Category: Views & Ramblings

1. Key Wardrobe Items for Autumn

   Posted on 10:18am Thursday 2nd Oct 2014

   Has anyone else noticed a significant change in the weather in the past couple of days? There is definitely an autumnal feeling in the air and whilst I am sad to see the end of Summer, Autumn gives me a whole new wardrobe to enjoy! For me, it is all about layering but I am already thinking about key wardrobe items for the girls this Autumn.

   Knitwear

   Now this is obviously a very girly orientated list, so I will always plump for a knitted dress for the girls. There is no worrying about a trouser/skirt/top combo, it is simply pop it on and away we go. They have some gorgeous knitted dresses on the Esprit website that I am coveting this Autumn and then the only other only decision is which gilet to wear with it!

   

   Gilet

   Both of my daughters have more than one (ahem) gilet. They have padded ones, fluffy ones and *possibly* ones with cute little ears that make them look like a small bear but regardless of the design, they are perfect for autumn, when it is not cold but the temperature has dropped a little. I bought this Faux Fur Gilet for my youngest daughter and everyone comments on it!

   Denim

   I love denim but it has to be soft for the girls (anyone would think I am raising princesses). Denim pinafores and jumpsuits with skinny legs made a bit of a come back last year and skinny jeans remain a favourite of mine. For the fashion conscious tween, she likes to tailor denim jeans with a funky top, whereas all the toddler worries about it whether she can actually pull them down quick enough to go to the toilet!

   Hats

   I LOVE hats. Hats are a fantastic fashion accessory and always help if you are having a bad hair day but as far as my girls are concerned, they usually can't wait to get them off their heads but as the cold nights draw in, they are a good way to keep little ears warm and with an array of choice on the high street and online, there are lots to choose from.

    

   As a "grown up", clothes are usually a very personal thing and in turn, your choices of clothes for your children often reflect your own personality.

   If you are an avid follower of fashion, you will know that many of the designer labels are featuring lace, tweed, prints, and leopard print this season, which mimic many adult fashion houses. My girls have always tried to wear my heels around the house, try on my make up and hats, so it seems that children never cease to want to dress like mommy .....

   ....... although I wonder what I would look like in that knitted dress?

    

   

2. Country Kids : Finding new friends and new skills

   Posted on 8:24pm Saturday 20th Sep 2014

   The tween has always enjoyed having friends over and playing with the neighbours children, so the little one was delighted to find a little friend by way of our new neighbours grandson.

   All of sudden she wanted to go out and play.

   She wanted to ask him over to play at our house.

   We would find his head popping up at the front kitchen window, knocking the glass and saying hello.

   How can she have a friend calling for her? Isn't this about 10 years too early?? (I *may* be exaggerating slightly here).

   However her little friend is adorable, has impeccable manners and she loves having a little friend to have new adventures with.

   So she has been showing him the wonders of where we live .....

   

   It cost me a whole loaf of bread while they fed the greedy chickens!!

   

   But then it was his turn to show her something new. He is a few months older than her and clearly proud of the fact that he can ride a scooter with ease, so this has given her the determination to be brave and get her balance.

   

   Sometimes you just need a little friend to give you a little confidence.

   Tweet

   

3. Changing a room with Vertbaudet : Bedroom review

   Posted on 9:14pm Sunday 14th Sep 2014

   When I was pregnant with the little one, I didn't 'want to find out whether it was a boy or girl, so plumped for a very classic cream look for her bedroom. Now 3 years later, the sides are off the cot and her favourite colour is pink. Cream is just not cutting it any longer.

   So with a little help from Vertbaudet, we added a little bit of pink magic and sparkle to this neutral space ......

   

   First we added a pink heart rug. As the youngest member of the family, she has the smallest room so at 100 x 133cm it fills a large proportion of the floor (which saves me getting a new pink carpet) and it is so soft, the little one keeps flexing her toes over it! 

   

   We then chose a gorgeous butterfly hanging lampshade which casts a beautiful soft pink glow across her bedroom. A couple of people have aked me if there should be a frosted base on the bottom of the lampshade but there isn't and I prefer it that way (and it would be just somewhere that dust can gather). At 25 cm with a base diameter of 50 cm, it is almost oversized but with the cut-out butterfly motifs let the light through, it lights the bedroom softly and warmly. (It is also available in white, if you really don't fancy pink).

   

   So with the addition of some new bedding, the room definitely begins to feel a like more like a girls room, rather than a nursery. I know it seems sterotypical to choose pink but this was her colour of choice and it just goes to show that with a few key items, you really can change the look of a room.

   

   As a huge fan of Vertbaudet, I had purchased some butterflies from their website a little while ago and so we added these to the walls to create a bedroom that she can now "flutterbye" the hours in.

   

   So what do you think? Would you add anuthing more? I just have my eye on this beautiful butterfly mirror!

   Disclaimer : We were given the rug and lampshade as part of this review but as a regular customer of Vertbaudet, I would highly recommend their clothes and homewares for children.

4. Country Kids : The End Of Summer

   Posted on 10:12pm Friday 5th Sep 2014

   I know it is not technically the end of summer but it is the end of the summer holidays and we wanted to make the very best of the final days before the school term. I had pre-arranged a playdate with one of the little ones friends but looking out of the window in the morning made me inwardly grown as once again it was raining.

   Now I am a bit of a fair weather park goer. I am not a massive fan of getting wet but as if by magic, someone somewhere heard my plea and, the rain cleared.

   Tamworth Castle grounds were our destination and once again, it is somewhere that is literally on our doorstep, it has an amazing park for the children and it is FREE!

   

   It appeals to my inner castle geek (and we all know I love a castle)

   

   The girls could run around freely (with their little friends) and the park has great facilities from a little coffee shop and toilets (which we signed the petition to keep open).

   

   We played, laughed (and someone showed off her gymnastic abilities)

   

   And we chased a squirrel for what seemed like a ridiculous amount of time. I think he was enjoying teasing us as he darted through the trees.

   But best of all, we were outside, together, enjoying the final days of no timetable or school bell. And it was free. The best things in life usually are.