Love the Place You Live

The other title for this post could be 'Trains, Trains, Trains!' Thanks to some good word of mouth, we heard that the miniature train over at Frimley Lodge Park was running and giving rides on the Bank Holiday Monday. Being so close - and, as it turns out, only £1 a ride - how could we pass up a chance to make our train-obsessed little boy so happy?

Daddy and his little man about to take their first ride together.

 Even as I was editing these pictures for the post, Ethan is sat here next to me yelling, 'train!' and pointing at the screen. No doubt we'll be heading back when they do their Halloween rides in October.

As E was told, 'it's a steam engine...just like Thomas and Percy and Gordon!'
In fact, it was just a miniaturized real steam engine.

 The whole affair was really adorable; and you can tell these guys were all doing it because they loved it...not for the sake of simply turning a profit.

We gave E two rides while we were there: one with Daddy and one with Mama. That way, he got to make the most out of the number of rides we got, and someone was always on hand to take pictures.

Our driver looks much grumpier than he was...

There were even trains set off to the side being repaired in full view of the kids. E was ready to hop the fence just to get close enough to stroke the trains and climb all over them. We had to curb that particular desire. As it was, we barely coaxed him away from the whole set up with promises of his own toy trains back in the car, and the chance to watch Thomas the Tank Engine at home.

The track was just a kilometer long, but for someone E's age that's just enough, really. And to have fields and a playground nearby makes it brilliant for a day out. Bring along a picnic and it'd be perfect for a few hours of fun. Needless to say, we'll definitely be back again soon!

Vicarious Tourism: Bodiam and Scotney Castles

For the Bank Holiday weekend, the Husband and I decided it would be a nice idea to take advantage of our extra time together to go do something as a family. So out came the National Trust memberships and we drove over to Kent for a trip around a few castles.

Bodiam Castle, finished in 1385, is a proper, square, moat-surrounded castle; complete with crenelated towers, loopholes, murder holes, a portculis, and thigh-achingly steep staircases. Seriously people; my legs were shaking for a solid ten minutes after the second tower.

Looking at the ducks...and trying to recreate a similar picture
of me and my dad.

Bodiam across the moat.

The day - as you may or may not be able to tell - was completely overcast and featured the occasional torrential downpour. To be honest, the closer we got, the more I was regretting not postponing the trip until Monday. In the end, though, we were able to stay fairly dry throughout the day and still had a lovely time out together - inclement weather not withstanding.

My handsome boys!

In fact, in the end, the thin cloud cover of the day actually made our photos turn out brilliantly! I couldn't have been happier with the results of what was natural diffuse lighting...if only it didn't also mean my hair was starting to shrivel up and go 'poof!' as well.

After Bodiam, we decided to continue making the most of our 4-hour round trip by visiting the nearby Scotney Castle. Scotney isn't so much a castle as a 19th-Century stately home...but one built from the most Romantic-looking medieval-to-Elizabethan hodgepodge of a home I've ever seen. Seriously. If nothing else, I would have wanted to come back in nicer weather for some professional family photos. The setting of this place was idyllic.

Indulging my love of hydrangeas.

The 'Old Castle' which stands on the property just downhill of the main house.

Ethan was in love with everything. He clambered up the stairs; he shrieked and shouted and cackled maniacally; he wandered around pointing out any wildlife from ducks to bees with great enthusiasm.

Oh yes, and he also growled for the camera.

Aside from a few flash-monsoons on the drive home and a slightly cranky baby, we really couldn't have asked for a better day out. The weather didn't hold us back in the least, and everyone enjoyed the chance to stretch their legs amongst some new scenery. We adults certainly felt satisfied that we'd spent our time well for the weekend. Especially when we rounded off the whole day with pizza on the couch, in our pyjamas, after chatting to my family.

Moral of the story? No day is a bad day to go and see a castle.

In Need of Pampering

I was reading this post on Young House Love the other day and it got me to thinking: what sorts of purchases do I consider an indulgence? I mean, aside from trips to get hot chocolate and a muffin at Starbucks. And as the list of Nice Things I Want But Don't Need started to compile itself in my mind, I thought, once again, of what this Christmas will be like.

We'll have a 2-year-old who - hopefully - gets really into the whole idea of unwrapping presents and seeing the tree lit up. I'll be doing my usual song & dance about decorating as much of the house as I can manage. Oh yeah, and I'll be massively, hugely nine months pregnant.

With that said, my main priority isn't so much a low-key Christmas, but one in which I get a little pampering before the achy, wobbly, baby-head-smelling, sleepless nights set in.

via, Just Nails

There's a place called Just Nails back in our old neighbourhood. I'd love to go, relax, and get a nice mani-pedi for an afternoon. That alone would make my day.

via, GraceandLaceCo

Of all the boot socks I pinned the other night, I think these ones from Grace & Lace Co. on Etsy are my favourite as there's no question that they're actual full socks. Plus, who can't like that lovely goldenrod colour?

via, Russell & Bromley

Russell & Bromley do lovely shoes: I have loafers and driving moccasins from them to attest to this. Alas, at the moment, between the heat and being pregnant, I can't really wear them much before my toes get squashed. That said, once things start returning to normal in the water retention department, it'd be nice to have some low-heeled leopard print for when my £7 Sainsbury's pumps meet their inevitable demise.

via, Ruby&Joy

This lavender eye pillow by Ruby&Joy is cute, and it's not even expensive! Plus, I'm in the grip of a bit of an obsession with lavender: I want to grow it, and have it in little sachets to make the drawers smell nice, and use it with rosemary to make a fun spray for the sheets or to make the house smell nice. Seriously; I need to get something lavender-smelling just to take the edge off reminiscing about our trips to lavender fields nearby.

via, Crabtree & Evelyn

The Gardeners Hand Lotion from Crabtree & Evelyn. I can't overstate how much I love this stuff. When I was buying presents for our mothers at our wedding, I snagged a bottle of this for myself on the pretense of 'taking advantage of the sale'. Since that was over 3 years ago and the hand soap I had has long since run out, I'm overdue to replace it. Or at least, that's what I'll tell myself.

via, Nigella

As I mentioned the other day on Facebook, I love my Nigella Express cookbook. When I was leafing through it yesterday evening, I was appalled that I'm not cooking more of the recipes in there. People; this is good food! And, because it's the express book, it's all pretty easy. That said, I will look forward to just relaxing if I can ask the Husband to do us up a dinner of Nigella's. Perhaps the chicken schnitzel with bacon and some macaroni cheese on the side?

So that's my list, really. Things I'd like, but don't need, that would make me all warm and fuzzy inside. And outside too, if we're talking about those awesome boot socks. For now, though, it may be time to enjoy the rain and get my hot chocolate fix for the morning.

Potty Training Adventures

Lately, E has started telling us when he's wanted his nappy changed. If he comes up handling his nappy and announces either 'wet!' or 'bum!' we know it's time to get our little guy all fresh and clean again. Earlier the other week, he even took it one step further and begged us 'Bath! Bath!' when there had been a particularly messy moment. As a first-time mum, this was one of those moments where I felt a bit out of my depth. I Googled at least five different articles on good potty training advice, and spent an hour online and two trips to the stores deciding on what system would work best. Just a potty? A potty chair? An all-singing-all-dancing three-in-one system that becomes a potty, a toilet training seat, and a step stool? And then there were the pants! Regular little boy pants? Trainer pants? Disposables like Pull-Ups? Or just keep taking off his nappy until he's a bit more reliable? Even just those two variables left me drowning in options. In the end, it was time for an informal, but ever-helpful, Rory Gilmore Pro/Con list.

All options available at (and images from) Mothercare

During this first week, I won't be potty training in earnest. E now has 3 pairs of washable training pants that we'll start wearing next week, when things are so sedate that our schedule is practically comatose. For now, we're just getting him used to the idea of sitting on the potty, seeing it in the house, and properly putting him on it for a go whenever one of us needs to head to the bathroom.

Day 1:

Bought E his potty after a bit of research online. Of course, when we got to the store, he only had eyes for the Thomas the Tank Engine potty chair. I feel like both of us are so grown up when I consider that we're already at the stage where I have to think about what cartoon characters are on the products I buy for my son.

He loved seeing 'train' on his potty so much that he had to be allowed to keep it on his lap for the rest of our trip out that morning. He was loathe to say goodbye to it even to go to his best friend's birthday party or to go to sleep that night. As the Husband said, at least we found one that he's taken to so well that he'll want to use it.

Day 2:

We've had our first success. After three previous attempts to sit on the potty after a soiled nappy, the potty has officially been christened. Of course, right now, this is all down to timing on my part, but I still had to tell E how proud I was that he managed to be a big boy.

Today has gone over well. We seem to have a 4/6 success rate for making it to the potty rather than using a nappy. It may be premature, but I'm feeling optimistic about this process so far.

Day 3:

I was feeling slightly less optimistic today. Still no heavy-duty use of the potty and only two trips that resulted in emptying the bowl. But still: it's early days and since this week is just for getting used to potty protocol, the occasional damp nappy is still okay.

Day 4:

Success! Not only was today the first time that E told me in advance that he needed to use the potty, he also managed to deposit the better part of one solid load into the potty rather than into his nappy! I'm actually ridiculously proud of that right now. We made an attempt to just hold him on a normal toilet while we were out running errands, but he didn't need to go in the end. Luckily, though, he's not scared of the big potty because he seems to understand that when I say, 'Don't worry, I've got you; I'm holding you,' he's safe and won't fall in. I want to always find a time to put him on a normal-sized toilet so we don't have to re-train him once he's too big for his 'train potty'.

Day 5:

Another good day. All 'business' was completed in the potty. In light of the good record from the rest of the week, we decided to try the pants early. If it hadn't been for a slight misfire during one session on the potty, we'd have made it with one pair of pants for the whole day!

Day 6:

Here was our first day heading out. With pants on again, we headed to our nephew's birthday party and brought the potty along for an overnight trip with the Husband's parents. Having had less to drink, E didn't need the potty as much, but at the time it was still a bit difficult to trust that he wasn't just preoccupied. Another accident-free day, though!

Day 7:

Another day out, another day in pants. We were at church in Reading for another family gathering. Not only were trips to the potty successful, we even had a go on a normal-sized toilet with a hinged training seat. By this point, we've made it through four car trips and an overnight stay away from home, all accident-free. Looks like a promising start!

So that's our first week of potty training! If there are any major, share-worthy developments, I'll be sure to update you. For now, though, this is what I seem to notice has helped us:

-NHS tips
-BabyCentre tips
-E responds well when we, ahem, 'have a go' right alongside him. Plus, it's convenient to take him along if I have to go anyway.
-Mothercare training pants
-At this stage, anything more than a wee still resorts to the wet wipes to clean up.
-High fives and lots of positive reinforcement seem to be helping to get the message across that potty>wetting yourself. I've heard of picture books to help get the idea across as well as sticker charts or sweeties for incentive. Anyone have experience in these areas? Success/horror stories of your own? A general aversion to awkward parent talk about toilet business? I'd love to hear it in the comments!

A Place to Begin

Looking for a few links to make your way into the weekend? As Ethan's currently parked in front of a Bob the Builder marathon while playing with his cars, I thought I'd cobble together a few things that I enjoyed looking at this week.

via, Hansel from Basel

Hansel from Basel have brilliantly cute socks. And some pretty cute tights as well. I've been looking for a pair of orange winter tights for ages, and as this pair are on sale, I might just be putting in an order this weekend...


I don't usually recommend movies (no real reason for that), but this trailer for Her really caught my eye. It sounds just bizarre enough to work, and I have to say; Joaquin Phoenix is really rocking that mustache.

via, A Beautiful Mess

As it's finally getting chillier here, I've been thinking about fun soup recipes to try. This black bean tortilla soup from A Beautiful Mess sounds mouthwatering. Guess what I'll be making the boys eat before the year is out!

via, Toyella

These floating duck bath toys look awesome. And unlike the cheapy version we snagged E ages ago from the grocery store, it looks like these actually float upright and don't just keel over onto their sides. It's worth having a peek over at the rest of the kiddy swag on Toyella: it's all so cute!

via, The Brooding Hen

Speaking of children's toys, I desperately want to try this project from The Brooding Hen. A PVC piping waterworks for the bath? That's just up our alley.

via, NYTimes.com

I loved reading this article from the New York Times on stay-at-home-mums trying to break back into the work force. That said, as I'll be in a similar position of trying to get back into work in another few years once my kids are bigger (and actually born!), it was a bit depressing to read just how difficult and dismal everyone's prospects sounded after taking the time out to spend with their children.

via, Canister

This Steep Canister is gorgeous, and it fits with Mason jar lids to make it water tight...you know: if you're enough of a hipster to just have Mason jar lids lying around the house to spare. Even without them, I'm a big enough pottery enthusiast to want this mug all for my very own.

Have a great weekend!

Budget Babe: New Mummy Edition. The HATCH-to-Hospital Box

I have a confession to make. I'm not enjoying pregnancy this time around. It's only been 20 weeks and already I'm counting the days until the end of December. I know I won't enjoy the immediate aftermath of giving birth any more than I'm enjoying being pregnant (which is nearly not at all), but at least I'll have a cute new baby to watch Ethan play with.

So, in my please-get-this-baby-out-of-me anticipation of the end of the year, I got inordinately excited when I saw this: the HATCH-to-Hospital Box. A gorgeous pair of knickers, a cosy nightshirt and robe, and some ultra luxe cashmere socks. The only niggle? It's an exorbitant $248! (Or, for those of us who need to do the conversion, £160; which is still too much.)

via, hatchcollection.com

My eyes nearly popped out of my head when I saw that price tag. Of course, it didn't stop me coveting that set. I may even have my pregnancy hormones to thank for making me cry about not getting nice things when I'm so fed up with gestating a tiny human. Thankfully, the Husband suggested a project: find an alternative to each piece in the HATCH-to-Hospital set and blog about it! All the other blogs I checked were simply touting the virtues of HATCH's latest indulgence (check here, here, here, here, and here), and while I can get behind the mentality of, 'you're pushing a person out of your body: treat yourself!', I'm not exactly in a position to demand that my treat be £160's worth of post-birth night attire. So, with that in mind, let's take a look at some budget-friendly options to the super swank HATCH-to-Hospital Box.

The nightshirt:

1) ASOS's Alas celestial nightie @ £55.00. Quite a bit more colourful than the HATCH option, though it could, concievably, still cost just as much. But with 100% cotton jersey fabric, it ought to be just as comfy as the HATCH option in that gorgeous grey modal.

2) The DKNY Seven Easy Pieces sleepshirt is another great option, and much closer to the aesthetic of the HATCH shirt than the ASOS option. At £50.00 it's only slightly cheaper, but it is 93% modal, so the feel will probably approximate the HATCH original better.

3) The grey striped sleep tee from Debenhams's Lounge & Sleep line is the most economical option at only £14.00. It's not as wide and flowy as the other options, though, so it might be best to buy it in a bigger size than normal to accommodate that immediate post-birth wobble more comfortably. It's a 60/40 cotton-poly blend, so it doesn't necessarily sound quite as soft as the lived-in-tee-shirt feel you're meant to have with the HATCH shirt (and presumably get with the ASOS and DKNY options, as well), but those buttons look marginally breastfeeding-friendly if that's the route you take.

4) Seraphine's Gemma button down nightie is definitely the most breastfeeding friendly of our 'Match' options. No surprise there, as it comes from a company which does lovely maternity wear. And at £35.00, it hits the middle of our price range. The navy colour is lovely, though I'm not sure how that 97% viscose is going to feel in comparison to some of the other fabrics. And like the Debenhams sleep tee, I'd get this one a size or two bigger than you'd normally wear.

The robe:

1) The F&F striped jersey dressing gown from Tesco is a possible contender to do the job of the HATCH robe, but for less cash-ola. It's only £14.00, but with a thread content of 65% polyester, it may not be the most breathable of fabrics. So, if - like me - you run hotter when pregnant and nursing, this may not be the best replacement.

2) Mothercare's Blooming Marvellous charcoal maternity robe is 100% cotton and, in looks, is a brilliant substitute for the more expensive version by HATCH. Plus, at only £18.00, this more breathable, jersey-knit alternative won't set you back much more than the Tesco option. Looks like a winner to me.

3) If you'd like something a bit more glam, this Kiku enchanted crane kimono from ASOS is a brilliant choice. It's still 100% cotton, so you can still enjoy the comfort of those breathable, natural fibers while managing to look quite smart in those first bleary-eyed days of new-motherhood. (Yes, you count as a 'new' mother even if this is your sixth kid. New baby = new mummy.) At £68.00, this option is definitely more pricey than the first two, but when compiling your HATCH-to-hospital replacement pack, if you save elsewhere, you can certainly splurge here.

4) Mamas and Papas's grey hooded dressing gown hits the middle of the price range again at £35.00. But, at 95% viscose, I personally think you get better bang for your buck in terms of quality by going with the Mothercare robe. Plus, who wants to faff about with a superfluous hood anyway?

The knickers:

1) My first choice is a somewhat unorthodox one. Mothercare's over-the-bump briefs still have nice lacy details while providing full coverage; just like our HATCH original. However, for anyone else who's not terribly keen on under-the-bump bottoms, or who wants to avoid waistband chaffage near a c-section scar, these pants might be a nice option. Plus, they might help hold in the wobble a bit while you're still mostly bedridden and thus, make you feel a bit more together. Plus, they're 100% cotton and only £10.00 for a two-pack. Can't say fairer than that!

2) Debenhams's micromodal full cover briefs are a brilliant look-alike, and come in at only £6.50 per pair. These knickers will come close to the feel of HATCH's modal nightshirt against your skin, but they still have that ever-necessary cotton gusset to keep your lady-bits feeling fresh. Or, well, as fresh as they can be in those first days after squeezing out a person. (#letsbereal)

3) Intimissimi's cotton and embroidery French panties (wow, I can't stand that word) are a brilliant option if swish knickers are where you want to splurge in our HATCH Match kit. They're 88% cotton and only clock in at £12.99 per pair. Plus, with a boy-short cut, they seem a bit less likely to ride up, and at 88% cotton, don't need to rely on a natural fiber gusset to keep the swamp crotch at bay. (#letsbepainfullyreal)

4) The Hanro Moments briefs at John Lewis tip the scales on our cash-splashing for knickers at £23.50. But, they are 100% cotton and a full brief cut, so that money will get you good breathability and coverage. And again, with lace along the top seam and leg openings, it's a great look-alike for the HATCH original.

The socks:

1) The White Comapny's cashmere socks are a bit steep at £32 per pair...but then; they are 100% cashmere. Plus, in addition to the charcoal colour I've picked out, they also come in white, pink, and a grey that approximates our HATCH originals. Not a bad choice.

2) These L.L. Bean 12" socks are Merino wool rather than cashmere, but coming from this well-established New England outdoors brand, you know they'll keep your toes all toasty. And for $19.95 a pair (£12.80 for the rest of us), they're a bit cheaper than going for the all-out luxury of cashmere.

3) If you'd like a bit more colour in your snazzy cashmere socks, then try Pantherella's options from Woods of Shropshire. All made in England from English fibres, these babies are still 85% cashmere with a bit of stretch added in for durability. Plus, they only come in at a quite reasonable £19.50 per pair. Not bad for the luxury of cashmere!

4) These cute oatmeal socks from Toast ring up at only £19.50 per pair. Alas, they're also only 23% cashmere. Still, if you're not fussed about having a 100% cashmere sock, but just want something cute, cheap, and comfy, then these babies ought to do the trick nicely.

The Best:

So now it's time to weigh up all of our options. The HATCH-to-hospital box set, as you recall, clocks in at the tills at a whopping $248, or £160. From all the options in our Match sets, you could spend anywhere from £48.80 (Debenhams sleep shirt, F&F robe, Debenhams knickers, and L.L. Bean socks) all the way to £178.50 (Alas nightie, Kiku kimono, Hanro knickers, and White Company socks) recreating this pampering pack for your first post-birth days. Here are my picks for the best of each set.

The best sleep shirt: This, really, is where I would splurge and go for the DKNY sleep shirt. Since it's modal, it seems most likely to feel like the HATCH original, so I think it's worth the cash-splash. (£50.00)

The best robe: Much as I love the Kiku kimono, I think my no-contest winner in this case has to be the Blooming Marvellous robe from Mothercare. (£18.00)

The best knickers: As a fan of the boy-short cut, I think my heart goes out to the Intimissimi French pants. Plus, they're still 88% lovely, breathable cotton. (£12.99)

The best socks: Pantherella's socks are still more than 80% cashmere, like the White Company pair, but at only £19.50, they're definitely the more cost-effective option.

The best total: £100.49

So, for my favourite picks I still come in at the tills a good £60 under what I would pay to get the HATCH-to-hospital box. And, since all of my picks are from UK-based companies, I probably do even better once you factor in shipping costs versus the ability to buy at least 3/4 items directly in-store. Not bad for an afternoon's Googling!

What would your favourite picks be from this collection? Is there a good Match option you think I missed? Should I do another Budget Babe post like this one? Tell me in the comments!

Screen Style: Charlie and Lola

It's that time again. I've been meaning to get around to another Screen Style post for ages, but nothing was really catching my eye. I've watched a few new things here and there, but there's been nothing that really made me want to look into its style. Then I had A Moment.

I was letting E watch some Charlie and Lola the other day when the Autumn Special episode came on. Most years, when August rolls around I'm already jonesing for autumn without any extra encouragement. But this year, what really set of my wistful pining for dead leaves, crisp breezes, and all things pumpkin was this Charlie and Lola episode. Suddenly, I needed to tell E all about his birthday and pumpkin picking, and Halloween; and go out collecting acorns and conkers to decorate the table.

So in tribute to kickstarting my unhealthy recurring obsession with the last four months of the year, here's a look at the style of Charlie and Lola (with all due credit to Lauren Child, who wrote the books long before it was a TV show).

1) 'This room looks a bit like our house: there are lots of patterns everywhere!' That's how Lola describes Interior With Aubergines by Henri Matisse. With such an endorsement, I thought it was fitting to include a print of this painting. Of course, the same episode features works by Van Gogh, Lichtenstein, and Cedric Morris; so there's plenty of options if Matisse isn't your cup of tea.

2) The Orla Kiely abacus flower wallpaper looks like the sort of thing that ought to be in Charlie & Lola's kitchen. It has bold pattern and a pop of fun colour...and looks (especially in this picture) rather mid-century modern. The other image, from The Pursuit of Style, looks like Mrs. Summer's style, too.

3) For a more grown-up version of the square-ish rucksacks that Charlie and Lola carry, this Dr. Martens brown leather rucksack really does the trick. Even I could be convinced to go back to a two-strap bag if I had one like this.

4) Of course, no screen style post is complete without including a few outfits to try. This collection I cobbled together on Polyvore has looks for both Charlie and Lola...depending on who you'd rather emulate.

5) Perhaps you could snag this Centro Caraffe from Design Within Reach to keep in the fridge to store your pink milk. Though personally, I'm not keen on strawberry-flavoured milk, so my pink drink of choice might be this smashed raspberry lemonade (virgin or alcoholic as your preference dictates!).

via, A Beautiful Mess

Hope you found something to enjoy there. Oh! And for those who don't actually obsessively follow me on Facebook and Instagram, we have more news on the baby front:

IT'S A BOY!

20 weeks and all looks good. Only another 20 weeks to go until D-Day (Delivery Day). Here's hoping the time flies by!

A Place to Begin

Normally, I would do my internet roundups on a Friday, but I've been finding way too much cool stuff to bother with waiting to share.

I will so be using this at the end of the month when it's time to start thinking about getting E his big boy bed. Sure, I may have already taken the measurements and done a floor plan in PowerPoint...but this is just so much niftier! Don't you think? Check the article over on design boom for a few more deets about the release date.


On the Mom Front: Sarah & Duck, also known was my favourite children's cartoon of all time ever, is releasing new episodes starting next week. Also...they're on iTunes. Also also...they have a sneak peek clip of one of their new episodes up on the CBeebies website.

via, Sarah & Duck on Facebook

So this post by Diana on coffee shop chatter is ages old now, but I loved it so much that I did, in fact, spend an entire day with the coffee shop noises webpage open in the background of my browser while I did other chores around the house. It's weirdly soothing. Anyone else work better or sleep better with noise?

Anyone else get confused by these stupid symbols on the care tags of their clothes? In an effort to try and get the Husband's white shirts properly white this morning, I finally went to the trouble of looking up the meanings of laundry symbols on Wikipedia. Now, I think the Husband and I ought to launch a fun, well-designed webpage to explain it all in a way that's much more fun. Or at least, much more aesthetically appealing.

Thanks to Red Magazine, I found She Had Us At Hello. Good photography? Check. Pictures of cute babies? Check. Pictures that make me achingly nostalgic for London? Check and check. This is a new find, but I definitely need to keep checking it out.

via, uk.loccitane.com

A few weeks ago I was in Newbury with my mother-in-law and we passed by the always-fabulous l'Occitane en Provence. I absolutely loved the crisp, clean smell of their verbena eau de toilette, and am seriously contemplating asking for it at Christmas. (Though the other serious contender is the Gardeners' lotion from Crabtree & Evelyn.) I mean: when even my normal love - Eclat d'Arpege - is a bit heavy and heady to my pregnant nose, having something as light and clean-smelling as this Verbena is brilliant.

via, Nordstrom.com

Thanks to Belle over at Capitol Hill Style for mentioning these gorgeous leopard flats from Nordstrom. I'm coming to realise that I have it bad in a big way for leopard-print and lace accessories.

via, Crave Maternity

Also, as if I needed more incentive to buy maternity clothes, UK brand Crave Maternity are having a sale. And they were even nice enough to thank me for pinning their gorgeous striped scoop neck jersey top! Now, if I can only find a way to justify buying a new shirt. Time to go inventory my wardrobe, I think...

Hope you find something there to enjoy!

Our Favourite Reads: Fifth Edition

In an effort to avoid too many editorial faux pas, I did go back and check my numbering on these posts. Apparently, I'd managed to skip a number somewhere, so this is honestly my fifth post about children's books.

This week's best picks

It's always a source of annoyance to me that so many children's books are so bland and boring and just plain rubbish. Maybe I'm just too picky, but if it's not going to have a decent story line, it ought to at least profess to teach you something like colours or numbers or the names of objects around your house. And please: if you're going to write a children's book in verse, don't be lazy. If you have to force a rhyme, just give up and think of another sentence to fit in that you can rhyme more easily. If I need to adopt a certain regional accent to make the rhyme work, or if you're switching up forms of address for one character like a schizophrenic letter writer...you're doing it wrong.

We just took these books back to the library the other day, and we've had a blast with them. Both of them come quite highly recommended both from me and from E. So shall we dive in with our synopses?

Again! by Emily Gravett is an absolute gem. Seriously: I may just buy every book this woman writes. She has a hilariously enjoyable sense of humour: the sort of thing that children and their parents reading the books will be able to appreciate. In this story, a rowdy little dragon is settling down for a bedtime story with his mum. There's just one problem: he'd happily drag out storytime forever and never go to sleep! I love how Gravett handles the little dragon's eventual frustration when his cries of, 'Again! Again!' cease to be heeded. A brilliant story for any parent whose tolerance for repetition has been worn out during storytime.

Freight Train by Donald Crews is very minimalist; not just in terms of the illustrations, but the number of words, as well. This is definitely a great book to start for younger toddlers: even 12 months doesn't seem too soon. But the illustrations, while simple, are lovely, and they're a great help for older kids who are either A) learning their colours, B) in the midst of a train obsession, or C) both. Any guesses which of those describes my little monster? Ethan has loved this book: everything from shouting 'Train!' to get me to read it for him, to pointing out the different cars, and shouting, 'Gone!' when the train disappears off the page at the end.

Another recommendation I'm throwing in is for The Dark by Lemony Snicket and Jon Klassen (respectively of A Series of Unfortunate Events and That's Not My Hat fame). This book taught Ethan the concept of what the dark is. He now gleefully points it out every time the bathroom light is off, or we drive through a well-shaded country lane, or go into our windowless front hallway. And the best part is, he's so busy being chuffed that he can identify and name the dark that it's never occurred to him yet to be frightened of it. Jon Klassen's illustrations are adorable, simple, and effective, and Lemony Snicket's personification of the dark makes it a brilliant character in its own right as it interacts with little Laszlo: a boy who is, at first, afraid of the dark in his big, creeky house.

Laszlo confronts the Dark.
via, TheTimes.co.uk

So that's what we've been reading at bedtimes lately. I know that The Dark, at least, will be making it into Ethan's birthday/Christmas present list (just bought it on Amazon this morning!). Anyone else reading any fun children's books lately? What about grown-up books? Fiction or non-fiction, I'd love to hear suggestions. After finishing John Humphrys' In God We Doubt the other week, I've moved on to a few magazines and a re-read of Bill Bryson's At Home. I can only spend so long in the adult's section of the library before the protests from my son get too loud...

Mothering, Judgment, and Kate

I almost can't believe I'm weighing in on this, but after seeing a few links to articles today, and actually reading the articles in question, I decided I had enough of an opinion to comment. Part of me wants to open this with a snappy call to correction: something in all caps, perhaps, like, 'LET'S ALL STOP JUDGING' or 'ENOUGH OF THE MOMMY-SHAMING ALREADY!' But none of that really seems to get at the whole point of what I'm trying to say, and anyway, I'm not some snarky op-ed writer trying to score a blow for the over-stressed, under-valued Everymom.

First, let me tackle the third article that my internet daisy-chain brought me to: Caroline Palmer's piece for Vouge: The Post-Baby Hospital Exit: The Royal Standard and the Rest of Us. Palmer starts off by recounting - in what, I'm sure, was meant to be grisly detail - her foggy memories of exiting the hospital after giving birth to her son. But then, she lets out this gem:

 the sight of the Duchess of Cambridge exiting St. Mary’s Hospital this week was yet another blow to my already shaky postpartum self-esteem. Let’s leave aside the Barbie-dream blowout, the subtle eye makeup, and the neatly manicured nails—the woman was wearing a dress with a zipper, people. A zipper!

Can I please start off with a simple, So What? The 'Barbie-dream blowout' aside (for the time being),  putting on a bit of make-up and doing your nails isn't terribly hard while you're still in hospital. I'm not necessarily saying the Duchess did or didn't do her own manicure and make-up, but between any visiting grandparents, your waiting husband, and an army of midwives who will take the baby at any time of day or night if you ask them desperately enough (oh yes, I'm speaking from experience), a new mummy can certainly find a 10-minute window to touch up her face or nails if that's what makes her feel better.

via, The Daily Mirror

So, I suppose, this is where the call to stop judging comes in. Palmer grudgingly admits that as a public figure and future Queen of England, Kate is held to a higher standard than your average mum wobbling her way out of hospital, baby in tow. But let's also consider that in spite of whatever we may have to say about the objectification of women and society's unrealistic expectations, perhaps having herself done up made Kate feel better. I mean, even for someone who's had some time to get used to being in the public eye, it has to be at least marginally daunting to know that you'll be facing an army of press mere hours after squeezing a human being out of your body. You might not have slept. Your newborn baby might not have slept. You may still be working out that post-pardum shuffle that happens when none of your supporting abdominal muscles are anywhere near where they ought to be to help you walk. You could feel tired and gross and ungainly - but if you're the Duchess of Cambridge, you'll still be expected to smile nicely, and give a few blurbs about what it was like to give birth, what you've named your baby, and what he seems to be like. In the face of a proposition like that, I can't think of who wouldn't feel a little more confident and ready to bear it with a tiny bit of pampering time to make you feel more like the usual you.

Perhaps some of this judgment is coming from the way we women judge ourselves. That old saying about being our own worst critic is true, up to a point, but it seems that with those in the public eye we allow ourselves to take our insecurities out on them: after all, we aren't saying it to their faces.

But I'm not really out to simply condemn that sort of spiteful, 'couldn't you just look bad once?' sort of rhetoric, because it really does seem to be coming from a place of hurt (though that doesn't make it acceptable). The mantra here should be, '...and that's okay.' Let's try it out a bit, shall we?

Kate Middleton came out of hospital looking as gorgeous as usual...and that's okay.

Even 6 months after my baby I didn't look as thin as JLo 6 weeks after her pregnancy...and that's okay.

I barely had the energy to put on lip gloss after I left the hospital...and that's okay.

The thing is, the media are going to continue touting post-birth recoveries that would rival Lazarus for how miraculous they are. Should we try to change that? Sure. Let's denounce harmful attitudes wherever we find them. But that also means we need to keep reminding ourselves that these sorts of things aren't the norm. And even if every other woman you know barely gained 15 lbs. while she was pregnant, that doesn't make your 35 lbs. or 10 lbs. some sort of moral failing. And to blame someone like the Duchess of Cambridge for not looking enough of a hot mess after giving birth, or for not gaining enough weight during pregnancy to be 'normal' certainly doesn't give the blamer the moral high ground. (Around 7:40 in the video, panelist Wendy Widom insists that the Duchess was 'way too slender; way under what the average woman will ever be.' As for why I think that's bollocks, the Daily Mail sums it up nicely.)

That's the sort of attitude I see here. And it's the same sort of problem that derides women in the media spotlight for not being thin enough, or for trying to get too thin, or for getting a nose-job, or being anything other than what we think they ought to stand for. So for those who felt that Kate wasn't big enough to represent a 'real' pregnant woman: get over yourselves. Some of us get barely the bump. Some of us look like we're smuggling a watermelon. For some of us, being pregnant means that our cups floweth over in all directions: a little side-boob here, a little love-handle there, a little saddlebag just for good measure. ...And that's okay! And as for her being too well-presented and made-up after birth? Surely, as part of the royal brand, that comes in the job description.

I gained what was an apparently average 30 lbs. when I was pregnant with Ethan. Now, I'm the same height as Kate, give or take an inch, but even allowing for some difference in weight gain, my bump was far more prominent than hers. Was I doing something wrong? Was she? Neither. My height is mostly legs: I have a fairly short torso, so after about 20 weeks there was nowhere for baby to grow but outwards. Kate, on the other hand, seems to be like a friend of mine who had her baby back in January: very long in the torso. This friend of mine and the Duchess; they're both tall, thin ladies, and they both carried with what looked like quite small bumps all through pregnancy, despite having healthy-sized babies. Some people just carry the weight differently. And unless these writers are digging through her little blue antenatal folder and interrogating the midwives like they're Woodward and Bernstein, pictures alone aren't a good way to tell if she's gaining enough weight. And who's defining 'enough' anyway? If mum and baby are healthy, then it was obviously enough to get them through.

So this isn't my variation on a theme of 'Leave Britney Alone' or anything like that. It's more about the general unhealthy attitudes about pregnancy, body image, reality and the media, motherhood, and personal insecurity that I see being manifest through all the hype about whether or not Kate Middleton ought to roll of bed with raccoon eyes and fuzzy hair just to make the rest of us feel better. If what you need to feel better about yourself is to see someone else struggling at life and looking like James Brown's mugshots, then that just means you need to do some work at being a better human being and finding validation somewhere other than at another person's expense.

Is this what y'all want?
via, crime.about.com

Vicarious Tourism: Nymans & Leith Hill Tower

Yesterday, the Husband and I decided it would be a nice idea to spend a day off doing a bit of sightseeing. Making the most of our National Trust membership, we decided to browse the places just a little farther afield that we wouldn't usually get the chance to visit on a weekend. So started the day's trip into Surrey to enjoy some family time out of the house.

 Nymans wasn't too far away. We took the scenic route on some A-roads past Guildford and reached our first destination by lunch time. The gardens were lovely, the weather stayed nice, and the house itself was a treat. A faux-medieval affair, the house had suffered extensive fire damage at one point and so the rooms used by the house's last occupant were built within the confines of the existing fire-damaged shell. Gorgeous.

Stumped. ;)

The outer shell is much bigger than the habitable rooms.

Ethan enjoyed the whole experience immensely. There was lots of open space to run around, plenty of flowers to sniff and bumble bees to point at, and a croquet green.

'Bees! Zzzzzzz.'

The flowers of Nymans

A (failed) croquet lesson.

Needless to say, Ethan had more fun throwing the ball around than trying to use the mallet. Still, it was entertaining to watch him running around cackling with happiness as he hurled the ball away from himself across the lawn. After croquet we made a brief tour of the rooms before wandering back through the gardens on our way back to the car. We had one other stop we wanted to make before we called it a day.

Just a casual garden stroll.

Working on our lock picking skills.

Leith Hill Tower is, ostensibly, pretty cool. It's the highest point in the South East. On a clear day you can look to the south and see the Channel, or look north and pick out London's biggest landmarks. Even on a day as overcast as yesterday, the Husband and I managed to pick out the gerkin and the shard over in the City.

Alas, as evidenced by E's need to practise his lock picking, we arrived just after the building had been closed for the day. The website didn't really make it clear that while this time of the year is when the Tower is open until 5pm, that's only Friday through Monday. Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, it shuts its doors at 4pm. Oops. In any event, it was still a nice end to our day out, and now we have another cool place to take family when they come to visit.

All in all, it was a lovely day sightseeing and driving through the Surrey countryside. We spotted a few other neat villages and sites along the way as well, so a return trip is definitely in the cards for the future. Anybody else getting to take some fun little trips lately? Anyone else with a toddler who tries to kiss the inside of an animal's nose? No? Just me, then.

This pretty much sums up his feelings about the whole day out.