Kiddies' Autumn 'To Do' List

Autumn is maybe the best season here in England;

the weather is still holding with warm sunshiny days, 

the parks are lovely with all the colours and crunchy leaves, 

the atmosphere is happy and jovial 

with Halloween, Guy Fawkes and the built-up to Christmas. 

For the little ones, autumn is the time 

to get back into a routine after the summer holidays

and to enjoy the great outdoors before temperatures drop. 

To do: Invest in Indoor Games & Activities 

With the dreaded short days and the usual British weather ahead, 
every parent knows the importance 
of stocking up on indoor activities for the little ones. 

Board games, puzzles, colouring books are ideal 
for spending a rainy afternoon at home;
and at Djeco's* they have a brilliant range of toys 
that will keep the kiddos entertained for hours. 

Created in France, Djeco toys are highly educational 
and feature lovely illustrations and attention to detail. 
From their puzzles to the creative board games, 
the children will have heaps of fun 
and might actually create pretty craft projects for once! 

To do: Shop the Kids' Autumn Wardrobe 

One of my firm favourites for the boys' essentials 

is Nutmeg's* clothing range; it offers amazing value 

with great quality, little prices and cute designs.

Their hero pieces are the coats and jackets, 

very warm, very light and very durable 

{the kid has been wearing his gilet for 2 years

and it's almost as good as new}. 

The Nutmeg range is available in most Morrisons stores 
with prices starting from as little as £2 for a T-shirt!

To do: Get Children's Skin Ready for Winter 

Skinfix*, North America’s favourite natural sensitive skincare, 

recently launched its award-winning Baby range into the UK 

and we got to test it. 

After a month long holiday under the Greek sun, 

the children's skin was in need of moisturising.

What I like about Skinfix's baby and children's range 

is the fact it's made of 98% natural ingredients and that it's odourless. 

By leaving out all the nasty chemicals and fragrances that irritate the skin, 

Skinfix's products are perfectly suitable 
for my children's sensitive and eczema prone skins. 

Djeco, see all the toys here

Nutmeg available in Morrisons, see their range here 

Skinfix available in Boots

Disclosure: Items marked with an asterisk are PR samples. 
Views and wording my own. 

Surviving Summer Holidays with the Kids in London

They're upon us; the summer holidays. 

And while parents across the country 

rejoice at the thought of not having to do the school run, 

the prospect of keeping the kiddos happy and entertained 

for six whole weeks can appear slightly daunting. 

Fear not. 

If you live in or visiting London, 

here are some ideas that could help 

with having fun with your brood.

Mr Men at the Southbank

What: Roger Hargreaves's adorable Mr Men and Little Misses
will be spending their summer at the Southbank;
to celebrate 45 years,
a pop up exhibition at the ground floor of the OXO Tower
invites all of Mr Men fans to a mini museum
complete with a library and a collection of the rarest memorabilia.

When: 24 to 29 August, 10:00 to 18:00
Admission Free

Ideal: for preschoolers and early years' children

Ripley's

What: The imposing period building right on the Piccadilly circus
is home to a wide array of very weird objects:
from a two-headed cockerel to dinosaur eggs
and a toilet paper wedding gown (!),
a visit to Ripley's is full of surprises and kitsch humour.
We went there, invited by Families Online,
and had a fun day filled with curiosities.

When: open every day from 10:00 to 22:30
Admission (pre-booked) from £13.98

Ideal: for older children and teenagers

Japanese anime screenings 
What: To the delight of Japanese anime fans, 
the Japan Foundation is hosting a series of screenings 
and promises to brighten up children's summer days. 
The screenings take place at the BAFTA building in Piccadilly. 

When: Saturday 30 July and Saturday 6 August 
Admission free, booking required

Ideal: for children aged 8 and over 
(check age suitability for each film) 

Video Games at the Science museum 

What: A hands-on and fully interactive two week gaming event, 
featuring the very best video games and consoles from the past 40 years. 
From Donkey Kong to Mario and Minecraft to the latest consoles, 
this event will delight video games fans, young and older.

When: from 22 July to 7 August 
Pre-book tickets for 90 minutes sessions 
Tickets from £6.50, under 3s go free

Ideal: for young children over 5 and teenagers, of course

Mr Men at the Southbank, OXO Tower Wharf, London SE1 9PH 

Ripley's, Piccadilly Circus, London W1J 0DA

Japanese foundation anime screenings, BAFTA building 195  Piccadilly, London W1J 9LN

Power Up at the Science Museum, 

Disclosure: Complimentary tickets to Ripley's,
courtesy of Families Online
and invitation to Power Up VIP event

Greek Islands Summer Style

We are counting days; 

our summer holidays can't come soon enough. 

It's true that the stubborn grey cloud over London,
the not so summery temperatures 

and the post-Brexit grim ambiance 

are not much help.

What does help though is browsing summer looks online
and preparing a virtual suitcase
full of swimwear, light dresses and sandals
for our escape to the Greek islands. 

Typically, a summer's day on a Greek island 

is spent on or close to the beach;
with day temperatures ranging from 25 to 35 degrees,
it's essential to wear natural fabrics,
shades and of course comfy sandals.

The cotton broderie maxi dress* pictured above
is a staple of my summer holiday wardrobe:
the cotton fabric is light & airy,
the maxi length is convenient for wearing all day long,
{over swimwear to go to the beach
or accessorised with a statement necklace in the evening},
and its simple straight line is flattering.

Pair it with traditionnal Greek leather sandals
{good value ones can be found
at the open air markets on many Greek islands},
good quality shades to protect your eyes
and a straw hat and you are ready
for the cool, relaxed outdoor life of the Greek Summer.

Explore Greece and its islands:
Kythira, Paros, Syros, Greece's best beaches, Tinos

1. Cotton maxi dress £30 from JDWilliams
2. Handmade Greek leather sandals 145 euros, also available at Harvey Nichols & Selfridges
3. Fendi Sunglasses, £429, from JDWilliams
4. Straw hat, currently on sale £7 from JDWilliams

Disclosure: Items marked with * were gifted.

In association with JDWilliams.

London's Secret Wildlife Garden

I love how London is full of secret places 

that make you feel you are in the middle 

of the English countryside. 

Some of them are neatly hidden away near the Thames, 

while others are right under Londoners' noses. 

And there is one that is nestled 

in the shadow of one of the world's finest museums, 

right in the middle of one of the city's busiest roads,

The Natural History Museum's wildlife garden 

is a little green patch of peace and quiet, 

that is full of surprises and hidden adventures for the little ones. 

Every time we go to the NHM, 

after the obligatory visit to see the dinosaurs, 

the boy always asks to go to the 'secret garden'.  

You see, opening hidden compartments 

and searching for ancient fossils 

are pretty exciting things to do for a 4-year-old.

The Wildlife Garden, despite its rather small size, 

has plenty of  things for the little ones to discover: 

there is a Bee Tree, a tree trunk with an in-built beehive, 

and cupboards that reveal the different colours of the soil layers. 

The most impressive one though is the limestone slab 

with an Iguanodon's footprints that date back 140 million years. 

There is also a pond with beautiful water lilies 

and an adventurous stepping stones crossing,  

as well as a fenced meadow full of wildflowers. 

What's extraordinary 

is that this little garden in the heart of London 

is home to an impressive 2,600 species of fauna and flora.

From tadpoles and holy blue butterflies 

to foxes, blue tit birds, and bee orchids.

This is an invaluable place

to initiate children to the wonders of nature 

and make exploring and learning about the world around us 

so easy and so much fun.

In nutshell: a piece of natural heaven

in the heart of busy London.

The Wildlife Garden at the Natural History Museum

is open daily from the end of March to early November.

Entry is free. More info here.

Tiny Talk: Babies' Signing Classes

Every new parent knows the frustration 
of not being able to understand why their baby's crying. 

Do they want milk, a nap, a cuddle?
It's hard to know those first months. 

This is exactly what Tiny Talk, 
an awarded baby signing class, 
aims to resolve in a fun and very interactive way. 

Research shows that from as early as 6 to 9 months old, 

babies can begin to tell you what they want and how they feel. 

Since babies gain control of their hands 

much earlier than they start talking, 

baby signing can help them communicate, 

thus alleviating the frustration 

of not being able to get their message across. 

We attended the new Tiny Talk class in Fulham, 

taught by the lovely Linda,

and had a fantastic time of learning through fun. 

The hour long class focuses on a different set of words each time 

and the signs are integrated 

with the use of rhymes, songs, and toys. 

There are also plenty of sensory activities, 

like bubbles, tactile rubber shapes and voile scarves 

to encourage the little ones to develop their communications skills 

{the bubble machine is a firm favourite}. 

At the end, a certificate, followed by a round of applause, 

is handed to the babies who manage to sign a new sign, 

and lovely treats await babies and adults alike. 

In a nutshell: a fun and educative class 

for babies in SW London.

Tiny Talk classes in SW London: Putney, Fulham, Battersea and Balham, see more details here

Cost is £8 per class