The Shredding Results Are In

Yesterday was my final day of the 30 day shred. So was it worth, are there any siginificant changes from the beginning.

Well for me personally no not really, which is hugely disappointing considering all of the effort I put in.

Here are my starting and ending weights, measurements and pictures :

Start                                 End

Waist : 25 inches             Waist : 24.5 inches

Hips : 35 inches               Hips : 34.25 inches

Weight 7stone 6lbs          Weight : 7stone 5lbs

Before

After

I think the trouble is I didn't have a lot to lose weight wise, it was more about toning. I have gained muscle definition in both my arms and my legs however I failed to lose anything from my stomach which is one place on my body that I really did want to improve.

Although I didn't the results that I desired, I am going to carry on exercising, next on my list is Jillian Michaels ripped in 30 as I have to admit even if I haven't changed like I wished, I do feel better in myself, I seem to have more energy.

Did any of you get involved with Shredtober, what were your end results??

xxxx

Pumpkin and Coconut Bread Recipe

So today is Halloween. I'm sure many of you are busy with your kids, dressing up, carving pumpkins, perhaps a spot of trick or treating.

On Sunday I posted a picture of  a pumpkin with its top cut off. The question was, what to do with the insides??

I seem to have caught the baking bug lately so decided to bake some pumpkin bread with the added ingredient of coconut to add a little twist.

Ingredients - makes 2 loaves of bread

* 400g Castor Sugar
* 220g Brown Sugar
* 250ml Vegetable oil
* 4 Eggs
* 440g Plain Flour
* 2 tsps Bicarbonate of Soda
* 2 tsps Salt
* 1 tsp Ginger
* Pureed Pumpkin
* 75g Dessicated Coconut
* 150ml Water

Preparing

* Preheat your oven to 180 degrees.
* Grease and flour two loaf tins.
* Mix together the oil, sugars and eggs.
* Stir in the pumpkin puree.
* Add the flour, bicarbonate of soda, salt, ginger and water.
* Finally add the coconut and fold into the mixture.
* Pour the mix into the loaf tins and bake for around 60 minutes.

I put a skewer in the centre around 50 minutes and again at 55 minutes, if the skewer comes out clean then the bread is baked to perfection.

The bread should come out with a lovely golden crust on the outside whilst remaining wonderfully moist on the inside. No pumpkin waste in sight!!!

Oh and if people were wondering from my Silent Sunday last week what my pumpkin turned out like, well I didn't do the traditional carving, instead I went with this :

What has everyone else done with their pumpkins?

xxxx

Look What I Can See

Gracie had her eye check up at the hospital on Monday. We are used to these visits because both Gracie and her older sister Elise wear glasses and have to be seen on a regular basis.

Gracie's older sister has been wearing glasses since just before she was 3 years old and has struggled some what in the past to get the right prescription to not only correct her eye sight but her squint too.

Gracie has the same problems with her eyes, just not as severe but we were expecting the same kind of outcome.

So I was more than surprised when this time round Gracie really excelled, infact we were told that with her glasses on, she now has 20/20 vision and if she can master her letters by her next visit then she will be discharged from the hospital and can go to a normal opticians for further eye tests.

This probably doesn't seem like a massive achievement but the girls eye sight has always been something we have worried about so to us it was huge thing to us and I am so proud of Gracie for wearing her glasses as she should.

xxxx

Love Christmas Ltd Review and Giveaway

Ok I know some of you may still think it is a little early but I am girl who loves Christmas, I really do wish it could be Christmas every day. So when Love Christmas Ltd approached me about reviewing something from their site, there was no way that I could refuse!!

The real question was what should I review. Love Christmas Ltd stock a range of decorations, trees, gifts and lights all at very reasonable prices. The site itself is extremely easy to navigate, splitting things into sections making items simpler to find.

I think because I have children and because I am a big kid myself, I was automatically drawn to the Novely Items & Toys section of the site. I love a good noisy toy and it has become a tradition in our house to buy a new one each year. I asked the girls which one they preferred and we all finally agreed on the 'Singing Dancing Snowman'.

Delivery on Love Christmas Ltd is free, a big money saver there. The snowman took roughly 3 working days to arrive and was packaged well. 

Standing at approximately 30cm tall, this snowman certainly adds to your Christmas spirit, with his carrot nose, hat and bright red scarf, he is nice and soft and definitely appealing to children.

My 3 year old was extremely impressed. The only problem was that she kept going to pick him up as he was trying to sing and dance to her. 

He has a button on his left hand that when pressed makes him sing the song jingle bells, he also dances from side to side as he sings, multi-talented!!

Priced at £14.95, I think the snowman is definitely worth the price you pay. Just check out the video below of the jolly snowman doing his thing :

If you are looking for new decorations this year or a Christmas themed gift for friends or family then I would definitely recommend that you check out Love Christmas Ltd for yourself. With good priced items an no delivery charge, what's not to love.

Giveaway

Love Christmas Ltd have very kindly allowed me to give away a £25 voucher to spend on their site to one lucky reader. 

To be in with a chance of winning all you need to do is fill out the rafflecopter form below. This competition is open to UK residents only and will run until 11.59pm on the 19th of November 2013.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck

xxxx

Win competitions at ThePrizeFinder.com

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

Half Term Viewing

It is that time again, kids are all off school for half term week. With the weather taking a turn for the worst, I've been having trouble trying to find things to keep the kids occupied and out of trouble.

I thought the best way to come up with ideas was to ask the girls what they would like to do.

The answers I got started to formed quite a list :

* Go to the park.

* Bake cakes.

* Go to the library

* Have a sleep over at nannie's house.

* Go to the cinema.

* Go swimming

* Go somewhere for dinner.

Well yesterday we got off to a bad start because I woke up with a sickness bug, so we didn't manage to tick anything off the list, it ended up being a lazy day snuggled up under blankets watching TV.

Today we have been to the library for the morning and we will be baking with Nannie this afternoon and we could possibly persuade Nannie to let have a sleepover later. However I'm already thinking ahead though, trying to organise the rest of our week in advance.

We all love films so a trip to the o2 cinema could be in order seen as Daddy Hazelden is working near there at the moment, it would be a great excuse to see him too.
The question is what to watch? I really like the look of Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 2, the older two are voting for Turbo and my 3 year old wants to watch Smurfs 2, again!!!

What are all of you up to during half term week? Do you have any more suggestions which we can add to our list of things to do??

xxxx

*This is a sponsored post*

Heat Holders Giveaway

I know this year the weather has stayed unseasonably warm so it is hard to believe that we are nearing the end of October and that Winter is just around the corner!

Just to ease us in to Winter, we have just had severe storms hit the UK, lots of strong cold winds and torrential rain.

With all this in mind the lovely people at Heat Holders want to help some of you to keep warm as the cold weather sets in.

Heat holder socks boast a thermal tog rating of 2.3 and come in a range of colours and sizes suitable for men, women and children, no more cold feet!!

Heat Holders are kindly offering the chance for five, yes five readers to win a pair of their Heat Holder thermal socks each.

Each winner can choose between men and womens socks and their colour of choice (stock permitting)

To be in with a chance of winning you just need to fill in the rafflecopter form below. The competition closes at 11.59pm on the 18th of Novemeber 2013.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck

xxxx


Win competitions at ThePrizeFinder.com

Where is the time going?

I know a lot of you as parents will feel the same as I do, time goes by far too quickly, I can't believe that Layla is now 15 months old. I suppose the fact that she is still wearing 9-12 months clothes makes it less believable still.

So what's changed in the last month? Well she has grown three new teeth, now the proud own of 8 teeth, she is getting there slowly but surely.

Layla is learning new words all of the time, the latest one was car, my favourite one however was mummy, just seems to sound so much better than mama.

She can now point out her eyes, ears, nose and belly. She really enjoys pointing out other peoples eyes but you have to careful because boy does she poke.

Oh and she is practicing the skill of jumping, she hasn't quite managed to get her feet off of the floor yet but I reckon she will have it mastered in no time!!

xxxx

Corolle Dolls from DKL Toys Review

As a girl I loved to play with dolls and my girls are no different. I have often caught them role playing, pretending to be a mummy, pushing their baby around in the pushchair, giving them cuddles etc.

I was lucky enough to be sent two Corolle Dolls from DKL Toys. Corolle is a premium doll brand which is designed in France. With a huge range that cater for children from birth upwards, each Corolle doll has their own unique features and style which have plenty of French traditions steeped in them.

I was sent the Mon Premier Corolle doll which is suitable for little ones 18 months + and the Les Cheries Corolle which is suitable from 4 years +.

The Mon Premier doll comes complete with it's own dummy and removeable head band. Calin cuddle stands at around 12 inches tall and with a soft bean bag body, she is absolutely perfect for snuggles.

My 7 year old has taken the time to be her "mummy", rocking her to sleep and giving her the love that she needs. And with the added sleeping eyes as you lay her down and her flexible arms and legs, it makes her more realistic and easy to pose.

My 3 year old has been busy taking baby Calin for walks around the living room, very scenic.

The Mon Premier doll can be hand washed so need to worry if she gets a little mucky.

The Les Cheries range is aimed at slightly older girls. There are quite a few to choose from, each with their own unique look. We were sent Camille ballerina. Standing at around 13 inches tall, she is really beautiful, with long blonde hair. 

Her tutu and ballerina shoes are both removable and her arms and legs are easy to move around so that you can have her standing how you want her too.

Also with "sleepy eyes", my 5 year old has started taking her to bed with her.

Each Corolle doll has a yummy vanilla scent, this a very sweet smell that I think every child would love (I really like it too). And with a wide range of accessories and fashions to add to your dolls which include potties, pushchairs and cribs, you will never get bored of them.

 

The cost of the dolls start from around £25, this may seem slightly expensive but I am firm believer of you get what you pay for and honestly I think the price is more than reasonable for the quality that you are receiving. I would have loved to have had one of these dolls when I was younger.

xxxx

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

Silent Sunday

JD Sports Nike Blazers Review

About three weeks ago I wrote a post about the Nike Blazers that I had received from JD Sports and what exactly was in the box.

I have been wearing them quite a bit since receiving them, so I thought it was about time that I told you all exactly what I think about them down to the look, comfort and wear of them.

JD sports stock a big range of Nike sportswear but the Blazers were something I have been lusting over for a while. With me having such small feet, I was actually able to choose a pair from their Junior range. The grey and pink foil option that I went for costs a very reasonable £47.

These trainers are made with a grey suede upper and a white vulcanised midsole. The added bright pink foil signature swoosh tick makes them pop and the bright pink laces add that finishing touch. Looking stylish yet fun.

The Blazers themselves were originally released as a basketball shoe in 1972 and they are that iconic that the design has never changed.

I am a size 4 and I have to say these are very true to size. Once on they are super comfy, snug without being too tight. I think they are slightly wider than some trainers so would appeal to a wider range of people.

I did find getting them on initially slightly tricky, I think more because they come higher up the leg than most trainers. So I did have to loosen the laces quite a bit to be able to place my foot in without squeezing them on. However once on for the first time, as I tend to keep my laces lose anyway, I found it very simple to put on and off.

I have walked around these for hours at a time and not once have they given me blisters. I was actually expecting them to rub around my ankles for the first few times but the soft material has meant that they have remained comfortable at all times. 

These lovely trainers even had the misfortune of getting caught out in the rain on a couple of ocassions and they really held up well. No soggy feet for me and the material dried without leaving any marks.

I think what really won it for me was the the pink swoosh and laces matched my favourite scarf, all you ladies know accessories are a must!!!

Overall I really would definitely recommend these trainers. They seem fairly hard wearing, extremely comfortable to wear and not overly expensive to purchase. As with other Nike products, you can tell these are made to highest quality and I don't think they would ever go out of fashion.

xxxx

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

Why Wear Make Up?

We live in a society where nowadays unfortunately a lot of young girls want to look like the celebrities and models they see on the television and in magazines, most of whom have either been airbrushed in photos or made to look better by trained professionals.

I myself wear make up almost every day, I have done since I was around the age of thirteen. And it wasn't til a couple of days ago when my eldest daughter asked me the question, "why do you wear make up mummy?", that I really had to think why did I? Now if I am honest I really struggled to answer her question.

I knew what I wanted to say, the plain and simple answer would be that I think I look better with make up on, I personally hate how I look without. Others may think that I am a very confdent person but truthfully I crtiticise myself on a daily basis and I am always wanting to change something about the way I look.

I don't even know what has made me think this way, I can't pin point what made me start wearing make up in the first place but I do think seeing beautiful pop stars, actresses etc did play a part subconsciously. I can't blame my mum because she doesn't wear make up and at almost 54 years old, she still looks good with the natural look, I am more than a tad jealous of her.

From a young age it has become habit for me to atleast put on a bit of foundation, eyeliner and mascara,  even when I was at school, I almost feel naked without it.

Below are two pictures, one of me with no make up and one of me with make up on :

These days I tend to wear make up to cover up the spots and blemishes, you can see on the first picture that I have eczema around my nose which I really despise, it just looks like I have a permanent cold. I also think that make up tends to make me look less tired, as a parent sleep can be hard to come by sometimes!!

Since having kids, I don't wear make up every day, not because I don't think I need it but because I don't have the time to do it. I've had comments off one of my friends that I look poorly without make up on as I am naturally very pale skinned. If I don't have time to "put my face on", I hide behind my glasses instead.

The problem that I have in answering that question is that I don't want my daughter's to feel like they need to wear make up, for one at this age they are not old enough, although they do put on mummy's lipstick when at dressing up at home sometimes. The second reason, they are all so pretty anyway, I know I am biased because I'm their mum but they really are.

I'm hoping my girls will be more confident than me and love themselves more than I allow myself to do so that they won't feel the need to wear make up or atleast not lots of it. I want them to aspire to be themselves, not like others.

And now your wondering what answer I gave in the end. I am ashamed to say that avoided it and managed to change the subject as I just couldn't think of the right words to say without coming across as hypocritical some how.

Do you wear make up, what is the reason behind wearing it, are you confident enough to go out without make up on?? Would you know how to answer the question about why you wear make up if your child asked?

xxxx

A Garden Without Weeds

I have to admit, I have never been very green fingered, I 've always left the mowing of the lawn to Daddy Hazelden and when it comes to weeding I try and avoid it, just like the bugs I find when I actually get around to doing it.

This doesn't mean that I wouldn't love a beautiful garden. Infact I have always dreamed of having a humungous garden with lots of room to run around and play, unfortunately I'm stuck with this garden instead :

My poor garden does get neglected some what and I think it really could do with some much needed TLC. I've always imagined colourful blooms, home grown veggies, the whole package so to speak. In the past my daughter's and I have attempted to plant our own flowers to brighten up our little outdoor space :

Seems my girls have their mum's genes because there appeared to be more weeds growing than flowers!!

When Tots100 and Activity Toys Direct offered bloggers the chance to try and win a garden makeover, I thought what the her, you've got to be in it to win it right? The challenge, what would I spend £750 on to make over my garden, well I've always loved a bit of fantasy shopping.

What I want overall is somewhere for both adults and children, family and friends to be able to come have fun, whether that means playing, getting those garden gloves on making things come alive or just sitting, relaxing and enjoying the surroundings. So what would I need to active this?

First up - Fun

Gracie really wants a bounceline (trampoline)  which let's be honest is fun for the children and all us big kids. The surroundsafe big bouncer from Activity Toys Direct looks perfect, not too big.

Next to add to playing element a sandpit. I've picked the Tp toys deluxe picnic table sandpit a) I love all wooden toys b) the fact it can be turned into a picnic table means the girls can sit and eat their meals outside, do drawing/creating outside too.

And just because I always wanted one and my parents never brought me one, a Little Tykes cozy coupe.

Second - Gardening

Well we already have a lawn mower so we are well on our way. I think other things we might need would include : gardening gloves (wouldn't want to break a nail), spade, fork, troughs for putting plants and vegetables in, seeds, watering can. I'm probably missing loads but I would be recruiting my lovely Nan to help show me the gardening way.

Third - Sitting, Relaxing

To be able to sit down and start chilling, a good set of table and chairs is what's needed. I like the look of the one below, perfect especially with the added parasol to shield from the sun because you know we always get glorious sunshine ;)

And lastly, what every good garden needs, a barbecue, now the question is gas or charcoal? Anything has got to be better than our efforts this year on the small disposable barbecues.

I think I've spent my pennies wisely but it is a womans prerogative to change her mind so these choices could well change if I was to actually have that money in hand!!

"This blog post is an entry into the Tots100/Activity Toys Direct garden makeover challenge."

Charlie and Lola's Best Bestest Play giveaway

You must have seen or atleast heard about Charlie and Lola. Created by Lauren Child in a series of books and produced by Tiger Aspect productions into a briliant TV series, Charlie and Lola is loved by millions of children. My now five year old used to call them choola and loola!!

It is now being bought to the stage in what as being described as an ideal early theatre experience.

Introducing Charlie and Lola's Best Bestest Play which will be showing at Glow, Bluewaters events venue from the 13th December of 2013 until the 5th of January 2014. Suitable for all ages (including parents), Charlie and Lola will be brought to life through a mixture of puppets, live action and music.

There is a great Early Bird Promotion running : 

20 standard seats on sale for each performance run at the special price of £10 per person, this includes booking fees VAT . These will be sold on a first come, first served basis. 

Standard tickets are priced at £14 per person and a family ticket for four people is £50, additional booking fees will apply to online advance sales on the ticket master website.

My family and I will be attending later on in the year so look out for that post but in the mean time.....

I have a little giveaway for you. One lucky reader could win a family ticket for 4 to come and see Charlie and Lola's Best Bestest Play at Glow, Bluewater. To be in with a chance of winning just answer the following question correctly in the rafflecopter form below :

What is the name of Lola's imaginary friend?

a) Charlie
b) Soren Lorensen
c) Sizzles the Dog

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Terms and conditions

Open to UK resdients only. The competition will end at 11.59pm on the 7th November 2013.

The winner will be selected at random from all the correct entries. The winner receives a family ticket of 4 to see Charlie and Lola's Best Bestest Play at Glow, Bluewater for any performance between the 13th December 2013 and the 5th January 2014.

Children must be accompanied by atleast one adult. Best available seats will be given. Tickets to be collected at the box office with no cash alternative. Tickets are subject to availability and cannot resold or transferred to another performance. This competition is brought to you on behalf of Charlie and Lola by boom ents (www.booments.com)

xxxx

Win competitions at ThePrizeFinder.com

Raising money for a good cause

In 2014 lovely writers of twinmummyanddaddy are being very selfless and have decided to take part in a series of events in order to raise money for two great charities, Cancer Research UK and for Bliss.

Their very first event will be a skydive, something I don't think I would be brave enough to do! 

Now here is where you lovely readers come in. Twin Mummy and Daddy would really like to raise £2000 for each charity, but they can't do it without your help.

Their first fundraising event is an amazing Fabulous Charity Raffle which is open right now!

Here Is What You Could Win

• £50 Experience Gift Voucher to spend at Experience Days 
• £15 iTunes voucher courtesy of Twin Mummy and Daddy
• £10 iTunes Voucher courtesy of Twin Mummy and Daddy 
• £25 voucher to spend at Bunnie Knitwear
• A personalised word art print of your choice from Baby Cakes Treasures

• 2 x Forest Jump vouchers at the Celtic Manor Resort (worth £18 each) courtesy of Giggle Giggle Activities
• A5 plain brown men's leather monsieur notebook courtesy of Ink Thistle worth £12.50

• Miller heart pendant and Bubba Bangle from GumiGem worth £21.90 (colour may vary)

• 5 gift vouchers (5 winners) to spend at Personal Planner
• Dancing Fairy Cushion from Little Ragamuffin LTD worth £13.95

• £50 voucher to spend at Teeny Beanies
• A personalised bib from The Early Years Boutique worth £6.00
• Make your own sock money kit from Presents for Men worth £6.99

• Bottle Starter Set from MAM worth £30.00
• £20 Voucher to spend at Little Gems Boutique
• Pourty Potty and Flexi Fit Trainer Seat from Pourty worth £24.90
• Pink Snoob Scarf from Snoob worth £25.00
• Resusable Nappy from Baba+Boo worth £9.25
• Mama Bear and Papa Bear Soft Toy from Little Bird Told Me worth £30.00

How can you enter?

Each ticket costs just £1 and you can enter by any of the following methods

By Text Message

• (Cancer Research UK) Text TMAD47 to 70070 with the amount you would like to donate, e.g: if you would like to buy one ticket simply text TMAD47 £1 to 70070, if you would like to buy two tickets simply text TMAD47 £2 to 70070, if you would like to buy three tickets simply text TMAD47 £3 to 70070 and so on

• (Bliss) Text TMDB60 to 70070 with the amount you would like to donate, e.g: if you would like to buy one ticket simply text TMDB60 £1 to 70070, if you would like to buy two tickets simply text TMDB60 £2 to 70070, if you would like to buy three tickets simply text TMDB60 £3 to 70070 and so on

Online

• Click here to donate to our Just Giving Cancer Research UK page. If you would like to buy one ticket, simply donate £1, for two tickets donate £2, for three tickets donate £3 and so on.

• Click here to donate to our Just Giving Bliss page. If you would like to buy one ticket, simply donate £1, for two tickets donate £2, for three tickets donate £3 and so on.

REMEMBER - Once you have donated either online or by text message YOU MUST email:twinmumanddad@virginmedia.com with your FULL NAME, TELEPHONE NUMBER and THE AMOUNT YOU HAVE DONATED. This is to allow us to confirm your donation and so that we can contact you if you win.

Terms and Conditions

• This raffle is open to individuals resident in Great Britain aged 16 years or over. Any person found to be under 16 years of age automatically forfeits the right to any prize. Proof of identitiy may be requested
• Tickets cost £1 each
• Monies raised by the raffle will go to the work of CRUK which is a regisitered charity in Englad and Wales (1089464) and in Scotland (SCO41666) and also to the work of Bliss which is a registered charity in England and Wales (1002973) and in Scotland (SCO40878)
• Payment for participation in the Raffle can be made by debit card via our Just Giving pages or via text message
• We take no liability for entries from which the prize winner cannot be identified
• The closing date is 25th December 2013. Tickets after this date will not be entered into the draw and monies will be treated as a donation
• The Raffle draw will take place on 4th January 2014 at Twin Mummy and Daddys residence
• The winners will be the drawn at random from all entries received by the closing date and prizes will be awarded in order of selection
• The results of the raffle draw are final and communication about them will not be entered into
• Winners will be notified by email or telephone no later than 11th January 2014
• Prizes are shown above
• All prizes are also subject to the terms and conditions of the prize provider
• By entering the raffle, entrants agree to be bound by these terms and conditions (which may be amended at any time by Twin Mummy (aka Emily Higgins). Any entries not complying with these terms and conditions will not be valid
• If you have any queries or complaints please email twinmumanddad@virginmedia.com
• We reserve the right to award any prizes not claimed after three months to an alternative winner
• A list of the surnames of the winners will be available on this page by 31st January 2014
• We reserve the right to reject any entry (and award any prize to an alternative winner) if we have grounds to believe the entrant has breached any of these terms conditions, acted fraudulently or illegally or on other reasonable grounds