Search Results for : autumn

Autumn Days 1

10 Nov, 2012 in autumn tagged autumn / Bonprix by Jen Walshaw

We love sunshine and getting out and about and unfortunately this Autumn has not been as crisp and bright as we had hoped, but we haven’t let this stop us making the most of our weekends together as a family. Both boys play Junior football, so sunday mornings are usually taken up with a match, but the rest of the weekend we make sure that we have something planned that we can do as a family.

Our recent weekends have included:

A trip to a local Rugby match
Family Bowling
A trip to The National Railway Museum
A trip to Dalby Forest
Car washing
We were sent some great items from Bonprix to test out and the image above shows the boys in their new favorite cardigans. They are fleece lined and so soft and they have a zip in addition to the lovely paddington bear style fastening and are £14.99 each. MadDad and I

Autumn cleaning naturally 4

3 Oct, 2012 in cleaning tagged cleaning / sponsored video by Jen Walshaw

There is something about Autumn that sets me off on a mad cleaning frenzy. I know I should do it in spring, but for both me and MadDad it is an Autumn thing. We have just decorated the lounge, sitting room and hall, well painted them and I have the kitchen next on the list.

Cleaning is not my favorite past time, but since having the boys it is something that I get them to help me with. As I want them to help it is important to me that we use natural products, so that I feel safe having them use them too. My cleaning kit at the moment consists of white vinegar, bicarbonate of soda, a gentle soap, borax substitute, tea tree oil and cloths.

All purpose spray cleaner

1/2 cup of white vinegar
2 teaspoons of borax substitute
A dab of liquid soap
5 drops of tea trea oil
2 cups hot tap water
Combine the ingredients in a spray bottle and shake until the washing soda has dissolved. Apply and wipe off with a sponge or rag. I have a bag full of old tea towels t shirts etc that we use in the kitchen, in addition to some microfibre cloths that we use for cleaning. I also have a post about 15 uses for white vinegar over on A Thrifty Mum.

The only time that I really use kitchen roll is when I am cleaning the bin or the toilets, as I can use the sheet and then pop it in the compost bin for hygiene reasons.

Autumn Clothing Inspiration and Care 7

27 Sep, 2012 in autumn tagged autumn / clothes / Sponsored post by Jen Walshaw

I adore Autumn. I love bringing out my thick tights to wear under my skirts and dresses and long sleeved t-shirts to add as an extra layer under them.

Just because the weather has changed doesn’t mean that you need to put your childrens summer clothes away either, especially as most children will have grown out of them by the time the weather changes for them to be able to wear them again. It is all about layers. So I thought I would supply you with some hints and tips for making those clothes last over the colder seasons.

Autumn Manifesto 2012 22

18 Sep, 2012 in Manifesto tagged autumn / autumn manifesto / manifesto by Jen Walshaw

Each season I make a manifesto, rather than setting New Years resolutions and there is something about Autumn and September that calls out to me to make a new start. I think it is something to do with all those years of September. I still lust after new stationery and new beginnings at this time of year.

Autumn Craft and Activity Ideas

22 Oct, 2010 in activities for children / childrens craft showcase / things to do by Jen Walshaw

With the weather getting colder, now is the time to make some plans about activities and crafts you can do on the darker evenings to keep your children occupied and keep. My friend Becky at Baby Budgeting has produced her first ebook which is jam packed full of 50 ideas of things to do with under 5’s in Autumn on a budget. I have a copy and it is a great resource for when you are struggling for ideas. Click here to get your copy best of all it is only £1.50. You could also do some marble painting, which doesn’t have to be messy. Why not have a go at more »

Autumn Days and the Grass is Jeweled 4

16 Oct, 2009 in autumn / childrens craft / craft / mini mads by Jen Walshaw

My wonderful Fly friend Wendy sent this craft all ready prepared for the minimads all I added was the colour changing felt tips which had been supplied by my mother in law earlier in the year. Basically she printed out the tree and the leaves and we coloured them in with the colour change felt tips and then changed them to represent the autumnal colours that we see all around us at the moment. This became a discussion on photosynthesis and why some tree lose their leaves and others dont – quite in dept for my 35 year old head, let alone minimads 3 year old brain who thought up all more »

Autumn Art with PlayMais 2

13 Oct, 2009 in art / crafts / maximad / playmais by Jen Walshaw

MaxiMad and Mad dad have loved exploring the playmais and decided to do some autumn cards with them to test out their ability to stick to paper and card. MaxiMad decided on an autumn tree and a bonfire He used chalk to colour in the sky and added a moon and stars Aren’t they just fantastic….. Yes the cards are too (dont you just love the little hedgehogs under the tree).

Autumn is here, the season of change 3

23 Sep, 2009 in autumn / change / garden by Jen Walshaw

It seems apt to me that it is Autumn, it is a season of change, a season of colour and a season of harvest. I love Autumn and Spring the most. I love crisp days walking through leaves, hearing them crisp underfoot. I love hats and scarfs, I love hot chocolate when you get in to warm up. I love watching the ever changing landscape around us. I love berry picking and eating! I love the closing in of the evenings and closing the curtains. I love that I can peek into other peoples houses when I pass. But what I am trying to say is it just seems right, for more »

DIY braided headband (Alice band) 1

14 Oct, 2019 in Beauty / childrens craft / crafts / Homemade gifts / Teen / Upcycling by Jen Walshaw

I LOVE a headband, perfect for keeping my wild hair off my face when I work espeically as I don’t like tying it back all the time. Decorative headbands are all the rage at the moment so I decided to try making a DIY braided headband.

Simple Paper Leaf Garland with Free Printable

8 Oct, 2019 in Autumn Crafts / crafts / Cricut by Jen Walshaw

This paper leaf garland is easy peasy to make, so much so that it is almost embarrassing to do a tutorial for it! I love making simple seasonal decorations and this Simple Paper Leaf Garland is the perfect companion to our paper leaf wreath and I used the same free lead templates and paper.

10 Fabulous Pear Recipes 1

4 Oct, 2019 in baking / Breakfasts / Packed Lunches / receipe by Jen Walshaw

For the first year since planting our pear tree 11 years ago, we have more than 2 pears, in fact, we have a glut of pears so I have been searching for the best pear recipes and have come up with these 10 fabulous pear recipes that I can not wait to try.

Tips for Spring Cleaning your Appliances

4 Apr, 2019 in cleaning by Jen Walshaw

Tips for Spring Cleaning your appliances is a collaborative post with Bekko. I HATE cleaning but I love a clean house. Yes, I know you can not have one without the other, so I work on the process of little and often and also in delegation, so if you can afford a cleaner then whoop, if not get the whole family involved.

Simple White Winter Wreath 1

21 Nov, 2018 in Christmas / Christmas Crafts / crafts by Jen Walshaw

This simple white winter wreath is a paid collaborative post with Bostik. I love wreaths, they are a great way to brighten up the entrance to my home and I love displaying a seasonal wreath. This simple white winter wreath is perfectly stylish and chic but also simple and understated.

Spiced Squash Soup – Fabulous Family Food 1

9 Nov, 2018 in receipe / Soup by Jen Walshaw

There is something deliciously decadent about this spiced squash soup. I think that it is all about the richness of flavours that you get when you roast the pumpkin or squash before adding it to your soup. It is a wonderful winter soup and always goes down really well with family and friends.

Dealing with Eczema in the Winter 23

25 Oct, 2018 in mini mads tagged Eczema / minimads / parenting by Jen Walshaw

Both of my boys have eczema, different types and in different parts of their bodies, but it is something that breaks my heart. Baby’s are supposed to have smooth, delectable, heavenly soft skin and Maxi certainly didn’t and often doesn’t. He suffers the most out of the two boys and when he is having a flare up we have to wrap his body oin cling film to help the medication and to also help prevent him ripping his skin to shreds.

Over the years I have tried everything and anything on his skin and after six years are finally settling on a routine and products that work for us. Intially we were pushed down the oilatum and Diprobase route by our GP, but I have issues with SLS and SLA’s they make my skin red raw and the palms of my hands when using these products with him were red, sore and itchy. So we moved on to products with no parabens and no SLA’s in, which has made a vast difference.

Adding a projector has made our family screen time more social 4

22 Mar, 2018 in parenting / Technology and kids by Jen Walshaw

Screen time for me is the ultimate parenting conundrum. I am really aware that my boys’ are growing up with amazing access to technology and as a parent, it is my job to manage their access and help provide balance to their life but I have no framework or experience to build this on as it wasn’t around when I was a child. We had one TV with 3 channels and a phone that had a dial and cable! I remember illicitly taping the top 40 on a Sunday hoping the DJ wouldn’t talk over the song and that I could press pause and play fast enough to minimise the gap. My more »

I am Thankful Colouring Sheets – Thanksgiving coloring

27 Oct, 2017 in activities for children / Adult colouring pages / Age 5-7 / childrens craft / crafts / Free Printables / Screen Free / Tween by Jen Walshaw

You do not have to be American to celebrate Thanksgiving and being thankful is something that I feel is important to everyone. I love these beautiful I am thankful colouring sheets. They are brilliant to print off and use as table mats, but also have enough white space for you to fill with what you are thankful for. I am Thankful Colouring Sheets Being thankful is a great life lesson for people of all ages and one of the things that I have always done with the boys is ending the day with three things we are grateful for. It means that we go to sleep with the positives in our mind more »