in London for one night so that Jonathan can get an early start tomorrow. It's funny because as much as this hotel room is super organised and clean, there are no toys or kids' clothes/suitcases to unpack and you would think it would be much more relaxing & stress free, it feels so empty without them :( Being a parent is so conflicting sometimes. You think you need time apart (and you DO!) but then when you get it you miss your children like a hole in the head. I can't wait to see them tomorrow! 


On a totally unrelated note, here's my Bath & Body Works haul of what I got when we were in NYC!  As you can tell from the thumbnail, I was very excited about this. I hope you enjoy! 
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Hobo Chic-ken Burritos!

November 10, 2015, 4:56 pm
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This photo was taken after coming home from London where I spent last night with Jonathan while he recovered from part one of his surgery. He's now back from day two and is feeling pretty rough :( I think it's much worse when both sides of his head have been done...at least yesterday only one side was in pain! I will say that the results are truly amazing and he looks SO much younger! It's crazy how a few centimetres on a hairline can transform your face. 

I literally threw this outfit together last minute as I was packing for London and ended up looking kind of...slobby, ha ha! We'll call it "hobo chic" but really it's just kind of oversized everything! I'm really disappointed actually that these jeans don't fit properly because I bought them recently from 7 for All Mankind and they're too big! I already checked on the website and they're sold out of the smaller size :( Boo! They are beautiful jeans though - so comfy and well-made! I think I'm going to give them away to a friend of mine...she can wear them a lot better than me. My cardigan is from Abercrombie and the t-shirt is by JCrew. I actually really like the top part of this outfit but because it was quite baggy all over, I felt like it was a bit sloppy looking! 


For dinner tonight I made this wonderful creation which again was a recipe I found on Jamie Oliver's website. It's actually a chicken burrito but it looks like a taco because our tortillas were smaller and I couldn't wrap it properly. Plus I ended up standing them in the oven for a while because we were waiting for Jonathan to get home. The children & I devoured these...unfortunately Jonathan wasn't very hungry, probably because of his traumatic day!! But I definitely recommend these and will be making them again! 
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