• competition - homestyle - interiors

    Win £100 John Lewis voucher with Everest Home Improvements

    I love this time of year. The sun is feeling warmer, the days are noticeably longer and I’ve been using my free afternoons when my daughter is at nursery to tackle some much-needed decluttering. It’s not that I don’t enjoy the winter months but there’s something about taking down the Christmas decorations and finding a home for all those Christmas presents that makes me want to have a big tidy up! I thought I would share my top tips for decluttering in case you want to start, but don’t know where to: Write a list of those areas you want…

  • mindfulness - sewing

    Monday Happy Things – week 69

    Time for my weekly Monday Happy Things post. My son has joined our local Beavers group and went along to his first session. He really enjoyed himself so I’m hoping he’ll stick with it.  This week he also started Maths Club and Football Club. Both of these are only for a term but he was happy with the first week. I wasn’t so happy with the additional trips to school so I’m grateful we live close to school. I’ve been decluttering magazines, part of a wider tidy up of the house which seems to happen every January. I was amazed…

  • days out

    The Lion Guard: Return of the Roar film review

    This morning we headed into London as we had received an invitation to watch The Lion Guard – Return of the Roar at the Ham Yard Hotel. The Ham Yard Hotel is a lovely venue, and we love The Lion King, so it was an easy decision to attend. Did you know The Lion King came out in 1994? Well the story continues with The Lion Guard: Return of the Roar, a brand new film for television which will be shown on Disney Junior on Monday 8th February at 5.30. The Lion Guard: Return of the Roar Set in the…

  • Lego - tutorial - upcycling

    Ikea hack Lego table

    Last year we spent some time sorting out our 5 year olds bedroom. He doesn’t seem to need much sleep so we wanted to make an area for him to play when he wakes up early. He already had an Ikea Trofast unit but we thought we would give it a makeover and make it more useful. Much as I don’t want to, I really love some Ikea furniture. It is cheap, cheerful, good value and easy to customise. I’d seen lots of Ikea hack Lego tables on Pinterest and knew I wanted to make something similar. Equipment needed: White…

  • Handmade gifts - Kids crafts - tutorial - Valentines Day crafts

    Easy tissue paper Valentine luminary

    This year I will be concentrating on what we love to do best – making things – and today we’re joining in with the Kid Craft Challenge Blog Hop. We have a super sweet craft to share with you which we think is a great Valentine’s Day craft for kids  – to make a Valentine tissue paper luminary. I admit we’re quite addicted to making these kid-friendly luminaries. There is always a good supply of empty glasses and LED tea lights in our house so this is a fun craft for kids to make and give as a gift. Easy…

  • Kids crafts - STEM activity - tutorial - Valentines Day crafts

    How to make simple melting love hearts

    I know that Valentine’s Day is few weeks away but today I’ve teamed up with some other parenting bloggers to bring you some fun Valentines Day learning activities. Every craft activity is also a learning experience and I’ve combined a little bit of science into this fun activity, making simple melting love hearts. You will need: Bicarbonate of soda Water Red food colouring Vinegar Silicone mould How to make simple melting love hearts Mix a little water with a lot of Bicarbonate of Soda to make a paste. Add red food colouring if you wish, pour the mixture into your…

  • Kids crafts - Lego

    11 Lego crafts for kids and adults

    As fans of Lego I thought it was about time I pulled together a list of the Lego crafts we have had fun with. When I was younger I had a few tubs of Lego bricks and remember receiving some Lego Technic sets which I really enjoyed building and re-building. Today I am still happily surrounded by Lego. My husband loves Lego as much as I do and fortunately the children seem to love it too. I hope you enjoy some of these Lego crafts for kids and adults. 11 Lego crafts for kids and adults We’re lucky to live…

  • homemade - housekeeping

    Homemade v shop bought – can you make your own?

    Cooking a meal for friends and family can seem daunting and many people just buy ready cooked meals from a shop instead – but once you know the basics of cooking you’ll soon discover that making your own food can be easy. The same rule applies for a huge variety of other tasks, from decorating your home to making your own cleaning products.   Cleaning your home Most people cringe at the thought of cleaning their car or home because the products needed to carry out these tasks can work out very expensive. But you’ll be surprised how effectively you…

  • Kids crafts - Staedtler Try It Tribe

    Exploring space with FIMO kids form and play sets

    I’m so excited to be starting the year by working with Staedtler again. You may remember we teamed up last year and we had lots of fun with their products. They kindly sent me a bundle of products to use with my children, the first one we tried was one of the FIMO form & play sets. It can’t have escaped your notice that a pretty big film came out at the end of last year. My 5 year old loved The Force Awakens and now is a huge fan of all things Star Wars. I knew he would love…