The Gardens at Chartwell

Well, you know us, we're suckers for a day out in a beautiful garden. Kent turns out to be nicknamed "the garden of England" and oh my, it just keeps surprising us with amazing place after amazing place.
This time we went to Chartwell to visit Churchill's home - except we didn't, we just stayed out in the gardens. The house will be for another time when it's not just us and the toddler. Anyway, the gardens were plenty enough for a first visit, as you can see from the pictures.
The place oozes tranquility and love of nature with several spots where you can just sit down and take in the beauty of the place, play in little wooden huts made of pallets, branches and twigs or just take a moment to stop and smell the peonies. How can anyone honestly resist?
The grounds are absolutely enormous and it's an ideal place to bring a picnic another time (note to self- make that patchwork picnic blanket already!). And man, I long for one of those really big trees with a sturdy swing like the ones we tried, it was just pure happiness. Can't wait to go back another time.

my little flower book

Once again today, in the nick of time before the May box arrives, here is my monthly Little Box post. I absolutely adored it, right up my street, and so fitting with the season.
Our own garden is blooming at the moment, it's been such a transformation over the past couple of weeks, and we feel really blessed to finally be able to enjoy the sunshine without having to pack a bag and treck to the local park. Anyway, back to our flower book.

 So April was all about flowers. First of all the box wasn't really a box, but rather a "book" - snazzy for hiding tiny secrets in your bookshelf. The colour scheme was lovely, all in oranges and greens.
So, on to goodies.
Lifestyle goodies truly felt like a treat this time, with a mini appartment garden to grow on your windowsill (I've put mine in the bathroom). I thought this was such a lovely idea, and with no need for a big open space to use it, it's perfect for everyone. Next came another great treat from a collaboration with Balzac Paris, the superb lingerie bag. I'll be honest with you, I never had the need for one of those before but I can see myself using it on one of our upcoming trips very soon. Even more pleasing, its colous perfectly match a new pair of underwear I bought in France last month!

Beatuty goodies were a genuine surprise, as they are most months. If you know my instagram account, you will surely know I have a thing for peonies, my favourite flower. So finding a peony shower gel by L'Occitane was fab, I felt like it was made just for me!  Then we had a nail varnish, the first one ever since I started my subscription. I haven't tried it yet, but il looks like a good shade, I had a similar one from Mavala before. And finally, MyLittle Beauty's product is a Rosee du Matin. Again, this is perfectly in line with the monthly theme, right down to the packaging.
I am so, so happy with this month's, well it's last month's in reality, Little Box, I can't wait for the new one to arrive.  And I will try to post about it sooner than 4 weeks late! In the meantime, enjoy your flowers wherever you are.

my little box

Please forgive me, for I have been weak and gave in to temptation...but would you just look at that? Isn't it the most gorgeous thing to come through your post on a dreary January day?
After seeing a lot of fellow French bloggers showing off their "my little box" on their sites every month, I have finially decided to give this a go, with it being my birthday month and many other excuses I can't think of right now, I subscribed and got my first box in the post last week. Yay!

Each new box carries a different theme and is filled with beauty and lifestyle goodies. This month it's a "little wish box" and the lifestyle goodies are a gorgeous planner and some ribbony bracelets, and over on the beauty side I got a Ren micellar water. I use micellar water everyday and haven't tried this one, so it's great to give this new product a go. Next was a miracle day cream by Garnier, and then a very soft and lovely lip balm from My little box's own beauty range, My little beauty.

On the whole I really like the concept, and it's the ultimate feel-good postbox treat. And on the plus side, in a way it makes me feel a bit connected with the old country (I never really admit it, but I do miss you, France!) I think overall the best thing for me has to be the packaging, neat, pretty, goodies came in a lovely string bag, oh, and I forgot the magazine, too! So far, so good, folks. Let's see what February will bring. Can't wait!

changes for 2016

First of all a whole bunch of flowers to wish you all a super happy new year for 2016. Nothing brings a smile to my face like a nice bouquet, and I eagerly wait for late spring to fill the house with poenies again - such a lovely flower that I chose its name to start my IG account a few weeks back.
This is one of the first changes I am making this year - putting myself out there a little bit more. I have come across so many inspiring things on IG and Pinterest this past year that I decided I might take part too, you know, join the gang and see what happens. Good things, hopefully. There's a link to it on the sidebar, check it out!
And since I've been cooing over those 2015 flower pictures, I've also used my last weekend off to make a new banner and rejig a few things around. Do you like it? Really feeling this "new year, new me" vibe. Groovy. Let's hope the enthusiasm sticks once work has started again :(

 So onto another challenge I'd like to try for this year : maximise time use. You've already seen my daily planning sheet here. I've gone once step beyond and want to make a proper full planner with short and long term goals to achieve. I got the goods from Pinterest, amazon and paperchase and started making a full blown planner. Just started, but it's looking good already (listen to me, modest and all...) And since the planning sheet have worked so well, I am really hopeful that I will get more out of my time. Not to mention that Baby has considerably grown and been replaced by a lovely toddler who can now play on her own for a while.
The next two massive changes this year are still being unfolded as we speak, so I have no pictures yet, but the first one involves a potential new house. THIS is the one, I'm telling you guys. Paperwork on its way, I am not for one second allowing myself to dream about it as my heart was broken by the previous one, but this is definitely the one for us.
The second and final big change will be...my teeth! For the past five months I've been going through the Invisalign process. Basically it's an invisible, removable brace, a bit like a slim gumshield. Every two weeks I get a new one to fit in and my teeth have gradually changed place to make me look a bit more like how I wanted to look. If all goes well I have just six weeks left till it's all over. More on that later, as I said, it's all still happening at the moment and I am not jinxing anything right now.

Well this was quite a lenghthy post by my standards! If you've managed to read this far, congrats. ♥♥♥ Happy New Year 2016 ♥♥♥