Bluebell Nature Walk - Spotter Sheets

Pictures From 15th May 2013::



































Most years we try to mark something special about each season - something that lets us know where we are in this journey around the sun. For spring we usually take the time to visit a local wood famed for its carpet of bluebells - it's always a real treat and never fails to take our breath away, you could never get bored of just staring at it all.

Last year I was trialing the spotter sheets you see above, and plenty of people wondered if they'd become available at some point ... well, in a round about way they are - they are in the first issue of the magazine, and you can print it out as many times as you like for your babes (free for personal use). It is a simple tick sheet, or the child can colour the item once they've found it too. I like spotter sheets on hand just in case activity needs to be a bit focused. Free exploration is our usual gig, but when we're on topic then spotter sheets can keep them focused. Or (as the case here) they were prohibited from free play and exploring due to having to keep to the paths whilst the bluebells were out - almost a torture for them. Spotter sheets and a clip board are a pay off for that.

If you have used these sheets already - let us know how they went - and any photos would be appreciated to the flickr group - I really want to see TEND out foraging in the wild. How did these sheets (and the other content) work for you?

We hope you have as much fun out there exploring as we normally do. There is so much to keep little minds awed and forever asking questions!

Earn money with TEND

I am aware how annoying it is to go to peoples' blogs only to be met with a hard sell. Blogs, unless they are part of a selling website designed to give you insider peeks and company information, should, in my opinion be a lot more personal than that. So apologies for when I (have to) talk about the magazine. What can I say? It's very dear to me, I spend vasts amount of my time and energy on it, it's like a baby that I want to see grow and it makes up a huge chunk of my creative time. If I didn't talk about it, I'd be lying about what I do all day.

That said, I will try to keep my hard sell to a minimum.

But I'm not really selling today - you are! Or at least you could be if you join up to our Affiliate Program. Click to find out how you could help TEND and earn a little extra money for yourself at the same time! We need to get the word out about our magazine, and there are plenty of you who have written to say how much you love it - now we need to let others know too. So, get in touch!

From the Kitchen

It turns out that I love nothing better than pootling in my kitchen when I have a) time and b) space. Not meals, you understand, but all the extras - cookies, bread, granola, snacks, anything that adds a smile to our faces - just because. Meals... well, it's a chore isn't it? Doesn't really give me quite the same kick.

Another thing I am enjoying right now is the first fresh green things in our vegetable boxes and supermarket shelves! Sugar snap peas? Already?? Yes, please! It makes a nice change from, well, root vegetables and soup.

Grabbing more than my fair share of these peas, I knew exactly what the first batch was destined to become - my mouth has been watering for them all year - the 'Pickled-Dilly Snap Peas' refrigerator pickle which appears in issue 1 of TEND. I'm a big pickle fan and the combination of these sugar peas and the pickle spices is simply heaven - heaven, I tell you. I doff my cap to Denise - she has an exquisite palette. Anyone who can get me excited about food has to be a genius, and I am already eying the recipes in the summer issue (mouth-watering, I'm not kidding).

I will never go back to shop bought pickle again; I have been a bit lazy in the past in this regard - but oh, this recipe is so quick and EASY and so so gooooood. The only downside is that you have to wait a few days for the flavours to be ready and they're gone so quickly!

I can see this will be another staple of our spring/summer diet this year, along with the never ending popcorn snacks and hummus. After a long winter it feels good to finally eat fresh and local produce.

Sneaky Peeks

Something being worked on right now for the magazine. It doesn't feel quite so sneaky now you know about TEND. Maybe I'll rename this series TEND in progress...

Behind the Scenes : Making Work Fun

If you've already bought the first issue of TEND, then you will recognise this model straight away as the one showing off the knitting pattern. She also happens to be my sister, a good sport, generous with her time and, above all, a complete loon.

Taking snaps for an afternoon can get a little tedious once the novelty has worn off, but you can guarantee that at some point the fun will start, and we'll be giggling and laughing like silly school girls, usually when I look through the eye-piece to start shooting and am met with....




Seriously. Silly shots, catalogue pointing-into-the-middle-distance shots, crossed eyes, knitting needles up noses - anything stupid and we're off cackling and I can hardly keep the camera straight. We do get the shots we want eventually, but not before a lot of side-tracking.

Laughter is the best medicine, and sometimes when it all gets a bit serious and too much like hard work I stop what I am doing and I take a glance at these pictures (and images like them) and join in the laughter. Because, honestly, life is too short not to, and without a giggle, what's the point?