Nula's blog

This is a simple test

Wed, 13 Jan 2010 11:18:00 --0200

If you can see this then the blog is working.

Baby Massage Classes

Thu, 02 Apr 2009 15:21:00 --0200

Spring time is here, so I've been enjoying being outside with George amongst the blossoms, and watching my 2 big boys tearing about the garden, all this sun shine puts a smile on everyone's face. George and I have been attending baby massage classes run by the local health visitors, we both really enjoyed it and the benefits of baby massage seem to be endless for mother and baby, both emotional and physical. Its a lovely thing to do with your baby and a great way to bond with him and help wind him down and get him ready for bed.If you want to read more about the benefits of baby massage this is a great website;http://www.iaim.org.uk/ These classes are also a great way to meet other Mums and George has got to the age where he like to get out and about and see some new faces. Hope you are enjoying all the lovely weather and have a lovely easter break. Warmest Wishes Nula

Motherhood

Wed, 28 Jan 2009 16:03:00 --0200

First of all Happy New Year and I will endevour to blog a bit more often as my life starts to regain a sembelence of normality from the wonderful chaos that is inevitable with a 3 month old baby in the house. Thoughts of Motherhood have and what it means to be a mum have been at the for front of my mind these past 3 months as Noolibird takes a bit of a back seat and the day to day running of Noolibird is all there is time for. Apart from the self imposed lack of order a baby brings, I appreciate the change in routine, the way a baby dictates its own pace. I find it a very inspiring time for me, whilst there is little time for any physical acts of creativity the hours spent breast feeding send ideas bubbling to the surface, and damp walks with Monty my Black lab and baby George make me determined to bring a sketch book next time to capture the sillowetts of trees, birds roosting and wintery ploughed furrows in the landscape. Watch this space I will scan some sketches as some new ideas for childrens bedding emerge. Warmest Wishes Nula

Bedtime Rituals

Tue, 16 Dec 2008 09:30:00 --0200

George is 6 weeks old today and 3rd time around I'm determined to have more success this time with the holy grail of sleeping through the night. So I've been reading up all about the importance of bedtime rituals, and spending some calm peaceful time with your baby in the hours leading up to bedtime. This is no mean feat with 2 noisy energetic older brothers vying for my attention and a husband working late. I am determined to give the bedtime ritual a proper go so I start George's bedtime before my big boys bedtime. This is George's Bedtime Ritual 1 7pm A nice long feed. 2 A lovely warm bath with his favorite music playing in the background, in mum and dads room with the lights dimmed, and the heater on, and some very lovely smelling organic baby bubble bath. 3 A gentle massage, George seems to especially like his feet and legs massaged, and even with the heater on its a bit chilly to have him completly undressed for too long. 4 Babygro on and another feed. 5 A bit of singing and rocking to George's favorites, a bit of Suzanne Vega, some Flora Purin, "Sailing " by Christopher Cross. 8pm At this point the general idea would be that George was ready to slip into a blissfull sleep while I spend a bit of time reading my big boys stories, but we're not quite there yet so the next stage is to feed George while reading to Josh, then Jack. 9pm-1pm variable feed burp rocking changing in rotation until he is asleep. The temptation is to do this in front of the telly in the sitting room, but I think a darkened bedroom is more condusive to sleep. I'm hoping that if I keep this up for long enough and try to gently persuade George to sleep a bit less during the day we will eventually get to the point where George falls asleep a 8pm for the evening.Watch this space I'll keep you updated and if anyone has some great techniques that are working for them do share ! George sleeps in between me and his Dad at the moment as the boys have a bedroom each and are very unkeen on sharing we have't really figured out where George will sleep when he's ready to go in his own room. When babies are old enough to sleep in there own room I hope that all the animals and faries that I have drawn for the Noolibird Children's fabrics will become part of your child's own bedtime routine as they learn to settle themselves to sleep. I hope my designs will inspire you to create a happy secure space for your little ones.Have a look at some of the bedrooms in the photos on my website for some ideas about decorating childrens bedrooms, and to see my childrens bedding collections.

Baby George

Wed, 12 Nov 2008 18:31:00 --0200

Baby George was born 2 weeks ago today, he was 7lb 10 and was a water birth. Things have been very hectic in the last 2 weeks, Mum has been helping out a lot with Noolibird so between us we have just about managed to keep things under control, but apologies to any customers who have not received quite the level of service we try our best to offer usually. George is doing really well and you can see him here being cuddled by a very pleased big brother Josh who has been brilliant with him, and is really enjoying having a new baby brother. After some very bad first few nights George's sleep at night has been much better so long may that last although I've a feeling it may not. Got to go now. Nula

New Babies and Older Siblings

Mon, 27 Oct 2008 11:39:00 --0200

Its my official due date today, and I have been having quite a few practice contractions, its feeling like I might not have all that long to go. Its 3rd time around for me but I'm still feeling quite apprehensive about it all, the last one; Joshie was 7 years ago and quite a straight forward birth, so I'm hoping for a repeat performance of that. Both my older boys are a bit worried about how the new baby will affect them, especially Joshie my youngest. I'm lucky that they are both very good at expressing their fears, Joshie said that he thinks he will be a bit less important once the new baby comes along, and he gets a funny feeling in his tummy when he thinks about me having another baby. I'm so glad that he is able to express these things as its much easier to reassure him when he lets me know how he feels. Jack my older one, a bit of a wise old owl said "I think when the new baby comes Mum will not be able to give us quite as much attention but she won't love us any less " I thought that was a good way to sum it up. I remember when Josh was born and Jack was 2 and 3/4 he wasn't really able to talk about how he felt and I found it really hard how he still needed me so much and it was hard for him to accept that he had to share me. He would't look at Josh for the first few days and I felt like my relationship with him would never be the same again, but of course in time it all comes back, not the same as before I think a little boy has to grow up quite a bit all at once when a new baby arrives. I have noticed that lots of my customer often get spurred on to redecorate with the imminent arrival of a new baby, but its not always the baby's room that's getting a makeover one of the older siblings. I can see this is a great way to make the older ones not feel like they are important too. I've been painting Jacks room and trying to get everything sorted for the boys before the new baby. I let Jack choose the paint colours himself and its all looking great. Watch this space for the new arrival, soon I hope.

Drawing Competition Winners

Fri, 10 Oct 2008 10:24:00 --0200

What with moving and loosing vital things like the lead to my printer it has taken me longer than I had hoped to judge the summer drawing competition, so my appologies for that. I received so many beautiful drawings, it was hard to pick the winners. Well done to my 2 winners Hebe and Orla. Hebe aged 4 won the younger age catergory with her beautiful drawing of 3 little girls holding baloons and a lovely bumble bee. Orla aged 5 won the older catergory as I couldn't resist her smiley waving panda happy sun and giraffe. Stamps, inkpads and a £10 voucher are on their way to these 2 winners. All our products are now back in stock any questions about children's bedding, Noolibird ready made curtains or help with calculating how much fabric you need to make your own curtains, email or give me a ring and I'm happy to help.

Village Life (continued) and kissysuzuki.com

Wed, 01 Oct 2008 15:55:00 --0200

Its been a busy september with the kids back at school and the evenings drawing in I think lots of you have been doing bedroom makeovers as the childrens bedding and curtains have been flying off the shelves this month. Joshie is settling very well into the little village school and as I promised in the last entry I'm going to tell you about one of the creative talents of Firle; Vanessa Mooncie, who has a daughter in Joshie's class. Vanessa sells a beautiful range of crocheted and knitted jewellery and accessories that she has designed and made herself. They are all very special and they would make great christmas presents. Her website is well worth a look. www.kissysuzuki.com

Village Life

Mon, 22 Sep 2008 15:00:00 --0200

I'm now officially moved in with all our stuff, and living 200 yards from the house I grew up in from the age of 2, where my parents still live. Things have changed quite a bit in Firle since my parents moved in 34 years ago, my parents were viewed with suspicion by the elderly village residents, tennants of the many Firle estate cottages. These days Firle is filled with young families many like mine looking for a safer quieter more community minded place to bring up a family. Tranquil it may be but certainly not sleepy, Firle has a post office, pub and primary school, but also a baker, blacksmith, carpenter, not to mention numerous artists and many people choosing to run small businesses from converted cowsheads and barns or their homes. It is quite a hive of activity here and I'm planning to write about some of these small businesses in my blog from time to time.

Monday Morning

Mon, 15 Sep 2008 08:30:00 --0200

As part of out long and protracted house move we are house sitting at my parents house for one week while my parents in law get ready to go to move to France. 6am;Jack wakes me up crying that Mum's cat has been keeping him awake all night, then gradually works himself into a frenzy of screaming, howling and crying about the horrors of his new school. 6.10am; Go downstairs to find that the dog has been sick 5 times in various places on the carpet and sofa.I think like Jack poor Monty is very stressed out from having to share a hours with my Mum's overbearing bossy old english sheepdog. 6.10-7.30am; Jack continues to cry, wail, freak out etc, if he is suffering he will make damn sure the rest of us suffer with him. My husband and I try various approaches , from cuddles to telling him to pull himself together, but to no avail. 7.30am;Walk Jack to where the school mini bus will pick him up, sill moaning sobbing and hyperventilating for good measure. 7.35am Sit at the bus stop with Jack as he attempts to be sick but nothing comes out, then Jack finally calms down a bit as the mini bus arrives and he prepares himself to put on a brave face for the day ahead, while I wearily make my way home wondering if he plans to put on a repeat performance tomorrow. I'm exhausted and the week has only just begun, I'm not looking forward to friday when we move properly into my parents in law's house and face the many mountains of boxes that will be delivered. Moving house and pregnancy are not very compatable but seem to all too often go hand in hand as more space or a garden is required. Its a wonder that there is any energy left for decorating childrens bedrooms and nurseries but somehow as we all want the best for our kids, and want to help them settle into their new environment its often top of the priority list, so I hope Noolibird will help make this task a little easier.

Back to School

Sat, 06 Sep 2008 17:34:00 --0200

Its that time of year again, endless queing in Clarks for school shoes, name tapes to be stitched on pencil cases recorders and school bags to be found. Both my boys are starting new schools as we have moved, so as well as the chaos of moving house its not been easy getting all the new uniforms together and dealing with all the new school nerves, telling them everything will be alright and wishing I could make everything alright. Here a a few ways you may be able to help your Child; * Its a good idea to talk to your child about what to expect and what might be different. * Try to acknowledge worries your child might have and offering support,my older son it a big worrier just like I was at his age, so I can understand what he goes through. Anxieties can manifest themselves as physical symptoms like tummy aches and headaches. * Being organized;having a place where you keep track of school events such as a pinboard or calendar can be a useful reminder, so your child is not the only one who forgets that its non school uniform day or harvest festival. Kids hate to be the odd one out. * Displaying a copy of your child's timetable at home can help you to remind them about things - like taking books or a sports kit * Encouraging your child to organise what they need for school each day can help them become more responsible, but don't expect miracles especially from boys. *Don't be afraid to tackle any concerns you may have as soon as they arise with your child's teacher, problems nipped in the bud are usually easier solved. *You can help your child make friend by encouraging them to invite classmates back for tea, and see if there are after school activites that they may like to get involved in as this can be a good way to make new friends.

A Knight's Bedroom

Wed, 03 Sep 2008 10:37:00 --0200

********This certainly is a bedroom fit for a brave knight, the knight in question is one Joshua Harris, who's very clever Mummy has kindly emailed me these pictures of 'Joshua's Castle'. Jo has made imaginative use of a brick wallpaper from Homebase up the corners of the room and done a great job of stamping dragons on a square lampshade from Homebase and also on the wall below the window. She has finished the room off with some fabric shields that she made out of Noolibird Knights Realm Fabric by the metre and the Knights design childrens bedding . I think that that this is a great example of exactly how I like to see customers using Noolibird products, Jo has created a completely unique bedroom for her son making great use of the Noolibird Dragon Stamp.Well done Jo and thanks for sharing your photos.

Noolibird Seconds Sale

Mon, 01 Sep 2008 16:13:00 --0200

Customers have been snapping up the bargins in the Noolibird seconds sale, but there's still some left. If you want to order anything that you see listed here just give me a ring on 01273 858124. Fairy; CFY 02 PINK long length fairy curtains.small grey smudge.£29 Jungle 2X DJW 02 SAND single sand duvet missing pillowcase.£15 3X LBJW Wallpaper border lampshade join goes through elephant £10 Farm DFM 02 GREEN single size duvet and pillowcase rust stain .£10 CFM 02 GREEN long farm curtains&&..rust stain..£20 CFM 02 BLUE long farm curtains&&small grey stain £29 CFM 02 BLUE long farm curtain.one curtain..£10 Knights CKN 01 Shorter length knights curtains&small rust stain.£29

Decorating a Nursery for Your Baby on a Budget

Sun, 31 Aug 2008 10:34:00 --0200

There's nowhere to hide at the moment from predictions of ecconomic gloom. This is presenting new challenges for parents of young children and difficult choices about work, money and maternity leave. Noolibird's ethos is all about great design for your baby's first room without a massive price tag attached. Here are a few pointers to help you plan your babies room without breaking the bank. 1.The size of your babies room will dictate what furniture you can fit in. 2.Think about what you need for your baby and what your baby needs. Do you have room for or need a wardrobe or is a chest of drawers perfectly adequate. 3.Think about what pieces of furniture you already have that could be used as they are, or painting and decorating furniture to fit with the colours you have chosen for your nursery can give a tired looking chest of drawers a new lease of life. Using Noolibird Stamps on furniture will tie it in with the decor. 4. Remember that you don't need to buy everything brand new, take advantage of friends and family with baby things to hand down and have a look on ebay. 5.Noolibird Childrens fabric by the meter can save you money if you are handy with a sewing machine or have a Mum or Mother in law who is.

Pregnancy Survival Tips

Sun, 24 Aug 2008 15:13:00 --0200

Its my 3rd time around being pregnant, I'm now 29 weeks. It been easier than last time for me in a lot of ways as my youngest is now 7.(Thats not me in the photo by the way, sadly I would not inflict a picture of my pregnant tummy on you) Here are some things that make life a bit easier for me when pregnant. 1.Make sure that the rest of the family realize how hard it is to pick things up off the floor when you are pregnant and make sure they pick thing up for you and tidy up after themselves. 2.My 10 year old tell me 'Pregnancy is an excuse for everything" too right, yes it is! This pregnancy I have made sure that I rest when I am tired, a 10 minute lie down or feet up with a cup of tea is sometimes all it takes, if you listen you your body and rest when you feel tired it will help you avoid heath problems and stop you getting too stressed. No need to be a marter, if you have a toddler to care for put on his favorite DVD and allow yourself a rest or nap during his naptime. 3.I find that I feel far more rested if I curl up for half an hour with an unchallenging paperback than from half an hour in front of the telly. 4.By this stage of pregnancy I can't make it throught the day without a few gaviscon tablets to ease the heartburn, the midwife said this was OK. 5.A bit of internet shopping or browsing is a great way to research all the things you need for your new arrival, its easy to compare prices and easier on the feet than the high street. 6.Gentle exercies for me takes the form of a daily dog walk in the park of on the Downs, this combination of light exercise and nature is a great way to relax. Have you started planning your babys nursery yet ?