UPDATE: I'll Be Back Soon...

Hi friends! 

This is just a little note to say I'm going to take a break from publishing new content for a month or so as I welcome my second son to the world. I learned the hard way last time that having a baby is a huge life-changing, and time- and energy-demanding event and I want to dedicate as much time as I possible to adjusting to our new life as a family of four so that it goes smoothly.

I do plan on writing my weekly motherhood diaries again, but I don't know when I'll actually get to publishing the first few so please be patient with me for a few weeks at least. 

I also hope to be back blogging with new content about travel, Amsterdam, writing, self-love and more in the new year, but I can't say for certain when a regular schedule will re-commence because I know we have some busy weeks ahead of us and, frankly sleep deprivation is a bitch, and getting enough rest and preserving my energy for my family will be a priority for a while.

So these are all the reasons I'll not be around on the blog much, though I do plan on posting a few updates on Instagram (and maybe Facebook and Twitter) when the baby is here, so please do tag along with the chaos over there.

In the meantime you can check out one of my recent blog posts in the top left side bar, or by heading home and just scrolling through the posts I've published recently. If you're here for something specific then hopefully some of the links below will help you find what you need.

AMSTERDAM TRAVEL ADVICE

Here are all the Amsterdam posts you may want to check out now to make the most of your visit or to plan an upcoming trip:

Things to do in Amsterdam in Winter

When is the Best Time to Visit Amsterdam?

Is Amsterdam Expensive to Visit (or Live in)?

Reasons to Visit Amsterdam at Christmas

WRITING TIPS & ADVICE

I'm hoping to still get a lot of writing done while on maternity leave. Okay, that's a lie. I'm hoping to get some writing done. Alright, alright, just a few hundred words a week would be nice... But as with all seasons in my writing life I hope there will be plenty to learn from this experience of writing a novel while also being the mother to two young children. Gulp. Anyway, here are lots of writing advice posts for you to look through:

Three Secret Ingredients for a Productive Writing Habit

Ten Things You Need to Remember During NaNoWriMo or Any Writing Challenge

Lessons Learned from Losing NaNoWriMo

How to (Successfully!) Do NaNoWriMo as a Parent

What is a NaNo Rebel? (And How to Be One!)

Get Ahead at NaNoWriMo in Eight Hours (Or Less) Without Cheating

Are You Ready to Do NaNoWriMo: NaNoWriMo Checklist

Why Writers Need Writing Affirmations

Tips for Doing a Daily Writing Challenge

How to Build a Regular Writing Habit

Best Apps for Writing Fiction

The Best Writing Playlist

Why Running Makes Me a Better Writer

How to Start a Writing Habit That Sticks (In Just Ten Minutes)

The Best Twitter Hashtags for Writers

The Best Apps for Productive and Distraction-Free Writing

And don't forget my How to Write a Book Series of posts: Part One - The Story Idea / Part Two - Story Development / Part Three - Writing a Book Outline / Part Four - Character Development & Character Development Questions

TRAVEL ADVICE & GUIDES

I've written a lot of travel advice posts and travel guides for destinations over the years. Here are some of my most popular posts:

City Guide for Ljubljana

City Guide for Lisbon

City Guide for Rotterdam

Things to do in Singapore with a Toddler

Packing Tips for Lazy Travellers

Best Babymoon Destinations Around the World

Best Luxury Resorts for Families Around the World

Best Luxury Resorts for Families in the Maldives

Review of Luxury Resort: Kandima Maldives

Review of Luxury Resort: Grand Palladium, Ibiza

Review of Luxury Resort: Sani Club, Greece

MOTHERHOOD & SELF-CARE

And if you came here wanting to know more about my journey as a mother, you can read all of my motherhood diary entries from this page, or you can start at the beginning with Week One here.

You can also check out some of the motherhood and self-care related posts below:

A Diary of Motherhood: Introducing the Second Edition

Baby Bird's Birth Story - Part One

Baby Bird's Birth Story - Part Two

Giving Birth in the Netherlands: Pregnancy and Ante-natal Care

Giving Birth in the Netherlands: Our Hospital Birth Experience

The Best (and Easiest) Parenting Tip Ever

How to Survive Sleep Deprivation as a New Parent

On Motherhood: In Defence of Screentime for Young Children

My Experience of Postnatal Anxiety and Depression

Freelance Life: Tips for Freelancing Parents

Self-Love: The Reasons I go to Bed Early (and How You Can Too)

On Motherhood: My Fears About Having a Second Baby

Self-Love: 100 Free Self-Care Acts

Self-Love: 100 Positive Daily Affirmations

Self-Love: How Affirmation Works and Why