Top Picks from George @ Asda SS17 | The Curly Mother

Hey! Long time no speak. Today's blog post brings you my favourite picks from none other than George @ Asda. I have been a fan of 'supermarket fashion' for a long time. It's good quality, affordable and you can pick up a new outfit whilst getting your weekly shop - what's not to love? A bit of fashion with your frozen fish fingers... Why not!

I am forever browsing/window-shopping in places like Asda, Sainsbury's and Matalan  so I hope to make this a mini series on here where I can showcase all of my most-lusted pieces. I will be covering Women's, kids and home. Let's get started...

 Gingham Dress (£16) | Fringed Backpack (£18) | Bee Jumper (£14) | Shell Swimsuit (£12)

Satin Scarf (£6) | Leopard Ankle Boots (£22) | Embroidered Biker Jacket (£35)

Now, of course a post about Asda would not be complete without some of their infamous bedding. Asda bedding is LIFE. Amazing quality, awesome prints and ridiculously cheap. I think I am definitely going to have to pick up a couple of these on payday!

Standard Asda bedding pricing is £9 for a single, £11 for a double and £13 for a king.

Botanical Leaves | Bright Paisley | Pastel Cactus | Bright Tropical

Strawberry Swimsuit (£6) | Floral Top (£6) | Floral Backpack (£8) | Strawberry Romper & Hat (£6)


I'm really sorry for not including a 'Boys' section... The truth is that the range at Asda was pretty pants. Apologies for that! I'll try on the next one because some shops have amazing boys clothing.


And that is it, my lovelies! Thank you for reading and I hope you liked my picks. Tell me what your favourite pieces are in the comments below...

Peace out,
Amber Rose x

THIS. IS. POSTPARTUM.

So, you go through the best part of a year growing this tiny human inside you. You are bombarded with hundreds of photo's of beautiful beaming ladies with their perfect bumps via mummy magazines, pregnancy updates emails, books, maternity clothing sites - you name it. We are all told about the 'pregnancy glow' and the luscious thick hair we are suppose to get (I didn't). I was very 'into' my pregnancy - I went to NCT classes,  I was part of (and eventually set up my own) Facebook mum groups, I signed up to every weekly email update going and subscribed to all the online shop 'clubs' (Boots Parenting Club, My Mothercare etc) however even I didn't see many photo's of mother's after they had popped their sprog out. There wasn't much information on what to expect when you are no longer expecting.

Now, I'm not necessarily talking about the nitty gritty postpartum bleeding, sore nipples kinda thing. That's for another day. I'm on about what happens to your belly after the bump. What happens to my skin? Will my body ever be the same? Am I the only one with this many stretchmarks? Questions that aren't that easy to answer without trawling through different forums online and parenting forums can be a scary place full of strong opinions and Googled-medical-advice. Motherhood can be a very lonely place and things like what your body will look like after you give birth aren't often the topic of discussion at baby groups. No one whips out their stomach and shows off their stretch marks in the middle of Messy Play (I wish they did!).

THE Ultimate Mama Merch Gift Guide | The Curly Mother

I don't know if it's just me that is completely obsessed with anything that has some sort of version of the word Mother/Mumma/Mama on it. I don't know why, I guess I feel like being a mum is like joining some of sort awesome club and I just wanna declare that I am a member by having it written on a t-shirt. There ain't nothin wrong with being proud that you're raising a tiny (or not so tiny) human. I have complied a little list of all my favourite mama merchandise brands that I feel like YOU need to know about. The best part of it is that all of these are all small businesses so we gotta do our bit to support them! Here's my ultimate 8...

A New Leaf | The Curly Mother

Hello... My name is Amber and I am starting a new. Formerly, Atomic Amber, I have decided to move on from the 'pinup scene'. I haven't felt quite right in it for a long while but I carried on thinking it was just a phase that would pass. But it didn't and 11 months later here I am looking like a curly-haired mom from the 70s in my turtle neck and kick flare jeans. And I bloody love it!

There are many reasons why I have wanted to move away from my old style and scene but I wont bore you with the details (I will totally bore you with some of the details). Basically, I am just not cut out for the whole 'perfectionism' thing. I feel like I have to compete and this mumma just aint bout that life. I felt like the scene that boasted 'girl power' and supporting one another just wasn't what it seemed. I started to feel 'not good enough' and that's when I knew my time was up in the world of 40s/50s. In regards to the actual style, it just happened naturally. I drifted away from the long circle dresses and fell head over heels with the swingin' sixties at the end of last year when I was heavily pregnant. I feel more relaxed in the later eras and less bound by what gets you the most likes on social media.

The 70's is something I would have never imagined myself experimenting in. For a start, the thought of flares use to send shudders down my spine. My legs have always been my 'best feature' so the thought of hiding them in masses of fabric just seemed alien to me. However, I stepped out of my comfort zone and was pleasantly surprised. This year was the year I decided I wanted to embrace my natural hair and once I discovered the Curly Girl Method I never looked back. I feel like my naturals curls and the 60s/70s really compliment eachother which is something that is really important to me. I love that I don't have to slave over my hair with rollers and hairspray just to feel 'done'.

Now, don't get me wrong, I am in no way slating anyone here... I am just simply saying - it is not 'me' anymore. I still appreciate the style and the wonderful people in it. I have met some of the best people I know through it. I just don't feel as confident in a 50's wiggle dress as I do in a 60's mini.

Even though I have mentioned that I will be switching it up to the later eras I will be bound by them. I will wear what I want, how I want, when I want. Whether that's a jumper, jeans and trainers one day or a psychedelic shift and bright tights another. I want to be able to mix it up and not have people question my decision.

Since becoming a mother, my priorities changed massively. My concerns aren't whether the roll in my hair is still in one piece or whether my seams are straight. To be honest, I have never been a very high maintenance kinda gal anyway. I am a lady who will choose comfort first and foremost and I am totally cool with that. I want to reflect that through my online presence. I want to be real and relatable. I want to talk about motherhood and mental health.  The things that matter to me.
 

So, that's my update! I have a lot more to say but I'll save that for another post. I'm still working on this blog in terms of themes/links etc so apologies if there's a few glitches. I have SO much I want to share with you all and for the first time in a long while I am actually excited to get back on the blogging train!

I won't be offended if I am no longer your cup of tea, but if you are sticking with me then let me know if you have any blog/video requests regarding motherhood/lifestyle/hair/mental health.

All my love,

Amber xx

The Curly Mother