THE PEOPLE’S PONCHOS

Mum’s know rain, right? (A bit like we know traffic lights – or the routes to avoid them.) Because if it’s motion we need to rock our babies to sleep, then it’s motion we’re gonna get. And no badly-timed red light, or April shower is going to get in our way.

Problem is, we’re right at the bottom of the pecking order when it comes to keeping dry. The baby is fine, comfortably kicking back under a rain cover. Us? Steering a buggy with one hand, and an umbrella (let alone a phone, coffee, tantruming toddler’s hand) in the other? Not. Going. To. Happen.

Luckily Pops and I were recently sent two rather cool (bare with us) ponchos to road test. We know, even the word is slightly ridiculous. Cue thoughts of waiting to board the Log Flume at Alton Towers with soggy feet and rainwater running off your nose. They’re a needs-must purchase, normally.

But the People’s Poncho are surprisingly alright; Practical, smart, AND packing a lil’ street cred. They’re simple, well-made, with cute capped hoods, and in a range of great colours. We went C.R.A.Z.Y and opted for the black and navy, obviously…

They have useful hand straps to keep the poncho in one place when you’re busy pounding the pavements (in a totally legit, non-sexual sense) and they fold down into a little pouch – ideal for popping in the change bag or buggy basket.

They’re the modern day equivalent of the fold-up shoe (are they still a thing?) but with loads more curb appeal.

Of course the window Pops and I put aside to review these bad boys was gloriously sunny. But being the ever practical, out-of-the-box thinkers we are – we knew just what to do.

Whilst Frank and Artie looked on in minor confusion, we questioned some of our life choices, and hosed ourselves down in the street. The footwear took a right old battering, but the ponchos more than held their nerve.

I guess a perk of doing this motherhood malarkey second time round is that we’re constantly learning from our previous mat-leave woes. And whilst we’re not praying for rain anytime soon, we’re hoping to style out the ‘sudden downpour’ a whole lot better this time around.

Lauren & Poppy x

SO ME

Having a baby is a full body helter skelter experience. Hormones are thrown left, right and centre affecting everything; skin, hair, nails, muscles, bones, the ability to do spontaneous star jumps etc etc. And then, once the little one arrives, your body undergoes the task of getting back to (relative) normality.

But, as wonderful as our bodies are at doing this, they sometimes need a little helping hand. And after making our second set of babies, that's just what Lauren and I felt we needed. So off we popped to So Me Beauty & Wellness in Clapham Junction to try out a treatment each. A facial for Lauren and a Swedish massage for me.

Carrying the big chunk of love that is my son (during and post pregnancy) had left my back feeling like it was being held together with a load of tight, tangled string. Plus, the past couple of weeks had been one of those never-ending-to-do-list-moving-goal-posts-adult-decision type of times. So when the therapist asked if I was ready for my hour-long full body massage, I looked down at the coffee spill on my top and let out quite a high pitched, desperate “Yes!”. No shame.

The Swedish massage was lovely. Just the right kind of firmness to get rid of the tension and toxins but relaxing enough to fall into that amazing blissed out dozy state. Am I asleep or awake? Did I just snore? Truth is I didn't care because IT. WAS. BLISS.

Even though we do do most things together (work, eat, wee, have babies…), Lauren and I were in separate rooms for our treatments so here’s Lauren’s account of hers:

Having recently stopped breastfeeding, I suddenly found my hormones playing havoc with my skin. So I opted for a facial. Having not had a facial, in like, forever(!) a Mircrodermabrasion facial with Oxygen was the absolute dream.

I’m not even going to pretend to list off all the marvellous benefits my lovely therapist talked me through, because in all honesty she lost me at, ‘Your treatment is going to take 1 hour and 15 minutes…’ I was in heaven already.

Surrounded by calming candlelight, my facial began with what I can only describe as a tiny hoover vacuuming my face – one of the most satisfying sensations I’ve ever felt. In fact, the only thing I can imagine to be more satisfying is actually seeing the dirt being sucked from my pores! And as the oxygen mask set to work, I was even treated to a 20 minute shoulder and neck massage. It was treat from start to finish. A clean slate for my sleep-deprived mothering mug, and an indulgent 1 HOUR AND 15 MINUTE cleanse for my mind.

We both walked out of the Salon all floaty and relaxed. Lauren's skin looked lovely, all glowing and fresh - I've sat opposite that face for just under 15 years now so I’m a pretty good judge! And my back pain has gone. It usually comes back after a couple of days, but it’s been a couple of weeks now and I’m still pain free.

We were both genuinely impressed with our treatments at So Me. It’s well worth taking you and your body for a treat.

Poppy & Lauren x

Visit www.so-me.me for more info.

HILL STATION, TOOTING

Nights out have changed. We barely hit half ten these days before ‘the fear’ sets in. The thought of joint hangovers plus episodes of Tig & Woolly playing on repeat is enough to have us staggering for the nearest cab office pronto (we still don’t uber, I know, WTF?!). So date night at a new cocktail bar a mere 10 minute stroll from our front door sounded right up our street, literally.

Tooting Market is fast becoming our go-to destination. Brunch, craft beers, gin, local art - its trendy transformation has left A LOT to love. Thankfully, Broadway Market, is swiftly following suit. And within it resides the refreshing addition, Hill Station.

This quirky, yet tiny take on a Himalayan Hill Station, rocks an eclectic interior; wood paneled walls, sequined cushions, steel tables, and a mix of climbing equipment adorning the walls. Not to mention the actual bar that’s made out of an old battered truck front. But the décor merely provides a theatrical backdrop to the real stars of the show; The Drinks. Authentic, aromatic, and in some cases, edible…

My Eastern Sour came with a little brown nugget that turned out to be a Tamarind (break the shell, eat and enjoy - just watch out for the pips). But our fave was the Yak’s Milk, a seriously cool, whisky based cocktail with a citrus kick. De-lish.

Served in a mish mash of glasses and copper cups, the cocktails feature a range of handmade and local ingredients, many of which are sourced in the markets themselves. We didn’t try the Basecamp Burger, which you order via the Bakelite phone (a nice touch), but we’ll definitely be back. Hungry. The music was cool, the staff were chilled, and what the bar lacks in square inches, Broadway Market more than makes up for in late-night hustle and bustle.

We may not have been intrepid travellers in need of a place to rest and recuperate from life on the plains, but we were certainly two people in need of a breather from parenthood. And Hill Station, Tooting, provided the perfect getaway. Until roughly half ten, obvs.

Lauren x

THE PARENT AND BABY COACH

"Why isn't there an instruction manual?!" Is the collective cry heard from many a frazzled parent in the middle of the night.

The trouble is, there’s too much help to be had. What with the ton of parenting books, websites and apps out there coupled with the fact that every child is different, it can all be a bit overwhelming. At least for me it was. Despite every good intention with our first born, Nancy, we ended up just kinda ‘going with the flow’ i.e. had no idea and no sleep for a good 2 years.

It turns out that all I needed was to get myself a Heidi – The Parent and Baby Coach AKA the giver of glorious sleep.

Two months ago, I asked Heidi if she could help with one of the big parenting conundrums. Kids sharing a room. With the arrival of Arthur, for us (like many other Londoners), our two bedroom house meant that sharing a room wasn’t a choice, more of a ‘its gotta happen at some point but how the hell do we do it’ scenario.

Before Heidi (a significant moment in time now known as BH), we muddled through bedtime in various ways, Nancy woke often in the night, 9 month old Arthur was rocked to sleep, his naps were all over the place, and would wake at 4:30/5am. Every. Single. Morning. I had no idea how them sharing a room was going to work.

But after chatting it all through with Heidi, she created our very own plan of action. Our 'talking handbook' as she calls it, was ready the next day. It all took into consideration our situation, the age and personalities of the children and what we were happy with.

We opted for the gentler plan that, Heidi said, we should expect to take longer. But by day two, his naps were bang on plan. By day three, bedtime with both was relatively painless and by day four, they both slept through till 6am. We were genuinely amazed, proper gobsmacked. We’re now two months in and it’s still working. Obviously we have had the odd hiccup, but it has gone far better than we would have ever expected. The kids who used to shout for us when they woke now roll over and go back to sleep. They even play together in the mornings while we stare at the baby monitor in shock. Who are these kids?!

So what made the difference? When you’re overtired and frazzled, it’s having someone impartial and professional to solve the problem. Someone who can see the wood from the trees. All the advice and guidance is with total respect for you as the parent. Even though Heidi has had experience with over 500 babies, she knows that you know your baby best and so works with you to find the solution. Our plan also came with a 4 week email and text support so having a time plan and someone to answer to, to check up on you, really helps.

All I need now is for Heidi to start some Workshops on ‘How to only watch just one episode on Netflix’ and all will be sorted.

Poppy x

Heidi offers advice and support in many other areas of Parenting for ages 0-4 years. For more info visit theparentandbabycoach.com

SARAH & DUCK

To say that my daughter, Nancy, was a fan of Sarah and Duck would be an understatement. The animated duo are like family; Nancy’s first words were Dadda, Mumma and Duck!

With the latest episodes uploaded to our phones, Sarah, Duck and the gang have always been there for us. They helped keep Nancy ‘The wonder roller’ still when changing her nappy in public toilets. They were there for the teething tears, the bad colds, the airplane journeys and the hungover parent mornings. Basically, the show's our digital comfort blanket.

So, when we arranged to see the show with our buddies and fellow LMC contributors Lauren and Coco, you can imagine our excitement. We were over half an hour early – we are never early! Fortunately, the Polka Theatre have great indoor and outdoor play areas that kept us entertained and happy.

But it was as we were in our seats, waiting for the show to start, when something dawned on me – what if she’s disappointed? Could this be a monumental ‘never meet your hero’ moment? The heartbreak, the tears and years of therapy sessions flashed before me.

Thankfully, before the cold sweats could really kick in, Nancy and Coco were already having a ball. They waved at each character as they came on, sang and danced along to all the songs. The brilliant characters, quirky Art Direction and clever humour of the tv show were all there. Lauren and I thought that the puppeteers might distract the girls but, somehow, it worked. And we wouldn’t say it was just for die-hard fans either. Coco, who's more of a Peppa Pig gal, gave it the big thumbs up too.

The show, the theatre itself and the tons of family friendly restaurants close by make for a day out we'd definitely recommend.

Sarah & Duck are at the Polka Theatre in Wimbledon till 14th May then head off on tour around the U.K. Visit polkatheatre.com for more details.