Blog - Munchies and Munchkins

Literary love at Camp Bestival 2013

April 29, 2013 · by munchiesandmunchkins · 7 Comments

If you haven’t booked your tickets yet I bet you will after reading the literary line up! I mean seriously. Wow. Camp Bestival has something for everyone and I am really looking forward to chilling on sofas with the Wake up with The Guardian roundups of the morning papers.

Last year one of our festival highlights was Howard Marks reading the bedtime story and I am really looking forward to watching his new show: Scholar, Smuggler, Prisoner, Scribe. Having seen one of Howard’s spoken shows previously at a local theatre I can highly recommend this.

Some of my favourite authors will be reading.. There are how to interviews with celebrities such as Whiley and Charlie Brooks.

Of course being a family festival there is plenty for the children including riveting readings and author events which will take place in the heart of the Dingly Dell woodland enclave, the Story Den. Gather under the canopy of trees and settle down to listen to Sam Lloyd and her Monster Mates, Laura Dockrill’s tales of Darcy Burdock, Guy Bass’s stories of Stitch Head and check out Jonny Duddle’s pirate doodles. Then at night, the woods will come alive with fire and dragons, and you will be able to hear a specially written story on headphones as you explore the trail in the trees. Or gather again in the Story Den, to watch the shadow puppets dance as the storytellers bring their legends to life.

I think it will be another action packed 4 days trying to squash in every single thing we want to do and I just can’t wait.

Tickets still available at: Tickets

With my compost..arium there is no place I’d rather be

April 29, 2013 · by munchiesandmunchkins · 1 Comment

I don’t know about you but I can’t think of the word compost without singing the theme tune to Mr Blooms nursery. I guess if you don’t have a child of Cbeebies age you may not have a clue what I’m talking about. Mr Bloom is a character from a Cbeebies TV show who has as many mum fans as toddler fans…I don’t really know why…ahem.

Anyway this post is not about Mr Bloom. Every year I think ah I want to get my garden in order but this year I actually am planning to. I love the idea of being able to get all my salad and herbs from my own vegetable patch. I already grow a lot of herbs.. Mint, oregano, parsley, lavender, tarragon, rosemary, thyme and sage to name a few and we have just planted rocket and basil and starting to think of what else we can have – any suggestions? I am not even remotely green fingered so I need a lot of tips. Next job is to make a compost heap or compost bin. I’ve scoured the web for some tips and here are the more useful ones I’ve found:

What can you compost:

grass cuttings
soft prunings
annual plant and weed remains before they have set seed
fruit and vegetable scraps
old cut flowers
tea bags and coffee grounds
Cardboard
Newspaper
Scrunched up paper
Straw

Do not compost:

diseased plants
meat and fish
dairy
cooked food
coal ash
cat and dog waste
disposable nappies
perennial weeds eg bindweed

Plenty more useful tips here

Apparently the best time to start your compost heap is Spring but I think I’ll be starting mine sometime one the next month.

If having a compost heap encourages my daughter to recycle and helps to stop our family adding more than is needed to landfill it can only be a bonus 😉

Any tips for me with regards to composting or what to plant at this time of year would be greatly appreciated!

*this post contains paid content

I’m dreaming of a new bathroom

April 25, 2013 · by munchiesandmunchkins · Leave a Comment

Is there anything more comforting than a bubble bath. If you have a hard day at work or a particularly gruelling work out ( ha not me) it eases your aching bones. When you are pregnant it soothes your stretching skin and after your baby is born a lavender bath can ease a world of pain.

I’m a bath girl, I really am. I don’t ask for much. A clean quiet space where I can spend my 30 minutes of me time..a few bubbles..deliciously warm water and a large vanilla candle burning away.

However at present my bathroom looks like this:

My cracked bath.. Patched up.

The mess…

More mess..

It’s rather depressing. I don’t spend much time in here at all.

We had some problems with damp, hence the stripped walls. We have now been told that our bath and sink need to move to the opposite side of the room to avoid this happening again. Our bath is broken – cracked in two places with a panel hanging on by a thread. The floor needs to come up and the walls need to be retiled. All in all it’s a huge job but its not as if we have anything else on at the moment like an incredibly active toddler and oh yes I’m pregnant.

Ahhhh it’s a bit of a mess but at the moment it’s still working ( mostly ) and so it’s being left in sorry state of disrepair until we get the time and money to rectify it.

If I could describe my dream bathroom in one word it would be tranquil. As a mother I value the small amount of time I get to myself and a place to completely relax is the order of the day.

As a family we love the sea and so we would love a beach theme with driftwood and shades of water and sand in the tiles and floor.

I created a dream bathroom Pinterest board which you can see here

B is for bubbles – myself and my daughter love a bubble bath! I want somewhere where I can relax and my child can have fun.

A is aqua.. I love images of water and find it very calming. I want our room to be heavily influenced by the ocean.

T is for tiles. My dream bathroom is tiled from floor to ceiling and is like a wet room. All the better for big, splashey fun!

H is for heated towel rail. Fluffy towels warm and waiting after a bath will be blissful in the colder months.

R is for romance. Big chunky candles and low lighting will make our bathroom a romantic room. Perfect for when the little ones are in bed and we want to share a bath.

O is for open space. The one good thing about our bathroom is that it is big! Bigger than my kitchen which is annoying but I want to keep the open space and avoid too much clutter.

O is for ours. This bathroom is OUR space. As much as I would love a space just of my own, pretty soon I will have two young children who will want to enjoy it so storage for toys and bath play things is essential! Keeping a shower is always something I have to to keep my man happy!

M is for money. At the moment we just don’t have the money to do this. Winning this comp would mean a safer, smarter bathroom and one major job crossed off the To do list before baby 2 comes.

The bathroom I have chosen from the 12 on offer is this one

It’s pretty and functional and ideal for our family!

We would love to win this DREAM bathroom.

This is my entry to the Bathshop321 and tots100 dream bathroom competition.

30 Ways to save £1 ..or more.

April 25, 2013 · by munchiesandmunchkins · 2 Comments

For the 30th anniversary of the £1 coin MoneySupermarket have asked bloggers to come up with 30 ways to save a pound (or more). One lucky blogger will win £1000. Below is my entry. For more details visit MoneySupermarket

1. Meal Plan : I cannot tell you enough how much this has saved me over the past year. Plan your shopping exactly around your meals. It halved my shopping bills.

2. Buy own brands – for example the Sainsburys basic range is just as good as any of the more well known. I use chopped tomatoes and Passata at least twice a week – using the basics range for just these items saves me approx £2.00 per week.

3.Use chicken thighs instead of breasts in curries/casseroles. Not only are they tastier but they are approximately half the price. A saving of £2/3 on each meal.

4. Don’t forget to take your own bags! Plastic shopping bags in Wales cost 6p per bag. If you use 6 per week that’s a minimum of £18 per year.

5. Use comparison sites – we saved £120 on our car insurance and £50 on our home insurance by using various sites.

6. Look for voucher codes before going on holidays/ for family days out or for meals – I estimate this saves us about £250 a year.

7.Bulk buy at baby events – nappies and wet wipes in particular are far cheaper when bought in large boxes.

8.Use sites such as eBay,gumtree and similar when making a purchase. We bought a Mamas & Papas changing unit for £70 on Gumtree in impeccable condition. In store we would have paid £600.

9. Cook in bulk and freeze : not only do you save on energy costs but you have a handy meal for those nights when you just can’t be bothered.

10. Make your own – be it takeaway style food, birthday cakes or just plain old bread. It can save you lots and taste far better.

11. Change or at least threaten to cancel Internet/TV providers at the end of your contract. You will normally get a far better deal as a new customer elsewhere and if not your current provider will usually slash your current rate by £10 or more.

12. Go veggie occasionally – we have vegetarian weeks every now and again and it saves us quite a lot as good meat is expensive.

13. Buy lentils, rice and pasta in large bags a saves a lot and they are always handy for cheap, filling meals.

14. Grow your own – herbs especially basil can be expensive when bought fresh from your local supermarket but most grow very well on your kitchen windowsill and the seeds are normally far less than the price of one packet of fresh herbs.

15. Use free trials for film rentals, if you work your way around them all you could get approx 6 months free use. Don’t forget to cancel before the 30 days are up.

16. Use your local library. Free books!

17. Loyalty cards – nectar cards and Tesco clubcards in particular can make you money and cost you nothing at all.

18. Share bath water- Izzy always bathes with either her dad or me.

19. Companies often give you money off for paperless billing and its far less clutter!

20. Turn it off – before you go to bed make sure you turn off all your appliances.

21. Walk instead of using public transport or car whenever possible. Keeps you fit too 🙂

22. Take a packed lunch – to work or on trips with family.

23. Watch exercise programmes such as 30 day shred on YouTube instead of buying. After all it may not be for you.

24. Save money on gym membership by cycling, walking and enjoying the countryside.

25. Know where the reduced to clear sections are. We regularly buy close to end of date items and freeze them for later use.

26. Look for free eye tests – at present Tesco offer free tests,

27. Shop around for bank accounts. Some accounts pay you a monthly amount if you put in a minimum of say £1500 each month.

28.Try to use cash instead of your card, it’s far too easy to overspend when using plastic.

29. Take turns with friends coming over for dinner and you going to theirs.. Or each make different courses.

30. Use the money supermarket website and read the forum posts for news of flash sales or supermarket price glitches.

The Wait – First trimester

April 25, 2013 · by munchiesandmunchkins · 8 Comments

I’m writing this post at 8weeks and 2 days pregnant.

I won’t however be posting it until I am safely past the 12 week scan.

This is hard.

The Wait.

I thought the two week wait was difficult ( the 2 weeks wait to find out if you are pregnant) but woah this is much harder. I have known I am pregnant for exactly 4 weeks. The first two weeks were pretty great, we have been trying for baby number 2 for a little while and to be able to tell my man that I was pregnant on his birthday was pretty special and we were both on a bit of a high .. albeit a very tired high for me. The last 2 weeks have been not so great, we encountered some difficulties and well I was convinced there would not be a positive outcome. I’ve had 2 scans already and I’m only 8 wks pregnant – most people don’t even have their first scan until 12 wks which is hopefully ( if all is well in the next few weeks) when my 3rd scan will be. It’s been a very scary time and its not over yet.

The risks of miscarriage before 12 weeks are incredibly high – 1 in 5. Did you know that? Isn’t that frightening? I’m glad that my pregnancy with Izzy although full of sickness was also very straightforward.

I’ve been sick as sick can be for the past 3 weeks which is a positive sign! Yay for HCG hormones!! Don’t even get me started on the food aversions. It’s incredible how the horrors of morning sickness can be a relief to you when you are paranoid about the health of your growing baby.

I’ve tried to be a little removed but well we all know that’s just not possible right? I’ve seen his/her heart beating on a scan and felt the overwhelming relief of knowing that at that moment in time everything was ok I can’t help but feel connected.

I really hope that in 4 weeks time I will be shouting my happy news to you from the rooftop but for now I just don’t know and well all I can do is wait.

* As you will know from yesterday’s post..so far all is going well and I’m at the 12wk point (approximately) 😀

Our growing family

April 23, 2013 · by munchiesandmunchkins · 12 Comments

Let me tell you a story about me and my family:

Once upon a time there was a girl who met a boy..

They liked each other. A lot.

Then a few years later…BUMP

Two became Three..baby girl arrived safely in the world

There were lots of sleepless nights and poop explosions..but after a while baby girl blossomed into a beautiful toddler and even *whispers* slept through the night.

Mam and Dad started to feel normal again and even left the house on nights out..

But guess what? We don’t like odd numbers!!

We are doing it all over again and we couldn’t be more thrilled!

The next chapter starts right here..

Toddler Treats #2

April 11, 2013 · by munchiesandmunchkins · 1 Comment

Do you spell it as hummus or houmous? Two different but also correct spellings. Hmm I’m going to go with hummus as my blog spellcheck seems to prefer that.

This is the second recipe to be featured in my Toddle Treats section and I’ll be completely honest and tell you I stole the idea from Asda magazine. I tried their recipe and although I loved the concept I found it bland so I fiddled with it a little and came up with my own.

Traditionally hummus is made using Tahini but it can be difficult to find in local shops and most families have peanut butter at home – we always do anyway! It also gives it a bit of a different flavour.

Peanut butter Hummus/Houmous

You will need:

2 tbsp smooth peanut butter (use one with low sugar content as it improves the taste – who wants sweet hummus? Not me)
1 tin of chickpeas, drained
1.5 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp of sweet paprika(normal paprika is fine but this is what I had on hand)
2 garlic cloves
2 tbsp of fresh lemon juice

Peel your garlic and place in food processor with your peanut butter,chickpeas, lemon juice, paprika, garlic cloves and olive oil and blitz until smooth. Serve in small ramekins with a tiny sprinkle of paprika on top.

I normally serve this with carrot batons or chunks of red pepper which Izzy adores but is also good with pitta or alongside any meal really.

*Apologies for the quality of the photos. I really need a new camera.

Anything I serve with a dip such as the recipe above is a winner with Izzy and its a great way of avoiding too many processed sauces such as ketchup.

Hope you enjoy.

Remember to let me know about the dishes you serve to your toddler – I always need new ideas.

Happy Birthday to me..well the Blog!

April 11, 2013 · by munchiesandmunchkins · 2 Comments

It is one year since my very first blog post. Something of a milestone yes? I am proud of myself for sticking with it!

I started this blog as a way of writing again without any additional pressure of deadlines or targets. I didn’t expect to enjoy it quite as much as I do. In the past year I’ve had wonderful opportunities to work with companies and festivals as well as to meet other bloggers and make lots of friends in the online blogging and Twitter-verse. I am surprised weekly when I check my stats in that they continue to grow and I love the interaction from my readers.

I should really host a giveaway to celebrate this special date and I will .. Perhaps in the next week or so?

This is just a very quick post to say thank you for reading, commenting, nominating me for awards and giving me much appreciated advice when needed.

Hoping for another happy year of food, family and friends.

XXX

Message in our bottle – Ecover

April 10, 2013 · by munchiesandmunchkins · Leave a Comment

I don’t normally blog about cleaning products. In fact I never blog about cleaning products but when Ecover asked me to spread the word about their message in a bottle I had to agree 😉 I’m a big fan of Ecover products and have been since I met them at last years Camp Bestival. They had the coolest stall, giving out samples of washing liquid ( essential at a festival) and free yoga classes but aside from that they are just a pretty funky company.

This is what they say:

We clean with care when it comes to the environment; our products are made from natural, sustainable plant-based ingredients and we’re constantly working to ensure they leave fewer unnecessary residues, biodegrade even more quickly and have less impact on aquatic life.

Sounds good yes? A product which works well and reduces the chemical guilt that we all feel at some point. I do love an easy way to be a bit more green.

Cleaning the seas, one bottle at a time. Visit The-Splash for more information and to read our pledge.

Anyway look at the pic.. Read about what they do and try their products. Worth trying for sure.

* disclaimer – I have not been paid for this post, my thoughts are my own. The lovely people at Ecover are sending me a free bottle to try and I’ll let you know what I think 😉

Camp Bestival Update

April 8, 2013 · by munchiesandmunchkins · 1 Comment

I’ve been a little behind with writing my next Camp Bestival post which will be all about the very best of this years Camp Bestival and also lots of tips and general info about surviving and enjoying CB with toddler and/or babies. This will be up in the next fortnight but I thought while you were waiting I’d give you a little update on what is coming up this year.. And for a child of the 80’s it’s pretty exciting! Woop.

PLUS
SAM LEE & FRIENDS / MOLOTOV JUKEBOX / ADY SULEIMAN /
HUDSON TAYLOR / LLOYD YATES / ISAIAH DREADS

AND DJ SETS FROM
CRAIG CHARLES / SUNDAY BEST FORUM ALL STARS / DJ DAPPER DAN

Pac-man, deely boppers, odd coloured fluorescent socks, Knight Rider, break dancing, Sloane rangers, it really was an ace time, so for one weekend only we’re bringing 80s mania back. Turning Lulworth Castle into our own little time machine, we’re going to be celebrating one of the greatest decades in human history from August 1st-4th, with a glorious triumvirate of newly announced legends of the age and some proper down the disco type action from inimitable rogues The Cuban Brothers. And that’s not all as we have added even more mighty fine cutting edge live acts and DJs all for your delectation.

Contemplating the merits of the mullet, Rob da Bank says: “As a child of the 80s I love that era. One hit wonders sit happily alongside some of the most visionary pop and electronic records ever made in my record collection. Heaven 17 fall into that latter category and still kill it wherever they go so I can’t wait to see and more importantly hear them at Camp Besti. The Proclaimers are an incredible festival act for a good old sing-along and Nik Kershaw is a boyhood idol too. Wrap it all up with Barry Peters and his Cuban Brother friends hosting an 80s night and it’s time for some serious leg warmers, rah rah skirts and fingerless lace glove action…well that’s what I’ll be wearing anyway!”

Kicking off with a band that was the personification of the 80s on their debut album ‘Penthouse and Pavement’, we are extremely pleased to be welcoming the fantastic Heaven 17 to Lulworth Castle. Stalwarts of new wave synthpop, Heaven 17 lit up the charts with a string of Top 40 hits and quickly became one of the 80s biggest bands, so we can wait to take a trip down memory lane and catch their unmissable live set.

The greatest twins of the 80s were unquestionably The Proclaimers. Purveyors of some of the decade’s most memorable and enduring anthems, we’re mega-excited that Charlie and Craig Reid’s raucously infectious live show is coming to Camp Bestival. Utterly irresistible, you know you’re going to find yourself bellowing every single word of ‘I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)’ and ‘Letter To America’ at the top of your voice along with absolutely everyone else and we can’t wait!

Camp Bestival loves the 80s so much in fact that we’ve got our resident retro heroes The Cuban Brothers to present some special themed spectaculars hosted by their alter ego characters Barry Peters featuring Special Guests for that truly big night out feel. 80s throwback Barry will unleash his many years of wisdom as long-term resident for Zany’s Niteclub, Skipton and as the undisputed number 1 DJ at Halifax Hospital Radio to create the ultimate party experience. Aided by his son, Kevin Peters and Derek Japan, AKA Double Penetration, the trio will take you to the dizziest heights of proper entertainment and guarantee you a night to remember dancing around your handbags without a care in the world. Expect a mash up of all the mega-hits from the era of joy, special guests and, of course, their uniquely riotous stage presence. And just to help you really feel you’ve gone back in time, 80s cocktails will be served! Dig out your leg warmers and bring your Rah-Rah skirts, its 80s mania all the way!

And don’t forget that there’s plenty more sublime 80s action going on at Camp Bestival with previously announced legends Musical Youth, who will be passing the dutchie like only they can and Kid Creole And the Coconuts, whose live set is the very definition of booty shaking.

As much as we love the 80s, it’s not all about reliving the heady heights of our youth at Camp Bestival, we’ve also got some bang up to date musical treats to keep you on your toes. We’re thrilled to announce that Mercury Prize nominated folk singer Sam Lee & Friends will be showcasing their unconventional take on traditional folk and Molotov Jukebox (whose singer Natalia Tena will be familiar to the Camp B crowd as Nymphadora Tonks in Harry Potter), will also be on hand with their gypsy, samba, ska, dubstep and swing-blending ways. Ady Suleiman is also set to wow the crowds with his strikingly soulful voice, there will be folk-infused melodic pop from Hudson Taylor, epic acoustic delights from Lloyd Yates and slick flows from rap wunderkind Isaiah Dreads.

We’ll also have Craig Charles supplying an irresistible array of funk and soul sounds from his famous trunk of funk, the very welcome return of the Sunday Best Forum Allstars who will be rocking the ones and twos and the esteemed DJ Dapper Dan who will be getting the crowds skanking to his conscious riddims!

There will be blogs and competitions on our Facebook and Twitter pages plus the continuing in-depth look at our line-up with the A-Z of Camp Bestival in the coming week’s some make sure you check them out. And please visit www.campbestival.net for more announcements coming soon.

LIVE:

RICHARD HAWLEY / LEVELLERS / LABRINTH / DJ FRESH LIVE / ASH / HEAVEN 17 / TOOTS AND THE MAYTALS / THE POLYPHONIC SPREE / GABRIELLE APLIN / KID CREOLE & THE COCONUTS / I AM KLOOT / BILLY BRAGG / NIK KERSHAW / DAN LE SAC VS SCROOBIUS PIP / THE CUBAN BROTHERS / DJ YODA (LIVE AV SHOW ( FEAT THE TOOTSIE ROLLERS) / JOHN COOPER CLARKE / LISSIE / THE FARM / MUSICAL YOUTH / BEARDYMAN / SAM LEE & FRIENDS / THE CORRESPONDENTS / THE WURZELS / MAD PROFESSOR / SKINNY LISTER / CLEAN BANDIT / LONDON GRAMMAR / MIKILL PANE / THE 1975 / FLEETWOOD BAC / INTRODUCING RECREATE ‘DISCOVERY’ LIVE – A DAFT UNDERTAKING / HOWARD MARKS / LUCKY ELEPHANT / ADY SULEIMAN / LLOYD YATES / FOLK IDOL / MOLOTOV JUKEBOX / SEXY SUSHI / BEN WATERS / MOULETTES / FILTHY BOY / FAKE BUSH / HUDSON TAYLOR / ISAIAH DREADS / MR B THE GENTLEMAN RHYMER / LEWIS WATSON / JAWS / JAIPUR BRASS BAND / J-CATS

DJs – ROB DA BANK AND FRIENDS:

GRANDMASTER FLASH / SASHA / DAVID RODIGAN MBE PRESENTS RAM JAM / A LOVE FROM OUTER SPACE (ANDREW WEATHERALL AND SEAN JOHNSTON) / FABIO + GROOVERIDER / CRAIG CHARLES (DJ SET) / JON MORE (COLDCUT) / DICK N DOM RIP IT UP (DJ SET) / BARRY ASHWORTH / JOHN KENNEDY / SUNDAY BEST FORUM ALL STARS / BALEARIC BROTHERS / FEELING GLOOMY / TYTHE / COLEY FROM LUV*JAM / SOMBRERO SOUND SYSTEM / MIX IT UP KRU / DJ DAPPER DAN

ENTERTAINMENT:

HORRIBLE HISTORIES: BARMY BRITAIN (FESTIVAL PREMIERE AND EXCLUSIVE) / ALAN DAVIES / MR TUMBLE / ERTH’S DINOSAUR ZOO / DICK N DOM / LET IT BE / BRIT SCHOOL / BLACK EAGLES CIRCUS / ROYAL ALBERT HALL GINORMOUS PERCUSSION ORCHESTRA / SHLOMO’S BEAT BOX ADVENTURE FOR KIDS / CANDO2 / GLORIA AND THE EXPLORERS / LITTLE SUNSHINE, LITTLE RAINFALL / ALICE IN WONDERLAND PANTO / LONDON LUCUMI CHOIR / INSECT CIRCUS / MATTHEW BOURNE’S NEW ADVENTURES / TRINITY LABAN / CANDOCO / MECHANICAL MENAGERIE / GIDEON REELING / SHADOW PUPPETRY & STORYTELLING / CRAFT AND NATURE WORKSHOPS / YOUNG BRITISH FOODIES / TATE WORKSHOPS / BFI FILM CLUB / THE FOUR CORNERS TREASURE TRAIL / LOST & FOUND / MORRIS DANCING / JOUSTING / FREESTYLE SPORTS PARK / KIDS BIG ART VILLAGE / MAYPOLE DANCING / BIGTOPMANIA KIDS THEATRE AND CIRCUS

TICKETS:

Camp Bestival 2013 Ticket Info:

Ticketline / 0844 888 4410

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