Friday Interior Finds - Call Me

31/07/2015

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vintage telephone


We have been meaning to get a "proper" phone for a longtime, especially since our Juno hamburger phone was too tempting as a toy for Mr A and really I had had it for years and needed or a more grownup replacement. As some of you may already know we are huge fans of retro and vintage interiors and we did actually have a phone from the 60's for a while but they don't have touch dial and if your calling anytime of number that requires you to "press one" it simply does not work so this Wild and Wolf phone from Red Candy has all the retro features but is as practical as any modern phone today.


sixties telephone


I thought I would also put a few of my favourite interior picks for Friday Finds from Red Candy as they have such a great selection of chic, quirky and unique products and I absolutely love this round light fitting and sorbet bowls and as soon as we move later this year I have my eye on a few pieces I would like to pick up for the new home.


Interior finds



1. Umbra Trigg Wall Vessel £30
2. Koziol Orion Hanging Lamp £49.50
3. Orbit side table £123
4. Sorbet bowls set of 6 £39.00

Thanks to red candy for sending us the Wild & Wolf telephone 
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Don't Fear the Mess

30/07/2015

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Babies make mess, it's a fact of life, from the moment they arrive they throw our homes into a happy state of chaos but as long as you make sure they are well fed, loved and changed than you really don't need to get to hung up on the mess in the early months, just enjoy your time with your little one. If you have those key basis covered then generally babies are jolly little things although of course when teething or nappy rash or any kind of skin irritation appears it can cause a normally happy smiley child to become grumpy and miserable.




We try and keep our routines simple and use as many nature products as possible although when Pampers asked us to take the #PampersPooFace challenge and to show that their new sensitive baby wipes are milder and more PH balanced that cotton wool and water as well as being dermatologically accredited by the Skin Health Alliance I was at first both apprehensive and curious and was keen to know more and take the challenge. So watch our little video and see what interesting result we ended up with...




I have to admit going into this I really thought that Water and Cotton wool would be the more milder and skin friendly option so was really surprised when the wipes did better on the PH scale and I find it reassuring that I am not using anything harsh on Baby G's skin when it comes to those messy situations such as nappy changing time or weaning. 


Baby G and is Poo Face



I'm working with BritMums and Pampers testing their wipes and featuring their new #PampersPooface video. I was provided wipes and have been compensated for my time. All editorial and opinions are my own. Visit youtube for more information.


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The 7 Coolest Things About Los Angeles

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There are few cities in the world that can match Los Angeles' entertainment options. No matter where your interests lie, the City of Angels can satisfy them. In a city with limitless possibilities, the following are the seven coolest things about LA.

1. Rooftop Bars

Many hotels in Los Angeles have rooftop bars that feature pools, music and great people watching. There are few things more Hollywood than enjoying a poolside cocktail while overlooking the city at The Standard Downtown LA or Petit Ermitage in West Hollywood. You might even spot a celebrity!

2. Great Sports

If you love sports, you'll enjoy Los Angeles. Basketball fans flock downtown to watch the Lakers and Clippers while baseball fans love seeing the Dodgers and Angels. The temperate climate hasn't tempered the excitement of local hockey fans either; fans of the sport can enjoy the LA Kings and the Anaheim Ducks. If your feeling particularly lucky you could even put a bet down on your favourite sports team, bangthebook sportsbook reviews has some good information if you don't know where to start. 

3. High-End Shopping

You don't need to be an actor or musician to shop like a star in Tinseltown (though it helps). Those staying at The Beverly Hills Hotel or surrounding area can enjoy Rodeo Drive while The Ivy and Robertson Avenue are also ideal for serious shopping.


Rodeo Drive


4. The Great Outdoors

Los Angeles' weather is sunny and mild year-round, and there are plenty of ways to enjoy those lovely conditions. There are miles of beaches along the coast for water sports or relaxing. LA's hills and mountains are also great for hiking; check out Runyon Canyon Park or Griffith Park.

5. The Best Concerts and Shows

If you enjoy music or stand-up comedy, Los Angeles is the city for you. Whether you want to go to a stadium concert at the Hollywood Bowl or prefer intimate venues such as Whisky a Go-Go, fans of live music are in luck. If comedy is your thing, try The Laugh Factory, the UCB Theater or the Hermosa Beach Magic Club.






6. Museums
Los Angeles isn't simply about Hollywood glitz and glamor. The city is the home of several world-class museums. The J. Paul Getty Center and Los Angeles Museum of Art are perfect for modern and classic art lovers while The Hollywood Museum is a tribute to the city's motion picture legacy.

7. Picturesque Drives

The topography of Los Angeles combines with modern architecture to create a driver's paradise. Mulholland Drive--atop the Santa Monica Mountains--gives you breathtaking views of the city and the San Fernando Valley before weaving past the Hollywood Hills' expansive mansions. Head up to Malibu along the Pacific Coast Highway for a great afternoon of sightseeing and driving.


Venice beach, LA


These seven items barely scratch the surface on the cool things that you'll find in Los Angeles. There's much more to see aside from these attractions, so keep a mind open for adventure the next time you're in LA.

This is an associated post 
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Let's shake it up

29/07/2015

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Berry G&T


It might not be the hottest start to summer but it's not over yet and next months forecast is meant to bring the heat (fingers crossed) so we are going to make sure to make the most of it and enjoy each and every day day to the maximum. We plan to have as many picnics, bbq's and al fresco feasts and with any such event having a refreshing drink to accompany good food is a must. So when thebar.com asked us to be apart of their Shake it Up movement we couldn't say now and as soon as we had a mild night earlier this month John and I whipped out the Gin and Captain Morgans for a spot of delicious summer inspired cocktails that are super easy to make and taste great as well.


making cocktails


Summer is a time to kick back and rejoice in the good times, break free from tradition and try something new so why just stick with beer or wine and throw caution to the wind and have a hand a making some cocktails? You don't need to be a master mixologist to whip up something tasty and impressive for your guests and we recently had fun experimenting and having a go at making two classic cocktails - Johns summer favourite that is the quintessential G&T but with a berry twist as well as the delicious Mojito.



cocktail time


Very Berry G&T

1 Part Gordon's Gin
4 Parts tonic
Lime
Fresh Berries

1. Pack the glass with ice
2. Tip in the gun and top with tonic and a squeeze of lime
3. Sprinkle with fresh or frozen berries and serve it up

 The berries are such a simple touch but add a lovely subtle fruity flavour as well as looking great - this is sure to be a hit with friends at a casual garden gathering this summer.


drinking outside


Classic Cuban Mojito

1 Part Captain Morgan Original Spiced
1/2 Part Sugar Syrup
2 Parts Soda Water
Lime
Mint

1. Throw a handful of mint leaves, sugar syrup & a few lime wedges into a glass. Have fun mashing all these ingredients together to release all the flavours
2. Load the glass with ice and pour over the Captain Morgan Original Spiced and top with Soda water
3. Give it a good stir, garnish with a sprig of mint and serve it up

making mojitos



Both of these cocktails were super easy to make and that is coming from someone who has never made a Mojito before and I can't wait to try out making a few more especially since thebar.com have some inspiring and rather humorous videos to get you in the #letscocktail mood. So why not have a go your self and don't forget to share your own creations on social media with #letscocktail for your chance to win some prizes from thebar.com





This post is in collaboration with thebar.com 
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Guest Post: When in Cuba swing to the music

27/07/2015

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Cuban music is a dynamic, percussive, electric, colorful thing. It’s a hum, something that floats through the eaves and spills out of windows and infects all aspects of the culture. Its roots are deep and stretch across oceans, borrowing its guitar from the Spanish, its driving drums from West Africa, its lilt from Latin America. It is a breathing testament to the great diversity of the island; therefore, any true understanding of Cuba and its people must also involve an understanding of its music.

The earliest forms of popular music in Cuba were the Spanish Zarzuela, a bright operetta; the Bufo, comedic and satirical; the Guaracha, comedic with a rapid tempo; and the Trova, which was performed by traveling rovers who moved through Havana in the 19th century. As Cuban music evolved, it became more focused on dance: the Waltz, the Zapateo, the Criolla, the elegant and European Danzón and the Son, the most popular of Cuba’s traditional dances, most closely related to the Brazilian Samba or the Argentine Tango.




In the 1940s and 50s, jazz infested the island and the era of Big Band music began. Large scale Cuban jazz bands filled music halls with dotted rhythms and swinging melodies, all with the thrust of the Cuban Rumba. The Tropicana Cabaret Orchestra was one of the most popular musical groups on the island and drew large crowds of locals and tourists nightly. This period also marked the first time in which Cuban music began to infiltrate American sound waves.

In the modern day, Cuban music is known for its relentless mixing of genres. Cuban hip-hop, for example, often mixes the stylings of American rap with the melodies of Salsa and Afro-Cubano drum beats. Cubatón, Cuba’s answer to the Spanish reggae of Panama, is similarly mixed and is used to give voice to the social and political concerns of Cuban people.




Though Cubans take in and celebrate the music of popular Cuban artists, such as Gloria Estefan, Celia Cruz, Ibrahim Ferrer, Rita Marley and Silvio Rodríguez, the best way to experience Cuban music is, simply, to stumble upon it. Listen for the twang of a Spanish guitar pour out of a beachfront café. Groove to a new Reggaeton song as it blasts from a parked car. Spend a night dancing to Salsa in a local Havana dance hall. Take it in and let it wash over you and soon you’ll come to understand why music is such an important, and beautiful, part of Cuban culture.


This is a guest post by Fiona Moriarty
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Monday interiors - lighting inspiration

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stylish coffeeshop



The one thing you should never overlook in your home is lighting as it can make such a massive difference to your room. We have pretty low ceilings in our house otherwise I would love to hang some pendant lights in the living room and kitchen but for now we have two large floor lights in our living room to brighten things up and spot lights for the kitchen. In fact one of the first things we changed about our house was the hallway light - well florescent strip the last owners left behind (which was so ugly). Of course in the dream world we would all have floor to ceiling windows and summer would actually mean long days of sunshine and natural light would pour into our homes but alas this is not the case so making sure you have invest in some decent lighting is important no only to bring in some style into your interior space but also for your emotional wellbeing. I have put together my four favourites from Lighting Majestic which have a huge selection and where we recently got our new floor lamp.


lighting inspiration


Thanks to Lighting majestic for recently sending us a floor lamp


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Exploring Fyne Court, Somerset

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Fyne Court


Earlier this month we headed down to Somerset for three blissful days, taking in as much of the beautiful countryside and connecting with nature as much as possible. On our last day after checking out of our self catering loft at Huntstile organic farm we decided to first visit a Fyne Court, a National Trust site a few miles away, before heading back home to Wales and we are so glad we did.

Before leaving the farm we did a last minute check over of the car as we were in a rural location to start with and Fyne Court was also located in the countryside and both were a few hours drive from home. Making sure the car is in tip top condition during our road trips is always a must and taking basic autocare precautions such as checking the oil and water is something we always do


Fyne Court

Climbing trees


Set in a rural hamlet, Fyne Court is a stunning and free National trust estate with a courtyard that houses a cosy little cafe, lots of walks and woodland to explore, a folly, boathouse and lake and was the perfect place to run off some steam before our car journey home. In the court yard was a large tree that had been cut down and the tree and stump made a great natural climbing frame.


National trust

nature walk


We decided to do one of the shorter marked walks that took us around one of the ponds where we spotted some damsel flies and as it's so far from any kind of busy road you can hear all sorts of birdsongs from up in the trees. This is the type of place we would visit every weekend if we lived close by and would of loved to have had a full day to explore. After our walk we popped into the cafe for some coffee and a slice of cake, the perfect way to end our trip to Somerset, an area of the UK we have totally fallen in love with.





Country Kids from Coombe Mill Family Farm Holidays Cornwall
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Street Style Sunday - McArthurGlen

26/07/2015

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Laura wears Denim dress from Next, Clarks sandals, Firmoo sunglasses, Paul Costello bag



So I was recently invited to go and explore my local designer outlet McArthurGlen in Bridgend to see what they had to offer, not only for me but the whole family. We have been before but not for a while and were excited to see the redeveloped play area as well as new stores. First stop though was to hire a car for Mr A, they are ingenious really as the centre quite big and I know without these push cars Mr A would get bore pretty quickly but they have planned the centre with kids in mind.




We picked up a variety of things including this denim t-shirt dress from Next which is perfect for summer and have paired it up with some Clarks Original sandals, Firmoo sunglasses and a Paul Costello bag. At McArthurGlen I also picked up two vintage style tops from M&S and Fatface while Mr A loved the Vans store and Mountain Warehouse while John went for a little something from Timberland and we also picked up one or two things for Baby G - that is what is so fantastic about the centre is it's perfect for families especially with their newly refurbished Dinosaur themed play area which Mr A loved.


Mr A trying on his new Vans hat


There are tons of places to eat so we let it up to Mr A to decide and he went with Eds easy diner in the end, an American themed diner. The staff were really friendly and I love all the retro and vintage fittings, plus being able to pick songs on the jukebox at your table is a great little touch. They also had a great Chickpea and Quinoa vegetarian burger and a Gluten free menu.



McArthurGlen Bridgend also has a cinema should you want to catch a film after some retail therapy and their high end array of stores include Osprey, Fossil, Tommy Hilfiger and French Connection to name a few and I cannot wait to share our bits and bobs we picked up on the blog.




I really hope you can come and join in with Street Style Sunday - anything fashion related goes including what you and your family are wearing or what is inspiring you this week.

Thanks to McArthurGlen for inviting us


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Stylish London Apartment Stay with FG

24/07/2015

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London travel


We always try and spend a little bit of time in London each summer and decided to squeeze in a few days before we headed to Holland earlier this month and were lucky enough to have 3 days to explore the capital as well as being the first people to stay in this brand new one bedroom apartment from FG Property Management in the heart of Earls Court.

It was pretty exciting being asked to come and stay and see what we think of this new building, part of which is still under construction and will be open to the public near the end of summer, because of this we didn't actually know what to expect but once we opened the door to this large and airy apartment we were impressed by how spacious and stylish it felt.


FG property London

Earls court apartment


The flat consisted of a large lounge/kitchen room with two beautiful windows, a sofa bed, TV, dining table and modern kitchen space with everything you need to rustle up a good meal, although with so many great bars and restaurants within walking distance you may never even use the kitchen. The bedroom was a bit smaller but still fit a kingsized bed with more than enough storage space in the form of built in cupboards. The view from both the bedroom and lounge looks across a private residence garden which we were lucky enough to have a walk around and was so peaceful we couldn't believe we were in zone 1. I really loved the simply but very chic and stylish furniture, especially the dinning table and chairs as well as the wooden floors which create a calming interior space to relax in.


 family travel

As FG has property all over London they use a central booking-in reception desk at City Relay, only a few minutes walk from Earls Court, where we picked up the keys to the Flat from their very friendly team and one of the staff was kind enough to walk us over and personally make sure everything was okay. They provided us with a travel cot for Baby G and were very accommodating to those travelling with kids. When we checked out they also have a luggage storage area and since it was one of the hottest days of the year they immediately offered us all a bottle of mineral water.


Exploring Earls Court


Once the building works have been completed these flats are going to look amazing and finished to a high spec. We always find that travelling as a family self catering and apartment stays are the way to go as it allows you more flexibly than a hotel especially of you are staying more than 2 nights. As they use City Relay is also means that if there are any issues during your stay you can get hold of someone straight away as they are open each and everyday and work the same as a hotel reception.
In the meantime FG has lots of full finished luxury flats across the city that are perfect for any length stay in the capital.

We were invited to stay at FG properties for the purpose of this review




Packing my Suitcase
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Stylish Storage & woven baskets

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I am a huge fan of well designed spaces, rooms thats are not only stylish but also are practical and use the space in the best way, especially with savvy storage options. My mother recently had a bench/storage box made for her passage way (similar to the one above), its just under her stairs and it's not only created a place were you can sit down, put your wellies on before heading out but also a clever solution to being able to put away shoes, umbrellas or any outdoor equipment in a neat way.


As most of you already know we love products made out of natural fibres and I have a real soft spot for woven goods and have been working on getting our bedroom ready for the move later this year, so after setting up our new bed we have been on the lookout for some kind of storage trunk to go under the bed and I love these beautiful ones from The Basket Company.


I love this picnic basket
They have such a lovely collection of woven baskets perfect for any storage needs from under bed storage, laundry hampers, picnic baskets to magazine holders and even pet carriers that have created beautiful products that fit seamlessly into any home.

When it comes to selling a house it's also really important to make every room feel as bright and spacious as possible and having clutter lying around everywhere is not going to do you any favours, also you should never appear to be short of storage space. So after being asked if we would like to try out one of The Basket Companies products we went for a beautiful woven rattan basket from the which we use for all of Mr A's toys. I actually plan to paint this box with some chalk paint at some point but for now its the perfect solution for keeping our living room clean and tidy




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Huntstile Organic Farm Part 1

22/07/2015

24 comments

barley fields


As some of you may already know, breakfast is our not only our favourite meal but also favourite time of the day. Its like the calm before the store when we all sit down as a family before the business of the day starts and John heads off to work. Then the weekend comes and either pancakes or homemade waffles is a tradition on a lazy Sunday morning along with fresh banana, apple, some seeds and a dash of maple syrup and your off to a winner. So when Dorset Cereals who have recently teamed up with Sawdays asked us to not only celebrate Breakfast but also the best British B&B's serving them up we couldn't wait to be apart of it. Each month 12 shortlisted B&Bs will be posted on Dorset Cereals website where fans can nominate their favourites for the first Dorset Cereals B&B Awards. One of the B&B's up for the award is Huntstile Organic Farm in Somerset and I honestly have to say if your ever looking for a truly stunning and peaceful getaway that is also family friendly and inspiring than bare this place in mind, we spent two wonderful nights here and plan to go back sometime soon.


quiet moment

breakfast room
The stunning breakfast room overlooking barley fields


As John had to work my mother came along which was really lovely as it's been a while since we have had quality time together since Baby G arrived on the scene. We stayed in the Apple Loft which is simply perfect for a family and offers the best of best worlds in terms of having breakfast in the stunning breakfast room but also being able to cook some light meals in the small kitchen within the loft. The Apple Loft is open planned, spacious and has lots of natural light pouring in from the beautiful circular window. The mezzanine floor has a large king-sized bed and en-suite while downstairs has a small seating area and bunk beds which is a real hit with kids.


homemade jam



The setting for breakfast could not be better, in a beautiful summer style house overlooking barley fields. You sit down at beautiful wooden tables with jars of homemade jams, spreads, freshly baked treats, cereals and fresh fruit as well as being able to order a homegrown English farmhouse breakfast. I opted for the organic eggs fresh from the hens that morning with some roasted tomatoes and wholemeal toast. Everything was so fresh and beautifully presented it really made my soul smile each morning and would love to wake up to something like this everyday.



veg garden




What I really love about Huntstile is how welcoming it is, the owners are on hand to answer any questions and they encourage children to take an interest in what is happening on the farm. Each morning we got up early to help feed the ducks, chickens, goats and pigs and learnt a lot about organic farming. You are also welcomed to walk around the property including their kitchen garden, polytunnel, duck pond and wheat and barley fields. You can also pick up a leaflet of walks around the farm and about a 15-20 min walk from the farm house on top of a hill is a little stone circle they have created. The walk is a gentle up hill the whole way but offers you some amazing views of Somerset and when you reach the top their is also some woodland to explore.


hiking

Somerset

Huntstile farm


You could spend nearly all of your stay not leaving the farm and yet still have lots of opportunities to connect with nature, relax or play a game of chess in the communal lounge. We did however spend sometime exploring the local area, which I will share more with you in my next post, but Huntstile is really a special place and provided some much needed calm and downtime as well as simple outdoor fun for all of us. 




 Thanks to Dorset Cereals for inviting us to stay at Huntstile.



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