The “Lulu Burt Best of 2014 Awards”
Mummy says we’ve started a New Year called 2015 and it will be the year of the Sheep in the Chinese calendar. That’s fab as both me and my BFF Euan LOVE our toy sheep (both called Baa Baa!). I had an amazing time in 2014 so am hoping 2015 will be just as exciting. Here are my favourite things from 2014, otherwise known as the “Lulu Burt Best of 2014 Awards”.
Best product I used in garden
I had lots of fun last Spring using the fabby kids gardening tools from Twigz. I used them to grow veggies and flowers from seed and to look after the seedlings and plants as they got bigger. My favourite item was the watering can.
Twigz do a wonderful range of garden tools for children
Best things I grew (apart from taller that is!)
Regular readers will know that I LOVE a big bright sunflower. I even gave them away in the party bags from my birthday party last year. Two of my others faves to grow are tomatoes and potatoes. Imagine my excitement at discovering the TomTato plant. It grows tomatoes above the ground and potatoes below, all at the same time, cool huh? The big crop of sweet tomatoes was really, really yummy but the crop of potatoes didn’t stretch very far when it came to feeding a growing girl. It still wins the prize for yummy sweet tomatoes and being really different.
Best books I reviewed
The contest for best book was a close run thing, I gave 5 Lulu Burt gold stars to 2 fun books in 2014. So in this category we have a tie between fellow blogger Dawn Isaac’s “101 Things for Kids To Do Outside” and “Findus, Food and Fun” from Hawthorn Press.
Both books have really fab activities that little-uns like me can do.
The book is PACKED full of lots
(well 101 to be precise) of awesome ideas
Best places I visited
This is a no brainer. It just has to be Provost Park in Bridge of Allan. I (Lulu Ann Burt, aged 2.5 years) was the very important person who got to open the newly designed park. Mummy and Daddy were involved in this design project even before I was born (I still can’t believe anything of importance happened before I arrived!) It was great to see the site being turned into a low maintenance, Victorian themed place to meet friends or just relax.
Me officially opening MY park!
Best things I’ve made
Mummy tells me it is better to give a gift than to get one. This year I had lots of fun making presents for Mummy on Mothers Day and Daddy on Father’s day. Since I’m just little I didn’t have many pennies to spend so made do with up-cycling things from our kitchen.
Pansies in cheese boxes makes a lovely gift
My decorated tin can planters
Best thing that happened in 2014
BIG DRUM ROLL PLEASE……. the overall, most wonderful and exciting thing that happened to me in 2014 was that I became a big sister. My very cute and cuddly (but not very good at playing hide and seek yet) little sister Tilda was born in November 2014. I can’t wait until she is old enough to do some gardening with me!
Tilda and I – double cuteness!
Wow, I did have a very busy year. What did you get up to in 2014? I’d love to hear all about your adventures. Let’s have even more in 2015!
Lulu xx
Daddy’s Day Tin Can Planters
Hey everyone. It’s Father’s Day this Sunday which means we all need to be extra nice to our lovely daddies. I think it’s nice to make something personal for Daddy’s Day so I have come up with a really cool project which you can easily personalise to your own Daddy. Or if you are strapped for time you can keep it plain and very simple. And it can cost absolutely no money too which is even better! Here’s my Tin Can Planters for Father’s Day…
Plain tin can planters look great too
Make Your Own Tin Can Planter
You will need:
- An empty, clean tin can
- Hammer and a nail
- Something to cover the can with
- Glue
- Spray varnish & gloves
- Compost
- Plant or seeds
To make:
1. Find a tin can which you like the size and shape of. I chose some different sizes to make a nice collection but one can look just as good. Ask a grown up to make sure its all nice and clean and that there are no sharp edges.
2. You will need drainage holes in your can so ask a grown up to turn it upside down and using the hammer and nail add a few holes to the bottom.
Be careful not to hit your fingers Auntie Alison!
3. Now you can personalise your tin can with whatever you want. Some ideas include one of your own drawings, paintings or hand prints, a relevant piece from a magazine or newspaper or some nice wrapping paper.
4. Carefully measure your paper so that it wraps perfectly around your tin can with a little bit extra for gluing down.
5. Glue the edges of your paper so they stick well to the tin can.
6. Take your tin can outside and ask a grown up to spray it all over with spray varnish. This will waterproof the paper so the planter can sit outside and not be ruined. Remember to use gloves when spraying and always spray outside or in a very well ventilated area.
7. Once the varnish has dried you can fill your can with compost and plant your seeds or plants. We always have some lovely plants and seeds that are perfect for adding to a mini planter kicking around the garden or shed and you can easily divide some plants such as sempervivums to create new free plants! Herbs are a lovely addition or dwarf plants and cacti can look great too.
My decorated tin can planters
If you are struggling for time you can skip steps 3-6 and keep your tin cans with the plain metal finish which looks great. If you find teeny plants in pots (some garden centres sell them) you can skip the drainage holes and compost part too and just pop the pots straight into the tin cans. Remember they will rust if they go outside so they would be better kept on the windowsill with herbs or indoor plants. Or you could paint them bright colours or varnish them if you want to place them outside.
So, there you go, a Daddy’s Day tin can planter, a lovely memento for years to come.
Lulu xx
A big thank you to Apartment Therapy for the inspiration for this blog.