My Red House

MyRed House is a recently launched website from RedHouse, the children's book publisher.  It's an interactive website, designed to provide an online home for parents who want to encourage a love of reading in their children.

That sounded like my kind of thing, to say I'm a book lover is an understatement, books take up an awful lot of my house (and time), and I really want to encourage Squeaky to enjoy books in the same way.  I try to mix up the books that we read together, so there's new books, modern classics, and older stories that stand the test of time (or sometimes don't!)  Variety is the spice of life, so they say, and it keeps me amused to move from Peppa Pig to Hans Christian Andersen!

MyRed House is a little bit of everything.  There's live interviews with children's authors, including big names such as Jacqueline Wilson who is joining them on 7th February, and the opportunity for children and parents to send in their questions to the authors.  The interviews are streamed live, and available to watch on demand if you miss them on the day.  There's a blog, a what's on guide for book events in your area, a forum to share your own questions, thoughts & experiences, and the chance to ask the Red House team for suggestions of books for you & your children, whatever their interests or reading levels.

My favourite section though, is Learn, a whole online resource of advice & information for every stage of your child's reading journey, with activities, advice, recipes (yes, recipes) and book suggestions for both parents and children. There's even suggestions relating to specific life events that children may be going through at that age (potty training & fussy eaters are both very relevant in this house!)

The site is still fairly new, so elements such as the forum are quite sparse at the moment, and the number of events local to you varies depending on where you live - you're fine in the South-East, but as is often the case it's a bit quiet over in Wales, Northern Ireland and the South West.  That said, again, as the site grows events will come up.  Keep checking!

MyRed House is a site that will continue to grow, but an interactive resource is only as good as the users who interact with it.  I posted recently about parents turning to the internet for advice rather than more traditional sources such as family & reference books, My Red House is a link between old and new. Sometimes a book is more rewarding, but it can't have the answer to everything, which is where the interactive element comes in.

The Book People - Piccadilly Picture Book Library Review

Anyone who works in an office knows all about The Book People.  That nice man (or sometimes a nice lady, but ours is a man) who comes round every month or so with a random selection of books & you somehow always find something you want.  That's TheBook People.  They also have a website, www.thebookpeople.co.uk, which has a much wider range than your local distributor can carry in their car, with books for all ages & interests.

The nice folk at TheBook People sent Squeaky the PiccadillyMini Picture Book Library to review.  It's aimed at children between 2-5, and contains 10 books covering fairies, mermaids, animals, friendship, and toys.  The books may appear to be slightly more slanted towards girls, with the fairies and mermaids, but I know plenty of boys who'd still enjoy these books (and the rest of the set), as well as a certain Squeaky girl that likes pirates & cars just as much as pink & sparkles.  I'd maybe have liked to have swapped one of the two "girly" books out for a more boy orientated story for balance, but it's not a big issue.

Squeaky spotted the books straight away, before I got them out of the box, and knew they were for her.  The box that the books are stored in is bright and colourful, with pictures of the books' covers, and a snug fit to keep the ten books safe from harm.  I was actually quite surprised how big the books were, considering the name was a Mini Picture Library.  Mini compared to, say, our town library (still closed for renovations, reopening next week according to rumours), so mini in that sense, but when I see Mini in terms of books, I think buggy-book/Little Book of Calm sized.  These are pretty much standard sized books, hardback, but with paper pages, not board books.  That makes the box quite heavy when it's full of the books, as Squeaky discovered when she tried to carry it across the room & she dropped it, right on her foot. Poor mite. That said, 5 minutes of cuddles and Mummy kissing it better, and she was right as rain and demanding "My Books" again, carrying them a bit more carefully second time around.

Squeaky loves trying to read at the moment, or pointing out the pictures to me and telling me what's going on.  She curled up on the sofa quite happily with One Clever Creature, which is definitely our favourite so far, the big print and short length of the story make it ideal for keeping her attention. Some of the stories are a little longer, and they'll engage her more over the coming months, making the set something that will have a long lifespan.

We went through a phase not so long back of not being interested in stories, but we're firmly back in the Bedtime Story Zone at the moment, somewhere I hope we stay.  The Piccadilly Mini Picture Library is already well established in our collection, and gives me a good variety of choices, keeping my attention as well as Squeaky's.

The Piccadilly Mini Picture Book Library is RRP £79.90, but is available from TheBook People for the bargain price of £9.99, and would make a lovely birthday or Easter gift (I'm not thinking about Christmas again for ages!)

Disclosure: I was provided with the Piccadilly Picture Book Library free of charge for the purpose of this review.  I was not told what to write, and all opinions are my own.  Links are provided for your convenience only, I am not a member of any affiliate scheme & will not receive reward for their use.

Magpie Monday - Returning to the fold

Miss, I've got a note from my mum. It says I couldn't do Magpie Monday because the bank man was very cross with me because I got paid early in December and that meant I had no money.  S'True Miss.

Well, it's been almost two months since I did a Magpie Monday post, according to my archive. You'd think I'd be overwhelmed with things to show you.  Well, nearly.  There's a couple of bits I picked up last week, that will form part of a present for a friend who I know reads my blog, so they can't go on here just yet.  I think I need another trip to Caerphilly, as I found a big basket of upholstery remnants in one of the shops, but couldn't think of anything to do with them. Then I saw hand stitched & embroidered Kindle cases on Etsy, and had a flash of inspiration, so I need to go back!

But I have had a few little treats.  Shopping just before Christmas, we decided to be eco-minded and get the train, rather than driving and trying to park in Cardiff.  Only trouble is entertaining a bored & grumpy Squeaky for the 50 minute journey home.  However, there's a lovely nasty, dirty little strip of shops, featuring no less than 3 charity shops, just outside the train station, so we popped in before our train & I found this little set of 6 Fifi lift-the-flap books for 50p.  We don't even watch Fifi, but they did the trick.

Next shop along, I needed something to entertain me on the same journey.  I'll be honest, there's no way in a MILLION years I'd've paid full price for this, and it's already in the pile to go to the charity shop on my next donation session, but for £1.50 to Macmillan, I didn't really mind, and the guy behind the desk was so helpful, opening the door for me while I pushed Squeaky's buggy, I was sold.  I found a shiny Celtic lattice bookmark in the third of the three shops, so it was clearly meant to be.  I had to stop myself buying a huge number of baubles I didn't need, just because they were shiny, but luckily I remembered we only had a tiny tree this year and had more baubles than we could use anyway.  So I was a good person.  Really.

And so we come to 2012.  As I said, the bank manager's in a bit of a mood with me, and I'm not allowed to go shopping at the moment.  Don't tell him, but I did pop my nose round the door of BHF in town last week, and I found something lovely on the bricabrac shelves, while I was convincing myself not to buy a LeapPad for £10.

Look at it!  Gaze in wonder!  Be astounded at the beautiful things that people give to charity here.  And be even more amazed that I paid less than £1 for it.

Then trust me, as I turn it over, and it doesn't say ANYthing on the base.  Seriously, you didn't think I'd picked up a real Le Crueset for a quid, did you?

And just to make you feel even better, a perspective shot next to a bottle of nailvarnish.  That's right, a tiny weeny mini pretend Le Crueset.  Just the right size for baked brie, or some sort of hot dipping sauce, but probably not for a ginormous casserole.








Pop on over to Missie Lizzie's place and see what else people have been buying!

Tomato Soup!

Here is my entry to the Appliances Online messiest kid competition at Mother’s Always Right.

Despite what you see here, Squeaky is normally a very tidy eater, but she enjoys her tomato soup so much she wants to go face down in the bowl and make it a whole body experience!

Squeaky Goes Green

We're learning our colours, bit by bit, in Squeaky Mansions at the moment.  We can positively identify "red", find red things, and say "red" at the appropriate time.  We're not bad at "blue", though it tends to be said "bue". Yellow is a bit more tricky, and Squeaky's still getting that one a bit confused.

However, today, we're interested in "Green".  Ten Green Bottles, and all that.  I've put together ten hints and tips on how to save energy, money and the environment, with simple ideas from the mind of a simple mum (me), and a bit of help from La Squeak.

1. Close Doors.  I'm forever on at Daddy to shut the door behind him when he's leaving a room, even if he'll be back in a minute ("I'm only going out to the bin" is his usual reply)  Warm air from the house rushes out through an open door, to be replaced by cold air, which needs heating, and increases your heating bills.  Keeping doors closed means you keep the rooms you're in at a reasonable temperature, and you're not paying to heat the street.

2. Turn off the things you're not using.  Again, this is something I nag Daddy about all the time.  He'll put the radio on in the kitchen when he washes up, and then forget to turn it off when he comes back to the living room. No-one is listening to Radio 2, or whatever nonsense he's put on, and if no-one's listening, it's burning unnecessary power.  Flick the switch.

3. Dry outside.  Make the most of the wind and the sunshine (yes, I know), and put your clothes outside on the line to dry.  They'll get that lovely clean, crisp feeling, and you haven't paid a penny, just used what nature gave you.  And if the weather's a bit rubbish, get the clothes airer out & dry them on there.  Forget the tumble dryer.

4. Wear clothes that don't need ironing!  OK, I admit it. I'm lazy.  I hate ironing with a passion.  That's why, if you ever meet me, I'm likely to be wearing jeans & a slightly crumpled t-shirt.  But ironing takes more power, and that's what we're trying to avoid, right?  I know, there's times when you have to, and times when you want to, but think before you iron.  Do you need to iron teatowels & undies?

Doing very well on egg water, thank you!

5. Only boil as much water as you need.  And offer to make everyone else a cuppa when you go to the kettle.  There's nothing more wasteful than boiling a kettle, then someone adding a mugsworth of cold water to it and boiling it again 2 minutes later.  Make your family think you're kind & thoughtful, and save a few pennies.

6. Reuse water.  Yes, share a bath if you like, but that's not what I mean.  Boiled eggs for brekkie?  Let the water cool, and use the egg water to water your houseplants.  The tiny bits of eggshell & chicken poo are good plant food, and your plants will thank you for it.  Likewise with your washing up water - out on the veggies in the garden.

7. Get thrifty.  I'm sure you've seen some of my Magpie Monday posts, so you'll know I can't walk by a charity shop without a quick peek inside.  By breathing new life into someone else's unwanted items, you're reducing the number of new clothes made, stopping something going to landfill, saving yourself money (there's some real bargains to be had), and giving money to a good cause.  It's even better if you can donate some of your unwanted, outgrown, or otherwise unloved items too - makes space for something else.

*Click*

8. Buy refills & economy sizes.  They're usually better value for money (but watch for special offers), and particularly with things like coffee, they're more environmentally sound.  The cardboard tub of a catering size tin of coffee takes much less energy to make than the glass jar, it weighs less so uses less energy to transport to the store, and mug for mug costs less.  Everyone's a winner.  Heck, you can get milk in plastic bags now, if you shop in certain supermarkets!

9. Turn off the lights! (Not the Nelly Furtado song, but if it's a reminder, then yeah)  Much as with my earlier point, if it's not being used, it's wasting power.  Squeaky's added this simple tutorial if you're unsure of the process.

10. Keep an eye on what you're actually using.  We won an energy monitor last year, it clips onto the cable by the electric meter, and feeds back to a display you can put somewhere else in the house, and it's a great way to remind you to think about what you're doing, and where you could save.  The way the use rockets when you switch certain appliances on is scary!

Along the same lines, British Gas are introducing Smart Meters, which have a monitor so you can see what you're using, and make your own choices.  I use the phrase "informed choice" a lot in my day job, but this is one of those times where it applies to real life as well.  If you know you're burning cash, you can choose to do something about it, and decide what matters to you the most.  Maybe you can't wash up without the radio on, but you can stop ironing those socks!

This post is my entry to the BritMums & British Gas Watt Loss Challenge.

Dressing Up Time

I saw Mummy Loves' competition with Appliances Online, looking for pictures of children's favourite dressing up outfits, and I was stumped.  While we've got a few dress-up outfits, Squeaky's really not one for wearing them, and the majority of photos I've got of her in a costume, she's either trying to rip it off herself, or just about the howl with rage.  I thought I was out of luck.

But I decided to have a mooch through the photo collection just in case, and there I discovered that, actually she does like dressing up.  Not in sparkles and flounces, but in Mummy's clothes.  So, may I present, Squeaky and highlights (or lowlights) from my wardrobe.

 My silly yellow t-shirt from Soreen!  She thinks this is fabulous.

 My wellies.  Apparently they're much better than her own (special guest appearance there from Daddy)

 My glasses.  One of the rare occasions she put them on the right way up. Don't ask how I managed to take her photo when I wasn't wearing them.

And my cowboy boots.  These are even more exciting than wellies, and she often insists I wear them, even if they don't go with my outfit, unless she's busy wearing them herself.

(I only wish I'd managed to take a photo of her recent fancy dress outfit at Pontins.  90 seconds to come up with an outfit, we managed glasses, a stuffed mouse, Mr Tumble's spotty bag, and a clean nappy on her head.  Somehow that won!)

Cooking With Mummy Episode 2!

 Hello, and welcome to another episode of Cooking With Mummy!  I'm your host, Squeaky, and this time, I'm going to show you how to make Yummy Pumpkin Cupcakes.  Don't forget, Mummy's not a very good cook, she needs all the help I can give her.  She also forgot to take many photos of these cakes, what am I going to do with her?

To make Yummy Pumpkin Cupcakes, you'll need a packet of cake mix.  Mummy says they are better, but I think she just doesn't like doing the measuring.  Before you mix everything together, get some orange food colouring (or yellow & red. I learned that today, they make orange!)  Add this to any other liquid you've got to mix in - you'll want quite a bit of colouring.  You could also add some flavouring, we used orange flavour too, it's delicious.  Mix it all together, and see how bright the colours are!  Upsy Daisy helped mix too.

 Put the mix into some cake cases, and get Mummy to put them in the oven.  I knew Mummy would come in handy for something, she doesn't even burn herself now, since Grandma gave her those things to go on the edge of the racks!  Leave the cakes in the oven until they grow.

Once your cakes have grown, you can get some fondant icing, and some green colouring, and mix them up to make little green stalks to go on top of your cakes to make them look like pumpkins.  Sort of.  Mummy isn't very good at this, is she?

All that's left to do then is eat!  And as you can see, I don't like to waste a crumb!

Mummy would like me to add that this is her entry into the Appliances Online Messy Kids Cooking Competition at Baby Budgeting. I'd like to add that cupcakes are yummy.