THE HOMEMAKER SERIES: CRAFT

For the longest time, I've always strived to make the presents we give. For Christmas, birthdays, Valentines Day and Easter; for my family and friends, from the young to the old. I believe there is something truly beautiful about crafting something unique and made with love for the people I love. I get so excited about the giving of these gifts, and am always so happy and touched to see how well they are received. To see the samplers I've stitched hanging on the wall, the cushions I've sewn sitting on a sofa, the booties I've knitted keeping little toes warm. 

Ben and I, as far back as I can remember, have always handmade the majority of our gifts to each other and when Josephine came into our lives, we decided to keep up this sweet tradition. To ensure there was always at least one present we'd crafted for her under the Christmas tree or to celebrate her birthday. How wonderful to have a home full of such treasures. 

For her first birthday, we knew we wanted to create something extra special. Something that Josephine would adore, would use for years to come and would always remember with fondness as something her Mama and Papa made with their own hands. 

The Internet is a marvellous thing for a whole bunch of reasons, but if you love craft and DIY, it offers a scrapbook of the most amazing ideas. I have spent hours scrolling the pages of blog after blog, inspired by insanely cool projects, although the girls over at A Beautiful Mess are hard to beat. And when I stumbled upon their Make Your Own A-Frame Tent tutorial, I knew I'd found exactly what we were looking for, and Ben instantly agreed. After all, what one year old wouldn't love their own little house; somewhere to hide away with their favourite toys and host tea parties with their buddies. And what Mama and Papa wouldn't love to get in there too and visit the little world of their little one. 

If you're stuck for ideas as to what to get the special kiddo in your life, I urge you to head to your DIY store, get out the drill and get creating. They'll love you for it, believe me. Josephine spends a good chunk of every day in her tent, as do I, and it's the sweetest thing to find her in there sharing her raisins and chatting with Teddy.

And don't forget - you can save a pretty penny making the gifts you give. Josephine's tent cost us under £20, including the cost of wood, material and trimmings. A beautiful bargain. 

JOSPEPHINE'S A-FRAME TENT - THE DETAILS
For Phiney's tent we used a huge scarf I bought about five years ago in H&M and had never used because, well, it was absolutely huge. It was the ideal thing for this tent though, as it was slightly see-through so ensured the tent was nice and light inside and that Phiney could see out. Some bobbled trimmings added some sweet detail and we put some tape (green washi tape in our case, so much more aesthetically pleasing!) on either side of each join to ensure the pieces didn't slip at all.

MY FAVOURITE PICKS
The A-Frame Tent not for you? Here are a few other awesome tutorials from A Beautiful Mess that we love. That kitchen? Most definitely on the list as a future present for Josephine.
^^ DIY drums
^^ DIY kitchenette
^^ Play Teepee

5/52

"A portrait of Josephine, once a week every week in 2013".

For as long as I can remember, I've dreamt of a daughter with a head full of ringlets. And now, here she is. Her crazy curls becoming more wild every day. 

Taking part in Jodi's 52 Project.

CHANGE

With each new month comes a feeling of change, of refreshment and of clarity. Especially at this time of year, when spring is just around the corner. The first two days of February have bought with them the most beautiful weather. Crisp cold days with the brightest blue skies and a warm low sun shining through our windows. There is sign of new life in the garden and the excitement of new adventures to look forward to in spring and summer. I have to admit, whilst in the lead up to Christmas I adore the cold weather, the need to wrap up warm and the desire for snugly days and nights on the sofa, when the new year arrives I crave a change in seasons. For being in the garden and at the park all day and late into the evening; for bare legs under flowing skirts; for trips to the shop without the inevitable layering of jumpers and scarves, coats and blankets; for fresh fruit and vegetables straight from the garden and for colourful blooms on the table. 

With the little teasers over the last few days of what spring has in store I've felt a burst of energy and have been ticking off jobs round the house that have littered my to-do list for months. We've made some changes in Josephine's room (more of which to come next week) and I've made some changes to this space too. 

I've decluttered, simplified and, you may have noticed, decided to remove the adverts that have sat here for the last three months. And I'd like to tell you why. When I was approached by a number of companies asking about advertising here on the blog, I have to admit - the temptation of a little extra money and a few freebies was one that was hard to ignore. But very soon after I'd launched advertising on my blog, I felt uncomfortable about what this now meant. About how I now felt obligated to blog to ensure I was keeping up to the number of posts I'd commtited to in my media pack; about what seemed like, at one point, sponsored post after sponsored post. This space was always meant to be a diary for Ben and I about our first years as a married couple, as parents, and all the adventures we'd have. Suddenly having adverts here changed that. So I've decided to take them down. 

Don't get me wrong - I loved supporting small businesses with products we love, so from time to time you'll still see the odd shout out to such companies. Because, as the owner of a small company myself, I know how invaluable such support can be. But these will be without obligation and purely for the love of a product, person or business. 

Sometimes I think I can forget about the real reasons I blog. I can get caught up in stats and the number of comments under each post. But right now I'm reminded that this space is our space. To record the small and mundane and the big and beautiful. And while I adore being part of this awesome online community, it doesn't matter if one or one hundred people comment. These words and pictures mean something to us and that's all that's important. That said, we truly love to hear from you and I still feel a pang of excitement with every comment that pops into my inbox, so thank you all so much for visiting and for taking the time to say hello :)

Pictures by Tori. Oh, and Ben would want me to point you in the direction of the little footnote I've added to this post...

HELLO!

This little one just wanted to pop by and say hello...

THE HOMEMAKER SERIES

A few days after I handed in my notice at work, at the end of my maternity leave, I was contacted by my car insurance company to take part in some survey or other. When they asked what my occupation was, I'll admit I was stumped. What was I now? Stay at home Mum? Unemployed? Writer-on-hold? Housewife? The lady at the other end of the phone answered my gibbering questioning with a swift "ah, you mean Homemaker." 

Homemaker. I thought a lot about that term after I hung up the phone. And I liked it. While I'd question whether or not I'd been a Homemaker since the day Ben and I moved in together 6 years ago, and whether or not Ben was also a Homemaker and if having a child had anything to do with creating a home, it's an occupation I'm more than happy to claim right now. 

I know how lucky I am to have the choice to stay at home with my daughter full time, and how happy it makes me to know that as our family grows and we have more babies, I will be able to stay at home to care for them 24/7. It may not be the scenario every mother wishes for, but for us, it really is a dream come true. 

My first year as a Mama was tougher in many ways than I thought it would be. Don't get me wrong, it was amazing and beautiful and a thousand million times better than I could have ever imagined, but it was also tough. Having a baby who only wanted to sleep for half an hour, twice a day (maximum) left this Mama wondering how she'd ever find the time to do anything but play games, feed and cuddle. I'm not entirely sure the house was properly cleaned for the first six months of Phiney's life. No exaggeration. Just ask Ben. 

But at around six or seven months old, Josephine started to play on her own. She began to distract herself with toys and games and exploring her house with her new found mode of transport, crawling. And suddenly I found time to get things done. To tidy and sort, to do all the washing up in one go, to even to craft a little. And as the months went on, Phiney learnt to play for longer and longer. To occupy herself in her own amazing world of her imagination. Today, if I'm stealthy enough, I love to secretly watch her in this little land of make believe. To hear her chatter to her teddies and dolls, see her feed them and offer them drinks, to walk around her room with authority and intent, melts my heart. I truly think that a child who can so beautifully play by themselves, whilst being so sociable at the same time, is the most wonderful thing. 

And so now, as I enter the second year of being a Mama, I feel like I've got some kind of rhythm sorted. I know what time of day Phiney is at her best when it comes to finding games to play by herself, and so when to tackle the tasks on my To-Do list. I know what Phiney's happy to watch me do (take a shower or do the ironing) and what is best to leave until those precious minutes when she's napping (send emails and clean the bathroom). Mondays have become my day to clean the house and nearly every day, after her nap at 3pm, we meet our lovely friends and head to the park. 

With these little accomplishments under my belt, I feel ready to make this Homemaker title my own. It's a role I take pretty seriously. And so, I'd like to introduce my new project - The Homemaker Series. From cooking and crafting to fashion and finance, I'll be covering it all - sharing our adventures in making the most of what we have as well as tips we pick up along the way and links to other ideas you'll be wanting to check out if you're aiming to save some money, make your money go further or just make getting by a little easier in 2013. And it's not just about money - although now we're living on one income it's a pretty hot topic on conversation round here - it's about making a house a home with what we have. 

I'm excited about this series; to learn more about the way we live right now and how we can learn from the past to live greener, thriftier lives with a little planning and imagination. And of course i'd love to hear your thoughts too. 

Photograph by Tori, who has just launched a beautiful new website by the way. Most definitely worth a visit :) 

FOOTNOTE: My beautiful boy is the coolest and the sweetest. Each morning at work he reads my latest blog post and then sends me emails saying the loveliest things. About how good that picture is or how nicely I've threaded those words together. Like I said, he's the sweetest and the coolest and I love him so. After reading this post, Ben emailed me a little worried. He thought that some of you might think it wasn't my choice to stay at home with Josephine, to be a full-time Mama and a homemaker. That he was making me do the cleaning and the parenting, circa 1954. So I'd just like to clarify. It absolutely is my choice. I can't think of anything more wonderful than being at home with our baby (and future babies). And with regards to the homemaking - Ben and I made an agreement a long (long) time ago that he did the cooking and I did the cleaning. Like about 9 years ago. Way before marriage and children. Put simply, The Boy is a stupendous cook while I could barely make toast, and I am pretty handy with a duster, washing machine and iron. It works for us, always has. We both know where we stand and what our jobs are. As far as we're concerned, it's a recipe that makes for a happy house. Sometimes Ben will wash up, and right now I'm taking steps to learn to be a better cook (more of which will feature in The Homemaking Series). But on the whole, our little set up is pretty harmonious. 

So there we go. I think, whilst I was originally writing this post, I was very aware of not offending anyone by implying that I thought my staying at home was the best choice for every Mama and every family. That what I was doing was right and, if you were doing something else, you were wrong. Because I don't think that at all. I think we're so lucky to live in a world where women have the choice to return to work, part-time or full-time, after we've had children or not, and I realise that I'm blessed to be able to stay at home - that many women out there would love that opportunity but for financial or career reasons, just can't. And with all this worrying of offence (how very English of me) I kind of missed the point. That I ADORE being able to stay at home. That I always HOPED we'd be able to afford for me to, and that, for me and us, it's absolutely the PERFECT choice. The right choice. 

I look forward to your thoughts B ;) xx

4/52

"A portrait of Josephine, once a week every week in 2013".

This girl loves her food and devours every morsel we put in front of her. A fact that makes her Papa very proud indeed. 

Taking part in Jodi's 52 Project.

BITS + PIECES: snowed in

The on-pour of snow last week meant travelling too far from home during the last few days has been tricky, so we've been tucked up indoors with only the occasional (and rather slippery) trip to the park and shops. 

1. Pyjama days were a must, as were super soft and snugly knits. 
2. Yummy lunches of cheese, Marmite on toast and left over frittata with banana and blueberries for pudding. Eaten from the very cool plates and dishes Josephine received for her birthday.
3. Farewell dear Converse. You have served me well over the years but I can no longer ignore your huge holes, that ensure my feet get drenched every time it rains, and the fact that the torn up rubber inside has made holes in every pair of socks I own. 
4. Snowy days indoors call for sorting and nearly-spring cleaning; the re-discovery of lost jewels and finding the perfect use for the little bowl my Mum gave me at Christmas.
5. If I have a quiet five minutes, you can find me devouring this book. Sent to me by my sweet friend Carine, it is an inspiration. I feel sure I will be writing more about it here in the near future.