Wednesday 29 April 2015

Beautiful Birds

This is another gem from the wonderful Alice Melvin - we bought it for some friends but had to but another for us - too pretty to pass.....






Sunday 26 April 2015

Snapshots

Sorry havent updated the blog for eons but this amazing weather (it's April!!) has meant we have been trying to take every opportunity to get out and about and enjoy the rays. We have been beaching up in Saunton Sands, day tripping to Montacute House, kicking balls around in the park, visiting Granny and Grandpa and enjoying our garden. Long may it last...... although have a rather strong feeling the rain and clouds are to return next week...... just looked at the met office website and Thursdays has clouds, rain, full sun and lightening maybe they are also confused?! Who says the English obsess about the weather?!
my little Wren

give this guy a bucket he wears it 
tree climbers

chase

caught red handed - our larder is ravaged by the boys

catching Daddy

checking the surf

Mo Man

how loud can you make it echo in a 17th Century building?

garden springing into life

it wasn't me..... honest......

MUM....... HELP.......

hide and seek

Mum, stop squeezing me my eyes are popping out....

smiley red head

Luckily Grandpa was paying attention and saw the Easter Bunny hiding eggs so could give a much needed helping hand!

The bunny found Granny's potting shed

Bucket/ Hat

surveying our garden..... HAHA!

knackered.

Always a thumb and always a goose

love.

Maurice very excited to have big boy shoes just like Lenny

my gang

love the evening light in the kitchen

no more press

Ru in his garden office shed. He can touch every wall if he stretches his arms out.... it's cosy! And looks very much like a sauna.... That said, it is mega! I REALLY want one for me at the other end of the garden... less, computers, filing and coffee stains more rocking chair, essential oils and books!

Lazy Saturdays around here consist of trackies, a trip to Gregg's for gingerbread men and a run around the park

reflections 
ready, steady, go

crunchy sarnies

free

Britain in Bloom must be visiting Wellington - the park flowers are AMAZING!!

Hoooooorah! It's finally empty. Only taken 2 months! Of course now the house is a tip but small steps..... small steps.....

Saturdays.

a windy game of Pooh sticks

Friday 10 April 2015

Eye Spy With My Little Eye

We have a lovely weekend at home with no plans. Of course there is a list as long as my arm of house 'stuff' to be achieved (of which 2% will be done) but while not unpacking, re packing and trips to the tip we will head outside and take advantage of this amazing weather! Is it not an instant morale booster? I havent checked the weather forecast though so it probably will pour with rain now..... but in current morale boosted mode I have made a little nature trail sheet for the kids for them to search for while we are out walking. If you fancy the same just drag the image onto your desktop and print..... who knows we may get them round the walk without moaning they're tiiiiiiirrrrreeed (ha ha ha, as if!)

Thursday 9 April 2015

Chocolate Chia Cookies

I am a huge cliche. It's true. ANY fad, diet, craze going I will be the first in line to join up with such gusto I truly believe this is the one that will make me glow internally and look like Natalie Portman externally. Well...... the current vegan, coconut cooking oil, nutribullet and of course chia seed hype sweeping the nation has me firmly in it's coils (if you ignore the wine, steak and cadburys creme eggs, of course). These cookies from Deliciously Ella were this weeks experiment and I have to say they are really quite tasty and the fact they are guilt free makes them more tasty. Lenny's reaction of "can't I have a custard creme" slightly burst the healthy living bubble but hey.... small steps.....
Makes 10 cookies

- 1 cup of almonds
- 1 cup of hazelnuts
- 1 cup of quinoa or buckwheat flour
- 1/3 of a cup of pure maple syrup
- 1/4 of a cup of medjool dates
- 1/4 of a cup of water
- 3 heaped tablespoons of raw cacao powder
- 3 tablespoons of chia seeds
- 2 tablespoons of coconut oil

Simply place the nuts into a food processor and blend for a minute or two until a flour forms, then add all of the remaining ingredients and blend again until a sticky cookie dough forms.
Scoop about a tablespoon into your hands, roll it into a ball and then flatten it using a spatula onto the baking tray so that they are nice and thin. Keep doing this until all the cookies are on the tray.
Bake for about twenty minutes at 180C, until the cookies are firm and starting to slightly brown. Then leave them to cool for a few minutes before enjoying!