Being married isn’t easy . . .

Today is my 9th day wedding anniversary to my hubby David and although we are very much in love being married is hard!

I know there are so many couples out there who will rush to tell you how they never argue but do you know what, most couples argue and it’s healthy to do so! I would hate it if my hubby blindly agreed with everything I said or liked everything I liked. We are two individuals with our own personalities/likes/dislikes and sometimes we clash and sometimes we agree and that is ok!

I met my hubby when we were cast in a musical together and musical theatre is a common interest we have but as we have had our children we have been able to perform together less and less and we were last on stage together in 2012 (when I was pregnant with Baby no.2) and won’t be again anytime soon until the kids are bigger. Apart from that our hobbies are separate and that’s fine!

I enjoy race walking and train for various races throughout the year and like going to the gym when I can, my hubby can’t think of anything worse and likes to go out on his bike or play cricket which doesn’t interest me in the slightest. This doesn’t mean we don’t love each other or don’t like spending time together we are just 2 different people when it comes to hobbies but love each other deeply and support each other in anything and everything we do.

We have 3 children aged 7, 5 and 7 months and anyone with kids will know it puts a strain on relationships – everyone is tired, everyone is cranky and I’m not just talking about the kids! But love is what brings you through. Whenever we argue (and we do as we are both stubborn and hot headed, yep, even me!) we just have to remember that we love each other and we want to be together and that is more important than who put the bin out last or who got up most to the baby in the night (common causes of bickering 😂).

Marriage is 2 people promising to each other to stick with it until the end and that’s a bloody long time so there will of course be ups and downs and you know what, it won’t be easy, but that’s life, you work through it and it will be worth it in the end.

My Curly Journey

If you had said ‘Curly Girl Method’ to me a few months ago I wouldn’t have had a clue what you were talking about but those 3 words have had such an impact on my life and my self identity that now they hold so much importance!

The Curly Girl Method is based on a book by Lorraine Massey and is all about embracing your natural curls/waves.

I started on my journey when I started losing my hair in May 2018. Post- partum hair loss is part of having a baby that most women will go through and after the birth of our 3rd Baby in January 2018 I thought it was prepared but when my hair started to fall out at a rapid pace I thought it might be a good idea to stop straightening it every day but I didn’t have a clue how to style it/wear it without straighteners as it was so frizzy. I was moaning to a friend about this and she mentioned the Curly Girl Method and soon I was reading any articles I could find, watching countless YouTube videos and following curly girls on Instagram.

The basics that I follow of the method are as follows:

No Sulphates (mainly found in shampoos)

No Silicones (mainly found in conditioners and styling products and can only be removed from your hair with sulphates)

No hair brushing (apart from when hair is socking wet and coated in conditioner and even then you can just use your hands)

No heat styling (low heat/cool air when diffusing is ok)

I know when I first started researching it seemed like a lot to take in and a lot to do but I’m finding now, only a few months in, that I’m spending far less time on my hair and the condition of it is improving so much already.

You can see the difference from the pictures – I have straightened my hair pretty much everyday for the past 20 years as well as dying it every colour you can think of so it has been through a lot but in just a couple of months you can see how different it looks and it can only get better.

I’m so excited to see how the curls change and to see my natural hair colour for the first time in 20 years – it will be a surprise to us all, especially me!

And so it begins. . . .

This is something I have wanted to do for such a long time but never felt I had anything of worth to say or anyone would be interested but having reached the grand old age of 33 (and very nearly 34) and the birth of our 3rd baby (and last may I add) I have gained a new perspective on things and started to realise that self worth/confidence can be found and embraced and so here I am.

So, I guess I better introduce myself, I’m Kate, I’m a mum of 3 beautiful babies who I feel so incredibly lucky to have and I’m the proud wife of David who is a fireman. We live on the Isle of Man surrounded by family and friends and love our life on our little Isle.

When I’m not running around like a crazy women after the kids or desperately trying to keep the house tidy/clean/in one piece, I like to bake! I started when I was pregnant with our eldest in 2010 and since then I haven’t really stopped. I’m by no means a professional but a keen baking enthusiast. My motto for baking and cake decorating is always – Keep It Simple!

And finally, after having our baby in January 2018, as all new mum’s will know postpartum hair loss can be a scary time and mine reached a point in May 2018 when I knew I had to do something as my hair had become extremely fine and thin. As a dedicated hair straightener addict for the last 20 years I thought it might help if I wore my hair naturally instead of styled and started researching how to tame the frizz! Through my research I stumbled upon the Curly Girl Method and after a lot of reading/instagram following and youtube video watching I started my Curly Girl journey in June 2018.

Well, I think that’s enough about me and what I’m about for the time being but may this be the first of many blog posts and the start of something exciting and new!