Be safe - Halloween!

For young children, Halloween night is one of the best of the year.....Some people don't agree with children going out trick or treating but my girls do and a lot of children do where I live....

Just remember to stay safe!!

Plan a route in advance. Trick-or-treating could take you several streets away from your house, which can cause sore legs and a bit of frustration. Stick to paths that are well lit and you and your child are familiar with...

Wear comfy shoes. Make sure you and your children are in comfortable, well-fitting shoes. Girls in dresses should avoid heels, and all shoelaces should be double-tied to avoid tripping in the dark....

Stay well-lit. Apply reflective tape to your child’s costume to ensure they are seen by drivers on the road. Also, carry a flashlight with you to keep your child’s path lit at all times....

Avoid any sweets that has loose wrappings or is unwrapped. Small children should have their sweets inspected by an adult before they eat it...

Stop. Look and listen! as simple as this sounds, it can be easy to forget – especially when munching through a bag of Halloween treats! Remember road safety!....

Respect other people and their property. Don't trample through flower beds and gardens. Be polite and say "thank you"

 

My 'to-do' list....

Making a to do list should be easy....You just write down all the things you need to do....Do them and then check them off your list as you go along....

I have never been great at completing my 'to do' lists....I'm brilliant at writing lists and I often do...

Grocery shopping lists....Presents I have to buy people for Christmas....Bills which need paying....Jobs which need doing about the house....Blog posts I need to write....The list goes on....

Reading about 'to do' lists for this blog post it has made me realise I am being so unrealistic and tough on myself trying to get too much done in one day....I seem to always put too many tasks on my lists.....Have sheets of paper all over the place and for every item that I cross off the list I think of another three items to go on it...I never finish a list as I put so many things on them...

I have seen the error of my ways....To get my act together I am going to have two lists....No more sheets of paper about the house....No more lists with about 50 things to do that day....

I am going to have one list which I will write every night before I go to bed...Ready for the next day with things which must be done that day and another of things which need to be done but there is no urgency which I can add things to when I think of them..... 

So today's list will go...

Bake some Halloweeny cakes and biscuits...

Carve the pumpkins with the girls...

Phone my Aunt Jean to ask about the girls PJ's...

Make Pumpkin soup for tea...

Chase up a couple of prizes I won which haven't arrived...

Change the beds...

Pay the water bill...

Wash the kids PE kits...

Finish entering the competitions which end on the 31st...

That seems realistic.....Nothing on there which can't be achieved....Then if I complete all of that I can do something on the none urgent list....

The anytime - none urgent list will include....

Christmas presents for Stu, Dad, Sarah & Aunt Jean....

Plan what we're doing for Bonfire night...

Get a new washing line...

Back up all the photos and take the ones off the camera...

Look into changing gas and electricity supplier...

Spend the Sainsburys voucher I have...

Sort out the Christmas decorations and decide what we need to buy...

Get a new pair of boots....

Sort out the dressing up boxes...

Write my birthday wishlist...

Tidy the back yard...

Sort out the DVD's...Sell them...

Start paying the next quarter of the Gas & Electric bill...

Sort through the Christmas presents and take stock of what I have already got...

Get a provisional driving license....

Do you make to do lists?

This is an entry into the Mumsnet Blogger competition
 

Proctor and Gamble Surprise Package....

A couple of weeks ago it was about 6pm and there was a knock at the door....I wasn't going to answer it....I thought it was the Kleeneze woman asking for her catalogue back....Which the kids cut up....Shh don't tell her....hehehe Stu answered the door and he came back in with a big box!! Exciting!! I wasn't expecting anything....

It was from Super Savvy Me....I don't actually remember asking, winning or being told about that I was going to be sent this but I'm always on the site so it was a lovely surprise!!

I opened the box and found lots of goodies...I'm easily pleased....

The Pampers were given to my friend to give to a family member who's due to have a baby later in the year....

Fairy Non Bio - These smell lovely!! The only way I can describe them is that they smell like babies!!

Fairy Non Bio, the world's softest non bio, leaves clothes brilliantly clean and feeling gentle next to precious skin. That's because Fairy Non Bio contains natural ingredients that are designed to work in harmony with your skin to soften fabrics. Dermatologically tested, the Fairy Non Bio range has been awarded the British Allergy Foundation Seal of Approval by Allergy UK. Independent tests have confirmed that clothes washed in Fairy are as kind next to skin as clothes washed in water alone.

These are so great! I am considering changing to these from the powder I use at the moment...They do the trick and leave clothes clean and smelling so nice!!

Fairy Antibacterial Eucalyptus Washing Up Liquid - Protects your sponge for up to 24 hours against bacterial growth, so it stays fresher longer. Available in Blackberry & Rosemary, Eucalyptus, and Lime & Lemongrass scents in assorted sizes.

Mmmm this also smells lovely....I've yet to see the effect yet but it cleans the dishes just as well as any other Fairy washing up liquid!!
 

Flash Concentrated Liquid Gel - 2.5x more power in every drop....Unique cap automatically stops pouring after 1 dose, giving you ultimate control.....Use neat for targeted cleaning on small surfaces and dilute in buckets for floors. Uses up to 45% less packaging and 64% less water for a cleaner clean.

I think this is my favourite product in the box....It really does work well...Had my floors shining and left a lovely smell too...I have used it on the kitchen units and it's got everything off that I wanted it too and it saves on having different bottles and sprays for different things...

Oral-B Pro-Expert - Toothpaste....an antibacterial & fluoride toothpaste that is clinically proven to protect all the areas dentists check most. Oral-B Pro-Expert All-Around Protection contains a Polyfluorite System consisting of an antibacterial fluoride and Active Clean Crystals to provide a unique cleaning sensation. You can actually feel it working.

Stu has been using this....He likes it...I think it's only because it's something new and different to what we usually use.....He said his teeth do feel cleaner....

So Thank you Super Savvy Me for letting me try things I may not of bought!!

I was sent these items free of charge this is my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Silent Sunday!!

Advent Calenders for Adults!!

It's nearly time to start thinking about Advent Calenders for the kids but why should they have all the fun.....I have seen lots of Advent Calenders aimed at adults this year and I like them...I have seen at least 20 which I would love....lol

Here are my top picks....

John Lewis Advent Column Candle - £8.00 - John Lewis 

Selfridges Christmas advent calendar - £84 - Selfridges 

The Whisky Advent Calendar - £149.95 - Master Of Malt  

Truffles for Two - £26.00 - Hotel Chocolat

Yankee Candle Advent Calendar - £21.99 - Yankee Candle

 Ciate Mini Mani Advent Calendar - £42.00 - Selfridges

Rusty Bucket advent calendar - £44.95 - Selfridges 

Gin Advent Calendar - £99.99 - Firebox

Boots Beauty Advent Calendar - £30.00 - Boots 

Classics Chocolate Advent Calendar - £9.99 - Thorntons

Will you have an advent calendar for yourself? 

Gaz Patterson - King Of You. An Album You Should Own!

Gaz Patterson did something we all wish we could do yet most of us never even attempt it let alone actually achieve it...That wish was to follow his dream and release his first album. 

I have to congratulate Gaz not only for believing in himself but for the hard work he has poured into this album.....

 Listening to the album you wouldn't guess that he is a home recording musician. In my opinion it's flawless.

On the whole King of You is an album I would gladly listen to time and time again. It hands down wins a place on my mp3 player. Now I'm no musician.....I may be out of touch when it comes to technical terms but what I can do is describe how music makes me feel....I picked a select few tracks to focus on but on the whole there are none I would skip past. 

'Walking Backwards' - As another reviewer put "a fast, catchy and punk attention grabbing track". I agree with this.....His lyrics to this track are something we can all relate to..... It's a been there, done that track!! For a first song it was that 'I get ya' feeling which made me want to listen to more.

'Going Out My Mind' - Again as another reviewer described "distinct bass line and guitar dubs". This punky song lyrically again speaks volumes. 

'Elona' -  I have always and will always have a soft spot for anything acoustic. It instantly washes over me a sense of calmness. This song does that. You can feel the love, sadness, wants and wishes behind this song. Everyone can empathize with the meaning behind this song and it really touches the heart.

'King of You' - Gaz Patterson will indeed be the King of you tonight, if you let him. This upbeat 90's punky/pop track has a distinct uplifting effect. Everyone has had at least one experience of having the time of their life with someone and this track reminds me of mine. I want to see this played live!

There we have it. Gaz Patterson - King of you. An album with a good musical variety. It's catchy and easily loved by a variety of ages.

You can digitally download your copy today from Bandcamp, Amazon, iTunes, Google Play and no doubt many other places.

10 Day You Challenge! - Six Places...

Carrying this on from the previous weeks Ten Secrets - Nine Loves - Eight Fears & Seven Wants

Six places.... 

1. My home! - Ashington!....As much as I moan about the fact that there is no decent shops....If you want a bank, phone shop or charity shop you're fine but for anything else it's rubbish...lol I do love Ashington though!!......Where we live it's an ok area and my house I love....It is perfect for us....

2. Amble! - A small seaside town here in Northumberland.....We love days out here and always have an amazing time....Plus it's the only place which sell 'beanies & chips' Sausage meat covered in batter with baked beans in the center.....

3. Stockton on Tees my hometown....A town in the North East....Near Middlesbrough where I grew up and spent most of my childhood and teenage years....Ahh the memories!!

4. Newcastle!.....An amazing city! We don't go often enough as it's an hour on the bus and I hate getting the bus but it has everything you could want or need and more.....Fab for shopping, nights out and days out with the kids too...

5. My bed!....I love it! Even though the mattress is lumpy....I knew I should of bought the memory foam one when I had the chance!!....I never spend enough time in bed....It always seems like I have to drag myself out each morning...

6. Disneyland!.....I will get there one day!!

One Direction Drinks Can – Review!!

It's no surprise that Becky is a huge fan of the boy band One Direction.....They are one of the biggest groups in the world at the moment....

Christmas has came early for Becky....We were lucky enough to be sent a lovely One Direction Branded Cool Gear Drink Can...

These Innovative drink cans are the perfect accompaniment for packed lunches, sleepovers and girlie get-togethers…or just to be used as a fashion accessory while hanging out and proudly displaying your love of the band. 

With a clever ‘slide to open’ ring pull to prevent spillages, double wall insulating properties to keep your drink cooler for longer, these 345ml refillable cans have a twist-off lid to make top ups easy.

They’re BPA free and suitable for top shelf cleaning in dish washers, but for tip top care we recommend hand washing your 1D Cool Gear Can without detergents that contain bleach or chlorine. Not suitable for microwaves. 

To say Becky was happy to get this is an understatement....We hadn't seen one like it before which makes it even more special!! She will be the envy of all her friends as she is going to be using it as a water bottle to take to school each day!!

It is so easy to drink out of.....It does not leak like some of the other bottles we've used do and it's simple to wash out and clean!!

It really is a must have for every One Direction fan!!

Available from all major retailers including ASDA, Tesco & Morrison. RRP £6.99

I was sent this One Direction Branded Cool Gear Drink Can  free of charge for the purpose of this review....This is my honest review....All thoughts and opinions are my own!! 

If I Could Have Just One Room…

If you could have just one room, all to yourself, what would be in it? What colours would you choose? What would it smell like? 

The fabulous Jocelyn over at The Reading Residence tagged me in If I Could Have Just One Room meme and this is my perfect room!!

Firstly my perfect room would have to have a great  view....Not looking out onto fields or the ocean....That would get boring after a while seeing the same scene I could buy a canvas with scenery on for that....

I would like to look out on to a busy street seeing the hustle and bustle of the world going by.....Of course the room would have to be soundproof so when I got sick of the outside world I could close the window blank the outside world out....

This room would be where I can go and get some peace from the kids....lol It would be my room so there would be none of the girls toys and junk they seem to collect...hehehe

I would have a huge comfy armchair or sofa with a couple of big cushions on....I like cushions! I do all my blogging from my armchair now so why change everything....I like to sit in comfort when I'm on the internet so no sitting at a desk using a desktop computer for me....

Of course I would have my laptop or even a brand new one which is better then the one I'm using at the moment....With everything I need on it....

I would have an endless supply of chocolate and cupcakes appear in the room without me having to shop for them and feel the guilt of buying too many at once....Every chocolate bar I could think of and a few I've never tried before...lol

I would also have a fantastic hot beverage machine which would make every thing I could think of....Filter coffee, cappuccino's, Espresso's and Hot Chocolate...I love coffee during the day usually to keep me awake and a hot chocolate on an evening....Yummy!!

The room would be bright and colourful....Of course having lots of pictures of my girls around the room...The room doesn't have to be massive....Just a box room would do me as long as it was my space....Oh and the smell....Something fruity!! Strawberries perhaps! Yum!!

One thing I would need is a TV....I always have the tv on just for some background noise....I very rarely sit with both eyes on the tv but I do like to have it on...

I would have a wall mounted one as well as a Blu-ray player to watch all of my favorite box sets which I could watch when there's nothing on the TV....Of course all the discs will all be there in their boxes with no discs misplaced, scratched or drew on by the girls....Yes Ellie likes to draw on dvd's....lol

So that's my room.....What would yours be like?

Make sure to link up with the If I Could Have Just One Room meme too!!

Our Weekly Meal Plan!! - #mealplanningmonday

Last week the meals sort of went to plan.....

I'd won the Gousto Box and it was fab...They meals are harder to cook then they look though....Probably so easy for good cooks but I struggled....I've found out it hurts when you chop Chillies and then rub your eyes and that Pomegranate Molasses is delicious and when I find it I will be buying it!!

So this week...I'm trying something I saw on Diners Drive ins and Dives...They had Hot dogs with Bolognese on....I'm going to do them with the left over bolognese....They looked delicious!! Certainly had Stu and I laid in bed drooling at the TV....lol

Tuesday it's the girls parents evening so it will have to be something quick for tea!!

This week on the menu we have...

Monday - Beef burgers, chips and beans...
Tuesday - Pizza!....Sweet Chilli chicken for Stu & I and Ham and mushroom for the girls....
 Wednesday - Fish and sweetcorn pie....
Thursday - Sweet potato & chicken hotpot....
Friday - Spaghetti bolognese and garlic bread....
Saturday - Bolognese hot dogs....

 Sunday - Roast Chicken dinner....

You're either a kid or really old.... #Funee

My girls know how old they are and Stu and my age but that's about it....In there eyes you're either a kid or really old....

I won a Gousto Box and had it delivered Wednesday....The same day the kids had their Harvest Festival at school...They had taken some tins in and had been told the food they had donated would be given to old people....

Imagine their amusement when they found out I had been given food the same day that the Harvest Festival food was been given out to old people....Ellie asked if I was one of the old people who was given food? Becky decided I was and only encouraged her....Becky said I must be old even if it wasn't her school which gave me the food someone did and only old people get food delivered....

We were looking through some old photo albums earlier in the week....Really old ones of when I was a child....She knew some of the photos were me but others she was convinced they were actually her...I did look like her when I was a child....She was convinced they were her....So much so she could even tell me the story of when the photos were taken.....This one was Christmas morning after Santa had been....Becky isn't in the photo because she had been naughty and didn't get any presents....lol She had got the trampoline and spent all day bouncing on it until she had to go to bed....Such an imagination!!

There was another photo that they took notice of....One of my dad when he was about 11 or 12 years old about the the same age Becky is now....Becky said 'Was he in the war?' I said 'no, why do you think that?' Because he has a helmet on and it's in black and white and you only get black and white pictures during the war....I explained to her he was dressed in his horse riding clothes....He was in the Pony Club and it was the yearly photos they would take...Becky wasn't convinced because her Grandad is obviously so old cameras were not invented then.....

Silent Sunday!!

Advent Calendars for Girls....

No denying it Christmas is coming.....Time to start thinking about preparing for December....The first thing on my mind every year obviously after starting the present shopping is Advent Calendars....

Every year my girls get one or if they're lucky two each.....Both Becky and Ellie get so excited in the run up to Christmas and Advent Calendars play a big part of it....

When I was a little girl (a long time ago) all I got was chocolate in the calendars....Now you can get a lot more as well as the one's with chocolate in!

Here are some of the best I've seen this year...

Barbie Advent Calendar - £22.00 - Littlewoods

Playmobil Princess wedding advent calendar - £16.99 - House of Fraser 

Monster High Advent Calendar - £11.99 - Smyths Toys

Christmas House Advent Calendar - £22.00 - Not On The High Street 

The Snowman and The Snowdog Advent Calendar - £4.99 - Thorntons

Moo Free advent calendar - £4.99 - Waitrose

 LEGO Friends Advent Calendar - £19.99 - Argos

Don't forget shops like Poundland they also stock a lot of Advent Calendars all for £1 each!!

Do you get your children Advent Calendars?

What will be on them this year?

10 Day You Challenge! - Seven Wants...

Carrying this on from the previous weeks Ten Secrets - Nine Loves & Eight Fears

Ohhh Seven things I want.....Easy!!

1. My girls to grow up happy and healthy.....

2. A new Laptop!....The motherboard on mine blew AGAIN a couple of months ago.....Can't afford a new one yet and don't want to get into debt to buy one so at the moment I'm using the kid's one while I save.....I want my own again! 

3. A decent phone!....A while ago I lost my phone....It wasn't the best....About 7 years old but it did what I wanted it to....I bought a cheap, basic one off ebay and it is so basic....Way more then I thought when I bought it! For example to send a text takes me forever....lol To say 'hello' I have to press 4 4 3 3 5 5 5 5 5 5 6 6 6....It annoys me! So unless you need a yes or no answer chances are I won't text you back...lol

4. To own my own home!...Yes we have a lovely home but it's rented....We always have the uncertainty of will the landlord renew the tenancy when it's up...

5. Money!.....Not millions! Just enough so I don't have to worry about the bills....

6. A new wardrobe full of clothes!....Seems like I'm losing weight! lol New clothes would be so nice!

7. A holiday!....Somewhere nice with the kids....Doesn't have to be abroad...Just a fab holiday the kids would remember for ever...

Disney Princess Bedside Lamp - Review

When Ellie started nursery there was her and another girl in the class so naturally she played with the boys....She had no interest in the more typical girly toys....She was more for Toy Story, Spiderman, toy guns and playing with toy cars...

When she started full time school there were more girls in the class and she started to get into more girly things but it's only been the last 6 months or so she has gone princess crazy!!

The Disney Princesses have a lot to answer for...lol If something has Disney Princess on she MUST have it....Her latest Christmas list is full of Disney Princess related things....

Ellie's latest idea is that she want's a Disney Princess bedroom.....I have been looking around and there are a lot of lovely things....

Last time she really got into something it was Toy Story.....We decorated her room to her liking and guess what within six months the phase had passed and she hated her room....

This time we're starting small....We're planning on buying a few smaller things which are not too expensive before we go ahead and decorate and buy the bigger more expensive items....

We were sent a lovely lamp to start off the project....

The perfect bedside lamp that’ll add a touch of fun to any bedroom. It’s just the right size for bedside tables, desks or shelves and is great for reading, studying, relaxing - or offering a little comfort for those who like some light as they drift off to sleep.

It is perfect!! It is just the right size! Not too big and not to small....I was a bit puzzled at first when I couldn't see the power cabel....lol It was cleverly hidden away in the base of the lamp....I had no problem opening, unraveling the cable and putting a bulb in....

The switch is on the cable which Ellie has no problem switching on and off and I like the fact that it is made by Spearmark lighting which meets the European standard for ‘Portable luminaires for Children’ which means they’re safe for children to use unsupervised.

This is a fabulous little light for my little princess!!

This lamp is available from B&Q, Argos and Amazon!!

I was sent the Disney Princess Bedside Lamp free of charge for the purpose of this review....This is my honest review....All thoughts and opinions are my own!! 

School Strikes....

Well today my girls school is affected by the teachers strikes....

Members of the National Union of Teachers (NUT) and National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers (NASUWT) are walking out today in a row over pensions, pay and working conditions.....

A letter from one father written to his child's school, issuing the school a £60 fine for a day's strike action has gone viral. The letter said:

“Thank you for your recent letter informing me of the penalty of £60 if my child is taken out of school during term time and the impact this has on pupil’s attainment.  “As you have informed me that my child is unable to attend school on October 17 due to teachers being away from school, I have to take measures to also issue you a penalty of £60.  “If this is not paid within 21 days of the date of this letter, the penalty will increase to £120.”  He concluded: “Please make the cheque payable to Mr R Matheson and send to the address at the top of this letter.” 

I can understand where he's coming from but teachers do not make the rules about the fines....The government do!! It is the government that the teachers are striking against.  Therefore this argument hardly makes sense...

The thing is my girls are not affected by the strikes today.....There are two teachers staying in the school to teach....The Year two and Year six teachers....So a normal day for my girls at school while the rest of the kids are off school.....

That is the only thing that annoys me about the situation!! All the other kids get to stay home and no doubt if I kept my girls off there would be hell on!! Don't think the school would see the funny side if I said my kids were on strike....lol 

 The two teachers not striking are new to the school and teaching so I'm guessing they are not in the Union.....

Our children are so lucky to have a free education from the age of three until they are 18....Kids and parents in other countries would give their right arm to have a strong education for their children...

Placenta Smoothie party?

 ***WARNING - Do not read if you have a weak stomach or gag really easily....lol***

New mum and former America's Next Top Model contestant Lisa D'Amato posted a photo of her friends enjoying a smoothie that she claimed was made from her placenta at a 'Placenta smoothie party'.

Many believe that for humans,digesting the placenta can aid recovery after birth. There are services where you can arrange for your placenta to be turned into pills which you can then take - some believe it enhances milk supply, helps with hormonal imbalances, reduces depression and much more.

If there was significant scientific evidence that it was that good for you I might of considered having it made into tablets to take but definitely not a smoothie...The thought of it makes me feel sick!!

I definitely wouldn't drink someone else's placenta!!....I love my friends but if they held a 'Placenta smoothie party'....No!! just no!! I'm not about to knock back something that just came out of their vag. (Gross, yes -- but that's the reality of what they're doing.)

I'm really hoping it doesn't become some sort of new trend otherwise it might be difficult to ever look at a smoothie the same way again.....(Gag.)

I am not judging anyone who has done this.....I just wouldn't personally choose to do it myself!