Sweet Emily has been listening to German audiobooks recently and also started reading more of the many German books we own.
It is nice to see her doing this in her own time. She absolutely adores stories about Conni and set up this little display of her collection.
“It’s for your blog, Mama!”.

♥

Thank you to all of Arthur’s friends who came to see him today, he had so much fun.
Happy Birthday, Cailloudle, we love you so very much.
♥

With heavy raindrops tapping on our roof and running down our windows, with those thick thunderclouds filling the sky and making it seem like night-time,

well, I think it is the perfect day for lighting a few candles and finally reading that A Wrinkle In Time book which has been sitting on the shelf for almost a year.

♥

These last few weeks have been busy yet quiet, stressful yet calm.
Every night, after our freshly bathed little ones are safely tucked into bed, that is when I blog. The last week or so, as soon as we know that they are all fast asleep, we sleep.
We have been busy with so many different things and projects, the sunny weather drawing us to the park, the beach and the forest for many hours every day. It made me realise that I enjoy being far away from the Internet and the phone.
I am grateful for that time spent -away- , for deleting my Facebook account and not checking my emails. It feels good.
I am grateful for writing many, many letters and postcards to friends and family, and even more grateful for their willingness to reply.

I am grateful for Wilbur, who may or may not turn into a butterfly.
He is not showing signs of that just yet, but for now he is living happily on a bed made of pipecleaners in a jar on our windowsill, reminding me daily that it is ok to focus on -inside- for as long as we need to.

I am grateful for the huge amount of decluttering we have been doing, it is getting pretty minimal around here and I truly feel that with each item that leaves our home we are a little bit happier.
I am grateful for my amazing, adorable, sweet and gentle Arthur who, ten days before his third birthday, informed me that he had changed his mind about his party. (You know, the one I had been planning for months?) I am grateful that we are able to change it all around, and I am grateful that we will be able to give him the party he truly wants.

What are you grateful for?
Have a beautiful weekend!

Our Favourite Parent and Child Solo Dates:

The Museum

Taking pencils and a sketchpad along to a museum is a fun way to spend time with each other. You can talk about which paintings you love most and try to draw some of them yourself.

The Library

The library is a great place to spend a whole day together. Look at some new books, read old favourites and at the end of the day take home some books, too.

The Movies

Seeing the newest fun movie together while eating popcorn is lots of fun. It can be expensive when taking everybody, so it’s an ideal solo date activity!

Pottery Painting

We just love going to pottery painting places, it’s fun to paint together and be creative, and at the end of the day you go home with a beautiful keepsake or perfect grandparent-present!
(There are some brilliant and creative pottery painting ideas on Pinterest!)

Go on a picnic together

Just take a few blankets, make some sandwiches and bake a cake and then
go out to the park to enjoy the weather and each other’s company!
We love baking fresh flatbread to eat, and the baking is all part of the fun, too.

Going to a Cafe

In the spring and summer it is absolutely brilliant to sit outside in the sunshine sipping iced tea or eating ice cream, in the colder seasons you can sit together and drink warm tea and hot chocolate. It’s a great opportunity to talk to each other and connect.

Going to a Restaurant

Little ones will feel very grown up when you invite them to a special dinner at a restaurant! Dress up in your fanciest clothes, maybe even take a taxi and go to your favourite restaurant. This activity does cost money, but it’s worth
using a Zizzi voucher for this special night out.

What are some of your favourite things to do with your little ones?
Please leave your suggestions in the comments!

Have a beautiful day!
♥

For today’s Giveaway all you have to do is leave a comment using Rafflecopter telling me how you would spend the time you saved if you were not driving back and forth!

You can also enter the Giveaway by tweeting about it and linking our Facebook page, too.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This giveaway is open to all readers in the UK.
Rafflecopter will accept entries for this giveaway at 12am on Monday 29th April.
Rafflecopter will close the competition at 12am on Sunday 5th May
Sainsbury’s Bank will run this competition via Rafflecopter.
The winner will be chosen by Sainsbury’s Bank via Rafflecopter (which uses random.org) and announced on this page.
Entrants must have a UK address to enter. No bulk or third party entrants.
The prize is non-transferable, and will be sent out from Sainsbury’s Bank.
The giveaway winner will be contacted by the blog host to retrieve name and address.
The name and address of the winner will not be used for marketing purposes by Sainsbury’s Bank.
All entries may be featured on the Sainsbury’s Bank Money Matters blog post without further payment.
The winner will be contacted by e-mail, if they do not respond within seven days another winner may be chosen.
Entries using any software or automated process to make bulk entries will be disqualified.

Good luck!

There is much to be grateful for this week.
I am grateful for the sunshine, for flowers, for trips to the park and afternoons spent painting.

I am grateful for freshly baked flatbread, for olives, for our chrysalis (and soon-to-be-butterfly) Wilbur, for seeds for the garden and for a beautiful postcard from a dear friend.

I am grateful for morning snuggles with Arthur, for friends who patiently wait while we focus on our family, and for drawings and squiggles and buntings and love.

I am grateful for the smell of freshly cut grass, for Caillou who is one of Arthur’s best friends and always brings a smile to my face,

for open windows, for exciting plans and for tiny hands to hold.
I am wishing you a wonderful weekend.
♥

We used our Dylon fabric markers , fabric crayons and fabric paints to decorate the bunting with spring themed pictures.

I ironed it after the paint had dried to make sure we can hang it up in the garden, too!

We had so much fun decorating our bunting, and I can’t wait to show you all the other spring themed things we have been decorating and making.
Have a wonderful day.
♥

This week has been slow, lots of time for gentle play, trips to the park and lots and lots of reading.

We are hoping for more sunshine and light as the week goes on, the sunshine seems to make everyone so much happier and more friendly.
Have a beautiful day!
♥

a brand new lunchbox, (Internet Gift Store have got a great selection! ) and a new pencil case with princesses on it, of course!

We have had lots of fun with our new supplies and even finished our April curriculum early, just in time to enjoy the beautiful weather!
♥