Watch Them Grow - Gardening with Kids with QVC

Gardening is one of the nicest hobbies that you can share with your children.  They love spending time outdoors and getting dirty, and through doing something productive can learn so much about nature and develop important life skills such as patience and the rewards of nurturing something.  Watching a seed that you have planted grow can be a magical and emotional experience.  According to research conducted for QVC, 90% of adults have fond memories of spending time in the garden as a child, so it is nice to know that by spending time outdoors with your children, you are contributing to their future happy memories.

To help parents get growing in the garden with their little ones, QVC have two fabulous kits: the Little Grower Flower and Little Grower Vegetable kits.  We received the one to grow flowers and absolutely loved the choice of seeds included.  Children will get to grow flowers that look like striped caterpillars, hedgehogs and Mexican hats, as well as the ever familiar and fun to grow sunflower.

The kit comes with a propagator with lid, a set of assorted cell trays to fit inside, four packs of Unwins Little Growers seeds, a bag of compost and a Watch Them Grow booklet packed with ideas, advice and facts.  

Freddy really enjoys being outside and was keen to investigate his Little Growers kit.  The cell trays come in a variety of sizes for planting seeds in, making them useful for different projects.  We opted for the larger sized pots, making it less fiddly for Freddy when it came to planting up the seeds.

Once filled with compost, Freddy poked the seeds into the pots.  He insisted on wearing his gardening gloves.  He was very interested in the pictures on the front of the seed packets.  The Asclepias Hedgehog seeds looked really interesting with their hairy round seed pods that resemble mini Mrs Tiggywinkles.  The Striped Caterpillars have pale yellow flowers which are followed by deeply marked seed pods which curl up like caterpillars.  Perfect plants to grow for fans of The Very Hungry Caterpillar! The Mexican Hat plants are very low maintenance plants and reward the grower with colourful flowers that resemble a sombrero. Freddy's school have grown sunflowers, which they have planted out in the school gardens, so he was very keen to tell us all about them!  The Sunshine Sunflower seeds are great for kids to plant as they are so quick growing.  Once they have grown, the seed heads can be used as bird feeders.

Freddy knew that seeds need water to grow and fetched his little watering can to water the pots.  With a bit of luck, seedlings will appear in a couple of weeks time and he will be able to see the fruits of his labour. The seedlings will be able to be planted out once they are big enough to create some colourful displays.  

The propagator could sit in a windowsill or be put in the garden during this lovely weather.  Freddy is very interested to see what happens to the seeds.  The propagator keeps all the little pots contained together safe and sound, and makes watering really easy.

While we were out in the garden, Freddy helped his daddy harvest the strawberry crop.  We have had a bumper year.  Ian has kept the slugs at bay using beer traps, which has been really successful in keeping the pests at bay in a safe and natural way.

You can order the Little Growers kits from QVC for the price of £17.50 (introductory price £15.72) + P&P.  The vegetable kit contains seeds to grow sweetcorn, peppers, runner beans and cherry tomatoes.

You can download your own copy of the Watch Them Grow booklet and discover some gardening ideas from QVC at www.qvcuk.com/WatchThemGrow

My Debenhams Dream Bedroom

One of my earliest childhood memories is of me stood in my cot in my parent's bedroom looking at their huge, walnut wardrobe.  The highly polished and detailed wood patterns, to my childish eyes, looked like faces and creatures inhabiting an incredible ancient world, frozen forever in time, trapped within the wardrobe door. That fantastic memory stayed with me as I grew up and resurfaced as I read The Narnia books.  I wondered if perhaps my parent's wardrobe with its amazing frontage was indeed a portal to a long forgotten world.  I tentatively explored this possibility, easing open the door and peering inside.  Sadly, the wardrobe was only a storage place for my mum's rather excessive clothing collection and there were no lions, no witches and definitely no Narnia for me to stumble upon. All I had was the wardrobe. My childish dreaming came to an abrupt end. However, that memory of the detailed knotted wood and the mysteries and magic it held has never left.

Inspired by this, here is my mood board of Debenhams products that would make up my dream bedroom.

My design for my Debenhams Dream Bedroom showcases the wonder and the magic of my childhood memories.  I love the use of real wood with its unique appearance, just inviting imaginative interpretation. It is steeped in mystery and holds the energy and memories of being a living entity. Combining key wooden pieces with earthy, autumnal hues and natural patterns creates my own ancient world, my own Narnia. Peaceful, relaxing, calming. I love the leaf design string lights that would bring a hint of the outdoors indoors and the blown glass lampshade that would cast a shimmering, golden glow into my bedroom.  The lustrous sheen of the bed linen would add a subtly luxurious feel and provide a focal point to the room which would draw the eyes and seduce you to slink into the sheets. This would be a beautiful space to surround you as you tumble headlong into dreamworld.

Wall mirror
debenhams.com £20

Throw pillow
debenhams.com £12

Wall art
debenhams.com £29

Bookcase
debenhams.com  £540

Acacia furniture
debenhams.com £400

Rich Dark Acacia 'Elba' wardrobe
debenhams.com £650

Rich Dark Acacia 'Elba' bedstead
debenhams.com £950

Sheridan Gold 'Siam' bed linen
debenhams.com £129

Litecraft Kurtois Hand Painted Grooved Glass 1 Light Ceiling Pendant 
debenhams.com £79

Ivory "Willow" Votive Candle Tray
debenhams.com £29

Set of 10 metallic mesh leaf lights
debenhams.com £10

Superfresco Beige Solitude wallpaper
debenhams.com £13

Childhood Memories of Butlin's

We have just returned home following our Easter Holiday break at Butlin's Bognor Regis, as part of the Butlin's Ambassador program for 2013.  During our stay we paid particular attention to the accommodation, the entertainment and the food, to see how well Butlin's could do at keeping our family, which includes a tot, a tween and a teen, holidaying happily together. We stayed from Monday to Friday in a Reef Appartment at the Wave Hotel and we had a Premium Dining Plan giving us half-board for the duration of our stay.

Being there, brought back so many memories of my own childhood and of Butlin's and how it used to be in the mid to late 70's.

As a child, we would regularly take our annual Summer holiday at Butlin's Barry Island.  I remember the rows of rather utilitarian self-catering chalet accommodation and the chilly outdoor swimming pool.  We would take the train to our destination, armed with buckets and spades.  We always went self-catering and would eat out for a treat.

Ready To Brave The Pool 1974

My parents enjoyed the evening entertainment and we'd ensconce ourselves at a good table and watch the all singing and dancing Red Coats.  I was always painfully shy and although I desperately wanted to join in with the kids' dances, I never was brave enough to do the "Wiggle, Wiggle, Whoops" with the other children.  I remember the comedians, the singers and even the guy who played R2D2 in Star Wars making appearances on stage.  My dad always liked to introduce himself and collect signed photos of the 'stars'!   One comedian did an act where he put a skittle in his mouth and invited the audience to throw balls to try and knock it out.  Most balls fell short of the target, but my dad with his strong right arm, took it upon himself to throw his with total accuracy and the look of shock on the comedian's face was brilliant as the ball connected and almost knocked out his teeth!  The talent shows were always a favourite and I vividly  remembered an entrant singing "I Wanna Be Like You" from The Jungle Book.  He was clearly a little bit drunk but that only enhanced his King Louis impression!

Ready For An Evening Of Entertainment (Little Me with My Daddy!)

Personally, I am a creature of habit who loves her home comforts.  I have always found it hard to justify paying out a big chunk of our hard earned annual income to fund a single week away, unless it promises something really fabulous.  We are also all vegetarian, so worry about food being a disappointment when we are away from home. So, I had very high expectations for our holiday and I hoped that today's modern Butlin's would be able to live up to them.

While we were there Butlin's celebrated its 77th year.  So much has changed over the years but the fundamental ethos to provide seaside holidays for families remains at its heart.

Over the following days, I will be writing all about our holiday at Butlin's Bognor Regis and sharing our thoughts and our experiences.  I hope you enjoy reading about how we enjoyed  holidaying at Butlin's in 2013.  It's a far cry from my childhood memories!