• Sara Collins’ The Confessions of Frannie Langton {review}
    What I'm reading

    Sara Collins’ The Confessions of Frannie Langton {review}

    April 9, 2019 - By 

    I love a good book and so am delighted to be taking part in the blog tour for The Confessions of Frannie Langton which is out now! I’ve been reading a lot lately and really enjoy historical fiction so I knew I would enjoy this. The Confessions of Frannie Langton by Sara Collins Slave. Whore. Seductress. Murderer?  They say I must be put to death for what happened to Madame, and they want me to confess. But how can I confess what I don’t believe I’ve done? 1826, and all of London is in a frenzy. Crowds gather at the…

  • freak storm in London
    Family Life - Monday Happy List

    Monday Happy Things {Week 235}

    April 8, 2019 - By 

    We made it to the Easter holidays! I am so happy to have 2 weeks off school to spend with my children. I have planned lots of activities to keep them busy and we are going into London to watch the London premiere of Where is Peter Rabbit?, a Beatrix Potter musical adventure with puppets! 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…

  • trying punch needle
    Crafts for adults

    Craft fail: Punch Needle

    April 7, 2019 - By 

    You know how I love to try new crafts. I usually stick to my favourites of sewing and paper cutting, but a few months ago I signed up to a craft subscription box and received a punch needle kit. I hadn’t heard of punch needle before but the kit contained fabric, an embroidery hoop, embroidery threads and a punch needle. What is punch needle? If you haven’t heard the term punch needle before then I would explain it as something maybe your grandmother did. You use a punch needle (which looks a little like a pen) to literally punch a…

  • How to make Peeps Bunny Cupcakes
    Crafts for kids - Easter

    How to make Peeps Bunny Cupcakes

    April 6, 2019 - By 

    Now the children (and I!) have broken up from school I feel we can get properly excited for Easter. It’s one of my favourite times of year and we just need the weather to warm up a little. We have tons of adventures planned for the next couple of weeks, ending with celebrating Easter with family. We’ve already shared our Easter bunny cupcakes but I couldn’t resist sharing one more recipe, to make these adorable Peeps Bunny cupcakes. Peeps Bunny Cupcakes ingredients: 2 dozen white cupcakes, unfrosted 1 can vanilla frosting blue food colouring 24 Peeps Bunnies Small zippered bag…

  • Win a Maped Creativ craft kit for kids
    competition - Crafts for kids - Maped Helix Blogger Ambassador

    Win a Maped Creativ craft kit for kids

    April 5, 2019 - By 

    A few weeks ago we were sent a bundle of the new Maped Creativ sets, this is a new range of craft toys and activities from Maped which are perfect for ages 4 and over. There are 14 different boxes to choose from spanning three categories; Mini Box, Color & Play and Board Activities.  Each one contains a different, fun activity for children to enjoy while learning, and comes complete with a themed activity, stationery and simple instructions.  Each activity is boxed with a full set of quality contents and unique designs. My children love a creative activity and these…

  • Alternative Easter gifts for kids Easter baskets
    Family Life - Gift guide

    Alternative Easter gifts for kids’ Easter baskets

    April 4, 2019 - By 

    I’m so excited that we only have a few days left until the Easter holidays start. I always enjoy shopping for Easter gifts for my family. Every year I try and put an Easter basket together for my children. I’ve already bought the chocolate gifts but like to add a few alternative Easter gifts too, just to balance out all the chocolate. There are some lovely items around and some which have caught my eye include Cutetito’s, the Little Lucky Lunchbox range and the brand new My Little Pony Retro. Alternative Easter gifts for kids Easter baskets Cutetitos There’s nothing…

  • Family Life

    Which mobile apps can help keep kids safe?

    April 3, 2019 - By 

    Photo by Luke Porter on Unsplash While a true helicopter parent would have no qualms about taking their child’s smartphone each evening to check up on their activity, most of us realise that this is a clear breach of trust and not a good way to deal with things. Not only will it build barriers between ourselves and our kids, you probably won’t get the full picture anyway. Ofcom research shows that 46% of 12 to 15 year olds know how to delete their browsing history, and more than a quarter have done so in the past. Around a third (36%) know how…

  • Sweet Bunny Ear cupcakes for an Easter treat
    Crafts for adults - Easter

    Sweet Bunny Ear cupcakes for an Easter treat

    April 2, 2019 - By 

    I’m so happy that we are on our final week of school before the Easter holidays. My children are desperate for a break from school and I am looking forward to all those after school clubs finishing for a couple of weeks. As well as the 2 week holiday we will also be celebrating Easter! I’ve been super organised this year and have already bought all our Easter eggs. Which means I can concentrate on some fun Easter crafts with my kids. First up are these gorgeous Bunny Ear cupcakes which make for a super Easter treat. They are really…

  • Orla Kiely inspired cupcakes
    Family Life

    Monday Happy Things {Week 234}

    April 1, 2019 - By 

    I hope you had a great weekend. 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 234} I’m always thankful that my children enjoy school. My son was appointed an Eco Warrior at the start of Year 4 and finally got a badge to wear on his uniform. He loves having a job to do…