• Family Life - Monday Happy List

    Five Happy Things {Week 243}

    I love to start the week by writing Five Happy Things. 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 enjoy writing. Half term has felt super busy as we started with a weekend at Centre Parcs Woburn, visited Bletchley Park, visited my mum in Wiltshire, spent a day at Chiltern Open Air Museum, went to the cinema, as well as another visit to the hospital to sort my son’s cast out. Looking…

  • Buckinghamshire - Family Life

    A visit to Bletchley Park with tweens

    I still can’t write about our trip to Centre Parc Woburn just yet (there was just far too much sick and blood!). However on the way home we decided to stop off at Bletchley Park. We hadn’t visited in over 10 years and definitely not with tweens, so were long overdue a visit. A visit to Bletchley Park with tweens Bletchley Park near Milton Keynes is a lovely Victorian country house built in the Victorian Gothic, Tudor, and Dutch Baroque styles. During the Second World War it was the home of the British Government Code and Cypher School (GC&CS) and home…

  • Crafts for kids - Painted rocks

    How to make Galaxy Painted Rocks

    Have you tried making painted rocks with your children? They are so much fun to make and hide that it’s been a favourite craft of ours for the last few months. Being part of an active Facebook group definitely helps as people regularly post that they have found and re-hidden our painted rocks. We recently had fun decorating Galaxy Painted Rocks so I thought I would share how we made them. Supplies Bag of smooth pebbles or rocks (we like these – Amazon affiliate link) Black spray paint Blue, purple and white acrylic paint Varnish to seal the painted rocks (we…

  • competition - Family Life

    Celebrate Season 2 of Vampirina and win a goody bag

    My daughter loves watching the Disney Junior TV show Vampirina, which celebrates friendship and difference – with a spooktacular twist! The show is based on the Vampirina Ballerina series of books written by Anne Marie Pace and illustrated by LeUyen Pham. Vampirina follows the story of Vampirina “Vee” Hauntley who becomes the new kid on the block after she and her family move from Transylvania to Pennsylvania to open a local bed and breakfast called the Scare B&B for visiting ghouls and goblins. The show launched last year on Disney Junior and we have been eagerly awaiting the arrival of…

  • What I'm reading

    The Warehouse by Rob Hart

    I was looking for something to read recently when I came across The Warehouse by Rob Hart. The blurb grabbed my attention so I had to read it, even though it wasn’t the type of book I would normally go for. I’m so pleased I tried something new! The Warehouse is a dystopian novel set in America. The Warehouse by Rob Hart Gun violence, climate change and unemployment have ravaged the United States beyond recognition. Amidst the wreckage, an online retail giant named Cloud reigns supreme. Cloud brands itself not just as an online storefront, but as a global saviour.…

  • Family Life

    New Series 3 SuperZings out now!

    My son loves his SuperZings collection. He’s always been a huge Lego fan but for the first time even, this weekend he left his Lego at home and took his SuperZing collection when we went away for the weekend. This is huge! Series 3 SuperZings SuperZings are everyday objects transformed into Superheroes and Supervillains. They are a great pocket money toy and easy to collect and swap with friends. Series 3 carries on the Rivals of Kaboom theme but with lots of new characters to collect. They are great for imaginative kids who love to make up stories with their…

  • Family Life - Monday Happy List

    Five Happy Things {Week 242}

    I love to start the week by writing Five Happy Things. 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 enjoy writing. Five Happy Things {Week 242} Last week my daughter finished her Year 2 SATs. For some reason her school decided to run them over two weeks. I would have preferred them over and done with in one week but the school must have had their reasons for delaying them. My daughter…

  • Crafts for kids - Fourth of July crafts

    Fourth of July paper banner craft for kids

    This year we wanted to make a craft to commemorate the Fourth of July. Independence Day is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the Declaration of Independence of the United States on July 4th, 1776. The Continental Congress declared that the thirteen American colonies were no longer subject to the monarch of Britain and were now united, free, and independent states. We love a paper craft and thought kids would enjoy our simple Fourth of July paper banner craft. Fourth of July paper banner supplies: Coloured craft papers – red, blue and white Scissors Craft glue Pencil Glitter…

  • Crafts for adults

    Rebels Get Results {Cotton Clara x Rebecca Strickson}

    A few weeks ago my husband gave me an embroidery kit. I love a hand sewing project so was pretty excited to receive something from Cotton Clara as I pretty much lust over everything in her shop {take a look here!}. She sells modern embroidery kits which are perfect for some mindful crafting. I have to be honest, after a day at work and then looking after my kids, I find my mind is pretty frazzled. I love something I can just pick up, so this was a great embroidery kit for me. Rebels Get Results The Rebels Get Results…