• days out - Family Life - Local Review - London - Wandsworth

    A very cold day out {Battersea Park Children’s Zoo}

    Even though we live in London it often doesn’t feel like we have time to enjoy it. So we were all very excited to find ourselves with a free day to do something last weekend.  It was a balmy 2° and we headed south to Battersea Children’s Zoo in Battersea Park. To be honest we very rarely go south of the river but I had always wanted to visit Battersea Park and after 10 years of London living we finally got round to it. A (very cold) day out at Battersea Park Children’s Zoo We decided to use public transport…

  • crafts - handmade

    Handmade heart stamps

    We’re already thinking about Valentines Day for the family. I saw a brilliant tutorial from Rust & Sunshine which I knew would be perfect for the toddler – heart stamps. Handmade heart stamps The instructions were quite simple – take a toilet roll, slightly flatten it so it creases on both sides then invert one side to form a heart, dip in red paint and get painting. Couldn’t be simpler? The toddler loves painting, it’s his favourite thing to do so I knew he would enjoy this. He was very patient and made lots of heart stamps on a sheet…

  • moving - Orla Kiely - sewing

    A sewing room for me?

    It’s official! We’ve sold our lovely Edwardian cottage. Over the last few months we’ve been busy de-cluttering, painting, building walls and hiding as much as possible in the shed(s). Our house was on the market for a week, is now off the market, and we’re ready for a new adventure in a different part of London. We’ve had lots of people round to view, even before the photographer had been. We’ve also been arranging our own viewings which is exciting. I’d forgotten just how hard it was to keep the house clean and tidy though. Every day I was trying…

  • Christmas - competition - crafts - handmade

    Mollie Makes giveaway

    I’m a bit late in reviewing Mollie Makes Christmas but it’s a lovely book and well worth getting hold of. I’ve long been a fan of Mollie Makes and Mollie Makes Christmas brings together a collection of different projects from Mollie Makes magazine’s favourite designers. Perfect for those who love to make their own decorations and gifts, the book features over 20 projects to knit, crochet, fold, stitch and sew. I recognised some of the names of the contributors but many were new to me and I love discovering new designers. The book appeals to me on lots of levels;…

  • Chinese New Year crafts - crafts - Crafts for adults - handmade - sewing

    5 minute fortune cookie (for Chinese New Year)

    It feels like the New Year has brought lots of crafting opportunities with it and the toddler and I have been busy. Chinese New Year will be celebrated on February 10th, so we’ve made some fabric fortune cookies that look good enough to eat. They were really quick to make, so perfect for a cold afternoon. Supplies needed to make 5 minute fortune cookies You will need: a 4 inch circle (we drew round a can from the kitchen cupboard on a piece of cardboard) a 5 inch square of felt a 5 inch square of fabric a different fortune,…

  • sleeping - toddler

    Operation: Tire the Toddler

    I’m not sure if it’s the long break from nursery over Christmas but my poor toddler appears to be bored and not tired enough to sleep. I know writing that makes me look like the worst mother which is why I’m trying to do something about it. This week is Operation Tire the Toddler. I’m going all out to physically exhaust him. Monday was soft play, Tuesday was a trip on the tube and the London Transport Museum, Wednesday was rhyme time at the library (which included a long walk there and back), Thursday he’s back at nursery for 4…

  • baking - Christmas - Orla Kiely

    Naughty or nice?

    Was Father Christmas good to you? I must have been a good girl last year as he was very nice to me. I received a years’ subscription to Ancestry which will really help me with my family history research. I want to capitalise on the creative writing course I did at the end of last year so I’m going to make time each week to work on it. I was also given a subscription to Mollie Makes. I think it’s rather expensive for a magazine but I do love reading it and now I won’t feel guilty about spending the…

  • competition - pregnancy

    Win: What To Expect When You’re Expecting: The Workout DVD

    I’m a big fan of Heidi Murkoff’s best-selling books, I don’t think I could have got through either pregnancy without her brilliant books. Her new fitness DVD was released on 26th December (RRP £17.99) which is aimed at pregnant women: What To Expect When You’re Expecting: The Workout. With six 10-minute mix-and-match routines, you can customise your workout to fit your fitness level, your mood and your growing body from day to day, week to week and trimester to trimester. Workouts include: 3x Cardio, 2x Strength and 1x Stretch & Relax – plus bonus workouts you can do anywhere, anytime*… CARDIO: BAREFOOT…

  • Day Zero - homestyle

    Day Zero – Month 27 (December)

    You know the drill. On the 19 September 2010 I started a Day Zero list: a place to record goals, discover new challenges, and gain motivation to achieve them. I made a list of 100 things I want to do over 1001 days. The list is due to be competed by 16 June 2013. In the last couple of weeks I have 5.     Read at least one book every month for 12 months It’s taken downloading the Kindle app on my iPad Mini to finally get back into reading. That probably sounds a little bit silly but I don’t feel…