the-gingerbread-house.co.uk

It’s time for a Spring clean!

jenny — Sun, 19 May 2013 15:33:52 +0000

As part of my role as a Dunelm Mill blogger I’m occasionally asked to review some of their lovely products for the home. They recently contacted me about reviewing one of their latest products, the Click ’n’ Clean cleaning system. The Click ’n’ Clean is a revolutionary new cleaning system where you select your handle which you can mix and match with a cleaning head depending on your cleaning needs.

Not only is it the time of year to give your house a Spring clean but, as you know, we’ve recently moved house so our house needs a complete clean. Instead of my beautiful old wooden floors we now have a range of different floor surfaces including tiles and fake wooden floors so I was happy to try out the new cleaning products, anything which makes my life easier usually gets the thumbs up from me.

A rather large box turned up containing a variety of poles and head attachments. My favourite is the Click ‘n’ Clean Spray Mop System. We had something similar a couple of years ago but the spray ran out and must have been discontinued. This version is much better as you can use the cleaning product of your choice which means you can use different products on different types of floors.

I’ve also been using the Click ‘n’ Clean Chenille Microfibre Dusting Wand which is great for quick dusting. You can use it on its own or with the extendable pole which makes it easier to reach corners and under furniture. The Brush Head attachment was also quite handy as it has a 30° angle oblique soft bristles for easy sweeping in tight corners as well as an 180° angled head which gives further flexibility. Finally we tried the 2in1 Cleaning Head which can be used on its own or with an extendable pole. I have to admit I rarely clean my windows but this was simple to use and the microfibre cleaning pad left my windows clean and streak free.

I really like this cleaning system from Dunelm Mill. You can really tailor it to what you actually need from 3 poles and 10 head attachments and the Microfibre technology helps keep your home sparkling clean.

The Great British Farmhouse cookbook

jenny — Sat, 18 May 2013 21:06:51 +0000

Last week The Great British Farmhouse cookbook from Yeo Valley landed on my doorstep. My husband and I were lucky enough to eat a delicious lunch on a Yeo Valley farm tour last year so I was excited to see what kind of recipes it would contain.

“From soups and pates to casseroles, roasts, salads and pies, nad from tarts and crumbles to puddings, cakes, breads, jams and chutneys, produce from the farm and surrounding countryside is imaginatively combined to produce a wonderful range of heart warming, seasonal dishes for all the family. Dotted throughout with fun and informative farming facts, and illustrated with evocative photographs taken over a year on the farm, the Great British Farmhouse Cookbook is a celebration of contemporary country living and modern British food at its best.”

It certainly doesn’t disappoint and is packed full of over 100 recipes inspired by the traditions of the British farmhouse kitchen given a modern twist. This book came at just the right time as I’ve been stuck in a rut of cooking the same meals lately. So instead of the same boring old meals this week my family have enjoyed Cauliflower cheese with roasted cherry tomatoes & crispy bacon, and a yummy Beef and barley cottage pie. The toddler even helped me bake an awesome Ginger cake which we all loved!

I love cooking from scratch and I found the recipes well laid out and easy to follow. Next on my to do list is the Braised steak in ale with a herby cobbler topping followed by the Wild plum or damson fool with sponge fingers. Anyone fancy joining us for lunch

Creepy crawly cupcakes

jenny — Sat, 18 May 2013 13:56:34 +0000

It’s so cold today, I can’t really believe it’s the middle of May. This morning we went to the annual May Fair at the toddlers new Nursery (he starts in September and I can’t wait!). When we got back he really wanted to have a picnic lunch in the garden but the chilly weather meant we enjoyed lunch looking at the garden rather than sitting in it. To cheer ourselves up we thought we’d take part in the latest Centre Parcs challenge.

We wanted to make something special for our picnic which meant making sure we had unpacked all our baking equipment. We turned to Pinterest for inspiration and decided to make Ant cupcakes. The toddler has been showing an increasing interest in the garden. In the last week he has learnt the difference between ants, spiders, flies and snails. He doesn’t like them, unlike his younger sister who has no qualms picking up creepy crawlies and taking a closer look, but at least he can identify them.

Anyway, we followed a basic vanilla cupcake recipe and after the cakes had cooled, cut the tops off to make them even. They were then covered in a thin layer of marzipan dyed red with food colouring, and ‘ants’ made with maltesers with black icing legs. The children loved them. What do you think?

We also enjoyed gingerbread men, mini sausage rolls and sandwiches, and shared a bag of the new Walkers Hoops and Crosses which are made with wholegrains. They reminded me slightly of Roast Beef Monster Munch and were yummy.

This is also my entry for the May PinAddicts Challenge.

Lala-Oopsies: A Sew Magical Tale – The Movie review and giveaway

jenny — Fri, 17 May 2013 07:48:51 +0000

Last year we reviewed Adventures in Lalaloopsy Land: The Search for Pillow which the toddler really enjoyed. Now for the first time you can journey beyond the rolling green hills of the original Lalaoopsy Land to an extraordinary place never seen before, where islands float on strawberry milk surrounded by tall mushroom trees to meet the Lala-Oopsies! The whimsical Lala-Oopsies are princess ballerinas, fairies and mermaids who love to throw tea parties, make sweets and knit treats.

But their kingdom ends up in trouble when the strawberry milk, which powers Lala-Oopsies Land, suddenly stops flowing and our new friends need some help to save their precious homes…

Enter the magical world of the Lala-Oopsies in a brand new movie starring all new characters. The bendy and sillier counterparts to Lalaoopsies, the Lala-Oopsies – as their name implies – are Oopsies, with arms and legs that are rubbery and bendable, and heads that are very squishy. The princesses along with the fairies love to play together as they rule and watch over each of their own special kingdoms. My toddler really enjoyed the film, it’s the perfect length at 44 mins and also features two bonus Lalaoopsy Mini Adventures.

The full-length feature Lala-Oopsies: A Sew Magical Tale – The Movie, is available to own on DVD from the 27th May (RRP £9.99). The DVD also includes a great free entry offer for Chessington World Of Adventures!

Giveaway:

I have three prizes consisting of the DVD and a Lalaloopsy doll for three lucky readers of the gingerbread house. If you would like to win simply tell me what are the Lala-Oopsies ? in a comment below (there are three possible answers so just tell me one).

for an extra entry tell others about the giveaway using the Retweet button below or tweet this message: I want to #win with @gingerbread_mum and the Lalaloopsy Dolls!

Don’t have twitter? Follow the gingerbread house page on Google + or Bloglovin’ for an extra entry - just leave me a comment and let me know.

Small print:

There are three prizes consisting of a copy of the film on DVD and a Lalaloopsy Doll. The giveaway ends May 24th at 8pm. The three winners will be selected at random from all correct entries received and notified by email or their twitter handle. The prize is as stated: no cash alternatives are available. UK only.

ThePrizeFinder – UK Competitions

Fabric painting with buttons

jenny — Thu, 16 May 2013 14:03:58 +0000

I thought it would be fun to use my buttons in a different way and decorate some tshirts for Little Sis. I chose a handful of buttons which were unusual and made them into stamps, using some corks and a glue gun.

I left them overnight to dry and then dipped them in fabric paint before carefully applying them to a blank piece of fabric to practice. Some worked better than others and gave a clearer result so I ended up using two of the buttons on two blank tshirts. One dark tshirt was stamped around the neckline and bottom of the tshirt, the other was decorated with the letter N.

After the fabric dye had dried I ironed the tshirt underneath a clean tea towel to fix the dye. Little Sis was quite pleased with the end result which is good because she has plenty of space to grow (just like the last time I tried using fabric dye!).

The toddler wanted to have a go with the button corks so I let him loose with them and some paint. They didn’t work very well on a flat surface but he still had lots of messy fun.

Reloved magazine giveaway

jenny — Wed, 15 May 2013 08:41:49 +0000

I came across a new magazine last week called Reloved – the creative guide to upcycling. The cover immediately appealed to me so I bought it even though I have little time for reading at the moment. I love to recycle and upcycle and am always on the lookout for smallish items which I can put my own stamp on.

I have a couple of half-finished projects which I’ve never got round to blogging about (mental note to write about them soon). One of my favourites is a small wooden box found boarded up in our old house. It was in pretty good condition and stamped Adam’s Furniture Polish along one side. It was just asking to be turned into something useful so I painted the inside white and added a small shelf and two rails to hold spools of ribbon, washi tape and bakers twine.

Reloved magazine is packed full of inspiration with 116 pages of craft projects to transform homeware, clothing and jewellery. I’ve already made the kitchen blackboard and love the idea of a ‘scraps of history’ curtain panel which would look great in our bathroom.

Giveaway

If you fancy getting hold of the first edition of Reloved magazine, leave me a comment below – just for fun tell me how many pages of craft projects feature in the magazine.

Small print:

There is one prize consisting of one copy of Reloved magazine. The giveaway ends May 22nd at 8pm. The winner will be selected at random from all correct entries received and notified by email or their twitter handle. The prize is as stated: no cash alternatives are available. UK and ROI only please.

ThePrizeFinder – UK Competitions

Yummy ginger cake for a wet day

jenny — Tue, 14 May 2013 14:14:13 +0000

I can’t believe we’ve spent two weeks in our new house. It’s flown by and the place totally feels like home, despite having a room full of boxes waiting to be unpacked. The only slight dampener on our spirits has been the weather turning from glorious sunshine to stormy in the space of a couple of days.

What better way to cheer ourselves up that with a spot of baking. The toddler was sent a cute little Miffy apron to review. Did you know that June 21st marks Miffy’s 58th birthday? We think she looks great for her age!

We thought we’d pick something from The Great British Farmhouse cookbook from Yeo Valley, you may remember we went on one of the Yeo Valley farm tours last year and had an amazing time. We chose the Ginger cake but left off the fudgy frosting. We adapted the recipe slightly and instead of baking one large cake baked 12 individual portions in cardboard cases. It tastes delicious on its own but I’ll be serving it warm with custard for desert later this evening.

The apron really kept the toddler clean and he was happy to wear it (phew!). It would also be great for arts and crafts, as well as messy play. The Miffy apron is PVC-coated, with cotton ties at the back so easy to put on and wipe clean. It costs £5.99 and is available here.

Cath Kidston – Coming Up Roses review and giveaway

jenny — Mon, 13 May 2013 15:06:16 +0000

It’s difficult to believe that this year Cath Kidston celebrates her 20th anniversary. I’ve always been a huge fan and my house is peppered with floral tea towels and bed linen. To celebrate the anniversary she has relaunched some classics designs in her popular antique rose print. I particularly love the special edition Moleskin.

As well as the collection of classic designs you can find out how it all began in Coming Up Roses, Cath’s new book about the brand’s first 20 years.

Despite having little formal business experience, Kidston built her eponymous brand into one now recognised by more than 50% of women between the ages of 16 and 65. Her first shop opened in its doors in west London in 1993 and was caller Cath Kidston Ltd: Household Effects. Due to her low tolerance of risk it took her nine years to open her second London shop, and the third opened only in 2002. Just 11 years later, the company has more than 100 shops and concessions, including stores in Japan, South Korea and China.

The book is beautifully illustrated with lots of Cath Kidston prints, and follows the ups and downs of the last 20 years. It’s a great read for all Cath Kidston fans and full of interesting facts, my favourite was the list of licence opportunities which were turned down, from printed disposable nappies, to an AGA, printer cartridges and kitchen towels!

Giveaway

I have one copy of Coming Up Roses to giveaway to a lucky reader of the gingerbread house. If you would like to win simply answer the following question in a comment below – tell me in which year Cath Kidston opened her first shop.

For an extra entry tell others about the giveaway using the Retweet button below or tweet this message: I want to #win a copy of Coming Up Roses with @gingerbread_mum

For a final extra entry follow the gingerbread house page on Google + or Bloglovin’ - just leave me a comment and let me know.

Small print:

There is one prize consisting of one copy of Coming Up Roses. The giveaway ends May 21st at 8pm. The winner will be selected at random from all correct entries received and notified by email or their twitter handle. The prize is as stated: no cash alternatives are available. UK and ROI only.

ThePrizeFinder – UK Competitions

Crafting with Post-it Notes

jenny — Sun, 12 May 2013 12:40:57 +0000

We love taking inspiration from everyday items and the stormy weather has been perfect for staying indoors and getting crafty. 3M have just launched Post-it Notes Colour Cubes, packs of Post-it Notes in a range of vibrant hues. We were sent a selection of the new Post-it Notes Colour Cubes and challenged to create a piece of Post-it artwork with our favourite colours.

Over the last week we’ve been inspired to have some fun indoors and so far we’ve made a photo booth backdrop, origami boxes and a temporary racetrack for cars!

We decided to create a London picture as the toddler loves maps at the moment. I let him pick the colours so we used the blue/green Post-it Notes Colour Cube.

First of all we copied the outline of Greater London onto a number of Post-it Notes and cut around it as closely as we could.

Then we chose our favourite London landmarks and copied them onto green Post-it Notes.

Finally we covered a canvas in the remaining colours to give a colourful backdrop to our picture and placed everything on top. A London picture created from Post-it Notes and a pair of scissors. What do you think?

Don’t forget to check out the Post-it UK Facebook page for more ideas. This post has been sponsored by 3M who provided a blank canvas and selection of Post-it Notes.

Playing for Keeps film review

jenny — Wed, 08 May 2013 13:10:56 +0000

We were sent a copy of Playing for Keeps to review, it’s billed as a romantic comedy with a bit of spice. It’s out to rent and own on DVD and Blu-ray from 20th May (RRP £15.99/£17.99).

Gerard Butler (P.S. I Love You, The Bounty Hunter) stars as George Dryer, a down-on-his-luck former football star who is desperate to rebuild a relationship with his ex-wife, Stacie (Jessica Biel: Hitchcock, Total Recall), and his young son, Lewis.

In an attempt to grow up and win his family back he starts coaching his son’s football team. But while football is a hands-free sport, the lusty mothers of the other children can’t seem to keep their hands off him. Will his attempts to put his family back together be challenged by attractive soccer-mums?

Directed by Gabriele Muccino (The Pursuit of Happyness, Seven Pounds) and also starring Uma Thurman (My Super Ex-Girlfriend), Catherine Zeta-Jones (Rock of Ages), Dennis Quaid (What to Expect When You’re Expecting) and Judy Greer (The Descendants) and introducing Noah Lomax as Lewis.

I took one look at the cover of the DVD and realised that I would be watching Playing for Keeps on my own. The plot is incredibly predictable but it’s a fun and heart-warming tale with plenty of laughs. There are also some extras including deleted scenes, The Playbook: Making Playing for Keeps, creating as All-Star Team: The cast of Playing for Keeps.