MINI RODINI KIDS STYLE SELECTION

I've been really excited to share this kids brand with you for a while now, first off because it's sooooo cool and I kinda want to wear all of the pieces myself and secondly because it's ethically made! Yep that's right, cool kids clothes with a concsience! If you haven't guessed already I'm talking about the wonderful Swedish children's wear brand, Mini Rodini.

One of my favourite things about kids clothes is how much fun they can be in. I mean yes, of course fashion can be fun for all ages, but when picking out pieces with the boy I really get to see his personality shine through. Funky patterns, quirky prints and bright colours, the clothes he wears are an explosion of his personality and I love it. I fear the day that he becomes too self concious to wear what he likes or society dictates what is appropriate. For now I want him to have fun and enjoy being a kid, whether that's wearing a cardi full of tassels, dressing all in pink or buying tops full of unicorns!

As we love to explore new destinations I'm always looking for cool threads for him to travel in and we decided to try out a few pieces from Mini Rodini's Spring/Summer range to road test in Berlin, but with F catching swine flu we had to be put the trip on hold. Thankfully Bristol's street style scene is just as good and we spent a fun morning hanging south of the river with some street chalks.

F absolutely loves these organic cotton Spot Sneakers in yellow, he's convinced they make him run as fast as a leopard and who am I to argue! He even slept in them the first night they arrved and he hasn't wanted to wear anything since *a sign of a truly awesome shoes*.

We also chose this smart Pico Jacket in dark blue, as it's perfect for spring but also can be used at school, plus the leather detail panda logo and gold popper buttons are ace. I love how he looks in the sneaker coat combo, especially with his Star Wars mag in hand *sigh my dreamboat*.

Started back in 2006 in Swedish illustrator, Cassandra Rhodin's Stockholm apartment, Mini Rodini is one of Scandinavia’s fastest growing children’s wear brands. It's now selling in some of the most prestigious department stores and independent shops all around the world, from Harvey Nichols in Kuwait, Selfridges in London and Barneys in New York and I can see why *hands up to all the creative mamas out there*. I love these embroided heart jackets and fun print leggings! Here are a few of my favourite pieces from this seasons collection.

As well the designs being fun and cool, I am sooo happy to find a brand that I can trust, with each garment meeting their strict commitment to being both ethical and sustainable, from the organic cotton they use through to their low carbon footprint and fair labour proimises. In fact it makes you feel really good to be able to dress your little one in fun, imaginative clothes from a responsible  brand, you can read all about their values here.

Due to the kiddo being ill we missed the press show for the Autumn/winter collection *boo* but I'm super excited to see what they have in store next season, and I'm definitely going to be buying a few more pieces for F to have some fun in this summer.

 *We recieved the sneakers and coat as part of this review, but I truly love this brand and all opinons are 100% my own.

BEAUTIFUL BLUES WITH THOUGHT ORGANIC CLOTHING // MAMA STYLE

So rather than succumb to the Monday Blues, which let's face it, can happen stuck at  a desk after a weekend of spring like weather, I thought the fun way to brighten your day would be to share my current wardrobe staples and beautiful blues from Thought Organic Clothing.

Yep, what better way is there to feel good on the school run, than channeling some mama style, coffee in hand and knowing you're wearing ethically sourced, natural, organic, thoughtful clothing and looking good doing so.

You might remember me wearing this perfect cotton summer dress from their collection last year and this cute shirt in October, but I'm even more excited by the fab Spring/Summer 15 range with its beautiful blues, fresh feel, stripes and feel good vibes. I've been pretty much living in this tunic dress and headed into London teaming it with black boots, and I've had so many compliments about this cute collar too.

I am in love with my Stonoway Cotton Waterproof Jacket, it's great to throw on super comfy and look great with skinny jeans and some comfy kick – a.k.a trainers. I also saw the lovely Katherine from Kat Got the Cream styling their jumpsuit *big thumbs up from me* and think that it might be dropping into my shopping basket soon ;) Here are a few pieces that have caught my eye so far, what do you think?

What do you think of the new season range? Have you got a go-to outfit for the school run?

*I was sent a the Stonoway Jacket and Frida Tunic c/o Thought clothing, but all thoughts and opinions are my own and I really love supporting independent ethical brands. 

THE PERFECT COTTON SUMMER DRESS

So a few weeks ago we flew to the sunny city of Palma, swapping the mild Bristol spring weather for a balmy 28 degrees. Just me, Paul, the boy and the perfect summer cotton dress. Oh how I love wandering around a new city bathed in beautiful light, feeling the warmth of the sun on my skin. As the weather in UK has a bit of catching up to do, I hadn't quite prepared a summer wardrobe and found myself on a mad shopping dash a few days before the flight.

When travelling somewhere hot I always try to pack light, but there's one must have item that I never leave without, and that's a comfortable summer cotton dress. When exploring anywhere with kids it's easy to get hot and sticky when swapping between carrying toys, child and bag full of essentials, so wearing something cool and comfortable while looking good is a must.

I loved this Jagger Stripe Summer dress from Braintree Clothing, the loose fit and cute pinstripe with lace and pin tuck details is made from Organic Hemp Cotton, which is completely breathable leaving your skin cool and it's the perfect length for letting your legs see some light – hello tan!

I loved exploring the tiny cobbled streets with its crumbling plasterwork and beautiful doorways. There's something so exotic about the peachy tones and wooden shutters, with palm trees shading narrow passages. I can't wait to share more of our Palma adventures with you next week and hopefully inspire some wanderlust in you.

Also just a quick note to say a huge thank you for all the kindness and support you've shown me over the last two weeks. All your messages have really helped lift my spirits through this particularly difficult time.

Honestly, I'm still not feeling myself, which is probably why it has stayed quiet over here. However I have a few posts to share with you and hope that you'll be patient with me as I pull myself out of this hole, and as always thanks for taking time to stop by, read and say hi. x

STYLE IN YOUR CITY // THOUGHT CLOTHING

I'm not sure how another fortnight has flown by already but it's time for #StyleInYourCity once again, which showcases your life and creates a community celebrating all the things you love about where you live. It's been a little quiet on the blog but very busy behind the scenes, and if I'm honest I still haven't quite caught up after the long Easter break –hence the radio silence – which is why I've decided to create this post around tranquil spaces and thoughtful fashion.

I am very excited to announce a special Style in Your City this fortnight in collaboration with the wonderful Thought Clothing. I've recently fell in love with the comfort and ethics of these clothes and couldn't wait to share the exciting news that I'm now a regular contributor over at Thought Blog. Born in Sydney, Australia and now based in London, Braintree is a natural clothing company which has been championing eco fibres since mid 1990's - always produced ethically and with sustainability in mind. All of their clothes are made from sustainable fibres such as hemp, bamboo & organic cotton. These fabrics are good for the environment and great to wear and feel amazing to touch.

One of the things I love about Bristol is the ability to find an oasis of calm somewhere in the city, for me it's the Lido. Tucked away from the main roads and subtly placed amongst a row of Georgian houses is one of the UK's oldest surviving Lido's, allowing outdoor swimming all year round. This pool, spa, cafe and restaurant is one of my go-to places when I need to clear my mind and relax. After growing up by the sea I always find the water so calming and when the sun shines, there's no better place to sip coffee and watch the world swimmers go by.

Over the last few weeks I have visited the Lido a few times for coffee/me time, or with F in tow and have taken time to sidestep the rush of everyday life. While treating the mind to a bit of down time, I've also enjoyed styling the softest of fabrics and loving my body with these beautiful timeless designs.

 These Dashka Heart Bamboo Leggings have been great with this transitional weather, teamed with either boots and a dress or sandals and tee, they have kept my legs happy and they are perfect for doing exercises in too. I've also been loving my Avika Striped top which I've been sporting on IG recently, the boxy style boho look is perfect with ripped denim jeans, pumps and gold necklace for an urban edge to ethical clothing. And don't get me started on how cute these Bayou Organic Cotton Denim Jeans and Jagger Striped Cotton Dress is, both perfect for sunny adventures in far away places. 

As I'm so excited about the quality and comfort of these timeless designs, the lovely people over at Braintree are giving five of you lovely readers the chance to win yourself a pair of the Dashka Hart Bamboo Leggings which come in three different colours. Me and Fritha will be looking to give one pair to our favouite #styleinyourcity IG pic, one pair to our favourite linked up post celebrating style where you live and a chance to win using the rafflecopter entry below *fingers crossed*

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Last fortnight I think this was my favourite image from Instagram due to the super spring vibes and this zesty coloured bike captured by Emily. My post pick was by Gingerlillytea, who proves that you can find style outside the city with this beautiful photography. Don't forget to hop over to Tigerlilly Quinn for her favourite snaps from the last fortnight and to see what style has caught her eye.

So how does it work? 

We would love it if you wanted to link up and join in with 'Style in your City'. We want you to hunt down your style finds and it could be anything: colourful buildings, street art you've spotted, fashion your loving, art you've seen, fab floors, the list goes on. We'll be showcasing our favourites on our blogs each fortnight. We're running this as a bi-weekly feature and you don't have to have a blog to join in or live in a bustling city for that matter, simply use the hashtag #styleinyourcity on twitter and/or IG with a photo and tag @wildandgrizzly and @tigerlillyquinn.

You can find me on Instagram here and twitter here.
You can find Fritha on Instagram here and twitter here.

Thanks so much to everyone who linked up over the last two weeks, we'd love to see you link up either below or on Instagram/twitter, we'll announce our favourite link up in two weeks time. 

*T&C Giveaway will run for two weeks and the winner will be drawn by random using rafflecopter on the 29th April. All entries will be verified. Prize will include one pair of Dashka Hart Bamboo Leggings worth the value of £22. This is not exchangeable. By entering you are signing up to the Wild & Grizzly E-newsletter. Open worldwide. 

An InLinkz Link-up

WIN GREEN PEOPLE'S DD AGE DEFY+ TINTED MOISTURISER

 

As a mama with little sleep, it's a struggle to look fresh faced most mornings, and you would be hard pressed to see me to leave the house without a bit of concealer and light foundation coverage to hide the suitcases dark circles I'm rocking at the moment.

So when I was asked whether I'd like to try the new Age Defy+ Tinted Moisturiser with SPF 15 from Green People I practically whooped. I'd been hearing a lot of great things over on social media, with everyone raving about the double D, its sheer coverage and natural glow.

Up until now I had been using a matt foundation, but during the winter months I've noticed that it was making my skin seem quite dull and dry in appearance. The new Age Defy+ tinted moisturiser is the UK's first certified Organic Daily Defence (DD) cream which goes on smoothly and is made with colour correcting natural earth minerals – yes say goodbye pale face and dark circles.

Using natures helping hand, the cream harnesses the power of plant stem cells technology to offer a complete anti-aging solution and it's always good to know that you're not putting any nasty chemicals on your face. I'm quite tempted to go completely organic for my make up needs after seeing how good my skin feels, plus anything to help reduce those fine lines is good for me!

The moisturiser comes in two shades, light and medium and should suit most people due to colour correcting natural earth minerals. I really loved this tinted moisturiser and now use it part of my daily beauty routine. Add a touch of concealer and some mascara and I'm ready to face the world as long as I've had a coffee.

The lovely Green People have offered two of you lovely readers to win a bottle of the tinted DD moisturiser – one winner per shade in each shade – and five runners up who will win a tester to try at home. All you need to do is enter using the options below. Good luck!

*T&C Giveaway will run for two weeks and the winner will be drawn by random using rafflecopter on the 16th February. All entries will be verified. Prize will include be one Organic Green People UK Age Defy DD Tinted Moisturiser worth the value of £35. This is not exchangeable. By entering you are signing up to the Wild & Grizzly E-newsletter. Open worldwide. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

DINNER TO YOUR DOOR WITH GOUSTO BOX

Image via Unsplash

In a massive effort to feel fit this year I have taken the plunge into changing my daily habits. Even though I'm a slim build my fitness levels are awful, last night I attempted my first run of 2015 and let's just say I wasn't out there for long, plus I keep promising myself I'll get back into my daily exercise routine since New Years Day, but as always there's an excuse. F is sleeping so badly at the moment that I'm scraping around 5.30 hours sleep each night, with at least several interruptions so no wonder I want to hibernate and lay low on the sofa.

So rather than push myself, I'm taking a more relaxed approach. Eating well, drinking plenty of water, daily green smoothies, 10,000+ steps a day and fitting in active exercise where I can. My one downfall after a busy day is coming up with a healthy and nutritious dinner when all I want to do is order in noodles.

So when I was asked whether I would like to try Gousto, a healthy meal delivery service I was all ears. Our box arrived filled with goodies which would allow us to cook three meals, using organic products locally sourced (where available) in the exact quantities needed to prepare a fresh dinner from scratch.

No planning, no fussing, I dived straight in and pulled out one off the three recipe cards. I decided to try the Pomegranate Glazed Kofta, which was as amazing as it sounds. This Turkish dish was ready to eat in 35 minutes alongside fluffy couscous and natural yoghurt with lightly toasted pine nuts. Mouth watering yet? If the sound of Kofta's doesn't take your fancy how about Homemade Turkey Burgers in a Brioche Bun and Caramelised Leeks and Pork. As you can tell we opted for the meat box but there is a veggie box option too.

The box also includes next weeks menu with the option to choose from 10 different meals so you can customise your box to your tastes. You can choose a 3 meal box for two people at £34.95, and for four people for £49.95, and with your first order you receive a £15 discount and there is the option of a flexible subscription.

For me I would love to have one of these delivered every other week as a great way to break up the lack of meal planning that goes on in our house and a smaller box would probably be suffice for us. It's so nice not have to worry about cooking. Oh and I'd love to show you the finished meal but the boys got to it before I could snap it, so it's a thumbs up from them!

Do you meal plan in batches or just buy groceries on the go?

*We received a meal box c/o Gousto for the purpose of this post.