Making Meal Times Fun

If you've been keeping an eye on me through my Facebook page, on Twitter or through Instagram you might have spotted a new line of crochet goodies!

These pieces have grown from a rather soft spot in my heart, put there by my ever growing and learning son and the love that my other half and I have for food and all the amazing discoveries and adventures that you can have with it.

Something we both discussed, even before our little one was born, was the increased desire to introduce our children into the world of food with excitement and curiosity!

Not just to indulge in foodie wonders but to build a healthy knowledge of food, where it comes from and how it's made. 

And the memories!

Who doesn't have a fond memory of ice cream or a treasured recollection of butter on toast round their grandparents, or that sneaky toffee treat? And my word, roast dinners!

 It all adds up a wonderful way to live life, loving food.

As our little one grew and the time to introduce food came, we found that food alone doesn't always spark the interest of their ever busy minds. 

And whilst hearing of other parents difficulties, trying to convince their little one that biscuits aren't the only food in the world, I found myself developing and working on pieces to try to make eating and meal times much more fun and exciting to be a part of.

These pieces that I've brought together make sitting down at the dinner table for a delicious meal so much more exciting!

Teddy Bear Placemats and Teddy Bear Coasters, crocheted from 100% cotton, and completely washable!

They get to choose their own colour or even a few different colours to make things a bit more fun. It can be their own little job to lay the table with fun teddy bear mats and even take it as a routine queue that teddy bear tableware means food time!

My own boy has a blue bear (as pictured above) and calls out "Teddy Bear!" if I've forgotten to get his placemat out for lunch. In fact, I need to make him a new one to alternate as they go through the wash, it's becoming a solid part of his routine which not only helps with meal times, but is starting to fill me with the most amazing feeling of having designed and made something that's really helping my son.

I hope these help other little ones to get excited about wonderful, new eating experiences and if nothing else, to make the dining table a more fun place to sit and enjoy time with the family!

Folksy Shop

Etsy Shop

#MakeMealTimesFun

x

Falling for Autumn

Today is Post day.

So me and my little side kick bundled ourselves up and went on an adventure to post Mummy's parcels.

And my, Autumn is in full swing!

We've only been house bound for about a week, but it seems that we've already missed so much!

Kicking leaves and jumping in puddles is by far the best way to travel!

What do you love about Autumn?

I think I may be in love with the entire season!

Crunchy leaves

Cool mornings

Time to bring out the woolly warmers, hats scarves and gloves

The seasonal veggies are by far my favourites!

Apple crumble - my god apple crumble!

Berries

All the animals out and about, busy collecting food 

All of those beautiful colours decorating the earth

Toadstools

Dew

Hot chocolate

And it could just be me, but everyone just seems so much nicer in the Autumn.

It'll be a shame when Winter gets here and it all goes away, but hey, then we'll build snowmen!

- hopefully.

What do you love about Autumn?

x

Coming Back

It's been long overdue, but I feel the urge to submerse myself back into my writing.

For all of you who read blogs, write blogs or just plain live for the written word, I think you'll understand that it feels like there's a certain call to it. I used to surround myself. I'd write diaries, read non-stop, scribble little stories and poems whenever there was a spare second going. 
Hopefully I'll be able to find those spare seconds again!

Nearly two whole years ago, all that I thought was important and normal found itself eclipsed by a single, tiny, wonderful human.
Yep, I earned the title "Mum".
Every second belonged to him.
But now... don't tell... I'm trying to sneak a few back!

I don't think he's noticed yet. He seems more interested in the thousands of cars he seems to have accumulated and determinedly trying to figure out how the plug sockets work. (help!) 

Not to say he isn't my entire world, but I think a few precious moments to yourself are vital for sanity's sake. Right? 

Anyway, the egg timer calls.
I'll try and catch some more seconds tomorrow and tell you some more about my crochet work and what's happening with my little felted creatures.

Pop back soon!

x 

Happy Anniversary

Just a small post to say

 a very happy anniversary to my wonderful Lewis!

(warning - mushyness ahead!)

It has actually been a whole 5 years since we met!

A snowy day in Reading, meeting at the train station, a bag of nerves.

Then off to the pub to calm our nerves!
:)
Followed by a walk in the snow, a game of 'throw snowballs at the statue's bottom', and exploring the little world around us.

I can honestly say that Lewis has been the only person to really 'get' me, notice the little things about me and make me laugh so much that I actually vomited water out of my nose in a shopping centre...

...and didn't feel the need to run away and hide after.

And it's never been boring, never been dull.

I love our little life that we've made together.

I know it's mushy and a little love sick,

but this guy is one in a million

and without a shadow of a doubt

my soul mate.

He even treated me to some roses 

(not too many that I'd tell him off for spending money on me, but enough to make me think he was wonderful!)

:)

Happy Anniversary Lewis!

Here's to many more years of adventures, cups of tea, rubber duckies, adorable offspring, trips to the seaside, discovering the little things, and creating as many amazing memories as we possibly can!

I love you

x

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year everyone!

Without doubt this has most definitely been a year full of adventures!

An adorable, tiny baby grew into a cheeky, still adorable, toddler.

And that in itself is quite an adventure!

We've had ups and downs like you all have I'm sure, and at the end of it, we all take a sip of something bubbly and contemplate how on earth we got to this point.

Honestly, I've no idea!

It goes by in such a whoosh, but I know that I feel content, achieved, and brimming with excitement and anticipation for the next year to come.

So 

who's got a New Years Resolution they're planning to stick to this year?

I've had a good few in mind, but I think I've narrowed them down to:

~ Blog more

(obviously! :) )

~ Try and be a bit more grown up about things

(that sounds a bit bonkers, but I still feel like I'm taking on the world as a kid. I'm not saying 'ditch my younger mind set'. Just try to be the responsible adult now that I've got my little son watching my every move!)

~ Organise!

(Now I've been a mum for over a year, I need to start organising my time properly, setting out 'working time' and 'play time'. My business needs a jolly good kick up the bottom!)

~ Try to fit in a date night or two

(Not that things are rubbish the way that they are, I just think a date night at least once a month would be magical. Even if it's just a game of monopoly and a glass of cider instead of watching the TV! Something I've found through the wonderful experience of being a mum - no one tells you just how hard it is to be 'Just Us')

There are sooooo many more, but at the moment, these are my 4 important ones.

Fingers crossed I can stick at them for more than just the 1st week of January!

I hope you're all enjoying your New Year!

Whether we stick to our resolutions or not, at least we know for sure that this time next year we'll have a gazillion stories to tell!

Have a good one everybody!

And I hope to be blogging to you all again soon!

And MOST importantly

Make The Little Things Fun

x

A Year Of Being A Mum

It has been ages!

I can't deny the little man has grown into an expert at absorbing all of time, but it's wonderful, so I'm not complaining! 

:)

Can you believe fellow internet friends...

my son is one whole year old!

On the 24th November we celebrated our little boy's very first birthday 

and congratulated ourselves on being parents for a whole year.

It's quite something I think, when you think back over a whole year and realise what you've achieved and have it staring right back at you, burbling and trying to grab your nose.

It makes you step back a little bit and go "Woaw".

It really does seem quite surreal.

I remember posting to you all about a little bean growing in my tummy and now he's a person, a tiny little individual, living with us.

I know everyone says it, but "time really does fly". 

And god I wish I'd immortalised moments more. 

His little hands and feet are bigger, his cry is different, his hair is growing...

-

I'm hoping my next few posts will be a gradual look back over a year of discovering how to be a parent. A scrapbook celebrating all of our little adventures!

(I wanted to post as things were happening, but Finn's ability to take up every inch of spare time is staggering!)

Starting from the birth of my special little boy and taking you through the learning curves we went through and all of the wonderful little discoveries we made along the way.

It's been magical, emotional, soul destroying, and euphoric!

- and I wouldn't have it any other way.

I can't wait to see what the next year has in store for us. 

(hopefully some more free time - or at least a magical method of gaining more!)

Here's to more awesome!

x