My dress is by Flynn Skye and you can find it here. My bag is by Oasis(here) and my sandals are old from Mango (but you can find similar ones here)  (adlinks)

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I have such a spark for life at the moment.

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I do find living pretty exciting most days, but this last year has really given me an understanding of how short the time is that we have on this earth. It scares me a bit that I’m 35 years old and I still haven’t done more than half of the things I want to do in life.

Places I want to see, people I want to meet, conversations I want to have, more children, work opportunities, maybe another career, who knows?

I used to feel like I had oceans of time, but since I had Ace, I have really realized that time doesn’t just go, it sprints.

It’s almost a year ago since my special little soul came to this earth, how can that be? He has gone from being a 4 kg little lump that could only eat, sleep, poo, wee and burp to a 10 kg actual person who says ”mamma”, ”dadda”, ”bye” and ”spoon”. He can point at what he wants and stands up all on his own without any support. Soon he will be running into the kitchen asking me whats for dinner.

Few things come with such a reality check when it comes to time as having children.

In one year Ace has achieved so much. What have I done in 35? It’s scary to think that you cannot buy time when it’s out, it’s out. We are never as young as we are today and still we seldom appreciate it until much later.

I’m terrified of having run out of time, look back and regret all the things I didn’t do. Most I’m worried that I will blink and miss Ace growing up. But I also know that I have to let go a little bit so I can do all those other things.

”someday” really is now. Nothing is going to get any easier with time. What are we actually waiting for, to get old and maybe even lose our ability to actually do those exact things?

… and then I get anxiety. Because how am I meant to choose? there are so many different paths to take in life. The opportunities are endless. I end up feeling almost paralyzed by all the options and having to make such big choices.

This is basically what’s going on in my brain at the moment, anyone who feels the same?

1 – Mango, 2- Asos, 3 – Current air, 4 – Asos, 5 – Vero Moda, 6 – Mango, 7 – Bershka 8 – Stine Goya, 9 – Y.A.S  (adlinks)

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One of my favorite items in my wardrobe that always makes me smile getting out every fall is my bright blue suede biker jacket. 

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It’s timeless and really stylish. I love that I picked a strong color and it works with almost everything else in my closet. I like it so much that I’m contemplating getting another one in a different color to alternate with.

Suede can be a bit tricky, especially in London. But with a good suede spray and an umbrella in my bag, I seem to be able to keep my jacket in a pretty good condition.

I would go as far as to say that there is a place for a great suede biker in everyone’s closet. It’s such a good investment that will last year after year and usually end up with a pretty decent PPW (Price Per Wear).

I got my eye on the pink one from Current Air. The suede makes it a bit softer than a regular leather biker and this particular one is on sale for just about £100. What do you think, does it have my name on it?

I’m actually going to sell off quite a few items on Vestiaire Collective this fall. I want to downsize and have less but better items in my wardrobe.

What item in your wardrobe do you get out every fall without fail?

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The eternal question…shellac or regular nail polish?

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In the past, I always had to use regular polish in a neutral color for castings and modeling jobs. But at the moment I’m still on maternity leave, so maybe it would be easier to do shellac?

It will last a bit longer, especially since I’m washing my hands, the dishes and everything else all day long.

It would get a bit more spendy, but it would be nice to always have nice nails. One less thing to think about. I hate when I have bad nails and honestly feel ashamed to show my hands. I truly believe in tidy and well looked after nails.

You who do shellac, is it worth it? How long does it take to do fingernails, how often do I have to do them and are there any negatives I should know about?

I tend to keep my nails fairly short, in a squoval shape. Both because I like them that way, but also so I won’t scratch Ace. It’s enough with all the cuts both of us already have from his sharp little fingers that seem to produce tiny razorblades instead of nails. When I see moms on Instagram with long pointy nails, I always wonder how they change a nappy? I can barely keep my fingers out of the poop as it is!

At the moment, these are my 4 nail favorites (adlinks)

Essie – Allure (a sheer neutral white)
Essie – Wrap me up (from the limited edition cashmere collection. Light pink-grey)
IsaDora – 589 Golden glow (metallic pink)
IsaDora – 559 Sparkling sand (glittery pink)

I prefer light nail colors, especially when my hands are tanned. Also, it’s kind of practice that you can’t see as well if they are chipped. My nails at the moment are probably missing about 20% of the polish, but you can barely see it on the photo. So a tip from me to you is to wear a light color if you know you won’t be able to keep the maintenance up as well as you would like.

I should probably be experimenting a bit more with my nails now when I’m not going to lots of castings…

What do you like nail wise? Long, short, round, pointy, shellac or regular polish?

I have a whole bunch of fun stuff coming up soon. I will be able to reveal the first one at the end of the month, I think you will like it. It has to do with Sweden so I will be there that week. I’m very excited!

And on a completely different note, if you have a little bubba in the same-ish age as Ace, don’t forget to check out my Instastory from today. I’m cooking his favorite dish and sharing the recipe.

The mantra of the week  – I am the sky, everything else is just weather. If I know who I am and what I stand for then all the rest can come and go. The sky is there no matter what happens underneath.

This week’s affirmation – I deserve all the good that is coming my way and I have confidence in my own abilities. Why do we sometimes doubt ourselves even though we know that we both deserve and can handle all the good things coming our way? We all need to get better at believing in ourselves and not allowing negative self-talk to get us down.

The goal of the week –  To start planning for fall. I’m going to take an hour or two to just sit down and make an action plan, look at my dreams, goals and all the important events coming up. It’s really important to have a little check in with ourselves now and then, to sort all the thoughts, make a plan and motivate ourselves.

Dream of the week – To get to work in-between Sweden and London. I love to live here, but I want to spend more time back home. I wouldn’t mind the traveling, as long as it’s for fun and motivating work.

This week’s vision – Ace comes running down the stairs in our big house here in London. He is 16, a lot taller than me and asks what’s for breakfast. The 4 of us sit down and eat together before we all go our separate ways to work and school. A snapshot from a regular day in a happy family.

The focus of the week – The future, especially work and career. I’m going to make some choices and take a few big steps. I’m ready and excited.

The event of the week – Nanna is visiting from Sweden! She is Ace’s godmother and one of my favorite people in the world. Noone gives as great advice as Nanna do, she is a straight shooter and I really appreciate it. She used to live in London, but these days she is back in Sweden again and we don’t get to see her as often as we would like to.

The lesson from last week  – Always do m own research and push for what I thin ks right. Saturday was meant to be my last visit to the hospital to empty out my breast abcess. And I had such a dissapointing visit . Not only did I get dismissed like a naughty child, I also didn’t get the abscess drained since it’s now to solid… after trying to get appointments for I don’t know how long. Thanks, NHS!

This week’s everyday-luxury – It might not seem like a luxury, but every night after ACe goes to be I walk olive on my own for 30 minutes. I love to just get to go outside in the sunset, breathe some fresh air and be alone with my thoughts.

Inspiration of the week – If you havent heard if Simon Sinek, then I think you should ceck this clip out. Be warned, you might get stuck clicking on another one… and one more.

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I get a tinsy bit of Insta-anxiety sometimes, but I try to let go of it. Maybe you could write a post about how not to compare yourself and your life in a negative way on Instagram? Even if you are content with your own self and life it’s easy to get caught up. Well, at least I do… big hug! /Emelie

I know exactly the feeling.

It’s too easy to scroll through our Instagram feeds and decide that EVERYONE out there have better lives than I do. Look at the holidays, tanned bodies, cool outfits, cute dogs and luxurious homes. I liked my life before, but now it feels dull in comparison.

Scary isn’t it?

I honestly don’t think anyone is immune to Instagram FOMO. I know I’m not. When I see gorgeous houses, especially abroad in tropical countries than all of a sudden London seem like such a boring place. Even though in reality I absolutely love to live here.

Sometimes I have to remind myself that I only get to see the best 10% of someone’s life on Instagram. The 10%(or less) we choose to show off and the other 90% could be crap, we would never know. You could basically be homeless and still have a glossy Instagram feed if you had enough time and creativity. It’s not like I’m having cupcakes and champagne at Peggy Porschen all day long…

Instagram is not for real.

I noticed a while ago that Instagram gave me anxiety. It wasn’t fun to log in and just scroll anymore. Instead, I only clicked on the icon to put up a photo, answer some comments and some DMs before I logged out again.

…and you know what. There is nothing wrong with Instagram, it’s my own fault.

I have chosen to follow lots of accounts that gives me anxiety. My feed is completely chosen by me, nobody else. I wanted inspiration and ended up with the complete opposite and I only have myself to blame. I get anxiety from following the people you are ”supposed” to follow, the ones that know the Instagram game inside and out and seem to have everything anyone could ever wish for when I myself feel like I have so much left to achieve. And even though I know it’s only 10%, their 10 still seem way cooler than even my 100.

So I made another choice and started to unfollow.

As soon as a photo came up that didn’t have an interesting caption or felt a bit too ott and fake, I unfollowed. Instead, I replaced these accounts with those who actually give me something. Not only in photos and inspiration, but also in the captions. People with a similar style to me, other Swedes in London, moms talking about everyday struggles, young people sharing about mental health and accounts that educate or motivate me.

It’s great fun to look at beautiful photos of someone who seems to be on a constant holiday or can afford to buy all the fancy stuff int he world. But I don’t think it’s very healthy in the long run.

So if you, like me, have Instagram anxiety, don’t give up on Instagram, just change what you see. Unfollow the anxiety-inducing accounts and follow those who inspire you for real instead. They might not have 1.5M followers, but they might be just what you need to enjoy Instagram again.

This realization also made me have a good old look at my own account. I realized I rather post a bit less frequently but write from the heart when I do. It’s too easy to throw up a cute photo and a cliché, but I rather have an honest conversation. It might make me lose followers, who know, but at least I know I’m showing something more of me than champagne drinking and cupcake eating (even though that, of course, is great fun too.)

3 Instagram accounts I like at the moment. 

Baddiewinkle – You will know why when you check it out. She is my idol and I will be like her when I get old. Does she poop rainbows I wonder?

QuarterlifePoetry – Because these short little poems about life always make me giggle.

MotherofDaughters – When I find parenthood hard and need a reality check from someone who has 4 kids… and she happens to be funny too, especially in the stories. Also, don’t forget to follow her hubby FatherofDaughters, Garth is a massive fan.

Do you suffer from Instagram anxiety and do you have any great accounts to recommend?

Photos – Ida Zander. Top – Ted Baker. (adlink). Location – Peggy Porschen.

You can find my cute lemon jumpsuit here (I’m wearing a top under it since it’s pretty low cut on the sides)). (adlink)

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Hi, lovelies! How was your weekend? 

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I have managed both to have a dinner and movie out with Bex last night and to go to hot yoga today.

Since the boys didn’t really fancy going to see Mamma Mia with us, we decided to make it a girls night. So we left them home with the babies and went to Mommi for a meal and some cocktails before the movie. I love musicals, so Mamma Mia 2 was a jackpot for me, I even liked it better than the first. I also felt terribly Swedish when I spotted both Björn and Benny in their cameos, just like in the last film.

Aaa, movies like these just make me want to have a singing voice. I mean, Amanda Seyfried’s voice, I die. If I could sing like her I would do nothing else. Can any of you guys sing? Does it feel as amazing as I imagine it would?

I did actually sing in a couple of choirs when I was a little girl, but then I somehow lost the sliver of a voice that I actually possessed and these days I only subject poor Ace to my sad crowing.

On Sundays, the boys go swimming, so I get my ass to hot yoga. I know it seems a bit like overkill to sweat inside when I’m already sweating outside, but I really need the 90 minutes to just have some me-time, to calm my mind and move my body.

Now, we have just finished clearing up after a big BBQ in the garden. We had Garth’s parents, Bex and Luke and Milo over. The boys have a great set-up to keep them busy (check out my Instastory @TessMontgomery).

The photos are from when we went to Villa Carlotta in Lake Como. It’s not just a beautiful building, but also a gorgeous botanical garden. You take different paths depending on how much time you have to spend and we were meant to do the wheelchair friendly option since we had a buggy. But at the first crossroad, we decided to live a little and took the more adventurous route instead. We had to push, drag and lift the buggy all the way to the top, but it was worth it. Why make life easy?

It was cool and a nice breeze in the gardens, so it’s a great little place to go mid-day when it’s hot and you need a bit of shade. Can you spot me in the first pic?

Ok, it’s time for me to put my laptop away and take my little doggy for a walk. It’s too hot for her royal puppyness during the day, so she gets late evening walks instead. I’m actually really enjoying getting to breathe some cooler air and just watch all the people coming out of their houses to do the same.

Ok, time to put my shoes onI’llll see you guys tomorrow!