5 things I love about living in the desert.

We've been living in the Abu Dhabi for three months now so I think it is time I wrote down some things that I have been really loving about living in the UAE...

#1 The Sunshine.

I am not going to lie to you I have always been an Autumn and Winter kinda girl. When Spring and Summer roll around I find qualities in them that I love. However, nothing compares to the cosy excitement when the leaves start changing and the air becomes crisper.  So when my close friends and family heard about our move to the land of the sand they were ever so slightly surprised.  Waking up to glorious sunshine on a daily basis is such a treat though and it makes me feel so lucky.  Don't get me wrong when we first came out here in August it was HOT! But now we have acclimatized and enjoy evenings on the balcony in a cool 28 degrees.  The sunsets here are unreal too!  I am off on a desert safari later so expect a blog post and some photos from that some.

#2 Leisure time. 

The weekends here are pretty amazing.  We get to do so much more together here as a family which is just great.  Whether its time to go and treat the children to some lunch,  a new book or simply having the extra pennies (or in our case dirhams) to order a take out.  Small things like that actually make a big difference.  It means we have more time to just enjoy being together without worrying so much about money.  We also have access to two pools and a number of different parks where we live so have managed a couple of evening swims after school which is just amazing.  Evenings at home consisted of the rush hour traffic, the rush to get the littles to bed and then that irritating mum guilt for not having enough quality time with my babies.  I am not saying we get to do all of these lovely things all the time because we don't.  Teaching is hard work and demands a lot of our time but when we do get time off its bloomin' brilliant.  

#3 New friends. 

I honestly can't tell you how lovely and supportive people have been since we moved here.  I have literally made some life long friends. Not sure if any of them read this but if they do - Becka, Sophie and Leoni I am looking at you!  When you get here, people tell you so many stories of their expat journey and all of their highs and lows.  People know all too well what you are going through and just want to help!  So many have helped us whether it was a useful piece of advice, some directions, some kind words, getting their friend to drop off sickness medicine for your children or bringing a vanilla latte up to your classroom 😭.  There is a sense of community amongst people here and that is lovely. Special mention to my friend Becka here (who also happens to be P's teacher.  Becka has literally been our rock and is now basically considered part of the family. 

#4 Chai Lattes

So a totally super superficial thing but you know a little more cash in the back pocket means a few more trips to Starbucks.  A few times the husband has surprised me by bringing a Starbucks latte home for me and Chai just happens to be my new favourite.  Yes I am so late to the party but I don't really care.  Side note - the fact that Christmas cups are still available here makes me a very happy gal. 

#5 Posey & Lochlann, friends for life. 

Moving out here has made the bond between these two even stronger and that makes me all warm and fuzzy inside.  They totally still argue like cat and dog but I have noticed how protective they are over one another and slowly but surely they are getting better at sharing with one another.  They share a room here and as much as I worry about them going to sleep on time I really love listening to them giggle and play with one another when I settle them into bed for the night.  When they giggle I have that little moment where I think, 'wow, we made those two little people in there!' 

And there we have it. Five reasons why I love our Abu Dhabi life.  It has been emotional but overall, life as a family, is pretty good. 

Thanks for stopping by. 

Lots of love, 

Holly x

My Two #6

As I write this post I am sat with the air conditioning on, a Bath and Bodyworks candle lit and Christmas songs playing.  I may live in the desert now but I am determined to enjoy the run up to Christmas.

I decided that my next blog post should be an update about the two littlest people in my life because they are the reason I started this blog after all. So without any further delay here are a few words about my littles.

#1 

Miss Posey Margaret Ivy our little school goer.  I still cannot believe she is in school.  It is only FS1 which is nursery nevertheless she is attending school full time and looks adorable in her little uniform.  We are really proud of how she has started her school life. She bounces into class daily, she loves her teacher and has made some lovely little friends.  We have a class dojo app which is great as it means we get a little insight into how she is doing every day and it is so lovely to see her confidence and her feisty little personality developing.  She was totally ready for school and is relishing all the opportunities it is giving her.   On a Sunday she swims at school which she absolutely loves.  Her confidence is growing in the water and she will soon be swimming like a fish.   She continues to assert her own independence wherever she can and even tries to shut me out of the public toilets when she needs a wee!  I find myself having to reason with her about the fact she may lock herself in nearly every time! LOL #mumprobs
She really is becoming my mini best friend though and my one of my favourite things about living out here is the fact I have the opportunity to drop her into her class everyday, watch her skip in happily and then collect her at home time and listen to her stories of the day.

In Dubai Mall on our first visit there... we loved it! 

#2

Now onto that curly haired wonder of ours.  Lochlann is settling slowly and that fact that is nursery has it's own soft play and a mini road with toys cars that he can zoom around on, has absolutely helped!  He still enjoys his own company in nursery a lot of the time but that doesn't worry me too much.  I know my boy, he takes his time and does things when he is comfortable.  Plus he has a play mate at home in his big sister.  With his 3rd birthday looming we have introduced the idea of potty training... Again.  We made a special trip to Ikea for a potty (jokes we are there every bloomin' weekend at the moment).
He is super proud of his potty and will sit on it but is more interested in the convenience of a nappy!  Once the holidays arrive we will have three weeks to crack it so I'll be whacking out a sticker chart and keeping my fingers crossed.  P was quite easy to potty train, so any tips on training a boy would be gratefully received.
One thing that has really stood out about this boy for me most recently has been his kindness.  Sam has this thing where he races Lochlann into nursery at drop off in an attempt to overcome any tears or meltdowns.  This week it was Sam's birthday and Lochlann said, 'its ok daddy you can win today because it is your birthday!' CUTE.

Being a boy mama has been such a pleasant surprise, I love how cuddly and sweet he is.

Sibling kisses showcasing the outfits they choose. 

I am counting down the days to our winter break now.  I cannot wait to soak up the spirit of Christmas and spend some quality time as a family, especially as this is our first run up to Christmas in a different country.  I am desperate to put my tree up and P and L keep asking if Santa is on his way yet!  What are you excited for this Christmas?

Ikea cuddles whilst waiting for a hot dog.  Too cute not to share. 

Thanks for stopping by.

Lots of love,

Holly x

Living in the land of sand.

I can't believe how long it has been since my last post on here... what sort of a blogger am I?

Never mind my motivation is back and I literally have SO much to write about.  Tonight's post is just going to be a casual one to bring my blog into the present as I believe the last time I uploaded was way back in June and an awful lot has happened since then! 

It has been seven weeks and three days since we first stepped foot on Abu Dhabi soil, or should I say sand?   We said our tearful goodbyes, boarded an Ethiad flight at Manchester airport and haven't looked back since!  In all honesty I am still unsure whether the idea that we live here now has sunk in yet!    We work really hard during the week but come the weekend you will usually find us playing in the pool, chasing each other round a soft play or strolling around Yas Mall.   

Before we left, I know some people that know us doubted our decision and worried if we were making the right choice for our family.  The reality is that we have these concerns too.  At the end of the day this was a dream for us, something that we have had in the pipeline since January so to actually be here now feels pretty crazy at times.  Putting all the worry and doubt aside though life is pretty damn great.  Its not always perfect don't get me wrong but what life is?  Compare our life and opportunities to what we had in England to what we have here... it really just isn't even comparable.  P has started FS1 and absolutely loves it (separate posts on first days at school and nursery to come). She gets to swim at school weekly which she thinks is amazing and Lochlann's two new friends at nursery are from Spain and Mexico!

School life for Sam and I is very different to the UK but has presented us with interesting challenges to keep us on our toes, which is always a good thing.  The best thing for sure is the weekends.  I don't think there has been a weekend that has gone by where we haven't been swimming and we have spent so much more quality time as a family which was one of the main reasons for coming out here! 

Do I miss the familiarity of things at home? Yes sometimes but I only have to think about our trip into the desert to play on the sand dunes or splashing around every Saturday at the Crowne Plaza hotel and my faith in our decision is restored. 

Our little P is settling right in Abu Dhabi life now. 

So there we go first post in months, complete.  It's nothing special but I am back and determined to keep this up.  I love writing content for this blog.  It is my hobby, something that is just for me and that is so important when you're a busy, full time working mama! My plan is to blog lots about out life out here in the desert so that Posey and Lochlann can read it in the future and hopefully be proud that their mama and daddy took the plunge and ignited their curiosity for the world.

Our traditional Saturday afternoon spot.