Beautiful bracelets

I have to say one of my favourite accessories has to be bracelets, especially when summer and festival fever kicks in as I love the natural wooden beaded ones such as my "Wild and Free" bracelet above and I like layering them for a boho effect which goes perfectly with a flowing sun dress or shorts and a loose tee. My blue brass bangles below have all actually been found by Johns father who goes metal detecting and I love that they have a story behind them. Talking about stories and memories my mother has a beautiful tennis bracelet that will one day be passed down to me and than hopefully onto on of my children, which is what is also so great about bracelets is they can also be that added little extra sparkle when your going on somewhere smart and want to look chic or even a family air loom and there are some really stunning ones on the market. I really would really like a delicate gemstone or  Diamond bracelet , like the ones above from Anjolee, th......

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Caerphilly Castle Adventure

We have been making the most of each and ever dry day and last week we all decided to jump in the car and head to a Castle - our first thought being Cardiff Castle but with the Joust on we decided to stay away from the maddening crowds and went with Caerphilly as it's been a while since we have been there and with the moat and circular walk around the castle it allows for a lot of space for Mr A to run off all his energy. Before heading into the castle we had a little picnic on beaches around the moat, with lovely views to the castle and with ducks walking past and some bamboo for Mr A to crawl through it was a great way to start the day before going inside and exploring. We climbed all the towers, walked on the walls, pretended to shoot crossbows across the moat and ran around on the grass playing catch. It was one of those simple days, picnic and outdoor fun, is there really anything better? Linking up with Let's have an Adventure  ...

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Street Style Sunday - Britmums Live

So I recently attended Britmums live for the first time, for those who are unfamiliar with Britmums, basically it's of the biggest blogging conferences in the UK, taking place at The Brewery, an ever so stylish venue. It's always great to see old friends and meet new ones and a proper review of what I thought, the pro's and con's and what I learnt will be up soon but I thought I would just share a few little snaps from the 2 day event. Rocking a little summer style at the Boots booth First of all the outfit I was going to wear didn't arrive in time, I was literally waiting at my house till just before 11am on the day of the conference waiting for it to come but alas it never did and to be honest I didn't have a back-up. So I ran upstairs and grabbed the nearest things to me which was a sixties style shift dress and this denim playsuit. Simply good breakfast I sayed with fellow blogger Claire from The Diary of The Evans-Crittens at t......

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Where to Stay in London

I don't know about you but when I visit a popular city or destination I try and discover what really makes the place tick, where the locals go to eat, drink etc while attempting to avoid any touristy traps and if you follow the blog most of you will already know that either for work, family, friends or one reason or another we are lucky enough to visit London a few times a year, usually with the little man in tow, which is always an adventure. Mr A enjoying the outdoors in Regents Park We often find ourself asking why we don't live there but as much as we enjoy all the buzz of the city in small doses we very much enjoy the quiet of the welsh countryside and having the chance to do a bit of both is something we are very grateful for. When we are in the city for one night only we often opt for a budget friendly hotel but if we are staying any longer and have Mr A with us we tend to go for self-catering and with so much choice it can often be overwhelming. At the end o......

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Simple Summer Pleasures

I have to say I love instagram for documents daily do's and I love reflecting on the past week of what has made us happy, those simple pleasures and carefree moments, like lying back in the park looking up at the trees while Mr A plays with hide and seek with new friends, summer perfection. Here is what has been making us happy lately 1. Garden fresh Radishes - our first successful harvest 2. Polenta cake and coffee - simple 3. Pirate time 4. Can't get enough of these stuffed Romaine salad leaves ...

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Tips for creating a floral themed room

Nothing beats fresh flowers in the home ( image ) One of the most popular themes for rooms in a lot of people’s houses is that of flowers. A floral theme can really brighten a place up, and those who really love flowers will really enjoy being able to match different styles and colours around the room. Here are some tips for creating a room with an effective floral theme… Don’t overdo it The first thing to mention is to not overdo it too much. Of course you want your theme to be noticeable (otherwise what’s the point?) but if you slap flowers on absolutely everything then it’s going to be somewhat overbearing and even garish. Don’t put flowers on everything in the room; instead pick a few key areas and focus on those. I love this bright floral wallpaper ( image ) Wallpaper Having floral wallpaper is a good way of injecting some interesting patterns into your décor. Again, however, you don’t want to overdo it. Try choosing wallpaper with a few flow......

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Organic Children sun care giveaway

So it's officially summer, words which makes us very happy. We are very much an outdoor type of family and intend to make the most of the good weather but this does not mean that we are completely going to throw caution to the wind in terms of skincare especially when it comes to Mr A who has fairly sensitive skin. I personally don't like putting unnecessary chemicals on his skin so I was really happy to hear about Organic Children Sun Lotion made by the lovely Green People . Of course though the product still needed to work, which I can say from our experience it does and in fact I use it as well now as it's non-greasy but moisturising and has no hidden nasties in it. I wanted to share some tips about keeping safe in the sun 1. For one the sun is good for us - it provides us with a natural release of Vitamin D which is what our body needs to absorb Calcium. It's also proven to make us feel happier, so do get out when you can but children (and Adults)......

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How to create a unique bathroom for your home

How beautiful are these tiles ( image ) For many people, the bathroom is a relaxing sanctuary. Locking the door, filling the bath and lighting some candles is a fantastic way to unwind after a long and stressful day. For others, a long and luxurious shower is the best method to wash away their cares and troubles. Whatever way you choose to wind down, having a beautiful bathroom can make a real difference when trying to create a sense of peace and tranquillity. You might also want to create a unique bathroom that will amaze your friends and relatives when they come to visit. There’s no better way to make a great impression than by offering your guests access to a stunning bathroom. I love this simple and stylish bathroom ( image ) Here are some ways you can create an incredible bathroom that you’ll adore for years to come: Picking a theme When designing a new bathroom, you might be preoccupied with choosing the colour of your tiles and deciding on materials for the......

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Top 3 family friendly places to visit in Brussels

As some of you already know last month we had a short city break to Brussels and whenever we travel we always take Mr A into consideration and try to find places that offer fun and cultural experience as well as being suitable for both adults and children and Brussels offered lots of options, so we thought we would put our top 3 together. Atomuim   Constructed for the World Fair n 1958 and known as Brussels Eiffel Tower it sets and impressive mark on the landscape. Getting to this place was a bit of an adventure in itself for us as it usually should only take 2 trams but because they were working on the line it involved getting off mid way between two stops, catching a local bus to end of the line where we would hopefully be able to get the next tram. In the end we got there and found all the travel rather entertaining and really enjoyed seeing more than just the city centre and even though it took longer than expected we were not disappointed. As soon as you lay y......

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Home Sweet Home

So our home is nowhere near finished or how we would like it but when you have been away even the smallest things bring comfort to the soul, even the bed I have been wanting to replace for years has a familiar comfort that hotel beds simply don't have. It was a busy weekend to say the least at Britmums live and even though I really enjoyed meeting so many people it's great to be home (well for now) surrounded by the people you love and the little things that make you smile. ...

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On a serious note - World Blood Donor Day

I love the simple pleasures in life like grass under my feet On a seriously note - we all love life, our family our friends, summer and being healthy but did you know 1 in 4 people will need a blood transfusions in their lifetime and with only 4% of the British population being blood donors thats a real scary thought. In theory someone in your family will be affected and need a transfusion and in my personal experience that statistic appears to be true as my mother has had two during both her c-sections as well as two cousins, my aunt and my grandmother and I really wonder what the outcome would of been without those amazing people who give up just a little bit of there time to donate and potential save numerous lives. Hats off and big love to those who donate ( image ) Like I said my mother had transfusions twice and it's still something that happens a lot in child birth and for those who don't know it was World Blood Donation Day earlier this month (14th June) a......

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