Category Archives: What Katy Wants

The baby legging brand loved by celebs… and made in an Essex shed

Posted in baby, Fashion, Katy Pearson, motherhood, Mummy life, Shopping, Today I'm loving, What Katy Wants by
Fred & Noah, Fearne Cotton, Katy Pearson, #whatkatydidUK

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 →

Notes of Hope to struggling new mums

Posted in baby, Katy Pearson, motherhood, Mummy life, Shopping, Today I'm loving, What Katy Wants by
Nancy Gibbs, Lobella Loves, #WhatKatyDid

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 →

Gym to offer NAPPING classes? Er, yes please!

Posted in motherhood, Mummy life, What Katy Wants by
Napercise, What Katy Did, David Lloyd

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 →

Beautiful beetroot recipes from Dan Doherty

Posted in Recipe, Today I'm loving, What Katy Wants by
Baby beetroot tarte tatin, Dan Doherty

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 →

I’m loving… MURI candles

Posted in Interiors, Katy Pearson, Mummy life, Shopping, Today I'm loving, What Katy Wants by
MURI candle

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 →

I’m loving… Sew Heart Felt children’s slippers!

Posted in baby, Fashion, Katy Pearson, Shopping, Sonny, Today I'm loving, What Katy Wants by
Sonny Jim, Katy Pearson, Sew Heart Felt

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 →

Let’s talk about last night… at Lower Barn Farm

Posted in Interiors, Katy Pearson, Mummy life, Shopping, Today I'm loving, What Katy Wants by
Everhot, Katy Pearson, Lower Barn Farm, launch

A new yearn: The Everhot

An Aga has always been something I’ve sort of unconsciously aspired to having. Y’know, along with a beach-fronted home, cashmere loungewear and hair that just falls right when I wake up.

Agas epitomise cosy kitchens. They conjure up warming night-time chatters, toasty toes and chubby-legged toddlers running across the kitchen floor.

So, at last night’s launch of Lower Barn Farm’s design studio (in London Road, Rayleigh) while there was SO MUCH lovely kitchen stuff to see up close and being used (thanks wonderful chefs!) there was one stand out for me.

The Everhot. It’s basically an Aga for the 21st century. A classic country kitchen look is combined with an energy-efficient heat storage range. Continue reading →