Mummy Bloggers: At Home with The Kids

 

All this time at home with the kids has made everyone a little more creative. We spoke to some of our mummy blogger friends to find out how they are spending time indoors and what they’ve learnt, get inspired with our mini Q&As!

 

 

@_thelittlethingswelove

 

How have you been spending this time indoors with the kids? What has been their favourite new activity while at home?

We absolutely love anything that involves creative play. One of our favourite things that we’ve done recently, was collecting flowers from our daily walks and freezing them in ice cube trays. From picking the flowers, and enjoying the walk, to freezing them and then smashing them to bits with toy hammers, we all had HOURS of fun with NO stress and very little mess.

We’ve also been painting, drawing, making fairy gardens and dinosaur lands, baking, lots of open-ended play and being treated to a dance show from the kids.

 

What is your favourite Monsoon outfit to dress them in while at home?

Max loves the shorts, t-shirts & hoodie and Evie loves to play in the floaty dresses and a cardigan when she gets chilly!

 

 

Can you tell us your top tips to for spending time indoors and what you’ve learnt from it?

Get yourself a storage trolley! We’ve got a tall plastic organiser with drawers that’s been a lifesaver for keeping the kids’ arts and crafts bit and bobs all in one place.

Get Pinterest! Whenever I’m stuck for ideas for things to do, it’s my go-to app to inspire me and has an endless amount of beautiful ideas.

Give yourself and the children ‘one fun thing’ to do each day. It helps us to stay positive and have something to look forward to.

Keep it simple. If lockdown has taught me anything it’s that the simplest things in life, bring the most joy.

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@ahomefitforkings

 

How have you been spending this time indoors with the kids? What has been their favourite new activity while at home?

We have been spending our time with lots of hands-on practical activities such as drawing, painting and junk modelling. Like lots of people we have been baking more than ever but our new favourite daily activity is smoothie making. We try to make different combinations of fruit and veg each day for variety and there are lots of skills for little fingers – carefully chopping fruit, scooping seeds and weighing ingredients. Our favourite recipe is a Creamy Mango Smoothie: 1 banana, half a chopped mango, chia seeds, a big dollop of Greek yoghurt, a splash of coconut water and some ice, then blitz. It’s so thick and feels like a real treat!

 

What is your favourite Monsoon outfit to dress them in while at home?

The Darella dresses as they are so easy – the jersey is really comfortable and practical for the girls to wear day to day, but the style is super cute. I love the drop waist and the shirred shoulders. Also, the Peri pom-pom top in organic cotton. It looks so bohemian and is perfect alongside tangled hair from a day of play and bare toes.

 

 

Can you tell us your top tips to for spending time indoors and what you’ve learnt from it?

 Like lots of families, our life before the lockdown was lots of rushing around! I’ve learnt that we really don’t need to be dashing from place to place to keep ourselves busy. The slower pace at home is helping us all to feel more relaxed, and I can see how much the girls are learning from ordinary day-to-day activities. Helping us to prepare food and set the table, loading the washing machine, watering the plants in the garden are all simple things that they enjoy doing around the house.

My top tips? Save egg boxes! They’re such a versatile object which can be used in so many ways rather than put into the recycling immediately. Try putting a mixture of beads or buttons into the flat side and asking children to sort them into shapes or colours in the grooved side. Or send them into the garden with an empty egg box and ask them to put one ‘special’ item into each section. We also use them to hold paint for finger painting and have cut them up and made them into fairy families.

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@oaktreehome

 

How have you been spending this time indoors with the kids? What has been their favourite new activity while at home?

Spending so much time indoors can be harder than usual to keep an almost 3-year-old entertained! I plan lots of mini activities to keep her busy but remembering she only has a short attention span. Playdough and baking are our favourites! We love creating things from cardboard boxes too. We have made a car, a pirate ship, a fire engine and a 6ft tiger and invited him round for tea! 

 

What is your favourite Monsoon outfit to dress them in while at home?

My favourite outfit to dress Matilda in while at home is her little ice cream dungaree set! It’s pretty and practical (and the stripes hide any spillages!)

 

 

Can you tell us your top tips to for spending time indoors and what you’ve learnt from it?

Try to stay organised. Have lots of short activities planned so when your toddler is becoming restless you can quickly occupy them again without them becoming bored and destructive! 

Tidy as you go! Nothing worse than putting them to bed and coming downstairs to lots of mess – come downstairs to a chill on the couch instead!

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@lefranks

 

How have you been spending this time indoors with the kids? What has been their favourite new activity while at home?

We’ve tried to make it as fun and entertaining as possible. We definitely have been baking a lot more than usual and Florence really enjoys helping me with it. She loves playing playdough and it’s her favourite activity. We had a go at making our own which was a hit. We’ve also recently discovered 3D Magnetic Building Tiles and Flo absolutely adores them! She can spend ages independently just building things and is so proud of her creations. Another thing that she’s loving at the moment is playing with ‘magic foam’ as we call it. You simply, in a bowl, add a splash of shower gel, dash of paint (not necessary if you haven’t got any) and a splash of water. Mix it all with a mixer for a good few minutes and it creates a ton of bubbles. Florence loves playing with it and pretends to make cupcakes with it or hides her little toys in it. 

One thing for sure, the most exciting things for children are very often the simplest ones that you already probably have in the house. 

 

What is your favourite Monsoon outfit to dress them in while at home?

We both absolutely adore Naomi Colourful Splodge Dress. It’s Florence’s firm favourite. Very often she even asks to wear it. ‘Mummy can I please wear the pink spotty one’. It’s so comfortable and perfect for sunny days in the garden. 

 

 

Can you tell us your top tips to for spending time indoors and what you’ve learnt from it?

Having some kind of routine always helps. It’s helpful as much for parents as it is for children. 

Daily walks outside are also so important to us. We look forward to it and nothing can beat a bit of fresh air. I find that on days when we don’t go out, our moods and energy levels definitely drop. 

Tip for us ladies, a bit of make-up and nice clothes make the world of a difference and it’s a lovely boost of confidence. It works a treat for me when I feel tired and low. 

Most of all, I’ve learnt that it’s so important to be kind to ourselves. It’s crucial not to put too much pressure on what we do and stop comparing. If we’re content, our kids are content. Nobody is perfect and we’re all just trying hard to do our best and navigate our lives in a world that I’m unfamiliar to us. We’re all in this together. 

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@tiggyemiliarose

 

How have you been spending this time indoors with the kids? What has been their favourite new activity while at home?

 

We’ve spent our time indoors as productively as possible but with as much fun as possible. The children have schoolwork to complete each day so after breakfast, we start with that and after lunch, we use the afternoons to play, bake cakes, a firm fave activity of Tiggy’s and even to simply curl up on the sofa and have a movie afternoon. In essence, we’ve just “gone with the flow” not to put any pressure on ourselves, but also to keep ourselves busy and fill our days. A new favourite activity of Tiggy’s is to bake whether that’s with real ingredients, play dough or even with sand in her sandpit! Tiggy’s discovered a real love of all things baking.

 

What is your favourite Monsoon outfit to dress them in while at home?

 

My favourite items to dress the children in while at home are possibly far too practical for what Tiggy likes, I love the smart but casual look whereas Tiggy will opt for anything with sparkle. I like clean lines, non-fuss, minimum effort styling while still looking stylish, and again Tiggy will opt for anything with sparkle and the more sparkle the better! Although I have found during this time, I have worn far more dresses than I usually would which is something I’ve loved as was always one to throw on jeans ready to race out of a morning. Something I hope to carry forward is to remember that I enjoy wearing a dress and it doesn’t always have to be jeans when you’re a mum.

 

 

Can you tell us your top tips to for spending time indoors and what you’ve learnt from it?

My top tips for spending times indoors is to keep busy. I find if I’m “idle” my mind wanders to the troubles of the world and so by keeping busy, my mind occupied, I find it’s a far more positive experience. Days can be long at home with children so we break our days up into manageable sections as it were, the hope is to keep some sense of routine and “normality” so time to sit and eat as a family, time to complete school work as one day they’ll head back to school and so to me it’s important to keep them used to sitting and doing some school work – even if only colouring or learning shapes as Tiggy’s being doing this week.

I try to keep this time as fun as possible and the key I’ve found is knowing when to stop when we’ve all had enough. I’ve learnt that I have far more patience than I ever imagined and that I’m actually really enjoying the slower pace to our days and hope to carry that forward when this period in time ends, to remember the simple things that I’ve enjoyed, and that family time for us has been absolutely invaluable in what is ordinarily a very busy family life.

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Half Term Activities: At Home with The Kids

 

The sun is out, and half term is approaching! Keep them active and smiling with activities created by us and suggested by some of our mummy blogger friends, from garden bingo to smoothie making.

 

Summer Bunting

 

Decorate your garden with our downloadable ice lolly bunting, surrounding you on garden adventures and picnics this half term and designed by our in-house design team.

Download here >

 

Lolly Colouring Sheets

 

You can’t go wrong with a little colouring. We’re keeping it summery with our ice lolly and ice cream inspired sheets for you to download – all designed in-house!

Download here >

 

Garden Bingo

 

Bingo! Explore your garden with our in-house designed garden bingo game, perfect for keeping them busy in the sunshine.

Download here >

 

Garden Fun & Games with @oaktreehome

 

Looking for easy games to play at home? @oaktreehome has just the thing! Using old egg boxes, you can paint each section a different colour and head to the garden to match each colour with things you find – hours of fun and one you can use again and again.

 

Flower Crown Making with @the.little.wildflowers

 

When we saw @the.little.wildflowers with this adorable flower crown we fell in love and had to ask how to make our own. We thought we’d share it with you too, perfect for half term dressing up this summer.

Items needed:

Wire

Floral tape/wire

LOTS OF FLOWERS & FOLIAGE!

Instructions:

  1. Forage your wildflowers – we used cow parsley, buttercups, herb robert, elder & hawthorn blossom.
  2. Measure the size of the crown
  3. Wrap the wire into a circle shape and secure with floral tape
  4. Start by wrapping the wildflowers around the wire working your way around, until covered. Securing each section with tape.
  5. Continue to build on the last layer with different flowers & foliage, taping them in place as you go. The wilder and looser the better!
  6. Pop in the little flowers to add some colour.
  7. Wear your crown with a pretty dress!

 

Fruit Smoothie Making with @ahomefitforkings

 

We spoke to @ahomefitforkings to find out what they are spending time making in the kitchen, a favourite in their house is smoothies which are perfect for summer! See some of the recipes they’ve been using below:

Creamy Mango Smoothie

1 banana, half a chopped mango, chia seeds, a big dollop of Greek yoghurt, a splash of coconut water and some ice, then blitz. It’s so thick and feels like a real treat!

Sunny Smoothie

This one has lots of vitamin C and some hidden veg. Use 2 med carrots chopped, 2 oranges (peeled) a small piece of ginger, 2 tbsp oats and some ice and blitz! 

Raspberry and Apple Smoothie

2 cored apples, a handful of raspberries, a couple of big spoonfuls of Greek yoghurt, 2 tbsp oats, a sprinkle chia seeds and some water. A spoonful of nut butter is also nice with this. 

 

More Fun Activities

 Let’s Play Dress Up

Flamingos & Fruit

Teacher Tips

National Unicorn Day

Easter Activities

Fun Activities

 

 

At Home with Monsoon: Got That Friday Feeling

We’re surviving all this time indoors with virtual quizzes, music and endless baking challenges! If you’re looking for some inspiration, you’ve come to the right place – we spoke to some of Team Monsoon to find out how they are spending their weekends inside.

Alice

Print Designer

 

What do you do to get ready for the weekend during this time indoors?

Saturday mornings I usually like to go for a run, then have a long bath and watch an episode of RuPaul’ s Drag race. This usually inspires me to put on a little bit of make-up for the day!

At the weekends I like to plan in one night on a zoom call with friends or family and one night I like to spend relaxing watching a film or series.

 

Can you tell us your top tips for Formal Friday? What is your favourite feel-good outfit to wear?

I love to wear something with a relaxed fit like the pink Dede dress, this way I can feel like I’ve made the effort, but I am still comfortable. I love the bright colour; it makes me feel really summery and is great for sitting in the garden with a glass of wine and pretending I am on holiday!

 

How do you boost your mood for the weekend? Are there any new activities or old hobbies you’ve taken up while staying at home?

I have started to get into running, I like to go before work and makes me feel great for the day- this way I can eat all the sugary treats!

My friends and I love to do weekly video chats, quizzes and games. We also do prizes for the best fancy dress. So far, I have been dressed up drinking margaritas in Mexico, as Tiger King and even Captain Tom.

I have been trying to be creative at the weekends, sewing some floor cushions as gifts and painting artwork for my friend’s new baby!

 

Olivia

Occasion Buyer

What do you do to get ready for the weekend during this time indoors?

We have a small terrace, so weather permitting my boyfriend and I will have a gin and tonic on a Friday evening to mark the start of the weekend. Also, it’s nice to get dressed up for video calls with my friends at the weekend as it really helps differentiate the time at home between the working week and the weekend.

Can you tell us your top tips for Formal Friday? What is your favourite feel-good outfit to wear?

I love wearing Monsoon dresses for Formal Friday, especially those with lots of intricate detailing around the neckline such as Carmela or our beautiful hand-painted prints such as Dede as, these are great for my weekly quiz night and zoom drinks with the girls.

How do you boost your mood for the weekend? Are there any new activities or old hobbies you’ve taken up while staying at home?

I have taken up running and as a non-runner, I can really recommend the couch to 5K app, I am already on week 7 and loving it which is something I didn’t think I would say. I enjoy listening to my favourite Spotify playlists and podcasts, I am really enjoying Happy Place with Fearne Cotton and How to Fail by Elizabeth Day.

Some days can be quite challenging working from home. To boost my mood, I have been doing lots of baking, trying out loads of new recipes. I have also been doing some paint by numbers which I find really therapeutic and helps me just to switch off. Like everybody, I have watched what feels like every series on Netflix, so the other activities help me reduce my screen time.

 

Naomi

Merchandising Director

 

What do you do to get ready for the weekend during this time indoors?

Catch up with friends on zoom! I can’t even remember what discussions I had with friends before this, but I definitely don’t remember swapping martini recipes! Like Banana Martinis, given to me by my very clever friend, have now become a thing. Although not so clever the next day and now I can’t look at another banana…

 

Can you tell us your top tips for Formal Friday? What is your favourite feel-good outfit to wear?

Dressing up on a Friday has become good fun. A couple of my favourite outfits during lockdown have been Zinnia lace and Florence embroidered dress, they are so beautiful but also comfortable for dressing up indoors.

 

How do you boost your mood for the weekend? Are there any new activities or old hobbies you’ve taken up while staying at home?

I try to squeeze a quick boot-camp and 5k run, meal planning with my husband, and a handful of simultaneous equations with my 13-year-old to start my day. I am LOVING being with my family, this strange gift has landed in the house which is called ‘time’. The diary has been whitewashed. No one is dashing off to an event, work, pub, fun suppers, cricket matches, hockey, play dates, festivals, marathon training! I see it as time we have been gifted to spend together as a family.

 

The Monsoon Playlist

Get ready for your Friday night zoom with Naomi’s playlist. Sit back, relax and get away from screens for a while with our new Monsoon playlist! 

Listen Now >

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Let’s Dress Up: At Home with The Kids

If you’re enjoying dressing up at home as much as we are, you’ll love our new dress-up sets ready to download. Created by our in-house design team, you can colour them in and dress them up for hours of fun.

 

Colour Me In: Party

Pretty party dresses and accessories, this colouring in set will get them inspired for their very own garden parties!

Download here >

 

Colour Me In: Loungewear

Ready for days indoors, this colouring dress-up set is perfect for everyday styling. Dresses, dungarees and accessories, you can mix and match for endless fun.

Download here >

 

Colour Me In: Dinosaur Keeper

Hear me roar! Set for adventures, you can put on their binoculars and look after your dinosaurs for hours of imagination.

Download here >

 

Colour Me In: Cupcake Toppers

Become a fan of baking during your time at home? We have the perfect addition! Create cupcake toppers to add to your baking for added flair (and keeping them busy).

Download Guide >

Download Cupcake Toppers >

We’ve also got the perfect recipe to pair with these designs from @MyKitchenDrawerHeart of the Ocean Cupcakes from her Mermaid Cookbook, which you can buy for more recipe inspiration here.

Course Snack

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Decorating time 30 minutes

Total Time 55 minutes

Servings 12 cupcakes

 

Ingredients

 

For the hearts:

  • 200g butter softened
  • 200g caster sugar
  • 3eggs large
  • 200g self-raising flour
  • ¼tsp raspberry flavouring
  • 1drop Pink gel food colouring

 

For the cupcakes:

  • 150g butter softened
  • 150g caster sugar
  • 3eggs large
  • 150g self-raising flour
  • 1/4tsp vanilla extract

 

For the buttercream:

  • 200g butter softened
  • 400g icing sugar
  • 1drop Purple gel food colouring

 

Instructions

 

For the hearts:

  1. Preheat the oven to 180°C and line two 20cm cake tins with baking paper.
  2. Add the butter, sugar, eggs and flour to a large mixing bowl and beat together until pale and fluffy. Add the raspberry flavouring and a drop of pink gel food colouring, then mix through until well combined.
  3. Pour the mixture equally between the two cake tins and bake for 20–25 minutes. Leave to cool.
  4. Once cooled, cut out six hearts from each cake tin using the cookie cutter and put to one side.

 

For the cupcakes:

  1. Keep the oven at 180°C and line a cupcake tray with 12 cupcake cases.
  2. Add the butter, sugar, eggs and flour to a large mixing bowl, and beat together until pale and fluffy. Add the vanilla extract and mix through until well combined.
  3. Fill each cupcake case with a tablespoon of batter, then carefully place a sponge heart into the centre of each cupcake, pushing it down until it is almost completely submerged in the batter. Bake in the oven for 20–25 minutes until just browned and springy to touch, then leave to cool on a wire rack.

 

For the buttercream:

  1. Blend the butter and icing sugar together until smooth, add a few drops the purple gel food colouring (enough to make the buttercream a pastel colour) and combine.
  2. Fit a piping bag with a closed-star nozzle, transfer the mixture into the piping bag and pipe swirls of buttercream on top of the cupcakes.

 

Monsoon Monthly: May Edition

Welcome to our May edition of Monsoon Monthly, where you can find inspiration for things to do to fill your at-home calendar. From weekly planners to a Monsoon playlist created by our team, you’ll find things to make staying indoors a little more fun.

 

Art is part of our Monsoon culture, it is in our DNA. Because of this, we created our very own virtual Art Club – starting with natural tie-dye tutorials and woodblock how-tos, we’ve got loads more to come, check out our first The Art of Monsoon post below

Read now >

 

London is normally a cultural hub, buzzing with people and things to do. Now with everyone at home, London has found a new way to help you attend events from your sofa. Time Out (or In) have put together a handy list of what you can stream, from Borough Market Online Cooking Classes to Virtual Film Festival Thursdays, enjoy!

View now > 

 

We know keeping motivated during this time at home can be tough. We wanted to create something that will help you keep on track with all the things you want to achieve, from working-at-home projects to completing those must-watch boxsets, this will have you ready to tackle your day!

Monsoon daily planner rv 

Monsoon Weekly planner rv

 

Sit back, relax and get away from screens for a while with our new Monsoon playlist created by our team. Perfect for having on in the background while lounging around, clearing out your closet or during your daily exercise routine.

Listen Now >

 

We got together with our amazing in-house team and talented people outside our team, to help you tick off your ‘to learn/do’ list from home. Check out our posts on how to give your wardrobe a detox and how to start calligraphy with Beeta Taylor-Sadeghi – keep an eye out for more too!

 

How to At Home: Wardrobe Clear-Out >

 

 

Boost Your Stay-At-Home Mood with Monsoon & Jamie Rockers

 

We wanted to boost our stay-at-home mood this bank holiday weekend and needed some inspiration! We spoke to blogger Jamie Rockers, or as you may know her @beautyrocksblog to find out how she has been spending her time indoors and what Monsoon styles she’s been wearing too.

 

 

How are you finding ways to boost your mood and productivity while at home?

Especially during this time, people are going to react to the situation in different ways. Some people might feel low on motivation and energy and this will affect productivity levels. Others might thrive on solitude and find they are flying through projects and smashing their goals more than ever before. Everyone is different. Because our screen times can be higher these days it’s so important that we don’t compare ourselves to others – it’s not a productivity contest.

I spent the first week or two of this period feeling like I wasn’t accomplishing enough but these tips really helped me to focus.

TIP 1: I challenged myself to write down a list of what I had accomplished at the end of each day. Looking at that list made me realise that in fact, I had accomplished quite a lot. When you write it down, small victories suddenly become very apparent.

TIP 2: I found making a TO-DO list the night before the following day was extremely helpful in making me focus on what was important, with higher priority tasks at the top of the list. This helped me to plan out my days.

TIP 3: For my TO-DO lists I initially found these to be impossible to achieve because there was just not enough time in the day to do them. By setting up impossible to-do lists, I found that I was actually setting myself up to feel like I had failed each day.

Breaking those to-do lists into manageable smaller lists for each day with built-in additional time (lunch breaks, coffee breaks, distraction breaks), helped me feel like what I could do each day was much more achievable.

Hence, I have a master TO-DO list and a smaller everyday TO-DO list based off the master list (I do love a list – they really help me keep on track).

TIP 4: Try to take a break from social media. I found the more time I spent on apps, the more distracted I was. By stepping away from them I could get so much more accomplished as well as taking important time for myself to exercise, cook dinner and check-in with family/friends.

 

 


What are your tips for separating your personal and work life when working from home?

This is a really tricky one as I’m self-employed so often I find it hard to separate the two from each other. I do have a no-phone policy after 10pm (I realise this sounds very late anyways but I’m a night owl) and I find just having a bit of time before bed to myself to catch up on my favourite Netflix series without feeling like I need to be on my phone is really helpful. My job is based on being on my phone a lot, so I do have to schedule moments to break away from time to time. Exercise also really helps if I’ve had too much screen time! 


What is your favourite stay-at-home outfit from Monsoon and why?

Oh, there are so many to choose from! I do love the Meaghan Ditsy Floral Jersey Dress from Monsoon. The key about work-from-home clothes is that they have to be comfortable so when choosing your work from home outfits check the materials and how much they stretch (better for hot-desking from your couch). This dress is made from super-soft jersey and feels so comfy – almost like wearing a very cute nightgown. Except it doesn’t look like a nightgown! And that’s where your success is found – the perfect melding between comfort and cute. The print is also very spring-like with a ditsy floral design and I like the midi-length as well.

 

 

Is there anything you do that helps you relax and recharge in your free time away from the at-home office?

I know I’ve mentioned it, but I do love a bit of Netflix and losing myself in a series does help to take my mind off of daily stresses. I always reserve a bit of time in the evening to watch my favourite series. I also love to sit in the garden on a sunny day. Even if I’m doing something stressful, placing myself in the garden really helps to diminish the stress I’m feeling from whatever activity I am doing at that time. It’s something about the birds singing and the sun shining that just makes you feel less stressed and more positive so if you can take your work outside or just relax with a book, I would recommend it!


We know a lot of people at this time are escaping to their gardens as somewhere they can still enjoy the sunshine, what is your favourite garden activity to do when the sun is shining?

Ah yes, the garden is my new favourite hangout spot. I am a bit of a workaholic, so I do sometimes take my work outside with me as mentioned but if I’m not working on a project, I actually like to do a Pilates class out there with a yoga mat. I’m currently loving the Pop Sugar YouTube workouts – there are so many to choose from and lots of beginner workouts as well. I also like to use that space for brainstorming content ideas and it’s a great place to shoot photography as well if it’s sunny. An overall mood-booster, no matter what you are doing!

 

 

How to At Home: Calligraphy with Beeta Taylor-Sadeghi

 

During this time at home, we are all looking for new ways to be creative. One on our ‘to learn’ list is calligraphy, so to get some tips we spoke to Beeta Taylor-Sadeghi, a modern calligrapher based in London, to tell us how to get started with faux calligraphy that can be done with whatever you have at home!

“Calligraphy is a beautiful, ancient practice and art form, rich in cultural history. It’s easy to see why the modern calligraphy trend has really taken off in the last few years. It’s calming, relaxing and achieves beautiful results and therefore also a great, creative lockdown activity.

Calligraphy technique is largely to do with the definition between thin and thick lines to form letter shapes, using ink and nib or brush pen.”

You can achieve a similar effect with any pen or pencil by following the steps from Beeta below…

 

 

1. Grab any pen or pencil you’ve got at home. HB pencil, colouring pencil, felt tip pen – whatever you’ve got will work.

2. Think of some words that you like – a quote, a message, names – whatever takes your fancy.

3. Write your phrase in floaty handwriting.

 

 

4. Look at where your pen has moved down the page in your lettering i.e. the downstrokes. For each downstroke, draw another line next to it so you have a double line with empty space in the middle.

 

 

5. Then, fill in the spaces you have created.

6. Ta-dah! You’ve written your first phrase in faux calligraphy! Once you’ve practised, why not cut out some postcards and write lovely messages to your friends to send love from afar until we can all be reunited.

 

More from Beeta

Beeta creates bespoke hand-lettered designs for wedding stationery, events and personal commissions. She also teaches modern calligraphy workshops during non-lockdown circumstances – so keep an eye out on her Instagram & Facebook pages to find more. You can also see more of her designs on her Etsy page. 

The tips don’t end here, Beeta suggests looking for alternative ways to learn until you’re able to attend a class. Take a look at calligraphers who have set up great online courses and/or have beautiful beginner kits with worksheets to help you learn, recommended by her (so you know they’re good):

 

Ink & Paper 

https://www.inkandpaperdesign.co.uk/links

 

Lydia Packham Calligraphy 

https://lydiapackham.com/product-category/calligraphy-supplies/ 

 

Calligraphy with Kiki 

https://calligraphybykiki.com/product/brush-lettering-starter-kit-virtual-calligraphy-workshop/

 

The Calligraphy Store 

https://www.thecalligraphystore.com

 

 

Flamingos & Fruit: At Home with The Kids

 

We can’t get enough of bright colours and fun prints in our children’s collection. Perfect for adding some colour to their time at home, we’re shouting about flamingos and fruit this season! To go alongside their outfits, we also have some fun activities to match – enjoy.

 

Flamingos & Fruit Dress Up

 

Whether you’re getting out the paddling pool or finding fun things to do outside, you can still enjoy the sun in your garden. Keep them smiling with cute outfits they’ll love to dress up in!

 

Design Your Own Lolly

 

Who doesn’t love a lolly on a hot summer’s day! Get them to design their own for endless fun with our lolly template, designed in-house by our design team. 

Design a lolly colouring in

 

 

Flamingos & Fruit Colouring Sheets

 

Colouring sheets will always keep them occupied for a while, that’s why our in-house team has created some new flamingo and fruit inspired sheets for them to get started on.

Monsoon children Flamingo & fruit colouring book

 

 

Watermelon Cupcakes

Looking for some playful new things to bake at home? @MyKitchenDrawer can help with that. Taken from her new book, The Tropical Cookbook, it’s time to get creative with watermelon cupcakes!

Course: Snack

 Prep Time: 30 minutes

 Servings: 12 cupcakes

 

Ingredients

 

For the cupcakes:

  • 150 g butter softened
  • 150 g caster sugar
  • 3 eggs if no eggs, substitute with 3 mashed bananas
  • 150 g self-raising flour
  • ¼tsp vanilla extract
  • Green gel food colouring

For the buttercream:

  • 200 g butter softened
  • 400 g icing sugar
  • Pink gel food colouring
  • Chocolate chips to decorate

 

Instructions

 

For the cupcakes:

  1. Preheat the oven to 180°C and line a cupcake tray with 12 cupcake cases.
  2. Put the butter, sugar, eggs (or mashed banana) and flour in a large mixing bowl, and beat together until pale and fluffy. Add the vanilla extract and 2 drops of green gel food colouring then mix through until well combined.
  3. Fill each cupcake case with a heaped tablespoon of batter, then bake in the oven for 20–25 minutes until springy to touch. Remove the tray from the oven and place the cupcakes on a wire rack to cool.

 

For the buttercream:

  1. Blend the butter and icing sugar together until smooth, add a few drops of the pink gel food colouring (enough to make the buttercream a vibrant pink hue) and combine.
  2. Fit a piping bag with a closed-star nozzle, transfer the mixture into the piping bag and pipe swirls of buttercream on top of the cupcakes.
  3. To decorate, scatter some chocolate chips on to the buttercream, spacing them apart to resemble watermelon seeds.

 

Recipe Notes: These will last for 2–3 days in an airtight container kept somewhere cool.