Mums last Cancer research charity event *sob*

Every year we all love going to mums up in Berwick and taking part in the charity event they organise.  Each year since my dad died, mum and a few other residents of the park have organised a huge charity day/night which has an auction, stalls, huge tombola and yummy food.

This year was rather sad as mum is moving closer to us, so although we are all happy about that, we knew this event would be tinged with sadness. 

The kids all thoroughly enjoyed themselves as usual and even Amelia was on her feet at the live band! lol   

I managed to grab a couple of shots of her modelling the dress i made her.  I love that my girls will wear the clothes i make - Evie wants one in her size too....i think i may milk the matching clothes for as long as i can! 

 

Evie wore a hair bow in the Cancer research colours - she is really into her girly bows and bling right now so im enjoying that phase too! lol

The boys still arent keen on having their pictures taken so im biding my time - they will come round and once again i will be in full on photo mode! 

For now though my gorgeous girls have to put up with me!

TTFN

Debbie

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End of School year 2015

We always make something for the teachers but this year we decided to make a little treat for all the class to take home too.

Chocolate coated popcorn with jellybeans and marshmallows.

Needless to say they went down well and all the kids went home excited! lol

TTFN

Debbie

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BabyMoov Muslin Blankets - 10 uses!

 When we were challenged with finding different ways of using the Babymoov muslin blankets i thought it was a fabulous challenge and loved the idea.

BABYMOOV’S MUSLIN BLANKETS:

 Babymoov’s muslin blankets were created by mums for mums!  Babymoov teamed with five influential bloggers in native France to co-produce a range of stylish designs that appeal to parents. 

 Muslin Blanket Sets (1x 80x80cm and 2x 60x60cm) - £19.99 / Muslin Blanket - £7.99 each and can be purchased online at: www.babymoov.co.uk  BabyMoov can also be found on Facebook - HERE  and Twitter - HERE 

The blankets are so soft, practical and such good value that i wish i had used them for all my children instead of messing around with fleece and wool blankets which are usually either way too hot or bulky anyways! 

OK, here are my top ten uses for the muslin blankets...

1.  As a blanket (duh!)  Even i knew that one! ;)

2.  As a burp cloth over the shoulder to cover incase of milk backlash!

3.  Swaddling your baby - my daughters both loved being wrapped up tight.

4.  Wipe cloths - ideal for mopping up little dribbles and milk spills.

5.  Floor covers - now Amelia is one and into finger food you can guarantee theres a mess where ever she goes - a little floor cover saves a whole lot of mess.

6.  Car sun shade.  Not to be used over buggies etc to shield from the sun but an ideal shield in the car.

7.  Although i only managed 2 weeks breastfeeding, i could imagine these muslins being a lifesaver for those of us who are a little less comfortable with feeding in public.

8.  Camp roof or hide and seek cover - Amelia loves to 'hide' (by hide i mean behind her fingers, cushion, blanket etc) lol  

9.  I remember lots of little incidents when we were out and about that meant a nappy change at a minutes notice.  These would have made a cute little changing mat cover for those 'not so hygenic' ones in the public loos!

10.  A superhero cape.....hankie.... headscarf ....the list is endless!! 

 ABOUT BABYMOOV:

 In 1997, three young fathers decided to bring design and innovation into the baby equipment market. Babymoov was born with one intrinsic mission: reinventing the everyday life of parents by providing reliable, highly designed and technologically advanced products driven by parent’s input. The three founders still head the company, and are fathers to ten children between them, and a large range of innovative baby products!

  

 Who better knows parents' needs than parents themselves?

 Babymoov’s unique innovation process places usage at the core of product development. All the products are created with parents to enhance life as a parent.

 The ‘Live Open Innovation’ puts mothers in the driving seat as product co-creators.  By organising meetings and ‘Trendy Mum Days’, Babymoov gives the floor over to the mums!  Mothers are invited to share their opinions enabling Babymoov to find out the real needs of families.

 Babymoov also entrusts parents with new products prior to launch, to enable testing in genuine family environments.  Following their constructive feedback, the Babymoov team can make the necessary improvements for innovative end products, both in practice and design.

 Babymoov’s On-site Creche

 Babymoov launched their own ecological crèche in Sept 2013 which is open to staff members and businesses surrounding Babymoov’s head office in France.  Babymoov provides all the baby equipment alongside professional care to children aged three-months to three-years.  It provides a perfect opportunity for the Babymoov team to observe children’s behaviour with the products they’re in contact with.  Babymoov can then refine and optimise them to best fit the needs of the child.

TTFN

Debbie

(we were sent a pack of the Muslins in return for our views on ways to use them) 

 

Bye Bye Beef! Hello Turkey!

Im talking mince!

Not sure if its just me or if its just taste but the last few times we have had beef mince its been either really grainy or really fatty!  To the point where we have been put off having homemade burgers, bolognaise, meatballs etc.

I thought i would try the turkey mince to make meatballs yesterday and was very pleasantly surprised.  The recipe is included below and since i made it up as i went along i was delighted that everyone loved them and have asked for them on a regular basis!

Turkey Meatballs 

(with roast veggies and sweet potato mash!) 

Serves 6 (grown up size portions plus 2 littles)

For the meatballs you will need:

1tsp coconut oil

1kg turkey mince

4 cloves of garlic (grated)

1 large sweet white onion

a handful of basil (chopped finely)

1tsp chilli powder

1tsp cumin

salt & pepper

2 eggs

Sauce:

1 jar passata

2 sweet peppers (diced finely)

1 jar chopped tomatoes

Roast Veggies:

1 Aubergine (diced)

2 courgettes  (thichly sliced)

2 large flat mushrooms (quartered)

2 sweet white onions (quartered and seperated)

2 tbsp pure honey

salt & pepper to taste

1/2tsp paprika

Sweet Potato Mash:

8 large sweet potatoes (peeled and diced)

Salt and pepper 

What to do:

Preheat oven to 200 degrees c.

Place the mince, garlic, onion basil, chilli, cumin, salt, pepper and eggs into a bowl and combine with your hands until fully mixed.  Form into balls and refridgerate while you prep the veg.

Line a roasting tin with greaseproof paper and spritz with 1 cal spray.  Mix all of the diced vegetables with the honey, salt, pepper and paprika and empty onto the roasting tray.  Roast for around 40 minutes. 

Whilst this is cooking place the coconut oil into a large frying pan and add the meatballs.  Brown on all sides before adding the passata, peppers and tomatoes.  Place on lid and allow to cook through for at least 15/20 minutes.

Put the sweet potatoes into a pan of boiling salted water and allow to soften before draining and mashing.  Add a little salt and pepper to taste. 

Dish out and enjoy! 

Please let me know if you try this recipe and i would love to see pictures! :) 

TTFN

Debbie

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Lounge makeover with Homebase #myway

Our lounge has to work as both a living room for 8 people, storage room for my crafts and somewhere for me to work too.  With this in mind i set about this project with the plan to incorporate all of this into a shabby chic, peaceful, relaxing room.

Thankfully the boys dont mind that im a flowery, cream and pink type girl and they all gave me free reign to go for it!

A little bit about the project before i launch into before and after shots and tell you how fabulous it is to be able to overhaul a room completely!

Recent research conducted by Homebase reveals that most homeowners think DIY is about creating a look or style in their home without expert help – and consumers are increasingly using ‘friendspiration’ to achieve their look. 55% of shoppers say they use friends (offline and online) to get ideas for styles, products and colours.

Homebase is launching a new portal called The Project Centre where customers can find inspiration as well as help and advice for their own home projects.

On average, shoppers spend 29 days researching ideas before kicking off a project, and then spend  £243 on updating their home décor.

I changed the wallpaper to the stunning Briar Rose paper and painted the walls in Homebase emulsion/cream.  A small bookcase fit exactly into the alcove and created a lovely dresser type feature which i added candles, some of my favourite ornaments and the fabulous stag head (*also from Homebase!) 

My favourite corner of the room is my creative corner as hubby calls it!  I managed to get a new desk, chair and lamp plus a cute cushion to go on said chair!  All from homebase!  I never dreamed that i would be able to get anything like this  - i imagined paint and papers, kitchen and bathrooms etc but to find so many pretty bits just made my day! 

I love sitting there making now - it really has brightened up and made the area so much nicer to work in! 

Highlights from the Homebase research includes:

•          55% of people surveyed by Homebase said that they now get their inspiration from friends both on and off line

•          For bigger projects, such as kitchens and extensions, over half of consumers will outsource the work but 35% of men said they would eschew professional help for undertaking other restoration projects – such as restoring floorboards or upgrading fireplaces – themselves

•          43% of consumers say they happily upcycle old furniture and take on DIY art projects that include techniques like stencilling and stressing

•          30% say they are comfortable undertaking other home craft techniques such as making cushions

•          Over one in five (21%) feel more comfortable having a professional undertake work in their home whilst 15% will ask for help from friends or family members for even simple DIY tasks

•          Nearly 50% of men feel confident in their knowledge and ability to carry out home improvements, compared to 28% of women

•          37% of women say they would delegate the actual ‘doing’ of these projects to their partner

•          people spend on average 29 days looking for ideas and undertaking research before taking on home enhancement work

•          However, cost (80%), ease of completion of a project (51%) and inconvenience (30%) are the biggest factors that delay the start of a project in UK households.

This was part of a Tots100 and Homebase project and i was sent £243 to complete the blog post.

Thank you

Debbie

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Clean eating - part 1!

Its a new one for me but im actually enjoying it!  

I won some book vouchers so bought myself a couple of book, one of which is Get The Glow by Madeline Shaw. I have read lots about lately and comes highly recommended.

Week 1 of clean eating is Ditch the Junk - meaning cut out the sugar .Basically this means read labels, watch what you eat and just take note of how much sugar you add to meals or is in your meals.

Ive cut out morning coffee and switched to hot water and lemon - its actually nice (a little like an un-sweet lemsip) but nice and fresh none the less!

Lunch i have been having rice cakes with a teaspoon of Sweet chilli Philadelphia topped with prawns and sesame seeds.

I think im doing ok so far and have mastered a couple of the recipes so far and created some of my own with ingredients i already had in. 

Dry fried turkey breast with oven roasted veg...

Stir fried beef with courgette noodles! (lots of taste with ginger, garlic, lots of fresh veg and then the sesame seeds - mmmm!  This is from the book above)

Now i just need a spiralizer to get really down with the noodles!! 

Everyone needs a little treat and im loving these 'shots' from Whitworths - not many calories but loads of taste and they do actually feel like youre having a 'treat'.  The chocolate coated coffee beans from Whittards of Chelsea are delicious and because they are so rich you only eat a couple at a time - thus limiting calories and making them last forever!! 

Would you like me to share some of the clean eating recipes?

Happy eating!

TTFN

Debbie

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This is not a sponsored post! 

Wow its Sunny!!

Making the most of the sun being out ive taken to the outdoors and started walking! 

I was sent a Step counter to review (4 days ago so hitting the 10000 is a big thing!) lol and i honestly couldnt be happier with it! (review coming soon after ive had more time to work with it)

With the weather being nice its so easy to pop Amelia in her buggy and just go! 

Can you believe this little munchkin is going to be 1 next month! 

EEK!

TTFN

Debbie

x

2 weddings and a new me!

This year sees both my god daughter (Abi) and my sister (Kelly) getting married - Abi in July, Kelly in October.

Now you see this poses a problem for me.....

.....Ive had 6 babies....

...Ive had 19 years of excuses.....

...I want to wear pretty dresses and twirl without wobbling...

...I have around 3 stone to lose which i hide quite well with funky angled photos and good lighting! 

I decided that I HAVE to do something...

... and you know what.... I AM!

For once I feel like im on the right path.

Im getting up at 6.30am to do exercise ...

...wahhhaaat - i didnt even know there was more than one 6.30 on the clock! ;) 

AND

Im loving it! 

Im loving focusing on me!

Im watching my calories

Im loving that im making a better me!

Im going to be stronger, inside and out!

*excited to see where this path leads*

TTFN

Debbie

x

Happy Birthday Evie!

How on earth have 5 years passed so quickly?

Too quickly!

My baby girl is 5!

Yes. Evie!

(cupcakes she took in to school for all her classmates and teachers)

Im sad but also proud that our little girl is a polite, emotional, loving, independent 5 year old!

Did i say independent?!  Sheesh!

Shes growing up way too quick, most little girls want a princess castle cake or their favourite cartoon character....Evie wanted a 'giant chocolate finger cake with chocolate covered strawberries and raspberries please mummy'.  

 Who am i to argue with that kind of request!

TTFN

Debbie

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Birthday and Firsts!

First of all March is Jakes birthday and this year he turned 12!  Cant believe that means it was 12 years ago when i started crafting as it was birth announcements i wanted to make!  Time has flown!

He saved his own money and put it together with money from his nana and aunts and bought himself an X box - heres hoping as hes paid for it himself he will be a little more cautious with this one since the last one got the ring of death due to abuse!

Then we have the firsts!

Amelias first easter - and easter egg!  Needless to say she loved it and now has a taste for chocolate! 

Since the weather has been lovely we have spent some of the holidays out and about what with the kids being on holiday too.  This was another first - Amelia on a swing - she took a little getting use to it but then loved it when she saw Evie giggling on hers! 

Back to school tomorrow and im starting 30 day shred!  Week one of the diet has gone well so fingers crossed for week 2!

TTFN

Debbie

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M.I.A catchup!

 OK, so while i have been MIA we have been a busy little house!  

Money is always tight and I am part of a group of moms who sell on their baby items - why not when they fly through clothing like something not right! Saves the pennies and saves the environment too - plus i can pass them on and start on the next sizes up!

One lady said she had 2 bags of 9/12mth clothes and would like £10 so i nabbed them quickly! What i didnt expect was it to be 2 huge black bags full of Next, Monsoon, Debenhams etc dresses, cardigans, tops, pjs.....literally there were around 100 outfits! 

I started a project of taking pictures of Amelia every day in a different outfit as im sure she has enough to not have to wear the same thing each day through to her first birthday!  Ive been popping them on Instagram and although i have a little catch up to do we are still going strong and shes still in a different outfit everyday! lol  

Lots more to come too!  Plus i get to pass them all on when shes 1 and start again with another batch!

As well as lots of housey project too i have been developing recipes for book 2!  This is a teaser of the Tropical Rocky Road - a couple of tweaks and it will be perfect!  

Lookiing forward to getting a little time to spend on some more recipes - i have a ton of ideas and not enough time to execute them lately! 

TTFN

Debbie

x

Funny face!

This little girl has me laughing so much all the time - she really is a little tonic! 

Just look at that pout! 

...and now theres a tooth to show off too you can bet there will be lots more pictures! lol 

Meanwhile - this little one is growing up so fast! #almost5

TTFN

Debbie

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Letts Wild About - Maths & English book review

We were asked to review Letts exciting new range of Math’s and English books published in a series called Letts Wild About.

The books are aimed at 9 to 11 year olds (Key Stage 2) and are a great way to improve math’s and English skills while exploring the wider world.  There are 9 books in total with 5 split between maths and english aimed at 9-11 year olds with a further 4 books split between 9-10 and 10-11 year olds.

Retailing at £4.99 each they are on par with a lot of childrens magazines yet so much more educational and FUN!  YES - FUN!!  Ethan loved the books and even asked if he could do more when he came home from school at night!

The book are not just 'sums and words' they are educational with little snippits of information about animals and the world around them.  Ethan loved the fact it that you could correct misspelled words and pick new ones to replace them with, also that it gave a point system where it said to try again etc which actually encouraged him to redo the questions until it was right.

Letts Wild About books are based on the new primary curriculum that was introduced in schools from September.
Parents can feel reassured and confident that these books will fully support what is being taught at school.

Discover more about Letts Wild About, including weird and wonderful animal facts and free activity sheets at www.wildaboutmathsandenglish.co.uk

We were sent these books to review - all opinions are our own.

Ozeri Rev Digital Bathroom Scale with Electro-Mechanical Weight Dial - review.

We were sent these scales to review in conjunction with my new years diet and exercise regime! 

 I love the fact they are so sleek looking and only switch on when you step on them.

Im loving the fact that they do not do stones and pounds so its no shock when you step on them! ha 

I have to search on the net to find out what it equates to so its not such a smack in the face (and doesnt feel as though its saying 'one at a time please') lol

I would highly recommend these as they are clear, accurate and modern looking!

    Synchronized electro-mechanical Dial and LCD automatically illuminate and instantly point to your weight in lbs and kg, for easy-to read results in all light conditions and from any angle.

    Visually stunning design incorporates a 14 cm (5.5 inch) dial and integrated digital display with stylish chrome accents to create a distinctive retro look with the accuracy of modern technology.

    Professional quality scale features and an oversized platform made of impact-resistant tempered glass for ideal stability, and a new built-in alarm that reminds you to measure your weight at the same time each day.

    Uses 4 high precision GX sensors that weigh up to 180 kg (400 lbs) in 0.1 kg or 0.2 lbs increments, with StepOn technology that captures precise weight measurements upon contact.

    Auto-calibrated and automatically turns off to conserve battery life. Runs on 3 AAA batteries with a Low Battery Indicator (batteries included). Satisfaction guaranteed.

Available at the reduced price of £19.99 via Amazon

TTFN

Debbie

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Frollipops! (Review)

FRUIT BOWL® FROLLIPOPS

Fun shaped fruit lollipops available in Strawberry Rocket and Apple Snake flavour

·         No added sugar*

·         Only 46 calories per 15g Frollipop

·         Contains 5 times its own weight in fruit

·         Counts as one of your child’s five-a-day**

•        No artificial colours, flavours or preservatives

•        RRP £2.00 for a pack of 5 individually wrapped Frollipops

We were asked to review the new Fruit Frollipops and Evie loved them!  She preferred the strawberry as they were a really strong taste yet so sweet at the same time!  

Its nice to know I can give them 'sweets' without all of the sugar in normal candy. 

I will definitely be buying these again and highly recommend them! 

TTFN

Debbie

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