The Shape of Things to Come

Ok, so although we haven't even got the festive season over and done with, in our house our thoughts have already turned to our upcoming nuptials and the DIY projects that involves,diy projects for our home and Easter, Halloween and Christmas 2014 projects.

Look out for our wedding wand tutorial, reading corner make over, Easter egg hunt tips and more...

See you in 2014!

                         M xx

Make a Christmas Pomander

With the school Christmas holidays fast approaching I'm always on the lookout for festive craft projects that I can do with with the kids.

One thing we look forward to making every year are our Christmas pomanders. Super easy and fun to make these will go down a treat and leave the house smelling very Christmassy.

You will need

Oranges

Ribbon

Cloves

Cinnamon 

Star anise

Skewer

1) Wrap the ribbon around the orange in any style you want but remember to tie it at the top and leave the loose ends.

2) Use the skewer to pierce the orange where you want to put the cloves then insert them. You could follow a pattern or place them randomly, be as creative as you can.

3) Once your happy with the way the cloves are arranged, attach the cinnamon to the loose ends of the ribbon and tie a know.

4) Slip the ribbon through the back of the star anise and push it down the ribbon to the cinnamon stick.

5) Tie the loose ends into a bow and hang around the house.

That's it, you'll now have some beautiful Christmas decorations and a wonderful smelling house!

                           M xx

What Does Christmas Mean To You?

In our house it is officially Christmas! The tree and decorations are up, the kids are enjoying their homemade advent calendars, the festive baking has begun, cards are all ready to post and present wrapping has started.

I look around the house at some of the decorations that I've had for many years and memories come flooding back of past Christmases, the fun, the laughs and the feelings they recreate and it gets me thinking what does Christmas really mean to each of us?

As a not particularly religious person Christmas doesn't hold all of the Christian beliefs for me, however, there are elements which I think can be universal; goodwill to all, love and general positivity. Then there are the other elements that really make Christmas for me. The simple things, like snuggling up with the family to watch Christmas films, making homemade gifts for friends and family, creating new memories whilst remembering old and creating traditions for our family unit are just the tip of the iceberg.

I have to admit that I am Christmas crazy but I feel it's one of the rare times of the year that kindness prevails and almost anything can happen if you just believe in the magic of Christmas!

So while I now go back to planning the rest of Decembers activities for the family please just take a couple of minutes to answer the question...What does Christmas mean to you?  

M xx

Rambling Mummy Loves...

Like a lot of people up and down the country, I like to freshen up the house with a lick of paint and some new accessories before the festive season descends upon us.
Despite my fiances best attempts to keep me away from a paint brush I have already mapped out some of my projects for the house this Autumn and spent a lot of time searching for the perfect accessories.
This weeks Rambling Mummy Loves... features some gorgeous household finds.

As we have just purchased a new sofa I couldn't help but search for some new cushions to lavish the sofa with. After searching high and low for something that suited the colour scheme of the lounge and that would be a good fit with the new sofa, I found the perfect cushions in quite an unlikely place.

 

I discovered these in Wilkinsons of all places and at just £6 each or two for £8.00 there is no reason why you can't buy a few of these, which is exactly what I did...in various shades of green and beige.

As it is getting darker, earlier and we don't have much natural light in our hallway a great way to reflect the light we do have is by using mirrors. We currently have one in our hallway but I am on the lookout for something 'slightly' larger. I'm yet to find one that will work in our hallway but I've found some beautiful ones so far.

 This grand renaissance mirror would look fab over a mantle piece and add a touch of decadence to any home. If, unlike me, you have a mantle piece and fancy adorning your home with this beautiful mirror then grab yours now from Dunelm Mill.

Keep those nasty breezes and chills out of your bedroom with some gorgeous curtains. In most rooms in my house we have both curtains and blinds, but I love the cosy, luxurious look and feel of thick lined curtains in the autumn and winter months and they are sure to keep the chills out.

You'll be sure to have sweet dreams with these at your window. These ready made blackout curtains available at Terry's Fabrics are a fab choice to keep the light out for those lazy weekend lie ins but will keep the warmth in.

Do you have plans to jazz up your property before the festive season? I'd love to see your finished projects.

M xx