• Bastille - Bad Blood CD
• Hello Apparel Arrows Top
• Zatchels Chestnut Satchel
• Lush Spa Comforter Treatment
• Joseph Joseph Utensils Nest
• Zoku Ice Lolly Maker.

Yesterday I was invited by the lovely Hannah to attend the Bournemouth Blogger meet. I've never really done one of these before and didn't know what to expect. I'm not the most outgoing of people.


There were 16 of us and it was lovely! Everyone was really nice and even though I didn't get to speak to everyone I cant wait to stalk some new blogs.

Hannah was so nice as a host, giving us some icebreakers to get to know someone you've not met before. I met Brogan and learnt that she had started her own business and was 4 years younger than me (seriously she's awesome- when I was 18 I didn't even know what I wanted!) We also had a blogger quiz about everything from celebrities to the world of blogging. I was teamed with the lovely Robyn and Joe and our team name was the brilliant 'You're a quizzard Harry!' and of course we were amazing and won the quiz (I spend way too much time reading celeb news at times) and I received an amazing Lush gift box which I can't wait to dive into.

Some of my favourite things that have happened this past week!

Now spring is upon us (nearly) I am on the hunt for some amazing graphic tops for Max. Boys clothes are either too cute or just boring so when I see something I love I jump on it quicker than you can say 'Wait! Your bank balance hates you'. Here are some of my favourites though.

“It's strange because sometimes, I read a book, and I think I am the people in the book.” ― Stephen Chbosky, The Perks of Being a Wallflower

Books have always meant something to me. I've probably spent half my life curled up somewhere reading books over and over again for some strange reason or another. I get highlighters and pens out and note down quotes and special things that mean something to me. The books that don't mean that much to me get passed to friends and family so they can enjoy them instead. Working in a bookshop has opened my eyes to some amazing new stories and one that I think I need to share with you guys. It's hard to compile a top 5  4 but these are probably it. 

Max has been pretty up and down recently. No daytime naps and late evenings while being over stimulated hasn't been a good equation. Nighttimes have always been a nightmare for us. We rarely get a full night's sleep but when we do it's bliss.

Some of the things I have learnt that have helped Max are:

• Bathtime before bed. Our go to product is Lush's Ickle Baby Bot. We break it in half in a shallow warm bath, and it's filled with lavender and chamomile so it smells gorgeous. Max also has other bath bombs but these are the best for telling him no.
  
• Books not TV. Max has over 150 books (yes I get carried away in book shops!) so we are never short of new stories. There are so many that he loves but we sit in his room with a few night lights on and read some of his favourites.
  
• Hooty Brown Owl. Max got given this for christmas and it's been a lifesaver. 20 minutes before bed we pop this in the microwave and then it warms up his bed while filled with the smell of lavender (we like lavender at bedtime) so his room is nice and relaxing.
  
• No distractions. We don't keep many toys in his room. The ones we do keep in there need putting back together or are quiet in the hope that he won't want to play with them. He has many soft toys but prefers to have conversations with them before bed. He tells them how his day was and what he did.

Our methods don't work for everyone. Some people prefer to co-sleep and that's never been something we've done (Max ends up kicking me out of bed!) and some people prefer cry it out or using the Cbeebies nightime story to help. Max is starting to sleep through. I can't wait for the time when he's 15 and I'm forcing him out of bed at 5am haha.

I've seen so many people write these and I feel that I've jumped into this blogging things without people getting to know me. So here are a few fun facts.

1. I live in Bournemouth, in the middle of student central and it sucks at night time! The students are so loud and disruptive that I wish I lived somewhere a bit quieter. I really want to live in Scotland. I have amazing friends there and the places are gorgeous.
   
2. I've struggled with my weight for years, I'm 2 stone lighter than I was a year ago but still about 4 away from my happy place. It will happen. Previously I lost weight through the wrong methods and I want to do it the right way. I don't want Max to have an ill mum.
   
3. I studied Commercial Photography at Uni. Despite loving photography I hated the course and now want to be a copywriter for a company instead. Oops! Despite that I still love taking photos and would prefer to be behind the camera than infront of it.
   
4. I never wanted children until I found out I was pregnant with Max. Also I found out I was pregnant when I was 26 weeks - I had been on the pill and it had cut out all symptoms. Being a mum is great but really tough. Some days I want to give it all up and curl in bed and hibernate, but when I hear Max scream 'Mummy you are so funny, I love you' It makes it all worth it.
   
5. Me and Scott got together 2 weeks before Max was conceived. We met online through mutual friends and apparently I lured him in with music and booze! I've met some of the best friends online and I wouldn't have it any other way.
   
6. I want my future home to be painted soft grey and blue (quite like my jumper) In a nice location with enough land to build a treehouse in the garden and a vegetable patch. We are moving in with Scott's parents in October to make our dreams come true and save for a deposit.
   
7. I am in a job that I finally love. I do the stationary and gifts at Waterstones and love going to work each day and knowing I'm surrounded by books and pretty things. I have a sinking feeling I won't get a transfer to a local store which will break my heart but it's been my favourite job ever.
   
8. I can't wait to get married and have it all planned out in my head! The location, the dress, the photography. I need to get my weight and finances in order first. And Scott needs to ask me aswell.
   
9. I spend most of my free time reading. There's something about the escapism of a book. My favourite is Perks Of Being A Wallflower. It changed and saved my life. I can't explain why but it did. All my favourite books have bits highlighted in them so I never forget them.
   
   “So, I guess we are who we are for alot of reasons. And maybe we’ll never know most of them. But even if we don’t have the power to choose where we come from, we can still choose where we go from there. We can still do things. And we can try to feel okay about them.”
   
10. Some days I'm not okay. Some days I'm amazing. I don't think I will ever find the right balance. I have the support around me to help though. I can write and I will write. I don't know where it will take me. I don't know what I will do. All I do know is that I have my family and friends. There may not be many and they may not all be close by. Right now these moment's aren't stories, they are what's happening right now. 

• Clinique's Anti Blemish Foundation - My skin is a mixture of dry, oily and flares up red at any given moment so I found this was one of the only foundations that actually kept the redness down and didn't make me look orange with a dry face! It's pricey but seems to last a few months which is good and means that I can save up my boots points to spend on it haha. 
• Benefits Porefessional - I swear pretty much every beauty blog I read mentions this product at one point. Since having Max my pores are like that of a sweaty teenager and this seems to have significantly reduced the appearance of them with the makeup on. I also love the way that it's in a tiny tube so that I can keep it in my bag incase things start to go a bit pear shaped in the face department.
• Clinique Chubby Stick - I love this, it's my must have product. Even when I do the nursery run with no makeup on I still have this on my lips. At the moment I'm loving the Curviest Caramel as it's not too bright and perfect for the winter months.
• Soap and Glory Archery - My eyebrows are horrible and pretty patchy. I'm still getting the hang of properly doing eyebrows and I know that I need to get them properly shaped or just organised. This product however fills in those dodgy blank bits and makes them look a bit more normal. 
• Soap and Glory Thick And Fast Mascara - I can't count the amount of mascara's I've tried that claim to do this or do that, this one seems to do the trick for me however. Along with most other people I picked it up from the xmas sales in Boots. My lashes are pretty stumpy and horrible but these actually make it look like I have eyelashes! 

All of the above gets teamed with lush moisturiser, cheap powder and eyeliner (I can't afford expensive everything! Especially with Max's wardrobe to upkeep haha)

Hi my name's Laura and I have a shopping addiction...for children's clothes. Thank god I have a child to wear them! Max has a very extensive wardrobe. I think it's because I prefer for him to look good than scruffy all the time. That's not to say he's not always covered in some paint, goo, gunk or some other substance that you have no idea about. I've just realised that sometimes paying a little bit more does in fact get you better quality with kids clothes.

Next and M&S are two of my favourite brands at the moment and when I found a couple of gift cards hidden in my bag I jumped at the opportunity to buy some stuff. I've just done a big clear out of his old stuff that he's either outgrown or that doesn't look right any more.

Thankfully some lovely friends wanted to buy it all off me so I sold a bit and donated the rest to Macmillian Cancer Charity. My mum works for them and they put together clothing bundles for parents that have cancer and cannot afford to buy clothes for the children. I also donated loads of nappies and toys to add to the bundles. I really love helping out with her work any way I can and since having Max I haven't been able to pop in anymore.

After snagging some jeans for Max in Next (they NEVER have his size in so I always have to wait or order) I realised that he needed some new tops as some of them were riding up quite high when he bent over. He also lives in round neck jumpers as they are so easy to whip off and layer up with things such as his rain jacket.

So I ended up getting him a Ghostbusters top and funny face jumper from Next, a camouflage jumper and camera top from M&S and who couldn't refuse this gorgeous comic relief x Stella Mccartney top from TKMaxx. All without spending a penny. And might I add all in the next size up so he can wear them loads!

I still can't believe how big he's getting. I found a top he wore when he was a few months old and compared with a top he wears now and almost cried. the top fit into the whole of the torso of the new tops! He's no longer a baby.

It's something that I've been thinking about more and more. Maybe not as our main home, I don't think I could live in that close proximity with Scott and Max, and I desperately want my own office space or at least a reading nook. But it's something that I would love as a second home. Or as a bit in the bottom of our garden that the kid(s) can use as a hideout or something.


I love the idea of having minimal possessions, using up minimal land space and basically sizing everything down. Houses these days can be so massive and overwhelming. I'd love to just get away from it all. Don't get me wrong I love my home comforts so a life of homesteading and living off the land is a bit too much of a stretch for me but the ideas are something I want to implement into my life, especially once we buy a place.


It's a big dream. Something that will take us years to achieve but I can't wait. I love looking at blogs online of families and people that are living in their tiny houses or using them as playhouses, offices or holiday homes.


This summer we are moving in with Scotts parents. They have a small outhouse in the bottom of their garden which me and Scotts sister plan to renovate for Max to play in. If that's successful then I know that we can build our own tiny home at some point.

Some of my favourite sites:
http://www.littlediggs.com/
http://vimeo.com/55389782
http://www.tumbleweedhouses.com/
http://tinyhouseblog.com/
http://tinyhouseswoon.com/
http://home-sweet-homestead.tumblr.com/ (not a tiny home but I love that they are building their own home off grid)

February is the month of love, at least for those that are into the whole charade of Valentines day. For me and Scott we take it as an opportunity to buy each other the cheesiest presents we can find but here are some of my favourites that I've come across this year.