Tuckernuck's Sample Sale + January's Ask Alyson Haley Questions
What I'm eyeing from Tuckernuck's Sample Sale plus how tips for taking a toddler to Disney, tips for new moms about to give birth, if I was with Fish when he passed, and more!
Hello, friends! Anyone else just feeling super sluggish this week?
I was hoping to get this out to you on Tuesday and it just … DID NOT … happen. Just a reminder that between the weather, the wellness ailments, as well as the change in hands in Washington [which always inevitably makes everyone feel some type of way] … I hope you’re taking it easy, giving yourself lots of grace, and doing well overall!
I thought it’d be fun to start this first Ask Alyson Haley off with a video message as a way to touch base personally and ask what you’d like to see in this newsletter in addition to me answering questions! So, grab a hot tea or a cup of coffee for a little chat then I’ll get to your questions!
Actually, before we get started, I wanted to give y’all a heads up about a sale I just realized was going on that is SO. GOOD. The prices are insane so wanted to pass it on.
Tuckernuck Sample Sale
Tuckernuck is one of the retailers I missed shopping at so much while I was in the UK. They always have such a great selection of classic, elevated pieces. If you’re wanting to look and feel polished, always consider taking a look at what Tuckernuck has. They currently have their Sample Sale going on where some of their most beautiful products, most fully in stock, are up to 80% off! HERE are my picks!
Your Questions Answered
There have been lots of big life changes for you recently. How are you holding up?
This is such a kind question and it came in from so many of you.
Honestly, I am doing okay! There are certainly moments where I feel extremely overwhelmed and discouraged, frustrated that I can’t get things the way I want them fast enough. There are just so many things need my attention and I put a lot of pressure on myself because I am essentially the sole provider at the moment. John has been so helpful but, sometimes, there’s only so much I can outsource to him. But, I just keep reminding myself of the famous adage ‘Rome wasn’t built in a day’ and I just try to tackle one things at a time. I feel so lucky to have someone alongside me that is truly so compassionate and kind and always the first to remind me that I’m doing great and enough at the same time.
Ha, but put in a wellness check reminder for me again in May when this little one arrives … ;)
What are some of your travels for this next year, if any?
Great question! Sadly, we don’t have anything planned.
I mentioned the other day that I’d love to getaway to Palm Beach for a babymoon being that we didn’t have the chance to enjoy one when I was pregnant with Louie. And, I’d really really like to do that but, truthfully, that might not be something we can swing for various reasons … mostly just a lot on the horizon for us to pay for and want to be mindful of our spending. But, who knows, things could change!
Something that I am strongly considering is actually going to London at the end of Feb / start of March. That trip would be a solo work trip, essentially.
Other than that, we will also plan a trip back to the UK later in the year to visit John’s family. We will likely be there for a good majority of December and spend the holidays with them so, we’re looking forward to that.
Y’all know my love for travel so, for my sanity, there better be some other trips planned for this year but, as of right now, we are in a bit of a building phase and not quite sure what makes sense for us to commit to right now so, stay tuned!
What are your top 5 favorite things you love about being back in the U.S.?
• Being close to family
• More opportunities to work with brands and, therefore, there’s more ease in getting back to supporting myself and my family
• More space
• Cheaper taxes, hah
There are other things I love but I would say they are things that are quite low on my list of ‘musts’ when it comes to choosing a place to live like, driving again and shopping at retailers I had missed. Those things are nice but, truthfully, while I appreciate the things listed above [a lot] … I think my heart will always be in the UK. It’s certainly not perfect and I certainly don’t dislike the US — and maybe time will change this answer, who knows — but, right now, I am really missing the UK but choosing to make the most of the time we have here.
What are the top 5 things you miss about living in the UK?
• Living in close proximity to London [my favorite place for those who may be new]
• Commuting on trains and the tube and walking everywhere
• Enjoying seasons and dressing for them - even though the slog of January through March in the UK is tough, I won’t lie - and living more aligned with the seasons
• The ability to more easily access nature and get outside at least once a day
• Louie going to bed at 7:30pm and getting at least 12 hours of sleep at night
• The comfort of how safe I felt everyday dropping Louie off
• The cozy pub culture along with the variety of food options & knowing there was a higher regulation over ingredients that can be within food products
• How beautiful it is — it certainly has places that aren’t ‘beautiful’ but I love all of the old stately homes, the architecture and how lush it is
Are you and John married? I see two rings.
Ohhh, you little Nosey Parker [my favorite English phrase] ;) Hah, I can neither confirm nor deny.
Subscribers always get first access to all the juiciest updates so, when there is an update on this topic, it’ll be posted here first.
Can you share links to the outfit you wore to Disney?
Sure! I popped the links just underneath the photo for you! I’m sorry you can’t see the sweatshirt that well … it had a holiday inspired image of Daisy and Minnie in case you’re wondering.
Do you have any tips for a first time mom who is about to deliver in 3 weeks?
Oh my goodness, well … first congratulations ahead of time! You’re going to do GREAT. I’d say:
• Advocate for yourself during your birth experience, if needed. Make sure you’re being informed to the fullest degree possible and don’t be afraid to ask more questions if you don’t feel 100% right about something.
• Either ask a friend to start a Meal Train for you and your partner for after the baby is born OR start making some meals now that you can make two batches of where you can use one for dinner the night you make it and freeze the other one down for after baby is born.
• Take any and all help that is offered but especially utilize your partner as much as possible. He sterilizes bottles, nipple shields, pump parts, all of it. He gets the baby out of the bassinet and hands him or her to you for feeding. He cleans everything - every surface, all laundry loads, etc. He makes all of your meals and cleans up afterwards. He restocks all food. He helps you in and out of bed, in and out of shower, on and off the toilet, etc. He refills your water bottle and checks it for you so you’re not having to go without. If you’re exhausted, he holds the baby if they’re awake [see this post for more on if the baby fusses with Dad] so you can sleep. Etc. Etc. Etc.
• Embrace the 5-5-5 rule: There’s a rule a lot of midwives go by that promotes rest for mothers for the first 15 days after she gives birth. It’s the 5-5-5 rule and it that basically states … after baby is born, you’re in bed for the first five days, on the bed for the next five days, and around the bed for the next five days. Sure, you do need to get up and get your blood flowing a little bit but you’re mostly resting.
Were you able to be with Fishy when he passed?
Sadly, no. I wasn’t with him.
Losing Fish was always going to be hard but not being with him was another layer that made the grief even more unbearable. It was my worst nightmare, especially because I always would say to him ‘it’s me and you until the end’.
Being that I have had so many big life changes happen quite literally back-to-back in the midst of just a really busy time for myself and my family, I wanted to allot each big moment a separate post to share with you all. So, with that said, I will be sharing more details about Fishy’s passing, the details surrounding it, and how it’s been grieving the loss of a pet in a post next week. Stay tuned.
I’m taking my 3-year-old to Disney next year. Any tips?
Ohhh amazing!!! Yes, here are a few things I’d say:
• Allow time to adjust to the time. If you are traveling from a different time zone I’d say make sure you’re allowing you and your little one time to adjust to the time change by keeping your plans to a minimum when you first arrive. I’d also suggest not planning the most exciting things for your first full day OR only planning one exciting thing & have it scheduled for earlier in the day.
• Go at their pace. Going with the flow is the best thing you can do. Come into the day with the mindset of it being about your child and let them lead the way. Utilize Lightning Lane [more on this next] to you’re not spending the whole day in lines but try to allow for space in between rides.
• Invest in Lightning Lane and allow for time to understand the process. Disney, in an effort to cut down on time spent in lines and to enhance visitor experience, offers guests and their families the opportunity to pay for their Lightning Lane service where you can schedule hour slot-times to ride certain rides. This allowed us to ride 7 or 8 rides with Louie throughout our first trip there with him and I think Jungle Cruise was the longest line we waited in [45 min]. He took one nap for about an hour and a half. It was honestly great and we all had a great time! However, every child is different and every day with every child is different so just go with the flow and let how your child is doing dictate where your day goes.
One additional tip to this … I’d suggest giving the task of understanding the in’s and out’s of Lightning Lane, how / when to sign up, and who manages the Lightning Lane requests in the My Disney Experience app to the parent who isn’t planning everything else, ha. For our trips, I am always the head of communication between our families [which includes initiating and maintaining communication regarding dates that make sense for us, what park(s) we want to do, the resort everyone is wanting to stay at, etc] and our Disney travel planner [shout-out to Allison, who is amazing!], who secures everything for us and let’s us know what experiences are available. My brother, Beau, is who manages Lightning Lane for all of us. Allison sends out the latest info on it to us ahead of time and he takes the time to see what changes have been made since the last time we went. Then, he uses the My Disney Experience app to ensure all of our family members are linked so he can book us all in for the same rides at the same times. And, after that, he just keeps everything flowing for us letting us know when we need to be at certain rides if we want to use our Lightning Lanes.
It’s an additional cost, which is frustrating of course, but I would say it’s worth it with little ones if you can swing it! It’s just a lot of additional information to take on understanding as well as an additional commitment to take on while also traveling with your child. So, divide and conquer if you can!
Did you name Rosie or did she come with her name?
Her name was actually Disco at first but, I didn’t feel like that suited her. We toyed with Annie for a moment which I’ve always loved for a little girl - whether it be human or dog - as it gives a bit of a nod to London as it was the name of the twin in Parent Trap, one of my favorite Nancy Meyers movies, that lived in London. But, it just didn’t quite stick. Her coat is so richly red and she’s so darling, I just thought Rosie really suited her.
Are you guys renting or buying your house?
This has probably been my most asked questions since we moved back. Understandably. I will be answering it in greater detail on Saturday. The post will be delivered to your inbox if you are subscribed!
What three things will you be buying in 2025?
Furniture - So, we moved to the U.S. with Louie’s glider and that’s it as it pertains to furniture. My dad and stepmom have been so generous in providing us with some furniture to use while we save money and figure out what we need which … has been beyond helpful! So, one of the things that we’ll be buying in 2025 is furniture to outfit certain areas that are currently bare — like Louie’s room, the nursery, the play room, and a few others - as well as our main bedroom and living room. We are starting with Louie’s room as it feels like the most important at this time being that he’s been sleeping in a little toddler bed in our room … and, with that, it will likely take time for him to get used to being in his own room again. We actually just bought this bed yesterday and was so excited considering the other two beds I had been mulling over [this one & this one] were so much more expensive. Anyway, so, yeah, we will be buying quite a bit of furniture this year. I
’ll keep you posted on what we end up getting! But, I’d also love to know where you’ve snagged great pieces at prices that aren’t outrageous … currently looking for a couch. Do any of you have experience with the following furniture brands: Sundays? SixPenny? Stay Homebody? Anabei? Would love ANY insight!
The support of a doula - I never shared Louie’s birth story with you all and that was partly because there were parts of it that I found to be quite traumatic. I didn’t feel supported in ways that I really wanted to be because of the pandemic. I had a private midwife who couldn’t provide her services in the hospital for me because of the restrictions at play so, I am really looking forward to having the support I really wanted back then .. for this birth. I recently hired a doula who has been highly recommended to me by my best friend and I am really looking forward to welcoming her support.
Help getting our house organized - As I mentioned in the beginning of the Q&A, I feel like I have so much on my plate that I physically don’t have the time and energy to get to it all. If I had more time to myself on nights and weekends … it’d be absolutely no problem for me to get teh rest of our boxes unpacked and our home organized but, alas, your girl is just … TIRED! So, I recently waved the white flag and have home organizers coming at the end of Feb to bring us some relief!
How does Louie feel about becoming a big brother?
He’s excited but I also think he’s a little nervous. Let me know if you have any tips for me because I want to make it as smooth of a transition for him as possible and I want to be super sensitive to his feelings!
Alright, that’s all I have time for this time around but I hope to get to more next time. Let me know what you want me to answer for next months’ newsletter and, if you can, provide any insight or feedback on what else you’d want me to include in the AAH newsletter each month! Thank youuu! Enjoy your evening! xo.
Hi Haley, I would definitely love to hear your astro thoughts or a workshop each month! Also I have felt terribly sluggish this week!
I don’t know much about astrology but I’m always up for learning new things. A little insight each month would be great!