Life lately, according to my iPhone: May 2014

Hi guys,
I missed last month's 'life lately' post, but last month and this month have been very similar. Lots of visits to the farm, the dinosaur park, and sitting in parks and beaches on sunny days. Of course I also turned 30 this month (which was lots of fun) and went on our first holiday of the year, but I've already shared photos of that here. This post celebrates the mundane, everyday moments that seem so important you just have to take a photo: I love these kinds of photos and these kinds of memories. They're what makes everydays so special!

Our first picnic in the park, Wilbur going down the biggest slide in the park, acting like a tourist in the Oxford Street Disney store and eating pulled pork in Bodeans: Yum! 

Emptying the contents of my purse with his 'I didn't do it' face, making my own sunblushed tomatoes, dressed up for a night out, and the beautiful blue skies in Yarmouth on my surprise birthday picnic. 

Fun with paints, our first BBQ of the year, trying to have a bath whilst Wilbur insisted I play with all his toys, The chocolate fudge cake I made for my dads birthday. 

What have you been up to this month? Has the warm weather lead to BBQs, outdoor pursuits and other exciting activities for you? And what everyday activities do you want to celebrate?

Love Tor x

Life Lately, according to my iPhone....

Hi guys,
Spring has officially sprung, which means life lately has involved lots of outdoor family fun, some spring cleaning in the house and garden, and shopping for spring/summer clothes! When I look through my iPhone now I'm always surprised by how many pictures I manage to take of Wilbur in such a relatively short time frame: my phone used to be full of pictures of shoes! Anyway, here's what my life has been like lately, according to my iPhone:

Trying my hand at making sugar roses to top cupcakes, We went to see the seals on Horsey beach, Hatching out of an egg at the Dino Park, Brushing ponies with Granny at Wroxham Barns. 

Eating doughnuts and ice cream on Great Yarmouth beach, Our bare faced selfie for breast cancer awareness, nibbling on bunny biscuits (it is nearly Easter!), Fun at the soft play

Riding the junior train with Wilbur, feeding the lambs at the farm, the new dino cushion I made for his living room chair (complete with initial!), home made cupcakes!

What have you been up to lately? And do you have anything fun planned for the weekend? I'm having dinner with a friend on Friday night then we're taking a trip to the dino park, and I want to get my hanging baskets planted!

Love Tor x

Happy New Year: December 2013 according to my iPhone

Hi guys,
Happy New Year! I'm hoping 2014 is going to be a good one, and I've already made a couple of New Year's Resolutions: I won't be divulging what they all are though, in case I fail like I do every year! But one of them is to make more effort to post here more frequently: that's one I think I will keep! If 2013 is anything like 2014, it won't be a bad year at all! But what did the end of 2013 bring? Here's my obligatory round up of the month:

Christmas

We spent Christmas at my parents, and it was one of the best so far! The kids saw Mrs Claus and Santa came to the house (or, as I call him, Dad!) And Mike and I took Wilbur on a Christmas light safari looking for some of the best decorated houses in Norfolk: we weren't disappointed. December was pretty much the month of Christmas: we did something Christmassy every weekend, and Wilbur and I did loads of fun Christmas crafts and activities.


Wilbur's Birthday

As I think I've already mentioned, Wilbur turned one at the beginning of the month. To celebrate we threw a Very Hungry Caterpillar party for our families and all of his little friends at a local soft play centre (then I did a lunch at home). It was a massive success and the little man had a great day. And I was really impressed with my first attempt at a two tiered cake too!

Other Fun! 

December is an especially busy month in our house! Mike also had a birthday, we had a couple of fun nights out, and endless trips to farms, parks, and other fun stuff with Wilbur. Finally, we spent New Year drinking champagne and playing cards with my in-laws. Did you have fun celebrating the new year last night? And are you expecting exciting things from 2014?

Love Tor x

Accessories: You know you're a mum when....

Hi guys,
You know you're a mum when your iPhone cover image stops being something sleek and stylish, and becomes a big old close up of your baby's squishy face instead! My iPhone case was sent for me to review by www.wrappz.com who sell all manner of phone covers, cases, and skins. They have a great range of really quite fashionable and stylish pre-designed cases too, but I just couldn't resist the idea of having Wilbur smiling at me from the back of my phone.

I'm really pleased with this, and am going to order one for Mike too. It will make a great filler for his Christmas stocking - yes, I am thinking about Christmas stockings already!

What do you have to protect your mobile phone? Something personalised, something stylish, or do you simply leave it cover-free?

Love Tor x

July 2013, According to my iPhone...

Hi guys,
I can't believe how fast this year is going: we're already halfway through the summer, and it feels like it's only just started. And with all the events we've got planned for August, I just know that the second half is going to fly by too! Here's what July looked like:

This has been a busy month on the 'doing' front; Mike and I went to Crazy Bear for our anniversary (check out the gorgeous afternoon tea and the London bus reception!) I had an amazing spa day with my sister and my first post-baby night out (mmmm, cocktails!) and, with the addition of the new border, I've finally finished decorating Wilbur's bedroom: the first room in the house that's finally completely completed!

Wilbur has suddenly had a very fast development spurt. He crawls, he stands up and pulls himself up on the furniture, he has two teeth and he steals rice cakes whenever I leave them unattended! This morning I found his attempting to paint my wooden living room floor with a nail varnish - he's going to be such a handful!

So what about me? Well I've been wearing my new Miista sandals from Sarenza on an almost daily basis, shopping for hats for the two weddings we've got coming up, and I've refound my obsession with painting my nails! I'm now back to freelancing fulltime, which I'm loving, even though it's good fun juggling the work with looking after Wilbur! And other than that I've just been enjoying the new found sunshine with my family and friends.

What have you been up to this month? Has anyone got any really exciting plans coming up for August? I'd love to hear all about them!

Love Tor x

June 2013, According to my iPhone

Hi guys,
Wow the months are flying by! I can't believe it's already July - that means my baby is already 7 months old, it's summer holiday season, and we're closer to next Christmas than we are to last Christmas (Is that the earliest I've ever mentioned the dreaded 'C' word?!) So what have I been up to in June? Here's the months photo review...

This month I've been focusing on working on the house! We've painted the kitchen (bubblegum pink!) and this weekend we went to Ikea to buy new door knobs for the kitchen cabinets - we just need to paint those cabinets and replace the floor then the kitchen is finally finished! The best 'me' news of the month? My bunny shoes have arrived!


In a bid to get Mike more interested in eating salad I have made a sausage and egg salad this month- and it was delicious!! I also made homemade burgers with ice cream thick shakes, Cajun salmon with sweet potato wedges and eating out I had a great pizza at Frankie and Bennys and Chicken salad at M&S. I just love to cook! Would you guys be interested if I decided to share some of my recipes?

Wilbur gets cuter by the day (even if I do say so myself!)  This month he has been to the dinosaur park, visited the donkeys at the open farm, played in the ball pool, paddling pool, his brand new swing, and his appetite only gets bigger- I've never known a baby like food so much! Like mother, like son!!

Love Tor  xx

April 2013, According to my iPhone

Hi guys,
I can't believe April is nearly over already: and I've done almost nothing I had planned to do this month! We move house in three days and I still haven't fully packed a single room. Which means now is probably the right time to start panicking! Of course, rather than panic, I've decided to write a blog post instead. So here's what I've been up to this month, according to the photos I've taken on my iPhone:
- I popped into London for the day and had an amazing afternoon tea at Sketch with Jenny and Reena: cake will never taste the same again!
- I have become slightly addicted to the steak baguette from M&S food on the go. I limit myself to only having it once a month though: it's calorific!
- Operation salad continues in the effort to lose my baby weight. Although, to be honest, it feels like the harder I try the more weight I put on (Maybe that's the afternoon teas and the steak baguettes!)

-This month's 'doing' list is all about the new house: I've discovered Crown's Vintage paint range and I love it!
-We've also been enjoying the beach and the park: thank you warm weather, for finally arriving!

-I tried the Barry M Gelly nail varnish: It's so shiny and has real staying power. Highly recommended! I've rediscovered my obsession with painting my nails this month!
- I had my eyebrows tinted a shade darker than usual: I really can't decide if I like it or not!
- My new Missoni sunglasses from TKMaxx arrived! I love them, and was delighted they arrived just in time for all the warm weather we've been having.
- Shopping-wise, I've tried on a million (at least) dresses for Wilbur's christening next month: this one from French Connection is what I eventually chose.

-Wilbur and I have settled into a nice routine of groups and activities; covering himself in paint at creative play on a Tuesday is his favourite. And so much fun to clean off his clothes!
-In other Wilbur news this month, at the advice of our Health Visitor we have started feeding him. He's only been eating his purees for three days, and he's already worked out he gets it quicker if he holds the spoon himself: definitely my child!
-This month he also rolled over: proud mum alert!

What have you been up to this month? The big news for May is that we're moving into our own house: so exciting! Prepare for lots of interior shots in next month's round-up!

Love Tor x

March according to my iPhone

Hi guys,
Officially this post is coming a couple of days early, but as we're going away to my parents for Easter weekend, I thought I would share what we've been up to this March, according to my iPhone:
Yet again, most have my shopping has been for the new house this month - our current house is full of wallpaper samples- and if all goes well, we should move in on 30th April! But I have had a few things for myself too: I just can't resist a bargain! Our local La Senza has become a outlet store with 5 pairs of knickers for £5. There's nothing nicer than slipping your feet into new Converse (c/o Sarenza). And of course, the jumper I mentioned earlier in the week from the River Island sale.


I am becoming slightly obsessed with baking! My sister and nephew came to visit for the weekend earlier in the month and I made banana bread, cupcakes and a cherry bakewell tart for the occasion! And yesterday I tried my hand at Cadburys Creme Egg brownies. You can get the recipe from the crème egg Facebook page, and they're delicious! I've also been working on sewing again: these character cushions are presents for my nieces.

Wilbur is officially getting more and more adorable by the day! He's starting to try to roll over, reach for his favourite toys, and shove absolutely everything in his month. He's also my favourite little dress up doll: Watching him smile at me as I choose his tiny outfits every morning is one of the highlights of my day. And this month saw my first Mother's Day too - if the gift bag says I'm the most brilliant Mum in the whole wide world then it must be true!

What have you been up to this month? Anything exciting going on for you right now? I'd love to hear all about it!

Love Tor x

January according to my iPhone!

Hi guys,
I know it's now the middle of February, but I have only just gotten round to writing my round up of January - a sign that February so far has been a very busy month! January was a fairly quiet month, mostly characterised by sales shopping and getting the hang of this parenting lark. Here's the month in pictures, according to my iphone:
Mike and I have had an offer accepted on a house (Hurrah) and if all goes well, will be homeowners by Spring. So it's no surprise that a lot of my shopping has been for the home this month! I've also been inspired by pastels mixed with brighter colours, and had a great day out shopping at Westfield London. I can't wait to get down again and unleash myself with a major shopping spree!
Having a baby does funny things to your body: even though I'm below my pre-pregnancy weight, I still have a fat poochy little tummy: much bigger than before. And I hate it! So this month, I have mostly been eating an awful lot of salad. Luckily, I love salad and there's so many different things you can do with them they never get boring! Although I did ruin it all by having a trip to TGI Fridays - nom nom!! Wilbur has changed so much since I last shared pictures of him. It's amazing how quickly he's changing and growing up. He now laughs and smiles, plays with his toys (and loves hitting the animals on his jungle playmat). He's had his first trip to London (which as you can see, he wasn't too sure about), loves his weekly music class, and cried his way through his first set of vaccinations. My baby is no longer a newborn, and on his way to becoming a proper little boy!

Love Tor x

Life lately, according to my iPhone...

Hi guys,
Another month, another collection of random pictures collecting virtual dust on my iphone! When I scroll through to do these compilations I always surprise myself with how many odd and pointless photos I take: what did we do in the days before iphones when we wanted to send someone a photo of a dress so we could get immediate feedback, eh?!

Nonetheless, here's what's been going on according to my iphone this month:

-Ham and cheese salad with beetroot (My latest food craving)
-New Stella McCartney baby goodies from TKMaxx
-Beautiful roses my mum gave me at my surprise family-only baby shower
-Going to see the Norwich Christmas lights being switched on and meeting a realistic-looking Santa

- Breaking in my new blue suede Espirit boots
- Pitta pizza breads - nom, nom, nom!!
- Celebrating my nephew's first birthday
- Forcing my husband to try on his new Christmas jumper (doesn't he look happy about it!)

- Making candy cane mice to add to my Christmas presents - tutorial to follow
- Another new lipstick (This one is from No7 and I'm trying it with the matching lipliner. I still prefer my trusty Chanel)
- One last pre-baby dinner in our favourite restaurant (there's alot of food in this post, isn't there?)!
- Shiny silver toenails. Can you believe my husband did these?! Hidden talents!

What have you been up to this month? And do you find that your iphone is cluttered up with a collection of odd and random pictures too?

Love Tor

October 2012, According to my iPhone...

Hi guys,
It's officially November! That means it is officially the month we will be having this baby - it feels like I've been waiting forever! But it's not time to get ahead of myself and think about next month when I haven't told you what I did last month yet.

Here's what I got up to in October:

Carving pumpkins - You can check out my tutorial on how to carve your own here.
Baking cookies for my nephews first birthday party - I can't believe he's about to turn one!
Caviar manicure - I was really excited when I saw this new nail technique (and it looks great!) but was disappointed on application. It only lasted one day, and the little balls started falling off almost immediately.
Hello Kitty lust - I saw these lipsticks in Superdrug and immediately bought one because of how cute the packaging was. As a lipstick it has no staying power at all, but it does brighten up my dressing table!

Checking out dresses - At the V&A. I went to see the ballgown exhibition with some friends and was just obsessed with some of the dresses. I wish we lived in a time or place where I got to twirl and dance in full skirted frocks occasionally!
Bedroom mini-make over - The bedroom was the only room we hadn't done anything to since we moved in, so I decided to give it a quick mini makeover: new bedding and curtains, new blankets and cushions, and new artwork. Easy peasy!
Pickling! - It's that time of the year again! If you want to make your own pickles and chutneys for Christmas then you need to get a wiggle on - God, I sound all domesticated and old don't I?!

Feeling festive - In Primark! Primark have got a great selection of Christmassy jumpers instore at the moment - early I know - for both men and women. In a slightly-ironic-but-secretly-awesome way, I really love a good Christmas jumper but because you can wear them so little they just aren't worth the money. These Primark ones are the solution!
New eyebrows - I had my eyebrows shaped at the Benefit brow bar. More expensive than a quick wax at my local salon, but the results are totally worth it.
New hair - I've been trying to get myself pampered as much as possible before bubs arrived, so I also had my highlights redone. Next on the list is a relaxing pedicure and a massage or two - I'm reliably assured that in a couple of weeks I won't have anytime to do these things so I'm making the most of it!

Love Tor xx

September 2012, according to my iPhone...

Hi guys,
This post is a couple of days late, but it's better late than never! The obligatory bloggers favourite 'my month in pictures' post....

Shopping..

I can't get enough of my new studded bangle from Topshop; I've worn it nearly every day this month. £8 well spent! Another item on my 'can't stop wearing' list is my new pink Dior lipstick: such a vibrant shade, and a huge jump from my usual red but I really like it! Primark have all of their new season stock instore: how cute is this owl hat for just £8? And finally: Dior Baby Shoes!! Extravagent, ridiculous, but I just couldn't help myself.

Nails...

My obsession with painting my nails has reached another peak this month! In another old-trend revival, I am loving leopard print nails and update my style and colour constantly: a sign I have too much time on my hands perhaps?! Here are all the colours shown above:

Grey nail varnish, Essie, Then and Now, Red nail varnish, No 7, Devils Delight, Brown nail varnish, Bourjois So Laque, Santal opulent, Blue nail varnish, Bourjois So Laque, Bleu Model, Silver nail varnish, Nails Inc, Montpelier square, Black nail pen, Models Own WAH nails

Outgoing...

My main activity for the month was London Fashion Week -which feels ages ago now! It felt amazing to be back in London and doing something non-baby related though. My favourite show by far was the Tahir Sultan show (pictured above). I have also indulged in afternoon tea twice this month - not good for my waistline - and hubby and I have another one booked for in a fortnight's time! Finally, a wedding - it's not easy to find wedding-appropriate maternity wear, but I did my best!

Have you had a good September? What exciting things have you been up to? I'd love to know!

Love Tor xx

August 2012 in pictures....

Hi guys,
Normally I do my monthly round ups with iphone pictures, but since I got my new Nikon DSLR at the end of last month, I've barely taken a single iphone picture: I'm just too obsessed with using this camera! So instead, here's what I've been up to this month in big shots:

Shopping. Stocking up on knitwear from Primark (Love this 'Love' jumper!) and breaking my 'no costume jewellery' rule in Topshop.....


Remembering that I live in a really beautiful city (Don't you find having people visit you makes you view where you live in a whole new light?)....


Growing an unnaturally large baby.....

Visiting the beach with my nephew, who rode his first ride, and couldn't get enough of them!....

Having delicious BBQ in spite of the rain ....

Combined with eating my weight in ice cream....And burgers....(So a lot of eating then!)....

This month has mostly been spent visiting with both of our families, preparing for the baby (we had that 'Oh my god, he's coming soon' moment) and visiting the beach more often than we expected: whenever people come to visit us, the first place they want to go is the beach, which is luckily only a 20 minute drive away. I've also had a couple of fun, if exhausting trips to London. It's been a fairly quiet month, but a good one! What have you been up to? Has it been a good August?

Love Tor xx

July 2012, according to my iPhone

Hi guys,
As you guys read this I will be busy sight seeing and sunning myself in Venice. But as it's the end of the month, I thought I would show you what else I've been up to this month, apart from planning for my trip, of course!

-When we moved into our new house, the grass in the garden was so long it came over my knee, so we've made it our mission to tackle it as soon as the weather perked up. Whilst Mike's been tackling the lawn (the big job!) I've been dealing with the much more fun job of potting some plants and injecting some colour. These are some hydrangeas and phlox that I planted, and a gorgeous herb garden my parents created for us.

- We had our 20 week scan. All is well with mini baby Hampton and it's a.....BOY! Very exciting news, and not too long to go now!

- Great weather means only one thing - ice lollies! I got this cute bunny-shaped ice lolly making tray from Debenhams for £6 and set about creating home made ice lollies. So far we've made them with orange juice, lemonade, and white grape and elderflower juice. Making boozy ones would be great for BBQs too!

- We went to see The Darkness in Thetford Forest: a blast from the past! I was (and still am) a huge fan of them when I was at university, and went to see them last year too. They were great, and played loads of tracks from their upcoming new album. They're going to be Lady Gaga's support act later in the year, so I'm predicting a Darkness revival!

-My perfect summer boots! I ordered these Georgia Rose boots, with their flash of neon, from Sarenza, because the weather was too rubbish for sandals and flip flops. Then (and not that I' complaining!) the weather has perked right up so I've only had the chance to wear them once. But when Autumn approaches these boots are going to be perfect!

- I've been hunting for the perfect headband for a casual wedding we're going to next month. Slightly obsessed with this flower and spike one from Topshop, which is in the sale for just £4.50!

- Sometimes the most ridiculous things can really make you laugh. I bought this pepper mill solely because that was my reaction to its name: Sergeant Pepper!

- Finally, this is a picture of my newest obsession: swimming in the local pool. I've started going three times a week, and I just can't get enough of it. I think if I could turn into a hippo and live wallowing in the water then, right now, I would!

How have you spent your July? And do you have any exciting plans for August? 


Love Tor xx

Life lately, according to my iPhone

Hi guys,
Warning and beware, blogger cliche coming up! Yet another 'life according to my iphone' post. On the bright side, I can promise that there's nothing hipster included:

Mmmm, mini sponge cakes filled with nutella instead of jam (because chocolate is always better than fruit!) I am very proud to say I made these myself, and they tasted just as good as they look

This weekend my sister and niece came to visit. We went to Great Yarmouth for the day, and Lily had her first ever donkey ride. She absolutely loved it: are there donky riding championships for babies I don't know about?! Because I'm pretty sure she'd win...

This picture pretty much sums up all of my life lately: painting the new house! We are currently painting in this Crown Heritage matt emulsion: the shade is called Duke's Blue. I keep finding flecks of this paint all over me. This morning I noticed I have it splattered all over my toes. Oh the glamour! 

I went to a press event for Puffin Books, and was gifted this gorgeous edition of Peter Pan, with Cath Kidston artwork on the jacket. Isn't it a gorgeous print?

A glass wall, shaped like a heart, made out of nail varnish bottles! All things to love: this wall is in the John Lewis beauty hall, and is made up of Nails Inc nail varnishes. In the right light you can see the graduating colours: very cool indeed, and obviously someone's labour of love.

Alan Sugar's car! My inner geek/celeb spotter was delighted to see this car being parked in Mayfair.  Unfortunately I didn't see the man himself - probably for the best. He isn't famed for his sense of humour, but who could see him and resist telling him he's fired?!

Isn't it funny how leaving somewhere makes you realise all the more how beautiful it is? London has never looked as beautiful as it does to me in the past 2 weeks, and when I wandered past the Natural History Museum I just couldn't resist snapping it! 

Finally, I've been exploring with a new shade of lipstick! Not exactly breaking news, but finding the right shade is still important. Rather than my usual vivid red this is a more muted shade: Revlon Colour Burst lip butter in Candy Apple.

What have you been up to lately? And how are you spending your summer? I'd love to hear all about it!

Love Tor xx

January according to my iPhone

Hi guys,
Taking pictures of everything seems to be a cultural endemic: especially if you're a blogger. There's a reason the iPhone comes equipped with such a good camera! No shopping trip, lunch or cupcake is left unsnapped, and I'm just as guilty. If I think something looks good, interesting, or just worth sharing with my husband I whip out my phone and pap it! So I thought it would be fun to pick out some of my iPhone pictures from the month and share them with you.

This month I:
-Made chocolate brownies and ate ice cream in Harrods (diet be damned!)
-Cut my own fringe. And I'm getting pretty good at it!
-Lusted after all of the chintzy homewares at the M&S press day
-Picked up plenty of bargains in the sales
-Fell in love with baby Bertie (my nephew) all over again
-Tried on 6 different white shirts at TM Lewin.

What have you been up to this month? Anything exciting?

Love Tor xx

Muji press day: Genius invention!

Hi guys,
This is just a quick post to share a new fashion/technology product that I saw at the Muji press day last week that immediately made me a) say wow and b) know that as soon as they hit them shops I would be getting a pair!

I'm talking about the touch screen gloves: and they're only £12.95! No more will I have to always have one freezing hand when I try to make a call, send a text, or check my emails on my iphone in the middle of winter! I don't know how they work (neither did the PR girl at the event) but I can confirm, because I tried them, that these gloves do keep your hands toasty warm, and still allow you to use your iphone. It's nothing short of genius! I think i'll have to buy 2 pairs, just in case I lose one!

If you're interested, here are the other fashion offerings from the Muji press day:


They aren't that inspiring but I don't care: it was worth the trip just to find those gloves!

Love, Tor xxx