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Tuesday, 27 October 2020

Capturing Your Special Day With Wedding Photo Swap

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Weddings. Remember those? 

Time with family. Fun with friends. Watching those you care about declare their love and commitment to each other. Celebrating with fizz, food and a good boogie. Lots of my happiest memories stem from weddings of family and friends. 

Going from my childhood and skidding across the dance floor and dirtying my bright white socks, much to the disgust of my mother, to my teen years as a bridesmaid, slipping out of sight for a sneaky drink, then up to my own wedding and those of friends, where my shoes are nowhere to be seen and stomach hurts from laughter and too much fun!!

Close up of hands holding an iphone and taking a photo of a bride and her bridesmaids

Saturday, 17 October 2020

Preparing Your Family For A Photoshoot

(Collaborative Post)

Family photoshoots can be a lot of fun. It is an opportunity to capture the dynamics and love in a family and spend some time with the ones you love. It can also be stressful, especially if you have children. The pressure to get good pictures to share and display can dampen the mood of the photoshoot. If you prepare beforehand, you can mitigate some of the stress and enjoy this time with your family.

Professional camera sitting on a table

Monday, 12 October 2020

A Little Bit Of Pampering With Your Massage Clinic

[Gifted]

There are two things that I've decided to do more of over the last few months. One is to support more local and independent businesses. The other is to try and take a little time out to pamper myself and have some me time. Something to make me feel a little like my old self.

Pampering yourself at home though, isn't always easy. You have a soak in the bath and someone needs to use the loo. You pop on a face mask on and scare the kids.

So, when a brand new local business, Your Massage Clinic, asked me if I'd like to try a little bit of pampering, I of course said yes and did a little happy dance.


Friday, 25 September 2020

Five Super Tabletop Games To Play During The Pandemic

(Collaborative Post)

The pandemic is here to stay, for the foreseeable, at least. meaning that it's time to think about how to entertain young kids at home for days and weeks on end. There is no sure-fire solution to this age-old dilemma; the best thing you can do is gather together as many ideas, games, and activities as possible, and hope it will be enough. 

Board game laid out with different play pieces on top


Here are five super tabletop games to get you started. 

Monday, 10 August 2020

Scrapbooking Our Summer With Design Bundles

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Let's be honest. This year has been a bit of a strange one. The month's have blurred. The days are here and then gone. Somehow it's August already. 

Days out are few and far between. Time with family even less so. 

School's out. Will it be back in September? Who knows? Will we survive another round of homeschooling? Will the kids be able to get back into the swing of things? 

Are there any good memories for the year?? There must be! Right?? 

Little boy wearing sunglasses and holding a soft toy dog

Tuesday, 28 July 2020

Getting Organsied With Design Bundles

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Raise your hand if your routine has gone out of the window since we've all been spending more time inside and at home!!! I know ours has!!! We've gradually slept in later, fallen behind with homeschooling, had late dinners, even later bedtimes and just got a bit lax with EVERYTHING!!! This coupled with little sleep and the stresses that we all face on a day to day basis, and all heightened under the current climate, I barely know what I'm doing from one day to the next and that's even if I know what day it is!! So, it's time to get my house in order, as well as my mind, my cupboards and just about everything else going!! 

Flat lay picture showing a diary pens and a daily planner

Monday, 22 June 2020

How To Live A More Energy Efficient Life

(Collaborative Post)

We all look for ways to be more energy efficient and save money in our daily lives, which can include making changes to how we use and buy things. But, it’s also worth taking a closer look at how we get the energy that we’re using in the first place. Many of us are already aware of the reasons that we should be reducing our energy use in our lives, but what are the steps we can take towards actually getting it done?


Field of sunflowers with a wind turbine in the background


Monday, 27 April 2020

A 14 Things To Consider When Adding Extension To Your Home

(Collaborative Post) 

Regular readers will know I love a bit of DIY. A couple of years ago we made some changes to our home and, like many, the constant of being indoors lately has left me wandering around the house, wondering what we can change.

The next thing would be an extension but I'm currently unsure if that would work with our home set up, layout and outdoor space, but I know from research and those that have already have extensions that there's a lot to do and a lot to decide on when extending your house

So, I've stuck it all together and here's...........14 things to consider when adding an extension to your home.



A house with a large driveway and garage

Monday, 20 April 2020

Wondering If You'll Get A Holiday This Year? A Family Road Trip Might Be The Perfect Alternative!

(Collaborative Post)


Right now, we're all stuck inside for the foreseeable future, mostly on reduced incomes and tight budgets. So, if the chance for a holiday does arise, what can we do? 

A road trip is a great low cost idea for a family holiday, and it’s the perfect way to explore a new country. You could even stay at home and take a road trip around some nearby spots that you haven’t visited before. When you are driving instead of flying, you get to see so much more of the country and discover exciting new places along the way, so it’s perfect for adventurous families that want a different travel experience. It also means that you don’t have to deal with flying with kids, which can be very stressful. 

Planning and preparation are key if you want your road trip to run smoothly. If you are planning a family road trip, here are a few important things to remember. 

Toy metal car with a lego man in the driving seat and a lego woman loading suitcases into the boot


Friday, 10 April 2020

Battle Fun With Bakugan!

(Gifted)

Our son JJ has been a big fan of Bakugan since he first started watching the TV show on Netflix last year. The anime series centres around a group of biomechanical creatures called Bakugans and their human friends and battle brawlers.

As with all successful TV shows, toys are sure to follow!! A few months ago JJ saved up his money to buy a Bakugan and he's been desperate to get more ever since! So, when Spin Master gave us the chance to try more of the range we were super excited!!!


Picture of the Bakugan transforming toy and the cards that come with it


Thursday, 9 April 2020

Dancing It Up With 44 Cats!!!


(Sponsored Post) 

We love a bit of a boogie in our house. Getting ready in the mornings, cooking dinner or just a dance round the kitchen, you will often find one of us playing music!! We all have a massively varied taste, as individuals and as a family.

But this can be a little bit of an issue! With massively varied playlists you have to be considerate of having a child in the house and make sure you pick the kid friendly tracks. Being home more over the last few weeks we've definitely being playing more music and we've found that sometimes our playlist, even the kids friendly ones can go off and start playing our favourite songs, which aren't always suitable for little ears. Especially when you really listen to the lyrics!!! 

So, we're filling our playlists with more kid friendly music!!

44 Cats posing with there instruments


Wednesday, 8 April 2020

Getting Crafty This Easter With Baker Ross

(Gifted)

Easter is right around the corner and with lots of plans on hold for everything and anything right now, it's likely that your Easter break, and the foreseeable future, will be spent inside. 

Recently, Baker Ross gifted us a fantastic big box of Easter craft supplies! It was full to the brim of so many different crafts to do this Easter. 


Two easter cards coloured in by a child and two hanging easter decorations


Tuesday, 7 April 2020

Thursday, 26 March 2020

5 Homeschooling Must Haves!!

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Who'd have thought a few months ago that nearly everyone in the country, if not the world, would be homeschooling!! There's a lot to take in and there's a lot to learn, and that's just for us grownups.

There's also a lot to think about at the moment and you may feel like you have the weight of the world on your shoulders and a lot of plates spinning. Let's try and make homeschooling something you can control and simplify with a few must haves.

Here's my must haves for homeschooling.......


School supplies, tape, pens, scissors and crayons laid out


Tuesday, 24 March 2020

44 Cats - Toys To Rock Out To!!

[Sponsored Post]

Just before Christmas we shared our review of a brand new kids TV show, 44 Cats. At the time it was a bit of light relief from all things Christmassy and a change from Scooby Doo!! But we've continued to watch and enjoy the adventures of Lampo, Milady, Meatball and Pilou since and I'm excited to share that there's now 44 Cats toys too!!!

Image showing the 4 cat cartoon characters


Thursday, 19 March 2020

Why I'm Going To Stick To A Routine Whilst Homeschooling


The news is out and so is school!! From now until who knows when school is cancelled and with support from teachers and a host of online resources we will now be homeschooling for the foreseeable future. 

Lots of people have been sharing what their approach will be, with many saying they will hold off for a few weeks and think about school later. My approach will be a little different though. This was probably clear from the night that the announcement of the school closure came through. With others chatting online about it, I was already in Poundland buying more crayons, paper and workbooks, ready for the challenge. 

A few people have asked why I'm sticking to a routine whilst homeschooling and not taking a do maths in your PJs, try phonics if you can be bothered or wait a while approach, so I wanted to share why I'm going to stick to a routine whilst homeschooling. 


Above short of all different colouring pens in jars.

Tuesday, 17 March 2020

5 Tips To Ensure Your Family Stay Friends When Stuck Inside


So, if you're reading this you're possibly stuck inside with your family, or face being inside with them, for a long time. Be it a snowstorm, a virus or a hurricane, you're in your home for a long period with those you love the most, but will you like each other by the end of it??

Here's 5 tips to ensure your family stay friends when stuck inside!


Star Wars Lego figures, with a stormtropper throwing a baby version in the air, with a small Darth Vader figure in the background


Sunday, 15 March 2020

8 Things To Do Before You Self Isolate


There's lots in the news about self isolation and for those that are older or vulnerable health wise to stay indoors. Many are making the decision to self isolate before the virus hits them or their loved ones.

As a family our son's school and my husband's workplace remains open but we are reducing our contact with the outside word and are asking older or vulnerable family members and friends to do the same. That's if they will listen!!

I've been having a bit of a think about if we do have to fully self isolate or go on a full lock down and what I could do to plan ahead. Obviously, if you're unwell already this won't apply. Anyway, I've made a list and thought I'd share it with you, but before I do I'd like to add something. This is advice from someone that likes to plan ahead, someone that also has elderly and vulnerable people to watch over and someone that copes by being organised and writing lists. This is not to encourage stockpiling and selfish behaviour.

How we deal with this situation happening around the world will me marked in history. Our children see us. They take it all in. Stay calm. Only take what you need. Help others if you can. Just like a few weeks ago, be kind.

Now, here's 8 things to do before you self isolate.


Three storey house showing a dog looking out the window


Thursday, 12 March 2020

30 Crafts & Activities You Can Do If School Gets Cancelled


There's lots in the news right now about the possibility of schools closing for a few weeks, with recommendations that people stay home. For those with children this could cause a bit of a gasp!

Two weeks indoors with children can he hard. My son had chickenpox last year and we were stuck inside for weeks. It was hard keeping him entertained, not being bored or going stir crazy.

So, from experience and as a 'crafty mum' here's 30 craft and activities you can do if school gets cancelled.

Chalkboard with School's Out written across it

Tuesday, 10 March 2020

5 Crafty Things You Can Do To Upcycle Or Recycle Glass Jars


As part of my Making A Sustainable Change posts, I recently wrote about glass jars and what you can do to help make a difference to the environment and how to correctly recycle them. Glass jars can easily be upcycled and reused, so as part of the last post I thought I'd give you a couple of ideas for if you want to join the upcycling and reusing club!


Empty class jar filled with water and flower cuttings

Thursday, 5 March 2020

6 Lego Essentials For When Your Kids Love Lego


So, your kids love Lego! Great!! It's a toy that encourages creativity and imagination, plus if your kids can play independently you might find that they'll happily play with Lego for hours on end.

Our son became a fan of Lego during the Duplo and toddler days. He would build all manner of different things and when the time came for him to move onto to Lego, his creativity and imagination just grew and grew.

Now 5, he continues to be a huge fan of Lego. We've been incredible lucky to have been handed down a huge stack of Lego and we've bought a few extra sets along the way, mostly superhero themed!!

But, with so much in our house we've learnt there's a few items that are essential if you're kids love Lego!


Pile of Lego mini figure heads, all with different expressions

Tuesday, 3 March 2020

Creative Projects You Can Do With Your Children

(Collaborative Post)

We all want to have fun with our children, but sometimes it can be hard to come up with new exciting ideas. There are plenty of activities that you can do with items that are lying around your house. They can even be educational and encourage creativity. Here are a few fun activities that you and your children can have fun doing together.



Close up of a child's chest as they hold a bunch of wax crayons in their little hands

Monday, 24 February 2020

Celebrating World Book Day With Viking

(Gifted)

World Book Day is just around the corner and there’s plenty of ways to join in. Be it dressing up, having a reread of your favourite book or getting crafty or creative, there’s plenty to do!

With this in mind the team at Viking have kindly gifted me a selection of craft items to get creative this World Book Day! There’s a great selection, including card, ink, an always handy Sharpie, letter stamps, a frame and plenty of other bits.

They asked for me to get crafty and create something using my favourite book and the items they provided for World Book Day and that’s exactly what I did with my copy of Peter Pan and Wendy.



Selection of craft ideas including card, ink, an always handy Sharpie, letter stamps, a frame


Sunday, 23 February 2020

Making A Sustainable Change - Glass Jars


Last time with Making A Sustainable Change, I spoke about recycling and how getting to grips with it can make a big difference to the environment and is a great way to get started with making a sustainable change.

Now, I'm going to slim down parts of that and talk about individual items, how to recycle, upcycle or dispose of them in a way that's good for the environment and not too problematic for you.

This time we're looking at glass jars.


Collection of glass jars, all different sizes


Saturday, 22 February 2020

Top Tips For Perfect Family Road Trips

(Collaborative Post)

Are you planning a family road trip? If so, you are probably looking forward to getting away from it all and enjoying the open road stretching out ahead of you. There are so many exciting places to explore and travelling by road is a great way to head off on an adventure. A road trip offers the opportunity to enjoy some beautiful scenery that you may not always get to see.

Before heading off on your road trip, it is essential to make sure that you have everything you need. When taking a road trip with kids ensuring that you have all the essentials with you is even more critical so that everyone can have an enjoyable trip. 


Red toy car with a side door open and a Duplo figure positioned to look like he's opening the boot

Monday, 3 February 2020

Feeling The Love This Valentine's Day With Swizzels

(Gifted)

February is finally here (hooray!), and it's time to feel the love as Valentine's Day is just around the corner. There's so much on offer in the shops and online when it comes to Valentine's Day gifts, but it can all be a bit samey! 

The same flowers, toiletries and sexy undies, but if like me you've been married for a while and together since time began, you might find yourself rolling your eyes at all the soppy stuff!! That said us long serving married folk still want a treat! Especially if it's a sweet treat!

Well, Swizzels, can fulfill all your sweet treat dreams with their hampers and Love Heart range.


Flatlay showing a red gift box with Swizzels along the top and packets and a tube of Love Heart

Friday, 31 January 2020

Steak Salad With Schwartz

(Sponsored Post)

Working from home I often find I have the same things for lunch over and over again. The same ham sandwich. The same cheese on toast. The same soup. I've actually had soup so often that I currently can't even look at it, but I do like a warm lunch, especially on winter days. 

Balancing the working from home life though, I don't want to spend ages cooking a hot lunch or tidying up after it! I'm all for something easy and quick but obviously tasty too. A lunch that can be quickly prepped, can be popped in the oven, cooked and come out perfect without being watched constantly. Minimal effort but great taste.

With this in mind I've come up with this easy to make steak salad. It's full of flavour and to be honest I could do with some leaves in my life!!


Large bowl filled with steak salad

Charity Spotlight ~ Mind


Charity is really important to me. As a family we make regular donations to good causes, donate to food banks and give our time and skills to those that may need it. I’ve ran, abseiled, crafted and cut off my hair all for charity.

So, it seemed natural for me to start the Charity Spotlight section on my blog a few years ago. Charities have ranged from well known to small local charities or people needing support. The last year or so hasn’t seen many posts in the charity section but I’m very keen to bring it back. It’s return coincides with something a group of bloggers are doing. We’re teaming up to make monthly donations to 12 different charities over this year and as part of that I’ve promised to bring back the Charity Spotlight feature. This month’s Charity Spotlight is shone in the direction of Mind.

Mind logo


Thursday, 30 January 2020

Autism With Lola ~ Playing With Bourbon Badger

(Gifted)

Reading is often the perfect way for children to explore new worlds and situations. Whether it be a book to tie-in with a school project or about welcoming a new sibling, or even a new pet, books can help children learn and become educated on different things.

Books like Autism With Lola - Playing With Bourbon Badger, can share a heartwarming tale and educate. 


Cover of the book showing a bunny wearing headphones


Wednesday, 29 January 2020

Creating A Keepsake Blanket With Sadiefranks

(Collaborate Post)

I've been weepy about it on Instagram. I've written about it here on my blog. I've sobbed about it to my husband. Parting with baby clothes has been emotional. Much more so than I thought. 

I sorted through the many bags into piles. Lots were sold, passed on and donated but I kept a few pieces. Some 'just in case' items and the all important sentimental bits. Intially, I have put these away but I don't want them to just sit there, all folded, probably creased, and nearly forgotten about. 


Three babygros hanging on a line


Monday, 27 January 2020

Sorting Through The Baby Clothes With Sweet Pea Clothing

(Collaborative Post - Please note that I used Sweet Pea Preloved prior to this collab and this is an honest recommendation)

Saying goodbye to baby clothes is hard. Last year I realised how hard when I decided to take the first step in sorting through our son's baby clothes.

Now 5 years old, we have collected a stack of baby and children's clothes. Vest, babygros, cute outfits, we had storage bags full of them! Probably around 12, if not more! 

It was time to have a clear out and say goodbye.


Baby laying on a rug in a white and blue outfit, shot is mostly of their cute little feet


Thursday, 23 January 2020

Peachy Victoria Sponge

(Sponsored Post)

I love a nice Victoria sponge. It's one of the first cakes I mastered as a teen and is often my 'go to' bake. I always make this one from scratch too and there's no packet mix in sight!

With the cold and dull days though I thought I'd make a nice Victoria sponge that could brighten the mood!

Fancy giving this a try?


Sponge cake with a jam filling and topped with peaches and jam drizzle

Monday, 20 January 2020

Getting Ready For Mother's Day With FontBundles

(Sponsored Post)

With Christmas long gone, Valentines coming up and Pancake mix in the shops, it means Mother's Day is just around the corner!

It's time to give a great big hank you to the Mums (or stepmums, godmothers or mother type figures) in our lives. A bunch of flowers, a box of chocolates or a nice set of toiletries are the usual Mother's Day gifts, but there's a few other things you might want to consider.

A great way to show Mums how much you care and how appreciated they are is to give them something hand and homemade. Now, don't worry I'm not suggesting that you make a pasta necklace or something out of loo roll! We'll save that for the kids! But you could still make something!

Not a crafty type? Well, this is super easy, low cost and will be fun of thoughtfulness and love! How about a card like these?


Flatlay showing handmade Mother's Day cards


Thursday, 16 January 2020

Your Planet Needs You!!

(Collaborative Post)

When it comes to climate change and sustainable living, lots of people say that one person and their decisions will not make a difference.. The truth though, is that it could actually make a huge difference.

Something as simple as trying meat free Monday’s, ditching plastic bags or making sure you recycle properly, can help save the earth. 

Field of grass with the sun setting over some trees in the distance


Wednesday, 15 January 2020

How To Recycle Your Wax Crayons


Our house is full of crayons. The pencil kind, the Twistable kind, the wax crayon kind. We use them all!!

Our little boy loves to colour so every single one gets used! Twistables can be used until every bit is gone and pencils can be sharpened, but what about wax crayons? They often break into two or three pieces and you usually end up with bits of wax crayon that are too small to use, even for the littlest of hands.

So, how can you make use of those bits of broken wax crayon? Well, you can make new ones!!! 


Wax crayons in a bowl

Here's how..............


Monday, 13 January 2020

Easy Ways To Save Money This January!!


Whether you're a budget living pro or tightening your budget after Christmas, January is normally the time that a lot of us need to be careful of what we're spending.

If January is a little dry for you money wise, now is the time to look at your budget and find easy ways to save money. It might also give you a push to carry on budgeting through the year. 

Here's a few easy ways to save money in January!


An jar of bronze and silver coins tipped on its side with the contents spilling out

Friday, 10 January 2020

Undeniable Benefits Of A House Move (Despite The Stress)

(Collaborative Post)

Okay, so we know the moving process can be stressful.

You have to spend months adding value to your home before selling up. You have to deal with mortgage advisors, estate agents, and solicitors. Plus, you'll have lots of boxes to pack, people to say farewell to, and a list of other jobs to do before making the move. After a while, you might ask yourself: Is it really worth it?


Small cardboard house, next to a set of keys


Thursday, 9 January 2020

Tidy Stuff - Soft Toy Storage


We've all got 'stuff' and we can't all live minimalist lives. Sometimes it's just about how to store that stuff and keep it neat and tidy!

We've dealt with Lego, toy cars, the cupboard under the sink, even bras but now it's time to tackle the soft toy mountain!!


Flatlay showing lots of soft toys needing storage including The Gruffalo, Elmo, Bullseye, Scooby Doo and a dinosaur


Tuesday, 7 January 2020

Making A Sustainable Change ~ Recycling


So, you decided to make a sustainable change. Something that will help the environment but is easy to do, not expensive and not massively time consuming.

Well, mastering recycling is a great way to start! 

Flatlay showing a mix of waste and empty cartons for recycling with the text, making a sustainable change - recycling across the centre


Sunday, 5 January 2020

Hello 2020!!


I know I often start a blog post with I can't believe it's this date, month or a certain time of year, BUT, really how it is January 2020!!


Flatlay showing a pile of notebooks, clips, pens, yarn and a flowery diary with 2020 across the centre


Friday, 3 January 2020

I Failed My 19 Books For 2019 Challenge!!


I failed!! The challenge I set myself to read 19 books for 2019 was unsuccessful. I only managed 4! 

But I'm all about honesty here at Mummy Snowy Owl and lets be honest it was a ridiculous challenge! 


Shelves filled with books with some in the foreground and some in the background

Wednesday, 1 January 2020

Why I'm Glad To See The Back Of 2019!


Well, 2019 has been and gone and what a year it has been. To be quite honest I am glad to see the back if it.

Here's why............


2019 in a firework type font