https://www.simplyabbie.com/blog daily 0.75 2026-03-04 https://www.simplyabbie.com/blog/comingoutofhibernation monthly 0.5 2026-03-04 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/e6974960-4e9e-4077-8e99-553333609e46/6.png Blog - Coming Out of Hibernation The sewing machine has been dusted off! My old overlocker has made its return from my mum’s house and the sewing machine set up on a dedicated desk. Last year, through my Style Diaries series, I realised just how much I’ve struggled to find clothes that truly suit my ever-changing body. Motherhood, bloating, stress.. they all impact my weight on a daily basis. Instead of fighting that, I want to work with it. So in the spirit of taking control, I want to make my own clothes. Easy summer dresses, maybe a few bits for Evan and even some cushions or little pieces for the house. Nothing complicated. Just simple, wearable, beautiful things made slowly. Clothes made to fit me, not the other way around. There’s something really empowering about that. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/f6965155-8444-49dc-8385-5eead42dc729/7.png Blog - Coming Out of Hibernation The Hygge Hut & Creating Again This one feels hard to write. I want to work on my business properly. I want to actually make art and enjoy it. For years now, I’ve felt blocked. Really blocked. The kind where you call yourself creative but rarely sit down and create. I finished The Artist’s Way last year, and it helped. It loosened things, helped me realise some harsh truths and take more time for reflection. But there’s still something there.. resistance, fear? Because the truth is, I have a dream. A creative community, attending market stalls, seeing my art printed on products, story books with my illustrations inside them. It’s a huge part of my dream life. And yet, week in, week out, I do very little towards it. That’s the part I want to change. No more waiting for the perfect time. No more acting like it will magically happen. Small steps. Consistent steps. Even if they feel wobbly. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/fc643dc3-b0cc-42e6-967d-dbcd22490451/8.png Blog - Coming Out of Hibernation Slowing Down (Properly This Time) Here’s something I’ve realised about myself: I live as though there’s always a fire just around the corner. I rush mundane tasks. I move through my days at an unnecessary speed. Even when nothing is wrong, my body behaves as if it is. You would only need to watch me peeling potatoes, or washing my face at the end of the day to find yourself thinking .. Abbie .. calm down! Recently, I watched a video about taking micro-breaks, just one to ten minutes between tasks. Apparently even 30 seconds to 3 minutes can lower stress hormones, reduce heart rate, and improve focus. And I thought… why am I not doing this? Why am I folding laundry like it’s an Olympic sport? Walking the dog like I'm being chased by lions! So this year, I want to practise pausing. Finishing one task, taking a breath, stepping outside for a minute and letting my nervous system catch up with my to-do list. Slowing down not just in theory, but in the tiny in-between spaces. https://www.simplyabbie.com/blog/postcards-from-rome monthly 0.5 2025-06-21 https://www.simplyabbie.com/blog/sliceofmylife-sep24 monthly 0.5 2024-09-30 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/0212293f-dd1d-4213-ae38-6e6123175615/3.png Blog - Slice Of My Life - September 24 A month going back to basics, cutting back on social media, digital media and having a good old fashioned hibernation. The weather changed so dramatically and I was holding out hope that the summer would stay for a little longer. But here we are, autumn is here and with it comes lots of rain, too much tea and of course, consumption of lots of cake! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/65312e7c-b2a4-4fdf-961a-4a672e92b62a/6.png Blog - Slice Of My Life - September 24 The last week of summer The sun was still shining right up until mid September. I loved nothing more than collecting Evan from nursery, making a cup of tea and soaking up the last hour of sunshine. Our garden has one corner which is the perfect sun spot for 5pm sunshine, and home to our fairy garden and sand pit. I enjoyed these evenings but I also felt apprehension of the season ahead, I know it can bring with it feelings of depression and I wasn’t ready to let go of our evenings spent in the garden. Stuffed in the living room with the heating on and Bluey doesn’t feel the same. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/4b14d62b-7dbd-4ff9-b0fd-1e2cdad78446/4.png Blog - Slice Of My Life - September 24 Rain, Rain, Go Away The summer left and autumn arrived, accompanied by days on end of showers. It was the perfect opportunity to take photos of the raindrops resting on the brown leaves whilst taking shelter under the gazebo. I enjoyed a few evenings under the gazebo, with hot chocolate and my new favourite trash TV, Selling Sunset. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/fe60a0bb-d401-4a47-ad0a-2d5c0a3be68d/8.png Blog - Slice Of My Life - September 24 Back to basics This month I did a social free September, something I am now planning on doing every year. I minimised my social media usage, cut back on WhatsApp conversations and pushed any social activities till October. I felt very agitated the first week, and the second brought low mood and restlessness. But by week 3 I embraced the slower, quieter pace of life and learnt alot personally from it. I find this transition period of the year very hard, usually I plan 100 things to do and don’t let my mind wander for a second. This year doing the opposite I was worried, would I would go down a slippery mental slope? Instead I gained clarity on lots of things, what hobbies I want to pursue or what relationships I want to spend more energy on. I shopped a lot less, not once compared my self to others and I even ticked some jobs off my to-do list that have been taking up residency for 6+ months. Its kind of been a nothing month in terms of ‘evidence’, no photos, videos, reels, but behind the scenes so much has been going on and without feeling the need to shout about them. https://www.simplyabbie.com/blog/sliceofmylife-aug24 monthly 0.5 2024-09-30 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/0cb02c4e-0162-4592-8da1-6036f69e66fb/3.png Blog - Slice Of My Life - August 24 A jam packed month with anniversaries, festivals, meals, birthdays and more. I have loved doing so many activities this summer, especially outdoors. Having Evan has made me realise how many fun days out are right on our door step that I never went to before. I’m so glad we have really made the most of the summer with happy memories. I’ll be sad to say goodbye to this fun filled month but can’t wait to do the same next month. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/4c55550c-a970-4c96-86f8-ae33f0630a7d/4.png Blog - Slice Of My Life - August 24 My ray of sunshine A new tradition for us, to go to the sunflower farm each summer. I will admit, even though we have some lovely photos, this day was difficult. Evan is at the stage where he can’t walk but he wants to, getting very frustrated when I pick him up and won’t let him crawl on the muddy floor eek! But we did manage to have a few nice moments enjoying the sunflowers and picking out favourites to take home. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/3139ee18-3a2b-4921-b60b-766204589ffa/7.png Blog - Slice Of My Life - August 24 Picnics, days out and more I love nothing more than a picnic, even more so when me, my mum and sister make a breakfast picnic. We brought hot flasks of tea, had sausage baps and scrambled egg. Evan loved going to the park afterwards and it was a day that mentally (and physically!) blew the cobwebs away. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/eebf03e9-7d36-4673-9545-25e7162bd255/6.png Blog - Slice Of My Life - August 24 Hey Bluey! Evan’s favourite show is hands down Bluey. As soon as the theme tune comes on he is so happy and dancing. So you can just imagine his excitement when he saw Bluey in real life. We loved dancing and playing the games and ended the meet and greet with a big high five. We then spent the day going around Peake Wildlife park enjoying watching all the animals in the sunshine. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/78c264d2-b52f-4e0d-aa84-c95f31351532/5.png Blog - Slice Of My Life - August 24 My Favourite Place I didn’t realise how much I missed this place till I came back again. The Happy Place Festival, ran by Fearne Cotton has gone down as the highlight of my year so far. The sun was beaming down, everyone had a smile on their face and the day was just perfect. Evan loved the freedom of crawling around, doing the children’s Star Wars yoga and of course eating lots of yummy food. Next year I think I am going to get a weekend pass, do one day with Evan and one day with my girlfriends. It was a day which filled my cup so much it has been overflowing ever since :) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/74c11b86-0396-427e-991b-77b70881a839/10.png Blog - Slice Of My Life - August 24 A great achievement One of my paintings (the cat one in the middle) has been exhibited in our local museum! I loved knowing my art work was out there being seen my people every day and It was a huge sense of achievement for me. So many of my friends and family gave such amazing feedback and loved seeing my painting in real life. It really gave me the motivation to carry on painting and hopefully start selling my original art work just in time for Christmas. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/c09f6958-772c-411c-b21f-c806ebaedeb0/8.png Blog - Slice Of My Life - August 24 Barefoot walk At Trentham Gardens there is a barefoot walk that I have been dying to try with Evan. He still can’t walk but he is able to holding my hand, so I thought now is the perfect time. He loved walking in the sand and mud, we got very messy! I laughed so much watching him wade through the watery mud and his funny faces. We even attacked nanny afterwards with our muddy toes! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/daa18ae6-e9ff-4006-b50a-8d91b9668f35/9.png Blog - Slice Of My Life - August 24 In my wholesome era Days like this * chefs kiss * I need to plan wholesome days at least once a month. Days where I can go out on the train, listen to music, eat nice food, maybe take part in a creative activity. They are perfect and I have really learnt to appreciate the small, simple moments more this summer, amongst the chaotic busy days. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/c8ebc638-d120-47c8-85cd-689fdef578fd/13.png Blog - Slice Of My Life - August 24 Day to the beach The summer holidays wouldn’t be complete without a trip to the beach. We visited Rhos on Sea for a summers picnic, however the weather did have different ideas. We may have spent most of our time bundled up inside the mini beach tent, eating food which was inevitably covered in sand due to the wind, butttt I loved taking Evan to the sea and splashing around. There is no better feeling of being by the coast, it makes me wish I drove so we could do this more often. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/99fc816c-b4e1-423a-8415-fafbfb7e9cb3/11.png Blog - Slice Of My Life - August 24 Anniversary Me and Dave celebrated our 3 year wedding anniversary with a trip to Tissington, a lovely afternoon tea, and a fancy meal. It was nice to go out just the two of us and enjoy some nice food in a calm and relaxing atmosphere. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/974b27e3-d1d5-4516-a8f8-a501aa855d6a/12.png Blog - Slice Of My Life - August 24 What a month! Well I can truly say we made the most of the summer holidays. Burn out is just around the corner, I can feel it. But it was all so worth it. I have made some unforgettable memories with Evan and he is becoming the most lovely, happy boy. I wish we could have spent more days together when I was unfortunately working. Maybe this should be the kick up my butt to start working for myself and get a better work life balance for next year? https://www.simplyabbie.com/blog/sliceofmylife-july24 monthly 0.5 2024-09-09 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/372ebfdf-345d-483a-aaa3-ed227a6a1a3b/2.jpg Blog - Slice Of My Life - July 24 A month filled with socialising and enjoying the amazing weather. Summer is my favourite season and I am so glad we have had a decent few weeks of nice weather to make the most of. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/739dfe1f-f449-4105-a8a3-c0d6960dbbbf/3.jpg Blog - Slice Of My Life - July 24 Sunny Sundays in Trentham Our favourite Sunday spot, Evan has now started to attempt to say ‘DUCK’ when he sees any type of bird. I am loving how excited he is to see animals of all kinds, I hope he will become an animal lover just like me. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/7c96aa10-eda7-4010-8bc7-57ede465ea5c/4.jpg Blog - Slice Of My Life - July 24 Mum and Dad’s day out We headed to Bakewell on our day off, just me and David without Evan. It was a lovely day and such amazing weather, we were very lucky. We went to the riverside and had a Bakewell tart and pink lemonade. I couldn’t help but think multiple times ‘I wish Evan was here to see these ducks’ or XYZ. Can’t win can I! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/c78f3861-60cc-4984-89f6-f22627900c94/5.jpg Blog - Slice Of My Life - July 24 Birthday Celebrations Another year older, and another very weird birthday. I don’t know if this is just birthdays now i’m a mother, or there’s been something in the air these last two years. But birthdays are definitely not the same as they once were. Waking up, cleaning, changing nappies and all the usual jobs still need to be done. Only difference is there’s pizza and cake at the end of the evening. I felt somewhat deflated again this year, I don’t think the random downpours of rain that dampened our plans helped. Maybe I will plan a trip away for 2025 and make it extra special. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/1dd50c5a-c431-4cfb-b3fd-6de83b0447d1/6.jpg Blog - Slice Of My Life - July 24 Community I have loved becoming the part of the extended community in our church. We went for a ladies walk around Rudyard Lake. It was nice to dust of the walking boots and get a brisk walk under my belt. I forgot how nice it is to have a walk without pushing a buggy! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/95066744-a4eb-4b0e-84ba-8fc09d004102/8.jpg Blog - Slice Of My Life - July 24 Double Sweet 16 Staying at the Hilton Manchester has always been on my bucket list, so I was excited to visit for my ‘double sweet 16’ (32nd) birthday. We went shopping, had a nice lunch and then headed to the hotel to get ready. Heidi had decorated the room and cupcakes, it was so thoughtful and really made it extra special. We then headed to Gino’s which I highly recommend. I even got a complementary cake and sung to! It was a lovely girly weekend and something we need to make an effort to do more often. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/5474070c-df79-4a8f-bead-761aa87bc8df/10.jpg Blog - Slice Of My Life - July 24 Sober AF Whilst in Manchester we visited an alcohol free bar, Love From. It has since ended its residency for the summer, but I had a lovely drink from there. It was a perfect way to celebrate two years of sobriety and enjoy an evening in a safe place. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/0a6fe874-1d75-4d34-a8a7-26b12c1452f5/11.jpg Blog - Slice Of My Life - July 24 Spa Evening A much needed time at the spa to rest, relax, recharge and reconnect. I loved having time in the hot tub with drinks brought to you. Our treatments were nice and we ended the evening with a 3 course meal. I love a spa day, that’s no secret, but I need to try and put money aside to go more frequently as its a guaranteed way for me to fill my cup and feel fresh again. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/f295c066-4006-4402-9c6e-b772b3cb4b65/12.jpg Blog - Slice Of My Life - July 24 London One of my favourite days of this month, and maybe this year! Heading to London to visit Courtney. We had so many laughs, including dropping a pot of flowers all over the Disney store floor! We shopped till we well and truly dropped! Finishing the day with Pizza of course, it made me realise how much I miss London and that me and David should arrange an annual trip if not more often. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/697571e1-4607-47a3-a72d-dbef5413d89a/13.jpg Blog - Slice Of My Life - July 24 And that’s a wrap! I’m loving being in the midst of summer. Filling my days with activities and socialising with friends. I do feel like a mega burn out is around the corner, but isn’t that what Autumn time is for anyway? Maybe I will have a planned burnout in September and have a social media and socialising black out? oo I like the sound of that! But for now let’s embrace the summer and make even more special memories. https://www.simplyabbie.com/blog/sliceofmylife-june24 monthly 0.5 2024-09-09 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/03d011a3-705c-4303-aa7d-37f4d9ec4d3e/2.jpg Blog - Slice Of My Life - June 24 A positive and productive month, with days out, weekends away and lots of chit chat. I really felt like I was Abbie again. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/32e2048e-3476-446d-ac27-06de64769db5/3.jpg Blog - Slice Of My Life - June 24 The best ‘not weekend’ weekend What an amazing time, I don’t think I could put into words what a wholesome, positive and uplifting time we had in Edinburgh. I could write a whole blog post about our time and what we got up to. It was my first few nights away from Evan so I was a bit hesitant, but it turns out it was just what I needed. What a difference a good night sleep can make! It was so much fun to make my outfit, do some glittery makeup and just have a really good evening. It was a perfect time and I wish I could go back and re-live it again. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/7371aa0e-61df-4682-9cb3-231a4c9a43f5/4.jpg Blog - Slice Of My Life - June 24 Retail therapy I love Edinburgh and was so glad we could spend some time there after the concert. All the buildings are so inspiring and I loved looking in all the small business stores. We headed to knoops for some hot chocolate and it’s safe to say this is going to be my new obsession. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/96ba555d-310d-4a2d-9e5b-922e5a1a68c3/6.jpg Blog - Slice Of My Life - June 24 Evan’s Dedication Me and Evan have been attending church since January and I was so excited to get him dedicated by the church. It was a lovely ceremony followed by a party with our friends and family. It was so nice to share the church with our friends and have a good sing song too! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/b4a7f1f6-3942-44b1-b3b3-30271b533b68/7.jpg Blog - Slice Of My Life - June 24 Stationaryfest If there ever was a place more perfect for me, it would be stationaryfest! I can’t believe I haven’t attended before. Then again I think my bank balance is grateful of that. I loved being able to meet some of my internet friends in real life and see their stores and products come to life. It has really encouraged me to work hard at The Hygge Hut and hopefully be able to have a stall there next year. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/794bea15-90e8-4ff1-bf17-4a7b37be48d5/5.jpg Blog - Slice Of My Life - June 24 The annual duck race Ending the month with the most wholesome of days. We headed to Congleton with our picnic basket at the ready excited to see sone duck racing. It was such a silly little novelty thing to do but it really did make me smile. We are going to head back next year and make it an annual tradition. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/db7dd7ad-f505-4cbf-9255-d111b0a7bb2e/8.jpg Blog - Slice Of My Life - June 24 Slow down This month has been a learning curve in so many ways. The importance of time for myself. How important it is to take my time with tasks and challenges, but also not agreeing to too many things, even if they are things I really want to do. I have started to be much more realistic with my time and want to slow down more and more each day. Carving out pockets of time to just have a cup of tea and play animal crossing. Holding myself accountable to screen time and being more present and in the moment. https://www.simplyabbie.com/blog/sliceofmylife-may24 monthly 0.5 2024-09-09 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/fdbc2e89-eb6a-472a-97d2-97101291fbfd/SA+-+Blog+Slice+of+life+graphics+.jpg Blog - Slice Of My Life - May 24 A relaxing month filled with little ‘pick me up’ moments. Ending the month celebrating Evan’s birthday. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/77f394e4-1a53-4f53-a06e-e95f895582ad/9.jpg Blog - Slice Of My Life - May 24 Saying thanks I took my mum out for afternoon tea as a thank you for all she has done for me and Evan over the last year. It was only a small gesture but it was a perfect way to say thanks. Sometimes it’s so hard to be thankful to those who help out, mainly because life is 1million miles an hour and before you know it, it’s months later and you would feel a bit odd saying ‘oh thanks for doing those dishes for me a week ago!’ but i’m trying to be really mindful to say thank you when people help out or are there for me. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/263421ec-b0b9-4663-93c4-030fca9d8a00/10.jpg Blog - Slice Of My Life - May 24 Keeping up with routines I’ve started to implement some better routines in my weeks, making activities and jobs more manageable. I have started alternating activities each week in an attempt to minimise burnout. Things like going Trentham gardens every other week instead of every week. Could that cleaning job be pushed back to every other week instead of every week? https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/438b07af-41f6-4993-99a9-729fbb0fa3a0/8.jpg Blog - Slice Of My Life - May 24 Little moments of joy I have really appreciated the small family moments this month and making the most of when we have a day off together as a family. Just heading to the park or having a McDonalds breakfast instead of sitting at home on the sofa. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/45d8d256-a903-4532-a04f-19b2f748cfb3/4.jpg Blog - Slice Of My Life - May 24 Evan’s birthday For Evan’s first birthday we decided to head to Chester zoo. He loved looking at all the animals and I was really impressed with how the Zoo had changed over the last 10 years since I had last been. Evan loved the snow leopards (I think because they looked like Maisie). I was really impressed with the food to with lots of vegetarian options. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/721819b6-4f93-4214-b78b-b1a6479396e3/7.jpg Blog - Slice Of My Life - May 24 Taking time to breathe The days really do run away with me sometimes, so now the weather is nice it’s been lovely to sit outside and wind down a bit before tea time. Just taking a moment to enjoy the fresh air and let Evan play outside whilst I enjoy playing animal crossing and having a cup of tea. It’s nice now he is old enough to entertain himself a bit and I can start to have pockets of time to breathe again. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/3251a60a-3f66-4496-939c-1680d9f1384c/6.jpg Blog - Slice Of My Life - May 24 Garden overhaul! Our garden was in much need of an overhaul. The decking was grotty and green, weeds everywhere and let’s not even start on the state of the grass! But after two weeks it was all done up and looked fresh once again. I have loved having the time outdoors and forgot how much I love gardening and potting plants. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/00dc00b1-08cb-402a-babf-3ea6574ab9fc/3.jpg Blog - Slice Of My Life - May 24 Mums night out I was so excited when Heidi booked tickets to go and see Girls Aloud. We loved them as kids and used to make our barbie dolls do concerts on the dining table. It was lovely to get dressed up and go out for the evening. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/42d9c243-f61c-4bd9-b596-333b5cef31b0/5.jpg Blog - Slice Of My Life - May 24 Birthday BBQ After cleaning and painting the garden, it was BBQ ready just in time for Evan’s birthday celebrations. We went for a Bluey theme, complete with duck cake! Evan loved having all his family around in the sunshine and eating way too much cake. https://www.simplyabbie.com/blog/sliceofmylife-apr24 monthly 0.5 2024-09-09 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/b424f197-3ff4-4175-9339-d4d0fee47b66/2.png Blog - Slice Of My Life - April 24 A rollercoaster of a month, highs and lows, life turning one way and another. Most days I didn’t know whether I was coming or going, and at the end of the day I lay in bed and didn’t know how I had made it through. A great month to reflect and learn from, promoting me to focus on the present moment and not past bad experiences. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/d9a0aae8-fc4a-4f2c-84ab-e45492389fea/3.png Blog - Slice Of My Life - April 24 Me Time One thing I struggle with month on month is making time for myself. But most importantly not feeling guilty afterwards. I have put aside two Saturdays a month to spend on something I want to do. Whether that’s going for lunch with a friend, going to do a creative activity or simply a walk and natter. It sometimes feels forced to have to plan these things so far in advance, but I know I wouldn’t keep myself accountable otherwise. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/f97b497e-23fe-4c62-badc-88e285dabe90/4.png Blog - Slice Of My Life - April 24 Evan’s First Theme Park We headed to Alton Towers with my friend Tash and god daughter Lily. We had such an amazing day going on all the rides in CBeebies land and even managed to make a stop for unlimited pizza. My perfect day! I loved watching Evan take in all the new scenes and experiences. He has changed so much over this last month and it’s comical to see his faces change when he sees things he likes and doesn’t. We have now become firm fans of Hey Dougie and In The Night Garden, which does make a nice change from Bluey. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/52b2ad0e-d329-4a1a-8539-3dabe9db7264/5.png Blog - Slice Of My Life - April 24 ‘I’m so depressed I act like its my birthday’ I spent a few hours one afternoon taking some Taylor inspired photos. It was something that ‘old Abbie’ did all the time. Coming up with a moodboard, colour and editing ideas, setting up the shots and choosing the outfits. I was doing my hair and makeup for a video I was filming anyway so thought why not take that opportunity (and the fact Evan was down for a long nap) to take some photos. It was nice to finally do some things that old me enjoyed. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/67c5e039-a1ea-4496-97bf-da27ead121eb/6.png Blog - Slice Of My Life - April 24 The best of friends Now Evan is a bit more aware of the world around him I have been able to let Max and him play together. It’s been adorable watching them interact and Evan’s giggle whenever Max does something silly. I can really see them becoming the best of friends over the years and can’t wait for our afternoons in the garden when it’s all been done up. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/d3b37db4-c4ce-420a-9d04-6aba77f64e8c/7.png Blog - Slice Of My Life - April 24 Acceptance, Presence, Joy My ‘words of the year’ this year have been acceptance, presence and joy. Trying to look at the year as a wheel, a constant flow of accepting something that may have happened, working through it to become more present and not bogged down by it. Finally, choosing joy as often as I can. I have quickly realised that being happy and making joyful memories is a choice and a good day won’t just plonk its self on my lap. This month I made huge progress in the acceptance part of my post partum journey, filming a video about my experience with mental health whilst pregnant. It has helped me to become more present and let some of those resentful feelings go. This Saturday pictured was one of the Saturday’s I had planned in advance, a intentional choice of joy. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/e785d10b-d473-432c-a26a-3ec8f674c1d0/8.png Blog - Slice Of My Life - April 24 Making reasons to celebrate Carrying on from the thoughts above, making up an excuse to celebrate has been a key practice in making joy happen. My niece Ellie turned 100 days old, so I used it as an excuse to get some pizza and cake, set up some decorations and dust of the Cricut to make some banners. It was only a few hours of work and execution but it really brought a smile to my face and make memories for Ellie, my sister and mum. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/2953b291-6893-4dd1-853a-4a5e7423cb20/9.png Blog - Slice Of My Life - April 24 IG vs Reality I look at these photos from a few weeks ago and I can’t help but laugh. The fact that they couldn’t be further from reality! Let’s just say pottery painting isn’t for a 11 month old toddler. We brought the babies so we could do some hand prints, but that soon ended up in a melt down, stropping, tears… and that was just me! haha. We did manage to have a somewhat nice afternoon, but it was very hectic and my designs ended up being a lot simpler than I had planned. I think this activity may have to go on my list of ‘Saturdays alone’. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/365c0a0c-d87e-4416-8f37-838d32b0252f/10.png Blog - Slice Of My Life - April 24 New Shoes! I don’t think I was emotionally prepared for the day Evan got his first shoes. We headed to the Trafford centre as I was adamant I wanted his first shoes to be from clarks. He was so well behaved and loved watching as the staff member measured his feet and brought out some options. I feel like he is a real tiny human now rather than a baby, and the transition has hit my like a ton of bricks. He’s babbling, his clothes are now 18-24 months, he has shoes! I’m already thinking ahead to when he starts school and high school… okay. Breathe! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/a87c9f52-5c82-4204-bd1a-8a194d98ed2b/12.png Blog - Slice Of My Life - April 24 Thank you April, you have been a learning curve. You taught me that sometimes things really do go tits up, plans have to be changed and just when you think everything is going well your whole family will get the flu. But just like the wheel of the year, each day and week is an opportunity to keep rolling on forward and leaving the past behind. Knowing we have to appreciate the joyful present moments as we never know what is about to come. https://www.simplyabbie.com/blog/sliceofmylife-mar24 monthly 0.5 2024-09-09 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/240b400b-ebee-49d1-b6a9-f9c8903b21b6/SA+-+Blog+Slice+of+life+graphics+-2.png Blog - Slice Of My Life - March 24 A positive month filled with family time, easter activities and fresh starts. I can feel myself breaking myself away from hermit season and ready to embrace spring and summer. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/d84b7355-bedf-44e1-8a67-0141ed7ec008/3.jpg Blog - Slice Of My Life - March 24 Time with family I am so glad I have had the opportunity to spend lots of weekends with family this month. Sometimes weeks can pass us by and before we know it we haven’t caught up with family members for months. I have started to look at my monthly and weekly routines and trying to prioritise time with family even if it’s just popping round for a cup of tea. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/2fb164b9-7249-413a-8f1f-f21c746190a0/4.jpg Blog - Slice Of My Life - March 24 My First Mothers Day My mum arranged a lovely dinner at her house for mother’s day. We celebrated with my sister who has also recently become a mum. It was so wholesome and I sat snuggled on the sofa at my Mum’s and it was just like old times. It was nice to spend an afternoon with no time constraints or plans and just have a little natter over a cup of tea. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/d61c9b14-ea85-4b70-baab-0917349e6f12/5.jpg Blog - Slice Of My Life - March 24 My Ray of Sunshine Evan has really started to have his own personality now and it’s so lovely to see. I love his cheeky smile and learning what makes him laugh and giggle. He is loving getting involved in anything I am doing, whether it's making tea, cleaning or doing arts and crafts. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/20afa3d2-940b-4c51-9f94-ba6a6ead98e5/7.jpg Blog - Slice Of My Life - March 24 Mum Life I have truly embraced mum life this last few weeks and learning to balance my own time with Evan’s time. It has helped making sure I am well rested and have filled my own cup before I then try to juggle all the activities that come with being a mum. We have started getting into our own little routines now such as going for walks, going to church and me having a night to myself at art class. It’s taken a while but I am starting to feel like I have kind of got the hang of this! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/d282d107-3df8-4a12-ac01-88e79a17ad04/8.jpg Blog - Slice Of My Life - March 24 Easter This may have been my favourite day of the year so far! We spent it doing arts and crafts, dressing up as easter chicks and finishing the day with some baking. Mum and Heidi came over and we laughed so much again, just like old times. When I got in bed that evening I felt so content and positive and I can’t wait to arrange days like this again. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/65d8d904-551f-4049-a5f1-729e3afc40c1/9.jpg Blog - Slice Of My Life - March 24 Days Out One thing I have had to really push myself into doing is spending days out with friends. (and not feeling guilty about it!) I’ve been working on updating my wardrobe so lots of shopping trips have been in order. I tried the new EL&N in Birmingham which was a lovely treat and well worth the visit. https://www.simplyabbie.com/blog/sliceofmylife-feb24 monthly 0.5 2024-09-09 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/b26d1972-e832-4172-bc05-3814820377d7/1.jpg Blog - Slice Of My Life - February 24 A month that seemed to fly by, but on reflection consisted of some great family memories, some self care and moving forward into new routines. I have learnt so much this month and hope to carry this on into the coming mont. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/22c0bac6-1c6b-43db-988b-9b0c269d7245/2.jpg Blog - Slice Of My Life - February 24 Celebrating with close family I love celebrating Chinese new year, more so than our new year on 1st January. In January I lean towards resting and recharging and don’t really have much motivation in me to make any changes. However when it comes to Chinese new year, I feel rested and ready to look forward into new beginnings. I have enjoyed looking into their traditions and even gave out money envelopes and lucky coins to my friends and family this year. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/ced5f3ac-f299-4288-82f9-325efdb3bcb6/3.jpg Blog - Slice Of My Life - February 24 Celebrating David’s Birthday I love visiting Peake Wildlife park and was thrilled when David said he would like to go for his birthday. I am looking forward to when Evan is old enough to feed the wallabies himself and enjoy all the animals. We had a lovely time and it was nice to make the most of the last few days before I returned to work. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/75bab300-9f97-4847-80a1-bdba1becf5a8/4.jpg Blog - Slice Of My Life - February 24 Self Care I had a super recharging day at the spa with my sister and I actually managed to start reading a book for the first time in over a year. We chatted and brainstormed about the year ahead and I felt myself feeling really optimistic for the first time in a while. I also had my hair done this month and decided to go for something a little darker and more natural. I am going to get some new darker hair extensions too and have more dark in my hair in April and think it will really help my hair look more healthy. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/afb6be0f-978a-49eb-b620-bdd75a04c063/5.jpg Blog - Slice Of My Life - February 24 The simple things February taught me that I don’t need to make huge moments and days out and sometimes the most joy comes from the smallest of moments. I loved spending the day with Tash and my God Daughter. It was just a simple day to the park followed by lunch and cake at a cafe, but it brought me so much joy. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/ac96291f-e6ef-4a9f-a335-ecd825c10d56/6.jpg Blog - Slice Of My Life - February 24 Investing in myself This month I wanted to start to implement boundaries to enable me to work on some projects for myself and enjoy some me time. And yes, me time does mean sitting playing animal crossing! I decided to start The Artists Way, a book which I have been wanting to read for years. I may not be able to progress through the book one week at a time as it plans, but I am taking it day by day and will work through it at my own pace. I have been doing the morning pages for two weeks now and have noticed a huge difference, more so on the days where I have forgotten to do them and feel consumed by a grey cloud, till I remember and sit down and let myself write and write. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/5f305f8c-38cf-40ae-9b76-78d005358c22/7.jpg Blog - Slice Of My Life - February 24 Starting Nursery Evan started nursery this month and he is absolutely loving it! He is doing so many fun activities and it has been lovely to see all the updates on the app that the nursery have. I am quite jealous actually of all the yummy food he gets to have! Adapting to the new routine has been a hard one, but I am embracing the change and expect it to carry on being difficult for a few more weeks till we find out rhythm. https://www.simplyabbie.com/blog/sliceofmylife-jan24 monthly 0.5 2024-09-09 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/c08fc362-1b9e-465f-bf5a-3baab02808b3/1.png Blog - Slice Of My Life - January 24 New Year New Me? Or new year same old me in the midst of a midlife crisis? https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/e8c11294-46ba-42d2-a684-36a540593e2c/2.png Blog - Slice Of My Life - January 24 Bringing in the new year I usually love new years, planning my resolutions and ready to start a fresh. Leave the old chapter behind and welcome the new year with open arms. But this year felt very different. I think it may be because I have so much unresolved from 2023 and I can’t truly feel like letting it go until I work through past events and how they have effected me. In the first week of the year I had that ground breaking moment when I knew things need to change. PPD is no joke, and when you have also been dealing with these emotions during 9 months of pregnancy it feels like you may never feel ‘normal’ again. Combine this with a lack of self identity, the realisation that your maternity leave is due to end soon, being overworked and over tired…. You get the idea, it’s no wonder I am feeling this way. It’s time to do the work, face the past, heal the trauma and look forward to brighter days. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/36457563-2323-4754-9951-a48d52afcc13/3.png Blog - Slice Of My Life - January 24 Focusing on time for myself My weekly art class is something I am so glad I have taken up in 2023. Just having 2 and a half hours to myself, out of the house, focusing on something creative is really helping my wellbeing. However some weeks I can feel like a complete failure, I can hate the painting I have done and have a mini crisis in the space of an hour. But it’s usually a reflection of how I have been feeling that week. Most weeks the class is the only time I am away from the home and Evan, so no wonder all the emotions come tumbling down when I enter the art studio. It really highlights to me now in this new year I need to focus on making time for myself. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/9b58cfbe-92e3-4c15-ae4c-f0cf8e1b7ee2/4.png Blog - Slice Of My Life - January 24 Taking it day by day January comes with so much pressure to start a fresh and go full steam ahead with about 10 different resolutions. Whilst in the depths of winter this feels so unnatural and I am called to hermit instead. I have been researching the wheel of life and how this can influence how I feel and what I should be focusing on each month. I decided to take a pause on any resolutions and just take each day as it comes, being kind to myself. Life is feeling very tough right now and I am not feeling that spark I usually feel at the start of the year. Getting out in nature or having a coffee date is what was feeling me and bringing me joy this month, theres something about being all bundled up and the sounds of a coffee shop which bring comfort to me. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/1707205436971-J126D6WUFRNU2IY6WLPI/9.png Blog - Slice Of My Life - January 24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/1707205437363-Y80UQDDT1XHTWVD0XQVP/5.png Blog - Slice Of My Life - January 24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/a5a48ea7-0269-458b-8c03-ba116752db98/6.png Blog - Slice Of My Life - January 24 Bye bye balls! Max unfortunately was getting some bad behaviours over the last few months, which meant we had to make the decision to have him castrated. As you can see from the photos, he was over the moon about this! I am hoping this will help calm him behaviour a bit and he can start to enjoy going out with the dog walker again. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/ece139c7-ea46-4131-a6e6-c344030ddc59/7.png Blog - Slice Of My Life - January 24 Mum life updates Evan had just turned 8 months and I have seen the most changes in him this last few weeks. He has out grown his smaller cot, note: which is supposed to have lasted him till 9-12 months. (Also, don’t worry, we aren’t hyper paranoid about mosquitoes, the net on his cot pops up and helps avoid Maisie snuggling up to him.) I felt a lot of pressure for him to move into his own room, but I knew I wasn’t ready for this change so we will just take things at our own pace. He has also started a play group class and will be starting nursery in February too. So much is changing and I can’t believe my maternity leave will be coming to an end next month. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/1707205578132-89APWIEA0VNWJ8PKQ5IF/10.png Blog - Slice Of My Life - January 24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/1707205580381-ABIY7YUVWZ9EIOULD4YQ/11.png Blog - Slice Of My Life - January 24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/7119b910-da21-4dfb-8681-86dff2014708/8.png Blog - Slice Of My Life - January 24 I am an auntie! January brought the arrival of my niece, Ellie Thea. She is the most precious little Ellie Bean and I can’t wait to watch her grow up along side Evan and see all the adventures they get up to. https://www.simplyabbie.com/blog/sliceofmylife-dec23 monthly 0.5 2024-02-06 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/cd60196c-a9a9-4ccb-bfd5-f3ebfce91395/1.jpg Blog - Slice Of My Life - December The final month of the year, which came with a lot of reflecting and resting (when I got the chance). Our first Christmas with Evan was perfect, and was the start of many fun traditions to come. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/2610a9d1-ac36-4c3e-9651-d9d94510883d/2.jpg Blog - Slice Of My Life - December More work on the nursery In January Evan will move into his own room so it was about time I finally finished decorating. I set up this tipi tent and his favourite woodland animals to made the most cosy reading and napping nook. (however the fairy lights didn’t last 5 minutes with Maisie). I just have one last part to paint, and put up some curtains and the room will all be ready for him. I have managed to sneak a desk in there for myself, sort of a mini arts and crafts station and where I will work when I go back in February. My hopes is that I can put him off to bed in his cot, then spend 30 minutes every night journalling and doing some bits of crafts. Who knows if this will actually happen, but it’s nice to have an ideal evening routine in my mind. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/15dd2f8a-c4a3-45ec-a961-5504182e90cd/3.jpg Blog - Slice Of My Life - December Meeting Santa! We started the festive activities with a trip to see Santa. Evan loved it, but he did nearly rip Santas beard off! He loved looking at all the fairy lights and sparkles in the grotto. Afterwards we headed onto a tractor ride around the farm and then a lovely lunch in Congleton. It really did get the festivities off to a start and helped me feel excited for Christmas. I have put so much pressure on myself this last few months, and December was no exception. I know Evan isn’t going to remember any of these things, but I wanted his first Christmas time to be just perfect for him. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/c1926710-ca06-42e8-9f7d-2ee918532a34/6.jpg Blog - Slice Of My Life - December Christmas Morning There is no better feeling that heading down the stairs on Christmas morning to see what presents have arrived, however this year I kind of already had a sneak peek at what the morning would look like! It’s safe to say chiristmas eve was a bit more chaotic this year. How do you put this bouncer together? Did we buy any batteries?! Whoops! But once everything was set up and I headed to bed, it was such a nice feeling of anticipation for the morning. We did our usual tradition of watching Klaus whilst having crackers and cheese for tea. Evan was snuggled on the chair whilst the film was on and I couldn’t stop looking over at him thinking how things were so different compared to last year, and how grateful I was that he is now here with us. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/9f8a202e-1db8-47aa-9c0b-f97da24a124a/4.jpg Blog - Slice Of My Life - December Family Time I loved spending the 4 days over Christmas with our families and really feeling like we are setting some lovely traditions for years to come. There’s Christmas Eve secret Santa, Sausage baps for Christmas breakfast and games time on Christmas night with my mum and sister. I can’t wait to carry on doing these little things as Evan grows, and each year watch new traditions come into our lives. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/5018104b-bf91-42b8-a729-d0274eec9752/7.jpg Blog - Slice Of My Life - December Looking Forward 2024 is on its way and I have never felt this way about a new year before. Usually i’m filled with motivation to start a fresh, I've got goals upon goals, with tasks on how to achieve each one. But this year I feel like taking things a bit slower and simpler. I have been reading about the wheel of the year and how things eb and flow. This research has paired well with Lydia Millen’s book Evergreen, which I have also started last week. I am going to write a whole post about my ‘words for the year’ and how I am using the wheel of the year to inspire me month on month. At the moment, the season is still in a space of rest and recharging, and I feel like honouring that and not making any huge life goals just yet. Who knows what 2024 will bring, but for the first month or so, we are just staying content in our cosy bubble for a few weeks longer. https://www.simplyabbie.com/blog/sliceofmylife-nov23 monthly 0.5 2024-02-06 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/da6f362e-8d24-4928-9c78-fed219b0b8c0/1.png Blog - Slice Of My Life - November A month that flew by in the blink of an eye, but saw big changes in my life behind the scenes. I wanted to make my life easier this month, focus on how to simplify tasks and start making the most of my last few months of maternity leave. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/18bc7f5c-cd7f-4f51-b9c8-15061037e17d/2.png Blog - Slice Of My Life - November Trip to the wildlife park I loved taking Evan to Peake Wildlife Park and getting to see their newest resident, the polar bears. It was nice to spend some time doing some photography too and reminding myself that I can have little moments for myself in the day, even when the focus is on Evan and his new experiences. I am starting to look at our daily activities and how I can almost habit stack them. Almost a one for you one for me style deal. Whilst sitting helping Evan play with his toys, why not have some chilled lofi or YouTube video on in the background. Whilst out on a walk, take my camera to hopefully snap some nice photos. Whilst Evan is nodding off to sleep, sit in bed with my journal and reflect on the day. Just these little moments of intentional me time are starting to really improve my mood. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/304865fe-6cb4-41ba-8708-2de05090d9a9/3.png Blog - Slice Of My Life - November Me Time Talking of me time, I really need to focus on some actual me time. Time when I am not responsible for a tiny human, cat or dog! I was watching a recent video by Molly Mae and she mentioned how when you are looking after your child you are in constant fight or flight mode, and this is so true for me too. I feel on edge pretty much 99% of my day. Even when i’m showering i’m watching the baby camera, putting laundry away and i’m stopping every few minutes to check on him. Checking the time to see when he is next due a nappy change. Looking at our daily planner and working out when he will have food, what I need to pack in his bag, have his clothes been washed and dried? You get the gist… So with all this happening 7 days a week, my body just doesn’t know how to switch off. The days when I get to go out the house alone, it takes a good few hours before I can start to feel somewhat normal again. It’s not just an instant switch off as soon as I no longer have to look after Evan, it’s a feeling that takes a while to shake off. I am sure that this will change over time, but I need to start prioritising myself and letting myself have days where I can just be me again. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/4e279d0b-b5c7-42b6-9950-0ca430896160/4.png Blog - Slice Of My Life - November What causes me stress and worry? A few weeks ago I felt so irritated with everything in my life. No matter what I did I felt like the world was against me and I felt extremely uncomfortable. I started writing a log of all the things which stress, annoy, worry or aggravate me every day to try and alleviate some of these issues. We started with some home decor jobs which were causing the house to look disorganised and messy. Finally finished Evans nursery and found a new home for things like laundry. I also hired a dog walker for max, so I know he is getting some really good off lead outdoor woodland style walks every week (something which was making me feel really guilty with not being able to drive to nicer locations for walks). He has been loving these walks and we even get daily photos with what he has been up to. I think this will be a great thing to carry on with when I go back to work and Evan is in nursery too. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/cf2f437f-3602-4127-9e2e-a8c35cb70d77/5.png Blog - Slice Of My Life - November Llandudno Christmas Fair Every year we head to Llandudno Christmas fair and this year was extra special with it being Evan’s first visit. It felt like the tradition had been refreshed and had a new lease of life now we have someone new to show everything too. He loved being beside the sea and I enjoyed getting to watch his reaction to all the new sights. https://www.simplyabbie.com/blog/sliceofmylife-oct23 monthly 0.5 2024-02-06 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/5eec1572-ed42-4326-8558-20d660d0a1c6/Slice+of+life+graphics+.png Blog - Slice Of My Life - October A busy month filled with lots of plans, many cups of tea and preparing for a new season. Cosy season is in full force and I’m so excited to embrace all that is Autumn. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/ebb20289-f5fd-4989-8cfa-ff79743f8a41/2.jpg Blog - Slice Of My Life - October Cafe Dates with my little book worm It’s no secret that me and Evan have been somewhat of a pair of hermits this last few months. Going out for meals especially has been difficult for me. The combination of food, hot drinks, and the busy atmosphere feels like a daunting challenge, and a much easier option is always to stay at home. Over the past month, I have taken Evan to cafes five times and each time it is getting easier and easier. I have always loved going to cafes and people watching, so I am glad to finally feel comfortable doing that again with Evan. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/56f01fa1-5b92-4d12-831f-21ce823d724f/3.jpg Blog - Slice Of My Life - October Evan Update As the seasons change and the days get darker I feel myself slowly gravitating towards negative thoughts and feelings. ‘Oh it’s so dark, it’s raining ugh!’ These little messages to myself, no matter how small they may seem, have a huge impact on how I feel mentally. And when I am at home alone with Evan for 10 hours at a time, all I really have is my own thoughts. I have been really trying to make an effort this last month to change the way I am thinking about the small things. I still have some pretty large brain gremlins to contend with, which won’t go away with just a little positive thinking. But I think it’s important to work on the small things and add a little big of joy and positivity into my day. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/935ec860-9df5-4053-a1db-00612d475603/4.jpg Blog - Slice Of My Life - October Multi-tasking Mama! Being a mum has been no easy feat, I was always good at multi tasking but this last 5 months has taken it to a whole new level. I have tried to embrace multi tasking in a more positive way. Getting all my jobs done in the morning by using habit stacking. If you are looking into productivity hacks I would recommend looking into habit stacking as it has changed the game for me. Utilising this idea, I then combine Evan’s solo play time with a chance to have a cup of tea. Usually in the afternoon when he is due his nap, we snuggle on the chair and put on some Bluey, however (don’t ask me why it took this long) but I realised no matter what was on TV, Evan was happy enough watching it. So I decided to bundle this ‘task’ of getting him off to sleep, with some me time watching the TV. This week, it’s been The Simple Life. I’m not sure the crunchy IG mums would approve of him watching their antics haha, but it’s become a really nice part of our afternoon routine. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/180d205c-312d-4f1f-86dd-ea64fc50e743/5.jpg Blog - Slice Of My Life - October Painting Pokemon When I started my art classes a few months ago I was unsure what style I would end up going for. I was hoping the more I painted my own authentic style would come through. At the moment I have started to really enjoy painting Pokemon and adding in some scenery behind them. I think I may start a series, picking a number at random and seeing what Pokemon is assigned to it in the Pokédex! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/1699103775930-JY9OJGX6TL1PR2V53258/7.jpg Blog - Slice Of My Life - October - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/1699103775411-LTHZAXAXRK8U2OZBNXZ7/6.jpg Blog - Slice Of My Life - October - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/877c812e-2d4f-426b-96f0-f931a7b32174/8.jpg Blog - Slice Of My Life - October Multi-Tasking Mama pt 2! I have loved getting out with max and Evan this last few weeks. I have now fully mastered the buggy and dog walking. However it does take us nearly 30 minutes to actually get out the house. The ‘halti’ and waist lead have been brilliant in helping max walk more calmly and safely. Evan is also loving the winter accessories on his pram, the fluffy foot muff and fur lined headrest. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/88bf45de-776f-4185-95dd-18465edb7cca/9.jpg Blog - Slice Of My Life - October Food Glorious Food I always knew Evan would have no issues with food, for months now he has sat with his mouth open imitating eating whilst he watches me eat at the table. We have started him with porridge and he is a huge fan. It can get a little messy, and I really have to take my mind over matter when there is porridge stuck between his fingers and in his hair haha. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/e3aaf2ac-2e39-4657-97fe-581866bb06cd/10.jpg Blog - Slice Of My Life - October One More Bear One of my favourite shops in Grantham gardens is ‘One More Bear’. In October they moved into a new, larger store and me and Evan of course had to be there for the opening. I dressed him up with some cute bear items. I even wore some fluffy socks with bears on too. We got him a bear (of course!) and some wooden letters to decorate his bedroom door. Heidi also brought him some items, but they have to be saved for Christmas! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/d275a66d-b230-43c1-aad0-c7728c33408e/11.jpg Blog - Slice Of My Life - October Capturing Changes With the seasons changing, it was the perfect opportunity to take the camera to Trentham gardens on our Sunday walk. I loved capturing the last few leaves on the trees and the dewy cobwebs. Evan was super snug in his buggy and enjoyed being pushed around with Heidi and my mum whilst I went exploring. As I mentioned habit stacking earlier, this was a perfect example of combining a usual Sunday walk with something I enjoy such as photography. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/ca3d50e5-1af2-4f90-9505-8f0c5fabbc29/12.jpg Blog - Slice Of My Life - October My Little Pumpkin I was so excited to celebrate halloween with Evan, it really got me excited for the festivities to come and starting new traditions with our little family. In the evening my mum came over and we had pizza for tea, followed by all the leftover sweets as we only had two ‘trick or treaters’. It was such a cosy evening and we even got out some boardgames. I have such fond memories of cosy nights in with family and games, so I am starting to make an effort to do these things again now Evan is here. https://www.simplyabbie.com/blog/sliceofmylife-sep23 monthly 0.5 2024-02-06 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/92e323f3-2f6f-4e79-b459-4b71fbb7ccfa/1.png Blog - Slice Of My Life - September A relaxed month with a few trips here and there, lots of time spent on the sofa and reflecting on the events of the year. September was well and truly my hermit month, but a month to appreciate the simple things. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/8f76c36d-bbdb-463f-9bed-c28a688f9e67/2.png Blog - Slice Of My Life - September Etsy Shop Launch September was mostly spent working on sticker designs and planning what items I wanted to launch in my shop. I was very lucky and David brought me a Circuit machine! I was so excited and pleased that I now didn’t have to outsource my sticker manufacturing and I can make them in small quantities as I sell them. If you would like to see my new designs and refreshed shop, please click the link below: https://thehyggehut.etsy.com https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/b139129d-43ce-4144-8702-f09dd4eaea00/3.png Blog - Slice Of My Life - September Evan Update Evan has had a somewhat difficult month with teething creeping up on us and broken nights sleep. However, despite the teething, his little face still lights up with the most precious smile. I can’t help but feel so much joy when I see his cheeky laugh, even when I myself am having difficult days. It helps me stay grounded and realise no matter what struggles we are both facing there is always room for joy. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/f7eb2387-6659-48fe-8b18-7dac0288153c/4.png Blog - Slice Of My Life - September Days Out (without Evan!) Early in the month I visited Nantwich with my sister and Mum. Nervous as I was to leave Evan, I knew it would benefit me in the long run. First off we headed to Marmalades, which was decorated with so many bits and bobs, almost like a museum. It made me want to embrace my inner hoarder and start showcasing my own items at home. We decided to start the day by treating ourselves to refreshing cocktails and then ventured into the lively food festival. As tempting as the vast selection of food options were, we opted for a simple pleasure: a cone of chips and can of coke. I enjoyed spending the day with my mum and Heidi, window shopping and enjoying some girl time chatting. It started to make me feel like I could really start enjoying days out again. It was a simple day, but made me feel so refreshed and recharged. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/1335a062-5bad-484e-b104-861474510007/5.png Blog - Slice Of My Life - September Simple Celebrations September was also the month two of our friends Hanna and Scott got married. I of course had taken my camera with me, hoping to snap a few special moments, however I found myself becoming their impromptu wedding photographer! I loved being able to take their photographs in such a relaxed manner. Usually wedding photography has me stressed up to the eyeballs, but this happening so last minute and for two of my close friends made the whole thing almost relaxing. After the ceremony, a friend of theirs arranged a barbecue on the Sunday. It was nice to take some time as a family, me David and Evan, and let someone else do the cooking for once. I got to catch up with friends and I actually felt relaxed for the first time in months. I am starting to realise that the moments I am feeling refreshed, relaxed and recharged are those which are the most simple. I don’t need to plan some extravagant get away and spend lots of money to have a lovely day. And Hanna and Scott's wedding celebrations encompassed this notion perfectly. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/9cf3a230-fab9-4a12-b341-c1c2eca4a8a0/6.png Blog - Slice Of My Life - September Decorating This month I decided to get stuck in decorating the hallway of our home. This is where Maisie’s ‘gym’ as I call it lives. I brought some decals from Amazon and painted the walls a light beige colour. Changing the colour from white to beige was such a simple change but really made the area feel more cosy. We also got carpets installed and I used the offcuts to cover the Ikea units to complete the look. Maisie is over the moon with her new space, and so am I! After 3 years in our home I really feel like we are starting to finally put our stamp on things. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/70ae8a1a-6e05-454b-aa14-555db95d21f5/7.png Blog - Slice Of My Life - September Creative Time I have continued attending my art course this month, along with trying out some new ideas for shop products. The three hours I spend in the painting class I can feel so recharged, although sometimes the lack of sleep does catch up with me and I spot myself drifting off mid class. I have started working on a Pokemon inspired painting, I am thinking of creating a collection of these style paintings, working from reference images I have taken in the game Pokemon Snap. https://www.simplyabbie.com/blog/sliceofmylife-aug23 monthly 0.5 2024-02-06 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/6d57fc21-9a37-4bf9-96e7-49b22a0098cd/1.png Blog - Slice Of My Life - August A jam packed month with celebrations, motherhood milestones and lots of exploring with Evan. August really felt like the whole of summer squashed into one month. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/bf08b73a-22c7-40e4-893b-af2b722fc68f/2.png Blog - Slice Of My Life - August My ‘mom’ era I think i’ve finally got the hang of this motherhood thing! Well I say ‘got the hang of’ more so accepting that my life has changed. Accepting that things won’t be the same as before, and that’s okay. No longer wishing for my ‘pre baby body’ to be back because i’m at peace that I’m not that person anymore. Why would I wish to go back in time, to a time without Evan anyway!? https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/1693254771403-W3L6Z1TNPSAOLSYWNBSF/3.png Blog - Slice Of My Life - August https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/1693254772587-5I1E9SQDL86ELTPARC0I/4.png Blog - Slice Of My Life - August https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/1693254776123-AVM4ZZ379S910H0C1TGW/5.png Blog - Slice Of My Life - August https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/087b82a8-dcd7-4027-ac03-798e58da5f29/6.png Blog - Slice Of My Life - August Sister Dates! There’s nothing I love more than spending the day with my sister, having good food and a good natter. Throw that together with a trip to the Zoo and some photography and I pretty much had the most perfect day. It was nice getting out of the house without the buggy too. I could enjoy looking around tiny gift shops again and not worry about how to navigate tricky shop fixtures. Having a buggy has made me realise how inaccessible a lot of places are for those with recused mobility and how frustrating it can be when you want to look inside a store. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/7704e730-f803-45c2-a1cf-72f7dc4d88e7/7.png Blog - Slice Of My Life - August Getting Creative In my quest to have more me time, I signed up for an art class which I now go to once a week. It’s only 3 hours a week, but it gives me so joy and peace. I forgot how much I loved to paint, and reflecting its something which I should have done more of during lock down. But i’m happy that i’m taking the time to do this now and I am really pleased with my first painting from the class. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/e3134726-30a4-4e5a-9eb7-5fa905d91762/8.png Blog - Slice Of My Life - August Exploring with Evan Last month I talked about my struggles with getting out the house with Evan. I would love to say that things have changed but honestly, it’s still a huge hurdle I am facing. I have such irrational fears which I know are ‘crazy’ but when you are home alone and no one to give you the push to leave the house, the safer and more comfortable option is to stay at home. I have been getting out more with David and my family, but I still spend most of the day having these irrational fears. I think with time this should change, but for now I am happy to push myself once a week to get out solo. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/1693254902826-A13XT4DO3HDPHIAE4FP6/10.png Blog - Slice Of My Life - August https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/1693254903277-UODTQSAL8I0GT672IJ3J/9.png Blog - Slice Of My Life - August https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/57a135ac-0144-42d0-84f6-7d3815d42955/11.png Blog - Slice Of My Life - August Brothers <3 I have loved watching Max interact with Evan this last few weeks. He is such a bonkers dog, but when Evan is around he really mellows out. I have also noticed Evan recognising his face now that his vision has gained strength. I can’t wait for the days when they are playing in the garden together and becoming the best of friends. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/2e2f9535-b446-4ee3-bad1-44a6cad311a5/12.png Blog - Slice Of My Life - August 2 years married August is always one of my favourite months as it is mine and David’s wedding anniversary. This year we celebrated with a meal out whilst my mum baby sat for us. It was funny how we were away but all we did was talk about Evan and the milestones he has achieved. At the weekend we also took our annual trip back to Tissington hall and took photos on the steps. I really hope we can keep this tradition up in years to come. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/1693255014117-U8SWIJGNXN1I9RQ6OB7J/13.png Blog - Slice Of My Life - August https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/1693255015969-V5HPN7TAAYI8JIUP92L2/14.png Blog - Slice Of My Life - August https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/ce213e58-24f8-4573-aa41-454f5e4ccc8a/15.png Blog - Slice Of My Life - August Brain Gremlins The last week of August felt quite difficult. I was spending hours a day doom scrolling and could feel myself becoming more and more addicted to being on my phone. I love social media don’t get me wrong, but at the moment I feel so much resentment and jealousy when I go online and see people doing things that I can’t (or should I say could do, but am finding difficult) I know that its always someone else’s highlight reel, and they will also have their own struggles and issues, but when the brain gremlins creep in there’s no reasoning with that idea. I have decided to try a ‘no social September’ and only logging on the apps twice a day to check messages. This definitely won’t fix the feelings I have been facing, but at least I can start to identify what is actually bothering me and work through those things without the distraction or masking of issues with my phone. https://www.simplyabbie.com/blog/sliceofmylife-jul23 monthly 0.5 2024-02-06 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/80465123-905e-4df7-a12d-20781c00e21c/1.jpg Blog - Slice Of My Life - July A month of celebrations (which of course means lots of cake!) July went by in the blink of an eye and I can’t believe Evan is now two months old. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/6024ac4e-28ea-4c2f-9479-e09ed840c607/2.jpg Blog - Slice Of My Life - July Happy Birthday To Me! My first birthday as a mum. However as lovely as it was, my birthdays have definitely changed now. My morning was amazing, opening presents and spending time with David and Evan, but an hour later I was back sterilising bottles, expressing and doing laundry. And the day continued in this way with more bottles, changing and waiting for any spare minute to go the bathroom. A day (or sometimes birthday week) where I would usually put myself first has now changed into a short hour, and it felt like my birthday just passed me by. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/1787a02d-7a29-4a6c-b290-afb2bd95a7e4/5.jpg Blog - Slice Of My Life - July Im finding this part of motherhood quite difficult. I also took the opportunity to get out and about and go for some meals, but my clothes and body just don’t look the same anymore. I know my body is still recovering but I am finding it hard to look in the mirror and also see photos of myself. Everything has changed and it truly feels like my world has been flipped upside down, round in a washing machine, with all the postpartum hormones thrown into the mix. Dealing with all these difficult and sometimes negative emotions, all whilst having the immense feelings of joy of from having Evan in my life. I wake up some mornings and I don’t even know how I am feeling! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/65eb65a7-faf9-4eb4-bc2a-b5b657837221/3.jpg Blog - Slice Of My Life - July Lots of Cafe Dates One of my favourite cafes, Wild and Wild, has now closed, but luckily we managed to get the chance to go for lunch beforehand. I am glad I got to take Evan here. Although this was actually his second trip here in theory, as I celebrated my baby shower at Wild and Wild earlier in the year. Thanks to my friend Tash for the voucher for my birthday too! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/3acdf081-2ad5-4ce8-9e63-3b8c180e7f57/4.jpg Blog - Slice Of My Life - July Barbie Movie There are no words! This film was amazing, and I think I could write a whole blog post about the feelings and emotions that come up after watching this film. I think now as a mother a lot of the themes in the film resonated with me even more than I expected for a film about Barbie. As I mentioned earlier in the post, I am struggling with self image and along with that has come a lack of self identity and sense of self. So (if you’ve watched the film) you can see why parts of this film really got me emotional and put my feelings into word perfectly. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/abbe5f72-974e-4015-9321-f6a4a999bf84/6.jpg Blog - Slice Of My Life - July My Dad’s Birthday Every year we celebrate my Dad’s birthday by going to Westport Lake. We would go there as a family when I was younger and enjoy a KFC by the lake. It was so lovely to take Evan here and I can’t wait to carry the tradition on and let him enjoy his first KFC this time next year! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/2d8fcaa3-15c3-4c66-98d5-b6b8857c883d/7.jpg Blog - Slice Of My Life - July Getting Out And About I really underestimated how hard it would be to be comfortable getting out and about with Evan. I didn’t think I would have any issues, and imagined myself pushing the buggy around shopping, spending my maternity leave going for walks and cafe dates. But the reality couldn’t be further from the truth. Going out of the house has become such a huge ordeal and instils so much fear and anxiety in me. I manage our weekly food shop and the odd trip to Costa, but I have now got to the point where I would much rather avoid going out on my own with him and stay at home instead. Im sure these fears will ease soon, but for now we have become two little hermit crabs who sit and watch Bluey and YouTube all day. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/05b76ea0-c009-4b34-af40-f87cb8717310/8.jpg Blog - Slice Of My Life - July I am so happy that me and my friend Laura managed to get tickets for Taylor next year. (thank you Laura for getting the tickets!) I have already started planning my outfits on Pinterest and kind of wish I was going 4/5 times with the amount of outfits I have been planning. I can’t wait for a girls weekend to Edinburgh, even if I have got to wait until June 2024. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/56af3075-9536-4be1-b89f-9989b3cf111b/9.jpg Blog - Slice Of My Life - July Finding Joy In The Little Things Evan is bringing so much joy into my life, just with the most simple things like smiling and laughing. Life has completely changed pace and I am trying to learn to find joy in the simple day to day things. It’s been hard to adjust to my days being filled with pretty transactional repetitive things, but finding joy in the little moments has really helped me keep a positive mindset throughout the day. There are no words to describe how happy it makes me when Evan smiles at me from across the room, or after he wakes up from a nap. I can’t wait for him to start talking, but at the same time want to stay in this baby bubble forever <3 https://www.simplyabbie.com/blog/sliceofmylife-jun23 monthly 0.5 2023-07-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/c29642ae-dbef-4e88-940c-3cf0fdffde75/1.jpg Blog - Slice Of My Life - June Our first month with Evan, spending days with family and close friends, all who couldn’t wait to meet him and spoiled him with many gifts. Finding our feet with parenthood and embracing all the ups and downs of mum life, it’s been a month of firsts, and some of the happiest moments of my life. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/cef0c436-0c46-44ee-ae5f-551e6bef75a5/2.jpg Blog - Slice Of My Life - June Happy Birthday Max! We can’t start the June summary without starting with Max’s 1st birthday! I can’t believe he is one already. He has been such a good boy this last few weeks with the arrival of Evan. I already can see they are going to be the best of friends growing up together. He has definitely mellowed out this last week as he has been interacting with Evan more, but he is still just as silly and dosy! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/5dfafa09-43be-4dc2-842d-3d06f0d4e253/3.jpg Blog - Slice Of My Life - June Fathers Day A day which usually brings me a lot of sadness, with my dad no longer being with us, has now turned into a day of so much joy and celebration. It was so lovely to celebrate fathers day with David and treat him with lots of presents from Evan. In the afternoon we headed to Trentham Gardens and had a lovely lunch and walk around the Italian gardens. Evan got dressed up for the occasion in a fancy shirt and trouser set, I can’t believe how old he looked this day! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/bf51c9a5-b71b-48ea-9130-5fc51f4f96ff/4.jpg Blog - Slice Of My Life - June Tea for Two I love pottery, museums and afternoon tea, so why I haven’t been to the Wedgwood afternoon tea before now I’ll never know! The selection of cakes and tea was amazing, I especially loved the blue macaron. I loved the floral decor and bold prints, and it gave me lots of home inspiration for if we ever moved. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/b88a14f8-6794-4e0f-a944-4461b0bb8f29/5.jpg Blog - Slice Of My Life - June Team Day Out Before Evan arrived, I knew my team from work would be getting together for a day out in June. I set myself this day as a goal. A goal to go out the house without Evan, a goal to get all dressed up, to push myself in a way to get back to doing something which I enjoy. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/de937be4-36e8-4370-9f0e-5f8ad3be7329/6.jpg Blog - Slice Of My Life - June Now dong get me wrong, I checked my phone a million times for updates from David and after a few hours I really missed Evan, but it did me so much good going to Manchester for the day. I of course had to stop for bubble tea and even persuaded my colleague to try his first! I won’t be in any huge rush to have a day away from Evan any time soon, as I did find it really hard. But I am glad I set myself this challenge and did something that ‘old abbie’ wouldn’t have thought twice about doing. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/82a41dcb-8cc9-42ea-86ca-f8f763de9f21/7.jpg Blog - Slice Of My Life - June Sunday Routine I have tried to start implementing some weekly routines and places to go. Just to make sure I’m getting out the house and have things to look forward to each week. Sundays have become a day for getting outdoors (and having ice cream for breakfast!) Also spending time with max whether that be a long walk or going to his social classes. There have been some weeks I have managed to get out the house all dressed up in a nice outfit, and others where I have left the house with my top on inside out (whoops) but I have managed to keep myself accountable to getting out the house each week. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/5244538d-3cb1-4534-8099-53df684a7934/8.jpg Blog - Slice Of My Life - June Finally after taking many many photos of everyone with Evan, me and David got a family photo. I am so proud of my little family and sometimes have to pinch myself to believe how lucky I am that all these dreams have come true for myself. I am looking forward to July (as lovely as it has been to see friends and family) but I think July things will settle down and we can really embrace our new family bubble. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/951b7968-ee62-49aa-a893-6ff466102f45/9.jpg Blog - Slice Of My Life - June Evan Explores! Okay exploring may be a dramatic word, but Evan has been going to some of our most visited places. Not very exciting heading to Starbucks and Sainsbury’s, but as I mentioned before it’s been really good for us to set goals of places to go with him. I was so worried about going food shopping with Evan, what if he needed changing? screamed the whole time? Got hungry! All of these things seem silly to have worried about now, but at the time the task of going food shopping seemed like a monumental task. Safe to say we are now in a good routine and these things don’t phase me anymore. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/08298451-b09c-4c8a-8e48-e808565bb4a4/10.jpg Blog - Slice Of My Life - June Our Bubble Towards the end of June it was nice for things to slow down with the volume of visitors and finally have time to ourselves and embrace the newborn bubble. We spent a week relaxing, spending most of our time lazing on the sofa and looking after Evan. David also got into cooking and made som lovely dishes, including a sweet potato curry for me. It was nice to have some quality time together before David starts his new job role and finishes his paternity leave. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/dc1bb5a1-0c27-4038-a7db-9a4f40191fd6/11.jpg Blog - Slice Of My Life - June Looking Forward June also came with its challenges, mum life comes with so many amazing moments but also it has its hard times. Times when I really doubted myself, got hung up on ‘what ifs’ and felt like I had no idea what to do or who to turn to. I know these challenges will continue, probably for the whole of my life now I’m a mum! But I have been working really hard using the techniques I have from the last 9 months of therapy. I am happy to say I have now been discharged from my anti-natal therapy and I feel really positive and calm about my future being Evan’s mum. I am so proud to have come out of this journey the other side and have the confidence that I can now be the best mum that Evan deserves <3. https://www.simplyabbie.com/blog/sliceofmylife-may23 monthly 0.5 2025-06-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/ce5ee68a-2436-4c9f-8958-f05d3b99a84a/Slice+of+life+graphics+.jpg Blog - Slice Of My Life - May - Welcome to the world, Evan Timothy Latham There are no words to describe how perfect this month has been, with the arrival of our beautiful baby boy Evan. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/39fd730b-3ff3-49cb-b0c4-bdac4e85d5e1/2.jpg Blog - Slice Of My Life - May Early Labour I loved using all our hypnobirthing techniques during early labour. The birthing suite at the hospital was so zen and I loved spending the first few hours focusing on my breathing and relaxation techniques. We ate biscuits, watched the office and I even had time for a bath! Once we moved into the delivery suite, things got a bit more medical and I found it hard to ground myself back into this calm state, but I am glad we have these early memories of labour to look back on fondly. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/8227bc22-1032-4854-bed1-0d0f577721af/3.jpg Blog - Slice Of My Life - May Hello Evan! After a bit of a journey, Evan made his appearance into the world. This was the hardest thing I have ever had to do, I have never felt so scared, vulnerable and an utter lack of self belief. I lost track of time completely and the whole thing just feels like it was one traumatic blur. Even when he was here those first few moments I was in sheer panic and didn’t know what was going on. But within minutes, Evan was back in my arms and this photograph sums up this moment perfectly. When nothing else mattered and the chaos of labour had come to an end. I looked into his little eyes and knew it all had been worth while. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/1686230926664-QJW2X39MTPG3C5U769ZY/6.jpg Blog - Slice Of My Life - May https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/1686230938333-R87PLH0QCE29OV3NZRMN/7.jpg Blog - Slice Of My Life - May https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/16718637-e6ed-4a75-93e9-09f6b097d8db/4.jpg Blog - Slice Of My Life - May David becomes a daddy! I can’t thank David enough for his support during labour and the times following. From cup feeding Evan to swaddling, we have both been on a journey learning together. I love the lower photo of Evan looking into his eyes, it makes me get emotional every time I look at it. I have loved watching him become an amazing dad to Evan and I can’t wait to watch us grow together as we navigate parenthood. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/31b25657-39b6-4bdd-b05a-e4f69555e194/8.jpg Blog - Slice Of My Life - May Waiting to go home The waiting to return home felt like an eternity, I just wanted to get my little family home and have a cup of tea. I wanted to breastfeed and express however, Evan is a little lazy so we had to focus on expressing instead. The hospital allow you 24 hours to ‘try’ before they will then loan you a machine to express (I kind of wish they would have just let me express from the get go though). I was so proud when my milk came in and it meant that I was able to feed Evan and get him all the goodness he needs. Before we knew it, we had spent two days in the hospital and it was nearly time to go home. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/1686230849952-YV4ESZK10GATXEMF9IV0/5.jpg Blog - Slice Of My Life - May https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/1686230850227-LFRQO4L8Y6EA6AWSP133/9.jpg Blog - Slice Of My Life - May https://www.simplyabbie.com/blog/the-third-trimester monthly 0.5 2025-06-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/c8b92475-24b5-4da8-9c8b-f895a93c72eb/Screenshot+2023-05-21+at+14.21.11.png Blog - The Third Trimester - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/1b16aeb7-4a6d-47be-ac3e-f2158b66137b/Screenshot+2023-05-21+at+14.24.34.png Blog - The Third Trimester - Negative Thoughts I did however have some moments when negative thoughts came into my head during this time. One of the themes/worries from my therapy sessions was that I had a fear that medical staff would prioritise the baby’s heath over mine. That I would just be seen as a ‘carrier’ and that I would lose my self worth and identity during pregnancy and birth. I had been working on these thoughts a lot over the first and second trimester and most of them had subsided. However once I posted on my IG story about what had been happening, some responses brought all these feelings back. The common reply of ‘oh well at least the baby is fine’ .. ‘I’m glad the baby is okay though’ just brought up all these previous feelings. I felt like just because the baby was fine that my health didn’t matter, that I should be grateful that the baby was fine even though I was having really worrying symptoms. I worked through these during therapy after I left hospital, and I know no malice was intended with these messages. I thought it was just something to bring up as I’m sure I am not the only one who has felt this way during pregnancy. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/7cc1255e-a7f3-4194-b361-0270d6f12790/2.png Blog - The Third Trimester - The Baby Shower I spoke a bit a bout my baby shower in my slice of life post from April, and this was a huge emotional step for me in my pregnancy journey. I have spoke somewhat about my antenatal therapy in my older posts and if I feel ready I may make a dedicated post about this, but the baby shower was one of the huge hurdles I wanted to overcome. As much as I had a lovely time and was proud of myself for going ahead with it, I still felt a huge relief once it was over and done with. I was so burnt out by the time the shower was over after months and months of people pleasing and saying yes to everything. I was so happy to just get home and plan to hermit until Baby L is here. It felt like a huge weight had been lifted and I have never been so happy to see my calendar pretty much empty for the remainder of the year. To put it in perspective, last year I had less that 5 Saturdays ‘free’ where I did nothing. No wonder I was burnt out! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/7e5b7202-9610-4654-9758-45a18989fedf/2.jpg Blog - The Third Trimester - Reflecting on the last 3 months I have also suffered with a few general third trimester symptoms. Hip and back pain most notably. We also went for additional growth scans but this is pretty normal when I had been speaking to people on the Peanut app at a similar stage to me. I feel like the hardest part of pregnancy has been the emotional journey I have been on. The physical side of things hasn’t phased me too much, but the toll on my mental health has been a heavy one. I finished my therapy sessions a few weeks ago and put together my birth plan. I also got the chance to do an emotional birth plan explaining my fears and phobias. I highly recommend anyone in a similar position to me to set one of these up. It explains any triggers, coping mechanisms and also signs they can look out for if I may have a panic attack. https://www.simplyabbie.com/blog/sliceofmylife-apr23 monthly 0.5 2023-06-08 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/1ec5da2b-41d4-4c9c-81e1-fb1dbb92793b/1.png Blog - Slice Of My Life - April - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/d88a71f1-1861-4331-9080-5cfab1b86e2c/2-2.png Blog - Slice Of My Life - April Baby Shower I started the month with my baby shower, a lovely Sunday afternoon with my closest friends and family. If you had told me at the start of my pregnancy journey that I would have been having a baby shower I would have freaked out, the thought of the reveal, the gender reveal and the baby shower just made me want to hermit more and more. However, during my therapy sessions I came round to the idea more, but I wanted to make sure that the celebrations were on my terms. I may go into more detail about my therapy journey on a later post, but one of the common themes that came up was boundaries and peoples expectations of me. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/c8b92475-24b5-4da8-9c8b-f895a93c72eb/Screenshot+2023-05-21+at+14.21.11.png Blog - Slice Of My Life - April I am so glad I put boundaries in place for my baby shower, I wanted something small, informal and not lasting hours and hours. I also didn’t want to feel overwhelmed with too many people. In the end my baby shower was perfect and I wouldn’t have changed any of it. I got to see those closest to me, do a few nice games and of course have some yummy food at Wild and Wild. I then set the expectation that I was going to now spend time at home, resting and preparing for the baby’s arrival and will probably not see anyone until he is here. This was super hard for me top voice and say our loud, as I am a people pleaser and would always cram my schedule full in order to see people. But this had to change. To be honest it would have no choice but to change with me soon having a baby to look after. I know I have even more of a journey to come over the next few weeks as my therapy comes to a close, and as my emotions change during the last trimester, but I am hopeful I can keep looking after myself and set clear boundaries. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/5a4e18c6-e11c-4673-87e9-29c7509cd6b6/4.png Blog - Slice Of My Life - April Rest and Recharge And on that note, relaxing and preparing for Baby L is exactly what I have done throughout April. I think I went for one meal and one coffee date throughout the whole month. It was bliss I’ll be honest. I am now aware of how well and truly burnt out I was, and the importance now of looking after my own mental health and wellbeing before I try to ‘please others’. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/629dd208-9bd0-4fd7-8f99-8aaf883575a1/5.png Blog - Slice Of My Life - April Starting work on the nursery We also prepared the nursery, I love the way that its coming together and can’t wait to add the finishing touches. I have spent so much time in there, folding clothes, organising boxes and decorating shelves. It feels very surreal when I stand in there and think soon Baby L will be here with me. https://www.simplyabbie.com/blog/sliceofmylife-mar23 monthly 0.5 2023-05-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/7d0c075e-c7fc-4129-9d61-a138ccce7a68/1.jpg Blog - Slice Of My Life - March - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/6d07175a-0c48-44a0-b9c5-63d5093385d7/9.jpg Blog - Slice Of My Life - March Visiting London and Meeting Paris I have to start this post with the amazing high! Meeting Paris Hilton again. Me and Heidi headed to London and spent the morning exploring covent garden, drinking Starbucks and watching Paris on all her press interviews that morning. We then went to Selfridges and met up with some of the other Little Hiltons, some of which had traveled from all over Europe to meet her. We got front row at the meet and greet and were one of the first few people to see her. It was amazing and we chatted about motherhood, partners and how excited I was for this next chapter of my life. She wrote me a card for when Baby L gets here and also gifted me some perfume. I don’t know how I lasted all day on my feet whilst being in the 3rd trimester. Safe to say my feet were very swollen on the way home! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/1684679859851-ZSANW7B0Q6FCZV2F120Z/10-2.jpg Blog - Slice Of My Life - March https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/1684679860445-EL9M1MRRD8CKSVZKHQEX/2.jpg Blog - Slice Of My Life - March https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/1b16aeb7-4a6d-47be-ac3e-f2158b66137b/Screenshot+2023-05-21+at+14.24.34.png Blog - Slice Of My Life - March Hospital Stay Rewind a few days before London and I was still in hospital. I will go into detail about this in my upcoming 2nd and 3rd trimester blog posts, but I had some issues with my heart and had to stay in hospital for around 4 days for lots of testing. It was a huge challenge for me as I have a massive phobia of hospitals / tests and such. A bit of background I have been going to therapy to help with these situations and I was so happy that the things I had learnt were able to help me during this hospital stay. The only times I really struggled was during the large MRI / CT scan and then later in the evening when Dave was no longer allowed to stay with me. I of course found leaving the pets a huge challenge too and missed my home comforts. I still am awaiting the full test results as I write this and fingers crossed they all come back clear! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/1684679952986-UOTL2EJNDZJ8TDMP5LZ5/6.jpg Blog - Slice Of My Life - March https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/1684679953895-T45KTDU9N4M9YQH3JIES/7.jpg Blog - Slice Of My Life - March https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/59714669-47d4-4959-bdd9-179cbd04dba2/4.jpg Blog - Slice Of My Life - March Socialising March was also a really nice month to be a bit more social. I mentioned in my last blog post that I was trying to get out the house around twice a week, and I managed to keep this up (till I went in hospital that was) I have found it hard dressing and getting self confidence with my changing body. Now I am clearly pregnant I actually feel more paranoid than before, when my bump could have been confused with a bloated belly. I have been pushed out of my comfort zone a lot this month and I am kind of looking forward to permitting in April once my baby shower is over. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/cdaee371-e78a-4c28-8ce9-b4f6eea3a706/3.jpg Blog - Slice Of My Life - March Getting Creative Again I finally set some time aside this month to do some arts and crafts this month. I purposely set time in my calendar, two hours on a Wednesday and a Friday to set myself up in the spare room and paint. I made sure I was accountable to this time and almost made it non negotiable. I am hoping to carry on this once Baby L is here, the whole setting time in my calendar where I can keep myself accountable to spending time on my own hobbies and interests. I think its hard as my hobbies don’t take me out of the house, its easy to just push them to the side and do some cleaning or ‘more important’ jobs instead. https://www.simplyabbie.com/blog/sliceofmylife-feb-23 monthly 0.5 2023-05-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/7614e3f8-eb19-4a7d-974b-794f379b4008/9307BBD2-0621-4707-A449-61FAFB2ED69D-2.jpeg Blog - Slice Of My Life - February - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/721ac836-5459-447e-a05c-6e2cc56e64cd/10346C31-C083-4CB9-899A-846081BC591A.jpeg Blog - Slice Of My Life - February Day out to Manchester I loved heading out to Manchester with my sister, we had a lovely day pottering about (I say pottering, I am at the waddling stage now!) I also feel like I am a pro at knowing where all the toilets and benches are in Manchester now after having to stop every 30 minutes. I don't know how my sister was so patient with me We did some shopping in the morning and I treated myself to some new Charlotte Tilbury make-up. We then of course had to stop for sushi (vegan don't worry!) and then bubble tea. It really helped me getting out the house all day and also not checking my phone and being a bit more present in the moment. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/13485db6-786f-4e9a-9414-5ca52bf60d35/982AE197-5FAD-46D6-A44D-10B40D5DC38D.jpeg Blog - Slice Of My Life - February Planning to meet Paris! This month we got the great news that Paris is doing a book signing in London! I have booked the day off and am planning to head down the night before. I am so excited having not seen her for around 5 years now. Baby L's first celebrity encounter! I am now patiently waiting for the tickets to go live, along with the other Little Hiltons. I dont think ive ever refreshed a webpage so much as the Selfridges events page. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/c8cabc67-6c96-43e1-8136-851a09e342d2/828CB648-FA81-41AD-A30F-FEA296CE798B.jpeg Blog - Slice Of My Life - February Pancake Day I think this year I really out did myself with the volume of pancakes I ate. Me and Dave made a huge batch for lunch, then in the evening I went to my friend Holly's house and we had more there. I do have to say (sorry Dave) that hers were amazing! She also made a board with all sorts of toppings and sauces. Safe to say I pretty much ate all the strawberries, the fruit pregnancy cravings are still in full force! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/bbac6b1b-04f9-4ba6-af7c-9afe6c596e81/850E6943-8D7F-4AEB-81E6-6E0BE7D14C44.jpeg Blog - Slice Of My Life - February Valentines Day I love celebrating Valentines day, but this year I felt a little low about the whole thing. Being so tired, in pain with my hip and overall feeling very very pregnant, I felt like I couldn't plan or prepare as much as I usually do. But I need to learn to be a bit kinder with myself and realise, okay Abbie you are growing a human being. We did however go out for a lovely meal that Dave arranged which was super tasty. He also brought me a hamper filled with my favourite sweets, drinks and some bath bombs. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/f78459cf-906e-4c1a-9c29-34108589e1aa/8CEA30FE-EBB1-4724-AEAB-FC9373A5DD8F.jpeg Blog - Slice Of My Life - February Getting Outdoors Sundays are fast becoming my favourite day of the week. We go for a nice walk around Trentham Gardens for an hour with Max. I then come home and make some kind of warm pastry and enjoy a cup of tea with my mum. We then head over to the dog park to take max to his socialisation class. I then come home, have a nice shower and hop into my pj's and spend the remainder of the day on the sofa. Getting outdoors has really helped me and as soon as my sprained ankle heals I plan to go for a walk once a day even if it’s just 15 minutes around the block. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/76437886-20c1-4ef2-95bf-951f600744dc/5507EF5F-F6BA-4505-8AE4-DD395A7AEF63.jpeg Blog - Slice Of My Life - February Growing something other than a baby One of my plans for this year was to get in the garden more. I loved planting flowers the first year we moved into the house, but then with everything going on things kind of got left and before you know it the fairy garden looked more like a grassy swamp. I brought some trays and a mini greenhouse from Amazon and started planting a variety of flowers. I can't wait to see them sprouting in a few weeks. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/e4008f51-91f0-4bf4-a25c-dcfbd89d9fda/E60B672C-B717-4B06-BB48-1D8B8F431624.jpeg Blog - Slice Of My Life - February Baby Phoenix Paris announced that she has had a lovely baby boy called Phoenix. I am super happy for her and so excited that we are both becoming mothers in the same year. I can't wait to hear all about him when we go to the meet and greet next month. I am also now on a mission to persuade Dave to name our baby Phoenix however, I think he may need a bit of convincing. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/d8190441-48f6-4f1e-9cb0-130ecd993123/DBE72021-5A3F-4976-9625-C7CE71B4B96D.jpeg Blog - Slice Of My Life - February Daves Birthday We had such a lovely chilled day of work to celebrate Dave's birthday. We went out to Congleton for the day with Max and went to one of our favourite spots, Wild and Wild. We then came home and Dave watched a film whilst I attempted to play Dreamlight valley, but it resulted in a two hour long nap. It was a much more low key birthday than we usually do, but also crazy to think this is his last birthday as just the two of us. https://www.simplyabbie.com/blog/the-third-trimester-wbrtz monthly 0.5 2025-06-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/5d86bf0c-23e4-4f85-b917-f2ca965dab17/2-3.png Blog - The First Trimester - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/54d5665d-95b5-4eae-8996-17400f5661f0/4-2.png Blog - The First Trimester All the emotions The hardest part of this first trimester was all the emotions and dealing with those ‘in secret’. Before we felt comfortable to tell friends and family I only had myself to really talk to, and we all know how bad that can be for our mental health. I could write a whole post just about the first month’s emotions let alone the whole first trimester, but in short I found these first few months very challenging. The best thing I did was talk about these feelings with my midwife and therapist. Taking to others made me realise I was not alone in how I was feeling and it was in fact completely normal. It also helped me acknowledge these feelings and be honest with myself about what was going round in my head. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/5d86bf0c-23e4-4f85-b917-f2ca965dab17/2-3.png Blog - The First Trimester Feeling Alone One thing which emotionally got to me the most, was dealing with all the above and still being before the ‘right time’ to tell others, as we wanted to wait for the first scan before we told friends and family. Those first weeks was the most lonely I had ever felt, especially feeling so physically unwell too and trying to hide it. It would have been much easier looking back to have told maybe one or two people sooner so I had someone to discuss my feelings and ailments with. As soon as we were able to be open with others it made the whole process so much easier. I also downloaded an app called Peanut. (disclaimer, you do have to take some of these posts with a pinch of salt) But overall it was a really good space to meet people. The first time I messaged someone on there and they replied saying they felt exactly the same I was so reassured. Sometimes all it takes is one message from someone to say ‘I feel like this too’ to make you much more settled and feel less alone. No matter how many times google told me this was normal, to have an actual human being saying that they felt the same made all the difference. It was nice to also start talking on the forums about upcoming appointments and anxieties that would come with these. I could prepare myself for the tests and questions that would be asked. I also used the NHS and Pampers websites to look at the upcoming symptoms for the coming weeks to know what I might be feeling. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/13ce812d-6acf-42e4-a7a7-d9103016dac1/6.png Blog - The First Trimester Sickness And then came the physical symptoms; nosebleeds, sickness, nausea, dizzy spells, constant thirst, lack of appetite to name a few. From around week 7 found the nausea the hardest to deal with. I really struggled with smells, for example coming downstairs to the kitchen in the morning if we had been cooking a strong meal the night before. I could barely eat breakfast and all I wanted to eat all day was ice lollies and strawberries. I never actually was sick, but sometimes I wish I could be as I felt it would have given me some kind of release. Certain clothes made me feel more sick, textures, noises. I became so hyper sensitive to everything and once I started heaving there was no stopping me! To the point where my eyes were watering and I would get such bad muscle ache. This has slowly subsided now into the second trimester, however I still struggle eating breakfast and evening meals I have no appetite for. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/0398d40d-a817-41d1-be76-1d03c278c6f2/img_1127.png Blog - The First Trimester The Joy Of Telling Others Hoorah! As soon as the first scan was done, it really did feel like it had all been worthwhile. It really made everything have purpose and that despite my constant heaving and crying I had managed to make a safe home for Baby L. They were there on the screen, growing and perfectly happy. I did expect a rush of positive ‘over the top’ excited emotion at this first scan however, the main feeling I had was relief and peace. I felt so calm looking at the screen and a weight was lifted off my shoulders. I felt like I had done a great job so far and started to feel excited for the coming months. https://www.simplyabbie.com/blog/sliceofmylife-jan23 monthly 0.5 2023-05-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/efc95f9f-66f3-4ae0-9461-cbb20d9e620f/img_1131.png Blog - Slice Of My Life - January - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/2daff599-a908-4290-8968-01c3b50c4c6e/img_1130.png Blog - Slice Of My Life - January Gender Reveal The best part of January had to be the gender reveal for our baby due in May. We didn't want a huge party celebration with canons and all sorts, we wanted something a bit more intimate where we could see each persons reaction individually. We brought coloured cupcakes from Liberty and then had people come around to have their surprise 1 by 1. I’m so glad we did it this way as we got to have a really nice moment with each family or friend and take in their reaction and talk about it afterwards. Me and Dave had already found out the gender on Christmas eve, so it was nice that we could get so excited to finally tell people! I think this will really help bond with the baby and get me feeling more excited now I can refer to 'him' rather than 'it'. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/0b4cc55d-0108-4ba3-8bd3-eeeb67413654/img_1127.png Blog - Slice Of My Life - January Baby Boy! We are so excited to announce that Baby L will be a boy! Dave has already started eyeing up football kits, and I’ve been reluctantly now start looking at blue and green wallpaper samples. Slowly saying goodbye to my dressing room and hello to a nursery. Our family and friends are all over the moon with the news and excited for the first grandson. Head over to my IG to see the full reveal video. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/61e5c4e2-a355-4e8a-b8f8-00d0b0a51721/img_1125.png Blog - Slice Of My Life - January My Little Bubble I loved spending the weekend with my little close bubble. As I mentioned before I was taking this month to really focus on myself and my own mental health, so I knew a small gathering would be what I needed. After how overwhelming the end of last year has been it was nice to slowly get back into being social again and as exhausting as it was, it was nice to feel a bit more 'normal' again. I’m still just taking one day at a time but I feel much more happy being around people now and making plans for the remainder of the year. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/bad19427-f183-4648-a9b5-f56d74ed231d/img_1126.png Blog - Slice Of My Life - January Goodbye Money! And so the baby shopping begins! We headed to mama and papas and I got my dream pram. I can't believe how many buttons and levers there are. I'm sure me and Dave are going to end up getting something wrong at some point! I’m so excited for the pram to arrive in April, and looking forward to having extra storage when walking out and about. We have also started stocking up on reusable nappies, something which I am really excited to try. All I can say is thank god for PayPal credit! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/599ba916-0936-4e18-87c4-cd95c08932d4/img_1132-1.png Blog - Slice Of My Life - January Maisie and the bump I have loved seeing Maisie bond with the bump, it’s true they definitely sense something is going on! She loves snuggling up to me and when the baby kicked last week she even felt it! I hope this bond continues when he arrives I secretly think she is glad she's going to remain the princess of the house. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/a226242c-7c16-4898-86e9-9a2c91c04706/img_1129.png Blog - Slice Of My Life - January Max is growing .. I can’t believe Max is now 7 months old! Where has time gone? He is doing so well with his socialisation classes and has made so many friends, even if he is more interested in the humans than the dogs. His classes are my favourite part of the week (mainly because he sleeps for about 4 hours afterwards). We are slowly getting into a nice daily routine, and fingers crossed his energy levels will mellow out once Baby L is here. At the moment I still have to have my eyes everywhere when he is awake. Our friends however have said if you can manage with a puppy you will be fine with a baby, so fingers crossed. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/8eaf26d6-7ee5-4583-a6af-09ca7f6ff775/img_1133.png Blog - Slice Of My Life - January Taking it easy One thing I wanted to focus on this year was boundaries, mostly with my ‘free’ time. Just because my calendar is free doesn’t mean it’s someone else’s for the taking. Just because my phone is there doesn't mean I have to instantly give it my full attention. Last year I spend endless weekends crammed full, constantly reachable on my phone and I was in a constant loop of overwhelm, burnout and then trying to rest. Something which really needs to change this year! There were some months where I didn't have a single day without plans, and pretty much every Saturday in the year was accounted for and 'booked up'. I'm sure when Baby L is here it will help make it easier to be more present and spend more time at home with our feeling guilty. As I still end up having those guilty moments where I feel I should be giving up all my time to others. I have started implementing a 'no plan Saturday' every other weekend. So far it has really helped as I don't remember the last time I had a Saturday free to just do whatever I felt like in the moment. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6469db931bef743846f83e5c/2f189cbb-2ff8-4e72-a97e-697bcd1a2753/img_1128.png Blog - Slice Of My Life - January We made it through January! It always feels like the longest month in the world, but we made it. I really feel like things are getting back on track and I’m so glad I’ve taken January to rest, reflect and focus on myself. 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