When you think of a beast, what do you imagine? Probably some ugly creature who roars and stomps around, creating havoc wherever he goes. Maurice could not be further from that image if he tried. Maurice instead is gentle and kind. Sings beautifully and looks incredibly photogenic in pictures. He's also a big fan of organic snacks. Maurice's parents are worried that he needs to learn to be less civilised and so enrol him at the Abominable Academy for Brutish Beasts where they try to teach him to behave improperly. Will they succeed though? Or will they see that being different can be a good ... read more
Magical Unicorn Activity Chest from The Works
Unicorns seem to be absolutely everywhere these days. Maybe it's just the fact that I'm more tuned in to them with a step-daughter who is obsessed, and also a daughter who currently hangs on to every word she says. The thing with having a daughter is that I see trends and obsessions from my childhood come round again with her, but the unicorn thing is something that I think completely passed me by when I was a child. I remember crazes for collecting erasers, those puffy stickers, random bits of stationery and even yo-yos advertising soft drinks, but unicorns don't feature anywhere in my ... read more
3 Simple Steps for Stay-At-Home-Mums to Get Back to Work
Image source There is a huge amount of pressure on mums these days to ‘not opt out of work’ when the time comes to having children. With so much hype circulating about the benefits of staying in the work circuit whilst building a family, there is no wonder women suffer huge amounts of stress deliberating the logistics of balancing family and career. We are here today however to discuss just how plausible and entirely possible it is to get back to your career after taking some years out to raise children. If you are concerned about wanting to focus on raising your children and how that ... read more
My predictions for hair trends in Autumn/Winter 2017 #AWBeautyTrends
There's no doubt that autumn is now well and truly here. The temperature has dropped and I've certainly felt that I've needed a scarf and gloves when I've been outside. A ten minute wait at a bus stop the other night even had me wishing for a woolly hat to keep my head warm. To me autumn is that time of year stop and focus on myself for a little bit. On my own health and well being. We all spend ages getting our bodies "summer-ready" but I think it's all too easy to sort of forget about all that as summer starts to go into Autumn So maybe we should all stop and take stock for a bit. When ... read more
A Healthy Family Is A Happy One
Health is a big topic across all forums and sources of education and for a family, health has to be important. Whether you’re dealing with preschoolers or teenagers, your children need to be aware of their health and what it means to make good choices across their lives. As a parent, you are the driving force behind their health and wellbeing, so while you’re controlling the kitchen and their activities, you should be the one to ensure they are eating well and moving enough. Health matters a great deal and if you are putting emphasis on the fun side of health, the whole family can ... read more
#EcoverLaundry challenge – the stealth approach
Laundry. I'm pretty sure it breeds in my house. One minute I've got the washing basket empty and then the next time I look it's full again. How is that even possible? I try my best to stay on top of the washing, but at times it is just impossible. At the moment we're living in a tiny little rented flat and whilst it came with a washing machine, we don't have a tumble dryer or even a washer dryer like I used to have in my last house. Luckily the block of flats does have a communal drying area - a square area that is zig-zagged with washing lines and surrounded by high walls. Amazingly it ... read more
FitBeer – A Proper Good Beer
I know I've got myself a bit of a reputation online for liking a tipple sometimes in an evening, but I'll let you into another little secret... I also quite like a non-alcoholic beer every now and again... I've always enjoyed the taste of beer, and when I was pregnant with Master C I started to absolutely crave the stuff. Obviously there are rules about drinking when pregnant (let's not open that can of worms right now) but I chose to try to find alternatives, and so spent what felt like the entire nine months trying to find a good non-alcoholic beer. Towards the end I had indeed managed ... read more
Loud And Proud, Be Focal About The Stuff You Love In Your Home
Sometimes, you spend time finding the look for a room, finding the right furniture, colors, and little additions, but it feels like it still lacks impact. That might be because your focus is a little too broad. The whole room doesn’t have to define its look. Sometimes, that’s best done by one feature above all else. That feature is your focal point. We’re going to look at a few options that make for great focal points, why they help a room, and how you help them along. Link Something already there There’s a good chance that you might have something in the room that makes a perfect ... read more
Thrown For A Loop: The Best Roller Coasters That Any Thrill Seeker Needs To Try!
Picture Credit There are those who get all of the excitement that they need out being curled up with a good book and a nice cup of cocoa. Then there are those who aren't happy unless they're experiencing a truly ridiculous, white-knuckle thrill ride! Roller coasters are one of those things that you're always going to either love or totally hate. For those who don't enjoy them, there's no force on earth that will get them into one of those seats, but for those who do, there's nothing quite like in the world! If you're the kind of person who can't get enough of loops, inversions, and ... read more
A Very Pompom Christmas – 20 Festive Projects to Make
October on the calendar means it's perfectly acceptable to talk about Christmas right? I hope so, as that's exactly what I plan to do today as I review the amazing book A Very Pompom Christmas from GMC Books. Written by Jemima Schlee, the subtitle of this book is 20 festive projects to make, and that's exactly what it is. Now, I've come across Jemima Schlee before after picking up one of her previous books, Take a Tea Towel on a GMC stand at Knitting and Stitching, and so I had rather high hopes for this book and they were certainly met by it. I love a Pompom. There's just something ... read more