Lovely Christmas Lighting

I love pretty lights and have a few up all year round, nothing says cosy winter evenings and Christmas like twinkling lights.

This year I want to light up the house, from the dining room to the kitchen and the lounge to the hallway I want to make sure the house sparkles and make it as magical as possible for the children.

Here are just a few of some of the wonderful lights available online and on the high street, how do you make your house sparkle?

Lovely Lighting by themummydiary featuring John Lewis

John Lewis wall art / Mercury glass globe / Glass jar / String Lights Festive Selection by Cable Cotton / Buy John Lewis Noel Christmas Light Sign, Soft White | John Lewis / Buy John Lewis Pre-Lit Copper Twig Tree, 6ft | John Lewis / Buy Lit Red Berry Willow Heart from the Next UK online shop / BO White Rattan star

New House, New Kitchen/Diner, New Design

We are currently in the middle of a house move, we are moving into a new property and it has a fabulous kitchen/diner, this has led to lots of browsing for new dining tables and furniture to fit into the space.

First up Habitat, they have some wonderful pieces at the moment. I absolutely adore this dining table set, some chairs to snuggle, watch telly in and read a book for the kids whilst I cook dinner. Then this absolutely wonderful desk, which I have the perfect space for, it means I can use it to store my gorgeous vintage pyrex and cups and sauces in too.

The rug is bright, colourful and perfect for adding a drop of colour to the bare rooms. I am also in love with this dinner service, I love the fact you can mix and match and I think this looks better than having all the same pattern.

Habitat Kitchen by themummydiary featuring white furniture

Handmade wool area rug / Black porcelain plate / White oak table / Gray furniture / Upholstered arm chair / Stack furniture / White furniture / Spindle chair

Next up, John Lewis, a similar collection to Habitat. I love this table, chairs and bench, in fact I am loving the idea of a bench, more people can squeeze on when we have people round. The children both have Stokke Tripp Trapps, which add more colour and mean that we only need a couple of chairs.

I'd also add a beautiful rug and some fabulously colourful plates and bowls for a pop of colour to the room. For the computer, there is this brilliant and moveable ladder desk, an ingenious idea which I have the perfect corner for.

John Lewis Kitchen by themummydiary featuring a ladder desk

John Lewis rug / John Lewis extendable dining table / John Lewis dining chair / John Lewis bench / Ladder desk / Royal Doulton Fable Tableware

Alas though, I need a new vacuum first and there will probably be a few fixtures and fittings required so these will have to wait, but it's better to have an idea of what I would like, right?

Cooking with Mother - Ladybird Tuesday

I saw this fabulous link up over on Being Mrs Cs blog last week and decided I would link up today with a recent purchase of a fabulous ladybird book.

Cooking with Mother is a wonderful book which goes through step by step how to make several simple  dishes, with instructions for what is in the kitchen to ingredients and how to make the dish.

I really think we should bring books like this back to give out in schools, not to just borrow but to keep.

With childhood obesity on the rise and so many children not even knowing what or where a carrot comes from I think books like this need to come back into fashion!

Who doesn't love a cheese and pineapple hedgehog?

I love this idea, if only I could get my son to eat tomatoes in any other form than tomato ketchup.

I love the ladybird series and think they should bring them back...in book form not as an app, reading is becoming such a thing of the past and I often wonder whether children really appreciate books and what they stand for.

I find it much easier to follow a recipe from a book than from a computer screen, but maybe that is just me?

I love finding books like this and reminiscing over the past whilst thinking about how it could help the future ;)

Bargain Books and a Whole Lot More!

This week has been a really good week for charity shopping, I have spent less than £15 and found some wonderful goodies.

First up is this Nigella recipe book which I think may just be my new favourite recipe book, it was a snip at just 75p, most of the books in the shop I found this one in were this price, guess it means a quick turn around.

I also found this fabulous Readers Digest book from 1977, Food From Your Garden it contains lots of hints and tips and how to's on growing food in your garden as well as what to do with an abundance of crop, perfect for discount fruit and veg. Another bargain from the same shop.

Next up I found this beautiful Hornsea Pottery tapestry pattern jug, it is actually quite big and I just love the colours, it was a little more than i'd normally pay but still at only £3.49 it is a lot of jug for your money.

Next up these two little Saxony potteries birds in Summer and Winter pose, I really love these although hubby wasn't sure so I sneaked them onto the shelf without him knowing ;) At £1 each I think these are a little bit of fun, very kitsch!

Finally my two bargain buys of the week, this gorgeous Pall Mall china tea set, the whole lot for £3!!!! One cup has a tiny chip but the rest is perfect and I love the simplicity and delicateness of this set.

And this Betty Barclay maxi skirt, just £3.50, although I wan't sure at first with a pair of clip flops and a vest it looks perfect for summer days out.

I really am becoming a charity shopaholic and was going to sell some of my extra vintage and retro goodies but having just looked at the Royal Mail postage costs don't think it will be possible :(

I am linking up to Magpie Monday on Me & My Shadow's blog.

Cleaning to soothe the soul!

So I wouldn't normally admit this in case my husband reads it, but last night whilst cleaning the kitchen I decided I actually like cleaning.

When I was 15 and had just finished my GCSEs I cleaned my mums kitchen from top to bottom. I mean inside the cupboards the doors everything, with it I felt a sort of peace.

Seeing the once dirty cupboards (sorry Mum) sparkle was satisfying and helped with the stress of waiting for my results.

I would clean half a door and see the difference I had made with my soap and water and get quite a sense of joy..

Ok so this sounds a bit strange but even now I feel a sense of calm and control over what I have done, lining up the kitchen paraphernalia on the worktop everything clean and ready for the next day.

I certainly feel there is some therapy in cleaning and anything that takes my mind off the troubles of the day is great.

Shame I suppose that in the morning a certain man in the house will put his buttery knife on my nice clean worktop....grrrrr!

Oh well c'est la vie!