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!

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!

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.

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.

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.

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. 

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.

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!!

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.

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. 

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. 

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.

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?

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?

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. 

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!!! 

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

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!

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?

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!!

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! 

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!!

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! 

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............

Solving A Childcare Crisis With Childcare.co.uk

[Sponsored Post]

Childcare. It’s something that might not be on the top of your to do list when you find out your expecting. You browse prams, buy a cot and pick a cute coming home outfit for your new bundle of joy, but childcare might be on the back-burner until you think about going back to work or, gasp, have a night out!!

Happy Christmas!

'Twas the night before Christmas all through the house Mum was saying don't eat that it's for Christmas!!!

So, here we are everyone! Tomorrow is Christmas Eve and I just wanted to pop on and wish you all a very Happy Christmas.

Super Easy Festive Bakes!

I love to bake and come up with new recipes and treats, especially at Christmas.

Over the festive period though, there isn't always the time to bake is there? But if you still want to bake a festive treat there are some easy options too!

Here's a selection of super easy festive bakes for you to try!

5 Festive Things I Don't Do!!

I love Christmas!! Literally, LOVE IT!!! 

Some might say I'm a bit obsessed!! I starting shopping for Christmas in the Christmas sales, for Christmas the following year!! If a family member or friend mentions something they'd like or maybe a hobby they want to try, I'll make a note of it and keep an eye out for the perfect gift.

As a crafty mum plenty of people say I'm a bit extra and when you combine the crafty mum side of me with the Christmas one, it could easily implode to a tinsel type mess. 

But there are some very festive crafty or creative Mum things that I don't do at Christmas. I've seen so many people getting stressed on the run up to the festive period with many of these things, that I thought I'd share the ones that even a crafty, Christmas Mum like me doesn't do and that often cause gasps of horror when I share that I don't do them.

So, here's 5 festive things I don't do!

A Very Snowy Christmas - 25 Weeks For An Organised Christmas Week 25

Welcome back to A Very Snowy Christmas. Actually, the LAST week of A Very Snowy Christmas! 

We've come so far!! We've wrote lists, decluttered and shopped. We've planned, organised and saved a few quid along the way, and now here we are at our last week, 25. 

Sprucing Up Your Home & Redecorating With I Want Wallpaper

[Sponsored Post]

Strange fact about me. I relate the smell of paint and fresh gloss to Christmas!! 

I grew up thinking it was completely normal to see your Mum on her hands and knees glossing skirting board in between wrapping Christmas presents. I thought everyone's Dad's finished off their kitchen extensions on Christmas Eve and it's pretty normal to have an electrician kneeling on your worktop among the Christmas cakes and mince pies your Mum has made and baked for various family and friends, right?

44 Cats

[Sponsored Post]

Kids are often little creatures of habit. The same snack after school, the same cuddly toy at bedtime and the same TV shows on repeat. With multiple TV channels and lots to choose from you'd like to think they'd watch lots of different things but no!

It's exactly the same here, and as we are on festive overload our TV watching is also Christmassy, but even for a Christmas superfan like me it can be a bit much! I probably shouldn't start so early!

As a bit of light relief we've been watching 44 Cats!

A Very Snowy Christmas - 25 Weeks For An Organised Christmas Week 24

Welcome back to A Very Snowy Christmas, 25 Weeks For An Organised Christmas!!

Week 24 is here!!

A Snowy Christmas Gift Guide ~ For The Card Game Family (Age 6+)

[Gifted]

Welcome back to A Snowy Christmas Gift Guide. 

I've already given a pick for a board game and now it's the turn of a card game for the family! My pick for A Snowy Christmas Gift Guide for the family that loves card games is Tetris Speed!

Teaching Your Kids To Respect Other Cultures

[Collaborate Post]

If you want your child to respect and celebrate diversity it’s important that you help them learn about different cultures. The more they understand about traditions, religious beliefs and other customs, the easier it will be to appreciate that all people are different. Our 5 year old son has asked a lot about who does and doesn't celebrate Christmas recently and I've felt it's important to know that not everyone does. 

Here are some useful tips from a Catholic Girls’ School on how to help your youngsters accept and respect other cultures.

A Snowy Christmas Gift Guide ~ For The Board Game Family (For Ages 4+)

[Gifted for review]

Welcome to A Snowy Christmas Gift Guide!

I've already shared a gift for the super social friends, the interior lovers and the stylish and sustainable family, now it's time for a gift for the family that love to play board games together.

My pick for A Snowy Christmas Gift Guide for the family that loves to play board games is Shark Chase.

A Very Snowy Christmas - 25 Weeks For An Organised Christmas Week 23

Welcome back to A Very Snowy Christmas, 25 Weeks For An Organised Christmas!!

It's week 23!!! Where have the weeks gone!!! 

A Snowy Christmas Gift Guide ~ For The Stylish & Sustainable Family

[Sponsored Post]

Welcome to A Snowy Christmas Gift Guide!!

Here, I share a range of gifts ideal for a range of family members and friends. We've already had gifts for the super social friends and the interior lovers and the next recommendation on A Snowy Christmas Gift Guide is for the stylish and sustainable family.

If you have a family member or friend that loves fashion and is often sporting a cool t-shirt, Soeurs Mode is the brand to do your Christmas shopping with.

Family Christmas Traditions

I never thought I was one for Christmas traditions but looking back it seems I always have been.

When I was little Christmas Eve's were spent with family at my Nanny's (Grandma's) house. Christmas Day was quiet but with the older relatives visiting us and Boxing Day was different again with all of my siblings, their families, a lot of food and even more noise!

As we've all got older though our traditions have changed and we now get together before Christmas and enjoy Christmas Day and Boxing Day in our little units instead. With this in mind I'm always looking for ways of making our Christmas, with just the three of us, extra special and something that our son, JJ, will hopefully look back on fondly.

Here's a few traditions I've started or will be starting with my family, along with a few suggestions from my blogger friends.

Dear Father Christmas Printables

Following on from the Dear Santa printables I shared earlier, it's now time for the Father Christmas alternative!!

Print off and let your little one write to Father Christmas and give the from Father Christmas letter in return.

Dear Father Christmas..........

Dear Santa Printables

Christmas is nearing and it's time to write those letters to the big man in red!! If you've not got round to it yet these printables are ideal for you.

There's a neat letterhead for you to use to write to Santa and a response letter too! 

If Santa is called Father Christmas at your house, don't worry as they'll be an alternative letter going up for you next!!

Dear Santa...............

A Very Snowy Christmas - 25 Weeks For An Organised Christmas Week 22

Welcome back to A Very Snowy Christmas, 25 Weeks For An Organised Christmas! 

We are now into week 22!!! Christmas is less than a month away!! If you've been joining in from week 1 you'll now be well on your way to an organised Christmas!

A Snowy Christmas Gift Guide ~ For The Interior Lover

[Sponsored Post]

Welcome to A Snowy Christmas Gift Guide! 

The second item on my Christmas gift guide is for the interior lover. Maybe a family member or friend that's renovating their home or someone that's spent ages looking for the perfect item to finish a room.

One way to make a room bigger, make it lighter and add a focal point is to add a mirror. So, if you have someone who is missing something in their newly decorated room, a mirror could be the perfect gift for them this Christmas.

Top Tips For Leaving Your Kids Home Alone

[Collaborative Post]

Leaving your kids home alone for the first time can be incredibly daunting, both for yourself and for them. Knowing when to leave the young people in your home unsupervised can depend on various circumstances, so it is up to you as the parent to decide if your child is ready and also ensure they are suitably prepared. Read on for some advice from a pre prep school in London.

November Giveaway!!!

[Collaborative Post]

Welcome to the Mummy Snowy Owl monthly giveaway!

Christmas At The Snowdome

[Gifted]

Those of you that have followed me on Instagram or Facebook for a while will know that last November we visited the Snowdome to take a look at their Winter Wonderland and we were super excited when they asked us back again this year!

Situated in Tamworth, the Snowdome offers year round skiing and snowboarding, as well as swimming, clip and climb and more! From mid-November to New Year's Eve part of the Snowdome transforms into a Winter Wonderland.

A Very Snowy Christmas - 25 Weeks For An Organised Christmas Week 21

Welcome back to A Very Snowy Christmas, 25 Weeks For An Organised Christmas!!

It's week 21 and with every passing day we edge nearer to Christmas. Hopefully, with the help of A Very Snowy Christmas, you're well on the way to being super organised, prepared and on budget!

A Snowy Christmas Gift Guide ~ For The Super Social Friends

[Gifted for review]

The Christmas preparation is well underway and as we get into full swing of wrapping and buying presents, it's time to kick off my Christmas gift guide. So, many of you loved my recommendations last Christmas, that I thought I'd do it again.

Starting this year's Snowy Christmas Gift Guide is a gift that's ideal for your super social friends, That Song. 

Exploring STEM Subjects At Home

[Collaborative Post]

STEM subjects (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) can open up fantastic opportunities for students, both in terms of a future career and simply on a personal level. Lots of subjects fall under the ‘STEM’ umbrella, from physics and engineering to medicine and biochemistry. Each of these subjects help students develop highly transferrable skills that they can carry through all aspects of their lives. These skills include things like the ability to work as part of a team, think critically and solve problems.

Helping Your Child Resist Peer Pressure

[Collaborative Post]

Peer pressure is something that all children, and even many adults, are faced with from time to time. It’s important for parents to teach their children that it’s ok to say no. Here are some tips from a co-educational school in the Cotswolds to help you explore peer pressure with your child and teach them to avoid it.

A Very Snowy Christmas - 25 Weeks For An Organised Christmas Week 20

Welcome back to A Very Snowy Christmas, 25 Weeks For An Organised Christmas!!

This week is week 20 and as I write this we only have 44 days until Christmas!! 

ColourMazing

[Gifted]

We love creative play and crafting, and our 5 year old son will sit for hours happily colouring, cutting and sticking. So, when he spots something new and creative he's always up for giving it a try and when the ColourMazing boxes were gifted to us to try, he was excited to get crafty!