MummysShoes

A Whimsical Fairy Tea Party

2012-05-15T13:19:00.000-07:00

For Belle's 3rd Birthday Party we organised a Fairy themed Tea Party for her and all her little fairy friends. This is the first year she has really been excited about having a party and told me everything she wanted there and even who she wanted to sit next to at the party table!!

Final preps before the fairies and elves arrive

Please let my party go to plan :)

As well as the party bags and fairy wings on their chairs the guests each had a personalised plant pot with a flower in to take home. Big hit with the mummies :)

Clear up time! "You are not taking my balloons"

Still suffering with morning sickness I roped my amazing mum in to help with organising things and I really couldn't have done it without her. I can not tell you the amount of requests I have had by other mum's to hire her (she also runs a blog at www.candlelightcottage.blogspot.com if you want to check her out). She helped make all our ideas come to life and boy were we shattered at the end of the day! A good time was had by all and most importantly Belle. Weeks later she is still talking about it!

Where from? (please note all items were bought with our own money and nothing here is sponsored)

We bought the party food from Marks & Spencers Party Food range and collected it on the morning of the party which was so convenient. Everyone particularly liked the cute caterpillar sandwiches!

Belle's dress I bought from one of my absolute favourite boutiques ilovegorgeous and it was the Jubilee Dress in shell pink

We hired Music Bugs entertainment and they were superb! They did all Belle's favourites such as bubbles, parachute and the classics like the hokey cokey and even organised the party games such as pass-the-parcel. Leaving us able to sit back and relax.

Push Presents: Yay or Nay?

2012-04-20T02:38:00.000-07:00

I recently came across a term I had never heard before.

Push Presents

"A push present (also known as a "push gift" or "baby bauble") is a present a new father gives a new mother when she gives birth to their child. In practice the present may be given before or after the birth, or even in the delivery room". (Wikipedia, 20th April 2012, link).

As with a lot of these terms, it seems the celebrity world has brought them to the forefront with celeb mums such as Mariah Carey, Jennifer Lopez and Sarah Jessica Parker getting extravagant gifts.

Now obviously every mummy's first reaction will be that the baby is the biggest present at the end of it all. This was my first reaction, but then I thought about how nice it is to get a gift which will be significant to the birth of your child and one you can keep in the family for years to come.

My second thought was I want this Mulberry bag I have been lusting over for a while!

But then after a bit of twitter discussion I realised it was just an excuse for a lovely present really and a bag doesn't last forever. So if you are going to have a push present do you think it should be something that can be kept forever and is special? Or should it purely be a reward to the mum for all the hard work over the 9 months of pregnancy, the birth and the sleepless nights to come?

Its seems that push presents are mostly an American thing but after tweeting about my discovery it seems a fair few women knew about this term and a fellow blogger had written a post literally the day before I came across 'push presents' on my friends Pinterest.

Even though I had never heard of this term when I had Belle my husband took our newborn out and bought me some beautiful diamond earrings. The thought of my husband, the new daddy, out with our little new born girl picking them together still makes me smile when I look at them!

I think it is a very personal thing because the daddy plays a big role too these days, obviously minus the physical bit. Certainly my husband did and still does, so perhaps us ladies should get them a little something too? Obviously it doesn't have to be a super expensive gift, it is the thought that counts as I'm sure most ladies will agree? Maybe even something as simple as a letter, poem or card.

Either way, I think "push presents" (although the term still sounds a bit wrong) are a lovely idea. A little something from your loved one, however big or small, to celebrate your new arrival can never be a bad thing.

Thursday Thought... Fathers

2012-04-12T05:09:00.000-07:00

My husband often plays this song on a Sunday morning and I just love the lyrics.

He makes me smile x

3 Years Old: Happy Birthday to Our Little Girl

2012-04-04T04:06:00.002-07:00

Dear Raya Belle,

This year you have turned into a proper little girl and you astound us in everything you do! Since you turned 2 years old you have been through so many changes! You are a little miss chatterbox, you sing songs and you love to put on shows for us all.

At the beginning of the year you moved into a big girls bed from your beloved cot, you loved it and made everything so easy, not once did you get out of your bed at night! Like everything you took to the change like a duck to water.

You gave up your evening milk bottle in place of a mug.

You gave up your dummy! You left them outside in a package for the 'dummy fairies' one night and they left you a present in return. Again you didn't complain or ask for your dummy ever again!

You said goodbye to your nappies and were potty trained in 3 days straight! Night and Day! This really shocked us, you little perfectionist!

You started nursery school! 2 mornings a week and again not a single tear from you. I waited in the car park for the whole morning as I was quite emotional, only to get back to the teacher saying you had been fantastic, eaten all your lunch and you were happy the whole time! This has continued to be the theme of your days there.

You had your first haircut.

You got chicken pox.

Ikea made over your playroom

And now you are going to be a big sister!

I can not explain how proud we are of you baby girl. You have such a gentle nature, you are caring and kind to others, and polite. You LOVE animals!

You have such a fantastic relationship with daddy, you have days out together and you love going to his office and helping him out. I love to watch you play fight and the fact you know what an 'arm bar' and 'headlock' are does make me laugh, daddy is teaching you martial arts already! Despite this you are so gentle and would never dream of pushing or hitting.

Your other favourite people in the world are of course Grams and Papa. You just adore playing with them and they are so involved in everything you do. They have just loved watching you grow and develop into the beautiful girl you are today. You have been going over to their house every week since you were a baby and now I watch you pack your own bag with excitement and smile at the things you want to take to show them (today it was a new play-doh set from Uncle Chris).

I love watching you play, your imagination astounds us all. We had your Fairy Tea Party at the weekend to celebrate you turning 3 and seeing you running off with all your little friends brought a tear to my eye, you really are independent and secure! I hardly spoke to you all day you little social butterfly. So many of your friends came to wish you a happy birthday. You are a special girl.

We love you Belle, continue being you and enjoy exploring this big world even more in your 3rd year.

Kisses forever angel xxxxxxxx

Luxury Changing Bag Review: Mamami by Chet

2012-03-28T08:42:00.000-07:00

If you are expecting a baby or already have a little one in tow then you must watch this review. It is, in my opinion, the most luxurious and glamorous changing bag available!

But you see for yourself...

You can pop along and see the bags here www.mamami.co.uk

Follow Mamami on Twitter @mamamibychet

Announcement VLog

2012-02-10T01:44:00.000-08:00

As we are very excited here in the Mummy's Shoes household I thought it was about time I shared our news with you...

If you would like to follow my Pregnancy Vlogs then please do pop along to my YouTube channel http://www.youtube.com/MummysShoes and subscribe :-)

What I Wore Wednesday

2012-01-25T03:20:00.001-08:00

I love my Boyfriend Shirts. I have adopted two of my hubby's shirts and I have about 3 of my own. I seem to be wearing them even more recently...Perhaps it is because I am in packing mode, with the house move getting closer (they do feel kind of DIY-esque)

Skinny Jeans - By Therapy (Dark Rinse Skinny)

Boyfriend Shirt - Over a year old by Lee

Plain White Vest/cami - Whistles Essentials range (bought from John Lewis)

Diamond Stud Earrings - Another of my everyday essentials (bought as a gift from hubby years ago, can't remember which jewellers)

Check out the other entries over with Transatlantic Blonde

Garden Games Review: Jumbo Connect 4

2012-01-23T11:59:00.002-08:00

In one of our local garden centres there is a giant connect 4 and Belle has always loved playing with it. So, when I was contacted by Garden Games to see if we wanted to be sent one to review I had to say yes.

When I opened the box I was pleasantly surprised because it looks like it is made out of wood not plastic! Which is always a bonus. Belle and I got to work putting it together and it was VERY simple to do! So another brownie point there.

Belle has had hours of fun playing this. We have not actually had it outside yet as we are moving house soon. But when we do I will add some content about how it is outside too.

It is not cheap, priced at £99 but it is one of those games that will be used with adults and children alike, at birthday parties, BBQ's and even weddings.

You can pop along here and see the product in full.

Finally here is a little video of Belle's favourite part of the game...

*This is a review post. We were given the product for free but all opinions are my own.

Silent Sunday

2012-01-22T03:12:00.000-08:00

My Girl

2012-01-20T03:49:00.000-08:00

It has been a chilly week with frost around (but still no snow which Belle is desperate for!)

Belle has decided she doesn't really need much sleep anymore, in the day or at night! Nevertheless she has gone off to nursery full of beans for her two mornings and we have still found time to have lots of fun!

On a 2 hour walk in the cold!

Just generally being her cheeky self

Have a great weekend all!

The Gallery: Baby Blue Eyes

2012-01-18T02:40:00.000-08:00

This week the theme for The Gallery is Eyes

There really was only one option for this one and it has to be our little Belle.

My husband has very dark eyes and mine are green so it was quite a shock when our little blue eyed girl came along...I have been waiting 2.5 years for them to change...

Her eyes just seem to light up and I have seen so many emotions through them..wonder, excitement, happiness, cheekiness and the hardest will always be seeing them with tears in.

BritMums Live 2012 Meet and Greet

2012-01-04T12:17:00.000-08:00

Breaking news: BritMums Live 2012 has been announced and tickets are on sale now (click here if you haven't got yours yet)!

For those unsure of who is who and who will be there on the big day I am hosting a 'meet and greet'. It is really helpful to put blog names to faces. So if you want to join in simply write a short bio about yourself and/or put a picture of yourself on your blog and then link to your post below.

So Hi *waves* I'm Carly and here is my meet and greet:

Name: Carly

Blog: www.MummysShoes.com

Twitter ID: @MummysShoes

Height: 5ft 5 (when without heels)

Hair: Long Blonde

Eyes: Greeny Bluey Grey

Likes: Persian Food, Olives, Cheese, Chai, Chocolate (actually food and eating in general!) Family, Gardening, Vintage things, Shabby Chic, Dance, Cath Kidston, Monsoon, Karen Millen, Bohemian style, Sunny Days

Dislikes: The Daily Mail and Big Brother Culture

Random Fact: (added thanks to Domestic Goddesque) I had a lead on role in The NutCracker Ballet in America when I was 7/8 Years Old

If you want to grab the "I'm going" badge then pop over here

For great hotel rates see here

The Year that was 2011

2011-12-31T06:55:00.000-08:00

In 46 B.C.E. the Roman emperor Julius Caesar first established January 1 as New Year’s day. Janus was the Roman god of doors and gates, and had two faces, one looking forward and one back. Caesar felt that the month named after this god (“January”) would be the appropriate “door” to the year.

I'm not really fussed about New Years Eve but then again I also celebrate Christmas and yet we all know Jesus wasn't born in December! SO thanks Caesar for giving us another excuse for celebration and a day when we can all look back on what we have and feel grateful. I actually just spent half an hour writing a letter to Belle about all the things she has done this year but have decided to save it for her next birthday which is fast approaching. Ahhh my baby girl will be turning 3 next year!!

In light of all my umming and arrhhing about where to go with this blog I have decided to focus on Mummy's Shoes on this post. It has been quite a whirlwind year and I have been given so many opportunities, attended some amazing events and met some fantastic people and friends who I shall remain in touch with forever. I could list all the events and great things I have done but instead I will pick just one, I don't want to bore you.

The highlight has to be...being chosen by P&G to be a judge for the Champion Mums' Foundation. Going through all the hundreds of entries was emotional! Being one of 5 judges with the likes of Sue James (Editorial Director of Woman&Home), Gilly Sinclair (Editor of Chat), Sophia Warner (Our 100m & 200m Paralympian) and Roisin Donnelley (P&G Marketing Director) was a real honour. I was worried I was going to feel a bit out of place in that room at first but soon felt at ease, as they really were the most lovely bunch of ladies! I even managed to get some tips from Sophia on how to train for the Mum's Race on sports day :-) We picked some amazing entries and some of the wishes have been fulfilled already. So thank you so much P&G for that amazing opportunity.

Little old me. The "Blogger"

And plans for 2012?

To be just as good as 2011 I think. I am so blessed to have my family and friends around me and I just wish for their health and happiness. I would also love our house move to go ahead in the new year as we are a little in limbo at the moment with it being the Christmas hols.

Finally I just want to thank you, my readers. This blog started off as a place to document Belle's 'first steps' and has grown this year beyond anything I ever imagined. The growth has forced me to question its direction and purpose but I think that is a good thing. Thanks for sticking with me even when a week or two will go by without me writing a post. I have set up a new blog over at www.StepfordWifey.com where I will be writing hopefully a lot more in the new year. So please do pop over and follow me there.

Love Us xxx

Christmas Crafting, Chicken Pox, Cabin Fever and all that jazz

2011-12-16T02:56:00.000-08:00

Belle got the dreaded Chicken Pox and only right bang slap in the middle of her First Ever Nursery Nativity Play. I was so upset, not because I wouldn't get to see my angel on stage with her little halo (I am not being a deluded mother, her part in the nativity was an angel) but because she had been practising for a couple of months and she was SO excited. But, alas, these things happen and at least it is over and done with now.

A week in the house was quite testing though, calling in the 'craft' heavies was essential. So if you need ideas for when your little one gets chicken pox and you are house bound have a glance through these pictures for a bit of inspiration.

Baking and decorating!

We bought these wooden shapes from www.craftshapes.co.uk

Belle painted some whilst I did the others so it was fun for mummy and daughter :-)

Paper Chains!

Fresh Air!

When Belle had chicken pox we did a lot in the garden. She loves helping sweep the leaves...

...with an iron?!?

German Friendship Cake

A friend popped over and dropped off a German Friendship cake, whilst we were housebound. SUCH a lovely idea! I had never heard of it before. It takes 10 days to 'grow', you add sugar and due to the live yeast it rises. You then take 3 cups out and pass it on to 3 more friends to do the same. You then bake your cake from the remaining mixture! Love it! Belle loved watching it grow.

Pixie Advent Calendar.

The fact chicken pox fell within advent was great really as every morning Belle had a present to look forward to. A lot of people on twitter asked where pixie was from...She is from Chamomile Barn. But you could use this idea for the week your little one has chicken pox no matter what time of year, as a reward for no scratching!

Finally if your little one feels to uncomfortable to nap, I found taking her out for a drive great!

It gets you out the house too.

Wordless Wednesday: She's writing a list

2011-12-14T05:02:00.000-08:00

Purely Belle's List, in her own words. Not sure how I am going to find all those games (well aside from hungry hippo which I am secretly happy about)

End of the Road?

2011-11-23T09:29:00.000-08:00

Either I have lost my blogging mojo or I am ready to end this chapter.

I haven't written in a while, my inbox is teeming with PR emails, some of which you may call impressive opportunities. Offers of Christmas Hampers, makeovers in London, a Spa day, a tv commercial and not even the offer to be sent a ton of chocolate is making me muster the energy to reply. I haven't written about Belle's first day at nursery or any other exciting things which have been going on.

I am happy, we've been poorly, but life is good. A new business in the pipeline. Our offer on the new house got accepted. All the family are healthy and Belle is, well she is just adorable and amazes us, making us laugh too much by the things she comes out with. So perhaps I am just ready to move on from this blog?

Something else has been playing on my mind too.

I received a lovely email the other day from a reader. It was heart-warming and she went on to say how she loves my blog but it was these words that made me think "I wish to have your life when I'm older". It has really made me think...

Am I portraying a life which is just not realistic?

I do seem inclined to tell you all the good news, post all my favourite pictures. I have tried to talk about the hard times in parenting, the teething and sleepless nights but the truth is I wouldn't change it for the world, so I don't grumble too much. Perhaps it is subconscious and it, if I am honest, does reflect my personality too. I don't tell the world my problems, I am not one to shout from the rooftops if I am having a stinking day.

So here I am. Worrying I am not fulfilling what I set out to do with this blog. I wanted to help parents with commonplace parenting problems. I wanted to show how rewarding being a mother can be, how utterly out of this world it is to bring a little life into the world, for the daddy too! How it really is the most awe-inspiring thing you will ever do in this life, but it is not easy! I wanted to show how your life can still remain your life though and I wanted to document all Belle's special first's. There are far too many stereotypes surrounding mum's, so I wanted to balance my mummy life with my personal life, however intertwined they may be. In doing this I have attracted an audience of non parents, a growing number of teenage girls and now I am questioning how much I am helping.

Am I actually feeding the very thing I hate? Those images of women in the media which lead to young girls feeling insecure, always trying to live up to an exaggerated or fabricated image? Or perhaps, on the other hand, with all the media images of women could mine be less damaging and actually encourage more girls to aspire to be good parents one day. Or am I simply worrying too much? I don't think so, we all have a responsibility in society to do and be the best we can.

Should I be more candid with my writing, don't only post about the pleasing and exciting stuff? I have written about upsetting things before but because my blog is not anonymous it unfortunately caused more problems then it cured. Perhaps less pictures and images? But then that is the creative side which makes me, me. Finally Belle is her own little person now, she is forming her own opinions, she doesn't just look like every other 'baby' either. Because of this I am starting to feel it is not my right to put her life out here. It doesn't sit quite right with me anymore.

So there we have it, have I just made my mind up about this?

When you thought I wasn't looking

2011-11-12T02:28:00.000-08:00

My mum sent me this poem the other day and I had to share it with you:

When you thought I wasn't looking

Author: Unknown

When you thought I wasn't looking,
I saw you hang my first painting on the refrigerator,
and I wanted to paint another one.

When you thought I wasn't looking,
I saw you feed a stray cat,
and I thought it was good to be kind to animals.

When you thought I wasn't looking,
I saw you make my favorite cake for me,
and I knew that little things are special things.

When you thought I wasn't looking,
I heard you say a prayer,
and I believed that there was a God to talk to.

When you thought I wasn't looking,
I felt you kiss me goodnight,
and I felt loved.

When you thought I wasn't looking,
I saw tears come from your eyes,
and I learned that sometimes things hurt,
but it's alright to cry.

When you thought I wasn't looking,
I saw that you cared,
and I wanted to be everything that I could be.

When you thought I wasn't looking,
I looked....
and I wanted to say thanks for all the things
I saw when you thought I wasn't looking.

The one where Belle says "Goodbye" to her daytime naps

2011-11-10T12:51:00.000-08:00

It seems we have come to the end of the road with Belle's 2 hour daytime naps. It was nice knowing you 'me time' and those cheeky cups of tea were blissful, while it lasted.

Belle is 2.5 (going on 25) and no matter how busy of a morning she has had she is now refusing to have a daytime nap. For 2 years she has loved her 2 hour nap, which she always took around 1-2pm. But for the last month or two she has decided they are not necessary and she has far more important things to do like, apparently...

Me: "Belle it's nap time now"
B: "I have to tidy my playroom"
Me: "OK two minutes of tidying and then bed"
B: "I need 8 minutes"

And yesterdays was "I not tired mama I think I just need a rest on the sofa"! Since when did 2 year olds get so smart!

By 6pm she is tired when she doesn't have a nap but she seems to cope well and doesn't get grumpy with it. She sleeps through the night and wakes at 6am on the dot every morning.

Is this OK? I worry she is not getting enough sleep and I know that it is so important for their brain development. She will sometimes fall asleep in the car on the way back from nursery for ten minutes but that really is it. Today we had friends coming over in the afternoon and a busy evening so I actually sat in the car for 25 minutes while she slept in there so she was well rested. I very nearly asked my neighbour to bring me a cup of tea!

I give her 'quiet time' still so she can relax and wind down a bit but she has so much energy! The other week we went to a friends wedding and she woke up at 6am and carried on partying all day and night until 11pm and then woke at 6am the next morning again as usual.

Look at that boundless energy!

Is this too young to drop her daytime naps? Do I just need to toughen up and get a bit more strict by taking her up to her room in the day? Or is it OK to let her decide when she wants to nap in the day from now on?

I wish there was a way of sharing her energy.

Schwartz Slow Cooker Recipe: Giving mums the gift of time

2011-11-04T05:32:00.000-07:00

I was recently contacted by Schwartz regarding their new range of slow cooker mixes.

Schwartz were going to come over and film me trying out one of their recipes to show how simple they are and how they can save so much time. But alas, Belle got poorly and then myself and hubby caught the nasty sickness bug and we missed the boat.

Not wanting to let a gem of an evening meal go to waste I filmed it myself this week for you. The recipes are fabulous for those days where you just haven't got much time to cook. This meal took me under 15 minutes to prepare! So here you go:

You can view the full recipe here

Justin Fletcher's New Album: Hands Up

2011-10-31T05:07:00.000-07:00

News for all you Justin Fans out there

(I know there are a lot of you!)

Justin is releasing a new song called Hands Up!

(available on the 14th of November)

and

A new album which is out on the 21st of November

You can pre order the album here

We were lucky enough to receive a copy of the album before the release date and I can tell you it is amazing. Belle was up and dancing within seconds and we shall definitely be using it for birthday parties as it has all of the party game classics on it!

I actually did a video of Belle dancing away to it but can't share that just yet! It is a fantastic album for the car, home and for parties!

Justin is also now on Twitter here

AND

Facebook too here

Isabella Oliver Clothing: Review and Competition

2011-10-28T03:44:00.002-07:00

I was recently contacted by Isabella Oliver to see if I wanted to try out something from their site. Their clothes are timeless and so I had quite a hard job deciding what to pick.

In the end I went for The Flared Jeans as I have one of their wrap dresses already, which I adore! For those of you who haven't heard of Isabella Oliver, they are a London based British women's wear label, renowned for dressing pregnant celebrities such as Angelina Jolie, Jessica Alba, Gwen Stefani and Natalie Portman. Not only do they offer beautiful maternity wear but they also now have a ready-to-wear '365 Collection' for the modern multi-tasking woman!

Beautiful packaging

The Jeans

The sizing comes up perfectly on them and I love that they are a little flared as I tend to go for skinny jeans. I also like the dark indigo colour too, as again, I tend to go for pale blue denim normally. They are not too low or high waisted, I would go as far as saying they are the PERFECT fit and definitely a classic look! They always look quite smart no matter what I team them with, even a little white vest top!

I can't rave enough about these jeans BUT don't take my word for it try them out yourselves BECAUSE the lovely people at Isabella Oliver are giving one of my readers the chance to pick a pair of jeans from their site.

TO WIN

If you would like the chance to pick any pair of jeans from www.IsabellaOliver.com then simply do the following:

Leave a comment below (in the comments section) with a way to contact you eg twitter ID or email

For an extra entry please tweet about this competition stating "Win a pair of Isabella Oliver Jeans! Go to @MummysShoes blog to enter http://tinyurl.com/isabellacomp "

Terms and Conditions:
• This competition will run from 28th of October to the 11th of November 2011
• The winner will be chosen at random
• Competition is open to residents of the UK and Ireland only
• Prize is non-refundable and no cash alternative is available

Autumn fashions for Mummy & Babe

2011-10-27T05:47:00.000-07:00

The weather has taken a bit of a turn, there was even a frost on the ground the other morning! So I decided it was high time to put away the summer dresses, get out the knits and boots and do a bit of a wardrobe update for Belle and myself. So we went shopping, mainly in Next!

My nanny always bought us our winter coats and my mum has carried on this tradition and gets Belle her winter coats too. I adore the two she has chosen this year and they look adorable on!

I have put all the web links underneath the pictures so you can pop over and look at the items.

Faux Fur Trim Jacket

In the above jacket plus Beret and Shoes both from Next too

The second coat she got was this Mink Trim Parker I love the lace detail

Knitted Tan Jumper Dress

Also bought a skinny rib polo neck to put underneath it here

Sleeveless Animal Print Dress

Pink Corsage Party Dress

Aqua and Pink Trapper Hat

This looks SO cute on!

Cute Tights of course, a must for the colder days!

Ditsy Floral and animal Tights here

Cable Knit Design Tights here

Cable Knit Wasitcoat

Top and Lace trim leggings

Applique Flower Knitted Dress

(Shoes and Tights from Next as before)

(from L to R)

Pink Butterfly Pumps

Red Cupcake Pumps

Pink Bow Pumps which Belle calls her dancing glitter shoes

Check Skater Skirt from Next

One Shoulder Pink Dress from ASOS

For a wedding I am going to

Pink Midi Vintage dress from H&M

With a slim or chunky tan belt.

Ivory Lave Peep Toe Shoes

I love lace, what more can I say!

Vila Long Fairisle Knitted Cardigan

This is one of those essential winter knits I will be slinging over jeans for most of the winter :-)

My beautiful customised umbrella from Love Umbrellas !

Of course this is my favourite item of the month, or should I say year!?

My Mamami Amara Bag!

I will of course dedicate a post to this very soon so you can appreciate the sheer gorgeousness of this stunning bag! But I can say it has not left my side for the past week and has received so many compliments when out that I have lost count!

P.s This is not a sponsored post, I know we were 'repping" Next quite a bit there...I simply adore their children's range this season and hence the number of purchases!

The Gallery: Faces

2011-10-23T04:59:00.000-07:00

The theme over at The Gallery this week is ‘Faces’. I deliberated over this one for quite some time. My nanny who's eyes told a thousand tales, sparkly blue like my daughters, a reminder of where we all came from. My mum with her stunning green eyes, always loving and caring for us no matter what. My dad, a wonderful father and a genius. My husband, 9 times out of 10 displaying his serious 'thinking' face, he thinks too much about things but I love him for it. Or perhaps my brothers, always winding me up but all so fantastic! Or maybe my friends, always making me laugh and creating fab memories.

An obvious one, which you would probably all expect from me is my little Belle, who we call cherub chops because she is just too adorable for words (expect when being a little diva). But I decided to use this one...my little family all displaying...happy faces

tinyme launches in the UK and what a great brand!

2011-10-18T13:28:00.000-07:00

Last week myself and a handful of other bloggers headed to Oundle Mill for a lovely meal and introduction from tinyme.

I'll be honest with you, my attendance was mainly an excuse to have a catch up with one of my twitter BFF's Chet and Helen from Blog Match but I was pleasantly surprised by tinyme and their adorable range of personalised products for children.

Here's a bit of background for you, about tinyme, a lovely story! And boy are they enthusiastic about their products, which is so nice to see:

Once upon a time 3 young dads (who happen to have 13 kids under 9) combined a whole bunch of geeky high tech machines, some generous dollops of cuteness, a slightly loopy team of people and mixed them together with the world wide webby thingy. The result was amazing.... a comprehensive range of affordable, premium quality, designer personalised products for kids. All custom made and shipped out in a jiffy.

I loved so many of their products but a few which I will definitely be purchasing are:

These adorable wall stickers

We were given some samples of the wall stickers to take home and Belle has loved playing with them! They must have been taken on and off the wall about 40 times and they still have their stick!! My favourite designs are the birds, flowers and tree's!

Secondly I loved the vast range of personalised bags, just perfect for when Belle starts Ballet:

Again there are colour and design choices and of course the option to have it personalised with your child's name too.

Finally another thing I will definitely be getting are these fab cupcake toppers, perfect for a party! These are actually free printables if you pop over here you can get your hands on them!

There are lots more amazing products, from wall charts to personalised stationary and name labels!

Thanks to blog match and tinyme for a fantastic event and for great company!

A picture is worth a thousand words

2011-09-23T04:03:00.000-07:00

As you all know by now I love photography! It must be obvious as I was recently approached by Print My Image to see if I would like a canvas print of one of my photo's.

I have ordered a couple of canvas prints before as presents but didn't actually have one myself. Print My Image is so simple to use! You upload your image, select the size of print you want, select if you want it colour or black&white and portrait/landscape and you are away!

I chose an A2 size canvas as we have quite a large living room and anything else would look a bit lost and it arrived a couple of days later.

I adore my canvas print, the quality is amazing and it takes pride of place in our lounge. I am going to have another done for my dressing room when it is finished too.