What birthday gifts do you remember from childhood? Is there one thing that still stands out all these years later? Something that perhaps you still own and that has accompanied you on the journey into adulthood, through various house moves and more? I may not have her any more, but one gift I do remember so fondly is the Jemima doll that I was given by my mum when I was little. Years later I bought the kit again, to make Little Miss C a version of Jemima, and she still has this in one of her bedrooms and for ages slept with it in her bed every night. My mum must have spent hours ... read more
A new home for my lists #StationeryWednesday
As I'm sure regular readers know - I am a complete list lover. I have lists for everything and my to do lists run my life for me. It's the only way to ensure that everything in this busy household gets done. In the past my lists have often just ended up as part of my main notebooks that are in use at the time, but one recent review item from Bureau Direct seems to have changed things. Let me introduce the Mark's Storage it A6 notebook. With the innovative plastic cover with a ziplock section where you can keep (and still use) your smart phone, it's certainly different from many other ... read more
Traditional handwritten letters #StationeryWednesday
It's a while ago now since Nickie and I shared what was in our January review packages from Bureau Direct and since then I've just been so busy using the stationery that I've struggled to find time to actually review it! To me though that's a sign of good stationery - something that just gets used because it's so perfect for the job, not just because you're reviewing it. Firstly I was sent the Crown Mill A5 Writing Set. Now, the main reason for asking to review this was to fit in with one of my new year's resolutions which was to sent more handwritten letters to friends in the post. As ... read more
Mothers Day Flowers from Debenhams Flowers – Save 25%
He may not realise it yet, but there's quite a lot of pressure on my husband this year come March 15th. Not only is it Mother's Day, but it's also our wedding anniversary (and his Mother in Law's birthday the day before too!) When it comes to ordering Mothers Day flowers it's something that just has to be completely right first time with no margin for error. I was pleased therefore to be asked to trial run the Flower Delivery for the big day by reviewing a bouquet from Debenhams Flowers. I chose the Beautiful Day bouquet which had some lovely muted shades and a classic style to ... read more
Review: The Sticker Club
So, whilst it seems that boys go mad for diggers, I think the equivalent thing for little girls has to be stickers and Little Miss C seems to have been obsessed with them since she was very young indeed. At first it was the physical act of just sticking them anywhere that exited her. Since then it's moved on to how the stickers actually look and then spending ages creating pictures with them, or using them to decorate things. I remember when I was a child collecting stickers and actually being too afraid to stick them on to anything in case it ruined my collection. I also recall sticker ... read more
Adorable stationery from Alain Gree
I love stationery. There's just something about new pens, pencils and notebooks that just takes me right back to that feeling I used to get at the end of the long summer holidays when you're getting yourself ready for the new term and everyone's got a new pencil case to show off. I still dream of having a nice enough desk space at home to have all my pens and pencils beautifully arranged so that I can just sit down and get on with something in a nice new notebook and feel so much more organised than I do right now. At the back end of last year I was asked if I wanted to review some of the new ... read more
Nice things
This latter half of July has been a funny old time. It started with me becoming a year older, not something that I usually get all that fussed about, but despite a bad start to the day itself I also had a lovely spread out series of celebrations and treats. Things certainly started to look up with the postman appeared at the door with a large box of treats from Bettys - with strict instructions on the outside that it should be opened straight away as it contained edible delights the postman looked disappointed when I signed for it! Both Mr C and Little Miss C must have been busy ... read more
Giggles and Tickles Nappy Cake
There's no doubt that baby showers are now very much a part of many women's pregnancies here in the UK. I didn't have one when I was pregnant with Little Miss C and now that I'm pregnant again I have to admit that this time round I possibly won't bother - mainly because we have pretty much everything we need anyway. They are a lovely opportunity for friends and family to celebrate your impending arrival, most importantly before you become a sleep-deprived parent. Now that I'm over half way through this pregnancy I am starting to think about the new Baby C's arrival ... read more
Designs and Such Christmas Tree
I was delighted to recently be asked to review something from new local St Albans company Designs and Such. They are an online craft store that sell both craft kits and also one-of-a-kind handmade items which would make lovely gifts. Being a crafter myself it seemed logical to test out one of their kits and I was sent the Trio of Feltivity kit to make for Christmas. I should add here that time constraints mean that I've only completed one of the trio so far - the chirstmas tree - but watch out for the other two completed projects later in this advent craft month here on ... read more
Julie Slater & Son Notebook
Hello. My name is Mrs C and I am a list writer. There I've said it. I write lists and I love doing so. I have lists for everything. What meals we're having this week; what shopping I need the next time I place an Ocado order; what jobs need doing around the house; craft projects that need finishing; what I plan to buy people for Christmas and what I'd like to receive at Christmas. I always have several lists on the go - sometimes on post it notes stuck in strategic places, sometimes on scraps of paper in the bottom of my handbag and some of them written in notebooks that can be ... read more