Blog : Little Lilypad Co

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The Little Lilypad is a lifestyle blog mostly written by a mum to two beautiful, cheeky and entertaining daughters. It is sometimes written by the Man on the Pad or by one of our baby bloggers. Occasionally we accept guest posts too. There is frequently talk of sustainable living, saving money, lifestyle and travel. It is hopefully helpful, sometimes funny and always honest.
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  1. On the third day of Christmas .....

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    ...... my true love gave to me ...... a Christmas memories post from my fabulous friend Emma, who blogs at Emmaand3.com

    My Christmas memories often focus around Christmas eve.  I have always loved the preparation and the excitement that the day brings.  The mornings would often seem to pass very slowly when I was a child.  A Christmas film would be put on there was normally one on the TV often Bedknobs and Broomsticks for some reason. 

    The afternoon would be full of hustle and bustle.  I’m not sure why but I seem to recall people popping in and out.  Probably delivering presents.  Then it would be an early bath before getting ready for the nativity at church.  My mum was in charge of the Sunday School so I would be there sorting out costumes and settling children.  This is a role I still have now and love the excitement on their faces, my own children and nephew are now ingrained in this tradition.  We would place presents under the tree that would be taken to a local charity or a women’s refuge to be used by them.

    We would walk home in darkness and know the evening was only just beginning.  Our neighbours over the road would soon be having their open house party where it seemed everyone from the area would pop by.  The house would be loud and full of fun.  We were then taken home and put to bed.

    My dad would then lock the door return to the party where my mum still was over the road ( yes, not something done anymore but this was the 90’s!)

    My dad would then come home whilst the adults went to midnight mass and the party finished.  As I got older and joined the procession to midnight mass I now realise how drunk most of the congregation was during this service!

    Christmas decoration

    Christmas eve is full of promise when you are a child and I have enjoyed doing many of the same traditions with my three children although we don’t go to  midnight mass.  Like my parents before me as  I have usually had a glass or two of fizz and church is no longer in walking distance of my home!!

    I think it is a great shame that fewer children take part in a traditional nativity either at school or at a church.  I remember church being packed to the rafters on Christmas eve.  Even if for many it was a only a yearly appearance I think it adds to the festivities and helps us remember to be a good neighbour and be nice to each other.

    I can’t wait for Christmas Eve and I hope you enjoy yours

    Love Emma x

     

  2. On the second day of Christmas .....

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    ...... my true love gave to me ...... no turtle doves but two little loves.

    I know I said that our 12 days of Christmas memories would be guest posts but as it is my turn to do Wot So Funee, I couldn't resist sharing the memories that my daughters help to create every single day.

    The little one has developed a vivid imagination and bath time can be anything from a hair dressing salon to an afternoon tea party but last night she was making her big sister pretend to be a baby and was feeding her in the bath.

    I know this is cute but not particularly very funny, that is until she puts a spoonful of bubbles into her sisters mouth saying "here is some strawberries and icecream .......", and just as her sister closes her mouth, she finishes with "......... and spiders".

     Spider

    She has suddenly developed comic timing from somewhere (it's not me, as I usually tell the punchline way after the moment has passed). So our tea party was filled with bubbles, laughter and spiders! Just your average afternoon tea then eh?

    Has your little one said anything funny this week? I would love you to share your post in the linky below.

     

     

  3. On the first day of Christmas .....

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    ..... my true love gave to me, a beautiful guest post from the very awesome Mary Key of Keynko. We always celebrate Christmas with some fabulous posts from our blogging friends and this year is about memories. .....

     

    I was brought up in a house that was full of Christmas spirit. My mum was the most excited person in the house in the run up to the big day and always the first one out of bed that morning shaking people awake to open presents.
     
    So the first Christmas without her was very very hard. She passed away at the beginning of November and it seemed wrong in some way to be getting ready without her, I just couldn't bring myself to sort anything out. My dad made the decision to go off to America that first year to stay with my brother and waving him goodbye only made it worse. 
     
    But for the sake of my own children I needed to get in the mood and try our best to have as much fun as we could. With that in mind we decided that we needed a complete new set of Christmas decorations that year, new broom and all that, and I hoped maybe hunting for new tinsel would make me feel festive. The first shop we went into yielded the perfect tree topper which everything else was then matched to  
     
    first day of xmas
     
     
    My mum loved peacocks and this little bird was sat on a shelf all on it's own looking lonely, I mean we had no choice but to take him home and make him feel welcome.
     
    I love my little birdy, and in fact because he now reminds me so much of my mum he is never packed away and lives all year round on the mantelpiece in the living room. 
     
    And his little glass nest? well that first year my Dad, god bless him, bought little stocking fillers for everyone before he went away and this was mine. A very simple glass candle stick with a little card, 
     
    "my darling girl, I hope that this will help to lighten your life - a little" 
     
    And it did, just a little.
     
    8 years down the line we obviously still miss her, but we work hard to enjoy the holidays with our loved ones, we can raise a glass to her memory and laugh about happy times in the past.
     
    So please do the same - raise a glass to those people who can't be with you this year, remember the good times you had with them and enjoy the time with your loved ones, squeeze them tight and have another mince pie in memory of my darling mum! 
     
    Happy Christmas everyone! x x x x x x 
     

  4. Duvet & Pillowcase Set from award-winning baby and toddler bedding company baroo

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    Established in 2004, baroo specialises in the design and production of award winning baby and toddler bedding and accessories. baroo gives parents everything they need to transform their little one's bedroom with stunning, fun and imaginative nursery interiors and accompanying accessories.

    Over the past decade baroo have taken a huge amount of pride in their design and production process which is why they have become a well-loved and trusted brand amongst children, parents and celebrities as well as snapping up some awards along the way.

    This season, baroo are especially proud of their new collection which consists of 6 gorgeous new designs to capture the imaginations of children and parents alike.  Each design consists of a duvet and pillow case set and are made to fit their super snuggly duvets and dream filled pillows. 

    baroo bedding copy copy

    The beautiful soft colour palettes of the Tweet Dreams and Sweet Pea collections create the prettiest environment for any little princess whilst the cool and contemporary design of the Urban Fox collection will be a sure hit with mischievous boys. The fun and funky Rocks 'n' Spots and Ellefunk collections are designed to appeal to both boys and girls and will instantly brighten up the plainest of rooms. For those looking for something a little more neutral or who don’t yet know the sex of their baby, the soft grey design of the Counting Sheep 5 piece bedding bale is the perfect solution for a gender neutral nursery.

    Baroo believe that parenthood is an adventure like no other which is why they have tried to make things that little bit easier for new parents by offering beautiful co-ordinating accessories to compliment each range such as crib and cot bump pods and coverlets and essentials such as hooded towels, nursing pillows, muslins and burp cloths. Everything you need to create a stylish and practical nursery.

    With lots more wonderful designs in the pipeline and plans to expand on their existing collections, baroo is leading the way in exclusive, inspirational children’s interiors.

    You can view the new collections on their newly launched website www.baroo.co.uk