3 School Prep Activities

It's already August and the new school year is just around the corner! For many of us it will be the first ever year of education for our children as they head into Reception class.

My last post about getting ready for Reception, Preparing Your Child For School, was quite popular so I thought I'd do another! 

These activities are aimed at helping your little one be ready and maybe a little more confident for starting school.

1. Writing and recognising their name

As I mentioned in my last post, teachers, teaching assistants and nursery staff have all told me that it's ideal if a child can write and pick out their name. That way they can name their work, sign themselves in on a registration board and pick out their school jumper from a pile.

Rose Gold Letters

After the results of JJ's Marvel letter I've been really tempted to try a more grown up version and with the bedroom makeover on the horizon (yes, its actually happening!) now seems a good time!

As always I'm sharing this with you so you can try it for yourself! These are so easy you will definitely want to!

Flower Wreath

Visit any homewares or interiors store, or even an interiors blog, and the chances are you've seen a wreath similar to this one.

Fabric Decoupage Letter

Ever since I first came across Pinterest I've wanted to try decoupage. I've had friends try it with some success but I was really concerned that I'd end up with a Pinterest fail! 

After spotting some wooden letters whilst out shopping and knowing I had the fabric at home, I decided to give it a try, and it was a success!! So I'm going to share with you how I did it. 

4 Fantastic Outdoorsy Activities To Keep The Kids Cheery This Weekend

Collaborative Post

Are you are over the age of technology?

Maybe bringing up your kids in a world full of iPhones, internet and social media isn’t what you had envisioned for them. In order to prevent them from becoming addicted to the online world it is important to give them outdoor experiences to enjoy and remember. This weekend why not try and aim to have a technology free weekend and take in the wonders of the outdoors in the sunshine.

Whether you’re looking to have a fun filled family day out or stay at home and simply enjoy each other’s company. These super fun ideas will make your kids forget about television altogether!

1. Classic Camping

Party Bag Tips!

Party bags can be a bit like wedding favours, in that they can sometimes be forgotten about until the last minute and if you rush them they can be very expensive!

When our little boy recently turned 4 he had his first proper big party. The venue provided the room, soft play and bouncy castle but we needed to provided food, cake and party bags. As I started to price things up I was concerned about how much filling the bags would cost. With just a few of our family and friends at his first few parties I hadn't really thought much about the cost but with well over 25 children in attendance this time I would need to give it a bit more thought!

With a bit of planning this is what I put together for £1.14 a bag!

Top Ideas For A Hot Summers Day

Collaborative Post

When the weather gets hotter, it can be a great time to be outdoors instead of being stuck in the house. You'll want to have some fun in the sun with the kids and enjoy the weather while you can.

Not all the games that you normally do in the summer though are a good idea when the weather is exceptionally hot!

Here are a few ideas for those that want to play in the sun!

Go to the beach!

Easy Ways To Add A Little Something Extra To Your Crafts

Collaborative Post

Whatever you're crafting, if you're a keen crafter you're probably always looking to find ways of making it a little more interesting. There are many ways of doing this and if you're happy to use your imagination and if you're happy to use your imagination you can make some exciting changes. 

4 Kid Friendly Royal Wedding Activites

The time has come for another Royal Wedding! Whether you're a royalist or not there's no avoiding the hype that surrounds the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. The marriage of a British prince to an American actress has got the world excited and many are braced to watch the wedding on Saturday! 

Are you having a watching party like Mammaprada? Do you want a couple of activities to keep the kids busy? Maybe you're doing a Royal theme with your Brownies, or maybe you're a Home Educator that wants to do some Royal wedding themed craft or activities on the run up to the big day?

Well, here's an easy four!

Our Easter Buys!

If you've been into any high street shops recently you'll see that they've really upped their game when it comes to Easter. More chocolate treats, more food and more decorations!

Prices vary dependent on where you shop but there are great things to be found! Normally I'm all about the homemade and handmade, like the Easter Wreath and Bunting that we made last Easter but this year I have treated us a little and picked up a few things. Probably too many! 

I thought I'd share with you what we've picked up and what we have planned for the long weekend!

First, decorations!! These are what really sucked me in when out shopping and made me go a little Easter crazy! 

Festive Bird Feeders

Christmas is upon us. You've wrapped the gifts. Got the turkey out of the freezer. You've visited your family and friends. 

Maybe you want to do something a bit different. You'd like to make something with the kids. Maybe you need them distracted for a little while. Well, this little craft is ideal. Although, please be aware it can get a little messy!

Bauble Christmas Card

With Christmas just around the corner I thought I'd bring you another Christmas card craft. Just like the Fingerprint Christmas Lights Card it is super easy to do and is quite similar in its style and what you need.

Fingerprint Christmas Lights Card

There's no hiding from it! Christmas is on its way!!!

Have you thought about making Christmas cards? Maybe you're on a budget, you're short of time or just not that crafty!! Well, this craft is definitely for you!!!!

Ka-chow - A Cars themed birthday!

My regularly readers and Instagram followers will know that I am a big Disney fan! So, when our little boy, Joseph, asked for a Cars theme for his 3rd birthday party I was happy to oblige!

I love a good themed party and Joseph has been lucky enough to have a Mickey Mouse and a Thomas the Tank Engine theme before. Having a theme can bring a cute touch to a party but it can also make things expensive! If like us you also have two parties, one for family and one for friends, that can add to the cost too!

So, I thought I'd share with you how we did our Cars themed birthday on a budget, twice!

First, I'll be honest with you and say I did start prepping a couple of months before. Doing this allows time for bargain hunting and getting crafty! I started by looking for ideas on Pinterest and had a flick around the internet for any special offers on partyware.

The latter meant I got the themed invites, tablecloth and party bags on special offer at Toys R Us, getting them for less than half price!

Next, I set about coming up with decorations, and again Pinterest was a great resource for this! I decided to go with bunting and to ensure all the pictures I used matched and were the same style I used Disney Wiki. It was time to get crafty!

Spooky Mummy Biscuits

Halloween is days away and you've decided to join in the fun. Do you want to get creative? Well, here's a low cost, super easy activity for you!

Making An Enchanted Rose!

Who loves a bit of Disney?? If you raised your hand and said "ME!", this craft is definitely one for you to try. Even if you're not that crafty it is super easy, like really, really easy and possibly the easiest craft I have ever done!

A Canvas For Daddy

My husband, Joseph's Daddy, loves our little ginger hurricane and proudly shows photographs to family, friends and work colleagues. He also displays Joseph very sulky nursery photo on his toolbox at work for all to see! So I wanted to make him something this Father's Day that he can place next to that sulky picture and be equally proud of. 

I remembered that he really liked a craft we did on the run up to Christmas and casually commented that 'he wouldn't mind one'. So we decided to do it again but tried a different, more effective, technique so I was keen to share it with you on the run up to Father's Day. 

Spring Pine Cones

I'm not into bright colours. I'm the type of person who's outfits are mostly black. The one who's home interior is neutral.

But just lately I've felt the pull of the brightness of spring shades and I've been on the look out for easy and affordable ways to bring spring into our home. 

During our recent visit to Sherwood Pines Gruffalo hunting Joseph and I felt the need to collect a few pine cones, much to Daddy's annoyance! Pine cones are easily associated with Christmas and the festive period but why not give them a spring makeover? 

Where did my mojo go go?

It's been over two weeks since my last blog. The reason being that I seem to have run out of ideas. Don't get me wrong, I have always been indecisive but lately its gone to a whole new level. What to craft, what to write about and even what to have for tea and which loo roll to buy have been a struggle.

Unable to decide on what to write and with no creative juices following I've struggled to blog. Part of me has wanted to stop altogether. So, when the time came for me to submit my monthly post to meetothermums.com I faulted. No idea what to write and basically no ideas. I emailed the lovely Sally over at MeetOtherMums and explained how I felt, apologising for the lack of post this month.

Easter Wreath

Have your children started their Easter break? Want a craft to fill the time? Do you want to decorate for Easter? Well, if you liked the Easter Bunting you'll love this too!