I was a massive Peter Rabbit fan as a child so I am pleased that I can sit and watch this with little man. The DVD contains 8 episodes about the rather cute if a little naughty rabbit, Peter and his friends. I snuggled up with little man to watch the first episode, A Christmas Tale.

Here Mr Bouncer is too poorly to make the Christmas deliveries so Peter and Benjamin Bunny offer to help. They get slightly side tracked by sledging! Their list gets wet but luckily their new friend Lily can help them out. Things get complicated when they have to find a new means of transport and then avoid the fox Mr. Tod.

Any Peter Rabbit fan will love this collection of stories, and it is a nice one to watch to get into the festive spirit. The DVD is out on November 2nd and can be purchased from Amazon.  I also have a copy to giveaway to one of my readers. Just complete the rafflecopter below. Good Luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

www.theprizefinder.com - See more at: http://www.theprizefinder.com/content/peter-rabbits-christmas-tale-dvd#sthash.J5i6MQmn.dpuf

Microbarbox are a monthy tasting club for cocktails. If you want to get that Friday feeling anytime then you can sign up to their gift boxes (or order a one off) and recieve a box of goodies so that you can make cocktails in the comfort of your own home.

Below is Octobers box. A recipe card talks you through the cocktails you can make. You also get some snacks to enjoy too.


All the cocktails were lovely and the red wine was nice too. I really enjoy cocktails but I don't often drink them at home as you need so many different ingredients. This solves the problem by giving you just the right ingredients to make 4 drinks. You just need ice. The box was beautifully packaged with each bottle wrapped in bubble wrap and tissue paper. I wasn't sure what the mojito would be like as I always use soda water in mine, but the only problem with it was that there was only one. It was lovely!



You are able to order single boxes as a gift or you can sign up to a subscription to get a box delivered each month. The monthly subscription box costs £24 (plus £3.50 p&p.) As a  reader of A Strong Coffee, you can get your first subscription box for £12 plus p&p by entering the discount code COFFEE when you sign up. I also have a box to giveaway to one of my lucky readers. Just complete the Gleam entry below. Good Luck!

Microbarbox

www.theprizefinder.com - See more at: http://www.theprizefinder.com/content/microbarbox#sthash.ciP0fiRU.dpuf

I am sure that you will have heard of Duck Tape before and have probably used it in DIY projects, but did you know they now have a funky and colourful range that can be used for crafting?

The light blue and Hello Sailor Duck Tape are really sticky like standard Duck Tape and would be great for personalising bikes and scooters. You can even make your own fantastic Cookie Monster bag. I decided to make a pencil pot out of an old can of beans. I used the light blue first and then covered any joins with the Hello Sailor. It does take some getting used to, working with this type of Duck Tape and sharp scissors are a must.


The Duck Glitter has a different texture. It is easier to use as it has more of a paper feel and I chose to make some quick and easy cards with it using it as a sparkly background. Personally I found this much easier to use and would consider purchasing it for future craft projects.


Duck Tape can be bought from Amazon, Homebase, Hobbycraft, The Range and many other places.
Duck Tape have kindly offered a suprise bundle of craft products including some Duck Tape to one of my readers. Just complete the rafflecopter below. Good Luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Competitions at ThePrizeFinder - See more at: http://www.theprizefinder.com/content/duck-tape-bundle#sthash.tWREBB3f.dpuf

Over the last few weeks I have been making an effort to improve my blog photography. It was as a result of some fantastic blogging courses such as River Cottage Blog Camp and Blog On Win. I was also spurred on to make a difference after Wayfair asked me to do a piece for their website. The piece in question is these bonfire cupcakes. They are super simple and you can find the full recipe here with some hints and tips to make it even easier.

Like it or not, a lot of readers enjoy the visual side of a blog post and blog photography can be just as important as the writing. If like me you like covering food, then it is even more important. As most of my posts focus on food, I shall focus on what I have learnt about that side of it.

1. You need light. I often work at night where the light in our kitchen is awful. I now try to photograph in the day. When the weather is nice I will be outside. When it is raining I will do it in the conservatory. Generally, not using a flash is better.

2. You don't need to spend a lot on the backgrounds. You may have noticed a nice white wood block table in my photographs recently. Well it is a nice piece of wood block wallpaper on the boys old train table!



3. A few nice props will make a huge difference. I now have my own blogging cupboard in the kitchen where I store the props that I particularly like. The olive wood chopping board from Wayfair is now a particular favourite of mine and is coming out again and again.

4. When doing a "looking down" shot use blue tack to angle items. This was a tip from the lovely Lucy Heath at Blog Camp River Cottage. It had not even entered my mind of doing such things. When looking down on a glass for instance it looks the wrong shape and a small piece of blue tac can correct this.


5. Photograph food when it is cold. Again not something I had really thought of before. But it is easier to photograph. If you need to melt things do it with a blow torch just before. If you need steam cotton wool dipped in boiling water and hidden behind. There is a whole world of food photography tips that I need to discover!

6. Make sure the right thing is in focus. I am no expert with my DSLR. I love the blurred background you can obtain, but sometimes you find that you have focused in on the wrong thing. This is when you need to check your shots on the computer as it hard to tell on a camera screen. Lucy recommended shooting tethered  would help.

7. Don't use shiney cutlery. You will see yourself in it! If using a tarnish cake slice, don't leave it on your nice new wooden chopping board. I learnt the hard way!

8. Once you have a nice shot, you can edit it to make it look as you want. I use PicMonkey but Annie from Fable and Folk recommends Lightroom. I still haven't had time to check it out now though.

So these are my beginners tips. I hope that they are helpful. I have found that my "likes" on instagram are increasing and I am much happier with the photographs on the blog recently. Don't forget to check out my bonfire cupcake recipe if you are having a party this fireworks night.

A simple recipe. But sometimes simple things are the best. The best accompaniment for a cookie has got to be a glass of Cravendale. Pure and fresh it is milk at it's best. The boys love the taste and I like that it will keep them happy and quiet for a few minutes while they drink it. Or until little man is asking for more milk.


But why else do I like Cravendale? I like it because it has a long use by date. If we are away for the weekend or away on holiday for a week, I can grab a bottle before hand and leave it in the fridge so we have fresh milk when we return.

What do you like about Cravendale?




This post of an entry for BritMums #MilkDrinkersMilk Linky Challenge sponsored by Cravendale

The Snow Queen: Magic Of The Ice Mirror is out on digital platforms today and on DVD from 2nd November!

As a sequel to The Snow Queen, it is the next chapter in the tale of Gerda, Orm and her friends.
The film follows the troll Orm, as he exaggerates his exploits during The Snow Queen, creating a web of lies in which he single-handedly defeated the treacherous Queen. He claims he is destined to marry the princess and inherit great power and riches – but where will Orm’s stories lead him? In this lively and perilous adventure, Orm learns that friends, happiness, and true love cannot be won through deceit.

You can currently pre-order The Snow Queen 2 from Amazon.  I also have 2 copies of the DVD to giveaway to my lucky readers. Just complete the rafflecopter below. Good Luck!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

UK competitions at ThePrizeFinder - See more at: http://www.theprizefinder.com/content/snow-queen-2-dvd-2-winners#sthash.Ohnmcu7f.dpuf

Scooby Doo was a favourite of mine as a child and now the boys like him too. Of course the way children watch cartoons has changed. Big man looks at me strangely when I tell him that children's TV was only on a couple of hours a day. We certainly didn't have computers or tablets to access shows as well as games and printable activities.

We are here. It is half term. Well just a few hours for the older two. And relax.

My husband has spent the last few weeks away, so when Brewers Fayre invited us to try their new menu I jumped at the chance. Some time together as a family where I didn't need to cook. Eating out is a bit of a treat for us. A family of 5 eating out is often really expensive. The prices at Brewers Fayre, however, were fantastic. Children can have a 3 course meal for £4.99 plus whatever drink they choose. If you eat between 12 and  6 on a Monday to Friday you can get 2 mains for £10.99 from a selection on the menu and 2 desserts for £2.50.

On arrival I was shocked at how busy it was. We were shown to our table and the boys were given colouring to keep them entertained. I then headed to the bar with a long list of food and drink.

When I saw the size of the children's meals I thought that there would be a lot left. The portions were generous. This didn't seem to bother the boys. They scoffed the lot! Infact it was only little man that struggled with all of his. Luckily he managed to have enough room for his dessert!


My husband and I chose nachos to start which were nice.



I then had chicken tikka and my husband had the southwestern chicken burger. Both were lovely.

We don't usually have desserts when we are out as we often find them disappointing. However, at 2 for £2.50 it would have been rude not to! My husband's Caramel Apple Betty was even better than my Warm Chocolate Brownie. And trust me my brownie was good!



The service was a little on the slow side. Having children means you just want to eat and leave rather than have a leisurely break between courses. This meant the boys wanted to fill up my refill Pepsi a lot! I really wish that they would open one of the Brewers Fayres with a play area near us as this would solve the problem.

I have to say, that overall I was really impressed. The food was good pub style food. They have many offers which are worth checking out on their website. The children's menu was fantastic with lots of different options and the boys really enjoyed it. To me, the best thing was that we were able, as a family of 5, to have a 3 course meal for just under £50.

My boys were over the moon to review this "awesome" Hot Wheels set: Nitrobit Attack. I have to admit I thought it was quite good, but I was concerned about how hard it would be to build. I have to say it wasn't as hard as I expected, but I do find the instructions for Hot Wheels confusing. I tend to go by the picture on the front of the box. Infact I have cut out the picture on the back of the box so that we have this to refer to in the future.


The set is pretty simple to work. The fire engine can be moved to shoot cars at Nitrobit. You put your car in the engine and then push the yellow button back. It is worth noting here that you push the red launcher to fire the car. This goes against my instinct of pulling it back to fire.

I then cooked them at 140C for about 25 minutes. Here I served them with some strawberry sauce. A bit too gruesome for my liking but the boys didn't bat an eyelid! Have you got any good Halloween recipes?

When it comes to cheese toasties I have to admit to being a bit stuck in my ways. I tend to have cheese and beans or cheese and pickle. However, when Castello challenged me to come up with a toastie recipe I thought I would try something new.

I really like the Tickler cheese. It is mature without being overly strong. I decided to make a apple, walnut and Tickler toastie.

I started by peeling an apple and then grating it. I then added grated Tickler cheese and some chopped walnuts.


It tasted lovely and I always like to be able to get my 1of my 5 a day into a lovely tasting lunch!


With the party season nearly upon us, Castello are suggesting that left overs don't go to waste, and we try out smorging. Smorging is a relaxed grazing style from Scandinavia. Just place all the leftovers from Christmas dinner and use them to compliment your favourite cheese. Here I have the Tickler with some onion chutney, and some tickler, chicken and cranberry sauce. A great idea for parties. You can check out some more smorging suggestions on the Castello website.



What is your favourite toasted sandwich filling?

I then glued feathers onto the back of the wreath before adding some buttons on the front for decoration.



I have to say I have a new love for Hama Beads and I can't wait to make some more glow in the dark creations with the boys in half term. Looking at the hexagon tile I was sent the first thing that jumped out at me was that it was the shape of a spiders web.


I then made a little spider to go with it and attached it to the web with a piece of white cotton. I also glued on some googly eyes so it was more cute than scary!



last but not least I made a witches hat filled with sweets. Perfect as a favour if you have a Halloween party planned.


I put a selection of sweets into a cardboard cone and secured them in place by placing a cupcake case over the top.


Next I glued black felt around the witches cardboard cone.


I then cut a circle from some black foam and glued the cone to this. I finished it off by adding some ribbon and a pipe cleaner.


Whilst I was making the hat, little man had a go at crafting too. Who wouldn't be scared if they saw this spider creeping across the floor!

I hate to wish time away, but the past 10 days have been tough. My husband has been away and I have been trying my best to keep sane whilst looking after three boys. I am not going to lie, I find it tough when I am on my own. Little/no adult conversation finds me wondering if I am infact acting like a child. I find myself constantly tidying and the house still looking as though Toys R Us has vomited over it. There wasn't a dry eye in the house when I served up spaghetti bolognese using macaroni pasta instead!

Mornings aren't great for me at the best of times. My blog name should give you a clue. When I have three boys to get ready for school it is even worse. Big man is able to lose his homework 2 seconds after you have handed it to him. Middle man is the same with his coat. Hell, I am the same with my keys. Mornings are a blur of hunt the missing items.

This morning I just wanted a couple of minutes piece and quiet in the shower. Like that was going to happen! Big and little man burst in. Big man holding his eye and crying. Little man screaming sorry.

To cut a long story short, little man had been jumping into the sofa and somehow managed to hit big man. Whilst I wasn't happy about the jumping on the sofa part, little man was clearly sorry (it had been shouted numerous times whilst I was trying to wrap a towel around myself) and it was an accident.

"Ok, just give your brother a kiss then." I said as big man lent in for a one.

"Me not like kisses from boys!" little man screamed.

Of course, how did I forget? I am not sure where this all came from, but little man has refused to get near any male family member for months now when it comes to kisses and cuddles. The look on my Father in laws face when he screamed "no kiss boys" was a picture. Mainly because you could see him trying to decipher little man's next sentence. Yes little man's current preferred greeting or goodbye to a male family member is that of a foot shake.

"Well give your brother a foot shake then!" I exclaimed.

To which little man held up one leg, allowed his brother to shake it and all was forgotten.

Back to the normal morning blur of hunting for homework, coats and keys.


How are your mornings?