Monday 31 December 2012

Cosy Afternoons











Well it’s the last day of 2012 and what a memorable year it has been.  My firm highlight was the Olympics.  Even though we watched the games at home, we imagined the buzz and energy of these various venues and the roar of cheering on team GB. 

At the other end of the spectrum, one of the things I have struggled with this year has been the amount of rain we have experienced.  We have had to make the most of the few dry spells that we have had, but have inevitably returned home cold and wet on a number of occasions, the only consolations being our newly decorated lounge and log burner.  After our walks, we tend to return home craving hot chocolate/green tea and spend the rest of the afternoon in front of the fire, reading books, magazines, newspapers and other blogs!

With this in mind, my second theme for Argos online was ‘cosy afternoons in’.  There is something in me that loves to hibernate and potter about, making our home warm and inviting. 

Now that the girls are that bit older, a regular pass time is to play a board or card game at least once over the weekend.  I remember as a child how I loved the thrill of Monopoly, or stepping into character for a good game of Cluedo, feeling grateful for the hours that my mum would spend with me on a card game or Connect Four.  We own most board games we felt nostalgic about as a child, but remained clueless about the new ones that are on the market now. 

After a little research, I took the plunge and chose Blokus and Rummikub.  I have to confess L and R tend to play Rummikub, as it is more suitable for her age group (age seven), whilst I chill out with C our four year old.  As a foursome we have had hours of fun with Blokus.  It was really easy for our four and seven year old girls to grasp the rules, yet we have all exercised our grey matter developing our winning strategies! I really recommend this game for children and adults to play together.

To add to the cosy afternoon feel, I chose this lovely grey throw.  C and I especially like to throw something over us whilst we are sitting around, and with this stylish design I am not ribbed too much about my ‘granny’ tendencies. I also like the way throws break up the colour and texture of a vast sofa.
  
My final touch was this striking embellished cushion.  I am a sucker for anything that has the word Love in it!  From mugs to prints, and now a cushion! 

As I draw this post to a close, I would like to thank Argos online for asking me to be a part of this social media project.  Also to wish my lovely readers a very Happy and Inspiring New Year!  I look forward to hearing about all your new year goals and hopes.

Wednesday 19 December 2012

Argos Online - Kitchen Updates











This post is one of two that I have been so excited to share with you.  A few months back I was contacted about working together with Argos on a social media project.  I was able to choose some lovely products from their online catalogue to photograph in our home.  I loved thinking through each possible theme.  There were so many tempting products to choose from, but I really wanted to stick to the two themes that kept on jumping out at me.  The first collaboration is built around the theme of simple kitchen updates.  I liked the idea of not having to spend vast amounts of money on trading in existing tableware but introducing items to compliment what we already had. 
I could not help but be drawn to the Habitat range that Argos sell via their website, and found some delightful designs to tempt me.  My husband often teases me about my obsession with mugs and glasses, so it was an obvious choice for me to pick a lovely set of four hand blown mugs.  What stood out about these mugs for me was the simplicity.  I have been collecting some Orla Kiely mugs for some time, however I have also been on the look out for some plain designs when I fancied a change.  Rather than opting for a plain white design, I went for the clear simple glass effect of these Lasang mugs which come in a set of four from the Habitat range.  I am an avid green tea drinker and my husband loves black coffee and these mugs show off the tones of these drinks over a lazy weekend breakfast. 
Our girls now prefer to use ‘grown up’ knives and forks, so we are finding that our dearly loved wedding day gift cutlery is a little limited with demands of having the girl’s friends back for tea, in the light that the odd piece has gone missing over the years.  So I was thrilled with this simple yet sturdy design from the Amefa cutlery range. 
With Christmas entertaining around the corner, we were running low on wine glasses.  We seem to easily break them along with my second hand china teacups, (hard to replace).  The Vienna wine glasses from the Habitat range come as a set of six and are just perfect for mulled wine, rosé and sparkling juices.  We were thinking of selling our redundant trolley since the sideboard for the kitchen arrived, but with our new wine glasses, I think the trolley lends itself perfectly to the creation of a little drinks corner.
Last but not least, as these tumblers are my favourites, both the colour and texture set them apart.  The Chicago tumblers from the Habitat range come two colours either the beetroot (which I chose) or clear glass.  Both were tempting but I loved the stand out colour of the beetroot.  Not only am I making use of the lovely products, but also love photographing them, here are some images especially taken for this post, no doubt they will be popping up in other shots!  

Tuesday 18 December 2012

Snowflakes and Quality Streets




Unbelievable to think that Christmas is only 6 days away.  Need to confess that we have already started our family tub of Quality Streets, hard to refuse!  Hoping to put our three snowflake hanging up tonight.  What is your Christmas guilty pleasure?

Friday 14 December 2012

White Christmas Tree






Really hoping for a rain free weekend, as L is off to an outdoor explorers party!  Last minute dash to the shops and I think that we are finally getting there.  For those who follow me on Instagram, you would have witnessed how I distracted I am by spending far too much time in front of the log burner.  Our Christmas tree is up and some presents are wrapped and under it, not the girls gifts as it would be far too tempting.  Happy Weekend!

Wednesday 12 December 2012

Frosty Walks




Tis the season to hibernate for me, however I am trying to get active and break myself into exercise by walking daily.  So after the school drop off, I take myself of for a 20-30 minute walk.  Then I get home and get the log burner going!  I love this new ritual, I get to take shots for instagram or take my camera and shoot away for my blog!  Many of my friends have dogs, so I am starting to join them on walks, however not yet tempted to get our own, maybe one day!!?

Wednesday 5 December 2012

At home with red




Oh my, I am so excited about Christmas!  This morning C could not contain her excitement about the snow.  It all melted within three hours, but it really put a smile on our faces.
Love the packaging for this Marks and Spencer Biscuit tin and my early gift from my dear relative is just the bees knees.  The last huge bag I owned was a nappy changing bag!

Tuesday 4 December 2012

Home Still Life



With the winter sun out in its full glory today, I snapped a few scenes in our downstairs living area.   Our cake stands now sit on the top of the kitchen sideboard, as we have run out of inside space.  One of the drawbacks of living in our victorian home, is the lack of storage, but the upside is it keeps me focused on having less, as I have no where to put it!  On the Christmas front hope that you are managing to cross things off your list?  I am behind on posting gifts to Canada and writing cards!

Monday 3 December 2012

Christmas Countdown





We are most excited about Christmas in our house.  More than previous years!  So todays Monday mood board is in celebration of this fabulous season.

Wednesday 28 November 2012

Pomegranate




We are really trying to eat more fruit and vegetables instead of comfort food.  It is hard as the bitter cold sets in.  We are also trying to stay active about being outdoors, when my instinct is to hibernate.  We are attempting to put into practice living with less, enjoying this one as the true Christmas gift has lost it's meaning.  The girls and I are making some handmade Christmas bits for mood board.