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Me and Mine: A Family Portrait Project - July 2014

It's the second month that we're joining in with Me and Mine and what a lovely month July has been!! The weather has been absolutely beautiful and we FINALLY visited Peppa Pig World! I say it like that because I've been so excited to take Ethan there ever since I found out that the place existed!

And then there's all the garden days, the picnics, the days in the park - summer is just such an amazing time of the year, isn't it?

And so, our family photograph from July is this one of us in the garden on what was a very hot sunny day. Ethan loves splashing about in his paddling pool and I took the opportunity to try out my new tripod to capture this family pic of us all!


Oh and I'm going to be crafty and add another one in, but that's okay right?

It's this one from our day at Peppa Pig World.. Look at Ethans smile.. he's always such a happy little guy!

I'm a very lucky person! :)






Ways to De-stress and Relax After a Long Day


You’ve had a long day and it’s time to relax… but how? When your heart rate is up and your nerves feel shattered, finding a way to de-stress isn’t always easy. Built-up tension needs to be countered with relaxation techniques. The following ten tips can slow your breathing, reduce anxiety, and help you relax. 
One - Listen to Music
Listening to relaxation music is known to have a calming effect. Soothing sounds lower your blood pressure while slowing your heart rate. Music helps you relax and get a decent night’s sleep by filling your brain with dopamine, a feel-good hormone. Another thing that helps to de-stress is to try hypnosis for relaxation
Two - Kiss!
Yes, that’s right. One of the best ways to relax is with a kiss. According to WebMD, when you kiss and cuddle your partner, our brain releases endorphins.  According to one study, couples who kissed spontaneously once or twice a day, apart from lovemaking, were much less likely to experience depression and chronic stress!
Three - Go For a Short Walk
Go for a walk. A ten to twenty minute walk de-stresses by increasing endorphin levels. Find a path through the local park or along a tree-lined street. In addition, moderate exercise produces a mild-meditative state.  
Four – Meditate or Do Yoga
There are many forms of meditation that are terrific stress busters. Breathing exercises, yoga, and visualization are popular methods that help drop blood pressure and reduce stress. 
Five - Turn Off Electronic Devices
Take a break from your computer and cell phone. Talking on the phone, reading the news, and following updates can increase your stress level. Scientific studies have shown that excessive use of the computer, particularly at night, can increase anxiety levels and cause problems with sleep. 
Six - Watch a Comedy
Watching a romantic comedy is a pleasurable way to slow down and take a break from the world. Laughing helps to increase endorphins and stimulate the muscles, heart and lungs. The increased oxygen levels, resulting from laughter, help you relax. 
Seven - Indulge in a Healthy Treat
Sip a cup of herbal tea and indulge in a healthy snack such as mixed-nuts or a small piece of chocolate. Take the time to really enjoy what you are eating. Potassium in bananas, avocados, and potatoes will help to control blood pressure. And, a sweet treat can help curb the production of stress hormones. 
Eight - Get Active and Dance! 
Dancing around the lounge room is a wonderful way to exercise and shake off the stress of the day. Forget yourself for a few minutes, twist, jump, and shout! Or, find another ‘get busy’ activity to take your mind off your day and unwind.
Nine - Enjoy a Hobby 
A favourite hobby such as knitting, crocheting, or needlepoint can provide relief from a stressful day. The use of colours and textures, plus the repetitive motion, is pleasant and restful. 
Ten - Spend Time with Your Best Friend

Spending time in the evening with your best friend is another fabulous stress buster. Invite your BFF over and enjoy relaxing music, strolling through the park, or crafting together. However, if you’re looking for a quiet retreat, curl up on the sofa and read a great novel! 
*PR Collaboration



We met Peppa and adopted a DIN-A-SOUR!

We'd been wanting to take Ethan to Peppa Pig World for agesss! And last week we finally decided to just go for it, I had some annual leave, the sun was shining, so we thought why not! I posted footage from our day on my (FIRST EVER) vlog, so I'll link that below in case you fancy a little watch ;) But for now here's some Peppa spam (because I'm sure you don't get enough everyday already! ;)...

I'll let our many pics do all the talking on this occasion. Just don't mind the quality a lot of them were taken on my iPhone!..
 
peppa pig world, peppa pig,

Fun Activities For When The Kids Are Asleep!



The kids are finally asleep, so now what’s there to do? Whether you’re on your own or share your life with your husband or partner, the following 10 ideas will help you turn the doldrums into a delightful (even memorable) evening. You can invite friends and neighbours over or simply enjoy a quiet evening while the children sleep. 
  1. Have a Picnic in the Backyard - Go for an evening picnic in your garden. Pack a basket full of breads, cheese, fruit, and a bottle of wine. Throw a blanket on the ground. Or have a BBQ, light a bonfire and toast some marshmallows. Then stay up late and enjoy the evening sky. 
  2. Invite Friends Over for a B.Y.O. Get-Together - Invite your friends to a ‘bring your own’ evening. Have guests contribute a beverage, a specific dish, or desert. Plan a theme or keep it casual and just let the party unfold. 
  3. Have an Ice Cream Social - Buy a bucket of ice-cream, or a variety of your favourite flavours, a few yummy toppings, and indulge to your hearts content! Feel like a kid again with your soul-mate, your friends, or on your own! 
  4. Prepare a Romantic Dinner - Start cooking the meal ahead of time, before the kids are asleep. Slow-cookers offer a great solution, and the meal doesn’t have to be expensive. Once the kids are in bed for the night, light some candles. Toss a salad and enjoy a romantic dinner for two.
  5. Scan Photos and Make a Digital Album - It’s a good idea to have family photos backed up. Since the process is time consuming, evening hours are perfect for creating a digital album. You can share your photos with friends and loved ones, and relax knowing that your photos are backed-up in permanent files. 
  6. Bake Cookies, a Cake, or a Pie - The quiet evening hours are a wonderful time to cook or bake. If you’re with your partner, why not make a cooking video? You’ll have fun, create a delicious treat, and capture some interesting moments!
  7. Go to the (Online) Library - Now that there are little ones in the house it isn’t always easy to get to the local library. The good news is that you can visit a virtual library, often for free, and checkout some great literature to read on your mobile device. 
  8. Have a Movie Marathon - Just decide on a special theme! Choose some great classics, a trilogy, or animated films from your childhood. Then pop some corn. Cosy up on the sofa with your spouse, or friends, and enjoy hours of blockbuster favourites. 
  9. Make Plans for the Future - A quiet evening at home (while the children sleep) is the perfect time to make plans. Whether you’re writing your bucket list or setting financial goals, making plans is a productive way to spend an evening.

If these ten ideas aren’t enough you can rearrange furniture, put a puzzle together, organize a cabinet or wardrobe, write a letter (or book), take an online class, start a new hobby, or go dancing in your lounge-room. Whatever you decide, there are so many fun ways to enjoy yourself while the kids are sleeping!




Our Home Decor: Keeping it Personal

When it comes to home decor, I am a great lover of keeping things personal and one way I do that is through personalised art prints in frames. 

Think - things that mean something to you!

modern decor, modern home, modern frames, modern art prints, home decor blog, home decor, love what you do

If you've seen Ethans nursery tour post then you've probably seen that the frames we have in his room are all personal.

We have a dragon drawing that his Dad did for his GCSE art, framed, we have a picture frame that my Auntie made for Ethan, framed and then we have three other white frames in his room that we filled with art prints from the Internet. (See below).

neutral nursery, neutral art prints, nursery art, nursery art prints, baby frame ideas
- I wonder why there might be a cat art print right there in the centre? Perhaps his Mum is a bit of a crazy cat lady? ;)

do what you love, modern home, modern art

We've just finally managed to fill two frames in our bedroom above our bed that have been empty for a while now.

I personally would rather just keep frames empty right up until the point when the perfect art print finds it way under my nose, that way I'm not just buying an insert/print for the sake of it.



We've got three MASSIVE frames to fill in the kitchen above our dining table right now so I have been browsing art prints on etsy looking for the perfect inserts.

I should mention that we buy all of our frames from IKEA - they're nice and cheap and personally I think that they're totally modern!

We buy all of our prints from etsy simply because there is so much to choose from on there. One of my favourite sellers on etsy at the moment is: SilverPenguinPrints simply because I think she sells such adorable nursery prints. I am really into grey and yellow at the moment (probably something to do with it being summer!) and so I added this ultra cute by her to my basket the other day:


nursery art prints, nautical nursery wall art,
Source: yellow-grey-nautical-nursery-wall-art

Another fab print I love is this one for little boys:

As much as I do love the colour it's shown in, I think I will go for something a little more neutral (you can change the colours about on this print) to fit with Ethans neutral nursery theme. 

boys wall art, little boys art
Source: baby-boy-nursery-art-print
 - It's the words that get me :) 


Oh and then just because not everyone that reads my blog has a little boy, I found the perfect art print for a little princesses' room too :) I think this would go perfect framed in a white frame for a more personal feel. 

girls wall art, baby girl wall art
Source: baby-girls-nursery-prints

What I love about art prints is that instead of going to wherever and buying a canvas or a picture just because you MUST fill that gap, you can actually take your time browsing etsy, amazon or wherever takes your fancy for THE PERFECT PRINT. The Internet is a big old place where as in a shop you're limited! 

                                                                           *********


         What do you think to art prints? Is this something you do yourself for your own home decor?

















Why a Credit Check is Important when you have a Family

Accessing and understanding your credit report is important. Even more so if you have a family. Whether you know it or not, a credit report exists which documents many of your personal and financial details. There are plenty of reasons why you should know what it contains and make sure that it’s accurate and up to date.
Essentially, a credit check is the first port of call for any potential lender who wants to know whether you can be relied upon to repay a loan. It is by no means the only factor to determine whether you receive a loan, but it is certainly a major one. There are three credit reference agencies in the UK, including Experian which collect the relevant information and from which an interested party can order a credit report. The report itself includes details such as your address, date of birth and records of all your credit accounts over the last six years. It also records unpaid debts, bankruptcy details and relevant court judgments. Fortunately, you can have full access to an Experian credit check for free, enabling you to check and if necessary, amend the accuracy of the details in your report. It is advisable to take advantage of this for a number of reasons.
  • Your potential mortgage may depend on it: If you are applying for significant loans which will make a big impact on your family life, then check out your credit report before you do so. What may seem like small financial discrepancies, such as a late water bill or an unpaid mobile phone bill can be included in your credit report and may count against you. In other words, these relatively small details could have an impact in your application for a mortgage or a car loan. It is prudent to obtain a credit report prior to making an application for credit or loans.
  • Prospective employers: There are some employers who will run a credit check on you before deciding whether to offer you a job. This is especially so in the financial industry, where prudent financial management is crucial. Again, small details such as an irregular or incomplete address history could raise red flags for them. They are details which you might well want corrected.
  • Potential landlords and letting agencies: As a measure of trust in prospective tenants, some landlords and letting agencies also like to check a credit report. Once again, it is important to rectify any discrepancies. The only way to do this is to check the report yourself in advance. After all, it could make the difference in securing the family home of your choice. 

  • Protect against identity theft: Another extremely good reason to obtain your credit report is to guard against identity theft. Sadly, identity theft and fraud can play havoc with yours and ultimately your family’s finances and personal accounts. Thankfully, scanning your credit report is an excellent way to guard against this significant inconvenience. It gives you the opportunity to spot any strange inconsistencies or odd activity in your credit accounts. 




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*In collaboration with Julie Abrams

Places I'd visit personally if I ever went to Dublin

Have you ever been to Dublin? If not, me neither, and before now I didn't really know all that much about Irelands capital either. Though, with the help of Hotel Direct and their Dublin city guide I have been researching and having a little read up about what I should expect from a visit to Dublin if I were to ever go.

And so, here are my top 3 things to do whilst in Dublin that really stood out to me and my own (slightly freaky if number 1 is anything to go by) personality..

1. Glasnevin cemetery museum

I know, I know.. it can be perceived as a little strange that my number 1 thing to do in Dublin would be to visit a cemetery! But really I have a thing about them, I find them so historical and therefore very interesting. It's a little strange I guess but I've been like it for years.

Glasnevin is home to an estimated 1.5 million burials, yeah, you did just read that figure right! That's such an insane number isn't it?! Reading about it on google and on trip advisor just makes me more and more fascinated by it! I will absolutely be visiting Glasnevin if we do ever find ourselves in Dublin!

2. Dublin Zoo

Being the huge animal lover that I am, of course I'd have to schedule in a little visit to see the animals of Dublin, and Dublin Zoo seems to be the place to go! I've read reviews that say that at Dublin Zoo the animals truly come first, and is home to many healthy, content looking animals who live in big open enclosures. And obviously hearing that is something that brings a rather big smile to my face!

I know some animal lovers have 'things' about zoos but I don't see it myself. As long as the animals have lots of room and are happy, healthy and well looked after that's all that really matters! Zoos do so much to protect animals these days and have so many important conservation programs, so I'm all for them and would happily spend a day wandering around Dublins zoo watching and learning about all of the different animals.


3. Number 29, ESB Georgian House Museum

I do like a bit of a nosey around someone elses house and even more so when there's a bit of history thrown into the mix too. At Number 29 Fitzwilliam street lower the house has been carefully restored to its original condition from the early 1800s and the Dublin Museum Service has provided a large range of interesting and original Georgian exhibits for the whole house. You start in the basement and work your way up to the attic to get a real feel of what Georgian living would have been like. As a person who is not only very interested in history but also very nosey when it comes to looking around houses, I can't imagine a better way to spend a few hours of my time then to take a tour around number 29!

Have you ever been to Dublin? If so where do you recommend to visit to?



Home Decor: Items around our Home #2

Today I am showing you around our home again and this time I've snapped a few photos of some of my most recent purchases.. 

My home decor taste is very much lured towards a more modern type of style. I do also like the country cosy feel that some houses have to them and so we try to incorporate a mix of both of those styles into our own home. 


Who else is loving all of the sales on at the moment? They're fab! I picked up this ivory coloured flower cushion from the sale at BHS for just £8. I would love to have brought more than just the one. But sadly, it was the last one there and they don't seem to be selling them via their website either. Boo! 


This gorgeous vase and artificial flower duo sadly wasn't in the sale, but I just couldn't resist it! It screams modern to me and has 'Alex' written all over it (not literally) so it just had to come home with me. ;) It cost me £30 from BHS.


Now these were a steal! They were just £9.99 down from £50! I had never been so excited to see a salt and pepper mill duo in my entire life! Very happy with these, again very modern and again from BHS. If you like them too, get them now before they're all gone!


I was bored of our tired looking tea-towels and out-of-place oven glove and had been looking around for replacements for a while. These go perfectly in our kitchen and have made it feel more modern and up to date. They oven glove was £3 in the sale and the tea-towel which came with three others in slightly different designs was also £3 (for 3), again from BHS. (Okay, I may be slightly obsessed with BHS at the moment, haha!). As well at Next, they're stuff is gorgeous!


So there you have it, another little look around our home! 
What do you think of my recent home decor purchases? Which item catches your eye the most?




Songs that mean something

Today I am taking part in 'Hidden Hearing's Meaningful Melodies Competition and writing about five songs that mean something to me. 


1. Lana Del Rey - Video Games

The first song I am going to pick is mine and Adams wedding song which was Lana Del Rey's 'Video Games'. We choose this song because it was one that we heard a lot of around the time we were planning our wedding. I am a big fan of Lana Del Rey and the words in this song really relate to how we feel about each other..


"It's you, it's you, it's all for you
Everything I do
I tell you all the time
Heaven is a place on earth with you"


The song also (obviously) talks about video games and Adam and I spent years at the start of our relationship playing World of Warcraft an online fantasy MMO game :)

2. Daniel Bedingfield - If You're Not The One

The second song is also love related. It's Daniel Bedingfield's 'If You're Not The One'. Adam and I listened to this lots back when we're in our teens and we would always say that it would be our wedding song when we were older. We later changed our wedding song to the one above, but played 'If you're not the one' as our second song. 

"But I know that this much is true
We’ll make it through 
And I hope you are the one I share my life with
And I wish that you could be the one I die with
And I pray in you’re the one I build my home with
I hope I love you all my life"


3. The Cranberries - Zombie

The Cranberries - Zombie is a very emotional song, I think it's actually about war. As with any song you can have your own interpretation of it and  like to look at it from the point of view of what I would say to someone who goes around doing whatever they please without thinking about how their actions/words hurt other people. We all need to be more aware of how we make other people feel. There is a stronger meaning to this song, but I don't know if I'm ready to talk about that just yet. Maybe another day. 

"What's in your head,
In your head,
Zombie, zombie, zombie?"

4. Raleigh Ritchie - Stronger Than Ever 

I absolutely adore Raleigh Ritchie's Stronger Than Ever. When I listen to it it's like it gives me strength and confidence. I suddenly find a strength in me that I sometimes forget about. His words are powerful, beyond power. 

"Cause I'm a big boy an adult now or nearly 
If i pull the wool back from my eyes I can see clearly
The world is at my feet and I am standing on the ceiling (whoa)
And I fall fall fall when it all comes down
And I won't be crushed by the weight of this town
I'll fall from the sky, but I won't fall forever,
I'll fall but when I rise I'll be stronger than ever."


5. Rawthang - Scorned

Scorned by Rawthang is more of a drum and bass sound, but I love it. I used to listen to it on repeat form about 19 years old and I still love to listen to it! I remember playing it full blast when I passed my driving test, it's such a great in-the-car song (if you like that type of thing, of course!). 

Not posting any lyrics because it's not the lyrics that mean something it's the actual sound, have a listen to see what I mean. 

*******

What one song means the most to you and why?




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*Post written in collaboration with Hidden Hearing

Are you a lucky person?

Would you say you're a lucky person? I think that I generally am.

I feel grateful everyday for having the life that and family that I do. But I've also had some of those 'Oh wow, that was lucky!' moments throughout my life. Here are a few of mine:

- I bled heavily at 12 weeks pregnant with Ethan, I and everybody else at the hospital believed I was miscarrying but when I went back for a scan the next day there he was, my baby having a little swim! I'd just ruptured my placenta! Seeing my baby alive on the screen was categorically the luckiest that I've ever felt!

- The sun shone (very brightly) on the day of our outside wedding ceremony overlooking three lakes. Every time we had gone to visit the place we were marrying at, it had either rained, thundered or was just totally miserable. It rained and thundered on the day of our wedding at the time we'd initially said we'd wanted to marry (1pm) but by 3pm (the time we actually married) the sun was melting the make-up off of my face! We felt very lucky, as the alternative was marrying inside in just a dull bleak room! But no, we got stunning views and beautiful photographs and we felt very lucky!

- Just before Adam and I moved out together I very luckily inherited some money from a Grandparent that I actually hadn't really known - my Fathers Mother. My 'Father' left when I was 3 months old and he never really made the effort to be apart of my life and so I didn't know him or his parents. The money that I inherited helped us to move into our flat and furnish it. Again, we felt very lucky.

Here are a few other people who can count themselves among the lucky via paddypower.com (sp):


***** 
What has been your luckiest moment?




Childhood Memories

I will often sit and take some time out to reminisce. I can sit there for what soon can become a while just thinking back to some of my old memories; they always makes me smile when I think about how far I've come in just 25 years.

1.     Name your group of best friends during school – are you still friends?I hung out with Adam after we met. But prior to that it was three lovely girls called Becci (Rebecca), Carly and Georgie. Sadly we no longer see each other anymore. But I do sometimes see updates from them via Facebook. (good old Facebook!)

2.     What would your typical weekend look like as a teenager? - Oh definitely our favourite pasta on a Saturday either at mine or Adams parents house, a movie, several hours of World of Warcraft and of course lots of snuggling up!


3.     At 14, what did you want to be when you were older? What do you do for a living now? I actually wanted to be an actress, but then when I got older I wanted to be a police officer. 



4.     What artists/bands did you love as a teenager?Eminem and Linkin Park were my favourites. And I still love them.



5.     Who was your first celebrity crush? - Haha, okay it was the lovely Christian from the boy band A1. And then it was and is still Eminem. I (may) have a bit of a thing for blondes ;)


6.     What was your favourite film? Is it still your favourite?Titanic and yeah I think it is still my favourite; it's such a brilliant, well made film! Although clearly a very sad event!


7.     What were your hobbies as a teenager? Reading, writing, spending time with my cats (that's totally classed as a hobby, right?!), playing online games and being an utra soppy girlfriend! (Not much has changed then - apart from the girlfriend part!).


8.     Growing up, who were your inspirations? Has this changed and why? Honestly, I don't really remember having anyone I felt really inspired by. I kind of just tried to focus on being myself and being happy.

9.     What is your biggest regret? Being shy and unconfident - I wish I found my confidence sooner. But that's just part of growing up isn't it? Oh and I really wish I hadn't got so caught up by the way I thought I looked; I wish I'd just had a little more self-acceptence! Again, it's just all part of growing up I think.


10.   What advice would you give your 16 year old self?- Just be yourself, because when you are - that's when you are happiest! 






Our most romantic moment - EVER!

When I heard that My Single Friend were holding a 'Romantic Rendezvous' competition which literally involves talking about your most romantic moment of all time, I just couldn't resist. A soppy gal like me, of course I had wanted to enter! 

Our most romantic moment is going to be an obvious sort of choice I think.. It's going to have to be that particularly awesome day that my now Husband asked me if I would like to become his wife.(Umm, YES!)

It was the day of my 20th birthday. A whole nearly six years ago now! Gosh.. doesn't time fly? And also, when did I get so old please?..

Anyway on with the story..

From 14 years old, Adam and I had spent many a year topping and tailing in the top bunk of mine and my little sisters bunk bed. (How we ever fit in there, I do not know..) And at Adams, we'd share a room with his brother. So when we got to 19, we took 'the' plunge.. We'd saved up our little bit of money together and so we made that first ever nerve racking call to a local estate agent. Who then kindly took us to see a little 2 bed modern flat, which shortly afterwards became our very first home!  

Having our own place was (and still is) bloody great! We'd buy lots of junk food (as you do at that age) and spend literally hours being very nerdy; playing in the fantasy land of the mighty World of Warcraft. We would come and go as we pleased. We had our freedom, our own space.. we'd started to grow up! We even became Mum and Dad! Well, not quite.. We adopted two beautiful kittens who were and still are our little babies.. It's just now, we have 2 more fur-babies AND even a real life baby.

Naturally, after being together from such a young age and after a while of living together for many months, our conversations rather quickly turned to the exciting prospect of marriage! We both knew that it wasn't going to be a case of being Mr and Mrs straight away.. we just wanted to be more than 'boyfriend and girlfriend' to each other.


On my 20th birthday we went shopping, we brought lots of goodies, we had lunch, we had, as usual, a brilliant time. Adam then dropped me off at my Mums on the way home for a while so I could spend a little time with my family. When I arrived home back to the flat there was a little note on the door. It read, 'Knock. Count to 10 and then come in. xxx' And so with excitement filling my chest and my throat, I did as the note said. 

When I entered our flat -  it was dark, all of the curtains were drawn and there were gorgeous red roses all over the floor. They were placed in a sort of trail that lead into the living room. Next to the roses were lots of little lined-up tea light candles either side, which were all alight. My heart skipped a beat. Was this really what I thought it was? 

I followed the candles and the roses into the living room and there he was.. the love of my life.. down on one knee with a ring box in his hand..

And that what is it.. It was our moment! The very moment that I said a rather big YES with absolutely certainty and the biggest most cheesiest smile you did ever see across my face!

And I have never looked back! <3 


( - a blurry but very precious photograph)



- happy, newly engaged (slightly spotty) us!



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*This post is an entry into a competition to win £150 ASOS vouchers.
(Wish me luck!) ;)

A big thank you!

I won't pretend that I know exactly how the Tots 100 chart works, but I seem to have landed my little way on to the number 68 spot out of what I've heard is around 10,000 parenting blogs!? Someone please feel free to correct me if if I'm wrong with the 10,000 figure there.


Number 68; that's pretty epic to me! So if you are a follower of my little space on the the big world web, then a (very big) thank you. I know how hard it can be to make time to keep up with blogs, as I'm sure a lot of you that do read are probably either Mum's or bloggers or both yourself, and well we all know that pretty much equals no spare time!


Instagram activity/followers have now been added to the metric system to work out blog scores. Which means "Yay" - being an insta-addict paid off! But I have heard that the charts will be re-adjusting slightly when some of the more 'bigger' bloggers add in their Instagram accounts. But for now I am happy just to stare at my little number 68 badge with a big sense of pride and maybe a teeny weeny happy tear! :')

If you want to find me snapping away on good old Instagram you can do so here: @alexbumptobaby
If you follow let me know and I will be more than happy to follow you right back :)




Them.

Them. 

They are my world.

My absolute everything. 

Everything means something because of them. 

I am the happiest, most proudest, Mum and Wife that ever existed.

What more could I possibly want?