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I cannot believe we are in October already! This year is flying by! I have had such a brilliant year so far, and I have so much to look forward to this month. So much so I thought I would share it all with you! The RitzSad some may say... but it has always been on my bucket list to go to the Ritz for afternoon tea! I was lucky enough to be given tea for two at the Ritz for Christmas last year! We have finally found the time to book it in later this month! Needless to say I am pretty excited! My BirthdayHow has this come around again already! Another year older and wiser...not! I am looking forward to spending the day with my little lady celebrating! Pumpkin Patch VisitAs we are officially in autumn it is only right we take a trip to a local pumpkin patch! Check some local ones out here. We love doing this as a family, we may even stop for a cheeky roast on the way home! A FAMILY TRIP TO PEPPA PIG WORLDWe are hoping we make it to Peppa Pig World this month! It is on the cards. We went last year but bubs was quite young, so I think she will get much more from it at this age. Autumnal craftsBubs and I love to craft, and this is the best season for it! We will be sharing on makes on here and my Instagram page! So keep a look out for these! So much to look forward to! What are you looking forward to this October?
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As you may or may not know I love arts and crafts. As well as blogging, I own a small company called Crafts and Giggles offering craft parties, so basically my life is arts and crafts!
It is so special that I get to share my crafty passion with my little lady! The other day we popped into Hobby Craft. I said to her to pick something she would like to make. She chose a rather large Halloween pumpkin! We decided to decoupage it. Bubs chose one set of decoupage paper, and I the other.
My little lady is only two, so I was a little concerned it may have been a bit too advanced. With my guidance and supervision she picked it up pretty quickly!
How did we do it? -we ripped up the decoupage paper into a variety of sizes. -using a special decoupage glue we put glue directly onto the pumpkin using a paint brush (one section at a time) -we then layered the paper on top of the glue -using the paint brush we dabbed the decoupage paper into the glue on the pumpkin, and popped more glue onto the paper in a dabbing motion. -we repeated this process until the entire pumpkin was covered. We are both so happy with the outcome! The hubby even thought it was shop bought! Kx
Wow where has the summer gone? I can't believe we are in Autumn already! As we did have some lovely warm days I managed to find some time to sit down in the glorious sunshine with a book or two over the summer months. I love to read, escaping into new worlds. I thought it would be fun to share with you the books I read!
The French Gardener - Santa Montefiore
I had never read any Santa Montefiore books until this summer, and I have to say she is now a firm favourite of mine! Her books are easy reading, with so much heart. The French Gardner is set near Blandford, Dorset which was interesting as this is only up the road from me! I am still interested to know whether or not the house in the story was real or fiction as I would love to see the garden if it exits. This book was a beautiful love story that will be sure to tug at your heart strings! It genuinely had me in tears by the end!
Sail Away - Celia Imrie
Believe it or not I stepped out if my comfort zone with this book! I do like to stick to authors I know. This book is set on a cruise ship, following the linked twists and turns or two ladies who end up on an unexpected cruise trip, crossing the Atlantic. As a cruise lover myself I could relate to cruise details, which were spot on. I did enjoy this book, but I did end up reading a few chapters at a time, it wasn't one I couldn't put down. It is a easy summer read.
Friend Of The Family - Tasmina Perry
Tasmina Perry is one of my favourite romance authors. Her books are so easy to read, gripping, and full of glamour. Friend of the Family certainly didn't disappoint! When Amy's world is turned upside down, can she get a grip on it before it all falls apart in front of her eyes? A great summer read!
The Hideaway - Sheila O'Flanagan
This was my first summer read, and I really loved this one! Set in an enchanting villa in beautiful Spain you are taken on Juno's journey to mend her broken heart. As the story unfolds there are many unexpected twists and turns. It is written beautifully, and I could't put this one down!
Secrets Of The Lighthouse - Santa Montefiore
Yes another one by Santa Montefiore (sorry). This is my favourite read of the summer! I read it in two days! The story is a romance, but focuses on the spiritual angle of love. It is so tastefully written and touching. By the end of the book I wanted to live in their world. I chatted with the author on Instagram about this book, and she said it was one of her favourite books to write, I could certainly feel this coming of off the pages. I would definitely recommend this read!
What have you been reading? I would love to know, and some recommendations Kx
Yes autumn is nearly upon us (again). I must admit I do love autumn, the beautiful colours and the cosy nights! One thing we love to do as a family is Pumpkin Picking! My 2 year old loved going last year! We all got to choose our own pumpkins fresh from the ground, and decorate them at home. It costs hardly anything, and gets you out into the fresh air! Here are some of our favourite Pumpkin Patches to visit across Dorset and Hampshire!
Sopley Farm Sopley Farm is on the edge of The New Forest! They will have plenty of pumpkins for you to choose from again this year, and wheelbarrows will be available to transport your pickings! They will be open the whole of October! We had a great time picking our pumpkins here last year! The staff was so friendly, and they had a cute café on site. Address: Sopley Farm, Sopley, Christchurch, Dorset, BH23 7AZ Tel: 01425 672451 Opening times for Pumpkin Picking: (October) 10-4pm
Lenctenbury Farm
We headed here a couple of weeks ago to pick some strawberries. It is a bit smaller than Sopley Farm, but just as fun! Squash and pumpkins are usually in Season from mid September to end of October! Address: Lenctenbury Farm, Soldiers Road, Norden, Corfe Castle, Wareham, Dorset, BH20 5DU Tel: 07798 743877 Pumpkin Picking Patch Fordingbridge As well as pumpkin picking they offer Halloween crafts, witches and more! Perfect fun to keep your children busy !They have over 15 varieties of pumpkins across 30 acres!. They will all be ready to be picked by you in October. Address: Pumpkin Picking Patch, Fordingbridge, Hampshire, SP6 1AN Opening times: 13-14 & 19-28 October (9.30 to 4) Tel: 07899994963 Rogate Pumpkin Patch Rogate Pumpkin Patch is perfect fun for all of the family! It is half way between Midhurst and Petersfield on the A272. They offer a very rustic Halloween experience .There offer lots of fun activities, such as smash a pumpkin, pumpkin skittles, decorate a pumpkin, sling a pumpkin, corn blaster and spooky slime making. Address: 1/4 east of Rogate Village, Slade Lane Rogate, Rogate, Hampshire, GU31 5EG Tel: 07830 412806
I hope my Pumpkin Patch suggestions are helpful! If you do go pumpkin picking this year I hope you have the best time! Kxx
Anyone else love a cheeky weekend away? It has been so long since we took one. The last trip I had planned we had to cancel as my little lady got Chicken Pox (booooo). Anyway… I was heading down to Cornwall to host a craft party with Crafts and Giggles, so I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to combine work and play! When looking to book somewhere to stay, I realised our weekend coincided with the Easter Holidays. The prices were sky high, and loads of places in Plozeath were booked up! (What a rooky error!) That’s when I found St Moritz Hotel, and they had the availability. It was a tad out of my price range, but hey why not… work hard, play harder. We arrived early (check in was 4pm, and we arrived at 1pm) the lady on reception was lovely, and let us check in anyway! The hotel was beautiful. The staff were all beaming with smiles, and so lovely to my little lady. This makes such a difference us. We had booked a family suite. The room was a good size, clean, beautifully decorated, and practical. It had a pull down bunk-bed but we opted for the travel cot, which was all set up ready for us. We were on the ground floor, and had a mini conservatory type thing that opened onto the hotel grounds, this was lovely extra space. We off course started the break with some food at their Sea Side Café. It was a pretty special “café” Penny was extremely welcoming and gave our little lady a fab activity pack. We opted for some comfort food, stone baked pizzas. They were pretty good. That evening we had booked into their Shorecrest Restaurant. It was expensive, but I had the Plaice and it has to be the softest Plaice I have ever eaten. We enjoyed a three course meal, and bubs loved her meal off of their children’s menu. The only thing I think they could include, is more vegetables on the children’s menu. This was definitely lacking. The breakfast was pretty special too! The hotel has some great facilities for children. In particular a good sized swimming pool, and a children's play room. The toys could do with a little TLC but it is definitely as nice extra. I think the pool was a highlight for bubs!
We loved our stay at St. Moritz Hotel. I think the kindness and attentiveness of the staff made it. It was such a treat to be waited on and taken care off. I would highly recommend it for families looking for some time out. As a busy working mummy I get very little “me” time these days! Anyone else with me? I dream of being pampered and taken care of! (It’s such a rare treat when this does happen!) When I was invited along with Bournemouth Bloggers for a morning of January indulgence, and relaxation at Christchurch Harbour Hotel’s HarSpa I couldn’t believe my luck! When I arrived at the beautiful HarSpa I was welcomed with such a warm smile from the receptionist. We were talked through our morning and then provided with crisp white robes, and slippers to change into. The changing rooms were immaculate, and kitted out with everything you would need. We then headed to use the spa facilities for the first hour. These included a good size swimming pool, jacuzzi, steam room etc. It was so nice to just chill out.
After an hour of blissful relaxation we went through to have a 25 minute treatment. I opted for a neck and back massage as I really needed to get rid of some built up mummy tension. The treatment room was beautiful, they have all been completely refurbished to a high standard. The tranquil colour scheme set a relaxing tone perfectly. The massage couldn’t have been any better! The therapist took time to get to know me and make the treatment personal. After the treatment we headed to Christchurch Harbour Hotel & Spas Upper Deck Restaurant. Well the colours in there were right up my colourful street! It has to be one of the funkiest restaurants I have been to (especially with the sea views). We were served the most delicious and filling two course meal! I had fish and chips, followed by apple cake. It was absolutely amazing!
I never wanted the morning to end, or leave Christchurch Harbour Hotel & Spa! It was the most relaxing and fun morning. Thank you so much for having us! I can’t wait to go back soon!
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ABOUT ME
Hi! I am Katie... a new mum trying to balance life, work and a beautiful baby girl! I love to take photos, travel, write, make art, and spend time with my family! xx
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