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Posts in the Food category

Feb 26, 2016

Some thoughts on carbs

Posted in Food.

About a month ago, I joined a new gym and signed up for my very first personal training session. I… Read more »

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Nov 29, 2015

Harrods Christmas Hamper

Posted in Food.

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Oct 11, 2015

Exploring Bath

Posted in Food, Travel.

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Jul 9, 2015

Afternoon Tea at Bettys, Harrogate

Posted in Food, Travel.

Last week I had what can only be described as the Best Radical Babe Day Out Ever (TM). After a… Read more »

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Jul 2, 2015

The First Picnic of Summer

Posted in Competition, Food.

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Jun 17, 2015

Smashed Avocado and Feta on Toast

Posted in Food.

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Apr 1, 2015

Giving Up Sugar

Posted in Food.

At the start of the year, I wrote a post about my health and how I wanted to embrace the… Read more »

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Feb 12, 2015

Being Well

Posted in Food, Home, Writing.

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Jan 14, 2015

How To Make Vegetable Juices

Posted in Food.

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Jan 11, 2015

Goals for a New Year

Posted in Beauty, Fashion, Food, Home, Writing.

We’re in to January’s double digits now, which means two things – I can stop wishing people a Happy New… Read more »

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Sep 30, 2014

A Stay at Ox Pasture Hall Hotel, Scarborough

Posted in Food, Travel, Weddings.

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Sep 1, 2014

How to Make a Naked Cake

Posted in Food.

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My name is Jen.

I'm a freelance online writer, dividing my time between Leeds and London (and sometimes New York City). J for Jen is the place I write about fashion, beauty, travel and life in general.

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  • Instagram vs Reality right here... after a really rough night involving a super clingy baby and a very wakeful toddler, I’ve felt less than sprightly today. But Leo has been much more settled, so we’re hoping for a better night 🤞Just a little dose of realness for your feed - the newborn days are hard as hell and if you’ve got to 11am without crying off your mascara, you’re doing a great job (same if you mascara lasts all day, or if mascara is an alien concept to you right now) 💕

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A Bit about Jen

I’ve been writing things online since the late 90s, when my mum finally gave in to my pleas and installed dial-up on my PC. I signed up for MSN Messenger, opened a Live Journal account, set my desktop background as a funny picture of a cat and never looked back.

Jen on Instagram

  • Instagram vs Reality right here... after a really rough night involving a super clingy baby and a very wakeful toddler, I’ve felt less than sprightly today. But Leo has been much more settled, so we’re hoping for a better night 🤞Just a little dose of realness for your feed - the newborn days are hard as hell and if you’ve got to 11am without crying off your mascara, you’re doing a great job (same if you mascara lasts all day, or if mascara is an alien concept to you right now) 💕
  • Having two kids is HARD. The toddler/newborn juggle is a lot - I find myself breastfeeding while wiping Hazel’s bum, or frantically swaying Leo in the sling while singing my seventh rendition of Old Macdonald. A real lot. Leo is a bit of a velcro baby, Hazel is full of energy and Rob and I aren’t really getting much sleep. The days are fun but the nights are hard, and I definitely feel pretty touched out come 5pm. But then I capture these gorgeous moments and know it’ll be so, so worth it when they can play and grow together. So we’re soldiering on and powering through with the hope that it’ll get easier sometime soon... ish 💕
  • I told myself I wouldn’t bother with pumping this time round - I had such a hard time with it when Hazel was tiny that I didn’t think I could bring myself to do it again. But then I got a blocked duct and a cracked nipple (honestly, the pain was worse than labour) and needed to drain my milk, fast. Luckily the Elvie pump now exists, and let me tell you - it’s a game-changer. Firstly it’s ACTUALLY hands free, like it fits into your regular bra and doesn’t require some elaborate contraption resembling Madonna’s cones (but way less chic). And it’s super slimline, so you could easily button up over it and carry on your day like it’s not there. And to assist with that, it’s also almost complete silent. No moo sound. Revelation. Most importantly for a breast pump, though - it really works. Scroll to see what 10 mins pumping yielded... so much liquid gold! 🍯 The downside is ofc the price - at £250 for a single it is very pricy and probably out of reach for many new parents on maternity pay. I hope that as this kinda tech gets more common, the price will go down. Top tip though - one of my friends found this pump at the Mamas & Papas discount shop in Huddersfield for £180, so keep an eye out if you’re local and in the market! It’s amazing to see women’s healthcare FINALLY getting the tech upgrade we’ve seen elsewhere - the Elvie pump also comes with an app so you can track length of feeds, which boob you last pumped from and how long you pumped for. And the app monitors the level of milk you’re pumping in real time so you don’t spill over the bottle. Clever! I don’t think I’ll do a huge amount of pumping for Leo, but it’s amazing to know I can do it quickly and easily without feeling like a dairy cow (poor cows). And I paid full whack for it, so this is not an ad - hopefully the honest review helps! 🤱🏼 🐄
  • Boss level dadding by the best one. Happy Father’s Day, @roballison 💕🌟
  • I really loved babywearing with Hazel but with Leo, it’s a total lifesaver. He’s a bit of a velcro baby and doesn’t like to be put down, so as much as I love just sitting on the sofa cuddling him, the sling is essential if I want to actually get stuff done. I’ve tried loads of different carriers, from structured styles like the ErgoBaby (like it for when they’re older) to simple stretchy wraps (good for teeny babies) and have settled on the Close Caboo for now - it’s soft like a stretchy but way easier to put on, with no complicated folding or tying. Leo loves being carried about and will snuggle in for a sleep when he’s in there. Which is perfect for cracking on with life - chasing after a toddler, doing the washing up or sitting down to avo toast and a latte at my fave cafe.
  • It’s been hard to find my style again after having a baby. I was the same when Hazel was tiny - nothing in my wardrobe seems to work, so I buy new things in an attempt to look like the ‘old me’ when really I need to embrace my new shape and the need to whip a boob out at any given time. I think I these H&M leopard print trousers fit the bill perfectly, though! I’m vowing not to spend more money on new things and instead just make what I’ve got work, and share the results here when it does. Today’s outfit: ✔️

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