It’s important to me that Ev and Harmie grow up with an understanding of the importance of Remembrance Day. This is a tricky subject to broach with young children, so we’ve been looking for ways to convey the message at an approachable level. We found ‘Poppies’ shown by CBeebies to be simple yet powerful; I’d highly recommend having a look at it if you haven’t already seen it. ‘Poppy crafts’ have also enabled us to start a conversation and explore the topic.

Ev has his own poppy this year. He noticed that we were all wearing them and asked husband Granny to buy one for him too. Aside from the fact that this made my heart want to pop, it also meant he was really keen to make his own, bigger, poppy to decorate the playroom.

For this simple poppy craft you need:

Two red cupcake cases, one green pipe cleaner, scissors, and a black felt tip pen (to make one poppy).

Before you get started: be sure to check out my 8 Principles of Play!

Make your poppy

1. Cut the edges of the cupcake cases to form the shape of one larger and one smaller flower.
2. Colour a black circle in the middle of the smaller flower and leave to dry.
3. One dry, thread the pipe cleaner through the centre of the larger flower, then the smaller, before threading back through and securing at the back by wrapping the end of the pipe cleaner around the ‘stem’. Take care as the end of the pipe cleaner will be sharp!
4. If you like, colour the visible section of the pipe cleaner black to blend with the centre of your poppy.

There you have it – super simple poppy craft for toddlers and young children!

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Autumn has arrived in a flurry of gold and red. As leaves crunch underfoot and the air takes on a bonfire scent, I’ve noticed a faint chill that has sent me scurrying into the garage to find my winter wardrobe. The winter wardrobe that has been stuffed in a holdall for the last six months or so thanks to our out-of-box living arrangement that’s been in place during our home renovation.

Pulling out the chunky knits and cosy jumpers, it strikes me that the clothes are all looking rather forlorn. They needed bringing back to life. Could yours do with a pep talk too? Refresh your winter wardrobe by following these simple steps and using an ACE secret weapon!

Fashion show your clothes

If you’re like me, in the last six months your fashion taste will have changed. There will be the odd item that you pull out with a quizzical pondering as to why you ever owned it. Try on outfits to decide on your ‘must keeps’ and the items to be donated to your sister/friend/the charity shop. Better yet, pop along to a car boot to recycle them into this years’ fashion triumph!

Accessories

Accessories give your well-worn outfits a new lease of life. I love a casually donned scarf for warmth and colour. Necklaces work wonders too, although mine are being saved until Harmie is less likely to yank one from my neck!

Mix and match and layer it up

Scrap everything that you think you know and spend time looking at your winter selection with fresh eyes. Does that black skirt have to go with the mustard jumper? Could your favourite knit go over the navy dress to create a whole new look? Why not try bringing elements of your summer wardrobe in, layered with tights, knits and turtlenecks. Layering seems to be all the rage at the moment and I can see why; added warmth in a recycled outfit – win, win! 

Break free from trends

Here’s a biggy. Don’t let the latest trends prevent you from wearing what you love. No-one is awarding style points at the pre-school drop off (even if it feels like that) and you won’t be thanking yourself for traipsing around the local playgroup in a very fashionable, but very uncomfortable, pair of knee highs. You’re great. Be you! And wear your faves in the process. 

The final ta-dah with Ace

Now for your secret weapon: give your winter clothes a ta-dah moment using ACE for colours powder.

The brand-new ACE for Colours Powder reinvigorates clothes, using stain-removing powers to bring coloured garments back to life. Plus, unlike other stain removers, it comes in a plastic-free fully recyclable carton which is a big yes from me!

Just pop the powder in to the main wash dispenser of your machine and you’re good to go! I love the fresh scent and the touch of extra brightness that ACE gives our clothes. Plus, I am forever failing to spot stains on the kids’ clothes so it’s stain removal powers are so handy too.

Why not try the #ACEWinterRefresh challenge for yourself? I’d love to hear your top tips too!

This post is an entry for the BritMums #ACEWinterRefresh Challenge, sponsored by ACE for Colours Powder. Get help for all kinds of stains with the ACE Stain Helper and pick up the range at your nearest Morrison’s store or buy online on Amazon.

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HECK Guy Porks

By heck it’s nearly bonfire night! We all know that I am not one to shy away from a celebration (unless it’s Halloween, but we’ll save that for another day) and Guy Fawkes Night is no exception. So when HECK kindly sent us a pack of their exclusive Guy Porks to try, we were delighted for an excuse to have an early bonfire tea party.

We are big fans of HECK. Their sausages always taste great and their branding is fun and on point too. The Guy Porks are no exception, with firework detailing on the packet making them easy to spot when you pop to the shops!

The HECK difference

Guy Porks are pork and apple sausages with a hint of black treacle. Although not evident from the photo above, they’re gluten free and dairy free too.

I must admit that, in a packet, a sausage looks just like, well, a sausage. But a quick look at the ingredients and you start to see the HECK difference; these sausages are 81% British pork. HECK market themselves as being small and independent, using the finest ingredients. They proudly declare their sausages to be damn good. Perhaps a sausage isn’t just a sausage after all?

We opted to cook the Guy Porks in the oven, so I popped them on a baking tray and baked for around 30 minutes. These smelled fabulous, and Ev was most excited about his ‘fiery tea’. To serve, we opted for baked sweet potatoes and a Jamie Oliver BBQ baked beans recipe.

What the heck did they taste like?

Taking the sausages out of the oven, Westy and I were both struck by how little fat there seemed to be on the baking tray. Sausages often leave a pool of grease that is unappetising, but not the Guy Porks.

Sparklers at the ready, we headed in for the all important taste test, and we weren’t disappointed. The combination of apple and pork was complimented by a subtle sweetness, and the sausages had a crispy, caramelised, coating to them. Ev devoured his, and promptly began eyeing up the remaining sausages on our plates but suddenly Westy and I didn’t feel like sharing!

We’d definitely recommend the Guy Porks for a bonfire tea, hell we’re tempted to stockpile them in the freezer to enjoy for longer!

If you’d like to give these a try, they will be available exclusively in Sainsbury’s for a limited time only from 30 October.  You will also be able to buy them from HECK’s online shop.  

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Who doesn’t like a biscuit with their cuppa…anyone? Even better when a tasty treat can be turned into a fun activity with little ones too! The simplicity of this vanilla biscuit recipe makes it perfect for baking with children – you can either mix by hand or use a mixer, both work well!

Decorating the biscuits is an activity in itself. Why not set up a decorating station for a play date activity?

Equipment

• Greaseproof paper
• Baking tray
• Mixing bowl
• Spoon
• Rolling pin
• Cookie cutters
• Cooling wrack

Ingredients

• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• 50g caster sugar
• 100g softened butter (stork works perfectly – that’s what we use!)
• 175g sieved plain flour
• food colouring (if required)
• Sprinkles and icing to decorate (or for extra tastiness try coloured melted white chocolate – it works a treat)

Method

1. Line a baking tray with greaseproof paper and set the oven to 180°
2. In a mixing bowl, beat the sugar and butter together until light and fluffy.
3. Stir in the vanilla essence.
4. Gently stir in the flour until combined to create a fairly stiff dough. Roll up your sleeves and get stuck in with your hands to form a ball of dough (you can always add a drop of water if it becomes too firm).
5. Separate the dough into two or three sections and add a few drops of food colouring to each. Gently knead to spread the colour evenly through each ball, being careful not to over work.
6. Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface and cut out shapes of around 0.5cm deep using your cookie cutters.
7. Pop onto your prepared baking tray and bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes or until lightly golden.
8. Leave to cool on a wire rack before decorating.

Ev and Harmie love the colours of these biscuits – pink seemed to be the overall favourite – and they enjoyed covering them in icing and sprinkles. I am reliably informed however, that the best part of all was eating the biscuits and they were happy with these plain or smothered!

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Dear Lord Sugar,

Just to let you know that should I wish to apply for any future series of BBC’s The Apprentice, I won’t need to endure the 10 week rigmarole of the selection process. Because, you see, I’ve experienced an episode of The Apprentice every day for the last three and a half years. It’s called being a parent. And it’s far less pretty than your show, believe me. 

My day also begins with the shrill sound of ringing. The source of this noise is two small humans aged one and three. I leap out of bed and run to silence it in a foggy haze. Once they have my attention, I am expected to feed these mildly irrational candidates cheerios on demand. Whilst simultaneously pouring an unlimited supply of milk and singing merrily.

We trip over ourselves to get ready. Unfortunately there is no miraculous transformation, nor an orderly strut out of the door into a black, clean, car. Instead, we depart looking only marginally less dishevelled than when we woke. Stumbling in a tangle of arms and coats and noise, into a crumb-filled machine on wheels.

But daily wild goose chases? We’re all over those! We can find the missing flopsy wopsy. Locate the nearest toy store with a Marshall pup. Hunt out the source of that faintly offensive whiff. We will smash it. Quite literally on some occasions. 

I always get lumped with the role of project manager. My team are disorderly, bolshy and incredibly hard to ‘manage’. They regularly shout to be heard, ignore the task in hand and wander off with their own agenda. I presume I’m elected as PM due to my three years’ mothering experience. And yet, my team seem intent on undermining me at every given opportunity. 

Throughout our very chaotic days we are silently observed by bystanders (Karen Brady has got nothing on the judgmental-whispering-type-Mums at the park).  So as not to giveaway my utter lack of control, I have mastered a chirpy, high pitched, manner which I use to rally my troops. I am sure this has convinced anyone watching of my parenting ability, although the odd raised eyebrow does not unnoticed.

We struggle to complete tasks on time and in an orderly fashion. In the event that this results in us being on the losing team, I am declared to be well and truly off the sweetie list. In this instance, I sit nursing my cold cup of tea and wonder whether it went wrong with my failure to answer ‘why?’ for the hundredth time today. Or perhaps it was my inability to invite Mickey Mouse for tea? Either way, all the fingers of blame seem to point at me.

At the end of the day, we gather around the boardroom table to disect the day and eat our tea. Sometimes I am advised that the tea smells weird. Often it’s too hot. Or too cold. It might even be entirely the wrong type of tea. On those occasions I feel my heart rate quicken and I wonder; will today be the day that those two immortal words will be uttered? 

But, they haven’t been yet. I am still very much NOT fired. Which means, essentially, I’m hired. Until tomorrow, when episode 1,267 will begin and I endure the selection process all over again. 

Yours sincerely

One NOT fired mother 

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Autumn is here, and our walks are now spent pointing out the changing colours around us and listening to the crunch of leaves underfoot. We return home with a treasure trove of keepsakes, and I often wonder just what we will do with them. This Autumn leaf painting activity is a simple, creative, way to explore the changing seasons and makes good use of collected leaves.

For this activity you need:

Freshly collected leaves, paper, paints a paintbrush or sponge.

Before you get started: be sure to check out my 8 Principles of Play!

Exploring before the painting starts

We arrived home and popped our leaves on a table alongside the paints and paper. We spent time looking at the different colours, shapes and textures of the leaves before getting stuck in with the paint.

Ev helped me to squirt red and yellow paint into separate pots, before adding a combination of the two into a third pot. Colour mixing is also a great addition to this activity!

Autumn Leaf painting two ways

We painted the leaves in two ways; firstly we brushed paint onto a leaf before turning it over and making leaf prints on the paper. Then we took a separate piece of paper and used a sponge to dab around a leaf to create a silhouette once removed.

Ev particularly enjoyed dabbing the paint on with a sponge and seeing the colours mix on the page.

This activity is a lovely way to encourage your little one to chat about the changing seasons and to explore Autumn together. It’s also great for fine motor skills, creativity and science.

Further development through play:

• Colour mixing: encourage your little one to mix the colours of Autumn using different colour combinations. Try putting out yellow and green paint to represent Summer, then guessing and exploring what colours need to be added to reflect the organges and browns of Autumn.
• Vocabulary: discuss the shapes, colours and textures of the leaves. How many different words can be used to describe them?
• Fine motor: use different objects to create a painting. Try dabbing with fingers or using a peg to hold a sponge.
• Fine motor: instead of paper, draw the shape of a leaf onto a piece of card and help your toddler to cut this out to paint on.

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Westy and I started the day on shaky ground. I was up at 5am with Harmie, fell asleep on her fluffy pink beanbag then crawled back into bed just as our alarm was chirping that the day had begun. I tried to grasp an extra half hour of sleep, before traipsing downstairs for a family breakfast. 

All good(ish) so far. At 7.38am Westy headed upstairs to brush his teeth. Precisely two minutes later Ev frantically declared “I NEED A POO!” whilst leaping off his chair in a panic. I suggested to Ev that he go upstairs to the bathroom with Daddy so that Harmie could finish her breakfast. Daddy had other plans however, and began a militant campaign of shouts about needing to leave for work so as to be back in time for tea. 

On the promise of an early return home, I headed upstairs with Harmie to commence the poo side vigil. What followed was the three of us getting ready in utter chaos, resulting in my general appearance resembling a weatherworn scarecrow. 

Fast forward to tonight. Tonight. After parading around like the back end of a bus all day. After a day of scurrying around cleaning during nap time. Of preparing dinner during nap time. Of washing and pick ups and playtime. Of shouty mum moments. Of cuddles. Of tidying. Of just being a parent…I was tired. 

As tea time approached I was looking forward to sitting down as a family. Of a little bit of extra help. The traffic, however, had other plans; Westy messaged to say he wouldn’t make it home in time for tea. No problem. I’d just eat dinner with Ev and Harmie myself.

As our little trio finished tea it was all starting to go to pot. Everyone was tired. Grouchy. In need of some new energy to get us over the bedtime bar. Westy finally appeared to excited cries of “IT’S DAAAADDDYYY!” and whoops of joy. Celebrity welcome over with, I was relieved to have some bathtime help. 

I began finding pyjamas and turning on nightlights whilst silently seething that the hero of the hour was very much in demand and noticeably absent. Eventually, he made a starring appearance to more excited cries, followed by a celebratory parade by Ev and Harmie between their bedrooms. A parade that quickly escalated into a stampede. 

Westy continued to encourage the festivities before making a silent and very hasty retreat. Strolling downstairs like a man with zero cares in the world and the expectation of a very relaxing peaceful dinner whilst carnage ensued upstairs. Not on my watch mate. 

I stomped downstairs ready to declare war and demanded that he deal with the mayhem that he had encouraged. I was going to leave it at that. Until he muttered a parting shot of “pfff someone’s in a bad mood” followed by a call of “Mummy’s just clearing up the tea things!” 

Mummy had already cleared up 10,452 times today. Had washed up. Cooked. Fed. Cooked again. Cleaned. Played. Run. Cuddled. Collected. Listened. Tidied. Wiped. LOVED. Mummy in that moment decided that this job is no less important than any other. Despite the very non-existent monetary consideration. 

Mummy had had ENOUGH. 

So I picked up the tea that I had so carefully cooked and plated up for him. And I lobbed it right in the bin. 

Of course I am well aware that this was not the right thing to do. But in that moment, I also know that I felt free. When Westy appeared and queried “Helly, where did my tea go?” I felt like I had made a stand. Because the point is, and was, this. When you’re at home with the kids. On a weekend. Or in the week. On days off. Or all the time. It can be long. It can be hard. Whatever it is, IT MATTERS. And sometimes the only way of expressing how much, is to rebel in food form. 

PS. Sorry Westy for being such a live wire. Is this as bad as the time I poured your wine down the sink? 

Like what you read? I’d love it if you’d vote for Fledgling Flamingos in the Fresh Voice category of The BritMums Brilliance In Blogging Awards 2019. Click here to cast your vote!

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I was having a sod it day. A day when I felt like actually, I’m an OK Mum. I’m an OK blogger. A day when I felt proud that I’ve put myself out there. A day when I recognised that if I didn’t nominate myself, I was pretty sure no one else would. So I did it. I went for it and nominated myself for the newcomer ‘Fresh Voice’ award. I can’t even remember what I wrote on the form. I do remember feeling the hot flush of shame after imagining the nomination being looked at, perhaps even laughed at, and dismissed. I didn’t think anything of it again. Until an email arrived from BritMums last Thursday referring to the #BiBs2019 shortlist. 

I opened the email a little confused; surely this had been sent to the wrong person? But it appeared to be addressed to me. The email congratulated me on being a finalist in The Fresh Voice category of the BiBs 2019.

I will admit to then having a little cry followed by a celebratory glass of fizz. Because, although I’d prefer not to admit it, this means a lot to me. It’s made me feel like I’m not just a pretend blogger. It’s made me feel like I’ve been accepted into The Club. I have made the final of a national influencer award, and I literally have no idea how. 

The next round of the process is votes. I’d be so, so, grateful if you’d vote for me. But I totally understand if you don’t. You see, I’ve looked at the other bloggers in my category. They are all perfectly deserving of the award. I wish them all the best of luck. And I can’t quite believe my blog is up there amongst them. 

I write about the ordinary; the everyday moments. Thank you Letters to Argos and Dads on trains. I run around the garden precariously kicking balls, and present my children with trays of jelly in the name of play. I complain about my husband signing birthday cards smack bang in the middle, and confess to sometimes hiding and eating chocolate just to get through the day. Part of me wonders, is that really good enough? And the other part knows, things like this don’t happen to people like me. 

But then, what if the ordinary could be extraordinary? What if writing about my very normal life makes other people smile because it’s just like theirs? What if ordinary parents like me, would vote for Fledgling Flamingos to make an extraordinary thing happen. To make a little Gloucestershire blog award winning. But most of all, make my day?

So the link is here. It’s a simple tick box exercise. It will take two precious minutes and it would mean the world to me if we could win this together. All us ordinary folk being Flamingos in the crowd. 

The post I’m a #BiBs2019 finalist! Your vote could make this little Gloucestershire blog a National Award Winner appeared first on Fledgling Flamingos.

Becoming CBeebies’ Andy Day (Gizmo included)

Remember the time that Ev spent a month wearing a hard hat and reflective jacket for EVERY activity? Park trips, toddler groups, the lot. You might recall that I fully embraced the yellow. Aside from the fact that it made him super easy to spot and extra safe at the park, I loved seeing his personality shining through. The zero cares. The flamingo feathers. So it might not surprise you to hear that when Ev declared that he needed to resemble his latest love, CBeebies Andy’s Safari Adventures, I didn’t bat an eyelid. I googled ‘How to make Andy’s Gizmo‘ (no pun intended), and will admit to Amazon Prime-ing an explorer pack and matching hat.

Ev was overjoyed. He has been wearing the hat and backpack all day, every day. He has only taken the Gizmo off for washing and essential bodily functions (the line had to be drawn somewhere). And I am enjoying seeing him embrace nature, explore wildlife, and enjoy some fresh air with renewed vigor.

Andy’s Nature Hunt Bingo

I wanted an activity that he could throw himself into CBeebies Andy’s Safari Adventures style and so the ‘nature hunt bingo’ was born.

You only need some paper or card, and colouring pens, pencils or crayons.

Before you get started: be sure to check out my 8 Principles of Play!

Let’s Get Started!

Simply draw some pictures on your paper of things that you might spot when taking a little walk round the block or to the park in the sunshine.

Ideas include: a twig, bird, grass, mud, cloud, berry, cat, leaf, tree, bee, ant, stone, snail, flower, and butterfly.

The Safari Adventure

Then, simply go for a little potter with your adventurer. Allow time to stop and peer at the pavement to spot ants. Encourage them to look up at the sky, see the shapes of the clouds and listen to the singing of birds. It all sounds so very basic but, honestly, it’s worth it!

We went for a walk, with no real destination in mind (other than to find Andy’s safari mobile as Ev is very upset that our car refuses to fly) and Ev fully embraced the bingo. He became quite excited each time he spotted an item on his cards, and spent time looking at his surroundings. When we began inching closer to home, he declared that he wanted to complete the lap all over again.

Enjoying the Journey

It’s not fancy. You don’t need a hat or backpack. But with a little bit of time spent, a simple walk can become an adventure!

This is great for observation, communication and vocabulary!

Click here for more outdoor play ideas.

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Putting it off because on that shelf were my maternity clothes. The clothes that I wore when I was pregnant with Ev. The clothes that I attempted to wear when pregnant with Harmie, although half were of no use because we managed to time each baby’s due date in opposing seasons. I have boxed up those clothes and labelled them “charity shop”. We all know what that means. I don’t think I can bring myself to say it, but we all know. 

The facts are that Westy and I are very lucky. We’re lucky to have two wonderful, healthy, children. We’ve been blessed beyond my imagination and, although I know that sounds a bit sick in the bucket job, I truly believe it to be true. 

I have always wanted to be a mother. Growing up, I loved the idea of having little people to care for. Now that I have them, now that they’re here, I feel like I’ve found my purpose in life. Again, all a bit melodramatic for a Thursday but so very true. 

The rose-tinted spectacle wearing part of me genuinely believes that I enjoyed being pregnant. Perhaps if you’d have quizzed me on this during the heatwave in the months prior to Harmie being born, my answer may have been slightly different. And during the last month pre-Ev for that matter, when my bump itched like I was allergic to the very baby inside of me. But, on the whole, I loved it. It was a privilege being blessed with babies that I could nurture and grow. 

Giving birth made me feel like superwoman on both occasions. I will never forget the pain, the relief, and the joy, holding each of my children for the first time. The fear as I looked at newborn Ev and wondered if I could look after this precious gift. The amazement as I looked at newborn Harmie and revelled in our family being complete. 

Because that’s how our family now feels. Complete. But with that realisation, comes a lot of sadness. I feel sad that I might never hold a newborn baby again. Both of my babies aren’t really babies anymore. Not in the new, milky smell, shrill cry sense. There is so much about the first months of each of them that I can’t remember. The details that I’ve desperately tried to hold on to but which have washed away in a sleep deprived haze. I’d love to claw back a few of those memories, and lock them away. 

I feel apprehensive at drawing a line in the sand, marking that chapter complete. But then I look at Ev and Harmie, and I know that the story has only just begun. Because with each day they are growing, changing, blossoming into wonderful little humans in their own right. Together we are muddling through each page and making the words fit as we go.

The maternity clothes will sit in their labelled box, until I have the courage to take them to that shop. In the meantime, I’ll hold my little blessings closer and sniff their heads harder knowing that there’s so much more magic to come.

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