Traveling with my family is my favourite thing in the world but there’s no doubt that it can be stressful, especially when the kids are young, the sun is strong and you’re moving about a lot (we’ll have stayed in five different spots by the time this trip is up). I suppose we’re quite experienced travelers and over the years I feel like I’ve developed a few small ‘coping’ mechanisms that help when things can get a bit hot and sweaty and to ensure that mama gets some holiday time, too. View Post
We’ve done a lot of traveling with the kids and one rule I always stick to is packing lightly. Far from wanting to have choice when I’m away, all I want are a few versatile pieces so that I can quickly throw on a piece of clothing, grab my morning coffee and get outside.* View Post
Yoga has always been a seminal part of my life. It blows my mind that all you need is your body – no fancy equipment or posh activewear (you should see what I wear to yoga…). I started practising long before I had children and can’t see a day when I’ll ever stop View Post
Some fun news: Mamalina is growing and going to be including writing, imagery, tips and general awesomeness from other women around the world. These women aren’t going to be big Instagrammers (some might by by a happy chance), but more ordinary, very extraordinary women who are experts in their own field and who have wisdom and talent to impart. View Post
I was sat next to a lovely lady the other morning in my local cafe. I watched her coo over her tiny baby with such calm contentment, and of course we got chatting pretty quickly. She was an obstetrician whose job was to deliver babies and this was her second child so we were soon exchanging all sorts of titbits of information over our coffees (me to her: “what’s it like being on the opposite side of the ‘bed’?” Her to me: “do gro clocks actually work?” For the record, we’ve never had one so I have no idea.) View Post
I love the quote by Maria Montessori that ‘play is the work of the child’. Playing is serious business for kids and for us parents, it can mean the difference between having a few hours through the day to get on with things vs being on our hands and knees all day doing Gruffalo voices (also fun, but not always ideal).
We’re in Florida for a family wedding (we were last here back in 2016 with Sonny in my tummy, on our way to Costa Rica) and a bit of a roadtrip. View Post
Today was a big day; typically it would have been a working day, a Monday back in the office after a weekend. But after a life-changing decision, last week marked the end of my career in an office job, as I know it. It meant handing over my computer, my iphone (and my paid for phone contract), my medical insurance, free yoga classes and delicious smoothies. And it meant handing over something much bigger: my ego and (a large chunk of) my identity. View Post