I had a very small splurge in Cath Kidston whilst we were in Marlborough the other week. The shop is in a beautiful historic building on the High Street and I was drooling over the way it was decorated. I really loved the framed vintage fabrics and tea towels in the shop. There was also a display of five vintage bevelled mirrors hung in a row at the top of a wall. It reminded me of the way this blogger has displayed her collection down her staircase, she was clearly trend-setting the whole thing back in 2010! We’re still deciding…
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Sometimes the toddler really surprises me. He was recently sent some Hama beads from DKL to play with. Hama beads are multicoloured, soft plastic beads which can be placed on pegged plates to form all kinds of designs and shapes. I love this photo of the toddler with his My first hama maxi beads set! I did ask him to smile but he said he couldn’t! Crafting with Hama beads Despite the face he really enjoyed himself. The box was visually very appealing to him and he couldn’t wait to open it. There were a few patterns on it and he…
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A couple of days before we left for a holiday I received a personalised case for my iPad mini from Photobox. I had designed the case myself and chose a collage of my favourite images of the children. I loved the case but must admit it left my iPad mini a little battered over our holiday. The shell clipped on the back which left the front vulnerable to getting scratched and as it’s mainly used by the children it didn’t give it much protection. Note to self- must invest in a screen protector! We also made an 8×6 photo block…
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It’s summertime and the reading is easy! We were recently given the opportunity to design and make a personalised book from love2read. Designed for the under-sixes, these fabulous books are an ideal way to use some of your precious digital photos and make a book to remember. I made an I Love…book for my toddler by choosing my favourite photos and adding simple captions. The toddler loved seeing himself in print and following the words on each page, a great way to encourage him to start learning his letters. He’s been taking his new book everywhere and loves to sit…
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Following on from my success at the cushion-making course I attended a couple of months ago, I’ve made another one! I’m finally getting to grips with my Janome so felt ready to tackle some home furnishings fabric. As the last cushion was made for my daughter I decided to make something for my son. He loves his vehicles so I chose a brilliant fabric which features campervans in different shades and a co-ordinating spot print in rose. There are lots of different ways to use the fabric for the cushion but I played it safe. I cut my fabric to…
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I’m very proud to say that today is Day 2 of our holiday and we’ve used our National Trust membership on two consecutive days! We’ve been members for years but have found the children never really enjoyed our trips – until now! Yesterday we had a lovely walk around Avebury stone circle and today we were at Lacock Abbey. Family fun at Lacock Abbey It’s been a while since I last visited and is now laid out through the memories of the last resident, Matilda Talbot. The children enjoyed following the children’s trail, watching the Zoetrope go round and spotting…
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We’ve all been a little excited by the arrival of Prince George this week. I thought the rolling 24 hours news coverage was a little over the top and I hope the new family will now be left alone to enjoy those lovely first days together. I doubt we’ll buy any souvenirs to commemorate the Royal baby but we were very happy to receive a copy of This Royal Baby, by Zita Newcome, to review. Perfect for your little prince or princess! This royal baby wears a crown — but it giggles, cries and plays just like every other baby…
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My toddler loves anything that moves. Yesterday we found an old Tonka Super Crane Truck to add to his collection so you can imagine the fun he’s been having driving it around the floor! Hand print cars We also like to make our own cars, mainly with Lego as the toddler can add petrol stations and garages too. We have quite a collection of car crafts to try from the toddlers Pinterest board so today we tried hand print cars. We made a couple of hand prints in different colours of paint and left them to dry. Later we added…
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Living in London we’re spoilt for choice over things to do. I love summer in the city as places really come alive. Today I have a fabulous competition for you which unites world-class music with a breathtaking backdrop to create the most spectacular musical experience of the summer calendar. Live By The Lake has an outstanding line up of world class music, scheduled over six days – August 23rd-25th and August 30th-September 1st; you can enjoy performances from Suede, Keane (and guest Laura Mvula), Michael Ball with friends singing Gershwin; the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra; the English National Opera and…
