Hi everyone,

I am currently on summer holidays and really enjoying time out from blogging and work in general. I can't remember the last time I felt so relaxed and destressed. I recently got back from a holiday to Ibiza for my 30th Birthday which you may have seen on my Instagram (there is a stories highlight on my profile if you want to catch up) and it was my first holiday away from the kids, it has been over 5 years since I've been on holiday without them. They say travelling is good for the soul and this trip really was. I had time to myself and time to think without being interrupted. My thoughts were allowed to wander, to work themselves out, to understand. And this is how I have come to this post today.

I came to the realisation that the last decade had been quite a crazy one. I almost felt like I had lived a lifetime in 10 years, graduating, getting engaged and married, having my first baby, buying my first house, having my second baby, buying my second house. I realised I had been doing a lot of chasing, trying to reach goals, always wanting more, always trying to achieve more. But now it is finally time to accept. Accept what I have, what I have achieved and to be satisfied with it. 

Acceptance is so important, just being able to go yes I am where I am and that is ok can change everything. I think social media makes it very hard to accept our lives. We are constantly watching people with lives that are so much more luxurious than ours, that it sometimes becomes a bit of a normality. It can be a good thing as it makes us ambitious, working harder to earn a bit more money to buy that designer handbag, or in my case coffee table. I'm obsessed with home interiors at the moment, especially since I moved house. My Pinterest account is full of ideas. But anyway, it can also be a bad thing as sometimes some of these ambitions might be unrealistic which can in turn make us unhappy with what we are unable to achieve. Accepting where I am and not knowing what the future holds feels good for once.

I've learnt to accept people change. I am at a different place now with what I want. Things that made me happy a few years ago, no longer mean anything to me, relationships I had, no longer mean anything to me. Accept not everyone is going to be genuine and on your side. One thing I have learnt is it is important to make and break relationships, especially toxic ones, or even ones with people who just don't do anything for you. Relationships are all about give and take so don't be afraid to end relationships where it is all take.

Relationships take so much more work when you get older. Life gets busy, you need to make more time to see those family and friends who are important to you, I lost two friends last year one very suddenly and the other to a long term illness, but it taught me to really value those people who mean something to me and make time for those relationships. It's so easy when we are younger to see your friends and family all the time. But in the real world relationships become so much harder.  So if you are in my life at the moment, it's because I genuinely value you and love you.

I have honestly learnt to accept myself, love myself and my flaws. I don't care as much for my appearance anymore, I'm so much more interested in being a good role model for my girls. Showing them it's ok to be completely natural and still own it and be confident. Don't get me wrong, I still love to get my glam on as you can tell from my Instagram, but it just doesn't matter as much anymore.  I think finally at the age of 30 I am learning to love my natural curls, although it is always a love hate relationship as they have a split personality.

Accepting yourself and loving yourself is really hard but essential for happiness and maybe with age mentality changes a little. Accept not everyone will like you, I care less about what others think about me now and more about what I think about myself. People will always judge and there is no point putting energy into things you can't control. Since I have started thinking a little more selfishly for myself and my family, I have genuinely become happier.



I have also accepted not everything has to go to plan as there is a bigger plan and bigger picture. So I  go with the flow a little more and have learnt to be a little more spontaneous. I have got so much more I want to achieve in life, charity work, write a book, start my own business, maybe more kids? Ahhhhhh. I said MAYBE. But what I know is I have achieved so much already. By the age of 30 I am  married, have two babies and have bought my second home and have my shit together - kind of. But for once I am owning it. I am not chasing anything. I have everything I need, I am grateful and I accept it. Thank God.

Amina xx