HOW TO: Create an Easy Halloween Grazing Board

Halloween is just around the corner and things are about to get all kinds of spooky! However, as a parent of young children (and not one to like scary things in the first place) I much prefer to keep Halloween a fun, slightly spooky time of year. There are loads of non-scary bakes, crafts and decorations ideas, so to add to this I thought I'd put together a Halloween Grazing Board full of treats. The most important part of this Halloween platter is that it is quick and easy to put together, yet effective and can be enjoyed by all ages. The popularity of platters has rocketed in recent years and I think the pandemic has only increased their popularity further, as we all look for ways to celebrate different events from the comfort and safety of our own homes. 

PARTY: Ice-Cream Theme Inspiration

When it comes to planning our daughter's birthday parties I absolutely love the planning, preparing and creative side. We hosted Isabella's first birthday at our house, which was floral themed and then last year we had her second birthday party at a local village hall. This year we're returning to the village hall, which is a fantastic space but you aren't allowed to put anything on the walls which limits decoration options. After a lot of deliberation we finally settled on an ice-cream theme, as it is certainly something Isabella loves and we were originally going to have it in late May so it would be nearer to summer. It is in fact in April now, so perhaps a bit early for ice-cream weather which is why I've decided to mix in some pretty florals and rose gold touches.

TODDLER BEDROOM: Creating a Gallery Wall with Desenio

I have wanted a gallery wall in our house for as long as I can remember, but I have issue with commitment when it comes to putting things on the walls. For years my husband and I rented and although we could put pictures up on the walls I was always too scared we'd cause damage. When we bought our current house I was looking forward to making it our own, decorating throughout and making it a home. Over the past few years we've gradually decorated the kitchen, utility room, bedrooms and bathroom (usually with the pressure of having a baby on the way!). The latest room we decorated was Isabella's 'big girl' room, just prior to Poppy's arrival - you can see her whole bedroom here.

TODDLER: Big Girl Bedroom Wishlist

Isabella turned two in April and it seemed like the perfect time to move her into her 'big girl room' (aka. the spare room). Though we don't need the nursery for a while, as bump will sleep in our bedroom for a good few months to begin with. It made sense to do it before baby arrives. I would hate for Isabella to feel pushed out because of her little sister's arrival, so we were planning on doing it well in advance.

HOME: 55+ Decor Ideas for a 'Big Girl' Bedroom

In June Isabella won't be the only child on the block, there'll be another little girl to love, cherish and share things with. We are therefore planning on moving Isabella from the smallest bedroom she's currently in to the larger spare bedroom. I'm so excited to start doing all of the fun decorative aspects of her new bedroom, but there is a lot of work that has to be done before. The ceiling needs to be ripped down and put back up, the walls need wallpapering, new carpet needs putting down and the window needs repairing. Oh the joys of an old house!

EASTER: 55+ Baking, Crafts and Decoration Pinterest Ideas

Easter baking, crafts and decorations are all so beautiful and fresh. Spring has just started, colourful flowers are everywhere and cute lambs are filling the countryside fields. Easter has passed so quickly for the past few years, as Isabella was born on Good Friday in 2015 and then her first birthday/my return to work happened the year after. However, this year Easter is a few weeks away from her birthday so I'm planning on concentrating more on it again. Pinterest is filled with so many fun ideas for baking, crafts and the most beautiful decorations I can only dream about. Below are just some of my favourite Pinterest ideas, for even more inspiration then head over to my E A S T E R board.  

SECOND BIRTHDAY: Bunny Party Pinterest Inspiration Board

As we are now into Spring it has finally dawned on me that our baby girl will be turning two in April! Not such a little baby anymore, in fact it won't be long and she'll be a big sister. How will I already have a two year old? It's clique I know, but time really does fly when you have children. I think the saying that the days are long, yet the years are short couldn't describe parenthood anymore perfectly. Last year I was well into party planning mode by now, as it was a welcome distraction from returning to work. This year is a different story though, time is limited and pregnancy fatigue means no late nights planning away. I'm determined to not let this stop us creating a fun birthday party for Isabella turning two!

CHILDREN: 36 Handprint Craft Ideas

Capturing our little ones handprints is such a perfect way to record how quickly they grow and change. When I look at some pottery painting I did with Isabella's footprints when she was only a month or two old I can barely believe her feet were ever that small! Obviously her hand and footprint are still small in the scheme of things and it won't be long before I'll look back at recent prints and think how small they are. In honour of our cute little ones handprints I thought I'd put together a few ideas of how you can create a piece of art/gift/memory from them...

CHILDREN: 9 Rainy Day Activities in Autumn

Autumn is here and isn't it just beautiful? Nature changes so much and Isabella is loving watching everything change around her. Below are nine of our favourite rainy day activities, because although autumn is beautiful it isn't always filled with sunny days.

WEANING: 25 Breakfast Ideas for Babies and Toddlers

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day - how many times have you heard that? I love breakfast on my days off work because I can cook up something tasty for Isabella and I. Breakfast on my days at work usually consist of cold toast wolfed down before rushing out of the door. I've put together 24 tasty breakfast ideas that you and your little ones can enjoy either at home or on the go.

WEANING: 39 Meal Ideas for Babies and Toddlers

I have another food inspiration for babies and children, though a lot of these recipes are delicious for adults too. A couple of weeks ago I put together a blog post with 45 finger food ideas and this week it's all about meals. Some of these we gave Isabella when she was at the beginning of her weaning journey and others are more like proper meals that she eats nowadays.

WEANING: 45 Finger Food Ideas for Babies and Toddlers

Thinking of different finger foods can be a laborious task, so to make your life easier I've put together 45 of our top baby friendly fresh finger foods! Some of the recipes I've already featured here on my blog, other's will be coming soon and some I didn't feel deserved a post by themselves so I've written the recipe in this post. I just thought it would be easier to have all of the finger food recipes in one place - there'll also be a pudding, main meals and breakfast version of this post coming soon too. Plenty of inspiration for your little one to enjoy!

DIY: Floral Number or Letter Tutorial

 

Floral numbers or letters make the perfect addition to baby showers, weddings, birthday parties or special occasions. It's actually surprisingly easy, though it is quite time consuming arranging the flowers so make sure you have plenty of time for that part. I had seen floral number ones all over the internet and looked into where I could buy one. It became apparent that they are not only hard to source, but also very expensive due to the fresh flowers and time consuming elements. During a trip to Hobbycraft I spotted this cardboard one and thought I'd had a go at creating my own, always looking to save some pennies!

DIY: Floral Bunting Cake Topper Tutorial

 

 For Isabella's birthday party I ended up making two cake toppers, a glitter one (see my tutorial here) and this floral bunting one. We had two cakes - one full of sugar and naughtiness for the adults and a no-added sugar version for the babies/children, hence needing two cake toppers. Creating a floral bunting cake topper take no more than 5 minutes, so the perfect option for a last minute addition too. You could easily adapt this to say 'Mr & Mrs' for a wedding, 'boy/girl' for a baby shower or any other number for birthdays.

FIRST BIRTHDAY: Party Food

Deciding what food to have at Isabella's first birthday party wasn't easy. We were hosting about 35 adults and 6 children/babies, all within limited space. We therefore needed food that could easily be picked up, no need for cutting or preparing (ie. cheese board and bread) and that catered for all dietary requirements. I love hosting and thrive off this kind of challenge, it was also a welcome distraction from returning to work too. 

FIRST BIRTHDAY: Isabellas Party Bags

Party bags can be a source of stress for parents - what to fill them with? What about the extra cost? How to cater for the variety of ages/genders? We decided to brave the topic of party bags for Isabella's birthday party and create some for the guests who were children. As it was Isabella's first birthday party she was too young to invite her 'friends', so we chose to invite everyone who has been significant in her first year of life. It was incredibly special to have so many people who love and care for Isabella altogether, including six children. This made the task of party bags for the children much more manageable and in fact turned into one of my favourite aspects to organise. Perhaps due to these stunning Liberty Betsy Party Bags* from Party Pieces (£6.99 for 8 pack) - though their beauty made me not want to give them away!

FIRST BIRTHDAY: Isabellas Party

Isabella's is now one...a whole year old! Her birthday was on a Sunday this year, so we had her party actually on her birthday. It was so special to have everyone who loves, cares and has been a big part of Isabella's first year altogether on her birthday. We organised her party to start at 12.30pm so that we had a good chunk of the morning to spend together, as well as putting the final touches to the party food. It worked really well because Isabella napped just before her party started, enabling her to dance the afternoon away! 

FIRST BIRTHDAY: Liberty Party Decorations from Party Pieces

 

 Liberty London is well known for their stunning fabric designs and when Meri Meri collaborated with them to create a party range I couldn't have been more excited! We are having a floral themed birthday party for Isabella's first birthday, so the Liberty Betsy party range couldn't have been more perfect. Party Pieces is a website that stocks an extensive and outstanding range of party supplies, including this Liberty Betsy range. 

FOOD: Enjoying a Vegetarian Christmas

A big focus on Christmas day is the turkey, goose fat roast potatoes and of course the obligatory pigs in blankets (all of which are my husbands idea of heaven) - so what can us vegetarians enjoy over Christmas? You may know from my blog but I'm a big foodie and I'm certainly not going to let a big event like Christmas pass by without lots of delicious vegetarian `food! When I was a child I'd always have nut roast on Christmas day and since growing up I've tried various pies, tarts and roasts all of which have been enjoyed with the usual trimmings of a Christmas dinner. Below I've put together lots of inspiration if you're struggling to think of what to cook for yourself or a vegetarian guest this Christmas. Let the mouth watering commence...

 
 Truffled Parsnip and Broiche Pudding with Hazlenut & Thyme Butter

CHRISTMAS: 20 Last Minute Homemade Gift Ideas

Only a couple of days to go until Christmas Day and inevitably there will be a neighbour/friend/relative that was somehow lost in the gift buying process. It's a nightmare! Last minute homemade gifts are perfect for entertaining children, adding that personal touch and many can be whipped up in less than an hour. Here are 20 ideas for last minute presents that can be made in the comfort of your home, therefore no battling the shops on Christmas Eve...thank goodness!

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