When I read about the Hillarys Craft Competition for 2015 I knew I wanted to enter, but the question as what to make? With 1m square of fabric from their new Roman Blinds and curtains collection there were so many possibilities. Instantly the Daisy Pistachio fabric jumped out at me as the one I wanted to work with - even if I had imagined the pattern to be smaller on it than it actually turned out to be - but I was completely undecided about which of my plans to follow. Then, there I was one day hanging the washing out when inspiration struck me. My trusty old Cath Kinston peg bag was ... read more
Property – your questions answered #MoneyHangout
I've said it before and I'll say it again - Legal and General's #MoneyHangouts are really teaching me quite a bit. I thought I was quite up to speed on all things property related after remortgaging last year, but actually sitting down and watching their latest hangout on Property has made me realise just how much more there is to know, and also how many problems there are with property in this country at the moment. There is a shortage of houses, especially for families, in certain parts of the country and this means that people are finding it harder and harder to find a home. Knowing how ... read more
10 Top Tips for Travelling with Children
It's time to dust off the passports here in the Carr household as very excitingly I managed to win some holiday vouchers at the start of the half term holiday - just hours in fact before we headed off on our first family holiday in ages! Having now tested the theory that we can get further than the local supermarket with two children and all their kit I'm determined that this is just the start of our family holiday adventures. But, as any parent knows travelling with children isn't always straightforward so here are my top ten tips for making it as stress-free as possible. 1. Plan, plan, ... read more
Ladybird Tuesday: A Ladybird Fifth Picture Book
The Ladybird books for pre-schoolers have to be some of my favourite ones - possibly because they remind me so much of the very early years of my childhood. A couple of years ago now I features the First Picture Book here on Ladybird Tuesday and since then I've been looking out for the rest of the series, but had little luck until last month. After months of fruitless looking my old regular charity shop source suddenly had a whole box full of Ladybird books for the ridiculous price of 3 for 99p. Amazingly four from the Picture Book series, series 704, were in there and in wonderful condition ... read more
Review: Lalaloopsy Tinies
Ever since Little Miss C first saw Lalaloopsy Tinies advertised on the television she has been pestering me to buy her some. She's just about to turn five and at that age where it seems girls want tiny little toys to play with and act out stories with. The other thing that really attracted her to these Tinies though was the fact that you can thread them all onto sing or elastic to make your own jewellery. According to her this is the most amazing thing ever! So, when an email arrived asking me if I would like to review a selection of Lalaloopsy Tinies I jumped at the chance. We were ... read more
Let’s go Shopping Peppa
Master C can be a bit funny when it comes to books. Certainly reading with him is so very different from what it was like with his sister at a similar age. He doesn't have quite the same concentration span and rather than want a huge range of books he often gets stuck in a rut of just wanting the same book over and over again (a bit dull when all it is is pictures of vehicles!) and then also sits and insists on turning the pages at speed meaning you're not really able to do much reading unless you've had opportunity to memorise the book first! All this seemed to change though when a review ... read more
The search for greener electricity #BritainsBrightestStreet
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