The Forgotten Forest Personalised Children's Book | Review

Ever since my girls were little, I've always loved finding new personalised reading books. So when the girls were kindly sent a book each from OhZoe, called The Forgotten Forest, they were super excited and couldn't wait to see what it was all about. I personally find that personalised books make the child more interested in the book, my girls are always fascinated by books that have their names and other small details about them.

The Forgotten Forest is a brand new book, and the launch of OhZoe' Kickstart has already launched which you find here. It would be great if you could support! They have done amazingly well so far, and I'm super happy for them. This book has 30 pages full of amazing, colourful and detailed illustrations. 

About the book:

"The Forgotten Forest is a magical, personalised story about a young child who goes on an adventure in a lonely, dark and unloved wood. The frost spirit has cast a spell upon the forest, and the only way for the spell to be broken, and light, love and laughter to return to the forest, is for our hero to journey through the forest, solving personalised clues along the way."

The personalisation for this book isn't like any other personalised book I've seen. It's gender neutral, and you're able to choose another pronoun instead of the obvious he/she. They have worked hard to make sure that your child sees themselves in their story. For personalisation also, there's a choice of 8 skin tones, 6 eye colours, 12 hairstyles and 25 hair colours which is amazing.

The girls are at the age now where they are reading their own books, and they've been really excited to start reading their new book. We started reading the book the day after it arrived and they have absolutely loved it. They especially love all the illustrations and love that they have familiar names and places that they know in the book too. As well as knowing that they are the hero that saved the forest. 

Don't forget to check out OhZoe's Kickstart page: here

* We were kindly gifted this product for the purpose of this review. 

However, all words, images and opinions are entierly our own! 

How to Save Money on Car Repairs

Cars are undoubtedly expensive machines, not least because of the insurance and fuel costs which are a necessary part of owning one. Repairs are no exception, and with so much wear and tear, cars often need to be repaired regularly.

This can prove to be very costly for all but the richest of people, so learning how you can cut down on repair costs each year could be an effective way of saving a good amount of money in the long run. Here are some useful tips in this regard.

Get an Extended Warranty

Warranties exist to protect cars from all manner of mishaps, including electrical and mechanical faults, so they can come in incredibly handy if your car does develop a problem after you have purchased it.

As such, an extended warranty could further help you in your quest to reduce car repair costs, and should be fairly easy to apply for. If you wanted an extended warranty for KIA cars, for example, all you would need to do is get a quote online from a firm who can provide it for that particular make/model. 

Drive Sensibly

There are no two ways about it, many repairs which need to be made to cars are partially or wholly caused by the driver themselves and the way they handle their vehicle. Things like braking too sharply and revving the engine too much can cause a car to degrade at a much faster rate, thus increasing the frequency and cost of repairs.

By driving well, you can make the essential parts of your car last much longer, and ensure that you are getting the most out of them.

Learn to Repair Your Car

It is also possible to make many small repairs to your car yourself. Whilst most people take their car to a garage for small repairs, which will likely set them back a significant amount, it is far cheaper to fix these yourself, as you do not have to pay any expensive labour costs.

It may be more time consuming, but the more repairs you learn to make, the more money you will save in the long run (especially if you use your car frequently).

Having to repair your car can be a frustrating process, but a necessary one all the same. As such, it is well worth learning how you can cut down on costs in order to preserve your wallet as well as your car. 

Collaborative post.

Special Memories Kept Safely with BespokeandOak

Freddie recently started Cylch (pre-school/nursery), and it's such a big milestone and such a huge step for him and myself. If you have followed my blog for a while, you will know that he is our last baby. Each morning when I drop him off at pre-school, I feel some sadness in me that my baby boy is growing up. He's never going to be newborn again, I'm never going to have those baby cuddles again, but saying that he is still a cuddly boy and loves his morning and daytime cuddles. But we're never going to go through those 'firsts' anymore, such as first steps, sitting up for the first time, and now, the first day of pre-school.

Time surely is flying by, and I'm all for 'living in the moment', but I do like to keep things aside from special days or special moments for me to look back on. I always think into the future sometimes and hope that one day my kids will sit down with me and look through their memory boxes. I was kindly sent the most beautiful memory box from BespokeandOak. It's the perfect memory box to store all of Freddie's memories in from his first hospital band when he was newborn, to the first pre-school picture that he painted. The box is made out of high-quality pine wood, and it's also personalised which makes it extra special.

In his box is a mix of things I have kept aside. Things I will look back at and remember the reason behind each one. I've kept hold of his first pictures, the bands he wore in the hospital when he was born, one of the first socks I bought him, first little brother top and even my favourite sleepsuit that I loved him wearing. Writing this makes me a little sad because I know we can never turn back time, but we are going to be making even more special memories, and I will be filling the box up even more.

This beautiful memory box is the perfect gift for any christenings, special occasions, newborn gift or if you want to buy it yourself to keep your baby's special memories and special things there. At a reasonable price and quick delivery, I would definitely recommend this memory box.

Squirrel Play Toys Range with Smyths Toys

We were recently contacted by Smyths Toys Superstores to review one of their toys from the Squirrel Play toy range. I am a huge fan of Smyths Toys, they literally have every toy that kids want. It's most definitely our must go to store for our Christmas shopping and any other special occasion. We were given the Wooden Sort 'n' Play Activity Cube from the Squirrel Play toy range to review. It's the perfect toy for Freddie's age, and it's wooden which is a huge bonus.

I love wooden toys for kids, especially for babies and toddlers. So I knew this Sort 'n' Play Activity Cude would be a huge hit with us here. It has 5 different activities to do that includes bead maze, spinners, shape sorter and more. The bead runner is removable which helps develop hand-eye coordination. I especially love all the bright colours and the high quality of the toy.

Freddie has had hours of fun playing with this wooden activity cube, and I'm guaranteed your little one would too. There are lots of different colours and adorable animal pictures that include some lions, elephants, zebras and more. Not only is this activity cube great for your child to have hours of fun, but it's educational and helps your child develop too.

Your child will develop motor skills, recognition of colours and shapes, as well as problem-solving and matching. Squirrel Play have a great range of different wooden toys for little ones. All are great for helping development but most importantly, to put a smile on a child's face, as well as letting them use their full imagination.

We were kindly gifted and paid for this review.
However, as always, words, images and opinions are entirely our own. 

Making Your Home More Sustainable

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When you have little ones running around, your interior design tends to focus around factors such as

how durable something is, how easily it can be cleaned if someone happens to spill a drink or draw on

it, and how safe it is in regards to sharp corners. However, there are also other factors that we should

bear in mind when it comes to the long run. Sustainability is one of them. Thanks to various studies

and increasing media coverage, we are becoming increasingly aware of how our actions are affecting

the world that we live on, and in turn, how changes to the world that we live on due to our actions are

affecting us as the human population. If you want the world to be as happy, healthy, and safe a place

as possible for our children and perhaps their future children, it’s important that we start living a more

sustainable lifestyle. So, how can your incorporate this concept into your own home? Here are just a

couple of ideas to get you started in the right direction!

Opt for Sustainable Materials in Furniture

Minimalism is in and this means that more people are opting for plain, plastic designs when it comes

to furniture. But you should avoid this trend. Most plastic does not completely biodegrade and once

people are done with their plastic furniture, it’s highly likely to end up sitting in landfill for the foreseeable

future. Instead, favour more natural options, such as cane furniture at James Oliver. Not only does this

look great, but it can be recycled or degrade naturally in the future when you are done with it.

Switch to an Eco-Friendly Energy Supplier

Most of us stick with the same energy provider that we signed up with when we first moved into our

property. But you should bear in mind that you can always switch to a more eco-friendly energy supplier.

These companies may cost a little more, but it’s more than worth the investment knowing that the energy

you are using on a daily basis comes from a renewable source and isn’t polluting the planet. Once you’ve

switched, you won’t have to think about it again, so this step requires minimal effort. If you are really

into the sustainable energy vibe, you could even have solar panels fitted to your property. This way,

you can generate your own energy. Any surplus that doesn’t get used can even get sold back to the

national power grid, meaning that you can make a profit on the side too!

These are just a couple of steps that you can take to make your home an eco-friendly haven.

Not only is it better for you, but it’s better for the planet too! So, start implementing changes as

soon as possible!

* Collaborative post

Three Reasons Why Parents End Up With Bad Credit

Being a parent is a tough task and it can be a huge challenge to juggle all of your responsibilities. Unfortunately, this can often mean that finances get overlooked which can lead to bad credit. Bad credit can make life even more difficult as it could stop you from being able to borrow money amongst a few other side effects. These are a few of the main reasons that parents end up with bad credit.

Unexpected Costs

When you have children it can be very difficult to properly manage your finances because there will always be unexpected costs that you have not budgeted for. A few common examples include school trips and birthday parties, both of which can be costly but are hugely important to youngsters.

Spending Money on the Kids

As it turns out, having children is incredibly expensive and many parents struggle to afford this whilst still providing and looking after themselves. Kids constantly need new clothes because they grow so fast, but you will also need to pay for toys, trips out and pocket money, all of which can very quickly add up.

Disorganisation

When you have kids and other expenses to cover it can often feel like you have no control over your money at all. This disorganisation can make it very easy to fall into dangerous financial situations which is why it is so important to budget as best you can and get a clear overview of your finances.

Solutions

If you do find yourself with a bad credit rating, there are still options available as well as steps to improve your credit rating. There are bank accounts for people with bad credit which can be opened even if you are rejected elsewhere and there are no credit checks when you apply. These accounts often have no overdraft fees and they can help you to get bills paid on time and generally handle your money better. This is also a way that you can improve your credit rating too.

It is all too easy for parents to slip into bad credit as it is so difficult to juggle your responsibilities and handle your finances when you have kids to feed and keep entertained. There are many costs attached to parenting in addition to having to look after and provide for yourself which means that an unexpected cost or the tiniest bit of disorganisation could create financial problems, but there are always solutions available if you do find yourself with a low credit rating.

* Collaborative post. 

Casdon Dyson Cord-Free Vacuum Review

We’re huge Casdon fans, so when we got the chance to review the brand new Casdon Dyson Cord-Free Vacuum, I’m sure you can only imagine how excited we were. Ever since Freddie started to notice things he’s been obsessed with hoovers. He would bum shuffle around while I hoovered from room to room and as he started to walk, he would help me hoover too. He’s had a few hoovers for himself, and on a daily basis, we will always see him ‘hoovering’ most rooms in our home.

We have a cord-free hoover to hoover our stairs and quick little hoover ups around the home, now Freddie has his very own and I wish I had captured his excited face when he saw it. It’s a light, but great quality cord-free hoover that’s the exact replica of the hand held DC59 model. You can change the nozzle at the bottom, just like the real one, he loves switching them around.

The most exciting part for Freddie was probably that it has a working suction which actually picks of dust and little pieces of papers. He was so proud of himself for cleaning the floor. There are little balls in the clear cylinder which he likes too. It’s light enough for little ones to use with one hand. Overall, we are overly pleased with this hoover. A lot of people have commented on how cool it is, and his little friends have also been playing with it. It’s been a great hit with my eldest too. Also, they are 8 and 6 years old.

We were gifted this item for the purpose of this review.

All words, images and opinions are our own. 

Get Cleaning With Milton

If you're a follower on Instagram, you will know that I do a lot of cleaning stories. I share my favourite cleaning products on there, as well as on my YouTube Channel. I have a mix of sprays, wipes and anything cleaning related. I feel strongly about surfaces, toys, dummies etc. to be germ-free. But of course, having three kids, working from home, everything can be a little hectic. But one reason I do love Milton products is that they have products that you can use on the go.

Milton have Antibacterial Surface Wipes which are fab for wiping tables/highchairs down when you're out and about, wiping dummies if they've been dropped, quick clean to the toys and the pack is the perfect size for packing away in your bag. I have used these wipes for cleaning Freddie's dummy and toys to get rid of any nasty germs. I've also used them while we have been out for food too as they fit great in my handbag.

Another of their products that fit great in a handbag or baby changing bag is the Milton Antibacterial Hand Gel. This is great to kill bacteria and viruses. It also has a plant-based moisturise to help protect your hands. There is no need to rinse once you've rubbed some in your hands as it's quick drying. Great to put in your bag when you're out and about. We all know how many germs there are on public handle doors and anywhere else that anyone else's hands touch.

Moving on to my kitchen cupboard, one of my firm favourite sprays as to be the Milton 3in1 Antibacterial Surface Spray. It kills 99.9% of germs, and it's great for cleaning kitchen surfaces, dining tables, highchairs, toilets, sinks etc., and it also has a lovely gentle fragrance. It's bleach and alcohol-free spray that leaves a lovely scent after cleaning.

* We were gifted these items for the purpose of this review.
All words, images and opinions are entierly our own.

Peppa's Laugh & Learn Laptop Review and Giveaway

Freddie is now at the age where he loves interactive toys. He's been concentrating a lot more these past couple of months and takes a lot more interest in interactive toys nowadays than he used too, especially if they make sounds and play music. When he received the Peppa's Laugh & Learn Laptop, he was so excited. He instantly played with it and has been playing with it ever since. It's probably one of his favourite toys he loves to play with and carry around with him.

Peppa's Laugh & Learn Laptop features four game modes that relate to colours, numbers, letters and word recognition. There are fun shaped buttons that Freddie loves pushing, which then makes lights on the screen that helps the child navigate and answer different questions and challenges. There are some musical sounds your little ones will love and dance around too - if they are anything like my Freddie.

The classic chunky laptop design has a handle for your little ones to carry the laptop around with them. The foldable screen lights up, and the buttons are chunky, great for little fingers to press. Your little one can learn different musical instruments and play 4 different activities, including sounds and words etc., when the easy-to-press buttons are pressed.

It's a great gift and toy for your little one to have to help teach them the basics of vocabulary, communication skills and hand to eye co-ordination. It's great quality, perfect for toddler/young children. The best thing Freddie loved about this laptop was carrying it around and pressing all the buttons for the lights and sounds.

Now here's the fun bit for you all. You can now win your very own Peppa Laugh & Learn Laptop! Whether it's for your little one, a friends little one, your nephew/niece or anyone. All you need to do to enter is enter via Rafflecopter and make sure you read the Terms and Conditions. Good luck!

Terms and Conditions
Giveaway ends 30th September 12AM UK Time.
UK entrants only
All entries are checked

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Four Simple Kitchen Upgrades You Can Do In A Weekend

Did you know that currently, kitchen remodels aren’t getting the same attention as they used to?

A kitchen improvement is something that homeowners automatically jump to when they think about

upgrading the home. This is mainly because of the fact that the kitchen is the heart of the home; it’s

where you eat, commune and congregate as a family. The thing to remember is that you don’t have to

rip out the entire kitchen to have a positive impact on the whole home and its value. All you have to do

is make some smaller upgrades for it to all make sense and fall into place.

Not many people know which projects will make sense for their home, but that’s precisely what this

article is for. You need short, sharp jobs that’ll have a huge impact on your house and your life inside

your home. You also need to ensure that these jobs don’t take up too much of your time. So, with all

that in mind, we’ve got four fantastic ideas so that your kitchen will have a new look.

Image Source

Change The Fixings. The fixtures and fittings of the kitchen, such as the lighting, the cabinet handles and even

the taps at the sink, all need upgrading every now and then. A simple switch of any of these can automatically

revamp the room and give it a facelift that doesn’t break the bank. You can, of course, look here at the many

changes that you want to make to the sinks and the cabinets in the kitchen, but start small and work up to it.

Small fixes first before the big ones.

Paint The Cabinets. Kitchen cabinets don’t often get updated without a huge renovation, so why not break

open a couple of tubs of good quality kitchen wood paint? You can really get the fresh look that you’ve been

searching for this way.

Light It Up. Change up the lighting of the kitchen by adding a hanging pendant light over the kitchen island

instead of the usual spotlights. Layering the lighting gives your kitchen a modern and upgraded look. It also

means that you’re choosing a new way to decorate the room. Choose LED lights, though, because those bulbs

last longer and they’re so much better for the environment than the usual ones.

Peel & Stick. Backsplashes in the kitchen don’t have to be boring. You can really set a huge statement by using

backsplashes that are beautiful and creative. There are so many styles that you can choose from, and peel and

stick kits can be picked up anywhere that offers home improvement items.

A full kitchen renovation may not be what you need to make your cooking space look good. The smaller

changes can have a much bigger impact on your home and make your home value go up, too. Always choose

the colours and the fixtures that fit the tone of the house; don’t go too crazy unless you are aiming for your

kitchen not to fit!

Pippy Clementine Clothing Review

Pippy Clementine is a small business clothing brand that create a great range of clothing for adults and children. Their clothing are fun, bright and high quality. They also offer personalised clothing which is always a huge bonus for me. I absolutely love personalised clothing, and so I was super excited when I was offered to review some of their adorable personalised t-shirts.

I chose their 'Big Sister' and 'Little Bro' personalised t-shirts. The girls have previously had 'big sister' t-shirts when Freddie was a newborn, but they sadly grew out of them. So I instantly knew what to choose, and it was lovely for Freddie to have one too.

Their 'Big Sister' personalised t-shirts are in hot pink shade with white writing. It's not too much in your face, and it's a nice shade of pink. I was overly pleased with the quality of the t-shirt, and the price is very reasonable. The Little Bro was just as good quality as the 'Big Sister' t-shirts. The kids have worn the t-shirt a lot of times, and they've been in the wash quite a few times now, and they have kept their shape which is great.

Pippy Clementine have a great range of adult clothing too. There's a choice of t-shirts, hoodies and sweatshirts. They all have slogans on that most of us can relate too, and the hoodies look super comfortable. The kids have a good range of hoodies and sweatshirts too, again, at reasonable prices.

You can check out their Instagram here and their website here.

* We were sent these items for the purpose of this review.
However, all words, images and opinions are entirely our own.

Plus Size Clothing With Pink Clove

I've not always been a plus size. I was once a size 10 and for me to be the size I am today is hard to accept at times. I'm not happy with my body, I don't think I ever will be, but I am trying to be more positive about my body and about myself. I want my girls to grow up with body positivity, and they are only going to learn that from me. I am currently trying to lose weight, and my goal would be to hit a size 14 again. I would absolutely love to be that size again as that's when I was at my happiest. But for now, I am learning myself to style my body and style my shape. Wear the clothes that I like and feel comfortable in, but sometimes stepping out of my comfort zone and going for something different too.

I was recently sent an outfit from Pink Clove that I chose. They have a great range of plus size tops, and although it was hard to decide which one to choose, I eventually went for a plain white-tee with a slogan. I've always loved this kind of style t-shirt's but never owned or tried one. I then decided to team it up with some jeans, again, they have a good variety of plus size jeans to choose from with a good range of different sizes too. I went for the Plus Emma Skinny Jeans in clean back.

I personally thought the black jeans would go perfectly with the white t-shirt. Teaming them up with some trainers would make the perfect look. The jeans were soft, with stretch and are super comfortable. They have your normal 4 pockets which are always handy, and they were at a reasonable price of £21. I think black jeans are a must-have in your drawers. Black goes with pretty much anything, and it's the perfect colour to mix match with your colours, brights, pastels and so on. You can style black with a lot.

The t-shirt is great quality and again, really comfortable. It's a t-shirt I can throw on for the school run or one I could dress up in if I'm planning on going out with a couple of friends. You can team it up with a pair of jeans like I have, or wearing a skirt or maybe under a pinafore dress too.

* We were given these products in return for an honest review.
All words, images and opinions are entirely our own.

Safety 1st Highchair Review

I have always tried to make meal times fun, whether it's making funny faces with food on their plates or playing a couple of fun food games while we are sitting at the table. I think meal times are the most important times to bond with each other. It's so nice to be able to sit at the table altogether and I can't wait to start doing it again. We haven't been able to sit together at our dining table for the past couple of months now because of some changes we are doing in our home. We've been sitting together in the living room, or if my partner and I are having tea at a later time then the kids will sit at the table, there are currently only two dining table chairs.

We were kindly sent a wooden highchair from Safety 1st, and I was so excited to put it together and start using it with Freddie. It was really easy to put together and took me under 30 minutes. Normally putting something together really stresses me out, but this didn't. The instructions were simple, and the whole thing was easy.

The great thing about this highchair is it's a 3-in-1 which means it grows with your child. Finding a product that grows with your child definitely makes money worth it. This highchair, in particular, is suitable from 6 months old until your child is approximately 9/10 years (depending on weight too). It's a neutral colour, it goes well with any interiors. I am in the middle of re-decorating our back room to make it into a cosy family dining area, and I know this chair will fit in great.

There is a removable tray. However, you are advised to leave the tray on until they are 18 months old. After then you can use the highchair with or without the tray. Due to the high frame, the tray reaches over the dining table, which brings your little one closer to the table, which is great in my eyes. There is also a three-point harness and a safety bar, which makes the high chair extra safe for your little one.

Once your child is approximately 3 years old, or when your child is able to sit independently on their own, you can remove the safety bar, the harness, the tray and the highchair will easily turn into a junior chair. The footrest and seat are adjustable, so you are able to place them in the right places for the height of your child.

I would recommend this highchair because it's solid wood, high-quality and grows with your child. Like I said above, it's great to find a product that grows with your child as you know it will last you many years and this highchair will definitely be used for years in our home.

* We were sent this item for the purpose of this review.
However, all words, images and opinions are our own.