My First Little Library Book Review

I was recently sent a lovely little set of books from the GMC group. My First Little Library (£9.99) from Alain Gree is a gorgeous little set of of four books which introduces little ones to numbers, letters, animals and colours.

Rock Bandz Review

My daughters are typical girls. They love dressing up, putting on make up and wearing jewellery. A lot of my things such as lipsticks and necklaces go missing quite regularly! Interplay's Fab Lab range includes a lot of jewellery making kits, one in particular being Rock Bandz.

Vtech Flipsies Review

Vtech have recently launched a fantastic range of toys called Flipsies. These clever little playsets are like two toys in one. Like the name suggests you can flip the toy over to become a different place, object, person etc…

Alternative Dental Care, the Miracle of Holistic Oral Health Care

Taking our kids to the dentist can sometimes be a difficult task. You really have to be prepared to deal with their tantrums just to bring them there so you want to feel like any problems they have are being treat appropriately. Now if your kid’s or a family member’s have oral problems that keep coming back, regardless of the number of times you’ve visited the dentist, then it’s surely more than just a toothache?

Junk Food, Lazy Days and No Motivation

I thought it was about time I wrote down a little update on how my health and fitness routine are doing and I'm shamed to admit it's not been going very well of late. The title says it all really, junk food, lazy days and no motivation.

I've dipped back into the world of yoyo dieting. I'll begin to make the effort again, starting a reasonably heatlhy way of eating. My most recent trial was back to eating three meals a day but only having carbs with breakfast, I managed to stick with it for 2 weeks but then I got ill with woman flu.

Yes woman flu not man flu. This made me feel awful and I really struggled to find any sort of will power to get up and do the normal day to day things. After cooking meals for the kids, I lacked any enthusiasm to cook anything for myself and I'll admit that meals for myself have kind of vanished, it is more of a case of picking at things. And the stupid thing is I know that I'm not helping myself.

My main problem is the exercise. All this year I've been getting up early religiously and exercising before the girls get out of bed but since being ill I've not exercised once, so that's 2 weeks without exercise so far. I'm feeling majorly guilty but I still an't muster up the energy to actually get off my arse and do something.

Time To Party With Ben and Holly

Summer has been and gone and so has Ben and Holly's Little Explorer Challenge. But Autumn has arrived and what better way to step into the season than with a party. Ben and Holly have been throwing an Elf and Fairy party and they'd like you all to join in the fun too.

You can get started by downloading your very own Elf and Fairy party pack from the website. This pack includes recipes, colouring, invitations and decorations to make.

Read With Me #39

Hello and welcome all to this weeks Read With Me. Thanks to everyone that managed to link up last week.

After managing to achieve my good reads target the week before, last week I didn't manage to read an awful lot.

I was full of cold and lacked any sort of energy to do anything, let alone concentrate on a storyline.

I'd love to hear what books you've all been reading lately as I'm always after suggestions of different novels to add to my ever growing Goodreads list.

Now my favourite post from last week came from the lovely Redpeffer. She reviews a Disney Descendants book and my eldest daughter literally read the same book last weekend so she insisted that this was one I should tell you all about this week!!

Silent Sunday

                                  

Project 365 2015 Week 39

September seems to have been a hard month. What with the kids going back to school bringing with it the return of the morning rush. Autumn appearing with a bang, colder temperatures and extremely wet weather. And this in turn has led to germs galore. Gracie got struck down with a sickness bug this week and honestly I've struggled to take pictures for project 365 again but here's what I have managed.

Day 263

It was my nephews birthday so the girls were all dressed up and ready to party.

Taking Care of The Bullies

I think one of my biggest worries when my kids started school was the thought of bullies. Both my older and younger brothers were bullied at primary school, I was the one to stand up to them and resolve the problems, but really it shouldn't have been me stepping in.

But my confidence and attitude ended up being a good thing in these situations at the time. Trouble is in this day and age the bullies seem to be worse than ever, not only doing things in person but online too, with the schools unable to step in like you'd want them too.

Up until now I've had minimal issues with my kids and their friends, yes they've had fall outs/arguments but really they have been petty and quickly resolved.

My 5 year old is child liked by all and so laid back that nothing phases her, a quality I admire in her.

Then there's my 7 year old, she has inherited my overall attitude and confidence, something which I am sure will bite me in the bum when she hits teenage years but for now she'll be the first to let you know what she's thinking and feeling so I always know what is going on.

Easy Peasy Protein Balls Recipe

Over the past 9 months my love for exercising has really grown. The trouble is I need to fuel my body with plenty of protein so that my muscles have a chance to recover before I delve into my next workout. Fitting protein into my meals has been quite easy but snack wise was more difficult. I've leaned towards eating things like quest bars but these get quite costly so I have been trying to find ideas for things I can make myself. Protein balls are just that, small balls packed full of protein and I've finally put together a recipe that is easy to make and low in cost too.

Colour Me Mindful Giveaway

You may remember back in the Summer I wrote a review for some gorgeous colouring books from Anastacia Catris, the Colour Me Mindful books were in such high demand that Anastacia went and created some more colouring books.

Three new colouring books were released today (24th September) each priced at £4.99 and the themes were seasons, butterflies and enchanted creatures.

Nail Art Book Review

My girls have reached the stage in life where they are becoming more concerned with their appearance and this includes experimenting with both make up and nail varnishes. My eldest two have a bag filled with my old make up to have a play with, seems to be an extension to their dressing up play. We were recently sent a Nail Art book from Priddy Books which gave them even more of an excuse to get creative.

A Treat Filled Degustabox

Last time I received a Degustabox I remember it being relatively healthy, all good considering I am trying to diet. This month however I would say it it was the opposite, more treat filled, which I'm not going to complain about because there was cake!!!

So lets start with Degustabox's product of the month :

Barilla Penne Rigate £1.50 and Arrabbiata sayce £2.00 : Authentic tastes from Italy, these two together make for one delicious meal, add in some chillied pork mince like I did and you are definitely onto a winner.

Five Sweet Treats That Won't Ruin Your Waistline

So you're on a diet, or perhaps you are just trying to follow a healthier lifestyle. Either way it may be going really well but you happen to be craving something sweet but you don't want to ruin all of your hard work! I'm going to share with you five sweet treats that I like to eat when I'm in need of a sugar fix.

Read With Me #38

Hello, thanks for popping over to this weeks Read With Me. I'm really pleased to see so many of you continuing to link up every week.

I have really got back into reading recently, and last week I managed to smash my goodreads target.

I'd set myself the task of reading 150 books this year and I've already managed to surpass that.

Think I may be a tad addicted to reading!

A series that I've just got through is one by J A Huss. It compromises of 7 books, two of which are novellas.

It essentially follows three different couples throughout and I definitely had my favourite. At the time of writing this you could still buy the whole set for £2.99 on kindle, a right bargain in my opinion!!

Silent Sunday

Project 365 2015 Week 38

This week has been a long one. Myself and the hubby have been full of cold so everything has dragged somewhat, not helped by the awful weather we've been having! So apologies for the not so great project 365 photos.

Day 256

A totally lazy Sunday. 

Turning September into Sleeptember

Sleep, it is something that we all need to enable us to function on a day to day basis. Some of us need more time in bed than others although research deems that we need around 8 hours or sleep a night to allow us to wake up refreshed. So time to turn September into Sleeptember.

Christmas In September

Ok ok, I know a lot of you don't like the C word being mentioned around this time of year but I'm going to be brave and talk about it anyway. Christmas, there I said it. I'm sure a lot of you have noticed that September seems to be the month when the shops begin to fill their shelves with plenty of festive goodies, I've not broken and bought a mince pie yet though!

I have however started to buy presents. I'll admit this because I don't think there is anything wrong with being organised. I actually buy Christmas gifts all year round because I believe in picking up a bargain when you see one.

With so many people to buy for and the list ever growing it can only be a good thing to buy a few items each month and put them away rather than panic buying in the middle of December. It definitely means that I get to avoid the crowds of people.

Simple Chicken Satay Recipe

The past few weeks I have been trying to stick to a high protein/low carbs diet. This means that I've been eating a lot of fish, chicken and turkey but these foods can get boring so I have been on the look out for recipes to spice things up a little shall we say. One of my all time favourite foods is peanut butter, so chicken satay is something I've always loved but never actually made myself but after a little experimenting I think I have managed to conjure up a recipe that is relatively low in calories but totally delicious even if I do say so myself.

                

DryNites Bedtime Kit giveaway

Did you know that almost 600,000 children experience bed wetting every year? I know my children have gone though stages of bed wetting.  Although most kids like mine become dry on their own, it can be an anxious and unpredictable time. DryNites® Pyjama Pants are the perfect confidence booster for bedtime, and provide age-appropriate, night-time protection to help make children feel as grown up at night as they do during the day. 

Man Gave Names To All The Animals Book Review

Man Gave Names To All The Animals is a classic song written by the legend that is Bob Dylan. First released on his album, Slow Train Coming, this song has managed to captivate a wide audience, young and old alike.

It is a gospel influenced song that I must admit I was unfamiliar with but it is now being introduced to a younger generation in the form of a book.

Although a song, it definitely tells a story and Jim Arnosky's enchanting illustrations certainly manage to bring it to life. I actually looked up the song to see just how it was sung so that the girls and I could attempt to sing along rather than just simply reading the story.

The artwork within this book is nothing short of stunning. Depicting many animals and plants from around the world. With bright and changing scenes that alter with every turn of the page. From tropical jungles to clear blue skies to beautiful sunsets.

Bananagrams WildTiles Review

The girls and I are already familiar with the game Bananagrams. We've had ours of fun both inside and outdoors creating words and for the little ones recognising letters. Recently we were sent one of the newest games to the range, Bananagrams Wildtiles and the girls wasted no time in beginning to monkey around with it.

Preparing for Exercising in Colder Weather

Autumn has definitely arrived. I've already started delving into my warmer clothes. Think jumpers, hats and boots. I do like to get snug. Trouble I find with the colder weather is getting out and exercising. The cooler temperatures and also the fact that it starts to get darker of evening times, I struggle to find the right workout gear to wear so I've made myself a little wishlist of clothes, you know preparing for exercising in the colder weather.

Read With Me #37

Hello you lovely readers, welcome to this weeks Read With Me. So last week was the girls first full week back at school.

This of course meant getting back into the swing of reading again.

My 5 year old struggled for the first couple of days, I think she'd misplaced some of her phonics learning with the long break from school so it was tough getting her interested again.

Because as she pointed put to me, she'd much prefer it if mummy read her the book instead!!

Do your kids find it hard getting back into reading for school??

Anyway what has been nice is having the bed time routine back because we've returned to reading stories before going to sleep, giving me more one on one time with each of my girls, something I always cherish!!

Silent Sunday

Project 365 2015 Week 37

I knew last week was a fluke, being ready on time for school. This week has been back to rushing around, forgetting books and lunch boxes, back to normality lol. Project 365 hasn't been in the front of my mind and if I'm honest I've almost forgotten to take pictures and with the girls being back at school there seems to be a distinct lack of children in the photos!! But we plod on...

Day 249

It was my husband and I's 7th wedding anniversary and he did good, buying me a set of rings from Pandora.

Getting Beardtastic for #RoaldDahlDay

Did you know that it is Roald Dahl day this sunday, the 13th September? Well to help celebrate, the girls have joined in with a mischief making challenge. The challenge is based around Roald Dahl's classic book, The Twits.

Hey Mr DJ

Way back when the husband used to be a DJ. Not a radio DJ where all they do is insert a cd and press play, no a proper one that took the time to mix his own music. I'm happy to blow his trumpet, he was good. Completely self taught he played in local clubs, got a slot on a radio show and even ran his own event. He's always had an ear for music, even now he'll spot a tune long before it gets played on mainstream radio.

Teangi Shampoo and Conditioner Giveaway

I think everyones kids must have gone back to school by now. Mine went back last week and this meant getting into a routine again and that includes checking for head lice. It's a problem that can be avoided with regular checking/treatment. I wrote a review last year for Teangi shampoo and conditioner and it is a product we have continued to use since.

One of Teangi's recent studies revealed that 70% of women will only choose a skincare product for their family with known effective results. 31% of those choosing a product which contains natural ingredients. And then there's the 60% who dread sending kids back to school for fear of coming home with head lice.

Teangi products do an abundance of useful things. Containing tea tree it can not only help treat and repel head lice but their other products such as the witch hazel cream sooth skin irritiation and help heel cuts and burns.

Peanut Butter Coconut Pancakes

Over the years my appetite and my taste buds have changed. I used to skip breakfast and just eat food out of the vending machine at school. I was a 'snacker', opting to pick at things rather than eat full meals. These days I love a good home cooked meal and I actually prefer to eat breakfast foods a lot of the time. Quite often you'll find me eating porridge at dinner time and one of my favourite lunch time meals is pancakes.

I shared with you before my recipe for banana and oat pancakes, only four ingredients, healthy yet quick and easy to make. But as with anything eating the same thing all of the time can get boring so I've been experimenting with batters and I have come up with a new recipe for you to try. Introducing my peanut butter coconut pancakes.

Cake Glorious Marlenka Cake

Everyone loves cake right? I know I do. It's like a ritual to eat cake atleast once a day. My favourite has to be mug cake but I won't turn down any other type of cake, I even grown to love the coffee kind. So when I was kindly asked if I'd like to sample some cakes from Marlenka's range there was no way in hell I was going to say no.

                 

Play and Learn with Wallace - Everyday Maths Book Review

Maths is a subject that I understood well at school. I took a statistics GCSE in Year 10 and got a B and managed to get an A* in maths the following year. I say all of this but everything appears to have changed since I was at school and even the most basic teaching methods seem more complicated to me so I'm not sure that I am entirely surprised that maths is a subject that all my children have had to really work at.

A Little Surprise From Spicers of Hythe

Last Christmas I was lucky enough to be sent a lovely hamper from Spicers of Hythe both the box itself and the contents itself didn't disappoint. So I was extremely grateful and excited when a not so small surprise arrived from the a couple of weeks ago.

This lovely company kindly sent me a hamper filled with lots of delicious goodies. 

The Wedding Dress Test

So a lot of people when trying to lose weight judge their figures against certain items of clothing, perhaps a favourite pair of jeans they'd like to fit back into. I know that I have lost weight, there's no doubt there. Infact I weight less now than when I was 18 years old. But weight and size don't always go hand in hand so I decided to take the wedding dress test to see just how much my figure has changed since I got married seven years ago.

Read With Me #36

Hello you lovely lot. How are we in September already, just doesn't seem possible. The kids went back to school last Thursday and we've gone back to the reading/homework routine with a bang.

I think I'm more disappointed because the reading seems more forced rather than the relaxed approach when we were borrowing books from the library.

Now we have a set time that the books need to be read by instead of really being able to go at our own pace.

However the one good thing about the children being back at school is that I have a little bit of peace and quiet to take a moment and enjoy a good book myself during the day instead of in the middle of the night.

Certainly makes a refreshing change.

Silent Sunday

So I'm going for a not so Silent Sunday this week as I felt I should maybe explain the picture. 7 years ago today I married that man standing in the background, the one thinking what have I just got myself into. For the reason I felt an old school photo would be appropriate for todays Silent Sunday.

Project 365 2015 Week 36

Well that's the Summer been and gone, not that it ever really arrived. September means that the girls have now gone back to school and Autumn has started to make an appearance, but to be honest I'm not complaining about the colder temperatures because I am looking forward to wearing some warmer clothes. Things have been a bit chaotic this week getting the kids prepared and back in routine so I've been a bit forgetful in my photo taking so I apologise in advance if my project 365 pictures seem a tad boring this week.

Day 242

There was a pirate ship docked at the pier and visitors were allowed to board and look around.

                                  

Just A Mum?

Since having children I have been what is known as a stay at home mum. Some people believe that this means I have an easy life because I'm just a mum aren't I, it isn't a "job", it's not something I get paid to do so can't really be considered work. This however doesn't make it any less of a hard thing to do.

Homemade Wholemeal Tortilla Chips

It is no secret that I love crisps, it is true what they say, once you pop you just can't stop. They were always my go to snack but the salt content alone makes them a not so healthy choice. So what's the alternatives? Well making my own seemed like a good choice so I'm sharing with you my quick and easy recipe for homemade wholemeal tortilla chips.

Everyone Loves a Toy Delivery

Toys, our house is filled with them but the girls never seem to have enough so when I was asked by House of Fraser if I'd like to choose some new toys for the girls, I took advantage of their recent sale to find something new to keep them occupied and a toy for the husband biggest kid may have jumped in the basket too. I mean everyone loves a toy delivery right?

There is such a range of products to choose from ranging from babies right up to the adults who still like to indulge in a bit of child's play. It was a difficult decision what I should purchase.

The School for Good And Evil The Last Ever After Book Review

My daughter has been lucky enough to read the whole series of The School for Good And Evil so when we were given the chance to review the final installment she literally screamed with excitement.

Sophie and Agatha thought their ending was sealed when they went their separate ways. But will their story be rewritten?

With the girls apart, Evil has taken over, The villains of the past have come back with a vengeance and the forces of Good are in deathly peril. Can anyone stand in the way of Evil's deadly reign- and the Last Ever fter of all?

LeapFrog Number Loving Oven Review

As LeapFrog ambassadors we are very lucky because we get sent a lot of their latest products to test out. One of the latest releases is the Number Loving Oven. This funky little number is aimed at children aged between 2 and 5 years old and is designed to teach things like counting and vocabulary.

Re-designing the Bedroom

Since moving into our own home we've been trying to decorate one room at a time. Progress has been slow as money has been tight but the focus right now is on the loft room which happens to be our seven year olds bedroom.

I previously revealed to you the bench/toy box that my husband very cleverly built. This unknowingly set the theme of the room. We painted the bench white and purple and decorated it with silver writing and a mix of plush cushions. The look is modern and bright yet clean and it made great use of the space it was put in.

Healthier Alternatives to Crisps

One of my biggest downfalls when it comes to my diet is snacking, specifically crisps! I don't help myself because I buy the big bags and then lack the ability to share. This results in me eating said bag all to myself, I do not wish to look at the calorie content because I already know it isn't good for me. Because of this I am always on the search for healthier alternatives to crisps and now I'm going to share with you my top three.

Popcorn

You are at this point probably thinking well how is that good for you, lots of sugar on there, well there are other flavours apart from toffee or sweet. I love Metcalfe's skinny popcorn and Propercorn, especially their Sweet Coconut and Vanilla flavour.

The good thing is that these types of popcorn are low in calories and you can eat a surprising amount without going over your specified limit.