A few weeks ago we were at London’s Southbank where they have a big, old-fashioned merry-go-round. The second Anya spotted it she of course wanted a ride but wasn’t keen to go alone. So my husband volunteered to go with her and then I said I’d go too. All three of us ended up on the carousel which was so much fun. It made me feel like a kid again and I so enjoyed the feeling. That’s one of the many joys of having a child; sometimes, you get to be a kid again and it feels great. My only regret is that we didn’t manage to get anyone to take a photo of all three of us. Next time.
Happy Friday! I’ve definitely got that Friday feeling today. It’s been a long week and I’m so looking forward to the weekend and some fun family outings, weather permitting of course (I do live in London after all). Hope you all have a wonderful weekend full of smiles, laughter and lots of silly fun! I couldn’t resist sharing this delightful picture by Franky Grow, a very quirky, creative and fun kids clothing line from Japan. And besides, that kid on the right – that’s exactly how I’m feeling.
I’m feeling so inspired by this photo stream that I found on flickr. The photographs are beautiful and that little girl is always wearing such chic clothes. But what really stands out for me is the simplicity of it all. It’s really encouraging me to appreciate the simple pleasures of life, which I don’t do nearly as much as I should. The photo’s focus around everyday life like eating, picking Autumn leaves, playing, exploring with your kids and just enjoying family life indoors and outdoors. It’s all about those little pleasures that we experience everyday but don’t always take a moment to enjoy.
These photo’s are by a Japanese mama called Shima who clearly has an eye for pure beauty. There are loads more photos so if you want a bit of inspiration, do take a look at her photo stream. You won’t be disappointed.
… and keep them forever. This year I’ve decided to get better at actually printing my photos. There’s no point taking a load of pictures that end up stuck on a hard drive somewhere or on your phone or social networks. There’s something much more special about holding your pictures. And with all the creative printing options on offer, there really isn’t any excuse. I recently found Pinstagr.am and it’s the perfect way to print all your instagram photos, especially if you use instagram a lot. I love the teeny little books they offer as well as the stickers of your instagram photos but there are loads more fun products. Apart from keeping memories for myself, I think they’d make inexpensive little gifts for my mum, brother and other close family who don’t live in this country so feel they’re missing out on Anya growing up. Pinstagr.am are US based but they offer a reasonable worldwide flat shipping rate.
Here we are, already 6 days in to 2014. I hope you’ve all had a fun and restful break. I’ve really enjoyed spending time with my family, eating, catching up with friends and having a few lazy days too. When the clock strikes midnight on January 1st each year, even though nothing really changes, it feels like a fresh start. A chance to go after what you want, to make the changes that you’ve been meaning to, to dream, to plan but it’s also a moment where I always look back at the year that was. While I’m not a fan of resolutions, I like looking back at the good and bad and thinking about what I can improve in each new year.
This isn’t a personal blog and so I really thought long and hard before I shared this post. But I felt I wanted to let you, my readers, know why I had been silent this last week. And besides this blog is such a big part of me that it just felt right to share this. And so with great sadness I tell you that I lost my father on 26th July 2013.
He had been quite unwell for a some time but got worse in the week before he passed away. He lived in India so I am here now and will be for a while. He was a wonderful father and husband and I will miss him a lot. Always proud of everything my brother and I did and always encouraging. He achieved a lot in his life and if I achieve half of what he did, I will have done very well. Despite the sadness, I smile knowing that I will always have the most special memories. (This is one of my most favourite photo’s of my dad with my daughter and so I chose to share this).
Just a quick bit of housekeeping on this sunny Sunday morning. As many of you know, Google reader is closing down from tomorrow – 1st July 2013. Those of you who already subscribe to my blog via email will be automatically transferred to the new email service so you don’t need to do anything. You may not receive emails for a day or 2 but the service will resume very soon.
For new email subscribers, there will be a new email subscription service which will be available within a few days. Email is probably the best way to subscribe to this blog as each post will be delivered to your in box daily. But if you prefer an RSS service similar to Google reader, you can find my blog on feedly or bloglovin’. Enjoy your Sunday!
This is a slight departure from my regular posts but I had to share. Sometime ago I read a quote saying ‘Do more of what makes you happy’. Obvious advice it maybe, but most of us (me included) don’t do it. Family and friends aside, blogging, making new discoveries for this blog, promoting mum designers and learning so much along the way makes me happy. So when my friend and fellow blogger Babes About Town asked me to join hands with her (and 6 other bloggers) to create Mothers & Shakers, there was no way I could say no. What is Mothers & Shakers: simply put, it’s doing the things that make me happy but instead of doing it just for me, we do it for others. We help others build their blogs or small businesses, we help others find their online space and voice, we help others get themselves out there and we help others avoid the mistakes we made along the way.
Mothers & Shakers is made up of 8 women, mums, bloggers, social media experts, writers… call us what you will. We’re each very different individuals who come from continents apart (Chile to New Zealand via India and everywhere in between) who found each other amidst thousands of bloggers because we share a common ground: we love what we do, we believe in what we do and we do it well, everyday. If you’re a small business, a blogger, or someone just thinking about carving out your corner on the world wide web we can help you do it. And we’re especially passionate about helping mums.
From a more personal perspective I love a new adventure and this is sure to be one. It’s an adventure that is an extension of what I love doing already but on a bigger scale and with 7 others who feel the same way. I considered using the word ‘venture’ instead of ‘adventure’ but it lacked the buzz and excitement we’re all feeling in abundance about our new project. So adventure it is. If you want to know more about our adventure and how we can help you just drop us a line.
My blog posts have been a bit erratic in the past 10 days… apologies for that and full service will resume in the new year. Before I end the year, I’d like to wish you all a very, very happy 2012. It’s been a fabulous year for ebabee likes which has grown from my little space on the internet to a blog that has been recognised as a top 50 design blog (by babble.com), been runner up in blogger of the year (Loved by parents awards) and more . Thank you for all your support, to all of you who voted and to all of you who visit regularly. I look forward to coming back in the new year with lots more delectable goodies, stylish finds, beautiful stuff and fabulous giveaways for the kiddies. – nomita
P.S. I’m a sucker for paper pom poms, they’re so pretty! This happy image says celebration to me and what better time to celebrate than the new year. You can buy these joyful pom poms from a store called Pom Decor on etsy.
Today’s post is a bit different. I am heading back from my homeland of India where I have spent a glorious and sunny 3 weeks. I thought instead of posting about goodies I would share a few pictures of my holiday. So here’s a peek in to my 3 weeks of joy. But if you also want to read about some goodies, head over to my friend Honest Mum’s blog where I’ve done a guest post on Indian goodies for the kids.
Ebabee Likes is a style guide for babies, kids, teens and their mamas. It’s all about inspiration, ideas and indulging yourself and your brood. It’s written by me ~ Nomita ~ a style loving girl from Mumbai who now live’s in London. Read More...
