February Favourites // Little Loves

February has been a blur... of busyness, of rollercoasters, of hospital trips and high temperatures, of visiting friends and memories made. Half term took an unexpected turn when our 26+3 baby decided to threaten an early entrance. It was a scary and stressful few days, but thankfully baby has decided to stay on the inside for now.

Hospital days enforce rest, however, something I'm not very good at, so a lot of my reading and listening were done in the confines of my little antenatal bay last week!

Here are some of the things we've been loving this month...

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Read

The Outdoor Life of Children // Charlotte Mason

Charlotte Mason was an educator in 19th Century Britain and I think I've found my match when it comes to educational philosophy... lots of quality literature, fresh air and freedom, nature walks, journalling, handicrafts and hobbies, appreciation of art and culture and meaningful learning. This month, I've been loving her book "The Outdoor Life of Children"; as a self-confessed home-bird, I've been really convicted about the need for the children and I to get out more and explore the world around us! Nature walks... here we come!

Five Children on the Western Front // Kate Saunders
I got given this one for Christmas my my in-laws and I'm whizzing through it. It's a new sequel to Edith Nesbit's Classic "Five Children and It" which I read as part of my A-Z authors challenge in 2015. I don't want to give anything away, but Saunders captures the essence of Nesbit's style while creating a gripping story in a very moving setting. Whimsical, heart-rending and heartwarming all at once, it is a very cleverly written homage to Edith Nesbit that doesn't undermine or make mockery of the original masterpiece at all. I highly recommend!

The Moffats // Estelle Estes
This classic had been on my to-read list with the girls for a while, though I will admit there is always some trepidation when encountering a new author for the first time! We enjoyed it, it was a good read with cute stories of everyday life for a working class Connecticut family at the turn of the century, but it did not hold for us the same draw or sparkle as the Astrid Lindgren books we have been devouring recently. I think we'll be heading back to another Lindgren classic next month!

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Watched

La La Land
I LOVED it; from beginning to end! There was SO much I loved about it... the bright colours, the fact it was a musical without being forced or cheesy, the tap dancing, the unexpected ending, the tribute to those fantastically classy musicals of old. It was wonderful... and I loved and hated the ending... all at the same time! It was definitely the best film I've been to see in a while, and as someone who's favourite movie of all time is "Singing in the Rain", I really felt like it captured some of that Hollywood glamour of old, while somehow keeping it real at the same time! I'm not surprised its caused as much controversy as it has! Well worth a watch if you can still get to the cinema in time, and if not - grab a copy as soon as its out on DVD - I will be!

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Listened

Tulips in February: A Spotify Playlist by Amanda Watters
To this playlist on Spotify put together by the lovely Amanda Watters over at the Homesong blog... its a big folksy and instrumental, but we're loving having it on in the background at the mo, and its helped me discover some new artists to follow too which is always a bonus!

Live orchestra at friends wedding

Some friends of ours got married a couple of weeks ago, and actually had a full blown forty piece orchestra at their wedding... it was pretty impressive, and the girls loved dancing and singing along from the back of the hall!

Hashtag Authentic // Me and Orla Podcast
I've been loving Sara Tasker's new podcast, Hashtag Authentic... Sara is such an inspiring and easy to listen to host, and already has had some fanastic guests on the podcast to learn from... I highly recommend this one, particularly if Instagram is a platform you enjoy being creative with. She's real, and edgy and genuine and well worth a listen

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Wore

Nail Polish

Yup. My life really is that exciting, that nail polish warrants a mention... but seriously, when you're a Mama of three under 6 (soon to be four) its a pretty major achievement if you manage to make the time to actually paint your nails!

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Made

Memories
Although our half term was interrupted by the aforementioned baby antics, we still managed to have a great week exploring our local area with dear friends over from Austria. I may not have made the trip to the Harry Potter Studios (which I'm still gutted about! I spent the day in hospital instead), but we did have some lovely rambles through the woods and parks and villages nearby. Memories made,

Banana Bread
Hummingbird Recipe is amazing... it didn't last long enough for me to get a picture... sorry guys!

Soup
I've been whipping up some different soups this month... just using whatever I've got, chopped it all up, sticking it in stock and letting it simmer before whizzing it up in the blender. Natural, organic, healthy goodness in a bowl! Yum!

Roller blends
Poor Heidi's really been suffering this week... totally hit by a virus that turned into a nasty ear infection, and when you have a child who, for medical reasons, is limited to calpol only, I'm grateful for the old school methods of relieving some of her discomfort when it comes to temperatures. Good old peppermint oil diluted in sweet almond was the winner at the start, with a little lavender thrown in for good measure. You can read all about our essential oils journey here.

Preschool Letter Fun
Heidi and I have been having some letter fun while Ava is at school and Jonas sleeps. It's lovely to get some quality time with my littlest lady, and she's hungry for learning right now, so we've had some fun making some preschool games to play together. I wrote a post all about it here if you have little ones and need some ideas!

And Finally...
We are finally coming through the woods after an eventful ten days, and I'm relieved to feel something of normal again... Heidihas perked up a lot since yesterday, I'm home from hospital, and our weekly routines and schedules will resume normal practice as of next week. It's only when life hits a rough patch, you realise how much you appreciate the simplicity and normality of the everyday. Pure bliss.

Happy Weekend everyone!