Le Camping

We are camping for the summer in France, while we rent our house out. Here are a few photos from the last couple of weeks.

01. The first campsite we visited in lovely Brittany. 02. At our current campsite in the Gironde. Think pines and sandy beaches. 03 & 04. A technicolour rug on the forest floor. 05. Always looking for snacks. 06. We brought bikes to explore. So far we've cycled 300m to the beach every day. 07 & 08. Wren is fascinated by Bug Bingo. She uses it for matching and sorting bugs as well as playing the actual game. There are lots of real bugs here too.

Note: Wren's dress is by Pala Mino. Check out their new collection here.

Postcards 07

Happy 2014 everybody! Here are a few pictures from our Christmas and New Year break.

01. We rented a beautiful cottage in Wales with a couple of friends and their kids. The weather was wild and stormy so we stayed in and cooked lots of delicious food. 02 & 03. I love these traditional handmade Safi plates. They make everything look good and are available from Moroccan Bazaar. 04 & 05. In Wales we visited the Trefriw woolen mill. They make incredible Welsh blankets, these are a few of their vintage designs. 07. In search of a bit of heat we visited the Eden Project. It was a good move. The rainforest biome was so warm that my lens kept steaming over and I couldn't take many pictures. Next time I'm taking a picnic.

Postcards 06

1. Teddy helped me sort out the kid's craft cupboard. 2. The (messy) artist at work. 3. Helicopters. 4. A woven straw decoration that I found in the local charity shop. 5. Putting lights in places that little hands can't reach. 6. A new use for our oldest and biggest wooden bowl. 7. Playing on the beach, whatever the weather.

Postcards 05

Our endless summer seems to have finally come to an end. Autumn has rustled in and I am a little behind in posting my photos. Here are a few from the last days of summer...

1. Fred's feet on a beautiful rug. 2. A rainbow of glaze. 3. Swinging from a tree. 4. Sand pit playtime. 5 & 6. Wren loves the beach. 7. Din-dins. 8. Fred looking pensive. 9. Shoes off. 9. Scary shadow.

Postcards 04: Just So Festival

Last weekend we went to the Just So Festival at the beautiful Rode Hall in Cheshire, and let me tell you, it was more than just so, it was fantastic! The festival is for children and families of all ages and there is something there to capture everybody's imagination. There was storytelling, doll making, cowboy training, sandcastle building, crafts, camping, delicious food and fairies. For babies there was also a special "shiny things" tent, quiet areas and lots of bubbles! Wren and Fred both had a brilliant time as did we grown ups. Here are a few of our festival highlights...

1. Tipis. 2. The cowboy training area, which turned out many a fine cowboy and cowgirl. 3. Wren's festival styles. 4. Playing in the sand in the High Seas area. 5. Snack time. I failed to take photos of any of our food because I was too busy eating but it was all very delicious! 6. Watching a band sing songs about vegetables. They were surprisingly good! 7. A resident owl. 8. Craft tents in the woodland. 9. Magic. 10. Paper mushrooms under the trees. 11. Two bumblebees having a chat by the boathouse.

www.justsofestival.org.uk

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1. A rabbit at home. 2 & 3. Exploring car parks and stones. 4. We went to Bristol Zoo and saw penguins. 5. And seals. 6. Surprisingly the animatronic dinosaurs were Wren's favourite thing at the zoo and she made up a little dance to imitate them. 7. On safari looking for dinosaurs.

Postcards 02

Last week in London, we spent a lot of time getting to know the city's play parks. This one in Marylebone, at Paddington Street Gardens was our favourite.

1 & 4. Wren loves the slides. 2. Hostas in the courtyard of our block. 3. Paddington Street Gardens. 5. Spider's web. 6. This is how we do the swings - sibling style.

Wren's jacket is by Pala Mino.

Postcards 01

1. Local gnarl. 2. Rapunzel. 3. Fred and I enjoying some hammock time. 4 & 5. Gnomes in the woods at the Gnome Reserve & Wild Flower Garden. 6. Our very own gnome. 7. Playground antics. 8. Green.