March Favourites // Little Loves

I can never quite believe how quickly another month can whizz by, and suddenly we're into the next month and I'm writing up my little loves for March.

Yet again, this month has been littered with hospital trips... affording me much time to read books and watch movies and listen to podcasts, and I'm thankful to report that baby remains on the inside. With every week that passes, we enter safer and safer territory and though I won't deny that each scare is slightly terrifying... I am increasingly thankful for the strength this little baby is already showing, and for a good God who I can rely upon, no matter what. We are almost at 32 weeks now, and the hoped for 37 draws ever nearer...

So here we have my little loves for March...

January Favourites // Little Loves

As January rolls towards it's close, I am wondering where it has gone! Whiled away in quieter hours, daily routines and much needed rest. I am feeling so much more like myself this month. December was wonderful, but hectic and chaotic and mad and everything that December always is, and January has been a welcome reprieve. My yearly friend who instills a little calm into the madness and mayhem. I always do love January...

Movie nights, Blog love and Savouring the Season... #LittleLoves

This week's been all about getting back into the swing of things after a lovely half term break... we had a fantastic time in Derbyshire, exploring autumn's finest nature, visiting long forgotten country estates, and taking a trip to the best children's museum I've ever been to... but this week, it's back to life, back to normality!

Read
This week I've been catching up on all the blog posts I missed last week. I love keeping up with beautiful blogs with lovely words and stunning pictures... it's like having a never ending magazine!
Some current favourites from this week...
Fable and Folk
Life at the Little Wood
The Ordinary Lovely
Cloistered Away

Watched
Last week, my flower girl from Austria came to stay for the week (she's not little anymore - 12!) and we watched Maleficent together... I hadn't seen it before, but it was fabulous! Such an interesting take on "the other side of the story" and put the classic old fairytale of Sleeping Beauty in a new light. If you haven't seen it, do! It's a really good watch!

Heard
I've been listening to some Kari Jobe songs on YouTube this week, and I just love the "Forever" track. Such powerful lyrics and a reminder of the basis of my faith...

Wore
This week the gloves have come out... November brings that transition from Autumn into Winter, doesn't it? But I just don't quite feel I'm quite ready to wave goodbye to autumn yet! Oh dear... I am SO nowhere near ready for Christmas!!!

Have you all got your poppies ready for next week?

Made
This week I was in a reminiscent mood and thought I'd get back to my Northern Irish roots... so on Monday morning, Heidi and I whipped up a storm of Wheaten Bread and my Nanny's famous buns. She may not be here to make them any more, but I'm sure going to make sure our kids know the taste of those buns straight out of the oven. Nothing. Beats. Them.

Yum!

And lastly...
We are adjusting to not having our Ava around during the day again. We all enjoyed some time together last week. She's a little poppet and I miss her smiley face. Especially when she comes home tired from school and the smiles are not so ready as normal! Week days are tiring when you're only just four, but she's a trooper and is bearing it up brilliantly... most of the time!

Also, next week, I've decided to resurrect my linky #SavouringtheSeason after taking a year off. With the Christmas season approaching, it seemed the perfect time to do it... so link up next Thursday if you'd like to - any posts which celebrate the season that we're in... I'll have a badge ready by next week!

#SavouringtheSeason is all about celebrating the season we find ourselves in... whether it be recipes, crafts, outdoor adventures or reflections on life, come join us on Thursday mornings!

See you there!

And that's us.... over and out!

See you next week!

Special Books, Welly Boots and Banana Bakes: Little Loves

This week it feels like Autumn has arrived in all its multi-coloured, crispy leafed, rainy-dayed glory. And we have revelled in it. There is something about that damp earth smell after rain, eating breakfast by candlelight while its still dark outside and jumping in muddy puddles that just make me fall in love with this season more every year.

It truly is my favourite.

And we've had a lovely final week of half term... its been eventful - school photograph fiascos (you can read that story here! Ha! Anyone else had school portrait disasters?!) and coughs, colds and sniffles - but we're all over the worst now and just ready for a break.

So here's our little week...

Read...
I have been over-the-moon excited this week, because I finally managed to get hold of a book I have been trying to hunt down for eight years... yes! Eight years! I stumbled across this book when I borrowed it eight years ago and it was a total game-changer for me. In a sense, it feels like its what gave me license to pursue creativity and not feel ashamed about it. It's since been out of print, the copy I'd borrowed disappeared from the library, and sporadic Amazon checks have left me without hope. Until two weeks ago, when a random check on Amazon led me to a thrift store in the US selling it second hand (there are now a few more copies available!) Well, that was it - I had to have it! And this gem landed on my doorstep earlier this week.

I am literally loving it. Again!

The book is written by Edith Schaeffer and is called The Hidden Art of Homemaking... its a christian perspective on creativity in and around the home and I'm going to do a whole post on it next week. Watch this space!

Watched...
Oh I don't want to give any spoilers on Downton in case your seriously behind and still need to catch up, but oh! Lord Grantham!!!

Heard
General giggles, chatter and craziness from these three. Our home is rarely quiet, but our noisy chaotic little place is pretty fun most of the time. And these three have been demonstrating their loopy sides this week!

Wore...
Rainy season has begun, and the wellies are out (and the wooly hats, rain trousers and gloves too!)... we are decked out in our autumnal finery. As they say in Norway, there's no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing!

Made
Banana and Chocolate Loaf... I wanted to make the Hummingbird recipe, but was missing half the ingredients, so ended up putting my own spin on it! It still went down a treat! I'm trying to be super good and not eat anything sugary during the week... then allowing myself one treat on the weekend days. Bring on Saturday! Still, at least I had this little helper to lick the spoon for me!

And Lastly...
We are SO ready for half term. Ready for lie-ins (!!), lazy mornings, a trip up north and a very special visitor from Austria! I can't wait!

Photo courtesy of Mumsnet

What have your little loves been this week?

Zig Zag Plaits and Cosy Toes: Little Loves

Hello there! It's almost the weekend and I am SO ready to have my special ones all together again. This week has been SO much better... little Heidi has been struggling to adjust to Ava being at school, but this week she has been back to her usual chirpy self. Like everyone said, I guess it just needed time.

I'm sure we'll have our up days and down days!

Read:
I've read a fair bit this week... but these two books have dominated my down time... and I am loving  both of them. The kind of books where I'm nipping over to the sideboard every free second just to turn another page! Ava and I have loved trying out some of the new braids... I think its going to take practice, but thankfully I have a very willing and eager assistant...

This zig zag plait is in the book under the "Dad plait" section, which I love (basically the easiest haird styles!!) It looks so cute but was seriously, seriously easy to do! I'm just trying to find out if the book's available in English for you all!

The other book is called "Love the Home you Have" and I'm drinking it up! Written by American Interior blogger, Melissa Michaels (check out her blog "The Inspired Room" here), the book is all about contentment and creativity in the home you have and it is right up my street. I'm loving all the little quotes and infographics, and also the opportunity to think purposefully about what I think our home is for, and how I want it to be. I bought it off Amazon and I'd really recommend it to anyone who's into homes and interiors on a small budget!

Watched:
This little man has been working on his gross motor skills this week and is now loving the fact he can hold toys, stare at his hands and bat at things on his mobile. I have pottered around him on a rug on the floor this week and watched him trying so very, very hard to roll over. He's getting onto his side, and turning circles, but hasn't quite made the full roll yet.

I don't think it'll be long though!

Listened:
I've been loving listening to Rend Collective playlists on Youtube this week, but this song remains my fave...

Wore:
Boots and Scarves and hand-knitted socks. One of the things I love about having Norwegian family is the constant flow of hand-knitted gloves and socks we get given... I am not going to claim I made them... but I'll happily keep my little toes warm in them!

Made
Heidi and I made a start on our Autumn Bucket list this week and have already ticked a couple of things off... On Tuesday afternoon, I carved out a couple of autumn leaves on a potato, and my littlest lady happily stamped away to her hearts content and chattered away to me about all the things that matter and are important when you're two (Disney Princesses and trips to Nanny and Grandpa's house)... but she was not a happy bunny if even the tiniest smidgeon of paint got onto her fingers...!

Baby wipes at the ready!

And lastly...
We've had a lovely little week - we had a playdate on Tuesday with one of Ava's little school friends and it was just so lovely. I was so worried about moving schools, but its so nice that she, and I are making really lovely friends... its exciting to think that we're stuck together for at least the next 7 years! The second half of the week we've had lovely visitors from Norway, and the kids have loved having their Bestemor and Uncle around!

And now its the weekend, and we have pumpkin patch, birthday party and Sunday lunch guest plans ahead of us...

Bring it on!

Little Loves

Oh how, how, HOW is it Friday again already??! It's been madness and mayhem around here with pick-up times changing for Ava... This week concludes the transition period, and as of next week, my biggest little girl will be full time in school!

Oh help!

Anyway... Our little week in a nutshell!

Read

Lots of lovely blog posts! I've read very little else to be honest! I loved Suzanne's top tips for parents of school starters called Now you're a school Mum. A worthwhile read for anyone who wants to know how to get the playground etiquette right! I've also been soaking up the wisdom of the lovely Sarah over at Clover Lane... As a mother of 6, and twenty years into parenting, her Toddler Tips series has been like gold dust! I highly recommend. I've also been loving the fact that I'm clearly not the only blogger out there who enjoys all things autumn... Rachel's post Autumn in the Home had me practically swooning! How cute is her leaf bunting??!

The one book I have dipped into, is my lovely friend Lisa's new publication "Easy on the Eyes". If you're after some eye make-up inspiration, this is the book for you! Lisa lays everything out simply and step by step so that even I began to think I could try some of her ideas out! A fab book! You can buy Lisa's book here. It is so ridiculously exciting!


Watched

Downton! Enough said!!!

Heard

This little guy...

He is cooing and chatting and giggling all the time! Honestly, I think we have a real chatterbox on our hands! I just love this age - chunky thighs, baby rolls and cute giggles!

Wore

I've been loving this illuminous nail polish that my friend Shona got me for my birthday! It's just fun and vibrant and a little bit wacky! I've been making the most of it as I think it's time now to tone down for some more muted autumnal colours!

Also hairstyles... As always! But there's an exciting new development. I finally wrote the post some of you had been asking for! If you want to snazz up your little ladies hairstyles but feel like you're utterly useless, then this is the post for you! Seriously, I have always been utterly hopeless with hair, but it's been so much fun trying some new hairstyles out on my little ladies... And YouTube tutorials are just the best! Check out the post ten lovely little girl hairstyles here!

Made

This one feels a bit wrong, but we have started planning for a Christmas Craft evening that our church hosts every year. This year, I'm going to be running a Rag Wreath workshop, so of course I had to go home and try it out! I am SO pleased with this one, and it was so quick and easy, that I'm going to throw an autumnal one together too... Tutorial coming your way!

And lastly...

I have love getting in the autumnal mood this week. On Tuesday afternoon, I whipped out my autumn decorations in preparation for the official start of autumn on Wednesday. I just love these autumn colours and smells... I'm a sucker for scented candles, and during the autumn and winter I just go crazy for them! Do any of you decorate for the season?

This weekend is a busy one for us... It's Dave's birthday tomorrow, and we're looking forward to hosting a houseful for that, and perhaps a sneaky takeaway in the evening...

I can't wait!

What are you all up to this weekend?

Linking up with Little Loves over with Morgana today!

Make-up, Musicals and Marshmallow Cupcakes// Little Loves

I've been blogging regularly for coming up four years now (8 years if you count the sporadic beginnings!) and of all the linkys I've ever been part of, this one is my favourite. There's something nice about just rounding up every week with a little reflection on the little details, because the little details are what make the everyday, aren't they?

So, thank you Morgana for keeping this little linky going!

Anyway, its been a big week, with Ava off at school for her first full week, so here it is in a nutshell!

Read

Well this ones quite exciting, because although I haven't read it yet, I have ordered it and I'm VERY excited about doing so. My lovely friend Lisa is Head make-up artist over at Benefit Make-up, and last week she released her book, "Easy on the Eyes" (which incredibly has already gone to #1 bestseller on Amazon's beauty section!) On Tuesday last week, we headed up to London for a little launch party and a delicious meal!! So I'm excited about reading this one when it finally lands on my doorstep. You can buy it here!

Photo courtesy of Amazon.co.uk

Watched
I'm kind of ashamed to admit that in all my thirty years, I had never seen Les Miserables before last weekend. I was babysitting for some friends, while Dave manned the fort at home, and I noticed the film on their shelves. Some of the singing was a bit iffy, but the story was incredible and I'd love to actually go and see the musical now... What a story of grace and redemption! I think Anne Hathaway and Hugh Jackman stole the show for me!

Photo courtesy of maggiejournal.com

Listened
One of the perks of being a multilingual family is that you get a broader range of music options. This week, I've been loving listening to my favourite German band, Silbermond. My favourite always was and still is "Symphonie"... Why not take a listen, even if you don't speak German... Music is an international language after all!

Wore
I've been loving pulling out the autumn clothes, although I'm hanging onto my new summer shoes as long as possible. Boots mean winter's definitely on its way!

Ava, meanwhile, has been adjusting to wearing her uniform every day! The minute she's home, it is strewn across her bedroom floor (we're working on that!) and replaced by one of her Princess dresses! We're having fun coming up with some new schoolgirl hairstyles though!

Made

Yummy marshmallow cupcakes! We're big Hummingbird Bakery fans round here, and on Tuesday, I had promised the girls we could do a little bit of baking.

Needless to say, they're gone already!

And finally...
It's been a funny old week, adjusting back to routine. Ava has settled really well into her new school and in the meantime, my two littles are having a little bonding time of their own. When Ava's around, the two girl are thick as thieves, so its nice for Heidi and Jonas to get a bit of time to themselves too... I'm so excited to watch their little friendship develop over the next few months...

And that's our week in a nutshell!

Linking up with Little Loves

Plaits, Parties and Purple Hands... #littleloves

Well, its been a crazy old summer, and Little Loves took a bit of a back seat while we soaked up the sun in Cornwall and Norway. I always like to have a bit of a break from the blog over the summer... I often find I come back inspired and ready to roll again. So this little loves is a little different, in that its encompassing my little loves for the whole month, rather than this week - I hope that's OK Morgana!!
 
Read
I have read a tonne of books this summer, and I'm going to be writing up my next A-Z authors post this coming week... but one book that Ava and I both pored over was this one...

This past year we have had so much fun exploring all the fabulous things you can do with a little ladies hair, and this book was just brimming with inspiration! Unfortunately it doesn't seem to be available in English... but I'll keep a look out for the non-Norwegian speakers!

Watched
Our holiday home in Cornwall had a great supply of DVDs, and one night, when everyone else was out, Dave and I settled down in the "cinema room" (yes - the house was insane) and watched "Seabiscuit"... its a true story about three men, all differently affected by the Wall Street Crash, and one horse. It was a great watch - the cinematography was a bit weird and took a little while to get used to, it almost felt like it had been made in the early nineties on a low budget (even though it was actually produced in 2003), but once you got over that it was such a great film and we both got totally sucked into the story. I do love me a true story!

Heard
Lots of renditions of "Happy Birthday!" Ava, myself and my brother-in-law all celebrate our birthdays within 5 days of each other so there were a lot of candles and a lot of cake! Ava had a celebration in Norway, and then came home for her Fairytale Party on Monday... I had a surprise from my parents in Norway, and then was thrown another surprise party last Friday night (blog post on that one to follow - this is what happens when you have a big birthday!) Then on Tuesday night, we went out for my sister's birthday too. It's been a month of birthday bashes!

Wore
My new watch. My favourite birthday present was this Breda leather strap watch. I love the detail and the little pops of colour - blue thread, red clasps and a little purple second hand. I haven't had a watch in so long and Dave did such a great job in picking out one he knew I'd love. It hasn't left my wrist since! (Except when I'm sleeping!)

Made
A four year old Fairytale Party... I made birthday cake, banners, Enchanted Wood signposts and even built Grandma's cottage! It was so much fun! You can see more of our party fun here.

And Lastly...
This weekend I am heading back to Northern Ireland for my Grandad's funeral. He was 94, died peacefully and spent his life following Jesus. Death is so sad, and has cast its shadow over this particular week, but I can honestly say I rejoice for him that he is now in a better place. When I look back over this summer, I realise I have seen the beauty of life, of creation, of this world in some really poignant ways, but at the end of the day, it is all temporary, and I'm thankful to God for certainty in the future whatever comes.


It's been a wonderful summer, full of wonderful memories and I'm grateful to God for the gift that its been.

Now bring on that September routine!

 

Braids, Blogs and Birthday Parties: Little Loves Week 29

Read...
I have not read any books at all this month which is TERRIBLE and I really need to get my act together. I had all these plans to read through the middle of the night feeds, which I did with Ava and Heidi, but I can't read this time! If I try, I literally start to nod off!! So I need to find an alternative time for my book reading...

Instead, I've been loving catching up with all my favourite blogs through Bloglovin' which makes it so easy to keep up to date with some lovely bloggers... you should totally get involved!

And if you follow this blog, and don't want to miss anything, you can follow this blog on Bloglovin here!

Watched...
My little girl finish Nursery... we had a big family picnic on Wednesday and it was lovely... and emotional... and just felt a little bit like the end of an all too short era. On Tuesday, I saw my big girl head into "Big School" and walked away from the school, leaving her behind, with a lump in my throat. How are we at this stage already!??

Oh gosh... I'm dreading September!

Aside from that, I've been watching my old favourite "Gilmore Girls", and after Morgana's recommendation last week, I started watching the Michalaks vlog on Youtube and got totally hooked! It's a good thing they only vlog once a week (although there are some serious archives for me to work through... oh dear!)

Heard...
I really haven't been listening to anything recently... the days seem to fly by, and to be honest, I'm perfectly happy with the soundtrack of everyday life... little girls giggling in the garden, baby cooing and the generally hilarous chit-chat of preschoolers. Except for the bickering. Oh dear... these little girls have hit a rough patch, and I'm determined to nip it in the bud before it escalates... They are just into all the same things at the moment, and so we're going to be doing a little focused training this summer in the kindness department. Any top tips?!

Wore...

Oh! I do just love having little girls for many many many reasons... but one of them is the fun you can have doing their hair! I'm totally surprised at myself at how much I'm enjoying this. I am RUBBISH with hair... I've always been a 'bung it up in a ponytail' kind of girl... but I've got into watching these youtube tutorials now and I'm LOVING it! Ava also loves to scroll through some of the Instagram "little girl hairstyle" accounts I follow and pick out her choice for the day. It's sad, isn't it? But we're both thoroughly enjoying it! If only I could recreate them in my own hair... but it seems I'm stuck with the ponytail look!

Made...

Ava's party invitations... very exciting! She's chosen a fairytale theme... mainly because she wants to dress up as a Princess, but wants her little friend to wear his Robin Hood outfit... so fairytale theme it is! More on this to follow! (I'm having serious fun on Pinterest!!) Her party isn't until the end of August, but I'm having to prep early as this summer is SUPER busy for us!

Teacher presents! We have had a fabulous system in Ava's Nursery class where all the parents club together and get something special for the teachers. It means the teachers get something really nice, rather than lots of little bits and bobs, and my lovely friend Kirsty did a fabulous job of organising it all for us this time. But because Ava is actually leaving the school, and not just moving up to the next class, we thought it would be nice to say a little personal thank you... so I picked up five little pink Kalanchoe plants from our local florist and we decorated and labelled them up - "Thank you for helping me bloom this year!" They really have! Ava wrote a little message for her teachers on the back too - nothing massive, but just a little thank you from  us. We will miss that little school so much!

And lastly...

Things have been pretty intense round here lately... and now that the mad rushing around of school runs, and pick-ups, activities and clubs are rounding up, I'm looking forward to a few days of calm before we begin our adventures this summer. I am happiest with a calm life... I thrive on days at home with my little brood where we don't have to be anywhere or do anything. We get out, of course we do... we meet up with friends, have little outings... but its so nice not to feel you have to be somewhere! Getting three under four out of the house can be a challenge, so sometimes its nicer just to happily while away your day with lots of running around in the garden having bubble wand fights (yes, that was the girls activity of choice yesterday!)

SO that's a wrap... I'm possibly going to disappear for the month of August... Its good to take a proper break in the summer. I tend not to write posts at all, but instead to post a single shot every day of our adventures, so you can see what we're up to (and check out beautiful Cornwall and Norway to boot!)

So I'll still be posting as normal next week but probably won't be back to "Little Loves" until September...

So in case I don't see you again until then... here' wishing you a very happy, fun-filled summer!

Books, Blues and Bilingualism : Little Loves Week 27

Another little week under our belt... a week of glorious sunshine and incredible heat... a week of wallowing in paddling pool water and seeking shady spots in the garden... a week of recovery for me and adjusting to life with three preschoolers... its been a lovely little week... and here's why...

Read:
I finished "A Sweetness of the Soul" by Jane Kirkpatrick and loved it. I am so checking out her other books now... just good old wholesome, historical fiction with a kick of romance, adventure and drama...based on a true story to boot... I loved following the story of Jane as she lives her life on the Western frontier surrounded by Gold-diggers and native American Indians... a fascinating page turner that I really, really enjoyed!

I've also been reading up some of my favourite blogs and am feeling particularly inspired after blogger Courtney Adamo made her announcement on her blog this week. You can read her story for yourself in the Telegraph this weekend.

Watched:
Parenthood, Parenthood and more Parenthood. Seriously. I'm totally hooked, and loving working my way through Series three, courtesy of my lovely friend Jenny... Jenny, I'll be chasing you for series four soon! Seriously, though, if you're after a good box-set, the story of the Braverman family will have you laughing, crying and nodding along with empathy!

I also watched this fascinating Ted-Talks video about the benefits of a bilingual brain... for those of you who didn't know, we are raising our children trilingual (German, Norwegian and English) and I found this film to be a fascinating, and so far accurate, explanation of how multlingual children's brains work. Really interesting and worth a watch... you can find out more about our muiltilingual adventure here.

Heard:
These three together... I love the way the girls talk to Jonas... they just mimic what they hear, and so they adopt this high pitched voice and chatter away to him, asking his opinions on things and informing me of his answers... they are like little mother hens and my biggest challenge right now is to stop them smothering him! There is no doubt that this little man is very loved!

Wore:
We are getting used to all these little BLUE outfits!!

I also had quite a few comments this week on the girls little summer dresses... they are Next Kids finest! Aren't they cute?!

Made:
A market stall... the girls were struggling for inspiration and imagination in the heat on Wednesday, and so I gave them a little help. They played with it all afternoon!

And lastly:

I have had this song going round my head all week...

We're now on the countdown to end of term... only one and a half more weeks and its with mixed emotions. I can't wait for those "lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer" but we will be so sad to leave Ava's little school. We have had a wonderful year at the Nursery there, made fantastic friends and wonderful memories. We're excited about all that September will bring, and we're ready for the challenge of "big school" but we will be sad to say goodbye to some very special people.

OK. Emotional bit over. I am looking forward to some lazy days at home with no rush out the front door, when the children can play outside in their pyjamas until lunchtime and eat ice lollies for breakfast.

OK... maybe not... but something like that.

Happy weekend everyone!