Something came over me the other evening, the desire to make delicious things to eat. Before Christmas I had bought a block of marzipan to make some marzipan fruits for Christmas, but I ran out of time. Instead I made some pretty marzipan hearts and dipped them in white chocolate for a naughty treat. They were really simple to make as you can probably see from the photographs above. First I added a little red food colouring to half a block of marzipan and mixed it well, I rolled it out quite thin and cut out my shapes with a…
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Now you may not think that this is the time of year we typically enjoy ice cream. However our family loves nothing better than cold ice cream with hot puddings, especially on a lazy Sunday like the one we had today. Recently we’ve been trying out the amazing ChillFactor Ice Cream Maker which means you can make your very own ice cream treats at home in minutes. You make the ice cream in four easy steps: 1. Remove the lid from the ChillFactor Ice Cream Maker and place the cone on the freezer for 4-6 hours or until frozen. 2.…
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A couple of days ago I shared with you my handbag essentials, brilliant Rescue Cream and Balm. I enjoyed writing that post as I’m beginning to enjoy trying out new beauty products, so today I have something else to share – Klorane Nettle Shampoo, a deeply cleansing formula for those prone to oiliness. This gentle, effective treatment shampoo gives you more time between washes, working to regularise the amount of oil your scalp produces while slowing its spread throughout the hair. The star ingredient of the shampoo is scopoletine, an extract from nettle, which restores balance to the scalp. I had forgotten…
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Join Justin on a quest to follow his heart… Produced by Antonio Banderas and featuring the voice talent of an all-star cast Justin and the Knights of Valour is a charming, animated adventure full of fun characters that will be loved by families. Young Justin lives in a kingdom without knights! He dreams of following in his Grandfather’s footsteps and becoming one of the famed Knights of Valour but his father wants him to settle down to a life without adventure. Inspired by his Grandmother, Justin decides to follow his heart and embarks upon a daring quest to become a knight by himself. Along the way he meets…
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Last week an exciting packet of craft supplies landed on my doormat from Bostik. I didn’t know they made glue and sticky foam pads but they do, and I was sent some to try out. They also sent some sparkly red felt, red and white card, and asked me to make something for Valentines Day. I thought I would make a fun little treat for my children so whipped up some easy Valentine crackers. Here’s how I did it: First of all I bought some tubes of Love Hearts, and cut a piece of the red felt long enough to…
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Originally made in 1954 as a novelty gift in Christmas crackers, the Love Heart sweets were so popular that they soon went into full production. This year Love Hearts, the iconic sweet brand, is celebrating its landmark 60 year anniversary. To kick off the celebrations, Love Hearts are giving fans of the brand the opportunity to win a money can’t buy experience – the chance to design and create their own Love Hearts message and to win a VIP tour of the factory to see their very own Love Heart being made! More information and details on how to enter…
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Just before Christmas we heard the exciting news that we had been chosen to be official Toys R Us Toyologists and put a toy through its paces. We were sent the Thomas and Friends Take -N–Play Thomas’ Adventure Castle which looks like this: I wanted to surprise my 3 year old so made it whilst he was at nursery. I had some help from his little sister and it came together quite quickly. Fortunately I didn’t need a screwdriver, the pieces just slotted into place. The Thomas and Friends Take-N–Play Thomas’ Adventure Castle ties in with the King of the…
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Next month sees the publication of My First Cookbook by Susan Akass. Perfect for those 7 and over, My First Cookbook features 35 fun and easy recipes for children. Budding chefs can cook their way through 35 fantastic recipes that will teach them all about cooking, from how to make sandwiches and party snacks, to simple dishes for breakfast, lunch and dinner, as well as a range of lip-smacking desserts. Snacks and Light Meals includes delicious pizza toasts, homemade buttermilk pancakes, as well as nutritious soups and salads. The Proper Meals section – good for developing skills as well as…
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Over the weekend we tried out a Weekend Box, it’s a clever little box which fits neatly through your letter box and contains four activities: Something to Cook Something to Make Something to Explore and Something Green Each activity is designed to build sensory exploration skills within little ones aged 3-8 as well as help teach them about different life skills in a fun and engaging way. Our box contained 4 instruction cards to make potato boats, DIY 3D glasses, Sand Art Explorers and a Lolly Stick Bird Feeder as well as 4 paper packets with the equipment needed. I’m…