Summer Fun

We all know that summer in Britain can be hit and miss, some days having several different types of weather. Come rain or sun, it's all about being prepared.

So what have we been getting up to this summer and what do we have planned? 

If it's raining, how about some 'design your own' t-shirts? We bought some fabric pens from Ikea but they are available from lots of shops and with some old vests, it's a great way to spend an hour plus, you have something you can wear afterwards!

Or how about some mess free water painting? Grab a cup of water and a paintbrush and 'paint' on the walls outside or on the floor, you don't have to worry about changing clothes or getting messy.

We are lucky enough to a local park with a tropical house, it's always worth checking out your local council website for lists of parks, we have found so many great places that we knew were there but have just never thought to go to.

How about some messy play, getting children in touch with nature, here we got out our tuff spot, added some soil, sand, leaves and shells, then added some dinosaurs and got mucky playing with them.

Heading to the beach is a great way to burn of energy and have fun, if you don't live near the coast then it is worth looking out for beaches inland. We are lucky in Nottingham to have a beach in the city centre over the summer months, but there are a few others locally or how about a local outdoor paddling pool. Grab a picnic and get outside, for a mum sometimes just being out of the house makes a difference.

Having fun over the summer is all about finding things to do, so many smaller attractions these days having their budgets cut, it's good to support them, so why not mix some free activities with some paid for, check out local council websites for attractions and see what you can find. We spent a wonderful day at Snibston Discovery Museum in Coalville, Leicester. Lot's to see and do and supporting an attraction I remember visiting when I was younger.

An easy option for a cheap and cheerful day out is scooting or walking in the park. If the weather is good, take a picnic and get some fresh air. Free and fun!

What fun do you get up to in the summer?

Butterflies in the Kitchen!

Today we did some baking, some pretty butterfly biscuits and they made for really pretty pictures which I wanted to share.

Favourite Recipe Friday - Vanilla Biscuits

I love these biscuits they are super easy, tasty and my son loves to help make them!

Ingredients:

150g unsalted butter cut into small pieces
225g plain flour
125g caster sugar
1tsp vanilla essence
3-5 tablespoons of milk

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180c. Lightly grease a large baking sheet (or if you'd prefer you can line a tray with baking parchment).

2. Sieve the flour into a large bowl, add the butter and rub in with your fingertips until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs (if you want to save time you can blitz together in a food processor).

3. Stir in the caster sugar and vanilla essence and then add a tablespoon of milk at a time and mix together until it forms a firm dough (if you need a little more milk just add a bit at a time or if you add too much add a little more flour).

4. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured work surface to a thickness of 2.5cm/1inch. Stamp out with your desired shape, this would be perfect for valentines day if you had a heart shape but we used a new dinosaur cookie cutter we got for Christmas and stars.

5. Arrange the shapes onto the prepared baking tray.

6. Put in the oven and bake for about 15-20 minutes or until they are a light golden brown. Once cooked transfer to a cooling rack and leave to cool. Add decoration or just simply sprinkle with sugar before serving.

Perfect with a cuppa on a cold afternoon!