• How to celebrate 75 years since VE Day
    Crafts for kids - Family Life

    How to celebrate 75 years since VE Day

    April 30, 2020 - By 

    Our Early May Bank Holiday was moved this year to the 8th May to commemorate 75 years since VE Day. VE Day – or Victory in Europe Day – is marked on 8th May and commemorates the Allies accepting the surrender of Nazi Germany in the Second World War. Events were planned over a 3 day weekend to mark this anniversary but sadly they’ve all been cancelled due to the pandemic. We were looking forward to a street party and events at school. How to celebrate 75 years since VE Day The VE Day anniversary will be another event that…

  • The Group by Lara Feigel
    What I'm reading

    The Group by Lara Feigel {book review}

    April 29, 2020 - By 

    Disclosure – thanks to NetGalley for letting me see a review copy of this book. When I began to think about the impending lockdown I thought this would be a great time to read and catch up on all sewing projects I wanted to do. Five weeks into lockdown and I’ve finished one book and one sewing project (which was pretty much nearly finished anyway). With two young children my hours are filled, as they should be, by keeping them busy and happy. Books and sewing have taken a back seat, with maths, colouring sheets, baking and walks pushed to…

  • NHS Rocks and Comfort Pebbles
    Crafts for kids - Painted rocks

    NHS Rocks and Comfort Pebbles

    April 28, 2020 - By 

    We love painting and decorating rocks to hide where we live. It’s a really popular hobby where we live and we have a lovely, active Facebook group where we can share pics. My children love to decorate rocks too and it’s something we’ve been enjoying together after home schooling (which isn’t going brilliantly). Craft has always helped us escape and we are doing more than ever at the moment. Over the last few weeks we’ve created a fun window display with rainbows and Thank You’s to our lovely key workers. It’s become a bit of a talking point and I…

  • Cub Scouts with their Thank the NHS Sign
    Monday Happy List

    Monday Happy List: Life in Lockdown {Week 5}

    April 27, 2020 - By 

    I love to start the week by writing the Monday Happy List. 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 usually a post I love to write but obviously life has changed considerably for us and everyone else in the UK over the last few weeks. Life is hard at the moment for everyone but I still want to try and record some of our happier moments. Monday Happy List {Week 289} My son loves sewing so we’re…

  • Mollie Makes Mini rainbow hanging
    Crafts for adults - Mollie Makes crafts

    Mini rainbow hanging

    April 26, 2020 - By 

    Regular readers will know that every month I challenge myself to make the Mollie Makes magazine cover gift. I’ve subscribed since it first came out and have had a drawer full of unopened kits – but no more! I’ve been making more time for grown up crafting and I love to make the kits and hopefully try something new. Mini rainbow hanging Issue 118 of Mollie Makes landed on my doorstep last week. I was excited to see it but upset that it’s going to be the last issue for a while. The magazine came with a cute plastic canvas rainbow kit which…

  • Yayoi Kasuma Covered Everything in Dots and Wasn't Sorry {book review}
    Family Life

    Yayoi Kasuma Covered Everything in Dots and Wasn’t Sorry {book review}

    April 25, 2020 - By 

    Back in October half term 2018 we were lucky to get tickets to the London Yayoi Kusama installation, a free event at the Victoria Miro gallery near Old Street. I’ve always admired Yayoi Kusama’s work and was excited to introduce the kids to her work. We loved the Infinity Mirrored Room, the giant pumpkins, paintings and installations. It was a really inspiring event for the whole family. We really loved the pumpkins covered in dots and tried to re-create them at home on painted rocks – it was so much harder than it looked! Yayoi Kasuma Covered Everything in Dots…

  • Simple Tatooine Bantha milk {aka Star Wars blue milk} from the gingerbread house blog
    Crafts for kids - Star Wars crafts

    Simple Tatooine Bantha milk {aka Star Wars blue milk}

    April 25, 2020 - By 

    Disclosure – collaborative post With May the Fourth (aka Star Wars Day) on the horizon next month we are looking forward to having something to celebrate. My son is the biggest Star Wars fans and has been re-watching all his favourite Star Wars films whilst we’ve been staying safe at home during the pandemic. We’ve been planning a trip to Disneyland for ages and although it’s not going to happen this year, hopefully we will be able to go soon. We’ve been looking around for the best Disneyland Paris Tickets and had planned a lovely few days exploring the park,…

  • The best place to see bluebells in West London
    Family Life - Local Review - London - Ruislip

    The best place to see bluebells in West London

    April 24, 2020 - By 

    I’m not sure if Spring came early this year but two weeks ago we came across the best place to see bluebells in West London. We are fortunate that Ruislip Woods is our go to place for our state sanctioned daily exercise. We might be a little biased, but I think it is the best place to see bluebells in West London. The best place to see bluebells in West London Ruislip Woods is a Site of Special Scientific Interest and national nature reserve covering 726 acres in Ruislip, Hillingdon. The woods became the first national nature reserve in an…

  • St George's Day mosaic for kids from the gingerbread house
    Crafts for kids - St George's Day crafts

    St George’s Day mosaic for kids

    April 23, 2020 - By 

    Today my children are wearing their Cubs uniforms in honour of St George’s Day. Normally we would be looking forward to taking part in our local St George’s Day parade but instead we have been asked to wear our uniform, especially during the Clap for Carers this evening. Every year we try to mark St George’s Day, the patron saint of England. We’ve had fun painting rocks, making dragons and decorating wooden spoons in the name of St George. Now my children are a little older but they still love the act of creating something from craft supplies. St George’s…