There is very little as exciting as discovering a new dessert. Yesterday while the rain kept us in doors, a friend arrived with her new Poffertjes iron and some batter ready to go.Think little dumpling like pancakes covered with butter and sugar. They are just the right size to keep little hands happy. Poffetjes are a street food in Holland with stalls that...

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This book* is my one of my favourite picture books and certainly my favourite Christmas book. I grew up with it. It returned annually to our bookshelves, in early December. My mother read it to us at bed time in the weeks before Christmas and then like the tree it disappeared for another year.I love the simplicity of it. It pares the story...

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Father Christmas is coming to our house, whether we like it or not. I thought we were going to get some choice in the matter, but I was wrong. At the tender age of 18 months both of our girls were fully aware of the man in red and the magic surrounding him. In the interests of world peace, we are going with...

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When it comes to craft for public transport, felt generally does it for me. When it comes to Christmas crafts with felt, you really can't go past Jenny B Harris over at Allsorts. Her annual series of Christmas blogs is legendary. She has had me yearning for a white Christmas tree for years now. These trees above use her Festive Felt Trees pattern...

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With a little time, spare potatoes and poster paint we are well on the way to our very own wrapping paper production line. To print your own wrapping paper, with the help of small hands, you will need the following:1 Roll of plain wrapping paperPoster paintsPotatoesSharp knifeNewspaper to cover everythingAprons to cover the little onesStep 1 - Carve your potato. This is a...

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A quick peek at what I've been up to lately:Some stringy trees to sit under my little Christmas tree.Miss E noticed that it went nicely with her play kitchen and so she set the table for us. ...

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*We have had a few basic geography lessons in our house. This all came about when Little E volunteered that it was going to snow at Christmas. There was some explaining about countries and that it doesn’t snow in New Zealand at Christmas. It does snow in England where Thomas the Tank Engine lives. While there are no snowmen or sleighs, summer Christmases...

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Do you have soft spot for old cook books? The hand written marginalia telling you to cook it for a little less time or just that the result was only good as a paper weight? Sometime they read like a domestic history and other times a far fetched wish list.Once upon a time I collected old cookbooks. I was fascinated with old preserving...

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I’ve put the Bah Humbug away and am getting onto the swing of preparations. First up are these embroidered birds that I have made for the Kiwi Ornament Swap. They have been based on the garland pattern from Scandinavian Needlework.I have taken a few liberties with their backs as I was short of wool felt. Instead of an unstitched white backing, they have...

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I want to believe the hype. I want to believe that I can make this the most memorable Christmas ever if only I buy the right things. My Christmas memories blend in to one long stream of continuous Christmas days and really, I haven’t had a most memorable one yet. What I do remember is the time spent preparing and celebrating with friends....

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The last line of this poem has been in my head for days.Caliban in the Coal Mines GOD, we don't like to complain;We know that the mine is no lark.But — there's the pools from the rain;But — there's the cold and the dark. God, You don't know what it is —You, in Your well-lighted sky —Watching the meteors whizz;Warm, with a sun...

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All adults should be equipped with Super Powers that can impress kids. You don’t have to be a parent to be working on those skills and hell, you don’t need to ask the parents either. Think of it as a wholesome party trick.My superpower is being able to blow big bubbles using only my hands and shampoo. This super power is very handy...

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I grew more and more attached to this blanket each time I finished it. It was a lesson in taking my time and giving a project some space. I started making it for a friend who was moving into a new house in August 2009. The colours were chosen to fit the new house. Only it was delivered, reluctantly, a year later.The pattern...

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With a little help, I have laid out the quilt, pinned, stitched and bound it. The kids thought it was a fantastic game and they rolled over and over wrapped in the pieces. I can see that this process is not quite so simple when little hands are around and I can also now proudly say the Circus Pinwheels Quilt is finished.For the...

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Thank-you to everyone for their kind words and ideas when entering the giveaway. I have read through them and will give the suggestions some thought. It appears that the kids stay in the blog. Which is just as well, because I have often have very little time for anything else.Viv has suggested that there be more about the books I’m reading. Viv has...

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The following tutorial looks at how to make a Grandmother’s Fan quilt block. This is a traditional block that was very popular in the 1930’s and reflects the sunburst motifs of Art Deco. It is much like a Dresden Plate block but allows for a little more tolerance as it is only a quarter circle. This tutorial includes making the templates for a...

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