Caroline, No.

My month of living in Airbnbs

noreply@blogger.com (Caroline, No.) — Mon, 22 Feb 2016 09:12:00 +0000

Thanks for the friendly note, guys.

We have just got back from an epic trip to the States – a month in Miami, the Florida keys, and glorious Los Angeles. We spent most of that month in Airbnbs, and had some wildly varying experiences, that I thought I would share with you.

I’ve always been a big proponent of the sharing economy. As soon as the internet was accessible at home I used to fire up my blue iMac G3 (miss that thing!), listen to the squeaky dial-up and log on to forums to do things like swap makeup. I was apartment swapping before it was even a thing (I swapped my basement flat for a private island in Miami, using US Craigslist!). So when airbnb dropped I was naturally all over it.

I consider myself a veteran airbnber now, having used the site – I’ve just checked – twenty times. Apparently 3.1m of us Brits have airbnbed at least once. But how did a month of staying mainly in airbnbs go down? Our budget was capped at around $125 per night, as we were away for a month and are not made of money, as my Grandma would have said.

Our first stop was Miami. Accommodation in Miami Beach itself is pretty expensive as it's a relatively small area. We left booking until about three weeks before our trip, so choice was pretty limited. We arrived in Miami around 9pm, following a long-haul flight with a 3 year old. The flight was OK and the transfer from airport to South Beach is pretty easy, but by 9pm (2am in the UK) we were ready to check in and in need of a chill.

Unfortunately as soon as we got into the building, it was apparent that this apartment was not going to be luxe. This apartment was pretty well situated between South Beach and the Marina (which I personally love – Monty’s raw bar ftw!). However, the apartment wasn’t scrupulously clean (dirty bath mat on the floor, barf), had a cracked window pane (couple of floors up on a main road, so not a massive security issue), but worst of all the bed sheet was loosely tied over the supersoft mattress – weird, and uncomfortable.

We didn’t sleep well, and on the second day discovered the shower didn’t work. It was apparent that the apartment was run by a letting agent and not an individual, and after expensive phone calls, an assistant came to fix it, but all in all, we could have done without it. So, our Miami Airbnb scored a 3/10 from me.

After 5 nights we moved on to the Florida Keys where thankfully we had a Hyatt booked for five nights, as suitable airbnb accommodation was scarce in the Keys. We were really glad to go to a hotel after that first airbnb – crisp sheets! breakfast! – and as we hadn’t booked further accommodation for our trip at that point it made us wonder whether we should consider hotels going forward. However, when you're travelling with kids, apartments work much better – access to kitchen, a living room to chill out in after they’ve gone to bed, etc, etc.

From the Keys we flew to LA, where we stayed 3 nights with a friend (in a TO DIE FOR Venice pad, but that’s a whole ‘nother story) and from there looked for our next Airbnb. After booking one place, the guy oddly cancelled on us later that evening, then took a while to refund our money – not ideal. We tried to book another place but the guy didn’t accept our booking, so we settled on a place we weren't sure about which turned out to be awesome; a lovely lady who lived in Venice and had a couple of guesthouses attached to her house, based around an outside living room.

This place was a dream; fridge and kitchen stocked with unnecessarily lovely stuff (sourdough muffins! Peach jam!). The sweetest ever baby bed had been made up for Arthur, boxes of toys, every possible small thing thought of. (Nail files, piles of magazines and books.) This reminded me of why I love airbnb and apartment swapping – done right, it is lovely, and you really feel like a guest in someone's home.

After our nailbiting time of booking our Venice property, we immediately looked for our next place – we wanted to go east and spend some time in Silver Lake, Echo Park, and visit Griffiths Park and that side of town. We found a place whose pictures looked nice, and had good reviews and some outdoors space, so jumped on it, and got a friendly reply about our son being welcome to use their son’s treehouse. Hurray!

However, again upon arrival we were slightly disappointed. The apartment was quite dark, the balcony didn’t have a great view (in an area that does great views, as it’s perched high in the hills). And worst of all for us, there was a lot of noise from above – footsteps, banging, loud music… Basically what we were trying to escape on holiday!

Along with quite arsey instructions about keeping the place tidy or we wouldn’t get our deposit back, we didn’t feel massively at home there, and when travelling with a child you’re home in the evenings, so that is important. A bit of a let down on that one.

We decided for our last stop we wanted to go high into the hills above LA, and experience a bit of wildlife, so booked a 'country cabin' in Topanga Canyon. Again, this place was owned by a man who lived on another property in the same lot, and he came to meet us. It was really lovely, and true to its pictures – we spent evenings staring at the stars and listening to treefrogs, while Arthur slept.

So, a total mixed bag on the airbnb front. The lovely Venice and Topanga places reminded me of why I love airbnb and apartment swapping – done right, it is lovely. The downside is that I find that you can't particularly trust reviews and pictures and, unlike hotels, if you're disappointed you can't easily move. You can contact your host and ask for things to be fixed, or to turn down the music (as I ended up doing in Miami and Silver Lake), but who wants to be doing that stuff on holiday?

For us that month, airbnb had a 50% rate of being great, or not so good. The key is hosts who actually own the property, and go the extra mile to make sure you’re comfortable in their home; the original premise of airbnb.

However, there are letting agents on the site, not just hosts, and they don’t care about your comfort. With the Hyatt we booked through Expedia being a similar price range to the airbnbs we booked, it's definitely worth thinking twice about whether booking a hotel might actually be the better option. It seems that in the case of airbnb, sharing isn't always caring.

Resolutions

noreply@blogger.com (Caroline, No.) — Thu, 01 Jan 2015 15:56:00 +0000

Cosmic Hearts by Liberty - I will make something from this print!

As one year turns into the next, I inevitably evaluate where I am, what I'm doing and what I'd like to do. And writing it down helps bring it into focus.

I achieved most of what I wanted to last year: found more work, lost the weight, did lots of stuff to the house, found Arthur a nursery that we’re all happy with. I moved out of mother-to-a-baby mode and back into myself. And we got a cat! Very good for enforced relaxing. (It's nice when a cat's asleep on you. Why move?)

At the age of 2 and a bit, Arthur is getting easier and easier all the time, and I'm so happy to have more time and energy to spend on things I love doing. So, without getting too detail-y, here’s what I’d like to achieve this year.

Work. I picked up a client that demanded a lot of getting to grips with last year, so this year I’d like to enjoy the work without the stress of being a newbie. I also have a couple of other irons in the fire, so I’d like to keep the year stress-free and enjoyable, workwise. (Although, because I am apparently unable not to, I’ll keep an eye out for super-exciting opportunities I can’t say no to.) (I’d also really love to learn how to properly build websites and code, but that’s for another year I think.)

Fitness. Keep on exercising ma booty. I lost most of the weight I was aiming to last year, hitting the gym 3/4 times per week. I’ll hopefully keep up with that, and always aim to make the Sunday 9am power pump class, as that sets me up for the rest of the week. (Although I got a bit obsessive about exercise and have enjoyed slowing down a bit over the Christmas break, so I might try and just accept where I am now and avoid being a slave to the scales.) (This Christmas belly has to go, though.)

Eat clean. We eat pretty clean on the day to day, but I have a tendency to go through periods of eating total crap. I need to wipe that out and make my diet truly clean. I'm currently loving A Modern Way to Eat by Anna Jones for inspiration, any other book recommendations? Also, less alcohol. And less coffee. I think I said that last year. One cup maximum in the morning. Of coffee, not alcohol.

Junk the TV and social media. I hereby confess that sometimes in the evenings I power down by watching the Kardashians. This is obviously very wrong, and instead I will aim to write or sew instead. Social media is a brain-numbing timesuck, but I love Instagram, which is full of inspiration, so I’ll stick to that in moderation. Also, less TV for Arthur, more creative play. Arthur has loads of toys, colouring and story books, and we have amazing playgrounds by us. I want to encourage his love for the outdoors, music and his imagination.

More writing. Tom is doing a creative writing degree at the moment. And writing fiction is what I’ve always wanted to do. So in the evenings, it’s time to write.

Learn how to make clothes. I got a little sewing machine last year and went big on my first project and attempted to make a dress, which burnt me out. This year, I will start over but start small, on a vest, and learn new techniques as I go along. I’m not buying any new clothes until I’ve made something, so I’d better get on with it. I find these ladies very inspiring. And I'm definitely making something from that Liberty print up top.

Travel. I want to go to the South of France and Italy. Maybe a weekend to Paris or Berlin. If I'm really lucky, a cheeky trip to New York. Man, I love to travel. I WILL write up our Memphis trip from last year – I LOVED Memphis and I want to go back soon. And to New Orleans. I'll leave it there for now.

Go out dancing. I love dancing.

Finally, seeing as we all now finally agree that the internet is made of cats, here’s a picture of our cat. She's called Joss and she came to us as a stray.

That’s all for now. Healthy, peaceful and happy wishes for the year ahead.

Roadtrippin' Dixie.

noreply@blogger.com (Caroline, No.) — Mon, 23 Jun 2014 22:26:00 +0000

We just got back from a crazy whistlestop trip to the US of A – roadtripping three of the Dixie states then five days in the Big Apple. We've nearly broken Flickr with all of our pictures – I'll break them up into three posts so as not to break Blogger too.

The trip started in Georgia. We flew into Atlanta and immediately drove out of the city and towards the national parks at the North of the state. Doing this with a one and a half year old in tow nearly broke us after a 9 hour flight which was delayed by 3 hours after missing our original flight. But it was worth it when we arrived at our first night airbnb – a spacious 1960s house, built for entertaining, with a lovely garden and huge spa bathroom. The current owner is now a farmer/chef who prepared a big ole Southern stew for our arrival.

After a blissful morning spent sitting under a tree, shooting the breeze, with Arthur running nakey with two lovely dogs (and a huge Mexican steak breakfast, thank you Michelle!) (oh, and a deeeep Himalayan sea salt bath), we set off on our roadtrip adventure proper. Our first stop was to the city of Asheville, just out of Georgia, in Western North Carolina. That first drive set the tone for the rest of that part of the trip: stopping to paddle in creeks, have a quick dip in the river, wish we were hungrier so we could stop at the BBQ joints by the side of the road. (We saw a BBQ tour party - they were large people.) We stopped to wonder at waterfalls, ponder what the big birds in the sky were ('vultures – they're even bigger when they're in the road and you're fixin' to hit them!'), driving through a crazy rain storm alongside the cigarette packaging peaks of the Great Smoky Mountains. Happy days.

This was a giant thrift store next to a creek.

We whiled away a day in downtown, in gorgeous 2nd hand book shop Downtown Books and News – something else done so well in the States, inviting places that encourage you to stay, leisurely browse, pick up a book sit down and read. A visit to Tom Wolfe's boarding house, a proper wooden porch and swing joint, which helped you picture old Asheville. Then a short hop to the River Arts District, an artsy neighbourhood sprung up next to a freight railroad down by the river, with microbreweries and galleries in the old warehouses, where you can kick back in the river breeze drinking beer and listening to the sounds of the railroad. (Our first night digs were also right to some freight tracks and we were so happy to hear the sounds of the train – Michelle our host agreed with us, 'If you don't like the sound of the train, you aren't my people.'

We stayed in Asheville for a couple of nights, happy in our hillside hideaway, then set off to our next stop, a couple of nights in the Smokies. From Asheville this meant driving out West, into the Tennessee Valley. We stopped for a sunday lunch of burgers and onion rings in a railroad town called Bryson City, which was one of my favourite places of the trip. A stop on the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad, it was a low brick town of fire station, theatre, folk art shops, and a deep creek for swimming. Jimmy Mac's for burgers, the old drugstore that's now an antique shop, where the owner practices his organ on a high platform 'early mornings and late at night' (weird), and next door a bookshop in the old drugstore soda fountain. It was a spooky weird town and I would love to live there, and open a thrift shop in one of the many lovely, disused buildings.

The building where I'd like to open my thrift store, please.

We mooched around town so long we didn't find the creek (although did hang out next to the river, where some friendly locals were taking part in a tradition they called Decorations, where they decorate the graves of their dearly departed – the cemetaries were swathed in flowers.

We did, however, find Na-Bers, a drive in BBQ joint. Straight out of the 1950s, you drive up in your car and order your deep fried corn and BBQ plate and eat overlooking the river. For actual real?

We ate inside, to soak up 100% deep-fried atmosphere.

On to the Smokies, where we stayed in a log cabin, listened to woodpeckers, drove along burbling rivers to visit waterfalls and lakes, dodged snakes (this picture is the prize of a local yoot whose girlfriend was terrorized by a baby copperhead in the bathroom of the lake we were snoozing next to.) It was completely chilled and we tried to extend our two nights, and chop a night off the rest of our trip but it wasn't to be, so after two lovely days we set off across Tennessee.

As we left the Smokies we drove up to see the Fontana Dam. Holy build a huge wall across a mountain river! It was impressive. A nearby American, overheard, 'It's not even that big of a river!' Er...

It's interesting how as soon as you cross a state border you can feel a difference –Tennessee was both more white picket fence and more tumble-down than North Carolina; with rusting farm equipment and pick-ups seemingly artfully incorporated into the landscape. (Although in reality, the lawns are all so neatly cut so as not to harbour snakes.) Immediate beating heat as soon as we left the mountains, with the radio pumping out country songs with a tale to tell, as Nashville loomed on the horizon. We stopped for BBQ at a great friendly place, that had disappointingly un-tangy bbq, and hared along the I-40 to our first night stop at Franklin, a small town south of Nashville. (We wanted to keep the stress of driving down by sticking to small towns so avoided Nashville. Next time.)

We took one crazy stop in Jackson, TN, to go to Rusty's TV and Movie car museum. This is a crazy place – Rusty himself showed us around – he has original and some reproduction cars from films and TV. We're talking a Batmobile, Kitt from Night Rider, a DeLorean, The Dukes of Hazzard's car... Arthur loves cars and I wanted to collect my mum medal so we stopped off here. It was totally crazy awesome and took us off-road to see a bit of Jackson, and a sweet TN backroad back to the Interstate. Highly recommend!

Arthur in his American tourist shorts.

Franklin, our stop-over, was a white picket fence and perfect lawn town, with fireflies and porch swings, perfect for enjoying an evening beer. We stayed in a sweet small family house where I could easily have stayed forever, reinventing myself seamlessly as a Tennessee power mom. In our one morning in Franklin we visited an awesome brunch spot, Puckett's, where we got our first dose of Elvis breakfast excitement, thrifted at the Goodwill, tuckered Arthur out at a brilliant playground and then set off. (Missed out the civil war battle site at the local plantataion - whoops - sorry Franklin. Time was tight.)

Arthur playing 'night night'. Such a sweet house.

Next stop: Memphis. Whole 'nother blog post!

Down on the farm

noreply@blogger.com (Caroline, No.) — Sun, 11 May 2014 12:33:00 +0000

Last weekend we stayed on a sheep farm in East Sussex with some friends, our children and a dog. It was so lovely I had to share some photos. It was a fully working farm, with fields and fields of sheep, blossoming fruit trees and, at this time of year, lambs! Fluffy little lambs with pink floppy ears, everywhere. The perfect way to get away from London for the weekend. We arrived on Friday night and, after putting the baby down to bed, went for an extended march around the fields. It was so pretty! Ponds, huddles of cute woolly lambs and their mums, blossoming trees...

This lamb was less than 24 hours old!

The farmers were brilliant; they really wanted to let us all know how the farm worked, how important it was to support the industry by buying British lamb, the whole process from lambing to going to market. It was obvious they really looked after their animals. The children got to go in a pen full of tiny gamboling lambs and stroke them. CUTE OVERLOAD!

The farm is in the village of Peasmarsh, five minutes outside of Rye, which is also worth a visit. Extremely quaint, full of olde fashioned teashops, traditional grocers and wisteria-covered inns and the like. We had lunch at The Ship, whose half pint of smoked prawns were a Thing. Peasmarsh is also where Paul McCartney has his home (where he lived with Linda and sent his kids to the local comprehensive.) I pressed the farmer for juice but she wouldn't spill, saying the locals are very discreet. Although she did say a couple of interesting things about Linda, that I shan't share! (You can see ariel pictures of his house online if you're feeling stalky. Helipad! What a life.)

Romney Cottages, the accommodation, was really child and animal friendly. What used to be an old lambing barn, it had decking and lawn overlooking a duck pond, fully fenced in and safe. A really nice place to relax. The farmer took time to bring us extra highchairs and cots and Moon (a huge retired greyhound) was made to feel really welcome. There were lots of beautiful sheepdogs on the farm too – working dogs, so we were told to be careful with the kids, but they were lovely, clever dogs. There was a great fully stocked kitchen, too.

Arthur doing monkey legs to avoid the sea

Peasmarsh is also close to one of my favourite places, Dungeness, so we had to pay a visit. That place never gets old. Fish and chips outside the pub, gazing at the nuclear power station, with a miniature steam training passing by. A desert california vibe, complete with dodgy folk art, mystic gift shop and airstream caravans. Completely weird. The beach was warm enough for paddling, even in early May.

All just a couple of hours drive out of London, or on the high speed rail link, so a really lovely way to spend a spring weekend out of the city.

eBay collections

noreply@blogger.com (Caroline, No.) — Mon, 24 Mar 2014 16:57:00 +0000

As an avowed thrifter, many of my favourite things have come from eBay. A brooch shaped like a telephone, beautiful vintage leather shoes and bags, 1950s glass Christmas baubles... When I'm far away from the thrift stores that I love, I can still sift through Americana treasure.

Perfect thick wool vintage blanket

In the run up to my wedding, I even bought dress options from eBay – I still have a fabulous Halston Heritage nude silk dress that I didn't wear and need to re-list. And over the years, I've found so many beautiful vintage dresses from last century; chiffon from the fifties, palm prints from the sixties, printed silk from the eighties; I can remember them all. I have my favourite vintage labels saved as searches and, this might be taking it too far, my favourite colour. (Electric blue. If you search electric blue, you are pretty much guaranteed to find some cool things.)

So eBay's new collection feature is, for me, a dream. I can save things I like, gathering them into moodboards to go back to later. I have a rule only ever to buy things that I can't stop thinking about, so this is perfect: save now, go back with your fingers crossed that it's still available! (And this is where the 'find something similar' button is a godsend: sometimes the same piece shows up, or something better!)

Now I have a house to fill the collections have been invaluable. I've been able to group together looks and themes and plan out rooms. A cosy cluttered kitchen is my number one house priority, and I've been able to source essentials like a Mason Cash mixing bowl, enamelled teapots, heavy iron pans, and most importantly, a huge reclaimed kitchen table!

Next on my list is the garden, so bistro chairs, thick vintage wool blankets, antique lemonade pitchers and every garden's essential: a swingball set. And a paddling pool. (For Arthur. Honestly.)

One day I will finally own a Moroccan wedding blanket

When I'm not filling my actual house, I can fill my fantasy dream home – a modernist LA house in the hills, filled with period Danish rosewood furniture and ceramics. (Again, just try typing the word 'Danish' into eBay search for a list of singular beauty.)

Then when the dream house is filled, I can get even more abstract and just live inside a William Egglestone photograph, or daydream about a motel stop-off on a dusty California desert roadtrip. Amateur oil paintings of bored-looking ladies, mexican hand-embroidered bedspreads, and the ultimate, a pink Princess telephone.

A pink Princess Phone for long days chatting and drinking martinis

Do you use the bay of plenty? Isn't this just a BRILLIANT new feature?

[You can see the rest of my collections here: Berlin coffee shop, a perfect day to spend in bed, Tribeca loft, and more!]

Sponsored post

Trainers

noreply@blogger.com (Caroline, No.) — Tue, 11 Feb 2014 21:45:00 +0000

Trainers*. It's complicated. Like most people of my generation, trainers have played a big part in my life. From trying to track down original adidas Gazelles as a teen in a tiny Yorkshire town, to wearing only Jack Purcells for about two years, with only a handful of brands being acceptable due to indefinable, almost imperceptible nuances of culture and style – NIKE, adidas, Converse, Vans.

I fell out of love with trainers about five years ago thinking that in my thirties proper shoes shoes would be more appropriate. So this whole resurgence of trainers as absolute footwear of choice by absolutely everybody for absolutely everything has got me a bit confused, thinking, really? Isn't this a sartorial step backwards?

But slowly I'm being sucked in. I started off high-end with a pair of NIKE x APCs. (Well, I bought two pairs actually.) Now, I've got my eyes on some New Balances, like these from J-Crew. New Balance, that's a first, a huge brand leap, a big deal.

More importantly, I've started running my ass off since making my new year resolutions (about 60k since January, woo!). So now I need actual trainers. For running in. I've always worn ASICS to run in but frankly, they look shit, and as there are so many good-looking, performance running shoes around at the moment, I think I need to branch out. The NIKE Free comes recommended by a friend who runs. And you can NIKEiD your own colours!

So, is NIKE the way to go?

*Sorry, I can't bring myself to refer to them as sneakers, as Vogue did this month. A trainer is a trainer.

[Top image nicked from random fashion coolness's Pinterest page - dat girl knows a thing or two about trainys.]

2013 moments and 2014, the beginning.

noreply@blogger.com (Caroline, No.) — Sat, 01 Feb 2014 12:17:00 +0000

Ding, dong it's the first of February. I saw Katie's round-up of 2013 and remembered when I used to do a year by pictures as well. Lloyd's Bank asked me to share some of my best moments of 2013 so here is a little momentsgif.

Last year was really all about Arthur, as we did lots of 'firsts' with him. First time in the sea, first time in a plane. I've realised this year will be much the same, because it will be the first time he actually knows what's going on when we take him to the sea and on a plane!

2014 has been a bit of a pain so far, let's hope the year improves! In other news, I'm so glad I wrote my resolutions as it made me focus on what I needed to do, and I can mark up a few triumphs in January.

House – We planned to have some rewiring and restore our original floors in January but as it turned out, we had no floorboards in our house underneath the crappy flooring that was there, probably because the subfloor was damp. So, January has been spent living at my father-in-law's house in Blackheath, talking to builders and tradesmen, and having a ton of work done to the house. We knew it all needed to be done, so it's great to actually get on with it. Plus my father-in-law is away, so it has worked out well. Living in Blackheath for a month is no chore!

We're having a gorgeous oak floor put down, hopefully in the next week, so in a couple of weeks should be back in. Next I just need to choose colours for the living room, which I will paint before we move our furniture back in. I'm thinking something very pale, the colour of eggshells, with a lacquer finish. At last, the fun part!

Fitness – I joined the local gym, started running again, and made it a priority. I notched up 50k in January, plus a couple of 1k swims and a spinning class. I love spinning but one class is enough for me for a while! Running is just as evil torture, and I get to listen to my own music. Plus the way my face goes magenta indicates that good work is being done. I only trust my scales at home so I don't know if I've lost weight, but I think I've lost an inch or so here and there. It's also encouraging me to drink less (coffee and red wine, tsk), and eat healthily.

[I need some new running trainers btw. Nike or New Balance, that is the question?]

Work – With all the above, I haven't had a chance to be proactive in looking for more work. But a really cool project came to me, and I hope to share later this month! Arthur has had some great days with his childminder since we've been in Blackheath; they've been to the Turner and the Sea exhibition at The National Maritime Museum, which I heartily recommend, and on board the Cutty Sark. I will miss Blackheath when we head back to East London - Greenwich Park is really special!

How is 2014 going for you?

Resolutions

noreply@blogger.com (Caroline, No.) — Wed, 01 Jan 2014 20:49:00 +0000

Or, get loads of shit done.

Happy New Year! It's January 1st, the day before everything goes back to normal. So I'm seizing the moment to write a list of everything I want to get done this year before I find myself in default brain sludge mode, which I predict will happen at around 10am tomorrow morning. If I've written it here I can keep checking to remind myself. And maybe do it. Note: this is not interesting stuff.

1 - File last year's tax return. I think I have until the end of January to do this. When I finish writing this blog post I am going to check. (Note: I finished writing the post and have already checked. It's all groovy. I CAN do this stuff! I just need to pay my outstanding National Insurance bill now. Baby steps.)

2 - Go back to work. Well, I already am working and have been since Arthur was 5 months old. But I want to do something more structured; either take on a new regular client, or a permanent job. I'm even thinking about going back to typesetting because I actually did love doing that, and you can just plug in your headphones and get on with it. (Which frankly sounds like heaven, when most things I do usually involve having a toddler tugging at my leg.)

3 - Sort out more structured childcare. I have an amazing childminder at the moment but usually only for one day a week. And the father-in-law helps a lot. But I want my time to be more structured, so I'm not chasing my tail the whole. damn. time. I'm thinking: find job first, sort out childcare second. (Is that obvious? Heh. This is my list so whatever.)

4 - Make sure Arthur gets plenty of stimulation. This will probably go hand in hand with more structured childcare. Arthur is walking and talking now. He is really physical and loves learning new things and frankly needs more than I can give him in that department. My mum's primary school teacher gene didn't get passed down. He goes to lots of toddler groups and gets plenty of exercise but I want to make sure he's not bored.

5 - Lose weight. I've still got the weight I gained when pregnant. This sucks. I just don't get the chance to exercise as much as I used to and that's really frustrating as I actually really enjoy exercise. (I daydream about spinning classes! Seriously.) So. Find a spinning class. Go running whenever I can. Ditto swimming. And cycling. And yoga. Sigh. (This one seems really hard as I'm too tired in the evenings and during the day I work whenever I'm not looking after Arthur. Ideas?)

6 - Stay motivated to keep on top of the house. Not literally. And I won't bore you with this. But there's always something that needs doing. So just do it! And I'm not just talking hoovering – the fireplace needs sorting out, kitchen needs updating, roof has a leak, bathroom could do with some work… January we already have wiring and reflooring booked in… Make sure everything else gets done. A stitch in time!

7 - Plant garden. We pulled up all the garden pavers and turfed in the autumn. So now we need a bit of trellis fencing and some plants! I have a list of things I'd like to plant, need to work out what needs planting, when.

8 - Try to drink less caffeine. And red wine. And swear less. The usual. Have less fun, basically.

9 - Relax more. Have more baths. Light more candles. Watch more films. Read more books. The usual.

10 - I just feel like I should finish on a 10. Ok, wear more sunscreen. And actually, I mean this, as I have lupus and wearing sunscreen is the single most important thing I need to do to keep healthy. Also, exercise and do everything i can to sleep well, to try and prevent lupus flare-ups. Make sure I keep on taking my supplements. (Currently - Vitamin D, cod liver oil, evening primrose oil and Floradix. Seem to be working well.)

I told you it was boring! This is more for me than you, OK. Hope you're all feeling ready and raring to go! Let's do this, 2014!

Books, books, books!

noreply@blogger.com (Caroline, No.) — Mon, 02 Dec 2013 21:39:00 +0000

I've read quite a lot this year. Reading is something that's pretty difficult to do with a baby around, so in the evenings I try to read as much as I can. Travel is another thing it's harder to do with a baby, so I seem to have been reading books set in places I like to visit. Mainly, the US, it seems! Looking at my Kindle – much preferred way of reading these days, espesh with synching iPhone app! – I seem to have read lots of debut novels set in Brooklyn.

The Love Affairs of Nathaniel P. by Adelle Waldman sees a female author painting a pleasingly barbed portrait of a twenty something male author struggling to do the right thing in a postfeminist world. Note my use of sarcastic italics. This whole book should have been written in sarcastic italics. I loved it.

A more austere but absorbing Brooklyn-based novel, The Affairs of Others: A Novel by Amy Grace Loyd. A young widow tries to lock her grief away in the apartment building she owns, but slowly she starts to enmesh with the lives of her tenants.

From debuts to a much awaited new release, Donna Tartt's The Goldfinch landed a couple of months ago, so everything else was summarily dropped. Her writing is so intense I found it almost stressful to read, finding myself flicking forward through the pages to see what happened next...within the first chapter! Powerful writing. Also set in two familiar favourites, Manhattan and dirty Las Vegas, the plot (and some characters, actually) seemed implausible in parts but enough to keep you holding your breath and second guessing.

Summer's top read for me was Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter – an epic love story set across decades and continents, also in some of my favourite places; Los Angeles, Rome, tiny windswept Italian coastal towns. Craving the scented summer heat of southern France, I also read Bonjour Tristesse for the first time – major literary oversight on my part, yo! Languid summer teenage plotting with a sting in the tail.

I like pulling this book out at this time of the year, and having it around to dip into. Dickens has got Christmas on lockdown, and makes the grey London December days a bit more cosy and romantic.

Another cosy winter read that I pull out at this time of year is The Andy Warhol Diaries. This is an old favourite that I've been dipping into for nigh on, ooh, six years? And a welcome break from fiction post Goldfinch. Mr Warhol feels like an old friend. There's something so comforting about entering his dual world of daily mundanity, gossip and glamour. His work ethic and success are so inspiring and impressive to nosey at, too. I'm getting worryingly close to the end though, March 1985...

On my Christmas list is Eminent Hipsters, the memoirs of Steely Dan's Donald Fagen. I can't wait for tales of 1980s east and west coast hedonism, supplied with a shot of muso geekery. One reviewer described reading it as 'blissful'. I can't wait.

What have you all been reading? Help me be a bit more adventurous and venture away from North America and Mediterranean Europe? My resolution for 2014. (Eek!)

Top photo by sfgirlbybay

Heal's Challenge

noreply@blogger.com (Caroline, No.) — Fri, 11 Oct 2013 08:51:00 +0000

This post is part of the Heal's Challenge, to put together a living room using only the Heal's product range. Basically, an absolute dream. My perfect living room would be a happy and cosy mix of styles, shapes and colours; like Julie Delpy's apartment in Beyond Sunrise, or Vanessa Bruno's gorgeous Parisian apartment. (You can see some inspiration pictures on this Pinterest board.) This would be the ideal dream version of it, straight from the Heal's showroom.

1. Love this sculptural pendant light shade; perfect to punctuate the room. (Most of my favourite rooms seem to have huge, interesting shades.)

2. Walnut Round Mirror – to add light and a feeling of airiness.

3. Love the elegant line of this Danish designed chrome floor lamp. (Copied from one of my inspiration pictures here.)

4. I picked a walnut frame sofa in a classic leaf green to add a bit of structure and elegance to my room. But it was a difficult choice as there was a huge range of gorgeous sofas, each of which would completely change the look of your room.

5. The coffee table is a focal point of any living room and this Calligaris Element piece throws a great shape. Unusual but completely practical.

6. I'd cover every spare surface with bowls and vases if I could. But I'll stick to this one Finnsdottir piece. Beautiful handcrafted Danish porcelain.

7. At least one blanket or throw is absolutely essential in my living room. I'm going matchy with the sofa with this bold graphic green print, a gorgeous Eleanor Pritchard wool throw.

8. Ok, I can't stick to just one vase. These Pols Potten colourful glass bottles will brighten any dusty corners and the bubble tops neatly match my circle mirror. See what I'm doing here?

9. Throwing matchy matchy out of the window, this is a big ol' happy grin of a rug, painstakingly cross-stitched rug in brightest pink.

10. My parents got Heal's bookcases for a wedding present, so an elegant bookcase is a must. Plus a living room that's not full of books is all wrong.

Post in partnership with Heal's

Arthur is one!

noreply@blogger.com (Caroline, No.) — Thu, 10 Oct 2013 20:31:00 +0000

It was this little niblet's first birthday today. Hard to believe it was one year ago that I caught the tube to the hospital first thing in the morning, with Arthur born at 11.26am. By caesarian section, I'm not that bad-ass. We've had a lovely day – balloons, lego, a trip on the Docklands Light Railway to the city farm, cake and candle. Looking back at the pictures from today we may possibly have overdone it; Arthur looks exhausted!

Happy birthday Arthur. You're the best baby in the world. (This is him last weekend, out for a walk in our local park.)

Autumn earworms

noreply@blogger.com (Caroline, No.) — Tue, 08 Oct 2013 10:35:00 +0000

Apparently I've got a thing for blowsy baritones at the moment. This chirpy little ditty is keeping me cheerful as we say goodbye to summer. Ghouls, by H. Hawkline – perfect for Halloween. Who couldn't love a silly song sung by a cute Welsh boy?

I heard Jake Thackray played on the radio recently and stopped in my tracks. How silly and lovely is this song? He was very well known apparently, something of a TV and radio personality back in the day. Sentimentally sung in a daft Yorkshire accent – perfect.

And let's round it up to three with a song written by my other favourite baritone Fred Neil, sung here by the divinely gorgeous Tim Buckley. (This is one of my favourite musical moments ever. Tim Buckley looking saucy plus beautiful song ? WIN.

Autumnal folk music surely goes hand-in-hand with cider drinking. So I'm going to this Apple Day fair at the weekend to get into the spirit of things. Can't wait!

hush

noreply@blogger.com (Caroline, No.) — Mon, 23 Sep 2013 16:13:00 +0000

So, did you guys already all know about hush? Finally I have discovered where people shop that expensive-looking but slouchy, luxurious but dressed-down look that I can't ever seem to achieve. (See: all Hollywood superstars on their day off.) hush is like a huge, overstuffed chest of cosy cashmere, bedtime cottons, stylish silks, interesting knits and winter brights. They stock both day and nightwear, with a lot of pieces comfortably crossing over. The price range is totally accessible, too. Here are a few of my favourite autumnal reds and winter blues, to keep you warm until spring.

1 – I would live in this jumper straight through to spring. Berry red cashmere to keep you cheerful over the cold season, but with the reverse-out detail on the sleeve to keep it real on a February day, i.e. grey. Love!

2 – Twenty years post Nirvana, and Cara Delevingne somehow deemed the beanie to be essential winter headwear. Needs must, and it definitely must be cashmere. And shocking scarlet, to ward off the weather nasties.

3 – Cotton red star pyjamas. These are really cute. I wish I'd known about these when I lived in my jim jams for three months after having a baby. (It was winter, OK.)

4 – Love the textured knit of this heart stitch jumper. A great short 'n' swingy length, too.

5 – Egg cosy! Needs no explanation. Essential.

6 – Stripy hand knitted bed socks. Because 83% of us can't knit and you shouldn't rely on your mum to buy your socks for you.

7 – A case of good red wine. For when an egg cosy and cute jim jams just aren't enough. This just sneaked in, sorry.

Sponsored post

Autumn wishlist.

noreply@blogger.com (Caroline, No.) — Wed, 04 Sep 2013 11:45:00 +0000

1 – John Lewis digital radio . What is autumn for if not cosying up and listening to the radio? Gilles, Cerys and Jarvis on BBC 6 Music, plus I'm thinking about getting into the Archers. I spied these radios dotted around my friend's house at the weekend.

2 – Tatty Devine avant garde robot bib necklace. I've never been that into Tatty Devine before, but there just seems something so right about having a giant slab of abstract laser cut perspex around one's neck at the moment. I like these giant lobsters, too.

3 – APC Orange Floral Print Dress. The dress equivalent of kicking leaves in the park then repairing red-cheeked to a mahogany panelled pub on a Sunday afternoon to share a bottle of red wine. Long sleeves and tied up tightly at the neck to keep out any draughty autumnal chills.

4 – Blue Jasmine. Woody Allen's latest fall project. (Love how he apparently calls all new films Fall Project number whatever, until he works out their name.) Cate Blanchett as his latest beautiful muse, set in San Francisco – can't wait to see how he frames San Fran. Out in the UK on September 27.

5 – New Look parka. Parkas are always in aren't they? Or am I stuck in the 1990s? (sponsored)

6 – The pumpkin. Baked in a pie, chopped into a risotto, or roasted til gooey with gorgonzola. I've even got some pumpkin jam. Let's go, giant orange globefruit!

7 – Cobra Rock boots. These boots are handmade in Texas, so perfect for the urban prairie that is, er, Leytonstone. Unfortunately the waiting list is 8 months long so maybe for next autumn, yeah?

8 – John Lewis Voyage Garden Bird cylinder shade – pretty birds to remind you of spring. And to remind you to feed the birds. John Lewis have lots of pretty light shades to keep your house aglow as the evenings get shorter. (sponsored)

Summer.

noreply@blogger.com (Caroline, No.) — Mon, 02 Sep 2013 08:35:00 +0000

I remember feeling slightly glum at the end of spring – we still had to finalise buying the house and it was all domestic drudgery with no time to think about summer plans. But luckily it all came together and, thanks as well to some EXCELLENT weather, we've ended up having a really nice summer. Yeah!

First stop was a trip to East Sussex. I've never been to a festival in my life, showers and hair drying having previously been a priority for me. But as I've got older – and having a baby is a great leveller – I've felt a bit more able to go hang out in a field. And of course, festivals are basically luxury events now. Anyway, we booked a room at the really lovely Barnfield Farm B & B (okay, we still didn't camp) and went along to the Love Supreme festival near Glynde.

The B & B was gorgeous, really baby-friendly, with a super cosy made-up cot waiting for us after our sunny drive down from London. The converted barn looked onto the rolling South Downs, with a friendly sheepdog for company, so evenings were spent on a blanket enjoying the view, drinking local cider and throwing the ball for the dog while the baby slept upstairs. Heaven!

The festival itself was really nice – a short walk from the B & B through gloriously sunny country lanes. We set up our parasol and sat in one spot all day drinking cider and listening to the music. Chic played, as they did seemingly every other festival this summer – just brilliant party tunes that you know every note of, one after another. (I think it is essential to dance in a field as the sun goes down at least once every summer.)

This is the view from the waltzers at the back whilst Chic played. I had a little detour on the way back from the loo

We made the most of being by the coast and went to the beach. This beach was called Cuckmere Haven, in the Seven Sisters country park next to the famous white cliffs, where the River Cuckmere reaches the sea – we sat in the river with Arthur and basked.

We also went to the beach at Seaford, which was crystal clear, deserted, but a bit chilly. Arthur loved the sea, he'd do a little sharp intake of breath at first and look quite serious, but then relax into splashy funtimes. So cute.

We did a quick two hour pop to Brighton on the way back, the best way to enjoy it in my opinion; it was packed even though it was just a random Monday afternoon. We wandered the North Laines, got some delicious icecream from Gelato Gusto, and drove back to London. I'm not really into Brighton but it is nice to pop to every few years. Ha!

For our proper holiday we went to San Sebastian, in the basque region of Spain. We'd booked flights to Biarritz intending to go to Cap Ferret but had left it last minute and all of the available accomodation was out of our price range. So, with friends in San Sebastian and it having been on our visit list for a while, we changed our plans. We booked an apartment in a modernist block high on Mont Igeldo with gardens and a pool. It was absolutely heavenly.

The apartment was all windows along the side, with a fir tree almost touching the balcony, looking out over the valley. There were owls twit-twooing, birds of prey shrieking and donkeys honking away. It was so nice we stocked up on cheese, ham, fresh fruit and bread, nutella and pink wine, and hardly left our little spot in the shade of a lilac bush near the pool.

Arthur loved long holiday lunches

OK, we did make it to the nearby town of Getaria for a spot of grilled fish for lunch and a trip to the beach. (It turns out beaches are a bit of a pain in the arse with a baby - sand and pebbles everywhere. The pool was much easier.) I'd intended to go to the Cristobal Balenciaga museum (it is his hometown) but was too much in lazy holiday mode and didn't make it.

We also managed to get up to some London fun. The Canary Wharf jazz festival is essential for me every year. I absolutely love catching the DLR there, it's like the robot space train weaving through the city. It was VERY exciting for a certain 10 month old boy. Having a picnic among the skyscrapers and listening to some live music is awesome too. Troyka were particularly good to zone in and out to.

We went to a few of our favourite haunts - like a stroll around Blackheath, where we used to live.

Lunch at Banners in Crouch End. I absolutely love it there, it has a really buzzy diner feel and piled high brunch plates of ackee and saltfish with spoon bread. It's another very child friendly place. (Here's Arthur summoning the waitress.)

An afternoon wandering around Greenwich, with a trip to favourite pub next to the river, The Trafalgar.

Just a couple of trips to the lido at Parliament Hill - one day I went and it was so crowded with yoots that the police were on duty with a metal detector outside. Bad vibes. So I went to the swimming ponds and got bad-vibed there as well by a witchy old local lady who pushed past Arthur's pram and hissed that children weren't allowed. Unfriendly, London!

So I guess that might be the end of my silvery sandshoes and the jeans I cut off at the beginning of the summer. Although it's September, the sun is still shining, but there's a definite nip in the air. Thank goodness for a warm summer at last; installed in our new house and with an ever more inquisitive little boy to show everything to, it has been a vintage one. I'm a bit scared of the winter now though - being able to stop off in parks to feed and play has been invaluable!

Summer inspiration.

noreply@blogger.com (Caroline, No.) — Wed, 10 Jul 2013 20:40:00 +0000

So, as I wrote in my last post, the shopping bug seems to have bitten me badly. My eyes are popping at all kinds of things – mainly bits for the new house and accessories. Because I'm still nowhere near my pre-preg shape so it's just easier to accessorize than diet. Sigh.

Here's what I've got my eye on at the moment.

1 – I love these string bulb lights from Swedish company Granit. We're biding our time to see if any big work needs doing before splashing out on the house but these will be high on my list.

2 – Still loving Swedish Hasbeens after all this time. These are the Peeptoe Super High and are apparently the most comfortable style. Currently on sale at 30% off from the Sweden Calling shop in The Old Truman Brewery, E1.

3 – Love this book by Cerys Matthews, Hook, Line and Singer– songs she's collected on her travels from Tennessee to Truro. Songs you know, songs you'd forgotten you know, and old shanties to sing to your little one. Lovely to read, too.

4 – This one's on the dream list. Gorgeous slivers of silk and lace from Myla. Just need to shed those few (!) pregnancy pounds first. (sponsored)

5 – No need to diet for these. Satomi Kawakita tiny gold bar earrings with diamonds. I'm obsessed with New York Adorned and the delicate piercings by J Colby Smith. These would just do the trick.

6 – Essie's Clambake is still doing it for me. The colour and texture of orange jelly, it's perfect with golden summer skin.

7 – We have got so much still to unpack. There is...stuff...everywhere. At least Ikea has these amazing boxes for us to put it all in.

8 – My friend posted these badass Nike x Liberty Virtual Light pixel print Air Max 1s on her Instagram. Just lusty.

What have you got your eye on at the moment?

Loving Leytonstone.

noreply@blogger.com (Caroline, No.) — Wed, 03 Jul 2013 16:08:00 +0000

Kind of blue – a shopfront in the 'hood

We moved to Leytonstone a month ago yesterday. And I have to say, I am really loving living around here! In part because it feels so central after having previously lived at the very end of the Northern Line – transport here is great with both the tube and Overground nearby – but I also love it because it is so quiet! It is the quietest street I've ever lived on, and the friendliest. Having had nightmare neighbours several times before (ah, London!) I am absolutely cherishing the quiet and calm. The streets nearby are leafy and have a real family feel.

Coronation party on my street, 1953

We became interested in moving here after visiting some friends who live in the area, and I'm already getting emails from other friends who are interested in moving here, so I thought I'd post about it.

Our terraced house feels huge to us after having dealt with the usual cramped London flats, and our last place, which was a tiny cottage. Property is still relatively affordable here (ah, London!) but that will probably change, as it is an area that is being regenerated as I type. There are lots of terraced Victorian homes, lots with original period features, some with unfortunate 1970s remodelling, some that have been done up and neutralised by developers.

Wanstead Flats

There is plenty of greenery. Wanstead Flats is five minutes walk from my house, a huge green space with a big pond and marked walking trails. Connected to it is Wanstead Park, the grounds of the long-gone Wanstead House, built to rival Versailles and complete with ornamental lakes and grottoes. Beyond that is Epping Forest. There's so much, we've not even made it beyond the Flats yet!

Wanstead Park

Nightlife-wise, there is a great jazz night in a pub, East Side Jazz. I saw Bobby Wellins play here a couple of weeks ago in a proper old Victorian tiled boozer. Good local pubs include The Red Lion (I love the burger there and the Hornsea Pottery coffee cups); The North Star, where friends run a monthly Sunday afternoon social, and The Birkbeck Tavern, which has a really nice beer garden and jazz in the garden on sundays.

The Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park is opening in a couple of weeks, promising a vibrant new park and venue for music and events. It's kicking off with the Barbican Open East Festival featuring Seun Kuti, DJs, lots of Malian music, the Art Car Boot Fair, plus a food festival.

Char siu pork bunnnnsss...

Food-wise, we had great dim-sum at the Dim-Sum Cafe in Leyton at the weekend; the chef stretched the noodles in front of us. There's a good Thai and a mediterranean meze type place, The Olive – the basics of what you need in your 'hood! And there are interesting local shops, from a polish bakery to a Viennese style coffee and cakes cafe, plus an organic food stall by OrganicLea every saturday outside St John's church selling food grown locally in the Lea Valley. They also do a delivery box scheme. (My daydream to open a health food shop continues apace!) Theres also a branch of the Turkish Food Centre – a huge supermarket that stocks foods from all around the world including a huge selection of fresh breads.

Tasty bread at the TFC

For those who have children, like me, there are good schools and nurseries in the borough. (Our local school has a Good Ofsted rating). There's plenty of green space and lots of mum and baby groups. Plus the local leisure centre has a creche! On our street kids play outside their houses. My neighbour told me this and I though, ooooh, no. But it has such a neighbourhood feel – kids riding their bikes up and down, (polite kids!) and playing pat-a-cake. Old school. Like all London boroughs there are local crime and social problems but so far so good. (I'm on the lookout for something I can do to get involved in the local community – particularly something for the bored older kids.)

Peace tea on my street, 1919

All of this and I haven't even mentioned that Westfield Stratford City is 20 minutes walk away! wahaca, Pinkberry, Franco Manca ... COS, Zara, Whistles ... not to mention John Lewis. I had a moment in the haberdashery section earlier this week when I realised how close it was to my house. The downside is that the shopping bug has bitten me. I may need to do a fashion post later in the week to get it out of my system...

Photo of Wanstead Park by Brian Hopson.
Dim-sum photo by Mrs Lister

Room for improvement.

noreply@blogger.com (Caroline, No.) — Fri, 07 Jun 2013 13:30:00 +0000

Well…we're in! After 3 months of camping with a long-suffering friend (thank you George!) we moved into our new house last week. We've moved to Leytonstone in east London, seemingly the last area of town where we could afford to buy an Actual House.

The houses around here are lovely old terraces, on quiet streets that have a real feel of old east-end London about them. Our neighbours are absolutely lovely – a hippy couple next door who immediately invited us over for tea on moving day ('We're having barley?') and families who've lived down the street for 30 or 40 years who have been really welcoming.

The area is supposedly 'coming up', which I suppose means opening up to younger generations priced out of more central parts of town. The Red Lion pub is really lively and awesome (it won the CAMRA East End pub of the year in 2012!) and sells completely delicious burgers. Plus a Costa Coffee opened recently. Now, can someone open an independent coffee shop soon please? *daydreams about opening a coffee shop*

Ours is an old period terraced house, similar to the ones both Tom and I grew up in and exactly what we were looking for. There are some interesting looking cracks on the walls but our buildings surveyor, who was perhaps suspiciously chilled-out, told us all was OK. Fingers crossed! Now just comes the job of getting boring essential jobs done and then working out how much money we have left for FUN STUFF.

In the meantime, when moneysupermarket offered me £50 to buy something for the house and spruce up a room as part of their Room for Improvement challenge, I was more than happy to take them up on it! The kitchen is probably the room in the house that needs the most work – it's quite dark, and needs a lick of paint (although I'm also thinking silver striped wallpaper?). In the meantime, I thought I'd buy what every household needs – a kitchen clock. Mine's from John Lewis. A bit of a difference already, non?

I'm so happy and feeling so lucky to have a new home - leaving our last place with nowhere to go and gambling on finding a place was kind of crazy, especially with a young baby! I wouldn't particularly recommend it as a course of action (STRESSFUL) but now, I'm so glad we did.

musicMagpie

noreply@blogger.com (Caroline, No.) — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 13:50:00 +0000

I first heard about musicMagpie from a friend who was about to move house. She'd decided to sell all of her CDs and DVDs so she spent a couple of hours scanning them in with her iPhone (I love technology!) and had made enough money to cover her removal costs.

Knowing I was about to move I made a massive mental note: moving stuff you know you don't even need is just soul-destroying. And then came the good news: you can now use them to sell clothes online as well!

I'm not too proud to admit that I have bags and bags of clothes that live in the attic. I've been through the stuff that is charity-shopable and still have tonnes of stuff I think friends might like, or can't bear to just give away as they were expensive. (Kurt Geiger boots worn once? A Reiss bag that was a lunch hour impulse purchase but was too expensive to just give away?)

We've been staying with a friend until our house purchase (hopefully!) goes through. We filled a small van with things to bring with us and put the rest into storage. Babies need lots of stuff, so we limited ourselves to one laundry bag of clothes each. Working out what to bring was easier than I'd imagined; what they say in those magazine articles about only wearing about 10% of your actual wardrobe is true. I grabbed the things that I constantly rotate, a few things that suit me but I don't wear enough, and my new Whistles dress, for special occasions.

A couple of bags (one everyday, one for more dressy things), a couple of pairs of heels as well as my Converse and APC Nikes and I was, as they stay in yon' United States, good to go.

I can safely say I haven't missed a thing. And when we move, I'm vowing to get rid of the lot and operate a strict one in, one out policy. Needless to say, the picture above is NOT a picture of my wardrobe.

image courtesy of finelittleday

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March madness.

noreply@blogger.com (Caroline, No.) — Sun, 24 Mar 2013 12:40:00 +0000

Whoa! That was a long break between posts. As you might imagine, I've been busy. Baby-wise, Arthur is a total joy. He's becoming more and more alert and interactive, he cries when Daddy leaves the room, likes sitting and banging in a high chair, and just has the best, bravest, calmest nature. He doesn't cry at bedtime he giggles. Seriously, he's the best baby, which has made my whole experience really lovely and pretty stress-free. I've been so lucky on that front.

Home-wise, we've had a bit of a crazy time. We are looking to buy a house, now that Arthur really needs a room of his own. We were renting a house in Barnet which we really liked, but our landlord wanted to sign us up to another long contract, which didn't work for us as we are hoping to buy soon. After much deliberating, and trying and failing to buy the house next door, we decided to get out and throw ourselves into buying a place. We're now staying at a friend's, have found a place and had our offer accepted. We just need to see if it sticks now! (And what the survey says.) Fingers crossed. It has been quite stressful, but also feels really good to be proactive. (And avoiding having to listen to the lovely house next door we wanted to buy being gutted and done up for the next two months. Observation: property makes even the nicest people go insane and greedy, amirite?)

Other-wise, when I get a second to think about anything other than babies and houses, I keep straying to the Zara website and filling up my basket, am obsessed with Lena Dunham, (LOVED the Girls finale!), and hoping to do some baking from The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook.Chocolate chip brioche pretzels, anyone? (The friend we're staying with, George, has the most space-age kitchen. Perfect for baking!)

Back to London today after a week up in Yorkshire stuffing myself with chocolate and naps. Keep your fingers crossed for the house, please!

(The South Wind print from The Old Try. Just because I like it and want it in my new hallway.)

Going mumderground.

noreply@blogger.com (Caroline, No.) — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 11:43:00 +0000

It's such a cliche but really, nothing prepares you for the arrival of your first baby. You can read all of the books and do all of the shopping but nothing can prepare you for how much your life will change. Completely.

Aside from the whole emotional journey of becoming a parent, practically there is an incredible change of pace. From rushing around for work, running to meet friends, cycling busy streets, pounding the gym – sometimes all in one day – you find yourself on the sofa, literally unable to move for hours on end while the baby is on you, feeding. It's nice, it's just completely different.

At first I felt as though I was in a non-stop chain of chores – nursing for hours at a time, expressing milk, sterilising bottles, all day every day. I despaired at the constant changing of tiny clothes. I read someone compare it to perpetual motion, which is exactly right. But then the feeding calms down, you become more organised, more relaxed, and settle into a routine.

It took us about six and a half weeks to find our routine, which made all the difference and made it feel less like a never-ending mill of baby admin. And topping up the baby's feeds with formula really helped: he is a hungry baby and I'd feed him for hours and he'd still be hungry. Demoralising and, for me, not worth the stress of trying to stick solely to breastfeeding. (Breastfeeding is surprisingly tricky. If you're struggling, the website kellymom has great, in-depth advice. I'd advise trying not to worry about giving them formula if you have to. They need to eat, you need to stay sane.)

Another breakthrough was realising you can just put them down. At first, I felt as though I had to constantly be in the same room as him, talking to him and keeping an eye on him. It was highly boring and stressful: I couldn't work out when to wash my hair or eat my lunch. Realising that I could leave him having a nap or bring him along with me in his bouncy chair was a breakthrough. I can eat! Tidy up the kitchen! Have a shower! It felt like freedom again.

So, nearly four months in, I find myself settled into the routine and adapting to the new way of life. I miss having the time and energy to exercise like I used to, but take him for a long walk up and down the hill, do a bit of yoga, and am going to try the local gym's crèche. I make lunch whenever I want and take my time getting ready to go out while he bounces away on his chair, playing with his toys. I missed going to the cinema, so tried a baby screening and it was great. And it can be a pain having to haul the baby with you everywhere you go, but I find my friends are loving hanging out with little Artie as well. It's a new experience for us all.

It's hard and crazy at first when your whole world changes but I found that with time you adapt and it gets easier. A friend told me she spent the first month perched anxiously on the edge of the sofa and I can totally relate. I couldn't even concentrate on Strictly. But gradually, you relax into it. I'm trying to appreciate having time to do the things I never used to have time to do.

So, today I'm listening to Tales of The City, making a huge pot of daal and enjoying the little moments, like singing West End Girls to the baby and him loving it. When the smiles and giggles come it feels like the pay-off for all the hard work and you can't wait for the next milestone. This little human you made sitting up? Crawling? It's just the beginning of one long, crazy trip...

Goodbye 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Caroline, No.) — Mon, 31 Dec 2012 12:44:00 +0000

Well, it's the end of the year, and in my little world it was a big one. We made a big decision about where to live, got pregnant, moved house, had a horrible family bereavement, nine months of feeling like poo, went through the shock of a heart scare with the baby, had the baby, the baby was fine, learnt wtf to do with the baby. It rained all year. It was actually fun to have the Olympics in town (it was hilarious how quiet the tube went). And now... breathe.

Arthur seems to be an actual superbaby – he's chilled, fun, pretty much sleeps through the night. He's never had one tantrum. We've been really lucky so far, but the last couple of years have taught me that you should never expect too much calm after the storm. Here's hoping for some mild sunshine through the rain. And the odd cocktail or two. I haven't had a strong cocktail since I can't remember when, so tonight I'm making Old Fashioneds. Wishing you all a happy and peaceful New Year.

(Oh, I'm not going to write my birth story. I'm over it.)

He is here!

noreply@blogger.com (Caroline, No.) — Sat, 27 Oct 2012 12:38:00 +0000

Baby arrived! His name is Arthur and he was born two weeks ago. We are overjoyed. He has got my eyes and the rest is pretty much daddy. So far, he likes:

– rootling for food
– the colour red
– stretching
– teddy bears' faces
– the Michael Kiwanuka album

I've clearly gone gaga. I'll be back with my birth story when my marbles return. (Yeah. I suffered it and so now I'm going to make you read it. It was a bit of a crazy one.) I am so fvcking glad not to be pregnant anymore!

Thoughts of a first-time pregnant.

noreply@blogger.com (Caroline, No.) — Thu, 30 Aug 2012 18:37:00 +0000

I know I should post a bump picture but I am more fascinated by this picture I found earlier today of me in Venice in March of this year. I am not a woman mountain! A relatively flat stomach, I can't even imagine it.

I've tried to write this post a few times over the last few weeks, but always had to stop halfway as it turned into too big a moan-fest. You might have noticed I haven't posted for a while. (Well, other than a sponsored post, the proceeds of which bought me a much-needed new coffee machine, OK?)

The thing is, I have been absolutely, totally kiboshed by this pregnancy. I'll admit something now that won't cast me in a particularly flattering light: I used to be one of those people who thought pregnants shouldn't moan. Like, you chose to get knocked-up, so deal with it, Bumpy. I remember reading this article about not wanting children by Polly Vernon and guiltily agreeing with a lot of what she wrote. I would always be the first to offer my tube seat to a pregnant lady, or dash to help carry their pram down the steps – well brought up, me – but a small part of me would be grudgingly thinking, 'Mehhhh, I'm tired too! I've got a hangover and I've been at work all day, we all make our choices!'

Well, I would like to publicly declare: I Was Wrong. Yeah, you might knowingly decide to get knocked up. But, if it's your first pregnancy, like me, you will not know about the insane exhaustion, constant sickness and myriad random other symptoms that you will have to deal with. Your right hand appears to have clenched into an agonising claw that you can't straighten out? Yeah. Deal. That popping noise? Oh, it was just your hip joint. You probably won't be able to walk properly now, sorry. Every time you eat the smallest morsel of food, a snake of stomach acid slithers up your throat? Ambassador, you are spoiling us.

And on top of that, you still have to deliver at work, cook, maintain friendships, clean the house. Y'know, just life as normal.

In my case, on top of the generic pregnancy symptoms, I have also managed to be the lucky one in a hundred women that develops a strange liver complaint which means I itch. Constantly. And have done since 10 weeks. I'm now 32 weeks. I haven't slept more than 3 hours in 22 weeks. Some nights I don't sleep at all. That's nearly six months of hardly any sleep. And itching. Constantly.

I mean, not to obsess about it, but I am absolutely EXHAUSTED. I've had to leave work ahead of my planned leave date which, as a self-employed person, sucks. Poor husband is knackered, as he tries to sleep through a mess of itching, scratching, wriggling, spraying of products, rubbing-in of creams and general nocturnal comings-and-goings. (Oh yeah, there's also the constant weeing, as babies love using bladders as cushions.)

I have to go to hospital three times a week, for monitoring and tests. As I progressively feel worse, they threaten progressively harder to throw me in the labour ward to be monitored until I'm ready to birth; a scenario that I am naturally keen to avoid. (As lovely as the midwives are, I'll take my perfectly calibrated home comforts and fridge access, please! Don't make me go to the labour ward!)

But. BUT! Of course it is not all bad. We get more and more excited as the due date gets closer. We had a scan at the weekend and saw a blinking eye. Another scan showed him asleep, with one hand resting on top of his head, just like his dad. We've got a huge chest full of neatly-folded onesies, mittens and bear suits, waiting for his arrival. The Bugaboo – yeah, cliché – is nestled in the corner, ready for action. I'm more excited than I have been since Christmas as a kid. Or, maybe since my first trip to New York.

I'm just amazed at the shift between where I am now and my attitude before. So yeah, if you're on the tube and a pregnant hobbles on, face as grey as the British summer sky and holding on for dear life...you know what to do.

[I'm as big as a house, and probably have about five weeks left, as I will be delivering early due to the itch sitch – it brings an increased risk of still-birth if left to go full-term. I've almost totally given up work now, with just a replacement to find and a hand-over to do. I'm learning to drive, with my test booked about a week before the arrival date! And other than that, I'm planning to do a lot of reading. In bed. Between naps. Currently loving the new Amy Sohn, Motherland- awesome Brooklyn trash-lit. And this Ruth Reichl book, Garlic And Sapphires, about being the New York Times restaurant critic, as recommended on A Cup of Jo.]

Babyproof your bathroom.

noreply@blogger.com (Caroline, No.) — Fri, 03 Aug 2012 11:51:00 +0000

When you have a baby, those dim and relaxing bathroom lighting fixtures get switched to their brightest setting, indulgent lotions replaced with no-tears shampoos, and scented candles tossed aside in order to make way for animal-shaped water squirters.

This former peaceful haven will pretty much transform beyond all recognition: from the bathroom storage cabinets you need to hide clutter, to clever products that can help make bath-time fun (for both of you), here’s a rundown on how best to baby-fy your bathroom.

Bathroom safety
You may have socket covers and child gates in other areas of your home, but what do you need to make the bathroom safe for little ones? Apart from the obvious, like putting razors, medicines and cleaning products out of reach, make sure that your child can’t get locked in there without you. Avoid a frantic call to the fire brigade by getting a lock that can be opened from the outside or by disabling the lock altogether.

A non-slip bathmat is an absolute must as soon as soon as your toddler is trying to stand, inflatable tap covers are a great idea to stop inquisitive fingers fiddling with the hot tap and toilet locks can be essential if your child is fascinated by the flush.

You can also buy bath seats for babies – a godsend if you want to give your back a rest from holding them for long periods of time.

Products to make bath-time fun-time
Bath toys have come a long way since the humble rubber duck. These days you can get everything from washable bath crayons, so your child can get creative as well as clean, to bath flutes that play a different note when water is poured into them.

Love this doll's house bathroom!

Apart from toys, there are products out there which make bath-time easier for both of you, too. A cuddle dry towel robe means less fussing when you get them out, while a step will get them at the right height to use the bathroom wall mirror all by themselves, too. And don’t forget a shampoo rinse cup to stop water going into their eyes.

Cath Kidston duck towels

Bathroom storage furniture
With all your new bathroom toys, you need to find a way to store them. A simple bath toy bag, which has suction pads that stick to the tiles is a great (and cheap) idea. To really push the boat out, you can get some fun bath toy holders that scoop the toys out of the bath, drain the water away and store the toys at the same time. Laundry bins can be a great place for toy storage but, if floor space is at a premium, look for something that keeps toys out of reach, like over-the-door storage and hooks for the bathroom or shower door.

All images from John Lewis.com