I've been watching Louis for almost a decade, one of the first vloggers I followed! I definitely remember live the adventure! Peace out, enjoy life, and live the adventure!
Oh my god, the advent calendar discussion had me howling. "Are we supposed to be reviewing the chocolate?" "Tea makes me pee." Too hilarious. Feel better, Raya, skip any days you need.
I'm so glad Louis left in alot of that footage at the end because you guys were so slap happy and were just trying to wrap up the video 😅. Raya's and Louis's laughs are contagious. Great Day 2 Vlogmas guys, keep it up. You know we'll support you no matter what 😊
Raya - you are too hard on yourself!! This vlog was lovely! You pointing out the shortcomings for your expectations were the only reason any of us knew that this was not a perfect day!! Babies are a wonderful gift. Please try to enjoy all of the phases and give yourself some grace. The more you are able to just go with the flow - the more enjoyable VlogMas will be for all of you! Big hugs!! Love your channel! ❤🎄
I think it's agreed, "the boring part" was a favorite bit! Also, no NEED to stress and worry about the content. I really enjoy the raw and real aspect on vlogging! Been watching for so many years and never commented until today. ❤❤❤
We had some glass and ceramic ornaments when the kids were little but we put them higher out of reach. My parents got/had an ornament made for each (of our 3) children, each year, of something they loved/did that year. So we have everything from Bird Bird to car keys, first jobs to currently colleges on our tree. We absolutely love the walk down memory lane when decorating! My kids are 23 and 21 yr old twins now. The other special thing I made was a tree skirt with their hand prints on it each year. The first 2 years was just my daughter before adding the twins. We have their first 11 years on our skirt! Definitely a family favorite I can’t recommend enough. Enjoy these special memories.
Our baby had a sleep regression at the same time as being sick and we had the same sleep experience. Let go of expectations for sleep around regressions (which happen when they're making developmental leaps like he is now!) And nose frida before bed and every wakeup and humidifier all night to help with the cold. He may be waking up because his congestion is pissing him off!
Please don't feel pressured and stressed about vlogmas. It must be hectic and crazy to accomplish and we are giving you permission to share your daily life with out having to "perform" or make sure it is not boring or your need to make it exciting. PS loved the advent calendar section! My hubby and I made reusable calendars from wood this year for our kids (33F) & (28M) but it is going to be a new tradition we will fill the small boxes for them each year! We did fancy chocolate and money this year but I want to collect small items through out the year in the future!
Don’t worry about packing the vlogs it’s just fun having the content! A house tour would be fun! Brighton Christmas lights! Also I don’t have kids but mix plastic baubles with glass and you won’t even notice it makes the tree nice and full!
Definitely used glass ornaments when my kids were tiny,just not at the bottom & made sure they were very well secured. Sleep regression is hard,but also inescapable I think. Thankfully,just like every other phase,it doesn’t last forever! Though it might feel like it while you’re in the thick of it. No expectations for vlogmas,just enjoying the cozy random snippets of your lives,try to be as gentle with yourselves as possible,vlogging while parenting a baby etc can’t be easy at times. Looking forward to future videos,whatever they may be!
Raya & Louis -- Do not put pressure on yourselves. Vlogmas is an advent calendar of short, small treasures to enjoy. Trust us...we don't need long videos, just a quick snapshot of your lovely days. Hugs!
These vlogs are so much longer than I expected for vlogmas! I love it but know that you don't have to keep up with them 30 mins every day. Have a short day when you need one. MERRY CHRISTMAS!
Yes remember Live the Adventure been following Louis since before you guys got official!! Love to see how far you’ve come! Guys, please take it easy and don’t stress if you can’t do a vlog one day. Watching Vlogmas will be a joy in itself for me. As a parent, all I can say is do the best you can and prioritise yourselves and Neo. The years go by so quickly with kids so enjoy this time and be present too. We (viewers ) will always be here xx
With the glass baubles I think it depends on your flooring- if it’s hard wood and a fallen bauble would smash on the floor, I would leave them off. With a soft carpeted floor I’d be more lenient. Seriously it’s taken me a week to decorate a tree with two little ones. It’s all good, allow, we love the realness and day to day normality. ❤ Merry Christmas x
Neo is at the age that he needs to get out extra energy or restless energy before bed or naps(and hour before sleep works best).. Creating an activity that will push to use more of his little muscles and mentally will make him think, reach , pull up, crawl etc .. will help him sleep well ... Being sick and falling into a broken sleep pattern can become a regular thing if not getting regulated again.... You guys are doing amazing as parents! Keep being a positive force in this universe.
When our boys were young we did glass out of reach and touchable all around the bottom. Making the tree not a "no" zone letting them take them off and put them on to their hearts content. Also in life with boys who are now teens and both taller than mom, we still have non breakable things on the bottoms thanks to our cat whose greatest joy in life is knocking ornaments off the bottom. The pure joy he has with win is pretty amusing and he doesn't respect no zones anyway. We've embraced it and we put class high.😊
I read an article about sleep snd babies, and I have 4 boys, 23,21,15,10. All slept very different. But, the article I read recently said, as they hit different phases in this first 12 to 24 months, sleep cycles will change. So right now this waking up within 30 minutes to an hour after going down is usually a sign of his development, that he is needing reassurance that if he needs you, you are going to come in and help him settle. Some might say this is where you “teach” them self soothing. I struggle on that one when they see literally babies. Teaching them to care for themselves seems insane to me. Ultimately it’s a season, a hard one fid all of you, but a season. This to shall pass. With consistency of showing up when he needs help getting settled, and routine at bedtime you’ll find one night he just sleeps with no waking up. That’s when you know he now knows in his little soul that you will show up when he needs you. The article made complete sense when I read it. All my boys were vastly different sleepers, but all went through a similar phase as this. Also remember he’s growing physically and fast. So there is some discomfort not terribly but growing pains they can have as well.
I only left Brighton yesterday after a week there as part of our travels around the coastline of the British Isles that we, my 11 year old and I, started in May of this year in our truck home. I absolutely loved Brighton and vowed to return in the springtime. Watching your daily Brighton vlogs, especially of the beach, is making me want to go back already! As for babies and sleep, when they don’t sleep don’t stress about it. As soon as you think you’ve got it sorted their sleep pattern changes and you feel like you’re starting from scratch again. Parenting a baby is tiring enough as it is without entertaining negative thoughts about what you’re doing wrong. He will sleep at some point so just go with the flow as much as possible.
As a LONG time viewer of y'all's, starting with Louis like 20 years ago almost, then two you since the day you met, it's so cool watching you guys blossom into parenthood. I feel so proud of y'all, and can't wait to keep watching as the days and years go by, and seeing Neo become a little man. Just the most adorable family.
I understand your struggles with Neo. I had such an exhausting period when my son was this age. There are no tips and tricks. All babies and parents are different and no matter how much you try there will be those periods. Enjoy them. He will never be the same again and you will miss these moments. And if any comfort it gets easier and easier. The more he grows the easier it will get. At the age of 3 is the major update coming in a just like magic the communication and everything gets so much easier.
The last section with the advent calendars made me laugh so much! You should leave it more raw like the last section! Also the vlogs don't need to be 30mins, just 10mins would be equally as good 😊
i remember the struggles of being a new parent and nap time and bed time etc. The tiredness is insane guys and it can be really tough. But like all things, it passes with time. And i promise you, one day you will miss waking up all night, insane i know. But its even harder when they dont need you so much. you asked for tips so i dont feel like im over stepping here. I remember the main thing that helped me was a swaddle suit. You zip them into it and see the face immediately relax. Definitely worth buying and using. good luck!!!
Definitely plastic ornaments for a long while. We even put our tree on a table for several years once our son started walking....they get into everything. BUT, then when they are 4-5 & understand the ornaments will break, they will LOVE helping decorate & it will be the most magical time of the year.
The more real you keep it the easier as to watch. It lows my expectations of the perfect life. As an experience mum of 10-year-old and four-year-old I have majorly lowered my expectations. I go with the flow much more and embrace the chaos. I try and remember this is not a dress rehearsal they’ll never be one again it doesn’t matter if it’s perfect, to me what matters is living in the moment xxx
Neo is such a beautiful baby. I love watching your videos! As the mother of a 24-year-old and a 15-year-old, I never had an issue with them breaking glass Christmas tree bulbs. Go for it, Raya! It’s an opportunity to teach him how to be gentle 🥰
After 4 kids and 7 grandkids some were teething early and their ears hurt along with gum pain and nightmares. Please give yourselves grace during these stages of childhood. Self care and self love go so far! You already have the right idea napping when baby naps and helping each other out trading time with baby and parent. Love from the USA 🫶🏼
Baby sleeping tips: baby massages with lavender, singing lullabies, and classical music paired with back massages and dimmed lights (or turning the lights all the way out) worked well for me.
"Have fun, enjoy life and live the adventure!" Yeah, I started watching your videos in the food for Louis days when I was still at school and watched all the videos during the hardcore daily vlogging era. Now Im 28 and a mum of 3. We all grow up and life moves on but I do still watch and enjoy your videos.
I've always felt "Live the Adventure" is something that goes forever whether or not new content or merch is being provided frequently. It's more a mindset than a brand, yeah? Love the silly laughter and to echo others, care for you and each other. The length of the videos or whether you miss a day is okay. We'll always be here for you all!
We just decorated as usual and special breakable ornaments we put toward the top. We let our little ones explore the tree but always with supervision since there is also the danger of the tree falling on them. But really we haven't had a problem.
Just something very special about living on the beach, I mean literally on the beach! Back in the states in Massachusetts when you stepped off my patio you were on the water!! Just loved it! Best time was when the fall came and the tourists all went home...I never used plastic ornaments on my tree and none of my kids ever bothered with it. They were fascinated with it when it 1st went up but never touched it. None of my cats ever bothered with the tree! Now on the other hand my youngest sons cat climes up inside it!! His dogs do not bother with it. Neo is so interested with each little thing you are doing. He's such a good natured child. I'm sure you'll be surprised at how he will do with the decorations. Good luck ❤ U guys and ❤ seeing these vlogs every day. Merry Christmas 🎅🤶🎄
My kids are 2 and 4. We do glass ornaments up high and shatter proof lower down. When they were younger they would pull them off and throw them. We just had to be okay with a disheveled bottom half of the tree. But this year they have been so good! We also make homemade ornaments from orange slices and ribbon, found sticks made into trees and stars, and applesauce cinnamon cut out ornaments. They smell good, look nice, and aren’t glass if the kids play/ help with them. Happy Holidays ❤
Love your aspirations to get decorating done quickly. After three sons and now four grandkids, I can confirm it always takes longer than you plan for. Yes to plastic and cloth or fibre ornaments (baubles) at the bottom and glass or other delicate baubles tucked into the top of the tree. Love you and your family. Enjoy your first December as a family....and may the memories stay with you forever!🎉❤
Love the book advent for Neo! I grew up with a similar tradition in my family. The snowman book with matching plushy made me think of a brand that is sold where I work (a baby/toddler store). I believe the company is based out the UK. They make sensory books that usually have a matching plush toy. They're main focus is the toys, but their books are so lovely. The name is Jellycat. They have everything you can possibly imagine in plush form.
You guys are doing fantastic! Neo is so blessed to have you as a mum n dad! And hey your daily vlogs don't have to be 30mins. Pace yourself, we will love what ever you put on. Merry Christmas xx
I used to watch your vlogs with my younger sisters when I was in high school! We always wanted to send in one of the intros for your videos but never did in the end! Your videos are a little piece of nostalgia for me for sure, I just bought a hoodie( I still have a find the nomads tote bag from yearrrrs ago) wishing your family all the best! Can’t wait to get my hoodie! Can’t believe it was almost 10 years ago I started watching your vlogs!
The end was amazing - you guys are slap happy (so tired you're just laughing) and its amazing - very far from boring. Keep living the adventure you two!
No pressure on the vlogs! We are just excited to see you guys more often. As for sleep, just remember it's developmental. My daughter is 15 months. Some months she has stretches of sleeping great and then just goes through a phase of a hard nights. My philosophy at this point is radical acceptance. She might need me more some days and some days she won't. The things that has made it easier for me lately is putting in headphones and a podcast or vlog to listen to as a I settle her so it doesn't feel like just a waste of time or so frustrating. Sending hugs!
Live The Adventure BOOM! Also watching the part about the decorating of the tree, My husband doesn't even attempt to help decorate, he brings in the decorations in from the garage and that's as far as his decorating goes. lol You both will look back on this first year of parenthood and the majority of it will be a blur, just know you are both doing a great job! Right now you are tired, in 5 months Time will be flying! enjoy each sleepless moment, keep doing what you are doing, Sending much love!
I love the Christmas books! My kids are in their 20's and I still get our stack of books out for the holidays. I used to hit up our local library a little before Thanksgiving every year and check out a giant stack of the Christmas books they had. There were always fun new ones. It was one of my favorite Christmas traditions.
You guys are awesome! I have a six month old daughter and she’s been fighting sleep for a few months. I finally decided to just put her down and let her try and fall asleep without me - I come in every 3 minutes if she’s crying and soothe her until she stops crying, then put her down again. I’m scared of sleep training but I have been losing patience and had to make a change. A few days in and it’s been working for naps and bedtimes! She still wakes up every 2 hours at night though. Best of luck in finding whatever works best for you three!
My son is about two weeks older than Neo, and I'm going through the same. We had a good sleeper, with only one night feed/wake up, until about 4 months onwards and it's been a wild ride. Definitely found ways to cope, like tag teaming settling and sleep in the spare bed. It's always nice hearing from other parents (even if it's via a vlog!) going through the same. We've got this! 💪
I just love the real you all when you're laughing and enjoying each other's presents, it's so beautiful. And I love that christmas book idea that's genius... Now, for the Advent calendar, we need to start that. Tradition in the United States looks fun.
Peace ✌️ out, Enjoy Life and Live the adventure! Love the merch! OG viewer, miss your amazing travels, World flight was some of the best UA-cam I've ever watched. I wear my Louis Cole Tropic Feel shoes on all my travels. Keep it up guys, I'll be a supporter forever!
I love these videos, just seeing the three of you together and laughing was the best. Raya, my family always put the glass ornaments on the top and plastic on the bottom as well. As for the advent calendar. When I was a kid it started on the 10th and every day we put a wooden Christmas figure ornament on a cloth Christmas tree that hung on the wall. It was a homemade gift from my aunt and I still use it as a tradition with my family every year. You’re doing great please don’t get frustrated with yourself. All traditions usually start out with bumps in the road at first. Neo will love looking back at these memories when he’s older.
OMG LIVE THE ADVENTURE!!! I’ve been watching Louis for a long time. I remember the TukTuk run, when Raya was on the channel for the FIRST time, and when he and Ben Brown had many adventures as well. I want one so bad. 😭 But my Christmas for family comes first, stoked to maybe see these out in the world again. Peace out, enjoy life, live the adventure. ❤️
Oh, Raya. Remember to take your own advice. Take a breath. Don’t aim for perfection. Life will happen. Enjoy the journey. Let the Christmas tree be what ever it is going to be. Maybe do your own small tree that can be up high and be your work of art and beauty. It’s going to be ok.
This is helping me so much to get into the Christmas spirit. I'm living at my university right now so I'm not able to drive around everyday and see a bunch of houses decorated I'm just surrounded by lecture halls so this is so refreshing:)
live the adventure is how i first found you! those videos were a comfort to me. i said hi to you while waiting in line at vidcon in 2014 and it made my whole day 😌 glad to still be here after all this time and love watching your family!! 🫶🏼
I've never laughed so hard at one of your videos! The advent section was priceless. So relatable, new parents exhausted and then you get the giggles. Love that section. As for the tree, I used to put my glass/precious ornaments up high and leave most of the bottom section empty because my dog would always take the ornaments she could reach off the tree and then my son copied her.
When we travel we get a ornament from every place we go i like to get ornaments that's from that country homemade, to support the country, i call my Christmas tree the travel tree is nice puting the ornaments and remember the place with got them is very especial for us i was thinking to put a plane on top of the tree lol, but i think is too much, enjoy your tree and the little guy🥰❤many Blessings
My mom started reading to me when I was in her tummy and continued reading until I all of a sudden started reading on my own at age 3, so keep up the reading with Neo! So worth it!
Don’t make it hard on yourselves to have a 30 minute packed vlogmas everyday. A short and sweet 15 minute highlights is fine. Love seeing you three doing a few fun things together and that is that! Breathe! 🎄Smile!
Love your sweet family, travel and life experiences, and the American/UK blend, since I’m American and lived in the UK for 5yrs. You asked for vlogmas activity ideas… Spent a few years in Lincoln, you should check out the castle, cathedral and Christmas market there, and while in Lincolnshire the baby seals are at Donna Nook this time of year. Merry/Happy Christmas!
I hope we've all noticed that everyone was correct in their predictions. Neo has KILLER eyebrows. What a cutie! Have so much fun with your first Christmas with him! I love Advent calendars! We had chocolate as kids. With my kids we still do the chocolate ones. Babies sick? It's so sad when theyre stuffed up. Keep up the nursing and our kids did well at night with a humidifier. Other than that, we just made sure they didn't have fevers. If they did, some baby Tylenol (acetaminophen) worked well. Just make sure dosing is correct. I hope he feels better soon! Also, when my kids were teething, they took longer to settle, too. Poor babies.
You are such amazing parents! I applaud you 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻. As far as your son’s sleeping issues, he is at a self soothing age and that is ok to let him learn that. I’m a mom of five (now adults) and at this age my kiddos started to self soothe. It’s so hard to let them cry because we want to fix everything but in the end it all worked out ❤. In reference to your decorating… take your time and enjoy every minute of it… in your time, not ours. You have such a supportive community and your family is very loved. I’m so happy I found your page. I truly enjoy each and every video and your relationship, honesty, and how real you both are. ❤❤
I was dying laughing at the advent calandar scenes 🤣 you could honestly review a coffee shop every day and show me the ocean no matter the weather and I'd be happy! Cool to have daily vlogs again, and the "live the adventure" slogan sent me wayyy back into nostalgia!! I rememer Louis signing off all his wild adventures that way from so many random things in the UK and around the world. How life has changed
Late to the party. Trying to catch up on watching these. Loving these VlogMas videos so much! You guys are doing fantastic! Keep being flexible and going with the flow, & learning daily as you are already doing with Neo.
love you guys, my fav part of the vlog is when you are laughing and being goofy. We need to see that more. Your chemistry is beautiful.. love seeing Raya laugh whilst Louis is being silly ... you guys are great ! Neo gets cuter each time we see him. Looking forward to more of these vlogs. HAPPY HOLIDAYS !!!
My husband and I have a 7 month old and I totally get it! You really just have to roll with the punches. Having low expectations for the day helps me, then anything I get done is a win 😂. Hang in there and take care of yourselves! My only advice is have a bedtime routine (which it seems like you do), try to have him take naps around the same time every day , and hang in there 🤷🏼♀️. Personally our baby is still on 3 naps- 1st nap is 30min, middle nap is 1-1.5 hours, and 3rd nap is 30 min. I feel like we’ll transition to 2 naps soon though. Everything is a phase! ❤
We do a mix of kid friendly and breakable ornaments but we don’t put the breakable ones up until after the kids are done “helping” and put them out of reach. For toddlers who are crawling/walking, wrap large boxes, weight them down and put them around the tree for some distance.
❤ Raya, I love the fact that we can come along on your journey of decorating your house. It feels like we’re doing it together and for those of us without people around us it’s kind of like being able to have a family to decorate with so thank you. I love what you do and how you are. I’ve been in Nanny for 35 years and what you might need to do With the baby, is he’s probably getting teeth so a little herbal remedy rub on the gums might help if it’s sinus related a little baby Saline solution up his nose might help. Something else that might help is giving Lewis a lavender bath or spraying a little lavender on his sheets before he goes down it helps calm them.
Watching the two of you at the end of this video was making me laugh. What I see is two amazing people who love their child and who are probably sleep deprived and getting a little slap happy. Thank you for another wonderful video. Hugs to you from Georgia USA.
Omg the part with the advent calendars killed me, so funny. Love your videos, always makes me smile so much and this one in particular ^^ excited for the upcoming videos
We have breakable ornaments and we put them high enough so our 2-year-old can’t reach. We’re lucky though…she’s always been really good about the tree and has never really messed with the ornaments so I would imagine it totally depends on the specific baby/toddler!
My son was born 2 months before Christmas, from that first Christmas I have brought him a new special tree ornament, the first one was a mouse in a santa hat, when his sister was born 3 weeks before his 3rd birthday, I brought her an ornament as well so as they got older the trees got bigger, now I have a tree that is full of memories from each Christmas. 1 year I made some small cross stitch pictures in little oval gold frames, 2 x 1 1/4 inches, the kids didn't see them till I finished them and they were ready for the tree, I did a snowman, a tree with tiny red beads for lights, and a reindeer with the same red bead as the tree for his red nose.
I have two glass bulbs that we blew ourselves. They are some of my favorite and I alway put them on our tree (even with a two year old). We put them up high and tuck them into the branches.
I wanted to reply to your ornament question- our tradition is to hang the most important ones highest on the tree , out of touch by anyone. When our girls were babies I made felt ornaments and also found non breakable ones to hang lower on the tree in case they played with them or a cat tail knocked them down. This system has always worked for us and we’ve always been able to enjoy all of our favorite ones!
No advice on the sleep regression, just hugs. I loved this video. Your laughter during the advent bit was contagious and got me laughing too. Sending holiday cheer from Portland, Oregon 🎄
We bought a new hallmark ornament each year that related to something that happened that year. We wrote a note on the inside of the lid of the box. We read those notes each year while decorating the tree. Now that they are grown, it brings back such good memories. ❤️
I love you guys!! Loved the part with the advent calendar 😂 so pure and authentic ❤️🙏🏽✨ Live the adventure gives me nostalgic memories when I watched your daily travel vlogs 🥰
I've been watching Louis for almost a decade, one of the first vloggers I followed! I definitely remember live the adventure! Peace out, enjoy life, and live the adventure!
me too!
I just checked and I’ve been subscribed to funforlouis since April 2016 and rayawashere since august 2016!
Yep, he got me into vlogging
Same! Following Louis since almost day 1 of his adventure. Just got the long-sleeved T for myself for Christmas. Thanks, Louis! :)
Louis and Raya doing the advent calendars and being tired was SO funny!😂❤
Oh my god, the advent calendar discussion had me howling. "Are we supposed to be reviewing the chocolate?" "Tea makes me pee." Too hilarious. Feel better, Raya, skip any days you need.
I loved it too😂😂😂
I'm so glad Louis left in alot of that footage at the end because you guys were so slap happy and were just trying to wrap up the video 😅. Raya's and Louis's laughs are contagious. Great Day 2 Vlogmas guys, keep it up. You know we'll support you no matter what 😊
Ahh thank you so much!
I love the "boring" content. It's so cute sweet and genuine. Love when Raya gets the giggles!
“Peace out, Enjoy life & live the adventure. BOOM!”
Those were the days 😅🌅📷
Raya - you are too hard on yourself!! This vlog was lovely! You pointing out the shortcomings for your expectations were the only reason any of us knew that this was not a perfect day!! Babies are a wonderful gift. Please try to enjoy all of the phases and give yourself some grace. The more you are able to just go with the flow - the more enjoyable VlogMas will be for all of you! Big hugs!! Love your channel! ❤🎄
I think it's agreed, "the boring part" was a favorite bit! Also, no NEED to stress and worry about the content. I really enjoy the raw and real aspect on vlogging! Been watching for so many years and never commented until today. ❤❤❤
We had some glass and ceramic ornaments when the kids were little but we put them higher out of reach. My parents got/had an ornament made for each (of our 3) children, each year, of something they loved/did that year. So we have everything from Bird Bird to car keys, first jobs to currently colleges on our tree. We absolutely love the walk down memory lane when decorating! My kids are 23 and 21 yr old twins now. The other special thing I made was a tree skirt with their hand prints on it each year. The first 2 years was just my daughter before adding the twins. We have their first 11 years on our skirt! Definitely a family favorite I can’t recommend enough. Enjoy these special memories.
Our baby had a sleep regression at the same time as being sick and we had the same sleep experience. Let go of expectations for sleep around regressions (which happen when they're making developmental leaps like he is now!) And nose frida before bed and every wakeup and humidifier all night to help with the cold. He may be waking up because his congestion is pissing him off!
Please don't feel pressured and stressed about vlogmas. It must be hectic and crazy to accomplish and we are giving you permission to share your daily life with out having to "perform" or make sure it is not boring or your need to make it exciting. PS loved the advent calendar section! My hubby and I made reusable calendars from wood this year for our kids (33F) & (28M) but it is going to be a new tradition we will fill the small boxes for them each year! We did fancy chocolate and money this year but I want to collect small items through out the year in the future!
Don’t worry about packing the vlogs it’s just fun having the content! A house tour would be fun! Brighton Christmas lights! Also I don’t have kids but mix plastic baubles with glass and you won’t even notice it makes the tree nice and full!
Definitely used glass ornaments when my kids were tiny,just not at the bottom & made sure they were very well secured.
Sleep regression is hard,but also inescapable I think. Thankfully,just like every other phase,it doesn’t last forever! Though it might feel like it while you’re in the thick of it.
No expectations for vlogmas,just enjoying the cozy random snippets of your lives,try to be as gentle with yourselves as possible,vlogging while parenting a baby etc can’t be easy at times. Looking forward to future videos,whatever they may be!
Raya & Louis -- Do not put pressure on yourselves. Vlogmas is an advent calendar of short, small treasures to enjoy. Trust us...we don't need long videos, just a quick snapshot of your lovely days. Hugs!
Raya’s fit of giggles are contagious! Love seeing her get so tickled! 😂
These vlogs are so much longer than I expected for vlogmas! I love it but know that you don't have to keep up with them 30 mins every day. Have a short day when you need one. MERRY CHRISTMAS!
Yes remember Live the Adventure been following Louis since before you guys got official!! Love to see how far you’ve come!
Guys, please take it easy and don’t stress if you can’t do a vlog one day. Watching Vlogmas will be a joy in itself for me. As a parent, all I can say is do the best you can and prioritise yourselves and Neo. The years go by so quickly with kids so enjoy this time and be present too. We (viewers ) will always be here xx
We do glass ornaments on the second half of the tree where the kids can’t reach and the bottom half either wood or plastic balls!
With the glass baubles I think it depends on your flooring- if it’s hard wood and a fallen bauble would smash on the floor, I would leave them off. With a soft carpeted floor I’d be more lenient.
Seriously it’s taken me a week to decorate a tree with two little ones. It’s all good, allow, we love the realness and day to day normality.
❤
Merry Christmas x
Neo is at the age that he needs to get out extra energy or restless energy before bed or naps(and hour before sleep works best).. Creating an activity that will push to use more of his little muscles and mentally will make him think, reach , pull up, crawl etc .. will help him sleep well ... Being sick and falling into a broken sleep pattern can become a regular thing if not getting regulated again.... You guys are doing amazing as parents! Keep being a positive force in this universe.
When our boys were young we did glass out of reach and touchable all around the bottom. Making the tree not a "no" zone letting them take them off and put them on to their hearts content. Also in life with boys who are now teens and both taller than mom, we still have non breakable things on the bottoms thanks to our cat whose greatest joy in life is knocking ornaments off the bottom. The pure joy he has with win is pretty amusing and he doesn't respect no zones anyway. We've embraced it and we put class high.😊
I read an article about sleep snd babies, and I have 4 boys, 23,21,15,10. All slept very different. But, the article I read recently said, as they hit different phases in this first 12 to 24 months, sleep cycles will change. So right now this waking up within 30 minutes to an hour after going down is usually a sign of his development, that he is needing reassurance that if he needs you, you are going to come in and help him settle. Some might say this is where you “teach” them self soothing. I struggle on that one when they see literally babies. Teaching them to care for themselves seems insane to me.
Ultimately it’s a season, a hard one fid all of you, but a season. This to shall pass. With consistency of showing up when he needs help getting settled, and routine at bedtime you’ll find one night he just sleeps with no waking up. That’s when you know he now knows in his little soul that you will show up when he needs you.
The article made complete sense when I read it. All my boys were vastly different sleepers, but all went through a similar phase as this. Also remember he’s growing physically and fast. So there is some discomfort not terribly but growing pains they can have as well.
I only left Brighton yesterday after a week there as part of our travels around the coastline of the British Isles that we, my 11 year old and I, started in May of this year in our truck home. I absolutely loved Brighton and vowed to return in the springtime. Watching your daily Brighton vlogs, especially of the beach, is making me want to go back already!
As for babies and sleep, when they don’t sleep don’t stress about it. As soon as you think you’ve got it sorted their sleep pattern changes and you feel like you’re starting from scratch again. Parenting a baby is tiring enough as it is without entertaining negative thoughts about what you’re doing wrong. He will sleep at some point so just go with the flow as much as possible.
As a LONG time viewer of y'all's, starting with Louis like 20 years ago almost, then two you since the day you met, it's so cool watching you guys blossom into parenthood. I feel so proud of y'all, and can't wait to keep watching as the days and years go by, and seeing Neo become a little man. Just the most adorable family.
I understand your struggles with Neo. I had such an exhausting period when my son was this age.
There are no tips and tricks. All babies and parents are different and no matter how much you try there will be those periods.
Enjoy them. He will never be the same again and you will miss these moments.
And if any comfort it gets easier and easier. The more he grows the easier it will get.
At the age of 3 is the major update coming in a just like magic the communication and everything gets so much easier.
The last section with the advent calendars made me laugh so much! You should leave it more raw like the last section! Also the vlogs don't need to be 30mins, just 10mins would be equally as good 😊
So excited to watch y’all’s Christmas vids this month! Neo seriously has the coolest parents!
i remember the struggles of being a new parent and nap time and bed time etc. The tiredness is insane guys and it can be really tough. But like all things, it passes with time. And i promise you, one day you will miss waking up all night, insane i know. But its even harder when they dont need you so much.
you asked for tips so i dont feel like im over stepping here. I remember the main thing that helped me was a swaddle suit. You zip them into it and see the face immediately relax. Definitely worth buying and using. good luck!!!
Definitely plastic ornaments for a long while. We even put our tree on a table for several years once our son started walking....they get into everything. BUT, then when they are 4-5 & understand the ornaments will break, they will LOVE helping decorate & it will be the most magical time of the year.
The more real you keep it the easier as to watch. It lows my expectations of the perfect life. As an experience mum of 10-year-old and four-year-old I have majorly lowered my expectations. I go with the flow much more and embrace the chaos. I try and remember this is not a dress rehearsal they’ll never be one again it doesn’t matter if it’s perfect, to me what matters is living in the moment xxx
Neo is such a beautiful baby. I love watching your videos! As the mother of a 24-year-old and a 15-year-old, I never had an issue with them breaking glass Christmas tree bulbs. Go for it, Raya! It’s an opportunity to teach him how to be gentle 🥰
yess!!
Raya laughing was so contagious 😂❤
After 4 kids and 7 grandkids some were teething early and their ears hurt along with gum pain and nightmares. Please give yourselves grace during these stages of childhood. Self care and self love go so far! You already have the right idea napping when baby naps and helping each other out trading time with baby and parent. Love from the USA 🫶🏼
Baby sleeping tips: baby massages with lavender, singing lullabies, and classical music paired with back massages and dimmed lights (or turning the lights all the way out) worked well for me.
"Have fun, enjoy life and live the adventure!" Yeah, I started watching your videos in the food for Louis days when I was still at school and watched all the videos during the hardcore daily vlogging era. Now Im 28 and a mum of 3. We all grow up and life moves on but I do still watch and enjoy your videos.
I've always felt "Live the Adventure" is something that goes forever whether or not new content or merch is being provided frequently. It's more a mindset than a brand, yeah? Love the silly laughter and to echo others, care for you and each other. The length of the videos or whether you miss a day is okay. We'll always be here for you all!
Thank you so much! And totally agree on LTA ❤️
We just decorated as usual and special breakable ornaments we put toward the top. We let our little ones explore the tree but always with supervision since there is also the danger of the tree falling on them. But really we haven't had a problem.
Just something very special about living on the beach, I mean literally on the beach! Back in the states in Massachusetts when you stepped off my patio you were on the water!! Just loved it! Best time was when the fall came and the tourists all went home...I never used plastic ornaments on my tree and none of my kids ever bothered with it. They were fascinated with it when it 1st went up but never touched it. None of my cats ever bothered with the tree! Now on the other hand my youngest sons cat climes up inside it!! His dogs do not bother with it. Neo is so interested with each little thing you are doing. He's such a good natured child. I'm sure you'll be surprised at how he will do with the decorations. Good luck ❤ U guys and ❤ seeing these vlogs every day. Merry Christmas 🎅🤶🎄
My kids are 2 and 4. We do glass ornaments up high and shatter proof lower down. When they were younger they would pull them off and throw them. We just had to be okay with a disheveled bottom half of the tree. But this year they have been so good! We also make homemade ornaments from orange slices and ribbon, found sticks made into trees and stars, and applesauce cinnamon cut out ornaments. They smell good, look nice, and aren’t glass if the kids play/ help with them. Happy Holidays ❤
Love your aspirations to get decorating done quickly. After three sons and now four grandkids, I can confirm it always takes longer than you plan for. Yes to plastic and cloth or fibre ornaments (baubles) at the bottom and glass or other delicate baubles tucked into the top of the tree. Love you and your family. Enjoy your first December as a family....and may the memories stay with you forever!🎉❤
Love the book advent for Neo! I grew up with a similar tradition in my family. The snowman book with matching plushy made me think of a brand that is sold where I work (a baby/toddler store). I believe the company is based out the UK. They make sensory books that usually have a matching plush toy. They're main focus is the toys, but their books are so lovely. The name is Jellycat. They have everything you can possibly imagine in plush form.
You guys are doing fantastic! Neo is so blessed to have you as a mum n dad!
And hey your daily vlogs don't have to be 30mins. Pace yourself, we will love what ever you put on. Merry Christmas xx
I used to watch your vlogs with my younger sisters when I was in high school! We always wanted to send in one of the intros for your videos but never did in the end! Your videos are a little piece of nostalgia for me for sure, I just bought a hoodie( I still have a find the nomads tote bag from yearrrrs ago) wishing your family all the best! Can’t wait to get my hoodie! Can’t believe it was almost 10 years ago I started watching your vlogs!
The end was amazing - you guys are slap happy (so tired you're just laughing) and its amazing - very far from boring. Keep living the adventure you two!
No pressure on the vlogs! We are just excited to see you guys more often. As for sleep, just remember it's developmental. My daughter is 15 months. Some months she has stretches of sleeping great and then just goes through a phase of a hard nights. My philosophy at this point is radical acceptance. She might need me more some days and some days she won't. The things that has made it easier for me lately is putting in headphones and a podcast or vlog to listen to as a I settle her so it doesn't feel like just a waste of time or so frustrating. Sending hugs!
Live The Adventure BOOM! Also watching the part about the decorating of the tree, My husband doesn't even attempt to help decorate, he brings in the decorations in from the garage and that's as far as his decorating goes. lol You both will look back on this first year of parenthood and the majority of it will be a blur, just know you are both doing a great job! Right now you are tired, in 5 months Time will be flying! enjoy each sleepless moment, keep doing what you are doing, Sending much love!
I love the Christmas books! My kids are in their 20's and I still get our stack of books out for the holidays. I used to hit up our local library a little before Thanksgiving every year and check out a giant stack of the Christmas books they had. There were always fun new ones. It was one of my favorite Christmas traditions.
Love this content so wholesome and real!
You guys are awesome! I have a six month old daughter and she’s been fighting sleep for a few months. I finally decided to just put her down and let her try and fall asleep without me - I come in every 3 minutes if she’s crying and soothe her until she stops crying, then put her down again. I’m scared of sleep training but I have been losing patience and had to make a change. A few days in and it’s been working for naps and bedtimes! She still wakes up every 2 hours at night though. Best of luck in finding whatever works best for you three!
25:56 😂😂 did she really just throw out a “Listen Linda” 😅😅
The intro video at the beginning might be the cutest thing I've ever seen. How precious!
My son is about two weeks older than Neo, and I'm going through the same. We had a good sleeper, with only one night feed/wake up, until about 4 months onwards and it's been a wild ride. Definitely found ways to cope, like tag teaming settling and sleep in the spare bed. It's always nice hearing from other parents (even if it's via a vlog!) going through the same. We've got this! 💪
The advent scene is my all-time favorite interaction of you two. So genuine and sincere and funny. Relatable and lighthearted. Loved it.
I just love the real you all when you're laughing and enjoying each other's presents, it's so beautiful. And I love that christmas book idea that's genius... Now, for the Advent calendar, we need to start that. Tradition in the United States looks fun.
Watching you have a fit of giggles was awesome! Don't worry struggling with vlogmis we'll all be here! Neo's Christmas outfit was adorable!❤❤
Peace out, enjoy life and live the adventure! 👊
Play it by ear - best advice that you’re giving yourself. Know that you can have patience with your son, each other, and yourself. You got this!
Peace ✌️ out, Enjoy Life and Live the adventure! Love the merch! OG viewer, miss your amazing travels, World flight was some of the best UA-cam I've ever watched. I wear my Louis Cole Tropic Feel shoes on all my travels. Keep it up guys, I'll be a supporter forever!
I love these videos, just seeing the three of you together and laughing was the best. Raya, my family always put the glass ornaments on the top and plastic on the bottom as well. As for the advent calendar. When I was a kid it started on the 10th and every day we put a wooden Christmas figure ornament on a cloth Christmas tree that hung on the wall. It was a homemade gift from my aunt and I still use it as a tradition with my family every year. You’re doing great please don’t get frustrated with yourself. All traditions usually start out with bumps in the road at first. Neo will love looking back at these memories when he’s older.
Your intro is one of the cutest I've seen ❤
OMG LIVE THE ADVENTURE!!! I’ve been watching Louis for a long time. I remember the TukTuk run, when Raya was on the channel for the FIRST time, and when he and Ben Brown had many adventures as well.
I want one so bad. 😭 But my Christmas for family comes first, stoked to maybe see these out in the world again.
Peace out, enjoy life, live the adventure. ❤️
Oh, Raya. Remember to take your own advice. Take a breath. Don’t aim for perfection. Life will happen. Enjoy the journey. Let the Christmas tree be what ever it is going to be. Maybe do your own small tree that can be up high and be your work of art and beauty. It’s going to be ok.
This is helping me so much to get into the Christmas spirit. I'm living at my university right now so I'm not able to drive around everyday and see a bunch of houses decorated I'm just surrounded by lecture halls so this is so refreshing:)
live the adventure is how i first found you! those videos were a comfort to me. i said hi to you while waiting in line at vidcon in 2014 and it made my whole day 😌 glad to still be here after all this time and love watching your family!! 🫶🏼
I've never laughed so hard at one of your videos! The advent section was priceless. So relatable, new parents exhausted and then you get the giggles. Love that section. As for the tree, I used to put my glass/precious ornaments up high and leave most of the bottom section empty because my dog would always take the ornaments she could reach off the tree and then my son copied her.
When we travel we get a ornament from every place we go i like to get ornaments that's from that country homemade, to support the country, i call my Christmas tree the travel tree is nice puting the ornaments and remember the place with got them is very especial for us i was thinking to put a plane on top of the tree lol, but i think is too much, enjoy your tree and the little guy🥰❤many Blessings
The two of you laughing was the best part- do more of that ❤
My mom started reading to me when I was in her tummy and continued reading until I all of a sudden started reading on my own at age 3, so keep up the reading with Neo! So worth it!
Don’t make it hard on yourselves to have a 30 minute packed vlogmas everyday. A short and sweet 15 minute highlights is fine. Love seeing you three doing a few fun things together and that is that! Breathe! 🎄Smile!
Love your sweet family, travel and life experiences, and the American/UK blend, since I’m American and lived in the UK for 5yrs. You asked for vlogmas activity ideas… Spent a few years in Lincoln, you should check out the castle, cathedral and Christmas market there, and while in Lincolnshire the baby seals are at Donna Nook this time of year. Merry/Happy Christmas!
I hope we've all noticed that everyone was correct in their predictions. Neo has KILLER eyebrows. What a cutie! Have so much fun with your first Christmas with him! I love Advent calendars! We had chocolate as kids. With my kids we still do the chocolate ones.
Babies sick? It's so sad when theyre stuffed up. Keep up the nursing and our kids did well at night with a humidifier. Other than that, we just made sure they didn't have fevers. If they did, some baby Tylenol (acetaminophen) worked well. Just make sure dosing is correct. I hope he feels better soon! Also, when my kids were teething, they took longer to settle, too. Poor babies.
Oh my goodness, the advent calendar part was so funny! Raya was losing it. Hope you guys got some sleep. Love you both!! Merry Christmas! 🎄😊
I love you guysss! The part with the advents calendar and the delirious laughing was my favorite
You are such amazing parents! I applaud you 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻. As far as your son’s sleeping issues, he is at a self soothing age and that is ok to let him learn that. I’m a mom of five (now adults) and at this age my kiddos started to self soothe. It’s so hard to let them cry because we want to fix everything but in the end it all worked out ❤. In reference to your decorating… take your time and enjoy every minute of it… in your time, not ours. You have such a supportive community and your family is very loved.
I’m so happy I found your page. I truly enjoy each and every video and your relationship, honesty, and how real you both are. ❤❤
I was dying laughing at the advent calandar scenes 🤣 you could honestly review a coffee shop every day and show me the ocean no matter the weather and I'd be happy! Cool to have daily vlogs again, and the "live the adventure" slogan sent me wayyy back into nostalgia!! I rememer Louis signing off all his wild adventures that way from so many random things in the UK and around the world. How life has changed
Hi. I put the glass ornaments up higher and plastic at the little’s level ! Good luck
Peace out, enjoy life, live the adventure. Boom!
Late to the party. Trying to catch up on watching these. Loving these VlogMas videos so much!
You guys are doing fantastic! Keep being flexible and going with the flow, & learning daily as you are already doing with Neo.
love you guys, my fav part of the vlog is when you are laughing and being goofy. We need to see that more. Your chemistry is beautiful.. love seeing Raya laugh whilst Louis is being silly ... you guys are great ! Neo gets cuter each time we see him. Looking forward to more of these vlogs. HAPPY HOLIDAYS !!!
My husband and I have a 7 month old and I totally get it! You really just have to roll with the punches. Having low expectations for the day helps me, then anything I get done is a win 😂. Hang in there and take care of yourselves! My only advice is have a bedtime routine (which it seems like you do), try to have him take naps around the same time every day , and hang in there 🤷🏼♀️. Personally our baby is still on 3 naps- 1st nap is 30min, middle nap is 1-1.5 hours, and 3rd nap is 30 min. I feel like we’ll transition to 2 naps soon though. Everything is a phase! ❤
We do a mix of kid friendly and breakable ornaments but we don’t put the breakable ones up until after the kids are done “helping” and put them out of reach. For toddlers who are crawling/walking, wrap large boxes, weight them down and put them around the tree for some distance.
“Peace out, enjoy life, and live the adventure, Boom!”
Love the Live the Adventure merch! Watched every single video Lewis uploaded including the world flight
❤ Raya, I love the fact that we can come along on your journey of decorating your house. It feels like we’re doing it together and for those of us without people around us it’s kind of like being able to have a family to decorate with so thank you. I love what you do and how you are. I’ve been in Nanny for 35 years and what you might need to do With the baby, is he’s probably getting teeth so a little herbal remedy rub on the gums might help if it’s sinus related a little baby Saline solution up his nose might help. Something else that might help is giving Lewis a lavender bath or spraying a little lavender on his sheets before he goes down it helps calm them.
Watching the two of you at the end of this video was making me laugh. What I see is two amazing people who love their child and who are probably sleep deprived and getting a little slap happy. Thank you for another wonderful video. Hugs to you from Georgia USA.
Parenting is a hard job!! We just want to see the content. The ups and downs of the day and kids, that is the real things we want to see.
When you both started laughing deliriously, it was super contagious 😂😂😂
Omg the part with the advent calendars killed me, so funny. Love your videos, always makes me smile so much and this one in particular ^^ excited for the upcoming videos
We have breakable ornaments and we put them high enough so our 2-year-old can’t reach. We’re lucky though…she’s always been really good about the tree and has never really messed with the ornaments so I would imagine it totally depends on the specific baby/toddler!
I live in extreme southern nv I go into az to shop n haven't found any advent calendars
My son was born 2 months before Christmas, from that first Christmas I have brought him a new special tree ornament, the first one was a mouse in a santa hat, when his sister was born 3 weeks before his 3rd birthday, I brought her an ornament as well so as they got older the trees got bigger, now I have a tree that is full of memories from each Christmas. 1 year I made some small cross stitch pictures in little oval gold frames, 2 x 1 1/4 inches, the kids didn't see them till I finished them and they were ready for the tree, I did a snowman, a tree with tiny red beads for lights, and a reindeer with the same red bead as the tree for his red nose.
OMG, I'm cracking up when you guys were opening up your advent calendars...so funny!
I have two glass bulbs that we blew ourselves. They are some of my favorite and I alway put them on our tree (even with a two year old). We put them up high and tuck them into the branches.
I wanted to reply to your ornament question- our tradition is to hang the most important ones highest on the tree , out of touch by anyone. When our girls were babies I made felt ornaments and also found non breakable ones to hang lower on the tree in case they played with them or a cat tail knocked them down. This system has always worked for us and we’ve always been able to enjoy all of our favorite ones!
Your laughter was so cute!!! Love you two!
No advice on the sleep regression, just hugs. I loved this video. Your laughter during the advent bit was contagious and got me laughing too. Sending holiday cheer from Portland, Oregon 🎄
"Listen, Linda." 🤣🤣🤣 I quote that to my husband all the time.
You two bring so much joy, thanks as always for sharing your lives with us. ❤
We bought a new hallmark ornament each year that related to something that happened that year. We wrote a note on the inside of the lid of the box. We read those notes each year while decorating the tree. Now that they are grown, it brings back such good memories. ❤️
I absolutely love the new intro it's so cute
I love you guys!! Loved the part with the advent calendar 😂 so pure and authentic ❤️🙏🏽✨
Live the adventure gives me nostalgic memories when I watched your daily travel vlogs 🥰