Vertbaudet Summer clothes review

Last year we were lucky enough to work with Vertbaudet, the French children's clothing brand which is available internationally via their website, and reviewed an outfit from their winter collection (see review here). We have been asked again to review some clothes from the summer range. I know we are still in the depths of and winter here but it is lovely to get hold of some colourful clothes to try out ready for the summer.

We chose these three quarter length camo trousers (there is room to grow in these ones!). They are lovely and light to wear but have the feeling of a hard wearing fabric. Like all the Vertbaudet trousers they are adjustable around the waist which is great for slightly skinnier boys like my son.

Noah loved the rugby shirt we chose last time and it has washed really well, so we went again for a summer style rugby shirt. There is a lovely detail of a team name (in our case Italy) under the back of the collar. Again it feels like it will be a cool shirt to wear in the summer but good quality fabric.

My son was very reluctant to change back into winter clothes so I can see this outfit becoming a favourite summer outfit.

Vertbaudet clothes can be ordered from the German website or bought in one of the outlets in Berlin. Here are the links to the products Trousers and Rugby shirt .

This is a sponsored post but the opinions are mine.

Goals for 2013

I have been inspired by some of my favourite bloggers to set goals for this year rather than pointless resolutions so here are my goals....

• Get Healthy....this is an important one for me as 2012 was pretty tough for me and I have been neglecting my health so my goals are to starting eating healthily and to enjoy my food more plus do some regular exercise beyond pushing a buggy miles around town (the buggy is almost obsolete anyway) so another goal is to get to the swimming pool at least once a week. This I hope will keep the almost constant infections of one nature or another at bay.

• Keep tidy....this is something I have battled with since I was a child. I love a tidy space around me but often I let clutter and untidiness prevail. We are moving to a beautiful apartment and I want it to be a peaceful and tidy space so hopefully this will be a battle I will win.

• Improve my photography...I love capturing the world around me and I want my photos to get better and better this year as I get a lot of pleasure from looking back at them and sharing them.

• Be creative...I see so many things I think 'I could make or do that' so this year I will. I can do many with my son and others for me. I started a crochet blanket three years ago but was too ambitious so I am going simplify and start it again and complete it. I am also going to join this group and I hope to be inspired by others there.

• Keep blogging...I am working on my new blogging home and I am excited about it plus there is a possible very exciting project in the pipeline so blogging will still be a big part of my life in 2013. I enrolled today for this year's blogging conference, The Hive, which will help me learn more about how to make the most of blogging.

• Meet interesting people....through blogging and moving around I have met a lot of interesting and  inspiring people, I hope this year I can be open to meeting more.

Finally the biggest goals are to be happy, enjoy spending time with the people I love, make sure I find time for people far away and enjoy life.

Airbnb - city breaks for families

I hadn't heard of Airbnb until my husband found it via a web search for accommodation for our trip to Copenhagen. Copenhagen is infamous for its expensive hotel accommodation, especially if you need to travel with children. Airbnb offers you the chance to stay in a real home in many places across the world. For us it meant that we could stay in an apartment in the heart of our old neighbourhood with a bedroom for us and one for Noah plus a huge kitchen and beautiful living space for less than the price of a night in one room in a hotel. It made our trip very relaxing and enjoyable especially as there were toys for my son to play with.

Where we stayed....to see more click here


I would certainly use Airbnb again. The admin side of it takes a bit of time as you need to register and, as you are asking to stay in someone's home, you need to make sure there is a bit of honest information about you on the members' section of the website so prospective renters can get a feel of you, but it is worth it. You can also list your own place for rental.

When friends are planning to visit us in Copenhagen, I would certainly recommend the place we stayed in.

This does sound a bit like a sponsored post (which it isn't) but I was so pleased with the opportunities that this website has opened to us for future city breaks and also that so few people I have mentioned it to have heard of it, I wanted to share it here.

Website

Loving this month - interiors

As my mind in turning towards our new apartment I am lusting after a number of new things to make it just so, here are few things I love...

1. Toaster - we have had the same toaster for almost 10 years so maybe time for a new one.
2. Utensil Jar - this is a bit bigger than I expected (yes I bought this too) but will house the essentials.
3. Bread Bin - this supersize bread bin will take two loaves of bread.
4. Retro Colander - we got ours from Etsy but here is one from Amazon.
5. Classic Pie Plate  - an anniversary present from my France based parents (ours is green)
6. Water Carafe - a tabletop essential
7. Teapot - loving my tea at the moment
8. Coat hook - for all the guests' coats
9. Stack mag - to house my interior magazines
10. Moomin Mug - something for Noah

Happy New Year

Expat Mummy's top...playgrounds

There are hundreds of playgrounds in Berlin but these are the ones my son want to return to on a regular basis.

Playground at Helmholzplatz

Playground at Nordbahnhof

Playground at Volkspark am Weinbergsweg

Playground at Wasserturm

Pinke Panke City Farm

Expat Mummy's top....places to eat

We have eaten in a number of places in Berlin and these are our top picks in no particular order.

Nola am Weinbergsweg - great seasonal menu and a wonderful location.

Yumcha Heroes - Chinese dumpling heaven

da Piadina - homely Italian food

Milchmanns - best brunch plate we have tasted here

La Käserie - probably one of my most favourite places here, both for the cheese and the service

Vanilla - Kay's cupcakes are some of the best I have tasted