monsters and munchkins

We Are Moving !

2011-04-18T18:13:00.003+01:00

Dear Friends,

We have decided to move on....
We are moving somewhere better !
We have decided to close down this blog and move over to Wordpress.
After lots of going back and forth,we have finally decided to make the move, as it is so much more user-friendly and has so many more exciting functions.
Hope you like it.
Come over and see us and make sure to subscribe to our posts, so we can keep in touch !

Ps. we have also got a new Facebook page. Did you "like" us yet ?

The Rosevine, Cornwall

2011-04-10T19:48:00.015+01:00

For those that follow us on Twitter and Facebook, probably already know that we love The Rosevine.

It took a bit over 6 hours to drive to this wonderful white house by the sea. Luckily, the drive worked just as planned. Kids napped big part of the journey, the rest of the journey they were eating and happily chatting away.

Our rooms were just as nice as it looked on their website, if not even more so. Staff was very nice and friendly. All was very calm and welcoming.

Once we arrived, baby-sitter was arranged within minutes, and kids dinners ordered. Kids will all have dinner together in one of our rooms and play until it is bed-time.
We big people were left to relax with a drink in the lounge, until our dinner was ready in the restaurant. Duck salad, scallops, sea-bass, steak, risotto, chicken terrine....... it was all amazing. The Rosevine is incredibly child-friendly and the service and food is what you would expect to find in an exclusive boutique hotel.

Morning 1. After a refreshing swim in the heated swimming pool, we all had a hearty breakfast in the restaurant. Again, the food was brilliant. Kids finished theirs and went off to the play-room whilst we continued ours in peace.

First destination, St. Ives. but not until we had enjoyed some play-time in the lovely garden. Sun was shining, the sky was bright blue, as was the ocean..... we were all happy !

St. Ives was about 1h away from The Rosevine. Once we arrived, we parked at Park Avenue car Park, just a few minutes away from the centre. A short stroll and a bit of window shopping later, we arrived at the harbour. All kids charged straight down towards the beach and that was that, we didn't leave for the rest of the day. We were all having a great time. Lunch : Fish n' Chips and ice cream.

Sun-soaked and happy, we headed back to hotel. All kids ( + myself) napping all the way. Dinner in our room after a quick swim. Hotel provided us with prepared dinners that we could easily heat up in our room and wine. Chicken, mashed potatoes, chicken terrine, salad, apple crumble.....simple, basic and very nice. Early night for kids. Movie night in the lounge for mums.

Next was beach day. Well, we were supposed to just walk through the beach (Porth Curnick Beach, which is only a couple of minutes of walk from hotel) to get over to Port Scatho but ended up staying a bit longer than planned. The sun was beaming ! In fact, it was as hot as any British summers day. It was wonderful. We pretty much had the beach all to ourselves, apart from the one or two other families that were there. We even spotted some seals.The more skeptical of us think they were ducks....

Glorious sunshine. Fantastic beach. Buckets. Spades. A bunch of happy kids. Life was good and like that we stayed for several hours until hunger was sneaking up on us. With a bit of gentle persuasion, everyone agreed to leave our beloved spot and walk across to the other side of the beach to follow the scenic route to Port Scatho, a small fishing village in search of food.
Discovered some rather wonderful rock pools by the edge of the beach, filled with clear (very cold) water and living creatures. We spotted shrimps, crabs and even some fish in these beautiful "aquariums".

From the rock-pools to our feeding station (the one and only pub in Port Scatho), it took about 15-20 mins and that includes a few pit stops like, trouser changing, flower picking and photos.

Pub looked pretty old and average but food was surprising good. Mussels/chips, moussaka/salad, sausage/mash, fish/chips... and all washed down with Cornish cider.

The other place well worth a visit is a small vintage gift shop across the road, full of quaint crafts and wonderful vintage books, decorations and clothing. It was set-up by 3 local crafts-women that also have a small studio there where they make some of their own products,as well as hold workshops.

After lunch, comes the much anticipated afternoon nap for everyone. We were all happily full and tired.

Afternoon movie in playroom, out-door play and lots of pretend play with the toys provided by The Rosevine. It was all so easy ..... 4 toddlers and a baby can sometimes be quite stressful but not here ... they were all too busy having fun and playing/exploring to cause trouble.

This place is such a pleasure to stay at with kids, they think of everything ! Whilst the kids were in the playroom playing, one of the staff approached me to order kids dinners in advance, to ensure kids would get their food shortly after we all got seated at restaurant. In that way, they get to enjoy their dinner in our company while the adults then can continue to eat and chat long after kids finished and gone off back to playroom to enjoy one of the many DVDs and toys available.

After a long lie in, it was breakfast again.
There is something quite nice about waking up in the morning, making yourself some coffee, some toast... still in your pyjamas, so we decided to just get some breakfast food and have breakfast in one of our rooms in the mornings. There is a little kitchenette but to our disappointment, no hob.... we had 24 eggs and porridge to make ! So what to do .... use the microwave ?! None of us had really cooked in a microwave before but actually it worked quite well ! Porridge was just fine, as was the scrambled eggs (which strangely resembled the scrambled eggs provided on long-haul flights) but the boiled eggs.... we just couldn't figure out a way to make them soft-boiled. My kids will only eat "dippy" egg and not interested in hard-boiled, so saved a lot of eggs there ! I really enjoyed our breakfasts together, all of us in our pjs...

The 4 days that we spent there went way too quickly. Could do with perhaps another few days... or weeks ! We will definitely come back again.

If you are looking for a short family vacation in the UK, I recommend that you try The Rosevine.

We paid £495 for a suite, incl. 1 dinner in restaurant and 1 dinner in the room (ie. 4 dishes from the deli menu). Worth every penny.

Ps. One last thing I should mention . Although Wi-Fi is good at The Rosevine, mobile phone signal is not. So, just bear this in mind if you are expecting important phonecalls ! DH had to drive a couple of miles up the road to get good signals several times a day, to make sure there weren't any urgent messages left on his phone.

What is best for our kids ??

2011-01-16T15:53:00.006Z

Read a very interesting and somewhat disturbing article called "Why Chinese Mothers Are Superior" earlier today.
Being Chinese myself, I found this article rather quite disturbing .... mainly because I know that this is the way The Chinese (generalization) Mother thinks.

Strict schedule. Grueling practice. Lots of shouting. Sometimes unrealistically high expectations (according to me). No hobbies, no play, all work. Unless the child is the best at everything, it is not good enough. There is no such thing as individual interests, the child learns what he/she is supposed to do (according to the parent....who mainly base their choice on what other parents say children are supposed to learn ie. piano/violin). Art is frowned upon. Sports is not really important. Learning is NOT supposed to be fun, it is supposed to be hard ! No questions asked, just do as you are told.

This is so opposite to how I chose to bring up my own children. They are still young (according to me, but many Chinese kids at this age already practice 2-3 hours of piano/violin a day !). They are in a small Montessori nursery close to our home, where it is all about the children's individuality and their own pace of learning. There is no structure as such in their day, the children all choose their own "work" that they want to focus on at any particular point of time. If they choose to go for a walk in the garden, they can do that too !
I believe learning should be fun ! The Montessori system is based on the child building up his/her own confidence by learning new work by himself/herself, without too much adult interference. The success in itself will become the "reward" and the child will not rely on other people's praise to feel like he has done well. The work in front of himself/herself will prove that. It is about the child wanting to learn without having to be forced to. If a child is enjoying to learn, he/she will....and the knowledge that the child learns will be more in-depth than any forced learning would be.

I don't think a child needs to be a genius or prodigy to have a good life and/or in deed happy, quite the opposite.

For me, enjoying life is by far more important than learning to recite Mozart, especially at a young age. Unless of course you really love playing Mozart of course....

Ok, a child needs discipline (how much depends on how unruly the child is of course). Our job as a parent is to teach them what is right or wrong and also to steer them away from potential danger but other than that, I believe if you give a child a chance, they will be able to (sooner or later) find their own path, the path that they truly enjoy being part of. I, as a parent, can not and should not choose whats is right for my child's future. Yes, I can prepare him for what the future may hold but ultimately, the finale choice has to be a confident one made by the child.

What is your view on this ? Do you believe it is right to demand and expect of your child to be the best at everything and if they are not, relentlessly push them to achieve the goals that you have set out for them ?

Simple Art Display For your Childs Artwork

2011-01-09T09:18:00.003Z

One of my favourite gifts to give away at the moment is this simple but very useful frame created by Articulate, a creative company based in Glasgow that aims to help artists find ways to showcase and celebrate their creativity.

Using these simple frames, you can simply slot your child (or your own) artwork, be it drawings, painting or 3d collages, in and create stunning art displays or gifts. It also works as great art work storage for some of your favourite pieces.

Talking about the frames, designer Eona Craig says: ‘Families have really warmed to this simple solution to the perennial problem of curly-edged artwork on the fridge door. The best thing about the frames is that children’s first works of art are featured in a positive way and can be changed often to become an imaginative and personal gallery. It’s a simple but stylish way to show your child how proud you are of them.’

They come in simple, double or triple frames in size A3 and A4.

Click here to buy single A3 frame and here to buy A4 frame.

Baking Chocolate Chip Cookies with Toddlers

2010-12-08T20:30:00.009Z

What better way to spend an afternoon than at home baking, with the weather being so cold at the moment ?
We recently received our first shipment from "Kids Cooking" so I decided to put it to the test with the little ones. I got them an apron and hat set each, as well as matching cooking bowls and spoons. Then we got started with making some chocolate chip cookies, using a "Yummie's Mummy" kit. Two eggs and 400ml of water was all we needed to add to it.

The LOs love cooking and baking with me anyway but with their new aprons and hats on, they felt it was even more special and even more fun. They giggled and laughed so much that the flour went flying everywhere...... Having said that, they did pretty much manage to make the cookies all by themselves ! I had to help them with measuring out the water and a little bit of stirring right at the end but the rest they took care of themselves.

Luckily, after quite a few tasting sessions (no doubt because they wanted to make sure the flavouring was right) before the cookies went in the oven, we still managed to save some baked ones for our friends that came over for tea.

If you'd rather bake them from scratch, here is a superb recipe I found on "allrecipes.co.uk" that I normally use.

Ingredients:

250g plain flour

1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

170g unsalted butter, melted

200g dark brown soft sugar

100g caster sugar

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 egg

1 egg yolk

325g chocolate chips

Preparation:

1.		Preheat the oven to 170 C / Gas mark 3. Grease baking trays or line with parchment.

2.		Sift together the flour, bicarb and salt; set aside.

3.		In a medium bowl, cream together the melted butter, brown sugar and caster sugar until well blended. Beat in the vanilla, egg and egg yolk until light and creamy. Mix in the sifted ingredients until just blended. Stir in the chocolate chips by hand using a wooden spoon. Drop cookie dough onto the prepared baking trays, with each cookie around 4 tablespoons of dough (for smaller cookies, drop 1 rounded tablespoonful and adjust baking time as necessary). Do not flatten the dough. Cookies should be about 8cm apart.

4.		Bake for 15 to 17 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the edges are lightly toasted. Cool on baking trays for a few minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

Ps. What is your favourite baking/cooking "project" with your kids ?

Grab a good cleaning cloth, a vacuum cleaner, a bit of patience.... and Happy Baking !!!

Finding Inspiration In London' s Museums and Galleries

2010-11-21T22:55:00.011Z

As the days are getting darker and colder, I have been trying to get myself (and the LOs ) inspired by visiting a whole bunch of museums and galleries lately. Some were better than others but the most fun one was by far " Move: Choreograph You" at Hayward Gallery, which consists of a series of installations created by influential visual artists and choreographers. It explores the historical, as well as, current connection between art, movement and the public.

What made it so good ?? Well, never have I been at an exhibition where one is expected/allowed to touch the exhibits ! The kids had an amazing time running through the various installations, climb on rings and even enjoyed a bit of hula hooping ! Luckily, I had some friends with me that day so they could help me keep an eye on at least one of the LOs... Usually when we go to exhibitions, they are pretty much confined to the buggy (trying to keep two unruly toddlers from touching or breaking exhibits can otherwise become quite stressful) but this one was all about taking part, so I had to let them go and explore and have fun, which they enjoyed as much as me !

Another fabulous exhibition (maybe less so for the LOs) is Diaghilev and The Golden Age of The Ballet Russes at the Victoria and Albert Museum. It showcased the work produced by Diaghilev during the early part of the 20th century, the importance of his work both within the dance world and the whole art world during that time. Ballet Russes was the most important dance company of the 20th century with various collaborations with important artists, musicians and designers like, Stravinsky, Chanel, Picasso etc.
Amazing costumes were on display, as well as, huge theatre cloths and showcases of Diaghilev's most important productions. Interesting exhibition for sure, not only for dance enthusiasts but also for anyone that is interested in theatre, fashion and life of the early 20th century.

I recently also went to see the Peter Rabbit exhibition there. It was lovely ! However, as everything was on display quite high up, the LOs didn't actually get to see that much of it from their buggy... and trying to lift them both up through the exhibition would have just been too tiring (It is amazing how fast the LOs grow !!!) ! But if you have only one LO to look after and carry, I really recommend it, as the drawings are really sweet and each one has a little story attached to it so it would be like reading a story book to them.

A great day to go to Victoria and Albert is on Friday evenings, when the gallery is open until 10 ! It has a lovely and lively feel there on Fridays, as the main entrance transforms itself to a bar/lounge with DJ around 7 pm and you can sit down, relax with a nice cocktail, a glass of wine or maybe some water as you admire the interior and the Roman sculptures right off the main lobby. Or if you (and/or the LOs) are feeling a bit peckish, you could also head to the main restaurant/bar at the back of the museum, where they serve hot food, snacks, as well as delicious cakes. Beautiful setting, and often with a live jazz band playing.
Fantastic way to spend a late afternoon/early evening with LOs, enjoying a bit of culture.....and if you don't fancy the Ballet Russes exhibition, you could just wander through the museum, which is all free.

Competition Time Part 2

2010-11-13T21:51:00.006Z

Our competition posters (see previous post) at Snappy Studios can now be found throughout London . If you happen to see one, please e-mail me a photo of yourselves next to it. The nicest photo of the week will win a £20 voucher to be spent at Monsters and Munchkins.
And as a thank you for taking part in the fun, you will get 10% off your next order.

Ps. Last week's winner has already received their voucher. Hurry up to win yours too !

Competition Time

2010-11-10T20:08:00.007Z

Snappy Studios have teamed up with Monsters and Munchkins to bring you a new exciting competition.
All you have to do is leave your details at a participating Snappy Studio near you and you have the chance to win a family studio session AND £100 e-voucher to spend at Monsters and Munchkins. Hurry up ! Competition ends 22nd November 2010.

Click here to find the nearest Snappy Snaps studio.

Book Club- Book 3 & 4

2010-10-11T23:59:00.007+01:00

Book 3: The possiblility of an Island.

Plot summary:
There are three main characters, Daniel, and two of his clones.
Daniel is a successful comedian who can't seem to enjoy life despite his wealth. He gets bored with his hedonist lifestyle, but can't escape from it either. In the meanwhile he is disgruntled with the state of current society, and philosophizes about the nature of sex and love.
His two clones live an uneventful life as hermits, in an apocalyptic background far away in the future. They live in a time where the human species is on its last legs (alternatively, on its first legs: hunter-gatherer tribes), destroyed by climate change and nuclear war. The two clones are confronted with the life of the first Daniel and have different views about their predecessor. Scattered around are the remnants of tourist resorts, cities and consumer items and some natural humans living in small tribes without any knowledge of the past or of civilization.

None of us cared to blog about this one, because we actually didn't think much of it ???
Not a thick book but I (plus a few others) somehow didn't manage to plow through this one.... It was REALLY hard work ! Well done you guys that did manage ! Not sure if it was because the weird storyline, the long words or just me but I found this one a very difficult (and not very good) read. Somehow I got the feeling that the other members of the book club felt the same ?

Meeting was fascinating and very enjoyable as unsusal. We talked about the book for at least 1 hour (that's the rule) where we discussed faith, humans, purpose etc. but then we went on to discuss other things like ... life, kids, romances etc. What was the soup we had ? Tomato ??

4 weeks ago now since that meeting and I actually can not remember much of it anymore.... so if any of you other attendees have anything else to add to this, please do.

Book 4: Eat, Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert.

Story: At 32 years old, Elizabeth Gilbert was educated and had a home, a husband, and a successful career as a writer. However, she was unhappy in her marriage and often spent the night crying on her bathroom floor. In the midst of an affair, she separated from her husband and initiated a divorce, which he contested. The affair continued for some time but did not work out, leaving her devastated and alone. While writing an article on yoga vacations in Bali, she met a ninth-generation medicine man who told her she would come back and study with him. After finalizing her difficult divorce, she spent the next year traveling. She spent four months in Italy, eating and enjoying life (Eat). She spent four months in India, finding her spirituality (Pray). She ended the year in Bali, Indonesia, looking for "balance" of the two and found love (Love) in the form of a dashing Brazilian factory owner. The trip was paid for in advance from the book deal for Eat Pray Love.

What we thought: Good book, although we did find her annoying at times. The way she wrote, the way she thought and even the way she sounded (well, I think so anyway, as I only managed to get as far with the book as I did with the help of an audio version of the book......Finding time to sit down and solely read is a struggle !). Generally we all liked the Bali (Love) part of the book as we thought it was the most interesting and humane. India (Pray), we felt was a bit dull. Italy (eat) we thought was good as we do love food and we do love the Italian Language, so we could relate.

Meeting: Roaring fire. LOTS of delicious spicy butternut squash soup by Jo. 5 attendees. Wine for non pregnant ladies and juice, or what ever it was for the pregnant ladies. Casual book talk (for well over anhour) , baby talk, bed wetting talk, labour pain,de-worming and lice talk......... Reasonably early evening. Brilliant start of the week !
Next, we are planning to watch the movie and discuss that during our next meeting on 15th November.

And also, during the next meeting, the author of our next book;The Outgoing Man, Glen Neath will be joining us to discuss and share some of his wisdom. How very exciting !

Proud Mummy Moment

2010-08-09T22:05:00.008+01:00

OMG, i am so happy and so proud ! I have just found out that DS has won his first photo competition !

It was a photo-competition organized by Sumatran Orangutan Society (SOS), in conjunction with recent elephant parade event in London.

People were invited to take photos of Harapan, SOS's gorgeous elephant during the parade and post their photos to SOS's Facebook page.

Here is DS's entry:

Here is me taking photo of DS taking his photo:

and here is what he won, an amazing painting to remind him of his favourite elephant by artist Rebecca Sutherland.

Congratulations DS. Mummy is very proud of you and who knows, maybe one day you will become a successful photographer and this would be a fab story to tell your friends....

ps. Do check out Sumatran Orangutans Society's website to find out more about their work and learn more about orangutans. Here some cute short stories for under 7's.

Thank you SOS, we love you ! x

Shall we go Glamping ?!

2010-07-26T17:28:00.005+01:00

School holiday time is now here and we are all (frantically) trying to find something to do with our LOs.

Local Parks - Tick
Local Zoo - Tick
Local Playgroups - Tick
Arts and Crafts Projects - Tick
Countless Play Dates - Tick
Go on holiday and play on a sunny beach - can not do it due to work commitments

After that I was beginning to run out of ideas.......and then I came across Goodwood Vintage !

It sounds so exciting ! A combination of fashion, music, film, art, design AND vintage shopping ! Couldn't be any better right ?! Now just have to convince DH that he really would love to go camping with us ! Hm... now, that could be somewhat tricky !

But as if by magic, Bambinogoodies sent this post about Belltent through.

Belltent is a a company that specializes in exactly what it says it does, bell tents !
They are incredible ! and check out their accessories !!! One word.... WOW ! I want to go camping now ! and tomorrow and maybe the day after that ! Why wouldn't you, if you had a fabulous tent like this ?! Will wait and see if DH feels the same as I do......

Ps. Coincidentally, Belltent have hotel tents for hire at Goodwood Vintage but at £2000 a room, I am wondering if it isn't a bit above our camping budget..... Looks incredible though !

Have you ever been to Goodwood Vintage ? What did you think ?
Do you have any fun camping stories to share ?? Maybe one that can help me convince DH to go with us ??

Lovely Thursday

2010-07-22T23:23:00.005+01:00

Had several meetings today and spent most of the day out and about. Felt drained and somewhat exhausted..... but when I got home and witnessed this (they were watching TV together), all my tiredness was washed away and all I could feel was this tremendous feeling of love. I love these little people and by the looks of it, they love each other too !

What makes you feel all gooey inside ?

French Beans and Rocket salad with Black Currant Dressing

2010-07-16T00:05:00.004+01:00

Picked some yummy French Beans the other day and couldn't think of anything better to make for lunch than a delicious salad, using some of the black currants juice we made a couple of days ago as dressing. Served it with some roasted cashews and lemon zest.

Boil French beans until tender. In the meanwhile, roast the nuts. Let cool. Mix with salad. Prepare dressing (pretty much like you would make raspberry dressing, but just replacing the raspberries with black currants and/or some black currant juice. Depending on how sour the black currants are, you may need to add a bit more sugar.

Here is recipe for basic raspberry dressing:

1/3 c. oil
3 tbsp. sugar or 1.5 tbsp honey/agave nectar
2 tbsp. red wine vinegar
1 tbsp. sour cream
1 1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard
1/2 c. mashed raspberries

Ps. If you would like a more filling salad, add some grilled chicken, tuna or feta cheese.

Child-Abductions Everywhere

2010-07-14T21:57:00.007+01:00

I have been feeling a bit uneasy about the possibility of my (or anyone else's for that matter) LOs getting abducted since I read "The Shack" ( begins with a girl getting abducted. Body never found.) recently .

I am not sure why but this subject seems to be on a lot of people's minds at the moment, seems like everyone is talking about it.

Just a couple of weeks ago, I received a text of warning from a friend saying that there has been a few attempts of abductions in nearby Clapham Common. Made me feel slightly worried. Then a few days later, an e-mail with similar warning came through from some mums at LOs nursery. Now feeling even more worried.
Then logging in to Wandsworth Mums forum a few days later, another similar warning came up with a similar story but different location.
What is going on ?! Can this really be happening in so many places at the same time ?! How worried should I be ? Do I dare to go out with LOs to play at all ??

The scariest and most frightening story of them all was told to me by my nanny. Apparently, it happened to her other employer's friend.
She went shopping in Peter Jones (London department store on King Road, for those of you that are not familiar with it) recently and only left baby unattended for a few seconds to look at something. When she turned around, the buggy and baby were gone ! She immediately contacted a member of staff and all gates and exits were closed off immediately.
They eventually found baby out of her buggy in one of the bathrooms. Hair had been cut short and clothes had been changed, otherwise unharmed.... thankfully !

What really creeped me out hearing this story was:
1, I frequently go to Peter Jones and it has happened a couple of times that I have lost sight of one of the LOs amongst the shelves, usually only for a few seconds when they re-appear on the side of the shelves but still...
2, The fact that the little girl's hair was cut and clothes changed. This shows that it was not an opportunistic baby snatcher, he came prepared...
3, The fact that it could happen to me too... so easily !

Told a friend this story earlier today and look what she found here . OK, maybe it didn't happen after all but still maybe it did... There are so many sickos out there ! Even just the thought of it makes me feel a bit nervous because, what if ?!

These things do happen and will continue to happen! In fact, someone actually did try to abduct me when I was a baby . I was only a few months old and could just about able to sit up. My parents went to visit some relatives in a block of flats and as the flat was quite small and they were just stopping by for a few minutes, they let me play just in front of the door, thinking it was safe. They themselves were just by the door having a quick chat. A couple of minutes later, they turned around expecting me to still be in the same place as it wasn't like I could crawl or move around yet... but I was gone. They looked around all over the place but could not find me. Police was contacted and the area and building was closed off and searched. They found me several floors up, happily playing on the floor. I could never have made it up there by myself. Someone must have taken me up there and just dumped me. What if ?

Although I agree that we should keep an eye on our little ones at all times, there are times when you (well, I do anyway - bad mummy) do loose sight of them in and around playgrounds. It is quite tricky keeping an eye on more than one child at the same time 100% of the time... Should I just stay home and not go anywhere, just in case there is a weirdo out there ? Do I have to put reins on the LOs, just to be sure they are next to me at all times ? You should train them to stay right by you, I hear you say... this I find is easier said than done. They are both 2.5yrs old and sometimes they just don't listen ! What if ?

Have you heard any stories lately in your area ? What do you do to make sure your little ones are 100% safe ? or do you think it is possible to make sure your LOs are 100% safe ??

Ps. The shack was the 1st book in our book club. You can buy it here.

Lunch Punch Arrives in UK

2010-07-13T21:41:00.005+01:00

Part (big part) of the fun of having a store is finding new and exciting products for all you lovely people out there. Every now and then I find something that I love so much that I just can't stop talking about it.

Lunch Punch is such a product ! It isn't anything special, JUST a sandwich cutter .... but oh, it is an amazing sandwich cutter ! The shapes, the details and even the packaging ! So simple, so fabulous ! Every household (especially ones with LOs) should have at least one set of Lunch Punch.

In fact, we love Lunch Punch so much that we have just agreed to become their UK and European agent and distributor ! If you have a store, contact me quickly, so you can be one of the first (after Monsters and Munchkins of course :-)) to stock them, as for sure they will be EVERYWHERE very soon !

They are available in our store. Buy now.

PS. Very often, when the LOs are a bit grumpy and don't feel like lunch, I get our Lunch Punch out and we make sandwiches. Works every time, brings a smile to those precious little faces and ups their appetite.

Home-made Blackcurrant Juice

2010-07-12T14:52:00.011+01:00

As there was no strawberries (see blogpost: Sorry, No Strawberries This Afternoon) available yesterday, we had to go with the only other berry that was available, Black Currants. There was an abundance of it, which made picking quite fun and rather fulfilling. The only problem is, although they were quite sweet/tangy/sour and tasty, the LOs (and myself) are not too keen on eating them.

We made black currant juice with some and the rest we put in the freezer for later. The easiest and most efficient way to consume a lot of these yummy little black things.

Ingredients:
5-6 big handful of black currents
4-5 cloves
5-6 mint or black current leaves
approx. 1 pint of water
100g sugar (adjust according to taste)

1, Wash the black currants and put into saucepan.
2, Add 4-5 cloves and enough of water to cover the berries.
3, Boil until berries are starting to break, about 10-15 mins.
4, Squash berries against the side of pan, to extract the juices.
5, Add remaining water and sugar.
6, Boil for another 10-15 mins.
7, Strain through sieve and make sure you press all berries against side of sieve to get all juices out.
8, Ready to get bottled and stored in fridge. Will last for a couple of weeks if bottles are properly sterilized and sealed.

Ps. I also made a sugar-free batch which I use for mixing into LOs apple juice, cooking, cocktails, smoothies, dressings etc. Happy experimenting !

Did you know that in 100g of Black Currant, there is more than 300% of recommended daily intake of vitamin C ?!

Sorry, No Strawberries This Afternoon !

2010-07-11T23:15:00.013+01:00

I have such fond memories of going strawberry picking with my family when I was a child. There is something so wonderful about it, so special... but yet so "basic". I still remember the sweetness and the taste of the strawberries that I picked ! The ones that you buy at the supermarket are just not the same....

Needless to say, on such a fine day as today, I wanted to share and relive this experience with my own children and coincidentally the LOs absolutely love strawberries so seemed a perfect plan.

Looked up Pick Your Own Farms online and decided to go for Parkside Farm in Middlesex.
Over an hour's drive from where we live but worked out well, as LOs napped all the way there. They were so ready for some strawberries when we finally got there.... but there it was, a huge sign saying : Sorry ! No strawberries this afternoon !!!! What ?! That's not possible.... and why did I not think to call before hand to check ?!!!

Well, never mind, we were already there so may as well go in.. There was no strawberries (sadly) but still plenty of other things to pick.

We picked plenty of green beans, a box of black currents, some spring onions... Really wanted to get some spinach and beetroot too but by the time we finished picking beans, the kids were already getting a bit tired and very hot so we headed out instead. We had so much fun and actually, we did manage to find a few strawberries too ! They were are yummy as I remembered from when I was little. Shame there was hardly any left to pick at all but at least we all had at least one or two to taste.

Ps. They have some trolleys at the entrance which are meant for carrying the harvest, but next time I go back, I will definitely take one of them to get the LOs around ! It was a bit too hot for them to walk around this rather big farm and pushing a buggy between the rows of vegetables would just have been a bit too difficult.

Ham House and Gardens

2010-07-10T23:19:00.011+01:00

London is amazing when the weather is nice. Lots of lovely parks and play-grounds to go to but the only problem is, it gets so extremely crowded !

Wanted to go somewhere nice and quiet, but yet not too far away from London. Browsed through the National Trust (which I recently became a member of) catalogue and settled on going to Ham House and Gardens. Reasonably close and amazing looking.... at least from what I could tell.

The main building , which dates back to early 17th century, is very impressive and so are the extensive gardens !
In fact, we spent so much time exploring the gardens that we actually didn't get a chance to go inside the house before they closed. Actually, that is not strictly true, we didn't only spend time exploring the gardens, we also spent a considerable amount of time at the cafe, where they served basic sandwiches, as well as home cooked food. A children's box, incl. sandwich, juice, dried fruit and mixed fruit was also available.
There was a bunch of toys available on the lawn by the cafe, which kept the LOs happily occupied so DH and I could just sit back and relax for quite some time.

We had a very nice and relaxing family day out. Will definitely come back again.

Ps. Finished the day with some ice-cream and a walk along the river. What a great way to end the day !

Aqua Sheko - London's First Fish-Therapy Spa

2010-07-09T17:53:00.006+01:00

Tired feet full of dead skin and calluses ? Yum, yum ... says the fish.

Garra Rufa is the breed of fish that we often refer to as "Doctor Fish", mainly found in Turkey and the middle east and they love nibbling on dead skin cells (making your healthy skin nice and soft) !!!
Although these fish have been used to alleviate skin conditions, such as psoriasis, in Turkey for many years, it wasn't until the past few years that other countries also discovered its benefits.
Now, there are so called "fish-spas" in many parts of the world. The first one just opened in London a few months ago, a few minutes away from Kensington High Street.

Aqua Sheko is not very big but its orient inspired decor is cool and sleek.

Treatment started with a quick foot-wash, before we got shown to our seats to begin "the feeding".
I managed to, after a couple of minutes of just staring at the hungry little fish, very reluctantly and carefully, put my feet into the aquarium. It was the weirdest sensation EVER ! I don't even know how to accurately describe the feeling... apart from that it felt weird and very tickly. I could actually feel their little teeth nibbling away on my feet ! It was a very strange but nice sensation and actually quite soothing and relaxing too, once the initial shock was over.

We ended the 25 mins long "feeding" session with 15 mins heavenly reflexology. It was amazing and my feel felt the softest they have been for many many years. I made another appointment for next week ...

Have you ever been to a Fish-spa ? What did you think ?

Book Club - The Shack

2010-07-07T23:42:00.009+01:00

As many of you SAHM,WAHM or just mums/parents to young children in general know, finding a moment to yourself and just do something for yourself that you enjoy doing is sometimes quite tricky.... and very often neglected.

So when my friend/ex-neighbour suggested that I should join the book club that she was about to start with some fellow friends of hers, I was excited at the same time as being a bit worried that I was "taking on too much" (with two little toddlers, a few business to run, a social life to maintain, husband to tend to, sleep etc.) .... after all, I haven't had the chance to even read an entire magazine or newspaper in the past few years, let alone a book ! Hesitantly (although excited), I said yes.

Just came back from our 1st meeting and it was fab ! A bunch of lovely ladies, delicious tomato soup (will try and get recipe ASAP, as it was THAT good..... ), a bit of wine and some very interesting/ literary/spritual/fun/refreshing conversations.

The book we chose as our 1st read was "The Shack".

Its about a man in Northwest America, who everyone calls "Mack".

The story begins with Mack getting a note from who he believes is God, or Papa as his wife calls him. Which then consequently leads to him embarking on a visit to "the shack", which is where the police found Mack's kidnapped and murdered daughter Missy's dress nearly 4 years previously. Her body was never found.

This book is about Mack's conversations with God, who manifests it/him/herself as Papa; a happy African American woman who loves to cook and listen to hip hop, Sarayu; an Asian woman and Jesus ; a middle eastern carpenter. Together, they try to heal Mack from the "Big Saddness", which is the sadness he has let loom over his life since the disappearance of Missy.

Interesting and thought provoking.... and every now and then also surprisingly light-hearted and funny.

Have you read this book ? What were your thoughts on it ? Was there any parts of the book that you found especially interesting/good/bad ? Please share with us.

If you, like me need a nudge to start reading again, maybe you should join me in our virtual book club ? Every month, we (please send suggestions to info@monstersandmunchkins.com, subject:book club) pick a book, read it and discuss it here. What do you think ?? Are you in ?

Next Book: The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society.

Click here if you want to buy the book.

Ps. Can't believe that I actually managed to find time to finish a book ! Would never have managed, had it not been for the "pressure" from the book club. Look forward to reading many more books.

First Day of Nursery

2010-06-23T23:32:00.006+01:00

The LOs finally started nursery part time last week. I was excited knowing that 3 times a week, I will have a few hours of dedicated work/me-time in the morning but at the same time I was a bit worried about the LOs settling in and being able to fend for themselves.

DH and I went to drop them off together. All other kids were happily playing outside the nursery (in fact a churchyard, which I think is slightly eerie.....). When we arrived, the LOs ran off to play with the other kids almost immediately and we thought: Is that it ?! That was easy !

But no, that was not it at all... at least not for DS (DD was absolutely fine and had already made new friends). We said our good-byes and were about to skip out of the nursery/church gates when we all of a sudden heard DS's heart-breaking cry. OMG, that was horrible ! The headmistress told us to just go and re-assured us that he will be fine. Reluctantly, we left. Very reluctantly.... I felt like such a horrible mother, abandoning my child under such distress !

People talk about how hard this can be, but I did not think it would happen to me/us. The LOs have always been very independent and happy to be away from us.... or so I thought.

First day, apparently DS screamed/cried for 1,5hr solid. Second day 1hr 15mins. Third day less than 1 hr. Today DH dropped them off and apparently they did not seem at all bothered. Was saying to DH that maybe he should be doing the drop-offs every morning from now on, as it seems less traumatic for them.....but not sure how much he liked that suggestion !

How was your first day at nursery ? Did it take a long time for your child to settle ? Did you stay with your child for a time before leaving them ?

Ps. received an e-mail from the head-mistress this evening telling me how well the LOs settled in and how well they are doing but still, I am not sure they can manage without me yet..... or is it just me who can't manage without them ??

Elephant Parade 2010

2010-05-06T22:34:00.007+01:00

The Elephant Parade is an event where 260 life-size baby elephants have been created to raise awareness and funds for Elephant Family, a small but hugely ambitious charity working to save Asian elephants from extinction in the wild.

These life-size baby elephants are dotted throughout London... many in obvious places but also many in more obscure spots that serve as wonderful surprises.

The LOs (in particular DS who owns a very well cuddled elephant snuggie) are fascinated by elephants so decided to embarque on a short elephant search today. It was amazing when we found the first elephant in Hanover Square. They both rushed to the elephants and gave them a huge hug around their legs.... Very sweet !

We managed to find about 10 of them before it was home-time. have promised them to continue our search soon... but next time, I will have to get a bit more organize and bring a route map (which you can download here) of the elephant trail. Can't wait to begin another search ASAP. Let's just hope weather stays nice for a while now !

If you can not buy the real thing, which will be auctioned off at the end of event, there is an online shop where you can buy miniature versions of some of the many amazing creations. See here.

Please, if you have seen any ones that you particularly like, let me know where they are !

Pocket Garden

2010-05-01T09:17:00.003+01:00

Without our own garden (we have a nice communal garden), I decided to make our home a bit more summery by letting the LOs plant some "Pocket Garden" flowers.

Nice, easy, non-messy. Perfect.

1, Cut top of bag.
2, Remove some of the compost.
3, Add seeds.
4, Add removed compost back in bag.
5, Add water.
6, Water plant everyday for a couple weeks and you should see it start growing ...

Let's hope we will remember to water it everyday !

Check out "Pocket Garden" for full planting range.

Vauxhall City Farm

2010-04-30T08:19:00.009+01:00

I believe it is very important for Children to connect and learn about nature and animals but living in central London, it can sometimes be a struggle to find anything apart from ducks and pigeons in over-crowded parks.

Read somewhere, sometime ago, about Vauxhall City Farm and decided to give it a try.

This is how they describe themselves:
Vauxhall City Farm is an oasis in the heart of London, providing the local community and visitors from afar the opportunity to stay connected to nature and animals. Covering 1.5 acres of land, Vauxhall City Farm is home to over 80 animals, which provides a chance for Londoners to meet farm animals face to face from rare breed sheep and cows to animals from other regions of the world: our three lovely alpacas from South America via Devon!

Sounds fabulous I thought. Called a very dear friend of mine and arranged a picnic on the lawn in front of the farm with our little ones. Tuna pasta, ham and cheese sandwiches, kiwi, banana, apple juice, carrot sticks ..... MakkaPakka paper plates,cutlery,our lovely Gypsy Fleece Rug and off we went.

Beautiful day, sun was shining and we were excited to be going to a farm right in the middle of London !

As it turned out,picnic was lovely as there were a few horses around that kept the LOs happy but the farm was not as good as I expected/imagined (not knowing exactly how much space 1.5 acres is...). It was quite small, which I guess was a good thing as the LOs were able to pet the animals and run around, without me losing sight of them or having to chase them around.
There is also small communal garden/allotment area, as part of the farm, which you can visit too. Sweet.

Super friendly and placid rabbits, funny looking chickens and ducks, sweet alpacas, adorable new born baby goat and baby sheep.....all in all a rather nice experience, which made me realize that I really would like to move out of London and live somewhere a bit more "rural" ASAP.

Ps. Forgot to mention, they had a "milking cow" there too, if you wish to let your LO have a go at milking. DS loved it !

Thanks for dropping by at Kids Modern

2010-04-23T12:12:00.004+01:00

Just a quick thank you to everyone that came to see us at Kids.Modern over the weekend. We had a fab show and tons of interest in our new products, which are due to go online shortly.

Being an online store (ie. either stuck behind a computer or in a cold warehouse), it is always interesting and fun to meet our customers in real life ! Funny how different most of them look, compared to what I imagined by purely seeing their name on an order.....

Will keep you all posted on new product launches and hopefully see you all soon !

Ps. The Paperpod rocket was by far the most popular item with the kids. They all loved it !

X

Playdough Recipe

2010-04-21T21:55:00.006+01:00

With LOs and myself being sick, we were not able to go out to play so we had to make our own fun at home... literally.

Running short of ideas on how to entertain the restless LOs I decided to make some play-dough. LOs love playing with their play-dough but what we recently bought is already all dried up and useless....

After a few searches online, I came across a recipe that was very simple and turned out fabulous ( we left it out and played with it for hours and it still stayed nice and soft ! ).

1 cup plain (all-purpose) flour

½ cup salt

2 tablespoons cream of tartar

2 tablespoons vegetable oil (I used olive oil as I didn't have any vegetable oil)

1 cup hot water with food coloring added

1 teaspoon vanilla/almond essence (optional)

Put all the ingredients into a large bowl. Mix until smooth and even.

Store in an airtight container (a Ziploc bag with the air pressed out is good).

ps. Spot the LOs matching Stella Mccartney for GapKids t-shirts. Nice, aren't they ?

Baked Kale Chips

2010-04-16T15:33:00.002+01:00

Not being much of a snacking house-hold normally, we almost never have any snacks at home. But since not feeling so well and a bit sorry for myself, I quite fancied something "comforting" like a bag of crisps or something to munch on .... but there was nothing like that in sight and while I raided the fridge for something to satisfy my needs, I remembered this recipe that I came across recently (can't remember where now).

Ingredients:
Bag of Kale (can be purple, curly or any other Kale you can find)
Olive Oil
Salt

Preheat oven 175C (350F). Wash kale and make sure it is completely dry. Remove stem and tear leaves in bite-size pieces (remember that they will shrink in the oven). Put in bowl. Mix with as little or as much olive oil as you wish. I put a spoonful, which was more than enough. Spread out on baking sheet. Sprinkle with seasalt.Bake for 10-15 mins, until the leaves turn brown but NOT burnt !

May look a bit "suspicious" to begin with but absolutely delicious and quite healthy too ! And I guess, if you wanted to make it more interesting, you could add for example roasted pine nuts, sesame seeds etc. ? However, perfect as it is.

Ps. Make sure you don't have too much on the tray, otherwise you may end up with some crunchy and nice ones and some that are not cooked properly.... like I did.

Again, this is so simple that even your little toddler could help you make it and may be a great way to get your LOs to their greens !

Steamed Salmon with Ginger and Spring Onion

2010-04-15T15:14:00.006+01:00

We are all sick, yet again ! Lots of snotty roses and late night cries....
We all eat and sleep well but keep getting sick anyway. Very frustrating.

A light, easy and healthy lunch to keep us getting stronger.

What you need:
1, salmon steak or fillet
2, finely chopped ginger
3, finely sliced garlic
4, spring onion
5, oil and seasoning (optional)

Put salmon in heat-proof dish, add ginger,garlic and spring onion on top. Add a few drops of cooking/olive oil, salt, pepper.

Steam for about 7-10 mins. Depending on size of fish.

Heat up a few table spoons full of oil and soy-sauce in separate pan. Pour over fish right before serving. I don't normally do this when i cook for LOs but does add a bit more flavour to the dish if cooking for adults.

I sometimes also add some vegetables under the fish to save me cooking them separately. Can be string beans, courgette, broccoli etc.

How easy was that ?! In fact, it is so easy, you can even ask your LOs to help you prepare it !

Preparation time : 5 mins max
Cooking time: approx. 10 mins.

Serve with salad, rice or potatoes. My LOs love brown rice mixed with green peas with it ....

Enjoy !

Kids.Modern Show

2010-04-12T15:04:00.011+01:00

Can not believe Kids.Modern is coming up this weekend already !
After a quick chat with Nicky (one of the organizers) a few months ago, we decided to take part. Why not, I thought, we have a few months to work on something fabulous to show. Will be great ! In fact, we have had this idea of launching our own range of children's furniture for a while and thought this would be a great platform for it.

However, things did not work out as planned. One furniture maker after another let us down. They all promised the world but delivered NOTHING. They are all a bunch of liars ! How can they do that, just lie like that ?! I hate them ! Arrgghhh !!!!
Oh sorry, I am starting to get a bit side-tracked and angry (again).... Never mind, I am sure I will be able to find someone reliable to make it for me sooner rather than later.

So back to Kids.Modern, a design-led consumer kids show in Dulwich college. Clothing upstairs, furniture/decor/toys etc. down stairs. They will also have a bunch of children's entertainments, games and competitions to keep the little ones happy there, as well as coffee and cake of course. Great family day out.

Due to the let-down by our furniture makers, we will unfortunately not be able to launch our new furniture collection yet but it will be worth waiting for. I promise !
However, I have managed to find something quite unique and exciting to show you ... apart from what we already stock of course. If you are coming to see us at the show and there is anything that you have seen on our website that you would like me to bring along, let me know !

Ps. I do have a few complimentary tickets that I can give away. Send me an e-mail or leave a comment if you would like them.

Playmais

2010-03-28T23:46:00.006+01:00

My LOs love Playmais ! I first discovered it last year in Tokyo when I was there for Playtime Tokyo but the LOs were too young to appreciate it then. So now, when they are a bit older, I can finally let them play with it. .

Made out of maize-starch and natural colouring, it is 100% natural and relatively mess-free. Like most/a lot of mums, I like to make things with my LOs to "occupy" some time...but I always dread the mess most arts & crafts projects creates. So this is a very nice alternative. No glue,paint, glitter and other messy stuff necessary, just some Playmais and a damp cloth. Great !

The box comes with (supposedly) easy to follow instruction on how to build various things but I think most of them are too complicated, even for me, so I tend to just let them do free-play with it. DS loves building "towers" with his and DD just likes to randomly stick them on a piece of paper... but either way, it keeps them entertained for quite a while AND it is rather easy to clean up.

Designed and entirely made in Germany. Great product. Innovative, creative, fun ... and environmentally friendly. Great stuff.

I went through a few websites, incl. Playmais's original website but this site seems to be the most informative one and it is now widely available in the UK.

Have fun !

The Breakfast Club

2010-03-28T23:04:00.010+01:00

I was feeling a bit peckish on my way to a meeting in Soho the other day but was not sure what I wanted to eat.... until I stumbled across the Breakfast Club ! Yes, I wanted breakfast ! There is something quite comforting about having breakfast...even at lunchtime.

Scrambled eggs, Eggs Benedict, fried eggs sunny side up, pancakes, Burritos, bacon, sausages, porridge, muesli.... they had it all !

My Eggs Benedict was scrumptiously perfect and cappuccino suitably strong. Definitely set me up perfectly for a long meeting.

Staff very friendly. Decor cool/quirky/comfortable. Ambiance energetic/creative/fun. I'd definitely come back here again.
In fact, I can't wait to take the LO's here. They both love porridge, eggs AND pancakes so I am sure they'd love this place !

After looking them up online, I discovered that they also have a branch at Hoxton and another one in Angel. These two are open until late and are licensed. Bloody Mary and a hearty breakfast anyone ?

Soho
33 D'Arblay Street
W1F 8EU
Tel: 020 74342571

Angel
31 Camden Passage
N1 8EA
Tel: 020 7226 5454

Hoxton
2-4 Rufus Street
N1 6PE
Tel: 020 7729 5252

Baby Killed by Sling

2010-03-25T14:43:00.006Z

Imagine how you would feel if your new-born baby dies in your arms....or in this case, in your sling !

A lot of you may already have heard in the the news (it was all over the national newspaper and radio today) that a baby of only 7 days died in a sling in May 2009. In fact, 3 babies' deaths were linked to particular sling last year.

Infantito, who was the manufacturer of the "Sling Rider" has just today officially recalled over a million slings world-wide. However, they do not admit to having caused the death of the baby and is firm on the fact that all their products are safe to use.

There has been an on-going debate since this horrible accident whether it was caused by the mother or the carrier itself.

Some say it is due to the negligence of the mother and others claim that it is due to the faulty and un-safe design of the carrier. There has been comments like: babies shouldn't be taken out at all before they are at least 2 months, the sling's design is awful as it seems to restrict the breathing of the baby by pushing its head forward, Slings should never be used for new born as the only safe way to carry a child of that age is in the arms, This accident could have been avoided if the mother would have paid more attention to the child.... and so on and on.

In my opinion, one has to have a bit of common sense about this (raising a child in general...). Whatever product you use, you have to make sure that your child is safe by ALWAYS checking on her/him. There are always things can go wrong with even the safest products in the world. Even if you carried your child in your arms, which are supposedly the safest option, something can still go wrong....

Read this article and comments.

What do you think ? Baby carrier or Mother ?

Quality Time and A Spot of Retail Therapy

2010-03-18T22:17:00.006Z

I still haven't recovered fully from minor exhaustion/cold so took a few days off to concentrate on relaxing and spending some well-needed quality time with the LOs.

The weather has been absolutely glorious in the past few days, so we have spent most of our time out and about doing nice things....which of course also meant a spot of shopping for the LOs. With all the fab stuff at Monsters and Munchkins, I very rarely buy anything for the LOs from other shops anymore but every now and then, I do find some stuff that I "need" that is not available in our shop or that I buy on impulse.

Good impulse/necessary buy of the week, is an Adjeco fishing game that I picked up from Trotters on King's Road the other day before meeting a friend for coffee. Very simple, a couple of fishing rods with magnets on the end of it and 12 magnetic sea creatures. Kept LOs entertained almost the entire time I was chatting with my friend. Will definitely bring it along to other coffee meetings again. Anything that can entertain the LOs (especially DD, namely Miss Fidget) for more than 10 mins is a necessity.

Second "necessary" purchase, is two little Mini Micro Scooters from Peter Jones. This could be the only way to get anywhere fast without the buggy when I have the LOs with me (which is pretty much all the time) .... It is going to take them some time to master, which is good, as it then gives me some time to figure out how I can get them to go in the same direction as each other. Here a little snippet of one of DS's first Scooter practices.

Share with us what "necessary" purchases you have made recently...

Sick Day 1

2010-03-13T21:44:00.010Z

My body finally said : no more !

The past couple of months have been MANIC ! I was working 24/7 and when I wasn't working, I would try and spend some time with the kids and make sure they were ok. As the LOs are getting older and way more active and inquisitive, I am finding it increasingly hard to work efficiently during the day and tend to do most of my work in the evening, which means that most nights I don't get to go to bed until way after midnight.

Been having a sore throat for a couple of weeks (usually my first sign of getting run-down) but managed to hold it off until last night ... when I finally felt that I got most things done. Not all, but most.

Took a day off to only look after myself and be with the LOs. Although I felt terrible, I really enjoyed not thinking about work and 100% enjoy the day.

It was a wonderful day and should be repeated more often. I think the LOs could sense that I was all calm and not stressed and behaved unusually calm themselves. They played so well together after we got home, no fighting, no biting, no screaming which allowed me (not only did they allow me to , more amazingly, I allowed myself to... pretty much for the first time since the little ones were born) to have a nap before dinner !

Ps. We went to Dinosaurs Unleashed on Oxford street. The idea of it is good but in reality, it really wasn't all that. Besides, my LOs may have been a little young to enjoy it. May have been better if they were at least 3-4 years old if not even older. DD basically kept her eyes closed, hiding on DHs shoulder the entire time we were there and DS favourite part was to play with the sand at the excavation station. Honestly, we didn't need to pay £15.50 a head for him to play with some sand !

Blue Butterfly Flooring

2010-03-12T13:01:00.005Z

I am very excited about this new product that I found recently.

It is a magical range of rugs, table mats and welcome mats created by Emily Campbell, an established artist who has created work nationally, as well as internationally.

There are three designs in each product range, Mini Beasts, Furry Beasts and Sealife Story.

I first came across BBF when I received one of their Furry Beasts table mats as a gift. When I heard it was a printed table mat, I expected a rather standard sheet of printed vinyl. .... but was pleasantly surprised.
The texture was lovely and soft, more like a faux-suede than a vinyl and the print on it was rather striking (in this case consisting of furry animals like rabbits, mice, goats etc. and ladybirds on a lovely, bright background of grass and beautiful flowers.).
It is supposed to be stain/water resistant and can just be sponged clean. I let the LOs put it to the test and as expected, they made a right mess of it very quickly. Water was spilled on it and there was pen-marks all over it.... but no worries, as it all came off with a gently rub with a damp cloth.
Fab ! I wonder if one can use it for upholstery.....

See the full range of table mats here.

I am expecting to receive one of their rugs in the post very soon, so if it passes the test of the LOs, we will soon be stocking that too.

My Spring Summer Favourites

2010-03-05T17:33:00.006Z

The past few weeks have been absolutely manic ! New stock arriving, orders to go out, website to update.... AND little ones to take to the park.

The weather is finally getting a bit nicer, sunnier and very slightly warmer. Spring is very almost here .... and it is very almost time to abandon the big winter coats and woolly sweaters and get some new lighter outfits for your little ones.

Here a quick preview of my spring/summer favourites.

I can't wait until the warmer weather is finally here... so many lovely outfits for the little ones and so little time ! Check out our new arrivals....and you will feel the same !

The Baby Show, Excel London

2010-02-19T20:48:00.006Z

The Baby Show started at Excel today, after much anticipation and lots of preparation.

The week leading up to the show was really hectic, trying to get all the stock in, priced , organizing leaflets, getting furniture etc. but finally all done now and the only thing left now to do is to sell sell sell ....... and buy, as I will of course also take this opportunity to find new and exciting products to stock.

Will update you guys with my finds over the next few days.

The Princess and the Frog.

2010-02-10T23:44:00.008Z

Now with the Christmas/new year celebrations well out of the way, winter sales are finally starting to slow down and Bubble London out of the way too, I finally "seem" to have some extra time to spend with the LOs without feeling stressed/guilty.

The day started well, with freshly made (by DH) pancakes and tons of strong coffee.and then after a couple of hours of trying to get myself and the LOs ready, we headed out to meet our lovely friend for lunch at Byron's. Delicious and surprisingly child friendly ! Children's 2 course menu £6. Not bad... Since the LOs really shouldn't have too much sugar, I had their scoop of vanilla ice cream with whipped cream and chocolate sauce as well as their brownie with my friend.... All for the best of the LOs :-)

Then after the lovely lunch, we crossed the road to the UGC cinema and watched Disneys latest release, The princess and the Frog.

I was slightly concerned about DD getting restless ( she generally can't sit still for more than 5 mins ever !) during the movie so had asked DH to come along, in case she needed to go out for a walk or something so I can stay with DS (who is a TV addict, so didn't think should be a problem ...). But I needn't worry at all, because DD behaved perfectly well, until she fell asleep !

The movie was lovely and very magical. Was such a nice "escape" , entering the world of the magical story of 2 frogs (a poor prince and a soon to become princess) fall in love.
And the LOs loved it too of course. DS was repeatedly saying: "more frogs", all the way to the car. Can't wait to take them to the next suitable movie..... We could all do with some magical fairy-tales every now and then !

The belief that the frog that we chose to be with, really will turn into a prince one day, is rather comforting, isn't it ?!

* Note. Ask the confectionery staff nicely for some pick n' mix bags for your own healthy snacks, to make it more special for the LOs.... without having to give them the more unhealthy options available there.

Spring/Summer season is coming !

2010-02-10T21:35:00.007Z

Nixie, my favourite brand of the season.

Here is a preview of a few of their gorgeous pieces, due to arrive in store sometime next week. Not only do I love the design of these pieces but it is also "environmentally friendly". Nicole, the founder/designer of Nixie, uses up-scaled vintage fabrics, sourced from all around the globe to create all these unique one-off pieces locally.

Unique, fun, "socially responsible" AND pretty.... what else do we need ?!

What do you think ? Do you like it ?

The Baby Show, Excel London

2010-02-03T22:15:00.008Z

With Bubble London over and done with, it is time to prepare for the next "event".... before I get bored (ie. have too much time to enjoy life and do things that I love doing ! ).
We will be participating The Baby Show for the first time at Excel London.
Our stand, B11, will be at the exclusive Baby Boutique area .... exciting !

Ordered in a bunch of really sweet/adorable/cute/wonderful/unique baby clothing, toys and accessories for the show. Can't wait to show you all !

Please do come by to say hi if you are going.

PS. I still have a few tickets left for the show. Leave me a comment if you would like me to send you a couple.

x

Toy feature in Luxe

2010-01-28T22:49:00.008Z

Look what I came across today ! A feature on a couple of our fabulous toys in Luxe Magazine.

Sorry about the quality of image but pulled it off their web-magazine so resolution not very good...
But to find out more about the toys, click here and here. They are both great toys, designed and made in Japan. Monsters and Munchkins are the first stockists outside of Japan.

Oh Dear, What a Week !

2010-01-26T00:38:00.008Z

January blues , is there really such a thing ? I had never heard/thought of it until earlier this week when my friend talked about it and apparently last Monday, 22th Jan 2010, was officially the most depressing day of the year , namely Blue Monday. Can not remember exactly how they managed to calculate it but had something to do with debt, broken new year resolutions, dark and cold days and a few other things that I can not remember but made sense when I read about it.
Read more about it here.

My terrible week all started with the fire in the LOs room. Since then, literally "everything" has been breaking in the house. It got to the point where the LOs favourite words now are "It's broken" as they hear it so often.

Honestly, one thing after another...the wall light in the living room,bathroom light, stereo, computer server, plates, DS' tooth brush (which is supposed to be playing music through the vibrations on the teeth), the mop, the printer, the toilet flush handle , the stapler .... and that's not even mentioning the books and toys that got broken "by mistake" by the LOs and all in just under a week !

What's next ??? Will it all change next week when we are no longer in January ??! According to the Chinese horoscope, I will have a very difficult year ahead of me... full of problems and my DH is supposedly to be tempted into cheating on me with someone that he may actually fall in love with !!! Chinese New Year is on 14 February. Oh dear.... not sure I want to start the next year or not !

Wish I could just hibernate for a couple of months (or maybe a year ?!), until spring is here and hopefully with it some good fortune will arrive.

How is your year so far ?

PS. I am not complaining, just finding it unbelievable how so many things can break in such a short time !

Fire Alert !

2010-01-17T12:50:00.004Z

Just a quick warning ! Check that there is no rubbish/toys/paper behind or in your radiators now !

Our house is always really warm and we have never had to use the radiator in the children's room. The fuse , as well as power was turned off and have always been, until yesterday when the LO's somehow managed to turn both on. I have no idea how, as the radiator is located behind a sofa, along with fuse and power button....

DH and I were both working downstairs when DH asked me if I'd left some matches upstairs with the kids, because he could smell smoke coming from there. Of course not, I said, slightly shocked that he would even suggest I'd do such a thing ! He ran upstairs to check, and there he found the radiator in flames, as well as the sofa and the LOs just inches away from the fire watching it whilst signing to each other "hot" and "dangerous" !

Luckily, we managed to put the fire out very quickly.
Radiator was taken out immediately and we are planning to take all of our radiators out, as we don't use them anyway.

Very scary.
It could have been VERY serious but luckily LOs weren't hurt and there wasn't too much damage.

Guilt-free me time.... What is that ?!

2010-01-11T21:18:00.006Z

With the excitement of Christmas and New year gone, I am feeling positively drained. Completely exhausted ! A weeks holiday on a sunny beach all by my self.... I wish ! Forget a week, I don't even seem to be able to get an afternoon or even an hour to myself !

All too often I read a blog or an article somewhere about the importance of spending some "me" time every now and then and each time I read them, I get a sense of longing.... a sense of longing to be on my own, doing my own thing, being my own self.... no demanding children ... or husband. Just for a day, an afternoon or even just one hour ! This is according to the aforementioned blogs/articles how one can make sure to achieve a little bit of me time every now and then:

-First of all, choose an activity that you want to do and love doing. If you love what you do and feel that it gives you real "value" for your time, you are more likely to stick to it.

-Plan your day around your activity, not the other way around. Make sure that you plan in time with kids and housework, so that you know they wont be neglected by you spending some "me" time. This should help you feel less "guilty" about having a good time.

- If you find it hard to prioritise your "me" time, start with spending only 15 mins or so painting your nails, reading some trashing magazines, or just sit and have a cup of tea. Eventually, when you may want to increase this to 20 to 25mins and so on.

- Make sure everyone knows you are having some "me" time planned and make sure they respect your plans and stay out of your way.

- First thing to remember is, you are a woman and an individual, as well as a wife/mother. Second thing to remember, It is ok to spend some time away from your chores and children, they will both still be there when you get back.

Good luck and have fun being "you". I must be off to tuck the little ones in their beds now, before I start doing the dishes and tidying up.... and then do some work.

Unicorn Theatre/Story Deli - Christmas Eve

2009-12-24T22:08:00.008Z

Being used to celebrating Christmas on Christmas Eve in Sweden my entire life, decided to do something special today, in waiting for Christmas celebrations to start tomorrow in UK.

Treated a bunch of our friends and our LOs to a theatre visit at Unicorn theatre as a christmas gift. It was amazing and truly magical and I was so glad to be sharing something special with my dear friends and the LOs special little friends.

For those of you that have not heard of Unicorn theatre, it is a theatre dedicated to young people with over 600 performances a year, as well as events, workshops and other theatre activities.

The show we went to see was called "What a Wonderful World". It is about the creation of the world... beginning with a dream. It is a highly interactive performance where the children (aged 2-5 yrs) are invited to join in and be part of the performance.

Every child was given a creation bag, which contained a dream, a bird, a snowball etc. which were used as part of the show. The LOs took part in creating dreams and giving other people part of their dreams, they created an ocean, they made fire and they caught stars during the 40mins performance which also included storytelling, song and music.

It was a magical first theatre experience for the LOs (and big people too ! )... just a shame they probably won't remember it when they grow up.

Another top recommendation of the day is a pizza restaurant/cafe called Story Deli on 3 Dray Walk, The Old Truman Brewery, Bricklane, a short drive from the theatre.

I usually don't like eating pizzas due to the high wheat contents but the base of these ones were more like crispy flat-bread, topped with the most delicious toppings. Food fabulous, wine super but what makes this place very recommendable is the child-friendliness of the place !

As we arrived, with 3 excited and overtired toddlers in tow, the owner (I assume he was) of the restaurant pulled out boxes full of toys for the LOs to play with. I tried to keep the toys somewhat contained and even suggested that we should let them play in a corner somewhere, away form the main floor area but the said owner insisted they play where they were and told me to just let them do their thing and that it is a pleasure having children playing there. I did as I was told and sat back, enjoying my lunch. I wish there was more places like this, then eating out with the LOs wouldn't be so stressful !

Not the Christmas celebration I am used to but what a fabulous day it was and the good thing... I still have Christmas left to celebrate tomorrow !

Not swineflu

2009-12-11T21:09:00.007Z

sore throat. exhaustion. high temperature. svineflu scare. turns out not to be svineflu but rather just a very bad case of ear-infection. headache. ear-ache. puss running out of my ears (gross, I know). painkillers. antibiotics. nausea. extreme exhaustion. tummy ache. screaming children. lots of work to do. no energy. no motivation. no time to rest. what a terrible week.
i want to run away... run (or rather fly) to somewhere sunny with a nice beach. palm trees. hawaii.
feeling drained. exhausted. unwell. 7.30pm. must sleep. good night. x

Ps. Wish I could hide in a card-board box like the LOs do when they have had enough, just to come out giggling again.

Has the Terrible Twos Arrived ?

2009-12-02T12:04:00.008Z

Is there really such a thing as" Terrible Twos" or is it merely a myth that mums with terrible toddlers find great comfort in, knowing that they are not the only ones but in fact is normal to have screaming/kicking/tantruming toddlers ?!
I tended to think it was the latter. Surely not all soon to be 2s will become little terrors. Must have something to do with parenting skills. NO ?

This is what I read:

Reasons of this bad behaviour often stems from one of these reasons:

- failed attempt in being independent.
- lack of communications skills/tools.
or could be:
-boredom, as their inquisitive minds need constant stimulation
-attention seeking

How to survive and avoid the temper tantrums involved:

-stay calm. Calm parents generally have calmer children. If they see you loose your temper, they are more likely to develop the same behaviour.
-ignore. If it is attention they want through throwing a tantrum. Don't encourage this behaviour by rewarding them with it.
-have strict routines and rules/boundaries. They find comfort in what's familiar and also helps minimizing confusion as they are trying to figure out the world around them.
-teach them baby signs. Enables them to communicate clearly with you way before they are able to speak. (This one I added from experience, as it has really helped me and my LOs understand each other clearly from when they were about 9 months old. They can now tell me what they see/want/like through signs, hence no confusion/guessing/frustration.)
-and finally, think positive. It will pass...hopefully. In the meanwhile, enjoy plenty of good and fun times with your LOs, in order to even out the bad times.

Right, so this is the theory behind this dreaded period, which I am still hoping won't hit our family.

PS. I have to go and put the LOs back in their beds for their lunchtime nap for the 20th time (really, they have climbed out 20 times and still not giving up !!!) now. This only just started last week. Probably part of the terrible twos madness ?!

Did your child/you suffer from the terrible twos ? What did you do to make it go away ?
Is there a way to make it go away ? Maybe you have a way to make it not appear at all ?

Gender Generalization - Right or Wrong ?

2009-11-30T22:37:00.007Z

Right, so LOs are turning 2 next Saturday. Wooohooo !!!
Having a simple (but not small, as my Cypriot husband's family is quite big....) family lunch at my in-laws. Tried figuring out a good venue for the party, or maybe even doing it at home but in the end opted for the in-law option because it would be much easier for everyone, especially the LOs great-grandmother, as they all live on the same road !!!

Anyway, this post is not so much about the party planning but more about their presents.
Up until recently, I have been buying rather gender-neutral toys for both of them and sometimes even clothes so that they can share most things. Why not, it is not that they even mind....besides, I am not much for the pink for girl and blue for boy mentality.

Now when they are 2, their individuality and characters are becoming more developed and DD is becoming increasingly girlie and DS increasingly boyish. When we go to local playgroups, DD loves spending her time in the play kitchen "cooking" and DS will be at either the workbench playing with the tools,nuts and bolts, or he'd be playing with cars. I find this rather amazing, as at home they play with the same toys, I treat them exactly the same, they have the same friends etc. but somehow they are so different and they do excatly what they are supposed to do as a girl and as a boy.

Anyway, so coming to buying their birthday presents, I am facing a "dilemma" because although DD loves toy-kitchens and DS loves work-benches I didn't want to buy them exactly those two things (but I did BTW, as I believe this is what they would actually love getting) because I don't believe in or agree with gender generalizations.

I then received a call from my BIL, telling me that he bought a football kit for DS and wanted to buy dolly or something for DD. This made me angry.
I went on to have a whole conversation with DH, who also thinks football kits are for boys and not girls, about it. He thinks girls should be "girls" and boys should be "boys" and thinks that by me allowing my son to wear pink or even a skirt, or play with so called girl's toys if he wished, meant that I wanted him to be gay ! What ?!

OK, I did buy a stereo-typical girl's toy-kitchen for DD and work-bench for DS but not because of their gender but because this is what they choose to and enjoy playing with. If , let say DS wanted a pink toy-kitchen then I would have bought him the kitchen, not the work-bench. Is that wrong ?!

I so wish that I could tell everyone no presents on their birthday because I know what it will be .... cars and trains for DS and soft toys/dolls for DD (I really hope she won't get a Barbie !!!) but I guess that would be kind of mean as DS does like playing with cars/trains and DD with soft toys/dolls. I just don't want them to become "trained" to be or like certain things because they think the are suppose to...

Argghhh !!! How can we teach our children to do what they would like to do and not just what they are "suppose" to do when at such a young age, they already get pigeon holed in what is gender-specifically right or wrong for them !

Have you got any thoughts/comments on this ? Do you buy strictly boys toys for your boys and girls toys for your girls ? Maybe you think this is the way it should be ?

Funky Little Darlings

2009-11-24T22:56:00.006Z

I love finding new exciting interior items, coming from an interior design background myself. It doesn't happen too often but it does happen... like when I came across a company called Funky Little Darlings, who specializes in high-end wall-coverings and prints.

Just had a chat with Mandy Colliss, the creative Director, to find out more about them.

Tell me a bit about yourselves ?
David and I are both designers and have worked in the toys and games industry for most of our careers, most notably Hasbro - a leading toys & games company based in the US. I am a graphic designer by profession and David is a 3D designer with a specialism in structural packaging design. We met in 1999 while we were both working at Hasbro's London office. We both love design and Interior Design is our absolute passion.

I design most of our concepts, visualize rooms, create concept drawings (illustrations and rooms layouts). David does a lot of the fine detail drawing and artwork design as well as creating 3 dimensional furniture designs for bespoke commissions.

Why did you start FLD ?
Our daughter Daisy was the catalyst for starting Funky Little Darlings. We saw there were very few 'design-led' interior products available especially for children and although she loved watching things like 'Thomas the Tank engine', we didn't want her room to be slavish to a particular 'licensed' products. Our aim is to design beautiful, inspirational and stimulating products to create rooms children will always remember.

We started our business designing large scale, contemporary murals but this has naturally evolved to encompass designing for interiors in a much broader way. We have a developed a range of products as well as designing bespoke furniture and wallcoverings.

What has been the main challenge since starting FLD ?
Oh there have been many.... the best one was David happily quitting his full time job to join me and having the 'credit crunch' announced the next day! As a small company, the amount of time needed to run things is astonishing - it really is 24 hours, seven days a week! It has been a tough couple of years developing new products, finding the best quality and most reliable suppliers, finding the time to get things done, as well as establishing ourselves but the rewards are knowing that we make beautiful things other people love. Running your own business isn't easy, but the more you put into it, the more you get out of it.

Tell me more about your collections. What are the thoughts and inspirations behind them ?
Our designs are inspired by our surroundings, usually from nature but also urban and industrial influences play an important part. Wherever we start an idea from we always take it to an 'other world' level: our imagination is the key. Although our work is contemporary we don't design for a particular period and blend elements that are both traditional and modern as well as being pan-cultural.

Having spent so much of our careers designing for children, we have a real insight into what they do and don't like. Our designs contain a subtle narrative blend of highly detailed and coloured elements - we love colour, scale and drama and our designs feature lots of this.

Do you have any products that you are working on at the moment ?
On the way are more Wall Stickers, Wallpapers and Bed Linen and Soft Furnishings. We can't wait to get these all finalised. We are also considering expanding our website to sell contemporary children's furniture (which will also compliment our interior design business). We would also love to collaborate with other designers on all manner of children's (or grown up) products.

To view Funky Little Darlings collections at Monsters and Munchkins, click here.

Advent Fair and Art Exhibition

2009-11-24T00:48:00.006Z

Christmas is almost here and it is time to start thinking about getting some christmas gifts for our family and friends.... I personally, find it quite stressful doing this so I always try to start early to avoid unnecessary panic.

If you around London, The Advent fair and art exhibition in Wandsworth common on the 28th November, is a great place to start. You should go and check it out and if you are, come by to say hi to us :-) .

House-hunting in Gloucestershire

2009-11-20T21:58:00.009Z

Like so many other people living in the city, I long to be living somewhere more peaceful and less stressful. I have been wanted to move out of London for years but somehow never managed to actually do it. There was always so many reasons to stay .... first of all, my work was here , then when I started my own company, I got pregnant and I wanted to be close to my doctor and then when LOs were born, I simply didn't have time to worry about it ... until now, when the LOs are almost 2 years old. Now I have so many reasons to want to leave London. More space (which is critical, as I work from home), better schools, less pollution, better quality of life for the kids etc.

We have been to Gloucestershire and surrounding areas several times in the past few months in hope of finding that "perfect" house but each time we left disappointed....and yesterday was no exception.

There was always something... either it was too expensive, or the house was not right, or when the house was right, the area was not great. We did find this wonderful farm that I would absolutely love to be living on ... but then I found out that it is more than 3 hours drive/train journey in to London. It is a bit too far, as I do need to go to London every now and then for meetings etc.

I am confident we will find something soon but in the meanwhile, it is so time consuming and tiring.... but to pay someone to do the search for us is not an option as I want the satisfaction of finding our dream home by myself !

Ps. These house-hunting trips have been so very interesting. We've met so many interesting people out there.... people we would never have met otherwise. Met old toy collectors that own a a toy museum, CID who specializes in train fatalities (he mainly collects body-parts from the crime scene !!!), crystal healer that keeps Alpacas as a hobby, Farmer that makes wallpapers that cost more than £500 a roll... the list goes on.

Winter Wonderland 09 - Gibson Hall

2009-11-19T23:09:00.002Z

One of our favourite events this year is Winter Wonderland, in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support and Chase (Hospice for Children).

The event is on the 22nd November 2009 @ 3-6pm.

Location: Gibson Hall, 13 Bishops Gate, London EC2N 3BA.

There will be a fashion show, carol singing, shopping (of course), food and drinks.

To find out more and to book tickets click here.

Ps. If you are thinking of going, then you should hurry up to book your tickets as it gets sold out pretty quickly.

Also, if you mention my blog then you will receive a special gift at our stand :-).

See you there ! x

Making a Dinosaur

2009-11-14T21:23:00.009Z

Got a "Make a Dinosaur Kit" from the Natural History Museum when we went there a few days ago, along with some Dinosaur books.

The exhibition was very interesting but unfortunately, the LOs missed quite a lot of it as I couldn't really lift them up (the downside of having twins ... they have to stay in their pram pretty much the entire time we go out, cause that's the only way I can make sure one doesn't run off and get hurt or break something) to look inside each of the display cabinets but they enjoyed what they saw, in particular the "live" ones on display. The life-size T-rex (I think it was a T-rex) scared them, the little sleeping one a the exit made them giggle and some they tried to feed ... so overall a rather exciting exhibition I would say.

Anyway, so back to Dinosaur making. The kit came with (supposedly) everything you need. paper, glue, paint, template for all the "bits".

Sat little one's in their high-chairs and we were off. They seemed excited. All went well ... for about 5 mins. DS, who was in charge of ripping the paper to more manageable size, decided it would be more fun to throw everything on the floor rather than putting it into the designated box and DD, who was in charge of mixing the glue decided to put her hands in it and then onto herself..... and I, who was in charge of blowing the balloons to make the head and body, realized that I was scared of balloons (hence the small body, in relation to the head... I just couldn't bring myself to make it any bigger).

Anyway, eventually I managed to attach all the provided parts where they were supposed to go and we could start some papier macheing. This bit was relatively painless (especially because DS had already given up and was watch The Snowman instead. So I only had DD to deal with.) and fun but we did run out of glue fairly quickly and I had to improvise with some fabric glue I had in the cupboard. Head and leg fell off but I managed to stick it all back on with some masking tape before completing this stage.... BY MYSELF, as DD had also given up by now.

Once dried (left it overnight) we went on to paint it with the supplied paint (which ran out half way through and I had to use other paint!). We all enjoyed this part with no real drama and had some lunch while little Dino dried. Then LOs decided to make Little Dino pretty and got their arts and crafts box out and started sticking stuff on it.... with a little help from me of course.

So what do you think of Little Dino ? Maybe you can name her/him for us ?

Ps. In respons to Kitschycoo's blog, I did enjoy this one. Probably because it didn't matter if they made a mess.... papier mache is meant to be messy and we only had one colour paint at one time so didn't really matter how they painted Little Dino, it couldn't really go wrong and then finally the decoration part, it is supposed to be random so they couldn't really do that the wrong way either.... besides I had the glue and they only stuck things that they chose on, so mess was very limited.

Westfield Shopping Centre

2009-11-12T16:10:00.008Z

For once, we managed to get the LOs ready to go to swimming class early today... only to discover that class was canceled ! So typical, the only time we managed to get there not only on time but actually early !

So what to do ? All of a sudden we had an empty slot in our schedule.... its cold, a bit wet, its early in the day.... Oh I know, let's go and check out Westfield Shopping Mall, which is just around the corner ! Never been a fan of big shopping malls (apart from Ala Moana Shopping Mall in Honolulu, that one I love...) but seemed like the "perfect" thing to do today. So off we went. Should I be excited ?

Oh yes, it actually turned out pretty good. First of all, the car-park was huge. Even I could find a spot where I could comfortably park (ahem, I am not very good at parking...), which means less stress already. With no pram with us, we were sort of dreading the walk around the mall but to our relief, they had these funky trolleys/cars for hire for a couple of pounds (they even have double ones but happened to be all out when we arrived) . DS was especially thrilled !

Not being much of a shopper, I ended up dragging DH and LOs around all the kiddie-stores (for research purposes....mainly) and .... I didn't find much. It was all rather nice but predictable.
LOs being rather bored with my "research" fairly soon, got very excited when we found the playground and a fantastic playground (for a mall) it was !

So, if you are bored one day and feel like doing some shopping, head to Westfield. You can do your thing and then after, you can get a treat for the LOs and let them play too.... to make you feel less guilty for dragging them along shopping.

Book Trashing Must Stop !

2009-11-12T12:50:00.012Z

What is wrong with my kids ???!! Or rather, what did I do wrong ??
I recently went to my friends house with my LOs for a play-date and I discovered that book-trashing is not "normal" ... I always thought that it is something that ALL toddlers did , until I watched my friends DD read her books like a book should be read. Wow... so it is possible for toddlers not to trash EVERYTHING (especially books) in sight, I thought and decided I should try and suggest this new idea to my LOs....without much success.

Your immediate responds may be that I shouldn't leave books around for them, so they can't trash them but they love reading, which is a good thing, so i really don't want to deprive them of that...
I used to have a special shelf for their special books that they couldn't get to but with them being taller and stronger, even those aren't safe anymore !

I do try to teach them to be gentle and careful with their books but they just don't seem to get it ! They seem to think that flaps are for tearing and cool textured pages are for ripping.
Yes, I have tried board books too but they seem to really enjoy the challenge of tearing these hard-wearing and supposedly toddler safe pages.

Tell me that my LOs aren't the only ones that do this... please, or are they ? How did you teach yours better book-ethics ? Or maybe you never had that problem ?

The Snowman - The Stage Show

2009-11-06T20:13:00.006Z

A very dear friend of mine bought me a copy of The Snowman when we went to a contemporary dance performance together recently. She got one for her daughter, who is just a few weeks older than my LOs, and one for the LOs. She was convinced they were all ready for a bit of theatre/dance. Her DD watches the whole swan-lake production on tv without getting restless and bored ! My DS manages to sit still (he is a boy after all...) in front of the square box for quite a while but DD's attention span is close to zero. I wasn't convinced the LOs were "ready" for this yet ..... but how wrong I was !

Since I first showed it to them about a week ago, they have been completely obsessed by it. I mean properly obsessed ! They ask (signing snow-man or penguine to me) for it the moment they wake up and can sit and watch it all day long, over and over again. Yes, even DD !!!

I don't normally allow them to watch TV very much but then they have never been as persistent in watching anything as this EVER !
I know it is not good for them to watch TV all day but it is so hard to resist putting it on, as I know they really enjoy it. Especially when they get up and start dancing. It is absolutely hilarious watching the two of them attempting to jump, spin and turn.

What is your opinion about TV-watching ? Is it good ? Bad ? How much is too much ? What is your child's favourite program ?

Watch a snippet here. It is a lovely show, although I must admit that I am getting a bit bored of it now.... having watched it about a hundred times since last week !

Halloween

2009-11-04T18:57:00.009Z

Location: Cliff Barns, Norfolk

Date: 30th Oct-1 Nov

Dress code: casual during the day, scary during the night (ie. after kids bedtime).

Apparently, this Halloween people dressed up more than ever before. According to some daily newspapers, the total sales of Halloween costumes in UK rose by almost 30% compared to previous year.

Maybe the recession made people want to dress up and party, do something unusual to cheer themselves up ? Anyway, that was the reason why I decided (apart from it being DHs b-day of course) to throw a party and properly dress up in fancy dress the first time ever !

It was quite an ordeal to sort out and organise but well worth the hassle (queued for almost an hour to get in to Angels in Shaftesbury avenue to get my outfits).

It was an amazing weekend ! The venue was beautiful and very well managed. Open fires, fantastic kitchen and stylish, yet comfortable decor..... a bit of a shame about the weather cause they also had a lovely courtyard with jacuzzi and sauna but we had so much fun indoors so was fine anyway. Fab venue for a party, sleeps up to 20 people but can cater for up to 120 people... apparently.

Ps. Check out the baby monitor.... cool party accessory, isn't it ?! Well, had to make sure I got to kids first if they woke up, before they stumbled into the party, which would have seriously freaked them out !
I had never used a baby monitor before as my home is all open plan so no need for them and found it slightly strange to be listening out for my kids through a "device". Not only did I find it strange but I actually "obsessed" about it, as I was constantly making sure it was still working and within range.... Thank god I am now home and can return it to my neighbour ! Would never get anything done between checking my e-mails, facebook, twitter AND the baby monitor !

Inspiration From the Affordable Artfair

2009-10-27T22:01:00.003Z

I love to paint, draw and create with my little ones .... but sometimes/quite often I just run out of ideas (especially when I have a lot of work on or if I am feeling a bit tired).

Occasionally, I look up projects online but what I love doing is taking the little ones to galleries and exhibitions, where we can all just walk around and enjoy other people's work and get inspired. They may still be a bit young to fully appreciate it but It is never too early to get started.

Here are a few inspirational art-pieces that I found at the Affordable Art-fair in Battersea Park today:
Simple ideas, a splash of colour, basic materials and tons of creativity. Happy art-making !

Ps. For those that haven't been to The Affordable
Art-fair, it is a great place to take kids as they have various learning centres where they teach different things like sculpting, print-making etc. There is even relaxation areas for the little ones to rest, if they get tired from being creative.

Send me an image of your children's artwork, and I will share it with everyone on here.

First five to e-mail me at info@monstersandmunchkins.com will receive a lovely cut-out by Alasdair Wallace.

Welcome PR-girl !

2009-10-25T15:07:00.002Z

Now when all the winter stock has arrived and I have finally managed to get them all posted online, it is time to get some PR/marketing going, just so that I can make sure that as many people as possible get to see what fabulous stuff we have in-store.

I have been trying to tackle this all by my self (with some occasional help from DH ) since we launched the website last year but I have finally come to realize that I can not do it anymore. There are too many other things going on at the moment, constantly trying to source new exciting stock, photographing and uploading all new stock, organizing events, designing the new Jakeandmaya collection, overseeing production (and of course twitter and facebook!!!) ..... and on top of it all, two toddlers approaching their terrible twos to look after 24/7 !
So I decided to hire someone to help me out. Welcome on board PR-girl :-)

It feels so nice (I already feel much less stressed-out) knowing that even when I am too occupied doing other things, she will still be on top of the PR, speaking to people, organizing editorials, sorting out press-releases and most importantly making sure that I get organized and get everything to the press on-time ! Why did I wait this long to get someone to help ?!

She is great and so unbelievably enthusiastic ! There is no sitting around chatting and just wasting time with her ! As soon as she started her first day, she demanded that we go out and have an impromptu photo-shoot, as she needed an image IMMEDIATELY.

So off we went, photographer (DH), stylist (I), art-director (PR-girl) and the models (The Little Ones) and got her what she needed. If this is an indication of how she works, then you will be seeing a lot of us in the press in the upcoming months ! Very exciting and fun !

We have a lot of things planned for the next few months. Fairs, competitions, special offers....

So do follow our blog or twitter @mnstrsnmnchkns so I can keep you updated !

Ghostly echoes of a troubled past

2009-10-23T16:16:00.007+01:00

I love living in Central London. I love all the buzz and excitement around me. There are so many things to do and places to visit. It is all great but... as the little ones are getting a bit older (louder, more mobile, more demanding, messier....), I am craving a bit more space and would like a huge garden for the little ones and our dogs to run around and play in. So we've been house-hunting for a country home in Gloucestershire, well-known for its picturesque villages and fabulous schools.

We've been driving up and down there looking for houses regularly for over a year. It has been very tiring but also very interesting exploring the different areas and visiting the wonderful villages.
We've seen some lovely houses but there has always been something that was not right... but then we finally found the "perfect" house on our last trip !

The house is within a gated development of 18 or so houses, built on 5 acres of land. All beautifully restored and landscaped. Both DH and I fell in love with this place. It was truly amazing ! We could so imagine living there ! The house was absolutely gorgeous, the views stunning and it was in Painswick, one of our favourite villages in Cotswolds. They also have some of the countries best schools around there. It was perfect !

So, off we went home, very happy about finding "our" new home but this happiness did not last long...
As we got home, I googled the development to find out more about it and I came across the most disturbing story about this development. I now feel very torn.... should we or should we not make an offer. What would you do ?

Read this (if you dare) and let me know what you would do .

Date in Hong Kong - Sevva

2009-10-05T23:11:00.013+01:00

Hot sticky weather, small hotel rooms, hyper-active (seemingly) children, millions of people EVERYWHERE, messed up feeding/napping schedules...... It can all feel a bit intense and can add to a lot of stress.
And what better way to relieve stress than having the grandparents baby-sit the little ones and go out for a martini or two with DH :-)

We had seen this place in magazines and heard about it from our friends but never been ourselves, so we decided to give it a try ! And oh my goodness, was it amazing !

Sevva, as the restaurant/bar is called, is located in Central (right next to the HSBC building). The drinks (water-melon martini... yum ! ) were fabulous and the view was just to die for ! We were supposed to just have one drink on the terrace before dinner but seemed such a waste to go inside to the restaurant (where there was less of a view) , so we had one drink, then another, then another after that I think ... until the waiter firmly insisted we went to our table or we will lose the booking.
Hesitantly we moved inside... which was in fact, just (almost at least) as stunning as the outside. The decor was very tastefully done and the detailing was immaculate... everything down to the cutlery and the menus, which were made out of butter-soft leather and shagreen.

There was a selection of modern Asian and European dishes to choose from, each one sounding as exciting as the other. We went for lobster spring roll for starter, topped with caviar and DH had a "simple" steak with an assortment of side orders for main, while I had a more adventurous beef cheek casserole. The food was absolutely heavenly ! Definitely one of the best meals I have ever had anywhere. The beef cheek was just incredible. ... just melted in my mouth like marshmallow.... mmm, just the thought of it makes my mouth water !

A bit on the pricey side but what a fabulous evening it was ! What a treat ! Everything was perfect !
I should really try and go on "dates" with DH more often .....but I know what will happen, when we get back home, life will just take over and we will not have time for each other again... sadly. But that's a whole other blogpost !

Ps. I double checked. Kids allowed onto the terrace and restaurant ... should you ever want to bring your children there.

Hong Kong - Ocean park

2009-10-05T09:00:00.005+01:00

Tokyo was amazing but I always love being back in Hong Kong. There is a nice buzz about the place and everything is so convenient ! People are nice, service always good .... and most people speak English (unlike in Tokyo)!

Little ones stayed with their grandparents when we went to Tokyo, but now when we are back with them we decided to have some fun.

One of the most obvious things to do with kids in Hong Kong is going to Ocean Park, which is a lovely amusement park only about 10 mins away from Central. One could of course also go to Disneyland but Ocean Park is probably more suitable for toddlers and it is much easier to get to.

Apart from the amusement park itself, Ocean Park also has a panda area, an aquarium and an ocean theatre where sea-lions, dolphins and killer whales perform their tricks. On top of that, there are a bunch of rides for little people , as well as a fun toddler playground.

Ocean Park sits on top of a hill, surrounded by water. This does mean that the views are absolutely stunning but unfortunately it also means a whole lot of stairs and escalators .....

Ps. Didn't manage to get any pics of the toddler rides and playground unfortunately, as I was busy running after two little ones but check out this website to find out more.

Tokyo Tokyo

2009-10-04T21:17:00.003+01:00

Pretty amazing place, Tokyo. It's exiting, colourful, energetic, quirky, neat, unreal .... weird ! Everywhere you go, there is always something amazing to see, to do or to eat ... or at least someone to look at !

Shopping for kids in Tokyo

2009-10-03T15:14:00.017+01:00

Here are a few pics I took during my shopping trips for children's stuff. I must say that shopping for kids in Tokyo is rather interesting. Very diverse. Very cool and there is a lot of places to go to.... if you know where to go, as they tend to be rather "hidden". I got rather confused (and tired) during these trips and most of the shops blurred into one... the few shop names that come to mind: Beams , Re-style, Bape Kids, Caramel, Cocca, Takashimaya, Over the Stripes, Coeur, Illums Kids...

My Favourite Finds In Tokyo

2009-10-03T12:42:00.010+01:00

Going on fabulous business trips is a lot of fun and in deed very exciting but also very stressful , as there are so many things that needs to be done once you get back !

Was meant to update you all during the trip but just never got around to it. Just got all too caught up with what was happening there ! But here follows a few picture posts to show you what we did, discovered and saw.

Will begin with showing a few of my favourite finds at the shows in Tokyo.

Flying to Hong Kong

2009-08-23T22:53:00.008+01:00

1st day in Hong Kong. Hot, humid and full of energy..... that about sums up what I think of Hong Kong so far.
11h35mins on a plane with 2 toddlers to get here. Is it worth the trip ??? Oh yes, absolutely ! I love Hong Kong. It really is a spectacular city ! Ok, I may be a bit biased but it really is a fab place ! Will try to find time to tell you all about our trip as often I can.

So back to the flight.... it was STRESSFUL . Last time we flew long-distance with the little ones was end of last year. It all went brilliantly well then but this time, it was quite different ! They were a bit more mobile, a bit more demanding now.
It all started off ok. They were reasonably settled to begin with and DD was put in the cot to sleep. She slept about 7 hours straight. DS, on the other hand was busy.... climbing everywhere, throwing everything on the floor, ripping books to pieces.... etc. But eventually, he also went to sleep but not for very long casue DD then woke up and decided it was time for him to play with her. She climbed onto his seat, screaming his name and poking his face. My very grumpy son was awake.

Watching them, making sure they were entertained, making sure they wouldn't get hurt, making sure they didn't disturb the other passengers (that were trying to sleep) ... a lot of making sure and very little relaxing or sitting back to enjoy the flight.
I didn't mind it too much , cause they were at least not crying... until towards the end of the flight when especially DS was extremely tired. He cried/screamed non-stop for at least an hour ! Nothing I could do, apart from calmly hold him and wait. He (they both) eventually fell asleep..... right before were about to land.

I made sure they kept to their routine once we arrived and they didn't go to bed until it was bedtime. Hopefully they get a full-night sleep and start feeling themselves again tomorrow. Me on the other hand, feel completely over-tired and jet-lagged....

ps. pic of me on bathroom floor at 3am , completely jet-lagged and unable to sleep but too worried about waking little ones up if I turned lights on in the room !

Diana Memorial Playground

2009-08-15T21:47:00.008+01:00

With the UK summer threatening to end any day, I try to make the most of the good weather while it lasts and take little ones out to play as much I can.

One of our latest favourites is the fabulous Diana Memorial Playground in Kensington Gardens. It is free and it is amazing. The kids can spend a whole day there running around the different areas without getting bored. One tip though: bring an extra set of clothing, just in case they do decide to go in the water area....

Here a few snapshots and to find out more click here. There are a few more areas within the playground that we didn't have time to visit, as we only had a couple of hours..... !

Ps. There are some picnic areas inside the playground, as well as a cafe. So you really can stay there all day if you so wish !

Gifts From New York

2009-08-10T21:43:00.017+01:00

Needless to say, I brought back a whole bunch of gifts back for the little ones from my trip. In fact, I don't seem to buy anything for myself anymore. It is ALL for them ! I did attempt to go shopping for myself but kept getting distracted by all the cute kiddie stuff instead. First of all, I don't really need anything and secondly, it is a lot more fun buying stuff for kids, don't you think ?
Books, clothes, toys, artwork, accessories... you name it, I probably got it ! However, here are a few of their favourites:

1, Dado Cubes.
Got it from Met Museum Gift Shop. They both love it and spend hours stacking them. I am amazed at how long they can carry on stacking and un-stacking them ! Just today DS figured out how to slot them on top of each other but annoyingly, he does not yet know how to un-slot them.... which means mummy has to come to the rescue (over and over again).
Amazing what a few boxes can do. Great toy that is fun, encourages creativity and improves motor skills.

You can get it from Met Museum's online store.

2, 10 Color Book by William Accorsi
Bought if from Barns and Noble on Union Square. Simple, basic and fun (for the little ones at least) book for toddlers. Bought it because I though it'd be a good toy/book to bring on the plane in a couple of weeks time, as the shapes are all fixed to the book on coloured ribbons , which means I won't have to crawl around the floor looking for them !
Was not sure how this one would go down but to my amazement, they knew exactly what to do with the shapes !!! I didn't even have to show them what to do. The instant they opened the book, they knew that they had to match the missing shapes with the ones on the ribbon !! I mean, how can a couple of 20 month old little people figure things like that out ?????

2, Baby
And finally, a girlie toy for my little DD. I am not really sure how it happened (cause I was never like that as a child) but she is so "maternal". She loves babies !! I realized this when we went to a sing and sign class a while ago and she sat next to one of the girl's baby sister for over an hour, just smilingly staring it him ...
I promised myself not to "stereotype" the little ones (ie. dolls for DD, cars for DS etc.) but couldn't resist !
This one is from the North American Bear Company (who also makes our gorgeous plush monsters) and is super soft and cuddle. She comes wearing a top and nappies but I also bought the optional baby carrier , t-shirt, dress and shoes. This little baby has been spoilt rotten by my DD. She changes her nappy (or rather, she asks me to change it), feeds her and puts her in bed for naps. Little baby goes everywhere and "eats" everything... needless to say, her face is already getting rather dirty! Hopefully DD decides tto take her baby for a bath one day soon .....

Bubble New York

2009-08-09T00:18:00.019+01:00

Bubble New York was great. The venue (Cedar Lake) was fabulous. It was somewhat smaller than Bubble London but still had a lot of goodies. I, in particular, liked some of the newcomers.

Here are some pics of the best (in my opinion). Will blog about them individually, as soon as I catch up with some more work but just wanted to give you a quick preview first.

One thing though, I have to say: We need more boys' collections ! There was, as usual, mainly girls' to pick from and very little boys'... but luckily I nipped over to ENK, which was on at the same time, and managed to find some seriously cool stuff there (will show you in later blogs, along with some cool children's shops and places to visit in NY).

ps. one of the highlights of the show was to be able to meet with some really fabulous people in the industry, one of them being my twitter friend @barleyandbirch, who was showing a lovely collection of organic clothing.

Life will never be the same again.

2009-07-30T15:54:00.002+01:00

Finally on our way to New York ! Will be spending the next 10 days there sourcing for Monsters and Munchkins , as well as, introducing Jakeandmaya S/S2010 to the US market.

We (DH and I are both going) will be away from our children, for more than a few hours, for the first time since they were born almost 20 months ago !
They will be in the very safe hands of their wonderful grand-parents but my/our feelings are still very mixed.
On one hand, it is lovely to be on our own for a while and be able to spend some quality time together (although we will be working most of the time… ) but on the other hand we already really miss the little ones and wish that they were with us. I even miss having to worry about potential in-flight tantrums etc. Feels kind of strange being able to just sit back and be free to do whatever I want, without anything to organise or to worry about !

I remember once, someone told me when I was pregnant: “Your life will never be the same again after having kids. You won’t be free anymore” and my reply was: “Don’t be silly, nothing is going to change. We will just do everything that we used to do and take them with us and if not, then we will just leave them with a babysitter”.
However, I think I now know what she meant. It will never be the same again…. I will always be thinking about the children and missing them whatever I am doing and wherever I am… instead of being completely free mentally.

Parenthood is such an amazing experience and I must truly say that I love every single moment of it ! Being able to feel such love for someone (or in my case some-two ) is such an incredible feeling.

Anyway, going to kick back and enjoy my in-flight meal, followed by a movie now. Talk to you from NY.

Quality Time Together Finally

2009-07-19T00:51:00.015+01:00

With Monsters and Munchkin's summer sale sorted out and Jakeandmaya properly launched, I finally managed to find some quality time to spend with the family today.

But I spent too much time having fun, leaving no time to blog so I will just post some pics to show you what we have been up to.

1, Bluebird, Kings Road. One of the only places to have lunch outside in Chelsea, London. OK menu, reasonably child-friendly. The "Easi-grass" almost makes you forget that you are by a busy road in the middle of London.... DD loves taking her baby there for lunch.

2, Baby Loves Disco, Southbank Centre. Hilariously fun... but not sure the kids enjoy it more or the adults ! The little ones did some funky moves though.... Ps. Spot the silver leggings in the pic. Cool disco baby or what ?!

3, My boy cruising the "club". Slightly worrying....

4, Ping-Pong, Southbank. Little ones first dim-sum. Yum Yum. Char-Sui bun was their favourite by far !

Oh, almost forgot the Juggling-in-a-box". Not really sure what to make of it but the little ones thought it was great !

I love the Southbank. There is always something fun going on there. Click here to find out whats on this summer.

Have fun !!!

ps. If you have any suggestions of fun summer activities, please share with us !

Potty Training Tips Needed

2009-07-09T00:09:00.008+01:00

Little ones almost 19 months and it is time to start considering potty training (sigh !).

My intention was to wait until they are a bit older, so they understand the concept of using the potty a bit more and then hopefully potty training would be a shorter process but DD has over the past couple of weeks signed to me "nr2" when she has soiled her nappy and "change nappy" on several ocassions so I think she may be ready ...

The truth is, I have no idea how to start. Do I just leave a potty around for her to use at will ? Or do I put her in her potty in regular interval and just hope that one day she will actually do it in there, instead of in her nappy ? When do I stop her from wearing nappies ? So many questions ....

There are, I am sure, plenty of books out there about this subject but I never had to use any books to teach me how to look after my children but maybe this time, I really should get one ?

For once, since the little ones were born, I feel completely lost as to what to do and how to do.

So, if you have any advice/tricks at all, please do not hesitate to leave a comment for me. I would love to find out how you did it !!!

Summer sale - Pimlico, London

2009-07-08T15:47:00.006+01:00

Following the success of our recent pre-sale event at Cupcake Spa, we have been approached to organize yet another sale in a different part of London.
This idea came up while talking to some local mums last week and a couple of days later, we have booked the venue and we are now desperately trying to get people to attend.

So if you are in Pimlico next Tuesday between 10-5pm, please come by and see us. Bring your friends ! Make it a nice outing. We will have coffee/tea and cake for everyone and we will have a creche for the little people too !

Hope to see you there :-)

Last Reminder - Our Summersale at Cupcake Spa 1-2 July

2009-06-29T22:55:00.004+01:00

Come and get some bargains for your little one(s) or just join me for a cup of tea !

Hope to see you there !

ps. Pitti Patta, an organic skincare company, will also be there to demonstrate their wonderful products ! Perfect for mums and babies ...

Interview on Blogtalk Radio

2009-06-26T09:27:00.004+01:00

Was interviewed by Mel from Supermummy on Blogtalk Radio yesterday. My first ever interview ! I was kind of nervous....

I wouldn't say that I am shy but I am not very good at being "on stage" (which is why I abandoned the idea of being a contemporary dancer a few years back).

Mel was lovely. We talked about motherhood, Monsters and Munchkins, Jakeandmaya and also about what it is like being a WAHM. The interview lasted about 40 mins but it seemed much much longer to me ... I was exhausted by the end of it !

Listen to it here.

Being a WAHM

2009-05-30T14:02:00.010+01:00

I am sorry that I haven't managed to update my blog for a while. It has been incredibly hectic lately PLUS the weather has been very good, so have been out playing instead of working - beauty (and downfall) of being a WAHM.

Bubble London is fast approaching and there are still a million things to get finalized and done. It will get done but just have to make sure it gets done perfectly ! I am such a perfectionist that nothing gets decided unless I have gone through all options and made sure it is the perfect solution.... can be quite frustrating and tiring for people I work with but at least, I know final decision really is final.

Apart from getting Jakeandmaya ready, I have to also continue working on making sure Monsters and Munchkins is ok. Sourcing new stock and the marketing/PR side of things are all fun but so time consuming ! Currently organising some sales events around London, as well as some cool marketing strategies. Will keep you posted.

I really had no idea how much work starting a new online business and a new brand was going to involve when I decided to do it. I don't regret it for a second but it is so hard to stay on top of everything PLUS looking after the little ones. 24 hours is simply not enough hours in a day !

This is a typical day.

8-9am - wake up/breakfast.
9-11am - playtime with kids (in between twittering and checking/organizing orders)
11-12.30 - kids napping. I make lunch and catch up on a bit of work.
12.30-1pm - lunchtime.
1-5pm - kids play (and I work if they let me) or if weather good, we go out and play.
4.30-6pm - afternoon nap (if I am lucky). I work, cook and breath...
6-7pm - dinner
7-9pm - kids play (and I work if they let me) then bath-time and bed.
9pm onwards - un-interrupted work (and twitter).

When our day looks like above, that's when we are all the happiest but sometimes/often something un-expected needs to be done or happens, we just adapt and I have to make the most out of the after-9pm-hours for work.

Ps. Last week was terrible because sadly our dog got very ill and we had to spend a lot of time with her at hospital. The kids spent a lot of time at PIL's and needless to say, their routine was very interrupted and they turned into such little monsters and I didn't manage to get a thing done all week ! So this week, I will try and stay home with them as much as possible, to get them back on track ... and hopefully get myself back on track too !

Finally, must mention lovely DH in all this, who is always there when help (or a cuddle) is needed. Bless him !

Interested to know how other WAHMs organise their days !

Steamed Haddock Parcels

2009-05-17T16:26:00.004+01:00

I love steamed fish parcels. It is easy, healthy and best of all, it leaves very little mess behind AND the little ones love it too.

- 1 Haddock fillet
- 1/2 Lemon
- 1 Sliced Clove of Garlic
- 1 Slice of Ginger
- 1/4 lemon
- Olive Oil
- Chopped Chives
- Salt and Pepper (optional)

Put fish in the middle of foil.
Add a few drops of olive oil.
Squeeze the lemon juice on top and add the rest of ingredients.
Wrap parcel together. Make sure the package won't leak and is properly sealed.
Steam for 10-15 mins.

Serve with steamed vegetables and rice or potatoes.

Ps. You can add vegetable shavings (carrots, courgettes etc.) in the parcel for extra flavour.

See, how easy is that ?!

Enjoy.

Super Easy Vanilla Cupcakes (That My Dog Ate)

2009-05-16T16:19:00.006+01:00

Went out to get some bits-and-bobs for our stand at the upcoming Highclere Country Fair this morning, so we called in our baby-sitter for a few hours and went to get what we needed.

A very pleasant surprise was awaiting when we arrived back home with our fabulous purchases. Our home was spotless AND she had even made the little ones their lunch ! How wonderful !

Having no cleaning and feeding to do, I all of a sudden had some spare time... so I decided to bake some vanilla cupcakes. It was the easiest thing I could think of baking. In fact, it was so easy it only took about 5 mins to prepare !

225g (8 oz) unsalted butter, softened
225g (8oz) caster sugar
225g (8oz) self-raising flour
1 tsb baking powder
4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla essence

-Preheat oven 175C (350F/Gas mark 4).
-Place 18 Paper baking cases in muffin tins.
-Place all ingredients in a bowl and beat with electric whisk until smooth and pale, about 2-3
mins.
-Spoon mixture into cases.
-Bake 20 mins.
-Remove from oven and let cool for 5 mins.
-Remove from tin and let cool on rack.

If you will have any left after "tasting" them, you can store them in air-tight container for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

In my case, I did not have any left to store, as my dog jumped up the counter and ate all (only left half + some crumbs) of them. Fortunately, I had a taste before the kids called me. Is it possible that they have some kind of conspiracy going ?

Chicken and Noddle Stir-fry

2009-05-15T18:44:00.009+01:00

This is a dish that is easy, reasonably healthy and loved by the little ones.

When I run out of dinner ideas, this is always a safe bet.

Boiled noodles
Diced chicken breast
Finely chopped garlic, onion and ginger
Finely cut vegetables (I used courgette and broccoli here but sometimes also use carrots and peppers)
Sesame seeds
Sesame oil
Ground pepper
Parsley
Salt (optional)
Soy sauce (optional)

1,Boil noddles as per instructions.
2,Heat pan/wok. Add oil.
3, Add ginger, garlic and onions.
4, Brown chicken and add vegetables. Cook until tender.
5, Add noodles. Stir-fry for a couple of minutes on high heat.
6, Add sesame oil, peppar and chopped parsley.
7, Sprinkle some sesame seeds on top and serve the little ones.
8, Add salt and soy sauce to taste and serve the grown-ups.

Ps. My little ones love eating this particular dish by themselves. Oh, the mess they make.... takes me longer to clean up than cooking it ! But then, my little ones are particularly messy eater.

Enjoy. x

Happy WAHM Feeling Bad

2009-05-10T23:01:00.009+01:00

There are so many things happening in my life at the moment. There are about a million things to do for Monsters and Munchkins, I have to get Jakeandmaya SS10 collection ready for Bubble London, which is in a few weeks and on top of that my (and DH's) interior design company Y2DC is extremely busy at the moment too.

It is all very exciting and life is good but I feel bad.... for not being able to spend as much quality time with the little ones as I would like. Luckily they have each other, and spend a lot of time playing together but I really do wish I could do more things with them.

There are all these playgroups that I always intend to take them to but never have time to, and all these cool and fun places I want to take them... but also never have time to.... I just seem to spend a lot of time working (and on twitter... which is kind of work) !

I never realized what I was getting myself into when I one day, quite spontaneously, decided to start Monsters and Munchkins. I had an idea, I acted on that idea and here I am a year later.... having to figure out a way to balance work with looking after the little ones and making sure they are happy.

However, as much as I want to spend every single waking moment with the little ones, I am so grateful and happy that I am doing something for myself (ie. work... although, sometimes I do wish it was more like a massage or a facial !) and I think in truth, it is a good thing for them, learning to be "independent". I am not sure if it is becasue I am extremely lucky or because they don't know any different, as they very rarely "need" me. They are very happy on their own, doing their thing, leaving me to work.

The little ones are the inspiration behind my work. It is all because of them that I am doing what I am doing and it is because of them, that I love what I do. So, surely that means more than going to some silly playgroup, right ?!

Ps. They love trying clothes on, which is a big bonus, so we can spend time together working. (Note. See DD during a fitting session of toiles for SS2010 collection)

With so many WAHMs out there, I am definitely not the only one feeling the way I do but how do other people deal with their "guilt" and how do they balance work with looking after little ones ?

Motherhood - The Most Stressful Job In The World

2009-05-07T19:31:00.007+01:00

No wonder so many mums have nervous breakdowns ! Being a mum/parent is so stressful !

Not only do we have to be there to feed them (what seems like 100 times a day) and keep them dry and clean but we also have to be there to teach them everything they are supposed to learn AND on top of all that, most importantly, keep them safe and away from danger.

Having little toddlers is great fun but definately isn't easy ! We have to watch them every single second, 24 hours a day ! You relax and look away for just one second and something can happen ... and with the two of them running around, this can sometimes be difficult.

In just a few hours DS managed to hurt his leg when getting it stuck to his bed, falling off a sofa, falling on his face when he slipped on the floor (blood was gushing out of his little nose !) as well as, falling off his new walker and banged his head. DD, she "only" cut her finger on a toy and almost choked on a pea at dinner.
I mean, how can so many little accidents happen in just one day ?! Thankfully, between all this, they had a couple of naps so I could de-stress .... but thank god the day is almost over, before something really bad happens !

From being possibly the most relaxed mum in the world, that believes in letting little ones get on with their "stuff", I can sense myself becoming more tense and nervous by the day. How much of a nervous wreck will I become by the time they are teenagers ??!

So this is why my MIL and mum are both over-protective of the little ones ? Because they have been there, done it and know what can happen when they look away ?

Easy Beef and Vegetable Stew

2009-05-05T20:08:00.008+01:00

Root vegetables, stewing beef and not much else could be found in the fridge this evening.
Having no choice, I made beef stew... what else ?!

However, i did try to make it a bit more exciting by adding some interesting flavours to it...

Ingredients:
Stewing beef

Parsnips

Carrots

Onions

Garlic

Ginger

Bayleaves

Orange

Stock (unsalted)

Celery

Can of plum tomatoes

Rosemary

Water

Black Pepper

Sorry, no quantities specified but the idea is to just brown the meat, onion and garlic, add whatever chopped vegetables and seasoning you may have and cover with stock. Bring to boil, cover and simmer until meat is tender. About 40 mins.

I strongly advice you add an orange,as it gives lovely taste to the stew. Just cut in quarter, squeeze in the juice and put the rest in before adding stock.

For toddlers, cut the beef into small pieces before serving. Serve with rice and/or bread.

Ps. it is amazing how all those "unwanted" veggies taste so good in a stew ! A great way to clean out the fridge.

My Old Dutch - Worst Dinner Ever

2009-04-27T22:12:00.003+01:00

Had a fabulous day out with the kids and weather was beautiful so I decided we should continue enjoying our day out and go out for dinner. Went by "My Old Dutch" on King's Road, London earlier during the day and saw a sign saying "all pancakes £5 on mondays" and thought it was a fabulous idea. The kids love pancakes ! DH came to join us for what he thought would be a fun dinner out.

I was so wrong. It was the worst dinner I have ever had ! Not because of the restaurant or its food, but because the little ones were both terrible ... They screamed and whined non-stop ! In the end, I had enough of the dirty looks given by the couples next to us and asked for the food to be packed in doggy bag and left.

I have always been so proud of the little ones' table manners. We have been to so many restaurants together and they were always perfect little angels.... until now. Maybe this is the beginning of the end ?

I brought toys to entertain them with. Ordered food for them in advance, in case they were hungry. I remained calm and tried everything to make them happy but nothing work !

As soon, as we got in the car to go home, they both laughed and were happy....

Nevertheless, I do recommend you take your kids to "My Old Dutch" if you haven't been. They have both savoury and sweet pancakes (I love cheese, ham and artichoke on mine). Relatively child-friendly and staff were very friendly and helpful, even though the little ones were being such nightmares.

However, I never figured out how the £5 deal worked, cause when our bill arrived, it definitely wasn't £5 a pancake !

Waldorf V. Montessori

2009-04-24T08:57:00.012+01:00

Met up with some mom friends the other day for a chit-chat. The subject of schools came up. They had all done their research and even registered their children. I, on the other hand had not even started. Partially because we are thinking of moving in the near future, but also because it seemed so early (the little ones are now 16 months), but I guess I really should start thinking about it, by the sounds of things.

What I remember from school (in Sweden), was that it was a lot of fun. There was a strong focus on the arts and music. We played games, baked, painted, knitted and went on forest walks, as well as doing lots of singing and creating music. We had no homework until we were 10 ! Some people believe in "real" learning, ie. maths, reading, writing etc. from a very early age but I much prefer the more relaxed approach, especially in kindergarten....

I have been looking at several options but the main approaches that I am seriously considering for my little ones are Montessori and Waldorf, both using child-centred methods of teaching.

This is a very brief summary of what I believe they stand for:

Montessori - systematic learning, using special teaching tools. Children are encourage to be

"real", imagination is not encouraged. Children learn from each other, including older peers. Children learn to respect their peers' learning space ie. they learn to wait for their turn to use specific equipment/toy. Independent learning is encouraged. Toys are not for playing but for learning. Children are encouraged to learn second languages. Phonetics are used to teach children to read. Special tools are used to teach children maths.

Waldorf - Mind and spirit are the keywords behind Waldorf's teaching techniques. Creativity and art is encouraged. Imagination is widely encouraged. Toys remain unfinished, so children can "finish" them themselves. Use of TV and other electronic media is discouraged.

Children learn about social responsibility. Foreign languages and religion

classes are taught. Reading and writing is not taught until after kindergarten.

This is my basic understanding of the two different schools of teaching. Have you got anything to add ? Do you know anyone who's been to either one ? What is your understanding or experience of Montessori/Waldorf ? Leave me a comment, I am very interested in finding out more.

Beers and Tarts

2009-04-21T21:48:00.004+01:00

So tonight its football night. Liverpool v Arsenal in the Premiership. An important game which will help determine who wins the premiership title.
Being such an important game, I felt the need to invite the boys round to watch it.

In preparation for the evening I felt the need to arrange for some tarts. My wife would be out with the children which meant we could enjoy them without any interruptions.

All the boys were very excited at the thought of my generous offer and were keen to sample my sweet little tarts. I had surfed the internet as I did not want just any tart, it had to be of a certain class. I tried these lovelies with my brother a few weeks ago as we have the same taste. We had 12 and devoured the lot of them, we even took photos we were that excited. Though it was not so much fun, as we were at our parents and they were none too pleased at the mess we’d left.

So tonight its the Lemon Meringue Tarts with a few beers and some good company to watch the game.

I have included the recipe below:

Ingredients:
FOR THE PASTRY

* 175g plain flour
* 100g cold butter , cut in small pieces
* 1 tbsp icing sugar
* 1 egg yolk

FOR THE FILLING

* 2 level tbsp cornflour
* 100g golden caster sugar
* finely grated zest 2 large lemon
* 125ml fresh lemon juice (from 2-3 lemons)
* juice 1 small orange
* 85g butter , cut into pieces
* 3 egg yolks and a 1 whole egg

FOR THE MERINGUE

* 4 egg whites , room temperature
* 200g golden caster sugar
* 2 level tbsp cornflour

1. For the pastry, put the flour, butter, icing sugar, egg yolk (save the white for the meringue) and 1 tbsp cold water into a food processor. Using the pulse button so the mix is not overworked, process until the mix starts to bind. Tip the pastry onto a lightly floured surface, gather together until smooth, then roll out and line a 23 x 2.5cm loose-bottom fluted flan tin. Trim and neaten the edges. Press pastry into flutes. The pastry is quite rich, so don't worry if it cracks, just press it back together. Prick the base with a fork, line with foil, shiny side down, and chill for 1⁄2-1 hour (or overnight).

2. Put a baking sheet in the oven and heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Bake the pastry case 'blind' (filled with dry beans) for 15 mins, then remove the foil and bake a further 5-8 mins until the pastry is pale golden and cooked. Set aside. (Can be done a day ahead if you want to get ahead.) Lower the oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4.

3. While the pastry bakes, prepare the filling: mix the cornflour, sugar and lemon zest in a medium saucepan. Strain and stir in the lemon juice gradually. Make orange juice up to 200ml/7fl oz with water and strain into the pan. Cook over a medium heat, stirring constantly, until thickened and smooth. Once the mixture bubbles, remove from the heat and beat in the butter until melted. Beat the egg yolks (save white for meringue) and whole egg together, stir into the pan and return to a medium heat. Keep stirring vigorously for a few minutes, until the mixture thickens and plops from the spoon. (It will bubble, but doesn't curdle.) Take off the heat and set aside while you make the meringue.

4. Put the egg whites in a large bowl. Whisk to soft peaks, then add half the sugar a spoonful at a time, whisking between each addition without overbeating. Whisk in the cornflour, then add the rest of the sugar as before until smooth and thick. Quickly reheat the filling and pour it into the pastry case. Immediately put spoonfuls of meringue around the edge of the filling (if you start in the middle the meringue may sink), then spread so it just touches the pastry (this will anchor it and help stop it sliding). Pile the rest into the centre, spreading so it touches the surface of the hot filling (and starts to cook), then give it all a swirl. Return to the oven for 18-20 mins until the meringue is crisp and slightly coloured. Let the pie sit in the tin for 30 mins, then remove and leave for at least another 1⁄2-1 hr before slicing. Eat the same day.

Enjoy!

Battersea Park Zoo

2009-04-20T22:11:00.008+01:00

Spring is finally here and the sun is shining like never before (since last spring) ! Heaps of work to do but don't feel like doing any of it. Just want to go out and enjoy myself with the little ones! This beautiful weather can be gone in no time, so better make the most out of it now.

We live near Battersea park but have

never been to the zoo there so decided we will give it a go today.

It was actually quite nice ! Ok, it was not as good as London Zoo but I think it was a very good first zoo experience for the little ones ! It was just big enough for us to easily get around, without too much hassle and best of all (I think the little ones would agree) they had a great playground there. The playground was more aimed at older children but it was still fun for them to be there and just run around, or in my DS's case play with the wood chips on the ground.

Not sure if it is like this every day but it was pleasantly

quiet when we got there, around mid-morning. It was just lovely being able to have a leisurely walk around, looking at the various animals without too many screaming children around. Although, my DS did throw a couple tantrums .... but thats another story ( I believe some kind of alien may have taken him away a couple of days ago and replaced him with the monster that he now is).

Crazy monkeys, smelly sheep, noisy birds and fat rabbits (a whopping 5.6kg !!!) .... I recommend it. Definitely a nice way to spend a few sunny hours.

Have a look at their website to find out more.

Chase n' Sky - Casually Gorgeous Girls' Clothing

2009-04-17T01:23:00.005+01:00

I first came across Chase n' Sky at Bubble London last year. I had already done all the buying for Monsters and Munchkins' first season when I noticed Chase n' Sky's stand. I ended up buying quite a few things. It was too sweet to resist !

Lindsey O'neil-Myers is the designer behind this lovely girl's clothing brand. She launched it just a couple of years ago but is already hugely successful throughout US and many other countries.

Her clothing is casual yet elegant, feminine yet playful. Her palette is often very muted but with a splash of colour. Easy to wear, casual girls clothing at its best.

Check out Monsters and Munchkins to see my selection for this season.

Banana Bread

2009-04-14T09:15:00.006+01:00

My little ones used to love bananas but one day they both decided they didn't like them anymore... but I still buy them, just in case they do decide to eat them again.

Apparently children go through phases in their development, when they refuse certain foods but if you keep trying, it is likely they will start eating it again.

Just casually try to give it to them every now and then, don't make a fuss and definitely don't force them to eat it and one day, they may just take it and enjoy it again.

I am still waiting for them to start eating their bananas again but in the meanwhile, I have to figure out what to do with the old ones when they don't. Seems a waste to throw them away (again), so decided to use them for making a fabulous banana cake.

Simple, quick and fabulous recipe found on http://www.nibblous.co.uk

Recipe:

4oz butter or margarine

6oz sugar
8oz self raising flour
2 eggs
2 large or 3 medium, very ripe bananas

Heat the oven to gas mark 4; 180C
Grease a 2lb loaf tin.
Mash the bananas with a sturdy fork.
Cream the butter and sugar together and mix in the eggs
Mix together the two yellow sludges you now have.
Mix in the flour.
Scrape into the loaf tin and bake for 40 minutes then lower teh temperature to gas mark 2; 150C and cook for a further 30 minutes.

If you can resist, let it cool on a rack for a little while before you eat it.

Note. you can add some vanilla, raisins and/or walnuts for extra taste and texture.

Enjoy !

Traveling with twins

2009-04-09T11:22:00.001+01:00

My husband and I recently went on a 3-month trip with our then 8 month old babies, traveling across 4 continents. It was an amazing trip AND the little ones loved it too !

Most people that hear that we went on such a trip with 2 babies mostly appear either surprised or shocked but they always wanted to know how we did it and my answer was always: what do you mean how ? It was easy.

Ok, sometimes, I did feel exhausted and wonder why I was doing it too but the truth was, I love traveling and I was not going to stop because I now have children. Why should I ? I truly believe it is great that children travel and get to see the world (although in this case, they probably wont remember a thing..... but I did take about a million pics just to make sure they do!) and I think the more they travel, the easier it will become for them to adjust to different environments and people.

A few pointers on how to make your trip with babies easier:

If you can, make sure you establish a routine with your baby before you go away, makes controlling feed and nap-times so much easier AND makes getting over potential jet-lag possible, providing that you choose your flight time to fit their routine.
Stick to their routine as much as possible as you arrive at your destination.
Please beware that you aren't allowed to travel with more than one infant below six months old! I once planned to do this, managed to get a ticket and everything.... but in the end had to take my father, who took me to the airport, on the trip. Lucky it was only a short one !
After six months, you must purchase at least one additional seat for one of your twins AND make sure you do bring your own certified car-seat to avoid disappointments. If possible, make sure you get a written confirmation from your airline to say that it is OK to travel with twins (one on your lap), as some ground staff are still reluctant to let you travel with two infants... claiming it isn't safe if anything was to happen during the flight.
Don't be tempted to bring the whole of your child's toy box on the plane... she/he will find the in-flight magazines and other random stuff more interesting anyway. Just bring your child's favourite toy and maybe bring something new that will capture his/her imagination and attention for a at least a few minutes.
Bring some hard to eat snacks, like teething biscuits or other chewy snacks as it will keep you child occupied for longer than normal snacks. The last thing that you want is a child that has been over-snacking and potentially becoming hyper-active due to sugar-rush.
Don't be tempted to rush on the plane to get yourselves ready too early. In fact, try to delay boarding as much as possible ! The shorter time you spend on the plane, the less likely your child will become bored and fed-up.
Double check restrictions with luggage and buggies at airport. Some airports strictly forbid you to take your stroller to the gate, which makes it quite tough if you have two infants with you PLUS luggage. And other airports, even if they let you take buggy to the gate, wont let you have it back by the plane at arrival. Make sure if this happens, that you request assistance beforehand.
Online check-in is not always possible if you are traveling with twins, as the configuration of oxygen masks vary from plane to plane. You are pretty much restricted to just a few seats, traveling with 2 babies, as not all rows would have enough extra oxygen masks.
When it comes to picking seats, see if you can locate yourself next to one or two empty seats so your little ones can get their own seats if they remain empty.
Do make sure to bring extra clothing for yourself and your baby/babies, just in case an accident happens during the flight.
If you need to bring baby-food on the plane, check airport security restrictions. You may have to try everything you bring on, which could be quite a lot if you are bringing enough for 2 on long-haul flight.
A lot of people suggest that you should feed your child before you get on the plane, but I have found that (for me) doing the opposite has worked better, as it gives them something to do and kills a bit of time but make sure you bring your own food if you going to do this. Don't wait for in-flight meals because the little ones may not be able to wait that long. Bring something that is easy to feed (you can buy it at the airport, to save you getting any hassle from security) and does not create too much mess. Of course, only feed them if it is feeding time... otherwise your routine will get all messed up.
All above points are fairly self-explanatory and "obvious" but the most important thing I think is that you feel OK and reasonably relaxed about traveling. If you don't feel comfortable and OK, your child will pick this up and may be caused to feel unsettled. So have fun and enjoy (as much you can...).

One final note: Airports in Australia don't have porters, this can be a problem if you have to carry two babies, as well as pushing a trolley or two full of luggage.

Oh, and also, if anyone suggests to you that it is easier to travel with babies when they are a bit older, don't believe them ! In my opinion, the younger the easier. I could not imagine going on the same trip we did with our little ones now when they are walking ! The less mobile they are the better..... !

Bon voyage !

Kanelbulle-Traditional Swedish Cinnamon Buns

2009-04-01T18:10:00.009+01:00

Was twittering with fellow twitter mom earlier this morning. We were talking about what to have for breakfast and the subject of cinnamon (cinnamon toast to be more precise) came up. So one thing led to another and I promised her to give her my favourite recipe for Swedish Cinnamon Buns or what they call "Kanelbulle" in Sweden.

Why only share it with one mom when I can share it with thousands (maybe one day I will have that many followers to this blog....), right ?!

Here it is:

Ingredients:

- 4 1/2 tsp active dry yeast
- 1 1/2 cups butter
- 2 cups milk
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1-2 tsp ground cardamom
- 6 cups all-purpose flour

Filling:
- 4 tbsp butter, softened
- 5 tbsp sugar
- ground cinnamon

Glaze/topping:
- 1 egg, lightly whisked
- pearl sugar

Oven:

220-250 C

Directions:

Melt butter, add milk. Heat to room temperature.
Stir in yeast. Make sure milk-mixture not too hot,as this could "kill" the yeast.
Add sugar, salt and most of the flour. Work the dough in a large bowl, using a wooden spoon, until it starts to come off the side of the bowl.
Dust work-surface with flour. Work the dough until it is smooth.
Put the dough back in the bowl and cover with damp tea-towel.
Let it rise in warm place for 30mins. Make sure you do not leave it by a window,as cold air could stop it from rising.
Divide the dough in two halves.
Let one half rest in the bowl, covered with tea-towel, while you roll out the other half to a 1/2 cm thick rectangle.
Spread half the butter, sprinkle sugar and cinnamon (This can be added/reduced as per your own taste) on top. Roll it together from the long side.
Cut the roll into about 25 buns. Put each bun in paper muffin-trays or on baking sheet. Cover with tea-towel.
Do the same with the other half of the dough and then let it all rise for about 30 mins.
Brush the buns with lightly beaten eggs. Sprinkle with pearl-sugar. Bake in middle of oven (220-250 C)for about 5-7 mins. Let cool under tea-towel.

Note: These cinnamon buns are great for freezing and can be reheated in oven, as well as in microwave.

Enjoy ! Oh, and if you would like to add a bit more "crunch" and flavour, you could also sprinkle some chopped almond on top before baking.

*To make you feel better about eating these delicious things: Cinnamon helps control your blood sugar, which influences your risk of heart disease !

In fact, USDA researchers found that people with type-2 diabetes who consumed 1 g of cinnamon a day for 6 weeks (about 1/4 teaspoon each day) significantly reduced not only their blood sugar but also their triglycerides and LDL (bad) cholesterol. Credit the spice ' s active ingredients, methylhydroxychalcone polymers, which increase your cells ' ability to metabolize sugar by your coffee up to 20 times.

There you go. Have fun !

Jakeandmaya Confirmed for Bubble London

2009-03-31T10:19:00.013+01:00

I am so excited ! Bubble London confirmed our space for their next show this morning.

For those that are not familiar with Bubble, it is one of the most popular children's trade-shows in UK, attracting buyers from all-around the world.

We were supposed to take part in last years show but due to lack of time (with trying to set up Monsters and Munchkins and no nanny etc.) I decided to delay it.

However, I did manage to get some pieces made for Monsters and Munchkins' store last season, where the responds have been great. So again, I will make a small capsule collection exclusively for Monsters and Munchkins this season, which consists of a couple of A-line dresses for the girls, a suit for the boys as well as some basics. This is currently under production, so we should get it in-store in the next couple of weeks.

The philosophy behind Jakeandmaya is to create children's wear that is stylish but yet comfortable. The terms that we often use to describe our "style" is traditional with a contemporary twist. We try to make children's clothing that is fun, but without making it too typically childish (ie. princesses, trains etc.). We use prints and embroidery inspired by traditional children's motifs to bring the garments to life and we use unusual colour combinations to make it unique.

You will see, you will love it (I hope).

Ps. US shows are still being confirmed at the moment but I will keep you posted.

Poppy And Ned - Stylish Yet Comfortable Children's Clothing

2009-03-30T11:14:00.009+01:00

We at Monsters and Munchkins love Poppy and Ned.

Poppy and Ned is an English brand that was launched just over a year ago and has done incredibly well here in the UK but also in the US, where it is sold in the infamous LA store Kitson Kids.

At Poppy and Ned, they believe in clothes that are stylish yet comfortable (like we do at Monsters and Munchkins) and best of all, there are no trains/fairies/princesses or castles in sight. We (like Poppy and Ned) believe that children's clothes needn't be overtly childish. Yes, children's clothes should be fun but does it really have to be emblazoned with slogans, trains or dolls ?!

We received the S/S09 stock about a week ago and it is already proving to be a success with our mums(and dads). The styles are simple, colours gorgeous and the materials used are wonderful, especially the merino wool range which is just amazing ! It is super soft and the styling so "classic". Love it !

I honestly love their entire S/S09 collection but if I must choose a few favourites (apart from the Merino collection) it'd have to be their Linen Shirt, scarves and tie for the boys and Pinafore dress, Swing-set and Pashmina for girls.

To see our entire Poppy and Ned collection, click here.

Are 3 Languages Too Many For My Toddlers ?

2009-03-25T09:24:00.003Z

With me being Chinese, DH being Cypriot and our common language being English, there was no doubt in my mind that the little ones should be at least bilingual, if not multi-lingual.

Admittedly, it was quite an effort and felt a bit "weird" in the beginning for me to speak Chinese with the little ones in the presence of DH but I soon got used to it. DH never got used to speaking Greek with the little ones, so he speaks to them in our common language (English). My in-laws however, always speak to the little ones in Greek.

It all feels pretty "natural" for us, as a multi-cultural family, to bring up multi-lingual children but the questions that I often ask myself are: What is best for the children ? Are 3 languages too many for them ? Shall we just stick to 2 languages, so they wont get too confused ? Will it affect their overall speech-development, having to learn 3 languages at the same time ?

I have read a few articles and also discussed this issue in several forums and found that there are quite a few opinions and views in this issue but here are a few common recommendations:

Try to stick to the OPOL (One Person One Language) method, to minimize your child's confusion.
Try to meet other people that speak the minority language(s). Minority language is the language that is not spoken in the country that you live in. Children learn through listening, so the more exposure, the more they will learn.
Only speak your native language with your children, otherwise they will learn to make the same mistake as you make in the that language.
A child generally only speaks a language proficiently, if the exposure is at least 30%. So try and find a good balance between the languages you want your child to learn.
Do what feels natural to your family. If it does not feel natural and right, then it is unlikely that you will stick to it anyway.
Try to discourage your child to use different language then "your" language with you by gently asking him/her to repeat it in "your" language, in order for him/her to get used to expressing themselves equally in the different languages.
Do not punish your child if he uses "the wrong" language. Instead, try encouraging him/her to use "the right" one. Make sure your child doesn't make negative associations with speaking a certain language.
Children learn through listening and hearing words being used in different situations, so read books to your children in the different languages. This will also increase their vocabulary, which is essential for mastering any languages.

Some research has shown that multi-lingual children's speech development may be somewhat delayed, compared to their mono-lingual peers and same/similar research has also shown that multi-lingual children may experience future learning difficulties. Shall I be concerned ?

If they do for some reason experience some kind of delayed speech development or learning difficulties, how am I to know that it is because of their multi-lingual background and not because they are twins, as research has also shown that twins may have these problems !

By the way, for those that think that I may be worrying too much, I am not. I just find this subject very interesting. So, if you have any interesting info, please do leave me a comment !

To find out more, read these articles about general points, practical recommendations and common mistakes, and join a group/forum about raising multi-cultural children.

Girls' Day Out

2009-03-23T22:17:00.002Z

One of the downfalls of having twins is that you don't get to spend a lot of one-to-one time with your children, so today I decided that I would take DD with me to work. I would normally take both of them with me everywhere, but as we were going be sourcing fabrics for our next

collection today, it just wouldn't be convenient to push a double pram around.

As DD is 4-5lbs lighter than DS, I decided she was going to be the lucky one. DS went to work with daddy, designing fabulous interiors.

I put DD in her carrier and off we went, grabbed my bag and off we went. So this is what it is like to only have one child.... !

It was amazing to be just with DD, especially with her being the more well-behaved and quiet one, she often gets over-shadowed by her twin brother. I am aware of it and try to be more fair but sometimes it is hard, as after all, there is only one of me and two of them. Anyway, today I was all hers.

After our meeting, we went for lunch at Yo Sushi at Harvey Nichols. I really craved sushi and figured DD would find it fun to watch the food on the conveyor belt go by, which she did. She had an avocado hand-roll, some plain rice, salmon teriyaki and fruit.

Once we had finished a relatively relaxing lunch, we carried on working. DD helped me pick some more fabrics and buttons for our next collection.

Watch this space, we have a little fashion designer in making here !

PS. Our next collection is due in store soon. Sign up to our newsletter to receive updates and 10% off your next order.

Mother's Day Lunch Finally

2009-03-23T11:17:00.007Z

Woke up early in the morning of "my day", full of expectations.... but DH did not seem to share my excitement. He was fast asleep.

I got up, gave the little ones a cuddle and made porridge for them ie. "my day" was just like any other day.

When DH finally got up, he made us all (Yes, the little ones ate again.. I honestly can not understand how these little people can eat so much !!!) a lovely breakfast after DS walked over to me with my card (whilst DD was busy pushing books to the back of our shelves). It was so sweet ! It was the 1st card that I was actually given by my child ! Ok, I know DS didn't choose the card or even wrote it but still....

I couldn't resist doing a bit of twittering on "my day", so by the time I was ready to go out, the little ones were tired and needed a nap. So had to wait until after to leave the house.... by which time it was already afternoon ! So much for a day out !

Anyway, we later excitedly ventured towards Hampstead, to go to Spaniards Inn, one of my favourite pubs in London for traditional Sunday Lunch. Food there is really good and atmosphere relaxed and child friendly. The place was jam-packed but we managed to find some seats opposite a couple of lovely ladies that let us join their table. We went through all the usual twin-banter ie. are they identical (its a boy and a girl...), who is the oldest (they are twins so same age...), Lucky you, got it all over and done with (actually, I am not done yet...) etc.

After getting ourselves organized at the table, removing everything that the little ones could break, we were finally ready to get some food and a very large glass of wine. DH went to the bar to place our order but was told that food was going to be over an hour !!!! The little ones were hungry (again !) so we left.

Back in the car to go to the village, both kids (and I) were starving. Traffic jam, screaming kids and a rumbling tummy.... Needless to say, my mood was not very good at this point !

Anyway, to cut the story short, we finally had a lovely lunch (and a very large glass of wine) at around 4.30pm at Carluccio's in Hampstead. Service was great. Kids had their crayons and puzzles, they were happy. DH was tucking into his food, he was happy. I was finally out celebrating "my day", I was also happy.

Now I have to wait a whole year, to celebrate "my day" again.

Hairlocks and Memories - By a Father

2009-03-20T20:21:00.002Z

So the day had come for the children’s first haircut. We had put it off for long enough, 15 months.
Being a mix of Asian and Mediterranean they were born with a good head of hair.

We booked them in at a new children’s hair salon called Tantrum on Kings Road, London. As a first haircut you are offered locks of their hair in a box and a photo of the occasion.

It was my intention that both Children would have a trim and not a ‘cut’. Once in the salon I was tempted into giving our Son a Mohawk. So we all debated if we should or not and agreed it was the style of choice.

The stylist started cutting away and all was looking promising. Now, I am no expert but a Mohawk to me is a style which was well fashioned in Kevin Costner’s movie Last of the Mohicans. So I sat back and watched the ‘expert’ style away. As she did so I was transported back to the days of my visits to the barber with my father on York Road. I remember getting very excited when I would see the various styles he had displayed in his shop of cool looking dudes in black and white photos. Photos and styles I was led to believe he had and could achieve on any mane. Sadly I always seemed to leave with a short back and sides. What a fool, yet I kept going back till I was 13.

So the hair kept getting cut as squirts of water were being sprayed, then a comb, then a snip. Luckily we have been blessed with good-looking kids. Otherwise I would have had to not only collected a lock of hair but the whole damn lot and glued it back to his head.
She had butchered his hair! It was a short back and sides. Seriously, how can anyone get a Mohawk wrong? You just leave a long bit of hair down the middle of the skull………….did I need to bring in a photo?!

Being of a polite nature and not wanting to upset anyone I smiled and thanked her for a wonderful job, how British!
I doubt very much that I will return to the same stylist without pictures photos and diagrams of exactly what I require for my children’s hair.

Oh in case you think I forgot our Daughter, I didn’t, she had a trim and it looked beautiful.

Not Super-Mum After All

2009-03-17T21:28:00.006Z

Had a bit of an emotional day today. Can not believe I let it get so bad until I noticed anything !

I noticed that she (my lovely Golden Retriever) had some kind of skin irritation on her belly a couple of days ago. Obviously, it was really bothering her because she could not stop licking it.

By this morning, it looked really sore and completely bald. I rushed her over to our vet on Elisabeth Street, London.

She was diagnosed with a condition called Pyotraumatic Dermatitis, apparently quite common in Golden Retrievers but the vet told me that it was one of the worst cases he has ever seen ! I felt terrible ! How did I not notice anything until it got so bad ??? !!!

The vet discovered it in 5 different places, which they had to shave to keep clean. Poor dog... it looks so sore ! They injected her with some steroids and gave us some creams and tablets to take home.

I was filled with guilt seeing the open sores on her body. I love her so much and seeing her like this breaks my heart. She has lived in 3 different countries with me and gone through lots of ups and downs with me. I used to take her with me everywhere.

But since the children arrived plus starting a new business, I have not had the time or the energy to look after her as I did before. She is still well looked after but she is not the only baby anymore, the focus has shifted.

Ps. The vet reassured me that this condition can appear "suddenly" and can be due to many factors (allergies, flea bites, weather conditions etc.) that I, as her "mum", could not possibly control or help. We will run some blood-tests etc. and hopefully find out the cause of it soon.

Chunky Crayola Crayons

2009-03-17T13:51:00.005Z

Hurray, our crayons arrived today !

Being the impatient mum that I am, I opened the box and sat the little ones in their high-chairs to start drawing immediately.

They looked a bit sceptical to begin with and weren't sure what to do with these colourful "sticks". After spending a good 10-15 mins taking them out of the box to then put them back and several attempts on eating the crayons, they did start to draw on the paper they had in front of them.

As I was sitting there watching them, I kept wondering if they actually knew what they were drawing ? Was there a reason to why they chose a certain colour ? My DS was particularly keen on using the pink one. Is pink his favourite colour ? On the other hand, my DD preferred the darker tones of brown and black. What does this mean ?

Enough Bolognese To feed a Village

2009-03-17T11:59:00.006Z

Bolognese sauce is one of those things that I don't make very often but when I do, I always think I should make more often. It is easy, versatile and can "disguise" a lot of vegetables.

DH really fancied spaghetti Bolognese the other day, so I made enough to feed a whole village and we all had some, put some in the fridge and then put the rest in the freezer.

Not knowing what to make the little ones for lunch today, I decided to use some of the bolognese. Mixed in some chopped spinach and boiled some rice (spaghetti too messy). Yummy lunch with minimum effort. Great !

Basic Bolognese recipe (serves 8 little ones):

15 ml olive oil

1/2 large onion, finely chopped

1/2 clove garlic, minced

300g minced lean beef

100g mushrooms, sliced

1/2 stalk celery (optional)

6-7 carrots (optional)

1/2 can plum tomatoes

1 tbsp tomato paste

50-60 ml stock (preferably unsalted, or use water)

mixed italian herbs

salt (optional)

peppar

Heat olive oil on medium heat. Brown onions, garlic and minced meat. Add all other ingredients. Cover and simmer for about 40 mins, stirring occasionally.

Serve with small pasta shapes, rice or potatoes with a sprinkle of fresh herbs, cheese or natural yoghurt.

*Note. Replace carrots and celery with other vegetables if preferred and for leaner alternative, use minced Turkey.

Enjoy. x

Cauliflower Cheese

2009-03-16T10:48:00.005Z

Even though my little ones are very good eaters, they still have some things that they will not eat. Cauliflower is one of those.

However, the only vegetable that I had available yesterday was just that. Being determined that they should eat some kind of vegetable each day, I decided to make cauliflower cheese, hoping they would like it.

Basic recipe:

1 large cauliflower
300ml milk
220 cheddar cheese
3 tbsp plain flour
50g butter
25g fresh breadcrumbs (optional)
1/2 tsp dried english mustard
salt and peppar (optional)
nutmeg (optional)

Trim and boil cauliflower until tender, about 10-15 mins. Drain and and place in buttered oven-proof dish.
Melt butter, add flour. Stir until smooth. Add milk. Whisk continuously until sauce thickens, boils and is smooth. Simmer for another 2 mins.
Add 3/4 of grated cheese and seasoning. Cook for a further minute.
Pour sauce over cauliflower.
Mix remaining cheese and breadcrumbs (if using) and sprinkle over the top.
Place under hot grill until golden brown OR place in preheated (225C/450F) oven for 15-20 mins, until golden brown and bubbling.
Serve immediately.

*Note. This recipe is also delicious with root vegetables and/or broccoli.

Enjoy. x