Autumn garden dancing

My boy loves the garden, loves being around the trees and the flowers, the fresh air and investigating under stones and pieces of bark. So we did the Frubes Moves challenge on the patio with some Halloween music on......the best CD ever with Monster Mash and some lovely tunes about witches and pumpkins....

As soon as the music comes on, my little boy loves to jump about and spin around to the music. He's always loved music and it really helps his sensory needs as he has autism. Music and movement is very calming for him.

 All the dancing meant it was time for me and my toothy grinned son to have something to eat so great timing to try the new Frubes yoghurt tubes. Available in strawberry, red berry, peach and banana flavours, they are a great source of vitamin D and calcium that help build strong bones. Also great as a snack on the move for our days out.

Frubes have partnered with The Angry Birds Movie for an on-pack promotional competition to win a family holiday in the Bahamas with weekly draws to win movie merchandise. There's a dance-off between the Angry Birds and the mischievous pigs here which is fun to have a go at. I think the ultimate dancer is my son though who loves to practice his moves. Do you have any dancers in your family?




This post is an entry for BritMums’ #FrubesMoves Linky Challenge, sponsored by Frubes 

Homebird household #brightFuture challenge

In my twenties I was fairly unconcerned about the future, although I was aware of environmental issues, I suppose I didn't take my responsibilities seriously enough. 

But....years later and as a parent I take the responsibility of my effect upon the environment with much more concern and thought - 83% of British parents felt like the birth of their first child made them want to change their life for the better. In addition, 9 out of 10 parents and 8 out of 10 children agree that if we all do our bit for the environment, no matter how small - 'together we can make the world a better place'

Unilever's brightFuture campaign focuses on the small changes that make a big difference to living sustainably.

So what little things do we do as a family to create a #brightFuture.......?

We grow our own vegetables and fruit at our allotment, use no pesticides and help encourage the wildlife too. Growing our own veggies cuts down on food miles and it's all organic so I ensure that what we eat is healthy and has no unknown chemicals in them. Little Bird loves the allotment and gets absolutely filthy - mud pies, digging the soil, exploring the plot and then taking home lovely home grown produce to cook with. Of course all that soil gets onto my son's clothes but I don't mind, it's a great sensory experience to feel the earth between your fingers and the clothes can easily be washed - Persil encourages children to get out and play - quite right too - and washing at a lower temperature helps the environment by saving energy.

The veggie scraps go onto the compost and a year later is rich organic matter to dig back into the soil. This is part of our recycling effort to cut down on landfill. Paper and card are used to help get our wood burner going and glass and plastics go in the council recycling tubs.

In the evening we try and not waste energy by turning lights off when we leave a room and not leaving the television on - candles flickering and reading a book instead some nights. A meter on the side shows how much electricity and gas we have used during the day so monitoring this has really helped and it is a challenge to keep the costs down.


Since launching the Sustainable Living Plan, Unilever have helped 482 million people to improve their health and hygiene, including hand washing, improving self-esteem and oral hygiene. Domestos has committed to helping 25 million people gain improved access to a toilet by 2020. Access to sanitation can protect people from diseases, reduce mortality rate and improve quality of life. 

*This post is an entry for BritMums #brightFuture Challenge, sponsored by Unilever 

A churchyard picnic #FloraLunchbox

We don't need a packed lunch for school as school is out for my home edder but we do pack a lunch for our day trips which lately has been in churches and churchyards. The latter where we learn about nature and enjoy the peace - a great place for a picnic on a graveyard bench. A little spooky perhaps but we are used to it but it is Halloween so I added a couple of seasonal elements to our latest lunch.

Recent research by Flora with the University of Leeds found that a mere 1.6% of primary school lunch boxes are meeting nutritional standard with too many still full of saturated fats, sugars and salts with not enough fruits and vegetables.

Little Bird has big sensory issues and food can be tricky, especially vegetables but he loves fruit - all kinds. I call him my little fruit bat. So....veggies I have to sneak in which I did with some grated carrot on our sandwich.

Using Flora which is rich in Omega 3 and 6 is lower in saturated fat than butter and we used this on our Best of Both bread with some grated cheese, lettuce, grated carrot and homemade spiced apple chutney - a bit of jazzing up helps LB with his foods and he really craves anything spicy. 

Flora have produced a guide to help parents and carers put together a yummy, healthy packed lunch which was really useful. We also added some popcorn with some melted cocoa nibs on it and LB's favourite strawberries and a clementine dressed up as a Jack O'lantern. The study found that only 17% of lunchboxes contained fruit and vegetables although positively the amount of sugary drinks consumed has decreased.

As a vegetarian I agree with Flora when they say that eating more plants is beneficial to us and the planet, 100% of the oils in Flora are from plants.

We'll be using the guide to get some recipe ideas over the next few weeks  - Moroccan cous cous salad for me using Flora and will try some Bagels with hummus for LB. 

This post is an entry for the #FloraLunchbox Linky Challenge, sponsored by Flora. Check out their lunch planner and recipe ideas here <http://www.flora.com/article/category/1104207/healthy-kids 

#GeorgeousRoomChallenge A colourful sensory bedroom for my little boy

My son's bedroom is his little escape from sensory overload, his space to sleep, relax and play. When the team from George Home told me of the #GeorgeousRoomChallenge I was really looking forward to getting some inspiration for updating my son's bedroom. With a budget of £400, here is what I came up with.

Little Bird loves bright colours and the Asda Home Kids range certainly has so much to choose from a beautiful yellow bed frame that will be a highlight of the room to vibrant accessories like the parrot and green monster cushions and the cheeky looking monster wall clock. Dinosaur curtains in bold print match the colours in our accessories too.

LB can't tell me exactly what he wants but with his love of colour, animals and cheerful, fun items that he can name and help him with his words. A room filled with lots to see is a great environment and provides a great stimulus for learning. The dragon hot water bottle will be comforting for snuggles and the rabbit nightlight and apple illumi-mate are great for soft light when he needs to wind down.

Our chosen items create an eclectic space that mixes colour and pattern which against our usual painted white walls provides pretty accents and pops of colour. We love to read fairytales together so chose the dragon hot water bottle and princess money box to add an element of magic. The shark single sheet, parrot cushion, seahorse 'mermaid' rug and animal duvet set reflect my son's love of animals.

LB is home educated so the little blue desk would be a great addition to the room, storage for games in the garage storage box that doubles for playing cars with and a mixture of places to read stories - the sensory mermaid rug, the squishy dice beanbag and a cosy stripy blanket to cuddle in. 

Yellow metal bed frame £99  
Bedside table in oak effect and cream £39
Duvet set £10
Dragon hot water bottle £5
Green monster cushion £7
Parrot cushion £7
Red monster wall clock £9
Dice cube beanbag £20
Rabbit nightlight £5
Circus knitted shawl £14
Shark single sheet £6
Mermaid rug £14
Princess moneybox £6
Dinosaur curtains £16
Blue desk and chair  £75
Shopkins Apple Illumi-mate £6
Playbox storage £49

Total £387

This is my entry into the Asda Kids Bedroom Makeover Challenge and you can see the all the other entries at #GeorgeousRoomChallenge 

Sharing milk with dragons

Once upon a time a green dragon wanted milk, 
For tired out he was of chasing maidens dressed in silk
Of flying after knights who fled on trusty steed
And scaring ogres in forest glens, he'd had enough indeed

All he wanted was to drink a glass of lovely Cravendale
To sit upon his favourite rock and curl up in his tail,
Have a little cookie or slice of magic cake
A rest from breathing fire and making townsfolk shake.

But there did come a little boy who liked his milk drink too
And wasn't going to let the dragon, the white bottle pursue,
The dragon cowered low in fright at this mighty strong willed child
He wasn't going to dual against him, so loud and oh so wild.

But then the boy with golden locks had a sudden change of heart
And scampered off to solve this problem, for he was very smart
No need to quarrel or to fuss, he'd two stripy straws in hand
For sharing milk with a dragon friend would surely be very grand.

 My little boy has a small dragon who likes to join us for tea sometimes, so we delve into the fairy tale books and have a little tea party for unicorns, chivalric knights and gingerbread men. 

Out comes the Hansel & Gretel tableware, mini milk bottles and pastel straws. 
Dainty sandwiches and some glittery bun cakes to eat and creamy fresh Cravendale milk to drink. For powering dragon flight and my young squire's energy this milk is great - with no additives or preservatives, 17 essential vitamins and minerals all of us are happy.

A lovely mid afternoon treat, warm and cosy by the fire at this time of year. The stories flow - will we go to Wonderland or Never-never Land? Then let us snooze under an enchantment and dream away.....

This post is an entry for BritMums #MilkDrinkersMilk linky challenge, sponsored by Cravendale. 

Mix up the magic - Tuff Spot play

Part of our regular play is using our fabulous Tuff Spot, a huge plastic mixing tray that can be used for all kinds of imaginative and messy play. I keep Toby interested by changing the theme and using lots of different materials and textures. This week we had a farm set up where tractors and cows crunched around in pasta and a dog came along and ate the dried pasta (silly old girl) whilst a little boy fell about laughing and sat in the pasta.

Home educating is better with cake

It is no surprise that I have a son who loves cake.

From the first ever piece......

 ...to the parties from age 1-5.
And for all those occasions in between.
Or just because it makes us happy.

Just because it is a rainy day and we can't go out to play
Or the day has started badly.
I quickly grab some cake and Toby and I have a little party.
During the holidays, well it's all the same to us as we home educate so our holidays are whenever we choose but we do love a slice (or two) of cake whilst we learn and play at home.

In fact, cake motivates my son when he's struggling. It cheers him up and puts a smile on his face. I love the process, it is pure magic - eggs from my father's chickens, flour, sugar, butter and a dash of vanilla. Warm cake shortly after with crunchy edges and a soft, crumb texture. I have the art perfected, rustic of course but delicious.

Cake baking is also part of our home education and the boy will be a great baker one day :)

We bake cupcakes and then take them on our day trips for we venture out a lot, so a tin full of treats is always there ready. Over Easter we had chocolate egg cakes and ate them in castles and parks. Through tantrums and tears and our tired cross moments, cake made it all better.

This post is an entry for #betterwithcake Linky Challenge , sponsored by Mr Kipling. Learn more at https://www.facebook.com/mrkiplingcakes

Our wishlist to Santa at Debenhams

Melissa & Doug Self-Correcting Number Puzzles // Halilit Sea Life Floating Bath Puzzle // Halilit Floating Blocks Bath Toy // B. B. Bazillion Buckets // Keel Christmas penguin 20cm //  Tomy Aquafun Octopals Gift Tube // The Very Hungry Caterpillar Hungry Caterpillar Apple Playset // Motormax Motormax 3 inch diecast 20 car set // Melissa & Doug Castle Wooden Figure 

Set

There was a special boy who had been very, very good

He'd been so kind and loving as every little boy should.

All year long he had worked very hard

On his speech and understanding and with his PECS* cards.

New words they came a plenty from animals to everyday items

And sitting down with mummy to do activities that are exciting.

The toys we wish for from Santa will help us on our way

From learning about numbers, matching colours as we play.

Games that make bath time fun and puzzles that can float

And pretending we are knights in a castle with a moat.

Finally at bedtime we can have a little cuddle

With a perfect little penguin who likes to have a snuggle

Thank you so much Santa, you make us smile every year

So we've left you a glass of milk and some carrots for the reindeer.

We hope you have a safe journey on your present delivering flight

And that Christmas magic, love and happiness is received by all with true delight.

(*PECS by the way are the cards that Little Bird uses to help him communicate - picture exchange system)

This is my entry into the Debenhams wishlist to Santa competition. 

Christmas Party Outfit

Coat/Playsuit/Clutch bag/tights/shoes/ring/nail polish

My ideal Christmas Party outfit would be a fun playsuit that also still looks sophisticated. A feminine look with added sparkle of a beaded clutch bag and huge rock of a ring on glitter tipped nails.

Shoes with a heel - not too high that I cannot party but high enough to look glam.

I have to be warm though for waiting for the taxi or walking between bars so an amazing faux fur coat and opaque tights will do just the trick.

This is my entry for the Debenhams Blogger Christmas Party Contest

My best bit of autumn

My best bit of autumn is how the season feels like a fresh start. Autumn has always been my New Year, perhaps with my nostalgia of school starting in September, it has always signified a beginning even though in many ways other people consider it to be an end - the end of summer, of green leafy trees and the sunlight which becomes less and less as the days go on.....

But this picture reminds me that autumn is truly my awakening. Here is the entrance to the best season of the year, A beautiful fiery golden leafed staircase to autumnal heaven with light mists and hazy light. The start of cosy season, warm layers and rich food for the soul as the cold creeps in.

New plans to be made, time to study and read by the roaring fire as we head towards winter. Most importantly it is the best time of year to spend with loved ones. Leaf kicking days followed by snuggle up nights. Blissful autumn.

Angel Delight Firework Dessert

Angel Delight brings back so many feelings of nostalgia. A Friday evening treat. Picking your favourite flavour off the shelf. My mum whisking it up and serving in pretty glass dessert bowls.

Our favourite is butterscotch but they are all gorgeous and now there is an Angel Delight Bubblegum flavour that we will be looking out for in the supermarket.

As it is that time of year, to think of bonfires and fireworks, I thought I would create a seasonal dessert using our usual butterscotch flavoured Angel Delight heaven.

Two packets of Angel Delight Butterscotch were whisked with a pint of milk until you have a light, fluffy consistency and poured into a trifle bowl.

Placed in the refrigerator to set.

Add a layer of toffee popcorn.

Drizzle with chocolate

Sprinkle with chocolate stars

and fabulous popping candy

Sprinkle with gold edible glitter

The nicest tasting dessert for Bonfire Night we have ever made! 

And very sparkly too!

This post is an entry for #AngelDelightMoments Linky Challenge

Morning victories

Mornings are great in our home. We get up when we want to get up. So if Little Bird has had a difficult night of being unable to sleep, we can just surface from the warmth of the covers when he is ready. The benefits of home educating - our biggest morning victory.

Mornings are taken at LB's pace - for he needs a little time to get himself together after such broken sleep. Time for the words to come. I'm not sure if this is an autism thing but he really does need some time in the morning to be able to put his words together. Time to power up.

But then he is off! And what a victory this is, being able to ask for what he wants, for he only started to talk last year.
'I want toast'
'I want iPad'.........

And so the day starts. I have my cup of coffee looking out of the window at everyone busying past in the drizzle or the cold whilst we are warm and chilled out inside our home. Even the dogs have a lazy morning. Of course I'm then making breakfast and getting the day's activities together but it's a lovely pace for my little boy to keep him calm and happy.

This post is an entry for #MorningWin Linky Challenge sponsored by belVita Breakfast. Learn more at http://bit.ly/belVitaUK

Cheesy broccoli and potato soup

Now that autumn is here it is time for a good bowl of soup to warm us up. DB went off to the allotment to continue tidying up. So many weeds to clear up, put into bags and take to the tip plus a whole load of fixing things ready for next year. So whilst he was there I made a comforting cheesy broccoli and potato soup for him to have when he got back.

Ingredients:

1 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 medium size onion, diced
3 medium Maris Piper potatoes, cut into small chunks
1 small head of broccoli broken into florets
120ml milk
6000ml vegetable stock
50g cheddar cheese, grated
seasoning

Method:
Fry the diced onion and garlic in the olive oil until soft.
Add the diced potato and broccoli florets
Pour in the milk
Pour in the vegetable stock
Bring to the boil
Simmer for about 20 minutes
Add the cheddar cheese
Season
Blitz with the hand blender

It was dark upon DB's return and the soup was well appreciated and there is some left for taking to work tomorrow. I love potato soup, it is one of my favourites and perfect for autumn evenings. Next time I'll make a spicy one and maybe bake the potatoes first. 
Not too bad for my diet either as it is so filling. 

This post is an entry for #FluffyMarisPiper Linky Challenge sponsored by Potato Council. Learn more at bit.ly/18rWnaB

Greek salad crisp butty

Tots100 and Seabrook Crisps have a challenge for National Crisp Butty Week for bloggers to create a tasty crisp sandwich. I wanted to create a sandwich that reminded me of summer holidays and decided to make a Greek Salad Butty with scrummy Seabrook Beefy crisps. 
2 slices Crusty loaf
Seabrook Beefy Crisps
Tbsp Plain yoghurt
Handful diced cucumber
Sprinkle of oregano
Sprig of fresh mint
Few slices of Feta cheese
4 cherry Tomatoes halved
Sliced Red onion
couple of Lettuce leaves
Handful of Pitted Green Olives
Glug of Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Firstly I made a little homemade simple tzatziki with finely diced cucumber, plain yoghurt, chopped mint from the garden and some dried oregano. I used this to spread on the bread.

Add a layer of crispy iceberg lettuce, slices of feta cheese. Then top with the sliced tomatoes, red onion and sliced green olives.

Sprinkle with dried oregano.

Drizzle with virgin olive oil.

Top with the yummy Seabrook Beefy crisps and the other slice of bread.

Voila the Greek Salad Crisp Butty.

Totally a filling and tasty lunch which I will make again.

This recipe is an entry into the National Crisp Sarnie Week competition with Seabrook 
crisps

Dream Living Room

I love dogs and have two of them who are my very best friends in the whole world. After seeing a fab competition held by Little Stuff to design our ideal room I decided to put together my perfect living room that included my dogs for they are welcome to cuddle up next to me on the sofa or by the fire in a snuggly bed. I also love dog related homeware items so I've picked some autumnal and canine pieces for my dream living room to relax in. 

Tweed Dog bed, Pets at Home £60 // Long Island grey sofa, Sofa.com from £1480 // No Dogs Allowed Cushion, NOTH £21// KARLSTAD Armchair, Husie orange, Ikea £205

My dogs deserve new beds and these look like the Heritage style I am aiming for. A corner sofa so they can hop on would be wonderful but lets ignore what the cushion says :) I adore orange especially in autumn so the chair from Ikea would be a fantastic colour pop by the bay window in my living room. 

Fox Terrier Clock, Etsy £15 //Bird on a Wire Curtains, John Lewis £120 //Mr Fox Rug, John Lewis from £159 //Ready for Rehoming Candle, NOTH, £15.95

I love quirky items so the clock is a great find along with the dog candle - definite talking points in the room. The Mr Fox rug combines the grey and the orange scheme and the curtains also combine the grey with an autumnal yellow. 

Craig & Rose Period Colours - Eau de Nil, B&Q //Foot Rest, Next £45 //Wallpaper, Laura Ashley, £29 per roll//Coasters, Etsy £15.47

Soothing grey paint and a multitude of dogs on a feature wall. A warm Heritage foot rest and some cheery dog coasters for my cup of tea. I love the heritage look and checks, perfect for this time of year. 

TV Cabinet, Oliver Bonas, £465//Lambswool check throw, Next £45 /Copper and glass terrarium, Oliver Bonas £36//Calendar, Wilkinsons £4

An amazing feature in the room would be the TV cabinet from Oliver Bonas, that pop of orange once again and of course a checked throw to keep warm under with my two dogs beside me. I love terrariums at the moment, so trendy and a great way to introduce greenery into a room scheme. This cute decorative calendar from Wilkinsons is an absolute bargain and the colours are perfect for my living room idea. 

Jute dog cushion,  House of Fraser £38// Dachshund doorstop, Anthropologie £48//Obey the Jack Russell print, NOTH, £30 /Dog Lead hooks, The Stylish Dog Company, £42

More doggy cushions - even though my naughty terrier pushes them all off with his nose when he jumps on a sofa. The front door opens right into the living room so it is also where coats and leads for walkies time are kept therefore a lovely new set of hooks would complement the scheme and be practical. My terrier is half Jack Russell so the jazzy print speaks for itself.

Ceiling light pendant, John Lewis £255 / Dog print storage boxes, Laura Ashley £21 /Bright orange side table, Habitat £35 /Stanley Dog lamp, Cath Kidston, £48

A few more bits and pieces and a very bright side table from Habitat that I have fallen in love with but not as much as the lamp with Stanley the dog - perfectly kitsch. 

Terrier Mug, Emma Bridgewater, £20 //Price's tin candle, Scented candle shop, £4.95

Finally a new mug for my cups of tea with a dog that reminds me of one of mine. Although I am welcoming of the dogs into the living room there is absolutely no denying that sometimes they are a little pongy - sorry dogs, so a Price's candle to freshen the room up is a must.

Hope you like my dog inspired living room, I know my dogs would be very happy with it.