Him and Her in April

April has been quite a mixed month for us so far. We had the excitement of birthdays with Jamster turning 9 then Minxy turning 11 and we had a lovely relaxing holiday away in Wales over Easter. From there things seemed to go downhill quite quickly however and we had a full week of illness where we were all struck with the nasty Norovirus one after the other. It completely ruined the break from school and all of our remaining plans.

I'm not great at dealing with sickness as it is but when poorly myself and handling unwell children it certainly is a struggle. It's absolutely exhausting and I was praying for it to come to an end for everyone. Sorting sick is just another part of parenthood that we just have to crack on with though, however horrible, although you never get used to seeing your little ones suffer and I hate the feeling of helplessness. I wish I could take the pain away for them.

In some ways, trying to think positively, I was lucky that it was one child followed by the next rather than them both being ill together. Minxy was able to fetch flannels, tissues and toast when required to help her brother and Jamster plumped pillows and made drinks when it was his sisters turn to be down. At the time we all just did what needed to be done, no questions asked, but looking back now after we have all recovered it's quite lovely to think about how they were both so kind and caring for their sibling. Neither grimaced at the sight of the other (or how untidy our home was from a lack of housework!). Neither complained of boredom and not being able to go out. They didn't moan about helping when needed and in fact they even offered to at times or did so without me mentioning. Both were concerned for the other and it was really quite sweet.

They are back to their normal bickering now so they must be on the mend!
Here's hoping that May is better, although it is already set to be.

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Chocolate Filled Christmas Pudding Cake

When it come to festive desserts I don't like Christmas Cake, mince pies or even custard so it can be a bit of a struggle to satisfy my sweet tooth at the dinner table!

I therefore decided to create a cake based upon a Christmas Pudding but with a completely different taste. This is a chocolate sponge filled with chocolate frosting and topped with icing - a lovely alternative to the classic.

Dinky Jam Doughnuts

You can coat them in sugar, drizzle sauce over them, dip them in chocolate or fill them with soft warm apples. There are just so many different ways to enjoy doughnuts.

We were recently sent some new Robinsons Fruit Shoot jams to put to the test and the first thing I that came to mind was doughnuts - so we decided to make some!

Miniature in size these are perfect for picnics or parties. 

Fun with Food - The Very Hungry Caterpillar Themed Lunch

The Very Hungry Caterpillar is a classic story that is well loved by many families across the world, and it is still pulled from the bookshelf in our home from time to time too.

I decided to create a lunch inspired by this popular book as I'm a firm believer that making food fun encourages children to eat better/more. With smaller pieces separated into sections it can also be a lot quicker for little people to consume and therefore ideal for school when kids just want to get outside and play!

Simple Sausage Rolls

The picnic weather approaches so save a trip to the bakery by making your own sausage rolls at home! These are quick and so simple to make that you will wonder why you haven't made them before.

Pesto Chicken, Spinach and Tomato Tart

With it being half term there are plenty of opportunities to get busy baking in the kitchen and Minxy loves to be hands on when it comes to cooking. She made this delicious pastry tart using Jus-Rol pastry on Monday and it was all gone by the evening! 

It's ideal for a hot lunch or light dinner, you can even slice it and take it on a picnic - it's so versatile!

Easter with Guylian *WIN*

Easter is just a few days away and if you haven't managed to pick up any tasty treats yet for your loved ones never fear - my Guylian giveaway is here!

We have three prizes up for grabs:

Luxury Egg 

Guylian’s Luxury Egg is accompanied by a full sized Luxury Belgian Collection box containing a mix of both classic Guylian Sea Shells, Opus, Perlines and Trufflina chocolates. It oozes elegance and would make a lovely gift for a couple to share this Easter... that's if you really want to give it away! Both the egg and chocolates are rich in flavour so you can savour the taste over time. This is one that will last a while.

RRP £10.99. 

Sea Shell Egg 

This delicious chocolate egg comes with a classic box of Guylian’s iconic praline Sea Shell chocolates and is perfect for anyone with a sweet tooth. A great sized set for an individual that is presented with class in white and gold. 

RRP £5.99. 

Guylian Mini Filled Eggs

Each Guylian Mini Filled chocolate egg is individually wrapped and there are three delicious flavours within each box; milk chocolate truffle, milk chocolate praline and dark chocolate praline. These are perfect for the younger generation and egg hunts around the home and garden! The Mini Mes are big fans of these.

RRP £3.49.

You can purchase Guylian Easter eggs from their website 

*** WIN ***

For your chance to win 1 of 3 Guylian Easter products as above, you can enter via the Rafflecopter entry form below. 

The giveaway closes on Friday 18th April 2014.

Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

*We received some Easter products for the purpose of this post. The opinions given are honest and our own*

Kleeneze Easter Eggs

We have had great fun decorating eggs, making bunny cards and bonnets with Easter approaching and we have now had the pleasure of creating our very own Easter eggs with Kleeneze Egg Moulds!

You can buy online for £5.99 and have them delivered directly to your door, which is ideal for busy mums and dads that don't fancy a trip to town, or you can always order from your local representative too. The great thing about them being silicone is that they can be used year after year and removing the eggs once set is seriously easy - you don't need to worry that they will get stuck as they are flexible and non-stick!

How To Make Your Own Easter Eggs

• Melt your chosen chocolate (200g approx) in a bowl above a pan of hot water stirring

Our Week That Was - Project 365

Don't Wait Until Monday - Diet Chef

You indulge far too much and then feel fat... so you comfort eat and then feel even worse!

It fast becomes a vicious circle and the pounds soon turn into stones, you get stressed about your appearance and it really starts to alter your life. 

Over the past 5 years I've put on 3 stone. 3 STONE. When you are in a new relationship and you're really happy you don't worry about things quite so much. You spend more time with your loved one and less time exercising, you enjoy takeaways or eating out to save time spent on cooking and you treat each other to wine and chocolates. After a while it hits you. You can't do up your clothes and you have put on weight. Lots of it!

I'm at the point where I'm almost 30 and I'm unhappy with my body. I want and need to change for

Special K Granola *Review and Giveaway*

I've been quite naughty when it comes to breakfast recently and I either don't have any at all or resort to eating the wrong things while on the move... chocolate fudge cake is breakfast, right?! 

It's really not a good idea but sometimes you just get into a bad routine which I unfortunately have done.

Special K Granola is one of the few cereals that actually appeals to me, to be honest there are some that look like cardboard aren't there, and with its delicious five grain recipe, made from Oats, Barley, Wheat, Spelt, and Rye I was tempted to make the time in the morning to give it a go and drop my

WIN Mother's Day Sweets with Mr Big Tops

Mother's Day is only a few days away and you can treat your mum (or yourself) with Mr Big Tops - the fantastic travelling sweet box invention!

They provide delectable gums and jellys, sticky toffee and rich chocolate and many more varieties to satisfy your sweet tooth that can arrive straight through your letterbox to enjoy.

We reviewed their service recently and we were really impressed.

The sweets are bagged within the box for freshness and the box is easy to open, even for toddlers to

Back to Basics

No TV and remote to argue over who watches what.

No games consoles to fight about which character they want to be 

No board games to stress about who goes first and which colour counter they wish to control.

Going back to basics brings the Mini Mes together.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Toys

When parcels arrive in the post from Flair Jamster gets incredibly excited as they are the brand behind some of his favourite toys - The Trash Pack, Tom and Jerry and of course Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles!

We received a Power Sound figure and a Combat Gear Set to play.

Each Power Sound FX figure is 5.5" tall and is suitable for children aged 4+. We just happened to receive Leonardo; the turtles leader and Jamster's favourite character! By pulling the right arm or left leg of the figure, which feature an activation system, you can hear some battle phrases and sound effects to make play just that little bit more exciting. 

If you hold the limb for longer it reverberates the phrase too. 

Sibling Friendship - Family Funny

Most of half term was spent at home due to my back injury but this meant we enjoyed lots of baking, crafts, indoor den building and duvet days with movies -
I really don't mind that at all and we had lots of fun.

Smiggle - Where a Smile Meets a Giggle

I'm slightly obsessed with pretty stationery and I have quite a collection of notebooks, pens and pencils hidden away at home. Anything that makes writing letters and work related tasks that little bit more exciting is certainly a bonus in my eyes! Plus who doesn't want brightly coloured goodies in their pencil case or school bag?!

Smiggle, an Australian based company, sent the Mini Mes a lovely variety of fun and funky stationery supplies to unleash their creative potential. Although the products are primarily aimed at children I was thrilled to un-box such a wonderful collection of items (and possibly a little green with envy) knowing that the kids were keen for me to get artistic with them! I obviously jumped at the chance and they helped to unpack the beautiful supplies in lightening speed.

What we received

Bubble Hardtop Spot Pencil Case

12 Scented Twin Tip Markers

12 Double Sided Pencils

2 Whammy Sharpeners

Giant Twisted Eraser

2 Maze Pens

Animal Pencil

Treats Rainbow Pen

Book Lite

Scratch Book

Sketch Book

Stencil Book 

Minxy was keen to take everything to school that day to show her friends as she was that impressed by the unique and quirky pieces. I have to admit I was really pleased with the quality and I loved the fact that the attractiveness of the stationery was encouraging the children to draw and colour! 

After school we placed all of the items onto the table, grabbed some coloured paper and got stuck in...

We all had a great time being creative and talking about some of our favourite movies and games (can you guess what the kids drew?).

The pens with their own case was ideal for storage but being double sided, similar to the pencils, meant they didn't take up much space in the pencil case anyway, especially with its different internal sections.

I'm hoping the Mr treats me to some stationery of my own from Smiggle as they have some great value things that I love... especially the strawberry gift set below! Well, it is nearly my birthday after all.

 OPENING IN THE UK

The first of the Smiggle stores to open in the UK is at Westfield, Stratford on 20th February 2014 followed by launches in Reading, Brighton and Kingston.

You can find out more about their stores and products here:
www.smiggle.co.uk



*We received a collection of products from Smiggle for the purpose of this review. The opinions given are honest and our own*

Transform Your Photos - Canvas Design

I love to transfer my favourite photos onto canvas to display around my home so when Canvas Design approached me to review their products I knew exactly which picture I wanted to use...

This picture was taken back in 2012 but it's one that I adore as it is my little family, including the poochie, enjoying some outdoor fun. It captures what we all like to do perfectly as we play outside come rain or shine, and the Mr and I can often be found wearing camouflage suits paint balling too!

The ordering process was extremely quick and easy with just three steps to follow:

• Select the photo you want (you can even do this from your mobile phone)
• Select the size canvas you want and image preferences
• Checkout!

Prices start at just £7.99, 48 hours postage and packaging is free and you can even pay via Paypal.

Canvas Design offer a very fast, convenient, and great value service.

Our canvas was wrapped really securely with layers of bubble wrap and card to prevent damage during transit and the product itself is even better than I anticipated.

The colours come through really well, fixings are included to attach it to your wall (although I just hung it on a nail) and the frame is strong and well constructed.

I would definitely recommend Canvas Design.

Once our hallway is complete this will be hung above our shoe rack to remind us of all the fun we have had together with our shoes!

*** WIN ***

For your chance to win a canvas from Canvas Design you can enter via the Rafflecopter entry form below.

The giveaway closes on 19th March 2014

Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Want to purchase a canvas? Use BLOG15 at checkout for 15% off your order!

*We received a canvas for the purpose of this review. The opinions given are honest and our own*

Family fun - planning for the summer

With the sun finally high in the sky I've been thinking alot about the summer holidays and where is best to go for some family fun days out.

 Here are some of my top attractions to visit with children:

Drayton Manor
With a variety of rides, a zoo, Thomasland and even a Dinosaur Trail, Drayton Manor has something to offer for the entire family. There is a hotel and camp site on the grounds so you don't have to worry about travelling all in one day and with several resturants on site and discounts available online it's definitely worth a visit.



Pennywell Farm
The best interactive farm I've had the pleasure of visiting, Pennywell is great when it comes to hands on fun. Kids (and grown ups) can handle newborn lambs, rabbits, goats and even miniature pigs and learn through play on a wonderful variety of outdoor equipment including trampolines, ride ons and slides. The staff are friendly and informative and there is a lovely gift shop to pick up a souvenir on the way home.



Twinlakes
Bringing the beach to the Midlands with their huge splash zone complete with waterslides, a farm and lots to do and see, Twinlakes is a great and affordable day out. The Gauntlet Falconry Centre has an array of birds of prey and with creepy critters and rides galore you will be thoroughly entertained.



Legoland
With a resort hotel and up to 30% off ticket prices at present, you can book a stay at Legoland and enjoy Miniland, DUPLO Valley and the Kingdom of the Pharoahs at a leisurely pace. There are many rides including ones all of the family can appreciate, a chance to earn a driving license on L-Drivers and the chance to put out a 'fire' at the fire academy too!

If you fancy a longer break away perhaps a peaceful cottage stay would be the perfect getaway. Royal Cottages specialise in UK holidays and I recently came across a great competition on mumsnet run by Regional-Cottages.co.uk to win £350 towards a break too!



What is your favourite family attraction?

 

 

 

*This post is in partnership with regional cottages*

 

Everyday value from Aldi - Win nappies!

Aldi’s Mamia Nappies and Baby Wipes offer quality and reassurance for parents at a great price. With awards such as the Loved By Parents ‘Best Wipes’, Mother & Baby’s ‘Best Wipes’ and Prima Baby & Pregnancy’s 2013 Reader Awards for ‘6+ older baby nappy’, mums can be assured their little ones are getting the best possible care and guaranteed quality with Mamia.

 Aldi’s Mamia Nappy range is regularly tested against other leading brands and features an anti-leakage system to prevent accidents. With overlapping and resealable fasteners in a range of sizes, Aldi’s Mamia Nappies are ideal as your baby grows. The nappies are dermatologically tested as hypoallergenic and have an extra soft breathable cotton-like finish for extra comfort.

Mamia New-Born, Size 1, £1.69, 24 Nappies
This product is available in stores nationwide all year round.

Mamia New-Born, Size 2, £2.99, 44 Nappies

This product is available in stores nationwide all year round.

Mamia Ultra-Dry Midi, Size 3, £4.49, 56 Nappies

This product is available in stores nationwide all year round.

Mamia Ultra-Dry Maxi, Size 4, £4.49, 48 Nappies

This product is available in stores nationwide all year round.

Mamia Ultra-Dry Maxi+, Size 4+, £4.49, 44 Nappies
This product is available in stores nationwide all year round.

Mamia Ultra-Dry Junior, Size 5, £4.49, 40 Nappies

This product is available in stores nationwide all year round.

Mamia Easy Pants Junior, Size 5, £2.99, 20 Nappies

This product is available in stores nationwide all year round.

Mamia Baby Wipes (Fragranced or Sensitive) are an essential for any parent. The Fragranced Wipes were awarded Gold in the Mother & Baby Awards in 2012, proving they really are the best when it comes to cleaning in an instant.

Mamia Baby Wipes, 79p, 80 pack, available in Fragranced and Sensitive

This product is available in stores nationwide all year round.

 

*** WIN ***

 

For your chance to win a pack of nappies, in a size of your choice, you can enter via the Rafflecopter entry form below.

The giveaway closes at the end of 26th April 2013.

Good luck!
 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

For more information about Aldi’s award winning baby range visit www.aldi.co.uk

Christmas Gift Giveaway - Squeaky Jumpers

Squeaky Jumpers provide a quirky variety of crew neck sweatshirts with beautiful hand printed images. Established earlier this year all of their products are produced in the UK and feature fun prints which are inspired by the countryside - including frogs, pigs and dogs!

You may have even noticed X-Factor singers in them!

Not only are they funky and stylish they are warm too, so perfect for this time of year to keep your little one snug.

*** WIN ***

Squeaky jumpers have kindly provided a child's jumper in any size and style of the winners choice!

You can enter via the Rafflecopter entry form below before 20th December 2012.

Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Use the Win tab above to view more competitions!