At the start of this year, Katy & I launched our new Instagram project, #MyHappyCapture. The aim of the project is to celebrate your happy moments, those that make you smile. We want to use the hashtag to build an Instagram community where you can share photos that encompass happiness.
My Happy Capture: March Round-up
At the start of this year, Katy & I launched our new Instagram project, #MyHappyCapture. The aim of the project is to celebrate your happy moments, those that make you smile. We want to use the hashtag to build an Instagram community where you can share photos that encompass happiness.
We've lived in our current home for 3 years this summer. Every year I look out to the garden and my mind fills with ideas of what I want to do: a little vegetable patch, a beautiful lawn, flowers to attract the bees and butterflies. Getting stuck in when you have two small children tearing about is rather tricky though, so the garden has been looking a little tired lately. In Ian's opinion "it's fine, it doesn't look that bad" so getting him to help has proved fruitless. When Fantastic Services contacted me to ask if I'd like to try their gardening maintenance service I jumped at the chance!
Review: My Garden Makeover with Fantastic Services
We've lived in our current home for 3 years this summer. Every year I look out to the garden and my mind fills with ideas of what I want to do: a little vegetable patch, a beautiful lawn, flowers to attract the bees and butterflies. Getting stuck in when you have two small children tearing about is rather tricky though, so the garden has been looking a little tired lately. In Ian's opinion "it's fine, it doesn't look that bad" so getting him to help has proved fruitless. When Fantastic Services contacted me to ask if I'd like to try their gardening maintenance service I jumped at the chance!
When I was pregnant the second time I was hoping for a boy, as I thought that it would be lovely for Little N to have a brother so close in age. A little friend to grow up with. And while they are really close, boy do they bicker! Their close ages mean that whatever one has the other one wants, including our gorgeous Cuddlepaw towel which gets fought over at bath-times. Fortunately to save the squabbles Little N now has a Cuddledry towel all of his own: the Snuggle Bunny towel, designed for toddlers and young children.
Review: Cuddledry Snuggle Bunny Towel
When I was pregnant the second time I was hoping for a boy, as I thought that it would be lovely for Little N to have a brother so close in age. A little friend to grow up with. And while they are really close, boy do they bicker! Their close ages mean that whatever one has the other one wants, including our gorgeous Cuddlepaw towel which gets fought over at bath-times. Fortunately to save the squabbles Little N now has a Cuddledry towel all of his own: the Snuggle Bunny towel, designed for toddlers and young children.
Hurrah! It’s spring, and summer is sneaking up quickly too. If you’re not filled with the joys yet, don’t feel too bad. Chances are you just looked out the window, saw the garden and thought, ‘what happened?’ Yes, you might be ready to spark up the grill and have a party. But, unless you’ve got a team of groundsmen (or you’re a passionate type who’s been out taming the wilderness all winter) there’s probably work to be done before you start in on the marinades. Relax and breathe. Step away from sharp tools and think small for starters. It takes a bit of time to get a garden back after winter, so what you want are a few fast fixes to inspire you right now.
7 Quick Fixes for Tired Gardens
Hurrah! It’s spring, and summer is sneaking up quickly too. If you’re not filled with the joys yet, don’t feel too bad. Chances are you just looked out the window, saw the garden and thought, ‘what happened?’ Yes, you might be ready to spark up the grill and have a party. But, unless you’ve got a team of groundsmen (or you’re a passionate type who’s been out taming the wilderness all winter) there’s probably work to be done before you start in on the marinades. Relax and breathe. Step away from sharp tools and think small for starters. It takes a bit of time to get a garden back after winter, so what you want are a few fast fixes to inspire you right now.
Instagram is everyone's favourite social media platform right now, isn't it! For a long time I didn't really know what I was doing with Instagram and just smapped photos of any old thing, added a filter and a couple of naff hashtags and forgot about it. Over the last few months I have suddenly become obsessed and can spend absolutely ages scrolling through and liking pretty pictures. The way I used Instagram is certainly different to how I used it say this time last year, heck even about 6 months ago I was using it totally differently! A few people have asked me how I found my Instagram style, so I thought I'd write a little post.
Developing My Instagram Style
Instagram is everyone's favourite social media platform right now, isn't it! For a long time I didn't really know what I was doing with Instagram and just smapped photos of any old thing, added a filter and a couple of naff hashtags and forgot about it. Over the last few months I have suddenly become obsessed and can spend absolutely ages scrolling through and liking pretty pictures. The way I used Instagram is certainly different to how I used it say this time last year, heck even about 6 months ago I was using it totally differently! A few people have asked me how I found my Instagram style, so I thought I'd write a little post.
Fisher-Price is one of my most loved brands of toys as they are so bold, bright and lots of fun, and the children also learn through playing with them. J adores playing with ride-on and push-along toys, his face absolutely lit up with joy when his new Fisher-Price Zebra Walker arrived. He has been tearing about the house like a tiny boy racer ever since! With two ways to play, it's a great toy for babies right through to preschool age with heaps of hands-on activities to enjoy.
Review: Fisher-Price Learn With Me Zebra Walker
Fisher-Price is one of my most loved brands of toys as they are so bold, bright and lots of fun, and the children also learn through playing with them. J adores playing with ride-on and push-along toys, his face absolutely lit up with joy when his new Fisher-Price Zebra Walker arrived. He has been tearing about the house like a tiny boy racer ever since! With two ways to play, it's a great toy for babies right through to preschool age with heaps of hands-on activities to enjoy.
First Jamie Oliver, now Adele, my social media feeds are ablaze with angry mums and dads and once again breastfeeding is at the heart of the upset. Jamie Oliver gave a really brief interview in which he mentioned that women who want to breastfeed need more support and information. But one word in his whole statement which was otherwise so spot on has left so many people feeling furious, Adele included.
I love Adele. She's fabulous, funny and so down-to-earth. At a recent gig she launched into a tirade about Jamie, and mentioned that a certain brand of formula milk was just as good. Taglines like that have gotten that brand into trouble with the Advertising Standards Agency in the past. I'm sure all she was trying to do was support fellow mums and that is brilliant. But... A mum who wants to breastfeed needs support, not misinformation. We can't just stop talking about breastfeeding.
Jamie vs Adele: We Need To Talk About Breastfeeding
First Jamie Oliver, now Adele, my social media feeds are ablaze with angry mums and dads and once again breastfeeding is at the heart of the upset. Jamie Oliver gave a really brief interview in which he mentioned that women who want to breastfeed need more support and information. But one word in his whole statement which was otherwise so spot on has left so many people feeling furious, Adele included.
I love Adele. She's fabulous, funny and so down-to-earth. At a recent gig she launched into a tirade about Jamie, and mentioned that a certain brand of formula milk was just as good. Taglines like that have gotten that brand into trouble with the Advertising Standards Agency in the past. I'm sure all she was trying to do was support fellow mums and that is brilliant. But... A mum who wants to breastfeed needs support, not misinformation. We can't just stop talking about breastfeeding.
With the clocks going forward this spring getting young children to adjust to the change can be somewhat tricky and a lot of parents struggle with getting their children to adjust. Even I struggle to adjust myself! Something that is also really common with toddlers and preschoolers is night waking and early risers. 5.30am isn't the time we want to be waking up despite what our children think!
A lot of my friends tell me their children wake up really early in the morning, but what Little N does is wake up randomly in the middle of the night. It's not something that has bothered me too much, but now he is 3 years old it would be great if I could get him to go back to sleep until morning without me having to resettle him, especially as I also get up to settle J in the night too. We've been putting the Gro-clock to the test over the past few weeks to see if this could help gently encourage him to sleep a little longer.
Helping My 3 Year Old's Night Wakings with Gro-clock
With the clocks going forward this spring getting young children to adjust to the change can be somewhat tricky and a lot of parents struggle with getting their children to adjust. Even I struggle to adjust myself! Something that is also really common with toddlers and preschoolers is night waking and early risers. 5.30am isn't the time we want to be waking up despite what our children think!
A lot of my friends tell me their children wake up really early in the morning, but what Little N does is wake up randomly in the middle of the night. It's not something that has bothered me too much, but now he is 3 years old it would be great if I could get him to go back to sleep until morning without me having to resettle him, especially as I also get up to settle J in the night too. We've been putting the Gro-clock to the test over the past few weeks to see if this could help gently encourage him to sleep a little longer.
Welcome to Happy Days! Katy and I host this linky with the purpose of inspiring you to make the most of each day, no matter what you've been up to, and to find happiness in every day. It's where I share the little moments that have brought me joy.
“It's impossible to make your eyes twinkle if you aren't feeling twinkly yourself.”
Happy Days: Sowing Seeds & Little Lunches
Welcome to Happy Days! Katy and I host this linky with the purpose of inspiring you to make the most of each day, no matter what you've been up to, and to find happiness in every day. It's where I share the little moments that have brought me joy.
“It's impossible to make your eyes twinkle if you aren't feeling twinkly yourself.”
As the saying goes a picture is worth a thousand words, so a camera is a top of the list when it comes to blogger essentials. Having great photos shows your readers more of your perspective, develops your blog's voice and also helps you to stand out from the crowd. There are some bloggers out there whose photos I instantly recognise because of their photography style. But more on that another day. Today I'm talking about which camera to use: there are three types of camera I use for my blog photos - and life in general!
Blogger Essentials: What Camera Do I Use?
As the saying goes a picture is worth a thousand words, so a camera is a top of the list when it comes to blogger essentials. Having great photos shows your readers more of your perspective, develops your blog's voice and also helps you to stand out from the crowd. There are some bloggers out there whose photos I instantly recognise because of their photography style. But more on that another day. Today I'm talking about which camera to use: there are three types of camera I use for my blog photos - and life in general!
I'm sure you know all about the health benefits of green tea and I bet you've even heard of matcha, a super power green tea. But have you heard of purple matcha? I hadn't until Williamson Tea got in touch to see if I'd like to try their purple matcha tea. Grown on their 'solar farm' in Changoi, East Africa, the purple tea is packed with antioxidants which provide natural, relaxed alertness.
Review: Williamson Tea Purple Matcha
I'm sure you know all about the health benefits of green tea and I bet you've even heard of matcha, a super power green tea. But have you heard of purple matcha? I hadn't until Williamson Tea got in touch to see if I'd like to try their purple matcha tea. Grown on their 'solar farm' in Changoi, East Africa, the purple tea is packed with antioxidants which provide natural, relaxed alertness.
Welcome to Happy Days! Katy and I host this linky with the purpose of inspiring you to make the most of each day, no matter what you've been up to, and to find happiness in every day. It's where I share the little moments that have brought me joy.
"Happiness isn't something you experience: it's something you remember."
Happy Days: Bittersweet
Welcome to Happy Days! Katy and I host this linky with the purpose of inspiring you to make the most of each day, no matter what you've been up to, and to find happiness in every day. It's where I share the little moments that have brought me joy.
"Happiness isn't something you experience: it's something you remember."
I feel like I've been hit by a bus this week. It's been so tough, it has been a long time since I've felt so stressed and it's left me feeling twitchy and on edge. I'm not great at dealing with stress, especially because I have no way of letting it out, so I thought if I let it out here then maybe it will help me feel better.
The Hardest Week
I feel like I've been hit by a bus this week. It's been so tough, it has been a long time since I've felt so stressed and it's left me feeling twitchy and on edge. I'm not great at dealing with stress, especially because I have no way of letting it out, so I thought if I let it out here then maybe it will help me feel better.
This month's Bostik Blogger craft box has a dragon theme to it. I wracked my brains thinking of a craft idea that was fun but simple enough for my three- and one-year olds to get involved with. What could be easier than a bejeweled dragon's egg!
Dragon Craft Idea: Bejeweled Dragon's Egg
This month's Bostik Blogger craft box has a dragon theme to it. I wracked my brains thinking of a craft idea that was fun but simple enough for my three- and one-year olds to get involved with. What could be easier than a bejeweled dragon's egg!
You readers will know I love getting things in boxes. Letterbox cakes, flowers by post, beauty boxes, food boxes - you name it, I've either tried it or I want it. I used to enjoy getting recipe boxes delivered - containing ready-measured ingredients and recipes to make the weekly meal planning and shopping easier - but since going vegan a few months ago my choice was suddenly limited. Then I stumbled across Mindful Chef on Twitter and let out a little "squeee" in excitement when I saw that they have a plant-based recipe box. And an even bigger "squeee" followed when they offered to send me one to try!
Review: Mindful Chef Plant-Based Recipe Box
You readers will know I love getting things in boxes. Letterbox cakes, flowers by post, beauty boxes, food boxes - you name it, I've either tried it or I want it. I used to enjoy getting recipe boxes delivered - containing ready-measured ingredients and recipes to make the weekly meal planning and shopping easier - but since going vegan a few months ago my choice was suddenly limited. Then I stumbled across Mindful Chef on Twitter and let out a little "squeee" in excitement when I saw that they have a plant-based recipe box. And an even bigger "squeee" followed when they offered to send me one to try!
Inlight Organic Skincare is a luxury, 100% organic skincare company based in Cornwall. I've previously written about their Organic Face Cleanser, which you can read about here. Inlight have just last week relaunched a collection of products designed for new mums and I had the pleasure of trying out the Organic Restorative Body Butter and the Nyp & Baby soothing balm. Read on to find out more about these nourishing products and use my 20% discount code to try them for yourself.
Review: Inlight Organic Restorative Body Butter & Nyp&Baby Balm
Inlight Organic Skincare is a luxury, 100% organic skincare company based in Cornwall. I've previously written about their Organic Face Cleanser, which you can read about here. Inlight have just last week relaunched a collection of products designed for new mums and I had the pleasure of trying out the Organic Restorative Body Butter and the Nyp & Baby soothing balm. Read on to find out more about these nourishing products and use my 20% discount code to try them for yourself.
Easter 2016 falls on Sunday 27th March, just a couple of weeks away. It's also my brother's 30th birthday! This year I set out to find some great alternative Easter gift ideas instead of the run-of-the-mill eggs you usually find in the shops. I've found some fantastic ideas for children of all ages and adults, too. Here's my Easter gift guide featuring lots of great gifts that are a little more interesting!
9 Delightful Easter Gift Ideas
Easter 2016 falls on Sunday 27th March, just a couple of weeks away. It's also my brother's 30th birthday! This year I set out to find some great alternative Easter gift ideas instead of the run-of-the-mill eggs you usually find in the shops. I've found some fantastic ideas for children of all ages and adults, too. Here's my Easter gift guide featuring lots of great gifts that are a little more interesting!
Welcome to Happy Days! Katy and I host this linky with the purpose of inspiring you to make the most of each day, no matter what you've been up to, and to find happiness in every day. It's where I share the little moments that have brought me joy. Katy is feeling poorly - get well soon! - so it is just me hosting this week.
"Plenty of people miss their share of happiness, not because they never found it, but because they didn't stop to enjoy it."
Happy Days: Snow, Mother's Day & Me Time
Welcome to Happy Days! Katy and I host this linky with the purpose of inspiring you to make the most of each day, no matter what you've been up to, and to find happiness in every day. It's where I share the little moments that have brought me joy. Katy is feeling poorly - get well soon! - so it is just me hosting this week.
"Plenty of people miss their share of happiness, not because they never found it, but because they didn't stop to enjoy it."
What do your children like to do on rainy days? When we're stuck at home on a rainy day like today my boys love to get their jigsaw puzzles out, build railways with their wooden train sets and get the arts and crafts out. One of the new products from Orchard Toys is their Giant Railway, a 22-piece floor puzzle, and they've also got some fantastic colouring books that come with stickers to go on each page. The boys have had a great morning making railways and colouring in!
Review: Orchard Toys Giant Railway & Colouring Books
What do your children like to do on rainy days? When we're stuck at home on a rainy day like today my boys love to get their jigsaw puzzles out, build railways with their wooden train sets and get the arts and crafts out. One of the new products from Orchard Toys is their Giant Railway, a 22-piece floor puzzle, and they've also got some fantastic colouring books that come with stickers to go on each page. The boys have had a great morning making railways and colouring in!
The Forgetting Time is the incredible debut novel from author Sharon Guskin. It tells the story of Janie, a single mother, and 4 year old, Noah, who keeps crying for his mama and asking to go home. Except Janie is his mother and he is already home... As Noah's vivid nightmares get worse and he becomes more and more distressed, Janie seeks advice from countless doctors who aren't able to help. Eventually she meets Dr Anderson, a psychiatrist who researches cases of children recalling past lives. He believes he can help Noah - but does this mean that Janie will lose her son forever?
Review: The Forgetting Time by Sharon Guskin
The Forgetting Time is the incredible debut novel from author Sharon Guskin. It tells the story of Janie, a single mother, and 4 year old, Noah, who keeps crying for his mama and asking to go home. Except Janie is his mother and he is already home... As Noah's vivid nightmares get worse and he becomes more and more distressed, Janie seeks advice from countless doctors who aren't able to help. Eventually she meets Dr Anderson, a psychiatrist who researches cases of children recalling past lives. He believes he can help Noah - but does this mean that Janie will lose her son forever?
The Herb Garden is a new brand of natural herbal massage products, created by herbalists Jo Farren and Shani Crofton. Using their collective knowledge to combine aromatherapy and herbal medicine they have created a range of beautiful and original massage bars and massage candles using simple, raw ingredients, that give you a spa experience at home that comes with added health benefits!
Review: The Herb Garden Massage Bars & Candles
The Herb Garden is a new brand of natural herbal massage products, created by herbalists Jo Farren and Shani Crofton. Using their collective knowledge to combine aromatherapy and herbal medicine they have created a range of beautiful and original massage bars and massage candles using simple, raw ingredients, that give you a spa experience at home that comes with added health benefits!
Welcome to Happy Days! Katy and I host this linky with the purpose of inspiring you to make the most of each day, no matter what you've been up to, and to find happiness in every day. It's where I share the little moments that have brought me joy.
"Think of all the beauty still left around you and be happy."
"Think of all the beauty still left around you and be happy."
Happy Days: Hello March
Welcome to Happy Days! Katy and I host this linky with the purpose of inspiring you to make the most of each day, no matter what you've been up to, and to find happiness in every day. It's where I share the little moments that have brought me joy.
"Think of all the beauty still left around you and be happy."
"Think of all the beauty still left around you and be happy."
It's Mother's Day this weekend, one of my favourite days of the year, even more so now that Little N understands what it's all about! I'm really hoping that he will make a card at preschool this week, he always comes home with a painting or drawing, but a handmade card will make my year. If you're on the hunt for gift inspiration, have a look at Tesco's Mother's Day present ideas. They have a great range of gifts, with something to suit all budgets and tastes. I've picked out a few of my favourite things from their fabulous range of gifts and goodies, perfect for spoiling any mum, stepmum or grandmother this Sunday.
Mother's Day Gift Ideas from Tesco
It's Mother's Day this weekend, one of my favourite days of the year, even more so now that Little N understands what it's all about! I'm really hoping that he will make a card at preschool this week, he always comes home with a painting or drawing, but a handmade card will make my year. If you're on the hunt for gift inspiration, have a look at Tesco's Mother's Day present ideas. They have a great range of gifts, with something to suit all budgets and tastes. I've picked out a few of my favourite things from their fabulous range of gifts and goodies, perfect for spoiling any mum, stepmum or grandmother this Sunday.
Before I had children I never thought I would get so excited over nappies. But I do! As a cloth bum mum I love trying out new types and cooing over pretty prints. Last month we added a new nappy to our stash: a gorgeous teal chevron nappy from Tickle Tots which I was sent to review.
Review: Tickle Tots Cloth Nappy
Before I had children I never thought I would get so excited over nappies. But I do! As a cloth bum mum I love trying out new types and cooing over pretty prints. Last month we added a new nappy to our stash: a gorgeous teal chevron nappy from Tickle Tots which I was sent to review.
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