Our Sunshade Den

Although today has been a welcome cooler day, the last couple of days have been scorching hot so we have been camped out in the garden enjoying the rays. We have a parasol and a little tent to help protect the girls from the sun so decided to combine them both with some sheets to create a giant-sunshade-turkish-den-tent type thing. The sheets were just clothes-pegged onto the parasol and then the den kitted out with blankets and pillows.

It was a lot easier to keep the girls confined to the tent when they needed a break from the sun, and we regularly dipped in and out throughout the day. We brought some books with us and it was lovely to escape the sun and sit somewhere cool(er) reading stories together. Poppet displayed some impressive vertical reading skills.

Lots of fun was also had going round and round the pole until it got a bit vigorous and our den was in danger of collapsing.

Poppet was so reluctant to leave the den for her nap time I caved and let her *try* to have her nap outside. Of course this was a complete disaster and I ended up with a teary toddler by teatime. She definitely still needs her naps!

I finally managed to pump up the proper paddling pool too (giving myself blisters in the process, that's love!) and the girls loved splashing about in it, then coming back to our den to dry off and apply more suncream.

Our little shady spot was so handy and so easy and quick to put together, I was pretty proud of myself for having thought of it! I think Little was very appreciative too, even though she kept trying to escape and I had to barricade the doorway with my body.