Author: Oana

Win Christmas 2015 at Coombe Mill

Published by

I have known of Coombe Mill for years, probably ever since I started blogging. I have always dreamt of spending a holiday in the heart of Cornwall and felt even more drawn to the farm when I realised that Farmer Nick is actually Farmer Nico, Greek descendant and that Alex and him would probably get on quite well, since they share the same country of origin and love for good food and Greek feasts :-). When Georgie was born, I imagined a holiday as a complete family at Coombe Mill but it was never meant to be, Georgie never made it to Christmas and what should have been a magical holiday last year transformed into a dreary and endless season of mourning. I dread the thought of another Christmas at home now. I would love us to be able to win a Christmas stay at Coombe Mill and stay in their cozy Trevarno Scandinavian lodge this year. I imagine ourselves arriving to a fairyland of lights and snow. (Yes, they had snow last year and …

Building Blocks with House of Fraser- A Review

Published by

This is the third time I work with House of Fraser as a blogger and, as I have said it before, I absolutely love the prompt delivery and the clear and fast communication on their side, which make them the ideal merchant, time and time again, in my eyes! This time, we were asked to choose and review some items from the building blocks and construction toy range.  I jumped at the opportunity as I had seen a couple of girly Mega Blocks sets that were hugely discounted (The Barbie Build ‘N Style Beach House is still down to £14.99 from £39.99!) and I knew Emma would love them as part of her ever growing collection of construction toys. I must admit, I hadn’t realised that Mega Blocks has a whole range of construction toys for older children too. I was thrilled to see that Emma would be able to not only have a new Barbie playhouse that she could put together herself but that, she would also own her first Smurfette abode, all due …

#SaveSyriasChildren

Published by

I am unashamedly posting, a third time this week, about the Syrian crisis. The death of a sweet little boy, named Aylan Kurdi, about which I wrote here yesterday, has, as I had predicted, moved many to action. The UK parliament will find itself under enormous pressure from the public come Monday, following the online petition that has received more than 200,000 signatures in less than 48 hours. As a community of bloggers(parents, most of us), we have been moved to tears and to action as well.  We have gathered together, an army of UK parent bloggers, and agreed to publicly raise our voices in order to protect Syrian children, like Aylan, from a tragic end. We refuse to stand by and watch any other Syrian children die, as we are well aware, the crisis they are facing could have well been ours. It could have been us, caught up in a cruel war of religion, idiocy and bigotry. It could have been our children, suffering from the horrors of displacement, famine, peril and lack …

Dear Sweet Boy…

Published by

Dear sweet boy who broke our hearts, with your tiny lifeless frame resting on the sand. I am so very sorry. I am so very sorry you had to die in order for the world to fully understand the cruelty of this war you were trying to escape with your mummy and daddy and big brother. I have been thinking of you all day today. I have been thinking at how meaningless this world and all its cruelties must have seemed to you. I have been thinking at how you should have been playing on a warm beach right now, chasing the waves and splashing in delight. You have made a big difference into this world, you know? Your tragic, oh so tragic death, has shown us that there is no limit to evil and that even the most beautiful little boys can die in the most senseless and cruel of ways. Your tragic death has shown us that, in the 11th hour, and after having had watched so many other mummies and daddies and …

The Syrian humanitarian crisis and how you can help

Published by

Image source and credit, USNews.com. This summer, we followed with increasing concern what I believe is going to go down in modern history as the biggest humanitarian crisis and consequently migration within Europe. The Syrian crisis is unprecedented in modern history on account of a number of factors. The sheer number of people who have been displaced by ISIS. The enormity of cultural and humanitarian destruction caused by an extremist group, in a proximity to “civilised” Europe that is just too close for comfort. The extreme violence used by a relatively small extremist group that has caused a whole nation to shift and the complete silence, on the other hand, and lack of political, economical and military measures from the European and worldwide “powers” in response to this crisis. Yes, “The Iron Frau” has opened the German borders from last night and has become overnight “mama Merkel” but the severity of the issue at grass-root level remains. There are still thousands of families travelling for weeks on foot, crossing precariously the sea in flimsy dinghies, …