Wednesday 29 May 2013

Boden, the yellow and blue post!

Boden have not really been on my radar. I always thought they were a bit too, well, boat shoes and polo shirts and Pippa Middleton for me, if you know what I mean. But, oh, the girls (not quite sold on the boys though) clothes are fab, they seem to do a cute dress really well. Just the right mix of bright colours and cute detailing I like.

Look at this...
 
and this...
 

 
and what about this...
 
 
 
 
 And for older girls this
 
 
and this...
 
 
I have just noticed how drawn I am to yellow and blue at the moment (other colours are available!)
 

Saturday 25 May 2013

Welcoming Baby No. 2

I had been thinking of how to deal with a toddler (terrible twos no less) and a newborn and, quite frankly, was a little scared. So when local mum and founder of The Neo Practice, Suze Cook told me about their Welcoming Baby No. 2 course I thought it would be the perfect way to sooth my fears.

And I wasn't wrong, it was a small group of five lead by an experienced midwife over three sessions. We were asked to fill in a short questionnaire before the course so that it could be tailored to our needs. Turns out we all had very similar worries, fears and questions.

Although I was mainly worried about dealing with the practicalities of two small children, focussing on 'the birth' in the first session was the perfect way to start. Even though it was only two years ago I had forgotten quite a lot from my antenatal classes so it was great to refresh. Also we had all been through the birthing experience before, good or bad, so talking about our fears and expectations was an interesting and helpful icebreaker.

One of the main things I remember from this session is to have a back up plan- my parents are coming down to look after LT whilst I am in the hospital but what if the don't get here in time or baby comes early?

Session two was all about dealing with a newborn and a toddler. Just what I needed to reassure me that not only I, but LT were going to be fine. Each session has quotes and advice from mums who have been through it all already and one of my favourites was something like 'if you get through the day and both kids are still alive you are doing well' I suppose I took from that, it isn't going to be plain sailing and perfect happy families but do your best and everything will be ok.

The final session dealt with milestones and crunch times. Like when to potty train and move to a big boy bed and how to prioritise you attentions at bath time and out and about.

It was a great course that was well thought out and very helpful, I would highly recommend it.
It also gave me an opportunity to meet other local mums in the same boat. At the end of the last session we all had a drink, chat and exchanged email addresses and are definitely going to meet up when the little ones arrive.

For more info have a look at their facebook page.


Wednesday 15 May 2013

Incy Cot

I saw these colourful cots on Pinterest recently and have totally fallen in love. Why are they only available in Australia? Why have I only just discovered them? And how cute is their styling?

incy gelato cot 2 Were peachy keen on the new Incy Interiors Gelato Cots

When I was looking for cots for LT I was very disappointed at the lack of colour so much so I ended up painting (or our fab friend Luke Black did) a second hand one (one day I will post pictures of LT's room, promise).

Incy Interiors also do a bed version which is also beautiful- if only it was available in the UK. Any ideas on where to get something equally as wonderful? LT is getting to the big boy bed stage and I just can't find anything this inspiring or, come to think of it, anything over the level of just plain boring!


Monday 13 May 2013

...

So, I have been notably absent for the past few weeks and to be honest I have not really felt like sharing.

A few things have happened that have made me reevaluate. The main one being a beautiful, funny, loving friend died and it has really shaken me, she was 36 with two young children, a loving family and everything to live for. She was a ray of sunshine to everyone she met which was reflected in the hundreds and hundreds of people at her funeral.

I have lots of happy memories but one of the big things she has given me is the realisation that life is for enjoying and making the most of (cliché, I know!)...
...and a smile can get you a lot further than a frown.