mamaUK

Quiet Hours Toys

 

Look what arrived from the States today! It was the rest of my Christmas shopping for the girls. This lovely package arrived from Quiet Hours Toys. I am so happy to have finished my on-line Christmas shopping, especially with the Royal Mail postal strikes we are experiencing at the moment. I buy all the childrens gifts on the internet because the natural toys simply aren't availble in regular shops on the high street in the UK. Yes, natural toys can be bought from some UK high street shops, but they are usually mass-produced wooden toys, very brightly painted and more often than not won't be handmade. What I like about both Quiet Hours Toys and another of my favourite on-line stores Myriad is that the toys are usually handmade by an artisan or crafter, are Fairtrade or are made from a small company. I love supporting handmade, Fairtrade and small companies.

Senses

See: Stunning physalis on my window sill.

Hear: Distant engine of a small aeroplane.

Smell: Steaming hot chocolate.

Feel: Warm sunshine on my skin streaming through the window pane.

Taste: Sharp clementines.
 

Wool felt leek

 

Here is the hand stitched leek for the children's play kitchen. K is so pleased that it is now finally finished...now she can't wait for me to start sewing the next vegetable! I need to order some 100% wool felt in some more colours from Holland before I can start another one. My sister found the pefect shades of wool felt which we couldn't find from any UK suppliers.I can't wait to make a pumpkin for K and L, it is going to look so sweet. But I want the particular shade of orange to be just right so it looks quite natural and organic.

I got the wool felt for the tomato, small cucumber and leek from here.

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We just got home from Hospital a couple of hours ago, L went in for a general anesthetic for the first test patch of laser treatment for the  birth mark on her leg to see how her skin reacts to it. She is now in her cot napping but she is pretty tired out from it all so I think we are going to have a quiet afternoon to help her recover from it. I might make some comforting pumpkin soup to cheer us all up for dinner tonight. 

Senses

See: K playing schools with baby in the cosy corner.

Hear: K chatting about teachers.

Smell: Homebaked Anzac biscuits.

Feel: L in my arms.

Taste: Haribo Sweets.

 

Angelina Ballerina

   

 

After a lovely playdate this morning with two of L and K's favourite friends, as soon as we stepped through the door, K knew what she wanted to do. She grabbed her box with her two little mice Angelina and Alice and started to dress them up. These two little mice have over sixty outfits.Even though they are character toys (Angelina Ballerina) which we don't tend to encourage in our home, I fell in love with them when I saw them a couple of years ago at a friends house. I thought they would be a wonderful alternative to something like Barbie. 

Several years ago, Angelina Ballerina released a long running series of magazines called 'Angelina's Fairy Tales' and on the front of each magazine there was a new outfit to match a fairy tale. I managed to go onto E.bay and after about two months I was able to collect all sixty outfits, still sealed in their little packets where collectors had saved them but never opened them. Oddly, I ended up getting the two new Angelina and Alice dolls and quite a few of the outfits from a collector in New York even though this was a British publication. I was able to get the entire collection of outfits from each Angelina's Fairy Tales'  that was ever released. I think the fact that they were so difficult to get hold of and K loves them so much, makes them even more special in our home. K also adores the Angelina Ballerina stories, the illustrations are wonderful, so pretty and detailed.

Little L

Not much is happening here today, L is still out of sorts from her immunisations last week, and all she wants is to be cuddled by mama. This morning, I popped her in her wrap which seemed to be exactly what she needed. The closeness really seemed to soothe her.

The Fair

  

 

The weather stayed dry, so we thought we would surprise the girls with a trip to the fair last night. When we told K the fair was in town, she was jumping up and down with excitement...she just loves the fair!

 We left the house just as the sun was setting and as we opened the front door, we could hear the sounds of the rides filtering up from the Market Square. By the time we got to town, it had gone dark and as we rounded the corner to the fair, we were greeted with bright lights, the sound of the merry-go-round and children's excitment filling the air.

It was a lovely evening. After candy floss, toffee apples, and one last go on the tea cups, it was time to take the little ones home and tuck them into bed.

Christmas shopping

   

  

I know  it's only the end of October but I thought I would try and be organised this year and get the children's christmas shopping done early to avoid a last minute panic. So, half of it arrived this morning from my favourite, and only place I shop for natural toys in the UK, Myriad. The other half is making its way from the States right now and are things that simply aren't available in the UK. The parcel arrived five minutes before I was due to go and pick K up from school so I haven't looked inside all the sweet little parcels yet. Part of me would love to go and rip it all open now just so I can see all the cuteness but I need to hold off until the little ones are in bed tonight.

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There are lots of other things happening around here, little L is a little bit feverish at the moment because of an immunisation she had a few days ago so today we are not doing too much aside from lots of holding and cuddling and soothing.

We are hoping that the weather holds until this evening because we need to take K to the fair in town when it gets dark tonight. It is one of her favourite nights of the year, with all the lights, the sounds of the merry -go- round, and the smell of popcorn and candy floss lacing the air.

Senses

See: delicious windfalls ready for making apple pie

Hear: K chatting while she makes 'leaf' coffee

Smell: Lentil soup simmering on the stove top

Feel: soft quilt on my sofa

Taste: Earl Grey tea

 

Goodbye bottle

I had to take this sweet photo of little L having her bottle because I know she needs to go on a trainer cup soon and mama needs to let go of her being a baby....she is so sweet and snuggly when she is having her morning bottle before breakfast. I am going to miss giving L her bottle so much.