Whenever I hear a friend announce their pregnancy, I get so excited for them especially if it’s their first. Although these days most of my friends are on their second or third ones and even fourth ones (what are they thinking 😉 When you’ve had more than one kid, the chances are that you have more than enough clothes, toys and all the other baby paraphernalia you can possibly need. So when it comes to newborn gift ideas for these babies, I like to try and think outside the box. I recently came across Ma Premiere Box and thought it was such a sweet little idea especially for those babies who have everything.
Ma Premiere Box is a ready made gift box that comes in two sizes – small or large. The small box contains an adorable stuffed toy, a security blanket, a notebook, some badges and a funny postcard. The larger box has all this plus scented water and a tote bag. This is all beautifully packaged in a cute keepsake box. And there’s a boy version and a girl version. I love that the box is just as much for the parents as it is for the new baby and I also love that you can be sure that your gift will be unique and fun even for a baby who has everything. It’s also a great present to give from a group of colleagues or friends of the expectant mother. Next time a friend announces their 2nd, 3rd or 4th child, I know what newborn gift I’ll be giving.
If you’ve been following this blog for a while, you’ll know that we’ve had a huge house renovation project on for months. Thankfully the builders have left and now it’s our turn to decorate and furnish. This is the really exciting bit and I can’t wait to get started. My first project is going to be Anya’s room for which I have been gathering ideas and inspiration for ages. I’ve started by putting together a mood board and thought I would share it here too.
For Anya’s room, I want to create a space that is whimsical and dreamy, a space where she won’t just sleep but will enjoy spending time in. The one thing I want to try and manage without is modular furniture simply because I don’t want too many hard lines but instead I want soft shapes, flowy fabrics and different textures that will hopefully make it feel a little magical. With those thoughts in my mind I’ve been looking around for furniture too. The bed will be the biggest piece of furniture in the room so I want to make sure that it compliments the whole look I am going for. I love the look of the kids bed I’ve chosen for the mood board because of the soft curves and circle details that will compliment the rest of the room. It’s simple and stylish and won’t end up taking over the room which is exactly what I want. And as for the colours, I can’t seem to move away from grey, dirty pink and white so that’s what it’s going to be!
I used to create kids bedroom mood board’s thinking one day I want to do up a real room and now I have my chance. So this is my wish list so far – what do you think? Do you like the look?
Do you get stuck in a food rut? Making the same old tried and tested recipes week in and week out? As much as you may love those foods, it gets boring to eat the same food every week. I have recently found myself being caught in this trap and decided it was time to try one new recipe a week. Nothing too complicated as time is always short during weekdays and also any new recipe has to be family friendly too. So when I came across this Taiwanese minced pork recipe that sounded interesting, I decided to give it a go. It turned out to be yummy with bags of flavour and has already become a regular in our mid-week menu. And it also freezes really well so I usually make two meals worth which is what I’ve given you quantities for below.
TAIWANESE MINCED PORK AND RICE Serves: 8
900 gms minced pork 1-1½ tbs sunflower or vegetable oil 2 garlic cloves minced 2 star anise 2 bay leaves (dried is fine) 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper 3 teaspoons sugar 1 tsp Chinese five spice powder 4-5 tbs cooking wine 2 tbs dark soy sauce 4-5 tbs regular soy sauce 600ml chicken stock (shop bought is fine) 80gms fried shallots and a bit extra for garnishing* 3 spring onions finely sliced One fried egg per person
*For the fried shallots, the easiest option is to get them ready fried from an Asian supermarket. If not then finely slice and deep fry the shallots till they are crispy.
Start by heating the oil over a medium heat. Add the garlic and quickly stir for about a minute making sure it doesn’t burn. Add in the minced pork and turn the heat to high. Cook the pork, stirring and breaking up any large bits until all the meat is browned.
Now add the sugar, pepper, five spice, star anise and bay leaves to the minced pork and give it a very good mix. Next add the cooking wine and bring to a boil. Let the wine bubble for a couple of minutes and then add both the soy sauces and the chicken stock. Bring back to the boil, reduce the heat to a low simmer and cover and leave to cook for 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes add in the shallots and stir everything really well. Then cover and leave to cook for another hour – stirring occasionally. Once the sauce has thickened and the pork has become really soft, it’s done.
When you’re ready to eat, fry the eggs – one per person. Pile up a bowl with rice and top with the pork. The pork is very flavourful so a little goes a long way. Place the fried egg on top and I like to add some steamed green beans to the dish as this then makes a complete meal – but you can add any veg you have in the fridge. Serve the dish with the chopped spring onions and fried shallots for everyone to use as a garnish.
This Taiwanese minced pork dish doesn’t only freeze really well but you can also make the pork several hours in advance and just heat when you’re ready to eat so it makes a great prepare in advance dish for when you have friends over too. And once all piled up in a bowl it tastes delicious and looks so pretty too.
I got the idea for this dish while googling recipes with minced pork. There were two recipes that stood out for me and so I kind of created my own version using these two recipes as a guide: 1 and 2.
While there are lots of fabulous kids picture books out there, I have not had too much luck finding fun chapter books for kids, especially ones with lots of pictures. Anya is at that age (6 years) where picture books are still of interest to her but she could do with longer stories and more text to develop her reading. Recently I stumbled across The Beast in My Belly and it was just the kind of book I had been looking for. It’s a short chapter book for kids with most chapters no longer than a page or two but it also has lots of fun pictures on every page. At 6, kids still really engage with pictures and like to look at them alongside reading the text and this book has plenty of both. Besides which it is a great little story too.
Rumble, rumble, rumble! It’s that noisy tummy rumbling feeling we all get when we’re hungry. We’ve all experienced it but what happens when you’re a small child and don’t know why it’s happening? What could it possibly be? The Beast in my Belly is a funny chapter book about how far a child’s imagination can go when they’re trying to figure out something they’ve never experienced before. The little girl in the book imagines all sorts of things that could be happening inside her belly each time it rumbles. She is convinced there is something sinister inside her belly and tries to tell the adults in her life but of course none of them believe her. The illustrations are quirky and unusual and really bring the book to life. The colours they’ve used in the drawings are stunning too.
The Beast in My Belly is a great short chapter book for kids around 5-7 years old to read to themselves. But it’s also a fun book to read out loud to younger kids. It’s great for plenty of giggles with lots of cute drawings and it’s just a sweet little book which we have thoroughly enjoyed.
With all this rain going on here in the UK, we’ve been spending lots of time indoors. While I love watching the rain when I’m inside and dry, I can’t say that Anya feels the same. She is restless. So we’ve been having a few play dates, more tv than we should 😉 and lots of DIY and crafting time. Of all the stuff we’ve made, Anya has most enjoyed making this DIY water xylophone that she spotted on Cbeebies.
It’s such an easy and pretty DIY that I thought I would share it here. Simply let your kids fill 6-8 plastic or glass bottles with different amounts of water. Mix in some paint, in the colours of your choice, and your musical instrument is ready. Tap with a spoon or similar to explore the different musical sounds. Anya made her water xylophone in a pastel palette which I thought was so pretty!
What is is about polka dots that is so appealing? I adore them and they are going to be a big part of decorating my new home. Polka dots on clothes are fab but they’re also so fun as decorations for any room in the house. You can use a few or lots, big ones or small ones, colourful or monochrome – they just work. There is no room that can’t benefit with polka dotted decor but I especially love them for a kids room – both for boys and girls. Decorating with polka dots is an inexpensive way to add a bit of fun and lots of style to a room and polka dots are so easy to decorate with as they go with any kind of decor. Here are 7 inspiring rooms that show us just how to make polka dots work:
Big, black polka dot stickers decorate one side of this adorable room. The dots are just randomly stuck on to the walls – not in any pattern – making them even more interesting. And they also make the prints and the big round rug stand out more.
From big, black polka dots on the wall to bold polka dot bedding. I love this shared boys room which mixes different graphic shapes and bold colours so well. The black polka dot bedding really pops against those bright yellow shelves.
If you prefer having a little colour in the room, polka dots are great for doing just that. Like in this little boy’s nursery above, a few bright dots can add a splash of colour to a room and also these dots really make that cute toy shelf stand out.
Big and colourful polka dots work just as well for a bolder statement. Instead of a headboard this simple washi tape house shape is brought to life with those multi-coloured dots. I love how the dots have been added to the chair as well to complete the playful look.
I love the clutter and chaos of this room – after all kids never keep their rooms looking perfect, do they? Here, among all the many toys, shapes and wall decorations they’ve gone for one simple wall of small polka dots. Even though there is so much happening in this room, the dots make a little statement of their own and totally add to the look of this room. Love it!
Gold is a colour so under-used for a kids room, especially a little girls room. One of the best ways to add a touch of gold is by using gold polka dot wall decals like they’ve done in the room above. The gold doesn’t take over but instead looks chic and stylish.
Even the most minimal of rooms can benefit with some polka dots like this minimal nursery. I love that they’ve used two different sized polka dots to make even more of an impact. This idea of using different sized dots can be brought to life in so many ways.
The best thing about decorating with polka dots is that there are no rules and no age limits. You can go as minimal or as full on as you like. Polka dots work with any decor and they’re such a simple way of adding a little chic, playful style to any room especially a kids room.
Is it already back to school time? I can’t believe how quickly this Summer has whizzed by. It’s time to think school uniforms, school shoes, labeling stuff and all the rest that a new school year brings with it. I wish I could claim to be one of those super organized mums who have all this stuff sorted well in time, but no. I dread it all so I keep putting it off! My biggest dread of all though is those never ending queues to buy school shoes. Oh, the nightmares we’ve had in the past dragging ourselves from shop to shop, waiting to be served for ages only to find that they don’t even have our size. On to the next shop to do the same all over again. Not fun, especially with an impatient, hungry and whining child in tow.
Because everybody sensibly buys their school shoes at the end of the Summer, it’s always meant enduring those soul destroying shopping crowds. But not anymore. I have now started to buy school shoes online and what a huge relief that has become. I feel like I’ve stumbled upon a secret that no knowing parent ever tells you. Initially I was hesitant about buying online because what if the shoe doesn’t fit. But when I learned about Pisamonas who have a free delivery, exchange and return policy it felt like there was no reason not to. Pisamonas also have a really handy size guide to help you in case you’re unsure. If you’ve tried their shoes you’ll know that they offer fantastic value for money and they fit really well. They have a selection of more formal black school shoes but also many other styles that can work as school shoes – just depends on how strict or not your school is.
Anya wears the more formal Mary Jane school shoes in black and the fit has been perfect even though Anya has narrow feet. She also wears the matching grey knee high school socks which come in a range of school uniform colours and the socks actually stay up (yay!). Pisamonas have an offer where you automatically get 10% off any accessories when bought with a pair of shoes. So not only have we got great fitting shoes and socks but we’ve avoided the dreaded crowds by shopping from the comfort of our sofa.
How can anybody not get excited looking at beautiful, monochrome, minimal kids room decor like this or is it just me? Do kids really need to have colour in their lives 😉 This stuff is so playful for a small child’s room yet stylish enough for them to hold on to for years. What’s not to love?! Here’s where you’ll find it all:
I am very partial to toys that allow kids to play with them using their imaginations. I have pretty much stopped buying toys for Anya but I do make exceptions for toys that let the child make up different games and allow them to play without any rules, especially wooden toys. So when I came across these beautiful handmade wooden toys from Hungary, many of which are games, I knew that these are the kind of toys that I like to encourage in my home. When the ladies behind these toys offered to send Anya one, I wasn’t going to say no.
All the toys in Eperfa’s collection are inspired by nature and childhood games. The three mums who started this collection are from Hungary and were inspired by the Hungarian countryside where they grew up, played and had many adventures as children.
What I love most about the toys is their simplicity and because of it, the amount of endless imaginative play they offer. Take these wooden eggs that are a rolling game – you put the smallest egg on the floor, stand some distance away and roll the other eggs towards it. The player who gets closest to the smallest egg wins. We’ve had fun playing this game but Anya has also used these eggs for so many other things like making breakfast, egg hunts, drawing eggs – the list goes on. I also love that the eggs come beautifully packaged in a box full of hay, adding to the endless ways in which it can be played with. Similarly the fish puzzle in their collection is a beautiful puzzle of joining up the fish but the fish can be used to play with in so many ways.
I am all for wooden toys like these but sometimes they can cost ten times as much as the plastic ones. Luckily Eperfa’s wooden toys don’t cost the earth. They are very fairly priced especially as they are all handmade and hand painted. And for me, it’s always quality over quantity. Are you a fan of wooden toys?
One of my favourite places to discover new and unusual kids books is in museum shops especially here in the UK and in the US. You can find real gems that you wouldn’t easily come across elsewhere. Last week we visited Tate Modern and after admiring the art I made a beeline for the shop. I barely glanced at the adult collections, knowing that I was here to check out the kids books which didn’t disappoint. There were loads of fabulous books some of which I had already come across but many others that I was delighted to discover. I could have bought about 20 books but I had to hold back. There was one though that I couldn’t resist and that was Captain Coconut & the case of the missing bananas.
Captain Coconut and the Case of the Missing Bananas is such a fun kids book – full of laugh out loud humour that kids (and adults) will love. Captain Coconut is a detective who is called in to solve the mind-boggling case of the missing bananas. But Captain Coconut is no ordinary dectective – he has a brain as fast as lightening or so he thinks. Mrs Y is distraught as she bought 14 bananas and 4 of these were eaten by her and her family. The next morning, instead of finding 10 bananas, there were only 6! Where have those 4 missing bananas gone? So Captain Coconut arrives and goes about solving the mystery with lots of silliness, fun and entertainment for the reader. Beyond the fun there are also some simple maths puzzles (about the disappearing bananas) that kids will enjoy solving with Captain Coconut. The graphic illustrations are so artistic and colourful using collage style art and there are lots of them so there’s plenty to look at on each page too.
Anya adored this book and after we had read it together, she went off to read it by herself. Every so often I would hear her laughing out loud. It’s a book that is ideal to read to younger kids and but also great for slightly older kids to read by themselves – like around 6-7 years. Captain Coconut and the Case of the Missing Bananas is the first book in this series but there are more cases coming soon – I can’t wait. This book is such a joy so if you are looking for something fun and a little bit different, then do check it out.
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...
