Raspberry Crumble Slices

If you haven't been out to fill your baskets with berries yet this summer, now is the final time to do so - you can make your own jam! Although you can of course use shop bought if you prefer so that you can dive straight in to make this delicious recipe. Our preference of filling has to be raspberry for a beautiful burst of deep red but feel free to use whatever you have to hand or prefer. Blueberries and strawberries are great alternatives and they too create a sweet and sticky centre to contrast nicely with the the crisp yet flaky exterior of these slices.

We like to pop a batch into some plastic pots to take on day trips or when visiting friends as a tasty afternoon treat. The Mini Mes enjoy making these themselves, they are great for tweens to bake, and they get great satisfaction from layering the ingredients nicely before popping them into the oven to turn golden.

Summer Snack Ideas for Kids

With summer on the horizon we will soon see the return of regular dining al fresco, BBQs and picnics at the park but deciding what is best for little ones to eat can be tricky at times. 

Getting the balance right when the kids may be fussy to feed can be difficult but hopefully these healthy snack suggestions will help...

Get Creative

Letting the kids join in when it's time to prepare and cook meals can often encourage them to try new foods. Pizza is a great way to be creative in the kitchen and if you let them help make the dough and add the toppings they may select some vegetables without persuasion as the bright colours can be so appealing. Pizza is delicious served hot or cold, it's very versatile, so you can eat it immediately or pop it into your wicker baskets to take out with you on your travels. If you're in a hurry you can save time by using muffins, baguettes or tortillas as bases and if you want to sneak some extra goodness in make your own tomato sauce.

15 Spooktacular Halloween Cupcake Ideas

Halloween is fast approaching and preparing a frightening feast for your family will ensure the night is truly spooktacular! These cupcakes will look amazing on your table this October, or given away as treats to anyone that comes knocking, so why not give one of the 15 recipes a go!

7 Tips for Beautiful Hair this Spring

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At this time of year, which sees the return of the cooler weather, our beautiful tresses can often suffer, becoming dry, brittle and losing shine, but keeping your hair in great condition need not be as difficult as you think. 

These 7 simple tips should certainly help to keep your locks looking luscious until the arrival of summer - there is minimal effort involved too...

If you're entering the season with hair that is already damaged from the winter sun and chlorine filled pools (if you were lucky enough to get away) you may want to work on repairing it before the cold wind and rain worsens it. Look at purchasing some hot oil treatments or masks to deeply moisturise your hair. These can usually be used once or twice a week and they can really improve the condition.

Colic Awareness Month (A Giveaway With Infacol)

*Sponsored Post in Collaboration with Infacol*

Whether you've just had a baby and become a parent for the first time or you've a newborn, toddlers and teens in tow, parenting can be challenging. All of the smiles, cuddles and giggles are incredibly rewarding but there are, and will be, days when you struggle to comfort a poorly or upset baby and you stress, panic and get emotional - all of which are totally normal reactions! That's why it's so important to speak up, share how you feel and support other mums and dads on their journey into motherhood and fatherhood. It only takes a moment to reach out to someone and ask if they're okay and it can have such a huge, positive impact on their lives.

As it's Colic Awareness Month, Infacol may be able to make life a little easier for you and your family. September is a time for parents, carers and healthcare professionals to swap stories of soothing crying babies and to offer support, solidarity and information to anyone that might be going through a rough first 6 months with their newborn. We've also got a giveaway below where you can win a 'bubbly bundle' for your little one when you simply share a time when you've needed some extra help as a parent, to reinforce the fact there's nothing to be ashamed of if you need a helping hand or extra guidance, or offer some advice. I've even shared a personal letter to my partner, as we approach a time where we are thinking about trying to conceive to show I too can be worried - and this will be my third baby! 

Making the Perfect Arts and Crafts Space for your Child

It’s important that you encourage your children to be creative – as it has many benefits for them. It can help them to develop their social skills as well as to develop mentally and emotionally. It can also be a great way for them to learn how to problem solve. They will be learning without even knowing it. They will count colours, develop motor skills by using a paintbrush and more. Here we discuss how you can create the perfect arts and crafts space for your child.

Why You Should Consider a Honeymoon in Santorini

When it comes to planning a wedding, you want to make sure that everything is perfect so you can make sure your day goes as best as it can without any problems or disasters. But as well as the planning for the big day, you also want to make sure your honeymoon is planned out perfectly so that everything runs smoothly from the big day up until the honeymoon.

If you are still looking to find the perfect honeymoon destination, then you have come to the right place, this is because, in this article, we will discuss the reasons why you should consider a honeymoon in Santorini. If this is something you are interested in, then make sure you keep reading this article to find out more information. 

Men’s Warmer Weather Clothing Trends for Spring/Summer 2019

With the warmer weather finally upon us and here to stay (fingers crossed), it's a great time to think about updating your wardrobe for the new season. Generally I will purchase a few keys pieces which I can mix and match, whilst clinging on to a couple of old favourite items, whilst the Mini Mes tend to opt for trusty jeans, funky print tees and some new footwear. It's usually the man in my life I really struggle to buy for! 

This year however I've been investigating the catwalk trends for men and hopefully these ideas will give you some fashion inspiration too. Most items you can pick up fairly cheaply and quickly from large retailers, like Jacamo, and they're practical to wear for everyday family life as well.

Have a Spring Clean to Raise Money for Your Community

Local community groups are one of the most important contributors to fundraising. They directly affect where we live, ourselves or people we know and places that we go.

However, it can be incredibly hard for these groups to raise money for their causes as they are usually clubs, groups, churches, schools or sports teams, with limited funding available.

So, here are a couple of tips that you can help your community raise vital funds to help local causes:

7 Ways To Improve Your Credit Rating

Looking for a loan and struggling to get accepted? Your credit rating could be to blame! Thankfully there are quite a few ways to improve it so you could find it easier to make those purchases, whether it's a new car, a holiday or some essential furniture for your home, in no time at all...

• Your credit score is based on the details within your credit reports so it's best to get a copy of these at the earliest opportunity to check that they are accurate. You may find that there are some minor errors, which can greatly affect you score, so you can ensure that these are amended quickly by contacting the relevant creditor.

Costume Inspiration for World Book Day 2018

World Book Day, the time many children look forward to at school as they get to dress up and

celebrate their favourite books and characters! Celebrated in 100 countries around the world for

over 20 years, this year World Book day is scheduled for Thursday, March 1st. In other countries the

event is fittingly celebrated on April 23rd, William Shakespeare's birthday.

Paddington Bear

After the release of the second Paddington Bear film, the love of the book series was rekindled for

children, with many wanting to read the beloved books either for he first time or again. Paddington

bear is an easy to recreate costume for your little one this World Book day, as all you really need is a

red hat, a blue coat, red wellies and a suitcase if you want to be detailed. If you’re looking to create a

costume on a budget, then as far as cheap fancy dress costumes go Paddington is a great choice, as

not only can you create a great costume but you can achieve it without going over-board on the

pennies. Your little one can even get creative and make their own Paddington bear face mask, or you

could use face paint to add a little bear nose. No doubt once their ready your little one will look

adorable and be pleased with their effortless costume!

Feel Good With Heart

The music you listen to can have such a big impact on your everyday mood. I have the radio on during the commute to and from school each day and I opt for tunes over the TV when working from home. Music is a big part of my life and I therefore choose to listen to Heart, the UK's biggest commercial radio brand, which provides feel good music to keep me smiling from dawn til dusk. If I pop out of the house I even leave it on for the dog to keep him company too! It's the happy soundtrack to our day.

Heart have created their #HeartFeelGoodChallenge this year which has inspired me to do something fun and active based on a favourite song of mine to boost my mood even further. Each time 'Shape of You' by Ed Sheeran is played it brings back some lovely memories of meeting my boyfriend for the first time, as it was released around the same time we met, and it reminds me of my admiration for his physique. Being in the military he is in very good shape and he is incredibly fit. The song lyrics 'I'm in love with your body' have since encouraged me to focus on myself a little bit more, in terms of my health and fitness, this January and I've been trying hard to love my own shape as much as I love his.

The Ultimate Baby Proofing Check List for Mums-To-Be

Welcoming a new baby to the world, and to your home, can be a daunting prospect. You have to think of so many things, not to mention all of those sharp corners and choking hazards that seem to suddenly appear. As a new-mum this baby-proofing checklist can help make sure your home is ready for you and your baby.

Getting Girls Pretty Curious About STEM

I've always encouraged the Mini Mes to follow their dreams and they've always known that I will be right behind them, to support them, along any path they wish to take throughout their lives. Moomin is now in year 9, how she became a teenager already I'll never know, and she has made quite a lot of big decisions during the past few weeks at school. We had discussions together in relation to her GCSE subjects but ultimately the choice was hers to make so I stepped back and gave her space to pick what was right to help towards her career, as well as opting for classes she will enjoy, both of which may impact her own future greatly.

What Would You Do If You Won The Lottery?

With Christmas only days away now a lottery win would certainly help to cover the cost of any additional gifts and all of the food I'm yet to purchase for a huge feast, especially as I'm the host this December. I'm sure that's the same for most other families too at an expensive and hectic time of year. It would also be incredible to never need to schedule work in around the family or think about returning to my desk in January - I'd be off to Lapland to spend time in a beautiful log cabin surrounded by snow, enjoying husky sleigh rides and meeting Santa with the reindeer instead of staying at home! Imagine hitting the sales with a wallet full of cash too in January and treating yourself to a new wardrobe of designer clothes.

Lottoz has now launched in the UK so your dreams of being a millionaire may be closer than you think. Did you know that you can purchase tickets for the biggest jackpots for lotteries from around the globe, all from the comfort of your own home? That's right, you can actually have the opportunity to win some serious amounts of money with minimal effort thanks to Lottoz - the online lottery platform. They asked what we would do with a big win so I passed this question to my partner and the Mini Mes to find out what they would splurge on...

"I'd get a huge house with an indoor games room and then buy a Mustang." - Moomin (13)

WIN 1 of 3 Kids Songs CDs #ChristmasGiftGiveaway

‘Kids Songs’ is a new triple album packed with original recordings of children’s favourite TV themes and songs. It's Perfect to listen to in the car or at home or for your own mini kids disco. Got a children’s party coming up? Then this is the perfect solution to keep all of the little ones entertained!

The album features some of the biggest names on TV from Justin Fletcher to Chris & Pui as well as theme tunes from popular CBeebies Programmes such as Go Jetters, Waybaloo, Tee and Mo, Everything’s Rosie and many more.

This is the ultimate soundtrack of the year and a must have stocking filler for your kids!

It's available to buy on Amazon and ro download on iTunes.

Keeping the Kids Hydrated with Highland Spring

As quite a busy family that loves to travel and take part in new activities, hydration plays a vital role in our day to day lives. Saying that, being incredibly busy we can sometimes forget to consume enough fluids so this summer I've been particularly eager to ensure the Mini Mes get plenty of water with the help of Highland Spring.

Highland Spring have launched their #BraveByNature campaign which focuses on the natural drive in children to succeed without anything getting in their way and the importance of staying hydrated to do so. We received a huge crate of water, the only drink with no calories, sugar, preservatives or additives, to help make dehydration a thing of the past for the Mini Mes' first fishing trip and beyond. After all, its incredibly important to drink plenty whilst playing sports and if you're looking to get active like us you might want to visit this website for some great equipment.

WIN Lunch Goodies From Tum Tum

TUM TUM is an innovative and multi award winning brand on a mission to make mealtimes a breeze for tots with eye-catching designs and cleaver little design features integrated into every product.

The Ladybird Lunchbag, Nesting Snackpots, Lunch Set and Water Bottle from the 'Bugs' range are fun, practical and utterly unique... PLUS there's a chance to win them all below!

WIN a Year’s Subscription to Azoomee

Azoomee is a digital entertainment service for primary school-aged kids offering TV shows, games, audio-books and an art studio all in one safe app, allowing users to watch, play and learn online. 

The app’s partnership with the NSPCC means parents can relax in the knowledge their kids are secure from harmful content, ads and hidden in-app purchases, whilst the company’s focus on engaging users curiosity means Azoomee has curated only the most educational and exciting selection of content. 

WIN a Month's Supply of Piccolo Pouches

If your little ones are starting school or nursery for the first time this September, or returning for another year, you may be looking for delicious and healthy meal ideas and Piccolo is perfect! 

They provide tasty and convenient pouches which are ideal for school lunch boxes, an afternoon snack or as a dinner, saving us busy mums and dads valuable time in the kitchen.