Oops!

Goodness me, this blog has been sadly neglected! I have been flat out with pretty much no time for any frivolous extras such as doing things I like, but busy is good in the land of freelance and doing my tax return this year was a much more positive experience than it has been in the past!

We are halfway through the summer holidays and the kids go back in three weeks. They will be starting new schools and I have spent an eye-watering amount kitting them out. Let's just say there had better not be any lost jumpers during the first term! Both of them, with their impeccable timing, needed new shoes six weeks before the end of term. Oldest is fine, but the youngest has already scuffed through the toes of his (Marks & Spencer - I am surprised they didn't last longer but then I guess their testing is less robust than my son's).

This is what we have been up to these holidays:
Gromit hunting in Bristol
Royal Welsh Show
Legoland Windsor
A visit to London (including an awesome Duckboat tour!)
Warner Bros Harry Potter tour
National Trust 50 Things activities at Tredegar House
Seeing Monster's University and Wolverine
Eating out
Haynes Car Museum
Bovington Tank Museum
Celebrating birthdays
Hanging out


Phew! I feel exhausted (and broke) just reading that lot. The next few weeks will be quieter with only a few days camping in Dorset planned.

What have you been up to? I hope you're having fun. I'm going to do a more detailed review of some of our family days out that have been made even better as a result of the fab British summer we're having (and this year I'm not coating the phrase "British summer" with disdain and sarcasm). They're certainly worth a visit.

What You Truly Can't Live Without This Week (... or not)

Haven't had a "random likings" for a while. Here are some bits and pieces I have seen on my online travels.

1. Leopard print Converse
I saw these ones at Office...

 ...but when looking for a suitable pic to use I found these ones in the States with a zip, with just a leopard tongue.
Then there are these sparkly beauties for those who think leopard print isn't enough on its own, and that it could use a little bling

I, however, am a woman of simple tastes and the top pair have been added to my Christmas wish list.



2. Folding Water Bottle 



This one came thanks to Mrs Thrifty when she posted about her favourite Money Saving Handbag Essentials.  I thought it was a great idea and ordered one for myself. Anything that reduces the amount of crap I seem to forever be lugging in my handbag is a good thing and this has proved to be great.


3. Arthur Christmas!


Not exactly random as this has been on my radar for a while and I pre-ordered it last week. I loved Arthur Christmas and have been waiting for it to come out on DVD so it can be added to my growing collection of Christmas films. It's currently £9.99 at Amazon but am sure it will be on offer in the supermarkets as well.

     


4. LEGO Sweets
You can tell what direction my online searches have been heading recently - first Arthur Christmas and now LEGO sweets.You can get these from various online retailers including Sweet Greetings and Amazon (I love browsing all the imported sweets and food on there!) But look at these awesome gummy LEGO sweets.
Unfortuately you can't buy them but if you want to make them the instructions are at Sweet and Nerdy.

 If you were keen then you can either make a silicone mould or buy one from eBay. Actually, while I was searching I turned up this gem: a Hans Solo in Carbonite mould so you can munch him in chocolate, jelly, ice - whatever takes your fancy.

                                                               

Easter Crafts for children that won't drive you nuts

 

via http://spoonful.com

Easter is a great excuse to bust out the and glitter and let your children embrace the power of pastel paint. My criteria for a good craft activities are:

• something that can be consumed or given away
• where the process is at least as important as the end result
• doesn't cost a fortune and preferably uses things I already have
• nothing that will hang around shedding tissue paper or glitter
• is not an Easter bonnet, which I hate with a passion.

Easter Cards
This pretty much covers every criteria because even if they do shed tissue paper and glitter, they are given away and therefore won't be doing it in your house (encourage kids to make them for grandparents and teachers, rather than immediate family members.)
As well as making rectangle cards, cut some into egg or bunny shapes for decorating. If you are stuck for inspiration, Disney Family Fun has some free printables. If you want to push the boat out a little, Etsy is good for ideas, like these free printables from Peace Heart Cupcakes

Spring collages - using whatever colourful scraps you have. Maybe draw (or print) an outline of an Easter picture and let children 'colour' it by gluing things on it. Could also be used for cards.

Flowers
Daffodils encapsulate the sense of spring completely and are perfect as an Easter craft. To make these we used cut up egg carton, yellow and green paint, gold, silver and green glitter, tissue paper cardboard and drinking straws. Paint the egg carton pieces and sprinkle with glitter while still wet. Cut leaf shapes from cardboard, paint and glitter. When dry, put a hole in the bottom of the egg carton (I use a scalpel) to feed the drinking straw through. Make a slit at the base of the straw with said scalpel to slot the leaf in. Scrunch up a little tissue paper and glue into the centre.
Don't feel restricted to daffodils though. Egg cartons are also great for tulips, or any type of flower your child's imagination cares to create.

Egg blowing and decorating
We used to do this quite a lot as children. Use a thick  needle to poke a hole in the broad part of the egg (which as the air pocket). Push it in far enough to break the yolk and jiggle it around a little. Then make a hole at the pointy end, bigger than the first. Blow through the broad end (over a bowl) until as much of the contents as possible are out. Flush the shell with running water through the large hole and shake. Repeat until you're sure it's clean, because raw egg doesn't smell very nice after a while.

Once the eggs are dry you can decorate them any way you like, using paint, glitter, ribbons, feathers, anything. Glue on a ribbon loop and use to decorate an Easter Tree.

Bake and decorate an Easter cake
Possibly my favourite activity here and a good use for the contents of the blown eggs. A normal sponge is great, or you could try a traditional Simnel Cake. If you are going to do this it may be wise to blow the required number of eggs for the recipe into a separate bowl so you know how many you have.

(from UKTV food, not my kitchen)

Chalk drawing on pavement or walls - tail target and water pistol shooting
Drawing with chalk on outside walls or pavements is a great activity for kids. Draw a large rabbit outline in chalk, making a large round tail target. You can leave it like that, or have co-centric rings with scores in them for older children. Fill up the water pistols and let them loose.

Chocolate eggs
Ok, you might have to buy things for this but giving homemade eggs is  a really nice thing to do, especially as you can customise them. Moulds are widely available from Lakeland, Hobbycraft and other hobby stores. Use paste food colouring to tint melted white chocolate pastel shades, either to make eggs or decorate them. Glue sweets to the outside with melted chocolate, or fill hollow eggs with something yummy before sealing.

Easter basket
And finally, something to put all your goodies in. Print or draw a template on an A4 sheet of cardboard. Wilkinsons has a packet of 8 for £1, which come in bright and pastel colours. Disney's site has a template for a woven style basket here. Craftscope have the more traditional template here. I remember making these in kindergarten. Fill with shredded tissue paper and all your Easter goodies, or use for collecting finds on at. Easter Egg hunt.

Random Likings For Children

Because what mother doesn't want their son to be advised by Bart Simpson?

Blackboard wall stickers from Wallnutz

Wizz Fizz. So impressed they still make this stuff.

H&M children's clothing: practical, good quality, and bright colours all year around. I love H&M.

Back to the Future replica hoverboard - Oh yes!

(but you need to pre-order by 20 Mar for December delivery)

Not Waving but Drowning

I have 2 children, both of whom cannot swim and both with a strong aversion to putting their head under water. The eldest has quite a legitimate fear (not based on past trauma) and the youngest just likes copying his older brother. We've tried a few times over the years, both in the pool with me, but it's always been met with very strong resistance once it gets to a point where they need to put their face in the water. I decided in summer that enough was enough and that it was my duty as a parent to ensure they could swim, if only in a basic form. They've now had around 12 weeks of lessons and progress is painfully slow. If you're the parent of a child whizzing up and down the pool I will allow you to feel smug as long as you spare a little sympathy for the parent of the (overly dramatic) child clinging to the side crying and shouting NO I CAN'T DO IT I WILL DIE!!!

Eldest son and I reached an impasse on Sat, culminating in both of us sitting in the pool for 20 mins while he refused to move and I refused to go. I thought we had reached a turning point a fortnight ago, but a bad swimming lesson on Fri has knocked any confidence in his ability that he had, and taken us back about 6 weeks. With the odd exception, Fridays have become the worst day in the week and it's getting progressively worse. I hate seeing him come home full of excitement for the weekend, only to watch him deflate and shrink into the corner of the couch as it gets closer to swimming time.


After speaking with my husband, who doesn't swim at all and hates water, we've agreed to stop the lessons on the understanding that eldest NEVER goes near water. If we're at the beach, he can't paddle. He can't go on the flumes with his friends...nothing.

I'm going to perservere with youngest, but on my own on the weekends. He's less scared than eldest but still has a strong aversion to putting his face in the water. Hopefully if I take him to the pool to play he'll associate water with fun and become more confident. It might even help get eldest back in the pool (in which he can stand - it's a good learner's pool) and we can move beyond it.

Of course, I am totally wracked with guilt that I have failed in helping my child learn to swim. When I grew up everyone could swim. I am not a natural swimmer but I had fun playing in the pool and at the beach. I was absolutely determined that both my children would at least have rudimentary swimming skills, but the situation with eldest has saddened me. I have managed to find some compromise or solution to every other parenting situation so far, but not this time.