Organic Baby Clothing by Naturally Tee

After what seems like the longest pregnancy ever (I went 16 days overdue - more on that in a future post!), little Freya Rose is finally here! 

Anyone who knows me, knows that I try my hardest in life to make what I feel to be the right choices in everything I do. So when Naturally Tee contacted me to review their products I immediately jumped at the chance! Naturally Tee uses Fair Trade, organic African cotton that is not only good for the environment but soft and comfortable for my baby's delicate skin.

I was very impressed with the feel and quality of the items, which included the sweetest hat (pictured on Freya here) a bib and a super soft t-shirt.  The quality and finish of the items are great and just knowing that they're gentle on my baby's skin makes them even better.

Find out more about Naturally Tee and their values here: https://naturallytee.co.uk/about-us

Candy Cane Christmas Tree

Ok, so I know it may be (is) a tad early to be decorating for Christmas but the truth is, I've been fighting the urge to decorate for a good month already! Blame the nesting (I blame everything on the nesting). But seriously, I have 2 legitimate reasons for starting the festive period early this year:

1. I have a human that I've been growing for the last 8.5 months arriving shortly and: 

2.  This gives you guys enough time to take inspiration for your decor this year!

So my theme started from the humble candy cane this year, and spiralled into something you see in these pictures! It's fair to say I did definitely go overboard with the oversized ornaments but I really think it gives my (otherwise sparse) tree a really full look and I love it! Another decision I made was to also forgo a star as my tree topper and use these giant glittery poinsettia flowers to add a little bit more of an impact. 

Click the video at the end of this post to see me decorate and explain in more detail!

Baby Girl Nursery Tour | Baby Blogs

So it's here! I'm so glad I got this up finally - I did wonder whether i would before our baby girl actually made an appearance!

There are a few touches {mainly a floor lamp behind the chair} I still want to add but overall i'm happy with the way it turned out and I hope it gives you some inspiration if you're currently decorating a nursery.

Let me know if you want to see more home decor posts/videos from me - I'm currently in the process of updating our kitchen!

Travel Diaries: Berlin

{Image from visitberlin.de}

So we recently took a 5-day trip to Berlin that I'm calling our second babymoon (it was actually a trip I had planned back in March for my husbands birthday).  My husband loves the band Mumford & Sons so I began by googling where they would be touring next.  He's one of those guys that has everything so coming up with something new and fun to do for his birthday every year is somewhat of a challenge.  So when I saw that Mumford were playing at the Lollapalooza festival in Berlin in September, I decided to book the tickets and go for it.

Given the fact that at the time of booking I obviously hadn't realised that I would be pregnant - getting around was a little bit of a struggle but I definitely made it through and spending a few days relaxing in this beautiful city turned out to be just what we both needed. 

Where we stayed

{image:booking.com}

We stayed at the Crowne Plaza Berlin City Centre and it turned out to be the perfect location for discovering the city and doing a spot of shopping.  The breakfast was standard fare - a buffet, but it did get really busy (we only ate there once, mainly for convenience and to feed my pregnancy hunger) so I would recommend getting up a little earlier for it. It was a little pricey at 19 Euros each - and not worth it in my opinion.  There were lots of bakeries/coffee shops nearby I recommend you check out first.

The hotel itself was great, the room was clean and modern with a standard city centre size (if not a little bigger). Definitely great for what we needed. 

Things to do

We were literally a 2 minute walk from an array of shops (Zara was on the corner of our hotel street) and a five minute walk to Berlin's answer to Harrods - KaDeWe (KaufhausdesWestens).  It's the second largest department store in Europe - second to only Harrods in London and is definitely worth a visit even just for the window shopping.  The street it's on also has an ample amount of other stores including Uniqlo, H&M, Pull&Bear etc.

Also a short walk from our hotel (and a minute walk from the KaDeWe) was the nearest tube station - U Wittenbergplatz.  From here you can get to so many places in the city.  We bought a 24hr unlimited ticket for 9Euros each and hopped on and off all day.

Also on the street the hotel (situated at the other end to the shops) is Berlin Zoo. Due to it's substantial size and great food options, you could easily spend a day here.

Bikini Berlin is also a short walk from the hotel and is a great alternative shopping/pop up store complex with some cafes and snack bars that definitely do not disappoint.  Find out more here. 'Funk You' is a good option for fellow avocado obsessed people such as myself.

Places to eat

{Monkey bar views}

We ordered room service more than I'd care to share on this trip (preggo problems) but we did visit a few places that are definitely worth a visit while you're there.

Monkey Bar Berlin takes it's name from it's location. It overlooks the monkeys at Berlin Zoo at the BikiniBerlin, so has a great view to enjoy whilst sipping on specialty cocktails or eating dinner.  Dinner reservations are taken weeks in advance so if you did want to eat here definitely make a reservation before you go.  If not, you can still go into the bar area and have a cocktail (or mocktail in my case) but be aware that they are pretty pricey so a few might just be enough! There's also a great balcony area to sit out at on warmer evenings with stunning views. 

L'Osteria is also a brilliant option if you love Italian food like us (the people of Berlin seem to really like it too!). Also situated at the Bikini Berlin (can you tell we didnt walk far?) it was a perfect option.  Be warned - the pizzas are certainly sharers - my husband ordered one, ate just about half and had to take the rest home in a box (which he subsequently gave to a homeless guy who seemed a tad excited to see the box coming towards him! *all the feels*).  I opted for a mushroom risotto which was also a healthy portion size and definitely the best meal I ate while I was there.

Travel Diaries: Venice

{Dress (River Island): sold out | Hat (ASOS): here | Bag (River Island) : sold out}

{St Mark's Square}

Things to do

There are obviously an abundance of things to do and see in Venice however we unfortunately just had one day (or 6 hours).  We booked a catamaran crossing from Pula, Croatia and docked at St Basilio port in Venice.  We were told that we could get a water taxi to St Mark's Square, however we declined in favour of walking the streets (with the help of Google Maps) to find our way.  I recommend doing this to see the real Venice and the quaint little shops on the way selling handbags and (fake) Murano Glass items.   Part of our little walking journey also included walking along the waterways and bridges of Venice which was what I'd really been looking forward to seeing.

After taking a leisurely walk and lots of pictures we arrived at St Mark's square which is where the Basilica can be found.  The buildings around the square are opulent and impressive, however if you're looking for food or drink I would definitely head back further out - for a lovely meal at a fraction of the cost.  To give you an idea, to sit down with an ice cream sundae outside the Basilica will cost you no less than 19 Euros. No joke.

A gondola ride is a must when visiting Venice and is an amazing way to appreciate how beautiful and unique the city is.  We paid 100 Euros for a private one, however there are options to split one with other tourists.

{Sunglasses}

The Grand Canal and Rialto Bridge are definitely another must see in Venice.  Hire a water taxi to view this amazing 'street' - most of it cannot be accessed by walking and is definitely easier (and better) to appreciate from a boat.

Places to eat

Being in Venice for such a short amount of time, we only had one meal during our time there.  In the narrow streets leading to St Mark's square (about a 5-10 minute stroll out) you can get a great Italian pizza, pasta or salad for around 10 Euros each.  As advised, avoid St Mark's square if you want to avoid the extortionate prices, however if you're okay with paying a little more and want some history/culture - visit the Cafe Florian.  This - the oldest cafe in Venice, was opened in 1720 under a different name and was/is a favourite haunt of many celebrities including Andy Warhol and George Clooney.

 {St Mark's Basilica}

{Taking a water taxi down the Grand Canal}