diy // lotion bars >>>>

these are a given in my home there always have several hanging around. i use them for my hands, for my legs, the kiddos, and dry spots of skin. my husband swears by them to keep his hands from cracking when he's on the building site. they're simple to make, and fairly inexpensive.

you'll need:

one cup beeswax

one cup coconut oil

one cup sweet almond oil

melt all the indredients in a double boiler, stirring until they are combined. if you want to add some essential oils, now the time! then pour into your molds - i use silicone cake trays - this amount made 18 bars for me. leave for a couple hours to set, then pop them out.

essential oil suggestions - myrrh, sandalwood, lavender are good for dry, chapped skin

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cherry buttermilk cake >>>>

cherry cake is one of my guilty pleasures. since the kiddos don't really like it, i tend not to make it often {if i do, i end up eating the whole thing!} however, last week, i came across a jar of pitted cherries in the cupboard i'd forgotten about, so i decided to make myself a yummy cake {plus we had family visiting the next day, so i figured they'd help me eat it!} i had an idea that buttermilk would make it extra moist, so i figured i'd experiment. it turned out amazingly! so moist and light and tasty. i opted for almond extract {cherries and almonds = heaven}, our visitors loved it and i could have eaten nothing else for days ;)

you'll need:

125g plain flour

250ml buttermilk {i made my own with soy milk and a splash of lemon juice}

125g butter

75g castor sugar

½ tsp baking powder

½ tsp bicarb of soda

¼ tsp salt

150g pitted cherries

1 egg

1 ½ tsp vanilla or almond extract

beat butter and sugar together. When fluffy add in the egg and vanilla.

Mix in the flour, baking powder, bicarb and salt, alternating spoonfuls with spoonfuls of buttermilk.

pour into greased cake pan {9”} and scatter cherries on top, sprinkle with a little sugar

bake at 400/ /gas mark  for around 30 minutes.

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easy chocolate truffles >>>>

the kiddos and i made these for my open house last sunday. they are so easy to make and taste amazing! they didn't last very long ;)

ingredients:

200g cream cheese

350g icing sugar

500g chocolate, melted {we used milk, but you can use plain or white}

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

* beat the cream cheese until it's softened, add in the icing sugar. stir in the melted chocolate and vanilla. refrigerate for around an hour. shape into small balls, then roll them in cocoa powder, icing sugar, crushed nuts, etc

you can also switch up the vanilla for a flavoured liqueur such as coffee or orange if you like!

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diy // doily curtain >>>>

i seem to have a slight obsession with collecting doilies... i can't pass them up if i see them when i'm thrifting! i wanted needed a new curtain for our dining room window. having just decluttered and given the house a 'makeover' i felt like a change from the lacey curtain that i had up. the window looks out over a car park, not the prettiest view, so i like to have something there to distract from it a little!

one crafty sunday afternoon, a length of ribbon and a selection of doilies/lace and voila! a pretty new curtain.

pee.ess - i'm giving away store credit to my shop over at moondaughter! don't miss out :)

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diy // super seeds >>>>

a while back, i bought a packet of mixed ground seeds from a health food shop. packed full of pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, linseed and flaxseed, they contain essential fatty acids,vitamins and minerals. they're great sprinkled on cereal, mixed into muffins, added to soups and stews - they can be added to pretty much anything you like! it was a great way to add a bit of extra goodness to our everyday diets. anyways, a packet works out pretty expensive, so i figured it would be cheaper to make my own. you can pick up bags of seeds pretty inexpensively.

pick the seeds of your choice, use equal ish portions {i used around 1/4 cup of each to make one jarfull} place together in your blender/food processor and blitz until ground! store in a airtight jar.

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diy clipboard + a printable >>>>>

apologies for the absence here the last few days.... there's some stuff going on at home that we're working through. normal service will resume shortly ;)

in an attempt to keep track of all i'm meant to do, as my tired mama brain can't manage it by itself, i make a new things to do prinable. then i decided that it would be even better if i had it clipped up somewhere i could see it, so it didn't get buried under a mountain of stuff on my desk!

so.... as i didn't have a clipboard lying around, and am too impatient/poor to buy one - i made one! i used a canvas board i had already, a sheet of scrapbooking paper and a bulldog clip

first things, i covered the canvas board with the paper, folded the edges over the back and taped 'em down.

then added a blob of hot glue and fixed the clip on {it doubles as a hanger too!}printed out my things to do list and hung it up!! {click on the image below to print out a copy of my things to do list}

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salted sunflower seeds recipe >>>>>

i am obsessed with these right now. seriously, this mama could eat this morning, noon and night ;) they are tasty and easy to make, i keep a jarful in all the time.

you'll need:

2 cups sunflower seeds

1/4 cup seasalt

water

place the seeds in a bowl/jug and cover with water. stir in the seasalt until it dissolves. leave these to soak overnight. drain and spread on a baking tray. place in a preheated over {170, 325F, gas mark 3} for one hour, turning over half way through. leave them to cool and store in an airtight container.

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lavender oil diy >>>>>

i love lavender. it's one of my favourite herbs, and we're lucky enough to have lots growing in our garden. one of my favourite things to use the lavender for is to make my own lavender oil. perfect as a bath oil or for massage, it's easy to make and smells divine.

you'll need:

2-4 cups lavender flowers {fresh is best, but dried works well too}

glass jar with tight fitting lid

carrier oil {i use sweet almond oil}

muslin/cheescloth for straining

dark blue or amber bottle for storing the finished oil

first, fill your jar with the lavender flowers. you want it to be full, but not packed tight. then pour over the carrier oil so all the flowers are covered. put the lid on securely, and give it a little shake. you need to leave it for around 6 weeks, shaking it once or twice a week.

after 6 weeks, strain the oil through the muslin, squishing the flowers to press out all of the oil. pour your finished oil into the storage bottles, add a pretty label and enjoy :) this makes a perfect pressie too!

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from the archives // boho dream catcher

it's whole year since i posted this diy, we've just been making some more to give as gifts! the kiddos loved making them, and they look so pretty that i thought i'd post it up again in case you didn't see it the first time around!



Supplies:

• stick
• crochet/lace doily
• yarn
• twine
• decorations (feathers, beads, gems)

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diy // boho feather headpiece

lately i've been loving feather headpieces, and i thought i'd make a simple one for myself. you can whip one up pretty fast, you don't even need to do any sewing {thank goodness for my hot glue gun ;) } now i have to make three smaller sized ones for the kiddos ha!













that's it! you're done - now put it on and be a goddess ;)

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diy // easy kiddo tent

one of the things on my to-do list is to make the kiddos a teepee. for one reason or another it hasn't happened yet, so when we got an unexpected hot spell i needed something quick to make for them to hide in! sat having a picnic lunch down our woods one day, i came up with a {very} easy tent diy.

i tied some rope between two trees {though you could use fence panels, a shed, etc} then raided my fabric stash and found a old double sized duvet. i split the seams on three sides, so it was only stiched together along what would have been the top of the cover. then on the opposite sides i sewed three loops of ribbons on each.

all that was left was to hang the sheet over the rope, sewn edge resting on the rope, then pull the sides out and peg them into the ground. took me ten minutes from start to finish and the kiddos have practically lived in there since i hung it up!

a sheet on the ground, some blankets and cuddly toys and this is the perfect kiddo hideaway

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