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"Happiness"
Recently I’ve been struggling a little with motivation. Motivation to write my blog, motivation to tidy up, motivation to get into action… In all fairness I am pretty tough on myself and do set myself quite high standards but anyway I’ve found myself in a bit of a slump. Maybe it is because the sunshine disappeared, maybe its because I am having trouble focusing, who knows? Yesterday I went to do a yoga class for the first time in ages and you know what? It made me feel fantastic. It got me thinking about the things that make me feel good and give me a sense of wellbeing. May it serve as a reminder to myself but also perhaps inspire some others out there :)
1. Yoga
Joining my old yoga class yesterday felt great. I felt empowered, calm and centered.
2. Classical music
After leaving my yoga class I turned on the radio. Being in such a serene state meant no other radio station was listenable besides classic fm. Classical music really does something to me, to my brain. It’s especially wonderful when driving in the sunshine I find.
3. Sunshine
The sunshine makes me feel revived, it gives me energy and motivation. If only I could control the weather!
4. Being outdoors
Fresh air and nature makes me feel alive. It clears my head and helps me to relax.
5. Being kind
Doing kind deeds for others makes me feel good. Simple as that.
6. Spreading love
Sharing my joy, smiles and chat with even complete strangers makes me feel warm and reminds me we all thrive of love and togetherness.
7. One on one time
I treasure my one on one time with my daughter, our little conversations about everything and anything in the world. You also cannot beat one on one time with a good friend or partner, this makes me happy.
8. Fun time
Making time to do fun things, have fun and laugh. It could be as simple as a picnic in the park with Littlelish or going to a concert or gig with friends. These good times are what it is all about.
9. Making things with my hands
As a creative I love to make things and get a real satisfaction and sense of purpose when I work to create something with my hands.
10. Making love
Make love not war people ;)
What are the things that do YOU good?
A home is so important. It’s the place you spend most of your time, where you create memories. As an extremely visual/aesthetic person it’s only natural that when I am surrounded by beauty I feel happier (I guess this is the same for most of us). For me living in a beautiful home, in beautiful surroundings is one of the key things in life that makes me happy. As a creative, I also need it to be an inspiring place. The house we live in now is small and perfectly formed, just right for me and Littlelish. We have a country cottage kitchen and a lovely garden, both of which we spend most of our time in.
Although it is perfect for where we are right now, I dream about the future (because you’ve always got to dream haven’t you?), about where we will be living a few years down the line. I just love property and interior design and one of my favourite things to do is check out lush properties I may consider living in if I were a millionaire ;) It can’t just be me that does this right?
I have an absolute obsession with Georgian houses, they are by far my favourite. It’s something about the elegance and symmetry, they always seem so gracious and light.
So my dream house today is this little beauty on the market with Savills based up in East Lothian (Innerwick). I know I know I’m not really going to be up-footing it all the way to Scotland but this is a dream right?
Mansewood is a stunning, secluded, B Listed Georgian property which dates from 1726 with later additions in 1830. The magnificent Palladian front elevation has a central Doric portico and classic fanlight over the front door.
I’m sold! How about you?
The house looks like a lovely family property with 5 bedroom, 3 reception rooms, 3 bathrooms & shower room, plenty big enough for us! As would be expected in any period house it has a host of gorgeous period features like flagstone flooring, log burning stoves, open fires, a free standing roll top bath and a double Belfast sink (I have a Belfast sink in my house at the moment and I LOVE it!) An absolutely stunning sweeping stone staircase takes you upstairs. Oh my goodness just imagine the photographs I could take in this house, swoon!
Most importantly for me the house is light. I love houses flooded with light! It has high ceilings, amazingly large windows and I just love how the walls have been left very neutral and light, a perfect backdrop for gorgeous furniture and art. It also lets the beauty of the building really speak for itself i think :)
The modern and new have also been merged well in the house as it has a lovely contemporary kitchen, again with those luscious windows and a cool zinc roofed extension which I think works well.
The house also comes with an annexe, Dad that could be for you? And did I mention it has a walled garden (Oh I just love the magic of a walled garden), a productive kitchen garden AND fruit trees including plum and apple?
Yes this is most certainly my dream home! Anyone got a spare £620,000 for me?
Image source: www.howstuffworks.com
Todays guest post is all about building your own treehouse! A subject very close to my heart, I have a small obsession with treehouses and would love to have one, um I mean build one for Littlelish ;) First I need a house with a suitable more »
Image source: www.howstuffworks.com
Todays guest post is all about building your own treehouse! A subject very close to my heart, I have a small obsession with treehouses and would love to have one, um I mean build one for Littlelish ;) First I need a house with a suitable tree in the garden!
A treehouse, as many parents know from firsthand experience when they were children, is a brilliant place for young ones to play and explore – and is an excellent project for the entire family to experience together!
If you’re keen to get going with a treehouse project of your own, here’s a handy guide to getting started with your project.
Choose the perfect tree
The quest to construct the perfect treehouse begins with choosing the right tree. You will need to make sure that the tree you select is strong and healthy – this will help you build a safe and solid foundation for your structure.
Look for trees where the lower branches (the thickest and sturdiest ones) fork out into a defined Y or U shape, as these are likely to provide the most support. It’s worth knowing that beech and oak are among the strongest trees and could provide plenty of structural support.
Image source: www.popularmechanics.com
Designing your treehouse
Just as a real-life builder would never jump into construction on a house without a blueprint, you shouldn’t start building your treehouse until you know exactly what the plan is. You don’t have to be a great designer to get going with this part of the process. Remember that treehouses are built from the ground up, so you’ll begin with the deck (which requires the most support) and then up from there.
Whether you choose to add a simple railing or make elaborate changes like adding walls, windows or a tower, the base is largely the same – so you can always build on your plans later.
Image source: www.dezeen.com
Height and other considerations
One important thing you’ll want to think about during the design stage is how high up from the ground you will want your treehouse to be.
If you’re building your treehouse with young kids in mind, it’s essential to think about their safety – and remember that what (or who) climbs up can just as easily fall down. This is why it’s a smart idea to keep your treehouse at a relatively low height – under a metre from the ground is usually a sensible idea for very young children.
It is also worth bearing in mind that very tall or very elaborate treehouses may require planning permission from your local authority – if you are in doubt, contact your council to find out more information.
Image source: www.greglunger.com
Be smart about building materials
Now that you have a plan in place, it’s time to assemble your building materials – these will vary depending on the scope of your project. The most basic tree houses might be made out of scrap lumber, while more elaborate structures might require a specific type of wood. If your treehouse will include a roof, opt for pressure treated material.
You will also want to make sure you have the right tools for the job. Many DIY-ers recommend utilising some sort of pulley system to get the materials up in the tree, and of course you will need a sturdy ladder too.
Click here to find out more about hiring compressors and other useful pieces of equipment from Speedy Services to help get the job done – and remember, don’t be shy about asking a handy friend for help with this type of project.
We have some issues, already for quite some time with Littlelish and preschool. I’ve tried to ignore them in the hope that it is just a phase and they will pass but Littlelish says she hates preschool.
When I asked her today why she hates preschool she told me it was because she “already knows everything that is important in the world”.
“Mummy I know about listening, about holding hands when you are told to, about being kind, about playing with others.”
What’s more she said she hates the activities at school, she hates writing, she hates reading… Quite frankly it’s leaving me a bit worried. Especially with her starting school this September.
There is no doubt that Littlelish is an exceptionally bright little thing. We’ve known it since she was small. I know all parents think their child is bright but Littlelish really is. She can sound out 3 and 4 letters words which means she is already reading basic books. She can spell and write short words too. Her vocabulary is outstanding for a child of 3. She uses words like captured, injured and gulp on a daily basis and if you ask her the meaning of some really grown up, complex words she will be able to tell you without hesitation. She also speaks Dutch and can translate between the two languages. She is really into science in a big way and will be able to tell you all about gravity and earthquakes if you ask her.
I’m sure it’s all linked with her being highly sensitive and we are really just trying to understand it all and figure out the best way, as parents, to deal with it. I’m very much led by her and what she wants to do. I never force work or activities upon her (nor could I, she is so strong willed). Mostly she likes to be social, play with her friends or make up imaginative games. Sometimes I feel guilty, that I should be pushing her more, to develop her obviously very capable brain but then I think she is so little, knows so much already I’d rather just let her have fun and relax. After all she will be at school soon enough.
Yesterday we found out which school Littlelish will be joining in September. It’s a wonderful, small school with a very warm, friendly atmosphere. I’m hoping it will suit her sensitivities well. But I’m also so nervous about how she will take to a full day spent on learning activities. Especially as many of the initial activities, phonics, numbers etc are things she has known for more than a year now. I’m hoping to goodness they are prepared to work with us on providing activities that will stimulate her and not leave her feeling bored and uninspired.
Which is exactly how she seems to be at preschool at the moment, not being challenged by her peers or teachers is really getting to her. She has even started to occasionally speak like a baby again which as I just read in this excellent article (about young gifted children at school) is often the case when trying to fit in with their peers. Littlelish is a child with a true love of learning, I really hope we can give her the education she deserves when school time comes around!
Remember I told you I had an awesome Easter weekend? Not only was I well enough again to eat chocolate (hoorah) but I got to spend it with all my favourite people. Easter Sunday was spent with my lovely family but I also managed to arrange a little get together with my bestest girlfriends on the Saturday night (not all of them as they are spread out across the world!) and do my favourite thing – make things!
I was lucky enough to be challenged by Swinton Home insurance, who have some great Cheap Home Insurance Quotes Online, to have my perfect night in! I always enjoy going out for dinner or to watch a band but I do love staying in too. Normally my nights in involve me cooking for people (which I love, I’m a bit of a feeder I think!) and wine :) But with a £100 budget I wanted to do something a bit creative and different. First port of call when looking for inspiration? Pinterest!
After a good 30 minutes looking for party inspiration it came to me! I would arrange a pinterest party! I am forever pinning amazing creative ideas for things to make but realistically I don’t often actually do anything with all those pins I pin. Very occasionally I’ll revisit something I’ve pinned on there… but how fab would it be to have a night in with the girls trying to recreate some of these lovely ideas that I pin?
I decided to split the budget and spent £50 on food and drinks and £50 on craft materials which actually worked out perfectly. The planning took a bit of extra thought, I spent quite some time sifting through pinterest (oh what a hardship) looking for the perfect ideas to recreate. I didn’t want anything too complicated, something that we could all get involved in and something the girls could take home with them. I am also trying to be a bit healthy at the moment so was looking for healthy food recipes and non alcoholic cocktails (I know, but everyone was driving!). I made a prelimary board http://pinterest.com/mummylish/pinterest-party-ideas/ but there was so much choice, so many ideas, craft ideas, make up ideas, nail art ideas, food ideas. Eventually I settled on making…
and these crafts to make
Shopping for the party was pretty tough, I had two ridiculously long shopping lists. It must have taken me 3/4 of a day to find it all! In all fairness, the craft shops round here are not great so I spent a while running round looking for the bits I needed and running from one end of the supermarket to the other collecting ingredients for the recipes. I still managed to forget a few things which was annoying!
The girls arrived at 7pm and we set to work following the food recipes and getting things going so we had something to eat! We started with the strawberries so we could get them straight into the freezer, they were very simple to make but were delicious. At this point I still had an excited Littlelish around so this was the perfect thing for her to help with. The quinoa nibbles and mini taco cups were also very straight forward recipes to follow, simple with only a few steps, the stacks of aubergines had a few more steps to the process but were also simple.
By 8pm we were tucking into our food. All the girls agreed, the recipes were delicious :) When I make the quinoa nibbles again I may experiment with flavour as quinoa can have a bit of a bland taste like couscous. The aubergine stacks were yummy, even without the all important feta (which was one of the things I forgot, duh)! We replaced it with parmesan and mozarella cheese and they were equally as delicious (infact we couldn’t really imagine them with feta) a little bit like mini Melanzane Parmigiana. Our absolute favourite were the chicken taco cups, we were all in agreement that this was a brilliant idea for party food and such a yummy bite.
We were all so full we decided to wait with making the chocolate muffins which were apparently only 58 calories (amazing!) and time was ticking on and we wanted to get on with the crafts. We did a quick clear away and brought out the craft stuff, ready to make our pinboards! We chose our fabric, followed the instructions, which worked well and we were there to help each other if we got stuck at all. It was lovely both with the cooking and crafting as we all sat round the table chatting, laughing and catching up. It was a really lovely, chilled atmosphere and we all agreed it was fun and different to be making something together :) There was a little bit of a joke that we were turning into the women’s institute but you know what, we didn’t care! We all love to cook and craft and chat so it was absolutely perfect combination! I may have missed some wine but I think that wine would have made the crafting a bit more difficult and we may have had a rather different outcome ;)
After we had all made our pinboards and done lots of chatting it was already 11pm! Some of the girls decided to call it a night but we still had bracelets to make! Maybe they were all crafted out ;) The ones that were left stayed up making the bracelets which were actually not that easy! I think this was definitely something to do with it getting late, I kept on forgetting which side I was knotting to, the left or right! Whoops. I tried again the next day and it was much easier. I’m a little bit addicted to this new found technique and have been making bracelets all week :)
Thank you Swinton Home Insurance, we had a fab night. In fact we enjoyed it so much we said we would make it a regular thing :) I’d totally recommend hosting a pinterest party but it requires some good thought when planning. I’ve given you my best tips below on throwing a pinterest party – enjoy! x
Tips for arranging and hosting a pinterest party
- Don’t plan too many activities, you’ll never get to make it all and you want to take it a bit easy and chat along the way
- Choose activities that all your guests will be able to do, remember people have different ability levels when it comes to craft
- Write a clear shopping list of all the ingredients and craft items you will need. Try shopping in advance
- Make some food before hand or buy some little nibbles and crisps like I did so people have something to nibble on while making their food.
- Invite people you feel relaxed around, like your closest friends. Its a pretty informal set up and you will want people to get stuck in with helping you make the recipes etc.
- It is nice if your friends get to leave with something they made :)
- Start a pinterest party board now so that when you come round to organising you have loads of ideas to chose from!
I, Mummylish, was a 90′s teenager too. For me the 90′s were a heady mix of Nirvana, knee socks, platform shoes, Tupac, sports bras, chokers, baggy skate pants, The Crystal Maze, Gladiators, record bags and push pops!
See if you can remember these 90′s crazes from today’s guest post…
For those of you who grew up in the 90s it was a heady time of Helly Hansen jackets, cheesy commercial dance and of course the big battle between Oasis and Blur (or even Take That and East 17 depending on your preference).
But how much do you really remember from your school days. Here’s what we came up with.
Mongoose BMXs
If you were into BMXing in the 90s, there wasn’t any room to mess about. You had to get yourself down to your local cycle shop and get sorted out properly. If it wasn’t a Mongoose or maybe even a Schwinn, you just weren’t anywhere. And don’t forget pegs on all four wheels – perfect for backies.
Kickers
One sole was red, the other green – strictly no fakes; no one would stand for that. Kickers were the epitome of cool, but fads change and they were very soon to be replaced by Rockport (or Rockie Ps as they were known at our school).
Fubu / Wu Tang hip hop gear
It’s funny to look at Ali G now in his ridiculous garms, but even funnier if you remember how many of us used to dress. Listening to the likes of 36 Chambers might have given you a certain level of credibility at school, but coming in on “own clothes day” dressed head to toe in Wu Wear, Fubu or Sean Jean was next level. It was such a simple time.
Velcro Wall
Remember them? They had them at the school fair a couple of times. Get dressed up in a furry suit – jump at a Velcro wall. They were rubbish.
Games Workshop
Strictly for geeks. We never went there. Well only a couple of times, but we didn’t really like it (well only a little).
Bop It
There were some “must have” toys knocking around in the 90s, but Bop It from the late 90s really takes the biscuit. We loved its timed based musical challenges. We were the kings for a while, maybe it’s still in the basement somewhere.
Fish tail skateboards
You don’t really see these anymore. They were cool in the 90s – they’re not very cool anymore.
Global hypercolour T Shirts
We can’t remember if these were late 80s or early 90s. Either way T shirts that show your sweat – that’s amazing. Well maybe not.
Want some more 90′s nostalgia check out Stylist.co.uk. What can you remember from the glory days?
I’m happy. After an extremely sickly couple of weeks we are better and actually managed to have a fantastic Easter! I’ve loved every minute of it :) It was kick-started in spectacular style last week when I was invited as part of a bloggers day-out by Achica, the luxury lifestyle store to visit Rococo Chocolates, an exquisite London based chocolatier. Lucky me!
Venturing into Knightsbridge by car was brave and I pretty much instantly regretted it due to traffic but oh it was so quickly forgotten as I parked up and ventured down the very pretty sunlit Motcomb street to the flagship store of Rococo. The beautiful blue and white shop greeted me with a smile, waiting inside was a true treasure trove of imaginative chocolate creations :)
At the back of the shop, Julie was waiting to welcome our group of bloggers and tell us all about Rococo chocolates.
Rococo was founded by Chantal Coady in 1983, nearly three decades, three books (about chocolate of course) and three shops later, Chantal and Rococo are still inspiring many through warm and inviting shops, delicately nuanced flavours and creative, beautiful packaging. In fact, the Academy of Chocolate awarded Chantal and Rococo for ‘Changing the Way People Think About Chocolate,’ and the Wall Street Journal recognised Chantal as the founder of the ‘New British School‘ of chocolate.
Always intent on using authentic, healthy ingredients (eg a big ‘no’ to artificial vanilla and hydrogenated vegetable fat) and sourcing fairly, we’re proudest of our latest venture, Grococo, the ‘home farm’ that is supplying its entire harvest of organic Trinitario cocoa beans to make the fine chocolate used in our house blend.
The original shop can be found on the Kings Road, along with a store on Marylebone High Street and of course the flagship store I visited in Belgravia’s Motcomb Street. The only location outside of London to be lucky enough to have a Rococo store is The Chester Grosvenor Hotel, which opened in 2012.
During our talk we were treated to an exquisite thick hot chocolate drink with a raspberry marshmellow dunking cube. H.e.a.v.e.n.l.y. The London traffic melted away and I was captivated, she had my full attention! Julie continued to explain how chocolate is made which I found fascinating as I’ve always fancied trying it myself! I also learnt some interesting things like what white chocolate is made out of, which is something I always wondered about! The answer by the way is cocoa butter!
It was now time to move on to the workshop where we were lucky enough to be decorating our own Easter eggs! The table was laid out with chocolate piping bags, liquid chocolate to paint on, an assortment of coloured and metallic chocolate decoration balls, shakes, glitter, yoghurt flakes, crispy bits even cocoa butter transfers which we could apply. (I’m definitely going to do this with Littlelish next Easter!)
We were let loose literally like kids in a candy shop and it was great fun to be creative in this way. I got stuck straight in applying swirls, copper dust and green chocolate balls to my first egg. Then I made a special egg for my girl, a hedgehog egg with her name on it :) As a group of creative bloggers from the interiors world and creative mummy bloggers, we had some fab creations!
We left with our extra special eggs and a bag of wonderful mini eggs, of which I will say, if you try one thing from Rococo chocolate make it the salty caramel Seagull eggs!! Yum! The Easter eggs from Rococo went to the special ladies in my life, Littlelish and my mum and were apparently divine! Thank you Achica and Rococo for a truly fabulous event. Indeed once bitten, truly smitten! Rococo chocolates is officially my favourite chocolatier :)
Well I wish I had more joyous news. It’s been rather a sickly couple of weeks in our house. I’ve been struggling with an unknown stomach ailment which has really been bothering me. I’m almost unable to eat, to which I know most of you would say – lucky! But unfortunately it is ridiculously painful and rather worrying. Needlesstosay motivation has been pretty low (which is rather frustrating as I have so many things I want to and need to do!) so we’ve been trying to relax and take it a bit easy.
Littlelish has also had chickenpox. She came down with them quite badly and it made her feel very ill and feverish, I hated seeing my little sunshine all lifeless and spotty! I was super proud of how she coped without complaining and how brave she was. In fact she was trying to convince us the whole time she didn’t have chickenpox “Mum these are not chickenpox, they are in fact birthmarks, that’s all”
I thought I’d share our top tips to get you through chickenpox relatively stress free. We bought nearly the entire chemist after a certain fussy little lady refused some of her treatments. We also found some things worked better than others!
- Paracetemol – for the fever. Remember you are NOT allowed to give ibuprofen to kids who have chicken pox.
- Piriton – Yes this is allergy medicine but it also works on chickenpox and stops the itching from the inside. We had to smuggle it in milk but it worked wonders and the difference in scratching was remarkable when she took it.
- Aqueous Calamine lotion – doesn’t dry the spots out (which can make them itch more!) like normal Calamine lotion does.
- A soft fleecy cuddle blanket – which she used to itch her spots rather than her nails…
- Baths – lots of warm baths, we tried both porridge oats and bicarbonate of soda both are meant to sooth…
- Distraction techniques – Tv usually works wonders here :/
- Love – Lots of cuddles!
I’d love you to comment and add your own if I’ve missed any that worked for you!
Image: www.soulcolour.com
Littlelish: Mummy, what colour is your soul?
Mummylish: Oh good question, I don’t really know!
Littlelish: (Thinks a while and then says) It’s white. Souls are white and they get greyer and greyer the older you get.
x
Image: www.winster.org
Littlelish and I moved into our new house just over a month ago. It’s lovely. I knew the first time I viewed it that this was going to be a place I would be happy in, which was important to me. Sure it might not be the most practical of more »
Image: www.winster.org
Littlelish and I moved into our new house just over a month ago. It’s lovely. I knew the first time I viewed it that this was going to be a place I would be happy in, which was important to me. Sure it might not be the most practical of places, it’s a 200 year old stone cottage, it’s cold, has oil central heating and tiled floors. But hey it’s nothing the woodburner and a pair of slippers can’t fix :)
I was right, it is definitely a happy place, I knew the charm of stone walls, beams, woodburner and a country kitchen would do it for me…. and they most certainly do. Even when my Littlelish goes off to see her daddy I don’t feel alone, this house is my company. It lives and breathes and has a sweet soul about it. It’s tiny but that makes me feel safe. Its pretty much 2 up, 2 down and I call it my hobbit house, even I bang my head on the door frames and I’m only 5’7!
Space is definitely something we struggle with though so I’m on a mission to find practical storage solutions for every room. Despite being a Capricorn I don’t really do massively practical at home, or maybe I do and I’m doing myself a disservice?… I do try!
The main issue at the moment is toy storage! Why are toys so bloody messy? And why are they either tiny and fiddly (I find little moshi monsters or Sylvanian family bottles in every corner of my house) or large and weirdly shapen = impossible to put away? I need some serious help with toy storage!!
In search of some affordable, sturdy options for toy storage I visited Littlewoods who have some fantastic options available and guess what they have a sale on! Hallelujah. These are my favourite options for tidying up those messy toys.
While I was online I also had a little nosy around the other things available at Littlewoods. I was pleasantly surprised by the selection of cool stuff for the house. Did you know they stock Graham and Brown, Julien MacDonald and designs by Laurence LB? There is some seriously lush bits to be found…
I had a little play with a moodboard for restyling Littlelish’s room. What do you think? I’ve always like to keep children’s rooms beautiful and stylish as well as child friendly. I just love this butterfly wallpaper and the white/multicoloured theme, food for thought indeed :)
I’m a freelancer in creative marketing with a background in design and styling but when I'm not working I'm doing the most important job in the world, being mummy to my beautiful little girl! I love to create and craft and have a passion for colour and beautiful detail. This blog is all about my life, my amazing daughter, my inspirations and creations!
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