Seed Bombs!!

Recycled Paper Seed Bombs

This is mine and Sam’s first go at an instruction blog post so please go easy on us especially as I had to supervise as well as make and do J

So here it goes…..

These are the instructions to make your own Seed Bombs.

To make a seed bomb you will need the following

Ingredients:

Old paper – newspaper, bills, white or coloured paper

Warm water

Food colouring

A packet of wildflower hardy seeds

Equipment:

A large bowl

A jug

A hand mixer

A sieve

A spoon

A cookie/playdough cutter or silicone mould

Fine mesh

Method

Start by shredding all of the paper into small pieces and place into a bowl. Sam and I used between 6-8 sheets of A4 in each batch we made.

Fill the jug with warm water and add your chosen food colouring. Be sure to add a lot of colour as you will loose a lot of it when the water is drained later.

Pour the warm water and food colouring over the shredded paper. The water should cover the paper and leave for as long as you can. The first batch we left for about 2 hours and the second batch we left for about 3.5 hours. Stir occasionally to ensure all the paper is covered in water.

Once it is well and truly softened, use a hand blender to turn it into a pulp. It is worth holding a cloth around the bowl as it can be quite a messy job!!

Once it has turned into a pulp put it in a sieve over a bowl or sink and use the back of a spoon to push out as much as the water as possible.

Once it is a dry as possible return the pulp to the bowl. Then it is time to add the packet of seeds, mix them carefully into the mixture.

Now comes the fun bit, either spoon or use your hands to add the mixture into a silicone mould or a cooker cutter. If using a cookies cutter then mould the mixture and place the mould over fine wire mesh. Make sure there is some kitchen roll under the mesh to catch the water.

  
Once they are thoroughly dry, remove them from their mould.

Wrap them as you wish but don’t forget to include the details of the flowers and when and how to sow them. Enjoy J



I just realised that Sam isn't in any of the pictures!! I promise he was there helping me!! lol

Have fun and don't forget to show me your results x



Easter – how do you celebrate it?

 

Easter, is a funny time of year for us as Ali is a butcher and he is absolutely snowed in at work, however this year it sounds like he could actually be snowed in if the snow returns for Easter!! Anyway, I am usually on my own with the boys.

 

Depending on when Easter falls it can also fall on my Mum’s, my brothers or my birthday. Mum’s is at the end of March, my brother is early April and I am at the end of April so we often have a family meal to arrange too.

 

Easter is also a bit usual for us as Sam can’t have dairy products. Technically he is lactose free but we generally avoid all dairy products, this means that buying chocolate eggs unless specific ones can be hard and they don’t always taste great so I avoid them.

 

This year I have decided that I will buy them one chocolate egg each and then do a basket of Easter things for them to find during an Easter egg hunt. So far I have bought some Easter bubbles, some Haribo sweets and the Paddington 2 DVD to watch. I usually hide little yellow chicks all over the house and then send the boys off with their new buckets to find them. Depending on the weather sometimes the chicks are even hidden outside. Once they have found them all I give them a clue to find their Easter gifts.

 

However I feel a bit mean by telling other people not to buy them any Easter eggs. Neither of the boys are particularly bothered by chocolate (they certainly don’t take after me, I am totally bothered by chocolate and would eat it for breakfast, lunch and tea) so am I the only one who says no the chocolate eggs?

 

Do you have egg hunts in your house? Do your children get lots of chocolate? Do they eat it or do you help? What other alternatives do you use?

 

#Easter #chocolate #alternativegifts #themummymonster

Getting dressed after swimming :(

 

 

Getting dressed after swimming!!! Grrrrrrrr!!!!

Now I think I have expressed before how much I hate swimming pool floors. Yuck!! When I walk on them they make my feet feel funny and I feel physically sick!! I know I’m strange but I’m having a new issue with changing rooms and when I have talked about it online it seems to be dividing opinions!!

 

I HATE getting dressed after swimming, now I think most people will agree this is the worst bit about swimming but my main problem is, I am so slow at getting changed. 

 

 

Sam and Oliver both have swimming lessons at a fab private pool but there are no changing rooms, you simply get dressed at the side of the pool. Thankfully I don’t have to go in with Sam anymore but I do with Oliver. 

 

Now I have no problem with getting dressed in general, both my boys have seen me naked but I go all bashful when on the side of the pool especially if men are around. I just wish I had the body confidence of some of the free flowing ladies who stand stark naked and get all their bits and bobs dried out in the open but that will never be me so I try to do everything under towel. 

 

Due to this fact, I actually gave in and purchased an adult poncho towel so I can try and hide my modesty a little at least, it’s a godsend! Seriously it was worth every penny, but I am still the last to get out of the changing room!!

 

So I asked online, who do you get dressed first after swimming? Yourself or your children? I thought this was where I was going wrong and what an overwhelming response I had!!!

 

Personally, I get Oliver stripped off, and wrap him in a towel, then strip myself and put on my poncho towel whilst I get Oliver dressed and warm. Then when he has a drink and snack, I get dried, but I’m still the last out so why??  I even use talcum powder to aid the drying process. 

 

I decided to ask how other people did the dreaded task. So I ran a poll on Twitter, the results showed clearly that people get their children dressed first, however when I dug deeper people explained that actually got their children stripped off and wrapped in a towel with a drink and a snack and then get themselves dressed before going back to their children!!! It’s a minefield!!

 

The vote response was: 11 votes in total to the question

After swimming who do you get dressed first?

9% Yourself

91% Your child/children

 

@toys_preschool responded:

I’m quite shocked some people have voted themselves! I would have thought every parent would get children dry, dressed and warm before getting dressed themselves.

 

Motherhoodirl.wordpress.com tweeted:

Definitely my kids. I remember how cold I used to feel after swimming when I was kid and I can’t imagine leaving my children standing around shivering in their towels while I got myself dry and warm!

 

Jo on the Mummy Monsters Facebook page said I personally get their swimmers off and put them in a hooded towel/dressing gown and give them a snack while I change then do them. I usually have 2 to sort. Until recently this was our weekly routine at swim lessons when I was in the pool with the youngest.

 

Hollie also on Facebook mentioned I get daughter dry then put her top half on. Give a snack while I get myself half dressed. Then finish getting her dressed, then finish getting myself dressed lol. It’s not something I enjoy doing. Which is why we only manage swimming around once every couple of months x

 

Jo C said Me first, if I dressed him he’d expect to go. So towel on drink, me get dressed as fast as lightening.

 

It seems Jo has to turn into Super Mum with lightening speeds to get herself ready as otherwise her children would be out the door before she is dressed!! Eeeeekkkkkk!!!

 

Kate said: Children, then I give them food while I get dressed. Cold, hungry, wet children aren’t fun.

 

I have to agree wet and cold children are not happy bunnies. Oliver is ok, but Sam can be a proper Grump!! (He takes after his Dad!!) lol

 

Other thoughts on Facebook included:

 

Briony: I would usually be on my own with both. I would wrap Millie the eldest in a towel. Dry William and get him dressed. Then dry Millie and get her dressed. Sit them both down with a drink and snack then sort myself out. When they were small i would either strap them in the buggy or put them in a play pen which some pools have.

 

Lynsey: I get the kids sorted first...and use turban towels for the girls hair. I always wear a dress when we head to the pool so I can just throw it on

 

Hollie: If I remember I take my towelling dressing gown.so I drop dry whilst I sort the boys. If no dressing gown then I sort them same as Jo trunks off then towels. Get them dry have been known to stand freezing in cubicle getting them warm til I can get dressed. Dawlish pool so cold the turning blue when come out. Hence take the towelling d. Gown

 

Simon: Pretty much do it together, encouraging him to do as much of it as he can himself

 

Sarah: I wrap my daughter in a towel to keep her warm and give her a snack (she's always starving!). I get myself dressed then she's usually dry-ish and ready to get dressed x

 

Sinead: Me. First thing I was told (and works for us) is strip the little ones and wrap them in a towel while you get changed. By the time you are done they are pretty much dry! So much easier .

 

Katie: Child first so doesn't get chilly and pop her hooded towel on her hair then she eats a snack whilst I get dressed

 

Laura: Used to get baby ready first but soon realised it's quicker and easier to get me ready first while she is in a towel.

 

And last but not least:

Heather: Youngest kids first. Then 1 adult helps the older ones whilst the other sorts themselves out

 

So I agree with most of these statements and follow them so why am I still last out of the changing room?? Perhaps I will never know why and just should accept that I am warm and dry and so are my babies J

 

#themummymonster #stillalwayslast #gettingdressedsucks

Coconut Oil

Ali and I were sat eating our home cooked but fairly unhealthy dinner the other night whilst watching the body coach Joe Wicks jumping about the screen, as you do, and he started to demonstrate a healthy dish to cook on his getting fit program.

 

The meal he cooked was a stir-fry and at the beginning he added a large dollop of coconut oil. Ali and I chatted it over and we decided that if we are going to do something about our lifestyle we have to start making small changes and the first start on our ladder would be giving coconut oil a go.

 

I also chatted it over with a friend as I knew she used it in her cooking and she sold it to me when she said it still makes great roast potatoes!! She knows how to win me over!! Lol

 

So off I trundled to the supermarket looking for coconut oil. I headed for the oil section and I am not sure why but I think I expected it to look like olive oil and I am still trying to find it until the lady next to me, bent down and picked up a jar with a white substance in it. Once she left, I didn’t want to look like a wally obviously!! I also picked up a jar and sure enough the white substance was coconut oil.

 

What I didn’t realise was that there are different types of coconut oil. Ones where you can taste the coconut and ones where you cant. I will take a longer look next time.

 

So I decided to give it a go! I thought I would start small. I love roasted asparagus. One the jar I bought it doesn’t give you any guidance on how much to use so I put a teaspoonful into the tray with the asparagus. I soon learnt that with the oil a little goes a long way! Unfortunately it was spitting all over my oven L

 

The next test was bacon!! I was a little suspicious about whether this would actually work, but my goodness it did!! My bacon was lovely and crispy and no taste of coconut at all. Ali had no idea that I had done anything different J win win!!

 

So I think the coconut oil is definitely here to stay and we have started our journey.

 

Now I asked my blogger colleagues about what they used coconut oil, thinking they would come back with lots of cooking ideas but oh no, it seems this coconut is magical oil as it can be used as a stain remover, nipple cream, make up remover or simply popped into a bowl of warm porridge. I was absolutely shocked about many uses that the bloggers said they used it for.

 

Jennifer says I use it as part of my skincare routine. I have sensitive skin, but I find it's great as a cleanser and makeup remover. www.mightymamabear.com

 

Now I don’t use moisturiser but would consider using the coconut oil if I already had it in the house.

 

Again Helen says I find it brilliant for using when travelling. Instead of taking separate make up removers, body lotion, lip balms I just take a tiny pot of coconut oil & it really cuts down on space taken http://casacostello.com

 

I am always looking for lip balm and now I have it in my kitchen cupboard. Fab stuff.

 

I wish I knew the following tip from Rhiannon, who actually had it suggested to her from her Health Visitor. It worked really well on my son’s cradle cap. He keeps scratching at it and it calmed right down. www.toyinfinity.co.uk

Oliver’s cradle cap, was awful as a baby but now his hair is thicker it seems to cover it but it is still there. I think I may have to give this one a try.

 

Beth suggests that It works well as a deep conditioner for your hair. I’ve slept with it in and washed it out in the morning and my hair felt so soft. It’s also supposed to help speed up hair growth too
Twinderelmo.co.uk

 

Again, Why didn’t I know about this oil sooner?? Karen mentioned that We used it from birth after each nappy change. Keeps baby so soft and rash free. Great to use as barrier on those meconium poops too www.ouririshfamily.com

 

Both my boys had sore bums as newborns, where was this miracle cream then?

 

Laura suggests it soothes minor ailments too. I use fractionated coconut oil as a carrier to apply essential oils to aid so many symptoms and situations in my house !
www.mindmadnessmilesandmummetime.wordpress.com

 

Where does this magical oils benefits end??

 

Claire has nothing but praise for the oil. Omg my list is endless!! We LOVE coconut oil in our home (unscented)

Remove any left over stickiness from stickers

Apply to diaper rash or itchy skin

Apply to chapped nipples while nursing

Rub a little inside nose to reduce allergy symptoms

Use a quick eye makeup remover

Multiple uses for healthier cooking or baking, especially kids snacks

Mix with baking soda for a natural stain remover on upholstery and carpet

Use a general hand/foot mosituriser, especially cracked heels (I do this nightly before bed) Www.ourmummylife.com

 

Louise bakes with her coconut oil. I replace the butter with coconut oil when I make banana cake and it makes the most delicious, moist cake! https://pinkpearbear.

 

Rachel suggests It's excellent for healing tattoos as it's all natural and moisturising. Illustratedteacup.com I bet Ali wishes he knew this. His last tattoo didn’t heal well and it is possible that this could have helped him!

 

I am seriously amazed by this oil and I am wondering if there is anything it can’t do? If you would like more information on coconut oil then I found a useful article on the Good Food website https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide/health-benefits-coconut-oil

 

I am now off to spread myself in coconut oil from head to foot and then I am going to rub myself on a stain on the sofa to see if it will come off.

 

Have a fun evening x

Things you say in a typical day!!

Things you say in a typical day!!

 

Now as you know I am the Mum of two small boys and one day last week I was having a particularly stressful day and I heard myself come out with some classic things. Things that if someone recorded you without seeing the situation they would probably refer you to some sort of clinic!!

 

However I can’t be alone in some of the things I say. Some of the sayings, I am actually worried that I am turning into my Mum. Sorry Mum!! For example, Sam  said a naughty word and I heard myself actually say “I should wash your mouth out with soap and water” Believe me, I would never actually do this but it was something my Mum used to say and it just came out!!

 

I am thirsty seven, and been a Mum for nearly five years surely I could have come out with something better than that!!

 

Other things said throughout the day included:

 

Whilst trying to convince Oliver to eat “choo choo here comes the train into the tunnel” He didn’t fall for it L

 

Also whilst stressing about Oliver not eating “Please eat something, you cannot live on fresh air alone”

 

Whilst I am in the toilet “No I won’t hold your breadsticks whilst I am trying to go to the loo!”

 

Whilst trying to calm Oliver down “Please don’t throw a wobbly just because I won’t let you walk in the middle of the road” Yes full on melt down. What a mean Mummy I am!!! Lol

 

When I tipped Oliver’s nappy contents down the toilet “bye bye poo” Apparently it shows that it’s ok for poo to disappear. Oh gosh! Shoot me now!! Lol

 

Other ones were saved for the bath, “please stop playing with your willy”, “Take your willy out of the bottle” and “please just give me five minutes to breathe”

 

So, please I am basically after some reassurance that I am not alone and I will not be carted off somewhere. So what random things have you said to your child today? Have you said something that remind you of your Mum/Dad/Gran etc?

 

Or am I just a loon?

 

#themummymonster #imturningintomymum #random #words #sayings #wishhewouldeat #amialone #amialoon

Butter wouldn't melt!!

Review of Folly Farm

Review of Folly Farm, Kilgetty, Wales

 

So how can I summarise Folly Farm? Well, it’s Crealy, Dingles and Paignton Zoo all rolled into one site!!

 

Ali and I went on holiday a couple of years ago to Carmarthen, South Wales when Sam was little and we stumbled across a local attraction called Folly Farm and what a place we found!!

 

We tried to return in September last year and we travelled all the way there for Oliver to be poorly and we had to head straight home again, we were gutted and we made a promise to Sam that we would return as soon as we possibly could.

 

We travelled up to Llanelli, where we had booked two nights at a Premier Inn. It meant we could take our time travelling up. We arrived in plenty of time and so we headed to the beach to have a brisk walk and my goodness it was chilly!!!

 

Anyway, after a relaxing night’s sleep, we headed up to Folly Farm. The farm has undergone several changes since our last visit. There is a brand new entrance, with six entrance gates which could be used. It was only the English half term during our visit so the park was virtually empty which was brilliant for us.

 

After the entrance we headed into the Jolly Barn. The barn is full of all sorts of animals, including goats, rabbits, chickens, donkeys, horses, ferrets and barn owls. One member of staff had a rabbit out of the cage for children to stroke. As an owner of rescue rabbits, the rabbit looked happy, healthy and well cared for.

 

Once the children had done looking at the animals, there are also some play items inside, all farm machinery inspired. Oliver and Sam both loved the tractor. Oliver tried the slide however I think he may have been wearing the wrong trousers as it took him a while to slide down!! Lol

 

So after we had exhausted the barn, we moved onto the vintage fairground. This barn is massive!! Think carousels, bumper cars and muffin the mule. You do have to pay for the tokens which in turn you pay the operator for each ride. The tokens are 50p each and most rides are one token each.

 

There are also 2p machines although winning was virtually impossible!! Ie I won nothing!! Lol

 

The boys were amazed by the rides and there was something for everyone to have a go at. Oliver loved the train ride, Sam loved the bumper cars and I loved the sky riders, so much that I made Sam go on them twice!! J Naughty Mummy!!

 

The other half of the barn is a huge indoor play area. We actually lost Sam at one point!! He had plenty to slide and climb on. Oliver was also kept amused in the two sections which were suitable for him. In one of the areas, there was a slide that Oliver literately flew down!!

 

Whilst we were there, we decided to have some lunch and I think this was the biggest mistake we could have made!! Ali ordered a couple of bits from the Carousel Woods café. My order was a plain chicken burger, chips and a drink. You can’t really go wrong with that can you? OH yes, apparently you can!!! I was served a spicy chicken burger, which I didn’t realise until I had taken a couple of bites.

 

Now I can’t eat pepper and the coating we found out afterwards contained Tabasco sauce!! Ali went back to the till, but not one member of staff apologised or offered to do anything about it. Ali requested that the manager be called. When he arrived, my lips and mouth were on fire and my lips were bright red and sore. I was in a lot of discomfort. Finally he apologised and offered us our money back for my meal.

 

So with my bright red Botox lips we headed off to the zoo. It was peeing it down with rain on our first day but we decided to risk it, however everything was hiding. We knew we were coming back the next day so we decided to leave the animals until the next day and we couldn’t resist checking out the penguin pool. Sam loved it!! The penguin chased Sam across the pool, it tried to nibble him through the glass thinking he was a fish!! Blimin big one at that!!

 

 

We headed back to the hotel after day one, exhausted, wet from the rain but happy and excited for the next day.

 

We bought boomerang tickets which allowed us to return within seven days for half the price. Great idea J

 

Day two arrived and bought a dry day with it. Sam was desperate to go in the giant sand pit. The sand pit is huge. It has lots of sand pits toys, including diggers, slides and JCB’s!

 

We then headed to the tractors. Again both boys loved the paved track. Sam cleared it of twigs that had fallen over night but then they were off, chasing each other.

 

 

With the weather still dry, we decided to go and see all the zoo animals and I am so pleased we did. The lions were basking in the sun, the tapirs were snoozing and the giraffes and zebras felt like they were in touching distance. Oliver loves giraffes and he couldn’t quite figure it out when he saw a real one.

 

To finish our second day, we headed back into the fairground to use our last tokens and before we headed home, we finished where we started in the Jolly Barn.

 

What an exciting few days we had at Folly Farm.

 

I would rate it as 4 out of 5 stars. They need to sort out their catering system and perhaps give them some customer service training and then I would give them 5 out of 5 stars.

 

Do I recommend visiting? Definitely!! If you fancy a visit more information can be found at: https://www.folly-farm.co.uk/

 

This is my own honest review on Folly Farm and no payment or compensation was received for the review.

Clothing sizes!!

Why is it such a nightmare shopping for clothes? Not just my clothes but the boys as well!!

 

I completely understand that children all grow at different rates. Sam as a baby was in clothes for a much older child and Oliver, well bless him, he’s 20 months old and most of his clothes 9-12 months, they are total opposites in size, but sometimes you even buy two pairs of exactly the same trousers from exactly the same retailer and they are completely different.

 

This is also the same in my clothes, now generally I am a size 16-18 but in some stores I am a size 20-22. How is that possible? It doesn’t do wonders for the self-esteem.

 

However this doesn’t seem to be the case in most men’s clothes. Ali can walk into a shop and pick any trousers or t-shirt of his size and not even try them on and just know that they will fit.

 

Is it not possible to decide on a general rule of one set of measurements for each size and everybody has to stick to them? It would make retailers lives much easier, it would be more travel friendly as it would cut down on the amount of returns back to the shops or online retailers.

 

However as I am writing this I have just realised I have never actually measured myself!! Am I alone in this? Perhaps I am!! I have no idea what my actual hip, leg or waist size is. I just know I have large calf’s and even bigger legs but in comparison quite a small waist. I have fairly large boobs and a long body, but I have no figures!! I am still not even sure if I am an apple, pear or hourglass shape!!

 

Now obviously over the years sizes have changed, due to access to more food etc we have all gained weight over the years, but could we not look at it annually, biannually to see if the measurements need changing?

 

The post bellow shows the differences in sizes over the years:

 

“Here are some numbers that illustrate the insanity of women's clothing sizes: A size 8 dress today is nearly the equivalent of a size 16 dress in 1958. And a size 8 dress of 1958 doesn't even have a modern-day equivalent — the waist and bust measurements of a Mad Men-era 8 come in smaller than today's size 00.”

 

 

 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2015/08/11/the-absurdity-of-womens-clothing-sizes-in-one-chart/?utm_term=.b2092206c583

 

Now I know that I am only one woman having a bit of a rant about in reality me putting on a bit of weight and blaming the clothing makers but seriously why isn’t there standardised sizes?

 

I asked my fellow bloggers if they knew their sizes. Had they recently measured themselves or do they know what shops they can grab clothes in? Here are their answers:

 

Katy Stevens I know my chest/bra measurements but nothing else! I tend to shop in the same few stores over and over and their sizing seems consistent so I don't feel the need to measure much. https://katykicker.com

 

Helen Treharne I know my chest, shoulders, waist and hips, but that’s only because I measured them the other day. I tend to go to shops where I know I will fit a particular size as trying on in store with a toddler is a non starter, so it either needs to be grab and go or shop online. I’m trying to be more considered with what I buy now and try some new places so knowing my measurements is essential. I can’t rely on “medium” as my measurements would say I’m small in some shops and extra large in others. It’s crazy. Www.welshmumwriting.com

 

Kate Evans I did pre-kids, nowadays it's more of a rough estimate! I do know that I vary wildly in size between shops. Stuff aimed at younger women seems to come up smaller (not sure if they're trying to tell me something!) Https://themumconundrum.com x

 

Jenna Newell I know most of my measurements, yet I’m anything from a size 4 to a size 12 depending on the store!! www.thentherewerethree.uk

 

Simone Waplington Although I don't know my measurements, I frequently measure if buying clothes online, otherwise I don't know whether to buy a 6, 8 or 10 (yes, it does vary that much). I know my 'starting' bra size from https://booborbust.com/ but this also varies between about three different sizes depending on the manufacturer and style. www.dogdaysanddelights.wordpress.com

Jennifer Dixon I don’t know any of my measurements currently, I had my bra size measured in the past but pretty sure it’s changed since then. I find shops differ significantly with ‘standard’ sizing so I always try two sizes on and very rarely buy clothes for myself online. Http://www.mymummyspennies.com

 

Becky Dickerson I don't have the classic figure so often struggle with what size to buy as even going off the measurements online it can be wrong, especially things like dresses as I fit a smaller size for the bust measurement and a larger size for a waist measurement

 

Alex MN I know for the most part! But there are some stores that are just crazy fitting - I absolutely love H&M for tops and dresses but their trousers fit SO strangely on me. Bra sizes you can never go wrong with Marksies but it's always a case of having a look/fit with different stores. www.actualar.co.uk

 

So that’s it, I am off to measure myself and find out what size I actually am!!

This website was sent to me by blogger at www.tattooedmummy.co.uk and its amazing to see what you fit :)
 

http://sizes.darkgreener.com/

 

Do you dread clothes shopping? Do you have any hints or tips to making it easier? If so, please leave us a comment.

 

Thanks

 

Nik