CURLY AND CANDID

I might have mentioned previously that one of my sisters is pregnant with her first child. I am absolutely thrilled for her and can’t wait to meet the new arrival (I have until October to wait so I am feeling quite impatient). Anyway, with an impending new arrival in the family and for all of the hundreds of my friends who seem to be pregnant at the moment I thought I’d share these top tips as a reminder for some and new info for others, many of which were shared with me when I was pregnant.

Plan Ahead

A baby isn’t a baby for very long. Before you know it they are turning over by themselves, pulling themselves up on the cot sides, standing and then before you have a chance to blink they are toddlers running around the room. Bear this in mind when considering the amount of space in the room and how much you would have to change to alter the nursery to suit an active toddler.

Stay Neutral

Unless you have a fondness for constantly re-papering or painting a room the best bet may be to go either for a neutral colour or just one colour rather than something fussy. Kieran had a train bedroom, a Boo bedroom, a car bedroom and cute teddy bear bedroom and those are just the few that come easily to mind. I thank my lucky stars that I didn’t have to redecorate to accommodate his growing sense of style, likes and dislikes as I used removable wall stickers, pictures hung on the wall that couldn’t be reached and simply changed bedding and curtains as and when was needed. It saved us a fortune and lots of effort.

Consider Storage

Babies don’t actually need very much, especially in their bedrooms. Again, they are not babies for long as soon you will have more books, toys, teddies, dolls, train tracks and outfits than you know what to do with. Incorporate adequate storage into your room when you set it up.

Invest in Blackout Blinds

There are a variety of solutions available for blacking out the light from a nursery window which enables little ones to settle easier for a nap during the day, go down for bed even when it is still light outside and of course eliminates the risk of them being woken by the rising sun. Choose a blackout solution that doesn’t involve hanging cords for blinds that may be reached when the baby becomes a curious toddler.

Reading back on all of that I’m almost sorry I won’t be arranging a nursery of my own again. ALMOST sorry 🙂

I love Pinterest. There are so many boards dedicated not only to gardening but gardening and garden-related activities with kids. I used to have a 80ft long garden which anyone who knows me is hysterical as I can’t mow the lawn straight let alone make anything grow. I am however skilled at growing the most hardy varieties of weeds.

I am that mum who enthusiastically brings her child’s first beanstalk project home and then kills it. I might have done something to the cress too. I did try recently to recreate a clever idea I saw on Pinterest which included re-growing spring onions using the bits that you lop off the onions when you make your salad, but I forgot about it and the water went a bit yucky and I had to throw them out.

Clearly being green fingered is not a skill I possess however I do feel it is something important for the kids. Kieran is nearly 7yrs old and would love his own plot to fill with Vegetable Plants. At 2yrs old Taylor would thoroughly enjoy digging and helping out too.

My 80ft long garden has now gone and I have a paved garden (much more suitable for me) with some raised up beds. They really are lovely with poppies and all sorts in there adding height and colour to the garden however I want to use some of it for a herb garden or for a “Grow Your Own Veg” section for the boys.

Given that I actively avoid supermarkets, enjoy organic fruit and veg and what not it makes sense to try and persevere (I might need to do some reading up I think) with some clearing and planting and to give the boys the opportunity to grow something all of their own. I remember having a section of a garden when I was a young child where my Dad let me grow herbs, mostly mint in abundance, and it was great fun.

Perhaps if I just supervise and let them do everything without me touching anything will work?

I am determined so watch this space. If you have any great tips for gardening with kids or if any of you bloggers have posts on the subject say hello in the comments below and use the CommentLuv to leave the urls. I can’t be the only terrible gardening parent surely….. can I?

He enjoyed this activity (I might have killed the plants off with too much watering though)

*Written in collaboration with the mentioned business yet true to my thoughts, feelings and experiences.

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