Today wasn’t just Mother’s Day but also Big Brother’s 2nd birthday. We had piles of presents (far too many!), a birthday outing to the RAF Museum at Hendon, our handmade birthday card was read out on cBeebies and we made and ate a Thomas the Tank Engine birthday cake. Happy Birthday to my darling son! I can’t believe you’re 2 years old today. It feels like you’ve always been in our life, like I’ve always been your mum. You make my heart feel like it will burst from my chest. You make me cry with tears of frustration and happiness.…
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Last year it was all about the felt, this year it’s all about the edible gingerbread house! I had an Ikea Pepparkaka Hus which I had bought to make over Christmas and never got round to building so it seemed like a good time to make it and decorate it for Valentine’s Day. The kit contains ready baked and stamped house pieces – front and back, two sides, two roof pieces, four small pieces to make a chimney and printed instructions. It doesn’t contain any icing or sweets to decorate but the instructions helpfully contain a recipe for icing. The…
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A couple of weeks ago I came across a great challenge – the PinAddicts Pinterest Challenge. The idea is to choose something from your Pinterest boards to create and link up each month. As I am addicted to Pinterest I just knew I had to join in, the only choice was what to make? I searched my boards and decided upon something for Valentines Day. I couldn’t resist baking some gingerbread men and decorating them as a Valentine treat for my husband. Love is not lost in our household (despite a 2 and 23 month old trying their very best!).…
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You may remember that last year I was lucky enough to try out Zalando, a new online clothing store for men, women and children featuring well-known brands, for myself. If you fancy trying it out – read on! Zalando online shop is perfect for browsing when you have 5 minutes to yourself, especially when you can’t face getting to the shops through the snow! Post-pregnancy my figure is slowly coming back so I’m on the lookout for a whole new wardrobe. There’s a great choice of women’s clothing and there are a few coats I really like, such as this…
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I was really shocked to hear on the news today that a significant number of children are starting primary school who haven’t been potty trained. I’ve read lots of blogs which have shown me how hard potty training can be but it’s definitely on my to do list this year. Big Brother will be 2 next month and is showing some signs of being aware when he needs a clean nappy. Although I won’t be rushing him into it I definitely aim to have him potty trained by the time he starts school as I know it’s my responsibility, not…
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It’s Safer Internet Day on Tuesday 7 February. This is organised by Insafe each year in February to promote safer and more responsible use of online technology and mobile phones, especially amongst children and young people across the world. More information can be found at:http://www.saferinternet.org/web/guest/safer-internet-day NETGEAR urges people to remember that in our increasingly “connected” homes, parental control should encompass all devices that are internet-enabled. Rob Wells at NETGEAR outlines the five golden rules so we can ensure we can protect our families in the connected home: 1. If it’s connected to your home network – it’s connected to the…
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There’s a whiff of patriotism in the air today at the gingerbread house thanks to the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. I picked up some fantastic new cookie cutters at the weekend from Lakeland. The 3 crown cookie cutters are, according to their website, the ‘crowning’ glory of any afternoon tea table, cookies made with our trio of cutters will lend a regal air no matter what the occasion. Perfect to help celebrate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. I absolutely love them and knocked up a quick batch of gingerbread biscuits. The image of the finished biscuits in the Lakeland magazine look amazing…
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I have very little to show for all the time I’ve spent browsing my local charity shops recently. Big Brother goes to nursery in the next town where all the decent charity shops are but it seems the more often I pop in the less I find. So this weeks find is small but beautiful – vintage pink and white candles in their original box. Maybe it’s something to do with having a baby girl but my eye is now drawn to pink things. I love these as they remind me of vintage birthdays (my own!). They were made by…
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We’re big fans of Plum and I relied on ready made food a lot when I started weaning Big Brother as I wasn’t confident at all! Plum have recently introduced some new products which we were happy to try. Pumpkin Pie and Strawberry Cheesecake Oaty Chomps bars (RRP £1.99 for five 20g bars) combine fruit or vegetables with oats and quinoa, great for a mid-morning toddler snack. The small, individually wrapped bars are convenient for on the go feeding and provide the complex carbohydrates that are crucial for babies development. The moist textured, handy size bars have been created to…