Landlocked Mermaid

Hello everyone! I hope we have all had a happy and healthy Christmas! We just have the weird not-quite-Christmas-not-quite-New-Year week to get through, then it is 2019! I am looking to re-jig some things, get my blog schedule under control again (can you tell I have been winging it, these last few weeks?), and hopefully try some new stuff for 2019.  As you are well aware, I got crafty for Christmas this year and now that everyone has had their presents I can finally share what I got up to! This is going to be in three parts, because I have three recipes to share. One is sort of a recipe, I don't know what else to call it. In any case, the odd one out is the one I'm sharing today. This was my first year making stuff, so I wanted to keep it simple. Between amateur craftiness and busy work schedule, I didn't want to over load my poor tiny brain. I wanted to make a couple things: one edible and one smelly. For some reason, growing up we always called bath sets "s...

These last couple days I have been busy doing the final bits of making and assembling gifts, ready to deliver over the coming days. While I would love to tell you all what I have made and how, it will have to wait until the new year. Don't want to ruin the surprise for the family and friends who read. However,  I have been blaring the Christmas tunes and thought we could have some festive fun. I know it's not exactly aquatic themed, but 'tis the season and whatnot! My favourite Christmas songs are... Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree - Brenda Lee Merry Christmas Everyone - Shakin' Stevens You're A Mean One, Mr Grinch - The Grinch (2000) Baby Shark Christmas Lights What are your favourites?

While we are all thinking about presents and food and festivities, here are some shark misconceptions to also mull over. Photo from LeisurePro , via Pinterest. I hope you're all having a wonderful Christmas period. :)

Ancient Seas #1 Megalodon Photo from Sharkipedia The megalodon was probably the largest predator to have ever lived - we haven't found one bigger yet. It is larger than the whale shark. Their teeth were over twice the size of great white's teeth. Recent discoveries of megalodon nurseries have led scientists to believe they gave birth in shallow waters. Ancient Seas #2 Sarcosuchus Photo from IMDb Its name, Sarcosuchus, means fleshy crocodile. It was twelve feet longer than modern saltwater crocodile. Their home became the Sahara desert. Ancient Seas #3 Plesiosaurus   Photo from ThoughtCo It is postulated that they laid their eggs upon land like the sea turtle. Their teeth were designed to catch prey, not chew. They swallowed their prey whole. Their long necks were supported by 40 vertebrae. Ancient Seas #4 Hybodus Photo from ThoughtCo The hybodus shark species survived on the planet ten times longer than the av...

April  Green Sea Turtle Photo from NatGeo Kids Their nesting sites can be found on beaches in 80 countries. They migrate across long distances between feeding and nesting grounds. Babies break out of their eggs using an "egg tooth". May Nudibranch Anyone else think this looks like an Oreo? Photo from NatGeo Kids Nudibranchs get their fabulous colouring from the food they eat. They have a foot and slimy tail. Some nudibranchs eat algae and use the energy they produce from photosynthesis.   June Manta Ray Photo from Oceana   Manta Rays have the biggest brains of any fish. They can be identified by the spots on their bodies - each one has a unique pattern. They have 300 teeth, but only filter feed.  July Anglerfish Photo from Gizmodo Their heads are disproportionately bigger than their body - gotta fit them teeth in somehow! There are roughly 200 species of anglerfish, mostly found at deep depths. Though ...

This year I am hosting my first Christmas party. It's not going to be a traditional Christmas party, as it is with my Game Night group - so we will be playing board games a plenty while drinking copious amounts of beverages. So not massively different then. Well, the decorations are up, so that is the halls decked. One less thing to worry about. Our new living tree, electricals to be tidied. We always have more than enough games and drink, so that is not a worry either. Playing Tsuro of the Seas. So I guess my main worry is the food. The easy option would be to get any of the multitude of Christmas party nibbles. But they will be packaged in so much plastic, therefore making them a last resort. I like cooking, so I am going to make my own nibbles. I will end up having to buy a few things, but that is considerably better than buying all the things. What can I make? Chips and Dip. The chips will be one of the things I buy, but I make a pretty ta...

Me and my favourite shark experts have been making sharky Christmas arts and crafts all afternoon.  We made cards... Mum joined in. We made ornaments... We made paper shark aeroplanes... We made a mess... Merry Sharkmas Guys!

In honour of Stephen Hillenburg, genius behind Spongebob Squarepants , this top five is going to be my top five Spongebob episodes. 5. Band Geeks (2.15) Photo from TV Tropes I feel like this is everyone's favourite episode of Spongebob , but it is an absolute corker. It ends with a bop and provides us with some of the best jokes. From is mayonnaise an instrument to Squidward snorting band humour after every pun, this episode just keeps on giving. 4. Skill Crane (4.4) Photo from The Pony Producer Be the crane. Words to live by. I am fond of the Squidward heavy episodes, because as much as he tries to deny it he is just as crazy as everyone else in Bikini Bottom. He gets so obsessed with winning the skill crane! On a similar level to how obsessed Spongebob is with Kevin the jellyfishing guy. Or Mr. Krabs and money. Or Plankton and the Krabbie Pattie formula. Crazy, intense Squidward is my favourite Squidward. 3. Spongebob's House Part...

Four weeks today, it is Christmas day. Do I feel under prepared? Not really, I usually put off Christmas for as long as I can - I think I did all my shopping on the 23rd one year. It's a side effect of working in customer service. We've been pushing Christmas drinks since October so I have been very much doing my best to ignore it. But four weeks is close enough for me. I have a Christmas playlist on from Spotify and am having a good old think about what I do over December which is festive and not damaging to the planet. I could rant for a few hundred words about the amount of plastic packaging and carrier bags I still see (seriously?! They cost 5p and totes are totes better. See what I did there?) Instead I am just going to focus on my festive cheer.  🎄 ADVENT CALENDAR I have my homemade, fabric advent calendar made and ready to be filled. I am going to pop to Lidl later to see if I can find some fun chocolates to put in numbers 1 to 23. I was originally thinking...