HOW TO: Have a more Sustainable Valentine's Day (+ Exclusive Discount Code for Nordgreen)

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Valentine's Day is quickly approaching, so why not make celebrating it more sustainable this year? A lot of us are trying to make small changes towards living a more sustainable and eco-friendly way of life, which is so important for our planet and can be relatively easy to do too. Many of the Valentine's Day gifts, decorations or accessories are plastic based and not aimed for more than one use, so below there are a few ideas of how to swap those for alternatives that are more sustainable and reusable. I absolutely love any excuse to celebrate, make someone else feel special and spread joy, especially after the past two years. I think that we are all in need of little pick-me-ups and Valentine's Day can be the perfect time for that, whether it be celebrating with your husband, wife, girlfriend, boyfriend, best friend or your children. Let's kick start 2022 by spreading lots of love and kindness!

REVIEW: BabyBjörn Harmony 3D Mesh Baby Carrier

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Baby carrying will change your life as a parent, whether you're expecting, have a little one or even a toddler, it will honestly make your life so much easier. When I first became a parent back in 2015 I didn't know how much my life was going to change, but it certainly did, in every way possible. The most simple task became a challenge and every waking hour (and there are a lot of those!) was dedicated to our little bundle of joy. It was hard, a learning curve, challenging, as well as being magical, precious and filled with more love than could ever be expressed. But what I didn't know back then was quite how much of a game changer baby carrying is. 

FAMILY: Ultimate Christmas Gift Guide for Everyone 2021

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Christmas is almost upon us and I'm sure, like me, you're either starting or in the middle of trying to think of thoughtful, special gift ideas for your loved ones. It seems to get trickier every year to think of unique gifts that our loved ones don't already own, which is why I'm here with this year's Family Christmas Gift Guide 2021! Usually I split my yearly Gift Guides up into categories, but this year I thought I'd keep it simple for you and have everything all in one place. Your ultimate gift guide for the whole family, friends included too of course. I hope you leave this post feeling inspired and manage to get a few more people ticked off your 'to buy for' list, so without further ado...

CHRISTMAS: The Ultimate Gift Guide for Children 2020

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The gift options for children are vast and can be overwhelming at times. The television adverts, posters, endless toys in shops etc. all inspire the present possibilities for children. However, actually deciding which ones are worth the money and will be played with for longer than a couple of minutes can be the tricky part as a parent. In this gift guide I have put together a wide range of presents that would suit an array of ages, interests and price points. I do also have a £10 and under stocking fillers gift guide, if you're looking for slightly smaller gifts too. The excitement children have for Christmas is part of the reason it is such a magical time of year, so I always find it really special putting together my children's presents each year. Imaging their excited little faces as they open them is just the best feeling, isn't it?  

CHRISTMAS: Gift Guide for Grown Ups 2020

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Thinking of gift ideas for grown ups can be such a challenge, but when you find that present you know they'll love it is just the best feeling. Gift guides for grown ups are also a source of inspiration for yourself too; maybe you stumble across something that will make life easier, encourage self-care or bring you joy. This guide is filled with the treats and slightly bigger gifts for giving this year. I have also put together a Gift Guide for Grown Ups £20 and under that is filled with loads more ideas. Hopefully between both of these you'll be left full of ideas for your loved ones and are then able to tick off a few more people from your present buying list. 

CHRISTMAS: Gift Guide for Grown Ups £20 and Under 2020

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Grown ups can be a challenge to buy for at the best of times, let along when you have the task of buying for all of your family and friends on the run up to Christmas. Whether you're on more of a budget or are looking for a smaller gift to pair with the main event, then this is the gift guide for you. Non-intentionally this has ended up being a gift guide mainly filled with edible options that will be sure to bring smiles to faces, introduce new exciting brands to loved ones and provide a variety of taste explosions at perhaps one of the most indulgent times of year. 

HOME: Creating a Green & Rose Pink Reception Room

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Since lockdown began back in March a lot of us have spent so much time at home that we've noticed areas that would be lovely to decorate, places that could do with a better method of organisation and a feel of wanting to make our safe spaces cosier, clever and beautiful too. Home renovations don't need to be big projects or really expensive either; with some smart shopping around, clever bigger pieces and a calming colour palette you can totally transform a room within a couple of weeks. Like many, we decided to change up a few rooms in our home, do a spot of interior shopping and increase the amount of storage we have around the house. As parents to three young children we have a seemingly endless supply of 'things' that need storing, whether that be toys, clothes, books, activities or blankets etc. A lot of our previous storage was visible, in the sense that it was baskets or boxes without lids, so you could still see the items. This was something I really wanted to change going forward for a few reasons; they made areas look cluttered, our youngest child was able to constantly empty them out and everything was poorly organised. It was always inevitable that the one toy our children wanted to play with was going to be right at the bottom of the box or basket!

BABY & TODDLER: How to Create Sensory Messy Play at Home with Messy Senses

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Since lockdown began back in March we haven't be able to go to any children's classes because essentially it isn't safe enough to do so. This not only has had a massive impact on the businesses themselves, but also has meant our babies, toddlers and children have missed out on the opportunities these classes offer too. As we are now six months into this 'new' way of life and it is becoming evident quite how tricky it is for baby and toddler classes to resume; now is the perfect time to consider how we as parents can recreate some aspects of these classes at home.

CHILDREN: How to Make Aquabeads Bunting and a 'We Miss You' Rainbow Card

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Keeping children entertained during lockdown has needed some creativity and thinking outside of the box. The lack of freedom to visit places has meant that so many of us have to stay at home the vast majority of the time. Home learning has been keeping us busy for a lot of the day, but it gets to a point when Isabella needs some time to play and relax. This has been when we've been bringing out the Aquabeads and letting her imagination run wild! If you're not familiar with what Aquabeads are then they are small little beads that can be put together on a tray to create a design, sprayed with water, left to dry and they stick together. No need for irons and such a fun activity for children fours years+ to enjoy. The possibilities for lockdown crafts using Aquabeads really are endless and below I've included a long list of ideas to hopefully inspire you to get creative too.

PARENTHOOD: Our Lockdown Daily Routine with Two Children and a Baby

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We're now well over a month into this lockdown/quarantine life and it certainly is a rollercoaster, isn't it? Everyday is a mix of emotions, but since finding a routine that works for us we are having more happy moments than challenging. I have always loved a good routine; I'd go as far to say they it is my parenting security blanket, which is why I found it hard when the lockdown was announced our daily routine suddenly became irrelevant to the new way of life. Over seven weeks later and with quite a few adaptations we have finally found a routine that keeps everyone as happy as possible, the older two children know what to expect throughout the day and home learning is dotted throughout to help keep the focus. At the moment we have a five year old, two (almost three) year old and a six month old baby at home, so our routine is all about coordinating their individual needs. My husband is working from home at the moment, but we wave goodbye at 9am and don't really see him again until at the earliest 5.30pm (a good hour and a half earlier than pre-lockdown life, so that is a big bonus), so for the vast majority of the time I'm solo parenting our three children and implementing this routine.

PARENTHOOD: 20 Ways to Make Life Easier when you have More than One Child

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Life is busy at the best of times, but when you throw children into the mix time just seems to disappear. Getting jobs done, keeping a household running and staying on top of the to-do list can be such a challenge for parents. As someone who has recently welcomed our third baby into the family I am all too familiar with the struggles of daily parenting life and have had to quickly learn hacks, tips and tricks to make our family life easier. Some of them are really small things, but they make such a difference and I hope that they can help you too.

REVIEW: Jooki - The Smart Player with ToyTouch Technology

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Turning up the volume, having a boogie, listening to stories or bringing a performance alive children love to be surrounded by music. A day doesn't go past where we don't have a kitchen disco dance or Isabella wants to show us her latest dance performance. However, to access music children often need an adult to select a certain playlist or song, which in turn limits their ability to be creative with sound. Jooki have created The Smart Player with ToyTouch Technology to solve this exact problem and allow children to safely access music and stories; bringing back their creativity and enabling them to enjoy screen-free time.

PARENTHOOD: Tips for Visiting Family or Friends with a Newborn Baby

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Travelling and staying over at family or friend's houses isn't always the easiest thing to do with a newborn baby. Despite being so small they somehow require a lot of equipment, have an intense feeding routine and the witching hour is never any fun! Over Christmas we spent a lot of time travelling around to visit different family members with our three children, who are 4 years old, 2 years old and 8 weeks old, which came with a number of challenges to overcome. When it came to coordinating travel times, planning ahead with regards to packing and fitting in with other people's plans it we became well practiced in the skill of travelling and visiting family with a newborn baby. There are many events throughout the year that may require travelling around to see family or friends, including Christmas, Easter, Holidays, Birthdays, Weddings, Christenings etc. I thought I might be helpful to share some of the ways which we found the whole experience a lot easier, calmer and generally more enjoyable.

CHRISTMAS GIFTS: Creating the Perfect Festive Organic Food Hamper with Abel & Cole

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Giving the gift of delicious food at Christmas couldn't be more perfect, whether it be for your friends, family, work colleagues or neighbour. Everyone loves a treat over the festive period, so taking the time to put together a hamper filled with everything the lucky recipient loves makes for such a special gift. Abel & Cole are the home of all things organic and have been for the past thirty years; their passion for organic produce, commitment to the environment and support of smaller producers makes shopping on their website an absolute joy. 

CHRISTMAS: Gift Guide for Him & Her 2019

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Grown ups are often tricky people to buy for in one sense, as they'll often ask for 'nothing', but at the same time the reward when they open a present perfectly suited to them is just the best. I try to keep a list throughout the year of things my loved ones have said they like, which makes Christmas shopping a bit easier but there are always more ideas needed. Focusing on someone's interests is a good way to ensure that the gift will be used, enjoyed and cherished. Giving the gift of an experience is another fun way to not only help make more happy memories, but also they bring people together in a time when life is busy. I've tried to include gifts that will suit a range of ages and interests here, so hopefully you find something perfect for your loved ones. 

CHRISTMAS: Gift Guide for Children 2019

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When it comes to present shopping for children I always find it exciting yet overwhelming. The choices out there are vast, not to mention the adverts on television/ billboards/ magazines showing children the latest toys on the market and then there's all of the beautifully crafted gifts smaller businesses have to offer too. Christmas is all about the magic for children, them excitedly writing their wishlists, sending them off to Father Christmas, then counting down to the big day with so much anticipation. This is the second year Isabella has been able to express what she's hoping for at Christmas, which really does add to the magic when dreams come true on Christmas morning. If you're also shopping for children this year then I hope that this Gift Guide will help and inspire your present shopping, as I've put together some of my favourite gift ideas for children this year. There is a mixture from high street stores, online websites and small businesses, so however you like to shop for Christmas hopefully there's something that catches your eye. 

CHRISTMAS: Gift Guide for Parents 2019

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Parents in our lives hold such an important role, whether it be your own parents, your parent friends or yourself as a parent. It's a role that is relentless, hard work at times, yet the most rewarding too. A pamper, treat, 'me time', practical gift that makes life easier, something you can enjoy with your children or a way of capturing a special moment are all perfect focuses when it comes to gift shopping for parents. I have tried to cover all of these areas within this Gift Guide, so without further ado... 

CHRISTMAS: Gift Guide for Children £10 and Under 2019

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This time of year can get very expensive with many loved ones to buy for, not to mention friends, stocking fillers and all those late in the year birthdays. Luckily, there are always so many different affordable gifts for children and this year is no exception. It may surprise you what you can get for £10 and under, so if you have a budget this is the Gift Guide for you. 

CHRISTMAS: Gift Guide for Babies 2019

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Babies are such a joy to buy for, aren't they? The clothing is so teeny, the prints are adorable and the range of gifts is always growing. This year we are back to the world of babies with Rory's arrival in October, which is incredibly precious. As babies don't really need that much, in terms of toys, I always think Christmas is the perfect opportunity to treat the babies in your life to extra luxurious versions of what would usually be considered as 'essentials', for example muslin cloths and clothes. There are lots of lovely smaller businesses to support when it comes to buying gifts for babies too, some of which I've included in this Gift Guide. I hope you feel inspired and come away with lots of gift ideas.

FESTIVE: Advent Calendar Guide for the Whole Family 2019

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The world of advent calendars has changed quite a lot since my childhood when there were two options...chocolate or pictures. Nowadays the number of different advent calendars increases each year with many getting all the more extravagant, creative and impressive. It's so exciting to see what the new releases will be; there really is something for the whole family, gone have the days when advent calendars were just for children. We can now join in on the magic as the countdown to Christmas begins on December 1st, so I thought I'd put together a guide to some of the best advent calendars available on the market this year. It doesn't matter whether you're shopping for your little ones, loved ones or treating a friend; there is the perfect advent calendar out there for them and hopefully these will inspire you.