Father’s Day gift ideas…

I have 3 wonderful men in my life I buy for come Father’s Day… My own wonderful Father, my loving and caring Father in Law and of course the incredible man I married and the Father of my children. Each of them different and all 3 are very hard to buy for. I have been having a look around for some ideas and thought you might like some ideas too…

Father's Day gift ideas

1. Sterling silver collar stays | 2. No. 1 Dad card | 3. Shoe shine kit | 4. Hankerchiefs | 5. Classic panama hat | 6. Flash Boy by Michael Lewis | 7. Anchor memory book | 8. Tiffany and Co. T-clip ballpoint pen | 9. Digital meat thermometer | 10. Leather passport cover | 11. Wheelmen by Reed Albergotti & Vanessa O’Connell

Have you got Father’s Day sorted? Care to share?…. I need all the help I can get.

Jx

Toddler books… our favourites…

For the last day of Book Week 2014. I thought I would share some of our favourite toddler books.

H is a great lover of books. He gets so much pleasure out of them and it just thrills me to see him get so much enjoyment out of something I love too.

We keep things on high rotation and as he now gets to choose what we read before bedtime it is quite wide and varied which is lovely. It’s always nice to ‘rediscover’ a book we haven’t read for a while.

A big hit with us is anything by Julia Donaldson. Her books are so lovely and varied. Her writing has a lovely rhythm to it and it can actually be a little tricky to read the first time until you get the flow of the words. She is most famous for The Gruffalo (he even has his own website). Some of our other favourites are Stick Man, The snail and the whale, A squash and a squeeze and Sharing a shell. We are working on owning her whole collection and still have several to go so no doubt there are more favourites to discover.

Julia Donaldson - Favourite Toddler Books.... www.alittlepartoftheworld.com

We also love the Dr.Seuss books. They are such fun and the best ones to start with, as they are shorter and easier to get through with short attention spans are. The eye book, There’s a Wocket in my Pocket, 10 apples up on top.

Dr. Suess - Favourite Toddler Books.... www.alittlepartoftheworld.com

H was given the Gum tree farm series from his Grandparents for Christmas and it’s been a huge hit. It was bought through a book club but I have managed to find them here. Bluey’s Bone, The broken quad bike, The hungry rabbit and When will it rain?. The broken quad bike is a particular hit thanks to his Grandfather’s quad bike he LOVES when we’re home at the farm.

Favourite Toddler Books.... www.alittlepartoftheworld.com

Ladybird Favourite stories for boys is another favourite. Every story gets a turn but in particular I think his favourite is the 3 billy goats gruff.

There is also the much loves classics… the Beatrix Potter collection. H is really enjoying them at the moment. We have started with the original The tale of Peter Rabbit. We have so many copies of this one… we have the box collection (a beautiful christening present for E), the complete collection in one book, a small collection of the original little hard cover books (my mother has also kept the complete collection we had as children too) and The tale of Peter Rabbit board book which is great for E as she’s not great with soft cover books.

Beatrix Potter - Favourite Toddler Books.... www.alittlepartoftheworld.com

The current favourite is How to be a Pirate which is a little golden book. H is very into all things pirate so this was one book he flipped over. It’s a really cute book and a really fun one to read aloud.

How to be a Piate - Favourite Toddler Books.... www.alittlepartoftheworld.com

There are lots of other but will save them for another post soon.

I’d love to hear your favourites/recommendations. I have a real love affair with books and am always adding to our collection. What’s on rotation in your house?

For other favourites check out my instagram – I have been posting a book a day for book week.

Jx

From the archive… Favourite first books…

In honour of Book Week I am reposting this from the archives… We still love these books and read them most nights to E before bed.

Hello Baby and 10 Little Fingers and 10 Little Toes by Mem Fox are without a doubt two of our first favourite books. Both of my babies love these books…

I read 10 Little Fingers and 10 Little Toes to H in utero and I believe it’s the reason it fast became his favourite. It is currently E’s favourite book. At the end of the book the little baby in the story gets three little kisses on the tip of its nose… we kiss the tip of our finger and touch their nose three times. H got to the stage and E is there now that they know it’s coming and look up at you when you’re reading the last page waiting for their kisses.

H adores books and always has. E is loving them more and more and I get such a thrill to see her get excited when we sit down to read these two books. They are a big part of our bedtime routine… every night we have a book before bed. For me, it ensures the children are reading/read to every day and it’s a terrific wind down/sleep cue for them as well…

I highly recommend any new Mother’s or expecting Mother’s to add these books to your collection. They are beautiful stories and the illustrations are gorgeous…

For anyone looking for a great baby shower or baby gift these are terrific… the board books are terrific as little exploring and excited hands can’t rip them. It does take a little while for them to learn not to rip pages so board books are a definite plus…

Where is the Green Sheep and Time for Bed, both by Mem Fox are also favourites.

Are these books in your collection?
Please share your favourites and must haves, I would love to hear them…

Happy reading… Jx
All photos copyright Jess Flett

Book Review… ‘All I know’ by Mary Coustas…

photo-3

I bought this book to take and read on our recent holiday. I had seen the interview’s with Mary and George on 60 Minutes so knew loosely what to expect… you can take a look here, here and here

Wow! What an inspiring woman. This is a lovely read. Mary writing is so incredibly heartfelt, witty, endearing and honest. What she has endured to reach her dream of becoming a Mother is unbelievable. She has overcome challenges and grief no one should ever have to experience.

I laughed, I cried and I cheered. This is a wonderful read about strength of spirit and how to come out the other side smiling.

Mary, I admire your strength, your optimism in the face of extreme heartache and challenge and your ability to love and persevere. As you have so aptly said… Nothing good comes out of giving up…

I highly recommend giving it a read. You can get a copy here

What have you read lately? I’d love to know and need some ideas for my next read…

Jx

Favourite first books…

Hello Baby and 10 Little Fingers and 10 Little Toes by Mem Fox are without a doubt two of our first favourite books. Both of my babies love these books…
I read 10 Little Fingers and 10 Little Toes to H in utero and I believe it’s the reason it fast became his favourite. It is currently E’s favourite book. At the end of the book the little baby in the story gets three little kisses on the tip of its nose… we kiss the tip of our finger and touch their nose three times. H got to the stage and E is there now that they know it’s coming and look up at you when you’re reading the last page waiting for their kisses.
H adores books and always has. E is loving them more and more and I get such a thrill to see her get excited when we sit down to read these two books. They are a big part of our bedtime routine… every night we have a book before bed. For me, it ensures the children are reading/read to every day and it’s a terrific wind down/sleep cue for them as well…

I highly recommend any new Mother’s or expecting Mother’s to add these books to your collection. They are beautiful stories and the illustrations are gorgeous…

For anyone looking for a great baby shower or baby gift these are terrific… the board books are terrific as little exploring and excited hands can’t rip them. It does take a little while for them to learn not to rip pages so board books are a definite plus…

Where is the Green Sheep and Time for Bed, both by Mem Fox are also favourites.

Are these books in your collection?
Please share your favourites and must haves, I would love to hear them…

Happy reading… Jx
All photos copyright Jessica Flett

What I’m reading at the moment…

I am currently reading Maeve Binchy’s latest book – A Week in Winter. I don’t want to put it down. I have loved Maeve’s books for many years and love reading every one of of them. Her latest one is no exception.

Maeve is an exceptional story teller. All her books are set in beautiful Ireland and she has such a way of drawing you into her characters’ world. I am always sad when I finish one of her books and eagerly await the next one. Sadly she died in July 2012 and I am so sad about that.

If you are a fan of Maeve then you will know what I mean. If you don’t know her please give her a go – I really think you’ll enjoy her stories.

You can find A Week in Winter here and here. For a full list of Maeve’s books click here.

I’m always keen to hear about new authors. I adore a good read. What are you reading at the moment?

Jx

50 Shades Trilogy…I want your thoughts!!…

I am on to the final book. I have read them very quickly. I was seeing the books everywhere and hearing lots of talk about it so I thought I would jump on the bandwagon and see what the fuss was about…

EL James hooked me at the beginning and I wanted to keep reading. Through the middle of the first book I didn’t know what to think…I don’t consider myself a prude but I was quite shocked at the detail and amount of raunch. It didn’t leave much room for a storyline. It was actually starting to get a bit boring but I kept reading as I wanted to know what happened in the hope the storyline would develop a little more. Then, just when EL James had nearly lost me, the end pulled me back in and I wanted to keep reading the other books to see what happens next.

The second book was a little better…I thought there was more of a storyline…I enjoyed it more than the first.

I would love your insight…I’m not enamoured with the books but I want to keep reading…Why is that?

It is pure escapism…maybe that’s why? or maybe I just want to finish what I started?

I REALLY want to know what you think of them…Have you read them?…If not, do you think you will?…

Jx

The Little Black Jacket…



I can’t wait for this to come out…its release date is August 25, 2012. It’s available for pre order here


The book description on Amazon says..

This book is Karl Lagerfeld and Carine Roitfeld’s reinterpretation of Chanel’s iconic little black jacket. Lagerfeld has redesigned the jacket, transforming it into a modern, adaptable garment to be worn by both sexes of all ages. The Little Black Jacket contains Lagerfeld’s photographs of celebrities wearing the jacket with individual flair – sometimes classic, sometimes irreverent, but always Chanel – and each styled by Carine Roitfeld. A range of accomplished actors, musicians, designers, models, writers and directors gets the little black jacket treatment, including Claudia Schiffer, Uma Thurman, Kanye West, Tilda Swinton, Baptiste Giabiconi, Yoko Ono and Sarah Jessica Parker. This book shows the astounding versatility of Chanel’s vision in Lagerfeld’s hands, and ensures the little black jacket’s future as a timeless classic.

Will you be buying a copy? 

Jx

The Mighty Toddler – Robin Barker

I just bought a copy of The Mighty Toddler by Robin Barker. I am a huge fan of Baby Love and have referred to it many, many times since H was born.



Pan Macmillan have this to say about the book;

Practical and essential, The Mighty Toddler includes key milestones for each age group; a complete ABC of toddler behaviour and responses; a guide to day-to-day toddler care; explanations about toddler health, medical conditions and illnesses; and Robin’s down-to-earth advice on how to keep your life on track! Recently revised to include up-to-date information about potty training, childcare, swimming, personal safety and food allergies and intolerances, The Mighty Toddler is the most comprehensive guide available to Australian parents.

I was having a quick flick through and on page 4 – What are the basic things a Toddler needs? I read the following; I loved it and wanted to share it here..

And never forget to remind yourself that you are doing the most vital job in life. Even if it is unpaid, unacknowledged, unappreciated and often unsupported by the society in which we live, the person your toddler will become will be a tribute to your skill and commitment. Truly amazing with you think that we learn it all on the job, isn’t it?

I’m really looking forward to the challenges and excitement of the toddler years. I feel lucky to have wonderful references like The Mighty Toddler at hand.

Jx 

Dreaming of Venice..

Image: Jessica Flett


I am currently going through our photos and putting together some photo books. I have most of our photos in albums but they can be quite big and bulky. I did a photo book of our wedding at the end of last year and I’m really happy with it. I gave one to each set of parents for Christmas…so they make great presents too. They look great on your bookshelf or on display. You have design control and it’s lovely to look through the glossy pages of a book.

It’s a long process and I’m taking my time as there’s no rush.

I have just been looking at our trip a couple of years ago to Italy and thought I would share some of the photos from Venice with you…

Image: Jessica Flett

Image: Jessica Flett
Image: Jessica Flett


Image: Jessica Flett

Image: Jessica Flett

Image: Jessica Flett

Image: Jessica Flett

Image: Jessica Flett

Image: Jessica Flett

Image: Jessica Flett
Image: Jessica Flett

Image: Jessica Flett

Image: Jessica Flett

Image: Jessica Flett

Image: Jessica Flett

Image: Jessica Flett

Image: Jessica Flett

Image: Jessica Flett

Image: Jessica Flett

Image: Jessica Flett

Image: Jessica Flett

Image: Jessica Flett