• How to make a Summer Smash Book for kids
    crafts - holidays - Summer

    How to make a Summer Smash Book for kids

    July 26, 2017 - By 

    My children got brilliant school reports this year. I am so proud of them and all the hard work they do at school. With the 6 week school holidays I do worry a little about them losing some of the skills they have learned. I’m not a pushy mum (honest!) but I’ve introduced a few things to make sure their learning doesn’t slide over the holidays. For the last few years we’ve taken part in the Summer Reading Challenge run through our local library. This is as simple as reading 6 books during the school holidays for which they are…

  • 5 ways to use Lego tape
    crafts - Lego

    5 ways to use Lego tape

    July 25, 2017 - By 

    Ages ago an advert for Lego tape kept appearing in my Facebook feed. I am so easy to market too as after a few days I got so fed up of seeing the advert that I bought some tape! Since it arrived it has been sitting and looking at me as I had no idea what to do with it. Today I thought we should finally use it. The children kept picking it up but they didn’t really know what to do with it either. It’s expensive enough that I don’t want them to just peel the backing paper off…

  • DIY miniature wagon for Sylvanian Families
    crafts - Friends of Sylvanian Families

    DIY miniature wagon for Sylvanian Families

    July 25, 2017 - By 

    Our Sylvanian Families collection has pretty much been out and covering the floor for the last few weeks.It’s one of their favourite toys and I thought it might be fun to add to their collection with some homemade additions. Last week we made the cutest little miniature wagon for our Sylvanian Families which was upcycled from an old sweetie tin. I thought I would share it as a tutorial in case anyone else wants to make one. Miniature wagon supplies Small sweetie tin Balsa wood Dowel Acrylic paint Hair pin How to make a miniature wagon for Sylvanian Families I…

  • Noddy gingerbread biscuits
    baking - gingerbread - homestyle

    Noddy inspired gingerbread biscuits

    July 24, 2017 - By 

    Created by Enid Blyton in 1949, Noddy is one of the most beloved children’s characters, having entertained families for generations with stories set in the colourful world of Toyland. Have you seen that Noddy has been given a bit of a makeover by DreamWorks? Yep, Noddy the Toyland Detective reimagines him in the role of investigator; exploring mysteries and searching for clues in Toyland while encouraging children to explore and make discoveries in their own world. I love a craft inspired by a book or children’s character so I couldn’t resist turning Noddy into some delicious gingerbread treats for my…

  • last day of term
    homestyle - Monday Happy List

    Monday Happy Things {Week 147}

    July 24, 2017 - By 

    Last week was a strange one. It felt so long as we ticked all the *last* things off our to do list. There was the last Street dance and Beavers session, last karate class and I bought home bags of workbooks and art from school. My 7 year old had a sick day which I couldn’t believe and I just about managed to persuade my 5 year old to go school. I think they were both over tired and feeling a little emotional about the end of the school year. I felt sad too and took so many photos of…

  • Lion Guard Rise of Scar playset
    parenting - toy review

    Lion Guard Rise of Scar playset

    July 23, 2017 - By 

    Growing up I loved Disney so it’s probably no surprise that my children do too. I remember The Lion King coming out and going to see it at the cinema with some friends. I had all the Disney soundtracks! I was so excited when I first heard about The Lion Guard animated series. As a fan of the 1994 original I knew this would be something worth tuning in to with my children. My 5 year old loves The Lion Guard and is a pretty big fan of Bunga. I was recently able to get her a Bunga jumper from…

  • crafts - Mollie Makes crafts - Paper craft - Paper cut art

    Mollie Makes Papercut Book

    July 22, 2017 - By 

    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. Mollie Makes Papercut Book Issue 81 came with the Mollie Makes Papercut Book of gifts, cards & wall art to cut & create. I love papercutting so had been looking forward to this issue for a while. The booklet features 27 all new designs by Sarah Dennis and…

  • Win a pair of Silentnight Pure Cotton Pillows
    competition - homestyle

    Win a pair of Silentnight Pure Cotton Pillows

    July 21, 2017 - By 

    A good nights sleep is so important. My bed is my favourite place and I love nothing better than sinking into it at the end of the day. We use the Silentnight Anti-Snore pillows and they are lovely and comfortable. I am so happy to have teamed up with Silentnight and give you the chance to win a pair of Silentnight Pure Cotton Pillows. These lovely pillows have a 100% cotton percale cover and are filled with a clever anti-allergy, silk-like hollowfibre, for reassuring comfort and softness. They are washable up to a temperature of 40°C and come with a 2-year guarantee. Perfect…

  • How to set up a Lego Ring Toss game
    crafts - Lego

    How to set up a Lego Ring Toss game {A-Z Play at Home}

    July 21, 2017 - By 

    Lego bricks are something that get played with a lot in our house. There are always some random creations on shelves that I’m not allowed to touch. I think that every home with children must contain some lego bricks so for this weeks’ A-Z Play at Home post we used our lego duplo to create a game. Lego Ring Toss game Lego Duplo bricks are chunky and colourful and very quick to build with. We based our Lego Ring Toss on quoits, a traditional game of skills and accuracy. I challenged my 7 year old to find a lego base…