Category: Views & Ramblings

1. Creating the perfect but healthy lunchboxes with Capri Sun

   Posted on 7:47pm Wednesday 25th Jun 2014

   This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone.

   I have always been a fan of school dinners, not necessarily the meals themselves per se, more the variety they give the children and the lack of panic they give me every morning. So when my eldest daughter decided she didnt actually want hot dinners at school any longer, a slight fear began to rise inside, the pressue of the daily packed lunch was upon me! 

   I have seen lots of of amazing Bento boxes on Pinterest and whilst they leave me in awe of the time, care and attention that has gone into those daily lunch boxes, my first question is "where on earth do they find the time" and secondly, "do the children actually eat them?". Does everyone not wake up in the morning and question what on earth they are going to fill the lunchbox with each day? Or is that just me?

   So I thought we would have a trial run before school starts back next week and when I popped into our local Tescos, I picked up a box of each Capri Sun flavour on the shelf as part of my #collectiveBias #CapriSunSchool shop, as I knew this would be a good healthy start, as they have no artificial colours, flavours or preservatives.

    

   Tesco must have known how much I love a good deal too, as the Capri Sun was on offer, saving 95p per pack! 

    

   I then started looking round for health lunchbox inspiration. Thankfully both girls love salad like cucumber and sweet peppers, so that is never a worry but neither have ever been huge fans of a sandwich or bread in general (unless they are feeding the ducks) so ensuring that they get the right balance of carbohydrates is essential too.

   I had a look on the Capri Sun website and loved some of their suggestions for calming lunchboxes, here is one of their ideas for   

   healthy lunchboxes

    

   • Snack
     Yoghurt

   • The main event
     Lean ham and tomato sandwiches, made with wholegrain bread Sticks of vegetables such as carrot, cucumber, celery and red pepper

   • Fruit
     Banana

   • Drink
     Capri-Sun

   • Extras
     Sunflower and pumpkin seeds and raisins

   I am not so sure mine would eat the pumpkin seeds as they are both getting older, they both have their own specific preferences and I think that while I may have to throw in some alternative options from time to time, the best thing to do is give them things they like (and they will eat), although if my tween is reading this, this doesn't mean chocolate and sweets!!

   

   The littlest member of the family was more impressed than the tween, even saying that her cucumber piece looked like a sun. (A Capri Sun maybe??).

    

    

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   And on a final note, if like me, you are not blessed with the creativity to make amazing, ingenius and down right cute lunchboxes every day, I will leave you with these Pinterest boards to inspire you .....

    

2. Wake up and smell the roses : Appreciate Life

   Posted on 11:56am Monday 23rd Jun 2014

   Wake up and smell the roses. What does it even mean? I think that it actually comes from a mixing up of metaphors, namely;

   • Stop and smell the roses (rough meaning: appreciate life).

   • Wake up and smell the coffee (rough meaning: get real)

   I think "appreciate life" is much more agreeable than simply "get real" and today the sun is shining and we have been outside appreciating it.

   Unfortunately our morning has been more about running through the daisies and blowing bubbles than actually stopping and smelling the roses, (maybe I should scour those gifts for her and get some roses shipped in), but in the meantime, we have been appreciating the little things.

   Appreciating a day when the pollen count isn't too high, as the little one suffers with a touch of hay fever.

   Watering my hand made hanging basket and actually seeing the flowers grow.

   

   We have made daisy chains.

   We have "tested" to see if we like butter .... using the very technical method of a buttercup under your chin.

   We have blown bubbles into the wind.

   We have run away from bumble bees.

   We have chased squirrels out of the garden.

   We have spent no money. We have used no technology. We just woke up and appreciated life. Roses might have been nice but the daisies worked as a pretty good substitute!

    

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   This post is in collaboration with Floraqueen.

3. Make your own: 5 crafty destinations for a family holiday

   Posted on 10:58am Monday 23rd Jun 2014

   We are currently number one in the ebuzzing charts for crafts, which is a major achievement in anyone's book, let alone mine so holidays with a craft accents, certainly piqued our interest.

   We all like to take souvenirs home with us as permanent reminders of our trips (or if you are like my girls, every single outing means collecting something). But, they don’t have to be as ubiquitous or generic as a fridge magnet or a tea towel. There are lots of holiday destinations where you can craft or make your own mementos to take home to keep or give as gifts to family and friends. If you are still trying to decide where to take your little ones during the summer holiday or October half term, here are just a few of the best places to get your family’s creative juices flowing.

   Painting pots in Northumberland

    

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   Combining quirky accommodation with the chance to make your own pottery, Berwick’s Pot-a-doodle do wigwam village on the Northumberland coast offers a unique holiday experience. There’s an art centre where you can try your hand at a range of crafts from painting pots to making mosaics and glass painting. The glazing process takes two days so it’s the perfect excuse to stay for a break in a wigwam while you wait for your design to be ready to take home. My family originates from Northumberland so it would be a great chance to visit my heritage while keeping the girls amused too!

   Knitting in Wales

    

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   So many traditional skills have been lost but Wales’ National Wool Museum is doing its bit to keep the arts of knitting and spinning alive for the next generation. There are lots of hands-on activities for children all year round, including making blanket-stitch cards – perfect if a loved one has a birthday or special event coming up. During every school holiday, there’s an even bigger events programme, including an art cart, activities and trails. The museum is based in Carmarthenshire, so you could combine a day of crafting with some time at the beach. Pendine Sands caravan park is a good accommodation option because it sits just minutes from the beach of the same name, so you can spend mornings or early evenings walking on the sand, enjoying a picnic tea and watching the kite buggies whizz across the bay.

   Make your own Gaudi masterpiece in Barcelona

    

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   If you want to go a little further afield, Barcelona is renowned for the Gaudi architecture which dots the city. And, while you won’t be able to afford your own Gaudi artwork, you can have a go at making a piece in a similar style. The Mosaiccos centre allows you to make your own colourful tile mosaic. There are sessions for children and adults, with participants designing their own creation before being advised on the best way to realise their vision. Results are so impressive you’ll have a hard time persuading loved ones back home that you really did make it yourself.

   Bone carving in New Zealand

   Bone carving is a large part of New Zealand’s cultural heritage. You’ll see beautifully carved necklaces in swirling designs and Maori carvings adorning earrings and bracelets. You’ll find several studios dotted around the country which offer you the chance to carve your very own piece of bone jewellery. The Nelson Bone Carving Studio offers a full day workshop for around $80. At the end, you should have your own wearable creation. Now that is a souvenir!!

    Making incense in Japan

    

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   They say smell is the sense which most evokes the most memories. So, making a souvenir which smells of your holiday is surely one of the loveliest ways to continue your holiday once you get back home. In Japan, there are lots of rituals involving incense so you’ll smell it everywhere you go. Incense is thought to purify the air, making a more sacred environment for rituals. At most incense factories, you can either watch incense being made or try your hand at making it yourself.

   Opting for a holiday where you can make and do is sure to give you plenty of experiences to try as a family, and, you almost get to bring the holiday home with you ...... now where is my passport??

   Disclaimer : This is a collaborative post.

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4. Expressions : You never get a 2nd chance to make a first impression

   Posted on 10:24pm Sunday 22nd Jun 2014

   My mum always says that "you never get a second chance to make a first impression" and I have always been mindful of that. Whether I need to be confident (when I am almost definitely not) or if I need to be brave (when my legs are quivering) ... which has been especially prevalent this weekend as I walked into the Britmums Live conference. I had been last year, knew lots of lovely people but that didn't stop the conference nerves.

   I was being silly. I knew that.

   I needed some attitude. Some confidence and belief in myself.

   I reminded myself that I had an amazing sponsor to shout about and it was so easy to do that. Swimming is something every mum wants their child to be able to master and I had great fun sharing our experiences with lots of mums and mums to be.

   So when I got home, it seemed only natural for my "babies" to be in the water in this glorious sunshine.

   

   I think looking at this photo ..... maybe I need a little of her attitude!

   

    

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