INTRODUCING: My Small Business...Isabella Mai-de - The Home of Personalised Hand Printed Gifts for Everyone

Starting this post feels a bit de ja vu because I wrote a very similar post back in 2016 when I originally launched Isabella Mai-de. Back then it was all about hand printed children's leggings and joggers, but after only a few months of being open I had to close due to morning sickness with my second pregnancy and then we entered the busy life of two children and I just didn't get around to reopening. However, in the spring/summer of 2021 I started to wonder whether I should open Isabella Mai-de back up again. Our middle daughter was due to start school in September, leaving just our youngest at home, so I felt that I'd have enough time to really concentrate on it this time. Then followed many excited months redesigning the logo, setting up the Etsy shop again, photographing products, making reels, filming TikToks, writing listings, trialing products, carving stamps, putting together new designs/patterns, sourcing stock, hand stamping labels/thank you cards, finding more sustainable packaging options etc. Along with the inevitable questions like 'will this work?', 'what if no one buys anything?' that I think are all part of launching your own business. 

RECIPE: Lotus Biscoff Cookie Butter Cake

Lotus Biscoff Spread is a thing of beauty, isn't it? The caramelised, slightly spiced, flavours have the power to make anything it comes into contact with undeniable moreish. The combination of Lotus Biscoff Spread with a caramelised sponge and sweet buttercream is truly heavenly, which is why this cake has to be one of my favourites. It's perfect for afternoon tea, celebrations, play dates or for baking with your children. My daughter's absolutely love the flavour of Biscoff, which all started with my Lotus Biscoff Loaded Caramel Swirl Ice-Cream. By using light brown sugar in the sponge you create an almost caramelised flavour, which compliments the Biscoff favour perfectly.

RECIPE: Rapunzel Pink & Purple Swirl Cake with White Chocolate Buttercream

When the world went into lockdown we knew that Isabella would be spending her birthday at home with us, instead of on holiday as originally planned. Although initially a bit sad Isabella handled the idea of having her birthday in lockdown really well and we tried our best to make it as special as possible. When it came to the birthday cake Isabella had one wish...to have a Rapunzel cake, so a Rapunzel cake is what she got. I love baking and was lucky enough to still have flour and eggs, despite the empty shelves in the supermarkets.

CELEBRATIONS: Our Joint 4th and 2nd Mermaid Themed Birthday Party

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At the beginning of April Isabella turned four and in June Poppy will be two; honestly where does the time go? While they are both young (and aren't at school yet!) we have really enjoyed throwing them a joint party together. It helps to keep costs down, Poppy doesn't have many friends of her own (second child problems), it means they can be excited together and it makes it easier to get all of their friends/family together. This may well be the last joint party they have though, as Isabella starts school in September. I have to admit it did take me a while to decide whether to do a party at all this year because on the run up I was struggling with morning sickness, as I'm currently pregnant with our third baby. I wasn't sure whether I could manage planning a party, especially as previous parties have always been quite an event to put on. After a lot of deliberations and Isabella asking when her party was going to be the guilt got too much I decided to try and throw a slightly toned down version of previous parties. 

CRAFT ACTIVITY: Ice Cream DIY Party Bags

Party bags are one of those things I really love putting together on the run up to a party because I know how excited Isabella gets when we are handed one at the end of other children's parties. That exciting moment you glance inside to see what goodies the bag holds; a classic childhood memory. As their party was going to be ice-cream themed I had a look around to see if there were any party bags already on the market that would fit the theme. I came across a few different 'sprinkles' ones, but nothing that caught my eye too much so I decided we'd have a go at the DIY approach instead.

CELEBRATIONS: Ice-Cream Themed Joint 1st and 3rd Birthday Party

When it came to choosing a party theme for Isabella and Poppy's joint birthday party I knew it had to be Ice-Cream. It's Isabella's favourite treat and such a fun theme for getting in the mood for summer. We did originally plan to have the party nearer to the end of May, so it would be more in the middle of their birthdays but to ensure most of Isabella's little friends could come we had to bring it forward. This did make it harder to find ice-cream themed items in the shops and online, as a lot of retailers hadn't brought out their summer ranges yet. If we'd gone for a Bunny theme again, like we did last year, then it would have been a dream with all of the Easter ranges available! That's one of my biggest tips when it comes to party planning - think about your theme in relation to the time of year and party ranges that are easily available.

#LITTLELOVES: Birthday Party, Quiet and Fun in the Garden

It's been a funny old week, as I've had some very rare time away from both Isabella and work. Isabella was in nursery for 1.5 days, so one of the days my husband and I had a working lunch together and for the half a day I went food shopping. It was so quiet and strange if I'm honest, pick up time couldn't come quick enough. It's made me realise I need to have some proper plans/jobs to do when I start maternity leave properly, as I'll have three days a week by myself and I don't want to waste that precious time.

HOW TO: Watercolour Bunny Invitations using PicMonkey

Birthdays, baby showers, weddings, christenings, anniversaries - there are so many events that we send out invitations for. Ordering personalised invitations is such a beautiful way of getting exactly what you want, but can quickly become very expensive. This is where Picmonkey can step in and be your invitation knight in shining armour, along with this tutorial. Picmonkey is a free photo editing website where you can edit photos, create collages and pay a premium for access to even more incredible features. As a blogger I do pay for their 'Royale' Membership, but for this tutorial you certainly don't need it.

SECOND BIRTHDAY: Bunny Party Pinterest Inspiration Board

As we are now into Spring it has finally dawned on me that our baby girl will be turning two in April! Not such a little baby anymore, in fact it won't be long and she'll be a big sister. How will I already have a two year old? It's clique I know, but time really does fly when you have children. I think the saying that the days are long, yet the years are short couldn't describe parenthood anymore perfectly. Last year I was well into party planning mode by now, as it was a welcome distraction from returning to work. This year is a different story though, time is limited and pregnancy fatigue means no late nights planning away. I'm determined to not let this stop us creating a fun birthday party for Isabella turning two!