5 ways to: combat rainy day blues

Where we live it has rained everyday for the last two weeks, making it feel very much like winter already. I had great plans of being overly productive on my maternity leave but waking up each morning to a gloomy grey rain filled sky has seen me spend most days trapped inside the house. I thought I'd share some of the ways I brighten up my day during the winter months

1. Bright florals: I love having fresh flowers in the house, they lift the mood of the house in an instant. Bright colours and summer scents can take your mind of the pouring rain. I especially love to have Lillys in the house as their scent reminds me of the long hot summer and they have long been my favourite flower.
2. Looking back on old photos: I recently found myself going through our Honeymoon photos and was surprised by how cheery they made me. I thought with us spending our honeymoon in Rarotonga and me currently being 9 months pregnant sitting inside listening to the rain hammer the roof, I would get Honeymoon sick(is that a thing?) Instead it instantly cheered me up, with Hubby and I spending hours reminiscing on our time spent exploring that heavenly island.
3. Pamper yourself: Run a hot bath, use your best bubble bath, apply your favourite face mask, light some wonderfully scented candles and soak away the hours. We are so busy in our day to day lives that we forget about ourselves. When the rain is pouring and you know there is no way you will be leaving the house take that chance to indulge yourself. I love the Lush bubble bar range and for a really indulgent bath I will mix one with a bath melt, which melt into your bath and fill it with Cocoa butter goodness. Fantastic for when your skin is also feeling the effects of winter.
4. Movie marathon: B and I know we don't have much time left to just lie on the couch and do nothing, so we are making the most of it lately by catching up on all the movies we have been meaning to watch. With the weather being as bad as it has been we don't feel guilty for it either. I'm sure if it was summer our final days of being a family of two would be spent with me nagging him to weed the gardens and fix bits and pieces on the outside of the house. Yet we are spending it curled up on the couch together and enjoying it being just the two of us.
5. Adult colouring in: Remember how you would waste away hours as a child colouring in your latest book? Well its just as much fun as an adult. Put on some music, grab a colouring book and some pencils and get to it. The great thing about many of these adult colouring books is the pictures are stunning even before any colour hits them, so gorgeous in fact that you can easily frame them for some cheap, changeable art. You could even use them as wrapping paper or give them framed as a gift.

How do you beat the winter blues?

Company highlight: Wildflower lane soaps

A while ago I stumbled across a picture of beautiful handmade soaps and had to find out more. Wildflower lane is a homemade business producing beautiful beauty products from soaps to baby products right here in New Zealand. I was lucky enough to be sent a new moisturiser to trial and since then I have been hooked. I made an order recently and was so impressed by the quality of the products and how well they work. Everything is packaged beautifully but without excess, the product does not need to be dressed up when it works so well on its own merits. The natural ingredients and no animal testing are so important to me and the affordable prices help add a bit of luxury into everyday without breaking the bank.
The company is always coming up with new products and scents. My latest order was mostly a gift but i did pick myself up a few new skincare treats. The frankincense and mandarin facial cleanser is stunning and it is fast becoming one of my go to products. It has an uplifting scent an creamy consistency which leaves my skin feeling fresh and clean. The little mud pie facial bar has been a life saver since pregnancy has changed my skin so much. Other facial bars can be very  drying but this one absorbed the excess oil on my skin but doesn't dry it out. The last skincare item I added to my collection was the lightly lavender cream. Lavender is brilliant for balancing oils on the skin, which my skin so desperately needs! This cream is light enough for me to wear under makeup without worrying about my make up melting off but at the same time adds a decent amount of moisture to my skin.

I got given a range of products for my baby shower including soaps,  soy melts and relaxation balm which has a stunning Cedar scent and is protecting my growing belly from stretch marks. I also was lucky enough to be get some of their baby balms so I will keep you up to date on how they go once I get to use them!

Anyone thinking of trying Wildflower lane should definitely make an order, you won't be disappointed.  These products are priced well, packaged beautifully and most importantly work so well. As this post goes live, there has been a whole bunch of new products released that just add to the already amazing range! Safe to say I will be making another order very soon.
Let me know what you think when you try them

What I've learnt: Open letter to my unborn baby

Today marks 31 days until the day you are due. I am both terrified and beyond excited at the same time, I cannot wait to meet you, to see who you look like, to find out if you are a boy or girl and start learning about you. This weekend was your baby shower and until then I hadn't thought much about how so many people are excited to meet you, you got spoilt rotten with so many thoughtful gifts that I dream of seeing you wear and play with. You are going to have an impact on so many peoples lives.
I remember the day so clearly that I took that pregnancy test and the faintest pink line showed up. I had to immediately call your Auntie Shannon and make her double check I wasn't just dreaming, she confirmed it and I knew from that moment on my life would change. Telling your daddy was one of the scariest things I have ever done, I knew he would be excited but daddy is very logical. I knew he would worry about money since we had only just got married and wanted to buy a house. I handed him the test wrapped in a top that said "I love my daddy" he was so shocked. I had been telling him that it might take us some time to get pregnant but it took only a couple of months!! After he came to terms with his shock he too was so excited, he made me promise it would be him who taught you to ride a bike.
Those first few months were hard, I was pretty sick with all day nausea and I wanted to tell everyone about you. I was scared that we would lose you, I worried with every twitch that you were gone. I really had to learn to ask for and accept help during this time, I was too sick to even do our dishes and I hated it. One thing about momma is she is very strong willed, some times this is a good thing and other times not so much, I didn't want people to help, I wanted to do it all myself. It wasn't until my first scan that it really sank in that it wasn't about taking care of just you, I had to take care of myself to make sure that you were healthy and getting everything you need. I learnt over the next few months that slowing down and taking care of myself was important. I had to become ok with letting certain things go like having a spotless house and making sure everything is perfect. One thing i don't want for you is to be so hard on yourself, there is no such thing as perfect. I just want you to be happy, to not put so much pressure on yourself that you don't enjoy the little things in life. Momma has only learnt to do that because of you.
I remember the first time your daddy saw you at an ultrasound, I looked over at him and he wiped a tear from his eyes. Up until that point he had only seen how sick I was and at that ultrasound you were so very real to him.  Daddy and I have been together since I was 16years old, we grow up together really. There were times it was hard work but I wouldn't change anything to do with our relationship for the world. So many of the important events in my life your daddy has been there for. I will never forget the moment he got down on one knee on the beach just out of Napier and asked me to be his wife, that he wanted to spend the rest of this life with me. I hope that you take after your daddy more than me. He is so thoughtful, smart, loving, stubborn and strong. He has been amazing for the whole time I have been pregnant with you. He will roll over every morning and put his hand on my belly to feel you move around(You are a morning person just like him) he thinks I'm asleep but I cherish these moments as i know we only have a small amount left. Our relationship has changed, sometimes it's hard. Momma hasn't had the best pregnancy, you have been perfect the whole time but I have had a few problems and haven't much felt like myself. I know I haven't given your dad as much attention as I used to and that has been hard for him. I think sometimes he feels like I don't love him as much as i did. He couldn't be more wrong though, watching him grow during the last 8 months has made me see parts of him I have never seen before. He is so protective of you already. As silly as it sounds he is a dad already, I feel like other dads don't act like a dad until they get to hold their child but your daddy is different. He has been involved every step of the way and even picked your first outfit! Part of me knows that our relationship will never go back to how it was because we have you now and sometimes I miss how we were but for the most part I cant wait to see how our relationship will evolve. I tear up just thinking about how sweet he is going to be with you. If you are a boy he will take you everywhere, climb trees, build with you and teach you all about cars. If you are a girl, my lord, he will be wrapped around your little finger. You bat an eyelid and he will give in. I'm sure you will find him over protective at times but he will only want the best for you. Don't forget he was a teenage boy at one point and believe me, he did some questionable things.
As I write this you are squirming around and yet again have hiccups, you get them all the time! With every movement I wonder what you will be like, where you will go in life and what you will do. Life is sometimes not fair or easy but I hope you can always see the light in a situation. I hope your daddy and I can protect you from many of the things that we have had to go through but I know you will have battles to fight. Hopefully with everything your dad and I teach you will equip you to get through anything life throws at you with grace and understanding. I want to teach you so much. To not care what others think, to do what makes you happy, to be whoever you want to be,to not grow up so fast. Trust me baby, there is plenty of time to be grown up and it's not that much fun. Enjoy being carefree while you can. I hope you and I will have a relationship as good as I do with your Mo, my mum. I pray that no matter what you know I will always be there for you, that you can come to me for anything.
I know our time as one is coming to and end and with every passing day I am torn between so badly wanting to meet you and never wanting this to end. I will miss feeling your kicks but I so desperately want to hold you.
Until your ready to meet the world, I will hold you as part of me and treasure every moment.
I already love you more than the world.
Cannot wait to meet you
Love momma