SEVENTY TREE

More From Our Travels

2015-12-31T10:04:00.000+00:00

Some more sights from our travels. It's nice to share and see them here. It took some time before I could even look through the photographs (see previous post). Both Dan (my husband) and I have found it quite painful. Life has been such a whirlwind since we returned. We have been forced to make lots of quick decisions in order to provide for our children and return to some sort of rhythm.

Many good things came from our travels of course, so I don't want to sound like it's all doom and gloom around here! It is more the 'what could have been' that is hardest for us at the moment as we try and get into the swing of life back in the UK.

Travelling made us really appreciate the simple things in life and value them more than we ever had before. We have always tried to live consciously; buying from ethical, independent shops, eating local and organic produce etc... But when you have to live with so little, you very quickly learn to appreciate the important things - experiences, connection, taking life at a slower pace, to name a few.

Spending most of our time outdoors, being active and riding our bikes, all that wonderful Vitamin D and the abundance that is Mother Earth, won over anything in the material world! Water and electricity were not an everyday luxury for us. We had a solar panel on the van, which powered our leisure battery and the water tank needed to to be filled regularly, so we learned to be frugal with both as we couldn't always find electric hook ups (and didn't want to) and there were many times when we had to prioritise water to drink and wash dishes with over washing ourselves! Eek!

'Simple living' is quite a hot topic at the moment, and rightly so! It's time for us all to look at how we live and how it is impacting on this earth of ours. The earth we are responsible for, not just in the present, but for our children, their children and so on... There are so many 'more is more' attitudes out there. It is quite sickening to witness this never-ending greed and hunger for more of everything. What ever happened to 'just enough' and being contented with what you do have?

Anyway, I hope you don't mind my honesty. It feels good to write some of this down and think about how we can be better humans in this rather broken world.

I'll be sharing more about our unschooling journey here too, with some recommended reading for anyone curious.

Thanks for reading.

Back

2015-12-30T23:54:00.001+00:00

It has been a long time since I have posted here. Instagram is so much easier these days, but it feels like time to share some images from what has become my 'second' camera.

A lot has happened over the past year and coming here is actually quite hard and strange. I had intended to turn this blog into a travel diary as back in August, we changed our life completely. Sold lots of our stuff, put the remainder into storage, bought an old Hymer van, moved into it - us and our three children. It all felt a bit crazy, but extremely exciting.

We left the UK on a ferry to Spain, travelled the Basque Country and the French and Spanish Pyrenees. We headed south to Barcelona, taking in three months of the most breathtaking views we had ever seen. We felt free, we felt like we were doing something good for our family. Together, living consciously - mostly offgrid with very low outgoings. But...

But then it was over in a flash. It's a long story, but the basics are that our income comes from Seventy Tree and we left the sending of orders in the hands of a company that completely messed up. So badly, we had no choice but to return, pick up the pieces (literally) and be forced back into the life we had put everything into leaving behind us. Of course there are some kind of nice things about returning. It's nice to be back near to family and friends again, to make yet another nest for our family in a new area which we really like. Maisie understandably missed her friends. She's 15 now, so leaving them behind and spending 24/7 with her two younger brothers and parents was always going to be a bit of a challenge...However, she got so much from our travels and I'm really proud of her. I'm proud of us all, but I'm also sad that it didn't work out. Sad that we tried to break out of 'the norm' and then 'the norm' sucked us back in. I don't like that at all.

So our plan now is to recoup, recharge and continue with Seventy Tree as before. Being together as much as we can be is still our priority. Lots of people have asked if/when the children are going back to school, but we're not sending them back. We never intended to. This feels right for us and our children. To be led by their passions, creativity and curiosity. To give them freedom and trust in them to blossom into happy human beings (we hope!) with the confidence to achieve whatever they want in life.

I could go on, but that's enough for now. I'll post some more pictures soon as looking at the photos from our trip, the place names are fading from my memory and I don't like that.

See you soon.

Wild Meadow

2015-08-20T18:25:00.001+01:00

Some pictures from our recent trip to Wild Meadow in Wales for Dan's Birthday. An absolutely beautiful spot - I would go back in a flash. I am certain Wales has the best sunsets and golden light. Our boys loved it too - exploring bare foot, eating food cooked over a fire and generally being the feral little humans they naturally are!

Camping

2015-01-30T20:44:00.000+00:00

Trying to do a bit of blogging here and there, purely so I have a record of my growing children! It’s nice to look back on what we were doing at certain times, so that’s what I’ll be sporadically posting!
These pictures go back to the end of summer 2014 when we were camping on Exmoor. I love the light at dusk - toasting marshmallows, pyjamas on...the slow pace of the campsite.

Have a nice weekend.

How Quickly A year Passes

2014-10-14T15:14:00.000+01:00

Otto is now a year old. This has actually been the fastest year of my life! I took these pictures a month or so ago, when he refused to have his nappy put back on, so we played ‘will he or won’t he pee (or worse) on the floor?’ Fortunately, I won. Anyway, it was getting dark but despite fighting the light, I really like how these turned out. So to summarise one year of knowing Otto - He is the best - such a happy boy. He wakes up happy, loves his family, he loves feeding from me, sleeping next to me, his bother’s toys, and Marmite. He started walking just after he turned ten months, so he is very steady on his feet, despite being a dinky little chap. I’m looking forward to year two, my little friend!

Our Home

2014-10-14T14:50:00.001+01:00

A few months ago, our home and a little interview with me was featured in the wonderful 91 Mag. With everything else going on in life, I was rather quiet about it, but noticed that Bertie’s bedroom has been pinned many times, which is nice! It was lovely to be ask to share some corners of our home (awful carpets and all!). Please be assured that our home is very ‘lived in’ and I really did work around the chaos to get some decent shots! Since I took these pictures, we’ve made a few changes and there are more to come, so one day, I’ll share those too.

Have a nice day :)

Dorset

2014-10-11T14:02:00.000+01:00

So I’m trying to get back to updating a bit more here......These pictures go back to late August, when we took the boys camping in Dorset. This is beautiful Lulworth Cove in all its summery glory.

Growing Up

2014-10-11T13:36:00.001+01:00

Just catching up on the old, neglected blog. Here is my Bertie, aged 4 3/4 years. The day he started school last month - well, sort of school. Kindergarten. We opted out of mainstream education and he is attending our local Steiner Waldorf school (very fortunate that a state Steiner school opened in Exeter a year ago). So far, so good. He seems to really like it, as do we :)

Summer

2014-07-26T21:40:00.001+01:00

We’ve had some great summer days - water play is always a winner for these boys, who are really starting to interact well together. Otto is almost 10 months now - I can’t believe it!

Wales

2014-07-15T22:17:00.001+01:00

Long time no post!!

Back in May half term, Dan, myself and the boys (yes Bertie did come with us, but I can barely get a picture of him these days!) took a trip to beautiful West Wales. We stayed at the Manorafon Camp, which is part of Fforest - visit the website for details. This is a truly magical place and we can’t wait to return. Stunning scenery, beautiful beaches, sunshine, sunsets.....wild and free. Perfect.

More Cornwall

2014-04-24T23:10:00.000+01:00

Some more pictures from our week in Cornwall. If you visit St Ives, you really must go to the Barbara Hepworth Museum (preferably without a whining four year old....!). I was utterly mesmerised, peering into her studio. What a woman!

Trebah Garden, close to Helford Passage (also a must with a great pub) is beautiful. There's a lovely little beach, where Bertie spent ages seeking out various sea creatures I don't know the names of! The views around the garden are quite breathtaking. We really enjoyed ourselves.

It's not always easy trying to please a teenager and two young'ns, but this worked out ok!

Pretty Cornwall

2014-04-24T22:39:00.003+01:00

We spent last week in Cornwall - an impromptu holiday which I booked the night before. What a great idea it was too, as we had a week of glorious sunshine. We stayed here. 'The Garden Barn' in the very pretty village of Constantine, not far from Helford.

Such a wonderful base for the week! A place of childhood dreams. Beautiful, wild gardens with an adjoining private wood that we had full run of. Perfect. The birds were singing, bluebells appearing and all was perfectly spring-like and lovely. The village itself has an amazing charity shop, where I picked up some real gems! There is also a pop-up bakery every Friday and Saturday morning which sells superb, fancy, delicatessen style bakes.....yuuum!

We ate pasties (essential of course), cream teas (two in one day!) and a good few ice creams during our week. There was plenty of exploring, a trip to St Ives and a couple of good pub meals. All in all a super week :)

Five Go To A Wedding

2014-04-07T21:48:00.001+01:00

We went to a wedding at the weekend and I think we all scrubbed up ok, being that we are not people who are used to getting into occasions!

Maisie is such a teenager - an extremely witty and beautiful one, I must add!

Bertie has had a very drastic haircut!! We'll probably let it grow again though.

Otto is six months old now - can't believe it! He is into everything, loving food and such a happy, contented little chap.

Marinski Handmades

2014-02-23T08:04:00.000+00:00

I just came across these wonderful ceramics by Croatian artist Marina Marinski. Her Etsy shop is filled with beautiful hand painted bowls in gorgeous colours. She also makes ceramic brooches and necklaces - equally beautiful, but being rather partial to a nice bowl, I do love these!

(As I was writing this, my husband said to me sarcastically "oh yes, because we could do with another bowl." I like nice things, ok?!).

Find her Etsy shop - here

Tumbler - here

Facebook - here

Monkey & Mole

2014-02-16T10:25:00.002+00:00

I do love Instagram. You come across so many lovely, talented people and here is one of them.....

I am so happy I stumbled across Monkey And Mole. Otto is now the owner of the most beautiful pair of the softest leather, sea-green moccasins. I cannot tell you enough how much I love these little shoes. I ordered a slightly larger size for when he's crawling and taking those first steps, but seeing as they stay on his feet so well (and how many baby shoes do?) he is wearing them all the time.

Chrissy (the clever lady behind Monkey And Mole) even makes moccasin-style sandals, such a genius idea and a must have for little summer toes.

Ordering is easy - there is a size chart which can be printed out to get the fit just right. Sizes range from 0-10, so older toddlers can wear them too. Great for around the house and light outdoor use. They come in a range of delicious colours.

Find Monkey And Mole - here.

Monkey And Mole Facebook - here.

Monkey And Mole Instagram - here.

Otto's amazing tights are by Kidscase and we got them from 1965 Kids.

Not a sponsored post - I'm just a very happy customer :) !!

P.S. Don't forget, there's still free shipping in my shop with the code - VALENTINE

Boys & Bunkbeds

2014-02-12T21:17:00.000+00:00

Two days in a row - how about that then?

I took these pictures of the boys (I like saying 'the boys'!) larking about on Bertie's new bunkbeds. It has taken pretty much all of his four years to finally start sleeping through the night and not venture into our bed at around midnight. Hoo-rah! Not that it wasn't nice, but you know....

When we moved house again at the end of November (did I even tell you that we moved about a month after having Otto? Yes we're slightly mad!). Well, we finally found a home that we could all fit into - too good an opportunity to miss in the area that we live in. So as well as having a garden and a garage (yay - somewhere for the cargo bike to live), Bertie now has a decent sized bedroom, where one day, Otto will join him. Hence the bunkbeds. I'll do a little tour soon as it's looking rather nice :)

Anyway, this afternoon, Otto lay on Bertie's bed and got extremely excited looking at the slats above him....must have been the contrast between the wood and mattress. His little arms were flapping around like a bird! Bertie clambered around showing him his various soft toys whilst I tried to prevent him from crushing his baby brother in the process (daily occurence). At what age will he become more aware of others and less egocentric? Never you say? Oh.

See you soon.

Otto At Four Months

2014-02-11T14:39:00.002+00:00

Otto is four months (and one week) old, already. I know everyone says that time flies, but this third time around, it really is whizzing and I wish there was a pause button! Otto is a joy. He is so laid back and contented and really has slotted perfectly into our lives. He has slept with me from day one - we didn't even go down the route of trying him in his own bed/space as from previous experience, it hasn't worked. Therefore, I am so much more relaxed and I don't worry in any way about sleeping issues. Babies aren't made to sleep through the night, so the less time we spend stressing about it, the better life becomes! No expectations.

At the moment, Otto is very interested in holding toys and exploring textures - he keeps trying to swipe my food, so I don't think it will be long before he has a little taster of something other than breast milk. He's also trying to sit up, and I don't think it will be long either. Most of all he loves to be held (pretty much all day) and cuddled and kissed. He's a very sweet-natured little boy and I can already tell he's going to be a lovely person.

Sunny Rides

2014-02-07T14:46:00.000+00:00

The arrival of some sunshine (although it's now raining as I write this), meant we headed straight to the park after lunch today. There's a really good cycle track nearby with pretend road markings and a roundabout - perfect for little ones. I used to go there when I was a nipper, so I'm really pleased it's still there. Bertie is doing extremely well on two wheels; whizzing around, singing and enjoying the freedom.

Have a nice weekend!

An Anniversary And A Birthday

2014-01-28T21:14:00.001+00:00

We celebrated our sixth wedding anniversary at the weekend and I was given this beautiful bunch of flowers. I was extremely impressed with my husband's choices :)

I was equally impressed with my Bill Murray brooch - he knows me well.

We enjoyed pastries and tea. Just us and Otto (no pastries for Otto!), as the other two were with their grandparents. I must admit, we did enjoy the peace and quiet.

And the next day was Bertie's fourth Birthday. This bike was his main present from us. Off he went, straight away - no stabilizers. Hallelujah for balance bikes!

And there he is, the big birthday boy! We gave him the Tee Pee too and arranged all his presents inside, the night before.

And here's my smiley, chunky Otto. He really is a little delight.

Bye bye!

Boys Lately

2014-01-19T21:41:00.000+00:00

Just a few pictures I've taken recently. Otto is 3.5 months now and the time has flown by so far (slightly scary!). He is a very placid, contented little boy and we all adore his sweet, gentle nature. Bertie, as always, is full on, expressive and hilarious.

New Year

2014-01-13T21:05:00.003+00:00

Happy New Year to anyone reading this! I hope you are all doing well :)

Here are a few pictures from our forest stroll last week. We have made Thursdays our 'day out' day. Bertie goes to pre-school each other morning, so we are trying to make the effort to get out and do something each week, somewhere out of the city if we can. Of course it helps if you have a dry, sunny day - particularly lucky on this day as you can see. It was so nice to be amidst the trees, blowing away the cobwebs and enjoying that feeling of freshness a new year brings.

In other news, I'm having a sale in both of my shops. Enter the code WINTERSALE and get 25% off your purchases.

See you soon.

Into The Woods

2013-11-04T21:02:00.001+00:00

We put on our wellingtons and went for a very pleasant woodland walk this afternoon. I had a strong urge to make the most of a day filled with glorious sunshine - a rarity of late. It was so refreshing to breathe in fresh air and be surrounded by the beautiful colours of autumn.

Almost 4 Weeks

2013-10-31T15:37:00.001+00:00

Already Otto is heading for his one month Birthday. Time is flying and I feel so much more relaxed this third time around! A lot is to do with feeding going so well (probably because it wasn't that long ago I stopped feeding Bertie, which may shock some, but it felt completely natural to us). Also, after a 36 hour labour first time, a 24 hour second time, this time was a lot quicker and felt so much more more positive with no epidural - hooray, third (and last) time lucky!

Thank you so much for all your congratulations and kind wishes :)

Anyway - it's Halloween! Have a fun one if you're doing something ⚉

Introducing.....

2013-10-27T17:03:00.000+00:00

Otto! He was born on the 5th October. A sweet, calm little boy and we are all very much in love. Life has become pretty busy as you can imagine as we all get used to being a family of five. Bertie (who now looks enormous!) has been so accepting of his baby brother and as you can see is already integrating Otto into his bug line-ups :)

On a separate note, I am also in love with my Mini Lucius - one of the most precious items I have ever owned - by the lovely and super talented lady - Fanja of Le Train Fantome. A little birthing/turning 35 gift to myself.

Hope to be back soon.....

Changes

2013-09-11T15:28:00.000+01:00

As we will soon we will be a family of five, I thought I'd write a little 'where we're at now' post. It still hasn't sunk in that I will be a mother of three any time from now. Maisie will turn thirteen in December, loves everything Japan/Anime/Manga - she's even learning to speak and write Japanese and takes her Bento Box to school with her lunch in. Love her quirks! Bertie is starting his new pre-school at the end of the week, is mad about dinosaurs and all things nature. he asks so many questions and is a walking book of facts (like his dad).

There are so many changes ahead! Both are very excited about the new arrival (Maisie desperately wants this to be a sister....we don't know the gender, so I'm under pressure!). Not sure quite how it's all going to work logistically yet, being that Bertie still sleeps in our bed and I still have Seventy Tree to keep up with (although now Dan and I work together, I'm hoping things will tick over ok, especially in those early weeks). I guess we'll just roll with it and hope for the best!

Hoping my next blog entry will be an announcement - or maybe it will be a moany-still-waiting-for-this-baby-to-appear post. Who knows, but I'll see you soon either way.