My Lucky Dip Life!

  If you're anything like me, you might find yourself unprepared when the "real" winter strikes!  Here in the Netherlands we've had a really mild winter so far, we haven't even needed scarves and hats unless we've been outdoors for a while.  As a result, I haven't bought all the kit that goes with really cold weather like we've been experiencing, and if I'm honest, I don't see myself going out and buying waterproof ski clothing for a few days of snow!  As it is the girls would much rather be indoors with a mug of hot cocoa - they must have inherited their dislike of the cold from their parents!   Now we've had snow, and quite a bit of it....it's been hanging round for days and out of the blue my 6 year old tells me she hasn't taken part in any snowball fights at school because her gloves would get wet, leading to extra cold fingers.  Oops!  Bad Mummy Moment! Finding myself in a predicament I put the ol' thinking cap

    I wish my heading sounded prettier and more magical, because these beautiful spheres made by filling balloons with water and then leaving them out to freeze certainly have a fairytale appeal about them. I've had this idea Pinned for quite a while and just needed the right conditions to try it out.  This week we've had a lovely cold snap with snow and temperatures going well below zero.  PERFECT conditions I tell you! All I had was a picture to go by... and I really had a DUH moment  when I began.  There I was with balloon in hand, ready at the tap, when it dawned on me that coloured water did not flow from the faucet and how was I going to get colour in there?!? Just shows how lazy I've become...did I give it a moment's thought?  Noooooo, off I rushed to the WWW to find out the answer, which was blindingly simple!  Add a drop of food colour to the balloon before  you fill it up!  Sigh.  Sometimes... When they were filled up I placed them carefully (I c

OK, I know I really should have shared this before Christmas but no sooner had I finished them than the Day was upon me and I had some kind of very odd 'flu' which left me with a fever on and off for days... in fact I fell asleep on the couch on Christmas morning and the lovely husband only woke me at 1pm.....with a whole Christmas "lunch" still to cook!  Guess I must have needed it though. And then there was work.  Yes indeed!  After the jolly holiday we set to work on my sewing room..... which never quite got completed as we went away for a few days over Old and New (quaint Dutch way of saying New Year's - I quite like it!) ... et cetera, et cetera.  But it is certain to be finished in the very near future and then I can reveal...... NOW, back to Gingerbread Houses. Nearly 2 years ago I made a choice to give up sugar (amongst other things).  It is the best thing I ever did but it left me with a small problem.  I LOVE making and decorating kids cakes.  So