• Christmas - handmade

    Felt Mistletoe Kissing Ball

    My project last weekend was cutting out felt mistletoe leaves to make a Mistletoe Kissing Ball. I love working with felt and couldn’t resist this adorable felt decoration to add to our collection. My mum always decorated the house with mistletoe by the front door and I thought I would recreate the tradition in my home, but with a modern twist. It was the perfect project for long periods spent in the car, and as we’d just returned from a 48 hours round trip to Devon (from London) you can imagine I had plenty of hours to craft! The pattern…

  • birthday

    A special present for my daughter

    My daughter turned 1 a couple of weeks ago. We didn’t make a huge fuss as she’s only 1 but we did a couple of things: We visited London Zoo We  baked and ate Peppa Pig biscuits We went shopping and bought lots of new pink clothes (no more blue hand me downs from her older brother) We opened piles of presents, one of which was the Blurb photo book I made of her first year. I really love the idea of a photo book. I think I’m a late convert because everyone I’ve spoken to has been making them…

  • baking - Christmas - housekeeping

    Christmas Day count down

    Not long now until the big day so I’m beginning to draw up a mental check list for what to do next. The personalised cards have been signed and sent, the presents wrapped and delivered, the decorations taken out of the loft and we’ve all come down with colds and a stomach bug. Bah humbug! I have to admit my Christmas spirit is flagging slightly but I’m hoping we’ll all be feeling better soon as there’s still so much to do. Top of my list (when I feel like it) is the Christmas food shop. It always fills me with…

  • competition - days out - toddler - toy review

    Elefun & Friends giveaway

    A couple of weeks ago the children and I were invited along to the Rainforest Cafe to find out more about four new toys in the Elefun & Friends range aimed at preschoolers from Hasbro. The toddler had his face painted like a giraffe (his favourite animal) and they both had a lovely time, playing with the toys and making lots of new friends. The motorised Elefun blows colourful butterflies through his trunk and kids have to use their catching skills to grab them with a special butterfly net. The toddler absolutely adored this game and has been having lots of…

  • film review

    Film review: Ice Age 4: Continental Drift

    The world’s most beloved prehistoric herd is back and this time they’re setting off on a hilarious high seas adventure!  ICE AGE 4: CONTINENTAL DRIFT sailed into stores on the 10th December, available in Triple Play, Blu-ray 3D & DVD from Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment. We love the Ice Age films and this all-new chapter reconnects families with herd favourites Manny, Sid, and Diego, plus a band of pirates led by the fearsome orangutan Captain Gutt. The toddler loved this film as he is really into pirates at the moment. This is a great family film and the Blu-ray…

  • Christmas - handmade

    Red and white candy wreath

    I can’t believe it’s two weeks until Christmas. I felt so organised until I realised I hadn’t made half the decorations I wanted to. This evening I made a yarn wreath which was top of my list. It was a great project to do, especially as I didn’t need to buy anything. I covered the polystyrene circle in red and white wool and wrapped a chain of felt candy sweeties through it. I love working with felt and the felt candies are spaced with red and white beads – this project definitely ticks my red and white decoration theme! Although…

  • housekeeping

    Viakal made my bathroom sparkle!

    I’m the first to admit that cleaning and housekeeping take a back seat in my household. I’d much rather spend time with the children than worry about the state of the house. I received an email which made me laugh! “To showcase how effective Viakal really is, we would love for you to put your feet up and let our team of bathroom-cleaning experts visit your home to give your bathroom a squeaky-clean finish! We’ll take care of everything – from scrubbing your bathroom taps to cleaning the dreaded toilet.” Living in London our bathrooms suffer from limescale, which is…

  • Christmas - handmade

    Handmade Christmas decorations

    This year I have two little people who I really want to make Christmas special for. I know Christmas doesn’t have to be about spending lots of money but I may have been a bit silly with the amount of presents they have! Fortunately I also love to save money where I can which is why we’ve been busy getting our craft on and making our own decorations. I thought I’d share 5 of our favourite handmade Christmas decorations: Handprint family Christmas tree – The toddler loves to paint so really enjoyed this craft. We all covered our hands in…

  • charity shopping - vintage

    My (charity shopping) wish list

    We all have them. Those items that make our heart beat just a little bit faster when we see them on a shelf in a charity shop. We’re currently in Devon which for me is charity shop heaven. Although we’re only here for a weekend, over the summer we went glamping for a week (which made me long for electricity and hot running water!). We visit my father in law so I have a few old favourites where I know I’m likely to pick up some special items. I like to refer to it as the charity shop triangle –…