I am writing to you from under the covers of a duvet with my heated blanket ON. It is officially freezing and this morning my hens had no water as it had frozen over! Rose and I spent the last few days wrapping some clear plastic around their coop to protect them from the wind and rain, add a bit of insulation and so the sun can still shine in and give them warmth! If any frog readers out there are chicken keepers, feel free to send me some tips! This is our first winter with our girls! 

 

/ 1. Always camera ready / 2. Phoebe auditioning for Jurassic Park / 3. Candid cuddle / 

4. Naughtiness is coming / 5. Sunday nap time / 6. Honeycomb cheesecake french toast bites / 7. How is he only two / 8. Much brunch! / 9. Still relatively got it / 10. Chubby cheeks! 

I can’t believe how close we are to Christmas now! It’s gone so fast! As my love language is gift giving, I get so excited thinking up the perfect prezzies for all my friends and fam and have made a beautiful list that I am SO proud of! Now I just have to buy it all! 😝

Have you guys started your Christmas shopping yet? Do you find it easy? What’s the best gift you’ve ever given/received? Poor Rose, I think I get so excited by the fact that she’s getting me something that it puts a lot of pressure on her and she worries! But the Barbie doll was honestly the best gift I’ve ever had! 

Also, and we couldn’t believe this, but I was really cheeky and sent a message to our new babysitter asking if she was up for watching Ziggy on New Years Eve - and she was! We didn’t expect that and now we have no idea what to do! What’s your dream New Years Eve? It’s difficult for us as our friends live very far away and we have a toddler that we don’t want to drag on long journeys. We can’t decide whether to go out for a meal or what! 

Last year something magical happened on NYE. As Ziggy was still quite young we just had a quiet night in. He was in bed sleeping and I stayed up with Rose, watching the fireworks outside. I think we had a film on, and I was writing a letter to the Universe in my diary. I asked for a new friendship group, one more local (as all my friends live so far away) with kids around the same age as Ziggy, who were also good friends with Rose, but more friends with me so I could have my own girl gang. I wished to make friends with ONE person who could introduce me to a group. Did you know EVERYTHING I wrote down came true? Every single thing. I totally forgot about it, and then I found my diary and re read it and I couldn’t believe how it all came true! So, whatever I do on NYE, I’m going to make sure I get home and write the universe another letter! I think that might be my new tradition, one I’d like to do with our kids when they grow up. I really believe in magic and I believe special times of year are extra magical. ✨

Talking of new traditions, Rose and I have given in and bought an Elf on the Shelf. 😆
I’ve heard that once you start it’s SO hard to stop, but I feel like we already know all about it after starting up our tradition with Aisha all those years ago! I’m the biggest Christmas fan you’ll ever meet so I always knew I would end up getting one! I’ll do anything in the name of Christmas spirit!

 

Thinking of the New Year, I’ve just bought myself some new clothes. It’s funny, I really enjoy minimalism, but I’m also a hoarder! I realised that I threw out a lot of clothes after I’d just had Ziggy as I thought they would never fit me again, and I’ve been wearing Rose’s jeans and they don’t fit me! I’ve been walking around in really baggy, unflattering jeans and after buying a load of clothes for Ziggy I thought, hang on, I bought clothes for Ziggy because his didn’t fit, why don’t I buy some for me? It’s funny, Rose and I have had vastly different upbringings but we are sooo similar and we always put ourselves last. I gave birth almost 2 1/2 years ago and my body has changed - I need new clothes! So I’m really excited to show you all what I’ve got. 

 

I’m also loving my new, shorter hair. Lots of newness going on right now! Cutting hair is soooo freeing isn’t it. I’m also going to go darker for winter.

An update on IVF. If any of you are secretly wondering if Rose is pregnant - she’s not. Since our last update video things have changed slightly, and we were going to do a natural (non medicated) Frozen Embryo Transfer but things have changed and Rose will need to take medicine now. As always, we are trying really hard to go with the flow and just go with whatever the doctor recommends. Our timeline got pushed back which was really frustrating, as we feel this process is taking an extremely long time to even start, and obviously we just really want to get going and make a baby! Rose and I have never been very good at being patient, so I think now is the time to learn. I hate it though, haha! 

I can’t believe as I’m writing this, tomorrow is December and an entire year has almost gone by! What was your proudest moment of this year? Rose’s was conquering her worst fear and flying a plane! Mine wasn’t one big thing like Rose’s but I’m so proud of the parent I have become. When I was pregnant I dreamed of becoming a calm, confident, collected parent and I feel I have become that person! 

 

Wishing you all the best December and I will send you the final newsletter of the year after Christmas!!! Ahhhhh!!

1. The Dyke Project, a group of LGBT+ activists has hacked over a hundred posters on tubes, buses and billboards across London with stories of Palestinians. 

2. Nepal has registered its first same-sex marriage.

 

3. The new cast of Doctor Who includes Yasmin Finney with her identity as a trans woman front and centre throughout the first episode.

 

4. New Delhi Pride saw over 2,000 participants – one month after the Supreme Court failed to legalise same-sex marriage. At this moment there are only two Asian countries that recognise same-sex marriage: Taiwan and now Nepal.

 

5. Isobel Jeffrey who has undergone gender reassignment surgery at 80 proves that it's never too late to come out! Isobel and her wife who has supported her coming out have been married for 60 years.  

Rose and I have SUCH dry hands in the colder months and I absolutely adore this stuff. It smells a bit like baby cream but for adults if that makes sense?? Like a talcum powder smell. It’s just the right amount of oily, but doesn’t leave your hands sticky. I’m a fan. 

 

YESSS! Rose and Ziggy are also obsessed with these! They taste BETTER than the dairy magnums I swear! This will be my Xmas treat!

 

We’re always obsessed with this show, although we watch it at night and get sooo hungry before bed. 

 

For those that don’t know, Fortnite released it’s ORIGINAL MAP with all the original features and everyone I know has hopped back on to play. It’s been just like the old days, me and my squads back at haunted hills and greasy grove! I’ve missed it so much and I’m SO GLAD IT’S BACK!

 

Rose and I watched this film and LOVED IT. We were expecting it to be a bit rubbish and it really surprised us with how much we laughed. A fantastic easy comedy! 

 

I haven’t watched it yet, but I am SO EXCITED for SALTBURN!! It looks amazing I literally cannot wait!!

It's SAGITTARIUS SEASON! Sagittarius is characterized by its adventurous and optimistic nature. This season is all about exploration and discovery, encouraging us all to embrace our inner adventurers and leap into the unknown. It's a time when people might be itching to break free from routine, itching to embark on new escapades, and embrace life's endless possibilities. Let's be honest, it's hard to stick to a routine in December so we might as well get on with it! 🎅

 

People might feel a surge of enthusiasm and optimism (perfect mood for Christmas! 😁), ready to take on challenges with gusto (like gift wrapping and ice skating!). This sign values truth so brace yourself for some candid, unfiltered conversations – Sagittarius style!

 

Sagittarius has a gemstone that's closely associated with its energy and characteristics: the majestic and captivating Turquoise. This gemstone is often linked to wisdom, protection, and positivity, aligning well with the traits of the adventurous Archer.

This past month I went to the gym 4 times and I gave up wine for a whole week ( small steps but something!). 

My mum died (aged 46) this month and I managed to read my eulogy at her funeral without breaking down. I’m taking that as my achievement!

I would like to share that I had the worst  menty b ( aka mental breakdown) of my life, I ended up in the hospital and I'm on sick leave from work since. (All of this while I also started university again here in Madrid.) However, I managed to get the courage to actually stop for a minute and think about what are my passions, and I realized that I wanted to be a content creator for brands and I already got my first big client. I start on January. I've been away from my true passion for 5 years now, and it's been hard cause I felt like I couldn't be the chosen one but I wanted to get up like Buffy did in the last episode of season 7. (I still can't get over Tara and Anya's death. I just can't. And I will never forgive Joss Whedon for that.) 

Meet Moxie aka Mox, Moxacillin, Pumpkin Pie, Nubbles, Froggles and Butterball.

Mox is approximately three years old and came to me as a foster in April 2022. I started fostering her shortly after I lost my bestest boy/soulmate, Noah, and needed some company while working from home. I struggle with anxiety and depression and I learned pretty quickly that having a companion during the day really helped. Mox was a southern girl from Louisiana before making her way to me in New Hampshire. We don’t ever talk about her past, though, because it’s not very pleasant. She’s actually quite shy and anxious around new people but we bonded and trusted each other immediately, so I knew I had to adopt her and make her all mine. My wife wasn’t really on board with adopting a new dog so soon after losing Noah, but I just ignored her and did it anyway. Now they’re obsessed with each other, so it worked out. 

 

LOVES: belly rubs, giving kisses, playing with her sister, Carol Anne (also a dog, affectionately named after the girl from Poltergeist), parkour in the woods, playing tug, eating (she gets that from me), being wrapped up in a blanket like a burrito, boat rides on the lake

 

HATES: baths, loud noises, kale, the chickens  

 

Erin

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