• The Maid's Secret by Nita Prose
    Five Happy Things

    Five Happy Things {Week 40/2025}

    October 6, 2025 - By 

    Starting the week by writing the Happy List is something I’ve been doing for the last few years. It’s my chance to sit down and reflect on the little or big things that made me smile in the previous week, as well as to record some of our family adventures. Five Happy Things {Week 40/2025} We spent the last week trying to enjoy the seasons but Hallowmas/Christoween continues and it’s so confusing. It feels like Halloween is being replaced by Christmas in the shops, and it’s far too early for me. Although I’ve been enjoying stitching the small motifs on…

  • Crafts for adults

    What I made September 2025

    September 30, 2025 - By 

    We love September, with the cooler days and leaves turning all different colours. Although we are busy with the teens back at school and their after school activities, the short evenings make it a fun time to sit around and craft. With Halloween and Christmas to look forward to, there is no shortage or projects to work on. What I made September 2025: I started the month by making the embroidered postcards which came with Love Embroidery magazine. It was fun to embroider onto card. Then we made Halloween costumes for our Maileg mice. It’s been many years since we…

  • homestyle

    Warm Up Your Home: Sash Window Tweaks That Cut Bills Fast

    September 29, 2025 - By 

    British winters find the tiniest crack and make the house feel as if the North Sea is moving in. Draughty sashes whistle, meeting rails scarcely meet, and single panes mist up the moment the kettle boils. By dawn the cill looks tearful, the paint is sulking and the boiler has been tap dancing all night. Comfort leaks at the usual suspects. Staff and parting beads have loosened with age, pulley apertures behave like tiny megaphones and the frame to masonry joint has lost its pliable seal. Putty has cracked, gaskets have flattened and the odd distorted sash leaves a gap…

  • 3d printed lego pieces
    Five Happy Things

    Five Happy Things {Week 39/2025}

    September 28, 2025 - By 

    Starting the week by writing the Happy List is something I’ve been doing for the last few years. It’s my chance to sit down and reflect on the little or big things that made me smile in the previous week, as well as to record some of our family adventures. Five Happy Things {Week 39/2025} My daughter and I spotted a ceramic pumpkin workshop at Wick and Ceramic in Ickenham (where we made little Jellycats earlier this year). We went along and learned how to make pumpkins and used special ceramic glaze paints to decorate them. We are waiting for…

  • Tech!

    How London’s small businesses can protect themselves in a digital world

    September 25, 2025 - By 

    London is full of creativity and entrepreneurship. From artisan bakeries to quirky concept stores and cosy cafés, the city is buzzing with new ventures. Even unique places like cat cafés have become part of the capital’s vibrant small business scene. But running a business in today’s world means relying on websites, online booking systems and social media – and that brings digital risks. Why online security matters for small businesses Small businesses are attractive targets for hackers because they often have fewer resources to invest in cyber security. Data breaches, phishing attacks and stolen customer information can be costly and…

  • BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir
    Five Happy Things

    Five Happy Things {Week 38/2025}

    September 22, 2025 - By 

    Starting the week by writing the Happy List is something I’ve been doing for the last few years. It’s my chance to sit down and reflect on the things that made me smile in the previous week, as well as to record some of our family adventures. Five Happy Things {Week 38/2025} It’s clearly Autumn as we’ve been enjoying some of our favourite meals. Last week I made my first Toad in the Hole (usually my husband makes it) and there have been homemade flapjacks too, the perfect after school treat for the kids. I added a layer of mincemeat…

  • Maileg mice costumes
    Crafts for teens

    Easy Maileg Halloween costumes

    September 20, 2025 - By 

    My daughter and I have been making some little Halloween costumes for our Maileg mouse collection. Halloween is one of favourite times of year, we’ve already made so many Halloween crafts! Easy Maileg Halloween costumes This is an easy craft and we used acrylic paint we already had, as well as four cardboard tubes. We used cardboard tubes to make our miniature Halloween costumes – a pumpkin, ghost, monster and bat. First we painted the cardboard tubes, leaving the bottom as we knew we would need to cut the cardboard tubes. We set them aside to dry, and gave them…

  • Whiskers and Cream Cat Cafe London
    London Borough of Islington

    Whiskers and Cream Cat Cafe London

    September 18, 2025 - By 

    With a few hours to spare, I decided to book a slot at Whiskers and Cream Cat Cafe on Holloway Road. We have been trying to visit all of the London Cat Cafes and this has been on our bucket list for a while. I booked our 90 minute slot online and headed off to the Holloway Road to visit the cats. Whiskers and Cream Cat Cafe London Whiskers and Cream is at the top end of Holloway Road. The Cafe is quite small but serves a delicious range of drinks and snacks to enjoy whilst surrounded by their 10…

  • Five Happy Things

    Five Happy Things {Week 37/2025}

    September 14, 2025 - By 

    Starting the week by writing the Happy List is something I’ve been doing for the last few years. It’s my chance to sit down and reflect on the things that made me smile in the previous week, as well as to record some of our family adventures. Five Happy Things {Week 37/2025} I bought a lovely Persephone grey copy of The Fortnight in September by R C Sherriff. I’d heard great reviews of it, and thought it would be fun to read it during the month of September. I finished it today and really loved it. Such a lovely book…