Tinknbubb

So it is officially Christmas eve and we usually have a hectic day ahead of us. This year is different though as for some reason we did it all yesterday. Today is a bitter sweet day really, I have the excitement of the next couple of days with family and good food but Christmas eve was the day that I got the very last video of Mum ever. This is hard as I kick myself over videos and pictures of mum but I know that I cannot change that now. Anyway, I have a day of crafts and activities planned with my missy, she has really kept me going and kept me in the festive spirit. I hope you all have an incredible Christmas and have lots of rest and time with family. Make memories and enjoy yourself, thank you for joining me through the 12 days of Blogmas. Merry Christmas xxx

Isn't gingerbread the perfect snack for Christmas, so spicy and taste so yummy. We absolutely love making and decorating these around Christmas. It takes a little while to make the dough but they are well worth it. Here is an easy recipe for you all to follow. Recipe 350g Plain Flour 1 tsp Bicarb of Soda 2 tsps Ground Ginger 1 tsp Ground Cinnamon 125g Butter 175g Light Brown Sugar 1 Medium egg 4 tbsp Golden Syrup Method 1. Sift the flour, bicarb of soda, ginger and cinnamon into a bowl/mixer. Add the butter and mic until it looks like breadcrumbs, then add your sugar. 2. Add your egg and the golden syrup (oil the spoon so it doesn't stick). Mix it all together until it makes a dough. 3. Wrap the dough in clingfilm and put in the fridge for 15-30 mins 4. Heat you oven up to 180oC/Gas mark 4 and prepare your tray with greaseproof paper. 5. Flour your surfaces, roll out your dough to about the width of pound coin. Use any cutters ...

I have finally worked out what Lilly will be wearing for Christmas, I want her to look smart but be comfy too and Nutmeg have some beautiful clothes in at the moment. I can't quite believe that this will be Lilly's sixth Christmas, it doesn't seem possible at all that she has been part of our world. I am quite envious of Lilly's outfit to be perfectly honest, she has a beautiful red tartan skirt which came with some detailed cream tights, from the Nutmeg range at Morrisons. The top is also part of the Nutmeg range, it is a gorgeous soft feel long sleeved top which says 'Sparkle All The Way'. Lastly I am going to finish the outfit off with some new pink, glittery party shoes from the Lily and Dan range at Aldi. I think that this all together with look super pretty and be a comfy outfit that she can wear all day with ease. Skirt and tights, Aged 5-6 £10 Top, Aged 5-6 £3 Shoes, Size 9 £6.99 I hope you enjoyed this post, I would love to see wha...

Christmas films really do make the Christmas period more festive, we don't start watching till December to make the films more special. And Lilly has started to really get into films this year. I wanted to share my top 5 films with you, this may include a series of films too but I shall get on with it. 1. This has to be The Polar Express, this is such a lovely, feel good, festive film with the songs, Santa and hot chocolate to get you in the mood. 2. The Home Alone series, only 1 and 2 though. I absolutely love these films and always have done, they always make me laugh and at the end feel very warm inside. 3. Arthur Christmas, this is quite a new one, only 6 years old but I think it is going to become a classic, Another feel good film with a modern twist to it. 4. Santa Claus the movie, this is a golden oldie that me and my Mum used to watch together, I will always treasure those memories. 5. The Santa Claus 1,2 and 3, These are so good and make me want Christmas to ...

  So every year since Lilly was about 2 we have done her a Christmas eve box and this year is no different, we don't put a lot in as we do a lot of practical stuff on Christmas eve together too but these things fill in the gaps. Lilly's Christmas eve box consists of: - The Night Before Christmas (Aldi 99p) - Christmas Activity Book (Aldi 69p) - The Snowman DVD  - Her Stocking - Hot Chocolate Cup With a Candy Cane - Snowman poo (White marshmallows)  - Reindeer food (Glitter free)  - Christmas Teddy - Reindeer Wobbly Antlers (Sainsburys) - Small Bag of Chocolate (Aldi 59p) We do use a lot of things again, such as her book and the DVD but its just a nice little extra thing to do for her and gives her something to do whilst we do adult jobs. I hope this has given you some inspiration :) Happy Blogmas x

Last weekend I was lucky enough to travel up to London with Lilly, my Auntie and my uncle to Winter wonderland at Hyde Park. This is a free to enter event in the centre of London which is very family oriented and very festive. There are many rides and attractions for you to see BUT I would advise prebooking for the big attractions online. We arrived at around 2pm and the queue to enter was quite small, we only waited about 5 minutes before we were at the bag check. The staff were so friendly and the atmosphere was electric.  The first thing we did was check out some rides for Lilly (kind of wish we had waited as there were more Christmas themed one further in) and got some hot drinks (hot chocolate)   The children's rides range from £2 - £3 each and the larger rides cost £6,- £8 each. They had such a wide array of rides to choose from. They had more Christmasy themed rides and huge roller coasters too. In the centre there is a large, tall ferris wh...

Another festive recipe for you all to enjoy, these are so simple to make and taste sooo good. These are Candy Cane Lollies which look amazing (I think). Lilly helped me make these, can you tell which one is hers?  You will need: - Candy canes - White Chocolate - Sprinkes - Lolly sticks - Baking paper Method 1. Cut canes down to size to for a heart shape with 2 canes. 2. Place onto a baking tray covered in baking paper and place a lolly stick in the middle. 3. Melt the chocolate in a bowl over a pan of hot water. 3. Pour melted chocolate into the heart shapes making sure they are full to thr edge  4. Add sprinkles for decoration. 5. Leave to set in the fridge for a few hours. And there ready! Simple :) *Republished*

At this time of year candles are essential for our house and them being scented is just a huge bonus. The home smells do festive when one of these are lot and I absolutely love the range of scents they have.  I have a few votive Yankee candles that I have, these include normal Yankee candles and the home inspiration yankee camdles too.  Christmas Eve - This is by far my favourite festive scent, this seems to be a mixture of everything Christmas, the fruits, the spices. It is just such a warm and cosy scent perfect for a wintery night. Christmas Memories - Another favourite of mine for this time of year, this one is a lot warmer and spicier than Christmas eve, this reminds me of all the Christmas baking that we do over this time of year with ginger, nutmeg and cinnamon.  Candy Cane Lane - This is a new one to my collection and I really like this. It is a mixture peppermint and vanilla so it isn't too overpowering and doesn't smell like tooth paste. ...

I love reading to, and now with Lilly, I think it makes her imagination work, teaches her things and makes her more aware of everything around her. We have quite a large pile of Christmas/wintery books which we get out every year and add to as well.  I have picked 5 favourites which are completely related to Christmas that we love in this house, I like the more traditional stories that make the meaning of Christmas more apparent and the magic real for as long as possible. The night before Christmas - A complete classic, we have had this book since she was just one, I wanted to make it a Christmas eve tradition to read it together. A Christmas Carol - Another classic story, this one is actually new to our collection (Aldi) but Lilly knows the story due to the Cbeebies Christmas show. When I dream of Christmas - This is an amazing book explaining some lovely things about Christmas. It includes the meaning of Christmas and some traditions that families have too...

I have created a 6 inch round Christmas cake for 2016 which is smaller than normal but this time it is just for me and Lilly. I had a few problems on the way like dropping the cake for one, luckily I managed to scoop it back ito the tin and cook for a bit longer to set it. Here is the recipe and method for you all, it's not to late to make one for yourself. Recipe 700g Mixed fruit 25g Ground Almonds 50g Glace cherries 150g Plain flour 1/2 tsp Mixed spice 150g Butter 150g Brown sugar 1/2 Lemon rind and juice 3 Standard eggs 100ml Rum/Brandy/Whisky Method 1 Preheat oven to 200oc/gas mark 6 2 Line sides and bottom of cake tin with double parchment paper 3 Cream butter and sugar until fluffy 4 Beat in eggs one at a time, if starts to curdle add a little flour 5 Add rind and juice of the lemon 6 Mix flour, ground almonds and spice together 7 Toss mixed fruit and cherries into flour 8 Add fruit and flour to other ingredient...

Wow, welcome to December, I am not quite sure how we are here already. December can only mean one thing, Christmas is almost here! I am pretty excited this year for Lilly but am also dreading it. I wanted to start the month off with The Christmas Tag as it gives you an idea of our Christmas. 1. What is your favourite Christmas film? I absolutely love the Arthur Christmas for a more modern film but I also have a huge soft spot for Home Alone too. 2. Have you ever had a White Christmas? I don't ever recall having a white Christmas, it usually snows in January or February which is a shame really. We haven't had a huge amount of snow since 2010 so quite a while back.  3. Where do you usually spend your holiday? We normally have the morning at home just us three, then go to a family members for lunch and some well needed family time.  4. What is your favourite Christmas song? I think my favourite song has to be Christmas time (don't let the bells ring) by t...

We are sadly almost at the end of the school holidays but I have been doing a few crafts with Lilly all aimed at Halloween and Autumn and I wanted to share them with you as they may keep your little ones happy for a while.                       Decorated Pumpkin                                                         This is such a simple thing and so inexpensive too. We picked up one of the small pumpkins from Asda for just 50p, they are a little to small to carve but perfect for making sparkly and cool. You will need: - 1 × Small pumpkin - Glitter / paint / stickers This year we have some glitter stickers as we can't seem to find any normal glitter anywhere local. I let Lilley do her thing and she craed this really cool face out if the shapes that we had. ...

I have grown to love Autumn more as the years go on, and I must admit, I think it is now my favourite by a margin (Except for the wind). The colours, the wrapping up, the candle scents and the anticipation for Halloween and Christmas. I know that we are almost a month into Autumn but the whether is shocking and I feel really autumnal today so I wanted to take part in the Autumn Tag. 1. What signifies the start of Autumn for you?   The colour changes in the leaves, the colder weather and the floor being covered in fallen leaves, we love crunching through them when going on Autumn walks. 2. What is your favourite Autumn scent? My favourite scent of Autumn has to be Pumpkin spice, we had a candle last year which was pumpkin spice and chestnut which smelt so amazing. I just like all the spices mixed together too. 3. What is your favourite Autumn colour? This has to be the deep red that some of the leaves go, it is such a warm colour and makes it somehow feel warmer th...

I can't quite believe that this little munchkin is going to be 5 soon! She is the cheekiest, kindest little girl who makes me laugh on a daily basis. I started this series to remember the little thing that make her her.  - Saying Hirrup instead of hiccup.  - Confusing the words melon and lemon - She all of a sudden has a crazy obsession with Power Rangers. One of our conversations Lils - You going to be now Me - Yep Lils - I've been in bed for ages Me - That's because you are younger than us and are still growing, Mummy and Daddy have finished growing Lils - That's good because you could bang your head on the roof, then you would flood the room with tears like Alice (in Wonderland). I don't want to swim in salty tears.

These cupcakes are so delicious and simple to make, you only need a few ingredients and take 30 minutes. to make and cook. This mixture made 16 - 20 cupcakes. Ingredients Eggs - 3 Medium Eggs Marge  - Weight of Eggs in oz Sugar  - Weight of Eggs in oz Flour - Weight of eggs minus 2oz Drinking Chocolate - 2oz to make up the flour Method 1. Preheat your oven to 180oC / Gas mark 5 2. Cream the sugar and marge together until it resembles whipped cream. 3. Add 1 egg at a time, if starts to curdle add a small amount of the flour. 4. Once all eggs are mixed in slowly sift in the flour and drinking chocolate and slowly mix. 5. Separate your mixture into cupcake cases evenly and place in the oven for 15-20 minutes, until springy to touch. These taste amazing when still warm and when are cooled, they are so easy to make that Lilly pretty much does them herself, they are a great quick bake for a weekend task.

Photo by Lilly I wanted to share an outfit that I have been loving over the past few weeks with you all. This is brilliant for the school runs and coy afternoons. Not the best pic as I don't have my face on but Lilly's photography skills are pretty good. The Jumper is a recent purchase from George Asda, it's a chunky knit jumper in a dusky pink shade, The sides have small slits which have ties to do up which I think makes it look so nice. The jeans are a basic pair of skinny's from New Look, I have had these for a while and they go with pretty much everything. I Have some heavy brown boots on from Shoezone which we got back in April but are still available, these are so comfy and warm too, perfect for Autumn.  Jumper £12.50 Jeans £8.99 Boots £16.99

Picture taken on Autumn walk 30/9/17 Wow! Another month gone. This has been a crazy one with Birthdays and Lilly starting her adventure at 'Big' school. It seems such a long time ago already and she has only been there two weeks. Both me and Lilly are officially a year older, I'm a year closer to 30 which is pretty scary, and I am now a mum to a 5 year old which is just insane. She makes me so proud and we had two lovely says celebrating.  Lilly has been doing absolutely amazing at school, she has been reading a few small words and writing so much, she just wants to learn and get everything right. I miss her so much and have no idea what to do with myself most of the time. I have just been pottering around our flat and decluttering. It has been another quite hard month with Mum not being here though as it was the first official celebrations since she passed away. It also got to me when decluttering Lils clothes that all the things that Mum saw Lils in is ...

Lilly,    I don't quite know what to say apart from I miss you. You have started your new adventure as a school child and I couldn't be more proud of you. I have seriously felt lost these past couple of days and the days seem to have dragged so badly for me.     Your first day was yesterday and you seemed to do so well, you made friends, smiled when you came out and even ate some of the school dinner that you were given (cheesy potato hotpot). You looked so smart in you uniform but it's still only a 3-4 size jumper (so tiny).   Your teacher is Mrs Goodchild and she seems so nice, you said you liked her which has made me happy. Your teaching assistant is Miss Hardcastle, she is lovely and has been so helpful already, I just hope no-one makes you cry or hurts you.    I have so many anxious feelings right now and even more so yesterday but I know in the back of my mind I shouldn't as I know you have been ready for this move for...

How is it September already, we have had such a busy month with lots of fun days out and weekend away. The beginning of August we took a trip to Pets and Home for a little workshop, she got to hold two beautiful bunnies and was made up with life. Straight after we headed to our local town for there carnival, my Dad was involved by creating a carousel around his mobility chair. We also wore sailor hats in memory of my Dad's friend and a local man who everyone loves, he used to dress like Popeye and was also able to pull the face too. We have then been on two weekends away in a caravan, at Rural Past Times and also at the Festival of Transport, these are two local events which we are involved in. Lil's had a fair few late nights and two nights dancing with the family. We have made amazing memories and have become closer as a family.  We have a fair few adventures in the this coming month and I seriously cannot wait for all the new experiences and routines that we are...

I haven't shared one of Lil's outfits for a while and I am completely in love with this look so wanted to share it with you all. We have not long been back from camping, we have had a lovely weekend away in a caravan at a local country show, Rural Past Times. We were away for three days with a mixture of weathers, It really didn't know what to do. on to the outfit itself, Lilly got herself a beautiful pair of dungaree's from my dad, these are from H&M (£17.99) and are in size 4-5, we got a smaller size then normal as they seemed quite large on her. These are also adjustable at the arm straps and the bottoms are turned up too, I love them. She is wearing a peachy coloured top from F&F (5-6), I am unsure on the price as these were a gift from Nanny. I think that the colour complements the pale denim shade of her dungaree's. She then has her glasses from Specsavers and a cute pink bow from Amazon. I really do wish that these were mine as the...

I wanted to share a little post about a craft that we did a few weeks ago, we created rainbow crayons from loads of old broken crayons and they turned out amazing. I saw a video for this on Facebook and thought that it would be a great way to sort out Lilly's crayon box as she had so many broken ones that we were going to throw out. This is so simple to recycle these old crayons and create some magic crayons.  You will need. - Old Crayons - Silicon Cake Trays - Old Chopping Board - Knife To do. 1. Preheat the oven to Gas mark 4/160oc 2. Remove all the paper from the outside of the crayons 3. Cut the crayons into small pieces  4. Once all cut place a mixture of crayon pieces into the cake trays 5. Place the trays into the oven and bake for 8 minutes (until all melted) 6. Once baked, remove from oven and let cool.  7. Once cool, pop out the crayons and you have some cool crayons. We love the crayons that we have made, they are ...

This story starts back in the summer of 2014 when my symptoms of my anxiety really took hold and I got myself to the doctors for some help. I have always been more emotional than some people and certainly am a big over thinker of everything in life so I can see traits of anxiety right back to when I was about 12-13. And during my life I have experienced a lot of death and illness and seen a lot of things that you wouldn't want to.  But around July I noticed that I seemed to be crying a lot for no apparent reason and would sob for a good 15 minutes before I could calm down, my other half got a little bit worries so made me make an appointment with the doctor which I did. When I was the doctor I spoke to him about a few things that went around in my mind a lot and that could maybe contribute to the way I have been over the past few weeks. He decided to refer me to for Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) to see if we could work out a way of controlling these tearful state...

So today marks the last day of July, This month seems to have been the slowest so far but its nice as I have spent some quality time with our girl over the last week and a half. We're in full swing of the summer holidays now and have already had a lovely few days down the park and enjoying the concoctions of weather. I have been struggling a bit with my emotions over the past couple of weeks but have a huge support network around me. I have just been missing mum a lot and can't quite explain to some people how I feel as I don't really know myself.  We have a lot planned for next month, we have camping trips, a carnival and a special trip to pets at home coming up. I want to enjoy these next 7 weeks with her as when she start school in September I know she is going to grow and change so much while she is at school.  How has your month been and what have you got planned for the next few weeks?

Summer holidays can seem quite daunting even when you little one is only at nursery, we have an extra two week to before Lilly and her school go back. Eight weeks can be a long time to keep a child entertained so I wanted to share a few things that we have planned for the next few weeks. Summer Reading Challenge We are taking part in the summer reading challenge which is linked to the library, this is for children aged 4-11 to encourage them to read. over the holidays they ask you/your child to read 6 or more books from the library and earn stickers along the way to solve the case with the Animal Agents. We were given this leaflet at her last visit which has 3 scenes inside, every trip you get a new sticker to help solve the case, some of the stickers are scented too to make it more fun for the children. We have read two books so far and will be going every Saturday to our local library to change books out and receive her stickers. Our local library also has a dog traine...