1 year old photo.

1 year old

 This little guy turned 1 on the 29th and I am still in shock. Where has the time gone. I just can't understand it. You have completed our little family and made our lives all the better.

Happy First Birthday little man. LOVE YOU!!

Reindeer food.

I made these for the neighbors kids when I was giving out Christmas cards. They loved it and it didn't cost anything to make. I had everything at home. But the effect it had was priceless.

This what you'll need.

 We were going to do it in baby food jars but decided zip lock bags would be nicer and we could put a pretty label on it too.

 Fill your bags up with half porridge oats and half bird seed and add glitter and confetti.
Close the bag and tape it down.
Add a piece of card and staple it on to the bag.
Add you verse below and a ribbon and your done.



Sprinkle on the lawn at night

The moon will make it sparkle bright

As Santa’s reindeer fly and roam

This will help guide them to your home!

Merry Christmas everyone!

DIY Snow Globe

This is the simplest but most amazing thing I have ever made. I made these last year with Jasmin for her Nana and she loved it.

School holidays mean a gift for the Teacher. I didn't wanna get flowers or chocolates cos I'm pretty sure she would have loads of them. So we went with the Snow globe.

All you need is :
A jar (I used an Tesco apple sauce jar. It seems to be a good size)
Ornament
Glitter and small table confetti
Water
Glycerine
Ribbon to decorate.

Glue your ornament to the lid of the jar. Let it dry.
Put in the glitter and confetti. The course glitter is better if you have it.
Add the water and a few drops of glycerine. This makes the glitter float more.
Screw on your lid and check it's not leaking.
Add a ribbon or bow and your done!

Suprise some with a home made gift from the kiddos this year. They'll love it. I promise!

Only 4 more sleeps!!

Eve's pudding {Recipe}

Today I'm sharing one of my favourite dessert recipes with you. It is the yummiest and easiest dessert you will ever make.

 Now it is not very good for your waste line if you have it every week but for special occasions you can't go wrong with this little beauty. It's the dish I carry to all the parties and I never have any left over.

Ingredients: 

4 cooking apples

sugar

100g butter

100g sugar

150g flour

2 eggs

Peel and slice you apples and sprinkle them with sugar. I never measure this sugar. I just put enough to coat the apples and make them sweet.

Next, cream your sugar and butter until pale and creamy. Add your flour and eggs bit by bit unitl all combined. Add a drop of milk if the mixture is dry.

Spread the mixture over the apples and sprinkle more sugar over the top. This will give a nice crunch to the top when it's cooked.

Cook at 180c for 40 minutes.

Serve warm with cream or custard. Or whatever why you like it.

Trust me when I say this will go fast so get in there first for your helping.

I'll be making this for Christmas day. I can't wait.

Happy Eating!!

Christmas Talk : Show and Tell Monday

Linking up with Becky over at From Mrs. to Mama for her weekly link-up, Show and Tell.
Go stop by and have a look around.




1. Tell us what your favorite thing about Christmas is.
Everything!! I love it! The decorations, food, family time, presents, traditions  hot chocolate, Christmas movies, snow (if we get any), everything. I just love how everyone slows down and spends time with their loved ones. It's my little man's first Christmas and I can't wait to make loads of memories and take way too many photos.

2. Tell us what your plans are for Christmas this year.
Every year is the same. We go to my mothers for Christmas dinner and they come to us on New Years Eve. Everyone. My Brother and sister and other halves too. We eat way too much, watch crappy Christmas day TV and fall asleep in front of the fire.

3. Show us a picture of Christmas in the past. Or present.

4. Do you wrap your presents all in one box, or do you like wrap each present separately?
I wrap everything separate. From the smallest to the biggest. I even wrap small things in wrapping paper and put them in a box and then wrap that and put that in a very big box filled with packing peanuts and bubble wrap and then wrap that. It a little bit of my evil side breaking out in me and a laugh on Christmas morning.  

5. Tell us about any special traditions that you or you and your family like to do.
I did a post on that here so pop on over and have a look there if you have a minute to spare.

Thumb print cookies : Recipe

These little things are amazing. The are so simple to make and never last very long. I would suggest the you make double what you need because they are just so yummy when warm. Mine don't even make it off the cookie sheet.

Here's what you need:
115g soft butter
60g sugar
185g flour
splash of milk if its needed
Jam

Preheat you oven to 180c and line a cookie sheet with baking paper.
Mix the sugar and butter until pale and creamy. Stir in the flour.
Using you hands make it into a soft dough.
Next make small balls of dough and flatten them with your thumb.
Place half a teaspoon of jam on each cookie and bake for 15 minutes or until slightly golden.

 For little ones with small thumbs, give them a baby spoon and let them help.

The recipe said it made 12 cookies but they would have been huge. I got double that and they're the perfect bite size piece at that.

Yum yum!!

Eat them nice and warm and they're crunchie or let them cool and they're soft and chewy. Either way they're fab.

For anyone who was looking for this yesterday, I'm sorry. Life got in the way.

Hope you enjoy this Christmassy cookies.

Crafty Creations : Popsicle stick Crib

These little cribs a perfect for the kids rooms. Jasmin loves hers and I don't have to worry about her breaking my crib.

You will need:
6 fat sticks
1 skinny stick
glue gun
paint
tinsel
Sharpie


Cut your sticks like this.

Take the 3 full ones and two half ones to make the main structure of the crib.

Next add your Baby Jesus, Mary and Joseph.

Then add your Angel and the small sticks for the Baby Jesus' crib.

Get your little one to paint it like in the picture and add tinsel around the angel. Use a sharpie to make to eyes.

And there you have it. A pretty little crib perfect for kiddos or as a gift from them to the Grandparents.

I'm trying to do a post a day up to Christmas on something we have baked or crafted over the Christmas.

Check back tomorrow to see what we get up to.

Thanks for stopping by.

Crafty Creations : Reindeer keepsake decoration

Are you looking for a quick easy craft to do with the kiddos? Short of time or just too busy for all the mess and compilation? Well this craft will solve all your problems. :)

Get some brown coloured paper and trace your kids hands and one foot. Cut them out.

Stick the antlers (hands) on to the back of the face (foot) and you have your Reindeer. Add eyes and a smile and a piece of red paper for a nose and you have Rudolf.

Cute, right? Easy enough for even the busiest of Moms to do with their kiddos.

Happy Crafting!

Christmas flower display :: Hey! That's Pin-tastic!

I'm linking up with the lovely AP over at I love you more than carrots for her amazing Hey! That's Pin-tastic! Link-up where all of us Pinterest lovin' bloggers get off our butts and bake, make, create or decorate some of our many pins.

This week I'm making a flower display for my dining table.

I wanted to make a wreath for my dining table that I would have for years to come. Now don't get me wrong. I do love fresh flowers but I just can't justify spending a small fortune on a fresh arrangement that I'll have to throw away. So I made an artificial one and I love it.

Here is what you'll need.

A block of florist foam. (make sure it's for artificial flowers)

A bowl for a table centerpiece. 

Artificial flowers.

A Candle holder and candle.

First cut your florist foam to size. Leave it a tight around the edges and it will hold better.

Start with your candle in the center of your display.

Then build up your display with your flowers. I added some pine cones and white flowers to break up all the red. I also used some fake holly sprigs the make it look different.

And there you have it. It didn't break the bank and I'll have it for a long time if I mind it.

Christmas bucket list

It's here!! CHRISTMAS!!! I love Christmas! I always have. I blame my Dad for this. I start thinking about it in July normally. Mad, I know.

I just love everything about it. The decorations, the smell of the tree, cooking, baking, open fires, the cold weather, drinking hot chocolate, Christmas movies, family time together, driving around to see the lights, Christmas music. Everything. Oh and crafting. How could I forget.

I love the way everyone just slows down at this time of year and enjoys time with their family.
I try to make Christmas as special as possible. Not only to make it good for my kids but so that they will pass on the traditions that we made together to their kids in years to come.

Here is my 'Christmas Bucket List'. I haven't ticked everything off the list but I'm working on it.

1. Make a CD or iPod playlist with your favorite Christmas songs. Have it ready as background music for all the other fun stuff you're going to do! 
2. Start a new tradition of making Christmas ornaments. Imagine decorating your tree when your kids are teenagers and looking back at those little ornaments you made so long ago!
3. Movie night with favorite Christmas treats. Actually, Christmas movies all month long!! 
4. Some of our favorite Christmas movies:
   The Santa Claus 1,2 and 3.
   The Muppet Christmas Carol
   Miracle on 34th street
5. Take your little kids to the pound shop to pick out gifts for their brothers and sisters.
6. Have a cookie decorating party. 
7. Get family pictures taken.
8. Go out for a cheap dinner. Keep it the same every year (for tradition's sake!), and then drive around and look at lights.
9. Visit a Live Crib.
10. Decorate a gingerbread house.
11. Have a Car Express! Watch Polar Express, or another Christmas train movie. Then, after putting kids to bed early (but before they fall asleep!), gather them up and present them with their golden ticket while the conductor (dad) whisks them off to the car for more lights and Christmas music.
12. Decorate your Christmas tree while sipping hot chocolate and listening to Christmas music.
13. Let Nana take the kids shopping for Mom and Dad.
14. Bake a Christmas treat and visit an elderly relative, godparent or neighbor,
15. If you make New Year's resolutions, write them on a slip of paper and put them in your stocking. Next year you can see how you did!
16. This one is just for the girls -- have sparkling cider and give each other pedicures! Or Mom gets to do them all if your girls are too small. Christmas music and/or a movie is a must!
17. Go shopping for Christmas ornaments. Each person can pick out a favorite ornament, or one that represents a special interest or event that year.
18. Make Christmas cards for friends and families.
19. Let the kids open a present on Christmas Eve -- new pajamas! Not only is this a fun tradition, but it ensures they will be dressed in cute pjs for Christmas morning pictures. 
20. Visit your town square if they decorate for Christmas.
21. Read "The night before Christmas" story on Christmas Eve.
22. Have a special Christmas breakfast, like pancakes or chocolate muffins.
23. Have a "sleepover" around the Christmas tree. Lay out blankets on the floor, watch Christmas movies, and eat special treats. Then carry the kids to their beds as they nod off.
24. For Christmas, ask Santa to bring the family a new game. Then play it that afternoon! 
25. Make Christmas crafts and homemade decorations.
26. Attend a local Christmas concert 
27. Attend a candlelight service with your family
28. Give each child a new ornament that represents something important they did that year.
29. Have a Christmas party full of fun, minute-to-win-it games. The games are simple enough that kids can do it. 
30. Set up candles (or use glow sticks) in your bathroom, and give the kids a candlelight bubble bath. Or take one yourself!

I hope, if you haven't got a Christmas bucket list already, that you make one to pass on the your kids. and they can pass on to their's in years to come. After all Christmas is all about family and making traditions.

11 Months!

11 Months. Where is the time going? We are counting the days to when he will be 1 year old now. DAYS!! crazy.

Anywho! Here are the stats.

This little guy is not a photo baby. He does not like the camera. Unless he's eating it or trying to get it off me. So this is the photo I got of him. 

Teeth:  We have two teeth and they arrived between 9 and 10 months. Nothing since but drool, drool and more drool. 

Eating: No more formula for this guy. All cows milk and loads of food. Can't complain. Must easier on mamas purse. :)

Sleep: Still sleeping like a champ. Had a few nights where I swear he was having a bad dream. Do nearly one year olds have bad drams?? Serious question!

Talking: Loves saying hi and A-dat (what's that?). very cute. Loads of mad babbling too.

Crawling/ skills : He is crawling everywhere now. He can make his way around our house and nana's house at his dead ease. He's also standing up with the help of anything that he can hold onto; people, chairs, tables. Anything. Can make his way walking from one side of the sitting room to the other using the couch and chairs. Very impressive!

Can't believe the next one of these will be titled 1 year old.

Crazy!!

Happy Weekend.

9 years!

Today, 9 years ago is the day that my husband and I went on our first date. 9 years of craziness that I wouldn't change for anything. 9 years that gave me two of the most wonderful kids. Ever!

Happy 9 year anniversary Hubs. Can't wait to celebrate 9 more and then some.