sweetie shop

or 'lolly shop' as we'd say in australia. this is a very popular role play!

the boys set out lots of plastic boxes and fill them with the cupboard's treats. depending on whether there has been a party/easter/christmas... the selection varies. quite a lot to choose from at the moment!

they use my kitchen scales and their toy cash register and my little product bags to have their own shop.

it is helping freddie with his coins and counting (i am hoping!) and, well, harry just likes collecting sweets.

today's selections include

• easter eggs - big, small and mini


• animal crackers


• raisins


• lollipops left from last years summer party (i have been avoiding giving them out!)


• fizzy sweets from last half term


• easter choc lollipops.

boys happy for time being.. lots of reminders from me that they aren't actually going to eat their bounty. which i think they are taking on board.

guinea pigs

here the boys are in warwick, over easter. harry sporting his 'new' glasses. sorry it has taken so long to post this sweet little - professor face!

and we have been looking after owen and eddie while their family is on holiday for the week. great names for pets - after friends from school!

the boys have been over the moon! freddie was up at 5.45 (!) wanting to go down and see them this morning. i let him out the back door at 6.45, on the proviso that he would say hello but not let them out. hmmmm.



after about 5 separate attempts, i got them into their outside run.

proving to be a little mischievous, these two. but lots of fun.

thank you gallimaufry!

Here is some of the gorgeous things posted to me for the swap. they come from gallimaufry... to be found here....

gallimaufry

truly beautiful earrings -

plus other goodies: pretty fabric, a lavender bag, seeds and card. i think the seeds have been misplaced by the boys... i just need to hunt them out now the weather is improving.

thank you so much, sarah. and also to louise from sew scrumptious who organised all of us! it really helped pep up my blog/ craft interests.

FLOWER SWAP

Swaps are lovely things to be involved in... kind bloggers gather lists of interested parties and pair them up to receive each others' goodies in the post.

And it is so nice to get something through the door other than bills and rubbish free catalogues. Here is what I sent last week, have to head over and collect Freddie from his tennis, so I need to show what I was gifted next post...

Plus I will let you know the relevant bloggers. Promise.

My package included :

• flower seeds (nightscented stock)


• spinach seeds


• cherry/ flower printed fabric bucket with yo yos


• lavender wings


• fat quarter of paisley/ flowery fabric


• scratchable plant labels


• spotty ribbon


• flower chocolates

easter craft

We found some polystyrene eggs in 'the works' and had a chance to modge podge them before easter.

add a little chick poked into the polystyrene with its feet and ta da!

(i also attached a string loop before we started the fabric scraps decoupage.) A bit messy, and to be honest, i finished them up... but freddie and harry gave one each to their special friends. and we have one for grandma and grandad - heading there tomorrow for a visit.

Happy Easter to all! xx

t-shirts for boys

I can get a little disappointed with the ranges of clothes around for boys... i like bright colours and stripes. i tend to avoid beige and sludgy colours and logos. (saying that we haven't avoided Ben10 totally!! i keep telling myself...'it's not about me, it's about the boys.' yeah right!)

i found this site via mumsnet. ksbkidswow! and great prices, too. there are lots of lovelies for girls including really sweet stripey leggings.

here is the package which arrived last week... orange and purple long sleeved tops (sale - £6 each) and short sleeved green and navy (£8).

and here are the boys in the bath with goggles. i was chatting to another mum at swimming lessons can't rave enough about kids and goggles. if you have trouble with your children getting water in their eyes, try goggles and get them used to wearing them with bath-play. the boys have come on so far... and Fred was so anti-splashing before!

lamingtons and anzacs

Freddie's school has had a fabulous community week. thanks to a lot of hard work from the teachers and parents, the children have had visitors and international tastings and community involvement. busy with some challenging (!) supply teaching, i sent along some Australian food. i did plan on posting the lamington process but wouldn't honestly recommend making them!! oh my goodness! what a phaff...

lamingtons are really popular for fundraisers at schools in Australia and are squares of sponge coated in chocolate icing and then coconut.

here they are in the tin, for Fred to take in - note the sponge WITHOUT coconut... i ran out at around 9pm.

look at how organised i am.. it all looks so tidy, ready to go.



this is the first piece of sponge, broken in the icing. (before you ask, yes i did leave the sponge in the fridge overnight to firm up... maybe two days is better.)

and it all became this rather quickly.

The ANZAC biscuits were much more straightforward... easy oat/butter/golden syrup stirred together and baked. do try them! anzac recipe