It’s no secret that I am a bit of an Instagram addict. I have actually been limiting the amount of time I spend there recently to make sure I am doing things that are more productive in my spare time, but when I need a bit of a break I do enjoy a scroll through the beautiful and inspiring feeds I follow or a few minutes watching the Stories of some of my favourites.
Since having Phoebe, I have found Instagram to be a friend when I’m lonely during night feeds or when Phoebe has struggled to go down for a nap and I need a reminder that there are lots of other mums going through the same things.
I also love browsing for new books to add to my TBR, home inspiration and places to visit and see. You’ll find me on Instagram at Ashleigh.Online.
I plan to share some of my favourites from time to time here on the blog, and will also make sure I pair this with shoutouts on Instagram itself to make sure these lovely people are being followed by as many people as possible.
I’ll start with a bumper crop, some of which I’ve followed for years and always get excited to see appear on my feed, others that are totally new to me but I’ve been really loving in February, and some that I know in real life!
Sarah’s Day
Sarah doesn’t need any help with her follower count, she already has over one million! But she is one of my favourites and her YouTube channel is brilliant too. She’s an Australian first time mum to Fox, the cutest little boy ever. She’s currently renovating a new home with her fiance Kurt. On the surface she doesn’t seem like the usual kind of person I would follow – she’s super into fitness and healthy lifestyle and to be quite honest I’m not great at that! But she is so inspiring, so down to earth and absolutely hilarious. I love her. Plus, her feed is full of so much sun, sea and sand!
Lily Pebbles
Another famous one but a definite recommendation is Lily Pebbles. She has over 400,000 followers and a great YouTube channel too, but again she’s really down to earth and relatable, even more so because she lives near London. She has a baby daughter named Grey and it’s been fab following her parenting journey so far.
Meg Says
Meg isn’t as famous as the last two, but she should be! I’ve followed her for years and absolutely love her posts. She travels loads, reads lots too and is just smiley and positive.
Life As We Grow It
Baby Winnie was born just a couple of weeks before Phoebe and I’ve loved following their journey.
The Hels Project
A bookish mum who has just given birth to her second baby. I’ve loved her account for absolutely ages for its book content so it makes it even more special that she now shares baby-related content too.
Essex Mother
This lovely lady shares what’s going on in Essex each week to entertain the little ones. It’s so handy! She’s also been really sweet giving me advice about going back to work in London, which I’ll be doing later this year.
The Tired Mums Club
I’ve only recently started following this lovely Essex mum called Laura. Her Tired Mums Club is so, so relatable and honest. I feel like I could have written most of the posts she’s shared they’re so similar to the thoughts and feelings I’ve been having about being a first time mum.
Gemma McCorkell
A third Essex mum now! Gemma has been so helpful, sharing some of her favourite places to take the kids. She has two adorable children, Lylie and Rory, and her entire feed is so stylish.
Bobbins At No. 18
This house is so beautiful, I love it. The cosy pastel colour palette is what I aspire to have in my own home – we’ve got lots of elements of pastel but I hope to introduce more as I add more finishing touches. Plus, the baby girl’s room is gorgeous! Absolute goals.
Ashleigh’s Moments
My name twin! Ashleigh has a beautiful daughter called Alexis, who is a few months older than Phoebe. I’ve followed her throughout her pregnancy and motherhood journey so far and I love how honest and open she is.
The rest of my favourites this month are people I know in real life! Some are my friends, others are family, but all of them are awesome.
The Macro Family
This one is cheating, because it’s actually an account I share with my husband, his twin brother and my bestie (who is married to the twin, btw). We share family content there, including our babies who are a year apart and are already so cute together.
Raising Harper
My bestie Zara also has her own mum account, featuring lots more of my gorgeous niece Harper.
Bradley Macro
Bradley has his own account too, this time all about fitness. He’s been taking part in the Gymshark 66 challenge and his posts are so motivational and inspiring.
Nerd Base
Ryan doesn’t really have an Instagram account that he maintains these days, but he does feature often on Nerd Base! That’s where he works, it’s a vintage toy shop owned by my sister’s boyfriend and it’s bloomin’ awesome. Dream job right there.
House Number 10
This is my friend from School, Shanie. Her house is amazing, all monochrome with some splashes of green and some pops of colour. She also shares parenting content here about her two cute kids Kadee and Beau.
The Victorian School Home
Another school friend with a beautiful home is Morgan, who owns a converted Victorian School and is currently transforming it into an amazing home for her and her family.
Theo and Clo
I adore this travel account from my uni friend Chloe. Her feed is stunning.
Wilkoworld
Stacie is my mum’s hairdresser and she did my hair for my wedding! This is her family account sharing days out and play ideas with her little boy Ellis, plus an insight into their amazing home with a boys’ bedroom of dreams.
2 Under 2 Insta Reality
Robyn is another of my friends from school and is actually good friends with Stacie! She has a cute little boy called Leo and is expecting a baby girl soon. She shares the highs and lows of parenthood and I love her stories.
Sian and Ada
Another friend from school now, and another inspiring and honest new mum. Her little girl Ada is a few weeks younger than Phoebe and is just so sweet, she has such long hair!
Lucy Angele
Last but not least is my work friend Lucy, who has a great blog and a lovely Instagram all about food and travel and life. How cosy is the photo! It just makes me want to snuggle up with a good book.
(For the eagle-eyed among you, I’ve just realised this is 21 rather than 20! But it’s too late now, the title is set and I can’t choose anyone to drop so you get a bonus one!)
What are your favourite Instagram accounts? Let me know! And don’t forget to come and join me there, here’s me:
These people are soooo much better at Instagram than I am!
Wow, I really didn’t expect to see myself on this list! Thank you so much Ashleigh!
I’ve been checking out each of the other accounts and I’m still in awe over The Victorian School Home – what a property! <3