• Exploring Osterley Park West London
    Family Life - London

    Exploring Osterley Park West London

    December 19, 2020 - By 

    A few weeks ago we were looking for somewhere new to explore near us. 2020 has been all about exploring our local area. We’ve discovered some lovely places in West London and were keen to visit somewhere new to us. We didn’t have to venture too far to find Osterley Park in West London. Owned by the National Trust, we pre-booked our slot, and headed out for the day. Exploring Osterley Park West London The National Trust’s Osterley Park and House, is in Isleworth, West London. It comprises of a Georgian estate in gorgeous parkland. Like so much of London,…

  • Baking edible gingerbread decorations
    Family Life - gingerbread

    Baking edible gingerbread decorations

    December 16, 2020 - By 

    Over the weekend I decided to make one of the gingerbread kits I had bought and featured in my Gingerbread Gift Guide. I chose the Waitrose Gingerbread & Shortbread Decorating Kit. The kit helps you bake and decorate your own magical festive treats and included ingredients to make both gingerbread men and shortbread Christmas tree shaped biscuits. I thought these would be great for baking edible gingerbread decorations to hang on our tree. Baking edible gingerbread decorations I just needed to add unsalted butter, water and golden syrup to the packet mixes. First I made the shortbread, leaving it to…

  • Winter adventures with The Peter Rabbit Trail at Hughenden Manor
    Buckinghamshire - Family Life

    Winter adventures with The Peter Rabbit Trail at Hughenden Manor

    December 13, 2020 - By 

    Winter adventures seem a little slim on the ground at the moment. With so many events cancelled this year and everything else booked up we feel a little limited with our outdoor winter adventures. Thankfully we managed to get tickets to Hughenden Manor, one of our favourite National Trust days out, where we were able to explore the delightful Peter Rabbit Trail. Peter Rabbit winter adventure activity trail If you are looking for something fun to do outdoors with the kids then the good news is Peter Rabbit Trails are available at many National Trust properties this winter. You will…

  • Collectible Dreamworks AR Discs
    Family Life

    Collectible Dreamworks AR Discs {review}

    December 11, 2020 - By 

    My children love collecting things and the smaller the better. We were recently gifted some of the new collectible AR Discs to try out. We were kindly gifted a Collector Folder and single packs of the discs to open. My children love a toy which combines real life play and uses technology. They couldn’t wait to find out more! Collectible Dreamworks AR Discs The most innovative and dynamic new collectible craze is about to sweep the nation! AR Discs combine quality augmented reality with the collectability of premium interconnecting discs, to appeal to kids seeking more of an experience from…

  • our Advent 2020 box
    Family Life - Monday Happy List

    Monday Happy List {Week 321}

    December 7, 2020 - 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 List {Week 321} December usually goes really quickly for me and this year is no exception. Although our elves have been in isolation for 2 weeks they were finally free on Tuesday. They brought our Advent crate which contained the children’s advent calendars (Lego…

  • Northmoor Hill Local Nature Reserve
    Buckinghamshire - Family Life

    Northmoor Hill Local Nature Reserve

    December 6, 2020 - By 

    Thanks to a second lockdown we have been back to exploring our local area again. Thankfully we are on the outskirts of London so are spoilt for places to explore which are suitable for our Bichon Frise puppy and two children. A few weeks ago we explored Northmoor Hill Local Nature Reserve in Denham. This is another of those places which is really close and we were happy to have discovered it. Northmoor Hill Local Nature Reserve Northmoor Hill Local Nature Reserve is part of the Colne Valley Regional Park and we’ve explored small pockets of it this year. There’s…

  • Win Pass the Pud from Gibsons Games
    competition - Family Life

    Win Pass the Pud from Gibsons Games

    December 2, 2020 - By 

    We share a lot of family games because we love to play together. We’ve got into the habit of playing a different game after dinner  and have a great selection. We were recently gifted Pass the Pud from Gibsons Games. Read on for our review and your chance to win a copy. With the whole family stuffed with turkey and granny snoring away in the armchair, what better way to inject some inter-generational festive fun into Christmas afternoon than a fast-paced game of Pass the Pud, a belchingly good word game – and without the calories! Great entertainment for the…

  • Easy Apple and mincemeat crumble
    Family Life

    Easy Apple and mincemeat crumble

    November 29, 2020 - By 

    One of my favourite things about Christmas is the food. Baking is one of my favourite things and I enjoy trying festive dishes. We all enjoy mincepies but last year we were left with a lot of mincemeat. We used some in Mincemeat Palmiers which were lovely and simple to bake and tasted delicious, as well as a delicious Mincemeat and Marzipan loaf. It made me realise that you don’t need to use mincemeat in mincepies, you can enjoy it in lots of other ways. Today I wanted to share our recipe for Apple and Mincemeat Crumble which is a…

  • A visit to Oxhey Woods Sculpture Trail
    Family Life - Hertfordshire - Sculpture trails

    A visit to Oxhey Woods Sculpture Trail

    November 28, 2020 - By 

    Last weekend we popped along to the Oxhey Woods Sculpture Trail in Oxhey Woods just outside Watford. It’s a place we’ve driven past many times but never had time to explore. The weather was gorgeous and we couldn’t wait to have a walk in the sunshine. Oxhey Woods Sculpture Trail Oxhey Woods is the largest Local Nature Reserve in the Three Rivers District. Although it’s always lovely to take a walk through the woods we couldn’t wait to walk the circular trail which runs through the southern woodland. Along the route you’ll find a series of sculptures, the work of several…