• Mrs Van Gogh by Caroline Cauchi
    What I'm reading

    Mrs Van Gogh by Caroline Cauchi

    January 16, 2023 - By 

    I’m excited to share my first book review of 2023! This year I’ve signed up to the Goodreads 2023 Reading Challenge and set myself a target of reading 35 books. This is slightly less than last year but hopefully more achievable – as I didn’t reach my target last year. I’ve noticed the books I read with the kids are longer and we just don’t have time to read as much as we used to when they were little. Mrs Van Gogh by Caroline Cauchi She’s been painted out of history…until now Who tells her story? In 1890, Vincent Van…

  • Monday Happy List

    Sunday Happy Things {Week 431}

    January 15, 2023 - By 

    Starting the week by writing the Monday Happy List is something I’ve been doing for a while. It’s a chance for me to sit down and reflect on the things that made me happy in the previous week, as well as to record some of our family adventures. It’s a post I always love to sit down and write. Sunday Happy Things {Week 431} Last week went really quickly as work is so busy at the moment. Luckily we enjoyed a team away day at Missenden Abbey. It was great to have a day out of the office, and a delicious lunch…

  • A Loom of One’s Own
    competition

    A Loom of One’s Own {book giveaway}

    January 12, 2023 - By 

    I don’t mind the month of January. I have a proper spring clean after I’ve taken the Christmas decorations down and have a big clear out too. This year we’re changing our living room round and have had an amazing tidy up due to losing lots of storage. I want to have a simplified house with less clutter – although there will always be room for my crafts! I’m looking forward to trying new crafts this year and have already enjoyed a little macrame. I love that you can create something with a few simple knots and I will be…

  • Family Life

    Baby On Board? The Benefits of Leasing a Family Car Versus Buying

    January 10, 2023 - By 

    For many people, that period between pulling up on the driveway to your home and getting out of your vehicle is a time for reflection, socialising, texting, and much more. However, for those of us who have children, these times don’t exist. For families, the car is a hub where you go on family adventures together, wait for appointments to pass, go on the school run, and repeatedly hear ‘are we there yet’ from the backseat. But eventually, you’ll be in the market for a new car, and the new question on everyone’s minds is, should you buy it outright…

  • Monday Happy List

    Sunday Happy Things {Week 430}

    January 8, 2023 - By 

    Starting the week by writing the Monday Happy List is something I’ve been doing for a while. It’s a chance for me to sit down and reflect on the things that made me happy in the previous week, as well as to record some of our family adventures. It’s a post I always love to sit down and write. Sunday Happy Things {Week 430} January is usually a quiet month for us, and one where we plan work on the house. We booked to have solar panels installed last year and the company keep letting us down on the installation of them.…

  • Escape Hunt Watford
    days out - Hertfordshire

    Escape Hunt Watford {game review}

    January 7, 2023 - By 

    We spent New Year’s Eve solving a Play at Home Escape Room which reminded me that we never shared our experience at Escape Hunt Watford. My daughter chose to do an Escape Room for her 11th birthday after reading about them in the Week Junior. If you haven’t heard of them before, they are a game you play with others, where you solve a series of clues to unlock puzzles within a specific time frame. Escape Hunt Watford We found an Escape Room near us in Watford and chose an experience. There are 6 escape rooms at Escape Hunt Watford,…

  • Easy snowman door free printable
    Elf on the Shelf

    Easy snowman door free printable

    January 2, 2023 - By 

    Our two elves got up to a lot of mischief during December. Sometimes the elves just moved around our house, but they also did some fun things, such as hiding candy canes for the kids to find or playing poker with chocolate coins. December is an expensive month so I like to make my elf activities as low cost as possible. Over the years we’ve been visited by our elves we’ve made a few printables to help with their elf-ish activities. Our free printable Elf on the Shelf twister board is always popular and I love to think that other…

  • Merry and Bright Mini Quilt
    Monday Happy List

    Sunday Happy Things {Week 429}

    January 1, 2023 - By 

    Starting the week by writing the Monday Happy List is something I’ve been doing for a while. It’s a chance for me to sit down and reflect on the things that made me happy in the previous week, as well as to record some of our family adventures. It’s a post I always love to sit down and write. Sunday Happy Things {Week 429} I love this week between Christmas and New Year. It’s lovely having nothing much to do and feels like a time we can all sit down and relax. We’ve read books, played games, been on lots of dog…

  • Family Life

    7 Tips for Creating a Beautiful Garden on a Budget

    December 28, 2022 - By 

    Creating a garden is a beautiful way to add beauty and serenity to your home. It can be surprisingly affordable, too. With some know-how and creativity, you can make a beautiful garden that won’t break the bank. Here are some simple tips to get you started. 1. Start Small When creating a garden on a budget, it’s best to start small. It doesn’t mean you can’t make something stunning and unique — start with the basics. This can include finding the right spot for your garden.  Look for an area that gets plenty of sunlight, is sheltered from the wind,…