• Mollie Makes Sparkly Fruit Brooches
    crafts - handmade - Mollie Makes crafts

    Jenny Makes Mollie Makes Sparkly Fruit Brooches

    August 28, 2015 - By 

    August has definitely run away without me ever getting to grips with it. I was surprised to see a new copy of Mollie Makes land on my doorstep before I’d even read the last one! Last night I finished the cute little craft kit which was to make Sparkly Fruit Brooches. Jenny Makes Mollie Makes Sparkly Fruit Brooches The Mollie Makes Sparkly Fruit Brooches kit contained: 4 pieces of faux leather 8 gold circular gems 5 black teardrop gems 2 metal brooch backs I supplied the double sided tape and glue.   I cut out the templates from Mollie Makes…

  • book review - sewing - What I'm reading

    What I’m reading: Wild Things by Kirsty Hartley

    August 28, 2015 - By 

    I’m bracing myself for my children going back to school next week. I know it won’t be long before the letters home start being placed in school bags and I will be expected to provide money, cakes and dressing up clothes for both of them. Last year I had fun making a cute little ladybird costume for my son, which then got upcycled into a superhero cape for my daughter. I was pretty proud of myself for that one! I received a beautiful new craft book to review which has given me tons of inspiration to prepare myself. Wild Things…

  • making miffy mail
    Kids crafts - tutorial - upcycling

    Making Miffy mail!

    August 27, 2015 - By 

    The school holidays have given us lot of lovely time to craft and experiment. We’ve gone through lots of supplies and organised our craft supplies several times in a bid to keep tidy (not easy with two children who love to craft!). Yesterday we finally got the chance to try some products we were sent from Faber Castell – the Faber-Castell Connector Paint Box and the Clic & Go Water Pot. Making Miffy mail! We’ve never experimented with watercolour paint before but I came up with a fun activity to keep my children busy. We made our own Miffy mail…

  • competition - toy review

    Win a Dora and Friends Doggie Day! Doll

    August 26, 2015 - By 

    The summer sees the introduction of a brand new toy range from Fisher-Price that is all about Dora and Friends. Fans of Dora and Friends: Into the City! will love these new toys and I’m excited to have one to giveaway today. Adventures are better when friends can go on them together! And Dora & her friends can’t go anywhere without you! Join them as they discover magical places, as well as new things about their city and each other! Each 8″ doll is dressed in an outfit inspired by the Dora and Friends television show and features soft hair…

  • days out - eating

    Smoothie making at innocent Fruit Towers

    August 26, 2015 - By 

    Yesterday we spent the morning at the Innocent Fruit and Veg Fest at Fruit Towers. My children love Innocent smoothies so I knew they would enjoy themselves and they were very excited when they heard where we were going. We arrived at Fruit Towers where they were given their own shopping lists. For each fruit and veg activity they completed they were given a sticker for their list. They made fruit and veg heads – Little Sis is a cucumber fiend and ate most of the Cucumber Daddy she made. They did some painting using fruit and veg which made…

  • How to make straw rockets
    Kids crafts - Staedtler Try It Tribe

    How to make straw rockets

    August 25, 2015 - By 

    Every week during the school holidays Staedtler are setting a crafty challenge and the winner will become the next member of the Try-it Tribe. More information can be found on their Facebook page. This weeks challenge is to create a game which can be played whatever the weather. As a member of the Try-it Tribe we were sent a bundle of craft supplies and had great fun making straw rockets. Equipment needed to make straw rockets: Paper Scissors Gel crayon pens from Staedtler Paper straws Sellotape How to make straw rockets: Cut your paper into rectangles at least 3 x…

  • George's Marvellous Medicine mud kitchen activity
    Crafts for kids - garden crafts - Kids crafts - Roald Dahl crafts

    George’s Marvellous Medicine mud kitchen activity

    August 25, 2015 - By 

    Did you know that the 13th September is Roald Dahl Day? This Summer we started reading our first chapter book and I chose George’s Marvellous Medicine to read with our 5 year old. He soon got used to fewer pictures and the chapter structure. It’s been a great way to get him to re-tell the story to me each night before we read a chapter and see just how much he’s taking in. It’s lovely to re-read stories I enjoyed when I was younger and I can’t think of a more inspiring author to introduce to my children. Roald Dahl…

  • book review - upcycling - What I'm reading

    How to make a plate clock

    August 24, 2015 - By 

    As I mentioned the other day I was invited to a fun workshop to celebrate the launch of Furniture Hacks by Hesta Van Overbeek at West Elm, the furniture and accessories store on Tottenham Court Road. How to make a plate clock We sat down at a long table and were able to pick a plate from West Elm for the clock face, our choice of hands as well as a clock mechanism and battery. Then came the fun part. I painted my clock hands orange using nail varnish and marked the centre of my plate with a small dot…

  • Cath Kidston - Orla Kiely

    Monday happy things

    August 24, 2015 - By 

    Time for my weekly Monday happy things post. I’m excited to announce that we’ve been chosen as Playmobil Playologists for the 3rd year running. We love Playmobil and are looking forward to sharing our reviews and Playmobil news with you. My husband treated me to a new Orla Kiely handbag which was my annual wife bonus. I haven’t had a new Orla Kiely handbag for a good few years so had a lovely look at some of her latest collection whilst we were on holiday in Exeter last week. I chose the Big Owl Zip Messenger which features a new…