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Dear Daisy, It is your first day at school...

Goodbye 2014, Hello 2015!

The end of 2014 is iminent and I am sat cuddling my little squishy girl thinking about the year that's about to pass and also the year that's due to jump on us!


2014 has been the most exciting year to date, for the obvious reason that we introduced Daisy to our world! And that would take some beating. I always used to say I wouldn't have children, until it seemed to be the next thing to do in life and I'm so glad my mind set changed. Life will never be the same again, it can only keep getting better! 

That's not to say that 2014 has not been challenging at times for various reasons; pregnancy, sickness, labour (eeek!), hospital appointments, getting used to having a little someone rely on you, different sleep patterns, looking at work options, new jobs, friends  etc etc. But it all works out in the end for the best, everything happens for a reason. Even the little things. Sounds a bit heavy and cryptic but I'm a firm believer. 

I'm already seeing the hundreds of statuses and tweets about fresh starts, new me, this is my year, blah blah blah! I'm happy being me so I won't be saying any of those things, I'm not taking anything away from those that are saying it though. If it's the motivation they need then that's great! 

But for me I always think new year is just a new day, you can work on changes any day and why wait until the year changes? That's not to say I don't want to start the year healthier, fitter and happy but that's nothing dramatic and not a resolution. I'm already happy and healthy, fit- maybe not that one!! I just feel it's a good time to kick start these things after a heavy, fattening Christmas time. 

What I generally mean is people put too much pressure on themselves, new year new me? You are the same you, just look at it differently.



Back to the blog; My little blog has made some steps forward this second half of the year and there's more to come. We've been lucky to have some great opportunities from some fabulous brands and other bloggers, fingers crossed we continue to grow in 2015. 

So I'm off to enjoy the last few days of the holiday and spend more time with my family and friends :)

Have a good one and happy new year!

Lots of love,
Hayley xxx

Possibly the worst glitter varnish of 2014

I'm usually nice and positive on here, okay I'm honest and do say when I'm not happy with something but I wouldn't go out of my way to do so.

I had a mini Rimmel haul in Boots before Christmas for some sparkly, seasonal bits and pieces. One of the products I bought was Rimmel precious stones in Ruby Red 002, it's what looked like a deep, very sparkly red colour. Perfect for the big day! 


Applying glitter Polish is never overly easy but I've never tried anything like this before. It was very opaque and almost slid of the nail when being applied. I had to do 3-4 coats to make it resemble what it should have looked like and I was ok with it. Not majorly over the moon but if you didn't look too close it looked alright. Nice and sparkly! I put a Rimmel top coat over as usual and as recommended on the bottle. 

Well, it must have lasted about 3 hours before it started falling off, and falling off in huuuuuuuge pieces! Awful. By lunch time my nails looked disgusting. 

I give it a whopping 0 out of 5!! I must add I've bought many Rimmel nail products before and been very happy with them, but not this one! 


Have you tried any of that range??

Love, Hayley xxx

Making our own Christmas traditions

Each family have their own traditions for Christmas, birthdays, New year etc... whether they know it or not. 

Now we have our own little family I've been thinking about traditions for us and how to make Christmas that bit more special for the three of us.


Some things Daisy won't recognise until she is older and I'm fully aware that she won't know what's happening this year except for some excitement, but it doesn't mean that I won't enjoy them too! 

This year on Christmas Eve we have a family party which will be lovely :) Then we want to be home fairly early ish to get all bathed ready for Father Christmas, then in to our new PJs, watch a Christmas film, hot chocolates and quality street (No chocolates for Daisy this year! She can have fruit puffs! ) while we wrap any last minute pressies etc.

Then I have ordered (it's taking a lifetime to arrive!! I may have to improvise and use her hand puppets this year at this rate!!! ) "The night before Christmas" Book to read. This is something I have always dreamt of us doing since I fell pregnant, sat snuggled on the sofa reading her a book before her milk and bed time ready for Santa to have the all clear to come down the chimney!! (I think these thoughts are a woman thing!! And the little things we think of and imagine doing with our own little children when they get here! I'm sure men must think we are crazy!) 

I know she won't understand what we are reading, but we do often read and she likes to look at the pictures anyway and all the silly voices I do!! But each year she will become more and more engaged, and its a nice little tradition to have while we can!  


Christmas morning will change as she gets older I am sure but no matter where we go or what we do it will be nice to have some time together to see if Santa thinks we have been good or naughty boys and girls!

I love listening to other peoples traditions and seeing them unravel on Facebook and in photos, things like Santas footprints outside, putting out mince pies and carrots for Santa and his reindeers, reindeer dust so they can find us etc! All things my mum and dad did for us, I will make sure its just as magical for Daisy as she grows up (and any future additions !). I'm sure mum and dad got just as excited doing all of those things for us as we were as the children!!

What traditions do you have?

Lots of love,
Hayley xxx

A look back to last Christmas

I love photographs and often like to sit and look back how things have changed in a year. This year has obviously been full of changes with our new addition, Daisy! She was just a good little bump this time last year. But I love looking back on others too like my niece and nephew, my niece was just a few weeks old and so cute (She is still very cute!).














Lots of love,
Hayley & Daisy bump xxx

I own copyright to all photographs featured

Daddy daycare

Going back to work wasn't really something I wanted to do but it was more of a need to. Going back filled me with dread during the last few weeks of my maternity but deep down I knew my baby was going to be in the best hands, her daddy's.

To be honest even this panicked me! Only because I wouldn't be there sometimes to ensure all was okay and I would miss her!! But it's completely normal to miss your baby even at the thought of leaving them. Or so I think it is, or at at least that's what I tell myself anyway. You work so hard to grow them in your tummy and then so hard to protect them and nurture them when they arrive and of course most of us don't want to miss a thing with them! They grow so fast (bit if a cliche but true I'm afraid!) and I don't want to miss a thing (que Aerosmith!)

Daisy's dad has been hands on and so knows what Daisy needs and wants most of the time so I felt quite comfortable. However there is always times when I do everything, because I want to! And deep down I was thinking what if she wont eat her dinner or wont drink her milk, or he cant settle her when she has a "moment"? It seems all of that was silly thinking, she is good as gold for him! Thank goodness! It definitely makes it easier for me to work knowing they're fine.

Luckily Ben likes to be doing something, just like Daisy. So plenty of walks and looking around, listening to music and interacting, all of which Daisy needs to fill her day! And keep her amused! That's the trickiest bit about having a 7 month old, they need to be kept busy and amused ALLLLLLL day to stop the whinging!

Thought I would update you all as to how being back at work actually is!

Lots of love,
Hayley & Daisy xxx

The big return to work

I went back to work this week, something I've been dreading for most of my maternity. But I knew I had to return at some point.


For those of you that follow our blog you'll know I started a brand new job rather than returning to my old one, so it's all change. I expected to feel sick Sunday and be a real Debbie downer but to be honest I was fine. 

For my first few days I needed to be in London, away from home and over night. To make things less anxious Ben and Daisy came with me and so I wasn't completely alone after work and I didn't have the anxiety of leaving my baby girl for too long alongside the anxiety of being the new girl too. I'm very lucky that my husband did this! 

I also expected to be sat there in the office thinking about them all day and wishing I was there rather than working. I did think about them and I did message them a few times. But it wasn't as awful as I thought it would be. A big part of it was down to her being with her daddy and only being a few miles away but am so maybe I'd just built myself up to think it was going to be awful!! 

To be able to have a nice hot drink and not have to be jiggling Daisy up and down or playing peekaboo whilst mopping up yogurt off her was quite a novelty! Also adult conversation and having to engage my brain back into work mode was nice too in a funny little way. I'm sure this will wear off though!!!!  

I guess this is just a post to say thank you for all of your messages and support in my return to work, you were all right, it's not so bad after all. 



Love, Hayley xxx