Autumn has to be one of my favourite times of year. There's just something about the colours of the trees that I love so much and that always make me feel strangely emotional. I didn't therefore need much encouragement to head up to the gorgeous Wendover Woods with the family the other weekend to investigate the Superworm Trail that was there until the end of October. The Superworm book by Julia Donaldson and Axel Sheffer is one that has strangely passed me by until now. I'd heard of it and seen in bookshops, but just not read it until now, although it seems both kids are very familiar ... read more
Norman the Slug Who Saved Christmas – Sue Hendra & Paul Linnet
Halloween is over so I'm now declaring that we're officially allowed to start talking about Christmas - one of my favourite times of the year. Despite the kids singing Jingle Bells since before Little Miss C's birthday in June, I kid you not, I'm actually really excited about this year. At three years old Master C really seems to get it this year, and I'm really looking forward to seeing him getting caught up in all the magic that goes with Christmas. It's a few weeks now since Norman the Slug Who Saved Christmas arrived through my letter box, but I was thrilled to see it as we are huge ... read more
There’s a Monster in my Fridge – Caryl Hart & Deborah Allwright
Halloween is has now been and gone (I know, bonkers isn't it! I'm sure it was only June a minute ago) and that was the perfect excuse, if one were needed, for a slightly scary children's book, and that's exactly what There's a Monster in My Fridge is. This rhyming story is hilarious and not only does it include a monster in the fridge, but also a witch behind a screen, a vampire in the cellar and two skeletons in the bath! I'm not exaggerating when I say that I laughed out loud when I read this to Master C for the first time. And as if the words were not funny enough, they are accompanied ... read more
Introducing Warburtons Giant Crumpets
Blogging and reviews have taken a bit of a back seat here since the summer - mainly in favour of crochet and crafting - but those crafty people at Warburtons seem to have worked out how to get my attention and get me back here. It's amazing what a sucker I am for a new mug and accompanying teapot, especially when they are gorgeous Le Creuset ones! It's not unusual for parcels to be left with one of my neighbours, as the delivery people always seem to have a habit of coming when I'm on a school or pre-school run. What is unusual though is for my elderly neighbour to hand over a parcel ... read more
Winter is almost upon us – so spin yourself a winter cocoon!
With autumn now well and truly upon us, a glance just a little bit further ahead in the wall calendar reveals an impending long, cold, British winter. Fortunately, something equally British can be your salvation, and by that of course, I mean turning to crafts to beat the cold snap. Bedrooms can be easily converted from large, airy, brightly-lit summer spaces, to a warm and cosy den for hibernation throughout the winter – and you'll be amazed at the difference items such as over-sized pillows and scatter-cushions, blankets, quilts and bedspreads can make to both the metaphorical and literal ... read more
Crafty Catch Up – Spice of Life, Halloween and the Start of Christmas
Can you tell that the crochet is completely taking over my life at the moment? If you follow me on Instagram it's probably pretty obvious. It seems that every spare minute is spent with a hook in my hand these days and I'm loving it! I'm onto the final stretch of the main body of the Spice of Life CAL now and I'm already starting to feel a bit sad about the fact that it will be all over soon. The pattern has you repeating the first half of the blanket in different colours for the second half, so there are no more new stitches to learn, but instead it's great practice of what you have ... read more
Crafty Catch Up – Spice of Life CAL and a spot of dress making
I'm still struggling a bit with this new rhythm that my week day life needs to fall into. It doesn't seem to be coming naturally at all, but I'm hopeful that a fit of being organised this Monday is starting to send things more in the right direction. I'm squeezing in crafty moments whenever I can, but again more organisation is needed to maximise these better. There have been a couple of busy weeks here with one things and another socially so hopefully now things are getting quieter more evenings with a crochet hook or a needle and thread can take place - after all what else were chilly ... read more
The rhythm of life
I can't hear those four words without bursting into song in my head. My old school choir did an amazing version of The Rhythm of Life that used to make the hairs on the back of my neck just stand on end every single time. Somewhere at my mum's I'm sure there's a cassette recording of it which has to be reason in itself to dig out an old walkman and wire it up somehow. The rhythm of life has changed somewhat here over the last couple of months and it's taking a bit of time to get used to. Master C finished at nursery at the end of July and I strangely found the whole thing a bit emotional. ... read more
Crafty Catch Up – Attic 24 Ripple Blanket and Spice of Life CAL
It's been a while since I managed to pull together a my week in crafts post mainly because the school holidays have meant very little time to craft. I'm hoping that things are about to change though as Little Miss C is now back at school and Master C started pre-school last week. It means a totally different shape to each day, but one that I'm hoping to fill with plenty of crafty activities, both with and without the kids. Holiday crochet #crochet #rippleblanket #attic24A photo posted by Penny Carr (@realbeingmrsc) on Aug 28, 2015 at 2:32pm PDTThe main thing that has progressed this summer has ... read more
Ladybird Tuesday: Understanding Numbers
The thrill of the chase is one of the things I love about collecting Ladybird books. A trip to my local Oxfam bookshop last week to try to buy something else entirely resulted in me coming home with this Ladybird gem last week. It's a couple of years since I last featured a book from The Words for Numbers series (series 661) and it's not a series that I often find in charity shops, but this was sat on the shelf for just 99p, despite being in excellent condition, and there was no way I was leaving without it. Understanding Numbers is Book 1 of the Words for Numbers series and whilst I ... read more