The Festival of Light has returned to the Esplanade at West Quay.
Running from 15-24th Feb #letlightinWQ
The Cookin' Kidz - Cooking classes for children
Today we tried something completely new and popped along to The Cookin' Kidz, located in Whiteley, Hampshire.
The Cookin' Kidz is the perfect place for children to explore cooking, baking and making healthy delicious snacks in a supportive, friendly and fun environment.
Cooking and baking takes place in the Bakin' Barn, a beautiful little barn tastefully decorated with calm colours and equipped with modern appliances and even a little bathroom (perfect for potty training tots- when you've gotta go, you've gotta go!)
Corrine was so welcoming and on arrival we washed our hands and put on our (adorably cute) little aprons.
All ingredients had been measured out and put in handy little bowls ready for the children, and utensils laid out next to them. There were clear step by instructions as we poured, scooped, mixed and squeezed.
Children are encouraged to use all their senses and tasting the ingredients is allowed, Oscar and Lottie loved dipping their fingers into the sugar, yogurt and even tried the squeezed lemon juice used for our iced toppings.
We made lemony poppy seed muffins and whilst they were baking there was colouring activities and blackcurrant/ orange squash. (This cooking is thirsty work)
You're given a little recipe card to take home so you can make the dish again and as you collect the cards you can fill a folder full of delicious recipes.
You can see the passion and devotion Corrine has put into The Cookin' Kidz, she's thought of everything and there are a few set rules to the Bakin' Barn, for example ingredients which aren't for consumption are always put into red bowls, this indicates to the children that these ingredients are not wise for consumption before baking and cooking, such as the raw eggs. Other rules included washing hands before baking and not touching or tasting hot food removed from the oven until and adult has said it is safe to do so. The final rule is to make sure you have fun, and we certainly did.
The Cookin' Kidz is suitable from 2.5 years upwards but younger siblings are still welcome and there is a highchair in the Bakin' Barn.
We had a wonderful morning and couldn't recommend the cookery classes enough.
It's clear to see just how much the children enjoyed the class:
Oscar and Lottie were excited to see what they'd made and were extremely impressed when their lemon muffins came out of the oven. After covering them with icing and decorative sprinkles they wasted no time tucking in and tasting their baked goods.
If you're interested in trying The Cookin' Kidz they can be found on Facebook and their website, where you can find out more information on the class times and term prices.
Hubby is always asking what we've done with our days so I know he'll be pleased to come home to a freshly baked lemony poppy seed muffin lovingly made by these two.
What's in your Christmas Eve Box?
It's our very first year of introducing a Christmas Eve box. We thought it would be a nice tradition for the children to enjoy the night before Christmas.
There are some cheeky little elves inside, one each of course, these cute little cuddlies were just 99p from Card Factory and a sweet festive soft toy.
We didn't want it to be something too big or a huge expense so Oscar and Lottie have a box to share with a few little treats.
I managed to pick this festive tin from Homebargains for £1.99 to store all their treats, shall we take a look inside?
We placed cotton will balls inside the tin to create an effect of snow. Underneath the snow is some reindeer food which we made with the children (simply rolled oats and glitter) we will be placing this in a bowl for Santa's reindeer and then discarding it so local wildlife don't try and feast upon it (the specks of glitter can damage their digestive systems, so we won't be sprinkling it on the lawn)
We love this activity because it encourages the whole imagination and getting the children involved in the build up to Christmas Day.
As we delve further we have a key for Santa, we don't have a chimney so of course Santa is going to need a way in. The key has a little Santa attached so it's clear to the children who it's for.
Finally what would a Christmas Eve box be without some sweeties, we opted for a chocolate reindeer lolly and cookie each as snacks to have with a cup of milk before bed.
We didn't opt for a fresh set of pyjamas as the kids already have their favourite nightwear and we didn't want to spend a fortune on filling the box up. Oscar's all time favourite We're Going On A Bear Hunt is broadcasting this evening at 7.30pm on Channel 4, so we skipped on purchasing a Christmas movie too. We absolutely cannot wait to watch it and then have our Santa's plate to place a mine pie, carrot and a drink on before heading up to bed.
We feel so grateful, as our wonderful friends also gifted us a Christmas Eve family box full of treats, including handmade and framed candy cane fingerprints from the children, a gorgeous wooden 'Santa Please Stop Here' door hanger, personalised scented candles and hot chocolate for us all, so we've been truly spoilt this year. I think I love this one even more because it's been so lovingly and thoughtfully put together.
Merry Christmas to everyone, we hope you all have a magical day tomorrow with family and loved ones.
Keepsake Jewellery
Ever since having children I've become a bit of a sucker for keepsakes. I love making things with the kids and I adore treasuring all their things to keep for the future and to look back on. Now I'm not encouraging hoarding the entire lot here but some things are wonderful to keep hold of for the memories.
So there it was sat in the fridge, receiving the odd comical remark about adding a dash to the tea when we were out of milk and didn't have the energy to dash to the shops. It sat there, and sat there and for some reason I just couldn't throw it out, probably because I never really seemed to produce much- just enough to fulfll Lottie's needs. It never felt right to just pour it down the sink or chuck it in the bin.
And this is kind of how I feel about this piece of jewellery.
If you're looking for something really unique and the option for custom pieces then I have the full recommendation for you at the end of this post.The jewellery is handcrafted and all materials sourced in the UK. ( I love supporting items made on our doorstep and supporting small businesses ventures)
I was able to completely customise the size of the jewel in my ring, choose the setting and even the colour and tone of the jewel.
This piece is kind of irreplaceable to me but one I have shyed away from talking about, purely due to a reaction I had surrounding the whole process of having it made and what it entailed. You see the ring is part of me and part of my baby girl and our journey together. The vintage style gem is not mother of pearl, opal or even moonstone it is in fact made from mummy's milk, the milk that fed and helped our little Lottie grow and flourish each day.
I had a bit of a love/ hate relationship with breastfeeding Oscar so when Lottie and I got on with it really well, I was sad to stop feeding her (her call and we went with her naturally weaning at a year of age)
I had a tiny bit of milk left in the fridge and was still producing milk weeks after she stopped feeding so I topped this up.
So there it was sat in the fridge, receiving the odd comical remark about adding a dash to the tea when we were out of milk and didn't have the energy to dash to the shops. It sat there, and sat there and for some reason I just couldn't throw it out, probably because I never really seemed to produce much- just enough to fulfll Lottie's needs. It never felt right to just pour it down the sink or chuck it in the bin.
One evening whilst browsing online I stumbled across milk jewellery, a process in which milk is mixed with a special resin and created into jewellery.
It seemed the perfect way to cherish our breastfeeding together and I shipped off the milk (double bagged) and look what came back a few weeks later:
The ring is simply stunning, it's got a real vintage style and feel to it and a slight shimmer which catches the light, it's so unique and I love it. I've mentioned the concept of it to mummy friends and they've all been really intrigued by it and some amazed with the end result.
On the other hand I've had some look puzzled at the idea and think it's a little odd. But the beauty is, it doesn't really matter, it's like anything some people will love the idea and others will be at loss with the whole concept and think you're bonkers.
I think I'm going to treasure this one forever, and I'm proud to share the talented Rejewelled shop in this post.
Rejewelled don't only use milk as inclusions but also items such as locks of hair and ashes.
I think it's a beautiful way to keep something very close to your heart and fashion it into something you can appreciate and treasure forever. If you're interested in transforming something you hold close to your heart into a jewellery keepsake please take a look at their site. Tracy the artist and Mic admin for the page are such a brilliant team and so accommodating.
You can check out some of their beautiful products and designs here: Rejewelled UK
Pick your own pumpkins- Autumnal fun.
I know this has been blogged about quite a lot recently especially by those living locally to Pickwell Farm and you can clearly see why.
We took a trip down to the farm this morning with friends and it was the most fun catch up with the kids.
They adored exploring the fields and the various fruit and veg growing, running around in the fresh air and picking their own to take home.
We popped them in a wheelbarrow (provided at the farm) and bumped and bounced along the fields in the fresh air.
Pickwell Farm is located just off the M27 Junction 8 in Bursledon and is a family run 'pick your own' farm. It is a wonderful place to escape everyday life for a few hours and we easily spent almost three hours with the children exploring all the fields and the wonderful crops to enjoy.
Currently Pickwell Farm has pumpkins, sweetcorn, rhubarb, blackberries and delicious raspberries.
We also saw kurly kale and Brussel Sprouts growing.
This post might be a bit picture heavy because I simply adore the Autumnal background of the vibrant orange pumpkins dotted around the fields. Autumn is such a beautiful season to capture, with crisp cool mornings ,beautiful blue skies and the changing colours of the leaves.
We loved all the shapes and sizes of the pumpkins and the huge variety of them. The supermarket pumpkins just don't compare to exploring all the interesting ones we found out in the open fields. To top this off it doesn't matter which pumpkin you choose they're all priced at a reasonable £2 each.
I let Oscar choose which pumpkin he wanted, we picked up a couple of corns and I couldn't resist a beautiful blue squash. I've never seen them this colour before but it's a very pastel duck egg blue shade. Apparently it is a Blue Hokkaido, a winter squash with a bright orange flesh of a subtle sweet but nutty flavour. I'm going to enjoy looking up some recipes for our blue squash but at the moment it's just sitting pretty in the living room.
The children were so inquisitive on our visit and it was nice to show them where produce comes from and how crops grow, it is just as much an educational and sensory activity with us all able to touch, smell and even sample a little taste of the fruit and veg we picked.
I can't recommend visiting enough, if you have a spare hour or so then pop along to the pick your own fields or even the shop, they have an immense range of delicious fresh produce.
To top our visit off we saw Zeeberry from the Marwell Zany Zebra trail arrive at Pickwell's Farm today. The Zebra sculptures and trail were dotted around Southampton during the Summer as part of a campaign to raise awareness and funds for the Grevy Zebra species. Pickwell were sponsors of Zeeberry and secured the sculpture in the recent auction this week. It's delightful that this beautiful piece of public art will remain at the farm for people to continue to enjoy.
In the afternoon we painted our pumpkins and covered them with glue and glitter to show Daddy when he got home.
We'll definitely be returning to Pickwell Farm again soon, if you're thinking of popping along then there are still heaps of pumpkins to pick in time for Halloween.
We're going on a bear hunt, we're going to catch a BIG one- Birthday Celebrations.
I can't believe it's this time of the year again but it's party season and Oscar's 3rd birthday has arrived. Recently he's been rather infactuated with the story book 'We're going on a bear hunt' written by Michael Rosen ,we didn't fancy the cost of hiring out a hall or the whole party planning shenanigans so thought we'd have a gathering with friends at home.
We decided to entertain the children with a little activity, a story and a obstacle course running through the garden and fortunately the weather stayed bright and clear for us.
For anyone who hasn't read the book 'We're going on a Bear Hunt' it's a cute and simple story about adventuring outside with the family in search for a bear. The family pass through various obstacles on their walk including swishy swoshy grass, a deep cold river, sticky oozy mud, a forest and a hailing snowstorm before reaching a cave with a grizzly brown bear inside which follows them home.
The children each had a set of binoculars (2 toilet roll middles covered with wrapping paper) which they decorated with stickers, this activity was a nice interactive way to start the party and gave the children the perfect tool for 'bear watching'.
We took great inspiration from Pinterest and Mudpie Fridays for putting our party together and for some fabulous activities to fill the afternoon, they are both full of creative ideas for a bear themed party.
We took great inspiration from Pinterest and Mudpie Fridays for putting our party together and for some fabulous activities to fill the afternoon, they are both full of creative ideas for a bear themed party.
We watched 'We're going on a Bear Hunt' the animated version so that each of the children were aware of the story before we started.
Then outside was our bear hunt obstacle course, we recreated all the scenes from the book for the children to walk through and to find the bear hidden in the garden.
The children seemed a bit apprehensive to start, but once out in the fresh air they throughly enjoyed the course and playing outside.
The food buffet was bear themed ,with Pom Bear crisps, Billy Bear sandwich ham, Barny Bear cake bars and even an 'Oscar the Bear' birthday cake (thanks Sainsburys)
Rather than gift bags we gave each of the children a bear themed book to take home which we ordered from The Works. The Works have an online offer £10 for 10x children's books and we loved the idea of the kids taking home a story to keep and enjoy.
I think we're well and truly 'beared out' for the day but hope all the children had a wonderful time.
We're pleased to say that the binoculars and brown bear have now been donated to a local preschool so more children can enjoy the fun and adventures of keeping on the look out for the brown fuzzy bear.
Zany Zebratastic Event
If you have any spare time this weekend and enjoyed the Marwell Zany Zebra trail that ran over the Summer then I'd throughly recommend a visit to the Zebratastic Event being held at The Ageas Bowl over the next three days.
The Zany Zebra Trail was introduced this year following the success of the public art trail featuring Rhinos back in 2011.
Marwell teamed up with local businesses and organisations as sponsors to decorate the sculptures. The large sculptures were adorned by talented artists and the street art has been enjoyed by thousands of local residents and visitors to the city.
Schools and Colleges also took part in the Zany Zebras Education Programme giving them an opportunity to join in with the fun and get creative designing their own miniature Zebras.
If booked in advance tickets for this farewell event were only £2.50 per person and under 3's are free to enter. (Entry at the gate is £4 per person)
The event is being held inside the Ageas Bowl and the whole collection of Zebra's can be seen across two floors (there's a lift for buggies and wheelchair access)
My kids absolutely loved it as it was a unique opportunity to see all the Zebra's up close without needing to trek across the city (a saviour on little legs)
We had seen a couple of the zebras across town and some of the smaller ones at Marwell but this gave us a lovely close up look at them all and their amazing and beautiful paintwork and designs.
There was also a raffle to enter for your chance to win your very own Zany Zebra and raise money for the cause.
There are 197 Zebras to see in total including all the sculptures and miniatures.
The event is running 14-17 October, 2016. Doors open at 9.30am until 4pm each day (last entry is 3pm)
Following the goodbye event the sculptures are being auctioned off, the charity auction will take place on Tuesday 18, October 2016 commencing at 7pm.
If you want to go that step further and be in with a chance of owning a Zebra sculpture you can bid online here.
The trail has been aimed at raising awareness for the plight of the Grevy's zebra breed, all monies raised will go towards conservation projects undertaken by Marwell Wildlife with organisations in Kenya. It is a sad statistic that there are less than 3,000 Grevy Zebras in the wild.
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