GIVEAWAY: felty goodness

So, earlier today I realised that my last post was my 350th. Wowza! To say thank you to all you lovely people who stop by this space and leave lovely comments, I thought I'd offer one of my colourful felt garlands as a little giveaway. These have seriously been flying off the shelves since I launched them in the shop, and they really do look awesome hanging on the wall. Just check out the one hanging in little Emma's nook (thank you for the lovely picture Carine!)


All you have to do to enter is...
^^ leave a comment below
^^ become a follower (if you're not already one)
^^ head over to Facebook and 'like' the Happy Circus page

I really do appreciate your support and thank you for taking the time to say hello round here. Every comment makes me a very happy blogger :)

Good luck to you all - the winner will be drawn next Monday xx

This giveaway is open to all our readers, near and far.

UPDATE: I AM VERY HAPPY TO ANNOUNCE THAT THE WINNER IS KAREN :) DROP ME AN EMAIL WITH YOUR ADDRESS LOVELY LADY AND A HAPPY CIRCUS GARLAND WILL BE HEADING YOUR WAY XX

GIVEAWAY: all about heidi

Way back when I had a big ol' belly, and didn't know if it was home to a boy or girl, I remember seeing this beautiful girl sporting some of the sweetest shoes I'd ever seen. I knew that if we were to have a girl, purchasing a pair would be a no-brainer.

When Phiney decided all she wanted to do was stand a few weeks ago, and it became clear that some little shoes to steady her wobbles were a good idea, I knew All About Heidi was the place to go. Soon after Josephine received a parcel from the ever so kind and lovely Manuka. One pair in cherry and one in olive, Phiney has been wearing these divine shoes every day since.

Crafted from one piece of the softest leather, these beautiful creations have been getting compliments wherever we go. Available in velcro, laces or mary-janes, the unique and adjustable flower petal design not only looks sweet but ensures a bespoke fit for every foot from 3 to 18 months. And don't get me started on the choice of colours. Honey, olive, cherry, plum and blueberry are all delicious, while gold and silver offer something extra special. There are even organic vegetable dyed leathers available in sumptious pumpkin and apple. Your head will be spinning trying to decide which to order.

Not only did Manuka send these lovely treats for Josephine, but she's also offering one lucky reader the chance to own a pair. That's right, you can get your hands on some of these beautiful shoes for your little one. Just head to All About Heidi on Facebook and like their page, then head back here, become a follower (if you're not already) and let me know the colour, style and size you'd like to win.

I'll draw the winner next Thursday at 8pm and the competition is open to all readers wherever you are in the world, so get entering! And thank you again lovely Manuka xx

UPDATE: The winner is the lovely Ashley. Congratulations lady :) Email me your address and I'll forward the details on to the girls at All About Heidi. Thanks for entering everyone.

*GIVEAWAY*

I've said before how much Ben and I love and cherish our photographs. Our walls are plastered with them and I always have a 'to be printed' folder on our desktop. As you can imagine, since the arrival of a certain little bird the number of pictures in this folder has increased dramatically and is added to almost every day. My 32GB memory card is actually full right now. How is that possible?!

But you know what, we don't actually have any pictures up in our home of our darling Phiney yet. Uploading 100's of pictures to a photo printing website simply takes too long, and how on earth are we meant to choose which to frame? I have a feeling that after our session with this pretty lady next weekend that will be a question even harder to answer.

Recently I was contacted by a great company called Hello Canvas. The largest photo on canvas website in the UK, Hello Canvas prides itself on beautifully reproducing your favourite pictures and most cherished memories to the highest quality and for really great prices. We know, they sent us this amazing canvas to hang in our home and it's really lovely. Printed using the latest techniques, on 100% cotton and bound round a sturdy, 1.2 inch deep wooden frame each canvas is carefully sent in a custom-made packing box to protect your purchase. The lovely team is always there to help if you have any questions and we couldn't fault the excellent service we received.

Of course, I'd hate for you lovely people to miss out on all this photo-goodness so not only are Hello Canvas offering everyone a very lovely 10% off every purchase using the discount code 'firstdayofmarriage', but they're also giving one lucky reader the opportunity to win a fantastic 20x28 inch canvas print worth nearly £40. This is a giveaway open to international readers too, so if you've got a photograph that's screaming to get up on your wall get entering!

All you need to do is become a follower of the blog, if you're not already, and leave a comment below. If you're the lucky winner just email me a high res JPEG of the picture you'd love printed and I'll forward it to the team at Hello Canvas. Then quick as a jiffy you'll get your print in the post. Simple.

Good luck and I'll be announcing the winner next Wednesday, the 18th July.

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Josephine's first real meal this lunchtime - left overs from our dinner last night (minus the pork) with mashed new potatoes then her first slice of apple for pudding. She loved it all, as you can tell. But boy oh boy this baby led weaning malarky is a messy business. The high chair is on order. Time for some more civil eating at the table me thinks.

Apart from lots of fun with food, is been a quiet old week round these parts, with matching Mama and daughter tooth ache. Phiney's tooth is coming through more everyday and is quite the weapon when she shoves your fingers into her mouth to chew on (ouch!), while mine resulted in a trip to the dentist and the discovery of an infection in one of my wisdom teeth.

Still, the antibiotics have kicked in and Josephine is coping admirably with the pain - although the total disregard for anything resembling a daytime nap is making any kind of housework or blogging nye on impossible. I'm following Em's lead on the housework front though - nothing is nicer for those with toothache than cuddling on the sofa and I'm more than happy to choose snuggles over dusting.

So, the news I'm sure you've all been waiting for, the winners of our giveaways. Drumroll please...

The winner of the Happy Circus giveaway is Lou from Little Green Shed
The winner of the Papier Mache magazine is Jude from Little Sleep

Congratulations to the both of you! If you can let me know you addresses I'll get the magazine out asap Jude and start knitting up your order Lou. And also another thank you to Lindsey from Lazer Baby Vintage for her very generous discount...I'm sure there's been a few people taking advantage of that one!  

Thank you to everyone for entering...I have some more seriously seriously good giveaways coming up over the next couple of weeks so stay tuned for those x

photos taken on my iPhone

*GIVEAWAYS*

This is my 250th post and I can't believe it. So much in our lives has changed since I started writing for this little space and it's so lovely to have a diary of the amazing adventures Ben and I have been on over the last two years. Almost two years exactly, in fact. I just realised that next week it's the second anniversary of On The First Day Of Marriage too. Happy Birthday to you blog, old friend!

More than anything, I'm so grateful for the beautiful friends I've made through this awesome community. Across the seas I've found people to rely on for great advice and plenty of laughs, as well as the chance to catch a glimpse into the lives of some very lovely people.

So to say thank you to all my lovely readers, new and old, I've got a couple of little giveaways and awesome discount codes for you to enjoy.

First, a brilliant discount offer from Lazer Baby Vintage. I found this little store thanks to this lady and her tip to purchase Josephine that simply amazing blue and white striped romper up there (which obviously I did!) along with some cute little bloomers and a floral denim dress and beautiful white embroidered dress for Phiney to grow in to. Owner Lindsey has stocked the shop to the rafters recently and there are some really great pieces on offer. I'm talking coolness like this, this, these and most definitely these. And as a special treat to all you lovely people, Lindsey's offering a very generous 20% discount for the next two weeks. Just enter the code FIRSTDAY when you get to the checkout to claim yours. You won't be disappointed!

Next up is a chance to win a copy of the very cool Papier Mache magazine. Through a chain of rather uninteresting events I ended up with two copies of the latest issue and so I thought I'd pass the spare on to a worthy winner. Packed with pretty pictures, lovely stories and plenty of wish lists that will send you into a shopping frenzy, it's a great read. If you'd like to be in with a chance to to win just become a follower of the blog and leave a comment below.

Finally, I couldn't miss the opportunity to offer some Happy Circus goodness to you all. And this time it's a double whammy. Firstly we're giving you the chance to win a piece of clothing from the shop, in the size and colour of your wish. Choose from this, this, this, these and these. All amazing pieces for any baby's wardrobe, believe me. Phiney has one of each (if not more) and rocks them all. You can see Josephine wearing her brown version of the dungarees here and her patterned cardigan here.

All you need to do is become a follower of the blog then leave a comment (separate to the one for the Papier Mache giveaway if you're entering both) letting me know which item you'd like and in what colour and size.

We're also offering a very lovely 20% discount off all Happy Circus items for the next two weeks. Again, just enter the code FIRSTDAY at the checkout.

Both competitions close on Sunday 24th June and the winners will be announced the following day. The discount offers also end on Sunday 24th June at 12pm. The offers and giveaways are open to all readers.

Once again, thank you so much for all your support over the last two years. We can't wait to share the journey we'll be on over the next two.

Much love,
Ben, Nell and Josephine xx

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Sitting on the sofa, knit knit knitting away at the baby’s first blanket, wearing new PJ bottoms from the ever reliable M&S. One pair of my slouchy pants had become not so slouchy round the belly so purchasing some new ones was a must. And can I just say how I’m loving buying clothes in a bigger size and not having a freak out about it. Instead, I’m totally embracing it. So my belly needs more room, who cares? B certainly doesn’t. His current favourite pastime? Listening in to see if he can hear what’s happening in this ever expanding tummy of mine and whispering a cheeky hello. We’re hoping for signs of a response sometime soon.

These are some of the bits I've made for bub over the last few weeks. I'd quite like some of the orange boots in my size actually...

ps. Check out the Happy Circus giveaway on Em's fab blog The Beetle Shack for your chance to win some knitted treats of your own.

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It’s been lovely to hear what Happy Circus treats are your favourite over the last few days, so thank you all for entering this little giveaway.

I roped in B to pick a winner and I’m very happy indeed to announce that LaFranglaise and her gorgeous little one Liam are the new owners of a pompom garland. Perfect for any nursery. Pop me an email with your address and I’ll get making those pompoms tomorrow!

Hope you’re all having a lovely week x

GIVEAWAY

This week I am so pleased it’s Friday. I mean, I’m always pleased it’s Friday, of course, but this week more than usual. I spent last weekend in Cardiff on my gorgeous friend Nicki’s hen weekend and then yesterday was ill, so I’m feeling pretty exhausted. Still I’m mostly back in the land of the living today and am ready for a weekend packed with knitting, trips away, train rides, curries, seeing family and our nephew Austin’s christening. Busy, fun times ahead.

The week has been awesome in one respect though – I’ve had 3 more Happy Circus orders from around the world. I’m feeling really hyped about the possibilities of this little business (especially after this post – thank you Kerry!) and so wanted to share the excitement. That’s right lovely bloggers, today I’m launching my first ever giveaway.

One lucky reader will win a Happy Circus product of their choice, just visit the shop and let me know what you’re favourite item is by leaving a comment below. Then I’ll pick a winner on Wednesday.

Good Luck!

GIVEAWAY NOW CLOSED - THANKS FOR ENTERING x