Roast potatoes are something I used to find very tricky and the results would always be very hit and miss. That was until I took my Mum’s advice (she always knows) and started to make them as she does. I used to try all sorts of things and use all different types of fat including goose, but actually, the way my Mum does them is so simple and she only uses plain old olive oil. They are crisp on the […]

Yesterday I went to The Baby Show which is forever being hit and miss in my book. One visit is good and the next is pretty poor. In February I enjoyed it but yesterday, it just didn’t float my boat. There wasn’t enough of anything new and innovative while the show felt tired; I’ve been quite a lot of times but even for someone who had never visited I can’t see it would have been THAT much of a day out… […]

It’s been a while since I’ve been to a Bella Italia although I’ve always enjoyed meals there in the past and found them to have a really good menu for children too. I didn’t, however, know that they serve breakfast; in my mind I assumed they were a lunch time and evening place to be really and it simply hadn’t occurred to me until I was invited to pop along with Jimmy and try the menu last week. Apparently they […]

Regatta, makers of super outdoor wear (we reviewed some gorgeous pieces here last week), challenged us to mix up our week a bit and have some adventures on our way to school. Apparently 58% of children pester their parents to walk to school more and Regatta have come up with a fun downloadable ‘Walk To School Adventure Guide’ on their website www.regatta.com to help you come up with ideas for how you can make your journey to school more fun! […]

I watch a lot of reality televsion but for some reason I just haven’t watched the X Factor before. Not since the days of Pop Idol or Pop Stars has my living room been graced with a singing competition on a Saturday night so when it comes to the contestants, judges, what’s happening in the shows… I just don’t know. When I was asked if I’d like tickets (VIP tickets nonetheless) to a filming of the show I wasn’t sure […]

I’m not a coffee drinker and actually find that caffeine doesn’t really agree with me as it makes my skin horrible. Because of this I haven’t drunk a cup for over a decade but that doesn’t mean I don’t find myself making it often. Jonny is a BIG coffee drinker and is very fond of his coffee machine. He also likes to take a flask with him on a day out or to band practice when he goes off for […]

Abney and Teal is one of the gentlest and most lovely programmes on CBeebies and when it comes on the television an air of calm takes on in our living room. Both my children, my girly girl of 4 and my boisterous boy of 2, enjoy watching it and I have to say that it’s one of the ones I enjoy myself too. There’s a new magazine to accompany the programme which is released for the first time today and […]

Florence has had a couple of riding lessons and absolutely loved them though it’s an expensive hobby it has to be said! A group lesson on a Sunday morning for pre-schoolers near us costs £15 which believe it or not is very good value but still, for a half an hour lesson it’s not something we can afford to do every week right now. We do the lessons as and when which is lovely and it is a real treat but […]

Autumn is here and the children are liking nothing more than getting outside to splash in puddles and kick the leaves around. The weather is building beautifully for Halloween and bonfire night and we are dressing appropriately. Living in London you might think we don’t have much countryside to roam or the need for sensible walking (and of course splashing) clothes but you’d be very wrong. Where I live feels almost more rural than where I’m from in Norfolk and […]