Highlights of the Week: #20

We’re baccccckkkkkkkkk…. I know I know don’t all rush at once as I know you have all been chomping at the bit waiting for it to return! What with my site going down and needing to switch over and be re-launched in it’s luscious new form (my opinion of course) I was forced to take a break from blogging which it turns out was much needed however it meant that I didn’t post anything new and all my post series took a break too. However, with everything up and running and my break had, I am now back and in full swing which means my Highlights of the Week are back too! So let’s dive on in…

1 – Online – New Website! So of course the first highlight of the week (though I am really doing this for the past month that this series has been absent for) has to be my new website. I have only one word for it…. SHINY!! It was a long time in the making but it was well worth the wait as I am totally in love with it and the new design. I feel like I have learnt so much over the past 8 months of blogging and I think it shows in the difference between my old site and my new one! Hats off to Miss Emma and my gorg sister Kerrie who were the makers and creators of my new blog – cheers guys!!

2 – Offline –  Alyssa’s first birthday! I cannot believe it happened but I suppose it was inevitable… my little baby girl turned 1!! I swear I blinked and the whole year whizzed by and what a year it has been. We have had some huge ups and downs but I wouldn’t have changed it for the world. I want to freeze so many moments that I have with her as she makes each one a joy and so special. Happy birthday little precious and here’s to many more special birthdays together!

3 – Online – The big 5000! What am I talking about?? Well, if you follow me on Twitter it would have been hard not to notice when I hit 5000 followers!!! I couldn’t believe it myself and I decided to have a big celebration and do a massive giveaway which resulted in 34 brands, 52 prizes and a whole lot of work but it was totally worth it as it was really exciting and it was wonderful to be able to give so many prizes to so many wonderful people. Now, a few weeks later I have actually just passed 6500 followers and I’m still going. I am overwhelmed and truly touched and really starting to believe that the sky’s the limit!!

4 – Offline – Cake Smash!! To help celebrate Alyssa turning 1, we returned to our wonderful friend Karen over at KW Photography for another photo shoot ( you can read all about our journey with Karen over on “Getting Your Baby Snaps… AH-TISH-SHOO!”) It was just as amazing as every other shoot we have had and Alyssa had an awesome time laughing and giggling at Karen and covering us all in icing and bubbles from her bath afterwards. We had such a lovely time and cannot thank Karen enough for the wonderful job she has done this whole first year. Watch this space for a post all about Alyssa’s cake smash…

5 – Online – Tribal Love! Yes, we are still going strong and Tribal Chat is about to enter it’s 6th month which is just amazing. To think it started from a silly little post (Personal Ad: Blogger Seeks Tribe) and now there are so many of us! Not only that but we have our own Twitter where we have over 500 followers, our own Instagram hashtag (#tribalchat just FYI) and our own Facebook Group with daily threads laughs and giggles. Of course we still have our amazingly funny live chat every Tuesday evening… I’d like to take this opportunity to apologise to any of the celebrities we have tagged during these chats (because of course Ryan Reynolds and Bear Grylls read my blog daily!!)

6 – Offline – Visiting family!My Mum, Alyssa and I took ourselves off on a road trip at the beginning of this month and went to visit some of our lovely family in Bexhill – on – Sea who we hadn’t seen forever! I got to introduce Alyssa to some family she had never met and it was lovely to be somewhere different for a few days and somewhere where I have such fond memories ( take a look at My Summer.Her Summer.Our Summer!) We enjoyed it so much and had such a giggle that we are heading back up there in September for more fun.

7 – Online – Reppin’ it Up! I was so pleased to receive a message earlier this month inviting Alyssa to be a brand rep for the amazing Ted Wears Organic! They make gorgeous custom-designed handmade kids clothing which is really quirky and different with it’s amazing colour and pattern combinations. Have a look at our post “Ted Wears Organic: Brand Reppin It Up!” where we have an exclusive discount so you can grab some gear of your own!

8 – Offline – Hedgehogs, Butterflies and Bees! With the little bit of wonderful weather that we have been having we have been able to get outside and enjoy the garden. This year, my mum has really got the green-fingers bug and has been making the garden look absolutely gorgeous which has also been encouraging a whole host of wildlife to come and visit. I have never seen so many butterflies and bees in our garden and the other day my mum had a little night visitor in the form of a hedgehog who will hence forth be known as “Spiny Norman!” Not only that, but she has also planted a whole host of amazing fruit and a veg which we have been enjoying all summer with loads more still to come. The clever gardener has had beans (of all varieties), Spinach, Tomatoes, Pak Choy, Broccoli, Squash, Courgettes, Strawberries, Carrots and every type of sodding lettuce you can imagine. We still have peppers and aubergines growing too – needless to say, whether we like it or not, we are eating very healthily this summer!

There have been so many highlights this past month and I am sure with a lot of the summer still ahead of us, so many more to come! So tell me, what has been happening with you lot?