• Easy no sew Liberty fabric pumpkins
    Autumn - Crafts for adults - Halloween crafts

    Easy no sew Liberty fabric pumpkins

    September 25, 2021 - By 

    I wanted to do something a little different with my Halloween decorations this year. As the children get older they seem to enjoy simpler decorations. I’ve already had a good sort out of our Halloween decorations, getting them down from 3 boxes to 1! I’m not sure how we ended up with so many things but I was very happy to drop them off at the charity shop today. I came across some small papier mache pumpkins I had picked up a few years ago but never got round to using. When I spotted a box of Liberty scraps I…

  • Journey to the Lost River
    What I'm reading

    Journey to the Lost River {book review}

    September 22, 2021 - By 

    My daughter has been enjoying being back at school. She’s now in Year 5 and they have been learning all about the Amazon and reading Journey to the River Sea by Eva Ibbotson. She’s delighted to be learning about the Amazon and we were excited to be gifted a copy of Journey to the Lost River, from the creator of The Lost Book of Adventure: from the notebooks of the Unknown Adventurer. The Lost Book of Adventure was published in 2019 and features sketchbooks and notebooks discovered by nature enthusiast Teddy Keen on a recent trip to the Amazon. The…

  • puppy bandana
    Monday Happy List

    Monday Happy Things {Week 362}

    September 20, 2021 - 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 362} Last week I was mainly reading The Dictionary of Lost Words by Pip Williams. In 1901, the word ‘Bondmaid’ was discovered missing from the Oxford English Dictionary. This is the story of the girl who stole it. I didn’t realise it…

  • Family Life

    Planning travel with kids

    September 18, 2021 - By 

    Disclosure – post in collaboration with Omio With half term approaching I can’t help but plan our next family adventure. There are so many places I want to explore with the kids. We all work hard and our holidays are a chance to kick back and relax and enjoy the opportunity to spend time together. Planning travel with kids The current situation means we will be staying in the UK this half term. This is fine by me as there are so many places I want to explore in the UK. Margate has been on our list for a while…

  • How to make an origami Witch's Hat
    Crafts for kids - Halloween crafts

    How to make an origami Witch’s Hat

    September 16, 2021 - By 

    I love the Halloween season and it’s such a fun time to craft with kids! I love how we have started to craft round the table after school again. Today I wanted to share how to make an origami Witch’s Hat. My son loves origami and these are a really fun Halloween craft activity for kids. You will need: Coloured craft paper in black, yellow and brown Scissors Craft glue How to make an origami Witch’s Hat Select a square paper for the origami hat; we’re using a 10 inches x 10 inches paper. Fold the square paper into half…

  • initial J embroidery pattern
    Family Life

    Monday Happy Things {Week 361}

    September 13, 2021 - 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 361} Last week my son started secondary school which was a bit of a rollercoaster for him and us. He looked very grown up in his new uniform. Two school runs in different places at two different times is very exciting (and…

  • Exploring Church Gardens, Harefield
    Family Life - Hillingdon

    Exploring Church Gardens, Harefield

    September 12, 2021 - By 

    You all know that I love to explore my local area at the weekend. It’s easy to live somewhere and assume you know the area because you do the school run or shop on the high street. The first Lockdown we experienced last year meant we REALLY explored our local area. We took the chance to go on walks and re-visit them over and over again. We visited in Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter, and some of those places are now our favourite places to go with the kids and the dog. However, we are still discovering new places on…

  • The Wild Before by Piers Torday
    competition

    Win a copy of The Wild Before

    September 11, 2021 - By 

    The Wild Before is a stunning prequel to the bestselling and beloved The Last Wild trilogy, which explores the topical yet timeless themes of environmental awareness, friendship and hope. Piers Torday’s award-winning storytelling – which has earned him the Guardian Children’s Fiction Prize and a CILIP Carnegie Medal nomination – builds an unforgettable world of classic folklore and extraordinary adventure that has captivated readers of all ages. The Wild Before by Piers Torday One frosty winter’s night, a pure white calf is born on an ordinary muddy farm by the light of a silver moon. This is the legendary Mooncalf, whose…

  • DIY Paper Pumpkin Garland
    Autumn - Crafts for kids - Halloween crafts

    DIY Paper Pumpkin Garland

    September 9, 2021 - By 

    Autumn has definitely arrived, despite that mini heatwave we enjoyed earlier this week. The days are getting shorter and we have already enjoyed homemade blackberry and apple pie! I love Autumn and I’ve been enjoying sitting with my children round the table after a day at school. We love to craft as we chat about our day and had so much with this DIY paper pumpkin garland. It makes a great decoration for Autumn and you can keep it up right up until Halloween! List of craft supplies: Coloured papers Twine, yarn or thick string Craft glue Pencil Scissors Pumpkin…