A Good Week

Sketching Chinese Dragons at the Victoria & Albert Museum

Lively music at the Royal Albert Hall

Spotting celebs at the Burberry show, London Fashion Week

Cycle ride in the sunshine

A morning of baking and product testing the new "Lauren" hair bow. 

 All in all, a good week.

Half Term

Half Term. Some mums dread it some mums love it. I am one of those in the love it group. I love the time. Time to do lots or time to do nothing. The week always flies by much too quick, a couple of days out, a pajama day in. I always end up tired as I then work at night to allow me kid time in the day but it is the kid time I just don't like to miss. Yes, I am one of those annoying mums who enjoys the kid activities as much as the kids. Ask me how many times I have seen the Bubble Show at the Science Museum? I may be to embarrassed to answer.

This half term we are doing our usual "find a fantastic and free activity in London" day and we have chosen the Ignite Family Concert at the Royal Albert Hall. Always exciting to visit such a beautiful venue. Weather permitting we will picnic in Kensington Gardens otherwise we will be slurping noodles at Wagamama's on High St. Ken.

We never have a winter half term without a visit to feed the lambs. We cycle to Odds Farm Park, and join the crowd to feed the over excited lambs and play with the "kids". Love those goats!

If I do need to squeeze in some work in the daylight hours then the kids will be off to Mop End a lesser know option for fantastic school holiday activities. Mop End is the South Bucks venue for the Field Studies Council. We have enjoyed fantastic days in the woods with enthusiastic guides building dens, open fires and solving Harry Potter mysteries.

Must go get some work done if I am going to play next week! Happy half term!

Happy Valentines Day

I know it is just a coincidence but I think it rather fun that three of today's orders were made up entirely of pink or red, the colours of the Valentine. I presume the red hair bows are for school but I know the box of pink are on their way to three ballet loving sisters. Enjoy your hair bows girls and Happy Valentines Day!

Isabel

Just a sneak peak at what is to come. Little Isabel hair bows in yummy colours. Like little scoops of gelato on a warm sunny day.

Girl Guiding

Each year on 22 February, Girl Guides and Girl Scouts all over the world celebrate World Thinking Day. World Thinking Day theme for 2011 is MDG 3: girls worldwide say “empowering girls will change our world” and the aim is to raise awareness of the situation for many girls and young women and empower them to take a stand against inequality. Gender equality and empowering women is the third of the eight areas of focus made by 189 world leaders at the United Nations Millennium Summit in 2000. You may think this is a big topic for little girls but in true Guiding fashion even the youngest members of Guiding can begin to understand this topic and the role they can play in promoting gender equality.

Lil mg always looks forward to Thinking Day and this year the activities look to once again be thought provoking, exciting and most important to a 9 year old, Fun! For more information on UK Girl Guides or how your daughter can get involved in Girl Guides,visit www.girlguiding.org.uk

Each week our local Brownies and Rainbows take part in crafts, games, songs, friendship, sports, drama, cooking... the list seems endless. To the girls, it is all friendship and fun but as a mother of a daughter I love that she is learning about the wider world and the part she can play.

Young Talent

Isn't this beautiful? I had the pleasure of being introduced to a friend of a friend recently. She and her family are in London for a few months and they were given my email by a mutual friend. I often play host to friends of friends who are passing through London and this recent meeting was an absolute pleasure! Not only did I get to lunch at the Natural Kitchen (always delicious and in my favourite neighbourhood) and make a new friend but I also met her daughter, Tasha Bock. I am sharing her full name as it is one to remember. I am sure we will be hearing her name in the fashion world one day.

This beautiful headband is one of Tasha's creations. You can view more on her website www.macallisterdesigns.com but what is even more impressive than this gorgeous collection of headbands? Tasha does not have years of design experience, she has only just finished high school! Spending a few months in London, inspired by her favourite things; Liberty, Downtown Abbey, historic interiors, then she is off to university. We wish Tasha the best of luck and we look forward to her future creations.