Friday inspiration: Tails Sensory Book

Friday Inspiration: a picture of anything that makes me want to get creative.

While having a little hunt for ideas of sensory toys I could make Zander, I came across this cutey. Sooo much fun :)
My sister actually gave Zander one of these for Christmas and he loves it.

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#tbt: Mum's Bumble Bee Cake

Throw back Thursday: taking a look at stuff I've made in the past.

Another of Mum's birthday cakes, her favourite bumble bees in her favourite marzipan and dark chocolate.

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Wreck it Wednesday: Bean's First Page

Wreck it Wednesday: a page from one of my journals.

On Christmas day, I got a long hug and a genuine 'Thanks Mum, it's what I always wanted' when Bean opened a present to find it was his very own Wreck This Journal. Warmed me cockles it did.

The next day he decided to do his first page while I was distracted elsewhere. I vaguely heard him complain that he didn't drink coffee but I never would have expected what happened next. 

He threw a cup of milk over the whole page. Now I don't know if he thought it would show up at all, but I presume he just thought he'd follow the instructions with a small tweak; spill your favourite drink over this page.

Heaven knows what it'll look like in a few months...anyone know? Will it go mouldy or anything? Ah well.

I look forward to sharing more of his crazy with you.

About 'Wreck This Journal' by Keri Smith

(Description from Amazon)

It is book for those who've always wanted to draw outside the lines but were afraid to do it. For anyone who's ever wished to, but had trouble starting, keeping, or finishing a journal or sketchbook comes Wreck This Journal, an illustrated book featuring a subversive collection of suggestions, asking readers to muster up their best mistake - and mess-making abilities to fill the pages of the book (and destroy them).

Through a series of creatively and quirkily illustrated prompts, acclaimed artist Keri Smith encourages journalers to engage in "destructive" acts - poking holes through pages, adding photos and defacing them, painting with coffee, colouring outside the lines, and more - in order to experience the true creative process. With Keri Smith's unique sensibility, readers are introduced to a new way of art and journal making, discovering novel ways to escape the fear of the blank page and fully engage in the creative process.

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Tempting Tuesday: Chocolate & Marshmallow Ice Cream

Tempting Tuesday: trying not to kill my family with my experimental cooking.

Warning: this recipe contains raw egg.

Useful info: you do not need an ice cream maker.

My favourite ice cream in the world ever is of course Ben & Jerry's Phish Food, so, after the toffee ice cream success (as in; we didn't die) I thought I'd make my own.

Makes enough to fill a 1 litre tub.

Ingredients:

3 eggs, separated,

75g icing sugar

300ml double cream

1/2 tsp vanilla essence

2 tbsp marshmallow fluff

2 tbsp nutella

chocolate buttons

toffee ice cream sauce

Method:

Whisk the egg whites until stiff.

Add icing sugar a bit at a time, whisking until stiff each time.

In another bowl, whip the double cream until it holds it's shape, but is still a bit floppy.

In a cup, lightly beat the egg yolks with the vanilla.

Add them to the cream along with half of the whites and gently fold it all together.

Being even gentler, fold in the rest of the whites then, just before you transfer it to a plastic tub, slowly swirl in the rest of the ingredients, saving the toffee sauce to squidge all over the top.

Chill overnight, or at least 6 hours.

Can't even tell you how yummy this is...

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Monday Make: Pokeball Keyring

Monday Make: This week's project

I made these for the boys and a few other people for Christmas gifts. They're really simple, just felt on felt with a bit of ribbon and a keyring attachment. I used my free machine embroidery foot, hence the wiggly stitching (I still need more practice).

Bean keeps putting his on his belt loops, which is so cute. They're a bit big for a keyring, but perfect for imaginative play.

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Sensory Sunday: CD Sliding

Sensory Sunday: Exploring the world with little fat fingers.

Apologies for the pyjama'ed boy and the mess, but sometimes these moments happen when you're busy doing something else and it was too good not to share.

I was clearing out Mr Strawberries CD collection which was basically two bags full of random CDs he'd found while clearing out his walk in wardrobe last week. There was a lot of discs he didn't want anymore, so I was putting them into a pile to use on a future craft project...but re-organising anything is almost impossible to do with a baby in the room.

Zander discovered my neatly stacked piles of discs, recycling (paper and plastics) and had a good old rummage. He spent yesterday crawling all over the floor while it was covered in a beautiful combination of discs, empty cases and ripped up CD inserts but today, after I cleared up the recycling, he made the best discovery of all; they slide!

So, not only are discs really lovely and shiny, they also slide in a marvelous way across even the most badly painted floor boards. Yaaaaaay!

He spent a long time flinging them, running after them, collecting them from corners, flinging them again and growling at them the whole time.

I would definitely recommend finding a stash of discs you don't need anymore and doing this with your little one, it was so much fun.

Oh, and Mr Strawberry and I can never part ways now, because our CD collections are merged, alphabetised and stored in giant wallets now. The doubles (we spent our youths listening to the same music) have gone to the charity shop.

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Friday Inspiration: Book Lover's Sign Post

Friday Inspiration: a picture of anything that makes me want to get creative.

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#tbt: Ed's 3rd Birthday Cake

Throw back Thursday: taking a look at stuff I've made in the past.

You've probably guessed, but Ed had a pirate birthday.
The metal work is just marzipan. Looking at it now, I should have either coloured it or painted it, but hey ho, it was tasty and he loved it. That is all that matters after all.

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Tempting Tuesday: Banana Cake

Tempting Tuesday: trying not to kill my family with my experimental cooking.

This recipe is incredibly easy and marvellous when you've got some bananas going brown in the fruit bowl, especially as you can be pretty certain you've already got the other ingredients in the cupboard. It's lighter than I expected and so fluffy. I bet it would be yummy with custard too (it was all gone before I had a chance to try).

Ingredients:

3 small bananas

1 tsp lemon juice

100g butter

100g sugar

2 eggs

225g self raising flour

 Method:

Preheat oven to 200°C.

Mash bananas with lemon juice.

Blend butter and sugar.

Add eggs, then bananas.

Sift in flour and mix well.

Turn into a greased tin and bake for about 40 minutes.

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The Adventures of Timmy Twinkles 2016

Timmy Twinkles, our festive elf, visits us every year.

This is what he got up to this year.

Day 1. We found that Timmy had been posted to us from the North Pole. Well, I say 'us' but it's addressed to the boys (all three). Anyone else concerned that there's no return address? (Please excuse the large present sticker, it's covering our address).

Day 2, he drew faces on the oranges.

Day 3, he made elf sized biscuits and human sized ones too. Soooo yummy!

Day 4. The boys couldn't find him for ages but they eventually found him behind their bedroom curtains with a bunch of snowflakes.

Day 5, our family photos had been covered in Santa hats.

Day 6 is of course Saint Nicolas Day, who visits us despite our dirty shoes (he's very understanding of this busy mum of three boys, thankfully).

Day 7, again Timmy was hard to find until we left for school and spotted him in the front window with a giant paperchain tree.


Day 8, Timmy had built a Lego Christmas tree featuring two new figurines; an elf and a Santa.

Day 9, Timmy was on a zipline across the living room.

Day 10, there were festive themed activity sheets for the boys, full of mazes, puzzles and colouring in. Timmy even had his own mini version.

Day 11, Timmy was found in the fridge looking rather cold.

Day 12, he'd got breakfast out for the boys.

Day 13, Timmy had written his christmas list.

Day 14, Timmy, Rudolf, Tommy and Kitty were found having an interesting game of sticker face.

I think the rules are; roll an odd number, put a sticker on your face, roll an even number, put a sticker on someone else's.

Day 15, saucy Timmy was found checking out lady elves on my laptop...

Day 16, annoyingly Timmy had finally done the loo roll down the stairs gag.

Day 17, Timmy had worked through a whole box of chocolates. Apparently, some were left in the box but the boys ate them all before I got there.

Day 18, Timmy was found inside a balloon...I mean, how the hell did he get in there? Have you seen the size of his head?

Day 19 and Timmy was enjoying a festive story book with Betty Biscuit.

Day 20, Timmy and Betty Biscuit were found together with some new festive cups and some romantic candle light.

Day 21, TImmy was found enjoying sangria with Sally Snowgirl...leaving both Betty Biscuit and the boys utterly heartbroken.

Day 22, Timmy was missing (someone had hidden him) but he still managed to leave us this delightfully messy note.

Day 23, Timmy must've been having a bit of an 'Up' moment. I can honestly say, more balloons are needed to lift an elf...either that or he needs to lay off the cookies a bit.

Day 24, Christmas eve and there was no sign of Timmy except this note in the tree which told the boys about the festive chocolates he'd hidden all over the living room...

Fun was had, and none of this would have been possible without my darling Mr Strawberry, who often reminded me before I wondered naively off to bed of an evening and held a tired and moaning baby while I quickly set it all up.
I think Ed has probably had enough now, especially as he turns nine in two weeks, but Bean loves to play along and of course next year Zander will be almost two so I'm excited about next year regardless.

Timmy can be found on Instagram, search #elftimmytwinkles.

For more adventures with Timmy Twinkles, check out;

Christmas 2013

Christmas 2014

Christmas 2015

Sensory Sunday: Helium Filled Balloons

Sensory Sunday: Exploring the world with little fat fingers.

***Scheduled post so I can enjoy Christmas day with the family***

I hope you have a very lovely Christmas too

This week, I thought I'd give him some time with the balloons I'd filled for Timmy Twinkles hot air balloon escape. See this post for all of this year's adventures.

Please excuse the influx of bad quality photos. The light in my living room sucks and the room is a tip because it's in that end of a day 'everything has been played with' state, which only takes two minutes to tidy up but we were busy playing.

It should go without saying that this adventure required an extra careful eye, with the high possibility of strangulation, but one shouldn't leave a baby unattended, like, ever, so please don't be concerned with Zander's safety and if you try this at home do be very careful.

During Timmy Twinkles's antics this year, we have discovered how much Zander loves Timmy. He has lovely, grab-able stripy legs and a hat which, apparently, is super to suck on.

Zander enjoyed the consequences of shaking Timmy - all the balloons followed while he tied to the ribbon ends.

He also loved the curled ribbon ends, which were perfect for practising his pincer grip skills.

More balloon shaking.

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