When thinking about updating a kids room, you don’t always have to start from scratch.  There are lots of easy ways to add a fresh look without completely re-decorating and turning it in to a mammoth project.  One of my favourite ways to easily refresh a child’s room is turning the wardrobe in to a feature piece.  Wardrobes are one of the largest pieces of furniture in most bedrooms including kids rooms.  So instead of looking at them as boring must-haves, I love the idea of using the the wardrobe fronts as a space to be creative.  With a little bit of imagination, wardrobes can become a really fun feature piece in a kids bedroom.

Here are 5 fun ways to add a some personality to any wardrobe:

"ways to update an old wardrobe"

1.  A quick and easy, yet striking way to make your wardrobe feel very much a part of the room is to paint it the same colour as the wall.  This gives quite a dramatic look and works especially well with bold colours as opposed to whites or creams.

2.  Instead of creating a feature wall, turn your kids wardrobe in to one.  Wallpaper the doors in colours and styles that match the rest of the room decor.  As the image shows, using different but complimentary wallpapers is a good idea to keep it looking interesting.  I’m loving the vintage wallpaper look so much that I’m tempted to try it myself.

"how to customise your wardrobe"

3.  Wall stickers aren’t just for walls.  They a great option for almost anywhere including adding some fun to a wardrobe.  A simple white wardrobe can be transformed in to something unique.  And the best part of using stickers is that you can easily change the look as often as you like. Instead of stickers, for a really personal touch, you could even stick your child’s artworks on to the wardrobe doors making a little gallery space.

"how to update old wardrobes"

4.  This is such a great idea.  Paint the doors in chalkboard paint and your kids have a blank canvas.  Each day they can create a new master piece, rub it out and start again the next day.  And I’m sure this huge canvas will be a hit when your kids have friends over too.

5.  For a subtler look, wallpaper the inside of a wardrobe in a bold print or pattern so you can only see the splash of colour when the wardrobe doors are open.  You could also go one step further and paint the wardrobe in a complimentary colour or just stick with white for a more understated feel.

There are lots of ways to add your own personal touch to your kids room.  I especially like the idea of customising furniture because it means that you can bring an old piece back to life or you can buy an inexpensive piece of bedroom furniture from places like Homebase and give it your own creative touch.  It’s a fun project to let your kids get involved in and the best part is, it’s not permanent so you can change the look as often as you like.

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

Image credits: 1. | 2. | 3. | 4. | 5.

"100 cotton girls summer dresses"This weekend we went strawberry (and veggie) picking.  Not only have I never taken Anya before but I had never been.  I so enjoyed picking my own vegetables knowing that I would be able to go home and cook them (hello broad bean bruschetta).  Anya too had a ball picking strawberries but then refused to eat them (fussy eater doesn’t even begin to describer her)!  This is one of the things that I love most about Summer – spending time outdoors as a family, doing fun things that everybody can enjoy.  My other Summer love is the fashion, especially the beautiful and colourful Summer dresses for little girls like the green dress that Anya wears.

anya-goodall-test3This Sophie dress was gifted to us by the talented designer Molly who is known for her adorable animal coats but has now extended her range to include lots of pretty and very girly Summer clothes.  Every piece that Molly offers is handmade making each item even more special.   This blue-green dress is one of my favourites in her collection because it’s so simple, easy and comfy to wear and looks so pretty.  The hand block-printed fabric and the little details like the ruffle hem and front tie just add to the charm of this dress.

"handmade summer dresses little girls"

I can’t wait to go back again to do some more veggie and fruit picking and next time I might even convince Anya to eat the strawberries.  After all how can anybody not like strawberries?  And thank you to Molly for this lovely dress and don’t forget to check out the rest of her Summer dresses.

I’ve linked up to Honest Mum’s Brilliant Blog Posts

{all photos by ebabee}

"vintage furniture and toys for kids"

This is probably one of the best vintage shops I have come across.  They have a lovely selection of vintage toys and furniture for kids as well as some stunning vintage pieces for the home too.   That vintage child’s desk is stunning in it’s simplicity as is that ride-on wooden car.  Most of the pieces in this shop are one of a kind and very hard to find.  If you love vintage furniture then I highly recommend this vintage shop.

"celebrating Summer"

Hello July!  July is my favourite month of the year.  The sun is shining, the flowers are in bloom, the days are long and bright and you can wear open toed shoes!  What’s not to love?  This weekend we’re planning to spend a lot of time outdoors with some strawberry picking tomorrow, outdoor pub lunch on Sunday with friends and family and lots of park time in between.  What are your plans for the weekend?

Here are a few Summery links I’ve liked from around the web this past week:

How summery and fresh do these cupcakes look?

Get your body beach ready with this 3 day bikini re-set plan

Learn how to make a flowery pinata

Get inspired by this gorgeous outdoor dinner party

These 4th of July popsicle cakes look good enough to eat everyday (even if you’re not American)

Matching mama and baby outfits can be cool

Who needs expensive toys and gadgets to have fun in the great outdoors?

Have a happy weekend and wishing all my American readers a wonderful July 4th.

{photo via Kirsten Rickert}

"hand knitted baby clothes wool"

Oh my god, how unbelievably cute is this collection?  I nearly died when I saw this in my inbox a couple of days ago.  Even though it’s Summer and the sun is shining, I just had to share.  This Autumn Winter 2014 collection of baby knits is all made from 100% soft and cosy merino wool and each piece is hand-knitted in Peru.

"hand knitted merino baby clothes"

Have you died yet?!  Can you bear all this crazy cuteness?

"hand knitted baby merino wool clothes"

All the colours in the collection are gorgeous but I’m especially loving the pale grey-blue.  And those bauble vest tops are beyond adorable as are the all in ones.  I am deeply in love with the knits but also with these pudgy, squishy little babies that make the most adorable little models, don’t you think?  This hand knitted collection of baby clothes is special and made with lots of love and care by a mama who knows exactly how to make us all feel broody!

"yellow baby room decor ideas"With all the sunshine here in the UK, I ‘m really feeling inspired by the colour yellow.  It’s one of my favourite colours for a baby room because it’s such a happy colour.  Yellow works so well for a boy or girl nursery but needs lots of white with it otherwise it can be a little overwhelming.  I’ve put together a little yellow nursery inspiration board with white walls and hints of other colours to inspire you in case you’re looking for unisex nursery decor ideas:

1.  yellow pendant light | 2.  bright red apple print | 3.  dotty wallpaper | 4.  knitted toy storage baskets | 5.  yellow plush doll | 6. dotted cabinet | 7.  vintage inspired kids chair | 8. yellow linen bed set

P.S. While I was searching for yellow nursery decor, I found one of the top related searches was ‘is yellow bad for baby room’?  Apparently, according to the internet, too much yellow (yellow walls, yellow furniture etc) makes babies cry!  I’ve never heard this before, have you?

"black and white cotton baby growsuits"How cute are these black and white baby grows, shorts and tees?  A limited edition collection, I’m loving the prints especially the anchor print.  All the prints are hand drawn and then printed on to the softest cotton.  I’m all for simple style when it comes to dressing babies and these black and white baby grow suits and nappy shorts are nothing if not stylish.

"family Summer holiday ideas"

I recently met up with a friend who has grown up kids and she was lamenting the fact that this would be her last Summer vacation with all her kids as they’re off to university in Autumn.  That got me thinking that I only have (at best) 13 family Summer holidays left with Anya and that just doesn’t sound like a lot.  I definitely need to make each one count!  With the first of my 13 Summer holidays coming up very soon, I started thinking about all the wonderful places I want to return to as well as new places I want to see.  Both Richard and I dream of exploring every corner of the world one day.  We did a lot of traveling before Anya came along but now since Anya is only 5, the same holidays have a different focus as they need to cater to her entertainment as well as ours so I started thinking about my top 3 choices for now:

"family villas to rent in Tuscany"

1. Beautiful Tuscany
I visited Tuscany for the first time about 3 years ago and it was love.  We hired a villa and went on a big family vacation so there was loads of fun and company for everybody.  Tuscany truly is a beautiful and very relaxing place and I can’t wait to go back there.  In case we can’t manage a full on extended family holiday with our own villa (which can be a nightmare to co-ordinate) I’d love to stay somewhere like Villa Pia.  With 17 bedrooms, there are lots of families staying in the villa at the same time so Anya will always have ready made company which matters as she is an only child.  There are also loads of kiddy activities from the more usual swimming and playgrounds to the more unusual like cooking and art classes for kids.  And for the adults too there’s plenty of lounging, socialising and eating on offer as well as fun activity day trips for all the family.  It’s rare to find a place that genuinely caters to both adults and kids equally so it’s definitely top of my list.

"Summer holiday ideas for family"

2.  Gorgeous Goa
Nothing beats a beach Summer holiday.  Which kid doesn’t like to spend time splashing by the sea side and building sandcastles galore?  There are lots of places to choose from across the world but our last beach vacation was a glorious week in Goa a couple of years ago where we couldn’t get enough of all the sun, sand and seafood.  We chose a family friendly resort so there were plenty of other families and kids around.  Anya was never short of company and made friends wherever we went.  Much like the Italians, Indians tend to be very relaxed about kids running around and enjoying themselves around the adults even at restaurants.  Most of the restaurants are open air so that helps a lot.  I can’t wait to get back to Goa as not only is it one of the most chilled out family friendly places but the food is to die for.

"city breaks with kids"

3. Vibrant cities
Even though Anya is only 5, we have taken her on many a city break which works as long as we make sure we have one thing planned for her each day.  Sometimes a full on 2 week holiday isn’t possible due to budgets or work pressures so I find even getting away for 5 or 6 days feels like a break.  My one top tip for a city break with kids is to stay in an apartment over a hotel.  This holiday isn’t as social as the others but during our last city break to San Francisco, we found lots to do for both Anya and us.  We took her to many playgrounds, fed her ice-cream and pizza and visited museums that would appeal to her.  Every city has something to offer kids so I think it’s a shame to miss out on the culture and vibrancy that this kind of a holiday offers just because you have kids.  We can’t get away for long this Summer so we’re thinking of a city break to Berlin.  Do you have any tips for child-freindly places in Berlin? 

Where do you Summer holiday?  I’m always looking for new ideas especially recommendations so I’d love to hear where you holiday in the Summer.

This post if brought to you in partnership with Villa Pia.  All content, words and ideas are my own.  thank you for supporting my work with carefully selected partners that support my blog.

{Top, 3rd and 4th photo by ebabee, 2nd photo by Villa Pia}

"Elias and grace Summer sale"

Who doesn’t love a good bargain, especially when one of your favourite shops goes on sale.  Elias & Grace has  been a favoruite of mine for ages.  I love the chic and minimal clothes they have in their collections year after year.  They stock some of the most exciting kids clothing brands and they mix and match the various brands so well to create stylish looks.  Even just checking out their look book each season is so inspiring.  I have bought a few pieces from them and they are some of the most versatile pieces in Anya’s wardrobe.  Right now Elias & Grace have a huge sale and I have to say it’s very tempting, especially my favourite piece of all – that long black dress by April Showers.  How chic is that?

"easiest homemade pizza"

Fresh pizza is a firm favourite in this home.  My husband Richard is a very keen cook and makes the most amazing pizza’s from scratch.  Until recently, pizza was only ever a weekend treat because as much as I like cooking, making bread of any kind is beyond me and he of course is at work in the week.  But recently I spotted some frozen pizza dough at Waitrose and I couldn’t wait to try it.  Pizza is something we all enjoy including Anya and it’s so popular with her friends too when they come over for play dates.  So I saw this as my opportunity to make fresh pizza anytime I wanted but without the hassle of making the dough.

Apart from the fact that homemade pizza tastes far better than shop bought, it also allows you to be as creative and varied as you like with the toppings and everybody can have different toppings without much extra effort.  So when I tried out this new frozen dough last week, I decided to go for a basic margherita for Anya (it’s her favourite) and chose some grown-up, no tomato sauce versions for me and Richard.

Continue Reading "Easy homemade pizza three ways"

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