Wednesday, 7 December 2016

Expectations

Expectations are the one thing that is sure to ruin a day out or a planned event, why is this? Because nothing will ever live up to our expectations. Our expectations are full of smiles and giggles, throughout the whole day and do not involve tears, tantrums and tired children. These things seem to get forgotten when we are thinking about plans.

I love my boys to bits and I wouldn't change them for the world, but days out with them never live up to my expectations because they will cry, they will tantrum and they will be stroppy - but that is children for you and this is something that I need to factor into my expectations because once I do I will stop feeling as I do right now.

I won't go into details but we had a family evening out last night and as lovely as it was, it wasn't how I expected or wanted it to go. Finley was extremely tired as this term at school has taken it out of him and as much as he wanted to skate, he didn't want to actually skate. And the photo I wanted to get with Father Christmas didn't happen so I came away feeling a little deflated and a little guilty for feeling that way as we had really had a lovely evening. It just didn't live up to my expectations, which were fairy lights, laughter ALL the time and no tantrums. But I need to remember we had a good time despite this and the boys loved time with Mummy and Daddy.

This is something I tend to do a lot of the time and I put myself under a lot of pressure to make things perfect. Well my perfect isn't what the boys would call perfect, they would be happy with a McDonalds and a slightly late night. But I try and go for everything which in all honesty they are not at the age to appreciate, and I'm not saying that in a bad way because I don't want them to expect lots of expensive things, I just set myself up for a fall trying to make things perfect.

I think I need to take a step back and just go with it, stop making so many plans and really stop worrying about what others think of me. I'm not saying that I don't appreciate the time we have as a family, as I really do and love every second, I am saying that I put a shadow over my own experience as I think of the expectations I had. That shadow isn't anywhere near the boys as they would have had a brilliant time and will forget the tears on the ice rink next week and just remember seeing Father Christmas and skating round with a blue seal!

Advice to myself - chill out!!


Monday, 5 December 2016

The Shack - American Inspired Meals Review

We love to try new food in our house and when it is something that we don't have to cook ourselves it is even better. When I was asked if we would like to try some products from the new The Shack range at Iceland I accepted and was excited to give them a try. A parcel arrived a few days later and to my surprise they were the meals, all 9 of them! This would keep us going for a while.


The all looked really tasty and as it happened that evening I was going to a girl friends house for some food and wine. I suggested that I took some of the food round for us all to try so that I could get a few opinions on what the food was like. That evening we tried the Chicken, Waffle & Buffalo sauce, Smokey House Beef Burrito, Chilli Beef Wedges and the Chicken Fajita. They are really easy to cook, you can either chose to oven cook them or use the microwave, depending on how speedy you want your meal. We chose to oven cook them which took out 45 minutes for all of them to be cooked at the same time. My favourite of that night had to be the Chicken, Waffle & Buffalo Sauce as I have quite a sweet tooth and it was nice to try something a little bit different. The chicken and waffle went together really well and the sauce just added some sweetness to the meal. The girls also agreed this was their favourite too. We all tried the others and liked them but they all do have a little bit of a kick to them with the spiciness of them.

I loved really enjoyed the Smokey House Beef Burrito but I think if I had had a bit of our cream with it, it would have taken away the kick of the spice in it. The other meals we have been trying over the last few weeks and we really like them for convince as, with the above meal, they are simple and easy to cook when you want proper meal but don't fancy cooking something. I really liked the Mac & Jack and it was so cheesy, but again with a little bit of a kick. The Ultimate Burger was a bit hit as it has the pulled pork and the brioche bun with I think just make a burger amazing!

We really enjoyed all the meals that we were sent, if a little bit on the spice side. I would recommend these meals to anyone that wants a taste of America at home, but if you aren't a fan of spice I don't think these meals would be for you. The instructions on the packaging is very straight forward so they are very easy to follow.

It was really nice to try something different for our teas over the last few weeks as we tend to eat the same foods every week, so the change was nice.

* We were kindly sent The Shack meals through to review. All opinions are 100% my own.*


Saturday, 3 December 2016

The Saviours - Mummy Friends

These people are your saviours as a parent. They are the people you can moan to and be met with a 'me too' which can make your whole day that much better. They are the ones who will silently sit there while you child has the biggest tantrum in the biggest shop and not judge you, they will laugh with you about it later or put their arm around you when the tears start to flow.

Without my mummy friends I really don't know what I would have done with myself the last 5 years. They have been there in my darkest hour as a parent and they have also been there on my brightest days when parenting isn't all that bad. They don't judge me when I am having to tell off the boys for the whole day when they aren't listening or when one of the boys has done something to upset their child. They know exactly what to say when I need it and they also know when to say nothing. They will stand by my side and hold my hand when melt downs are happening and they will hug when me when I have tears of joy.

We moan together, we cry together, we shout at our children together and we drink a hell of a lot of tea together, maybe even some wine once the kidlets are in bed. The ones that you can tell how horrible your children are being and how infact you don't like them at that moment and don't judge, are the awesome ones. And the ones that tell you the same back are just friends for life!

I have mummy friends who I see almost everyday and I call them my family, and I have mummy friends who I see once in a blue moon but nothing changes. We are all each others rocks and we all understand each other. I have lost track of the amount of times that I have said sorry for the boys behaviour and my outburst, and we still get together next time, and most of the time laugh about the last time.

We have an understanding of each other and know when we can tell the others children off. Not in the sense of a real telling off but the 'um, don't think you should be doing that.' My mummy friends are there when I need a babysitter for that parents evening or that doctors appointment. I had one friend once organise for her husband to pick up her daughters from school so that she could sit with the boy so that I could go to the doctors with the most awful ear ache.

I have had some mummy friends since Finley was born and then there are the ones that I have met along the way. My very best friend is someone I met 3 years ago when Noah and her little one were very tiny. We met and hit it off instantly and now we are inseparable and she is my sane. We do things with the kids and without the kids and all I can say is, if you get in our way then goodness help you!

There are mummy's that I would now class as friends that I only met 7 weeks ago on the school playground. We talk about the kids and there isn't much else we have ventured into just yet but we have had the 'me too' conversation so they are one like me, a mummy just trying to do their best. Mummy friends are awesome and you know the true ones as they are there through the bad parenting days as well as the good.



Thursday, 1 December 2016

December Running Streak

I may be mad but I am going to be taking on a challenge in December along with a few others from my running group - a December running streak!

Now I accepted this challenge a week or so ago before the weather turned ultra cold so I may be regretting it a little but I will do this. My thought behind accepting it was that it would give me motivation to run throughout December, even when it gets cold and I just can't really be bothered to get out there. This will make sure that I do.

I have a half marathon in February and I am also toying with the idea of booking a marathon in April so I need to up my running anti and not let my fitness slip during the festive period. Thankfully there are a few others that will be doing it with me so that I have the motivation and support from them to get me up and out the door. Also it will mean that I can have the one more mince pie and that extra glass of milled wine!

Already I am wondering how I am going to fit in a run some days but the minimum to run is 1 mile so it may have to be some early morning runs with the alarm being set at 6am and some late night runs once the boys are in bed.

Lets do this!!


Christmas Is My Favourite Time Of Year

We are finally here, December 1st 2016 and I honestly couldn't be more excited! I have always loved Christmas, even before we had the boys, but since they came into our lives it has been so much more special and it has made the meaning of Christmas a lot more meaningful. The 1st December also means the arrival of Sausage the Elf - which is when the boys really know Christmas is on it's way.

They are both at such a lovely age this year that they are both understanding Christmas as they can really get into the Christmas spirit with us, also the bribery of Father Christmas watching is a brilliant one - I love December!

This year is also extra special because it is going to be our first Christmas in our new house and we are also spending it here with family. We get to wake up on Christmas morning and not worry about travelling but still know that we have loved ones around us to spend the day with. We are also close enough to Mr C's family that we can just walk up the road after lunch and celebrate with them too. This Christmas has been a long time coming and I couldn't be more excited.

I have finished my Christmas shopping, I know sorry, as I wanted to be able to enjoy December and all the things we have planned without having to worry about buying presents around our plans. I have been very strict this year with presents that we have for people and have made sure we stick to a strict budget, we also haven't gone mad with the boys presents as from previous years we know that it just gets too much for them. What I have done is picked the presents carefully so that I know each one will be loved and appreciated.



Our Christmas celebrations started last weekend when we went with a few friends to a local Christmas market. It was really lovely and got me into the Christmas spirit with the help of mulled wine! Our family celebrations will kick off tomorrow where we will go to our towns late night shopping event. This is pretty exciting as it will be our first one and we have heard just how magical it is, Finley has also entered a colour competition that a local business is running so finger crossed for him.

We have plans to make our own gingerbread house, visit father Christmas, go to an enchanted Christmas lights event, go ice skating along with lots of other festive activities. It is such a magical time of year and we are throwing ourselves into the spirit feet first.

Last years Father Christmas

Wednesday, 30 November 2016

Keeping Safe With Scooti Lights - Review & Competition

The boys are obsessed with their scooters, wherever we go they will come, even if it is just a quick trip to the supermarket. I don't complain as they make the journey a lot quicker and make little legs a lot less tired than if they were talking. Saying this with the nights drawing in, it is getting darker a lot earlier and sometimes we are still out when it is dust and the light isn't that great. This is where Scooti Lights come in!


When I was contacted by Buggi Lights and asked if the boys would like to review their Scooti Lights my obvious answer had to be yes. They arrived within a few days and the boys were so excited that we had to get them fitted to the scooter and try them out immediately. They are super stylish in a fun ladybird design and art wearing, a must when it comes to children and scooter accessories I believe.


They are so easy to fit and can be done in seconds. We decided the fit them onto one of the handles to the scooter but they have a loop in them which means that it can go up the main pole and sit in the middle of the handle bars. And just like the fitting, operation of them is so simple which is great when you have a 3 & 5 year old working them. There are three settings, slow flashing, fast flashing or constantly on and to make them do this you just have to push down on the top of them and then touch them again to go to the next setting.


There are four colours to choose from - blue, green, pink or red. We were sent the blue with orange spot ones which go brilliantly with the boys scooter and as they are the same colour there was no fighting over them. Batteries are included and have 150 hours of battery life, so lots of hours of safe scooting fun to be had in the dark.

The Scooti Lights retail at a brilliant price of £9.99 .

Buggi Lights have kindly given one lucky reader to chance to win a red Buggi Light! To enter click on the Rafflecopter link below - Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Competiton terms and conditions

UK residents only.
A winner will be chosen at random via rafflecopter.
There will be one winner.
Competition starts at 12am on 30/11/16 and ends 12am on 07/11/16.
The winner will be announced within 2 days of the competition closing.
The winner has 7 days to claim their prize. If the winner fails to claim their prize within 7 days an alternative winner will be chosen.

* We were kindly sent a Buggi Light to review. All opinions are 100% my own *

Monday, 28 November 2016

Mr Tumble With Lights And Sounds Review

Mr Tumble from Something Special has always been a huge hit in this house, especially with Noah. Whenever Mr Tumble, or Justin, comes on the tv he will jump with excitement and sit quietly watching him. Thank you CBeebies! It is such an interactive show and teaches children so much. I saw a tweet on Twitter a few weeks back asking for blogger to review some Mr Tumble products so I had to put myself forward, knowing the smile on Noah's face for anything Something Special related. We were kindly sent a Mr Tumble Lights and Sounds super-soft toy.


And as expected Noah's face was just a big smile with some squeals. He was instantly out the box and having cuddles on the sofa, he has also been taken to bed every night since.


To work the toy you press Mr Tumble's hand and you hear phrases as well as his bow tie lighting up. Mr Tumble is also carrying his own iconic spotty bag which Noah has loved opening and finding little things to fill it. There are lots of different textures to Mr Tumble for little ones to explore, as well as his super-soft hair!

Noah loved hearing Mr Tumble say phrases which he hears him say on the tv, for Noah it was like Mr Tumble coming to life in our living room! The toy also isn't too big so Mr Tumble has come out with us on a few trips to places, he also fits nicely into one of Noah's bag so that he doesn't get dropped and dirty.

The Mr Tumble with Lights and Sounds retails at an RRP of £19.99.

* I was kindly sent the above product. All opinions are 100% my own.*

Saturday, 26 November 2016

We Are In This Together

Last weekend I had some time child free doing things for me, Christmas shopping with my Mum & Nan on Saturday and then Sunday morning I did a local 5 mile race. Obviously before children I would have just gone off and done these things without thinking but with children you always need to plan. I have always found I don't have to ask Mr C before I organise these things, he just knows he will have the boys and that is the way it should be - We are in this together.

On Saturday I was having a stress about the fact that I have done nothing for Christmas when Mr C suggested I go out with my Mum & Nan and do some Christmas shopping. My first thought was 'but you'll have to have the boys' as there is no way I can take them shopping, but then I realised this is a ridiculous thought as he is their daddy and the parenting responsibility is on us both. When Mr C goes out, he just knows that if we have no plans already that he can go out and that is the same for me. If we have plans together then we will arrange babysitters but we both know that if one of us is out that the other is going to be with the boys.

And I know this subject has been big in the blogging world but I totally agree with the 'Dads don't babysit' as Mr C doesn't babysit, he looks after the boys when I am not around and when we are together we look after them together. We have a joint responsibility for them and a joint love of them, they are our children!

When I was out on Saturday not once did I worry about the time or worry about how long I had been out. I am going to be honest, in the past I have and I've thought 'I've been a few hours now so should be getting back' but that isn't because of something Mr C has said to me, it's just because I have stupidly felt that it should be me looking after the boys at the weekend as he works all week - which is rubbish.

So this weekend it hit me that I have been being silly and that I shouldn't be thinking like this and that in fact Mr C loves his time with the boys. I think their time just the three of them is so important and Mr C gets to make decisions on his own with them and he gets to do the sole parenting while I am out. As I do butt in when we are together and I do choose things for the boys without thinking.

I am very lucky that I have the support I have from Mr C and that we parent together.


Thursday, 24 November 2016

Mustela Skincare Review

I was recently contacted and asked if we would like to try out some skincare products from Mustela. I had never heard of them before and on doing some research their products sounded great so we accepted and waited for them to arrive. We were sent three products in total, 2 in 1 cleaning gel, multi-sensory bubble bath and some no rince cleansing water.


We have been using the multi-sensory bubble bath in the boys bath and it smells amazing.It is soap free and tear free so it is suitable from birth. The boys even commented on how nice is smelt and also how it made their skin feel. After the bath their skin has been lovely and soft and has really helped with Noah's dry skin.

Also in the bath we have been using the 2 in 1 cleaning gel which can be used on both hair and body. It smelts as delicious as the bubble bath and working with the bubble bath I think has made the boys skin silky soft. This is also soap free and tear free.

The last product was the no since cleaning water which we have been using on their face to clean them rather than face wipes. All we have been doing is putting some on a flannel and cleaning their face. It has such a lovely natural smell and cleans their faces brilliantly. Finley has some dry skin around his mouth that we found wet wipes were making it sore but with this it has enabled us to clean his face without a fight.

All three of these products are brilliant and I would recommend.

* We were kindly sent these products to review. All opinions are 100% my own. *

Tuesday, 22 November 2016

#ClangersForKindness - Our Kindness Post & A Competition

Kindness is always something I pride myself in giving and being, and this is something I have tried to pass onto the boys. I want them to know what being kind means and I want them to be confident in being kind, as sometimes kindness can be perceived as being to personal with people you don't know. I want them to know they can go and give the child in their class that is crying a cuddle or that they can say make someones day by saying something kind to them.

So when I saw the #ClangersForKindness campaign I knew I wanted to be some part of it.

First off I just wanted to share some of my own experiences of kindness that I have received that really did brighten my day. Just the other week I took Noah to the barbers to have his haircut and on arriving there was one person in front of us and one in the chair. We took our seat and I prepared Noah for a little wait with, what is my lifesaver, youtube on my phone. about 5 minute later the man in the chair had finished and I was expecting the other gentleman waiting to get up but instead he told us to go ahead of him. He said he had his own children so knew it wouldn't take long and that the waiting for them would be frustrating! This to me was kindness as he related to my situation and sacrificed his time so we could go first.

The next example I have happened that same day. I think the people in our home time were feeling very generous that day! We were in the supermarket and on asking for stamps along with our shopping the cashier couldn't find any and was having trouble getting help from another store assistant to find some so said we may have to go to the post office in the back. With this the lady next to me go out her stamps and gave us one, I asked if she would like any money and she refused. Now again that is someone that was relating to my situation and knew an extra wait at the post office would be painful with a 3 year old! These two acts of kindness made my day and made me realise that there really are lovely people out there that are willing to help.

Here is a video that #ClangersForKindness have made, and I warn you now, you may need some tissues.


The boys are already starting to show kindness to each other and others by being able to relate to the situation. An example of this is that Noah recently got upset as Finley had the blue light wand and he had a red one. Finley rather than keeping the blue one swapped with Noah so that he wouldn't be upset. This melted my heart and made me see that I am actually doing something right with showing them kindness in day to day life.

One way which I showed the boys some kindness was just the other day when we were meeting my Mum & Nan at a local garden centre. They have two car parks, one near the entrance and the other about a 5 minute walk away. Knowing my Nan can't walk too far we parked in a space near the door, and then when they arrived we gave them the space and went to find a space in the car park further away. I explained why I had done this to the boys and Finley said 'that was kind of you mummy' so that made me think that he actually understood the concept of being kind.

As part of the #ClangersForKindness campaign they are spreading the kindness with some lovely Clangers goodies. We were kindly sent some Clangers figures, a puzzle and a Clangers whistle and they are offering this same bundle of goodies to one lucky reader. All you have to do is enter by using the Rafflecopter button below. Good luck!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Competiton terms and conditions

UK residents only.
A winner will be chosen at random via rafflecopter.
There will be one winner.
Competition starts at 12am on 22/11/16 and ends 12am on 29/11/16.
The winner will be announced within 2 days of the competition closing.
The winner has 7 days to claim their prize. If the winner fails to claim their prize within 7 days an alternative winner will be chosen.



Friday, 18 November 2016

The Vileda Clean - Windomatic Review

With temperatures dropping we have popped our heating on so it comes on in the morning so that it warms the house up in time for when we all jump out of bed in the morning. We then have it on in the evenings so the house is toasty for us to enjoy the evening and for when we go to bed. This is amazing as I have to say I love a cosy house but there is just one problem, it causes condensation on the windows in the mornings. Mr C and I were chatting one morning on how we were going to try and combat this when only a few hours later I received the opportunity to review a Vileda Windomatic to which I got very excited about and obviously had to say yes!


I couldn't wait for it to arrive and when it did it was straight out of the box for a little play with and ready for the next morning. On receiving it and reading the instructions I also found out that it will help clean up spillage's which in this house are happening all the time with my clumsy two - bonus!

We have now been using the Windomatic for a week and I have to say it is a brilliant product, I would say a must have for those that have windows that suffer with condensation. We have used it every morning to clear the bottoms of the windows, which has only been a tiny bit of condensation but enough to cause damp and mould in the window corners. In the height of winter I know the windows are going to be covered in it as temperatures drop even more. One thing that I found was brilliant was that the nozzle can tilt! So rather than getting to the middle of the window and then turning round and coming from the other side, you can just continue for the whole window.


It literally takes two seconds and sucks up all of the condensation, whereas I am sure others have also tried this, when you wipe the window you get a pool on the window sill that you then have to also clean up. It will also be great in the summer when the bathroom window gets condensed from the shower! An all year round cleaner.

The other great thing that I really like about this product is that you don't have to keep hold of the on/off button. You press it and it is on until you press it to turn it off, makes sucking up the condensation a lot easier with manoeuvring the Windomatic.

We have also used it to suck up spillage's. My two are terrible with having a drink and then just plonking it wherever they are and leaving it, most of the time with it still open. So we end up with little spillage all over the place, which have been really easy to clean up with this awesome product!




It is really easy to empty as all the water is collected in the dirt water reservoir which is accessed so you can empty it via pressing down the unlocking bottom. There is a maximum capacity of water that can be collected which you should keep an eye.

I would give the Windomatic a 5* rating as I love it so much. It makes our life so much easier and makes cleaning up the condensation and those unexpected spillage's simple.

*We were kindly sent the Windomatic to review and all opinions are 100% my own.*

Wednesday, 9 November 2016

Learning To Keep My Emotions In Check

The last couple of days have been pretty pants, and that is putting it lightly! Monday morning started with Finley not wanting to go to school and me having to leave him crying. Now any parent will know this is one of the worst feelings in the world and it made the rest of my day until I picked him up rubbish. Then our day was topped off with a trip to A&E with Noah after he fell and cut open his chin. Not the best day in the world but I went to bed saying tomorrow is another day and that it would be better.

Tuesday was a lot better until I picked Noah up from preschool, put him in the pushchair and his coat knocked half of the glue from his chin and his chin was bleeding again. I called the hospital and they told me to take him back, I knew I had to go right then as it was quite open and needed seeing to. The only thing was I also had Finley to collect from school. 

In that very moment I felt on my own as I knew Mr C was in a meeting and friends weren't available. I panicked, I cried but I managed to get hold of my Grandma-in-law and she went and collected Finley. Situation sorted, but I was still an emotional wreck. I think I was tired, worried about Noah, and just generally emotionally drained but it was no excuse for what I went and did. I took to Facebook on Monday night at midnight. Not the best thing to do when tired and emotional.

I posted a quote and said how alone I had felt that afternoon. In my head I think I knew I might upset some people but I did it anyway as I thought it would make me feel better, and it did for all of 7 hours, of which I was asleep!! This post upset some of those closest to me and in turn upset me. I had taken our unfortunate situation in which I had felt rubbish and pushed it onto others which I should never have done and is one of the most selfish things I have ever done, and at this very moment I hate myself for it.

My problem is that I am a very emotional person and I don't hide it very well. When I am upset I will cry and I will talk about what has upset me. I also bottle things up which the make a situation worse as I am that much more emotional than I would be if I had just let it out when it happened. In the moment I don't think of others and I am just very selfish and think of myself. I say what I feel without thinking how it may make others feel or how I actually may sound. Also Facebook really isn't the place to voice these emotions as you never know who you will hurt, or who will take offence to it.

I need to keep these emotions in check, and this morning has shown me just why I need to do this. I just want to apologise to those I upset as I know they would do anything for me and the boys, and I know I can rely on them 100%. 


Saturday, 5 November 2016

We Travelled To Far Far Away At Shrek's Adventure

When researching things for us to do in London on our October half term trip I found Shrek's Adventure and when I looked a little more into it I knew this was something we had to do. The boys are huge Shrek fans so this would be the perfect thing to add to our itinerary. I contacted their PR company and we were kindly gifted 4 tickets to enjoy the adventure on the Wednesday of our trip.


We were been booked onto the 10.30am tour and once we had collected our tickets we were straight on with the tour. As well as our ticket we were given one wrist band that further down the tour we realised was to hold the photos that were taken. The ticket collection office is decorated brilliantly so you start your adventure right from the second you walk through the entrance. On your way to start the adventure you pass some phone boxes which the boys had to stop and play with, they are placed in the queue so that when it is busy children, and adults, will be kept occupied.


The first stop on the tour is to have some photos taken on a green screen which later on at the end of the tour you will see what awesome pictures that have produced. They scanned our wristband so all our photos would be collected together. You are then directed down a hall that has stained glass windows and lit up arrows showing you where to go. The next stop you get to is the merchandise store and buggy drop off. At the store you can buy a selection of Shrek merchandise, we purchased some Shrek ears for the boys and some gingerbread biscuits.




From here you are directed for more photos, this time with Donkey, which again you will see at the end of the tour. We were then directed to listen to an introduction from a flight attendant that makes it fun for the children while letting everyone know the rules of the tour. You are kindly asked not to take any photos while on the tour and also asked not to touch the actors. I really didn't know what to expect so I was excited as they boys were.

We were then directed into a room where we met Princess Fiona who started off the adventure. I don't want to give too much away as it would ruin it for anyone that would go on the tour after reading this. It is very interactive and funny, brilliant for the children. From here he collected our 3D glasses and jumped onto the 4D bus to start the real adventure.

There is water, air and movement, along with lots of giggling form everyone on the bus. Not giving too much away, when the bus stops we then were asked to hop off and continue on foot through the tour. On the adventure we met lots of characters that are dressed up awesomely from the film and it was very interactive with each piece of the adventure linking with the next.

The whole tour lasts about an hour, all depending on how fast your group is on the tour, just the right amount of time for the boys to stay focused and interested. There really is so much to do and keep them entertained on the tour it would have taken a lot for the to get bored.

We finished the tour by being greeted by Shrek himself and being allowed to have some photos with him. We then walked along another hall and entered an interactive zone for the children to play and have photos with a lot of characters from Shrek and other films made by DreamWorks.



After some fun in the interactive area we were shown our photos in a travel journal which, like the rest of the tour, is a very interactive book with not just photos in. The cost of the journal is £25 which I think is very reasonable as you get 7 photos as well as the journal. You also get copyright of the photos so you can download them when you get home.



The whole tour was brilliant and it is one of the highlights from our whole trip to London. I would totally recommend this experience, for children and adults, as it really is so much fun!

* We were kindly given 4 tickets to Shreks Adventure. All opinions are 100% my own.*

Thursday, 3 November 2016

Our Adventure On The Coca Cola London Eye

I have wanted to take the boys to London for a while as Mr C and I have very fond memories of the city as we used to make a few trips there each year. We also got engaged in Green Park on one of our last trips there before I fell pregnant with Finley. With Mr C having the October half term off we thought this the best opportunity to take some time out and take the boys away for a few days. The best way to get the full feeling of London and to see most of the main landmarks has to be to travel on the Coca Cola London Eye and I couldn't wait to take the boys on it as it would be such a big adventure.


We arrived on Monday to Waterloo tube station and made our way to the Coca Cola London Eye. We told the boys to keep an eye out and as soon as they saw it over all the buildings they were so excited. The London Eye is so big that you can see it from mostly anywhere in London through the buildings. The closer we got the more and more excited the boys got.




After a few photos we went to collect out tickets from the priority desk as we had kindly been given 4 fast track tickets to ride the London Eye. The ticket office is huge and very well signposted so it is easy to figure out where you need to go. There is a desk for pre-booked tickets, buy on the day tickets and also priority tickets. There is also lots of room so even when busy it is easy to get around the ticket office.

With our tickets collected, we had been booked onto to the 3pm slot but being a bit early they allowed us to go on a little earlier, we made our way to the fast track entrance and queued up for only about 10 minutes. The London Eye is constantly moving, but not at a fast pace, so you enter the capsule as it is moving.



We were in the capsule with about 20 other people but there was still a lot of space to move around. In the middle of the capsule there is a wooden oval seating area, so there is plenty of space to move around as well as sit down.

I was a little worried about how the boys were going to be as it is so high up but they loved it. The capsule doesn't feel like you are moving which I think helped with the boys. You can see out of all the sides of the capsule so there really is so much to see, the whole capsule is glass, apart from the floor, so you can see all aspects of London.




The whole experience from when you get into the capsule to when you leave it is about 30 minutes, perfect time for my two. Finley got so excited when he saw Big Ben from the top and I loved showing the boys all the big landmarks. This was a great start to our trip as we could show the boys where we would be going to and they could see a different perspective of building which we would be standing next to.


We loved our experience on the Coca Cola London Eye and would recommend it to anyone going to London.


* We were kindly gifted 4 tickets for the Coca Cola London Eye. All opinions are 100% my own.*

Tuesday, 1 November 2016

Getting Back To Being Healthy

This is probably the wrong time of year to do it when all I want to do is drink hot chocolates topped with marshmallows and eat lots of comfort food. But I need to get back to where I was a few months ago, when I felt good about myself and I felt comfortable putting on clothes.

Since I injured my ankle a month or so ago I have been a bit rubbish on the eating front and I haven't been doing as much exercise as I normally do. I exercise so that I can eat what I want without feeling guilty or without worrying that it will make me feel uncomfortable in my clothes. I have been sitting down on an evening, once the boys are in bed, and indulging in chocolate and cake. This is something that used to be a treat at the weekend or a one off treat in the week but it has now become an every night thing. My will power has been completely shot to pieces since being injured and because I haven't been running so how my confidence.

I'm not saying I have put on weight I just don't feel as comfortable in myself as I have been eating all the wrong foods. I have been eating foods that make me feel bloated and just make me feel sluggish so it's time for a change, I need to get the fruit back out and start choosing what I eat a little better. Stop going for the easy option and take a bit of time on what we eat.

It is so easy when at home to reach for the biscuit tin or raid the boys sweets tub, but this has to stop so for November I am going to be good, ready for Christmas, and keep the treats for the weekend. I want to feel comfortable in myself again and this is the way to do it. I am also back to running now that my ankle is getting better so this should help my overall wellbeing.

Here's to fruit and veg in November ready for the Christmas binge!



Saturday, 29 October 2016

Joosed Junior - Review & Competition

I am always on the hunt for healthy drinks for the boys as a little treat when they get home from preschool and school. When I was asked by Bensons to try out their Joosed Juniors I knew the boys would happily oblige!

The juices arrived and we had kindly been sent three flavours - blackcurrant & apple, orange & apple and apple. They are packaged in fours with each bottle being 250ml each.


All Joosed Junior juices are:
  • Made from pure Spring Water and real fruit juices.
  • Full of fruity goodness and NO ADDED SUGAR, and therefore better for you.
  • Joosed! uses only the finest natural ingredients, selected because they taste so good.
  • Joosed! drinks are 100% free from preservatives or artificial flavourings.
  • One of your 5 a day

With the bottles being 250ml they are the perfect amount of juice for the boys and not too much.

On the day that they arrived the boys had some friends over after school so I thought what better time than to try the juices out. We started with the orange & apple ones and they were a huge hit, all four children loved them and they didn't take long to drink! I had a little try and they were lovely, you could really taste the orange & apple.

The other juices have been in the fridge and are a great convenient drink as there is no having to mix them with water, as that has already been done, and they are very thirst quenching. They are great for children and adults as the drinks are full of flavour.

The drinks act as a brilliant lunchtime drink for both when at home or out and about. The boys enjoyed a bottle with their lunch just the other day, this time trying the blackcurrant & apple ones, and again being a huge hit and they loved them.




Bensons have kindly offered one of my lucky followers to win a case of Joosed Junior, for you to try out yourself. All you have to do is follow the rafflecopter link below to be in with a chance of winning. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Competiton terms and conditions
UK residents only.

A winner will be chosen at random via rafflecopter.
There will be one winner.

Competition starts at 12am on 29/10/16 and ends 12am on 05/11/16.

The winner will be announced within 2 days of the competition closing.
The winner has 7 days to claim their prize. If the winner fails to claim their prize within 7 days an alternative winner will be chosen.

* We were kindly sent Joosed Junior juices to try. All opinions are 100% my own.*

Sunday, 23 October 2016

We Can't Wait To Go To Kidtropolis

Since Finley started school in September I have been planning our October half term as I wanted to make the most out of the days that we had together. London has always been somewhere that we have wanted to take the boys and Finley in particular has been very interested in London. When the opportunity came up to go to Kidtropolis at the London Excel during October half term, we thought we would take the opportunity to make a trip of it and are going to London for a few days.


Kidtropolis is at the London Excel on the 25th, 26th & 27th October and the ticket really are an awesome price of £13.50 online or £15.50 on the door. From what I have seen there is going to be so much for the boys to do and see that I know they are going to have such a great time. Your ticket is all-inclusive includes admission, live shows and entertainment. Here are just a few examples of what will be at Kidtropolos:

Learn free running with Parkour Generations
Opportunity to meet mega YouTuber kid gamesmaster EthanGamerTV (Wednesday 26th)
Meet the Optimus Prime big rig and play with TRANSFORMERS
Chance to meet hit YouTuber Tiana from Toys AndMe who will reveal the ToyTesters.tv top 20 Toys as voted by children (Tuesday 25th)
Break Records with Guinness World Records Live!
Try your skills with Nerf Tri-strike, Zombie Strike and the Vault
Catch up with the Gorgeous Movies YouTube Family (Thursday 27th)
Explore Equestria on the My Little Pony pink double decker bus
Run the enourmous Boot Camp Challenge inflatable assault course
Meet the stars of the Angry Birds Movie
Reach the stars on Spring Free Trampolines
Race Scalextric ARC AIR
Build with Magformers
Take the challenge on the 40 player Minecraft hub
Swim with a Virtual Reality whale!
Jump on the double-decker Gamers Bus
Go crazy in the Gaming Marquee
Meet the team at Fun Kids Radio broadcasting live on site from their Radio bus
See the ToyTesters.tv Awards with the Top 20 toys as voted for by children
Meet a host of costumed characters
Get creative with the Play-Doh workshop
Play with Playmobil
Talk turtles with the Marine Conservation Society
Take to the 8.5m inflatable Helter-Skelter

There really does look like there is something for everyone so why not take a look at their website, www.kidtropolis.co.uk for more information.

* We have kindly been gifted tickets to this event. All opinions are 100% my own.*



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