• Family Life - mindfulness - Monday Happy List

    Monday mindfulness – 5 happy things

    December 3, 2018 - By 

    Happy Monday everyone. Hope you had a great weekend. Each week I start off by writing my Monday mindfulness – 5 happy things blog post. It’s a great chance to 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. Monday mindfulness – 5 happy things Last week was especially busy as we celebrated my daughter’s 7th birthday. She was incredibly excited and I planned a Hatchimals theme as that’s her favourite toy at the moment. We had Hatchimals gifts, tableware,…

  • Win 4 rolls of Duck Glitter tape for crafting
    competition - Crafts for adults

    Win 4 rolls of Duck Glitter tape for crafting

    December 2, 2018 - By 

    We love crafting with Duck Tape. It’s so easy to use and can be used for all kinds of crafts around the home. We love making things all year round with it but did you know there is a special glitter tape for this time of year? So far we’ve made Duck Glitter festive balls  and even some Duck Tape Christmas Cutlery Holders There are all kinds of things you can make and who doesn’t want added sparkle at this time of year? A quick look on Pinterest and you will find ideas from Duck Glitter gift boxes to bunting and hair…

  • 20+ Stem Gifts for 5-9 Year Olds
    Family Life - Gift guide - STEM activity

    20+ Stem Gifts for 5-9 Year Olds

    December 2, 2018 - By 

    How are you getting on with your Christmas shopping? I love shopping for my children, and try to get a range of toys and books which will last them over the year. I particularly enjoy finding STEM gifts for them as I know they are challenging and help them learn. We have reviewed some wonderful STEM toys over the last few years so I thought it would be fun to pull together 20+ Stem Gifts for 5-9 Year Olds. 20+ Stem Gifts for 5-9 Year Olds Under $15 Shark Tooth Dig Kit Stomp Rocket Junior Tenergy ODEV Dynamo Lantern Educational STEM…

  • 20+ Harry Potter Gifts for Kids
    Family Life - Gift guide

    20+ Harry Potter Gifts for Kids

    December 1, 2018 - By 

    My 7 year old is just crazy about Harry Potter. Having grown up reading the books myself, I’m happy that she has fallen under the spell of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter too. Last month we were able to visit the special Harry Potter Wand Walk near St Paul’s Cathedral. The children loved seeing the different wands belonging to all their favourite characters. With Christmas fast approaching, I thought it would be fun to pull together a Harry Potter-inspired gift guide for kids*. I find it pretty easy to find things my children would love to open, I hope…

  • Playmobil City Life Children's Playground review
    Family Life - Playmobil Playologist

    Playmobil City Life Children’s Playground review

    November 30, 2018 - By 

    My children have always enjoyed playing with Playmobil toys. We were Playmobil Playologists for many years which means they have an amazing collection of Playmobil to play with. These are some of their favourite toys so they were delighted to receive the Playmobil City Life Children’s Playground, which is available from Smyths, to review. Playmobil City Life Children’s Playground The children have always enjoyed small world play and Playmobil is just brilliant for inspiring children. We have always found Playmobil to be excellent quality and pretty robust for little hands. The Playmobil Children’s Playground is part of the City Life range. You…

  • Slow cooker gingerbread recipe
    baking - Crafts for adults - gingerbread

    Slow cooker gingerbread recipe

    November 30, 2018 - By 

    At this time of year our Slow cooker gets a lot of use. It’s great as a working mum because I can pop everything in first thing in the morning, and come back from work with a meal ready to eat. It gets used a lot for family meals but today I wanted to share a different type of recipe, for an all year round favourite – gingerbread! Gingerbread is a tasty pudding all year round but is perfect during these colder months. It is so easy to prepare and absolutely delicious, especially if served with whipped cream or ice…

  • Something for the weekend with PlayStation
    Family Life

    Something for the weekend with PlayStation

    November 29, 2018 - By 

    A few weeks ago we took delivery of a fun box of goodies from PlayStation. My family are huge gamers, especially my 8 year old, so we were delighted to receive some of the latest games to try out at home. Something for the weekend with PlayStation Our special delivery was based around a box divided into 4 parts: In It Together, Pass & Play, Sofa Standoffs and All Back To Mine. The idea was to equip us with an arsenal of games which could be in a variety of situations: with friends, family and even on your own. Inside…

  • L.O.L. Surprise! Pop-Up Store Playset
    Family Life

    L.O.L. Surprise! Pop-Up Store Playset

    November 29, 2018 - By 

    My daughter loves her L.O.L. Surprise collection. I love the fact that the dolls and accessories are interchangeable. She has quite a few dolls but really needs a way of storing them so we were excited to be sent the new L.O.L. Surprise! Pop-Up Store Playset to review. This allows you to take your L.O.L. dolls out on the town. L.O.L. Surprise! Pop-Up Store Playset We love the L.O.L. Surprise toys although I have to admit they do come with a lot of bits. There are often the dolls, accessories, jokes, instructions and sometimes even a case to display them on.…

  • Mary Poppins inspired painted rock
    Crafts for adults - Painted rocks

    Mary Poppins inspired painted rock

    November 28, 2018 - By 

    Next month sees the release of Mary Poppins Returns, based on the book series by P. L. Travers and a sequel to 1964’s Mary Poppins. I grew up reading the books and loved watching this film so am really excited to see it. The first film was set in 1910 and Mary Poppins Returns is set in 1935 London, 25 years after the events of the original film. In the new film, Poppins, the former nanny of Jane and Michael Banks, returns after a family tragedy. I’m really hoping we will get the chance to see the new film during the Christmas holidays.…