The flower council have a wonderful competition for the Almost mothers over at http://www.funnyhowflowersdothat.co.uk/ #AlmostMothersDay.

Not wanting to forget all the existing mums however, they have offered you all a chance to win a bouquet as well. Just complete the rafflecopter steps below and the draw will end on mothers day with the prize being sent out on Monday. Good luck!!

They kindly sent me these…could you be next?

UK only.

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I love a bit of wrist candy but I don’t like to wear the same as everyone else.  ULinx offers you the exclusivity of an individually designed bracelet with the added beauty of it looking completely different from the wrist-wear that all your friends are wearing.  there are eight different styles to choose from and myriad charms from four extensive collections.  As well as this, Ulinx  give back to the world by helping children enjoy the beauty of art.  So your purchase comes complete with the knowledge that a child is having fun thanks to you.

The newest collection is symbols so Ulinx asked me to create my own design exclusively using symbols.  I was curious, when the bracelet arrived, to see whether the bracelet actually stayed on my wrist.  I lead a fairly active lifestyle and certainly don’t want to have to be wondering whether my bracelet will still be on my wrist when the evening arrives.  The bracelet arrives as a string of magnetic beads and the charms were packaged separately in little plastic holders.  It was immediately evident that the magnets were pretty strong, because much to my amusement they were pinging all over the place sticking to each other.  The joins arrived in a circular bracelet holder, with more than enough spare beads to make several different designs that fit many wrist sizes.  Putting the bracelet together was a bit of a task, with the strong magnets having a mind of their own!  I also had to keep it away from my son, because if you swallow the pieces they can damage you, and are therefore only suitable for over 14′s.

I thoroughly tested the bracelet by subjecting it to the rigours of my daily existence and am pleased to say that not one charm or bead has been lost.  I wore it overnight on one occasion and the worst that happened was some beads rearranged themselves.  When I built a swing somebody had given me, I did lose it to the frame – you notice its magnetic pull on occasion when you are near metal objects, and I must have knocked my arm while wrestling single-handedly with the construction.  I loved the look of it  because it is something a bit different.  It is a good chunk of metal on your wrist, I like to feel a little weight. You can add or remove charms for a different look, wear them on your upper or lower arm or even make a matching ring.

But don’t just take my word for it, I am giving you a chance to see for yourself how lovely these bracelets are by winning one!  ULinx will give one lucky winner the chance to design their own bracelet to the value of $75.

Just enter using the rafflecopter form below.  The competition ends on the 5th February 2013.  Please be aware that the bracelets are only suitable for over 14′s and travel from the USA, so please allow some extra time for delivery.  No underhand comping and one entry per person.

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Last year I was browsing Ebay in the search for some new clothes for my son.  I love clothes and like to dress him in good quality, durable but fun clothes that are a bit different from your average little boys-wear.  Cub has a vivacious personality and he looks so cool in funky clothes but a lot of clothing for boys lacks flair and imagination.  Momo & Boo not only sell high quality fashion but their prices are really great too – perfect for parents that want really great clothes but have a budget to stick to.  I only own a few items but they have worn and washed well and show no signs of wear and tear from my very adventurous three year old.  My most recent purchase were these:

You cant see from the picture but they have two zips on the left leg too, and are lovely and thick.  I’m also hankering after these, though I would buy everything in my son’s size if I had the money! They have some adorable boots, plenty of girls clothes as well, and even things for you.

They have such a wonderful selection that we think you should all go and have a look too.  In return for this, Momo &Boo are giving one lucky winner £20 to spend in their store.

All you have to do is take a look and tell me which item or items you would buy with this lovely gift and enter using the rafflecopter widget below.

Momo & Boo do not currently have the facility to accept vouchers, so the winner will be asked to add the items to their basket and wait for the invoice to arrive which will remove £20 from the total.  Full instructions will be provided to the winner by way of email.

The competition will run until the 4th February 2012.

UK & IRE only.

Momo & Boo are an Ebay store so you will need to register with ebay to complete the purchase.
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At this time of year, I look out of the window before I plan any activity for the day.  The council don’t bother gritting the roads round here, so I do not like to travel when the weather is too cold and icy.  When it’s snowing, I give up and just hole up in the village until it’s gone, after a skid accident in the car two years ago that cracked my bumper (luckily nobody was hurt).  If the journey is not essential, I don’t do it, and am particularly concerned when I am carrying my son in the car. It’s handy to carry certain emergency items such as a blanket, a shovel and a mobile phone (charged) so that you have peace of mind, just in case.  I am lucky to have breakdown cover included in my car insurance, though it is only the basic, roadside version.

The RAC have offered a super winter driving kit to give away just in time for Christmas.  It’s a handy orange box with things like de-icer and a demisting pad in, and they are also offering a snow brush too, for the harshest of days.  I wasn’t actually aware that the RAC have an on-line shop but it’s well worth a visit, I have a wish list now too including snow socks (for the car) and shoe chains (for me).

Competition ends 21/12 so that the prize can be sent out for Christmas. The prize will be sent direct from the promoter. We cannot be held responsible for the prize not arriving on time, but we will make every possible effort to see that it does. No alternative is offered. No underhand comping please. UK & IRE.

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Mmmmmmm is what Shadow said, when he smelt the postie that day (after he’d finished his usual display of defiance).  My good friend Dalton, aka Wagg Foods had sent my buddy three boxes of brand new dog biscuits, all containing yummy wholesome ingredients and clearly suiting his canine taste buds.  The Wagg website is bright and clear and easy to navigate and the dog in charge is always available to answer your questions on facebook and twitter.  Dog related or otherwise!  If you’d like to see the clever dog in action, he’s on YouTube.

In three delicious favours, no additives and plenty of antioxidants, these could be the perfect stocking filler for your family’s four-legged friend.

But don’t take it from me, I am after all only a human, and a pescatarian one, at that!

Here’s Shadow’s take on things:

I don’t want to keep all this goodness for myself so we are giving away all three new flavours of dog biscuits for one lucky winner.

Just enter via the rafflecopter form below.

Competition ends 27/12/1012.  Prize will be sent out from the promoter. No underhand comping tactics or nastiness please.  If the prize winner does not respond in five days, the competition will be re drawn. No alternatives will be offered and my (rafflecopter’s) decision is final. Uk & Ire.
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Sooo…you’ve got a Dad/husband/brother who really does own more gadgetry than you could possibly imagine.  You need a quirky gift that will keep them busy on Christmas day in between the food and the even more food to come.  Enter….the TankBot.  It’s the pet that’s always clean, never poops or sheds hair and that you can play with even at work (if the boss doesn’t mind).  Instead of a fag break you could have a Bot break! Genius.  If you have a smartphone you can control it with that or even just let him whirl round and examine his environment without you.

Mobile fun, if you are not already aware of them, have a mind blowing collection of mobile phone accessories, from screen protectors and cases for every phone from your Samsung S3 (the greatest phone ever) to IPhone 5 cases and chargers and stuff you’ve not even thought of owning yet.  I want a scribbly stylus for Christmas please Santa!

Anyway, less chat more good stuff because one of these lovely TankBots could be yours, just in time for Christmas.

Just enter via the rafflecopter form below and cross your fingers that the Christmas magic is upon you.

**UPDATE: question two should read “visit http://www.mobilefun.co.uk and post the link….” but I don’t want to mess about with the widget while there’s a competition running so if you guessed correctly, fine, if not, fine too!!! oops! **

T&Cs:  Competition closes 20th December 2012.  No alternative will be offered. Delivery may be subject to seasonal delays and Mobile Fun or myself cannot be held responsible.  UK only. No cheating please.

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I am becoming a big fan of Simon and Schuster, who make books for kids of all ages.  I have recently been privileged to receive the new book titles that accompany the DreamWorks film Rise of the Guardians, recently released into cinemas.  The books have a wide age range, from a ‘ready to read’ book to a Junior novelisation.  Mt almost-three year-old loves the books, and has enjoyed naming the new characters such as Jack Frost, the tooth fairy and yetis and sticking the stickers that are inside two of the books.  Because it is Christmas month, and one of the characters is North aka Santa, the stories have caught his imagination and we have enjoyed looking at the books together at bedtime.

It has certainly made me want to watch the film, and I might just treat him to his very first cinema trip, so that he can see the book’s characters up there in the big screen.  The film itself I have read mixed reviews about but I am choosing to listen to the ones that describe it as magical, because the books certainly lead me to think that way.

Simon and Schuster are also offering the set of five books that accompany Rise of the Guardians to win as a prize in a competition.

Please enter via the rafflecopter form below.  The Competition will run until 17th December 2012 so that there is plenty of time to receive them before Christmas.  The prize will be sent out direct from the publishers.  No alternatives will be offered.  Any prize not claimed within 5 days will be re-drawn.  UK only.  No cheating or unpleasantness please

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Northern Mum has a very exciting competition at the moment to win £500 of Next vouchers.  The idea is to plan your Christmas Day Wardrobe for your family in the form of a blog post.

I have started to feel the festive cheer, with Christmas presents arriving through the post now and my sitting room all decorated and cheery-looking. I decided to set the theme of our outfits around my new pink Christmas tree that the Cub helped me choose and decorate.

The stunning lipsy dress I chose looked beautiful yet comfortable too, and I added some lovely warm mink and grey ribbed tights to stave off any chill and some flat sparkly shoes for dancing to the fairytale of New York in.

The Cub looks great in brigt colours so I chose a gorgeous fuschia sweater for him and some adorable cosy looking trousers with cars embroidered  on them  fab!  I also found some uber-cool chunky lace-up boots for him, to add the finishing touch.

Of course, in our family there is the tradition of new pyjamas on Christmas day so I have also selected some almost-matching onesies for us, with a cream snuggle all-in-one for me and a cute polar bear one for the Cub.  Perfect.

Shoes…who doesn’t love them, really?  An Uncle once saw my shoe collection and asked me in all incredulity “how many feet have you got?”.  But my collection has been useful on so many occasions.  I bought lots of shoes when I had money to spare and now I have a shoe for every occasion and outfit.  I can confidently create an outfit without having to spend money, and now that I have a small child and low income, this is truly a godsend.  My collection is a history of me, each pair bringing memories of occasions and moments.  Shoes are the one thing that always fits too, even if you gain weight, a good shoe is a good friend, I think, making you feel better/taller/slimmer.

These days, the heels don’t get much light because being the mother of the next Usain Bolt, I have to be ready to sprint at a seconds notice.  I live in the countryside too now, so I need footwear that will withstand mud, and that are warm, and grippy. It’s been lovely though, browsing the Barratts website to see what I might be able to buy if I had the money and occasion.

Many thanks to Terri Lowe for hosting the competition.

My choices for the competition began with a wellington.  My wellies are boring, so I replaced them earlier this year by some gorgeous pink Havaiana wellies but sadly they leaked and after much ado, Bank finally refunded me.  So there is a gap in my shoe collection for a pair of stylish wellies.  I’ve also dreamed of a pair of wedge trainers but lacked the justification for any in my budget, but I’d love to buy some with a competition win.  I selected the following:

Red buckle trim wellingtons £30

Odeon triple strap velcro hi tops £35

But then, HORROR! They didn’t have either in my size, and neither did they have anything on the page that you could use to request an email when they were back in stock.  I would have appreciated a calf width for the wellies too, being wide of calf (or small of foot, I have never worked out which).

So I went back to the drawing board and selected the same welly in a less desirable colour, and some studded slipper shoes.  I’m not sure about the shoes, it is difficult really to see what they would be like without a 360 degree image.   Barratts don’t do free returns either, which would put me off ordering anything from them in real life, so if they don’t fit then you have to pay postage yourself.  You can return them to store, but with their shops closing, and for me, living so far from a town, this is not helpful.

I also chose a nice pair of boots for my son, but this isn’t something I would buy online either if returns weren’t free.  Shoe measurements are also really helpful when buying childrens shoes.

Rascal wellington £30

Studded pointed toe ballerina £22.50

Boys ankle boots £18.75

I would LOVE Barratts to let me know when the red wellies are back in stock in a size 5 and what the calf measurement is

I love jeans, they are comfortable, hard wearing and go with anything.  I live in them, and have done since I can ever remember.  Lucky for me then that I found a fab competition on Sparkle Fashion Blog to win some, as well as some cash..AND there are nine runners up prizes.

I MUST be in with a chance, so here goes my entry.

I started with a good pair of classic skinnies by Miss Sixty.

As I never get the chance to wear high heels any more, my next selection had to be skyscrapers, wildly impractical and totally Kandee-licious.

I was then going to tone the outfit down with a sensible black top but decided to go all over colourful with a lovely photo print number.

As it is getting chilly, a biker jacket might be nice to keep your shoulders warm while hobbling from door to taxi.

‘Course, a decent sized bag for your purse and your redfoots is essential.

Other people have added the prices, but really, just buy me this outfit regardless….someone….please?

It’s wild, hedonistic and sure to guarantee a fun night out: