• Bostik Family Craft Bloggers Network - Christmas - crafts - gingerbread

    Paper plate gingerbread man

    This year we’ve been working with Bostik who make some great craft products such as the Fine and Wide Glu Pen, White Glu, Glu Dots and Glu & Fix Fabric Glu. We’ve received a few packs of the Glitter Pens but I’ve always hidden them away as I was worried about the mess! This months theme was Christmas so I thought it was about time we tried out the Glitter Pens which made my children very happy. We’re all about gingerbread about the money so used them to decorate a paper plate gingerbread man. This is how we did it. Paper plate…

  • parenting - subscription box

    Brainboost Box activity box for kids

    Over the last few weeks the children have been reviewing a Brainboost Box, this is a monthly educational activity box for kids. Brainboost know successful children aren’t just good at Maths and English, they are also Emotionally Intelligent, Creative thinkers, and great Communicators. Brainboost Boxes develop these core skills and more with fun new activities each month delivered to your door, along with all the resources you need to play. Created by Dr Maryhan Baker, every box is full of hand picked activities, tailored to your child’s age and stage of development. The children love receiving mail so were delighted when the Postman…

  • After school crafts - crafts - Remembrance Day crafts - Twinkl Blogger

    Remembrance Day Paper Poppy craft for children

    After the noise and expense of Halloween and Bonfire Night I look forward to the quiet contemplation of Remembrance Day. It’s not hugely commercial, nor should it be. Remembrance Day is a time to reflect on the sacrifice of the past and I am so proud to remember the contribution my Great Uncle made during the First World War. You can read about him over on my family history blog. I’ve been using Twinkl for a while as they have great resources which I can use with my children. We’ve started a great habit of sitting around the dining table…

  • Christmas - gingerbread - handmade - playing - sewing

    Cookies for Santa {Wild Olive fabric cookies}

    You know how much I love anything gingerbread so I’m warning you that I have a few more posts planned over the next few weeks. Last year I bought some gorgeous fabric from Spoonflower. I’ve mentioned Spoonflower before, it’s a great place to discover fabric, wall paper and gift wrap. I knew that my children weren’t going to be short of toys last year but I couldn’t resist making them a plate of pretend cookies for their play kitchen. Wild Olive fabric cookies {Cookies for Santa Ornament Panel} I’m made a few Wild Olive patterns before so when Mollie mentioned she had…

  • Christmas - handmade - homestyle

    Wooden Fairy Lights Wreath from create gift love

    I love picking up a few special decorations every year to add to our Christmas box. The children pretty much dictate the decorations and the tree but I like to add a few grown up pieces too. I love planning the colour scheme and can spend hours looking around shops as well as online to find new things I love. Wooden Fairy Lights Wreath Wooden decorations also appeal to me so I was delighted to discover Create Gift Love, who make personalised, beautiful and unique gifts for every occasion. All their products are handmade for your loved-ones in the New Forest,…

  • Christmas - crafts - handmade - Uncategorized

    Reindeer nose ornaments for kids to make

    My children have all kinds of fun ideas for Christmas crafts at the moment. I am trying to rein them back a little as we still have a few weeks to go but I love the fact they are excited for Christmas (I am too!). We picked up some really fun fillable baubles from our local craft shop and I knew they would be perfect for making our own hanging ornaments. We used them for Reindeer nose ornaments! Equipment to make Reindeer nose ornaments: Fillable baubles, ours are from Hobbycraft Chocolate malt calls Bostik Glu Dots Red pom poms Googly…

  • gingerbread - gingerbread house - Monday Happy List

    Monday Happy List – Week 111

    As someone who loves the changing seasons it feels like we have experienced two great events last week, starting with Halloween and ending with Bonfire Night. My kids go crazy for Halloween and were so excited to decorate the house and get themselves dressed up. We have lovely neighbours who we popped round to visit and received a handful of visitors ourselves. We’re probably the only household who still has their pumpkins outside but we had 4 and that’s a lot of pumpkin to dispose of. We ended the week with two Firework displays, one local and another near my…

  • book review - Christmas

    Win a bundle of Christmas Picture Books from Oxford Children’s Books

    This year I’ve totally been spoilt for choice with what books to include in our annual Book Advent. Every year I pick a selection of 24 books, wrap them up and put them under the tree as part of our Advent celebrations. The children choose one at random each day as our book of the day. Oxford Children’s Books kindly sent us a selection of their new Christmas titles which we were so excited to read together. Read to the bottom of the post for your chance to win the exact same bundle of Christmas picture books! Greatest Animal Stories,…

  • Christmas - crafts - handmade - Handmade gifts

    Easy washi tape baubles {kid-made Christmas cards}

    I have the biggest stash of washi tape. A few years ago I was obsessively collecting it and using it for all sorts of crafts but I haven’t used it for a while. I thought it was about time we tried to use it up and came up with some fun washi tape baubles which are perfect for adding to Christmas cards for the perfect kid-made Christmas cards. Equipment used to make washi tape baubles Washi tapes Piece of A4 card Something round to draw around, like a roll of Duck Tape Scissors Bakers twine How to make washi tape…