How to Make a Gift Box using Simple Origami

Sometimes, it's good to get creative with children, especially when it comes to gifts for friends or relatives. Creating a handmade gift is so much more personal than a shop-bought one and it's lots of fun to do, too. However, once you've created your masterpiece together, what do you put it in? You can buy a gift bag, but, to add a personal touch, it's not that difficult to make your own box. I have made a video tutorial to show you, but thought it would be good to have some photos and written instructions too. I've been making these for years, so I've found it quite tricky to translate it into a guide, but I hope it will all make sense. If you want to make a bigger gift box, use a bigger sheet of paper and to make a lid, you simply make another one, exactly the same. Happy folding!

Leapfrog Read with Me Scout Review

As anyone who has been reading this blog for a while will know, I am a massive fan of education. I qualified as a Teaching Assistant 12 years ago and have always been keen on any subject involving education, particularly inclusion in mainstream school. So, any product that offers little ones a discreet leg up, especially when it encourages them to enjoy the subject it teaches, is always something I am going to want to play with. This is why I was very enthusiastic about reviewing Read with Me Scout. It's cute, appealing and promises to introduce children to the all-important reading comprehension that is a big part of the early years and key stage 1 curriculum here in the UK. So, armed with a host of questions from readers of our Facebook page, I put the little fella through his paces.

My Sunday Photo; Where's the Snow?

How to Handle Trolls and How Not to Be One

This semi-ranty post covers a subject many of us are familiar with and one I have never previously given an inch of cyberspace to. This is because I have learned that when someone wants your attention and is going out of their way to get it, by being as loud and obnoxious as possible, sometimes the best thing you can do is ignore them. Not today, though, because today I am going to have my say and guess what? This is my little space, so you ain't trolling here. I  won't give unconstructive negativity any space on my blog, not even a comment. If you don't like what you read, just troll on by, since that is the polite thing to do. as if we were real people and this was real life. This is how to deal with trolls and how not to be one, unless it's one with pink hair.

Our Weekend Wanderings, Week Two!

This weekend was considerably quieter than the last one, mainly because the car is still sulking and flashing various warning lights at us every time we start the engine. It's running like a dream though, stupid car. The weather has been disappointingly dull and L was furious that we weren't even slightly snowed in! The Bristol sky offered us about half a centimetre, for a couple of hours in the morning and that was it! Despite the grumpy car, we did manage a few short trips out and this is a round up of everything we got up to. It's entirely unsponsored, but does mention some really lovely places we went to in our region...