Chinese Week in Homeschool

It may be long gone but I wanted to share with you all what we got up to for our Chinese week in Home Ed a few weeks ago! 

Chinese New Year was celebrated on 5th February. In Home Ed we have decided this year to focus on a different country of Wills' choice each term. For last term he chose China because he new we could do lots of fun things leading up to the big event.

Tight Belts and Half Term..Plus some Budget Friendly Ideas

Yep, another half term has slowly crept upon us. I do love spending the time with my children, love that they get a break from all that homework and that we can enjoy some lay ins and lazy days. I like to get out every day with my 2, even if it's just walking the dog like it was today but I do wish we could do so much more sometimes.

I've been reading through the booklets that have come home from school in the book bags and some blogs online about what to do this half term in your area and it's had a real effect on me. Money is super tight these days; like it is for a lot of us. I don't have enough to save for every half term as well as pay all my bills and get Christmas sorted (no matter how budget friendly I'm being this year!) It's just not there.

It isn't that all of these places are stupidly overpriced (some are though..) but even a reasonable cost soon turns far too much for us when you have to add up everyone else plus travel. So, I've decided to write this post for all those who are struggling with the pennies this half term and can only afford super cheap or free activities to do and places to go. These places are in Cornwall but if you have some free time to do some Google searching, I'm sure you will find something too.

Free Activities for Halloween:

Library time:

Head down to your local library and find some Halloween themed books. Find books on witches and wizards, children's books or slightly older books like famous Harry Potter and have a little read together in your own little circle. Some local libraries hold half term events or activities too.

Pumpkin Carving

With many supermarkets selling a pumpkin for £1, this is a fun and cheap activity for the family. Using a pen to draw a spooky face on your pumpkin then a kitchen knife for the carving and (if you're like me) your bare hands for the 'gutting' you'll have a spooky pumpkin for you all to enjoy. Why not light it up or place false tea lights from Poundland in it, switch off the lights and admire your veggie friend!?

Film Night

You could grab some popcorn from your local pound store or make your own with kernels from Tesco for £1.90 and sit together to watch a film. We've so far watched Minions and Rio this half term but to get into the Halloween spirit Hocus Pocus is on my watch list! You don't even need popcorn, just a duvet and someone to snuggle with.

Visit a Woods

Totally free of charge in most places unless you want to buy food from a woodland cafe or you're joining a specific event/activity there is no need to spend the pennies. Enjoy the leaves under foot, walk your dog, spot some wildlife and have fun!

Have a craft day making autumnal pictures, leaf rubbing, collecting fallen leaves and conkers. Play around with paints to make an autumn themed picture or make a collage out of the leaves you've collected.

Places to Go in Cornwall:

Paradise Park are holding a disco again this year in their Jungle Barn. As it has a separate entrance I'm sure you'd enter there and pay to attend the party at the reception of the play barn. For under 3's the party is free, over 3's are £5 and adults are £3.99 Enjoy a disco, fancy dress, prizes and pumpkin soup!

If you can get to Bodmin on the 29th and 30th October there is Bodmin and Wenford railway which has a half price event on; so adults will be £6.50, Seniors £6.00 and children FREE! I really love trains and have yet to experience this day out but I think if you can afford it, it would be fun! Trains are running from Bodmin General Station at 10.50, 12.10, 13.35, 14.45 and 15.50.

I've found a Godolphin Cross village trail to hunt for pumpkins. You hunt for pumpkins around the village on 29th October starting at the Chapel from 6pm. Pick up a map for £1 and enjoy the fun! There will be refreshments available all evening too!

If you're in Newquay on October 29th there's a family friendly event from 1.30pm! Children of Newquay are invited to join the free Zombie Crawl; a fun Halloween event dressing up all gory and walking the parade full of Halloween spirit!

Children aged 5 to 16 are encouraged to join in the spooky fun, which will start with Titan the Robot at 1.30pm on Newquay's Piazza opposite the Lighthouse Cinema. There will be face painting in Whiskers coffee bar and at 3pm the parade will begin, along Bank Street and East Street. The parade will finish at the Hotel Victoria for more ghastly goings-on; another visit from Titan the Robot at 4.45pm, more dance and live entertainers, plus you can have your photo taken in the creepy, but very cool campervan photo-booth. The Hotel Victoria will also be hosting a children's disco after the final Titan show. This sounds awesome and I'd totally be going if I lived in Newquay! 

Those are a few ideas I've managed to find. For some people (like myself) these ideas may not be manageable for various reasons but I still hope you can do the at-home and out and about activities that we will be doing. 

If you know of any free activities or places with free or cheap admission or want to add an at-home half term idea then please do leave me a comment below!

Cupcake Mumma

The 2012 Handmade Winter Craft Swap!

Here is the second craft swap I've participated in this winter. It took me a long time to make something for my swap partner Tamsin. I just wasn't sure what to make. Unfortunately this made me a bit late for posting but luckily Tamsin was in the same boat so I didn't feel too bad!

I made Tamsin a simple Christmas card then started making her a lovely cushion to pop on a chair or on her sofa/bed. I like cushions so I can't help but make them for others too.

I purchased this very festive yet not 'in your face festive' fabric online and sewed it by hand (damn sewing machine) resembling a Christmas present. I used ribbon and a charm to finish off the cushion as I felt it was 'missing' something. I used some tinsel to give it a bit of festive cheer!

Tamsin sent me some lovely items including this very well made fabric bag. As I collect notebooks, Tamsin thought I could use it to store them all in which I think is a superb idea. At the moment though I've been using it as my daughters' ballet uniform bag! The uniform is light and needs to be kept clean so this bag is ideal. Besides, I get to show it off by taking it outside!

Tamsin also made me this gorgeous heart and twine card hanger- perfect for this year! There are a few cards already up and I'm sure more to follow! The thing I really love about this make is the lovely wooden hearts and animals stuck to craft pegs. So cute and unique.

I really enjoyed this swap and hope Tamsin liked her gifts as much as I like mine.

CupcakeMumma

Popular Crafts Letter Swap

I recently took part in a few swaps with 2 still on going. The first swap I took part in was a Letter Swap with the craft magazine Popular Crafts.

I really wanted to think outside of the box with this swap so it took me a while to think of something good enough to send my partner.

Eventually I had a brainwave and reused an old box to pop in some lovely note paper with matching envelopes, a handful of pencils and a nice new pen to write with. I also used some scrap fabric, ribbon and some fabric paint to make a cute heart with an 'S' on for my partner Samantha. To go with this letter theme, I purchased a lovely ring from Claire of Claireabellemakes

I really hope Samantha liked her gifts. I personally love writing letters and feel its a dying art so I like to encourage it where possible.

Now to show you what Samantha made for me!

I got this adorable pink bunny wrapped in some tissue paper. I love the colour pink and love cute little crafts like this. I've hung her up on the bunting in my front room.

Samantha also made me this lovely purse with a crochet flower and the letter 'H' pinned to the front. I've been using this to carry my vouchers and stamps so my purse isn't full of random bits and pieces!

Thank you to Samantha for my wonderful gifts and thanks again to Popular crafts for another Craft Swap. I hope I can join in some more next year.

CupcakeMumma

Another Crafty Box!

I love this time of the month! I was so excited (yes, call me sad if you like) to get my next box full of crafty goodies from Crafty Creatives. Yet again, they have not disappointed! This month the theme is wonderfully vintage and festive! If you haven't had your box yet, look away now because I'm about to do some showing off!

I always open my box up trying to figure what the theme is from the paper. Last month was easy with its dark black and red rose design. This time the papers weren't really giving anything away!

There are some great little surprises in the box this month:

This months kit is..Crochet! Instructions and links are provided along with coloured wool, a crochet hook and all the little extras to finish off this cute design. This will be such a challenge for me as someone who couldn't get the hang of knitting (which I know is different!) but still a bit daunting!

A lovely bunch of Cinnamon sticks. Mine are going to go around a nice, medium sized candle as a gift for my Gran this year. I'm also going to make one for myself.

Also there is some beautiful ribbon, small wreath hoops which I can't wait to make up all festive. There is a mini teacup and saucer (not pictured) which I will make into either a ring or pendant. It really is adorable.

Last but not least, some jingle bells!

I love these very festive images sourced from Germany, aren't they just lovely?

There's also a cutting of fabric specially made for this box, a pair of scissors which I was going to ask for for Christmas- handy! I've wanted a pair of scissors to make my cutting a bit more funky!

Finally, aren't these wooden images just too cute? I really don't think I can part with this item so may have to make something just for me and my home.

If you have received your box, what are you planning to make with this months festive collection? Are you a bit daunted by the kit this month too? 

Have fun and share your makes!

CupcakeMumma

Check Out My Makes!

Recently I blogged about Crafty Creatives. I get a box of surprise crafty items each month and it is honestly the highlight of whichever day it happens to arrive on! This months box is all Gothic themed in honor of Halloween (which i love) so I dived in on Friday evening and started making things!

First up was this masquerade mask. I followed the very clear instructions of laying clingfilm over the paper and covering the film with some white netting which was also supplied. Following the lines with my fabric paint was easy and soon it was all finished and ready to dry,

On Saturday evening I pulled all the tape off and tried peeling the clingfilm from the netting as instructed. This doesn't actually work very well (and I'm not the only one who this happened to!) so I just left it on and cut carefully around the mask. I made a hole either side of the mask and husband tied ribbon because I was struggling with my child sized head shape! 

With some finishing touches added (fabulous, super soft feathers also found in the craft box) I was ready to have my photo taken! I went with one silly and one 'not bad' pose:

As you can see from my photo I made several other items too. I really wanted to do something with the pretty resin roses so I thought I'd do the most simple thing and make myself a very bold, statement piece of jewelry  I peeled off the rose, chose the black blank ring and grabbed my super glue! It's all stuck on very well and suits my hand just right.

No matter what I do the rose always comes our blue. It is purple though
and just gorgeous!

My last craft was making myself a new necklace. I took the cabochon and placed one of my favourite images from the vintage papers supplied into the pendant. I then glued the top on which magnifies the image. It looks spooky. My husband asked me to take it off when we went to bed because it freaked him out! Personally I love it and I shall definitely be breaking it out for Halloween. I was going to use ribbon but found an old necklace (I collect ugly ones from charity stores so I can reuse the chains) and popped the cabochon onto the silver chain instead. What do you think?

 There are still a lot of things to make from this months kit but I just don't have the time right now. I'm still making things from last months kit as well! If you have subscribed to Crafty Creatives then i'd love to know what you think of my makes and what you plan to do with yours!

CupcakeMumma

Strawberry Gift Swap

Another month gone, another crafting swap down. This time with Popular Crafts the theme was 'Strawberries' which did get my brain going until I browsed Ebay and came across some lovely strawberry fabric.
It didn't take me to long to sit down for the night and make a little something for my fellow crafter. I started off with hand-sewing a small heart. It looked pretty plain so I went through my slightly dwindling button selection and picked out the oddest one I could fine (not sure why just felt right!) I then attached some ribbon to the top, so this lovely little heart can be hung up somewhere nice.

I have recently bought a mini sewing machine but unfortunately it appears be faulty. I managed to sew this cute little cushion for my swap partner although it took forever with machine problems! Thankfully it's nearly birthday time and my parents are hunting out a suitable one for me!

Finally, when you sign up to a crafting swap with Popular crafts, as well as making some lovely homemade goodies you also get to pop to the shops and find a little extra something for your swap partner for under £3. I know I already made a cushion but when I saw this one in The Works and knew my partner would be moving home soon, I thought it would be perfect. Hopefully she doesn't mind having two of the same thing but as a new crafter I get a bit stuck on things to make and cushions appear to be my signature item right now!

I'm looking forward to next months Letters swap now and also my Mug Swap that has started as of today! Happy Swapping!

CupcakeMumma

Listography~ Top 5 toys for Christmas

Yes a bit late on the old Listography but I had to think about it quite hard for some reason. Anyway, here are my top 5 toys for Christmas, I've been interested in reading other bloggers Top 5 faves as well and look forward to seeing the list of Christmas toy no-brainers!! Although, I have done my Christmas shopping already..hmmm.
1.Lego

When I was a little girl I was not in to Lego or any building thing to be quite honest, and I do find it's a very expensive 'toy' to buy hence why I still don't own any. But recently I bought The Sun newspaper for the sheer fact they were selling Lego, and 2 were in the form of Harry Potter so I was very pleased. I noticed Little Miss loved it straight away so I've decided that if i see anything on sale or even second hand I may consider buying it and chucking it in with the big building blocks!

2. Dolls House

My younger sister had a dolls house for a very long time and we often played a little bit with it. I think sometimes a dolls house isn't just for playing with it's also for building up a collection of items and showing it off. My sister even made little bits to put in her house and she loved it for years. It was well worn when she passed it on..Little Miss doesn't seem too in to the idea of dolls houses right now but I'm sure in a couple of years it'll be on the list for Father Christmas!

3.Barbie

I loved getting a Barbie if I ever had it down on my list. A lot of little girls are pretty happy with any Barbie and I think she's fab as long as people don't read in to her too much. As a youngster I don't remember thinking half the things people mention now. Now, Barbie with tattoos and video cameras is a bit too far for me, i think Barbie is great for role playing character...Princess Barbie in my house is very quickly 'Super Barbie'. Love imagination.

4.Toy Trains

I love wooden train sets! Little Miss likes them and I'm pretty sure Little Man does too! I think I might go buy one with my vouchers that are left now that this one has jumped out at me! Do people still buy these train sets?

5.Craft Sets

Must be a winner for most people and I love them too! We bought Little Miss one last year and it's still going strong minus a few  a lot of pieces missing all in name of a good cause (sticker wall anyone?) Children can be kept busy for ages with some drawing/sticking etc and I think every child should get a nice, big craft set just once, as it lasts for a very long time (with refills!!)