Tuesday 31 March 2015

Bromley Easter Half Term Holiday Activities and Things to Do

The Easter Break in Bromley is coming round fast and if you are looking for things to do, please enjoy my round up of Bromley Easter Break Activities.


Queens Garden Maze in Bromley

Dr Seuss Make and Do - Thursday 9th and Friday 10th April at 11am, the Churchill Theatre are running craft sessions aimed at ages 3 to 7 centred around the Cat in the Hat. At a cost of £5 per child (accompanying adults go free) - tickets purchased in advance.

Pottery Painting Session Lavender House Cafe is running a children's Pottery Painting sessions from £10 a child, book in advance.

Craft Sessions Intu Bromley (The Glades) will be having free children's Easter themed drop in craft sessions in the central atrium on weekdays.

Mim-mim (from Kate and Mim-mim) visit Intu Bromley 2nd April various times Free  

Paint a Bird box Ruxley Manor 30th March to 3rd April,  Paint a Birdbox £5 per child. Book in advance.

Plant a spring basket Ruxley Manor 6th to 10th April, Plant a spring basket £5 per child. Book in advance.

Cupcake Bake and Decorate at Coolings a choice of dates and times. suitable for children aged 5+ 2 hour session includes lunch at the cafe. £9.99 book in advance

Make a bug, bat or bee box at Coolings 8th April 11am to 1pm for ages 5-11. £9.99 book in advance

Shaun in the City - Gruffalo ShaunForest Fun Club in West Wickham has various daily sessions on through the easter break for children aged 4-11. Sessions run 10am to 1pm at  £20 per child per session - although there is a sibling discount available. 

Be a scientist for the day in the Hands On science centre at Natural History Museum Free (But please leave a donation in one of the museum collection boxes)

The Queens Garden Maze - next to Intu Bromley, there is a small maze tucked to one side that small children love! Free


Shaun in the City - a flock of 50 Shaun the Sheep's are in London until the 25th May - theres a website, app and printable map available to help you spot them all! Free

Emma in Bromley xx

Hobbycraft Easter Crafts Overview

I'll be doing quite a lot of fun Easter inspired crafts with the children now it's the Easter holidays and I'll be referring to Hobbycraft a lot because I went to their Easter press day and was amazed by what I saw and I love Hobbycraft (maybe a little too much because Hubby keeps banning me from the store... something about spending too much time and money!!!)

Maegan sat and decorated Easter biscuits while I chatted to the lovely hobbycraft team - I'd have happily sat there all day long drinking tea and chatting about crafty wonderfulnes with these lovely ladies!

Maegan Clement making Easter Cookies with Hobbycraft
Maegan Clement making Easter Cookies with Hobbycraft
Maegan Clement making Easter Cookies with Hobbycraft

I absolutely adore these rabbits and have taken inspiration to have a go at making my own! 

Hobbycraft Easter Rabbits Craft


How sweet are the bunny ear head bands and the pirate boat Easter hat? 
Bunny Ears and Pirate Easter Hat - Hobbycraft
 Pirate Easter Hat - Hobbycraft

These sheep Easter cards are adorable aren't they!
Hobbycraft - Sheep Easter Card

Yum! Slice of cake anyone?
Easter Cake from Hobbycraft
Make your own eggs
Hobbycraft - Make your own Easter Eggs

I was taken with these spring wreaths and will also be having a go at making one :)
Spring Easter Wreaths - Hobbycraft
What about you? Are you making any Easter crafts?

Make sure you are following my blog because I have a lot of Easter Crafts coming up xx


TeaBreak Tuesday - How Long Does It Take a 3 Year Old To Dismantle a Bed?

How Long Does It Take a 3 Year Old To Dismantle a Bed? Maegan Darcie Clement
My 3 year daughter - Maegan very much has an inquisitive mind, she likes to figure things out herself and is very independant - she has a natural talent for taking things apart - especially things she shouldn't! 

Maegan was playing nicely in her room so I took a moment to rush a laundry basket down and put a load on - I was out of the room for 3 minutes.

In this time, Maegan had decided to stop playing nicely with Nooonicorn (her favourite unicorn) and instead pull the mattress off the bed (and fold it in half??!!), remove all the bedslats and pretty much trash the whole room! 

In three minutes!

It takes a 3 year old less than 3 minutes to dismantle a bed!

I may or may not have laughed and cried at the same time!

I was greeted by the biggest proudest smile and "Look Mamma, I made a hidyhole den!"

The bed fortunately took only a few moments to put back together - the rest of the room will take a lot longer!

Emma in Bromley xx

#TeaBreakTuesday

TeaBreak Tuesday 

Friday 27 March 2015

PETER RABBIT – TALES OF THE START OF SPRING DVD


PETER RABBIT – TALES OF THE START OF SPRING DVD ON SALE MONDAY 30TH MARCH
Hop into springtime with the
PETER RABBIT – TALES OF THE START OF SPRING DVDfirst ever DVD release for the new Peter Rabbit animation series

Beatrix Potter’s wonderful stories have charmed and entertained children for generations. Now fans can enjoy the brand new adventures of her timeless children’s classic Peter Rabbit in the first ever DVD collection of episodes from the new animated series.   The Peter Rabbit – Tales Of The Start Of Spring DVD is released by Abbey Home Media on Monday, March 30th and is a perfect Easter gift idea.


Follow our hero Peter and his friends Benjamin Bunny and Lily Bobtail on their adventures as they encounter real dangers, overcome obstacles and outsmart predators, all the while finding fun and excitement in the most unexpected places.  


With a taste for radishes and a thirst for adventure Peter Rabbit is the lovable and extraordinary friend you longed to hang out with when you were a kid. But when the chips are down and danger lurks, there’s no better friend to have around than Peter and his boundless courage will always see him through. Peter has an infectious enthusiasm for life and is also an irrepressible optimist. He is cool under pressure and his quick-witted mind is as nimble as his super-fast legs.  


This enchanting collection features a free Hop Outside insert with outdoor activities for little ones and over one hundred minutes of adventure to treasure including the special 22 minute episode ‘The Tale of The Start of Spring’. The DVD also features The Tale of the Radish Robbers, The Tale of the Secret Treehouse, The Tale of the Dash in the Dark, The Tale of the Broken Bed, The Tale of Benjamin’s New Map, The Tale of the Terrible Trap, and the Tale of the Peekboo Rabbits.

For more information on the DVD visit facebook.com/peterrabbitDVD


We've had quite a Peter Rabbit theme lately - did you see my Peter Rabbit cupcakes earlier this week?


Peter Rabbit Cupcakes #tastytales

My children, age 3 and 5 have enjoyed watching this dvd with me - Blake (age 5) loves The Tale of the Dash in the Dark whilst Maegan (age 3) enjoys The Tale of the Peekaboo Rabbits best. 

This animated series is entertaining and inspiring as the stories are new to us as well as being familiar as in the use of Beatrix Potter's characters and story telling format. We enjoyed watching all the tales featured on the DVD and the stories are perfect to get you into spring and easter mode - this would make a lovely easter gift or school holiday treat.

Emma in Bromley


 





Disclaimer - I received a check disk version of this dvd for the sole purpose of reviewing it. 

Thursday 26 March 2015

In Search of the Hollywood Smile with Oligodontia and Invisible Braces

My teeth have always been a big, big issue for me because I have Oligodontia - a genetic condition which means I have a large number of missing teeth - many of my secondary teeth are simply missing, it's not anything I did or didn't do. Milk teeth fall out when a growing secondary tooth pushes it out, for me I have many gaps where a neighbouring secondary tooth pushed out a milk tooth where there wasn't a secondary tooth leaving a lot of gaps - I also still have a few milk teeth! 

Oligodontia

I found growing up with the gappy teeth a problem as I got picked on for it, I found myself to be timid and often I'd talk behind my hand or hair, or at secondary school I just didn't say much at all.

I find I'm judged on my teeth - living in London with a Lancashire accent and awful teeth automatically give people assumptions over the sort of person I am.

Because of the gaps, other teeth overcompensate as such I have canine teeth which have rotated slightly, I have teeth that have crumbled a bit, I have missing molars which means I chew slowly because on one side I don't have two molars together and I worry that now I'm in my mid thirties, my remaining milk teeth could start to fall out at any time

I've always wanted that Hollywood Smile, more so on my wedding day - I cringe at the photos that show my gappy smile, I want to fill in the smile with a pen! ohhh I'd love to have my teeth sorted!

Because of Oligodontia, I take an active interest in cosmetic dentistry, I've had a few quotes before to have everything sorted in one go, involving long painful procedures such as drilling, tooth removal, veneers and implants and I've become very tempted before - the last quote I had to totally give me the Hollywood Smile I crave, somewhat exceeded my current affordability so its something I'd look to improve slowly, step by step - ideally before I reach 40!


Sensu Dental Studio Invisalign Braces - Invisible Braces

I was excited to see Sensu, One of London's leading dental studios set in the heart of the Harley Street District offering Invisalign Braces I wonder if these invisible braces would help me to rectify some of the gaps and twists I have. They sound impressive and don't have the traditional fixed look other braces have. The Invisalign Braces are a progressive set and as the name suggests, extremely discreet. with the added bonus of being removable so you don't need to worry about teeth cleaning and food issues as you would with a fixed brace. 


Sensu Dental Studio Invisalign Braces - Invisible Braces

I had a good browse through the Sensu website and spotted a few things that might be able to assist me in correcting my teeth - its something that I would love to be in the position to do, you wouldn't believe the amount of times having Oligodontia has reduced me to tears - something as simple as having a good smile can make all the difference to a person's confidence and wellbeing. 



Would you change anything about your smile? 

Emma in Bromley x




Disclaimer - This post is in collaboration with Sensu

Tuesday 24 March 2015

Happy Feaster Peter Rabbit Cupcakes

Happy Feaster Blog Tour, rabbit cupcakes #tastytales


I've been invited to take part in the Happy Feaster Blog Tour by Ladybird Books and The Happy Foodie.  We have been asked to take storytelling from the page to the kitchen by creating a Spring recipe inspired by the Tales of Peter Rabbit!  I've decided to create Rabbit Cupcakes with my little bunnies Blake (age 5) and Maegan (age 3) 

Happy Feaster Peter Rabbit Cupcakes #tastytales

This one is about the decorating because thats the part my children enjoy the most! .... well, besides the eating!

Firstly make up a batch of plain fairy/cupcakes, or buy a pack of ready made fairy cakes in the bakery section at most supermarkets but this time round I found that we've had a week of colds and a lack of ingredients so my mother-in-law made a batch for me!

Happy Feaster Peter Rabbit Cupcakes #tastytales


While the cakes were cooling, we made a start on the bunny rabbits to sit on the top of the cakes - we used Dr Oetker Ready to Roll Icing in white - its like edible play dough so you have to keep a close eye on the little people because you'll find they sneak a lot of nibbles when your not looking!

I did two basic style of rabbit - both are easy and based on a small ball for the head, a larger ball for the body and two ears.
on the rabbit with paws, I snipped the balls to form two paws and two ears.
I use a dab of water to stick the balls together.
Use a tooth pick/ cocktail stick to add details such as the paw markings, dots for eyes and nose.
I had some chocolate silver pearls I had in the cupboard from christmas to use as tails and everyone thought they worked well as a tail.

Happy Feaster Blog Tour, rabbit cupcakes #tastytales fondant rabbits and Fondant Bunnies
I found the fondant bunnies really easy to make and Blake (age 5) enjoyed making bunnies too - can you spot the ones he made? 

I had some edible ink pens that I bought from a local Bromley cake shop. that I used to finish off the eyes and nose details.
Happy Feaster Blog Tour, rabbit cupcakes #tastytales fondant rabbits and Fondant Bunnies
We topped the cakes with Blue designer icing from Dr Oetker that comes in a handy pouch with piping nozzles - Maegan (age 3) did all the blue icing herself! (Please note that the designer icing pouches actually create a much better finish when used by an adult!)  I'm pleased to say that the blue is a perfect match for Peter Rabbit blue :-)

We also experimented with green icing but struggled to get a grass green finish.
Happy Feaster Blog Tour, rabbit cupcakes #tastytales fondant rabbits and Fondant Bunnies

we used wafer daisies to top each cake and then sat one of the bunnies we made on the top - the cakes have a lovely spring, easter, peter rabbit feel so we were very happy with them!

For more Spring recipes, inspired by Peter Rabbit and friends, why not head over to The Happy Foodie and discover how celebrity chefs and their children are joining in!

Beatrix Potter Stories - especially Peter Rabbit are a large part of my own childhood having grown up in the North West about half an hour away from Lake Windermere so I visited Hilltop Farm and the places that inspired the stories! Peter Rabbit was one of three stories I started reading to my Bump when I was pregnant with my first baby!

As part of this campaign I received three new Peter Rabbit books to help inspire our cupcakes.
Happy Feaster Blog Tour, rabbit cupcakes #tastytales fondant rabbits and Fondant Bunnies


























Peter Rabbit: A Big Box of Little Books which is a sweet collection of mini board books.

The World of Peter Rabbit: A Pull Out Pop Up Book We love this pull out scene with pop up details.

The Tale of Peter Rabbit: Penguin Edition I adore having these classic bound edition books on our bookshelf and Peter Rabbit is amongst both my, and my children's top favourites!

I received a gorgeous surprise "thank you" Peter Rabbit biscuit!


If you've enjoyed this then why not stop by http://www.culture-baby.net tomorrow to check out what delicious Easter ideas she has for enjoying with your families.


#TastyTales

Happy Feaster Blog Tour, rabbit cupcakes #tastytales fondant rabbits and Fondant Bunnies


Happy Feaster #tastytales Blog Tour Schedule:


Emma in Bromley xx




Disclaimer, I was invited to take part in this blog tour and received 3 new Peter Rabbit books.

Monday 23 March 2015

TeaBreak Tuesday - Whats a Sham and Why Do We Put its Poo On Our Hair?

Shampoo - the name causes much, much amusement with my 3 and 5 year old

Mummy, what's a Sham and why do we put it's Poo on our hair? Will always be my favourite bathtime question!

My five year old seems to be convinced there is an animal called a sham ... Probably a fish he says! 

As soon as shampoo is mentioned giggles erupt  - the contagious type of giggles that sees me also giggling at "shampoo" (yes! I know I'm too old to giggle at Poo!) 
Whats a Sham and Why Do We Put its Poo On Our Hair?

But whenever I get asked "if there isn't an animal called a sham, and there isn't any actual poo in shampoo then why is it called shampoo?" I'm always stumped so I had to actually look up (the things we google hey!) why shampoo is called shampoo and you'll never guess what!

In the olden days there was actually a fish called a sham and people did used to use the Poo from a sham fish to cleanse there hair because of the benefits of the oils excreted by this kelp seaweed eating sea creature combined with the cleansing properties of sea salt!

Only joking! It's much more boring - and I found two possible reasons!


Champo - Hindu for Sanskrit root (soapberries and soapnuts)

Or 

Cleansing with hair and body massage (champu) during daily strip wash was an indulgence of early colonial traders in India. When they returned to Europe, they introduced the newly learnt habits, including hair treatment they called shampoo!

What's your favourite bath time question? 


Emma in Bromley xx


#TeaBreakTuesday

TeaBreak Tuesday 

Tuesday 17 March 2015

My top 5 Spring Cleaning Tips

I have some daffodils in my garden! It's officially spring!

After the rush of Christmas - which both feels like ages ago and also not so long ago - we've flown through January which at the time dragged, catapulted February completely (I feel like I blinked and missed February altogether!) and somehow have found ourselves in March where I'm up to my eyeballs in various projects (I'll be sharing some very exciting ones with you very soon!)

It's time for a Spring Clean! 

Tip 1. Declutter - it's the obvious one really isn't it. Haven't used it in a while? Pop it in a box and hide it in the attic, or donate it to the charity shop, or sell it!

Swap your wardrobe items around, the thickest jumpers and woolliest hats can be hidden away while some spring floral prints and light scarves can come out! I'm not talking strappy sundresses just yet like I've already spotted out and about, but just maybe a floral blouse with your jeans. 

I'd really like to declutter but somehow I seem to still have boxes to unpack since moving house last summer! Seriously! I think I'm taking on too much at the moment!

Tip 2. Rearrange the living room furniture, instead of everything being focused on the fireplace, now it's time to face the great outdoors (the window) so you can enjoy the sights of spring, feel the fresh breeze through an open window and let the sunlight illuminate the room. I've also moved my throws and blankets from the living room, but kept them handy as we've had a few chilly evenings. 

Also, it gives you the chance to find lost things - I found a Christmas bauble stuck under one of my sofas! (Amongst other things, one may or may not have formerly been a piece of toast)



Vax Steam Fresh Combi

Tip 3. Get cleaning
I love my gadgets and contraptions! I have a fluffy duster that is actually two that I taped together because I'm short and I couldn't find one with a long enough handle but could also fold flat so I stuck two together with duct tape!


Vax Steam Fresh Combi

And my latest best friend is the Vax Steam Fresh Combi Steam Cleaner  - word of warning - steam cleaning is very addictive and the 10 accessories that come with this one are lots of fun - it officially has 15 cleaning jobs it can tackle!!!

Vax have an impressive range of steam cleaners 


Vax Steam Fresh Combi

Really easy to assemble - just a case of a couple of clicks and very straight forward and easy to use - this is my first Vax product and I found it so straight forward to use, I only needed to flick through the instruction manual once.


Vax Steam Fresh Combi

I have a stone floor in the kitchen so I used it as an upright steam cleaner - there was a patch on the floor that has been there since before we bought the house, it was something red that has set hard to the floor  - no amount of products had manage to lift it - I tried bleach, I tried one of the acti fizz products and I tried some oven cleaner - I even tried to chisel it off and nothing has worked - just a few minutes with the steam cleaner and it started to go!


Vax Steam Fresh Combi

I love the window cleaning attachment on the handheld steamer and I've used it on the mirrors in the kitchen as well as the windows. This one took a moment to get the hang of, my first attempt was a bit streaky but now I'm a whizz - The mirrors in the kitchen need a regular clean as they are right where my children sit to eat - somehow these mirrors are always covered in hand prints!


Vax Steam Fresh Combi

I used the small brush to clean the grooves in my kitchen table and I've also found the nozzle brilliant for removing that orange coloured mould that seems to appear every now and then around the bath.

It has a carpet refreshing tool which I used on the stairs carpet and I used it on our mattress too.

I'm currently working on a massive playroom project at the moment and the Vax has been a brilliant help.

I find I use the handheld steamer as much as I use the Vax Steam and Fresh Combi as an upright.


  • "Eliminates 99.9% of bacteria (tested under controlled lab test conditions)
  • Perfect for all sealed hard floors including wood, stone, tile and laminate. As well as refreshing carpets and rugs

  • Built in hand held steamer with 10 tools for total home clean
  • Steam+detergent tackles stubborn stains and leaves the room smelling fresh

  • Leaves floors dry in 3 minutes or less

  • Ready to go in less than 30 seconds from switching on."


The White Company Orange Grove Candle

Tip 4. Use fresh fragrances - we all love a scented candle don't we! I'm currently using an Orange Grove fragrance - Im always fond of a citrus scent in spring.


Bloom and Wild Flowers

Tip 5. Add some fresh cut flowers - always a spring favourite!

What are your favourite Spring Cleaning tips? 

Emma in Bromley xx



Top 5 Spring Cleaning Tips



Disclaimer - this feature is brought to you in collaboration with Vax.

Monday 16 March 2015

Boden Spring Summer 2015 Collection

In the past few days, Blossom has appeared on our trees, daffodils and Crocuses have appeared everywhere and we eve spotted a bumblebee! Spring is here!
I thought now would be a good time to share with you some of the wonderful things we spotted at the Boden SS15 press day I attended with my Daughter Maegan (age 3)

I'll let the photos speak for themselves because I know its the pictures you will be scrolling through!

The event had an "English Garden" theme which is reflected throughout the collections and the props!

As you walked into the room, the first thing to meet you was a bright pink greenhouse!

Boden SS15 Press Day

Mini Boden - Girls Clothes - These are the items Maegan picked out herself - she has brilliant taste!
Boden SS15 Press Day Mini Boden
Boden SS15 Press Day Mini Boden Maegan Clement
Boden SS15 Press Day Mini Boden Maegan Clement
Boden SS15 Press Day Mini Boden Maegan Clement
Boden SS15 Press Day Mini Boden
Mini Boden - Boys Clothes  - These are the things Meg picked out for her big brother - Blake age 5.
Boden SS15 Press Day Mini Boden
Boden SS15 Press Day Mini Boden
Boden SS15 Press Day Mini Boden
Boden SS15 Press Day Mini Boden
Boden SS15 Press Day Mini Boden
Boden - Womens - These are the things Maegan picked out for me - and yep! I'll spend most of the summer in pretty dresses!
Boden SS15 Press Day Womenswear apple dress
Boden SS15 Press Day Womenswear
Boden SS15 Press Day Womenswear
Boden SS15 Press Day Womenswear
Boden SS15 Press Day Womenswear
Boden SS15 Press Day
Boden SS15 Handbags, Shoes and Accessories - again, these are Maegan's choices - like me, she loves shoes and handbags!
Boden SS15 Press Day Womenswear - Maegan Clement
Boden SS15 Press Day Womenswear - Maegan Clement

Boden SS15 Press Day Womenswear - Maegan Clement

Boden SS15 Press Day Womenswear - Maegan Clement

Boden SS15 Press Day Womenswear - Maegan Clement
Boden SS15 Press Day Womenswear

Boden SS15 Press Day Womenswear

Boden SS15 Press Day Womenswear
We loved the scatter cushions in Boden prints and I had great home office inspiration!
Boden SS15 Press Day Womenswear - Maegan Clement

Boden SS15 Press Day cushions - Maegan Clement
Boden SS15 Press Day
And there was the most beautiful flowers from Bloom and Wild - who do brilliant letterbox bouquets!
Bloom and Wild Flowers Boden Press day ss15

Emma in Bromley xx