What To Take On A Budget Caravan Holiday
Thursday, 26 March 2015
In a week we are going to be visiting Haven Holidays for a break away. I had been looking for a cheap break away for a while and in the end I found a great deal that we managed to book last minute. In total we have payed just £85 for a 4 night holiday at Devon Cliffs in a superior caravan. With any holiday I like to make a plan of what to take with me, especially when we are traveling with Maxwell. Here are my tips of what to take when you are going on a budget holiday.
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The night before we go away on holiday, we tend to fill up our car with our holiday bits and create a box full of goodies to eat on the car journey. I hate paying outrageous prices at the services and taking our own means we do not have to stop for any food on our journey. A last few minute bits that I tend to pack on the morning of our holiday is our booking confirmation, money/cards/ID, Mobile phone's and chargers laptops and chargers.
Normally I tend to pack well for any sort of holiday however with budget caravan holidays I always find I need to take little extras which often you get whilst on other holidays such as holidays abroad. Items which we are taking on our Devon Cliffs holiday include: Tea towels, washing up liquid/cloths, towels - 2 sets for each person, one for the swimming pool and one to use when having a shower, matches, baking trays, knifes, plastic plates/cutlery for Maxwell, kitchen roll, toilet roll, lunch boxes - perfect to store dry food items in or perfect to take along to the beach. We are also taking blankets as we are not expecting hot weather and there is only 1 heater in the caravan which is situated in the lounge. Normally we do take our own bed linen however on this occasion it is included.
Next up I like to sort our clothing out. For Maxwell we pack 4 pairs of P'J's as well as a thick onsie, 4 vest's incase the weather gets cold, swimming clothes, 6 pairs of socks - 2 spare incase they get wet, nappies/pull ups/pants, 7-8 t shirts, 6 pairs of trousers, 5 jumpers/hoodies, 1 rain jacket and a warm coat. I also tend to pack welly boots for Maxwell incase the weather is dull and he want's to go and jump in muddy puddles. I also always pack Maxwell a pair of slippers incase the caravan is cold at night on his little feet. This occasion I will also be taking him a hat/glove set as we are right on the coast and we often enjoy going for walks.
For Ben and I, clothing is much easier and we tend to need less. I pack 5 sets of underwear for each of us, 5 lots of trousers, swimming gear, 5 lots of t'shirts, 5 jumpers/cardigans, welly boots for myself and a smart pair of shoes for the evening. I also tend to pack 2 going out outfits for the evenings.
As always in our clothing bag, we place any toiletries that we may need. We tend to pack: Deodorant, toothpaste, toothbrushes, body gel, shampoo, wipes, tissues, hairbrushes, hairdryer, a flannel for Maxwell to cover his eyes with when showering, hair products and any sort of make up that I may need.
Maxwell often needs entertaining whilst on holiday and although the caravan comes equipped with a TV and there are activities for Maxwell to do on site, I often need to bring him toys to keep him happy. This time around we are taking Maxwell's DVD player with a few DVD's, arm bands and a swimming float for when he goes swimming, Small toys which are easy to play with in the caravan - trains, cars, small jigsaws, colouring in books, sticker books and a bucket and spade for the beach.
We do not take any food with us as I often enjoy going to hunt for a supermarket when we get there. Buying food instead of eating out saves us a shed load of money, we can still eat well on holiday! I have found that Devon Cliffs is actually only a short car ride away from a town, if we forget anything then we can always go and purchase it!
The night before we go away on holiday, we tend to fill up our car with our holiday bits and create a box full of goodies to eat on the car journey. I hate paying outrageous prices at the services and taking our own means we do not have to stop for any food on our journey. A last few minute bits that I tend to pack on the morning of our holiday is our booking confirmation, money/cards/ID, Mobile phone's and chargers laptops and chargers.
Celebrating Thomas The Tank Engines 70th Birthday
Wednesday, 25 March 2015
Growing up I loved Thomas The Tank Engine. I collected many of the trains and I used to love driving them around a small track and along the carpet. Maxwell is now 3 years old and equally shares my love for Thomas. This year Thomas is celebrating his 70th birthday, for the past 70 years he has managed to make lots of friends.
Thomas The Tank Engine is based on stories of the railways, Thomas & Friends invites children to enter a world of imagination on the island of Sodor . It’s an idealised world created by the Reverend W. Awdry, where trains are powered by steam… and they talk! With a strong community ethos typified by a universal willingness to help, practice good manners and hard work, Thomas and his friends continue to inspire, excite and entertain children for 70 years and beyond.
Friendship remains at the heart of the brand with more engaging storytelling, more dynamic and compelling content and a whole host of new adventures for Thomas & Friends this year. As well as the launch of series 19 which features the No.1 Blue engine and his familiar friends James, Percy, Emily, Edward, Henry, Gordon, and the Fat Controller, this exciting milestone year sees the release of the mini-series Dinos & Discoveries as well as the new movie Sodor’s Legend of the Lost Treasure.
As children embark on fun and exciting journeys with their engine friends, adventures unfold that lead to timeless fun and discovery.
To celebrate Thomas's 70th Birthday, Maxwell has recently been sent a Thomas & Friends Motorized Playset to review. Along with the motorized play set, Maxwell was also sent a Samson motorized train to accompany Thomas on his adventures. The Samson motorized train included 2 trailers which both had colourful dinosaurs on the back.
The Thomas and Friends Break Away Bridge Playset comes in a small box, the box has a limited amount of track inside which makes building easy for a child. The toy is aimed at children aged 3 and above and I think that is the perfect age to aim the playset at.
Once we had opened the box we built the track. There are clear instructions in the box to tell you how to build the track however we did not have to use these due to the fact the track was easy enough to build without. The track is thick, easy to slot together and very durable for small hands.
Unfortunately Thomas, who was included in the Thomas & Friends Motorized Playset box came without batteries which meant we had to go to the shop to get batteries so he would work. Maxwell did find this a little disappointing as he hates waiting to play with new toys.
Once the track was set up Thomas moved around the track easily and freely however there is a little twist to the track, there is a crumbling bridge! After Thomas speed around the sharp corner on the track, he was left to balance on a single rail as half his wheels come off the track! At first I was worried that Thomas may crash and leave Maxwell a little upset however Thomas easily moved around the track and managed to complete the whole trip around the track without any problems.
Once Maxwell had played with Thomas, we decided to get Samson out for Maxwell to play with. We placed Samson with his 2 trailers, along with the dinosaurs to roll around the track. Straight away I noticed that Samson was not rolling around the track freely and I think this was because the trailers kept sticking on the crumbly bridge. When Samson is not pulling his trailers along, he runs like a dream however when he is pulling the trailers he can fall off or get stuck. We have now decided that the trailers are better off not rolling around the track with the engines, this said they work great when we allow the engines to run on the floor.
Maxwell adores playing and watching Thomas and Samson roll around the track. Maxwell gets very excited by the trains and he loves the fact that they chase each other down. He likes to shout encouragement to Thomas and loves to shout at Samson to tell him he must stop trying to catch Thomas!
The Thomas & Friends Motorized Playset is a whole load of fun and Maxwell has so far spent hours playing with it. At the present moment the playset is priced at just £14.99 on Amazon which I think is a very fair price for the toy that you get.
Thomas The Tank Engine is based on stories of the railways, Thomas & Friends invites children to enter a world of imagination on the island of Sodor . It’s an idealised world created by the Reverend W. Awdry, where trains are powered by steam… and they talk! With a strong community ethos typified by a universal willingness to help, practice good manners and hard work, Thomas and his friends continue to inspire, excite and entertain children for 70 years and beyond.
Friendship remains at the heart of the brand with more engaging storytelling, more dynamic and compelling content and a whole host of new adventures for Thomas & Friends this year. As well as the launch of series 19 which features the No.1 Blue engine and his familiar friends James, Percy, Emily, Edward, Henry, Gordon, and the Fat Controller, this exciting milestone year sees the release of the mini-series Dinos & Discoveries as well as the new movie Sodor’s Legend of the Lost Treasure.
As children embark on fun and exciting journeys with their engine friends, adventures unfold that lead to timeless fun and discovery.
To celebrate Thomas's 70th Birthday, Maxwell has recently been sent a Thomas & Friends Motorized Playset to review. Along with the motorized play set, Maxwell was also sent a Samson motorized train to accompany Thomas on his adventures. The Samson motorized train included 2 trailers which both had colourful dinosaurs on the back.
Once we had opened the box we built the track. There are clear instructions in the box to tell you how to build the track however we did not have to use these due to the fact the track was easy enough to build without. The track is thick, easy to slot together and very durable for small hands.
Unfortunately Thomas, who was included in the Thomas & Friends Motorized Playset box came without batteries which meant we had to go to the shop to get batteries so he would work. Maxwell did find this a little disappointing as he hates waiting to play with new toys.
Once Maxwell had played with Thomas, we decided to get Samson out for Maxwell to play with. We placed Samson with his 2 trailers, along with the dinosaurs to roll around the track. Straight away I noticed that Samson was not rolling around the track freely and I think this was because the trailers kept sticking on the crumbly bridge. When Samson is not pulling his trailers along, he runs like a dream however when he is pulling the trailers he can fall off or get stuck. We have now decided that the trailers are better off not rolling around the track with the engines, this said they work great when we allow the engines to run on the floor.
Maxwell adores playing and watching Thomas and Samson roll around the track. Maxwell gets very excited by the trains and he loves the fact that they chase each other down. He likes to shout encouragement to Thomas and loves to shout at Samson to tell him he must stop trying to catch Thomas!
The Thomas & Friends Motorized Playset is a whole load of fun and Maxwell has so far spent hours playing with it. At the present moment the playset is priced at just £14.99 on Amazon which I think is a very fair price for the toy that you get.
I did not receive any financial reward for writing this post
However I did receive the product for the purpose of this review. All opinions in this post are my own.
Bagging A Freebie Using Freecycle, Gumtree And Groups
Tuesday, 24 March 2015
Freecycle, Freegle, Gumtree and Facebook groups allow you to recycle stuff you don’t need by advertising it to people in your local area. You are able to advertise goods for free. All you have to do is add your item to a site and wait for someone to message you asking if they can have the item. This is a easy way to de-clutter and a lot of people use free sites meaning items are normally snapped up within the same day. A few years back I advertised a bed along with a mattress on our local freecycle and it was collected within just 2 hours. We also advertised free drawers and they were collected by someone who lived just a few streets away!
Some groups ask for you to give stuff away for free before you are allowed to ask for other items. A good thing to start off with is old cups and plates. I often list the mugs you find in Easter eggs as they never get used. I often sort out old toys of Maxwell's, any clothes which may not fit any more and any other bric and brac items which I may find around the house.
If there is a lot of interest in a item that someone has listed, the person getting rid of the item may ask why you need the item. After getting many replies they will then go ahead and let the person who they think is more "needy" have it. Sometimes this can be a little unfair however I always find items come along like buses and there are plenty more items to come. The worst thing you can do is get disheartened.
Please remember to stay safe at all times when using free sites. If you are off to collect an item make sure someone knows where you are going. Please also remember you shouldn't ask for items because you want any old free stuff or you are wanting to make money out of peoples stuff they are giving away for free. There are needy people around that may need these items more than you.
Free sites are perfect if you are budget conscious and would rather re-use than buy new. The free sites are perfect for families, couples or even singles. People list small things on the sites such as clothes to large things such as furniture. Often furniture is advertised and although it may have seen better days, you can get creative and make something out of "nothing". Clothes can often have holes in however the material can be reused to make something more useful for your family such as a patchwork blanket.
When using any free sites, always be conscience to ask what type of condition the advertised item is in, there is nothing worse than thinking you are getting a perfect leather sofa but instead it is scratched, ripped and is not repairable. If a item is repairable, I often try to find out if the item can be repaired and if so, how much it will cost me to repair it. Sometimes furniture items need a simple sand down and a paint however sometimes items need to be totally renovated which can cost hundreds. Before travelling to get the item I always try and work out how far away the item is and how much it will cost me to get it. Fuel is expensive these days and miles can often add up.
Please remember to stay safe at all times when using free sites. If you are off to collect an item make sure someone knows where you are going. Please also remember you shouldn't ask for items because you want any old free stuff or you are wanting to make money out of peoples stuff they are giving away for free. There are needy people around that may need these items more than you.
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5 for under £5
Monday, 23 March 2015
This weeks 5 for under £5 features items which are travel essentials. We are now in spring and many people are preparing for their summer holidays so I thought it would be a great idea to share items which are not only cheap but items which are needed by may.
These adapters are always handy to have, I would be lost without one when going away. Having one of these enables me to use my straighteners, phone charger and other electrical items. All I have to do is simply use this adapter in a foreign plug socket and it enables me to have a compatible plug socket like we have in the UK.
I think selfie sticks are fun! This selfie stick would be brilliant for travelling as it would easily capture any fun photo's that you may want to take. Photo's go on to bring back memories later in life so why not capture those fun holiday memories?
Airlines can often be fussy when it comes to having liquid on planes so why not purchase these bottles? The bottles can be used over and over again and will end up saving you money in the long run. There is nothing worse than having to buy items when away that you already have at home.
Since having Maxwell I always tend to carry a small first aid kit in my bag. Maxwell often fulls over and a antiseptic wipe along with a plaster can be handy at times.
I love the idea of these little tablets which turn into towels with the splash of water. I think these would be the perfect item which would enable you to freshen up on your travel journeys.
Celebrate Yankee Candle
Friday, 20 March 2015
Easter is just a few weeks away and it will be Maxwell's 3rd Easter. I adore Easter as I find that it is a exciting event especially now that I have a child. Each year I often get small Easter presents from my loved ones however I often opt for a small gift rather than chocolate as I am not a huge fan of chocolate. If you are like me and prefer gifts to chocolate why not opt for a Yankee Candle this Easter?
Recently I was sent the "Celebrate" Yankee Candle. I was extremely excited to receive the candle as I had never seen this candle or smelt it whilst browsing my local shops. The candle which I was sent was the large jar type and it was cream in colour. The colour of the candle reminded me of frosted Birthday cake and I found that where the colour of the candle was plain, it fitted in with the decor of my house well.
Upon opening the lid of the candle I was greeted with a very sweet smell. The smell hit me straight away and the candle scent reminded me of lemon cake. I instantly found the scent refreshing and I decided to light the candle. After around a hour my house smelt delightful and the lemon cake scent had wafted around my house and managed to get into each room. I found that the candle was a great air freshener.
This large jar type of Yankee candle burns for around 110 hours which means that the candle will last a long period of time. The candle is priced at just £19.99 which I think is a great price for such a lovely gift or a treat for yourself.
Although this candle was sent to me as a Easter treat I believe that the candle would be perfect for other occasions such as Birthdays, weddings and even christenings.My sister has a wedding coming up and I think this candle would be a lovely addition to her wedding morning.
Recently I was sent the "Celebrate" Yankee Candle. I was extremely excited to receive the candle as I had never seen this candle or smelt it whilst browsing my local shops. The candle which I was sent was the large jar type and it was cream in colour. The colour of the candle reminded me of frosted Birthday cake and I found that where the colour of the candle was plain, it fitted in with the decor of my house well.
Upon opening the lid of the candle I was greeted with a very sweet smell. The smell hit me straight away and the candle scent reminded me of lemon cake. I instantly found the scent refreshing and I decided to light the candle. After around a hour my house smelt delightful and the lemon cake scent had wafted around my house and managed to get into each room. I found that the candle was a great air freshener.
This large jar type of Yankee candle burns for around 110 hours which means that the candle will last a long period of time. The candle is priced at just £19.99 which I think is a great price for such a lovely gift or a treat for yourself.
Although this candle was sent to me as a Easter treat I believe that the candle would be perfect for other occasions such as Birthdays, weddings and even christenings.My sister has a wedding coming up and I think this candle would be a lovely addition to her wedding morning.
I did not receive any financial reward for writing this post
However I did receive the product for the purpose of this review. All opinions in this post are my own.
Bargain Haul #1
Wednesday, 18 March 2015
Many of my readers know how I love to spot a bargain so I thought it was about time that I dedicated some sort of blog post to my bargain finding. This week's bargain finds are all from Tesco. Tesco decided to close it's doors to our Southampton Home Store last weekend and I visited 2 days before it closed. I can safely say, I was there at the right time to pick up a lot of bargains.
The bargains which I purchased were not just for me, they were for family and friends and some of the items which I managed to purchase shall make a perfect stocking filler this Christmas for people around me. Below are a few items which I managed to get my hands on:
Black floppy hat - This was my favourite bargain of all and this can still be purchased on the Tesco website. It is priced at £14 however I managed to get this for just 50p which is a huge saving. I plan to wear this in the summer with a few nice maxi dresses.
Christmas Socks - I purchased around 5 lots of these. They were reduced to 36p each and I thought they would make a lovely stocking filler at Christmas for people that I make Christmas stocking up for. The socks came in there own unique material bag. They were around £3 before they were reduced so I managed to get all 5 pairs for under the value of 1 pair's original sale price.
Mr Tumble Books - The books reportedly were over £15 before a sale price however I do not think this is the true value as I often buy books below what they have printed on them, either way I managed to get these books for just £1.25. I will be putting these away for Maxwell for his Birthday.
Gloves - I bought 2 pairs of gloves which I needed as I had managed to loose my last pair. Before they were put in the sale they were £2.50 each however I picked them up for just 13p a pair! They will not be used until later on in the year when the cold weather sets in again however they will be used and will save me money as I will not have to buy any gloves at fill price.
Jake Fisher Price ship - Maxwell has wanted this ship since as long as I could remember however the price tag put me off buying it for him. The pirate ship was priced at £40 which I deem to be very expensive for one toy so I was waiting for the ship to go down in price. Over recent months I have seen it for around £30 but I thought I would hold out a little longer to purchase it. I made the right choice in holding out for it as I managed to pick up the pirate ship for just £10! I am really pleased with this find and I shall be putting it away for Max's birthday.
As you can see I managed to get lots of bargains, I actually managed to get 2 bags of bits along with the pirate ship for just under £20 which I think is amazing. These type of bargains can not always be found but when I know shops are shutting down in our local town, I always visit. I often find that shops start heavily reducing a few days before they are due to shut, if you visit then you get the best pick of the bargains wheres if you leave it to the last day you will get the tat no one wants.
The bargains which I purchased were not just for me, they were for family and friends and some of the items which I managed to purchase shall make a perfect stocking filler this Christmas for people around me. Below are a few items which I managed to get my hands on:
Black floppy hat - This was my favourite bargain of all and this can still be purchased on the Tesco website. It is priced at £14 however I managed to get this for just 50p which is a huge saving. I plan to wear this in the summer with a few nice maxi dresses.
Christmas Socks - I purchased around 5 lots of these. They were reduced to 36p each and I thought they would make a lovely stocking filler at Christmas for people that I make Christmas stocking up for. The socks came in there own unique material bag. They were around £3 before they were reduced so I managed to get all 5 pairs for under the value of 1 pair's original sale price.
Mr Tumble Books - The books reportedly were over £15 before a sale price however I do not think this is the true value as I often buy books below what they have printed on them, either way I managed to get these books for just £1.25. I will be putting these away for Maxwell for his Birthday.
Gloves - I bought 2 pairs of gloves which I needed as I had managed to loose my last pair. Before they were put in the sale they were £2.50 each however I picked them up for just 13p a pair! They will not be used until later on in the year when the cold weather sets in again however they will be used and will save me money as I will not have to buy any gloves at fill price.
Jake Fisher Price ship - Maxwell has wanted this ship since as long as I could remember however the price tag put me off buying it for him. The pirate ship was priced at £40 which I deem to be very expensive for one toy so I was waiting for the ship to go down in price. Over recent months I have seen it for around £30 but I thought I would hold out a little longer to purchase it. I made the right choice in holding out for it as I managed to pick up the pirate ship for just £10! I am really pleased with this find and I shall be putting it away for Max's birthday.
As you can see I managed to get lots of bargains, I actually managed to get 2 bags of bits along with the pirate ship for just under £20 which I think is amazing. These type of bargains can not always be found but when I know shops are shutting down in our local town, I always visit. I often find that shops start heavily reducing a few days before they are due to shut, if you visit then you get the best pick of the bargains wheres if you leave it to the last day you will get the tat no one wants.
Win A Stay Indoors Family Games Bundle Worth £69
Monday, 16 March 2015
There are always times – over the weekends…during the holidays… that inclement weather plays havoc with your plans for the children – and noisy disappointment kicks in on their part! Here’s your chance to restore those faces to their usual smiley selves! We have a super 3-game ‘Stay Indoors’ bundle from Drumond Park to give away this month.
LOGO What Am I? (rrp £24.99, age 8+) is a fast and furious multi-activity picture board game, loosely based on the original Number One best-selling LOGO game. It’s for children to play on their own, or the whole family can get stuck in. Players have to either draw, describe or answer questions, so that the others can start guessing the names of well-known branded items or everyday products, before the 60-second timer expires. Ugg Boots, Raybans, Rolex, iPod, Smarties, Toblerone, Raleigh Bicycle, Reebok and lots more lifestyle favourites make an appearance on the hundreds of cards which come with this clever and original game!
Wordsearch Junior (rrp £18.99, age 4 upwards) brings Drumond Park’s unique and much loved Wordsearch ‘race’ game format to a new generation - of youngsters. It’s based on the same clever ‘turntable’ design of the original Classic Wordsearch! game and children of all ages will have hours of fun playing - while getting to grips with recognition, pattern and language.
The nine double-sided circular puzzle disks have three different levels of play, covering a myriad of topics. Little ones can dive in straight away, searching for images and patterns on the starter-level blue picture pattern cards. The red level takes players through the picture hint cards – finding words with picture hints to help them. Using the green word-only cards, they’ll be looking for consonant clusters and vowel combinations - increasing their reading skills without even realising it!
The contents of the uproariously funny Rapidough family team game of modelling charades (rrp £24.99, age 8 to adult) were thoroughly refreshed recently – so stand by for many hours of fun with family and friends! There are hundreds of simple, interesting everyday objects to sculpt – and there’s never a dull moment, as everyone gets stuck in and plays at once! At the end of each round, the losing team has one ‘plug’ of dough taken away from them. If your team loses too often, imagine the hilarity of trying to sculpt something like a snail, a hand, a helicopter or a hedgehog - with a pea-sized piece of dough!
Standing the test of time, board games from Drumond Park can be enjoyed by groups of family and friends for generations.
For stockists and to play games online,
visit www.drumondpark.com
Mummy To The Max has teamed up with Drumond Park again to give one lucky reader a Indoor Family games bundle. To enter all you need to do is enter the simple rafflecopter below! Good Luck!
5 for under £5
Friday, 13 March 2015
This week's 5 for under £5 features lots of little bits that will be helpful when preparing lunch. I always try my best to give Maxwell a creative lunch, here is a few items which I sometimes use to give him a lunch that sounds out from the crowd.
This mould is cute to add chocolate or rice to to create a little animal figure. I adore the design of this set. The chicken would be a nice addition to any lunchbox this Easter.
I always find these silicone cases to be very handy. They are great to add items in such as apple or grapes. They are simple to keep clean and are easy to replace when you need to.
I love using cookie cutters in Maxwell's lunch box. I love making shapes with his food and he enjoys eating it - he especially loves stars. I prefer getting plastic cookie cutters as they never seem to go bad unlike the metal ones.
I think these little message boards are cute. On your child's special day. Whether that be a exam day, a school play or a day where you just want to wish them luck, why not send them a mini message to show them that you are thinking of them and that you care.
I adore the concept of this little guard. Maxwell sometimes has squashed bananas in his bag so this handy little gadget stop me wasting money with having to throw bananas away because they have gone bad.
Lavender Yankee Candle
Since I have started writing this blog, I have always maintained the fact that I adore Yankee Candles. Yankee Candles are one of my favourite items to buy and when you enter my house you can either smell a Yankee Candle burning or you are able to see lots of Yankee glass jars littered around my home.
This Mothers Day I have asked for more Yankee Candles to be gifted to me. They are a fabulous treat and something which I enjoy collecting. We have recently redecorated our bedroom, so I have asked to be treated to a new candle which can sit on my bedside table however last week I was lucky enough to be sent a new candle which now sits proudly in my conservatory.
I was sent the lavender medium sized jar Yankee Candle just in time to celebrate Mothers Day with. Lavender has always been one of my favourite smells as it is a strong floral smell which I think is calming and relaxing.
When the candle arrived I was extremely pleased. The candle came well boxed and inside the box, I was presented with a medium sized purple jar. The purple was a light purple which I loved. I often enjoying taking some time out in the conservatory so I placed the candle outside in the conservatory with me and allowed the Yankee to burn.
This Mothers Day I have asked for more Yankee Candles to be gifted to me. They are a fabulous treat and something which I enjoy collecting. We have recently redecorated our bedroom, so I have asked to be treated to a new candle which can sit on my bedside table however last week I was lucky enough to be sent a new candle which now sits proudly in my conservatory.
I was sent the lavender medium sized jar Yankee Candle just in time to celebrate Mothers Day with. Lavender has always been one of my favourite smells as it is a strong floral smell which I think is calming and relaxing.
When the candle arrived I was extremely pleased. The candle came well boxed and inside the box, I was presented with a medium sized purple jar. The purple was a light purple which I loved. I often enjoying taking some time out in the conservatory so I placed the candle outside in the conservatory with me and allowed the Yankee to burn.
The lavender smell filled my conservatory with a strong smell. I felt warm and relaxed whilst sat at my laptop completing the work I had left to do that day. The candle burnt slowly and slowly but surely filled my home with a lavender smell which I thought was great.
To me the lavender Yankee Candle is one of Yankee's classics. It is either loved or hated however it is a firm favourite in our home. Not only does it put me in a calm and relaxing mood, it also acts like a air freshener. Once I have burnt this candle down I shall be purchasing more of the same scent. A medium jar candle provides 65 to 90 hours of true fragrance enjoyment.
Yankee Candle's offer many candles so why not gift your Mum a candle this Mother's day? You can expect a medium Yankee candle to cost around £16.99 or a large one to cost £19.99 which to me is a brilliant price for a good quality, unique, picked gift.
I did not receive any financial reward for writing this post
However I did receive the product for the purpose of this review. This post is written in my own words.
Extreme Couponing In The UK
Tuesday, 10 March 2015
The last few days have been busy in the life of Helen. I have worried, not slept and stayed up late just so I could plan a "Extreme Couponing" shop. Today was the day that 3 month's hard work had added up to. This morning I had butterflies in my stomach however tonight I am sat here feeling proud, proud that I managed to pull my couponing shop off and proud of the fact that I have managed to get over £100 worth of shopping totally free for my family.
Jules Destrooper Biscuits
Monday, 9 March 2015
Are you after a last minute gift idea this Mothers Day? Why not gift your Mum some tasty biscuits that are sure to get her taste buds tingling. A family business for over 127 years, Jules Destrooper is Belgium’s finest biscuit maker, using 100% natural ingredients of the highest quality.
Jules Destrooper uses a combination of skill, a secret blend of spices and no artificial flavours or preservatives to create an array of mouth watering biscuits. Jules Destrooper biscuits are extremely tasty and are the perfect treat to eat with tea, ice cream and are perfect to eat on there own.
I was sent a box of the Jules Destrooper Almond thins as well as a box of the Jules Destrooper Crocante. Out of the 2 boxes of biscuits I enjoyed the Jules Destrooper Crocante more. In the Jules Destrooper Crocante box of biscuits there were 3 different flavours of chocolate (dark,milk and white) and the biscuits tasted very sweet. The biscuits were quite small but very filling and enjoyable. I found that after I had eaten one, I was unable to stop and I wanted to eat more and more.
The Jules Destrooper Almond thins were also enjoyable however I am more of a chocolate biscuit fan. The Jules Destrooper Almond thins were very thin and I found that they were very easy to eat. I think that the Jules Destrooper Almond thins would be better accompanied with a sweet dessert however this is my own preferred choice.
Jules Destrooper Almond thins and Jules Destrooper Crocante are available for you to buy from Waitrose, Asda Or Ocado this Mothers Day. The Jules Destrooper Almond thins retail at around £1.54 and the Jules Destrooper Crocante retail at around £2.49. I think this is a reasonable price for both boxes of biscuits as they come well presented, are tasty and are a luxury biscuit. They would make a fantastic gift on there own or make a fantastic gift in something such as a large hamper.
I did not receive any financial reward for writing this post
However I did receive the product for the purpose of this review. This post is written in my own words.
LEGO Wonder Woman Key Light
For Mothers day I always enjoy seeing what others have received. Over the years I have seen unusual and unique gifts but I had never thought of gifting my mum anything unusual and unique. I normally stick to sending her simple edible gifts and a card. A few weeks ago I was sent a unique gift which I adore, I think it would make the perfect present to those wonder(ful) Mums this mothers day.
I was sent a Lego Wonder Women LED Lite key ring. The key ring stands at around 8cm tall and is bright in colour. The key ring is decorated to look exactly like Wonder Women. Along with her Wonder Women looks, she is also is designed to look like a small Lego figure that you may see your child playing with.
The Lego Wonder Women LED Lite key ring has a button on her tummy, when pressed Wonder Women's feet light up. The light from her feet is quite bright and at night the light would be bright enough to help you find thing's such as your front door key lock and items such as your phone or something that you may have dropped on the floor.
The Wonder Women LED Lite key ring has a strong key ring attached so it is unlikely that you will ever loose your keys or any other items that you may choose to hang on it. The chain on the key ring is long, I think this is a super feature as it means that the keyring is unlikely to ever get tangled with your keys.
The Wonder Women Led Lite keyring can be purchased from places such as Toys R Us and Amazon. The keyring has a RRP of just £6.99 which I think is great value for money seeing as it is a character item. I think this is a simple and unique gift this Mothers day.
I did not receive any financial reward for writing this post
However I did receive the product for the purpose of this review. This post is written in my own words.
Goya Black Rose Fragrance
Saturday, 7 March 2015
We are a week away from Mothers Day and I know many people are still looking for that unique gift to gift their Mum this Mothers Day. Sweet treats and books always seem to go down well however this Mothers Day why not gift your Mum a bottle of Goya Black Rose.
Goya Black Rose is a beautiful perfume that gives off a floral scent. True to it's name the scent gives off a strong smell of flowers. The smell is quite sweet and Goya Black Rose is a perfume which will turn heads as you walk on by.
Goya Black Rose has been exclusively re-created in England by expert perfumers who have brought this iconic perfume from the fifties back to life. The fragrance has been exquisitely crafted in the Goya Black Rose laboratory and then manufactured in England. Recently I was lucky enough to get my hands on a sample of the Goya Black Rose.
Once the perfume was on, the perfume stayed on my skin for around 8 hours. I had many compliments about the smell of it and when walking into relatives houses, I was asked the question of what was the perfume and where was the perfume from.
The 15ml of Goya Black Rose is presented in a little green and white box. This 15ml edition is a recreation of the original miniature Matchbox packaging. The packaging along with the box makes a fantastic gift for any Mum this Mothers Day. The 15ml edition is the perfect size for any make up bag or handbag.
Goya Black Rose retails at just £19.99 for a 15ml bottle or £49.99 for a 100ml bottle which I think is a fantastic price for such a unique smell that holds so much history. You are able to purchase your mum this perfume from here this Mothers Day. You are also able to buy soap in the same fragrance.
I did not receive any financial reward for writing this post
However I did receive the product for the purpose of this review. This post is written in my own words.
Speedy Biryani (Ben's Beginers)
Thursday, 5 March 2015
Recently Maxwell and I were asked if we would like to work alongside Ben’s Beginners and the Children's Food Trust for the Big Cookathon 2015. The Big Cookathon encourages families and children to learn how to cook together at home.
Maxwell and I were asked to create the speedy Biryani recipe. Maxwell helped by cutting veg and adding water into saucepans whilst Mummy dealt with cooking and hot pans. We found that the recipe was easy to follow and we found that our whole family enjoyed eating it. We did make a few changes to the ingredients from the original recipe however overall the dish tasted great.
Ingredients
200g Uncle Ben's Ready to Heat Basmati rice
1 x 15ml spoon vegetable oil
2 chicken breast fillets
100g frozen peas
1 x 15ml spoon vegetable oil
2 chicken breast fillets
100g frozen peas
1 medium red onion
1 medium green pepper
4 x 15ml spoons of Uncle Ben's Korma Sauce
1 medium green pepper
4 x 15ml spoons of Uncle Ben's Korma Sauce
130ml Water
2 hard-boiled eggs
2 hard-boiled eggs
Boil water in a small pan, once boiled cook the eggs until hard boiled. Once cooked leave to cool in cold water.
Dice chicken breasts into small pieces.
Heat your Uncle Ben's pre cooked rice. It should take around 3-4 minutes to heat. You can do this either in the microwave or in a saucepan.
Chop peppers into small pieces.
Chop red onion into small chunks.
Heat the vegetable oil in a pan and brown off the chicken pieces. This should take around 5 minutes.
Once the chicken is white and is not pink in the middle, add in half of the korma sauce and cook for 3 minutes.
Add in the remaining curry sauce and all of the red onions, peas and peppers in.
Add the water in gradually, I used less water than reccomeded. If I had added more I would have had a watery dish.
Add in the cooked rice, stir well and cook for 2 minutes.
Peel and quarter the boiled eggs to garnish.
I did not receive any financial reward for writing this post
However I did receive ingredients for the purpose of this review. I followed a recipe to create this meal.
A Week Of Learning And New Experiences
Wednesday, 4 March 2015
- Maxwell went to his first ever Birthday Party
- Maxwell is obsessed with spending time in the bathroom
- Maxwell, Ben and I will soon be going on holiday
- Maxwell continues to improve with his eating
- Maxwell has been having tantrums
This week Maxwell attended his first every Birthday Party and he had lots of fun. Maxwell was quite shy around others as he was not used to the surroundings or the large amount of people who were in the room but after a while he soon settled and even won musical statues. It was lovely to see Maxwell playing with his friends.
At the present moment Maxwell is obsessed with spending time in the bathroom. He loves to have long baths in bubbly water, he loves to "swim" in the bath with his bath toys, he loves to flush toilets and pull toilet roll off the holder however his favorite activity is to brush his teeth at the present moment. He loves to brush his teeth in the mirror and must have his flashing red car toothbrush!
Maxwell, Ben and I are going away for a few days in a months time and we are looking forward to having a break away. This year has started off as a busy year for us all and at the same time it has been quite draining at times. The biggest stress in my life at the present moment is the unknown about Maxwell's development and how it may effect him later on in life. I am looking forward to our pediatrician appointment next month which will hopefully give me and my worries some sort of closure.
Maxwell has always been quite fussy when it comes to eating, he has always enjoyed eating dried food instead of food that may have sauce on however this week Maxwell has started to try lots of new foods which is great to see. This week Maxwell has eaten jelly, yogurts and has tried a wide range of sauces on his food which is brilliant to see. We will continue to offer Max new foods to try often.
I feel that Maxwell never had the terrible two's tantrums and although this was great, it seems that he often now has the terrible three tantrums. He is by no means the worst child on the planet when it comes to tantrums and he often settles after 5 minutes however it can often be horrible to see him get in a state over something minor.
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