Good Morning and welcome into the new week. Here in London we start the 2nd week of isolation for Antoine. And probably the more challenging of the two. Fingers crossed that all children will stay in school until we break up for the holidays once he goes back.
Talking about the holidays! I know it is difficult to get in the mood with the current situation but since we also have a few birthdays to celebrate during the same period, I feel we need to cheer up, dress up, and celebrate. A lot!
Staying positive is still the number one priority. And staying healthy of course. That is why we will focus on cooking new recipes, chosen by all family members, do some lots of baking and prepare a nice table setting. I can confirm that it shifts the atmosphere and it is so easy.
And for the ‘special days’ we will also make an effort with our outfits! And no, I am not talking ultra glam, but something nice.
Now, if you appreciate the idea but the kids have outgrown their clothes or the wardrobe needs a little boost. Well, this may be your week, because there are some deals to be had. And one place that has a topnotch selection of kids wear is definitely Farfetch. And you will be able to access their Black Friday Kidswear Deals. Which brands and items will be in the sale is a surprise but very likely a very good one. So stay tuned!
However, to inspire you I selected the pieces that I would love to find in their sale. Fingers crossed!
Will you spend this years Christmas with a baby? And it will be baby’s first Christmas? That is definitely an “aww” moment that you will cherish and that you will never forget.
Commemorate this magical moment with an ornament for the tree you can bring out year after year. And some heirloom gifts that will accompany your child for many years to come. Or how about something personalised that will start a tradition like a stocking or gift sack?
Plus I really have the feeling that Christmas this year will be very heavy on the ‘let’s forget about everything else for a moment’ side of things. And rightly so. I heard that some Christmas Trees are already up to bring some cheer into people’s houses. And since there is nothing more magical for a child than Christmas time, why not make your baby’s first Christmas the most special of all?
Here is my take on some lovely keepsakes, baubles and presents for Baby’s First Christmas:
1. Baby’s First Christmas Bauble! Personalised with a cute rabbit in various colours.
2. Christmas Keepsake Advent Calendar – perfect for a baby’s first Christmas, to note down all of your Christmas activities and one to keep to look back on in years to come!
3. This is just the best thing I have seen for a while! Give your little one their first car! Made of wood, this beautiful toy offers many very realistic features: steering wheel, gearshift, horn, brake pedals and accelerator, air conditioning, radio and side-view mirrors. Your child will be able to play the mechanic, change a wheel or even lift the hood to see what’s underneath!
4. Organic cotton world Explorer Play Mat. Soft colour scheme suitable for either gender and can be used interactively for toddlers/preschoolers as they learn about places in the world and features. The mat can be machine washed easily and the base fabric is a thick GOTS organic cotton canvas in grey.
5. So cute. A stacking flower! Transform this flower according to your desires to invent and reinvent itself. Your child will be able to match colours and shapes with this toy.
6. Again, a wooden toy. But this stimulates endless play and has so many possibilities – wooden figurines! These charming wooden toys are made in Europe, designed to encourage and adapt to children’s development. Made of maple wood and hand-painted with a unique formula of non-toxic watercoulours.
7. And this cute wooden pram comes with its own mattress and pillow.
8.This growth chart features animal faces that smile as your little one grows up.
9. Baby cardigan in Christmas red with a beautiful Scandinavian pattern!
10. Again, this wooden building set, with its refined colour palette, is the ideal tool for building a world of many possibilities.
Ho Ho Ho! Christmas is getting closer and I am sure we are all in need of some love, little surprises and down time.
And if you read here for a while you must know that Advent Calendars are a must during Christmas Season in my house. The children already asked if we do it the same way we usually do. Let’s see… (I will share more at the end of this article)
Nonetheless, the day the first door will open… it is definitely time to countdown till Christmas and get a little more festive day by day! Do you agree?
I put together a lovely list of some excellent calendars for this year and there is something for everyone. DIY calendars, something for the minimalist, heirloom pieces as well as for Harry Potter fans.
The best Advent Calendars for 2020:
Reusable Advent Calendar
What a beautiful fabric Advent Calendar* is an ideal alternative to the traditional boxed calendars. It can be used year after year and passed down through the family. Each pocket can be filled with your own small gifts, chocolates or little messages making it the ideal family Christmas keepsake.
Minimalist paper house advent calendar
Very sweet DIY advent calendar to shorten your wait for Santa. It consists of 24 houses in four different sizes. Once put together you will enjoy a Swedish village that is delightfully understated and makes every minimalist heart skip a beat.
All you need are scissors, a bit of glue and some treats and little gifts to fill the houses.
Pssst, there is a forest version as well!
Fabric Advent Calendar
Each pocket of this Calendar* is beautifully embroidered with a number and is the perfect place to pop a little gift or message, creating a magical moment each morning. The pockets are made with gussets so they are big enough for a couple of smaller gifts or one a little bigger.
Santa shaped Christmas advent boxes
Cute Santa advent calendar. Simply pop up the boxes and fill them with sweets and other little treats. Overall, each pack includes 24 boxes and 1 sticker sheet to assemble your own advent calendar.
Advent Calendar with small Christmas ornaments
The Christmas Ornament Advent Calendar can be used year after year. Simply hang the cotton twine under your mantle, down the stairwell or anywhere you wish to spread some Christmas cheer. Place one ornament in each cotton bag, and then tie the bags. Each day, open a new bag and hang the enclosed ornament on your Christmas tree. For a child you may want to add a little chocolate or candy in the bag as well. I love the idea of decorating the tree a little every day. It adds to the sparkle.
The set includes: 25 Hand-Stamped numbered cotton draw string bags, 25 wooden ornaments, 25 lengths of Bakers Twine, and 10ft Natural Cotton Twine to hang.
Harry Potter Advent Calendar
Every day you will get one Harry Potter* item like magic socks, a pencil, badge pin, phone stickers, or tattoos. And many more cool things. This Advent Calendar has been developed under strict adherence to the Warner Bros license.
Cookie advent calendar
Yes! This is an edible calendar. And it can be personalised and it exists as a gluten free option too. Beautiful, different, and definitely sweet!
Waldorf Toys Advent Calendar
With that wooden advent calendar kit* you might just have the most amazing thing in your playroom this Christmas. Children will enjoy playing with this set for years to come and it will brighten up any mantel or coffee table during the winter holidays when it is eventually outgrown, before being enjoyed again by the next generation.
Printable Advent Calendar
A digital download and perfect for a last minute decision. (make sure to have high quality paper like thick white card stock on hand though!)
All in all, this cute Advent Calendar contains 7 different illustrated house shaped boxes. And is adorned with beautiful winter elements and patterns for your Christmas village.
Embroidered Advent Calendar
Made up of 25 individual embroidered designs each having an embroidered number and cute design as well as backing pieces. This is a DIY calendar.
Advent Calendar Bags
And these cute linen advent calendar bags can be filled with candy, small toys or lovely notes. You can choose from various linen colours like white, blue, or rose. Next you can choose between stars and Christmas trees prints and between silver and gold colours.
Furthermore, you can also request more bags, different sizes or even get the colours mixed.
Ornament Advent Calendar
Unique ornament advent calendar! Comes with 24 laser cut birch ornaments, each hidden behind a red paper door. Simply lift the paper door each day until Christmas to reveal the ornament underneath. Pop and wiggle the ornament out from the surrounding wood, and hang on the tree.
Looking for ideas on what to hide in the calendar?
How about: A small chocolate, little box of raisins, a good wish for the day or a silly Christmas joke. Tiny Lego figures or small rubbers and paperclip packs. Small books, glitter glue, hair clips or a clementine…
This year I will take out our Heirloom calendar and fill each day with four little chocolates. Usually I buy tiny gifts and the children take turns. And they each have a chocolate filled calendar as well. But this year is different and with the shops closed I decided to go for chocolates. Easy!
Altogether: I am wishing you a beautiful and relaxing Advent time!
This modern family home really takes me a little bit out of London in November. And right into a bit of a vacation feel with blue skies and crisp outdoor living!
We are in Perth today and visit the home of Erica Zuccala and her husband Peter, together with their children Aniela and Dominic. In a temporary family home that uses lots of white and materials like leather, timber, stone and metals to achieve a raw style.
What makes this place so great is the mix of grey concrete and matte black accents clashing with woven pendants, textured rugs, and soft furnishings to add warmth to the interior.
So inspiring!
And, as usual, we will start the home tour with the children’s rooms:
Cute boho room for a girl! And the wallpaper is another great way to soften the raw look of the house.
If you are looking for similar wall hangings – please have a look at this beautiful online shop*.
‘I’d describe my personal interior style as contemporary, minimal with a touch of texture. I love using different finishes in my furniture and home. Concrete rendered walls, raw timbers, lots of greenery to keep things fresh. And muted colour tones make an appearance. We have a lot of white walls so I include warming details to tone down the starkness.’ Erica says about her home
Now, let’s have a look at the rest of the house:
Indeed, plants really give this place something fresh and natural. And I totally agree with Erica – plants are a must in every home. They just add such a great atmoshphere and dimension.
Tell me, how often were you thinking about moving to a place with more space over the last months? Probably more than once.
But you are still in the same spot? Moving into a bigger home is not always the first solution. Because of friends, the school your child is loving so much, the commute you may have to do again one day, and other factors. They all make you want to look into space-saving solutions instead of moving.
And figuring out lovely and practical storage ideas for your kids’ rooms can be a challenge. The confrontation of making the most of toys and kids stuff can be called a design challenge. That is why I am sharing some space-saving storage solutions for tiny children’s rooms with you today.
You probably did some de-cluttering already during one of the rainy weekends. And that is a great starting point to get the storage situation off the ground. Kids room storage solutions will help you to maximise floor space for play and to give the most beautiful things room to shine.
Here are great as well as practical storage solutions for your kids’ rooms that you can re-create in your own home straight away:
The beginning of a good and organised room is a simple layout. Bright, neutral colours will open up any small space and make it more welcoming. Do not overthink and over-design, but make sure it is functional for a child. And what does it really need? Keep storage containers low and easy to access. And give everything a dedicated spot to make it easy to get tidied up.
Shelves are excellent for displaying your child’s most beautiful possessions. Be careful: Too many open shelves can make a room feel chaotic. It is better to use some great, coordinating boxes and containers on shelves to unify the look, or use shelves with doors.
Low shelves are easily accessible and great for toys that are played with often. Alternative book storage comes in the form of picture ledges, which are fun to line a little reading nook with.
Every little thing can make a big difference in a small room. And some pieces of furniture can actually do several jobs. A desk can be a bedside table and a stool can include a storage function for example.
A bunk bed is the best space saving thing there is for shared rooms. But, not only. It can also be very useful for small rooms in general. Underneath you can create a desk area or play corner, creating more free space for the rest of the room. Elevated beds with built-in storage are excellent as well.
All you want in a kids room is to have some floor space so the little ones can play. Remeber the first points about keeping your room simple and investing in multifunctional furniture. Now: We go up!
Put shelves all the way up the wall, there is always something you do not need every day and can be stored on the top.
However, keep things simple here as well. And do not overload your shelves or the room will look cramped and unorganised, not something your child will feel inspired in.
Window seats perfectly utilise the small space underneath a window and offer seating. Now how about combing that with some storage space? A wall-to-wall window seat doubles as an easy-access bookshelf and is looking neat.
Woven baskets can be a great way to keep a variety of toys or books in order. They also look fabulous and add texture and warmth to a room. Alternatively, there is often room for a toy box or trunk at the end of the bed and could be used as a chair or table sometimes as well. And a child-sized clothing rail is a fun way of storing and displaying dress-up items.
