• simple toilet roll pumpkins
    crafts - Halloween crafts - Kids crafts - Recycled crafts - Toilet roll crafts - tutorial

    Crafty Halloween pumpkins

    September 16, 2013 - By 

    We still have a plethora of toilet rolls in our recycling drawer so I thought it was about time we used them. Halloween is fast approaching so what better than a Halloween pumpkin. Yes, it is possible! Simple toilet roll pumpkins First of all my 3 year old painted a couple of toilet rolls with orange paint. We left them to dry and I cut out leaves from coloured paper. We used our fab Ralph the Dog to stick the leaves to the tube. Ralph is the new fun Scotch Magic Tape Dispenser Dog from Scotch 3M. My son loves…

  • book review - Halloween crafts - tutorial - What I'm reading

    What I’m reading: Halloween Crafts

    September 15, 2013 - By 

    I’ve noticed that Halloween seems to be more commercial every year and colourful images are already creeping onto Pinterest. Halloween Crafts: 35 spooky projects to make and bake has recently been published and is packed full of fun projects to fill your home this Halloween. My children are just getting interested in Halloween. The last few years I’ve dressed them up and we’ve carved a pumpkin but this year I think we will be doing a lot more. This book gives you some great inspiration, from spooky decorations to creepy costumes and scarily sweet treats. There are a couple of…

  • Easy Flowerpot Cupcakes
    baking - Dunelm Mill Blogger

    Flowery cupcakes

    September 13, 2013 - By 

    I was sent some new baking products and thought I would make some flowery treats as autumn has definitely arrived here in London. There’s nothing like a batch of cakes to cheer our house up and these definitely did the trick. They were pretty fun to make too. Easy Flowerpot Cupcakes I made a normal batch of vanilla cupcakes in these fun silicon flowerpot cases from Dunelm Mill, cooking them for about 20 minutes at gas mark 4. I decorated them with a green buttercream for the grass, and slices of marshmallow dipped in red edible glitter to look like…

  • crafts

    Disney’s Planes soundtrack

    September 11, 2013 - By 

    A couple of weeks ago my toddler had his first trip to the cinema to see Disney’s Planes. From above the world of “Cars” comes Disney’s Planes, an action-packed 3D animated comedy adventure featuring Dusty, a plane with dreams of competing as a high-flying air racer.  He really enjoyed the film and has been collecting Dusty and his friends ever since. Disney’s Planes soundtrack He was sent a copy of the soundtrack to this fun adventure which features the original score composed by Mark Mancina, plus 4 original songs and one bonus track. Dusty is a crop-dusting plane who dreams of…

  • competition - nursery

    Win 4x £25 Stuck on You vouchers

    September 10, 2013 - By 

    There is much excitement in our house as the toddler is due to start nursery in the next couple of weeks. His nursery is attached to the school he’ll eventually attend and over the past week we’ve been busy buying his uniform. So it was great timing for Stuck on You to get in touch offering us the chance to review their back to school products. Stuck on You produce super cute name labels and personalised products for kids, from Lunchboxes, Drink Bottles, Backpacks, Library Bags and more. You can take a peek here – www.stuckonyou.co.uk Stuck On You is 100%…

  • pushchairs

    Bugaboo Bee or Bugaboo Cameleon?

    September 8, 2013 - By 

    As you know we were lucky enough to be lent a Bugaboo Bee to help us during our Summer Bucket List. Our summer isn’t over yet as the toddler doesn’t start nursery until the 26th so we’re still busy going out and about.   Little Sis sleeping I absolutely adore the Bugaboo Bee, as I knew I would. Most of my NCT group had one, but we were sensible and bought a second hand Bugaboo Cameleon, which I adored at the time. Anyway, I thought it might be useful to compare the Bugaboo Bee and Bugaboo Cameleon. The Bugaboo Cameleon…

  • book review

    The wartime girls who crossed the Atlantic for love

    September 7, 2013 - By 

    I’m on a bit of a roll lately, reading books for pleasure! I have to point out that this doesn’t mean I have more spare time, I’m just forcing myself to read books rather than hang around on Pinterest! I was sent a copy of GI Brides: the wartime girls who crossed the Atlantic for love, by the authors who wrote The Sugar Girls which I reviewed earlier this year. The ‘friendly invasion’ of Britain by over a million American GIs caused a sensation amongst a generation of young women deprived of male company during the Second World War. But American…

  • days out - Local Review - London

    A girls’ day out in London

    September 7, 2013 - By 

    Little Sis and I had our first day out together with two rather wonderful events to attend. Our first stop was the Rainforest Café for a lovely  chat with the people at Vosene over a delicious breakfast. Whilst I heard about the latest news and product development, Little Sis was entertained by a magician making balloon animals, juggling and a puppet show. She also experienced her first face painting, although she was only brave enough to get a small flower painted on her arm. Then it was on to Tate Britain to see Lowry and the Painting of Modern Life…

  • playing

    Child’s play – Ikea dolls house furniture

    September 6, 2013 - By 

    A couple of weeks ago we made a special trip to Ikea to pick up the new Huset range, which is Swedish for ‘the house’, I previously wrote about. Like most households in the UK we have a fair amount of Ikea furniture, mainly Expedit bookshelves. Sitting and writing this I can see 3 of them! My only worry – would the Ikea dolls house furniture fit with our other toys? Anyone else ever had a problem with their continental Ikea size bed not fitting UK bedding? Anyway, the Huset living room sets feature their famous Expedit shelves, Klippan sofa,…