• Gruffalo Crumble and Other Recipes
    baking - book review

    Cooking with the Gruffalo {Gruffalo Crumble and Other Recipes}

    September 4, 2016 - By 

    With the Bake Off recently starting again and a sniff of Autumn in the air we have been looking for baking inspiration. Gruffalo Crumble and Other Recipes is packed full of sweet treats, healthy snacks and simple meals – all based on the best-selling picture book The Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler. The book contains twenty-four recipes specially designed for adults to use with children, easy-to-follow, step-by-step instructions and lots of hints and tips on what to do next The book is spiral bound with wipe clean pages in case of any spills! As well as the expected recipes for…

  • Westwood Manor Wiltshire
    days out - National Trust - parenting - Wiltshire

    Westwood Manor {a National Trust day out}

    September 3, 2016 - By 

    Last week we had a few days with my mum in Wiltshire. We’ve always wanted to visit Westwood Manor, a small National Trust property near Bradford on Avon. Although owned by the NT it has live in tenants so is only open for a few days in the year. We usually travel home on Sundays but thanks to the Bank Holiday we were staying for the long weekend so could visit! With two youngish children I have to admit that this year we haven’t renewed our National Trust membership for the first time in about 10 years. We usually visit Hughenden…

  • Makerly craft kit subscription box review
    crafts - homestyle - subscription box

    Makerly craft kit subscription box review

    September 3, 2016 - By 

    Regular readers know I love crafting and subscription boxes so it’s probably no surprise that I regularly feature the ones I try. The Makerly subscription box is a new one for me and I was kindly offered one to try out and share with you. Makerly make craft kit subscription boxes for people who like making stuff (like me!). Each kit is lovingly put together to make sure you have fun making something awesome each month. Your box includes all the materials, instructions and patterns you need to complete a new project, as well as a craft zine, various tools and…

  • The Tale of Kitty In Boots by Beatrix Potter
    book review

    The Tale of Kitty In Boots by Beatrix Potter

    September 2, 2016 - By 

    It’s been a while since we shared what we’re reading but we recently received a lovely copy of the brand new The Tale of Kitty In Boots by Beatrix Potter. The manuscript by Beatrix Potter was rediscovered two years ago when Jo Hanks, publisher at Penguin Random House Children’s, stumbled across an out-of-print literary history about Beatrix Potter from the early 1970s. Hanks found in the book both a reference to a letter that Potter had sent her publisher in 1914, which referred to a story about ‘a well-behaved prime black Kitty cat, who leads rather a double life’, and…

  • Thomas & Friends lunch bag
    competition

    Win a Thomas & Friends lunch bag (Back to School)

    September 1, 2016 - By 

    I’m starting to see photos of my friends’ children on their first day of school on Facebook which means our summer holidays are also coming to an end. Thankfully my son isn’t starting Year 2 until Tuesday and my daughter is doing mornings only at Reception for a couple of weeks until she goes full time. I started buying their new uniform back in July and we’ve since picked up PE kits and new shoes which means the only thing I have to do is get my Stamptastic stamps out and label everything. Earlier this Summer I attended a Christmas…

  • Trolls Poppy Style Station
    playing - toy review - UKMums.TV Preferred Blogger

    Trolls Poppy Style Station

    August 31, 2016 - By 

    I am a child of the 1980s and had a Troll doll, did you? They were pretty ugly dolls but I loved its’ super soft hair! So I was pretty excited to see a trailer for Trolls the Movie, a stellar-studded animation film from DreamWorks set for release this October!  The plot revolves around two trolls on a quest to save their village from destruction by the Bergens. To celebrate the release of Trolls the Movie, Just Play is launching a range of hair play and dress up toys based on the cute little hairy characters. Being a troll is…

  • Noisemakers birthday card subscription box
    homestyle - subscription box

    Noisemakers birthday card subscription box

    August 31, 2016 - By 

    When I went to Blogtacular earlier this summer I received the most amazing goody bag on my way out of the conference. The Blogtacular goody bag should have had its’ own blog post really as it was pretty damn amazing. The tote was a collaboration between designosaur and hello Dodo and inside was a fun retro jelly bag stuffed full of goodies from small indie designers to a pattern from Tilly and the Buttons and a sample pot of Annie Sloan paint. As well as the free things, many of which I kept and enjoyed, were leaflets for small indie…

  • Lego Busy Box or Portable Lego Kit for travelling kids
    crafts - Lego - Recycled crafts

    Portable Lego Kit {Lego Busy Box}

    August 30, 2016 - By 

    After a few weeks at home we have finally got away for a holiday. I was really looking forward to a change of scenery and some meals out! Our preparations start early as my children love to start planning what they are going to take. Now clearly they are only talking about their toys but you would think they were planning the whole trip with the amount of discussions which take place. My 6 year old loves his Lego, especially his Star Wars sets, so wanted to take some of this with him. The last time we agreed to Lego…

  • on the beach
    Cath Kidston - holidays - Monday Happy List - Summer

    Monday Happy List – Week 101

    August 29, 2016 - By 

    Bank Holidays are extra special around here. The sun is shining and we are looking forward to an extra family day and hopefully a long overdue trip to the cinema to watch The BFG. I am also relishing the thought of my inbox having an extra quiet day 🙂 This morning I am bringing you my weekly Monday Happy List special Bank Holiday edition. I mentioned that we are away for a few days. We started the week in Exeter, chasing rhinos around the city. We seem to pack an awful lot into weeks away which is both fun and…