Spotlight Archives | Page 5 of 12

Ella’s Books : Get Your Photos Into a Book

When Ella Leighton emailed asking if she could create a bespoke book of a family memory, event or occasion I immediately thought how wonderful it would be if she could put our recent family photos taken by Carle Monge into a keepsake book, as I know they will just sit on my computer forever and a day.

I sent off the link to all the photos with a few numbers that she had to omit but trusted her to choose the best ones and arrange them as she sees fit.

We were so unbelievably delighted with the book. This is the back and the front.

The quality was superb and the layout she had chosen for our family was spot on. She even took the design of one of our sofa cushions (made by Lara Van Lynden – see pic above) and even turned it into a border for a couple of the photos.

Ella studied BA Book Art and Design at London College of Communication. She then worked at a London Children’s Book Publishers and assists with her mum’s photography business, Laura Eperjesi Photography, which led her to start up Ella’s Books.

My book design service is aimed to help busy mums and dads who don’t have the time to sort through their holiday, wedding, honeymoon, baby and family photos. I understand that it’s on their list of things to do list but i’s hard to get started. Who wants to spend hours doing it themselves? The photo folder is growing by the day! I want to share with lots of lovely people that I can help you have these books of your own with a little helping hand from me.

Nowadays we take so many digital photos but don’t do much with them and luckily Ella’s Book is here to help families collect their memories into beautiful bespoke photo books.

Ella is really talented and has a very careful and creative eye. If you have a pile of photos sitting on your hard drive, I urge you to send them all over to her and trust that she will be able to sort them and compile a beautiful look for you to keep forever.

Ella’s Favourites

Restaurant : Brew for some eggs after Yoga!

Shop : Anthropology. I cannot get enough of their home decor, accessories and books they have in store, some beautiful designs!

Website : Kula Yoga in Clapham

Hotel : Strawberry Hill, in the Blue Mountain, Jamaica. Bliss is my only way of describing it.

Holiday Destination : I am travelling to Marrakech, Morocco at the end of this month. I can’t wait to explore and capture the mosques, palaces and gardens. I also love creating mini vlogs each week, giving an insight about what I’m designing on and get up to.

ellasbooks.co.uk
facebook.com/ellasbooks
instagram.com/ellas_books

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Beauty Spotlight

5 School Run Make Up Tips With ‘Not Such a Model Mum’

I have been a faithful follower of Jess & Caroline’s blog, Not Such a Model Mum since they launched about a year ago. It has grown from strength to strength over the year and become a go to fashion & beauty blog for a vast number of school run mums. With both a career in modelling, you know that their posts on fashion and beauty are written with solid experience and authority – and most importantly without being patronising to us mere mortals!

Jess and Caroline met in 2003 as they were both signed to the same model agency, and have been friends ever since, despite not liking eachother when they first met!

The strength of their friendship also shines through in the beautiful photos that they use too.

Fast forward to 2010 and they thought we knew what we were doing – until they had children.

Coming back to work after having our kids, we realised how much the fashion industry had changed, and how much social media had changed the landscape of the fashion world. Like it or not, social media is here to stay, and if we wanted to stay part of the fashion world, we would have to embrace the change.

They had always spoken about setting something together, and with over three decades of modelling and fashion experience between them, they decided to set up a blog about all the tips they learnt from the fashion professionals, and the idea of NotSuchAModelMum developed from there – a fashion, mother and beauty blog with friendship at the heart.

THEIR 5 SCHOOL RUN MUM MAKE UP TIPS

Iridescent powder.

This neat little trick both brightens and opens the eyes and adds a little glow to otherwise shattered peepers – it works both on camera and most importantly, in real
life, off camera. Using your finger if you are in a rush, or a brush if you have more than two seconds, grab some MAC Mineralise Skinfinish Powder in the Soft and Gentle colour, or some Benefit High Beam and dab it in the inner eye around the tear duct and up slightly in the inner eye lid.

The trick here is to blend, blend, blend and blend some more so that only a subtle trace of the iridescence is left. Illuminating and highlighting this area serves to subtly conceal darkness around the eyes and adds a natural radiance that makes you look like you had at least five hours sleep! Blog post is here

By terry concealer and foundation stick

Covering under eye bags from sleepless nights and giving dull, tired skin an all over, even glow, these two products literally take a minute to apply and can be done whilst running out the front door with the kids in tow. I carry them with me all the time. In fact, they are, thanks to that catalogue shoot, part of my nappy bag essentials. Nappies; wipes; By Terry Light Expert Click Brush foundation; and By Terry Touch Expert Advanced Concealer.

Both products have complicated sounding names when they actually do something really simple. They work. Blog post is here.

The Eve Lom Rescue Mask

This has been around for ages. In the beauty industry, this longevity is the sign of a great product, and a winner in our book.

The clay based formula of this particular mask is packed with natural ingredients, from honey to almonds. The Camphor brightens the complexion and draws out toxins. The mask can be used as part of a weekly routine or for emergency breakouts, which, frankly, when dealing with unhygienic children, are part and parcel of our lives! For more, our blog post is here here

Paula’s Choice Intensive Wrinkle Repair Serum

This is a great night time moisturiser, with a little added punch of Retinol. Retinol sounds like a scary chemical, but is , in fact the chemical name for Vitamin A. Just adding Retinol to your skincare routine has been proven to reduce wrinkles, increase collagen, improve skin tone, texture and dark spots.

All this can be done with minimal effort- just cleanse as always and then add the serum and then slap on your nighttime moisturizer. For more info, our blog post is here

The Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess

This is a bronzer comes in a multitude of colours to suit every skin tone. Blog post is here.

Jessica’s Favourites

Hotel : Ham Yard Hotel, London. I am obsessed with Kit Kemp.

Restaurant : Le Gavroche – old school fine dining at its best.

Website : TheBlondeSalad, Southmoltonstreetstyle, thefashionguitar and London’s Little Thinkers on Instagram.

Shop : Anthropologie, anywhere in the world…an Aladdin’s Cave of fun.

Holiday destination : North Germany- stunning, off the beaten track and paradise in the summer.

Parenting Tip : “Don’t be afraid to cut corners, and don’t beat yourself up. You are doing great. And make time for a manicure and pedicure- this will make you feel amazing.”

Caroline’s Favourites

Hotel : The Treetop apartments at Chewton Glen.

Restaurant : El Nacional in Barcelona

Website : TKMAXX.COM

Shop : Sign of the Times.a little second hand store in Chelsea with the most incredible designer finds.

Holiday Destination : anywhere that has a kids club!

Parenting tip : Don’t forget to get some time for yourself to get a bit of balance back.

Have a fab day xx

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Family Life Spotlight

Spotlight on Carla Monge : Family Photographer

Our first ever au pair, after 2 years with us moved on to become a nanny for a lovely Spanish family in Clapham. I drove her to her new job and met her wonderful new employers, one of which I discovered was a wonderful photographer. We stayed in touch through Instagram (her feed is beautiful btw) and was delighted when she asked if I would review one of her packages – relaxed family photos in your own house.

Any mother who tries to snap her kids will know how rare it is to get a good photo with the combination everyone’s eyes open, good light and happy so I was happy to give Carla the challenge of getting some photos of all of us.

As soon as she entered our home, the magic happened and she managed to get the children’s attention with a very cunning knack of asking them to look for the frog in the lens (I think it was a frog – I was so enamoured with the concept I can’t actually remember the exact tactic.)

She new the hardest shot is the ones of all the kids together so she got to work on that whilst they were still in post breakfast high. (She likes to start early at about 9 so she can get there best hours before they get tired and hungry).

She said then what would work best is if we just pretended she wasn’t there and get on with what we normally do (ok, not washing up breakfast) but playing in the garden, doing a puzzle etc.

We then moved around the house and she conscientiously made sure that every combination of child/child & child/adult was covered, which she achieved seamlessly and calmly.

I was so thrilled with the session. Carla is a lovely girl to have around and having two children of her own is very natural with kids. She knows about attention spans and distracting to get the best out of the children and her photography skills speak for themselves in her photos. She is a very talented lady!

GIVEAWAY

If you would like to win a 30 minute photo shoot in the park worth £130 including five prints and images, head over to my Instagram to win!

How did you develop your passion for photography?

My interest in photography goes all the way back to Dad’s old film camera as a teenager, I remember developing my first roll of film in the darkroom at school and being amazed at seeing my creations appearing on paper! I continued with some street photography during university, but as happens so often, life and work just got busy and I put my hobby to one side for several years.

It wasn’t until my first child was born that I really started shooting again to capture every single little detail, first smiles, tiny hands and feet, I didn’t want to miss a thing! During each of my maternity leaves I learnt everything I could about photography online, and I haven’t put my camera down since! I like to think that one day my children will see their childhood, through my eyes, in my photographs.

What made you decide to do it professionally?

As I started sharing my photography on Instagram in particular, family and friends started asking me if I could photograph their families. I really enjoyed my first few sessions and creating those timeless memories that mean so much to me for others, so I decided to take the leap!

What’s your style?

My style is very natural, lifestyle photography, capturing the beauty of natural family connections.

Who do you love to photograph?

All families really, families with newborns, young siblings, mornings with grandparents, I enjoy photographing it all!

What is your pricing structure?

I tailor each family session to each unique family and love seeing each family’s personality emerge in the photo galleries I deliver. I do newborn and family sessions where I spend 2-3 hours of a morning with a family either in the comfort of their own home or outdoors.

The booking fee is £175 which includes the photography session itself, a pre-shoot consultation to get to know your family a little better and tailor the session to your unique family personality, a styling guide and recommendations to prepare both parents and children for the session for best results.

My photography packages start at £150 and I offer a range of options of prints, digital packages, frames and albums. Finally, I firmly believe in displaying photographs rather than storing them on a hard drive where they will be forgotten and won’t be fully appreciated, so I always include a post-shoot consultation to give guidance on the different options to best display your images.

With such a reasonable price for such quality results, if I were you I would get booking!

Carla’s Favourites :

Restaurant : Cambio De Tercio in South Kensington, for when I start missing Spanish food!

Hotel : I have to say that with such amazing houses on AirBnB, I rarley stay at hotels with my family anymore!

Website : Amazon! (does that count? It’s a life saver for me!) 😉

Shop : I love shopping locally and there’s a little shop in my neighbourhood called Lizzie’s, it’s become my go-to for buying all sorts of thoughtful little presents for people.

Holiday destination : My best holiday ever was on Safari in Botswana, my husband and I vowed we would do it again, maybe for our 25 year anniversary? 🙂

Parenting tip : “Patience, patience and more patience….and remember to have fun!”

carlamonge.com

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Services Spotlight

Spotlight & Giveaway on Spare My Time : Outsource Your To Do List

Right, the kids are back at school (the youngest has just started nursery!) so it is time crack on with the to do list. We have so many jobs in the house that need doing – decking laid, curtain rails fixed, new loo seats put on and the windows cleaned to name a few. Everytime I log onto Facebook, I see numerous requests on various groups for a recommendation for a handy man, electrician etc. It is like the bind leading the blind and so time consuming! Melissa Gauge has cottoned onto this and started a website SpareMy Time as a one stop shop for of recommended tradesman for all your DIY needs!

Melissa is offering one lucky winner a £50 voucher to use on Spare My Time. Follow the simple instructions below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

On Spare My Time you can search, book and pay for hand-picked, top quality local services, whilst effortlessly striking off jobs from your to-do list. I have had a go and absolutely love it.

It is so easy to use and knowing Melissa, I knew I was in capable hands.

Her goal is to take the hassle out of getting things done and help you every step of the way. They believe feedback is king, so all her service providers are rated and reviewed by past customers.

If you are finding it tough to choose, get in touch and she would love to help you find the right provider for your job. All of her service providers are small, local businesses who believe in quality and customer care so you won’t be disappointed. She also know’s that admin is a hassle and there are just not enough hours in the day, so all booking and payment is online and simple.

Why Did Melissa Set Up Spare My Time

The idea for SpareMyTime started in our real-life situation – trying to juggle work and kids whilst managing our never-ending to-do list.

Every time we needed something done we inevitably ended up paying way too much and getting frustratingly mediocre results in return. Furthermore, our hard-earned weekends were spent trying to catch up with the practicalities of life, rather than enjoying time with our family and friends.

She soon realised that there are a number of great smaller businesses operating within her local community: friendly, reliable and trustworthy with a focus on great quality. These companies are often overlooked by customers who don’t have the time to make an informed choice, opting instead for bigger firms on the basis that, as they are more expensive, they “must be ok”.

Who It Is Aimed At

SpareMyTime is aimed at anyone looking for quality, looking to support local and looking to tick some of those jobs off their to do list.

What It Covers

SpareMyTime covers most jobs that any busy home dweller may find on their to do list and many more besides – painters, plumbers, pointers, window makers, carpenters, gardeners, builders all the way through to waste removal, bike services, PAs, dog walkers, hairdressers, singing teachers and beyond!

The list grows each time we meet a brilliant service provider that shares our values of quality and customer care!

What Area It Covers

At present they cover South West London however a number of their service providers will service other areas of London, so it’s always worth checking.

How It Works

Search: fill in a search form and select a service provider based on past customer reviews
Connect: click ‘connect’ and discuss your requirements with the service provider of your choice via a dedicated chat channel
Quotes and booking: your service provider will send over a quote and booking form – accept you’re good to go (payment details are only taken once on your first booking)
Payment: your service provider will send you an invoice which you can either ‘pay now’ or leave it and funds will be transferred after 24 hours
Keep in the loop: text and email alerts will keep you on top of your job every step of the way
It’s all about making life as easy as possible!

It was so easy to sign up and book someone in. Here is Jason cleaning our windows (and this photo makes me realise we need the house painted too, thank goodness for Spare My Time to help me find someone quickly!)

Melissa’s Favourites

Shop : I love Indian Summer (in Fulham) and am always a sucker for small start ups on Instagram (try Daisies and Dinosaurs for beautiful kids décor). Little Heroes on the Fulham Road is great for kids birthday presents.

Website : I guess I can only answer www.sparemytime.com to that one… (but I’m probably on Instagram more 😉

Restaurant : Pappa Cicca is a go-to for all of our family.

Hotel : We went to Martinhal Beach Resort in Portugal last summer which was a perfect holiday for both us and the kids (they still talk about it a year on).

Holiday Destination : On the slopes (with or without kids).

Parenting Tip : Fresh air seems to be the secret ingredient for our kids so we try to get them outside as much as possible.

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Activities Gift Guides Spotlight

My Pocket Money Toy & Giveaway – Plus Winners Announced

I dream about being that mother who remembers to give their children their pocket money on a Saturday morning and then we waddle off to the shops to choose something, most likely educational and great quality that my child doesn’t put down as soon as we get home… Reality, when I remember, I chuck them the change that is floating around in the bottom of my bag and we rush to Londis in between football and lunch to buy sweets or Match Attax!!

However, if things rings true, I bring you My Pocket Money Toy.

Shirley is a mummy who has made a move from Financial Crime & Risk to children’s toys! She has just launched a new subscription box for children called My Pocket Money Toy.

The monthly box will be filled with 2-3 quality, durable, fun (and often educational/STEM) toys every month. In the first box, the child will receive an old fashioned style stamp book, a new toy sicker stamp each month (children can collect stamps for a free toy) and a themed colouring insert.

My idea has grown out of two main problems that I have faced as a mother. The first problem is a lack of time and the second problem is the increasing lack of availability of good toys.

Her son Alasdair is now 7 and his life is packed at the weekend with tennis, swimming and skiing as well as parties and play dates throw in from time to time. We all know that feeling of not having enough time.

If we factor in shopping, caring for ageing grandparents and spending quality family time together, we quickly find researching and finding good toys just falls off the list of things to do! I hope my box will fill a need and create some quality family time playing with toys and games in the box.

She is delighted to be working with great companies such as Brainbox (The Green Board Game Co), Brainstorm, Galt, Orchard Toys, Keycraft, Mibo, Rachel Ellen, Gibsons, Melissa and Doug, POM, Wicked Toys. The list keeps growing and will continue to grow as she researches, sources and tests the best toys.

How does it work?

Choose 1 from each category below.

3 Age Ranges –

3-5 years
6-7 years
8-10 years

Gender

Boy
Girl
Gender Neutral

4 Types of Package

One-off box (perfect for Easter, Holidays or Birthdays)
3 month subscription
6 month subscription
1 year subscription.

If indicated as a birthday gift, she will include a bespoke (oohKatieQ) birthday cards.

Shirley very kindly sent us two boxes, 1 for my eldest (6-7, boy) and one for my second son (3-5 box). She also included a little box for my 2 year old as she didn’t want her to feel left out!!

I can genuinely say the presentation and of the toys was beautiful The box arrived with the toys individually wrapped and swathed in green tissue paper.

Many of the toys were new to me – a mix of educational and fun. The quality was at the top end and none of the goodies were disposable!

My oldest loved his so much, he carefully put everything back in the box and squirrelled it up to his room.

I urge you to head over to My Pocket Money Toy to set up your subscription and also if you are looking for a present for child that you need to post – you won’t be disappointed!

GIVEAWAY

To win a 3 Month Subscription for a box of your choosing, head over to Instagram.

WINNER OF THE 5 SPRING TIME GIVEAWAYS ARE…

Pack of Time Tokens

Selina Ridsdale

Charlie Tattersal

Hollyhock Home Rabbit Bag

Suzi Lloyd

The Little Art Collection Butterfly Swaddle

Samantha Milner

Kiddiewinkles Grey Star Laundry Basket

Mira Da Silva

Four Fairies & a Prince Ebbe Fleece

Laura Thomas (On Instagram)

Congratulations! I will be in touch to organise delivery xx

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Spotlight

Learn Historical Dates Easily with Roll Out History

Matthew Faulkner is Deputy Head at Summer Fields in Oxford and the brains behind Roll Out History. From the Big Bang to Brexit, this self-adhesive historical timeline shows the key dates as they happened, one after the other. It is perfect for children starting out in History, or for adults who are just getting a little rusty, this 5 metre roll makes sense of it all.

Each event is described with a date and a short explanation, plus a beautiful illustration from award-winning artist Fiona Macpherson. Stick it on a wall or round your room, and you will never confuse your Vikings with your Saxons, or your Tudors with your Victorians, ever again!

We love ours – it is a great conversation starter and perfect look at during bath time!

Whilst Matthew is not working incredibly hard looking after the prep school aged boys (which has a reputation of being a highly academic school (3 Kings Scholarships to Eton last year) but in fact takes boys of all abilities, he is looking to tell parents and children alike about the concept behind Roll Out History.

How Did It All Begin?

When Matthew was aa boy at school, he had a brilliant History teacher who gave the boys lists of dates to learn. It was on one side of A4, very closely typed and completely without any cartoons of pictures or other gizmos which are on handouts these days. There were probably about 75 in all, with a test every week, and by the time he left he had pretty much mastered them. Today, even if he knows absolutely nothing about something, he find it very useful at least to know when it happened.

His first teaching job was at Notting Hill Prep in London. The lovely Headmistress (Jane Cameron) allowed him to commission a timeline to go snaking all round the school. It had artists, great buildings, battles, inventions, kings and queens and various other things.

The idea, and I think it worked well, was to show in physical terms how events related to each other in time. If you remember that The Spanish Armada was by the light switch, then it must have come after the invention of Printing (above the fire extinguisher) and so on!

Having seen it in school, he then thought that it really needed to be available for children to put in their bedrooms.

He luckily discovered that it could be printed on self adhesive paper. The first run was done in China, but they are now printed in Dorset, UK!

It is aimed at children mainly, though I suspect that most adults really need one too!

Matthew’s Favourites

Website : Summer Fields

Shop : Lush

Hotel : The Yurt we rented on Lake Coniston last year

Restaurant : The Hive in Burton Bradstock

Holiday Destination : Aldeburgh, Suffolk

Parenting Tip :

Focus on making your children resilient – whoever they are, they will need the tools to deal with disappointment in later life

Five Ways To Get Your Children Interested in History

1. Get them talking to their grandparents about what life was like when they were young
2. Read quality historical fiction (such as The Roman Mysteries, Bowmen of Crecy, The Free Frenchmen, Boy in the Striped Pyjamas)
3. Visit all the Cathedrals and Castles you can. Pick up postcards and leaflets and stick them on a History Wall in your house.
4. Go to the Chalke Valley History Festival in June- one of the best possible days out, even for non-history buffs.
5. Put a Rollout History Timeline on your wall!!

We have and we love it!

Buy Your Roll Out History here

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Gift Guides Services Spotlight

The Mother’s Day Gift Guide with Sentebale

After a couple of months of planning and plotting, I am so excited that I am finally able to bring you a wonderful Mother’s Day Gift Guide from 6 wonderful brands. The difference with this Gift Guide however, is that every purchase or booking you make will support the charity Sentebale!

What is Sentebale?

Sentebale is a charity founded in 2006 by Prince Harry, together with Prince Seeiso of Lesotho, that supports orphans and vulnerable children in sub-Saharan Africa, many of whom are victims of the HIV/AIDS epidemic.

Through programmes of education, psychosocial support, and care, Sentebale is supporting the mental health and wellbeing of these children so they can lead healthy, happy lives.

Find out more about Sentebale here

Why Am I Involved?

I am so delighted to be partnering with Sentebale as I spent 6 months in Sub Saharan Africa working with children affected by HIV in 2007. My time spent in South Africa and Uganda really enabled me to see how vulnerable these children are. Now that I am a mother myself, I understand even more how hard it must be for children who don’t have a mother and really want to do something to help.

I am sure you will love all the choices below, shopping in the knowledge that you are supporting the most vulnerable children in Lesotho and Botswana, many of whom are living without their mother.

You can make a difference by choosing a gift for your own mother or perhaps you can forward this onto your husband or partner who is choosing a gift for you on behalf of the kids!

So, here they are…

Any Items from Harry Rocks London

Runs Between 17th – 29th March, 2017

Harry Rocks is one of my favourite jewellery brands. She is so on the money with her pendants and bracelets, it is no surprise she is stocked in Harvey Nichols!

I am delighted with my new necklace – my 3 kids initials all on one pendant with a little diamond on it (representing whoever is being the best behaved that day!)

Harry Rocks are offering 20% off their entire collection between 17th and 29th March. with the code . They will donate 20% of these sales to Sentebale

Buy here using code SENTEBALE20 at checkout.

A Beautiful Bouquet of fresh flowers from Moyes Stevens

Runs between 17th – 29 th March, 2017

My house if filled with faux flowers and so my husband doesn’t see the point of buying me flowers ‘as I already have so many’. However when he saw this bouquet, he had to agree that they were beautiful and a massive treat to have in the house.

Not only are Moyses Stevens the Royal florist, they have a flare for colour and the smell is sensational. Sentebale means ‘forget me not’ in Lesotho, so it is fantastic to see these represented within the arrangement.

What’s In The Bouquet?

White Anemones
Pink Tulips
White Hypericum Berries
Viburnum/ Guelder
Forget-me-nots
Sweet Avalanche Roses
Rosemary and Eucalyptus

There are 3 different sizes for you to choose from –

Standard: £70.00

Large: £104.00

Deluxe: £136.00

This one is a large! Can you imagine a deluxe! Wow!

Moyes Stevens will donate 20% to Sentebale from every ‘Sentebale Bouquet’ ordered

Order yours here

Any Items from Willa The Bear

Runs from 17th – 29th March

This is a perfect gift for a new mother or mother to be. Willa and the Bear is a lovely brand selling beautiful bedding and nightwear. It will last forever and become a keepsake for the next generation.

They are donating 100% of proceeds from the sale of all cot quilts sold between 17th and 29th March to Sentebale!

Willa and The Bear are offering you 30% off any other product when you use the code SENTEBALE30, and will donate £5 to Sentebale for every sale that uses the code!

Buy here and please use SENTEBALE30 at checkout.

The Gallery Mess at The Saatchi Gallery

Runs from 17th – 29th March, 2017

Gallery Mess are adding a discretionary £1 donation in support of Sentebale to ALL diner’s bills between 17th and 29th March.

Set amongst a plethora of interesting sculptures and art works, the food is as good as the setting. Not only very generous helpings, utterly delicious.

Why not have a wander around the shops in Sloane Square and then stop here for lunch? It is a real treat and a favourite amongst the locals. And 2 year olds..

Book your table here and they will donate £1 from every bill during the 17th and 29th March.

Mother’s Day Champagne Afternoon Tea at The Bulgari Hotel

Runs Between 17th – 29th March, 2017

What mother doesn’t need some time off once in a while? However, unless it is booked for you, it easy to feel guilty about leaving the little darlings, and you literally need to be sent.

With this in mind, I would love to be sent with a girlfriend into the centre of London to have an Afternoon Tea with Champagne. Where is more opulent and spoiling than the Bulgari Hotel?!

Set in pure opulence, you will be waited on hand and foot and actually have an uninterrupted conversation. Bliss!

The Bulgari Hotel will donate £5 to Sentebale every time a Champagne Afternoon Tea (47pp) is booked between 17th – 29th March.

Book online here and please be sure to reference ‘Sentebale Afternoon Tea’ in the ‘special requests’ section!

Any Items from ME+EM

Offer is on for 24hrs 22nd March, 2017

Fashion brand ME+EM are donating £5 to Sentebale for every sale over £50 on Wednesday 22nd March. I am so excited they are participating in this campaign. Their pieces are a great price point, beautifully made and uber cool. If you haven’t heard of them yet, take a look and I have no doubt you will find some great pieces for your Spring Wardrobe.

However, please hold off until Wednesday 22nd before you buy anything – don’t worry I will remind you in a post on Wednesday morning (including my top picks!)

NO CODE – JUST SHOP ON THE 22ND!!!! (You can plan your purchase here)

I would be so utterly grateful if you dug deep and blessed a mother with one of these thoughtful gifts. Not only will it make them a very happy lady, but you really will be making a difference to the lives of children affected by HIV in sub-Saharan Africa.

Thank you so much and have a very Happy Mother’s Day

Love from

Lucinda xx

PS: If you’ve already got your gift sorted but would still like to show your support, you can donate to Sentebale here

Please would you share this post on Facebook or forward it via email?

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Food Spotlight

Bringing Indian Cooking To Your Kitchen

Last week, I hosted my ideal dinner party. A cook bringing the food and your guests cooking for themselves. That takes singing for your supper to a whole new level, doesn’t it! We had a great evening being taught to cook Indian cuisine by the lovely Nidhi who runs Meri Rasoi cooking school. She hosts private classes or you can go to her beautiful home for a lesson in Raynes Park. (Win a £100 voucher towards your own class over on Instagram!)

Nidhi’s culinary journey began almost twelve years ago with the genesis of ‘Meri Rasoi’, which means ‘My Kitchen’! Despite being away from India all these years, she was always inspired to cook Indian food from scratch for her family and friends, as some of the best ingredients are easily available in London.

When it came to eating out I noticed an alarming lack of authenticity and understanding of real Indian food. There were thousands of Indian takeaways and restaurants but the dishes on offer were generally rich and spicy and unlike what we eat on a daily basis.

The British love for Indian cuisine and their willingness to experiment was clear to her from my early days here and with this in mind, she started ‘Meri Rasoi’ as an endeavour to introduce authentic Indian food in British kitchens. The plan was simple – easy to prepare food that could be built into weekly meal plans to provide a nutritious and healthy variety to the entire family.

Nidhi believes that food should be fresh, healthy and simple to make and she loves inspiring people to cook from scratch and show them that Indian cooking is not always time consuming or ridiculously spicy.

I do this through cookery classes run out of my kitchen or privately in the comfort of your home. Indian cooking is also a very communal affair and I run various private events for people and team building workshops with schools, corporates and other organisations centred around Indian food and cooking.

Her classes are fun and interactive and appeal to complete beginners as well as serious food enthusiasts. It was an eye opener to realise cooking Indian food from scratch is not as hard as it looks once you know how!

We were the complete beginners although my friend Chloe in the pic above seemed to know a bit more than us – hence the directing! 🙂

The classes are aimed at giving you an opportunity to learn not only how to cook delicious home cooked Indian food but also to use spices confidently, which she brings along from amazing suppliers. (She will tell you where to buy various items.)

Check out the gorgeous fresh ingredients and the beautiful spices.

I loved how she hung in paneer on my kitchen sink. That’s something I haven’t ever seen!

Studious students with their lovely aprons – that they were able to take home!

Nidhi does everything so well. She is patient (even when people aren’t listening!) and doesn’t cut any corners. The only thing I had to do was set the table.

We were totally delighted by our efforts when we finally got to eat! I just about served up the rice with no spillages, despite a few glasses of wine in…

It was so delicious, especially the Chicken Tandoori – I won’t be able to have a takeaway ever again!

What a fun evening. Nidhi is a fountain of knowledge and so generous at imparting it.

Take a peak at her favourites…

Restaurant : Cinnamon club at The Old Westminster Library.

“I love their modern take on traditional Indian classics. The last meal we enjoyed there was on our anniversary and included tandoori chicken in pistachio korma, garlic naan crumble and Bombay style vegetables with cumin pao (bread).”

If you want to enjoy food as if you were sitting in the foothills of the Himalayas, then do visit the New Asian Tandoori restaurant in Southall – Roxy. A bit rustic and my favourite dishes there are lamb bhuna, sarson ka saag (fresh mustard leaves cooked with spices) and makki ki roti (Punjabi flatbread made of maize flour) washed down with a glass of chilled mango lassi.”

Some of her other favourite restaurants include Thai Square in Putney, Barnes Depot and Bam Bou in Fitzrovia.

Hotel : Kumarakom Lake Resort, Kerala (India)

“Our last family holiday in India was in Kerala and we stayed at the Kumarakom Lake Resort which has the most breathtaking setting against the Keralan backwaters. The resort offers a selection of Ayurvedic treatments and massages which combined with yoga and carefully prepared meals is the ultimate mind and body detox.”

Holiday Destination : Kerala (India) and Rio (Brazil)

“They are two places that stole my heart the very first time I visited them. Kerala known as ‘Gods own Country’ is truly the most tranquil place I have visited within India. Everything about it from food, lagoons, mountains, tea, wildlife and serene beaches make it a travellers paradise.

If you are ever travelling to Rio you must also visit ‘Buzios’, a fishing village which is known as one of the 10 most beautiful areas in the world. We enjoyed a 3 week holiday in Rio when I was pregnant with our second child and it is definitely a place I want to visit again.”

Website : Jamie Oliver’s Food Tube

Shop : Good Earth

“This is an India based luxury retail store with an organic cafe has to be my top choice. I love browsing their wide selection of homeware, decoration and kitchen products with each design being truly unique and narrating a story of a particular tradition or culture in Asia. They do have international delivery available but I cant wait for them to open a store here in London!!”

Parenting Tip

“I feel in today’s day and age, it is the parents responsibility to simplify their children’s life given there is so much pressure to produce super humans who are the best at everything. We try and instil in our kids that it is important to take time out to reflect and also let the mind wander which we feel opens the door to new ideas and endless possibilities. We love the outdoors and make it a point to spend time with nature on a regular basis. I bond with them through cooking and my husband is a star at entertaining them with his funny stories – they’ve even written a book together called the ‘monster in a hole’ and are currently looking for a publisher :)”

I highly recommend you Book a course with Nidhi either at her beautiful home in Southfields or put together a group like I did at your own home! Email her for more information!

She is also giving away a £100 voucher toward a cooking lesson or course, so head over to Instagram and enter.

Bon apetite!

Meri Rasoi

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