Baby Boy Nursery Tour!

Decorating the nursery has been the most exciting thing but also the most stressful! We live in a really small one bed house so have had to do a total over haul of the whole house to make room for our impending little one! We have thrown away everything that isn't a necessity, painted all the walls, bought loads of new furniture that works better for our space but most importantly; given up over half our bedroom for the nursery.

My partner and I now have a bed, two thirds of a built in wardrobe and a small dressing table and thats it. Its been really hard to downsize but I am so glad we did it. Apparently I'm a hoarder so its been really nice to be brutal and only keep what we need.  Everything is so much tidier for it! 

Our bedroom is an L shape and the nursery takes up the larger half of the L. Starting from the right hand side of the room, up against the built in wardrobe we have a tall black lamp, washing basket and nappy bin. This part of the wardrobe is hard to access which is why it is the babies, we store things that aren't everyday in here. Such as spare nappies, wipes and clothes that won't fit for a while. The washing basket was an IKEA bargain, as was the lamp and the nappy bin is a Tommee Tippee Sangenic Tec. 

Next to that is the cot, he won't be sleeping in here for a while as we have a moses basket which will live next to the bed but isn't this the cutest! It is the Mini Cot from Mokee, it is slightly smaller than your average cot but is still a really good size and turns into a bed when he's bigger. Such incredible quality and so cheap!

Underneath the cot we are currently keeping the swing, bouncer and play mat. These won't stay here once baby arrives but makes a decent storage space in the meantime!

 Hanging on the side we have a gorgeous quilt my mum made, it has Peter Rabbit on which is lovely for a little boy but is also in neutral shades so matches our grown up space nicely.

This mobile is from John Lewis, we are huge animal lovers so this was right up our street. So cute and hopefully will keep babies attention but not to garish to look at. We also have Ewan The Dream Sheep, he is a sleep aid and I can't wait to use him! He lives in the cot at the moment but will probably get put on the moses basket when baby comes! 

We didn't have room for an actual changing table but I did want somewhere dedicated for changing so this cot top changer was the perfect option. Also from Mokee, it secures on the top for safety and can also be hung from the side of the cot if need be. It is super spongy and the raised edges make it feel so safe and comfortable!

Next to the cot we have the Malm four drawn chest of draws from IKEA, it was the perfect option as it has loads of room and the sleek design worked perfectly in our bedroom. It looks grown up enough to match our things but also the babies. 

On top of the drawers we have a GroEgg which is a room thermometer, this is a must. It will help so much in knowing what to dress baby in at night, as first time parents I feel like we will need the help! We also have an Amazon Echo Dot, it will be handy for when we need hands free help like the time, some music while feeding or whatever else. 

Then we have this hamper with changing essentials in, it is within easy reaching distance of the changing mat. Inside we just have the basics, nappies and a packet of wipes. 

Next to the small hamper we have this jumbo one! This currently holds all his toys and books. He won't be using these for a while so we don't have much but we have collected a few books, some soft toys and some comforters to start him off with. 

Next to the drawers and right at the end of the room and against the wall is the nursing chair. We didn't want a proper nursing chair as once we are done using it this one can be used elsewhere in the house and won't go to waste like a dedicated nursing chair would. I have added a super soft grey blanket for chilly late night feeds and a cushion. It also has a handy footstool just out of shot. It is from Argos.

Now for the drawers which I can't stop looking through! 

The top drawer has practical things such as nappy bags, cotton balls, creams and bath stuff and hygiene things. Again, within perfect reaching distance of the changing mat should I need nappy bags or bum creams!

The next drawer is clothes. This drawer melts my heart, we got drawer separators from IKEA which work so well to organise the tiny clothes! I've folded and stored everything side ways so we can see exactly what we have, I have become very protective over this draw and it will break my heart when it gets messed up which I'm sure it will the moment baby gets home!

The third drawer has a few more clothing bits in more drawer dividers. Smaller bits like hats, socks, bibs and mittens. They are all so tiny and adorable, ahh!

Then the rest of the drawer holds towels and wash cloths. I cannot wait to wrap him up in these towels and take loads of photos and have lots of cuddles after his baths!

The bottom drawer is sleep stuff, cellular blankets, thicker blankets, sleeping bags, swaddles and extra cot/moses basket sheets. We definitely have more than we need in here but who can resist buying a soft blanket! 

So thats everything! Little boys nursery is all organised and ready for his arrival. The only thing we are missing is something like a canvas or print to go on the wall above the cot but we just haven't found the perfect thing yet! We don't want to rush and put something rubbish up there so we are just leaving it bare until we find just the right thing. 

I am so happy with how everything looks and so proud at how we have made it all work in such a small space and with a small budget. One of my main worries when we found out I was pregnant was how we would fit a baby into our tiny house along with two adults, a dog, two guineapigs and a rat but we have done it and I am in love!

Baby Things We Already Have And Can't Wait To Use!

One               Two              Three               Four

If you have a baby or are expecting one I'm sure you've been doing the same as me and randomly going into the babies space and looking in every draw. Touching all the little clothes, smelling all the clean blankets and stroking the teddy bears, just generally looking forward to when little one finally arrives and uses all these adorable things! 

We have been incredibly blessed to have been gifted so many lovely things from family and friends, we did buy the majority of little boys things ourselves though. The nursery space takes up about half of our bedroom which we have fully redecorated to make it a neutral space that is suitable for both ourselves and for a baby, we didn't want the space to look too childish so a lot of the items we have bought are in white and grey. I'll be uploading a nursery tour soon!

I thought I'd talk you through just a few of the many things we have for baby that I am desperate to use! The next 3 weeks can't go quick enough!

One

Firstly is Ewan The Dream Sheep, it feels like everyone in the world has recommended Ewan and it helps that he is bloody adorable. So when my baby shower rolled around and people started asking what we wanted, I had to add Ewan to the list. Ewan is a sleep aid essentially, he is both a nightlight but also has a button in each foot that each makes a different soothing sound to help baby sleep. It did seem like faddy crap to me originally, like how can a few noises help a baby sleep? But the hype surrounding it is insane so I am now convinced it will help me raise a sleeping angel. Fingers crossed!

Two

One thing Liam was adamant on was that he hated standard Moses baskets and wanted something a little different. I told him that he could choose anything he wanted as long as it didn't cost the earth like most of the fancier ones do! He researched like crazy and came across a brand called Mokee, they are super affordable and we decided to go for a sleep bundle which included the Moses basket, cot and both mattresses for £229. I mean, thats such an insanely good price! I will say that the delivery took almost 7 weeks which is hard when you are as excited as we were but it did all come in perfect condition and the quality exceeded our expectations. 

The Wool Nest (shown) is the thing I am most excited about,  it is the softest, cosiest thing on earth and I am so excited for the first time we lay our little bundle down in it and most likely stare at him all night long! 

Three

First of all, babies name is not Jamie. That is still a closely guarded secret that only a few people know and are sworn to secrecy! Something we desperately wanted was a personalised blanket with little ones names on it. It just felt so special to open the box and see his name for the first time beautifully embroidered on this gorgeously soft white cellular blanket from MyFirstYears. This was a a baby shower present from Liam's mum (one of the lucky ones who knows the name) and is currently hanging on the side of the cot, it feels so surreal to see his name taking pride of place. It really brought it home how close we are to having a real baby here!

Four

Lastly, one of the first things we bought for baby was this Jellycat Lion. It has been with us since the very beginning of this pregnancy so it feels only fitting that it is one the things I am most excited about! I know he won't play with it at first but he will look so cute snuggled up next to it in photographs! Like all Jellycat toys, it is the softest thing. Our poor dog has been desperate the get his teeth around it for months, it's heartbreaking watching him lust after it! 

In all honesty, I'm excited for everything. Even plain white socks get me all excited. Even nappies get me excited! I'm crazy, I know but these are the few things I find myself staring at the most. 

What are you guys loving for your little ones? 

36 Week Pregnancy Update

The past few weeks have been busy to say the least! We went on holiday to Devon for 5 days, had a baby shower and Liam graduated university for the last time!

It is so lovely to have the photos and memories of Baby Fish at these events but my god did he make himself known!

Things have really ramped up recently, let talk about it!

1. Officially nothing fits, nothing. I have been shoe horning myself into maxi dresses and hoping they don't burst at the seems. 

2. It's not only clothes that doesn't fit, now neither do my shoes or my jewellery! I noticed while on holiday that my ankles had really swollen up and I could barely get my shoes on, I wore a Thomas Sabo anklet on the first day of holiday and by the last, I couldn't get it on. I did have a ring snuggie on my engagement ring which I no longer need and I live in flip flops. 

3. A whole week of walking along beaches and non stop activity really took its toll, I have never felt more tired in my life but also never felt better in my own skin! It was so nice getting my bump out in a bikini and taking gorgeous beach bump pics! 

4. I had the best time at my baby shower and am so grateful to everyone that made the day special and got lovely presents for Baby Fish. 

5. Washing baby clothes is a bloody nightmare, the whole time a wash is on I find myself constantly worrying that everything will come out misshapen or the wrong colour. It hasn't happened yet but I'm a washing disaster so I'm waiting for it!

6. I think I have a stretch mark, it is faint and pink but I feel like its getting darker. I'm not too sad about it as I expected it to happen but with only 4 weeks left! How annoying!

7. I am still being sick, I think it is safe to assume now that it isn't going away. I'm fairly certain I will throw up during birth/labour. 

8. His movements are so strong now that they are quite often really unpleasant. His rolls make me feel physically sick but at the same time, if I don't feel like every 5mins I panic like crazy.  

9. I think I have carpel tunnel, my fingers are constantly tingling/numb. Midwife says it's nothing to worry about but it really is driving me mad! 

10. We have had our 36week scan which was a horror from start to finish, the lady who did my blood test and blood pressure I swear was trying to kill me. She did my blood pressure repeatedly until my whole arm went purple and I couldn't move it then she tried to take blood from that arm which obviously didn't have any as it was dead! So she proceeded to wiggle the needle around and stab at me for ages before moving to the other arm. Then the lady doing the scan was so rough that she bruised my stomach but the overall outcome was that baby is fine and not quite as large as they originally thought so thats good at least!

I honestly can't get my head around the fact that he is due to be here in 4 weeks! We are completely prepared though, everything is washed, folded, put away, built and stocked up! The only thing left to do is get a mirror and window shades for the car, so I'm just using my time to sleep and relax my aching body now! 

Please don't be late little boy! I can't wait any longer to meet you! 

Our Babymoon!

For the past five years Liam and I have been to the same place in Devon on holiday every year, Woolacombe, North Devon. Last year, he actually proposed while we were there at our favourite private beach so we were really sad when we ultimately decided that we wouldn't go this year as I would be 34 weeks pregnant and it was the only time we could go between Liam's university commitments and baby's arrival. 

As we go every year, the holiday park that we always stay at were sending an abundance of emails and letters about booking a holiday, deals and offers. We got sent such a good offer that we just couldn't ignore so decided that we would take the car chair and hospital bags with us and hope that the baby didn't make an early arrival and that I wouldn't die of tiredness while there! 

The huge bump and my swollen ankles didn't stop us from exploring the beach, we opted to hire some adorable deck chairs and enjoy the beach in a more peaceful way rather than exploring the rock pools like we usually do! It is extremely hard to get out of a deck chair however, when you are very pregnant! 

Couldn't not take at least a few classic Liam from behind photos! They are my favourite to take! 

On the last day we visited a beautiful little village and had a cream tea while taking in this amazing sea view! This village had the steepest hills on earth, I've never panted so much in my life and Liam had to physically push me up hills but it was worth it for this incredible view!

I mainly took polaroid photos because they just feel so much more special than a digital and the camera is also a lot lighter to carry than our massive camera we usually use! This worked out so much better for my tired whale body to handle! 

We took some lovely bump shots but this one is probably my favourite.

I have an insatiable appetite at the moment so we did spend most of our time either eating or planning where to eat next. We had loads of amazing cream teas, drank loads of tea and drowned ourselves in fudge. 

The best meal though, was the tapas. We went to this same tapas restaurant last year the day Liam proposed so it felt really special to go back again with baby fish as well. He kicked away in my tummy like crazy while I drank a delicious Peach and Passionfruit Daiquiri Mocktail, we went for the endless tapas deal so we had so much food and left feeling painfully full but it was worth it as the food was genuinely the best I have ever eaten. 

This was the view from our deck chairs I mentioned earlier, who wouldn't want to have a picnic looking at this and reading a book in the sun! We did get a little burnt though, despite the sun cream. But again, so worth it. 

We had such a good week away, the last just us two before we become a family of three! I can't wait to take the little one with us next year. We didn't take our dog, Watson, this year as we felt Liam would have his hands full looking after me let alone our needy yet adorable pup but he will definitely be coming next year so we can have a proper family holiday! 

The best Babymoon! 

31 Week Pregnancy Update: The Home Stretch

We are on the home stretch! Just 9 weeks until my due date and finally on maternity leave. I've genuinely never been more excited!

I'm feeling very lucky that I still feel "relatively" healthy and can still reach my feet to put my shoes on, I don't want to jinx it but so far the 3rd Trimester is treating me well. There are my recent updates...

1. My bump now touches the steering wheel in my car which means time to sell it! We no longer need two cars and I'm too tubby to drive anyway!

2. I've only been on maternity leave for a week and I'm already bored and I'm constant stress mode about money. Maternity pay really is rubbish but the bills still need paying! 

3. Baby is due in 9 weeks and it still doesn't feel real. Will the realness hit me soon?! 

4. Maternity clothes don't even fit me anymore, everything feels too restricting and like its squeezing me so now I spend all my time in the nude or in enormous pyjamas.

5. Nesting is real and it has bit me like a ton of bricks! I've organised little boys clothes so many times and I can't stop hoovering! And having even one knife in the sink sends my anxiety into overdrive! 

6. I've always been a crazy dog mama but my pup has been so extra cute to me recently. I can't stop mothering him, the poor boy is sick of all the attention but I just want cuddles!

7. Little boy kicks so hard and rolls around to intensely that I feel like I'm going to throw up. Sometimes I actually do throw up. It just like a normal occurrence for me now. 

8. My belly button is still an innie and everyday I poke it and inspect the depth of it and hope that it stays in. PLEASE STAY IN! 

9. No stretch marks as of yet, have I just tempted fate by telling you that?

10. We have officially been informed that I am growing a very big baby. I have already had and passed a gestational diabetes test but I am being sent for another one just in case that is why but mostly likely I am just the mother of a baby whale. The hospital have said they will re assess the situation at the 36 week scan which could mean being induced a few weeks early or a number of other possibilities but tbh, I'm not fussed as it would be lovely to have him a few weeks early and of course, what ever is safest for me and baby is fine by me.

Overall. I'm feeling surprisingly calm so I am just casually waiting for the panic to set in and enjoying binge watching Desperate Housewives in the meantime. 

We're Having A BOY!!!

Liam and I are so excited to announce that we are expecting a baby BOY and couldn't be happier! 

We booked in a private gender scan weeks ago and have been eagerly counting down the days, we had the scan last Wednesday at which time I was exactly 17weeks pregnant. I was so worried we wouldn't be able to see the gender because previously our baby has been quite the little fidget! But luckily little man decided to cooperate nicely and grabbed himself a handful of willy showing just what a little boy he really is! 

I had been guessing boy from the very beginning, a few other people were too but Liam and most of the rest of our family were pretty convinced he was a baby girl. Liam is always right so I had almost convinced myself of that too but it turns out I was right all along! 

It was such a strange feeling being told we had a son! This whole pregnancy has been emotional but this was the most emotional part for me and for Liam I think. We've both had permanent smiles on our faces since the moment we found out, I feel like knowing the gender has made it all feel so real! We have a SON, a little BOY! 

My whole life I have imagined myself having a girl, right up until that first scan I honestly felt like I was having a girl but the moment we saw our little miracle on the screen my heart just told me he was a boy and I was right!

The boy shopping is now nicely underway, we have quite the pile of adorable blue clothes and batman attire! I'm really trying to hold back though so that he doesn't end up with way more clothes than he could ever wear but it is so hard without all the cuteness around! 

Are you a mum of a boy? Whats it like?

I'M PREGNANT!!! First Trimester Update

If you don't follow me on Instagram (which you should btw!) you won't yet know that I am finally pregnant!!!

This journey is not something I have discussed at all as it all made me feel really down and pretty uncomfortable but Liam and I had been trying for a year and a half and were starting to lose hope. Well, I had lost hope after being told that I had PCOS and it was likely not going to happen for us without intervention. We had our first appointment at the infertility clinic in October 2017 and left feeling broken, we then had to jump straight in the car and head straight for Centre Parcs for a weekend away with my family (who knew nothing about any of this). Frankly, there was nothing I wanted to do less and I ended up in tears in front of loads of people in the Centre Parcs swimming pool. 

To make things worse, my period came later that day confirming yet another month of failure. I did manage to cheer up though and had a lovely holiday. Little did I know, that period would be my last one for a while! 

Thankfully we didn't need any help from the infertility clinic and managed to somehow make this little miracle all by ourselves and at the exact time I needed it the most! 

Lets talk through the first trimester!

1. Omg, morning sickness is real! And it's bad! I threw up constantly from week 7 to week 12, lost so much weight and was generally giving up on life when a miracle happened and it just stopped!

2. I had the glorious pregnancy glow for all of about 10 seconds before my usually clear skin became a volcano of spots and dull skin. 

3. I completely went off all foods for such a long time and genuinely couldn't eat anything, I pretty much lived on happy meals and pot noodles. Thankfully my appetite has finally come back and I am making the most of it! 

4. How big is your bump meant to be? I feel like I've been an elephant for weeks already?!?

5. Work is hard. I get so tired, everything aches and throwing up in works vile staff toilets was not fun at all. 

6. Our little miracle baby is a major fidget! Every scan lasts a life time because the baby just won't stay still! Literally doing backflips and a selection of yoga poses. Nothing like it's lazy mummy!

7. I could drink milk until I turn into a cow. I am addicted.

8. My hair is growing like crazy so I'm making the most of it and growing it back out lovely and long again! Thanks Baby!

9. I genuinely don't know what I'm doing and am considering buying loads of pregnancy books so I can read them all and be a pregnancy/baby expert by our due date on the 1st August. 

10. I am the happiest I've ever been and feel so blessed to finally be carrying our little fish! I am dying to find out the gender and go on a mental baby shopping spree! 

What I Got For Christmas: Make-Up

Makeup is always my main gift focus at Christmas, I spend the whole year gathering ideas of what lovely things I will ask for. My fiancé, Liam, really does spoil me and I am very lucky! 

I buy a whole lot of makeup during the year myself but there are certain things that just aren't something I would buy for myself such as the Hourglass palette because it really is just so expensive! It is a very special Christmas present!

This is actually the only makeup item I asked for specifically from Liam, I told him a few brands I wanted to try so he mostly just surprised me but this Hourglass Ambient Lighting Edit Volume 3 is the one thing I desperately wanted and Liam had been telling me for months that it was sold out and he couldn't get it so I wasn't at all expecting it to be under the tree on Christmas morning. I was so pleased when I opened it!

The product itself hasn't disappointed either, I thought there may be a few pans that I wouldn't use much such as the two setting powders but I've found myself reaching for them all! I have been using the whole palette in one look for bronzer, highlight, blush and to set then even using the bronzer and highlighter together as an eyeshadow with the bronze lightly in the crease and then the lovely highlighted glow on the lid. This palette makes me feel like a glowing goddess!

I had never tried Anastasia Beverly Hills before and I told Liam this so he did his research and landed on the Prism palette for me and I'm so glad he did as it is the one I would have chosen myself. With a lovely mixture of mattes, shimmers, neutral shades and some more adventurous shades. From what I have experienced with so far, I love the way the shadows apply and I can't wait to explore a little more!

He also knows very well that highlight is my absolute fave so also got me the Anastasia Beverly Hills  MoonChild Glow Kit. It is just beautiful!

I also had never tried anything from Kat Von D and desperately wanted too mainly due to the sheer gorgeousness of the packaging. I mean, look at it! It's a bloody triangle! He got me a mini Shade and Light eyeshadow palette in the shade Plum which I am already addicted to and also the Alchemist Holographic palette which is life changing honestly, the shades can be used as highlights or eyeshadows or anything really. I really want to try them layered over a matte liquid lip so I'll defo be trying that out soon!

Urban Decay is probably my favourite and most explored high end brand and it has become a sort of tradition for me to get something from them for Christmas. When Liam's mum asked what to get for me, Liam let her know that I actually didn't have and had never tried the original Naked palette so she got it for me! How I have lived without it for this long I just don't know. It's incredible. Such a staple palette. 

Lastly, I had been eyeing up the Urban Decay Afterglow Highlighter palette for ages but although I really wanted it, I ultimately decided I didn't need it and I've felt a little sad about it ever since but Liam seems to have the most insane memory and got it for me for Christmas! The shades look a little unusual in the pan and maybe a little hard to wear but they actually look so much more natural on the skin so I am sure I will get lots of wear out of it! 

Liam and I really do spoil each other at Christmas as we don't during the year, I am not bragging in anyway. I am so super grateful for everything I have received! 

Would you guys be interested in seeing individual reviews of any of the items? Let me know!

PINTEREST: Recent Wedding Pins

Pinterest is literally my best friend right now, I AM ADDICTED!

We are still very much just in the gathering ideas stage and we have no real direction but these are a few things that have caught my eye recently...

We don't currently know what our budget will be but I am a saver at heart and I love to DIY so this wedding itinerary really caught my eye. Liam is a fantastic drawer so I would love for him to hand draw something like this for the big day! He is desperately saving to buy an iPad Pro so when he gets it he would be able to draw something like this so easily, it would be so cheap to have printed and it looks so personal and artistic. 

We love food, I mean, a lot. There is no doubt in our minds that some kind of huge food display will be at the heart of our wedding, we have been considering hiring an ice cream truck but in case our budget doesn't stretch quite that far, there are so many lovely DIY alternatives. How adorable is this cookie bar?! We could maybe even add a big vat of hot chocolate to it for dipping!

Along the same theme, POPCORN BAR! We are big cinema lovers, we go regularly and have a huge film collection at home so this feels very us. The only issue is that personally I think that popcorn you flavour yourself never tastes as good but thats something we could explore and maybe rectify. Adorable though! 

Both our families are massive tea drinkers so when I saw this I fell in love. Also something we could do pretty cheaply, dresser from a second hand store and we have loads of tea pots already so we really would just need the decorations and the tea itself. I really think this would be a hit!

Can you tell I'm loving the vintage furniture? It is such a fresh idea I think, so easy to do but looks so much more personal and quirky. Obviously the sweets cart is very done, we did it for our engagement party but none the less, it is popular and you can't beat the cute factor! 

I have always hated flowers, they die and then thats it but in recent years I've really started to love them and I will certainly have some flowers at our wedding but I really like the idea of alternative materials for my bouquet as ill be able to keep it forever! This one is made entirely on brooches and buttons and isn't it incredible! I'm not sure Liam agrees with me but he'll come around! This particular one is extremely expensive but if it will last forever and can be passed down onto our children one day then surely its worth it?

Bringing me onto paper buttonholes! These are actually much cheaper, at about £10 each via many etsy stores and I may even like to try making them myself as I am pretty handy with this sort of thing! I think I could do it! Might be a nice thing to do with the ladies in my life, wine and buttonhole making evening! 

I just think these are lovely! Still very classic in style but with the quirky edge of the paper! Could even use books that we love or even scripts for our favourite films!

Feel free to head over to my pinterest and have a look at my other pins! 

The Most Magical Trip...

I'M ENGAGED!

I know, I'm in shock too! 

My fiancé and I have been together almost 5 years and I knew this next step was on both of our minds but I had no idea that he was planning to pop the questions just yet! 

We had a week away to our favourite place Ilfracombe in North Devon booked for a while and we had been counting down the days until we could have a carefree week in the most beautiful place.  

On Monday 19th June (my 25th Birthday) we packed up the car, strapped our puppy into the back seat and set off, me blissfully unaware and Liam with a ring hidden an a big box. 

A few years back we visited the Ilfracombe Tunnels, these are a series of tunnels that lead to a series of small private beaches. There are multiple coves to explore making you truly feel like the only people in the world. 

There were some slight hitches, on his first attempt the tide was all the way in so we couldn't get onto the beach at all so we went off for a cup of tea and headed back later on in the day...

Liam carefully chose a place for us to sit down where he would propose, he had wrapped up my birthday presents along with the ring and put them all inside a large gift box which I had been carrying around myself all day long! I went to open my present when an old couple rocked up with deck chairs and set up camp just centimetres from us, ruining the moment!

By this point poor Liam was getting a little frustrated and no doubt, nervous! He wisked me off in search of somewhere more private. By this point I was wondering why he was being to particular about where to sit and it dawned on me what he might be up too! 

He led me through some shallow water and we waded our way to a beautiful beach cove that was completely deserted, romantic and just for us.

We sat on a large rock and he waited for me to unwrap all my presents until I got to the very last little box. Which contained an engagement ring!

I have never felt happiness like it! 

I instantly fell even more in love with the most beautiful place in the world and the most amazing person.

We have both known since very early on in our relationship that we were forever so taking this next step honestly makes me the happiest person on earth! 

The whole thing was perfect, so unique to us and so incredibly romantic. 

The ring is exactly what I wanted not that he knew that so I don't understand how he got it so right! 

I haven't stopped looking at it since I received it!

We have been riding on a high ever since it happened last week and I can't see us coming down anytime soon!

We are planning on taking our time with planning the wedding, aiming for June 2021 but I am so excited to go to some wedding fares, try some free cake and raid Pinterest like crazy! 

CENTER PARCS ELVERDEN WEEKEND AWAY

Last weekend the whole family on Liam's side got together to celebrate Liam's dads 60th birthday in Centre Parcs. Liam's dad was lovely enough to get two amazing lodges for us all to share so we could spend some quality time together admiring nature! 

We are a close family so we see each other a lot but in everyday life it can be hard to get everyone together so it was super nice to spend 4 days all together secluded from the rest of the world. Centre Parcs became out little bubble for the weekend! 

It is common knowledge I'm sure, that I love animals so I pretty much spent most of my time trying to lure the wildlife to our lodge which as you can see, I succeeded in! At one point we had about 10 squirrels, 10 ducks, multiple birds and if you look closely you can see the gorgeously cautious deer peeking its head out of the bushes! I felt like a Disney Princess!

It was so refreshing to feel the sun on my skin all weekend, the fresh air and open water really makes you feel alive! It was all just what I needed! We were so fortunate with the weather, it was gloriously sunny and hot all weekend! Not a hint of rain!

We did lots of activities together, swimming, walks, meals out and crazy golf! Which of course I was terrible at and came second to last out of 10 players but we had a great time! Liam acted like a pro (above) but unfortunately came last! 

I absolute adore Centre Parcs so I'm really sad its over but luckily me and Liam are off on holiday to Devon on Monday then we have booked Centre Parcs again for October with my side of the family so I have loads of excitement to come! I am one lucky lady this year!

Valentines Night Away

The Boyfriend and I have had a stressful few weeks so for Valentines this year we decided to avoid the hustle and bustle of the typical Valentines Day activities and go for a peaceful, relaxing night away.

We chose to visit Eastbourne, yeah I know it's a destination for the elderly but we really enjoyed it!

We explored the sea front, walked along the pebbles and took some time to breathe it the brisk, cold sea air. The weather was really nice, it was cold and a little foggy but most importantly, it was dry and bright which makes for a lovely walk wrapped up in our warmest coats and hats! 

I stupidly decided to chase the water, ended up sinking into the stones with very wet ankles...

We went to see the Bandstand which was so pretty, I like how old and retro everything in Eastbourne is. It is all so detailed and incredible photogenic which I really appreciated! 

                                            

The buildings are so grand, all the houses are so tall and painted in crisp whites and yellows with detailed moulding and steep staircases leading to huge Victorian porches. The whole sea front is lined with decedent hotels, all so old but beautifully taken care of and restored. The whole place is preserved in a way that makes you feel as though it all hasn't changes in years. 

The pier was actually burned down a while back so isn't original but who ever restored it has done such a good job as it still has such a retro take you back in time feel. The boyfriend and I had a walk all the way down to the end of the pier, looking out on the sea and exploring every inch of the pier.

We stayed in The View Hotel, our room was modern with a balcony and a glorious view of the sea. We went out for drinks at a local vintage style cocktail bar which cost a fortune but was adorable and we had such a nice time sipping on Espresso Martini's. 

We ordered room service, snuggled in bed watching Netflix and I had a relaxing bath with a Lush Bath bomb in the hotels luxurious bath tub. 

We had a really nice time in Eastbourne and would definitely go again! Maybe next Valentines Day!