Homemade dad's......Learning tower

In recent weeks Finley and I have been doing a bit of baking. I would set him on a kitchen chair and let him play with ingredients and help me bake some cakes and buns. But, I would be restless because I would always have to be keeping an I on Finley as well as the food, to make sure he wasn't standing to close to the edge of the chair.

I had seen this hack online and had wanted to get one built once I was off work for a few weeks holiday. Once I started my first week off, I wanted to make this one of my first projects to get completed, so that he could cook along side me from the get go.

So on my last day at work I picked up a few pieces to get the job done.

I picked up two stair spindles, a piece of 3 by 1/4 inch ply and a 18mm dowel from B&Q. Then across to IKEA to pick up a wooden stepstool.

First thing to is to build the step part of the stool, this is relatively easy to do, as you're just following the IKEA instructions. Once you get yo this part leave off the top step.

This is were it gets a little tricky. The two wooden spindles are cut in half. The middle supports, I drilled out two holes either side and fitted wooden towels. The top supports, I drilled straight through and uses long support screw which I already had from an old wardrobe that we had in our old home. This has given it a great strength. I drilled through the top step in each corner to attach the spindles, (with the same furniture screws) then attached the middle supports and then finishing with the top support.

Master Finley testing out the tower. He loved being able to get up and down all on his own.

I didn't have a 20mm drill bit, so I had to wait a few days till my mum and dad (AKA Granny & Grandad) cane up to visit. I would definitely recommend drilling out the back dowel support before fitting as it was a bit of a pain to get sorted. I took Finley a wee while to get used to the adjustment but after he did, he was up and down in no time. This is ideal for getting the wee ones involved with cooking in the kitchen and we are looking forward to using it many times in the coming months.

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Homemade Dad......Smile

Its back to our more traditional Northern Ireland summer of rain. Althou when I say summer we are fast approaching Autumntime and "scarf season"! This is a wonderful time of the year, the fog and mist starts to come in and slight chill hits the air. I have started with the light scarves to get me slowly into the season.

I took the pups out for a walk the other night to the old abandoned salt mines, which is local to me and the Blackberries are out in force now. So I went for a bit of a forage and got a bumper crop of first berries. To freeze ready to get some jam made.

In the next few days when I take Finley to visit his Granny and Grandad, I'll be looking to collect a pile of crab apples, to make crab Apple and lavender jelly. This year's crop are looking good.

Apart from my other drawn work, I am currently working through my Christmas countdown comic strip, which will start from the First of December and countdown till Christmas Eve.

So if you would like to visit the page and add a like, please do. 

https://www.facebook.com/SantaandRuudy/

If you enjoy Christmas and a good laugh. My comicstrip begins again on the 1st December. Click now, so not to miss any. TY! 😊

As always you can catch me at all time of the day on Twitter - @homemadedad 

Homemade Dad......We must find time

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Homemade Dad......Open Tabs

Hey all, I definitely have been slacking with the blog posts off late, and it's not even as if I've been overly busy either.

I have been noticing that I am struggling to get viewers and I suppose that has knocked the confidence of the blog, as I put a lot of myself into each post without that many people getting to see it. I would get somewhere between 30 and 40 viewers and I had thought this would grow with daily posts but it never seemed to help. I know that my blog won't be everyone's cup of tea but I had thought that after a few years it may have grown into a few more followers.

None the less, I will endeavour to keep on trucking with the blog, cause someone needs to spend a few minutes each day reading what I have to think about live.

Twitter- @homemadedad

Coffee Break sketch......To my Son

A day off spent with my son, out in the country at mum & dad's aka Granny & Grandads.

The sun is shining, the coffee is never far away and I'm sitting outside relaxing.

@homemadedad 

Homemade Dad......the front garden clear up (at last)

The small garden at the front of our home has be neglected since we've moved in, the inside was the main concern over the later Autumn, winter and much of the Spring months getting everywhere decorated and the way we want it (still many wee things still to be finished off 🙄).

So when I have had a chance to get into the gardens, I have mostly be working on developing the back ones. Starting on the vegetable garden and building a pagoda which also needs finishing but is well on its way to completion. Leaving the front garden to get the occasion grass cut and that was about it.

It was starting to get really unsightly, so on Sunday I decided it was time to face the issue head on and to get it looking at least respectable. 

We had a few near misses with major pile ups, but they managed to survive.

My very keen helper hard at work.

Getting the ground work done, amazing how a few hrs can make a difference to the way the garden looks. 

Now you may not notice the difference from before I started the days graft but this has been a good tidy up. I have finally managed to get the Christmas tree planted that we brought with us last year when we moved here. That was planted three days ago and fresh buds are already growing, so that move from pot to earth looks to have worked.

These bushes have been trans-planted (like that pun?) from what is turning into the vegetable garden to the front garden, to hopefully grow and give some coverage to the right side of the garden, which is open to the elements.

I managed to save a few Lavenders from being skipped. They are at this moment, looking a bit worse for wares but I am hopeful that by being planted here they will start to flourish. 

The Christmas tree from the pathway.

The machinery from the building squad.

Hope you have enjoyed todays blog and if you would like to leave a message that would be awesome. All links and shares help the blog grow!

@homemadedad 

Coffee Break sketch......not to be trusted

The sunny weather in Northern Ireland just keeps on surprising us and it is another wonder week off great weather. I managed to get back out into the garden on Sunday and get started on the forgotten front garden. It has been left to grow while I get the chance to work in the main gardens. So yesterday I decided to tackle that problem with my young apprentice in tow. I'll get another blog up about how that all went.

Its a start of another week and another say closer to a couple of weeks off, not that I'm wishing time away but I'm deffo looking forward to a few days not having to set an alarm to get up for work. 

Enjoy todays coffee break and don't forget to follow me on Twitter- @homemadedad 

Coffee Break sketch......looking optimistic

Haven't been blogging that much recently and I have I no reason why. I've still been taking time to get a sketch drawn at coffee time, just haven't got round to sharing them on the site.

The weather has changed and we are now back to the normal kind of Northern Irish Summer, four seasons in one day.

I'll try harder to get a quick blog completed each day.

Follow on Twitter for more- @homemadedad 

Coffee Break sketch......Fathers & Sons

I have a few exciting projects that I am working on at the moment and it's great to be finally getting something worked. One project is a long standing one with me and I'm finally getting back to working on one of the projects evolving these guys.

The other will be an illustrative project with the boss as the main character. Hopefully get started on this in the coming days.

The sun is still blazing away and it looks at least another week of this beautiful sunny weather. Remember those cold, dark nights will come soon enough. Enjoy the colours while we can. Don't get me wrong the festival period is still by far my favourite time of the year but it's definitely nicer having a sunny summer rather Northern Ireland's normal ones.

Twitter - @homemadedad

Coffee Break sketch......the greatest motivation

The sun is still blazing in Northern Ireland and I think it has actually got warmer rather than looking to be cooling down. It's getting to that stage now that it is time to sit in the garden and relax rather than doing any hard work in it. This has slowed down the progress of the vegetable garden but I'm enjoying this great sun while it's here.

They have now started a hose pipe ban, so it is going to make the garden harder to keep watered. 

We were back on the snooker table as well this week and after about 6 weeks play, I'm not sure I can see any improvements yet but I'm willing to keep on playing as it us great fun and to be honest we're not the must competitive of guys.

The World Cup has now passed the group stages and England are still flying the flag for the home nations which is great to see. My sweepstake team Germany have been knocked out in the group, which has been very disappointing. Spent Friday with no football which was awful but thankfully it is back today. 

I've really enjoyed this tournament, plenty of goals, upsets and VAR. It's just a pity, there will be about 4 weeks of no football until the football leagues start again.

Until the next update, enjoy your Saturday wherever you are.

Twitter

@homemadedad 

Coffee Break sketch......the greatest moment

Morning all, I've been a tad shabby on the blog in recent weeks and not been putting much on. I've had to work on a few other things which has stopped me from entertaining you all. Unfortunately it hasn't been anything particularly fun.

We are still enjoying this amazing run of good weather and I am you g to be particularly sad when we do go back to bad weather. I've enjoyed the heat, yes it's not get when you are stuck in work or when Finley is struggling to sleep due to it. But waking up each morning to beautiful blue skies and knowing that the day will still be bright after 9pm is just wonderful. I would say that the Christmas period is my favourite time of year but apart from that, the long summer nights when you can get some much more completed outdoors is definitely up there. It does help that this is the first proper period of sunshine and heat that I can remember for a very long time.

The vegetable garden is making a slow progress but it is progressing and that is the main thing. In the coming weeks there will be many things required to be completed and I'm sure that I will have many a photo up here showing Finley helping me out.

In the evenings I am managing to get my comic strips drawn and I am well on track to get the 24 days worth ready for the First of December. Links will follow to my Facebook page and I hope you all pop over and not only click the LIKE button but also share the page with all your friends. The more the merrier I say.

Finley has decided in the past few weeks that again this sleeping at night is just not his sort of thing and has been giving us quite the "sleepless in Northern Ireland" and then when I need to get up being fast asleep. Sleep will come to us and at least he is getting some sleep.

The link to my drawing work -  https://www.facebook.com/SantaandRuudy/

Twitter- @homemadedad 

Instagram- @homemadedad 

Coffee Break sketch......a good Father

Its looking a tad duller around these parts so far this morning. Hopefully it's just a blip and the sun will be pouring all over us once more. Allow the plants are in need of some liquid refreshment and it's a long job watering all the plants. 

I have taken up an old hobbie again, after almost 22 years I have taken "Betsey" out of retirement and started to play snooker once a week with my brother and father-in-law in-laws. I have to say it's been mighty craic but I am awful! 😂 Definitely getting better but I not even think the amateurs need worry about my skills on the table.

Follow my progress and more via Twitter- @homemadedad 

Coffee Break sketch......a state of gratitude

What a wonderful weekend it has been. The sun is still blazing away in our wee country. Which has given Finley and me enough time to get the secondary greenhouse almost rebuilt. It certainly has been a labour of love.

The main greenhouse and you can see the secondary one on the right.

The back end of the main greenhouse. 

Finley has had a great time out in the garden, digging and playing with (non sharp) tools and having a ball.

We are nearly onto the next phase of the veggie garden, once the rest of the hedges have been cut back it will be on to marking out the boundaries of each veggie area.

Follow on Twitter  - @homemadedad 

Saturday morning in the vegetable garden......

A weekend off from work and Zoe was working last night, so Finley and me dawned the boots and set off down to the vegetable garden. There is a lot of work required to get it into any kind of shape for next year.

I was planning on cutting down more hedges to give the family more space for the new beds to be built but earlier in the week I had started to rebuild the secondary greenhouse. I had begun to rebuild in early spring but with the need to get the inside of our home decorated after our move, the greenhouse got left to the side. Storms arrived and what work I had completed on the build was left in tatters. Thankfully no metal work was too bad damaged and I have been able to make a few amendments to fix any issues which have so far arose.

Finley collecting all the hose pipe pieces.

Unfortunately, after I had built the greenhouse in its original position at our old house, I lost the paperwork to rebuild it but after taking a few attempts and a little longer than what would normally be needed. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. Once built, it will need a good wash down before any tables etc get built and put in.

Finley enjoyed himself in the main greenhouse and kept himself occupied with a whole array of tools. (All sharp and small objects were moved out of little hands reach. As well as an liquids etc...)

Finley got some real dirty play time today and as you can see enjoyed his digging time.

After over an hour it was time to come in for a well earned break for the boss and me. The think that is probably the must I will get working on it today but happy with what we have managed to get built.

The next time I am down in the vegetable garden I'll take a picture of the progress we've made.

As you can see from these images that the secondary greenhouse took a bad battering during the bad weather. 

Overgrown and in disarray,  sounds a bit like me but with a bit of hard work may be a change will happen to not just the vegetable garden but me too.

Follow the smaller details about the gardens development on my Twitter feed- @homemadedad 

Coffee Break sketch......Two options

The weather is still beautiful in God's own country. I can't remember the last time Northern Ireland had such a stint of sun.

I have managed a few hours in the vegetable garden to start work on fixing the secondary greenhouse. It's not going to be as easy as I had first hoped but I will get it fixed and get the garden ready for growing next year.

The scan for today's sketch hasn't came out the best but I hope you all are enjoying the drawings.

Slowly getting time to work on my own animations and working on background development at the moment.

Twitter-

Coffee Break sketch......the most room in your heart

I thought our Northern Irish summer was over on Thursday BUT it came back in the evening and all day yesterday. Hooray! A little bit of rain to revive the plants and then sun to help them produce.

This morning there is a foggy haze, so here's hoping that we are going to have another wonderful day.

In the vegetable garden, I got started on cutting back the hedges to give us a little more space for growing. Once I have this stage completed, I hope to get the secondary greenhouse rebuilt. 

Enjoy your Saturday, whatever and wherever you may be.

Twitter- @homemadedad 

Coffee Break sketch......a ripple effect

Another blazing day in Northern Ireland, enjoying my coffee al fresco today. Too nice a day to be stuck in doors to much but alas I'm working so I will be for much of the day.

Off tomorrow, so hoping the weather sticks with us and I can get a bit of gardening done. 

Springwatch has been on the last two nights and it is a fantastic show from the BBC, one of the best reasons for a license fee.

Anyways enjoy your day whichever country you're reading the blog from.

Twitter - @homemadedad 

Coffee Break sketch...... be careful where you walk

Another scorcher of a day, not sure what's happening to Northern Ireland but this weather is looking pretty good. Long may it continue. 

Looking forward to a few more days off in this good weather but sadly a few days work ahead of me. 

Twitter- @homemadedad 

Coffee Break sketch......at the end of the day

Hey bloggers, I've gone missing on here for a while. I was off on holiday last week and never got round to getting an sketches put up, so I have a back log of them which should keep me going for a while.

The weather has been awesome, coming from Northern Ireland any stretch of warm weather which lasts longer than two days constitutes a summer!

It was the wee man's second birthday on Friday, how time flies, it only seems like twelve short months since his last one!

We managed to get a few things completed around the house on the week off, Finley moved into his big boy bed and has done pretty well with it. His bedroom got completed and we also managed to bag a few bargains for the front room.

The garden is slowly starting to begin, I have almost completed the pagoda and plan to have the secondary greenhouse rebuilt in the coming month. I'll get some pictures up in due course.

Enjoy your Bank Holiday Monday wherever in the world you may be and don't forget to follow on Twitter and Facebook! 🤘

Coffee Break sketch......I used to be cool

Hope everyone's week has started well. I'm rolling into the last few days before a week off and I can't wait.

Enjoy your Tuesday!! 😊👍🤘🤘

Coffee Break sketch...... speak to your children

Hope you are all enjoying the coffee break sketches, I'm enjoying seeing where everyone is viewing it from.

Follow me on Twitter - @homemadedad 

Coffee Break sketch......ending up

So back to work today and the sun makes an appearance, go figure. Anyways the garden will have to wait a few more days to get sorted.

Finley and me spend the afternoon at the Transport museum looking at all the old Trains, planes and autimobiles.

Enjoy your Thursday whatever you get up too! 😊👍🤘

Coffee Break sketch...... the worst day

Its a wet Wednesday in Northern Ireland. I should have know because I wanted to get the grass cut and a out into the garden with the wee man to begin getting it into shape. So it looks like the pair of us are going to have to get up to something else.

Looking forward to an interesting round of Premier league games tonight as the race for Champions league qualification hots up. Could be three teams going for two places on Sunday if it all goes with form tonight.

Follow my comic strip here as I get it ready for another year- 

https://www.facebook.com/SantaandRuudy/

Coffee Break sketch......Audible thoughts

Its a Bank Holiday in the UK, so most people have had an extended weekend. Hopefully the weather stays good for everyone to enjoy it.

Sadly I am one of the few are working today but sure that's just the way it goes.

I love looking at where all the Blog viewers come from and must parts it's UK, Ireland, USA, Poland, Germany and France. People in the rest of the world don't seem to be as keen. In Sounth America its been Brazil and Peru leading the way. Nobody ever from the Africian continent and very few from the Oceanian and Asian countries.  They just don't know what their missing

Twitter- @homemadedad 

Coffee Break sketch......at the end of the day.

May the fourth be with you all today. My beloved Arsenal got beat in the Europa League Cup semi finals last night and in so doing ended Arsene Wengers career with the club. Yes, I know there's still three matches left but the final chance to finish on a high has gone.

Finley are me are getting ready to head to his Granny and Grandads, so we're busy getting fed and watered.

Still working on the Pagoda and have just bought some grape plants and a magnolia tree for the garden. Just not sure where they will be planted. While in the gardening centre at B&Q, I did see that they have a peach tree, which might be a nice addition to the fruit garden.

Continuing on this year's Santa and Ruudy Countdown to Christmas comic strip as well as the short animation. To follow the project, follow the below link-

https://www.facebook.com/SantaandRuudy/

Twitter- @homemadedad

Coffee Break sketch...at the end of the day

Coffee Break sketch...... Right in the World

Coffee Break sketch......Sometimes the littlest things

Well it's a new month and the weather is back to the normal wet and windy. This isn't helping the projects that I am now able to start in the gardens. After the Autumn and winter months of internal home development, this was supposed to be the good time weather but hopefully it is yet to come.

Any way enjoy your Tuesday whatever you all get up to.

Twitter- @homemadedad 

Coffee Break sketch......Laughter is timeless

Ending April with another wee coffee break sketch. I hope you have been enjoying them. It's always great to see where from around the world people are looking at my blog.

Twitter- @homemadedad