Vintage Frills • Fashion, Beauty and Lifestyle with a Vintage Twist

vintagefrills / July 15, 2018

How to Make the Most of the Summer Holidays

By the end of July I am always so ready for the kids to break up from school. I love having a break from the 6am alarm and I love not having to wash and iron all their school uniform! I also just love slowing down a little and getting lots of time to just enjoy them. During term time it’s all about getting ready on time, homework and being really organised. In the holidays things are so much more fun.

Having said that, 6 weeks is a really long time. There’s still a lot of practical stuff I need to do like cooking, cleaning and laundry and of course I still have to work, although luckily I work from home. As the summer holidays is one of my favourite times of year and I think I’ve finally mastered how to make the most of it I thought I’d share some of the things I do to make the summer holidays as fun as possible for all of us.

Get some memberships and use them

I’m a huge fan of historic houses and gardens and absolutely love visiting them with the kids. It’s a great way to spend time together, get out of the house and make the most of all the gorgeous heritage Britain has to offer. I have family memberships for The National Trust, English Heritage and Historic Royal Palaces. I pay for these by direct debit across the year and try to use all three memberships a lot. My cost per visit ends up being extremely low and I always have somewhere to take the kids. When I’m on a tight budget I’ll always pack a picnic to take with us, so we don’t need to buy any food while we’re there.

Lila at Hampton Court, one of the amazing palaces included in our HRP membership.

I find that during the holidays almost all the places we visit have children’s activities and trails to keep them busy and engaged and many also have outdoor play areas to enjoy. Last summer I got so many different places ticked off my list and this year I want to visit even more.

My top tip when it comes to memberships is to look at your local area and which one covers the most places you can get to. It’s also worth looking into if you are planning a UK holiday as it doesn’t take many visits before the membership is paying for itself.

Free Museums

One of the best things about living in London, is all the brilliant free museums. There are great ones all over the country to discover as well. We’ve definitely made the most of the museums over the years. We love the big ones like The Science Museum, Natural History Museum and The V&A, but my favourite has always been The Museum of London. We also enjoy London’s wonderful art galleries such as The National Gallery and Tate Modern. I like to let the kids take the lead in museums and galleries and look at what they want for as long as they want, I can always go back on my own and look at the bits I want to see.

There are also hundreds of museums that charge a small entry fee, which absolutely deserve a visit. If you want to visit lots of places it might be worth getting a National Art Pass, which gives you discounted entry to thousands of places.

The Local Park

Another great free activity is just going to your local park. We are lucky to have lots of different parks near us. Some are great for playgrounds others for feeding the ducks or exploring. Grab a picnic and spend a whole afternoon passing the time and having fun.

If you go to feed the ducks don’t take bread, as its bad for them. We make out own feed for them using birdseed, frozen peas, sweetcorn and chopped ups grapes and lettuce.

Morning Cinema Tickets

One thing I do a lot in the summer holidays is watch the kids films at the cinema in the morning. You can usually get really cheap tickets to lots of great films and if you bring your own snacks it costs even less.

Make a Scrapbook

A few times we’ve made holiday scrapbooks where we’ve stuck in postcards and pictures of the places we’ve been, drawn pictures and recorded memories of what we’ve been doing. This is a really fun way for the kids to look back on what they’ve done. it’s also very good for feelings of gratitude.

Play in the Garden

If you’re lucky enough to have a garden, there are so many fun things you can do. I have a few books with outdoor play ideas. We do simple things like chasing bubbles and splashing in the paddling pool, crazy things like snail races and fun things like messy play and drawing in chalk on the floor.

We absolutely love den building, so when we cut one of our trees back we kept some of the smaller branches to do den building. We also once had a little family sports day without falling out or killing each other #winning.

Go to the Library

We go to the library a lot, we’re lucky that our local area has some good ones, which not only have lots of wonderful books, but cafes, activities and lovely spaces to spend a bit of time. Most libraries have reading schemes over the summer which Arte great fun and give the kids a bit of a challenge.

Stay in your PJs and Do Nothing

Of course there are those day when you just can’t arsed to do anything. This is when the TV, tablets, toys, colouring and anything else you can find to distract the kids comes in. Get them occupied, stick the kettle on and scroll through instagram for a while. It’s great to do lots of stuff with the kids, but don’t feel under pressure to be amazing every day for 6 weeks.

Get the Toys Out and Make a Mess!

I have to fight very hard with my inner neat freak when it comes to letting the kids make a mess, but the summer holidays are the prefect time to get all their favourite toys out and have lots of fun. My favourite thing to do is build giant train tracks that take up a whole room and make the designs as crazy and complicated as possible. I pick up more track every time I see it at car boot sales and charity shops.

Holiday Clubs

If you have to work for some of the holidays and need to use childcare, there are some really cool holiday schemes. I’ve had to do this a few times in the past. Jessica really enjoyed a week long drama club that she did a couple of years ago and lots of schools and leisure centres run holiday camps for kids.

You can do so Much in Six Weeks

There are so many more fun ideas, that I could go on forever. I’ll definitely write some more specific posts with ideas. I’d like to do a summer holiday bucket list, some craft ideas and a post all about things you can do outdoors. Any other requests? I’d love to hear some of the things you do in the holidays too.

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vintagefrills / July 7, 2018

Health and Fitness – What I Pack in My Gym Bag

I want to write a bit more about health and fitness and the things I do to keep fit. One of those is going to the gym. I usually go about 2-3 times a week and mix it up with different types of exercise. Going to the gym for the first time can be daunting for so many reasons, especially if you’ve not been before. I wanted to write a bit about being prepared what to expect and what to bring. First up what I actually take to the gym with me. I have a gym bag permanently packed, so I can just grab it whenever I have time to go. Here’s everything I take to the gym with me.

A big waterproof gym bag

I got my lovely Cath Kidston foldaway weekend bag in the sale. It’s absolutely perfect as a gym bag as it has a waterproof lining and big comfortable strap so it’s easy to carry around. I love how many prints they do these in too. My advise when choosing a gym back is get the biggest bag you can, as you always need more stuff than you need. I often need to take a full change of clothes, as I go straight out from the gym, Sio I need lots of room for all my things.

Gym membership card

Can’t get in without one of these! Don’t forget your membership card!

Padlock

My gym requires you to bring your own padlock. I have a strong one, which you put a code into, I prefer this to having top carry a key around with me, especially when I go to the pool.

Headphones and phone holder

I always listen to music when I’m working out, I have lots of different playlist, but I love listening to rock music as it makes me run faster! I have some noise cancelling headphones which I got in Sainsburys. I like to block out the rest of the sound in the gym and get into my own zone and these are perfect for that.

Gym Vest – Leggings – Trainers – Headphones – Water Bottle – Arm Band (links to similar products)

Gym clothes and trainers

I usually wear a pair of gym leggings, a top with built in sports support, with a t-shirt on top and a pair of trainers. Perfect for working out and staying comfortable. I usually get my leggings in Sainsbury’s as they are really high waisted and very comfortable. Sainsburys fitness clothing also comes in larger sizes, so is much more inclusive than a lot of other brands. My sports tops are from Nike, I love how supportive they are and they keep everything where it should be when I run.

High waisted bikini (reviewed in this post)

Swimming costume, flip flops and towel

If you want to go for a swim, or just use the spa area or sauna (if your gym has one) then you’ll need a comfortable swimsuit or bikini. At the moment I’m using my Boohoo one. I always wear flip flops to the pool and spa area and carry a water incase I get thirsty. I don’t have a specific towel for the gym, I just grab a clean one from home and pop it in my gym bag before I leave.

Nice shower things and shower cap

I always try to take nice products to the gym with me, so I can have a little pamper. It’s a nice way to reward myself for working hard. I’ll either pick up mini products when I see them, or use things I’ve got in beauty boxes. Mostly I use the Rituals Hammam range, as it’s perfect for after working out. I also bring my Anatomicals Boob Tube shower gel as it reminds me to check my breasts for lumps every time I shower. I always pack some spare hair elastics and a shower cap, as I don’t always wash my hair at the gym.

Make up bag and top Primark – Sandals

Change of clothes

I always pack a completely fresh set of clothes and underwear for after my shower. I usually go to the gym in the morning, so I pack everything I need to look nice for the day. If I go in the evening, I’ll just pack some comfy leggings and a t-shirt in my gym bag, as I won’t be going anywhere else that day.

Hairbrush and Make up

I keep my full set of everyday make-up in a make up bag, so I can use it at home, or just grab it and pack it on gym days. I’ll only take it with me if I’m going somewhere else straight after the gym.

What do you pack in your gym bag? If you’re new to the gym, I hope you find this post useful. I’d love to do more gym and fitness related posts, so if you have any requests, let me know.

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vintagefrills / July 5, 2018

Self Care – Everyday Ways to Make Your Life Easier, Better and Happier

We talk a lot about self care these days, and that is a very good thing. It seems obvious to look after ourselves, but with our lives being busier than ever, filled with more stress and the constant pressure to have it all, self care is very important. It’s not all about candles, pamper time and long baths, although these are all important. Self care can also be about taking responsibility for your life, making it run more smoothly and less stressfully. I thought I’d share a list of both small and big things that I so to make mylife more happy, less stressful and generally easier.

House Plants –

This may seem like a strange place to start! But last year I started filling my home with lovely plants. Firstly they look lovely and bring a little of the outdoors inside. I love green things and being outside, so having some greenery in my home just makes me happy. They really lift a room and add a lot of character. I also put them in places where clutter can build up. In a house with 4 people living in it, people are always putting things down. Putting something nice on table top of shelf stops people doing it!

Ultimate Bathtime –

One thing I try to do every single evening is make time for a nice bath. I actually went years not doing this. I used to have a quick bath or shower every morning for about 5 minutes and that was it – on with my busy day. When I got ill last year, it was one of the things I started doing to make myself feel better and now it’s very rare that I don’t take that break in my day.

I’ll usually put a few drops of bath oil in my bath, but sometimes I have a bath bomb and a face mask and have a proper pamper. I have a few special products that are just for me. I often watch some Youtube while in the bath or listen to an audio book, for some ultimate me time. It may seem hard to fit this time in and as someone who doesn’t stop all day I get that. But really it is worth making time for.

Long Walks and Runs –

When I was in my teens I got into the habit of walking my stresses away. I had a horrible boyfriend and things were not good. I used to just walk for hours and think my way through things and it did help. After I had Jess and didn’t drive at the time we used to walk everywhere, it kept me fit and was really good for lifting my moods and making me feel good. When I was 23 and passed my driving test, I kind of got out of the habit of walking. I still went to the gym and went running but not in the same way.

In the last few years I’ve started going for really long walks in very beautiful places. I’m lucky that I live near some gorgeous places to go and run and the fresh air and pretty views really lift my spirits. There are some really good apps such as iFootpath, which I use to find nice walking routes. Obviously don’t go anywhere too secluded and keep safe! Exercise can be a great way to have a bit of time to yourself and put a bit of self care time in too.

Being Organised and Having Routines –

Not all self care is fun. As an adult looking after yourselves involves taking responsibility for keeping on top of important things. From paying bills, to keeping your house in order putting things off and struggling is awful for having balance and calm in your life. The same goes for routines, things are much easier when you know what needs doing when. If you have routines for the boring things it can be much easier to make time for treats, rest and things that make you happy. I’ll often watch organisation videos on Youtube to give me ideas and keep me motivated. I also get up early and get the majority of my housework done before taking Lila to school, so I can start my day with less on my plate.

Pamper Time and Looking After me –

The best part of taking care of yourself is absolutely having a good old pamper. If you want to be really good to yourself, set aside an evening and set yourself up the perfect relaxing night. I like to put clean sheets on the bed, run a bath, put a face mask on, listen to an audio book while I soak in an indulgent bath bomb. I bring a smoothie and some herbal tea up with me and don’t move for an hour. It’s so important to just stop, and a bath, pamper and early night are a great way to de stress.

Listening to Records –

Having little rituals for stressful moments, can be a great way to calm down and find your centre. I love to brew a cup of tea, put one of my favourite records on and have a few minutes to relax and listen to some music. I also love the tactile quality of vinyl, I’m not surprised that people love records and record players so much, despite being able to just listen to music on our phones.

Spending Time with Friends –

Good times with good people are an essential part of looking after yourself. As someone who works on their own from home and spends a lot of the rest of my time with two children, I sometimes get a little lonely, bored and generally just starved of adult conversation. Luckily for me I have been blessed with some absolutely amazing friends and family.

In my 20s I slowly started to get a slightly smaller group of friends. This is quite normal as you grow up and your life changes. Now I’m 32 I am so happy to say that all my friends are people who have a positive effect on my life and I’m so much better for knowing them. We support each other, make time for each other and motivate each other and spending time with them, or just having a chat on WhatsApp is an excellent tonic. From a self care point of view, have friends who you can be the truest version of yourself with, the good the bad and the honest!

Making Time to do Things you Enjoy –

Our lives are busier now that they have ever been and it can be hard to schedule in time for things that you enjoy. This is why I find routine and organising so liberating. It allows me to make a little time for me. Being happy and living your best life, is good for the people around you too, and there is nothing selfish about putting your needs high in your priority list.

As a mum and wife I make sure that not only Rob and the girls do a lot of their own things, but that I do too. We make it work. These can be simple things like, walks, reading books, trips to museums or watching some TV. Rob, goes to football matches, fishing and the pub, Jess goes horse riding and to slime conventions and all sorts of other interesting things and Lila likes to go to the farm and park and play with her Barbies, she also love to bake and do paintings.

Appreciating What you Have –

There’s a lot to be said for having an attitude of gratitude. When we slow down and really take a moment to appreciate the small things it’s impossible not to see the blessings all around us. I’m all for keeping a positivity journal. Everyday write down 10 things that you have enjoyed, that made you happy and that you are grateful for. A hot cup of tea, a nice walk, the sunshine, a text from a friend, how pretty the trees and the flowers are, a successful day at work or school etc. The possibilities are endless. Appreciating what we have can also be applied to our lifestyles and possessions. We live in a very consumerist world, which is great, but rather than feeling sad about the things we can’t have, look at the things we do with gratitude and appreciation.

Getting Up Early –

When Jess started at her new school in September our morning routine completely changed. I’ve always been a night owl and used to stay up way too late and get up at the last possible minute to get everyone out of the door. Now I go to bed at 10pm and get up at 6. Both seem early, but where I’m losing evening hours I’m gaining morning hours where I feel fresher and more rested and I have time to dedicate to setting myself up for a happy and productive day. I try to get most of my housework done first thing, so I have free time in the day to work and I’m not too busy in the afternoon when the kids get in from school. This is such a great way to stay on top of everything.

Getting Enough Sleep –

This is probably the single biggest way to change your life. Not only is everything better when you’re rested and your body is working to it’s full potential, but it keeps you healthy, happy and is one of the best ways to look and feel your best. This year I have worked really hard on improving my sleep patterns. I get all my best ideas late at night, I’m the worst for watching ‘one more episode’ before bed. I used to live on about 5-6 hours sleep a night and now I go out of my way to get 8. Getting more sleep has changed everything for me.

Be a Good Person –

By the time I’ve done all the practical things I need to do like cooking, cleaning, washing, working, mothering and looking after me, there really isn’t much time to put some good back into the world. I do really try to make the people in my life feel happy and loved too I love giving my spare time to people and helping out where I can. I think it’s good to be proud of the person you are and try as much as possible to be the best version of yourself you can be. Even small things like leaving nice comments on people’s pictures or giving someone a smile, or just everyday nice manners can not only make other people feel good, but also make you feel good too.

Self Care Your Way –

Self care can mean a lot of different things to different people. I hope some of the things that have worked for me, will be helpful to you too. I’ll probably think of a few more things once this is published, but if you have any advice, opinions or things to add, feel free to add them in the comments. What are your top self care tips? I feel like I can always learn, grow and get better so positive advice is always welcome! What things do you do to make your life easier, better and happier.

For more posts like this check out the Health and Fitness category on the blog.

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vintagefrills / July 3, 2018

A Great Big Chatty Catch Up!

Today I have nothing much to write about. I’m actually feeling very content, chilled and relaxed at the moment. But I’m also feeling a bit uninspired by all things blog. A few weeks ago I had a bit of a burst of energy with all the creative parts of my job, I felt excited about blogging, I was really enjoying posting on Instagram and I felt super motivated. By at the moment I feel like I ebbed a little away from it and floated a bit more towards my everyday life. So I thought rather than forcing creativity out of me that I’m not feeling right now, I’d just write a chatty post about everything in my life at the moment.

My Kids:

Being a mum is bloody rewarding and awesome, it’s also really really hard work. You have to be the best version of yourself you can possibly be all the time because you have little people who rely on you for everything. In fact one of my small people os now 12 and is growing up so fast! I’m ridiculously excited to see this next chapter in motherhood, although knowing the scary teenage years are just around the corner is a little daunting too. She seems pretty happy right now and is into lots of fun things, so thats good. If I can get her to do all her homework, get dressed in under an hour and keep her room tidy, I feel like I’ve achieved a lot and I love that she can ask me anything!

Lila is 7 and she is just as kind, giving and sweet as she has always been. Her mission in life is to make everyone around her happy and she certainly does a great job of it. She’s also my biggest fan girl and says so many nice things to me that I always have a smile on my face. Literally as I was sitting typing this she just said “mum, you’re beautiful” out of nowhere! Awwww! I’d love her to find new things to enjoy and we’ve been discussing ballet lessons and gymnastics which I think she’ll really enjoy. She’s so content that she doesn’t ask for much, but I try not to forget to give her as much as I can.

My house:

I like to pretend (mostly to myself) that I’m an exciting full time blogger. In reality I am just a laundry lady and full time cleaner. Nothing prepares you for the ridiculous amount of laundry you will face as a parent. Not to mention just how much time you will spend tidying and cleaning. Luckily I don’t mind it too much (except the ironing). I’d quite like to write a post on all the things I do to make the daily grind of domesticity a little more manageable and fun, I’m a pro at making things good for myself.

At the beginning of the year I had a bit of a burst of energy with redecorating and making the house look nice. I finally made a start on Lila’s ice cream bedroom and bought rather a lot of houseplants to put everywhere. I haven’t done that many improvements indoors recently and I definitely think I’m overdue a project soon. The only thing I have done is a little gardening, we have a huge garden and it’s slow progress, but hopefully one day it’ll be finished! Again, this is giving me ideas for blog posts!

Fitness:

I’ve written a bit about my body and keeping fit this year and you’re probably due an update. My fitness is going great, I’ve slowed down a little for the last couple of weeks just because I’ve been super busy and I’ve had a few things on that are clashing my my regular classes. I’ve decided to have a bit health and fitness push next week. I’m planning to run or swim every morning and I’ve booked a few yoga and pilates classes. I’m also going to meal plan carefully and just have a very good week. I like to do my best every week, but when I’m feeling motivated I love to give myself a boost by having a few days where I’m really focussed on my goals. I’ve discussed weight loss and mental health in this post.

Friends:

Now that its official I want to congratulate my lovely best friend Fay on her pregnancy! She’s written about it on her blog and posted on Insta and I’m so glad everyone now knows and I don’t have to keep it a secret anymore! She’s godmother to both my babies and is more like a sister to me than a friend, so I am very excited to be welcoming a new addition to our family. Although I don’t want any more kids of my own, I miss having a little one to take to nursery rhyme time and to do all the baby and toddler things with, so I’m definitely planning on borrowing that baby!

Work:

Apart from my little slump in creativity, I am very much looking forward to working and growing the blog. Although it is my job and does earn me some money, I very much supplement it with my Etsy shop and selling vintage on eBay as well as other bits and bobs. I want to work harder on making it pay it’s way and that is something I want to focus on more. Most of the work thats goes into blogging happens behind the scenes. I get hundreds of emails everyday and spend a lot of time editing and planning images, doing my accounts and keeping on top of the business side of things. Not to mention actually trying to promote the blog and get as many readers as possible.

I appreciate every single reader, commenter and follower, because they make it possible for me to do this job, to be at home for my kids and doing something I love. Which is all I really want from my life. Please keep clicking on my posts, liking my pics and pressing that follow button, because it means the world to me and makes such a big difference!

Watching:

Ok so I’m currently hooked on Love Island, just like everyone else. I finally persuaded Rob to watch The Crown with me. It’s one of my fave programmes ever and it’s been so fun to watch it all with him. We keep pausing it to discuss stuff and there have been lots of interesting discussions between us, me being a total royalist and him being a little more sceptical.

Listening:

I’ve taken a little break from obsessively listening to Fleetwood Mac and have been having a bit of a Led Zeppelin phase, nothing better than driving around with them at top volume. I’ve also been listening to Greta Van Fleet, a newish band who sound like some of the best bands of the late 60s and early seventies. I love that a bunch of blokes born in 1998, are producing the kind of music that I wish I could go back in time to experience it it’s heyday. They are so good! I managed to get tickets to see them in November and I can’t wait.

Wearing:

It’s the summer! My favourite time of year for clothes. You will mostly find me throwing on my favourite cotton dress with some sandals, minimal makeup and feeling amazing in under 10 minutes! It really is so easy to feel good when the sun is shining. I’ve not had much chance to snap any outfit pics recently. I need to get more into the habit of it and recruit some of my willing helpers to take them for me!

The pics in this post are all from my Instagram. Read my last post, to find out more about how I use colour schemes on my Insta.

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vintagefrills / July 2, 2018

Blogging Tips – Having a Colour Theme on Instagram

Remember the good old days when Instagram first came out and it was all just for fun. Pics of our everyday lives with a nice old fashioned filter? Yes I miss those days a bit too! However I do also like using out favourite photo sharing platform as a creative outlet and as a bit of a challenge. I also really enjoy working to an Instagram theme.

I’ve always enjoyed other Instagram accounts that have a theme. My aesthetic side loves the uniformity and how visually pleasing a collection of pictures can look together. I have a lot of admiration for heavily curated feeds as well as still loving the less floral and polished ones too. I definitely follow a mixture of both.

My Instagram Theme

Since I first starting using Instagram in 2012 I’ve used it in all kinds of ways. It was about 2 years ago I started thinking about themes. This year has been the longest I’ve stuck with an Instagram theme having gone with a yellow theme since all the way back in January!

I’ve stuck at it this long mostly because I’m still really enjoying it. I have found a big love for the colour yellow, which puts a big smile on my face. I’ve also taken time to actively seek out pretty yellow places and gone on lots of long walks looking for yellow things to photograph. It’s been so much fun!

I will still throw in the odd non yellow instagram picture and they still blend in very well. I’ve not found it restrictive or felt that its takes the fun out of Instagram, more that I’ve enjoyed it more by using it as a creative outlet. Before the yellow theme I used to choose a colour and run with it for a few weeks before mixing it up again and trying something else.

Keep it Seasonal

At Christmas I stuck to a mainly red and white Instagram theme. Our Elf on the Shelf made quite a few appearances! Keeping is seasonal is a great way to stay on theme.

I used the autumn months to go a bit crazy for orange. I couldn’t get enough of all the beautiful leaves and the pumpkins and squashes that appeared everywhere.

Pick a Colour

Last summer I went through phases of using a key colour in every picture. I really enjoyed using green as it’s my favourite colour. When I’m done with yellow I’m looking forward to going back to green. As I love nature and going for walks so much, this one was very easy to do.

Mix up your content

Even when working with just a single colour scheme, I like to post all different types of content. When I was going for a white Instagram theme, I mixed in flat lays, architecture and pics of the kids and it all flowed really well. I’ve been doing this a lot this year with my yellow theme.

Post content that you love

Even if I’m being very selective with what I post and only putting my best pictures out there. I make sure that each one tells a story and means something to me. Even if it is just a pretty building I’ve seen on a walk or a favourite product, I try to only post content that speaks to me.

Balancing out your feed

For a few months last year, before I wasn’t thinking too much about colours, I started using a pattern for my posting. Each day I would post one outfit picture and one scenic picture, so they always alternated. I kept this up for a really long time and although I enjoyed it, I found it a bit restrictive and when I decided to stop, it was great to just post whatever I fancied again.

Keep the memories

Of course as a photo sharing platform, Instagram is a great place to keep your memories. As someone who love taking photos, visiting lovely places and spending time with friends and family, it really is a great place to record little stories of my life. I love this little section of my insta from my trip to Margate last year.

Plan ahead

I like to plan my content in advance, so I use an app called Planoly to upload my pictures to and work out the order I’m going to post them in advance. I usually edit lots of pictures in one go, plan them out and add hashtags and then post them with a fresh caption a couple of times a day. This works really well for me as I can get my pictures ready while I’m working from home and post them quickly at other times of the day when I’m with the kids and don’t want to be glued to my phone.

Relax and Enjoy!

There is no wrong or right way to do Instagram and there’s really no clear route to success, especially now with evil algorithms and non chronological time lines. The most important thing is to enjoy it and not compare your feed to other peoples. Find something that works for you and keep up the good work. Treat it as an opportunity to explore and to share the best visual parts of your life.