Red Ted Art - Time on Your Hands

As an artist and a mum I was really impressed with this book. It uses a simple toilet roll tube to make 14 different funky craft ideas. I've found it especially useful for times when I have an hour to spare in the afternoon and need to think of an activity on the spot! The use of a loo roll means that the activities are really cheap to do so they are good to do with groups of any size. They could be good as the craft activity for kids parties,especially since many of the ideas tie in with seasonal holidays.

Each one of the suggestions could be tailored for any age group. If you have children of different ages they could do the same task and get as much enjoyment from it. None of the ideas take too much preparation either and use a lot of household items that you are likely to have in the cupboard.

The explanations are very easy to understand and the pictures are bright and clear. My son enjoyed looking at the pictures and choosing for himself which ones he wanted to make.

I don't have anything negative to say about this book at all. It produces quick and effective results that your children will love.

Review by Asha Hutchings

Buy Red Ted Art's Time on Your Hands ebook HERE

We tried out Red Ted Art's new ebook, Time on Your Hands, with the children at our Weston-super-Mum monthly Coffee and Bounce at the Purple Sheep, with brilliant results. Everyone had a ball. Here are some of the photos from our Arts and Crafts Corner. Making Owls:

Where the fun never ends!

My Girl isn't yet of school-age so I haven't done a half-term proper but she is at pre-school five mornings a week. "What do parents do in the holidays?" I've always thought.

If they're a Weston-super-Mum, they wouldn't have been stuck for choices, that's for sure. Half-term was, no other word for it, full-on!

Bank Holiday Monday saw us camped up in Grove Park, watching the very talented Klair singing live at the bandstand. She belted out a fair few numbers, from Shania Twain to Queen to Carole King and Amy Winehouse. Fabulous! Most of us took a picnic and the cafe must have practically sold out of ice-creams. It was a real family affair in the sunshine - friends, food, song and blue skies, what more could a parent wish for?

The kids? They all collected themselves on the steps of the bandstand - as Weston-super-Dad, Mike, pointed out, looking like they were following the Pied Piper, magnetised to the music. And that voice.

Tuesday lead us to Hutton Moor Leisure Centre where Debbie had organised a couple of hours of inflatable fun, more music, lots of bouncing, followed by a buffet-style dinner for the little people. Thanks Debbie :)

Wednesday. Ah, Wednesday. An amazing Funday at the Purple Sheep in Hughenden Road, Milton. This was a laugh a minute: face-painting, an 8 foot hedgehog, more bouncing, garden toys, stalls, pizza and BBQ'ed food and a fire engine. With real-life fire-men. The kids got to sit in the big red truck and put on the yellow helmets, while some of the mums managed to hose down one fireman with particularly big muscles. A treat for all.

It's Friday - slap on the sunscreen and head over to Ashcombe Park with a picnic for hours of play and chatter. Well done to Gin for getting us together for this one.

And then Sunday, a truly magnificent event by the team at North Somerset @Play Forum. There was so much to do up there in Worlebury Woods by the Water Tower. But this deserves a whole blog post on its own - please check into our Weston Mercury Blog sometime later this week to read all about it.

For upcoming events, please check our Events Board on http://www.westonsupermum.com/

All Aboard

Activity is high at Weston-super-Mum, with memebers really making the place home, joining in discussions and organising events. Super Grandmother, Kay Blake, created the group Into the Arena, where we can tell others about those bargains that we have seen around town and household tips that we just can't keep to ourselves. On our Forum you can share tips on how to be green-minded. Some funny comments have appeared on the discussion "Mummy Moments," about those odd times when it really hits home that you're a parent - like when you go clothes shopping for yourself and come back with bagfuls of stuff for your little one instead!

Karen Blake hosted a play-date at Central Weston Children's Centre and Emma Tait organised a super-Mums get together at Milton and Old Worle Children's Centre, while Gin got a few of us together for a picnic at Ashcombe Park, for which, miraculously, the sun shone bright!






















The Arts and Crafts Afternoon at the Purple Sheep Cafe in Hughenden Road brought in a number of colourful entries for our Logo Competition - many thanks to Chris, Claire, Shane and Kayleigh at the Purple Sheep, who all made us feel very welcome, and to all of you who manned the event or who brought your children along. The competition hasn't closed yet, so there's still time to get your entries in!

In fact, it's all gone a bit Competition Loco over on the Community. We're running a blog writing competition for our Weston Mercury online slot. So if you want to be in with the chance of winning a family ticket to Puxton Park, tell us all about a place you like to visit in North Somerset with the kids and mail it to us at info@westonsupermum.com Closing date is 14th March.

At the end of March, one lucky Community member, picked at random, will receive a game of Cluedo, which has been kindly donated by Lloyds Toys in Weston High Street. To enter the draw, simply sign up as a member of Weston-super-Mum :)

We're organising charity events too - Debbie S has brought us together to dress up as superheroes and raise money for Sports Relief on our Toddle from The Grand Pier to Seaquarium with other entrants from all over the region. It's not too late to sign up. Alternatively, if you'd like to sponsor the Weston-super-Mum Team, you can do so here: http://www.mysportrelief.com/TeamPage.aspx?Lang=en-CA&TSID=17280

Please support us!

Exciting news from Weston Hospicecare! Olly Joseph and the team at WH are ready to organise a Family Fun Day in the summer, with entertainers, face-painting and the like. We need as many people to sign up for the group dedicated to Weston Hospicecare so that the event can go ahead. Olly welcomes any suggestions you may have to make this a day designed for YOU and would also like to know whether any of us would like to take a more active role in the preparations and staging of the event. Sign up to the group to ensure that the Fun Day can be staged and tell us your views on it.

In other WsMum news, Kelly has launched her very own website, http://www.notjust4baby.co.uk/, which sells homemade nappy cakes and beautiful wooden gifts, perfect for Mother's Day and beyond. And Claire Palmer aka Klair appeared on HTV news in her role as one of the Dutty Girls and and their excellent work in "encouraging young women to express themselves through music to boost confidence and self esteem." View it here!


If you have any news you'd like us to share with the Community, sign up to our site and tell us all about it.

Happy Parenting in Weston!

The week that was

Well, it's been a lively week!  Since the creation of our on-line Community last Wednesday, over 45 local members have joined, we've had a well attended play date and a Mums' night out.

The site is attracting not only Mums from Weston but aunties, grandmothers, mums-to-be and today, our very first Dad joined the ranks!  And we've expanded a little southwards with a member from Burnham-on-Sea.  Via the forum, our members have discussed places to go in the local area, the swine flu vacination, the 2010 school intake, holidays and work, among some other 11 topics.  They've set up groups dedicated to food, mums-to-be, twins and multiple births and single parents.  Members are also invited to share those things they love about Weston-super-Mare and have debated what's missing from the town.  Hhm, a central swimming pool seems to be quite a talking point.  Funny that!  There is now a group for Mumpreneurs and a place you can go for a good old rant when you've had one of those days.

Karen Blake is in the midst of creating a much needed database of places to visit with children in Weston so that parents can find a suitable group to attend at a glance.   Please help Karen to achieve this by sending her information about activities in the area (see our forum).

Debbie Smith wrote her very first blog, wittily chronicling her family's joy at her eldest's daughter's school allocation by North Somerset Council.  Furthermore, Debbie has bravely volunteered to set up and help run some of our play-dates.

And Clare Kingsbury-Bell's amazing IT skills have been most welcome.

Thank you to every single person who has joined Our Community and a special thanks to all of you who have contibuted to the discussion and group wall - MUA!!


Around 15 of us (plus kids) met at the Purple Sheep Cafe in the H Church in Hughenden Road yesterday.  Quite a turn out!  And, oh, how the children old enough to bonce bounced!  MANIC.  Thanks to Shane, Lorraine and Chris for making us so welcome.  We will be writing about this in the Weston Mercury very soon.

Last night (yes it was a busy day!), five of us enjoyed a gorgeous meal of 7 small courses plus wine/cider/peppermint tea at The Alasia restaurant in West Street (opposite The Playhouse).  Outstanding food and excellent service, revealing chats and some whirring heads.  A couple of us carried it on in the pubs across the road.  Thank you to Michaela and Charlie at The Alasia.


And the future?

On Tuesday, Rebecca Condron is attending a meeting for professionals who work with parents, which is being held at the Central Weston Children's Centre.  It's a chance to promote our Community and to find out more about what going on for parents in Weston. 

We're currently organising a shopping trip to Bristol, brain-child of Emma Tait, while the indefatiguable Debbie Smith is getting us together for an evening of pubbery at the Old Manor Inn in Worle on Feb 18th.

Join us if you can ....


:-)