Hideaways.

Some places for kids to run away, hide, play, get up to mischief and sleep.

Found via Giver's Log.

the treepee, found via here

a backyard pavillion, made by this lovely lady, found via One Pretty Thing

French playhouses, found via a favorite blogger of mine

i know, wow, right? available here

available here

this looks totally doable, found via One Pretty Thing

available here
ready to throw over your card table, and available here

beautiful tents available here and here

Blabia Kids Handmade Mobiles

This spring Blabla Kids is introducing seven fresh new handmade Dream Ring mobiles, all of which are designed to bring an extra splash of wonder and whimsy to your child’s wall or window. Each Dream Ring is lovely and contemporary, made with hand-knit designs in natural fibres. They really are beautiful and so many fine details like the little mushrooms.

A sunny afternoon well spent.

I've been staring at this corner for a long time wondering what to do and also it was just dirt so when I would push Jimmy in the swing I would be pretty much be standing in mud. So this lovely sunny afternoon I covered it with pavers. It's very lumpy and uneven but it's ok for now. Might try to redo it when Mike's back and I also want to get a heap of those lovely ground covers to scatter through so it softens the edges of the pavers.

I did the same last year but in a circle next to the sandpit but they got full sun and were too hot to stand on so this spot is in shade most of the day, especially when the apple tree gets it's lush leaves back.

Lavender skirt set

I made this outfit for Stevie's friend Olivia who turned 5. It's a sweet summer outfit and the skirt fabric is light and flowy, perfect for our hot summers.

Veggie Patch

So we finally put in a veggie patch. Well 2 but already I could put in more. Here's Mike working hard! Straight after it was done Stevie and I planted some seeds of lettuce, beans, corn, sunflowers and bought seedlings of peas, capsicum, chilli, tomato, spinach, strawberries and a heap of herbs. It's amazing how many times a day I can go look at it, silly really but everything is coming up so fast.

Jimmy loves it but the cheeky boy pulls everything out.

Cuddles

How sweet is this.

Just for you Claire because I know how much you love dogs. x x

Babushkups!

Babushkups! I found these via The Hip Infant. Aren't they great and at $24.95 they are good value for 3 cups. Babushkups hold 8 (225mls), 10 (280mls), and 14 (395mls) ounces. They’re made from strong, dishwasher-safe borosilicate glass and packed in a colorful protective gift-box.

Babywearing.

I feel like i've been living under a rock. I've just stumbled across an entire network of Babywearers. The name says it all, it's mothers who go about their everyday life carrying their bub in a sling. Even older children at age 4 and up. I have no idea what the age limit is, guessing it would be how much you can carry. I had Stevie in a sling all the time when she was little and I have to say I loved it. When she was 2 days old (fresh out of hospital) we put her in the sling and walked to the main st and probley did some grocery shopping. I used it with Lochie but not as much, why i'm not sure. I haven't used one with Jimmy just because a friend of mine told me there was a program on about the use of slings leading to deaths. So i was scared off but all the ones here look very sensible.

I found all this at Marvelous Kiddo so I would recommend having a look at this amazing blog. Also lots of really positive parents sharing experiences and I found reading it all very uplifting.

Here's some examples of baby wearing.

"Babywearing" by conradzone, zebra print sarong

"mother and child" by phitar, African Kanga


"...Seattle Star" by Sew Katie Did, pouch


"by popular demand" by Lisa Steinbrueck, woven wrap

"Babywearing Mommy" by Az-Fiq, wrap

"guadafront" by bronwenhandcrafted, ring sling

Time for a change.

Some bright, beautiful and colourful kids rooms to smile at.

Found these via Marvelous Kiddo.

www.familyliving.se

www.cookiemag.com

www.cookiemag.com

www.husohem.se

www.skonahem.com

www.ikeafamilylive.com

Oh how I love Ikea.

Playing With the Moon

Via Marvelous Kiddo.

Well isn't this series of photos just the most magical thing. There are a bunch more, all incredibly clever, here. ViaLove Set You Going.

I love em!

Just some happy snaps from today.

Go Scooter Boy!!

My girl.

Jimmy

Jimmy's smile just melts my heart.

Panel Pants

All alone again...well not really but Mike is back at sea for another 5 weeks. The 5 weeks he was at home were really lovely, we all had a ball. And I love him to bits but I didn't get a single thing done. Actually I lied, I made an outfit for Stevie's friend Olivia, it was her birthday.

But today I have been madly sewing away while I got the strong urge to do so. And I've gone a little silly with another phase. I swap all the time.

One week painting, then one week making mobiles, then appliques..... etc. So my new project is still sewing and they are some pants, or trousers I prefer. Made from panels in random fabrics so i've pretty much just been shredding all my fabric and half my wardrobe (Mike will be happy) to get lots of variety and they look so comfy I mix a bit of everything in, here's some pics from this arvo.

My First Quilt

This is my first quilt attempt. It's got lots of little flaws but I guess it adds character. I'll keep it for Stevie and will make one each for the boys. Hopefully by then i've got it figured out. I've still got the back fabric and the binding to sew on and it's a little lumpy but i'm still pretty proud of it.

I was inspired by a fabric pack I bought from Etsy seller Starlit Nest. Alison sent me lots of beautiful fabric and one of the packs was a blue, red and pink combo and I started the quilt as soon as I got the fabric.

Retro mama fabric fruit

Heres some really sweet pincushions or ornaments from retro mama. There are lots of tutorials you can buy. Wouldn't the christmas tree look great covered in these.