5 sweet & simple things to do this summer

Summertime in the UK is a glorious season (when the rain lets up that is) of sun, garden parties, Pimms and outdoor adventures. I love when these warmer months roll around and I can break out my go-to summer outfits and enjoy spending time in the fresh air with the kids. There’s quite a few things on my to-do-list this summer, easy days out and new places to visit and as always we have a bucket list of things we try to achieve each year. If you need a little inspiration – or just want to get the kids out of the house – here are five small things to bring you and your family some enjoyment this summer. Pick your own fruit One simple joy in life is being able to harvest your own fruit and veg, whether it be in your own allotment or garden, or at one of the many farms around the country. We have a small vegetable patch in our garden but this past year we have taken a break, mainly because my 2yr finds pulling everything we plant out as a game we are going to focus on n......

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The Gratitude List

Around every 2 months or so I like to look back and reflect on the little adventures and things we have got up too, when life can feel chaotic this can be a great way to get some clarity as gratitude should be something we aim to practice daily - but with anything it does take practice. I'm not going to beat around the bush, the past 6 weeks have been somewhat up and down for a variety of reasons - technical issues, John hurting his back, adjusting to being a mum to a school age child and the playground politics, new friendships and emotions that come with that and seeing my son grow and learn so much over this year. I also lost a dear friend to cancer, she was only 32 and its times like these that the little things that make you smile and laugh each day really do count. 1. We recently spent a weekend exploring Basingstoke as part of the Made in Basingstoke Festival . We were excited to find out that Jane Austen was born 7 miles from Basingstoke and as part of the festival th......

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Embrace the Force this Fathers Day

No longer are the days when the popularity of Stars Wars was mainly among adults who were old enough to see the original trilogy or the tail end of it. Of course the films have a massive cult status and have always appeal to fans of all ages but never has there been such an influx and renewed excitement with younger children as there is now with Disney taking the reins of the new films. My is now versed in all things Star Wars and has been teaching me all about At-AT's, storm troopers and the force. Star Wars has always been the exception to the rule but even so its great to see it's enthusiasm and love cross so many generations which is why something Star Wars related makes the perfect Fathers Day present, especially one that can be done together as a family. My 5yr old loves to build lego's and models so I knew these Star Wars activity book and cardboard models from Egmont would be the perfect thing to give his Dad this Fathers Day as this would provide a......

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Easter interior inspiration

How cute is this wooden bunny ears egg cup from Not On The HighStreet   Easter is one of our favourite times of the year, not just because of the chocolate but because it marks the end of winter and the begining of spring and new adventures. It's also a great time to bring a pop of colour to your breakfast table and your home, enjoy a spot of crafting and baking. Even if your not a chocolate lover there are plenty of ways of celebrating Easter in the home and I have put together a little interior inspired wishlist for the home this Spring. 1. John Lewis  Copper Kettle  £40 2.  Ben De Lisi Egg Fried  Egg Cup  £6 3. Freya Été Good Egg  Mug  £10 4. Ashley Thomas Stoneware Bunny Salt and Pepper  Shakers  £12 5. Lila and Lola  Rabbit Print  £5.17 6. Peter Rabbit Biscuit Card from  Biscuiteers  £10.95 Another little traction we do around Easter time is have a few bunches and bouquet of fresh flower......

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This Homeschooling Life

As some of you may already know, myself and three other bloggers do a monthly roundup of what Home Schooling or Home Ed looks like to each of us and what we get up to and here are some of the highlights from the last month. It's been a bit slower than usual, with less outdoor adventures due to both the boys coming down with bad colds and coughs (as well as myself) but we are not back on form *well almost* and we have ramped up the Christmas crafting and getting into the festive season.  One of our favourite things from the past month has to be the JacDo Christmas Craft session at Chapter in Cardiff with a few other local bloggers and their kids. The lovely people at JacDo had setup three tables each with a different craft, all perfect for young children to get stuck into and get creative with. First we made sock snowmen filled with rice then painted paper plate wreaths and a simple sowing craft which was Mr A's favourite. For those who don't know what or who Ja......

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Autumn Inspirations

The only thing that makes the end of summer bearable is Autumn in all its cosy country fashion. It's such a visually inspiring month with the leaves changing to beautiful hues of red, brown and orange as well as the fact you can start layering your clothes and justifying 3 cups of hot chocolate in one day.  Just like with spring, I feel the need to clean, make a few changes to the home and get involved with more crafts. I have made a little list of things I want to do this month especially as it also feels like the calm before the storm that is Christmas, Autumn is truly a time to soak up the smaller quieter moments while still enjoying the last few days of fairly mild weather before plummeting into those ice winter temperatures and being a southern hemisphere ex-pat I will never get used to the biting festive season. So here are a few things we are planning to get up to this Autumn 1. Finish decorating all the bedrooms, making them a place you want to lay your head a......

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Trees Trees Trees

Wow what glorious weather we have been having lately and that can only mean one thing, lots of outdoor adventures, exploring new places, picnics and spending time with friends in the wonderful sunshine.  Bute Park right in the heart of Cardiff were running two fun outdoor inspired days during half-term - as Mr A is at home we usually avoid these type of things during half term as they are normally so busy it can be overwhelming and opt for countryside walks but at they were doing a Tree activity day and a Bat day we couldn't resist and to our surprise it was very quiet - I don't think many knew about it. The tree day was a great combination of outdoor fun and educational activities from tree and bark rubbing to making green tree monsters as well as learning about the rings on the trunks and telling it's age as well as planting our own tree seed to take home. The Bat discovery day was more a drop-in style event at the Bute Park Educational centre a......

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A crafty Afternoon with Brecon Carreg

Last month we were invited to a wonderful afternoon full of fun, crafts and good food at one of our favourite spots in the city centre - Wyndham Tea. This family friendly event was put together by Brecon Carreg who did an amazing job of putting together a simple but creative craft using recycled Brecon bottles that was perfect for little fingers. First of all however was lunch, which was fresh, healthy and gave us a chance to sit down and chat to other bloggers before the craft session started. After so delicious food and of course a cup of herbal tea all the kids settled around a big table and got stuck in. Cutting, sticking, painting and everything in-between their creations slowly came together. Mr A decided to make his favourite animal - a Giraffe and he was very proud with his end result. Being heavily pregnant at the time it was lovely to be able to do something with him together and it was lovely that John could join us as well for the perfect family afternoon. ......

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Creative tips for working with Acrylics

Mr A loves to paint Acrylic painting is a fantastically rewarding hobby and is popular amongst beginner painters including young kids and children as it's a great medium to us as well as those who have been painting for years. It’s fast drying, can be mixed with thinners and very versatile. During my college and University years studying various art courses I thought I would share some tips on how to get the best out of this great medium. Blending Blending can be tricky business when it comes to acrylics as the paint dries very quickly. Act quickly, however, and you should be able to get the desired effect. Layering A benefit of the quick drying nature of acrylics is that the fact that layering paint on top does not disturb the original paint as with watercolours. Mix Using a Palette Knife One of the plus points of using a palette knife rather than your brush to mix colours is that you do not get surplus paint hidden in your brush which will surprise y......

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