Review - Hidden Wonders and Wild in the City - two new kids books from Lonely Planet

I received a copy of these books to review. This post contains Amazon affiliate links.

Today I'm sharing a review of two wonderful new books from Lonely Planet - Hidden Wondersand Wild in the City. We are big fans of Lonely Planet books in this house and these two are great additions to our collection - they are both brilliant books for children to browse through and pick up all sorts of interesting and fun facts.

Hidden Wonders

Hidden Wonders brings together a collection of strange and wondrous places from all around the world, both natural and man-made. There are 150 delights to be discovered, like Hidden Beach which is only accessible through a water tunnel linking it to the Pacific Ocean, or Lake Hillier in Western Australia which is bright pink! Some are places that anyone can visit, but many of them are a little more difficult to get to.

This collection of the planet's wildest and weirdest places is divided into sections according to their lines of longitude, and each attraction has a dedicated page with such enticing photography and descriptions that you want to rush there and see it immediately. I'm fairly well travelled and almost all of these places were new to me - it's an amazing book to spark a desire for exploration and discovery!

Wild in the City

Wild in the City shares the secret lives of more than 30 extraordinary creatures that share our cities. Although the city might seem an unlikely place for animals to thrive, there are a surprising number of animals that have learned to make the most of city life, whether they have recently moved in or have learned to adapt to their surroundings.

The book features animals from around the world, from the Red Foxes that we are used to seeing around where we live, to more intimidating creatures like the Reticulated Pythons that roam Jakarta or the Polar Bears that wander the town of Churchill in Canada. The book is beautifully illustrated, and is divided into sections that cover each type of animal, for example mammals, reptiles, bugs and birds.

There are several pages dedicated to each animal, along with information about how the animals survive in this environment and how they are affected by human activities and buildings. There are also tips for spotting them, and the signs to look for that point to their presence. The book includes lots of information as to how we can make sure that our cities are a home for both us and the local wildlife.

Both of these books would make a wonderful gift for a child this Christmas!

Launching my social media Advent Calendar of Christmas crafts

Every year as Christmas rolls around I go back through my catalogue of old blog posts and pull out my favourite Christmas crafts ready to share them again on social media. I've been blogging now for over eight years, and during that time I've published a lot of blog posts, many of them featuring seasonal craft projects that I've worked on by myself or with the children.

This year I was pleasantly surprised to discover just how many Christmas crafts I've shared here on the blog over the last few years! So I decided that I wanted to make the most of them, and I've put together my favourite 24 crafts to share on my social media channels as a Christmas Crafting Countdown. Every day in December I'll be publishing a link to one of my Christmas crafts on both Twitter and Facebook, and hopefully it will give my followers some fun ideas for Christmas crafts to keep themselves and the children busy as we look forward to Christmas.

As a reminder, if you aren't following me already you can find me here:

Twitter - Jennifer Jain

Facebook - Jennifer's Little World blog

I hope that you will come and follow along!

Hama bead gift ideas for all ages and abilities

Where would my Hama bead craft blog be at this time of year without a Hama bead gift list? I've used many different Hama bead products and kits over the last few years, and so I thought I'd put together some gift ideas if you are thinking about buying Hama beads for friends and family. I've included some ideas for Hama bead crafters of all ages, as well as a couple of extra ideas for those people that already enjoy Hama beads and might be looking for something a bit different.

For young children - the very first Maxi Hama bead kits

Maxi Hama beads are the very largest size of bead, and are aimed at children around 3 or 4 years old. I must confess that my children started on the next size up, the Midi beads, straightaway so we never used this size of bead, but they look like a brilliant product for young children and would also be very easy to reuse if you didn't actually iron them - a great way to improve fine motor skills. A kit would probably be a good place to start although might be a bit limiting as the boards can only be used to make one shaped design. A tub of beads and a simple pegboard or two would be a fab way to spark their creativity.

For older children - working with the Midi Hama beads

The Midi Hama beads are the most popular size, and are aimed at children aged five and over or adults. They can be used by younger children (I wrote here about my daughter using them when she was two) but little ones will need to be very carefully supervised to make sure that the beads don't end up somewhere that they aren't supposed to be.

If you know that your recipient already enjoys using Hama beads, then you can't go wrong with a large box of mixed colours. If you want to introduce them to the craft then there are some brilliant gift sets available to get them started by working on some fun and easy projects. In my experience these kits always contain plenty of beads so that there will be some left over to make some other items, and they often come with some fun, shaped boards.

For adult crafters - making projects using mini Hama beads

Related post - Hama bead projects for adults

I personally love working with the Mini Hama beads, because you can use them to create some really intricate and detailed projects. They can be fiddly to use though, especially at first! If you are buying Mini Hama beads for an adult crafter I'd recommend beginning with a kit to get them started. However if you know that your recipient already enjoys using the mini beads, then there are some really good value packs of mixed beads available which include many beads in a wide range of colours.

Related post - A guide to mini Hama beads

For seasoned Hama bead crafters

I'm pretty sure that any regular Hama bead crafter would be very happy with a massive tub of mixed Hama beads in either mixed or plain colours - I know that I would! But there are also some fun themed Hama bead kits available that might inspire them to try out some new ideas. Finally, a pretty and practical storage solution for all those beads would definitely be welcome!

You could also point them towards my blog post sharing an entire year of Hama bead project ideas - An entire year of Hama bead project ideas

Scandi inspired Hama bead bauble Christmas decorations

This post contains Amazon affiliate links

These Hama bead baubles are inspired by a Scandi Christmas theme of red and white. They are really easy to make using the square Hama bead peg board, and the only colours that you need are red and white, with gold Hama beads or yellow to make the hanger at the top. You can find links to buy the products that I used at the bottom of this post.

I have designed these Hama bead baubles in two different patterns - a round bauble and an elongated bauble - and you can find the simple patterns that I used below. You can easily reverse the colours to make them look different, and there are plenty of ways that you can come up with your own designs!

Round Hama bead bauble free pattern

Elongated Hama bead bauble free pattern

Make your designs on the square peg board, using Hama, Perler, or similar branded beads, then iron them so that the beads melt together. When I've ironed my Hama bead pieces I like to leave them underneath something heavy for a short while so that they cool flat.

Related post - Ironing tips for Hama beads

To finish the baubles you can tie some ribbon in a bow around the top. If you want to use a thinner ribbon then you can reduce the size of the hanger. Or you don't need to use ribbon at all - just don't add in the hanger part at all, or make it much smaller, and thread the cotton for hanging the ornament through the top beads.

You could also experiment with different colours and patterns of ribbon - I think that a red and white checked or striped ribbon would look good!

I also think that these Hama bead baubles are perfect to pop inside a Christmas card, or to use as a gift tag on a present!

To hang them on the tree, just thread some cotton through the top of the bauble. I find that the hole is usually large enough to fit a needle, or else the beads are soft enough that the needle can be easily pushed through them.

If you like the way that Hama beads can be used to create Scandi themed ornaments then you might also like these Scandi inspired Hama bead battery candle holders which are designed to wrap around battery tea lights for a festive glow.

I also made this Scandi inspired Hama bead mat for my daily mug of hot chocolate.

And if you like these Hama bead Christmas ornaments and want to try a different variation, you might like these Hama bead bauble Christmas tree ornaments made using different coloured beads and festive ribbon.

Things that my children are better at than I am

There are so many!

* Getting up early in the morning, no matter what time they went to bed the previous night.

* Spotting any tiny defect in their food - a speck of herb, a slight blemish on the skin of an apple, the uneven coating of sauce.

* Sleeping on planes, which has been quite a revelation after years of poor sleep.

* Maintaining will power. We have buckets of Halloween sweets yet to be eaten, if they were mine they would be long gone.

* Getting the entertainment system to do what it wants to. If I want to watch a particular programme when the husband is away I need to find a child to set it up for me.

* Playing Minecraft, especially on a tiny tablet screen. I just don't have the spacial awareness.

* Negotiation, whether it's a later bedtime, longer to read before lights out, or just one more round of a board game.

* Staying hydrated - fuelled by the need for constant access to a bottle of water throughout the day.

* Confidence in their creative abilities - whether that's drawing, writing, or a Minecraft build.

* Racking up the steps on their FitBits - this morning I was astonished to discover they had each clocked up nearly 1000 steps by just eating breakfast, dressing and brushing teeth. What are they doing? Are they cheating?!

* Swimming front crawl. I'm sure that I could do it once, but now I just can't get everything co-ordinated.

* Grammar terms. All my grammar knowledge comes from learning languages at a higher level, and even then I don't know some of the things that they come out with.

What do you wish you could do as well as your children?

What's special about a Disney Halloween on the High Seas cruise?

We recently returned from a Halloween on the High Seas Disney cruise aboard the Disney Fantasy, and I thought I'd share a little bit about the extra events and activities that brought the magic of Halloween to life on board.

Decorations on the ship and in the corridors

The ship was beautifully decorated for Halloween, mainly in the Atrium which is where you enter as you board. The Atrium was dominated by the Pumpkin Tree, along with pumpkin themed decorations hung from the balcony and pumpkin stickers on the large portholes. When we boarded, the Pumpkin Tree already had pumpkins hanging from it and it didn't change in appearance at all throughout the cruise, as I've heard that it did in the past.

The majority of the Halloween decorations on the ship however were provided by our fellow cruisers, and people really got into the spirit of Halloween when it came to decorating their stateroom doors. I gave out a lot of small gifts over the course of the cruise, and it was great fun to go delivering around the corridors and see how creative some people had been, it's definitely worth taking yourself off for a wander if you find yourself on a Disney cruise ship!

I forgot to take a photo of my absolute favourite door, which featured loads of Hama bead bat magnets, placed all over the surrounding walls and ceilings! You'll notice that many of the doors have a decorated hanger placed outside them - these are called Fish Extenders and are a part of an organised gift exchange between passengers. We took part for the first time and received some really lovely gifts, including many that had a Halloween theme.

Lots of cabins also had a treat holder outside which people had filled with lollipops, glow stickers or pencils. We even found one generous person that had filled their entire fish extender with candy, along with a note saying to help yourself!

For decorating the inside of your stateroom, Disney sell a range of themed decor packs, including a Halloween package, which you can purchase in advance so that it is set up in your room when you arrive. The packs vary year by year and I think it's only available to view and book if you already have a reservation, but it seems to include a blanket, trick or treat bag, a cushion, and various magnetic hanging decorations that are yours to keep and take home with you.

On the Halloween celebration day we also found several small plastic insects hidden around the ship, although it's very possible that they had been put there by a fellow passenger!

Halloween themed shows

 

Every day the ship publishes a daily Navigator, a sheet of paper which details all the shows and events taking part this day. This used to be delivered to your stateroom every evening, but is now only available to pick up at Guest Services as the information can be found in the app.

I still like to have the paper copy though, as it makes it easier to look through and I like to keep it, so we made sure to pick one up each day. All the Halloween events were highlighted in orange, and although the majority of them took place on the designated Halloween day there were a few other things spread out over the cruise.

On our first evening we went to the Pumpkin Tree show in the Atrium. There was only one show which took place between dinner seatings, and unfortunately as our early seating dinner took longer than we had expected (it was my birthday and they promised to bring out a cake and sing to me, but they took ages to get to me!) we weren't able to get a good position and couldn't really see what was going on. So if this is important to you make sure that you arrive early! There was some kind of spooky story about the tree, and it finished with the lights in the pumpkins being turned on and some Halloween confetti.

On the designated Halloween day, which for us was a port day, Mickey's Mouse-Querade Party took place in the Atrium. The show took place twice to fit around the two dinner seatings, with an early show and a later show. It was very busy again, and featured appearances by Mickey and friends in their Halloween outfits, along with singing and dancing.

On that day, the main evening entertainment was a special screening of The Nightmare Before Christmas Sing & Scream, again with two showings to fit around dinner. The film was shown in the large theatre, with subtitles for the songs so that you could sing along, together with special effects like smoke, lights and snow.

A few days later, late at night was a Haunted Stories of the Seas event on deck, but this was quite late for our little ones (10.15pm). My husband and oldest went along for a few minutes, but as far as I understood it, it was just a recorded video played on the large screen.

Trick or treating and dressing up

People began to put on their Halloween costumes during the afternoon, especially as there were lots of chances to have photographs taken with characters while dressed up. Trick or treating took place around the Atrium twice, during the Mickey's Mouse-Querade party and timed to fit in with dinner seatings.

There were about six trick or treat stations, with bags provided at each one, and adults were welcome to take part too. Cast members hand out the candy, usually several pieces at a time. It was a little chaotic to be honest, the stations got very busy and sometimes it could be difficult to work out where the end of the line was - it would have been better to spread them out around the ship a bit. However we still managed to pick up a decent amount of good quality candy!

Taking part in the trick or treating did mean that we missed quite a lot of the live show, or at least we couldn't get a decent position to see it, so you need to make a choice as to which is more important to your family. And if you are early seating like us, try and get out early from dinner and you could even go trick or treating twice! It's a lot of fun to see all the different costumes. Later on in the evening was an adult costume contest, and many people had gone to a huge amount of effort with their costumes, mainly Disney themed but some more spooky.

Additional special Halloween activities

During the Halloween themed day there were lots of different Halloween activities taking place around the ship. Some of these were in the kids club so for children only, but there were also some family crafts, along with themed trivia and karaoke sessions.

Halloween character appearances

During the Halloween celebration, the main characters (Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Chip and Dale, Donald, Pluto) appeared in their Halloween costumes, and there were several opportunities through the afternoon and evening to see them and take photographs. There was also the opportunity to meet Jack and Sally from The Nightmare Before Christmas after the screening of the film. This wasn't advertised in the Navigator but it was very busy, unfortunately after the late show we weren't able to keep the children up long enough to wait in line for them. If you really want to see them, perhaps try and time your visit for the end of the first showing, before people have started to come out the theatre.

The photograph below was taken on our own phone and came out really well, so definitely make sure that you had your phone to a cast member if you want a photo. They are more than happy to take one for you, and it may save you some money on the photo package.

Along with the Halloween themed day, we still had Pirate Night and the fireworks on a different day, which as far as I know takes place on all Disney cruises except those in Alaska and Europe (where it's replaced with a Frozen themed night, without fireworks).

I hope that this information was helpful if you are planning a Halloween on the High Seas themed cruise! This was our first experience of a themed Disney cruise, and it really did add lots of fun to the cruise. Next time I would love to try a Christmas themed cruise, if only we could fit it in around the school holidays!

Ad - Proteus presents Macbeth at the Connaught Theatre, Worthing

The Tragedy of Macbeth by Shakespeare is thought to have been first performed in 1606. It tells the tale of the Scottish General Macbeth, told by three witches that he will become King of Scotland. Encouraged by his wife, Macbeth kills the the king, in order to become the new king, and then driven by guilt and paranoia goes on to commit more and more murders to protect himself, until the play reaches a tragic end.

In this production, Proteus Theatre Company set the action of the play in October 1987, against the backdrop of the Great Storm and the stock market crash. The play has an ethnically diverse cast, and is a highly physical interpretation interwoven with a soundtrack of 80s hits alongside contemporary music, performed using a minimal and multi-purpose set.

Before watching the production, I made sure to familiarise myself with the events of play, as although the setting is modern, the play is performed in the original Shakespearean text which isn't always easy to understand. This was definitely a good move, as I found the action a little tricky to follow at times, especially as the small cast meant that most actors were required to portray several characters.

Despite the tragedy unfolding on stage, there were some lighter moments which brought a smile. I also enjoyed the ingenuity of the set, mainly composed of just three pieces that were moved and rotated by the cast between scenes to be used as, among other things, tables, windows and phone boxes.

I was glad to have the opportunity to see this production, and I enjoyed watching a different and unusual take on the play.

You can find a study guide to this production here - Macbeth Education Pack

The Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science, Miami

We received two complimentary adult tickets to the museum in exchange for a review

As part of our recent trip to Florida we enjoyed a few days in Miami, our first visit to the city. We really liked Miami, and one of the highlights of our trip was the day that we spent at the Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science.

We were provided with two adult tickets to the museum, and we purchased two child tickets online before our visit. Buying tickets in advance means that you can select a Planetarium show in advance, and avoid a line if it's busy. We arrived when the museum opened at 9.30am, and although it was a quiet day we appreciated being ahead of the crowds. We travelled to the museum using the free Metromover, a brilliant Miami public transport service that took us from our hotel right to the museum. There are also other public transport options, and limited parking is available. 

Because we were among the first to arrive we decided to start our day in the newly opened special exhibition A Mirror Maze: Numbers in Nature. This exhibition is included in the admission price and runs until April 12th, 2020. The centrepiece of the exhibition is an elaborate mirror maze to explore, with mirrors and glass walls to hunt your way through. 

The exhibition is also filled with some fascinating and modern hands on exhibits, exploring the different patterns found in nature and learning about how these patterns find their way into our music and architecture.

Next we spent a fair amount of time in MeLaβ, an interactive area with five zones - eat, move, relax, connect and learn. As you enter you collect a card and use it to create your own digital character. As you complete activities in each area you can collect a stamp on your card, which gives you more options to customise your character. By answering questions about yourself, you can think about whether the daily choices that you make are healthy or not.

If you are lucky enough to visit regularly, you can take your card home and bring it back on your next visit, and you can also check in with your character online when you are back home. There were some really fun activities to try here, including ones that the adults enjoyed as much as the children! For example, watching how your heart rate increases as you try to find your way through a tricky maze, or learning about exercise and healthy food choices.

Almost before we knew it, it was time for the Planetarium show. At the time we visited there were four shows to choose from, with regular presentations throughout the day. We selected Hidden Wonders of our Solar System which is a live show. The presenter took us on a journey through the solar system, looking at all the different planets, moons, asteroids, comets and other celestial objects that make up our part of the universe. Then we were shown what would be visible in the night sky that night in South Florida, which was really interesting.

After that we headed up to the roof of the museum, and the Sun Spot. Parts of the museum are outside, so it's worth keeping an eye on the weather as there can be unpredictable rain storms, and the roof terrace isn't shaded so the heat is too intense to stay outside for long. Lots of sunshine does however mean plenty of opportunities to use the sun for experiments, like this sun dial and a look at how solar panels work.

Another area that we very much enjoyed was the River of Grass. The exhibit has two areas. Indoors is an interactive virtual environment which follows a day in the life of the Everglades, and is aimed at younger children. Outside, mine loved the water tables where they could experiment to see whether bridges or dams work best in this environment, and learn about the different animal residents of the area.

Nearby they were able to meet some of these residents, as part of the three level Aquarium. On the top deck you can experience key South Florida ecosystems, including the huge Gulf Stream Aquarium, as well as the different worlds of coral reefs, mangroves, beaches and the Everglades.

On the level below you can view the underwater world of the subtropical sea, and on the lowest level you descend deep into the Gulf Stream to find jellyfish, ending your journey with a 31-food oculus lens which is the bottom of the Gulf Stream Aquarium, and the tuna and sharks that you saw from above are now above your head.

Finally, we ended our day with a visit to the Feathers to the Stars exhibition which follows the journey of flight, from feathered dinosaurs to the future of space travel. The children's favourite area here was a paper plane launching pad where they could test out a selection of paper planes that they had made - great fun!

We had a brilliant day at the Philip and Patricia Frost Museum. We spent a whole day there and could have spent longer, with plenty to keep us all interested!

Our Disney Halloween on the High Seas cruise to the Caribbean

We have just returned from a wonderful half term holiday to Florida, encompassing a week long cruise aboard the Disney Fantasy cruise ship. This was our fourth Disney cruise and our second aboard the Disney Fantasy, although the first time was five years ago, so the children were much younger! 

At this time of year the Disney cruises have a Halloween on the High Seas theme, and this itinerary was a special 8 night cruise stopping at St. Kitts, Antigua, Puerto Rico and Castaway Cay, Disney's private island in the Bahamas.

With each Disney cruise we have entered into the spirit of it a little more. This time we increased the number of magnets on our door, updating the Olaf that we've used before with some Halloween accessories. I made a Fish Extender to take part in an organised gift exchange, we also took part in a postcard swap and an ornament exchange. On our door I hung a pin trading board and a treat holder filled with pencils which was very popular. We spent quite a lot of time walking around the corridors delivering gifts as I did them over several days, and it was really fun to see how creative people get when it comes to decorating their door. It's definitely worth having a look if you find yourself aboard a Disney cruise ship!

Related post - Crafting for a Halloween on the High Seas Disney cruise

Castaway Cay is one of my favourite places in the whole world, so I was very excited to have the chance to visit again. This time I decided at the last minute to enter the Castaway Cay 5K run which takes place first thing on the island, even though I hadn't packed proper running clothes or shoes. It was so hot that most people were walking it anyway - I ran a fair portion of it but the heat was so intense it was very hard work! Then we purchased a package each which included snorkel equipment hire, bike rental and a rubber ring, so it turned into quite an exhausting day! The bike hire was really good as it meant that we could see a bit more of the island, and the snorkelling was amazing. You  could swim really far from the shore but not be too deep, and there were plenty of objects placed in the water to look at as well as the fantastic sea life including tropical fish and rays. 

The photo below was taken just as we were about to sail away from Castaway Cay, I must confess that I had tears in my eyes as the ship rotated through it's repertoire of different horn sounds!

For this cruise, now that the children are aged 10 and 8, we felt comfortable giving them a little more freedom around the ship. They are both old enough to sign themselves in and out of the kids club, although unfortunately they don't like it so only spent about five minutes in there! They took themselves off to get ice cream from the self service machine on the pool deck and we even played hide and seek around the ship. Each room comes with two portable phones that you can use to call each other and the stateroom, so they took one and we had the other, and they gave us clues as to where to find them!

I was very glad to find that Mia in particular was still excited to see the Princesses and other characters. As one of our Fish Extender gifts we received a blank photo frame which we could use to collect autographs, something that we've not done before. She loved seeing all the different signatures and it will make a great keepsake.

Once again we had an amazing cruise with Disney! We didn't book the next one on board this time but we did pay a deposit for a placeholder which means that we can receive the same discount on our next cruise, so who knows, with a bit of luck maybe there will be another Disney cruise in my future!

We are lucky enough to have cruised three times with Disney in the past. You can read about our previous Disney cruises via the links below:

Our Caribbean cruise on the Disney Fantasy (2013)
Our cruise to Norway aboard the Disney Magic (2016)
A second cruise through the Norwegian Fjords on the Disney Magic (2018)

Gift guide - Pixel art style craft kits for adults

This post contains a gifted review item.

I really enjoy working on crafts that give a pixel art style effect - where tiny coloured elements are placed together to form a larger picture. My favourite craft of this type is probably cross stitch, but that can be a very time consuming hobby - one of my cross stitch samplers took me seven years! 

There are however plenty of different crafts that give a similar look to cross stitch, and are much easier and quicker to complete. I thought that I'd round up a few craft kits that would make the perfect gift for someone that wants to create something beautiful, without it taking too much time or requiring too much skill.

Dot Art Sticker Books

Firstly, I was recently sent this Van Gogh Dot Art Sticker Book to review, one of two sticker art books which represent famous and popular paintings in London's National Gallery. You can choose from Van Gogh's "A Wheatfield, with Cypresses" and George Seurat's "Bathers at Asnières", and each book allows you to understand how the artists used colours to create vibrant and luminous scenes, by recreating the work of art in stickers.

The kit contains a large poster canvas formed of coloured outlines, along with thousands of coloured round stickers. You just need to match the stickers to the outlines on the poster to recreate the painting, and it doesn't matter if you don't get it exactly right as you'll still end up with a beautiful and unique work of art.

Diamond painting

Diamond painting has become very popular over the last few years, and it's easy to see why. It's a very satisfying craft that can be completed quickly and easily, and you can buy a wide range of different kits which include everything that you need and are very reasonably priced. I bought my sugar skull diamond painting kit in the US, and we bought my daughter a Unicorn diamond painting kit which was a lovely project and looks brilliant when framed in her room.

Mini Hama beads

Regular readers will know how much I love working with Hama beads, and while they are a little more fiddly than the crafts above I really like the intricate results that you can achieve. This Russian Doll mosaic picture was adapted from a design that I found online, and I also like the small kits that you can buy which have some lovely designs and plenty of spare beads to use for your own projects.

I hope that I've given you some inspiration for gifts for that crafty person in your life, or maybe even for yourself!