He's old, he's smelly, he's cantankerous... but I love him

No, I'm not talking about my partner, or even my dad - I'm talking about my car.

For as long as I can remember I've wanted to own an old London Cab - which is easier said than done when you have to import and register it in France, where not only do they insist on MOUNTAINS of paperwork, but also have no idea what one is and so require even MORE paperwork to get to the right paperwork - who says we can live in a paperless society?

Last year I finally found one that I could afford, and duly brought it over to France - it's taken me until now to sort out paperwork, and we're still not out of the woods.

Called Joe (le Taxi, of course), he proudly sits in my garage and ferries me around our villages and towns, to the delight of the local kids (and adults!) who wave frantically, smile in wonder, or wave threateningly whenever they see me.

He's not perfect by any means, in fact:

• he never starts first time in the cold
• the heater doesn't work properly in the front so it's always cold
• the battery goes flat with alarming regularity
• the stereo works when it feels like it
• he's noisy and smelly like a lot of old diesel cars
• he drinks oil like an old tramp drinks Special Brew
• the back windows don't lock so I can't leave anything in him
• he has the smallest boot in the world

But he's mine, and I love him. He has 7 seats, can carry loads of luggage (just not in the boot!)  and has a lot of character.

I'm going to have to buy a more reliable car to go alongside Joe, as he's not at his best in the winter, but alongside my kids and my partner (and Johnny Depp of course), he's the love of my life :)

Go retro this Christmas with Little Nut Tree Toys

Go retro with wooden toys for your kids this Christmas

Whether it’s fashion, interior design or music, retro is most definitely the biggest trend of the year, and the same applies to children toys. For many, retro wooden toys have connotations of ‘the good old days’, implying harmless and innocent fun. With parents starting to resist the over-marketed plastic toys, there is a clear return to the more traditional wooden toys this Christmas.

Haba do a fantastic range of traditional yet stimulating and interesting wooden toys for babies, toddlers and young children, making ideal presents for lots of little boys and girls this Christmas. Not just ideal presents for parents to give their own children, Haba toys are great for those wishing to buy something different and interesting for their niece/nephew/grandchild this Christmas.

A great wooden toy for children 1-2 years old is the retro Haba Baby’s First Train, or for a more contemporary alternative, the Haba Bear Voyage Pull Along is equally as fascinating for the little ones. A toy that babies can grow up with, these pull-along retro toys can be treasured by children year after year.

For newborns, often Christmas presents are limited to clothes as they grow so quick, but a retro wooden mobile is a great long-lasting present. Haba have a great range of wooden mobiles, but a favourite is the Haba Flutterlies Mobile which features multi-coloured and patterned butterflies to stimulate the baby’s senses.

Finally, for years the rattle has been the favourite toy for babies, and again Haba has some great retro wooden rattles which make ideal Christmas presents. A great one for baby girls is the Haba Flower Trio which features three wooden flowers that not only rattle but twist and bend. For baby boys, the retro Haba Clutching Toy Kastagnetta is a vibrant rattle which is designed to encourage music and sensory perception.

The wooden retro toys by Haba are all designed to not only be long-lasting and hard-wearing, but also a way to stimulate and educate little boys and girls, so why not make this Christmas a retro one with Haba and Little Nut Tree Toys?

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Disclaimer: Little Nut Tree Toys are a client :)

In case you weren't sure how to wake your baby...

Courtesy of www.failblog.org

My favourite picture is being put on canvas by Hello Canvas!

I do get excited about the most bizarre things, but this one really has had me smiling today.

This is my favourite picture from our recent holiday in the South of France:

(I have no idea why it's upside down in this blog!)

It's all 4 of our girls' feet (or foot!) in the sand, and baby O's first time on the beach, and I've had it as my screensaver and wallpaper on my laptop ever since.

So when Groupon offered a voucher worth £75 for only £29 to have it put on a 24inch by 32inch canvas, I jumped at the chance.

It's being offered through a fab company called Hello Canvas (NOT a client of mine!) and I have to say their customer service has been fab. I can't wait to see the finished result!

Looking for wooden kids' toys? Little Nut Tree Toys take some beating!

I love old fashioned type wooden toys, and am lucky enough to have a great client who supply fantastic wooden toys for kids - Little Nut Tree Toys.

I've known Jo at LNT for a few years now, as we did some SEO on her original website, and helped her out with some Adwords, and I love the funky toys she stocks.

Baby O is particularly fond of her Haba baby toys - in particular the Pingi rattle, which really is as cool as it looks!

Even if they weren't a client I'd recommend Little Nut Tree Toys, so if you're looking for traditional toys for the kids this Christmas, please do check them out.