When I think of Poland, where I come from, and my family home, I think of the big wooden table that stood in the middle of the living room. That table has always been the heart of the house, the heart of the family. Gosh. Everything happened there. Literally EVERYTHING.

I’d be sitting there fighting with my brothers over who eats the last piece of mum’s apple cake, flipping cottage cheese at each other during breakfast time, we’d be playing cards, throwing dice, paint, do the homework, then put a perfectly ironed tablecloth to get it ready for a family dinner. All the family celebrations happened around that table: birthdays, anniversaries, Christmas. All the aunties, uncles, cousins would come, and everyone had their ‘own’ favourite spot.

Just a piece of furniture you’d think but it has seen it all: the homemade seasonal pies, countless cups of tea, spilled milk, Sunday roast, and all those lazy weekend breakfasts. It witnessed all the laughs and cries, the good times and the bad times too. It holds all the memories.

And there I am in my own, little house, with my own little family, with our own (not so little) wooden table in the middle of the room. And it feels like home. It feels like home because we can sit together, share the food, share the joys and the troubles, have friends round and make memories. Oh the simple things in life! They make the life worth living. And those simple things like a meal together, a smile, a hug, holding hands, a kind word or the smell of freshly made waffles might feel small at the time, but when you look back you realize how magical and BIG they really are.

All these beautiful plates you can see here in this post are just a lovely reminder of what really is important in life.
Designed by Royal Doulton and one of my favourite people and a role model Ellen DeGeneres and inspired by the casual entertaining at home, each plate, bowl and mug has a world ‘love’ written in the centre. Such a warm and positive touch! The look on the face of my loved ones when they finish the meal is just priceless. I am with Ellen on this one for sure – all the world needs these days is more love, joy and kindness…..maybe some more waffles too, slow mornings and more time spend together.

I’ve used Royal Doulton tableware for a long while now (this favourite set of mine, for example), and the quality always makes every meal special. Can you tell blue is my favourite colour? So I am just going to mix & match them to breath in some fresh air into my tableware. Happy!

Check out the Royal Doulton collection here : www.royaldoulton.co.uk , Instagram, Twitter, Facebook

Sooooo, the waffles! Can you actually smell them? I don’t think there is anything better than the smell of freshly made waffles! Seriously!!!

If you don’t have a waffle maker yet, I HIGHLY recommend you get one or put it on your Birthday list. You really won’t regret it! This recipe is my favourite and although it requires resting the batter for one hour, trust me, it will be worth the waiting! It’s truly the best recipe and I don’t make any other waffles now.