Aden + Anais

I know I have mentioned it before, that part of the fun of expecting no. 2, is that you get to buy all the stuff you never got around to buying with number 1! Crazy, I know, but I mean; how cute are baby things?? I can't get enough. My latest find? These AMAZING muslin swaddles from Aden + Anais. Not only just amazingly practical as you can use them for anything from a blanket to a pram cover, to wrapping one around yourself and baby while breastfeeding, but if I tell you they are also a total celebrity must-have?! I am hooked. And have hence ordered up half their website. Only problem: I have to order more colour specific ones when bump arrives and we discover if pink or blue is needed! In the meantime: Enjoy:

I ordered these star ones. Very uni-sex and utterly gorgeous. 

These would be perfect for a little princess. Why oh why did I not know about these with Nahla?!

Gorgeous mama Camilla Alves has little Livingston wrapped up in his Aden + Anais swaddle when snapped out and about in Austin, Texas.

I also ordered these same one Alessandra Ambrosia uses to keep little Noah shaded from the hot Californian sunshine. I LOVE the middle one with the peacock pattern!

And as for the ever fashionable Kourtney K; off course she uses an Aden + Anais swaddle to keep little Penelope from the prying eyes of the paparazzi. 

Told you; utter baby must-have!

Disney Days

10 years ago I visited Disney World in Orlando Florida, and much as it was amazing and spectacular and fun, nothing can truly compare to seeing Disney's magical place through the eyes of your 2,5 year old, which I got to do on Monday, when Nahla and I, along with my family, went to visit Disneyland in Paris. Nahla, although much too young to go on most of the rides in the park, was electric with joy and excitement all day. She went on the spinning teacups till Mummy could take it no more. She rode on magical horses and visited Cinderella's castle. She ate way too much ice cream and lollipops and candy-floss and watched the parade from the best seat in the house, my aunt's shoulders. We spent money like it was going out of fashion and had so much fun that all I can say is: Is it too soon to go back in a month or so?! Sometimes the best part of having children, is being allowed to indulge in days like these, and see just how fun it can be!

Paris - My Favorite City In The World

Words does not really do Paris justice. Even as someone who writes for a living and am fully aware how one expresses oneself in writing, with Paris words will never cut it. It has to be seen. Smelt. Felt. Walked about. Touched. Tasted. Macaroons. Espressos on pavement brasseries. Montmartre at sunset. Sacre Caeur at night. The view. The Eiffel Tower light-show after dark. The flowers lining Champs Elysée. The sticky heat. The Latin Quarter. We love it. Will always love it. And will always keep coming back for more. The most beautiful city in the world.

Disneyland Paris...

... in just 2,5 days time. Guess who is getting excited?!

Beautiful Edinburgh...

... was truly magical! Here are just some of my Instagram snaps from this very lovely weekend spnt with my very amazing family. To put it shortly: We walked a lot, ate a lot, shopped a lot, sightsee-d a lot, played a lot, slept a lot and loved a lot! Perfect perfect days in this very gorgeous city!

Packing For Edinburgh

And I realize my packing skills need a SERIOUS overhaul! Like, it should be pretty straight forward; citybreak + hotel + 4 days. But I am SO overpacked, so unprepared weather-wise and just so, well, all over the place. That is my packing I am talking about, by the way. Because as for Nahla's Edinburgh wardrobe, we are talking perfection. 5 neatly laid out little outfits - one for each day + an extra one just in case. Motherhood changes many things, for sure, but little did I know it would mess with my ability to pack a weekend suitcase! How random.

Lovely Edinburgh...

... with the family (AKA my lil sister and Emine Sofie, plus my mum and dad, AKA the worlds' most doting grandparents) in just 18 little days! I cannot wait!

Safe And Sound...

... back in Ireland. To torrential rain, stormy weather and what looks a lot more like autumn than the sunny spring weather we encountered on our 45 minute stop-over in Oslo earlier today. Not impressed.

And now, after 2 flights, 3 magazines, a creaky neck having acted as pillow for a sleeping toddler for an hour and 45 minutes, 2 cups of gross airplane coffee, a spot of duty free shopping, a missing bag, a minor melt-down, bag found post melt-down, turbulence, 3 abbreviated versions of Winnie the Pooh book, some sing-songs, plastic-y airplane salad, a post-arrival shopping trip to stock up on food and toddler in bed, this mama is showered and chilled out and more ready for bed than I have been in a long time! Sweet dreams!

Days in Oslo...

... are always such a sweet treat of time spent with people we love.


Nahla and Emine got to play lots, and it is such a joy to see the little cousins grow closer and closer.


Nahla got to play with Oliver's cool boy-toys on a trip to a dear friend's house, and Mummy got to catch up with sweet sweet colleagues in work.


My little city-girl loved being back in her birth-city. And Mummy always loves it too, even the chance to stock up on fresh norwegian magazines is always such a treat!


Mummy treated herself to a new cool notebook - after all; what journalist would ever leave the house without a notepad and pen?? And after even more cousin-cuddles, Nahla and Mummy packed the bags again, this time for a two-week stint up northm with lots more time with family and friends! LOVE.

Caffeine-ed Out...

... and trying to meet some deadlines! Tomorrow; Oslo and family reunions! Be still our hearts!

Road Trip!

In a mere matter of hours, this little family is off on a road-trip to the beautiful town of Killarney - all the way down the bottom of this tiny little island. 4 hours in the car. I am both excited and a tad apprehensive. While Nahla is a frequent flyer with well over 150 flights under her belt at this stage, we have actually never attempted such long distances in the car before. But I have prepared well - after all; I am a mother with A LOT of travel-with-child experience. And so I have done the following: Prepared a bag of yummy healthy snacks to bring with us. And then packed an emergency stash of Easter egg chocolates if all else fails. Downloaded a mountain of toddler-friendly apps to my (brand new!) iPhone 4s! (PS: I HEART SIRI!). Charged Nahla's very own portable DVD player. And double-checked to make sure it really is charged fully. Made sure we have several Dora/Bob the Builder/Mickey Mouse DVDs at ready. Packed soft comfort-blanket just in case she decides to have a little on-route nap (which I very much doubt, but here's hoping). Included several books/magazines and color-pads in my LV Never Full (Seriously, that bag really does what it says on the package; it NEVER gets full!). And now, having laid out all our travel-outfits, beautified myself in the shower, prepared the house for photo-shoot on Tuesday (more of that later!) and knocked back two glasses of rosé-wine; I can safely say; I am in holiday mode! Bring on the Easter long weekend, the Easter Bunny, Easter Eggs, tons of chocolate, egg-hunts, lazy hotel-breakfasts, country-air and precious family time!

One Year Ago...

... my little munchkin was a happy camper shoveling snow on Bestemor and Bestefar's (Granny and Grandad) balcony in her too-cute-for-words rain-gear. And now we are counting days till we can go up there and shovel some more! Lucky us!

A Busy Weekend...

... filled with flights, friends and family. And now we are back in Ireland again, with Daddy/BF and trying to catch up on a whole lot of work/house-cleaning and laundry washing. Phew!

Here We Go (Packing) Again

Oslo tomorrow and back home to Daddy on Sunday. Busy days for busy girls!

It's February...

... and Valentine's Day is only a few days away. I am half planning to organize a hot night away for BF and myself - as I think every parent deserve that every now and again - and certainly on the most romantic night of the year. And as of yet I am considering the following:


The awesome Bellinter House, simply for the dark, moody and super-sexy factor. I can just picture us snuggled up in one of those grand rooms, sipping some Bollinger... Or...


... the very gorgeous Ten Square Hotel in Belfast. Granted it is a little further away (although only a couple of hour's drive up the motorway), but I have stayed there with work (a total fun press trip where the point was to review Belfast as a city to spend your bachelorette weekend in - I am talking underground salsa clubs, lots of bubbly, fun shopping trips and being pampered from one end of the trip to the other thanks to some sweet PR woman!) and know it is total luxury. Plus it would mean a fun filled night out in Belfast city AND a little hike around the shops before we hit the road back to Dublin again the next day...

Now; decisions, decisions....

My Little Travel Pro...

... is loving her little Minnie Mouse playhouse. And is just the perfect travel companion really. Bliss.

Brangelinas Airport Babes

I know I have raved about how easy traveling with Nahla is. How rarely, if not ever, I have felt like it was exhausting in any way, rather I have sniggered when I have read about or heard how other people moan about having to travel with kids and how horrible/noisy/inconvenient it can be. Seriously, it has been - and is - a breeze.

So those of you complaining about having to holiday with your one, two or even, gasp, three kids; spare a though for the Jolie-Pitts, who travel the globe with no less than six tots in tow. All under the age of ten. Kudos.

Here the happy family were snapped jetting in to Japan earlier this week - and I know they probably have a nanny or two on their team, but still; refreshed, relaxed and happy. Cute!

(Photo Credit from here)

Sunny Autumn Thursday...

... and already the 20th of October! Autumn will soon turn into winter, and N and i will be in Ireland full-time. Amazing as we are getting sick of all the lugging stuff back and forth, and a little sad too, as we will miss the closeness to my amazing family a lot. But as we know and love, both them and us will make that trip across a lot and a lot of times! Lucky lucky girls, N and I, who are surrounded in two countries by amazing family and friends!

We Have Arrived...

... back in Oslo after the most blissful weekend home in Ireland. My little travel pro was an angel as usual on the flight, and rocking her new John Rocha poncho and Zara cords. So cute! And now; unpack, organize and get ready for a week at the office!

Staying Up Late...

... is probably not too smart as we have an early start in the morning. But very excited tots are hard to get to bed, as all parents know! But 8.54 PM she was out for the count, and this mama could start the packing frenzy! Kisses!