• book review - competition

    Win a copy of The Spectacular City by Teresa Heapy

    One day, adventurous Mouse determines to set off to the bright lights of the spectacular city, accompanied by his friend Bear. But the city is full of distractions and dangers, and Mouse might need his steadfast friend more than he realises … With Autumn here it’s time to wrap up warm and take things a little slower. Curl up with your little ones and read Teresa Heapy’s gorgeous new adventure tale. With instructions on how to make your own paper aeroplane included, this is the perfect activity for a rainy afternoon. Why not take a crisp afternoon walk to your…

  • Family Life - film review

    The pawfect afternoon {Show Dogs film review}

    My 6 year old just loves dogs. She really wants a dog of her own but it’s just not practical at the moment. Instead she has to make do with cuddly toy dogs, books about dogs and films about dogs. We missed Show Dogs when it was released earlier this year so were happy to be sent a copy to watch at home. Yesterday we enjoyed a quiet afternoon at home which was perfect for snuggling up under a blanket and watching Show Dogs. Show Dogs film review Have you heard of Show Dogs? It’s the pawfect family film, following…

  • mindfulness - Monday Happy List

    Monday mindfulness – 5 happy things

    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 I survived another week at work. I have to admit I’m finding my new job a bit of a struggle. My children have adapted to going to Breakfast Club really well, they are pretty tired by…

  • baking - Crafts for adults - gingerbread

    Delicious Chocolate Gingerbread Brownie recipe

    With the weather turning a little cooler I felt it was time to start baking again. After such a long, hot summer I’ve been craving my Autumnal comforts, such as homemade brownie after a walk in the woods. I noticed a jar of stem ginger in the back of the fridge and thought I would try a twist on our favourite brownies with the addition of some melted chocolate and stem ginger. It worked so well that I had to write the recipe down so I can find the recipe again when I need it and of course, share it…

  • Family Life - Minecraft crafts - STEM activity

    Minecraft STEM Challenge books for kids

    MY 8 year old loves playing Minecraft, especially with his Dad. He’s got a great imagination and loves to build his own creations. He also likes a little help and has a good collection of Minecraft books to inspire him. He was recently sent two new Minecraft STEM Challenge books to read and tell you about – Build a City and Build a Theme Park. Minecraft STEM Challenge: Build a City Build a bustling Minecraft metropolis – and get to grips with STEM concepts (science, technology, engineering and maths) as you play! Using core STEM principles, this book will take…

  • Crafts for adults - Mollie Makes crafts

    Mollie Makes Kitsch Festive Loom Kit

    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. The last issue contained a crochet kit which I passed to a friend so I was looking forward to the new issue arriving. Mollie Makes Kitsch Festive Loom Kit Issue 97 of Mollie Makes included a Kitsch Festive Loom Kit designed by Natasha Humphreys. The…

  • Autumn - Crafts for kids - Nature crafts

    Using leaves to make an autumnal sun catcher

    My children are little magpies, collecting leaves, conkers and acorns wherever we go. Over the weekend we had a lovely walk in our local woods where we went on a little scavenger hunt, encouraging them to collect different coloured leaves along the way. The sun was falling through the trees overhead and it was lovely to be out after a morning of heavy rain. My youngest ran and ran, only stopping when she came across a den amongst the trees, or to show us something she had found. I wanted to use the autumnal leaves they had picked up so…

  • Blogger Board Game Club - Family Life

    What makes the perfect family board game? {Ticket To Ride Europe}

    With dozens of international awards and over 6 Million games sold, the Ticket to Ride series is one of the most popular modern board game series to date! Someone recommended it to us last year and I bought a copy for my husband’s birthday. It was the US version and has given us hours of fun as a family. Have you heard of Ticket to Ride? It’s a cross-country train adventure where players collect cards of various types of train cars that enable them to claim railway routes connecting cities. I mentioned the other day that we had teamed up with Asmodee and…

  • mindfulness - Monday Happy List

    Monday mindfulness – 5 Happy Things

    Happy Monday everyone. Hope you had a great weekend. I was pretty happy to see the weekend after going back to work. 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 we were really lucky to be sent some wonderful toys to review. My children love making unboxing videos and we had…