My children love being outdoors which is lucky because I do too! Our small garden is packed with things to keep them busy from our homemade mud kitchen to the sand pit. If you’re looking for ways to entertain your family outdoors then look no further than Born to Be Wild by Hattie Garlick. Published by Bloomsbury, it includes over a hundred free nature activities to inspire your family to spend more time outside. The other day Little Sis and I enjoyed sitting outside in the garden to look through it. There are lots of fun things to do and…
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My children are the perfect age to be totally enthralled by the adventures of Tim Peake. It doesn’t feel that long ago since my daughter and I watched Tim Peake on his way to the International Space Station. A few times my 5 year old has come back from school and mentioned Tim Peake so I am pleased they are discussing him at school. Penguin Random House UK Children’s are publishing a new picture book that has been produced in collaboration with the European Space Agency and astronaut Tim Peake. I knew my children would love this story and I was…
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My bedside table is piled high with books at the moment. I seem to behind sharing them here but today I wanted to tell you about London Stitch & Knit: a craft lover’s guide to London’s Fabric, Knitting and Haberdashery Shops by Leigh Metcalf. The author blogs at Found, now home which I’ve enjoyed for a while so I was excited when she mentioned she was working on her first book about haberdashery shops in London. As a Londoner who loved to stitch I knew I was going to want a copy of London Stitch & Knit on my shelves.…
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A couple of weeks ago we were sent a copy of The Children’s Garden by Matthew Appleby to review. We’re all ready for Spring so this seemed like a great time to read a seasonal crafty book. My children love to play outside and are lucky to have a sand pit, water table, playhouse and mud kitchen. You would think that would be enough to keep them busy, but someone it is nice to have little crafty projects too. A garden can be a place for discovery, creativity and fun, and a space that encourages children to enjoy and engage…
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Today I’m taking part in a bloggy book tour for the latest novel from Dinah Jefferies – The Silk Merchant’s Daughter. Last year I absolutely devoured The Tea Planter’s Wife so I couldn’t wait to get my hands on her new book. 1952, French Indochina. Since her mother’s death, eighteen-year-old half-French, half-Vietnamese Nicole has been living in the shadow of her beautiful older sister, Sylvie. When Sylvie is handed control of the family silk business, Nicole is given an abandoned silk shop in the Vietnamese quarter of Hanoi. But the area is teeming with militant rebels who want to end…
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It feels like it’s been a while since I shared a good book I’ve enjoyed reading. Just before Christmas I was looking for something new to read. It was a difficult time as I knew I would be receiving a few books for Christmas but I really wanted something to read. I was in my local Waterstones buying a few last minute Christmas presents and decided to purchase a copy of The Girl On The Train by Paula Hawkins. I’m probably the last person in the world to read it. I don’t have a commute, or much time to read,…
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Now I’ve finished my Christmas shopping I feel as though I can start to think about 2016. Next year will see the start of a countdown to a significant birthday which always seems to make me a little introspective. I grew up reading Jane Austen, thanks to my mum who is a true Jane Austen Super Fan, and often wished I could swap places with one of her fictional heroines. Emma Woodhouse has always been my favourite character, as she had such a strong personality, even though perhaps a little naive and life limited too. My life is, and has…
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This morning I had a little time to myself so went Christmas shopping. I love Christmas shopping and was so happy to have some time to myself to pick up some gifts for everyone. We were actually away from home but I spotted The Works and knew I would be able to get some great value gifts for the whole family. I’ve put together a little post featuring The Works Christmas Gift Guide – chosen by me for my family. I found 20 HB Pencils with Erasers for Little Sis. She’s just turned 4 and not only does she collect rubbers,…
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A couple of weeks ago I smugly told you about our annual Book Advent. I thought we had our book list sorted, everything was wrapped and ready for December 1st. Then I received some lovely festive books in the post to review. They are all serious contenders for our festive book list and now I’m not sure what to do. So, let me tell you a little more about them. The first one is Socks for Santa by Adam & Charlotte Guillain, illustrated by Lee Wildish. This is the fifth instalment of the adventures of George, you may remember be shared…