Maternity Pictures in the Snow

Not short after knowing that we were expecting a February baby, I decided my maternity pictures would be taken in the snow. I couldn't imagine a better scenario for a winter baby! When I hit the 36 weeks mark, we finally made it happen in the French Pyrenees.

Desde que supe que esperábamos a un bebé para febrero, me imaginé con fotos de embarazo en la nieve. Creo que es lo más bonito que puede haber para una sesión premamá en invierno. El día que cumplía 36 semanas, por fin lo hicimos realidad en los Pirineos franceses.

 

As it happens, it was Liam's first time in the snow, so the day was even the more special! We made a vlog for the occasion that you can watch in my YouTube channel.

Era también la primera vez de Liam en la nieve, así que ese día fue aún más especial! Hicimos un vlog para la ocasión que podéis ver en mi canal de Youtube.

I was wearing the prettiest pregnancy dress from Asos, which I had already worn to a wedding some months before and absolutely love. Also, how amazing is this natural light effect we got in the pic below!

Para la sesión de fotos llevé este vestido premamá de Asos que ya había llevado a una boda unos meses antes y del cual estoy completamente enamorada. El color, el estilo, el encaje... todo es YO! ¿Y qué os parece esta foto de aquí abajo? Menudo efecto de luz natural capturó la cámara, me encanta!

These are pictures I'll treasure forever, the second time my body makes such magic and blesses our family with a new treasure.

Estas fotos serán un recuerdo para toda la vida, de este momento tan precioso en el que mi cuerpo, por segunda vez, obra su magia y nos obsequia con un nuevo tesoro.

Liam Rides A Pony

Last month we had one of the most memorable adventures with Liam yet. We went pony riding! Recommended age for pony riding starts at 2-3 years old, so off we went! We decided on the Centre d'Equitació Poni Club Catalunya, in Sant Just, as it's right next to Barcelona and that's where my friend Helena's brother keeps his horse, which we visited after the pony ride, too. 

I thought the activity was fantastic, not only because Liam looked like a pro on the pony and really enjoyed it, but because the ride is very well organized. A pony ride costs 7euros, and lasts for about half an hour. That's an approximate timing, because no one from the club comes with you, you just take the pony and go on the signaled path by yourself, which we thought was marvelous. The path is a circuit that leads you back to where you started, and it takes, indeed, around 30 minutes at a slow pace. 

Our partners in crime: my friends Helena and Cristina <3 Also, I love how Liam looks at mommy in this pic!

 

I was truly amazed at Liam and his pose for the whole time, he looked like he was born to ride a horse, ha! A month later, he stills asks me at least once a day to go back to see "Ben", his pony :D  

We went to see Helena brother's horse and Liam fed him so good! I'm so happy he enjoyed this day so much, as we all did! 

By the way, I was 33 weeks pregnant and felt huge already, imagine now at 38! :D

A Tea Party At Home

Meeting up with friends for afternoon tea is always a good idea, and as nice as meeting in a cafe can be, there's nothing quite like hosting a tea party at home. Not only because it's way more child friendly and you don't need to be worrying about where everyone's kids are, but because of the hominess that no cafe, no matter how hygge, could ever achieve. 

This last Monday I hosted a tea party for a party of four (plus two kids and the hubby who cared to join for the yummy cakes), and it was so nice! I made this rose hanging arrangement for the occasion, because I thought it looked so girly and quaint, perfect as a wall backdrop for a girl's tea party! You can find the original DIY tutorial here, even though in my case I simply used fake roses I already had home. 

As for the cakes, I baked a cheesecake and brownies, and I was congratulated on both of them. I used this matcha cheesecake recipe, simply omitting the matcha part. It was top notch for a regular cheesecake, but I like the matcha version (which I made for the hubby's 30th birthday) even better. You're bound to get compliments on both of them, so you're safe no matter which version you choose to go for :) Seeing how I had created the floral wall arrangement, I decided to incorporate some edible flowers to the cakes as well!

The brownies are something from another world, really. Definitely the best brownies I've ever had, and the reason why I never order brownie outside of home anymore, because I gave up on trying to find a better one. These ones are BBC's best-ever brownies after all, so yummy! I just think 180 degrees Celsius is better than the recommended 160. Also, I think it's better to make them the day before, as they do take some time to cool down.

Even though I have several kinds of teas at home, everyone wanted to try the Tea Shop's White Gracia Blend, which smells heavenly, so I just made a big pot of this. It's kind of expensive, as white teas are more delicate than green or black ones, but it's all worth it! We all enjoyed it and I highly recommend it.

Do you ever host tea parties at home? Next time I think I'll try an English style one, my fave!