Right as rain with Joules

Growing up by the North Devon coast, I have always had a great fondness of the seaside for everything it represents. So many cherished memories of my childhood have revolved around being at the beach as a family, running about, playing games and enjoying the freedom that the vast space offers. I love everything from the feeling of sand moving between your toes to the chilly, tentative first steps into the shallow water's edge.

 My husband Eddy has always shared my love of the coast. A water baby himself, he grew up with a great fascination of the sea which, in turn, led to his great love of surfing. It is little surprise therefore that our children are miniature water babies and Noah particularly loves being at the beach. During the summer, most weekends have found us packing up the buckets and spades, crabbing nets and wellies and heading off to the coast to explore its richness in the hopes of finding treasure. 

 We are quite spoilt in how accessible a day trip to the seaside is for us but we try not to take it forgranted when we do visit. It’s an educational playground for children where they can learn about so much nature has to offer. From dodging jellyfish to crabbing in the rock pools, our family has tried many an activity on the shores of the Devon coast. We try to teach Noah to be respectful of the various fish and little creatures we discover along the way and I really feel his fascination is growing as he finds confidence in such an exciting world.

 When it comes to our sea-side adventures, Joules have it completely covered. From their wellies to their rain coats, I always feel confident that the showery British summer won’t stop our play. With little ones to consider, we have to ‘cover all basis’ when we take the kids out to the coast. As mummy, it is normally my task to make sure we have all our day trip essentials on hand when we are loading up our car. Often it will look like a pile of contradictions: I will pack our sunscreen sprays next to our rain coats and wellies, our warm jumpers and socks alongside our towels and bathing suits. But that is why I love Joules, they know exactly what summer holidays in Britain necessitate and their designs are beautifully versatile for unpredictable weather. 

 With Autumn beginning to creep around the corner, I know our summer Joules pieces will takes us into the next season perfectly. Joule’s clothing is, in my mind, effortlessly stylish yet practical for a lively young family like ours. They allow movement and ensure protection from the elements, aiding little (and grown up) explorers to seek adventure in the great outdoors.

We have created a video which we would love you to watch. To me, it really represents why I love Joules and what it allows us as a family to do together. So why not pop the kettle on and settle down to join us on the North Devon coast!

Love Bunty

xXx

* Whilst we are very grateful to Joules for gifting our family such beautiful clothes for the purposes of this collaboration, all opinions expressed are authentic and representative of Bunty Living.*

Avene Eau Thermale

I wanted to share with you something that I never thought in a million years I would buy into. In fact, when I first started talking about this amongst my family, it was met with hysterical laughter- trust me, I myself have laughed at the concept of facial mists in the past! However, since using this over the summer months, I have completely changed my opinion of facial sprays.

As we are going camping in Norfolk this week (more on that soon) and again, just the four of us are going away to Cornwall in September, I did a bit of a Boots haul to buy the usual family toiletries in travel sized form! I have been using the Avene facial creams these past few months as they have been excellent on my skin in the warmer weather. Whilst repurchasing my current faves, I spotted the Avene Eau Thermale and decided this would make for a handy travelling companion.

I didn’t realise I would become obsessed with it so soon before actually planning on using it! Thermal water is known for its soothing properties and this seems to be packed full of them. It’s so cool and refreshing and I now use it several times a day. (I know, writing that I sound ridiculously high maintenance!) But it's actually very simple, quick and effective to instantly cool and ensure hydrated skin.

After cleansing my face in the morning, a spritz of this really wakes up my tired eyes. I also use it during the day to cool my skin and refresh it from the heat- especially when it’s muggy outside. The 50ml bottle is great for popping in your handbag and very practical for when you just want to revive your skin on the go.

You can also use this spray to set makeup, to calm skin irritations, after hair removal and after exercise. But probably one of my favourite uses is on my babies. This stuff is weirdly excellent at soothing nappy rashes and is a hygienic way to cleanse delicate baby skin between nappy changes. This is part of the reason I stocked up on these bottles as we are camping this week and so for their sakes, using water after wet wipes is just a nice way to keep the little ones clean and fresh!

As you can see, I have tried and tested this bottle for several uses and have been enormously impressed thus far. It is definitely a whim purchase that has paid off!

Wishing you all a wonderful week ahead!

Love Bunty

xXx

A weekend bake

I baked a large Victoria sponge last week, which went down well with the family but I also found it extremely therapeutic to bake. It's a really relaxing activity that gets the whole household into the kitchen to see what that lovely 'freshly baked' fragrance filling the air is all about.

This week, I decided to bake a big chocolate 'super duper' cake in time for this weekend. There was no excuse for it, no birthdays or particular requests- I just really fancied getting my apron on and having a go. I made three separate cakes which I sandwiched together using a mixture of freshly whipped double cream and cocoa powder. 

 I used 8 eggs and their weight in sugar, flour and butter. (Though I eased off on the sugar content) I also added baking powder to really help the cakes rise.

As this cake is made using fresh ingredients, it's best kept in the fridge and consumed within a couple of days. I'm not entirely convinced we are going to get through ours- even if it is temptingly delicious!

I am feeling quite inspired and I really want to have a go at making a 'wedding cake' style cake. Not that I have anyone to bake it for but it's one of those things that I always see and wish I could find an excuse to replicate. I might have to have a go one of these days, just for the fun of it! 

I hope you're all having a beautiful weekend!

Love Bunty

xXx

Cosy corner

With the end of August heralding the start of September, my thoughts turn to the transitioning seasons. The night's are (dare I admit to it) already beginning to draw in and it won't be long before the lush colours of trees turn red and golden brown, gloriously announcing the change! 

This week I have felt pretty exhausted with one thing and another: work, planning, busy nights with the children. I don't really feel like doing a great deal this weekend and with Eddy now working away  from home for a few days, I am planning some cosy days of just pottering around the house and looking after the babies.

Earlier in the day I set myself up in a quiet spot to enjoy five minutes peace whilst the children were both napping. I was feeling a little down and so I decided to curl up and read a few of my favourite magazines and, as you can see from this empty mug, I enjoyed a lovely hot beverage with them!

It got me thinking about how much I use to enjoy making 'nests' with my older sister as a child. We would pile our duvets and blankets onto the floors and create 'nests' to snuggle in with our books and hot chocs. That love of being cosy and nestling down is something I so look forward to in autumn and winter. I guess I feel more justified in doing it when the weather is cold and glum outside!

Here's to making lots of nests in the last quarter of this year (I know- I can't believe I'm talking about the end of the year either!) Whilst I'm certainly not trying to wish away the last of the summer,  I am starting to look forward to cosy days, warm socks and copious amounts of hot chocolate!

Happy weekend lovelies!

Bunty

xXx

Let them eat cake!

Last week Eddy kept dropping hints about how much he fancied a slice of his favourite Victoria Sponge! I have to admit that I haven't gotten around to baking in what seems like ages. But with the sun playing hide and seek and the rain pouring in at the window on Sunday afternoon, I decided to go ahead and bake a cake to cheer everyone. 

I've used my mother's recipe which always makes for a deliciously light sponge. Normally it would consist of 4 eggs and their weight in flour, sugar and butter. However, with some hungry boys around, I decided to max this cake out with three tiers. I upped my ingredients to 7 eggs and their weight to ensure I could fill three cake tins.

There's always something so comforting about curling up on the sofa with a hot drink and a slice of something homemade and delicious. With our beach plans being scuppered, it was nice to actually write off the day in a sense, pop a movie on and just enjoy each other's company this way.

Sometimes it is nice to stop and not do too much. I know I have a bit of a guilt complex about having 'down days', I think I just forget that sometimes the kids need to have quiet days and it's good to not have any plans or anything particular to do. Cake is always a great accompaniment to this kind of afternoon and it went down a real treat! I used freshly whipped double cream and lashings of strawberry jam to sandwich the cakes together- delicious!

Looking at the size of it once I had finished the decorating, I was glad it was a Sunday as we all know calories don't count on Sundays!

I hope you're all having a wonderful week!

Love Bunty

xXx