Monday 16 September 2019

Our Choc-tastic Visit to The Kandy Factory

Our chocolatey dreams came true a few weeks ago! During the summer holidays, we were lucky enough to be invited along to experience a chocolate making workshop at The Kandy Factory in Burton-on-Trent.



Situated upstairs in Burton's Victorian Market Hall, is an open-plan space where the magic is created! We were greeted on arrival by friendly staff and the children were kitted out in hair nets and aprons.

Look how clean they were at the start!
After choosing the creations they wanted to make from the display cases, the kids were given all the moulds they would need. My son chose to copy the beach scene, and my daughter decided upon a teddy bear world! They were each given a chocolate bar mould too.

A few minutes later, the children were brought 2 warm, melted bowls of milk chocolate and a little cupcake case full of decorations. They were allowed to have a little taste of the chocolate before spooning it into the chocolate bar mould, and personalising it with small sweets, chocolate buttons, cereals and sprinkles.

Sunday 1 September 2019

A Rainbow After the Storm

Dear friends,

A lot has changed here since I last wrote. Little did I know that, one sunny day at the beginning of June, my whole life would take on a new direction.


After almost 15 years of being with my husband (7 of them married), he took the decision to end our relationship. The reasons are personal, but what followed would be the hardest, most devastating and emotional time of my life.

In that moment, I felt my entire world collapse around me. What would the future hold for me and my 2 young children? All my dreams and hopes for my family going forwards were shattered. Gone. My heart was broken, so much so that I felt I couldn't breathe. The pain in my chest so immense, I couldn't even stand up straight. I cried so many tears I could taste the salt in the air.

In the weeks that followed, I fell apart inside... but kept it together on the outside. Many people never suspected a thing. For the first time though, I suffered from the effects of anxiety and ended up having to take time off work. There was no way I could concentrate on the education and welfare of others when I could barely look after myself.