Today I’m going to let you in on a little secret. I discovered this great site that I think you will love whether you are a blogger, a creative or someone who likes to craft. It’s not always possible to design and create all your own images so this is where ink nest comes in. For a small fee, you can buy loads of beautiful hand drawn illustrations that you can print out and use as you wish – from making Christmas decorations to designing your own blog layout to anything at all. The possibilities of using these beautiful royalty free illustrations are endless.
I’m thinking these beautiful illustrations on ink nest can be used to make Christmas stuff, kids party decorations, house warning cards, thank you notes and so much more. And besides parties, you could create posters for your kids rooms, your own personal note cards, garlands for your home – really the possibilities are endless.
But the best part of all is that if you’re a blogger, you can even use these hand drawn royalty free illustrations on your blog to design your blog or to create free printables. How great is that? Each set of printables, which usually includes around 15-30 images, costs $10 and you are free to use pretty much as you wish – but do check the terms & conditions for full details. Also if you sign up to the newsletter you get a cool 20% off your first purchase.
I’m in the process of decorating Anya’s room and I’m loving the possibility of using some of the cute and quirky illustrations as posters for her room. But most of all I’m thinking about how I can use them on my blog to create stuff for you guys – some free printable gift tags maybe? Or a free downloadable calendar for 2016? So many possibilities… how will you use these? You’re welcome 🙂
While I love Christmas, it’s all about the festive season everywhere so today for a change, I wanted to share something not related to Christmas. As many of you know we’ve been through a house renovation project this year and now we’re decorating our home. I’ve learned a lot in the process and I often get asked for advice especially in choosing colour schemes and styles. The next room that I plan to focus on is Anya’s room and so I thought I would share some of my tips on decorating kids rooms especially tips that will help the room stand the test of time. After all you don’t want to have to redecorate after a year or even two. These are very much the things that I am planning to keep in mind when I decorate Anya’s room so I hope they will help you too:
1. Don’t go for a themed room With kids rooms, often the temptation is to go for a themed room especially if your child is really in to something at the time. But even if your child is really in to a particular character or is crazy about dinosaurs, that can all change in months or even weeks. So a themed room isn’t likely to grow with the child.
2. Buy practical big furniture pieces that will stand the test of time The two biggest pieces of furniture in a room are usually the bed and the wardrobe. You don’t want to be replacing these in a hurry so think your options through. If your child is going to need a big bed soon, get one now or at least one that can expand in to a big bed when the time comes. Also what kind of wardrobe do you need – do you really need a big closed closet that may dominate the room? Kids are constantly growing so they have a pretty high turnover of clothing and shoes for a long time. Unlike us, they don’t grow their clothing collection year on year and hoard things from 1997 (or is that just me?!). So really think through the closet options – will a chest of drawers and an open clothes rail work better than a big wardrobe and also end up saving space?
Sometimes when time is short and you’ve left stuff to the last minute, it’s handy to have one place to go to, to find all your gifts. That place for me is Little Flea – a one-stop place where you find all the best baby and kids brands from small, independent retailers. Rather than trawl the entire web looking for christmas gifts for kids, I find it a lot easier to go to Little Flea where I still get lots of choice but save a lot of time too.
In our home, Anya’s birthday is just a little before Christmas. That means December is full of presents for her – sometimes too many. So what we do is give her a big present for her birthday and small, inexpensive stuff for Christmas. I always get her birthday present organised in time but with everything going on the little Christmas gifts often get left till the last minute. So today I headed to Little Flea to make a list of possibles for Anya and while I was there I picked out some of the best little gifts that you too can get for under £20 with many that are under £10 too. Here are my picks for the best Christmas gifts for under 20:
It’s that time of year – time for my annual DIY advent calendar. Since I shared my mini forest DIY advent calendar last year, I have had so much love for it. It even got featured in Marie Claire Maison. Wow! So this year the stakes were high – I’ve also had readers asking me months ago what I was going to make this Christmas!
I went through a few DIY advent calendar ideas but in the end I loved the idea of making santas and their little elves. Aren’t they so Christmassy and cute? I chose different sizes as they not only look great but also allow me to put different size gifts under each one. I love making my annual advent calendar to share here and inspire others but also it’s Anya’s favourite part of Christmas by far. She adores the little surprise that each day brings and that makes making my own advent even more special for me.
To make this DIY advent calendar you will need: 24 craft cones in different widths and sizes acrylic paints (in your chosen colours) a fine black pen mini felt balls number stickers glue
First of all get your cardboard cones and using a pencil mark out the outline of the hat area and face for the santa cones. Also mark out the little face area for the elves.
Next paint the santa hats in your chosen colours, paint the beard bit white and the face bit in a skin tone colour – I used an acrylic paint colour called antique white. Similarly paint the elf cones and their faces. Some colours will require two coats for a better finish otherwise the cardboard will show through.
Using a fine black pen draw on little eyes for both the santas and the elves. Glue the felt balls on to make santa’s noses and thats the cones done. Either use number stickers to number the cones or you can even paint or write them on. Finally, add little gifts, notes or whatever you like under the cones and you have a super cute advent calendar.
What I especially love about this DIY advent calendar is that it’s simple enough for kids to make. Just get them the cones and they can create and decorate the santas as they wish. Also once the advent calendar has been used, you can easily turn these santas and elves into hanging Christmas tree decorations. Do you make your own advent calendar? I’d love to hear about what you make.
{I bought the cones on ebay but they are easily available from craft shops as are the felt balls.}
Books are my favourite gifts to give kids. For birthdays, for Christmas gifts, for any occasion at all. With so many fabulous kids books out there, it’s not hard to find the perfect book for any child. Here I’ve compiled a list of some of our favourite books – some of which we already have and others that are on our wish list. I’ve mixed up the selection to include picture books, art books, activity books, educational books and more.
Anya’s Christmas gifts always include books and usually a selection of different types like the ones I’ve suggested here. The one that I am looking most forward to buying her this Xmas is The School of Art which I have browsed through and it looks great not just for kids but for adults too. The books I’ve picked are for a range of ages from toddlers to 10 year olds so there’s something for everyone. The ages though are just rough guides, not set in stone.
Here are my best kids books gift suggestions for this year:
Do you cook with your kids? I don’t mean the odd cake or planned baking time but involving them in everyday cooking, everyday? I love cooking and cook most days but I just didn’t enjoy it as much with Anya because of the mess and slowness that it brought. I used to despair at the extra cleaning up, the extra time, the extra everything. A simple task that was supposed to take 10 minutes would take five times that!
Then I started thinking about it and realised that cooking with Anya could be a lot of fun if I changed the way I looked at things. She is interested in cooking (as most kids are) and it would be a real shame not to develop her interest especially when we all know that there are so many benefits of cooking with kids. So I thought about how I could make our cooking time in to something that we both looked forward to everyday. Here’s what I did and what anyone can do to make cooking with kids a daily thing that fun for everybody.
My tips for cooking with kids everyday (without killing them 😉 )
1. Make up your mind to remain patient no matter what. Before you start, make up your mind to stay patient. This has helped me no end. Taking a minute beforehand to decide that impatience isn’t an option has made for much happier cooking together times, for Anya and for me. And after a while, like me, you will naturally be more patient.
2. Only cook with kids when you have time. Cooking with kids is always going to take a lot longer than if you did it by yourself. There will be days when you need to be somewhere or you need to get dinner on the table in a hurry, so just do it yourself on those days. But when you know you have more time, that’s when you can take a slower pace, keep your patience in check and enjoy the process together.
3. Expect mess.
This used to drive me insane – poor Anya would barely spill a drop and I’d whip out the cloth and clean up after her every move. I put myself in her shoes and I couldn’t think of anything more irritating than someone cleaning up after you every five seconds! So now I accept there will be mess, sometimes a lot of mess and when I feel like reaching for that cloth, I just remind myself of the decision I made before I started cooking – see point 1.
4. Let them lead where possible. Give them a task that they can be in charge of, without any help from you. This makes kids feel happy and proud – the look of pride on Anya’s face when she has done something completely by herself and the concentration while she’s doing it is priceless. It can be as simple or as involved as your child can manage, depending on their age of course. Things like pouring all the ingredients in to a bowl and mixing or breading homemade fish fingers which is one of Anya’s favourite jobs.
5. Let them express themselves. If you’re a fan of cooking, you’ll know that it’s one of life’s great pleasures for so many reasons. For me cooking is fun, it’s relaxing and it’s so creative. This is exactly how kids should be allowed to feel about it too if they are going to enjoy it. The only way they will feel like this is if they are allowed to express themselves freely, without you giving instructions the whole way. Let them give ideas on what to cook, suggest extra ingredients that may not have been part of the plan or give ideas on presentation.
6. Think of it as bonding time. Cooking together with your kids is a great time for bonding but only if you view it as this. Once you view it as this, cooking becomes such a fun part of your time together and you will come to look forward to it everyday. Anya and I chat about her day, tell jokes and laugh at the mishaps and spills. And then when Richard comes home, she excitedly tells him about what she helped make.
These are a few things I’ve done but I’d love to hear from you too. Would you involve your kids in everyday cooking? Do you have any tips for cooking with kids everyday?
My friend and fellow blogger Cristina from across the pond shared a very clever clothes storage idea. I thought the idea was so great that I had to share it here. It’s such a simple idea but then simple ideas are always the best! The idea – store your clothes horizontally instead of stacking them vertically (on top of each other).
Just the other week I did this with Anya’s sweaters and it’s not only helped us find things quicker but there is no after-mess to tidy up. When her sweaters were vertically stacked on top of each other I had to get the whole pile out and by the time I pulled out the one I wanted, the whole pile collapsed – you know how it is. And when Anya tried to get one out, well that meant chaos! Now that I’ve rolled them all up and lined them up – I pull out the one I want and the rest stay undisturbed. It’s also so much easier to see what you want. And the best part is that even when Anya pulls them out herself, there is no mess. With the lighter clothes like t-shirts, I don’t roll but fold and do the same – again so easy to see what’s what and pull out what you need.
Next, I’m going to be re-organising my wardrobe this way. What do you think of this clever clothes storage idea? Great, right? Got any other great tips to be more organised with your or your kids wardrobes?
We recently went through a huge house renovation project. Of all the rooms in the house, it’s turned out that our kitchen is where we spend all our time. We’ve barely used the living room so far, even when friends come over as everyone gravitates to the kitchen. As a result of practically living in the kitchen, we have been having friends over a lot more and that has encouraged me to try new recipes and experiment more so I’ve been sharing more recipes here too. Recently I made these mini apple pie stacks which were yummy so I thought I would share the recipe with you as they are perfect little party desserts. And who doesn’t love an apple pie?
Kids and grown-ups alike will love these mini apple pies so they’re great for any kind of gathering. And the best part is that nearly all the work can be done the day before. I’m loving these as a festive treat -they’re a nice alternative to mince pies especially as they look so snowy and Christmassy with all that icing sugar. Not only are these mini apple pies delicious and gorgeous to look at, but they’re also easy to make.
So here’s how to make mini apple pies:
MINI APPLE PIE STACKS Makes:10 mini pies
6-7 granny smith apples peeled and cored (mini ones) ½ a 370g pack of ready rolled unsweetened shortcrust pastry 2 tbsp soft brown sugar butter ½ tsp ground cinnamon mixed with 1 tsp soft brown sugar 3 tbsp icing sugar creme fraiche
Start by cutting out discs of your shortcrust pastry. I used a 5cm diameter cookie cutter so that the apple pie stacks were small enough to pick up with fingers. Bake the discs on baking parchment for 10-15 minutes at 175ºC (or 350ºF) for fan assisted ovens. Otherwise just follow the guidelines on the pastry pack. To make sure that the pastry discs stay flat, place another sheet of baking parchment and a baking tray on top while baking. Take out of the oven and leave to cool – removing the baking tray on top.
Next slice the apples really thinly in to rings – ideally use a mandolin if you have one. The apple rings should be roughly the size of your pastry discs. Heat a large frying pan and melt a generous knob of butter. Lightly brown the apple rings a few at a time. They just need a minute or so on each side. Take them out just as they start to soften – you don’t want them too soft as they will be very tricky to handle later. Once all the apple rings are done, add another knob of butter to the pan. Once melted, put all the apple rings back in the pan and sprinkle with 3 tbsp of brown sugar. Very gently turn the apple rings in the butter and sugar to caramalise them. Once caramalised, leave the apple rings to cool.
Line a baking tray with baking parchment and start building your apple pie stacks. Take around 3 apple rings and place on top of each other. Sprinkle the top ring with the cinnamon sugar and add 3 more apple rings on top. Continue doing this until you have 10 apple stacks. Place another sheet of baking parchment on top of the apple stacks and a heavyish baking try or similar on top to compress the stacks a bit. Put in the fridge and leave to cool. You can do up to this stage the day before – just remember to place your pastry discs in an airtight container.
When you’re ready to serve, heat up the apple stacks in the oven on a low-moderate heat for a few minutes. Then place the stacks on the pastry discs, sprinkle the tops with icing sugar and place under a hot grill to brown. This will take no more than a minute or two and they will come out looking all golden and slightly charred at the edges like in the pic above. Once out of the oven, dust with more icing sugar and serve as they are or with a dollop of creme fraiche on top.
I’m not a huge fan of desserts but even I can’t turn down these delicious mini apple pies. The last time I made these for friends they disappeared in seconds so I suggest making 2-3 per person!
I will definitely be making these as a festive party treat next month when I have a few Christmas do’s. And the best part is that with our kitchen being so welcoming and user friendly, our friends often help with the last minute serving up. With our renovations we went way over budget with our kitchen but now I know it was so worth! I’ve since learned that a good place to get affordable and quality kitchens is betta living so maybe next time we will check that out. Does your kitchen inspire you to cook and socialise more?
Yesterday it was all about the girls so my next Christmas gift guide, has got to be all about the boys. If you’re a regular reader you’ll know that I don’t do plastic toys, battery operated toys or anything like that. Instead I prefer toys that require imagination and encourage creative play. So you’ll find lots of fun wooden toys, games, crafts and more. Many of these gifts would work for girls as well, including things like the superhero dress up set – after all girls can be super heroes too, right?
Here are some of my favourite Christmas gift ideas for boys:
With Christmas fast approaching, I thought I would share my next gift list. This is a list of lots of gift ideas for girls aged mainly between 4 and 7 years. I’ve tried to mix up the suggestions as not all girls like girly things so I’ve included building toys and superhero stuff too. There are quite a few crafty things too as I always believe in giving gifts that encourage imagination and creativity. So here are my top Christmas gift ideas for girls:
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...
