me and mine {august}

Daddy is loving

* coasteering in Newquay

* our family beach hut day.

* having a go at surfing.

* that the footy season has started

* learning all about the Solar System with the beautiful boy.

Mummy is loving

* lots of family time at the seaside.

* having Sons of Anarchy marathons in the evenings.

* walking through a field of sunflowers.

* crocheting blankets for her babies.

* enjoying days out that have become our family summer traditions.

The beautiful boy is loving

* learning everything there is to know about planets and the solar system.

* paddling his feet in the sea (and throwing himself in for a swim).

* sneaking off to his bedroom to read a book.

* counting us all down to Flump's arrival.

* bouncing on the bed.

The beautiful girl is loving

* being mummy to her baby dolls.

* sitting in her 'paddling pool' at the seaside.

* playing with her Sylvanian Families.

* singing nursery rhymes from dawn till dusk.

* having so many soft toys in her bed that there is barely room to sleep.

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farewell to the summer

Just because its summer. And because there is simply no such thing as too much beach spam if you ask me. I bring you yet another beachy adventure. This time lady luck was seriously on our side, because we booked our 'farewell summer' beach hut day back in the winter and while the days either side of our little trip were overcast, wet and a bit cold, the day of the trip dawned with blue sky, bright sunshine and it was so hot that I think we were definitely in the best place; enjoying the coastal breeze with natures paddling pool a few feet away.

4

a 'just us' weekend

We are a seaside family. It's our happy place. And I say it all the time, but it just makes us all smile to have sand between our toes and a nice salty breeze in our hair. 

At the moment we are in that strange limbo stage while you wait for a new baby to arrive, where it feels like an era is ending; and while we are all so excited to become a five, it also makes us desperate  to cling onto these memories of life as a four. And where better for a beach loving family to make some lovely simple memories, than a weekend at the seaside.

So we borrowed my Nan's static caravan on Mersea Island and we had the loveliest time together. Mersea has to be one of our favourite places; we just love spending time together there. It is the quintessential seaside town, but so unspoiled and so beautiful, with the added touch that it gets cut off from the mainland during high tides. It really was the best kind of weekend. We played, we ate ice cream, we paddled our feet, we saw crabs, we hunted for shells, we took lots of sunshiny walks, we counted boats, we spotted jellyfish, we went out for breakfast, we met a friendly seal, we rode on a boat... and we came home with that sun kissed skin, windswept hair, sandy toes and suncream smell that tells you you've had a perfect weekend.

8

a favourite place

I love that we live where we do. Not necessarily our specific home or street, but the area. Because we are utterly spoiled with being surrounded by some beautiful parks and gardens and pretty spots, as well as being equidistant to the bright lights of London, and the calming air of the coast. We can be at either with 45 minutes, and I think it gives us the very best of both worlds.

6

making rainbows {52 adventures}

With the kind of hot weather we've been having of late, there appear to be two options when it comes to small children; hide away in the cool, or go for some water play. We definitely did our fair share of both last week, but my pair of water babies will always prefer the latter option and seem to be drawn to water like a magnet.

7

a beach hut birthday {52 adventures}

When you are seaside and beach hut obsessive like me, there isn't really a better way of spending your birthday than enjoying those two things. Add to that the fact that the sun came along to play (which practically never ever happens on my birthday) and you have a recipe for a lovely adventure.

6

beach hut days

After a very big and exciting eleventh adventure, I knew that we were going to need something to cheer us up on our post Disney holiday come down. So a little while back I booked us a day at a beach hut for the week after our holiday, I thought it would be a nice little kick start to the Easter break, I crossed my fingers that some nice Spring weather might come our way, and figured that whatever happened at least we'd get some fresh air and I could feed my beach hut obsession a bit.

6

farewell to the summer

It's been an amazing summer,

full of sunshine and adventures,

and generally enjoying each other and the great outdoors.

Just thinking about what an amazing few months we've had,

makes me smile from ear to ear.

It's been beautiful.

And we finished it in style!

If you've followed any of our summer fun,

you'll know that the seaside has played a big part,

and that being at a beach is our happy place.

You'll also know I'm a teeny bit in love with a beach hut.

So we rented one,

a perfectly pink beach hut,

all ours,

for the entire day.

The sun came out to play,

and we said goodbye to an amazing summer

in the very best way possible.

13

picnics with friends

You can't beat a teddy bears picnic

for a simple and fun way to spend a summers afternoon.

It always amazes me how providing the same lunch as normal,

but on a picnic blanket surrounded by teddies

makes it all so much more exciting.

My two would happily have lounged on the blanket,

cuddling their bears,

while grazing on little snacks

for the whole day if they could.

And I loved it too.

Fresh air, a warm day, a cooling breeze

and happy playful children,

what's not to love?

6

a little getaway

A few weeks back we went to Scarborough for a long weekend,

and we were lucky enough to be there as guests of Park Resorts.

They offered us a chance to stay at their Cayton Bay resort

and we were really excited to check it out.

3

summer adventures

There's been a kind of theme around here lately;

the sun comes out and we head off in search of adventures.

It's one of the reasons I love the summer so much,

and it definitely makes life so much easier as a parent,

to be able to head off somewhere new and fun and interesting,

and then sit back and watch your children explore.

31

keeping summer memories

I'm all about having things in your home that mean something to you.

I want to come home be surrounded by familiar and special things,

full of our stories and memories.

Summer is my favourite time of year,

and we have already made some absolutely amazing memories this year,

some of which I wanted to display as a little daily reminder.

A little corner of our home dedicated to our love of the beach,

and to some amazing days spent at various beaches this summer.

A hurricane lamp full of shells;

little treasures collected from our day at Barafundle Bay

and our weekend on Mersea Island.

Little wooden beach huts and a light house

from our special weekend in Scarborough,

there is even a little seagull there,

which will always remind me of those bruiser seagulls that Scarborough is full of.

More beach huts on some beautiful drift wood,

and where would summer be without a spot of bunting too.

And a perfect summer smell to top it off;

Yankee Candle's Coconut Bay.

It might seem a funny time of year to be lighting candles,

but I tend to light them most evenings all year around.
I just love a scented candle
and I have far too many.

This scent is so perfectly summery,

it reminds me of tropical beaches,

sun tan lotion

and a pina colada in my hand.

1

life is better at the beach

There is a quote that goes something like:

"Memories made at the beach last a lifetime".

I know for a fact that some of my best memories are from seasidy days.

And I can say with my hand on my heart

that I won't ever forget this perfect day at the beach.

At one point I watched my beautiful children and my lovely husband,

as the sea lapped around my ankles,

with the warm sun on my skin

and a sea breeze ruffling my hair,

while the sand crept up between my toes,

and I thought to myself

"Never forget this moment, this day,

and how you feel right this second"

because I genuinely could not have been happier anywhere else in the entire world.

I stood and breathed it all in,

and I've locked it up tight in my memory,

never to be forgotten.

12

blue sky and sandy toes

music credit: Next To Me by Sleeping At Last

I've said it before,

but I just love the seaside.

My husband and I met and fell in love at the seaside,

and something about being near the sea just feels so right somehow.

So a sunny day

and our first quiet weekend in a month,

and the coast was calling us,

with it's promise of feeling warm sand between our toes,

getting to paddle in the sea,

and maybe a sneaky ice cream too.

We had a lovely time,

it was just beautiful.

The beautiful boy told us repeatedly that he had had a lovely time,

and asked at bedtime if he could go again tomorrow.

And the hubby and I spent the drive home 

talking and dreaming about a home looking out at the sea.

The beautiful girl isn't keen on paddling in the sea as it turns out,

so we've found a water that this water baby isn't a fan of.

She loved playing in the sand,

although not quite as much as she loved the ice creams.

But her brother more than made up for her water hesitance,

by diving head first, fully clothed into a wave.

(And at a moment when Mummy didn't have the camera rolling

which we think was rather inconsiderate of him!)

Who needs fancy foreign holidays,

when you have these beautiful spots in your very own county?

We've got a list of lovely summer days out the list of our arms

and we're starting early with ticking them off.

But after such a beautiful blue sky beachy day,

I think we'll be adding a few more seaside trips to that list.

…Well we need to convince this little girly of ours that the sea is fun!

36

one day {august}

music credit: Ho Hey by The Lumineers

One of the best bits about life with children

is that no two days are ever quite the same.

Children surprise you,

you surprise yourself.

You have busy, exciting days.

And you have simple, ordinary days.

And those days can often be the best.

Just life

as a family,

exactly the way I want to remember it.

Simple and beautiful.

28

{the ordinary moments} summer feet

Everything about life with small children is fleeting.

The days and weeks run away from you

and before you know where you are another month is gone,

another season is reaching an end.

Summer is ending

and with it, we will soon say goodbye

to my beautiful boy's flip-flop tan lines.

Marks on his skin that tell the story of a summer spent enjoying the sunshine.

Just ordinary little toddler feet

with a special little story to tell.

14

sandy toes and salty air

I am addicted to the beach.

I always liked the seaside as a child;

paddling my toes in the sea,

building sandcastles,

eating ice creams.

But three years in a seaside town for university sealed the deal.

The husband and I fell in love at the seaside.

37

forty-three weeks new

We were racing towards your birthday now.

6

this beautiful season

Parenting seems to go in seasons.

There are definitely phases to it,

and one of the first things that you learn on becoming a parent,

is that these phases go in the blink of an eye.

It's not always easy to remember that when you're in them,

but life changes so quickly,

babies grow up.

The days are long,

but the years are so fast.

27

midsummer fair

Last Friday it was my birthday.

And while birthdays seem to lose their sparkle a bit as you get older,

it's still nice to have an excuse to do something fun or maybe a bit different.

We were offered tickets to visit the Wealden Times Midsummer Fair

and when I discovered it was on for my birthday,

it seemed like a great way to spend my last 20s birthday.

17