Baker Man, Baker Man

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The Boy and Me (I never tire of that little joke) have made crispie cakes a few times now, but we're yet to make proper cakes with icky stuff that could go all wrong and everything. That was until Sunday when I decided to take the bull by the horn and just do it. Spurred on by the 'I Love Cake' linky over on Mummy Mishaps, with Jenny having thrown the gauntlet down, I went for it.

Therefore, I present you with our simple cupcake recipe. Please bear with us, one of us is a complete novice, and the other can't stand the sight of eggs.

1. 4oz of self-raising flour, butter, caster sugar, 2 eggs and half a bar of white chocolate roughly chopped.

2. Add the butter and sugar and mix together. We used a balloon whisk.

3. Add the eggs and mix together. If it starts to curdle, add a small amount of flour. If you're two, try not to pour a third of the egg mix over the counter top as your mummy will feel sick having to clean it up.

4. Add the remainder of the flour and mix together. Then gently stir in the white chocolate.

5. Set out the cake cases into the baking tray.

6. Spoon the mixture into the cake cases. Get your mummy to help with this because it's very twikky to do!

7. Sit and watch the cakes cooking in the very hot oven for 12 minutes at 180°C.

8. If you get bored, because 12 minutes is a long time, then make the buttercream. Sift 9oz of icing sugar into a bowl and all over the work surface. Add to this some softened butter, the other half a bar of white chocolate which your mummy had melted, and some blue food colouring because you're two and you can. Mix together really well.

9. While the cakes are cooking, do the washing up. Every good cook does this, except that Gordon Ramsey fellow.

10. When the cakes are cool, spread the now green buttercream all over them and place rocket sugarcraft decorations on top. Try not to eat more than half of them because otherwise your mummy will have to open another packet!

The finished product: White chocolate cupcakes!

Not bad for our first attempt!

I'm linking this up to Mummy Mishaps 'I Love Cake' linky. Click on the badge below to go and check out the other entries!

I Love Cake

Boxing Clever

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Last night on twitter, I was chatting with some lovely folk about how our children, as all children do, prefer to play with a large cardboard box than the toys that were inside it. We shared a few pictures back and forth through twitpic, and I realised that actually there was a wealth of ideas for the brown cuboids.

However, when it comes to making something from it, the only thing that springs to my mind is a house.

I know that's what I seem to repeatedly make for The Boy, as he is yet to come out with ideas himself other than a boat for Mr. Meerkat. Although possibly even at two, he could be construed as having more imagination that his mother.

Boxes are such a brilliant resource to stimulate imagination, and in this modern time of plastic play it is essential to teach the next generation about reusing and recycling.

But most of all, it's fun!

I'd like you to link up with your posts or pictures of what you and your children have made with cardboard boxes. Have a nose at the other ideas, see what else you can come up with. The linky (thanks to Maggy) is open until the end of October.

Gender or Species?

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Mr. TheBoyandMe and The Boy are having a chat.

Mr.TBAM: Is mummy a boy or a girl?

The Boy: Her is a girl.

Mr. TBAM: What about daddy?

The Boy: You is a girl.

Mr. TBAM: No I'm a boy.

The Boy: No, I am a boy! You is a girl!

Mr. TBAM: I'm sure I used to be a boy. What about Nana?

The Boy: Her is a girl.

Mr. TBAM: What about Grandad?

The Boy: I don't know.

Mr. TBAM: Have a guess.

The Boy: He is a camel!

TRu Review: Little Tikes Town Playhouse

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There are some serious bonuses to this blogging lark, you know. We've been really lucky and happy with all the lovely toys that we've had to test from Toys R Us, and then, just when I thought they couldn't do any better, they send us a house. Yes, that's right a house.

The Little Tikes Town Playhouse is one of the best designs of outdoor playhouses that I have seen. There are four sides to the Town House and this is where the flexibility in the play lies, something for every child.

I especially like the fact that the petrol station has a pump which is compatible with the Little Tike Cozy Coupe car we have, all the children in the garden have headed straight to that to fill up the car. The other most appealing side for boys seems to be the sports side with the football net and basketball hoop. The Boy doesn't take much notice of the fire station entrance at the moment, preferring to crawl in through the tyre hole in the petrol station side.

Construction was relatively easy, it took Mr. TheBoyandMe about an hour with some extremely useful help from The Boy. Tools needed included a drill and a screwdriver, that was it.

One person on their own will not manage it as it needs one person to pull the roof into shape, while the other screws from the inside-up to firmly attach the roof. The only thing that went wrong with the building was a mis-aligned screw from Mr. TheBoyandMe which unfortunately made a small perforation in the roof. Aside from that, it was quick and simple.

The Boy could not wait to get started on playing with the sports features, incidentally this remains his most favourite side of the house to date. 

One of the other features that I really like about it is the height, it is quite a bit higher than other playhouses I've seen, which means that he is going to get a good few years play from it. So much so that when a friend came over with her three children (8 years, 6 years and 2.5 years) they played with it for well over an hour, using every single one of the sides and really playing nicely together!


If you are looking for a sturdy, outdoor playhouse, then you would be hard-pushed to find a more adaptable and engaging one than this. The Boy adores it, and happy Boy means a happy mummy!

Thank you Little Tikes and Toys R Us!

The Little Tikes Town Playhouse is available to buy from Toys R Us online and in store for £314.99. For more Toys R Us reviews, please visit the ToyBox application on Facebook by clicking on the banner below.

We Were provided with this free of charge for review. My opinions are, as always, honest.

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