Fun in February (despite floods)

My husband's birthday falls in February which calls for some cake, yay!  I admit I did not bake the biscuits but found them in the sale isle of a supermarket for 25p a pack (Christmas stock) with icing pens, red balls and ribbons making this an easy make.  The cake was a very simple Victoria sponge but by far the best I've ever made, despite using the exact same recipe and utensils/ cooker etc.  It was a big hit with the Birthday Boy

There has been so much rain here as many will have seen on the news.  It's difficult to keep younger children occupied in doors so I was pleased when the rain ceased for a day.  Out came the chalks, hats and coats and the girls played outside for over an hour, happily drawing pictures, playing hop scotch and I had a quiet cup of tea.

No arguments or pestering; just giggles, hops and jumps that certainly made the tea taste better.

On the rainy days, I have been taking the girls to the library (which we can almost see from our drive- very close indeed).  Fiona is just learning to read  and really enjoys an hour there exploring her growing awareness of words while Lydia likes the new books and also the putting them away again.  There are pictures and pencils for when she gets bored and of course, there are grown up's books too (for when we get bored).

I borrowed these 2 books which I love for different reasons.  Living in a rented flat has made me think about the home differently.  The items we're buying are usually 2nd hand and so not always to our desired taste as function and cost are the deciding factors.  The Pearl Lowe 'Vintage Craft' has been inspiring as she encourages you  to upcycle in simple but effective ways.  There are loads of books doing the same but I particularly like her style and she gives a little intro to the chapters which I've loved reading.

The other book is also amazing!  It's called 'Crochet at Play' by Kay Golding which I picked it up and saw a few projects and decided I wanted to take it home.  On getting it home, I discovered there were several projects which had been featured in Mollie Makes which I had earmarked and even posted to Facebook.  I've since seen it in 'The Works' for £5 and will most definitely be purchasing a copy.  There are hats, cardigan's, toys, novelty items and interior  bits- nearly all of which I really want to try.  I even bought some cotton yarn to attempt the star shaped rug for Michael's room which is slowly coming together,

So, despite the floods here in Worcestershire, we're having fun and half term hasn't started yet!