We all have s*** days, that's life right, but sometimes those tough days can feel relentless, and they can often morph into s*** months or even years. A lot of last year for my family and I was utter pants. Not professionally, but personally.
I know it's Valentine's Day but romantic love isn't what I'm focusing on here (although I madly deeply love my husband *go check my Vestaire Collective wishlist Peter (inserts blowing kisses emojis).
Over the last few weeks, several women have asked me what it's like to have kids- and I feel I have a duty to them- and to you guys- to be honest that while raising kids can be blooming life-affirming and wondrous, it can also be incredibly tough: mentally and physically.
Saturday saw us head out in the sunshine for a glorious day at the most tranquil and captivating of Georgian mansions: Beningbrough Hall in York.
It was the day before spring had officially sprung but the gardens told us otherwise.
This year, it must be stated, we've had the most incredible fun decorating our Christmas tree (below).
Past years have seen me decorate our tree solo, or when little helpers have intervened, a few Christmas tree related disasters have followed: smashed baubles, twisted branches, tears over faulty twinkling lights and tantrums over tinsel I ended up binning (who likes tinsel over the age of 5 anyway?!)
This summer has been glorious- a slower way of life for us all, al fresco dining when the weather allowed, a week in Spain, good times in the garden growing our own produce (hello runner beans and strawberries galore), inventing games, painting (in the garage with newspaper on the floor of course-I've not gone totally insane)...just being happy, b
I know the advice is to use anti-wrinkle cream from the end of your 20's but I'm a bit of a later starter and have only started recently, at the grand old (not really old) age of 34.
On the same day that the nation celebrates one special birth, Pampers partners with award winning director to celebrate #everybaby.
Pampers know that every beautiful baby is a prince of princess to their parents, and with 2,000 babies born every day in the UK, each deserve the same joyous celebrations to mark their birthday!
I can't believe today is mine and my husband, Peter's 10 year wedding anniversary. A whole decade. Wow!
This weekend saw us ensure 'passportgate' never happens again with a trip to very lush Liverpool, one of our favourite cities in the UK, to submit and order Oliver's new passport (yay)!
Gloriously sunny for the most part it was ice creams at the docks and some shopping in my favourite city of style, with new jeans and shirts for Peter, Topshop frocks for I and some toys for the boys...
As you get older and perhaps a little wiser (or in my Dad's case, sillier, much, much sillier-it can go both ways) you start to realise what really matters in life.
I think having kids can do that to you, that whirlwind of new love for the kid you made merged with the mammoth overwhelming weight of responsibility (no more spontaneity in life is pretty sobering) and puts everything that came before, and after it, into sharp perspective.
You don't need to have a kid for this I should add. Yay for being wiser without having to actually use your cervix! Life experience, travel, pets, nurturing plants, charity work, whatever it is that takes you out of yourself, can be enlightening,
It got me thinking about all the tiny touching moments that make up the bigger picture, the intricately woven happy-making little things I reflect on right before I go to sleep or if I'm away from my kids, missing them madly, or my zone out to more joyous times when I find the children fighting over toys/films/my affection and I need a happy place pronto.
My most favourite opera of all and the very first my mother saw in her teens, made for an extra special evening at The Grand in Leeds for Opera North's epic operatic and most tragic love story, La traviata.
So those who follow me here and on FB know that Alexander, 2 and 4 months, trialled nursery last September after his 2nd birthday and HATED it.
On Saturday, my eldest son, my floppy haired, bright eyed Oliver turned 5. I actually can't believe I'm typing this out-5, it sounds so, well grown up.
The family got together for a little New Year's Eve shindig at our house this year which was just so relaxed and warm, and well, overflowing with laughter and love.
A mush-ball of a sentence I know, but so flipping true.
So this morning we took the cute pictures of my toddler Alexander, just 2, in his nursery uniform, the same nursery that his older brother Oliver attended (and pre-school) and loved dearly- and we all smiled sweetly as my nerves were building...another day, another huge milestone for us all (after Oliver started school only last week)!
I mentioned on Facebook recently how mesmerized my son, Oliver, aged 4 1/2 was by the movie of the moment, the modern ET, Earth to Echo. I've never seen a film, any film effect him as much as this one.