Month: December 2014

Merry Christmas from London

London Gingerbread House

It’s lovely having a birthday at Christmas. I’ve always considered myself lucky that the whole world is set to party, twinkly lights and tinsel everywhere I look, all ready for me to throw myself into another year older. And so I work hard to get Christmas totally sorted in time for my day, so that I can relax and enjoy my family and friends. So today I headed off into London with the kids, to meet Actually Daddy for lunch. Steak and chips and red wine at Sophies in Covent Garden – such a treat and it wasn’t even the …

Read more

A Christmas Wot so Funee?

"lyrics to Last Christmas"

Found hiding amongst a pile of papers at the bottom of a cupboard. GG was having a tidy up, an event that only happens once every couple of years. I swear one day she will no longer fit in her room, she’s such a hoarder. It had to be a Christmas Wot so Funee?

9 Brilliant Books for Tween Girls to Expand Their Reading Level

Books for 10 year old girls The Twistrose Key (by Tone Almhjell) Full of mystery, it slowly leads you up to the main event, until you’re so into it that you’re guessing what might happen next! (GG) Have you ever wondered where your pets go when they die? In your wildest imagination you couldn’t imagine this scenario for them, but when Lin finds her way to the land of Sylver, imagination becomes her reality, and an eternal winter plays host to racing adventure.  It started out as an advent calendar of one-page chapters for the author’s sister and became a …

Read more

Whittlebury Hall Hotel and Spa Review

Spa at Whittlebury Hall hotel and spa review

Christmas coffee, gingerbread muffins, and champagne! I am well and truly ready for Christmas. Last week I had finally stopped ignoring the fact that my cupboards were empty of potential giftware, with two expectant children and their eager faces goading me into entering the festive fray. I threw myself headlong into the frenzy of preparation, and bought all (well, most) of my presents for family and friends online. I thought I was doing well, until the to-do list began to resemble my old school homework diary in the run-up to GCSE’s. I was frazzled. But this week I returned from …

Read more

Do you believe in Santa?

Do you believe in Santa? I remember peering down at the bottom of my bed through the dark, at the bulky, mis-shapen pillowcase I’d laid out the night before. I have no idea what the time was, but it was cold, so it was too early for the heating to have switched itself on. There was no going back to sleep though. Nothing could stop me from crawling down to the end of my bed and retrieving that sack full of magic. I don’t remember anything after that. The presents, the unwrapping, the consuming of goodies and playing with toys …

Read more

Wot so Funee? End of year roundup.

  The one with the dodgy spelling. For my final Wot so Funee? of the year (don’t worry, there’ll be more next week from Emma!) I decided to publish some of the funny moments I’ve found in my children over the course of the year. My trusty iPhone woke me this morning to the news that I had very little storage left, so I spent rather a long time deleting photos and video to make space. I’d forgotten some of these moments, and it was actually a lovely treat to scroll through and recapture some memories. Shocking though how much …

Read more

Never too old to swing!

Where do the birthdays go? They seem to come round much more frequently than once a year, and my children are growing up far too fast for my liking! My girl, especially, is turning into a young lady (or a grumpy teenager – ask me on a good or bad day and you’ll get a different answer!) almost as I watch, and as she hit double figures recently I was struggling to know what to get her for the big day. Until I asked her. What she most wanted, in all the world, was a swing. The best wooden swing …

Read more

Should you give your child the flu vaccine?

The flu vaccine The flu vaccine is a must in our house. GG has been having it since a young age, as she suffers with asthma from time to time. Now that she has a diagnosis of Type 1 Diabetes there’s just no debate. I’ve had it too. As her main carer I can’t afford to be ill, in the way that flu makes you ill. And if you’re wondering if you’ve ever really had the flu, I can put you out of your misery right now – you haven’t. I’ve had flu twice in 48 years. Flu is not …

Read more

Dog on Stilts: a book with a message for children

Dog on Stilts: a book with a message for children

Medium dog has a problem. At least, he thinks he has. You see, he’s just medium. Average, ordinary, normal. And that doesn’t suit him. He wants to be noticed. He wants to be liked. He wants to BE someone! Luckily, he thinks he has the solution, and embarks on a project that will see him walking taller than all the other dogs. But will it make him happy? Dog on Stilts A little dog with a big message for children Dog on Stilts is the second hardback children’s book by James Thorp and Angus McKinnon, of The Superhairies group. We …

Read more

Getting a head start on Christmas!

Christmas has started!  I know I’m totally going to polarise opinion here, but ever since I had children, I’m firmly in the camp of kicking off Christmas as soon as possible. There is just so much fabulous stuff to fit in, and I don’t want to be a chaotic heap of stress the week before the big day, only to wonder what hit me once the wrapping is off and we’re all stuffed full of Christmas pudding. So yesterday our Christmas tree went up. Often I get carried away with the romance of schlepping to the garden centre and choosing …

Read more