I’m sure you have been busy thinking of ways to make this Easter special for your kids, so here’s an opportunity to treat yourself, and for free (subject to your lucky stars)! Experience days have offered me a £50 voucher to give away as a wonderful prize.  You could treat yourself to anything on their website,from scuba diving, to stunt driving, indoor ski-ing, entry to various attractions including Whipsnade zoo and the London bridge experience – there really is something for everyone.  I was particular drawn towards their Pampering packages, where you can have anything from a spa day to a glamorous makeover and photoshoot.

Just enter using the rafflecopter form below.  Competition closes 8/4/2012.

 
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Sea Bands are a fantastic and drug-free way to fight nausea.   They are a soft flexible band that you wear around your wrist and in the middle of them is a little ball that you position above your ‘Nei Kuan’ acupressure point (the second picture below shows the bands inside-out).  They come in a neat little box that you can pop into your bag ‘just in case’ and the instructions for positioning are very clear.  I was worried that I’d be aware that I was wearing them – that the band would be too tight or that I’d feel the ball putting pressure on my wrist but on the contrary, I felt nothing and they were very comfortable.    A week after I had received them I came down with a virus that made me feel incredibly sick. The bands, for me, removed the vast majority of the nausea, and very quickly, I  still felt a little queer but I was poorly after all.  After reading the instructions more closely, I found that if I had applied some pressure to the ball, then they would have worked more effectively.

The great thing about them is that they are completely drug-free, so they can be used by children and adults for chemo and post-operative nausea,  morning sickness and even when watching a 3D film.  I really wish that I’d known about them when I was pregnant! They cost from £6-8 depending on where you look, and can be bought online or in chemists.  I would definitely recommend them for yourself or for your child and if you would like to try them too, please enter the competition below.

I am giving away 2 pairs – one adult sized and one child size.  I have scratched my head about how to do this, because you might only want one pair, so here’s what I’ve decided.  The first task is a task to tell me if you would like adult, child or both.  If the first drawn winner wants both then they will get both, but if the first drawn winner wants the adult, for example, I will draw again until I reach someone who would like the adult one, then again till rafflecopter picks one stating child.

The competition will end on the 7th April.  If I have not had a response within 3 days then I will re-draw.  Only open to the UK, sorry!

Good luck!

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I just wanted to say a massive thanks to TI Toys and Blog-Match for Malachi’s fantastic Wonderworld Eco House that I won.  It was nice and easy to assemble and we had fun putting the ‘peoples’ on the loo and in the shower then toy Mummy (the blonde one) put toy Malachi (the russet -haired one) to bed and went to bed herself.  The plastic dog toy Shadow is part of a previously owned farm set and he came bounding up the toy stairs and toy Malachi shouted ‘Shadow, get back down’ just like I do in real life.  Funny.  Not sure what role that the third person will play yet, being a single parent household but I will let him decide one that.  I know that we will have loads of fun with this, and it looks lovely in his bedroom.

Thank you, you have made a two year old and his mum very happy

Well, I could hardly turn down the offer of an Easter Egg review could I?  I had heard of Hotel Chocolat previously and had been hankering to sample their delights but had been rather loyal to my previous retailer of posh chocolate.  Their selection of Easter Eggs was mouthwatering, but i narrowed it down to The Original Extra Thick Easter Eggs, more specifically , the Your Eggsellency Egg.  I like both dark and milk chocolate and what attracted me to this one is that the two halves of the shell are one of each, so I could get my childish milk craving sated and then slowly savour the more sophisticated taste of the 70% half.  I would have been interested to know the origins of the chocolate -maybe they could include these in future versions.

Inside the super thick shell nestled twelve deliciously boozy truffles filled with such delights as amaretto, vodka and mojito – far too good for the little fingers that you see reaching hopeful towards it on the picture below.  The shells are really thick at the centre join and taper to around 3mm thick at the peak of the dome, so the chocolate is not too overpowering and can still be broken up easily by hand.  All of this comes tantalisingly packaged in a sturdy box with ribbon to untie, getting the mind into the correct state of anticipation for the treats within. Though the price is significantly more than your standard egg, this is definitely a treat for the adults – mine was stashed at an unashamedly lofty location, away from hopeful little paws.  I wholeheartedly recommend.

Disclaimer: The product was sent for free. I was not obliged to write this post and the opinions expressed are all my own.

I’ve not posted on the gallery for a few weeks but here is my entry for the category of colour.  I think it speaks for itself!

Parents throughout the UK face an on-going battle to pay the bills and stay out of debt and insurance – whether it’s car insurance, contents insurance or home insurance – can be a major drain on finances.

With that in mind, here are a few quick and easy ways that you can reduce the price of home insurance:

Increase your excess

Offering to pay a higher excess is a widely acknowledged way of lowering the price of insurance, whether that be car insurance or home insurance. The excess is the amount of money you have to pay to be able to trigger making a claim, so be mindful of how much you change your excess as you need to make sure you can afford it in the event of claiming.

Time for a bit of DIY

Security is a key factor in determining the price of home insurance and having an alarm system will impact on what you pay. The type of alarm you have will also have a knock-on effect. For example, a NACOSS standard alarm can reduce the price of premium with some insurers by as much as 7.5%. Just as important as having an alarm is making sure you use it as if you fail to set your alarm and are burgled then it could invalidate your policy. The kind of locks you have on doors and windows will also impact on the cost of insurance and five-lever mortise locks are recommended for external doors. Being a member of a neighbourhood watch scheme can also reduce the price so get involved in your local one if there is one.

Get the right quote

It may seem like common sense, but make sure you’re only going to pay for what you actually need when it comes to starting a new policy. Be sure to check and double check all the various categories in the quote as you’d surprised at the amount of people who are guilty of paying over the odds when it comes to insurance. Combing contents and building insurance policies and taking them out with the same insurer can also lead to a reduction.

People who know me will know the massive success I’ve had with Thinking Slimmer so I thought that I’d share an email that Sandra sent to me containing some discount codes. If you don’t want to spend too much – the fitpod is only five pounds – you are definitely worth a fiver – come on, treat yourself, you won’t regret it!

“Easter’s a tough time for many people because the shops are crammed with Easter eggs and boxes of chocolates. So I’m offering £5 off The Chocoholic Cure or £5 off Beat That Sweet Tooth, our latest Slimpod for anyone who has cravings for biscuits, sweets and cakes (even sugar in tea and coffee). You can buy both if you wish and save a tenner!

Just go to www.ThinkingSlimmer.com and click the blue Buy A Slimpod button. To save £5 on The Chocoholic Cure use the discount code EASTER5CDS for a CD purchase or EASTER5MP3 for an instant download purchase.

To save £5 on Beat That Sweet Tooth use the discount code SWEETTOOTH – please note this Slimpod is only available as an MP3 download, not on CD.

By the way, my Fitpod for a Fiver promotion is still available for a short while longer. You can buy our Get Back In The Swing Fitpod CD for just £5 (including first class delivery) by using the discount code SWINGSAVER.”

When it comes to spring cleaning, less is always more. But dusting the furniture and washing the curtains is just the beginning. You can open up an entire world of decor possibilities by getting rid of your old belongings and making your home clutter-free. From the kitchen to the garage, clearing space is essential to feel like you have a new start just in time for the warmer season. For some essential cleaning tips that can make your home feel more inviting, keep reading.

1. Infuse your home with new life.
The air is crisp, and it’s still a little cool outdoors. Until it’s warm enough to play outside, head to your nearest gardening centre and pick up a potted flower or small tree to place indoors. It will freshen up your home, and when it’s finally time to start gardening, you can move it outdoors.

2. Sell old entertainment items.
Next, tackle your CD rack and bookshelves. This is perhaps the most lucrative part of spring cleaning because you’re bound to have old music, movies, and games that other people are willing to pay for. To make things easier, you can use a sell back service like musicMagpie to earn a little cash from them without even leaving your home. For example, if you’re too busy with dusting to get to the post office, just upload some information online about all of the discs that you want to get rid of. You can sell old DVDs with musicMagpie as well as CDs and video games in exchange for a cheque.

3. Toss anything else that you don’t want.
From your closet to the garage to the refrigerator, now is the time to get rid of any unwanted or unused items. For items such as clothing and sports equipment, you can create postings online to attract eager second-hand buyers. For unsellable items such as canned goods past their expiration date, just toss them.

4. Bring fresh air in.
While you’re busy taking old belongings out of the home, make sure to open windows and doors to bring fresh air in. While you’re at it, shake all of the dust out of your rugs, and then hang them outside along with any decorative blankets and tablecloths so that they can get a little fresh air, too.

5. Add naturally pleasing scents to the mix.
Along with your potted plants, try to set out freshly cut flowers that give off a heavenly fragrance. Alternatively, invest in a new scent of candle for the common areas. If you’re the creative type, bringing together some essential oils in interesting ways is a fun and effective way to freshen up the home. Spraying them on pillowcases or handkerchiefs that you can stuff inside drawers, for example, is a clever way to freshen up your house.

6. Recycle the kids’ clothes.
After all of your hard work, bring a little fun into your cleaning by setting up a play date with all the other mums you know. Whip up a pitcher of mimosas and prepare a simple yet tasty breakfast so that you can all relax and catch up. Tell them to bring over any of their unwanted baby items after their own spring cleaning sessions, and you’ll be able to use this time as a chance to swap toys and clothing so that you can get rid of the old and acquire new items at the same time.
Remember, when it’s time to clear clutter, think practicality and convenience above everything else. Spring cleaning doesn’t have to be a chore as long as you keep it fresh and interesting.

*disclaimer – this is a sponsored guest post

A lovely keepsake book, this is a beautifully hard bound book with an integral silk ribbon bookmark.  It contains a selection of stories, which I will review here fully in due course but have hurried to get the competition up and running in good time for Mothers Day.  The first one began: ‘The noise Eddie makes when he first wakes for his two am feeding is closest to a fanbelt slipping…” a wonderful opening line that made me smile and nod in agreement, whilst capturing my heart for the rest of the story. The book is a nice size to read in bed and not too heavy after a hard days mothering. The stories are short enough that you can read one or two before collapsing into an exhausted slumber. Each tale touched my heart in its own way and made me wish that I’d been clever enough to record some of the intimate and magical moments that I spent with my baby when he was very new. The first few chapters of this book will take you back to those special days and leave you back in that warm and cosy (if sleep-deprived) place.

Each story is different and some seem to touch your soul as if you had read a full book. The tales are set in different times and places and each one looks at the mother-child relationship from a different angle, at a different age sometimes with a twist to the tale.  You won’t be stuck reading baby stories because each one is as different and individual as we all are.

The official bio is below:

Selected and edited by Diana Secker Tesdell

A new title in the popular Pocket Classics series

Published: 8 March 2012

Priced: £10.99

 Stories of Motherhood, the latest title in Everyman’s Library’s Pocket Classics series, is a wonderful collection of short stories celebrating all aspects of motherhood, the most elemental of human relationships.

Published in time for Mother’s Day on 18 March, this beautifully packaged anthology gathers together more than a century of short fiction, ranging from lyrical to satirical, realistic to fantastic, and hilarious to heartbreaking. The diverse array of authors write memorably about mothers – having, leaving, loving and losing them – with authors including Barbara Kingsolver, Alice Munro, Willa Cather and Colm Toibin.

Lydia Davis and Harold Brodkey explore dizzying encounters between young mothers and their newborn babies, while Colm Tóibín and Lorrie Moore portray adult children grieving for their lost mothers. Ron Carlson probes the forging of a bond with an adopted infant; Barbara Kingsolver gives us a sparring mother-and-daughter pair whose overlapping pregnancies lead them to common ground, and Aimee Bender offers a loopy fable of maternal connection in which a woman gives birth to her own mother.

Stories of Motherhood is a unique gift book, promising high-quality literary fiction presented as a beautiful keepsake.

I have two copies of this book to give away. The competition will close at midday on the 14th March, so that the winners will receive their gifts in time for mothers day. Good luck!  UK & IRE only sorry.  If winner has not responded by the next day then a further one will be chosen so that the book can be sent in time.

This is my first rafflecopter so if you encounter any errors, please tweet me @mummylion – thanks!

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