Playdoh Recipe

I’m putting this here for me really as I keep losing the recipe and this one REALLY works plus keeps for ages. I usually add some vanilla essence too to make it smell authentic!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup table salt

1 cup plain flour

1 tbsp cream of tartar (don’t ask me why)

1 tbsp of oil

splash of food colouring

3 drops of vanilla essence

1 cup of boiling water.

Put all the dry ingredients together in a bowl and add boiling water. Mix together well, add colouring and essence and when cool enough knead with hands until it reaches a good consistency not to sticky, not too dry. Sometimes I add more salt if it’s too wet or more oil if too dry. It does keep for ages in an airtight container. I have been know to add glitter too.

Addatum:

As myself and teawithonesugar found out DO NOT try to replace the cream of tartar with ordinary baking soda - you will indeed end up with a gloopy mess rather than a maleable dough

Thomas the Tank Engine First Day Covers

If any of you have Thomas mad little boys, here is a nice little gift idea to arrive through the letterbox one morning. Royal Mail are issuing a series of Thomas the Tank Engine stamps celebrating the 100th anniversary of the birth of Rev. W. Awdry. Reverend Wilfred Awdry came up with the first Thomas train stories to entertain his 2 year old son Christopher whilst ill with measles. The first book ‘The Three Railway Engines’ was subsequently published in 1945.

There are two sets, one of the familiar TV engines for £6.07 and a minature set of original illustrations from the books for £3.96. They also ship overseas. (There is a lovely presentation pack too, the images online don’t really do them justice.

First day covers are only available until the 14th June, so get your buffers busting.

Available from www.royalmail.com/thomas

© Royal Mail

A boost...

Erbie needs a booster seat, although I’d love a Tripp Trapp, we already have more chairs than our little flat really needs. This one from Fred and Friends is rather fun although I’m not sure there is a supplier in the UK perhaps I could improvise with the real thing and a cushion?

Thanks for your comments, they too were a boost.

BOOST™

need a lift?

When Junior needs a little boost at the table, just reach for the Yellow Pages.
Our version is made from light-weight, soft, durable, washable, form-fitting foam.
Kids from age 3 will happily rise to the occasion.

©2006 FRED

I am lost.

I'll be back when I’m found.

xx

Miss out of fashion

I tumbled across and ridiculously desired this frock which hammers home and clocks round the head my desire for Spring to be fully sprung. For me a hankering after full-length virginal white numbers, which appear to be nothing more than 2 pieces of strategically elasticated material (you could make that yourself as my mother would have said) demonstrate a serious neglect of fashion over the winter months on my part. Time to get back out there girl.

© Anthropologie March 2011

Only £158 quid m’lord available here.

Dear fashion police: My last two clothing purchases have been a vintage waxed Barbour jacket and black shiny rubber riding boots - [eh gads girl, you only moved a couple of postcodes].

Window boxes

It is nice to have a little bit of Spring in the window boxes. The Grandad gave me a large box of pot luck bulbs, mainly crocus and they all came up - I could harvest my own saffron!

Bag envy

I’m loving this Alexander McQueen Faithful De Manta poppy clutch, just what I need to put a Spring in my step and only £295 from Selfridges – we can all dream!

Rainy Wet Playtime

On yet another grey day stuck indoors with Erbie we took up some time by making cutouts, taking our inspiration from Joëlle Jolivet’s picture book: ‘Almost Everthing’. The vehicle spread is Erbie’s favourite so I copied some out badly onto plain paper. Erbie then helped colour them in and we got a grown up to help cut them out!

Erbie discovered they stuck rather well to the condensation on the windows.

Moomin and Sniff snuck in there too...

LOVE

Just wanted to share with you how much of a mug I am this Valentines Day. And to say: ‘big love to you all’. Things have been really tough – but Spring is on the way...

Available on the high street at Marks and Spencers for a fiver or online here.

I fell in love with the mug online and couldn’t believe it was from good old M&S. In the same line: ‘Circus Type’, there are tea-towels and tins - (cake and biscuit), which having seen first hand, I have to say are rather flimsey and not something I would recommend, however I cannot fault the mugs or teatowels. LOVE- LY.

Happy Valentines!

xx

Freedom

At last a dairy free dessert that gets close to icecream.

During the Summer I was tinkering with various ways to make an icecream-like dessert for Erbie, I got as far as frozen soya milk and vanilla essence lollies, which were palatable but more ice lolly than cream. Now I find that a young lady with a similar desire has already done all the hard work and got picked up by Dragons Den no less.

Kirsty Henshaw from Preston established Worthenshaws in 2009 which has now been repackaged as Freedom and her vanilla, strawberry or chocolate icecreamlike confection should be on the shelves in the UK’s supermarkets as we speak sweetie.

See: www.worthenshaws-freedom.co.uk where they also have good information on allergies