In partnership with Love To Dream

Our beautiful baby girl, Paloma, is finally here and life as a family of five has officially begun. These first few weeks have been a blur of sleepy snuggles, long feeds, and slow days as we find our new rhythm. The third time around has felt different in the best way more present, more grounded. We’re soaking up every moment, even the tricky ones, because we know now just how quickly it all passes.

With a bigger gap between our kids (Peppa is 6, Hendrix is 9), it’s been incredibly special to see how gentle and besotted they are with their baby sister. Hendrix, especially, has blown me away -  he’s so confident helping with bottles, zipping Paloma into her Swaddle Up, and watching him settle her makes me want a million babies.

Now that we’re about seven weeks in, I thought I’d share a few of my favourite finds and some simple tips for travelling with a newborn—because yes, we’ve already done two trips and figured out what’s working so far.

SLEEP SANCTUARY

Before Paloma arrived, I had the best time setting up and styling her little nursery in our Bali villa and now that she's here, it's even more special. Her space is so “us” in terms of style, it's calming and full of love. I kept the palette and style in a similar aesthetic to the rest of the house, we occasionally rent our villa out when we travel so we wanted to make sure we could easily switch the space over for rentals. 

We've set up her custom bassinet next to our bed, filled the drawers with the tiniest clothes (including some hand-me-downs from Hendrix and Peppa), and incorporated a few of our favourite essentials that I know work. I custom-designed the bassinet and drawers so they could be exactly what I wanted, the beauty of living in Bali - we are surrounded by so many talented artisans. 

Now that I'm a third-time mum, I've really simplified what I use— I went so overboard with Hendrix buying absolutely every conceivable item but this time round we have really stuck to what we know and love. And some of our faves are the Love To Dream Swaddle Up, Sleep Machine, Cocoonababy, Lacevo Breast Pump, Meke Bottle Warmer and NanoBebe Bottles. 

The Love To Dream Swaddles have been my ultimate go-to, I used them religiously for both Hendrix and Peppa, and now with Paloma. I love the arms up position, all three have soothed using their hand so I like having their hands near their mouth. 

And now they have a brand new addition to their product offering - the Love To Dream Sleep Machine. It’s so handy, not only does it play soothing sounds and act as a soft nightlight (we use the red colour setting), but it also has cry detection so if your baby wakes in the night the sound will automatically play, it also has a Bluetooth option to play any lullabies or sounds from your device, and you can even record your own voice, Hendrix and Peppa love creating little recordings for Paloma, which is the sweetest ever. I also really love how it's so compact, we can move it around the house with us and so easy to pop under the pram when we are out and about or when we travel.

TRAVELLING WITH THREE

If you follow me on Instagram, you know that we've always been a travel-obsessed family, and now with Paloma, I'm more focused than ever on keeping our routines simple and familiar, no matter where we are. I've found that creating a consistent sleep setup is so key even if it's just having her Swaddle Up, Sleep Machine and Cocoonababy. It makes a world of difference. Even on the weekends in Bali, I take her wwaddle and sleep machine so her nap routine is consistent in the pram. I have always continued working when our babies have arrived, so having regular sleep is so important for me and our whole family so that I can keep on top of all the things. 

SOME OF OUR FAVE FAMILY FRIENDLY SPOTS IN BALI

Le Bajo - Pererenan - Perfect spot with the family, shaded area to keep Paloma out of the sun and a massive pool for the big kids, we spend a lot of time here.
Como Canggu - Hotel - great hotel if you want to be near the action, kids club!
Da Maria - great Italian where the kids can make their own pizzas
Potato Head - beautiful hotel to stay at or even just visit for the day, no kids club but huge pools and space to run around
Aerospace - If you get some rain or need a day out of the sun, Aerospace is an indoor play centre, our kids love it
Mookiland - Another kids play centre but outside
Waterbomb - Best waterpark in Bali, book a Cabana in the new section
Mrs Sippy - Kids love spending all day jumping off the big diving board, we love the food and cocktails as well so everyone is happy
Mana Uluwatu - Beautiful restaurant and pool area at Uluwatu Surf Villas, our kids always make so many friends in the pool there
Uluwatu Surf Villas - Great family-friendly villas - and perfect if you are in a big group as there is a bunch of villas to pick from
Family Nest Villas - A new spot in Bingin, has a huge kids club on site, and lots of villas so again a great option if travelling with a group.
Gelato from Ettore - Our fave gelato in Bali, so delicious, they are on GoJek so can get delivered anytime
Komune - Perfect spot to start your Bali holiday, its out of the busy parts of the island so you can really relax, has everything you need on site so you don’t need to leave. And great if you love to surf as the best break out the front. They do kids movies and activities.
Mari Beach Club - located in Seminyak, we love how it's not as party vibes as some of the other beach clubs, several pools and delicious food.
Ohanas Nusa Lembongan - Hotel and Beach Club in one, super kid friendly
Sundays Beach Club - Located in Uluwatu, stunning water and lots of activities for the kids to do like kayaking, paddleboarding and fires at sunset with marshmallows.