Two Tone Star Biscuits

It was a bit of a wet and wild bank holiday weekend with plenty of thunder storms across the country, so we decided to stay snug indoors and have some baking fun as a family. While I was busy making moist Madeira cake with Jambo, Moomin made a collection of treats by herself including American style muffins and these delicious two tone stars.

They are really simple to create yet the finish is rather pretty. They also fit in nicely with the return of The Great British Bake Off and the first theme - biscuits!

Two Tone Star Biscuits

Ingredients
(makes 16)

How Clean is the Air in Your Home? uHoo Product Launch

Ensuring the air we breathe is as clean as possible is important for families, especially those with allergies, and uHoo is here to make this a far easier task. It not only alerts you when there are toxins present but it also provides recommendations on how you can keep your home safer for you and your little ones. After all, we all want is best for our children and this air quality sensor helps to keep you healthier.

• 6 out of 10 homes are hazardous to their owner’s health

• 72% of toxic chemicals we come into contact with are indoors

• 10% of toxic exposure is due to cleaning products

WIN 1 of 5 'SIX' Books for Young Readers

Praised for it's thrilling plot, this sci-fi story is action packed from the start and is bound to captivate your tweens while teaching a valuable lesson!

Parker Banks is having a hard time adjusting to his new life in New York after moving with his family from London following the tragic death of his mother. His father, a scientist, is under mounting pressure in his new job, and his sister Emma, despite being deaf, has had no problems making new friends.

Then Parker’s father, on the cusp of a technological breakthrough, is kidnapped. Alerted via E.F.E. – a device invented to help Emma communicate telepathically with her family – Parker, along with his sister, best friend Michael and an albino pig, embark on a rescue mission.

My Sunday Photo

My Perfectly Imperfect Mother's Day

I was woken just before 8am by the Mini Mes. As the sun began to flood into my bedroom through a crack in the curtain and blind me, I sat up in bed from my peaceful slumber grudgingly. The Mr chose to do an additional 12 hour shift as overtime at work, much to my disgust, so my hopes of a proper lie in and full English breakfast for just once in a year were soon shattered. 

Minxy clambered under the duvet, her cold toes brushing my leg like ice, and presented me with an envelope she had created using floral paper and a staple gun. It contained 3 pairs of silver earrings and a personalised card she had made online. She muttered how they were smaller than she had anticipated and then Jamster gave me a hedgehog card and a flower basket before mentioning something about Minecraft and both scurrying away with their tablets in hand.

I ventured downstairs after a few moments, made myself a bagel and drink which I placed on a pretty new tray, before popping back upstairs in my dressing gown to try to relax for a while. But it wasn't long until I could hear bickering. I called down a few times 'What's going on?' hoping the issue would be resolved quickly but with no response and the volume increasing I had no choice but to throw on some clothes and head down again to investigate. Eye rolls, sighs and tuts included.

Educational Apps - WordBuzz: The Honey Quest

When the kids use mobile phones and tablets to have fun it may give us five minutes peace to pop the dinner on, sort the laundry or drink a coffee while hot, but there are far greater benefits - certain apps can be really educational and children can learn through play.

There are some great versions aimed at adults too and I've been putting a fast moving, and free, spelling game to the test recently which is ideal for parents.

WordBuzz is a bee themed word search game (from Scribble Games Ltd) with varying levels of difficulty. There are over 100 challenges to complete and achievements to unlock as you progress with 4 quick game options available too. If you're feeling competitive you can even connect via social media and play family and friends to find the spelling champion!

WIN a Little Tikes Cozy Coupe Door Jumper and Backpack Harness

Toddlers will love being able to dance and bounce around in the new Cozy Coupe Door Jumper (£49.99). This fun entertainer gives baby hours of bouncing play and promotes healthy activity. 

It easily attaches to door frames to provide jumping fun and features a removable play dashboard with music, horn button, mirror and a clicking key to keep baby entertained. 

The jumper features a padded and washable seat cover and is suitable for children up to 11.5kg.

As small children set off for their first adventure make sure they are well prepared with the brand new Cozy Coupe Backpack Harness (£14.99). The Backpack allows little ones to keep all their precious things together and features a removable strap, so you can hold on to them as they grow in confidence. 

The colourful Cozy Backpack even features a name tag with emergency contact details on, perfect for nursery or school trips.

Meal Planning Monday

Is it just me or is this year whizzing by? I'm in shock a little that we have reached February already when it feels like just yesterday we were counting down to Christmas! I am however looking forward to the arrival of spring, enjoying more time outdoors as a family, going on holidays and eating fresh salads al fresco. Hopefully Valentine's Day and half term will bring some excitement too. Bring on that sunshine.

Here is the menu for the week ahead

• The Mini Mes have chicken burgers quite frequently at their dad's house so I decided these would be good to try at home too. I've not had one in a very long time so I'm rather looking forward to a 'fakeaway'

Cauliflower Cheese Recipe

With the family visiting regularly over the Christmas period I've had to cater for all tastes. I've cooked quite a few dishes that I wouldn't usually make for myself including this creamy cauliflower cheese which was a huge success - to the extent I made a second two days later for everyone upon request and a third shortly after!

Ingredients

Haslet Recipe

Variety is the spice of life and this comes down to sandwich fillings too, apparently. The Mr loves a nice mixture for his lunch so I decided to make haslet as an alternative to the chicken, egg, tuna mayo etc that he would normally have between two slices of bread. It was a real success and the Mini Mes have enjoyed eating this too!

Ingredients

Meal Planning Monday

The weather hasn't been great with both snow and rain this week so I thought it was better to be prepared, and save myself from venturing out into the cold, by ordering online. Especially as my Morrisons shop last week was so successful. I had a rummage through the freezer beforehand and as we have overflowing drawers quite a lot in already I thought it would be a good idea to use that rather than spending a small fortune on food when it wasn't necessary. 

The Mr would be proud of my frugal ways!

Here is the menu this week:

• We bought quite a lot of party food over the Christmas period for when family and friends visited and the plait is something that was popped in the freezer for another day. I must admit it looks rather delicious but I will be sticking with my New You Plan again this week (only 3 weeks to go!).

Willow and Honey Candle Collection (PLUS Your Chance to Win!)

With Valentine's Day fast approaching it's time to seek out unique and beautiful gifts for your loved one and this new luxury candle collection may be the ideal treat this February. 

Handmade in the heart of the English countryside Willow and Honey is a luxury home fragrance brand designed to breathe a daily dose of serenity into every home.  Founded and run by two sisters, born out of love and a desire to create beautiful products with unique vegan and vegetarian fragrance oil combinations inspired by nature.


This elegant trio of soy candles features three fruity fragrances - Sweet Orange & Chilli, French Pear & Freesia and Fig & Cassis. Each is 60g in size with a burn time of around 15 hours so they will last for your romantic evening meal and far beyond. The candles can be burnt individually or together for a wonderful blended scent and being white they will match most interiors well if used for decorative purposes.

Mr Big Tops - Sweets By Post (WIN 1 of 10 Boxes)

Would you like to come home from a busy day to discover a box of delicious sweets to devour? 

With Mr Big Tops you can order a delivery for yourself, send someone a surprise gift or arrange a box subscription - it's such a great idea!

There are over 60 retro style sweets to choose from on the website and it's a simple process of scrolling through the list and ticking your favourites when ordering. Six varieties from your selection will be sent, with loose ones wrapped within sealed bags for maximum freshness, inside an easy to open and recyclable cardboard box. You don't even need to worry about being at home as the box slides nicely through standard letterboxes. 

There are squishy marshmallows, gums, jellies, bars, lollipops and much more. 

Something to suit everyone.

Just a few of the sweets available

Weight Loss Jars - How To Make Your Own

I've even surprised myself recently at how motivated and 'in the zone' I am when it comes to losing weight. If you haven't heard, although I may have mentioned it too many times to remember, I've lost 18lb since 29th December which is quite an achievement for a yo-yo dieter like me.

In the early days you don't always notice the changes to your body which is generally the point where I give up and hit the fridge like Pac-Man. The scales and tape measure may show the loss but if you can't see or feel it yourself then it just doesn't seem real. That's why I decided that this time I would make weight loss jars to help keep me focused.

The idea is to have a pot with pebbles, stones or pretty glass beads like these, to represent the pounds you want to lose. You then have a second container to move these across to when you have lost the weight. You should start to see one jar empty as the other fills up and having a visual like this in your home to look at regularly will remind you of how far you have already come just as you reach for the biscuits.

Equipment

Siblings (January)

We haven't done a great deal so far this month as the weather has been so miserable but we did manage to have a lovely woodland walk at Everdon. Getting out in the cold can be so refreshing, especially after indulging over Christmas, and it was of course great fun to jump in muddy puddles, climb trees and build dens with the Mini Mes.

Like any siblings, Minxy and Jamster bicker over the littlest of things at the moment and tell tales on one another daily. Usually it's down to something as small as what song is on the radio, who's sitting in the front of the car or who has left their fruit at lunch, but it's also great to stand back and watch their relationship flourish too. They seem to be communicating nicely and a lot of disputes are sorted between themselves. They have bonded a lot more recently which I think is mainly due to the fact that they have similar interests and because they are getting so grown up. 

They will soon be 10 and 12 in a few months!

Meal Planning Monday

For a change I decided to order a food shop online this week and save the Mr the trip to our local supermarket. I can't recall using Morrisons' delivery service previously but I was really impressed. The receipt lists the expiry dates of the products in order and we didn't have any substitutes at all. 

It's very likely I will shop with them next week too.

Here is the menu this week:

• As it has been snowing I thought a big family feast was in order. I've got a large joint to cook which I will team with Yorkshire puddings, cauliflower cheese, roast potatoes and lots of seasonal vegetables. I;m making a pudding too, the recipe for which I will share soon.

WIN a Crate of Kopparberg

January is here, which means one thing - the infamous detox, designed to banish those indulgences of the festive season. To start every year I step away from the wine and spirits and try to raise funds for charity by doing so. Many people will run 10k (or further) for worthy causes but I'm far from fit and therefore a Dryathon is the best option for me! I'm quite a socialite so this is challenge enough.

Help is on hand however with the return of the popular Kopparberg Alcohol Free range. Bursting with the same signature fruit flavours of tasty apples, fresh strawberries, juicy pears and delicious blackcurrants and raspberries, it delivers taste and ultimate refreshment. Best served over chunks of ice, the quirky Swedish charm of Kopparberg is guaranteed to help dry drinkers start the New Year on the right foot.

WIN 1 of 5 Paper Planes DVDs

Looking for a heart-warming movie to watch as a family? Paper Planes is the highest grossing children's film in Australian history and to celebrate the release on Monday 25th January we have 5 copies to give away!

Sam Worthington (Avatar), Ed Oxenbould (Disney’s Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day) and David Wenham (The Lord of the Rings) star in this imaginative children's film about a young Australian boy's passion for flight and his challenge to compete in the World Paper Plane Championships in Japan.

Eleven-year-old Dylan meets the junior Japanese champion Kimi in the national paper plane championships in Sydney, Australia. They develop a close bond, challenging each other to create a plane that has never been seen before. 

Directed by one of Australia's leading filmmakers Robert Connolly, this is a powerful true story about a friendship between two countries and defying the odds (and gravity in the process). If at first you don’t succeed, fly, fly again!

Watch the trailer here:

I'm really looking forward to seeing this with the Mini Mes and the Mr!

WIN an Urtekram Hamper

Founded in 1972, Danish organic beauty specialist Urtekram is renowned for creating plant-based products. Their new body care range includes shampoos, shower gels, soaps, scrubs, deodorants and other essential items in a variety of scent profiles which incorporate the most aromatic herbs, fragrant flowers and exquisite oils found around the world.





The range consists of 59 hair, body and oral care products which are hypoallergenic and Vegan Society approved. They are free from parabens, synthetic ingredients and artificial colours so you can feel confident that your body is receiving the best every day. The products are also suitable for the entire family, even those with allergies and sensitive skin, so you won't need to shop from a different collection again saving you both time and money.

Urtekram is available from all good health food shops.
For further information about the range visit www.urtekram.com.

A Woodland Walk At Everdon

The Christmas break seemed to whizz by in a blur of turkey, presents and festive films so we didn't really venture far, bar seeing relatives. It was therefore lovely to get some fresh (and rather cold) air on the Mini Mes' school training day.

The weather was on the miserable side which was actually beneficial, as we therefore had the peaceful wood all to ourselves to explore.