Review - Christmas 3D frame miniature kits from Rolife

I received these kits in exchange for a review

A few weeks ago I shared some gorgeous Christmas themed miniature kits from Rolife, and now that I've made a start on my Christmas crafting I'm delighted to share the results of these two kits from the DIY Miniature House Story Frames Series.

These kits are titled Christmas Eve Party and Santa's Toy Shop. Each kit contains everything that you need to assemble a miniature world which is fitted inside a deep frame. All you need to add are two AAA batteries so that you can light up the scene. I chose to work first on the Christmas Eve Party kit.

Inside the box you will find the plastic frame which holds it all together and a selection of materials including wooden pieces to press out, stickers, paper cut pieces, the lighting kit, a variety of small themed accessories and full instructions. There is also a small screwdriver for the battery box, plastic tweezers, and tiny double sided tape strips.

Christmas Eve Party depicts a dining room filled with Christmas treats. There is a dresser with shelves filled with festive articles, a display of Christmas plates, a table piled high with delicious food and drink, and a Christmas tree in the corner. The first step is to assemble all of the tiny items that sit inside the scene.

Then the lighting kit is placed into position, and all the tiny items are stuck firmly in place before a plastic dust cover is added to the front. The picture below is taken before the front of the frame was added so that it can be photographed without a reflection. I'd recommend leaving it a day or so before adding the dust cover just so that you can check everything inside is stuck firmly - although it is possible to remove the front to make changes it might risk upsetting everything inside!

The dust cover is a great way to make sure that everything inside stays nice and clean, especially as this is something that you will want to bring out from year to year. I love all the detail in this kit, especially the tiny cake and mug of cocoa!

Next I worked on Santa's Toy Shop. This kit is slightly different because it is in portrait rather than landscape format. It also doesn't have a dust cover, instead the elements of the kit extend outside the frame, making a tiny world that you can imagine walking into. It features the entrance to the toy shop, with a front door that can be pushed open to reveal more decorations inside. Piled up outside the shop is a heap of gift wrapped boxes, one filled with sparkling baubles, and the shop window displays more festive delights. 

Once again the assembly of the kit was simple and enjoyable. Both kits did have their fiddly parts, in particular the tree in Christmas Eve Party and the lamp post in Santa's Toy Shop. Some of the wooden pieces are very delicate and I did have a couple that snapped when I pushed them together too firmly. It was easily fixed with some superglue, but it's a reminder to be careful and not get impatient. I used glue (not supplied) in some places just to make sure that everything was stuck firmly.

I also messed up slightly when I installed the battery box on this kit, I slotted it in backwards and then found it very difficult to remove. It's very important to read the instructions and check the pictures very carefully, all the information is there if you look properly!

The finished frame kits have a plastic hook at the back so they can be hung from the wall, or else they can be displayed free standing. I can't even decide which is my favourite! 

The lighting for the kits is very simple and easy to install. The battery box is accessed from the back, and two AAA batteries are required. There is a light sensitive button for the lights which is on the outside of the frame, and a light touch is enough to turn them on.

Here are the frames displayed proudly on my bookcase so you can see the scale, they each measure approximately 16cm by 21cm. They look lovely together but would also make great individual kits. They would be a lovely gift for a crafty friend, or something that the family can work on together to create something that will decorate the home at Christmas for years.

These kits are not too difficult to put together, and it's a very satisfying process. Each one takes about two hours to make so you can complete in an evening, but I'd recommend taking your time and enjoying the assembly, as well as making sure that each step is firmly stuck before moving on to the next. 

These kits would make a lovely addition to your Christmas decor, as well as giving you a lot of enjoyment when you work on completing them. Next I'm going to be working on the Gingerbread House miniature kit, and I'll be sharing my progress soon!

How my garden has changed with the arrival of Autumn

I've been sharing notes from my garden over the summer, and I wanted to write a post about how it's looking now that Autumn is decidedly here. But it turns out that most of what I have to write about is the leaves! 

We have a beautiful tree at the bottom of our garden, I think that it's some kind of ornamental cherry blossom. It's on land which is owned by the parish council, up against our fence. It must have been planted when the houses were built, making it around 25 years old, and over the last few years it has just grown and grown. I managed to arrange for it to be pollarded a couple of years back, but I think that just made it grow more!

It is really lovely, and I enjoy having it to look at from my house. In the spring it is covered with an abundance of blossom, it provides shade during the summer, and in the autumn it looks beautiful covered in golden leaves. But of course all those leaves have to go somewhere, and where they go is all over my garden!

I've always been a bit obsessed about picking up the leaves, even more so this year now that we have a lovely lawn of newly laid turf. I find myself out there two, sometimes three, times a day picking up every single leaf from the lawn. I am a little more laid back with the flower beds though, until they become completely covered I'm letting the leaves lay where they fall.

There is a corner of the garden, right underneath the tree, that I have designated as a small wildlife area, and this is where we have placed the hedgehog house. I go out every evening to top up the food bowl and we are rewarded most nights with a hedgehog snuffling around (we have placed a camera so that we can watch what goes on). If the hedgehog can't manage all the food then a cat or magpie will come along in the morning and eat what's left. So I'm leaving all the leaves in this area so that the hedgehog has somewhere to root around for slugs and bugs.

I bought some cyclamen a month or two ago for some autumn colour. I've planted them around the base of our new pear tree, as it was looking a little bare. They look beautiful, I hope that they will continue to flower for a while yet now that the rest of the flowers are slowly coming to an end. 

I'm glad that it hasn't got too cold yet, as I still have a few things to get done in the garden before winter sets in. I've planted most of my bulbs, but there are still a few to add to empty planters now that I've bought some extra compost. I also have some foxgloves which I planted in pots over the summer, I want to put them out in the borders and hope that they survive the frosts. I also want to do a bit of weeding so that the garden looks tidy for the winter.

We've added a lot of plants to our garden this year and I'm not really sure what to do with everything as the weather gets colder. I'm just hoping that most of them survive the cold temperatures and that everything will start to fill out in the spring - I'm excited to see how the garden changes over the next year!

Budget friendly craft projects

Crafting can be expensive hobby, especially if you get stuck in the trap of spending more time buying supplies than you do actually using them! But you don't need to spend a lot of money, or even any at all, to indulge your creative side and create something that allows you to enjoy both the creative process and the finished product. 

Here are some craft activities that are either free or very low cost.

Collage

You can use all sorts of things to create collage art. Even if you don't buy magazines, there are always free magazines and junk mail being posted through the letter box! There are plenty of places to find free magazines and leaflets, like supermarkets, tourist attractions, garden centres...or ask around among friends and family for ones that they've finished with. Then you can just have fun cutting out the pictures and text that you like and arranging them in a way that appeals to you. You can create mood boards, or collect images that appeal to you and stick in a scrapbook. Maybe you enjoy looking at relaxing beach scenes, or want to collect ideas for your home or garden. Or create fantastical collages, playing with perspective or mixing vintage with modern.

Photo credit Francisca Silva via Unsplash

Ephemeral art

Ephemeral art is created using natural materials and is not designed to last. You can create ephemeral art anywhere - maybe on the beach with stones and shells or in the forest with leaves and twigs. If you want to document the art then you can take a photograph, and then either destroy it or leave for others to enjoy. Just be careful not to do anything damaging to your surroundings, for example don't create sturdier structures like stone stacks which will not naturally disappear.

Pressed flowers

Don't go out picking flowers from parks or people's gardens, and you need to be careful picking wild flowers to avoid rare or endangered plants (see some guidance here - The rules about picking wild flowers). But if you have a garden or can collect things when you are out and about like fallen leaves then it's easy to press them. You don't need a proper flower press (although they do make it more convenient) you just need a few heavy books and some kind of tissue or blotting paper to prevent marking them. There are some great tips from the RHS here - Pressing flowers and leaves. I like to use pressed flowers in my journal as a reminder of some of the flowers that I managed to grow in my garden.

Photo credit Cary Bates via Unsplash

Recycled fabric crafts

Old t-shirts can be cut into strips to create a thick yarn that can be used for knitting or crochet, or you can use smaller strips to craft rag rugs You can also make quilts from old fabrics like clothing or bedding. Hunt through wardrobes to find clothes that are past their best but not good enough to pass on, or use fabrics with meaning like baby clothes or sporting memorabilia. Making a quilt doesn't need to be complicated and can be done by hand. English Paper Piecing is a style of quilting that uses paper templates and can be as simple or as intricate as you like - find some advice here - The English Paper Piecing Guide. 

Photo credit Olga Ferina via Unsplash

Photography

Most people already own a camera of some sort, and it doesn't need to be a special one to take interesting photographs. You can get out and about in your local area and look for the things that others miss, or create still life groupings with things from around your home. Favourites can be printed and displayed around the home.

Digital art

Digital art is a great way to engage your creative side without needing expensive materials. An emerging form of digital art is AI generated art, where you can experiment with different prompts and see what you can come up with. Maybe start by thinking about somewhere that you've visited or a scenario that you've imagined.

Drawing

You may want upgraded supplies at some point, but to start with all you need is a pencil or pen and some paper, and most people have those lying around! If you don't know where to start then look for an online tutorial, there are many YouTube videos that can help with both technique and inspiration. Look for challenges too, maybe with a different starting point every day.

Photo credit DHANYA A V via Unsplash

Writing and journalling

You can write by hand in a journal or write on your computer or laptop. You can write just for yourself, in the form of a journal or diary, or write for a larger audience with a blog or website. Putting your thoughts on paper is a great way to get your thoughts in order, or you can experiment with poetry or creative writing.

I hope that this gives you some ideas for ways to bring out your creativity without having to spend a lot of money or invest in too many supplies!

Some Autumn sunshine in the Dominican Republic

Over half term we were lucky enough to get away for some sunshine and warmth in the Dominican Republic. We booked our holiday as a package with Tui, staying at Dreams La Romana Resort & Spa. The hotel is located in Bayahibe, about an hour transfer from Punta Cana and the airport. We chose this resort because the beach is on the Caribbean Sea rather than the Atlantic, so we were hoping that the water would be a little warmer and calmer.

Unfortunately our holiday did coincide with Hurricane Melissa, and although we were well away from the direct path I do think that it made the sea conditions a little rougher, especially at the beginning of the week. The sea was also quite cloudy, fine for swimming but unfortunately no good for snorkelling. The water temperature was really warm, it was lovely to float out there bobbing up and down and it felt very safe.

We had two rooms which each had two double beds. The rooms were next door so we felt comfortable letting the teenagers share a room, and they loved the independence. 

My favourite part about the room was the balcony. I absolutely love a balcony, especially one that is high enough to be tucked away from the world and with plenty to look at. I spent hours out there every day reading on my Kindle, enjoying the warmth and watching the birds and the people going past. Even when it rained I sat out there until the wind picked up and turned horizontal!

There was a brilliant cafe in the lobby which was always open and served drinks and delicious cakes as part of the all inclusive. Every afternoon I went down to fetch a fruity tea and a couple of cakes to take back to my balcony to enjoy.

The holiday did involve speaking a little more Spanish than I was expecting. Spanish isn't one of my languages although both children can do pretty well. I managed to learn the words to order cheese (there wasn't a huge selection of veggie food) and bottled water as well as a few bonus words like watermelon and butter!

The resort also has a water park which was excellent and not too busy. There was a lazy river with plenty of rubber rings, and although it featured several instances of unavoidable waterfalls they were spaced very well to let you get nice and hot before you were swept underneath to cool down!

On our last morning we were floating happily along when my husband spotted what he thought was a dead crab in the water. A lady by the side of the pool came over and fished it out with her flip flop - it was actually a dead tarantula! I had no idea there were freely roaming tarantulas in the Dominican Republic, I'd been walking around every evening through grassy areas in my sandals!

We had a lovely holiday, and it was a great chance to relax and enjoy some last warmth before heading for cooler temperatures and dark evenings. 

The books that I read while on holiday:

American Sky by Carolin Dasher - an Amazon First Reads selection that was excellent, much better than many of them that I've struggled through, a historical novel that follows three generations of women and in particular their connections to aviation.

The Mystery Guest by Nita Prose - a sequel to the The Maid, I enjoyed this very much.

The Restoration Garden by Sara Blaydes - ticked a lot of my boxes - an overgrown garden, secrets to uncover, a time jump between WWII and present day narratives.

The Memory Library by Kate Storey - a simple plot but with the lovely idea of choosing and collecting books for others and explaining their special meanings.

Very, Very Lucky by Amanda Prowse - fairly predictable but a fun easy read.

The Women at Ocean's End by Faith Hogan - a group of women with compelling stories connected by life on a remote island.

Simple craft projects that are great for sharing on social media

Some of my favourite crafts are simple ones that don't need many materials, and it's even better if you don't need to go shopping and can use things that you already have at home. 

Today I'm sharing some of my favourite crafts that are great for beginners. They also look fantastic when shared on social media, or they can be used as a way to enhance your online content. You can find the tutorial for each craft by following the links below.

Felt heart bunting

Felt bunting is a great way to use up scraps of felt that you may have lying around from other projects, and it is so simple to make. All you need to do is cut out small hearts (or you can try different shapes like circles or stars) from colourful pieces of felt, then string them together. I used a sewing machine to connect the hearts, but you can make it even easier by just glueing them to a length of cord or ribbon. The bunting looks great strung up for a colourful background, or you can use it as decoration in the background of another craft post or image.

You can find the tutorial here - Simple felt heart bunting

Recycled book crafts

If you have any old or damaged books that are headed for the recycling bin, there are some lovely photogenic crafts that you can make with the pages. My favourite is making simple bookmarks, which are a great fit for pairing with book reviews, blog posts about reading or images of books.

See how I made them here - Bookmarks made from old book pages

Tin can lanterns from upcycled cans

All you need for this project are some old tin cans, a hammer and a nail. My tutorial below explains how to make punching the holes for the lantern really easy, and how to make them look cheerful even during the day with colourful beads around the rim. The lanterns look great when photographed at dusk or at night, and would be a great accessory for content related to outdoor parties or as a backdrop to lifestyle content.

The full instructions are here - How to make simple tin can lanterns

Fabric covered plant pots

These flowerpots are another great craft for using up scraps of fabric which you may have lying around. You can match the fabric to your home decor, and they look great in photos if you use bright, cheerful fabrics in a range of different designs and pots in a variety of sizes. They would brighten up images of a bookshelf or windowsill, and would work well with content about gardening or houseplant care.

Find details here - How to make fabric covered plant pots

Easy beaded bracelets

Stretch beaded bracelets are so easy to make, all you need is some stretch elastic, a selection of beads and some superglue to keep the knots secure. You can make bracelets for special occasions like a concert, and take colourful photos of your arm covered with bracelets as you sing along to your favourite group or singer. They can be made in different colours to reflect the changing seasons, or to co-ordinate with different outfits, making them a great accessory for outfit posts. You can also use them in flat lays. 

Here's how I made my ocean themed stretch beaded bracelets

All of these crafts are really fun and simple to make and they also look great if you are planning on sharing the results on your social media or as a part of your online content creation!

How to pack light for a longer holiday

We have been lucky enough to enjoy some longer holidays over the years, but as the children have grown so has our need for suitcases! 

Before children we managed a two week trip around Europe with just hand luggage, we also survived nearly six weeks away with a suitcase and a holdall. I even lived in Germany for a year with mainly just the contents of a 22kg suitcase. So I like to think that I'm quite good at planning my packing to be as minimal as possible. 

Travelling light isn't just about saving on your weight allowance, it's also much easier when it comes to moving around airports and stations with a suitcase, and with less to keep track of it takes away some of the worries.

Here are some tips!

Try to wash clothes while you are away

If you can, book accommodation with laundry facilities. This is the reason that we usually book a villa stay when we travel to Florida - I'm able to keep up with washing as we go and we only need to pack clothes for a few days. It can be a pain taking time out of your holiday to faff with the washing, but it makes such a difference with the packing and it's so nice to come home with a suitcase of clean clothes! On our recent trip to Seoul we stayed in a hotel with a coin laundry which was fantastic, I would never pay for a hotel laundry service so it's definitely worth looking for self-service facilities.

If there aren't any washing facilities you can always wash by hand in the sink or bath, especially underwear that will dry quickly. You can either take some hand washing liquid with you, or in the past I've just used shower gel! Take clothes made from lightweight materials like sportswear and they will dry more quickly if you wash by hand.

Plan your clothes packing carefully

Unless you are an Instagram influencer then you really don't need a fresh outfit each day. Obviously underwear needs to be changed, but outer layers like trousers and jumpers can be worn a few times. 

Make sure that everything you pack goes well together, with neutral colours that can be mixed and matched.

Pack lightweight clothing that can be layered depending on the temperature or your activities.

Choose items that can be worn in different ways. For example I might wear a summer dress during the day, then add leggings and a cardigan for the evening. 

Bring the clothes that you enjoy wearing at home, don't bring clothes that you will avoid wearing and will turn out to be a waste of space.

Don't pack extra 'just in case' clothes - you will always be able to make do with what you have even if it means washing a few things out after unexpected accidents.

Photo credit Nick Fewings via Unsplash

Check what is included in your accommodation

Don't pack towels unless you are absolutely certain that you will need them. If you are going self-catered you can shop for essentials like toilet rolls, tissues, bin bags or dishwasher tablets when you arrive. 

Remember weight rather than size

If you are flying, it will usually be the weight that limits what you can take with you. I find that the heaviest things are usually shoes, so try to pack pairs that can go with all of your outfits. I try to limit myself to a pair of trainers for walking and some comfortable sandals if we are going somewhere hot. Depending on the type of holiday you might also want a pair of dressier shoes.

Books also add to the weight, so if you are an avid reader consider using an e-reader. When we went on our long holiday in the days before Kindles I chose one nice thick book - Anna Karenina - which kept me occupied for the entire trip!

Another way to save weight is to decant toiletries into smaller bottles, or do what I do and plan to use toiletries provided by your accommodation. If you arrive and there aren't any supplied then you can always just buy some when you arrive.

If you are packing heavy clothes like boots or winter coats then try and wear them for travel days.

A luggage scale is a great investment if you are worried about going over a weight limit - we have a simple strap one that you hang the suitcase from and it's very accurate. You can keep track while you are packing, and it helps you to think more carefully about what's going in.

Modern suitcases are much lighter than older ones, so it might be worth upgrading if you are wasting some of your weight allowance on bulky luggage.

Look for travel sized items

If you travel regularly it's definitely worth investing in some lightweight accessories. For example a small, light umbrella or a device charger with multiple USB ports. Thin, foldable ponchos are a great alternative to a bulky raincoat if you aren't sure whether you'll need one.

Remember that other places have shops too

Most of what you need can always be purchased while you are away. Even if you are staying in a remote resort there will always be a shop for essentials.

I always consider the things that absolutely couldn't be replaced, and anything other than that is a bonus. Apart from travel documents, for us that is our glasses as we are glasses wearers (and a spare pair is essential too!) and medication that would be difficult to replace or find an alternative.

Do you have any tips to add?

The things that make me love a book

Recently I've been making really good progress working through my to be read pile, and part of that has been becoming much more strict about the books that make it on there in the first place. I've become more inclined to put a book aside if it isn't grabbing me within the first few chapters, and I've been ruthless with some of the free books that had been piling up on my Kindle. 

It's taken me a good number of years of reading to work out what it is about a book that makes me love it! Here are some of the things that I've narrowed it down to:

Female authors and a female main character

Until a few years ago I never really thought about whether the book I was reading was written by a man or a woman. But now I've realised that although I do enjoy many books written by male authors, it's usually the female ones that really grab me. I find that they tend to focus more on relationships and characters rather than just what is happening in the plot. There is often more observational detail, and more focus a character's inner thoughts and feelings.

Plenty of description

I love books that really immerse me in a place, whether it's somewhere familiar to me or somewhere that I can learn more about. I enjoy detailed descriptions, and I tend more towards a rural or coastal setting rather than a city. For example - Where the Crawdads Sing (Delia Owens), The Paper Palace (Miranda Cowley Heller).

A twist, but not too obvious

Twists in a book are great, but I don't want to spend the whole time trying to work it out. I want to concentrate on the story, not be looking for hidden details and double meanings that might or might not end up being important. My favourite book of all time is like that - Rebecca (Daphne du Maurier) and I also enjoyed We Were Liars (E. Lockhart). But the best twist in a book that I've read comes in I Let You Go (Claire Mackintosh).

An element that leaves me thinking

I'm especially drawn to speculative fiction, stories that are set just a few years in the future but where things have changed either as a result of society or technology. Some of my favourite examples are The Handmaid's Tale (Margaret Atwood), Klara and the Sun (Kazuo Ishiguru), The School for Good Mothers (Jessamine Chan) and Never Let Me Go (Kazuo Ishiguru). I like to be left with something unsettling to ponder.

Photo credit Zooey Li via Unsplash

Unreliable narrators

I enjoy books that are narrated by a character that you can't be sure is telling the complete truth, and where you have to read between the lines to work out what is really going on. Many of Kazuo Ishiguru's books fall in to this category, and one of my favourites is The Remains of the Day. I also like books that are written as a stream of consciousness, like I Capture the Castle (Dodie Smith). Rebecca ticks this box too - so much of the book is things that don't actually happen, they are just imagined by the narrator.

Booker Prize shortlisted books and winners

For some reason, Booker Prize shortlisted books and winners always seem to appeal to me. Recently I've loved Orbital (Samantha Harvey, winner in 2024) and Great Circle (Maggie Shipstead, shortlisted in 2021). I would love to have the funds to be able to buy the Booker Prize shortlist every year when it's announced! World of Books, where I buy second hand books when I'm after a specific title, even has a dedicated section on their website for previous Booker prize books which is very handy.

A nice cover

Yes I know, I'm shallow! But the cover of a book does make a difference to me when I'm browsing, especially in the library or a charity shop when there is less money changing hands and less pressure to pick the perfect book. Covers are very carefully chosen by a publisher, and I can usually tell from a cover what type of book it is. Or at least I know which ones to avoid - like those with gory pictures!

What do you find grabs you in a book?