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Don’t try to tell me miracles don’t exist ✨T

Don’t try to tell me miracles don’t exist ✨Today is #WorldPrematurityDay

Like many preemies, Theo suffered a brain bleed at birth. His future and his needs were so unknown. The doctors said we just had to “wait and see”.

To most people this is just a kid climbing a wall. But if you know our journey, you’ll see the magic in it. 🪄 (That’s my Mum cheering him on in the background 🥹)

I am sharing this to show that prem babies can also grow up to be strong, happy, thriving children. The thing to know is, they have so many more obstacles to get there.

To mark the day I’ve also written a blog post about how to support a Mum of a premature baby (which includes remembering the Dad or non-gestational parent too). Head to the link in my bio to support World Prematurity Day and learn a little more about what it means to have a premature baby.

To see more about our journey take a look at #TravelistaPrematurity.

Thank you for supporting a topic that is very close to my heart 💕

Great accounts to follow for more on prematurity:

@blisscharity
@tommys
@sandscharity
@miraclemoonuk
@dearnicumama
@birthtraumaresolution

A weekend well spent in London with my golden girl

A weekend well spent in London with my golden girls and special guest baby Heath. 💕

✔️ Checked out the new @batterseapwrstn
✔️ Dreamy dinner at @daphneslondon - highly recommend
✔️ A visit to @harrods to see an amazing floral installation by @fionafleurstudio
✔️ Treated myself to my first pair of @lululemon leggings
✔️ Brainstorming a very exciting project for 2023

Back in York with my boys now! My cup is full this Sunday night ✨

Ad A little grid throwback to my first time in Abu

Ad A little grid throwback to my first time in Abu Dhabi earlier this year. 🇦🇪

If you’re in need of some winter sun inspiration, make sure Abu Dhabi is on your radar. Whether you’re after slow and simple family-friendly travel or thrill-seeking and adrenaline in the desert, Abu Dhabi really does cater for holidays of all paces.

Swipe through to see what I got up to during my trip. 👉🏼

Hotels; @parkhyattdubai @telalresortalain
Best restaurant: @beirutsurmer
Best sunset spot; @shalaabudhabi
Cultural hot spot; @louvreabudhabi
Kayaking; @seahawk.ae

Have you ever visited Abu Dhabi? What was your experience? I’d love to know 💬

#FindYourPace
#InAbuDhabi
@visitabudhabi

Ad Remembering magic moments in Abu Dhabi with @vi

Ad Remembering magic moments in Abu Dhabi with @visitabudhabi ✨

Working with @visitabudhabi and travelling there in February has been a professional highlight of 2022 for me. I’m proud to be partnering with them again for their new #FindYourPace campaign.

Places featured;

-Grand Mosque Abu Dhabi

-Horse riding and dune buggies in the Al Ain desert

-Qasr Al Watan, the Presidential Palace of Abu Dhabi

-Staying overnight in the desert at @telalresortalain and swimming in the infinity pool

-Sadiyaat Beach, where we ate Lebanese food at @beirutsurmer

-Kayaking around The Louvre, Abu Dhabi

-Watching the sunset over the Abu Dhabi desert

#InAbuDhabi

Oops I did it again 🥲 That’s a good days work

Oops I did it again 🥲 That’s a good days work I’d say 😬

Anyone else guilty of this?

#travelblogger #traveladdict #seetheworld #havekidswilltravel #travelmama #wearetravelmums

This is 4!✨👻 Happy 4th Birthday to my spooky

This is 4!✨👻

Happy 4th Birthday to my spooky Halloween baby. You were supposed to be born in early February but judging by how much you love Halloween and all things spooky, it was always meant to be. We couldn’t wait to throw you a big Halloween themed birthday party 🖤

4 years since you entered this world under very scary circumstances and turned mummy and daddy’s lives upside down.

4 years of defying odds and proving doctors wrong.

4 years of strength, growth, patience and big achievements.

4 years of motherhood.

4 years of laughter and silliness.

4 years of erm…stress. 🥴

4 years of a wild, unconditional love I never knew existed.

Thank you for catapulting into my life Theo and for teaching me what is truly important in life. Health is wealth. I am so proud of us. ♥️

If this doesn’t trigger a Thai food craving I do

If this doesn’t trigger a Thai food craving I don’t know what will 🤤

Ad - Press invite - What we ate at @rosasthai in York

We ordered the classic sharing platter, followed by a beef massaman, a chicken Panang curry and coconut rice. The two curries were both literal perfection in my mouth, and tasted just as authentic as the many curries I have devoured in Thailand.

Rich, creamy, fresh, with a kick. So warming on a chilly Autumnal day!

My first visit to @rosasthai and I’m sold. ♥️🇹🇭

Let’s talk currys. Which one is your favourite?

Welcome to the gang 💫♥️ #travelista #weare

Welcome to the gang 💫♥️

#travelista #wearetravelmums #honestmotherhood #nicumum #maternalmentalhealth #lifeafternicu

Ad Zero filter! To be at sea, surrounded by this m

Ad Zero filter! To be at sea, surrounded by this much ocean, during an intense sunset, is quite literally breathtaking. 💫

To quote @beyonce, “The ocean makes me feel small and it makes me put my life into perspective”. I feel the exact same.

Remembering of my favourite moments from our cruise with @princesscruises on board #RegalPrincess. ✨ #ComeBackNew

Ad Reliving our wonderful day in Rapallo, Italy. 🇮🇹💫

Rapallo is a historic coastal town located next door to the better known Portofino, in Italy’s North West region of Liguria.

This experience was a shore excursion during our cruise with @princesscruises. It included transport to Rapallo, a guide for the day, free time to explore Rapallo as well as lunch and a cooking demonstration at Dao Vittorio in the nearby Recco, an authentic Italian restaurant that dates back to 1865 and has been ran by the same family for 6 generations.

I do usually love to explore places independently, but without this tour there’s no way have found this unique restaurant experience, which was without doubt the most special part of our day in Liguria. We took our @babyzenuk YOYO for Theo as there’s no way he would have walked the whole tour.

Have you been to Rapallo or heard about the region of Liguria? Save this reel as a reminder to add it to your Italian travel bucket list!

#RegalPrincess

If you know my story, you’ll know how much these

If you know my story, you’ll know how much these photos mean to me (sharing this for #WorldMentalHealthDay which was yesterday, 10/10/22). ♥️

I’ve had my travel blog for almost 10 years. Before becoming a Mum, I flew around the world with zero fear and had never experienced anxiety. Then my sons extremely premature arrival turned my mental health upside down.

The world that was once so wide and colourful, became so small and scary. I lived in the walls of a hospital for over 3 months. When we got home, I was consumed by post natal anxiety and worried about driving to the supermarket and crashing, let alone jetting off to another continent. I was convinced either me or my son was going to die.

Then came the global pandemic which fed my anxiety even more. I wondered if I’d ever get on a plane again. Not ideal when your job is a travel blogger. The thought was overwhelming.

Now my son is almost 4 years old, and with therapy to process and learning to understand how anxiety works, I am travelling again and we are showing him the world. I’ll admit i’m still adjusting to travel with a child in tow, it’s completely different and much harder. But our recent cruise was such an easy way to travel.

If you’d have shown me these travel photos during our time in NICU I’d have fallen apart with relief and happiness. Experiencing all of these places with my son is beyond my wildest dreams. 💫

#PostNatalAnxiety is a dark and lonely road, but it is so common and can easily go unnoticed. Help is available. If this resonates, let this be your sign to reach out. 💌

Locations in each photo;

1) Almuñécar, Spain
2) Rapallo, Italy
3) Gibraltar
4) Marseille, France

Ad Hi I’m Jess and this is my son Theo. I’m sh

Ad Hi I’m Jess and this is my son Theo. I’m sharing 5 family friendly features we found onboard Regal Princess, a @princesscruises ship. 🚢

1️⃣ Firstly, the kids club. It’s completely free for ages 3 and up and kids can do morning, afternoon and evening sessions. There are 3 separate rooms for different age groups. Parents get a buzzer when their child is ready to be collected. We definitely made the most of it!

2️⃣ Next, the food. The buffet is brilliant and changes every day, and there a kids menu in the a la carte restaurants. There are high chairs and booster seats and the waiters are amazing with kids. Shout out to our fantastic waiter Christian.

3️⃣ A teddy was left as a surprise in our suite and Theo even got to meet the real Stanley in person on our last day. So cute.

4️⃣ We found a mini golf course on the top deck of the ship. Of course Theo was a bit young for this but he enjoyed giving it a go all the same.

5️⃣ Finally, the mini suites are so well designed for families. They have a thick curtain that divides the room in half and the sofa can sleep 1 or two children comfortably.

Hope this is helpful for anyone considering a cruise with little ones. Feel free to ask anything and I’ll answer in the comments 💕

#RegalPrincess
#ComeBackNew

Ad This was by far the most magical moment of our

Ad This was by far the most magical moment of our cruise. Seeing dolphins in the wild with my son - and lots of them! ✨

We got up before sunrise to get ready for a dolphin spotting shore excursion with @princesscruises.

A shore excursion is an experience or a tour that is organised by the cruise ship, for an extra cost.

For this excursion, a van took us from the port to a small marina where we set sail at sunrise. I wasn’t entirely sure whether we’d spot any dolphins, it’s never a guarantee. First we spotted some far in the distance and I felt like maybe that was as good as it was going to get.

10 minutes later they were playing and chasing the boat and swimming right up beside us. 🐬

Wild, free, pure magic. 💫

#RegalPrincess
#ComeBackNew

Ad This music is giving me Parent Trap vibes! 🚢

Ad This music is giving me Parent Trap vibes! 🚢

Our week on board Regal Princess with @princesscruises is complete. What a privilege it was to bring my son and his Daddy along with me, for their first ever cruise experience. As you can see from the reel, they fully embraced the cruise life and I think they may possibly now love cruising as much as I do. 🤣

Whilst there weren’t many other children on board due to being in school term time, as a family, we we’re made to feel so welcome onboard #RegalPrincess. There were so many child-friendly touches that Theo loved, and made our lives, as parents, that bit easier.

We got on the ship in Barcelona and cruised to Gibraltar, Marseille, Genoa (Rapallo) and Livorno (Florence), before disembarking in Rome. More content on the port destinations to come!

Have you ever been on a cruise or are you curious to try one? 💕

#RegalPrincess
#ComeBackNew

Ad Hello from the Mediterranean Sea! We’re curre

Ad Hello from the Mediterranean Sea! We’re currently on an adventure with @princesscruises. I’m sharing the cruise experience from a family perspective as it’s my first cruise with my son Theo in tow.

So far he’s absolutely loving it but we’ve learned some lessons along the way. Head to my “med cruise” story highlight so see what we’ve been up to and where we’ve been so far ♥️

#RegalPrincess
#DiscoverWithPrincess

Ad The face of someone who has bagged a bargain. T

Almuñécar photo dump 🇪🇸 1️⃣ Swimming

Almuñécar photo dump 🇪🇸

1️⃣ Swimming at the villa
2️⃣ Churro dipping
3️⃣ Sunrise run
4️⃣ A dusky pink sunset
5️⃣ Spontaneous nap time
6️⃣ Date night
7️⃣ Paddleboarding on choppy water
8️⃣ Best and only cocktails of the week
9️⃣ Visiting the BioDome in Granada
🔟 Sunset on our final night

This is the place I come to truly switch off and have a ‘proper’ holiday. A special week in the sun with my family; now on to part 2 of the adventure today. We’ve flown from Malaga to Barcelona for a Mediterranean cruise around Spain, Gibraltar, France and Italy ☺️

Stay tuned on stories for updates.

If you don’t fill your trolley with at least one

If you don’t fill your trolley with at least one of these things, are you even on holiday in Spain? 🇪🇸

Spanish supermarkets are elite.

📍 Mercadona, Almuñécar, Spain

Hello from my happy place, Almuñécar ♥️ My m

Hello from my happy place, Almuñécar ♥️ My mum took these two photos in the same 10 seconds which documents a great Insta v reality 🤣

1. Insta: serenely sipping on a sangria by the beach without a care in the world
2. Reality: intermittently sipping sangria whilst cleaning melted chocolate and ice cream off my sons face and fingers

Holidays with young children are another ball game. My book remains unread as usual. But seeing him wild and free on the beach is worth all the effort 💕☺️

Everything ♥️

Consider this my psychological glow up ✨ If yo

Consider this my psychological glow up ✨

If you’re in a weird or dark place right now, remember, everything is temporary. The good is temporary; so enjoy it. The bad is temporary; so hold on and ride it out.

It wasn’t just 3 years of ‘time’ that made this change. It was me. It involved making a deep commitment to myself, making my needs a priority, being kinder to myself and spending hours in therapy. It is a work in progress. When it comes to trauma and PTSD; time is not a healer. It takes so much more.

Sending love to anyone else out there doing the hard work right now to get to a better place, and if you feel ready to make a start, then go for it. I’m cheering you on my friend. ♥️ #NICUAwarenessMonth

When you’re trying to visit your bestie in the L

When you’re trying to visit your bestie in the Lakes but now you have to bring two small humans along for the ride. Double the chaos, double the love, double the fun. ♥️

But seriously @naomipsychotherapy next time I’m coming solo and we’re off to a spa. 🤣

This mindset is liberating! 💭 I kayaked 11km

This mindset is liberating! 💭

I kayaked 11km from Ripon to Boroughbridge in North Yorkshire UK, along the most beautiful canal and then on to the River Ouse. This was a group kayaking experience with @alfrescoadventures.

We kayaked through narrow tree-covered waterways with dappled light, wide open rivers where white guls bobbed around and calm canals where the water glittered against the sun. ✨

The perfect August weather and the ever-changing, unfamiliar landscape made it feel as though we could have been anywhere in the world. Inland Spain? The South of France perhaps? But the travel time for this experience was a mere 40 minutes by car from my house.

Long haul travel is not always accessible or affordable. But the point of this reel is, adventure truly can be found on your doorstep, if you seek it out.

This was a 6 hour experience involving around 4.5 hours of kayaking, and about 1.5 hours of rest time. It costs £69.00 per person and is bookable online. No kayaking experience is needed, but be prepared for achey arms!

I got so much joy and peace from this experience and could not recommend it enough. One of my favourite days this summer for sure.

*Not an ad or a press experience, just a very happy customer. ♥️

Sharing some personal thoughts I wrote in my journ

Sharing some personal thoughts I wrote in my journal as we enter a new season. This is my wish for you, and also for myself 💭🍂

————————————————-

I hope you make space for new adventures,
and time to fill your own cup.

I hope you do more of what brings you joy
And less of what doesn’t

I hope you find moments to breathe deeply
And nourish your body

I hope you find ways to consume less
And create more

I hope you know your body did not fail you

I hope you have meaningful conversations with strangers,
in places you have never been.

I hope you remember you have overcome 100% of your worst days.
And that you are a force to be reckoned with. ⚡️

This is my wish for you, and also for myself. ♥️

————————————————-

Do any of these resonate for you?

Ad - press stay. A closer look at our weekend away

Ad - press stay. A closer look at our weekend away in Whitby with @raithwaitesandsend. 🦀🌊

Raithwaite Estate is a 4 star child-friendly (and dog friendly) spa hotel in Sandsend, Whitby. It has a spa, restaurant and expansive, immaculate gardens.

The staff were so lovely to Theo. We felt completely welcome and relaxed here and I would happily recommend it to my family, friends and of course you lovely people. I’ll be writing a full review in my next blog post. Coming soon.

Postcards from a weekend in Whitby. 🦀 If anyon

Postcards from a weekend in Whitby. 🦀

If anyone is planning to visit Whitby soon, here are a few of my recommendations and favourite things:

🍟 Best fish and chips: @magpiecafewhitby
🍽 Favourite restaurant: @trencherswhitby (also do brilliant fish and chips)
☕️ Good coffee & cake: Sherlocks Coffee Shop on Flowergate
🛍 Souvenir to buy: Whitby Jet jewellery
📷 Best photo spot: The whalebone arch at West Cliff
♥️ An absolute must: Climbing the 199 steps to Whitby Abbey
🛏 Where to stay: @raithwaiteestate

Stay tuned for my next reel and see my story highlights for a closer look at Raithwaite Estate.

Let’s share tips! Comment with your favourite places or things to do in Whitby and tag local businesses so we can try them out next time. 💬

This is Whitby, North Yorkshire, England! 🏴󠁧

This is Whitby, North Yorkshire, England! 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Hands down my favourite coastal town in all of Yorkshire ♥️

We’ve just got back from a family weekend away in Whitby, staying 2 nights at the lovely @raithwaitesandsend. Stay tuned for more Whitby content and a closer look at the hotel, coming soon.

Have you been to Whitby? What is your favourite UK beach / coastal town? 💬

Ad All the summer feels at @junction.32 outlet sho

Ad All the summer feels at @junction.32 outlet shopping centre. 🌻🌸🌼

At the weekend we returned to Junction 32 in Castleford to check out the beautiful floral installations and enjoy a summer family day out.

We checked out the interactive summer lounge garden, visited the free play area and even managed to browse in a few shops including @procook (I picked up a clever picnic backpack. RRP £49 J32 price £34.99).

For lunch we popped next door to Xscape Castleford for a fail-safe Pizza Express, followed by a visit to the Gravity trampoline park. There’s so much to do for kids in and around Junction 32, making it a great option for a family day out in Yorkshire.

TIP: Looking for a free day out? You can enjoy the playground, floral installations and interactive summer lounge garden without spending a penny.

Junction 32 outlet shopping centre is located in Castleford, West Yorkshire and is home to over 80 brands offering up to 60% off every day of the year.

Where have you been on days out this summer? I’d love to know your favourite places. 🌞💬

#OutletShopping #junction32 #junction32shoppingcentre #j32 #yorkshireoutletshopping

Do we have any of these things in common? ✨ Hi!

Do we have any of these things in common? ✨

Hi! My name is Jess. I’m 32 and live in York, England. I’m using this reel as a way to introduce (or re-introduce) myself on this platform and also share 3 facts and 3 truths about me.

📝FACTS📝

1) I have an amazing 3 year old son called Theo who was born prematurely at 25 weeks gestation

2) I post about travel, local Yorkshire adventures, home life with my family and retrospectively, our NICU journey

3) I’ve visited 45 countries and lived in 4 cities

♥️TRUTHS♥️

1) I once got stuck in a lift with Keith Lemon

2) I’m a big advocate for therapy as it massively helped me process my PTSD and post natal anxiety

3) My go-to McDonalds order is a chicken select meal with a diet coke and a cheese burger on the side 🍟 wbu?

Tell me a fact / truth about yourself 💬

Ad Let me show you how to make this vegetarian tru

Ad Let me show you how to make this vegetarian truffle and mushroom stroganoff pasta with one of my cupboard staples; @laespanolauk white truffle olive oil. 🫒

I’ve used this oil as a pasta dressing for about 3 years so when @laespanola UK invited me to their Leeds roadshow to find out more about their range of oils, it was a huge yes from me. ♥️

If you love truffle, this oil elevates any pasta dish and goes particularly well with this recipe. Save this reel to give it a try and let me know what you think!

📝 You will need:

✔️ 1 onion
✔️ 5g of thyme
✔️ 250g mushrooms
✔️ 2 tsp of smoked paprika
✔️ 2 garlic cloves
✔️ 190g your favourite pasta (I use rigatoni)
✔️ 100g creme fraiche
✔️ 200ml vegetable stock
✔️ @laespanolauk white truffle olive oil

🧑‍🍳 Method:

1️⃣Fry onion, garlic and a pinch of salt for 10 minutes
2️⃣Add chopped mushroom, 1 tsp of smoked paprika and half the thyme and pepper
3️⃣Spread the mushrooms out as much as possible and allow to cook without stirring for 5-10 minutes or until caramelised
4️⃣Boil your pasta
5️⃣While the pasta is cooking, combine the creme fraiche, remaining thyme and pepper and mix well.
6️⃣Add 100ml of vegetable stock and 1 tsp of paprika to the mushrooms and allow the stock to absorb
7️⃣Add the drained pasta, remaining 100ml of vegetable stock and creme fraiche mixture
8️⃣Mix to create a creamy sauce
9️⃣Drizzle on La Espanola’s white truffle olive oil to finish off the dish

#CookLikeALocal #LaEspanolaUK 🇪🇸

P.S This white truffle olive oil is only £2.80 per bottle and available at most major supermarkets including Sainsubrys, Tesco, Waitrose and Ocado.

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