Declutter - Part 2

Hello! How are you getting on? I hope you're ready for another dose of hormental cleaning to do’s!! Let's get started! Gertie’s Guide to a Clutter Free Life (Part 2...

Mind Your Mindfulness

Do you ever get the feeling that you're constantly running around and at the end of the day you don't feel like anything was accomplished? Or that you blink your eyes and your children have grown a foot and you can't remember the last time you just stopped and marveled at them? Or you find that everything you do is done while multi-tasking at something els...

Declutter - Part 1

I'm pregnant which means a few things; i’m allowed to eat cake at any time of day, I am prone to irrational outbursts of rage and/or anxiety, I would get away with the murder of my spouse and I have a spray bleach permanently attached to the belt of my towelling dressing down and I am well within my rights to whip it out and clean in regular, manic bursts... Probably before having a well earned n...

Things to Start Doing... No Excuses!

1. Drink lots of water and green tea. 2. Have at least 8 hours of sleep a night (before the baby arrives!). 3. Meditate daily. 4. Avoid processed food. 5. Concentrate on the positives instead of negatives. 6. Have sex at least twice a week (before the baby arrives!). 7. Think the best of others. 8. Laugh more. 9. Eat more fruits and vegetables. 10. Appreciate the small thing...

eBay Baby

I am currently OBSESSED with eBay... This obsession isn't a new one although I do go through phases (the dry periods are usually imposed by GF!) This latest binge has been brought about by a last minute wedding invitation. I need a dress for my bump - it'll be so big by then it'll require its own, boom boom... And I need a dress on a shoestring because GF thinks that this is the last baby he will...

Playground Bullying

We know it happens and as parents we dread having to deal with it but I think it's a necessary, if horrendous, childhood experience and as parents we need to be armed with how to deal with it in the best way. I was personally shocked at how early it started and how much it affected my little girl who is a naturally sensitive bein...

Restaurant l'Indyana, Nice

I recently went to l'Indyana with a girlfriend for lunch and it made me wonder why a) I don't go more often as it never disappoints and b) how this place is still a secret, mostly frequented by French professionals....

Nails 2013

2013 is all about bling nails and 3D nail art. Essie Nails bring out their own range of nail wraps this year and although nail wraps are all over the place, I think that their offerings are far and away more fabulous than others on the market. Essie have named their wraps "Sleek Sticks". That said, Loreal brought out a fabulous festive range before Christmas and they are still available. They...

Maternity Style

Since my first pregnancy, maternity clothes have advanced immeasurably in quality, style and availability but I still have a problem with the price of some of the "cooler" labels. It's wearable for 6 - 12 months for goodness sake! Having said this, I do invest in a couple of new pieces for each pregnancy. Just so I don't feel like an old bag lady swathing myself in any elasticated garments that fit...

Is It Just Me?

January is nearly done thankfully and February beckons, the month for love, romantic gestures and lighter evenings. In my house the roses aren't red but the bills most definitely are. This is the wrong time of year for frivolous expenditure! On that note, Nice, can you please cancel this years Carnival? Endlessly bizarre, badly organized and a catalyst for furious road rage, I can think of more...

Dinner at Monaco's Hotel Hermitage

Belle Epoque style at Hotel Hermitage I had the fortunate experience of dining at the Hotel Hermitage in Monaco a few weeks ago. An example of "Belle Epoque" at its finest, the Hotel Hermitage sits just behind the Hotel de Paris and the Monte Carlo Casin...

Galette de Rois

A.K.A. 'King Cake'. This is what we ate last weekend and because the weather was so lovely we actually changed the location from my extremely snug flat to a picnic on the beach :-)....

New Year's Resolutions and All that Jazz

Well strike me down with a Galette de Rois and call me Baby, it's list making time again! I am a big fan of lists. A list of things to do, a list for the shopping, a list for the Indian Shop (it merits one of its own), a list of exercise timings (oh, ok, a bit of an exaggeration, I'll get back to this one). By jingo, I could even make a list of my lists but I digres...