. fAthers dAy . partTwo . dark .

friday . end of another week . & . the beginning of another weekend .

mine is going to be full of cake . { with a little running to ease the guilt of all the cake } .

today has been full of cake baking . chocolate bundt cake with a chocolate coffee glaze . an early fAthers dAy gift for my lovely dad . &  if you are still looking for that gift for your dad take a look at some more of my finds .

. 1 . 2 . 3 . 4 . 5 . 6 . 7 . 8 .

you can also see a lot { lot } more on my pinterest board .

but for now i will leave you . i need to go & pack for my weekend away . did i mention there was going to be a lot of cake ?

. wishing all dAds a wOnderful fAthers dAy .

. fAthers dAy . partOne . bright .

i feel a little guilty . next sUnday is fAthers dAy . so i should be spending it with my lovely dad . spoiling him . but . instead i will be indulging in afternoon tea at Betty's . oops !

i will make it up to him . the gift is ordered . & . many many recipes for chocolate cake have been pinned ready for selection & making on friday . 

if you are still looking for that perfect gift & that perfect card take a little look at some of these . bright & colourful choices for your { super } dad . 

. 1 . 2 . 3 . 4 . 5 . 6 . 7 . 8 . 9 . 10 . 11 . 12 .

i lOve the fathers day banner card by mOdern pArents mEssy kIds

&

the cake toppers from dAffodil dEsign & cAtch mY pArty have given me some ideas about adding something a little extra to the chocolate cake i'm planning for my own dAd .

more ideas to come later in the week . but in the meantime pOp over to my pinterest board . 

. have a happy day .

. inspired . #3 .

it's a rainy day here today . a little grey . so i'm looking for things to brighten up my day . & . what better than reminiscing of childhood summers when the sun shone every day . & . instead of i-pads & all of that other new fangled technology we had things like kaleidoscopes & colouring books . yes . remember those ?

colouring books are having something of a revival . particularly amongst those of us who remember them from our childhoods . but more on that another day . 

today i'm thinking about those kaleidoscopes . about the amazing alexander mcqueen exhibition . savage beauty . about his incredible prints . about his collaboration with damien hirst . about mandalas . & . about kaleidocycles . 

. inspired#3 .

. kaleidoscopes . alexander mcqueen . mandala . damien hirst . kaleidocycle .

. 1 . 2 . 3 . 4 . 5 . 6 . 7 . 8 . 9 . 10 . 11 . 12 . 13 . 14 . 15 . 16 .

. see much much more on my pinterest board .

. have an inspired day .

. date . prune . & . oat slices .

i think it's fairly obvious by now that i have something of a sweet tooth . i love baking { & eating } biscuits . breads . cakes . cookies . & all things that wouldn't be out of place on the Great British BakeOff . but i'm also very interested in healthy eating . i do indeed have a baking angel on one shoulder & a baking devil on the other . now as i have a wonderful weekend of true cake indulgence to look forward to soon i have been looking for healthier bakes to satisfy that sweet tooth of mine . 

i've been coveting DeliciouslyElla's new book for some time now . but am trying to work through the many other new books i've splashed out on first . luckily she has some wonderful recipes on her blog . including a recipe for date & oat bars that seemed the perfect solution to my search for a healthy eating treat . using dates as a natural sweetener with no added refined sugar . full of oats & chia seeds . i've adapted her recipe slightly to include a little more spice & a handful of { my new favourite food ! } cacao nibs .  i also made half the quantity she uses . but feel free to double up & enjoy these oaty slices for longer . 

{ i just didn't trust myself not to eat the lot ! }

. recipe adapted from DeliciouslyElla .

confession time . my bake did catch slightly so watch them over the last ten minutes or so . not particularly BakeOff worthy !  will just have to make another batch won't i ?

. have a happy day .

. the mUddy pUddles { seaside } adventure .

since i started out on my lily&Bloom adventure i've been lucky to work with lots of different companies . some big . some small . but all interesting in their own individual way . 

i first spoke to mUddy pUddles last year & the impression they leave you with is how passionately they believe in the ethos behind the companies products . they believe that one of the best ways for children to learn is through getting outside . & . going exploring . & . having adventures . & . that the { very silly } british weather shouldn't stop this . they set out to suit & boot your littleOnes in waterproofs & wellies so that those littleOnes can go out & get mUddy !

their product is a clever mix of practical solutions offered in styles that are colourful & fun . 100% waterproof & windproof they'll keep your littleOnes warm & dry . reflective details make sure you'll always be able to spot them out & about . & . all in colours & prints that will appeal to mums . dads . & kids alike .

not only do they offer a great clothing range . but as part of their mission to get littleOnes out on adventures they are hosting a series of events through this year . from kite flying on parliament hill with the lovely people from AdventureWalks . & . obstacle courses . to the upcoming clOwning arOund . taking place on the 13th jUne . an opportunity to learn lots of circus tricks with the circus troop from GiffordsCircus . take a peek at their events calendar for lots of other events taking place through the year . 

i'm delighted to say that mUddy pUddles have just been anounced as sEmi-finalists in PitchToRich2015 . a great competition that encourages British businesses in their growth plans for the future . alongside a list of other great British companies the pitch from mUddly pUddles demonstrates their enthusiasm . not just for their product . but for their belief in getting littleOnes outside & giving them as much opportunity for this as they can . their vision is for a GetOutdoorsMovement through which they'd continue to host mUddyDay's . monthly activities & much more . 

so please . please . please . take a read through their pitch . & . vOte for them . 

. mUddy pUddles .

did i mention their little competition ?

vote for them . screenshot your vote . send to . marketing@muddypuddles.com . & . you'll be entered into the prize draw .

. thankyOu .

&

. lets keep our finger's crossed for the lovely team at mUddy pUddles .

. have a hAppy day .

. hellO jUne .

& nearly half way through the year . mAy was a whirl of work . with a little travelling about . a little coffee & a little . well ok . quite a lot of cake ! it was lots of fun .

so goodbye mAy & hellO jUne .

and

i have some incredibly lovely things to look forward to

. seeing the alexander mcQueen exhibition at the v&a .

. and spending a lovely day in lOndon with friends .

. a little bit more running . this time between 2castles .

&

. a little bit of something sweet at the cAke&bAke show .

followed by

. even more sweet things with afternoon tEa at bEtty's .

&

. ending the month with some nostalgic shopping in mAnchester .

. have a joyful day .