By Kate Hodges
03rd September 2021
RECIPE AND DO SCHOOL’S IN
Yay! Boo! It’s back to school time. We’ve got a checklist of things to make the transition a little sweeter, cheaper, and tastier.
*Be inspired by fresh vegan lunchbox ideas (the Buffalo Jackfruit Sandwiches with Hemp Crunch sound amazing)
*Brighten up your pencil box with home-made pencil toppers, cute rainbow unicorn notebooks, gorgeous pen roll-ups and a brilliant measuring tape pencil case.
*Find a new pair of shoes that care as much for the earth as your kids’ feet – the Vegan Society has an excellent guide to animal-friendly brands
*Discover how flower essences can support your children’s wellbeing at school
*Scour kids clothes swap sites for tough-enough bargains. We like Loopster or Kids Exchange or haunt local free and cheap swap sites on social media!
*Discover how not to feel small at big school.
*Make power food-packed salad jars and energy-giving bliss balls for lunch times!
*Print out – or be inspired to make your own versions of – these cute lunch box notes and jokes – slip one in your child’s cool bag or pencil case every day to bring a smile to their face.
*Find out how to unschool your school-attending children.
*Gen up on how to take care of nits naturally!
It’s Sourdough September! This annual celebration of genuine sourdough and the people who make it is an excuse to eat more sourdough and think about making your own. Find out the difference between sourdough and sour faux and where to find the real deal here or find a beginners guide here and fifty more recipes here.
If all this proving and kneading has made your sense of adventure rise, why not take a trip around the world in different breads; find recipes here. Don’t forget to collect your frequent flour points!
RECIPE AND DO DOUGH NUTS
Every week 11 million items of clothing end up in landfill. Throwaway fashion is putting increasing pressure on our planet and its people - it’s unsustainable. Now there’s something you can do to help. Join Second Hand September and pledge to say no to new clothes for 30 days (and perhaps beyond that!) Take the pledge and find shopping tips, styling tips and inspiration here.
EVENT SECOND-HAND SEPTEMBER
There are other ways to make second-hand living more fun. Throw a swish party to swap unloved clothes, find out more about upcycling the clothes you have or try new ways to give existing garments a new lease of life such as dyeing them with flowers or making baby rompers from pre-loved T-shirts.
Lucky enough to live in Leeds? This Saturday head to the city’s Left Bank for a big celebration of families! Chill, check out some of the creative projects the gang have been working on this summer such as a recycled city, woven creations and more artwork, bounce on inflatables and scoff lots of free ice-cream! Free, 12pm-4pm.
DO BIG CHILL
Lucky enough to live in Leeds? This Saturday head to the city’s Left Bank for a big celebration of families! Chill, check out some of the creative projects the gang have been working on this summer such as a recycled city, woven creations and more artwork, bounce on inflatables and scoff lots of free ice-cream! Free, 12pm-4pm.
EVENT SELFIE STICKING
The innovative Alice: Curious and Curiouser exhibition continues at the V&A. Join an online workshop inspired by Wonderland and use innovative methods of combining digital and traditional publishing techniques to create a completely new kind of self-portrait. Perfect for adventurously arty teens. Free, Wednesday September 8.
WHAT WE’RE LISTENING TO The Home Ed Voices Podcast is a UK-based Home Education Podcast that profiles the lives of home ed families. It aims to show how amazing and diverse home education experiences are. Dip in and uncover stories from how to transition to deschooling, to keeping teens engaged and how to avoid over-planning the fun stuff! Listen here
WHAT WE’RE READING Hearing mother’s voice can lessen pain in premature babies, study suggests Premature babies appear to feel less pain during medical procedures when they are spoken to by their mothers, researchers have found. Babies that are born very early often have to spend time in neonatal intensive care units, and may need several painful clinical procedures. The situation can also mean lengthy separation from parents. Now researchers say they have found the sound of a mother’s voice seems to decrease the pain experienced by their baby during medical procedures. Read it here
