Going Back To Work

It is less than 3 weeks until my return to work. I cannot believe how fast that has gone.
When you're expecting, you count down the days until you finish work. Once you've finished, you're then counting down the days until your little bundle of joy enters the world. You certainly don't count down the days until you go back to work.

I didn't find it too hard the first time, and that isn't to say I didn't miss Matilda but this time, I've had 9 glorious months off with both of my babies. And it has been wonderful. 

I am going back to doing 3 days a week, and these are set days too so I'll have a great routine. However, with two children, one of whom is at playschool, I am going to have to be so organised. But I am looking forward to that challenge.

I can't say I am dreading my return, for me it is just one of the things I have to do. So why waste time being upset about it? There are advantages to work - my own money, adult conversation (I'm still hungry Mummy!) lunches in peace and hot coffee! It'll be great to see some old faces too. Oh and my uniform! I am looking forward to getting my glam on for 3 days a week (for anyone that doesn't know I work for Virgin Holidays.)

I think it will also make me really appreciate our days off together and encourage me to have more days out. I also think it will make me work harder, be more productive whilst I am there. Afterall, I am away from my babies so I need to make it worthwhile.

I'll keep you updated on how my return goes.

Chloe x

What 2018 Means For Me

And just like that it was 2018.

I love that fresh feeling a new year brings. I'm not one for resolutions as I would never see them through and it would just shroud me in disappointment. But I feel that it is a great time to look ahead, think about what I would like to achieve.

The only goal I set myself last year (as for 5 months of it I was pregnant) was to lose a stone before going away to Vegas. Which I did.

This year though, it is time to look at the bigger picture.

Work

All I've ever done is work in travel. I love the benefits it brings and I've had some amazing opportunities, but is this really what I want to do long term? Travel wasn't ever my chosen career when I was studying, I just fell in to it. So could this year see me try something new? Not that I have any idea what that could be!!

Health

Throughout December I didn't really care about what went in to my body. But in September I am going to be a bridesmaid again for my sister Claudia, and there will be a hen weekend in Ibiza just before that so I really need to focus on Slimming World again. It may not be for everyone, but it works well for me. I am going back tonight after 4/5weeks of eating everything so we will soon see the damage I've done. (As I type this I am polishing off the last of the shortbread!)

Lifestyle

I really want to put more effort into this blog. I absolutely love it and need to dedicate more time to it. This leads me to being more organised. I feel as though if I were to plan my time better, be more efficient, I could achieve so much more with my time. So dedicate specific time to blogging. Create a cleaning schedule and stick to it. Keep my diary and calendar up to date. Be less lazy. Wake up earlier.

I go back to work 1st February so I'll be spinning a fair few plates - home, nursery, work etc. 

I also want to take better photos. I think I have started to, but there is still a lot to learn and this would include getting a DSLR, not just snapping on my iPhone.

Interiors

We've achieved so much in our house recently, but there is still lots to do. I need to make this a priority, as a few years ago I just wasn't really interested in how my home was decorated (I'm not good at this kind of stuff!) So the jobs that need doing in the first few months of 2018 include decorating the lounge - paint, wallpaper, woodwork, possibly new flooring and a new radiator. The dining room also needs updating - new wall colour, new flooring and radiator. I'll post updates about these as they happen.

So even though this isn't a 'new year, new me' type thing (I'm still going to love food, drink alcohol, moan about stuff!) I'm taking the opportunity to think ahead. 

What plans do you have for 2018?

Thanks for reading,

Chloe x

October Favourites

Yep it is the 6th November but I'm going to give you my October faves anyway.

Beauty and Skincare

First up is the Pixi x Caroline Hirons Double Cleanse. I am now on to my second pot of this since June, which is pretty good going considering I use it every evening. The oil works so well at lifting makeup and dirt from my face, the cream then gets rid of it all perfectly leaving my skin beautifully cleansed and refreshed. £24 from ASOS.

Next step is the Ordinary acid toner, which I am obsessed with. I am certain that as soon as I apply this, my skin looks more awake, plumped, rejuvenated etc etc. I just love this product! And the price is amazing. I went for the 5% Lactic Acid concentration as I've never used acid toners before so wanted to ease myself in gently. Available from Cult Beauty for £5.50. The ordinary advised this is used in the evenings.

For daytime moisturising I love the Clinique Superdefense SPF 20. Fragrance free and offering sun protection, perfect! I love the texture of this and I can see an improvement in the appearance of my skin since I started to use this. Cheapest on allbeauty.com currently for £34.90.

For my night cream, I've been using the Nivea Pure & Natural regenerating night cream, love this too! My skin feels hydrated when I wake up, there is no residue so I know my skin is taking in all the benefits. Great price too for around £5.50.

Body lotion, I've been using this Burts Bees product that I actually purchased from Walgreens whilst in Vegas, as I'd stupidly forgot any body moisturiser! I can't find this specific one online, but my sister is in Florida at the moment so I think I might ask her to get some for me as I really like it. Soaks in well, keeps my skin feeling hydrated, quickly sorted out some dry skin patches on both shins - f**k you winter!

Beauty wise I am going to sound like a broken record because two if the items are in my Sephora Haul but they are so amazing they deserve a second mention! The Cover FX drops are just (praying hands emoji). The shade sunlight is working well for these sunny Autumn days, I love the glow from within look they give under my foundation. and then the Too faced chocolate bronzer is so perfect, blendable, smells like chocolate, matte - what else do you need in a bronzer?

I've been reaching for the Charlotte Tilbury KKW lipstick for day-to-day wear, the perfect semi sheen nude. Nails, I love this dark red from Rimmel in shade Rita Rouge. It is the ideal burgundy red for Autumn/Winter. I am going to put Essie Bordeaux on my Christmas List though as I had a lot of recommendations for that when I asked on my instastories what you guys were wearing.

Mother & Baby

We have started using the Childs Farm products on the girls after the Johnson's fiasco in the media. I did try the Dove body wash but it left zero scent on them both, and you want your kids to smell amazing don't you?! The Childs farm stuff is expensive, but it is sensitive and suitable from birth, plus it smells! Yippee! So we use the bubble bath which smells like oranges and the body wash smells like apple & blackcurrant. Really like both of these products. We also love the Burts Bees baby range but we can't buy these locally.

Favourite Place

This will come as no surprise to you, I am sure. We LOVED Las Vegas. Somewhere everyone should experience in their lifetimes. We will definitely go back!

Favourite Fashion Item:

This utility jacket from Next hasn't left my back since I bought in the sale (sorry!) in September. It was £22 and I love it. Goes with pretty much everything I wear and is surprisingly warm. I've linked a similar one from Topshop here for £40. 

Instagrams:

Here are the accounts I've been obsessed with over the last month

Hunters and Heels - read Lauren's blog here and she also has a Youtube channel. Gorgeous insta feed too.

Miss Megan Meeke - also blogs here and features loads of travel stuff for the wanderlusters.

I'll make sure I'm up to date with all of their content so hope you like them too!

Thanks for reading,

Chloe x

Las Vegas

A few weeks ago we went to Vegas for our friend's wedding. It was absolutely amazing! I can honestly say it was never on my list of places to go - but I totally fell in love with it. We didn't get to see much of it at all, but nevertheless I thought I'd share what we got up to.

We flew out on Tuesday morning, after a short delay at Gatwick. Once we landed, we grabbed a taxi to the hotel. We were fortunate enough to be staying at the Bellagio, one of the most iconic hotels in Las Vegas. Oh my word, this place is stunning! I wish I'd taken more photos but they wouldn't have done it justice.

After unpacking and heading across the road to Walgreens for supplies (water and snacks of course) I needed to start getting ready as it was the Stag & Hen nights. Our plan was drinks at the Chandelier Bar at the Cosmopolitan Hotel (next door to the Bellagio right side) then we'd booked our own photographer and bright pink stretch Hummer limo to drive us around the Strip. It was so much fun! 

We'd then planned to head over to Omnia nightclub at Caesar's Palace (next to the Bellagio left side) however, because of the gun attack that had taken place the previous evening, the nightclubs were closed as a mark of respect. So, we decided to go to Fremont Street or Old Vegas instead and we had the best night! Why is it that some of the funniest nights are the ones that are completely unplanned?!

We hung out at cheap bars and got totally hammered. I don't even remember getting home. It was hilarious.

The following morning we all felt a bit worse for wear, Andrew included after the Stag night. We didn't leave our room until about 1! Food was the first thing on our agenda, so we headed across the road to the Paris hotel and got a table at Mon Ami Gabi, a gorgeous French Bistro style restaurant that served the most delicious steak and chips. We had a lovely table for two on the terrace looking out to the Bellagio.

We both had a drink to balance out the hangovers - I'm a firm believer in the hair-of-the-dog!

Something that was on my Must Do List Whilst In Las Vegas was to visit Sephora. Yeah I know, how cultural of me. But, I love beauty products and as we don't have Sephora in the UK, I was really excited by it. I'm going to do a Sephora Haul post soon - but if you were watching my instastories whilst I was away, you will have seen a preview of what I'd bought.

Our plan for that evening was to see 'O' - a Cirque Du Soleil show at the Bellagio Theatre, but tickets were all sold out. Gutted. If you're going out there and want to see it, book tickets before you go. we learnt the hard way. So instead, we all went for a gorgeous meal at the Eiffel Tower restaurant back at the Paris hotel. Wow, this place is spectacular! Stunning views of the Bellagio Fountains, the service was outstanding and the food was divine. I'd highly recommend eating here if you're after something special. After dinner, we headed back because the following day was the wedding day and no one wanted to feel like death.

The morning of the wedding, 8 of us were up early and decided to walk down to the Venetian to get breakfast. Their buffet breakfast was great and worth the walk. We had a stroll round the Grand Canal but sadly didn't get to go on a gondola, it didn't open until 10am and I had to be back at the Bellagio salon for a manicure. I loved walking the strip that morning, the sky was a beautiful shade of blue as the sun rose higher, there was an excitement building slowly between us as the minutes ticked by, knowing that afternoon we were going to watch two of our closest friends say their vows under the desert sun. 

Anneka and I were bridesmaids, our dresses were Monsoon and just gorgeous! I loved them, such fantastic quality. We had our hair styled at the hotel salon a few hours before, excellent service in there although beauty services there are a lot pricier than the UK.

The wedding ceremony was just beautiful, John & Sam were married on the terrace overlooking the lake. It was really emotional and there were some really touching words said by the Minister. I remember being there and thinking, this would truly be a moment I'd never forget, standing on that terrace with our friends watching the fountains dance. Magical.

After a champagne reception, we dined at Lago, one of the restaurants at the hotel. Our table overlooked the fountains and it was honestly one of the best meals I've had. The concept of the restaurant is similar to tapas, a few small dishes followed by one large dish. Our waiter recommended that they bring out dishes for us to all share and it was mindblowingly good! It was such a fun way to dine, all passing plates of gorgeous Italian food to each other, it encouraged me to try everything. I don't usually eat seafood but the scallops were some of the tastiest things I'd eaten the entire trip. 

After dinner, we had a few drinks, but the jetlag had started to catch up with us so we were in bed by about midnight I think. For us that was good, we were leaving the following afternoon.

Luckily I got Upper Class on the way home so managed to get a decent sleep and woke up feeling pretty refreshed! I love my job.

Recommendations:

Get water from a supermarket to take to your room - the hotel shops and minibars are ridiculously expensive. 

Be prepared to do a lot of walking - it may look really close to where you're currently standing, but I promise you it isn't! The hotels are huge.

3 nights isn't long enough - stay for at least 5. We went in only 3 other hotels besides the one we stayed in.

Tipping is high and expected on everything - even drinks at a bar.

The Bellagio is central on the strip, so has an excellent location. 

We will definitely be going back, hopefully for Andrew's 40th birthday in a few years time, I'm very lucky that with my job we can easily get out there again and hopefully see some more of it!

Thanks for reading,

Chloe x

Tips for Travelling with a Toddler

We've recently returned from a 7 night trip to Jamaica. Our first holiday as a family of three, not without its challenges let's just say! I certainly learnt a few things so I want to share those here and to also show you some photos from our holiday.

A concern high on the list was the 9 hour flight to Montego Bay. My plan was to wear Matilda out at Gatwick as much as possible in the hope she would sleep onboard. We walked round and round departures and in preparation for lots of walking I purchased this toddlepak from Trunki. The design is so much more appealing than other reigns on the market, I thought Matilda would like them too. They're easy to use and adjustable to suit your child.

Now a way to keep a toddler quiet is with food! I packed some serious snackage in our carry on, fruit, crisps, biscuits - you name it I had it. Also plenty of juice to keep Matilda hydrated, I get so dry when I fly, it must be drying for our littles too. At 15 months she still has a bottle of milk in the day so we purchased some ready made Aptamil at Boots once we were through security. I would recommend buying the bulk of formula at the airport as you can save space in your hand luggage this way. Plus with liquid restrictions this makes life much easier.

Another fantastic tip that served us well not only for the flight, but also for meal times was downloading TV shows to the iPad. Matilda loves Peppa Pig so I'd bought an entire volume of episodes to keep her happy. Here she is propped up chilling halfway through the flight! We found ourselves scrambling for it during mealtimes too if she was getting a bit ratty and we were yet to finish eating - complete lifesaver! I also packed a few books and toys, along with some stickers but these didn't get used.

I packed a change of clothes and some pyjamas for her, so consider how long your journey is and the age of your child to determine how many outfits you'll need to take onboard. Don't forget plenty of nappies and wipes too.

Jamaica is 6 hours behind the UK, so we had to bear this in mind once we had arrived in resort. I'd read online about getting the child on the new schedule immediately, however Matilda had been up for so long, we'd arrived at our hotel at 6pm, well that was midnight back home and she would have long been asleep so I took the decision to get her some food and ready for bed straight away. She woke once in the night which was a lot better than we had expected. Because of her age she doesn't sleep in a proper bed yet, so the hotel kindly provided a cot for her - make sure you check cots are provided at your destination if you need them!

How cute is this photo! Matilda loved playing on the beach but the sand got everywhere. The answer to this is talcum powder. Honestly the best tip of the lot - after Matilda was done playing and getting ready for her nap, I would lay her down and cover her with talc, leave for a few seconds and dust her off, the sand would all be gone and she could comfortably sleep for a few hours in the shade. Even my husband and I started doing it!

It goes without saying that with the rise in temperature, toddlers are going to need extra water. Matilda would happily sip water from a bottle or a straw and end up playing with bottle as a toy - winner! Just as adults need to think about extra fluids, don't forget to top up the littles with juice too.

Another major concern for any mum taking their kids to sunnier climes is sun protection. I'd purchased 3 bottles of Nivea factor 50 (yes, way too much for a week's trip I know). Every morning I covered her head-to-toe in the stuff, let that sink in and have breakfast. Then before going out into the sun I put another layer on. What I did notice was it irritated her eczema so if your kids have any skin sensitivities please think about this, I wish I had.
Matilda won't wear hats, simple. I was really worried about this as it is so important to protect the head, neck & ears from the sun. I bought this fruit print hat from Mothercare which is now out of stock, but this cute polka dot one from Boots will do the trick. I also made her wear a t-shirt whenever she was out of the shade. Any old t-shirt will do, I bought two in resort with cute Jamaica motifs on.

Finally, water safety. Two things we thought would be good purchases that turned out to be a waste of money because Matilda hated them both were this Splash About swim jacket and rubber ring from Mothercare. All Matilda wanted was to be held in the pool, splashing her hands and trying to drink the pool water! When we were at the beach, her favourite thing was grabbing handfuls of sand and throwing it in the water, adorable!

Overall we had a great time, we loved the hotel, the island and seeing Matilda experience new things for the very first time was worth all the stress and jetlag!

Any other holiday tips you have to share? Let me know!

Chloe x