I’m getting a bit bored of writing about another busy week but it’s true. I can’t believe it’s Monday again and a new month to boot. We have lots of exciting things planned for February so it should be a great month. Anyway, time for my weekly roundup – Monday Happy Things. This week I’ve been using the new Orla Kiely handbag I bought in Covent Garden last weekend. I fell in love with my Little Owl Quilted Reversible Tote as it features my favourite stem pattern in a lovely quilted design. I chose the red colour to add a…
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Did you watch the Stick Man adaptation screened on Christmas Day? I must admit we made sure we were all sitting down to watch as we have enjoyed previous adaptations of Julia Donaldson books so much. I’m pleased to say it is out tomorrow on DVD and we were sent a copy to enjoy at home. First published in 2008, Stick Man was written by beloved children’s author Julia Donaldson and illustrated by Axel Scheffler. Stick Man lives in the family tree with his Stick Lady Love and their stick children three. One day Stick Man unintentionally ends up on…
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It’s been a while since we had fun with a paper plate craft but with Chinese New Year coming up next month I thought it would be a good time to try something new. Did you know that 2016 is the Year of the Monkey? I have my own two little monkeys and we’d never made a monkey craft before – but we have now! How to make a Chinese New Year paper plate monkey 2 x paper plates brown paint googly eyes scissors black permanent pen sticky tape First you need to paint two paper plates with brown paint,…
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Regular readers will know I *love* subscription boxes and it seems my children do too! We’ve worked with Weekend Box a few times and they were kind enough to send us one of their Mini Weekend Boxes to review. In case you’re wondering what a Mini Weekend Box is, it contains TWO full activities with all the bits you need (excluding regular items like scissors), delivered in a neat box which fits right through your letterbox. They are designed for people who love their Weekend Boxes but didn’t always get around to finishing their boxes. Mini Weekend Box review All…
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Bigger isn’t always better: it’s often the case that smaller homes are cheaper to buy, cheaper to maintain and less effort to clean. In fact, there’s a certain charm about living in a humble abode! But what can you do about your lack of storage space? Well, we’d start by taking a look at these quirky, inventive and ingenious storage hacks. Use self storage Forgive us for pointing out the obvious, but you’d be wise to consider storing some of your belongings if you’re running out of room. Companies like RSS could be an easy and cost-effective solution if you…
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Adult colouring books were definitely the big thing in 2015. I have a shelf of them myself and a lovely collection of colouring pens, which the children know they are not allowed to touch! It looks like the trend will be continuing this year and I’m excited to share three new books and a new art therapy series from Anastasia Catris, the creator of #ColourMeMindful. Misplacing your wallet, forgetting where you parked your car, or getting your friend’s birthday wrong: these are just some of the many common memory slips we all experience from time to time. And such cognitive…
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This year we had a lot of wrapping paper and cards left over after Christmas. We try to recycle as much as possible to reduce our waste so the children and I have been using up some of this paper in our crafts. This week we’ve been making some Valentine decorations and have had fun with our coiled paper heart craft. You will need: wrapping paper scissors glue dots ruler heart-shaped cookie cutter How to make coiled paper hearts We experimented and cut our wrapping paper into short strips (longer strips will give larger coils). Then fold the paper in…
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If you’re keen to work your way up the property ladder, you’ll need to know how you can best maximise the value of where you live currently. From transforming your garden with Ashridge Nurseries to adding extra living space, below are five ways to add value to your home: Transform your garage If you don’t use your garage for your car, turn it into another living space. According to the Daily Mail, a study by RAC Home Insurance concludes that nearly half of Britain’s garages are no longer being used for their original purpose. Instead, they’re being used for gardening…
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A couple of weeks ago I tried baking with my favourite tea time snacks – Tunnock’s Caramel Wafers. The results were pretty special, definitely enough to warrant another baking session with another Tunnock’s products, Tunnock’s Tea Cakes. My Tunnocks’ habit began whilst I was at University and I still have a bit of a soft spot for pretty much any Tunnocks treat. Have you ever tried at Tunnocks’ Tea Cake? They are really yummy with a delicious marshmallow centre. Tunnocks Tea Cake Cupcakes I made my Tunnocks Tea Cake Cupcakes the same way as my previous bake, whipping up a…
