On the back of Lazarus’s birth, before everything was erased from my memory, I wanted to write down some of the things I found most useful to have on hand. Of course ‘Essentials’ will be different to everybody and depending on what birth you are hoping for, but these are some of the things I found useful!

If you’ve followed me a while, you probably will be aware of my other two birth stories. Both unique- you can read them here and here, but both ended in retained membranes/placenta and a significant blood loss. Moses’ birth was also during covid which obviously meant things looked completely different to how they were intended to. I had birth trauma resoultion after each birth with the wonderful Tracy- I cannot recommend her enough.

Hello! I went into pregnancy with incredibly low iron readings that were a concern to doctors and soon, naturally I was offered iron tablets, infusions and asked if I wanted to block my periods yet not once asked about my diet or lifestyle in general. I didn’t feel comfortable with any of the options presented and took the readings as a sign I needed to make some changes.

Some of you may know how the last few, in fact, FIVE months have gone for us! Last June we found out that our landlord would need our house back, and so we started looking where was available in our area. It was no surprise (because we have moved a few times within West Sussex), that the options were limited, expensive and we knew we would need a miracle situation!

Guys. Is it just me? Every week I sit with a pen and paper and stare at a blank and empty page as I try and figure out what on earth we even cook. Fun fact: I don’t enjoy cooking. Baking I get more excited about… BUT, I love the joy of knowing my kids are getting homecooked meals that can make their bodies strong!

My favourite ethical and sustainable maternity essentials for pregnancy so far!

I grew up believing in Santa. I remember the magic of waiting and watching out my window to see his sleigh but, growing up I soon became highly anxious about a random man entering my room at night. There wasn’t even a chimney at my Grannie’s house where we went each year so did he just let himself in the front door? And, if santa could then surely a burglar could too? There was great relief at about 7 or 8 when I went in to my mum one evening and asked her to confirm he really wasn’t real.

One of the things I have wanted to keep constant throughout our home education journey was reading aloud to the kids from a storybook, always having one on the go. This could be read before going to bed or over a cup of tea during the daytime.

I’d always dreamed of homeschooling my kids but, like with anything in parenting, I dreamed a lot of things and realised when you get there, even with great intentions plans change, and so I kept my mind open. I remember being in a local library and seeing a sign saying that the sign-up for school for Heppy’s intake had passed, and I felt such peace.

It’s November…somehow?! And thoughts of Christmas slowly infiltrate!

It’s always my hope to help you buy better when you need to! Whether you have no idea what shopping more responsibly looks like, or whether you’re a pro but just need some ideas- let this be for you! 

We all dread those incoming sniffles as the temperature drops off, so here are some of our immunity go-to’s that I always have on hand/are nourishing our bodies with so we feel prepared if that time comes. I grew up thinking Calpol was the holy grail, not because my mum had told me so, but because what was better than receiving a gooey pink sugary substance through a syringe at 6 years old?

Hello! If you’d seen my latest post on why we chose forest school I mentioned i’d write a follow up kit list post! Here it is! Please note, this kit list is what has worked for us but it very much depends on the setting you find yourself in, and how likely your child is to roll around in the mud (daily). As I said, one of the biggest hurdles in attending a forest school can be the initial outgoings to gather everything together but, while merino wool is probably the best for a base layer it’s not the only option, there’s probably some great ones already in your kids drawers!

I never could imagine Heppy in a conventional nursery setting when the time came to take a look what was available, in fact I hadn’t even realised funded hours were available to us. I wasn’t against a conventional nursery setting, but I was keen to do something completely different to the experiences she was getting at home but where in many ways the atmosphere felt an extension of the home in the value given to children, the opportunity to explore and gain a sense of self.

You may have recently seen me do some work with greenmarketeco.com a fantastic eco marketplace with everything from secondhand technology to green cleaning products, bulk toilet paper to refurbished air pods and kitchen essentials. With Christmas around the corner, here are 5 gift ideas for you to make shopping consciously that little bit easier!

I remember growing up waiting so patiently for December 1st to come around. You see, growing up in church meant that Auntie Barbara, Doris and Daphne all made sure to get me my own advent calendar on top of the one already been given by my parents and soon I had five advent calendars lined up, some making it til Christmas day and others consumed before

Hello! You may have seen earlier last week, this years gift guides went live! They were all gifts from shops I love and believe in and brands that have a high value on ethics. You can find them here!

Can you believe it! November is here which means…. here are my ethical and sustainable gift guides for 2022.

It’s always my hope to help you buy better when you need to! Whether you have no idea what shopping more responsibly looks like, or whether you’re a pro but just need some ideas- let this be for you!

This year more than ever before, I’ve been really challenged in my buying. Buying responsibly is great, buying secondhand…better, but, do I even need to buy at all? There’s lots of questions being asked and conversations being had. Let’s buy things to be loved and well used, passed on even. Let’s dig into a companies ethics before we commit, let’s linger rather than buy on impulse, let’s support the small guy, the start-up and minority-owned businesses.

It’s Organic September, and my last post was an introduction into the world of Organic buying and why we choose to do that plus some ways we save money whilst making it a priority. You can find that blog here.

This is just a quick intro to 12 of my favourite organic brands. What are some of yours?