Cambridge Food Garden and Produce Festival.

On Saturday we decided to go on a spontaneous outing to Cambridge and see their Food Festival, as we've always seemed to miss it in previous years! What a lovely day out!! 

There was a great atmosphere and a large variety of things to see and do, considering that it was actually a rather small festival!

The food tent was my favourite part, with local produce as well as other food, including sausages by Giggly Pig, Mead from the Magic Mead company, and plenty of other stalls selling everything from olive oil, fresh bread, meat, preserves and sweets/cakes! 

The kids enjoyed having a ride on a donkey and playing hook a duck, then got to have a look at all the animals that had been brought along!
After a quick pub lunch for Rich and I, it was a look through John Lewis before heading home.
I will definitely be dragging us back there next year!!

New hobbies

Archery has always been something I've wanted to try, and over the years I've had taster sessions at various places. This year, I decided to invest my birthday money on a beginners course at our local club in Royston. I loved it! I have now finally joined the club and have had two Sundays of practise which has had my arms and shoulders aching!! All I need to do now is hope I get some money at Christmas, so I can invest in my own equipment!!

Last year, Dean was enrolled in Little Ruggers, which is a class where the children are taught non contact rugby based skills. Dean enjoyed it to start with, but by the end of the year was getting a little bored! We decided to see if he would enjoy real rugby, and so on Sunday, took him along to his first taster session of tag rugby! He loved it!! - Although wasn't overly happy about being knocked over...

This works out very well though, as rugby is on at the same time and place as my archery sessions!

All we need now is to find Richard and Lexie something fun to do!!

Shopping days.

On Saturday Dean and I decided to take a trip into Cambridge with my mum to see if we could find any more bargains to put away for Christmas! Burleigh Street probably has the biggest concentration of charity shops that I know of in Cambridge, so that was our planned destination.

We headed in on the train and then got a double decker bus into the town centre, as that was one thing Dean had insisted upon when we planned to go! By this time mum and I were in desperate need for a coffee, so a quick trip to Pret a Manger and then off to the park so Dean could have a run around, and we could have a sit down!!

Now the difference between Cambridge and Royston charity shops is that the Cambridge shops may have the higher quality stock, but they are also more savvy about pricing things! In fact some of their prices are so high, it is often better to go buy the items new!! This resulted in us not having a very productive shopping trip! I came home with 2 presents to put away for Christmas (both bought from The Works!), a skirt for myself to wear at Halloween and some coconut flour, which I've been meaning to buy for ages!

We all had a lovely time though, pigged out on rubbish food, and killed most of a day together!

Just the two of us!

It's not often Dean and I get the chance to spend some time one on one, but with the new school year about to start, Dean was desperately due a haircut. So while Daddy looked after Lexie, Dean and I went into town!



Such a simple few hours, but probably the best I can remember in a long time! After our appointments at the hairdressers we had a look around a few shops. Picked up some bargains for Christmas, went and had lunch at our favourite café, Morenos, a quick trip to the town park, and then a novelty ride home on the Royston bus!

All in all a good few hours! Plus a promise to make it a regular thing! Next time though, a trip into Cambridge!!

Party season!

It feels like this year has really flown by, and all of a sudden I'm having to think about all the parties that are coming up! The most important being Dean's 4th birthday party at the beginning of December!
Now you may think I'm being a bit obsessive about it, but when all his friends have their birthdays around the same time, it's important to get organised! And this year is no exception!! This year, Dean will be having a joint birthday party with his best friend Callum!
The theme? Well, Pirates of course!!



And so with 3 months to go until the big day, I have been prepared, and have made up some 'Save the Dates' for those special friends, to be sure that everyone can make it!!

These were fun to make, and although fiddly, came out looking really good!!
We will be sending some of these out soon, but with the boys starting their new nursery tomorrow, we can expect the guest list to get much longer as they make new friends! (Hopefully not too long though...)

Harvest time

After putting Lexie down for her nap today, Dean and I ventured outside between rain showers to see what fruit and veg we could find! 

Finally, at the end of August, we're starting to see things ripen and become ready for picking! Dean absolutely loves doing this, and I left him to the blackberries which we seem to have an unending supply of this year!!

Maybe I will even get around to doing something with them!! (If the kids don't scoff them down first!!)

Banana cake!

With the summer holidays drawing to a close, the kids are getting a little antsy, and it's becoming increasingly harder to keep them entertained! 

So today, we decided to make banana cake! Killing 3 birds with one stone, we used up some old bananas, kept Dean busy for half hour, and also produced something for my ever hungry children to eat!

Dean is happy doing anything in the kitchen if it means he can help, so giving him the job of mashing the bananas and mixing them into the cake made his day!

Obviously tasting the cake after came a close second!!

Now I just have to resist eating it myself!! 

Here is the recipe for those of you who would like to try it, it really is a lovely cake!!

Carpet

Today, our task is to go and find some carpet for Dean and Lexie's bedroom!! They now have the room that was once our bedroom, but we gave it up so they'd have enough room! When we bought the house, it was the first room we finished, and were lucky enough to find good wooden flooring under the scrappy old carpet! We sanded and polished and got it looking beautiful!

Unfortunately, kids + hardwood floor = lots of noise!!

We put some money aside for some carpet, but just haven't found what we want yet. Just over a year ago, when Dean was first moved into his room, we decorated it with a Knights and Dragons theme, and so have always thought a green carpet would look good (grass and rolling hills etc ;) ).

So this is our challenge today... Find some nice green carpet, that is big enough for their room, but doesn't cost the earth! Roaring Meg here we come!

Update: So we found carpet, very cheap, and Dean got his way and ended up with red stripes!! Now we just need to organise a fitter...

Welcome!

Hello, and Welcome to The Hopwood Family blog!

We are Richard and Georgina (Rich and George to those that know us), and have two beautiful children, Dean who is coming up to 4, and Lexie who has just turned 2! We live in Royston, Hertfordshire in the UK.

This is the place to keep up with all our antics, from mealtimes and school fun, to hobbies and party planning!

We hope you enjoy reading!