Happy Sunday everyone! This weekend I’m back in Manchester, visiting the family and hanging with Rose. Getting here involved a two-hour train journey, on my own, with two kids. I’m pleased to report that we survived! As with all instances of travelling with kids, snacks and TV are essential (you can find more of my tips for travelling with kids here). Also, thank God I have got past the stage of being mortified when my baby cries in public…
I’m spending today shopping with my mum (a self-declared ‘professional shopper’) and my sister. I’ve felt so ‘blah’ about my clothes since having Thomas – especially as so few of them (a) actually fit and (b) are breastfeeding-friendly – so I’m on the lookout for a few things to give me a confidence boost (don’t mention the capsule wardrobe at this point…).
In particular, I’m after some dungarees – not only does everyone seem to be wearing them on Instagram, but George is obsessed with his and the potential to match outfits with him (and Thomas) is just too tempting. I like the look of this pair from New Look and these from Topshop.
In other news…
I’m having quite a short maternity leave this time around, and Pete and I decided that George would continue to go to the childminder two days per week during it. This was partly so that we didn’t disrupt his routine, but mostly because it would be a lifesaver
in the first couple of weeks to have some time to ourselves with the baby – and now, eight weeks in, I’m loving having two glorious days per week when it’s just me and Thomas. We’ve been going for lots of long walks (as you do with small babies) and I recently discovered the Scummy Mummy podcast which is brilliantly hilarious and great company when I’m out and about. There’s some baby chat, but lots of general chat too, and it’s easy to listen to when you’re too tired to properly concentrate.
I’ve also been going to baby cinema a lot. In case you’ve never heard of it, it’s a cinema screening for parents with small babies. The idea is that it’s OK if your baby cries throughout the film, or if you need to stand in the aisle and bounce them (or even change a nappy on the floor). I always loved going with George as he tended to sleep through the whole thing and I got to relax and watch a film. This week I saw Legend which I thoroughly enjoyed; Nicky and I have both developed quite a crush on Tom Hardy.
I mentioned in my last post that I’ve slowly been getting back into exercise and, as well as the odd run, I’ve been trying to do some yoga when I can. I always feel great when I do manage it, and I actually find myself looking forward to fitting in a quick session on YouTube the other day (here are my favourite videos). This is a weird development for me – I don’t think I’ve ever looked forward to doing exercise before, but I think it’s the combination of reclaiming some time to myself, the fact that it is relaxing, and also the opportunity to slowly build back some strength. Anyway, the other day, I was thinking how crazy it is that I struggle to find even 30 spare minutes in which to exercise. Of course, I know that’s totally normal when you’ve got two small kids, but still, it’s crazy that we parents can’t put ourselves first for even half an hour per day! So, I decided that I was going to commit to doing the 30 Days of Yoga series. I did it at the start of the year – although it took me 60 days to complete at least – and I really enjoyed it, so this time I want to actually do a video every day and see how I feel after a month. I’ll keep you posted!
How did you make time for yourself after having babies? And, more importantly, do you own a pair of dungarees yet??
P.S. The best budget boots for autumn, weird tales from Airbnb and eyeshadow for beginners.
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