The Joy Journal for Magical Everyday Play by Laura Brand

The  Joy Journal for Magical Everyday Play by Laura Brand: my current bedside reading, this book was a birthday present for Eden via me, as I felt a one year old isn't that into "stuff" but is super into learning and exploring - I hoped the ideas in this book would create far more fun over a long time than any one toy or item. I see a lot of supermums on Instagram sharing excellent structured play activities and games, but as a first time mum I honestly rely on Eden to teach me what she's capable of and what she'd like to do - I've never had to entertain a little one before so I'm a total novice. I hoped this pretty book would spark a few creative ideas we can try out, in a relatively easy and inexpensive way.

One year of breastfeeding

Eden's birthday, also marked another milestone: one year of breastfeeding. I've been thinking about writing this post for a while now but have struggled to find the words, namely because I am still taken aback at how emotional the whole topic of breastfeeding can be for a parent. It still feels like there's a lot of stigma when talking about it.

Foraging for Nettles / Stinging Nettle Pie

This might sound mad but stinging nettles are incredibly nutritious, tasty, and are lurking in many of our gardens for free! When Eden was born we brought a big batch of vegetable pasta with nettle pesto into hospital in with us as there wasn't much vegan food available. It was delicious and really kept us going through the first hazy newborn days, so I like them even more now.

Fern Sanitary Pads

It upsets me greatly to think that one day I'm likely to be telling Eden about how when I was young there were more fish than plastic in the ocean. For this reason I feel very passionate about reusable sanitary products. Considering
 that those who menstruate could use up to 16,000 disposable sanitary products in a lifetime, it is shocking to think of the waste that just one person can create. Sanitary pads are made of up to 90% plastic, they're uncomfortable, full of chemicals and they don't biodegrade.

Not a LUSH "haul"

Back in 2012 I started a blog that was kind of the opposite of this one. I had no concept of the impact of fast fashion, thought more was more, and posting "hauls" from going shopping was an in thing. Now "hauls" are NOT a thing because being wasteful and accumulating loads of stuff, often for the sake of having something to post online, is rightly no longer perceived as good content. However I received this LUSH Cosmetics delivery this morning and it took me back to those early blogging days (this would be called a "mini-haul") except luckily there's nothing wasteful in here - everything can be reused or recycled, down to the paper tape on the packaging. I placed a LUSH order because I wanted to try one of their shampoo bars but I got a few other treats as well that I thought I'd share.