merry christmas >>>>

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blurb books >>>

i love instagram! if you follow me there you might have guessed :p i love taking photos of the little details that make up our lives. i finally got around to ordering a book from blurb yesterday, putting together some of my favourite photos from the last year on instagram {it was mighty hard picking 80 or so photos from over 1300)!} i cannot wait for it to arrive, i'm so stoked to be able to sit and flick through some photos instead of looking at them on a phone screen.

blurb make it easy to put together any kind of book you like, you can import directly from instagram {or facebook, flickr, photobucket, etc} you can pick your layout, add text pages, text to photos - completely customise it. i picked a simple, clean layout, just photos - this is going to be something that i treasure for ever.

while i was at it, i also put together some mini photo books to gift our families at christmas - easy, personalised gifts that i know the grandparents will treasure. and it ticks a few boxes of my christmas list - i seem to be a little unorganised this year!

have you used blurb before?

blurb are offering 20% off your first order with code 'NOEL20'

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lincoln life >>>>>

home again. it was good to get away, if only for a few days. lincoln was home until 8 years ago, we still have family there, so it was good to get back for a few days, spend a little time with our folks, and take the girls to  see some of the sights. we never have enough time. a few snatched hours with family is never quite enough. it was the first time in a whole year we got to see my daddy. sometimes that's hard to deal with, i feel so separate from everyone else. not quite a part of the family anymore.

but all in all, we had fun. the girls got spoilt {and so did we} we fed the swans, did some shopping, visited the castle and cathedral, played with cousins, went to the fair and got caught up on life in lincoln. it seems like a lifetime ago we lived there, i'm not sure i could imagine living there again, but i love to visit.

now it's back to real life. i've a mountain of laundry to tackle, a stack of orders to ship out, new stock to make, a mile long to-do list and all of that to fit in around homeschooling... it's going to be a busy week!!

p.s the winner of the wild faerie caps giveaway was laura - check your email!

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holidays

all this sunshine has got me thinking about planning a summer holiday. the past few years we've been to centre parcs, but we fancy a change this year. our holidays are always uk based - we can't afford to go abroad, even if we'd like to. we've been looking at the possibilities of going camping. it's not something we've really done since we had the kiddos, but definetly something i'd like to try.

i was looking at woolacombe, my sister used to live in devon and it's such a beautiful place. i'd love to go camping in devon and take the girlies. 

 

i have to admit though, i've gotten used to my creature comforts as i've gotten older... hot baths, comfy beds and a {proper} roof over my head in case it's raining!!! and also as a car free family, we'd be travelling by train, and i don't know how easy it would be to cart all of our camping gear down on a train! so i was thinking of looking into holiday lodges in devon instead.... we get to appreciate the beauty of the area without having to rough it ha!!!

have any of you been camping with kiddos?? i'd love to hear your thoughts on the practicalities of it all!!

'Twas The Night Before Christmas

'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there;
The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads;
And mamma in her 'kerchief, and I in my cap,
Had just settled down for a long winter's nap,
When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.
The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow
Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below,
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a miniature sleigh, and eight tiny reindeer,
With a little old driver, so lively and quick,
I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick.
More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name;
"Now, Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixen!
On, Comet! on Cupid! on, Donder and Blitzen!
To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!
Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!"
As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky,
So up to the house-top the coursers they flew,
With the sleigh full of toys, and St. Nicholas too.
And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof
The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.
As I drew in my head, and was turning around,
Down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound.
He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,
And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot;
A bundle of toys he had flung on his back,
And he looked like a peddler just opening his pack.
His eyes -- how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow;
The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,
And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath;
He had a broad face and a little round belly,
That shook, when he laughed like a bowlful of jelly.
He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself;
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread;
He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
And filled all the stockings; then turned with a jerk,
And laying his finger aside of his nose,
And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose;
He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.
But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight,
"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night."

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christmas bucket list

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Foodie Post: Peppermint Creams

Remember, remember the fifth of November

Gunpowder, treason and plot

I see no reason why gunpowder treason

Should ever be forgot

♥

Bonfire Night - Its history began with the events of 5 November 1605, when Guy Fawkes, a member of the Gunpowder Plot, was arrested while guarding explosives the plotters had placed beneath the House of Lords. Celebrating the fact that King James I had survived the attempt on his life, people lit bonfires around London, and months later the introduction of the Observance of 5th November Act enforced an annual public day of thanksgiving for the plot's failure.

I've always loved Bonfire Night, some of my earliest memories are of building the bonfire, fireworks and family gatherings. It was always a big night when I was a kid. We'd build a huge fire in our fields at the back of our house, we'd have a BBQ, lots of treats, lots of fireworks and all our friends and family would come. It holds a special place in my memories. This year we're going round to a friends round for a fire, feast and fireworks.

When I was little, every year I'd make these peppermint creams, the recipe was in an old Mr Men cookbook I had. I haven't made them for a few years, but thought it was time to rekindle that tradition. Here's my recipe:

What you need:

1 egg white
3 cups icing (confectioners) sugar
1tsp peppermint extract
2-3 drops green food colouring
milk/dark chocolate

1. Whisk the egg white until frothy but not stiff

2. Mix in the sugar, peppermint and colouring. Knead with your hands until it forms a soft dough

3. roll small pieces in your hands into a ball, then flatten slightly

 
4. Dip one half in melted chocolate, place on greaseproof paper to dry.

5. Enjoy!!

p.s Don't forget to go enter the Dainty Hippo Giveaway!!!

What they wore... off to the disco!

Lola wore:

dress & leggings - primark

cardigan - thrifted

Kiki wore:

dress - handed down from her cousins :)

Baya wore:
dress - Marks & Spencers

Leggings - thrifted

if you ask Lola what her favourite thing about her holiday was - she'll tell you it was the kiddos disco! we went every night!! the first night she was a little shy, but after twenty minutes she was away - she didn't want to leave when it was over.

she absolutely LOVED it - i can see her turning into a party animal in a few years lol Little Miss Baya wasn't so keen, until the last night when she decided she like it too :/

Saturday Sun (image heavy)

I can't believe we've been back from holiday for a whole week :/ we've struggled to get back into any sort of routine this week, I think we're all still tired, and it's hard to get up and moving in a morning!

we've been blessed with some fantastic weather this week... after a pretty lousy summer, this mini heat wave is bliss. we spent yesterday doing some gardening, getting it tidy ready for the winter, putting a new net on the trampline, eating al fresco and just having some fun family time in the sun.

also, can you believe it's october already??! this year is flying by way too fast. tomorrow it is the apple festival at our local national trust house.. my fingers are crossed this weather will stay put for the weekend, so we can relax with a picnic and enjoy some of the locally made cider that's on sale at the festival :)

here are a few more of my holiday snaps :)