The easiest idea I have found on pinterest for Halloween. Just remember when you wrap your cartons to leave a gap for the straw to poke into!

I took the photos with my new favourite Lomography app, Lomo Lens Lite. I reckon it gives it an extra spooky feel!

It was a miserable day today. The dogs retreated to their beds as did the baby (can I call him a baby at 15 months?!) and big boy was happy with some children's tv whilst I prepared this game! There was a break in the drizzle so we made the most of the see saw, which in this Autumn weather has not had enough use and played see saw sums!

As big boy is only 3 we did some simple sums with a maximum total of 8, as I had drawn around the see saw into 8 slices!

He got the hang of it straight away and had to swing around the wheel of numbers, landing on the correct numbers in the sum.

Easy stuff like - he landed on 6. Me - "What makes six?" Big boy - "I don't know!" Me " Hold out 6 fingers, now take 1 away, how many have you got left?" You get the gist! So off to number 1 and 5 we went!

Even small boy enjoy it, even though he had no clue what the chalk meant!

You could try it with swing ball post in the middle or a plant pot with a stick in and string tied around the stick with your toddler holding the other end of the length of string.  Make up little cards with basic sums on for slightly older children too.

I was meant to post this on Monday for my regular entry to Missie Lizzie B's Magpie Monday link but it has taken me all week to hide myself off and finish making these blooming book pumpkins! It looked like such a simple idea on Pinterest but crikey, you basically have to cut about 5 pages at a time, so forget it if you want a quick and easy craft! Cut a D shape into your book, then pull the pages from the outer spine cover. Glue your twig to the spine and fan the pages around the twig. I glued the pages together to hold the pumpkin shape. Tie a bit of green string round the top for a leaf effect.

They do look fab though and the fireplace is now coming on nicely (I know, I know as if there is really room for anything else).

I picked up a stack of old books in the charity shop for between 50p and a £1 each. I chose all nature ones as when you look at the pumpkins from different angles you catch a glimpse of an owl or mushroom!

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There was one book that just seemed too beautiful to cut up. In fact it did seem a bit criminal hacking into all of them.

Nature Diary by Janet Marsh is a year long affectionate journal of her observations of the Itchen Valley in Hampshire. A glorious tribute to the English Countryside and accompanied by the most delicate and intricate water colours.

I have wanted to decorate the wall in my office but nothing has caught my eye no matter how hard I have been looking. I have some frames from when I first started changing big boy's room into my hidey hole and there were two illustrations from the book that were too beautiful to keep shut up in the pages.

Bargain books recycled into something of beauty!

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