It’s fast approaching that time of year again – the big “C” is just around the corner! I very surprisingly managed to do about 70% of my present buying for all the children I needed to buy for last friday. They have some fantastic offers in The Entertainer at the moment so I ended up finding the majority of my gifts there.
So, with it being December this week I wanted to show you some old and new Christmas crafts/makes I have done with my boys.
Salt Dough Hand print decoration
I made this with E a couple of years back when I was pregnant with M and am planning on making them again this year. They make great gifts for grandparents too! I used red paint for the hat and a black permanent marker for the rest. Once all dried I then applied clear nail polish on top to seal the colours.
The salt dough is made up of:
1 cup of flour
1 cup of salt
1 cup of water
You just mix all the above together until it forms a dough. Roll out and get your little ones hand and press firmly into the dough (I did six incase some of them didn’t turn out right). Once this is done use a knife to go round the outline of the print and make a hole where the base of the palm is so you can thread ribbon through for hanging when it is finished)
These then need to go into the oven for a few hours at around 100 degrees C, turning half way through.
Mine were actually quite thick so took way longer than this! In the end I took them out of the oven and left them on the radiator to dry out properly for a few days. I have heard you can also do them in the microwave too.
Ginger Bread/Ginger bread house
I always, always wanted to have/make one of these when I was a child so I finally managed to make one with my little helper last year! I cheated with the gingerbread house and bought a kit from Sainsbury’s for a fiver and it was definitely a fiver well spent! I know you can buy ones that are ready made which you just assemble together but I love the smell of ginger in my home! E absolutely loved helping me decorate this.
We also made loads of gingerbread decorations too and attempted to melt down boiled sweet for a stained glass effect. We had hours of fun! (annoyingly I can’t find any of the pictures we made of these) Have a google around there are lots of gingerbread recipes.
Christmas Tree decoration
E came home with a note about a Christmas decoration competition for the school last week. Cue lots of panic as it meant I had to think of something he could make! After a quick google, we decided on making a really simple 3D christmas tree out of cardboard that he could cut out (with help!) and decorate. He was so proud of the finished item he couldn’t wait to take it into school today!
Fab ideas, we made Christmas trees to hang on the tree and coloured glass decorations, activities set up at the school Christmas fair! Thanks for linking up to #brilliantblogposts x
Hello and welcome to Suburban Mum!
I'm Maria and I'm mum to two boys - E who's 13 and M who's 10. This blog is about my little family, the ups and downs of being a working mum and everything in between. If you want to find out more about me and my family head over to our About us page.
[AD] We are absolutely thrilled to announce that we are Barracuda Ambassadors again this year.
With Easter just around the corner, the boys were sent the @barracudas_activity_day_camps new camp kit in preparation for the school holidays.
There’s a wide range of activities for kids aged 4.5 - 14 including Tennis, Archery, Basketball, Arts & Crafts and more.
If you like the sound of Barracudas, find out more over on their website. You can also save £20 a week or £4 a day, using my discount code: MARIA20
If you’re looking for something to do over the Easter holidays, why not head to @brooklandsmuseum? I’ve been taking the boys here since they were toddlers, and there is so much to see and do.
M is obsessed with aeroplanes, so we spent most of our last visit going on the aircrafts they have on display. We did the Concorde Experience too.
There’s also a wide range of motoring exhibits, and the London Bus Museum is here.
We plan on returning soon to see all the exhibits we missed last time.
I got our tickets through Buy a Gift, as you can save over £25 on a family entry to the museum (see the link in my bio)
Full details to visit Brooklands Museum below:
📍 Brooklands Drive, Weybridge Surrey KT13 0SL
🚗 Parking is free
🎟️ Adults £23, Children 5-18 £12, Family Ticket £57.50, Under 5s are free
🕐 Opening hours 10-5pm
☕️ Cafe and gift shop
[AD - Gifted]
Last weekend we were invited to try out @tsarettaspice’s new Bottomless Brunch menu and I can tell you it was thumbs up all round!
There’s a good choice tapas on offer from Punjabi fish fingers, Indo Chinese Chicken to Spiced Lamb Scotch Eggs and Manchurian Cauliflower (which was amazing!)
If you’re local to Twickenham and fancy giving them a try here’s are the details.
Tsaretta Spice Bottomless Brunch
⭐️£37.50 per head for bottomless Prosecco or cocktail of the day
⭐️£55 per head for bottomless Champagne
⭐️ Food included: 4 tapas selections and dessert or 2 tapas selections, a pav or naanwich and dessert
⭐️ Non-alcohol brunch is also available
Tsaretta Spice
55 Church Street
Twickenham
TW1 3NR
You can also read our full review over on the blog (link in bio)
[AD] What does family look like for you?
I am fortunate to be surrounded by strong, powerful women in the form of my mum, sister and mother-in-law (along with many others). With Mother’s Day just around the corner, @BootsUK want to celebrate all the different mums and mother figures we are lucky enough to have in our lives. They have a huge range of Mother’s Day gifts to choose from so we can show them how much they mean to us. (swipe to take a look at some of my choices)
If you want to express love and appreciation for the mother figure(s) in your life, head to Boots.com to find the ideal gift. They have a whole host of gifts, so you can be sure to find something to suit all tastes. Celebrate the #LoveForAllMums this Mother’s Day with Boots.
📚 Are you ready for World Book Day? 📚
[AD - Gifted] I don't know about you, but I have never made the boys a costume for #WorldBookDay. I just don't have it in me to be creative that way. Their costumes have always been bought or cobbled together with what we already have, and luckily, the school allow you to wear pyjamas to school, which makes things a lot easier!
M has been living in his @TheRealTomGates pyjamas recently, and I think he might wear these when his World Book Day dress-up day comes around (the school celebrate with Book Week rather than just Book Day)
The boys have been fans of Tom Gates for a while now. M has always loved reading books that make him laugh and contain humour - they tend to keep him engaged in reading.
Did you know that there are now 20 Tom Gates storybooks to get stuck into? Ideal for kids aged 6-12, the series consists of feel-good, hilarious books full of photos and stories about Tom's life at home and school. Best of all, you can read them in any order.
The latest book is Tom Gates: Happy to Help (Eventually), and along with the pyjamas, you can pick them up from @GeorgeAtAsda just in time for World Book Day!
There's also a range of Tom Gates items, including games, puzzles and greeting cards at major retailers.
It’s a bit niche but if you have kids that are into all things planes and aviation Gatwick Aviation Museum (@gamcharityuk) is worth a visit.
We took M there for his birthday and he was heaven. He spent his time running around not knowing what to look at first.
He loved geeking out at the live flight radar which shows you what planes are coming in and out of the airport in real-time. He also enjoyed testing out some of the old aeroplane seats and even pretended to be a pilot on the Islander Cockpit and touch all the controls inside a full size Robinson R22 helicopter.
The best part, however was being able to head to the museums very own viewing area which is near the Gatwick runway to plane spot!
Find out more over on their website https://www.gamc.org.uk/
Full details to visit below:
📍 Vallance By Ways, Lowfield Heath Rd, Charlwood, Gatwick RH6 0BT
🚗 Parking is free
🎟️ Adults £10, Children 6-12 £3.75, Family Ticket £24, Under 5s are free
✈️ History of Gatwick Airport, Aircraft displays, Experience Upper Class with Virgin Atlantic, Plane Spotting
☕️ Refreshments and gift shop
Surely November wasn’t the last time I posted on the grid?
Well as they say, time flies when you’re having fun - except replace having fun with “being a mum” and you’ll find that in the blink of an eye the baby of the family has hit double digits.
DOUBLE DIGITS How!?
In all seriousness, M hitting double digits is worthy of a place on the grid so I made this quick reel to remember his day.
Needless to say he had a fantastic day and was absolutely over the moon with his new phone!
[AD - Gifted]
We went to check out the newly opened @laserquestkingston last week.
Laserquest, VR Experiences and Arcades all under one roof means only one thing - bundles of fun and games for the kids at really affordable prices.
Laserquest games start from just £7.95 but you can also buy a Laserquest and VR Experiene combo pass.
You need to purchase tokens for the arcades (they’re all 1 token to play). Arcade tokens are 6 for £5 or 12 for £10
Feeling super lucky that this is practically on our doorstep and we will definitely be back again because Mr H came second in our Laserquest game and refuses to be beaten by E!
Do you have a Laserquest near you?
#Laserquest #LaserquestKingston #LaserTag #ActivitiesForKids #ThingsToDoWithKids #FamilyFun #IndoorActivities #Kingston #DaysOutWithKids #RainyDayFun #SurreyFamilyDaysout #SurreyMummy #SurreyDaysOut #SurreyLife #SurreyMums #FamilyDaysOut #LifeWithKids #LifeWithBoys #Familyof4 #Familydayout #Familyfunday
[AD] As Stay Active Ambassadors, the boys have been testing out another one of @CharacterToys products this month.
The Jump-It Wipeout is a musical jump challenge where you try to beat the rotating soft foam jump bar. The aim is to either jump until the time is up or until you Wipeout!
The boys have LOVED testing this out and it’s kept them busy over half-term.
⭐ Great for competing with family and friends of all ages, Jump-It Wipeout will test your timing, reactions, agility and fitness.
⭐ It can be used both indoors and outdoors, you just need a big enough indoor area for them to use while jumping. Although we’ve had very mild weather for October, the game is a good way to keep them busy active when it’s wet and miserable outside.
I’ve written a full review over on the blog: https://www.suburban-mum.com/jump-it-wipeout-review/
The Stay Active Jump-It Wipeout is suitable for children aged 6+ and is available from @smythstoys for £59.99
#StayActiveWithCharacter #JumpItWipeout #Wipeout #ActiveKids #KidsActivities #StayActive #OutdoorToys #IndoorToys #HealthyKids #HealthyMind #ActiveKidsAreHappyKids #ExplorerKids #letsgolittles #SmythsToys #FitnessToys #ScreenfreeTime #JumpingGame #IndoorGames #kidsfitness
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The boys had a lovely afternoon at @wahaca Southbank today. As well as munching on some delicious mexcian style street food, they also had the opportunity to paint sugar skulls ready for #DiaDeLosMuertos
Wahaca, Southbank is providing FREE sugar skulls and paints between 27th- 28th October when you dine in.
#DayOfTheDead #SugarSkull #DiaDeLosMuertos #Wahaca #DiaDeMuertos #SugarSkullPainting #HalfTermActivities #HalfTermFun #HalfTerm #MexicanFood #WahacaSouthbank #SouthbankLondon #MexicanTradition #VisitLondon #MyFamilyAdventures #SurreyFamilyDaysOut #SurreyMummy #SurreyDaysOut #SurreyLife #SurreyMums #FamilyDaysOut #ActivitiesForChildren #KidsCreativity #FunWithKids #KidsActivityIdeas #KidsActivity #kidsactivites
[AD - Press Tickets]
We had so much fun on the after-dark twilight trail @polesdenlaceynt last week. The boys loved carrying lanterns for part of the trail.
IGNITE at Polesden Lacey is a lovely way to spend an autumn evening. The trail was really well done and what really topped it for us was the relaxing music that accompanied the trail throughout. It would make a great alternative to Bonfire night and a lovely half-term activity to do with kids. (check out the reel I made to give you a taste of what to expect)
IGNITE at Polesden Lacey is on now until Sunday, 6th November.
📍 IGNITE at Polesden Lacey, Great Bookham, RH5 6BD
🚆Best to visit by car, nearest stations are 3/4 miles away (Boxhill & Westhumble, Bookham and Dorking)
⏰ Trail is 3/4 mile long
☕️ Cafe, food vans and gift shop
🎫 Admission prices from: Adult £16.50, Child £12.50, Family £56 (2 adults & 2 children). Free entry for carers and children aged 2 & under. Parking £7.00 per car or free for National Trust members.
[AD - Press Tickets]
If you’re looking for an after-dark twilight trail in Surrey - look no further!
IGNITE at @polesdenlaceynt is back for 2022! It’s an enchanting walk around the gardens, led by glowing tree tunnels and flickering flames, with beautiful light installations along the way.
I’ve written about our visit in more detail in a blog post: https://www.suburban-mum.com/twilight-trail-ignite-at-polesden-lacey/
IGNITE at Polesden Lacey is on now until Sunday 6th November.
#IgniteAtPolesdenLacey #LightTrail #IgniteTrails #AutumnNights #PolesdenLacey #Surrey #IgniteTrails #UKEvents #AutumnTrails #Ignite #Iluminations #SurreyTrails #NationalTrustUK #WinterEvenings #surreyfamilydaysout #surreymummy #surreydaysout #surreylife #surreymums #familydaysout #outdoorsandfree #outdoorsandhappy #whatevertheweatherkids #wheremywelliestakeme #takeyourkidsoutside #takeyourkids #whatevertheweather #outdoorsfamilylife
Another one from our visit to @garsons_esher. The boys are on half-term this week, we have a few activities planned alongside some chilled out days at home. They are looking forward to carving their pumpkins this week ready for Halloween - luckily they have an inset day on the 31st!
What an awesome little collection. I’ve done the first two so will give those trees a go I think! x x
The tree was E’s favourite – he loved getting messy with all the glitter and glue! Thanks for commenting. x
Great ideas! Love that salt dough santa x #brilliantblogposts
Thanks, I have to say the salt dough santa is one of my faves too! x
Fab ideas, we made Christmas trees to hang on the tree and coloured glass decorations, activities set up at the school Christmas fair! Thanks for linking up to #brilliantblogposts x
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