Self Care for the Second Trimester

Despite what I'd expected, it seems that the second trimester of my pregnancy has whizzed past and suddenly I'm approaching the third. It's a whirlwind of a time - it feels like there's so much preparation to do, so many changes going on in my body as Shroomie grows, and combining these aspects with a full time job can mean everything starts to feel a little overwhelming. I've written about self care before but it has never felt so important as it does now, as if I'm not looking after myself then I'm not looking after Shroomie - meaning suddenly it doesn't seem so much of an indulgence as it does a priority. For this reason I'd like to share a few favourite things that have really allowed me to indulge in self care, and the best part is many of them are fantastic whether you're pregnant or not!

Green People Skincare Review

Having always had skin that is very reactive to the subtlest changes in hormones, it was always unforeseen territory as to how my skin would react to pregnancy. For the first couple of months, as I expected, my skin was quite unpredictable - from clear one day to a hormonal breakout the next, from oily to dry. Since I'm now into my second trimester, my skin is (touch wood!) calming down a little bit but I have had to mix up my skincare regime to continue to look after my skin as it changes.

Over the years I've become increasingly conscious that the products I use on my skin are as natural and gentle as possible as I hate the thought of my skin absorbing unwelcome ingredients or toxins. This feeling has become even stronger for me during pregnancy due to a natural inclination to nourish the baby as much as possible rather than exposing them to any chemicals that may be even potentially dangerous. That's why I'm really keen on Green People - their products never contain SLS, parabens, lanolin, phthalates, alcohol, harsh foaming agents, synthetic fragrances, colourants or petrochemicals to name even some of the long list. Their ingredients are mostly organic, and of course they are cruelty free. I was fortunate enough to receive a few items to try from their anti-blemish range for all skin types, recommended to me as they all contain willow bark which helps to balance sebum production but is anti-inflammatory: perfect for my sensitive skin. But of course the big question for a lot of people is: does natural skincare actually work?

The First Trimester

When Jamie and I told friends, family and colleagues that I was pregnant, we were greeted with congratulations and excitement, and when I told other mothers that I was pregnant this was quickly followed with "you'll feel better after the first three months!" Pregnancy seems to be widely acknowledged as a rotten experience during the very beginning - and very end - and though I haven't had the worst time it definitely has been a ride so far.

Honestly, I'm a complete novice when it comes to all things baby - I've never spent much time around young children, with little experience of their needs, what to expect at each age, or how to talk and act around them, so as a result everything about this journey is fascinating to me. I've suddenly become glued to pregnancy books and journals just to try and gauge what to expect and what is normal (A few blogger favourites are Sian and Alice) and I've googled more random pregnancy queries than I'd care to count. But I've found that everyone's very different experiences have made me realise my own experiences aren't weird or unusual, they're just mine - there's no standard on how pregnancy is going to be for any one person, so if sharing this helps any one person accept their new version of normal then that is all I can hope for! Here are my experiences of pregnancy with Shroomie, weeks 1-13:

Welcome, Shroomie

It's been too long since I've posted here, and it's safe to say that for me 2018 has been the year of change. From moving last minute in March, to my partner Jamie unexpectedly changing jobs in the same month, to taking driving lessons and going on some mini breaks, it's been a wonderful but challenging year that has left me with little time to truly stop and take a breath. But this year is only the beginning of an entirely new adventure we're embarking on, and I wanted to come back fresh with some updates I'm so incredibly excited to share.

Life Updates

In my last post I mentioned I felt optimistic that spring was just around the corner so it's somewhat bizarre to be writing this while watching snowflakes flurry outside of my window, a cotton wool coating on everything in sight. The UK is notoriously rubbish at dealing with snow and we've been dealt a heavier hand with it in this spell than I've seen for many, many years. Of course although it seems silly that everything seems to grind to a halt in this weather, it's sensible advice to only make journeys that are absolutely necessary, and I'm taking it as a reminder to stop and take a good look at what is actually important.

It's never my intention to be cryptic about my personal life but I am always conscious that people don't want or need to know the intimate details through this blog: I like to use this space to muse on my interests more than my personal situation. However I am aware that my current situation is affecting my life in many ways, costing a lot of time and money, therefore affecting my ability and motivation to do things I love including blogging. Therefore I wanted to write a little bit of a chatty life update, about what I've been up to and some of changes going on for me right now.

Winter Beauty Favourites

As I'm writing this it is a beautiful day outside and I'm optimistic that the seasons are changing, but realistically there's still a real chill in the air and we've had a week of rain, sleet and hail. At this time of year I start itching for new growth - encouraged by the fact that it is now just about light when I leave the house in the morning, I'm so incredibly ready for spring.

It's been too long since I've written a favourites post (well, any blog post, really - I'll get into that a little later on) and today I particularly wanted to share a few beauty products that I've loved using recently. During this transitional period I always feel a little in limbo, a little stagnant, and am usually on the lookout for fresh items to inject new life into my routines that are suitable to use now rather than in anticipation of seasons ahead. These are products which have passed muster and made me excited and I wanted to give them some deserved recognition here today.

2017 Reflection and 2018 Goals

Hello, 2018. It's New Years Day and today I want to take a little time to reflect on what I've achieved over the past year and to set my own personal goals for 2018. New Years Resolutions are something I rarely partake in as I find they're not always realistic, but I hope that by documenting my goals here it might help me to keep them fresh in my mind as a priority.