Cuisine & Culture the Chinese Family Way
Whether you’re planning your own stag do for your upcoming wedding or helping a friend with theirs, the process can be very involved, often difficult and often time-consuming. But don’t worry–we’ve put together a brief guide on how you can plan the perfect party, and there are only a couple of steps involved in the entire process.
The roof is an important part of any building. It’s what protects it from a lot of things, such as rain, snow, and many others. When you have a conservatory, the roof is just as important as it is for the rest of the house. After all, you will spend a lot of time there, so it needs the same amount of protection.
When it comes to designing the ideal family bathroom, what’s the most important thing? Ask most busy families and its not the theme or the decor – it’s the accessories: those little features that help to make a room more livable.
Accessories are far more than a “nice-to-have”- they have a direct impact on your quality of life and time that you have available to spend with your family. A well-appointed bathroom can work wonders for family life.
The Ultimate Bike Book is a paperback guide book that is great for beginners or children who love to cycle. It is packed with full-colour illustrations and photos, cycling tips, tricks, facts and history, plus profiles of top cyclists to provide inspiration. It will be available to buy from 4th April 2019 onwards. It is suitable for aged seven and above.
The Sensational Houdini’s Puzzle Safe is a unique puzzle book that was inspired by the greatest escapologist to have ever lived. We always love solving puzzles in this household and have numerous puzzle books on our shelves. Some books are just simple and straightforward calculations but some are witty. This book is totally different from the rest. You have to solve one puzzle before you are able to move to the next. It is a puzzle chain, a never-ending circle of puzzles, and logic problems designed to confound the minds of the unworthy. If you think you are good at solving puzzles, then give this book a go. It will be available to buy from 4th April 2019 onwards.
100 Birds to See In Your Lifetime is a part aspirational encyclopedia and part identification guide, that provides detailed summary information and range maps, along with beautifully written profiles featuring unusual facts, anecdotes and its significance. This book title by David Chandler and Dominic Couzens published in 2008 has been revamped with a brand new cover and will be available to buy from 4th April 2019 onwards.
Last month, on the 8th February, marked the yearly National Kite Flying Day by many kite flying enthusiasts. We were so lucky to try out this Kitedrone Twinstar Hot Rods from Character Options, especially at this time of the year, when it is quite breezy and with clear skies.
The Gangsta Granny Stash the Swag board game is a fun and engaging game starring the characters from David Walliams’ award-winning book, Gangsta Granny. This game encourages strategic thinking and is suitable for children aged seven and above. It is for two to four players.
If you are looking quick and healthier ways to cook your food, then steaming food is one of the best cooking methods of all. It helps to retain the nutritional value of food by conserving the fibre, colour, texture and flavour of vegetables. It also helps in preserving the water-soluble B & C vitamins, potassium, phosphorus and zinc.
Do remember that steaming is not just only for vegetables and fish! There are plenty of ways to cook a meal using steam! You can also steam a cake/cupcake, dim sum, chicken and many more! Do check out my recipes: steam rose bun, niao gao, rice cake, seabass, sponge cake.
Bodega Bar & Cantina is a vibrant and quirky restaurant that offers authentic homemade South American food and drink. They currently have four branches across the United Kingdom: Birmingham city centre, Worcester, Leicester & Sutton Coldfield (CLOSED). We were invited to test out their refreshed menu at the Sutton Coldfield branch. It is located along the busy Birmingham road which is surrounded by food businesses, shops and houses. There are quite a few places for off-street parking but they are limited by an hour during peak time. It is worth parking at Duke Street or Queen Street car park for longer stays.
KidSmart is an app designed to improve a child’s English, Mathematics and 11+ skills and it caters for aged four to eleven years old. The app tailors the experience to match the child’s pace and incorporates gamification to stimulate learning.
This app will be available from the App Store with a monthly payment plan. There are three different plans to cater to your needs: Primary, 11+ and Primary & 11+. The Primary plan is aimed at reception to Year 6, whilst 11+ cover topics on CEM 11+ / GL 11+. As you may have guessed, the Primary & 11+ consists of both these plans listed above. We have been testing out their Beta app which includes topics on Primary & 11+ plan.
The long wait is finally over! This Nerf N-Strike Elite Rukkus ICS-8 blaster is another great addition for any Nerf fans and this unseasonably warm weather means we can engage in a friendly battle under the winter sun.
I’m sure many of you will know that Hexbug is one of the global leaders in technology, robotics, and STEM education that includes all kinds of realistic bug-like micro robotic creatures to battling robots. They continue to produce innovative toys that are loved by children and adults of all ages. Now they help raise awareness of endangered animals by creating a range of toys and playsets that were inspired by where their real-life animal counterparts!
In a week’s time commencing on Monday 4th March 2019, we will be celebrating the National Spring Cleaning Week. This campaign is to inspire and educate everyone to spring clean not just their homes but their lives as well! You may also hear this campaign called the ‘KonMari’ style where you choose joy and complete your tidying adventures!
Cleaning can seem like a mammoth task, but there is nothing better than a clean, streamlined and harmonious home. So let us embrace this annual spring clean with wide open arms!
This half term, we have been busy excavating and learning all about shark teeth and the precious gemstones thanks to these National Geographic STEM educational kits from Bandai. These kits are a great hit in this household and have added to our ever growing collection!
What I like about these kits is that they provide genuine items and not those cheap copies that you sometimes find. Both my children were so excited as both of them love collecting shark teeth and rocks. Whenever we visit the Sealife Centre or a museum, they both like to buy these types of souvenirs!
