Weekend = Work + Fun

Sorry for the lack of post yesterday - it's taken a bit of extra time to get over what was a massive, yet wonderful weekend. IKEA, bed construction, turf laying, dinner hosting, cuddles = Saturday.

Backyard Before.

Backyard After Turf.

Cuddles!

Sunday we got free tickets to the zoo so decided at the last minute to make the trip in. So so so glad we did. It was such a pleasure spending the day as a family wandering around the zoo. Fresh air, lots of sprinkly showers (meant it wasn't too busy) puddles to splash in, ammools to see. It was memory-making magic.

Happy-Making: Heartswell

This little one turns two over the weekend. Boom.

Play Time!

Playdough by ragamufyn on Flickr

I've recently rediscovered a book that one of my sisters gave to me a couple of years ago. It's called Creative Play for Your Baby and it focuses on simple, home-made toys that encourage parents and kids to play meaningfully with each other, while teaching little tackers about concepts like caring, love, role play and imagination, as well as the value of handmade creations.

I have to admit that I didn't take too much from the book when Isy was younger, but upon re-reading I've been really struck by the simplicity of the toys and activities and the importance of little ones learning imaginative and creative play from an early age.

I get it, kids like toys. But I feel like toys have gotten out-of-hand complicated. After Christmas this year I think lasted about a week on Toy Mountain before going on a sorting spree and putting two-thirds of the kids toys away. I plan to rotate them every few weeks (I'm not mean, I promise!) but it just gives us space and means we're not constantly surrounded by a thousand bright, loud plastic things. Now I feel that Isla plays with her toys. She's not so overwhelmed by the sheer volume of toys that she races from one to another.

Today we spent hours playing with cardboard boxes, balls of wool (I'm on a pom-pom making binge) clothes pegs, balloons and Little People. I know none of this is ground-breaking, but it's just been a really nice reminder to me that kids are happy to play anywhere, anytime and that their imaginations will take over when given the opportunity.

On the cards for the coming weeks are a few projects featured in the book, including a pom-pom menagerie and a mobile for Tobes, as well as a family of simple soft dollies for Isla.


It's times like these that I really, really wish I could sew. But I really, really can't.

The rest of the week is shaping up to be garage-sale-prep-alicious, with so many old books and CDs getting the ol' heave-ho, along with furniture, knick-knacks and homewares. I seriously can't wait.

Happy-Making

Don't you love looking at photos from past holidays?

I hope you have a fabulous weekend. We're spending Saturday painting (natch!) and family BBQ-ing and Sunday cleaning out the garage to have it removed next week.

Brooke x

Whoops! I kind of disappeared for a while...

Or more like four months. Sorry about that!

The initial idea was to get this blog up and going before the renovations started, and to have it well established before Baby  #2 arrived, but best laid plans and all that...

We have had Baby #2, now known as the beautiful Toby, and we have moved out of our house, renovated, extended and moved back in to our house. So I didn't quite get there. 

But I did get somewhere. Oh yeah, I think it was called Crazy Town. Population: me. 

I actually don't recommend doing those things together. It was madness. The builders finished on the Friday, we moved most of our stuff back into the bomb site that was our home on Saturday, my waters broke Sunday morning and Tobes was with us Monday morning. Mad. Ness. 

But I'm here now! With more well-laid plans and good intentions. So from today, we're back on the Lavender Bandwagon, with a few other interesting things thrown into the mix. Hope you enjoy.

In the meantime, please meet the newest addition to the family:

I will add some photos of the renovation over the next few days too - it was a massive job (much bigger than we actually realised) and the house is looking pretty unrecognisable. Mostly in a good way.

In the meantime, I've got a tonne of cool stuff to post so will keep at it over the coming days. Hope you enjoy it!

Brooke x