MUMMY TO THE MAX

We are now in 2015 and I am looking forward to the year. I have so many plans, so many ideas and so many things I want to achieve this year and I hope that you my readers will share this years journey with me.

Last year had its up and downs but overall it has shaped me into a better person. I have learnt so much about myself, so much more about blogging and I am starting 2015 on a positive. This will be my 3rd year of blogging, however I wanted to look back on my 2nd year of blogging and see all the post's which I wrote. I have featured my favorite 12 below. They feature sad times, happy times and exciting things Maxwell and I got up to.

January
When my beautiful Nan died, it hit me hard but I think it hit certain family members more. I am so proud with how our family have coped this year but most of all I am incredibly proud of my Grandad who has tried to stay strong throughout and my Mum who has been everyone's shoulder to cry on and has more than likely put her emotions last to support us all.
This was one of the hardest post's that I wrote in 2014 however it is one of the post's that makes me smile the most. I love reading this post over and over again because not only does it make me cry but it brings me joy, joy that I got to share 22 years with an amazing women. My Nan will never be forgotten and where ever she is now, she is still with us and will be with us forever.

February
In February I took part in the Mum tag and it is crazy to think this was nearly a year ago. Some things have changed in the last year but being a mum isn't one. I am so proud of Maxwell and I loved looking back on this post to see our thoughts and opinions. I would love to do another up to date Mum tag soon.

March
In March I wrote a post which had lots of thoughts and feelings in. It was a reflection on the past few years and I loved reading this back. This post spoke about me as a young parent, how I was proud of Ben and how we were looking forward to moving into our first real home together. Everything which I wrote in that post still stands and I found many months of happiness. I hope that happiness continues.

April
In April we celebrated Easter and I found our post about our busy Easter Weekend. I remember what a fab weekend we had and I remember the effort which was made to make Maxwell's Easter magical. I am really looking forward to Easter again this year and I am hoping to make it as magical as the last one for Maxwell.

May
In May I wrote this post which was a post that was close to my heart. I highlighted the problems for working parents and how I felt the system where certain children were handed free preschool places whilst others had to pay was unfair. Since writing this post we have paid for Maxwell to attend preschool. He has come on leaps and bounds because he has attended preschool and if we had not paid for him to go I worry how Maxwell may have developed. Although Maxwell's speech is still not quite there it is improving and he is now getting the help he needs. My thoughts in this post still stands and one day I hope the system changes. I won't pretend finding the money for Maxwell to go to preschool was easy because Ben and I have gone without things so Maxwell can go however it was well worth it and Maxwell has learnt tons of new skills which will benefit him in life because of it.

June
In June I wrote a positive post about celebrating my 2 year blog anniversary. 2 years seems like such a long time to write your thoughts, feelings on a blog but I have loved every second and I can not wait to continue into my 3rd year. Looking back at all these posts today I am so happy that I started my little blog. I have written so many memorable moments about Maxwell's life which I would have maybe forgot if I had not written them down.

July
In July I wrote this post about judgmental parents and it was a post I felt strongly about. At the time it was something which was relevant not only in the media but my day to day life. Luckily my daily life has changed now and I am blessed to have wonderful people surrounding me however it is something which I still see in the media daily. I think it would be lovely to see everyone get along however I am unsure if this will ever happen. The media loves to stir and unfortunately people like to believe everything some people write which is normally inaccurate.

August
In August Maxwell and I created some amazing memories and I blogged about having 31 days of fun, We got up to so many different things however one of our favorite activities was going on the steam train in Eastleigh. We had such an amazing day out and we are looking forward to going again soon. It was one of our best days out in 2014.

September
This was one of my favorite review posts which we wrote in 2014 - When Grandad came to tea! It was such a fun post to write. It was a competition entry, although we did not win the competition, we put a whole load of effort into our entry and we created lots of memories doing so, For anyone wondering about Grandad's whereabouts... Grandad will be back in 2015!

October
It is post's like these which I love to look back on - what we did weekly. There will be plenty more of these post's come 2015 and I can not wait to share them. I loved the fact that this post highlights Maxwell having his first hair cut and at that point in his life he was obsessed with light up toys. Come January 2015 he is not so obsessed and is more into cars, trains and his play kitchen. It is funny how things change.

November
In November I wrote this post about how I wish our lives would change for the better. I am hoping 2015 will allow us to have a better lifestyle. In 2015 I am looking at ways in how I can share money saving ideas with you. I have so many ideas and there is so many things which I do to save money but I normally do not have time to share my ideas with you. I hope this is the year I save money, meet new money saving friends and get to talk about saving money everywhere!

December
In December my favorite post which I wrote was about our Christmas 2014. It was a special one and one which I enjoyed a lot, the only thing I wish I had done more of is taken more photos as I had a lack of them. I loved spending time with my family and I enjoyed taking a back seat from my blog for a few weeks. I can not wait for Christmas 2015, I hope it will be bigger and better than Christmas 2014!

Thanks to Nelson Arnicare on Friday I will be heading off to London and going to BritMums live. I am truly excited to meet old friends but also new friends however I am a little worried. I have very low confidence and since finding out that I was going to Britmums Live 2014 for the second year, I have been worried about what I will be wearing.
For Day 1 I wanted to be comfy whilst travelling but also that little bit dressier for the evening. Unfortunately this week I managed to rip my toenail off my toe and have had it bandaged for most of the week so sandals are my only shoe option at the moment as any other types of shoe are too tight for my foot. I adore the dress which I have chosen to wear, the design is pretty and I love that I have finally found a maxi dress which has arms. I am very self conscience about my arms so this dress gives me that little bit of confidence as my arms are slightly hidden. The bag I have chosen is large enough to put my bits and pieces in which I will need and is big enough to fit a cardigan in if I get cold.


For Day 2, I wanted to dress down a little. I have chosen a simple top and jeans which I think will be comfy to sit in on the day but also when travelling home. Again I will be wearing sandals due to my toe and I will more than likely have a cardigan in my bag incase it gets cold. I will be using the same bag as day 1 as I see very little point in taking 2 bags.

At the present moment I adore the So Fabulous clothing range and although some of there items can be a little pricey, I find that the quality of the items are amazing and they are fit well with my body shape.

These are my outfit choices and I am looking forward to seeing what everyone else will be wearing. If you are interested in what others are wearing why not head over to the BritMums linky and have a nose? I would also love to see what others are wearing and what people think of my outfit choices.

Goldiva Chocolates - If your Dad has a sweet tooth this Fathers Day why not buy him some Godiva chocolates? They are sure to be a hit. The Godiva Truffle Assortment comes in a pretty box. You are able to choose boxes with 12 chocolates up to 24 chocolates in. With a selection of flavours included in each box, there is something for every taste to enjoy. Each chocolate is made with a lot of care and each chocolate is different to another in the box. The chocolates are beautifully made and taste amazing. The price reflects on this as a box of 12 truffles could end up costing you £15.50 however a box will not break your budget.


Now TV Box - If your Dad loves to be entertained why not purchase him a Now TV Box? The Now TV box allows busy Dads to catch up on their favourite shows thanks to BBC Iplayer, 4oD and Demand 5. If your Dad is an app lover there is also a feature which allows him to be able to easily use Facebook and Spotify through his Now TV Box. For the extra wow factor you are able to pay £4.99 each month for your Dad to watch entertaining TV shows. You could also pay £8.99 a month to watch Sky Movies or £9.99 per day to watch all 6 sky sports channels. Whatever your Dad enjoys watching, their is something for every dad to enjoy with the Now TV Box. The Now TV Box can be bought for just £9.99.


Last Vegas Blu Ray - If you have a fun loving Dad who loves films than the Last Vegas movie may be the perfect present for your Dad this Fathers Day. With big actors such as Michael Douglas, Robert De Niro and Morgan Freeman acting this hilarious must see comedy may create a few smiles.With a simple storyline to follow, there are many moments you may be found laughing loudly. The storyline is about a man called Billy, who is a 4 man group's sworn bachelor. Billy finally proposes to his girlfriend and the 4 men group decide to head to Las Vegas. However, upon arriving, the four quickly realize that the decades have transformed Sin City and tested their friendship in ways they never imagined. You are able to buy Last Vegas on DVD for just £10.


Wasgij Original 21 Football Fever Puzzle - If your Dad loves to get creative and loves to problem solve than a Wasgij puzzle would be the perfect gift for him this Fathers Day. At just £8.99 you are able to pick up your Dad a good quality puzzle which has 2x1000 pieces. The Wasgij Original 21 Football Fever Jigsaw Puzzles include a free wall chart which may also get your Dad into the World Cup spirit. The puzzle would take your Dad hours/days to complete however once completed he will feel a sense of achievement. With the sizes of the puzzles getting larger and larger you would need to make sure your Dad has enough space to complete the puzzle. The Wasgij Original 21 Football Fever Jigsaw Puzzle with Free Football Wall Chart (2 x 1000 Pieces) can be purchased from Amazon for just £8.99.


Wilkinson Sword Hydro 5 Razor - Every Dad needs some me time and a perfect gift idea for Fathers Day would be a Wilkinson Sword Hydro 5 Razor. This Razor is perfect for those who do need to reach a harder to get area when shaving. If you have sensitive skin, fear not as the razor also features skin conditioner which provides soothing moisture while your Dad has a shave. The Hydro 5 also allows you to change the blades which in time could save your Dad Money. The Hydro 5 Razor can be purchased for just £6.99 on Amazon. You can also buy the refill blades for £8.49 which includes 4 blades.

As many of my readers know, we recently moved. Whilst moving Ben and I decided to buy quite a few bits and bobs for our home which were flat packed. We spent hours sat down, reading instructions and then slowly screwing pieces of our flat packed furniture together. If I am honest it took us hours and in the end we became quite frustrated with the amount of time we were spending building things. Ben and I now have more flat packed furniture to put up which we have been putting off, however just in time for Father's day we have received a Worx QBit Multi-Bit Cordless Screwdriver which will help us build our flat packed furniture quickly.

The Worx QBit Multi-Bit Cordless Screwdriver is a lovely gadget which comes all in one. The Worx QBit Multi-Bit Cordless Screwdriver comes with 6 popular bits inside its replaceable cartridge and can be filled with any bit according to your task. Instead of hunting around the house for screwdriver heads, the Worx QBit Multi-Bit Cordless Screwdriver allows you to save time as all the bits are there ready to use.


The Worx QBit Multi-Bit Cordless Screwdriver is pocket sized which means it is perfect to not only use in your own home but also to take elsewhere. I was a tiny bit disappointed to see that the screwdriver did not have its own case and instead came in a cardboard case. Without it being in a case I am a tiny bit worried that the Screwdriver may get damaged in transport or when not in use however not having a case does not affect the screwdrivers use.

A Li-Ion battery makes The Worx QBit Multi-Bit Cordless Screwdriver always ready to use whenever you need it. If the screwdriver has been laid in storage for months, the screwdriver should still work when you go to use it. When you do find yourself needing to charge the screwdriver you will only have to wait 3-5 hours until it is fully charged which is fantastic in my eyes. The Screwdriver itself is lightweight and includes 1 speed setting.

A few of my favourite features which the screwdriver includes are the brilliant built in LED. The LED allows me to use the screwdriver in dark spots. This feature is extremely handy. Another one of my favourite features is the fact that the screwdriver has a reverse function. If a screw is wrongly screwed in, it would take a matter of seconds to get the screw out thanks to this easy to use feature.

The Worx QBit Multi-Bit Cordless Screwdriver come with a 3 year warranty. You are able to purchase The Worx QBit Multi-Bit Cordless Screwdriver from Argos this Fathers Day.

In just 16 Days we will be celebrating Fathers Day. To celebrate, we wanted to bring you a fab Fathers Day feature. We hope that you enjoy our feature and are inspired by some of our posts. We hope to bring to you some food ideas, some money saving ideas and some great gift ideas.


To kick off our feature I wanted to share a fab gift idea which I know Ben would be delighted to receive this Fathers Day. Just in time to celebrate the World Cup, I bring to you the amazing idea of Your Sports ID. Your Sports ID has been created for football fans and players alike. Your Sports ID ensure that they provide high quality, great value footballs and official club merchandise to their customers. With over 26 footballs and a number of other football items to choose from there's something for every football fan on Your Sports ID's site to choose from.

Ben is a massive Manchester United fan, he has managed to watch home games, go and see testimonials and even manages to go for tours up in Manchester. Ben adores Manchester United and the perfect gift for him to receive this Fathers Day would be something related to Manchester United. As soon as Yours Sports ID got in touch with me to ask would I like to review one of their products, I knew exactly what Ben would like to receive as a gift - a Manchester United Football.

Upon browsing Yours Sports ID website I found that I was able to choose from 2 Manchester United balls. I was able to choose a plain logo themed one or one which had logos and signatures on. I decided to choose the plain logo themed one as I thought Ben would enjoy the style of it more and he would be drawn to the personalisation more.

Once I had chosen the ball I was able to choose to have the Ball personalised. I instantly knew what I was going to have. I decided to go for Bens surname as well as his favourite number, 10. I was able to input these details easily on to the website and I was also able to choose what colour I would like the writing on the ball as well as font and size. The process was extremely easy and the website was simple to use. Once I had checked out, I waited for the ball to arrive. It arrived in good time and was packaged well.

Yours Sports ID do not charge any extra for the personalisation of the ball which I thought was brilliant. The ball was reasonably priced at  £8.95 and shipping cost just £3.50. Priced at just £12.45 I believe this is a great gift for any footy loving Dads this fathers day.  The gift idea is unique and simple however it will not break your bank balance and you know you will receive a good, quality item.

This February I'm taking part in a campaign to help people take charge of their money.  The campaign is called The Great British Budget and the aim of it is simple, it wants to help you save money. I have always been keen on saving money and have always tried to deliver my readers on here money saving tips and special deals. When I was asked to take part in this campaign I knew it was right up my street. The challenge for February is to set yourself a budgeting goal, no matter how little or how large it is it must be relevant to you. It could mean you are wanting to save up for a holiday, manage your bills better or cut money on your weekly food shop.

Forever Friends has launched a range of brand new gifts this winter in time for Christmas. The range is full of products which are suitable for all ages. Maxwell and I were sent a his and hers calendar, a family A3 month to view organiser and a week to view family organiser. Being a fan of Forever Friends since I was little I was really happy to receive these gifts.
A3 Forever Friends Month-to-View Organiser 2014 - Brighten your day with this handy organiser featuring cute and cuddly images of the Forever Friends bears.This organises shows a week-to-view with five columns. The organiser is a good size and there is enough writing space for you to write your day to day events. There is space to include any notes you may wish to write. This organiser is priced at £7.99. You can purchase it here.


Forever Friends His & Hers Slim Calendar 2014 - This calendar is a handy his & hers calendar featuring the cute and cuddly Forever Friends bears. Each month contains 2 columns - one's 'his' and one's 'hers'! It includes various pictures of a "his" bear and a "her" bear celebrating special events through the year. The calendar is a perfect stocking filler for a loved one or a special couple this Christmas. Priced at just £5.99 I think it is great value for money. You can purchase it here.