7 Simple Ways to Celebrate Autumn as a Family

Autumn is such a wonderful time of the year and offers up a lot of fun activities to do with children and as a family. However it's very easy to get caught up in the commercialisation of every seasonal holiday and also with Christmas on the horizon it can feel very manic as well as expensive but it really needn't be. In fact Autumn is the perfect time to slow down, recalibrate and reconnect with the people that mean the most to you as well as move forward towards Christmas feeling more balanced.  So I thought I would share a few easy ways to celebrate Autumn with kids for free, or very little as some of the suggestions do require basic ingredients but none of what I have shared should cost more than £2. 1. Head out on a Hike or Walk in the Woods Don't underestimate the power of fresh air and Autumn is the perfect time get outside as much as possible before it gets too cold so head to your local country park or woodlands and take in all those beautiful autumnal c......

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Creating the perfect minimalist workspace

As they say a messy home is a messy mind and if you work from home that can certainly affect your productivity as well as creativity. Most home offices are fairly limited in space and can easily become cluttered if you don't keep on top of things and even if the house is not anywhere near minimalist (as is mine right now…I’m working on that) than at least try and make your workstation as simple as possible and a space that allows you to think clearly and work more efficiently. So how do you go about creating a minimalist (or at-least clutter free) haven to work from ? Find a Quite spo t with lots of natural light- besides your laptop and possibly your mobile phone, you really want to be as far away from any other technology or distractions such as TV, and Hi-Fi. It’s also important to find somewhere that is preferable light and airy, loft conversions are usually great for this as they have large roof windows that help full the room with sunshine.    A s......

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Street Style Sunday- 21 again

One of my favourite stores - The White Company recently celebrated their 21st and having collaborated with them before they sent a little surprise my way in the form of this beautiful long wash silk blouse, it is so comfortable to wear and perfect with skinny jeans for day or night. As it's certainly become a lot chillier in the air I decided to pair it up with my Barbour Jacket and my topshop black skinnies, Boden trainers and favourite necklace from Anchor and Crew . The White Company have some amazing pieces in this season, they just capture style and simplicity so perfectly so here are four of my favourite picks 1. Boyfriend Jeans in White £90 2. Cashmere Ear Muffs £59 3. Suede Chelsea boots £169 4. Roll Neck Jumper £119 Remember to come and join in with what is inspiring you this season, wether it be what you or your kids are wearing or simply a mood board come and share with our weekly style linky An InLinkz Link-up ...

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Simple ways to brighten up a room

Our terraced cottage is over 100 years old and therefore has very thick walls and low ceilings and at times can feel quite dark especially with the summer day's gone and autumn here it's important to inject as much light into our living spaces as possible and it's something I have been working on for a while and thought I would share my top tips with you on how to brighten up even the smallest of spaces. 1. Keep it simple - don't clutter a small area, especially not with dark furniture. Keep your spaces simple and light, the less things you have the more space it creates allowing for light to flow better and feeling less cramped. Also add a few pops of colour to uplift the room. 2. Hang some mirrors - I know you have probably heard this before but they really are the easiest way to reflect natural light into a room and you can have more than one reflective surface in a room and they are also perfect for those awkward spaces such as hallways or landings. 3. ......

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Friday Finds - Simple Interiors

Porcelain tumblers on etsy  It's that time of the week again when I pull together a few inspirational pieces and make a little wishlist of things I would like to pick up for the house. It's a strange thing as we are actually trying to get rid of a lot of the things we own and simplify our life but that doesn't mean we won't be replacing things that are a bit chaotic or not what we really want with beautifully designed objects that make our heart sing. I have been browsing Etsy lately and here are a few bits and bobs I love 1. Simple Plant hanger £7.50 2. Natural wooden clock £27.65 3. Look inward hand-stamped spoon £10.70 4. Keep Love Simple printable poster £4.50...

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Beautiful Bibico & Giveaway

If you are a regular reader of the blog you probably already know we love ethical brands, so when I stumbled across Bibico on twitter a few months ago I immediately wanted to know more about this locally designed, ethically produce, fair-trade and organic independent store based in Bath. It can be surprisingly hard to find clothes that are not only stylish but also produced in a low impact way and that benefits the people who actually produce the clothes such a the cooperative in Nepal who hand knits all of Bibico's knitwear. Most of the knitting is done at home which means they don't have to travel, reducing costs and allowing them to stay close to their families. Summer inspired outfit from Bibico - love the Breton dress for £49 What I love most is the beautiful simplicity that their collection captures with classic designs such as Breton dresses, Aran jumpers and canvas espadrilles, it reminds me of blissful days spent at the seaside or in wellies in......

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Lazy Sunday morning

Oh Sunday mornings you are my favourite, even when I don't get the chance to lie in you make me dream of long lazy mornings, white sheets and the natural morning light coming through the windows. Going downstairs to homemade pancakes and a good cup of coffee...you will forever be my favourite day. If you like me love the simple things in life come and following my simple pleasures board on Pinterest ...

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Adventuring

So we are finally starting to get back into the groove of things and it's been a delight spending some time outdoors with the little man, just as we did before Baby G arrived on the scene. I am still not completely over the c-section but I getting there and I think the fresh air is helping. This week we enjoyed some time taking Sam the dog to a local greenbelt. As you may have noticed Mr A is currently obsessed with camouflage and pretending to be either in the SAS, Scouts or Bear Grylls. He loves taking his compass out with him and keeps running over to ask what direction we are heading in. It's these simple pleasures that makes me smile, nothing but some quality time spent climbing trees or rocks, looking and learning about plants and squelching through mud in our wellies. We have been talking a lot about camping lately and we are all getting excited at the prospect of spending some time under canvas this summer as we have done since Mr A was 18 mon......

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Simple Sunday interiors

Oh how I dream of lie-ins in such a comfy looking bed ( image ) I have to say we love Sundays in our household, it usually starts out pretty lazy, well as lazy as one can be with a 4yr old who is ready for action from the get go. We usually start the day with some homemade pancakes, some fresh coffee and hopefully lots of laughing, although with our new arrival, Baby G, this Sunday was anything but relaxing, in fact we were totally sleep deprived. The little guy had been up pretty much all night and we both looked a little bit worst for wear but our heart filled with love. Sundays are still our best day of the week, when family time really comes together, even though it won't be so lazy as before I am loving these interiors and they capture my idea of a Sunday morning perfectly Nothing beats a lazy breakfast in bed ( image ) Simple Sundays with flowers in the home is what I dream of ( image ) Love this simple Scandi kitchen table ( image ) ...

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Keeping the family home on trend

Keeping the family home and happy and creative place It can keep be hard enough keeping the home ship-shape without worrying about whether it's fashionable enough. However, there are a few things that you can do to avoid looking like you live in a relic from a bygone era. Minimalist chic In other words, chuck out the chintz. Many people are going for the classy Scandinavian look as featured by the wonderfully chic Nordic Design  blog where minimalism is the order of the day. With clean white walls, a predominance of warming wood tones, and a sense of sleek functionality, it's a great and cost-effective way to give your family home a makeover. Storage spaces can be easily created and modified through some cheap and adaptable storage blocks. And if you're feeling it's a touch sterile, add a bit of natural flora to bring a bit of life into your interior. Bedrooms can also be one of the areas that can suffer in family spaces as they tend to become cramped......

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Tasty South African Dishes

Me on my first day of school in Cape Town If you read the blog regularly you will probably know that I was born in South Africa to a Welsh mother (SA Father) and Mr A has now been born in Wales to a South Africa mother (Welsh Father) so we have an interesting mix in our house when it comes to childhood memories and the food we eat. I love anything Mediterranean as the South Africa diet at times can be very similar to the greek - we are huge fans and producers of Olives and Feta cheese as well as enjoying light salads, tapas and moussaka in the summer sun.  John on the other hand is a fan of slightly heavier British style food which simply was not that common in South Africa - I mean who would want to eat a Sunday roast when its 30 degrees outside. I used to live on the slopes of the beautiful table mountain So when I was recently set a Cricket World Cup foodie challenge by Betfair to put together a yummy dish inspired by one of the 14 countries taking part and I knew ......

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Lazy weekend food - Lighter Creme Brûlée

I have been trying to keep on top of my sweet cravings during my pregnancy, normally I have no problems with this and we enjoyed a healthy lifestyle with lots of fresh fruit and veggies on a daily basis but lately I have been dreaming of something light and creamy. We usually stay away from dairy - in fact I have been drinking dairy-free milk for almost ten years but every now and then a cheeky dessert is required. I wanted to take this family straightforward recipe from Sunrise-care  and see if by making one (or two) small changes if I could make it slightly less calorific. So instead of using standard double cream I opted for Weight Watchers double cream which is 70% less fat but is still perfect for cooking and baking and worked really well, I also reduced the amount of sugar in the original recipe, only by a little but then every little helps and it made no difference on the outcome. I popped four of these ramekins into the oven while making a Millet, Aubergine and mush......

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Small garden styles - Turf Vs. Seeding

I love the mix of real and turf in this magical vertical style garden ( image) Anyone who’s prepared a garden, especially a small garden such as  courtyard  or roof terrace has come across the age-old debate of whether it is more effective to turf or seed grass. There are benefits to both – but the cost, time, presentation and ongoing maintenance benefits vary. Not too sure where to start? Consider the following when you’re choosing between turf or seed. Cost Without a doubt, there is a cost differential between turfing and seeding. With turfing, someone else has done all the hard work. With seeding, the money you save usually means a lot more work for you, but if you enjoy gardening like we do then this will not be seen as an issue but if your busy and want something stylish and low maintenance than turf maybe the nest option. You’ll find the costs of preparation and ongoing maintenance, however, are similar. You need to ask yourself – is the investment in ......

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Making Memories 2/52

So as some of you may know I am participating in the 52 memories challenge with The Mumdrum which encourages people to take photos and make at least one visual memory a week. Now this photo above is certainly not the best quality wise but was taken on one of our wintery outdoor adventures and it was such a simple but wonderful day that it felt natural to capture that moment. I took the little man down our local cycle path with Sam the dog, we jumped in puddles and kicked up leaves and was a wonderful way to let off some steam it had been raining on and off during the week so having a fairly dry day was blissful even though it was only 5 degrees. Here is to lots more memories this year....

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Bathroom dreams, treats and dry skin beats

So our bath has sprung a bit of a leak...well it's a little bit more complicated than that but after having the floor recently re-tiled and the walls painted with thought besides replacing the glass screen on the bath and a few other little things that the Bathroom was fairly straight forward with regards to getting ready to put the house on the market - alas that is not the case and instead we have to replace the whole bath, the shower unit above the bath and the wall tiling around the bath...all before the baby pops out next month. In the perfect world we would replace it for a beautiful roll top bath but when renovating a property the first thing you need to do is separate your wants and desires to what is the most practical, finically beneficial and what suits the property the best. Of course having a roll top bath would bring the wow factor but as we are marketing it towards families and want to keep the costs down the best options is something simple and less lavish...althou......

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Simple New Years interior inspiration

Simple but rustic ( image ) I know it's not even been Christmas but I am really craving calm and serenity, I think I always do around this time of the year as everything seems so manic and crazy and the house is full to the brim with things we don't really need. I really want to reclaim my space back and get rid of the unessary and move forward into the New Year feeling lighter and with a clearer head and that needs to start with the home. I want to create a space that is both homely with touches of nature but simple, fresh and fairly clutter free, I know deep down this would make me a happier calmer person but still allow space for us to be creative in. What changes do you want to make in the New Year? A simple but creative and family friendly space ( image ) Neat, natural and simple bedroom ( image ) I love the white-washed floor boards ( image ) ...

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Simple Wedding Makeup with No7

So as you know I recently attended a wedding and with it being such a smart affair I think you really need to be careful about what makeup you do use and don't go too over the top. Quality is very important as you want something that is going to stay put all day. I have had some wonderful No7 products waiting to be used and thought this was the perfect time to create something simple but chic and create a little TaDah moment. I love their Stay Perfect super light foundation which went on really smooth and is something I am now using daily. It's perfect for all skin types and is a light to medium coverage. I also used the concealer stick in the same shade to cover the dark circles under my eyes and is an essential in any mamas handbag. I was immediately taken by the sparkly Lash Impact mascara which really did make an impact on my lashes and was very easy to apply and control. I paired this up with the gold shimmery eye shadow stick to add some subtle sparkle to my......

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