Back from the sizzling South yesterday its pretty warm here too but there is a lovely breeze. Shula has been cooling off in the river in between chasing her ball around the garden and getting all hot and bothered. I have posted some parcels and caught up with my post so feeling quite virtuous. Also made bread rolls for lunch and 6lb of marmalade. I am just about to order a whole load of baby gowns so hopefully they will be in the shop by next week.

This hot weather has got me thinking about sunburn which is unpleasant for adults and even worse for children.  Because a babies skin is up to 5 times  thinner than an adults and not fully developed it is important not to let them burn. Best of all is to cover up with comfortable loose fitting clothing and a wide brimmed hat. Bamboo and hemp are naturally UVA resistant fabricsand you can find bamboo tops, dresses and sunshirts within the

A beautiful sunny day and we are off to a barbecue so fingers crossed that it stays that way. Looking out at our garden which is somewhat wild in places reminded me about an article that I read recently about manicured lawns versus green meadows. We are lucky in as much as we don't have neighbours to worry if some of our grass gets a bit overgrown but if you looked out of your window onto next doors wilderness you might find it a bit annoying.

From an environmental viewpoint a meadow is probably better than a manicured lawn which is trimmed to within an inch of its life and treated with all sorts of chemicals to prevent moss and weeds. But there is no doubt that in its formative stage a meadow does look a bit scruffy. We have a small patch which is cut regularly but along the river there are lots of rocks and the ground is very uneven so it tends to get left.

I would like to establish a wild garden there but we seem to grow a plentiful supply of&nb ...

I have been thinking about baby skincare products and reading some blogs on the subject. I often meet Mums that are interested in organic baby clothes because their babies suffer from eczema and the cotton has been produced without pesticides and so on.. I found the following information which I felt was very interesting - A recent report in Clinical Paediatrics reveals that more than 75 percent of newborns suffer rashes within the first few months of birth, and researchers suspect that contributing factors include the very products that promise to soften, clean, and moisturize children's skin. As they note in their research, "Newborn skin is relatively more permeable to topically applied agents than adult skin. Therefore, the risk of systemic toxicity is must greater in newborns."

What's more, say these researchers from the Department of Paediatrics at Loyola University in Chicago, "The safety and efficacy of over-the-counter skincare products ar ...

It's a hot and sunny day here today and I have just got back from a 'Toddle Safely' show which was a great success. I was thinking about safety in the sun which seemed very appropriate for today and was promoting bamboo sun shirts which were very well received. One lady I spoke to was off to Cyprus so she felt that a sun shirt would be perfect. I have the sun shirts in pink and green and they are really soft and silky easy to wear and perfect for hot days on the beach.Very cool and comfortable. We have now sold out of baby sunhats but have a few Lion hats left which are lovely for older tots because they fit really snugg ...

Just back from walking the dogs its a lovely blustery day here the sort of day that the midges hate! I have been having a fairly laid back sort of day put a couple of new items into the shop this morning and packed a parcel up.

Anyway here are the latest additions. Mobiles, they are Fairtrade from Lanka Kade and made from MDF board I have a Farm mobile which is bright and coulourful for babies and small children, and a Butterfly mobile which is very pretty and would enhance a little girls bedroom or playroom. I should point out that they are not toys and should be out of reach of very small children.

Another day of sunshine and showers here my umbrella blew inside out one minute and we had hail and then blue sky and sun. Its all very confusing! I have received my latest order of Fairtrade toys today and am really pleased with them. I have mostly been selling them at local shows but I have some new mobiles to put on the website and lots more puzzles so watch this space you will be the first to know.

I am proud to be working with Lanka Kade whose fair trade policy is to ensure that a full and fair price is paid to workers in Sri Lanka and that money owing is paid promptly. Many of the products are made of rubberwood from exhausted plantations that are replanted. All the packaging is PVC free and recycled products are used for packing materials together with cartons that are already recycled. so over the coming months I shall be increasing my order. Its very early but dare I say it? they have some small items that would make great stocking fillers I expect many of you will rememb ...

Phew! Its hot here feels quite stormy. When I was out with the dogs this morning I was thinking back to my youth (A long time ago I know). When it was sunny I used to love it if there was no wind and really hot. How times change not only is it against health advice to take too much sun these days there is also the small matter of the dreaded midges which appear everytime the air is still so I am always keen for the wind to be around. Believe me there is nothing worse than being caught in a sudden lull miles from anywhere you get eaten alive! Just been down to collect the eggs the hens are in full lay now, I had to smile at Rigsby who was crowing so much I'm sure he had a sore throat he was also doing a little display dance around the girls who needless to say did not look very impressed. Thats men for you!

I have been scouring the internet looking for interesting items to bring you and I found this recipe for shampoo which looked interesting apparently you can ring the changes and ...

I have been baking today we have a quiz tomorrow in aid of Macmillan and there is always a tea halfway through so I have made some ginger and cashew nut squares. I also have a fruit cake in the oven to put into the freezer. Considering there is only the two of us these days I seem to spend an inordinate amount of time baking it comes with having a thin husband that eats a lot! I thought you might like the recipe for the ginger and cashew squares they are wicked but absolutely yummy.

125g Butter

55g or 1/4 cup caster sugar

150g or 1 cup Self Raising Flour

1 tsp ground ginger

Topping

1/2 cup or 80 g icing sugar

2 tablespoons golden syrup

60g butter

150g or 1 cup roasted cashew nuts ( just pop them into the oven for a few minutes while the base is cooking)

50g ...

I have been labouring in the garden this afternoon trying to get on top of the weeding it seems like a hopeless task. Trouble is I am not a methodical gardener who just works along a row I keep flipping about wherever I see a weed and the overall effect is not spectacular to say the least! I have really tried to discipline myself to working to a set order but I just can't do it and soon find myself wandering off in another direction. Perhaps I should ask someone to tether me to the spot until its done! I've also cleaned out the chicken shed and given them all the weeds that I have dug up which they love to pick over. They have started laying at last gorgeous dark brown eggs very small at the moment but they will get bigger over the coming weeks. Anyway time to come back indoors now the wind has dropped and the midges are coming out to play.

I have been reading a very interesting blog by Hilary Stamper about breast feeding, we all know its best for baby but some people still seem t ...

We are having some very tempermental weather here at the moment cold and wet one minute and sunny the next its difficult to keep up with what to wear. I read in the paper last week that in the heatwave a couple of weeks ago the hottest place in the United Kingdom was here at Loch Shin which was a bit of a surprise. I'm not sure if its the current financial situation but we certainly seem to have lots of tourists about up here at the moment all the B&B's a reporting full houses. I hope they are not too disappointed with the weather! I have been asked to loads of shows and gala's this year so I am really engaged in getting the name of Sones out there. My fingers are crossed that the summer will return soon.

One of the shows that I have been asked to go to is about safety issues for children and I am thinking about protecting children from too much sun so I shall be taking my SPF 50 Bamboo