• Celebrate Thanksgiving with simple Pilgrims Hat Cookies to celebrate Thanksgiving with the gingerbread house
    baking - Crafts for adults - Thanksgiving crafts

    Celebrate Thanksgiving with simple Pilgrims Hat Cookies

    November 3, 2018 - By 

    Do you know I first celebrated Thanksgiving in 1995? When I was at University at St Andrews I lived in Halls with lots of International students and was invited to celebrate Thanksgiving with them. We had an amazing meal that evening! Thanksgiving Day is a national holiday in the United States, and this year Thanksgiving occurs on Thursday, 22nd November. In 1621, the Plymouth colonists and Wampanoag Indians shared an autumn harvest feast that is acknowledged as one of the first Thanksgiving celebrations in the colonies. For more than two centuries, days of thanksgiving were celebrated by individual colonies and…

  • competition - Family Life - film review

    Win 1 of 2 copies of The Littlest Reindeer DVD

    November 2, 2018 - By 

    It’s very British to talk about the weather but I just can’t help it! What happened to the weather this week? It’s been so cold and I’ve been de-icing my car every morning before I drive off to work. Anyway, the cold weather has been keeping us indoors after school so I was pleased to be able to bring out a new film for us all to watch. Join the adorably ambitious “littlest reindeer”, Elliot, this Christmas as he sets his sights on becoming the newest – and tiniest – member of Santa’s reindeer team! The Littlest Reindeer With an…

  • 8 must-have stocking fillers for men
    competition - Family Life

    8 must-have stocking fillers for men {which you can win!}

    November 1, 2018 - By 

    With Halloween over for another year my thoughts have turned to Christmas. It may seen a little early but we all know that us mums like to be organised and plan! Christmas is the biggest event of the year for our family and I find that a little planning goes a long way to ensure everything runs smoothly. With two young children I admit that Christmas is a lot about the presents. There are the Advent calendars, the ‘big’ Christmas presents and of course the stockings! I’m excited to team up with Rex London who asked me to work with…

  • Nature Month-by-Month A Children’s Almanac for 2019
    book review - Crafts for kids

    Nature Month-by-Month {A Children’s Almanac for 2019}

    November 1, 2018 - By 

    We love celebrating the seasons here at the gingerbread house. We can’t resist a beautiful new book for children so were delighted to receive a copy of Nature Month-by-Month. This is a lovely book which takes you on an inspirational month-by-month journey through the seasons. Nature Month-by-Month {A Children’s Almanac for 2019} Beautifully illustrated in full colour throughout by Elly Jahnz and written by nature-lover and wild swimmer Anna Wilson, this fantastic guide to the year includes nature spotter and animal behaviour guides, indoor and outdoor craft and activity ideas, seasonal recipes, and celebrations of religious festivals and special days…

  • Yayoi Kusama pumpkins and paintings in London
    Crafts for adults - days out - Local Review - London

    Yayoi Kusama pumpkins and paintings in London

    October 31, 2018 - By 

    A few weeks ago I heard that a Yayoi Kusama installation was coming to London and I immediately booked tickets. I am so glad I did because they quickly sold out. I booked for a day during half term and this was our only planned day out in London. Yayoi Kusama: THE MOVING MOMENT WHEN I WENT TO THE UNIVERSE The Yayoi Kusama installation is a free event at the Victoria Miro gallery near Old Street. Arriving at our allotted time, we showed our tickets and were allowed inside the gallery. Handed another ticket, we were then ushered upstairs to queue…

  • Crafts for adults

    Amazing ways to make an art of waste

    October 30, 2018 - By 

    Photo by Paweł Czerwiński on Unsplash Sending ton after ton of rubbish to landfill for decades or even centuries before it biodegrades is a bad idea from any perspective. Fortunately, in recent years, we have got a little wiser with our waste. Recycling is on the up, but that doesn’t just mean putting your cans and paper in the right coloured container. Here are some unusual ways that those with some imagination can recycle their rubbish – by turning it into art. The art of trash It’s not unusual for great (or at least expensive) works of art to be rubbish. But you do…

  • Making Halloween squishies with Duck Tape
    Crafts for kids - Duck Tape crafts - Halloween crafts

    Making Halloween squishies with Duck Tape

    October 29, 2018 - By 

    We’ve been to some really fun craft workshops for kids at our local Hobbycraft. They are always affordable and the staff have been lovely and helpful. This weekend we popped along to our local store to make Duck Tape Halloween squishies. I could tell from the picture that they would be fun so booked places and went along. Making Halloween squishies with Duck Tape We’ve made some squishies before. They are so simple to make and don’t require many materials. For our Duck Tape squishies we needed Duck Tape, Supersoft Toy Filling, Clear cellophane bags and a black permanent pen.…

  • visiting Woodhenge
    Family Life - mindfulness - Monday Happy List

    Monday mindfulness – 5 happy things

    October 29, 2018 - By 

    Happy Monday everyone. Hope you had a great weekend and enjoyed the beautiful weather we’ve been experiencing in London over half term. 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 We started the week in Wiltshire with a brief visit to my mum. The weather was so good to us and we stopped…

  • Wands Ready: Fantastic Beasts/Wizarding World Wands installation London
    days out - Family Life - Local Review - London - Wizarding World crafts

    Wands Ready: Fantastic Beasts/Wizarding World Wands installation London

    October 28, 2018 - By 

    We were in London last week and just had to stop off to visit the brand new Harry Potter Wand Walk. Have you heard about it? Helping to raise awareness of Lumos, the charity set up by J.K Rowling which works towards ending the institutionalisation of children around the globe, the installation has been created with the City of London Arts initiative ahead of the release of Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald next month. Wizarding World Wands Supporting Lumos Fantastic Beasts: Wizarding World Wands Supporting Lumos is a free installation, open to the public between 18th October and 12th November. Head down…