Magpie Monday - Paper Punches

This week has been crazy busy.  I mean INSANELY busy.  When did 5 year olds get such hectic social lives?

We've had 3 birthday parties this weekend - including her own and frankly I'm ready to slump into a gin-induced coma in the corner.

Dashing through town to buy paper plates and party streamers didn't exactly leave much time for mooching around the charity shops.  However, my chazza radar is still ticking over, and screeching past one shop I slammed on the breaks (I was on foot, you understand) when I spotted these in a window.

Yes, I know they're not the most exciting of finds, but they will substantially boost my paper craft equipment collection and they're always handy to have when knocking up cards and gift tags.

They were a bargain too at £1.75 each for the big ones and 99p for the little one.  I know they cost about £7 each in my local craft shop, and so did the sales assistant as he muttered about them being priced too cheaply.  I felt a momentary pang of guilt, but soon remembered that I'm probably one of their best customers, and some you win some you don't.

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Friday Finds - Celebrate good times!

Can we all please join together in a rousing chorus of Kool and the Gang?

It's been a very tough time in Blogland lately, with tragic and desperately sad news.  This week however, I'm pleased to report that there's some joy and happiness, and plenty to celebrate, so I'll highlight some of my favourites for Friday Finds.

This is a collaborative weekly feature with Chris from Thinly Spread, Becky from Baby Budgeting and Ruth at Dorky Mum where we spread a bit of blog love and showcase some of our favourite posts. *Cough* in a lovely, karmic, totally coincidental way, we've ALL found out this week that we're finalists in the MADS, so yet another reason to celebrate!  If you fancy giving us your vote I'm sure we'd all love you long time (apart from Ruth, she's up for 'most inspirational' and it's a non-voting category).

This week it's been my daughter's birthday.  So my little baby has turned five and the week has passed fuelled by cake and adrenalin-pumped party planning (it's today - eek).  But when I've had a moment, I've been checking out these celebratory blog posts.

First up is the ever lovely Mari from Maris World who tied the knot on Saturday.  She made the most stunning bride, so grab a virtual invite, pour yourself a glass of fizz and come and have a nose at her big day. Massive congratulations Marianne, I wish you lots of happiness for the future.

If that's got you in the mood for a knees-up then you'd best check out Capture from Lucy's post on the most amazing baby shower she hosted for her sister.  Not only does this girl blog beautifully, take the most gorgeous pictures, but she throws the most incredible themed bashes.

Another fabulous Lucy (am I in love with all Lucys?  You'd think so wouldn't you?) is Lulastic who is celebrating selling their house, and her wonderful womanly form about to bring forth another little person onto the planet.  Good luck lovely, I can't wait to hear all about the home birth.

Another favourite blogger of mine, also in my Kool and the Gang, is Lakota from Faith, Hope and Charity Shopping.  She's celebrating one of my favourite things - freebies!  So before you ransack your local newsagents, check out this low-down on all the best free gifts to snaffle with your magazines.  This was truly a post written for me - I am like a magazine crack-addict, spending a fortune every month on glossy pages featuring the life I'd love to have.

Clara from Clara Unravelled has had a pretty shitty time lately, but this week she has something to smile about.  Her house is becoming a home, and she now has a glorious kitchen that she and her family can enjoy.

This next one is not a blog at all, so it's a bit of a cheat.  If you haven't seen it doing the rounds on social media, then you really need to.  I first spotted it earlier in the week shared by Actually Mummy on Facebook.  If you're celebrating a birthday this year that begins with a '3' or a '4', then this will mean an awful lot to you.  If you are a whipper-snapper born in the 80s then move along, nothing to see here.  The first time I watched I cracked up with laughter from start to finish.  The second time, I smiled and nodded in recognition all the was through, but I had a slight feeling of melancholy.  For both the sad events that punctuated our childhood, and for the loss of innocence from that era.

  Never stabbed each other/just collected rubbers.  Says it all really.

I genuinely believe that witnessing the power of Live Aid during our youth, we have become a generation of activists and charity supporters.  Of course, today is Red Nose Day and they are also celebrating a huge milestone - their 25th anniversary.

The bloggersphere is full of people doing amazing things for Comic Relief - from climbing mountains to baking cakes, to riding bikes to having their hair chopped.  There's far too many to mention here, but you can check some of them out on Team Honk's fundraising page, and maybe give them a few quid.  The one post I really do want to mention in connection with this is Annie's post on Mammasaurus where she highlights the important work being done to tackle domestic abuse and support young victims.

Let's show some support to Red Nose Day, help change some lives for the better and give a few more people some reasons to celebrate.  x

Have you read any posts you'd like to celebrate? Leave me a link in the comment section below.

In the recording studio with Olive the Ostrich

Last week we had a really special opportunity.  It was so special that I applied for a day's grace from school for Ruby so she could attend, and I'm so glad I did because she had such a great experience.

We were invited by Nick Jr along to the Blue Zoo studios where they make Olive the Ostrich.

Ruby really enjoys the show and I love it too.  Kid's TV seems to be bereft of decent female role models, but I really like this smart ostrich.  Never one to follow the crowd, she's confident in her own abilities, likes to dream of great adventures, teaches important social skills like confidence, making new friends and finding common ground with new people to talk about.  She's ingenious and inventive and in each episode uses her problem-solving skills to help out her new friends.

We got to view some new episodes from the latest series which started on Nick Jr this week.  She was super-excited to be one of the 'first people to ever see them'.

Of course, the real USP of the show is that all the artwork is produced by children.  All the backgrounds and  most of the characters are pictures that have been drawn by young school children, and have then been animated.

They partnered with the Prince's Foundation for Children and the Arts, and toured the country visiting school and hosting workshops to gather all the material for the shows.

We were really lucky that we got to produce some pictures which are going to be featured in a special Olive the Ostrich pop song.  Ruby concentrated hard on colouring in characters featured in the lyrics - llamas in pyjamas and kangaroos, as well as coming up with some new characters of her own.

While the kids were busy creating, I chatted with Laura Ellison, the voice of Olive (even though she doesn't sound anything like her in real life!) and Oli Hyatt the producer.  It was lovely to be able to have an open and honest chat as parents about what we want from kid's TV.

After that, we were given a tour, and got to see behind the scenes where shows such as Tree Fu Tom, The Alpablocks and Get Squiggling are made.

It was fascinating to watch stills come to life and we learnt some really interesting facts.  For example, each animator has a little mirror on their desk which they use this to see the shapes their mouths form as they make sounds and words, so they can be as lifelike as possible.

Time for some lunch and a natter with the other lovely bloggers there - Life and the Zoo; The Imagination Tree and Super Amazing Mum before being whisked off to the recording studio.  Yes!  A real life recording studio!!

The kid's were so great, they scuttled off to the booth in the basement without even a backwards glance to us mums, leaving us to sit and watch and listen on the big screen.

Oh my goodness they had SO MUCH FUN.  Bless them, they couldn't keep still and bounced along to the tune, which I don't think helped their singing, but the guys in the studio were so sweet and patient with them.

Take a listen, it's so cute!  Those giggles!

Many thanks to Nick Jr and Blue Zoo for such a fantastic day.  We can't wait to see and hear the finished result.

Folk music for little folk - Megson

I see it as a pretty important role as a parent to open our children's eyes and ears to different cultural experiences, whether it be art; music; theatre or film.  I guess it's inevitable that Ruby will eventually find her own style, influenced by peers; friends and TV, but for now I want to expose her to as much variety as possible.

Ever since Bill Haley, Elvis Presley and the invention of Rock and Roll, it's been the natural order of things that parents hate their children's choice in music, but I'm hoping to keep her away from the over-synthesized, electronic, adult lyric based music that's in our charts now for as long as possible.

The new album by husband and wife folk duo Megson is a great new addition to our music collection.  A CD rammed full of children's songs, you can be sure there'll be no inappropriate words (no cringe-worthy episodes of "hey sexy lady" shouted at the bus stop.  No Gangnam Style grinding in the school playground) and the music comes from REAL instruments- accordion  guitar; fiddle; and banjo to name a few.  I genuinely worry that the 'yoof of today' are in danger of not being able to recognise what a string instrument looks like, let alone sounds like.

When I was a lad is a delightful mix of traditional nursery songs - like 5 little ducks and a frog he would a woo-ing go - together with some traditional songs, mainly from the north of England, and some of their own composition.

A lot of the songs struck a distant chord with me, and I suspect they are songs my Nana used to sing to me as a young baby.  Ditties like Dance to your Daddy and Oats and Beans and Barley-O, and I found that I seemed to subconsciously know the words already.

If we don't expose our little ones to this kind of music, what will they sing to their children?  Can you imagine them rocking their sons and daughters to sleep humming Olly Murs or Jessie J?  Will the traditional folk tunes and old Music Hall songs be forgotten forever?

Ruby's favourite from the whole album (which we've played many times) is one of Megson's own entitled All the shops have fallen down.  She loves it because it has "funny words"- I guess you can't expect a 5 year old to pick up on the nuances it makes about the decline of the British High Street and the breakdown of local communities...  Have a sneaky listen to this sound cloud.

We thought the album was beautiful.  Melodic, harmonic and innocent.  A real simple pleasure in our complicated world.

It's available to purchase from their website at £10 and they are also touring over the next few months, so we hope to catch them in Cambridge.

Disclosure: We were sent a CD for the purposes of this review however all opinions and views expressed are my own.

Magpie Monday - Laundry Lovelies

Ambassador, with all these jumblies you are really spoiling us.  Two in two weeks!

This latest one was for Ruby's school so I felt quite justified in going and taking the whole family along - you can't beat a family day out huh?

I snaffled lots of clothes and fabric for upcycling, a lovely pink wool jumper which I've already felted and hope to turn into a little handbag for Ruby - watch this space.

I was pleased to get this cute little child's ironing board, especially as one of her friend's mums had donated it.  She told me her mum had previously bought it from a garage sale and her older daughter had had lots of play from it.

I plan to paint it and recover in some Cath Kidston fabric, and generally make it look a bit more lovely.

I also bought this pine towel rail for £2.  That too will get the shabby chic treatment - I'm still in the 'if it don't move, paint it' mind set.

I'm thinking it will make a useful display too for craft fairs.  When I get my backside in gear and attend another one.

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Liss Ard Estate - A Warm Irish Welcome

Photo credit Liss Ard Estate

A little while back I had the pleasure of staying at Liss Ard with my family. The warmth and friendly nature of the Irish is legendary, and it they didn't fail to deliver.

The Liss Ard Estate, set in the stunning and tranquil countryside of West Cork, envelopes you in it's relaxed and welcoming atmosphere as soon as you arrive.

The stunning 19th century mansion house and secluded lake lodge manage to balance both luxury and homeliness,  and it's no surprise that celebrities and rock stars have sought refuge here.  The grand piano in the entrance hall has been played by the likes of Lou Reed and Van Morrison and the walls of the lake lodge are adorned with photos of their famous guests.

Photo credit Liss Ard Estate

Here, you are allowed to just be.  There's time and space to do whatever you want.  The hotel staff have mastered the very clever skill of being around, without you even noticing them.  Nobody minds if you want to pad around the great house in your socks, if the kids want to run shouting and whooping through the woodland grounds or climb the trees.  In fact, so vast are the estate grounds that if your visit is out of season when the grounds are shut to the public, you can wander around for hours without seeing another soul.

On a couple of mornings, we crept down the grand staircase at 6am.  The house was silent and the shutters still closed.  Walking across the garden by the haw-haw, the sheep graze on undisturbed and we'd descend the moss-covered stone steps onto the woodland pathway.  Passing the waterfall garden, breathing in the rare air, the birds would be chorusing in the ancient lichen covered trees.  Down the winding secret paths until Abisdealy, the vast private lake revealed itself.  Myself and Ruby would paddle in the water's edge and watch the birds flitting through the reeds, while the Other Half bravely stripped down to trunks and dived in, soaking up the peace and freedom.

A quick dry off, then back to our room for a warming shower before joining the handful of other guests for breakfast.  There is something about the air here that makes you feel invigorated, exhausted and ravenously hungry all at the same time. Thankfully the traditional Irish breakfast seems to be a panacea for us all.  Tucking into the locally sourced sausages, Clonakilty black pudding and fresh farm eggs, we still couldn't help but eye up the breakfast buffet table too.  The aroma of freshly baked bread and pastries, together with a huge bowl of fresh fruit salad makes for a real country, farmhouse atmosphere.  Until that is, you notice your surroundings and remember that this is far from a farmhouse.

Photo credit Liss Ard Estate

After breakfast Ruby was always keen to join the kid's club which runs every morning.  We really appreciated the skilled and experienced staff who ensured it wasn't just a babysitting service, but an action-packed and fun-filled few hours.  In the few days we stayed, Ruby enjoyed baking; face painting; crafting and outdoor games, as well as a movie morning in the well equipped lower ground playroom.

While she was busy, we were able to kick back on the luxurious sofas in the drawing room, soak up the open fire and relax with the morning's papers. One day I even managed to slip off for a massage.

There's plenty to do and see in the surrounding area and the staff are more than happy to share their local knowledge, whether it's telling you the best place to get a crab sandwich and a pint of the black stuff; the best scenic drives; a secluded local beach or directions to a very well hidden farm to visit.

Lough Hyne is well worth the short drive, not just because it's another wild swimming opportunity but because quite simply it's one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen.

Equally, there's loads to do on site, from their own GPS trail to boat rides on the lake.  There is a well equipped games room with toys, books and Wii console for days when it rains, otherwise, borrow a bike or the all-terrain buggy, slip on one of the communal pairs of wellies and a Barbour jacket, grab a picnic blanket and go off and explore the 200 acres.

One of the biggest surprises in such a secluded area, is a world renowned living art installation.  The Sky Garden by James Turrell, is a monumental sight and experience.  Take the cleansing and enlightening journey through the tunnel so silent it's deafening.  Let your senses adjust to the light before rising up the staircase through the white light opening in the sky.  There you are greeted by a gigantic crater which holds you safe.  The only view is the steeply sloping grass sides or the sky above.  At night time, lay back on the stone plinth and enjoy the purest uninterrupted view of the night sky you're likely to see.  It's an incredible experience, and one which will stay with me.

It's a short plane ride from England, but it's another world.

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We stayed in the O'Donovan Suite in the main house.  Rooms for family groups are also available in the Garden Mews and the Lake Lodge.

Photo credit Liss Ard Estate

For further information and bookings, visit the Liss Ard Estate website.

Sponsored post.  All views and opinions are my own.

Thank your Mum for the everyday things with P&G - Mother's Day giveaway

P&G believe it's the little, everyday things that mums do for their children which makes them special.  Small gestures or activities which enrich their lives, from teaching them to tie their laces, to getting them ready to go to big school.  From washing their hair, to cleaning favourite teddies.

They believe that the “ordinary” things mums do every day have an amazing impact for the whole family, which is why their mission is to make products that help towards making everyday life that little bit better. They are calling this the 'Everyday Effect'.

So, to wish you a happy Mother’s Day we're giving you the chance to win a hamper full of P&G goodies so that you can enjoy a bit of the Everyday Effect too!

Take a look at the video above, and them I'd like you to tell me in the comments below, what one little thing you remember your mum (or guardian) doing for you.  What would you like to thank them for?

For an additional entry you can tweet "I'm entering to win an #everydayeffect hamper of treats with @missielizzieb and  @PGUK here: http://bit.ly/WwiY2w"  Leave a comment to say you have done so.

One winner will be chosen at random and receive the following:

Pantene Repair & Protect Normal – Thick Hair 400ml Conditioner
Pantene Repair & Protect Normal – Thick Hair 500ml Shampoo
Pantene 2min Deep Repair Masque 200ml Normal – Thick Hair
Max Factor Clump Defy Mascara
Olay Regenerist Night Recover Cream 50ml
Olay Regenerist Daily Regenerating Serum 50ml

The closing date is Monday 11th March 2013 at 12:00 midday.  Open to UK entrants only.  Please remember to leave a method of contact with your entry.

Disclosure:  Prize supplied and fulfilled by Procter &Gamble.  I was also supplied with a hamper.