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Christmas Jumper Day

Posted Wednesday, December 14th, 2016 by Rachel King in Advice and ideas, for the seasons, Random

Make your own Christmas jumper

My 7 year old decorated her Disana merino jumper for Christmas Jumper Day on the 16th. Here's what we did to ensure the jumper would go back to the same favourite everyday jumper it was, and make it easy to re-Christmas it or another jumper next year.  

 

red-disana_jumper

 

 

  • She came up with line/pattern design based on other Christmassy patterns she'd seen. 
  • Using wool she'd carded, she needle felted the Christmas trees and snowmen onto a piece of felt.

felting-trees

 

  • We then stitched on some other embellishments she had in her sewing/jewelry box.
  • She plaited some merino tops for cuffs.

plattingwool

  • I carefully tacked on the piece of felt and the cuffs to the jumper so as not to damage the jumper and to make it easy to snip off after Christmas.

finishedjumper_square

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Christmas Crafts

Posted Thursday, December 3rd, 2015 by Rachel King in for the seasons, Random

Making decorations is one of our favourite things to do. Here are some of my favourites this year. Hammering wild carrot Christmas trees into cloth is a fun thing for children to do. They can come out looking great too.12314091_10153371944413722_4033771897848355208_nYou can make some beautiful decorations using cinnamon and dried fruit. Simply slice the fruit thinly and dry in the oven at around 80C for an hour on each side. Then children can string them with cranberries and cinnamon sticks.

I love this twig wreath and will dig out the drift wood I've saved since a holiday in Cornwall.
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Finally if you have accidentally shrunk some jumpers or they are too old and holey to pass on this is a nice way to upcycle them and make your house feel warm.enhanced-buzz-30374-1354550934-4

 

 

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Simple midsummer celebrations and children’s crafts

Posted Wednesday, July 3rd, 2013 by Helen East in for the seasons

Midsummer flowers in white and green - time to celebrate the summer with your children!

Midsummer isn't just one day, it's that glorious couple of weeks at the end of June/beginning of July when the whole earth just seems to blossom in white and green and gold. How wonderful and natural to want to celebrate!

We had a midsummer picnic at the weekend and it was so lovely, fun and full of happiness that I wanted to share the simple things we did.   It can be adapted for almost any time of year too. (more…)

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Ten wonderful things about cycling!

Posted Thursday, June 20th, 2013 by Rachel King in dressing for the outdoors, for the seasons

I love working at Cambridge Baby for so many reasons, the biggest being the wonderful people here. But one reason struck me even before walking through the front door. I can cycle here.

After years of commuting on stuffy buses I can merrily propel myself through the countryside over the commons, through the buttercups and past the cows to work. One of the wonderful things about Cambridge as a city is that so many people cycle to get around.

(more…)

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Win Organic Merino Wool Nappy Cover

Posted Wednesday, April 24th, 2013 by Rachel King in competitions & offers
Last chance to Win this gorgeous snuggly Organic Merino Wool Nappy Cover available in red, navy, green and my favourite. Simply let us know why you love real nappies below.

We'll select one lucky winner on Thursday 25th April

Competition Terms and Conditions

Entering a competition via this website will be seen as acceptance of these rules.

1. Only one entry per household is permitted. Cambridge Baby reserves the right to disqualify all entries from one household if multiple entries are made.

2. Cambridge Baby accepts no responsibility for entries that are lost, delayed or damaged in the post, or for emails which fail to be delivered. Entries may be posted to 48 Hemingfod Road, Cambridge, CB1 3BZ. Your full name, address and email address or telephone number must be supplied and the name of the competition clearly stated in your entry.

5. Illegible or incomplete entries will not be considered as entries to any competition.

6. No cash alternative is offered for any magazine competition.

7. No correspondence will be entered into and the editor’s decision shall be final.

8. Your details will be passed to the company or organisation supplying prizes for the purposes of managing the competition and sending of prizes.

9. By entering this competition entrants agree to receiving limited marketing material from Cambridge Baby and the organisation sponsoring the competition to their supplied email address. Your details will not be sold or disclosed to 3rd parties. You may unsubscribe from the magazine newsletter at any time.

9. Cambridge Baby accepts no responsibility for the use of competition prizes, and in no way endorses any products offered by organisations sponsoring the competitions.

10. Competitions may be listed on various Competition sites including

Competitions Today

UK Competitions

The Prizefinder.com

and elsewhere such as Cambridgebaby Facebook

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WIN a merino top for fun in the sun !!

Posted Thursday, March 14th, 2013 by Rachel King in competitions & offers
Believe it or not Merino wool is perfect for summer. Its got a higher UPF (UV protection Factor) than cotton. It breathes brilliantly and actually helps to keep you cool when its hot.  Research shows that in hot temperatures Merino wool clothing helps you sleep better than either cotton or synthetic nightwear. For a chance to WIN this  fine Merino Wool Top like and Share this. When we get to 500 likes. We'll randomly select a winner.

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Free Gift Wrap this Advent

Posted Thursday, December 13th, 2012 by Helen East in competitions & offers
Welcome to our third Christmas Special.  We're offering free gift wrap on the item of your choice - and it's hand-made, ethically produced wrapping paper too (of course!).  To take up this Advent offer, watch the video clip below and find out

What would Connie like for Christmas?

Enter the answer at checkout, in the voucher code box, and we'll wrap for you the item of your choice.  Tell us which one to wrap in the notes box, also at checkout.  While our stocks of gorgeous paper last! And, to win a lovely pair of wool or suede slippers for your child or yourself in our Christmas Slipper Prize Draw, email the answer to team@cambridgebaby.co.uk.

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We'd love to know what your children are thinking of as Christmas approaches!   Comment and let us know.    For bonus entries into our Christmas Slipper Prize Draw, tweet this link, share with your friends, share on facebook or on your blog -just tell us and we'll give you an extra entry for each share!  Thank you for spreading the word! The small print....  no purchase necessary to enter the Christmas Slipper Prize Draw - just follow the instructions.  Enter by 20th December 2012.  If you can't see the video just email us to enter at team@cambridgebaby.co.uk - and we'll also let you know how to gain your gift wrap this week.  This fairly traded offer ends soon on 19th December 2012 (so make the most of it) or when our stocks of hand-made paper run out!

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Advent Special – number two!

Posted Saturday, December 8th, 2012 by Helen East in competitions & offers
As we enter further into advent, we've put together another clip for you with two lovely offers!  This week's question is...

What would Eleanor like for Christmas?

Enter the answer at checkout for £10 off any of our sumptuous Alpaca children's jumpers!   Email us the answer for (another) entry into our Christmas Slipper Draw - win a lovely pair of wool or suede slippers for your child or yourself. We'd love to know what your children are thinking of!   Comment and let us know.    And for bonus entries into our Christmas Slipper Prize Draw, tweet this link, share with your friends, share on facebook or on your blog -just tell us and we'll give you an extra entry for each share!  Thank you for spreading the word!  And a bonus entry for your comments too.  xx The small print....  no purchase necessary to enter the Christmas Slipper Prize Draw - just follow the instructions.  Enter by 20th December 2012.  If you can't see the video just email us to enter at team@cambridgebaby.co.uk - and we'll also let you know how to gain £10 off Alpaca children's jumpers (you can see some here!) this week.  This fabulous alpaca offer ends soon on 12th December 2012 (so make the most of it)!

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Advent Special

Posted Monday, December 3rd, 2012 by Helen East in competitions & offers
We had some fun with some of our children in the garden, lighting candles to celebrate advent.  They came out with some very funny things about Christmas - and we decided to put together an Advent Calendar Special for you. So watch this clip - and if you watch carefully you could win 15% off all Winter coats plus an entry into our Christmas Slipper prize draw! For bonus entries into our Christmas Slipper Prize Draw, tweet this link, share with your friends, share on facebook or on your blog - let us know and we'll give you an extra entry for each share!  Thank you for spreading the word! The small print....  no purchase necessary to enter the Christmas Slipper Prize Draw - just follow the instructions.  Enter by 20th December 2012.  If you can't see the video just email us to enter at team@cambridgebaby.co.uk - and we'll also let you know how to claim 15% off Winter coats this week - this fabulous coats offer ends on 10th December 2012 so make the most of it!

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Martinmas

Posted Sunday, November 11th, 2012 by Rachel King in for the seasons

Martinmas is on November 11th. It's my favourite festival that my daughter celebrates at Kindergarten. St Martin was famous for cutting his cloak in half with his sword and giving half to a beggar to save him from freezing.  Legend has it that, the following night, Christ appeared to Martin in a dream dressed in the piece of cloak Martin had cut. “All Year Round” - a lovely book about celebrating the seasons with your family - says

“Martin’s half cloak brought hope and comfort to the beggar-his compassionate gesture may warm us also, and protect us from wintry despair.”

Image of Martinmas Lanterns - from http://thewonderofchildhood.com/2011/10/martinmas-lantern-walk/

To celebrate Martinmas, we carry home-made candle lanterns as a symbol of the small light we can shine into the dark world.  There are links to making your own lantern below. Families join together for a lantern walk through the woods, and the candlelight and song make the experience a magical one for everyone. This year for us it was very special - the teachers had strung candle lanterns on the trees, lighting the path we followed as it wound through the woodland.  We rested under a the spreading branches of a sheltering tree, and the children gathered round to hear the story of St Martin, and each received their own gift of home-made biscuits. Here  is one version of a  St Martins Song that they sing
I walk with my little lantern, My lantern travels with me. Above the stars are shining, And down below shine we. Shine bright my light! All through the night! Rabimmel, rabammel, rabum. Shine bright my light! All through the night! Rabimmel, rabammel, rabum.

Lantern Ideas

This  is a tutorial for the leaf lantern. My children age 3 and 18 months loved scribbling with wax crayons and collecting the leaves yesterday. The best bit is it looks wonderful no matter how crazy the scribbling as long as you get loads of wax on there. http://bebehblog.com/leaf-lanterns-ive-officially-become-a-crazy-craft-blogger/ Here is a german website full of lantern ideas, there are also lots on pinterest. http://www.kikisweb.de/spezial/stmartin/Laternen/laternen.htm

Sharing ideas

To encourage sharing, try a special Martinmas breakfast of a croissant or bread that can be cut in half and shared with the person next to you, to remind us of St Martin cutting his cloak in half and giving it away, and to value community and the gifts we all bring to others. Given that wool coats last through many children,  Martinmas is a good day to hand on coats that your family have grown out of to a new family to enjoy.  No need to cut them in half though! There are more nice ideas at The Wonder Of Childhood's Martinmas post - here.

Wrap up Warm

Finally here are are a few tips to keep you warm if you go on a lantern walk.
  • Wool socks inside boots for children and grown-ups (even if the boots leak or feet get wet, they'll still be warm and cosy).

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