Jules2squared

City dweller in pursuit of the good life. 

[jules2squared]

Raising our daughter in Cardiff, Wales.

It has to be said that we are spoilt for choice in this city when it comes to activities for little ones. Though there are plenty of indoor activity centres for gymnastics, soft play, story-time and music groups, my favourite activities always involve fresh air and being outdoors. Some of my favourite activities include;

A stroll around Roath lake (see images above)

Walnut tree farm park

St fagans national history museum

Cosmeston lakes

Forest Fawr sculpture trail near Castell Coch

Mountain view ranch, Caerphilly

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Ginger nut biscuits

Since having Jessica I am even more obsessed with nutrition and diet than before. I want Jessica to enjoy the good things in life, and that means enjoying sweet foods in moderation. However, I’d much rather she eats home-made sweets and treats instead of mass-produced things in packets. Now, I’m no kitchen goddess, in fact I barely bake at all. However, for those rainy days when you want a little treat for you and those little people in your life, Delia’s ginger nut biscuits are perfect! Her recipe is fool-proof and so easy I have already made two batches this week. The only tip I have, make sure you wash hands between mixing the dough and rolling the balls- this stops the balls sticking to hands and becoming a funny shape. Delicious, so much more so than anything you buy from the shop.

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Jessica’s bedroom

This room was at the top of our priority list as we feel no little girl should have to live with holes in her walls and smelly old wallpaper. Once the floor had been sanded, Julian replaced skirtings and the radiator. Then came the walls and ceiling. Wallpaper was stripped and the whole lot re-plastered to give a fresh, flat finish ready for some ultra matte Farrow and Ball paint in Dimpse- the same soft grey we chose for her room in the old house. With the addition of shutters this room is truly beautiful now and probably my favourite. Especially when the afternoon light shines in the window, dappling the walls.

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One of the first jobs was a full house re-wire. Not for the faint hearted. This involved knocking channels for cables in pretty much every room of the house. Julian decided to take on this task himself, to help reduce costs. After lifting carpets and moving rooms around the next logical step was to sand some of those beautiful floor boards to see what was beneath all the dirt. We were so pleased with the result and our bedroom and Jessica’s room were immediately warmer and cosier because of those sanded floors.

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After a 20 month hiatus to raise our daughter, Jessica, (pictured above) we have now moved to a more spacious home on the other side of Cardiff. Having purchased an Edwardian town house in the Penylan district, which we fell in love with at first sight, we have spent the last six months re-wiring, stripping floors and plastering, all with a small toddler in tow. What an adventure it’s been.

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Nest complete. From rainbow chaos to calm and serene in 1.5 years. Not bad. And 8 weeks before baby arrives :0)

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New kitchen- designed by us and hand crafted by my man. Lucky me! Getting the nest sorted before bubs arrives :0)

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Late summer flowers in our beautiful garden. Feeling spoilt.

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Farrow and Ball ‘French Gray’, actually quite green, but still beautiful and soft. Love this with the natural wood.

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Farrow and ball modern emulsion in ‘Stony Ground’. Love.

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New french chic window shutters in the bedroom. Farrow and Ball ‘vert de terre’ in the lounge/ dining room has brightened the room immensely and looks equally stunning in daylight and soft evening light. 

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Cottage in the city :0)

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Is there anything more stunning than a spring garden? Full of treats and surprises :0)

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There must be quite a few things that a hot bath won't cure, but I don't know many of them. Sylvia Plath.

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Loving my new bathroom/ spa room. Let the long baths commence...

[jules2squared]

I love Budapest! In need of a chilled weekend? Then Budapest is the perfect choice. A small and beautiful city with a mineral rich thermal spa on every corner. We both felt like new people after a day at the natural spa. Apparently those magical waters really do work wonders. The Bohem Art Hotel was also superb, would highly recommend.

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Spent the day digging over the veg patches and freshening the compost, as well as laying seeds. This will be the year we go home grown. Fingers crossed.