• Learning about geodes with National Geographic
    Bandai STEM Ambassador - Family Life - STEM activity

    Learning about geodes with National Geographic

    April 23, 2019 - By 

    Last month we told you about the new kits from National Geographic which are great for exploring STEM subjects at home. We’ve already tried The Shark Tooth Dig Kit and the Gemstone Dig Kit. They were fun for my children to crack open and discover what treasure was hidden inside. National Geographic Break Open 2 Geodes kit A few weeks ago we received the National Geographic Break Open 2 Geodes kit. To be honest I hadn’t heard of geodes before but geodes are naturally forming volcanic rocks that contain amazing crystal formations inside. Crack them open and discover beautiful minerals!…

  • Pom pom Spring wreath tutorial
    Bostik Family Craft Bloggers Network - Crafts for kids - Spring

    Pom pom Spring wreath tutorial

    April 22, 2019 - By 

    The weather has been amazing over the last few days here in the UK. We’ve been so lucky that it coincided with Good Friday and Easter Monday so we had an extra long weekend to enjoy it. We did a fair bit of travelling from our week in Devon via Wiltshire and back to London again. We never seem to be at home over Easter so our house felt a little empty  when we returned home. Fortunately we had been #gifted some craft supplies from Bostik including Micro Dots and Foam Pads. We used these supplies to make a simple…

  • Monday Happy Things {Week 237}
    Family Life - Monday Happy List

    Monday Happy Things {Week 237}

    April 22, 2019 - By 

    I love to start the week by writing Five Happy Things. It’s a chance for me to sit down and reflect on the things that made me happy in the previous week, as well as to record some of our family adventures – it’s a post I always enjoy writing. Five Happy Things {Week 237} We spent last week in our favourite little fisherman’s cottage in Teignmouth. The cottage is on the back beach which was perfect. We’ll gloss over the gale force winds at the start of the week. By the time we left the temperature had soared as the…

  • A day out at Babbacombe Cliff Railway and Model Village
    Devon - Family Life

    A day out at Babbacombe Cliff Railway and Model Village

    April 21, 2019 - By 

    Last week we were able to re-visit two attractions in the pretty coastal village of Babbacombe near Torquay in Devon. It had been a few years since our last visit to Babbacombe but there is plenty to see and do with the Cliff Railway, Model Village and more. Babbacombe Cliff Railway Our first stop was the Babbacombe Cliff Railway which first opened to the public in 1926. Although there is a very steep pathway down to Oddicombe Beach it is much nicer to buy a ticket and travel on the Cliff Railway. It’s open everyday (weather permitting!) so we bought our…

  • Stitching by the sea and a Shipping Forecast Quilt update
    Crafts for adults

    Stitching by the sea and a Shipping Forecast Quilt update

    April 20, 2019 - By 

    This Easter we managed to get away for a week to Teignmouth. Fo the past few years we’ve stayed at a wonderful little cottage on the back beach. The location is perfect – beach outside the front door, pub and Fish & Chip shop 2 minutes away. Teignmouth is blessed with a good climate and there’s also an arcade, children’s playground, tennis courts and crazy golf 2 minutes in the opposite direction. The children have loved playing on the back beach and found quite a few treasures. I had to limit them to a little container, otherwise they would bring…

  • An Easter Egg Hunt at NT Compton Castle
    Devon - Family Life

    An Easter Egg Hunt at NT Compton Castle

    April 19, 2019 - By 

    It doesn’t seem to be the Easter holidays unless we visit a NT property and take part in an Easter Egg Hunt. This year we found ourselves near to Compton Castle in Devon. As the property is still lived in the opening hours are limited. Luckily we managed to visit on a day it was open and were delighted to find they were running a Cadbury’s Easter Egg Hunt for the children. NT Compton Castle Compton Castle calls itself a fortified manor house but it is so much more than that! Nestled amongst the hills of south Devon you suddenly…

  • Make and Mend by Jessica Marquez
    Crafts for adults - What I'm reading

    Make and Mend by Jessica Marquez

    April 18, 2019 - By 

    Last year I tried and fell in love with Sashiko stitching. This is a  type of decorative Japanese embroidery which I had loads of fun trying. So I was excited to be #gifted a copy of Make and Mend: The Japanese Art of Sashiko Embroidery by Jessica Marquez. It is packed full of Sashiko-inspired embroidery projects to customise and repair textiles and decorate your home. Make and Mend by Jessica Marquez Make and Mend is an exquisite, full-colour guide to sashiko, a simple Japanese stitching technique that uses stunning patterns to decorate or repair clothing, accessories and home textiles –…

  • Alternative Easter gift guide for kids
    competition - Family Life - Gift guide

    Alternative Easter gift guide for kids {giveaway}

    April 17, 2019 - By 

    As much as I love Easter I really don’t want to give my children endless chocolate eggs. A few years ago we started our own Easter tradition of giving a small gift alongside a chocolate egg. This way they get to pick a yummy edible treat but enjoy something that will last a little longer too. An ‘alternative Easter gift guide’ It seems we are not the only parents to think like this as we have received some lovely toys to tell you about which would make great alternative Easter gifts. Earlier this month we told you about the Beaker…

  • An Easter egg hunt with Smash Eggs and Dinosaurs
    Family Life

    An Easter egg hunt with Smash Eggs and Dinosaurs! {Smashers Series 3: Dino}

    April 16, 2019 - By 

    If you have a little lady who just loves Easter and dinosaurs then you may wonder how you can combine the two this Easter. Luckily Smashers Series 3 have just been launched with perfect timing for Easter. Each Smasher egg is shaped like an egg and contains a collectible dino! Last year we had so much fun unboxing the new Smashers from Zuru. The first series featured a sports-themed collectible toy. They came in a red Smashball which you smashed to reveal the collectible toy inside. Smashers Series 2 launched just in time for Halloween. Each Smashball was decorated to…