If you know about Pinterest, you will know that the single most used word to describe it is 'addictive'. Trouble is, I get more than a little bit carried away with the pinning and forget to get on with the actual making part. And thus was born my idea for a linky. It doesn't matter what you've done, visited, made or bought, if Pinterest is the inspiration behind it, and you've blogged it, then link it. To get you started, here … [Read more...]
Kick-start Christmas with a Findmeagift Giveaway
I tell you, these giveaways are really putting me in the Christmas mood: I have bottled the Santa's Helper I made after seeing it on the Thrifty Christmas website. It's so delicious, I just don't know if it will last until December 25th, but I'm hoping to enjoy a glass or two whilst decking the halls next week. Today's giveaway is from findmeagift.com who have some truly original gift ideas for presents, at Christmas and all the year … [Read more...]
Kick-start Christmas: how to make an easy Advent Calendar!
You will probably be amazed to learn that, despite my love of all things chocolate, I am a hardened fan of traditional Advent Calendars. Right from the childhood days, probably even before the chocolate Advent Calendar had been invented (did I mention I am now officially middle-aged?) I loved opening the window not for the gift but for the picture. Each seasonal symbol somehow made me feel a step closer to Christmas. And now that I have children … [Read more...]
Kick-start Christmas: how to make mince pies and an Amazon Giveaway
It's day of the Kick-Start Christmas Giveaway and I'm sitting watching Barbie The Nutcracker with The Girls. I can feel stirrings of something approximating Christmas spirit, despite the early hour. Which makes it the perfect time to tell you about today's Giveaway. It couldn't be simpler: I have a £25 Amazon voucher. No tricks, no plugging. Yours for a comment telling me what you'd buy with it. And if you are feeling generous, you might … [Read more...]
T for Thanksgiving Turkey
Although Thanksgiving is not a British holiday, we have American family. To help LBG and her Dimpled sister keep an association with them, we made some turkeys this week. It was clear autumn day and The Girls and I picked up some leaves from the garden, which put me in a mind of a turkey craft I had seen around the internet somewhere. I drew around each girl's foot onto the inner side of a carton of some kind, then cut them out. This would … [Read more...]
Angelic Christmas Cookies in a Jar
I'm probably going to curse myself now, but I seem to be doing reasonably well with my Christmas preparations. That said, things have been slightly complicated of late by the fact that the Dimpled Assassin, who is famed for her bad sleeping habits, has adopted the guest bedroom as her bedroom of choice. She spent the night there recently when Lord and Lady M to stay, and had a miraculous night's sleep. DH and I have since embarked on a test-run … [Read more...]
Reindeer Cookies and Gingerbread men
I bet you didn't know what you get if you turn a gingerbread man upside down (and no, it's not a smutty joke.) I didn't either until I was cruising pinterest one day. Invert a gingerbread man and you get a very convincing reindeer cookie. Allow me to demonstrate. First, you will need some gingerbread men. Although I made a dozen ginger-free men. Once your men are baked and cooled, turn them upside down. The head is still the head, it's just … [Read more...]
