The countdown is on with only a few days left to go until Christmas! Eek! If you're like me then you're probably squeezing your budget to find some last minute Christmas stocking fillers and make them look good. I love giving presents, but if there's one thing I love more, it's all the loving little touches that go into the wrapping to give them the wow factor. I headed to my local HomeSense store to pick up last minute affordable gifts, after all it's the thought that counts not the cost, and thought I'd share some of my wrapping style tips with you to get you ready for the big day.
*Family look away now as you might be in for a few spoilers ;)*
When it comes to interiors and choosing products for home I always tend to follow my heart rather than trends and pick out pieces that I love, have style and serves a purpose. But every now again I find something that is not only on trend but also helps others and gives something back, like these hand woven baskets.
Some of the things I love about Spring is the early morning light, the spring blossoms, super quick spring salads and the occasional picnic weather permitting. Apart from the general spring clean and declutter that ritually takes place I have been focusing the past few months on self care, investing in mind, body and spirit so to speak.
The easiest place for people to make change is in the food we eat, now I'm not suggesting in anyway that I'm all saintly and have cut out all the bad stuff from my diet, I mean I like a cadbury's cream egg as much as the next person, but I am trying to make informed decisions when it comes to food and trying enjoy as much good stuff as possible.
As you might know from my various recipes, when it comes to cookies I'm your gal! There's nothing I love more than whipping up a batch of biccies with my boy, or making tasty treats to share. So when HomeSense asked if I'd like to Bake Myself Proud in the new Orla Kiely apron to raise money for Sport Relief, and share a decorative biscuit baking hack with you lovely lot, I jumped at the chance. Oh and did I mention they wanted to film it? I love the fun opportunities that blogging brings and I was certainly excited to channel my inner Bake Off and try my hand at something new.
I've been wanting to share this baking hack I found on Pinterest for a while now, I love how easy they are to whip up, plus they're perfect if you're looking to score some brownie points at the school bake sale while raising money for charity. You can easily download your free fundraising kit from Sport Relief to get you started.
I used my favourite Butter Biscuit recipe, and all you need in addition to the below ingredients is a piece of lace or crochet, it's that's simple! You'll need: Cookie Cutters 225g (8oz) Self Raising Flour Pinch of salt 170g (6oz) Organic Unsalted Butter (cut into cubes) 110g (4oz) of sugar 1 Beaten Egg
A piece of lace
To Make:
1. Sift the flour and salt into a large bowl, then using the back of a spoon to rub the butter until it resembles breadcrumbs. You might find it helps to do this with your hands towards the end to get the right consistency – little fingers will love to help.
2. Add the sugar, beaten egg and mix into a stiff dough. Once mixed with a spoon use your hands to knead the mixture in the bowl until it is a smooth, you can also knead it on a floured counter top if this is easier.
3. Make a ball out of the dough, wrap in cling film and cool in the fridge for 30 minutes.
4. Preheat the oven to 180 C / 365 F and line a baking tray with baking/greaseproof paper.
5. Roll the dough out onto a floured surface until it is around 6mm thick or the thickness of a penny. Place the lace on top of the dough and press down the firmly while rolling to create the pattern.
6. Once in place cut your biscuit shapes with the cutters and transfer onto the baking tray.Bake for about 12-15 or until golden. Once baked leave to cool on a wire rack.
You can see from the video how simple these biscuits are to make, I'd love to hear what you think about the video as I'm hoping to do more :)
This plate of cookies certainly didn't last very long, as soon as the kiddo got home from school they were pretty much demolished, giving me a good excuse to bake some more to share with friends. If you want to help raise money for Sport Relief then you can pop into your local HomeSense or TK Maxx store to pick up your very own apron or buy it online here. All profits from the sale go to Sport Relief.
Have you got any baking hacks to share? How would you raise money for Sport Relief?
It's no secret that I've been struggling with the January blues, but I am shaking them off the and embracing the new by focusing on getting the flat ship shape and adding some much needed DIY touches. So I thought I'd share a few things I'm trying to make a home look good for less and I'm starting with faux flowers.
I love LOVE flowers, freshly cut blooms bring a huge smile to my face but a frown to my wallet, as I'm slightly addicted to filling the house with gorgeous stems, beautiful floral scents and can rarely pass the opportunity to pick up a bunch. That mixed with me sneaking in succulents sees me quickly running out of surface space and coffee funds!
So in an attempt to cut costs I thought I'd try using faux flowers from the new range at HomeSense. I was really surprised at the variety they had in store and how realistic they all looked! I was excited to see if I could create a display at home that would look good, brighten the home and best of all, last longer than a few weeks. I decided it might be fun to make a short vlog about using artificial flowers in the home and a few tips on making them look realistic.
My top tips are: Use a floral room spray to spritz your flowers and create a scent. Also be sure to choose flowers that feel as real as possible, the petals should have a waxy texture. I'm really pleased with how good they look and even though I might sneak a bunch in now and then, these blooms will certainly last.
What do you think? Would you consider using artificial flowers in the home?
So it's finally here! September has rolled around and – cue tears and waves goodbye at the gate – my baby is starting school. I'm not quite sure how I have a kiddo old enough for school, I still remember his tiny balled up fits clutching onto my hair as a new born and now he's all smiles and laughter as he gets ready to take his next big step this afternoon.
Getting everything ready to pack F off to school has required some organisation: buying his uniform, his backpack, book bag, and all those little things that will make him feel confident crossing the school yard to his new classroom. Being organised has never been a strong point of mine so making sure everything is ready the night before and having a place for everything is super important for our mornings to go smoothly. So I've teamed up with HomeSense to offer one of you lovely readers a chance to win a £100 voucher this month to get your little and big ones ready for school. What would you need to get organised? For me it's creating a space that makes it easy for F to be a little bit more independent, low coat hooks on the back of his door for his coat and school bag, a place to keep the things he makes, and clearing out his chest of drawers to make space for his uniform.
For your chance to win a £100 voucher for HomeSense simply pop into your nearest store and take a photo of your must have back to school item and share it on Instagram or Twitter, making sure to tag @HomesenseUK to enter. I can't wait to see what you choices.
To all those waving their little ones off this week have courage at the school gate, I know I'll need it to hold back the tears. I'll be over on Instagram today showing F's first day this afternoon.
