A simple start to 2019...

Perfect place to enjoy a walk in 2019

Hi there and HAPPY NEW YEAR!  I won't sit and ramble about how quickly Christmas came and went but I will say that the whole, 'new year, new me' pressure is in the air and it isn't how I want to start my 2019.  Before I had my daughter I always hated New Year and the pressure to make this year, 'the best year yet!'  Then I had Posey on New Years Eve which made the whole day far more enjoyable.

I still feel the pressure though and even last night as I sat on the sofa waiting to ring in the new year (I lasted until 10:30 and went to bed... how rock and roll) I felt anxiety in the pit of my stomach.

I woke up this morning feeling determined to not let the New Year hype engulf me but instead make conscious choices to make the day to day more simple and calming.  I am a mum of two and a full time teacher; I need calm in my life!

With that in mind, I thought I would share with you how I plan to make my start to 2019 calm & simple.

candles //
 we all love a festive candle but I am a year round candle lover.  I think it is the whole hyyge thing. I am going to make a conscious effort when I arrive home or even when I get up in the mornings to light a candle and just take a moment to myself before I carry on with whatever it is I have to do.  That way I'll have a moment to myself to breathe and the apartment will smell glorious, win win!

music //
I don't know about you but the TV on the background has become a bit of a bad habit in the Brookes household.  Most of the time we aren't even watching it, Sam and I will be in the kitchen and the children are usually busy playing!  I much, much prefer listening to music.  So I intend to play much more music in our home in 2019.  Sam and I are really enjoying the new Mumford and Sons album, they are one of our favourite bands and always make me feel calmer and more relaxed.

health //
If you didn't know I turned 30 in December and I am still not quite sure if I am bothered or not.  Can't decide.  However what I am more aware of it my health and that of my family's.  We usually eat fairly well but with the Christmas break and alot of traveling nutrition has gone on the back burner and I am really feeling it.  I am not going to sit here and say I am going to make my whole family vegetarian like me or that I am going to do veganuary but I am going to continue to make small changes that we had already started in 2018.

Sam and the littles are really good with their intake of water, me on the other hand, not so much.  I have one of those hydrate m8 style bottles which does help encourage me so I am going to keep working on that.

I am also going to make the conscious choice to buy Weetabix as breakfast for the whole family.  We all like Weetabix, it is obviously good for your body, I like the fact they don't use any plastic in their packaging and to top it off they are vegan.  So if you eat them with soy or nut milk, hey presto a vegan meal every day! - good for you, good the world.  🌎

a good clean //
Once the tree is down and you've organized the festive clutter I always feel like our home needs a good clean.  I am no Mrs Hinch by any stretch of the imagination but using Method cleaning products always helps to motivate the cleaner in me.  My favourites are the clementine and the French lavender.

walking //
Again not a unfulfilled promise to over haul my exercise regime it is me noting that walking really helps me feel calm.  We live in such a beautiful part of Abu Dhabi, we have the beach right on our doorstep and water surrounding us.  I find the water really soothing and a walk is a great way to silence the noise in your head!



Here's to a new year, same me but making choices to be calmer and more content.

Thanks for stopping by,

7 months in...

The wall of dreams at Yas Beach.

7 months in doesn't quite have the same ring to it as 6 months in but I have been one busy lady recently so, alas, it's now mid March and we are 7 months in!

7 months into living a 7 hour flight away from the UK. 7 months into working in a new school.  7 months into the littles settling into their new home.  7 months into apartment living and 7 months into living in the desert heat!

How do I feel about it now?

In the interest of being honest, it hasn't always been an easy move but then we never expected it to be.  We moved two small children away from their home comforts and we have all had to adapt to a very different culture.  There have been many ups and downs along the way.  They say it takes at least 12 months to feel settled and to think of this place as 'home'.
Having said that, there are so many positives here that sometimes I wonder how we will ever go back to England.

Highlights of the past 7 months include;

• our marriage has survived!! Wahoooo!! 😂
• settling into and beginning to enjoy a new workplace
• watching P and L settle and thrive in their classes 
• copious days enjoying the swimming pool
• a yearly membership to the local waterpark (Yas water world which is 10 minutes away and fantastic for children). 
• Trips to Dubai 
• Our desert safari for Sam's 28th birthday
• making new friends
• watching Sam enjoy playing for the Saracens Rugby team (not going to lie I think it is rather hot watching him run around the pitch in his shorts!)
• visits from Sam's sister Kate and my sister Sophie 
• I got to see one of my best friends and her beautiful baby girl on a trip to the UAE for her 30th
• trips to the beach for birthday parties 
• watching Beauty in the Beast in the park, all sat together on a blanket munching treats whilst the sun set 
• Sam cutting off all his hair (I am pretty much his no.1 fan at this point)
• playing in fake snow at the Galleria Mall at Christmas time
• Christmas Brunch at the Westin Abu Dhabi 

... the list goes on.   I could go on about the negatives that we have experienced (like me crying every time it bloody snows in England and we aren't there to enjoy it) but then, nobody really wants to hear me moan.  Those aren't the things I want my children and I to look back on either. 

In short, yes we get homesick quite often but the move out here was absolutely worth it.  Work is going well, the children are happy and my husband looks great with a tan! What more could I ask for?! 

We are very much looking forward to our holiday back to England in the summer.  There are lots of people that we miss terribly and I can't wait for everybody to see how much our two littles have grown.  I am so proud of my little family and despite everything, I am really proud of us for moving out here. 

I am now going to share some of my most favourite photos from our time here so far - most of which are just iPhone snaps...

Our first date night in Abu Dhabi

P and I at the Crowne Plaza on Yas Island

P and L enjoying an ice-lolly at Dubai Mall

Our first trip to Dubai

On the boat ride to watch the amazing fountain show at Dubai Mall

Our first ever time trick or treating.

When Sam plays the name game at Starbucks! 

When Posey won star of the week and got to take Popsy home.

My handsome husband on his birthday trip to the desert. 

Me feeling awkward around a camel... 

At the F1watching Mumford & Sons ... what a great night! 

P and L all ready for National Day celebrations

Christmas 2017 at the Westin Abu Dhabi 

Posey just generally being her usual self :) 

Our boy at Yas Gateway Park 

After our winter picnic at Yas Gateway Park 

and then she turned four. 

And he turned three...

When my beautiful friend and her family visited during their stay in the UAE for her 30th.

Mother's Day celebrations at Lochlann's nursery.

A special moment with my boy and I whilst waiting for Daddy to bring the coffees. 

When Auntie Katey came to visit.

When Auntie Sophie popped in for 3 hours on route to Nepal. 

One of my most favourite things about Abu Dhabi... the sunsets. 

Our littles on a recent visit to Jumeriah.

If you have reached this point you are an absolute legend because I included FAR too many photos! Thank you for reading, I am sorry my posts never follow a pattern or schedule, I'll get there one day... maybe! 😊

Insta' living.

I have just relished two weeks off.  Time off to recuperate, time off with my lovely little family and time off (lets be honest) to scroll the shit out of Instagram.  I can literally live on this app if I am not careful and constantly find myself thinking, 'oh that'll be a good snap for Instagram.'  We are all guilty of this right and what's the harm? Whilst I don't want to become real negative on my blog I do feel it is necessary for me to write this post...

The last few days I have found myself in a Instagram hole! I have been lost in all the pretty posts, flat lays and photos of beautiful homes and beautiful mamas.  Honestly, it has made me feel like utter crap.  I have felt useless and ugly... it has not been a good place.  It has affected how I have mothered and it has affected the kind of wife I have been to my husband.  Not good. 

I try to have confidence in myself and I really enjoy using Instagram.  I love taking photos and I love writing the little captions underneath each one to document what is going on day to day.  It enables me to write without needing to find the time to blog.  My Instagram feed is my mini blog. But I just don't feel like I compare to all these beautiful mamas that seem to have their shit together.  I don't seem to have tapped into that, 'amazing community' that lots of the lovely ladies I follow talk about.  

I have sat and wondered what is wrong with me, why don't I fit?  Will I ever be good enough?

This post is a reminder to both myself and anyone that might be reading it that Instagram is simply an app... a brilliant app but just an app nevertheless.  My feed doesn't define me and it really shouldn't matter but it does to me.   I need to learn to not let things get to me so much.

Right, rant over.  I am zonked after my first day back teaching after the holidays.  My bed is calling and so is One Born Every Minute... BABY OBSESSED.

Thanks for stopping by,
Lots of love. xx

Big Adventures... Moving Aboard!

I have been wanting to write about this for so long now but had to wait until we had told our family and friends about it,.. after a long time deliberating, discussing and imagining what life would be like we have decided to take the plunge and move aboard to teach.  Come mid August we will be spreading our wings and starting a new family adventure in Abu Dhabi!

This all started well over a year ago but if I am honest it has always been something I have fancied doing but another one of those things that I was never sure if I was confident to do or not.  Being with my husband has really helped with my confidence issues though and so has becoming a mother.  So whilst I am still quite insecure in myself and my abilities I feel more empowered to make decisions that I/we feel are right for our own little family.  So a couple of Christmases ago my friend Hollie popped up on my doorstep on Christmas Eve and took me completely by surprise as she was supposed to be in Qatar not at my door.  She was teaching at an international school and wasn't due home that Christmas.  It was fantastic to see her of course and I loved hearing her tales of travel but being almost 9 months pregnant and fit to burst I really didn't ever think I would be planning to do the same!  However every visit from Hollie that followed sparked ideas in both my head and Sam's.  Perhaps this was something we could do as a family after all?

So why now? Why haven't we already gone?
That's easy.  Family.  I am not blaming them at all but with Sam's mum suffering from Multiple Sclerosis and my mum becoming desperately ill with anorexia (she was hospitalized with it when my son was only 5 days old and has been in and out of hospital ever since but is more stable, thankfully) we just didn't see how we could possibly take their grandchildren such a long way from them.
 I struggled with the guilt of wanting to move for so long and I know Sam was unsure too. I think he knew deep down that his family would be supportive and see the benefits of this adventure for our family but he was patient with me and understood that I just wasn't able to leave my mum the way she was.  My guilt wouldn't let me.  It has been a long, tough road in regards to my mum's mental illness and I would love to write more about it, when I am ready and when I have the right words.  I would hate for anything I shared publicly to hurt or upset her.

So anyway, I digress... when January 2017 rolled around we decided we needed a change.  Something NEEDED to change.  We craved more time with the children and to be frank more money for the amount of hard work and hours we put into our jobs.  We discussed it at length and decided it was now or never really.  The children are growing so fast if we were going to do this we needed to do it this year before they both start primary school.  From there we kept an eye of TES and other sites advertising teaching posts.  We interviewed for two positions last month over Skype and were offered both and the rest, as they say is history!

We have both been offered positions in the same school and as Posey is already three she will start in their pre-school in September which is great as it means her schooling is paid for.  Lochlann will go to a private nursery for the first year and then will join us at our school in the second year when he is three.

We choose Abu Dhabi after ALOT of research, it just seems more family orientated than some of the other places we looked at.  It has lots of things to do and places to explore but also has some home comforts like Ikea! Lol.   We have so much yet to sort out like documentation and what we are going to do with our own house and right now I can honestly say I still cannot believe we are going.  I am nervous but that said I am incredibly excited.  I know it'll bring tough times but I also know it'll bring us closer together as a family and will allow us so much more quality time together.  Not to mention the year round sunshine and fabulous weather!

So now it's all about planning and preparation.  So if anyone has any tips about moving aboard, travelling with young children and acclimatising to a very hot country then please let me know!

I am so proud of where we are already, as if I am actually moving aboard.  - I am usually so plain and boring!  Time to inject a little more colour and excitement into all our lives. And of course it'll give me lots of write about on here too!

Before I go I do just want to say thank you to all our family and friends just in case you are reading this... some of you were supportive from the start and for others it took a bit longer which was totally understandable.  Now, in spite of your trepidation you are all being super lovely and supportive about it.  Thank you so so much.

To Sam's mum and my own ... You are two of the strongest women I know and you inspire me to be the best mother I can be so although I was scared to leave you both... you are also two of the people that gave me the motivation to do this as you have both been so strong for your own children so for so many years and now it is time for me to do the same for mine!

And Hollie, if it wasn't for all your encouragement at each yearly visit this probably wouldn't be happening, so thank you to you too!

Right, I think I'll stop waffling now the littlest has had me up since 5 and this mama needs another cup of tea!

Thanks for stopping by,

Lots of love xx

Sunny Sundays.

Today the fog lifted and by fog I mean Scarlet Fever.  Wow what an intense few days it has been in the Brookes household.  Lochlann has been poorly for over a week and slowly but surely we all started to succumb to illness too.  It has been quite a sorry state of affairs.

It all started last Friday when it seemed Lochlann had unfortunately picked up yet another sick bug but when it hadn't left him by the weekend we started to suspect Scarlet Fever as his nursery had emailed confirming cases of it over the past week.
I wasn't sure what to expect but soaring temperatures of 39.5, two very poorly children and in the end two rather sick parents was definitely not what I had anticipated. I fear the children in my class have probably forgotten what I look like as I only managed to work one day this week between Lochlann being ill, then me.
On Friday I was all ready to haul myself into work despite feeling terrible, it was assessment week and I had lots of loose ends to tie up before the end of term.  I was up dressed and ready to leave the house.  My aunt had come over early in the morning to take care of the children and Lochlann was slowly but surely on the mend.  I went to Posey's room to give her a cuddle and a kiss goodbye but was greeted with a very sad, swollen, red and puffy face.  Scarlet fever is a bitch!  I called work and explained and then rushed Posey off to the doctors to make sure she started a course of antibiotics straight away.  This illness has knocked us all off our feet and was not the start to the Easter holidays that I had hoped for!

In spite of all this doom and gloom this morning, I woke up to a beautiful blue sky and a daughter happily whispering,'good morning mama' in my ear.  We all sat and managed to cheerfully eat breakfast after our first dose of antibiotics of the day and Lochlann actually asked for seconds (which to be fair is normal Lochlann behaviour but the boy has barely eaten anything in over a week).
We still spent all morning at home pottering, cleaning and playing before sending the littles off to bed for a long, entirely necessary nap.  Whilst they napped, Sam insisted that I sit down, drink tea, eat toast and rest.  He's a damn good husband when he wants to be! Together we enjoyed the quiet drank our tea whilst it was hot and caught up on some reading (well I did Sam sat and grunted at his playstation whilst driving erratically and shooting people).

When the children woke up it was clear the long nap had done them the world of good and we decided to go out on a walk to feed the ducks.  It was another glorious day and I didn't want it to be wasted sat in the house willing the illness to go away.  Posey and Lochlann love to go for walks and its one of those rare times where they don't bicker... which of course I relish.

So off we went, hand in hand on our traditional walk down by the ship canal to find some ducks to feed.  It was the best idea we have had all weekend.  Lochlann loved searching the skies for areoplanes whilst Posey raced her Daddy and searched for the perfect stick to do her, 'work.'
We ambled along the path in the warm sunshine and chatted about future plans and our impending mini break to Ireland with Sam's family.  The littles loved it and so did we.

A memory I so don't want to forget is Lochlann shouting at the ducks to eat their food and eat it NOW! ... It was hilarious, bless him.

Now we are home and I have a Sunday lunch food baby in my belly, our littles are sound asleep and Sam is chilling on the sofa next to me.  I hope today signals the end of Scarlet fever in the Brookes house...

For any other mamas or dads out there reading this Scarlet Fever is highly contagious and seems to be spreading round the country like wild fire at the moment.  Lochlann's illness was actually asymptomatic according to the doctor because it took so long for his rashes and high temperatures to appear so be vigilant and do not be afraid to take your littles to the doctor.  It is what they are there for and it is peace of mind for you.
Signs to look out for are;

• redness in the face/ cheeks - can look like sunburn 
• a temperature
• a rash spreading all over the body but in particular around the ears, under the arms and across the torso 
• sickness/ vomiting
• a red and white or spotty tongue. 

I am not a qualified medical professional so if you are concerned make sure you seek medical attention. 

Here's to happier and healthier days for us all to enjoy for the rest of our Easter holidays. 

Thanks for stopping by,

Lots of love.xx

Child free date night.

A couple of weekends ago the littles stayed with Sam's parents overnight and we got some alone time for the first time since his birthday in November.  It was a simple evening just dinner and time together but needless to say it was much needed.

Us mothers and fathers love our children dearly and wouldn't alter the effects that these little beings have had on our lives but every now and then time to be just us, the boy and girl that met and fell in love just a few short years ago is entirely necessary.  You need time to be a couple to chat about things other than who's turn it is to get up with the children first or who's fault it was that we forgot to buy more milk.  You need time to see through the realities of full time working/ parenting/ married life and find the person that gave you those butterflies in your stomach at a busy bar in Didsbury on a chilly December evening. 

So after the dump and dash of our precious children in Stafford we hit the road and headed back home all the while deliberating on where to go and what to do.  A child free night, the possibilities are endless I hear you say.  Well yes I suppose they could have been but we are creatures of habit and decided that a Pizza Express in our local village and a couple of cocktails before heading home for a delicious night of uninterrupted... SLEEP would suit us perfectly - any parents dream right there! 

I so enjoyed having a little extra time to take over my makeup, even adding a red lip which rarely happens these days.  I felt nice in my £13 Primark number with heels and it was just so lovely to dress up for my husband who usually sees me sporting either work clothes, a big jumper or Harry Potter PJs! 

Over a candlelit dinner we chatted, smiled and devoured lots of yummy food.  A simple date but a bloody brilliant one.  It sounds silly but I had really missed my husband.  Life is just so busy at the moment and although we live in the same house sometimes we barely even have a minute to ask how eachother's days have been.  A marriage needs to be nurtured and I need to remember that.  I am his wife as well as their mother and I damn proud of both those job titles. 

I love my favourite three and I wouldn't be without them. 

Sam, you are often a pain in the arse but I bloody love you and our little date reminded me of just how brilliant you actually are. 💓

Sam I love you always, thank you for waiting for me, I only hope I was worth it.  

P & L if you are reading this I know you'll be cringing at your mother gushing over your father but sometimes he does deserve it...honest! 

Thanks for stopping by, 

Lots of love. xx