As you will all know by now. Master C is train obsessed. But it's an obsession that I regularly try to use to his advantage when it comes to teaching him things. For ages he wasn't at all interested in holding a pen or doing any sort of "mark making" as it's described in Early Years Foundation Stage documentation. Then he suddenly started wanting to draw trains, in particular drawing on carriage on each separate piece of A4 paper and then sticking them all together. This was swiftly followed by seeing track layout diagrams in some of my OH's model railway magazines and the next thing we knew ... read more
Ladybird Tuesday: Adventure at the castle
It's been a little while since we've visited the Ladybird Key Word Reading Scheme here on Ladybird Tuesday, but that's where we're headed today with book 10b in the series - Adventure at the castle. The early books in the Ladybird Key Words Reading Scheme are the ones that everyone seems to be familiar with. Simple sentences about Peter and Jane were how many of my generation learnt how to read. I'm guessing that many of us moved on to other books though and didn't progress on to the later titles in the series like this one. By Adventure at the castle we have left Peter and Jane ... read more
Paddington 2
Where on earth do you begin to write about Paddington 2? Never before has a film exceeded my expectations so much and there are so many things I want to tell you all about it. The key message has to be that you MUST go and see it. Even if you though the original film a bit naff (I did - I didn't even bother with the last 30 minutes on Amazon Prime as I was so bored) this is completely different. It's a million times better. Paddington 2 move you to tears of both sadness and laughter, but also completely change your opinion of Hugh Grant as an actor. Out on general release fro 10 November ... read more
Embracing autumn evenings hygge style with Hunkemoller
I love autumn evenings. I think that by the time they come around I'm ready to snuggle down and get all cosy in an evening with a spot of crochet, a good book or watching something on TV. I guess it may all link into the Danish concept of Hygge that I am rather in love with. A while back I read a book all about A Year of Living Danishly and I found learning all about the country and the way people live there utterly fascinating, but the bit that stood out for me most was this idea of hunkering down in the autumn and winter and just staying at home with family and friends. It's a concept ... read more
Finding Furniture & Furnishings That Are The Perfect Fit For Your Home
https://www.pexels.com/photo/armchair-book-books-browse-261969/ Shopping is one of those activities that we always think we enjoy, but in reality, we don’t always! Men always assume that we love to shop. And while some women do, others will be happy to admit that it can be more hassle than it’s worth! When nothing fits or you can’t find what you’re looking for, shopping can be anything but fun! And when you’re looking to upgrade your home and create a fab new look with your interiors, the idea of shopping can put a downer on the whole idea. But it doesn’t have to. Because you might just be ... read more
Making Christmas magical with a personalised letter from Santa
Christmas is a magical time of year for children and part of that magic has to be Santa. Whether you call him Santa Claus, Father Christmas, St Nic or Santa Christmas (as Master C currently does!) the same magic surrounds the man in red and there's no doubt that his visit is what most children look forward to most at Christmas. How Father Christmas "works" might be different in each family, but his arrival whilst children sleep on Christmas Eve is seen as being pure magic and it's therefore no surprise that children start writing their letters to him months in advance as they are so keen to ... read more
The changing face of Bingo
When you hear the word bingo what do you think of? I think how you answer that question depends very much on your age and the generation in which you grew up. My first memories of bingo as a child was that it was a game that my Nan went out to play. She went to the social club at the end of her road and had a few games on a regular basis. I think they even played at the day care centre that she went to later on in life. I also remember that we had a bingo set at her house and my sister and I used to set it all up and play a few games with her in her spare bedroom when we went to spend ... read more
Top 5 Savings Investment Ideas
The interest rates on standard savings accounts have been poor for a number of years now. You may as well keep your money under a mattress for all it makes you sitting dormant in a modern savings account. So have a look below at the top 5 ways to make your money work for YOU. 1 - The 10 Year Savings Strategy: This is fairly common for shorter-term saving and is similar to building up an emergency fund should you lose your job. It just takes that strategy to a whole new level, you create sub-savings goals based on a 10-year plan. Based on your own personal circumstances these goals could be ... read more
Snuggle Up! Creating A Cosy Vibe At Home This Autumn
It’s grey and miserable outside, and the light is fading earlier every day. Autumn is well and truly here, and before we know it, we’ll be in the throes of winter. If you’re keen to do some decorating or sprucing at home to create a cosy vibe perfect for chilly climes, you’ve come to the right place. Here are some inspirational ideas to help you snuggle up this autumn/winter. Switching up your colourways When the sun’s shining, and it’s light until you go to bed, it’s wonderful to embrace natural light and try and create crisp, clean spaces. As temperatures fall, it’s increasingly ... read more
Boo at the Zoo – Halloween Half Term fun at ZSL Whipsnade Zoo
We've been huge fans of ZSL Whipsnade Zoo for as long as I can remember and ZSL members for years now, yet strangely we've never actually been to their Halloween event, the brilliantly named, Boo at the Zoo before. Today that changed. Much of the Boo at the Zoo fun takes place in the giant marquee in the Base Camp area of the zoo. There you can find Creepy Crafts and the Pumpkin Patch. All three kids enjoyed making bat masks as part of the free creepy crafts activities and if you buy a pumpkin from the shop area just outside the marquee you can then carve a pumpkin and take it home with ... read more