Calm before the storm

The last week before Christmas is always a bit of a hyper one for my eldest, the excitement simply becomes too much so we have been filling our days with activities and lots of fresh air. I have been taking my camera out a little less this week as baby carrying with a heavy camera slows us down but I have one or two little captures from our time. We have made it to the coast twice in the past week - once to the Pier in Penarth where we spent time looking for shells on the beach, digging in the sand and running along the pier before stopping for a snack. The second was a small part of the coastline near Barry which is perfect for fossil hunting and we have on a few occasions found some ammonite type fossils in rock. We also enjoyed a wonderful little forest walk with friends, splashing in a stream and making pinecone bird feeders and some scootering time of course. How have you been fulling your days in the run up to Christmas? ...

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5 simple ways to bring calm into your home

If you have kids then you have probably been navigating the madness that is half term this past week, having the kids at home all day every day can be pretty hard going and since we have opted to HomeSchool Mr A for the foreseeable future it has meant neither John or I really get a break but honestly we wouldn't change that. I have learnt though that you occasionally need a little bit more than just deep breaths to get through a trying situation such as if the baby has been up all night or you feel rundown or the house is a mess and the lego boxes have been tipped out for the 10th time that day. So I thought I would share what has been helping me de-stress on a daily basis as I feel these can apply to anyone, even if you don't have children and just find your having juggle numerous things in this crazy fast paced world. 1. Start the day with a decent breakfast and be kind to your body, drink lots of water and try to get your 5 a day going from your first meal. Fo......

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Bringing Karm into the home + Giveaway

I don't know about you but the run up to summer always feels a bit rushed and things in the household can become a bit unbalanced and hectic. I always find around this time of the year I need to step back a bit and make sure I have some quite moments to breath and restore not only my inner peace but also that of the home before all the summer action is in full swing (as we do like to make the most of those precious warmer months) When I was younger I used to use a lot of incense sticks but found those can be pretty overwhelming so I was delighted to be asked to review some of these beautiful naturally scented Karm candles which uses aromatherapy to help destress and add a sense of relaxation in the home. What I love about these is the skill that has gone into making them, they are loving hand-made and poured their Lancashire studio in Ribble Valley using natural wax blends and essential oils. I tried out three of there candles with my favourite being the sw......

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Our place to restore the calm

Mr A at St Fagans Life at the best of times can be described as manic or crazy as we move through this modern world at a faster pace than ever before. It can at times be pretty overwhelming and I think that every now and then it's a good idea to take a step back, breath in some fresh air and take time to enjoy the little things, as we as recalibrate. I know if the little man and I don't touch base with our two favourite places we both start to get a little bit of cabin fever especially since we love the outdoors but St Fagans and the Amelia Trust farm hold a special place in our heart and whenever things seem on top of us, o r my mind is feeling full and I can sense those dreaded heartaches coming these are the two places we visit to restore some calm back into our lives. I am a true believer in the healing of power of nature and the benefits of spending as much time connecting with the natural world. I certainly feel more grounded and have a clearer head after ......

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Calm, Chaos and Home Decorating 52/3

Enjoying some simple pleasures and moments of calm Wow can't believe it's already the 3rd week of 52 memories with The Mumdrum - a campaign encouraging people to document there year through photos. It's been so busy around here that on days it's felt pretty manic, the baby is due in 4 weeks and we are having work done on all three bedrooms as well as needing to replace the whole bath and shower before the little one makes it's appearance. Its felt like we live in the land of boxes at the moment and no matter how many trips we make to the tip it doesn't seem to make a dent in the clutter. So what do you do on days like this? Get out of the house for a walk, chill out and a spot of Coffee, which Mr A loved as he was treated to some marshmallows. Sky Blue Paint, Laura Ashley bedspread, bunting and wallpaper  Today we finished painting most of Mr A's bedroom, although the skirting boards and door still need to be done, gone is the wall mural as w......

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Pregnancy Update - 16 weeks

Wow I cannot believe how the time is flying this time round, I think I am just so busy with the little man there is hardly time to think about it and my growing bump - which I can say has finally arrived (this striped top covers it well). I have found it harder to sleep lately, my mind seems so active at night but otherwise I am all good. I am in a strange part of the pregnancy with regards to clothing, not quite there on maternity clothes yet it's getting a bit of a squeeze to get into my normal jeans. Also as we are gearing up for a holiday this week has also been all about relaxing, finding calm and keeping on top of things and I personally prefer to use natural products and have always sworn by Rescue Remedy especially when travelling, which is the first thing I am going to pack on our holiday to France. It simply helps to find that inner calm and clarity. ...

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Time to relax and Pied A Terre Giveaway

With everything so fast paced in our lives at the moment it can be really hard to simple switch off but for our personal wellbeing we all need to disconnect every now and than. Some save up for a 2 week holiday away from it all, others like me just try and find moments of calm during each day, wether it be a peaceful cup of coffee, lighting a beautifully fragranced candle, enjoying the fresh sea air or just having an extra five minutes in bed, they all help to calm the mind. I have to say one of my favourite ways to relax is to spend time near water, I love the seaside, harbours and beaches and during my childhood we lived near the coast and I spent many a sunny day either surfing, walking the dogs along the beach or unsuccessfully fishing off the side of a jetty. For some reason I always feel free near the sea. What is your favourite way to relax? Having a cosy night in, treating yourself to a spa day or relaxing in the bath? Well to help you on your way to a more......

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Calming Autumn Adventure

So it's official, we have a new house, but we are taking our time to move in as we have another 2 weeks we can stay at our present home. To say it has been stressful is an understatement, especially with so much else going on in our lives with our car seemingly to take forever to be fixed, Mr A settling into kindergarten as well as work commitments has meant that our outdoor adventures feel like our little moments of sanity during the day. I don't know about you but being outside and connecting with natural and simple pleasures is such a great way to calm the mind, I wish everything was as simple and efficient as that in nature. I love the saying from wind in the willows - "The river is always changing yet always staying the same" - seasons come and go with so many changes yet everything does it's part at time it's meant too, wish life went to plan like that. We came across all these little snails huddling together on our adventure this week Wh......

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Sphere of Life Review

So the lovely people at Sphere of Life asked me to review one of their jewellery pieces and I was really excited about this as I had been looking for a Birthstone necklace for a while so when I came across their creative take on the birthstones I couldn't wait to get my hands on one. As with every review I always endeavour to be as honest as possible. My birth month is September and my birthstone is a Blue Agate and this stone is meant to help with mental stability and bring peace of mind and bring calm on even the most chaotic days - which when you have a toddler running around can be quite often. As with anything first impression count and the first thing you notice about the Sphere of Life collection is the packaging, it comes in a really nice little bag and branded box that houses the silver sphere that reminds me of the DKNY Delicious perfume bottle. The sphere has a deep red lining which feels very luxurious and sitting nice and sung in the sphere is the draw string bag ......

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