Getting Ready for a Healthy, Happy and Productive 2017

To say that 2016 hasn't quite gone to plan would be an understatement. I had big plans for all aspects of my life; the blog, the business and our home. With the year whizzing by in a flash along with a few personal challenges and the loss of loved ones, my plans have not transpired.

It hasn't been all bad though. Where I haven't achieved a few of my goals, I have achieved something else. Other than a years worth of fantastic memories with my family, knowledge and motivation are top of my list. I have learned so much whilst running my own business (Hello My PA) and re-discovering my confidence in my professional abilities has served to remind me of my skills and how I can use those in 2017 to reach my goals.

This post isn't about looking back over what hasn't happened. Instead I am taking stock of everything I have learned, getting prepared for the year ahead and declaring that 2017, I am so ready for you.

Grandma's Poetry Book by Di Castle

When I was asked to review ‘Grandmas Poetry Book’ I wasn’t sure what to expect. As a ‘journey through the eyes of a grandmother’ I didn’t know if I would be the right readership. However, this book has had a profound effect on me and prompted me to connect with some thoughts and feelings that I hadn’t yet explored.

Making Home Link Up #32: 101 Budget Friendly Ideas for Your Summer Adventures

Welcome to the #MakingHome weekly link up!

Be inspired by posts all about moving house, home decor, DIY, crafts, family activities, recipes, gardening and more. It’s all here under one roof at Mrs Crafty B’s.

Don't forget to join in and link up your own posts. The linky is open from Friday until Tuesday. Find out how to take part at the end of this post. 

With the icy cold winter months finally starting to fade in our memory, the recent heatwave starting to warm us back to life and the summer holidays just over the horizon you may be starting to plan your summer adventures.

If your bank balance is already showing the early signs of a panic attack with the endless requests of day trips to theme parks and pricey soft play centres, you may be thankful to hear about this fab new ebook. Created with the input of over 100 of the best British parenting bloggers, the book contains a serious plethora of budget friendly activities and destinations.

101 Ideas for Having Fun with the Kids this Summer 

Making Home Link Up #31: Making Wind Chimes With Your Mini Makers

Welcome to the #MakingHome weekly link up!

Be inspired by posts all about moving house, home decor, DIY, crafts, family activities, recipes, gardening and more. It’s all here under one roof at Mrs Crafty B’s.

Don't forget to join in and link up your own posts. The linky is open from Friday until Tuesday. Find out how to take part at the end of this post which is a tutorial by Amy of Hooked showing us how to make wind chimes with our little ones. 

Quick and Easy Noodles for Children with Sausage and Broccoli

When it come to tea times during the week, we occasionally find ourselves stuck in a bit of a rut. The Little Bs eat together but Hubby B and I will eat later on. Although on the weekends we can be more creative and cook nice family meals together, busy routines on weekdays usually see me making the same things over and over. A break in routine is always good, especially when it comes to encouraging good eating habits and encouraging the Little B's to try new things. One meal in our 'cycle' is this noodle dish and it is so quick and easy. I thought I would share it in the hope that you will give it a go and perhaps comment below with some suggestions for things I could add to my repertoire of dinners. 

A Cardboard Dream House with Ocean Finance

We have taken a different stance on #MakingHome over the last few days and I am excited to show you what me and my #MiniMakers have been up to. A few weeks ago we were invited to take part in the Cardboard Dream House campaign with Ocean Finance. Baby B (aged 4) was so excited when the house arrived and we wasted no time in putting it together. Armed with a brief dictated by Baby B, we set about creating his Cardboard Dream Home; with a little supervision from Littlest B (aged 2) 

Making The Weekly Shopping Quicker and Easier with the New Capitan List App

Over the summer holidays, the weekly shopping routine got to be a bit hectic. We were making more than one trip over a few days, going for random things, doubling up by accident and forgetting various items. Now the new term has started and I am working regularly, I don't have time to not be organised. So imagine my excitement when I was asked to try out a brand new list app, Capitan. We all know I love a good list! 

The new Capitan List App

Top Tips For Keeping Your Little Ones Entertained Over the Summer Holiday

The summer holidays have started and I've decided that I need to have back up entertainment plans for when the TV time has been exhausted and the Little Bs are (ahem…I am) bored of playing cars and football aka kicking the ball in random directions. We tend to do quite well in filling our days with random window shopping trips and lunch in Ikea (the boys love the showrooms), trips to the park, garden antics, crafty stuff and 'picwics' but sometimes we need a little inspiration to think outside of the box. Rather than save 1000 links to unachievable ideas or spend lots of money on big day trips, I decided to ask fellow blogger their top tips for keeping little ones entertained over the summer. Then I thought I would share them with you lovely lot! So here goes…

This Summer Mrs Crafty B Will...

The lovely Leanne over at A Slice of My Life Wales has tagged me in a Summer 'to do list' so with routines getting changed up a bit and lots going on, I have decided to have a little think about the things I would love to make sure I do this summer.

Mini Maker Activities with Science Made Simple

I am always on the lookout for fun activities to keep Baby B entertained on different levels as he becomes more inquisitive about the world. We are a massive fans of fun learning activities and encouraging a genuine desire for wanting to find out new things and there is great value in doing science experiments with your #MiniMakers…aside from the fact they are SUPER fun and sometimes a bit messy!

Wedding Cakes and An Overwhelmed Worker B

To say that I've been feeling a bit overwhelmed recently would perhaps be an understatement. With the start of my freelance virtual PA work, making framed Lego letters on a commission basis, working behind the scenes on the blog and of course Mummy duties, there has been little time for just me. Every hour (except the sleeping ones) has been spent working or ticking another thing off of my own list which is ever growing.

This however is not a whiny post! I love it.

I don't often have time to myself but I embrace the feeling of being overwhelmed. I can manage that emotion because although I'm doing a lot, I enjoy doing it. I'm ultimately a happier person. I hate being bored.

Here's a little look of what we have been up to this week.

A sneaky peek of my guest post project!

No Grey Clouds; Just 'Crafty' Silver Linings

What a rubbish week! However, I am not going to use this post to p-word and moan about sickness, hospitals and my boys not being with me; that is all that needs to be said of the negative stuff. Instead, I am going to use this week's catch up to highlight some silver linings from the last few days.

First up, the biggest of the silver linings, the kindness shown by my neighbours in a sticky spot I found myself in last weekend. Without them, the start of the week would have been a lot different and for their kindness and willingness to help me, I am so thankful.

On another thankful note, a member of staff from Tesco also saved the day by getting my shopping to me against all odds. I am not sure how Littlest B would have coped without his daily 100 pints of milk. I am not sure how Baby B would have coped with chocolate chip brioche rolls either so thanks Matt from Tesco!

With a little bit of time on my hands, but not able to physically do much, I have taken it upon myself to indulge in a couple of beauty treats. This Hydrating Face Mask from Superdrug was one. I am ashamed to say I had to use a number of times before there was actually any 'residue' to blot off as per the instructions but it certainly helped with my miserable looking skin. I also made use of some No7 Nourishing Nail and Cuticle Care and a bit of fragrant hand cream by L'Occitane which I reviewed here.

A Week of Puke and Puffy Paints (and other crafts)

I would say 'we're all crafted out' this week, but that would be a total fabrication. See, I can't escape it!

This week we have had sickness bugs, colds, more sickness bugs, teething and more colds. Alongside Hubby B being away, it has been a long old week. Or has it? I remembered how much messy play I used to do with Baby B and with us all being home a few days, we made the most of the energetic moments and I got totally involved with just the boys and ignored everyday chores (that would still be there, waiting…sadly). The boys were immediately calmer and seem satisfied with the one on one attention so much so that they were happy for independent play afterwards. Baby B was also SUPER excited and proud of his puffy paint picture. Littlest B didn't much enjoy the taste of the play dough but seemed strangely happy with the taste of the shaving foam we used for the puffy paints. That boy eats all sorts!

I also made the most of evenings for crafting rather than staring at my phone! Of course The Great British Sewing Bee started this week (#GBSB) and I also got blogging about my pursuit of craftiness at an ICHF event in March.

Here are a few snapshots of our crafty week:

The Week That Was: Just a Little Bit Odd

I've decided that this year, I will finally focus a bit more on my blog. My aim is to blog more but to include some 'nosy' posts, which I have never really done before. I call these posts 'nosy' because they are the ones I like to read on other peoples blogs when I want to be a bit nosy!! Come on, don't tell me you don't do this. We love it!

So this week…where do I start? Well, I am British so lets go with the weather. No, honestly I am going to write about the weather because it has been WEIRD. On Tuesday morning, outside was looking grey, gloomy and rainy. By early afternoon I was out in brilliant (and slightly warm!) sunshine, clearing out the garage. Once I was back inside, hail arrived. Then horrendous winds came whilst I was doing the school pick up. This was not enough and snow joined in the 'fun'. Baby B and I watched from his bedroom and lightning flashed with a big crash of thunder.

Getting 2015 Organised with a Gruffalo Family Planner

If I haven't mentioned before, I love a bit of organising! A place for everything and everything in its place. It means I can be efficient, I know where everything is when I need it and when it comes to organising myself, I know what I'm supposed to be doing and when. I am very easily distracted and so I have to keep a notes of all sorts so I don't forget anything. Nothing makes this all easier for me than my family planner.

Each year I meticulously pick out a family planner that is pretty and has enough columns to keep track of family activities, birthdays, Hubby B's commitments, meal plans, events, my tasks, appointments, school dates etc. This year has been no different, except that I had a little help from Baby B and he picked a gooden! He first spotted this Gruffalo planner when Christmas shopping.

The Crocheted Wave Blanket

Do you remember about 100 years ago (ok 2 years ago) when I posted about the start of a crocheted wave blanket? I wanted to create something lovely for my second baby and was inspired by the colours of (of all things) some espresso cups that Hubby B had purchased. 

The Morning of a Mummy

The 3 year old is safely in pre-school (just) and the 1yo is is just falling asleep in his cot (hopefully) and now seems the perfect time to unpack and repack the dishwasher, put away the washing, put another load on and clean up the toys. Instead, I've made a cuppa and I'm sitting down to tell you about my morning. This is something I rarely do on the blog but I know for everyone person who had a morning completely different to mine, there are a few more unspoken who had the same (who should also sit down with a cuppa!)

Mini Makers: Mess Free Painting!

My crafty workshops were always a quick turnaround. With a 40 min drive between two sessions, two little boys demanding my attentions as soon as I came through the door and the tea time/bathtime/bedtime routine to be done,  I had to be super organised. Especially with used glue sticks, paint brushes and dirty pots. My Little B's love to get crafty but when unpacking and clearing away after three workshops, it wasn't the ideal time. Then I discovered a cool activity.

When I finished my groups, whilst packing up, I used to throw all the paint brushes into a plastic bag for washing at home later. On taking this bag out on one occasion, I started squidging the paint around inside the bag (you're never too old). I took a picture and used it for a note to self for my next idea as 'Head of Home Entertainment' (I gave myself that job title, amongst others ;-) ). 

A List of Lists

Lists. A subject that has been topic of tweets between myself and others many a time.

I'm a HUGE list fan. I write lists for everything. It strikes me as the sort of thing that one either does with enthusiasm or just, well, doesn't. 

Generally, I don't spend a huge amount of time writing lists as I add to them as I go but I find the small amount of time spent on adding to them means that I can prioritise and not forget things. I used to keep a 'to do' list when I was in employment and it made for smooth running of my daily tasks and helped me to be efficient. Sometimes however I do wonder how much time I spend on list keeping and whether or not the time would be best spent on getting jobs done!

My lists normally consist of one for my childminding business, one for house admin stuff, a shopping list, a crafty list, a blog/virtual world list and a general 'things to do today' list. Of course I then have a wish list and a 'big ideas' list.  Sometimes though, I feel the need to separate a certain list into subcatergories to enable me to prioritise better. Of course this is my crafty list.

My crafty list consists of crafts for home, gifts for people, things to make for stalls, ideas based on crafts, tutorials I want to write and of course, crafts I want to try! They are all jumbled up together and as a consequence, when I do have an hour on an evening to get stuck in, I don't know where to start! 

My current task at hand is attempting to get the house super organised before the big move so I do feel a list overhaul coming on. I hope that I can start being more organised and spent more time on the crafty list! 

So how about you? Are you a list keeper? Do you never keep a list? What works for you in terms of time management and er....not forgetting things?! I wonder what sort of productive systems I can put in place to avoid list keeping. I'd love to hear your tips and ideas. 

Mrs Crafty B 

The Week That Was: Filled With Happy Moments

Just lately, everything seems to be about our looming relocation. As Hubby is watching something I'm not that interested in, Baby B is sound asleep and Littlest B is crawling about like a crazy on the floor instead of sleeping, I thought I would log on and tell you about some other cool stuff that went on this week, inspired by the fabulous Hannah over at Make, Do and Push.

At the start of the week, Baby B had his last day at preschool for the summer term. As a thank you to all of the preschool staff, we decorated this cookie jar with some cermaic paints and baked some cookies. We recieved a lovely 'thank you' card and one of the staff asked for the recipe so I'm thinking that these went down quite well.

Although I don't want to mention 'the move' here in this post, we are still doing odd jobs through the week. On Tuesday, Baby B helped me clear out a few of the Crafty Bs boxes and decided to sit in the shade in the garden with his "BEST friend" Little Cat Tess and play with some stamps, brushes, pens, paper and scissors. He was happily entertained for a good 40 mins doing his 'paper work'. It was a really relaxed start to the week and Baby B's behaviour was golden. He has been so good and very grown up this week!

Wednesday was a really long day. After three years of hard work, my 'little' sister graduated. We traveled up to Nottingham (with both boys) to see her in her gown and get some pics and then followed on to Mansfield where we celebrated with the rest of our family. She graduated from the same Uni as I did and did the same course. I couldn't resist this shot for old times sake! 

Afterwards, we got to give her the card I had made with a few wise words courtesy of Dr.Suess and after celebrations, we made the long journey home with the boys ready for bed. They were so good all day and both slept the whole way home and were put into bed without any problems. Amazing. I love weeks like this one where you feel like you are winning on all fronts. 

"You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You're on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the one who'll decide where to go"

On Friday evening, for the first time in a VERY long time, I 'popped' to the pub. I enjoyed a couple of glasses of wine in the sunshine with some lovely ladies and came home late. It DID result in me being a bit...you know...but having been resigned to the odd glass here and there for a good few years, I'm a bit out of the 'more than two' practice so this was to be expected. It took my mind off of things so this was all good. 

On Saturday we managed to replace our car. Someone drove into the back of ours quite recently and wrote it off, so this was a big tick off the list and a huge weight off our shoulders. Phew. 

Today has been spent mostly pottering about, doing odd jobs and making happy memories with my boys. We have enjoyed special moments of just being together at home together which these days, seem few and far between. I've also been doing a bit of up-cycling!

So apparently my weeks are indeed filled with more than housework, mealtimes and moving stresses so I really don't have any complaints. Well, if we are being picky, I didn't eat any cake...

Mrs Crafty B