It’s been a while since I participated in Handmade Monday so I thought I would tell you about my latest pin cushion. I used a lovely pattern from Stitch at Home by Mandy Shaw, which is a great book full of inspiring patterns. I love cutwork (we have a great piece of art by Rob Ryan hanging in our bedroom) so it was obvious that I would make the adorable cutwork pin cushion. It’s a lovely little project for using up scraps and I have plenty of pieces of felt and vintage blankets! The pincushion only took an evening to…
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I’m not really sure how old this knitting bag is but I couldn’t resist its wooden handle or vintage fabric. I’m not a big knitter but it’s perfect for holding my latest sewing project. It’s currently holding my purchases from my rather extravagant trip to the Knitting & Stitching Show at Ally Pally. It’s my favourite sewing event of the year and I had the joy of visiting last week without children (thanks hubby!). Anyway, I admit I was excessive but living in London I just find it impossible to go searching for lovely sewing supplies. Faced with 200 sellers…
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We’re not big on celebrating Halloween but I can’t resist making some Halloween treats. I received a box of Ghostbusters Stay Puft Quality Marshmallows from my favourite sweetshop Cybercandy and thought I would turn them into spooky marshmallows. The marshmallows were tightly squeezed in the box, so I emptied them out and let them breathe and regain their shape. I then sorted out the best, evenly shaped ones (size-ist, I know) and got to work with my edible marker pen. What do you think of my spooky Halloween marshmallows? A great quick craft for kids big and small! Ghostbusters Stay…
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It’s no secret I have a love of gingerbread. Biscuits or cake, I’m not fussy as long as it’s delicious. We were recently sent some gingerbread biscuits from Bee’s Bakery to try. They arrived beautifully packaged, carefully wrapped in paper, tied up with string. The first thing that struck me was the delicious smell followed by the unusual design of the biscuits. These are not just any biscuits – but an updated version of the jammie dodger – two delicious gingerbread biscuits sandwiched with a creamy filling. The top of each biscuit feature words or faces which you can customise…
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It was a sad day when I realised that my duties as a stay at home mum would not only include sole responsibility of the children, but also the cooking, cleaning, food shopping, meal planning, washing, toy tidying and general care and maintenance of the house. My husband is a very busy man. Cleaning really is the bane of my life and I always need plenty of warning before friends visit so I can make sure the house is spotless. I’m lazy but house proud. With two children it’s pretty hard to keep on top of the mess as I…
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The toddler, being Justin Fletcher’s number 1 fan, was sent a copy of Justin’s Annual 2013 to review. The annual includes 61 pages of all your your child’s favourite characters from Justin’s live shows, including Engelbert the dog and Jollywobbles the car. The album is crammed with puzzles, games, activities, stories, jokes and over 50 stickers. I loved receiving an annual at Christmas and I’m really hoping to continue the tradition with my children. We’ve really enjoyed reading this Annual which is perfect for dipping in and out. The activities are suitable for a range of ages but the toddler…
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I have a really fun competition today for five lucky readers of the gingerbread house to win one of 5 tubs of Kelly’s of Cornwall ice cream. Don’t let the chill autumn air put you off as Cornwall’s leading ice cream producer, Kelly’s, is launching a nationwide search to find the ultimate home-made pudding recipe to serve with Kelly’s ice cream! Do you make the most sumptuous sticky toffee pudding? Have you got the best bread and butter pudding recipe in the county? Then this is your chance to don an apron, bring out the rolling pin and bake for…
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I was surprised to find that I’ve been trying to lose weight for two and a half weeks. I have to be honest and say I’m finding it more difficult that I thought to find the time to learn the ProPoints way and plan healthy meals. Watching what I eat has made me realise just how much I snack in the evenings when the kids are in bed and I put my feet up! However, I shall not be deterred, I think I just underestimated the effort I would need to lose weight. One of the features of WeightWatchers ProPoints is…
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As a family we tend to use Amazon a lot. It’s convenient buying online and it’s just got even easier for mums and dads with the launch of Amazon Family. Amazon Family review Amazon Family is a membership programme aimed at making it easier for parents and families to find everything they need at Amazon.co.uk. By giving simple information about your family when you sign up, you will receive exclusive offers and discounts as well as other benefits, geared towards you and your family. Upon joining Amazon Family you’ll receive : £10 off when you spend £50 in the Baby Store…