Every year I like to bring new designs out for Christmas, and earlier in the year our family took a vote, and it was decided that this was to be the year to introduce gonks.
As always, I got to work scribbling down what I thought I’d like on a piece of paper, ready for my husband, Rich, to transform and bring my ideas to life. This little scrap of paper is affectionately known in our household as “his brief”. And woe betide he deviates from the brief!
However, that being said, I wasn’t overly clear on what style I really wanted. I fancied a style a little bit different from Roary the T-Rex and Maggie the Unicorn. Less of an outline filled in, and more of a painted style, like the previous years gingerbread, Bread and Ginger.
Rich set to work, digitally painting his brief, in I don’t know how many different styles. Airbrushed, watercolour, realistic, you name it, he tried it. After about a month of going back and forth, I’m afraid to say I asked him to go with his original suggestion of creating them in the outline style that he perfected with our dinosaur and unicorn designs.
Well, what can I say?! The moment he did that, I loved them! They look just how I wanted them to, real little characters.
Henrik - I love his name! (although, I can’t help but think of Henrik Hanson from Holby) - he’s a real gentleman. With a kind heart and a warm smile, underneath that great beard of his! He comes to life at Christmas time, loving the traditions, the sparkle of the season, he almost has a fireside glow about him. He can be a bit of a pickle though, if he finds his way into the kitchen at night, you can be sure he’ll have eaten every last scrap of porridge in the house, whilst no-one is watching. So make sure you lock your cupboard doors, or there’ll be none left.
Then there’s Hilda - I was Googling Scandi girl names, when I saw Hilda pop up and I thought it was perfect. My grandmother was named Hilda and ironically she also plaited her hair every day, but then styled it by pinning her plaits up in buns, almost looking like a pair of headphones. I never actually got to meet her, as she sadly passed away three weeks before I was born. So I adore that I can honour her memory with this little design.
Hilda is a traditional lady at heart, she likes sewing and is a great collector of all things little, especially buttons! She’s got a huge glass jar full of them. If you look closely, you’ll see that she’s sewn her all time favourite buttons onto her outfit, big chunky wooden ones.
Take a look at the Henrik and Hilda collection
]]>As if having to celebrate a child's birthday in winter wasn't hard enough already, what with it being just after Christmas, and the weather usually isn't great - now we've been thrown into lockdown, it makes everything so much tougher!
So I've pulled together some ideas which I hope will help you out; here's my top 10 ideas on how to celebrate your child's birthday this winter, whilst in lockdown.
]]>So I've pulled together some ideas which I hope will help you out; here's my top 10 ideas on how to celebrate your child's birthday this winter, whilst in lockdown.
1. Let's start with something fun to wear... when you're a kid, there's nothing more exciting than being able to say 'I'm this many!', as they proudly hold up the correct number of fingers to show their age. From an early age, children are often able to recognise numbers too, so being able to wear a special t-shirt with their age on is something they'll absolutely love! Take a look at my collection of birthday t-shirts, and you'll be off to a flying start.
2. Zoom, FaceTime or any other means of connecting virtually to friends and family is a great idea. It's the perfect opportunity to show off their new shirt too! You could schedule a time to meet online, or if it's easier ask family members to send you pre-recorded video messages. We did the latter and stitched the videos together using a simple video editing platform to play one longer video. It's something to keep and watch over and over, making a lovely keepsake of the year their birthday was in lockdown.
3. Kitchen disco... cheesy music, flashing lights and all the dance moves you can imagine. Seriously, why not let your hair down too and have a good old dance like no one is watching! Children always love it when you get involved with anything like this. I recently did this with my son to break up the day of home schooling - it was such a laugh and something we'll never forget!
4. Bring back the Christmas lights! Well, sort of... I'm not saying stick an illuminating Santa back on your lawn, but get the fairy lights back out. Take advantage of the early dark evenings, string up some lights somewhere different to how you displayed them for Christmas. Decorate their bedroom, or create an amazing play tent or den in the living room with twinkling bright white fairy lights.
5. Movie night with a difference... if movie night is something you usually do, then do it differently this time. If you usually have popcorn, then treat them to pick 'n' mix. Print out tickets, or make them from scratch - get any siblings involved too. Change the seating, make it dark or get a projector and have a movie screen as big as the wall! It may be just watching a film, but it'll feel special with a few tweaks.
6. Play the weather to your advantage! That's right, use that cold winter weather to have some fun outside. Did you know that if you blow bubbles outside when it's frosty or icy, that they actually freeze? Honestly, it's amazing to see. And you don't have to just blow regular bubbles, you could get a kit to create giant bubbles. This is something we got for our daughter for Christmas and she loves them! We're waiting for the perfect frosty morning to go out and attempt our own frozen bubbles. Plus hot chocolates at the ready afterwards are a must, so you can warm up quickly afterwards. Think sprinkles, spoons, cream, marshmallows and any other treats you can rustle up to make it a birthday delight.
7. Try a treasure hunt... what is it about clues and searching that children love so much? I'm not sure, but we're forever making treasure hunts in our household. You could even make a present treasure hunt to spread out the fun!
8. Have a search online for virtual parties or activities... One of our firm favourites is Mrs Bun the Baker. She's simply amazing; you can join in one of her online classes. Before corona ever happened, for our daughter's second birthday we bought her cooking lessons with Mrs Bun. She's now 4 and we still use some of the recipes we learned during those wonderful sessions.
9. Check out your local Mum bloggers for more ideas. They are in invaluable source of knowledge from tried and tested activities, days out - or in, in this case! And they've usually got endless suggestions for nearby walks. You may very well discovered a local gem that becomes a firm family favourite. We've certainly used Mum's Family Fun and Red Kite Days this lockdown already for ideas.
10. Make it a games night... if you've never done this before then you're in for a real treat! It's fun, easy to organise and simple to do. If you're a regular gaming family then try something new. Dig out an old favourite from your own childhood - this is something we did over Christmas and it was such a hoot! Or play the games your children always ask you to play but you don't want to. You're bound to get kudos for giving it a go. For me, I'm not that keen on playing video games but my 9 year old son always loves it when I finally give in and play. Apparently I'm hilarious when I start swaying with the cart whilst I'm 'driving' Mario around, ha!
]]>Here's my handy guide to thoughtful gift giving this Father's Day, which this year falls on Sunday 21 June.
Whether you are buying for your Dad or if you are shopping for the perfect present from your children to Daddy or Grandpa, then I've got you covered.
Brand New
Introducing my new Varsity style 'Daddy est. YYYY' luxury hoodies, which you can personalise with the year he became a father to make a really special gift. It's available in either ash grey or navy, with a choice of black or white text, so you can pick the perfect combo for your man. I can guarantee he won't want to take it off; it's super soft on the inside and it has a quality heavyweight feel to it.
Indulge your little artist
Children are never happier than when they are involved in gift giving. When it comes to Father's Day, it's the perfect time to get the kids helping with the most unique gift ever! You can turn their precious artwork into a beautiful keepsake. There's a whole range of gifts that incorporate children's artwork to choose from, including accessories cases, cushions, t-shirts and more - there really is something to suit every Dad.
Bear this one in mind
Why not treat him to a gorgeously soft Daddy Bear t-shirt? You can even get matching bear t-shirts for the kids too. Don't forget, if you'd like alternative wording, such as Papa Bear, Grandpa Bear etc, I'm more than happy to design something just for you, at no extra cost. Just simply ping me an email at hello@littlefoxglove.com to make you're request and I'll get right on it.
Celebrate Father-hoodie
The ever popular Daddy Bear hoodies are also available too; again in both ash grey or navy, with black or white bears.
See the full collection of Father's Day gifts.
]]>So to help lift your spirits a little bit, I've rounded up a colourful array of rainbow themed activities and ideas.
Bake a rainbow
All you need is a good sponge recipe, some food colouring and you're all set for an afternoon of fun! Best of all, when you're finished, you get to eat a delicious slice of rainbow cake; if that's not an incentive, then I don't know what is.
Wear a rainbow
I've been so inspired by all the beautiful rainbows that I've designed a range of clothing including t-shirts for children and adults alike, and hoodies for adults too. So now you can wear a rainbow of hope to lift your spirits.
Paint a rainbow
If you haven't done so already, simply paint a rainbow and pop it on display in your window for all to see. My children and I have certainly loved seeing all the gorgeous artwork appearing on our daily walks. You could even paint straight onto the glass, if you're feeling brave enough. Imagine how stunning that would look with the sun shining through it!
Eat a rainbow
Ok, so you've tried baking a rainbow cake, now how about balancing it out with a bit of fruit? Plus, it's the perfect way to encourage children to eat their five a day too. Why not let them get creative and see how many versions of rainbow fruit skewers they can come up with too. And don't worry if you don't have any kebab sticks in, you could just line them up on a plate instead.
Magic a rainbow
This is where the fun really begins... all you need to make a rainbow magically appear is a bag of Skittles, a plate and some warm water. It's so easy; simply place the Skittles around the outside of the plate in a pretty pattern, then gently pour warm water into the centre of the plate until the water reaches the Skittles. Then wait a little and watch whilst the colour from the Skittles beautifully emerges into the water. My children absolutely loved this!
Send a rainbow
One of our favourite things to do at the moment is write a letter to our friends. My three year old daughter is especially keen to do them because she loves writing her name. And a rainbow is simple enough for her to draw too. So we've been sending a lot of homemade rainbow cards.
Get your little ones to get creative
When it comes to my Mum, I like to spoil her with something that involves my children too. After all, she does so much for them, as well as for me. And my collection of gifts that incorporate children's artwork are the perfect solution. In fact, my very first product in this collection was based around a drawing of a family portrait that my son did for his Grandma.
Have some photos taken professionally
I have very few photos of myself with my children, as like most Mums, we tend to be behind the camera, rather than in front of it. So why not book a professional photoshoot and capture a moment of motherhood to cherish forever. For those of you that are local, I highly recommend Hazelnut Photography; Rachel has captured our family many times now, and she's also the very talented photographer behind the majority of my product photos.
Pick the perfect bunch
For me, if I could pick any bunch of flowers to receive on Mother's Day, it would be a bunch of daffodils. They smell beautiful and I adore having them around my home - it's like an instant ray of sunshine and a reminder that spring has sprung! I also love that they don't cost a fortune and therefore I don't feel guilty about a lavish amount being spent on a price hiked bunch of flowers.
Bear this one in mind
Why not treat her to a gorgeously soft Mummy Bear t-shirt? I absolutely love wearing mine! It's comfortable, cute and perfect everyday wear for life on the go as a busy Mum. Or you could splash out on a #mumlife hoodie, which I can vouch for yet again - I practically live in mine!
Bake something delicious
Breakfast in bed? I'd rather not, I'd only end up getting stressed about toast crumbs getting everywhere! I'd much rather be treated to a homemade biscuit or slice of cake with a cup of tea in the afternoon - or more likely, elevenses in our household! There are some super, easy to follow and child friendly recipes available online these days, or head on over to Mrs Bun the Baker for the latest.
I don't know about you, but I find February half term is usually cold, damp and boring! So I thought I'd share my top tips to help keep the kids entertained, and therefore help you keep your sanity.
Get your kids input
Without fail, right before the holidays, I'll ask my children what they'd like to do with their time off. Of course, they'll ask to do things that aren't realistic, but nine times out of ten, they have great ideas and often they have simple wishes that are easy to fulfil. It's a 'fun Mummy' win, win situation!
Games or movie night
Plan ahead and schedule a games night; it can be as simple as a pack of cards or as long winded as Monopoly! It doesn't matter what you play, but the kids will love your undivided attention, plus the chance to stay up a bit later than their normal bedtime always feels like a holiday treat. Or if you don't fancy it, simply swap it for a movie night - both are equally as popular in our household! Throw in a few snacks like popcorn, crisps and fruit skewers you're good to go. Talking of fruit skewers, is it just my kids that will choose those first over the junk? Honestly, they're suckers for strawberries!
Go outdoors
Yep, even in cold, damp February! There's nothing better than wrapping up and going out into the blustery air. And let's face it, the kids will need to blow off some steam outside, especially if they'd been cooped up due to bad weather. Chuck on their wellies, coats, hats, scarves, gloves and before you know it, if you're anything like us, an hour later you'll be outside!
Recently we've been enjoying visiting National Trust places after we bought ourselves a family membership for Christmas. Lots of big, wide open space to run around in, plus a nice cafe with great coffee, what's not to love!?
Don't worry if you can't travel far, you can go anywhere you choose - even the local park will do. Just get out, enjoy the season, and look for the signs of spring! It's on the way.
Get creative in the kitchen
So you've done the outdoors thing, now it's time to get toasty in the kitchen. Plan ahead to make sure your baking cupboard is well stocked and then you can bake any time without having to run to the shops first.
We're planning on baking some biscuits and a few other treats. Let's face it, kids ask for snacks non-stop during the holidays! That's not to say I'll give into their demands and let eat them every five minutes, but it's good to know that the treat box is full and we can make healthy versions of shop bought ones.
Check out Mrs Bun the Baker for some super easy to follow children's recipes. My daughter had baking lessons with her and she's absolutely fantastic; I'd high recommend her classes and book.
Plan their next birthday
My son's birthday is in May and whilst we have some extra time on our hands in half term, I find it's a good idea to plan ahead and book anything you need to before all the available dates go.
With us, there's always a theme - whether we choose to do a party or not - I just love pulling something altogether for a birthday. It starts with an idea, then an outfit and then the party or experience that we've chosen to do; it all runs along the same lines.
When I created my I am (age) birthday t-shirts, I did so with themed parties in mind. At the age of 2, my son was absolutely obsessed with trains and would have adored this t-shirt! Needless to say, he had a train themed birthday party, where I made every child a train out of a cardboard box that they could climb into and wear! It was the best party ever and I seem to remember we spent the half term raiding a local garden centre for big boxes and painting them. Talking of cardboard boxes...
Get yourself a cardboard box
Yes, I'm serious. My children at the ages of 3yrs and 8yrs have spent the last month playing with a cardboard box daily! It's been a seriously good investment, entertainment wise. Said box has been all manner of things, a car, a boat, somewhere to hide, the base of a den but most frequently, it's been a goal or target. We have this little snowman that's like a sponge ping pong ball for a head and it's body is made of mesh. When you push it down and let it go, it jumps high in the air. The kids have literally spent hours bouncing the snowman into the box! My husband and I have also been made to play the game, and then even found ourselves sneaking in some practise when the kids weren't around, to up our game tactics, ha!
But fear not, you don't need a funny little snowman, any sort of ball or something you can throw, coupled with a cardboard box would make a great game! Let me know what else you come up with, I'd be intrigued to know.
Check out your local Mum bloggers
They will have spent hours trawling through all the local sites and guides to find the best events, what's happening when and they'll have found something to suit everyone's budget. Follow them and support them; they're such a great resource when it comes to saving yourself some time and finding out things quickly.
I follow Claire at Red Kite Days and Katie at Mum of 2 point 5 - both ladies do a fantastic job of collating all the information I could possibly want to know.
Have fun!
It goes without saying really, but don't forget to have fun yourself too. Enjoy your little cherubs. They may drive you crazy, but life flies by so quickly and before you know it, we'll be longing for these days back again when they've grown up and flown the nest.
Naomi x
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