Wealden Times Midsummer Fair

I'm so excited to be included in this years Wealden Times Midsummer Fair in June as this is my very favourite type of setting in which to showcase my range of children's cotton nightwear. I think this love of the 'quintessentially English fair' must go back to my childhood. Both sets of my grandparents lived in Devon and many summers were spent holidaying there. I still remember the thrill of dressing up in my summer frock and heading off to the village fete with my holiday pocket money. The sun was always shining and my granny complete with her 'clip clasp' handbag, would guide my sister and I through the crowd, buying a raffle ticket here or a jar of jam there. Sometimes it was the village fair and sometimes the local hospital fete. I remember the wonder of winning an embroidered green cushion when I was about seven, but just so elated that I had a winning ticket and had won something! There was always an ice-cream or a huge slice of cake and of course some homemade treasure such as a lavender bag or a knitted toy to take home.

Well, times were simpler then and things have moved on considerably, but don't we just love the charm of a good old fashioned country fair? The cream teas, the WI homemade preserves with their gingham covers, the wellies, the cooking shows, the smell of the marquees, the fluttering bunting. This fair promises to be jam packed literally with the most beautiful hand-picked array of artisan stalls and vendors selling home and garden wares, fashion, gifts and jewellery. The tea tent will be a highlight and foodies will be in their element with local farmers, producers and wine makers selling delicious products in the food avenue. There will be gardening experts on hand sharing their knowledge of growing flowers and vegetables and top chefs at work in the kitchen theatre. All this will be set within the  grounds of the lovely Hole Park in Rolvedon, Kent.

E tickets for the fair are now on sale and you can claim your exclusive discount code by quoting EXS14 when purchasing tickets on line before midnight on 30th April 2014. This entitles you to 25% off the gate ticket price. The ticket price includes free entry to Hole Park Gardens so this promises to be a fabulous day out for all the family.

I can't wait to tell you all about it in June. And no, I won't be needing my wells because the sun is going to shine!

Janne x

Easter gifts

The sun is shining! It's official... Spring is well and truly here and so is the arrival of some lovely new items to our online shop. With a Facebook giveaway and 20% off until April now is a great time to take a look round some of our new gifts and children's nightwear ranges.

A bunny isn't just for Easter so if you have a new Spring baby due in the family, or perhaps looking for a christening or first birthday gift then look no further than Bo rabbit. He (or he can be a she) comes beautifully presented in a hat style gift box, making a lovely keepsake. Designed in England by toy company Ragtales he is soft enough to snuggle and handsome enough to sit on a bedroom shelf. There is even the option to kit him out in a pyjama or nightdress set too. He also has a little brother in the form of mini Bo who also comes beautifully packaged in a smaller keepsake box.

Joining the beautiful quilted mouse house play set , we now have a gorgeous home for bunnies! This lovely quilted and lightly padded rabbit house play set decorated with embroidered flowers and applique bunting makes a lovely Easter gift alternative to chocolate! It comes with two little sister mice just perfect for imaginative play. When not being played with, it makes a beautiful hanging decoration in a bedroom.

We have one of these adorable rabbit play sets in this months Facebook giveaway so please take a look and enter to win in time for Easter.

If you are ordering online this month then don't forget we have 20% off using code SPRING14

Have a great week everyone,

Janne

We love everything twirly

I had great fun last year with these petti-skirts. I love everything twirly and frothy and if you are a follower of me on pinterest you will know that too! They were so popular at all the gift fairs with mummies, grandmothers and of course little girls. The age range that sold out the quickest though, was the 10-12 yr age group. These skirts look great teamed with leggings, Converse and a little crop jacket or even a hoodie (A&F of course)! The older girls loved all the muted greys, teals and navys whereas the little ones wanted the pinks and lilac. I'm really looking forward to stocking more colours and styles later in the year although you can still find some really pretty colours online here. These really are an all year round fun and twirly party skirt. And after all there is only a short window in time in which you can get away with wearing something so pink, frilly and frothy!

Now, I'm not suggesting that you co ordinate your party skirt with kitty, but the day I took the photos of these gorgeous pink and grey petti-skirts, was the day the neighbours cat Bluebelle appeared. Obviously, I just couldn't resist putting the two together!

I think this pink and grey just look so scrumptious together!

Have a great week,

Janne

Little pyjama sale

Happy New Year everyone. (I think I can just about get away with wishing everyone that till the end of January) Hope all those new 2014 resolutions are going well!

I've got lots of new plans for My Heart and Home this year, including stocking some brand new baby gift sets, baby blankets and newborn keepsake toys. Already orders have been placed with a lovely new English toy brand. I'm looking forward to Bubble (The kidswear trade show) next week and seeking out some new baby wear and pyjamas to add to the range too.

In the meantime we have a new years pyjama clearance going on, so please take a peek at the nightwear section on the site and see if you can grab a cosy winter bargain for your little one. We have some great skinny fit robot pjs for boys on sale and the prettiest cosy crown print pjs for girls.

These are just some of the winter styles on sale this month with prices starting from as little as £12.95. I'm looking forward to posting up some of our new Spring range very soon.

In the meantime, happy juicing!

Janne x

Chocolate Party

Is there a better way to celebrate chocolate week than with a chocolate party? Of course I knew that way back in June when I booked Trish of Cloud Cocoland for Eloise's 10th Birthday Party earlier this month!

I first met Trish when we both had a stall at a local fundraising event. We had just started our own businesses and got chatting over chocolate and pyjamas like you do! She had just had a baby boy (one week before) and I was amazed how calm, unflappable and utterly composed she was, not to mention looking gorgeous so soon afterwards. I don't think I even got out of my pyjamas for about a week after having my first!

I've followed Cloud Cocoland's Facebook page ever since. Her chocolates are simply delicious and this year she was the official supplier to The Hampton Court Festival. When I spotted Trish was running a chocolate party, I knew that would be such a lovely idea! Trish offers a number of different options for the party, so it really can be tailored  around what you would like to make. We chose the truffle making and chocolate fountain option for ten girls.

Trish and sister Juliet arrived laden with bags of chocolate, aprons and utensils and in no time had set about preparing for the party and chopping fruit for the chocolate fountain which was gurgling away very temptingly in the background!

Once the girls had arrived and pinnys were on, Trish demonstrated the truffle making technique. There were different flavour chocolate mixes to choose from, with the jelly flavour being the clear winner amongst the girls!

The party girls wasted no time in rolling and shaping the chocolate in to truffles and it was clear they were going to be taking home a good few bags each. The chocolate was divine! Trish uses the same chocolate and teaches the same techniques as she uses herself and so it wasn't long before we had a very professional production line going. And don't worry, Trish came armed with plenty of wipes and kitchen roll. Not one chocolate hand print in sight!

Each chocolate truffle was dipped, sprinkled and decorated and just when the cocoa powder and and icing sugar were becoming ever so slightly intoxicating, it was time to move over to the chocolate fountain! 

It didn't take long for the chocolates to set and Trish and Juliet gift wrapped the truffles  with ribbon. Each 'newbie chocolatier' was sent home with three bags of beautiful bespoke chocolates that tasted utterly amazing.

Can you ever have too much chocolate? Not in this house! If you would like to find out more about Trish's chocolate party you can find all the details here.

Janne and the birthday girl x

Pride of the Valley Sculpture Park

Finding yet another activity that both Mum and daughter can enjoy two weeks into the holidays is not always easy unless it involves a trip to Costa Coffee, Wagamamas or a mint magnum. So when a friend suggested a visit to a Sculpture Park that I'd never even heard of (despite living in Surrey for 30 years) we were happy to give it a go.

I envisioned a small park that might take half an hour to traipse round and then lunch at a Pub. I think Eloise imagined slides, swings and maybe a a zip wire or two! I had no idea that we would find such a hidden gem in The Pride of the Valley Sculpture Park though. It literally is an outdoor gallery set in woodland in Churt, a tiny village in beautiful, rural Surrey.

Each piece of sculpture or carving is set on or just off a meandering trail of about 2km long. You can stumble across anything from an alligator to a shetland pony and many outlandish and beautiful creatures in between. Each piece is different and everything is for sale. Ok so 'forget about the price tag'.

There are endless sculpters and artists represented and the variety of materials used ranges from recyled wellies and horse shoes, iron and stone to sheet metal, ceramic and driftwood. From intricate to minimalist, from tiny to scarily huge! This Park has something for everyone!

The thing I loved the most though was the calm and tranquility of the setting. There were very few people in the park...we literally had it to ourselves. The girls, both 9yrs were more than happy running between sculptures and following the numbered trail. When fatigue set in their interest was immediately renewed by taking their own photos and video with our iPhones.

The path wasn't always easy to follow, but that didn't matter as losing yourself amongst the trees and streams is pure joy. The only thing I would say if you were to take young children is keep them in sight. There are a few small lakes which are deep in places and the park can seem quite remote at times.

It truly is a magical and stimulating place. It is closed Mondays, but is open for most of the year. It's not too expensive to get in either. Just £6 for adults and £3 for children. Take a picnic and easily spend the best part of a day there. If you go, do let me know if you enjoyed the visit as much as we did.

Happy summer!

Janne x

A good nights sleep

Who's had a good nights sleep this month? We've got the fan on, the duvet off, windows wide open, but each night is a challenge in this weather. We all want to stay cool during these hot summer nights and with little ones feeling uncomfortable and irritable in this heat, it's really important to choose the right nightwear for them to sleep in. All our beautiful nightwear is 100% cotton. We don't do polyester or manmade fabrics which can cause existing skin conditions to flare up. A cool breathable and natural fibre, cotton is probably one of the best options for sleeping in this heatwave. All our nightwear is machine washable and is easy to dry. If you want to skimp on the ironing then a light tumble dry is all that is needed. 

Loose fitting nightwear is best and as all our nightdresses are based on traditional victorian designs so there is plenty of room for movement. This Powell Craft Rosie nightdress is one of our best sellers in summer with it's vintage rose print design.

Loose fitting pyjamas or nighties allow for circulation around the body so slim fitting all- in-ones and tight fitting pjs are not ideal in our hot and sticky July!

We have lots of fun designs for boys too, but these classic lightweight stripe pjs are great for both boys and girls. 

Wishing you all a good nights sleep this summer!

Janne x