Louise Pentland's Blog, page 3

Wonderful Things | Motivational Monday | 2017 #5

Oh Hai, 
As I write this I'm making lists and packing for an adventure this week. So, merry Monday! A brand new week to do something amazing! I'm excited for this one. On Wednesday we fly to Orlando, Florida for a trip to Disney World, my favourite place on earth. 


I saw this quote on Pinterest and knew it was perfect for this week. Here's why-
Exactly one year ago my life was very, very different. I was just starting a new relationship that wasn't going to last very long, I was trudging through with a horrible divorce, I felt burnt out professionally and I worried constantly about my Daughter. I was so highly strung that every little thing concerned me and I would lay awake fretting for the future. I never felt safe. 
Today life is much changed. My legal business is done and dusted, my heart is healed, I'm buzzing with creative ideas, I feel confident and calm about my Daughter and I'm in a happy, healthy, stable relationship with a good man. 
I didn't do anything profound or make any huge changes in 2016, I just let time and God do it's thing and wonderful things unfolded. I know this sounds severe but truly, a few years ago I didn't think I would ever find this sort of joy and yet, here I am, sitting on my candy pink sofa in a house I feel safe in, blogging about my beautiful life. 
If you are in a place where you feel like things are grim or you can't see a way it could ever be happy, have faith. I didn't think it would happen and it has. It will happen to you. You just have to wait and be open and then one day, it will be there. 
Sending anyone that needs them great big giant hugs!
Things are going to get very Disney on the blog for the next couple of weeks so keep your eyes pealed for that and I'll see you soon!
Toodlepip!
xx

No Rain, No Flowers | Motivational Monday | 2017 #4

Oh Hai,
This past week I've been feeling like I'm pushing water uphill. I'm glad for it to be Monday and to start afresh with renewed vigour and resolve. 
(Source)
Right now I'm working every day and not really having a whole lot of play. Like everyone, if I could have an eternal summer of fun and frolics I would but, like everyone, that's not a sustainable life for me. 
I saw today's quote and thought it was apt. There are rewards for hard work and I'm looking forward to the flowers at the end of this. 
If you are working your arse off for something at the moment, whether is educational, professional or personal, stick at it! We'll enjoy picking our flowers all the more for it!!
Toodlepip!
xx

Glitter Weekly #3

Oh Hai, 
I was thinking about what I would write on my blog this week and mulling a few ideas round in my head. A lot of the topics I wanted to discuss kept being mentally crossed of the in-my-head list because I felt like they weren't very original. 
I wanted to talk about how easy it is to have your confidence knocked, I wanted to talk about how important it is to surround yourself with inspiring people, I wanted to talk about how you should make time for yourself and thought about talking about some of the things that happened last week. 

All of those things were in my weekly vlog that goes up each Sunday at 9am GMT. I'm going to start popping my videos here again (providing the embedding coding works, I've had tech issues with it before) and then those of you who don't subscribe to my channels will have something to catch up on over here! If the embedded video doesn't work on your device, you can click HERE to be taken directly to it. Why not subscribe whilst you're there? 
I hope you're all having amazing weeks! I've been pretty ill so far but hopefully on the mend and will still have a weekly video going up on Sunday morning for you over on Sprinkle of Chatter (my secondary YouTube Channel) - woo!!
Toodlepip!
xx

Better An Oops | Motivational Monday | 2017 #3

Oh Hai!
Merry Monday to you! The best day of the week is Monday because it's a brand new chance to achieve everything you want and a fresh slate. 
(Image)
Last week I did a few new and brave things. I went for an appointment to see if I'm eligible for laser eye surgery (I am! Yay! I'll be having it done in March!), I had afternoon tea with Sophie Kinsella to talk books, babies and more AND this weekend I went to Spain for a night (more on this later)!
I'm trying out bravery. I'm trying out meeting amazing authors and having LASERS beamed into my eyeballs and jetting off with Darcy even though travel unsettles me because I've wasted so, so, so much time not letting myself go for things. My life is pretty amazing but I hold back a lot. Imagine what I could do if I didn't?
Imagine what you might do this week if you just said, 'better and oops than a what if?'. Think of the fun you'd have or things you'd accomplish!
This week I urge, when faced with a choice, say our Motivational Monday quote to yourself, give it a go and see what happens! I'd be interested to hear in the comments how you got on!
I hope last week gave you the inspiration to keep going with those resolutions you made nearly 4 weeks ago- I'm so far sticking to mine but it's not always that easy!!
Let me know in the comments and I'll see you soon!
Toodlepip!
xx

Getting Away from it All | Hotel Escape

Oh Hi,
'A mini break means true love' - Bridget Jones. 
(All photos taken from My Instagram - @LouisePentland)
This weekend Liam and I threw our essentials in a bag, jumped in the mini and headed to a country spa hotel for twenty four hours of peace. It. Was. Glorious. 
We arrived at about 3pm Saturday and were back on the motorway by 1pm the next day but honestly, those few hours felt so long and I felt so refreshed. 
Darcy was on a Daddy Weekend, Liam had no work and I felt like I could take mine with me (yes, I work on 'holidays' but only because I love what I do and it's a form of pleasure for me) so we decided to book a night at The Grove. I've stayed there a few times before for work events but never just for fun and since I like things that are familiar, this seemed like a good fit. 
(I loved the luxury feel to the rooms, particularly all the soft lighting, so perfect for unwinding.)
We booked one of the mansion rooms (they have those, which are a little more pricey but more unique and special, OR you can stay in the Wing rooms which are also nice but don't have that boutique feel to them) and decided to just do all the things we love, with no agenda or expectations. How perfect. 
(Dinner -almost- in bed with a movie. Also, the best onion rings I've had in a while)
I had a bath in the giant tub with the most gorgeous complimentary toiletries (I think we actually took a couple home and I'm never that person), we ordered such delicious room service food (try the Raspberrettos!), watched a film (I never sit through a whole film because life gets in the way but I was so relaxed from my bath, I did), lounged about reading our books, talked til the small hours and fully, fully relaxed. 
(Fun fact - This was the second bath I had on Saturday, I also had one at home before we left. I'm obsessed with good baths. I might give up everything and travel the world in search of the most beautiful tubs I can find.)
At home, even when Darcy's in bed and the day is done, I never completely set everything down and unwind, but here, maybe because none of my lifey distractions were around, I did. I don't think I realised how much I needed to do that until I did. 
The next morning we stuffed ourselves with maybe the best breakfast ever and then went back up to the room to lay on the bed and carry on reading our books- we're so old before our time haha!
(There's something special about just being surrounded by perfect interiors are lovely little touches like fluffy folded flannels and a gently lit mirror.)
After checkout we'd planned to have a walk round the grounds or perhaps stay for afternoon tea but rain was pouring and we felt happy we'd enjoyed enough so decided to head home so I could crack on with my #RobinWilde writing deadlines. I'm quite glad that we only touched the surface of things to offer (there's a spa, multiple restaurants, outdoor pool, beach and beautiful grounds etc) because it means we'll have to go back soon!

I realise a hotel like this is quite a luxury and not doable for everyone but if you do have the chance, treat yourself. Even if this venue isn't for you, take a night out to step away from the world, close all the doors and r e l a x, I promise you, it's worth it. 
Please feel free to recommend any nice places in the UK that you think I'd like, I plan to make a regular thing of zipping off for a night. #SelfLove and all that!
Toodlepip!
xx

You Got This! | Motivational Monday | 2017 #2

Oh Hai,
Merry Monday to you! The third week of January is often a sticky one for me, one where I give up my resolutions, ditch the healthy eating, slack on my schedule and succumb to the gloomy weather. With that in mind, I thought we'd take today's Motivational Monday opportunity to gee ourselves up and  k e e p  g o i n g. 
(Sourced from Pinterest and traced to HERE)
January is rough and long and a lot of us are feeling the pinch with December's payday seeming a long old time a go but you've got this! You can totally get through it and push into February still on track with all your goals and resolutions. 
Save this blog post on your phone or laptop and every time you feel a bit bleaugh, read this - 
KEEP GOING. YOU ARE SO MUCH STRONGER THAN YOU THINK YOU ARE. DIG DEEP. THINK HOW AMAZING YOU'LL FEEL IN FEBRUARY, KNOWING YOU DID IT FOR ALL OF JANUARY. 
Pass this on to anyone you know that is trying. That lady in the office, your friend at college, your Mummy friend who's had a lot of sleepless night. Remind them that like you, they can handle it! 
How have you been getting on with last week's homework of waking up a little bit earlier? I did it about 3 days of the week and really felt great for it!
Let me know how you're getting on in the comments below OR leave a positive comment for someone else who has reached out. Let's keep the comments section a really supportive space for those who need it. 
Good luck! Keep Going! Love you!
Toodlepip!
xx

Mummy Dates Project 2017 | Rugby!

Oh Hai,
Thank you so much to everyone who read the start up post to this project and decided to join in! Don't forget, you can join in at any time and all the details are in that linked blog post. If you're new, my Mummy Dates Project is a way to encourage us all to spend more quality, present time with our littles, doing something fun. 
(Everything snapped on my phone. Didn't want to take my big camera, just wanted to be in the moment)

This weekend my friend Clare (who's Husband, Mark, was once my Fusband- remember him?) offered Darcy and I great tickets to go and watch the rugby. With Mark coaching there, she goes regularly but I'd never taken Darcy so decided it might be a fun afternoon for us to go out as a duo. We do so many playdates or trips with Liam that I want to ensure I continue to protect our Mummy/Darcy time in 2017. 
I've never been big into sports but Liam's enthusiasm for the rugby (he used to play and now lurves to watch), I've sort of been sucked in and to my surprise, really enjoy it! Honestly, I never ever thought I'd say that.


We hopped in a cab on Saturday afternoon (parking there is hard work) and picked up our tickets from a really friendly lady on the front desk. What I will say about the Northampton Saints ground is just how friendly all the staff were, really great service at every opportunity. 
As ever, I bumped into my Dad and Tina. You'd be amazed how many times I bump into my Dad (once I bumped into him in an American airport when we were both on separate business trips, once I realised I was behind his car on the M1) and he kindly took our Mummy Date snap for us. 
For the game we sat in one of the boxes which was perfect for Darcy. A lot of the players families use these as a little hub to socialise, they have food & drinks facilities and toys for children etc so Darcy really enjoyed getting stuck into those.



The game was exciting. Darcy didn't fully grasp the rules but cheered for her team and enjoyed the atmosphere. I loved that Clare was there with her little girl too so it was like a double Mummy Daughter Date. 
On the way home (thanks Dad for the lift a million miles across town!!) Darcy looked through the programme and chattered about the experience. 
It was so nice just to get out and do something a bit different for the sole purpose of just enjoying it. The only downside was how envious Liam was of us doing his favourite thing without him haha! Sadly, he had to work, we weren't just meanies leaving him out!

---
I would love to hear about what Mummy Dates you've been getting up to. Lucky for us, some people have already gotten involved in the project and posted their adventures too. I'll link them below for you to go and enjoy. 
Hayley Sarah - "ARTIST, AUTHOR AND MUMMY RECENTLY DIAGNOSED WITH BREAST CANCER AND BLOGGING ABOUT MY JOURNEY THROUGH MY MASTECTOMY, CHEMOTHERAPY, WIGS AND CHANGING MY LIFE."

Ashely Jay - "Here you will find I cover a variety of topics from day to day life to beauty and fashion. So grab a cuppa, get ready to read and feel free to leave a comment."


If you would like to share your Mummy Dates, please do. Simply head to the original blog post, read the 'rule's (lol, v flexible) and leave your link below on that blog post (not this one). Next time I have a Mummy Date I'll share your post and a little bit about you (most likely taken from your bio or you can write something in the comment you leave me) and we can have a bit of community love and support going on. 


Please do head over and give the very gorgeous Hayley some TLC- it looks like she had a great day after a pretty rough year. Big loves. 
Toodlepip!
xx

It's On! | Motivational Monday | 2017 #1

Oh Hai,
Merry Monday to you! I hadn't planned to write this blog post today because I thought I'd be short on time but here we are at 6.15am- amazing! Darcy is still asleep (I'll wake her at 7), Rocket and Zula are on my bed purring and the house is still. 
(image originally from Pinterest but traced to this lovely blog. Not sure if it is there original or not)

I never get up this early but let me tell you, it's so good! 
Normally, I wake up to my alarm at 6.50am and feel groggy for a good 20 minutes. In that 20 minutes however I do my bathroom things (loo, brush teeth, contacts, wash face etc), wake up Darcy, give her her clothes, get myself dressed and help her bathroom time. All that in 20 minutes and feeling like utter bin juice. Frankly, it's horrible. 
Waking up 50 minutes earlier today though has allowed me some time to 'come round'. The slow start to being fully awake has been much more palatable when all I've had to do was snuggle the cats and put some warm socks on. I feel happy and relaxed and actually, really excited for my day and week. I'm feeling productive (hello, I'm writing this at 6.19am) and motivated and my spirits are high. 
This week, I know this sounds hideous but trust me, why don't you try getting up 30 minutes earlier each day and allow yourself that little bit of extra time to come into the world and see if it makes a difference? Take that extra 30 minutes for you. Do very few things and relish them. You are important. You are worth your time. 
I'm really looking forward to my week ahead and I hope you are too! Let me know in the comments what time you get up and how long it takes you to get ready- could you add more time in there? 
You can follow all of my week over on Instagram.
Toodlepip!
xx

Mummy Dates Project 2017 - Join In Too!

Oh Hi, 
As part of my New Years Resolution to continue blocking off strict Mummy Time with Darcy, I thought I'd write about it here because, as ever, I plan to document it. You might be new round here so let me tell you, I LOVE TO DOCUMENT THINGS. 

A lot of things that I document go on my instagram, glitter channel or chatter channel (click on the words for the link there) but often I will snap photos for my private collection (that sounds so seedy, it's not. I just take a LOT of photos every day!), write lists of special things that have happened or journal things on paper. 
To me, documenting is saving memories. I can relax knowing they are recorded somewhere tangible rather than worrying my brain might let them fade away. 
I want to document my Mummy Dates but I'm in a bit of a conundrum because I'm being very firm with my time allocations this year. For example, today is a Saturday and I've marked it as a 'No Filming Day'. I vlog all week to make THESE weekly vlogs, plus I make separate videos for my glitter channel. It's important to have a couple of days not being 'on'. 
Today for our Mummy Date we've kindly been gifted rugby tickets by our friends so I'm taking Darcy to watch her first live match! My friend Clare will be there with Baby Hope (you might have seen her in vlogs) and we're going to get some street food first. It's Darcy's first experience of live stadium sports so it should be a really nice afternoon. 
For me, I think the best way to document it whilst still being completely present in the moment is just to take a few pictures on my phone when the moment strikes and then write a blog post. I'm not going to put put great pressure on myself to take the most amazing best shots ever or to get lots and lots. If I do manage to then hurrah, but if I don't, I won't beat myself up over it. My main goal is special dedicated time with my babe, if I can take a few snaps then hooray! 
Mummy Dates are very fluid. Some weeks there might be lots and it might be big and exciting, but some weeks it might be low key, like watching a film at home on the sofa with laptops closed and social media shut down. Over the year, I'd like to try and blog about it and, if you're a Mama, why don't you as well? A little Mummy Date for you and your little one/s?
If you'd like to take part in this year long project and be supported by this lovely community, here's all you need to do-
1. Do something lovely with your little and document it for your blog in your usual style - no rules, just do your own thing. 
2. Copy and paste the below photo at the bottom of your post with, 'Mummy Dates 2017 Project' linked to this specific blog post. You can make the image tiny or massive.

3. In the comments of this post, link below your blog post and the month you did it in so that in my next Mummy Dates, I can add all the people who are also taking part in the project. If you want to leave a bit about you (eg, Hi, I'm Louise, I love blogging and I'm a Mother of one little girl) then that would be great but you don't have to. 

That's it really! Anyone can join at any time of the year, just include the link and month below so I can keep track. I'll be linking each blog in my posts but if your blog is vulgar or contains themes of an adult nature (you know what I'm talking about), then obviously I'll just be leaving that off and wishing you all the best. 
I love the idea of all of us doing something together, sharing ideas and working on such a heart warming project. 
See you soon with an update of how the rugby Mummy Date went!
Toodlepip!
xx

A Weekend of Nothing

Oh Hai, 
For as long as I've been a Mum, I've been a do-er. You have to be. Gone are the days of laying in bed till 11 and then not being dressed until 2. Afternoons draped over a sofa watching trash TV are impossible and the idea of being in complete silence for an hour before their blessed bedtime is unlikely. 

When I divorced, I thought I'd have a bit of nothingy time back when Darcy goes to her Dad's. Alas, I was wrong. In that time I cram in all the work things I didn't manage when I had her. Errands need to be run, people need getting back to and footage needs editing. On top of that I want to see friends, snog my boyfriend (a lot), make sure my family don't think I'm dead since I call so infrequently and keep things ticking over at home. 
I'm always on the go. I like being on the go. I like to-do lists and I like success. I've been that way for so long now that I'd forgotten what doing nothing feels like. 

Last week Darcy was poorly with a tummy bug and so all to-do lists and arrangements were off the cards. All we did was stay upstairs, watch Netflix, cuddle and play 'fairies'. And you know what, it was utter bliss. Not her being sicky of course, but not rushing us, not always aiming for the next event and not looking at my phone or watch every six seconds. 
The weekend just gone was a Me Weekend. Darcy was at her Dads and for once, I had nothing planned. So, I planned NOTHING. 

My boyfriend came and went (he wasn't having a Nothing weekend, he went to the gym and did some bits) and I just flopped about on sofas and my bed and finished series on Netflix, had a 90 minute bath (holy moly that was nice), ate chinese food, and generally felt really sedate. We did venture out to the shops for some Christmas shopping, to Jamie's for dinner and Cineworld to watch A Street Cat Named Bob, but none of it was forced and it was all easy breezy. 
Naturally, this kind of lifestyle isn't sustainable for most of us but if you get the chance this week, take some time for you, to just flop about. Plan 'Nothing' into your diary and do it. Don't feel guilty or wasteful, you're taking a moment to recharge and nurture. You are worth that moment, that afternoon or that entire weekend to down tools and r e l a x. 
I'm going to make sure I have a day like this at least once a month. It was bliss. 
Toodlepip!
xx