tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50150302191406695202024-03-19T08:27:02.466+00:00Me and my shadowLiz Burtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05860282774080831783noreply@blogger.comBlogger1102125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5015030219140669520.post-34116834971191869182018-08-01T13:19:00.001+01:002018-08-01T13:19:12.335+01:00British Cherry Season - Bakewell inspired Cherry and Almond Ice Lollies Recipe<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 15px; text-align: justify;">For me, nothing screams 'British Summer' more than a bowl of plump, ripe, juicy red cherries. Move over strawberries, step aside watermelon, for me Summer is all about the cherries.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px;">Carefree summer drives around the Kent countryside, stopping at roadside stalls to load up on paper bags bursting with magenta red deliciousness. Gleefully shooting the stones from my mouth through the open car window into the verges - now, I don't approve of spitting per se, but legend has it that the origin of most of our wild cherry trees in Britain is from Romans doing this exact same thing from their chariots or marches along the country roads, so I see it as doing my bit to preserve this heritage.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px;">Whether you pick yours up in the local supermarket in a huge crate, or a paper bag from the farmers market, you can be sure with all the different varieties of fresh cherries available you'll be able to find enough to see you through right from June to September. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 15px; text-align: justify;">What better way to enjoy fresh cherries, and cool off in this exceptional summer heat than making these cherry and almond ice lollies. Inspired by one of my favourite desserts - Bakewell Tart (which is sadly a very rare treat for me to find since becoming gluten-free), it is the perfect pairing of almond and cherries.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px;">It's gluten free, and can easily be made vegan / dairy-free too. Have a stash of these in the freezer ready to cool off the kids over the holidays. Made with only a tiny amount of sugar, they are a much healthier alternative than the lollies you buy in the shops. Did you know that cherries are packed with vitamin C and are a rich source of antioxidants and melatonin which helps healthy sleep patterns?</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 15px; text-align: justify;"><b>Ingredients to make approx 6 lollies:</b></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 15px; text-align: justify;">200g ripe cherries (de-stoned)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 15px; text-align: justify;">300 ml almond milk</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 15px; text-align: justify;">1 tbsp almond butter (optional, but it does enhance the nutty flavour)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 15px; text-align: justify;">1 tbsp sugar</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 15px; text-align: justify;">2 tbsp water</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 15px; text-align: justify;"><b>To decorate:</b></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 15px; text-align: justify;">100g white chocolate or dairy-free / vegan alternative</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 15px; text-align: justify;">100g chopped toasted almonds</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 15px; text-align: justify;"><b>Method:</b></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 15px; text-align: justify;">Pop the cherries, sugar and water into a saucepan and heat on a medium heat for 5-10 minutes until the cherries soften and the juices are released. Set aside to cool.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 15px; text-align: justify;">Toast your almonds lightly in the oven on 180 degrees for approx 10 mins, keeping a careful eye on them so as not to burn. Blitz in a blender to chop.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px;">Once cool, whizz up the cherry mix with the almond milk (and almond butter if using) in a blender until smooth.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px;">Pour into lolly moulds and freeze.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px;">Once fully frozen, melt the white chocolate and leave to cool for a while. Remove lollies from moulds, dip into the melted chocolate and then quickly into the chopped nuts.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px;">Lay on greaseproof paper and freeze again for at least 10 minutes before serving.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px;">The crunchy bite of the frozen chocolate and nuts is a delight against the fruity flavour of the ice lolly, just perfect for cooling down after a hot afternoon in the garden!</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 15px; text-align: justify;">This post is an entry for the BritMums #lovefreshcherries Challenge, sponsored by Love Fresh Cherries (Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/lovefreshcherries/" target="_blank">@LoveFreshCherries</a>)</span>Liz Burtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05860282774080831783noreply@blogger.com304tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5015030219140669520.post-53210655729970595992018-05-24T20:31:00.000+01:002018-05-24T20:39:53.910+01:00David Attenborough Officially Opens the ABA Rare Book Fair, Battersea, London<div style="text-align: justify;">
Now, clearly I'm not a serious collector - I don't have the cash to pursue rare book collecting, but I will openly admit that I have a passion for books. I was blessed that I grew up in a house with shelves groaning under the weight of books stacked three deep, and we've always tried to ensure that there are plenty around for Ruby to pick up whenever the mood takes. It seems to have worked as she has a constant and ever-growing pile on her bedside table.</div>
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I'll happily lose hours on end in second-hand bookshops, soaking up the aroma that you only get from musty old dust jackets, so when I got an invite the the <a href="https://www.rarebookfairlondon.com/" target="_blank">ABA Rare Book Fair</a> today I was intrigued. But when I heard who would be opening the fair, well I couldn't turn down the opportunity to be in the presence of the great man.</div>
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We've all heard Sir David Attenborough's voice on the TV, veering from soothing tones to passionate animation and hearing him speak live was a real honour.</div>
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Not surprisingly, the first book he ever remembers purchasing was a copy of Darwin's classic The Origin of the Species. He recalls buying it in a shop in Leicester at the age of 15 for one shilling. This wasn't a First Edition, but the 13th edition, notable as this edition was first time in any of his books he used the word 'evolution', and with a run of only 1,250 copies it is now considered quite rare.</div>
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Aptly, this ABA Rare Book Fair, now in it's 61st year, is held in Battersea's Evolution in the heart of Battersea Park and just a hop across the bridge from Chelsea if you happen to be visiting the Flower Show this weekend.</div>
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If you're thinking that maybe this isn't for you, please don't be put off attending a fair like this thinking it will be full of earnest and stuffy bibliophiles. People were more than happy to chat to a mere amateur like me and where better to start than attending one of their 'visiting your first book fair' talks. In fact there is a wide range of talks and workshops sure to interest everyone, from the BBC's Antiques Roadshow book expert Matthew Haley guiding you on a search of the 'pleasingly affordable and collectible' delights on offer (10:30 Saturday), to the hand-press printing stand situated near the entrance with the St Bride Foundation - find out more about the original Fleet Street printers and their fascinating history. I can recommend spending some time in the very good company of <a href="http://studio5bookbindingandarts.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank">Mark Cockram </a> who knows all there is to know about book-binding. In his intimate workshops he'll guide you through the principles of making a pamphlet book, and in a short 25 minutes you'll have made your very own creation to take home.</div>
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Wondering around the stalls is a feast for the eyes with ancient manuscripts and maps on display, exquisite coloured plates, all manner of ephemera, beautiful book-binding patterned and marbled papers and ornate calligraphy.</div>
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If huge leather-bound gilded tomes are not your thing, then you can marvel at the modern classics like a set of first edition Fleming Bonds or Terry Pratchett works. For those of us more financially endowed, perhaps peruse the First Edition JRR Tolkien's Hobbit, one of only two copies produced so that the nervous new author could show it to his local publisher. This particular one was then bound and bejewelled and is now for sale for a cool £100,000.</div>
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The fair is totally free to enter, the workshops are free too, and families attending on Saturday can go along to the children's tour at 3pm. Go to <a href="https://www.rarebookfairlondon.com/" target="_blank">the website</a> to sign up for free tickets to enter. The fair is only on until Saturday 26th May so do try to make it. Open from 10am-7pm on Friday 25th and 10am-5pm on Saturday 26th. Combine it with an afternoon in the park, a visit to the boating lake cafe, or a wonder around Chelsea and Sloane Square soaking up the Chelsea Flower Show excitement and the spectacular floral arrangements on show at numerous Chelsea shops this week.</div>
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Thank you to the ABA for inviting me along.</div>
<br />Liz Burtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05860282774080831783noreply@blogger.com124tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5015030219140669520.post-11228378784381360232017-11-28T09:17:00.000+00:002017-11-28T09:17:07.723+00:00Win Paddington Bear books from the new film with Harper Collins<div style="text-align: justify;">
You can't failed to have noticed that the new Paddington Bear film is out now in cinemas. We adored the <a href="https://missielizzie-meandmyshadow.blogspot.co.uk/2014/12/at-movies-this-christmas.html" target="_blank">first film</a>, and so the sequel has been eagerly awaited in this house.</div>
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The nation's favourite bear is back, firmly settled in now with the Brown family and London life. He's searching for a meaningful present for his Great Aunt Lucy's 100th birthday, and discovers the perfect gift in the form of an old pop-up book of London, now in the hands of antique dealer Mr Gruber, along with various other items of ephemera from a mysterious Victorian fairground family.</div>
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The book is rather beyond his means, but determined to show his beloved Great Aunt the city of London as he promised, he embarks on a hilarious series of odd-jobs to raise the cash.</div>
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The window-cleaning scenes are laugh-out-loud hilarious - to the point that people in the row in front turned to look at me in the cinema.</div>
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However, things take a turn for the worse as the true value of the book is discovered, making it hot property. I won't spoil the story, but Paddington finds himself wrongly accused and in hot water. Will he be able to clear his name? Will his family be able to prove who really did it?</div>
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This film genuinely made me laugh and indeed cry. And I wasn't the only one - I witnessed quite a few adults hurriedly brushing tears aways as they walked through the foyer afterwards.</div>
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So any fan of the film will love these bookish offerings from <a href="http://books.harpercollins.co.uk/children/take-paddington-home-christmas/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Harper Collins</a> to celebrate the release of the movie.</div>
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<b>Paddington 2 - The story of the Movie</b> RRP £5.99</div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Join the irresistible Brown family and their adopted bear, plus a whole new cast of heroes and villains. Bigger and better than ever, the story of the new Paddington movie is both hilarious and heart-warming. Guaranteed to capture the hearts of fans, old and new!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Read the story of the movie in this delightful book for ages 5 - 9.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Paddington 2 The Movie Storybook</b> RRP £6.99</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The bear from darkest Peru returns in a star-studded new movie! Discover the magic of Paddington 2 with this glossy storybook retelling.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Every page of this enchanting picture book features high-quality photography from the movie, and is perfectly pitched for a younger audience so all the family can enjoy the story time and time again.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Paddington 2 - Movie Sticker Book</b> RRP £7.99</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Meet your favourite characters and make some new friends along the way as the marmalade-loving bear returns for another sticky adventure. Packed with games, puzzles, crafts and much more! Includes postcards, mask, Paddington door hanger, and over 150 super stickers. The perfect gift for small paws!</span></div>
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<b>Paddington Sticker Scene Book</b> RRP £4.99</div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Explore the wonderful world of Paddington in this gorgeous sticker activity book!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">With all your favourite characters and fantastic movie scenes to complete, this brilliant sticker book is packed full of fun. Marmalade sandwiches ready? It’s time to get sticking!</span></div>
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<b>Paddington Little Library</b> RRP £4.99</div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The perfect stocking filler! Four fantastic board books all about the world’s favourite bear! Perfect for fans of the Paddington movie aged 1 year and up. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">This chunky slipcase set with simple text and images is the perfect introduction to Paddington, for the very smallest of fans.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Meet the Browns</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Paddington Gets Dressed</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Paddington Loves London</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Paddington’s Manners</span></div>
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One lucky reader will be able to bag all these wonderful books, simply by answering the following question:</div>
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<a class="rcptr" data-raflid="088289c256" data-template="" data-theme="classic" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/088289c256/" id="rcwidget_bn7yhrlp" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a>
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This giveaway is open to UK entrants only. Closing date is midnight on Monday 4th December. One winner will be chosen at random.</div>
Liz Burtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05860282774080831783noreply@blogger.com160tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5015030219140669520.post-730638579117825072017-11-27T11:33:00.002+00:002017-11-27T11:33:24.371+00:00#GiveMoreThanAGift this year with easyfundraising - get good cause donations for free!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMqkwgTVrR4RG3ETvaIT0u_0s5CtSjiEBzkPwlnxuDTcwZENZw0bhI1fS4F5wle2rEMnV4rA0fgLTnrNewLcTtq1OrzazJefRmUVG1qzNet7J0iE8yvpqSGyQk3NZcLC7ca6VJ0zkFTilO/s1600/christmas+presents.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1283" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMqkwgTVrR4RG3ETvaIT0u_0s5CtSjiEBzkPwlnxuDTcwZENZw0bhI1fS4F5wle2rEMnV4rA0fgLTnrNewLcTtq1OrzazJefRmUVG1qzNet7J0iE8yvpqSGyQk3NZcLC7ca6VJ0zkFTilO/s640/christmas+presents.jpg" width="512" /></a></div>
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We're making a list, we're checking it twice. It's that time of the year when we're all busy shopping for Christmas presents for friends and family.</div>
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Last year, UK online sales topped £21 billion with people chosing to order via the internet, and just imagine if even a small percentage of that figure could be donated to charities and good causes...</div>
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Well, it can be and it's really easy to do. Simply by signing up for an <a href="http://efraising.org/nTWjpVxNth" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">easyfundrasing account</a> and nominating your favourite charity, each time you shop via their website, app or toolbar, you can raise money for charity.</div>
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Join easyfundfaising's #GiveMoreThanAGift campaign this Christmas and each present you buy could also contribute a donation to your favourite cause - isn't that the true spirit of Christmas?</div>
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There are tonnes of charities, large and small to choose from, and if you're involved with a charity yourself, you can register it to receive funds. We have done this with our school PTA and it's proving a very useful additional fundraising income stream. There is no cost to either the charity or the person shopping, so it's a win-win.<br />
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Just imagine if each parent signed up and raised even just a few pounds per year - that would be equivalent to one large fundraising event the PTA wouldn't have to work hard to put on, and your kid's school would benefit from the income. So whether you're raising money for a new playground, IT equipment or reading materials, it's well worth local PTA's getting involved.<br />
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easyfundraising, along with its users have helped to raise almost £19 million for good causes so far. So this year, when you are online shopping for gifts, you can get double the warm and fuzzies and #GiveMoreThanAGift.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGx46G_zyM1IePQizYG-pYWBGvb1AxgXqlm8HSkQVuvl9OBGJ9DU1rCwiWSV0HRW7wop7mYD2b_OjQdOT9qeF3rTkl9cCUfIgQV5IeFCH9WuVgmMz9VVSiel2mut8P2M3b-eEYfO3bvRmy/s1600/laptop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGx46G_zyM1IePQizYG-pYWBGvb1AxgXqlm8HSkQVuvl9OBGJ9DU1rCwiWSV0HRW7wop7mYD2b_OjQdOT9qeF3rTkl9cCUfIgQV5IeFCH9WuVgmMz9VVSiel2mut8P2M3b-eEYfO3bvRmy/s640/laptop.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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There are over 3,200 retailers on the easyfundraising site covering everything from holidays to toasters. The retailers give a commission for each purchase and easyfundraising turn it into a donation for your charity - easy!</div>
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Now, I'm not completely magnanimous. I know money's tight, and there's the old adage 'charity begins at home' so I do have another cashback site that I also use, which pays money out to me directly. I'll freely admit that not all my online shopping raises money for my chosen PTA charity. But that's ok. I'll often 'shop around' between my cashback site and easyfundraising - sometimes retailers aren't signed up on my cashback site, but they are with easyfundraising, or sometimes there'll be a big difference in the commission percentage between the two sites and I'll decide which to use. But every little counts right? In the last year since signing up, I've raised nearly £62, and the handy leaderboard of contributors keeps parents motivated and competitive. </div>
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If you sign up using <a href="https://www.easyfundraising.org.uk/invite/BSG076/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">this link</span></a> before the end of November, as an added bonus your chosen charity will receive an extra £2 donation (as will my chosen charity). Everyone's a winner! So if you're planning of taking advantage of Cyber Monday and all the Black Friday deals still on, you can now shop with a clearer conscience!</div>
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<b>Disclosure:</b></div>
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I have received no payment for this post, however by promoting the campaign I'm in with a chance of winning a shopping voucher. The link above is a referral link meaning both your charity and mine will receive a bonus donation at no cost to either of us.</div>
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Liz Burtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05860282774080831783noreply@blogger.com91tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5015030219140669520.post-84858765706286203202017-11-06T12:00:00.000+00:002017-11-06T12:01:33.675+00:00Reducing Your Energy Bills - Free Knitting Pattern for a Cute Caterpillar DIY Draft Excluder<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9rITwd1mHlw-kh9bBTpMl6iyQurJYVpJqKWXmf5w8c9eBDQwYBjINRIeHKZRp7ju8hKzAUgm0l_NsCIRSIerWmnYGvvaU4r_fN5v4LiansT5-M4xzkyysJfCDmgelFc7_hnKMYReFI23T/s1600/giulia-bertelli-142614.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9rITwd1mHlw-kh9bBTpMl6iyQurJYVpJqKWXmf5w8c9eBDQwYBjINRIeHKZRp7ju8hKzAUgm0l_NsCIRSIerWmnYGvvaU4r_fN5v4LiansT5-M4xzkyysJfCDmgelFc7_hnKMYReFI23T/s640/giulia-bertelli-142614.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">As we finally exchanged contracts on our new house last week, I'm starting to think about the additional bills which will inevitably come with a larger and older house. For all the character features I love about older properties, drafty old windows and lack of cavity insulation aren't on that list!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">We've just had the first real overnight frost here and it's time to start thinking about how to keep our homes toasty and warm.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Statistics reveal that draughts are responsible for 10% of heat loss in the average home and up to 25% in some households. That’s a lot of heat to lose, especially in the coldest weeks of the year.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">By draught-proofing, households can save between £25 and £55 per person on the annual energy bill. What’s more, draught proofing can be a cheap and painless (even fun!) activity.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://www.first-utility.com/the-blog/make-your-own-caterpillar-draught-excluder" rel="" target="_blank">First Utility</a> has put together an illustrated guide which details the steps of making your own caterpillar draught excluder. This cute and colourful character will add some fun to your home, but more importantly will help keep those pesky drafts out, and your heating bills down.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">So, grab a cuppa, pull up a </span>blanket and dust off those knitting needles. What a lovely way to spend a cold winters evening.</div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The step-by-step instructions are simple to follow for even a beginner knitter, and you can easily adapt it to make the draft excluder as long as you wish to fit your door. Why not make several - for your front door, your back door and even for internal doors to keep you toasty this winter?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">You'll need four </span>different<span style="font-family: inherit;"> colours of double knit yarn, some additional scraps, two buttons for the eyes and some wadding. For the full, step-by-step instructions, please follow this link to the <a href="https://www.first-utility.com/the-blog/make-your-own-caterpillar-draught-excluder" target="_blank">First Utility blog.</a></span></div>
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<a href="https://www.first-utility.com/the-blog/make-your-own-caterpillar-draught-excluder" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="901" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5RVDLePOyZrLpJw_YasZzSf57aHoXHWt1CM6lBWWazux2RSJD1wFtwBOwxWhnCV0Z779Qk3N6KmWNGguIM5Nwtcxh6DEAGhSGBF3-qwR1_df6Oj7pKpIWkqrknRmX0Wkyp6koKJ3Je1In/s640/DIY_Caterpillar-1.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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I'd love you to share a photo of your finished results with me, and if you have any other tips for reducing your energy bills this winter or draft proofing your home, please share them with me in the comments.</div>
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This post is in collaboration with First Utility.</div>
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Liz Burtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05860282774080831783noreply@blogger.com95tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5015030219140669520.post-14611109056956642412017-11-02T12:00:00.001+00:002017-11-02T12:00:18.176+00:005 Ways to Fix Your Stuff And Help Save The Planet<div style="text-align: justify;">
Any aspiring eco-warrior worth their salt knows the mantra of the Three Rs - Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. But truth be told, all too often the emphasis in society is placed on increasing our recycling. In reality, recycling should be our last option and I'm going to share a few ways you can both <i>reduce </i>your purchase of new items (and the amount of materials and energy used to produce them) and <i>reuse </i>what we already have by FIXING it!</div>
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My grandparents were from the Make Do and Mend era - loads of items around their house would have been fixed up with tape or glue or have splints strapped to them. But a lot of those skills have been lost. Added to that, the current consumer society where we are actively encouraged by manufacturers to keep buying more stuff, whether that's through trends and upgrades or built-in obsolescence, and we're destined to fill up our land-fill in double-quick time.</div>
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But there are lots of ways you can try and fix things and reduce the cost both to your pocket, and to the planet.</div>
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<b>1. Fix it with Sugru</b></div>
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Have you heard of <a href="https://sugru.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Sugru</a>? It's a bit of a revelation in the crafting world and is super-useful for mending all manner of things. A mouldable glue, it comes in a range of different colours to be used to fix anything from plastic, wood, ceramics, metal, glass, plaster, stone and some fabrics. Once 'cured' it will form a watertight fixing, and what's more it's flexible too making it ideal for reinforcing all those gadget chargers which often will fray after prolonged use. It's advanced technology makes it heat and cold resistant, dishwasher-safe (got any broken dishwasher trays anyone?!), UV stable, electrically insulating, shock absorbent, wipe-clean and strong enough to hold up to 2kg. It's skin-safe and family friendly too which means the kids can have a go at fixing their own stuff, or even improving existing toys and creating new ones.</div>
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It's perfect for fixing all manner of things around the house and garden and it's mouldable so ideal for fixing broken toys, making lost parts and mending snapped plastic components. I put it to the test fixing a pair of scissors that had accidentally gone in the dishwasher resulting in the plastic becoming brittle and the handle snapping. There was nothing wrong with the blades, so a quick shape of some colour-matched Sugru and they were good as new.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5XO8fr3LdkzTkeC3xbNNU9LeqdV_8jcc1ogOnXhh78eriVyAUDi8lyHbiUN7vpeKWgGgc8mqW1pj-Z_-4O0qMdqjMCYYZZTtdB5gPw3MEJHZq_8L2JjkwwE1kwaMjG3wK1VnhmbvxBKBQ/s1600/Surge+fixed+collage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="534" data-original-width="1600" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5XO8fr3LdkzTkeC3xbNNU9LeqdV_8jcc1ogOnXhh78eriVyAUDi8lyHbiUN7vpeKWgGgc8mqW1pj-Z_-4O0qMdqjMCYYZZTtdB5gPw3MEJHZq_8L2JjkwwE1kwaMjG3wK1VnhmbvxBKBQ/s640/Surge+fixed+collage.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="text-align: justify;">Sugru have been kind enough to offer a set of family-friendly mouldable glue to one lucky reader, along with a copy of their rather fab '</span><a href="https://sugru.com/manifesto" rel="nofollow" style="text-align: justify;" target="_blank">Fixer's Manifesto</a><span style="text-align: justify;">' poster to inspire you. Read on to the end of the post to find out how to enter.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOud_5HMRN8ps5ZFkMnmNzh7QCq7n86X9bxU13SV-6Lzwtq1d9EO6y0j8TQb327G-qcUUFGLG0YGX970ymsAlq0GQgwSL4xmuWa0LQtlx3kgbi15RLVEZzbtIx1pfMaRACzHHv_7aBC4c6/s1600/sugru+glue.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="358" data-original-width="406" height="352" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOud_5HMRN8ps5ZFkMnmNzh7QCq7n86X9bxU13SV-6Lzwtq1d9EO6y0j8TQb327G-qcUUFGLG0YGX970ymsAlq0GQgwSL4xmuWa0LQtlx3kgbi15RLVEZzbtIx1pfMaRACzHHv_7aBC4c6/s400/sugru+glue.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNfXHmdbYC2ItBV08UDfGaAidYkmGL0ELpluasbenqlgmCQ0Acnu_AbyIjyuot9MpfTeaTmTw1hPAthzI9PJ5mY_EHFLhyePOgQEwIXrtaoAt_FaWbmrRTcSv90skS3klHZbWlZIZMkaWv/s1600/sugru+poster.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNfXHmdbYC2ItBV08UDfGaAidYkmGL0ELpluasbenqlgmCQ0Acnu_AbyIjyuot9MpfTeaTmTw1hPAthzI9PJ5mY_EHFLhyePOgQEwIXrtaoAt_FaWbmrRTcSv90skS3klHZbWlZIZMkaWv/s640/sugru+poster.gif" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>2. YouTube it!</b></div>
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Let's face it, you can find videos on anything and everything on YouTube. So if you don't know how to fix it, look it up, watch others do it and learn. Everyone can learn basic skills like replacing a broken zip or re-wiring a plug and if it saves you having to throw something out and buy a new one, you'll be glad you did.<br />
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<b>3. Visit a repair cafe</b></div>
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We were lucky enough to have a repair cafe held in our village hall a few weeks ago. There was a stream of people through the door dragging in knackered vacuums, broken torches, clothes with rips, jammed DVD players and all sorts. A helpful team of volunteer experts were on hand to help show the owners how to safely fix them, and with the added bonus of tea and cake on offer, what could be better?</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlpVeiHWEhK0nm-83yWiG6vV2IWyWcM4Pgs_u3mi37vD8whIm40XEyvlDXFvBj_IrJpNrGvkxDGB6XxGPDpmRGkxoYS52ooC5GLuCDNww793T4wUa5_7sHHg9udWDorHuY9tgYUM2F2mv6/s1600/DSCF8178.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlpVeiHWEhK0nm-83yWiG6vV2IWyWcM4Pgs_u3mi37vD8whIm40XEyvlDXFvBj_IrJpNrGvkxDGB6XxGPDpmRGkxoYS52ooC5GLuCDNww793T4wUa5_7sHHg9udWDorHuY9tgYUM2F2mv6/s640/DSCF8178.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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I took along a suit jacket to be repaired which was beyond my capabilities, and the lady there did a magnificent job, it was well worth the donation to the local green group.</div>
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The international <a href="https://repaircafe.org/en/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Repair Cafe</a> network is 8 years old this year, check them out to find one near you, and if there isn't one - why not start one?</div>
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<b>4. Buy spare parts</b></div>
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Sometimes, a broken bit can't be fixed but that doesn't mean you have to chuck the whole item. Online stores such as <a href="http://www.espares.co.uk/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">e-Spares</a> stock over 1 million spare and replacement parts from many leading brands of manufacturers. You can get spares for washing machines, dishwashers, TVs, cleaning equipment and cameras to name a few. They also have a library of handy videos showing you how to. I recently broke my vacuum nozzle and because there was nothing wrong with the mechanics of the cleaner itself, I popped along to e-Spares and ordered a new set of hoses and attachments and now my cleaner is good as new, looking refreshed and smelling much nicer!</div>
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<b>5. 3-D Print it!</b></div>
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Now this may seem a bit out-there but trust me, the time will come when you'll be able to pop along to a 3-D printing store and make your own replacement parts. The technology is still expensive currently but advances mean it's not beyond the realms of possibilities that it will be cost-effective to soon print new bits for your broken items. If supermarkets are already <a href="https://3dprint.com/69089/10-asda-stores-3d-scanners/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">3D printing replica models</a> of children for grandparent gifts, then anything's possible!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI8p1dEouoXrQDTiLQTc7Qn219wU4iWMQtFCQ9Yd7xD_B6-PgjfstnddL35VMg_nJR8JFxgQcvb9_CdBuam39ijDwt0wYTyAyhBjYt2fdDpUDGFDUE5FgQL38vquyK301YAeKGMQ2bcmw4/s1600/printer-2416269_1280.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="853" data-original-width="1280" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI8p1dEouoXrQDTiLQTc7Qn219wU4iWMQtFCQ9Yd7xD_B6-PgjfstnddL35VMg_nJR8JFxgQcvb9_CdBuam39ijDwt0wYTyAyhBjYt2fdDpUDGFDUE5FgQL38vquyK301YAeKGMQ2bcmw4/s640/printer-2416269_1280.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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So there's no excuse to chuck that broken gadget.<br />
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As promised, I'm going to give you the chance of winning a multi pack of Sugru mouldable fixing glue and a copy of their awesome Fixer's Manifesto poster to inspire you to fix more. To enter simply complete the Gleam form below. Open to UK entrants only. Closing date is midnight on Sunday 19th November 2017.</div>
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<a class="rcptr" data-raflid="088289c255" data-template="" data-theme="classic" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/088289c255/" id="rcwidget_die5tgp7" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a>
<script src="https://widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js"></script>
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This post is in collaboration with Sugru.Liz Burtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05860282774080831783noreply@blogger.com102tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5015030219140669520.post-11814893439645884692017-10-31T12:01:00.000+00:002017-11-02T10:29:23.417+00:00Spiced Pumpkin Soup with the Simplissimo Chef from Scott<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKjVSUR2-biSWkE9Ehzx9vKYqzlVkDTxslVwauPsS1wOTOjyaGtYWEo8ZxEyqi_IJVQxpMurk5V5x_-qujva-epjqi2PMH0NcfUUV4vLowM3Gs7B7xQXhfq4-IwMDPuGosK07SyfkNTP3j/s1600/simplissimo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Simplissimo Chef Cook Blender by Scott" border="0" data-original-height="1206" data-original-width="1600" height="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKjVSUR2-biSWkE9Ehzx9vKYqzlVkDTxslVwauPsS1wOTOjyaGtYWEo8ZxEyqi_IJVQxpMurk5V5x_-qujva-epjqi2PMH0NcfUUV4vLowM3Gs7B7xQXhfq4-IwMDPuGosK07SyfkNTP3j/s640/simplissimo.jpg" title="Simplissimo Chef Cook Blender by Scott" width="640" /></a></div>
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A little while ago, my trusty blender broke and I found myself a little bereft. I tried to get it fixed, sent it off to the manufacturer but was told there was nothing that could be done. To be fair, it had taken a hammering over the years with almost daily smoothie making, so I'd been looking around for a new model to replace it with. It was perfect timing then, when Scott got in touch to see if I'd like to try out the new Simplissimo Chef cook blender, due to hit the market in early November.</div>
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The Simplissimo Chef it turns out, is so much more than just a blender. Like all good quality models, it can knock up a smoothie with ease and has no trouble crushing up ice cubes so it's perfect for making drinks. At this time of year, I make a lot of soups. And I mean a lot. The Other Half takes a homemade soup to work most days, it's our lunch of choice at the weekends and we never venture out on an outdoor adventure without a flask of hot, nourishing soup.</div>
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And when it comes to soup, this is where the Simplissimo excels. It's not merely a blender, but it cooks the soup too, meaning one seamless operation from start to finish - less hassle and considerably less washing-up! It has two pre-programmed soup functions, for either smooth or chunky soup and you simply put in all your ingredients, your water or stock, any seasonings, hit the button and away it goes. 30 minutes later and you have piping hot, perfect soup every time. You can add ingredients during the cooking process so it's perfect if you want to stir in things with a shorter cooking time.</div>
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This is such a timesaver as it means I can simply load it up and get on with other things, walk the dog, do the laundry...whatever! No more watching a pot on the stove, no stirring and no checking to see if it's done. It also has a very handy 30 minute keep-warm function once finished which is ideal in a household like mine when you never know what time people are getting home.</div>
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What else was I going to make on this beautiful Halloween day than spiced pumpkin soup? The recipe is below, and it's quite forgiving so use whatever you have - add in some sweet potato, butternut squash, courgette... That's the great thing about soups, they're perfect for using up odds and ends in the fridge.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj998vK9b_A2rjyj0tFMOiYFPcNdDusfBjcBFfo6TdvKPPlMUEl_uEOAd6fy_M8ExcqkDH9o6435vMa8zbW5YZtBfKp14_VbNeL6EHv_S6cT86maaycGDMNfof_Jl2TFTOOOZpgsQSWnb7j/s1600/simplissimo+ingredients.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1147" data-original-width="1600" height="458" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj998vK9b_A2rjyj0tFMOiYFPcNdDusfBjcBFfo6TdvKPPlMUEl_uEOAd6fy_M8ExcqkDH9o6435vMa8zbW5YZtBfKp14_VbNeL6EHv_S6cT86maaycGDMNfof_Jl2TFTOOOZpgsQSWnb7j/s640/simplissimo+ingredients.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Ingredients:</div>
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600g pumpkin, peeled and cubed</div>
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2 cloves of garlic, peeled</div>
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1 leek, chopped</div>
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1 stick of celery, chopped</div>
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1/2 inch piece fresh ginger, peeled</div>
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1/2 inch root turmeric</div>
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1/2 red chilli, seeds removed</div>
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3/4 pint water or stock</div>
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Topping:</div>
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Handful of pumpkin seeds</div>
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Sprinkle of sea salt (roasted in a low oven for 10 minutes)</div>
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There's no 'method' as such to write. Simply add in all the ingredients, select 'smooth' and press start. It really is that simple!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEIHwLcVEHrvKXhHsGA_1CT2EQLWGZq5ARnxzJm1pGN3IKkbsPXxcquJMUgAc23NTS7S86_oczmAES5GXcv8dyzL40ef-grGYu5VN-ZJCYf0F6taUUPT0e2o-XxCDxUpi4k5E9U8hA-QMb/s1600/simplissimo+soup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEIHwLcVEHrvKXhHsGA_1CT2EQLWGZq5ARnxzJm1pGN3IKkbsPXxcquJMUgAc23NTS7S86_oczmAES5GXcv8dyzL40ef-grGYu5VN-ZJCYf0F6taUUPT0e2o-XxCDxUpi4k5E9U8hA-QMb/s640/simplissimo+soup.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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The cook function on the Simplissimo really sets if apart from other gadgets and makes it so much more than just a blender. It comes with a steamer basket so you can cook healthy, nutrient-filled vegetables, and it will even cook sous vide so you can cook vacuum packs of fish and retain all the goodness. I think this is really going to come into it's own when we're having our kitchen re-done as this little gadget can do it all.</div>
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The unit itself is very sturdy, with a good quality glass jug. The controls and touch screen buttons are very responsive and easy to use. It's stylish enough to have on your counter-top, and small enough to put away in a cupboard if you wish.</div>
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Oh, and the other thing? It has a self-clean mode. Bravo! Simply add water and washing up liquid, set it going for the 5 minute cleaning programme and it's done. Seriously, this machine is genius.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd1BZlg4S3Gtj_uOHJWu8CX2V3dmX8MWcnsC51em5QxX634wIIdSHxEd3ZBQbSo-52Sb84HgqLcsfhpSZ7YXuEXCm9tuL35Vvi0rpD0qmJRoBDIP8OoA1vQEyPTxjM_xfsPfaJF1_X2FG3/s1600/simplissimo+clean.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Simplissimo Chef Self Cleaning Mode" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1005" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd1BZlg4S3Gtj_uOHJWu8CX2V3dmX8MWcnsC51em5QxX634wIIdSHxEd3ZBQbSo-52Sb84HgqLcsfhpSZ7YXuEXCm9tuL35Vvi0rpD0qmJRoBDIP8OoA1vQEyPTxjM_xfsPfaJF1_X2FG3/s640/simplissimo+clean.jpg" title="Simplissimo Chef Self Cleaning Mode" width="400" /></a></div>
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I can't wait to try out more recipes - cocktails, dips, sauces and steamed food.</div>
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The Simplissimo Chef will be available from early November <a href="http://scott-gear.hk/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">online here</a> or from Amazon and Ebay with a RRP of £159.</div>
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Disclosure: We were sent the cook blender in exchange for our review.</div>
Liz Burtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05860282774080831783noreply@blogger.com63tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5015030219140669520.post-988694347475016472017-10-18T07:43:00.002+01:002017-10-18T07:43:17.766+01:00Michael Morpurgo's Shadow - A Review and A Giveaway<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBMzx3cahWf1dAWh6pJPR5-DH9Kgtd2jRWSXy91R2WeXWHqjrMjZlEDm2fmIxSHhg2HHjxEi-v7Tj_ovwyJI7grLTKyVb2Rr_YZbv6ND9bmuw_35CpOMYhwqbMUDmzPWYNQUAKmH8Og-1X/s1600/hc_mp_animals_twtr_bnr_amd_0410.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="1024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBMzx3cahWf1dAWh6pJPR5-DH9Kgtd2jRWSXy91R2WeXWHqjrMjZlEDm2fmIxSHhg2HHjxEi-v7Tj_ovwyJI7grLTKyVb2Rr_YZbv6ND9bmuw_35CpOMYhwqbMUDmzPWYNQUAKmH8Og-1X/s640/hc_mp_animals_twtr_bnr_amd_0410.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">Michael Morpurgo is one of the UK’s most loved authors, having written over 140 books in a career spanning over 40
years, with numerous accolades to his name, including The Children’s Book Award for a
record fourth time last year for his novel <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">An
Eagle in the Snow</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">Many of his
novels have been adapted into stage shows and several of his titles have been
made into films, most famously the Steven Spielberg-directed <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">War Horse, </i>which we were delighted to discover is on tour at Bristol so we're planning to see it over half term. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Lots of Michael’s most popular books feature stories of animals and this autumn Harper Collins are highlighting some of his most loved novels, to coincide with World Animal Day. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">As you can see from Ruby's bedtime reading stash, he's a firm favourite in our house and we were thrilled to be asked to take part in this blog tour. We're looking today at his novel Shadow, a particular favourite of Ruby's - I think she must have read it 5 or 6 times now.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzy8EgxWM29bPYP73nKa0F8-76biUBh0tAWJr_12_SlnJY-nNjAGP68PpJQRCfbo3LWmpoVQQdUO_OxrDdqZnXJc_OLADsFvitgPOInNDruAYQdSAaPlLfy9q-3AGWk2c2DYSekMK-TfYQ/s1600/shadow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="648" data-original-width="888" height="466" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzy8EgxWM29bPYP73nKa0F8-76biUBh0tAWJr_12_SlnJY-nNjAGP68PpJQRCfbo3LWmpoVQQdUO_OxrDdqZnXJc_OLADsFvitgPOInNDruAYQdSAaPlLfy9q-3AGWk2c2DYSekMK-TfYQ/s640/shadow.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The old adage of never judging a book by its cover doesn't seem to ring true for children, and she ABSOLUTELY initially chose to read it based purely on the front cover illustration showing Shadow the Springer Spaniel, as we too have a Springer. So there was an instant hook and connection. From there she has gone on to read many more of his books whether that be at home or at school.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYANU31_syZa-NihYWbIyrNVPofNdemFnpb_aTvIN9-u_QFWpA8QKoqyifm0j7Vfh8ap8zgw4bN-pqMItz6gOsLFvHLnRcDOgcRCR8pVB8Ss2d6qBnnjWLsKl8omZOmDCCcPAJBZYM9pMn/s1600/Shadow.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYANU31_syZa-NihYWbIyrNVPofNdemFnpb_aTvIN9-u_QFWpA8QKoqyifm0j7Vfh8ap8zgw4bN-pqMItz6gOsLFvHLnRcDOgcRCR8pVB8Ss2d6qBnnjWLsKl8omZOmDCCcPAJBZYM9pMn/s640/Shadow.PNG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">So, over to Ruby to explain more about the book...</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><i>What is the book about?</i></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">It is about Matt's friend, a boy called Aman who is from Afghanistan. He desperately wanted to come to England with his mother to escape the war there. While hiding in a cave, an injured dog turns up. Aman helps it to get better and they form a strong friendship and the story is about that bond and their journey to safety. But on finally arriving in England, they find that they may not be able to stay so are sent to a detention centre.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><i>Which is your favourite character in the book?</i></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The dog Shadow because I have a dog the same and Shadow is loyal, kind and brave.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><i>What did you like best about the book?</i></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I liked the story that Aman told because although it's fiction, it is a story that could have really happened to someone. I could imagine it happening because it was so well written.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">From a personal perspective, I think this book really explored the current issues around conflict, the refugee crisis and the treatment of asylum seekers, at a level that children can understand. Often these issues may be picked up when the news is on at home, or headlines from a paper, and it's such a complex and emotional issue as a parent it is one I have difficulty explaining. Morpurgo humanises the plight with his characters and makes it much more accessible for younger readers to get an understanding of some of these modern issues. Another connection for us is that much of the story is set at Yarl's Wood detention centre which is very close to where we lived. Although thankfully they no longer house children detainees there now, the centre has been plagued with controversy since it opened in 2001.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I would thoroughly recommend this book to children aged 9+, those who are interested in animals will be hooked, and if, like my daughter your child is someone who wouldn't ordinarily be drawn to a book about war, then this is a great introduction and opens up conversations about topical issues such as the plight of refugees and the way they are treated both in their own countries, and once they arrive at a 'safe' European country.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">If you want to explore further, there are some activity sheets available <a href="https://www.dropbox.com/s/xg620hehbqp0kta/shadow_activity%20sheet3.pdf?dl=0" target="_blank">here.</a></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I'm delighted to say, that I have a copy of the book Shadow, signed by Michael Morpurgo himself to give away to one lucky reader. To enter, simply complete the rafflecopter below, and don't forget to check out the #MorpurgosAnimals hashtag on social media where you'll find all the other blog posts in the book tour and a chance to win lots of other signed books.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Entrants must be resident in the UK. One winner will be chosen at random and the prize will be sent directly from the publisher. Closing date is midnight on Tuesday 31 October 2017.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">This post is a featured post in collaboration with Harper Collins.</span></div>
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<a class="rcptr" data-raflid="088289c254" data-template="" data-theme="classic" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/088289c254/" id="rcwidget_i4ggv0j3" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a>
<script src="https://widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js"></script>Liz Burtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05860282774080831783noreply@blogger.com90tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5015030219140669520.post-8775606255899154832017-09-28T10:44:00.001+01:002017-09-28T10:44:44.782+01:00Spending family time together at breakfast with Ready Brek<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Please excuse my disappearance over the past few months. We've been busy moving. Packing up our lives and moving 200 miles across the country. It's entailed a house sale and purchase; a new job; a new school and countless hours of soul-searching about leaving friends and family behind, but we did it for the promise of a better work-life balance and more family time together.</div>
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It's working out pretty well. The Other Half has swapped his daily 3-hour-plus commute for a round trip of about 40 minutes and it has enabled us to finally be able to all sit down together and eat as a family EVERY DAY - both breakfast AND dinner. There was no chance of having breakfast together previously, with him up and out every morning long before I'd even stirred. It meant the morning struggle of juggling all the family chores (you know, feeding the dog, walking the dog, getting breakfast, clearing breakfast, making packed lunch, asking child to get ready for school, asking again, asking for a third time, the inevitable hunt for a missing pencil case/football boot/water bottle etc etc) all fell to me, and tempers were often frayed. Now I have someone to share these tasks with each morning things are so much calmer!</div>
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Having breakfast together has become a real pleasure so I was delighted when <a href="https://www.weetabixfoodcompany.co.uk/our-brands/ready-brek-range" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Ready Brek</a> asked me to put their cereal to the test. Now, I clearly remember the TV adverts for this from my childhood, with the kid skipping off to school with the Ready Brek glow - central heating for kids. For some reason we never had it in my house growing up - it will go down in the annals of family history along with other items I was deprived of - the Mr Frosty slush maker and that money box that dispensed little miniature chocolate bars... bitter - moi?</div>
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Anyway, we all enjoy porridge and even though I've avoided gluten for well over a year now, I've found that normal porridge oats are fine for me. Gluten and my stomach don't get on, but thankfully oats cause me no problems at all (oats are naturally gluten free but may be mixed with other cereals in the processing stage which is why you'll find gluten-free oats for coeliacs).</div>
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Ready Brek is a great choice for kids and provides them with slow-release energy to get them through the school day. Many children's cereals are fortified with vitamins and minerals, but unfortunately they also tend to come loaded with added sugar and salt. Ready Brek contains no added salt or sugar and provides Vitamin Bs, Vitamin D and Calcium. It is finely milled making a super smooth and creamy texture and is so quick and easy to prepare.</div>
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Like the Three Bears, we all take our porridge differently, and we've been experimenting with different toppings to come up with our favourites. I like that I can prepare the toppings in advance and keep in the fridge, or use store cupboard items and then just make one big pan of Ready Brek - we all get what we like but essentially I'm just making the one breakfast.</div>
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Since moving to Somerset, I've been staggered at the amount of apples around. I mean, I knew it was famous for cider but seriously, practically every field is an orchard and every single garden contains at least one apple tree. It means you can wonder down the road, happily picking up windfalls, or help yourself to some from the many buckets outside people's homes offering them for free. I have a very sweet tooth in the morning, so I like my Ready Brek with some spiced stewed apple and a drizzle of maple syrup.</div>
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The quickest and easiest way to make up a batch of the apple sauce is as follows:</div>
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Peel, core and chop one large cooking apple.</div>
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Please in a non-metallic bowl with a sprinkle of sugar and 1/4 teaspoon each of cinnamon, all spice and nutmeg and a splash of water. </div>
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Cover with cling film and microwave on high for 1 minute.</div>
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Remove from microwave and stir. The apple should be soft and fluffy, if not, cook for a further 30 seconds.</div>
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The Old Man likes to be super-healthy with his breakfast, usually eating nuts, seeds and fruit so his winning combination was blackberries and chia seeds. We've been blessed with an abundance of blackberries this year and I'm frantically picking them to freeze or make juice and jam with before the end of September when legend has it the Devil pees on them and makes them all inedible! </div>
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For his, I cook up some blackberries with a little sugar, much like making jam but before taking it to the furious boil and setting point. The cooked blackberries keep well in a covered pot in the fridge for a week or two.</div>
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Like me, Ruby also has a sweet tooth in the morning. Her absolute favourite topping is a spoonful of chocolate hazelnut spread and a handful of toasted hazelnuts for some added crunch.</div>
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The only problem is our happy family breakfasts are now filled with banter about whose breakfast is best! What do you think? Which would you choose or do you have your own idea? I'd love to hear in the comments.</div>
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And you can check out how some other bloggers like their Ready Brek in these posts:</div>
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<a href="https://themummysphere.co.uk/ready-brek-banana-muffin-recipe/" target="_blank">The Mummy Sphere</a> makes banana breakfast muffins with hers</div>
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<a href="http://pinkoddy.co.uk/blog/2017/09/28/breakfast-ideas/" target="_blank">Pink Oddy</a> has lots of suggestions including overnight oats, smoothies and flapjacks</div>
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This is a collaborative post with Ready Brek.</div>
Liz Burtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05860282774080831783noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5015030219140669520.post-26723089282963745202017-07-04T07:44:00.000+01:002017-07-04T07:44:48.618+01:00Harper Collins Summer Reads - Grandpa's Great Escape inspired days out and a book bundle giveaway!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I'm delighted to have been asked to take part in the Harper Collins Summer Reads Book Tour, joining with a bunch of other lovely bloggers talking about our favourite kid's books and sharing some ideas for nurturing the love of reading.</div>
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We've picked a David Walliams book as he's a very firm favourite in this house. It's no secret that we're massive fans of his, desperate to get our hands on new releases as soon as they come out. We had a fabulous time hearing him talk on stage last year about his <a href="http://missielizzie-meandmyshadow.blogspot.co.uk/2016/11/david-walliams-talks-about-midnight-gang.html" target="_blank">Midnight Gang book</a>, and we got our grubby mitts on his follow up World's Worst Children book as soon as it was published.</div>
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We've chosen to talk about another of his books, <a href="https://www.worldofdavidwalliams.com/book/grandpas-great-escape/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Grandpa's Great Escape</a> as it's so well loved in this house. Ruby's teacher read it to the class last year when they were studying World War II, and it's since been read and re-read countless times at bedtime.</div>
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Hearing David talk about his inspiration for characters, he said that it can be found everywhere and in everyone. Much like another favourite, Gansgta Granny (see below for last years World Book Day dress up!), it's refreshing to have older people as the heroes. Elderly folk can be overlooked by the youth as having little to offer, but talking to them you soon begin to understand the exciting lives they have lead and the adventures they've had.</div>
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As someone who has just lost their last grandparent at the ripe old age of 99, I looked with wonder and admiration at the photos of my Nana in her youth, exploring the countryside, riding her bike for hundreds of miles over dale and moor, carrying camping gear on her back, swimming in rivers and cooking on a campfire. It's easy to forget they were young once, full of vibrancy and vigour. It's also this generation who can tell, first hand, the stories of wartime Britain.</div>
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Grandpa's Great Escape does just that, as Grandpa recounts his heroic tales from the time he was a Spitfire pilot soaring through the skies, to his grandson Jack.</div>
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For me, the book is tinged with sadness - an elderly grandparent suffering from dementia, someone who survived the war, worked hard all their life to be written off and confined to a non-caring care-home, but that's me still dealing with my own grief. For the most part, and for the child audience it's written for, it's full of charm, humour and adventure.</div>
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If you are not familiar with the book, I'm sure this clip of David Walliams reading from Grandpa's Great Escape will persuade you to give it a go.</div>
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Daring escapes, thrilling aerial displays and parachute descents into Buckingham Palace, this book has it all, and I've come up with some ideas for the summer holidays for fans of the book.</div>
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<a href="http://www.iwm.org.uk/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Imperial War Museum, London</a></div>
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Whilst I don't recommend trying to steal a Spitfire, or even taking a nap in the cockpit, take a visit to see the Battle of Britain planes close up.</div>
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Not only does the museum itself feature in the plot - you can see the domed roof with the portal windows where Jack and Grandpa sneaked in and the huge canons they used to climb up - but you can also learn all about family life during wartime in the permanent exhibition, covering all aspects of living in London including The Blitz, air-raid shelters and rationing. And of course you can marvel at the planes and tanks on display. The newly refitted museum has a huge atrium where you will find the Sopwith Camel, the Spitfire and the Mark V tank as mentioned in the book.</div>
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Admission is free.</div>
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<a href="http://www.iwm.org.uk/visits/iwm-north" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Imperial War Museum, Manchester</a><br />
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If you're based in the north of England, then pop along to Manchester IWM and see their exhibition of the Manchester Blitz, to understand more about what it was like during that time, and you can learn about the RAF pilots the 'Dam Busters'. Admission is free.</div>
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<a href="http://www.iwm.org.uk/sites/default/files/styles/article_main_breakpoints_theme_iwm_responsive_desktop_1x/public/iwm_solr_field/large/ZZZ%203989D.jpg?itok=O8klKdJJ&timestamp=1479387319" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.iwm.org.uk/sites/default/files/styles/article_main_breakpoints_theme_iwm_responsive_desktop_1x/public/iwm_solr_field/large/ZZZ%203989D.jpg?itok=O8klKdJJ&timestamp=1479387319" data-original-height="595" data-original-width="800" height="474" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.iwm.org.uk/exhibitions/iwm-duxford/explore-duxford" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">IWM, Duxford, Cambridgeshire</a><br />
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Entrance fees apply here (£18 per adult and £9 for children 5-15). At Duxford you can get up close with a Spitfire, a Lancaster and a Tiger Moth. Visit the Battle Of Britain exhibition and hear real-life heroes talk of their memories of defending Britain's skies. The first Spitfires flew from RAF Duxford. </div>
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Duxford is famous for it's <a href="http://www.iwm.org.uk/events/iwm-duxford/airshows" target="_blank">air shows</a>, the next of which will be the Flying Legends Airshow weekend of 8th and 9th July, and the Battle of Britain Airshow in September.</div>
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<a href="http://www.iwm.org.uk/sites/default/files/styles/ex_content_breakpoints_theme_iwm_responsive_desktop_1x/public/images/exhibitions/082.jpg?itok=DB1zOub-&timestamp=1496826830" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.iwm.org.uk/sites/default/files/styles/ex_content_breakpoints_theme_iwm_responsive_desktop_1x/public/images/exhibitions/082.jpg?itok=DB1zOub-&timestamp=1496826830" data-original-height="399" data-original-width="600" height="424" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">RAF Museum, Hendon</a><br />
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Whilst admission is free, you might want to book yourself on the flight simulator at £3 per person, and see if you could cut it as a Wing commander or a Squadron Leader. Or perhaps experience the 4D interactive flight show complete with sounds, movement, smoke effects and even water spray for a fully immersive experience of life in the air. Or for £10, you can join the '<a href="https://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/london/things-to-see-and-do/spitfire-experience.aspx" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Spitfire Cockpit</a>' gang and sit in a real-life Spitfire. Restrictions and exclusions apply, so please check before visiting.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://themummysphere.co.uk/wp/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/RAF-Hendon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="600" height="426" src="https://themummysphere.co.uk/wp/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/RAF-Hendon.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">photo credit: <a href="https://themummysphere.co.uk/free-things-to-do-with-kids-in-st-albans/" target="_blank">The MummySphere </a></td></tr>
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I hope that's motivated you to have a Great Escape of your own. To help inspire a summer of adventures for you, I'm offering readers the chance to win a bundle of Harper Collins children's books as featured above. These include:</div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The World's Worst Children 2 by David Walliams</span></div>
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Animalcule<span style="font-family: inherit;"> by David Baddiel</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Finding Gobi (Young Readers Edition) by Dion Leonard</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Paddington's Finest Hour - By Michael Bond (who will be sadly missed, RIP)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Goodly & Grave in a Bad Case of Kidnap by Justine Windsor</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Darkmouth - Hero Rising by Shane Hegarty</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Grandpa's Great Escape by David Walliams</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The Fox & The Ghost King by Michael Morpurgo</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Pirate Blunderbeard by Amy Sparks and Bed Cort</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Radio Boy by Christian O'Connell</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">To enter, please complete the rafflecopter and tell me what is your child's favourite book and what adventures or days out has it inspired.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">This </span>giveaway<span style="font-family: inherit;"> is open to UK entrants only. One winner will be chosen at random </span>after<span style="font-family: inherit;"> the closing date at midnight on Sunday 23rd July 2017. </span>Don't<span style="font-family: inherit;"> forget to visit the other #HCSummerReads blogs and follow on Twitter for more chances to win.</span></div>
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<a class="rcptr" data-raflid="088289c253" data-template="" data-theme="classic" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/088289c253/" id="rcwidget_j3vcsjyg" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a> </div>
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<script src="https://widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js"></script>
Disclosure: This is a collaborative post.</div>
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Liz Burtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05860282774080831783noreply@blogger.com145tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5015030219140669520.post-80737683015129146972017-06-30T16:59:00.002+01:002017-06-30T17:47:53.094+01:00Pizza Express Live at High Holborn - A New London Music Venue<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsNJFCoR0Uzy9S1Lj_YtzyDZl2Lr7K6RbxxBlHNB13uFvSYdNitcJFp2TVthC3S08I8bhpwRvg_Dwx31ZHftfmwo7sGyGgM5G3BCi2uAHk2IxBNgMHiqsIy8RFIp15T1J9ft25cU1npYo6/s1600/pizza+express.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1351" data-original-width="1600" height="540" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsNJFCoR0Uzy9S1Lj_YtzyDZl2Lr7K6RbxxBlHNB13uFvSYdNitcJFp2TVthC3S08I8bhpwRvg_Dwx31ZHftfmwo7sGyGgM5G3BCi2uAHk2IxBNgMHiqsIy8RFIp15T1J9ft25cU1npYo6/s640/pizza+express.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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It's no secret that I'm a <a href="http://missielizzie-meandmyshadow.blogspot.co.uk/2016/03/pizza-express-gluten-free-family-meal.html" target="_blank">Pizza Express lover.</a> I always have been, but since going gluten-free 18 months ago to try and address some of my health issues, I've fallen even further in love with it - hell they even now stock gluten-free beer. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvKBSD6DPdNfpGGDbq7dVH8e06WCuyjx9Tj_pJGxUYBXAhKbYeO3a7aeKqFlAejyNvmsF2C0197cz75tB-83SNKNpovCOa9fclYMua4t_kDVLvP3Fu4Nlbs6c4WT4j-rCIk7z8buR3jZIi/s1600/IMG_1456.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvKBSD6DPdNfpGGDbq7dVH8e06WCuyjx9Tj_pJGxUYBXAhKbYeO3a7aeKqFlAejyNvmsF2C0197cz75tB-83SNKNpovCOa9fclYMua4t_kDVLvP3Fu4Nlbs6c4WT4j-rCIk7z8buR3jZIi/s640/IMG_1456.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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In my opinion, it's the best chain restaurant for gluten-free diners, as there's so much choice and you don't need to miss out on your favourites - hello dough balls!</div>
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I was invited along with a bunch of lovely bloggers to the newly refurbished and relaunched branch at <a href="https://www.pizzaexpress.com/high-holborn" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">High Holborn</a>. Really easy to get to, it's just across the road from Holborn tube station, and a short stroll from Covent Garden and Theatreland making it perfect for a meal with friends.</div>
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The purpose of our visit was two-fold. To experience a pizza-making party, and to get a sneak peek of the basement music venue, Pizza Express Live before it opens to the public with live music and comedy artists.</div>
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Now, the pizza party was fun! I've been to kids pizza making parties at <a href="https://www.pizzaexpress.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Pizza Express</a> before, in fact we booked one for Ruby a couple of years ago and I have to say I was a bit jealous of the fun they had. </div>
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Slightly awkwardly, we were in the main restaurant area, with other diners all around, and very close to the kitchen where the professional chefs were doing their thing. The pressure!</div>
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The table was all prepared for us, each station had its own apron and hat, and we nervously took our places. We had a lovely member of staff dedicated to us to show us how it was done and another who kept us supplied with all the ingredients we needed. Clever trick - each person's hat is numbered, then a little numbered label goes onto the pizza before going into the oven to ensure everyone gets the correct pizza. The paper labels are soaked in olive oil to prevent them from burning.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFcQp-4aiUgmi72PY6vwMwxYtzqsuAGt-u4HjXH2zDBNGefvN8HvXd_cqo8bbRNltBisEhBetxMON5YTqoeUmb7XHBP2Z63gLDlSSWGoAVuIztXm-hTAwhbv2GR9bl3fqU31d3dor4M8qY/s1600/PE+roll.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1042" data-original-width="1600" height="416" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFcQp-4aiUgmi72PY6vwMwxYtzqsuAGt-u4HjXH2zDBNGefvN8HvXd_cqo8bbRNltBisEhBetxMON5YTqoeUmb7XHBP2Z63gLDlSSWGoAVuIztXm-hTAwhbv2GR9bl3fqU31d3dor4M8qY/s640/PE+roll.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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As a gluten-free diner, I was curious how this was going to work as the gluten-free bases are all pre-prepared and sealed, made in a certified GF factory rather than fresh on site like the normal dough. However, they were more than happy to give me some dough to play with, so I still got the experience of rolling it, twirling it and fitting it to a pan. They then let me put toppings on a second, gluten-free base so I could eat it after cooking - winner!</div>
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Making your own pizza certainly adds to the experience of eating out. It's great to be able to pick exactly what you want on it with toppings, but also decide how thick you want your base, whether you want a crust, how much cheese you want, and then have the anticipation of waiting for your creation to come out of the oven. The host made the activity fun and light-hearted, but I did still feel like I'd learnt some skills. I can see an adult pizza party working really well as a hen-do or a work outing/team-building exercise.</div>
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We returned to our table to await the arrival of our cooked pizzas and enjoyed some prosecco and dough-balls while soaking up the new decor. Sumptuous deep-buttoned tan leather bench sofas, chevron wooden styling on the walls, the archetypal Pizza Express marble table tops and low hanging pendant lighting made for a very Instagram-worthy setting.</div>
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After a lovely meal, and a little light-hearted competition over who had made the best pizza, we were shown down to the basement, the new live music venue. Pizza Express Dean Street in Soho has long been famed as a jazz venue, and more recently The Pheasantry in Chelsea came second only to The Royal Albert Hall as the Best Live Music Venue in the London Lifestyle Awards. <a href="https://www.pizzaexpresslive.com/venues/pizzaexpress-live-holborn" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Pizza Express Live at Holborn</a> is set to follow in these footsteps, with a Manager who is passionate about music.</div>
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The beautiful, atmospherically styled basement is so new you could still smell the oak flooring. Due to open in September with music greats such as Mica Paris and Tom Chaplin, comedy legend Johnny Vegas and some 'audience with' guests such as ex-Arsenal player Paul Merson, they will be launching with a bang.</div>
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The acoustics in the dining room and the state-of-the-art sound system are going to make for very memorable nights out, where you can experience the intimacy of hearing great artists in a small venue. The stage is the same level as the diners, with bar-style seating in-the-round meaning you can get up close and personal with the acts, whilst enjoying your favourite foods from the menu, or a drink from the bar.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuBryPoA7I7oT4ztBXXa2HBagpt8u31i2bDZWhrLBjpgsEGf1AIihe1UNGlaa031zZD1T1Iwcjqj1sjRjF52TTP9YaGmAits0fInLffbCtGYIwToMCA2HYKR0gY2rrWugivf2Vv-ju15mq/s1600/PE+Bar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1134" data-original-width="1600" height="452" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuBryPoA7I7oT4ztBXXa2HBagpt8u31i2bDZWhrLBjpgsEGf1AIihe1UNGlaa031zZD1T1Iwcjqj1sjRjF52TTP9YaGmAits0fInLffbCtGYIwToMCA2HYKR0gY2rrWugivf2Vv-ju15mq/s640/PE+Bar.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Like upstairs, the styling is exquisite, oak parquet flooring, leather and velvet seating and wooden chevron panelled walls with moody lighting. I definitely think this is going to rival the other Pizza Express Live branches.</div>
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This is a venue to keep your eye on. You heard it here first!<br />
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Disclosure: Thanks to Pizza Express for their hospitality. This is a collaborative post.Liz Burtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05860282774080831783noreply@blogger.com29tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5015030219140669520.post-57781368644008383572017-03-21T11:57:00.002+00:002017-03-21T12:00:18.348+00:00New Horizons and New Starts with Comic Relief<div style="text-align: justify;">
The table is strewn with packs of Monster Munch and Haribos. The smell of acetone from the nail polish remover burns my nostrils. A gaggle of teenage girls paint their nails, and apply make-up, expertly contouring and checking their handiwork in compact mirrors. There's light-hearted banter and chatter filling the room.</div>
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This could be any teenage girl's bedroom in the country. Except it's not.</div>
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I feel slightly uncomfortable and intrusive as I'm lurking in the background of the weekly Women's Group that takes place at the <a href="http://nhyouthcentre.org.uk/" target="_blank">New Horizon Centre</a> near Kings Cross, especially when I learn the golden rule: What happens in Women's Group, stays in Women's Group.</div>
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Suddenly, the girls decide that they will go around the room, taking it in turns to each pay each other a compliment. They comment on each other's beautiful eyes, their smiles, their open nature. Then they turn to Hazz.</div>
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Hazz is the Women's Worker, a full-time employee funded by Comic Relief. It's the first time I realise that she's an employee rather than one of the group. The session is being led not by her, but by two of the young women in the group. They cajole her into saying something nice about each of them, and without missing a beat, Hazz speaks eloquently about positive attributes each young woman has - whether it's incredible artistic talents, a non-judgemental attitude or complete reliability and dedication, it's clear she knows these girls inside out.</div>
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I know if I'd heard these affirmations said about me, I'd leave the session feeling a million dollars, but it's only after, after we hear these young people's stories it dawns on me what a lifeline these positive comments can be. For young women who have had their self-confidence and feeling of self-worth systematically sapped from them, this boost is incredibly important.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKoT0cipsUo2SRVF7cnSmDcfTkVReDfhDII75OihLyY0ExoH4bolY2Wwf6Xg7vQO6xKAULnP62yXPUqd5KEWodKhgx7EYUdLDkngul9dKrUkbZOcpLfzuBHz6Grf9Di3C1lh-r2zI07obq/s1600/Hazz.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKoT0cipsUo2SRVF7cnSmDcfTkVReDfhDII75OihLyY0ExoH4bolY2Wwf6Xg7vQO6xKAULnP62yXPUqd5KEWodKhgx7EYUdLDkngul9dKrUkbZOcpLfzuBHz6Grf9Di3C1lh-r2zI07obq/s640/Hazz.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Women's Worker Hazz - left</td></tr>
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After the session, we meet Farrah*. She is breathtakingly beautiful, and if life had dealt her a different hand you could easily see her as a famous young British actress treading the boards on the West End. She secured a place at a prestigious youth theatre group but unfortunately her alcoholism put an end to that.</div>
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She started drinking as a young teenage girl, like many of her peers. However, coming from a devoutly religious family, this was not accepted and she was soon ostracised. The drinking spiralled and she'd often go missing for days on end. Her increased drinking lead her to mix with the wrong crowd, and she found herself in dangerous situations. </div>
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And then one day she was raped.</div>
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Her bravery talking about this was incredible. Clearly still raw she didn't go into details, except to say that it never resulted in a criminal prosecution for the perpetrator. The case was dropped. It is agonisingly difficult to comprehend this injustice and the lack of closure this has given her. The distrust of the law and the feelings of self-doubt. </div>
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At her lowest ebb, she found New Horizons and with the support of staff like Hazz, she is putting her life back together. A young girl, only a few years older than my daughter, let down by every establishment that should have been there to help her - her family, school, social services, the police...</div>
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The experiences this young woman has had in her short life are heartbreaking - death threats from her family, hospitalisation from suicide attempts, a brutal sexual assault and homelessness. If it hadn't been for New Horizons, she genuinely doesn't know where she'd be right now.</div>
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But with help to get away from the environment she'd found herself in, support to find accommodation, counselling to deal with her mental trauma, and the re-building of her self esteem, she's now completing a course to start her own business as a make-up artist and has been sober for over a month. Her eyes shine bright with determination, and you can tell, she's turned a corner.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2hVtJdlOyuxx_1gkABtxDNh-5rwnx6TR9CMSbpyl0fdzPoPVnvTb0yDIV_uzjb6JZSJUeJSJXUM-QA2fZWhXvT9zlJwmS3jsl-G9BDUpcDaxLL7Ovzi5mh1hYqeIyHOjjkUh_INAg66S-/s1600/reception.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2hVtJdlOyuxx_1gkABtxDNh-5rwnx6TR9CMSbpyl0fdzPoPVnvTb0yDIV_uzjb6JZSJUeJSJXUM-QA2fZWhXvT9zlJwmS3jsl-G9BDUpcDaxLL7Ovzi5mh1hYqeIyHOjjkUh_INAg66S-/s640/reception.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Senior Youth Worker, Steven offers a friendly and non-judgemental welcome to all new visitors</td></tr>
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Then we meet Polly* and Lucy*. What's clear, is that each young women has their own story, but also just how easily it could happen to anyone. Without the support of a loving family, these incidents can be the catalyst for a life to quickly spiral out of control. Lucy tells that she "owes more to the workers at New Horizon that she does to her own mother".</div>
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Lucy is a strong-willed and incredibly likeable person. She's feisty and passionate and you can see how, when not channelled positively it led her to scrapes with the police. She feels sure that if it weren't for Hazz, she'd be on the streets doing drugs right now. Instead, with the right guidance and nurturing, she's now leading some sessions at Women's Group and is passionately standing up for women's rights. She talks about how young girls are so often bombarded with cat-calls and derogatory comments in the street or in a bar, but that behaviour is not tolerated here. All the visitors to the centre must treat each other with respect, and not only does this help the female visitors feel comfortable and safe, but it shows the young men that this behaviour is wrong and that women must be treated equally. She's a feisty feminist ready to take on the injustices of the world.</div>
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Hazz has been working at the centre for 6 years. Her three-year full-time contract is funded by Comic Relief. She's modest when it comes to the success she's had here and the incredible impact she has made on people's lives. Without any judgement at all, she's always ready to listen and is one of those people who just always seems to know exactly the right thing to say.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA9NCZvMYYWW9e1dGo5C7J5YofMFdl-NVZRhHC-fAVxofOoq5ZTR5VNQsE7cSJd9_F7MtFDqTxUUWDd-h3wk_aB1RpPN8Ll2U4pYOL_l8tuNXAcxEeaGhg74QvUdLXg-AL-TbHugyZxIRY/s1600/workshops.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="534" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA9NCZvMYYWW9e1dGo5C7J5YofMFdl-NVZRhHC-fAVxofOoq5ZTR5VNQsE7cSJd9_F7MtFDqTxUUWDd-h3wk_aB1RpPN8Ll2U4pYOL_l8tuNXAcxEeaGhg74QvUdLXg-AL-TbHugyZxIRY/s640/workshops.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The wide range of activities and life skills workshops on offer</td></tr>
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The holistic approach taken by the staff compliments the practical help offered at the centre. From housing benefit advice to serving hot meals and offering a laundry service, this is a lifeline to many. Without your generous support of Comic Relief's fundraising, these kind of places couldn't exist, and the final safety net for vulnerable young people might disappear.</div>
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* Names changed</div>
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Special thanks to Ali for organising the visit, to all the staff at New Horizons and the inspiring young women who allowed us into their sanctuary. Check out the other posts from <a href="http://chocolateisnottheonlyfruit.blogspot.co.uk/2017/03/new-horizons-and-positive-futures-for.html" target="_blank">Chocolate is not the only fruit</a>, <a href="http://beingmrsc.com/being_mrs_c/2017/03/seeing-comic-relief-support-new-horizons-youth-centre.html" target="_blank">Being Mrs C</a>, Mad Mum of 7 and Missy B and Family. If you'd like to donate to this year's joint blogger effort of Team Honk for Comic Relief, please do so <a href="https://my.rednoseday.com/sponsor/teamhonk" target="_blank">here</a>.</div>
<br />Liz Burtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05860282774080831783noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5015030219140669520.post-41709531761307393102017-03-20T14:41:00.000+00:002017-03-20T14:41:04.340+00:00Share a photo, Give a Meal to Trussell Trust Food Banks<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.trusselltrust.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/11/trussell-trust-logo-500px.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://www.trusselltrust.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/11/trussell-trust-logo-500px.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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It's easy to take for granted how fortunate I am. There's always food in the fridge and the freezer, and even at the end of the month, there's always plenty of staples in the cupboard to cobble together meals. There are times when I've had a busy day and am too tired to cook and I can just pick up the phone and order a takeaway. Or if we have something to celebrate, we'll think nothing of going out to dinner.<br />
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It's easy to forget that not everyone is this fortunate. Today, in 2017, the use of food banks in the UK is still on the rise. Food insecurity is a massive issue in the UK.<br />
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<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">More than 8 million Brits live in households that struggle to put food on the table</span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">4.7 million regularly go a day without eating</span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">3 million people in the UK are malnourished</span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Food poverty in the UK is rising at alarming rates</span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">The lowest income households in the UK only have on average of £3.00 per day to spend on food</span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Studies show a lack of flavor in diets reduces energy levels and creates negative thoughts.</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">These statistics, while shocking, are not so hard to understand when you think that most of us are only a pay check away from finding ourselves in this situation. Family circumstances can change in a heart beat, and it's frighteningly easy for people to find themselves calling on a food bank for a crisis parcel. It could be a redundancy, sudden ill health, a relationship breakdown, a mix up with benefits or debt problems...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /><a href="https://www.knorr.com/uk/Flavourforall/Donateyourplate.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Knorr</a> have started a campaign which is running until midnight on 27th March 2017, where you can help in such an easy way, why wouldn't you do it? Simply share a photo on Instagram, a black and white photo of your meal using the hashtag #FlavourForAll and Knorr will donate the value of a meal to the Trussell Trust to help someone who is suffering food insecurity.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5RzUkrXrtglHGAWemyg0n8x-11rqkm_UN1yOGw9UBS0jO-PH6J49XJrnofE0CP0EtXQ0KN_54lBEcTokMutoO59gPkuEqBC-Vq6LKm2irdhjBsjCLVK6_82eLwj7XGitCWZmDBiejTDhK/s1600/IMG_0510.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5RzUkrXrtglHGAWemyg0n8x-11rqkm_UN1yOGw9UBS0jO-PH6J49XJrnofE0CP0EtXQ0KN_54lBEcTokMutoO59gPkuEqBC-Vq6LKm2irdhjBsjCLVK6_82eLwj7XGitCWZmDBiejTDhK/s640/IMG_0510.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">If you need more persuasion, please do take a look at some of their <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/trusselltrust" target="_blank">videos</a> which show just what a difference the Trussell Trust make. Not just giving emergency food parcels, but offering a friendly face, a cup of tea and a chat, a non-judgemental ear to listen and practical advice and signposting to deal with the root causes.</span></div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/9E4IqC4fH9Q?ecver=1" width="560"></iframe><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Why don't you share your meal today and help give a nourishing meal to someone who needs it?</span></div>
Liz Burtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05860282774080831783noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5015030219140669520.post-36600991690846009352017-03-07T12:07:00.002+00:002017-03-07T12:16:52.007+00:00If You Go Down To The Woods Today...Gruffalo Spotting With the New App<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7dMqi9fmspaZHxL4kH_ccWDwIXmg9yxv-z0WrLtLTHvEJr3gFvtb4Eii5ZeTLwibIEBc2KINuuTSf82UB7szr82wBaScm_B52MoKv6JATqSt67kmuRlQsawUDq3JHlCY7-TXoXUkVnO5n/s1600/be+a+gruffly+spotter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7dMqi9fmspaZHxL4kH_ccWDwIXmg9yxv-z0WrLtLTHvEJr3gFvtb4Eii5ZeTLwibIEBc2KINuuTSf82UB7szr82wBaScm_B52MoKv6JATqSt67kmuRlQsawUDq3JHlCY7-TXoXUkVnO5n/s640/be+a+gruffly+spotter.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Have you heard what's happening at forests up and down the land? For several years now, the Forestry Commission have been in partnership with the well-loved Julia Donaldson tale The Gruffalo and Magic Light Production (makers of the animated film). They have Gruffalo sculptures hidden in the woods to discover and trails to follow, but now, for the first time they have embraced state-of-the-art technology and bring us a new <a href="http://www.forestry.gov.uk/gruffalo?utm_source=bloggers" target="_blank">augmented reality app</a> to bring the Gruffalo and his forest friends to life.<br />
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Admittedly, this new app is aimed at younger audiences (pre-schoolers and early-years) and at nearly nine I wondered what Ruby would think of it. But it's such a dearly loved story, ingrained on this generation's psyche and the added benefit of using an app really appealed! We are an outdoorsy family, so I had some qualms about bringing technology out on our walk, but actually, it worked really well and enhanced the experience rather than being a distraction.</div>
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We tried out the trail at nearby Wendover Woods (you can check your nearest forest and launch dates <a href="http://www.forestry.gov.uk/gruffalo?utm_source=bloggers" target="_blank">here</a>). You can purchase a pack to accompany the trail from the cafe or the Go Ape Centre for £3 and although it's not vital for following the trail, it will give you items to help you on your quest, as well as extra materials to extend the fun such as animal activity sheets and fact cards.</div>
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We visited on a Saturday morning and it was reasonably busy, but with everyone going at their own pace there was plenty of space and we weren't rushed. If you're going with pre-schoolers I'd recommend trying to go in off-peak times such as during a school day.</div>
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First stop was the cafe for vital re-fuelling - hats of the Cafe in the Woods for excellent gluten-free carrot cake! You can purchase your pack here.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cafe in the Woods make a mean hot chocolate.</td></tr>
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A short stroll over to the play area, and you soon spot signs for the start of the trail. This first section was very very muddy and we did see a few parents with buggies struggling - I'd recommend an all-terrain pushchair. But after the initial mud-fest the rest of the trail was on well-maintained pathways and easy to negotiate. A word of warning - this first short section is shared use with mountain-bikers and they can come tearing round so keep little ones and dogs on a short leash!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLV4ZxqTJCSrq4fNocjxnYwC3Vx1-qrzJHnjijUATerzuQ8_W08PlK8sNrwCjWwHKgNXUDJ6r3Qd3bGUQzs60iQeesjhUgWVCZkGPTfXKx2eFoOAeieCF4C_Q40DKQ6LYSs6X0IaGj8SOE/s1600/IMG_1173.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLV4ZxqTJCSrq4fNocjxnYwC3Vx1-qrzJHnjijUATerzuQ8_W08PlK8sNrwCjWwHKgNXUDJ6r3Qd3bGUQzs60iQeesjhUgWVCZkGPTfXKx2eFoOAeieCF4C_Q40DKQ6LYSs6X0IaGj8SOE/s640/IMG_1173.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Clear, easy to spot signposting along the way</td></tr>
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As you reach fork in the path, the mountain bikers go off on their own way, and you have the path to yourself. The trail has lots of signs and clues to find along the way, indicating which of the characters you'll find next - will it be mouse, or owl or snake? It was nice that you didn't need your phone until a little way along the trail when you come to the first augmented reality sign. It gave us chance to settle into the forest, enjoy the colours and smells and relax.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxVfxtEYLS_jljqPEQy2LBxGYcCbM7dh7m2J_6wlnmY-eO__Pz2Gn23yDpQJvhlEy43CqQ1cM0ig8VnAHLe0touSRjnGaxnhRKS0SWZdTkIIaWEZ9bC2ydDhyphenhyphenciM7qj9HJyPX7wSKRzxLY/s1600/IMG_3443.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxVfxtEYLS_jljqPEQy2LBxGYcCbM7dh7m2J_6wlnmY-eO__Pz2Gn23yDpQJvhlEy43CqQ1cM0ig8VnAHLe0touSRjnGaxnhRKS0SWZdTkIIaWEZ9bC2ydDhyphenhyphenciM7qj9HJyPX7wSKRzxLY/s640/IMG_3443.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The bold, colourful signage is easy to spot, making the way and giving clues</td></tr>
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While some children were racing on from one sign to the next, others were ambling, stopping for a splash in a muddy puddle or to pick up a pretty leaf. You really can go at your own pace.</div>
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The trail took us through parts of the forest we'd not explored before, past beautiful vistas and mossy glades and we all really enjoyed just being outdoors in nature on what was the first real spring-like day of the year. We heard a woodpecker's hammering echoing around the forest and found huge piles of autumn leaves to kick through.</div>
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The whole trail at Wendover was about 2km but it didn't feel like it to us - I guess littler legs might feel it though?</div>
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Once we reached our first Gruffalo Spotter sign and were able to turn on the app, we were all captivated by the magical animation. It was fabulous to be able to take shots via the app of Ruby with the characters, and of course, you are then able to share them on social media.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV47NJWISdyHJgdV_AS5VXK-E3Qa-VUs2LlP4384yWfVxZRAwsz6kWdFx7VKWoLNxN28JxYsirzfhH3Eq_0y57GxGAmtH5reRxmKShaJNe7UEX_DczRZFW4DFVe3D-otiV3L_RK-U4c8Ji/s1600/IMG_0431.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV47NJWISdyHJgdV_AS5VXK-E3Qa-VUs2LlP4384yWfVxZRAwsz6kWdFx7VKWoLNxN28JxYsirzfhH3Eq_0y57GxGAmtH5reRxmKShaJNe7UEX_DczRZFW4DFVe3D-otiV3L_RK-U4c8Ji/s640/IMG_0431.PNG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The animation is magical</td></tr>
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The app is fairly straightforward to operate, instructions and guiders on the screen show you where to point it (tip - you have to be fairly close).</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieEd-5u474h-cb45yauxUb2yPYFgwFJ-0qenpzm97T5b-0dPrYq_go5dLL90vyzBnq5jbdLT-AZK4T8Soarz2A7CvjaoiG23VKKH8ayS3SZWmcSggZjM8O9zCpuqtBts2xrObvG8Z0ruiv/s1600/IMG_0435.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieEd-5u474h-cb45yauxUb2yPYFgwFJ-0qenpzm97T5b-0dPrYq_go5dLL90vyzBnq5jbdLT-AZK4T8Soarz2A7CvjaoiG23VKKH8ayS3SZWmcSggZjM8O9zCpuqtBts2xrObvG8Z0ruiv/s640/IMG_0435.PNG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">How the screen looks in app, with guiders showing where to point</td></tr>
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Each time you find a character and bring it to life, you are rewarded with a fact card on the app - rather like a Top Trump card, giving details of the creature's attributes. There are suggestions of activities to do aswell - can you stomp like a Gruffalo? And at the end you earn a 'certificate'.</div>
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It looks as though each creature can only be animated once, with only one child that wasn't a problem for us, but I guess if you have siblings you may want to download it to more than one phone if you can. I think if we want to do the trail again, we'll have to delete the app and reinstall it for another time.</div>
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We saw lots of children and parents enjoying the app, it takes a bit of practice to position yourself in the best place for a photo with the creature, but it was great fun. Some younger children may struggle with the concept - they are standing in front of a sign and not seeing what the phone operator sees, so it's worth switching between adult and child having a go.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsNvGqGk1foqQ-0A3YFCKLSbtUPZ3eoJpM5CY3t8E7mWSa_dPTR7WRyZhIWOu6C3HmPjBZ3V91kNg9h21SQdwrJJrpFQZq089Bi9MAwSb0t42ydmx2Zsf3q2vgqwvrPMza7JF6RJBFs24p/s1600/Gruffalo+Stage+Right.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsNvGqGk1foqQ-0A3YFCKLSbtUPZ3eoJpM5CY3t8E7mWSa_dPTR7WRyZhIWOu6C3HmPjBZ3V91kNg9h21SQdwrJJrpFQZq089Bi9MAwSb0t42ydmx2Zsf3q2vgqwvrPMza7JF6RJBFs24p/s640/Gruffalo+Stage+Right.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Enter Gruffalo stage right!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwLFEsqV9e6FzGY4TPQ-idKiaU0zt7m3Wl-T9OKV2VY3BapJTqtRx6jG2e9vb0GJhoB1Rmkp-Khgr0tjBtBmj0M0rafdKr-gVy2R5E3XvDlvLG-YyRFzPtMtpzBwxiMAejU57mBZA5Kkxa/s1600/Gruffalo+Dwarfs+Ruby.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwLFEsqV9e6FzGY4TPQ-idKiaU0zt7m3Wl-T9OKV2VY3BapJTqtRx6jG2e9vb0GJhoB1Rmkp-Khgr0tjBtBmj0M0rafdKr-gVy2R5E3XvDlvLG-YyRFzPtMtpzBwxiMAejU57mBZA5Kkxa/s640/Gruffalo+Dwarfs+Ruby.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Be warned - he's HUGE. You can't even see Ruby hiding behind him!</td></tr>
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We thought this new technology was a great addition to a forest day out and I'm sure some less outdoorsy people could be tempted into the woods with it. The app is free to download (just search Gruffalo Spotter), you don't need any data or connection to use it once you're in the forest, but because signal isn't always great in the woods, remember to download it before your visit.</div>
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Find out more on the <a href="http://www.forestry.gov.uk/gruffalo?utm_source=bloggers" target="_blank">Forestry Commission</a> website.<br />
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Disclosure: We were sent an activity pack for the trail.</div>
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<a href="http://www.coombemill.com/blog/category/Country-Kids.aspx" target="_blank" title="Country Kids from Coombe Mill"></a><br />
<center>
<a href="http://www.coombemill.com/blog/category/Country-Kids.aspx" target="_blank" title="Country Kids from Coombe Mill"><img alt="Country Kids" src="http://www.coombemill.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/th_Country_Kids_badge_transparent.png" title="Country Kids from Coombe Mill Family Farm Holidays Cornwall" width="225" /></a></center>
Liz Burtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05860282774080831783noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5015030219140669520.post-88893710020870087982017-02-28T07:06:00.000+00:002017-02-28T07:06:12.899+00:00Baebox - A Positive Subscription Box for Girls<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIzwt7gpbgR16x1df4XLZ07jQlVZAvQnhy9q9mb-vE8oSryCal65Cn_KEUVRCQ1mDvPZzG94CY4aNbb3Qo6WiQc33g_IfdDgC5Wy6ZDUG4y77mJGt_-6S9Nn11ZVgh35BamWv9vVSUGxGI/s1600/baebox.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIzwt7gpbgR16x1df4XLZ07jQlVZAvQnhy9q9mb-vE8oSryCal65Cn_KEUVRCQ1mDvPZzG94CY4aNbb3Qo6WiQc33g_IfdDgC5Wy6ZDUG4y77mJGt_-6S9Nn11ZVgh35BamWv9vVSUGxGI/s400/baebox.jpg" width="397" /></a></div>
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For several months now, Ruby has been receiving <a href="http://www.baebox.co.uk/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Baebox</a> subscription boxes. These monthly boxes are the trend at the moment and you can sign up to have everything from coffee, chocolate, books and make-up delivered as adults, but as far as I know Baebox is one of a kind. Aimed initially at tween girls from the ages of 8-12, they have now branched out into the teen market offering packages for girls from 13-15 and there's even a boys version on the horizon. </div>
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Why are they different? Well, because they follow the same aspirations as many modern parents have for their daughters and promote positive, motivational and inspirational messages. There's so many more worries in the modern world when it comes to bringing up children and concern for emotional wellbeing is right up there. With pressure about body-image coming from all angles - the media, advertising and the music industry right through to people airbrushing their lives on social media - it's hard for girls nowadays to feel comfortable about who they are. Add to that the fact that we're still even now, trying to break the glass ceiling and contending with sexism and stereotyping in all aspects from subject choices at school, sport and ultimately career choices and it's a tough old world!</div>
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Baebox, as well as delivering age-appropriate treats which are not all about beauty and fashion, also delivers something much more important. It delivers confidence.</div>
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Ruby's room is now full of little affirmations, hanging plaques and postcards with motivational message on. And you know what? I really think it's starting to make a difference.</div>
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I'm fairly sure I can't put it all down to the wonders of Baebox, but I think it's certainly helping and the change in Ruby's self-esteem and confidence is clear to see. She's started doing much more sport - she's signed up to do a fencing course at school and she's enrolled for her indoor climbing certificate at the local leisure centre. To see her scaling up a 10 metre high wall every week fills me with pride. She's just been chosen to represent her school in a swimming gala and she's been elected to the Eco Council. She's even joined a drama club and now sings and dances in front of audiences - something I never thought I'd see!</div>
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So, as a parent, you can perhaps see why I love Baebox so much. But Ruby adores it too. Each month, she eagerly awaits her delivery. Like any child, she loves getting her own mail, and who wouldn't want a box of treats in the post? It gives her something to look forward to, and she really enjoys all the messages inside the box.</div>
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Her confidence has grown so much, she's even decided she'd like to do her own Youtube videos. This is one of her first attempts, and while she can see there's lots she can improve on, she's determined to do it all by herself and learn as she goes.</div>
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I'm so proud of her, and grateful to Baebox for giving her that confidence boost.</div>
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Each month's box contains different items. This month you can see, was an organiser which is already being used to plan her activities and homework, a very cool water bottle which went straight to school with the very next day, an emoji lip balm (anything emoji is just fine with her!), some chocolate - a rare treat in the boxes, but it is for Easter - and a wall-hanging sign which went up in her room right away. Previous months have included keepsake tins, money boxes, a yoyo, stationery and stickers. The emphasis is very much away from hair and make-up which I think is completely right for this age.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6VZT-tkFYx1oP57Ue6Pw9ySXx4y9rCkWBCgdEaiDt2V9QGPyxJGDptAqy4JlpFWmm8j9cgNBis6jIqS0OLuBFvDzQof03skZgXIBOTDo2co9-5xT8T-n6uMPtxkecn_Yc_YJ3ktPLxVMB/s1600/baebox+contents.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="396" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6VZT-tkFYx1oP57Ue6Pw9ySXx4y9rCkWBCgdEaiDt2V9QGPyxJGDptAqy4JlpFWmm8j9cgNBis6jIqS0OLuBFvDzQof03skZgXIBOTDo2co9-5xT8T-n6uMPtxkecn_Yc_YJ3ktPLxVMB/s640/baebox+contents.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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She loves the styling, the packaging and of course the excitement of the postwoman delivering her mail. Occasionally Ruby gets something in her box which she isn't keen on, but that's to be expected I think - you can't please everyone all of the time! She's keen to move up to the Teen box, but she's only 9 so I think there's plenty of time for that yet!</div>
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<a href="http://www.baebox.co.uk/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Baeboxes</a> are great as gift ideas and you can either buy them as a one-off or sign up to a subscription for 3, 6 or 12 months. Thank you Team Baebox for such a wonderful idea.</div>
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Disclosure: We were gifted a trial run of boxes but all opinions are our own.</div>
Liz Burtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05860282774080831783noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5015030219140669520.post-71368237539551468082017-02-27T19:15:00.001+00:002017-02-27T19:15:31.943+00:00DIY Gifts for your Dog<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyBlffsiIs9hYtlbS3Nc2TNBv8RDA1f8gvyLotETsV4PQKrVRYptT5SUZ9Jwo5HNYA5AftOkJwWgJCYwnt5Ft-Sy12opAe4a2FNZvdYc9oXkynk_0QaY67x62lkMtteGMoeLDD-x2cjiaO/s1600/best+dog+gifts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyBlffsiIs9hYtlbS3Nc2TNBv8RDA1f8gvyLotETsV4PQKrVRYptT5SUZ9Jwo5HNYA5AftOkJwWgJCYwnt5Ft-Sy12opAe4a2FNZvdYc9oXkynk_0QaY67x62lkMtteGMoeLDD-x2cjiaO/s640/best+dog+gifts.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Nothing says 'I love you' like a homemade gift and the same applies for canines as it does for humans! I've rounded up some of my favourites from the net so you can rustle up the perfect present for your pooch for their birthday or pin for later on for Christmas. Or let's face it, we love them so much why not just treat them?!</div>
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<a href="http://missielizzie-meandmyshadow.blogspot.co.uk/2016/11/homemade-dog-treats-peanut-butter.html" target="_blank">1. Homemade Peanut Butter Biscuits.</a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8EvnFn511WcZSK_dUGqhiQk2P7E4eAbU_67OFMTPHzq24hQGKWa8LNHz2EptRrVZ3xUBBbFCmbKHOVLbWqorzr7rO64R9a5ZI0SAK4833UeVOzPDf-5ytSUYVOq4TU1J4GrKUOQJJu0uZ/s1600/biscuits-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8EvnFn511WcZSK_dUGqhiQk2P7E4eAbU_67OFMTPHzq24hQGKWa8LNHz2EptRrVZ3xUBBbFCmbKHOVLbWqorzr7rO64R9a5ZI0SAK4833UeVOzPDf-5ytSUYVOq4TU1J4GrKUOQJJu0uZ/s640/biscuits-2.jpg" width="436" /></a></div>
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Dogs adore peanut butter, and these treats are easy to make and make a lovely gift, displayed in an attractive jar. You can afford to make your whole dog-walking group some!</div>
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Or try this different, but equally delicious sounding recipe from <a href="http://www.parentshaped.co.uk/2014/12/20/l-bakes-homemade-dog-treats/" target="_blank">Parent-Shaped.</a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGvxvCBJNOQ_rL8h0COxJX3hvuCoOJS1-VyZXV8jI1svmvYYJoMfUOokl_j27Vjy6wgCmcWeT0mkARZFJkEUwD45gCLtujkSDFXAM-2Ywe5EOWy6_IzFjAcPQVU5dLPcvWoH5ptO-937EJ/s1600/Parent+shaped.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="420" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGvxvCBJNOQ_rL8h0COxJX3hvuCoOJS1-VyZXV8jI1svmvYYJoMfUOokl_j27Vjy6wgCmcWeT0mkARZFJkEUwD45gCLtujkSDFXAM-2Ywe5EOWy6_IzFjAcPQVU5dLPcvWoH5ptO-937EJ/s640/Parent+shaped.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image Credit: Parent Shaped</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blog.dogbuddy.com/diy-ideas-for-dogs/" target="_blank">2. Dog Walking Station.</a><br />
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You could go one step further, and load up your treats and other dog-walking essentials in this great DIY lead station from Dog Buddy. This is definitely on my list to have a go at.</div>
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<a href="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/3c/fc/d5/3cfcd5a1d5dcd02f0d56332e9347811b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/3c/fc/d5/3cfcd5a1d5dcd02f0d56332e9347811b.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.handsoccupied.com/2013/12/rope-ball-surprise-dog-toy/" target="_blank">3. Hardwearing Rope Toy.</a><br />
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Shop bought dog toys are expensive and generally don't last long, so try your hand at making this long-life rope toy.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOXhGVu7sxAKu822fpNA1-K3PEaXY0XVoGXJ9tLgRXCTAO9oXWzMvdEIpkOnRaGDTht2RE7EuOQTvC0RNyo8Xks0U5HQh_p30l4KlZzXuJzU4DAvXIEO3YLdSZD0Ad-KW1pUlRBWGTbTmd/s1600/rope+toy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="636" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOXhGVu7sxAKu822fpNA1-K3PEaXY0XVoGXJ9tLgRXCTAO9oXWzMvdEIpkOnRaGDTht2RE7EuOQTvC0RNyo8Xks0U5HQh_p30l4KlZzXuJzU4DAvXIEO3YLdSZD0Ad-KW1pUlRBWGTbTmd/s640/rope+toy.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image Credit: Hands Occupied</td></tr>
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<a href="http://moxandfodder.com/2011/10/24/vintage-suitcase-dog-bed/" target="_blank">4. A stylish dog bed </a><br />
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For the dog with a spirit of adventure, get your DIY on with this fabulous bed from a vintage suitcase. Max and Fodder shows you how.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBuLaEKydVsOBS8BCT-gKaq3CH5LTo1RpL0WKX_r_5DqCsJO1VFuqfcrEjC4vGJ-tZ68N_W-6K6O_EBfFUlBunQ0F6iy5c2MMSwnB9YUhFLfR326n9tOGBdcGHxlXQ8X9jMa5BEDVRUUuL/s1600/suitcase.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBuLaEKydVsOBS8BCT-gKaq3CH5LTo1RpL0WKX_r_5DqCsJO1VFuqfcrEjC4vGJ-tZ68N_W-6K6O_EBfFUlBunQ0F6iy5c2MMSwnB9YUhFLfR326n9tOGBdcGHxlXQ8X9jMa5BEDVRUUuL/s640/suitcase.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image credit: Mox and Fodder</td></tr>
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<a href="http://www.firsthomelovelife.com/2014/04/homemade-dog-shampoo.html" target="_blank">5. Moisturising dog shampoo</a><br />
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This gorgeous shampoo uses natural ingredients and coconut oil to keep the coat in tip-top condition. A lovely treat to make for your pooch which will keep them squeaky clean.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image credit: First Home Love Life </td></tr>
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What will you make for your hound? Let me know why they deserve a treat.<br />
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<br />Liz Burtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05860282774080831783noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5015030219140669520.post-18024476122723615372017-01-24T10:55:00.002+00:002017-01-24T10:55:50.217+00:00A Series Of Unfortunate Events - A Netflix Series Review<div style="text-align: justify;">
I <a href="http://missielizzie-meandmyshadow.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank">wrote recently</a> how we'd been hotly awaiting the new Netflix TV series after devouring the <a href="http://www.egmont.co.uk/books/category/fiction/series/a-series-of-unfortunate-events/440" target="_blank">Lemony Snicket books</a> - the passion for all things ASOUE is sweeping through Ruby's school like wildfire!</div>
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Like all Netflix series, it's had us hooked for the start and we're veering from wanting to binge on it and watch episodes back to back, to delaying the pleasure and holding back, not wanting it to be over. We've so far watched seven of the eight episodes, which are based on the first four books in the author's collection. As the books in total number thirteen, we're hoping and praying for more great instalments to come.</div>
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It's been really interesting to watch it alongside Ruby who has read the books - personally I've only experienced snippets when she allows me to read a chapter or so as her bedtime story, the rest of the time she's engrossed in them by herself. She's noticing differences from the written work to the screen adaptation - not major plot changes, just subtle nuances changed I'm sure for cinematographic reasons, and it's shown me just how much she's taken in from the books. I often wonder if she just skips through stories to get to the end, she's a fast reader, but this has given me confidence she has full comprehension of what she reads.</div>
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The screen adaptation is a joy to watch and something the whole family can indulge in. There's plenty of comedy material the adults can enjoy - who would have thought grammatical discussions could be so entertaining, and it's crammed with suspense and action to keep the kids enthralled.</div>
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Following the turbulent lives of the Baudelaire children, we're taken on a fantastical journey with siblings Violet, Klaus and baby Sunny after their parents are killed in a mysterious fire. Inheriting a fortune when Violet comes of age, this makes them a target for the unscrupulous Count Olaf who attempts to gain guardianship to swindle the money.</div>
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The engaging child characters I'm sure are the main appeal to the younger audiences. Violet, a teenage girl has an astute mechanical mind and is adept at thinking up and producing mind-boggling inventions to get them out of scrapes. Younger brother Klaus is an intellectual, always engrossed in books and able to research their way out of trouble. But by far our favourite character is baby Sunny, the sharp-toothed infant who's skills lie in her ability to gnaw their way out of danger. Her baby gurgles are translated as subtitles, showing her to be a very astute judge of character - her dialogue is hilarious and I'm constantly marvelling at the acting talent of one so young.<br />
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The deadpan delivery of narrator Patrick Warburton is just genius, and the evil villainy and extensive, hideous disguises of Count Olaf played by Neil Patrick Harris will have you booing like you're at a pantomime.</div>
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Having already read beyond book four in the set, Ruby knows there are lots more weirdly dark adventures to come and we can't wait for more instalments on our screen from this team.</div>
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Have you been watching? All episodes in this 8-part series are available to watch now on Netflix. We can thoroughly recommend reading the books alongside it too, it's really enhanced the watching experience.</div>
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Disclosure: This is a featured post.</div>
Liz Burtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05860282774080831783noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5015030219140669520.post-42799737114218206152017-01-13T12:08:00.000+00:002017-01-13T12:08:03.241+00:00Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Vegan Butternut Squash and Sea Salt Seed Crackers<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeBji6CI9x9I3hSHoVlMU_QCWrJ7PzV8pRAUmrciBWPIUuxuRh54rDgza4xOtq7tBx7GkvGerVwUp33w8eBEchxZcOEo4ik2J09a7P2JtRvPaPLAQ2NjCpgu3w5Ycup7TvBQRqUPSsvIKb/s1600/crackers.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeBji6CI9x9I3hSHoVlMU_QCWrJ7PzV8pRAUmrciBWPIUuxuRh54rDgza4xOtq7tBx7GkvGerVwUp33w8eBEchxZcOEo4ik2J09a7P2JtRvPaPLAQ2NjCpgu3w5Ycup7TvBQRqUPSsvIKb/s640/crackers.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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I was inspired by a recipe I saw in a gluten-free magazine from <a href="http://eighty20nutrition.com/seed-crackers/" target="_blank">Eighty 20 Nutrition</a> recently. She makes her crackers with sweet potato but I'm not a fan, so I've been experimenting with alternatives and have come up with this.<br />
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These crackers are nut-free yet deliciously crunchy and still have that 'nutty' flavour. They're gluten free and dairy free too and perfect for loading up with dips or with cheese (alternatives).<br />
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Kept in an airtight container they'll last for around a week - although not in this house! <br />
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I'm trying to eat healthier this year and stay away from too many refined and processed foods. Many of the shop-bought crackers, breads and breadsticks - particularly the gluten-free versions - are loaded with added salt and sugars, so it's great to be able to add only the salt I want (or leave it off entirely) and know exactly what's going into our food. My daughter loves these in her lunchbox with a little pot of hoummous and they are perfect for crumbling into homemade soups to add a bit of bite.<br />
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<b>Ingredients:</b><br />
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250g butternut squash - peeled and cut into chunks<br />
450 ml water<br />
400g of seeds - I use a mix of brown and golden linseed, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds and chia seeds, but use whatever you have<br />
2 tbsp psyllium husk - buy this online or from a whole food shop<br />
2 tbsp coconut oil<br />
Sprinkle of sea salt if desired<br />
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<b>Method:</b><br />
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Preheat the oven to 160 degrees. Line 2 or 3 large baking trays with greaseproof paper.<br />
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Place the prepared squash in a bowl with the water. Cover and microwave on high for approximately 10 minutes until soft.<br />
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Meanwhile mix all the seeds together in a large bowl and stir to combine the psyllium husk.<br />
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Once the squash is cooked, drain the water into the seed mix and stir very thoroughly. When the water is added, the husk powder has a tendency to form into jelly-like lumps, so make sure it's well combined.<br />
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Set aside for a few minutes, and add the coconut oil to the butternut. Blend to a smooth, lump-free consistency. Any lumps will result in soggy crackers - and nobody likes a soggy cracker!<br />
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Now combine the pureed squash with the seed mix and stir until thoroughly mixed through.<br />
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Spread your mix onto your paper-covered trays as thinly as possible, spreading out and pressing down with the back of a spoon.<br />
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Sprinkle with sea salt and cook in the oven for approximately 50 minutes until golden brown and crispy. I find it helps to have the oven door slightly ajar for the last 5-10 minutes to allow any steam to escape and make sure the cracker gets nice and crisp.<br />
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Leave to cool then break into pieces. Once they are absolutely, completely cooled, store in a airtight jar.<br />
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What would you eat with yours?Liz Burtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05860282774080831783noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5015030219140669520.post-9932629925898631622017-01-11T12:47:00.001+00:002017-01-11T19:16:35.681+00:00A Series of Unfortunate Events - Netflix launches new series<div style="text-align: justify;">
We're on countdown in our house, and have been ever since we heard about the launch of the new 8 part Netflix Series of Lemony Snicket's <a href="http://www.egmont.co.uk/books/category/fiction/series/a-series-of-unfortunate-events/440" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">A Series Of Unfortunate Events.</a></div>
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A few of the boys in Ruby's class at school have been reading the books, and even her teacher is reading them and this piqued her interest. It's not easy to take her out of her comfort zone - although she adores reading, like a lot of children she tends to get stuck on one particular author and reads and re-reads their entire back catalogue.</div>
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I'm so glad she tried these books, she was literally hooked from the start. We were sent the first four in the series to coincide with the release on Netflix, and I've since had to go out and buy books 4-8. She just can't put them down.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEzTnztKCDKKPCuq8cpXDPyUQAbEkrsEN4SKcsrw1hYWzBwi6ZbJs8VqjTTrrPaam0uMYMtfVWnWjUghD82mlUNKoBylLoNQJXGWfxwjpN4MOHTXlOQp23s9k2yZju4od7vA8dZ-e1Ozjc/s1600/ASOUE.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEzTnztKCDKKPCuq8cpXDPyUQAbEkrsEN4SKcsrw1hYWzBwi6ZbJs8VqjTTrrPaam0uMYMtfVWnWjUghD82mlUNKoBylLoNQJXGWfxwjpN4MOHTXlOQp23s9k2yZju4od7vA8dZ-e1Ozjc/s640/ASOUE.jpg" width="584" /></a></div>
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There's something darker and a little dangerous about them. For kids who are looking for something to stretch them and challenge their imagination, and for those tired of books about kittens and unicorns, ASOUE is a breath of fresh air.</div>
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Focussing on the three Baudelaire children, orphaned and soon to inherit their parent's fortune, the tales follow them and the various evil guardians along the way, such as Count Olaf, who try their hardest to get their hands on the riches. </div>
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Both the books and the publicity for the new TV series capitalise on the forbidden, imploring audiences to look away and as most parents know, if there's one sure-fire way to get a kid to do something, it's to tell them that they shouldn't!</div>
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The Netflix series, adapting the first four books promises to be gripping. Allowing more time to do justice to the story-telling than the recent film which seemed to slip under the radar, it has a gloriously dark, humorously gothic feel - the director was also responsible for The Addams Family.<br />
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I know Ruby's friends are looking forward to the launch on Friday 13th January, and it will be wonderful for her to have that opportunity to share a series socially. As adults, we pour over our Netflix binges with friends, discussing characters and plot twists, or enjoy the community of a book club to dissect stories as a group, so I'm really glad that kids will now have the chance to enjoy this as a group activity, and with a narrative that's very different from anything else out there for pre-teen kids.</div>
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There's still time to get your hands on the books and join the read-along so you can get involved in the chat. You can find out what others think using the hashtags #ASOUEBooks and #ASOUE on social media. Friday the Thirteenth was never so eagerly awaited!</div>
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Disclosure: This is a featured post.</div>
Liz Burtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05860282774080831783noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5015030219140669520.post-63522082189603649502016-12-10T11:29:00.000+00:002016-12-15T11:30:01.630+00:00Choosing the perfect Real Christmas Tree<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGcGK_cqME4zgYhhdzgfG82MSIzS75IrsVO3wmZQlbdKGgDhrcEIbyf6Jec_8EO3p4rXQnR2mD6aYKfnlAB6TGqX4BugVkBIpymtcqsUusPTLqUkrp1PilQnnau4OPRO5Ym3jGMk47yZxc/s1600/christmas+tree.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGcGK_cqME4zgYhhdzgfG82MSIzS75IrsVO3wmZQlbdKGgDhrcEIbyf6Jec_8EO3p4rXQnR2mD6aYKfnlAB6TGqX4BugVkBIpymtcqsUusPTLqUkrp1PilQnnau4OPRO5Ym3jGMk47yZxc/s640/christmas+tree.jpg" width="636" /></a></div>
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We always have real Christmas trees at home, for me there's nothing better. You can't beat the smell of the pine and the natural look and shape of a real tree. There's also <a href="http://missielizzie-meandmyshadow.blogspot.co.uk/2013/12/how-green-is-my-christmas-tree.html" target="_blank">environmental benefits to a real tree </a> and I have this argument time and time again, but they are grown as a crop, like any other crop. I think people somehow think it's bad to go around chopping down trees, but the fact is they are grown specifically for this purpose - just like any other plant crop, and if everyone suddenly stopped buying real ones, there'd be considerably less trees grown on our planet!</div>
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We spotted the tree in the photo earlier in the year, in fact it way May! Hidden deep in the forest, we were astounded that someone must have walked for miles carrying all those decorations to dress a tree that practically nobody would see. It felt magical, and I still don't know the story behind it, I guess we'll never know!</div>
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There are of course pros and cons to having a real tree inside your home, and everyone's needs and desires are different so the <a href="http://www.forestry.gov.uk/christmas" target="_blank">Forestry Commission</a> have come up with this handy guide to choosing the right one for your home.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZOwaWkhPVDZciEeYXG5_8aOG2-L3MFEvxjpTgQThdZPqwMvMoIry78XkCkaDa8uFiQanTi9gofCdPNwcixEDa9I_t7nmJmvMVfonysij5IIM7Za5sT8l_hVlQBk7ODdBSGFTQvMpvWo5n/s1600/Pick-your-own-tree.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="1200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZOwaWkhPVDZciEeYXG5_8aOG2-L3MFEvxjpTgQThdZPqwMvMoIry78XkCkaDa8uFiQanTi9gofCdPNwcixEDa9I_t7nmJmvMVfonysij5IIM7Za5sT8l_hVlQBk7ODdBSGFTQvMpvWo5n/s640/Pick-your-own-tree.jpg" width="584" /></a></div>
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All of the christmas trees sold at the Forestry Commission sites are 'Santa Approved' and with each purchase you get your own living mini sapling to take home, meaning you can grow your very own tree in your garden. Many sites are also holding festive events too, from Golden Pine Cone hunts, to arts and craft sessions, and of course, Santa's Grotto. Check out what's happening <a href="http://www.forestry.gov.uk/christmas-trails" target="_blank">near you</a>.<br />
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<br />Liz Burtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05860282774080831783noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5015030219140669520.post-78786050368236110942016-12-07T12:17:00.000+00:002016-12-13T15:52:34.294+00:00Deck out your home this Christmas for less with Poundland's cracking value<div style="text-align: justify;">
Christmas is such an expensive time of the year right? All those presents, the food, the drink, the parties, the new frock and the Christmas jumpers...it all adds up.</div>
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So when it comes to dressing the house, I like to try and save costs where I can. I have my old favourites in the loft which come out year after year, but I do try to keep them up-to-date with some on-trend accents and I also tend to use a lot of natural materials such as pine cones, holly and ivy which I gather from the garden or pick up on woodland walks.</div>
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To freshen my decorations up, I've been bargain-hunting in Poundland and I have to say, (not that I'm averse to shopping there, or could ever possibly be called a snob) you'd never guess that they came from a discount store.</div>
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To create a cosy hygge feel in my dining room, I've decorated the mantle in Scandi style red and white. Candles for that feeling of warmth and soft lighting, pretty wooden star fairy lights, a sprinkling of candy canes and some real glass vintage style baubles all add to the look. I bought some scented tea lights too to add to the atmosphere and they smell lovely - just £1 for a pack of 16 orange and cranberry scented candles.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixVPsflP5c7eI448C4J7XBK6mMAgfhU2kC3LzqRYCG26h-1Kq6ljhFGAkym2_mR3TWqgK8PK9IG3B08cNCLj8GbyeT50TDXfj670WUdlQO5rbJhjQxv5-nw8gWcVBpDi25cDXHmjzoupe2/s1600/red.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixVPsflP5c7eI448C4J7XBK6mMAgfhU2kC3LzqRYCG26h-1Kq6ljhFGAkym2_mR3TWqgK8PK9IG3B08cNCLj8GbyeT50TDXfj670WUdlQO5rbJhjQxv5-nw8gWcVBpDi25cDXHmjzoupe2/s640/red.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Large etched glass vintage style bauble £1, pack of 9 mini mercury glass baubles £1, set of 6 wooden star lights £1</td></tr>
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I've kept the feeling if hygge going with my red and white theme. Cosy up with decadent glasses of hot chocolate topped with candy canes, or use them to decorate door wreaths such as this handmade rag wreath I've made. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ho ho ho glasses £1 for 2, metal sleigh bells £1 for 10, candy canes £1 for 12, chocolate coins £1 for 15</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglBEEDgFUmfxG_TcxgSI6qtKxRyXaZhYIHJ7O-tPx1x8fmIB4O4rPcE376u0sprfTUah5LnQSR2esPNh8MsyZ22tARMQ_DMKU4rzb0Wme4SVsj156ZwAdc14neqTHt-4ZBGzEkeGCMGGyT/s1600/rag+wreath.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglBEEDgFUmfxG_TcxgSI6qtKxRyXaZhYIHJ7O-tPx1x8fmIB4O4rPcE376u0sprfTUah5LnQSR2esPNh8MsyZ22tARMQ_DMKU4rzb0Wme4SVsj156ZwAdc14neqTHt-4ZBGzEkeGCMGGyT/s640/rag+wreath.jpg" width="590" /></a></div>
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If you've been hooked by the metallic trend, then these copper fairy lights are just the job. The Moroccan style, little lattice-work spheres are so stylish. Copper works really well against vibrant green foliage, so these would be perfect for a mini tree or to wrap around a spruce wreath, and being battery operated is a bonus as it makes them more portable.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisw4MbIZvmc6AaIt-P6rONNoy01Uf_W4Qwr4HYPh7dsQ6iTyjzGzNnY40ucDRU5d1riYOqvKT9i075vmvYfehBhVsny_MM2CqFOtwIGQC5yZvDp1NNJC55G5L8LFqEzWvtf4v56t_jUMFd/s1600/copper.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="510" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisw4MbIZvmc6AaIt-P6rONNoy01Uf_W4Qwr4HYPh7dsQ6iTyjzGzNnY40ucDRU5d1riYOqvKT9i075vmvYfehBhVsny_MM2CqFOtwIGQC5yZvDp1NNJC55G5L8LFqEzWvtf4v56t_jUMFd/s640/copper.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Set of 10 battery operated copper LED lights £1</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg16jLq8M3NLb5iTU8XTQI4d_jQM9ZCeBTJ37bfgKMzu2GX5I7iSYNTwg1HjWQtP2W2HMMi9B6h6oi5uMa-6a79w4Bn7mqG4L2-hXQMcC8W38XnNibYJOUKFTHoeETVCF1paELMBbXK0WZh/s1600/star+lights.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg16jLq8M3NLb5iTU8XTQI4d_jQM9ZCeBTJ37bfgKMzu2GX5I7iSYNTwg1HjWQtP2W2HMMi9B6h6oi5uMa-6a79w4Bn7mqG4L2-hXQMcC8W38XnNibYJOUKFTHoeETVCF1paELMBbXK0WZh/s640/star+lights.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Silver metal star lights with blue LED bulbs £1 set of 10 battery operated fairy lights</td></tr>
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Icy blues and silvers are a stylish combination, and you can make it grown-up without venturing into Disney's Frozen territory.</div>
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Create a cosy basket for guests to grab a snuggly blanket while they enjoy their mulled wine, decorate with frosted glass or these real glass baubles with feathers inside, and the delicate beauty of iridescent star confetti. As well as all the items for £1, Poundland has started selling more and more larger items, so don't be surprised to pick up some bargains like this gorgeous blue soft fleece blanket for £3.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1d949zdK2s5vrNz6rmtk0rWGMd3CVnh2ri1NVKKUM88BkN4uP5igJJ77dUttkN2vCNGON_Y04PkPWVGYPli3dWkRM6LCSYUCcRpeM0AHe9EEAuuEtQjpYSP8dl13Xuoqx9XSiK39S-8H-/s1600/blanket-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1d949zdK2s5vrNz6rmtk0rWGMd3CVnh2ri1NVKKUM88BkN4uP5igJJ77dUttkN2vCNGON_Y04PkPWVGYPli3dWkRM6LCSYUCcRpeM0AHe9EEAuuEtQjpYSP8dl13Xuoqx9XSiK39S-8H-/s640/blanket-2.jpg" width="534" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blue fleece blanket £3, filament style LED fairy lights set of 6 £1<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAjIZpXWQUCBDbNl_v-m7tcsIqsXNY6BDn9Tym5gMHDIYVhj7JyulNUjO_AnaaghpZzngqKKC2vxFiSPW8t2xwwnAMmCgrJFcI82-BUmYVEkaX8XmizBTxpgrL_6LnOW04nWWBjW9KsPMa/s1600/blue-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAjIZpXWQUCBDbNl_v-m7tcsIqsXNY6BDn9Tym5gMHDIYVhj7JyulNUjO_AnaaghpZzngqKKC2vxFiSPW8t2xwwnAMmCgrJFcI82-BUmYVEkaX8XmizBTxpgrL_6LnOW04nWWBjW9KsPMa/s640/blue-2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">large glass feather bauble £1, confetti bauble £1 for 2</td></tr>
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Stock up on traditional pillar candles too to create mantle decorations and table centrepieces. Take a rummage through the artificial flower and foliage section, and add fresh greenery from the garden.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZeONSrWF5AoE7JnfA9DexAZ7z8V6KsY7Z3KGLuW-PLonToDVYMOibhd9o08goDldjagCZs6yAUeXwZnxpfthorB3yDG0rzsW1yJ8yNmKPFYEZVCUA38mpSLRbo3FMS1sCbaunITo3bWdY/s1600/candle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZeONSrWF5AoE7JnfA9DexAZ7z8V6KsY7Z3KGLuW-PLonToDVYMOibhd9o08goDldjagCZs6yAUeXwZnxpfthorB3yDG0rzsW1yJ8yNmKPFYEZVCUA38mpSLRbo3FMS1sCbaunITo3bWdY/s640/candle.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Church candle £1, mini glass silver baubles £1 set of 9, silver faux eucalyptus £1 stem of 3</td></tr>
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And it's not just the decorations where I've been able to save a few quid, I've also got lots of gorgeous wrapping paper, trimmings, Christmas cards, stocking fillers, chocolates and even this delicious Huntley and Palmers Christmas pudding for just £1.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqIpas6m-98gO7pDWSTJXgrNyTTDIou60pFPv-El2oNvUH-Jc6ljccQ19uTFfxy5OElqQM1AbHAznNXcCN9s2ZAHKjSsajOoF4BqcQ13Q4bqOUXQHaASYc9Aek3JNpAsp-y97FCEsHp9kZ/s1600/xmas+pud-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqIpas6m-98gO7pDWSTJXgrNyTTDIou60pFPv-El2oNvUH-Jc6ljccQ19uTFfxy5OElqQM1AbHAznNXcCN9s2ZAHKjSsajOoF4BqcQ13Q4bqOUXQHaASYc9Aek3JNpAsp-y97FCEsHp9kZ/s640/xmas+pud-2.jpg" width="386" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Huntley and Palmer large Christmas pudding £1, sleigh bells £1 for 10, mini glass baubles £1 for 9</td></tr>
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So if you haven't ventured into Poundland for a while, take a look, I'm sure you'd be amazed at their cracking value!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy29phbieRSlC2ZGMJ-0dTaoshcZLqDTcorUILq_H9MvCv1BG_nbGBxGRHYyS_enBjJSuL2jO2JZ-BQrWuWCjTiXve3qXu7YUrwitfpIqBjuQRomZze72fTbHSA7st0sDzA9zkA7I-uCNx/s1600/15385249_10157983148525226_9179302285189996335_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy29phbieRSlC2ZGMJ-0dTaoshcZLqDTcorUILq_H9MvCv1BG_nbGBxGRHYyS_enBjJSuL2jO2JZ-BQrWuWCjTiXve3qXu7YUrwitfpIqBjuQRomZze72fTbHSA7st0sDzA9zkA7I-uCNx/s400/15385249_10157983148525226_9179302285189996335_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Come and join in the #CrackingValue Twitter party on Friday 9th December from 12:30-2pm to win some prizes! We'll be giving away 5 £20 vouchers throughout the party and trust me, that will go a long way!</div>
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Take a look at some of the other amazing Christmas bargains other bloggers have found:<br />
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<a href="http://www.rocknrollerbaby.co.uk/crackingvalue-poundland-christmas/" target="_blank">Rock N Roller Baby</a> has a festive table display<br />
<a href="http://www.littlelikelylads.com/2016/12/poundland-christmas.html?m=1" target="_blank">Little Likely Lads </a>looks at gifts and wrapping<br />
<a href="http://deepinmummymatters.com/2016/12/christmas-with-poundland-crackingvalue/" target="_blank">Deep In Mummy Matters</a> looks at living room decorations<br />
<a href="http://www.whathannahdidnext.co.uk/lifestyle/festive-dining-with-poundland/" target="_blank">What Hannah Did Next</a> shows off her Christmas dining table<br />
<a href="http://www.modernmummy.co.uk/2016/12/deck-halls-with-poundland-fa-la-la-la.html" target="_blank">Modern Mummy</a> shows off her colourful eclectic style<br />
<a href="http://www.blogbybaby.com/2016/12/crackingvalue-at-poundland-this-christmas.html" target="_blank">Blog By Baby</a> has some gorgeous gifts and wrapping ideas<br />
<a href="https://thejoyoffive.com/2016/12/07/getting-christmas-off-to-a-cracking-start-with-poundland/" target="_blank">The Joy Of Five</a> has a stunning fireplace decoration<br />
<a href="http://innocentcharmschats.co.uk/2016/12/festive-styling-poundland/" target="_blank">Innocent Charms Chat</a> shows off her choice of decorations<br />
<a href="http://whattheredheadsaid.com/starting-feel-festive-thanks-poundland-crackingvalue/" target="_blank">What the Redhead Said</a> has a stunning Christmas Tree<br />
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<b>Disclosure:</b> I was sent £50 voucher to purchase Christmas items to showcase them.<br />
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<br />Liz Burtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05860282774080831783noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5015030219140669520.post-62919138018914495402016-12-06T13:43:00.000+00:002016-12-06T13:43:04.920+00:00Playbrush - The smart new way for kids to brush their teeth<div class="MsoNormal">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLRIGq3izdKQPBovNBivmb5v9dv71-1W5oSHxzhQWoFbP0zHNLoTgdyFOy2BZ6j_1i0NpdU4ueChnWNH0hPBuq0haiRACFX0vqgb7a20fbGqH5eL6ZuzUgE8xky_1L5A1XiY3BIRh0JNbD/s1600/toothbrush.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="486" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLRIGq3izdKQPBovNBivmb5v9dv71-1W5oSHxzhQWoFbP0zHNLoTgdyFOy2BZ6j_1i0NpdU4ueChnWNH0hPBuq0haiRACFX0vqgb7a20fbGqH5eL6ZuzUgE8xky_1L5A1XiY3BIRh0JNbD/s640/toothbrush.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #212224;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Now I'll admit, when I was first asked to review a new bluetooth children's toothbrush, I thought it was a bit of a gimmick. I mean, does anyone really <i>need</i> a smart toothbrush?</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #212224;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">But I have to say, from my initial thoughts, I am pretty much won over.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #212224;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The new <a href="http://www.playbrush.com/en/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Playbrush</a> has been developed by a start-up company as a fun way to get over that perennial problem of getting children to brush their teeth properly. My daughter is 8 years old, so she's obviously past that stage where I brush her teeth for her or monitor her intently. She's looking for more privacy in the bathroom and I need to be able to let her deal with her personal hygiene herself. However, as a mum, I know she hasn't been </span></span><span style="color: #212224; font-family: inherit;">brushing her teeth for the full two minutes as recommended, and I'm pretty sure she isn't doing all areas of her mouth thoroughly. Luckily for us, her six-monthly dental visits are always issue free, but I'd like to keep them that way and prevent any future dental health problems.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #212224;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">At this festive time of the year, we also have the added problem of advent calendar chocolate for breakfast!</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #212224;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">So how is Playbrush different?</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #212224;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Well, it's a silicone cap device which fits snugly to the base of any manual toothbrush (although there is also a new toothbrush included in the box). It means, going forward, we can just replace worn brushes, but still use the device. After a simple charge via a usb, the attachment transforms the brush into a games controller. Using bluetooth technology to connect to your phone or iPad, it works with downloadable games to encourage better brushing.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #212224;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">There are currently four games </span></span><span style="color: #212224; font-family: inherit;">available, free to download, which gives plenty of variety and your child won't get bored. Each time the teeth are brushed, you can chose which game you want to play and collect points for good brushing. The way the games are devised, it promotes good speed of brushing, different angling and directional movement of the brush to get into all the nooks and crannies of the mouth. Little motivational messages pop up as you go, and there's a countdown timer to keep you going for the full 2 minutes.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #212224;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I really like the leaderboard idea, it gives a competitive edge which I think kids love and will keep them motivated to try harder. You also get a snapshot report at the end of the teeth brushing session to tell you which areas of the mouth you've cleaned properly, again, great for improving your dental hygiene.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #212224;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I love that it takes away the twice daily battle of getting my daughter to do her teeth - she's super keen to get brushing now and improve her scores and I no longer have to nag her.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #212224;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">As a parent, you can sign up for a progress report, to keep track of how your child is getting on.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #212224; font-family: inherit;">The Playbrush has been developed with leading experts in the dental field, and has been featured in the Guardian and FT.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #212224;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Because the base is interchangeable, and because you can add multiple profile users to each game, it's really cost effective for larger families, meaning you only have to purchase one of the devices and change it around on different sibling's toothbrushes.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #212224;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">My biggest concern was around having my phone or tablet in the bathroom with all that running water - I've had far too many bowls of dried rice incidents! However they've thought of that too - included in the box is a plastic holder with suction cups allowing you to safely store your phone away from the sink while playing.</span></span></div>
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All in all, I'm really impressed. It's a very well thought-out product and helps tackle an issue which many parents face every morning and evening, so well done Playbrush!</div>
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The <a href="http://order.playbrush.com/collections/frontpage/products/playbrush" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Playbrush</a> is currently at sale price of £19.99 making it the ideal Christmas present. It comes with a 2 year warranty and there's a 30 day money-back guarantee if you're not happy. Chose from pink or blue.</div>
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Disclosure: I was sent a sample to review. All opinions are my own.</div>
<br />Liz Burtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05860282774080831783noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5015030219140669520.post-90315777520303726592016-11-23T15:39:00.000+00:002016-11-23T15:39:46.136+00:00David Walliams talks about The Midnight Gang<div style="text-align: justify;">
We've read every book he's written. Then we've read them again. And again. Honestly, I don't think David Walliams could write a bad children's book. Each one is hilarious, crammed with fantastic characters and dreamed up by a rare and brilliant mind. Cross between Roald Dahl and Kenneth Williams, he's guaranteed to put a smile on your face.</div>
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When news of his latest book <a href="https://www.worldofdavidwalliams.com/book/the-midnight-gang/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Midnight Gang</a> came out, I was i<strike>nstructed</strike> asked to get it pre-ordered so it would arrive on release day. It was devoured at every opportunity and declared an instant hit! A children's hospital is perhaps an unlikely backdrop for magical adventures, but Walliams delivers with his usual style. It's no surprise that it shot straight to the number one position.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSN8Y_EuOILtjglHTbuWroenWpzASgTW-xa4KNVkeP_mNEnQmeMBXKcqrwjSL8Dh5frMX_W2l-9B0903QlKy4X-1ULWgexouT5NoQGkj7Jnf50asiQaoYkBhmjN4r-MyuahUY0ZmoNKcLT/s1600/walliams.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSN8Y_EuOILtjglHTbuWroenWpzASgTW-xa4KNVkeP_mNEnQmeMBXKcqrwjSL8Dh5frMX_W2l-9B0903QlKy4X-1ULWgexouT5NoQGkj7Jnf50asiQaoYkBhmjN4r-MyuahUY0ZmoNKcLT/s640/walliams.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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We were lucky enough to attend one of his live shows at the weekend, and meet some of the characters from the story. The event at the Symphony Hall in Birmingham was raising funds for the Birmingham Children's Hospital and we are all excited to see him.</div>
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Lots of people had come dressed in their pyjamas and dressing gowns and every child was presented with a goody bag of a 'midnight feast' before settling down in our seats. The performance was introduced and hosted by CBBC's Kate Thistleton. David Walliams came on stage dressed in his dapper silk pyjamas and gold monogrammed slippers.</div>
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He began by talking about his inspiration for some of the characters. The Porter for instance in the story is based on one of his favourite characters from childhood- the Hunchback of Notre Dame. Other inspiration came from Peter Pan.</div>
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You cannot beat hearing an author reading their work aloud - hearing the intonation and voices that they intended brings the whole story magically to life. The entire audience were enthralled listening to excerpts of The Midnight Gang.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6B_oHT6BNUTGXKUs1mf1avcfz-PgZmw6kmjOCo714gyFf_fduZd01Kxze1gYLVHt1eGJIRag4MtVJLEw_850TE368VA7H9vBuaLvn2Mc-v9Ussjtw1Nm2GA_gsYavt7510w2JsauAb6Qr/s1600/raj.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="514" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6B_oHT6BNUTGXKUs1mf1avcfz-PgZmw6kmjOCo714gyFf_fduZd01Kxze1gYLVHt1eGJIRag4MtVJLEw_850TE368VA7H9vBuaLvn2Mc-v9Ussjtw1Nm2GA_gsYavt7510w2JsauAb6Qr/s640/raj.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Of course, like most of his books, Raj the shopkeeper makes an appearance and he told us that this character was inspired by a real life shopkeeper near where he lived. The shop was chaotic - biros kept in the ice cream freezer, balls of string with the magazines... yet he was always jovial and they used to have a lot of laughs together. He wanted a character in his books who was an adult, yet not an authority figure like a teacher or parent. It's funny to think that somewhere in London there's a retired shopkeeper who probably has no idea he's the inspiration for such a much-loved book character!</div>
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He talked about his relationship with Tony Ross who illustrates most of his books, how he always gifts him a crate of gin at the end of each project and how he has complete faith and trust in his interpretation of the stories.</div>
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In his last book, The World's Worst Children, a collection of short stories, he admitted that Blubbering Bertha was based in part on his sister and he himself was probably most like Windy Mindy - a girl with incredible wind who manages to play the tuba with her bottom burps!</div>
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He loves to write about things which are a bit naughty and not usually talked about in polite conversation, and said that's what first drew him to his hero Roald Dahl.</div>
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Williams described himself as a reluctant reader as a child and it was only when he discovered Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and the magical world that opened up, did he develop a love of reading. His other childhood favourites were Dr Suess books, Stig and The Dump and Day of the Triffids.</div>
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He admitted to feeling some pressure now he's in that position to influence young minds, he loves that he can now encourage reluctant readers, particularly boys, to take an interest in literature, but said it does come with a responsibility.</div>
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When compared to Roal Dahl, he felt he's a cheap imitation - a Poundland Dahl, but very much inspired by his style, the forbidden, the dark versus the funny, and his ability to capture the spirit of a character.</div>
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As a budding writer, Ruby found it riveting to hear his advice, to look for inspiration everywhere - even the most unlikely of places. Gangsta Granny for example was based on his own grandmother - no, she didn't steal the crown jewels, but her home did always smell of cabbage and he was quite reluctant to go and visit. That was until he started to really talk to her about her youth, her history and the exciting adventures she'd had. He loved to hear her stories of the Blitz in London and it made him realise that everyone's got a fascinating story.</div>
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It really was a fascinating show. We loved hearing some of the thought process and inspiration behind some of our favourite stories, and listening to him read in character's voices was such a magical treat. If you get the chance to see him, do go along.</div>
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You can watch the show on the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/WorldOfDavidWalliams/videos/797990163673719/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">World of David Walliams</a> Facebook page and he's also appearing in London with Jeff Kinney (Diary of a Wimpy Kid) at the <a href="https://www.aeglive.com/events/view/327043/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">O2 on1st December</a> - now <i>that</i> will be brilliant!</div>
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Disclosure: We were gifted the tickets to see the show.
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<a href="http://pigeonpairandme.com/" rel="nofollow" title="the Pigeon Pair and Me"><img alt="the Pigeon Pair and Me" src="http://pigeonpairandme.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/CulturedKidsbadgesmall.jpg" style="border: none; height: auto; width: 200px;" /></a></div>
Liz Burtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05860282774080831783noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5015030219140669520.post-67747420746935139322016-11-19T20:13:00.001+00:002016-11-19T20:13:26.595+00:00The Pick of Palava<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.bryonyandco.com/images/products/zoom/1478544825-89846100.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.bryonyandco.com/images/products/zoom/1478544825-89846100.jpg" height="640" width="570" /></a></div>
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For quite some time now, I've had my eye on the gorgeous dresses over at <a href="http://palava.co/" target="_blank">Palava</a>. I've followed them through thick and thin, right from their early days trading as PoppyEngland, through their various name changes, forced upon them by bigger, heftier brands. I don't know about you, but I'm all for the underdog, and hate to see independents suffer because they're not as large or rich as others. They were forced to change their name recently from Poppy, so chose Bryony and Co, but what would you know, they faced a challenge on that too! So, to represent the palaver they'd been through, settled on their very apt new name. You can read all about it <a href="http://www.bryonyandco.com//what-a-palava-i114" target="_blank">here.</a></div>
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Still with the same gorgeous styling, attention to details and brand ethos, it's about time I got myself one of these gorgeous dresses. And when I say one, I mean two obviously. Despite swearing never to do the matchy-matchy thing, these designs are just so beautiful I think both myself and my daughter deserve one.</div>
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Let's be honest, it can be a leap of faith investing in something seen online. You worry about the quality and the cut, but having seen the ranges stocked in a couple of gorgeous independent boutiques recently, I am 100% reassured about the level of craftsmanship. </div>
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The frivolous frothy frills on the chiffon petticoats, the decadent detailing on the girl's party wear - sumptuous sequins and fabulous faux fur all make these pieces to treasure.</div>
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<a href="http://www.bryonyandco.com/images/products/zoom/1318115731-97480800.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="http://www.bryonyandco.com/images/products/zoom/1318115731-97480800.jpg" height="320" width="285" /></a><br />
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These are perfect for the upcoming party season, but I'm looking for dresses we can both wear on Christmas day with full underskirts, but also team up with layers of tights, cardigans, wooly scarves and winter boots for frolics in the forest.</div>
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It's no secret that I love woodland, and I'm never happier than when surrounded by trees, a carpet of golden leaves beneath my feet, so it was unsurprising that I've chosen the Forest pattern.</div>
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<a href="http://www.bryonyandco.com/images/products/zoom/1395933035-01736300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.bryonyandco.com/images/products/zoom/1395933035-01736300.jpg" height="320" width="284" /></a><a href="http://www.bryonyandco.com/images/products/zoom/1410432376-17457200.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.bryonyandco.com/images/products/zoom/1410432376-17457200.jpg" height="320" width="285" /></a></div>
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The dress is available in child sizes (shown above left) in their popular Martha style dress with sash waist tie from 6-12 months, right up to 9-10 years. In the adults, the timeless and elegant Freda style is cut to flatter the figure. It is available in sizes 6-18.</div>
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Now, I'm in love with this pattern. It's perfect for us and represents our loves and lifestyle to a tee. My only quandary is which colour-way to choose? Marvellous as the Navy is, it also comes in this delicious mustard colour. I'm completely torn. Which to go for? I need your help! Let me know which you prefer and put me out of my misery. </div>
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<a href="http://www.bryonyandco.com/images/products/zoom/1470331568-98371300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.bryonyandco.com/images/products/zoom/1470331568-98371300.jpg" height="320" width="285" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.bryonyandco.com/images/products/zoom/1478517282-52355800.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="http://www.bryonyandco.com/images/products/zoom/1478517282-52355800.jpg" height="320" width="285" /></a><br />
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Which would you choose? Oh 'eck - they do it in a skirt too! Decisions, decisions...</div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">If you love independent retailers, why not give them a follow on social?</span></div>
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<a href="http://www.facebook.com/PalavaFolk"><span style="font-family: inherit;">www.Facebook.com/PalavaFolk</span></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.instagram.com/PalavaFolk"><span style="font-family: inherit;">www.Instagram.com/PalavaFolk</span></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.twitter.com/PalavaFolk"><span style="font-family: inherit;">www.Twitter.com/PalavaFolk</span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">All images courtesy of Palava. </span></div>
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<br />Liz Burtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05860282774080831783noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5015030219140669520.post-34485309884741105792016-11-16T11:37:00.002+00:002016-11-16T11:37:29.900+00:00Homemade Dog Treats - Peanut Butter Biscuits<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg49utAgV11iXbux6BaL2RKfx1PPdHcNTdUpomzB-5oYNavyLYiIWrsZSlgJnkOCTFvA1nKgNM3Ey2u84RLq13s30OHRR5KH2fJcjeGkHREXt6_Q5ap_fSmch3f6T67awf05TF1cH1zp3bn/s1600/dog+biscuits+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg49utAgV11iXbux6BaL2RKfx1PPdHcNTdUpomzB-5oYNavyLYiIWrsZSlgJnkOCTFvA1nKgNM3Ey2u84RLq13s30OHRR5KH2fJcjeGkHREXt6_Q5ap_fSmch3f6T67awf05TF1cH1zp3bn/s640/dog+biscuits+1.jpg" width="436" /></a></div>
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We made some of these for <a href="http://missielizzie-meandmyshadow.blogspot.co.uk/2016/10/delilahs-first-birthday-and-super-easy.html" target="_blank">Delilah's birthday</a> and they went down a storm, so now I'm thinking of setting up a little production line to make them as Christmas gifts for all my four-legged canine friends.</div>
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In hindsight, the cookies are quite dry, so I'll maybe make them with a smaller cutter next time - a small dog would find them a bit of a mouthful, but what can I say, they looked so cute cut with my bone-shaped cutter! Guess I'll be scouring the Lakeland catalogue that's just landed on my mat for a smaller one. Or you could use mini Christmas cutters if making them as a festive gift.</div>
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Me and Ruby made these together and they're so easy for kids to make, I was surprised at how easily the dough came together, they were practically mess-free and as we're all gluten-free so only had GF flour in the house, that's what I used. They came out really well, but you could use normal flour also.</div>
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Halfway through the rolling and cutting, Ruby announced with horror that she'd forgotten to wash her hands (you know, like you're supposed to every time you bake), but then decided "ah it's ok Mum, dogs lick their butts and everything so I'm sure it won't matter!" She cracks me up.</div>
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Anyway, onto the treats...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0VTIOVS9LjrRd3VRzCC3P4rOFqYEZGOm7Mw64AzkXxJnqfWwHUTnE07uCDXipXY9OkmXFSvdq6pjGNbn-HGkFGSCiJ5cwU_MdSdq78G3069zVUBry9-C17rn6KIZYfCDECslZaCYXKcXe/s640/DSCF6153.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0VTIOVS9LjrRd3VRzCC3P4rOFqYEZGOm7Mw64AzkXxJnqfWwHUTnE07uCDXipXY9OkmXFSvdq6pjGNbn-HGkFGSCiJ5cwU_MdSdq78G3069zVUBry9-C17rn6KIZYfCDECslZaCYXKcXe/s640/DSCF6153.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>Ingredients:</b><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">240g plain flour (white, GF or wholewheat) flour</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">1 1⁄2 teaspoons baking powder</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">80g smooth natural peanut butter
(choose one with no added salt or sugar)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">220ml warm water </span></li>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Method:</b></span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Preheat the oven to 350</span><span style="font-family: inherit; vertical-align: 4pt;">o</span><span style="font-family: inherit;">F, 180</span><span style="font-family: inherit; vertical-align: 4pt;">o</span><span style="font-family: inherit;">C, Gas 4.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Mix together the flour and baking powder in a bowl.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">In another bowl, mix together the peanut butter and warm water until smooth. Then slowly add to the
</span><span style="font-family: inherit;">dry mixture and mix together well. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Add a little more water or some milk if the dough is too dry, or flour if it’s too
</span><span style="font-family: inherit;">wet.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Tip out onto your worktop, knead and roll to approx 1/2 - 1cm thickness.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Cut with a cookie cutter and place on a baking tray covered with non-stick paper.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Bake for 20-25 mins or until lightly brown.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">These will keep in an airtight container for about 2 weeks or you can freeze them.</span></li>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWCMBHxZTa6gRNukv9KLFX6XIy0LUl_KsVtJ0wLme-yIMK6k3B2p_0xSchLypjAp_D0vT3u0QIx0vvmy-RtMKGB5cB2lOdXy0ZvXH3Oy3eEJfPVQ4-WXg4lLYX7hFaR9dhLHUUF1GiLM2t/s1600/Dog+treats.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWCMBHxZTa6gRNukv9KLFX6XIy0LUl_KsVtJ0wLme-yIMK6k3B2p_0xSchLypjAp_D0vT3u0QIx0vvmy-RtMKGB5cB2lOdXy0ZvXH3Oy3eEJfPVQ4-WXg4lLYX7hFaR9dhLHUUF1GiLM2t/s640/Dog+treats.jpg" width="436" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Will you be making any doggie gifts this Christmas?</span></div>
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<br />Liz Burtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05860282774080831783noreply@blogger.com14