Learning to Relax – An Epsom Salt Bath

Lisa

Epsom Salt Bath

Learning to Relax with an Epsom Salt Bath.

Relaxing isn’t something that I’m used to doing. I’ve been a Mum my entire adult life, and there is always something to do. My brain never switches off and the scarce times that I do get some kid-free time I end up doing the ironing, washing or working on my business which isn’t really relaxing.

Having said that, I love my website and now more recently my blog so these never feel a chore as such, but in recent months my ever overworking brain has started not to switch into sleep mode.

I find myself thinking about keywords, search terms, blog topics, which new brands to buy, ooh must remember to order printer cartridges at stupid o’clock in the morning.

This isn’t really doing me much good, as I suffer with neck pain which by some miracle reduced somewhat during my pregnancy with Isabelle, but it’s never completely gone. I still get the tired achiness at the end of the day and at the moment it is particularly bad.

Stress and probably overdoing things contribute hugely to this pain, and once the pain kicks in so do the headaches and overwhelming tiredness, which leaves me in a vicious circle of trying to combat.

I hate taking painkillers and will only do it if absolutely necessary. After being on all sorts of tablets all with nasty side effects, I opted to try alternatives such as acupuncture, seeing a chiropractor, wheat bags, pulse point aromatherapy things, a TENS machine and LOTS of Ibuprofen gel.

Once I’ve pulled myself out of this bout of pain, I need to look at keeping a balance on a day to day basis by trying to avoid stress, getting enough sleep and not taking on too much.

Ha, saying that as a Mum is a bit of a joke.

I used to have baths (pre-Isabelle) after a long day at work but a non-sleeping baby put paid to that and I never really got back into it. On the odd occasion that I do have a bath, I can’t seem to relax and am almost counting down the time that counts as long enough before I get out.

See! I can’t relax.

I need to retrain my brain.

I took part in #Mumshour a few weeks ago where the topic was self-care and somebody mentioned having an  Epsom Salt Bath.

I thought Epsom Salts were what old people used and wasn’t really sure what they were really.

So I had a look and here’s are the benefits:

“Himalayan salt is also known for being an excellent regular body detoxifier, and assisting in waste elimination. It helps to stimulate our digestive and nervous system, as well as working to remove toxins from the body through osmosis via the salt bath. Westlab Himalayan salt also helps leave our skin feeling radiant and smooth, and improves skin tone”.

Himalayan salt contains over 80 minerals, including Magnesium, Potassium and Calcium, which are essential to human life. Who knew! Not me!

Magnesium

Soothes and repairs damaged skin
Anti allergens that protect the skin from rashes caused by allergies
Penetrates skin for a soothing effect on the nervous system
Muscle Relaxation

Calcium 

Benefits include cell renewal
Helps regulation of lipid barrier function
Is an anti oxidant to help protect from DNA damage

Potassium 

Helps muscles to keep their control over the body
Helps with the growth of new cells
Helps reduce stress / anxiety
Reduces risk of high blood pressure

So with all those benefits it was worth a shot.

The recommendation is 250g for a relaxing bath or up to 1kg for a detoxifying soak. The recommended time was 20 minutes.

The salts were pink but didn’t really smell of anything. I added about three handfuls which I think may equate to between a general soak and a detoxifying one.

WARNING

Get in carefully as I nearly went flying as the bottom of the bath was uber slippery.

I was armed with a book (real paper as not to risk dropping my kindle) and a glass of wine. This may be contradictory with the detoxifying powers but who knows.

The salts made the water very silky feeling but after about 10 (probably 5) I was really itching to get out. However, I was committed to this so I persevered and actually probably was in there for longer than the recommended 20 minutes.

After the bath my skin was really soft. I was still really achy but I felt warm and sleepy. I did sleep all night which hasn’t been happening lately so I’m willing to persevere with this and will continue to have a salt bath maybe once every 7 – 10 days.

Do you have any everyday relaxation tips for us Busy Mums? Leave me a comment.

Lisa x

•This post includes affiliate links for which I may receive a small payment but the post and thoughts are from my very own frazzled head.

Halloween Activities in the South West

Lisa 1 Comment

Halloween Activities in the South West

Whether you take the kids Trick or Treating, organising your own events or have booked into an organised event there’s loads of Halloween Activities in the South West to take part in.

We went Trick or Treating for the first time last year. It’s not something that I would usually do but we were invited along with one of our neighbours and Isabelle had a lovely time. We stayed close to home and only went to houses with a pumpkin outside which seems to be an unwritten rule.

halloween_activities_in_the_southwest

Apple and Pumpkin Day – West Town Farm, Ide
Sunday 22nd October 2017 11am – 4pm.

There’s loads of stuff on offer when West Town Farm opens it’s gates to the public. Poco Drom will be performing, Tractor Trailer rides, Pumpkin Carving, Fireside Story Telling, Apple Pressing, Feeding the Animals, Straw Bale den and much more. They also have a BBQ on the go where you can buy some scrummy food (vegetarian options as well). Child £3 Adult £4 Family £12 Under 3’s FREE!

Halloween Fun Run – Cowick Barton Playing Fields, Exeter.
Thursday 26th October. The Toddler run starts at 5pm and the under 16’s at 6pm.

Dress up in your scariest halloween outfit and head to Cowick Barton for a spooky fun-run. With storytelling, BBQ food, hot and cold drinks, and two Family Fun Runs. All monies raised go to Age UK Exeter.

Halloween Party – Thelma Hulbert Gallery, Honiton.
Saturday 28th October 2017.

The fun-packed evening will include art activities as well as food and music and coordinates with the gallery’s exhibition Frances Hatch : Red Earth Under My Nails. Families are invited to make their own spooky animation. Kids can also get up close to lizards, snakes and spiders! Add to your Halloween outfit with some scary face painting and glitter tattoos. Delicious local food will be on offer including wood-fired pizzas and Caribbean food, hot chocolate for little trick-or-treaters and there will be music to dance to and a bar. This event is FREE entry and crafts but there is food and drink available to buy.

Halloween Fright Night – Shaldon Zoo, Shaldon.
Friday 27th October 2017.

Get dressed up in your best Halloween Costume and head to Shaldon Zoo to meet the nocturnal animals and feed them some goulish treats. There will be spooky stories and a weird woodland walk. Woooooooo………

Halloween Party – The Twisted Oak, Ide.
Saturday 28th October 2017. Starts at 4pm.

A fun family Halloween Party where everybody can dress up and have a boogie. There will be a prize for the best costume and if you take your carved pumpkin along you can enter it into the Pumpkin Competition. Food and drink available.

Halloween Fun at Crealy, Clyst St Mary, Exeter.
21st October – 29th October 2017.

There are loads of great things happening at Crealy for Halloween. Meet Scooby Doo (24th – 28th Oct) who will appear throughout the day, take a look around The Creaky Hotel (over 8’s), head into the Wilderness to find the Treehouse Trolls, meet creepy crawlies at Patch’s Bug Show, try your luck at the Trick or Treat Station – will you get a treat or be tricked? Carve your own pumpkin (all kids get a FREE pumpkin) and watch the Jolly-Ween Singing Pumpkin Show. To top it all off there will be firework displays on 28th and 29th October. Usual ticket prices apply.

Halloween Horrors – Paignton Zoo, Paignton.
21st October – 31st October 2017.

Take part in the Trick or Treat trail for a prize at the end. You can hop aboard the Ghost Train and take part of in the Crocodile Swamp Discovery, Bug Talks with bug eating challenges and a Maned Wolf talk. You can also take part in making your own slime. Normal ticket prices apply + £1.50 for the Trick or Treat map.

Pumpkin Trail – Killerton House.
21st October – 31st October 2017. 11am – 4pm.

Killerton is a great place to take the kids. Follow the Pumpkin Trail whilst discovering all the great things at Killerton. Swish through the leaves, explore the bear house, walk through the woodlands and take a tour around the house. Don’t forget to finish off with a nice slice of cake! Normal admission prices apply.

Halloween Activities – A La Ronde, Exmouth. 

There are various things happening at A La Ronde including the Fang-tastic Family Trail (21st – 29th Oct 10.30 – 4pm) as well as a House Trail where you can spot spooky creatures and on 24th October there lots of family Halloween activities for all the family to take part in. Normal admission applies + £2 for some activities.

Halloween Activities + a Halloween Train – Bicton Botanical Gardens, Budleigh Salterton.
23rd – 29th October.

Head to Bicton for Halloween crafts and visit the Witches Grotto. On the 26th October there will be a Halloween Train Ride (Over 2’s Only) for a spooky train ride in the dark which will finish off with hot chocolate and spooky muffins.

The World of Country Life Halloween Activities – Exmouth.
23rd – 29th October 2017. 22nd – 27th October 2017.

As well as all the usual things to do there will be loads of fun activities including pumpkin carving, the Hallowe’en treasure trail, spooky arts & crafts. Don’t miss the Family Halloween Show in the Barnyard Theatre on Friday 27th, Saturday 28th & Sunday 29th October featuring Angus and the witch.

Powderham Castle Halloween Fun, Kenton, Exeter. 

Enter into a world of spookiness in the Old Riding School, where children can enjoy face painting and glitter tattoos, pumpkins crafts and ghostly games.  Meet the weird and wonderful characters at the potion making shows at 12pm and 2pm. Collect your ticket on arrival, £3 per child to take part.  Open from 11am to 4pm, whatever the weather.  Hot drinks and snacks available. This has been marked for 4 – 11 year olds but suitable for all. There is also a child friendly ghost tour where you may see some creepy crawlies along the way. There are also some after dark activities for the adults.

Halloween Night at Poltergeist House – Poltimore House, Exeter.
Saturday 28th October 2017.

Why not visit the scariest house in Devon and dare to knock at the door for your TRICK or TREAT? Meet the ‘Vampfylde’ family if they dare to join us and then enjoy some ‘ghoulish food’ in the cafe. There are areas for ALL ages including small children. There is a caution of strobe lighting for this event.

Dinosaur Halloween Horrors – Torquay Dinosaur World, Torquay.
21st – 29th October 2017.

This half term discover the Halloween Horrors that have invaded Torquay’s Dinosaur World. Save the dinosaurs from the wicked witch and the ghastly ghosts and ghouls, and take the Halloween Horrors Hunt to win a Dinosaur Expert Certificate and a FREE 160-million-year-old fossil. From 3.30pm everyday visit the ‘Lights Out Torch Tour’ to explore the exhibition in the dark, listen to a scary ghost story, and meet Terry the baby T Rex.

Halloween Tram of Terror – Seaton Tramway, Seaton.
23rd – 29th October 2017.

Travel on the “Tram of Terror” with our gruesome tram drivers to Colyton Station where there will be spooky entertainment. Fancy dress is optional. Take part in spooky entertainment and activities and Halloween games at Colyton Station. Revolting refreshments are also available. Ticket prices Adult £14.95, Child £12.95 and Under 3’s FREE.

There’s 15 great things for you to do with your little ones.

If you live in the South West and find any other great nuggets, do let me know in the comments.

Lisa x

Kids Crafts – Build a Bottle Bird Feeder

Lisa

Kids Crafts – Build a bottle bird feeder

Easy to do kids craft. Make a bottle bird feeder using things that you’re likely to already have around the house. Pop it into the garden and keep an eye out to see what birds visit your garden.


Sainsbury’s Bank Guide to Build a bottle bird feeder

We’ll let you know how we get on and please show us yours on our Facebook Page and we’ll reveal ours as well. 

Lisa

 

McDonalds Happy Readers

Lisa

McDonald’s Happy Readers

Have you been to McDonald’s recently? If you have then you will know that at the moment they are giving away an exclusive series of mini books by Roald Dahl as part of their McDonald’s Happy Readers Campaign.

The books are based around the Fantastical Characters from Matilda, The BFG and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

We have yet to read the Roald Dahl collection to Isabelle, but have the entire collection which were Ryan’s and will be passed onto Isabelle to enjoy.

McDonald's Happy Readers

There are eight books in the series:

  • Wonderful Mr Willy Wonka
  • Lucky Charlie Bucket
  • Mischievous Chocolate Factory Children
  • Amazing Matilda
  • Marvellous Miss Honey
  • Fabulous BFG
  • Brave Little Sophie
  • Rotsome Giants

McDonalds Happy Readers

The books were launched on the 13th September and will be available for five weeks so don’t miss out.

There are even some additional features which you can find on the Happy Meal boxes such as a pair of BFG ears!

Each book is around 65 pages long and features stories, puzzles, stickers and each has a pop out bookmark at the back.

These books are great for keeping the kids entertained. Isabelle has just turned seven and found the books really fun. She has always liked books, but the combination of reading and activities has definitely been a bonus.

McDonalds Happy Readers

The Giant Name Generator

In the Rotsome Giants book there is a page where you can find out your Giant name so here goes.

Mine is – Lazy Brute

Daddy’s is – Cranky Cruncher

Ryans is – Rotten Yelper

Isabelle’s is – Icky Nightmare

I think the BFG collection is Isabelle’s favourite possibly for all the funny words such as Snozzcumber, Whoppsy-Whiffling and Fleshlumpeater!

Isabelle has taken her Happy Readers books up to her room as they are the perfect size for playing schools with. She teaches her dolls and teddy’s using the puzzles and drawing sections and reads the short stories at carpet time with them.

See what Peter Andre and his kids thought of McDonald’s Happy Readers by watching this clip.

McDonalds Happy Readers

What we think!

We were sent the collection of Happy Readers Roald Dahl Series to review.

I think it’s fair to say that the Happy Readers series will be a hit with both kids and parents. There’s lots of activities for them to do in the books as well as reading. It’s a great introduction into the world of Roald Dahl for those that have yet to read them AND I think it’s genuinely good value for money as part of the Happy Meal.

The #HappyReaders series gets the thumbs up from us.

Lisa x

*This is a sponsored post but all thoughts and opinions are that of our own.

 

Sensory Play – Cloud Dough Recipe

Lisa

Cloud Dough Recipe

This cloud dough recipe is a great one to make when you haven’t got anything planned using things that you would usually have at home already.

You will need:

  • All purpose flour
  • Vegetable oil
  • Oil based food colouring or powder food colouring
  • Mixing bowl
  • A tray for play

Cloud dough can be made by mixing 1 cup of vegetable oil to 8 cups of flour.

measuring out the flour for cloud dough
Getting the flour ready

To make coloured Cloud Dough, divide the mixture between the amount of colours you require.

cloud dough in different colours
Based on this ratio we made three colours so used 1/2 a cup of oil to 4 cups of flour and mixed the colour into the oil before adding to the flour.

household items to play with your cloud dough
Once mixed, add to a tray or sensory bin and let the kids loose. Give them a selection of cutters, spoons, cups and play things and let them enjoy. We used shells, pebbles, biscuit cutters, playdoh shapes, plant pots (for making sand castles) and then added some glitter which Isabelle really enjoyed.

Isabelle playinf with the cloud dough
This is perfect for the garden and any spillages can be hosed away. This can be kept for as long as your little one will play with it and will not harm them if they have the odd sneaky taste.

The dog even got in on the action and as you can see he thought it was a tasty treat.

Don’t forget to have a look at our other Crafts for Toddlers and Kids.

Our Day at Peppa Pig World

Lisa

Our day at Peppa Pig World originally posted 26.09.13

I’ve just realised that I was meant to blog about our birthday day at Peppa Pig World.

Our daughter turned three at the beginning of September and we deliberated over whether or not we should have a party or a special day out. We thought we’d give Isabelle the choice knowing full well that she was going to choose Peppa Pig World.

 

peppa pig world

The drive there was plain sailing and only took us a couple of hours from Exeter.

On arrival we were directed to our parking space which is possibly the only thing that I could complain about as they packed all the cars in the carpark like sardines and as usual we managed to park ourselves in between a 4 x 4 and another car parked too close which meant that it was a bit of a squeeze to get in and out of the car.

Having a Toddler and a Teenager

Having a toddler and a teenager can cause a lot of problems, especially on days out which wasn’t a problem as whilst we visited Peppa Pig World, Ryan and his friend went to the normal Poulton’s Park theme park and just met us for lunch.

Isabelle was absolutely amazed by Peppa Pig World and didn’t know which way to look or run first. We had a quick mooch around to decide what we wanted to do, and whilst we made our minds up Isabelle went in the playpark which was Fab. Everything was made to look exactly as it is in the programme with attention to detail every step of the way.

It totally made Isabelle’s day when she spotted the Muddy Puddles Water Play area which is right up her street. Off came the shoes at the speed of light and off she went before we had a chance to head her off. We were going to save this for towards the end of the day but hey ho it was her birthday treat!

peppa pig world

This was loads of fun. I happily sat with the bags etc whilst Daddy went in for a bit of splashing. After much splashing and getting completely soaked it was time to move on to something else.

peppa pig world

Unfortunately the day that we went there were a few showers which were quite heavy but thankfully only lasted a few minutes at a time and a bit of drizzle towards the end of the day. We went on every single ride including Miss Rabbit’s Helicopter which was the one we queued the longest for, the Balloon Ride and Isabelle’s favourite was the Windy Castle Ride.

peppa pig world

We had planned to take a picnic, but in the end we decided to eat there instead. There were quite a few places to choose from dotted around both Peppa Pig World and the remainder of Poulton’s Park. We met up with the boys and sat underneath this huge outdoor roofed picnic area. This was when the first and heaviest shower started and we were grateful for the shelter.

peppa pig world

The Ducks are Real

When we sat down to eat, Isabelle found it really amusing that like the real Peppa Pig the ducks came for a bit of our picnic (or burgers as was the case). The food was standard pricewise and more than acceptable tastewise. I had a spicy beanburger which was very tasty.

Hotfooting it into the shop which we had hoped to save until the end, but the rain started again Isabelle was again amazed at all the things that you could buy. As it was a birthday treat she chose herself a Peppa Pig Nightie, A Snack Box and Peppa Pig’s Teddy and away we went.

Throughout the day Peppa and George make guest appearances. Isabelle wasn’t sure about these so Daddy picked her up so that she could have a closer look. Isabelle seemed to mellow and even reached out to touch Peppa, at which point Peppa whipped her head round and head butted Isabelle in the face.

peppa pig world

There was plenty of photo opportunities in and around the park which looked just like we were onset ourselves. We don’t really have a willing participant with photographs which generally come out looking rather blurred (or maybe I’m just really bad with a camera).

Our Thoughts

It was a great day and the teenager and his friend had a great day in the main part of Poulton’s Park despite the weather. I would definitely recommend it to anybody with a Peppa Mad infant, or just for a great family day out.

Keep up to date with all our Family Day’s Out in the Family Life Section of the blog.

Bush Baby World – Princess Melina Review

Lisa

Bush Baby World Princess Melina – The review

Bush Baby World Princess Melina – We were selected a few months ago to be toy testers for the Rainbow Toy Awards and were really excited when we got the email to say that we were going to be sent a Bush Baby.

Bush Baby World Princess Melina

I looked these up before it arrived and I knew that Isabelle would love it.

Isabelle is crazy mad about any kind of collectibles, and this was cute, pink, and furry so ticked all the boxes.

Bush Baby World Princess Melina

The Bush Baby

We received Princess Melina who has flecks of glitter through her fur and has a Princess crown. She lives in a sparkling palace within Shimmer Mountain where Shimmer Stars grow. Only Princess Melina can pick the Shimmer Stars which are very rare and are used to protect the Dream Tree.

Bush Baby World Princess Melina

The Accessories

Isabelle is all about the accessories. The accessories are the difference between a thumbs up and thumbs down when it comes to toys.

Princess Melina comes with a pink pod which she sleeps in, a comb, a Royal Sceptre and a Shimmer Star which comes in a little silver drawstring bag.

Bush Baby World Princess Melina

 

What does she do?

She waggles her ears and eyes using a little button on her back.

You can brush her fur and hair.

She is one of many Bush Babies that you can collect. You can also get the Dream Tree which all the pods hang from which Isabelle has her eye on.

You can also visit the Bush Baby Website where there are some videos to watch, activities, colouring sheets and printables.

As I’ve said previously, Isabelle loves watching a You Tube video so we thought we’d do an unboxing video of our own.

I must point out at this stage that Isabelle had absolutely no idea what was in the box so that you can see her genuine reaction.

The Video

What we thought.

Princess Melina gets a huge thumbs up from Isabelle. She’s soft and brushable and the pod fits perfectly over the edge of her bed. Once you’ve put Princess Melina into the pod, all of the accessories fit in as well which is a bonus. This was the first time that we’d seen the Bush Babies but it is definitely something that Isabelle would choose herself. She has (or will) add the Bush Baby Tree to her Christmas list. I should also point out that Isabelle has just turned seven and this was very suitable for her age range, but would also have appealed to her at a younger age as well.

The Bush Babies retail for £19.99 which we think is entirely reasonable.

*Disclaimer – We were sent a Bush Baby for the purpose of review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are our own.

Spark – The Review

Lisa

Spark – The Review

We love to watch all of the latest films with Isabelle. We set up camp on the sofa with pyjamas, blankets and snacks and snuggle down, and this is what we did to watch the new film Spark.

Spark

Spark is released on DVD and Blue-Ray on Monday 18th September 2017.

You may guess the voices of some well-known names including:

Patrick Stewart
Jessica Biel
Susan Sarandon
Hilary Swank
Rob deLeeuw
A.C Peterson
Jace Norman

The Film

Spark is about a teenage monkey called Spark whose planet was destroyed by the ruthless Zhong leaving him as an orphan with only Chunk, Vix, and some insects for company.

Spark

Zhong took over what remained of planet Bana and enslaving everyone who remained.

Spark along with Chunk, Vix, Nanny the Robot and some insects managed to survive on a shard of the planet which was used as a garbage dump whilst Zhong plotted to destroy the entire universe with the help of a deadly space Kraken.

Spark

When Spark reaches thirteen he feels ready to take on Zhong, and unbeknown to Chunk and Vix replies to a secret space mission.

Spark

Leaving the shard with only his pet roach for company, Spark sets off on the mission of his life.

Making his way into Zhong’s palace with the help of Chunks gadgetry he meets the Queen who gives him a Kraken finder to hide so that Zhong cannot carry out his deadly plan.

Spark

Instead of returning to the garbage shard Spark decides to find the Kraken himself. After finding the Kraken he guides it back towards the garbage shard, but Khong’s men have already destroyed everything that had become home to Spark including Bananny the Robot.

Zhong’s men seize the Kraken and capture Spark and imprison him along with Chunk and Vix.

Spark

The Kraken is kept under a torturous force field and the garbage shard is destroyed and Spark, Vix and Chunk are thrown into the black hole created by the Kraken.

They land on a planet where many from the original planet Bana had been hiding out. The Captain of the Royal Guard and some of his men have been living not knowing that planet Bana still exists.

Spark is revealed as the Prince of Bana and discovers that the Queen is actually his mother. Vix and Chunk had been keeping Spark safe from the truth on behalf of the Queen until the time came to take back Bana.

They prepare to take back Planet Bana by using Chunks technical know how with the help of mutated bugs. Unbeknown to Spark, Chunk had saved Bananny and pimped her up.

Spark

They create a new Kraken slick and return to battle against Zhong. After a great battle where Zhongs ship is destroyed, a black hole is created and Zhong is punched into it by the Queen.

Peace is resumed as Planet Bana is restored to former glory, and the Queen and Prince Spark are in their rightful place.

What we thought:

This was a refreshing change from our usual princessy themed films that we tend to watch. Isabelle was in a telly-trance for the whole film which means it gets a big juicy thumbs up from us. As a parent some of the kids films can be a bit boring, but this was action packed with lots of humour throughout.

It’s definitely worth a watch.

Lisa x

 

 

Happy Days Linky – Birthday Aftermath, Baking and Not Working….

Lisa 5 Comments

Happy Days Linky

Happy Days Linky – A weekly round-up of all the things, big or small that make us happy. I’m linking up with Katy from What Katy Said and Sian from Quite Frankly She Said.

The teen getting a sprinkle of humour- for those of us with teenagers you will know all too well how they seem to have a serious lack of sense of humour. We saw a glimmer of return when my two had a pants fights. It started off with Ryan putting a pair of his pants on Isabelle’s head (clean of course). Isabelle grabbed a pair off the airer and the fight commenced. No shouting or ending in tears (Isabelle’s). It was silly but fun!

The ukulele

I was greeted the other day by a newly bought blue ukulele which Nanny had bought for Isabelle. She can’t play it for toffee but wholeheartedly gives it a go. She sang and played everything she said to me for the rest of the evening. Yey!

A lie-in

I had one! Until 9.30 and then breakfast in bed which I ate downstairs. My sleep pattern has been shot to pieces for a long while so I spend most of the time feeling exhausted. I woke up at 6.30 and nearly got up. I read but I must have dropped off as the next thing it was 9.30. Perfect!

Work Free Evenings

I work on my blog in the evenings every night. There is a lot to do and I get stressed if I have an evening off. Anyway, as I haven’t been sleeping that great again I thought that I would try and reduce the amount I did which wasn’t a lot as my brain was so fuzzled I was quite often sitting in front of my laptop but actually watching TV. Not productive at all. So this week I’ve had Friday and Saturday night off and it felt good. I think I’m going to try and do this on a regular basis. We watched the newest Purge film which was pretty rubbish.

Decluttering

I’ve been watching What Katy Said’s decluttering videos (which are awesome) and it’s got me motivated to do the same. My starting point is storage so I need to go and buy some boxes/baskets etc so that I can start to sort and have somewhere to put things. The amount of NEW pink plastic we have since Isabelle’s Birthday is ridiculous.

Baking

Isabelle and I with the help of one of her Brats dolls made Jam Heart Biscuits yesterday. The weather was pants as it kept bucketing down and Isabelle gets a bit stir crazy if you don’t give her something to do. They were really easy to make and it was something to show Daddy when he got home as well.

Walking

I love walking Charlie. It gives me time to think or not. Yesterday the little pain in the butt took himself off to the skate park to scav for food. There’s usually pizza boxes and McDonald’s wrappers so plenty to choose from. Every time I think he’s got over this he does it again. How he doesn’t get run over by a bike or skateboard (they don’t stop) I don’t know. This probably shouldn’t feature on my Happy List but after the fact I always find it funny. I do wonder if I’m going to end up on You Tube entitled ‘Crazy Dog Catcher Hits the Skate Park’. Charlie thinks it’s a great game to run up and down the ramp thing, usually with some stolen food hanging out of his mouth. Little sod!

On that note have a great week.

Lisa x

Jam Heart Biscuit Recipe

Lisa 7 Comments

Jam Heart Biscuit Recipe

Jam Heart Biscuit Recipe – Today the weather was so weird. One minute it was bright blue sky and the sun was shining so I put out the washing and was due to head out for a walk with the dog. I turned my back and the next thing it was bucketing down and I had to run like a crazy person to get all the washing back in. This occurred three times so I gave up and put the washing on the airer and we made the decision to bake. So here the recipe which is really easy to make.

Jam Heart Biscuit Recipe

What you need:

For the dough

  • 300g/10oz Plain Flour
  • 150g/5oz Caster Sugar
  • 250g/8oz Butter
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • 2 tsp Vanilla Essence
  • 1/2 tsp Salt

For the filling

  • 60g/2oz Butter
  • 90g/3oz Icing Sugar
  • Jam
  • A couple of drops of Vanilla Essence
  • 1 tsp Water

How to make the dough:

Put the butter and sugar in a bowl and beat together.

Add in the egg yolk and vanilla essence and mix until smooth.

Sift in the flour and salt and mix everything together to form a dough.

Roll the dough into a ball and wrap in clingfilm and pop in the fridge for around 30 minutes.

Jam Heart Biscuit Recipe

To make the biscuits:

Pre-heat your oven to Gas Mark 4 (180ºC/350ºF)

Sprinkle the work surface with flour so that it doesn’t stick and then roll out the dough so that it is about 1/2cm thick.

Grease your baking trays (we used two).

Get your cookie cutter of choice (we went for a heart shape with a circle in the middle) and cut out your biscuits.

Once you have cut out the biscuits, count them. Put one half of the biscuits to the side and the other, cut out a smaller circle in the middle. These will be the tops.

Bake the cookies in the oven for approximately 12 minutes or until golden.

Whilst these are cooling you can prepare your filling.

Jam Heart Biscuit Recipe

For the filling:

Put the butter in a bowl and microwave for about 20 seconds. This makes it so much easier to make butter icing.

Sift in the icing sugar and add the water and vanilla essence.

Mix together until you have a smooth consistency.

Once the cookies are completely cooled, spread a small amount on the bottom biscuits (without the hole) and then add a small blob of jam before popping the lid on.

Jam Heart Biscuit Recipe

Eat!

This is the first time that we’ve made these, and we’ll definitely make them again. For all your Baking Equipment needs head to the Village Bakery.

Lisa x

Jam Heart Biscuit Recipe