NEW SERIES: T & G LOVES…

Welcome to the first instalment of T & G LOVES: a monthly round-up of treats, useful parenting kit, inspiring reads, pram-friendly hot spots, brands to covet and more.

Everything you find here has been tried and tested – they’re things I genuinely rate and readily recommend. I’ll also be flagging up some wish list items and my favourite social media accounts, which, crucially, speak sense and, even more crucially, go some way towards making my parenting days easier. Consider it an Aladdin’s Cave of the practical, the whimsical and the a-little-less-ordinary – a place for inspiration, a spot of virtual window shopping or (heck, why not) a reason to splash out…

LETTERS TO LOVE… LOVELY INK
Back in the early mummy-ing days of broken sleep and cluster feeds, iPhone glued to hand as a porthole to the goings on in the outside world, I stumbled across Lovely Ink on Instagram. Emma, a talented illustrator, mum of two and owner of this unique online store, creates a stunning collection of modern brushstroke prints, hand painted ink illustrations and milestone flash cards. You may remember I looked to her when putting the finishing touches to Teddy’s nursery at Christmas, and she’s since been my go-to for thoughtful personalised gifts.

Her monochrome style is what lured me, but I’ve fallen even more deeply for her brand new coloured letter paintings. Available in a choice of dusky pink, vintage peach, teal, putty grey or blue and brought to life with a smattering of gold or silver stardust, Emma hand paints initials with the option to personalise with a line penned at the bottom. Just stunning. I ordered an unframed A5 painting in teal for a little project I’m working on for Teddy’s first birthday, but you could size up to A4 or even A3 and add on a frame so it arrives ready to display.
Priced from £17.99

BABY-SOFT COTTONS… OSKOE
I’m always on the hunt for something unique that doesn’t blow the budget and increasingly I find myself veering away from the high street, re-routing to independent online boutiques. One such shop I return to time and again is Oskoe, an achingly stylish collection of toys, nursery furniture and the softest organic baby textiles I’ve come across (I put in a bulk order of their Cam Cam Copenhagen muslins and swaddles when Teddy was a newborn).

Everything fits neatly on the Scandi scale – muted hues, beautifully hand-crafted wooden toys designed to last a lifetime… Nothing is plastic, garish or banging out the same old tinny tune. Refreshing. A perfect pit stop for gifts and luxuries for little ones.

ON MY READING LIST… ASK ME HIS NAME BY ELLE WRIGHT
Elle Wright has experienced unimaginable heartache. Despite a healthy pregnancy and uncomplicated birth, her beautiful baby boy Teddy passed away at just three days old. Her experience of empty-armed motherhood and her trailblazing work to give volume to a conversation that, until recently, has been stuck on mute has manifested in this, her first book – a personal account of learning to live and laugh again after loss.

I started following Elle’s blog, Feathering The Empty Nest, shortly after my own Teddy was born – drawn in by her frank and unfiltered account of living life without her son, her incredible positivity and her unwavering determination to keep his legacy alive. I have such admiration for this lady – she’s given hope to others who have lost their babies and an understanding to people like me who want to learn more. Now soon to be bound in hardback, her story will reach and undoubtedly resonate with an even wider audience. I can’t wait for my copy to arrive.

You can pre-order Ask Me His Name on Amazon now, ahead of its release on 6 September.

PUTTING THE ‘WE’ IN WEANING… @PEAANDTHEPOD
I’ve written before about how, initially, I struggled to see the fun among the faff of weaning. And if I’m honest, some days I still do – trying to strike a balance between being prepared for the week without spending hours in the kitchen (no, we still don’t have a freezer; sigh). But since a friend recommended I seek out @peaandthepod on Instagram, menu prep has become both streamlined and more varied. Georgina Hayden, the food writer and mum behind the account, knows first hand the benefits of cooking one delicious meal for the whole family to enjoy. But more than that, she knows how to make it a success. Her recipes are simple enough for a busy parent to whip up with one eye on their babe and are a vibrant break from the bland/‘now add pureed pear’ ideas found in many a weaning recipe book – think Thai fish curry; red lentil, coconut and spinach daal; a no-added-sugar showstopper of a birthday cake… There’s so much temptation crammed into the squares of her feed, and the dishes I’ve recreated at home set all of our mouths watering.


FAMILY DAY OUT (WITH A DOG)… RUTLAND WATER
With family spread far and wide, arranging a get-together can often be a logistical nightmare – searching for somewhere halfway-ish that’s dog friendly, suitable for youngsters of varying ages (but won’t drive the adults nuts) and not too weather dependant. Rutland Water in the East Midlands ticked all boxes on a recent gathering with my sister-in-law and her two boys (aged 7 and 3). There’s plenty to entertain here – miles of pram-friendly paths to explore on foot or on two wheels should you choose to hire a bike, miniature golf, a bug zoo and a watersports centre offering lessons in canoeing and the likes. There’s even a water park that claims to be home to the UK’s largest inflatable slide. As we were greeted with 40mph wind when we visited, we stayed on solid ground and enjoyed a blast of fresh air walking beside the water, rounded off with a trip to the large playground.

You could easily fill a whole day here but should you choose to move on, nearby Oakham – a pretty market town lined with boutiques and eateries – is worth scouting out. We had a fabulous lunch at The Lord Nelson – a gastro pub with a menu designed to please and enough space for the kids (and Harper the dog) to make themselves at home.

Camping with two under two

Mention camping and you’ll either be met with enthusiasm from those who love it, or raised eyebrows from others who deem illogical the concept of sleeping under canvas and (deep breath) public shower rooms.

Mention camping with a nine-month-old baby and an adolescent pup, and those raised eyebrows reach skyscraper heights. ‘Are you mad?’ one friend asked with genuine concern when I revealed our plans to spend three nights in a tent on the Cornish coast.


I had my reservations, too. You see, I sit on the fence when it comes to the two aforementioned outlooks on pitching up. Generally, my preference is to stay somewhere with four walls, a squishy bed and Molton Brown toiletries. But I do love the outdoors.

Our track history for camping isn’t great, though.

When Mr R and I ventured to the Lake District as teens on our first couples camping trip, it was a car crash affair – claustrophobia took hold of me shortly after settling into bed (so many zips, so little space), resulting in a night spent with the tent flung open and a fight against frostbite.

On our second under the stars experiment (this time in an eight-man tent – just the right amount of room for two of us) we had a break in. We awoke to find a horse inside the tent, blithely helping herself to our Rich Tea biscuits.

So, you know, my expectations of how this trip would go erred at the low end of the success scale.

But it was BRILLIANT! Teddy slept through each night (a first), Cornwall turned on its sunshine charm and there are no incidents to report other than we possibly overdid it on the clotted cream ice cream.

WHERE WE STAYED
We made Tristram Campsite in Polzeath our base for the weekend – a truly idyllic spot perched on a cliff overlooking the beach (which is great for surfers but sadly not dog-friendly peak season). It’s just a short stroll down into the town where you’ll find plenty of places to eat and a shop to stock up on provisions for cooking up tent-side at sunset.

You’re right on the coastal path here. A half-mile walk leads to a secluded (dog friendly) cove with lots of rock pools to explore. Walk a little further and you’ll reach the sandy expanse of Daymer Bay, then continue over the dunes to reach upmarket Rock on the east side of the Camel Estuary. From here you can catch the ferry over to pretty Padstow (a must) – a foodie place buzzing with chatter and music, and one that smells as delicious as it looks. We couldn’t resist following our noses to Rick Stein’s fish and chip restaurant for a late lunch in the shipyard.

WHAT WE PACKED

• TENT – a given. I know very little about what makes a good one other than I like them big (see above). Ours is a poled Vango, bought around six years ago. I did get tent envy when I saw other seasoned campers with the new inflatable models, and after a bit of faff pitching ours I have my eye on one of those for next summer.
• KAMPA AIRLOCK JUNIOR AIRBED. A bubblegum pink one, which I’m sure Ted will love taking to sleepovers in years to come. The raised sides meant there was no risk of him rolling out, and him sleeping through the night speaks volumes for its comfort.   
• LAYERS. It reached 25C during the day, but at night the temperature dropped considerably and I found myself lumping layers on to Ted to keep him toasty – a sleepsuit, grow bag, blanket, a spare sleeping bag… Better to have too many than not enough.
• WASHING UP BOWL – for al fresco bath time for Ted! We had to bend his legs like a chicken to squeeze him in, but he just about fit and loved it.

Travelling with a baby (part 3) – holiday hacks to keep the peace

You’ve packed the essentials – staying within your luggage allowance – and you’ve made it to the airport with time to spare.

High fives all round!

Now there’s just the small matter of staying cool and collected while you navigate security (a test even sans child), surviving the flight every first-time-travelling-with-a-baby parent dreads, and making your family holiday memorable for all the right reasons…