Last Minute must-have Christmas kitchen items

Christmas is the time of the year that everyone in the family looks forward to. It’s a season of happiness, indulging in treats that we usually wouldn’t allow ourselves to and giving presents to those we care about the most. Certain things cause the Christmas cheer to rise in people, and quickly the whole area becomes covered in decorations, as if Santa did them all overnight himself. Here’s some seasonal-themed items that will look fantastic in your kitchen this Christmas, and be worth keeping all year round. Christmas cookie cutters Not the most technological item on this list, but everyone will love it when you make cookies in the shape of Santa Claus, snowmen and Christmas trees this season. The Good cook shop has lots of offers on cookie cutters , meaning that you can replace the delicate cutting with stencils, which do all the work but take none of the reward. Vintage inspired kitchen scales Despite all the food having multiple pinches of love......

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Our little gingerbread house

So normally around the festive season we either make gingerbread men, ginger tree decorations or a gingerbread house but with the whole house move and a lot of our things still in boxes and being somewhat disorganised at the moment, we still wanted to have the joy of making a house but in a more stress-free kind of way so when we were asked to take part in a fun competition to decorate and put together a gingerbread house for Sykes Cottages we couldn't wait. We got off a little bit late with our efforts due to our kit getting a little bit lost in the postal system and as mentioned before still unpacking/sorting out internet, but we got there in the end. This traditional gingerbread house kit is perfect for toddlers and if you don't want the hassle of cooking from scratch - which is equally as fun but can be stressful when dealing with delicate wall panels and a child with a penchant for sweet gingerbread. Basically you build the house using icing to stick everything ......

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Red Hot Halloween Fun

So on saturday I had the wonderful pleasure of trying out some amazing mocktails and cupcake decorating at Red Hot World Buffet in Cardiff which are putting on a while Halloween spooktacular this Tuesday which invites parents and kids to dress up and enjoy a gourmet ghoulishness fest. I had so much fun decorating my cupcake in little pumpkins and various icing and fondant and my take on a scary gingerbread man didn't exactly turn out how I imagined but was very enjoyable. Fresh strawberries for cupcake toppings Chef designed scary gingerbread man My cupcake creation The staff where really friendly and on hand to help, including a short little magic show. The barman was very knowledgeable and created some sweet tasting mocktails that where friendly for the whole family, except maybe the one with red bull, my son is pretty much a made hatter as is so giving him anything else to stimulate his energy levels would not be a good idea.  I also got to......

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Instagram weekend roundup

So still alittle upset at not being at London Fashion Week this week due to work/life commitments (first time in a few years that I am not there) I have resorted to quite a lot of baking this weekend, which has now lead me to needing to go on a healthy eating diet this monday! Anyway since John and I both had today free we thought we would make the most of it, since it was dry, although very cold and apparently it's going to be raining for most of the week, we though an ouside adventure of some sort was on the cards. So we decided to take a drive to Cyfarthfa Castle in Merthyr (birthplace of Julian McDonald and Laura Ashley) and anyone living in Wales/Cardiff should check this place out, as it really is a beautiful setting. The castle houses a very interesting and fun Museum and Art Gallery, as well as a victorian style tea room (welsh cakes and coffee for me). It's also set in a 160 acre parkland with a large lake full of ducks and a sensory garden and best of all it's all......

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