Be kind to yourself and enjoy the sales...

Ok, so it's been months, I know. I'm sorry - I feel as if a part of me has been put on hold for months. But that part of me, my creativity, is slowly coming back to life, waking from its slumber, yawning and stretching and getting ready to begin a new chapter. 

So first I should let you know - Ciao Meow is officially ON SALE. Yep, everything is 50% off or more, so get shopping and enjoy some fabulous savings. Personally, I'd be heading straight for the Fleur Wood dresses - they're gorgeous, beautifully made and timeless. But hey, that's just me.

So what's been happening? Well did I mention I had my baby? A beautiful baby girl, she arrived in the middle of August, very early in the morning and we were fortunate enough to have an amazing water birth together. Wow, just picturing it in my mind gives me goosebumps - it was the most life-changing experience I have had to date. I am irrevocably changed forever!

So motherhood has been a pretty amazing journey so far - we're 4 1/2 months in and I have been taken by surprise by how much I absolutely LOVE being a mum. Ok, so I'm sure most new parents think this, but I was worried I wouldn't be a good mum and that parenting wouldn't come naturally to me. I thought I'd want to jump straight back into work and leave the majority of care-giving to my partner, who is a child magnet (seriously, if there's a child within 10 metres of him, they are simply drawn to his big kind smile and sense of fun!).

But like I said, the birth of my daughter changed me irrevocably and guess what - the mother within me was born at the same time. And wow is she a powerful woman - I have been delightfully surprised by her absolute strength, her sense of calm and patience and the overwhelming unconditional love she has for her daughter. And suddenly all I want to do is stay at home and be the best mum I can be. Boy did that take me by surprise!

So suddenly, with this new desire to be a stay at home mum, I am faced with new choices and decisions to be made. How do I run a business at the same time?

Well, I'm not sure yet - I'm still trying to work that one out myself. That's what this blog is about - I wanted to share what was happening in my world instead of staying absent.  I also wanted to share this thought... it came to me while I was feeding bub one night... it's not a new concept, however it was like this concept FINALLY sank in for me...

KINDNESS BEGINS IN YOUR OWN HEART - if you are kind to yourself, you will have a greater capacity to show kindness to others. Simple yet often so hard to do - why are we such harsh critics of ourselves? Here I was, beating myself up for not working on my business enough when I had this realisation and it allowed me to just let go and allow my creativity and motivation to come back on its own, when it was ready, instead of shaming myself and trying to force it back. And suddenly, I wake up this morning and here I am, ready to start a new day. Amazing.

So I must dash now, I can hear my little girl waking up from her nap - it's time for some cuddles!

Much love,
Nicky xo