• Family Life

    Sustainable giving with Jaques of London

    Disclaimer: This is a collaborative post. We were sent the items from Jaques of London to review, but words and pictures are mine.  This year we are trying to have a more sustainable Christmas than ever before. The children are a year older but seem to have asked for less than ever before. I’m not sure if the past 18 months have taught us than things don’t bring happiness, or perhaps we look for items that are better made and will provide more long term enjoyment. We’ve always been a family that enjoys spending time at home and nothing beats…

  • gingerbread

    M&S Christmas Gingerbread house kit

    Last weekend my 11 year old decided to build one of the gingerbread house kits I picked up for my gingerbread gift guide. There are always so many to choose from, every supermarket seems to produce their own.  He decided to build the M&S food Christmas gingerbread house kit, and it’s not hard to see why! M&S Christmas gingerbread house kit Available in store, the M&S gingerbread house kit lets you make your own gingerbread house. It comes with gingerbread biscuits cut to size, a tube of white icing to make a lovely snowy frosting and colourful jelly tots for those…

  • Family Life - World Otter Day

    Otter necklace from ethical jewellery brand Jana Reinhardt

    I love to give jewellery at Christmas, birthday and anniversaries. I always think that jewellery is a very personal item but so versatile too – I change my jewellery every day to suit my mood or outfit! Ethical jewellery brand Jana Reinhardt Jana Reinhardt are a husband and wife team: Jana Reinhardt and Ross Cutting – both master-goldsmiths who are as passionate about hand making jewellery, as they are about animal welfare and green living. All their pieces are made from 100% recycled precious metals, all gemstones are ethically sourced or lab-grown, and their packaging is 100% recyclable and plastic…

  • Christmas - Cricut Maker

    Cricut The Polar Express Bell decor

    Have you started watching Christmas films yet? We’ve watched a few of our favourites, they are a great way to wind down with the kids at the weekend. They are both so excited about the end of term (although I have another few weeks of work!). We all enjoy The Polar Express and todays craft is inspired by the film, which tells the story of a young boy who, on Christmas Eve, sees a mysterious train bound for the North Pole stop outside his window and is invited aboard by its conductor. The boy joins several other children as they…

  • Monday Happy List

    Monday Happy Things {Week 373}

    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 write. Monday Happy Things {Week 373} We all love December 1st as it marks the start of advent and of course advent calendars! This was the first year in a while that our son didn’t choose a Lego calendar, instead opting for the Haynes electronic games advent…

  • days out - London

    Operation Ouch! Live on Stage {Not for the Squeamish}

    This morning we took a trip into London as we were gifted tickets to Operation Ouch! Live on Stage – Not for the Squeamish, written by TV’s favourite doctors, Dr Chris and Dr Xand, which has opened at the Lyric Theatre in London’s West End. The strictly limited season must end on 16th January 2022. Operation Ouch! Live on Stage review Following three sell-out Australian tours, and a smash hit season in London’s West End Dr Chris and Dr Xand are back! Their show is packed with all-new crazy experiments and amazing facts. They explore the fascinating world of biology…

  • Christmas - Gift guide - gingerbread

    Easy Gingerbread Wreath

    Every year I love to try gingerbread products. There are loads of gingerbread house kits, gingerbread dough, gingerbread biscuit mix, and last year I even found some Gingerbread Mulled Wine! For the last few years I’ve put all my finds into a handy Gingerbread Gift Guide as it seems as though my readers are interested in the best gingerbread kits too! Tesco Decorate Your Own Gingerbread Wreath Kit A few weeks ago I popped into Tesco and found their Decorate Your Own Gingerbread Wreath Kit. I thought this was a complete baking kit but it actually contained ready made gingerbread biscuits,…

  • Family Life

    Six Second Scribbles {game review}

    We were recently gifted a copy of Six Second Scribbles from Gamely. Our family loves playing a game and with the Christmas holidays coming up we were excited to add to our game collection. Six Second Scribbles sounds simple, but was it? Six Second Scribbles from Gamely In Six Second Scribbles you all have ONE minute to draw up to TEN things from your card. It sounds so simple but everyone plays at once in this fast-paced party game. To win points, your friends and family must be able to guess WHAT you drew. We decided to play the slightly…

  • Christmas - Grinchmas crafts

    Grinch-mas Rice Krispie Treat Pops

    Did you know that National Grinch Day is celebrated on December 1st and that it kick starts the 25 Days of Grinch-mas? Our family are big fans of the Grinch and couldn’t resist adding some crafts to help celebrate Grinchmas. Grinch Rice Krispie Treat Pops ingredients: 8 premade rice krispie treats 2 cups white chocolate chocolate chips 1 cup water Green food gel 1/3 cup buttermilk Red sparkle gel Lollipop sticks Makes: 8 pops Prep: 15 Minutes Grinch-mas Rice Krispie Treat Pops Place a metal or glass bowl over a pot of boiling water. Place white chocolate morsels into the…