Project dolls house

We were incredibly lucky to have been given (yes, given!) a beautiful dolls house from a wonderful friend.

I was astonished not only due to the generousity but also to find the amount of furniture and accessories also included.

We started in earnest with an external paint job. Then all the work stopped. Since then it has sat in the house with the girls occasionally playing with it but they seemed to find it hard to play with it without more structure and purpose inside.  Tilly and I painted the bare MDF walls, stairs, ceilings and floors plain white.

Thanks to Poundland, I've been able to fit out the dolls house easily and for next to nothing. Poundland were selling vinyl floor tiles, which although I wouldn't necessarily use in the house, they were perfect for the dolls house.  I went back to get some carpet tiles and ended up getting a few more bits and pieces.
I got some dowelling from our local DIY store and that made the coving and skirting boards.
A long time ago I'd bought a room border, not for a border but for craft. It was perfect for a modern, bold feature wallpaper.

As the rooms got more structure, the girls started to play more as the rooms had purpose. They had recognisable features. Tilly and Mima had some small dolls, like mini Barbies, they were the perfect size for the bed, counters, table etc. Suddenly the house was great fun.
As I visited Poundland to get one more pack of vinyl floor tiles, I spotted some tiny (slightly freaky) babies. As soon as I got them home and gave them to the girls, they fitted perfectly and the girls started to make them sleep, go to the toilet, watch TV etc.

There is still some way to go. But I feel I've done enough to take it off my kitchen table for now.
So now, I've had my fun, I have to hand it over to my girls and let them play.
Huge thank you to Vicki and Freya for your amazing generousity. X

Journey to Bethlehem 2013

Journey to Bethlehem 2013 at Coventry Cathedral.
Every year melts my heart.

Votes please. Cover songs.

The well known loveable social media stompy pair of guitar twanging singers, Barricades Rise boys launched #pictemberise in September. Every day they have a theme and you take a picture of the theme, #pictemberise and they pick a winner. Simples.  Both Richard and I were selected as joint winners just after it launched...the prize, a cover of our choice by the band.

Well, Richard and I would never agree on one song, we have different tastes. So, we are putting it to the public vote. I've been literally hounded by Spoony to choose two, he refused to share his choices in advance.

Anyhoo, the vote is now live.
If you know me at all ...you'll know which ones are mine. ;-)

VOTE HERE. http://t.co/sQlX6pcyAR

My other choices on my long list were:
Frankie Goes to Hollywood, Two Tribes
Salt 'n' Peppa, Push it (this would have been hilarious I'm sure)
The Clash, London Calling
Deacon Blue, Real Gone Kid. (Not easy for two men)
Roachford, Cuddly Toy (rejected just because it means Alan Partridge to me now)
Paul Weller, You do something to me.
Michael Jackson, Man in the Mirror. (Can I really ask them to cover a MJ song??)
Oh and sooo many more in the same vein. I thoroughly enjoyed my voyage into the past, bopping around the living room to the sounds of the 80s. I tried to be kind and left out the likes of Kate Bush and Cindy Lauper.

Vote away.
Can't wait to hear the finished thing.
Good luck boys
X

Books to read aloud

38 Perfect Books To Read Aloud With Kids http://bzfd.it/Z0sQRc

Loneliness

One thing that they never talk about in motherhood books is the loneliness.

I like having time to myself and quality time with my girls but the constant pressures in life make that hard.
I work part time, mainly a choice due to cost of childcare, but also because it would give me extra time with my girls growing up, time that I know I'll yearn for when they are bigger.

So what do I do with my days?
I'm ashamed to say that I go food shopping, do the laundry, do the washing up, put clothes away and generally shout at the girls for walking behind me and making a mess. I'm not house proud by any stretch of the imagination. 

I'm finding it harder to think what to do with Mima. It may be because that when I had Tilly I was fascinated by her and pushing her to get to the next stage, walking, painting, soft play, it was all new for both of us. With Mima I think I kind of expect her to do everything Tilly does now. But life is also slightly harder, navigating around school, after school activities, double the washing, double the stuff in the house.

Yesterday I was angry and frustrated and I think Mima was too. We are bored of the same old surroundings and bored of each other.
Today, in a desperate attempt not to repeat yesterday I've had to get out of the house. I went to Rhymetime at a library. It was busy, very busy but we had fun singing songs with other children and mums. However, it is funny how being in a crowded room still managed to make me feel the most isolated and lonely I've felt in a long time.
I've mentioned it before but put me in a work shirt and I could probably go up and engage with anyone. But take that safety blanket off and expose me, as me and I find it incredibly difficult.

To me, it just emphasized everything. I'm lonely and I don't particularly enjoy Thursdays and Fridays.
And the most frustrating thing is, I see others that I think feel the same as me ...they certainly have the look that I do, of boredom and loneliness. The worst bit, I can't find it within myself to change.

Giant Octonaut heads

Here is my whole set of paper mache Octonaut heads. They have been modeled on giant punch balloons (hence their size), they are all hung with string.  

All you need is newspaper, flour and water paste and a few other bits and pieces of junk (empty plastic bottles, paper plates and bowls). 

I started with Shellington.  Basic shape, done a few layers at a time. Cut a polystyrene bowl in half and placed on each side for ears, papered into position.  The hat was an old cereal box which I folded around and then another upturned bowl put inside. The hair and nose balls are just screwed up molded newspaper. 

 He then ended up looking like this: 

To place the string inside each head (and take the balloon out) I put my hand in the hole to one side. I'd threaded the string through an old lid of some sort to give it more strength inside the head too, that helps support the weight when hanging.  Then just paper over the hole.  Below is Captain Barnacles getting his string and Captain Barnacles and Peso prior to painting. 

 

Kwazii had a minor drying injury though, the weight of the wet paper made his head cave in a little. He needed a bit of surgery the next day to push out (luckily I had to put his string in anyway). 

I did the easy characters first, Shellington, Barnacles, Peso and Kwazii. I wasn't going to do the others but then I had the spare balloons, the time and the free papers kept falling on the mat.  

I did Tweak first, making her ears from a 2ltr Coke bottle cut in half lengthways, you also need to cut into the head to secure it slightly with this way too or else you'd never get it to stay up whilst drying.  As I added the paper to the bottle the weight dragged them outwards, so I had to bind them with string while they dried. 

For Dashi I cut a milk carton in half lengthways and masking taped it to her form. 

Professor Inkling was simple, some cardboard (an old cat food container) cut to the shape of his ears and cut into the head and papered stiff.  The only other extras for him were a collar (although they all have collars I thought his was most important, more defining in his body shape).  I added a Pringles lid to the eye for his monacle and stuck a short piece of string between it and the collar. 

Tunip was last but not least. He was formed from a large normal balloon, as he is smaller than the others. His limbs were just pieces of an old cereal box cut into shape and papered into place. His green top was more complicated, it looked great at first but the weight of the paper made it sag a little. 

So now, I am the proud owner of a set of Octonauts.  Not sure what to do with them. I did originally consider wearing them as a head, like Frank Sidebottom but I'm not sure how they'd stay on. I think I may put them in the loft and save and hope that Jemima likes them in the summer and they may come down for her birthday party too. 

The ULTIMATE Octonaut Party

*Possibly not the Ultimate but I'd like to think it'd come pretty damn close!

Firstly I must say that much of this party has been inspired via various posts on Pinterest and of course, my daughter's obsession with The Octonauts.

Last year I gave Matilda an Alice in Wonderland party and it was great fun, she loved it and I loved doing it.  This year, she *loves* The Octonauts, we have all the toys and watch at least one episode every day so that had to be the theme. 

The invitation
The Invitation set the scene, it was the Octoalert and invited all trainee Octonauts to report for duty and told them where the Octopod would be docked. 

THE PARTY 
Full pictures are to follow, but here is a video that my husband took just before the children arrived for the party. 

Decoration: Giant Octonaut heads. 
It started because I'd seen a Gup A pinata on Pinterest and I thought I'd do one too. Using free papers, a mixture of flour and water I set to over a base of those giant punch balloons. I made the pinata base and it was quick and simple, I had another balloon so I thought I'd make one of the characters just for fun, then another and then. . .well there *are* 8 Octonauts and the giant punch balloons came in a pack of 10, so you can guess what happened!
Sort of a tutorial here, funny what I said in January too ;-)


Here is a picture of them all in front of a full set of patio doors to get a sense of scale!



LET'S GET THE PARTY STARTED
Following on from the invitation, I explained that I'd received a phone call from Captain Barnacles and he said he did need some spare Octonauts and they had to complete a couple of tasks before they could make it. 

I'd tried to plan a series of games based around each of the Octonauts.

Tweaks Pinata
Tweak said there had been a problem with the Gup A and she'd done everything she could to fix it, but it was no good . . so we ended up hitting it with a stick! 
Here it is after I'd finished it but before it got trashed *sniff*

 

Professor Inkling's Pass the Parcel
Pass the Parcel is Professor Inkling's favourite game because he can even play it on his own with all his arms. 

Peso's Craft Clinic
I'd tissue papered over a plastic bottle (with a string for hanging) for every child. I'd explained that as Peso was the nurse it was his job to help any animals better and these fish didn't have eyes or fins yet. There were googly eyes, sequins and other craft materials for them to have a go with. 

Pin the Patch on Kwazii
Had seen and stolen this idea from Pinterest again. 

Shellington's statues
Musical statues 

Captain Barnacles then phoned to say that he was so impressed and that they've all passed . . . Tunip has made some food for you, go and get your hats and eat. 

* not all of this went to plan at the party. . I'd kind of underestimated 5 year olds and the length of time it takes to do anything, so we missed out on Shellington's statues and the patch was done after food. 

Tunip's Treats

The spread was great fun to do. We had dolphin sandwiches (I was very lucky I had a dolphin sandwich cutter already), Octopus pepper hummus dip, mini Octopus made from Frankfurters alongside the more obvious choice of party food for 5 year old birthday parties; breadsticks, mini sausages, grapes, blueberries, mini cheeses etc. 

Sea scene jelly

Another idea stolen from Pinterest. 

Served in plastic win glasses (so you could see the jelly scene), I put a small layer of yellow jelly in first and allowed to set, added in the blue coloured jelly (from gelatine leaves) afterwards.  I added a Swedish Fish to the jelly a few hours before. I was given a great tip via Twitter for that too, to ensure you make a clear incision and don't rip the jelly, you have to dip your knife in lemonade before you insert into the jelly. 

Sadly the Swedish Fish did go very soggy (like wet sponge cake texture) even though I left until quite late. 

Drink

We served apple juice in jugs but I'd labelled it Whale Wee. . .5 year olds do love toilet humour! 

The cake 

I love to have a go at Tilly's cakes and I think I was a little too ambitious with this one, again, damn Pinterest.  I stayed up to the small hours trying to salvage and make it look half decent, I think in the end I got away with it but I need to be more sensible next year. 
Full blog post about cake here

The party bag

The problem with doing your own parties is that you don't get some free merchandise for your goody bags.  

Inside: 

• Octonaut bubbles - a bulk buy from Poundland with an Octonaut character stuck on each
• A temporary fish tattoo
• Fish fortune teller
• Marshmallow fish - really easy to make. Marshmallow on a stick, dipped in blue Candy Melts then dipped in yellow sprinkles and a fondant fish stuck to the side. 
• A chocolate bar with an Octonaut character stuck onto it. 
• Some print outs from Pinterest with Octonaut characters
• A crafty fish (was one of the activities) 
• A slice of cake

I don't have a hobby as I find it quite difficult to motivate myself to create something without a purpose, without knowing who it is for. This party turned into a short term hobby for me and I loved it, being able to be inspired by so many things and bring them to life to give Matilda a great birthday party was sooo much fun. 

Matilda loved her birthday party and so did I, although I must admit, I was fast asleep on the sofa by 8pm that night. 

Octonaut cake

After months of seeing great Octonaut cakes on Pinterest I'd had plenty of inspiration.

I wanted to make a Gup A cake on a sea base.

I'd already managed to make some coral, seaweed and fishes from fondant icing mixed with a bit of gum paste.

I made two Madeira cakes and started to carve into the right shape. Once I was happy with it I covered it in buttercream icing and then rolled out some royal icing. Gosh that bit was soo hard. Several times I ripped as I was just about to drape over the cake.
The worst bit was the weight of the icing on the carved cake meant that effectively 'the chin' dropped off. I had planned to go to bed once the Gup A had been iced as it was already 11.30pm but when it fell apart I just couldn't leave it.
Improvising I cut up the other cake into a moon shape and decided to place the Gup A at an angle, as if coming up out of the water (which also supported the droopy chin).
Once I'd iced the base and stuck on the 'bits' I started to feel so much happier.

The next day was just left for finishing touches, fins, glitter, putting the sterilized Octonaut toys on.

In the end I was happy and most importantly so was Tilly but it was a far cry from what I had in my mind I may be able to achieve. I think next year I need to hire someone else to make the cake.

Tilly's CBeebies Octonaut birthday card

Matilda's diary

Tilly's reading book this week was 'Kipper's Diary'. We talked about diaries and what they were and why people kept them. So this week Tilly has kept her own diary.


Here it is, starts on Wednesday.

What she failed to mention about this bath was that it was the first ever poo-in-the-bath incident. Funnily enough I was filming their incredibly high pitched screaming but managed to miss the moment, just got reaction here. 















Thursday

When blue skies turn bad...when we set off for school it looked a bit drizzly but nothing prepared me for the horizontal driving rain downpour mid way to school, poor Mima got it worse as she was in the pushchair and the raincover was in the car that Richard had taken to work. This was us on arrival.

Friday

Saturday

We rarely go swimming, especially as a  family...the trip didn't go very well. Mima screamed constantly as she is a little under the weather at the moment. After approx 20 mins in the water we were all asked to get out, the session was stopped soon after as there was 'something' in the water. Nice.

Sunday