The final post

This is my last post. I haven’t blogged for some time and although there has e been a couple of times when I’ve thought about writing, I just have wanted to keep enjoying myself without trying to think up a good post title.

2013 is already looking like it will be good. I’ll be celebrating my 30th birthday in February in South Africa as I’m taking myself away on a safari to celebrate.

I hope you have a great start to 2013. Thank you for all your comments and support over the last few years.

Pru xx

Baker Days Cakes

When Baker Days contacted me to ask if they could send me a cake to review I jumped at the chance.  Baker Days let me pick the flavour – vanilla madeira, chocolate, carrot or fruit (gluten free or not).  I picked fruit.  Then it was time to pick the design of the cake.  Knowing that mum, dad and I would be devouring the cake I thought it would be fun to go for a Christmas themed design with a personalised message.

Baker Days sent us one of their Letterbox Cakes – a little cake serving 3 to 4 people in a box with a Christmas cracker and note card and the tin is so pretty and cute.  I think it would be great to receive a cake in the post for Christmas or a birthday.

We all admired the cake, and having never had a cake with a personalised message on it, mum and dad thought it was fascinating how this was achieved.

The cake was great.  Its about one inch think and reminded me of the Mr Kipling Manor House cake which is always a firm favourite in our house.  There was a lot of fruit in the cake and I loved finding cherries inside.  If I hadn’t already baked the Christmas cake, I would certainly be purchasing one of the Baker Days cakes – and finding a decent photo of us all too!

~ Pru

Child Sponsorship Week

I know that lots of you see this post through a reader and I urge you to read on and at least think about child sponsorship and how a little money can make a great difference.

~ Pru

Charity has been on my mind a lot over these past couple of weeks.  Richmond, the town where I live, is home to the Poppy Factory where hundreds of thousands of poppies are made each year to commemorate Remembrance Day and it seemed that wherever I went there were people selling poppies.

It’s easy to remember and think about something when it is right in front of you.  I admit freely that Myanmar hasn’t been at the front of my mind.

Since becoming a Blogger for Action Aid I try to stay more informed about the work that the charity is doing. ActionAid is asking people across the UK to celebrate Child Sponsorship Week and make a huge change to all the people who have endured decades of struggle and uncertainty in Burma/Myanmar and elsewhere in the developing world.

There are 1,600 children in Burma to sponsor but worldwide there are nearly 5,000 children that need sponsorship in 17 countries.

My decision to start sponsoring Gift in Malawi last year through Action Aid at first seemed like quite an undertaking.  £15 per month seemed like a lot of money and I was thinking of all the Starbucks I would be foresaking!  But the truth is, I spend money ridiculously.  £1 for an avocado the other day to top up a lunch that I had already purchased in M&S for £3.  That’s eight days of sponsoring Gift to give her the opportunity to go to school and be clothed and fed.

For just 50p a day sponsors have the opportunity to change a child’s and community’s future not just for today but forever. For information on how to get involved and transform a child’s life visit www.actionaid.org.uk/child.

I love sponsoring Gift.  I like thinking about a stranger in another country and what she is doing and her how family are and what she is learning at school.  I also like that I am in the privileged position to be able to help someone else have a better change at life.  And I reckon that most of the people reading this blog have the ability to sponsor.

What does 50p buy nowadays anyway?

~ Pru

Saturday Morning at Wisley Gardens

Mum and I last visited Wisley two years ago on a very hot summer day, this time it was on a cold but sunny day that we went for a wander around the beautiful gardens.  Despite Wisley being about 10 miles from where we live, we save this place for special visits, fearful that if we come too often then it won’t be special any more.

Feeling relaxed and rejuvenated after a night at The Brooklands Hotel, off we headed into the gardens filled with autumn colours.

I’m thinking a trip in the spring is a must for next year!

~ Pru