My top 5 tips on feeling comfortable during pregnancy!

Pregnancy... approximately 40 weeks long (that's 10 months - crikey!)  So it's only natural for you to want to feel good throughout this arduous time of growing a little person inside of you.  It's a time where your body will experience so many new changes and so looking after yourself and your well being is paramount.

Here are my top 5 tips on feeling comfortable during your pregnancy.

1.  Use a Pregnancy Pillow - During pregnancy you are not allowed to sleep on your back as it can block oxygen to your baby and cut blood supply off.  It took me a while to get used to sleeping on my sides but if it meant that it was safer for my baby then I was on board.  I ended up buying my one from Amazon and it only cost me £15 so it was a total bargain!  They are the most comfortable things ever invented and even after my baby is born I will definitely use it on the sofa for movie nights!      

2.  Utilise nap time - it may sound silly and unnecessary to get naps in during the day when you're pregnant... I mean you might be feeling fabulous and have bundles of energy... but boy do those naps work!  Anything from half an hour to a 2 hour nap could be the difference in how you feel and how your body feels - after all growing a baby is hard and tiring work!   

3.  Drink plenty of water - During first trimester it is advised to drink 2 litres of water a day.  Then in the second trimester it goes up to 2.5 litres and then in your last trimester you can go up to 3 litres of water a day.  I know what you're thinking... that's a massive amount of water!  But not only does it help with the development of your baby but it also helps with sickness, round ligament pain and digestive system.  I also found that when I was drinking water... it gave me an extra amount of moisture to my skin and made it look more glowing which helped with my emotions and made me feel confident.  I recommend buying a 2 litre bottle that has measurements on the side so you can keep track of your water dosage.      

4.  Stretch marks - That's right ladies the dreaded stretch marks that we all know about and fear of getting (but to be honest if they do come then we should all be proud of them as they are beautiful and show our motherhood journey of bringing a little one into this world)!  However if you were like me and wanted to make sure that your growing bump was fully moisturised and wanted to minimise the appearance of stretch marks then invest in a good quality cream.  I ended up buying in bulk the Palmers Cocoa Butter Stretch Mark Lotion and it cost less than £5 for a big bottle.  I got through at least 4 bottles of this stuff during my pregnancy and it really helped!    

5.  Keep moving - I'm not a huge exercise bunny to be fair (can't remember the last time I ventured to the gym even before my pregnancy), but apparently it is advised to keep active during your trimesters as the more you move around the more comfortable you feel.  It really helps combat the aches and pains, it helps alleviate the braxton hicks contractions from being uncomfortable and will help to aid you in labour.  My favourite type of exercise that I swore by was walking.  I would walk anything between half an hour and 2 hours a day which was so lovely, because not only was I getting my daily exercise dosage but I was also breathing in fresh air and it really calmed my head and de-stressed me.  Also, I went to my local swimming pool once a week and did some lengths along with just floating in the water.  It's incredible how water takes away your aches/pains especially in your legs and back and makes you feel completely weightless.  I really enjoyed it and it was amazing to feel my little bump kicking me whilst I was in the water.  I definitely think she will be a water baby when she is born.      

These are my top 5 tips that I swore by but everyone is different.  Make sure that you find out what works for you and that you enjoy this exciting time in your life because it is so precious and special!

Thatlittleshoe x

Hello to a new Chapter!

On the 2nd August 2019, my husband and I found out that we were pregnant and expecting our very first baby together.  For a while now the two of us had been discussing the idea of wanting to try for a baby... and to have a little someone that we could call our own who was part him and part me!  I know, I know... super cheesy right?  But here me out!   

For a couple who have been together since we were 16, who had essentially grown up and matured together, we were ecstatic to find out that our prayers and dreams had been answered and that we were finally going to be parents of our own!

I must say, when we found out it was quite a shock.  I'll never forget that day, coming home from work in the evening and feeling really nauseous and extremely hot... because we were in summer I just assumed that it was heat exhaustion... but boy was I mistaken.

I remember showing Perry the pregnancy test and the two of us just stared at each other in disbelief.  WE COULDN'T BELIEVE OUR EYES!  So much so, that we made the decision to take another test just to be certain... and BAM the result was as clear as day!  

And so we began our journey through this incredible pregnancy adventure... we were both so scared, excited and grateful... we had no idea what this chapter would bring.  All in all... it was an epic, hard and rewarding time for me.  Yes I experienced EXTREME sickness (17 times a day with me losing almost 3 stone because of it), yet every day was a blessing and every day my spirits rose.

Fast forward to our 20 week scan... it was incredible to finally see our baby on the big screen moving and waving at us.  But the big question that the two of us were wondering was... WHAT IS THE SEX OF OUR BABY?  I really admire those who are able to keep the gender a surprise and therefore find out at the time of birth etc but for me (a very nosy Aquarius) I just HAD TO KNOW!  When the sonographer revealed to us that we were expecting a little girl... we both melted inside.  A LITTLE GIRL... OUR LITTLE GIRL!  Everything became more real when the gender was found out... no longer were we referring to bump as 'IT' or 'THEY' and now we could freely use terms like 'SHE' and 'HER'.  It gave our little bump more of a personality and we could start to picture her in our little household and family unit.  I must say I couldn't wait to buy her, her first outfit there and then... but I resisted.

Now we are only 2 weeks away from meeting our little Jellybean and we couldn't be more excited if we tried!  Everything is all ready and set.  Her nursery is complete, hospital bags are packed... and so all that is left is for her to continue to grow and then make an appearance when she is ready.  Knowing our luck, she will most likely keep us waiting for being too organised!

So HELLO TO A NEW CHAPTER and I look forward to uploading and sharing my journey of becoming a new Mum with you all... along with all things Motherhood related.

Thatlittleshoe x

All Things Homeware!

Yep, you guessed it.... it's all about HOMEWARE!  Perry and I are currently renovating our new flat that we purchased a few months ago, so at the moment we are living in a temporary accommodation.  However, this has been a real eye opener and has given us a trial to living in our own house and how our interior would look like.  In this post I am going to be showing you all of my favourite go-to styling tips and tricks that I live by when styling my flat.  So without further a do.... let's start!

One of my favourite hobbies when I have a day off from work, is to bake!  I absolutely LOVE baking!!  It gives me a feeling of sheer satisfaction when a tray of freshly baked muffins that I have baked come out of the oven looking and tasting AMAZING!!  I have so many baking books... but if I had to choose two favourite, they would be 'The Hummingbird Bakery Book' and 'Tanya Bakes'.  I bought this big Mason bowl and wooden spoon from my local home shop and I think it is the perfect addition to my kitchen.  It not only helps me with my baking, but it also looks really stylish too.

My husband and I are real foodies and we both love to cook healthy dishes with fresh ingredients, so having a section of the kitchen where we can store our oils, spices and salt/pepper and knives was essential.  I like to have these things together in one place in the kitchen, because it makes cooking so much easier.  A lot of our accessories for the kitchen are in copper, because if you didn't know already I'm obsessed with all things COPPER!!!  So I picked up these gorgeous Salt and Pepper shakers from Next and they have been so incredibly useful as well as making my kitchen look so stylish!  Also I purchased these glass mason jugs to hold olive oil and vegetable oil... In the olive oil, I put a sprig of fresh Rosemary to infuse it and also make it look pretty.  Lastly I put a book stand with my new cook book 'Ready Steady Glow' by Madeleine Shaw to entice me with new and exciting recipes to try out.

A dressing table has always been one of the things that I have wanted for so many years.  I have imagined having a vintage styled unit with a bid mirror and multiple drawers.  Luckily I found this beauty in one of my local vintage stores and instantly fell in love!  It is the perfect size for the bedroom and I love the colour of it.  It was painted using a chalk based paint from the Annie Sloan range and it creates a more subtle look for the room.  I use the drawers to store my ever growing nail varnish collection, makeup collection, sunglasses collection and anything else that I wish to store.  I also use the mirror to hang my long necklaces from it and I have displayed some personal photos and ornaments on it.  It's so great to have somewhere where I can do my hair/makeup rather than using a hallway mirror. 

Is it just me or does a fresh bouquet of Roses always bring happiness to a room?  These beautiful ones were picked up from my local florist, Pipers Florist and every time I look at them they make me smile.  The glass vase was given to my Husband and I on our wedding day and I love having it in the house as it reminds us of our special day!

How cute is this little gold terrarium??  I bought this a while ago because I wanted to inject a bit of warmth to the lounge and by putting a candle inside, it works really well near the fireplace and when lit it looks so magical!  

Another thing I have become obsessed with is styling shelves.  I recently bought a big shelving unit from Ikea and it allowed me to experiment with styling ornaments and books etc.  My favourite way to style is by mixing my favourite fashion books with plants/ornaments.  It gives the shelf height and it allows you to change the books that you want to display. 

I have never really owned a proper jewellery stand.  My jewellery has either been hanging off a hook or tangled up in one of my drawers.  So when I looked at Oliver bonas and their amazing collection of jewellery stands I knew that I needed to snap one up right away!  Unfortunately the one that I bought has now been discontinued, however here are some similar ones that they are currently stocking.  I love their collection because they manage to incorporate different textures and materials... my one is made up of a brass stand with a marble base.  The different levels, allow me to merchandise bracelets, short necklaces and longer necklaces all at once!    

Since I can remember, I have always had a love for cushions of all shapes and sizes.  I constantly find myself in interior shops drooling over the latest cushions with patterns, textures and colours.  My gorgeous big sister very kindly bought these two HUGE cushions for us from Next and they are the most sunning cushions ever!  They are silver with a Morrocan styled pattern running through in a contrasting grey shade.  I always find that Next do the best cushions so check out their website.    

So now all we need to do is finish off the renovations and then my husband and I will be able to move our furniture into our first home... how exciting?!!!  I will be keeping you all posted when we are finally in and give you all a house tour... but until then, I hope you are all having a great week!

M x

Exploring the Thames!

My parents recently bought a boat in St Margarets, because they wanted to have something to allow them to escape and travel.  I thought it was a wonderful idea, because it's like a second home for whenever we want to explore the Thames in all its glory!  So the other week, I went to visit their boat with Perry and my parents to check out the area and have a weekend adventure!

The first stop of the day was a good proper roast lunch and what better way to have that then, right on the Thames edge.  We stopped by The White Swan and it was the most beautiful day to visit.  It was a gorgeous white building that was dressed with various wild flowers. The entrance to the pub is up two flights of stairs, because when the tide comes in... all of the area becomes flooded by over a metre high!

We decided to eat our lunch outside in the garden area and it was so special.  We ate the most delicious belly of pork with crackling, roast potatoes, seasonal vegetables, Yorkshire puddings and gravy.  It was so lovely to enjoy a family lunch together by the river and have the sun shining down on us!  

After our lunch we went for a long walk along the Twickenham river and embraced the wonders that it had to offer.  There were so many beautiful little boats bobbing around and the swans were all dancing in the water.  It was such a pretty setting!

How pretty are these gorgeous wild flowers?  There were hundreds of these all around near the river and they made the area really peaceful and stunning to admire.  It was the most perfect scenery for reading a book or walking your dog,,, the latter was what I did, as my family dog was with us and I enjoyed parading her along the river bank.

On all of the benches in the area, they had numerous quotes from famous literature on them.  My favourite quote was "Act well your part; There all the honour lies, Eternal sunshine of the spotless mind."  It is all about how honor and shame is reflected on the way you act, rather than on your social condition.  An example of this would be when you have a task to do.  Instead of making other people do it for you, you take it upon yourself to make an honourable effort in completing it!

Whilst on our walk, we unexpectedly came across the statues of female figures, which adorn a cascade and pool in the riverside portion of the York House Gardens.  

The sculptures are carved in the renowned Italian white marble of Carrara.  They represent the Oceanides, or sea nymphs of Greek Mythology, and although we cannot be sure of the name of the sculptor, it is believed that they came from a Roman studio in the nineteenth century.  

Unfortunately my pictures do not do the statues any justice... I wish you could have seen what I did. I cannot put into words how in awe I was when I saw them up close!  The whole picture that you see of each individual sea nymph, when you take a step back and allow it to sink in, is incredible as you can admire the precision and detail of each statue, especially as each one has a different emotion on it's face!  Given the fact that they are so old and hand carved, they really are quite breathtaking!

It has been such a wonderful weekend, exploring the Thames in all it's glory.  And I have thoroughly enjoyed Twickenham's company and all that it has to offer!  I'm so excited to return here in the Summer! 

Have you travelled to anywhere nice recently?

M x

Red Velvet Cupcakes!

I simply cannot resist a good cupcake and so I wanted to recreate the iconic 'Red Velvet' from my favourite company in London, "Hummingbird Bakery".

"The Hummingbird Bakery is a sweet tooth's delight.  The cupcakes are so legendary and our special occasions are always chock full of Hummingbird goodies!" Gwyneth Paltrow.

For the cupcakes you will need:

• 60g unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 150g castar sugar 
• 1 egg
• 10g cocoa powder
• 20ml red food colouring
• 1/2 tea spoon vanilla extract 
• 120ml butter milk
• 150g plain flour
• 1/2 tea spoon salt 
• 1/2 tea spoon bicarbonate of soda
• 1 1/2 tea spoons white wine vinegar

Method for cupcakes:

• Preheat the oven to 170 degrees Celsius.
• Put the butter and sugar into a bowl and beat on a medium speed until light and fluffy.
• Slowly add the egg and beat until everything is well incorporated.
• In a separate bowl, mix together the cocoa powder, red food colouring and vanilla extract to make a thick, dark paste.  Add this to the butter mixture until everything is combined.
• Pour in half of the buttermilk and beat until well mixed and then add half of the flour and mix until well incorporated.  Repeat this process until all of the buttermilk and flour has been added and the mixture is smooth. 
• Add the salt, bicarbonate of soda and the vinegar and mix for a couple of minutes.  
• Spoon the mixture into paper cases until two-thirds full and bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until the sponge bounces back when touched.  A skewer inserted in the centre should come out clean.
• Leave the cupcakes to cool slightly in the tray before turning out onto a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
• When the cupcakes are cold, spoon the Cream Cheese Frosting on top.  I kept some of the cupcake crumbs to decorate on top of the frosting to add a bit of colour.

For the cream cheese frosting you will need:

• 300g icing sugar, sifted 
• 50g unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 125g cream cheese, cold

Method for the frosting:

• Beat the icing sugar and butter together on a medium-slow speed until the mixture comes together and is well mixed.
• Add the cream cheese in one go and beat until it is completely incorporated.
• Continue beating until the frosting is light and fluffy, at least 5 minutes.
• Do not overbeat, as it can quickly become runny.

And that's how to make the legendary 'Red Velvet Cupcake'... so all you should do now is make a good cup of tea and enjoy!

M x

Flat Iron Review!

The other day Perry and I popped into one of the highly anticipated restaurants in London, "Flat Iron".   It is the type of restaurant where it is first come first serve, because they don't take any reservations and that is one of the reasons why they are so popular.   Every time I walked past it, there was always a huge queue of people waiting patiently for a seat at their table.  That is always a good sign of a great restaurant and we just couldn't wait to get stuck into their food!

When we were seated, we were given a big mug of free salted popcorn, which was really cool and totally unexpected!  It was really comforting to be given a light snack before our main course arrived.

I noticed that the cutlery was so unique, as instead of being given a knife to cut up my steak with, I was given a miniature Chopper instead.  It was so cute as normally choppers are one of the most popular knives for Butchers and so it was really sweet to see mini versions for us to eat with.  

For the main event, we both chose the infamous 'Flat Iron steak' with 'Dripping Cooked Chips', Creamed Spinach' and 'Today's Market Greens'.  It was cooked to absolute perfection and was so tender that it literally melted into my mouth.  All of the side dishes that I chose, matched perfectly with the steak and the whole dish was incredible!  One of the best steaks I've ever had!  I asked my husband, Perry what a 'Flat Iron' steak was and this is what he had to say...

"A flat iron is made from the muscle ,which is taken from the shoulder of the cow and is called the feather blade.  When butchers use precision and seam the gristle properly, it is therefore made into a Flat Iron."  Perry Bartlett, The Ginger Pig

Overall, we had such an amazing time at 'Flat Iron', because the food was insane, the vibe of the restaurant was so casual and laid back and the service was awesome!  Did I forget to mention that after our meal, we were given a casino chip that allowed us to go over to the ice cream station and be greeted with a free homemade chocolate ice cream cone to go... how many restaurants can you name who do that?  I would definitely recommend to you all that if you are in Covent Garden, go and check out 'Flat Iron' and taste their amazing dishes!

M x

The Salad With A Glow!

Since I've moved in with my husband and adjusted to married life, I have been diving into home cooking head first and have really enjoyed it.  One thing that I haven't attempted so far is to create a luxury salad, one that you can either eat on its own or pair with chicken etc.  The other day I purchased Madeleine Shaw's new book "Ready Steady Glow" and I couldn't wait to try her Mango and Avocado salad recipe.

"I adore the taste and texture of this fruit and veg combo - the juicy mango and creamy avocado go so well together.  It's a great salad to beat the bloat; mango is beneficial for digestion as it contains prebiotic dietary fibre that feeds the good bacteria in your gut that help break down food."

Recipe from "Ready Steady Glow", by the lovely Madeleine Shaw.

You will need:

50g Cashews
1 mango, peeled and stoned
1 avocado, peeled and stoned
Juice of 2 limes
1 red chilli finely sliced (deseeded if you like)
1 tsp freshly grated ginger
50g rocket
2 tbsp finely chopped mint


Method:

• Heat a small dry frying pan to a medium-high heat and toast the cashews for 5 minutes, shaking the pan to prevent them from burning.
• Once they have browned slightly, tip them onto a plate to cool.
• Finely slice the mango and avocado and toss in half of the lime juice to prevent them from browning.
• Mix the remaining lime juice with the chilli and ginger.
• Pile up the rocket, mango and avocado in the middle of the plate.
• Throw over the toasted cashews, drizzle over the spicy dressing and scatter over the chopped mint.

Now tuck in and enjoy the glow!

M x

A Honeymoon to remember!

The morning after our wedding consisted of us catching our very own taxi (actually it was my Dad as he insisted that he would drive us to the airport) at 4am in the morning to catch the incredibly early flight at 7am.  I must point out that our wedding was on a Saturday and it didn't finish until 1:30am and so catching such an early flight on a Sunday morning, must have made us the two most sleepiest zombies around!  But it was all worth it... for we had booked off 3 weeks and we couldn't wait for our holiday to begin!

We stayed at the incredible "Delphin Imperial" five star resort in Antalya, Turkey.  The one word I could use to describe this resort was 'breathtaking' and we were so lucky to be spending our honeymoon in somewhere so beautiful as this!

Once we checked into our hotel room, we were welcomed by red satin sheets and swans made out of towels.  It was so romantic and unexpected.... it was such a nice touch!  As well as the bedding, we were also welcomed by breakfast in bed which in Turkey is more like a breakfast feast!  It was so delicious and included eggs, toast, bread, jams and nutella, meats, salad, smoothies, fresh juice and tea.  It was so delicious and I couldn't wait to experience the rest of the Turkish food that this resort had to offer.

At the resort they actually had their very own private beach and it was so wonderful to be right by the sea and have nothing but white sand beneath my feet!  

I wanted to make our mark on the resort and so I wrote our initials in the sand... I just couldn't resist! 

Chilling by the pool was definitely my favourite part of the holiday.  To be able to sit back, relax and bask in the glorious hot sun was such a luxury.  It was safe to say that we both didn't want to go back home!

For our first dinner, I wanted to wear a bright colour outfit and so I opted for the colour coral and teamed it with this gorgeous skirt that I bought from Jigsaw which has so many different shades in it.  Finally I teamed it with high wedges and a coral flower in my hair.  Turkey was so hot (38 degrees Celsius most nights) that I simply washed my hair and let it dry naturally, which is why it looks so dark.   

Dinner arrived and it was an incredibly buffet where you can literally choose from over 150 dishes and come back for seconds and thirds (not that i did that at all....)  Our plates were both so packed up with food that you couldn't see the plates at all.  But oh my was the food delicious!  

For my dessert I chose something a little less rich and so I went for melon and a homemade chocolate mousse.  It was so good that I had it practically every night!  Perry on the other hand went for something a little more naughty.... two very rich and chocolate based cakes/puddings.... he may have even gone back for seconds!

Our last meal was a traditional Turkish buffet and our table was dressed with the Turkish flag.  It was a little bit emotional because we didn't want the endless supply of delicious food to end! 

We had such an amazing seven days and it was a holiday that we will both cherish for many years to come!  One day I hope that we will be able to return to Delphin Imperial one last time to reminisce. 

M x