#THE 2024 DIARIES – A RECAP ON 2024 THUS FAR

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What a long time between posts. I have never gone this long without posting anything in this space for over a decade. Today we are reconnecting with a recap journal covering some of 2024 thus far. With personal stories to thoughts on fashion, beauty and local Perth events.

2024 THUS FAR

Not posting here on Inspiring Wit shows the shift in content demands given by social media platforms, where I typically post once a day or several times a week. Sorry to have ghosted you for so many months, for those who have been coming to these pages, I see you. Thank you!! Hi. I’d love to reconnect.

So how are you? Please let me know below in the comments what is up! 

For my part, I am six months pregnant, writing while my new kitchen appliances are being installed as we do a little kitchen upgrade. Though not the full renovation I would love to do it but can’t justify it. Navy, my now almost three-year-old is having a day with her Uncle and Nonna, out of the way of tradesmen and noisy drilling. 

TODDLER DIARIES

Navy herself is quite a fun character already, charming everyone daily. At present, she loves to rattle off stories she makes up on the spot, climbing, running races and playing with her new doll’s house.

The doll house is a work in progress, I bought a simple one and we are planning to DIY it to this dream doll house I can’t wait to get stuck into. So far I haven’t had time to kick that project off, I am hoping to get as much done pre-baby as I can.

Another thing Navy plays with lately is her stuffed toys and dolls, which is so cute! She was never really that into them until recently, so they felt like dormant characters taking up space. Somehow she also has accumulated too many, so I am banning any more. Help, parents, how do we stop new toys from taking over the house?? Her birthday falls just before Christmas, so I know there are more toys to come. 

MY PREGNANCY STYLE

In terms of my style and fashion documenting and content sharing to hopefully inspire my community, it is taking somewhat of a pivot again (naturally) during pregnancy. Though I still stick to my usual clothing brands, I have added one or two maternity-specific pieces to the mix, finding something that still reflects my style without feeling unflattering. Pregnancy styling is a lot to think about some days!! 

The usual everyday go-to might be black activewear leggings, an oversized tee or fitted tee and an oversized button-down shirt. Or a stretchy knit dress that accommodates a growing bump, or a knit skirt and top combo. I have also been trying to be mindful when I shop.

The last time I was pregnant I did not want to wear many of the bump-friendly clothes again. Instead of buying many new pieces, I have opted for sizing up in dresses from Depop, some of which have never been worn or lightly worn. It’s a cost-effective, more sustainable way to consume. The bonus is that I’ve found some pieces I will be happy and able to wear again later, with a few small alterations. Shop my Depop store here.

I’ve largely been sharing my outfit content on Instagram and YouTube with a touch of TikTok thrown in, so if you aren’t following me on any of those platforms, click the links and do so. I share slightly different content on each platform, so you get something unique. 

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THE ONE HAIR TOOL THAT CHANGED EVERYTHING

This year I have prioritised sharing skincare and makeup videos on Instagram and TikTok. I have so many great brands and products I use and rotate that I want to share with you!

Most recently I partnered with Dyson to share their new Airstrait styling tool which dries and straightens your freshly washed hair in one without heat damage. This has been the biggest time saver for me in recent weeks! I always dreaded washing my hair because drying and styling took so long. Now I can get on top of it quickly, more than halving that time. It is the biggest game changer and I will be recommending it as an epic Christmas gift!! 

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PERTH’S NEW GUCCI STORE AND VOGUE FESTIVAL

Locally, I was invited to the cocktail party launch at the new Gucci store in Perth at Raine Square last week. The store is huge, bright and stunning. Naturally, I walked out with a small wish list of a bag and some shoes. The stunning burgundy Jackie bag topping the list. And those chairs too, of course.

In recent weeks I also checked out the new season collections at Karrinyup Shopping Centre with brands I love like Aje, Assembly Label, Viktoria and Woods, Oroton, Bec and Bridge and many more. I went to the Vogue event they hosted as a part of the Vogue Festival, which was a great event to have here in Perth.

Honestly, in terms of fashion events here, there is such a need and demand for it. However, things are moving slowly still after COVID put us on the back burner. Not to mention the increased cost of living, it just means the fun of fashion takes more of a back seat. I would love to see it all increase again little by little. After all, this is what I love! 

REFORMER PILATES GIRL

Pilates reformer classes have been a staple in my routine for almost two years. I go to (and have since become an ambassador for) Best Body Pilates studios here in Perth. The best part is that I can book classes in studios all over town. During my postpartum recovery, it helped me regain my overall tone and strength. During pregnancy, it helps me to keep my strength, particularly in my legs and arms. Plus I can push myself as much or as little as I like during the classes as the instructors offer different difficulty levels.

Before falling pregnant again, I was pairing my classes (3-6 per week depending on my schedule) with a couple of runs. Getting up to about 8k runs helped with my physical and mental health. I am not able to run during pregnancy due to my pelvic separation so I am looking forward to that post-baby. 

MY PREGNANCY JOURNEY

I go into a lot of detail about my pregnancy journey in an in-depth YouTube video which you can find here. I will recap just a little. Falling pregnant again after having Navy felt a lot more challenging. It took longer, naturally prolonging the disappointment each month when those little tests weren’t positive. Unfortunately, we experienced loss too. One as a chemical pregnancy loss and another at around 13 weeks. This hit me hard, I spent much of last year grieving. The idea of never meeting our would-be second daughter who we had named Rio was a lot to let go of.

The path to pregnancy and motherhood can be so different each time and for each woman.

If you have experienced loss, infertility or secondary infertility I hope you find comfort in knowing you are not alone. By sharing my experiences, I hope to reach people who need to hear them. To bring some feeling of solidarity. It is a hard thing to go through, and I would not wish it upon anyone. 

As this week I am 25 weeks into this pregnancy, I am feeling a lot more positive. Every scan has gone perfectly well, I feel the kicks every day all of which is very reassuring. We have found out the gender too, which I will share on Instagram soon, so keep an eye out.

My Instagram feed has been favouring one colour I noticed, so I am not sure if I am channelling something there. I’ll leave you to your guesses. I liked reading over my pregnancy journal posts from three years ago recently so I will share an update in a separate post soon. Though, honestly, the symptoms have largely been the same. 

WHERE DID THE TIME GO? I KNOW I HAD SOME (OR SHOULD HAVE!)

Last month I celebrated my 41st birthday! It honestly feels weird to be in my forties. I don’t feel like I am. One thing I am happy we did this year which I didn’t do too much of last year was celebrate. A little with friends and family, I had my friend Theresa from Chubby Baker Theresa make a beautiful retro-style cream cake with black bows. Naturally, I had to match it to my outfit!

I have so much more to share with you and wanted to kick things off. Hopefully, this little diary catch-up was fun. Next time I am eager to get stuck into new fashion and beauty loves and ideas.

For now, take me up on those links to the other social platforms to keep up to date. 

All my love, Jenelle xx