Monday 30 September 2013

Penwizard Me To You Book Review

Earlier in the year I was lucky enough to review a personalised book from Penwizard. Recently they have introduced a lovely Me To You range of books to the selection you can choose from.

penwizard


There are four different books to choose from : Baby, Why I love My Mum, Why I love you and A Christmas Gift. I was asked to choose which one I would like personalised, now since Christmas is creeping up on us, I decided to choose the Christmas Gift one and have it personalised to my mum from the kids.

Each book costs £9.99 which in my opinion is more than reasonable for a lovely unique gift. The process to create the book is extremely simple, you just need to enter in the names that you would like used and they will appear throughout the book. There is also an option of uploading a picture to be used on the first page as well as writing a personal message to go alongside it. I signed the book from my daughter's.

penwizard me to you

The book itself measures roughly 6 x 6.5 inches and is in paperpack form with a gloss cover. It is 24 pages long, so you get a lot for your money. 

As you can see from the images above, the illustrations are beautiful, classic tatty teddy, all in full colour. Each picture has the name you had the book personalised with somewhere on the page, all in different style fonts and colours.

And with sentences like "I followed my heart and it led me to you", "Christmas is magical with you" and "You're always top of my Christmas list", I think it would be hard not to smile if you received this gift.

This personalised book from Penwizard is a great addition to their selection, although I would say these are more suited to adults than they are children, they are still perfect for the recipient to sit down and look through with their children/grandchildren. And it makes for a lovely keepsake.

xxxx

Disclaimer : I was sent this book free of charge for reviewing purposes however all thoughts and opinions are my own.

How can we save money?

It doesn't seem to matter whether we are earning very little or more than the average person, we always seem to be struggling. If you earn too little, benefits etc don't seem to cover things, if you earn too much, tax takes away half your wage before you have even got it in your bank account.

Money is the main thing that Daddy Hazelden and I always argue over, we don't mean to but it definitely causes us to stress sometimes. I really do believe money is the root of all evil!!! We recently had a major struggle when Daddy Hazelden was out of work for a month, we have always lived to our means, so when that wasn't there anymore, it was very tough for a while.

I am a big budgeter so it isn't that we just go throwing our money around and wasting it, I calculate things to last penny, meal planning and buying cheaper alternatives, yet we still manage to come up short more often than not.

Things aren't helped by the cost of day to day living seeming to be permanently on the up and even when trying to be careful how we use ammenities like water, gas and electric, it doesn't change a lot in the end because they only go and increase the cost of it!!

I know we are definitely not the only family in this situation. I think it is hard because we always want better for our kids than what we had, even if what we had wasn't really that bad.

I'm always on the look out for new ways to save/earn more money especially with Christmas on the horizon.

Some things I do to cut down on costs and save money :

* Buy things second hand - whether that be from local selling sites, ebay or even charity shops there are some bargains to be found.

* Buy food in bulk - if there are offers on things like bread, meat etc, buy more and store what isn't needed yet in the freezer

* Buy cheaper alternatives - not everything you have to buy needs to be the top brand name, honestly they taste the same, just look at the aldi adverts!!

* Shop around - this goes for food, toys, clothes, utility bills - compare the prices of things before buying, you could save yourself a pretty penny.

* Swapping toys, books etc - I don't take credit for this idea, some of my friends came up with this concept in an attempt to bring down the cost of Christmas -  this way your kids get something they didn't have before and all it has cost is postage.

* Get out the blankets, jumpers and hot water bottles - I have seen a lot of people already saying they have turned their heating on and with the cost of gas and electric constantly on the rise, this could become expensive. So instead, put another layer of clothing on, snuggle up together under a blanket or pop that hot water bottle in your bed.

I think in the long run it is good to try and save as much money as we can and a good thing is, is that it shows our children a little bit about the value of money too.

When my girls have pocket money to spend, they will pick a few things that they want and I will point out that the cost and that for instead of buying so and so they could buy two or three different items, stretching the pennies out further. Now when they get money from the "tooth fairy", they pop it in their piggy bank and save it until they have a few more pennies to spend. Small things but every little helps as they say.

What other money saving tips do you lovely readers know, would love if it if you could comment and share.

xxxx

Sunday 29 September 2013

Saturday 28 September 2013

Wellie Season

Autumn has arrived, ok I know the weather has been seasonably warm but the leaves have definitely started falling, I've found a fair few in my doorway!!

With that in mind I thought it was time to invest in a new pair of wellies for my youngest two. Gracie was in need of a new pair because her feet decided to have a growth spurt and of course she had to have a pretty pink pair and what could be better than a pink pair of Hunter wellies.


And here she is doing her best modelling pose.


I know Layla won't be doing too much walking about, seen as she will be tucked up nicely in her purple pushchair but I just couldn't resist the matching hat and wellies from Peacocks.


So now we are all set for stepping outdoors during the colder months. Kids are now ready for jumping in muddy puddles and waltzing through big piles of crunchy leaves. 

Are your kids prepared for the colder weather yet?? 

xxxx

Friday 27 September 2013

QV skincare Review

In this house everyone except my eldest daughter suffers from some sort of skin complaint, mainly eczema but Daddy Hazelden suffers from psoriasis. This is not surprising because around 54% of the population is affected by these sorts of conditions, I know from my own experience that it is extremely hard to break away from the cycle of itching and scratching.

I find a lot of creams a pain because they tend to work for one family member and not another, there is a lot of trial and error when it comes to finsing one suitable for all of us and in the process it ends up costing us a small fortune and lot gets wasted.

qv skincare logo


I was asked about 4 weeks ago to review the QV skincare range. QV is the number one moisturiese in Australia and is actually the sister company to SunSense, which is a company known for providing great protection from the sun.

Many experts agree that the best way to treat conditions such as eczema, psoriasis and dermatitis is a total emollient therapy, this broken down means a two stage routine of both cleansing and moisturising the skin, providing round the clock care.

I was sent five different products to test out : bath oil, gentle wash, skin lotion, cream and intensive ointment.

qv skincare range

All QV products are free from fragrance, colour, lanolin and propylene glycol. Each product contains glycerol, this is a humectant that helps the skin to retain moisture. All of these factors help stop irritation from occuring and provide a non greasy treatment that won't block your pores.

To help you decide on which product is best for you, QV have provided a grading system, one being dry and four being very dry and sensitive, I love this idea as it means you can buy products to suit the individual rather than one cream works for all.



Along with the products, QV provided a really helpful information booklet for parents as well as a lovely chart and set of stickers. This has being really helpful as it reminds the children to put on their cream both in the morning and evening, a great way of letting them be a bit more independent and means that they won't forget to do it. QV have though of everything as you can even buy an app which helps show your children how to apply the cream.

We have been using the bath oil in the bath every day and we have taken to using the gentle wash as a hand wash. Both products leave the skin smooth and soft to the touch and it has definitely eased the urge to scratch all of the time.

We found the intensive cream slightly harder to apply than the other creams as it came out more as a wax, we had to soften it inbetween our fingers before applying it, however it did its job well, it dulled down the severe redness on Freya's arms within a couple of days of using it and the nice thing is once it had got better we could switch to the normal cream.

With prices of products starting from just £3.99, I think these products are great for families as they provide something for any degree of skin complaint meaning you can buy all your products from the same place.

xxxx

Disclaimer : These products were sent to me free of charge for reviewing purposes however all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Zappie App Review

As technology becomes a thing that even my younger children use, I am always looking for new games for them to play on the iPad, I do prefer them to be educational but also something fun that I can do with them.

I was asked to review a new childrens app by Zappie. This app is a new interactive application which is aimed at pre-school children and has a fun way of bring pictures to life on things such as bedroom walls, furniture and clothing. Zappie sell all sorts of products that can be bought to life using the app such as greetings cards, heat transfers for clothing and many stickers. We were sent a set of wheels on the bus wall stickers and a set of smaller stickers to test out.

zappie app

The stickers themselves are easy to apply and can be reused although they do become less sticky with each use. Being able to reapply them means that you can create a different picture each time you want to use them. My 3 year old had great fun deciding where each sticker should go. The prices of the wall stickers start from £21.99, as they can be used more than once, I think that is a fair price especially as there are over 25 stickers in a pack.

You can download the app itself from either iTunes or Google Play. The way to use it is  by clicking a certain song on the app, there are eight different nursery rhyme songs to choose from.

Five little monkeys jumping on a bed
I'm a little teapot
Five little ducks
Wheels on the bus
Row row row your boat
Old macdonald had a farm
Twinkle twinkle little star
Once I caught a fish alive

You click on the song that you want and then aim the device you are using at the picture shown next to the song, so in this instance we had to aim it at the bus which Gracie had stuck on her wardrobe.

zappie app

I had to help Gracie hold the iPad in place so that we could "zap" the image but I would say it is still fairly simple to do. The picture was picked up easily and you could see the bus come to life on the screen and start moving, Gracie was more than impressed and was excited to do it again.

The good thing is, is that you don't have to buy the products, you can just watch the normal videos on your device. Even my seven and five year olds wanted to give it a go. An added bonus that I liked was that there were the words of the song on the screen too, I will admit to merrily singing along to them.

zappie

I wouldn't hesistate in recommending this app to parents with younger children, it was a unique way of bringing those classic nursery rhymes to life and provided hours of entertainment for my children. 

xxxx

Disclaimer : We were sent the stickers free of charge for reviewing purposes however all thougts and opinions are my own.

Thursday 26 September 2013

What To Put in Room 101

I was very kindly tagged by Colette at We're going on an adventure in a meme asking what I would put in Room 101.

Now this is a tough question because I have to narrow it down to three things and the trouble is that there are so many things that I would love to put in there.

Number 1 : The Teletubbies

Now you probably think I am mad for putting them in there but I really really dislike this programme.

I have never let my children watch it, apparently it teaches younger children how to feel happy and secure but it does not make mummy happy one bit, infact it does the opposite, it makes me extremely grumpy!!



Number 2 : Drivers who don't signal

Is it really so hard. I mean we get taught how and when to signal when learning to drive so why do people fail to do it when they have passed their test??

It annoys me both as a driver and when I am a pedestrian.

It's like I'm supposed to be a mind reader, no I don't know where your going and it would be nice to be given fair warning.

I find it especially hard when on roundabouts as people not only fail to signal but they drive in the wrong lanes too but that's another moan and there just isn't enough space in Room 101.

Number 3 : Call of Duty

Now I personally have never played the game so it is not that I think the game is rubbish.

I'm putting it in Room 101 so that I can get some attention from my husband.

Sometimes I feel like he loves this game more than me, when he is playing it, he won't hear a word I am saying, partly due to the headphones he has on his head so that he can talk to all the other Call of Duty addicts. (geeks)

And every time a new one comes out it he must have it because it so much better than the last, even though they are all practically the same. No more bang bang I say!!!!

So with out further ado I tag Karen from Adventures of a monkey footed mum, AK from My buggy junction and Erin from I am mummy bear, looking forward to seeing what they will pack away in Room 101.

What about you lovely readers, what would you banish to Room 101??

xxxx


Post Comment Love

Wednesday 25 September 2013

Chocolapps Review

I am always on the look out for new apps that the kids can play on the iPad but specifically ones where they can learn as they play.

Chocolapps are a company that produce and publish interactive children's apps and they have been doing so for over three years now.

Aimed at children aged between three and twelve years old, their catalog includes over 30 different applications that are then broken down into three categories :

The Kid-eBooks - which includes tales like The Little Mermaid, Pinocchio and Robin Hood.

The Kid-eLearns - children can learn about educational subjects such as the human body, space and much much more.

The Kid-eGames - this includes things like puzzles and hide & seek.

chocolapps logo

All of the applications are available in seven different languages : English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Dutch and Portuguese, making them suitable to a big audience.

I was sent codes to download four different applications, two eBooks, an eLearn app and an eGame app.

The two books we downloaded were : The Little Mermaid and Cinderella, these choices went down well with my girls because they are huge princess fans!! The stories are read clearly and the words are highlighted as they read, this makes it a lot easier for your children to follow the story. What I loved the most was that there was an option to click on words when the story was paused and you are given a dictionary definition of what they mean, this was great for me as I sometimes struggle to know exactly how to word things when I am asked what the meaning of something is. There is also an option for younger children which is "show me" and instead of getting a worded explaination, you get a picture to show you what something is. This makes the app appropriate for all age groups, a nice learning tool no matter how old they are.



The eLearn app that I downloaded was, The Little Market. This game is aimed at learning mathematical skills. You have to pick items of fruit and veg from the market stalls and pop them in your basket, it then shows you how much your total spend comes to and you have to work out what change needs to be given to pay. This was good for my 5 year old as she is just learning this sort of thing and it was like a refresher for my 7 year old. Not as suitable for younger children however my three year old did enjoy putting the items in the basket.

The eGame app that I downloaded was, Hide and Seek. Simple yet effective, it was a game that all three of my children sat and done together. This game made them sit down and concentrate, you can easily zoom in to make it simpler to find certain objects and each level you complete then unlocks a new level, giving them a liitle more of an incentive to do it.

I loved these apps. I feel that they help your children learn and develop whilst remaining fun. A lot of the apps are free to download so you won't get a better excuse to try them out. The only real negative for me is that at the the moment they are only available on iPads and iPhones, for me personally that is great as I have both but it would be nice to see a smartphone version bought out so that others can enjoy the apps too. 

xxxx

Disclaimer : I was sent these apps free of charge for reviewing purposes however all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Little Artists

Elise, Freya and Gracie are all very creative and one of the things they love doing is drawing pictures, the other day they were each creating images about films, it was nice seeing the different ways they interpreted that theme :

First up we have Elise's (7) picture,


She didn't pick out a specific movie, instead she focused on what where and how we watch these films.

Next up is Freya's (5) picture,


She chose to draw Ariel from her favourite film, The Little Mermaid.

And lastly we have Gracie's (3) picture,


She decided to make up her own movie called "Where's my mum?"

It is lovely to see how their imaginations work and how different each of their drawing styles are. Do your children like creating pictures, what are their favourite things to draw??


xxxx


Ethans Escapades

Tuesday 24 September 2013

Lets Play Together



Having four children means that there are more than the occasional argument, bickering over silly things, you know the ones, "I was playing with that toy", "so and so won't share with me", "she hit me", I could go on.

Most of the time my lot will separate into pairs, Elise and Gracie and Freya and Layla, it is lovely to see close bonds and this way means that one of them isn't getting left out, more like they are best friends.

However it isn't very often that all four of them will play together nicely at the same time so when I saw them all interacting, I just had to capture the moment. From what I could gather from listening in, they were playing shop, selling and buying lots of things, it was nice that the older three were making an effort to include their baby sister even though she really didn't understand what they were doing.

Do your children play nicely together, are they closer with one sibling more than another??

xxxx

Monday 23 September 2013

Lotil Cream and Lip Balm Review

I am always on the look out for new skincare products and with the Winter months approaching, my skin and lips are often left feeling dry.

lotil


Lotil is a brand I have never heard of before but they have been around for over 100 years, providing a range of skincare products that not only help with the symptoms of dry, chapped skin, they also help create a barrier against germs and bacteria.

I was sent their original hand cream in a 50ml tube and their twist up lip balm to test and review.

lotil cream and lip balm

The cream itself is a rich hydrating moisturiser and Lotil recommend using it on all dry skin, it has been known as the miracle worker. Containing powerful emolients, it rapidly rehydrates the skin, freeing it from that chapped feeling. It is non greasy and rubs in easily, I found that I only needed a small amount each time I used it. 

I liked that it can be used all over, from hands and feet to the face and body and it isn't just for people with things like eczema, it can be used on a day to day basis to protect your body from daily wear and tear. The best part about Lotil is that it also has antibacterial qualities guarding against infection, so can also be used on bites, rashes and small burns and wounds. 

The cream comes in four different sizes, a 30ml tube, a great size to just pop on your handbag, a 50ml tube, ideal size to take on holiday with you, a 114ml jar and a 500ml extra large container, so you never have to worry about running out.

The lip balm has all the same qualties of the cream, which makes it very effective at preventing and stopping cracked, dry, chapped lips. With added SPF30 protection, it is perfect for all year round use. Again a lovely size to just pop in your pocket or inside your handbag. 

I have now been testing these products for 3 weeks. I really like them both, especially the lip balm. As soon as Autumn arrives, I start getting dry, cracked lips and I am pleased to say that the Lotil lip balm has really helped, it hasn't stopped the dryness completely but my lips are a lot softer and less sore than they normally are. The cream has come in handy when I have been out and about. Pushing a pushchair around constantly means that my hands are forever exposed to the elements and the cream has really helped in making my hands feel less battered from the cold and windy weather.

The Lotil range can be bought from places like boots with the lip balm costing £1.18 and the cream starting from £3.08, the prices are extremely reasonable compared to a lot of other brands, definitely worth giving a try in my opinion.

xxxx

Disclaimer : These items were sent to me free of charge for reviewing purposes however all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Sunday 22 September 2013

Saturday 21 September 2013

I'm A Pushchair Addict

Ok I wanted to join in with the country kids linky this week but I was struggling to come up with ideas for a post, now I know this isn't strictly outdoors but I use a pushchair outside :)

I admit it, I'll put my hands up and tell you I am a pushchair addict. I really can't help it, think about how boys are about cars, well that's how I am about pushchairs, got to love a new set of wheels ;)

And lets be honest they do come in handy when wanting to get out and about and enjoying the outdoors.

Daddy Hazelden thinks I've got a problem and I tell him each time a new pushchair comes that it is definitely the last one well........

This lovely Baby Jogger City Mini just happened to arrive this week, my excuse, I haven't owned a purple pushchair yet, I can see you all nodding and agreeing that my reason is a very valid one.

baby jogger city mini

As I said though, pushchairs allow me to go out whilst Layla gets to sit in comfort, maybe take a nap or two and it is like a mini adventure every time we try out a new pushchair and of course accessories are a must, I already have a new footmuff in the way ready for those school runs in the Winter months.


I had a think about it and in total I have only owned 12 pushchairs, which compared to some people I know (and you know who you are), is minimal. Although 6 of those pushchairs have been Layla's and she is only 13 months old, oops. In my defence though, Layla is my last ever baby so I have to make the most of the pushchair years and there are just so many that I need to try!!!

So who else has this addiction, is there a cure??

xxxx

FiloFax Review

I am a person who likes to be organised, I start to panic a little if I'm not organised, I cope a lot better when I know where things are, what we are doing for the day, I like to prepare well in advance.

Since becoming a mum I have had to step up my organisational skills, so many appointments and school and play school events to remember. Trouble is I write things down and then lose the paper that I have written it on. It was only a couple of weeks ago that I forgot about Layla's 12/13 month jabs, smacks my own hand.

filofax


Then Filofax came to my rescue and allowed me to review one of their personal organisers, I was over the moon as not only would it help me get organised again, I have always wanted one, I am one of these people that likes to write everything down, I don't like using apps on my phone, I love putting pen to paper.

I chose the Saffiano Organiser, it was the perfect size and it came in my favourite colour, purple, it just had to be that one.

When it arrived I was like a kid at Christmas. Filofax ooozes quality. The leather looking outer was bright keeping it trendy, yet still very sophisticated.

filofax saffiano organiser

Costing an extremely reasonable £30, it is packed with lots to help keep you on top of day to day tasks and appointments. It includes :

1-6 coloured indexes
to do pages
diary
different note papers
notepad
contact pages
frosted ruler

I have spent the past couple of weeks writing down contacts, placing in notes, letters etc with paper clips. Whilst the kids were on Summer holidays, everything seemed to get rather confused and muddles, I was losing track of what day it was. The diary has been a huge help, it has allowed me to keep on top of the girls appointments, birthdays and has got me back on track with reviews and posts for my blog.

filofax

What I love about the filofax is that you can make it your own. I have colour coordinated it buy buying a purple pen to go with it which slides in the elastic loop at the side for safe keeping. And sad as it may seem, I have bought post it notes and highlighters so I can mark off when certain things have been done and write extra things that need to be remembered on certain days.

Measuring 190mm x 135mm, it fits into my handbag with ease and has meant that I have it to hand if I need to remember something whilst I am out and about, no more random pieces of paper in my bag!!

I personally think everyone should have a Filofax, they are great value for money and can be used all of the time as you can buy refills for the note papers and the diary to replace what you have used. And the fact that there are so many different types to choose from, there really is one to suit anyones tastes.

What Filofax would you pick??

xxxx

Disclaimer : This item was sent to me free of charge for reviewing purposes however all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Friday 20 September 2013

Give Us Mums (and dads) A Break

Whilst on twitter the other night, I joined in a conversation with some lovely ladies, they were using the hashtag #givemumsabreak. There are days when I really wish this was possible although it isn't just mums, there are dads out there that have a tough time  and deserve a break too.

Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love being a mum, I think I was put on this earth for the purpose of being a mum and if I could have more kids I would, having the opportunity to stay at home and enjoy watching them grow up is something I am very grateful for. However I do feel that I need a break sometimes, just some of the illusive "me time". It wasn't until I had to a challenge with my BabyBag that I realised just how little time I get to myself.

Others will say, "well you chose to be a parent", yes they are right I did but I am only human, I get tired sometimes and I get ill on occasion, contrary to popular belief we mums and dads are unfortunately not super heroes.

People who go out and work get weekends off, annual leave etc, they get time to sit down and relax, parents on the other hand don't get this luxury, being a parent is a full time job in itself and I don't think others understand how hard it can be until they become a parent themselves. The job as parent is never done, even when the kids are in bed, if you are anything like me, you are on high alert incase one gets poorly in the night.

Since becoming a mum, I have felt rather lonely and isolated at times. I've lost touch with friends along the way as whilst I was at home with my kids, they were still out clubbing etc. I feel like I have lost my identity somewhat. Yes I am a mummy but I think some people forget that I am more than that, I am mummy to my kids but to others I should be Chantelle, it would be nice to have the chance to maybe find myself again.

Recently Daddy Hazelden started a new job and this has meant him staying away from home a few nights a week. I have to applaud single parents as I didn't realise just how much not having him there would affect things. Not having him there to back me up when the kids misbehave and the luxury of having an adult conversation, it has a been hard adjusting to the change.

This is where I am glad that I blog and that I chat with others on both Facebook and Twitter because I think without these people, I may have gone slowly insane, nice to know there others that understand how you feel and not judging you for wanted to hide away sometimes.

So what do you think, should we be given a break?? Do you as a parent manage to balance things so that you get a bit of "me time"? x

xxxx

Thursday 19 September 2013

Treat Republic Personalised Cufflinks Review

A couple of weeks ago I celebrated my 5th wedding anniversary. I know what you are all thinking, how did I manage to put up with him for so long ;)

Now Daddy Hazelden is a tough person to buy gifts for, he tends to buy everything he wants for himself which leaves nothing for the rest of us to get. So as usual I was drawing a blank.

treat republic


By chance I happened to notice that Treat Republic were looking for bloggers to review items from their site, I call this fate!! If you haven't heard of them, Treat Republic is a website that has bought TreatHer.com, TreatHim.com and TreatBaby.com all under one roof. It sells handpicked and personalised gifts, catering for men, women, babys and those special occasions like anniversaries, christenings etc. Working closely with designers across the UK, they bring you a wide range of unique gifts that won't be found in the high street shops.

I had a good look throughout the whole of their site, now I am not the most technological so I was happy to find the site is very easy to navigate, the pictures are clear and their whole range is very affordable.

I came across their range of cufflinks. There are 80 different pairs of cufflinks to choose from, whether you are looking for something quirky, fun or simple, there is definitely a pair to suit any man.

I chose a simple silver plated pair of cufflinks. This pair are a square shape and measure roughly 16mm x 16mm. I am no expert when it comes to these sorts of things but they seemed like an ideal size and something that would go with any suit.

personalised cufflinks




















You can get the cufflinks engraved, you are allowed to have a maximum of 6 characters on each cufflink. This means you have to think a little about what to have written, needs to be short and sweet. I would like to see a few more characters allowed, would be nice to be able to write a bit more of a message or allow for someone whose name is longer than the characters allowed on there.

I decided to have the pair personalised with mine and Daddy Hazelden's initials and our wedding date., thought it might help him to remember in the future when our anniversary is :) The engraving is nicely done and easy to read.

The cufflinks come presented in a beautiful gift box. A lovely added touch, keeps you guessing just that little while longer when you are opening up your gift but it is handy for somewhere to keep them safe when not in use.

Daddy Hazelden had no idea that these were coming and I am pleased to say that he approved, they are actually his first ever pair of cufflinks!! He is just waiting for an occasion to wear them out now.

Price at £19.99, these are a lovely present for any man, whether it be for an anniversary, birthday or Christmas. Simple yet with the personalised touch, something unique to the recipient and what I love is that having them personalised doesn't cost anything extra.

Not only would I recommend the cufflinks, I would highly recommend Treat Republic as a whole. I have already started eyeing up a few things for various family members ready for Christmas!!

How many of you have started thinking about Christmas already??

xxxx

Disclaimer : These cufflinks were sent to me free of charge for reviewing purposes however all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Bud and Roo's Spectacular Adventures Review

My girls are all little book worms and because of this we read an awful lot of books, meaning we are always on the look out for new stories to look at.

Together Jessica Valentine (writer) and Suzy Jones Biggar (illustrator) have created their first childrens book, Boo and Roo's Spectacular Adventures (The Beach). I was beyond grateful to receive not only a first edition copy, but a signed first edition copy, one to cherish.

bud and roo's spectacular adventure

Inspired by their own lives, their children, their friendship and their pets Buddy, the beagle and Rosie Boo, the border collier, this lovely story takes you on a lovely little adventure that keeps your child included along the way.

I was drawn in straight away by the illustrations. These images are hand drawn and done in my opinion almost like a child has drawn them, making them easy to relate to. Children can easily see what is happening on each page and pick out different objects etc. The colours aren't too bright, a lot of primary colours are used, these are easy for younger children to recognise and point out what they can see.


The book is aimed at children between the ages of 0-5 years old. Short and simple sentences make it a great book for learner readers and there are lots opportunities for both parent and child to ask questions about what is happening throughout the story. My 5 year old sat and read it to me with no problems recognising the words in front of her.

Also because of its length, I think it is perfect as a lovely bed time story for younger children. My 3 year old snuggled on Nannie's lap and happily sat listening to Nannie tell the tale to her.


It is available in both paperbook and digital versions, you can purchase a copy from their blog or other online retailers such as Amazon. 

I personally cannot wait to see what adventures Boo and Roo get up to next and would recommend anyone with younger children going out and buying this. The only thing I would love to see is a board book version for little hands to be able to hold without ruining the book.

Disclaimer : I was sent this book free of charge for reviewing purposes however all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Wednesday 18 September 2013

Holidays Traditions

I hate to remind you all but since school is now back in session, this means that the Summer is over, which in turn means that Christmas is in sight. I mean you must have seen the Christmas aisles in all of the supermarkets, no time like the present to get prepared I say :)

This got me thinking about holiday traditions, not just for Christmas but for Halloween and Bonfire night too.

I think in recent years, Halloween has become more popular over here, we have taken on the ideas of the Americans and trick or treating is becoming a traditional thing to do over here too. I try to take the kids out early afternoon as I don't think they are old enough to be walking around in the darker evenings. If the weather is bad then I always organise a type of treasure hunt indoors for them and they then go around the house with their pumpkin buckets collecting the sweeties that they find.

Anyone who knows me will also know that I am a sucker for costumes. Not only do I love dressing the kids up, I have also been known to put on a Witch costume myself.

Just take a look at this post from 2 years ago and the picture on the left is from 3 years ago, scary how time goes by so quickly.

I couldn't find the pictures from last year so I can't remember what the kids were wearing.

My 3 year old has already informed me that she will be dressing up as a cat and I am tad excited about dressing Layla up in a teeny tiny costume.

I wonder if this year's costume picks will be anything like the Halloween costumes predictions in this infographic from fancy dress ball? I'm thinking maybe we could choose a theme for the whole family this year.

Bonfire night isn't a time that I particularly like, I am not a big fan of fireworks, as a little girl I was extremely scared of all the banging and even now I refuse to hold a sparkler. My kids on the other hand love it. We don't have any traditions really, I think we try and go to a different fireworks display each year. Last year because it was raining, so we decided to drive the car to the top of the cliffs and watch everyone else fireworks, meant we got to stay warm and dry and an added bonus for me, it wasn't so loud!!!

Christmas is my favourite time of the year. I am one of those people that wishes it could be Christmas every day. I have even started a board in pinterest  to show just what I love so much about it. Christmas for me starts in November, this is when I break out all of the Christmas films and it is also a tradition to buy a new Christmas film each year to add to my collection. My favourites are Elf, The Snowman and Santa Claus the Movie.

Of course there is the traditions of leaving a carrot for rudolph and whiskey and a mince pie for Santa, as well as stockings at the end of the bed and the massive Christmas dinner which has to include brussell sprouts!!!

Every Christmas Eve I read The Night Before Christmas to my children as this is also what my dad used to do for me and I think it is nice to carry that tradition on.

Oh and not forgetting the costumes!!!

Each year I buy the girls new costumes to wear on Christmas day and sometimes I may go a little over board and they get costumes for Christmas Eve and Boxing day too.

I wear the same Mrs Santa outfit every year.

And last but not least we leave a key outside to make it easy for Santa to get in because we don't have a chimney for him to climb down, got to make sure he can deliver all of those presents ;)

So what are your traditions for the holidays?? Are their family traditions that you have carried on?

xxxx

*This is a PR collabaration*

Tuesday 17 September 2013

All I Can Do Is Watch

Seems not so long ago that Layla joined our not so little family and made it complete. I am constantly on the search for that pause button just so I can stop and enjoy her as a baby for a little while longer because it is flying by.

With each thing she learns, she seems more grown up. People that visit make the comments like, isn't she getting big, she looks so much liker her sisters' now. It is scary to think that she is more like a toddler than she is a baby these days and all I can do is sit and watch as she turns into a little girl.



The past couple of weeks has seen another lot of first. She has started to try and talk rather than just random sounds and babbling. You know when they start making sounds you sit there thinking, did she just say what I think she did, you go round telling everyone what you think you heard and when others hear they think you were making it up!! Well you can't mistake the words she is saying now, definitely proud mummy moments.

She can now say :

mama
dada
nana
bye bye
night night
hiya
pooh bear

and my favourite
is it
because we are forever asking her what things are so whenever she spots something she says is it.

She is also trying to say to say her sisters' names but I don't think others would understand her yet, Freya sounds more like aya and Elise is just sssssss, she has yet to attempt Gracie.

Won't be too long and I will be able to have some mini conversations with her.

Can you remember what your children's first words were??

xxxx


Ethans Escapades

Monday 16 September 2013

Byotrol Hygiene Revolution giveaway

You may remember a couple of weeks ago I wrote a post reviewing some products that are part of the Byotrol Hygiene Revolution.
For those of you that didn't get a chance to read that post, let me explain to you a little bit about Byotrol and the Hygiene Revolution. The Hygiene Revolution itself has been borne from claims of others in the hygiene/cleaning industry. Their belief is that the products containing Byotrol technology are the only products around on the market that effectively kill and protect from unwanted germs for up to 24 hours.

Byotrol technology is unique, it is able to kill and protect from 99.9% of germs by creating an invisible barrier which continues to prevent germs from beginining to settle on newly cleaned surfaces. However that isn't the only thing it can do, Byotrol can also help reduce the transmission of infections like swine flu and Norovirus, being a mum I find this a huge plus point as you want to do everything in your power to stop your children from becoming ill.

Now listen up lovely readers, Hygiene Revolution have kindly allow me to giveaway a months supply of Byotrol products to FIVE people and all you need to do to have a chance of winning is fill out the rafflecopter form below.



This competition is open to UK residents only and will close at 11.59pm on the 6th October 2013.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck

xxxx


Win competitions at ThePrizeFinder.com

My Life as Mumma Walkers 10th Blogiversary. Join The Party

"CharlieBeth, My Life as Mumma Walker" 10th Blogiversary Party!

From CharlieBeth:

10 years ago today I started blogging!  Just a little diary blog. I was turning over a new leaf  after a few years of ups and downs which had included a bout of depression. I was settling down with the man I loved, I had just got some work though a job agency for the first time in a long time, which then led to the first job I ever loved! I was a different person back then. My life was all computer games, going to the pub, and office gossip (which I still love but have learned not to share on-line!)  Amazing how much you can change in just 10 years!
Read more at charliebeth.blogspot.com

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Featured Bloggers

"ritewhileucan"

So many blogs to choose from.   So little time.    At ritewhileucan you will find inspiration,  new ideas,  and thought provoking discussion. I am a passionate advocate of the lost art of letter writing AND making the most of every moment órite now! My hope is that this blog will fuel the desire for you to connect with people in your life in a very personal way ñ through letter writing.     And that while connecting to those around you,  you will seize every moment that we have been given (the good and the bad) and learn and grow.
After a career as a newspaper reporter and editor, Melissa Swedoski thought she was well informed on the chaos of everyday life. Then she married a man 13 years her junior and became a SAHM to two toddler girls. Now, sheís mumbling through the mayhem of marriage and motherhood in a small Texas town, turning her investigative eye on the mishaps and misadventures of parenting and the marathon that is marriage, always with the emphasis on humor and love. You can find her living her big little life at Home on Deranged.

MamaMummyMum

"Mama Mummy Mum"

Hi my name is Chantelle, I thought I would share with you my story of how I came to be MamaMummyMum. I am a SAHM to 4 beautiful girls and wife to a hard working husband. I decided to write this blog to help me remember all the moments I share with my little family.
Yesterfood

"Yesterfood"

Yesterfood is about how cookingconnects us to each other and the past. I love recipes with histpry or a story, one that often begins with somebody's grandma or daddy. I live in a small Texas town in a big old house that was built in 1905. I share it with my husband, 3 dogs, and at least that many motorcycles. We enjoy traveling, our 3 grown kids, and 2 grands. :)
   

"Not Your Ordinary Psychic Mom"

Melissa is a mom entrepreneur, multi-faceted business woman, and creative producer, authoring and illustrating seven children's books and three self-help books. She has written articles (Color and Its Affect), been interviewed on television (discussing How to Raise Creative Children), spoken in front of hundreds of people (Southern Womenís Show), and successfully achieved two degrees undergraduate degree in finance and graduate degree in marketing).

10th Anniversary Blog Party!

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