Tuesday 31 March 2015

The Book People Purchases and Review

I'd been considering placing an order on The Book People for a while, ever since my mum mentioned it to me over a year ago! I do however like to look at books or at least read review before purchasing, which is where Amazon and my local Waterstones came in handy.


This is what I decided to buy. Delivery is £2.95, or if you spend £25 or over it's free. So I decided to spend enough to get the free postage and packing.


I decided to pick up these First Fabulous Facts by Ladybird to give Ben as part of his Easter present. He is to old for the facts now, but I thought they would help in teaching him what things are within each book.


I remember the Alfie books from when I was little (or maybe my sister I can't quite remember) but I always wanted to get them for Ben. I'm going to keep these back and give them to Ben as part of his Christmas present.


Something else I really wanted to purchase was wipe clean books to help Ben to draw and write. So I added this set to my basket.


I was looking around for some books to help with teaching Ben more new words, maybe some unusual words, and also thinking about keeping Ben busy whilst traveling on holiday. I'd heard of the Richard Scarry books but never looked in them, so took a trip to Waterstones to have a look. I liked the look of them and so did Steve so I purchased the set of 10 as well as A Day at the Airport.

We received great service, and the books were dispatched really fast. They use the courier Hermes (or at least did with me), and my local Hermes drivers always seem pretty good. I believe I made an order on a Wednesday and they got delivered the following Monday.

Thursday 26 March 2015

Recent Purchases #2

Time for another recent purchases post, I seem to have collected up enough items. Although look out for a post on some books that I have purchased next week.

Turquoise dress £10 from Boohoo

Coral dress £12 from Boohoo


 Bikini coverup maxi dress from New Look this was £16.99

 My mum purchased this for Ben from Tu at Sainsburys

 T-shirt and sweatshirt both John Lewis

Suitcase this is for Ben as we only had our own suitcases and a small cabin sized one. This was from TK Maxx and cost £45.

 T-shirts (all £1.30) and shorts (£6 I think) all Primark

 Short and t-shirt sets £5 and £6 from Primark (I thought these would be good on holiday for day trips or putting on for breakfast and lunch)

Shorts all from Nutmeg at Morrisons were £5 or £6

As you can tell this is all holiday shopping. Ben didn't have anything and I really wanted some new bits to wear, I like to dress up in the evening, and want Ben to look fairly smart too.

Ben's Great Nan has bought him some bits, so they'll be in my next recent purchases post I would imagine.

Monday 23 March 2015

Ben's Favourite Books March 2015

I'd thought I'd do a quick post showing you what Ben's favourite books are right now. Yes there are a couple of Christmas one's, but he picked them off his bookshelf and still wants them read to him. You can tell he likes dinosaurs.


The Dinosaur that Pooped Christmas
This Dinosaur that Pooped a Planet
Harry and the Dinosaurs make a Christmas Wish
The Gingerbread Man
Guess How Much I Love You

Thursday 19 March 2015

Holiday Series - Planning

Since booking our holiday, I've been doing a bit of research and found some good links that I'd thought I would share with you.

Mumsnet - How To Survive Journeys With Children

Mumsnet - Family Journeys Through Airports

Mumsnet - Holiday Checklist

A Cup Of Joy - 10 Ways to Entertain a Toddler on a Plane

HelloBee - Packing Checklist

BabyCentre - Packing List

My Dear Lizzy - Flying With a Toddler Checklist

BabyCentre.co.uk Holiday Guides

Have Baby Will Travel - Packing List

Mission2Mum - Going On Holiday With a Toddler What To Pack

Our Little House In The Country - Tips For Travelling With Kids - she has 4 posts, the other three are linked at the bottom of this post

Pinterest search for Family Holiday Packing List - loads more lists on here, love Pinterest!

I am a big planner when we go on holiday, as I don't like to forget anything, even before I had Ben I would write lists. The one time I didn't and I forgot a beach bag, so had to buy one there!

I normally start with a general list - right now that's in my head. I will then write it down (probably in April as we go 1st June), but won't add numbers of items or anything. I'll then do a more detailed list 3 weeks before we fly, with numbers of each items etc.

Quite a bit part of what we take will be as to how Ben is coming along with the potty training, at the minute not so good, so we may need to take nappies for day and night. But my plan with that is to pack as many as possible, as we have 60kg of hold luggage between us. And also buy some at the airport from Boots once through security if needed. That way we don't have to worry about buying any out there.

I also plan cleaning the house, and washing of clothes. As I like the washing basket relatively empty for when we get back, as you have enough washing to do with everything that you've worn on holiday! I am working the day before we leave, but I do have that evening (we'll be leaving just after midnight - so we won't be sleeping) and the day before. And as we won't be doing our usual trip to the supermarket we'll have extra time.

I also try not to leave the house the week we leave (apart from work), as I can stay more organised with sorting out the suitcases, carry ons and cleaning and laundry.

One thing I like to do is write a shopping list, of toiletries that we need, and start buying them 2/3 months before you go, so you don't have to buy them all in one go, as suncream and aftersun is rather expensive!

Monday 16 March 2015

Review - Kenwood Food processor and liquidiser

Last year my mum asked what Steve and I would like for our birthdays (they're both early September). I'd always wanted a Food Processor and Liquidiser - to make cooking easier! I spoke to Steve about, as it would be a joint present, and he said he wouldn't mind one.

So I got back to my mum, and she did a bit of research and ordered us a Kenwood one, she got it off amazon - but I can't seem to find the exact model, but there's plenty to choose from!

And it has made cooking much easier, and I can now do soups and smoothies as well.








Ours came with lots of parts, we got the usual knife blade, and dough tool, but also got a twin beater, maxi-blend canopy, thick slicing/coarse shredding disc, thin slicing/fine shredding disc, fine chipper disc, rasping disc and mini processor bowl.

I haven't had the need to use all the accessories yet, but I have used the slicing tool for onions (now means my eyes don't water like crazy!) and the knife tool for getting things chopped up, for curries or spaghetti bolognese. One of the reasons I didn't like to cook was the cutting up of everything.

We still only have 2 home cooked meals together as a family of 3, because of work, but we're actually got the week off from work this week, and I'm so excited to have fresh home cooked meals together every evening.

Wednesday 11 March 2015

Ben's First Soft Play Experience

Well it was an experience! Ben seems to start crying his eyes out every time we go in somewhere new, or somewhere that he doesn't recognise. This happened when we went out for a meal with my mum and sisters, and again when we went to soft play with one of my sisters.

So I had to put up with a screaming toddler whilst I'm trying to pay. He tried to go back out of the door, so I had to pick him up! And he wouldn't go to my sister.

Once we were in and through the gate to the first section, which was a quiet area with a few toys, he spotted some plastic blocks on a table, that had a hole in the middle with mesh to catch the toys. And he started playing with these, he loved them!

We tried to take him into the actual soft play bit, and he started crying again. I even tried putting him down and getting him to follow me, but that didn't work, he just stood the other side of the gate, and cried for me.

He then started teething, so I gave him some Teetha, and a few crackers, and he cheered up a bit.

He didn't like the outside bit with the ride on toys either.

I eventually got him to be happy in the ball pit, this took 2 goes of him going in it. I also got in, or sat on the edge so he felt safer. He loves putting things away, so as well as sitting in it, he also went around picking up all the balls and putting them back, it was so cute. I could only get photos of him in the ball pit, as it was very busy at the time we were there.










When it came to going home, he started crying - at least in the end he didn't want to leave and was enjoying himself.

It actually made me think how important it would be for him to go to nursery. But that's a whole other story. Will have to discuss it with Steve, about maybe starting him later in the year.

Thursday 5 March 2015

Mission Bikini Body


This was me in 2007!

Now we've booked our holiday (which I mentioned in my most recent update post) I'm going on a bit of a health kick. Which was also part of my resolutions for this year as well.

My first plan for this is to change what I eat on Sundays. I work 8-5, and normally try to eat a banana on the way to work, but then on my first break I will have a cooked breakfast. Now this is what I want to change. Either have a breakfast bar and a yogurt or some more fruit and a yogurt. I can buy the yogurt from the canteen at work. Then I can just have a sandwich with lunch.

I've bought some Lindwoods Milled flax, sunflower, pumpkin, sesame seeds and goji berries mix to add to my morning breakfast, whether that be a smoothie, porridge, muesli or granola.

I've also decided to have a cup of green tea with my lunch everyday. So far this seems to cut out my afternoon slump that I used to have, as I find green tea increases my energy, as well as increasing metabolism. But I need to have the flavoured ones, which I'm hoping to change soon - going to purchase some straight up green tea again soon. On Thursdays and Fridays I'm planning on having a second green tea at around 3PM to set me up ready for work in the evening.

Something else I'm trying to do is workouts, at the minute I'm sticking with two, this one and this one at the minute. I'm hoping to be able to work on Mondays to Fridays whilst Ben is napping. There will be some days when I can't get it in as we'll be out, but even if I only get in a few sit-ups or something in on those days it will be great.

I'm also trying to cut out snacking and eating less chocolate and biscuits, but Steve decides to come home with treats when he finishes work. I think I need to go out a buy some healthy snacks or bake some. But next on my list is coconut oil.

Monday 2 March 2015

Crafting - Cross Stitching Update

Just a little cross stitch update today! I've started a new cross-stitch kit, that's I'd actually like to give as a Christmas present - yes I am thinking that far down the line. So I need to get stitching, as it's a very big project.

I actually won this on eBay (surprise, surprise) and cost me just over £20, and it retails for a LOT more than that. I've had to ban myself from eBay now as I have enough kits to keep me going for the year and more.



This is actually just one days worth of work so far, but will post a little update on it soon.