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DIY love arrow kit

January 27, 2014

As a kid, did you ever give out little cards to your friends on Valentines day? I did and it was just as fun to make the cards as it was to give them out. With Valentines day less than 3 weeks away, I thought you might like this sweet DIY love arrow kit that I came across. The kit contains everything you need to make 10 arrows with messages attached, the only extras you will use are scissors and glue. Kids around 6 and over will be able to do this craft all by themselves and when they’re done they can add a personal message to each arrow.

I’m so not in to the whole commercial side of Valentines day but I like the sentiment behind the day. Doing a special DIY craft with the kids is a simple and sweet way to mark the day and perhaps follow that with a special family meal at home. This love arrow kit is such a pretty DIY and a lot more unusual than giving out cards. You’ll find the kit at Clafoutis (a lovely little party shop) who made it in collaboration with La maison de Loulou where you’ll find lots more beautiful DIY’s.

That Friday feeling…

January 24, 2014

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.

Elegant birth annoucements…

January 23, 2014

In India, we have a tradition of giving out something sweet to family and friends when a baby is born. Traditionally, typical Indian sweets were handed out but these days anything sweet is fine. When Anya was born I gave out small boxes of these chocolates and so many people were surprised and delighted since this isn’t something that happens in the UK. I love this ‘sweet’ Indian tradition but equally I like the American one of sending a birth announcement which is becoming popular here too. A new baby is such a special occasion that it should be marked in some way and sending cards that you can touch and hold is so much nicer than emails or texts. It’s even better if you can find a moment to add a personal hand-written note on each card.

If you’re lucky enough to have design skills or a designer friend you could have a birth announcement card made especially for you. If not, these letterpress cards by Ink + Wit are beautiful. Simple, elegant and classy, all the cards can be customised too. In addition to the paper cards, Tara the designer, also creates wooden cards (1st picture) which become an instant keepsake.

Does your country have a special tradition to celebrate a birth? I’d love to hear in the comments…

Beanie on helina…

January 22, 2014

It was the name – Beanie on Helina – that first got my attention. It’s such an unusual name for a shop. I discovered a stylish and sweet world of cushions that include clouds, houses and raindrops. Beanie on Helina is a Finnish shop by Kaisa Erkkila and you can totally see the stylish Scandinavian vibe. The name is inspired by a story Kaisa’s dad told her when she was a kid about a temperamental little girl who wore a beanie. In addition to cushions, Beanie on Helina also offers some cool home wares like cloud pot holders (which would also look nice on a kids room wall), pouches and jewelry.

Wooden toys to stack, build & play…

January 21, 2014

These wooden toys by Karl Zahn are so beautiful and imaginative. They include a set of 5 stacking crocodiles and a range of animals that come in pieces for you to build. You can also interchange the animal parts to create new creatures. But these toys aren’t just for play; they’d look equally great displayed in a nursery or even on an adult bookshelf. My favourite is that little elephant although the stacking crocodiles are pretty cool too.

Sesame soba noodles…

January 20, 2014

I am a complete foodie. I love eating and I also enjoy cooking. But as much as I enjoy cooking, any recipe I attempt has to be fairly simple and not have too many ingredients but it still has to have bags of flavour. And of late, the recipes have to be family friendly. I spent over 2 years cooking 2 separate meals a day as Anya is a very fussy kid. But in recent months I’ve tried to find healthy recipes that all of us can enjoy and I’ve managed to find a fair few so I thought I would start sharing them here. First I want to share these Japanese inspired sesame soba noodles which are a firm favourite in our home because they are delicious, versatile and very quick and easy to make. The ingredients are mostly store cupboard things so this is my go to dish when I’ve got nothing planned for dinner or if I’m short of time as you can literally make it in under 10 minutes.

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Simple pleasures…

January 17, 2014

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.

Have a happy weekend!

6 etsy favourites…

January 16, 2014

Here are 6 things I’m currently loving on etsy:

1. A hand knitted pointy pixie hat for babies… 2. dusky pink hand knitted baby romper… 3. metallic gold polka dot leggings… 4. handmade woodland bunny dressed for Winter… 5. sleepy bunny shaped small plate… 6. handmade baby animal pillows.

No more {after school} boredom…

January 15, 2014

In the Winter months, I’m always looking for something to fill those bewitching hours after school and before dinner. Anya’s instinct is to fill those hours with TV but since that’s not allowed (mean mama here) I encourage her to do other things which often means I end up doing them with her. Jigsaw puzzles, board games, reading books are all part of our after school play but there’s only so many times I can do the same puzzle or board game before I go crazy! While searching for something new to do I came across Lotta magazine from Australia. I haven’t tried it yet but it looks really promising with lots of arts, crafts, games and puzzles to get through in each issue, not to mention the cute and colourful illustrations. Lotta is for 5-10 year olds and is published 4 times a year with each issue exploring a particular theme like ‘secrets’ or ‘sea life’ or ‘history’. It’s aimed at filling time in the school holidays but I think it would be great for that empty after school time and one issue should get us through couple of weeks at least.

Lotta magazine is available in the UK at Abacus-kids.

Room for two…

January 14, 2014

Recently, a friend of mine was debating about whether to separate her two kids or leave them together in one room. As kids, my brother and I always shared a room. Even though we could have had separate rooms, my parents always kept us together. I have to admit it was a lot more fun that way. What’s better than having a partner in crime when you sneak around after being put to bed? Or when you hide under the covers with a torch and play for hours, with your parents none the wiser? So of course my advice to her was to keep them together without question. And to convince her i even offered to find her some inspiration for shared kids rooms. These were my favourite finds and so I’m sharing them here in case they inspire you too.

Image credits: one | two | three | four