Baking Fairy Cakes

Tomorrow we have got a joint 2nd birthday party for all the "babies" in the ante- natal group we were and are a part of. We have all agreed on taking a few bits of food each to have a picnic lunch at the venue of choice, and I thought seeing as I usually get good feedback on my cakes, I would make fairy cakes...also a perfect opportunity for a fun activity for Alice and I to do together.

We started by measuring all the ingredients into bowls, as it is generally easier to do that with a toddler, I have found this out the hard way... After measuring the ingredients out we prepped the bun trays and Alice put the paper cases into each of the holes, she then took them all out and stacked them together again. This is a great game to keep her busy whilst I turned the oven on.

After I had managed to put the cases back into the tray, Alice poured all the dry ingredients into the big bowl and then stirred them together.

Concentration face

 Next we put the wet ingredients in, I started off the mixing and then Alice mixed round after to make sure it was done properly. She loves mixing, whilst she mixes she sings to her self 'Mix, mix, mix'.

Alice had a go at putting the cake mixture into the cases but couldn't work out how to do it, so I filled the cases whilst she carried on mixing.

Posing for the picture, all ready for the oven.

Whilst the cakes were in the oven, Alice thought the best thing for her to do was to hide. I have no idea where she has gone in this picture... *winks*

'Mummy I hiding, MUMMY!!'

Cakes just out of the oven

We waited for the cakes to cool down before icing them. I managed to find my favourite sweets, from when I was young, to decorate the cakes as well as pink glimmer sugar.

Alice helped to put the chocolate 'Jazzies' and the glimmer sugar on top after I had put the icing on. She loved helping to decorate and I was very impressed that she didn't try to eat anything whilst helping.

Alice taking the glitter sugar from me

 Alice wanted to show off the finished product, and judging by the face she is pulling, she was working hard with her self control.

Laura

Enhancement to Alice's Collage

This morning, I showed Alice the collage we had made yesterday, now it was dry. She absolutely loved it, I think based on the reaction she had forgotten about making it. We decided that we would jazz it up more now the PVA had dried.

Alice spotted sparkles in her craft box, so it was decided that we were putting star shaped glitter onto the collage too.

Alice showing me the glitter

 I think you'll agree, she is looking pretty happy with herself, after adding the glitter.

The finished product ready for displaying in her room.

Lastly, the collage up in Alice's room, next to another collage she had made previously.

Laura

Autumn Walk at Bystock Pool

After a few days of rain and not being able to get out and go for a walk. We decided that enough was enough and seized the opportunity to get layered up for a walk around Bystock Pools, it was also a good opportunity to collect autumn things to make a collage at home.

All wrapped up and waiting to go walking

Collecting leaves

Leaf collecting temporarily stopped to watch the ducks

We collected a variety of leaves and twigs around the lake but we couldn't see any pine cones, so we carried on walking and ended up walking up onto the common. We managed to find hundreds of little pine cones but no big ones, however, I knew that they would stick on the collage better so Alice picked up a few handfuls.

On the way up to the common from the lake, Alice stopped for a photo.

I stupidly forgot to take a picture collecting the pine cones, must have been the rate of which Alice was chucking them into the bag.

On the way back to the car I had to capture this, a beautiful sight in autumn.

When we got home we laid out all the bits and pieces we had collected on our walk and Alice had another look.

Alice and I used a couple of the leaves to make rubbings, as she has never done this before and it would look good on her collage. She had also decided her favourite item she had collected was the piece of pine tree.

We used PVA glue to stick on all the bits Alice had selected. In the end there was no space for the rubbings that we did together, but we have enough things left over to make another autumn collage another day. The collage is now drying before it will be placed in Alice's bedroom for her to see.

Alice's finished collage.

Laura