Anniversary gifts 6-10 Years

So its my turn to bring you the second installment of our anniversary gifts feature! Its actually mine and Chris' 6th wedding anniversary this Saturday! Wow 6 years have flown by i cant believe how quick it has gone. I still love him just as much as the day we said i do if not more ahhhhh. Anyways enough of that mushy stuff lets talk presents.

6 Years - Sugar and Iron. Anyone who knows me know how much i LOVE sweets!! So this should be the easiest buy ever for Chris! This vintage suitcase full of 38 different kinds of retro sweets looks delicious and a fun trip down memory lane! Plus the suitcase would be lovely to keep after i have finished eating all the sweets!

Funkyhampers.com £49.99

Im crazy in love with this tiffany blue cast iron Le Creuset casserole dish!! 

Richmondcookshop.co.uk £100

Something a bit more romantic is this iron heart. It's lovely and can display your wedding date around the house! Perfect for forgetful hubbys!

etsy.com £40.17

My hubby would love this next gift, the novelty would never ware off of him being able to brand things! I can see the silly jokes him and Nick would be thinking up now!

notonthehighstreet.com £24.95

7 Years - Wool and Copper.

This copper champagne bucket would make a lovely present and perfect to bring out every anniversary onwards to celebrate!

Thecookskitchen.com £154.78

I love this next gift sooooooooo much!! I would treasure this forever and ever and ever! Its copper card you can keep in your purse or wallet.

Etsy £23.41

A wool scarf is a gift that is timeless and unisex and you cant help but think about your other half buying you the scarf as you wrap it round you and feel all warm and snuggly!

The Nautical Company £50

These ugg slippers are soooooo comfy and cosy! Ugg now also do glitter ballet pumps with a cosy inner! Amazing you must check them out!

landaustore.co.uk £70

8 Years - Bronze and Salt

This bronze infinity keyring is so sweet and you can have any message you like written on there.

Etsy £33.67

A lovely way to involve the children in your anniversary is with these bronze fingerprint cufflinks!

Tinytreasuregifts.co.uk £75

These salt and pepper pots are super cute! I would love them in my Kitchen!

Notonthehighstreet.com £4.50

Another idea is you could book a salt scrub treatment for your other half! Everyone loves a bit of pamper time!

9 Years - Pottery and China

Us magic mummy's love a mug and these personalised ones are lovely! 

notonthehighstreet.com £15 each

I loooove this heart shaped baker from Emma Bridgewater!

Emma Bridgewater £49.95

An incentive for your hubby to buy you more flowers is always a winner in my book and this vase is the perfect incentive.

Notonthehighstreet.com £19

You could also book some pottery classes for you both ala 'Ghost' then you could make something nice for your home together, or something that resembles a 3yr olds masterpiece depending how good you are!

10 Years - Tin and Aluminium

This album and tin is a lovely idea to celebrate 10 yrs! You can fill with all your favourite memories and pictures.

Reallygood.uk.com £25

This tin art is beautiful and comes framed. You can have any wording you like so its totally special just for you two!

artfire.com £164.10

This is a sweet little gift and i do love something personalised!

Ebay £15.99

This last gift is a little tin from Emma Bridewater with the intention that you and your beloved empty your spare change into the tin and then when its full you can treat yourselves to date night!

Emma Bridgewater £8

And thats your lot for today! Hope there was something to inspire you there! 

Love

L xx

Cardboard Fun!

I'm always trying to find fun things to do to keep my little ones entertained! They are so easily bored of playing with the same toys and doing the same activities all the time.

I was browsing for Siennas 4th birthday party ideas when i came across this fab cardboard boat!

I thought wow that would be something fun to do with the kids over the weekend so off to the garage for the 1 million empty Amazon (you have got to love Amazon prime) and Zara boxes i go!

So its no where near as good as the original picture but this was to have fun with not to win a beauty contest! The kids loved it and when i say loved it i mean Sienna loved being a pirate and Tate loved to try and pull the sail out! 

It was pretty easy i just used the centre 4 sides of 2 cardboard boxes laid flat out for either side of the boat and the extra pieces i cut off to make the top. Then a cardboard tube and some tissue paper for the sail. Oh and stuck together with my hubby's carpet tape (shhh don't tell him)

There's heaps of fun things you could make with cardboard the possibilities are endless! This drive in movie theatre idea looks brilliant and so easy!!

Have you ever made anything for your little people with cardboard we would love to hear about it if you have!

Love 

L xx

Giveaway Winner

Happy Monday!

We are kicking off this week with the winner of our giveaway!

A huge congratulations too 'Bex Harding' You have won a fabulous set of 5 EOS lip balms we hope you love them as much as we do!

Please pop us an email to alittlemummymagic@gmail.com with your address and we will whisk them in the post to you.

Congratualtions again!

Have a fabulous Monday everyone.

Love
J&L xx

Is mummy guilt the worst guilt??

I'm 1 million percent sure that Mummy Guilt is the worst guilt in the world!!!!

And there is no worse mummy guilt than an accident!!

I had Honey and Rocco 2 years (minus 1 day) apart! So Rocco's birthday is the 17th September 2011 (which was Honeys Due Date) and Honeys birthday is the 18th September 2009!

On the 7th January 2012 Rocco was 3 months old (Honey 2yrs old) and i was making Honeys dinner in the kitchen! Honey isn't a big carbs fan (if only i wasn't) but as always i was cooking her some potatoes to go with her salmon just incase! So 3 little potatoes on the back hob with handle turned other way boiling away.

Rocco was in his baby swing in the lounge and Honey was just milling around! Rocco started crying so i went into the lounge to give him his dummy and within 15 seconds i heard an almighty scream and honey running out of kitchen!

She had put her chair under hob and tipped the pan of boiling potatoes all over her stomach and arm!!!
Her top was soaking in boiling water with steam coming off  - mummy instincts switched on and i took her top off immediately - along with all this burnt skin (horrendous) i got a muslin soaked in cold water and put it on me and her against it.  I rang 999 and an ambulance and a car with 3 paramedics was there very quickly (felt like forever) but was probably 5-10 mins max!!! The screams from Honey were just the worst i've ever heard!!

The paramedics were amazing! They put a gel all over the burns and gave her morphine etc - they got a neighbour to sit with Rocco and off in the ambulance we went.  Honey naked, me no shoes and honey had wet herself in shock down my trousers but this didn't cross my mind until she was stable! Nick saw the ambulance leaving our close but didn't think it would have us in it! Straight to the hospital and immediately to the resucitation unit where 10 doctors were waiting for our arrival.  Nick met us at the hospital once the neighbour had told him what had happened! Once photos were taken and the burns were redressed we were ambulance transferred to the Queen Victoria Hospital in East Grinstead! They were amazing!!!

There is a new technology out - they put silver on the burns which acts like a scab so that it doesn't scab and scar! There were chances of keloid scaring etc and due to her having 15% burns to her body it was super scary!!!  They dressed it and we had to go back weekly!  Honey was fine after she was bandaged on the same night as the accident - eating crisps and drinking juice and playing! And she was allowed home with painkillers etc.  I however wanted to die.

I drove us home from East Grinstead, as Nick had followed the ambulance in our car and i hated myself! All the what ifs and whys running through my head! When i say i wanted to die i literally wanted to run away and die.  Theres no other way of explaining how i felt!!! I felt like i'd let Honey, Rocco, Nick, my mum and dad etc all down! I was the worst mum in the world and for a few weeks didn't fully trust myself to be on my own with my 2 children.  No matter how many times they said "it wasn't your fault, your a fab mummy, it was an accident, don't blame yourself" All i heard was "it was your fault, your took your eyes off her, she will be scarred for life and she will blame you"

It was without doubt the worst day of my life! Even talking about it now 18 months after brings tears to my eyes!! After the bandages were taken off and we couldn't finally see the scaring etc it got easier - we had to massage her 3 times a day - we used an organic calendula from a shop in Somerset and also bio oil - and eventually it really healed well.  It exceeded everyones expectations!

Its taken me a while to come to terms with it all - and im now super cautious in the kitchen with the children!!! hence why many of my Saturday recipes are child friendly!! Its taught me a great lesson about how dangerous kitchens are and how quick toddlers are !!!

The picture below is the day it happened, the bandages on the day it happened, the day the silver dressing was taken off (see no scabs) and 1 year later!! Honey has been sooooo lucky!!! There are hardly any marks on her tummy - her arm is still a different shade and gets a lot darker in the sun! But with lots of suncream and long sleeve tops etc we keep on top of it!

I just wanted fellow mums and dads to understand that accidents do happen - with all our best intentions and cautious behaviour things do happen.  The NHS were simply outstanding - we really are so lucky to have such an amazing emergency service!  I can't thank them enough!!!

I hope none of you guys have to go through anything like this with your children - and remember we will always be the best mummy's/daddy's our children will ever have.

Love
J x

Great British Scone

Yummy scones with fresh cream and strawberry jam are one of my all time fave coffee and cake treats!

Im not the best baker in the world, just ask Jade about my Cadburys creme egg choc brownies. To be fair i think its my oven as its so old you cant see the temp on it anymore. So i pretty much have to guestimate everything! But anyways these scones are super duper easy to make, even i can do them and they probably only take 20mins max from start to finish!

Enjoy!

Love
L xx

Made by me and all delicious and edible and everything! (yay me)

Classic Scones with Jam and Clotted Cream

Serves 8

Ingredients

• 350g self-raising flour, plus more for dusting
• ¼ tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 85g butter, cut into cubes
• 3 tbsp caster sugar
• 175ml milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• squeeze lemon juice (see Know-how below)
• beaten egg, to glaze
• jam and clotted cream, to serve

Method

1. Heat oven to 220C/fan 200C/gas 7. Tip the flour into a large bowl with the salt and baking powder, then mix. Add the butter, then rub in with your fingers until the mix looks like fine crumbs. Stir in the sugar.
2. Put the milk into a jug and heat in the microwave for about 30 secs until warm, but not hot. Add the vanilla and lemon juice, then set aside for a moment. Put a baking sheet in the oven.
3. Make a well in the dry mix, then add the liquid and combine it quickly with a cutlery knife – it will seem pretty wet at first. Scatter some flour onto the work surface and tip the dough out. Dredge the dough and your hands with a little more flour, then fold the dough over 2-3 times until it’s a little smoother. Pat into a round about 4cm deep.
4. Take a 5cm cutter (smooth-edged cutters tend to cut more cleanly, giving a better rise) and dip it into some flour. Plunge into the dough, then repeat until you have four scones. By this point you’ll probably need to press what’s left of the dough back into a round to cut out another four. Brush the tops with beaten egg, then carefully place onto the hot baking tray.
5. Bake for 10 mins until risen and golden on the top. Eat just warm or cold on the day of baking, generously topped with jam and clotted cream. If freezing, freeze once cool. Defrost, then put in a low oven (about 160C/fan140C/gas 3) for a few mins to refresh.

Pink Pouchtastic!

I'm big time loving pouches at the moment! They are the perfect summer accessory. Im a really big fan of clean lines and keeping it simple so a minimal fuss leather pouch is one of my fave bags. Use them for nights out, summer days and even as stylish make up bag within your big mummy bag!

You have to love a bit of pink! Perfect summer colour!

Dream - Valentino The Rockstud leather clutch £1,462 Net-a-porter

Save - MARC by Marc Jacobs Its back zip pouch £130 (incl shipping and taxes) Bloomingdales

Reality - Whistles Make Up Bag £25 Atterley Road

Little bit in love with the Marc Jacobs one (neon pink obsessed over here) so i think thats going on my save list for sure but the Whistles one is just too fab not to snap up!

Love 

L xx

From Tennis bows to Tea Party Bows x

Here @alittlemummymagic HQ we love bows and hair accessories!!!

I don't think i've got a picture of Honey without a bow around our house! Leeanne is super lucky as Sienna has long rapunzel like blonde beautiful hair (i think she defo got Honeys share) no one ever mistakes Sienna for a boy! However there have been a few time even in a dress with a hair bow people call Honey a boy!!!

Here are a selection of some of Honey's headbands! This isn't even all of them and Honeys hair is starting to get longer so i have just ordered a plethora of clips and bunchies!!!! (yippee)

The lovely people at Joules asked if they could send us some of their girls headbands for us to see and we jumped at the chance of new head decorations for our girls!!!! The postman arrived and we fell in love with this beautiful head band.  Its so beautiful we love the colours!!! Perfect for the summer!

Honey started tennis camp on Monday and now she has more hair, her headbands have started slipping down on to her forehead. This is a problem for Sienna too - so we bought the ones with little spikes on to grip the hair - and the girls complain that they hurt! So i think the people at Joules secretly knew that we needed a solution!!! 

And boy did they find it! The  headbands did not move, did not slip, did not annoy Honey or Sienna one little bit! It fits perfectly and is super comfortable!!! Honey's Grandad saw her this morning and his words were "she looks like a filmstar" It really is a lovely headband!!! These mummy's Love Them!!! 

You can buy these headbands from www.joules.com for £9.95. They are a fab addition to any little girls hair collection

Love
J & L xx

*PR Sample sent for review

Anniversary years 1 to 5 !

When it comes to anniversary gifts my husband and I (haha well me) decided we would use the traditional list.

This year is our 5th wedding anniversary but here are some great ideas from 1-5

1st Year - Paper

Nick bought me a personalised framed printed newspaper and an lovely Tiffany diary.  We went to Barclona and so I bought Nick tickets to the Football stadium for a tour as they weren't playing that weekend! 

I love this idea £45 from Not on the hight street buy here  Personalised Wedding Silhouette

Nick isn't into prints etc so for men i love the idea of tickets to something they like, or a hot air blaoon ride (the paper being the printed ticket).  If they are into reading (nick can't see the point if there's a film) maybe a first edition or a signed book.  

2nd Year - Cotton

I bought Nick some new Boxers and an All Saints cardigan he was loving! Nick bought me underwear and a perfect cotton heart with a number 2, Embroidered Number Heart again from NOTH £16

How cool is this!!!! Perfect gift!! A personalised double deck chair!!! Wow i want one!!! Find it here at

confetti kiss for £150 

3rd Year - Leather

Nick needed a new belt so that was super easy!!! And he bought me this beautiful Tiffany envelope which i have in my bag and he had our wedding date and 3 years stamped inside Tiffany £105

I think leather is the easiest one!!! What girl doesn't love a handbag or a pair of shoes or a fabulous luggage tag for holidays! Tiffany do a beautiful heart one! (I got one from my godparents on my wedding day for Honeymoon)  For men its a bit harder - Nick loves shoes so thats easy - but a nice wallet is always a good idea and will fit in any budget really.  I love this one from Ted Baker on ASOS £35 and i also love the idea of a leather bracelet for men 

 Bracelet from lily belle £39

4th Year - Linen

This was a really tough one!!! I ended up getting a lovely piece of linen and painting our childrens hands and putting their handprints on the linen - which i framed - Nick really loved this! (he also got chocolate and clothes) 

Nick bought me another printed heart from NOTH - i absolutely love hearts and this is my fave! (i also got underwear and a sequin blazer) 

One idea i love is new bedding!!! You might have put a new bed set on your wedding list so 4 years on and its nice to have brand new set! I also love these cushions from my fave shop NOTH Love and happiness cushions £37

I also love these if you have kids you will understand hahaha

set of two space invaders pillowcases £25

This Etsy shop Poshyarns has some fabulous items from linen keyrings, linen kindle covers to personlised journals!!! This Journal is £20 Buy Here  

5th Year - Wood

It is our 5th anniversary on 6th December so maybe i will be able to test Nick to see if he reads our blog haha! Although Leeanne will give him a helping hand i'm sure (thats another reason we are best friends) 

This keepsake box (i keep everything some call it hoarding haha)  is £39.99 and can be bought here at sophia victoria joy

I love love love this vase! I love Peonys and this would be such a special present! A wooden vase £34.95 the letter room 

So do i say what i'm thinking of getting Nick?? Do we think hes actually read this far or is he just looking at the pictures haha!! So i'm going to get him a new golf wood!!! I also love this Iphone case 

clic wooden £40 such a good idea!! 

Wow 5 years!!! How amazing!!! 

Hope this has given you some inspiration - Leeanne has the task of years 6-10 so i can give Chris tips haha!!! 

Love

J xxx

Holiday Shopping

Whenever i go to Spain i'm drawn like a magnet to the shops!! La Canada is our local mall and its shopping paradise!!

As this is Toddler Tuesday i thought i'd do a little round up of a couple of the goodies i bought my little stars!

My favourite shops for children in spain are 1. Zara 2. Mayoral and 3. Massimo Dutti, I go to all different stores around Andalucia and love getting all different goodies!!!

 

These 3 items are from Zara 

I love this Burberryesque Mac! Jealous! 

I love Zara for the children - the sizes are good and its not expensive and the girls shoes are amazing!!! 

(the boys are not so).  I don't think ive ever been in Zara kids and not bought something! Much to Nicks joy! 

This Hoody is Zara - I think Rocco will look very cool in it! The shorts are Mayoral and some neon Converse! I love converse x 

So Rocco is now climbing out of his cot and so its mission big bed and that means finding new bedding!!!! Hooray!!!! One stop at Zara Home and they are set! I love stars!!! John Lewis were doing a lovely navy and white star bedding set but i think thats a bit grown up for Rocco - Baby Blue as hes my Baby! Mummys Boy Alert!!!

Rocco can't have new bedding and not Honey!!! Honey is still in her Cot Bed but we are going to be buying them both a single bed in this next few weeks so i wanted her to have lovely bedding! Miss Sienna has this bedding too - its so girly and fabulous 

We are going to get them both these day beds from Ikea Hemnes Day Bed.  They are £260 each but they are a single, double and got storage so its a win win! They will last them ages! And honestly i couldn't find any other ones i really liked!!! 

Holiday shopping is the best shopping!! Airport shopping before holiday is the best shopping!! Childrens bedroom shopping is the best shopping!!! 

Shopping is the best! I love Shopping

Love J x