Saturday 28 February 2009

FEBRUARY GIVE AWAY WINNER!!!!

Entries are obviously closed for this one!

Sorry if you didn't win this time but maybe next month!!!! Watch out for March's Give Away, this time with an Etsy interview!!!!

So the winner for the custom avatar & banner from Landrith and Co is ...............

DRUMROLL......


I will contact TilT and let her know the good news! Hopefully she will update us when her prize has been designed!

Good luck for next month!

Monica xx

Tuesday 24 February 2009

Pancake Day & Nita's Bday!!!

Its pancake day, coincedently it's also my niece's 3rd bday...she lives in South Africa so we miss her terribly and wish we were there to celebrate it with her!!!
Over the week end she had a ladybird themed bday party! She looks so cute! Look at that ladybird cake, how adorable is that?! ;)
We miss her lots and am gonna make pancakes today thinking of her too!
Here is my simple pancake recipe...

100g white plain flour
1 egg
150ml milk
150ml water
1 teaspoon olive oil (plus more for greasing the pan)

Sift the flour into a bowl, make a well in the centre and break in the egg.
Add a little milk and stir gently. Add the rest of the milk slowly and stir until smooth. Stir in the water and oil and beat for one minute.
(If you have an electric whisk bung all the ingredients in a bowl and whisk until you have a smooth batter)
Heat a drop of oil in a large frying pan. When the pan is really hot, pour in just enough batter to cover the pan with a thin coating. Cook for just under a minute - using a spatula to keep an eye on how it's cooking.
Now the fun bit ... FLIP IT - or if you find you're dropping too many, turn it over with the spatula! Cook the other side for 15 seconds.
Have fun!!!! Monica xx

Sunday 22 February 2009

Etsy Update!

Here is my latest addition to Etsy... wont bore you too much with details because you can just have a look http://www.myfunnybunny.etsy.com/

They look so cute! Pitty these are too big for me!!!

I had to ask my mum to model them for me, but even her hands are small, but I had no one with bigger hands to take pics of!!!
They are a size M/L.

Hope you like them!

Don't forget this months Etsy give away! Click here

Saturday 21 February 2009

Etsy Give Away Preview!

Ooooohhhh I like this one! I hope you like it too.

For the month of March we are gonna have The Curious Rabbit joining us for a little give away!

These were lovely to get in the post, they are a pack of 7 postcards with photographs taken in London, England & Scotland!

Soho (Chinese Area in London) & The London Eye are included!

I was tempted to "steal" them for myself as there are really cool shots in the pack, it all comes nicely packed & looks ubber cute!

She also includes an equally cute thank you card and her business cards which are little moo cards with her prints on the reverse. Cute is the main word for the day!

I love her boat print in her etsy shop The Curious Rabbit and this is on one of the postcards, which is cool.

This give away is gonna start in the month of March so make sure you keep an eye on our blog!

We are also gonna do an interview with this Etsyan, interrogation style. Lol

We are gonna announce this months winner at the end of Feb, so you have a few days to enter!!!! Quick, Quick!

Monica x

Friday 20 February 2009

I WON TICKETS!!!

Yay! I won a pair of tickets for the Baby Show in Excel next week end!

I entered a competition through the Clearly Herbal Parents and Tots Club newsletter which you can join here .

Since Stefan was born I have been going every year, sometimes twice a year to find out about all the new cool stuff for babies & kids, have some fun, get some freebies but most important of all... buy wipes!

You might wonder why do I go to buy wipes?

Well, when you want the best for your baby you will do what you can! I go specially to buy Clearly Herbal wipes, when I go to the shows, I buy as many as I can and there is a discount the more you buy at their stand plus I save p&p as I take them straight away.

I have been using their Natural Wipes for almost 3 years now and am delighted!

This is why! Look at what they have:

*Alcohol and lanolin-free – making them suitable for even the most sensitive skin
*Finest tea tree oil and aloe vera have soothing and healing properties which help to treat, heal and prevent nappy rash
*Purified and de-ionized water - All minerals and chemicals are removed from the water to make it mild and pure so it will not dry out the skin and makes it suitable for use on sensitive skin and by eczema sufferers
*Aromatherapy of chamomile and lavender is perfume-free and will not sting even when applied to cracked skin
*Green Tea is a natural antioxidant that helps promote the body’s healing process and protects the skin against the causes of nappy rash
*High quality cotton-enriched cloth is soft, strong and gentle on baby skin

Most importantly for me they are free from SLS, Parabens, Alcohol, perfume and chlorine!

I am very excited about getting their new Bamboo Wipes! They are also biodegradable!

I took the following info from their website to help you out if you haven't heard about bamboo wipes:

Why Bamboo?

*Protective
Unlike other anti-microbial fabrics, which require a chemical treatment; bamboo fabric is naturally anti-microbial and requires no harmful chemicals. It contains an agent, "bamboo kun", that prevents bacteria from cultivating on it.

*Eco-friendly
Cloth made from bamboo fiber is 100% natural and made through a high-tech process without the addition of any chemical additives. Consequently, it can be 100% biodegraded and will be naturally broken down in soil by microorganisms and sunshine.

Did you know…
Bamboo is one of the world’s most prolific and fastest-growing plants, and is able to reach maturity in about four years, compared to the typical 25 to 70 years for most commercial tree species. Bamboo is planted and grown on farms that have been in agricultural use for generations. The kind of bamboo used for fabrics and wood products is not the same kind of bamboo eaten by panda bears and none of the fibre comes from tropical forests.

Now you can see why I am excited!

They are excellent to use & have minimum impact on the enviroment compared to normal wipes. I also put the packaging in my recyclin bin and use them responsibly (to save money & the enviroment!)

So yes I recommend these wipes! I wished everyone would switch from all the rubbish wipes out there to these!

Just pick up your packet of wipes & read the ingredients!!!! You will see what I mean. Skin is our largest organ and it absorbs everything we put on it, so don't start filling your babies bodies with junk from the start!

Also this company was started by a concerned mum & to this day the family is still running it! So its good to know that you are buying from people that care & supporting their efforts to make this world a better place!

If you want more info and to find out where you can buy these from visit their website http://www.clearlyherbal.com/ these are now available in various countries, if not in yours, give them a shout to let them know and maybe they will be very soon!

Here is a pic of what the wipes look like!

Always researching to give the best to my babies & now you can benefit too from my time!

Monica xxx

Tuesday 17 February 2009

Stefan's 1st Etsy Photoshoot!






About a week ago was Stefan's first Etsy photoshoot!
I made a Skull and Bones Beanie for him which I wanted to list on Etsy so Stefan was to be my model!

The house isn't exactly the best place as there isn't much free space available! We are waiting to move, don't know exactly yet when, but when we get the news it will be, go, go ,go!

Outside is a bit cold so we had th shoot indoors but with a bit of difficulty.
Well, I am pleased to say that we both had a giggle and I took tons of shots but obviously could only keep a few!
Stefan named it Pirate Hat, that is why on one of the pics he is doing his "Aaaarg! Me mateys!" face! I think its hilariously cute, but then I am his mum!
He has already requested a scarf too! So I guess that is the queue of projects!
If you want a Pirate Beanie for your little one to be warm and look cute in or play dress up, be sure to visit www.myfunnybunny.com I can make them any size from age 0-3 months and in any colour! Really dinky and cute!
The great thing about them is as they grow up you can loosen the knot so it fits them for longer!
Chat soon,

Monica xx

Monday 16 February 2009

I am late on I LOVE YOU DAY!

Oh, I know... I am late, so sorry was too busy having fun! (and then cleaning up!)

I was expecting to have the most rubbish valentines day ever and was feeling really down because of it, On Friday my hubby was working and on Saturday too...oh I was in the dumps!

It went like this...

My hubby arrived from work on Friday and I moaned about him working on Sat (luv u day) so as usual we ate and my hubby moaned he didn't have any laundered shirts to go to work, so he stomped up the stairs to go and collect his shirts and put them in the wash, I asked him if I could have the camera on the Saturday so I could list some bits on eBay as I need to clear out a lot of stuff in the house and he moaned but said OK but he was taking it on Sunday to work.

He packed all his bits for going to work and everything as usual.

We spent some time together as a family and then he said he needs to go to bed cause he is working the next day, so I got my son and we all got ready for bed. I asked if he could help me with Stefan and he moaned saying he needed to go to sleep but helped anyway.
We all went to sleep and I cuddled up and told him I love him and fell asleep.

This is where the fun starts! ;)

My hubby woke up with the alarm as usual and got up. Kissed me and said "Happy Valentines Baby, Love You".
After a while I felt him come back to bed but I though, Its Saturday he came back to have a little lay in since everything is ready, I cuddled up to him then I amazingly fell asleep like a butterfly!

I suddenly awoke & jumped up to look at the time! Wow it was 7.30am and he was supposed to be at work! I shook him really vigorously and said " Baby, baby, wake up its 7.30 you are really late!" my husband opens his eyes very calmly and says very quietly " I know, Its my gift to you for Valentines" he got up and in one swift move gave me the longest stemmed rose I have ever seen, a beautiful bright red rose and a red envelope and gave me a great big kiss.

Wow I felt I had just won the lottery! Everything the opposite of what I expected my day to be!

It was a beautiful handmade card saying I love you wit two hearts, my hubby spilled his heart on the inside including being thankful for our family & my support.

The rest of the day was great, before my son woke up everything was very lovey dovey ;) if you know what I mean!

When my son woke up we had breakfast at McDs (yay junk food!) and got a free blue mug, then we went off to football for Stefan.

We then went to visit my parents and afterwards we went to a farm shop and bought some treats! After that the day was very lazy and we even had an afternoon nap. The three of us which was a miracle!!! In the evening we watched a movie (Space Chimps) as a family.

I had already given my hubby his valentines gift on Thursday since he wasn't gonna be home for Valentine's. I gave him Photoshop Elements 7 since he had been moaning about it for months but we couldn't afford it! Since I spent so much on that he had asked me what I wanted and I had told him nothing, since we don't have any dosh after I bought his present anyway. I just wanted to spend the day with him but that wasn't possible! He moaned too and said "I can't even give you flowers cause you complain about spending so much money on something that dies" (he once spent over £60 on a bunch of roses and I had a BIG moan although I luv roses!).

My Final Though...

Yes I am very grateful for the things I do have and having my hubby home on I luv u day was the best for me, he didn't have any hols left so he had to swap shifts with someone and he did everything as a surprise which made it even better!

I loved my I LOVE YOU day, it was priceless, I got to be with the ones that I love. I hope you loved your I love you day too!

Monica xx

PS. don't forget commenting on any post this month enters you to win a Free avatar & banner for Etsy!

Saturday 14 February 2009

Happy I Love You Day

I am pretty busy received and giving lots of love today but though I would write a quick no wishing everyone a HAPPY VALENTINES or as my son calls it (because of Winnie the Pooh, Tigger, Darby & Friends) HAPPY I LOVE YOU DAY!

I will come tomorrow and tell you all about my I Love You day!

Monica xxx

Don't forget commenting on every post this month enters you to win a new avatar & banner for your etsy! Be daring!

Friday 13 February 2009

I Love that you are my husband

A cute little purchase on Etsy!

I wanted to thank my husband for his undoubted devotion, to me, his son and the baby (girl) in my belly.

Sure I tell him I love him each and every day and do my part as a loving wife & mummy, but when you have someone working very hard and sometimes not having much time off, as has been my hubby's case, we can all get a bit grumpy!

He gets grumpy because he is tired, I get grumpy because I miss him and get unhappy because I am by myself and my world seems like its just these walls! I can't drive or at least don't have a driving license yet & don't have a car to use even if I did, so yes it can get a bit clostrophobic and since the weather is rubbish & quite cold, me and the little one don't get out much when daddy is not home!

My son can get a bit grumpy too because he thinks he is gonna get to spend time with daddy and then daddy gets asked to do overtime, so he isn't home when he expects him to be!

It can all get a bit fuzzy and sometimes we don't show as much appreciation as we mean to... because the "I love you" at the end of the day is always there, I felt I needed to do something different to show my appreciation, so he would really notice!

So I got him this beautiful note to give him, from uniqueartpendants on Etsy.

It comes in a silver box and its printed on parchment paper with a little rice paper origami peace crane (which you can choose from different colors).
When it arrived I was delighted with it and when my hubby got home, I got my son (almost 3) to give it to him. My hubby loved it and it hit the right note, he got the message and gave us both a hug.

As he is the loving husband that he is, he always knows when to say "We will all get through this together" and it always makes me feel better.
I wanted a different way to touch his heart as he touches mine so many times.

Yes Emile, if you are reading this, I love you and I will always and forever, my sweetheart, thanks for the 8 years (so far) that you have devoted to us.

*The pic is me and my hubby Emile with my son when he was 1 (in white) in South Africa with his grandma and niece, whom I love dearly too.
Monica xxx
PS. Dont forget to comment on all of this months posts to enter this months give away!

Tuesday 10 February 2009

HANDMADE CAMBRIDGE FAIR

Yaaayy!

We are going to the handmade cambridge fair! All confirmed!
Its very exciting, I will be sharing a 10ft table with funnybanana!
If you are interested in exhibiting there is still a limited amount of 8ft tables left, just email Deepa on handmadefairs@gmail.com for an application form but do it fast as they won't be around for lon!
Its in Cambridge, England, UK on the 4th of April 2009!
If you wanna know more about it and see who is gonna be there make sure you visit their blog! http://handmadecambridge.blogspot.com/
I am waiting for my exhibitor pack to come, as soon as I get that I will share more with you!
Yaaay! Our first ever craft fair! So excited!
If anyone has any hints and tips they wanna share please do it in the comments.
If there are loads, I will do a post with all your tips and put your etsy name next to your hint! ;)
Monica xxx


Monday 9 February 2009

Valentine Sugar Cookies

GET INTO THE VALENTINE SPIRIT!

Wanted to share this recipe I found cause they look so yummy!
I am gonna give it a go! Let me know how you get on if you try them out.

Active Time: 30 Minutes
Total Time: 2 Hours 40 Minutes
Yield: Makes about 2 1/2 dozen cookies

For an afternoon kitchen project, you'll want to make the dough ahead of time, so it will be chilled enough for you and your little ones to roll out.

RECIPE INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, room temperature
1/2 cup superfine sugar, plus more for sprinkling (or granulated sugar processed for 10 seconds in the food processor)
1 large egg, beaten
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 drops red food coloring

DIRECTIONS
In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt.
In another bowl, use an electric mixer set on medium speed to beat together the butter and 1/2 cup sugar until light and creamy, about 5 minutes. Beat in the egg and vanilla, and continue to mix for 2 minutes.
On low speed, gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture until just combined. With lightly floured hands, gather the sticky dough into a ball. Divide the ball in half. Return one half to the bowl, add the food coloring, and mix until blended. With floured hands, form each half into a ball. Divide each ball in half, and flatten each half into a disk. Wrap each disk in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until firm, at least 2 hours or preferably overnight.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Set aside the 2 1/2-inch and 1- or 1 1/2-inch heart-shaped cookie cutters, and two ungreased or parchment-lined baking sheets.
Remove one of the plain dough disks from the refrigerator. On a lightly floured board, on a pastry cloth, or between two sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap, roll out the dough 1/4-inch thick. (If it is too hard, let it rest for 5 to 10 minutes.) Use the 2 1/2-inch cookie cutter to cut the dough into hearts. Use a spatula to place the dough on a baking sheet, leaving 1/2 inch between the hearts. Repeat rolling and cutting with one of the pink dough disks.

To create contrasting colors and patterns on each cookie, use the 1- or 1 1/2-inch cutter to cut out and lift out a smaller heart inside, or to the outside edge of, the larger heart. (The small heart will lift up with a cutter.) Pop out the dough with your fingertip, and replace it with a heart of the contrasting color. (Dough scraps can be combined by color and rerolled once, or both colors can be combined once to make marbleized hearts.) Sprinkle with sugar.
For soft cookie, bake until set but still pale, about 8 minutes. For crisper cookies, bake until pale golden, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat rolling, cutting, and baking with the remaining chilled dough.

VARIATIONS:
For flavored hearts, substitute 1 teaspoon of the vanilla extract with wintergreen, lemon, or almond extract. Continue as directed.
For spicy hearts, add 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, or Chinese five-spice to the other dry ingredients, and continue as directed.

TIPS FOR ROLLED COOKIES:
Using a superfine sugar creates a lighter, flakier cookie.
Forming dough into disks instead of balls before chilling guarantees easier rolling.
Rolling chilled dough between two sheets of lightly floured heavy-duty plastic wrap is an easy way for beginners to get good results (I use Saran Wrap). By lifting the bottom sheet, the cut shape will often pop right out, ready to transfer to the baking sheet.

Sunday 8 February 2009

FEBRUARY GIVE AWAY PROMOTION!

Our first ever give away! Very exciting!

****DRUMROLL****

The great folks at LANDRITH and CO are really generous and donating a CUSTOM BANNER & AVATAR for etsyians who want to spruce it up!!

Landrith and Co

The newest of the etsy designers, has reached out to the etsy community in a genuine way, helping new etsyans without a cohesive appearance dress up their shops. Now, they want to help you...

Make sure to visit them @ http://www.landrithandco.etsy.com/

Their work looks really good and they have extremely good prices!

Some examples of their banner work (not to scale!):



HOW TO ENTER:
Post a comment on our Feb posts and include your etsy username on it.
We are posting almost each day so come back often!

Every comment is counted as an entry but only 1 comment per post is allowed, and no one word comments are allowed, must be a genuine thought or comment!

On the last day of the month we will do a draw with all the names in a hat! So the more entries the bigger your chance of winning!!!

The winner will be contacted straight away!

Lets get to it!! Good Luck!!! Monica xxx

Give aways! Do you wanna get promoted?

I am very happy to say that we are gonna start blog give aways here on My Funny Bunny!

We allready have some Etsy sellers on the queue to give some goodies away to our lovely readers, so go on and follow our blog if you wanna get your hands on some Etsy stash!

If you wanna get promoted yourself let me know by messaging me on Etsy www.myfunnybunny.etsy.com or if you are not on Etsy yet (you are missing out!) email me on monica@myfunnybunny.com.

Wooohooo! Let the fun begin!

DEVILS FOOD CHOCOLATE CAKE Yummy !!!

I made a lovely Devils Food chocolate cake for my hubby's birthday!
It was moist and yummy delicious, I have been asked to make it a few times again since then by my family and friends! My hubby's latest request was for me to use Nutella (chocolate & hazelnut spread) instead of chocolate icing... I will let you know when I try that out!

Here it is...mmmmmm
It always disappears in a flash!
Not very good for dieting!

Wednesday 4 February 2009

Etsy Baby Shower

I can't believe I missed the Etsy Baby Shower! It was in the Etsy Labs on the 28th of Jan 09!
I wasn't home and missed the show but I did give a gift to a baby! Her name is Katy and she was born in November. I hope she likes the shoes we sent her!


Sunday 1 February 2009

AZUL MAMA BAG

So whats a MAMA BAG?

Its what I like to call my multi use Baby Changing Bag / Diaper Bag!

As a mother myself, prenant now for the second time, I am really tired of seeing all the snazzy Baby changing bags that cost £50 + and you can only use really while your baby is a baby, after that its bye bye to your money cause even on ebay you wont get much for your £50+ bag!

So yes out of that I designed the Mama Bag, a beautiful multi use bag, really strong & spacious.

Mama bags are great, really spacious with a large pocket, strong and with wide straps so they dont dig into your shoulder.

You can use them to pack your bits for hospital, then as a baby changing / diaper bag & when baby time is over...use it as a spacious handbag or shopping bag!

Say no to pricey baby diaper bags that are useless after you dont need them for the baby!

This one is really nice, one of a kind, with soft thick fabric with a thin rubber backing for a little water resistance, patterned lining for beauty all over, both fabrics don't crease easily!

You can find it in http://www.myfunnybunny.etsy.com/