The boys are getting so excited about moving to our new house and giddy about growing our own vegetables in the vegetable patch through the gate from the “secret garden”. I love that they have already commandeered this affectionate name for the part of the garden that meanders behind the tool shed. 

It’s a magical childhood memory in the making, that made us fall in love with the house the moment we viewed it. The boys understand where vegetables come from, they appreciate you need to eat healthy food to keep you big and strong and I know come rain or shine, we will be donning our wellingtons and heading to our little garden allotment to see what we can eat for dinner that week.

To keep their excitement alive whilst we painfully wait for the contracts to complete in September, I thought of an easy craft idea that requires imagination and fun using the new Laura Ashley Chalk Paint we were sent. A play tray!

We painted a plastic tomato plant tray which you can find at any DIY or hardware store with a layer of chalk paint and left it to dry. The paint is easy to apply, “not too drippy” in Sammy’s words and gives an even coverage of a rich black colour and smooth texture. 

We then added chalk drawn trees for the knitted apples, leaves to add to the lettuce ‘ready to pick’ and labelled our pickings with some spoon garden tags made from wooden spoons painted with a layer of chalk paint! An easy and simple idea for little ones to join in with.

We love that we can just wipe it clean and start all over again, with brown chalk mud! That was Ollie’s favourite bit.

As soon as we move in we are going to add our labels to all the lovely real fruits and vegetables just waiting for my mini gardeners to tend to and enjoy.

You could also turn your play tray into an easy DIY car or train track too!

This post first appeared on the Laura Ashley blog along with some other fab craft ideas with chalk paint. Check them out here.

When we moved from our last house, the house we bought the boys home from hospital to, Ollie was still in his baby nursery filled with woodland creatures and owls of every description and Sammy had upgraded from his cot bed to a bed with no sides in preparation for a single bed once we had moved. But his room decor was still the nautical nursery he'd had as a tiny baby.

I have never been a huge fan of character themed bedrooms, the worry and pain of spending lots of money updating their duvets and accessories every couple of years as they fall out of love with the latest superhero has never appealed! Instead I'd like them to be involved in curating their own room, with the precious toys they have treasured since birth, little pieces passed down from grandparents and things we spot on our travels.

One of Sammy's wish list items for his new room when we complete on our forever house in the Autumn is a big boy desk. Somewhere to colour, to craft and to complete homework now he'll be a bigger boy in Year 1.

Their set of school desks have been stored away in the garage, in readiness for their new bedroom. They are great because you can store all sorts inside them for rainy days but also have enough surface space to add some desk essentials.

The boys were sent a lovely lamp from Habitat's new collection of affordable, beautifully designed pieces. Perfect for a big boy desk! And it comes in bubblegum pink too.

We've fallen in the trap of collecting huge amounts of arts and crafts odds and end, plastic boxes of hardened play do and old pages of stickers that have all stuck together, but really you just need these:

• A box of paper. Plain paper and let their imagination do the rest. We keep theirs in my Granny's suitcase so it doesn't get dog eared before it's used.
• Colouring pencils. Sammy is showing so much enthusiasm for writing and independent art work after a year at school and pencils make him feel grown up! I steep clear of felt tips because no matter how careful they appear to be they always end up on clothes and on the carpet!
• A tin for little things. Is anyone else's house littered with Loom bands and Lego?! I need to keep these tiny things contained! My boys are like magpies and love little tins to carry around their special collections. There's always a stone in there or a feather!
• Stencils, stamps and old greetings cards. Old birthday or Christmas cards make perfect craft supplies and they are free!
• A craft jar. Slim down and make up a jar of a pair of safety scissors, glue stick, glitter, brushes and replace them as they get used or worn out. 
• Activity books. We love any sort of dot to dot, quiz book or activity worksheets. Great for traveling and rainy days alike, plus they seem to be never ending! Something the boys can pick up and put down when they fancy.

I can't wait to see their desk set up in situ. As they will be sharing a room the two desks are perfect for side by side crafting and creating and I got them for £50 secondhand! I might paint them a bright red as I love the idea of lots of colour in their bedroom.

The green lamp would really pop against the desk and they can't fail to be inspired to be creative at their new desk space.

I love that Habitat are bringing out a collection of pieces for the more conservative budget. One day it would be great to have a house full of their beautiful furniture but being able to buy something more affordable, but that doesn't compromise on their signature contemporary design, is perfect for now. 

Relaxing, not a word that features in my life's vocabulary very often.

But recently I have realised not often is not often enough.

Burning the midnight oil, burning the candle at both ends, you name it, I've burnt it lately and all that leads to is feeling burnt out.

So sometimes I have to force myself to relax. And I turn some quiet time into a time to indulge. 

One of the things that makes me happy is pouring over books that are bursting with creative energy and beautifully composed photography. I love sitting, without a laptop (Shock horror!) and making notes of things that I read that spark an idea.

When you write a personal blog it's easy to get into a habit or feel periods when you feel less in love with blogging. But I find that keeping little notebooks means those times are few and far between. Notebooks of scrappy ideas, scrawled midnight bright ideas and hair brain tutorials for a rainy day.

I have slowly collected a mini library of books from authors and bloggers I respect and admire. My wish list is never ending and I relish an opportunity to get lost in paper.

So when Habitat sent me this divine knotted footstool it was the perfect excuse I needed to stop. To gather together all my favourites to take with me to the Blog On conference last Sunday and share with my fellow creative bloggers. 

I was tempted to take the footstool to our flat by the sea in Dorset because the knots have a strong nautical feel, but the fawn colour compliments our white painted furniture and stripped floors in the living room.

In fact it's big enough to hold a stack of books when the coffee table is smothered in boy's toys, school newsletters and half drunk cups of cold tea! And the boy's haven't tried using it as a mini trampoline!

I find it impossible to resist a home interiors books at the moment! We are dreaming of a new home - we just need to secure it! To have a kitchen to be long to cook in again. And a couple of my favourite bloggers have recently published 2 books every blog writer should own! 

Eat & Make by Sweet Paul is a joy. Put it on your birthday or Christmas list, it is jam packed with breathtakingly natural photography, quirky craft ideas and easy to follow recipes.

Bright Bazaar is the first in, what I am sure will be, a long line of interior design publications by Will Taylor. A colourful and creative force from the UK that is currently sweeping America with his #makeyousmilestyle philosophy. What is not to adore?

Make sure you check out my other favourites Inspire by Willow Crossley, Pure Style Home by Jane Cumberbatch, Design Bloggers at Home by Ellie Tennant, The Vintage Tea Party Year by Angel Adoree and my go to magazines to brighten a grey day.

• The Simple Things
• Suitcase
• Milk (Available in English in WHSmith)
• Crumbs
• Flow
• Country Living Handmade Style and Modern Rustic

Each one provokes such inspiration and it gives me time to slow down, to enjoy a hot cup of tea and some peace. And yes, I am the sort of person that desperately wants to make paper flowers from coffee filters ;)

Thank you to Habitat for sending me the lovely pouf. Check out the other colour ways of blue, pink and yellow and the full knot pouf range here.

How do you relax? Let me know what books and authors you admire to add to my wish list!