Welcome (for those of you who haven't noticed) to my NEW BLOG! I have never been more thankful for the weird name my parents blessed me with until I discovered I could have it as a .com - WIN! The layout is largely the same but there's obviously been a name change and the content will also feel different moving forwards too. I have felt really 'blah' about blogging this past year, we've reached a stage where blogging is the new norm and everything I did felt regurgitated and stale. I'm also getting older and started to feel like the mould that I'd cast didn't fit me anymore but I wasn't sure what else would suit me better.

There's a lot of talk about blogs being 'over' in 2016 with YouTube becoming increasingly popular as a source of not only information but entertainment. I took a step back and thought about the blogs that have held my attention throughout, I'm not a reader, I skim and browse and look at pretty pictures. For a while I thought perhaps style blogging might be fun but my clothes aren't exciting, looking at pictures of myself made me self concious and I don't have the time or willing photographer on hand to really do it justice.

I landed on lifestyle blogging for a minute because that really is a catch all for anything and everything, isn't it? I think it's also become the new 'mummy blog' for those who don't like the term 'mummy blog' but through the wonder that is instagram I've actually discovered some damn good mummy blogs this year that have massively influenced my decision to make this change.

I want to be able to share beauty, style, parenting, travel, all that stuff without any of the nonsense of keeping up with everyone else. I'm not 21 anymore and I'm not going to compare myself to a 21 year old with a flat stomach and no responsibilities. Blogging is my main source of income these days so it is my job but it still comes second to the rest of my life and so it has to fit in around the days of a 30 year old mum of 2 who works part time and is still struggling to push the balance of meals eaten from fast food restaurants to home cooked on a daily basis. I dedicate a lot of time to this but no amount of time spent obsessing over things I can't control will change them and putting aside unecessary social media comparisons I feel very lucky to have the life that I do!I'm going to start sharing outfits in pictures that work for me and are more condusive with days out and activities we have planned. I can't expect my family to trapse out with a camera to a nice scenic spot so I can take pictures in a fancy dress I'm never going to wear.. it's just not going to happen and if it did they would be the most forced looking photos ever produced. If I'm ever out and about with a fellow blogger who's willing to patiently take my photo from only flattering angles then GREAT but I can't base a blog around it.Today I'd planned to take some pictures by the lake with Milo and Manny for this post when Milo suggested he take my picture (for the picture above the camera is on self timer on a wall - trade secrets) so maybe I have a budding outfit photographer right under my nose, haha. We were actually really excited to see the swans out because the island in the middle of the lake has been blocked off for weeks while they had their babies and today we saw them out swimming. They are NOT big fans of Manny and hiss every time he gets close to the edge (swans are scary m*ther f**kers) so I had to take these photos from a distance but still.. cute!I will still be posting beauty reviews but they may be fewer and further between as I really do love to chat about beauty that I do to write. My Miss Budget Beauty channel will stay as it is and my Diary Of A Spendaholic channel will be getting a much needed injection of non-vlog videos this month so stay tuned for that! All in all it's time for a shake up, I don't intend to drop off the edge of the internet anytime soon but in order to stick it out long term I need to love what I'm doing and so although I'm sure most of you wont care at all about the changes, for those who do please understand it was a necessary evil.

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