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This July weather is a bit of a non-starter. “It just doesn’t know what it wants to do!” sounds the familiar lament at the school gates and supermarket checkout. Personally, I have just resolved to having all manner of coats - and suncream - at the ready should it decide to ‘turn’ without warning, like some crazy dictator.   It is supposed to be summer and on some days it certainly feels like it is. On most days it doesn't but never mind about that. I want to talk gorgeous, warm and delightfully dry weather, when the children can get outside and enjoy some real playtime.   I don’t ..

I know, the holidays have barely begun so steel yourselves for what I am about to say (as I adopt the brace position)...it’s almost time to start thinking about going back to school!   You might think I’m mad to be talking of such things at this juncture, but as you probably have lists upon lists of things to purchase before then, why not start ticking them off now and enjoy the rest of the break with peace of mind?   To soften the blow of mentioning the unmentionable, we are offering £50 John Lewis vouchers with every order over £1000 using the code JL50. The offer starts this wee..

  Well here it is at last, our brand new website! We really hope you love it as much as we do, not least the gorgeous photography and fabulous layout which are sure to catch your eye.   But there’s something else that might pique your interest - the link to our sister company, Lucy Willow. You see, it isn’t just children who need luxury furniture, grown ups have been known to have a preference for it too.     So as the business strides out to pastures new, it’s the start of a new chapter here at Little Lucy Willow - and not just in the office.   You see - and I ca..

The month of July has now begun and the summer holidays are almost within reach! With this in mind, also looming is the age old dilemma of what to buy for the teacher…   Before I became a school mum, in those heady days when I was young, free, childless and single, I recall having the same discussion with my sister when her daughter was in reception.   It was Christmas time and she was ‘umming’ and ‘ahhing’ over a candle or a bottle of fizz. (I know, the good old days of simple pressies eh?) I think she opted for the candle in the end, but no thanks to me. I was too busy rantin..

When the sun comes out you want to be outside with it. The trouble is, more often than not, there are other things to do...work? washing up? the dreaded ironing perhaps?   If you’re anything like me, when there are jobs to be done you can’t just sit around and be all ‘chillaxed’ (as they say...). You want to enjoy the nice weather, but you just have to do those jobs. Otherwise you’ll be lying on your lounger, tapping your fingers, ‘casually’ humming and mentally planning how you are going to attack said jobs once the sun has gone in (deep breath) therefore willing the sun to go in so yo..

The sun is finally shining (albeit intermittently!), the flowers are blooming and the end of term is well within sight.   So now is the time to make sure your bedrooms are ready for the sunshine too.   Try bunting for the fun factor, mirrors to reflect the glorious light and and bright, white bedding to set the summer scene. Here at Little Lucy Willow we have all of the above to make your child’s bedroom the perfect sunny sanctuary.   Our gorgeous organic duvet sets, for girls and boys alike, are a great compliment to the season, featuring everything from stars to owl..

Father’s day. The day when dads get beer, socks and comedy underpants then spark up the barbie for a feast. I don’t really know why we choose to stereotype dads so much in this, the age of equality. Luckily they never complain and just get on with it. Laden with useless gadgets and a wacky tie, they simply suck it up and smile. Can you imagine us being so gallant? We can barely hide our menacing grins when those garage-bought chrysanthemums rear their ugly heads (yet again). Have you looked at what the shops have on offer for Father’s Day? Gadgets, alcohol, underwear and sport just a..

Insomnia is a terrible thing. Extremely frustrating, exceptionally boring and utterly soul destroying. If you’re anything like me, it always throws up the same three possibilities. A little walk around the house. You read somewhere this will make you sleepy again, until you realise your mind is alert but your body is like a dead weight and couldn’t carry you to the kitchen if there was a freshly baked batch of chocolate muffins screaming to be scoffed. Finishing that chapter you started at bedtime but then realising that not only will you disturb the person lying next to you (who is cu..

At Little Lucy Willow, change is afoot. Over the past few months we have been working hard on our brand new website to make sure your shopping experience is a pleasurable one. All will be revealed very soon but in the mean time, I thought I would remind you what Little Lucy Willow is all about. Our website might be changing but our core values remain the same… Superior quality First and foremost, cheaper is most definitely not better and while everyone will tell you they ‘won’t be beaten on price’ we know that ‘we won’t be beaten on quality’. And that is a fact. We make our childre..

I for one did NOT want to get up this morning. And it was nothing to do with that soiree I attended last night. Honestly. What is it about ice cold white wine on a warm spring evening…?   But you know, not wanting to get out of bed is a year-round thing I suppose, the kind that comes with the territory when you’ve got a wonderfully comfortable mattress too. As one of life’s luxuries, it’s a haven of calm and relaxation, but it’s also a necessity for the growing spines of our children.   If children don’t have adequate back support during their early years, it can result in ache..

As we are now in the thick of exam season spare a thought for all those teenagers thrust into the midst of a stressful few weeks – and spare a thought for their worried parents too. I remember it well, the late night cramming, followed by a fitful sleep, followed by very little breakfast followed by a sweat-inducing, head-exploding exam! It isn’t pleasant so whatever us parents can do to help must be done. We might not be able to write their essays for them, but we can help our teens get more sleep, which in turn will help them put in a better performance on the day. Not to men..

As parents, we all want our children to have a decent, uninterrupted night’s sleep. It is drummed into us that such a thing is vital to their well being and we tell as much to our little ones. However, I fear our reasons for packing the little monkeys off to bed before we’ve even cleared away their dinner plates is hardly a selfless act now is it? I certainly wasn’t rattling through the multitude of sleep benefits as I was ushering Martha up the apples and pears last night. I was more concerned about missing Corrie.  I could hear the credits rolling as I was cutting my daily deal w..

In the movie of your life, who would you like to play you? I would like Jennifer Lawrence to play me as she is about my age and I love all the films she has been in. She is also a good role model to younger girls. I wouldn’t mind looking like her either!   Which song gets you dancing? At the moment it’s got to be Uptown Funk by Mark Ronson ft Bruno Mars. But the Spice Girls never fail to get me dancing. They remind me of when I was younger and used my bed as a stage to pretend I was Baby Spice.   What’s the best decision you ever made? This is a hard one as I hav..

In the movie of your life, who would you like to play you? I would like Renee Zellweger in the character of Bridget Jones to play the story of my life. I have had so many ‘Bridget Jones moments’ and can relate to the character completely.   Which song gets you dancing? It would have to be Tina Turner’s Shake Your Tail Feather, I just can’t stop myself..to the embarrassment of the children! Also lately I can do a mean dance to Uptown Funk, but I am under strict instructions NOT to dance when my daughters’ friends are around!   Whats the best decision you ever made? To..