My biggest girl started school this week, so I’m feeling all the feels. It’s got me thinking about motherhood and the routines that have shaped it so far.

It’s the small moments in our everyday that have brought me the most joy and, in turn, a sense of calm to motherhood so far. Starting with our mornings, both girls wake up and come through to our bed. Seeing their little faces first thing in the morning is the best. They both have milk, I have a cup of tea, and my husband has a coffee. Bluey is on the TV, and we chill. 30 minutes of blissful quiet time that sets everyone up for the day. Yes, of course there are those mornings when the mayhem kicks off before the 30 minutes are up, but generally, they’re content enough to give us all this time.

Just as chilled as we start the day, we end it. Dinner and bath time, of course, is a whole other level of chaos. There are strops, tantrums, hilarity and everything in between. But once that settles, there’s another half hour before bed that consists of story time, funny chats and more milk. The little one, Theia, goes down first and demands I do bedtime (she’s very much a Mummy’s girl), then it’s Sylvie who decides who she wants to do story time; she’ll often try her luck for a game of Barbie’s, for which I’m the most suitable choice. It may just seem like a simple routine, but it’s really these moments in the day that I cherish more than anything.

Left to right: Striped pyjama top & shorts, lace cami, floral knickers

Outside of stories, milk and pre-bed cuddles, it’s the 15 minutes I get post-bedtime, when I wash my face, apply a serum and put on a favourite pair of pjs that tie it all up in a nice tired-love-fuelled bow.

I’m aware this all reads as a very serene version of motherhood; obviously the remaining 80% of our days are far from calm, but that 20% we have to start and end with are the pockets of (almost) perfect I don’t ever take for granted. Motherhood really is the balance of being so many things all at once; a warrior, a worrier, a protector, a force - articulated brilliantly in the Stripe & Stare ‘For All of You’ campaign.

As always, thank you for reading & a big thank you to Stripe & Stare for inspiring this post,

Jo x

We had a dreamy week away in Lanzarote, an island we’ve never visited before. It was my best friend’s 40th birthday, so we decided to tag along. We stayed in Costa Teguise to be close to our friends, but sadly had a pretty rubbish experience with our accommodation, so that’s definitely not something I’ll be recommending. However, there are a couple of places I would have loved to stay, but there was no availability by the time I got round to booking. They’re firmly on my wishlist for when we visit again. One is Hotel César and the other is Casa de las Flores, in the town of Teguise, which we visited and completely fell in love with. If you’re ever there, you have to try the food at Bodega Santa Barbara, sensational.

I’m sure this is stating the obvious, but I would 100% recommend hiring a car, we hadn’t done this and then quickly realised we needed one, so thankfully managed to get one for a few days. The island isn’t massive, so getting around by car is super simple and anywhere we went was never more than a 35-minute car journey. Places we adored were the César Manrique Foundation, the artist’s home for 20 years, designed around the volcanic landscape; it was incredible, even our 5-year-old enjoyed it. My highlight was the vintage Palm Springs style pool, iconic. LagOmar museum is also very much worth a visit; my only flag is to avoid bringing a buggy, there’s lots of narrow stairs so we had to carry our two-year-old up and down those. Finally, Mirador Del Rio is a must-see. It’s on the north coast of the island and is a viewing point built into the cliffs. It’s pretty breathtaking, and I could have wandered around and looked at the view all afternoon. Again though, not buggy friendly!

In terms of stuff to do with little ones, honestly, ours just played at the pool most afternoons. We did take Sylvie to the waterpark, which was nearby, but it was super dated. She enjoyed it (I did not, ha!) There’s another park, Rancho Texas, which I’ve heard good things about, but we didn’t make it there. I also think it’s maybe better for slightly older children.

I did really love the island but wouldn’t stay in Costa Teguise again, its obviously a coastal resort town, so if that’s your vibe then it would be a good option. We much preferred the historic town of Teguise which is about 15 minutes inland by car, so when we go back this is definitely more of the vibe we’d be looking for.

Now for the outfits! It was so nice to go full holiday mode dressing, we haven’t been away for longer than 2-3 nights over the last couple of years, so I fully embraced it. I also loved dressing the girlies up at night for dinner, maybe I should do a post on their outfits, ha!

1. Nobody’s Child top (sold-out), striped trousers

2. Silk dress, leather woven bag, black sunglasses

3. Black strappy top, white beach trousers, fish necklace, beaded necklace

4. Long black top, micro shorts

5. Lace skirt, raglan tee

6. Bead detail top, linen shorts, hat is sadly an oldie and the brand doesn’t exist anymore

7. Embroidered top, shorts are vintage levis, leopard baby bag, the best baby bag

8. Cream top, cropped trousers (good length if you’re petite), mini straw bag

9. Tie-dye skirt, blue vest, beaded bag, belt is Rixo but I can’t find onsite

10. Cotton skirt, cord necklace, t shirt is vintage

11. Sailor shirt

12. Printed swimsuit, trousers are old Lisa Corti, patchwork straw bag, pink flip flops

Thanks for reading, and let me know if you have any Lanza questions - I’ll do my best to answer!

Jo x

We’re going on our first family of 4 holiday abroad next week, so naturally I’m in full list-making mode. Since becoming a Mum, I’d say I’m a much more practical packer, and that’s down to having to share my luggage with two small girls who come with lots of stuff. It’s not a bad thing though, and as someone who was a project manager for 14 years, I like being organised, so deciding what’s going to be a good piece to pack or not is something I’ve gotten quite good at.

So here we go, here are some of the bits that are coming with me, and a few that are firmly on my ‘should I panic buy just in case’ list:

A good bikini or swimsuit

There are very few swimwear brands that I feel great in; Vanessa Sposi is one of them. The string bandeau bikini top is a favourite; I’m pairing it with the high-waisted bikini bottoms because I like a bit of butt & tummy coverage. TBCo, who launched their first swim collection earlier this year, also have some great pieces that I feel super comfortable in. I love this red swimsuit; it's the perfect one-piece.

Fun tops

I discovered this brand through the queen of holiday dressing, Lucy Williams, and have been patiently waiting for this top to be re-stocked. It arrived yesterday, and the fit is perfect. I’m a UK size 6 and ordered the small. When I was pulling this post together, I spotted this beauty from Dissh and immediately ordered. I’m going to pair it with some micro shorts I found on Vinted, but it’ll look equally as yummy with trousers.

Bottoms that can go from day to night

I have a Mango order on its way with some bits that I think will be perfect for dressing up and down. Can’t wait to try this cotton broderie anglaise mini, picturing it pairing nicely with some vintage tees. Also, runner shorts are my go-to atm, love this pair from the Angie Smith x Upside collab, these black linen ones from Mango and this towelling pair from Arket that are currently on sale. I’m also set on the trousers I’m taking which have already been tried and tested, these white cotton ones from M&S are perfect for the heat and this stripey linen pair from Boden inject some colour into the mix. Both come in petite lengths which is an absolute bonus for me (I’m 5ft 1” for ref). I also spotted these ceramic beaded trousers the other night which would be great, but I think I’d need to have them shortened and we don’t have time for that.

Silk dresses

The lightest fabric you can pack so no guilt on taking up too much space. I love having a couple of more dressed-up pieces that are a full outfit so I don’t have to think about pulling a look together. I’m taking this mixed print one from Rixo and the rainbow dream frock from Realisation Par.

The throw-on mini dress

My suitcase wouldn’t be complete without a couple of mini dresses thrown in for good measure, and equally, without some Dôen. Anything nightie-like is a win-win, so when I saw this one I knew I had to order. I also ordered this because I bloody love a black mini dress with a suntan. If you’re into something with a bit more colour, then this Damson Madder one is a good option.

Flipflops

I’ve been wearing this M&S pair non-stop and can vouch for how comfortable they are. I’ll also be taking a basic black pair because they dress down the majority of outfits in the best possible way. If you feel like flip-flops don’t give you enough support, I’ve heard great things about Archies.

Accessories

Hands down, the thing I love most about summer holidays, and summer in general, is accessories, so choosing what’s going to make it in the suitcase is a tricky one.

The chic beaded bag, also love this one and it’s only £20

The everyday raffia bag

The glass charm necklace

The goes with everything necklace

The pearl bracelet, I love stacking with this cuff and this cord bracelet - the more metals, stones & material mixing, the better

The skinny bandana belt

I hope you’ve found something you love! I’ll have more to share post-holiday, so stay tuned for what actually makes the cut!

Jo x

I thought I would do a room-by-room tour and share everything I get asked most about on IG.

The Livingroom

Q: What paint and colours did you use in the living room?

All the paint we used in here is Farrow & Ball Dead Flat. The walls are done in ‘Potted Shrimp’, woodwork is ‘Wimborne White’ and the cabinet is ‘Eating Room Red’.

Q: Is your cabinet antique or did you have it made?

We had our super talented and trusted joiners make the cabinet from some inspiration pictures I pulled together and a very amateur drawing I sketched. They nailed it.

Q: Where is the lamp on your red cabinet from?

The base is from Pooky and the shade is from Hum London.

Q: Where are the gorgeous candle wall sconces from above your fireplace?

We picked them up in The Mercat - a gorgeous cafe & shop in Culross, Fife.

Q: Where is your coffee table from?

Garden Trading Co.

Q: I love what you’ve done in your bay window! Where did you get the cafe curtains?

As soon as I came across Maarrll Studio on Instagram I knew they were exactly what I’d been looking for. The perfect addition to the space, and they very cleverly cover up the old pvc windows that one day will be replaced!

Q: Where are your sofas from and do you recommend for comfort?

Both the sofas in our living room are from Sofa.com and yes, I highly recommend them. The big blue one is the 4-seater Teddy sofa and the smaller one is the Bluebell 2-seater Sofa. The only thing that annoys me is the scatter cushions on the Teddy. They look great until you sit on the sofa!

Q: Love the beautiful mirror above the fireplace, where is it from?

It’s the large dark oak bamboo mirror from Folie Chambre.

Q: Where is the artwork from? Looking for something big but finding it hard to find something larger in scale.

The waterlilies print is from Harlie Briggs; she does A0 size prints which are the most beautiful quality. My framer was so impressed when I took it in! The abstract print is from Rowan Rosie and always gets lots of compliments. I think both are sold out, but both artists are incredible so definitely worth a look.

The Playroom

Q: I love the colours in your playroom! How did you decide on them?

I actually did an online consultation with Little Greene Paint and couldn’t recommend the service enough. I had a relatively clear idea of the overall vibe of the space but was honestly quite stumped on the actual colours and what would work well together. For example, I would never have chosen such a dark colour for the toy cabinet, but I feel like this made it all come together. It’s definitely a service I would use again, especially when you’re working on different rooms; it’s easy to get decision fatigue! We used ‘Sunlight’ on the walls, ‘Stock’ on the woodwork, ceiling & fireplace and ‘Purple Brown’ on the cabinet.

Q: Where are the fireplace tiles from?

Claybrook Studio. We went for this size in the peach, and this size in the blue.

Q: Where did you find your fireplace surround?

A very lucky find on eBay after months of searching.

Q: Where is your blue sofa from?

It’s the Jonesy sofa bed from Loaf in Birthday Candle blue.

The Blue Room:

Q: The wall shelf in the blue room? I’ve been searching but no luck!

It’s from Kids Concept and this one was actually white but we primed and painted it to match the wall colour. We have the same ones in the playroom in a different colour.

Q: Where is the gorgeous cot from?

This has to be one of the most asked questions and sadly it’s vintage. It was actually my cot when I was a baby, so very special that Theia used it when she was a baby. I seen this one though which is a similar vibe.

Q: Love the gingham chair, where is it from?

The chair was an old one we had from Made.com that got completely sun-bleached in our old London flat. When we found out we were having Sylvie, I had it re-upholstered in this Suffolk check fabric.

Q: How did you decide what colours to use in here?

Theia’s room was a bit of a tricky one. I really wanted to wallpaper it but never found a paper that I really loved. I had to decide what we were doing before the carpets went down, so I took a panic trip to Farrow & Ball and saw this shade of blue, ‘Kakelugn’, and thought it would be a nice calming colour for a baby’s room. The decision to colour-drench was simply to try and distract from a small loft hatch that annoyingly lives in this room and can’t be moved. I really loved how it turned out in the end and it suits her perfectly!

Q: Canopy details please!

Both the girls canopies are from Projektityyny and I bought them before we had even moved house because I loved them so much!

The pink room:

Q: Where is the wallpaper and blind from?

They’re both from Morris & Co. The wallpaper is Mallow and the blinds are Pimpernel.

Q: Where is the carpet from in your daughter’s room and how do you keep it clean?!

It’s the Camden two-tone carpet from Kersaint Cobb. We’ve had a couple of accidents with play make-up that we had to get a professional carpet cleaner to fix, but apart from that, we have a carpet cleaning spray that our carpet cleaner produces and sells which works a treat.

Our bedroom:

Q: Did you have your wardrobes built by a joiner and how much were they if you don’t mind me asking?

The wardrobes were made to the size & spec we wanted by Edinburgh Wardrobes then we had our joiner build them. You can find pricing details on the website.

Q: Where did you source the blinds and curtains?

The relaxed roman blinds were from Ada & Ina and we got them in the Bea-chalk fabric. The cafe curtains I had made from a local tailor, I just bought some light linen fabric and she added the little pocket for the poles to go through.

Q: I love your wall lights, where are they from?

The sconces are from Dowsing & Reynolds and the little brown shades are from Hum London.

Q: Where is your lovely headboard from?

Rowen & Wren.

A few other general questions:

Q: All your own ideas or did an interior designer get involved?

Nope, no interior designers were involved. Although I think when we do some of the bigger things we have planned, I would like to work together with someone purely because we’ll be doing structural things that I have absolutely zero experience with and it would be nice to have a professional opinion on best layouts etc.

Q: Did you get a joiner in to make all the wardrobes/cabinets? Was it expensive?

Yes we did. We have joiners who had done work for us in our old place and they’re incredible and very reasonably priced. I would recommend them but they’ve asked me not to as they have too much work currently. I would suggest getting multiple quotes from joiners though and try and find an independent person (who comes recommended or who’s work you can see). When our joiners weren’t available for a couple of months I had a quote from a company who wanted to charge x4 the amount our joiners were going to charge.

Q: Did you do all the painting and decorating yourselves or get someone in?

We used painters and decorators purely because Dominic started a new business and just didn’t have the time to do any painting etc. A friend of ours has a decorating business and they were brilliant. They wallpapered Sylvie’s room and sprayed the cornincing in our livingroom (gamechanger), if you’re local, I would 100% recommend them. You can find the website here.

Q: What are you going to tackle next?

I don’t think we’ll be doing much more this year which is purely from a financial stand-point. Doing what we’ve done so far cost us much more than we had anticipated so the savings definitely need a good bit of topping up. But, when we do have the funds, I think it will be the hallway, stairs and landing. The bigger jobs like bathrooms, garden and kicthen extension will be much further down the line.

Yikes, that was a biggie! Thank you to anyone who shared questions over on IG. So nice to be back on Substack. Keep your eyes peeled for much more fashion & home bits coming soon.

Jo x

I’ll be sharing all the work we do in the house as and when it happens, but as someone who struggles to make decisions easily, it’s going to be a slow burner. We’re also not millionaires, so it’s not magically going to happen overnight!

I mentioned in my last house post that it’s in really great condition, but of course, we want to make it our own. We have a south-facing garden which has been incredible in this weather, and eventually we’d love to extend the kitchen so we have space for a dining area in there, and we can make the actual dining room a play room/second living room for the girls. Here are a few pictures that I snapped very quickly before our movers dumped all of our stuff inside, and it became absolute chaos.

We’ve decided that we want to focus on the bedrooms and living room this year as that’s where we spend the most time. Sylvie’s room is a really great size and she has far too much stuff so her room has been a top priority. I remember when we first viewed the house, I had a really strong vision for how I wanted Sylvie’s room to be. It’s a good-sized space, and the long-term plan is to have both girls in here (if they get on with each other, ha), but for now, I wanted it to really reflect Sylvie’s personality - think playful, pink & princess vibes without it looking like any of those things! Excitingly, I’m working with a brand that I have adored for years on this room, and I can’t wait to show you once it’s all done. Here’s a little sneak peak of the vision:

I’ve been flexing my project management skills and have made a mammoth timeline/spreadsheet to keep track of everything. We should be in a good place with the rooms we have planned by the end of September. Can’t wait to show you more as we get going.

Jo x

As soon as the temperature heats up, I’m reaching for a good blouse and some vintage jeans. It’s my favourite dressing combo. Easy, classic, and a little nostalgic. There’s something about a floaty blouse paired with your favourite denim that will never not look good.

I’ve listed my favourite picks and hope that if you find one you love, you’ll adore it year after year, because they only really get better with age.

‘Henri’ top in blush - I have this in a few different colours and it’s such a beautiful silhouette. Adore this new blush shade, the perfect washed-out pink.

‘Frances’ blouse

I recently got this dreamy blouse & have had to stop myself from wearing it every day. It’s super delicate & also comes in black. It’s everything you want from a summer blouse.

Blue gingham cotton blouse - I really love how vintage this looks, firmly on my wishlist.

Riviera top (affiliate link)

Brora cotton smocked top - The shape of this is so flattering, I love the smocking detail.

Perry top (affiliate link) - the buttons, the floral print, the ruffles, the little lace detailing - I adore it all.

‘Pearl’ blouse

Cotton voile blouse (affiliate link)

‘Mabel’ top - imagining this thrown on with some high-waisted denim shorts and gold jewellery.

Thaylna blouse (affiliate link)

Ellery blouse (affiliate link) - I have the dress version of this blouse and love wearing it over jeans, but this would look equally as good, if not better.

I hope you’ve found one you love.

Jo x

Ok, I’m going to give a little bit of a back story so please bear with me. We lived in London for around 7 years and moved back to Fife, Scotland back in 2019. We were lucky enough to buy our first flat, which has served us incredibly well for the past 6 years. We have, however, been rapidly growing out of it since having the two girls and have been saving + keeping an eye on houses in our area for around 2 years. We’re both quite picky, so finding the right place in the right location has been somewhat of a mission. We viewed a house and put in an offer about 2 weeks before our dream house went up for sale. We knew this house needed A LOT of work, but we were willing to treat it as a long-term project. Thankfully, we didn’t get it because in hindsight I think it would have been an absolute drain on our finances and mental wellbeing! I wasn’t gutted when we didn’t get it (I guess that was a sign it wasn’t our house), but I did start to worry that we’d never find a place within our budget; this current market is complete madness. Anyway, our dream house went up for sale and as soon as we stepped foot inside, I knew it was the one, a feeling I didn’t get in the first house we viewed. It’s very close to where we currently live and we walk the dog past it nearly every day. We would always say, if this ever goes up for sale, we would try to get it. After a couple of weeks and a final closing date, we were up in Aviemore waiting to hear whether or not the house would be ours. Finally, we got the phone call, “I’m pleased to say your offer has been accepted.” I felt like the biggest weight had been lifted, finally, we’d found the home that we would raise the girls in! I’m making this all sound very lovely and not stressful in the slightest, which isn’t the case, as we still had to sell our place, etc. We got our house on the market quite quickly, and thankfully, it sold fast, so we’re currently waiting on the buyers of our house to sell theirs, hoping that the chain will end there. This chain malarky is a whole other stress in itself!

Long story short, we’re keeping everything crossed that there will be no bumps in the road and we’ll be in our new (old Victorian house) this summer. I’m so excited to share more with you guys. The house is in great shape as it stands, but there’s lots we’d like to do with it. It won’t be one of those magic renovation jobs where budget is seemingly endless and progress is constant. I’m also super indecisive and need time in a space to decide how I actually want it to look and function. So, if you like a slow burner, you can follow along, I’ll be sharing lots here and on IG. Even as I type this I’m touching wood!

So, that’s what’s been happening, and I’m keeping everything crossed that my next house update will be us actually living there because I can’t wait to share more. I’ve added some saves from my home inspo folder. This definitely needs refinement, but it’s fun to let my imagination run wild for a bit before getting into practicalities and budgets (yawn).

Promise I’ll try and make this Substack worth your time, so keep your eyes peeled for more from me soon.

Jo x

Ok, I’m kicking off my first Substack with a farewell to January, which, to be completely honest with you, was crap. Being ill with a baby who’s also sick is another level of exhaustion. Our 8-month-old has been a pretty unsettled sleeper from the get-go, but the last couple of weeks have been savage. There have been points in the day when I genuinely cannot string a sentence together, so to anyone who’s experienced sleep deprivation, I very much feel your pain. Anyway, without sounding like a negative Nancy, January could have been better, but then again, it could have been worse, so to say farewell on a slightly positive note I’m sharing the things that kept me swimming!

Posse x Moda Operandi.

At the start of the month (before the lurgy set in) I shot some content for the Posse x Moda Operandi capsule, it got me feeling very giddy for summer this year. I love all the collection but these guys were standouts for me.

Emma linen midi skirt *affiliate link

Aurelia Gingham Bloomer *affiliate link

Paco trousers *affiliate link

PJs that you feel put together in & a yummy new quilt.

I spend a ridiculous amount of time in PJs and I’m a sucker for a good quilt.

Demi Navy Stripe Set from It's 9pm.

Flora Quilted Throw from TBCo. *affiliate link

A hot water bottle because, well because.

I was given this as a Christmas gift a few years ago and I take it to bed with me every night. It’s still cosy in the morning, worth every penny.

Sheepskin Hot Water Bottle Cover from Toast. *affiliate link

High Fidelity.

With next to no brain power, I needed something that would perk me up without too much effort: enter Zoë Kravitz in High Fidelity. The Scottish musician is mega cringe, but Rob’s vintage t-shirt collection more than makes up for that part. Very much worth adding to your watch list.

A Complete Unknown.

Our first cinema trip in well over a year (ridiculous, I know), and I loved every single second. Timothée Chalamet as Dylan stuns, but Monica Barbaro as Joan Baez stole the show for me. If I could snag a babysitter for a few hours I’d be back for round 2.

Vitamins.

Arguably I should have been taking these before being sick but we live and we learn. I’ve tried various supplement brands and always start on the right track but quickly become inconvenienced having to take 3-4 tablets a day. I saw an ad for ‘Heights’ and was quickly sold on two capsules a day, plus the packaging is cute.

Heights Vitals.

Fake tan.

If there’s one thing that helps to pull me out of a funk then it’s some good old fake tan. I can’t ever really be arsed doing it but recently started using the St.Tropez Bronzing Water Mousse and it’s been a bit of a game changer for me. You don’t need to rinse it off and it doesn’t have the weird smell. I put it on after having a shower and by the end of the day it’s the perfect sun kissed shade. If you like your fake tan super dark then this won’t be for you, but I think it’s a good one for a nice golden glow.

New wardrobe additions.

A couple of new bits that succeeded in pulling me out of my January funk.

The Lucky Sweater from Brut Archives.

Indira Suede Jacket from Phase Eight. *affiliate link

Ok guys, saying toodaloo to January! I’ll try and make sure my next round-up isn’t such a moan fest.

Jo x

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