Even if you drank enough over Christmas to spend the last few days hidden under a duvet, it can't have escaped your notice that we're in a new year. 2014 is here and from what I can gather hanging around for another 365 days, so I guess we'd all better make the most of it. Last year I wrote about the resolution to end all resolutions I which I pledged to give everything I do 110% over the year. I tried to do that, but I have to be honest and say that I don't think I always managed it. I did learn that to give 110% to everything it is very easy to forget yourself in ... read more
So that was Christmas 2013…
... and what a damp squib it ended up being! After more than a month of being ill I felt woefully unprepared for Christmas and therefore spend the last few days running round like a mad woman trying to sort everything and make sure I'd done all the practical stuff like send cards, buy gifts, wrap them and pick up the pre-ordered Christmas cake and other food bits that my mum had asked me to provide. All was going well when we piled in the car to head up north and apart from forgetting to pack my slippers it seemed like we'd pulled it off without incident. How wrong I was. On Christmas ... read more
A Wartime Christmas – Carol Rivers
There are many, many reasons why I love social media. I could probably go on all day as to why, but one simple reason is that it gives me the ability to talk to people that I might not normally talk to. Not just friends I've made, but people I see on TV, read about in newspapers, or whose books I have written. That's exactly what happened with Carol Rivers who tweeted me one to day to say thank you for a review I had written of one of her books - I've actually written two before Lily of Love Lane and Lizzie of Langley Street. We got chatting over twitter, as you ... read more
Woolly and Tig iPad App Review
Little Miss C is rather a big fan of the CBeebies series Woolly and Tig. If you've not seen it this series features a three year old little girl Tig and her friendly toy spider Woolly. In each five minute episode Tig goes through a new experience with the support of her spider friend. When you're three years old something new like a first day at nursery can be rather scary, but when faced with things like this Woolly suddenly comes to life in animated format and he's there to help Tig through the situation. I'm rather fond of the TV series myself as I think it's really helpful to guide LMC ... read more
Ladybird Tuesday: Your Body
This is one of those Ladybird books which I remember so vividly from my own childhood. It's a little bit different rom the rest of the nature series (536) in that it covers the human body in detail rather than other bits of nature. Even as an adult reader, this book provides and excellent overview of the human body and its main functions and features. The diagrams also remind me of ones that I had to draw into my school GCSE biology notebook, especially the one of the digestive system. I'm not sure if the same illustrations were used in my school text books or if I'm just ... read more
What the Debenhams Secret Santa brought me for Christmas
When I was asked if I wanted to take part in a Christmas Secret Santa with a group of other bloggers for Debenhams I jumped at the idea. Firstly the idea of being able to buy something for one of my blogging friends was lovely - these were a group of women that I chat to daily on twitter and Facebook. We share all life's up and downs and see crazy numbers of photos of each others lives every week. I've been fortunate enough to meet some of them in person and without exception they're all as lovely in person as they are online. And secondly - I was being given money to buy someone a ... read more
Review: Soak and Sleep Nordic Christmas Throw
After being ill all my Christmas preparation seem to be a bit behind schedule this year. I'm playing catch up now though and trying to get into the festive spirit again. The decorations are up at home and our sofa has also had a bit of a makeover with the addition of this gorgeous nordic style festive throw from Soak & Sleep. As I went to look through their website I was instantly drawn to their nordic Christmas range and completely fell in love with it. The obsession that I've had with all things Scandinavian over the last couple of years shows no sign of disappearing and ... read more
The Night Before Christmas – Clement C. Moore & Henry Fisher
'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse Those opening lines to Clement C. Moore's The Night Before Christmas are ones that so many people know off by heart and just hearing them reminds me of reading a version of it as a child. This year Parragon have brought out a new version of this classic seasonal rhyme with accompanying artwork by Henry Fisher. Little Miss C wasn't at all familiar with this rhyme and at points the slightly old fashioned language and references to St Nicholas, rather than ... read more
Save the Children’s Christmas Jumper Day
Be prepared for your eyes to be hurt tomorrow - in the nicest possible way of course. Save the Children's Christmas Jumper Day is back (Friday 13th December) and this year it's going to be bigger than ever! The idea is simple - get into the Christmas spirit by wearing your best bit of festive knitware and donate a pound to Save the Children to help support the wonderful work that they do for children around the world. I had big plans for either buying myself a perfect Christmas jumper that sat perfectly between retro cringeworthy and cool or even making myself something a bit special. ... read more
How to make the perfect cuppa – northern style!
These days there aren't all that many subjects in which I'd say I was an expert. Several things that I've had lots of practice in, but I'm not necessarily all that good at them. Then I saw Mummy Barrow's post about making the perfect cuppa and though - hang on a minute, this is actually something I know how to do. And something I do bloody well if I say so myself. After all I'm from Yorkshire. Tea's in my blood. Literally. So - how to start. Firstly tea should always be made with boiling water, whilst coffee should be made with just hot water (one of the first things you learn at I Am Barista ... read more