I love kids books

I do, I love kids books they are amazing, colourful, imaginative stories you can't find in adult books. I am loving Lauren Child, author and illustrator of Charlie and Lola. Fun to watch on TV, to read and I love her art work too and to top it off the kids think its great. 

One note I should add, Clarice Bean is not really a book for 3-5 year old's, better for kids who have been in school longer, perhaps pre-teens. Anyway, I found it funny but my girls found it hard to understand.

Art Center

Here is the start of the art center but I think I will call it the art station, it is coming along nicely. Basically it has all the kids things in there. It includes, paper, paint, pens, brushes, glue, gluing sticks, books and so on. 

In my perfect world I would paint the bookcase white but it would be a shame to change it because it is lovely as is. In the perfect world my photos would be staged, looking just so and the display would stay untarnished but as we know, in the real world we make a mess so here it is raw as can be and it will only get worse. Enjoy!

Paint, paint pots, brushes etc. 

Area for creations big and small.

Christmas Decorations

I know, I know, but Christmas is in the air and the chill is setting in and today was a day for us all to have hot chocolate and making decorations in preparation.

There was glue, paint, cardboard cereal box and lots and lots and lots of GLITTER! Girls love glitter and I am sure little boys do too and it is perfect for making Christmas inspired decorations. I cut out the shapes from the cereal box, any shape it does not matter because it will be covered in glitter and sparkle, besides at my kids age being perfect and pristine is not what it is all about, it is about fun, getting glue and glitter everywhere and learning to be creative. Before the glitter I added glue to red paint, (choose your paint colour all personal preference) then add as much glitter as one can take. Hey presto!

I am having problems with my camera so I will post the decorations when I get it working but for now, imagine, create and have fun.

Camera is working, kind of but here is what I have got...

Lest we Forget

I will be taking my children to the service this coming Sunday. We should never forget what our grandparents and great-grandparents and so many others went through to save our country.

Cardboard castle

On a cold, sunny, November Sunday, daddy and mummy went for coffee and took a look at the monthly farmers market. Prior to their coffee indulgence,  the kids were dropped off at grandmas' and their great aunts' house, mawahaha!

OK, so whilst I was having a coffee I was half listening to my husband and half thinking about what I could do with two bored kids on a Sunday afternoon. Other than the usual Sunday walk in the woods I thought it was time to use the recycled items I had accumulated over the past week or so. I dared to ask what the girls would like to build and the inevitable answer spurted out, "A Princess Castle".

Bare in mind I am not really an arts and crafts person I am more into my painting so I had to delve deep into my childhood memories to when I built my own things out of household items, Blue Peter style, (except when I used to watch the show I never had the items required to build a magnificent masterpiece).

So here is what I and the girls built together.

I should add a disclaimer of sorts - yet again it ended in tears (I think this should be the name of my blog) because they did not want to stop playing with it but the 'pools' became a bit of a water hazard when the girls sneakily took water from the sink and added it to form rain which was poured over the top of the'castle' and the overflowing pool then became a scientific project!!!

Once the tears had subsided the 'castle' was used for its intended purpose, to play house with their mini dolls and pretend there is water. :) Phew!

(Instructions will follow later).

Cleaning Mad.

I do obsess about the house cleaning and making sure it is organised and clean but really do I need to really go mad over it? Does a little dirt and mess hurt really? Well no but we are brainwashed by TV that mess and dirt is bad for you, sure in excess it is but like most mothers, I make sure the house is tidy before I have visitors, the kids get shouted at if they make a mess while I am in the process of tidying up or I have just finished the clean-up. I need to step back and forget about it all, forget that I have no dishes to eat off, that the muddy boots have been trampled through the house leaving stains on the carpet or rug, that the table is covered in arts and crafts so there is no table to eat off. 

At the end of the day all the above does not matter because it is not going to last long. Eventually they will grow up and not want the hugs and kisses I offer or the activities I spend time researching for them or infact they will not want to spend time with me at all at, unless they want to spend my money. Caring about what others think about my house should be of no concern (unless I want them to return again). 

So my daily mantra and please join in if you feel the need.

 Leave the cleaning alone until the kids have gone to bed.

Art Center

I am in the middle of designing an arts, crafts, writing, homework area for my little ones. It will involve: using a recycled bookcase, glass jars, keeping household items, paint, glue, glitter, pens and so on. It is going to be a long process as I gather items from within the home. 

Progress will be posted as it unfolds. Cheap is the name of the game, nothing fancy and something the kids can help me with. It will teach them (I hope), to recycle, to  use their imagination and create, it does not have to be expensive to be fun and it will be an interactive family project.

Currently I am inbetween home ownership so renting limits me with how much I can do. I will, however, not let this stop me from creating a space that suit our immediate needs and wants.

If you have done anything similar, let me know I would love to see your project. 

Recycling for later creations

Organising with glass jars