A WEEKEND AT COUNTRYFILE LIVE WITH JOULES

I can't believe it's only been a few weeks ago that I was wandering around the delights of CountryFile Live Festival with Joules but it already seems like a lifetime ago. We have been non stop on the go from Blenheim Palace to the Scottish Highlands and then Greenman Festival in Wales celebrating Paul's 40th before collapsing back on the sofa two days ago. I think I'm ready for a nap! However I couldn't wait to share these pics from our weekend away with Joules as we had sooo much fun and I was really surprised how quickly we took to country life ;)

24 FAMILY CHRISTMAS ADVENT IDEAS

Happy 1st of December everyone! Now it's no secret that I'm a HUGE fan of Christmas and the whole magic of the festive season but I normally manage to contain my excitement until at least the 12th, but this year I have been sooooooo ready for December to arrive in the hopes it will wash away all of the crappier events of 2016. So the kiddo and I came up with 24 family Christmas advent ideas, a little list of all the activities we might like to do this month, so I thought I'd share them here incase you need a little inspiration.

Aswell as having his Star Wars lego Advent calendar (the boy is obsessed!) we have a few nice family activies popped up on the fridge to keep us going and we can tick them off as we go along.

1. Drink hot chocolate and marshmallows outside.
2. Go Christmas tree spotting on a walk around the neighbourhood.
3. Go tobogganing with friends.
4. Watch a Christmas film under a blanket with popcorn.
5. Decorate the house in fairy lights.
6. Visit a Christmas Market.
7. Go iceskating with friends and family.
8. Write a letter to Father Christmas and post it.
9. Bake festive cupcakes and hand out instead of Christmas cards.
10. Decorate the Christmas tree.
11. Attend a Christmas carol service.
12. Donate to your local food bank.
13. Buy someone behind you in the queue their coffee/tea/drink
14. Make your own Christmas wreath out of foraged twigs and branches.
15. Wear a fun Christmas jumper.
16. Bake christmas cookies for your local postie to say thanks.
17. Volunteer at your local shelter or donate to the White Helemets to help civilians in Syria.
18. Make your own snow globe out of a mason jar.
19. Decorate a gingerbread house.
20. Wrap presents together.
21. Go for a winter walk in the woods and decorate a tree.
22. Make mulled wine or spicy cider.
23. Gift friends a bauble for their tree with a note to say why they are loved.
24. Snuggle in bed together to read a Christmas story.

I really believe that Christmas should be about giving back as well as sharing gifts with loved ones, whether it's small acts of kindness to spread happiness or supporting those who are less fortunate. I hope you like some our the ideas and you can pin the image above as a reminder.

I'd love to hear what you get up to at Christmas?

DIY IDEAS FOR CHRISTMAS DECOR

GUEST POST

With a few weeks left until the holiday season really kicks into full gear, a lot of us will be focused on making our houses comfortable and pretty for Christmas. There are always a few staples to put up like a beautiful tree, a few traditional decorations, and perhaps some lights outside. But for those who really get into the holiday spirit, it can be nice to add some special new pieces year in and year out. This is where some DIY crafting effort can make a big difference!

So we wanted to outline a few fun crafting and decoration ideas you might want to keep in mind for this Christmas season.

WILDERNESS FESTIVAL WITH KIDS

You might have guessed that we're HUGE festival fans and every year we try to attend at least two with our boy in tow, in the hopes to create hazy summer magical memories that last a lifetime. A few weeks back we had the pleasure of attending Wilderness Festival as guests of Mamas & Papas as part of their #Shareoursummer campaign. We normally attend End of the Road and Just So Festival, so I was excited to see what Wilderness had in store for us.

We pitched up in the family camping area located away from standard camping, allowing us to be in a total kid friendly zone while still being very close to the main festival area and have easy access to our car – which is soooo handy when travelling with kids as you can leave spares of stuff in the boot rather than all in your tent. At night the campsite was quiet, perfect for little ones sleeping, and it was amazing to see how many families were there with tiny babies or young children running around making friends. Although no matter where we pitch I always seemed to loose our tent *note to self invest in a bell tent! The weather was so warm the whole weekend meaning I could wear my new gorgeous Esme Denim dress c/o Joules Clothing.

As with all festivals one of my favourite pastimes is the food and there was no shortage here! I've never seen such a variety in one place, from F's favourite Mac 'n' Cheese – let's take a minute to acknowledge his cuteness in the below pic –  to gluten free specialists, burritos, Bhangra vegan American school bus cafes, fresh lobster street food, multi-coloured candyfloss carts, grilled and smoked meats, breakfast clubs, organic ice lollies and that's just the food stalls. If you fancy something a little more upmarket you can book a meal at one of the many banqueting tents, where fine dining and candlelit suppers are available. The Laurent-Perrier Champagne bar was certainly a big hit with me and I would loved to have tried an evening enjoying food prepared by one of the many award winning chefs but with a wriggly four year old we stuck to lounging on hay bales to enjoy our bites.  

Situated on a larger site than we're normally used to it still felt quite small and not too busy and it was quite easy to navigate once you'd got your bearings. You can buy a guide when you arrive, which I would say is an absolute must as there is soooooo much to see and do and you can find all the timings and listing for everything over the weekend such as: music and live performances,  theatre, talks and debates, workshops, shops, bars, cinema, disco tents, the hilarious sports area and the best commentator in town, well being fields and holistic tents, food stalls and restaurants and so much more. 

We spent a lot of our time during the day at Family Fun area. A whole section dedicated to making your child giggle in delight, with mini big tops, cafe and kids pack lunch boxes, face painting, crafting, movement workshops, pirate shows and a whole load of bubbles. Each minute of the day is packed with fun activities to get involved with and my favourite evening was spent settling down with F to watch Labyrinth at the open air cinema with a bubble disco afterwards... apparently the goblin king is not so scary after all.

I loved all the market stalls and bizarre shops and oh my the GLITTER! What better way to hide those tired eyes and dark circles than glitter concealer, maybe this is the way forward. We also enjoyed lounging in the Canopy & Stars story tent where we filled bottles with dreams and lay on beds while stories unfolded around us in a theatrical performance.

 
 How cute does F look in his cosy limited edition knitted cardigan c/o Mamas & Papas

Apart from seeing Bjork headline, which was quite frankly brilliant, my other highlight of the festival was taking F wild swimming in the lake, last year that I wouldn't have dreamt of swimming amongst reeds, but as I push myself to be brave and try new things I found the experience completely thrilling and even though it was a little cold it was such an amazing memory.

We had such a fab time and it's such a great family friendly festival that I'm know we'll be back again next year with friends. I mean it's not often you get to see a giant performing puppet with an opera singer attached at a spectacular nght light show is it? This is where magical memories are made! 

Do you attend any festivals? I'd love to hear your favourite kid friendly weekend away.

WILDERNESS FESTIVAL WITH MAMAS & PAPAS

Just a quick hello to say that we've packed up the car and heading out to the Wilderness Festival for a four day fun-filled adventure and to see Bjork and Benjamin Clementine play live *squeal* Yep super excited this end and can't wait to show F all the great kids activities they have instore. I'll be taking over the Mamas & Papas Instagram account for the next four days so if you fancy a peek then you can follow our adventure over there. I can't wait to share our experience with you when we get back!

Much love x

*Images via Wilderness Festival

FESTIVAL STYLE WITH ANTHROPOLOGIE

Now the sun is shining and the days are getting longer it can only mean one thing, festival season is on its way! One of our favourite things to do with family and friends is spend long weekends hanging out listening to music, dancing, eating outdoors and watching the embers glow as the light slowly fades around the pit fire. It's a great chance to go slow and enjoy being outdoors, without the rules and responsibility of everyday life.

One of the key decisions on anyone's mind when going to a festival is what to wear? The age old dilemma of will it rain or stay dry, which dictates whether I'm lugging around wellies and waterproofs or hanging out in cut-off shorts and a vest for a few days. When I came across this stylish denim playsuit from Anthropologie I knew it would be perfect for any weather.

Apart from the big festivals we attend, like End of the Road and Just So festival, we also love staying local and often check out the independent markets and pop up food festivals around Bristol. Who doesn't enjoy testing out tasty food right? So we recently headed down to St Nicholas Market, surrounded by the smell of spices, fresh smoothies and baked goods, to grab a coffee and pick up some ingredients to make a lemon polenta cake while rocking my new denim look.

When spending the weekend in a field, this Level 99 Chambray Playsuit can be teamed with wellies to keep you dry or flip flops for that sun kissed look, and with something this cute you can dress it to create a breadth of styles. The light denim tones are cool for summer, and the drawstring waist detail and deep pockets teamed with ankle boots create the perfect casual look. Additionally you can add a touch of Bohemian elegance with these Rainbow Moonstone drop earrings.

Do you love going to festivals? What's your favourite festival style?

*Playsuit & Earrings c/o Anthropologie

MAMA STYLE // BODEN BLUE SUEDE BOOTS AND SPRING DRESS

After a week of unsettled weather and even a freak hailstones storm, we were totally spoilt with a super sunny Saturday and it gave me the perfect excuse to try these chic Boden ankle boots with my Hawaiian print spring dress and my new favouite Axel Backpack from Kin. I love a good pair of ankle boots as they're a great transitional piece for changing seasons, and this navy suede shade is perfect for rocking with jeans, dresses and skirts, especially the cute  attention to detail with the exposed zip at the back and neon pink zip liner.

I saw this beautiful blue door on our way for lunch and did an impromptu style shoot which F insisted being part of, checkout his photo bomb style! You can tell he's a bloggers child right? He loves getting in front of the camera.

I got a little carried away and indulged in some good old fashioned twirling for fun which amused F no end and probably made passersby wonder what on earth I was doing, but if you can't twirl in front of a blue door in a flowery dress then when can you ay?! 

The rest of our day was super slow, grabbing a green smoothie from our new favourite health food cafe, Health Hubb – which also run kids classes on nutrition – and heading to the supermarket to grab some goodies for a little Eurovision party at ours. Think 80's cocktail sticks, crisps and dips and you get the idea. I spent the evening drinking rose wine in a glittery playsuit, while shouting out the many random words I'd put down on my Eurovision Bingo card and generally having a giggle. Fun night all round.

What did you get up to this weekend? Do you have a favourite spring outfit?

*Boots c/o Boden. Backpack from Kin at John Lewis. Dress from H&M. All words & opinions are 100% my own.

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO YOU!

Image via here 

Just popping in to wish you a wonderful Christmas! I hope you find a stocking full of gifts, that you spend your day surrounded by those you hold dear and that all your wishes will come true.

Today is a time for celebration, to let those you love know they are cherished, to bring family together, share food and laughter across the table, and indulge a little. I will be dragged from my bed at 6am – who am I kidding, more like 5am – by an excited boy desperate to see what Father Christmas has left him under the tree and I'll treasure the magic of the day seen through his eyes.

I wish you all a very happy Christmas with love from me to you. x

FESTIVE FUN AT THE IDEAL HOME SHOW CHRISTMAS

By now you might have guessed that we are super stoked for Christmas – *shhh our tree is arriving today – so when I was offered the chance to attend The Ideal Home Show at Christmas I knew it was going to be fun. Think Interiors meets Christmas meets fake snow and you have a good idea of what it's all about. I headed up to London with F and Fritha for a fun day out and it didn't disappoint.

F could hardly contain his excitement as we approached the entrance to Earls Court, with its Christmas trees, snow machine and Santa in a sleigh – although I was trying to explain that this was Santa's helper stepping in for the day, what with the Lapland trip coming up and all!

Inside we found plenty of Christmas stalls selling their festive wares, carol singers and the smell of cinnamon and mince pies filled the air. After spending ten minutes trying to prise F away from the Ice Skating rink situated in the middle of the show and the stage where Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen was dressing Christmas trees, we managed to have look around and get inspiration from the Christmas Interiors.

I loved their room sets especially the scandinavian theme Lumiere by Mathilde Kubisiask Design with this Kubus candlestick holder which I've had my eye on for a while now as well as this chair *swoon*. As much as I'm a fan of scandinavian interiors I was also drawn to these darker rooms sets which had a touch of luxury to them, and I'm still on a look out for a bar trolley of my own!

What would be your ideal Christmas decor?

*I was sent complimentary tickets to attend The Ideal Home Show Christmas by their sponsor Go Compare.com