This week I have been nursing my wounds after stupidly taking two small children (mine) to Edinburgh Zoo in a double buggy. The problem with this outing (which on the surface sounds like a fun-filled family day out) were tri-fold:
Firstly, we arrvived at the zoo at 9.30am (this felt like lunchtime as we had been up since 5 am anyway). The animal kingdom apparently is not an early riser and all of the animals were asleep. Explaining this to a two year old was fruitless and she was only pacified when I bought her a fluffy tiger (£8.99!!!) from the gift shop which you conveniently have to exit through on your way out.
Secondly, it was about 30 degrees on the day we chose to go on our ill-fated trip. The toddler would not entertain sun cream and subsequently developed heat stroke which she is still recovering from (she is in the middle of a 3 hour nap which is how I am finding the time to write this blog entry).
Thirdly, for those unfamiliar with the layout of Edinburgh Zoo, the whole place is built on what can only be described as a sheer cliff face. Pushing the double buggy up a gradient of almost 90 degrees proved a little tricky and I can now barely walk up the stairs without assistance. Obvioulsy what helped a great deal was when the toddler decided that she didn't want to walk or sit in the buggy, but in fact, wanted to be carried. For about 15 minutes I struggled to push a double buggy up the cliff carrying a two stone child. Did I mention that I was wearing a jumper? On the plus side I think that I shed about a stone in weight through sweat. There's always a silver lining, eh?!
This week we have the builders in the Scotmum household. You see we have had a leak...for a year...which has resulted in the extraction of almost 60 litres of water from our bathroom walls courtesy of a dehumidifier. I am beside myself. In order to console the situation I have been plotting about decorating our sodden house once we can get back into it. First on my list is the newborn's nursery and I have been very lucky to be able to sample some of Laura Ashley's beautiful children's room decorations. At the top of my 'to-buy-once-the-house-is-dry' list are the pretty butterfly cases perfect for storing soft toys or even baby wipes!
In order to keep the toddler happy I have also added some lovely larger storage solutions to my list. I was really taken with the beautiful and sturdy Esme storage boxes with ribbon handles that are perfect for keeping Barbies tidy and even books organised.
When the toddler upgraded to her own bed and out of her cot she became obsessed with beautiful bedlinen (like her mummy). I have bought several Laura Ashley bedsets for her (mainly fairies) and have always been really pleased with how well they wash and how easy they are to iron. I am going to refresh her little bed with a new bed set of butterflies and the matching decorative pillow. The Flutter bed set is actually on sale at the moment with a whopping 50% off. The website are out of stock but you should check your local store to see if they have any left as I would thoroughly recommend Laura Ashley bedding for its quality and durability.
Be sure to check out the huge Summer sale on at the moment at Laura Ashley
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