Last Year I made a printable version of what had previously been handwritten: I would ask the children their favourite things, and write them down in a book, to go with the random memories I had added throughout the year. You can see the 2013 Year in Review printable here. It's been a busy year here a DG Cottage: we've been learning to adapt to life in the country. I've have done the school run in floods for the first time- terrifying- and … [Read more...]
Visiting Santa in his Harrods workshop
Last year we were invited to visit Harrod's Santa for review purposes, and whilst we enjoyed our experience, we had a few criticisms. This year, assured that these had all been addressed, we once again travelled into London to experience the wonder of a "Big Name" Santa, visiting Santa in his Harrods workshop. And I have to say that Harrod's Santa 2014 was a vast improvement on 2013. It was an actual Winter Wonderland- a forest of white … [Read more...]
Christmas Tree Activity Party
It's always fun to mark then end of term and spend time with your friends in the school holidays, so when The Girls asked for a festive event, who was I to say no? The result was a Festive Christmas Tree Activity Party, where everything was tree-shaped. This printable on my Advent Activity Calendar board on Pinterest, via Vegie Smugglers. It's a great colour-and-cut printable that is a quick and easy activity for any … [Read more...]
Turkey and Stuffing Meatballs with Cranberry Sauce
Turkey and Stuffing Meatballs with Cranberry Sauce and Shredded Brussel Sprouts. DH loves turkey. Could eat it all year round. So I knew that when I saw a recipe in Jack Monroe's book for Turkey Meatballs I would have to make them for him. They were a disaster. A didn't-hold-together-whilst-cooking-and-ended-up-a-bowl-of-mince-type-disaster, albeit tasty. I stared at this pan of mince all afternoon resentfully until I re-imagined it as Turkey … [Read more...]
Festive New Year Cards from Minted.com
It's precisely at this time of year- December- that my thoughts turn to Christmas. My birthday falls at the end of November so it is not until I am out of the month that I can really focus on All Things Festive. I don't know whether it's my love of Christmas Movies- however awful- or my fondness for Pinterest but I have been really captivated by the Holiday Card in the last few years. My captivation has been such that I have whizzed through … [Read more...]
Hama Bead Frozen Fractals suncatchers
We awoke this morning to grass covered in a thick layer of frost, so have been busy in the kitchen planning for Dimples' 5th birthday *sob* which will happen after Christmas. It will have a Frozen theme, so we've been looking for activities to do at the party and I have to say our Frozen Fractals Suncatcher made with Hama Beads have turned out really well. They are so simple. We used white Hama beads, as well as a mixture of blues. We have … [Read more...]
7 Reasons you are a better mum than me
We've all done it: been behind someone in the line at school pick-up, sat next to someone in a coffee shop, come across someone at the doctor's surgery. You observe them from your vantage point and think "Holy Cow! I am such a bad mother. She's doing a much better job than me." It's easy to compare yourself to someone in a brief snapshot of time and think that they are amazing, have the patience you lack, the authority you wish you had, the … [Read more...]
