Welcome Back To The Leanne Weekly, Issue 16!
Still here, still pregnant, still in your inboxes….
I hope you all had a lovely Thanksgiving, if you celebrate. I can’t tell you how happy it made me to hear how much Christopher Kearby’s words resonated with you last week in the poem. His writing is so very precious to me (and my friends), so seeing you connect with it too honestly meant the world.
This week, I was showered by my beautiful besties, and it was exactly what my heart needed. We made Christmas baubles for the baby (they know me so well), we had the most incredible sound bath healing including a visualisation centered around me and the baby, which was so powerful. We ate rainbow cake, and spent a few relaxed, uninterrupted hours together full of every conversation, every tear, every laugh. I left feeling so full of love (and cake) I could’ve burst. Slowing down with your besties at a time when everyone is on fast forward felt SO good. We all needed that time together.
I think I’m finally entering the nice part of nesting. The deep cleaning phase is officially DONE (every cupboard, every drawer has been attacked), and now it’s the fun stuff. A little close to the wire, yes, but better late than never! I’m moving slower through the days, watching the cheesiest festive films, ordering ALL the bits, and quite potentially single-handedly keeping Amazon afloat. In the spirit of ‘treat yourself,’ I made a bit of a f**k-it purchase this week… a very lovely / very not practical coat. I’m obsessed with coats anyway, but this one felt like a little ‘me to me’ gift - something that will, without question, end up covered in baby sick, but will also make me feel just that tiny bit fabulous in those early postpartum days (if I even leave the house, ha!). Sunglasses and a good coat are both my absolute strength and severe weakness!
London is wet, wet, wet, but I can’t believe it’s December - baby month, my favourite month, and the month where the excitement is VERY real… as is the size of my belly.
Asking for a friend… you can’t actually pop, can you?!
One last thing before we dive in… I know I’m on maternity leave, BUT I did promise my Peloton crew a festive moment, and my 30-minute Michael Bublé Holiday Ride just dropped on demand yesterday. It is SO festive and genuinely magical with his tracks back to back, so go spend some ‘you’ time with me and Mr. Bublé! Enjoy!
Today, we explore The Power of Presence - why being truly in the moment is the real luxury of the season, and how slowing down helps us land in the life we’re actually living. From there, we’re stepping into The Art of Receiving (Instead of Over-Giving), a gentle reminder that support isn’t something you earn, it’s something you’re allowed. I’m also sharing this week’s Bump Notes - a little pregnancy check-in from me, before we wrap with Celebrating the Woman You’ve Become This Year - a softer, reflective moment to honour how far you’ve come. As always, you’ll find The List of Joy and my LTK faves to bring a little extra brightness to your week.
With that said, let's get into it…..
The Power Of Presence - Why Being Truly ‘In The Moment’ Is The Real Luxury This Season…
This time of year loves to convince us that luxury comes in big gestures - the perfect table setting, the right outfit, the twinkly plans, the full calendar. We’re then knee deep in Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals, and it all gets A LOT. The older I get, and the more I go through in life, the more that I realise the real luxury isn’t any of that.
“Presence is a quiet kind of wealth. It’s what makes an ordinary moment feel like a gift.”
It’s presence. It’s actually being here for the moments we rush through.
Presence is such a simple idea, but such a rare feeling. We’re constantly living two steps ahead - mentally writing lists while having conversations, thinking about tomorrow while standing in today, scrolling when our minds are craving quiet. Suddenly December disappears in a blink and we’re left wondering why the season that’s meant to feel magical feels so… busy and hard to connect to.
When you slow down enough to truly be in the moment - to notice the way someone smiles, the warmth of a room, a baby kick, a quiet morning, how someone’s life has changed that year - everything softens. Life becomes fuller without adding anything extra to it. We don’t need more, we need connection.
Presence is the ultimate luxury (alongside good health), but why?
Because it can’t be bought. Because it’s rare. Because it’s the one thing we’re all craving, even if we don’t always realise it.
Presence is the moment you put your phone down and actually listen.
It’s catching someone’s eye across a table and really seeing them.
It’s choosing to taste your tea or coffee, not inhale it on the go.
It’s pausing long enough to recognise: This. This is what matters.
How could we reclaim presence this season - not as a rule, but as a kindness?
One unplugged moment a day - no phone, just you (and maybe someone you love).
Slow your transitions - Instead of leaping from one task to the next, take a moment to breathe, reset, and arrive.
Let conversations be conversations - Not multitasking. Not planning. Just talking. Just listening with phones down!
Presence with yourself counts too - Especially now. Checking in with your body. Resting when you’re tired. Actually hearing yourself instead of overriding the signals.
Presence is not always about perfection or mindfulness apps or reinventing your life. It’s simply about remembering that the moment you’re in, is the only one you ever actually get to experience. In a month where everything competes for attention, choosing to be fully here with your people, with your home, with your body, with yourself, is the most luxurious thing you can give or receive.
Now, talking about receiving…..
The Art Of Receiving (Instead Of Over-Giving)…
“Over-giving isn’t generosity, it’s self-abandonment dressed as kindness.”
Women are exceptional givers - it’s practically our default setting, but so many of us struggle with receiving. Now it’s not because we don’t need the help or the care or the kindness, but because more often than not, it's been driven home to us that being ‘capable’ means doing everything ourselves. December has arrived with its long lists and even longer expectations, and suddenly we’re juggling - the food prep, the plans, the emotions of the season. Who needs what gifts, or manically looking at the calendar convinced you’ve forgotten some event or something for the 1500 events kids seem to have at school before breaking up for the winter break. 9/10 times we’ll say ‘I’m fine’ through all this.
Here’s the quiet truth of this season: receiving is not a weakness. It’s connection. It’s letting people love you. It’s softening the reflex to say ‘I’ve got it,’ when someone is actively trying to lift something off your plate. It’s allowing compliments to land without batting them away. It’s accepting help without over-explaining why you need it. It’s remembering that support isn’t something you earn, it’s something you’re allowed.
Especially right now, when the mental load skyrockets and our bodies naturally crave a slower pace (we know from last week's issue, that it’s a REAL thing in women's bodies at this time of year), receiving might be the most grounded thing we can practice. Let someone drop off the dessert. Let your partner wrap the presents their way (even if the corners aren’t perfect). Let a friend help, even if it feels uncomfortable. Let people show up for you, not because you can’t do it all, but because you don’t have to.
Maybe this is the year we stop wearing self-sufficiency like armour and start letting ourselves feel held instead?!
Speaking of letting yourself be supported… a little baby update feels fitting here, because this season of life is teaching me to be open to receiving love and help more than ever. I’m not very good at it, but I cannot deny, welcoming extra help as I’ve got bigger and moving a little slower, has been a lifesaver!
Bump Notes From A Slightly More Arranged Nest…
Nursery is 90% done, minus the wrong cot being sent not once, but TWICE! I know the baby won’t be in there for a while, but we just wanted the space done and dusted, so it can be a quiet spot in the home should we want to use it for that. I already find myself sitting in there just ‘being’, so completing it fully ahead of the baby is definitely on the wish list! I LOVE what we’ve done with the space - I chose a beautiful paint colour called ‘Ringwold Ground’ by Farrow and Ball. Soooooooo creamy!
The hospital bag is officially packed. We left this pretty late, and wow, have people loved to tell me that, but I actually think the bombardment and therefore overstimulation of what everyone puts in their bags on social media, put me off. My algorithm is obviously full of all of this kind of stuff, and for a first time mum, it takes a lot to look away and do it your way and keep it streamlined.
Seeing a baby seat, a pram, a little moses basket and all the baby bits scattered around the home is making it all feel SO REAL! Why do I feel like I’ve only just realised I’m having a baby and I’m not just going to be pregnant forever?! Haha.
Now this is the big one - IDENTITY! Ultimately, if the baby came tomorrow (I’m pretty sure it won’t - I’d say we’ve got another week or so) we’d be more than ready. What has been such a shift for me since starting maternity leave has been the feeling of such a big identity shift within myself. Slowing down has created space, both physically, emotionally and mentally. I said this in my last class the Sunday before last, but Peloton has really been such a constant for me over the years, and especially in the last 3 years. It has been my focus and purpose in the high moments and more so, in the low moments. To remove that constant ahead of a big life change is both liberating and also very strange. I often wonder what I’ll grip onto when life changes, and then I have this acceptance that it doesn’t have to be anything. I now have space to really indulge in the thoughts and preparation of the next chapter and it’s beautiful, it’s different, and it’s not something I often hear women talk about. What I’ve found is that SO many people offer advice, both solicited and unsolicited, and it’s usually when my brain is already completely full, and everything is so contradicting. The focus is so much on your baby and how you will care for them in the best way possible, and meanwhile there is this HUGE change happening for the mother to be and their identity - letting go of parts of who they were, and being ready to welcome a new title of mother. I just think it’s important to take a moment and acknowledge this part. I think you can feel so excited and ready for the next chapter, and also a little, dare I say, sad/apprehensive/nostalgic at how much things are going to/have changed. Two things can always exist at the same time, and as I find myself at this place, I just think to myself, as I always do, that women are f**king amazing!
Now back to you, and celebrating all that you have become this year….
Celebrating The Woman You’ve Become This Year…
As the year draws to a close, it’s easy to focus on what we didn’t do, didn’t finish, or didn’t get quite right, but before the clock resets, there’s something far more meaningful to acknowledge: the woman you’ve become along the way. Not the to-do lists you conquered or the milestones you hit, but the quiet strength, the soft shifts, the resilience, the honesty, and the growth that unfolded almost without you noticing.
This year asked a lot of you. Every year does. Some chapters will have been loud and defining. Others will have been subtle, private, and deeply personal. You adapted. You softened. You rose to things you never expected to face. You learned more about who you are, what you value, what you’re no longer willing to carry, and what you want to move towards. That’s worth celebrating.
Maybe you set boundaries for the first time. Maybe you let yourself rest without guilt. Maybe you were braver than you planned, or gentler than you used to be. Maybe you finally asked for help. Maybe you learned to receive it. Maybe you kept going on days you didn’t feel like you could. Maybe you found joy in places you never thought to look.
And if this year held big life shifts - pregnancy, postpartum, healing, reinvention, starting again, or simply holding it all together, then celebrating yourself becomes even more important. Your capacity, your softness, your adjustments, your listening, your learning… it all counts.
So before you step into 2026, take a moment to see yourself clearly. Not through pressure, comparison, or expectation, but through compassion. You’ve grown. You’ve changed. You’ve earned your own pride.
Celebrate the woman you’ve become. She’s taken you all the way here, and she will take you into what’s next, too.
“You didn’t just survive the year, you shaped it. And it shaped you right back.”
List Of Joy…
📺 Watching: NATIVITY One of my favourite, ‘feel good’ festive films! It is one of the first I watch every year, and it makes me smile, laugh, sing-a-long EVERY time! Get into it!
🍽️ Eating: SUSHISAMBA This week, we had a lovely lunch with Ben's parents at Sushi Samba in Covent Garden. The menu is so great for any dietary requirements, or if you’re eating pre theatre or want to make it extra special in some way. The staff are super attentive, the decor is fab and there are gorgeous options if you can’t or don’t want to indulge in the sushi as much as you’d like to! Ben pretty much had to roll me out of there!
🎉 Visiting: SELFRIDGES this season for the free Confetti Spectacle Show and roaming Santa that you can take selfies with and talk to on the go. No long queues or booking required! Think music, dancing, characters and a very impressive confetti cannon. Every year Selfridges does something pretty fabulous for all the family to enjoy. This year it's in partnership with Disney, so EXTRA special! If you’re visiting London, definitely check it out.
LTK Of The Week…
ASOS DESIGN tinsel oversized jumper and midaxi skirt co-ord in gold - just bought this for Christmas Day. Comfy AND festive!
JOHN LEWIS silver disco ball decoration - Great room decor for Christmas and beyond. Great gift for a friend! Great price! Flat base so it doesn’t roll around!
SPACE NK Aesop Resurrection Aromatique Hand Wash - all over our house! Love and good sale price.
ELF Brow laminating gel - Easy way to step up the make up game this season!
NOBODY’S CHILD White Aspen treasures pyjama set - Now this is how you do festive pj’s!
OLIVER BONAS Reading Is Sexy Needlepoint Framed Wall Decor - very appropriate for The Leanne Weekly readers!
THE WHITE COMPANY Larton Scalloped Marble Bowl - I just bought this as a trinket dish for our spare room, where my Mum will be spending a lot of time over the next little while! It’s also a great gift for Christmas!
AMAZON Better You Magnesium flakes - A bath with these added, will give you some of the love, and rest your body so deserves as the year comes to an end.
And that’s Issue 16 wrapped - a little presence, a little more on the receiving, and a whole lot of celebrating the women we’re becoming, even in the messier moments.
P.S. If you feel like sharing The Leanne Weekly with two friends who’d love this space, the D.Louise treat is still there waiting, and I hope to be back in your inbox next week… baby depending! x
