Tweet Since we started our little family I have wanted to have an advent calendar that we can use year after year, one that doesn’t only give chocolates. Over the last couple of years I have seen a few in shops, but none of them were the one for our family. Hmmm. What to do? [...]

Tweet There are many things I am proud of. The M’s make me proud every single day. They are feisty, funny and set to take on the world. I am proud of Mr TOPP and myself for making them that way, and making a happy loving family for ourselves. We kick ass. I am proud [...]

Tweet SInce we had Big M nearly four where the hell did the time go? years ago, I have wanted to make a reusable advent calendar that can become part of our family Christmas tradition. I wanted to make one so much I even put it on my Day Zero list. See, it’s there at [...]

Tweet Ah, November. Such a funny month. It seems to take forever to get started, but then suddenly it’s December and OHMYGOD only three weeks until christmas. My challenge for November, if you recall, was to have bought or made 15 out of the 30 odd presents we need for the coming month. Well, like [...]

Tweet A new month can only mean one thing: it’s time for a new challenge. So, the 1st November eh? That means there are 54 more days until christmas, and only 53 shopping/making days. Eeep! Remember my September challenge? Well, since then I have officially done diddly squat about christmas. But that’s what November is [...]

Tweet September has passed in a haze of sleep deprived nights and caffeine. Turns out that I can be really quite productive even with a teeny tiny bit of sleep. But how did my personal challenge go? Well, pull up a pew and let me tell you… Every year I tell myself I am going [...]

Tweet I loved art at school. I was absolutely rubbish, but I loved painting, using clay, experimenting with colours. My masterpiece was a jungle painting inspired by Rousseau. I painted a fabulous (for my limited ability) jungle scene with trees, grass and a river running through the middle. I was really rather pleased with what [...]

Tweet Until July, Big M went to nursery four days a week. We decided, for financial reasons, to take that down to two days a week while I am on maternity leave. At first, it was hard work. Little M was only two months old, and I was utterly exhausted. That coupled with Big M [...]

Tweet September? Already? How on earth did that happen? I cannot believe how quickly this year is going. And did you know that there are only 115 days until Christmas? No? Well you do now. EEEEEEEP! I don’t know about you, but every year I say I am going to start Christmas shopping early in order [...]

Tweet A couple of weeks ago I was challenged by the sun to spend £9.50 on something more exciting than a holiday. Hmm, that’s a tough one… Never one to turn down a challenge, I started thinking about what I could do with the money. I asked family and friends what they would do and [...]