A few more things I’ve learnt about being pregnant…

1. You can still be sick 10 times a day at 28 weeks. (This actually totalled at 13 times yesterday. It was horrendous. So far today I’m on 2…. fingers crossed 🤞)

2. When people say it’s amazing feeling your baby move. They’re right. It’s the coolest, weirdest, most happy inducing feeling (and helps make you think it’s all worth it!) 🥰

Given my choice of industry you might have assumed that I’d know a thing or two about  being pregnant before being pregnant. Turns out I don’t / didn’t and that all the things I did know were quite frankly BS. 

Not the most exciting, but quite important (and useful!).

I had a number of calls with companies based in Europe, America and Canada last week and a common theme came up... Visas.

Spring always feels like a time for new life and awakening. People often use it as a reason to “spring clean” their homes, to tidy up and make things feel fresh and new. While sorting your drawers and cupboards can help you feel re-energised, having a cleanup of your body and mind can really help you feel like you are starting the season with a clean slate.

Here are the top 7 ways I will be Spring cleaning my body and mind….

You might have thought that with Becca leaving on Friday I’d be super motivated to smash this week and really make the most of her being here. The reality is that I’m seriously struggling. My motivation is rock bottom and I’m like ‘I can’t be bothered’.

The thing is I know that being dumped by motivation is going to happen. I know my relationship (like yours and everyone else's) with motivation is fickle, wobbly and quite frankly unpredictable.

The French are letting us back in (thank goodness) and holidays are starting to look well and truly on the cards - WAAHOO 🥳

These are Lucy’s top tips for holidaying with your family (or any family for that reason, although not actually your own family - I’m not sure I’d get paid to hang out with my sisters…)

I’ve recently become really interested as to what super successful people do at the end of their day to set themselves up for success for the next day.

This is what I’ve found and this is what I’m doing…

Grief.

Defined by the Oxford Dictionary as; intense sorry, especially caused by someone’s death.

I dispute that definition with every bone in my body and every ounce of strength and opinion I have. In my eyes the definition should be ‘grief is the price we pay for love’.

On Monday 2nd February 2015 I lost my best friend, my business partner, my rock, my mooring ties, my safe haven. He was understanding and loving. He had an intense sense of right and wrong. He taught me many of the values and standards that I hold today. His name is Freckles. A 30-year-old pony who has been a part of my life since I was 11 years old. I am now 24.

If you mention to me that you’re doing Dry January you’re most likely to get an eye roll and for goodness sake not you as well sigh.

Look I am all for giving up the booze, living more healthy and making the most of life BUT what I really cannot deal with is the fact that people really only give up booze in January. Seriously - what did January ever do to you? And if you want to give up booze why don’t you do it in November? Or March or July? Or heaven forbid what about August?

Why?

Let’s face it, we all LOVE the image of sitting down with a little one, reading a story and them being totally engrossed with our excellent voice acting skills but the reality is often somewhat different… the key I’ve always found is a great book. Not a good book but a great book. A book that reads well, has a simple yet engaging story and with pictures thrown in too.

What is it about the first of January that makes a large quantity of people set resolutions that they don't set at any other time of year?

Is it the whole ‘New Year, New Me?’ or the ‘blank slate, fresh vibe chat’?

I don’t get it. Well I do get it but I don’t like it.

It’s not just about the kids this Christmas…

Yes I went there. I said it. Oh blimey. Here I am the girl that’s obsessed with children, talking to you who is equally obsessed with children telling you that Christmas is not all about them.

Well it’s not.

Actually it’s about you too. And of course your family, friends, your faith and Jesus if you believe and a heap more besides.

I, for one, absolutely love hugs. I love to give them and I love to receive them and I'll basically hug anything or anyone that moves! However, consent is (rightly so) a big topic of discussion for many parents, nannies and schools at the moment. We are all united in wanting to raise our children to have the confidence to say no and to understand that when they say no to someone touching them, it's respected and yet, the statement “Give Grandma and Grandpa a hug good-bye!” will roll instinctively off the tongue for many this Christmas. And perhaps it's something that we can give a little thought too...

We are passionate about using fresh, local produce when we are cooking here at Freckles. It is so satisfying using in season British fruit and veg – they taste amazing!

What’s in Season in December? Click through to find out more

I wanted to share some tips and ideas for getting extra work before Christmas (if you want it) or kickstarting things. Whilst I'd love for you to get a job through us as we really focus on building momentum around the courses we're not always able to take on every family / job opportunity that comes our way so these are my top tips for getting into or more work...

After much deliberating and to'ing and fro'ing work has started on the graduate area of the website - it's SO EXCITING!! Now, it's not quite ready to go but there are a few things that I want to show you...

With interviewing it really is about the pre-work! The more prep you’ve done the more confident you’ll feel and the more confident you feel the more relaxed you’ll be.

These are our top tips for smashing an interview.

Let’s face it. Results day isn’t going to go to plan for everyone and after the 18 months that our outgoing A level (and GCSE) students have had it’s a miracle they’ve even got here. So instead of focusing on the talk of ‘inflated results’ or the whispers of ‘they had it easier than in my day’, we ought to celebrate that they got here and that their life will be constructed of a different set of experiences to those of us much older than them.