Attempting to make a gluten free gingerbread house !

I have a lovely friend Claire who along side helping set up run the single parent group , has hundreds of other talents . Her baking skills are amazing !!!

Having seen her attempt at making a gingerbread house , I thought I'd give it ago ! The recent co-op magazine had a simple recipe . So I replaced the gluten contains ingredients with gluten free .

It was so much fun , little miss really enjoyed mixing , stirring , trying , rolling and asking questions !!

We even had most of the things to make the recipe already in the cupboard , which was a bonus !!

Mixing and rubbing the butter into the flour ! 

So many questions !! Why is it black , it very sticking ! Mummy I need wipes my fingers are sticky!! 

Stir stir stir !! 

Mummy

I'm hiding in my bed

Oh baby girl , please can we go back to 7am wake up calls . Please .

Before 6am is to early for mummy . I know you don't understand time and your just learning how to use you groclock. But when mummy says don't get up till the sun comes up , could we make it when the sun outside the window gets up please .

You've never been a good sleeper , unlike some of your friends who have a regularly 12 hours sleep !

Winter and cold dark mornings, are yucky to wake up early too . Mummy dosent want to watch ceebies for hours till the rest of the world wakes up !

I would much rather you wake at 7 am and have the energy to run around the park with friends . We could make things , jump , dance play puzzles . You wouldn't get tired so quickly , I promise you'd enjoy it more .


I'm hiding in my bed right now,n whilst you watch telly in the lounge with your breakfast . The fact were in a flat means , I can hear everything your doing ( and ceebies). But baby girl mummy needed 30 minutes more !

I love you baby girl , but mummy's not getting up to play before 7 am , especially when it took over 2 hours for you to go to sleep last night .

Salt dough Christmas decorations Part 1.

I kept seeing this recipe and instructions for Father Christmas handprint salt dough decorations appearing on my timeline .
 I nought I would give it a go , as we had all the things needed in the cupboard .  We made some star salt dough decorations last year aswell . Although little miss wasn't as involved last year .

So off we set making them !

We had great fun , little miss loved pouring and mixing !  I found it difficulty to apply the right amount of pressure to get the handprint . As didn't wana hurt little miss and out her off !

We also made some star decorations with the left over dough .

They were only on the oven an hour , I think I must have had it too hot as they went brown . But we are going to try painting them anyways . Then try another batch another day :-).

Look out for blog post two , which will include the painting of our decorations !

My grown up girl !

Everyone has already said your a bright girl . I tend to nod a smile when people say this , not wanting to seem like an overachiever . 

But to me baby girl you are amazing . You were walking at 9 months , talking at 10 months and potty trained before two . I've never compared you to anyone else , I haven't read parenting books and am unsure of milestones your suppose to reach . 

Even as a baby I've talked to you about everything , involved you in everything I do ( will almost). You used to sit in your bouncer and watch me do he chores . We have sung nursery rhymes daily since you were 3 months and before . I loved learning them all again . You now can sing at least 5 with out any prompts . 

I took you to classes such as baby sensory and rhythm time . Not because I wanted push you but because you loved them . 

We attend messy play , cooking classes , music class and play sessions at the children's centre because you love them ! 

We go to the library at least once a week because you adore books . Even before you were one you would have mummy and nana reading stacks of books to you every day . 

To some they will look at the list of things we do and think mummy is crazy , or going out her way for you . To mummy if you love it , it burns energy and were going o make friends why not ! 

I still always feel I can do more , you asked to do dance classes and I plan on getting of into swimming lessons . But unfountantly penny's are tight at the moment . But I promise one day we will . 

We have lots of puzzles in our house , because you love them . Mummy is great at sourcing a baragin. Often picking up new changeling puzzles for 50 p second hand . 

People tell mummy she spoils you but in my eyes you can never have too many puzzles and books . If you play with them and use them and I can find a baragin why not .

The other night you were completing a puzzle , an orchard toys gingerbread house puzzle 35 big pieces . We have done this puzzle a few times before but you've all needed lots of mummy's help . This time although you wanted me next to you on the floor . You completed it with minmunal help . 

Baby girl your amazing , truly amazing thank you for an amazing 2.5 years . I am truly blessed to have you in my life !  

Simply trip turned into adventure !

So I had bright idea . I needed to do things later in the flat . Thought be great idea take little miss on the bus to ringwood to singing time at library .

The colder days mean coats , more stuff .  Getting to bus stop decided I needed to go back get my gloves .
 My neighbour saw me and after chatting said they were heading the same place , would we like a lift ?!
 Yes please , saving penny's and hassle of bus journey one way . So of I trot of back up flat to get car seat . Fit it in the car , along with our bags , fold down pushchair , strap child in .  All with lovely   neighbours watching .

On arriving at library , realise I'm an hour to early !! Let little miss play . Then have to persuade her we really need to do chores then comeback for singing . Cue melt down with library assistants watching !

Shops done , managed  to avoided the awarkd conversation with an ex boyfriend !

Library singing was good , did its job !

Then we meet a lovely lady who we meet yesterday , who lives just down round from me . New friend love it !!

Also got chatting to a lady who was a single mum with her first child . Always brightens my day to hear people's story's and make friends !

Then rush rush catch the 12.15 bus . Pouring down with rain too late to put raincoats on , better run!!!

Get to bus stop only to find out it wasn't 12.15 but 12.20 bus . Cue stares from older people there soaked child isn't wearing coat . Little miss decides great time to have meltdown .

Thought as bus was just round corner step out of way of glares . Cue hail storm soaked ! Get on bus give wrong money hold up queue waiting in hail storm !

No seat on bus as full of older generation .

Still raining when we get back . Run upstairs with bags , down again . Up gain with toddler , down again . Up again with pushchair, down again . Over to neighbours to collect car seat , up again .


Such an adventure but a worth while one although I'm soaking wet and would like a shower . One more thing to run ear rads for my mother then relax .


Love it !!!

Sunday nights are turning into puzzle nights !

I recently wrote a post about our Sunday game night . It seems like little miss is making this a regularly thing .

 A little bit of Disney Junior on the sofa under a blanket , then an hour or so doing puzzles with mummy . Heaven :-).

She just keeps getting better and better at the jigsaws , she can now complete the orchard toys gingerbread house 35 with minmunal help !! 

Magic moments : peeling potatoes

I really fancied mash potato , knowing little miss isn't fond of it . I thought be great idea to get her involved . 

Although she can't quite do it yet , she loved helping and got the idea of what we were doing . 

 Nope didn't get her to eat any but it was still fun to do together .