T&G LOVES…

Welcome back to T & G LOVES: a place for inspiration, a spot of virtual window shopping or an excuse to splash out…

Everything you find here has been tried and tested – they’re things I genuinely rate and readily recommend. So come on in, take a look around! And if you have any recommendations of products or places to add to my own wish list or to review here, do get in touch.

This month I’m sharing some old favourites and new discoveries…

BOOTS MADE FOR WALKING… FRED & NOAH
Teddy now spends much of his day on his feet, or demanding to be propped up so he can stomp around the house as if in a hurry to be somewhere. While he hasn’t quite mastered the balance needed to walk unaided, he’s close enough to have set me off scouring the shops for some sturdy but not clunky shoes. Enter Fred & Noah – a gorgeous online boutique selling stylish clothing and footwear for children. The shoe collection is like nothing else I’ve found in my search – a blend of leather and suede Chelsea boots in an array of designs. I opted for this black leather pair in a bid to choose something that will go with anything, but I’ll be back for a pair in grey and mustard and that awesome zebra print.

The quality exceeds the price tag, and the rubber sole is soft enough that Teddy doesn’t drag his feet as if wearing shackles. Move quickly and you may catch the last of the summer sale…

TOY TIDY… TELLKIDDO PAPER SACKS
Okay, so spending £14 on a paper bag may seem bonkers (Mr R thought I’d lost the plot when I did exactly that at Christmas). BUT these Tellkiddo sacks are so durable, have great capacity to store toys of myriad shapes and sizes and they’re reusable, folding away to almost nothing. I’ve been stuffing Teddy’s toys into the one in our nursery for nine months now and it’s still as good as new. I may even have another on order to hide away the amount of baby ‘stuff’ we are continuing to amass… There are lots of fun designs to choose from, and I like to think buying these sacks over a traditional plastic toy box goes a little way towards us being a more eco-friendly household.

CLOSE TO HEART… MERMAIDS AND DINOSAURS
Hand-crafted, excellent quality and wonderfully individual, this 14 carat gold mini disc initial necklace is a gorgeous way to keep loved ones close. Mine was a (gently influenced) gift from Mr R for my birthday back in April, and I’ve worn it every day since. You can add up to four discs with your choice of letters – I opted to have Teddy’s and Mr R’s first initials stamped onto mine. But you could size up to ‘midi’ and have space for a full name or favourite phrase.
Available in silver, gold and rose gold; priced from £22.50 

UNWIND… SEVEN SEVENTEEN
I came across this mood-boosting brand while pregnant with Teddy – when lighting a candle and tuning into Chill FM was (and, actually, still is) my idea of the perfect Friday night in. The brainchild of two mums seeking something to help them relax when their children had gone to bed around 7:17pm (get it?), each Seven Seventeen candle provides a soothing scent and cheering slogan that will ring true with everyone, children or no children. My favourites? Fresh linen ‘Peace (At Last)’ and Moroccan rose ‘Hello Calm’.
Priced from £16

KEEP IT SASSY… MUTHA.HOOD
There are times when wearing your heart on your sleeve feels like exactly the right thing to do. And if you’re going to do it, you may as well bring along the sass. Mutha.Hood has you covered with a unique collection of statement tees, sweats, accessories and this sweet baby vest for little ladies that mean business. It’s my new go-to store for gifts to big up all the brilliant women in my life. 

When I became a mother…

Before Teddy was born I had very few expectations for the sort of mother I’d become. I was never really the clucky type, always a little awkward around the children of others and quick to retreat at an offer to hold a newborn for fear of doing it wrong.

But I so desperately wanted a baby to call my own – to unleash some semblance of maternal instinct (surely I had something to work off?) and give motherhood my best shot.


I was excited. I knew that it would be an adventure. That with every hiccup would come a life lesson. If I came up short, I’d do my utmost to get better.

I lacked the self-confidence of some expectant mums. There was no plan. I made no pledges to be a calm/strict/eco mum. I was just going to be me (ideally the good version – the one that stressed less often).

Mr R and I took a punt in deciding the best way to prepare was to not prepare at all – no books, no secret Mumsnet scrolling. Looking at it from the other side now, it was the perfect approach for us to take. Because it’s impossible to draw up a blueprint of the type of parents we’ll be until we’re knee-deep in the moment. Nothing compares.

The first time I saw Teddy’s face, it was as if his image had been locked in my mind all along. He looked so familiar. I vividly remember lifting him up out of the water to cradle him in my arms and feeling so at ease with him. So complete. Our missing piece was here. And I realised then that I became a mother long before his birth – that instinct I feared was lacking had been there since the moment I found out I was pregnant. Because since that day I had never been alone – there had been another life to put first, to love and nurture. And that is all being a mum requires.

Our life before parenthood is becoming an ever distant memory (I say this with a smile not a grimace – we were ready for change). There have been more tears and tantrums than there once were, a few heated tete-a-tetes… We’ve been tested beyond measure but have loved unconditionally. Perspectives have fallen into focus, sleep continues to elude us and what was already a happy family unit feels stronger than ever.

Next month, our fluffy-haired bundle turns one. The baby years are short, tearing by at breakneck speed. But with every last time comes a first to celebrate (our final breastfeed was marched out with Teddy’s first proper assisted steps). Still, I’ve had a few weepy moments this week, finally getting around to packing away his newborn clothes, catching my breath at how much he’s grown – how we’ve managed to raise such a happy, vibrant child (against all odds…?). Each day I look at him I think I can’t possibly love him any more, knowing that tomorrow I somehow will.

I’m immensely proud of what Mr R and I have achieved and what Teddy has taught us. And as the final pages of this first chapter reach their conclusion, I’m eager to see what the next has in store for our little gang. First on the agenda: a new life in the country (more on that to follow…).

Motherhood is intense, testing and utterly spellbinding, and it has taught me more about my own self than I ever could have imagined. It’s a gift for which I will forever be grateful.