Tag Archives: gifts

Upcycled dolls’ house: the reveal

18 Tuesday Dec 2012

Posted by in Play, Seasonal

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I hope she likes it. I really, really hope she likes it.

Never have I been so excited to give something to my daughter. Her main present this year is a second hand dolls’ house. We knew we wanted to get her one this year but didn’t want to spend a fortune as she has some other presents too and didn’t want the day to become a gluttony of stuff, stuff and more stuff – most of which she’ll cast to one side.

So we searched high and low for a special, yet inexpensive, wooden dolls’ house. And we couldn’t find one ANYWHERE.

A few weeks ago I put out a desperate plea on the noticeboards of the Netmums nearly new section. Within 48 hours, a retired childminder who lived just down the road had emailed me. She offered me an old wooden dolls’ house, with furniture for £10.

I was dubious but the gleaming price of a tenner was too much to resist. We collected it and I knew it would be just right.

Here’s the transformation: Continue reading »

How to get out of doing the washing up for eternity

12 Wednesday Dec 2012

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Review

I’ve won major points this month. The husband owes me BIG TIME.

These are some very posh cars. No, I didn’t buy them for him. But he did get to drive them, due to an incredible offer from Activity Superstore. The Triple Supercar Drive saw the (self-proclaimed) Northern Love Machine get behind the wheel of three cars he regularly fantasises about.

As someone who knows next to nothing about cars (seriously, I don’t even know what car I drive, let alone anyone else) I didn’t realise what a big deal this was. To me, a car is for getting from A to B. And if it doesn’t have a boot big enough to fit a buggy and a week’s worth of grocery shopping then I’m not interested. My husband, however, takes an entirely different perspective.  Continue reading »

The toddler Christmas wish list

29 Thursday Nov 2012

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Review

I don’t think I’ve ever been more aware of the potential pitfalls of Christmas gluttony than this year. Having a toddler who is becoming increasingly aware of the idea of “presents”, I’m keen not to get into a cycle of materialistic abandon, buying everything in sight for my beautiful girl.

That said, she does have a range of gorgeous things to open on Christmas Day. Some of these are second hand (a £10 wooden doll’s house I’m going to paint) and some are new. The brand spanking new presents are all things I know she’ll love and get lots of use from. And there is no pink in sight. Continue reading »

Retro Space Invaders – a gift for my geeky husband

09 Friday Nov 2012

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My husband wears his geekery like a badge of pride. He is of the generation that can just about remember Space Invaders when it was first around as a computer game and makes no secret of the fact these types of games were a staple of his childhood.

He loves computer games and is excited by all things gadget related. An IT teacher, web designer and creative when it comes to everything tech, he is King Geek in our house.

It comes in handy for me, as I have a personal web designer and blog fixer, but it also means presents can get pricey. He always lusts after the latest in geekdom and – much to my annoyance – is often bored of it within a month of getting his hands on it. What can I say? He is a fickle geek. Continue reading »

Making people cry

30 Saturday Jul 2011

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I like to make people cry. Not just any old people, but those who matter the most to me. That is to say, I like to make the people I love cry.

Now, before you decide that I’m a twisted woman, let me explain. It’s not that I like to go round dishing out the odd well-placed kick to those I love, or hitting them with a perfectly placed criticism (kicking isn’t my style and criticism would just fall on deaf ears anyway). It’s that I enjoy finding presents that cause the receiver to cry. Proper tears of unbridled joy and emotion.

In the case of my dad, this is easy. He’s a complete wimp who snivels at the sight of a puppy on TV. Before the wrapping paper is even off, he’s a blubbing mess – exactly the reaction I hope for. Continue reading »