Review - Rolife Super Creator kit - Pop Bubble Bathroom and lighting kit setup

I received these items in exchange for a review

A few months ago I shared my review of some new kits from Rolife in the Super Creator series. These miniature house kits are part of a modular series that can be completed as individual rooms and then stacked together to create a larger miniature world. The kits can be stacked together in a variety of ways, and you can use the roof accessory kit to add ceiling lighting.

These kits are quite simple kits and they don't take very long to build, so they are ideal for beginners or younger miniature crafters. My daughter is 15, and she loved the Lovely Pink Bedroom kit, so she was delighted to be able to work on the Pop Bubble Bathroom and connect it to the bedroom.

This gorgeous bathroom features a free standing bath with bath shelf for decor and a book - a perfect fantasy bathroom! There's a shelf unit with toiletries and other bits and pieces and a lovely raised sink. There are gold fittings, a little mirror, and all sorts of other tiny details. The kit is mainly assembled by slotting together the plastic accessories. All the sticking is done using tiny double sided adhesive dots, or you can use glue for smaller areas to give a neater finish.

I love the tiny hair dryer that sits on top of the laundry basket, and the little toilet roll perched on top of the opening and closing toilet. Although the kit suggests how the accessories could be positioned you are of course free to arrange the room exactly as you would like it. If you chose not to stick everything in place then it would be sturdy enough for an older child to play with.

The Pop Bubble Bathroom comes with a side light which is powered by a USB-C power cable (not supplied). This is great because you don't need to worry about supplying and replacing batteries.

If you would like to install the ceiling light then you will either need the separate roof accessory kit, or you can install the light on the bottom of another room kit which is positioned above. We used the roof accessory kit to add the ceiling light. 

The roof accessory is pre-built and is very easy to slot onto the room kit. The ceiling light and wiring box is supplied with the individual room kit. The light slots underneath with the cable running down the outside of the house to a small wiring box attached to the outside.

First we added a roof and ceiling light to the Lovely Pink Bedroom and she was so pleased with how it looks.

Then we installed the roof and lighting kit to the bathroom. As you can see, this kit has two lights - one on the ceiling and also a wall light. The side light can be used without requiring the separate roof kit.

Then we joined the two kits together so that the bedroom now has an en-suite bathroom! You will need to supply power to the lights using a USB-C cable which is not supplied. However the kits do come supplied with a short USB-C to USB-C cable to connect two or more rooms together. So you only need to supply one power cable which can be used to power lighting to several kits that are joined together.

For now we have chosen a side by side connecting option, but it is would be very easy to rearrange the kits so that they are the other way around, or one sits above the other.

We love the kits in this series, they are simple to put together but have lots of detail and they look lovely when out on display. You can see the full range here - Rolife Super Creator kits.

Moving on from Goodreads - my new reading journal and notebook

Recently I wrote about how I had fallen out of love with Goodreads, and had started tracking my reading in a different way. So today I would like to introduce you to my new physical reading and book journal!

How I chose my reading tracker journal

I spent a lot of time looking for a reading journal. I wanted something that wasn't too intimidating, and one that didn't oblige you to write a full page review for each book. I wanted the basic info - title, author, dates read, a rating system and ideally a place to write a few notes. I wanted to be able to customise it, especially to add extra information about books that I had really enjoyed.

I eventually settled on this one - a simple book rating tracker. I like that it is small and light, has plenty of space for lots of books, and although there are only a few lines for each book you can add more space by covering up some of the review slots. It is quite expensive for what it is, and I will need to strengthen the flimsy cover at some point, but on the whole it is just what I was after.

What I intend to use it for

My main goal is to both help me remember more about the books that I've read and to be a place to make short notes on any topics that I might want to explore further. For example, one book that I read briefly mentioned the concept of psychogeography and when I looked it up I found it all really interesting! Even though it was only a few weeks ago, there's no way that I would have remembered the title of the book that introduced it to me.

How I've been using it so far

I'm only a few books in, but I'm already pleased with it. I've found that most books make enough of an impression on me that I want to fill up several of the individual book rating sections. This is messing with the pre-printed numbering system a little bit so I need to find a way to make a better table of contents.

I've been using washi tape and stickers to try and give a flavour of each book. For example, romance books get a heart sticker, books with a baking theme might get a cupcake. I've been printing out some of my favourite quotes from the book and sticking them in, I've also added maps and photographs of things mentioned in the books.

I'm really enjoying flipping through to refresh my memory on the books that I've read, and that's only going to become more enjoyable as it slowly fills up.

Some books that I've enjoyed recently

In this hot weather I'm finding that reading is one of the few activities that I can do comfortably! I've read some really good books lately, so I'm sharing some of them here. I've made a big change to the way that I record my reading - I'm no longer using Goodreads. I wrote about it here - Why I've fallen out of love with Goodreads - and I've started using a physical book tracker and journal. It's working really well for me, and I'll be sharing how I use it at some point, it's really helping me to remember the books that I've read!

A Single Thread - Tracy Chevalier. 

I picked this book up in a charity shop as I remembered enjoying other books by the author (Girl with a Pearl Earring, The Lady and the Unicorn). I really liked it because covers several themes that I found interesting. It's a historical novel with a single timeline, set after WW1 and following Violet, a 'surplus woman' who lost her fiancé and brother during the war and is now expected to remain unmarried and live at home with her mother. Instead she manages to break away and assert her independence.

There were some really interesting topics in the story. My favourite - Violet discovers an embroidery society in Winchester Cathedral, a group of women who are creating kneelers, cushions and other items under the guidance of Lousia Pesel. This is based on a true story, and I enjoyed looking up examples of the actual kneelers and finding out more about the embroidery. For example the use of the fylfot symbol which is a variant of the swastika and also serves as a foreshadowing for the looming WW2.

Violet also befriends a bell ringer, and I enjoyed learning about the different ways that bells are run in churches and cathedrals around the country. It has inspired me to go along to our village church one evening when they are doing their practice ringing!

Photo credit Tanya Barrow via Unsplash

The Housekeeper's Tale - Tessa Boase

I was inspired to buy this non-fiction book after I attended a lecture given by Tessa Boase at a local Arts Society. The lecture was actually on a completely different topic (London's Lost Department Stores) but I spotted that she had also written this book and I'm so glad that I bought it.  

I've always been fascinated by old country houses and how they are run, and very different housekeepers feature prominently in my two favourite books - Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier and The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro. 

This book takes a close look at five housekeepers, from 1832 until 1971, along with an epilogue from a woman who does a similar job today. It's meticulously researched and I was left in awe - some of these women left very few traces behind them and the author has collated these tiny snippets from a variety of sources and fleshed them out into really interesting and very readable stories. 

Photo credit Silas Köhler via Unsplash

David Copperfield - Charles Dickens

I wanted to read this after I loved Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver. I knew that Demon Copperhead was a modern re-telling of the story, but I didn't realise quite how closely it follows the original - down to names of characters, locations and events. I enjoy reading long books from time to time, and this one did take me several weeks. I didn't find it particularly difficult to read - there is just so much of it!

Although I probably read them in the wrong order, having read Demon Copperhead did help me to follow the plot, and I enjoyed spotting the references. The book was originally published in serialised form so each chapter is quite self-contained and can be read in a single sitting. There are also plenty of places online that you can read a chapter summary just to make sure you are following!

I'm not sure that I would rush to read any more Dickens, as although I enjoy the classics there are other authors that I prefer. But I'm really glad I made the effort to read this one. 

Book Lovers - Emily Henry

This was a quick palate cleanser after my weeks of Dickens! I borrowed it from a friend and quickly realised that I'd read it before, but I knew I had enjoyed it so I read it again! It's an easy romance, slow burn, and a little bit spicy. It's an attempt to subvert the small town romance trope and it works really well, with a satisfying ending that feels realistic.

Review - Rolife Miniature House Kit - Corner Bookstore

I was sent this kit in exchange for a review

I love working on Rolife miniature kits, and when I was given the chance to choose another kit to complete I knew straightaway which one I would like to try. The Corner Bookstore miniature house kit is a tiny bookstore, crammed with books and other knick-knacks along with cosy corners and intriguing little nooks. 

This kit is perfect for book lovers, and just like the Silent Corner Study it's a great model to display on a bookshelf. I really like the muted colours, and I love the piles of books and plants.  

The miniature kit comes with everything that you need for assembly, you just need to add two AAA batteries for the lighting kit. Small strips of double sided tape are provided, but I found that it was helpful to have glue on hand, just to make sure that everything was stuck down firmly enough to withstand slight knocks. 

The Corner Bookstore kit has a difficulty rating of 2 1/2 stars and I assembled it in a few hours over about a week. It's always worth checking the difficulty rating of Rolife kits as they do vary, and this is a medium difficulty kit. There are a lot of tiny wooden and cardboard components to slot together and some gentle force was required to get everything into place, there is also a small amount of measuring and modification of parts.

I felt that this was one of the more open-ended kits that I've worked on - you can move away from the instructions a little and really make it your own by arranging the pieces to suit you. Although there is some plastic in the kit, many of the components are made with more natural materials like wood and paper.

The first step is to lay out all the pieces, but don't remove items from the bags as you will use the bag number to find a piece. If you do this by accident there is a materials list and part guide to identify similar looking pieces.

The instructions are really easy to follow and guide you through the assembly process. Each section has a clearly labelled list of the parts required and step-by-step directions. I found it helpful to set aside an area for components after I had finished them - the box works well for this. I also removed rubbish as I went along to keep my workspace clear.

With these kits I try to make sure that I don't rush, I slow down and enjoy the process of putting them together. It's a very meditative activity, and a wonderful way to switch off as you concentrate on what you are doing.

It's a great moment when you can fix the walls in place and the whole thing begins to take its final shape. I really like the way that this kit fits into a corner, and all the tiny props are really imaginative and full of detail.

As you would expect, even a miniature bookstore is going to be filled with books, and I had a lot of fun making the heaps of tiny books to stock the store. This is just a handful of them! They are made by covering a tiny wooden piece with a printed sticker - these books each measure around 1cm across. There are many familiar titles - Pride and Prejudice, Jane Eyre and The Old Man and the Sea - as well as non-fiction books and a variety of interesting and attractive covers. It seems such a shame that when assembled many of the covers are hidden! 

There is a suggested way to arrange the books, but I found it much easier to just work it out for myself, especially making sure that my favourite books had more prominent positions. But one tip for this kit in particular - take care to keep the different sized books separately as they can appear quite similar.

When the assembly is complete, it's lovely to take a step back and have a proper look at what you've just built - sometimes it's difficult to appreciate the whole when you've been concentrating hard on all the tiny details! I loved assembling the Corner Bookstore kit, and it is a wonderful addition to my miniature house kit collection.

You may like to see my other Rolife Miniature Craft Kit reviews:

Super Creator Kits - Fascinating Bookstore, Lovely Pink Bedroom and Sweet Sips Tea

Cathy's Flower House

Silent Corner Study

Elsa's Tailoring

Gingerbread House

Christmas 3D Frames

Books that I've enjoyed recently

I must admit, some of the books that I've read recently have been a bit mid, as the young people say. But on the other hand, several of them have been fantastic enough to share, so here are a few books that have really stood out to me amongst my recent reading.

The Safekeep by Yael van der Ouden

This book was a wildcard entry to my to be read shelf. I received a book voucher as a gift, and was browsing the 'buy one get one half price' table in Waterstones when I spotted a book that I really wanted - The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt. Short of time, and wanting to make up the offer, I chose The Safekeep mainly because it was a Women's Prize for Fiction winner and shortlisted for the Booker Prize. And also because it had a little handwritten card on it with a personal recommendation from a shop employee. It was an excellent choice because I loved it, and it's a worthy addition to my fiction bookshelf. 

Set in a rural Dutch province 15 years after the end of the Second World War, it tells the story of Isabel who lives alone in her late mother's country home, until her brother sends his girlfriend Eva to live with her for the summer. It's a story that begins by leading you to think think that it's about one thing, and then turns on its head to develop a completely different angle to the story. I loved the writing, and the story about an aspect of history that fascinates me.

Three Mothers by Hannah Beckerman

This book was borrowed from Amazon Prime Library, and I knew that I was going to enjoy it as soon as I started reading. It was beautifully written and the narrative just drew me in. The book follows the stories of three mothers who are interlinked by their teenage children and their involvement in a tragedy. I enjoyed the different voices of the mothers, and the way that the full story was revealed slowly but not too slowly, with plenty of twists and turns along the way.

Us by David Nicholls

This is a slightly older read that I picked up in a charity shop having enjoyed many of his other books. It was slightly familiar to me so I suspect that I may have already read it at some point before I started tracking my reading on Goodreads! The story is about a couple with a teenage son, trying to save their marriage by taking a family trip around Europe. Folded into the travel narrative are memories and anecdotes from their marriage, and I found the story telling really compelling.

High Adventure by Edmund Hillary

This is another book for my 'odd shelf' - where I gather all my Everest inspired reading material. Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay were the first to summit Everest in 1953, and this is their story as told by Hillary. It covers Hillary's early climbing career, as well as the years of Everest expeditions to the south side of Everest which eventually led to a successful summit. It's really well written and engaging, and I love the way that these early expeditions involved large numbers of people all working together to achieve a team summit rather than it being about the individual effort. It was an incredible achievement.

Photo credit Stefanie Jockschat via Unsplash

My "Odd Shelf', inspired by Anne Fadiman

A book that I've re-read many times over the years is Ex Libris: Confessions of a Common Reader by Anne Fadiman. I love it! The book is a wonderful collection of essays about books and reading. I first encountered it through Bookcrossing, which I took part in longer ago than I care to remember, and many thoughts from the essays have remained with me through the years.

One chapter that I particularly enjoy is My Odd Shelf. From the essay:

"It has long been my belief that everyone's library contains an Odd Shelf. On this shelf rests a small, mysterious corpus of volumes whose subject matter is completely unrelated to the rest of the library, yet which, open closer inspection, reveals a good deal about its owner."

Anne Fadiman's Odd Shelf holds sixty-four books about polar exploration, including narratives, journals and photo collections. I wonder if reading about her frozen odd shelf is what inspired me to create my own, similar in theme, collection of books relating to Mount Everest.

My odd shelf is very much a work in progress, and I only began its curation a few months ago. I have many random books on my shelves, but no more than a couple on a particular topic. However my Everest collection is building up nicely. Some of these books I have bought new or received as gifts, but most of them I have bought second hand. This is mainly because many of them are a bit niche and difficult to find new! 

I'm not sure what my odd shelf reveals about me. I'm not a particularly adventurous person, and although I enjoyed some light climbing in the Lake District as a teenager, and I once climbed Snowdon, climbing up Everest is not something that is appealing in the slightest.

I wonder if it reveals a desire to do something unexpected and challenging, something that I couldn't possibly attempt because it involves dropping everything and departing for the other side of the world for months at a time. Or maybe I just enjoy reading about frozen hardships while I'm nice and safe under a warm blanket with a cup of tea and a biscuit!

Do you have an odd shelf?

Some books that I've enjoyed recently

I feel like I've been reading a lot over the last few weeks! And I've really been enjoying what I'm reading too - I started the year with an almost empty to be read pile and so I've been filling it up with books that I've either received as gifts, borrowed, or bought myself.

Something that I'm a bit obsessed with recently is books about Mount Everest, so I spent some time researching interesting sounding books that I wanted to read. Many of them are a bit niche or out of print, so I've been buying them from World of Books, which I always find is a great value place to buy secondhand books. 

So here are some of the books that I've really enjoyed reading recently:

No Shortcuts to the Top - Ed Viesturs. This book isn't just about Everest, it's about Ed Viestur's successful attempt to climb the 14 Peaks - all 14 mountains that are higher than 8000 metres - without supplementary oxygen. I was very pleased to discover that World of Books had sent me a signed copy! I found this book a fascinating read, with plenty of information about how to prepare for this level of mountaineering, and interesting details about logistics like clothing, food and equipment. The subject matter sounds as though it would be quite dry but it really wasn't, there was a good balance between personal stories - which included his female conquests as well as the mountaineering ones, and the dismaying reality that many mountaineers die while indulging in the hobby that they love.

Dark Summit: The Extraordinary True Story of Everest's Most Controversial Season - Nick Heil. An account of the 2006 climbing season on Everest, in which 11 people died while attempting to reach the summit. A particular focus of the book is not just the number of people that died (because many years do see a similar number of deaths) but the fact that two climbers in particular were ignored by many other groups of climbers while they lay near death. Although I'm never going to come anywhere near climbing Everest myself it's an interesting moral dilemma to grapple with - if you put yourself in a situation in which no-one can safely rescue you, should you expect people to risk their lives and those of others to try and help?

Everest Inc.: The Renegades and Rogues Who Built an Industry at the Top of the World - Will Cockrell. My particular interest in Everest is about the companies that take money to guide clients to the summit, and the problems that this can cause for both individuals and the mountain as a whole. This book was a great source of information about the history of climbing Mount Everest and how the industry started and continues today.

Photo credit Surya Singh via Unsplash

Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver. I had been wanting to read this for a while after it won many literary awards a few years ago. It didn't disappoint - I found it to be a gripping and engaging read. It's a retelling of David Copperfield by Charles Dickens, and it tells the difficult story of a young boy who is born to a teenage mother with a drug addition and grows up in a variety of different foster homes. It wasn't an easy read in places but I enjoyed the slow pace of the story and all the descriptive details.

Cleopatra and Frankenstein - Coco Mellors. After loving Blue Sisters by the same author, and Goodreads reviews telling me that this book was better, I had high expectations and luckily they were met! A story of disastrous impulsive marriage, I found it to be a very readable book, quite sad in parts, with characters and their stories that really hooked me in.

As always, you can see what I've been reading and enjoying by having a look at my Goodreads profile.

A curated selection of Christmas themed jigsaw puzzles, with a literary twist

This post contains Amazon affiliate links

Two of my favourite things in life are jigsaw puzzles and books, and when Christmas is approaching I love to sit myself down in the living room with a hot drink, surrounded by festive decorations, and work on a Christmas themed jigsaw puzzle. Today I'm sharing my current wish list of Christmas jigsaws, and all of these puzzles have a literary theme, featuring Christmas related books, festive bookshelves, and cosy surroundings.

All of these jigsaw puzzles are from top brands which I trust to give a good puzzling experience (which can sometimes take a bit of hunting!)

First are two 1000 piece puzzles from Ravensburger. 

The first is called Home For Christmas (affiliate link) and the image shows a woman sitting in a comfy armchair knitting a long stripy scarf, in a very cosy living room scene framed with bookshelves. Maybe books aren't the focus of the image, but I love how they frame the picture and the whole thing makes me feel all warm and happy inside! 

The second is a puzzle that I received to review a few years ago and I still love - The Christmas Library (affiliate link). This image depicts a bookshelf filled with Christmas classics, like The Nutcracker, A Christmas Carol and The Night Before Christmas, alongside a range of different festive titles which all have beautifully illustrated covers. Because the covers of the books are quite large and distinctive it's not too difficult to sort out the individual books, and I love all the little Christmas accessories hidden on the shelves. It makes me wish that I owned some of these books!

Next, instead of shelves of books, A Book Lover's Christmas (affiliate link) features snowy, winter scenes from books, poetry, short stories and fairy tales. The 1000 piece puzzle is packed with tiny details, and although the image appears simple at first there is a lot to spot. I love the illustrated style of the image, and the puzzle comes with a poster detailing the scenes that you can find in the puzzle, where they come from, and background information about them. 

Season's Readings (affiliate link) from Galison is a 500 piece puzzle with a Christmas scene set inside a bookshop. There's a sweet cat sleeping on the cosy sofa, a gorgeous tree hung with decorations, a broad table filled with festive treats and of course shelves of books. It's another lovely scene that I would like to step inside, and being a little smaller at 500 pieces the jigsaw could easily be completed in an evening or two. 

Another puzzle which would be quick and satisfying to complete is Festive Curiosities (affiliate link), a 200 piece puzzle from Ridley's. I can see this one being a simpler puzzle that you could bring out for the family to work on together, especially if you have younger children. It comes in cute tube packaging and features a lovely bookshelf filled with books, alongside Christmas decorations like a gingerbread house and nutcracker.

Finally, A Christmas Carol (affiliate link) is a double sided jigsaw puzzle which gives you double the puzzling experience. One side features the cover to the classic book, and the reverse is an extract from inside. The clever box is designed to look like a book sitting on your shelf, and I think this would make the perfect Christmas gift for a jigsaw puzzle lover.

I hope that you enjoyed my curated selection of Christmas themed jigsaw puzzles, and if you love a puzzle at Christmas, happy festive puzzling!

Review - Miniature Gingerbread House craft kit from Rolife

I received this kit in exchange for a review

Last week I shared some gorgeous Christmas themed miniature craft kits from Rolife, and today I'm featuring another miniature craft kit from the Christmas collection, the Gingerbread House. 

With this kit you can assemble a Gingerbread House bakery, filled with festive treats that include gingerbread men, candy canes, cocoa and chocolate boxes. It's a 3 star kit which means that it isn't too difficult, but it will take a little more time than the basic kits. Suggested assembly time is around six hours, and I would say that is about right.

The kit contains everything that you need apart from two AAA batteries for the lighting kit, however I did find it useful to have some glue on hand just to make sure that everything is firmly stuck together. Inside the kit you will find plain and coloured wooden boards with snap out pieces, paper cuts and stickers, tiny plastic components, a lighting kit, screwdriver, tweezers, double sided adhesive strips and of course full instructions.

I have to say that I really loved assembling this kit, and I think that it may be my favourite Rolife kit so far. I really enjoyed the festive vibes, and all of the miniature components were really sweet.

One thing that I particularly enjoyed about this kit was that I felt the assembly order worked really well. First you assemble the larger pieces that fit inside the bakery - the dresser, cupboards and so on. I found it a good idea to use one the box lid to store the pieces as I finished them.

 

Then you assemble the structure of the house, putting the walls and door in place (this was a bit like building a real gingerbread house!) and installing the simple lighting kit. Finally you put together the very small pieces and glue them into place on and around the furniture to complete the bakery.

I found the assembly of the kit straightforward and the instructions easy and logical to follow. There were a few times when I felt that I needed some extra glue, although the adhesive strips provided are very sticky. The instructions lead you clearly through each step, and this kit didn't require any measuring or cutting pieces to size which you find in some of the more difficult kits.

I loved all the tiny details in the kit. The little coffee machine with a mug of hot chocolate to go, the tiny cakes and biscuits, the miniature boxes of chocolates in all shapes and sizes. It takes time to spot everything that is packed inside the shop as there is so much attention to detail.

The kit includes a lighting kit which lights up the inside of the shop. The battery box and on/off switch is accessed from the back of the house, it cleverly slots inside one of the cupboards. It looks so good when the light is on, especially on a dark winter's evening when you need a bit of festive cheer.

I can see this Gingerbread House being part of a larger Christmas village, which is something that I've always wanted. You could buy and assemble a kit each year as a festive tradition that builds up into something really spectacular that is much more personal than buying the pieces readymade. There are a few other kits which would fit the theme really well, like the Christmas Candy Stand or the Honey Dessert Talk Miniature House.

I know that this Gingerbread House is going to be a part of our Christmas decor tradition for a long while to come!

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!

My Autumn themed jigsaw puzzle wishlist

This post contains Amazon affiliate links

I've been struggling lately with browsing for jigsaw puzzles on Amazon. Firstly, many of the puzzles are from "alphabet soup" brands, complete with poorly translated descriptions stuffed with key words. Secondly lots of them look very much like AI generated images with colours that are too vibrant, fuzzy details and they just look a bit off. Now AI does have it's place in the modern world, but for me at the moment that's not in jigsaw puzzles, so I've tried to pick out puzzles from respected brands. They may be a little more expensive but I hope that they are likely to be better quality in terms of both image and construction.

Unfortunately I can't link images from Amazon, so I hope that my descriptions will be good enough to encourage you to take a closer look. If you are searching for some good quality Autumn themed jigsaw puzzles for some puzzling as the nights draw in, I hope that you enjoy looking through my selection!

Galison - Autumn in the Meadow - 1000 piece (affiliate link)

This 1000 piece jigsaw features an illustration of an overgrown footpath which passes through a vegetable patch filled with pumpkins and chickens towards a tiny cottage half hidden by floating autumnal flowers. The colours are gorgeous, and this one looks like it would be pleasantly tricky and very satisfying to put together.

Elena Essex - Sunset Valley - 1000 piece (affiliate link)

Perhaps not quite strictly Autumnal, but with a rich palette of reds and oranges this illustrated scene features rolling hills with colourful cottages nestled in between. This puzzle has plenty of interest and I think would not be too challenging once you had sorted out the different areas.

Galison - Nature in Autumn - 500 piece (affiliate link)

I love a smaller puzzle that can be completed in an evening or two, and jigsaw features images of various flora and fauna which you might see while out and about in Autumn. There's a lot of detail in the pictures and a lovely selection of colours.

Cobble Hill - Country Diary: Autumn - 1000 piece (affiliate link)

This puzzle features illustrations from The Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady and so it's a group of nostalgic paintings along with handwritten inscriptions. There is a huge amount of detail in the image and it seems realistic in the types of things that you might spot in Autumn. The colours are muted in style with the vintage design, and this would be a lovely relaxing puzzle to slot together.

Galison - Autumn in the Neighbourhood - 1000 piece (affiliate link)

Another Galison puzzle with gorgeous Autumn colours, this is a street scene featuring a row of terraced houses framed by trees in their autumnal colours and decorated with wreaths and pumpkins. The houses would be really fun to put together and the beautiful smudged leaves would be a great challenge!

Galison - Autumn at the City Market - 1000 piece (affiliate link)

This Autumn scene features a city skyline with a row of lovely coloured trees across the centre, with market stalls and yellow taxi cabs in the foreground. It's a great contrast between nature and the city, and there are plenty of details to spot with the intricate stalls and the passersby. 

A tour into the DMZ from Seoul - the border between North and South Korea

In July this year we had an amazing holiday in Seoul, and one of the highlights was an organised tour from Seoul into the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) between North and South Korea. The DMZ is the buffer zone which marks the border between the two countries. It's about 4km wide and is a site of ongoing tension, with a significant military presence on both sides. 

We booked our tour with Get Your Guide and the tour was operated by PLK Travel. We chose the Seoul:DMZ, 3rd Tunnel and Optional Suspension Bridge Tour including the suspension bridge, and paid £213 total for four adults. 

Travelling with an organised tour is really the only way to see many of these sights. You can visit Imjingak Park without a tour, but you can only enter the DMZ on a guided tour in an official tour bus. It is possible to make your way to Imjingak independently and transfer to an official tour bus but this would require some extra planning and research and I'm not sure how easy it would be. 

Our tour departed from and returned to Myeongdong Station which was very convenient for us as our hotel was located close by. It was a full day tour, we left early in the morning and arrived back mid-afternoon, and it's about an hour's drive from Seoul to the DMZ without stopping. 

Our tour guide was Paul and he was fantastic. While driving between the sights, as well as telling us about what we were seeing he also shared a lot of information about his own personal history relating to North and South Korea. It was fascinating, and gave us a huge amount of background information to help us understand the history of the two countries.

There was also the opportunity to buy some North Korean currency on the bus which we took advantage of, a great souvenir to take home!

Gamaksan Suspension Bridge

Our first stop was the Gamaksan Suspension Bridge (I've read that these extra stops offered as part of tours are a way of spreading out the tourists a bit to avoid congestion at the DMZ sights). It's quite a steep hike up to the suspension bridge, but we were left to do this independently so we could take our time and stop along the way to admire the views. It was a fun hike and the bridge was very impressive. At the bottom of the hill there are toilets and a convenience shop for snacks. 

Imjingak Peace Park

Then we returned to the coach to drive to Imjingak. Imjingak Park symbolises the hope of a reunification between South and North Korea, and there are many sights monuments, memorials, and other interesting things to see here. We started with a guided walking tour which highlighted the main sights, for example the Freedom Bridge which was temporarily built to exchange prisoners of war in 1953. The Mangbaedan Altar, below, is a place for South Koreans to remember their loved ones that remain in North Korea. Our guide told us many stories about his own family's escape from North Korea, along with the possibility that he has cousins living in North Korea that he knows nothing about.

You can also see an old steam locomotive which was the last train to cross the Korean border. It was rescued from the DMZ and is filled with bullet holes. You can pay a little extra to walk a short way down the partially finished train track towards North Korea which has been built in the hope of one day connecting the two countries.

The Statues of Peace can also be seen here in Imjingak Park. These statues are memorials to 'comfort women', women who were forced into sexual slavery by the Japanese military during WWII. There are a number of these identical statues located across South Korea, and here in the park there are two side by side. The idea is that after reunification, one of these statues will be relocated to North Korea, and the statue intended for North Korea has a blank tablet ready for a future engraving. 

We had plenty of time to spend here in the park, and there was lots to see. Some tours include a ride on the Imjingak Peace Gondola, and you can climb up to the gondola station and see the view. There is also a Dunkin' Donuts here and a few other food options, so it was a good place to grab some lunch. There's a really good article here with 15 Interesting Things to do at Imjingak Park near the DMZ which is worth a read if you are visiting and don't want to miss anything.

Dora Observatory

The drive to the Dora Observatory is when you enter the military checkpoint which is very strictly controlled. It's essential that you bring your passport on the tour with you, as soldiers enter the bus and check everyone. One of the many interesting sights along the way is the old toll gate on the road into North Korea, which is no longer operational.

There are also lots of signs warning of landmines, and signage to make sure that you know you are entering a military area.

Inside the observatory there are large windows which look out over North Korea, and lots of information about what you can see. This model shows the area, the big building is the observatory and the blue lines mark the edges of the DMZ. You used to be able to go outside up to the roof but this is not currently permitted, however the windows on the top floor offer a similar view.

At the current time you are not allowed to take photographs into North Korea from the Observatory, and this is very strictly enforced. Our guide had a selection of photos which he had taken before this rule, and he shared them with anyone interested. There was also a video playing which showed the same scenery that you can see from the windows, and the photograph below is taken from the video. 

Our guide gave us lots of really interesting information about what you can see from the observatory, including the flags of North and South Korea, the speaker system in South Korea which broadcast K-pop and news reports (the speakers were recently demolished), guard towers, housing tower blocks and industrial buildings). 

The Third Invasion Tunnel

Then we drove to the The Third Invasion Tunnel. This is one of four (known!) tunnels built by North Korea underneath the DMZ with the purpose of invading South Korea. It was discovered in 1978 and is an incomplete 1.6km long tunnel. The tunnel has been blocked and turned into a tourist attraction where you are able to walk down a section of the tunnel.

Before entering the tunnel you must leave all your belongings in a locker (so there is no photography), and don a hard hat. One tip - be quick with the locker and get ahead of the tour group. We spent too long faffing and ended up at the back, meaning that we got caught in a long queue at the end of the tunnel before the turn around point. The entrance to the tunnel is a wide, smooth pathway but the actual tunnel is very narrow and low, so it can be quite claustrophobic if you are there with a lot of other people not moving. It's also quite a tough climb, so you do need to be physically fit. If you don't fancy it you can just wait for your group at the top, there is plenty to see to keep you busy.

There is an illustration of the tunnel outside which is quite misleading - it's not to scale and the tunnel that you walk down on the left is much longer than it looks in the picture! There is an old monorail to the tunnel entrance, but I don't think it's operational at the moment.

Outside there is a reconstruction of the end of the tunnel so that you can take pictures, and also lots of other photo opportunities, including the large DMZ sign. Even though we were last out of the tunnel we still had plenty of time to look around the area.

Unification Village

Our final stop was The Unification Village. This is a small farming village located within the southern area of the DMZ. We didn't stop here for very long, just time for a quick visit to the gift shop which sells various DMZ souvenirs. There is also a stand selling vegan ice cream which was very popular!

Historically, DMZ tours have also included a stop at the JSA (Joint Security Area) but it is currently closed to the public after a US soldier crossed the border in 2023 during a tour which triggered increased tensions. It's unclear whether the JSA tours will resume in the future. 

Although I was a little apprehensive about taking this tour because of the ongoing tensions in the area, I'm really glad that we did it, and it was definitely a highlight of our entire trip. We never felt at all unsafe at any point, and it really was fascinating. 

It was very interesting to learn about the history between the two countries, and to realise that the people of South Korea are genuinely longing for a reconciliation with North Korea. 

If you are visiting South Korea I would absolutely recommend taking a tour to the DMZ, it will really enhance your knowledge and enjoyment of a trip to the country.