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When you want to create a space for children to play in – that they will actually want to use – it pays to do a little consulting with the intended occupants, even if these are two little girls aged five and two. This is important because at these ages they don’t always play together, and their different activities will have different requirements. Here are a few ideas that have floated to the top in our recent conversations about essential playroom elements.

​You can make a useful start by sorting the particular toys and activities that your children enjoy according to their ages. This helps to determine your storage requirements. You can use height to make sure, for example, that toys for five-year-olds are kept out of sight and reach of your toddler. While a five-year-old understands not to put small pieces of Lego into their mouth, a toddler may just find it too tempting. It’s fine to let kids of different ages play together with Lego if they are supervised; however, you might find that the larger pieces of Duplo are easier for small fingers to manipulate.
 
Provision for storage with shelves at levels that are just the right height will help keep everything where it should be. You can paint it in bright colours and add doors if you like, or pretty curtains. If you decide to use a shelving unit up against a wall, remember to anchor this securely to the wall using brackets on each side at the top and bottom.
 
Flooring in playrooms is also important. Non-slip is ideal, and floorboards can look smart and clean. Hardwearing carpeting is also available in attractive colours and designs, so if the playroom walls are plain, your flooring can be brightly patterned to liven up the décor.

It has been 150 years since Beatrix Potter wrote her enchanting set of stories about the world of Peter Rabbit and his friends. To celebrate a wonderful DVD Boxset has been released featuring the complete collection of the classic episodes lovingly recreating the original stories. I was sent a copy to review with my girls.

I am very pleased to introduce a fantastic guest post from blogger Amy from Young Mom Of Two who has come up with 5 ingenious fun indoor activities for toddlers. I can't wait to try out some of these with my two!

​When the first spring sunrays come knocking on our doors, every child will rush out on the street to welcome and embrace the beginning of another warm season. Of course, the first period of spring is always tricky and the weather can be deceitful. If it happens that your children get surprised by the sneaky spring showers, it is always a good idea to have a back-up plan. So instead of staring out of the window, waiting for the rain to stop, you could try a more creative approach, such as these few:

​A simple and yet fun pastime activity to get you through those gloomy rainy days. All you will need is a shoebox and some junk mail. Decorate the box accordingly and fill it with various letters. This is a great way to exercise your toddlers cognitive abilities, especially their motor skills, but it can also be used as a great leaning tool. Create fun drawings or write simple messages on letters and let your child learn about letters, colours and words through fun and play.

Sometimes we just can't get all the vitamins and minerals we need from our food alone. Health Food suppliers Health Plus make a fantastic range of vitamins for all the family and I have a jar of their Supermouse Children's Chewable Multivitamins and Minerals to give away to one lucky reader!

It feels like a lifetime ago we were strapping our girls into the car for their first ride home. With a newborn on the way there are so many preparations underway and so many things to be taking care of; between numerous shopping sprees and getting the house in perfect order, we often tend to forget the most important part of the preparation rituals - checking the car tyres!

Husband and I had a day off on Friday to enjoy a very special wedding in The New Forest. It was just what I needed to unplug from work and really enjoy a child free day together. This is a little snap taken at the table, I love how the light from the giant Gothic window has blown the contrast.

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All has been quiet on the blog this week. That is because it has been chaos.

A few weeks ago I told you all I got a job, which kinda turned into 3 jobs. Well this week they all come together in a clash of madness. Throw in a child who needs yet another visit to A&E and a toddler who decides sleeping in Mummy and Daddy's bed is much more fun and you've got something vaguely resembling my week.

I am shattered and wondering slightly why I got myself into this. But this frenzied affair will no doubt pass and things will settle down. I am hoping to resume normal blog service next week! But Husband did buy me some tulips so let's look at a photo of them and breathe deeply. All together now...

First ice creams of the season. Shame it is going to rain tomorrow...

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I think her face says it all. She would not let go of Husband!

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