The weekend that was (and other ramblings)

This weekend I... bought a new breast pump, another carseat, and impulsively decided to buy a new pram, too (it was on sale, and I was thinking about getting something less 'baby-ish' for Bean now that he's a bit older and wants to sit up and see the world go by). I spent a fortune stocking up on nappies, wipes and bum cream. I did about a billion loads of laundry, washed the dishes at least five times every day, made lasagne (my best one yet), and fought fairly for the first time in a while (sometimes I get so defensive that it's difficult to remain calm and really hear my husband out before launching into attack-mode... am I the only one?)
It was a ridiculously domestic weekend, but to be completely honest, it was one of the most enjoyable weekends I've had in a very long time. My parents are in Pretoria visiting family at the moment, so my 11-year-old twin brothers stayed with us over the weekend. Having them around was great and gave us the excuse to do all sorts of fun things we wouldn't ordinarily do (and also pushed us to do things we've been putting off for months): we went to the aquarium, had lunch and Bubble Tea (have you tried it? I'm obsessed!) at the food market at the Waterfront, played outside and pushed Bean on his new swing (he absolutely loves his swing - he screeches and squeals non-stop whenever he so much as sees his swing), spent a ridiculous amount of time in toy shops, ate too much pizza and stayed in to watch movies... it was a goodie.

Oh, and just in case you missed it, pop on over to one of my favourite blogs, I Heart Your Outfit and have a look at their 'Parenting Juggle' posts. I recently gave the super-stylish super-moms, Liza and Emily, a little glimpse into my life as a working mama, here. Be sure to check out the entire series - I think it's such a fab idea and I've loved reading about other moms and how they make 'the juggle' work for them. I was just recently chatting to a friend (with no children just yet) about how much life changes once you have a baby, and I almost felt as though I had to convince her that although having a baby is incredibly challenging and your life will never be the same again, you actually don't mind the lack of 'me-time' or early mornings and sleepless nights so much. Don't get me wrong - I'd love the opportunity to sleep in on a Saturday morning and an hour to myself would be absolute bliss right about now, but for some reason, whenever I do have a quiet moment to myself, I find myself yearning to be with Bean... and I've often been tempted to wake him up so that we can play for just a little longer. Being a working mom is so much more difficult than I thought it would be; for some reason, while pregnant, I always imagined that it would be a simple case of dropping baby off at daycare or leaving him with the nanny and getting on with work and life as normal, but my feelings about doing so or the guilt I'd feel never came to mind. I don't think it's possible to anticipate how you'll feel until it happens to you. Same as not minding the lack of 'me-time', I suppose!

And on a completely different note (though somewhat related), I've decided that it may be time for a little blog revamp. I know I've been incredibly scarce over the past couple of months and although it has a lot to do with the fact that I've been busy being a mama, I must admit that my silence is also partly due to a lack of inspiration. So many blogs have cropped up over the past few months and I've been feeling quite a bit of pressure to 'keep up' with other beauty and lifestyle bloggers out there. I've noticed quite a bit of competition in some blogging circles and I've had a bit of a knee-jerk reaction to this... However, my 'blogging break' has helped me to realise that it doesn't have to be a competitive or 'political' thing. I started this blog as a way to share my thoughts, feelings and opinions - on beauty products and otherwise - and for the opportunity to write, write, write (and write some more). The blogging world seems to be going through a rather strange period at the moment (which is also very, very exciting as people - and businesses - start to sit up and take notice) and I think it's crucial for bloggers to find - and stick to - their own identities and brand values at the moment. I'll be tweaking the site ever so slightly and posting on a more regular basis (I'm aiming for three posts per week... some weeks I'll post more, and others less, depending on what's happening in my life and career). I'll also be posting on other non-beauty related topics, such as home, family, and even a bit of a fashion, and I'm planning on introducing makeup tutorials soon, too. More importantly, I'll be posting about things I love or things that inspire me (and will hopefully inspire others - you! - too), and I'll be moving away from blogging in an effort to increase page visits (why does it always come down to the numbers?!) or to impress brands. I'm hoping to make this a more pleasurable experience for my readers, so bear with me (there'll be a few slight changes happening sloooowly over the next couple of weeks) and watch this space!


Image: Justin J. Gibson