Entries Tagged as 'family'

New beginings

December 4, 2014

"moving house ebabee"

Today I say goodbye to my home of 8 years plus – by far the longest I have ever lived in any one home.  Growing up I never lived in any house for more than a maximum of four years but usually less as my father had a job that was transferable.  I was born in Mumbai then moved to Prague then on to Hong-Kong.  After Hong-Kong it was back to Mumbai then London and next New York.  After that it was back to Mumbai and then I moved on my own to London to pursue my career in advertising.  I always planned to go back home to Mumbai but it never happened.  At the start of my life in London I moved homes a lot.  Then I got married and Richard and I bought this place a few years later and we’ve been here ever since.  I still remember the moment when we picked up the keys; the sheer excitement we felt.  It was our first proper home together which meant the world to us.  Three years after being here Anya came along.  More joy and more memories were created in this home.

Each room, each wall, each floorboard here has a story to tell.  Everywhere I turn in this home it’s full of wonderful memories – from the hand drawn height chart on the kitchen wall to each and every mark on my off-white carpet (yes I was over optimistic).  Many crazy fun parties have taken place here with secrets shared between friends over too much wine and many a night have Richard and I sat awake and watched the sun come up while agonising over a big decision in our lives or celebrating a positive moment.  These walls have heard a lot.  Perhaps the greatest memory this home holds is the birth of Anya.  This is the place where we welcomed her in to the world with equal amounts of love, awe and trepidation (being first time parents).  This is also the last home of mine that my father will ever have seen.  But these memories are etched in to my mind and I will always have them.

I guess I needed to write this post as much like this blog, this home is so much a part of my life, my story.  That living room in the top two pictures has been my home-office too.  That is where this blog began and where I hit publish on my first ever post.  That is the room where I conceived the idea for my new shop and packaged the very first order from.  But now it’s time to move on.  Our new home has everything we could want from a home but it needs a lot of work.  It’s exactly the place we imagined living in so we are really lucky to have found it. Once the work is done, in a few months time, we can enjoy our new space as a family and start making new memories there – I can’t wait.  As I close the door on this place I look forward with huge excitement to the change and the huge challenges ahead.  But while a I do that, a small part of me will always miss this home.

Do you feel sad when you move home or is it pure excitement for you? Any tips for quick settling in to a new place?

I won’t be posting tomorrow as I’m not sure I’ll have internet but hopefully I will be back to normal posts soon.  You have a wonderful weekend and see you next week.

A huge thank-you to Abigail Fahey for the beautiful photo’s she took of my home.

I have linked up to Pouting in Heels All About You and Honest Mum’s Brilliant blog posts.

"kids say the funniest things"

We often talk to Anya about what she wants to be when she grows up.  It’s such a fun conversation to have with kids as they often come up with the funniest things.  As a little girl, my mum tells me that I used to say I’m going to be a peanut shop owner because I loved peanuts!  Recently Anya came home from school very excited because she said she had decided what she wanted to be when she grew up.  Here’s how the conversation went:

Anya (really excited): Mama, do you know what I want to be when I grow up?
Me: No. Tell me, tell me.
Anya: I want to be a teacher.
Me: Wow! That’s great. It’s so nice that you want to help children learn and teach them everything you know.
Anya: No mama, I just want to tell everyone what to do!

That’s my bossy baby!  So what do your kids say?  Have they come up with a funny profession or like Anya, just cracked you up with their innocent honesty?  I’d love to hear in the comments.

Have a great weekend everyone and enjoy the little gems your kiddies come out with.  x

{photo by Abigail Fahey Photography for ebabee}

"the best jungle themed kids room"

It’s Friday finally.  I wanted to end this week with some fun finds from across the web starting with this amazing jungle themed kids room.  If you’re going to create a themed room, this is how to do it!

Wondering how to store all those art masterpieces your kids create?  This free app will make it easy.

This is funny – peek-a-boo gone wrong.

Your kids want a car shaped bed but you’re not keen on the looks of them?  You’ll change your mind after you see these.

These glitter ice-cubes are so fun especially to add a bit of sparkle to a birthday party.

How many of these parenting lies have you told and here’s what you actually mean.

This has got to be the whackiest Halloween costume ever!

Have a great weekend friends.  What are your plans? I’ll mostly be working on my new project which I’m so excited about and can’t wait to share with you very soon. x

"DIY cardboard dolls house"

Today I wanted to share some fun things from around the web that I’m loving starting with these DIY cardboard dolls houses.  How great are they?

Here are 20 surprising parenting tips that you’ll use once you know them.

This is an easy to make and very cool DIY wizard costume for Halloween.

Kids really do know how to embarrass you in public.

These DIY clown cupcake toppers are so quirky and fun.

A great idea for a fun birthday party invite.

Could these be the cutest kids meals ever?

Have a wonderful and fun-filled weekend and I hope that story about the kid who embarrassed his mum makes you laugh out loud like it did me. x

"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}

"father and daughter moments ebabee"

Have you ever watched the movie ‘Father of the Bride’?  For those of you who haven’t it’s about a father who is struggling (in a humorous way) to come to terms with his baby girl growing up and getting married.  In our home, Richard has already made a few joking (i hope) comments about Anya not being allowed near boys till she’s at least 25!    But boys aside, fathers and daughters do have a very special relationship.  It’s a different bond from what mothers and daughters share.  As Fathers Day is on Sunday I wanted to share a few lovely yet unexpected differences in our relationship that I have noticed and wondered if you have noticed these too:

1.  The bonding time took much longer for Richard.  He loved Anya from the day she was born and probably before but he didn’t find it easy bonding with a baby.  And then 6 months in to her life, everything changed and the bond grew stronger and stronger from there on.

2. He notices lovely little things about her that I miss.  Little facial expressions, big new words she uses, if she’s grown a millimetre. Maybe because I spend a lot more time with her or maybe because he sees her differently than I do.

3.  He falls for her feminine wiles each and every time!  All children want to get their way.  Boys tend to be more straightforward asking for what they want whereas girls can be a bit more creative.  When Anya is plotting to get her way, I can see what she is up to from the start.  But Richard innocently falls for her ploys hook, line and sinker!  And the best part is that she knows this and takes full advantage.

4. He lovingly makes complex DIY things for her that she adores like dolls houses and magnetic fishing games.  Recently he made her a ride-on plane from a large cardboard box and when she tired of the plane and demanded a boat, he stayed up late in to the night to transform the plane in to a boat so she would wake up to it the next morning.

5.  Anya gets away with doing things to Richard that no other person on the planet could do.  Like putting frilly clips in his hair or even painting his nails!

Have you noticed any special little differences in the way you and your partner are with your daughter?  Or maybe this applies to sons too in a different way?  I’m really curious to hear.

A very happy Fathers day to all the wonderful dads out there! x

{photo by ebabee when Anya just turned 1}

"where do babies come from?"

Last week, Anya and I had this conversation:

Anya:  Mama, where did I come from?
Me:  You came from my tummy.
Anya:  I already know that!  But where did I come from?
Me:  I don’t know what you mean?  You came from my tummy…
Anya:  No mama, how did I get inside your tummy?!

I wasn’t ready for this conversation as I never dreamed that I would be having it with my 5 year old.  Maybe I’m naive but I always thought these questions come up much later.  I quickly changed the topic and distracted her but I know that this will probably come up again soon.  And I’m really wondering what to say.  Do I go down the creative route and make something up or do I keep changing the topic?  I know I’m not going to tell her anything even close to the truth yet.  I do think it’s good to be honest with kids but this is just too young for me but I still do want to give her some answer.   So I’ve been trying to think of a few and the one I’m leaning towards is when you want a baby, you wish really, really hard for one and it just appears in your tummy! 

Have you had this conversation with your kids?  At what age?  What did you say?  Can you think of a better explanation?  I’d love to hear your ideas in the comments.

Have a lovely weekend and I hope it doesn’t come with any awkward questions! x

{photo by ebabee: Anya aged 10 months}

The mixed family

May 16, 2014

"how to raise kids in a multicultural family"

As I’m Indian and my husband is British, Anya is a mixed kid.  These days I’m seeing more and more mixed families which is a wonderful thing.  Many of our friends are multicultural as are Anya’s.  Especially in and around London, the multicultural family is very much the norm and I love this aspect of my adopted city.   Recently a friend in a similar family asked me how I was exposing Anya to the Indian side of her culture and this got me thinking.  Am I doing enough?  As Anya is getting older, I am getting more and more conscious of the need to make sure she understands her Indian roots too.  As her father is British and she is growing up in London she will naturally understand and experience the British culture but exposure to the Indian side is up to me.

Anya has grown up eating a lot of Indian food at home and has visited India several times.  I’ve tried to teach her Hindi (the Indian language) but she resisted my attempts because she felt no one else speaks it so why should she.  She would cover her ears and tell me not to speak in ‘that funny way’.  Of course we all know that no kid likes to be different.  Instead, I recently enrolled her in Hindi classes.  This isn’t just to learn the language but also to give her an opportunity to mix with other Indian kids and let her see that there are other people in London who speak Hindi (which came as a bit of a shock to her at her first class!).  I’ve also started making an effort to celebrate the biggest Indian festival of the year and I even went to her school to give a talk about it to her class.

I’m learning as I go along and trying to do things so that she has a balance of both cultures.  My husband Richard is totally supportive of this and like me, completely believes that if you do happen to be a mixed family it’s so important to have a good understanding of both your cultures as that can really widen your horizons.

Since I’m still finding my way, I’m really curious to find out if you are a mixed family, how do you do it?  Do you have any tips on integrating the second culture in to daily life?  I’d love to hear your suggestions and ideas.

Have a wonderful weekend! x

{photo by ebabee – an old one from when Anya was just a baby}

Hello from India

April 11, 2014

"pink tutu girls"

We are away on holiday in India and we have mostly been eating, spending lots of time together with my family, soaking up the hot, hot, hot sunshine and eating some more. 

"family time ebabee india""family time in India ebabee""Anya family trip India""family time ebabee"Because we are all so spread out – my mum in India, my brother and sister-in-law in the States and us in London – we don’t manage to get together as often as we would like.  But because of this, our meetings feel even more special when they happen.   And with Anya being the only child around, she gets so spoiled – today she indulged in two desserts after lunch thanks to my brother!  I’ve been sharing a few of our photos over on instagram and so thought I would share a few here too. 

Wishing you a wonderful weekend full of lots of family time.

"happy easter holidays"

Next week we leave for India and Nepal so I’m busy thinking about everything I have to take with me especially since we have a wedding to attend.  The one thing I know we can’t leave home without is that bunny or else there will be trouble!  Despite having loads to do before we go, I am really excited as this trip is going to be a family reunion after a long time.  As a family we are spread out across the globe so I’m really looking forward to us all being in the same place at the same time, bunny included!  The India part of the trip is going to be all about eating, meeting friends and spending lots of evenings talking, laughing and shouting (Indians tend to get over-excited and loud!).

And to top it all off we are heading to Kathmandu, Nepal together to attend a close family wedding.  I’m looking forward to the dressing up, the music, the fun and all the joy that a wedding has to offer.  But I also can’t wait to explore Kathmandu as I’ve never been before.  I love visiting a new part of the world and taking in all the sights, sounds and smells it has to offer.  If any of you have been I’d love to hear about your experiences and places to see and especially where to eat.  So please tell all…

Wishing you all a fun-filled Easter break and happy travels if you’re going away.

P.S.  The angry face is because I taped the bunny to the wall and apparently he doesn’t like it.

{photo by ebabee}

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