Thoughts on Summer and September and Giveaway News

I'm not sure I can believe that we're standing on the eve of September. I knew it would fly, but the Summer has past even faster than I could have expected.

I've got mixed emotions about the month ahead if I'm honest. I've found that the not planning/ 'we'll see what happens with our days' approach to the school holidays has backfired sometimes over the last few weeks. Leaving me with bored and bickering children and wishing we'd booked a two week all inclusive in the sunshine. Then there were days that we've scooted out as a three in search of adventures and, whilst tantrums are totally unavoidable at the moment, they're the ones that will stay with me when I look back (I'll forget the tantrums right?!)

At the start of the Summer Wilf reeled off a list of things he wanted to do before he started big school. Turns out a four year old's bucket list is full of simple pleasures. Eat ice cream, go to the beach, eat marshmallows, have a campfire..... Thanks to some magical days we've spent in Pembrokeshire I think we pretty much managed to tick all of them off the list. I'm sure 'have a sleepover' was on there too but you'll have to wait for that one sonny.

So I can't quite decide how I'm feeling about September. I'm eager to settle into a new routine that will work well for us all but am sad to say goodbye to the warm (ish), carefree and gentle summer months.

I've loved taking a peek at the adventures and lovely moments that you've all been up to too. The My Thursday Breaktime gallery is bursting with post after post of beautiful images. This month we joined up with House by Betty, my favourite local shop in Narbeth, Pembrokeshire. It's impossible for me to resist popping in for a browse and chat with the owner (and now friend) Lauren. I was delighted when she agreed to join us in a giveaway this month and there was nothing more perfect than a set of the totally instagram worthy mugs (also available via the House by Betty online shop here.)

Photo credit: House by Betty

It's been so tricky to choose just one image from all the lovely posts shared. As usual there's been so much variety from family shots, flatlays, to breathtaking landscapes and always a mug or two. I loved everything about these soft (and delicious) images shared last week. The photography shared honestly blows me away.

@cherry.rebecca @peonyandpraxis
@gatheredthreads @wealdstore

It was this mouth watering beauty by Tess from @tesslovesflowers that stole my heart (and lean-eating-wishing-I-wasn't stomach) though.

I actually only discovered Tess's account this month through an entry she made into the #mythursdaybreaktime. Tess shares the most stunning images, it's the sort of account that'll have you swiping your screen and scrolling back and back enjoying them all.

Congratulations Tess, please drop me a line to arrange your prize. Thank you to everyone who's joined in, as always its such a treat to host this hashtag and share favourites with you all each week.

I'm delighted to tell you that we're joining with Organic Surge for September with a very generous giveaway for you all. One lucky winner will receive all four of these beautifully fragrant hand and body washes. The Tropical Bergamont and Orange is my favourite in the shower at the moment and I can't get enough of the Citrus Mint as a handwash. Organic Surge has such a great ethical ethos and I love how natural all their products are. A winning combination in a brand if you ask me.

As usual, to enter your posts simply tag in @littlemaldod and @organicsurge along with #mythursdaybreaktime. A winner will be chosen and announced back here at the end of the month.

However you're feeling about September and whatever the new month holds for you, I hope it's a happy one and that you find moments for yourself throughout.

Time and Wishes

Citris yellow rapeseed fields, clear blue skies and a frozen moment where time is told and wishes are made.

Amid a gallery of beautiful breaktime moments shared this May, this most certainly stands out as a favourite. Congratulations Sarah (@peonyandpraxis.) If you don't already follow Sarah then pop over to Instagram and take a look at her inspiring gallery, you'll be glad you took a peek.

We're in Pembrokeshire at the moment but heading home today (kids staying on here for a mini break), so house jobs this afternoon followed by a pub/allotment/pub evening later. That's how I'll be spending #mythursdaybreaktime, how about you?

A Tutu, Chocolate Cake and Tea Cosy

Well hello May! My favourite month, the one where Spring stretches it's wings and were the Summer sun starts to wink. The one where Wilf and I get to celebrate birthdays, just three days apart.

April past in a flash, a delightful month with lighter evenings, the remnants of Easter eggs and the arrival of colour in the garden again. It was a busy month for us but ended with a lovely week away which was the perfect break for us all. 

Which brings me nicely to today's news. I am delighted to share with you my favourite posts for this month's My Thursday Breaktime. I've teamed up with the utterly lovely Rachael from Hobo Soy Candles who is kindly giving away prizes to TWO runners up as well as a super favourite.

Rachael's stunning range of soy candles smell divine and the crisp, classic packaging (in tins and jars) is spot on.  I'm so pleased to stock a couple of tins in my shop, how could I resist picking the Coconut and Grapefruit candles?! You can find a full range on the Hobo Soy Candles website here. 

On to this month's favourites...

 Congratulations to Suzanne (@suzannemass) and Abbey (abbeybrooke81) who shared these lovely shots this month. I love how Suzanne's little one is completely captivated, I know another little girl who has a penchant for wellies, tutus and fairy wings too! Abbey's photo, well chocolate cake and flowers...let's just say I could hop right in to this one thanks. 

My favourite post this month was this stunning shot by Elizabeth @eliza_charlie_tilly 

I kept coming back to it in the gallery, drawn to the warmth of the colours, table, and flowers, not to mention the tea cosy. Now that's a proper breaktime essential right there! Congratulations Elizabeth, a Candle set will be winging it's way to you. 

Please can you all drop me a line with your address details so your prizes can be sent out.

Thank you as always to everyone who takes the time to share their breaktime moments. There's an ever increasing number of great Instagram hashtags to join in with these days, which makes me even more proud that #mythursdaybreaktime celebrated its first birthday in April. 

I'm planning a dip into a brand new book for my breaktime today, and when I say dip, I mean probably just the first paragraph while I sip luke warm tea (let's be honest!) However brief your moments, make sure you take them, enjoy them and recharge through them. 

Until next time, 

X 

A Year Of Breaktimes

This month I'm delighted to be celebrating a year of 'My Thursday Breaktime'. Four passing seasons and a wonderful community of people who've shared over 2,200 breaktime moments on Instagram.

Moments which involve lots of cups of tea and coffee, quiet parts of a day, breaths of fresh air on walks and adventures and creative escapes through a whole host of table top crafts.

I've just spent an hour scrolling through the gallery. It's so lovely to see how little ones have grown over that time and how new seasons touch the gallery at different points in the year. I thought I'd share a few of my favourites from throughout the past year, along with March's favourite today. Oh and read on for some exciting news about an anniversary giveaway too!

~SPRING~

@susandavies89

~SUMMER~

@_lisathomas_

~AUTUMN~

@hannahruthking

~WINTER~

@hobosoycandles 

I don't know about you but I love looking through picture calendars, you know the good old ring bound type, to see how seasons are captured. So I couldn't resist sharing these seasonal snapshots.  

This month I have been wooed by the sea and have enjoyed some lovely afternoons by the sea over the Easter holidays. There's nothing quite like time on a beach to recharge your batteries is there! 

So when I spotted this photo in the gallery this evening, it stood out as a favourite for March immediately. 

I wonder what plans these two are hatching! It was captured by my friend Laura (@lovelylollyb) who really is the loveliest. A true tale of instagram friendship turned real life and for that I'm truly thankful for this community.

To celebrate this anniversary month I've teamed up with the very gorgeous Rachael at Hobo Soy Candles (@hobosoycandles)! I adore the candles that Rachael makes, they smell incredible and the packaging is spot on, so they fit in anywhere in your home. Rachael is generously giving away a pair of Tumbler Candles for this month's winner, as well a travel tin for two lucky runners up. All you need to do is tag @littlemaldod and @hobosoycandles into your breaktime posts, along with the usual hashtag, and we'll announce a winner and two other favourites at the end of the month.  

Even more of a reason for breaktimes to put a smile on your face! 

Thank you as always for sharing, liking and commenting, I so enjoy looking through them each week. Do join in with this break loving community we've created together. Get to know those sharing their breaktimes too, you never know what friendships might follow. 

Finding Breaktimes in February

If I'm honest #mythursdaybreaktimes this month have been few and far between. Every week this month, when I've woken, rubbed my eyes and tried to work out what day it is, I've been shocked that it's Thursday already. And now, suddenly it's March. Wasn't it Christmas Day, like 3 days ago?!

Such is life though and the busy pace of lives and speed at which time passes, makes taking a moment and pausing in our days all the more important.

It's almost a year since I started #mythursdaybreaktime, a project on Instagram sharing snapshot moments to represent your breaktimes. Over the time it's been running I've had such lovely comments from people saying how much they enjoy it and that it reminds them to to take time out from their day to day.

Each week I love being tagged into posts, snatching a glance at people's breaktimes (often whilst I'm rushing around, mid chaos and reminding me that a quiet sit down is just around the corner). As always this month the moments shared have been so varied.

The bold blues in this grid from last week caught my eye straight away.

@wealdblog  @daphnerosaflowers
@sarahehemsley  @theseveredgarden

It was this shot by Rachel (@dreamingofthecountry) that stole my heart though.

Everything about it is just beautiful. Captioned with the words "Walking into the sky", it just sums up the calm and peace that can be found in taking time out from the day to day. Congratulations Rachel!

Rachel wins a surprise Liberty parcel, with some goodies from the little maldod shop's brand new 'party range' (here). Please drop me a line with your details Rachel.

I'd love it if you joined in by sharing your March moments and for any Mother's reading, I hope you enjoy a whole day (as much as you can!) of breaks, treats and general Mama love this Sunday!

Have a wonderful month ahead. x

The Promise of Spring

This blog has been a bit neglected of late but actually, the break has done me some good. January has been a funny old month, beginning with all the usual 'newness' of a brand new year, followed by the highs of our trip to New York and returning to the misery of winter bugs.

I feel like we're starting to get back on track though and into the swing of normal routine again. I can't tell you how pleased I am to be noticing (ever so slightly) lighter skies come late afternoon, and green shoots springing up all over the garden. Spring can roll on in whenever it likes!

The next few months hold exciting changes for little maldod and I'm excited/nervous to see what will come. I am SO ready to tell you all about it but will hold off just another week or so. If you want to be the FIRST to know more, then you can sign up to the newsletter here. It's my way of sharing all things new along with special offers and discounts (and I promise not to flood your inbox). Anyway, on to breaktimes.

@keishua_ @xxbirdhouse
@katylivings  @floral_faye

The weeks have flown by this month and I've had to pinch myself every Thursday morning when I've realised it's time for #mythursdaybreaktime again. Some wonderful posts have been shared, including mugs of tea a plenty, winter adventures and cosy moments on the sofa.

@hopeandrainbows @buntyliving
@allenandbear  @peggyjobins

I've decided to do monthly round up's from now on, last year this blog felt a bit like 'an ode to breaktimes' and I'd like to mix things up a bit. I'm hoping that by sharing monthly favourites it'll free up a bit of time to write some more varied posts for you all.

As usual, I've shared weekly favourites on Instagram throughout this month, these lovely grids caught my eye. 

@hobosoycandles @buildarocketbickers
@oldfashionedus @emilytalling

I love how everyone's breaktime moments are captured in such different ways. Scrolling through the gallery it really is so hard to pick out just one favourite. So many jump out for different reasons, but these two caught my eye last week. A beautiful winter walk captured by @thewoodlandwife.

Jessica's feed makes me want to head straight to those woods and take a deep breath.
And this lovely bright capture by @justjane17.

I love how the teacup has been used as a pot and can just image how lovely those Narcissi smell. The arrival of Spring flowers holds such promise and is one of the highlights of my year. Here's to many more floral breaktimes.

I'm hoping to finally share some photos and a round up of our trip to New York over the weekend. I'm desperate to get it all written down before I forget all the little details that made it such a great trip.

So, until next time, enjoy your breaktimes friends.
Lowri x

Countdown to Christmas

Anyone else counting down the sleeps? I know am! Mainly because I'm asked every morning (afternoon, evening) to count on my fingers how many sleeps it is.

I am SUPER excited to be launching a special little maldod Christmas countdown today (the 12th of the 12th), to share the excitement, help with any last minute shopping and sprinkle a little festive fun along the way.

Each day for the next 12 days on social media I will be sharing a different special offer, free gift or giveaway. Starting today!

To kick things off for day 1 you can enjoy ONE WEEKEND OF FREE DELIVERY! Yes, that's free delivery on ALL orders all weekend when you use the code 'LITTLECOUNTDOWN1'. Pop over to the shop here to put it to good use.

If you signed up to our newsletter you'll have received details of this in your inbox today along with an exclusive 'first newsletter' discount code. If you haven't already signed up, you can do so here to make sure you don't miss out on future special offers and news.

Have a wonderful festive weekend all.

Lowri x

Refuge - An Important Christmas Story

On Saturday, whilst away with friends, I stood in an independent bookshop with the following book in my hands and goosebumps on my arms.

The cover of the book, a clear nativity scene but with an unusual title, caught my eye from outside the window. By the third page I was drawn in to the most beautifully told, human depiction of a very well known story.

It tells the nativity story from the perspective of the donkey, focusing on the plight of a refugee couple who, with their newborn baby, depend on the kindness of strangers in a foreign land.

Touchingly written and absolutely relevant to the story of today, I knew straight away I was going to buy it and mentally ticked off another three names on my Christmas list. With £5 from each book going to War Child, a charity supporting children affected by the horrors of war, there was even more of a reason to buy it.

As a Christian, the nativity story is central to how we, as a family, celebrate Christmas. Although it still makes me smile everytime my three year old asks "when is it going to be Father Christmas Day?"... on a daily basis. I know that this book will become a treasured read but also know that it will help to explain some more present issues to my questioning son. Questions such as "why we are sending teddies to children who don't have any? "Why have they had to leave their homes?" and "why are Penny and Pip (our Kindess Elves) here to teach us to be kind?"

I realised that this book is an important read not just for those that hold the nativity story close to their hearts but for anyone, young or old.  So I set about contacting the publishers, Nosy Crow, and by Tuesday had placed an order for as many books as they could spare (their warehouse was completely sold out!)

All 20 copies are now available in the little maldod shop. Due to the nature of the book I've decided to offer free delivery and as a result won't be making any profit on it at all. It somehow seemed wrong and I felt it was more important to me that people buy and read it. You can find it in the shop here.

If you're interested in reading the fascinating account of how the book came to publication, in an astonishingly short space of time, you can find an account on Nosy Crow's blog here.

I really can't recommend this book enough and feel priviledged to be able to send it off to people's homes this Christmas.

Thanks for stopping by.
Lowri x

Falling Leaves and Friendship Bracelets

Well, it's finally here! The twinkliest, most magical month of the year. I love December! As I type this in my living room, I am surrounded by boxes of Christmas decorations, broken fairy light strings (how do they stop working tucked up in a box in the attic?!) and festive treasures I'd forgotten about.

As much as I love December I have equally adored the season we have just left behind. Autumn seemed extra beautiful this year and I wanted to savour every red and golden leaf, for in a blink they had fallen.

Which is probably why I kept coming back to this beautiful image in the #mythursdaybreaktime gallery this month.

I love how Hannah (@hannahruthking) has captured the fleeting sunshine shining through these gathered leaves, hanging as if they're gliding down from a tree.

It captures the beauty of the season wonderfully and I'm delighted to pick it as the winning post for November's #mythursdaybreaktime giveaway. Hannah will recieve a £50 voucher to spend at the Secret Linen Store, lucky thing! There's a whole host of beautiful linen to choose from which you can find here. Congratulations Hannah, please drop me a line with your details.

As a special treat this month I'm teaming up with the lovely Bare Atlantic who are generously giving away one of their stunning friendship bracelets. Made with precious silver beads and luxurious silk, they're simply stunning. There's a great range of colours available to suit all tastes too, why not pop over for a look here.

As usual, simply tag in me and @bareatlantic along with the hashtag to enter your posts into the giveaway.
With all the busyness of this twinkly month, the parties, preparations, shopping and feasting, don't forget to take time out for yourself to rest, put your feet up and savour it.

Thank you as always to everyone who joins in each week, I can't wait to see your posts this month.

With love,
Lowri  x

October Edit

This little blog has been a bit neglected over the last month or so. It's safe to say that things have been busy round here! I've got lots to share with you over the coming weeks though, from Autumn recipes, London adventures and some seasonal home styling.

But before all that I want to share with you my October Edit for little maldod. Yes, I know it's nearly a fortnight overdue! I'm delighted to have launched a new range of products and hope you love what you find in the shop. All the new lines have been carefully chosen to fit in perfectly with little maldod, offering colourful designs, some beautifully handmade items and thoughtful gifts.
 
So without further ado, here's an introduction to my pick for the month. You can find them all in the shop by clicking on the product title.

1. Milestone TODDLER cards
 The wait is over, they are finally here. I've been excited to use these cards since I received word of their development over the Summer. A beautifully designed box of cards which help to record those milestone moments from toddlerdom to school age. I have been hopeless at recording Anwen's milestones and hope that using these cards will make up for only filling in about 5 pages of her first year's book (poor second child!)

2. Pumpkin Rattle
I could stop right here really. This pumpkin rattle is just too cute. A little treat for little hands this Autumn and doubles up as a lovely seasonal decoration. Keep your eyes peeled for a Styling the Seasons post featuring one very soon.

3. Honeycomb Decorations
This set of 5 animal decorations are just lovely. The pelican and and toucan have already found their way to the end of a couple of shelves in our house. Featuring a classic honeycomb centre, they make a fun and playful addition to any nursery or playroom.

4. Elizabeth Taylor Crown
I am DELIGHTED to be the first UK stockist to receive these stunning crowns made by Fable Heart. They literally flew off the shelves after their launch last Wednesday evening. I still have a handful left in stock and have my fingers crossed that I'll be able to have a second lot in before Christmas. This gold crown is simply stunning, each sequin is stitched onto woven fabric, and is backed by a reversible white Irish linen. As soon as I can I will be placing my own order with the super talented Claire and waltzing round in my own!

5. Olive the Lula Doll
Olive is a beautiful new addition to the Lula Doll collection and is exclusively handmade for little maldod by Lula Handmade. Olive's dress is made from a soft Needle Cord Liberty dress with a pretty rose pink floral print. The dolls make an extra special gift and each one is truly unique as there is only one doll of each hair colour. Take your pick to suit the little lady she's for. There are 3 other dolls to choose from in this range and Ivy, Greta and Flora are all equally as lovely!

So there we are, a unique Autumn selection. I have some VERY exciting things just around the corner, I can't wait to share them with you! Let's just say your Christmas shopping will be well and truly covered by little maldod this year.

Thanks for stopping by,
Until next time.
Lowri x






 

Mountain Peaks

Last week's #mythursdaybreaktime gallery was BURSTING with gorgeous images, it really was so tricky to choose a favourite.

There were so many shots taken in far off sunny destinations and this grid sums up the chilled out vibe just perfectly. I love each shot individually but also love how they work together too.

@muffandteacake  @lingyeungb
@lewesmap  @martha_andthe_meadow

There were also some incredible landscape shots taken and this one by Kristy (@mummykristylee) particularly caught my eye. I'm pretty sure I gasped when I saw it and keep coming back to it when I scroll through the gallery.

Everything about it is perfect, the perspective is incredible and there's just so much to gaze at. When I last looked at it I noticed the wild flowers growing in the foreground which I'd missed the first time when I was just in awe of the mountain peaks.

We are spending a few nights near some more local peaks, the Brecon Beacons to be exact. Here's a photo taken the last time we visited this beautiful area, it's good for the soul round here I tell you!

Rain and thunder is forecast tomorrow which should make for an interesting few nights under canvas. Thankfully we've experienced storms whilst camping before and my husband and I are just going to make the most of the precious time to ourselves (thank you Mum and Dad!) Here's to a few evenings round the fire pit, bacon sandwich breakfasts and some lie ins.

Signal depending I look forward to catching up with your breaktimes tomorrow too. Don't forget you can win an amazing Teapigs bundle this month. Simply tag me @littlemaldod and @teapigs along with #mythursdaybreaktime to enter your posts.

Thanks for stopping by.
Lowri x

Thursdays with Teapigs

Just about to fly out the door for a girly evening of Great British Bake Off viewing (along with obligatory cake) but wanted to quickly update you on some exciting news for August's #mythursdaybreaktime. 

I've been looking forward to sharing the details of August's collaboration for what feels like months. This month the fantastic Teapigs will be joining me in celebrating those special downtime, chill out, moments in our Thursdays.

 I figured that seeing as so many of the photos shared in the gallery involve a good old cuppa, that a tea related prize would be right up your street. I hope you'll agree!

The lovely people at Teapigs are kindly giving away a huge selection of their wonderful tea and two  of the most beautifully made glass cups and saucers you'd ever hope to drink from.
Imagine the delicate glass slipper that Cinderlla wore, well these are the cup versions of that!

My favourite post into the #mythursdaybreaktime gallery during August will win the lot! Anyone can join in on Instagram and to enter your photo into the month's giveaway simply tag in @littlemaldod and @teapigs into the post, along with #mythursdaybreaktime.

If you want to see which photo (and runner up) I picked as July's favourite, click here.

Here's just a few more of last week's posts which caught my eye. It was so nice to see the sunshine last week and to see some of the lovely places you're all off to on your Summer travels. Oh to have been on a sailing boat somewhere hot and sunny today!

@zoepower @theordinarylovely
@ceramicmagpie  @le.paquet.blog

I'm looking forward to seeing all your posts tomorrow and who knows, perhaps some tea AND cake will make an appearance.

Right, off to join Paul, Mary, Mel and Sue! (Squueeee!!!)

Lowri x 

July with Bloom & Wild

Well July just flew by didn't it?! Summer days spent strawberry eating, flower picking and tea drinking. All shown so beautifully in your Thursday breaktime moments this month.

I've had SUCH a task choosing a favourite from the #mythursdaybreaktime, there were so many lovely moments and images that caught my eye.

This image by Lisa (@darlingbudsofme) stole my heart though. The first (second and third) time I read the text accompanying text tears prickled my eyes. It's simply beautiful.
I adore everything about the overhead head shot, the illustration of the book, the squished-up-on-the-sofa bodies with little hands holding little feet. But it's the words below that really strike a cord, they're so honest, full of love and beautifully written. I challenge you to read them without a tear in your eye. 

Here's what Lisa wrote:
"This. That I get to do this every day, be with the best two little people in the universe, still floors me. That when I'm tired and they're getting a bit cranky I say 'shall we have story time?' and they cheer as though somebody won something and grab stacks of their favourites and 'I picked this one Mummy because I know you love it' and we sit melded together and they go quiet and I search for my slow rich storytelling voice, which is sometimes easier to find than others, and the pages turn and the stories unfold and time suspends. And maybe they're right to cheer because somebody did win something. Lucky mama that I am, I won them :-)"
 
Up until the start of the Summer holidays my Thursday afternoons have been 'my' time, with Wilf at nursery and Anwen asleep, they are my chance to sit down quietly for a break. Ahead of six weeks of afternoons with my preschooler I wondered what my breaktimes would end up looking like. Lisa's image thoroughly challenged me and made me realise that, whilst they might not be as 'peaceful' and relaxing, breaktimes with little people about are just as lovely and can even be more special.

Congratulations Lisa, I hope you're cheering! You've won THREE month's worth of flowers from Bloom & Wild delivered straight through your letter box.

But hang on there guys, I'm not quite finished! Because the lovely people at Bloom & Wild realised how tricky my task was to pick just one favourite, they've generously offered a runner up prize. How lovely is that!

So, I'm delighted to share this image of pure Summer deliciousness with you.

This image by Emma (@beautythrumylens) just sums up July for me- sweet homemade refreshing treats, strawberries and Peonies. Ahhh, Peonies! One of my favourite flowers, made even more special by the fact that they make an appearance just once a year in this lovely month.
Emma's Instagram is beautiful and has become a favourite to scroll through. Congratulations Emma, a one off delivery of blooms will be on it's way to you.

I'll be in touch with both of you via Instagram to confirm your contact details and arrange your prizes.

A HUGE thank you to everyone who has joined in this month, there are so many lovely photos in the gallery. I'll share a few more favourites from this Thursday back here next week, along with details of a fantastic prize for August brought to you from the fabulous Teapigs. Did I mention I like tea?!

Have a wonderful weekend all!
X

Monkey Business

As I write this I'm curled up on the sofa, a big cup of tea in hand, warming up from a soaking on a walk earlier. Where on earth did the Summer go?!

I'm not complaining, it's not like I'm not used to living in Wales (would be the scenario anywhere in Britain mind!) But the wet, grey days do have a knack of hampering outdoor plans.

One rainy day activity we never get bored of though is dressing up. Yesterday I finally got round to finding an empty basket and filled it with dressing up clothes and hats that had been scattered about. Anwen didn't take long to discover it and presented me with her choice of clothing for today...

Which brings me nicely to my favourite photo from last week's #mythursdaybreaktime. I couldn't help but smile when I saw this fun picture by @frenchieparker I love how 'in character' Sarah and her little one are having, pure joy!

The lovely images below also caught my eye last week. Baked treats, a lovely creative corner and that Unicorn!!! Pop over to Instagram to discover these galleries and more gorgeous photos.

@brickdustandglitter  @suevaunallison
@hellomrsh @dreamingofthecountry

Tomorrow is the last Thursday to join in with the fabulous giveaway in partnership with Bloom & Wild. Simply tag your breaktime moment with #mythursdaybreaktime and tag in @bloomandwild and me @littlemaldod to be in with a chance of winning THREE months of flowers delivered to your door. I'll choose my favourite image from July and announce the lucky winner on here on Friday!
(UPDATED: Winner will be announced Saturday 1st August!)

Good Luck, I'm so looking forward to seeing your photos tomorrow.
X

Baking, Blooms and a Sneaky Squirrel

I can't tell you how much I love seeing your breaktime moments every Thursday.  In fact, putting my feet up and scrolling through the gallery to peek at your breaks has become part of my Thursday.

I'm especially looking forward to seeing your Summer holidays appearing in the gallery. Thanks to the rain, I've spent some of this week wishing I was joining in on some of your Mediterranean and Agean adventures!

Last Thursday Wilf had his last day at his Welsh Nursery (Big Welsh Nursery as he calls it). Despite my frantic elderflower bottling escapades at 10:10 am (we were supposed to be there for a concert at 10:20) and quickly scrawling thank you's, we made it there just in time.

I was flustered to say the least but when I saw him stood hand in hand with one of his best friends, my heart sang and memories of the stressful morning evaporated.

I was however very glad for the quiet afternoon that lay ahead. We enjoyed some stories on the sofa together and spent time baking at his request. We have a whole summer of quiet afternoons in each others company (while his sister sleeps) and I'm so looking forward to it.

I wanted to share an extra couple of posts that caught my attention last week. The very lovely Emily from @allenandbear posted this photo and I loved it. Tea really does revive you.

Later though, Emily posted this photo and a recipe for her delicious looking chocolate and biscuit bars.

Pop over to find the recipe under this photo in Emily's feed if you fancy giving it a go. I'm yet to try it but something tells me Wilf will definitely be up for helping me make (eat) it sometime soon.

These stunning photos all caught my eye last week.

@wolvesinlondon  @myfandfriend
@shirleyrainbow_tb @martha_andthe_meadow

I adore each one individually and the colours are just stunning. Mint green is one of my favourite Summer colours this year and when it's teamed up with pink it's an absolute winner!

This brilliant capture of a sneaky, strawberry pinching squirrel had to be my favourite last week though.

Kat (@clothkat) had such perfect timing to capture this furry thief, brazenly strutting his stuff with a juicy strawb stuffed his mouth.

Kat who runs the awesome ClothKat is one of the most positive, cheerful and fun people that I've come across through Instagram. If you don't already follow her then pop over to her feed, I promise you her colourful posts will never fail to make you smile.

This week we're spending our Thursday back in Sussex, staying with family and catching up with best friends. Then this afternoon I'm off to London to attend
Quill London's brush lettering workshop, I simply can't wait.

I won a place on the workshop through a last minute entry into a giveaway they ran on Instagram earlier this year. You know what I'm going to say next don't you?! That's right, don't forget you could WIN an amazing 3 months worth of flowers from Bloom & Wild for simply posting your Thursday breaktime.  There's just 2 weeks left in July to enter and my favourite shot for the month will win and be announced next Friday 1st August.

Anyone can enter, simply tag your photos into #mythursdaybreaktime tagging me @littlemaldod and @bloomandwild

Looking forward to popping by and seeing all your lovely moments tomorrow and wishing you a very happy Thursday x