Winter Mini Happies 2012

Aloha Sprinklerinos,

It has been a running theme throughout the lifetime of this blog, but something I like to talk about are my Mini Happies. 

Mini Happies are the little tiny things that make you smile and put a bit of pep in your step, and I like to make a big thing out of them. It is natural that we crave huge, enormous, crazy amazing things in our lives, but I truly believe that it is the little things that make life special and feel it would be a shame not to give them the honour they deserve.

(Taken from my Instagram album on FACEBOOK)

My Winter Mini Happies

* Good TV. I don't know about you but I think TV has picked up a bit recently. I'm not usually a tele watcher (what with my terrible internet addiction), but with programmes like An Idiot Abroad 3, Kirsty's Vintage Home and Supersize Earth, I've been quite enjoying what's on the box.

* Frost Mornings. It really pleases me to go downstairs in the mornings and see the garden and fence and shed and washing line covered in sparkling white frost. It's nature's glitter.

* Veggies. Yep, I did just say vegetables. I made a conscious effort a few weeks ago to eat more of them and now I have found if I don't have some every day that I crave them. Hooray for nutrition!

* London. I have been to London for various things a few times lately and really enjoyed every trip. I'm not sure if it's because I was with good friends or because I was doing exciting things, but either way, it made me really happy. 

* Skype. The online communication software (fancy) is my portal to the world sometimes. It allows me to chat away to friends and family for free and gives my brain a bit of a break from real life. Lovely.

* Decorations. Nothing makes me smile more than seeing people's Christmas lights in their front windows or opening freshly delivered Christmas cards. I'm so looking forward to Christmas (although, still not as hyped up as usual. Very odd!). 

* Good News. A couple of my friends who so desperately needed it have had good news this month. Whether it's improved finances, new arrivals or being in good relationships, I'm happy their world's are oh-so-bright for them. Warm fuzzies all round. 

(Taken from my Instagram album on FACEBOOK)

* Darcy. Saving the best til last, my little lovebug, Baby Glitter. She does far too many cute things to put in a list without making you all sick, but, the baby babble in particular has melted my heart. "Spish spash' for bath and 'Haaaart' for heart (when pointing to body parts) and 'Nortnortey' for naughty, are all words I never tire of hearing in her sweet voice. 

I would love to hear what your Mini Happies are because they spread the joy and make the world a better place. Power to the people and all that jazz haha!

Toodlepip!

xx

This month my Ultimate Advertiser is 21st Serendipity . If you would like to find out more about advertising on this blog, click HERE.

Sensory Play Ideas

Aloha Sprinklerinos,

During the day, Baby Glitter and I run our usual errands, do the housework and play. It's a very charmed life. 

She is a very lucky girl and has so many toys, but from time to time, I make a special effort to bring out some new things that will challenge her slightly and aid her development somewhat.

I've read a fair bit about 'sensory play' and decided to make my own sensory play activity to challenge her little bambino brain. It was super easy peasy so I thought I would share it with you in case you have or care for little ones yourself. If you don't have tots yourself, feel free to share this with your YummyMummy pals!

How To Make A Sensory Play Tray

Rice :: In a ziplock bag, pour dry rice and a few drops of food colouring (we chose pink). Shake really well and leave on a plate to air and dry. We left ours a good couple of days, but I don't think you'd need that long.

Pasta :: A few dry shells in interesting shapes are something new for little hands to feel and touch. 

Glitter :: Since our tray was black, glitter showed up amazingly and was a lovely addition. It also has a very fine texture which Baby Glitter doesn't feel too often so she really enjoyed the new experience.

Water Balls :: These little things are amazing! You pour the tiny little beads/seeds into a cup, add water, leave to rest and voila! The beads soak up the water and swell into squidgy, mess free balls that are ideal for discovering hands. Darcy absolutely loved them! You can buy them HERE for 50p per packet with free postage- bargain!

Arrange all your elements on the tray and sit with your tot, talking about the different textures, colours, feelings etc. After a while Baby Glitter became adventurous and started to mix them up a bit and it was sweet to see her enjoying it all so much! 

When you are finished, either salvage things, recycle or throw away- simples!

It is really important to give 100% supervision to this sort of play as the little parts are not to be eaten and glitter can look very enticing.

I love spending time with Darcy in this way because I feel like she learns so much from it and we get to explore new things together. She's such a gem!

I'd love to know if you have done this before and what things you put on your tray. Are you a sensory play wizz?

Toodlepip!

xx

This month my Ultimate Advertiser is 21st Serendipity . If you would like to find out more about advertising on this blog, click HERE. 

Mummy Dreams

Aloha Sprinklerinos,

The more I look at Baby Glitter, the more I can see that soon she won't be her name. She will soon grow out of babyhood and be firmly placed in a new chapter of her life, toddlerhood. She is developing a sense of self, recognising behaviour and growing into a beautiful little girl.

Whilst there'll be a heartfelt pang when she is no longer a 'baby', I'm feeling so excited for the future and what this brings for my relationship with her, and thought I would share some of my hopeful highlights.

Mummy - Daughter Dreams

Sharing a slice of cake together at the lovely garden centre near our house and chatting.

Her being really pleased with how I did her hair that day.

Allowing her to paint my nails in a rainbow of colours.

Getting dressed up together for family parties.

Blowing up balloons for her birthday.

Seeing her face on Christmas mornings.

Taking her to meet Santa.

Explaining about the magic of the Tooth Fairy.

Reading books under thick blankets as the rain pounds on the window.

Lighting candles and torches in power cuts and telling stories.

Building dens with pegs and sheets.

Making crafty art for when Daddy comes home.

Decorating cakes with sweets and icing.

Delivering holiday treats to neighbours.

Singing our favourite songs in the car.

Writing letters in pink felt tips.

Drinking hot chocolate from matching mugs. 

What do you look forward to doing with your children?

Toodlepip!

xx

This month my Ultimate Advertiser is Made Up Of Little Things. If you would like to find out more about advertising on this blog, click HERE. 

Autumn Bucket List || Marie BitsandClips

Aloha Sprinklerinos,

I've mentioned her about six hundred and forty times in my YouTube videos, but I have a great friend called Marie. She lives in America with her Husband, Bambino and Mama and has a fantastic channel which you'd be a fool not to subscribe to. 

Recently, Marie set up a blog so that she can share more of her passions with you all, and as a fellow Autumn Lover, has set up a new feature that I couldn't wait to get involved in. All the rules of it are HERE, so if you would like to get involved, head on over and join in with the fun!

As part of Marie's feature, I have chosen 'MakeUp'. Surprise, surprise!

This is a still from a video that I filmed for my YouTube Channel as I was feeling particularly Autumnal that day. I wish, wish, wish I'd done some 'proper' FOTD shots but I'm still pleased with this. Woop.

I opted for rusty eye shadows (MAC Crystal Avalanche, Amber Lights and Antiqued), black liquid liner), a touch of bronzer and Revlon Stain Balm in Flame. I think the orange and copper is tres pumpkin-esque and is a look I find myself coming back to every October. Team all that with red nails and a cosy jumper and you're all set for brisk walks in crunchy leaves and cosy TV nights with the man in your life- what bliss.

I know it seems a little melodramatic to say that a splash of orange lipstick makes me feel differently, but I really do believe that when you look a certain way, it can go far towards making you feel a certain way.

Autumn my most favourite time of the year so I am loving incorporating it into Glitter World. If you would like to join in with this feature, or even just have a mooch round Marie's blog (you'll love it), then HERE'S the link again.

What's you're favourite part of fall? Let's get cosy in the comments!

Toodlepip!

xx

This month my Ultimate Advertiser is Made Up Of Little Things. If you would like to find out more about advertising on this blog, click HERE.  

Crayola Weekends

Aloha Sprinklerinos,

You may have noticed that I have been updating this here slice of the net a little less often than I'm accustomed to. I just thought I would say, 'Oh Haaii there Miss Noticer! You are right, I have been and I'm sorry'.

Life has been getting a little in the way of my tiptapping on this blog. Life is good.

 

This weekend was perfect.

There was nothing particularly groundbreaking about it, but to me, it was blissful. Since I loved it and I love you, I thought I'd share it with you. Is that alright?

This weekend was one of those perfect sunny weekends where nobody has made any plans and yet all the loose ends of activities tie together beautifully and it all turns into one giant hotpot of joyousness.

The highlight of my weekend had to be Saturday. We arranged to meet up with our lovely newlywed chums Mark and Clare in the afternoon for a mooch round Toyrs R Us and then a quick coffee in Starbucks. Nothing major. No big deal.

How wrong I was. SO MUCH FUN. We spent an eternity in the giant toy store delighting over childhood memories, laughing over Baby Glitter loving the sit-in toy cars and getting crazy excited for things that wizz and ding. I ended up buying Baby Glitter some crayola crayons (THIS set to be exact) and a colouring book and off we trotted to Starbucks next door. 

In Starbucks we met up with Clare's chum and her Daughter who was possibly the cutest two year old I have ever seen and set to work with the important business of panini eating and chocolate creme frapoccino drinking. It turns out that those crayons went down as well with the adults as they did the tots! I had honestly forgotten how much I love colouring in and we sat happily for about an hour being artists (or in Mark's case, seeing how many he could stand up before Emily or Darcy knocked them over). It was just lovely. About half way through, I sat back and thought about all the times when I was pregnant that I had imagined the things I would do with Matt and our Daughter. All the little merry memories I would make for her and the special moments we would all cherish and thought, 'Yes, this is one of them'.

The memories I have with my own Mother are like precious gem stones kept in a jewellery box in my mind and it is my aim and pleasure to create as many as these for Baby Glitter as I can, so that her memory box of gems is overflowing and she can enjoy it well into her adulthood. Granted she won't remember the things we do now but I take a lot of photographs and I like to think she'll see the weekend Mummy wore red lipstick, Daddy bought her a special babycinno drink and we all coloured in for hours, and smile at how loved she is.

Amazing moments don't have to be seeing shooting stars or swimming with sharks (although those are nice too), they can be the time you spend with really good friends, colouring in with your children, mooching round toy shops, picking out potential Christmas presents and discussing why you love crayons so very, very much. 

Watching Baby Glitter hold a teeny expresso cup of babyccino (it's free and is warm milk with froth- yum), standing in her darling clarks shoes and colouring her book just made me melt a little bit. If I could spend all my weekends doing that, I would. 

What makes your favourite weekend?

Toodlepip!

xx

PS

Since Saturday I have become a crayola enthusiast! No other brand is as lovely (believe me, we've sampled a fair few) and no other brand has such a colour array. We bought a pack of 24 and with Baby Glitter beginning to walk (and standing on them) or bum shuffling over them, there have been about 6 waxy casualties. I'm considering buying THIS big set of 288 because I know they'll last forever and I'm far to excited for all the different colours. Also, it wouldn't be right for our house to not have a set of glittery crayolas in it, would it? Haha xx

Summer Summary

Aloha Sprinklerinos,

To me, September symbolises the rise of Autumn and the fall of Summer and a happy transition from sandals to pumps to boots. Hurrah!

It seems that this weekend is firmly in the Summer camp with warm weather, the smell of neighbours BBQ's and the sound of lawn mowers lingering in the atmosphere.

I thought I would take this seasonal opportunity to sum up Summer 2012, tuck it into it's low tog bed and look forward to a time of orange leaves and cosy blankets. 

 May was a good month. I forced myself to take time out and be creative. I absolutely love crafting but all too often a million other things on my 'to do' list push it to the bottom on the pile and I never have a moment to whip out my needle and thread and enjoy it. As part of my '7 Things' series I challenged myself to create and made this very easy no-sew tutu. Yay.

June was a sunny month but not too hot, thank goodness. I made my Dad and Matt some arty-photo Father's Day gifts which they both loved. Aside from the usual things like seeing chums, spending time with family, playing with Baby Glitter and trying out lots of lovely beauty products, the thing I enjoyed most about June was mine and Matt's rather windy (the in-the-sky kind of wind, not the bottom kind haha!) patio date. It was just blissful to sit, eat and not think about the day to day gripes of life. We have been doing that more often and very much benefiting from it.

July was the month I went barmy and decided to write 2 blog posts a day. I kept it up for about 4 weeks but then I came to my senses and realised that although it was a fun short term challenge, it wasn't a realistically sustainable long term goal! This month I pouted away in Revlon's Just Bitten Kissable Balmstains and after having my Instragram pictures printed, made this huge framed collage for the landing.

August was my crazy-busy-don't-sit-down-for-a-second month! We spent a happy week in the North, greeting our brand new baby niece, shopping, mooching round museums, letting Baby Glitter spend quality time with her Grandparents and I took a little break from the internet. Then, after some relaxed family time it was all systems go and Zoe and I trotted off to London for 2 amazing days at Summer In The City (a rather fabulous YouTube gathering) where we were able to meet so many of our brilliant YouTube viewers and see our other YouTube chums and catch up on all their news. Lots of other things happened this month which you can see on my blog and channels but those were the two biggies and I won't bore you by going on and on. And on. And on. Etc. 

And here we are, September. A time of back to school enthusiasm, my wedding anniversary, blogger events, the dilemma of 'do I finally treat myself to some good quality boots?' and a whole heap of blogger motivation!

I feel like I am brimming with ideas and posts for the next few months and am itching to put finger to keyboard and get going!

How has your Summer been? What are you looking forward to this season?

Toodlepip!

xx

My Autumn

Aloha Sprinklerinos,

It's a fact I touch on every year, but I LOVE Autumn. It is by far and above my most favourite time of year and there is nothing about it that I resent.

 (Warning :: Going to brag now- I took this photo myself!)

I feel like when the air crispens and the leaves turn orange, there is a sense of hope and a fresh start at things. I find myself making new routines, adhering to old traditions (pizza on a Saturday night and candles lit in the porch of an evening) and generally feeling like I have a new lease of life.

To me, Autumn starts when school starts and with Matt being a Teacher, our household calender still does follow the acedemic year. I quite like it.

Now that we have a little mini human in our lives, Autumn is all the more special and recently I have been thinking about things I am looking forward to doing as a family and alone and thought it might be fun to share them with you. 

1. Walking Darcy in the big pram. We have a little grey easy-to-fold pushchair for chucking in the car but we also have a lovely big padded, cushy, cosy Silver Cross pram that I adore bundling Baby Glitter into and taking her for walks. I can't wait to pull on my brown boots, throw on a big coat, wrap her up in a woollen bobble hat and take her to the swings. 

2. Wearing Purple. To me, Autumn is the season of purple! Purple nail polish, purple cardigans, purple eyeliner, everything. Bring it on!

3. Sunday Night TV. Is there anything quite like having a delicious hot dinner, lighting the fire, drawing the curtains, snuggling down in jogging bottoms and watching things like Downton Abbey and Upstairs Downstairs? I don't think there is.

4. Craft Fayres. At this time of year there seem to be an abundance of things like Farmers Markets, Antique Shows and Craft Fayres. I really enjoy rummaging through dinky little ornaments or buying unusual cheeses to take home and treasure/devour.

5. The promise of Christmas. Let's face it, I'm already thinking about December the 25th and I'm not even ashamed. It's the 'most wonderful tiiiiimmmme, of the year', so Autumn is like an excited run up to it!

Those were just a few of my favourite things about Autumn but chances are, as I get wrapped up in crispy orange leaf fever, I will share more. Today I asked you on Twitter and Facebook what your favourite things were so there's a blog post to come on that too!

Do you love this time of year as much as I do?

Toodlepip!

xx

Online Treats

Aloha Sprinkerinos,

Remember that spending ban I was on? No? Nor do I.

I'm not usually one for internet shopping. I prefer to actually have the experience of being in the store, touching the products, mooching around etc, but a couple of weeks ago (before my busy stint), I ran away with myself...and my debit card. Woops.

I've made a video of the haul which I will link as soon as it's live, but for now, here's a little teaser.

This nifty storage case is actually a shoe organiser but I have used it as a toy tidy. I love that I can see what's where and it's safe for Baby Glitter to drag about. It was only £3.99 and there is a buy 2 get 1 free offer, so if you have a lot of shoes/toys/anything at all you want to store away, it's a winner! You can find it HERE.

 

I plan on doing a few OOTD's with these ASOS pieces. I have worn the white eyelet skirt and pink highwaisted SO much since buying them so in my eyes, they're an investment!

I also bought some Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish Cleansers because I had run out, tried to kid myself that other products were as good and then came to my senses and reordered. 

I talked about the bunting bracelet in a post of it's own HERE, but in a nutshell, it's the cutest little thing and was only £2.39. Click on the pink for the link! (So poetic. Tehe).

The word art was sent to me from the tres creative Maisy Moo. All you do is choose your shape and colour scheme, give them the words you would like incorporated and wait for it to land on your doorstep- fabulous!! We love ours and think it adds a great little touch to Baby Glitter's bedroom.

Ok, I know, they're just straws. But loooookkk!! They are paper (don't worry, they don't go squooshy in your drink), pastel coloured and if you have an obsession with pinterest or American lifestyle blogs (Carosello, A Beautiful Mess etc) then you will understand why I needed them in my life. I bought them from THIS British seller. I also gave them a sneaky little feature in THIS post.

Well, that's it. A bit of an eclectic haul and as soon as the video is live, I will embed it on this blog post too. Keeping things nice and tidy :)

Do any of these bits and bobs float your boat?

Toodlepip!

xx

This month my Ultimate Advertiser is Lady of Vintage. If you would like to know more about advertising on Sprinkle of Glitter, check out my 'Sponsor' page up at the top!  

Two Weeks Too Fast

Aloha Sprinklerinos,

A lifestyle post for you today because of late, my life has wizzed by in a blur and today I finally found a few spare moments whilst Baby Glitter snoozed to go through some of my snaps and decide which ones to put on here.

These really do sum up the last 14 days and although it's bulky, I'm really glad I took my big camera round with m to capture the moments.

The Olympics. I went to see the Men's Artistic Gymnastics at Greenwich Arena (or Millennium Dome if you are old school like me) and this new fangled light display was in the foyer. I have quite the obsession with lighting so naturally was drawn to it. It also changed colour to different shades of pink, violet, purple and amber. Beautiful.

I definitely have had Olympic Fever! I'm not usually one for sporting events but this Olympiad I was so into it. I love the positive atmosphere it bought to the country and thought the opening and closing ceremonies were amazing.

A trip to Liverpool and a serious case of Monroe-skirt. Matt was actually trying to capture a few OOTD shots but I liked this one because it's pretty candid and I didn't know he had starting snapping away. Outfit post coming soon.

 

Whilst shopping in Liverpool city centre I found this super cute handmade independent shop. I really admire people who make their own businesses and love all things crafty so I thought this was super. The lady who runs the shop has a website that I took a card for so I could link it. However, being the dunce I am, I have lost the card so I'm ever so sorry! I bought a couple of cards and look forward to going back. If you are in the area, it is behind Primark in the blue coat area. Enjoy!

Whilst in Liverpool I found the shoes of my dreams. Glitter-tastic.

After taking Matt's Ma & Pa for lunch in the city we wandered down to the new museum at the docks and had a look round.

 

And posed infront of stars.

 

And marvelled at the sights below.

On another day we hit the beach. Crosby beach isn't exactly white sands and blue seas but I embraced it none the less and the cherry on the top was that I met up with El from A Thrifty Mrs, who is a good egg indeed.

After we filmed a video together, which you can see HERE, we stood watching the waves and chatting away like old biddies.

 Oohhh sneaky kissy shot of Matt for you there. Isn't he a dish?!

Later that day we met up with Matt's brothers and family folk and took Baby Glitter to the playground. My brother-in-law and I got a little carried away on the see-saw. Tehe.

Then we were Newcastle-bound! My other brother and sister-in-law just had their first baby- a little girl. She was so teeny tiny and gorgeous. It's amazing how women can grow entire humans in their tunmies.

And then we were home! Time for reading library books to a tired 1 year old and enjoying freshly picked flowers.

Mindy got all crafty and decided Baby Glitter's art supplies were where she would chillax.

 

Whilst I unpacked our suitcase, Matt put together my new shelving unit. At last I can be organised and find my things when I want them! Baby Glitter was my little helper :)

After all that, we had our chum from Matt's work round for patio nibbles and BBQ food. Yum!

Phewf! I feel pooped!

What have you been up to this last couple of weeks?

Toodlepip!

xx

This month my Ultimate Advertiser is Lady of Vintage. If you would like to know more about advertising on Sprinkle of Glitter, check out my 'Sponsor' page up at the top!  

Lou's Reviews || Bunny Rabbit Night Light

Aloha Sprinklerinos,

I had a beauty post planned for today but you know when something just excites you and you can't wait? I have that!

A couple of weeks ago I was asked if I would like to try anything from dotcomgiftshop. I receive quite a few emails like this (I know, a fun problem to have!) and usually decline on the basis that the products don't suit this blog or they don't float my boat. I decided to have a mosey on their site and oh my oh my EVERYTHING floated my boat! It was like an Aladdin's Cave of treasure and I was abuzz with fizz and dither!

 (At dusk)

After a couple of emails they very kindly sent me this Rabbit Night Light and I already love him. I love him so much, I have already placed an order for 4 more, but we'll talk about that later. 

The little glowing beauty retails for £4.95 which I think is a total bargain. It is powered by one standard battery (which is included), so no fussy wires or hazards for little fingers and also no restrictions on where you can display him- total freedom.

 

(At night)

I know this is only a nightlight, but you may know that I have a serious penchant for woodland creatures and quite a fetish for lovely lighting (my house is almost entirely lit by fairy twinkle lights) so this product really does make me very, very happy. Call me sad, I don't mind!

With the price being under a fiver, it coming in a cute box and lots of children to buy for this Christmas (yep, I'm already starting on that one), I have now ordered 4 more for my 3 nieces and my friend's little boy, Oliver. These would make great stand alone gifts or very swish stocking fillers if you are the generous sort.

I love seeing little corners of my home aglow with cute ornaments, candles and twinkles. It makes me smile.

Do these amazing lights make you want to hop off on purchase one? Hop...get it?

Toodlepip!

xx

This month my Ultimate Advertiser is Lady of Vintage. If you would like to know more about advertising on Sprinkle of Glitter, check out my 'Sponsor' page up at the top!  

Love Your Library

Aloha Sprinklerinos,

It won't be news to you that I am a big fan of books. I'm not a literary genius that can recite reams and reams of Shakespeare, but I have read an awful lot of chicklit, home, style and craft books and enjoy sharing them with you. 

The gripe I have with books is the price. I begrudge paying a lot of money for something that I will seldom read more than once and may not even like. The answer to this is Public Libraries.

Before I had Baby Glitter and I worked in an office, I used to visit my local library quite regularly because it was right by my workplace. Then, when I became an at home Mummy, life lost it's routine a bit and I didn't feel like shlepping off to a library was convenient. 

Well, I was wrong. It turns out, my local library is literally at ten minute stroll away! I only discovered this last month when I made the effort to take Baby Glitter out on a walk and was shocked at how close it actually is - I felt almost silly for not knowing.

We now go weekly and absolutely love it. It is completely free to join the library and all you have to do is walk in, go to the desk and tell them you'd like to sign up. You fill out a pretty basic form, take the card they give you and voila- it's book time!

I wanted to write this post because going to the library with Baby Glitter has become one of my happy things and this blog is a place to share and document those.

Great Things About the Library ::

Borrow :: You can take up to 8 books out for free, for up to 3 weeks. Seeing as Baby Glitter has her own card, we can leave with up to 16 and I'm glad her pram has a big basket to carry them all!

Not feel Pressured :: Knowing that borrowing is free, I don't feel stressed about what I take out. Usually I will take quite a selection and may only read 1-2, but that's alright, I haven't just had to shell out £80 like I would have in a shop. 

Be calm :: Libraries are quiet, tranquil places and I happen to really enjoy the peace of them and feel very relaxed and soothed there.

Create :: Our library has a big table with tubs of wax crayons, pencils, felt tips and paper for children. Baby Glitter is just learning to hold these sorts of things and has already created a few masterpieces. You don't have to ask to use these things, they are just always out. Once I came to the library and saw a bunch of old ladies making quilts, which I thought was a cute little group too. 

Surf :: I'm not sure if you have to pay a small fee or not, but there is a sizable bank of computers and desks, should you want to use the internet or write a document etc. I haven't looked into this but I would imagine there are also printers and a photocopier but expect you would have to contribute toward using these. 

Shop :: In most libraries there are often 'sale rails' where you can buy old books for incredibly low prices.

Read :: I know this is an obvious one, but you don't actually have to leave the building with books. Quite often I will sit in the children's corner and read Baby Glitter stories and then put the books back.

Socialise :: I take Baby Glitter to a 'Rhyme Time' group (for free) where she learns songs and actions with other tots and all of the Mum's sit round the edge and rather awkwardly join in. It's really great for little ones and the musical instruments they are given to play with are very stimulating. At the end, they are given stickers and you have a chance to chat with other Mother's/Carer's. 

Those are just a few of the things we do at our library but you can also borrow DVD's, Videos and CD's. I also saw a poster last week asking for young people (I think 13-19) to volunteer during the summer. I'm going to encourage my sister to do this as it will look good on her CV and be beneficial to any further education applications.

Did you know there was so much to do at a library?

Toodlepip!

xx

This month my Ultimate Advertiser is Confessions of a Secret Shopper. If you would like to know more about advertising on Sprinkle of Glitter, check out my 'Sponsor' page up at the top! 

DIY Instagram Collage

Aloha Sprinklerinos,

Once upon a time I lived in a stylish city apartment, with my delicious smelling boyfriend and we would spend Friday nights in swanky bars, laughing with friends and wearing shockingly high heels (me, not him!). Nowadays things are a little different. 

This Friday just gone, once Baby Glitter was in bed, I put on some cheesy romcom and grabbed my sellotape with relish. Forty minutes later and I had made this ::

 

Do excuse my fuzzy instagram pictures. Once it is hung I will photograph it with the cannon and we can all oooh and aaaaar. 

After I had instagramed the finished product, a lot of you sweetly asked how I made it so I have decided to tell you. It really was easy and is incredibly adaptable, so hopefully you can make something gorgeous for yourselves too. 

:: Step One :: 

Have your instagram images printed. I used Pinstagram for this. I opted for 2inch by 2inch squares and for $12 you can choose 48. They are sent in a little brown box on sturdy white card with a neat white trim. I LOVE them! I ordered multiples of a couple (like the one of me and my sister) so send in little cards- how quaint. At christmas, I intend on taking some cute shots of Baby Glitter, having them printed and using them as gift tags for family and friends. Delivery time took 2-3 weeks so plan ahead if you want to use this service. I was really happy with it. Also, as an extra bonus, you can pay by paypal, easy streets!

:: Step Two ::

Buy your frame. I bought this one from IKEA as I liked the raised edges. I also liked that it was only £7.99 and absolutely massive. Hurrah!

:: Step Three ::

The fun part- choose and arrange your photos. In this frame, if you squish them all up, you can fit 60 in perfectly. Since I had 144 to choose from, this was pretty tricky! Haha.

:: Step Four ::

Adhere your photos. For this you can use anything you like, but since I could only find sellotape, that had to do. Ideally a craft glue would have been more suitable. This particular frame came with a large sheet of fitted cardstock, so I was able to just stick directly to that. If your frame doesn't have one of these, you may need to improvise. Don't splash out, something as simple and accessible as cut out card from a cereal box will work beautifully. 

:: Step Five ::

Close the frame up securely and hang proudly. You are a craft genius and deserve a blue ribband or other such delightful treat.

♥

This little craft project is great because it was easy, mess free, affordable (frame was £7.99 and 48 pictures were $12, so for the sixty in there it probably equates to about a tenner, entire project coming in at under £20) and can be adapted to so many things. Obviously you could make different sized and shaped collages, but you could also make birthday card, invites, or decoupage table tops. The possibilities are endless!

I'm really glad I took the time to print my pictures, all too often my memories sit unseen in digital form and so I am looking forward to finding more and more ways to display my growing love for photography.

Is this a project you might try? How do you display your pictures?

If you would like to follow me on instagram, I am 'Sprinkleofglitr', just like my twitter handle.

Toodlepip!

xx

This month my Ultimate Advertiser is Confessions of a Secret Shopper. If you would like to know more about advertising on Sprinkle of Glitter, check out my 'Sponsor' page up at the top!

Brilliant Baby Books

Aloha Sprinklerinos,

Ever since Baby Glitter was first born, Matt and I have read to her. We are both keen readers (I'm not talking Shakespear, but chicklit, magazines, boy books, newspapers, blogs, you get it, reading stuff) and we wanted our Daughter to follow suit as there are so many benefits.

Not only does it stimulate baby's mind, encourage language and feed their imaginations, it gives you a good opportunity for snuggles and quality bonding time.

I have recently started taking Baby Glitter to the library, but I thought I would start off by sharing some of our favourites from her own bookshelf first.

(As you can see, I got a little app happy and took today's image on my phone. The app is free and called pixlromantic if you are interested.)

Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes

This is the most recent edition to our collection and I think Mummy loves it more than baby. It reads in a lovely melodic fashion and the pictures look like the watercoloured ones we had as children ourselves. I'm really not a big fan of computer generated 4-d type images. I like my picture books old school. Haha, so specific!

The Tiger Who Came To Tea 

This was the first book I bought for Darcy and I think I will cherish it for all of our lives. I've read it so many times I know it off by heart and even sent a copy to a chum in America. The illustrations are a joy, it's a cute, harmless silly story and just the right length for an infant. Baby Glitter will sit on my lap and be enthralled for 5-10 mins max. You could read this in 3-5 I think.

Say Goodnight To The Sleepy Animals

This is not a favourite of mine (I prefer classics) but is one she ALWAYS reaches for. Each page is the cat saying goodnight to an animal, so perhaps she enjoys my fantastic animal noise impressions-ha. It's quite handy for talking about different things (night, bedtime, creatures, sounds, how many, etc) and very colourful.

All three of these books that we have are board books because they are easy for little hands to turn and are not going to die a death by crumpling and ripping like some of our others- eep! They make great baby shower/new baby/birthday gifts, if you don't have a baby yourself too. Woohooo easy gifting!

I have quite a collection of baby books, so if you would like more mini reviews, do let me know.

Toodlepip!

xx

This month my Ultimate Advertiser is Dashing Divas. If you would like to know more about advertising on Sprinkle of Glitter, check out my 'Sponsor' page up at the top!

PS- Nope, still don't know why blogger won't let me make links pink. Gargh.

Budget Bling

Aloha Sprinklerinos,

Remember those days, before I made a small human in my tummy, before the little thing came out and started to pull on every shiny thing she saw- earrings, necklaces, bracelets, etc? They were good times. I wore so many beautiful accessories. Nowadays, I stick to studs and my wedding/engagement ring because I value my earlobes so much.

Today I had a little sort out and fell back in love with all my chunky cocktails rings. Ahhh, I missed you old friends. 

Rings can be so affordable and to me, really finish off an outfit. I used to work in an office and I loved wearing a bit of finger bling and watching it twinkle all day as I typed. 

With the current trend of TRIANGLES in mind, I went cheapy ring hunting. Has anyone else noticed that everyone has gone gaga for that little three sided shape?! 

(Image: Ebay, seller linked below -geo gloating ring)

This  Geo Floating Triangle Ring is a snip at £4.50 and something I have never seen before (check out the sellers other images to see how it's worn, it's quite clever) and comes in 3 colours- yay for choice! (Hmm, not sure why the link won't go pink. Gr!)

Oooooohhhhhh this Jewelled Triangle Bling Ring is JAZZY. Seriously, if you like sparkly, coloured, big things, you'll like this. At only £4.99, I'm buying!

If you're being ultra swish and combining triangles AND aztec, you'll lurve this Silver Aztec Engraved Triangle Ring for £3.99.

Last but not least, this Vintagey Cat Ear Ring THRILLS me! I know it isn't technically a triangle things, but the ears are pointy- does that count? Haha. Also, for £1.10 inc. P&P it's the best BARGAIN ever! Thrifty would be so proud of me!!

So there you have it, a ring for every finger (but not thumb, I'm not sure where I stand on thumbrings- you?) and all under £5. You can't argue with those digits! Ahahahaha I crack myself up! Tehehe.

Are you an affordable accessories kinda gal? Or are you in a love triangle with pricey jewels (oh me oh my I'm on fire today with these puns).

Toodlepip!

xx

This month my Ultimate Advertiser is Dashing Divas. If you would like to know more about advertising on Sprinkle of Glitter, check out my 'Sponsor' page up at the top! 

OOTD :: Rainy Summer

Aloha Sprinklerinos,

It was a toss up between a beauty or fashion post today and since I have some clothey photographs lurking around my laptop, I thought an OOTD would suit. Suit...clothes...get it? It's a laugh a minute round these parts. 

Mummy Glitter
Coral Wrap Dress :: H&M (this season)
Blue Cotton Summer Scarf :: H&M (this season)
Grey Leggings :: Primark (last season, but I saw they still stock them)
Brown Boots :: Dorothy Perkins (last season)
Pale Demin Jacket :: Primark (last season)
Glass Earrings :: Miss Selfridge (many moons ago- this post explains the rather romantic story behind them).

Baby Glitter
Cream Beanie Hat :: Tesco
Ditzy Print Cotton Jacket :: John Lewis
Navy Leggings :: Sainsburys
White Shoes :: Boots
Oodles of energy :: Goodness knows where!!

This is an outfit I wore for the Jubilee Bank Holiday when we had Matt's parents come to stay. We took them to a country craft fair and for a lovely pub lunch, so all in all, it was a very British day indeed. Rather aptly, the weather celebrated too and in true form and we saw sunshine, grey clouds, heavy rain, spitting droplets ('that fine rain that soaks you right through') and gale force winds. Ahhh good old Blighty. 

I really enjoyed this outfit because it was so layered. It felt like that by removing the jacket and/or scarf, I was changing the whole thing and I also know this dress works with bare legs and heels too. Ooooh I do love a bit of versatility! 

As you may have noticed, I had tried to dress Baby Glitter and I in a jubilee-esque fashion and incorporated the red, white and blue into our outfits. I do love the royal family. I know they won't see us looking all patriotic but I enjoy to be swept along in the atmosphere of things. Can you believe she's almost walking? It truly doesn't feel that long ago that I was uploading my ultrasound pictures. Time is fleeting eh?

I took a few more snaps over the festive weekend, so perhaps I will share those with you in another post.

Do you have a staple piece that works with everything? Let us know so we can all be fashion goddesses!

Toodlepip!

xx

This month my Ultimate Advertiser is Dashing Divas. If you would like to know more about advertising on Sprinkle of Glitter, check out my 'Sponsor' page up at the top! 

7 Things for 7 Days

Aloha Sprinklerinos,

Remember a few weeks ago I wrote a post about things I wanted to achieve for the week, in a bid to motivate myself to actually do them and share my progress? Well, against all odds, it actually worked! I checked back through my list as the days ticked by and gradually, one by one, did them all. I know this isn't exactly groundbreaking, but it pleases me.

It pleases me so much, I thought I would do it again and then update you on how I get on. I would love to hear some of you own mini goals or targets in the comments and how you get on too. We can be a sort of online support to one another and then at the end hold hands and sing songs. Too far? I think so.

 

(Image : weheartit.com) 

This week, I plan to:

Exercise. I'm not suggesting a marathon here, but more than my usual sedentary life would be a bonus. Maybe a couple of walks or a work out DVD to blow out the cobwebs and give my bottom a good jiggle.

Cook. Hmmm maybe not the best goal to set after 'exercise'! I have been having way to much pre prapared and junk food these last few weeks and I really have no excuse other than laziness. I'm going to don my pinny (or at least locate it!) and make a few healthy snacks and meals. How hard can it be?

Clean. You know how sometimes you just keep your house ticking over and do the bare essentials? I've been doing that and things need a good 'deep clean' as I like to call them. I'm not sure which area I'll tackle. but I'm looking forward to it. How sad.

Create. I have three projects on the go at the moment and so this week I am going to finish at least one of them.

Plan. More and more often I neglect the fun things I used to do all the time, so this week I will arrange three fun activities for me, Matt or my chums. Woop woop!

Read. I absolutely love reading to Baby Glitter. Firstly because I know how beneficial and bonding it is for her, but also because I'm rather fond of an illustrated tale, so over the next seven days, I'm going to either buy, find or borrow (from the library) some new books for us to enjoy.

Unwind. Pretty much what it says on the tin. Baths, salon trips, candles and magazines are all things I'm considering.

As an extra add on, I am feeling super inspired blog-wise so I have a lot of post ideas that I want to bring into fruition and make happen. 

Would you like to do any of these mini goals with me and let me know how you got on? I'd love some 'goal gals'.

Toodlepip!

xx

This month my Ultimate Advertiser is Dashing Divas. If you would like to know more about advertising on Sprinkle of Glitter, check out my 'Sponsor' page up at the top! 

Patio Dates

Aloha Sprinklerinos,

I shall have a flurry of beauty posts I promise, but today is a lifestyle one, because I'm in a lifestyle mood. Can't get simpler than that, can you?

Matt works full time as a Teacher and regularly brings his work home. I work full time as a Mummy, Homemaker and Vlogger/Blogger Extraordinaire (I like to think anyway hahaha) and Baby Glitter works full time as a dribbly, playful, mess maker. Mix that with a social life, boring errands, sleeping and breathing and you won't find a lot of time in bewteen.

A couple of weeks ago Matt and I realised we really weren't spending enough quality time together. Yes, we live together but it was getting to a point where we were just co-existing rather than enjoying one anothers company. Things had to change. In true busy-people (I never thought I'd become one of those!) fashion we scheduled a date.

Dates for us are tricky. If we go out we have to find a sitter and I struggle with letting other people take care of Baby Glitter, so our list of people we can call upon is very limited. So to combat this, I decided on a 'home date'. Nothing fancy, just something that wasn't what we do day in, day out and would allow us to catch up and chat and just sit back and enjoy what we have together. Feeling sick yet? Haha.

(As you can see, the wind put paid to any romantic candles I might have hoped for. Thank you British Weather.)

I had this grand idea that I would tie a piece of string from one fence to another, hang strips of crepe on it and they would flutter gently in the breeze, whilst creating a magical, colourful curtain for the patio, and thus create a little tropical fun zone of candles and foods and joy. In actual fact, it was windier than a gale on mars, the strips of paper all clumped together and whipped about, almost smacking us in the face and Baby Glitter thought it was the best thing she had ever seen in her entire life. Low on romance, high on comedy.

We sat on our (very windy) patio, ate bread with oil and balsamic vinegar, drank fruity fizz punch, lit candles many times over before giving up, chatted about daily life, laughed about memories, planned trips for the summer, put Darcy to bed and ended up eating dinner inside (much less windy) and watched a movie. Perfect.

 (Look at the potential this lovely patio date had!! Punch in cocktail glasses, candles, bread, dips, gale force wind, getting-tired-baby. Ahhhh the romance. Not.)

I think a lot of people expect married life to be idyllic and rosey. It isn't always. Sometimes it's fun, sometimes it's humdrum and sometimes it's downright difficult. I really enjoyed making the time to enjoy marriage and letting all of life's little things wait. I think I'm going to do it more.

What do you do to appreciate your partners/parents/pals/pets/imaginary friends?

Toodlepip!

xx

This month my Ultimate Advertiser is Dashing Divas. If you would like to know more about advertising on Sprinkle of Glitter, check out my 'Sponsor' page up at the top!  

Brilliant Bargains :: Quilted Bags

Aloha Sprinklerinos,

A little while ago, I posted a picture on Instagram (Sprinkleofglitr) of Baby Glitter playing with my pink quilted handbag. Lots of you asked where it was from and if it was Chanel and said you would like one too. Well, the first disappointment is that I don't think it's Chanel -if it was, Darcy wouldn't be wiping her sticky paws all over it- and the second disappointment is that I'm unsure where it was from because Father Christmas gave it to me.

 

On the upside, there is an amazing website in this world, that sells literally, EVERYTHING. Yes my chums, it is ebay. Oh bay of e, how I adore thee. 

I had a little looksie for you (and as part of my mini goals last week to hunt down some bargains) and this is what I found:

These QUILTED BAGS come in pink, cream and pink. I love them all!!

I luurrvee THESE! The colours are perfect for Spring/Summer and I'm pretty smitten with the metal plated flaps. (Ooerr!!)

Last but not least, I love the dark pink colour of THIS slightly larger quilted bag and think the tassle is a lovely finishing touch.

I do love a quilted bag or two. What's your bag of choice for this season? Have you found any ebay bag bargains? Feel free to leave your links below!

Toodlepip!

xx

This month my Ultimate Advertiser is Laura from Secret Diary of a Fashion Journalist. If you would like to know more about advertising on Sprinkle of Glitter, check out my 'Sponsor' page up at the top!