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9 tips for flying long haul with children

June 24, 2015

With the Summer holidays coming up lots of us are planning a family holiday. Even though we aren’t going away this Summer travel has always been a huge part of my childhood and adult life for as long as I can remember. Even when Anya came along, we didn’t stop traveling. In fact it was the opposite – we realised we just needed to plan a bit better but it was entirely doable. We also didn’t let long-haul put us off. She’s only six and has already been to places as far flung as Argentina and Uruguay, San Francisco, India and Nepal (lucky kid!). Some of these journeys have involved 14-15 hour flights but we managed.

Some people have commented to me that it’s easier for us with only one child and in some ways it’s true – we don’t have squabbles to sort out, no one fights over which plane seat they’d like (except Richard and me who both always want the window seat!). But on the other hand Anya has no one but us to entertain her. And sometimes it’s been just her and me on long journeys so that has been a bit trickier but still entirely manageable with a little planning beforehand.

Having been through so many journeys and with the holidays coming up I thought I would share some of my best tips on flying long haul with children. There are loads of tips out there for flying with toddlers and babies but not as many for slightly older kids who are around 4-7 years old. I also wanted to share my own experiences of what’s worked and what hasn’t as I’ve tried so many little things to make long flights as bearable as possible. Long flights can be trying with young children and in some ways a lot harder than flying with babies who don’t move. So I hope these tips help you if you’re planning a long haul flight with children soon. And if you’re still thinking about whether you should brave long haul or not, I hope these tips inspire you and make you go for it!

1. Get them excited not just about the holiday but the journey too. If they’ve never been on a plane before then this will be a huge excitement in itself. Even if they have, planes are always exciting – I have taken thousands of flights and I’m still excited every time I get on a plane. Tell them about what to expect at the airport and on the flight so they know what’s coming – include the good and the bad.

2. Let them pack a little back pack or mini stroller suitcase to take on the flight. I use the words ‘let them pack’ very loosely. What I mean is let them believe they are packing a case. Left up to Anya she would cram the most random things in to her hand luggage (she once tried to pack her collection of pebbles that weigh a ton!) so I keep a sharp eye on what she’s putting in there and subtley guide her towards the things I know we will need. Try and get the kids to pack their hand luggage a few days in advance of leaving because this not only builds up excitement but it gives you time to see what’s in there and to change things around if needed. This way you can avoid any last minute panics and arguments.

3. Buy a few cheap toys from the 99p/dollar store but don’t show it to the kids beforehand. Keep it hidden away and surprise them with it when they are showing signs of boredom. In addition to a few toys I also take along surprise snacks and treats which always work like magic.

4. While I wholeheartedly suggest taking a few surprise toys and treats, you can’t go overboard with these as there is only so much you can carry in hand and you don’t want to end up lugging 50 kilos worth of hand luggage around with you with two tired and whiny children in tow! The next best thing is an ipad or similar which is fully charged and loaded with games and movies. I know a lot of parents are against screen time but believe me on a long flight it is a godsend! If you have two kids and one device then be very clear in advance of the flight as to who get’s it when or let them both watch a movie together if that’s an option. Besides occupying the kids, ipad’s are lot easier to carry around than toys. This may sound a bit strange but I have a little calculation I use to decide what entertainment comes along and what doesn’t – minutes/hours of entertainment it can provide divided by weight/space it takes. The ipad wins every time!

5. Carry Calpol, iburpfen or similar in your handbag. When Anya was five and we were flying to India, with no warning she developed a burning high temperature mid-flight. She was so hot that there was even talk of an emergency landing. Kids getting sick is bad enough at the best of times but at 30,000 feet above ground, it’s scary! Luckily there was a doctor on board who checked her out and managed to get Calpol off another passenger. The doctor suggested waiting to see if the Calpol helped before doing anything else. Luckily it worked and I learned my lesson. (Even with the no liquid on board rules, you can still take medicines along ).

6. When flying long haul with children, expect the unexpected like delays, lost luggage and extra long queues. While you can’t plan for every eventuality, it helps to consider the things that can go wrong. I tend to keep a spare set of clothes for Anya in her hand luggage which came in very handy when the airline lost our luggage when we landed in Buenos Aires after a 24 hour door to door journey. Also spare underwear is handy as even at 5-6 years of age, accidents can happen especially if there are long queues to use the inflight loos.

7. If you too have a fussy eater like Anya (and even if you don’t) it’s a good idea to get the children well fed before a long haul flight. Meals can be delayed, they may not like the options available, their choice of meal may run out – so many reasons and the last thing you want is bored, tired and hungry kids. We usually head to the airport early and let Anya have a full meal at one of the restaurants there. That way she’s fed as late as possible which in theory should keep her full for several hours and then I give her the surprise snacks and treats on board as she won’t eat the airline meals.

8. Keep the best for last. In my experience, that last hour of a long haul flight is the most painful. The last 60 minutes can feel longer than the entire flight! By that time you’ve probably been traveling for several hours and the kids have just about had enough. You’re probably tired too and I know I start to lose every bit of patience that I had at the start. So I keep one special toy or treat, usually the best one for this last hour. It really helps in taking Anya’s mind of her tiredness and boredom for a little while at least. And every minute of calm at this stage helps.

9. Lastly, don’t forget to relax and enjoy the journey which is the first part of your holiday. Once we step inside an airport we are in holiday mode and all normal at home rules are broken from the word go. It really helps if you focus on the fun side of things and keep your sense of humour because after all if you’re relaxed, your kids will be too.

*I’ve linked up to Honest Mum’s brilliant blog posts and Mums Days the list.

Inspiring stories: Rachel from Bear Good

June 2, 2015

If you read my first inspiring stories interview then you’ll know what these interviews are all about. Today it’s time to meet another incredibly inspiring lady who is also a mum. Everybody has setbacks in life – some have bigger setbacks some have smaller – but we all have them. It’s not these setbacks that define us but how we deal with them. So I hope to share stories that will inspire us all and help us to realise that no matter what, we can achieve those dreams and goals. In today’s story, despite numerous delays, setbacks and medical problems, a gorgeous handmade teddy bear brand was created and launched.

Meet Rachel Beasely who is the founder and designer behind Bear Good – a range of traditional teddy bears made in England that are given a contemporary twist. But Bear Good isn’t just about the bears, it’s also about doing good. Read on to find out more about these bears and about Rachel’s story of sheer determination.

Tell us a few words about you?
I’m a mum of two – a 3 year old girl and an 11 month old boy – who are both the apples of my eyes! I’m originally from Yorkshire but have been in London for almost 15 years. I used to be in advertising and marketing but then took the leap in to entrepreneurship and tried a few different things. In 2012 I had the idea for Bear Good and the rest is history as they say. A pet hate of mine is noisy eaters – I can’t sit next to them as it drives me nuts! Only adults though, I don’t mind kids eating noisily which is a bit strange!

What has been your biggest struggle so far?
Getting my business launched! You have a plan in your head but then things happen that you have no control over. I planned to launch in February 2014 but the products were late so I had to delay. I was also pregnant with my second child and due to deliver very soon. Unfortunately my obstetrician didn’t listen to me about my past medical history and gave me some incorrect advice which resulted in a traumatic birth leaving me with severe back problems. On good days I experienced pain but on bad days I couldn’t even get out of bed. I learned to cope with this as there was no choice.

Things got progressively worse with with my back throughout the Summer of 2014 but I wanted to focus on the positives in my life like becoming a mum for the second time and enjoying my son. I knew I couldn’t give the business all the time it deserved but I tried to look at what I could do. I decided I could slowly build the website myself just to keep things moving and planned a soft launch just before Christmas 2014. However on December 1st my back finally gave way. One minute I was stood up and the next I was on the floor.

The next few weeks are a bit of a haze! On December 19th, the day before my birthday, I was wheeled in to hospital for an injection in my back. A few hours later I was wheeled out the same way as the injection hadn’t worked. I had another in early January which enabled me to shuffle along. But then I had an operation on my back on 16th January and the change was amazing – the following morning I was sat up in a chair having a cup of tea after having been for a short walk!

Where and how did you find the determination to carry on with your plans?
Aside from my family, my business was something I could focus on that wasn’t related to my back. And because I had committed to a charity already I didn’t want to let them down. Financially I’d invested a lot too so giving up just wasn’t an option.

A lot of people in your situation would have given up on their dreams. Did you ever feel like giving up? And how did you pull yourself out of those dark moments?
Oh yes! I felt like giving up plenty of times! Especially when the pain was unbearable. But I had the love and support of a great family who helped me get through this. My mum practically moved in with us to help keep the house ticking so that my partner didn’t have to worry about the washing and ironing. My partner was my rock. At my lowest points he picked me up and helped me see a future past the pain, past being in bed and running around with the kids again. I had six weeks post-op where I couldn’t pick my baby up and when I did it was wonderful, as was getting my daughter on my knee for a cuddle. I also kept imagining my company being successful and achieving the goals I’d set myself. So I can’t believe it but I launched the website a couple of weeks after the op. Looking back, launching the site then was probably pretty stupid, but I think I just needed to close a chapter and open a new one.

Tell us a bit about Bear Good. What inspired you to make teddy bears?
It wasn’t so much about the bears to start with but more the idea of interweaving doing good with a business. We were told that having children would be difficult for us. Following a lot of mountains climbed and hurdles overcome we welcomed our daughter in to the world in 2011. I felt very, very lucky to have been given this gift and I wanted to protect her, nurture her and ultimately give her everything I possibly could. Filled with all the new mum wonderment (and exhaustion!) I started thinking about all the children out there who haven’t got a safe environment to live in, a nurturing loving family, good healthcare and access to quality education. I knew I wanted a shift in direction post-birth, so combining my business and branding background with the urge to do some good at the same time led me to come up with Bear Good. The company has been built on a real commitment to giving, so much so that we give 10% of our sales to the charity and the non-profit we support. This means donating is intrinsically built in to our business model as the charity gets their share come what may, rather than being profit share based.

As creatives we are always looking for new ideas and ways to make them a reality. Tell us how you look for inspiration and how you turn that in to a teddy bear?
The teddy bear is the flagship product and my inspiration came from imagery of children carrying a teddy bear. It said to me that there is a whole lot of love from a child to their bear and that’s the kind of love that we want to pass on to the children we are trying to help. I also recognised that to be a bit different we had to look again at design and I opted to go classic where high quality is part and parcel, design is simple and there is somewhat of a legacy created. After all, we are aiming at the gifting market where someone is looking at buying a gift that is incredibly special and meaningful for a special occasion like a birth.

A teddy bear is for life. I wanted to make sure I made bears that would last a lifetime, that a child could have adventures with and it would still be in one piece in years and years to come. Yet I didn’t want them to be old fashioned. So whilst the designs are classic, the fabrics are contemporary like moleskins and corduroy. We wanted to support British manufacturing as much as we could so the fabric has been sourced from a mill in Todmorden, Lancashire. The bear’s t-shirts are all inspired by the American raglan motif t-shirts from the 70’s. Perfect for everyday wear and gifts alike. I love them and would wear them if I could!

I’m really excited to say that every child that has come in to contact with them wants to take them home – the bears have a real personality to them are just waiting for good homes to go to!

What’s the best part of running a small business?
As most mums would agree, life with children is busy and non-stop. So the flexibility I have makes life much easier as a family. I also like the fact I can make my own decisions and put my ideas in to action.

The world of soft toys is so incredible these days. There is so much choice out there for any budget and taste. Apart from your own, which soft toy creators do you admire?
I adore traditional teddy bears, I love Lucky Boy Sunday softies as the designs are wonderful and I also like Sew Heart Felt puppets. Of course Jellycat has to be in there too – my son and daughter both have different characters whom they love.

What is your best piece of advice for anyone who has suffered big setbacks in life?
Don’t beat yourself up if you have to change your plans. If you need time to heal, take it as it will pay back ten-fold in the long run.

Would you change your past if you could?
I would have listened to my gut instinct in the hospital as I honestly believe I wouldn’t have been through this if I had. The times when I haven’t listened to my gut instinct are the times when things have gone wrong.

What’s next for you both professionally and personally?
Professionally I am aiming to build the Bear Good business quickly to make up for lost time. Personally I am making my back as strong as it can be in the hope that I never have to go under the knife again. On a lighter note I am already planning Christmas 2015 in my head as I missed that, my birthday and the new year last year so I want to make this one really special for my partner and my children.

Thank you Rachel for sharing your inspiring story with us. What I loved most about getting to know Rachel was that giving up was never an option for her. In our chats and messages to each other I got a real sense of sheer determination from Rachel. Nothing would stop her achieving her goals and making her dreams a reality. As Rachel explains, apart from family, it was visualising those very goals and ambitions that kept her going through her darkest days. Giving up may seem like the only way in short term and who would blame you if you did under such circumstances but if you slowly chip away at your goals, they can and will become a reality no matter what life throws at you along the way. Do take a look at Rachel’s gorgeous one of a kind teddy bears that would make a lovely gift for a new baby or an older child especially to mark a special occasion.

P.S. If you have a story of overcoming a set-back (of any kind) and would like to share it, please get in touch – I’d love to hear from you (only requirements are that you are a parent with a blog or business but if not a parent you have a baby/kids related business). You can get in touch privately through the contact page or send me a private facebook message and we can chat more to see if it’s something you would like to share.

Friday chat: How much tech is too much?

May 22, 2015

The other day I was told a story about a three year old girl who was given a book. She opened the book and she tried to press it. She then started sliding her finger to get the pages to move. She continued pressing, sliding, scrolling and got increasingly frustrated when nothing happened. This child had never seen a real book before. Her only experience of books had been electronic. I haven’t made this up even though I wish I had. This was told to me by someone who knew the little girl, while we were discussing technology and kids. And that got me thinking, how much tech is too much but also is there such a thing as too little?

People often ask me if I let Anya use my ipad and other devices and how much I let her use them. The answer is yes, I do let her use the devices but there are rules and restrictions. Since I’m asked a lot I thought I would share some of the things I do to limit her use of iphones and ipads. I do believe that our kids are growing up in an age where technology is everywhere and that they need to be exposed to it as it is so much a part of our lives. And there are a lot of good things about technology so I want it to be a part of her life but not take over and or become her main source of entertainment. So here are a few things I do to limit her ipad time:

1. She has to ask before using the ipad/iphone. She can’t just help herself!

2. We treat the ipad like a treat! So just like any treat, she knows that it’s not something she can have everyday but instead it’s something that can only be used once in a while. But I never use it as a reward.

3. If she asks for it when I don’t think she should have it, I suggest another activity rather than just saying no. So I’ll suggest colouring, dressing up or anything else that she loves doing and this often works because thankfully children forget easily! Or if that fails, I will suggest reading together or something else we can do together.

4. When she does get to use it, I usually limit her time and tell her that upfront. Then when times up, it’s up. Sticking to your resolve really counts here because the inevitable ‘5 more minutes, please, please, please’ will always happen. (Of course , there are times I’ve given in to extra time especially when I’ve got stuff to do myself – naughty mama!).

5. Buy books. Lots of them – story books, activity books, colouring books. And keep books accessible so your kids can reach them easily. I’ve found that a new book for Anya is far more exciting than a new app.

6. There are certain situations where I don’t allow the ipad at all like mealtimes and car journeys because once you allow it, I think it can easily become the norm. So sticking to never is easier for me and for Anya because she doesn’t ever expect it at these times.

7. Obviously don’t buy them their own device because that’s just asking for trouble. This might sound very obvious but I actually know 5, 6, 7 year old kids who have their own ipad and it never fails to shock me no matter how many times I come across a kid with one.

There is one exception I make to all the above and that’s when she wants to listen to music because she loves music. Right now the ipad and iphone are our only sources of music so if she wants to listen to something I never stop her. In fact I encourage it.

We all know kids learn by example so the amount of screen time you have will have an influence. I rarely watch TV but I am guilty of spending too much time on my laptop and this has naturally influenced Anya and her tech consumption. I’m trying to make sure that once she comes home from school I shut off and then do anything pending after she’s gone to bed. There are days when I manage this but there are others where I fail miserably. What can I say – I’m still a work in progress!

Having said all that, there are times when rules go out the window. I’m not perfect at following my rules and especially recently with all our house renovation upheaval she has had more ipad time than I would have normally allowed. But sometimes you just have to do what makes life easier and not feel guilty about it.

What do you do to limit your kids screentime? Any tips for all of us? Or do you prefer your kids never to use ipads and iphones? I’d love to hear in the comments.

P.S. This is a fun book on tech vs. real books to read with kids.

Friday chat: Conversations with my six year old

May 15, 2015

It’s Friday! To end the week I wanted to share some recent conversations I’ve been having with Anya. Some are funny and sweet while others are brutally honest – kids have no editing facility do they?!

On the theory of evolution:
Me explaining that many people believe that we started off as apes and evolved in to humans.
A: That’s wrong.
Me: Why?
A: We all start off as babies and become grown-ups.
(Can’t argue with that!)

Latest excuse not to sleep:
A: I’ve forgotten how to sleep. I really have.

Out of the blue one day:
A: Mama, why do you always have bags under your eye’s?
(That made me feel good – not! And how does she even know what under-eye bags are?)

We are in the midst of house renovations and living in one room. A lot of the rest of our home is still a building site so we can’t use it. I overheard her telling her teacher:
A: I have a broken house and my mum keeps me locked in one room.
(Oops! Luckily her teacher knows the situation!)

What are some of the funniest things your kids have said or even brutally honest things? I’d love to hear in the comments.

Have a wonderful weekend and lets hope for some sunshine! – nomita x

Friday chat: The miracle of birth

May 1, 2015

With royal baby fever hitting new highs in the UK, I can’t seem to get newborns off my mind this week. Earlier int the week I shared some great tips for photographing newborns in the first few days of their life. And that reminded me of a beautiful photo series that I had come across last year. Jenny Lewis, a photographer, had the idea of photographing mothers with their one day old babies. The series called ‘one day young’ is incredibly heartwarming.

Jenny Lewis felt that there are far too many negative birth stories floating around, there is fear and mystery surrounding birth especially with first time mums. We hear all the horror stories about birth but positive birth stories aren’t so easy to come across. And there are a large number of births which are positive so Jenny wanted to show this happy, beautiful and fulfilling side of giving birth and becoming a mother for the first time. I love the idea behind this as I myself was told a lot about what could go wrong before giving birth and that did put the fear in to me. Towards the end of my pregnancy I worried constantly about the birth and about all the things that could go wrong rather than focusing on the beautiful miracle I was about to experience.

I wanted to share this photo series because I think it sends an important message to women and also it’s just to lovely to see. And with the royal baby due any day, it’s yet another excuse to celebrate the miracle of birth. Of course things can and do go wrong while giving birth and this photo series isn’t about taking away from women who have experienced a traumatic birth but instead it’s about knowing that things can go right and birth shouldn’t be feared. And look at what you get at the end of it – there really can be no better experience in life. There are lots more photo’s on Jenny’s site so take a look for a guaranteed warm & fuzzy feeling!

How did you feel about giving birth? Were you worried? And if you are soon to give birth, hopefully these photo’s will make you feel a bit more at ease.

Have a wonderful long weekend and enjoy your little miracles – nomita x

Friday finds: Fun things from around the web

April 24, 2015

Who doesn’t love a bit of time wasting and surfing the net aimlessly? I know I do! That’s what my Friday finds are all about and I haven’t done one in a while so here’s the latest dose. To start with, here are 15 hilarious things nobody tells you about parenthood.

Fox prints are all the rage and they don’t get cuter than this foxy shirt.

Make these and you’ll probably be the most popular mum ever.

If you could review your newborn, what would you say?

Could this little girls room be any cuter?

Got a load of your kids alphabet magnets lying around? Turn them in to these beauties.

Everybody loves a bit of Taylor Swift, right?

Hope you all have a fun-filled weekend – nomita x

How to organise your digital photos

April 22, 2015

It’s Wednesday and that means the next dose of my photo series. We live in a time where taking photos could not be easier. We click away several times a day creating thousands of memories on our phones, cameras and other devices. On the one hand it’s quite amazing that we can photograph anything, anytime, all the time but on the other, what do you do with all those photo’s? Do you have thousands of memories sitting in one big horrible mess on your phone, on your laptop or even on your facebook? Do you spend hours trying to find photos? Do you wonder what to do with all those thousands of photo’s you’ve taken? If your answer is yes, then todays photography article on how to organise your digital photos will help you get on top of this mess. These tips are easy to follow and with a little effort you will have a very organised photo library. I’ve put these tips together based on what I do (when I’m organised!):

1. Download those photos
This is the easy bit because if you’re anything like me, I can’t wait to see the photo’s I’ve taken after an event or holiday. So whenever I take photos I always download them usually on the same day or within a day or two. Never leave photo’s on your memory card as your card will eventually get full and you may not have room the next time you need to take photo’s. This could leave you furiously trying to scroll through your camera and deleting photo’s in a hurry to free up some space. And besides it’s also possible to accidently delete your entire memory card.

2. Delete, delete, delete!
As soon as you download your photos, start deleting. And be ruthless. Blurry shots, duplicate shots, random photos – you know the ones I mean. And then delete some more. Only keep the shots you really love and often you’ll find that more than half can be deleted. This also helps keep more storage space free. My best advice (which I try to follow) is to delete photo’s as soon as you download them. This will make putting them in to folders a much easier job.

3. Create folders
That brings me on to the next point – creating folders. It doesn’t matter what software you use or even if the photos are stored directly on your PC but creating a folder system is essential to getting your photos organised. The simplest way to do this is chronologically – by year, then month, then by the subject or occasion. The best way to stay on top of your system is to place photo’s in to folders as you download and after a while this will become a habit. But if this isn’t possible you can also set aside a little time the end of each month and spend an an hour or two dividing the photos for that month in to folders. If you do this regularly, imagine how organised your photos will be and how easy they will be to find!

None of us have photo’s just on our camera’s anymore. In fact many of us have more photo’s on our phones than anywhere else. We definitely don’t want to forget these so do the same with these – download to your computer (or wherever you store your photos) monthly or weekly (depending on how many you take), delete unwanted ones and put in to folders with the rest of that months photo’s.

4. Mark your favourites
I’ve recently started flagging my favourite photos in each set of photos that I download. This is easily doable in many photo management tools like apple iphoto or windows live photo gallery. This has helped me so much especially when I take photo’s for my blog. Before I’d trawl through 100 or more photo’s to choose the best two or three and then forget which ones I liked so I’d keep going back and forth and wasting far too much time. Now when I download them, I immediately delete the hopeless ones and flag the best. This will also help a lot if later you decide you want to print some or make a photobook – no more spending hours choosing.

5. Storage
If you take a lot of photo’s then keeping these on your laptop can start eating away at your computers storage. So instead you could use an external photo storage site like flickr. There are many such sites that are free to use so it’s just a question of finding the right one for you – here’s a list that will help.

6. Print them!
Seriously, how often do you print your photo’s? I am really bad at this but since starting this photography series I’ve realised that there is no point learning to take fab photos only to have them sitting on a hard drive somewhere. It’s so much nicer to hold a book or album and flick through the pages than it is to stare at a screen. With all the easy printing options available, there really is no excuse not to print photos. And once you’ve spent a bit of time organising your digital photos, choosing ones to print should be easy.

Some ideas on printing – You could print a yearly photobook. I did this when Anya turned one showing the first year of her life and it is such a wonderful memory. I did it again when she turned two but since have given up but plan to re-start. Another idea is to make mini little photobooks of instagram photos or phone photo’s that can literally be done in minutes. Yet another idea is to make real prints and create a gallery wall in your home. You could refresh these every couple of years and older ones can go in to an album. There are so many easy and quick ways to get real copies of your photo’s and once you start, you’ll love the physical memories you are creating and memories that can be handed down for generations to come.

7. Don’t feel overwhelmed
If you have done nothing to organise your photo’s over the years and have thousands upon thousands stored on your laptop and phone, don’t panic! It’s so easy to feel overwhelmed and not know where to start. You can either start with your latest photos and work backwards or the other way around but most importantly, start with bite sized chunks. So consider tackling a months worth of photo’s each week and slowly you will start to see your digital photo library looking very organised.

8. Back it up
You knew this was coming, you know you should do it but are you doing it? Even if you end up doing nothing else to organise your digital photos, at the very least you need to back them up. I use an external hard drive that I plug in to my laptop around once a month and job done! But there are so many ways to create back-ups, the important thing is to do it – not say you will do it, not plan to do it but do it today! Here is a simple article that lists some photo back-up options.

So that’s how I like to keep my photo’s organised. It’s a shame to have so many gorgeous memories lying in a huge mess somewhere. With my tips on how to organise your digital photos and a little consistent effort, you will have the most organised photo library ever. And once you get in the habit of doing this, you will save so much time because you won’t ever have to look through thousands of pics to find the one you want. And don’t forget to print and back-up those amazing memories.

There are lots more handy tips and ideas on photography in my previous articles which you’ll find here:
How to grow your instagram following
How to photograph moving kids
The best photo filter apps
How to photograph kids using an iphone only
A mini photobook

Have a happy Easter!

April 2, 2015

Easter is here – nearly! I am so looking forward to the four day weekend (and the chocolate) even though we are and will continue to be knee deep in house renovations. The time has come to choose all the fixtures and fittings and this is exciting but daunting too! I want to wish you all a fun-filled Easter – enjoy the chocolate, the crafts and all the Easter fun. In case you fancied some blog reading over the long weekend, I pulled out a range of some of my old posts which you might enjoy:

Want some Easter inspiration?
Some of the best Easter egg decorating ideas
The cutest free printable Easter cards
Fancy something sweet? Here are some indulgent chocolate treat ideas.
Some fun Easter bunny crafts to try over the weekend.
Want somewhere to keep those mini eggs? These printable bunny boxes should do the trick.

Want to improve your photography skills?
Learn to take some great iphone photos of your kids with these top tips
Checkout the best phone filter apps that will take your photos from ordinary to extraordinary.
Kids never sit still? Checkout this guide on how to photograph moving kids.
A quick and inexpensive way to print your instagram and phone photos plus a giveaway.

Want some easy family friendly meal ideas?
These delicious soba noodles couldn’t be easier to make.
For something a bit spicier, this Indian chicken curry is a winner.
Everybody loves pizza especially homemade pizza!

And a few more…
If this lady’s incredible story doesn’t inspire you, I don’t know what will.
How do you get your kids to tell you about their day?
Are you part of a mixed family? How do you give both cultures equal importance?
Whats the best avoiding bedtime excuse you’ve had from your kids?
Have you checked out our new Spring pieces yet?

{Anya wears bunny coat, knit skirt with attached leggings and orange wool lined boots.}

A mini photo book + a giveaway (win 5 of these books)

April 1, 2015

It’s Wednesday and that means it’s time for the next installment of my photography series. Over the last three weeks I’ve shared some useful and actionable tips on photographing kids as well as some of the best photo filter apps to help turn those ordinary photos in to something special. I’ve had some fantastic feedback on the series so far – so thank you all for that. Today I want to talk about a really quick, easy and inexpensive way to do something with all those beautiful photo’s you’ve learned to take! And there’s even a giveaway in today’s post so keep reading to find out more.

I’m not the most organised person when it comes to printing the photos I take especially the thousands (yes thousands) of photo’s I’ve collected on my iphone. While I love the idea of creating amazingly big and beautiful photo books, I don’t always have the time to spend compiling these. So when I recently found out about a brand new app called Pop book, I had to try it out especially for this series. Pop book is an app that allows you to create little mini photo books in minutes, using pics from your iphone or ipad. I’ve made a couple of books and it literally took me a few minutes. You can do some basic editing in the app (like cropping, adding text or borders) and then you’re good to go, all for just £4.99 delivered to your door. The books are square, small and very cute coming in two sizes of 10×10 or 13×13 cms, each consisting of 21 photos.

I can think of so many reasons for making Pop Books. Firstly, that ever growing instagram feed. You can turn your entire feed in to a series of mini photo books. The square format of the books is perfect for this. The other thing that sprung to mind was my mum-in-law and other family members (especially the older generation who aren’t on facebook) that constantly ask me for photos of Anya. Instead of emailing one photo here and there, I’m going to start sending them these cute little books every few months. Also, because these books are small, I like the idea of having two or three perched on my desk instead of a static frame or even in my kitchen where I might put up a string and hang a load of these mini photo books. Yet another thought I had was to have these printed after your child’s birthday party and give to the parents of the kids who came – what a great party gift and lasting memory that would make. So many ways to use this book.

You can do whatever you wish with these books but the absolute best part for me is the convenience of creating a book in minutes so that you have actual copies of your photos. You never have to worry about photos being lost or deleted or wiped from your phone because you will have at least a small little hard copy. And I also love the easiness of gifting these to family or friends. All you need to do is download the free Pop Book app and you can start creating little photo books now.

THE GIVEAWAY: Now the best bit – I’ve joined with Pop Book to give 5 lucky ebabee readers the chance to win one of these books. To enter leave a comment on this post and follow my facebook page to stay in the loop. Five lucky winners will be chosen at random. Giveaway closes on Wednesday 8th April at midnight (UK time). Any entries after this time will not be counted. Sorry, this giveaway is only open to UK readers.

This is my new, go to quick, easy and inexpensive solution to printing your phone or instagram photos but there will be more ideas coming on what you can do with all those beautiful photos you take. Lots more to still come from my photo series but in the meantime why not check out the previous articles:

How to take great iphone photos of your kids
The best phone photo filter apps
How to photograph kids on the move

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

This giveaway is now closed. Thank you to everyone who entered. Congrats to Sarah, Stephanie, Natalie, Sam and Alice – our winners. If you want to find out about more giveaways, follow our facebook page.

Friday chat: Conversations with a 6 year old

March 27, 2015

Kids really do say the funniest and sweetest things ever. Lately I’ve been making a great effort to write down some of the stuff that Anya has been saying because I really want to remember it. These little conversation gems won’t be around forever and will get less and less frequent as she gets older. I was looking through my book of these notes and I thought I would share a few here for a light-hearted end to the week:

I was reading the Observer food monthly (kids special) which had an interview with Nathan Outlaw talking about his kids and how adventurous they are with food including all kinds of vegetables. I showed Anya this interview as she is a fussy eater and especially dislikes all manner of vegetables. After explaining how they eat and try everything I asked her to fill in the blank:

Me: The children eat everything like meat, fish, chicken, fruits and they even eat….? (I’m thinking veg of course)
Anya: … their dad?

Latest excuses not to sleep:
After trying a few usual ones and realising they’re not going to work, Anya pipes up: ‘I can’t sleep because my underwear is too small!’ (Whatever will she think of next?)

Anya asks to borrow my ipad and this is how the conversation goes:
Me: Why do you want it?
Anya: I want to sing along to ‘Beat It’
Me: OK give me five minutes
Anya: No, that’s too long
(I tell her again that she has to wait but I can see she’s getting very frustrated and impatient and I just can’t understand why the urgency)
Me: Why can’t you wait five minutes?
Anya: Because the concert has started and the pretend audience are getting very bored!

Anya: I’m really rich.
Me: Please could you give me £50,000?
Anya: I only have £2 but you can have £1 (bless her sweet little heart!)

What are some funny things your kids have come out with? Or maybe they’ve said some stuff to melt your heart? I’d love to hear in the comments.

P.S. Anya wears the gorgeous Oslo dress which is now available in the Ebabee shop. Unfortunately stock is very limited due to off-line sales and this dress being so popular. And the cute brown brogue shoes were a gift from Pisamonas – where you can get £10 off your first purchase.