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Anyone that follows me on Instagram will know that I’m on a mission to declutter and #saynotostuff. I haven’t bought anything new beside things that we really need (food, toilet paper, nappies, oh and ONE set of pyjamas in the sale with a voucher I had but even that made me feel panicky) for coming up to five months. Nothing for the home, no new make up, no new clothes… Nada. Zilch. Niente. And it has felt really good.

So when a company called JORD got in touch asking if I would like to be sent a watch to review, my first thought was of course to politely decline. Not only would it go against my current mindset of not acquiring new stuff, on top of that I very rarely review products. I often get approached by brands and 95% of the time I turn things down not because I’m ungrateful to be asked (I honestly really am very grateful for these opportunities!) but most likely because I just don’t need the thing they are offering and if I did need it, I would buy it. I don’t need a baby food steamer and blender. I don’t need another highchair, or a new set of bibs. On top of all that, as a bit of a self-confessed hippy and someone who likes to keep things simple, a watch is not something I’ve ever really considered buying mainly because every style I’ve seen has either looked super techy or far too formal for me to wear on a daily basis.

But these JORD watches did immediately strike me as something a little different. Designed by a small team of two designers, aesthetically minimalist, sustainably conscious, top end quality, stunning looking and hang on, made of wood? All in all, this seemed an interesting (and lovely!) item so after a lot of uming and ahhing, I decided to #sayyestostuff. Here’s what I made of the watch, why I’ve not looked back and why I know this will be a piece of jewellery I treasure forever:

 

It’s the material that I couldn’t resist. Wood, along with wicker and bamboo, is one of my all time favourite things in the world (I famously told a guy sat next to me at a dinner party that “I really like wood”. My husband was under the table with embarrassment). So the idea of a wooden watch seemed pure perfection to me. There are various different woods to choose from, from acacia to rosewood along with a sustainability rating provided for each type of wood.

Colour wise, anything emerald sends me into a bit of a frenzy. In a good way. Sometimes I look down and realise I look a little bit like a tree, that’s how much green clothing I own. So I was pretty delighted when I saw that emerald was an option for the face of the watch. Again though they offer several different colour options including the ever popular rosegold if that is your thing. I was also slightly in love with this mint one too – it was a tough call which colour to choose. Aesthetically, I just think the watch is stunning. I wear very little jewellery so if I’m going to wear a watch, I love the idea that it serves a dual purpose of looking good too.

Simplicity in look and feel is also key for me. I didn’t want a ‘complicated’ or ‘smart’ looking watch so I opted for something from the Frankie series which actually calls out minimalism as a theme. I chose this dark sandalwood and emerald watch which I absolutely love. There are other more ‘serious’ looking watches with loads of dials etc if that is your thing though. You also have to wind the watch up on first use (you don’t need to after that) which I enjoyed doing.

The quality of these watches is evident – I know they are not on the cheap side but I assure you, the look and feel of the watch reflects this. The service is also brilliant including small touches like sending sizing over so the watch is made to fit and it arrives in a gorgeous wooden box on a little pillow.

Oh and finally, it’s of course highly practical as it tells me the time! I’m always looking for ways to reduce time spent looking at my phone meaning that using my phone to check the time is now a thing of the past and I couldn’t be happier about that.

So yes, I caved on my #saynotostuff campaign but I hope you can see why I’m feeling good about it (I’m back on it now anyway – the Oliver Bonas sale is still haunting me though…!). Finally, if you’re thinking about investing in one of these watches – and I do look at this as a true investment that will stand the test of time though they do also come with a 1 year warranty, I’ve got the opportunity to offer my readers the chance to win $100 (nearly the full cost of the watch)towards the cost of the watch. All you need to do is click on this form and enter your name and email address. Anyway, just by entering you’ll receive a $25 code (which is still pretty decent!). The competition closes on February 12th so pop over using this link and do enter (it literally takes 2 seconds).

As ever, thanks for reading and I hoe you enjoyed this post, which is a little different to normal. Let me know in the comments below.

Emma xxx

Luxury Wooden Watch

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Around the months of October and November 2016, I went through some pretty dark times as a mother and as a person. Although inside I felt deeply happy and full of gratitude, there were mornings where my whole physical being ached so much I could hardly move, I consumed more cups of coffee than I care to recall, and I don’t think I went near make-up for weeks. You see, at around the age of four months, Sonny went from sleeping beautifully to thinking night time was rave time. And by that, I mean he would wake every 45 minutes at night. I talk about it here and this was one Instagram post where I felt particularly broken. He just couldn’t stay asleep and was waking after every sleep cycle, unable to fall back asleep and making me dread nights and feel at best, like a zombie the next day and at worst, totally unable to function and fully understanding why sleep deprivation is a form of torture.

To set the scene a little, Sonny’s birth was wonderful and straight forward (I made a video about his water birth here) and I recovered pretty much immediately. He seemed a really content chap and slipped beautifully into our family. Perhaps for precisely these reasons, although it wasn’t the plan and we hadn’t done a day of it with Jack, we seamlessly started co-sleeping. It worked flawlessly and I loved it from day 1. Sonny would wake up once or twice in the night for a breastfeed which I would sleepily give him whilst still lying down and we’d all slip back to sleep. We took him camping, glamping, and travelling abroad and all the while, he slept beside me, pretty much sleeping through the night bar a wake or two. Happy, dreamy days (and nights!)

The story soon changed though as I started to notice small changes; Sonny started waking more often and he was not settling so easily. Sam consequently moved out the bedroom and I started to dread night time as I just would not know what it would bring. Around 20 weeks old now, it suddenly seemed as if Sonny was ‘waking up’ and wasn’t content with mummy’s boob and a warm bed. I sensed something was changing and indeed, the epic Instamum community confirmed for me that four months is a common period of sleep regression. (clearly though, it is due to the baby PRO-gressing – I prefer to frame it this way) It was only getting worse as the days and then weeks went on until there were nights when he’d sleep forty minutes stretches maximum before waking up. During the nights, which became total blurs, I’d pull different things out of what I’d call my “box of tricks”; Ewan the sheep, pushing (our crib was on wheels), a dummy, shushing, feeding until he finally went back to sleep, co – sleeping, in the crib, in the bouncer, watching TV… these were all tactics I’d try.

Fast forward three months to January 2017 and Sonny has got the hang of sleep and is now sleeping roughly 10 hours straight at night, I have my main man back in the bed and most importantly, I am fully me again minus any aching bones or panicked phone calls to the husband. (I think it was a Friday afternoon when I phoned him gently ahem, demanding that he came home from work early because I simply could not look after Sonny, that’s how exhausted I was (I didn’t even have Jack to worry about…), that I realised that something had to change.

Where I really struggled was the balance between ‘holding out’ – not rushing to make changes safe in the knowledge that “it’s just a phase” (everyone’s favourite phrase) versus actually doing something about an issue. What we did is somewhere in between. I detected Sonny was ‘changing’ and so I started to make small changes without doing anything drastic. I want to stress that I AM NO EXPERT; I’m just a mama who trusted her instinct and after having received some epic advice from all of you, and having had a few requests to report back, I wanted to give something back and put out there a few (gentle) things that worked for us:

1. The first thing I did was to assess co-sleeping. Whilst it had been amazing for us and really served its purpose in getting me through those early weeks not to mention the gorgeous closeness, my gut instinct told me that it would help Sonny if he had a bit of space from me. I also thought that perhaps my movements were waking him. So I moved him out our bed and into his crib which I placed directly next to ours and we used a sleepyhead to still give him the feeling of cosiness.

2. Next I started to think about how much he was eating. I was solely breastfeeding, which I loved but also I started to think he was snacking by feeding so regularly in the night. Every time he woke I would get concerned that he might be hungry so I would automatically feed him (this was also the quickest way to appease him) but in my heart, I knew this wasn’t necessary. So I decided to switch to formula at bedtime (I believe this keeps them fuller for longer), gave him a dream feed (11pm) and I started weaning him a little earlier than planned (5 months old). These days, at nearly 7 months, I try to get as much food down him as possible during the day. I don’t necessarily stick to strict meal times either…Put it this way, Sonny likes his banana and his carbs!

3. After this, I decided it was time to signal to Sonny that had he his own space and so we moved him out the bedroom altogether and used this opportunity to also put him in his cot. This felt really strange at first (and all the running up and down the stairs was a little exhausting) but I honestly wish we had done this earlier. After all, if our noises were what was waking him that would be darn annoying! By now it felt good to have our bedroom back and Sam moved back in – a big step.

4. One thing that’s tough to determine as a parent is how much you want to ‘depend’ on things and develop what experts call sleep associations which a baby needs to get to sleep. But I am a firm believer in “do whatever works” so to this end, we use all the gadgets! You can see below Sonny has a dummy, Ewan the sheep and the WhisBear (this is fairly new and amazing – it automatically activates white noise when the baby starts crying) We’ve found all these really helpful.

5. Whilst I am not at all one for the ‘crying it out’ method and was not willing to do this, I did start to leave Sonny a little longer before going to him. Whereas before he’d been in the room with me, and as soon as he cried, I went to him (apart from the fact the noise of crying isn’t particularly nice), with that bit of extra space I could leave him to start to cry for a few moments before going in. I think this gentle amount of time being alone also helped him on his path to self-settling.

6. I started to make some small rules which I really stuck too and still do. I do think this consistency is important and helps Sonny know what to expect (on the whole, anyway!) So for example, I don’t feed Sonny any milk when he is in his cot, (I always take him out), I always try to offer water in a bottle first if he does wake in the night and I do a lot of shushing standing above him. Hopefully he has now begun to recognise these signals from me.

7. Jack always slept in the buggy during the day but instinctively I started to put Sonny to sleep in his cot in the daytime and I do think this helps as he is learning that his cot equals sleep. I tend to do this for his first nap of the day (if I’m at home) but later on if he naps, I will put him in the bouncer so it’s not too close to bed time. I also always keep the curtains open to maintain a difference between day and night though when he does nap in his cot.

8. I try to put him in the cot for bed whilst he is awake (as opposed to breastfeeding him to sleep as I used to do). I then will tend to stand over him a little, ssshhhhhsing or just walk out and as per above, not go in immediately if he does become unsettled. I always have the room very dark (unlike for day naps).

9. Heidi at the Parenting and Baby Coach kindly offered me some complimentary advice. Although I was skeptical about seeking professional help, it was really admittedly very helpful to speak to people – albeit with totally opposing views – to get some ideas and generally just some reassurance that things would improve. She set me out a ‘schedule’ which although I did not strictly stick to in any way, it gave me a rough arch of a day to refer to which I found helpful

10. I kept that all important piece of knowledge in my mind at all times: it’s a phase. I had deep faith that Sonny would eventually sleep through the night and I think that positive state of mind got me a long way in those dark hours.

I hope some of the above may help any mama out there if you are going through sleepless nights with a baby who just wants to party all night. Sleep – how much each person needs and what you are willing to do to get it  – is SUCH a personal issue and for me, sleep deprivation is by far the toughest part of parenthood. I’d love to hear if you have any other tips you’d like to share or what your experiences have been.

Are you struggling with getting your little one to sleep proper stretches at night? Any other tips you can share with us?

Emma xxx

P.S One Thing About Motherhood that Baffles me and 10 Tips for Hassle Free Potty Training 

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As we were sat last night, 31st December 2016, with two boys tucked up in bed and a tray of cheap champagne and chicken kievs* (more about that later…) in front of us, I could not have felt more content. I’m not a big fan of New Years Eve as I don’t like things that are hyped up and just become another facet of our consumerist society. But what I *do* like is an opportunity to reassess and improve as a person. Last year I set my intentions which I frequently returned to and found really helpful. I don’t want to make huge gestures that I can’t stick to but here’s 10 things I’m going to really focus on this year. If you follow me on Instagram, you’ll perhaps have seen me mention some of these things already – there big passions of mine and I do hope some of them may chime with your way of thinking. So, here goes…

1.Do small things, with great care

You might know that I’m a big fan of taking things slowly and not rushing this crazy ‘ole thing we called life, and specifically motherhood. I’ve also got a bad habit of starting and not finishing small tasks…So whether it’s as simple as putting the washing on or getting one of the kids to sleep, I’m going to make every effort to do the simple, small things (aka the most important things…) with great love, not rush them (the amount of t-shirts I’ve ruined…) and actually finish them.

2. Say no to stuff

I’m so fed up of not knowing what’s in my cupboards; buying yet another black eye liner when I have two gathering dust at the back of my drawer or a Winters’ coat when I have three stashed away or getting what I think is a bargain in the Sales when I really don’t need another wicker basket. I’m going to commit to only buying things I really need, and the things I do buy, I want them to be of a certain quality so they last. I’ve already given up traditional shampoo and conditioner which has not only made my shower more clutter free, it’s also given me one less thing to do and buy and a satisfying sense of knowing what I’m washing with. I’m looking forward to watching this documentary on Minimalism.

3. Keep going with the flow

I’m not talking about the big things in life – those we must continue to grapple with – but more and more, I’m finding that saying ‘yes’ is the path to contentment when it comes to the small things. Choosing which coffee shop you’re going to go to or who puts the kids to bed on the weekend are not important things people – let your friend/ partner / kid choose and just go with the flow.

4. Give veganism a go

I’ve been dabbling in veganism for a few months now on and off which I’ve been really enjoying. There isn’t one strict reason I’m choosing to go down this path; animals suffering, environmental reasons (watch Cowspiracy), and just an itch that eating meat does just not ‘feel’ right these days. I’ve loved being more adventurous in my cooking and the range and deliciousness of vegetarian food out there is seriously good not to mention that giving up dairy has definitely made me feel better health wise – who doesn’t feel a little sick after eating a load of cheese?! So I’ll be starting by joining in with Veganuary – take a look on their website where you can find a huge wealth of information including a complete starter kit here.

5. Carve out ‘me’ time

This is probably the one I’ll struggle with the most and I think broadly speaking, women can be really bad at this. There’s always something going on right? But I want to resolve to give myself time to get my own sh*t done – I’m not just a mother, wife, daughter and friend – I have my job I’ll be returning to and many passions from yoga to travel and of course writing here which I’m hugely committed to – thank you so much for reading – it means so much to me! So whatever your ‘thing’ is, don’t let it slip away and carve out time to make it happen. Oh, and this includes making the time for self care – I don’t know about you but certain body areas can become seriously neglected when it comes to hair care. I’m talking about my eyebrows, obviously 😉

6. Do what works

Don’t listen to the guidebooks, your friends or your mother – in – law (though I do love mine dearly!) and instead just do whatever works for YOU when faced with a particular challenge. I really learnt this year to go with my gut, trust the process and be a little patient. We had real issues with Sonny’s sleep a month ago which with a little bit of time and maternal instinct, I *think* we have thankfully come through. That, and silly quirks like sometimes giving the kids dinner *in* the bath are strange things that have been proven to work for us – so I plan to carry on in this mindset.

7. Get out the house !

I’m a real person of extremes; I am a huge home bod and yet I love traveling the world but I’m not one for going out to new places in my own city although when I do, I love it. Going to see live music or a new restaurant with people I hold dear are things I want to endeavour to do more of this year (anyone know any cheap babysitters ?!)

8. Spend time with the older people in my life

We’re fortunate enough to have three grandparents in our family and I want to commit to spending more time with each of them this year. I’m often fascinated by the stories they tell and the joy that spending time together, especially with the kids, brings to them is evident.

9. Less scrolling and more staring

I’ve been massively inspired by the hubby who has now deleted Facebook off his phone and I plan to follow suit. It’s those moments that you’re waiting for the bus or have a few moments to kill before dinner is ready that I want to avoid mindlessly scrolling that is so easy to do. It’s not necessary and that time would be so much better put to use staring out the window at some beautiful trees or watching my children play.

10. Don’t take life too seriously

It’s easy – especially when I’m underslept and overtired – to take things too personally and be over sensitive. Things can then spiral out of control and there’s just no need; move onwards and upwards and don’t sweat the small sh*t.

So those are my intentions for 2017. I hope you have a great day and a really truly wonderful year ahead – thank you so much for reading / watching my little corner of the internet where I get to share my opinions and experiences. If you’ve got any particular personal intentions for the year ahead – and they really don’t have to be groundbreaking – I’d so love to hear them in the comments below. Thank you again for being here.

Love,

Emma x

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Photo: Amanda Lee

I’ve written about having no routine before prompted by Sonny’s awful sleep and a gnawing sense of self-doubt that I was doing something wrong. I questioned if he’d sleep better with a routine, and I became paranoid that there was this ‘thing’ that so many other mums seemed to be doing that I should be doing too. I thought long and hard – but if I’m honest, I knew routine and doing things by a ‘clock’ were and will never be for us. And here’s 10 reasons why in my heart of hearts, I’m more than OK with that:

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So if you’re wondering (my mum definitely was…) why I embarked on this experiment in the first place, it’s a combination of reasons:

* An interest in ‘minimalist’ and simple living
* A desire to consume less
* A passion for ‘natural’ products (or put another way, really wanting to know what’s IN the stuff I put in and on my body)
* A dislike for the idea that shop bought shampoos strip your hair of all the nice natural HEALTHY oils that protect your hair
* A love for DIY
* A healthy dose of laziness
* A way to save money and time

Below is a description of each method I tried and my impressions regarding their effectiveness and ease. I last washed my hair with shampoo on October 17th 2016 (it’s now December 15th 2016) and I have no intentions of going anywhere but forward from here. (even though I think I’m currently in the ‘transition’ month which tends to be month 2 /3 and is when your hair gets most greasy. It’s kinda intense but I’m determined to get through it!). Here’s everything I’ve learnt and what you need to know if you’re considering going nopoo:

1. Just water

What the heck did I try? Just washing my hair with cold water and massaging my scalp.
Why this? It’s the easiest and most ‘basic’ method (aside from not washing AT ALL – the holy grail) which is a key objective for me of this experiment.
How easy? See above!
How effective? Hair felt clean for a day or so but it didn’t last

2. Banana mask

What the heck did I try? Mixing banana, honey, coconut oil and coconut milk, applying to my hair and leaving for half and hour, then rinsing out.
Why this? Bananas are very rich in potassium which strengthens hair, they are said to help repair damaged hair and because bananas contain natural oils and 75% water, they are also great for moisturizing hair. On top of that, coconut milk has a tonne of antioxidants, coconut oil is very high in vitamin E and healthy fats to encourage shine, and it’s also said to help with dandruff. Finally honey is said to help hydrate hair and lock in moisture. All in all, this is just a bunch of good stuff.
How easy? It took me about 5 minutes to make the mixture but it was quite messy to apply (and banana stains are not cool!)
How effective? This method was no good for me – it made my hair super greasy and gloopy (think that was the honey)

3. Shikakai

What the heck did I try? Making a paste with shikakai, massaging it into my hair then rinsing out
Why this? Shikakai is a shrub that grows in India and like apple cider vinegar (more on that below…), has been used for centuries for cleaning. It contains antioxidants essential for hair growth and is very high in vitamins and is thought to strengthen hair at the roots. Shikakai also has super low PH levels so it won’t strip your hair of its natural oils and also works to help detangle.
How easy? It made a fine mess in the shower (it’s a brown grainy powder) and it really stung my eyes.
How effective? It made my hair feel clean but it didn’t get my grease spots out.

4. Bicarbonate of soda + Apple Cider Vinegar

What the heck did I try? Mixing 2 tablespoons of bicarbonate of soda in 500 ml of water, sloshing that over my hair, rinsing, then 1 part ACV to 4 parts water (mixed with some essential lavender oil), sloshing that over, then rinsing with cold water. Then whilst my hair was still really wet, combing through it with a large comb
Why this? Baking soda helps remove dirt and dead skin cells without stripping all the natural oils away like conventional shampoo does. Apple cider vinegar has been used for centuries for various health reasons from getting rid of acne to helping cure indigestion. As I write this, I have a bit of a cough so will be making this tomorrow to help. Apparently it was one of Cleopatra’s favourite beauty products! It honestly has so many health benefits…With this method though, the ACV restores the PH level after the baking soda (which is very alkaline – this is important otherwise the hair will try to do it itself and create more grease).
How easy? Easy – but if I go with this method, I’d make it even easier for myself by keeping a small plastic tub of the baking soda in my shower.
How effective? It worked well and definitely eliminated some of the grease. It felt particularly clean the day after, especially once brushing through with my spornette brush the night before.

5. Soapnut shampoo bar

What the heck did I try? Wetting this soapnut bar, lathering it in my hands and then applying to wet hair all over including roots and tips before rinsing throughly out. You can do a couple of washes – just rinse every single time. Also, it’s really important to get loads of lather when you do wash.
Why this? Soap nuts grow on trees (they’re a fruit though, not a nut) and contain a natural soap called saponins that can be used to clean anything from your skin to your clothes and of course, your hair. There’s lots of recipes to make your own shampoo from the whole nuts but I got a bar for ease.
How easy? Super easy! Just lather up the soap in your hands and apply to wet hair. I ended up actually rubbing the bar against my scalp.
How effective? Really effective. My hair lasted a good week and felt light and clean plus I loved the lather from it like the traditional shop bought shampoo gives you (and let’s face it, that we like and are used to)

6. Coconut oil and sea salt

What the heck did I try? Mixing 1 teaspoon of coconut oil with some pinches of sea salt.
Why this? Sea salt adds volume, shine and helps greasy hair and the coconut oil is great for added softness.
How easy? Very – though I would recommend melting the coconut oil in a pot before adding the salt.
How effective? The coconut oil made it very greasy (perhaps I applied too much) and triggered a mini crisis…!

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7. Rye flour

What the heck did I try? Mixing 2 tablespoons sieved rye flour with water to make a paste, covering my wet hair in it and then throughly washing out.
Why this? Rye flour is full of vitamins, nutrients and minerals for skin and hair and it’s also the perfect PH level for our scalp.
How easy? It took 5 minutes to grind it using a mortle and pestle (but you could do a bulk batch). Also, try to use organic rye flour and remember, the more finely ground, the better!
How effective? It definitely gave my hair a nice shine but I did struggle to completely remove it from my hair (this is probably because my hair was too tangled – be sure to brush it thoroughly before). It made my hair feel really silky and probably the ‘cleanest’ of all the methods.

8. Just apple cider vinegar

What the heck did I try? Mixing 2 tablespoons of ACV into a jar of water and sloshing it over my hair. No rinsing!
Why this? See above for the benefits of ACV…On top of this, Lucy from Lulastic and the Hippyshake mentioned to me that living in London, my water could be really hard (which means that it contains a lot of calcium/magnesium which is very harsh for hair). Although you can counteract this by boiling the water first, using distilled water or buying a shower filter to soften the water, none of these appealed.  Lucy gave me a tip to try this acidic vinegar rinse to help neutralise the hard water.
How easy? Super easy!
How effective? Very. My hair felt in really good condition afterwards with no vinegar smell either (it smells when wet, not when dry).

So that’s my round up of the either methods I’ve tried to date -it’s been an amazing journey with highs and lows (#coconutoilgate was not easy!) and I’ll definitely keep trying other recipes. For now my current routine is a once weekly wash and I alternate between using a soapbut shampoo bar and the vinegar rinse. To be honest, I think I’m slightly in transition phase (where your hair recalibrates and can feel greasy / waxy and is very typical for around the 2 months stage, which is where I’m at) but it’s totally under control. Most importantly, my hair feels good, it’s got very long very quickly and it’s also a lot more wavy which I like. I’ve saved a bunch of time and money, and I LOVE experimenting with GOOD ingredients and saying goodbye to those weird words you have no clue what they mean found on the back (and in!) traditional shampoos and conditioners.

Here’s some final need to knows:

Scritching and brushing with the boar bristle is really important throughout – This is a method that consists of massaging your head using the tips of your fingers (see my video here) and then brushing with a boar bristle brush. I try to do this approx 5-6 times a week when watching TV or before bed and it always makes my hair less greasy in the morning.

Pick a period of time you don’t have a huge party where you want to look good – I’ve had a photoshoot, wedding and Christmas parties so it hasn’t been ideal!

Try it in Winter – Bobble hats will be your friend.

My hair never smells – I’m still washing it so it’s clean – it’s just oily – and oily with my natural scalp oils which I’m trying to give a chance to do their job!

Always comb out dry hair before trying any method

You’ll always have one tricky part – The most common spot, especially for people with long hair, is at the back of the head – this is my nemesis right now!

Everyone has different hair types – Everyone will therefore need something different, not to mention have different standards as to how they want their hair to look. I have pretty thick hair so my method will likely differ to someone with fine hair.

Variety is the spice of life – keep experimenting until you get it right!

Ingredients are important – I recommend getting hold of this apple cider vinegar and this baking soda.

Finally, head over to my video diary of going no poo and see some of my reactions at the time…the kids make some cameo appearances too and sorry in advance if the music gets kinda loud. I got a bit carried away !

Are you thinking about taking the plunge? What’s stopping you? Let me know in the comments below if you are either on the no poo journey or are considering starting it…

Emma x

P.S A Mum Accessory Life Saver  and How To Make A Floral Crown

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This is one of those cakes that will answer all your needs: having your in laws over for tea? Needing to use up a few sad looking courgettes festering at the bottom of your vegetable drawer? Want to create an ‘occasion’ cake in half an hour?

Enjoying a slow morning and keen to do some fun baking with the little ones but not necessarily up for creating total chaos in the kitchen ? Or maybe you’re just vegan and struggle to find good vegan cake recipes? Then THIS recipe, my friends, is for you.

Ingredients:
250g plain flour
200g caster sugar
85g cocoa powder
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
125ml vegetable oil
2 tsp vanilla extract
250g grated courgettes (about 2 medium courgettes, and chuck the peel in too)
300ml almond milk
Icing sugar / pumpkin seeds / cocoa nibs, to garnish

What to do:
Whack the oven on (180’cC) and line a tin with greaseproof paper (don’t forget to reuse it after). Sieve all the dry ingredients (the flour, cocoa, baking powder, sugar, bicarbonate of soda) into a large bowl and mix. Then add the wet ingredients (almond milk, vanilla extract and vegetable oil). Mix. Now add the grated courgettes to the bowl and mix everything together. Pour the mixture into the tin and pop in the oven. It really depends on your oven, and the size of your tin, but mine takes around 60 minutes to cook (check by inserting a skewer into the middle – remove the loaf when the skewer comes out clean)

Avocado ‘Nice-ing’ Topping – blitz the below ingredients:
2 ripe avocados chopped up
60g unsweetened cocoa powder
120ml maple syrup
2 tbsp melted coconut oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp instant coffee, dissolved in 2 tbsp boiling water


Alternatively, sprinkle a handful of pumpkin seeds or some icing sugar if you’re feeling particularly decadent. Oh, and don’t forget a nice big brew.

Emma xxx

P.S Vegan Chocolate Olive Oil Cake and Outrageously Easy Vegan Lasagne

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I’ve finally realised that the art of an epic breakfast requires 30 seconds of preparation the night before which on 1-2 hours a sleep at the moment (thanks Sonny!), is just about all I can muster up. And when that preparation involves chucking handfuls of ingredients in a bowl that really you just happen to have in the cupboard and swishes (not a word) of milk, I’m on board. Think of the below recipe as a guide; you can easily substitute almonds for the sunflower seeds, for example.

Mix together roughly 100g porridge oats, a handful of raisins, a handful of sunflower seeds and a few ground cardamom pods. Then grate an apple into this mixture (don’t peel the apple – win!), add 150 ml of a milk of your choice (I like almond milk) and a good swig of apple juice (optional). Then simply cover with clingfilm overnight and stumble into the kitchen the next morning, uncover and tip on a dollop of yoghurt, coconut flakes, the leftover grated apple and any fresh fruit you happen to have (berries are a winner).

Best enjoyed with a big brew <3

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Sam and I have been married for coming up to 4 years and known each other for 15 (we met at school though haven’t been together exclusively since then…) and yet I still learn new things about him everyday, and never more so now that we are embarking on this one stop party train called parenthood. I started compiling a mental list of ‘learnings’ about him and it began to grow – so partly to remind myself of the things that make him ‘him’ (in other words that he doesn’t really mean to leave empty cups of tea everywhere) and also because I’m sure that some of his traits are universal to all men, I thought I would share it on here. So yes – this post contains HUGE generalisations plus a lot of first world problems but take a read and let me know if any of these things ring true to a particular special male in your life. Oh, and I hope some of it might even bring a wee smile to your lips too…

1. They mean what they say

When he asks me, “is it OK if I go out tonight?”, I reply “yes”, but underneath I often really mean “ummmmmm, you were out last night and I was counting on you to do bath and bed time tonight”. Why do we do it? In contrast, when I ask him something, he will reply straight up. For example: Me: “Does my hair look greasy?” Him: “yes.” That being said….

2. They’re sometimes shit at communication on the go

Whereas I feel like I’m constantly updating him on my whereabouts (I seem to always be texting saying something along the lines of “2 minutes away!”), I sometimes find it’s 7.30pm, I need reinforcements, I need wine, and I need him but no real idea where he is (inevitably just busy at work and not checking his phone). I do sometimes just wish he’d text me to update me how much longer I gotta hang in there. Any other men out there kinda bad at touching base just when you need them?

3. Men and women cope with tiredness *differently*

When I’m underslept I find that I get sensitive to *everything*, whereas Sam just goes kind of silent and spends A LOT of time staring at his phone. He literally just stops talking and retreats into a screen and mumbles every so often. And when he is SUPER tired because he lets me drive.

4. They’re not good at compliments

Maybe this really is just Sam (insert emoticon with weird diagonal frowning eyebrows) but getting my dude to say summat complimentary is almost as difficult as wiping 4 day old weetabix off Jack’s breakfast table. That is, pretty bloody tough. That said, when he does comment on something, it is special and I do tend to turn into a lovestruck teenager.

5. They don’t like nagging but they do like direction

I find I can pretty much ask anything of Sam if I do it in a ‘chilled’ way, but if I fall into a ‘moany’ tone (my words, not his), it’s a bit more tricky. That said, I recently heard the phrase “if they’re nagging, then you’re lagging” which I now love (and totally agree with – ha!) though needless to say when I regaled Sam with my new line he didn’t agree!

6. They just don’t have same attention to detail in the home

I’m certainly not a tidy person but it’s the small things that I seem to pick up on that Sam just doesn’t (or does but chooses to ignore?) Finished loo rolls, one discarded sock and beer bottle lids…please just throw ’em away my love.

7. They love live sport

There is literally nothing Sam enjoys more than sitting down with a cup of tea to watch some sport (preferably alone). My equivalent is reading a magazine whilst nibbling on dark chocolate. What’s yours?

8. Daddy is still a bit more exciting than mummy

He just is. And I’m totes OK with that. My relationship with my children is different to theirs with their dad – and that’s the way it should be.

9. They like to stay up late

Don’t get me wrong; I dream about staying up with a bottle of wine, getting slowly tipsy whilst watching a film before flopping into bed with my loved one. The reality: a frantic and silent teeth brushing, a breastfeed and then a good twenty minutes of rocking to sleep before I dive into bed to catch 45 mins of sleep before Sonny is awake again. (he’s going through a super bad patch of sleeping as you may have seen me moaning about over on my Instagram)

10. They do flippin’ love us

We drive them crazy at times with occasional nagging and weird modes of communication, and they sometimes send us a little cray cray by leaving all sorts of bodily hair (oh wait, I definitely do that too….) everywhere and staying up past our bedtime, but shit the bed, they do love us.

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So that’s it – my 10 ‘learnings’ on this weird and wonderful old thing of mine called a relationship. This is a bit of a different blog post for me – it’s a lot more personal – so I hope you enjoyed it. Writing it certainly made me realise how much we actually in common, just often expressed in different ways…

Thanks for reading as ever and leave me a comment to say hey / share your experience – I’d love to hear from you.

Emma x

*ok, maybe just mine but maybe some of them remind you of a special male in your life..!