Desde que a nossa família começou a crescer, temos escrito com luz o nosso conto de Natal, gravando no nosso coração memórias que têm sido também captadas através da fotografia. 

Por trás de cada foto fantástica, estão muitos momentos divertidos e cansativos, contando com a dedicação incansável da fotógrafa, Paula Veiga Claro.

Este ano, relembramos algumas imagens de 2015 e partilhamos um verdadeiro making of da sessão deste ano :)  

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How to write a Christmas tale?

As our family is growing, we have been writing our own Christmas Tale, creating memories that we keep close in our hearts. Some of those memories have been captured through photos.

Behind each fantastic photo, are many fun (and exhausting) moments, revealing the utter dedication of the photographer, Paula Veiga Claro.

This year, we recall some images from 2015 and we share a making of this year's session :)

Até já! See you soon!

Quando a Alice nasceu, reformulamos uma boa parte das decorações de Natal, tornando-as mais divertidas e mais seguras (sem haver a possibilidade de se partirem). Este ano, fizemos uma compra de uns cubos cheios de imagens, da Djeco (uma marca que adoramos), que permitem várias combinações para os manos brincarem: números de 1 a 10, mamãs e bebés e uma árvore... e é claro, encaixar os cubos uns nos outros (brincadeira preferida do Afonso).

Mas o que realmente nos despertou a ideia de Natal foi a combinação da árvore. A Alice adora empilhá-la e o Afonso derrubá-la. E o mais interessante é a facilidade de arrumação e as utilizações para o ano inteiro.

When Alice was born, we have switched most of our Christmas decorations, making them funnier and safer (they can't break, as they are mostly made of fabric). This year, we bought 10 stacking cubes, from Djeco (a brand that we really love for our children), that allow  to create different combinations: numbers form 1 to 10, animal mothers and babies and a tree... This last combination triggered the idea of using the cubes to create a Christmas Tree. Alice loves to stack the cubes and Afonso likes to throw them down :)

Another interesting aspect: it's easy to keep inside a small box and it can be used to play all year round. It's worth taking a chance!!

Com os 40 anos à espreita, a mamã teve tempo para uma breve reflexão: aos 38 anos, ainda anda à procura do equilíbrio de tempo entre a família, o trabalho, a casa...

Pois é, nesta fase, praticamente ainda não sobram horas para complementar momentos de pausa, como hobbies ou desporto. A velocidade dos dias é vertiginosa, vivida com o stress do trânsito conjugado com os horários a cumprir. Com duas crianças ainda muito pequenas, é impossível ter uma casa arrumada e sem tarefas atrasadas... É preciso relativizar, mas esta mamã tem dificuldades com isso.

Gostava de ter tudo organizado e sabe que não consegue... Só a passagem do tempo poderá ajudar neste processo, mas é também este tempo que corre e que tenta agarrar em paralelo, vivendo mais cada momento com os que mais ama... O cansaço físico e mental condiciona muitas vezes a clareza do olhar sobre as situações.

O caminho tem de ser feito dia-a-dia.

Sobre o dia de aniversário, foi vivido de forma simples, em casa, adoçado pelo maravilhoso talento da The Family Cakes, que criou um bolo de Outono, com sabor a limão e doce de leite para partilhar em família.


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Mum Catarina, as she completed another birthday, has stoped and given a thought to her 38 years: she's still looking for balance between family, work and home routines. At present time, there aren't much moments to spare with hobbies or sport. Days go by too fast, divided through traffic stress and schedules to attend. With two small children, home is messy and there is always something to fall behind. She wishes that everything is organized, but she knows that is just not possible.

Time will help, but is also the same time she tries to grasp and enjoy with those she loves. Physical and mental exhaustion take away the clarity over every day situations. The way to improve is to live each day without planning too much.

This birthday was celebrated at home, sweetened by an autumn cake to share with her loved ones, created by the super talented The Family Cakes.

Até já! See you soon!

Como correram ou têm corrido as vossas experiências? Partilhem connosco :)

(Ilustrações de Marcel Marlier - Anita Mamã ou Martine Mamã)

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This post is all about our first adventure with the potty training. This journey has begun 6 months ago and it has its ups and downs.

With the last pregnancy weeks of Afonso, we have postponed Alice's training until this spring (she was already 3 years old). We have tried an earlier start, during winter time, but thicker layers of clothing aren't potty friendly.

We did everything by the book: we have got a simple potty, a small toilet seat, a step to reach the toilet, simple clothing (no more dungarees) and funny underwear (after all, little girls don't

want to wet Elsa or Anna from Frozen or Hello Kitty).

There was an acquaintance period with pull-up's, and Alice should go after every meal... Mostly it didn't work.

Change of strategy: Underwear only.

The first days were hard, she just missed every time she needed to go. We realized that Alice kept on doing whatever she was doing, without reacting to the potty. We were asking all the time if she needed to go and the answer was always "No".

New change of strategy: There were no questions, she would go every half an hour or less. It got better... the accidents grew fewer, but she wouldn't ask to go or even go herself, still.

Day by day, we have started to recognize her own rhythms and there was a breakthrough.

After all these months, there are still accidents from time to time (and they get more frequent every time Afonso learns something new... ) and there are also some lessons we have learnt:

 - We definitely won't wait for Afonso's third birthday to start his potty training, the longer we postpone, the harder it will get for him to let go off the nappies;

- We will wait for a complete success during day-time, before we get him out of night-time nappies.

Please, feel free to share your potty training experience with us :)

Illustrations by Marcel Marlier

Até já! See you soon!