Harps is an award winning blogger who shares her remarkable journey of motherhood after experiencing post natal depression and an unexpected diagnosis of Down’s syndrome. Her readers have often coined her words “relatable” and “warming”.
Some of you may have seen that I’ve ventured out and started my own kid’s clothing line – Baby Brain Apparel. You may be wondering why? … Well I’ve always had a super creative side which I’m always bursting to use.
This has been prevalent through previous hobbies turned businesses such as Passion Froot – where one of my close friends Sav and I created beautiful (if i do say so myself!) hand carved fruit displays. We did it for several years and really enjoyed it and worked with leading caterers and venues in the industry – I still get phone calls today for enquiries! It may be something I pursue again once Arjun is a little older but the hours were anti social with a baby so we put that on pause.
I also have a huge passion for events planning as you may have guessed from Arjun’s first birthday celebrations. A few months prior to falling pregnant, I was in the early days of starting up my own events company, and then I fell pregnant and again it wasn’t something that I could pursue whilst being pregnant let alone with a baby. My pregnancy wasn’t straight forward and I knew I had to ensure I was taking care of myself. When Arjun arrived, I wanted to ensure I was able to spend as much time with my newborn as possible, and that’s exactly what I did!
You may or may not know, but my actual job is as a Finance Manager. Getting creative with Excel and a calculator has its limitations on my creative juices flowing (as much as I love Excel!) and I was reminded of that when returning to work after a year off from maternity leave. I’m fortunate enough to have two days off with Arjun whereby I’m free to explore my creativity. It was definitely time for me to start thinking about getting my hands stuck in a new venture – one that would enable me to exercise my creativity but also allow me to be at home with Arjun on my days off and most importantly, one that I enjoyed.
I remember that evening, I was exploring the idea with my best friend Amrit and her husband-to-be Nake. I get told often by family and friends and even work colleagues that I’m destined for other things but I often struggle with the confidence to go out there and do it. They gave me the nudge that I needed and coaxed me in to just going for it, and I did just that!
That same evening, I began doodling and exploring ideas with Preetam and my sisters and sister in law. The inspiration for my tees was easy – Arjun. His character is so prominent and his characteristics are such that many mummies can relate to through the daily antics of their own munchkins. His personality shines through so bright, so much so that we’re often stopped in public when he’s spotted and our blog followers want to meet the mini celebrity himself – so many people have commented that they feel they know him just through the blog and Instagram where his daily antics are shared.
The following day, I designed my tees on Microsoft Paint (haha!) and the rest is history!
Here’s an outline of the tees:
• #Babygains: As the son of a gym buff, Arjun is often spotted squatting, lifting and loading up on carbs prior to a little crossfit session in the lounge! This unisex tee is for the fellow spontaneous squatters, multi sippy cup lifters and for all babies growing big and strong!
• Curls for the Girls: His curls are definitely his signature stamp! This unisex tee is for the little princesses with luscious locks or for the little boys donning their curly crown who never fail to impress the girls!
• Milk Drunk: You often find Arjun slumped on the sofa after his milk – “Milk Drunk” is the only way to describe him! This tee was designed for all the milk fuelled munchkins like Arjy.
• Food Thief: Arjun often pinches our food, even if he has the same food on his own plate! His favourite item to pinch are cookies and popcorn. The unisex “Food Thief” tee is for the cheeky little hands that never fail to pinch a cookie (or two!).
• Mini Musician: He often uses his wooden spoon, whisk and large spoon to bang on pots and pans to “make music” – a common trait amongst babies! The unisex ‘Mini Musician’ tee is for all those self proclaimed percussionists!
• Sleep Fighter: No matter how tired he is, he’ll fight his sleep and he’s always been that way since a young age. The unisex ‘Sleep Fighter tee was especially created for all the fellow little night owls!
• “Not your average Christmas Tee” – Sprout Dunk: I wanted our Christmas tee to be fun and not your bog standard design. Arjun has known to play basketball with his breakfast previously, so this was the inspiration for this tee – something a little different!
I’d also rekindled an old hobby of sewing and have been making Arjun his own leggings for a while now. I find it so therapeutic. I posted a picture of a pair I made for him once, and I received quite a few messages about whether I was selling them – that gave me food for thought and I decided to also introduce leggings to my clothing line.
The leggings range I’ve launched include fun and quirky designs. Our “Biscuit” leggings go perfectly with the “Food Thief” tee and come in both aqua and brown and lemon and pink.
My brand was easy to personify – quirky, fun, cute and bold! I wanted most (if not all) of my clothing to be unisex and neutral. And of course my logo had to include clouds!
We love our tees and leggings and hope you do too! I wanted it to have a very personal feel – all my tees are hand designed, and all the leggings are handmade by me between managing a toddler, a house and a part time job! It’s really hardwork but I love every single minute of it and it’s something I can call mine! My heart swells with joy at the site of a tiny tot in our clothing – it makes me feel like the hard work has paid off! Here’s an adorable picture of the super cute Oakley rocking our “Mini Musician” tee:
This venture has enabled me to gain a sense of satisfaction which also ties in with the reward of motherhood as it’s related to and inspired by Arjy! Working Monday – Wednesday has given me the flexibility to give this a go – something that I’m very grateful for.
A special thank you to all my family, friends and blogging buddies – especially Rod at Modern Dad Pages, for their amazing support. A special thank you to my husband and sisters for their encouragement, my cousin Indy for his patience and my BFF Amrit and her fiancé Nake for pushing me to do it and also for the motivational talks and always believing in me!
The feedback on my designs has been incredible and overwhelming. I’m so thankful and feel super blessed. Who knows how far this will go, but I’m going to enjoy the ride!
I’d love to hear your feedback on our new venture and I hope I’m able to provide you and your baby fashionistas with personal and friendly customer service if you do choose to shop with us! 🙂
As an introductory offer to all my blog followers, I’m offering a 10% discount code until 6th December 2015 as a special gift on your Christmas orders :). Code: MEMOIRS10 @ www.BabyBrainApparel.com
Our first stop on our dual destination holiday was Singapore. We’ve visited Thailand and Malaysia already so I was pretty excited about visiting Singapore. I’d heard lots of good things! Our holiday was made up of 2 nights in Singapore, and 8 nights in Bali.
Due to the time difference, we were pretty pooped when we got to Singapore! We left London at 11am and arrived at Singapore 8am local time so we pretty much lost a whole night. It was Arjun’s longest flight to date! I managed to get quite a bit of sleep on the plane but the others were less fortunate (it definitely wasn’t my snoring keeping them up! Haha!).
We stayed at the Sentosa Golf and Spa Resort by Sofitel. The hotel is set on beautiful grounds and there are many peacocks wandering adding an additional splash of colour. We were welcomed in our room by one on the balcony!
The rooms were clean but not overly spacious like we’re used to with a baby. We were fortunate to get interconnecting rooms with my sisters which meant Arjun had a little more freedom to run around. It also meant the passage way to our rooms could be used to store his buggy and bag. I especially liked the bathrooms which came with a big shower and bath tub.
The hotel is located on the beach but we didn’t get the chance to visit the beach. As we were only in Singapore for two nights, we didn’t get to make the most of the hotels facilities which was a shame. The pool looked gorgeous – it’s a shame we didn’t get to use it but our plan was to make the most of exploring Singapore in the few days we had there and to relax once we arrived in Bali.
Arjun had fun exploring the open corridors of the hotel!
The breakfast selection was great, they had continental, Indian, Asian to name a few and they had a great selection of fresh juices which Arjun really enjoyed. I was pretty excited to see him eating like his old-self on the first morning. However it was short lived! He was back to his shrunk appetite soon after.
I was really impressed by the hotels attention to detail where it came to Arjun. Not only did they provide a cot, baby bath and also baby cups but at breakfast they also bought out a plastic plate and cutlery for him. I’ve not seen that before so was really pleased by it.
Be wary when arranging a taxi here, the prices from the hotel are extortionate! A local blue taxi is much cheaper. Our airport transfer was $150 but a local taxi was $55.
Things to do in Sentosa:
Viva Shopping Centre: we popped by here on our first night as somewhere to visit for dinner. It’s like a regular shopping centre with lots of high street shops and local eateries.
Universal Studios: It was super easy to get to Universal Studios from our hotel. We took the complementary shuttle bus to Viva Shopping Centre and then took the Sentosa Express from there straight to Universal Studios (it’s one stop!).
Initially my mum and I weren’t going to go to Universal Studios, we were instead going to go shopping. At the last minute we had a change of heart and decided to join the rest of the family and we were so glad we did! We had such a blast! The last time I visited universal Studios was in America about 10 years ago. I’m always so impressed by the level of effort it must take to build a place like this. The detail in the figurines, rides and set ups must be immense and it really pays off given how much awe you see on those around you as they wander through different lands. You can’t deny that there is a buzz and excitement in the air and it definitely made me feel like a big kid again!
Arjun was fascinated by what was going on around him. There was a lot to absorb, the huge real life characters, the hugest dinosaurs he’s ever seen, different backdrops and scenes bursting with colour and excitement, it was a bit of sensory overload! He loved seeing the huge dinosaurs at Jurassic Park Land and his favourite thing was playing in the water fountains beneath them! I didn’t mind as it was a pretty hot day and he needed cooling off! He also loved Shrek World and playing with the toys in the Shrek shop.
He even got to meet a baby dinasaur called Diana!
As we went on a Tuesday, there were pretty much no queues for any of the rides so we got to see most things. I’m not an adrenaline junkie, infact I really dislike rollercoasters so I skipped a few of them! I did however go on the Enchanted Airways (from Shrek) ride (I kept my eyes shut the whole time!) and my favourite ride was the Transformers simulator ride which felt crazy real even though we were pretty much in the same spot! Amazing what camera tricks and a simulator can do to you!
We took Arjun on the merry-go-round and on the Madagascar ride but he clearly wasn’t impressed! He’d probably enjoy the Madagascar ride when he’s a little taller so he can properly see what’s going on around him. He wasn’t allowed to sit on our lap so his view was probably the security bar infront of him with the tip of the boat as the backdrop for most of the ride!
Arjun got lots of attention here with lots of people wanting to take a snap with him! He embraced it with lots of smiles and waves (as he does!).
We had lunch at the Diner and I was especially excited as they had a veggie burger option there. It was delicious! I’d also recommend the cheesy fries.
We had a really great family day out at Universal Studios. The park is small enough to get around in a day provided there are no queues. There are lots of places to eat and lots of food carts to keep you hydrated and fuelled!
There are also lots of eateries just outside Universal Studios – famous places like Chillis and The Hard Rock Café.
Silat Road Gurdwara: When we are abroad, we always try and locate a Gurdwara. My parents go to the Gurdwara daily here in the UK so for them, a huge chunk of their life is missing when they are away from home. We visited the Silat Road Gurdwara which was 5 minutes away from the hotel. It was really calm and tranquil. There was a really nice atmosphere as the people doing seva (free community work) were chanting simran at the same time. Arjun really enjoyed the langar but insisted on feeding himself – there was more rice on the chair than in his mouth!
Arab Street: My mum and I couldn’t resist! We decided to get in a spot of shopping before our plane took off for Bali. We’re suckers for fabric and had been told Arab Street was the place to go. It cost us $12 to get to Arab Street from the hotel which wasn’t bad given it was about a 25 minute ride. All the shops on Arab Street pretty much sell textiles and fabric. There was lots and lots of it! However it wasn’t necessarily cheaper. We both bought a sari, some loose fabric and I also purchased a new top. It was ok but I’m glad we didn’t miss out on Universal Studios for it as we were done within an hour!
All in all, we really enjoyed our short trip to Singapore. I hope to visit again! x
I’m feeling a bit sad … Really missing home. The joys of being an Indian girl.
Our family friends were over last night and she was telling me what she was going to be doing today – she’s unmarried and living at home with her family. She described her day and it made me feel so nostalgic – it took me right back to what my Sunday’s were like. Especially Sunday mornings, which were the same pretty much each week unless we had a wedding or function to attend.
The familiar sound of mum opening and shutting cupboard doors, the kitchen tap running with kirtan from Darbar Sahib on full blast downstairs, the beautiful aroma as she prepared Sunday morning brunch. Me wondering what flavour paronteh we’d be treated to today. Lying in bed, gazing outside my bedroom window hearing the familiar sound of the same bird that would come chirping every single morning, wondering when my sister Goov was going to wake up (she was a squatter in my room). Wondering whether she’d wake up in a good mood and I could push it by poking her or whether she’d be in a foul mood and me waking her would result in a crying melt down.
Ive always admired how much energy mum has. She’d be up before the crack of dawn (2am) to do her paat (Sikh prayers) and would be at the temple for 4 to do Simran (meditation), back home by 5, go for an hours walk and then go back to bed for a few hours. How does she survive on such little and broken sleep? Because she definitely has Guru Ji’s blessings. “How does she have the energy to make us brunch” I’d often think? She’s almost double my age but has twice as much energy as I do. I admire her so much. She’s the mother I wish I could be. She’s constantly rushing around after others. I worry about her. I wish she’d slow down sometimes. I guess it’s the same worry she has of me when she sees me trying to manage multiple things – but I don’t know any different. Maybe I learnt to be that way from mum.
I’d be expecting my dad to walk in any minute in between returning from the Gurdwara and walking Chico to see what we were doing and when we were going to be up. His gentle voice lovingly referring to us as his “love loves” (he even has us stored in his phone as that”). Chico and his bushy tail following closely behind dad. Jumping up on our bed and licking our faces dry – dogs, full of unconditional love.
Goov would be awake by now usually telling us she needs another ten minutes. Harv would be in the other room fast asleep or listening to music on her headphones. She was always the latest riser. I’d always wake up feeling warm and fuzzy just inhaling the beauty of my life and how blessed I was to have my family. How blessed we are. How hard my dad has worked to provide for us and give us the best life he possibly could – how everything he’s given us, however big or small, has always been full of love. Like all families, we’ve faced financial hardship. But whatever he’s done for us, he’s always given us the love and support every father should. He’s given us the best in every situation, he’s always done what he can. His eyes glisten with so much love. His voice and tongue always utter sweet words. You’ll rarely catch him angry. Wish I’d spent my years growing up learning to be like him. Learning patience.
Dad would have taken Chico out by now leaving us still in bed. Sunday mornings were always a bit of a slow mo process at my parents. But I loved it. I had the chance to pause and embrace, reflect and be thankful. I wasn’t woken half way through my sleep by my baby, I wasn’t rushed off my feet with social engagements, I didn’t have to take care of the running of a whole house let alone a baby. I wish I’d realised how much life changes post marriage. I mean I was never one of those girls that was just in love with the idea of my wedding day, I was always quite a realist and quite aware that things DO and WILL change, I just didn’t realise how much it would impact me. It isn’t that i don’t like my life now, I love it. It’s that I miss my life then. It hurts so bad, I long to be a young girl again living in the comfort of my parents home. I miss them so much. I always thought I’d see them all the time given they only live 15/20 minutes away. I barely get to spend any quality time with them now.
It’s heartbreaking – parents give birth to you, put food in your mouth, provide for you, raise you, deal with your highs and lows … Only for you to be “given away” to spend the rest of your life with someone else. I know it’s all part and parcel of life, I just don’t do well with change. I always struggle with that part being an Indian girl. It’s just what you do. I know we live in our own house, but the difference is, for an Indian boy, it’s a choice. They can choose to live with their parents or they can choose to live alone. For a girl, there isn’t that choice. Culture hey? Always worries me given we are three sisters. What will happen to my parents when all three of us are gone? How empty will their lives feel? All three of us dote on our parents and we’d never let them go a day without seeing one of us at least, but getting married and seeing how things change has made me realise their lives are going to change drastically when the twins get married. There will be Sunday mornings alone. Maybe they’ll welcome the peace? Lol.
I was always usually the first one down on a Sunday. I’d spend half an hour or so speaking to mum and dad while listening to the kirtan and helping to make the tea. Catching up on with them at the same time. Mum would often use this time to “sound off” about the twins to me (she’d do the same about me to them given the opportunity! Haha). By the time the paronteh were made, dad would be calling the twins down (who’d still be in bed mooching around). Mum would sometimes get wound up that their food was going to get cold.
When the twins finally did come down, we’d sit around the table together and eat. It was a family affair. Something we did together. We’d catch up on the weeks ongoings, catch up on what the plan for dinner is (something’s never change!) and what the plans for the day were. Dad would often tell us Sikh stories usually to teach us a lesson based on the stories we’d share with them. He’d encourage us to do more Simran (meditation), paat (religious prayers) and seva (selfless community service). He always encouraged it. Why did I never make enough time for those things? Why didn’t I go to the Gurdwara with him in the mornings more often to do seva with him?
After brunch, Goov and I would religiously watch an episode or two of FBI Files with my dad. Mum would sometimes join us depending on what she had planned for the day – she may not work but that woman is busier than me! Harv was always too scared to watch anything remotely scary so would end up upstairs. She’d scream “dad pause it” if she had to come downstairs to put a washing load in the washing machine (that was her “home job”). We’d always try convince her that it’s not THAT scary (even though it was), we never succeeded in our attempts! It’s strange, as we were all sat in front of the TV, but it felt like wholesome quality family time. I know how much it meant to dad, us taking out a measly hour or two to watch FBI Files with him (outside of the time we’d spend watching Indian soaps with mum during the week which dad was forced to sit through though I’m sure it was his guilty pleasure!).
Why didn’t I make more time? Why didn’t I realise that even that precious hour would be gone once I moved out? In my head I had it all planned out, I’d spend at least one day at my parents house once married. I’m lucky that Preetam gets on so well with my family (touch wood). Surely that would mean what I had planned would be the case?! I have no idea why it hasn’t worked out that way. Why every Saturday or Sunday we have something going on. Life is flashing by, time is not on my side, one day I’ll regret putting others before my family.
One day my sisters will be married and will also be in the same predicament I’m in. They’ll be facing the same heartbreak and longing to be with my parents as I do. One day the previous time that they spend with mum and dad watching TV will also be taken from them. They just don’t realise it yet. Things will change.
I wonder how it feels for them. I wonder how heart aching it must be for our parents to set us free. It must be rewarding too to see us get married and watch us become parents ourself. I wonder if they miss the times I miss. I wonder.
Don’t get me wrong, Sunday mornings were often the host of several “I’ve woken out of the wrong side of the bed” fuelled arguments too but my fondest memories are the ones above.
They were perfect.
As you can imagine, I was slightly apprehensive about travelling on a 13 hour flight (14 hour flight on the way back!) with a fully mobile toddler. He was also going through a bout of teething which meant he wasn’t his normal perky self. I was a tiny bit tensed! This was our first holiday since he’s started walking and it would be our first time travelling with Arjun in economy. We’d decided to fly economy as my family had already booked their holiday when we decided to join them. I knew it would be more enjoyable for us to all fly together rather than be split up. Plus the extra pairs of hands would be good!
The reason we usually fly business is because Preetam’s height (6’4) makes it pretty uncomfortable to travel in economy. Also because Arjun is stuck to Preetam like glue for most of the flight, the extra space is really handy with a baby. You forego queuing and also have access to a lounge which is helpful with a baby as they often have a play area and lots of free room for them to run wild before being confined to the teeny tiny space of a cabin!
This was our first time flying with Singapore Airlines and I’d heard great things about them so was looking forward to the experience.
A few things that I was a little disappointed about prior to the flight. Arjun’s luggauge allowance was 10kg. 10kg for a 2 week holiday for a baby (who has more stuff than me!) seemed really crazy. I’d spoken to other friends with babies who’d travelled with other airlines on economy and they confirmed they’ve never had such a tiny limit for a baby. It was quite a challenge packing this time as it was our longest holiday with him and the smallest luggage allowance. Preetam ended up getting the 10kg allowance, and Arjun and I took our full 28kg ;). He doesn’t win daddy of the year for nothing!
Secondly, we’d requested a vegetarian baby meal to which I was told they couldn’t guarantee it would be vegetarian. I’ve had this issue before with other airlines and I find it super frustrating. I don’t really understand why a vegetarian meal can’t be guaranteed for a child if it can be guaranteed for an adult? Especially if they were given over a months notice!
PreFlight
We were fortunate enough to be departing the day the clocks went back which meant we got an extra hours sleep which made the 7am wake up not so bad! We’ve never done a day flight when flying out before and I had mixed feelings about it. Unfortunately picking a night flight doesn’t always mean your baby is going to sleep through (though the chances are a lot higher!) as I learnt on our second trip to Dubai. And as it was a night flight, we were all exhausted by the end of it. So the thought of going on a day flight was welcomed though I was apprehensive about how we’d entertain Arjun the whole way!
I was armed with my snack box, toys consisting of a chalkboard, a doodle pad, crayons in his new pencil case, and the iPad to name a few! He’d never used the iPad before, so I thought we’d use that as his surprise toy this time. I’d loaded it with lots of games and videos as recommended by several blogging buddies. Which kid doesn’t like an iPad right?! … :/
We got to the airport and were shortly greeted by my family. I was so super excited! We decided to do a quick spot of sunglasses shopping and sucker mummy me ended up buying him his very own Ray Bans. He loved walking around with them on all holiday so it was definitely a good buy (though he would have been equally happy donning his £2 Sainsbury’s ones too!).
This time around I’d purchased a Trunki assuming it would be super handy for carrying his stuff and also because he’s aware enough to know what’s his now. Trunki’s are really meant for children 3+. Firstly, this was pretty impractical, the shape of the Trunki made it really difficult to fit all his things in. So we ended up carrying a few bits in other bags which wasn’t ideal as the last thing you want to do on a plane is faff through several bags. Secondly it’s pretty heavy. With a 17 month old toddler, he wasn’t going to push it all the way himself. So a lot of the time we had to hold it.
On the plus side, he was absolutely obsessed with it! He didn’t want to be without it and would have a scream if anyone else tried to touch it (even to transport it!). He refused to get off it when it was time to board the plane and had a mini melt down which was probably pretty entertaining for onlookers but not so entertaining for us!
One decision I did make right was to not take our usual change bag. I took a Skip Hop ruck sack instead for his change items. It was a lot easier to carry especially for nappy changes on the plane. Although smaller, I kept things like his medicines in a separate bag. The main section of the Skip Hop fit 5 nappies, a change mat, wipes, Vaseline, and nappy bags. The front pocket for a change of clothes and his teething gel for easy access. I especially loved taking the ruck sack as it includes a side slot for a beaker which made it very easy to grab if we needed to especially when lugging around a gazillion suitcases!
We had a spot of breakfast and headed towards the gate. We managed to keep Arjun awake till we boarded the plane. The wait time was actually not bad at all given they allow for families with children to board first which is always handy for storing away luggage and settling the baby without a massive audience watching you struggle!
The Flight: London to Singapore
The aircraft felt pretty spacious and we were sat on the seats with extra leg room so I was ok. Preetam really struggled for the 13 hours as he wasn’t able to stretch his legs out, especially once the bassinet had been put in place!
Once we were settled, we gave Arjun some milk prior to take off and he fell asleep just before we took off. He also slept on landing! We’d never used a bassinet on a flight before as there’s always been enough space for him to lie flat on either mine or Preetam’s seat. The lovely airhostess asked if we wanted to give it a go. We decided we would especially as this was going to be a long journey. He slept in it fine but this was definitely his last flight in a bassinet as a) the weight allowance is 14kg, and I’m guessing by February he’ll be past that given he’s 12kg now b) he’s already too tall. We had to roll up a blanket and put it beneath his legs so that they could hand off the edge of the bassinet. Not ideal but we didn’t really have much of a choice.
In flight they had episodes of Mickey Mouse and also Baby TV which was brilliant. Arjun probably watched an episode or two of Mickey but isn’t as excited by tele as much as he used to be. Wish I’d made the most of it then and remembered that nothing lasts forever!
Arjun probably slept for about 6 hours of the total 13 and to be honest it was one of our better flights with him. He was an absolute angel. He had one mini melt down where he was a bit fed up, but thankfully Goov’s bun came to the rescue! He found her hair the most fascinating thing ever! His masis and nana ji an nani ji were brilliant at distracting him and taking him for walks up and down the cabin.
There was another mummy travelling with a baby that was a similar age to Arjun, so every so often he’d pop by there and check up on her! His daddy tried all the tricks in the book to entertain him too – most of which involved him looking like a big goof! 🙂 He loved playing with the entertainment system remote (using it as a telephone), singing nursery rhymes and stowing and unstowing the lap tray. He also loved pouring water from one cup in to another – messy but at least it kept him busy!
The iPad, I tried the iPad. I hadn’t even thought about this failing. It was a guaranteed winner right?! … Apparently not. He wasn’t the least bit interested.
The snack box came in really handy, it entertained him for a long while and gave him freedom to choose what he fancied eating without it being mushed in our bag. I had also packed away some pouches given the airline couldn’t guarantee vegetarian food. In the end they provided us with vegetarian baby jars. He also had a few bread rolls from the adult selection and helped himself to some banana chocolate chip ice cream!
One really disappointing thing about the flight was that they didn’t provide an egg free option for my parents, so they pretty much went without proper food for 8 hours! They also had no egg free snack option which was such a shame given we’d requested this a month in advance.
All in all, the flight wasn’t bad at all. I managed to get quite a bit of sleep as did Arjun. I definitely preferred a day flight as even if Arjun didn’t sleep, it wouldn’t have resulted in Preetam and I being super exhausted as it wasn’t night time. It definitely didn’t feel like 13 hours!
The Flight: Singapore to Bali
Our flight from Singapore to Bali was a late afternoon flight which worked well as it coincided with Arjun’s nap.
The make up was a lot cheaper here than in the UK – I managed to pick up my favourite Clinique eyeliner for £14 vs £20 in the UK!
There are a few food options at the airport, but we stuck to McDonalds fries and meat free cheeseburgers (with extra salad and mayo! … so basically a cheese sandwich!).
The staff at Singapore airport were all so friendly and by this point Arjun had mastered his royal wave! He was in good spirits when we first arrived at the airport but was pretty fed up by the time we got to the lounge. He was demanding to sit on his Trunki but also hold the lead which meant no one was able to pull him along to board the flight.
We figured he was pretty tired by this point – it’s quite sweet, he tells you now that he wants to go in his buggy when he’s tired by pointing to it and trying to climb in it himself.
As soon as we boarded the plane, the air hostess gave Arjun a Minnie Mouse toy which vibrates when you pull the little lead. He was entertained by that for ages! The flight was pretty empty so we’d all planned to reshuffle post take off. Arjun was fine during take off and continued to play with his new toy. The moment we were up in the sky, he fell asleep. We made him his own little bed using 3 seats and a few blankets and pillows. He slept the whole flight!
The only negative on this flight was around the food again – the cabin crew weren’t sure what the main course was which was worrying for those that may have allergies or dietary requirements.
The Flight: Bali to Singapore
There was absolute chaos at Bali airport due to several flights being delayed or cancelled due to an ash cloud. Thankfully our flight was on schedule though there are much worse places to be stuck in!
It was an 8pm flight and Arjun was pretty grizzly, it was probably the combination of tiredness, the heat and the sheer volume of people caving in on us. I was also pretty stressed and snappy which didn’t help! Maybe our holiday blues were just setting in early?!
We had quite a bit of time to kill at Bali airport as we had left early anticipating the chaos. Arjun spent his time running around while pushing a stool which he refused to part with. He even took it outside of the eating area!
This flight was pretty horrendous. It reminded me of the flight we had from London to Dubai where Arjun was awake most of the time crying. All he wanted to do on the plane was run around but he didn’t have the space or the freedom to do so. This would have been a perk of flying business – there is ample space.
Arjun spent most of the 3 hours crying and refusing to go to anyone but his dad. I really felt for Preetam but as always he remained really calm. I was dreading the connecting flight to London which was straight after this one and was our longest flight yet – 14 hours!
I didn’t manage to get any pictures of the drama!
The Flight: Singapore to London
We rushed over from the Bali flight straight on to this flight. The walk was pretty long (from one side of the airport to the other!) and I was feeling pretty anxious and frustrated with Arjun. I was so nervous about the next flight especially as it was a night flight.
This flight Arjun was an angel – he slept for about 8 of the 14 hours and was happy to be entertained by me and my family giving his daddy a little break.
Given he spent 17 hours pretty much continuously on a plane, he did remarkably well! We couldn’t have done it without the help of my parents and my sisters.
You can check out my post on Bali here.
I’d love to hear about your experiences with long haul flights!x
With Christmas fast approaching and me being the crazy organised lunatic that I am, I thought I’d share with you Arjun’s Christmas gift list!
Magnetic White Board
He’s obsessed with magnets and as our fridge is in the conservatory where he doesn’t go often, I thought this would be perfect! It’s also a white board which means he can practice mark making too. We went for a 60 x 90cm one. You can purchase this from here for £19.99.
Melissa & Doug Alphabet Magnets
I decided to get some alphabet and numbers magnets to go with his magnetic board so that they’re also educational. These ones are wooden and so therefore durable. You can purchases these from here for £6.99.
Tractor Convertible Book
I first saw these on the lovely London Mum’s blog and instantly fell in love! Such a fab concept and I know Arjun will have hours of fun! I went for the tractor one. There are lots of different designs to cater for your babies. You can purchase these from here for £13.49.
Bosch Tool Belt
To match his daddy’s. We already gifted him this for Guru Nanak Dev Ji’s birthday which was a few days ago. He loves his tools so we thought this fit well! You can purchase this dinky little belt from here for £15.00.
Munchkin Bath Stacking Caterpillar
He loves cups and also likes to use the jug in the bath to tip water over himself so I thought this would be a great way to combine the two! Vibrant and fun colours with different patterned strainers will make bath time a whole lot more exciting! You can purchase these cups from here for £4.99.
Duplo Basic Bricks
He’s had Mega Block for a while now and though he loves them, he also likes moving his creations around and Mega Blocks don’t hold unfortunately. At nursery he loves playing with Duplo so we thought we’d let his imagination run wild at home too with his own set. You can purchase this from here for £19.97
Wooden Farm Playset
Arjun’s really in to playsets at the moment. He often plays with his cousin sisters Peppa Pig playset so we thought we’d invest in one. We went for a farm one so it would encourage him to also learn animal noises. I love wooden toys, the moulding of these toys are lovely and Arjun will appreciate the colours too. You can purchase this playset from here for £25.99.
We had such an incredible time and without a doubt this was one of my favourite holidays of all time.
I had originally planned on not using my phone much whilst out there and to be honest I didn’t. I only used it when in the hotel room. I felt so free. It wouldn’t be the same sharing my holiday with you after the event. I want to take my blogging family with me through my journey – holidays included in real time! I had planned on not blogging at all while away, but I ended up doing what I love best as I found my blogger brain was able to write a lot better while away! Blogging by the sea/pool is a lot more fun! This was the first time I actually switched off from everything at home but was able to dip in and out of it without feeling pressure or stress.
I know Bali has a lot more to offer than we were able to see given the restrictions with a baby but we loved what we did see. And the main purpose of our trip was to relax which we definitely did. We spent ten days in Bali and although initially I had thought that was quite a long time, it was actually perfect. We thoroughly got to enjoy ourselves and truly relax as we had ample time.
I even managed to get a photoshoot in with Arjun to model some of my new kid’s tee designs which you can find at Baby Brain Apparel!
Let me start off with our arrival in to beautiful Bali – it started off somewhat chaotic. I would strongly recommend arranging a taxi via your hotel prior to landing. It didn’t feel as straight forward and easy to arrange a taxi at the airport and there was also lots of room for being ripped off. We were quoted $35 for a taxi and $55 for the same thing. In hindsight, it’s something I should’ve organised beforehand. It had totally slipped my mind!
As soon as you enter Bali, it’s bursting with culture. It’s full of a colourful rainbow of flowers, stunning architecture and beautiful statues. I didn’t manage to take many pictures due to the taxi fiasco!
Once we finally managed to arrange two taxis to accommodate six (plus a minute) and all our lugguage, we arrived at the Grand Hyatt and were instantly wowed. The lobby itself is so stunning – the tall ceiling with the beautiful white pillars with pockets of beautiful fish filled ponds dotted all over and the spectacular view of the sea in the distance behind a curtain of gorgeous pink flowers was definitely a welcoming sight!
Our first impressions were “wow”. Arjun loved the space and it didn’t take him long to start charming the staff! We’d been told the likes of Barack Obama stay at the Grand Hyatt so we were hoping for good things.
The rooms were really spacious and the staff were great at accommodating our requests of having our rooms located next to each other. We had an interconnecting room with my sisters which worked out so well for so many reasons a) it meant Arjun had even more freedom to run around b) he had a daily ritual of spending his evenings after dinner with them and would walk back in to our room once he’d finished playing c) it meant they were able to jump in and help us if needed. It also meant we had lots of laughs together.
Our rooms overlooked the sea and we woke daily to the view of soft waves. It was a lovely way to start each day. The beds are big and comfy. We didn’t end up requesting a cot as Arjun slept in the bed with us.
One down side compared to other hotels is that I had informed them we were travelling with a baby and would require a baby bath but we weren’t given that and to be honest I forgot as Arjun just ended up having a bath in the main bathtub.
The bathrooms are beautiful and really spacious. I especially liked be idea of open showers as it made the room look even bigger even though it often looked like a swimming pool once I was done showering! Ha!
I was really excited for breakfast and had really high hopes! I was a little disappointed by the breakfast buffet but that may be my own fault for not managing my expectations. I had assumed it would be similar to the Maldives – fresh jams and juices. There wasn’t any of that.
The jams were from a jar and fresh juices were not included as part of the buffet. That was a real shame. I haven’t been to a breakfast buffet in years where fresh fruit juices aren’t present – especially in a place like Bali where the fruit is so delicious and readily available.
Otherwise, the staff were very accommodating to vegetarians and would ask if we wanted anything especially made. We asked for paronteh one day and sautéed mushrooms daily as well as hash browns. They were very accommodating at all restaurants to dietary requirements which was great.
The spread of breakfast wasn’t as great as I’ve seen elsewhere but it was definitely sufficient. I’d still say hands down the most amazing breakfast for spread and taste was the Park Hyatt in Goa if you ever visit Goa!
I can’t commend the staff enough, they were all so super friendly and were so attentive to Arjun too. He had a daily catch up with his waitressing buddies each morning which involved running around like a lunatic with them playing chase!
The main swimming pool (of 5!) was absolutely breath taking! It’s made like a lagoon with lots of rock and cave like features. The pool was surrounded by large bushes and trees full of colourful flowers which would fall in to the pool (Arjun would take a bucket around collecting the flowers!). Arjun absolutely loved it as did we. This pool worked best for us as it offered lots of shade which was especially important for Arjun. Though the pictures are gorgeous, they still do it no justice!
There were also two water slides which the others had a blast on! Arjun could spend hours watching his daddy, Nana Ji and masis go down the slide and would clap enthusiastically when they made it down wth a big splash. He even went on it a couple of times with daddy and seemed pretty unphased! Though Preetam did ensure he kept Arjun above water when they landed.
I was surprised with how much time Arjun spent in the pool as on previous holidays he’s only spent an hour or two max in total daily so I only packed one pack of swim nappies this time assuming he’d do the same. I was so wrong! He spent up to five hours each day in the pool and didn’t even have his daily nap! He loved it so much. Not sure if it was the pool itself, the fact that we had company or just that he now likes water. Either way I was super happy! He definitely became a lot more confident as the days progressed but he still dislikes getting his face wet (just like mama!).
He enjoyed jumping in to his daddy’s arms from the side of the pool, pushing the swim float (rather than sitting in it?!) and doing the actions to “row row row your boat” while in the pool. We took a baby float with us and also some zoggs swim toys as well as his beloved turtle which he was given from the hotel in Dubai on his first holiday. We also ended up purchasing a sand bucket and spade for him while there.
Pre warning swim nappies are almost impossible to find local to this hotel. We were unsuccessful in our atrempts!
The resident huge lizard would sometimes jump in to the pool to cool off too. I thought he was super cute but not everyone shared the same sentiments!
There was also a toddler pool here which is covered by shade. Arjun spent lot of his time in this pool. I saw his confidence grow in this pool as by the end of the trip he’d run up to the fountain where the pool was at its deepest (up to his chest) and stand against the wall. He loved playing with his bucket and spade and collecting flowers from the pool. We did lots of counting too which he always finds hilarious for reasons unbeknown to me! There were no lifeguards at any of the swimming pools here which means you need to be extra vigilant.
Arjun spent a lot of his time wanting to climb the stairs and slopes at the hotel – sometimes very wet ones! He’d have a major tantrum if you refused. I don’t know how or where Preetam finds the patience but I wish I had some of it! I was exhausted after doing it once or twice. They must have burnt a hell of a lot of calories!
Preetams patience and understanding of Arjun is so admirable. It makes my heart melt seeing their bond. At times I find myself getting frustrated and wound up by Arjun’s behaviour.. In his 16 months of life I’ve never seen Preetam lose it with him. He’ll always try and understand why Arjun is behaving how he is as opposed to looking at the behaviour (you can see my post on toddlers and tantrums here). Arjun is super blessed to have such an understanding dada.
It was so nice going on holiday with my family. Especially as the twins have been there since he was very small. It was good for them and his Nana and Nani to spend quality time with him. It was their first holiday with him. He became inseparable from all of them the first day we got there. So much so that he wouldn’t even go to his own daddy! For those of you that know us know that he’s generally stuck to his daddy like glue so it was quite a surprise! But it meant daddy got to enjoy some me time on holiday too.
We really loved our first holiday with my family as we got lots of help. It meant Preetam and I got to relax too. A holiday with a child is so different – long gone are the days where you can snooze by the pool! Now it’s all about ensuring your mobile toddler doesn’t fall in! Arjun became even closer to my family while we were out there – he had a daily ritual of going in to the twins room after dinner and spending hours there playing and entertaining them. He’d ball his eyes out when we bought him back in to our room for bed time. He’s super lucky to have them! His vocab reduced considerably out there to just “Nana”! Even daddy became “Nana” lol. He definitely dotes on his granddad!
He loved splashing around the pool with his masis, reading with them, colouring in with them, dancing with them, chasing them amongst all the other craziness they got up to together!
There’s an on site doctor at the hotel who is on call 24/7 which was very very comforting. I was really nervous about travelling to Bali as I’d read about how it wasn’t easy to obtain medical help if required. The doctor is based on the hotel premises and they also have medication on site at the doctor pharmacy. There is also a hospital a two minute car journey away. Thankfully we didn’t need to use either.
The hotel staff are all so helpful and friendly. I don’t have enough kind words to thank them. They were so attentive to Arjun too – especially the staff at breakfast. They were really helpful in accommodating our request for late check out (5pm) as we had an evening flight.
Bali isn’t the most child friendly place in terms of facilities. We didn’t visit a single place (hotel included), where there were baby change facilities available so it was always a challenge when out and about!
Kid’s aren’t complementary at this hotel which can be painful given he barely ate so a lot of food went to waste. That’s one thing I love about the hotel we stay at in Dubai – kid’s go free. Arjun didn’t eat as much as I’d hoped while we were out there which was a shame. He’s lost his appetite since having chicken pox. In Bali he lived off breakfast muffins, fresh fruit juice, chips, broccoli, watermelon, peanut butter and Cheetos! Odd combination but hey as long as he ate!
The hotel resides on a beach and we spent a few late afternoons there building sand castles. Arjun popped in to the sea a couple of times with his daddy but we did end up spending most of our time by the pool. My dad definitely made the most of the beach!
Arjun had lots of fun building ships and sharks with his masis and daddy. He loves sand so this was like heaven for him!
Another amazing thing to see in Bali is the water blow. We were lucky to have one just by our hotel. It was absolutely breathtaking and so magical! A must see!
Here are a few other things we got to see while in Bali.
Pamper Pamper!
While in Bali, we wanted to make the most of pamper sessions given it’s so cheap. Here are some of the places we visited:
Grand Hyatt Hair Salon: I can be a diva at times (incase you hadn’t noticed), and take any given opportunity to have my hair washed and blow dryed while on holiday. I have super thick long hair, and finding a power shower strong enough while away can sometimes be a struggle. Also, who doesn’t like having their hair done for them?! I was so happy that the hotel had their in house salon! Their sink chairs are super comfy, you get your hair washed pretty much lying down! The staff are so lovely and super friendly – Kristy didn’t believe I was married let alone have a baby haha. It was really relaxing every time I went and they give the most amazing head massages. The in house hair salon was by no means cheap, it cost £27 for a hair wash and blow dry but I was pleased with the result each time.
Tropic Spa: Bali Collection also includes some great spas. We visited Tropic Spa twice for a back massage and once for a manicure and pedicure. I suffer from upper back pain and have had massages all over the world on our travels and I can safely say this is the best massage I’ve ever had in my life. I was massages by two different ladies and the technique and consistency was exactly the same. The massage cost $10 for 30 minutes. Absolute bargain!
The same can’t really be said about the manicure and pedicure – my sisters and mum and I went to the spa for a pamper session on our last day and although we had lots of fun and giggles with the lovely ladies, we all agreed we’ve had a lot better. There wasn’t any consistency between our treatments.
Nom nom!:
One of my favourite things about going on holiday is the food! I was a little bit disappointed with the food in Bali. I imagined the food to be flavoursome and bursting with natural tastes. There were a fed hidden gems:
Pasar Senggol: This Indonesian restaurant is based at the Grand Hyatt. It’s a buffet style outdoor restaurant with gorgeous views at dinner time. The atmosphere is buzzing and there’s a street food style feel. There’s Balinese cultural dance and evening entertainment each day – I loved it as did Arj! He even had a bit of a boogie to the music and made it on to stage with his crazy Harv Masi!
The restaurant manager was super accommodating, as were the staff, in providing us with vegetarian food. They made us fried rice, noodles and BBQ’d corn on the cob especially. The Thai style potato curry was delicious and the selection of crackers was immense. The selection of dessert is also great – lots of ice cream, cakes, fresh fruit (I recommend the mango!) and Balinese desserts.
We ended up visiting here twice during our stay as we really enjoyed the atmosphere.
Queens of India: We were recommended this Indian restaurant by the restaurant manager at the Grand Hyatt. The restaurant was located about a 5 minute car journey from our hotel in Nusa Dua. The food was absolutely delicious!
We’d highly recommend the masala dosa and paneer 65. They were really accommodating in modifying dishes for us – they created paneer 65 instead of potato 65, and also a paneer dosa instead of a potato one! We went back a second time and it was packed full of tourists, locals and a private function which is always a good sign!
Salsa Verde: This is another Grand Hyatt restaurant. I absolutely loved the gorgeous setting of this place, it provided lots of home inspiration for our kitchen and extension!
Again, they were extremely accommodating here. Vegetarian lasagane wasn’t on the menu, but they were happy to make us one from scratch. I’d also highly recommend the mushroom tart – it was delicious!
This was the only restaurant we visited in Bali that had crayons and mats for children to play with – it entertained Arjun for a while which was great!
Out & About:
Bali Collection: The hotel is situated right next door to Bali Collection which is a shopping complex with restaurants and spas. We were so super lucky to have this at our doorstep and visited at least every other day for a stroll and to stock up on fruit and snacks. We were also able to pretty much purchase anything and everything from here from sunscreen to baby swim toys to snacks to clothes! If you are staying at the Grand Hyatt, don’t become too hung up on forgetting bits and pieces at home. If I’d known I wouldn’t have packed so many nappies and wipes. I didn’t see baby milk but they also had jarred food which i’d packed from home.
The souvenir shop is also amazing – it’s huge and full of all sorts. Arjun had a great time charming all the lovely shop assistants at Bali Collection by waving, shaking hands and even blowing them kisses and one lucky lady got a kiss on her hand!
I love how friendly and welcoming the people of Bali are. They are especially crazy about children. As soon as a shop attendant would spot Arjun, they’d all start shrieking and ran over to him. He loved it! He was like a little celebrity there. He got stopped by the locals too who wanted pictures with him.
Arj really enjoyed running around the shops and exploring. He’d play with toys there but was happy to leave them behind. We purchased his sand bucket and spade from here. In hindsight, had I known, I could’ve also purchased his baby float from here.
Ubud Street Markets: Ubud was about an hour and fifteen minute journey away from Nusa Dua. It was quite tiring but I’m glad we did it for the experience. Preetam decided to stay behind with Arjun at the hotel to spend some time with Arjun. I’m so glad he did because it would have been a very unpleasant experience taking a baby there – a) because of the heat, b) because navigating a buggy in between the tiny stalls would have been such a mission. It definitely isn’t impossible, but I don’t think I would have wanted to put him through that.
At the market you find lots of wood crafts, jewellery, fabric and clothing garments such as harem pants. Haggle! Make sure you haggle! – even when you think you’re getting a good deal, the likelihood is you’re probably still getting slightly ripped off but it’s all good!
I found the currency super confusing in Bali. £50 equated to 1,000,000 Indonesian rupiah. You’re dealing with huge numbers which can get pretty messy – especially when at the markets!
Ubud Local Workshops: On our way to the markets, we visited a few local workshops which was a really nice experience. We visited a wood art workshop where statues from the smallest to the largest are carved to such great intricacy. I was fascinated by the craftsmanship. This was definitely my favourite workshop.
We also visited a jewellery workshop and saw how jewellery was made by hand including earrings and necklaces – again a great level of concentration is required.
And finally we visited a fabric printing workshop where fabrics are decorated through different techniques including woven and wax print.
Temples: On our way to Ubud, we stopped off at Batuan Temple. I’m so glad we did. As we entered we were offered a piece of fabric to wrap around our waists as a sign of respect. It was nice to get involved in the cultural side. The temples in Bali are bursting with amazing architecture and intricacy. We really enjoyed being at the temple and exploring the premises.
We presented our traditional Balinese offerings (including flower petals). The temple felt really peaceful and calm. I felt balanced and reenergised despite the heat – the same feeling I get when I visit the Gurdwara.
We decided to skip the Monkey Forest as I’d read really scary reviews and wasn’t prepared to risk it. If we didn’t have Arjun, I may have taken the risk but the last thing I wanted was to get a monkey bite while away!
Overall we had an amazing time in Bali and Arjun really enjoyed himself! I hope to return one day! We met some lovely people – both staff and other visitors which made our stay even more amazing!
I often post Arjun’s lunches on social media but realise that I haven’t really covered a lot of them here so thought I’d share our 5 favourite lunch ideas.
Given we are vegetarian, I’m always conscious of how much protein Arjun gets and I’m constantly thinking of ways to get protein in his diet. Some of those ideas are shared below.
For lunch we generally go for something bread based – be it a wrap, a bagel, pita, a Panini or your bog standard bread!
1. Humous, finely chopped spinach, diced red onion, crushed four bean and chive cottage cheese wrap
[served with Organix sweetcorn rings, steamed sweet potato and butternut squash cubes and cheddar cheese blocks]
2. Wholemeal bread or pita topped with tomato puree, spinach, sliced tomato and mozarella seasoned with basil, oregano and thyme
[served with avocado slices, Organix carrot puffs and chive cottage cheese]
3. Soft baguette with cheese, avocado and red onion seasoned with black pepper
[served with Organix tomato slices, homemade salsa and clementine segment]
4. Humous, cheese, Quorn Turkey and sage slices, cucumber and tomato sandwich
[served with Organix carrot sticks, a dinosaur cheddar cheese block and a clementine]
5. Sweet potato, butternut squash, cheese seasoned with black pepper wrap
You’ve come on holiday, away from home. Maybe it’s been a while and you’d forgotten that the meaning of a “holiday” with a child has changed. Maybe this is your first.
Maybe you were planning on relaxing without the irritating sound of the iPad blaring in the background. The noisy iPad that’s made you snap. It isn’t really about the iPad, I know. You’re fed up. You’ve probably had a long night, you’re little princess was probably fussy at breakfast, she’s probably refused to nap and is now over tired. I know you’re struggling to find the compassion for your daughter as she screams – because you’ve run out of patience. I know later on when she’s calmed down and flashing you smiles, you’ll probably be consumed by guilt with tears streaming down your pretty face. At that point you’ll remember that she’s just a little human who’s still learning to channel her emotions. Maybe we expect too much from our children and we forget that they’re still small.
I understand. I’ve been there and I’ll probably be there a hundred more times as will you. It’s ok. The other mummy’s here will probably have felt what you’re feeling but may just not be as vocal as you or me.
I can see your daughter getting louder and more upset as you show you’ve lost your patience but I can see right now you’re also beyond the point of caring. You’ve had enough. You just want five minutes to yourself. To be able to close your eyes and zone out in peace without the constant whinging (.. And sound of the iPad). Maybe you’re like me – I’ve always been a control freak and used to being able to follow a plan. It doesn’t always work our way with a child does it? They have a mind of their own and feelings and emotions of their own too.
It doesn’t make you a bad mum, it makes you human. Even the mamas with a constant smile on their face have their moments. We all do. Because we’re human.
Sending you a big warm hug. I hope you manage to get your five minutes (if not more) of peace and reflect on how blessed you are to have such a beautiful daughter. I hope that was only five minutes of your day and the rest was filled with happy fun filled memories with your little princess.
x
This recipe is one of my all time favourites because of its simplicity. It works on the flavours of its natural ingredients and isn’t doused in excessive herbs or spices. It’s also perfect for baby led weaning. Arjun absolutely loved these!
Time taken: 20 minutes
Makes: 12 mini pies
Ingredients:
A generous handful of spinach
5cm piece of leek
2 medium sized potatoes
40g cheddar cheese
2 mushrooms
2 small broccoli sprig
1/2 teaspoon butter
1/2 sheet of Jus Roll Puff Pastry
Method:
1. Pre heat the oven to 180c. Wash and cube the potatoes and boil with the butter for ten minutes or until soft.
2. Cube the mushrooms and chop the broccoli, spinach and leek in to fine piece. Once the potatoes are ready. Mix in with the potatoes and also mix in the cheese.
3. Roll out the pastry a little thinner and use a cookie cutter based on the size of your mini muffin tray to line the bases. If you are using a non silicone baking tray, then grease the baking tray beforehand.
4. Place a spoonful of filing in to each lined base.
5. Use a cookie cutter to cut a smaller circle for the lids of the pies and cover each mini pie. Using the back of a fork, seal the edges of each pie shut. Place a criss cross using the fork in each pie.
6. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown at 180c.
Serving suggestion: with mashed potato, peas, stuffing and gravy
Plate can be purchased Here (available in three different colours).
For more information about our vegetarian weaning journey, click here.
Disclaimer: as when trying any new foods with your baby that you may be unsure about, please check with your health visitor first.
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Hi, I’m Harps, an award winning blogger who shares my journey of motherhood after experiencing post natal depression and an unexpected diagnosis of Down’s syndrome. Readers have often coined my musings “relatable” and “warming”. I have gone on to turn my passion of connecting people into working with brands ranging from household names through to small businesses and sharing with my engaged audience.
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