Spikey Giveaway!!

Following on from my recent review of the hedgehog story, Spikey, I'm now giving away a copy to my readers!!

Saving The Hedgehogs With Spikey!

(Gifted)

Spikey is a brand new children's story book, aimed at children from ages 2 to 8. Written by TV presenter and journalist, Tereza Anteneova, Spikey is inspired by her childhood trips to the countryside.

A Very Snowy Christmas, 20 Weeks To A Very Organised Christmas! Week 1!

Welcome to week 1 of A Very Snowy Christmas, 20 Weeks To A Very Organised Christmas.

The Cheeky Panda Giveaway

Following on from my very recent review of The Cheeky Panda tissues, I'm now running a giveaway!

For your chance to try the awesome eco-friendly tissues and win 8 packs enter below!

Being Eco-Friendly With The Cheeky Panda

(Gifted)

I could honestly lose count of how many tissues we go through on a weekly basis. Wiping runny noses, cleaning ketchup of a certain little boys face, a quick mop of spills. 

We always have a couple of boxes of tissues around the house ready for action. For a while now we've been trying to be more sustainable. So, we've opted for reusable cloths for spills and washing sticky hands and faces properly at the sink, instead of using wipes. 

But we still need an option for runny noses and old style handkerchiefs aren't really practical for us as we'd go through dozens. 

So, when The Cheeky Panda offered the chance to review their eco-friendly tissues, we of course said yes!

Something Is Coming..............................

Let's be honest. 2020 and part of 2021 or most of it has been a bit shit. One of the worse parts for most was the lack of birthdays, celebrations with family and friends, but especially Christmas.

No visits to Santa. Panto's cancelled. Shops opened and closed making gift buying super difficult. No family and friends to pull crackers with on Christmas Day. Christmas 2020 was a bit crap. 

But something is coming...........it's just over 20 weeks away. Yes, I know it's early BUT...........CHRISTMAS 2021 is coming!!

The Toy Companies Letting You Recycle Your Toys

Just a few years ago old toys were often destined for the landfill. Recycling was kept to household items and the life of toys didn't go much past passing them on as hand me downs or to charity shops. 

But now if your toys aren't quiet right to pass on, maybe a little rough round the edges or to tatty for the charity shop, you can pass them back to their creators.

Wondering who's part of the toy recycling movement? Here's the toy companies letting you recycle your old toys!

Kids Against Maturity

(Sponsored Post)

We love a good game! Board games. Card games. Anything we can play together. We especially love it if we can take it on our travels. So, if it's compact even better!

We were recently asked to review a brand new game, Kids Against Maturity. Here's what we thought!

Preparing For A Long Distance Move

(Collaborative Post)

Moving with a family is stressful at the best of times. When you add distance into the mix things get a whole lot harder. Suddenly, as well as having to worry about the mere practicalities of a move, you also have to deal with kids who can’t bear to part from their friends, packing, unpacking and getting to know a new area.

Luckily, even in the case of long-distance moves, these initial setbacks are easy enough to overcome, and when that happens the chances are that the entire family will fall in love with this new home. That said, making sure that this happens sooner rather than later does come down to a few key factors. Here's preparing for a long distance move.

5 Places To Donate Old Toys

Lots of you are loving the recent toy posts, so I thought it was time to share another! So, far I've shared a summary of what to do with old toys, as well as where to sell them.

Next up is 5 Places To Donate Old Toys.

Managing Natural Light In Your Home

(Collaborative Post)

It's been a while since we've had a homey post, so I thought it was time to have one. 

This time we're going to talk about natural light. Good natural light is something lots of us search for in a home. A well lit home can feel airy, open, light and enjoyable, and homely. 

Where a home is positioned in relation to the sun can even add value. People will often say they'd like a south facing garden and the reason is it will be a sun trap most of the day. My mum even tried to talk me out of buying our current home because it wasn't south facing. Even the best home designer in the world can't move then sun!  

Wellbeing Heroes Sockie Stars!

Wellbeing Heroes are a brand that promote positive messages, along with practical everyday things. Their range currently includes pajamas and socks, but not any pajamas and socks! There Magic Pajamas and Sockie Stars, the latter of which are socks with capes!!

5 Places To Sell Old Toys

Many of you loved the last toy related post, 5 Things To Do With Old Toys, and after sharing on my socials I got a couple of DM's asking if I could share some ideas on where to sell them! So here goes! 

Here's 5 Places To Sell Old Toys!

UK Staycation & Day Out Locations For 2021!!

Can we go abroad? Can we not? Do we need a vaccine passport? Shall we just stay home??

Many of us are staying in the UK for summer 2021 and it's a great way to support not just the UK economy but also UK tourism. It also means a little less disappointment if the holiday gets cancelled or you have to return home because of restrictions. No panic flight booking or queuing in airports for us staycationers!!

Not sure of where to go? Looking for some recommendations?

I asked my fellow bloggers where they would recommend when staycationing for 2021. 

Here's what they had to say!!

A Very Cool Giveaway With Cool Pots

It's time for another great giveaway!! 

Recently, I was lucky enough to be gifted a personalised plant pot from Cool Pots. You can read my full review here. 

5 Things To Do With Old Toys

Toys. Toys. Toys. And a few more toys. That's what piles into your home when you have a child. Soft toys. Wooden toys. Plastic Toys. Toys bigger than your baby. Toys that are noisy and need batteries. Toys that hurt when the little apple of your eye throws them at your head!!

These things start to pile up. Birthdays and Christmas come and bring more, as do grandparents and anyone else that likes to treat your little ones. 

But what can you do with them when it's time for a clear out? Time to put the baby toys away? Switching Duplo for Lego? Not sure what to do with the old toys?

Here's 5 things to do with old toys...........

A Cool Pot By Cool Pots

(Gifted)

I love cute homewares. I especially love it if you can add to the cuteness by personalising and making it cuter, especially if it's with my little boy's smiley face!!

Combing the two led me to collaborating with Cool Pots!!

What I'm Most Looking Forward To As We Follow The Lockdown Roadmap

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Lockdown is easing. 

We can hug again. Pubs and restuarants have reopened. Salons are back open and we can have our hair done and be waxed in random places. 

The road, aka the road map out of lockdown, is bringing us closer to freedom day! With this in mind Revolution Four have asked me to share what I'm most looking forward to as lockdown eases and we shimmy our way towards a life with less restrictions. So, here's 5 things I'm most looking forward to as the roadmap out of lockdown continues.

Win All Access Pass To The Baby Show Live @ Home!!!

 

The Baby Show Live @ Home is coming 18th - 20th June!!

4 Simple Ways To Update The Look Of Your Living Room

(Collaborative Post)

The living room is one of the most important rooms in your house. In addition to welcoming and entertaining your guests, it shows your style and taste to anyone who visits your home. If you are planning to improve the look of your home, it would be a great idea to start with this room.

Snacking Health with Love Corn

(Gifted)

Raise your hand if you've gone a little snack crazy during lockdown?? Treats getting a little bit samey during these COVID times?

Well, there's something new to try!! Love Corn is a brand new snack on the scene and we've given it a review, plus there's a giveaway too!

Self-Care Ideas For Busy Parents By Guest Blogger Merry Sari

It’s necessary for busy parents to take breaks from the hustle and bustle of life — to pause and recharge.

When I talk about self-care tips for busy parents, it can mean something different to each individual, but the whole family benefits when parents take care of themselves. Especially during the current situation. Consider making your mental, physical and emotional well-being a priority this year.

How To Make Your Home More Energy Efficient

  (Collaborative Post)

The conversation around energy is getting more and more popular by the day. With the world’s rising demand for energy, sustainability is at the top of the agenda. Energy companies look for ways to produce cleaner and more efficient energy, but for us it can be little changes to reduce our energy use and bills. Are you wanting to make your home more energy efficient? 

Here's how...............

Tidy Home - Keeping Your Water Clean & Healthy

(Collaborative Post)

Running water is a day to day utility that we probably take a little for granted. For many of us we use it without a second thought, but we need to remember that its a luxury that not everyone happens to have. Whether a luxury or an essential, just like with other utilities there can be problems. Here are a few of the most common ones.

 

10 Creative Lockdown Activities

(Sponsored Posts)

This time last year the UK was entering it's first lockdown and now we sit in our third. It's been a hard slog for many of us. Many of us started with a huge amount of good intentions.  

Long walks. Healthy eating. Reading. A creative activity here and there. Then, well, we got bored. It got a bit repetitive. A bit samey. We started running out of ideas. 

As we continue into lockdown I've put together a list of 10 Creative Lockdown Activities for you to try. Some are for kids. Some are for grownups. There's a bit of something for everyone. 

Getting Creative With Clay Creators

(Gifted)

Do your little ones love to get creative with clay? Do they love to keep their creations? Do you want to get creative with the kids but don't know what to buy and want the ease of ordering everything from one place online?

Then you need to take a look at the amazing Clay Creators!!

Tidy Home - Keeping Your Bathroom Smelling Fresh

(Collaborative Post)

One of the biggest problems that most householders face is having a bathroom that smells bad somehow. The odours might be wastewater or mould related, or the problem could even be down to leaking taps and pipes rotting the floorboards.

Your bathroom is a small and enclosed space, and so it makes sense to keep on top of its maintenance to avoid any future problems. But, if you do have unwholesome odours coming from your bathroom, here’s how you can tackle the source of each problem.

Win A Copy Of Ejected

Released in October 2020, Ejected by Dawn Pape, is a book for teens and young adults that discusses the worlds environment problems. 

5 Things To Do As A Family When Lockdown Is Over

(Sponsored Post)

Lockdown. A word that this time last year we hadn't heard. We had just started hearing about a virus and were unaware as to how serious it would be. 

With the UK currently in lockdown for the third time in a year, thoughts of what we can do in the future are rife for many of us. As more time passes the chances of us doing much at all are becoming less and less likely. It's annoying, disheartening and massively frustrating, but that doesn't mean that we can't at least make plans. Plans to see people. Plans for holidays. For adventures and happy times. Even if they are incredibly loose, likely to be cancelled plans!

Here's 5 Things To Do As A Family When Lockdown Is Over.........

How To Avoid Common Problems In Your Family Home

(Collaborative Post)

It’s important for us to feel safe and secure in our homes. Whether you own the property you live in or not though, things can go wrong. Sometimes they are small problems, other times they can cause major damage. Physically and mentally. So I thought I would share with you some of the most common causes of problems in the home and add a few tips on how to combat them.

Oh Hello 2021!!

We're over half way though January and I'm only just writing a New Years post! This basically sums up how I've been since around this time last year. Unmotivated and a bit behind with everything! A bit lost and not really knowing what I'm doing from one moment to the next.

I need to get back to being more organised, more motivated but with a world that's strange, surreal and not all that happy and friendly right now, it's a bit hard to do. But, I'm going to try my best to get back on track. 

With so many people feeling the same I thought I'd share how I'm going to try and stay on track in 2021 and I've picked the brains of other bloggers to see how they're doing the same.

Capturing Your Special Day With Wedding Photo Swap

(Sponsored Post)

Weddings. Remember those? 

Time with family. Fun with friends. Watching those you care about declare their love and commitment to each other. Celebrating with fizz, food and a good boogie. Lots of my happiest memories stem from weddings of family and friends. 

Going from my childhood and skidding across the dance floor and dirtying my bright white socks, much to the disgust of my mother, to my teen years as a bridesmaid, slipping out of sight for a sneaky drink, then up to my own wedding and those of friends, where my shoes are nowhere to be seen and stomach hurts from laughter and too much fun!!

Preparing Your Family For A Photoshoot

(Collaborative Post)

Family photoshoots can be a lot of fun. It is an opportunity to capture the dynamics and love in a family and spend some time with the ones you love. It can also be stressful, especially if you have children. The pressure to get good pictures to share and display can dampen the mood of the photoshoot. If you prepare beforehand, you can mitigate some of the stress and enjoy this time with your family.

A Little Bit Of Pampering With Your Massage Clinic

[Gifted]

There are two things that I've decided to do more of over the last few months. One is to support more local and independent businesses. The other is to try and take a little time out to pamper myself and have some me time. Something to make me feel a little like my old self.

Pampering yourself at home though, isn't always easy. You have a soak in the bath and someone needs to use the loo. You pop on a face mask on and scare the kids.

So, when a brand new local business, Your Massage Clinic, asked me if I'd like to try a little bit of pampering, I of course said yes and did a little happy dance.

Five Super Tabletop Games To Play During The Pandemic

(Collaborative Post)

The pandemic is here to stay, for the foreseeable, at least. meaning that it's time to think about how to entertain young kids at home for days and weeks on end. There is no sure-fire solution to this age-old dilemma; the best thing you can do is gather together as many ideas, games, and activities as possible, and hope it will be enough. 

Here are five super tabletop games to get you started. 

Scrapbooking Our Summer With Design Bundles

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Let's be honest. This year has been a bit of a strange one. The month's have blurred. The days are here and then gone. Somehow it's August already. 

Days out are few and far between. Time with family even less so. 

School's out. Will it be back in September? Who knows? Will we survive another round of homeschooling? Will the kids be able to get back into the swing of things? 

Are there any good memories for the year?? There must be! Right?? 

Getting Organsied With Design Bundles

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Raise your hand if your routine has gone out of the window since we've all been spending more time inside and at home!!! I know ours has!!! We've gradually slept in later, fallen behind with homeschooling, had late dinners, even later bedtimes and just got a bit lax with EVERYTHING!!! This coupled with little sleep and the stresses that we all face on a day to day basis, and all heightened under the current climate, I barely know what I'm doing from one day to the next and that's even if I know what day it is!! So, it's time to get my house in order, as well as my mind, my cupboards and just about everything else going!! 

How To Live A More Energy Efficient Life

(Collaborative Post)

We all look for ways to be more energy efficient and save money in our daily lives, which can include making changes to how we use and buy things. But, it’s also worth taking a closer look at how we get the energy that we’re using in the first place. Many of us are already aware of the reasons that we should be reducing our energy use in our lives, but what are the steps we can take towards actually getting it done?

A 14 Things To Consider When Adding Extension To Your Home

(Collaborative Post) 

Regular readers will know I love a bit of DIY. A couple of years ago we made some changes to our home and, like many, the constant of being indoors lately has left me wandering around the house, wondering what we can change.

The next thing would be an extension but I'm currently unsure if that would work with our home set up, layout and outdoor space, but I know from research and those that have already have extensions that there's a lot to do and a lot to decide on when extending your house

So, I've stuck it all together and here's...........14 things to consider when adding an extension to your home.

Wondering If You'll Get A Holiday This Year? A Family Road Trip Might Be The Perfect Alternative!

(Collaborative Post)

Right now, we're all stuck inside for the foreseeable future, mostly on reduced incomes and tight budgets. So, if the chance for a holiday does arise, what can we do? 

A road trip is a great low cost idea for a family holiday, and it’s the perfect way to explore a new country. You could even stay at home and take a road trip around some nearby spots that you haven’t visited before. When you are driving instead of flying, you get to see so much more of the country and discover exciting new places along the way, so it’s perfect for adventurous families that want a different travel experience. It also means that you don’t have to deal with flying with kids, which can be very stressful. 

Planning and preparation are key if you want your road trip to run smoothly. If you are planning a family road trip, here are a few important things to remember. 

Battle Fun With Bakugan!

(Gifted)

Our son JJ has been a big fan of Bakugan since he first started watching the TV show on Netflix last year. The anime series centres around a group of biomechanical creatures called Bakugans and their human friends and battle brawlers.

As with all successful TV shows, toys are sure to follow!! A few months ago JJ saved up his money to buy a Bakugan and he's been desperate to get more ever since! So, when Spin Master gave us the chance to try more of the range we were super excited!!!

Dancing It Up With 44 Cats!!!

(Sponsored Post) 

We love a bit of a boogie in our house. Getting ready in the mornings, cooking dinner or just a dance round the kitchen, you will often find one of us playing music!! We all have a massively varied taste, as individuals and as a family.

But this can be a little bit of an issue! With massively varied playlists you have to be considerate of having a child in the house and make sure you pick the kid friendly tracks. Being home more over the last few weeks we've definitely being playing more music and we've found that sometimes our playlist, even the kids friendly ones can go off and start playing our favourite songs, which aren't always suitable for little ears. Especially when you really listen to the lyrics!!! 

So, we're filling our playlists with more kid friendly music!!

Getting Crafty This Easter With Baker Ross

(Gifted)

Easter is right around the corner and with lots of plans on hold for everything and anything right now, it's likely that your Easter break, and the foreseeable future, will be spent inside. 

Recently, Baker Ross gifted us a fantastic big box of Easter craft supplies! It was full to the brim of so many different crafts to do this Easter. 

Win A Hatchimals Pixies Vacay Style Surprise!!

Hatchimal Pixies are off to travel the world!! The super stylish Pixies are traveling to 5 international cities. 

5 Homeschooling Must Haves!!

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Who'd have thought a few months ago that nearly everyone in the country, if not the world, would be homeschooling!! There's a lot to take in and there's a lot to learn, and that's just for us grownups.

There's also a lot to think about at the moment and you may feel like you have the weight of the world on your shoulders and a lot of plates spinning. Let's try and make homeschooling something you can control and simplify with a few must haves.

Here's my must haves for homeschooling.......

44 Cats - Toys To Rock Out To!!

[Sponsored Post]

Just before Christmas we shared our review of a brand new kids TV show, 44 Cats. At the time it was a bit of light relief from all things Christmassy and a change from Scooby Doo!! But we've continued to watch and enjoy the adventures of Lampo, Milady, Meatball and Pilou since and I'm excited to share that there's now 44 Cats toys too!!!

Why I'm Going To Stick To A Routine Whilst Homeschooling

The news is out and so is school!! From now until who knows when school is cancelled and with support from teachers and a host of online resources we will now be homeschooling for the foreseeable future. 

Lots of people have been sharing what their approach will be, with many saying they will hold off for a few weeks and think about school later. My approach will be a little different though. This was probably clear from the night that the announcement of the school closure came through. With others chatting online about it, I was already in Poundland buying more crayons, paper and workbooks, ready for the challenge. 

A few people have asked why I'm sticking to a routine whilst homeschooling and not taking a do maths in your PJs, try phonics if you can be bothered or wait a while approach, so I wanted to share why I'm going to stick to a routine whilst homeschooling. 

5 Tips To Ensure Your Family Stay Friends When Stuck Inside

So, if you're reading this you're possibly stuck inside with your family, or face being inside with them, for a long time. Be it a snowstorm, a virus or a hurricane, you're in your home for a long period with those you love the most, but will you like each other by the end of it??

Here's 5 tips to ensure your family stay friends when stuck inside!

8 Things To Do Before You Self Isolate

There's lots in the news about self isolation and for those that are older or vulnerable health wise to stay indoors. Many are making the decision to self isolate before the virus hits them or their loved ones.

As a family our son's school and my husband's workplace remains open but we are reducing our contact with the outside word and are asking older or vulnerable family members and friends to do the same. That's if they will listen!!

I've been having a bit of a think about if we do have to fully self isolate or go on a full lock down and what I could do to plan ahead. Obviously, if you're unwell already this won't apply. Anyway, I've made a list and thought I'd share it with you, but before I do I'd like to add something. This is advice from someone that likes to plan ahead, someone that also has elderly and vulnerable people to watch over and someone that copes by being organised and writing lists. This is not to encourage stockpiling and selfish behaviour.

How we deal with this situation happening around the world will me marked in history. Our children see us. They take it all in. Stay calm. Only take what you need. Help others if you can. Just like a few weeks ago, be kind.

Now, here's 8 things to do before you self isolate.

30 Crafts & Activities You Can Do If School Gets Cancelled

There's lots in the news right now about the possibility of schools closing for a few weeks, with recommendations that people stay home. For those with children this could cause a bit of a gasp!

Two weeks indoors with children can he hard. My son had chickenpox last year and we were stuck inside for weeks. It was hard keeping him entertained, not being bored or going stir crazy.

So, from experience and as a 'crafty mum' here's 30 craft and activities you can do if school gets cancelled.