The changing seasons seem to be really noticeable where we live. On our recent walks we’ve been collecting leaves, conkers, berries and the winged seeds from Sycamore trees. I’ve enjoyed introducing my children to the fun of throwing them up in the air and trying to catch them. We found some super large one’s so we gathered a few to take home. I thought they would make great wings so we made some little Sycamore seed fairies from wooden clothes pegs. Materials you need to make Sycamore seed fairies: wooden clothes pegs black permanent pen scraps of fabric Sycamore seeds…
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Somehow I’ve managed to read a book during the Summer holidays! The latest book from the Bahlsen Book Club was A Mother Dimension by Mink Elliot which she self-published last year. I received this book in digital format which was perfect for the summer holidays as I love reading books on my iPad and it’s gone everywhere with me over the past few weeks. Kate O’Reilly, mother of three on the cusp of her 45th birthday, has got a thing about the past. Her husband, Seamus and long-standing best friend, Georgia, both call her chronic nostalgia an obsession – but…
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A couple of week ago I treated myself to a trip to the Cath Kidston flagship store at 180 Piccadilly. I say treated myself because I know I can never visit without buying something! I like all the stores, I’ve visited a few *ahem* but the flagship store is my favourite. Despite being in a modern building it’s decorated with modern vintage, obviously. I particularly love the display of board games in the Kids section which as you know I’ve done in our own house. The walls of the shop are lined with distressed wooden doors and make use of…
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I was pretty excited to discover an Orla Kiely iPhone app has just been launched, it looks great on my iPad too. I’m a huge fan of her designs but haven’t bought anything new for ages due to a severe lack of money. Anyway, the app is free which means I can keep up to date with her latest collections from the comfort of my own home. Just in case you haven’t heard of her before, Orla Kiely is an Irish fashion designer based in London. From a small collection of handbags and accessories, Orla Kiely has become a true…
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I don’t know about you but my fridge is covered with magnets – often holding up the latest letter from school or shopping list. There’s always room for more so I was happy to review some personalised photo fridge magnets from PicStick. The site is easy to use, you can upload 9 images from your computer, Facebook or even Dropbox. They come in a grid of 9 photos which you can easily tear apart. For some reason I received two sets of my chosen photos but fortunately my sister was here when they arrived so I was able to share…
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Due to the Summer holidays I’ve been blogging a lot less than normal (for me). I love spending time with my children and have really enjoyed picking up some sewing in the evenings rather than my laptop. My latest project is Wild Olive’s Autumn Stitching Club project. This was quite simple compared to the Spring Stitching Club quilt I recently finished. There were only 13 hexagons to make but they were all really enjoyable to stitch. I love the Pumpkin Spice Latte, Caramel Apple and this pretty hexies of potted mums. I used a Moda Posh Pumpkins charm pack for…
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GoldieBlox, the award-winning toy range from the US, has landed in the UK! Created by engineer and entrepreneur Debbie Sterling, GoldieBlox aims to introduce engineering concepts to girls at an early age, providing them with more options and spawning a movement to disrupt pink toy aisles everywhere. I love this idea so was delighted to be sent a few sets to review with my children. Each of the three sets (Goldie Blox and the Spinning Machine, Goldie Blox and the Dunk Tank and Goldie Blox and the Parade Float) features an interactive toy, containing a book series and construction set,…
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This week I was invited to a really fun crafting event with former Great British Sewing Bee finalist Tamara Melvin. She has been working with DryNites to create a series of craft projects to bring some grown-up touches to kids’ bedrooms. She is aiming to help parents through the bedwetting stage of their child’s development by highlighting the importance of age-appropriate influences at night time. Created on behalf of DryNites, and with support from child psychologist Emma Kenny, Tamara wants to provide a fun way to normalise this phase, which affects almost 600,000 children every year. We met at Tea…
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The Summer holidays are rattling by and it’s time for Week 4 of our Summer holiday round up. Last week Big Brother and I ventured into London to walk the Riverside Book Bench trail. We spent a lovely morning finding the decorated sculptures, painted to celebrate London’s literary heritage and reading for enjoyment. You can find pictures of all the benches we found on my other blog. We enjoyed a family day out at Odds Park Farm as well as another trip to London for the launch of a new augmented reality game at the British Museum. Big Brother and…