Thursday 31 July 2014

Is Now The Time To Save Money

Each of my children has a bog standard saving account set up. All family members put money into them at various times of the year. We are hoping this will be a nice little nest egg for them when they turn eighteen. Whether it be money for driving lessons, deposit for a house, a new car, it is just nice to think that they won't have to struggle to pay for everything like my husband and I have in the past.

Now the silly thing is, is that we have these accounts set up for the kids but we don't have a savings account set up for ourselves, I think purely because we never seemed to have money spare at the end of each month to put aside.

Over the years our budgeting has got better and with my husband now in a better paid job we have recently started looking into opening up an ISA.

I don't know if you lot know but on the 1st of July this year, ISAs became known as new ISAs, NISA.

In simple terms, essentially they are still the same thing, tax free of tax effiecient accounts for your savings of investments. They are a way of increasing your returns by paying little or no tax.

I'm not clued up when it comes to money so I wasn't sure what the differences were between an ISA and a NISA?

Ice Cream Bread Recipe

So it may be Summer right now but the weather is so changeable that it doesn't always seem appropriate to be eating a freezing cold ice cream.

However this doesn't stop the kids from asking for them.

There isn't really a good substitute for ice cream so the next best thing, ice cream bread.

Now I know you're all thinking I'm mad right now but it really works and the best thing, you only need two ingredients.

ice cream bread

Wednesday 30 July 2014

Kate & Mim-Mim Joins CBeebies

Next week sees a new programme starting on Cbeebies. Kate & Mim-Mim will be twirling onto a TV near you.

This brand new animated pre school series follows the adventures of a five year old girl named Kate and her best friend Mim-Mim and we were lucky enough to be one of the first to see this new series.



Based on a real life girl, Kate & Mim-Mim tells the story of feisty five year old Kate and her big imagination! Whenever Kate faces a problem or something stirs her curiosity, she and her facourite toy bunny Mim-Mim twirl off to the fantasy world of Mimiloo, where Mim-Mim transforms into a larger than life playmate.

Taking The All-Bran 5 Day Challenge

I was surprised to read the 90 to 95 percent of the happy hormone serotonin is produced in the gut. How can the tummy make these happy little things if they aren't happy themselves??

All-Bran recently got together with Britmums and set bloggers the task of taking part in their #RealMumsAllBran 5 day challenge.

The Challenge

Eat a bowl of All-Bran cereal for 5 consecutive days and see if you notice a difference in your general digestive well-being.

Eassentially the idea behind it is to give our tummies a good feeling, not that horrible bloated niggling that many of us, including myelf get.

To get me started, I received three boxes of their cereal : Golden Crunch, Red Berry and Chocolate Wheats.

all bran red berry crunch

Tuesday 29 July 2014

K is for …. Kiss

We are on to letter number 11 for the alphabet project. This week was an easy choice of word but I found it quite difficult to get actually capture the moment.

I decided that K was best repesented by a kiss.

Monday 28 July 2014

Read With Me #30

Hello all. Welcome to this weeks Read With Me. I'm guessing with the Summer holidays starting that many of you now have even less time to read!! I've just cut back on my sleep time some more ;)

read with me
I am now over three quarters of the way through my Good Reads reading target for the year!!

This week I'm not going to recommend a certain book to you all, I am going to let you know about one author that I love, Tijan.

The more books of hers that I read, the more she has me hooked.

Her genres range from thriller, romance and YA but each book has characters that you end up really feeling for!!

On to the books you lovely lot have linked up.

Jade from Late For Reality reviewed a really lovely DIY book, Home Made Simple by Joanna Gosling. Filled with ideas for homemade gifts and recipes, this book is right up my street!!

Personalised Ben & Holly Birthday Book from Penwizard

I love Penwizard, there I said it.

I have reviewed books from Penwizard in the past and they have always provided not only wonderfully produced books but they have delivered a great service too.

I was recently asked if I would like to review the latest book to their collection, the Ben & Holly birthday book, well with Layla's birthday coming up, I just had to say yes.

penwizard ben & Holly birthday book

Saturday 26 July 2014

Project 365 Days 201 - 207

The Summer holidays have begun!!

Monday was the last day of school and Tuesday was Gracie's last ever day of playschool, I think I was more emotional than her.

Thankfully the weather has been on our side and we have only had a one bad day filled with rain.

Daddy Hazelden had a week off work so we've packed a lot of activities in as once daddy is back at work, it means we have no driver car to take us places.

Day 201

This was the day where the rain set in, so it was definitely a lazy Sunday, the girls made beds on the bedroom floor, although I think Freya decided Elise was the bed.

Fishing With Daddy

Poor Daddy Hazelden is definitely outnumbered. With a wife and four daughters, the girls are definitely in charge.

I think he was worried when they were younger that they wouldn't enjoy doing the things he likes to do, I suppose he saw them as male activities but we girls know that anything boys can do girls can do better!!

So last week Daddy Hazelden was a bit surprised when the girls agreed to go fishing with him.

I stayed at home with Layla (I knew she would get bored easily) while the others made their way down Dover Pier.

The rod was set up in a great place, with a fantastic view of Dover Castle in the distance, then all that was left to do was sit and wait.

dover pier

Friday 25 July 2014

3M Peltor Ear Defenders Giveaway

It is the time of year when there are hundreds of festivals to attend in the UK and it is becoming more common for children to attend with their parents.

Peltor Kid Ear Defenders by 3M are at hand to keep your kids hearing tip top, they have been specifically designed for young wearers, protecting them against hazardous sounds and dangerous noise levels.

These trendy ear defenders have recently been released in two stylish new designs, the Little Prince and Little Princess.

£1 from every sale is being donated to the charity, Action on Hearing Loss. All money raised from these unique ear defenders will go towards research and supporting communities offering support and advice to the millions of people affected by hearing loss.

David Steadman, Executive Director Fundraising and Marketing at Action on Hearing Loss, said: “We know hearing loss can cut people off from their family and friends, limit employment opportunities and is even linked to dementia and mental health issues –

Thursday 24 July 2014

Tuna and Cheese Pastry Melts Recipe

My kids are inpatient when it comes to food, they want it ready yesterday, so I am always trying to come up with recipes that are quick to make.

Ready rolled puff pastry is my new best friend. I never realised just how many different things I could make with it and the bonus, it doesn't cost the earth!!

A couple of weeks ago I made a large cheese and vegetable pizza, then I progressed to pizza wheels, this week I decided to experiment.

It was a case of what ingredients I could find in my fridge I used, the final result, tuna and cheese pastry melts.

tuna and cheese pastry melts

Wednesday 23 July 2014

Time To Get My Running Shoes On

At the beginning of the month I shared a post with you that contained tips from myself and sports shoes.com on how to begin running.

I was lucky enough to be sent some running gear and since that last post, I have started to get myself back into some sort of fitness routine.

nike running gear

#100daysofplay With Chad Valley

I was recently lucky enough to be sent a couple of items from Chad Valley. These were given to us so that we could join in with their #100daysofplay.

We received the Chad Valley Road Adventure Pool which is worth £29.99 and a bag of multi-coloured balls which would be suitable to put in the pool or in a ball pit.

chad valley #100daysofplay

Tuesday 22 July 2014

J is for ….. Jenga

The letter J, what could it possibly stand for?? Jelly, jumping, jacket, juice, jewel, so many possibilities.

I finally settled on one of our favourite games.

So this weeks alphabet project photo stands for Jenga.

jenga

Monday 21 July 2014

Read With Me #29

Welcome to this weeks Read With Me. How many of you have had a chance to sit down and curl up with a good book recently?? I know I did.

read with me
So what can I recommend to you this week? Well I've read quite a few books Walking Disaster by Jamie Mcguire, Asher by Jo Raven and Sweet Destruction by Paige Weaver but my favourite was a book by an author I'd never tried before.

Beatless by Amber L Johnson is  a coming of age story told from 2 POV, Mallory and her Aunt Sam, whilst we see Mal's story first hand, we get Aunt Sams thoughts through the letters she writes to her niece. A very inspiring read!!

And what brilliant recommendations from all that linked up. A firm favourite with many of you including Beth from Plastic Rosaries was Judas Scar by Amanda Jennings. Marriage struggles mixed with a thrilling edge, you might not expect what you find yourself reading!!

Saturday 19 July 2014

Project 365 Days 194 - 200

Another busy week filled with school trips, leavers parties, school discos and potty training. This has meant lots of pretty dresses being worn and a lot of washing too.

We decided to join in with Dry Like Me's #pottytrainlive this week and I have been super impressed with how quickly Layla has picked things up. Ok there have been quite a few accidents but there have been just as many successes on the potty, she definitely isn't a baby any more.

Friday was Gracie's leavers party at playschool and I had to fight back the tears, still can't believe she starts primary school in September.

And now the Summer holidays start, yay!!

Now on to this weeks project 365…

Day 194

A lazy Sunday morning watching TV in mum and dads bed.

Friday 18 July 2014

Celebrating House Of Magic's Release With a Giveaway

The House of Magic is an animated film all about a small kitten called Thunder who unfortunately gets left behind when it's owners move house. All alone, he somehow wanders into a strange and wonderful house, a house filled with magic.

This is where Thunder meets the rather eccentric magician Lawrence who lives with his gange of pet sidekicks.

Thunder is welcomed by most, but not all, however they all have to come together when the House Of Magic is threatened, can they put differences aside to defend their home??


Thursday 17 July 2014

Introducing LeapTV

LeapFrog have been busy working away behind the scenes and this week they have unveiled their very latest product, LeapTV.
LeapTV

LeapTV is here to provide the perfect first video game experience for kids that lets learn and be active all at the same time.

Here is a little bit of the reason why LeapFrog came up with this innovative idea :

There are three unique ways to play with LeapTV :

“It is shocking that less than one per cent of the tens of thousands of video game titles are rated appropriate for children under the age of six years. We know that young children want to experience new ways to play through technology earlier than ever, but parents quickly discover that there are very few solutions that are developmentally appropriate or educational for young children,” said Dr. Jody Sherman LeVos, director of LeapFrog’s Learning Team. “At LeapFrog, we built LeapTV from the ground up to make it the best first video gaming experience for children. From the simple user interface to the innovative controller with a built-in ‘hint’ button and a world-class Learning Library all designed or approved by our Learning Team, LeapTV gets children’s minds and bodies moving while engaging in learning fun.”

Stuffed Peppers with Feta Cheese Sprinkling Recipe

So this week I started a teatox and the eating plan that they recommend to follow doesn't have any meat on the menu. Instead of sticking to the exact foods they have suggested, I have been trying to come up with my own meat free meals. If I'm honest I'm quite liking not eating meat!!

stuffed peppers

Below is my own recipe for stuffed peppers.

Wednesday 16 July 2014

June's Degustabox, What's Inside??

I am one lucky lady, as Degustabox are allowing me to continue reviewing their boxes each month. If you aren't familiar with Degustabox, take a look at my first post, it explains just what they are about and the kind of things you can look forward to each month.

Well June's box didn't disappoint, packed with a variety of food and drink, I think everyone in my family managed to benefit this month.

So what did we get?…

degustabox june

Reading the New LEGO Friends Magazine

My girls are very much into their comics and they were lucky enough a couple of months ago to get the chance to receive a copy of Girl Talk when they launched their #girlsrule campaign.

This month sees the release of a brand new magazine, LEGO Friends, again my daughter's were kindly sent the first copy to look at and enjoy.

lego friends magazine

Tuesday 15 July 2014

I is for ….. Ibiza

I really am loving the alphabet project. It has got me thinking about what to photograph instead of just taking random snaps.

This week I found tough, all I could think of was ice creams and ice lollies, even though there has been a distinct lack of sunshine lately!!!

Inspiration struck when I was getting dressed yesterday.

My favourite top.

I most definitely stands for Ibiza as it really does rock!!

ibiza rocks

Monday 14 July 2014

Read With Me #28

Another week has flown by, I read 6 books last week, I've now read over 100 books this year, this reading mallarky is addictive!!

My own personal book recommendation to you this week is Playing In The Rain by Jane Harvey-Berrick.

It is only a short book at around 182 pages but it was long in enough to pull me in.

It is another one where I think you will need tissues handy, it is an emotional, beautiful love story that is mixed with sadness.

It is only 77p at the moment on kindle so well worth a look.

So you lovely lot linked up some great posts last week, here are a couple of them incase you missed the post.

Me Books Review

Made in Me which is a digital creative agency which was founded in 2009 by brothers in law James Huggins and Mike Outlaw. They create award winning apps, games and websites for children and families.

me books
Their latest app, Me Books, allows you to build the ultimate collection of books, comics and bedtime stories for your children.

I was recently asked if I would like to take a look at Me Books with my children and find out a little bit more about it, well we don't turn down books in this house, so the answer was of course yes.

To use Me Books, you first need to download the app, this is free on both iTunes and Google Play.

Next step, join the club. This again is free to do on their website and right now when you join, you are given a copy of I Don't Want To Go To Bed and Popeye No1 for free!!!

All very positive from the start.

Saturday 12 July 2014

Project 365 Days 187 - 193

Another busy week in the Hazelden household. We had Sports day on Monday and thankfully the sun managed to make an appearance!!

Gracie and I attended her playschool trip to the Rare Breeds centre on Tuesday, it was nice to have some one on one time with her.

Wednesday my little brother, the favourite, Uncle Alec arrived, he lives in Leceister so we don't see him often and this was a wonderful surprise for the girls.

Thursday Gracie had a Teddy Bears picnic at the "big" school, this gave me a chance to meet some of the mums and have coffe and a natter whilst she played.

And Friday Elise and Freya joined the rest of their school for a sponsored run to raise money for Cancer Research Uk.

Told you busy!!! Now onto the photos for project 365….

Day 187

A relaxing Sunday morning before the next weeks madness began.

Friday 11 July 2014

We're Going On A Treasure Hunt

I love the fact that my girls are so creative and that their imaginations are always working on over drive. This means that even when I can't think of things for us to do, they manage to come up with ideas all by themselves.

Last week my eldest two daughters, after watching another episode of Jake and The Never Land Pirates with their sister's, decided to make a treasure map and go on a treasure hunt around the house to find buried treasure.

how to crate a treasure map

You will need :

Thursday 10 July 2014

Chocolate Chip Cookie In a Mug

It is no secret that I love cake. I shared my recipe for peanut butter mug cake a while ago and since then I've been trying to make all sorts of cakes in my trusty mug. Then I came across cookie in a mug. After a bit of trial and error.

cookie in a mug

Wednesday 9 July 2014

Ozeri Elite Chef Ceramic Knife Set Review

I recently reviewed a pedometer from Ozeri, I found it to be a great little gadget so I was really pleased when I was offered the chance to review something else from their range.

I was kindly sent their Elite Chef Black Ceramic 3 Piece Knife Set.



In the box you receive a 3" paring knife, a 5" slicing knife and a 6" chef's knife. These knives are designed to slice through fruit, vegetables and boneless meats. 

All Bran Chocolate Wheats Review and Giveaway

I don't know about any of you but I suffer from bloating. On a bad day, I can end up looking 6 months pregnant and have a seriously sore belly. I think it stems from eating the wrong foods such as white bread, pasta, you know all those carbs that you just can't resist!!

People say breakfast is the most important meal of the day so surely starting the day with the right foods  will help ease the discomfort in my tummy??

All Bran has introduced a new chocolate cereal, Chocolate Wheats. It contains lots of natural wheat bran fibre which has been scientifically proven to ease the symptoms of digestive discomfort (bloating). This in turn will help to improve your overall well being.


This all sounded good to me so I was happy to try them and see whether it made a difference to how I feel/look.

Tuesday 8 July 2014

H is for ….. Hose

So the weather was fairly rubbish this weekend, what with the rain and wind and all.

However there was a couple of hours of sunshine the managed to sneak in there. So we decided to blow up the paddling pool the Chad Valley kindly sent us as part of their #100daysofplay initiative.

This is what gave me the inspiration for letter H because what did we need to fill it up with water?? A hose of course!!

Monday 7 July 2014

Read With Me #27

Hello you lovely lot. Welcome to another week of Read With Me. Can you believe we are in July!! Time to think about school holidays and fingers crossed sunshine!! Do you have any Summer reads in mind??

read with me
Last week I finally got around to reading The Fault In Our Stars, OMG what a book, so simple yet so capturing. I will tell you know unless you have a heart made of stone, you will need a box of tissues by your side!!!

I'm really pleased to see that as this link continues, new people are still finding their way here and linking up, yay.

The lovely Jo over at My Monkeys Don't Sit Still shared her review of a brilliant interactive story book from Hallmark, looks like one you can enjoy again and again.

And I couldn't not share this one. Lindsey over at 101 things to do with kids reviewed one of my all time favourite books, Peace At Last, if you haven't read it with your children yet, I highly recommend that you do!!

Sketcher Book Review and Giveaway

My one hobby is reading books, I love more than curling up with a blanket and reading a good story, I do admit though that I tend to stick to the same genres. Of recent months I have tried to step out of my comfort zone and read books that I wouldn't normally pick up, so when I was asked to review Sketcher by Roland Watson-Grant I just had to say yes.
sketcher by rolad watson-grant

Nine year old "Skid" Beaumont's family is stuck in the mud. Following his father's decision to relocate and build a new home, based on a drunken vision that Ne Orleans would rapidly expand eastwards in to the wetlands as a result of the Seventies' oil boom, Skid and his brothers grow up in a swampy area of Louisiana. But the constructions stop short, the dream fizzes out and the Beaumonts find themselves sinking in a soggy corner of 1980s Cold War America. As things on the home front get more complicated, Skid learms of his mother's alleged magic powers and vaguely remembers some eerie stories surrounding his elder brother Frico. These, as well as early events that Skid saw with his own eyes, convince him that Frico has a gift to fix things by simply sketching them. For the next few years, Skid's self appointed mission to convince his brother to join him in his lofty plan to change their family's luck and the world they live in will lead to even more mystery and high drama in the swamp.

Saturday 5 July 2014

Project 365 Days 180 - 186

Well we've made it to July and that means we've reached the halfway point of project 365. I honestly can't believe that I've been taking photos of my girls every day for 6 months, where has the time gone??

This week the house/job hunt has continued, nothing yet but I'm trying to remain positive. We've been trying to get compensation for our lost luggage, another ongoing saga in the life of the Hazeldens. The kids have also been busy with movie nights, home visits and playschool open days.

Now for the al important photos…

Day 180

Gracie was helping cut daddy's hair, Elise and Freya were helping each other to comb their hair after hair washes and whilst all of this was going on, Layla slept.


Friday 4 July 2014

The Saga of The Lost Luggage From Norwegian

Last month my husband and I were fortunate enough to go on a little holiday by ourselves to Ibiza. My amazing mum had kindly volunteered to look after all 4 kids for us.

Of recent months, stress levels have been high, with Justin needing to find a new job as his current one is coming to an end and last month our landlord deciding to sell our house,  this holiday was really about us having time to relax and unwind and forget about day to day life for a little while.

Now we're not new to Ibiza, this was my 4th time going and my husbands 6th time going however this was the first time that we didn't book it as a package holiday.

As we opted to stay at the Ibiza Rocks hotel, flights had to be booked separately. Not knowing what any of the airlines were like, the decision was made to book the flight purely on best time, date and

norwegian
price.

Norwegian airlines fit the bill and after a little research, it seemed that they had a good reputation. So with flights booked, all that we needed to think about was getting some spending money and of course the dreaded packing of the luggage!!

Thursday 3 July 2014

Seafood Tagliatelle Recipe

A couple of weeks ago I reviewed May's Degustabox and inside were two products from Cirio, passata and tomato puree. I promised you lot a recipe which included these ingredients so I opted for a simple pasta dish, seafood tagliatelle. This a quick and easy meal to make and serves 4-6 people depending on portion size, just follow the simple steps below.

seafood tagliatelle

Wednesday 2 July 2014

Hoopa City App Review

My girls are very in to their technology, they love playing on apps on our iPad but I don't let them play on just any games, I like ones that are not only fun but have them learning too.

I was recently approached to review the latest app from developers TribePlay. TribePlay believe in making games that educate and teach kids about life and the world that surrounds them which sounds just perfect to me!!

This development team are the brains behind the games under the Dr Panda title. The latest game to be introduced is Hoopa City.

hoopa city

Beginners Guide to Running With SportsShoes.com

If you've read my blog before then you will know that this year I have been on my own little quest to get fit and healthy and one of my favourite exercises is running. It not only helps me to stay healthy but it also gives me a little 'me time', I can pop my headphones in and blcok out the world for a little while.

I wrote a post a while ago about my personal top ten tips for getting fit.

I have managed to lose a bit of weight and a couple of inches off my waist and hips but the trouble with that is, my exercise clothes no longer fit which made running difficult. Just imagine the scene, seeing me running down the street with boobs bouncing all over the place and one hand trying to hold my jogging bottoms up, I think I would have laughed if I'd have seen myself. I have to admit this has meant I haven't been out running in a while.

The lovely Jaime from The Olivers Madhouse after posting a fitness post herself including some fellow bloggers posts, was nice enough to pass on our details to a company she has worked with previously.

SportsShoes.com to the rescue!!!

They have  kindly provided me with some new running kit including, sports bra, shorts, socks and trainers, meaning that I can get back on that exercise wagon.

Tuesday 1 July 2014

G is for ….. Gracie

This weeks Alphabet Project sees us reaching the letter G. With the past two weeks showing my daughter's Elise and Freya, this weeks letter just had to represent my 4 year old Gracie. This cheeky little thing will be going up to 'big school' in September and even as she grows into a young girl, I always picture her as my baby.