Hello Moon Prints & Giveaway

Kids rooms should be all about colour and creativity, a place to celebrate the magic of childhood and to help nurture your child's unique personality. Its also the chance to inject some fun into your household and it's such a enjoyable interior space to style as it's unlike any other room in the house. As you know we love art, design, photography and prints displayed on our walls so why should it be any different for kids bedrooms? Well Hello Moon have some of the cutest and quirkiest prints that I am sure your kids will fall in love with, especially as you can customise them for your child. With iconic prints such as the London bus or all time favourite characters such as Pirates and Dinosaurs there really is going to be a print to suit your little one's personalities. Hello Moon was started by four like minded parents in search of something original and fun for their own kids and they are constantly adding to the current designs. They also offer free shi......

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Sunday Style - Tootsa Macginty

I was always a tomboy even from a very early age I didn't like wearing dresses or anything frilly or bright barbie pink was never going to happen and that was fine, in fact I wore a lot of my older brothers hand-downs in the early years because from the moment I could run I was off adventuring, climbing trees and such and my parents always embraced my personal taste (even if that meant some very interesting family photos with outfits I had put together). Things have changed of course but one thing I learnt is that children how their own sense of being from very young and they are happiest when they are comfortable in what they are wearing which is why I love Tootsa Macginty , a completely unisex clothing company for children with the most beautiful and colourful clothing (wish they made adult sizes). When it comes to my eldest we allow him to make choices for example his hair, he doesn't want to cut it at the moment and thats fine, equally when he does we will sort tha......

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The perfect picnic & Sweet Coconut bread

Rejoice for Picnic season and eating Al fresco is upon us and it's something that is very much apart of what summer means to us as a family. Having grown up in South African, a outdoor loving country with a huge bbq culture, it meant I spent many warm evenings sitting outside enjoying good food and it's something I try to recreate here in the UK at every opportunity and this week we took full advantage of the dry weather and enjoyed our first picnic of the year. Al Fresco eating should be all about celebrating what is in season and it's time to get colourful with bowls of beautiful fresh fruit, homemade salsa's and cloudy lemonade. Wether a picnic or having friends around setting the scene is key, although you really don't have to spend loads to make eating outdoors a cosy and comfortable affair. I am in love with this beautiful Mexican jug from HomeSense  I recently popped into HomeSense which have a huge array of outdoor accessories and furni......

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Fathers Day Kisses with #TeamTickly #AD

John and Mr A sharing a secret in Brussels  We are really excited to be collaborating with Braun and that when it comes to fathers day gifts it's really the thought that counts and the simple things such as hugs and kisses that mean the most. John has had a beard since before our eldest, who is now 5yrs old, was born. He once shaved it off when Mr A was two and he was so distraught and upset and refused to get close to John, since then he has never been without a beard. It's all that both of the boys have known and at times Johns beard has been very big, in fact looking back at our holiday in Brussels a few years back it was huge and Mr A loved running his fingers through it. John has gone back and forth with the idea of shaving it all off but if you asked Mr A what he thinks well it's simply not an option, to him his Dad is a man with a beard and he wouldn't have it any other way, especially as it's so nice and tickly. A recent survey reveal......

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Sunday Style - Black pattern dress

I am slowly switching up my wardrobe with a few practical pieces as I am still breast-feeding baby G although he is going for longer periods during the day time and recently John and I managed a quick little lunch date so I thought it was the perfect opportunity to wear this little patterned black dress from H&M. I have never been a huge dress wearer, perhaps because I have always found them restrictive in some way but this dress is perfect for me as it's loose fitting, very soft and I love the side pockets and I could easily wear this all day. Black and monochrome have always been natural choices for myself but I am always looking at ways to add some colour or extra dimension to an outfit such as this pattern and have paired it up with a geometric necklace from Top Shop, Jacket from M&S, Gold slip-ons from Zara and a Ralph Lauren Bag, for an easy casual springtime look. Some of you may have also noticed an added accessory - my glasses. I have been experien......

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Little Adventures and Life Lately

So it has been a bit quieter than usual on this blog of late and there are three main reasons for that One - We all came down with a horrible virus which we are still not completely over yet but feeling far better than we were. Two - my laptop has been out of action for a week - that may not seem a lot but when your living depends on being online then a week a very long, especially when you have loads of work to do, thankfully it's now fixed. Three - we have been on a mini adventure across the English channel to France. So I thought to touch base I would share a these four little snaps of our mini break away to Northern France. We have been to France before with our eldest on the Eurostar but this time drove from Cardiff down to Dover and took the P&O ferry across and there is something really wonderful about travelling by sea. We stayed a Hotel Du Park which was an easy 45mins drive from Calais and next to the coast near a small village of Hardelot where we come across ......

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The Big Home Improvements that add value

If you are looking at selling up and moving on and want to get the most out of your property then perhaps it would be a good idea to look at amore drastic change than just newly painted walls, fresh flowers and a clutter-free interior to attract those buyers who will fight to get your property. ECL Roofing recently brought out this very interesting infographic that highlights the top improvements that you can make to your home that really will add value. 1. A loft Conversion and extra bedroom - we are currently viewing houses at the moment as we will be moving later this year and I have to say we naturally veer towards those that have a converted attic simply because both John and I are self-employed and therefore could really do with a proper study or office space. 2. Conservatory - if you don't mind losing some garden space then adding a conservatory can be a very smart move and is a very attractive bonus to potential buyers. 3. En-suite - for most having an......

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Bathing Bunnies Giveaway

Bath time is a family favourite in our household, especially for my youngest who loves water and would spend hours in the bath if he could and is not always happy to get out, which is why we make sure he has something soft and cosy to be wrapped up in such as this beautiful Jolly Giraffe baby bath set. It's super cute and sure to put a smile on your little ones face, plus it's really soft and absorbent meaning they will be dry and warm in no time. The lovely people at Bathing Bunnies have been kind enough to offer one of my readers the chance to win one a Jolly Giraffe Baby Towel set worth £29.99 and consists of a baby bath towel, matching bath mitt and baby bib. It's super easy to enter and the giveaway ends on the 28th May. a Rafflecopter giveaway ...

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A Beach adventure in Spring

 Last week we had our first proper beach day of the year and even though we have taken Baby G to the beach before this was the first time he has really taken it all in, dipping his toes in the ocean and making sand castles with his big brother. With Mr A being at home it means we are lucky enough to enjoy weekdays at the seaside and miss the weekend crowds. We decided to head to Barry Island, even though we are not huge fans of the pavilion with all it's fish and chip shops and out-dated arcade stores the actual beach is beautiful and with some recent regeneration happing in the area it's only going to get better. We have really been trying to slow things down and take in the little simple moments of late and the beach is the perfect spot for connecting with nature and using your imagination. Both of the kids spent hours on the beach with just a bucket, spade and a yellow foam board while enjoying the picnic I packed for them. We also did a little bit of......

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Kitchen Cool

Liking this clean and light kitchen from Harvey Jones So we are slowly making our way through each room and ticking off our snagging list, we have finally set ourselves a goal with getting the house on the market by September and our next room to work on is the kitchen. Our kitchen is probably the best room in the house, it's light and airy and has an island as well as space for a dining table but I just feel it needs a bit of an update in terms of style. As you may already know I am quiet taken with the white and copper trend this season and want to incorporate that into the kitchen.  First of all the walls which are Apple white (not our choice) need to be repainted and this time with clean and crisp white which will work well for all the art work I plan to hang up. We also need to replace our well worn stools and I am loving these white ones below from George. I have also been wanting to replace our wall clock with a piece I know I will keep forever such as this ic......

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Spring Style - Dungaree dress

Dorothy Perkins dungaree dress, Zara shoes, Next tee Well Spring may be a little start stop at the moment but that doesn't mean we are not going to make the most of every single day of dry warm weather. I am trying to change things a up a little bit this season and want to strike a good balance between practical outfits that suit my busy lifestyle travelling and running after two small people while also feeling good about myself and on trend. I have been really getting into dungarees and workwear, may have something to do with my favourite Netflix series "Love", so when I saw this Dorothy Perkins dungaree dress from House of Fraser I knew it would be a winner and perfect for springtime adventures in the city and further afield. I have paired it up with my gold Zara slip on's, a white tee from Next. A few other things on my spring style wish list are a pair of Saltwater sandals and some culottes. What is on your list? ...

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Little snapshots

Every few months or so I like to have a little look back at my favourite memories I have shared across my IG feed - a place I use to capture those little happy moments in our life and has become very much a visual diary of sorts. The past few days we have all been under the weather - my eldest seems to be pretty much back to full steam but myself and Baby G are still in the throws of a bad cold, so all these colourful snaps are reminding us of the recent god weather and adventures we have had of late while we snuggle on the couch on this rainy day. 1. We recently made these cute crayon hearts and I have been giving this Beauty Boost Skin restore cream from Green People a go as the lack of sleep with Baby G has been taking it's toll 2. I join in with the #EthicalFashionCollective and share a snap of my new organic People Tree dress 3. Oh babies are so cute when they are sleeping, just wish this little one would sleep at night 4. My eldest and I had a little date day in C......

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#RidiculousPossibilities with TK Maxx Outdoors

Readers of my blog will probably know three things about my little family – we love spending time outdoors, we embrace the unexpected and we are always up for a fun and exciting challenge so when TK Maxx asked us to pop in store last week and check out their latest delivery of outdoor equipment and make this bank holiday an adventurous one, we jumped at the chance. I have been both a fan and customer of TK Maxx for many years as I love that you never know what you’re going to find and you have to approach any shopping trip like a treasure hunt and allow yourself to be open to the idea of Ridiculous Possibilities. The great thing is the stock is always changing as each store gets several deliveries throughout the week. What we picked up last week would be completely different from what’s in store today, so if you see something you love, grab it because once it's gone, it's gone and I have made that mistake more than once in my life. We had not been told exactly ......

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Styling a guest bedroom

When we move we are hoping to have a small study space or extra guest bedroom where our friends can come and stay for a few days and explore the Welsh Capital. Being an expat means that I have lots of friends and family who I would love to visit and the prospect of being able to style a space like this is very exciting.  Of course space would be limited, a spare room would most likely be the small space such as a box bedroom so keeping things simple but stylish is key to making the most of the room. I have put together a little moodboard of a few key bedroom accessories I think would make the room feel welcoming, comfortable and cosy but still on trend.  1. In a small room the main furniture would consist of the bed, side table and small wardrobe so space for a large lamp may be limited so this Copper Desk lamp would be a great space-saving choice. 2. I love notebooks and when I travel it's often the time I feel most inspired to write something down, so ha......

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Kids Style with ShortStitch

Life with kids can be pretty hectic at the best of times and if like me you have been swept of your feet with a variety of things the past month and you suddenly realise that your child has shot up and all the trousers are looking way too small and the t-shirt are sitting a bit tight but you just don't have time to cart them around the shops to kit them out for the season ahead. Why can't a whole box of clothes including everything you need from socks to shoes, shorts, jackets and tees in your child's size and style just magically arrive at your doorstep? Well thats were ShortStitch come in, an at-home styling service just for kids. Left - Jacket, jumper and trousers from Shortstitch - Right - Shirt and shoes from Shortstitch styling service. So what is ShortStitch exactly? Well basically it's a free styling service for kids that comes to you - they provide you with your own personal stylist who once you have filled out an online profile while give you a ph......

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