When I was pregnant with my second son Will, I took to pinterest and instagram to get some inspo for his nursery. As a blogger, I felt obliged to provide my readers with something ‘instagramable’ and cool when it came to showing a hint into my home world. Also, as I found out I was having another boy, I wanted to do something special for him and for me as I knew the rest would be a whole lot of hand me downs from his older brother Aston.

When I was searching the net for some inspo, I came across a little girls bedroom that stood out to me. What I loved about this room was the clothing rail that hung beneath a wall shelf, perfect! just what I needed to add a cool element into his nautical room and because his teeny tiny room doesnt have a wardrobe!

After revealing Will’s nursery and posting a few nursery inspo images in other blog posts (see here and here ) with this little girls nursery, somehow, through the world of instagram, it turns out that my followers knew who that little girls nursery belonged to and since then, Sonja Bouw and I have become, well, insta friends.

Since then, Sonja has welcomed her third daughter, Teddie (Theodora) to her clan and has moved across the world to Chicago, which meant, decorating new rooms for her daughters, one for her two eldest daughters to share and one fresh new gorgeous nursery. As you can see, Sonja really knows what a girl wants and lets just say, if I ever have a daughter myself, I will be immediately asking her to design the nursery!

Along with these stunning images of the best girls nursery and little girls bedroom (Allegra and Anya) I have ever seen, I asked Sonja to send me (and you) some advice on juggling three children. She always looks so chic, so organised and in control on her instagram feed (I know first hand, it is just instagram and depicts one single photo you choose to take, but she always looks so happy! its infectious, I want some of that!)

So here are Sonja’s tips for juggling three kids…

  • Organise and simplify whenever you can, do your food shopping online, plan your meals for the week, have clothes laid out the night before to reduce the madness of the morning school rush.
  • Have your mumma uniform sorted! Feeling good about yourself can majorly impact your mama mood. Invest in some sporty luxe pieces including a staple hat (for when you’re rocking that greasy, unwashed hair) and a fab pair of trainers so that when you are running (literally) out the door each morning you feel confident, comfortable and presentable without having to waste too much time thinking about what you are going to wear.
  • Make time for yourself. Whether it be to exercise or take a nap, find the time to do something that makes you feel happy and re-energized so you can then refocus and be the best version of yourself.
  • Involve the children. Let them help prepare dinner or fold the washing. That way you get to spend time together, teach them a thing or two AND get some of the housework done minus the mumma guilt!
  • Expect the unexpected. I am a planner and very much a routine person but I’ve learnt that with three little ones things can get turned on it’s head at any minute. And that is ok. Feeding them fruit and toast for dinner is ok too 😉
  • But most importantly, when you’re having a challenging parenting day and need a little something to keep you going, just take a minute to remember the early years (when you are exhausted, chasing your tail most days and sometimes feel defeated) are when your child is going to love you more than  they ever will. Time spent with you is what they value the most. You are all they need. You can’t simplify more than that.

Be sure to check out Mrs Bouw’s IG and Blog