What the Kids are Wearing - Reima Sneakers

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All 4 children ended up going back to their schools for some time at the end of term.  Dylan had 4 weeks of full time, Finn 3 weeks of part time, Archie got 4 days and Cora had 6 hours a week for a few weeks.  It has been difficult but they were all desperate to go back and it did them good.  Today is the last day of term though and the summer holidays is officially beginning for us.

After a strange few months, I think this summer is going to be quite different for us too as many of the things we usually do, like festivals are unable to open this year and we don't have many travel plans but we are looking forward to spending lots of time outdoors and getting as much 'normality' as we can whilst the sun is shining.  Some things have changed temporarily over this lockdown period and some things permanently. I hope that we continue to make the most of the beautiful area we live in and explore it further.

Reima let the children all pick some new trainers and it was no surprise to me when two of them went for pink.  For these mini explorers shoes need to be above all else practical, suitable for climbing and running and they don't want anything 'boring'.  I love the fact the same style crosses sizes so they all have matchy shoes, but the boys all have elastic laces and Cora has velcro.  The velcro sizes go from a  UK 6 to a UK 11 and the elastic sizes from a UK 11 to a UK 6.  As Dylan's feet grow at an astonishing rate it is nice to have easy shoes that fit him whilst most shops have moved on to a grown up style and real laces.  We also love that they are all machine washable!

I took a few photos of the children playing in their favourite place the other day, we met a friend there and the little ones loved borrowing her dog and taking him for walks.  (It is still a firm no to having our own though).  If you want to check out the Reima Sneakers then click through here

Now to look forward to an extra six weeks with these special little people of mine!

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An Evening at the Beach

The sun has been shining and our little corner of the world is surrounded by beaches so we are usually able to find a quiet one.  We decided to head there on the afternoon of the Summer Solstice and celebrated the longest day of the year with a BBQ on the beach and a swim in the sea.  The children all chose some new sun wear  which was gifted from Reima and it was one of the best evenings we have had in a long time.

It was 9pm before I could peel them away from the water.  The beach had lost its appeal a bit in the past but I think the lockdown and the closing of a lot of places has made us all appreciate the nature around us a bit more.  I have seen people get more involved in their local forests, discover new fields and footpaths and get to know their areas more.  For us we have tried different beaches to normal to avoid any crowds and the children have rediscovered the love of the sand and the sea.  They have been much more confident in the water than before and I love watching their imaginations as they play in the sand.

Archie managed to find a dead fish which provided a lot of entertainment and discussion (basically a science lesson?) and they were all fascinated to prod and poke it and ask about how it had washed up here.  Finn and Cora loved climbing all over the rocks and Dylan wanted to be in the water all day and refused to take his shoes off.

The Reima swimwear is all UPF 50+ protected and I like the long sleeves option to know the boys are more protected.  All 4 children chose their own and Finn was so excited to see his pink top when it arrived.  Dylan is easy to spot in his bright orange and I love how you can see their personalities through their choices!

For my family, this is what this section of lockdown is all about.  Spending time together, enjoying each other, staying outdoors and in our own space but having the freedom to be here.  I have got into better habits of bringing all our own drinks and snacks after everything shut and it means we are spending less and have more freedom on where we go (the main sands have ice cream huts and chips etc but this beach doesn't have any food or drink ammenities).  I hope that when the children and I look back on this time, these are the memories that last.

Reima swimwear is available on their website and the sizing is best to base on their heights rather than ages.  (All the children are wearing the correct sizes for their height bracket but only two are in the correct age)

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Dressing Children for a Ski Holiday with Reima

We all know children don't like being too cold and so when we prepare for a ski holiday with them, the important thing is making sure they have everything they need to keep them warm and dry.  We have worked with Reima again this year who make clothing suitable for Finnish winters which are pretty snowy and found that the children are always so comfortable and prepared for spending all day in the snow.

The children's skiwear was all supplied by Reima

Dressing a child for a snow holiday starts with a base layer.  Underneath everything you see, they need thermals and Reima sent us a set for each of the small people.  I usually pack 2 or 3 sets of clothes for mine for when they do indoor evening clubs but other than that they live in the thermals for the week.  They wear them all day, and then chill out in them like they might pyjamas when we are in our apartment.  These ones are soft and warm and the children never wanted to take them off.

Next up is a midlayer.  I found that my bigger boys were warm enough without one most of the week but the younger two were more keen to wear them.  These are a thin-ish fleece layer that is designed to keep the heat in and the boys all had fleeces whilst Cora had an all in one version.  All in ones are ideal for younger children who are not as active in their ski lessons and she was so warm in it!  The weather can be unpredictable up on a mountain so it is best to come prepared for the coldest weather (especially with children) and enjoy it if you don't need everything. I couldn't find many photos of the midlayers but you can see it on Cora here under her coat.

Ski Socks are important to keep little feet warm and again, can usually be worn all week.  We took ours off in the evenings and hung them up to air out.  Nice soft, thick ones are important for children in ski boots and you should always take along the socks you intend to wear skiing when you try on boots to buy or hire.

And finally, outerwear.  What I love about ski resorts is that nothing is too bright.  Even adults are dressed in all the colours and it helps a lot when you are trying to spot someone across a sheet of white!  I let my children pick their own outerwear from the Reima website and I love every part of it.

Dylan is 8 years old but tall and he went for an all in one.  These aren't that common in bigger sizes but he is wearing an age 10 and it was fantastic (Reima stock them up to age 14).  It means no snow can get up his back and he can get dressed easily.  It has a pocket in his arm for his lift pass (absolutely necessary in all skiwear) and pockets on his legs for snacks.  He loved it and has declared he will only be choosing all in ones from now onwards!

The other three chose bright salopettes which come with removable braces and all have adjustable waists.  They come up nice and high so you never get a chilly tummy! Their coats all had snow skirts, which is the fitted band underneath that stops any snow coming up your coat if you fall, and they all had multiple pockets.  I love the bright colours and designs and how well this range mixes and matches.  Everything was incredibly warm and waterproof!

We can't forget the accessories.  For a ski holiday they need good quality hats and gloves.  We always take two pairs of gloves in case one gets soaked through (there is nothing worse than cold hands!) 

Preparing for a first ski holiday with children can be daunting but it is one of our favourite family trips and all four children love being out on the mountains.  They never complain of being cold or wet (and they are more than capable of this at home) and I put this down to being prepared with the right gear for them.  You can check out their ski collection which is from baby to 14 years here and I would advise to never size up on the salopettes as we find them generous (you can see Cora's are rolled up in some pictures), and to measure your child's height to find the best fit rather than going on their ages.

As a guide, Dylan (8) is 142cm wearing size 140

Archie (6) is 127cm wearing size 128

Finn (4) is 112cm wearing size 116

Cora (3) is 93cm wearing size 98

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The Ordinary Moments - At the Park

I have fallen behind a bit in documenting our lives on here, sharing the photos I take and those moments I want to look back on.  Instagram is so easy to use but one picture never seems enough and I love taking my camera out and taking some proper photographs.  I want to start sharing a post each week (possibly each fortnight) with more photos, more ordinary moments again. 

This series is from a Sunday walk to the park after a lazy morning watching TV and snuggling under blankets.  These two needed a walk and were desperate to test out their new (gifted) Reima boots which are both waterproof and machine washable (a very good thing as these are messy children!).  They insisted they didn't need proper coats and they wanted to match again (both are wearing all Little Green Radicals clothing, some gifted, some bought), their favourite thing at the moment.  We live so close to the park that it is easy to pop over to and it really helps wake me up when I am feeling lazy and wears them out.  The wooden obstacle course has finally been reopened after a few weeks being out of action and they are both getting so confident hopping along the stepping stones and walking along the balance beams.  

The sun was getting low in the sky even though it wasn't even 3pm when we arrived and the sun shone through the park keeping us a bit warmer.  The park was empty most of the time we were in there, other children probably doing nice warm festive things but for us it felt the perfect balance to the indoor activities and Christmas fun.  We had already opened advent calenders and written cards that morning and now they needed to run off some of the energy. The day felt much more balanced and there were lots of giggles.

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