If money was no object this is exactly what I would like the roof of our house to look like. Just ignore the grey skies and rain! The tea rooms at Fairhaven Woodland and Water Gardens in Norfolk I've written before on this blog about my love of renewable energy and for years now I've been slowly working towards a time when as a household we can be self-sufficient in as many ways as possible. Having solar panels fitted would be one such step and it's one that I really want to take. I know that as you drive around the country you see more and more farmers' fields that are now filled ... read more
A sneak peak at the new Nickelodeon Store London #NickStore
Being a blogger has brought both me and the kids some amazing opportunities - things that money really can't buy - and today was one of those days. Imagine being a child and going in to a shop full of things with all your favourite TV characters on them. Imagine that happening when the shop is closed to members of the public and you're there as special guests. I'm sure you can imagine just how excited Little Miss C was therefore this morning when exactly this happened at the new Nickelodeon Store in London's Leicester Square. The Nickelodeon Store opens to the public tomorrow ... read more
Property – Your options explained #MoneyHangout
Property. A house. A flat. A roof over your head. Your place. Home. Whatever you call it, everyone needs somewhere to live and for most of us it is our biggest expense. But finding somewhere to live isn't always straightforward, and depending on what your particular situation is I'm sure there are lots of things you want and need to know going forwards. That's where Legal and General are hoping to help with the next in their excellent MoneyHangout series - Property - Your Options Explained. Just following questions that I've seen asked online recently I know that there are people ... read more
Review and Competition: GoldieBlox and The Spinning Machine
GoldieBlox has been a firm favourite toy in our household ever since we first got to play with it when it was launched in the UK last summer. Being the first real engineering toy aimed mainly at girls I was always going to take a keen interest in it and I've been very impressed with what I've seen so far. We were delighted therefore to be asked to specifically review GoldieBlox and the Spinning Machine as it's probably my favourite GoldieBlox set. The main concept behind GoldieBlox is that girls learn slightly differently from boys and as such GoldieBox features a unique story approach to ... read more
Ladybird Tuesday: Tiptoes, the Mischievous Kitten
Some of the earliest Ladybird books published in the now familiar format centred around animals. As well as the very first series (series 401) which was all animal rhymes, series 497 was a series of 10 different animal stories, first published in 1949 and Tiptoes, the Mischievous Kitten was the second book in this series. Written by Noel Barr, and with illustrations by P. B. Hickling, there is a 1940s charm and innocence about the story that almost makes it seen old fashioned compared to some other Ladybird books in my collection. Much as the title suggests, Tiptoes, the Mischievous Kitten ... read more
Mix Up the Magic with Petits Filous Magic Squares #MagicSquarePlaydates
When I was first asked by Petits Filous to blog about mixing up the fun when it comes to my kids playtime I have to admit I was a bit stumped. It can be so hard at times to know how to snap your children out of that post school day slump where all they want to do is zonk out in front of the TV set. Seeing as we were being asked to mark the launch of Petits Filous' new Magic Squares I actually took influence from something I saw in their TV advert. I find that actually my kids do still have enough energy to engage with a fun activity, but after a day of following instructions at school and ... read more
The MADS 2015
Seven years. Yep, this month I will be celebrating the 7th anniversary of when I started writing Being Mrs C and boy what a lot has happened in those 7 years! We've moved house into a proper family home, I gave up my job in London and we've also started a family with the arrival of Little Miss C and Master C. My motivation when I started this blog was to record and share the things in life which make me smile and that's what I still aim to do today - although I admit that a few challenging times have snuck in too. I wanted to motivate myself to focus on those good things in life though and ... read more
Latest charity shop haul – May 2015
I've not been having as much luck as usual in charity shops of late. Despite lots of looking there just haven't been any items of clothing I really liked and Ladybird books seem to have dried up a bit since the publicity push for the 100th anniversary of the publisher. Still, all my efforts have turned up a few gems - so here's my latest charity shop haul. I'd love to hear about what thrifty gems you've found recently. ... read more
Review: Schleich Horse Riding Arena
I've blogged before about Schleich toys and how much my kids love them. They're always amazing quality and really encourage children to engage in role play which is excellent for their development. I therefore jumped at the chance of being able to review the Schleich Horse Riding Arena. We've only previously bought individual animals so I was intrigued to see what one of their larger sets is like. Firstly - what is included? As well as the arena itself, you also get a horse and rider, a couple of jumps and a few accessories like straw, carrots, horse blanket and reins. The ... read more
Ladybird Tuesday: Multiplication Made Easy
Maths. It's a school subject that seems to divide people - both children and adults. Some people just hate it and find it so so difficult, yet for others, like myself, it is their favourite school subject! When you think of Ladybird books most people remember the Keywords scheme which taught children all over the country to read, they remember fondly the classic stories and also the vast array of history books that Ladybird published. They may also recall all the nature books with their amazing illustrations and the various hobbies that were covered in other series. The books that may ... read more