Amanda Blake Soule was one of the first bloggers I discovered and enjoyed reading back in 2005 (when I first started my own blog too!). She is a mother of five, blog and book writer, magazine editor, and maker of all kinds of things. On her blog, Soulemama, she shares tales of her family homesteading adventures from her old farmhouse in Western Maine. She is the author of three books: The Creative Family, Handmade Home, and The Rhythm of Family. I have the first two and I admit they have influenced how I play with my own children. So I…
-
-
We are definitely feeling that the end of term is coming. Every thing is finishing which is kind of satisfying but also scary because that means the summer holidays! My son has handed in his school library book for the last time, finished his handwriting book and had his last Gardening Club session. Only 3 weeks left and still so much to squeeze in! It’s time for my Monday Happy Things post – the 5 things which made me really happy in the last 7 days. My to do list is always long but I’ve excelled myself by buying some uniform…
-
I love reading! I love discovering new authors and losing myself in a really good book. Regular readers will know that I’ve been a fan of NetGalley for a while. I’ve read some great books via NetGalley and when I saw the cover for Midnight at the Bright Ideas Bookstore I just knew I wanted to read it. It landed on my Kindle and I read it in just a few days, I absolutely loved it! Midnight at the Bright Ideas Bookstore When a bookshop patron commits suicide, it’s his favourite store clerk who must unravel the puzzle he left behind…
-
I’m a huge fan of subscription boxes so it’s probably no surprise that my children love receiving happy mail too. I find subscription boxes are perfect for the weekend. We all have a little more time to kick back and relax and they are great when the children need some quiet time. We received the latest box from mila & pheebs, this is a great subscription box for kids containing stationery and crafty activities. You can see a previous box reviewed by us here. Take a look at our unboxing video to see the theme of the latest box: The theme…
-
Nothing says Great British summertime like your favourite ice cream flavours, and this summer, Fox’s Glacier has launched an extra-special edition to help you re-live summers gone by. Brought to you by the makers of Fox’s Glacier Mints, Fox’s Glacier Fruits and Fox’s Glacier Darks, a range which has been enjoyed up and down the country for 99 years, Fox’s Ice Cream Favourites are inspired by the nation’s favourite flavours. Each pack contains an irresistible mix of Raspberry Ripple, Strawberry Cream, Rum & Raisin and Banana flavoured sweets, which are guaranteed to bring back memories of choosing your favourite flavour…
-
Happy Monday! Time for my weekly Monday happy things, sharing the five things which have made me happiest in the previous week. Last week was good although it started off with my son having two days off school with tummy ache. This seems to be a long term problem and I was happy that the Doctor finally gave him a referral to the Hospital. It’s never nice seeing your child in pain and he’s had a lot of time off school this year. I’m hoping this will be the start of sorting him out. Luckily he went back to school…
-
I’ve been a fan of subscription boxes since I first discovered them. I like receiving happy post and my children now love them as much as I do. Thankfully there are some brilliant subscription boxes for kids and we were delighted to try out Trunkaroo – creativity by post. Trunkaroo is a monthly art and science subscription box for kids. Each month they deliver delightful and enriching hands-on activities, science experiments, art projects and DIY games right to your door! Take a look at our unboxing video to see what my 7 year old thought: The theme for the trunk was…
-
I’m so pleased that my 5 year old takes after me and loves stationery. She collects rubbers and stickers, the cuter the better. So when we were offered one of the new Blippo Surprise Kawaii Stationery Bags I had to accept. We love all things kawaii and I knew this would be a great way to discover some fun, cute and colourful products. The Blippo Surprise Kawaii Stationery Bag is inspired by the Fukubukuro lucky mystery bags which are popular in Japan. The bags are packed with random kawaii items of cute and practical stationery. Each bag includes a mix…
-
I’m writing my weekly Happy Things post slightly later than usual. I was working this morning and just couldn’t face getting up early to write it. I’ve been working quite a few hours recently which has seriously eaten into my blogging time. I have a new found appreciation for all those parents who juggle work and children and write a blog. Last week we went crazy for Father’s Day. My children wanted to make cards and gifts for their Dad so we’ve been making things after school. I think they might burst with excitement if Father’s Day doesn’t hurry up…
