• Win a copy of Smile Out Loud: 25 happy poems
    competition

    Win a copy of Smile Out Loud: 25 happy poems

    April 28, 2022 - By 

    From the fantastic duo behind poems aloud comes another compendium of poetry to read out loud and make you smile. Tackle tongue twisters, confound your classmates with riddles, make your friends laugh and transform into a ball of slime as you bring to life 25 poems from award-winning poet Joseph Coelho! Some are odes, some can be said as personal mantras or are just full of words that you can’t help but smile when you hear them. They are designed to be read aloud to project confidence, conjure happiness, make you laugh or cheer others up. This is a book…

  • Love Embroidery pennant stitch kit
    Crafts for adults

    Love Embroidery pennant stitch kit

    April 27, 2022 - By 

    Recently I’ve felt like I’ve lost my crafting mojo. The Easter holidays were busy and we had some lovely days out but the kids stayed up late which left no time for crafting. I have a few projects on the go but none were really grabbing my attention. So I was happy when the May issue of Love Embroidery magazine arrived because it included a lovely free embroidery project. Love Embroidery pennant stitch kit I embroider a lot of hoops so I liked the thought of stitching something a little different. The stitch kit was designed by Jessie Doe and …

  • Monday Happy List

    Monday Happy Things {Week 393}

    April 25, 2022 - By 

    Starting the week by writing the Monday Happy List is something I’ve been doing for a while. 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 love to write. Monday Happy Things {Week 393} We started our week with a return visit to Church Gardens in Harefield. We visited last summer and were really looking forward to seeing how the gardens had changed. We spent a good hour looking at the gardens before…

  • Exploring Silverstone Interactive Museum with kids
    days out - Northamptonshire

    Exploring Silverstone Interactive Museum with kids

    April 24, 2022 - By 

    It seems a while since our first visit to Silverstone. With the whole family fans of F1 it was a no-brainer when we received an invitation to Silverstone to take part in their Lap of Lights experience at Christmas. We had so much fun and couldn’t wait to go back and visit the Silverstone Interactive Museum. Exploring Silverstone Interactive Museum with kids The Silverstone Interactive Museum is a great day out for the whole family. The museum is spread across two levels. Upstairs you will find the history of Silverstone, from its mention in the Domesday Book right through to…

  • The Ship Asunder: A Maritime History of Britain in Eleven Vessels by Tom Nancollas
    What I'm reading

    The Ship Asunder {book review}

    April 23, 2022 - By 

    I’ve enjoyed a few great fact and fiction books about the coast recently. The Storm Girl was a great story with a twin timeline entwining the life of a smuggler from the 17th century with a woman renovating an old smugglers pub in Dorset. Shadowlands: A Journey Through Lost Britain was about Britain’s lost cities, ghost towns and vanished villages, some of which were washed away into the sea, such as Winchelsea and Dunwich. Being surrounded by the sea can have a profound effect on a person, and we all love to escape to the coast when we can. The next…

  • Letterbox-friendly Silly Greens review
    subscription box

    Letterbox-friendly Silly Greens review

    April 20, 2022 - By 

    I’ve mentioned a few times that I love a subscription box. There’s something lovely about receiving mail that pampers you, entertains you or teaches you something new. I’ve tried a few over the years but was happy to discover Silly Greens who send live seed packs by post! I love my garden and this is always an exciting time of year. My windowsills are packed with seed trays and my sweet peas, runner beans and sunflowers are growing and I’ll soon be able to put them outside. Which meant I had plenty of room to try a gifted Silly Greens…

  • Royal crown STEM skittles experiment for kids
    Royal crafts - STEM activity

    Royal crown STEM skittles experiment for kids

    April 19, 2022 - By 

    My daughter loves experimenting with the classic Skittles experiment, so we thought we would adapt it to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations. We love Royal crafts so designed this Royal crown STEM Skittles experiment for kids, perfect for a little STEM exploration at home. With the Platinum Jubilee being celebrated across the United Kingdom next month we thought it would be fun to make a decorated Royal crown out of Skittles. You don’t need much equipment. Just a big bag of Skittles, a white plate, and a jug of cold water. Royal crown STEM skittles experiment for kids My…

  • 2022 bluebells
    Monday Happy List

    Monday Happy Things {Week 392}

    April 18, 2022 - By 

    Starting the week by writing the Monday Happy List is something I’ve been doing for a while. 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 love to write. Monday Happy Things {Week 392} We started our week with a day out in London, visiting the Leake Street Tunnel to admire the latest street art, and then on to DNA VR in Hammersmith to spend a really fun hour gaming together. We recently…

  • Re-visiting Leake Street Tunnel with kids
    days out - Local Review - London

    Re-visiting Leake Street Tunnel with kids

    April 17, 2022 - By 

    If you’re looking for somewhere a bit different to take the kids then why not take a walk through the Leake Street Tunnel? It’s free, it changes every time you visit, and it’s really easy to get to from London Waterloo/South Bank. Both of my kids love street art, it’s something we’re always looking out for, and the Leake Street Tunnel is a really accessible venue to take them. Re-visiting Leake Street Tunnel with kids Leake Street and the Leake Street Tunnel are a couple of minutes walk from London Waterloo and the South Bank. Leake Street is a place…