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Friday 11 December 2015

Christmas Degustabox **REVIEW** and Discount Code.

With Christmas almost upon us you can imagine my excitement when I was told this months Degustabox was the "Christmas" box and I couldn't wait to see what goodies were inside!



Incase you haven't heard of Degustabox before they are a monthly food/drink subscription box costing £12.99 per month(or £6.99 with the discount code on this page!). Each month a box full of food and drink items is delivered to your door for you to try. There may be brands you have heard of before and some will be brand new to you.



Here is what was inside our box this month -

Ryvita Crispy Crackers and Ryvita Thins

Inside this months box there were 2 products from Ryvita, the thins which are perfect for dipping and dunking with a dip or your choice and the crackers which are fantastic for topping with toppings like chutney or cheese! Both would make a great addition to any buffet style lunch or cheese platter.

Teisseire drops
These Vanilla and Caramel flavoured drops were an interested addition to the box this month and something totally new to me. They come in a handy pack and you can add a few drops in to cold drinks, hot drinks or even alcohol!

Belvita
If like me you are always in a rush in the morning you will adore these new Belvita soft bakes! I love finding breakfast items in my box as its one meal I struggle to fit in so these offer up some ideas for me to try. These soft bakes are made with five wholegrains and rich in cereals, offering a great source of fibre and containing vitamin B6, magnesium and Iron these are a great way to start the day.

Butterkist Popcorn
When it comes to popcorn your choice is usually sweet or salty, not anymore as Butterkist bring you salted caramel popcorn! Trying new flavours like this is part of the reason I love receiving the Degustabox.

Branston Chutney
Branston Orchard fruit chutney is the perfect accompaniment to all of those Christmas leftovers. Bramley apples are blended with sultanas, orange zest and spices to create the unique flavour of Orchard fruit chutney. I loved the tangy slightly sweet taste of this chutney and will certainly be adding it to our Christmas leftovers this year.

Nims Fruit Crisps
I am always looking for healthier alternatives to standard crisp and these fruit crisp may be just what I was looking for. Nims crisp are made in the UK and are 100% fruit crisps that are sliced and dried to perfection to create a moreish crisp snack. Whats even better is that they also count as 1 of your 5 a day, they are also high in fibre and Vitamin C.

Hartley's Jelly
Two words... Glittery Jelly!! Whats not to love. The kids were so excited to try this and it really works as soon as you add the water to make up the jelly you can see the fine glittery shimmer in the jelly. Also inside the box was Hartleys Black cherry jelly which has a lovely rich cherry flavour which went lovely with vanilla ice cream.

Bourne and Wallis Pickles
With Christmas almost here lots of us will be using up left over turkey and meats and these Bourne and Wallis range of Pickles make a fantastic accompaniment to the table. We received the baby beetroot which my husband said was delicious.

Divine Chocolate
Divine Chocolate is a favourite of mine as they offer such a wide range of the more "grown up" flavour chocolate and as its quite rich a little goes a long way. I received the 70% dark chocolate with rasperberries in this box and it was amazing! Rich dark chocolate with a tang of sweet raspberry whats not to love!? All Divine products are fairtrade, natural and free from palm oil.

Rekorderlig Cider
I am a big fan already of Rekorderlig cider so I was over the moon to find this in my box. Rekorderlig dry apple is the latest creation from the House of Rekorderlig. It throws a modern twist to a much loved classic and offers a delicious crisp apple flavour which is really refreshing.

Food Thoughts Cocoa Powder
I adore baking especially now the Christmas season is here so I have even more reason to do it, so when I discovered the Food Thoughts organic Fairtrade 100% cocoa powder in my box I knew it would come in handy. This cocoa powder is described as for better baking and is non alkalised and gluten free.

As you can see there were lots of delicious treats in this box! My personal favourite had to be the glittery jelly I mean who doesn't love glittery jelly!? This months box offered a great range to try and the rrp of the products was almost double the value of the £12.99 price.

If you fancy trying out Degustabox for yourself use the code BLDEG15 to get your first box for just £6.99! Simply visit the Degustabox website here - www.degustabox.com.

What do you like the look of from this box?

xXx


**I was not paid for this post, I was sent this item in return for an honest review. 
All thoughts and opinions in this post are my own and written by me. **

Sunday 29 November 2015

Rice Krispie Christmas Puddings!

Me and the kids have been busy in the kitchen today making up some very cute little rice krispie marshmallow Christmas puddings! They are really easy to make so even the kids can get involved in making them, they require no baking and minimum ingredients here is how we made them.



You will need -

- Rice Krispies (or supermarket own brand),
- 50g Unsalted butter,
- 150g mini marshmallows,
- Milk and White Chocolate,
- Decorations for the top (optional).

Start by melting 3-4 tablespoons of butter slowly, use a large pan as you will need the room to add the rice krispies later. Once the butter has melted add in the marshmallows and gently heat stirring occasional to ensure the butter encorporates with the marshmallows. Once they are all melted you should be left with a smooth thick slightly sticky marshmallow mixture.


Leave your marshmallow mixture to cool for a few minutes and then add in your rice krispies, I added mine a cup full at a time until I reached my desired stickiness so add your slowly until you are happy with the consistency. Remember you need them to be sticky enough to form balls.

Leave the mixture to cool slightly then form balls from the mixture, you can make them as big or as small as you want I went for smaller palm sized ones perfect for the kids. Now set these aside to cool.



Next take your milk chocolate and melt in the microwave (be sure to keep an eye on it and stir regularly as you don't want it to burn). Carefully dip each ball in to the melted chocolate removing any excess with your fingers. Place in the the fridge for around 30 minutes for the chocolate to harden.

Finally melt the white chocolate in the microwave (again being careful not to over do it) and using a teaspoon (or piping bag if you have one) place a small amount of white chocolate to the top of your chocolate balls and allow it to run down the sides slightly. Once the chocolate has begun to set (but before it completely hardens) apply your decorations to the top, I chose these holly and berry sprinkles from Morrisons which were under £1 for mine!



Do let me know how you get on if you have a go at these! Do you have a favourite sweet treat you bake at Christmas?

xXx

Thursday 26 November 2015

Barbecue Party board game **REVIEW** and Giveaway!

In our house we love playing board games and find it a great way to get all the family together, away from the TV and having fun!

I have found that in order to hold a childs interest a game needs to be fairly quick paced (so they aren't waiting ages between turns), easy to understand and fun of course. One game that ticks all those boxes for us is Barbecue party from Drumond Park.





To play Barbecue party each player takes it in turn to pick a card, depending on what the card shows you must then place or remove different food on the barbecue grill. If the food shown on the card is already on the grill the player must ever so gently remove it, however if the food isn't on the grill a player ust very carefully place it there. Sounds simple right.... but if the grill gets shaken or gets to heavy the grill will catapult all the food in to the air! 


The game is easy to play and easy to understand even for younger children making it a perfect family game. Both James and Evelyn (who was a little young to play but loved watching) loved the moment the grill "popped" throwing the food off both erupting in laughter every time (especially when it happened on dads turn!). 

Barbecue party is fun for all and I would thoroughly recommend it if you are looking for a new family game. With all the different foods its a great way to talk about different food types to children and using the large tweezer style tongs to place the food on to the grill really helps perfect that had eye coordination and fine motor skills. 

The game is aged at children age 4+ and is priced at around £19.99.

Like the sound of Barbecue Party? Well now you can win your very own just by simply entering the Rafflecopter giveaway below. There are several ways to enter and the winner will be announced by 10th December so that your prize can be sent out in time for Christmas!


 a Rafflecopter giveaway


xXx


**I was not paid for this post, I was sent this item in return for an honest review. 

All thoughts and opinions in this post are my own and written by me. **

Saturday 21 November 2015

Santa's little Elf **REVIEW**

As Christmas looms ever closer the countdowns have begun, advent calender's brought and ready to open I have something a little different to show you to make the Christmas countdown even more fun this year! 

A Santa's little elf! 




Why not let this little elf join your children this Christmas on his quest to help Santa see who is naughty and who is nice. 


Each elf pack includes:
A soft toy elf
Elf passport
Personalised letter from Santa himself
Behaviour chart and stickers
Set of task/behaviour cards
Nice List certificate
Personalised goodbye letter from your elf
All encased in a customisable travel trunk box which can be turned in to the elf's bed.




The full elf pack listed above is priced at £24.99 hwoever if you have more than 1 child thanks to the sibling pack there is no need to buy 2 kits. You can purchase a sibling pack for just £5 extra per sibling when purchased with a full elf kit and this includes a behavior chart, stickers and a nice list certificate. Helping to not only keep costs down but ensure each child feels special. 


Each elf comes with their very own passport too, which gives you their name and some other info such as likes and dislikes which we think is very cute! 



Our very own little Elf will be coming out to stay from 1st December and he will arrive on our door step in his little travel trunk ready for James to personalise. I love the addition of the nice list certificate and also the goodbye letter which helps to explain to children why and where the elf has gone. 


The elf teddy itself is a lovely soft toy with bright vibrant colours and is very good quality (especially important when he may be pulled around by children!). The elf is 31cm long and features velcro on the palms of the hands to help pose your little elf. 

Our elf will be getting up to all sorts of mischief during the night ready for the kids to find when they wake in the morning to bring a little fun to our Christmas countdown. However your elf can do and be whatever you like, there are lots of ideas on Pinterest and all over the internet or you could just have your elf to stay for your child to cuddle up to!



So can you give a little elf a home this Christmas? There is no rule as to when your little elf has to come if you think the 1st December may be a little far away from Christmas why not have your elf come along for the 12 days before Christmas, making his time with your child even more special in the run up to Christmas day!  


You can order your own elf pack via the Santa's little elf Facebook page.





xXx


**I was not paid for this post, I was sent this item in return for an honest review. 

All thoughts and opinions in this post are my own and written by me. **

Tuesday 17 November 2015

An open letter to my baby on our "Tough Days".

Oh Evelyn, 

Today has been tough you have decided you no longer want milk yet you won't settle to sleep without it. You have been whingy, tired and so so unsettled. Its made me question my self not only as a parent or the way I parent but as a person and who I am. 

This isn't our first tough day and I am certain it won't be our last. I know that the world is so new to you and I will bare with you whilst you discover it. I will be by your side to offer cuddles when you can't sleep and I will scoop you off the floor when you tantrum. Just bare with me to Evelyn as being a mum is new to me too, your so different from you brother who was so chilled and relaxed. Evelyn you want all of my attention all of the time which makes these tough days so much harder as you only want your mum and sometimes mummy needs a break too. 

When your sad and I can't comfort you its breaks me inside, in my head im referring back to these pictures on social media of happy children and smiling families. We don't often see the "tough days" on Facebook or Twitter and I have to remind myself that these days are very real for everyone. 

When you go off to bed some nights I sit in the dark and I have a few tears its not because I don't love you, my gosh far from it! Its because I love you so much! I realise that if these days are tough for me they must be even harder for you, at just 18 months old everything is new, rules cannot be understood and tears are your way of telling me something is wrong.

Today has been tough but tomorrow is new so tonight when I settle you down and wipe both our tears lets wake up with smiles and remember today is a new day, it make be tough or it may be great but remember I always love you! 

xXx

Monday 16 November 2015

Brewbarrel **REVIEW**

If like me you struggle to find something for the men if your life for Christmas then this product be the perfect solution! 

Brewbarrel is a kit which enables you to brew your very own beer/lager in just 1 week and with 100,000 flavour varieties to choose from there is sure to be something for everyone. 


We were sent one of these simple home brewing kits to try and I asked my dad to help out with this review as I knew it would be something he would love. We tried the Lager Experimentation kit which came with Passion fruit, Grapefruit, Lemon, as flavourings to add. 




When you receive the Brewbarrel Home Brewing Kit it comes with all the ingredients you need (hops, yeast, malt and depending on which kit you choose natural flavors). Everything is perfectly weighed and packed to your order so no measuring or weighing is needed. You also receive simple, step-by-step instructions and a pressure control valve, as well as three drip mats. In just a few quick and easy steps, you will be able to prepare your beer for fermentation and in just 1 week it will be ready to enjoy.




We set out to make out lager which using the easy to read and illustrated instructions was simple, quick and took around 10 minutes from start to finish! Do be sure to read the instructions carefully though as it tells you how many bottles of water you need to add etc as its important to get these right. 


As it comes with 3 different flavourings you can make up a simple plain lager with your Brewbarrel kit and then with the pipette provided carefully add drops of each flavour to your pint until you reach your perfect flavour combination! 




The Brewbarrel kit once made needs to be left to ferment and brew so it should be left at room temp for 5 days and then in the fridge for 2 more days. Then your brew is ready to enjoy! 


I think the Brewbarrel is a great idea and the perfect gift for any man (and woman of course!) who enjoy lager or beer. The Brewbarrel is priced at around £27.50 which I felt was a very fair price for this fab kit. My dad really enjoyed it too he loved the idea of making his own lager and being able to flavour it exactly as he wanted to which is why the experimentation kit is fab as you can really experiment with all the different flavourings. 


Check out the Brewbarrel website to see the full range of flavourings available, which kit would you choose? 




xXx



**I was not paid for this post, I was sent this item in return for an honest review. 

All thoughts and opinions in this post are my own and written by me. **

Fun Warehouse Fancy Dress Costume **REVIEW**

James loves dressing up!

The first hint of a fancy dress party sends him speeding up the stairs and rummaging through his fancy dress box deciding what he is going to go dressed as this time. In fact there doesn't even need to party! You will often find us wandering around the supermarket or our local park with James dressed as Batman or a Dragon lol!

So when James was given the opportunity to choose a fancy dress outfit of his choice from Fun Warehouse I knew he would be beyond excited and it took him several days to choose as there is just so much choice.

He eventually settled on a Hulk Deluxe costume as despite having almost all the Marvel and superhero costumes this was one he was missing.



The Hulk Deluxe costume came well packaged in a reusable plastic pouch with a popper fastening to the top so if you wanted to you could easily use this to store the outfit when not in use.

The fancy dress costume is made up of 2 items the all in one outfit and a hard plastic mask with an elasticated fastening to the back. The Hulk Deluxe costume is available in sizes 3-4 (small), 5-6 (medium), 7-8 (large). James is 6 but is quite tall for his age so I ordered the 7-8 and it was a perfect fit, if in doubt about size I would definitely recommend ordering the larger size.


James was very impressed by his Deluxe Hulk costume and loved the added touch of the padding "muscles" which makes this costume the "deluxe" version over the standard version. The costume feels well made and the velcro fastening to the back of the main costume feels pretty hard wearing.



James has now worn the costume on several occasions and it still looks as new, the velcro is still holding strong and isn't showing any signs or pulling away or loosing its "stick" which I often find happens in cheaper costumes. The colours are still vibrant and bright too after several washes and the padding is most definitely holding its shape. The mask the costume comes with is a great quality too, made from a hardened plastic rather than your usual flimsy plastic means the mask is certainly made to last through hours of play! The Hulk Deluxe costume is priced at £22.84.


Overall we love the Deluxe Hulk costume and the great service we have received from the Fun Warehouse. If you are looking for a fancy dress costume you must check them out!
They have something for every occasion from Superheros like the one James choose to Christmas and Animals. Fun Warehouse don't just sell children's costumes either they sell a whole range of adults costumes too.

Why not check out all the costumes over at the Fun Warehouse website.

Do you or your children like to dress up? Whats yours or your child's favourite character to dress up as?

xXx


**I was not paid for this post, I was sent this item in return for an honest review. 

All thoughts and opinions in this post are my own and written by me. **

Scholl Express Pedi **REVIEW**

**AD - Review**

As a busy mum I often forget about looking after myself or making time for some much needed self care, that includes well used parts of my body such as my feet! As most mums (and dad's I am sure) will know we spend a lot of time on our feet running after our little ones, tidying up, school runs etc yet we seem to neglect our feet and the care they deserve. 


Slipping off to the beautician or spa alone for a peaceful pedicure may be a thing of the past since having kids but Scholl have brought out the next best thing, the Scholl Express Pedi! This useful little device can be used quickly and easily at home so no need for making an appointment or needing a babysitter to get the perfect summer ready feet this year. 


The Scholl Express Pedi is a hand held electronic foot file which with the help of the diamond crystal roller head leaves feet feeling smoother and softer. The battery operated device spins the specially designed Micralumina roller with diamond crystals at high speed to gently buff and exfoliate away rough and hard skin. 


I have to be honest since the sun has disappeared and Autumn/Winter have been making there appearance my UGG boots have made an appearance and I have neglected my foot care routine all together. So when the Express Pedi arrived I was really excited to give it a go and hopefully have my feet looking some what presentable and soft in time for the sandal and flip flop season.  


The Scholl Express Pedi is easy to use, you simply ensure the roller head is firmly attached then twist the silver ring around the top to the left which will start the roller head. Plus it is painless too, ticklish maybe, especially if you have very ticklish feet, but it is completely pain free when used correctly. 



To use you simply glide the roller head over the dry/ hard skin area's on your feet to exfoliate away the dead and hard skin. Making sure you don't press to hard as this will make the device stop as a safety mechanism to ensure you don't hurt or burn your skin when pressing down. You will also need to make sure you don't hold the device in one area for more than 3 - 4 seconds as this could cause some discomfort.


When you are happy with the results and your feet are restored to a softness you are happy with just twist the silver ring to the right on the device which will switch it off. You then need to rinse of your feet to remove and excess skin that may still be on your feet, you should also treat your feet to a really good moisturiser after doing this to ensure they stay smooth and soft!



(The picture on the left shows my feet before using the Scholl Express Pedi, as you can see I had some hard rough skin around my big toes and below that. After just 5 minutes of using the Express Pedi its gone, as you can see on the right!) 

Over all I was really impressed with the Scholl Express Pedi, it was easy to use and really does work although it did take some persistence on the worst areas! The ergonomically shaped soft touch handle makes it easy to hold whilst in use and easy to manoeuvre around the foot. However being so easy and quick to use it does make it a great tool to have for regular use throughout the year and is a lot more cost effective than regular pedicures too! 

The Scholl Express Pedi is priced at £39.99 which I did initially think was a little steep but since trying it out I think it is most definitely a worth while investment as means you can keep on top of dry skin regularly at home. I can now be certain I have beach ready soft feet ALL year round!

Have you ever tried the Scholl Express Pedi?


xXx



**I was not paid for this post, I was sent this item in return for an honest review. 

All thoughts and opinions in this post are my own and written by me. **

Sunday 8 November 2015

Why we're Crazy for Cravendale!!

Milk is something most of us have in out fridges but how do you use yours? 

We have recently been trying out Cravendale and today I am sharing with you how we enjoy our Cravendale Milk for the #MilkDrinkersMilk challenge. 





Since having Evelyn (our little milky monster) our milk usage has gone up and up and we have been finding more and more uses for milk as Evelyn and James are such big fans! 


Of course Evelyn enjoys her milk in bottle form and nice and warm, perfect with a bedtime story.




I love Cravendale warm out of my favourite mug, its my favourite because it was made by my little boy who drew some of his favourite things and a self portrait on the side! Warm Cravendale is the perfect (and tasty) way to keep warm in the chilly winter evenings.



I also love it cold straight from the fridge to get my day started in a milk-tastic way. Both James and Evelyn always start the day with creamy Cravendale too! Sometimes its in cereal and sometimes its just a glass of the good stuff straight from the fridge. The kids also love seeing who can get the biggest milky moustache!




I have to admit we did notice a difference in the Cravedale milk to regular supermarket brand milk but the differences were all positive! Cravedale milk is filtered through ceramic filters that remove the bacteria that turn milk sour. That means the milk stays fresher for longer without additives or preservatives resulting in a creamier, slightly thicker and extremely tasty milk. It got a big thumbs up from us! 






How do you drink your milk? 


xXx


This post is an entry for BritMums #MilkDrinkersMilk Linky Challenge, sponsored by Cravendale.


**I was not paid for this post, I was sent this item in return for an honest review. 

All thoughts and opinions in this post are my own and written by me. **

Tuesday 3 November 2015

Og On The Bog Game **REVIEW** and Giveaway!

Og on the Bog is a new tongue-in-cheek game from Drumond Park. A completely outrageous children’s game perfect for the whole family to play, where adventurous players are creeping up on Og while he sits on his bog in the forest. 




The aim of the game is simple, you have to try and steal Ogs toilet rolls without him noticing. You use the tree trunk spinner provided and each player has a spin to take their turn. As you spin you will hear Og in his Bog making all sorts of crude noises including burping and farting. Each player takes a turn and what you do during your turn depends on what the spinner lands on! 



If it lands on the "red cross" it means you have been to noisy and have disturbed Og, you miss a turn this time. When the spinner lands on the hand holding the loo roll you get the chance to pinch a loo roll of another player!



If during your turn the spinner lands on the green tick you get the chance to steal a loo roll from Og! But you must remember to push down the toilet step first and be sure to be quiet because if he hears you or feels you stealing his loo roll his Bog will explode! 



The winner is the first player to successfully get 3 or 4 loo rolls (depending on the number of players). 

Og on the Bog has been a big hit in our house and it has definitely provided plenty of giggles and laughs for all the family. The game is aimed at children aged 5+ and I think this is definitely the right age range and something my son who is 6 and his friends will have lots of fun playing, however this game is very simple and so I would say with supervision would be fine for slightly younger children too. The Og on the Bog game is simple yet fun and will definitely be a game that will be pulled out time and time again. The "jump" factor adds that extra bit of excitement as everyone eagerly awaits the "exploding" bog and this makes for exciting game for all. 

The game is easy to assemble and just requires you to clip on the loo roll holder and slide on the loo roll. You will also need to add 3 AA batteries which are not included. Then thats it you are ready to play! 

You can find Og on the Bog and many more fun games on the Drumond Park website HERE

Fancy a chance to win your very own Og on the Bog game (RRP £22.99)? Then simply enter our Rafflecopter giveaway below. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

xXx


**I was not paid for this post, I was sent this item in return for an honest review. 
All thoughts and opinions in this post are my own and written by me. **

Friday 23 October 2015

Time to slow down and live life!

Hurry Up, Come on, Lets go are words that seem to regularly leave my mouth especially where the kids are concerned. I am rushing them out the door, rushing them along the path or in to the car we just always seem to be rushing.

You see when you become a mum its a whole new way of life, a whole new schedule and with another little person to look after as well as doctors appointments, play dates, baby classes, music classes and later on school runs, after school clubs and so on you become a bit of a machine. Always with somewhere to be or something to do, a schedule to adhere to and a place to be.

Both James and Evelyn are observant children they like to look around noticing things that I may otherwise have breezed past in my schedule fueled frenzy. James especially now he is a little older loves taking his time to peruse the world at his leisure and I actually found myself getting frustrated. Why?... I have no idea and when I look back now I feel annoyed and shamed of myself for feeling this way. For putting a schedule above my children's enjoyment of life!


This is when I decided I needed to slow down, I needed to story hurrying them along, let them enjoy life at their pace and let them discover the world and all it has to offer.
So we are late for a play date, our friends will still be there when we arrive and I am sure will totally understand and love to hear James' story about how we stopped to watch a squirrel leaping through the trees or to pet a lovely dog.

I needed to stop getting frustrated when James wanted to talk to a dog or pick up some brightly coloured leaves, I needed to listen to his stories but not just listen REALLY listen! I need to remember that appointments can be rearranged, friends will understand but discovering the world with so much joy that a child has simply cannot be replaced or hurried.

After all the world is still so new to them James is just 6 and Evelyn not even 2 yet. There are every day things they are still discovering, exploring and marveling at. I forget how exciting it is to see a squirrel or crunch in crispy leaves as a child. I forgot how exciting a park or a walk along the river can be for a child for whom the world is so new, so exciting so mind boggling that they are just trying to work it all out.

So I have decided to make an active try at change, less hurrying more enjoyment! I want to watch my children marvel at the world and relive it all through them. I want to take them camping so we can toast marshmallows on an open fire and spend time just talking and listening to each other. I want to spend that extra bit of time looking at the caterpillar on the way home from school rather than just hurrying James along. I want to crunch in those crunchy leaves, listen to his tales from school and take time to just enjoy life.


I want my children to know that lie is for living, for enjoying, for discovering. Its not for rushing or hurrying its about taking the simply joys that are all around them and really noticing them. I hope that my change will reflect in our life as a family and that together we can become more relaxed and chilled out.

xXx

Kitchen Memories with the Prestige Vintage Collection.

When I look back one of my favourite memories has to be learning to cook and helping my nan in the kitchen. She was the lady who taught me to cook/ bake and gave me a passion for making others smile through food!

I remember being around age 7, I used to visit her every weekend and she used to let me help her prepare the roast dinner. I used to whisk the Yorkshire puddings by hand and then stare into the oven in amazement as they would rise above the tin and turn a crispy golden colour, proud that I had helped make them! 
As I got a little older, she was the person who taught me to bake and it's something I still love to do now, butterfly cakes were always at the top of my list! There is something about baking that just makes you feel good inside and I love that you can make others feel happy through baking too. 



Recently I came across the company Prestige, Prestige are one of the world’s best known and well-loved housewares names thanks to more than 50 years of making good quality products for the home. Including some fantastic, hard-wearing kitchenware. 

Monday 19 October 2015

Lakeland Winter Warmer Hamper **REVIEW**

There is something about Christmas time that sees us all break out the chocolates, biscuits and all those other treats we tell ourselves we shouldn't have the rest of the year, hey the diet is our New Year's resolution right... lol!

With that in mind I love the idea of a hamper of goodies and Lakeland have plenty to choose from including a Chocoholics Hamper, St Kew Cornish teacup hamper and The Lakeland Big Night In box! The lovely people at Lakeland recently sent me their Lakeland Winter Warmer hamper and I was so excited to see what was inside!


The hamper arrived very well packaged in 2 cardboard boxes with extra padding to keep everything safe and unbroken. The hamper itself is a lovely wicker style box with a chain hinged lid and cream faux leather handles and straps. The contents didn't disappoint either, inside was full of luxury nibbles or treats with something inside for everyone in the family to enjoy.


Here is what is included inside the Winter Warmer Hamper - 
  • Arden’s Green & Black Olive Twists (100g)
  • Claire’s Handmade Blackcurrant Extra Jam (200g)
  • Kent & Fraser Fig & Hazelnut Crunchy Cookies (110g)
  • Beech’s Milk Chocolate Turkish Delight (150g)
  • The Buttermilk Confectionery Co Salted Almond Brittle (100g)
  • Lakeland Traditional Christmas Pudding (454g)
  • Mininibs Roasted Salt & Pepper Jumbo Peanuts (100g)
  • The English Tea Shop Silent Night Tea (6 pyramid bags)
  • Belvoir Fruit Farms Spiced Winter Berries Cordial (500ml)

I really liked that the treats inside were things that I wouldn't usually buy in the shops and so it gave us a chance to try something new (and delicious!). It would also make a great item to bring out around Christmas if you had guests to enjoy it with.

My favourite was definitely the Turkish delight which had a tasty traditional Turkish delight filling coated in a thin layer of delicious milk chocolate. My husband's favourite were the Ardens twists which were packed with flavour and had a very Moorish crunch perfect accompaniment to a few glasses of wine.

I also love that when the nibbles are all gone you are still left with the beautiful rustic wicker hamper which is lined on top with a eye catching vibrant purple tartan cloth. It would make a perfect picnic hamper for a large family picnic or even for keeping precious keepsakes etc in!



Whilst this hamper would be a lovely treat to purchase for yourself on your family at Christmas it would also make a lovely gift for someone special. It really is something a little bit different to your "usual" gifts and the luxury goodies inside make it feel really special.  

As well as the Winter Warmer hamper Lakeland have lots of other hampers available to suit all tastes, so you are sure to find something to suit you! If the hampers aren't your thing not a problem, Lakeland have so much more to offer, everything from Kitchenware to the perfect Christmas gift for even the fussiest of people!  

Check out the Lakeland website HERE to see everything they have to offer. 

What is your favourite hamper from the Lakeland website? 

xXx


**I was not paid for this post, I was sent this item in return for an honest review. 
All thoughts and opinions in this post are my own and written by me. **

Sunday 18 October 2015

Beat the bag charge with Trolley Bags! **REVIEW**

I am sure by now most of you have noticed the 5p bag charge which is now in place for plastic carrier bags from most supermarkets and shops? You may be thinking 5p isn't a lot much just think how many of these bags you probably use and throw away in a life time?

Trolley Bags are here to change all that! Not only do they save you the 5p bag charge they also mean less waste and make packing shopping a whole lot easier.


Trolley bags are simple to use, each bag is numbered 1 through to 4 with 4 being the largest. When you get to the checkout you just place them in the trolley and spread them across the whole length of the trolley ensuring they are stuck together with the velcro strips. Then fill with your shopping and when you get to the car carefully pull apart from the velcro and pick up using both handles and place in the car.

When it comes to packing the shopping in the car Trolley bags make it simple as you just pull them apart at the velcro section and lift each bag out individually by the handles and place in the boot. You must make sure when lifting the bags you always hold them by both handles and NOT the poles as they may bend or snap when used to carry shopping.


The bags feel sturdy and well made, I was a little worried that as the bottom is a mesh type material it may rip or tear easily if something tough was placed at the bottom, however after trying them out the mesh feels just as strong and sturdy as the rest of the bag.

One thing I was a little worried about is how they would fit in the trolley when using the baby seat! I usually have Evelyn with me when I go shopping and so always use the baby seat and all of the pictures I have seen of the Trolley Bags in use require the whole trolley. However as you can see it was no issue at all!


It did mean that rather than hang the bags of the small loop when not in use I had to pop them in the main trolley, this wasn't an issue though as when folded they take up hardly any room at all. I was still able to use all 4 trolley bags as the smallest bag fits neatly in to the end section of the trolley.




I was stopped several times when I used these with people commenting on what a fab idea they are and I have to agree. The checkout lady at our local Morrison's couldn't believe how quickly we could pack the shopping using them and it meant no rushing to get everything packed at the end. Trolley Bags certainly make packing the shopping a lot easier, quicker and less hassle and so they get a big thumbs up from us.
These bags would also work perfectly if you are using the "Scan and Shop" function some supermarkets have in place as you can just pack as you go with ease.

Priced at £17.99 for a set of 4 bags I think they are reasonably priced especially when you consider how much you would probably spend on carrier bags over a life time when these will last and last.

You can find our more about Trolley Bags on their Facebook and Twitter pages or via the website HERE.

xXx


**I was not paid for this post, I was sent this item in return for an honest review. 
All thoughts and opinions in this post are my own and written by me. **