Whenever we have school holidays coming up, I always try and order at least one new book for Anya. It’s just something I started doing a while ago but now it’s become a holiday habit. The holidays have somehow become my prompt to get her some new books and with half term coming up next week, I went looking. I don’t always get a story book but it can be an activity book, a joke book, an art book or anything that looks interesting and will keep her occupied for a while.
I never considered myself a DIY’er or a crafter but since I started some crafts for this blog a while ago, I can’t seem to stop. It’s so addictive. My latest crafting obsession is making stuff with home bake clay. Oh the possibilities! My first DIY clay project was making clay necklace pendants for kids. We chose moon and star shaped pendants but you could go any any shape you like. Here’s what we did:
“Have you said thank you?” is the line I often find myself saying to my seven year old when she receives a gift or she’s leaving a party or a play date. She’s a well mannered child and does remember to say thank you most of the time but I still remind her just in case. It’s our job as parents not only to teach our kids good manners but more importantly to lead by example. I’m sure most of us are polite and always remember to thank our friends and family for the obvious things like gifts, their hospitality and their help. But what about the little things?
I once read that Elton John spent £300,000 on flowers in less than a year, simply because he likes flowers. Excessive? Maybe but who doesn’t love flowers? I certainly do and if I could be surrounded by an abundance of fresh flowers in my home everyday of the year I would. But since I’m no Elton, I have to settle for flowers once in a while. When I do get them, just looking at them brightens my spirits even on the gloomiest of days. So when Bloom & Wild offered to send me a bouquet, I couldn’t say no. I was especially attracted to Bloom & Wild’s offer not just because of the beautiful flowers but also because of their very clever idea of letterbox flowers.
So, what are letterbox flowers? Letterbox flowers are simply flowers that fit through a regular door letterbox – such a simple idea, but aren’t the simplest ideas always the best? In the past, receiving flowers hasn’t ever been a complete surprise for me because every time my hubby or a friend sent me flowers, they would call to check if I was going to be around to take a delivery so I kind of guessed what they were up to. But now, if you want to surprise someone with flowers, how lovely that you don’t have to check when they will be home. And when they do come home, they will find a box of flowers waiting for them – enough to make anybody’s day special.
I was a little concerned that being in a box the flowers may not be as fresh as flowers delivered in water but I needn’t have been. They were absolutely beautiful as you can see. And as a bonus many of the flowers hadn’t bloomed which means I got to watch them open up and I will get to enjoy them for longer. As these flowers come flat in a box, you have to arrange them yourself. For me, this was a positive – the flowers come with a card that suggests arrangement ideas and I loved doing it myself. There are four different letterbox flower bouquets you can choose from – either as a one off or you can get a 3 bouquet bundle, delivered over a period of your choosing. With the bundles you end up spending less than £20 per bouquet so it’s very good value too, especially as the bouquets are generous with many stems.
Now that I’ve discovered these flowers that fit through a letterbox, I can”t wait to surprise a friend. It’s such a nice way to let someone know you’re thinking of them. And in case my husband is reading – let’s just say I love surprises especially if they involve flowers! (hint! hint!)
Do you know Furoshiki? Don’t worry, it’s not a swear word but it’s a beautiful eco-friendly Japanese tradition of wrapping gifts in cloth. It comes from the old Japanese culture of caring for the environment and reducing waste. Last week I was reminded of this beautiful Japanese cloth wrapping tradition when I was given a cloth wrapped gift by a cousin visiting from India. She didn’t use a traditional Japanese cloth but instead used an Indian fabric which looked so pretty. With the gift giving season coming up and since we’ve got a spate of birthdays before then, I thought it was a good time to start thinking gift wrapping and why not try something new and environmentally friendly this year?
Furoshiki wrapping cloths are available to buy in the most beautiful patterned Japanese fabrics. They can be expensive compared to paper so think of them as part of the gift. Otherwise you don’t have to restrict yourself to these – my cousin just used some off-cuts of fabric she had lying around the house so you can use practically any fabric that you have. I’ve also seen gifts wrapped in beautiful tea towels which are very much a part of the gift. Once you get used to fabric wrapping, you can wrap practically anything in these cloths. The Japanese don’t stop at gifts but also make pouches with handles to carry stuff around or wrap their lunch boxes in these cloths as some of the pictures above show. I also love them for wrapping a bottle of wine – so much nicer than taking the bottle as is.
This Japanese cloth wrapping method looks complicated but it’s actually quite straightforward – it’s kind of like origami with cloth but simpler. In case you want some help, here is a good site showing you lots of different ways to use cloth wraps. The site goes in to step by step instructions for different methods of cloth wrapping, making it easy to follow. But for the simplest option, you can also get cloth wrap bags that tie at the top to make them look wrapped like in the third picture.
Did you know that in Finland every expectant mother gets a baby box as a gift from the government? The box contains all the newborn essentials she’s likely to need including clothes, bath products, nappies, a sleeping bag and even a mattress. This is such a lovely idea and for those of us not in Finland I’ve always thought it would make a great gift idea for a mum to be. It’s as if Almondella, a Finnish company read my mind because that’s exactly what they’ve done but taken it a step further. They’ve put together a range of monthly gift boxes for kids that aren’t just for newborns but for babies and toddlers.
Now they’ve gone even further and partnered with Peggy (the super stylish blogger behind Paul et Paula) and together created this great box of delights. Peggy thought why are these boxes for babies only, why not for older kids too? So she put together a gift box that is unisex and perfect not only for babies but for all kids up to 6 or 7 years old. The box contains fun decor items that will work in a nursery, a playroom or a kids room.
Peggy kindly sent me a box for Anya and when I opened it there was much excitement from Anya and me. Anya was immediately drawn to the iconic elephant money box (which needs no introduction) and the Evolution colouring book. The Evolution colouring book is a colouring book but so much more too. As well as colouring in the pages there are more interactive elements like flaps to lift, die-cut holes and stencils that can be drawn through and decorated. And then there is text that describes the evolution of life. So the book is fun to read, interact with and colour.
I was excited with all the bits that will work so well in Anya’s new room but my favourites are the animal poster and the wall sticker. The black and white animal poster has been created specially for this box so it’s not available elsewhere. And then you have a wall sticker – either ‘You are loved’ or ‘Grow Strong’. You don’t know which one you’ll get so it’s a nice little surprise. Lastly you have the cute sleepy hedgehog cushion.
I’m always looking for exciting and unusual gift ideas and this box would make a beautiful gift for any child. It’s a box of things that will grow with your child and they can keep for ages. And the best part is that you pay much less for all the things in the gift box than if you had bought them separately. This box is limited edition with only 50 boxes but I hope Peggy and Almondella will make more such boxes in the future because I so love the unisex, ageless aspect of it and of course the stylish Scandinavian delights inside it.
I absolutely love kids books and can spend hours upon hours choosing books for Anya and then enjoying them with her. We all know that it’s important to encourage our kids to read but to develop their interest and keep it going it’s so important to pick the right books for them. Apart from searching online, I tend to ask friends and colleagues for recommendations, browse real bookshops in London and on holiday (where I have found some gems) and I even ask on my facebook page which gets me some fabulous suggestions. Over the years we have discovered many fab kids books in this way but there have been some disappointments too. While I love searching for kids books, sometimes I wish there was a less time consuming way. And that got me wondering about a kids book subscription box as there seem to be monthly subscription boxes for everything else these days!
I went searching and I found some – yay! In the UK there is The Willoughby Book Club where you can subscribe for 3, 6 or 12 months and it’s aimed at children from 5-12 years of age but they also offer toddler and baby book subscriptions. You just answer a few questions about your child and the books are tailored to their age and interests. In the US you have Giftlit which works in pretty much the same way but has a few advantages. I especially liked that with Giftlit you get to see the books you are getting before you order and having briefly browsed their selection I have to add that it looks really good. So if you don’t like the sound of one, you can substitute it with another and you can also return books. This ensures you only get and keep books you and your kids love. Lastly again in the UK is Prudence and the Crow who specialise in vintage books for kids and adults. You don’t get to see the books which is a shame but I still like the idea behind the service.
I haven’t tried any of these book subscriptions yet but I am very tempted. I love the idea of a kids book subscription box because of the element of surprise and also any kid would love to receive a monthly package in their name. The anticipation would just add to their excitement of reading and enjoying the book. And especially for those months when you don’t have time to search and find books you know you’ll at least receive one in the post. Apart from your own child, these book subscription boxes would make great gifts too. Have you tried one? Where do you look for inspiration for your kids books? Do you know of any other services? I’d love to hear your thoughts and ideas in the comments.
If you had walked in to my home in the days after I gave birth to Anya, you would have been forgiven for asking if I had suddenly turned in to a florist. You could not move for the beautiful flowers I had. While I adore giving and receiving flowers, I think there are many more useful things that you can give new mums. I often get asked for ideas and so I thought why not share a few of my favourite new mum gifts on here.
Sometimes it’s hard to think beyond the obvious gifts like flowers, baby clothes, toys or anything for the baby. But chances are the baby will already have everything it could possibly need and much more so I think with a little thought you can give the new mum something that she really needs and something that may just help make those first few weeks and months a little bit easier. Here are some of my favourite ideas for some unusual and thoughtful gifts for new mums:
1. One of the biggest things new parents lack is time. Time to look after themselves and that includes not being able to eat well-balanced meals. So instead of a gift for the baby, you could give them a week’s worth of fresh meals cooked by you. But if that’s not possible, you can still give fresh meals from somewhere like the Food Stork who have ready made boxes of lots of different meals that you can have delivered.
2. Another lovely and personal gift for a new mum is a pamper treatment – a facial or a massage would both be a much appreciated gift especially at a time when you’re not feeling your best. This would have been top of my list of gifts to receive. Think of how you felt in those days and weeks after a birth and then imagine escaping for a couple of hours to be pampered in a quiet, tranquil environment. Pure bliss!
3. Thinking on from pampering gifts for the new mum, you could even gift the new mum a baby massage session. It’s a thoughtful gift that gives both the mother and baby some special bonding time that’s just for the two of them. And the new mum will also get to meet other new mums around her. There are many places that offer these but if you’re in London, The Portland Hospital has weekly sessions open to everybody.
4. If you really do want to give something for the baby, then think about clothes in bigger sizes like 6-9 months or even 9-12 months. The baby probably has more newborn clothes than she could ever wear so bigger sizes are much more likely to come in good use. An alternative to clothes is a baby journal which is more of a gift to the parents but it’s something that will be kept and eventually be given to the baby. I remember my mum giving me my baby journal and it was so great to look through and read.
5. New mums want advice, especially first time mums. So I love the idea of all her friends and family (who already have kids) each writing down their best piece of advice in a beautiful journal. It will be something fun and meaningful to read especially during those endless night feeds and it may just turn out to be the most useful parenting book ever. This is what a friend of mine received and even though her son is now 5, that journal is something she will keep forever.
6. If the new mum in question has an older child or children you can buy little gifts for them to keep them occupied. Things like reading books, colouring or puzzle books, board games and small toys will distract the siblings for a little while at least.
7. Another thoughtful gift for a new mum with older kids is to offer to look after them or take them out for an afternoon so that the new mum can spend some one on one time with her baby.
8. One of the things I regret not having done properly is taking enough photos in the newborn days. At the time I felt too camera conscious but I regret it now and I’m sure I’m not alone. Newborn photography is very popular and it’s a wonderful thing because those fleeting moments will never come back. So the gift of a photo session with a photographer who visits the new mums home is a wonderful thing to give as the memories will last forever.
9. This may sound a bit impersonal at first but a voucher for the mum to buy something for herself is a thoughtful gift. It could be a voucher for her favourite clothes store or an amazon voucher if she loves reading or a voucher for her favourite beauty brand. As a new mum it’s a treat to take a few minutes out and browse the internet looking for something you want that’s not baby related at all.
10. One of the best gifts I received as a new mum was a 1kg box of the most divine chocolates ever. That box of chocolates became my reason for being. Every night, I looked forward to the time when my baby was asleep in between feeds and I could open that box and get my daily fix. So the gift of a box chocolates or sweets or cookies, depending on what the new mama likes will be a sweet little gift and from experience I say the bigger the box the better!
11. Last but not least, becoming a mum, especially for the first time, is a huge mix of experiences – some good and others not so good. Loneliness is definitely one of the not so good things so instead of spending money on your friend, why not commit to visiting her once a week or more often if you can. Once the dad has gone back to work, any new mum will cherish a bit of adult company over coffee and some conversation to help pass those long days. This gesture will go far beyond any gift can.
Whats the most thoughtful gift you received as a new mum? I’d love to hear in the comments.
This post is brought to you in partnership with The Portland Hospital – UK’s leading private paediatric and maternity hospital. All content, words and ideas are my own. Thank you for supporting my work with partners that support this blog.
Today I want to introduce you to my newest sponsor Noeuf. Noeuf is a French boutique full of covetable things for babies and kids. There are carefully selected clothes, toys, accessories and more on offer. Whether you’re buying your new baby essentials or looking for a cool gift, you’ll find something at Noeuf. At the moment Noeuf are getting in all their new Autumn/Winter 2013 collections and from the new stuff I’m loving that tree adorned all in one by Bobo Choses. I’m also loving those cute party invitations by Barnabe Aime le Cafe. Noeuf’s selection of goodies is fun and stylish and I’m glad to have them as my newest sponsors.
This is the first year that I’m bringing you gift guides for mama’s too. So for the first one I’ve lined up a range of gifts ideas for mama’s that love to cook and entertain.
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...
