This Sunday just gone was Felix's baptism. Ethan was baptised when he was 7 months old and Felix was 14 months old so twice the age - it took us longer to get things organised - life is busier with two children, one of whom is at school! Anyway, due to the age difference, I knew Felix wasn't going to be able to wear what Ethan wore.. well, apart from the waistcoat. Luckily I knew that would fit!
For ages I wasn't sure what I'd put Felix in. I knew there was a good chance it'd be hot so I didn't want heavy trousers or a shirt. I wanted something he could be comfy in but I also wanted him to look cute, funky and smart - ish! He does have wild hair, don't forget!
In the end, I just knew that the shorts I had made by Sarah from Marmalade Sky Baby would look awesome. They are different enough to really stand out. Cut well enough to look smart. Soft enough to be comfy for a whole days wear. I teamed them up with our absolute hands down favorite vest from Whistle and Flute, popped Ethan's old waistcoat over and completed the look with some grey converse. We think he was rocking!
Ethan wore his Little MooShoo retro shirt with a waistcoat over the top and some shorts. It was too warm for trousers. Unfortunately the cheeky monkey avoided all cameras it seems (well, until he was naked in the garden later that is!) so I don't seem to have any evidence of his outfit!
Both my boys looked fantastic. They were smart but not over the top. If you want to know what I wore, check out my previous post on designer dress hire!
If your kids have been rocking out in their duds lately, link up your posts showcasing them below! Don't forget you can also link up with The Mother Geek for her #TT_Thursday linky. Oh, and whilst you're reading, have you heard about my new linky, #LocalLimelight? I often write about events/places/shops local to me and others do too - if you are one of those folks, you can link up here!
If you are linking up today please:
Link back to my blog/display my badge (see sidebar)
Comment here and on others who join in
Share your link/talk about it on Twitter
I will also tweet your link once or twice and visit your blog to comment!
***Please note there won't be any TT next week as we are off on our hols!***
Thursday 31 July 2014
Wednesday 30 July 2014
Local Limelight - Portishead Open Air Pool
Hurrah! Today I am writing my first post for my new linky, Local Limelight! I do hope others will link up posts about their local area below!
Well, today my "limelight" is focused at Portishead Open Air Pool/Lido. I've always called them Lido's but this one seems to go by "Open Air Pool" but I'm sure they are happy with either!
Portishead is a town just a few minutes drive away from us. Another North Somerset coastal town. The pool itself opened in 1962 so is now just over 50 years old. For years the pool was well loved, but when local leisure centers became more popular, visitors to the outdoor pool reduced and bit by bit, the pool became very unloved and neglected. Thankfully in 2008, after being threatened with closure, things started to turn around. A trust was formed and volunteers rallied around to try to save it. The biggest helping hand was from Ty Pennington and his Extream Makeover program - he was in the UK recording a special UK edition and ended up saving Portishead Outdoor Pool along with a team of volunteers!
Today, the pool is in great condition. As someone who has lived in the area for my whole life, the pool is a local treasure. It forms many fond memories of my childhood and I love that I can take my own children their to build upon my memories and create their own.
What will you find there? There is one main pool and a toddler/splash area. There is an excellent changing room that is clean, has everything you need and is reminiscent of the past! You can buy snacks, drinks and ice lollys from the "Tuck Shop" or if you need something more filling, you can visit The Lido restaurant after your visit.
Last Monday the boys and I took Granddad for a visit. He hadn't been since I was a child so he was looking forward to it. We were very lucky, most schools hadn't yet broken up and the weather was fantastic. We were set for a great afternoon! We found ourselves a table and some chairs and set up camp. We then spent a lovely 3 hours popping in and out of the pools, eating lollys and soaking up some sunshine.
It's not easy containing a crazy on the go child like Felix in a place like this, water and concrete aren't a great mix with a 14 month old, so Granddad and I had our work cut out for us, but nevertheless, it was a lovely afternoon.
Ethan had a fantastic time in both pools, he loved getting in, getting out, warming up and getting in again. He even managed to charm the folks at the tuck shop into giving him a free Freddo bar. Cheeky monkey!
After about 3 hours we decided it was time to go and get some food so we packed ourselves up and headed to The Lido Restaurant. I ordered a lamb burger and chips, my Dad ordered a chicken salad. Our food took about 20 minutes to arrive so we knew it was freshly cooked, but goodness, it was lovely.
You have a lovely view over the Bristol Channel from the restaurant. The only downside was keeping Felix entertained whilst we tried to eat!
Prices are as follows:
Junior ticket (2-15 yrs) £3.50
Adult £5.00
Senior (60+) £3.50
You can also purchase season tickets.
We really love this pool. It has a fantastic view, lots of space, is a nice comfortable temperature to swim in, friendly staff and a real community spirit! Can't recommend it enough. If you are a local reader looking for something to fill the holidays, give it a go. If you are a visitor, put it on your "to do" list!
Now it's over to you! Where have you been recently? Is there a local spot you want to write about? A shop you love local to you? A National Trust property you visit all the time? Write a post and link up below! If you join in I will share your link at least once on Twitter, probably more. Please don't forget to comment on my post and visit others who join in. Please display my badge (see sidebar) and link back to me as well!
Thank you!
FOLLOW ON BLOGLOVIN'!
LIKE ON FACEBOOK!
Well, today my "limelight" is focused at Portishead Open Air Pool/Lido. I've always called them Lido's but this one seems to go by "Open Air Pool" but I'm sure they are happy with either!
Portishead is a town just a few minutes drive away from us. Another North Somerset coastal town. The pool itself opened in 1962 so is now just over 50 years old. For years the pool was well loved, but when local leisure centers became more popular, visitors to the outdoor pool reduced and bit by bit, the pool became very unloved and neglected. Thankfully in 2008, after being threatened with closure, things started to turn around. A trust was formed and volunteers rallied around to try to save it. The biggest helping hand was from Ty Pennington and his Extream Makeover program - he was in the UK recording a special UK edition and ended up saving Portishead Outdoor Pool along with a team of volunteers!
Today, the pool is in great condition. As someone who has lived in the area for my whole life, the pool is a local treasure. It forms many fond memories of my childhood and I love that I can take my own children their to build upon my memories and create their own.
What will you find there? There is one main pool and a toddler/splash area. There is an excellent changing room that is clean, has everything you need and is reminiscent of the past! You can buy snacks, drinks and ice lollys from the "Tuck Shop" or if you need something more filling, you can visit The Lido restaurant after your visit.
Last Monday the boys and I took Granddad for a visit. He hadn't been since I was a child so he was looking forward to it. We were very lucky, most schools hadn't yet broken up and the weather was fantastic. We were set for a great afternoon! We found ourselves a table and some chairs and set up camp. We then spent a lovely 3 hours popping in and out of the pools, eating lollys and soaking up some sunshine.
It's not easy containing a crazy on the go child like Felix in a place like this, water and concrete aren't a great mix with a 14 month old, so Granddad and I had our work cut out for us, but nevertheless, it was a lovely afternoon.
Ethan had a fantastic time in both pools, he loved getting in, getting out, warming up and getting in again. He even managed to charm the folks at the tuck shop into giving him a free Freddo bar. Cheeky monkey!
After about 3 hours we decided it was time to go and get some food so we packed ourselves up and headed to The Lido Restaurant. I ordered a lamb burger and chips, my Dad ordered a chicken salad. Our food took about 20 minutes to arrive so we knew it was freshly cooked, but goodness, it was lovely.
You have a lovely view over the Bristol Channel from the restaurant. The only downside was keeping Felix entertained whilst we tried to eat!
Prices are as follows:
Junior ticket (2-15 yrs) £3.50
Adult £5.00
Senior (60+) £3.50
You can also purchase season tickets.
We really love this pool. It has a fantastic view, lots of space, is a nice comfortable temperature to swim in, friendly staff and a real community spirit! Can't recommend it enough. If you are a local reader looking for something to fill the holidays, give it a go. If you are a visitor, put it on your "to do" list!
Now it's over to you! Where have you been recently? Is there a local spot you want to write about? A shop you love local to you? A National Trust property you visit all the time? Write a post and link up below! If you join in I will share your link at least once on Twitter, probably more. Please don't forget to comment on my post and visit others who join in. Please display my badge (see sidebar) and link back to me as well!
Thank you!
FOLLOW ON BLOGLOVIN'!
LIKE ON FACEBOOK!
Tuesday 29 July 2014
Wish Want Wear - Designer Dress Hire
Hiring a dress. When does one do that? I don't think I've hired a dress before in my life. I considered doing so when attending my school ball but apart from that (and that was *ehem* 16 years ago) I don't think it would cross my mind... That was before I had heard of Wish Want Wear though!
Who are Wish Want Wear? Well, in their own words:
"Wish Want Wear is the UK’s leading designer dress hire website, launched in September 2011 and has grown from strength-to-strength ever since. We have a strong list of internationally renowned designers including Temperley London, Sass & Bide, M Missoni, Just Cavalli and Halston Heritage with accessories from the likes of Mawi and Erickson Beamon. Wish Want Wear is the ultimate choice for online shopping, offering the ability to hire designer dresses without the designer price tag. Stocking dresses suitable for every occasion from lunch with the girls, a night on the town, to balls, Wish Want Wear leaves you with the ultimate, designer wardrobe that won’t break the bank"
I think they sum themselves up well!
I was recently offered the chance to hire one of their lovely dresses amd experience the whole process from start to finish; choosing a dress, waiting for delivery, trying on, using and finally returning the dress.
What did I think? Well, first of all, the most exciting part; the dress. Choosing was hard. There were a heap of gorgeous dresses to choose from. I had my son's baptism coming up so I thought a dress for that would be perfect. There were quite a few dresses that really spoke to me. I was keen to hire an M Missoni or Alice by Temperley dress - my two favorite designers from the group stocked. I narrowed it down to one from each and in the end, the decision was taken from my hands - the Temperley dress the Temperley dress I was interested in wasn't available on the dates required. This is a lesson learned - if you plan on hiring a dress, do so at the earliest opportunity to allow more choice/availability. Still, even though I couldn't have the Temperley dress I liked, the fall back was Missoni. Not exactly bad! This was the beauty I picked:
Yes. I am swinging from a tree in a dress worth over £800 like a loon. Still looks good though!
After choosing my dress and checking availability, it was simple to order. You choose a delivery date, preferably a day or two before the event for which you are hiring, so you have time to make sure it reaches you. WWW kindly offer you the choice to hire the same dress in another size for free so you can be sure of a good fit - very useful! I decided to stick with just the one dress as I was confident the fit would be good. Once my order was placed and delivery date selected, it was just a case of waiting!
WWW use a courier service who tell you what time they will be delivering within the hour which is very handy. You also have the option to text them to say you'd rather have it delivered to a neighbor or the following day, should your circumstances have changed - very handy!
My dress arrived right within the given time slot. It was packaged very carefully in a large box. The dress was packed in such a way that it wasn't creased. Very important! It was held within the box with a plastic protective cover over it and a clothes hanger from which to hang it. It was in perfect condition and smelt lovely. Obviously they look after their dresses!
Did I like my dress? Oh yes. I was very pleased with my choice. It was funky without being too over the top for a baptism. It was comfortable. It fitted well. The colours were lovely and easy to match to my eye makeup.
When wearing my dress I received heaps of compliments and I was forever telling people that it was a rented dress. It was lovely to open other people's eyes to the world of dress hire.
It was such a flattering dress and I felt lovely wearing it. It gave me a boost knowing that it was designer and that I would be the only one wearing one like it!
I paired it with my beautiful Irregular Choice shoes, the ones I wore on my wedding day. The come out for all special occasions now!
After the day was over, I carefully took "my" dress off, shook it out, hung it back on the hanger, slipped the protective cover over and placed it carefully in the box, sealing it back up. Inside the box was a returns label to be stuck on the front- easy peasy! All I had to do after that wascry take it to the Post Office the next day, post it back and obtain proof of postage.
It was all very easy.
So. What you all want to know is would I hire a dress again? Yes. I really think I would. As I said earlier, it's not something I would consider normally. However, after experiencing Wish Want Wear, I would! Why? Well, for about £50 you can hire something amazing for an event. Something it is unlikely anyone else there would be wearing. You get to swan about in the knowledge that you are wearing a special dress, a designer item.. but, you don't have to stump up the full cost for it! Yes, for your £50+ you don't have something to keep, but that can be a good thing! I know I have a wardrobe bursting with dresses at the moment.. but when I go to a special event. I like to wear something that's new to me. This is a way to do that without further filling up your wardrobe. I have a wedding to go to at the end of the year and I'm really thinking this is the way to go!
Follow me on Bloglovin'!
Love my pics? Check out my Instagram!
Linking up with Thrifty & Chic Mom for #RealMomStyle.
Who are Wish Want Wear? Well, in their own words:
"Wish Want Wear is the UK’s leading designer dress hire website, launched in September 2011 and has grown from strength-to-strength ever since. We have a strong list of internationally renowned designers including Temperley London, Sass & Bide, M Missoni, Just Cavalli and Halston Heritage with accessories from the likes of Mawi and Erickson Beamon. Wish Want Wear is the ultimate choice for online shopping, offering the ability to hire designer dresses without the designer price tag. Stocking dresses suitable for every occasion from lunch with the girls, a night on the town, to balls, Wish Want Wear leaves you with the ultimate, designer wardrobe that won’t break the bank"
I think they sum themselves up well!
I was recently offered the chance to hire one of their lovely dresses amd experience the whole process from start to finish; choosing a dress, waiting for delivery, trying on, using and finally returning the dress.
What did I think? Well, first of all, the most exciting part; the dress. Choosing was hard. There were a heap of gorgeous dresses to choose from. I had my son's baptism coming up so I thought a dress for that would be perfect. There were quite a few dresses that really spoke to me. I was keen to hire an M Missoni or Alice by Temperley dress - my two favorite designers from the group stocked. I narrowed it down to one from each and in the end, the decision was taken from my hands - the Temperley dress the Temperley dress I was interested in wasn't available on the dates required. This is a lesson learned - if you plan on hiring a dress, do so at the earliest opportunity to allow more choice/availability. Still, even though I couldn't have the Temperley dress I liked, the fall back was Missoni. Not exactly bad! This was the beauty I picked:
Yes. I am swinging from a tree in a dress worth over £800 like a loon. Still looks good though!
After choosing my dress and checking availability, it was simple to order. You choose a delivery date, preferably a day or two before the event for which you are hiring, so you have time to make sure it reaches you. WWW kindly offer you the choice to hire the same dress in another size for free so you can be sure of a good fit - very useful! I decided to stick with just the one dress as I was confident the fit would be good. Once my order was placed and delivery date selected, it was just a case of waiting!
WWW use a courier service who tell you what time they will be delivering within the hour which is very handy. You also have the option to text them to say you'd rather have it delivered to a neighbor or the following day, should your circumstances have changed - very handy!
My dress arrived right within the given time slot. It was packaged very carefully in a large box. The dress was packed in such a way that it wasn't creased. Very important! It was held within the box with a plastic protective cover over it and a clothes hanger from which to hang it. It was in perfect condition and smelt lovely. Obviously they look after their dresses!
Did I like my dress? Oh yes. I was very pleased with my choice. It was funky without being too over the top for a baptism. It was comfortable. It fitted well. The colours were lovely and easy to match to my eye makeup.
When wearing my dress I received heaps of compliments and I was forever telling people that it was a rented dress. It was lovely to open other people's eyes to the world of dress hire.
It was such a flattering dress and I felt lovely wearing it. It gave me a boost knowing that it was designer and that I would be the only one wearing one like it!
I paired it with my beautiful Irregular Choice shoes, the ones I wore on my wedding day. The come out for all special occasions now!
After the day was over, I carefully took "my" dress off, shook it out, hung it back on the hanger, slipped the protective cover over and placed it carefully in the box, sealing it back up. Inside the box was a returns label to be stuck on the front- easy peasy! All I had to do after that was
It was all very easy.
So. What you all want to know is would I hire a dress again? Yes. I really think I would. As I said earlier, it's not something I would consider normally. However, after experiencing Wish Want Wear, I would! Why? Well, for about £50 you can hire something amazing for an event. Something it is unlikely anyone else there would be wearing. You get to swan about in the knowledge that you are wearing a special dress, a designer item.. but, you don't have to stump up the full cost for it! Yes, for your £50+ you don't have something to keep, but that can be a good thing! I know I have a wardrobe bursting with dresses at the moment.. but when I go to a special event. I like to wear something that's new to me. This is a way to do that without further filling up your wardrobe. I have a wedding to go to at the end of the year and I'm really thinking this is the way to go!
Follow me on Bloglovin'!
Love my pics? Check out my Instagram!
Linking up with Thrifty & Chic Mom for #RealMomStyle.
Thursday 24 July 2014
Trendy Thursday - The colour grey
One of my fave Instagram peeps is Susan Lynch AKA @SoobyLynch. She has a wonderful Instagram feed mainly featuring gorgeous photos of her little fashionista Penny. Susan blogs as well under the name of Standing By The Wall, so named because she takes photos of Penny in her outfits, standing by the wall!
Susan is running a 30 day challenge, 30 Days of Colour. The idea is that every three days you are given a new colour and you have to dress, do and find things that fit in with that colour. The colours are as follows:
It's a challenge for anyone and everyone to join in with, all you have to do is take photos and tag them on Instagram using #colourbythewall.
We missed the first few days but we have been joining in with grey, so I thought today I'd share some "grey" looks from myself and the boys!
Felix:
Grey Vest - very old from Gap
Jelly Shoes - Sunjellies
"Felix" arrow print leggings - Boco Baby
Ethan:
LOVE t shirt - Whistle & Flute
Star print shorts - H&M (last year)
Me:
Grey Hello vest - Hello Apparel via Southwood Stores
Denim shorts - Next
I think we did a reasonable job with grey. I realised this morning when I was hanging out the washing that we had a load of grey items in the wash. I should have been more organised. We'll make more effort with green!
Why not join in? Search for the tag #colourbythewall on IG, see what everyone has been rocking and have fun!
If you have a kids fashion post to link up, please do so below. Please, PLEASE don't forget to comment here and visit others who join in. It's not a huge linky so it's not hard to do. I have to admit that I find it rather galling when people link but don't comment.
I will make every effort to tweet your links at least once, hopefully twice.
Thanks everybody! xx
Susan is running a 30 day challenge, 30 Days of Colour. The idea is that every three days you are given a new colour and you have to dress, do and find things that fit in with that colour. The colours are as follows:
Days 1-3 : Yellow
Days 4-6 : Purple
Days 7-9 : Grey
Days 10-12 : Green
Days 13-15 : White
Days 16-18 : Pink
Days 19-21 : Orange
Days 22-24 : Black
Days 25-27 : Red
Day 28-30 : Blue
It's a challenge for anyone and everyone to join in with, all you have to do is take photos and tag them on Instagram using #colourbythewall.
We missed the first few days but we have been joining in with grey, so I thought today I'd share some "grey" looks from myself and the boys!
Colour By The Wall - Grey |
Felix:
Grey Vest - very old from Gap
Jelly Shoes - Sunjellies
"Felix" arrow print leggings - Boco Baby
Ethan:
LOVE t shirt - Whistle & Flute
Star print shorts - H&M (last year)
Me:
Grey Hello vest - Hello Apparel via Southwood Stores
Denim shorts - Next
I think we did a reasonable job with grey. I realised this morning when I was hanging out the washing that we had a load of grey items in the wash. I should have been more organised. We'll make more effort with green!
Why not join in? Search for the tag #colourbythewall on IG, see what everyone has been rocking and have fun!
If you have a kids fashion post to link up, please do so below. Please, PLEASE don't forget to comment here and visit others who join in. It's not a huge linky so it's not hard to do. I have to admit that I find it rather galling when people link but don't comment.
I will make every effort to tweet your links at least once, hopefully twice.
Thanks everybody! xx
Tuesday 22 July 2014
Local Limelight - a new linky for Wednesdays
I've been writing the odd feature under the heading of "Local Limelight" off and on for a while now. Whilst I was washing up today I was thinking about the next Local Limelight post I was planning to write up when I realised that actually I have about three that need writing up.. and that got me thinking that it needs to be a more regular thing.. and that lead me on to thinking it might work well as a linky!
Lots of us bloggers write about our local area, reviewing local attractions, shops and businesses etc. Not only are these write ups useful for local readers, they are useful for people visiting the area or even for people looking for inspiration for places to go. How useful would it be to have a place for all of those posts to be shared together?
I've asked around and it seems that people think it's a good idea.
So. As of Wednesday 30th July , Local Limelight will become a linky. The rules will be simple:
1) Link up any posts you've written about your local area (when I say local, I'd say within a 50 mile radius ish) - you can link up old posts and new posts. I'm also happy for you to link up posts you've written about places you've visited, even on holidays, because whilst they might not be "local" to you, they will be local to someone!
2) Display my badge and link back to my blog.
3) Tweet the link to your post/s using the tag #LocalLimelight
4) Visit some or all others who join in to share the love and hopefully find out something new!
The linky will be held every Wednesday initially and will be live for 5 days. You can post in advance and link up or post after Wednesday and link up. It may drop to bi-monthly depending on interest.
I really hope you'll join in!
Lots of us bloggers write about our local area, reviewing local attractions, shops and businesses etc. Not only are these write ups useful for local readers, they are useful for people visiting the area or even for people looking for inspiration for places to go. How useful would it be to have a place for all of those posts to be shared together?
I've asked around and it seems that people think it's a good idea.
So. As of Wednesday 30th July , Local Limelight will become a linky. The rules will be simple:
1) Link up any posts you've written about your local area (when I say local, I'd say within a 50 mile radius ish) - you can link up old posts and new posts. I'm also happy for you to link up posts you've written about places you've visited, even on holidays, because whilst they might not be "local" to you, they will be local to someone!
2) Display my badge and link back to my blog.
3) Tweet the link to your post/s using the tag #LocalLimelight
4) Visit some or all others who join in to share the love and hopefully find out something new!
The linky will be held every Wednesday initially and will be live for 5 days. You can post in advance and link up or post after Wednesday and link up. It may drop to bi-monthly depending on interest.
I really hope you'll join in!
Wednesday 16 July 2014
Trendy Thursday - Marmalade Sky Baby Clothing
I love finding lovely new brands, especially small work at home ones based in the UK.
One of my most favourite finds of the last few months is Marmalade Sky Baby. Sarah is the lady behind Marmalade Sky and she makes some of the coolest children's clothing you will find in the UK and you can be sure you're getting quality and supporting a lovely work at home Mum.
I asked Sarah if she could make some shorts for Felix. He only had a couple of pairs and with all this wonderful weather he needed some more. Sarah has some lovely fabric to choose from but I had my eye on her rainbow print. She was happy to whip up a pair for us and promptly did so.
Well, last week we happily took delivery of them and they are GORGEOUS! Due to their colour (a sort of pale sage green) they pretty much go with any other colours. The pattern is pretty flexible too!
Today we paired them with a snake print Mini Rodini vest. He looked awesome!
Have you found any new brands lately? Do you love trawling Etsy and Folksy like I do? If you do, share your favourites with me!
Link up your children's fashsploits below and don't forget to comment here and visit others who link up! xx
One of my most favourite finds of the last few months is Marmalade Sky Baby. Sarah is the lady behind Marmalade Sky and she makes some of the coolest children's clothing you will find in the UK and you can be sure you're getting quality and supporting a lovely work at home Mum.
I asked Sarah if she could make some shorts for Felix. He only had a couple of pairs and with all this wonderful weather he needed some more. Sarah has some lovely fabric to choose from but I had my eye on her rainbow print. She was happy to whip up a pair for us and promptly did so.
Well, last week we happily took delivery of them and they are GORGEOUS! Due to their colour (a sort of pale sage green) they pretty much go with any other colours. The pattern is pretty flexible too!
Today we paired them with a snake print Mini Rodini vest. He looked awesome!
Vest - Mini Rodini via Cissy Wears
Shorts - Marmalade Sky Baby
Jelly Shoes - Sun Jellies
Have you found any new brands lately? Do you love trawling Etsy and Folksy like I do? If you do, share your favourites with me!
Link up your children's fashsploits below and don't forget to comment here and visit others who link up! xx
Thursday 10 July 2014
Trendy Thursday - Rompers, Playsuits, Jumpsuits....
I really love all in one outfits. Even for myself. They are so retro, so reminiscent of childhood. Even though they can be a pain in the butt (literally) when it comes to trips to the loo or nappy changes, they just look so darn cute.
This Sunday just gone Ethan was rocking his new Indikidual jumpsuit and we both thought it rocked. Ethan has a thing about jumpsuits/rompers as well. He loves to wear them. They just seem to boost his mood, they feel fun and playful. This jumpsuit has cute jellyfish all over it so he kept telling me he was a jellyfish. Especailly with his jelly shoes on!
Felix was sporting a rather fantastic pair of bright harlequin print leggings from Rock Your Baby (a super cool Aussie brand) which we really love. I can vouch for them being hard wearing - twice he's stained them and each time I've managed to get the stains out and they've washed really well. They just look amazing.
I can't write this week without mentioning Felix's new Bobo Choses romper. It is INSANE it's so lush. I love out slouchy it is, plus, due to it's slouchy nature, it'll have loads of growing room so I think he'll be wearing it a good while. It's a simple spotty print but simple is all you need sometimes!
What have your dudes and dudettes been wearing this week? You can link up below!
I discovered this week that Mother Geek and Clearly Bex have also started a kids fashion linky on Thursdays so you can link up with them too if you wish!
This Sunday just gone Ethan was rocking his new Indikidual jumpsuit and we both thought it rocked. Ethan has a thing about jumpsuits/rompers as well. He loves to wear them. They just seem to boost his mood, they feel fun and playful. This jumpsuit has cute jellyfish all over it so he kept telling me he was a jellyfish. Especailly with his jelly shoes on!
Jellyfish romper - Indikidual via KyNa Boutique
Jelly shoes - Project Jelly
'Dad' vest - Minti via eBay
Harlequin leggings - Rock Your Baby
Moccasin sandals - Monkey and Mole
Felix was sporting a rather fantastic pair of bright harlequin print leggings from Rock Your Baby (a super cool Aussie brand) which we really love. I can vouch for them being hard wearing - twice he's stained them and each time I've managed to get the stains out and they've washed really well. They just look amazing.
I can't write this week without mentioning Felix's new Bobo Choses romper. It is INSANE it's so lush. I love out slouchy it is, plus, due to it's slouchy nature, it'll have loads of growing room so I think he'll be wearing it a good while. It's a simple spotty print but simple is all you need sometimes!
Bobo Choses Romper - Yellow Lolly
What have your dudes and dudettes been wearing this week? You can link up below!
I discovered this week that Mother Geek and Clearly Bex have also started a kids fashion linky on Thursdays so you can link up with them too if you wish!
Tuesday 8 July 2014
Local Limelight - The Dig For Victory Show
This weekend just gone we visited the Dig For Victory Show at the North Somerset Showground. What was it, you ask? Well, it was billed as a "1940s festival" and that sums it up well really.
We weren't sure exactly what we would find but we thought it would be fun to dress up. Pete wore my Grandpa's old suit. It was probably more early 1950s rather than '40s but still, an old suit getting some new wear is good! I wore a vintage looking dress that I thought would look the part and be comfy. Felix has grown out of his What More Wore vintage look romper so he had to make do with some slightly vintage looking dungarees and a tshirt. Poor effort on that front! Ethan rocked a Joules shirt I found in the charity shop, his braces and a pair of shorts from H&M.. and his hat. I think he looked adorable!
So, what did we find? Well, there was heaps to do, see and hear. Thankfully a lot of people had dressed up, not just the folks working there. I think there were fewer people not dressed up actually! There were so many stalls to look at, we didn't know where to start. As it was lunch time we thought food would be the best thing to sort out first!
We were spoilt for choice but plumped for two fresh stonebaked Pizzas from Encasta Pizza. They were yummy but between three of us (Felix was asleep) didn't go very far so Pete and I unfortunately had to try Chilli Dogs from Shakey's Diner! We also sampled some fresh lemonade and a gorgeous mars brownie. Yum, yum and more yum!
We enjoyed listening to two lovely singers, the Goodnight Sweethearts - they were really good fun!
We had a good rumidge at the vintage stalls.
We loved having a look at the vintage cars and Army memorabilia - Ethan loved hearing an air-raid siren going off and "bombs".
Even the portaloos were nice! The only difficult part of our day was that Felix was not a happy boy at all. We suspect teeth - he has 7 all trying to break through at the moment.. 7!! They are proving very slow to come through though.. It was hard work trying to stay happy and enjoy ourselves when he was screaming away but we made it through. These things will improve as he gets older!
The show is on again next year I believe so I'm sure we'll be back! I'm afraid I didn't take as many photos as I'd have liked - I blame the stress of a crying baby!!
Linking up with Coombe Mill for Country Kids.
We weren't sure exactly what we would find but we thought it would be fun to dress up. Pete wore my Grandpa's old suit. It was probably more early 1950s rather than '40s but still, an old suit getting some new wear is good! I wore a vintage looking dress that I thought would look the part and be comfy. Felix has grown out of his What More Wore vintage look romper so he had to make do with some slightly vintage looking dungarees and a tshirt. Poor effort on that front! Ethan rocked a Joules shirt I found in the charity shop, his braces and a pair of shorts from H&M.. and his hat. I think he looked adorable!
So, what did we find? Well, there was heaps to do, see and hear. Thankfully a lot of people had dressed up, not just the folks working there. I think there were fewer people not dressed up actually! There were so many stalls to look at, we didn't know where to start. As it was lunch time we thought food would be the best thing to sort out first!
We were spoilt for choice but plumped for two fresh stonebaked Pizzas from Encasta Pizza. They were yummy but between three of us (Felix was asleep) didn't go very far so Pete and I unfortunately had to try Chilli Dogs from Shakey's Diner! We also sampled some fresh lemonade and a gorgeous mars brownie. Yum, yum and more yum!
We enjoyed listening to two lovely singers, the Goodnight Sweethearts - they were really good fun!
We had a good rumidge at the vintage stalls.
We loved having a look at the vintage cars and Army memorabilia - Ethan loved hearing an air-raid siren going off and "bombs".
Even the portaloos were nice! The only difficult part of our day was that Felix was not a happy boy at all. We suspect teeth - he has 7 all trying to break through at the moment.. 7!! They are proving very slow to come through though.. It was hard work trying to stay happy and enjoy ourselves when he was screaming away but we made it through. These things will improve as he gets older!
The show is on again next year I believe so I'm sure we'll be back! I'm afraid I didn't take as many photos as I'd have liked - I blame the stress of a crying baby!!
Linking up with Coombe Mill for Country Kids.
**What is Local Limelight? I am writing a series of posts featuring local events, places, people etc. Whenever I do, you will see Local Limelight in the title!**
Friday 4 July 2014
Growing up is bitter sweet
At this time of year I am painfully aware of life flying past me. The school term is drawing to a close and I just can't quite get my head around it.
This time last year Ethan was preparing to leave preschool. He had had his school visits with his "big school". I remember attending with him (along with a tiny baby Felix who didn't really move and didn't mind being stuck in a buggy!!) and thinking how small he appeared in comparison to the children currently in the reception class, in their uniforms, knowing the teachers, knowing where everything goes. They seemed so grown up and now, one year on, my own little boy is just the same as them - at least in the eyes of the new school Mums attending the settling in mornings with their preschoolers. In my eyes though, he's just the same.
Accept he's not, is he? If I look at it objectively, if I look back at the year as a whole, I can see so many changes, physical, emotional, educational. He is taller. He still seems diddy in comparison to much of his class but I know he's grown. I can see the evidence in black ink marked up on our wall chart. He's actually shot up by about 7cm in the last year. He can read. He wasn't able to do that a year ago. He can write far more than his name. He can write phonetically. Even if words aren't spelt correctly, they sound right when you read them out. He can count far beyond 100. He talks to me of diagraphs and trigraphs. Things I am supposed to understand but at not yet 5, he is already talking to me in a language I am struggling to decipher! Just today, on the school run, he said "Mummy, let's count in even numbers!".
This time last year, the stabilisers on his bike had just come off. Today he whizzes around at breakneck speed and is about to move onto his THIRD bike (when you include the balance bike he had from age 2). An age 5-8 BMX with skulls on it!
He can swim almost without any support. He will jump in the pool and go underwater. All things he wasn't doing a year ago.
Right in front of my eyes my little boy is disappearing. I just want to press pause. Each morning I drop him at school and on the walk home, find myself tearing up behind my sunglasses. How can this be? Where has this year gone? How can he be moving into Year One? He's not ready, is he? Yes. Yes he is. It's me who isn't ready.
I know he still needs me and boy do I cling to that. When he is ill, it's me he wants. I have to admit that in some weird way I rejoice a little when he is ill. It's a rare chance to hop off the cartwheel of life and just be together (well, as together as we can be when Felix is jumping all over us). I can keep him home from school for a day or so and we can have some time. It feels like precious stolen time. Life is SO busy these days, the weeks pass in a blur and one day runs into the next. There hardly ever seems to be time to stop. It it's the week, we are busy with school, swimming, dance class, reading homework.. If it's the weekend we are busy going out and about, visiting friends and family. If we get the chance to have a day at home, the car needs washing, the windows need washing, the lawn needs mowing, the fences need painting. There is ALWAYS something.
This is why it is speeding by so fast. That and the fact we have Felix. He adds a whole extra layer of busy to the mix.
Sometimes, I fantasise about a time a few years from now. When Felix is 3 for example, maybe at preschool a few times a week. In my fantasy I get more time to work on my blog, time to look for a job, time to myself. I also have two lovely boys in my future fantasy; Ethan will be 7, Felix 3. Those are nice ages I think. I suspect that this will be the "golden time". The boys will be young enough to still be sweet and un-jaded. They will still question everything and enjoy being with us, like to snuggle up on the sofa together. I can image us as a family of four getting out and about. Camping, travelling, going to a festival. Unencumbered by baby gear, nappies, buggies etc. When I have a hard day dealing with Captain Energy (Felix) I think of those days.
I worry that Ethan doesn't get enough of my attention at the moment. It's worse than when Felix was a newborn. At least he slept more in the day then and I could have a conversation with Ethan uninterrupted. These days, with Felix only napping for about 20 minutes all day long and not sitting still for a moment in-between I get very little time I can dedicated solely to Ethan. This is another thing that makes me sad. My little boy is slipping through my fingers and I don't have time to catch him.
Gosh, I am getting maudlin! I have Slipping Through My Fingers by Abba going through my head and tears forming in my eyes as I sit in a busy Starbucks. I don't want him to turn 5 in two weeks. I don't want him to move into Year One. I want him to stay in my arms forever so I can stroke his cheek and smell his wonderful "Ethan" smell. Unless he farts. Then he can get the heck off my lap ;-)
I'm just going to share the Abba lyrics so you can all blub along with me and then I'm going to eat a Krispy Kreme donut.
This time last year Ethan was preparing to leave preschool. He had had his school visits with his "big school". I remember attending with him (along with a tiny baby Felix who didn't really move and didn't mind being stuck in a buggy!!) and thinking how small he appeared in comparison to the children currently in the reception class, in their uniforms, knowing the teachers, knowing where everything goes. They seemed so grown up and now, one year on, my own little boy is just the same as them - at least in the eyes of the new school Mums attending the settling in mornings with their preschoolers. In my eyes though, he's just the same.
Accept he's not, is he? If I look at it objectively, if I look back at the year as a whole, I can see so many changes, physical, emotional, educational. He is taller. He still seems diddy in comparison to much of his class but I know he's grown. I can see the evidence in black ink marked up on our wall chart. He's actually shot up by about 7cm in the last year. He can read. He wasn't able to do that a year ago. He can write far more than his name. He can write phonetically. Even if words aren't spelt correctly, they sound right when you read them out. He can count far beyond 100. He talks to me of diagraphs and trigraphs. Things I am supposed to understand but at not yet 5, he is already talking to me in a language I am struggling to decipher! Just today, on the school run, he said "Mummy, let's count in even numbers!".
This time last year, the stabilisers on his bike had just come off. Today he whizzes around at breakneck speed and is about to move onto his THIRD bike (when you include the balance bike he had from age 2). An age 5-8 BMX with skulls on it!
He can swim almost without any support. He will jump in the pool and go underwater. All things he wasn't doing a year ago.
Right in front of my eyes my little boy is disappearing. I just want to press pause. Each morning I drop him at school and on the walk home, find myself tearing up behind my sunglasses. How can this be? Where has this year gone? How can he be moving into Year One? He's not ready, is he? Yes. Yes he is. It's me who isn't ready.
I know he still needs me and boy do I cling to that. When he is ill, it's me he wants. I have to admit that in some weird way I rejoice a little when he is ill. It's a rare chance to hop off the cartwheel of life and just be together (well, as together as we can be when Felix is jumping all over us). I can keep him home from school for a day or so and we can have some time. It feels like precious stolen time. Life is SO busy these days, the weeks pass in a blur and one day runs into the next. There hardly ever seems to be time to stop. It it's the week, we are busy with school, swimming, dance class, reading homework.. If it's the weekend we are busy going out and about, visiting friends and family. If we get the chance to have a day at home, the car needs washing, the windows need washing, the lawn needs mowing, the fences need painting. There is ALWAYS something.
This is why it is speeding by so fast. That and the fact we have Felix. He adds a whole extra layer of busy to the mix.
Sometimes, I fantasise about a time a few years from now. When Felix is 3 for example, maybe at preschool a few times a week. In my fantasy I get more time to work on my blog, time to look for a job, time to myself. I also have two lovely boys in my future fantasy; Ethan will be 7, Felix 3. Those are nice ages I think. I suspect that this will be the "golden time". The boys will be young enough to still be sweet and un-jaded. They will still question everything and enjoy being with us, like to snuggle up on the sofa together. I can image us as a family of four getting out and about. Camping, travelling, going to a festival. Unencumbered by baby gear, nappies, buggies etc. When I have a hard day dealing with Captain Energy (Felix) I think of those days.
I worry that Ethan doesn't get enough of my attention at the moment. It's worse than when Felix was a newborn. At least he slept more in the day then and I could have a conversation with Ethan uninterrupted. These days, with Felix only napping for about 20 minutes all day long and not sitting still for a moment in-between I get very little time I can dedicated solely to Ethan. This is another thing that makes me sad. My little boy is slipping through my fingers and I don't have time to catch him.
Gosh, I am getting maudlin! I have Slipping Through My Fingers by Abba going through my head and tears forming in my eyes as I sit in a busy Starbucks. I don't want him to turn 5 in two weeks. I don't want him to move into Year One. I want him to stay in my arms forever so I can stroke his cheek and smell his wonderful "Ethan" smell. Unless he farts. Then he can get the heck off my lap ;-)
I'm just going to share the Abba lyrics so you can all blub along with me and then I'm going to eat a Krispy Kreme donut.
Slipping Through My Fingers - ABBA
Schoolbag in hand, she leaves home in the early morning
Waving goodbye with an absent-minded smile
I watch her go with a surge of that well known sadness
And I have to sit down for a while
The feeling that I'm losing her forever
And without really entering her world
I'm glad whenever I can share her laughter
That funny little girl
Slipping through my fingers all the time
I try to capture every minute
The feeling in it
Slipping through my fingers all the time
Do I really see what's in her mind
Each time I think I'm close to knowing
She keeps on growing
Slipping through my fingers all the time
Sleep in our eyes, her and me at the breakfast table
Barely awake I let precious time go by
Then when she's gone, there's that odd melancholy feeling
And a sense of guilt I can't deny
What happened to the wonderful adventures
The places I had planned for us to go
Well, some of that we did, but most we didn't
And why, I just don't know
Slipping through my fingers all the time
I try to capture every minute
The feeling in it
Slipping through my fingers all the time
Do I really see what's in her mind
Each time I think I'm close to knowing
She keeps on growing
Slipping through my fingers all the time
Sometimes I wish that I could freeze the picture
And save it from the funny tricks of time
Slipping through my fingers all the time
Schoolbag in hand, she leaves home in the early morning
Waving goodbye with an absent-minded smile
Waving goodbye with an absent-minded smile
I watch her go with a surge of that well known sadness
And I have to sit down for a while
The feeling that I'm losing her forever
And without really entering her world
I'm glad whenever I can share her laughter
That funny little girl
Slipping through my fingers all the time
I try to capture every minute
The feeling in it
Slipping through my fingers all the time
Do I really see what's in her mind
Each time I think I'm close to knowing
She keeps on growing
Slipping through my fingers all the time
Sleep in our eyes, her and me at the breakfast table
Barely awake I let precious time go by
Then when she's gone, there's that odd melancholy feeling
And a sense of guilt I can't deny
What happened to the wonderful adventures
The places I had planned for us to go
Well, some of that we did, but most we didn't
And why, I just don't know
Slipping through my fingers all the time
I try to capture every minute
The feeling in it
Slipping through my fingers all the time
Do I really see what's in her mind
Each time I think I'm close to knowing
She keeps on growing
Slipping through my fingers all the time
Sometimes I wish that I could freeze the picture
And save it from the funny tricks of time
Slipping through my fingers all the time
Schoolbag in hand, she leaves home in the early morning
Waving goodbye with an absent-minded smile
OK. I'm totally crying now...
Thursday 3 July 2014
Trendy Thursday - rocking it!
Ethan was totally rocking it this weekend. I've been dying for the opportunity for him to wear the amazing upcycled jacket from Mini Magpie. As it wasn't quite so warm I thought last Saturday was the right time. Paired with the charity shop bargain Where The Wild Things Are tee and some shorts from Shop Haute.
Thoughts? I think he looked amazing! He loved it too which is really important. I don't want him to be uncomfortable.
I tried to get Felix to wear a hat this week - he's still at that stage where he whips them off almost as soon as you get it on him. I'm sure he'll get used to them at some point - Ethan did. His My Tribe trucker cap from Marmalade Sky looked super cool!
Now it's over to you guys! Have your little trendsetters been looking extra cool this week? Link up below!
Super Dude |
Thoughts? I think he looked amazing! He loved it too which is really important. I don't want him to be uncomfortable.
I tried to get Felix to wear a hat this week - he's still at that stage where he whips them off almost as soon as you get it on him. I'm sure he'll get used to them at some point - Ethan did. His My Tribe trucker cap from Marmalade Sky looked super cool!
Now it's over to you guys! Have your little trendsetters been looking extra cool this week? Link up below!
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