• Vintage Scrabble tile decorations
    crafts - Recycled crafts - tutorial - upcycling - vintage

    Vintage Scrabble tile decorations

    November 13, 2014 - By 

    I picked up a couple of vintage Scrabble sets at the weekend and thought I would upcycle the tiles and stands into Christmas decorations. They are so simple to make and work out quite cheaply. I’ve signed up for a couple of Christmas swaps so have been making some as gifts too. Today I’m going to share my simple way of upcycling vintage Scrabble tile decorations. Equipment you will need to make vintage Scrabble tile decorations: Vintage Scrabble tiles Vintage Scrabble tile holders (the wooden ones work best) Glue gun How to make vintage Scrabble tile decorations: Lay out your…

  • homestyle - housekeeping

    Decorating the living room

    November 13, 2014 - By 

    We’ve had a steady stream of visitors lately which has been lovely, a great side effect is that my house has never looked so clean! Let’s be honest, I can’t be the only one who cleans for visitors?! Of course the only problem with having a clean and tidy house is that it really shows how shabby everything looks. We moved in 18 months ago and whilst we’ve decorated our bedrooms we haven’t really touched the downstairs rooms. The colour scheme is coming together thanks to tins of Annie Sloan paint. We’ve been painting lots of furniture and as soon…

  • baby products - bathing - competition

    Win a Munchkin Bath Shape Sorter

    November 12, 2014 - By 

    My children love bath time and were pretty happy to receive the latest products from Munchkin which revolve round bathtime. Munchkin have lots of great gift ideas for the festive season to make bath time more fun. My children particularly loved the following: Sea Sparkle Bath Gems (£5.99) the three small gems float and rattle and fit inside the pretty seashell case when not in use. The sea shell case also floats for added bath time fun and the set aids shape and colour recognition. 3 pack Pour and Strain Whales (£2.99) are great for scooping up water. The Undersea…

  • How to bleach bottle brush trees
    Christmas - Christmas - Crafts for adults - tutorial

    How to bleach bottle brush trees

    November 11, 2014 - By 

    This year’s obsession is house-shaped tea light holders. We recently put up two long shelves in our living room. They’re really long and high up enough so they can’t be taken over by my 4 year old and his obsession with making displays of his toys. I’ve accumulated a small collection of tea light holders and I’ve made them into a little village, complete with sweet little bottle brush trees. I was aiming for a green and white theme but a few red houses have slipped in so I thought I would mix up the colour even more by bleaching…

  • days out

    Monday Happy Things

    November 10, 2014 - By 

    It’s time for my favourite post of the week. I love looking back over the previous week, especially when it’s been such a good one. We went to see the poppies at the Tower of London this morning. They were amazing and I’m glad we made the effort to see them before they are taken down. This week I had my first interview in years, I even got offered the job! Unfortunately the hours just weren’t realistic around family life but it was nice to be offered a paying job even if it wasn’t the right time for me to…

  • Bahlsen Book Club - book review

    What I’m reading: The Teashop on the Corner

    November 9, 2014 - By 

    This weekend I’ve enjoyed finishing The Teashop on the Corner by Milly Johnson, the latest book from the Bahlsen Book Club. I received a copy of the book as well as two packs of delicious chocolatey Bahlsen biscuits. Spring Hill Square is a pretty sanctuary away from the bustle of  every day life. And at its centre is Leni Merryman’s Teashop on the Corner, a place where three people will find a friend to lean on: Carla Pride has just discovered that her late husband Martin was not who she thought he was. But now she must learn to put…

  • crafts - handmade - Handmade gifts

    Personalised drawing tiles from Live, Love and Create

    November 8, 2014 - By 

    I love sharing my finds with you so today I wanted to tell you about Live, Love and Create. They are a husband and wife team who operate a small family run pottery, craft studios, gift shop and tea room in a wonky old shop in rural North Lincolnshire. Recently they have launched one of their most popular products, personalised drawing tiles, to the wider world via their new online shop. They invited me to try out a personalised tie and I knew it would make the perfect birthday present for my mum. She loves receiving letters and drawings from…

  • book review - Christmas - competition

    Miffy the Fairy and a Christmas with Miffy Activity Book giveaway

    November 7, 2014 - By 

    The John Lewis Christmas advert has been aired for the first time which means the countdown to Christmas has begun. Miffy, created by Dutch illustrator Dick Bruna, nearly 60 years ago, is a firm favourite in our house. We were excited to hear that new books and an activity book have been released in time for Christmas. The titles are Miffy in the Snow, Miffy’s Dream and Miffy the Fairy. There is also a Christmas with Miffy Activity book! Activity books are great, my 2 year old practically eats them! Miffy is a lovable little bunny who likes to find…

  • playing

    Top tips for den building

    November 6, 2014 - By 

    Much as we love to play outdoors the temperature has noticeably dropped and we are spending more time indoors. My children love den building. It’s fun, cheap and easy to put away – what’s not to love? According to Philips making dens inspires UK children’s imagination more than watching TV or playing computer games. I thought I would share our top tips for den building: First of all clear a decent sized space Make use of any chairs/sofa/table or even a washing line strung between a couple of chairs Use what you have to hand such as quilts and blankets,…