• Win a Sylvanian Families Gingerbread Playhouse
    competition - Family Life - Friends of Sylvanian Families

    Win a Sylvanian Families Gingerbread Playhouse

    February 11, 2020 - By 

    My daughter has always loved playing with her Sylvanian Families collection, especially the baby figures. When I spotted the Sylvanian Families Gingerbread Playhouse in our local toy shop I knew I had to buy it for her. Sylvanian Families Gingerbread Playhouse The Sylvanian Families Gingerbread Playhouse contains a baby figure dressed in a cute Santa costume and a delicious-looking Gingerbread house and a little cookie sleigh. The Gingerbread Playhouse set includes a Marshmallow Mouse Baby Santa that can go down the chimney of the cabin-like Gingerbread Playhouse and ride the cookie sleigh. The limited edition Gingerbread Playhouse and sleigh are…

  • 13 week old Bichon Frise
    Monday Happy List

    Monday Happy List {Week 278}

    February 10, 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 a post I love to write. Monday Happy List {Week 278} Did you survive Storm Ciara intact? Luckily we didn’t have any damage to our house and managed to do a few things and keep busy. Our poor little pup hated the wind and just didn’t want to go out in it (which resulted in a…

  • My Mindful Journal and My Feelings Journal
    Family Life

    Mindful journals for kids

    February 9, 2020 - By 

    Upside Down Books is the brand-new children’s imprint of independent publisher Trigger Publishing. Upside Down publishes fiction and non-fiction books for children which encourage conversation around mental health and wellbeing. Their titles promote positivity, emotional intelligence and mindfulness for children, whilst being beautiful, age-appropriate and, most of all…enjoyable! What is mindfulness? So what is mindfulness? It’s something that we love to practise and has a positive effect on our lives. It involves paying more attention to the present moment – to your own thoughts and feelings, and to the world around you – all of which can improve your mental…

  • Love Hearts inspired painted rocks
    Crafts for kids - Painted rocks - Valentines Day crafts

    Love Hearts inspired painted rocks

    February 5, 2020 - By 

    We love making our own painted rocks. They are such a simple but fun craft that anyone can do With Valentine’s Day coming up next week, why not make a few Love Hearts inspired painted rocks? These are a calorie-free treat which everyone will love to find! We used: Bag of smooth pebbles or rocks Selection of posca pens Varnish to seal the painted rocks (we use Wilko Gloss Yacht Varnish) How to make Love Hearts inspired painted rocks First we washed our rocks in warm soapy water and left them to dry. Then we raided our craft supplies for…

  • Bichon Frise puppy 12 weeks
    Monday Happy List

    Monday Happy List {Week 277}

    February 3, 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 a post I love to write. Monday Happy List {Week 277} Last week we attended a puppy induction talk/Dog School at our local Dog’s Trust. It was a really interesting talk and we are looking forward to starting our proper classes (with our pup!) in a few weeks. Our little puppy turned 12 weeks and what…

  • Plusnet hack at home
    Family Life

    Hack at Home {Plusnet X Scouts}

    February 2, 2020 - By 

    Both my children are interested in a more sustainable way of living. I love that they are always coming up with ways to cut down on waste at home and find ways to reduce, reuse and recycle. My son recently became a travel ambassador at school, encouraging more people to walk or cycle to school and reduce unnecessary car journeys. Preparing for the Future campaign My kids are real digital kids, never happier than with a tablet in their hands. But this is something we encourage them to do. They are also members of Cubs and I think they strike…

  • The Lost Lights of St Kilda by Elisabeth Gifford
    book review - What I'm reading

    The Lost Lights of St Kilda by Elisabeth Gifford

    February 1, 2020 - By 

    I felt that I wasn’t doing very well in my 2020 Goodreads challenge until I saw the front cover of The Lost Lights of St Kilda by Elisabeth Gifford on NetGalley (thank you NetGalley for the chance to read this book!). I spent 5 years living in Scotland, which is where I first heard about the magical islands of St Kilda, an isolated archipelago of islands some 40 miles off the west coast of Scotland. The Lost Lights of St Kilda is set on the beautiful and remote islands, linking one of the islands inhabitants, Chrissie, to a parallel story…

  • Family Life

    Four craft ideas for someone in a nursing home

    January 30, 2020 - By 

    Disclosure – this is a collaborative guest post Craft is a fantastic activity for people in nursing homes. It keeps minds active and encourages them to use the muscles in their hands and fingers. It can also encourage them to remember things from their past and can involve all of their senses, such as smell and touch. The feel of wool or the smell of glue may remind them of their youth and bring up memories they thought were long forgotten. All this helps to keep their minds and bodies healthier for longer. Furthermore, it can give them a sense…

  • Crafting: Winter Craftpod subscription box
    Crafts for adults

    Crafting: Winter Craftpod subscription box

    January 29, 2020 - By 

    It’s been a slow start to the year for me. Our little pup takes a lot of time (I’m constantly watching for signs he needs the loo!) so I haven’t had much free time. That’s why I love a subscription box though! They contain everything you need and the projects can usually be finished in a few evenings. Winter Craftpod subscription box My husband kindly gifted me the Winter Craftpod box for Christmas, which was a lovely treat. I tried to resist any spoilers of the contents on Instagram so was delighted when I was able to open it. This…