STYLE IN YOUR CITY // ISLAND LIFE

It's that time again for another Style In Your City, which showcases your life and creates a community celebrating all the things you love about where you live. I think this is definitely my favourite image from Instagram from the last fortnight due to breathtaking views captured by Amanda. My post pick was by Marmalade Pie, I really loved hearing how this link up inspired Lizzie to pick up her camera and see her city through fresh eyes, even in the rain.

I have had a few people ask me whether they can join in with this link up even if they don't live in a city, so to embrace the wild and prove that even nature has it's own amazing style I thought I would share a glimpse of Island life.  

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A WOODLAND WALK WITH JOULES

Last week I pretty much spent most of my days indoors, wrapped in over-sized jumpers and scarfs, sipping hot lemon and honey concoctions and generally feeling a bit sorry for myself while attempting to shake off a death cold that I picked up in Berlin. Fun times. So as the weekend approached and I started to feel vaguely human again, I decided that some fresh air and wide open spaces was much needed and we set off to the Forest of Dean for a weekend woodland walk. Plus what better way to test out our new Joules Wellies! 

 F loved it of course, with sticks and mud being two of his favourite pastimes he happily wandered and explored, stopping to poke puddles and draw trails for us to follow. I forgot how good it can be to get out of the Bristol and watch this boy run around, normally we spend our weekends hanging out in the city rather than getting back to nature, but seeing how he flourishes outdoors it's something I definitely need to incorporate into our weekly routine.F loved his dinosaur wellies and can't wait to wear them to all the festivals we have lined up this year, and I am loving the cool pink flash and the snake skin style flocked finish of my Olive Snake Nessie Wellies. After our walk we stopped into my folks house who don't live too far away and sipped cups of hot tea, warming ourselves while F got showered in attention before heading home for bedtime. What we wore:Me: Olive Snake Wellies  c/o Joules // Denim Dress from Hit-In. // Green Waterproof Coat  c/o Joules.F: Green Dinosaur wellies c/o Joules // Hat c/o House of Fraser // Coat from ZaraPaul: Wellies c/o Joules // Coat from ASOS

GET OUR CRAFT ON // PINECONE HOOPLA GAME

As nature is supplying such a bounty of conkers, sticks, pinecones and acorns this autumn, I thought it only right to share a quick DIY game you can play with your little ones. F is always asking to make toys, whether it's bows and arrows, stick men, Go fish game, swords, catapults, sensory boxes, the list goes on. So after a lot of talk about the Moscow State Circus before his birthday, I decided to reinvent the old fairground classic, Coconut Shy game, with things that can be found outside.

To make your Pincone Hoopla game you'll need:

1. A few pinecones
2. Glitter glue / OR loose glitter and PVA glue.
3. A hoop of some sort.
4. Paper.
5. Washi tape.

To make your game is super simple, place some paper down to protect your surface from any mess and let your kiddo get creative with the glitter glue. Try and encourage them to use different colours and place blobs on different parts of the pinecones to make them sparkly. 

Once the glitter has dried, decorate your hoop with washi tape. I used an embroidery hoop but any circular ring will work well, or you can even make your own hoop with bendy twigs tied together. Once everything is ready, find an open area and place the pinecones spaced out on the floor.The aim is to throw the hoop over the pinecones, the person who captures the most pinecones wins! Simple. F really loved playing this game and got quite competitive with me, and was thrilled when he managed to catch one. This is a great game for concentration, spatial awareness and gross motor skills, as well as the creativity involved making it. After you've finished playing the pinecones can also make a pretty nature display in the home.

A WEEKEND WOODLAND TRAIL IN PICTURES

We decided to brave the weekend's forecast of rain and head out of the city to the Dean Heritage Centre, taking this small boy on a big adventure. As soon as F saw the huge wooden Gruffalo at the entrance he was super excited and we were lucky that the Room on the Broom trail had recently been installed for Easter featuring one of F's favourite dragons.

This is quite a long one so click to read more.

ARE YOU WILD ENOUGH? // PROJECT WILD THING

Image via blinkbox 

Last week I was fortunate enough to be invited to an event hosted by Yeo Valley HQ, situated in the rolling hills of North Somerset. This was something I had been eagerly looking forward to all week, a screening of Project Wild Thing with Director's Q&A. Over the last month or so I had seen the trailer being shot around various social media sites and with The Guardian stating 'This film will change your life' and I was keen to see if this was true.

'Children in the UK spend less than 5% of their time outdoors - less than ever before.'

That line is hard to swallow, less than 5%. Project Wild Thing is a film led movement to get kids and adults back outside and reconnecting with nature – despite how that sounds, it's not a a hippy movement, but more a concerned look at what extensive screen time and indoor play is doing to our children and future generations. This brilliant and witty feature length documentary follows front man David Bond, as he appoints himself the Marketing Director of Nature, to try and prise his two children from their love of the screen and explore ways to reignite our passion for the great outdoors.

Welcomed by the wonderful hosts at Yeo Valley, I sat through the private screening with moments of laughter, inspiration, acknowledgement, wonderment, appreciation and pangs of guilt. As I watched the facts weigh in heavily at the detrimental effects extensive screen time and indoor play has on a child, I wonder how much damage I'd already done? Thankfully this film doesn't preach, but instead carves a place in your heart using a fantastic cast of children, each telling their own story, while David leads you by the hand through his crusade. There is nothing more effective to a mama than hearing it from the mouths of babes.

Project Wild Thing doesn't ask you to throw your ipad out the window and become a recluse in the woods, but rather invigorates you to make a pledge to #wildtime, swapping screen for green and step outside the box. The campaign cleverly uses current technology to help you plan your time spent outdoors through the use of their free downloadable app, with fun ideas ranging from Grass Blade Whistles – remember those? – to Dinosaur Beach Hunts. All you need to do is put in the amount of time you have to spend outside and the app will give you ideas in return. Simple as that.

Recently I wrote a post about enjoying our urban playground, with the idea that slowing down allows us to see more beauty in our everyday surroundings. Moving away from the idea that nature has to be woodlands, meadows and mountains, I will be posting some ideas around mindfulness and how changing our perception can change the way we engage with our surroundings on our doorstep.

Project Wild Thing is more than just a film, it is a growing movement led by organisations and individuals who care deeply about engaging with nature and the benefits your kids will get from playing outdoors. With organisations such as The National Trust, RSPB, Woodland Trusts, NHS, Play England and many more backing this campaign, Project Wild Thing is forging the way forward for happy, healthy kids in the 21st Century. So please help spread the word, share a story, pledge your support on the website and make this campaign be heard in every school yard, parents group, planning office, city hall, with friends and family. Head over to their website and pledge your support by clicking on the join button and register as a Wild Thing.

GREEN IN THE HOME

For those of you that know me, you'll know that I'm not so good with plants – I'm much more of a fresh cut flowers kind of girl. Ever since I managed to kill off my husband's Bonsai tree within two weeks of moving in, I've never really lived it down. But there is something beautiful and energising about living plants in the home, so after eight years of being plant free I've decided to go green.

Our windows overlook a lovely private garden, peppered with flowers that change with season and various types of grasses. As F wistfully looks out from the window I feel guilty that he doesn't have a garden of his own to plant seeds in, uncover creepy crawlies and explore. So to ease the mama guilt I have bought a few hardy plants and a small watering can for F to create a little indoor garden. My favourite by far is the Aloe Vera cactus, due to its beautiful structured shape, bluey-green hues and that my chances of killing it are low. Each morning we check the soil and F asks if they would like a drink and asks me if they are happy – cute overload.

Take a look at these inspirational green interiors.

Image 2/3/4/5/6/7/8 source Plant Life

CELEBRATE YOUR BREASTS // YOUR WAY IS BEST

Image Nirrimi & Alba

Breasts.

Half the worlds population carry a pair of these on their chest, yet they are often a cause of much excitement and as a society we seem to be obsessed with them. Whether it's celeb boob spotting on the cover of a magazine or simply ogling them on the street, they're desired, they're judged, they're there. But they have another purpose, they give life and nourishment. They are the cushion that you once rested your head as a babe, that made you feel safe.

Breastfeeding is the most natural thing in the world, it's what they're designed for yet it doesn't come easy for most women. For those who choose to breastfeed there is only a handful of women I know – in fact maybe two – who can smile with doe eyes and say it was an amazing experience, pain free and beautiful. The truth is it's challenging. Those first few days of negotiating boob to mouth – with this new being trying to suckle – can cause frustration, chaffing, cracks and pain. But we do it anyway and it gets better.

Every mother has their story, all different. My first moments of feeding F were frustrating, he wouldn't latch on properly and I felt inadequate, why wasn't this working. So eager to find milk his head would dart around, fists in mouth as I tried to negotiate the space between us. It took a forceful midwife acting in those early twilight hours to literally manhandle my boob into his mouth and I didn't care, I was exhausted. Once he made contact he would feed for 45 minutes every hour. During the first four days in hospital I got only eight hours sleep as he was ravenous. I vividly remember the midwife handing him over encouraging me to feed in gentle voices, broken I just turned my back and cried and F was whisked away so I could have some time to pull myself together.

Just as I got used to the sensation of this liquid gold leaving my body it changed again. My breasts became engorged and now I faced a new problem, he physically could not latch on. I would stand under hot showers to release some of the pressure building. So hungry and desperate to feed, my nipples became sore and eventually cracked. I would cry out when he made contact through gritted teeth. My mum seeing me in pain tried to comfort me, 'You've tried' she would say 'just give him a bottle' and although I wanted to throw in the towel, something inside of me said no. If I could labour without any pain relief, I could do this. I was thankful to have a group of friends who were also new mothers, we would catch up over decaf coffees and exchange war stories – mastitis, cracked nipples, thrush, nipple confusion – it was these united moments that egged us on.

Two weeks went by and suddenly I turned a corner. They healed. There was no pain and he fed constantly. I felt happy and confident in my new ability. I would sit in cafes with this tiny person lying along my body receiving milky goodness. I managed to breastfeed exclusively for four months, until F's appetite could no longer be satisfied with my milk alone. After this came a mixture of formula, breast and his first taste of food. It might not have been the best way, but this was my way and it was the best I could do. Gone are the pert twenty-something breasts I took for granted, now they are replaced by a softer shape but beautiful all the same.

This is my story. This is World Breastfeeding Week.


I love this spoken word piece Embarrassed by Hollie Mcnish, talking of her experience of breastfeeding her daughter.

A GOOD BOOK // A First Book of Nature

This fantastic introduction to nature should be on every child's shelf. Page after page of vibrant illustrations captures the snippets of stories, poems and facts of the simple and beautiful world around us. Divided into the four seasons, A First Book of Nature takes you through a year discovering the delights of each – from croaking frogs to summer bird song, transforming caterpillars to changing leaves, rainbows to the first frost – it evokes the childhood memories of discovery and the playground on our doorstep.

F loves to pour over the pages describing the delicate balance of nature, the importance of the humble earthworm and the blanket of stars above our heads. It's a book I will cherish as he grows.