ebabee likes:November 2014

Entries from November 2014

Friday chat: A family trip and a resolution

November 30, 2014

It’s that time of year when many of us start thinking of new year resolutions. I never make formal lists or even scribble down my resolutions but I do think of a few things in my head. Recently I’ve been thinking that I’m not having enough family time even at the weekends as we are crazy busy with a house move, work and everything else. So one of my top priorities for next year is more quality family time.

One way to ensure that we switch off and really have quality time together is to go away somewhere for the weekend which I want to do a lot more of next year. But in the past whenever I’ve thought of getting away, I always think of going abroad. It never occurs to me to get away within the UK which is so much more do-able even at short notice. A little while ago we wanted to get away and of course I started thinking Berlin, Paris or Venice. But as we had only a couple of free days and couldn’t manage a trip to the continent I almost gave up on the idea of going anywhere when I remembered reading about some wonderful UK breaks over at my my friend Honest Mum’s blog. That inspired me to think closer to home and after a quick search I thought about visiting Woburn. It’s not too far from London, has a lovely safari park which I knew Anya would love and some great places to eat which Richard and I would love.

We only managed an overnight stay in the end but that was fine. We got there and had a quick but delicious lunch at The Black Horse. We would have preferred a slightly more relaxed lunch but someone was desperate to get to the safari park! So off to the park we went. And it was fun; really fun for all three of us. The park has a mixture of animals most of whom roam freely within very large enclosures that you drive through. You have to stay in your car for obvious safety reasons but it was still so fun to see animals like tigers, bears and lions up close. No photo’s of these as of course we couldn’t put our car windows down to snap any. The highlight for me was definitely seeing the big cats which I love. But for Anya it was the drive around the monkey area. The monkeys jump on your car and sit there for ages which was really exciting for her.

The next morning we headed to Woburn Abbey and the surrounding gardens which are stunning. We walked around the place enjoying the gardens and the beautiful architecture. Anya got to run around, climb on rocks and just enjoy being outdoors as kids do.

After visiting Woburn I knew that next year I would make a conscious effort to get away within the UK more often. Just quick weekend trips that really allow you to spend quality family time together away from the stresses of everyday life and you get to enjoy the wonderful sites that England has to offer. With inexpensive hotels like Travelodge dotted around the country and so many wonderful places to see, eat at and relax, there really is no excuse not to. This short trip really opened my eyes to getting away within the UK and having a burst of pure family time without any distractions. I can’t wait to get away again and would love some recommendations on where to go as a family? Where have you been that you think is a must go to within the UK?

This post is brought to you in partnership with Travelodge. All ideas, words and images are my own. Thank you for supporting my work with partners that support this blog.

Ebabee Christmas Gift Guide 2014: Gifts for boys

November 28, 2014

Yesterday I shared my favourite Christmas clothes for girls from our shop so today it’s the turn of the boys. Do you gift your boys clothes? I don’t know if boys get as excited about clothes as girls but if they do, I’ve picked out some fabulous pieces that they will enjoy wearing. Our boys collection is a bit smaller than the girls one but each piece is hand-picked and slightly unusual. And we have some very cool pieces that are big on comfort and style like the strapped trousers as well as the geometric dot trousers. So here are my Christmas gift picks for the boys and don’t forget that there is 20% of everything in the shop till Monday 1st December. Just use code THANKS02:

Ebabee Christmas gift guide 2014: Gifts for girls

November 27, 2014

With Christmas fast approaching (how did that happen so quickly?!) I’ve been thinking about gifts and outfits for Anya. And with her birthday a few weeks before Christmas, I always need to think about that celebration too. This year with the launch of my Korean kids clothing shop, I can’t help but gift her some clothes from there – it’s too tempting and easy when it’s all in front of me! Besides, I do love all the stuff otherwise I wouldn’t have chosen it. So as part of this years gift lists, here is a Christmas edit for the girls with a special discount for you – see details at end of post. These clothes will make beautiful Christmas gifts for any little girl or why not let her choose her favourite? When shopping for Anya, I often shortlist my favourtie pieces and then let her choose from those – it means there’s no risk of her picking something crazy and over the top but she also gets to be involved.

First is my dress edit. Whether you’re looking for something unusual, classic or quirky we have something for you. A small selection but one carefully picked. The Levine dress is probably the most Christmasy of them all being red. The peter pan collar and the defined waist make this a classic piece with vintage touches that really stand out. Next is the quirky Helena dress – a see through lace over-dress which is girly but very cool. It can be worn over leggings or jeans with a plain top or something more elaborate for an even quirkier look. It’s different and not your conventional Christmas dress but we love a little whimsy around here. Last is possibly my favourite – the Erba dress. It’s pictured with a top under but to be honest, I love it worn on it’s own. A very unusual dress with an unexpected herringbone trim that looks stunning on. This one will probably be my choice of dress for Anya this Christmas.

If you prefer mixing and matching, we have some gorgeous separates too. For the separates we had to pick the Magritte top. In soft cotton and modal, this top is as comfy as a t-shirt but still so elegant. With balloon sleeves and the tie detail at the back, this top is an adorable party piece. It can be paired with anything but we especially love it with our floral Benslily skirt. Like the Magritte top, the Benslily skirt is a timeless and elegant piece. Both are understated but still so pretty. Last but not least is our stunning Mellow tutu skirt. The longer length and the dusky pink colour really give this skirt the wow factor. Anya has one and the compliments she receives when she wears it are endless!

Those are my top picks for girls clothing gifts this festive season. All the clothes are stylish but have been designed with kids in mind so there is no compromise on comfort. So when the kids get up to lots of mischief this Christmas you can be sure that their clothes won’t restrict them (or maybe you want clothes that do!).

Enjoy 20% off all these gorgeous clothes and everything else in the shop with code: THANKS02. Valid from today till the end of Monday 1st December. Enjoy!

I’ve linked up to Mummy’s got style’s Fashion Friday.

Black and white with pops of red

November 26, 2014

Today, lets take a break from the Christmas gift lists and look at some kids room inspiration. We are moving house next week (eek!) and the new place needs to be done up from scratch. It hasn’t been decorated in 40 years! So my brain is swimming with all kinds of decor ideas which I’ve been collecting on my pinterest boards including ideas for Anya’s new room. While I can’t seem to move away from the whole black and white colour scheme, I’m liking the idea of adding an extra pop of colour especially for a kids room. Recently I came across the above room and it really inspired me to think about red as the extra colour. Have you ever considered red for a kids room? It’s not a colour I would choose as a main one as too much red can be overbearing for me but if used sparingly with lots of white and some black, it can look quite striking. And red is a great colour for boy or girl so it would be a great choice for a shared room too. Here are some of my favourite rooms with pops of red:

As these rooms show, you can add splashes of red in many different ways; one piece of red furniture, red bedding, red toys or even just a bold red poster that stands out will do the trick. Because red is such a bright and vibrant color, you don’t need a lot of it to make an impact. In the third picture I love the blue, black and white colour scheme which works so well with the bright red poster – something a bit different for a boys room. And in the last picture just the smallest red accents look so great. I am really liking this colour scheme for a kids room and maybe this will be the one for Anya’s room. What do you think? Would you consider red as an accent colour?

Image credits: 1. Mollymeg | 2. spearmint baby | 3. mini style | 4. boo and the boy

Ebabee Christmas Gift Guide 2014: Gifts for kids

November 25, 2014

Last week I shared some cute gift ideas for baby boys and baby girls. Today I’ve rounded up some fun and stylish gifts for kids. I have decided to do a combined kids list for boy and girl because I think so much stuff is appropriate for both sexes as it should be. Most of these gifts can easily be for boy or girl (maybe not the pink bunny coat though!). So with that in mind I’ve gathered some fun toys, games, decor and more. One of my favourites is that balancing bench; wish I’d had that as a kid! Here are some of my top ideas for kids gifts this Christmas:

Girly fashion with a mission

November 24, 2014

I recently came across a kids clothing brand that not only creates beautiful clothes but also has a genuine desire to give back especially to kids less fortunate. With the festive season coming up, it’s very much a time for giving and Velveteen has taken this thought and created a limited edition range of beautiful festive pieces where 100% of profits will go to support children’s education in India. Being Indian and having lived there for many years, I’ve known and met many, many kids who don’t get the education they deserve so to see a company trying to help this cause really resonated with me.

This limited edition range includes floaty dresses, pretty tops and shimmery skirts in soft pastel shades. All the pieces are beautiful and perfect for the party season. For the festive season I know Anya would always pick a girly dress especially one that allows you to twirl and swirl and Velveteen definitely know how to do understated and classy girly looks. In addition to this range, Velveteen kids also offers their Autumn/Winter 2014 range that comes in striking deep colours like plum, charcoal and teal. I’m loving their two-tone Nelly dress especially in the plum and camel combination. And they’ve also got some adorable pieces for babies.

Velveteen’s limited edition flash sale runs from 28th November to December 2nd. If the cause appeals to you and you want to help, just buy a gorgeous piece for your daughter knowing that 100% of profits will go towards educating a child in India.

Ebaee Christmas Gift Guide 2014: Baby Girl Gifts

November 21, 2014

Yesterday I shared some adorable Christmas gift ideas for baby boys so today it’s the turn of baby girls. I love putting lists like this together because there is so much adorable stuff out there for babies but that makes it difficult to choose just ten things. This guide is more of a flavour of the types of things you can give like cozy clothes, sweet musical toys, or even gorgeous bath toys. I hope you like the selections:

Ebabee Christmas Gift Guide 2014: Baby Boy Gifts

November 20, 2014

When I recently asked on my facebook page if you would like a Christmas gift list this year, I got a big fat yes from many of you. So today I start my Christmas 2014 gift ideas. To kick off the gifts, I wanted to share some ideas for babies. Babies can be hard to buy for because they don’t actually need anything other than love, milk and their mamas and dads. But that doesn’t mean that we can’t spoil them anyway. From sweet little toys to cute and cozy clothes, here are some Christmas gift ideas for little baby boys:

Colourful handmade dolls and a giveaway

November 19, 2014

With Christmas coming, it’s the perfect time to give. So today it’s another giveaway. This time for a gorgeous handmade doll that would make an adorable Christmas gift. Read on for all the details.

Do you know pink nounou? It’s a little studio in Portugal that makes the cutest handmade dolls and soft toys as well as sweet paper products like notebooks, posters and party invitations. All these goodies are made by Ana who is a mum and a graphic designer. Ana has a very distinctive style that is colourful and playful which is very appealing to kids but also to anyone young at heart. I fell in love with Ana’s creations a long time ago because to put it simply, everything that Ana makes leaves you feeling happy.

Ana kindly sent Anya a doll too and Anya loves it. It’s become her nightly sleeping companion and her daytime ‘friend’ so when I took it away to take pictures there were tears. This doll is called Amelia and each one is different. Different fabrics are used for the top and the bottom half of the doll to keep the dolls unique. The doll has no loose bits so it’s not only great for little girls but for younger kids too and would make a lovely Christmas gift.

The prize: The winner picked at random will win one Amelia doll. The colour of the doll will be different from the one pictured as each doll is handmade and unique.

To enter: Simply visit the ebabee shop and Pink Nounou and sign up to both the newsletters. Then come back here and leave a comment below saying that you have done so. Your entry is only valid when all steps are completed. (Remember sometimes newsletter sign-up confirmation emails can go in your spam folder so do check there too)

One entry per person and this competition is open to all my readers worldwide. – YAY! The competition closes at midnight (UK time) on Tuesday 25th November 2014. Any entries after this time will not be counted. The winner will be announced on this post and on my ebabee facebook page on Thursday 27th November. Good luck!

UPDATE: This giveaway is now closed. The winner is Alexandra. Congrats Alexandra!

These boots were made for walking…

November 18, 2014

Every Winter I buy Anya a pair of boots. I like to go for a style and colour that will go with everything so that I need only one pair. This year I discovered a new online shop full of the most adorable Winter boots for kids. Many of their styles and brands are ones that I haven’t seen in the UK so when they offered to send Anya a pair of boots my only problem was which pair to choose – they’re all so cute! In the end we chose the orange Ocra boots which Anya loves. They’re soft and are lined with fur making them very warm and cosy. The orange colour is bright enough to please a child but not so bright as to clash with everything. In fact the colour is quite unusual and hard to describe but I would call it a muted rusty orange that really can be worn with anything.

I adore little feet have the sweetest kids boot collection I’ve seen in a long time. Lots of boots for boys, girls and toddlers by many European designers including a gorgeous brand which is new to me – Zecchino d’Oro. The boys boots are no less stylish with colours ranging from soft greys to bright blues. The green boys boot with the jigsaw puzzle imprint is one of my favourites and for girls I love those navy ones with gold hearts. Aren’t they adorable? I adore little feet are having a mid-season sale at the moment so there’s 25% off everything till the end of the month and they ship worldwide. If you had to choose, which would you go for?

*I’ve linked up to Style Me Sunday’s Street Style.