Cute collab: Emma Bridgewater and Russell Hobbs
It’s no secret I’m rather a big fan of Emma Bridgewater.
So it seems something of serendipity that a new Emma Bridgewater and Russell Hobbs collaboration is launching on my birthday (August 15th for those who don’t have it on their calendar!) Continue reading
Fred & Noah fan: Fearne Cotton
YOU kind of know you’ve made it in the fashion stakes when Fearne Cotton posts a picture of herself on Instagram on Christmas Eve in one of your creations.
And then shortly after that posts another of her little girl Honey in one of your designs too.
Such is the rise of baby legging brand Fred & Noah – an empire run from a shed in a mum-of-two’s garden in Rochford.
Natalie Reynolds, 34, started making trousers for 0-4-year-olds while on maternity leave with her second son, Freddie.
Natalie was a lecturer in fashion design at South Essex College, running the fashion course, and initially making the leggings was just about her getting back into her hobbies.
But it very quickly turned itself into a serious income.
Natalie, who is an ex Thorpe Bay High School pupil, recalls: “It was exactly a year after starting the business that I was handing in my notice to the college and taking the leap to work full time on Fred & Noah at home with my husband. Continue reading
Making a difference: Not just beautiful brands
Picture by: Nancy Gibbs, http://www.nancyhgibbsphotography.co.uk
Here’s a frightening fact, suicide is the leading direct cause of death for mums within the first year after their child is born, a recent report showed.
One in seven of the women who died during pregnancy or up to a year after giving birth killed themselves, according to data compiled by MBRRACE-UK.
Which is why – this Mental Health Awareness Week – I’m so excited about Lobella Loves’ Notes of Hope campaign.
The new online destination for the most beautiful baby and toddler brands has teamed up with Cocoon Family Support, a charity supporting families suffering from pre and postnatal mental health issues. Continue reading
Napercise classes? My kind of workout!
David Lloyd Clubs is set to become the first UK fitness brand to offer group napping classes – scientifically designed to reinvigorate the mind, improve moods and even burn the odd calorie.
“Napercise” is launching in the wake of research revealing a “tiredness epidemic” across the UK, with 86 per cent of parents admitting to suffer from fatigue (er, yes that’s me) and 26 per cent regularly getting less than 5 hours sleep a night (oh that’ll be me again.)
19 per cent of tired parents admit to having had a kip at work (only not me because I’m a WFH mum), 11 per cent have found themselves drifting off while driving (I don’t really drive – thankfully!) and 5 per cent have forgotten to pick up their child from school due to their tiredness (oh hello me in three years time!)
So in a bid to combat this, David Lloyd Clubs is launching “Napercise” – a new type of wellbeing class for exhausted parents that consists of nothing but climbing into a bed and having a sleep. Continue reading
Yummy: Baby beetroot tarte tatin
Purple food is apparently set to be a big trend for 2017 (I know, who knew?)
And while, right now, I’m unlikely to find myself with time to whip these up (Sonny Jim has just cut his first tooth AND figured out how to pull himself up!) these recipes are just too lovely looking not to share.
Dan Doherty, Chef Director of Duck & Waffle has partnered with Love Beetroot to launch their Don’t Skip A Beet campaign (www.lovebeetroot.co.uk) by creating unique sharing plates showcasing the versatility of beetroots and how it adds a new vibrancy to a meal.
And here are two of them… Continue reading
Mama’s little indulgence: A MURI candle
Having posh candles, when you have a little one, can be something of an indulgence.
I mean, what with the no sleep, the feeding, the playing, the classes, who has time to go lighting candles? (Safely placed wellllllll out of reach of the oh-so-curious buba of course!)
But I’ve always had a candle or two burning about my house – it just makes it feel more cosy, more hygge you could say – and that hasn’t changed since the arrival of Sonny Jim.
That said, with me being on maternity leave and the boy constantly out growing clothes and starting to eat his body weight in grub, there’s not quite the budget there once was for super expensive candles (so long my Jo Malone lovelies.)
Which is why I do a little dance of joy when I come across fabulous, high quality candles, that don’t cost an absolute fortune! Continue reading
Super sweet: Sonny Jim’s slippers
Sometimes you discover something so sweet that you have to swallow a squeal every time you look at it.
Sew Heart Felt’s children’s slippers fall ever so easily into this category – especially when they are on Sonny Jim’s little feet.
These Darci Donkey delights, £24.95, are just one of 26 different styles designed here in England by Sonia Spencer and skilfully hand-made by women across the world, using local traditional crafts handed down over many generations.
From Pete the Penguin and Sally the Seal to Billie Badger and Finlay Fox, the collection is made using organic fibres and eco-friendly pigments (wherever possible). Continue reading
