Who knows if you have even noticed that I somewhat disappeared from the blogging world. No updates on the blog. Only baby spam on instagram for me for the past six months. No regrets.
Nothing prepares you for motherhood and one of the reasons I took some time away was because of this. The time I put into writing and sharing things, was now time I needed to put into sterilising bottles, changing nappies and soothing an upset baby. It's precious time that goes far too quick for my liking. Time I knew I wouldn't get back. I often wonder where the heck the past nine months have gone, but I do know that I have soaked up as much of the time with my son as possible.
To me, it is a weird and wonderful thing that nine months of waiting for a baby to grow and pop out into the world is the longest wait, ever. It was literally like waiting for Christmas, except it felt like I was waiting three years. Now, I have a beautiful nine month old and the time has just gone. Gone just like that.
The return to work is looming above my head like a dark cloud full of rain. I decided to take a year off work and cannot believe time is nearly up. I will be back commuting two hours each way and running between meetings. I know some new mothers look forward to returning to work as they cannot bear staying at home full time with a baby. However, I have enjoyed nothing more.
Woody is doing brilliantly and I couldn't wish for a better baby to be mine. He has just turned nine months old, is trying to crawl and he said his first word last week. I couldn't be more ecstatic to report back that his first word was 'mumma'. An almost-kinda-reward for keeping him alive and safe for the last nine months. I am very happy with that.
I can't help but feel a little bad that I have neglected my blog for over six months, but I hope you understand why. I have updated my blog consistently for the past nine years and this is the first real break I have ever taken. It's becoming a little easier to log in now that Woody is more independent. He's having his morning nap in the cot right now, which gives me around an hours' 'me time'.
I won't promise that I'll be updating as much as I did before, but I am going to try and not leave it another six months! I have so much to share with you. Things we have done as a family, things I want to share as a new mother and really, just things that I quite like that have nothing to do with babies or motherhood. I often forget that I like things like lipsticks, cheese burgers and cameras.
Six months later, eh. Hello from me. And goodbye for now.
Ashleigh x
Disclaimer: Collaborative post. Stock images are from Pixabay.
But planning a party doesn’t need to be stressful. After all, the most important thing is that you and your guests have fun! There are plenty of ways to reduce sweat and tears while party planning, and using the best event planning apps can help to keep you focused and organised. So, whether it’s a birthday, baby shower or engagement party, check out the following tips for planning a successful party.
Theme
All good parties have a theme. It gives your guests an idea of the kind of party they’re attending, and advises them on how to prepare. Plus, themes add an extra layer of fun and excitement. There are so many whacky and eccentric themes you could choose from these days and, if you’re stuck for inspiration, it helps to consider the person you’re throwing the party for. What are their passions? A theme that connects with the person is normally the best way to go. Just don’t pick anything too out there, or guests might struggle to find an outfit and this could put them off attending.
Guestlist
One of the most difficult things when planning a party is organising the guest list. You might feel worried about inviting too many people, not enough or leaving people out and causing friction within friendship groups. The key with a guest list is to set a clear goal about the size of the party. Is it going to be small and intimate, or a grand-scale event in a large venue? Depending on this, you might have to be selective, or open the guest list out. Generally, considering who gets along well and will make the party fun is a great way to start. Sometimes, you have to appreciate that you can’t please everyone. This worked when planning my baby shower. I couldn't invite everyone!
Budget
Whether you’re throwing a party reminiscent of Gatsby or an intimate garden party more suited to the likes of Mary Berry, you’ll need to establish a budget. This means setting clear guidelines for spending that you make sure you abide by. Whilst it can be easy to go off track, try to remember that you aren’t making a profit from the party, and therefore it’s important to stay within your limits. Don’t splash the cash to impress – money isn’t everything.
Help
Planning a party can feel overwhelming, especially if you’re doing it alone. So, ask for help. This doesn’t necessarily mean hiring people – unless you’re planning a big do, in which case you may need to organise catering or drinks staff. Asking for help can simply mean asking a few friends or relatives to pitch in and provide a hand laying out decorations, picking up refreshments or making a wicked playlist that gets everyone on their feet. Don’t burn yourself out trying to do everything alone. It’s important for you to enjoy yourself, too.
Disclaimer: Collaborative post. Stock image above sourced from Pixabay.
All other images are my own and may not be re-distributed.
Going back to work after having a baby can be difficult. You have had a lot of time to get used to being at home with your baby and now you have to leave your child with someone else. But it may also feel good to get back to a sense of normality and have some independence again. One of your concerns might be if you want to continue to feed your baby breastmilk, then how will you do it? Luckily, it is still possible!
Your place of work is required to make reasonable adjustments for you. This was highlighted by the class action lawsuit filed against Avon by mothers who felt that they were being discriminated against. Their argument was they were not given proper support for exercising their rights to time away from the desk to breast pump whilst at work. If you are having any issues with your place of work you should search: class action lawsuit attorney near me.
When you go back to work, you can continue breastfeeding as you normally would. However, the nature of your nursing relationship may have to change. As big changes happen you may feel that continuing to breastfeed is important for both you and your baby. It is a fantastic way to connect with your baby and is good for their health.
Breast milk has countless benefits for your baby during the first six months of their life. It is packed with antibodies and the chemical makeup of it changes if your child becomes sick, as well as when they grow. It is perfectly tailored for them. Beyond the first six months, it continues to be beneficial.
It is important to raise concerns and have conversations with your employer before you go back to work and make a plan together. You may be able to leave work to breastfeed, work from home for part of the day or finish work earlier. Speak to co-workers who have had children, get support and find out how they dealt with going back to work.
Your place of work is required to make reasonable adjustments for you. This was highlighted by the class action lawsuit filed against Avon by mothers who felt that they were being discriminated against. Their argument was they were not given proper support for exercising their rights to time away from the desk to breast pump whilst at work. If you are having any issues with your place of work you should search: class action lawsuit attorney near me.
When you go back to work, you can continue breastfeeding as you normally would. However, the nature of your nursing relationship may have to change. As big changes happen you may feel that continuing to breastfeed is important for both you and your baby. It is a fantastic way to connect with your baby and is good for their health.
Breast milk has countless benefits for your baby during the first six months of their life. It is packed with antibodies and the chemical makeup of it changes if your child becomes sick, as well as when they grow. It is perfectly tailored for them. Beyond the first six months, it continues to be beneficial.
It is important to raise concerns and have conversations with your employer before you go back to work and make a plan together. You may be able to leave work to breastfeed, work from home for part of the day or finish work earlier. Speak to co-workers who have had children, get support and find out how they dealt with going back to work.
You also have a right to have a space to breast pump whilst at work. Expressing your milk will ensure that you maintain milk production and will allow your baby to receive your breast milk when you are apart. You will need to keep it fresh in a fridge somewhere at work. If you decide not to express at work ,but want to continue to breastfeed outside of working hours, then you may need to find a way to express initially, or slowly build your hours up at work. This will prevent any discomfort or breast problems such as mastitis.
Another important factor is to have high-quality childcare from people who understand your and your babies' needs. You may even have a carer who can bring the baby into work for you when it is time to breastfeed. You are very lucky if this is the case!
In conclusion, everyone’s situation is different. Do what is right for you and your baby. Your employer needs to support you in your choices and make adjustments for you. Speak to them openly about your and your child’s needs and make proper arrangements laid out and signed for returning to work.
Another important factor is to have high-quality childcare from people who understand your and your babies' needs. You may even have a carer who can bring the baby into work for you when it is time to breastfeed. You are very lucky if this is the case!
In conclusion, everyone’s situation is different. Do what is right for you and your baby. Your employer needs to support you in your choices and make adjustments for you. Speak to them openly about your and your child’s needs and make proper arrangements laid out and signed for returning to work.
So, here I am almost 6 months later. Finally hitting the publish button once again. And wanting to really put my all into blogging again. I want to make it better than ever. Forgive me if you thought I fell off the planet though... I'm still here! Just about publishing this with an 8 month old climbing all over me.
Disclaimer: Collaborative post. Stock images sourced from Pixabay.
Everybody knows that the most important factor for a successful blog is to fill it with mind-blowing content. There are lots of things that you can do besides that to level-up your blog. By implementing the following tips and tricks, your blog should see a massive increase in traffic. I imagine you are reading this tips post because this is your number one goal.
Outsourcing
There are lots of things you can do on your own to improve the quality of your blog. If you are extremely busy or a little bit unsure about how to go about it, you can outsource some work to a freelancer. By using staffing agencies or recruiters you can find great freelancers or Virtual Assistants. These options could be an easy way to level up your blog; although not always the cheapest.
Strategy
Having a strategy is the most important thing you need to think about when considering how to grow your blog. A blog with 100 subscribers will need a completely different plan to one with 100,000, so be wary of following generic plans on the internet.
Email is one of the easiest places to start, as it is free and requires little knowledge. You can send soft emails or newsletters to your subscribers reminding them to check out a new post and to share it with their friends. You can also create cold-email campaigns, sending your blog in an email that convinces new readers to check it out.
Social is Key
Social media is another easy and mostly free way to grow your blog. Create a page for your blog and begin interacting with other pages and readers. Reach out to them and see if you can do content swaps or promote your blog on their page in exchange for writing them a free article. Don’t forget to implement as many social media profiles as you can - you would be surprised at how many there are. Using LinkedIn and Pinterest may feel unusual, but they can reach a whole new group of readers who might not have seen your blog otherwise. Remember to make it easy for them! Place your social share and follow buttons in clearly visible locations around your site.
Engagement
The more pages your readers visits, the longer they spend on each page, and the lower their bounce rate = the higher quality they are to you as a reader. High volume can be misleading, as sending lots of traffic to your blog is pointless if they are not engaged by what they see. Make sure you spend time creating engaging content, as this will not only raise engagement levels, but also help you rank higher on search engines. A good way to check what people find engaging is to stake out your competitors, find their popular posts - discover what your audience want to read.
That’s it!
Focus on the 3 factors above and you should see a massive rise in your followings. Blogs are essentially very simple. Create engaging content and promote yourself in a strong way and people will come back to your blog. It’s just a matter of education and perseverance.
Luckily, Mr Kipling have launched two new slices that have 30% less sugar in them; working out to be around 100 calories per slice. The perfect accompaniment for a cup of tea and a sit down in-between watching the baby nap for 12 minutes.
The 30% less sugar slices are available with both Angel Slice and Chocolate Slice - the best cakes in the entire Mr Kipling range in my opinion!
Most products that are re-launched as sugar free or less sugar versions can taste or look different. However, these alternative sweet treats still taste and look the same as their original ones. With an iced drizzled topping, a fluffy sponge filling and packaged in snack packs, they can be included in lunch boxes, your handbag and even left in the car for when you need that sugar hit whilst stuck in traffic.
The new additions are available from most supermarkets now and RRP is £1.75 per box. Now you can enjoy an exceedingly good guilt free cake and one that you certainly do not have to share!
The team at Mr Kipling have kindly offered one lucky follower of mine to win a small hamper of the Mr Kipling 30% less sugar slices! It shouldn't be just me who is about to devour one for breakfast!
If you would like to win, all you need to do is follow me and Mr Kipling on instagram, like the instagram post below and comment what your favourite ever cake is!
Disclaimer: In collaboration with Mr Kipling. Giveaway prize will be sent out directly from Mr Kipling HQ. Giveaway runs for 2 weeks and will end on 15th August 2019. Winner will be contacted and declared on Instagram (picked at random) and will have 48 hours to respond before another winner is chosen. No prize or cash alternative.
Woody is 7 weeks old today and is currently snoozing on his dad's chest. It's a hard life!
Motherhood has been a rollercoaster of a ride so far and nothing like I ever imagined. I often pinch myself that this little boy is mine and not just a friends' or cousins' baby. There are amazing days like Monday when Woody was as good as gold - hardly fussed, fed well and slept throughout the day. And then there are days like last week: fussy feeding, uncontrollable crying and fighting sleep all day.
However, I wouldn't change my little Woody for the world.
The first few weeks were quite easy as he liked to sleep, a lot. In fact, I often sat there watching him sleep wishing he would wake up so I could have another cuddle. However, with more mental and physical developments happening, it means Woody is now asleep a lot more during the day.
He started to smile around two weeks ago, but this week his smile and attentiveness have really developed. With his gummy and cheeky smile, Woody is now starting to gurgle back when we speak to him (obviously in that annoying parent voice that you cannot imagine you would ever develop until you have a child) and kicks his arms and legs in response.With a lot going on around him: lots of smells, colours and sounds; you can often find Woody staring around the room with his big blue eyes bulging and his mouth open in amazement.
Woody has always been a great sleeper and in all honesty, we have been blessed with such a good baby. His usual routine would consist of his last feed at 11pm and he would then wake to feed every 3 hours on the dot. However, a huge development in the last few weeks is that his last feed is still at 11pm, but he won't wake until between 4:15am and 4:45am for his next feed.
He is currently drinking 5oz of milk per feed and lets me know when he is hungry. In the early days, we did wake him for his next feed if he was asleep, but we now listen to him and his needs. They say you get to know each cry your baby makes and what they are trying to ask for and it's true. There is no cry like a baby's hungry cry, let me tell you!
Woody has had a recent growth spurt which has seen him notably increase his milk intake per feed, but he's also finally starting to wear his 0-3m clothes. We really did get a lot of wear out of his newborn clothes which I am surprised lasted so long, as he was born at 8lbs, 8ozs! Luckily though, there are a few newborn clothes that still fit him.
Here's to the next 7 weeks of my little Woody-bum.
My first birth experience is a positive induction story that I wanted to write about for myself to look back on, but to also show other pregnant ladies out there who may be nervous about being induced.
This is my labour story.
In retrospect, I had a smooth sailing low risk pregnancy with no major complications, so I am thankful for this. However, when I got to around 35 weeks pregnant, I started to feel different, but couldn't put my finger on what felt different. One weekend, I was really sick during the night and honestly felt like it could be the start of something happening. However, I managed to sleep it off by sitting in the nursing chair in the nursery with a spare duvet. I literally could not lay down!
The next day at a routine midwife checkup, my blood pressure was found to be considerably high than deemed 'normal' for me and a trace of protein in my urine had been found. My midwife said as soon as I walked into the room, she could tell something was not quite right to her. My face was pale and puffy, so was showing signs of pre-eclampsia. Even though my pregnancy was low risk, I still had to have a watchful eye over me due to pre-eclampsia history in the family.
I ended up being referred to the MAC (Maternity Assessment Centre) at hospital as an emergency. Ricky left work straight away to come home and pick me up. Once we got to the hospital, I needed to do another urine sample which came back negative for protein. My blood pressure was also checked and it had returned to its normal level, so I was discharged and went home.
At my next routine midwife checkup at 37 weeks, I reported back to her that I hadn't been feeling the baby move around as much. I was so used to him kicking and poking me at certain times of the day, but these movements started to slow down. Again, the midwife found my blood pressure to be high and she found a higher trace of protein in my urine, so I was referred back down the hospital to be checked. After a load more checks, it was then decided that I would go into hospital twice a week for both the baby and I to be checked over. Of course, I agreed.
At the first routine checkup, I was hooked up to a monitor and they found the baby's movements to be fine - he had moved enough times in 10 minutes. A consultant came into see me as the midwife was concerned about the swelling I had in my legs and feet. I also explained to her that I was unsure if my waters had been leaking. She internally examined me and didn't think my waters were leaking. In the process, she also performed a sweep, but my cervix was still closed and hard.
I was sent to the scan department to double check the water levels which actually came back fine. The consultant came back and spoke to me to explain that the best course of action may be to be induced as I was already deemed 'full term', so there would be no point in waiting till baby's due date. I was obviously very unprepared for this and needed time to think it over.
I had been doing the hypnobirthing course with The Positive Birthing Company since I was around 20 weeks pregnant. If you're familiar with this, then you will know what I mean when I say I used my BRAIN to accept/decline induction.
Benefits - What are the benefits?
Risks - Are there any risks?
Alternative - Is there anything else we can try instead?
Intuition - What is my heart telling me to do?
Nothing - What happens if we do nothing?
The induction was booked for 10 days' time, so I accepted it for the time being and decided to reject it nearer the time if I wanted to.
Two days later, I returned to MAC for my next routine checkup and again I reported back that the baby hadn't been moving as much as deemed normal. Once hooked up to the monitor, baby wasn't moving as much as they would have liked so I had to wait for a consultant to come down and see me. Once she arrived, she explained that due to everything going on, I was now considered high risk and it would be a sensible idea to bring my induction date forward. What I didn't expect was for them to bring it as close as two days' time! After a chat with the head midwife who explained the pros and cons of induction, I decided it was best to accept it.
24th May 2019 - Induction Day
Here is a vlog of the experience too!
I was told to ring the delivery suite at 8am to find out if there was a bed available for me. I really did not want to be waiting around all day for a free bed, as I am pretty sure my anxiety levels would have gone out of the roof! Luckily, a bed was available so we was told to come in for 10am.
After running around getting last minute things ready and a chilled out 20 minute drive to the hospital, we finally arrived. Our room was a nice size, but was really stuffy! There was also a bathroom that was shared with another pregnant lady next door.
We chilled for a while before a midwife came to see us to explain the two different induction methods. It was checked with a consultant and decided for me that the 'shoelace' method would be best for me. This was like a tampon covered in gel that had a very, very long string. It meant that I didn't have to be internally checked for 24hours (unless things got moving themselves) and baby was monitored every 6hours. This was inserted at 12pm.
We went for a walk around the canteen and got some lunch, as an anaemic looking ham sandwich that I had been giving just wasn't cutting it. I needed carbs, so went for saveloy and chips! We returned back to the room and tried to chill out by watching back to back episodes of Breaking Bad.
By around 6pm, my contractions started and I thought they may just be braxton hicks as I had been getting them for the last few weeks. However, they gradually got stronger and stronger until the point where I really needed some relief as I was getting 3-4 contractions within 10 minutes. The midwife came in and I am pretty sure she didn't believe me, but I asked to be internally checked and I was 2cm dilated! She asked if I would like some cocodamol pain killers to which I accepted. Utterly pointless, as they did not work one bit!
I ended up just using the Hypnobirthing upbreathing techniques throughout the contractions (inhale for 4 seconds and exhale for 6-8 seconds), which I really did concentrate on. At around 9.30PM, whilst watching Heisenberg do what he does best, I felt an almighty contraction that made need to move. As I turned to the side whilst laying down, I heard a 'pop' (which Ricky didn't hear, so I am unsure if it was more of a feeling rather than a sound!) and my bladder felt really full with the sensation of also really needing a poo. I thought this could be my body about to clear out, but as my made my way to the bathroom, my waters broke in a gush and carried on gushing for what seemed like ages.
The realisation and realness of everything happening all of a sudden made me burst into tears and I just remember repeating myself again and again with 'OMG my waters have broke Ricky, my waters have broke'. The midwife came to see me and this was when I lost my mucus plug too. Not as bad as what I expected it to look like either!
I swear at this moment in time was when things really did ramp up. All of a sudden, I was getting 2-3 contractions within 5 minutes and sometimes they were back to back contractions with no break inbetween. I am pretty sure I was annoying my midwife at this point, as I called her back in. She offered me Diamorphine and gas and air. I accepted both.
I don't remember being given the Diamorphine as it's an injection of pain relief into your thigh, but I do remember it slowing the timing of contractions down; spacing them out so I could grab a few minutes rest in-between each one. However, the pain itself wasn't any better, so I tried the gas and air. I think I had around 4-5 puffs and I had the urge to vomit. Luckily, there was a sick bowl nearby that Ricky grabbed and I didn't bother with the gas and air anymore.
Things then got really tough as we was nearing 1am and I was incredibly tired. The most exhausted I felt I had ever been (until the pushing stage came, then boy did things change!). Ricky bless him had fallen asleep, so I had to breathe through every contraction alone and try to cope as best as I could. I didn't get any sleep at all and ended up just about coping until 5am when the midwife told me I would be moved down to delivery suite within the hour. I was so thankful!
I was given a wheel chair and moved to a delivery room which was much more inviting. Open, bright and breezy... just what I needed after an exhausting night!
I had so many birth preferences in my plan that I wanted. I already couldn't have the dream water birth I wanted, but having a mobile labour is something I also didn't have... although, more down to choice! I also packed battery operated candles and room spray, a hypnobirthing playlist and specifically requested to not be coached through the pushing stage, but this all changed later on.
I had the longest night, but the established labour stage felt even longer. I was examined straight away and the midwives couldn't believe I was 8cm dilated already. I knew I wasn't exaggerating about the pain and I was in a way made to feel as if I was being dramatic!
My care was then handed over to the next midwife, Charley, who saw me throughout the delivery. She was absolutely wonderful and hats off to her because as much as I really needed my two birth partners there (Ricky and my mum), I definitely could not have done it without Charley. She was my absolute rock from start to finish.
She told me I needed to get to 10cm before I could start pushing and I remember asking what the time was and it being something like 10.15am. I remember asking how long would it take to dilate another 2cm and Charley said I could start pushing at 12pm. From then on, I remember asking (probably every 5 minutes), is it 12pm yet?! Time was going so slow!
The contractions really ramped up and I was struggling throughout each one. At this point, I wasn't using any pain relief at all so tried gas and air again, but it made me feel queasy once again so I quickly dumped that! A male consultant then randomly walked into the room and asked me if I wanted an epidural. Now, it was in my birth plan to NOT ask me if I want pain relief and to just sit back and allow me to request it if I want it. So of course, when I am in the worst pain of my life and wanting it to end, I screamed yes at an epidural. The thought of being numb everywhere at that point was a dream! He said he would administer it and would be right back.
As soon as he left, Charley sternly shouted at me (in the nicest of ways!) that I didn't need an epidural and that I could do this without it as I was already so close to meeting my baby. I kept saying no I can't do it and then she explained that there is the possibility of an epidural slowing my labour down and at that point, I just wanted it over as quick as possible so I agreed I don't want it.
I kept feeling the sensation to push out a very, VERY large poo and for some reason kept apologising that I needed to push. Charley ensured me that it was absolutely fine and a completely normal feeling, but that I wasn't ready to push yet. She said my body would take over when it was ready to push the baby out and what I thought at that time was my body trying to push him out was actually just my body pushing him down and 'around the bend'.
I specifically remember asking for the time and being told it was 11.40am (just 20 mins after the above photo was taken!). I remember feeling so, so happy and that I just had another 20 mins worth of holding in this massive human POO and that I would soon be meeting my baby.
Just before 12pm, baby was so low down that Charley could no longer find his heartbeat. So, she asked my permission to put a clip on baby's head to monitor his heart. Of course, I said yes!
By 12pm, Charley explained what I needed to do to push as I always had this fear that I wouldn't know what to do. Head and chin down into chest, eyes closed and avoid 'mooing' as she told me my energy would be used up doing that rather than pushing.
I honestly found it really hard to begin with and felt like I wasn't doing it right. I could feel pressure down there, which was uncomfortable but not painful. What was painful was every contraction I was getting in which I had to ignore it and push through it. During the pushing stage, baby's head can come out bit by bit but then suck back up a little and this is what kept happening to me. It was partly do with the fact I wasn't spreading my legs wide enough, which I found REALLY difficult due to having SPD (pelvic issues) throughout my pregnancy. So, Charley brought stirrups in and I was immediately panicking because that's the kind of instrument you see in soaps and movies!
With a bit of difficulty getting into the correct position for the stirrups, it definitely helped me to push through each contraction until the point where I then started screaming: the ring of fire was here. All of a sudden, I felt a super strong burning sensation and it honestly felt like I was going to rip down there. However, as soon as Charley told me that I had until 1pm to push the baby out naturally or intervention would be required, I knew I had to do it. I wanted to avoid meeting that male consultant a second time!!!
I honestly don't know how I did it, but I ignored the pain I was in. The abdominal cramp digging down inside of me with the mixture of feeling like my vagina was on fire. I had to just ignore it and keep pushing and pushing!
And then... at 12.49PM, out popped a very sloppy and wriggly baby boy!
Weighing in at a chunky 8lbs, 8oz, he was immediately placed onto my chest for skin to skin. Charley read my birth plan and gave me as much of it as she could. Therefore, we got the delayed cord clamping that we really wanted. We was also given the 'golden hour' that I so wanted and Ricky got to cut the cord.
This gave us the chance to be alone for the first time with our baby boy and say our million hellos. Baby was then weighed and Ricky put on his first nappy and got him dressed.
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| Charley midwife & baby Woody |
Within a couple of hours, my sister came up to the hospital to meet her first nephew and I was wheeled down to the postnatal ward to get showered. I have never smelt so bad lol!
My first birthing experience is definitely something I will never forget. As much as I can't really remember what a contraction actually feels like, I remember them being painful enough for me to swear I will have no more kids. However, as I sit here and type this with my 7 week old Woody asleep on me, I cannot help but want another one or two babies. I would do it all over again in a heartbeat!
Nursing and sports bras actually didn't exist until the most recent years, so it must have made things quite difficult for women many, many years ago. With body positivity being a major factor of the 21st century, it's hard to not see lingerie everywhere nowadays. You only have to drive past a billboard, open up page 3 in the newspaper or open up Instagram and you're likely to see a pair of boobs in a sexy bra.
Let's look at the evolution of women's lingerie and how much it has changed over the years.
1820 - Corsets are invented and designed to hide a woman's shape
1850 - Scrap the above! Another corset is invented, but this time to enhance the natural silhouette of a woman's body
1860 - Hoop skirts are worn to enhance the size of dresses
1890 - Frilly bloomers are everywhere and are usually worn with 'wasp waist' corsets. These usually made women faint and broke many ribs in the process!
1893 - Lace up back corsets are introduced to make it easier to tighten them. Shortly after, corsets with hooks on the back are invented so women could do them up without any help
1910 - The first bra is introduced to women by Mary Phelps. This was made from sewing together two handkerchiefs and tied together with ribbon. Inventive!
1920 - As we move into the flapper girl days, clothes get smaller and slightly more revealing. Flimsy and silky slips are worn underneath short dresses with knee length stockings to show some leg. Oooh!
1925 - Girdles and corsets are very much still around, but are now back to the beginning and made to slim and flatten the hips. This hid womanly curves and flattened the chest
1930 - Shorter girdles are now made and supportive bras have started to be manufactured. Within three years, the "full fashion double support" bra is on the market for bigger busted ladies
1940 - With rations during WW1, women start to paint on lines on the backs of their legs to create the illusions of stockings
1944 - Cup and band sizes are now a thing and adopted by lingerie manufacturers, Warners
1946 - Underwire bras are available now there's less metal shortages during WW2. The first strapless bra was also invented during this year. Quite a revolutionary year!
1949 - Three years later and adhesive bras are now a thing. The popular "bullet" bra is about to be introduced to women and becomes a fashion hit during the glamorous 50s. Bra enhancers or "chicken fillets" as we know them are also available for women to buy
1952 - With glamour pin-up icons everywhere such as Marilyn and Bettie Page, it's to no wonder that seamless stockings become a popular choice in women's fashion
1960 - The revolution of women's rights see women celebrating and protesting for freedom. A part of this rebellion was "the burn of the bra"
1967 - Ruffles, frills and baby dolls are a top hit amongst young women
1970 - Control panties are now a thing and a popular choice for women wanting to feel a little more confident
1977 - Lingerie brand, Victoria's Secret is now a thing and within a year, sultry and playful colours and textures are seen on lingerie everywhere. Alongside these are provocative styles which see women not shying away from their bodies
1987 - Lycra!
1993 - Fashion goes a bit backwards and it becomes a trend to wear your underwear visibly underneath your outfit. Think Britney Spears!
1994 - Wonderbra says hello to women
2000 - Big panties are gone and women brace thongs and g-strings. The smaller the better!
2009 - It is now fashionable to wear underwear as part of your outfit. Bralettes are seen worn underneath blazers and rake up 20,000 Instagram likes within an hour with #fashion
2015 - Sports and casual lingerie is worn by celebrities and bloggers as part of daily outfits. Most commonly seen is brand Calvin Klein
2018 - Body positivity movement is everywhere and for good reason!
It is so strange but exciting to see how far lingerie has come. It's also evident that certain styles make a re-appearance so it's got me wondering... will bloomers ever be a thing again?!
Disclaimer: Collaboration post
Let me introduce you to my son. My first born and the little one we have waited so long for.
His name is Woody Robert Curry and he was born on Saturday 25th May 2019 at 12.49pm, weighing in at a chunky 8lbs, 8oz.
He will be 4 weeks old tomorrow, so alongside countless feeds, nappy changes and endless snuggles, I am only just getting around to introducing his sweet little face on my blog.
It is amazing to think that my blog has the last 8 years worth of my life documented in countless monthly and yearly archives. And now, mid-2019, a new subject to talk about and document. My beautiful child and the completion to my little family.
I will be writing up my labour and delivery story very soon and sharing lots more Woody posts, but for now let me get back to snuggling him.
Lots of love.
It is officially that time of the year. The sun is shining, summer is upon us and wedding preparations are being made.... which means wedding invitations are popping through the post too!
Being a wedding guest or even a member of the wedding party itself can be nearly as stressful as the bride picking out the perfect dress. Everyone wants to look good at a wedding, so how good would it be if you could shop for all your beauty essentials in one place to get #WeddingReady?
Well, actually you can!
Beauty discovery website, Cosmetify, is the place go! With over 150,000 beauty items and nearly 1,500 brands to shop from, it could not be easier to shop for everything you could possibly need in one place. Providing you with makeup, hair, skin and even grooming products, there is no better place to shop than at your fingertips!
With upcoming weddings to attend this year, it got me thinking about what beauty and fashion looks I will be going for. So, when the guys at Cosmetify got in touch asking how I get wedding season ready, it was the perfect time to start planning a look!
My regime for any big event like a wedding is as follows:
- Pamper Hour the night before - wash body, shave, exfoliate body, wash and treat hair, tan & paint toenails
- Prepare outfit and accessories the night before - Iron, hang, get shoes out, pick out jewellery and pack clutch bag with necessities
- AM shower on morning of event - Face mask, under eye brighteners and apply nails
- Makeup and hair
- Get dressed, spray a scent and off I go!
Having had an explore around the Cosmetify, I was pleased to see some of my favourite beauty brands with some of my favourite products available to buy. Therefore, I thought I would share some of my favourite beauty staples that I either use on an everyday makeup basis or on those special occasions instead. Luckily, everything I use is available to buy!
PAMPER HOUR THE NIGHT BEFORE
I always like to start with a hair treatment, as having blonde hair can have its negatives - so dry hair is one of them! I have been using the Philip Kingsley Elasticizer for a while now and honestly love it so much. It's a pre-shampoo treatment that you apply to wet hair before shampooing or you use it as an overnight deep conditioning treatment. A firm favourite in the beauty industry!
I am always trying out new shampoos, but always end up re-purchasing my absolute favourites. TIGI have so many different combinations to try from, but their Catwalk Your Highness volume collection are a firm favourite of mine. There is both a shampoo and conditioner duo.
I will use any cheap and cheerful body wash that I have at the time and don't tend to splurge on anything more than a few pounds as I don't see the point! However, I do like the Moroccanoil Body Buff Exfoliant as a pre-tan treatment. It rubs into the skin really nicely, removing dead skin and impurities so that your body is silky smooth for tan applications.
My favourite tan by far (and one I cannot wait to use again once I can see my feet again! #PregnancyProblems) is the Bondi Sands self tanning foam in shade 'dark'. I went through a bit of a tanning phase last summer and tried so many out, but have never found anything better than Bondi Sands. Whilst it's on the pricier side, it never makes me go patchy and seems to last a lot longer than cheaper tans on the market.
AM SHOWER
As I usually sleep in tan over night, it's essential I jump in the shower in the morning to wash off the first layer... revealing a golden tan that looks like I've been in the sun for the last two weeks! I don't tend to spend very much money on face masks, as I find a one use product that costs £10 a bit of a waste, which is why the Yes To face mask range is perfect, as they are much more affordable at a few pounds and work pretty well!
For nails, I always opt for Elegant Touch false nails. They always have such cool and funky designs and are so easy to apply. Definitely the best fake nail company out there!
MAKEUP
My hair is usually just simply curled and left to hang and I don't tend to really wear much makeup anymore (well, since everything requires effort when you are pregnant!), so it always makes me feel like a million dollars when I do reach for my favourite products and a makeup brush or two! However, I do tend to go for eyelash russian extensions now, as it's so much easier than mascara application and I prefer the fluffy, fuller look!
For the warmer months, I really enjoy using the Bourjois Healthy Mix foundation, as it creates a dewy and healthy glow and is really easy to blend into the skin. My all time favourite concealer and one I really need to re-purchase is the NARS creamy concealer. Not only do they have a fantastic shade range, but it really does brighten the under eye area and makes you look really awake. Finally, I always set my base makeup with powder. I tend to just go for cheap ones like the Rimmel Clear Complexion powder. I find they last throughout the day for me as I don't have an oily complexion.
Base done, I have been contouring using the Smashbox step-by-step contour kit for ages now and it works really well for me. My highlight of choice always changes, but a firm favourite are the Sleek highlight palettes which seem to last all day. Finally, for brows I will just use a cheap brown eyeshadow that I have to hand using a slanted brush and then set with some clear mascara.
If I am to use any eyeshadow which is rare if I have lash extensions on at the time, then I do tend to reach for the Urban Decay Naked eyeshadow palettes, as they are buttery, rich and last most all day and night! Number 3 is my favourite, as it has warmer pink, gold and orange tones!
Finally, my lipstick choice will always change (both brand and shade), but I do love the Charlotte Tilbury lipsticks. It's always nice to use a more luxurious feeling lipstick and they always look pretty on your bedside table too!
That is the whole beauty regime I would follow and all of the makeup products I would use when getting #WeddingReady. Now I just need some outfit choices!
Disclaimer: In collaboration with Cosmetify. All words and opinions are my own. Mix of Pixabay stock and my own images have been used.
Disclaimer: In collaboration with Fantastic Services. A complimentary service was provided in exchange for an honest blog review and accompanying social media posts.
They say that humans have that natural animal instinct, in that you begin the nesting phase when you're about to welcome a new baby. As of last week, I found myself truly entering the nesting phase and actually, I now find myself less than two weeks away from my due date with a long list of things I want to do before baby boy is here.
One on the list was an oven clean. Yaaaaaawn.
Having lived in our house for almost 9 months, I have cleaned the oven a few times, but when you find yourself 9 months pregnant and unable to bend down anymore, you have to admit defeat and call in the guys that know best.
Let me re-introduce to you; Fantastic Services. A handy little company to keep in mind for any jobs inside or outside of your home that may need doing. From removal services, garden maintenance, decorators and cleaning wizards; these are just some of the many services that are offered at extremely reasonable prices. There's actually 25+ services to choose from!
I collaborated with them two years ago on a massive clear up on the driveway of my family home (you can catch that blog post here). They did such a fabulous job, so when they kindly offered me another service in exchange for review, I knew it was the perfect opportunity to get an oven clean in before we are super busy with a newborn.
I am embarrassed to share how dirty our oven was before this deep clean, but we do use the oven pretty much 1-2 times per day! Everything needed cleaning; the racks, the base was covered in dry fat and the glass had the annoying brown splash marks that seem to seep inside of the glass, making it really hard to remove yourself.
Our oven clean was booked for Saturday, 11am. You can either book your service online or download the Fantastic Services app for FREE via Apple App Store or GooglePlay Store. You can also grab £10 off your first booking for any service with my exclusive code BeingAshleigh
Our service was carried out by two guys who turned up in a company van and wearing company uniform, so looked really professional and promising. I had some kitchen items draining on the side which they required me to move as they had a lot of equipment to bring in - the biggest being a huge bath like tub in which they clean everything in.
I was a little apprehensive that my sink or surfaces would get scratched in the process, but I was proven wrong and the guys managed to successfully clean the oven in around 2 hours. They even managed to get rid of all the greasy residue within the glass door, making the oven look brand new once again.
They did say a hob clean was also included, but I don't think this was done and it's something I have to mention in an honest review. I had already cleaned the hob the previous night as I usually do when washing up after dinner and I usually do a deep clean of it once a week. When the guys left, I checked under the hob stands and crumbs remained there, so I imagine these would have been spotless if a deep hob clean was done.
Needless to say, I am very happy with the oven clean in itself - partly because it's become impossible for me to get down there to scrub it myself!
I would highly recommend Fantastic Services for all of your homely needs. As this is my second service with them now, both have been great services that I would book again.
Don't forget that you can grab £10 off your first booking for any service with my exclusive code BeingAshleigh
They say that humans have that natural animal instinct, in that you begin the nesting phase when you're about to welcome a new baby. As of last week, I found myself truly entering the nesting phase and actually, I now find myself less than two weeks away from my due date with a long list of things I want to do before baby boy is here.
One on the list was an oven clean. Yaaaaaawn.
Having lived in our house for almost 9 months, I have cleaned the oven a few times, but when you find yourself 9 months pregnant and unable to bend down anymore, you have to admit defeat and call in the guys that know best.
Let me re-introduce to you; Fantastic Services. A handy little company to keep in mind for any jobs inside or outside of your home that may need doing. From removal services, garden maintenance, decorators and cleaning wizards; these are just some of the many services that are offered at extremely reasonable prices. There's actually 25+ services to choose from!
I collaborated with them two years ago on a massive clear up on the driveway of my family home (you can catch that blog post here). They did such a fabulous job, so when they kindly offered me another service in exchange for review, I knew it was the perfect opportunity to get an oven clean in before we are super busy with a newborn.
I am embarrassed to share how dirty our oven was before this deep clean, but we do use the oven pretty much 1-2 times per day! Everything needed cleaning; the racks, the base was covered in dry fat and the glass had the annoying brown splash marks that seem to seep inside of the glass, making it really hard to remove yourself.
Our oven clean was booked for Saturday, 11am. You can either book your service online or download the Fantastic Services app for FREE via Apple App Store or GooglePlay Store. You can also grab £10 off your first booking for any service with my exclusive code BeingAshleigh
Our service was carried out by two guys who turned up in a company van and wearing company uniform, so looked really professional and promising. I had some kitchen items draining on the side which they required me to move as they had a lot of equipment to bring in - the biggest being a huge bath like tub in which they clean everything in.
I was a little apprehensive that my sink or surfaces would get scratched in the process, but I was proven wrong and the guys managed to successfully clean the oven in around 2 hours. They even managed to get rid of all the greasy residue within the glass door, making the oven look brand new once again.
They did say a hob clean was also included, but I don't think this was done and it's something I have to mention in an honest review. I had already cleaned the hob the previous night as I usually do when washing up after dinner and I usually do a deep clean of it once a week. When the guys left, I checked under the hob stands and crumbs remained there, so I imagine these would have been spotless if a deep hob clean was done.
Needless to say, I am very happy with the oven clean in itself - partly because it's become impossible for me to get down there to scrub it myself!
I would highly recommend Fantastic Services for all of your homely needs. As this is my second service with them now, both have been great services that I would book again.
Don't forget that you can grab £10 off your first booking for any service with my exclusive code BeingAshleigh
We spent afternoon playing lots of games, eating lots of lovely food and finished up by opening some lovely gifts from the guests.
A short and sweet post from me today, but a special one.
I had no idea what to wear and with very swollen feet and legs, I ended up buying a new pair of flip flops and a maternity dress from ASOS. Baby blue, of course!
Baby boy got absolutely spoilt with lots more clothes and everyday essentials. A bit overwhelming, really!
A lovely day.
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