Being unstoppable with #CrystalSki

I'm sure as soon as you become a parent you develop multi-tasking skills you never knew you had, suddenly not only do you have to take care of yourself but also all of your children and families needs, somehow you are able to function on far less sleep yet in a more efficient way, getting packed lunches done (something I never did before kids), keeping everyone clean, dressed and out of the door in one piece and this is personified when you travel as organisation is much needed to ensure a an enjoyable holiday, in a way you would say you need to be unstoppable, a family on a mission to have fun, which is what we certainly are, so when CrystalSki announced they are looking for a family to work with this year we jumped at the chance to be involved. Enjoying snowboarding during my Uni days One of my favourite memories as a child was going to Austria on a skiing holiday when I was 13, I had never really seen snow before as I was living in South Africa at the time and......

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5 simple ways to bring calm into your home

If you have kids then you have probably been navigating the madness that is half term this past week, having the kids at home all day every day can be pretty hard going and since we have opted to HomeSchool Mr A for the foreseeable future it has meant neither John or I really get a break but honestly we wouldn't change that. I have learnt though that you occasionally need a little bit more than just deep breaths to get through a trying situation such as if the baby has been up all night or you feel rundown or the house is a mess and the lego boxes have been tipped out for the 10th time that day. So I thought I would share what has been helping me de-stress on a daily basis as I feel these can apply to anyone, even if you don't have children and just find your having juggle numerous things in this crazy fast paced world. 1. Start the day with a decent breakfast and be kind to your body, drink lots of water and try to get your 5 a day going from your first meal. Fo......

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Never let your imagination run dry

I feel extremely grateful to be in the position to work from home and to be able to include my family into my work, especially my eldest son who is full to the brim of weird and wacky ideas that only a 5yr old would have. There have been a few times when I really have to pinch myself and make sure that I am not dreaming when an opportunity so special and fantastic arrives in my inbox, such as the chance to contribute and collaborate with 8 other inspiring bloggers to create a children's book with the help of illustrator Tom Percival and HP Instant Ink . One of my lifelong dreams is to publish a children's story book so being ask to be a part of this is almost like a dream come true and Mr A was equally excited, helping me with ideas along the way. The story is all about Harrison, his imaginary friend Hugo and an array of far out and fantastical zoo animals, so when it came to my contribution I wanted to include elements of all that my son loves, which is......

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Keeping baby cosy while glamping

Now some of you may think the Glamping season is over but it's really not. The first time we took Mr A camping was in May (and yes the nights where chilly) and we are off to stay in a converted horse box next month with Canopy & Stars so out come the thermals. thick blankets and cups of hot chocolate. Wether it be a yurt, bus, treehouse or anything in-between as long as your prepared you can go anytime of the year with a baby in tow. When we took Baby G to the Just So festival in August he was 6 months old so we knew special preparations were needed to ensure he got a goodnight sleep without getting too cold or uncomfortable. We researched different sleeping options and it can be a little more tricky with babies as they cannot use standard kids or toddler sleeping bags but luckily The Gro Company make thick 3.5 tog winter sleep bags especially for babies which was perfect for our weekend in a Bell Tent. The winter warmer grobag is designed for those colder nights whe......

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Mexican inspired interiors and Giveaway

Love all these patterns ( image ) We love to travel and it really inspires what we have in our home as it's a reflection of who we are and our passions. We have recently been dreaming of trips to lands further away and with Halloween and Day of the Dead ascending upon us in a matter of days we have felt inspired by Central and South America culture and style wether it be the block colours or beautiful fabric patterns to the fiery and fun food it's captured our hearts of late. Mexico just like South Africa is a vibrant and colourful place bursting to the rim with exciting products made in a traditional way, so when the lovely people from Mayalma a Mexican inspired home accessories company got in touch I couldn't wait to share their lovely wares with you, especially as they support creative, local and small Artisan producers in Mexico and if your looking for something a bit different this Christmas why not pick up one of these great products - there is something for e......

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Street Style Sunday- 21 again

One of my favourite stores - The White Company recently celebrated their 21st and having collaborated with them before they sent a little surprise my way in the form of this beautiful long wash silk blouse, it is so comfortable to wear and perfect with skinny jeans for day or night. As it's certainly become a lot chillier in the air I decided to pair it up with my Barbour Jacket and my topshop black skinnies, Boden trainers and favourite necklace from Anchor and Crew . The White Company have some amazing pieces in this season, they just capture style and simplicity so perfectly so here are four of my favourite picks 1. Boyfriend Jeans in White £90 2. Cashmere Ear Muffs £59 3. Suede Chelsea boots £169 4. Roll Neck Jumper £119 Remember to come and join in with what is inspiring you this season, wether it be what you or your kids are wearing or simply a mood board come and share with our weekly style linky An InLinkz Link-up ...

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Picking pumpkins

Pumpkin carving, crafting and dressing up for Halloween is too us a big part of what makes Autumn such a wonderful season, throw in stomping through leaves, puddle jumping and home baked goodies and your all set to go. Last year we bought some pumpkins from a lovely local community allotment and this year we had planned to plant our own but we had a bit of a break from our vegetable patch this year due to the birth of Baby G. So after we enjoyed some late season raspberry picking at Hendrewenno Farm in the Vale of Glamorgan we noticed they had a small pumpkin field which for a limited time allowed you to pick your own pumpkin so we made sure to head over last Friday morning and get one each for both of the boys. We got one large one which we planned to carve this week and one small one we are going to paint while we are going to make some pumpkin pie with the leftovers. After we had made our picks we spent a relaxed morning in the cafe and the boys exploring the hay......

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Embracing slow travel with Stena

As some of you may already know we enjoyed an amazing break to Amsterdam during the summer as I have mentioned it a few times on the blog but in this post I really want to focus on the journey and not so much the destination. We are avid travellers and love sharing our passion with our kids and for myself personally it's very much about enjoying the ride and as quick and convenient flying is taking an alternative route can be so much fun and really open up a whole different adventure. We have done the Eurostar to Brussels and Paris as well as high speed trains across France and thought it was time to take to the high seas in a little overnight crossing from Harwich to the Hoek of Holland. The Stena Hollandica Before heading over to Holland we spent a few days in London, something which we do as a family every year, taking in all the museums, coffee shops and open spaces before hoping on the train to the coast with our rail sail tickets from Stena Lines , basical......

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No More Cookie Cutter Weddings

While I was at Uni studying photography I assisted at a few weddings then after graduating started my own business (although realised it's not really for me) have attended a fair few weddings, add in the weddings of family and friends as well and you would think that I would be a bit jaded by now, but when someone does something a little different it's still so much fun to attend them. Over the years, the way people organise their weddings has changed drastically and I must admit I am a big fan of this change. These days’ people seem to feel free to hold a wedding that suits them and their family and friends. Most of todays modern weddings are a reflection of the personality, tastes and values of the bride and groom. In the past, especially in the 80s and 90s, people seemed to be compelled to do things in a certain way. Most people got married in church, the majority of grooms wore morning suits and the bride pretty much always looked like your archetypal fa......

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Fall in love with Picardy

Chateau de Chantilly France is without a doubt a beautiful country and one worth exploring as there is so much more to it than the city of lights that is Paris or the luxurious and star studded Cannes in the south. We are hoping to do a big road trip through the French countryside in a camper van in the next few years as it's so close to the UK, in fact you can be exploring Picardy in the north within 4 hours of leaving UK shores via the ferry or for those who don't fancy driving you can always fly. So where is Picardy exactly and why should you visit it? Firstly it's a region of Northern France and with stunning coastlines, heritage sites, traditional French cuisine and should not be overlooked as a destination. Here is why you should be booking a break to Picardie as the french would say. A relaxing break The Picardy region has more than 70 outdoor parks and gardens open to the public which offer a variety of walks in diverse countryside where you c......

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Kitchen Simplicity

Both John and I have recently made a real commitment to lessening the amount of unnecessary things we have in our house, to do a complete declutter and keep things as simple as possible. Personally I have always been a believer in less is more but when you have kids you automatically increase the amount of clutter in your home ten fold over night. We are giving ourselves a few months to have a  real sort through everything which is also going to help get the home looking ready for when we put it on the market in spring.  I love the simplicity of the flat we stayed in in Earls Court over the summer Inspired by the chic Scandi designs my first focus point is going to be on the kitchen diner which luckily is a wonderful size with a large island and built-in fridge. I want to reclaim back our dining room table and use it for crafts Mr A and I do daily. I also want to replace the stools, paint the skirting boards and simplify our kitchen surfaces and get rid ......

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Lego, Scooby Doo & Giveaway

I don't know about you but Scooby Doo was very much apart of my pre-teen TV watching agenda when I was growing up. It had a little bit of everything I was looking for in a cartoon from adventure, suspense to friendship and style it became a firm favourite for Saturday morning breakfast TV before heading out on my own weekend adventures. It's also become one of those shows my son has suddenly had an interest in, I think it's a combination of the excitement of problem solving and that the main character is a dog either way it's one of those shows we do allow as its harmless but also has some good morals. Great news is that Scooby-Doo has paired up with Lego and they have been creating some fun stop motion videos on their official WB Kids YouTube channel, with new videos being uploaded weekly. They are also running an amazing giveaway to win a £150 Smyths Gift Card and it's super easy to enter below.. a Rafflecopter giveaway This is an associa......

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