Making school packed lunches is one of those jobs that I really don't enjoy. Apart from having to do them for Master C's pre-school lunch club I've luckily avoided them until now. Universal Free Infant School meals meant that whilst Little Miss C was in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 she had a school meal each day, and if she didn't like the hot options she could opt for a school prepared packed lunch - all nutritionally balanced, as worked out by the catering company that the school uses. It made my life much simpler. This September saw LMC start in Year 3 at the local Junior School and with ... read more
Maurice the Unbeastly – Amy Dixon
When you think of a beast, what do you imagine? Probably some ugly creature who roars and stomps around, creating havoc wherever he goes. Maurice could not be further from that image if he tried. Maurice instead is gentle and kind. Sings beautifully and looks incredibly photogenic in pictures. He's also a big fan of organic snacks. Maurice's parents are worried that he needs to learn to be less civilised and so enrol him at the Abominable Academy for Brutish Beasts where they try to teach him to behave improperly. Will they succeed though? Or will they see that being different can be a good ... read more
Magical Unicorn Activity Chest from The Works
Unicorns seem to be absolutely everywhere these days. Maybe it's just the fact that I'm more tuned in to them with a step-daughter who is obsessed, and also a daughter who currently hangs on to every word she says. The thing with having a daughter is that I see trends and obsessions from my childhood come round again with her, but the unicorn thing is something that I think completely passed me by when I was a child. I remember crazes for collecting erasers, those puffy stickers, random bits of stationery and even yo-yos advertising soft drinks, but unicorns don't feature anywhere in my ... read more
My predictions for hair trends in Autumn/Winter 2017 #AWBeautyTrends
There's no doubt that autumn is now well and truly here. The temperature has dropped and I've certainly felt that I've needed a scarf and gloves when I've been outside. A ten minute wait at a bus stop the other night even had me wishing for a woolly hat to keep my head warm. To me autumn is that time of year stop and focus on myself for a little bit. On my own health and well being. We all spend ages getting our bodies "summer-ready" but I think it's all too easy to sort of forget about all that as summer starts to go into Autumn So maybe we should all stop and take stock for a bit. When ... read more
#EcoverLaundry challenge – the stealth approach
Laundry. I'm pretty sure it breeds in my house. One minute I've got the washing basket empty and then the next time I look it's full again. How is that even possible? I try my best to stay on top of the washing, but at times it is just impossible. At the moment we're living in a tiny little rented flat and whilst it came with a washing machine, we don't have a tumble dryer or even a washer dryer like I used to have in my last house. Luckily the block of flats does have a communal drying area - a square area that is zig-zagged with washing lines and surrounded by high walls. Amazingly it ... read more
FitBeer – A Proper Good Beer
I know I've got myself a bit of a reputation online for liking a tipple sometimes in an evening, but I'll let you into another little secret... I also quite like a non-alcoholic beer every now and again... I've always enjoyed the taste of beer, and when I was pregnant with Master C I started to absolutely crave the stuff. Obviously there are rules about drinking when pregnant (let's not open that can of worms right now) but I chose to try to find alternatives, and so spent what felt like the entire nine months trying to find a good non-alcoholic beer. Towards the end I had indeed managed ... read more
A Very Pompom Christmas – 20 Festive Projects to Make
October on the calendar means it's perfectly acceptable to talk about Christmas right? I hope so, as that's exactly what I plan to do today as I review the amazing book A Very Pompom Christmas from GMC Books. Written by Jemima Schlee, the subtitle of this book is 20 festive projects to make, and that's exactly what it is. Now, I've come across Jemima Schlee before after picking up one of her previous books, Take a Tea Towel on a GMC stand at Knitting and Stitching, and so I had rather high hopes for this book and they were certainly met by it. I love a Pompom. There's just something ... read more
5… 4… 3… 2… 1… Thunderbirds are go! #ThunderbirdsDay
I'll let you into a little secret. My real first name isn't actually Penny. If you look in my passport you'll find that I'm actually a Penelope. Not the most common of names, but one that has a few famous owners. One of the most notable of which being Lady Penelope from Thunderbirds. Back at junior school the playground taunts were usually around being called Lady Penelope and other children teasing a boy in my class with the surname Parker about whether or not he was my chauffeur. I'd never really seen Thunderbirds at the time so had absolutely no idea what they were on about. Fast ... read more
As easy as riding a bike…
Do you remember learning to ride a bike? For years I struggled so much with balancing, then one day I was round at a friends house on a playdate and somehow I just mastered it. I've still no idea how I did it, but things just clicked and the next thing I knew I was happily riding around her garden as if I'd been doing it for years. There's something about riding a bicycle that I just love. A sense of freedom as you ride along with the wind in your hair. Or more accurately nowadays, with the wind rushing past your aerodynamically designed cycling helmet! It may not have the same romantic ... read more
Meccano Off Road Racer
As a child Meccano was always one of those toys that I wanted to play with, but I never seemed to be allowed to do so. We had a small kit at home and I have vague memories of my Gran having some in her sideboard cupboard, but then I have no recollection of it ever coming out for us to play with. Instead we just seemed to always play Pick Up Sticks with her at her dining table whenever we visited. My Dad always used to speak fondly of building Meccano structures and machines when he was a lad and seeing as he went on to be a mechanical engineer I guess that makes sense. I also have fond ... read more