It might be a little too soon to think about the kids returning to school after the summer holidays (especially for your little ones); however, a bit of preparation can go a long way. Ensuring that you’re all set for what the new school year and term time may bring, will help your kids (and the rest of your family) to settle into their routine and stay as happy, active, and as healthy as possible. The following are some tips and tricks that you can start thinking about now, so that back to school will go as smoothly and as stress-free as possible, for both kids and grown-ups. Image ... read more
Finding that special someone
There was a time when the only real way to meet someone new was to either know someone who knew them, or to pluck up the courage to speak to a complete stranger when out somewhere. There was the possibility of becoming friends with someone and that then developing into something more, but that wasn't always practical if you were working long hours. It may be that there is something very particular that you are looking for in a potential partner - be that a physical attribute, something in their personality or maybe a shared passion for something a bit quirky. There were the dating columns ... read more
Thrifty Shortcuts To A Rustic Home
Modern decor styles are quickly falling out of fashion. Go to any new bar or restaurant and you’ll find a rustic look with exposed brick and thrift store furniture everywhere. It looks as though it’s all just been thrown together but in reality, it still takes a lot of planning. It can be quite expensive, even though it looks like everything has been found on the street. If you think that rustic decor would work in your house but you don’t want to spend loads of money on it, then DIY is the way to go. There are countless ways that you can make your own furniture and fixtures to give you that ... read more
Getting over loneliness when travelling
Years ago I was involved in a networking group for engineers. Twice a year we would all meet up somewhere in Europe and have a fantastic time. Alongside the official programme of events would be a variety of social events that everyone enjoyed. They led to some life long friendships and some relationships too. One day at a planning meeting the task force were trying to come up with ways in which the network could help our members more. A key thing in the group was that many of us had to regularly work away from home. Either a few days in a strange town, city or even country, or in some ... read more
I Love My Wok – Nicola Graimes
When I moved house recently a replacement wok was one of the first things I bought for my new kitchen. I've always used a wok loads for cooking a variety of different dishes in, and so I was quite surprised to read a press release for the book I Love My Wok describing it as "often... underused and undervalued". It's far from that in my house! I'm no great cook and have to admit that my wok based meals aren't really thought through as meals designed to be cooked in a wok, more that it's just the thing I choose to use in the kitchen. I was intrigued therefore to take a look at I Love My Wok ... read more
Easy Braids
I feel I should start this blog post with a bit of a disclaimer. I've never exactly been a girly girl. Yes, I do like nice dresses and shoes, and sometimes I've even been known to spend time getting my hair and make up right. But on the flip side I'm equally just as happy in jeans and a t-shirt with my hair scraped back in an elastic band - much as I am when sat here writing this. Little Miss C gets her hair tied back most days in either a pony tail or a plait, but, much to her disappointment, I'm not one for following long winded YouTube tutorials to be able to recreate fancy creations in her ... read more
Ladybird Tuesday: ‘People at Work’ The Fireman
It's been a while since I've bought any new Ladybird books. Partly because I was trying to save money, but also partly because they just weren't to be found in local charity shops at a reasonable place. I've been travelling around the country a lot more recently though, and in doing so discovering new charity shops, and more Ladybird books! The whole of Ladybird Tuesday started with me featuring a book from series 606B, People at Work, when I wrote about In a Hotel. Since then though I've gone on and actually featured quite a few of this series, and it remains one of my absolute ... read more
Wobbly Worm
It's fair to say that my relationship with Wobbly Worm got off to a bit of a shaky start. Or maybe that should have been a wobbly start. I had great hopes for this outdoor toy and thought that it would be perfect to take along to Wine and Wigwams with me for a spot of evening fun after a bit of vino. I packed it in the car along with everything else, but rather stupidly didn't pack any batteries. The Wobbly Worm takes two C size batteries and strangely we couldn't find anything on the campsite that had this size batteries in it at all, so we didn't get any further than putting it together ... read more
what2buy4kids – Toy Time Machine
Anyone who knows me will know that I love everything vintage that relates to children. Especially books and toys. I therefore love this infographic from what2buy4kids. It's fascinating to see how things have changed over the years. But, at the same time, it's great to see how some firm favourites that are still played with regularly here. Master C is especially fond of his Hornby trains and Little Miss C still plays with My Little Pony dolls on a frequent basis. Which of these vintage (or more modern) favourites do you have in your home? ... read more
The Family That Cooks Together, Stays Together
We usually think of the kitchen as a place where adults prepare meals and children just grab snacks, but it doesn’t have to be that way. In fact, it might be better if it’s not that way: studies have shown that there are a host of benefits to getting the whole family involved in the cooking process, including improved family bonds, greater child responsibility, and healthier meals. If you think it might be time for your child to roll up their sleeves and help you in the kitchen, read on: we have a bunch of reasons that will (hopefully) convince them it’s the right thing to do. Source: ... read more