Amanda Blake Soule was one of the first bloggers I discovered and enjoyed reading back in 2005 (when I first started my own blog too!). She is a mother of five, blog and book writer, magazine editor, and maker of all kinds of things. On her blog, Soulemama, she shares tales of her family homesteading adventures from her old farmhouse in Western Maine. She is the author of three books: The Creative Family, Handmade Home, and The Rhythm of Family. I have the first two and I admit they have influenced how I play with my own children. So I…
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I think a tuff pot must be one of the best products I ever bought. It gets used a lot, especially in the warmer months, and is the perfect size for both my children to use together. At the weekend my children got out their Fairy Busy Box for some small world play. The weather was lovely and warm and it was great to see them setting up the tuff spot for some fairy garden play. Our Fairy Busy Box is actually overflowing (like every other toy box) but this meant they had plenty to keep them busy. It contains…
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I love my children but the one conversation I’m not looking forward to is any of the grown up ones! Both my children are inquisitive little people and I like and encourage that. I always tell them there’s no such thing as a silly question and if I don’t know the answer I can help them find it. However I know that soon my children will enter the period known as the ‘tween’ years, those troublesome pre-teenager years. I know that I will need to be able to equip them with everything they need to know to navigate those awkward…
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We are definitely feeling that the end of term is coming. Every thing is finishing which is kind of satisfying but also scary because that means the summer holidays! My son has handed in his school library book for the last time, finished his handwriting book and had his last Gardening Club session. Only 3 weeks left and still so much to squeeze in! It’s time for my Monday Happy Things post – the 5 things which made me really happy in the last 7 days. My to do list is always long but I’ve excelled myself by buying some uniform…
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I love reading! I love discovering new authors and losing myself in a really good book. Regular readers will know that I’ve been a fan of NetGalley for a while. I’ve read some great books via NetGalley and when I saw the cover for Midnight at the Bright Ideas Bookstore I just knew I wanted to read it. It landed on my Kindle and I read it in just a few days, I absolutely loved it! Midnight at the Bright Ideas Bookstore When a bookshop patron commits suicide, it’s his favourite store clerk who must unravel the puzzle he left behind…
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There has been a lot of chatter here about the latest Despicable Me film which was released on Friday 30th June. Despicable Me 3 is a brilliant family film. We were lucky to attend the premiere in Leicester Square last weekend and we all thoroughly enjoyed the film. The mischievous Minions hope that Gru will return to a life of crime after the new boss of the Anti-Villain League fires him. Instead, Gru decides to remain retired and travel to Freedonia to meet his long-lost twin brother for the first time. The reunited siblings soon find themselves in an uneasy…
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I’m a huge fan of subscription boxes so it’s probably no surprise that my children love receiving happy mail too. I find subscription boxes are perfect for the weekend. We all have a little more time to kick back and relax and they are great when the children need some quiet time. We received the latest box from mila & pheebs, this is a great subscription box for kids containing stationery and crafty activities. You can see a previous box reviewed by us here. Take a look at our unboxing video to see the theme of the latest box: The theme…
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A few weekends ago we met up with some friends at Mottisfont House and Gardens in Hampshire. Entry was free with our National Trust membership cards and we had a great day out exploring the house and gardens. The weather wasn’t great (ok, it rained on and off all day) but it didn’t stop us from spending an insane amount of time outside. Mottisfont House is a former Augustinian priory set beside the River Test with an amazing park and garden. The park has ancient trees and an eighteenth century summer house. The Lime Walk was designed by Geoffrey Jellicoe…
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Nothing says Great British summertime like your favourite ice cream flavours, and this summer, Fox’s Glacier has launched an extra-special edition to help you re-live summers gone by. Brought to you by the makers of Fox’s Glacier Mints, Fox’s Glacier Fruits and Fox’s Glacier Darks, a range which has been enjoyed up and down the country for 99 years, Fox’s Ice Cream Favourites are inspired by the nation’s favourite flavours. Each pack contains an irresistible mix of Raspberry Ripple, Strawberry Cream, Rum & Raisin and Banana flavoured sweets, which are guaranteed to bring back memories of choosing your favourite flavour…
