NBOTB - New Baby on the Blog

Season’s Greetings - Vœux de bonnes fêtes

2011-12-29T12:41:00.000-08:00

Season’s Greetings

Bestwishes from our jolly house. This year we’ve aimed formaximum security for our tree, and our little 14 months old boy, so the treewent way at the top of our triangular shaped shelf.

We then used home-madebaubles, Father Christmas drawings by our 3 ½ boy, star shaped ornaments byKate, from Katescottage,and a few more baubles and tinsel :)

Vœux de bonnes fêtes

Meilleursvœux de notre joyeuse maison. Cette année, nous avons opté pour le maximum desécurité pour notre sapin, et notre petit garçon de 14 mois, en mettant lesapin tout en haut de notre étagère triangulaire.

Nousavons ensuite utilisé des boules de Noël fait-maison, des dessins de Papa Noëlpar notre fils de 3 ans ½, des étoiles décoratives par Kate, de Katescottage, et quelques boules deNoël et guirlandes :)

Homemade baubles (yes socks come in handy here!!!)

Stars from Katescottage

Drawings by 3 1/2 year old son Dazaï

Our lampshade is purely decorative the whole year'round :)

Homemade baubles

Dazaï's take on Father Christmas -2

Dazaï's take on Father Christmas -1

Multicoloured dromedary

2011-09-13T13:54:00.000-07:00

With a little help from my 3 year-old, a very colourful dromedary appeared this afternoon

He's standing!!! Sanji, 8 1/2 months old

2011-07-11T03:59:00.000-07:00

Nap and bedtime tips - From author Elizabeth Pantley

2011-06-12T01:47:00.000-07:00

I have twoboys aged (nearly) 3, and (nearly) 8 months old.

Recently,naptimes and bedtimes had become hellish with my 3 year old. It was up to 2hour long battles to get a measly half an hours rest out of him, and exhaustingfor us, stressful for all!!! Night-time bedtime did sometimes not occur untilafter 11. Part of it was us imagining that he’s just a little sleeper and doesn’tneed that much sleep. I was envying Mums of same age kids who were asking to goto bed at 8pm !!!

On theother hand, my 8 month old, still breastfed, was also living “his own rhythm”and staying up late, sleeping at irregular times, and same for meals, evensince we’ve started introducing foods.

At the beginningof last week I started looking for solutions in my child education books anddecided to take action. And then I got an email from Elizabeth Pantley, successfulauthor to a whole range of “no-cry solutions” for babies and children. I’m atest parent for some of her research for new books. And this was just the digestthat I needed to implement the new changes. I have pasted below the informationas I got it, and highlighted in green the parts which really struck a cord forme. Whilst I am still putting in place these changes, I regularly refer tothese tips in order for it to all become natural.

RESULT!

In lessthen a week, my toddler Dazaï is going to bed between 8 and 9, with 8 being thefavored time. He responds very well and with all the right bedtime triggers –pulling the curtains to dim the lights, brushing his teeth, enough time on thepotty, a story, a song, little side light… I suppose we were resisting whatseems like “slavery” to all these rituals, but to be honest if we are going tohave a happier child, I don’t mind putting in the necessary efforts. Theseearly years are crucial for their development and will be gone in the blink ofan eye anyway.

My babySanji is now having breakfast/lunch and supper, a couple of feeds from me, upto three, but most notably not being breastfed to fall asleep. He wakes up acouple of times at night but falls asleep again.

We are all feeling more peaceful.

And THANKFUL for the much needed improvements !!!

Eight Sleep Tips for Every Child

Tips from The No-Cry Discipline Solution

Lack of sleep affects every minute of every day for every person in the family because lack of sleep isn't just about being tired. Sleep has a role in everything -- dawdling, temper tantrums, hyperactivity, growth, health, and even learning to tie his shoes and recite the ABCs. Sleep affects everything. The following ideas are of value to almost any sleeper, of any age. These tips can bring improvement not only in your child's sleep, but also in her daytime mood and last, but not least - improvements in your own sleep and outlook as well.

# 1 Maintain a consistent bedtime and awaking time.

Your child's biological clock has a strong influence on her wakefulness and sleepiness. When you establish a set time for bedtime and wake up time you "set" your child's clock so that it functions smoothly. Aim for an early bedtime. Young children respond best with a bedtime between 6:30 and 7:30 P.M. Most children will sleep better and longer when they go to bed early.

# 2 Encourage regular daily naps.

Daily naps are important. An energetic child can find it difficult to go through the day without a rest break. A nap-less child will often wake up cheerful and become progressively fussier or hyper-alert as the day goes on. Also, the length and quality of naps affects night sleep - good naps equal better night sleep.

# 3 Set your child's biological clock.

Take advantage of your child's biology so that he's actually tired when bedtime arrives. Darkness causes an increase in the release of the body's sleep hormone -- the biological "stop" button. You can align your child's sleepiness with bedtime by dimming the lights during the hour before bedtime. Exposing your child to morning light is pushing the "go" button in her brain - one that says, "Time to wake up and be active." So keep your mornings bright!

# 4 Develop a consistent bedtime routine.

Routines create security. A consistent, peaceful bedtime routine allows your child to transition from the motion of the day to the tranquil state of sleep. An organized routine helps you coordinate the specifics: bath, pajamas, tooth-brushing. It helps you to function on auto-pilot at the time when you are most tired and least creative.

# 5 Create a cozy sleep environment.

Where your child sleeps can be a key to quality sleep. Make certain the mattress is comfortable, the blankets are warm, the room temperature is right, pajamas are comfy, and the bedroom is welcoming.

# 6 Provide the right nutrition.

Foods can affect energy level and sleepiness. Carbohydrates can have a calming effect on the body, while foods high in protein or sugar generate alertness, particularly when eaten alone. A few ideas for pre-bed snacks are: whole wheat toast and cheese, bagel and peanut butter, oatmeal with bananas, or yogurt and low-sugar granola. Vitamin deficiencies due to unhealthy food choices can affect a child's sleep. Provide your child with a daily assortment of healthy foods in three meals plus several snacks for health and good sleep.

# 7 Help your child to be healthy and fit.

Many children don't get enough daily physical activity. Too much TV watching and a lack of activity prevents good sleep. Children who get ample daily exercise fall asleep more quickly, sleep better, stay asleep longer, and wake up feeling refreshed. Avoid activity in the hour before bedtime though, since exercise is stimulating - they'll be jumping on the bed instead of sleeping in it!

# 8 Teach your child how to relax.

Many children get in bed but aren't sure what to do when they get there! It can help to follow a soothing pre-bed routine that creates sleepiness. A good pre-bed ritual is story time. A child who is listening to a parent read a book or tell a tale will tend to lie still and listen. This quiet stillness allows him to become sleepy. Work with these eight ideas and you'll see improvements in your child's sleep, and in your sleep, too.

Excerpted with permission by McGraw-Hill from The No-Cry Sleep Solution for Toddlers & Preschoolers

Click here to go to Elizabeth Pantley's website

7 month 1/2 Sanji

2011-06-02T15:13:00.000-07:00

Following Sanji's 6 month old yoga moves in my previous post,

here's his next funky attitude!

Head down, bottom up :)

Sorry I've posted all the pictures,
I just couldn't single any out !!!

Yogi baby

2011-04-16T13:22:00.000-07:00

Six month old Sanji boy is practising hard at nibbling his toes!

Theeting is getting on his nerves and he'll chew on anything he can.

Lucky him he's supple enough!!!

By the lake

2011-03-06T14:37:00.000-08:00

We had a lovely walk by thelake this afternoon. Our little boy hada great time. He didn’t stop running. And loved throwing pebbles in the water.

Brotherly LOVE

2011-02-18T06:45:00.000-08:00

Valentine'sDay reminds me that there is love everywhere and everyday.

We are witnessing it regularly in our home with Dazaï (2 ½) and his littlebrother Sanji (3 months ½).

Afew other pictures made their way in this selection a little outside of the “brotherly”part of the theme, but the “love” part is still very much there.

Cuddle attack

Dazaï is being very careful not to take up too much space.

Sanji will put up a fight to get hold of a finger to chew on ...


My little sister Gloria LOVES the boys too... Cute how Dazaï is stroking Sanji's hand

Sanji looking very exotic !!!

Cuddle time, we do that a lot

The picture of the end is for surprised Sanji in his oriental style

Easy toddler shoe storage solution

2011-02-12T16:25:00.000-08:00

I was about to get shot ofthis bottle box when a thought crossed my mind.
What about putting my 2 ½ yearolds shoes in it?
Let’s give it a try!
And hey presto it worked!!!

Everyday...

2011-02-10T16:51:00.000-08:00

Feels like this was written just for me and describes my little boys to a T ;)

Birds

2011-02-01T15:29:00.000-08:00

Did you know that February is National Bird Feeding Day?

Read up more about it on the Etsy blog here

I like this passage:

" When I’m indoors so much at this time of year, my head in a book or my eyes glued to my computer, there is nothing like a red bird against a white background to sharpen my senses and remind me that the natural world is still fresh and alive, right in my own backyard. "

Baby Sanji’s three months old !!!

2011-01-22T07:05:00.000-08:00

Happy 3 month birthday toour cute little boy, here’s a picture of him peacefully asleep, smiling a lot,and looking surprised (he likes that look) ;)

Hand-made Christmas gifts

2011-01-06T17:28:00.000-08:00

I’m cheating a bit here byputting the link to two posts on my textile design blog.

I wanted to share hereabout the gifts that I made for my friends and family at Christmas.

It tooksuch a long time to make everything, I just HAVE to brag about it now ;)

Patchwork lavenderbags and shirt bibs

Jersey cotton scarves with a hand design

Baby Sanji’s second blanket

2010-12-23T14:39:00.000-08:00

After making a 60 x 60 cmblanket for my little baby, I felt I needed another bigger one. It’s the sizeabove (70 x 70 cm) and also made with lots of recycled textiles. Backing inFairtrade handwoven cotton. This will bea great one for the Spring when we start spending time outdoors and he needssomething nice to lie on.

I’ve posted a few moredetailed pictures on my other blog here.

Fig Tart

2010-12-15T13:46:00.000-08:00

I’m going through my laptop andclearing the hard drive and copying as much as possible onto an externaldrive. One never knows when one’s computer might crash and loose a whole lot ofprecious data!

During my big cleanup I came acrossthis pretty picture of one of my husband’s tarts. A beautiful fig tart made inSeptember with beautiful hand-picked figs. I miss the fig season. They are sodelicious!!!

Baby's new cotton jacket

2010-11-29T05:59:00.000-08:00

Here’s a lovely little cotton jacket for mynewborn.

The knitting kit was a birthday gift from myfriend Becca.

As I’m not very good / patient enough at knitting,I asked an expert to help:

So thanks to my Mum for her work !

Here’s the result modelled by baby Sanji (born on 22ndoctober 10).

My new baby’s blanket

2010-11-11T15:09:00.000-08:00

Alittle blanket to keep my new baby nicely covered up.

Istarted making it on the night I went into labour!

I thenworked on it a little whilst in hospital, hand stitching little bits and pieceswhen my newborn was asleep.

Andfinally finished it tonight, 3 weeks later to the day.

Madefrom recycled textiles, with plenty of hand stitching.

Doesn't my new little one look all nice and warm
and snug in his new blanket?

My one-week-old baby's first smile!!!

2010-10-29T17:14:00.000-07:00

Here’s thevery first picture I’ve managed to take of our newborn Sanji smiling.

In French it’scalled “sourire aux anges” – “smiling at angels”.

It’s quite poetic.

I wonder if there’s a similar saying for this in English

Our second Baby - Sanji

2010-10-26T15:43:00.000-07:00

Welcome toour lovely new boy

Sanji

Born onFriday 22nd October 2010 at 12.34 pm in Montpellier – France

He arrived acouple of weeks earlier then expected at a healthy 3.2kg, and 51 cm high!

Liste de naissance Sanji ... Baby Sanji wishlist

2010-10-16T08:00:00.000-07:00

Bonjour,nous sommes impatients de démarrer notre nouvelle vie avec Sanji!

Nous avonsvêtements, jouets et peluches en quantité ! Nous avons une préférence pourle bio / naturel, et les jouets en bois ou tissu! Les liens que nous avonsinclus sont pour vous aider si vous ne savez pas où trouver l’article que vousavez choisi. En pied de page il y a des liens vers des sites qu’on vousrecommande aussi.

Mercid’avance pour votre cadeau !

Laissez un commentaire en bas de page avec le cadeau choisi pourqu’on puisse remettre à jour la liste - ou envoyez moi un email!

UN OBJET BARRé EST DéJA CHOISI PAR QUELQU'UN D'AUTRE ;)

Nous avons hate de vous présenter notre petit Sanji !

Sheshanna, Nicolas et Dazaï

1	Attaches pour fixer les langes x 10	€ 2,00	LIEN
2	~~Baignoire Shantala~~	~~€ 18,90~~	~~LIEN~~
3	Biberons inox / acier / verre	€ 19,00	LIEN
4	~~Bottines Bébé en Peau d'Agneau 6-12 mois~~	~~€ 22,90~~	~~LIEN~~
5	Brosse pour peau d’agneau	€ 18,90	LIEN
6	CD pour baby Baby Blues	€ 23,00	LIEN
7	Collants bio 3-6 ou 6-12 mois	€ 12,00	LIEN
8	~~Collier d'ambre~~	~~€ 14,90~~	~~LIEN~~
9	Couverts en bois, corne, ou autre matériaux naturels	€ 6,00	LIEN
10	~~Langes a nouer coton bio x 10~~	~~€ 10,90~~	~~LIEN~~
11	~~Matelas à langer/change~~	~~€ 33,90~~	~~LIEN~~
12	~~Peau d'agneau lavable min 65cm long~~	~~€ 44,90~~	~~LIEN~~
13	~~Rehausseur universel de chaise~~	~~€ 34,90~~	~~LIEN~~
14	~~Rétroviseur de surveillance~~	~~€ 8,45~~	~~LIEN~~
15	Seau de conservation pour couches lavables	€ 15,90	LIEN
16	~~Shampoing baby 250ml ou 1L~~	~~€ 4,40~~	~~LIEN~~
17	Shampoing pour peau d'agneau	€ 5,90	LIEN
18	Tapis de sol a mettre sous la chaise haute pour les repas
19	Les couches lavables C. Beneytout Livres	€ 5,00	LIEN
20	~~Le quotidien avec mon enfant, un environnement adapté aux jeunes enfants Jeannette Toulemonde~~	~~€ 18,05~~	~~LIEN~~

Hello, we are impatient to start our new life with Sanji !

We have clothing, toys and soft toys in big quantities already! We have apreference for organic or natural products, and wood or textile toys! The linkswe’ve included are there to help you if you don’t know where to find yourchoice of item. At the bottom of the page we’ve also recommended a fewwebsites.

Thank you by advance for your gift!

Post a comment below (or send me an email) with the present that you havechosen so that we can update the list.

A BARRED ITEM HAS ALREADY BEEN CHOSEN BY SOMEONE ELSE ;)

We look forward to introducing our little Sanji to you!

xxx Sheshanna, Nicolas and Dazaï

1	Nappi Nippa x 10	£ 4,50	LINK
2	~~Tummy Tub~~	~~£ 18,99~~	~~LINK~~
3	Stainless steel baby bottle
4	~~Sheepskin slippers (6-12 mths in chestnut)~~	~~£ 20,00~~	~~LINK~~
5	Sheepskin brush
6	Baby CD	£ 14,98	LINK
7	Organic cotton tights any colour	£ 4,00	LINK
8	~~Amber teething necklace~~	~~£ 15,99~~	~~LINK~~
9	Wooden baby cuttlery
10	Muslin squares x 10	£ 18,00	LINK
11	~~Changing mat~~	~~£ 18,00~~	~~LINK~~
12	~~Baby Sheepskin washable~~	~~£ 42,00~~	~~LINK~~
13	~~Chair Harness~~	~~£ 9,99~~	~~LINK~~
14	Clip-On Car Mirror
15	Nappy bucket	£ 10,99	LINK
16	~~Organic Shampoo and Bodywash~~	~~£ 4,00~~	~~LINK~~
17	Sheepskin shampoo	£ 8,00	LINK
18	Mess mat	£ 8,99	LINK
19	Les couches lavables C. Beneytout Livres	€ 5,00	LINK
20	~~Le quotidien avec mon enfant, un environnement adapté aux jeunes enfants Jeannette Toulemonde~~	~~€ 18,05~~	~~LINK~~

SITES FRANCE	WEBSITES UK
BRINDILLES
TERRALANA	BEBECO
BEBE AU NATUREL	GREEN BABY
BEBEOTOP	NATURAL BABY SHOWER
NATILOO	SPIRIT OF NATURE

Why African Babies Don't Cry

2010-10-13T16:21:00.000-07:00

I found this very interesting article by J. Claire K. Niala - a mother, osteopath & writer based in Nairobi, Kenya.

She starts off by explaining that whilst in the UK at the begining of her pregnancy, she read everywhere that Africanbabies cried less than European babies. She then went on to observe this when she returned to Kenya after having sold up in the UK. She noticed that it was culturally accepted in the UK that babies cry, but not in Kenya, where if they do, something must be wrong.

And so she goes on to explain the differences between the care given to UK babies, and to Kenyan babies, and how the answer rests mainly in breastfeeding.

I am really in agreement with a lot of the things that she explains and I really recommend reading the full article :

Why African Babies Don't Cry:
An African Perspective

by Claire Niala

Parenting tip?

2010-10-06T13:49:00.000-07:00

“Do as I say, not as I do” does not work when creating eating habits. If the parents in the house are eating pizza and drinking soda it’s unlikely the children will be having chicken, brown rice and vegetables!"
Dixit Elizabeth Pantley - see link at the bottom of the page

Organic Juice: Five Tips for Serving Your Baby

2010-09-27T13:11:00.000-07:00

Organic Juice: FiveTips for Serving Your Baby

I’ve found this very informativearticle about minimising the sugar intake for your baby when giving him/her fruit juice. It’s from the great website Organic Baby Resource – Nurture your babywith nature in mind.

I especially agreed with the following excerpts:

• “ Minimize the amount of juice given to babies under one and stickwith milk and water for as long as possible.”

• “...beware of juice with 0 grams of sugar. It likely has an artificialsweetener such as sucralose or Splenda. I believe givingyour child some natural sugar is better than exposing them to artificalsweeteners.”

• “Another way to minimize sugar naturally is to add filtered water toyour toddler's juice before serving. I often do this with organic apple juiceand orange juice because it's hard to find them with less than 25 g of sugar.One part water to two or three parts juice usually does the trick.”

• “ Making juice allows me to keep the ingredients as simple aspossible, minimize sugar and sneak (I mean add) a serving or two of vegetables,such as organic or spinach or carrot to my daughter's diet.”

I can only recommend reading the full article and taking those tips intoaccount.

I personally didn’t introduce any liquids until my son was 6 or 7 monthsold, as he was exclusively breastfed until then. I weaned him at 21 months. Wedidn’t give him any fruit juice up until roughly a year and a half, always (andstill) diluted - even at 26 months-old. Our son only recently discovered hotchocolate or sirup, and gets a half-bottle of when he asks for it, but he’s so reasonableI don’t ever have to monitor or restrict him. Meal times are 99% plain water.But it’s the same for us, and we don’t feel like we are missing out onanything. He doesn’t even know how tosay Coca-cola yet! And I’m very proud of it!!!

Another thing: I never send my little one to bed with a bottle of juice,milk, or anything else then water, ornothing. And he lives with it perfectly well.

Click for the full article OrganicJuice: Five Tips for Serving Your BabyHERE.

PS click through HERE to see my latest TEXTILE CREATION

Modelling toddler 2, A bit of DIY

2010-09-26T15:29:00.000-07:00

Modelling toddler 2, A bit of DIY

Here’s my little boy modellingagain for the lovely boutique La Princesse au Petit Pois in the nearby town ofMontpellier. Alexandra designs beautifulclothes for the very young ones. She’s gone all retro this winter, which suitsmy little boy’s look quite well!

I’ve also been doing a bit of DIY.I pictured the whole progress from the plank of wood I had kept initially andstashed away for many months, to the finished and fitted Sewing thread and bobbinholder. I’d dreamed about it for a long time! All the pictures over on PieceUnique...

Handmade contest

2010-09-24T02:43:00.000-07:00

Handmade contest

I’m feeling a little heavy today !Week 35 of pregnancy has begun. My 26 month old is in daycare for the wholeday. We are still setting up his out of home care routine, which should be upand running (2 and ½ days per week) by the end of the month.

I had planned to do some lightwoodwork in the house today. However I’m just taking it easy for the momentallowing my body time to feel up to it. So I’ve started off with a blog postabout a Handmade Contest over on my bilingual textile creations blog PIECEUNIQUE. Here’s the post:

J'aime le fait-main - I love Handmade

I’ve also just recently changed thebanner of this blog and am very pleased with it! Here’s the previous one forthose who hadn’t seen it yet:

Modelling toddler, baby getting ready to arrive

2010-09-15T15:50:00.000-07:00

Modelling toddler,baby getting ready to arrive

So my two year old can be seenmodelling on both People Tree (well known UK based Fairtrade company) and ontheir winter paper catalogue! He looks a bit like a ruffian, but he’s OURlittle ruffian and we love him to bits! He’s also going to be taking the posefor a local kids boutique at the weekend. I expect those pictures will be quitedifferent – shot in studio, very classy babywear.

Number 2 is due in less then twomonths! Doesn’t he have a pouty lip already? I somehow expect him to have finedark straight hair and very dark eyes, in stark contrast with number 1

Dazaï

.This will be verified – or not – early November!

Herbal sun teas & simple syrups

2010-08-09T16:34:00.001-07:00

***

I wanted to share this great post from the Design Sponge website about making HERBAL SUN TEA.

I have to admit that I had never heard about this before but it seems so obvious when I read about it. Here’s a taster from the article:

“Making herbal sun tea couldn’t possibly be easier. Depending on what you’ve got on hand, or what moves you (do you like the refreshing chill of mint? the spice and heat of cardamom? the floral bouquet of lavender?), simply combine a handful of fresh herbs with water and set it out in the sun.”

Read more at Design*Sponge and enjoy making your own!!!

The Eat and Slide table

2010-08-08T15:24:00.000-07:00

The Eat and Slide table by Studio KLASS in Italy

Back from my lovely 4 day break withmy husband, 2 year old and 1year old dog.
Checking and sorting emails andtrying to organise myself for the upcoming week seems to be taking for EVER !

I found this fun table concept byItalian Design company Studio Klass.
It’s called the Eat & Slide table.

I don’t know how practical it is for everyday uses,
not to mention I don’t have the space to accommodate it at home,
but for littleone’s parties and events it’s just fab!!!

Off for a few days

2010-08-04T16:25:00.000-07:00

Finally we are having our first summer break. Packing our bags, preparing stuff for 2-year-old Dazaï, 1-year-old dog Sheeva, husband Nicolas and myself.

Looking forward to it! Catch up on Monday x

My two year old boy

2010-07-29T18:08:00.000-07:00

My "baby" has recently turned two.

Here he is modelling one of my designs of toddler’s jackets.

I found the perfect spot to take pictures:

the tomato patch.

I can’t say it was the safest for the partially unripe fruit,

as he picks them regardless.

He looks happy enough though,

he usually gets fed up of the modelling right from the word go!!!

Baby album cover

2010-07-15T13:41:00.000-07:00

Seeing as the mayor who married us gave us a big fat photo album, I didn’t see the point in making another smaller one with this book I was given. Rather I wanted to use it as a photo album for our son’s first month of existence. It’s a time where there are so many pictures of a newborn, and friends and relatives visiting. 100 pictures were actually hard to pick out!

So here’s my before and after. Before a wedding photo album, after, transformed with a little linen and sewing and printing...

Market shop Gignac

2010-07-04T13:40:00.000-07:00

Here’s another local market in the nearby town of Gignac. It’s a place you can get pretty much everything from locally grown fruit & vegs, garden plants, clothes for all ages, olives, bread, meat, fish, prepared dishes, ... get some live chicken too if you need them!

I love the feel of this market – it’s on every Saturday morning BTW .

Market shop

2010-07-01T03:33:00.000-07:00

This is what you can get at my local village market on a Thursday morning for 23.50 euros.

Cherries, cucumbers, lemons, oranges, apples, bread, pain au chocolat, apricots, peaches...

I thought I’d have that pain au chocolat for breakfast, but forget about that, I’m working my way through those cherries. The last of the season...

Recycled fabric stressballs

2010-06-27T16:51:00.000-07:00

I'm making a variety of textile balls at the moment. They are as relaxing to make as they are to fiddle about with once done. Hence my latest creation of a set of antistress fabric balls, all available on my Etsy online shop.

It’s not easy to find time with my very busy toddler. Also the sudden heat is making me really uncomfortable. I think I’m at a funny stage of the pregnancy where the baby is slowly finding its place and my body having to adjust completely now.

5 month baby number 2 scan

2010-06-25T06:35:00.000-07:00

Number two is coming along nicely. We’ve been for my 5 month scan this morning. He’s half a kilo and everything is looking perfect. His profile even looks like me already. Amazing what technology enables us to see! Number one was a bit restless after half an hour waiting for our appointment, but could have been worse. We’ll go without him for the next one. I could tell the Doctor was feeling a bit stressed out!
Here’s my big belly a couple of weeks ago. And my nearly two-year old yesterday!

Oldschool Child desk in need of a bit of love and fixing

2010-06-18T16:07:00.000-07:00

A friend of ours came by today to drop off this cool old desk. One of the seats is bashed in. It’s painted green (including all metalwork) with yellow flower shapes on it. But once the seat is fixed and I’ve sanded the paint a little it should be just fantastic as an outdoors desk for our nearly two-years old.

After his nap he discovered it and had a few hours of fun with it – had his afternoon tea on it, then a session of drawing, finished by a little bit of climbing...

My little seed collection

2010-06-10T15:40:00.001-07:00

I want to share my little tip for seed collecting. Simply collect the seeds when eating fruit, put them in a circular piece of tulle or gauze material, tie a piece of string around it and hang up to dry. I find it decorative as well as making sure that I’ll find the seeds when I need them.
Now, I have to move on to the next step, get them sprouting and plant them...

Spot the oddity

2010-06-07T08:39:00.000-07:00

Can you tell something slightly strange has snuck in this corner of my living room/ workshop. It had been raining and thundering a little outside in the day, nothing to hairy, and the living-room patio doors were open for some fresh air. When I got back to my sewing machine I could smell something damp and it took a little moment to figure out cheeky Sheeva (10 month old border collie who those NOT live in the house) has snuck in and peacefully gone to sleep by my sewing table. Shame her wet-dog smell gave her game away. She was out in no time!

My first baby rattle creation

2010-05-31T14:21:00.001-07:00

Here are a couple of pictures of a little gift that I have made for one-month old newborn Abel.
Using only recycled materials, from A to Z:
An empty food tin, a pair of tights, some pretty bird and plant cotton remnants, a bit of hand-stitching, and seeds inside for the rattle effect. Baby's Mum was delighted with it and is taking it back to Paris in her suitcase.
I'm planning on making some more, but the second attempt was a bit of a failure. I've was halfway through when I realised that I'd forgotten to put the seeds inside! That was a sign that really, it's time to go to bed for today! I'll try again tomorrow!

Computer glitch

2010-05-31T03:09:00.000-07:00

While tidying up and backing up on my computer late last night I got to an "interesting" stage: nothing whatsoever left on my computers hard drive. It was so late (5 am) I gave up and after a quick check on the external hard drive have an inkling that it's all safely there. Pictures and so on.

I'll have a proper check later on in the day when my husband is out taking a class for his driving licence, and when my toddler's in bed. I don't even want to think I might have lost 5 years of personal and work stuff. It's just not possible, or is it???

Weekend visit

2010-05-25T08:22:00.001-07:00

I am “winding down” from a long weekend visit from a very lovely friend from London – she is also my 22 month-old’s godmother.

I’ve got a few sewing projects on the go, basically a box full of them, but didn’t fit in much of the hand sewing I was planning to do around a cup of tea – or glass of wine – while catching up with her! Chilling out is a relative notion when one has an active toddler reacting near-hysterically to his first antibiotic treatment, and a 10 month-old puppy entering what seems like her teenage phase of over-excitement!

The weather has been fantastic and we fitted in a few nice activities like a bit of yoga –pregnancy yoga for me, abundant fruit breakfast in the garden, morning walk or even an amazing home-prepared vegetarian sushi meal.

As little Dazaï was trying on Saori’s shoes she decided to have a go at trying his too

Sewing quite a bit

2010-05-17T16:35:00.000-07:00

***
Busy times at the moment!

Since my husband broke his collarbone nearly three weeks ago I've been juggling with the household/ shopping / cooking / toddler / trying to start a new job / early stages of pregnancy. It's been a tad too hectic at times.

... But ... my husband is getting better; pregnancy progressing nicely (nearly 4 months in so the nausea and tiredness is slowly giving way to some renewed energy, "baby 2" is 10cm already); our toddler is happily learning new words; and I've managed to do a bit of creative sewing recently, since deciding not to take on the 25 hour job I was trying to fit in to my schedule. Too bad for the money, I'll just have to make it up with my sewing!!!

So here's the part where I plug for my recent work:

Have a look at my sewing blog or my Etsy shop if you are looking for anything special for yourself or someone you love!!!

http://www.sheshanna.blogspot.com

http://www.Pieceunique.etsy.com

I hope you like what you see

and thanks for visiting!!!

Crib made from scrapwood

2010-04-12T09:00:00.000-07:00

I find this crib amazing!

It's by Dutch designer Piet Hein Eek

Back from holiday

2010-04-05T09:00:00.000-07:00

I've been back since nearly a week now.
It was lovely to get away for a couple of weeks.
My little one enjoyed the break despite getting a bit ratty the last couple of days. He seemed a little unsettled for another couple of days after our return but is back to his usual happy self now.
We had lots of walks in the woods and did a fair amount of flower picking.
Here's a picture to remember our break by!

Vacation mode

2010-03-17T09:00:00.000-07:00

I'm off in a couple of hours to spend a few days with a couple of friends + 2 little kiddies, not far from Paris.
I'm looking forward to the change! My first holiday in years actually!
Planning on sleeping a lot!
Little one coming with me of course!!!
Have a good week / 10 days

Angry with self – loosing a banknote

2010-03-10T09:00:00.000-08:00

I cannot believe how unlucky we are with money and it’s been going on since the Autumn. First we lost 2 months of rent from our little village house while we were looking for tenants.

It wasn’t lost as the house needed some important electrical and plumbing work. The work was finished in time for when we found our new tenants – a very young couple with a tiny baby, no income, but whom I had a good feeling about – they seemingly fell in love with the house and the village (the house is in the heart of the village). A positive issue to work which ended up costing the equivalent of two months of our own rent...

In December, Hubby dear had money held back on his wages, to pay for wines he’d purchased through his work since the summer. That was equivalent to another month of our rent.

Then came the tax bill for the house we live in – another months rent...

And that’s ONLY for the biggies...

I’ve used up most of my savings just to stay in the green, which is quite dispiriting to say the least.

But just to top this, I’ve lost a banknote, and not a little one – 100 euros!!! I’ve been looking everywhere, wracking my brain, searching the same places over and over again, to no luck, for the last three days. I’m thinking about a cut-off point when I just write it off and move on to something else. Ahem that’s what I did about my ID card over a year ago in the hope I’d stumble on it at some point. Guess what, still haven’t!

Textile creations blog giveaway

2010-03-06T09:00:00.000-08:00

Click through to my other blog

Pieceunique

for a chance to win

any item from my Etsy shop.

It's very easy to enter.

Only 3 days to go!!!

Feel free to advertise this giveaway in any way.

My toddler’s fantastic bedtime routine

2010-03-05T09:00:00.000-08:00

My toddler’s fantastic (current) bedtime routine

Nighttimes are just a treat at the moment! My 19 month-old seems to be just ready when the time comes at the end of every day. Naps are not his big thing, but he’s never been a big sleeper. I monitored his sleep pattern three times since his birth:

- for 2 weeks, at 7 months

- For 2 weeks at 8 months

- For just over 3 weeks at 13 months

And the average was 13 hours between day and night sleep.

The max per day was 16 hours (just the once at 7 months) and the minimum 10 hours (also at 7 months).

It might seem like a bit obsessive to have kept that kind of record but it was out of personal interest and as I’m not the most confident with my memory, this is the kind of thing I like to keep a note of, now and again. Then I can confidently rely on something rather then my vague recollection. Will I manage to do the same for the next babies, nothing is less sure... It’s also important to note that I’m half-German, and I believe one very strong characteristic of this culture is a (nearly anal) sense of organisation...

Now back to the title subject... my son has rarely done 2 naps in a day, generally it’s just the one in the afternoon, which he’s recently not been very keen on.

But when the time comes to put him down for the night at 8.30-9pm, he’s had a good belly full of food, a good play and laugh (I believe a bit of play before bedtime helps him feel more relaxed and not in the fear of sleep time) and a run around the household waving night-night. I pop him in bed – of late, he doesn’t systematically ask for a feed which is great as I feel like phasing out breastfeeding by the time he’s age two – only 5 months to go – so if he doesn’t need it at that “crucial” time it must mean that he’s slowly starting to be ready to “quit the breast”...

When he’s been put down in his bed, he’ll either ask for a book, or cuddle a soft toy – or three – or/ and asked to be covered up (there is a fairly large selection of little blankets for him). And then he’ll wave goodbye in response and we’ll blow kisses at each other. I switch the light off, close the door, and not a sound to be heard...

I made a note of this text a couple of days ago, and just for the exception we were out eating with some friends tonight, and our little one was bouncing with life right up until we left at 11pm. Each time this has happened since the end of 2009 it’s taken a good week to get our little one back in a normal routine. Let’s see what happens this time...

Positive food education for toddlers

2010-02-27T09:00:00.000-08:00

My first and foremost crucial advice for any baby is to favour all natural foods from the very start.

Don’t force baby to finish his plate. I believe that until a child is in age to decide how much he wants on his plate, he should not be forced to finish its content. We choose the amount, without any idea of how much he wants. And the portions that we serve can be overwhelming.

Let baby play with the food (within reason). It’s a time for him to try to master the fork and spoon. Insisting to feed him every mouthful might just make him extremely frustrated. He might be too focused on the eating technique, and if that becomes a conflict, it might stop him from eating all together. If he only eats one item from his plate it’s not the end of the world, as long as you are providing him with a balanced meal every time, it will even out in the end.

Try to make eating time stress-free (if not in the mood find things to distract and make it easier to accept the food). I’ve used different coloured spoons; alphabet letters; magazine cut-outs; empty cups; bells; at different moments. But not systematically. If my son is eating without any need for distraction, then that’s great!

Let baby spit out if doesn’t like the taste of something. With a bit of luck he’ll spit it out in the plate! If it goes on the floor, it’s not something your little one is doing on purpose. He’s too young to know that it’s not the right place to get rid of it on. Just tell him you don’t agree, tidy up, try to prevent when possible...

Don’t give judgements “it’s good for you, that’s not good, ...” let him discover for himself. Tell him something tastes nice if you are eating the same thing, or you’ve tasted and really like. Don’t pretend something is good if you don’t actually like the taste of it.

Allow baby to develop a taste for the initial produce by offering quality ingredients with little artificial flavouring or colouring, like steamed vegetable with no or very little seasoning.

Don’t stress about baby’s appetite, unless they are any serious health issues. Babies know what they need and how much of it.

Don’t fret if baby does not adhere completely with your time schedule. He/she might be hungry outside of mealtimes, and not necessarily at mealtimes. In that case and especially if you have other children, you’ll need to reinforce the routine, but forcing him to eat just because it’s mealtime will not help the whole issue. Keep healthy snacks at the ready to complement “unsatisfactory mealtime results” and not have to feed your little one unhealthy alternatives. A few slices of raw carrot eaten an hour before the evening meal will not do much harm to your toddler’s health, and appetite.

Don’t force your baby to finish his/her food. Be flexible, and try to interpret. My son has been using the “no” head shake for a few months now, and often does when I ask him if he’s still hungry. I’ve realised that it rarely means he’s not hungry anymore. Just a little patience and inventivity, and he sometimes eats double the amount on top. On the other hand, if he really doesn’t want to eat anymore, he’ll put his cutlery in his plate and hand it to me. If I were to insist (which I did occasionally), he will most likely end up throwing the whole thing overboard his high chair.

Don’t focuse on eating foods in the right order. I do not systematically give my son a dessert. Maybe once out of three meals. But on occasions if he has no more interest in his main course and wants his dessert first, I’ll let him. He usually goes back to his savoury course afterwards.

When we are in tune with our bodies, we have a fairly good idea of what we need to eat. Babies are in tune, until the education that they receive modifies their perception. Trust your baby and forget your own body image issues. Don’t project your own weight issues unto a young being who is still able to “hear” his needs.

Our son loves fruit. He favours them over (my homemade) biscuits, and has had very little sugar or processed foods until now. When I’ve purchased commercial biscuits I’ve always bought organic/low sugar/low salt/ natural flavours... At lunchtime today, I was at a local farmers market with my husband, toddler, and dog. I admit we were a bit late for our son’s lunch, and he was starting to show he was hungry. When we’d finished shopping he realised we’d bought bananas and made us understand he wanted some (he doesn’t speak much yet). He’s only recently started eating them by holding them with the skin. I gave him one which he thoroughly enjoyed. Having bumped into someone we were lingering a bit and having coffee. He asked for a second. I gave it to him half-peeled, then gave him my coffee spoon to try to eat the rest of the banana with the spoon. Within 15 minutes, he was finally settled in front of a plate of lunch, had a dessert, and all was well. But if I hadn’t given him the bananas, he’d have been really starving and upset. What’s the point in that?

Our son has eaten pretty much everything we’ve prepared for him, however bland it may sound to adults. I remember feeding him steamed cabbage -no sauce- and a few slices of pork, with a tiny tinge of feeling sorry for him. I was reassured in no time as he ate it up without seeming perturbed in the slightest way. Why would he be? Cabbage has flavour. Pork too. Why systematically add more?

Dessert for our little one is very simple: yogurt with a tiny bit of sugar, jam, or honey, or just plain occasionally; chopped up fruit; fruit compote with as little sugar as possible (home made or commercially bought organic with no sugar); rice pudding now and again.

As a conclusion, I will just say try not to make an issue of meals. You are at a time when you can teach your baby or toddler to enjoy his food, and prepare his sense of eating for the future. Make meal times a nice, relaxed, chill-out time. Don’t put objectives, or use threats or punishments. Allow your child to have his own autonomy in terms of what he will eat or not, proportions, and quantity. And be flexible. If he doesn’t want to eat carrots one day, it doesn’t necessarily mean he doesn’t like them. I’m often baffled when I hear a parent saying that a child doesn’t like one or another veg. It might be so at home, but given the choice and freedom to taste it elsewhere, it might turn out that it’s not a real dislike. Give your kids the chance to taste things without tainting them with your own perception!

Now and again, don’t forget to try to remember what it was like for you being little, and how you would have liked a little more comprehension on one point or another. Meals and bedtimes are issues which parents can take extremely seriously, and turn into real traumas for their children. Sometimes it’s good to try to put oneself in one’s child’s shoes and forget about plain discipline, to replace it with a little comforting.

PS: my son is 19 months old.

No Sushis tonight!

2010-02-25T21:00:00.000-08:00

Big disappointment midday, when my friend from London called to announce that her flight to Montpellier was cancelled, because some kind of security reason. We tried finding an alternative, but the planned trip was so short that there just wasn’t time to find a last minute solution. I’m upset that Easyjet didn’t even have the decency to let her know in advance, so she only found out when she arrived at the airport.

So no lovely friend, no sushi, and no showing off Dazaï’s new sushi rolling move!!!

---

Also this morning my husband and his business partner had a meeting with the mayor of the village where they are hoping to open their restaurant. Was not all good news as apparently quite a few people are interested in the location that they are after. They will find out more in a week or two. It’s a bit discouraging though.

Sushi story

2010-02-25T09:00:00.000-08:00

My (Japanese) best friend from London, and god-mother to 19 month-old son, is coming to visit tomorrow from London. She hasn’t been over since nearly a year and a half. Gosh won’t she find our little one changed since he was a “tiny” 3 month-old (well no he was always very big)...

She’s making us a very special treat tomorrow night for dinner. Holistic sushi! Don’t ask, I forgot to ask how sushi can be holistic. On a similar note we are going to try to find time to do a bit of meditation together, to help me cope better with some of my current stresses.

As our son Dazaï is now starting to speak, in French, and my friend does not speak many words of it, I’ve been teaching him one movement recently to bridge the gap. He is now able to perform a “sushi roll” effortlessly. No doubt he’ll be the only one to know about that when he starts day care in September! Probably not the only thing, we’ll just have to make sure he’s fluent at explaining to his little (French) pals!

So I’m dead impatient to see how the “Sushi Roll” goes down with Godmother Saori-san!!!

I'm also looking forward to seeing Dazaï's reaction when he tastes his first sushi! Will have the camera at the ready for the occasion!

Blog scrolling, and a new lovely receipe from ecoMILF

2010-02-24T22:43:00.000-08:00

I've been blog jumping this morning, seeing what's out there, who's up to what.

I stumbled upon this lovely blog and another baby friendly recipe.

I agree with Meagan when she says:

“I've been lazily resorting to prepackaged snacks. As "healthy" as they say they are, they're all laden with sugar and white flour.” That’s why I try to make my own baby snacks as often as possible, and end up cutting the sugar content to as little as possible. Now here’s the recipe:

This recipe made 7 adult muffins and 12 mini muffins. They will freeze for at least a month (or until he gobbles them all up). Enjoy!

Ingredients

2 cups spelt flour or wholewheat flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp bi-carb

2/3 cup raw cane sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

1 medium juicing carrot, grated

1 small zucchini (I used 3 of my mini ones from the garden), grated

1/2 cup sultanas

100 g melted organic butter

2 free range eggs, lightly beaten

1/2 cup whole organic milk

Directions

Preheat oven to 200˚ and line tray with lightly greased muffin cups (paper optional)

Stir sugar, flour, bi-carb, baking powder, cinnamon together in a large boel.

Add the grated veggies and sultanas until coated with the flour

Whisk in the melted butter, beaten eggs and milk

Spoon the mixture into the muffin tray

Bake for 15-20 minutes (depending on the size of muffin you are baking)

remove and cool in pans for 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely

Text copied and pasted from here , click through to check out finished muffin pictures!

Trying to keep the cost of the arrival of your new baby fairly low

2010-02-24T09:00:00.000-08:00

One:

Don’t rush to the shops or on Internet as soon as you hear of the future arrival. Give yourself time to take in the news first. If you are planning on discovering the sex of your baby, you’ll have another pointer to help you prepare in advance.

First and foremost, ask your friends and family for any items left from their previous babies. Make it clear whether they are giving, or lending you the items. Either way, make sure to get all the goods a good three months earlier, so you can sort through and decide what you like and really don’t. You can sort by gender, age, and have a better idea of what you’ll really need to buy when it gets really close to the time. If someone is only lending you things, try to figure out an easy way to remember what needs to be returned to who. One possibility is to take a quick snapshot of the item, which you’ll save on your computer if you have one, or just make a note of its main characteristics (brand, model, colour, size...) and maybe add a recognisable sign onto the item (eg red dot on clothing label for items belonging to one person, green dot for items belonging to another...). Just make sure the person lending you something will agree with it being returned “marked”.

Digging through second hand baby clothes can be so fun, you get to choose the pieces you really like, without having to pay a penny for them!

Another thing that I find handy, being a young mother of one little toddler, is keeping a log book of items lended and borrowed (you know things like carrying sling, breastfeeding pump, car seat...) with the date. So if in doubt, I’ll check back to it and save myself a massive headache.

Two:

After collecting bits and pieces for the soon-to-be baby, allocate a couple of hours to have a good think with hubby, and a couple of female friends (!), to have a good hard think about what is still needed: what is essential, and what is desirable. Make a note of everything that you have gathered and are happy with, and things which are missing – either essential or wished for. This way you have a proper template to work by. And when somebody asks “What do you need” you don’t have to rack your brain. You might even have prepared a babylist with all missing items by then.

I didn’t have the “luxury” of time as in the space of my pregnancy I was organising my wedding inter-country in only 3 months, getting married, trying to buy a house, moving countries, then settling in to a new house and country 2 months before baby-birth. It doesn’t mean I rushed into inconsiderate purchases. It means that 19 months on, I’m realising that lack of planning has left me in a situation where things are not as organised as they could be!

Three:

Put your crafter and maker friends to contribution wherever possible. Try to forget mainstream consumption for a minute, and make a list of your close relatives who are talented in an area or an other. You might have, right under your thumb, cheap, and much more personal, alternatives, to all kinds of new baby needs from “new birth announcement” cards and pictures, to furniture, custom clothing, personalised embroidery... you are the only person who can unlock the potential for having things custom made for your new baby, by people who love you . Have a good hard think, and don’t forget to ask those people, and give them clear instructions about what you are looking for.

I wish you the best of luck for the preparations for your baby,

Baby toys clean up

2010-02-21T16:38:00.000-08:00

I've been feeling discouraged recently with the sheer amount of toys quicking about in our house.

- We have lots of baby books - most of the hard cardboard ones are either ripped appart or in the process of... I threw out the loose and torn pages. Any book left in a good state has gone up on a high shelf until our son is a bit more... reasonnable - strange though as he "plays" a lot with our own books, moving them around, and doesn't spoil them in any kind of way

- Lots of funny bits and bobs like plastic bottle tops, little bits of wood, pieces of textile, little objects ... I've sorted in categories. Anything not meant for babies has gone back to where it's suposed to be. Some things have gone in a cupboard to free up a bit of our living space, and to be re-discovered by little one in a couple of weeks. I'll then put some other toys away.

- Broken toys. We are so lucky that we haven't had to buy anything at all since our son's birth. We been given his bed / pushchair / high chair / playpen / car seat / bags and boxes of second hand clothes / shoes for all ages / soft toys / even a machine washable sheepskin for his bedding. But there's a bit of a trend recently to give us some very old plastic toys, occasionally broken. I've been harsh with a few and thrown them out.

- The noise making toys have also been limited in number. I think 2 or 3 at a time is plenty already for our ears.

- The playpen has been packed away. It wasn't been used any more since a good couple of months. Our 19 month old will even jump in now and again just to retrieve something, and it had become a bit of a dumping area. So that's out of the way now, and I've arranged in it's place a "cosy corner" with big fat cushions, a few soft toys, and the remaining selection of books within easy reach. As soon as my son woke up from his afternoon nap, he went to settle there to have his little snack. I usually ask him to sit down when he's eating. So it's great that he's got his own area. It might be of use as a little cooling down area too, now that he's starting to have some little tantrums.

All this re-organising has also cleared up the little pop-up textile casttle, in which we'd stuffed a whole lot of toys. And that as well was played with, after a few weeks of being left in a corner.

So, a super succesful Sunday afternoon tidy up! Here's a pic of the cosy area being put to good use straight away!

Crossword doodling

2010-02-18T09:00:00.000-08:00

I love doing a bit of crosswords at night before going to sleep. Usually between three and four am. It's got a knack of sending me to the land of the fairies in less then 5 minutes. I'm not very good at them though.
But anyway I decided to share a couple of my little men...

A few creative days

2010-02-15T09:00:00.000-08:00

Well I've been positively busy with my textile work and really enjoyed making what I did!
I've added new pictures on my creative blog Piece Unique (link on the right).

I've kept on top of my paperwork (for the most part) and accounts. Had a couple of sales of baby blankets.

Little one seems happy, with a (as usual) massive apetite and we've been feeding him a nice balanced diet, including humus, fresh fruit, salad, lovely baked pears...

My husband is off for a appointments with a couple of banks tomorrow to find out about loan possibilities. It's still a little premature but interesting to find out if they have any major weak points.

I haven't tuned in to the Olympics as yet, and might not. I'm not a sports person - at all. Just sad about the accident which happened at the very start. Didn't watch the images.

We've had beautiful sunshine today and I had a nice walk with my little boy. He was overjoyed as it hasn't been a very regular occurence with the recent cold spell!

Work overload

2010-02-13T09:00:00.000-08:00

It's been really cold here recently - for South of France - and my 18 month-old is more and more "reckless". He loves climbing on chairs, and of course from there onto tables, desks, any higher surface is a fantastic attraction to him. It's getting harder and harder to find precious little time to do anything else then be right behind him! He's had a few accidents over the last few days. Roughly one a day! The scarriest was when he bounced back against the living room side table - teeth first - and started bleeding. I know every parent goes through those frights. I don't think they make them any easier! It was nothing serious thankfully. I did feel bad though as I was lying down on the sofa and half asleep.

He's also experimenting with new words which is VERY exciting! It's roughly one a day since a week.
Last night my husband and myself were invited for a meal at my husbands previous work place, in the village. We had a great meal with paired wines, from a local wine producer. My Dad came over to look after our son. He's got a few younger girls (17, 11 and 9) so enjoyed the evening "out" and found our little one very cooperative!

Hubbies restaurant plans still "in progress". But what I was dreading is happening: when he doesn't have the regularity of an everyday job, he looses his drive, and doesn't have a very good sense of everyday routine, especially with a little one. Means I have to nag A LOT to get him to do the slightest thing. Just exhausting - at times.

On the bright(er) side a friend of mine has just purchased a couple of my baby blankets, and I think I might have a couple of other sales in the next few days. One order for baby bunting, and possibly a blanket for a soon-to-be-born baby in the village, to a lovely like-minded couple of our age - we are in our early thirties -.

Provided I find a little more time to do some work, I am still hopefull that I can increase the number of sales of my textile creations. I must say it was a little shock when my son's daycare lady reminded me a couple of days ago that she doesn't work over the kids holidays. So she's off for two weeks and off go the precious two mornings of work freedom I had! I'm hoping that my Mum (who's just been away for two weeks) and older sister might be able to look after him for a few hours occasionally!

For some updates on my textile work here's a link to my Pieceunique blog (Piece Unique meaning "One-off piece").

Baby Nataël: A new little Prince

2010-02-08T09:00:00.000-08:00

Welcome to one of my best friend’s newborn, tiny Nataël born 1 month and a half early. Absolutely beautiful, healthy despite a little adjustment needed. Born 10 days ago to unsuspecting parents! He’s struggling a little with his weight but nothing serious. Has little wardrobe issues! Everything is way to big. I’ve been making a few things for him, and his mum, recently.

A note on how helpful Bach Remedy flowers can be in this kind of situations. My friend is taking a selection of the Rescue Remedy, Star of Bethlehem, Mustard, Red Chestut, Walnut, and Impatiens. She will prepare a little glass every day with 4 drops of Rescue Remedy and 2 drops of each other flower.

Here are the posts on my “Piece Unique” blog with pictures of the creations for the little one:

http://sheshanna.blogspot.com/2010/02/new-baby-natael-with-his-piece-unique.html

http://sheshanna.blogspot.com/2010/02/pu-30-jan-newborn-express-cardi.html

http://sheshanna.blogspot.com/2010/01/newborn-express-cardi-liquette-de.html

http://sheshanna.blogspot.com/2010/01/vanessas-baby-blanket.html

Carrot biscuits

2010-02-04T09:00:00.000-08:00

Carrot biscuits

Here’s my variation of the Bredele biscuits I mentioned a couple of posts ago.

I felt like there was a little too much sugar and cinnamon – I make them for my baby son.

I replaced a third of the sugar by grated carrots, a little more flour but locally produced buckwheat flour, and less cinnamon.

The result is very nice, even if I say so myself.

Husband and son both agree too!

Ingredients:

100gr butter

100 gr sugar (I used brown sugar)

50 gr grated carrots

2 eggs

275 gr buckwheat flour

2g baking powder (or one small coffee spoon)

1 coffee spoon of cinnamon

70 gr powder almond

A pinch of salt

Beat the butter and sugar into a mousse. Add the egg. Whilst still beating, add the almond powder and grated carrots. Then sift the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt in. Gather into a ball and let it to rest for at least three hours in the fridge.

After that, spread the dough out in a 5 mm thickness.

Preheat the oven at 180° C.

Cut out the biscuits into your chosen shape.

Put your shapes on a baking tray. You can brush egg yolk over the biscuits. I forgot twice!

Cook for 15 mns at 180° C.

Make sure you do take them out after 15 mn even if they feel a little soft, as they will harden fast. For my first batch I left them 20mn and they started to burn.

So that’s it. When they have cooled down keep them in a biscuit jar and enjoy at will.

They are lovely and taste nice and healthy.

Short-term toddler storage box

2010-02-02T15:52:00.000-08:00

My youngling is at the age where he loves putting things in boxes. He also has a knack of destroying them if they are not sturdy enough. So for the loose pieces which are sometimes lying around, I often use a cardboard box, in this case a cheese box. I helped my (18 month old) son put white stickers on the top and gave him a couple of pencils to draw on it. That didn't really rock his boat so I ended up doodling on them with a red felt pen. Until he's made proper recycling material out of it, this box is perfect for that little puzzle.

New financial reality

2010-01-31T09:00:00.000-08:00

Well after a few months of discussing his boredom or fedupness with his job, my husband has finally left his job, under some kind of mutual agreement with his boss. He'd been discussing leaving in April, then moved it forward to end of Feb, but things got to a head and kind of out of the blue, a couple of days ago it was over. I'm crossing fingers that he didn't underestimate the government allowance that he says he's entitled to. His wages just about paid for our monthly outgoings. Can't rely on family returning their owings to us. Luckily the little blogging work I do for his previous boss is not being affected by the situation. If the worst comes to the worst, we can leave our current house (with garden) and fall back on a little dark and dingy flat in his grandparents basement. Good to know one's options. Now it's all focuse on my husband's restaurant project. He had a very succesful meeting today with the owner of the place that they are hoping to buy in the Spring. He's away for three weeks, so not much new will happen till end of February. I do hope this project becomes a reality. The place is a beautiful stone building set near a gorgeous river with emerald blue water (no kidding) and a big stone bridge, nearby a French National Treasure Village (sorry if I'm not quite using the right words here, I sometimes struggle with my English vocabulary!). They've been researching and putting the project together for nearly 9 months, and with their combined catering experience it could really be very succesful.
More on this later. For now I just hope I can pay the rent come early February!
I'd better get my sewing skates on with my little toddler jackets. I'm still working on the pattern to get it right. The first four tries look promissing, but with one and a half year old pocking his nose absolutely everywhere, I barely manage to make one jacket a day. Oh how I wish for a little workshop!!!

Welcome to Natael

2010-01-30T09:00:00.000-08:00

One of my best friend has had her little boy today at 5.30 pm. Nearly a month and a half early. He's quite small - 1.9 kg - but in good health. It's amazing she spent the afternoon at my place two days ago and we discussed labour and various baby topics! But mostly she had all her stuff fully ready for the birth. And no idea it was going to come so soon. Somehow she was well tuned in all the same!
I made her a baby blanket (displayed on my other blog here) but am planning to make a couple of little pieces for him for tomorrow. I'm thinking little cap and organic cotton vest. Better get down to work as it's nearly 3 am already...

Bredele biscuits

2010-01-22T09:00:00.000-08:00

oups it's been nearly 10 days since I mentioned about those biscuits, but haven't posted the receipe yet. Well for a start here are the pictures. I'm afraid I left mine in the oven a little too long!
They are all the same very nice and I promise I will post the receipe in a not too distant future!