Boxing Day 2014.

Every Boxing Day without fail we go to my Nain & Taid's house to spend the day there. My aunty from England comes down over Christmas too so it is nice to have all the family together. Unfortunately this year my Uncle or my Dad wasn't there as they were somewhere else. However we all still had a brilliant time. Mia and Elliw had more presents again, and so did me and my partner. We had a buffet and a couple of drinks but my partner didn't drink as he wanted to work in the evening. Mia went to her Dad's 4pm to spend a few days there.
We had another lovely day with my side of the family. That evening when we came home I ordered a Pizza and relaxed all evening whilst my partner was working. Elliw slept half way coming home so I brought her down since she wasn't settling and kept her up until about 9 - 9.30pm which was a nice change!

What did you do Boxing Day?

Our Christmas.

First of all.. I hope you ALL had a lovely Christmas! We sure did. I apologize I did not do a 'Merry Christmas' post, I have not been blogging a lot recently as I've just not had the time and when I have had the time then I've been to tired!
Our Christmas was filled with laughter, smiles and lots of mess. This Christmas was totally different to previous years. Mia understood what was going on, really knew who Santa Clause was and lets just say she was over-excited! All day Christmas Eve she wouldn't stop talking about Santa! In her mind, the way Santa Clause comes to gives presents is; he puts some magic on him to make him very small to come down our chimney and then open our log burner door to get out and then lay out all the presents. They both had some Christmas Eve boxes with a letter from Santa which they loved. They both went to bed around 7pm I think. Anyway, they both finally went to sleep so I decided to bring all the presents down whilst my partner went to go get the doll cot, dolls house and Frozen bike from his mothers house. I am so glad I decided to finish the wrapping about a week before Christmas so I did get a bit of relaxing time Christmas Eve which was nice but I did make sure I went to bed early-ish so we could wake up nice and fresh Christmas Day.
Did it go that way? No. Both girls were up 4am. Mia saw her presents in her stocking on the side of her bed and she got very excited however she did listen to me when I told her Santa was still around and she was not allowed to open them until it was around 7am. From 4am - 6.45am she slept for about 45-60 mins maybe or less. We were shattered, plus my youngest wakes up 3-4am most nights so we were both a little like zombies waking up ha ha. We decided to come downstairs and the girls were confussed as I had put wrapping paper on the door! I wanted them to run into it and break it but they wouldn't ha ha. When Iwan got it down they went into the living room and lets just say their reaction and faces were PRICELESS! I got a gorgeous Clogau Gold necklace off my partner which I absolutely love! Plus an Eastenders Children In Need Calender which I opened Christmas Eve ha ha!
I do think they got a little too much presents as we all got a little bored in the end. However, they loved everything they got. My partners parents came over about 10.30am then when they went home me, my partner and the girls went to my partners aunty and uncles house to say Merry Christmas and spent about 1-2 hours there. We had a drink and yes, I got a tad tipsy! We then made our way to my partners parents house for Christmas (late) dinner, which was lovely. We spent the rest of the day there, the girls had more presents which they loved!

Hope you all had a lovely day.x

Christmas 2014

For the first time in a good few years we are actually very organised this Christmas. I started shopping online around mid-August time then got a few bits over September then me and my partner went to Chester for the night and went shopping to get most of the girls' presents. Then we have been getting everybody else's presents in the past month and finally we are sorted and don't need to buy no more presents for anyone. I am so glad that all i need to do is wrap the rest of the girls' presents and do the rounds of giving other people's presents to them which i will do this weekend, like we do every year.

I have struggled quite a bit on what to get for Mia and Elliw this year especially Elliw as she is a bit younger and she likes to copy Mia so i tried to get them both similair things but because i know they will share their toys and Mia will probably play/take some of Elliws toys and Elliw will do the same back i thought there was no point in buying th same presents each. It has been a very expensive year this Christmas and i think we will cut it down a bit next year.

On Christmas morning i always video the girls coming downstairs and this year for a change i think i will put wrapping paper on the door so they can be suprised when they come downstairs! I am really excited to do that if i'm honest. We will all open the presents, take photos and probably eat some chocolate for breakfast as you do Christmas Day! Ha ha. We will all get ready and take a walk down to my partners Aunty and Uncle's house and have one drink there and a chat and exchange presents. After that, we will go to my partners parents house and spend the day there along with having Christmas Dinner too!

 

On Boxing Day we will go and see my family and spend the day in my Nain's house which i have done every single year since i was little. It's really nice because all the family will be there and it'll be a nice change having everyone together. There is always a buffet there and the girls will play and probably make a mess too!

I absoloutley love Christmas. The main thing i love about Christmas Day is spending it with the family and especially my girls. I can't remember a Christmas with both my parents and i was very young so i remmeber growing up with my Dad on Christmas, which i absoloutley loved and wouldn't change a thing! But it does feel really nice me, my partner and my girls all together for Christmas.

How do you spend your Christmas and Boxing Day?

Are too many teens drinking alcohol?

A recent study commissioned by global brewer AB InBev UK showed that parents aren’t as well informed as they might like to believe when it comes to the drinking habits of young people today.

Surprisingly, the survey found that parents are too quick to believe that the majority of teenagers are habitually drinking alcohol; whereas the truth is actually that a much lower percentage than assumed does so.

The survey discovered that, on average, only 39% of young teenagers (11 – 15 years) have drunk alcohol before. This is in contrast to distrusting UK parents that think this number is closer to 60%.

AB InBev UK, alongside the Alcohol Education Trust, is supplying a wealth of information to equip parents for discussions with their young teens about the responsible drinking.

Family Talk UK is an online platform where parents can come together and share their experiences and advice about alcohol in relation to their children and families.

If you’ve ever needed tips on how to start this tricky conversation, check out the Facebook page now!

Writting Christmas Cards.

This is one thing I am so un-organised to do is writing Christmas Cards. I get so stressed on who and how many I need to buy and then having to go to the shops to find them all. It can get so confusing but I am glad when I've finished them all. Every year I buy a pack of small cards for Mia to take to her friends in school and since she loves writing and can actually write pretty well I thought for this year she can start writing her own Christmas Cards. If I'm honest it did get pretty boring waiting for her to write but I was looking at her writing them all and she loved it! She wrote in about 20-ish cards and she wanted to do more but there were no more people to write for.

Who writes Christmas cards at your home?

Women's Party Dresses.

Blue Sequin Dress || Grey Swing Dress || V Neck Black Skater Dress || Black & White Jumpsuit || Black Bodycon Dress

Another year has flown by! Mad Friday is coming in the next few days, a night were all the working men and women can let their hair down! Unforuently I don't work anymore, I work from home with Avon and my Blog work, however I wont be going out as I really cant stand going for a night out when it is full. I haven't been out for quite a long time and I do miss it but I would rather not make myself skint through the week.
The dresses and shoes I have chosen above is what I would love to wear on a night out near Christmas time. They're all glamorous and Christmassy don't you think? But also something you could wear through next year too. I really don't like buying clothes and never able to wear them again so I try to find something I will be able to wear more than once.
Will you be going out this Christmas?

First Family Holiday Abroad.

 

Never have I been abroad. I've always wanted too but it was only 2 Christmases ago I had my Passport shockingly! However, before I got with my partner thinking about going abroad didn't really appeal to me but I knew I would have gone in the future. Our first family holiday will be in February 2015, I cant wait! We're all going to go with my partners parents to Thailand. They have a house there which is lovely from what I've seen of photos. I'm not sure how I am going to be with heat as I can't handle some days in the Summer in Wales never mind going abroad to somewhere hot!

I hope the girls will behave there as that is one main thing I am worrying about because we will be going for 3 weeks so I hope they will cope okay with being only 5 and nearly 3 years old. But with my partner and his parents going it should be fine. It will be a really nice break away from here, get away from the village and go to a totally different culture and scenery.

My goal is too loose atleast half a stone before going on holiday, but we will see! I am crossing my fingers. Would love to know if you have any tips on taking children on holiday?

5 Years Old.

My eldest beautiful little girl isn't a baby anymore she is a little child! I look at her and I just think how proud I am of her. So proud of how much she has grown, developed and how clever she is. Everyone comments on her funny and bubbly personality. I know this post is a little late but I was too busy preparing for my daughters big day and then her party. I was prepared for her birthday this year, I bought her a new coat, Dora The Explorer back pack set, stationary sets, notebooks, Frozen items, Frozen photo frame and new boots. She had plenty of other presents off family and friends too. She was so excited when she woke up, she thought Santa Clause had come ha ha!
Seeing her face first thing in the morning was lovely. I said 'Penblwydd Hapus' (which means Happy Birthday in welsh) to her and she had a huge smile on her face and say thank you! She came in to bed and we had long cuddles before we all came downstairs to open some presents! It was a school day so I let her open some presents in the morning and some in the afternoon. My Nain and Taid came over after school, then a friend with their kids, my Dad and also Mia's Dad came over with Mia's other sister. It was a lovely day for her and she really enjoyed herself. I made her giant cupcake birthday cake, which I am glad came out a success! She loved it and everyone else did too.
I remember 5th December 2009, I phoned labour ward 8am to ask if here was room as I had to be induced. They told to go in by 9am, so I did! My Dad was my birthing partner and I couldn't of asked for anyone better, he was a great support! They induced me around 9.30am, I had to walk around hospital twice to kick start the contractions, I can still imagine the pain to this day but in a weird way I would most definitely do it all over again just to have that first ever cuddle. I still can't believe that I have a 5 year old daughter!

My daughters birthday party went perfect! I did her party for 7th December in a local hall in our village. I was really nervous about it as only 12 children were invited as I was paying for a Pamper and a Surprise Guest Elsa from Frozen! I was so excited. The first half an hour was just full of nerves hoping that Mia would like her surprise. She had no idea Elsa was coming, when Elsa walked in and started singing the famously popular song Let It Go all the children stopped what they were doing and looked soo shocked and amazed! From then on I was so pleased on how the party went, Mia absoloutley loved it. It was a fantastic day, one of the best parties I have done for her.

Happy 5th Birthday to my beautiful little girl Mia Wyn xxx

Christmas Gift Guide For Pets

I don't have any pets and I don't plan to have any until after my children are fully grown up. However if I was too choose a pet then I would like a cockerspanial or a Labrador. I do think Christmas gifts for pets are adorable though. Do you buy your pets gifts?

Personalised Bowl
How adorable is this! Not that the pet will take any interest that their own name is on the bowl but it would be a lovely gift right?

Christmas Cracker
Why not treat your pet with a Christmas Cracker with yummy treats inside for them!

DJ Cat Scratcher
How cool is this?! I have never seen anything like this before. But I would definitely buy this if I ever had a cat!

Dog Jumper
I'm not sure if I would let my pet outside in this, but it would be so adorable to wear inside the house wouldn't it? But also it would be great if it was really chilly outside it could keep the pet a bit warmer!

Personalised Dog House Sign
Another great personalised sign! Make your pet's hut/home theirs!

Pet TiPi
These are so adorable and so cool! They're unusual for a pet and I think it would be a fab gift.

Personalised Name Tag
These are really important to put on a pet I think. You never know when your pet decideds to run away or go off for a walk somewhere and they might not be able to find their way back home! But if someone finds your pet and with the pet wearing a tag then your pet will be back to you quicker!

Christmas Treats
It's not only humans who can have cookie treats! Pets can have them too, so why not treat them to some?!

Do you buy your pets gifts for Christmas?

De-Clutter Your Home.

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This is probably the busiest time of the year for most people. Everyone getting ready for Christmas but also some people are getting their houses ready for Christmas too! I am one of them, i like to make sure everything is sorted and freshened up before we head into the New Year! The last thing i want to do Christmas Day is a load of washing, dishes and sorting toys out. Honestly my girls have too much toys and its taking up way too much space. Since we've not been in our home for a year yet we're still trying to find spaces to keep most things. We are in need for storage boxes, shelves and anything really to de-clutter each room!

There are a lot of ways you can de-clutter your home. Us parents most probably have the same problem with toys and probably other stuff around the house too. I'm thinking of opting for the service by Warehouse Storage Solutions, who have great accessories to help you out with your clutter and keeping your things save. There are many ways to de-clutter your house.

1. Storage Boxes.
There are many places you can buy storage boxes. There are quite a few choices here at reasonable prices. There are many shapes and sizes so you can stick them in your wardrobes, cupboards and even under your bed! Anywhere out of sight which is a plus as it makes your house seem much tidier! Storage boxes are ideal for toys. You can get child-friendly looking storage boxes which are great for bedrooms or playrooms.

2. Shelves.
One thing I desperately need in my home is shelves. I think they're a great feature in a home, I would like some shelves in every room. They keep things out of reach from the children which is ideal. What I hate is I buy some lovely ornaments for show and the children love to play with them! So shelves is a must in our house. Even if you have some wardrobes, shelves are ideal in wardrobes to keep things. There are plenty of affordable choices of shelves on the Ikea website.

3.  Sort everything out.
Just in time for Christmas it might be best to sort out through all the children's toys. Throw, sell or giveaway anything they might not play with or haven't noticed in a while! Because when Christmas comes all their new toys need a new space for keeping don't they?

4. Room by room.
The best way to de-clutter your home is do each room one by one. The last thing you want is to stress yourself out by doing half of one room then going straight to the other with out finishing the last room. Plan a child-free day, get your bin bags out and start one room at a time.

5. Wicker Baskets.
Wicker baskets are a great way to keep things out of sight. On the plus side they are nice on show too so you don't need to hide them behind a door or a cupboard. Wicker baskets are great for keeping anything such as Toys, DVD's, papers and such. They go with every single room in the house too. There are plenty of wicker basket choices here. Wicker baskets can be great for keeping clothes in, especially children's or baby's clothes, take a read here.

Gift For Her GIVEAWAY

This week will be Life-As-Mum's 'Gift Guide Week' where I will give you ideas for gifts for different people. I thought it would be great if I also did some giveaways with it too so I've decided to do 3 giveaways for my lovely readers. There will be choices too choose from so here is our first giveaway with the 'gift guide week' good luck!

One lucky winner gets to choose one of the gifts above. Please read the Terms & Conditions before entering.

Terms and Conditions.
1. Giveaway ends 8th December 2014 at 11:59pm.
2. Winner will be e-mailed within 48 hours.
3. Winner will be checked & if they have cheated then another winner will be chosen.
4. UK entrants ONLY.
5. Winner gets too choose ONE gift.
6. Good Luck.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Gift Guide For Him & Her.

Are you all ready for Christmas? It's coming quick isn't it? If you have a big family or a lot of friends it can be really hard to think what gifts to get! Here are a few gift ideas for him & her.

 

1. Jewellery Hanger
Every woman has some Jewellery laying around somewhere. I actually need one of these, I keep all my jewellery in a box but I only wear jewellery when I go for a night out or a special occasion! I should wear it more often but being a mum I just don't have the time to dress up fancy every day! Some mothers do have time but me, well I prefer my long tops and leggings that's it for me!

2. Pyjamas
I love new pyjamas and I really hope I get a new pair this year for Christmas! It's deffintley on my 'wish' list for Christmas. I very rarely buy myself new pyjamas, I've only got two or three pairs but I am quite fussy on the material of pyjamas. It has be a certain type of pyjamas! Odd I know ha ha!

3. Yankee Candle
Check out the price! £14.99 for a large jar! Ideal. I've never owned a Yankee Candle but would love to buy one soon too see what all the fuss is about as I do love my candles when my partner is out working and i'm home alone! I think its a nice comfort especially when there is a lovely smell too!

3. Watch
I haven't worn a watch for years, I am just so used to using my phone to tell the time. I should really get one and get used to wearing one again. My Nain loves her watches and I've bought her one for this Christmas as I always forget she likes watches so this year I am well prepared!

4. Perfume
Every girls wants perfume! At the moment I am using AVON Instinct Forbidden perfume but my absolute favourite perfume has to be Lady Million! I think the smell is absolutely gorgeous!

5. Life Story
I think this gift is so lovely. You can jot down your lifetime memories and maybe pass it on when you're older or when you pass. It's such a lovely idea for someone in the near future to take a look back at your life. Such a sentimental item that would be worth the money.

6. Chocolates
Every girl wants some chocolates! Im going to try my best not to eat so much chocolate this year for Christmas but we will see when the day comes. Which chocolate is your favourite?

1. Mug
Every man should own a personalised mug! Whether it is a Dad, Grandad or a personalised quote! These a great gifts for anyone. Sure to keep someone happy.

2. Fragrance For Men
Another great gift for men is some new fragrance! This is one of my partners Christmas gifts. Always a great gift for any occasion.

3. Nightwear
Just like women, every man likes a new dressing gown or pyjamas so they can relax in after a long day at work! Or just for a lazy sunday in the house.

4. Wash Set
This is a fantastic gift for any occasion! These presents are probably the most popular, they definitely are with me anyway! If you have no idea what to get someone a wash set is always a great gift. You can get great offers this time of year with them too.

5. Slippers
There are so many choices of slippers around! I think slippers is on my Christmas list for my partner this year. He seems to like wearing his slippers, its handy when you have wooden flooring and your feet do get cold without slippers.

6. Watch
Another great gift to get a man is a watch! My partner likes to wear his watch when he goes out for a drink, so its basically only worn to be on 'show' otherwise he doesn't bother but there are a lot of men out there who would appreciate this gift.

Have you sorted your gifts out yet ready for Christmas?

Watching Them Grow.

It's coming to that time of year where my first born is another year older and my second daughter will be another year older in March. I really can't believe how fast they are growing. It is mad to think that this time 5 years ago I was pregnant with Mia and this time 3 years ago I was pregnant with Elliw.

 When I look at these photos it makes me feel so emotional! The top photo wasn't this time 3 years ago, it was more closer to March i'm sure, I should of dated it! I really do miss that 'exciting' feeling of going to scans then the exciting feeling of holding my little girls for the first time. The thoughts you had when you were pregnant 'what will she looks like', 'who's features will she have' etc. Watching them grow up to two little girls has been amazing and I'm looking forward to plenty more years. I can't wait to see how they're going to be as teenagers and young women! I will probably regret saying that when the time comes as teenagers are moody and full attitude ha ha. I just can't wait to go for that first 'bra shop' or help them with choosing make-up and so on! I am really enjoying them at the age they're at now and I am so greatful on how healthy, beautiful and lovely they both really are. If you know me in real life then you might know that I didn't have a mother and daughter relationship with my own mother so I feel very strongly that I am going and I am trying to be the best mother to my both my daughters.

Mia
Mia has grown up to be a bubbly, kind and funny little girl. Really can't believe she will be 5 next week. Her favourite thing to do is write, draw and colour, she loves playing 'teachers and school' just like how I was when I was a little girl. She really does remind me of myself when I was younger, I love watching her play but obviously I don't make it obvious that I am watching her or she would tell me to go away ha ha! She loves having her stories at night times before bed but now she loves copying the words with me so maybe this time next year she will be reading the story to me! We will see. She insists that she is right at most things but I do tell her that she doesn't need to listen to me when she is wrong! A girl thing I guess right? She is a great big sister and loves looking after Elliw and her other sister when she is in her Dad's. Her two favourite people is me and her Nain on her Dad's side. She loves my partner taking her to school in the van when he gets the chance. Her best friend is called Llio and they have been best friends since day one of school. Every Monday she gets her homework from school and she wants to do it the minute she comes home! She cant have bad attitude, actually a stinking attitude but its not very often anymore (thank god)! She loves her cuddles and says lovely things out of the blue. Mia loves to dance! She loves listening and singing to Frozen - Let It Go and loves the song Gangnam style!

Elliw
My youngest little girl. It is really hard to believe that the baby girl of the family is turning 3 in March next year. Hopefully we will be away in Thailand for 3 weeks in March so her birthday will be spent in Thailand which would be lovely! Elliw can be a right handful at times but otherwise she is a bright, funny, bubbly and kind little girl just like her sister Mia! She loves her drawings and colourings just like Mia too. Elliw loves to sing and dance, preferably she loves to dance to 'dance beaty' music and Mia loves to dance such as ballet dance! Total opposite! Her favourite song is Let it go and Gangnam Style. I would like to make Elliw a big sister in the future but we will see! We are enjoying life right now with our two beautiful little girls. Elliw has got a huge personality! She will show you when she wants something and she will want it there and then! She can be a right handful at that but that is where me and my partner come in and learn her that you cant get things there and then, right? She loves people brushing and playing with her hair lightly she will go into a daze! She is getting really good at her speech now which we're so proud of as she has been a little behind. She also loves her cuddles and will go up to anyone - even strangers for cuddles, which isn't a good thing!

They're both right little characters and still finding their own personalities! I am really looking forward for these years to see them grow up again, as much as i'd love them to go back to little new born babies again I've treasured those precious memories and ready for even more memories with them!

How To Plan An Affordable Christmas

We all know how expensive Christmas can be but it doesn't have to be so stressful or expensive! The thing I hate is being skint over the Christmas holidays. In my eyes Christmas is a family time however you can never stop worrying about money, unless you're famous I guess! But yet again we don't really know how they feel with money either. Everyone struggles with money in a certain way don't they?

I do think planning ahead is a huge help with having a stress free Christmas. It may be a shock to you but I have already started saving up for Christmas 2015!! Mad right?! I've never started for a future Christmas before but I think it will be ideal when the time comes because the year goes so quick doesn't it? I've done some Love2Shop vouchers and Primark vouchers. The Love2Shop vouchers isn't a lot of money, plus we like to do our Christmas shopping around October time but the vouchers wont be here until end of November so I will just be buying the last bits out of that and I will be keeping the Primark vouchers until after Christmas! I can't wait!


1. Savings Account.
You can go to your bank and do a savings account. You can choose an amount you can afford to put into the account, this is another thing I am considering myself!

2. Vouchers.
Like I said above ordering love2shop vouchers is a great way of saving up some money for Christmas! So simple and easy if you do direct debit.

3. Bargains
Look around the shops for bargains. If you see something you like, how about look around in shops or online first before you actually buy it. Prices can shock you!

4. Shop all year round.
Start your Christmas shopping now or in January Sales! Grab your sales and bargains! And get them all ready before December.


How do you make sure you have a stress-free Christmas?

A Day Out With My Princess.

           A day out with my princess.

 

Every women loves shopping and when it comes to shopping for her kid, it becomes more exciting. Being mom is the best part and when I plan a day out with my daughter I always make a To Do List like where to go, where my little princess will be safe, where do I get good stuff of her clothes. Seeing my daughter growing up everyday turns me more responsible. She is currently in play school and she loves making friends. She loves playing games like candy crush saga, temple run on my phone.  

Its Bowling time
She watched some movie about bowling and her friends also told how much fun they had during mini-bowl. After listening, as any child would be, she wanted to try it out too. I took my l’il princess out for her first bowling and she was so happy. I felt blessed the moment I saw her cutest little smile. We played for a while, tried all the games and she won few toys and a teddy bear.

A pink fairy dress
She has a Fancy Dress competition at her school and she wanted to be a fairy. I got exactly what I wanted for my baby, pink seems to be a perfect colour. She just looked a tiny fairy. I still remember her tiny legs when I carried her for the first time. We took lots of snaps as she didn't want to lose a single moment.

Its dinner time
My daughter loves pizza with extra cheese, so we ordered a Mexican pizza, a Tiramisu in dessert and an ice cream is a must. I feel every mother should spend some quality time from their busy schedule with their kids, give them their own space and be friendly with them.

Back to home 
Once we were back she was telling her dad about our day together. She showed her new dress and she was explaining how she would get ready for her upcoming fancy dress competition. I had a great day with her and planning for a national park or a zoo in coming weeks. And its time for me to get relaxed after a whole day long out with my princess and I prefer playing online Bingo and for more info visit GameVillage Bingo

* Guest Post.

Christmas So Far.

I think it is safe to say that me and my partner have finished Christmas for our girls. However the only two things we need now is their main presents - bikes! Mia's got delivered yesterday in fact and we will go get Elliw's soon. All we need to do now is finish family and some friends presents but we haven't got many left to do! I really can't wait until the spending part is all over. I do think we have spent way too much this year but we have also had a lot of bargains too. I'm planning to wrap all the presents before Christmas Eve this year since my partner might be going to work Christmas Eve so I don't fancy spending the evening by myself wrapping all the presents so I think I will do it bit by bit.

We have been a lot more organised this year than we ever have been! To think we have actually bought all the girls' presents before December is a result. However, I will probably just buy some more paper and pencils and maybe some more books! As you can never have too much of them can you?

I have found this year very different. It's made me realise how grown up my girls are. I've been buying Barbie dolls for Mia and one for Elliw! Mia has more stationary things when Elliw has more girly things such as dolls etc. Oh and don't forget her Thomas The Tank toys too! She is obsessed with trains. I did find it hard to share the toys and make sure they both have roughly the same amount of toys to open on the day. I think I have shared them fairly but at the end of the day they will both be playing with each others toys and sharing them.

Are you all ready for Christmas this year?!

Plan Your Child-Free Night.

I really do strongly believe that every single parent needs a break from their children. Relationships have a lot of ups and downs when there are children involved so it is always nice for the couple to have a child-free night or evening away. Me and my partner don't do it very often, maybe two or three times a year but one of those times is to do the Christmas shopping. I do think if you don't have a child-free night/evening then it can put a lot of strain/stress on yourself and your partner. It's always nice to have some time to yourself and together isn't it?
Having children mean we have to plan most things in advance. If you are looking for a babysitter then it is always best to put your child with someone you and child knows well. There are a few things you could do if you are planning a night away together.

Out for dinner.
You could book a table for you and your partner or your friends if you're going out with them. It's a great way to bond and what's even better is you won't have to do any dishes or cleaning up after yourselves. It's a great way to relax and get to know each other even more than you do. It may even bring some lovely memories back on how you both met.

Concerts
I've not gone to many concerts but when I do I really enjoy myself! I've never gone with my partner but I would love to in the future. I've been with friends in the past and I absoloutley loved it. It's a great way to let yourself loose, be yourself and just enjoy yourself. For the first time in 15 years Culture Club is perfoming at The O2 on 9th December 2014. There is still time to get your Culture Club Tickets!

Quiet night in.
Maybe you just want a quiet night in at home. Order a takeaway and put your feet up! Its a bit different having those 'quiet night in' evenings when your child is upstairs sleeping but when your child is over at someone else's house I find that you can relax a bit more!

Cinema
You could book some tickets to go watch a film with your partner or/and some friends. Another great way bonding and enjoying yourselves with having a child-free night. There are usually offers on certain days of the week with booking tickets, also there are offers if you are with certain phone companies! It might be a good thing to take a look at.

How do you spend your 'child free' night/evening?

WIN 1 Yankee Candle Medium Jar Giveaway

WIN x1 Yankee Candle Medium Jar!

Perfect just in time for Christmas. Please read all terms and conditions before you enter.

Terms and Conditions.
1. Giveaway ends 30th November 11.59pm.
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3. Item will be sent within 2 weeks of giveaway ending.
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5. I do check entrants and winners.
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Greenwood Review.

One thing I really love doing is have family day trips with my partner and our two daughters. We were kindly asked if we would like to review a place called Greenwood, which isn't far from me so I said yes straight away! I've always wanted to take the girls there for a day out but I wasn't sure if they were too young, or if Elliw was too young so we were lucky enough to have been given this opportunity. We decided to go in Half Term and my partner took a day off work. We go there around 10.30am - ish. I think we got there the right time as there wasn't that many people there to start off with but about an hour to two hours after it started to get busy!
We were really excited to go there as it was a change since we havent taken the girls out for a family day out for quite a while. I was a bit worried that it was going to rain or bad wind but luckily the weather was perfect all day, it wasnt too hot and it wasnt too cold. It was light rain for some of the day but not alot so we couldnt complain. We decided to stop in Morrisons on the way and buy some lunch there to take in with us.

The first thing the girls went on was the mini diggers where the child has the control of the digger to pick up the sand and drop it back again. Mia understood more but my partner went to help them both, but i am pretty sure my partner enjoyed it the same as Mia but maybe a bit more ha ha. There was a place in the outside cafe where the children could play with some blocks and huge connect 4! They wanted to go on some tractors so we took them there, Mia absoloutley loved it! Elliw didnt understand that she had to actually press her foot down to move the tractor but it was so funny to watch.

The girls loved the little slide where you sit in a sledge! We actually came back to this about three times because Mia kept wanting to come back so yes, we walked around the place around 3 times ha ha! My partner took Elliw on the big one with his, i thought she was too young but she wasnt, they let her go and i'm glad too as all she did on the way down was smile! She absoloutley loved it and i know Mia would of loved it too if she would of gone on it but she was too scared and enjoying herself too much on the small one as in the end she didnt want me to push her, she did it herself! God knows how many times she went on it ha ha but atleast she was enjoying herself.

There was a huge playground there! Mia went on with my partner first as i had the bags and the coats so i took elliw into the other playground which was a bit better for her but she ended up going on the huge one with my partner in the end too! Mia was scared and wanted to come back down, i'm not quite sure why she gets so scared about things now but maybe she copies me or maybe its her age? Anyway, Elliw loved it! Yet she is a right little rebel and will try anything.

As we walked around there was a few things you could do. There was a huge climbing frame but was a bit too old for my girls. There was a big bird cage and opposite was some rabbits which were really cute. You could go on a boat too which we did! I went on it once and my partner and the girls went on it a second time (after the 2nd time we walked around). We had to paddle our selves and pull the boat along with the strings that were hanging from above us, the girls loved it but yet again i think my partner enjoyed it more! haha, he is such a big kid with things like that. we went to take the girls to go on a pony ride, if i am honest i did feel so sly as the pony on the back didn't look too happy! But i am sure they were just tired, but i did tell my partner they are not to go on it again if we pass as i didnt feel right paying for my girls to go on it, even though they enjoyed it.

We did go to start queing for the rollercoaster as we persuaded Mia it would be fun, but the que was quite big and the machines to move the rollercoaster to it's place and the lift that carries the people to go to the other side (confussing i know) we found they were going so slow and there was deffintley at least a 20 minute or more wait so we decided to miss it! We had to persuade her again to come from there, i felt bad but i didnt want to waste time. They happily found somewhere else to play. Also, we ended up back on the slides and the tractor before we decided to leave.

Overall, there is alot of things to keep you busy through the day in Greenwood. I would say it is deffintley for 2.5 years+ no younger. There is a soft play area for the younger ones but if you are paying to go there i would say 2.5 or older. We had to pay to use the mini diggers, tractors and to go on the pony. They were all £1 each and the pony ride was £2 each if i remember. We all really enjoyed our day there and i think we will be making another trip there next year in the Summer again.

Greenwood Forest Park - Visit their website for more information and prices. 

 

* We were sent a Free Family Day ticket to visit Greenwood Forest Park free of charge in return of an honest review. ALL Photos are mine. ALL words and opinions are my own.