Our place to restore the calm

Mr A at St Fagans Life at the best of times can be described as manic or crazy as we move through this modern world at a faster pace than ever before. It can at times be pretty overwhelming and I think that every now and then it's a good idea to take a step back, breath in some fresh air and take time to enjoy the little things, as we as recalibrate. I know if the little man and I don't touch base with our two favourite places we both start to get a little bit of cabin fever especially since we love the outdoors but St Fagans and the Amelia Trust farm hold a special place in our heart and whenever things seem on top of us, o r my mind is feeling full and I can sense those dreaded heartaches coming these are the two places we visit to restore some calm back into our lives. I am a true believer in the healing of power of nature and the benefits of spending as much time connecting with the natural world. I certainly feel more grounded and have a clearer head after ......

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Street Style Sunday - Yellow and Blue

I cannot believe that next week there will be four of us so I thought I would take the chance to get a little outfit post of these two before our world changes again with the arrival of another little man. These two are so funny together and Mr A often tries to dress the same as John but on this occasion was excited to try out his new yellow rain mac from Mama and Papas which I wish they made in my size!! John also has his well worn Ralph Lauren rain jacket and Universal Works, Ebbets Field Flannels hat, dockers trouser and Eastland boots Can't wait to enjoy wearing normal clothes again and sharing my post-pregnancy outfit journey with you from next week...which also means I get to go shopping again, yay! I would love you to come and join in with Street Style Sunday linkup alongside myself and Natalie and Kerri-Ann  and remember anything fashion related goes from mood boards, what's inspiring you to what you and your family are wearing. An InLinkz Lin......

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Keeping the family home on trend

Keeping the family home and happy and creative place It can keep be hard enough keeping the home ship-shape without worrying about whether it's fashionable enough. However, there are a few things that you can do to avoid looking like you live in a relic from a bygone era. Minimalist chic In other words, chuck out the chintz. Many people are going for the classy Scandinavian look as featured by the wonderfully chic Nordic Design  blog where minimalism is the order of the day. With clean white walls, a predominance of warming wood tones, and a sense of sleek functionality, it's a great and cost-effective way to give your family home a makeover. Storage spaces can be easily created and modified through some cheap and adaptable storage blocks. And if you're feeling it's a touch sterile, add a bit of natural flora to bring a bit of life into your interior. Bedrooms can also be one of the areas that can suffer in family spaces as they tend to become cramped......

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Friday Finds for the home

Ombre clock and Tepec Cushion   Spring is on it's way and I love adding a few new additions to the home as well as getting rid of things we really don't need, are not beautiful and serve no purpose and replacing them with well designed and colour pieces. As you have probably already discovered I love Scandinavian inspirations, white backgrounds, simple prints and design. I love the ombre shades of this clock above from Etsy paired up with the Tepec cushion from Urban Outfitters. Dream on banner and Mr & Mrs mugs I am also on the look out for some subtle inspirational prints, nothing too over the top and typography can be great in the home but only if done properly and this "dream on" banner and I think these two white Mr & Mrs mugs from TigerLillyQuinn are too cute - a couple who drink tea together stay together. Artisan skateboard and Wire hanging fruit bowl I always have a soft sport for wood and well design objects and would lov......

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Tasty South African Dishes

Me on my first day of school in Cape Town If you read the blog regularly you will probably know that I was born in South Africa to a Welsh mother (SA Father) and Mr A has now been born in Wales to a South Africa mother (Welsh Father) so we have an interesting mix in our house when it comes to childhood memories and the food we eat. I love anything Mediterranean as the South Africa diet at times can be very similar to the greek - we are huge fans and producers of Olives and Feta cheese as well as enjoying light salads, tapas and moussaka in the summer sun.  John on the other hand is a fan of slightly heavier British style food which simply was not that common in South Africa - I mean who would want to eat a Sunday roast when its 30 degrees outside. I used to live on the slopes of the beautiful table mountain So when I was recently set a Cricket World Cup foodie challenge by Betfair to put together a yummy dish inspired by one of the 14 countries taking part and I knew ......

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The bath is back

So for the past two weeks the bathroom has been a bit of a war zone. Our bath had sprung a rather bad leak which meant water was running into our living room - not a good look. As we are planning to sell the house this year we were hoping not to replace the bath as it was very solid and when buying the property didn't appear to be an issue but things don't always turn out how you think they will. If we were going to be living here for a longtime we would of gone for a roll top bath and different tiles but when renovating a property you need to detach yourself a little an we opted for something plain and neutral. All I can say is I am very happy to have a bath and new shower back in before the baby arrives. Like I said if we were staying in this house longterm we would of gone with something a little bit different, not that we don't like ours now, it's a cute little room in the eaves which we have made a fair amount of changes too with new floor and wall ......

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Reasons to holiday in the UK

Mr A exploring Carreg Cennen in Wales As you know we love to travel and as much as we enjoy going to new and exotic places or exploring Europe by rail we are also huge fans of discovering what is right on your doorstep and feel the UK has a lot to offer travellers, from cities to quaint villages to rugged coastlines and blue-flag beaches there is something for everyone. Enjoying some time by the seaside Great Britain has always managed to lure travellers from around the world for a very long time. Its diversity, expansion and an unusual social collage have created a unique atmosphere here. This country has become a real mix of classical culture paired up with the ultra modern and forward thinking of the youth today and places like London are a perfect example of where this works in complete harmony together. Beautiful cities such as Edinburgh are an exciting place to be, with so much history and elegant architecture next to h......

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Best Gluten-free pancakes & Choc Shot giveaway

Our favourite Gluten Free pancakes After trying out a few different recipes, a few months ago we all agreed that these Gluten Free pancakes were the best going and often having them on Sunday mornings as a family treat. They are super easy to make and contain now wheat or gluten although they do contain eggs as well as delicious greek yogurt. I often cover mine in sliced bananas but on this occasion we were excited to try out some Choc Shot which had been sent to us and made a lovely chocolaty change without all the sugar and calories as it's 100% natural from carob and is gluten and diary free and suitable for veggies/vegans and the little man has become a real fan of having a dash of this in his almond milk. Chic Shot has been a hit in our house Gluten Free pancake recipe 200g gluten-fre flour blend (we often use rice flour) 1 1/2 tsp gluten free baking powder 2 free range eggs beaten 200ml milk - dairy free versions also work, we use almond 120g greek yogur......

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Mums making the move - Working from home

A beautiful home office, a creative place to work ( image ) A couple of years ago I came to a cross roads, my maternity pay was coming to an end and I was doing some freelance photography work as well as copy writing and blogging but nothing to really write home about. I knew I didn't want to go back to full time employment with a child under one and thought it was the perfect time to make the leap and really pursue my freelance work and I am so glad I did as even with the stress that comes with working from home and in the back of your head knowing you don't have a regular income it's been such an exciting journey as well as having the amazing opportunity to spend a lot of time with my son, which no matter what the future holds I will forever be grateful for. My work game face Now I know for some women working from home will simply never be an option, perhaps because they have amazing careers that they worked long and hard for and should be very pro......

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Monday Interiors - Geometric Print

I love this geometric wall paper ( image ) Happy Monday everyone, thought I would start it off with some happy interior inspiration and this week is all about geometric print. Oh how colourful and well done geo print makes me happy - just look this this striking wallpaper and cheerful cactai! I thought perhaps by now I would be bored with this quirky style but I am not...at all and cannot wait to move later this year to a house that hopefully has a space for a home office which will be style with some geometric happiness. Simple Scandi style ( image ) Love this ( image ) What kind of print/design or trend is making you happy this Monday morning?...

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Instalife

So it's been a pretty busy past few weeks, with the date for the new arrival fast approaching it's also been a pretty exciting time for all of us, plus trying to get organised and on top of things before our life changes forever (again). I thought I would put together a few instagram pics of things that have been making us happy over the past two weeks 1. Kale, beans and egg salad - so simple and so good 2. Looking back at some of the amazing travels we had in 2014 - the two boys on the Left bank Paris 3. A beautiful morning spent in Tenby, West Wales 4. Falling in love with Almond butter 5. Exploring the Welsh coastline 6. Enjoying some yummy breakfast at Premier in on our recent mini break to Tenby 7. A beautiful sunset on a chilly winter evening 8. Me at 38 weeks pregnant 9. Comforting porridge with seeds and cranberries - great way to start the day What have you been getting up to this week? ...

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My Saver Story

Thank goodness for saving as if we had not been putting a little away each month we would of been hit really hard over Christmas with various things going wrong in the house as well as expecting our second child. In our family I am far more cautious and tend to think ahead while John is a bit more spontaneous with regards to purchases and yet we are the opposite when it comes to travel and adventures. Although since becoming parents we have over the years tried to hit a middle ground as when you have a household to run and kids to clothe, feed and entertain, too many unfortunate expenses can suddenly put a lot of strain on you and it's been one of those times when everything has come at once but we have been able to ride it out due to making sure we put something aside each month. As you grow as a person you of course change and so does the way you do things. Looking back and reflecting on that here is what our saving story has been in the past, present and our dreams for the ......

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Street Style Sunday - Beachside Casual

Last weekend we decided it would be a good time to have one last break away being 38 weeks pregnant it would be our last mini-break for at least the next 6 weeks or so. We decided to jump in the car and head to Tenby in West Wales for a night and wow we were so lucky with the weather and had an amazing time exploring the coast, playing mini golf and running on the beach, at one point it was so mild we took our jackets off! Of course it's been a little harder the past few weeks to find clothes that accommodate the bump in a comfortable and stylish way but these stretchy skinny black trousers from Mothercare are so soft and since I am a huge fan of black I have been wearing them a lot lately and paired it up with a Asos Maternity slouch tee and Ralph Lauren denim chambray, Timex watch and gifted snood. Laura wears Ralph Lauren chambray, ASOS maternity tee, Mothercare skinny jeans, Moorlands Boots It was lovely to spend some quality time outdoors with the family, by the......

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Thinking about getting a Conservatory? Top things to consider

Would love a space like this ( image ) We live in a world were making the most of what you have is key and with most properties there is always space for improvement and what a better way to add value than bringing more light and space into your home than with a conservatory. I have to admit, growing up in sunny South Africa it's something I never really would of considered before but then again the weather was far warmer there so there was less need for this kind of indoor/outdoor space. Although saying that after moving to the UK there is something really lovely about sitting in a glass conservatory, looking out across a wintery garden while keeping warm and toasty, reading a book and enjoying some peace and quite. Or if you have kids, spending some time playing a board game or enjoying a spot of tea and cake. With modern advancements most conservatories are very well insulated, allowing you use it all year round and becoming an extension to your garden allow......

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Bringing Card design into the home

Like most people I appreciate beautiful design, art and anything creative and I don't know about you but when it comes to certain occasions when you require a card it can be hard to find something a little different and unique. So when I was asked to try out CardNest - a card subscription which curates a collection of 3 cards each month, sent to your home so you are never short of card for a variety of uses, I was really intrigued and didn't really know what to expect, but I have to say that I was very pleasantly surprised and have really enjoyed using the artist designed cards for various occasions. There is something really pleasing abut bringing beautiful design into the home and I am tempted to frame some of the cards as they are so cute and quirky and printed on high quality paper stock and would look lovely stuck up with some washi tape in a studio or office space. Best of all is I have a special code for Side Street Style readers to get 50% off their first ba......

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Help get Cardiff on the Monopoly Map!

Cardiff Millennium Centre   Something very exciting is afoot an if you are anything like me and love board games then hearing about the new Global Here and Now Monopoly board being developed is great news. What is even better is you can vote for various cities to have a chance at being including on the board and I am over the moon to have been asked to represent Cardiff on the blogger front of things and with so many reasons to see this small but perfectly formed Welsh city on the global map this is a real honour. Beautiful Cardiff Bay So why should you vote for Cardiff? Well many many reasons 1. Well it may not be the biggest city but the people are very welcoming, love to have a laugh and are a very generous folk. 2. There is a great combination of urban lifestyle with all the Cafes and boutiques paired with the green outdoor spaces such as Bute park right in the heart of the city. 3. We have Castles! Cardiff Castle is right in the centre of town as well......

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