I have to admit to a bit of a cheat with this week's Ladybird Tuesday. Whilst this may look like a genuine vintage Ladybird, it's actually a modern reprint of the original, which was republished in 2011 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the original (published in 1961). Handily this was also the year before the Olympic Games came to London and fitted in very well with the general buzz around the city at the time. This republished version is pretty much identical to the 1961 original except a modern price on the dust jacket, a mention of it being the 50th anniversary edition ... read more
Standing Tall
I'm already realising that with a second child you don't necessarily keep track of all the milestones quite as well as you did with child number one. With two of them to look after and entertain things creep up on you rather quickly and before you know it your little one with suddenly doing something that you're sure they couldn't do just moments before. Master C made some first attempts towards crawling in early April and the last two or three weeks he's made big progress with this. He also now gets himself to a sitting position and can sit quite confidently playing with ... read more
Thrifty Friday Five – Laundry
Whether you've got a big family or live on your own there are still ways to try to be thrifty when doing your laundry. 1. Make sure you've got a full load If you're going to use your washing machine then you really ought to try to do so in the most efficient way possible. Some machines have settings that alter the programmes to accommodate half loads, but the most efficient way to wash has to be to only put it on when you have a full load - it's unlikley that a washing machine really reduces the energy and water used by half if you put it on a half load setting. This might mean ... read more
Remembering the simple life
Isn't this card just adorable? There is a (large) part of me that would love a life like that in the picture. A spotlessly clean kitchen, children involved in a wholesome activity like baking, pet cat and what looks like a fantastic garden outside in the spring sunshine. The view of my kitchen table right now would show more piles of junk that I know what to do with (including the contents of a box of tissues which someone helpfully took out of the box to "save time" when she sneezes next), you can't see out to the garden due to the heavy rain and whilst one child is ... read more
Ladybird Tuesday: ‘Through the Ages’ Transport
It seemed somewhat appropriate to write about Transport on this week's Ladybird Tuesday when the bank holiday weekend just gone involved 240 miles in the car (taking a total of 7 hours!), five train journeys and a taxi ride! When you think about how far transport has come over the years it really is quite impressive. From people carrying their loads whilst they walked, through to the first human pulled sledges. From simple boats and canoes to the invention of the wheel. Using animals to first carry loads and then pull vehicles gave way to steam locomotives and on to the train systems we ... read more
Thrifty Friday Five – In the Kitchen
I'm kicking off this first week of Thrifty Friday Five with five top tips for saving money in the kitchen. 1. Meal planning One of the most effective ways to save money in the kitchen is to plan what you're going to eat in advance. It may sound obvious, but many don't do this, and even those who do don't always stick to their plan. If you ensure that you plan sensibly and only buy the food that you need, then it should help you to ensure that you don't waste money or food. I've written a separate guide to meal planning which sets out how to plan ... read more
Thrifty Mrs C – Meal Planning
There's no doubt that one of the biggest regular expenses in the kitchen is food. It's also the case that we throw away a criminal amount of food between us. In the UK it is estimated that 7.2 million tonnes of food and drink is thrown away every year and the majority of this could have been eaten. Often people either don't use everything that they've bought, or they cook more than they need and the leftovers end up in the bin. The best way to minimise food waste is to reduce the amount you buy in the first place and planning what you are going to eat can help with this hugely. ... read more
Review and Competition: Cheekyshoes
I find it notoriously difficult to find shoes that fit me and feel comfortable. So difficult that I hate shoe shopping and tend to spend most of my life in trainers or flip flops as a result. so when I first heard about Cheekyshoes I just assumed that I would have the same problems as I do with most other shoes - how wrong I was! I didn't think it possible to buy a pair of shoes online and then be able to walk in them for a mile as soon as they arrived without any problems or discomfort, but that's exactly what I did. It is almost as if Cheekyshoes were made for me as the two guys who ... read more
Review: Curious George Swings Into Spring
With a George in the family I couldn't really refuse an offer to review a DVD of Curious George Swings Into Spring and I'm so glad that I didn't as he's already become a very firm favourite of Little Miss C's. If you're not in the know (and I wasn't a week ago) George is a monkey who seems to hang around with a man who dresses in a strange yellow hat that rather makes him look like a banana (and he's perfectly named The Man in The Yellow Hat). The characters originally came from the Curious George books that were written by Margret and H. A. Rey and the TV ... read more
Ladybird Tuesday: Hannibal on the nature trail
One of the best things about charity shop shopping is that you never know what you're going to come home with. I always keep an eye out for old Ladybird books, but one recent trip to my most local shop proved to be extremely fruitful when I found several titles, including three from the Hannibal series, which is part of wider series 497 (Animal Stories). Now, I hadn't heard of Hannibal before this trip, but he is the hamster star of six books, all published between 1976 and 1978. Inquisitive, friendly and brave, he seizes every opportunity to escape and see as much of the ... read more